The weather might not be getting hot in Europe, but the racing certainly is. We have all the race reports from Paris-Nice and Tirreno-Adriatico, plus the women’s Grote Prijs Oetingen with Results and video.
Visma | Lease a Bike says the Giro Aerohead 2.0 helmet meets all safety rules – TOP STORY.
Rider news: Peter Sagan adds a five-day road race to his Olympic Games preparation, Ellen van Dijk makes her return, Chris Froome unscathed in Tirreno-Adriatico crash and Toon Aerts has a nose operation.
Team News: RIBBLE REBELLION Unleashed, Lotto Dstny not worried about Arnaud De Lie and Visma | Lease a Bike loses Robert Gesink from Tirreno-Adriatico.
Race News: The Alto de l’Angliru will not be in the 2024 Vuelta Femenina, Il Giro d’Abruzzo back on Calendar, Giro d’Italia 2024 stage 15 route change, no La Route d’Occitanie in 2024 and cyclo-cross riders risk disqualification for throwing waste in the wrong place.
Plus off-script Strade Bianche 2024, video by INEOS Grenadiers behind the scenes.
EUROTRASH Thursday coffee time.
TOP STORY: Visma | Lease a Bike Says the Giro Aerohead 2.0 Helmet Meets all Safety Rules
Following the use of the Giro Aerohead 2.0 time trial helmets by Visma | Lease a Bike in the individual time trial in Tirreno-Adriatico, the UCI has announced that it will examine the new equipment and maybe change its rules. The Dutch team has responded with a press release.
The UCI said they would be conducting research into the ‘increasingly radical’ time trial helmets. According to the governing body, there should be clearer legislation regarding helmet designs and maybe stricter. The Visma | Lease a Bike team have answered the UCI’s statement: “The team is satisfied after the first competition experiences with the new Giro Aerohead 2.0. All riders are positive about the helmet and the performance staff is also very pleased with the new aerodynamic design. First and foremost, the Giro Aerohead 2.0 is a safe helmet that complies with all safety regulations. Safety for our riders is paramount for both Giro and the team. This helmet has a larger visor that gives riders a better view. And in addition, Mips provides even better protection against possible blows to the head. Giro Sport Design developed the Aerohead 2.0 so that it would meet all the conditions for impact tests and safety certificates, as is necessary for all helmets worn during competitions. In addition, Team Visma | Lease a Bike, in collaboration with Giro, has invested a lot of time, money and energy in further aerodynamic development, within the framework set by the UCI. Team Visma | Lease a Bike is looking forward to the next time trials and is confident of continuing to use the Giro Aerohead 2.0 this season and in the future.”
The Dutch team’s Performance Manager, Mathieu Heijboer spoke to AD earlier about the helmet: “A year ago, the rules were drawn up regarding dimensions and safety. We and the helmet manufacturer Giro started working within those frameworks. It’s quite striking that this statement has now come out. It is driven by emotions and all the reactions on social media. I have no problem with jokers on the internet at all. But if the UCI has a problem with the design, they should have indicated this when the helmet was submitted for approval.”
# You can read our take on Have TT helmets Gone Too Far HERE. #
Why new rules now?
Paris-Nice 2024
Arvid de Kleijn was perfectly led-out by his Tudor teammate, Matteo Trentin to win the 179km Second Stage of Paris-Nice in Montargis on Monday. The 2023 Milan-Turin winner narrowly beat New Zealand’s Laurence Pithie, who took the race leader’s jersey from Dutchman Olav Kooij, who was not in contention in the finale. Another Dutchman, Dylan Groenewegen (Jayco AlUla) was third. France’s Mathieu Burgaudeau the polka-dot jersey from Germany’s Jonas Rutsch (EF Education-Easypost).
All the riders who finished stage 1 were at the start of stage 2. Jonas Rutsch (EF Education-Easypost) and Mathieu Burgaudeau (TotalEnergies), the two leading riders in the KOM classification, attacked from the gun to tackle the first climb of the day at the front. The bunch let them go and they had a lead of more than 3 minutes after 10 km. At the top of the Côte des Mesnuls, Rutsch beat Burgaudeau to add 3 points. The pair then waited for the peloton and the break was over after 15kms.
The race was run at 32.4kph in the first hour, so Pascal Eenkhoorn (Lotto Dstny) attacked after 25 kilometres and stayed at the front for 15 kms before being pulled back. On the second and last climb of the day, Cote de Villeconin, TotalEnergies sent Burgaudeau and Pierre Latour off the front to collect 6 points and 4 points respectively while Rutsch only took 2. This put Burgaudeau on 15 points ahead of the EF Education-Easypost rider on 13. The Frenchman was also awarded the most aggressive rider prize for the stage. The peloton then took it relatively easy until the intermediate sprint of the day in Puiseaux (131.9km). A minor crash involved Steff Cras (TotalEnergies), Gianni Moscon (Soudal Quick-Step) and Donavan Grondin (Arkea), but they could continue. The sprint was won by Danny van Poppel (BORA-hasngrohe) ahead of Mads Pedersen, who took 4 seconds and was now level on GC with Olav Kooij. Mattias Skjelmose (Lidl-Trek) was in virtual third.
The scene was set for a bunch sprint and the speed lifted in the peloton. With 16 kilometres to go, Madis Mikhels, 5th in Les Mureaux, crashed but was quickly back on his bike. Lukasz Owsian (Arkea-B&B) also hit the tarmac with 10km to go. While the sprint-trains were battling it out for positions in the finale, the Tudor teammates of Arvid de Kleijn took the control and perfectly led-out Arvid de Kleijn for the best result of his career. Pithie had to be content with second place after being third on Sunday, he would start Tuesday’s team time trial with the leader’s jersey.
Stage winner, Arvid de Kleijn (Tudor): “This means a lot to me. I’ve been close a few times. I was really looking for it. It’s great to now take my first WorldTour victory. It was a really great team performance. Matteo (Trentin) knows exactly what we have to do in our group. In the end it is important to remain calm. Afterwards I could still count on the two Dutchies. They really did a great job. Although I was somewhat boxed in by my own teammate in the last 200 metres. I shouted at him and he moved out of the way, allowing me to jump to Danny van Poppel’s wheel. I was able to come from behind at speed. We are making nice steps. I’m still making progress, even though I’m a bit older. It’s nice to see that we can do this with the boys.”
Overall leader and 2nd on the stage, Laurence Pithie (Groupama-FDJ): “I didn’t expect this at all. It is very nice to wear the yellow leader’s jersey in this beautiful race. It is disappointing that I crossed the line second, but Arvid de Kleijn was very strong today. We are here with a strong team. Now we have to look forward to what our leader David Gaudu can achieve. Do I surprise myself? Certainly. It’s my first big stage race. These are wonderful experiences and I learn a lot for the future. Tomorrow will be a tough stage. I hope to keep the leader’s jersey, but that will be difficult.”
Paris-Nice Stage 2 Result:
1. Arvid de Kleijn (Ned) Tudor in 4:41:02
2. Laurence Pithie (NZ) Groupama-FDJ
3. Dylan Groenewegen (Ned) Jayco AlUla
4. Danny van Poppel (Ned) BORA-hansgrohe
5. Gerben Thijssen (Bel) Intermarché-Wanty
6. Sam Bennett (Irl) Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale
7. Dries Van Gestel (Bel) TotalEnergies
8. Mads Pedersen (Den) Lidl-Trek
9. Pascal Ackermann (Ger) Israel-Premier Tech
10. Matteo Sobrero (Ita) BORA-hansgrohe.
Paris-Nice Overall After Stage 2:
1. Laurence Pithie (NZ) Groupama-FDJ in 8:17:20
2. Mads Pedersen (Den) Lidl-Trek
3. Olav Kooij (Ned) Visma | Lease a Bike
4. Matteo Jorgenson (USA) Visma | Lease a Bike at 0:04
5. Remco Evenepoel (Bel) Soudal Quick-Step at 0:06
6. Egan Bernal (Col) INEOS Grenadiers at 0:08
7. Mattias Skjelmose (Den) Lidl-Trek
8. Kaden Groves (Aus) Alpecin-Deceuninck at 0:10
9. Sam Bennett (Irl) Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale
10. Jon Barrenetxea (Spa) Movistar.
Paris-Nice’24 stage 2:
UAE Team Emirates put out a perfect effort around Auxerre on Tuesday to win the 26.9km team time trial Stage 3 of Paris-Nice and put Brandon McNulty in the overall lead. The American, one of the four riders to cross the line for UAE with his team-mates: Finn Fisher-Black, Joao Almeida and Jay Vine. Australia’s Michael Matthews is now 5th overall, 15 seconds down. At an average speed of 51.4 kph, UAE Team Emirates were the fastest in 31:23, ahead of Jayco AlUla and EF Education-Easypost. The rain at the very end of the day, affected the performances of the later teams: Soudal Quick-Step was fastest at the intermediate point, but lost time in the finale.
The first team to start from Auxerre’s Abbé Deschamps stadium, was Israel Premier Tech and they set the first mark of the day of 33:03, their leader Jakob Fuglsang crossed the line on his own. But the first team to set a top time was Astana, who lead Alexey Lutsenko over the line in 32:02. Most teams chose to drop riders on the course to leave a designated leader to cross the line. The Kazakh team’s time at the 14.1-km intermediate point was improved by UAE Team Emirates and Jayco AlUla, who only had four riders left at the halfway point. UAE Team Emirates still had five men together with 1K to go. Finn Fisher-Black ahead of Brandon McNulty and Joao Almeida gave them the fastest time of 31:23 at an average speed of 51.4 kph. Their intermediate fastest time held until Soudal Quick-Step went into the lead by 17 seconds at the 14.1km.
The rain started to fall as 15 teams had completed the stage, which affected the Belgian team, as they finished 21 seconds slower than UAE, in 4th place. BORA-hansgrohe also looked in contention at the intermediate time but had only Primoz Roglic, Matteo Sobrero and Aleksandr Vlasov left and finally lost 57 seconds. Visma | Lease a Bike didn’t do much better, having to settle for 6th place at 38 seconds. UAE Team Emirates were not to be beaten and the leader’s jersey went to Brandon McNulty before the hilly 4th stage to Mont Brouilly.
Winning team member and overall leader, Brandon McNulty (UAE Team Emirates): “We’re super happy we won the stage and then I got the news I’d be in the leaders jersey which was a very nice surprise. It was a really heavy start with hilly roads and then the second half of the course was super fast, some of the speeds were crazy. I guess we were lucky to get in just before the rain started so that definitely played in our advantage. We have Joao here as our main leader for the week but our team is just really strong in general. I was a bit sick after UAE Tour so I don’t know exactly how I’m going but we’ll see tomorrow on the first mountain test.”
Primož Roglič (BORA-hansgrohe): “It is not my habit to make excuses. It was wet and the wind was picking up, but that doesn’t change the fact that we had to go to the finish with only three riders. That wasn’t enough to do what we wanted. We did okay on the first flat part and the climb, but we were a bit too enthusiastic and went too deep on the second slope. We were still second at the intermediate point, but had to complete the second part with only three riders. That was not the plan and therefore we lost time. In the end we got the best out of it, but this is not the scenario we had in mind.”
Paris-Nice Stage 3 Result:
1. UAE Team Emirates (UAE) in 31:23
2. Jayco AlUla (Aus) at 0:15
3. EF Education-EasyPost (USA) at 0:20
4. Soudal Quick-Step (Bel) at 0:22
5. INEOS Grenadiers (GB)
6. Visma | Lease a Bike (Ned) at 0:38
7. Astana Qazaqstan (Kaz) at 0:39
8. Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale (Fra)
9. Cofidis (Fra)
10. Bahrain Victorious (Bah) at 0:42.
Paris-Nice Overall After Stage 3:
1. Brandon McNulty (USA) UAE Team Emirates in 8:48:53
2. Finn Fisher-Black (NZ) UAE Team Emirates
3. João Almeida (Por) UAE Team Emirates
4. Jay Vine (Aus) UAE Team Emirates
5. Michael Matthews (Aus) Jayco AlUla at 0:15
6. Chris Harper (Aus) Jayco AlUla
7. Luke Plapp (Aus) Jayco AlUla
8. Remco Evenepoel (Bel) Soudal Quick-Step at 0:18
9. Owain Doull (GB) EF Education-EasyPost at 0:20
10. Egan Bernal (Col) INEOS Grenadiers.
Paris-Nice’24 stage 3:
Lucas Plapp (Jayco AlUla) and Santiago Buitrago (Bahrain-Victorious) outwitted the favourites to share the laurels at the top of Mont Brouilly on Wednesday, the Colombian winning the 4th Stage, while the Australian champion, second on the stage, took the overall leader’s jersey. Plapp was the first to launch the decisive move on the Cat.1 Col du Fut d’Avenas and he was later joined by Buitrago, already noted for his two stage wins in the Giro d’Italia. The pair worked perfectly together while the favourites were playing a waiting game behind. Matthias Skjelmose (Lidl-Trek), Remco Evenepoel (Soudal-Quick-Step) and Egan Bernal (INEOS Grenadiers) chased too late and had to be content with collecting a few bonus seconds on the finish line. France’s Mathieu Burgaudeau was part of the four-man break and so he could strengthen his KOM lead on the several climbs of the day.
Arnaud De Lie (Lotto-Dstny), Oliver Naesen (Decathlon-Ag2R) and Michael Schwarzmann (Israel-Premier Tech) didn’t start the stage. After several attempts, which saw the KOM contenders try their luck, Christian Scaroni managed to take a small lead to tackle the Cat.2 Cote de Mont Saint-Vincent in the lead with the peloton not far behind him. On the descent, the Italian was joined by polka-dot jersey holder Mathieu Burgaudeau (TotalEnergies), Swiss rider Stefan Bissegger (EF Education-Easypost) and Belgian Jasper de Buyst (Lotto Dstny). The four increased their lead, which settled at 3:30 after 68 kilometres.
On the first climb, several sprinters were dropped, including three times stage winner Michael Matthews, he then abandoned. At the second climb of the day, the Col de Boubon, the four escapees had a of 2:50 over the peloton. Burgaudeau strengthened his KOM lead by taking 5 points, the Frenchman did the same on Cote de Vauxrenard after 104 kilometres, as the race was going through the famous vineyards of Beaujolais (Julienas, Fleurie, Morgon). At the foot of Col de Durbize (125km), the peloton, led by UAE Team Emirates and INEOS Grenadiers riders, was back within 1 minute of the escape. As a result, Scaroni and Burgaudeau broke clear of the others. The Italian went on his own 1 kilometre from the summit as BORA-hansgrohe riders raised the speed in the bunch. Burgaudeau brought his KOM tally to 28 points before being pulled in by the bunch. Before the first climb of Mont Brouilly, Marc Soler (UAE Team Emirates), the 2018 Paris-Nice winner also abandoned.
Scaroni reached the top with a 20-seconds lead over the bunch, to collect 21 KOM points thanks to his solo effort. He was caught on the descent (145km) as the peloton split. The intermediate sprint of the day saw Remco Evenepoel and Primoz Roglič battle it out, the Belgian champion collected 6 seconds while the Slovenian 4, Laurence Pithie was third to add 4 points to his green jersey. In the Cat.1 Col du Fut d’Avenas, Lucas Plapp (Jayco AlUla) went on his own as white-jersey holder Finn Fisher-Black (UAE Team Emirates) lost ground. He was joined near the top by Santiago Buitrago (Bahrain Victorious), who crossed the summit ahead of him. The two had a 20 second lead on the descent as David Gaudu (Groupama-FDJ) and Aurélien Paret-Peintre (Decathlon-Ag2R) crashed and lost touch. Ion Izagirre (Cofidis) was also dropped as his brother Gorka had given up. Only 22 riders were left in contention behind the two escapees with 15km to go. Jay Vine (UAE Team Emirates) took charge of the chase until 10km to go but the gap increased when nobody pulled with him and the two escapees tackled the second ascent of Mont Brouilly with a 40 second lead over the chasers. Evenepoel, Roglič, Brandon McNulty, Egan Bernal, Skjelmose were looking at each other and waited for the final 600 metres to attack. By then, Buitrago had already crossed the line with an 11 second lead over Plapp.
Stage winner and 2nd overall, Santiago Buitrago (Bahrain Victorious): “The truth is that I didn’t expect it, although I knew I was in good condition. When I saw that Roglič was trying to tighten the race, I didn’t know how it was going to go, so I attacked from a distance. Winning a WorldTour race here in France is exceptional for me. You have to try and that’s what I did. I had good legs and a good breakaway partner with Platt, who helped me at the end. I’m also well placed overall, so that’s fantastic. The goal was to help Pello Bilbao or myself get on the podium, so it’s great for the team. It’s an incredible day for Bahrain. We have done a great job.”
Overall leader and 2nd on the stage, Luke Plapp (Jayco AlUla): “I really tried to race that last climb like a time trial and race it to the line and I think that gave me the best time possible rather than if I raced it and then blew up. It was awesome having Hayman in the back and the team were awesome today. I was at the back a bit today, but the boys got me up there when it mattered. I’m blown away by how it unfolded to be honest. It was quite a weird way that it all played out, but I am really happy. It’s been a nice start and hopefully we will have a sprint stage for Dylan as well. It’s really exciting. We have such a diverse team here that every day we’re here to win, whether it is a sprint stage, the TTT yesterday or today. It’s really good fun racing with the team. I think this is the first bit of rain I’ve had in about four months since I left Europe, let’s see what the weather is on Saturday. Hopefully it is sunny, but we’ll look towards the sprint tomorrow and then we’ll think about the weekend. This is more than I ever could have imagined and anything else now is a bonus. We’ll just take it day by day.”
3rd on the stage, Mattias Skjelmose (Lidl-Trek): “I’ve been feeling pretty good all week and this performance proves it. We knew it was a good ending for me. Unfortunately, we were not able to compete for victory, but I think we were very close to winning. I thought Remco and Primoz would go early, maybe on the penultimate climb, but they didn’t, which was a bit unexpected. For me it has been good, everything has gone well. At the finish line, I went for everything, and then for more, and in the end I was able to go a little harder than Remco, enough to beat him by a couple of centimetres. It was a surprise, but I felt very good. I still hope that on Saturday we will have a race at least close to the original plan, so hopefully we will have the opportunity to make more changes in the general classification. If not, surely we will have the opportunity on Sunday.”
4th on the stage and 5th overall, Remco Evenepoel (Soudal Quick-Step): “It was a very good day, for a moment I thought I was third. Only Plapp also rode for it. It’s no big deal that I just miss the bonuses at the finish. Overall it was still a very good stage for us. UAE Emirates’ tactics were a bit strange. I mean their choice to let those boys (Plapp and Buitrago) go. If you still have four guys at the front of the rankings, you can still make one person work, right? They did that for a while, but Jay Vine stopped again a little later. That was a shame for all the other classification riders, because that way Plapp and Buitrago, two dangerous men, can stay away. Buitrago is 17 seconds ahead of me, Plapp half a minute. That’s not a nice gift to start the final weekend with. They are two good riders, in good shape. We need to sit together again and think about tactics. I hope that other teams will no longer want to let anyone race (away). I don’t want to blame anyone, but it was a shame for everyone. Nobody is happy with two good riders taking forty seconds out of nowhere. It was an attempt to grab a few more seconds (his late attack), which it worked. I just hadn’t seen Mattias Skjelmose anymore and was therefore surprised that he still came across me. But he is also a very punchy rider. It was a good time to tackle the hairpin bends in the last 200 metres. We did well as a team.”
10th on the stage and 3rd overall, Brandon McNulty (UAE Team Emirates): “The team rode well today, we were all in position. Only the weather, with the rain, made it a very difficult day. You had to ride at the front all the time. I already felt better than expected. I had gotten sick after the UAE Tour, so I didn’t know how good I would be. But in retrospect I am very happy with the legs. We tried to get Buitrago and Plapp back in the final. We started riding with Jay Vine, but we didn’t get much help from the other teams. So the two stayed ahead. We had the jersey, so they all looked at us. But there are more teams participating than just us. If you want to win the stage or the classification, you have to ride. But that’s just how things go in the race sometimes. It’s difficult to say who was the strongest. The two leaders of course went very quickly on the final climb. But Remco Evenepoel, Primoz Roglič and Matteo Jorgenson also looked strong. It will certainly be an interesting final weekend.”
Paris-Nice Stage 4 Result:
1. Santiago Buitrago (Col) Bahrain Victorious in 4:25:52
2. Luke Plapp (Aus) Jayco AlUla at 0:10
3. Mattias Skjelmose (Den) Lidl-Trek at 0:37
4. Remco Evenepoel (Bel) Soudal Quick-Step
5. Egan Bernal (Col) INEOS Grenadiers at 0:39
6. Felix Gall (Aust) Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale
7. Primož Roglič (Slo) BORA-hansgrohe
8. Matteo Jorgenson (USA) Visma | Lease a Bike
9. Harold Tejada (Col) Astana Qazaqstan at 0:43
10. Brandon McNulty (USA) UAE Team Emirates at 0:46.
Paris-Nice Overall After Stage 4:
1. Luke Plapp (Aus) Jayco AlUla in 13:15:04
2. Santiago Buitrago (Col) Bahrain Victorious at 0:13
3. Brandon McNulty (USA) UAE Team Emirates at 0:27
4. João Almeida (Por) UAE Team Emirates at 0:29
5. Remco Evenepoel (Bel) Soudal Quick-Step at 0:30
6. Egan Bernal (Col) INEOS Grenadiers at 0:40
7. Chris Harper (Aus) Jayco AlUla at 0:46
8. Matteo Jorgenson (USA) Visma | Lease a Bike at 0:52
9. Rigoberto Urán (Col) EF Education-EasyPost at 0:54
10. Carlos Rodríguez (Spa) INEOS Grenadiers at 1:02.
Paris-Nice’24 stage 4:
Tirreno-Adriatico 2024
Juan Ayuso is the first stage winner and overall leader of the 2024 Tirreno-Adriatico. The 21 year-old Spaniard of UAE Team Emirates narrowly beat Filippo Ganna in a 10 kilometre time trial in Lido di Camaiore. The British rider, Ethan Vernon finished third.
Tirreno-Adriatico started with a time trial in Lido di Camaiore. The course was very similar to last year’s, but the route was 1.5 kilometre shorter, the start was at the same place, but now the riders go in a southeasterly direction instead of northwest. The riders had more bends, but basically a fast man’s test
Jonas Vingegaard started early. The top favourite for final victory and the stage, started third in the 10 kilometre time trial through Lido di Camaiore. Vingegaard rode with a new Giro aero helmet, but his finishing time was disappointing. His time of 11:46 was soon beaten by Kévin Vauquelin and Søren Waerenskjold. The Norwegian from Uno The 23-year-old driver will then cut the teeth of several riders with his final time of 11:39. Mikkel Bjerg, Ben Healy and Isaac del Toro were also disappointing.
Juan Ayuso put up a top time, the UAE Team Emirates leader took 15 seconds off Waerenskjold’s time. With a time of 11:22, the 21 year-old Spaniard managed to set a new time at an average of 52.623kph. Ayuso’s time turned out to be the winning time. Josef Černý (11:38) and Jonathan Milan (11:36) were in second and third places, but were not close to the top time. GC riders, Max Poole, Thymen Arensman and Daniel Felipe Martínez had descent times, but not good enough for the stage result. Magnus Sheffield looked to threaten Ayuso’s time, but the American crashed early. Filippo Ganna, the two-time World time trial champion and the winner of the last two time trials in Lido di Camaiore, was at 2 seconds at the first intermediate point. But at the finish, Ganna narrowly lost by just 1 second to Ayuso.
Stage winner and overall leader, Juan Ayuso (UAE Team Emirates): “I think everybody knew Ganna was going to be the big rival to try and beat me. He was there and then in the final until the last second, we still didn’t know. It’s a very emotional victory, a very special one. I think it gets a good morale and good motivation for the week ahead. Before I started, I saw the times and the average speed was much less coming back then going due to the headwind. So I knew I had to save the legs and then when I turned around, I knew I was going to do a good time because I still hadn’t gone full gas, and I was already at the same time in the intermediate. I didn’t know in that moment that I could win against the GC guys. I didn’t know that I was going to do a good time. Coming back, I just gave my all until the finish. It’s great to win the time trial. I suffered till the last moment watching the other riders coming. It’s a double victory: the stage and the time gap I got. It’s quite a lot even though with one minute I wouldn’t secure against Jonas Vingegaard. Tirreno-Adriatico is a very importance race in the development of my career. From this race, I’ll be able to see my level compared to Vingegaard and the other best riders in the world, to know where I am, what to work on and to keep on improving. What Tadej (Pogačar) did at Strade Bianche was something unseen for me so I came to Tirreno-Adriatico with a big motivation. It’s my first big goal of the season. To start like this is great!”
2nd on the stage and overall, Filippo Ganna (INEOS Grenadiers): “The fact that I only have to give up one second to the winner today shows that I have already done better than last time. So I’m happy. Now it’s just a matter of continuing to work, in the hope that we can be victorious again. If you compare my performance today with my performance in the Volta ao Algarve. Then I couldn’t keep it up, now I’m happy with how I feel on the bike. I expect a difficult racing week, given the level of the competitors. We will take it day by day.”
9th on the stage and overall, Jonas Vingegaard (Visma | Lease a Bike): “I am quite satisfied with the time trial I completed today” “The feeling was already good. There are still many stages to come in which a lot can happen. I’m really looking forward to that.” “We knew that the time trial course would not be ideal for Jonas. On a flat and short circuit like this, he could not make optimal use of his strength. In retrospect, a place in the top ten is an excellent result. We had calculated a smaller difference with Juan Ayuso in advance, but Jonas was the second fastest classification rider along the way. He is still in good shape.”
Tirreno-Adriatico Stage 1 Result:
1. Juan Ayuso (Spa) UAE Team Emirates in 11:24
2. Filippo Ganna (Ita) INEOS Grenadiers at 0:01
3. Jonathan Milan (Ita) Lidl-Trek at 0:12
4. Ethan Vernon (GB) Israel-Premier Tech
5. Josef Černý (CZ) Soudal Quick-Step at 0:14
6. Søren Wærenskjold (Nor) Uno-X Mobility at 0:15
7. Antonio Tiberi (Ita) Bahrain Victorious at 0:17
8. Kévin Vauquelin (Fra) Arkéa-B&B Hotels at 0:18
9. Jonas Vingegaard (Den) Visma | Lease a Bike at 0:22
10. Romain Grégoire (Fra) Groupama-FDJ.
Tirreno-Adriatico Overall After Stage 1:
1. Juan Ayuso (Spa) UAE Team Emirates in 11:24
2. Filippo Ganna (Ita) INEOS Grenadiers at 0:01
3. Ethan Vernon (GB) Israel-Premier Tech at 0:12
4. Jonathan Milan (Ita) Lidl-Trek
5. Josef Černý (CZ) Soudal Quick-Step at 0:14
6. Søren Wærenskjold (Nor) Uno-X Mobility at 0:15
7. Antonio Tiberi (Ita) Bahrain Victorious at 0:17
8. Kévin Vauquelin (Fra) Arkéa-B&B Hotels at 0:18
9. Jonas Vingegaard (Den) Visma | Lease a Bike at 0:22
10. Romain Grégoire (Fra) Groupama-FDJ.
Tirreno-Adriatico’24 stage 1:
Stage 2 of Tirreno-Adriatico finished in Follonica and was won by Jasper Philipsen. The Belgian of Alpecin-Deceuninck had a lead-out from his major competitor Tim Merlier in the last metres and won by several bike lengths. Merlier finished second, Axel Zingle third.
Day two was a relatively flat stage. From the start in Camaiore it went up hill for a while and halfway through the stage there was a categorised climb (11.7km at 3%) to Castellina Marittima, but not hard enough to lose the sprinters. A bunch sprint in Follonica after 198 kilometres was on the cards.
Four riders set up an early escape. Lorenzo Quartucci and Jan Stöckli, both of Corratec-Vini Fantini were joined by Davide Bais (Polti-Kometa) and Filippo Magli (VF Group-Bardiani CSF-Faizanè). Their lead increased to more than 5 minutes, but it was under control. Alpecin-Deceuninck and Soudal Quick-Step were working for Jasper Philipsen and Tim Merlier and kept the gap closable. The lead got smaller and smaller and with 100 kilometres to go, the difference had dropped to 2 minutes. A stage victory was out of the question, but the KOM jersey was still up for grabs at the top of the Castellina Marittima climb. Davide Bais jumped away from the leading group to take the mountain points to take the first Tirreno KOM jersey of 2024. The Italian sat up and was caught again by the peloton about 50 kilometres from the finish, along with Quartucci and Magli. Stöckli didn’t give up and carried on by himself.
Stöckli was caught with 36 kilometres to go. A bunch sprint was now probably guaranteed, although Mark Cavendish had a puncture, but still had time to return to the peloton. Cavendish on the other hand wasn’t able to rejoin and didn’t see the peloton till the finish. In the fast final, Kasper Asgreen and Julian Alaphilippe tried to keep Merlier at the front as best as possible, but Intermarché-Wanty took over with 2 kilometres to go. The Belgian failed to hold control at the last corner and so there was a chaotic sprint. Merlier was the first through the last bend and took the lead about 300 metres from the finish. He had to then start his sprint, but it was too early and so the Soudal Quick-Step man gave Jasper Philipsen a perfect lead-out. The Alpecin-Deceuninck rider took full advantage of the situation for the win. Merlier held on for second place. Girmay was third place, but was declassed for deviating from his line.
Stage winner, Jasper Philipsen (Alpecin-Deceuninck): “I won my first bunch sprint of the year but not my first race of the year as we didn’t have our best opening week-end in Belgium. Like last year, I needed Tirreno-Adriatico to do what I’m good at, which is sprinting. But I came here knowing the high level of the competition, especially with Tim Merlier who already won some nice bunch sprints this year, so I’m happy that I have already delivered. It was hectic in the finale as it usually is. I had a gear shifting problem in the last straight line but I managed to do my sprint the I wanted. Last year, I was second here and I had to wait for the second sprint finish for winning. Last year, we didn’t have [lead-out man] Jonas [Rickaert] because he was injured. He’s in a good shape now. We have a lot of experience together. I trust him 100%. Milano-Sanremo depends on how the race goes over the Poggio. Looking at Tadej [Pogačar] winning Strade Bianche, the chance is really small for guys like me to pass the Poggio at the front, I have to be realistic. But if Mathieu van der Poel and I are together in a group of 20 or 30 riders for the win, he’ll pull the sprint for me. That would be a good scenario.”
Overall leader, Juan Ayuso (UAE Team Emirates): “We had a tailwind nearly all day. My team-mates did a great job to take me till the 3km to go mark. Then I managed to breathe a bit. I felt a bit more respect in the group wearing this jersey today. It will be more complicated every day. We have tricky stages and hard ones. We’ll do our best to retain the leader’s jersey. I spoke with Alberto Contador last night. He congratulated me and said I did something big yesterday. To be recognised like this by someone you admired so much is very pleasant. He’s one of my idols and references, I also have the ambition he had when he was racing. But cycling wise, I still have to do a lot to be close to him. 22 seconds lead on Jonas Vingegaard aren’t a lot in modern cycling. I have to take everything carefully. Today, my goal was just to arrive home safe and keep the jersey. I’m very focus now. Even today, on paper it was quite easy but anyone can crash.”
2nd on the stage, Tim Merlier (Soudal Quick-Step): “It started a little too early” “It was a very hectic final, with many dangerous corners” “We were well positioned in the last kilometre, although we were also a bit far. I already started for the last bend, but that was a bit too early.” “I lost quite a bit of speed in the bend and it was still 300 meters to the finish. I tried, but unfortunately I finished second today.” “I have not once finished outside the top three in a bunch sprint this season. So I can just be happy with the shape. I look forward to the next sprints.”
7th, Giovanni Lonardi (Polti Kometa): “Perhaps I should have arrived further ahead at that last narrow corner, but you do what you can and tomorrow (even with a slightly uphill finish) we’ll try again!”
Tirreno-Adriatico Stage 2 Result:
1. Jasper Philipsen (Bel) Alpecin-Deceuninck in 4:32:07
2. Tim Merlier (Bel) Soudal Quick-Step
3. Axel Zingle (Fra) Cofidis
4. Amaury Capiot (Bel) Arkéa-B&B Hotels
5. Casper van Uden (Ned) dsm-firmenich PostNL
6. Søren Wærenskjold (Nor) Uno-X Mobility
7. Giovanni Lonardi (Ita) Polti Kometa
8. Ethan Vernon (GB) Israel-Premier Tech
9. Jonathan Milan (Ita) Lidl-Trek
10. Fabian Lienhard (Sui) Groupama-FDJ.
Tirreno-Adriatico Overall After Stage 2:
1. Juan Ayuso (Spa) UAE Team Emirates in 4:43:31
2. Filippo Ganna (Ita) INEOS Grenadiers at 0:01
3. Jonathan Milan (Ita) Lidl-Trek at 0:12
4. Ethan Vernon (GB) Israel-Premier Tech at 0:13
5. Søren Wærenskjold (Nor) Uno-X Mobility at 0:15
6. Antonio Tiberi (Ita) Bahrain Victorious at 0:17
7. Kévin Vauquelin (Fra) Arkéa-B&B Hotels at 0:18
8. Jonas Vingegaard (Den) Visma | Lease a Bike at 0:22
9. Romain Grégoire (Fra) Groupama-FDJ
10. Tobias Ludvigsson (Swe) Q36.5 Pro Cycling at 0:23.
Tirreno-Adriatico’24 stage 2:
Phil Bauhaus won Stage 3 of the Tirreno-Adriatico on Wednesday. The German rider of Bahrain Victorious was the best in a bunch sprint ahead of Jonathan Milan (Lidl-Trek) and Kévin Vauquelin (Arkéa-B&B Hotels). Juan Ayuso (UAE Team Emirates) held the overall lead.
The third stage from Volterra to Gualdo Tadion had an undulating profile, but was 220 kilometres long and had the climb to Casacastalda (6km at 3.6%), not impossible for the sprinters.
The wind and rain all day didn’t encourage anyone to attack. Jan Stöckli (Corratec-Vini Fantini) and Samuele Zoccarato (VF Group-Bardiani-Faizene) were the only takers. Stöckli had been on the attack during the previous day’s stage and today was allowed to take a 12 minute maximum lead with Zaccarato. Then UAE Team Emirates decided it was enough and started chasing, with help from Tudor. The rain inspired Alpecin-Deceuninck and Intermarché-Wanty to put on some pressure on the rolling roads and so the lead soon fell below 5 minutes. Before the final climb had started, Zoccarato, who was now on his own, was caught.
On the climb to Casacastalda, EF Education-EasyPost wanted to hurt the fast-finishers. Olympic champion Richard Carapaz took several long turns on the front, but the damage was limited. After the climb, there was still 15 kilometres to the finish. In the sprint, no team managed to set up a lead-out train. Lidl-Trek had men forward and Alpecin-Deceuninck also tried to keep Jasper Philipsen at the front in the final kilometre. It was Israel-Premier Tech who pulled the peloton on the false flat with Corbin Strong. The streets of Gualdo Tadion were narrow, winding and slippery, which was bad for Jasper Philipsen in the last corner. In an attempt to move up, he ended up in a sandwich between other riders and then crashed. Phil Bauhaus kept out of trouble and fought a tough sprint with Jonathan Milan. The Italian wasn’t strong enough to pull back Bauhaus.
Stage winner, Phil Bauhaus (Bahrain Victorious): “To be honest I thought today’s stage was too hard for me but the team believed in me and motivated me from yesterday and put me in a perfect position for sprinting for the win with 1km to go. I was very focused. I’m happy that I managed to keep my power till the line. I’d like to also win the last stage on Sunday like two years ago but we have to be realistic, the level of sprinters is very high here. I feel really good about this victory. A win at WorldTour level is never easy. I’m more than happy because I was waiting for a long time for this. I’m not someone who wins ten times a year and Tirreno-Adriatico is a very big race so it’s a big thing for me to win here. I’m not a guy for the classics or the Monuments, they’re too long and too hard for me. It was long today as well but the race was quite controlled. Everyone was suffering from the cold conditions. We made a good plan with the team to fuel this day. Especially with a hard final for sprinters, we needed energy at the end. Nutrition was the key. It also wouldn’t have been possible without my team-mates, starting with Yuki [Arashiro] and Wout Poels who pulled all day. The team believed in me yesterday evening. I was doubting, I thought it was too hard for me. Normally the chances were higher for Jasper Philipsen and Tim Merlier to sprint for the win, but sometimes other guys win and I’m happy I’m that one.”
Overall leader, Juan Ayuso (UAE Team Emirates): “At the end of the stage I was up there but I had to break to avoid the crash. I was going to give it try in the sprint but I don’t if I was able to win the stage. I didn’t want to risk anything. I’m not the only one who suffered and tried to not getting cold, especially with 100km remaining. It didn’t rain so much but the road was wet and getting water from the wheels in front of you, you get soaked as if it was raining. It was really hard. At some moments, I couldn’t feel my hands but this is also part of cycling. Today’s race can affect the coming stages a lot. I’ll first try to recover from today. Maybe it wasn’t the hardest stage with the pace, but the weather makes the body tired. I feel more fatigue. Let’s hope tomorrow the weather is good so I recover from today and I have Friday and Saturday for racing hard. My confidence isn’t affected, at least not yet. The team is doing very, I’m also doing very well.”
Tirreno-Adriatico Stage 3 Result:
1. Phil Bauhaus (Ger) Bahrain Victorious in 5:25:51
2. Jonathan Milan (Ita) Lidl-Trek
3. Kévin Vauquelin (Fra) Arkéa-B&B Hotels
4. Alberto Bettiol (Ita) EF Education-EasyPost
5. Andrea Vendrame (Ita) Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale
6. Simone Velasco (Ita) Astana Qazaqstan
7. Damiano Caruso (Ita) Bahrain Victorious
8. Marius Mayrhofer (Ger)Tudor
9. Kevin Vermaerke (USA) dsm-firmenich PostNL
10. Nikias Arndt (Ger) Bahrain Victorious.
Tirreno-Adriatico Overall After Stage 3:
1. Juan Ayuso (Spa) UAE Team Emirates in 10:09:22
2. Jonathan Milan (Ita) Lidl-Trek at 0:06
3. Kévin Vauquelin (Fra) Arkéa-B&B Hotels at 0:14
4. Antonio Tiberi (Ita) Bahrain Victorious at 0:17
5. Jonas Vingegaard (Den) Visma | Lease a Bike at 0:22
6. Romain Grégoire (Fra) Groupama-FDJ
7. Jai Hindley (Aus) BORA-hansgrohe at 0:24
8. Neilson Powless (USA) EF Education-EasyPost at 0:26
9. Max Poole (GB) dsm-firmenich PostNL
10. Lennard Kämna (Ger) BORA-hansgrohe.
Tirreno-Adriatico’24 stage 3:
Altez Grote Prijs Oetingen Presented by Lotto 2024
After a tough race, Lorena Wiebes has won the Altez Grote Prijs Oetingen p/b Lotto on Wednesday. The Dutch rider of SD Worx-Protime out-sprinted Thalita de Jong (Lotto Dstny) and Josie Nelson (dsm-firmenich PostNL) in a sprint from a group of five riders.
The race finished with six local circuits of 12 kilometres around Oetingen. Christine Majerus (SD Worx-Protime), Franziska Koch (dsm-firmenich PostNL) and Thalita De Jong, showed themselves at the front of the race.
In the last 20 kilometres, top favourite Wiebes was in two different leading groups. Together with Josie Nelson (dsm-firmenich PostNL), Marte Berg Edseth and Maria Confalonieri (Uno-X Mobility) and Silke Smulders (Liv Jayco AlUla), Wiebes jumped away, and the strong De Jong also managed to go with them. Those five sprinted for victory in Oetingen. Wiebes was the fastest as she was two years ago. De Jong finished second and builds on her best start to the season.
Race winner, Lorena Wiebes (SD Worx-Protime): “It was an exciting day with Christine [Majerus] in the breakaway. We also knew that Thalita de Jong is a fast one, and it was a bit of a risk to let her go to the finish like this, so with two and half laps to go, we jumped across with me and Chantal [van den Broek Blaak]. The peloton closed it again, and we did a hard last lap on the cobblestones. I tried to make it hard on the climb, and it worked. The team did amazing. We were all at the front at important points. we had the race under control. It was a good day.”
2nd, Thalita de Jong (Lotto Dstny): “She’s (Wiebes) obviously the best sprinter in the world, so I’m more than satisfied with this result. That’s early in the race, I know, but we managed to stay ahead for a long time, with a maximum lead of a minute and ten seconds, and we worked well together. I felt really strong today and could even position myself well at the front after that long breakaway. I just kept believing. In the end, five of us managed to open a gap towards the finish line. I obviously knew it would be tough against Lorena Wiebes, she’s the best sprinter in the world, but I went early and only Lorena managed to pass me. I even noticed that Lorena was almost surprised by my early jump. Sprinting from 300 meters is early, but it became my tactic nowadays (laughs). Jump early and keep pushing. I rode a very active race, put myself in a good position, managed to win the Proximus mountain prize along the way and was in the right place at the right time. Then you can be more than satisfied.”
Altez Grote Prijs Oetingen Presented by Lotto Result:
1. Lorena Wiebes (Ned) SD Worx-Protime in 3:03:25
2. Thalita de Jong (Ned) Lotto Dstny
3. Josie Nelson (GB) dsm-firmenich PostNL
4. Maria Giulia Confalonieri (Ita) Uno-X Mobility
5. Marte Berg Edseth (Nor) Uno-X Mobility at 0:05
6. Solbjørk Minke Anderson (Den) Uno-X Mobility at 0:11
7. Eugenia Bujak (Slo) UAE Team ADQ at 0:12
8. Rosita Reijnhout (Ned) Visma | Lease a Bike at 0:13
9. Silke Smulders (Ned) Liv AlUla Jayco Women’s Continental Team at 0:15
10. Linda Riedmann (Ger) Visma | Lease a Bike at 0:24
GP Oetingen’24 (looking for video):
Peter Sagan Adds a Five-Day Road Race to his Olympic Games Preparation
Peter Sagan will ride in the Tour of Hungary (2.Pro) in early May, the race organisers announced on social media. In his farewell year, Sagan wants to perform well in the Olympic Games, but in the run-up he will also contest a few road races for the Continental Pierre Baguette Cycling Team.
Sagan is expected to compete in his first road race of 2024 on March 17, in the GP Slovenian Istria (1.2) in Slovenia. The three-time World champion had to undergo heart surgery at the end of February, but according to his trainer Patxi Vila he could be back on the bike within a few days. He will ride the GP Brda-Collio (March 19), GP Goriska &, Vipava Valley (March 21) and GP Adria Mobil (March 24), all also in Slovenia.
After these events, Sagan will switch back to mountain bikes and the World Cup races of Mairiporã (April 12-14) and Araxá (April 19-21). In Nové Město na Moravě (May 24-26) he will get on the mountain bike again, but in between Sagan will contest the Tour of Hungary (May 8-12) on the road. Mark Cavendish, Dylan Groenewegen, Arvid de Kleijn, Thibau Nys and last year’s winner Marc Hirschi are also on the provisional start list of the five-day stage race. In June, the MTB World Cups in Val di Sole (June 14-16), Crans-Montana (June 21-23) and Haute-Savoie (June 28-30) are still on Sagan’s program.
Peter Sagan aiming for Olympic MTB gold:
Ellen van Dijk Makes her Return
Ellen van Dijk will make her return to the peloton in the Vuelta Extremadura (March 8-10), she has also announced her race calendar for after the three-day event in Spain.
From March 14 to 17, Van Dijk will ride the second edition of the Tour de Normandie Féminin (2.1). A week later, her first Classic is Gent-Wevelgem. It is not yet known whether she will also be at the start of the Tour of Flanders (March 31) and Paris-Roubaix (April 6).
The 37-year-old Van Dijk rode her last race on October 16, 2022. She then won the Chrono des Nations. Just under a year later, on October 4, 2023, she gave birth to her son Faas.
Ellen van Dijk back racing:
Chris Froome Unscathed in Tirreno-Adriatico Crash
Chris Froome didn’t suffer any fractures or other serious injuries from his crash in the second stage of Tirreno-Adriatico, his Israel-Premier Tech team announced on ‘X’ (Twitter).
Froome crashed on Tuesday in the final of the second stage of Tirreno-Adriatico. Froome, winner of the Tour de France in 2013, 2015, 2016 and 2017, looked to have serious injuries, but managed to finish in Follonica. Froome was taken to hospital for a medical check after the stage. The team was mainly concerned about his left wrist, but ultimately no fractures were discovered.
The Kenyan-born British rider will be at the start of the third stage of the Italian race on Wednesday, with the finish in Gualdo Tadino. Israel-Premier Tech will closely monitor his physical situation in the coming days. For Froome, Tirreno-Adriatico is only his second race of the season, after he took part in the Tour du Rwanda last month. The former champion still has a clear goal in mind this year: Froome hopes to be part of the Tour de France peloton.
Froome still in Tirreno-Adriatico:
Toon Aerts has Nose Operation
Toon Aerts had surgery on his nose on Monday, according to his Deschacht-Hens-Maes team. The rider crashed hard in the Closing Race in Oostmalle on 25th February and broke his nose.
“After his unfortunate fall in Oostmalle with a confirmed nasal fracture, Toon will undergo a minor surgical procedure today to straighten his nose,” Deschacht-Hens-Maes wrote on social media. “He will have a short recovery period, after which he will resume training in preparation for his further summer campaign. We wish Toon a speedy recovery!”
For Aerts, the Oostmalle race was his third competition since his doping suspension ended. During his comeback he finished fourth in the Exact Cross Sint-Niklaas, and a day later he also fourth in the X2O Trofee Brussels.
Nose operation for Toon Aerts:
RIBBLE REBELLION Unleashed
RIBBLE REBELLION is the all-new racing team founded by Ribble Cycles with the primary focus of disrupting the global Crit circuit.
Comprising of nine of the best crit riders RIBBLE REBELLION has been assembled with one goal in mind – to shake up the global crit scene. Featuring the finest of UK, US and European cycling talent, RIBBLE REBELLION has its sights firmly set on cycling’s most prestigious criterium races, going toe-to-toe with the world’s best crit racing teams.
“RIBBLE REBELLION is the next exciting chapter in our long history of cycle racing. Crit racing is fast, furious and exhilarating, where every performance advantage counts. When you have the fastest riders in the world on the world’s most aerodynamically optimised bike you have something very special.
“This is an exciting opportunity to see our bikes race in the world’s biggest crit races, getting our brand in front of millions of cyclists – we saw that with the crowds watching as the Ultra SL R won the UK National Crit Series last year.
“The team has been created around exceptional riders with the ambition and desire to succeed. It’s going to be an amazing year and I can’t wait to see the team fly”. Andy Smallwood, CEO, Ribble
“Being part of the team that has put RIBBLE REBELLION together has been a tremendous opportunity. We have a set of talented individuals and on the road we’ll be racing as one – wanting to do things very differently. That’s what this team is all about. Our goals are quite simple – ride to compete, to podium, to win.” Joe Laverick, Race Captain, RIBBLE REBELLION.
RIBBLE REBELLION riders will be armed with the super-fast aero optimised Ultra SL R – the National Circuit Series winning machine – resplendent with a bold, bright design and livery to match the dynamic personalities and confidence of the team on and off the bike. Each individual rider has their own unique rider colour emblazed across their Ultra aero bars and forks strongly distinguishing them from the pack.
The riders will be wearing and racing with kit from partners HUUB, Mavic and Smith.
Some of the races already targeted include Redlands LA, Speedweek GA and Armed Forces WA in the USA, Cicle Classic, Lincoln GP and the Crit Nationals in the UK, Legislature Crit & Gastown in Canada, Ras Tailteann and the Kermesse Block in Europe.
- More info about RIBBLE REBELLION line-up and race schedule here…
Bike Spec:
RIBBLE REBELLION Ultra SL R – Team Edition
Frame & Fork: Ribble Ultra Aero SL R Disc frame & fork (Toray T1000/T800 Carbon Monocoque frame)
Handlebars: Ribble Ultra Aero Carbon Integrated Handlebar
Groupset: Shimano Ultegra Di2 (R8100 2 x 12-speed) groupset with Rotor Aero 56/44 chainrings
Wheels: Mavic Cosmic SL65 Tubeless Disc Wheelset
Tyres: Continental GP5000 S TR Tubeless Tyres, Black, 28mm
Seatpost: Ribble Ultra SL R Seatpost (10mm lay back)
Saddle: Selle Italia SLR Boost
Paint Scheme: Colour Clash
Ribble Rebellion Rider Roster (A-Z):
Ruben Apers, Belgium
Matt Bostock, UK
Jim Brown, UK
Tom Couzens, UK
Cole Davis, USA
Cam Fitzmaurice, Canada
Joe Laverick
Al Murison, Canada
Max Rushby, UK
Ribble Rebellion Provisional Race Schedule:
April:
Redlands, LA, USA
Speedweek, GA, USA
Cicle Classic, UK
May:
Lincoln GP, UK
Ali Pali Crits, UK
Ras Tailteann, Ireland
June:
Armed Forces Classic, WA, USA
Tulsa, AR, USA
DairyLand, CH, USA
Crit Nationals, UK
Otley, UK
Ilkley, UK
July:
Guildford, UK
Legislature Crit, Canada
Gastown, Canada
W Midlands, UK
Intelligentsia, CH, USA
Sheffield, UK
Yorkshire, UK
Colne, UK
E Midlands, UK
September:
Kermess Block, Belgium
Lotto Dstny Not Worried About De Lie: “He Will be Ready for Flemish Races”
Arnaud De Lie sounded ambitious before the start of Paris-Nice, but the Belgian abandoned after three days. The 21 year-old sprinter is still suffering from his crash in Le Samyn, but the Lotto Dstny team is not worried.
De Lie suffered no serious injuries from his fall in Le Samyn, but did suffer from a number of abrasions. The youngster was not worried about Paris-Nice and said he started the French race pain-free. Things did not go well for De Lie in the first stages and so he has decided not to get involved in the sprint battles. Now the rider has, in consultation with his team, decided to leave the ‘Race to the Sun’ after just three days. “Arnaud suffered a lot of abrasions in Le Samyn and that always affects his condition somewhat,” sports director Dirk Demol told Sporza.
“Arnaud is a champion with a strong will. He wanted to show something in those first rides. If that doesn’t work, it will be a disappointment. It is normal for you to appear somewhat resigned. But I am confident he will come back strong. He is young and can make enormous strides in a short time.” For the time being, Lotto Dstny assumes that De Lie will be at the start of Milano-Sanremo. Demol: “It is not the plan to tinker with De Lie’s program. We will meet again on Monday to evaluate it. We still assume that he will be ready for the Flemish races. I have confidence in that.”
De Lie ready for the Flemish races:
Visma | Lease a Bike Loses Robert Gesink From Tirreno-Adriatico
The Visma | Lease a Bike team only had six riders at the start of the third stage of Tirreno-Adriatico. Robert Gesink crashed in the final of the second stage on Tuesday and was still suffering from the after-effects.
In the final of the second stage of Tirreno-Adriatico, 5 kilometres from the finish in Follonica, there was a crash in the peloton. Gesink crashed along with Chris Froome. The two were able to continue and managed to finish, but both were clearly injured. Froome had to go to hospital for a medical check, but was released and could continue. Gesink suffered more from the crash and had to abandon after two stages. “Because of a painful back and bruised ribs,” the rider said via Instagram. It is unclear whither Gesink will be able to ride the Tour of Catalonia (March 18-24).
Gesink injured:
The Alto de l’Angliru Will Not be in the 2024 Vuelta Femenina
La Vuelta Femenina (April 29-May 5) will not have a stage finish on the Alto de l’Angliru this year. Two weeks ago, Le Puncheur wrote that the race organisers were thinking of a summit finish on l’Angliru in Asturias, but it now looks like it won’t happen…. this year.
“It is not in our plans for 2024,” Kiko García, Vuelta technical director, told Relevo. “I think the Angliru is possible in the future, because the quality of the WorldTour women is growing enormously. Last year we already finished on Lagos de Cavadonga, a tough climb with a big name in the sport. And the result was spectacular. But we also have to ensure balance in the course and not just look at the uphill finishes.”
The Vuelta a España Femenina will be announced next Friday, March 8 at 11:30 am. The women’s Vuelta starts on April 29, which doesn’t give much time for the teams. There has been a lot of criticism from the women riders. The Gran Salida will take place in the city of Valencia, but it is not yet known whether it will be a road stage, an individual time trial or a team time trial. Last year, Annemiek van Vleuten won the race after a battle with Demi Vollering, the Vuela started with a team time trial in Torrevieja.
No Angliru in 2024, but maybe in the future:
Il Giro d’Abruzzo Back on the Calendar
From 9 to 12 April, on the dates scheduled for Il Giro di Sicilia, four stages will take place. The start will be in Vasto and the finish will be in L’Aquila.
From 9 to 12 April, RCS Sport, in collaboration with Regione Abruzzo, will organise Il Giro d’Abruzzo, which will take the place instead of Il Giro di Sicilia. This decision was taken in consultation with Regione Siciliana, with which RCS Sport has for several seasons undertaken a path of valorisation and promotion of the territory through the organisation of events with a strong economic impact on the region. RCS Sport and Regione Siciliana are working to continue this path and bring major sporting events back to the island.
The Route:
Tuesday 9 April – Stage 1: Vasto-Pescara, 161 km
Wednesday 10 April – Stage 2: Alanno-Magliano de’ Marsi, 161 km
Thursday 11 April – Stage 3: Pratola Peligna-Prati di Tivo, 163 km
Friday 12 April – Stage 4: Montorio al Vomano-L’Aquila, 169 km.
The details of the stages will be revealed in the coming weeks:
Route Variation to Stage 15, Manerba del Garda-Livigno
Keeping Alpine passes such as the Forcola di Livigno safe would be a huge cost. For this reason, the Department of Infrastructure, Energy and Mobility of Graubünden (Switzerland) didn’t accept the passage of the race.
Therefore, the 15th stage of the Giro d’Italia, Manerba del Garda – Livigno, is changed as follows: after climbing the Val Camonica, the race, having passed Edolo, instead of climbing towards Aprica turns towards the Mortirolo, which is climbed from the Monno side (maximum gradients only in the last kilometres at San Giacomo around 16%). The descent will be to Grosio and the climb up Valtellina to Bormio along the old road through Cepina. Climb of the Motte to Isolaccia followed by the ascent to the Foscagno Pass (14.6 km at 6.5%). After the short descent from Ponte del Rez (just before Trepalle), the route moves to the Eira pass, where the original route returns to the asphalt road along the Mottolino.
Giro d’Italia 2024 stage 15 new map:
New route
High mountain stage with finish above 2000m. Five climbs are overcome with only the interval of the Val Camonica whose ascent represents the only ‘breathing space’. The Lodrino climb is followed by the unprecedented Colle San Zeno whose descent is very long and demanding. The riders will reach Edolo to climb the Mortirolo from the Monno side and descend into Valtellina. Long climb to Bormio and, after Isolaccia Valdidentro, the ascent to Passo di Foscagno. After a quick descent, the Passo d’Eira will be tackled, with the last 2 km climbing up the Mottolino ski slope.
Final Kms
Last km uphill. The gradient changes dramatically 2 km from the finish after the Passo di Eira where the average gradient remains above 10% although the road has steep ramps interspersed with short, less steep sections. In the last km, the final ramp has gradients of up to 19% followed by a brief easing of the gradient and a further “step” that leads to the final straight of 50 m.
Giro d’Italia 2024 stage 15 new profile:
No La Route d’Occitanie in 2024
The French newspaper La Depeche has announced that there will be no 48th edition of La Route d’Occitanie this year. The event in the south of France can’t get enough police escorts due to the Olympic Games in Paris.
The organisers had previously accepted that the race would only be run over two days (15 and 16 June), but now it appears that it will be impossible to organise a two-day race. The French police unit has to send too many officers to manage the Olympic Games in Paris (July 26-August 11). A lack of police deployment is now stopping La Route d’Occitanie. The organisers assumes that this is a one-off cancellation and that the race will return to the calendar in 2025.
La Route d’Occitanie, which used to be called the Route du Sud, was won previously by Stephen Roche, Lauren Jalabert, Levi Leipheimer, Daniel Martin, Nairo Quintana, Alberto Contador, Alejandro Valverde and Egan Bernal. Last year the overall victory went to the Canadian, Michael Woods.
Last year’s La Route d’Occitanie winner, Michael Woods:
Cyclo-Cross Riders Risk Disqualification for Throwing Waste Outside Specific Zones
On March 1, the UCI introduced rule changes for cyclo-cross. One of these is that from next season, riders will no longer be allowed to throw away waste or other material outside the pit zone or a special waste zone. Anyone who breaks the rules can expect a fine and, in some cases, a disqualification.
From now on, cyclo-cross riders are no longer allowed to throw their waste and ‘other objects’ anywhere, but only in certain sections of the course. This rule has been in force in road races since 2021. The new cyclo-cross regulations do not specify what is meant by ‘other objects’. Violation of the rule carries a penalty that depends on the level of the event and how many times someone has already done it. For a first offence, at a World Championship, continental championship, C1 cross or World Cup, the rider would receive a fine of 250 Swiss Francs, for a second offence the fine would be 500 Swiss Francs and the rider would also be disqualified. At lower level events, the fines are lower: 100 Swiss Francs for a first offence, 250 Swiss Francs for the second and disqualification.
Rubbish thrown only in the pits:
Off-Script Strade Bianche 2024 | INEOS Grenadiers | Behind the Scenes
An epic race needs an epic episode of Off-Script! Go behind the scenes as the INEOS Grenadiers took on a memorable edition of Strade Bianche.
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