Tadej Pogačar and Grace Brown both won wet and cold editions of Liège-Bastogne-Liège, we have all the reports, results, video and rider views, plus the final stages of Tour of the Alps.
Major cyclo-cross reform: UCI announces a more compact World Cup calendar – TOP STORY.
Rider news: Remco Evenepoel hasn’t change his race programme before the Tour and a medical update, Chris Harper suffered a mild concussion in his Tour of the Alps crash, Florian Vermeersch back on the bike two months after breaking femur, Patrick Lefevere on Julian Alaphilippe, Movistar thinks Nairo Quintana will start the Giro d’Italia, a Thin Eddy Merckx appears in public after surgery, Lennert Van Eetvelt out after operation and Alejandro Valverde won the fourth round of the UCI Gravel World Series.
Team news: TotalEnergies in Negotiation with Julian Alaphilippe, Jayco AlUla wants to extend with Simon Yates, injured Timo Roosen can’t lead-out Fabio Jakobsen in the Giro d’Italia, Cofidis Commits to the Team Until 2028, Soudal Quick-Step to the Tour de Romandie, Tudor first race on home soil this season, Damiano Caruso leads TBV in Romandie and Alpecin-Deceuninck will be Alpecin-Pimapen in the Tour of Turkey.
Monday EUROTRASH coffee time.
TOP STORY: Major Cyclo-Cross Reform: UCI Announces a More Compact World Cup Calendar
The UCI has announced big changes for the Cyclo-Cross World Cup. The race series will be organised next season from the end of November to the end of January. Also there will be no more races in the USA and there will be ‘double weekends’ for the first time.
The first round of the next season is in Antwerp, on November 24. This is followed by Dublin (1/12), Oristano (8/12, not confirmed), Namur (15/12), Hulst (21/12), Zonhoven (22/12), Gavere (26/12), Besançon ( 29/12), Dendermonde (5/01), Benidorm (19/01), Maasmechelen (25/01) and Hoogerheide (26/01). There are twelve races in total, two less than last season.
Waterloo, Val di Sole, Troyes and Flamanville will not be past of the World Cup in the winter of 2024/25. The race in Oristano, on the Italian island of Sardinia, is new. The youth categories races will take place in Dublin, Hulst, Zonhoven, Besançon, Benidorm and Hoogerheide.
There is a ‘double weekend’ for the first time in December and January, on Saturday and Sunday. This concerns the combination of Hulst and Zonhoven in December and Maasmechelen and Hoogerheide in January.
The UCI further announces that the heats in Dublin, Oristano, Hulst and Besançon are now a ‘protected event’. Nothing has yet been said about a new rule regarding mandatory starting in the heats. The International Cycling Union has also not yet announced what the rest of the cross calendar will look like next season. In the press release we read that the calendar will follow later.
Less World Cup cyclo-cross races in the 2024/25 season:
Liège-Bastogne-Liège 2024
A brilliant Liège-Bastogne-Liège performance on Sunday saw Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates) take the win as he proved far too strong for his rivals in ‘La Doyenne’. After a jubilant Pogacar raised his arms aloft on the Quai des Ardennes in Liège, he was followed over the finish line by Romain Bardet (dsm-firmenich PostNL) 1:39 behind in second and Mathieu Van der Poel (Alpecin-Deceuninck), who headed a bunch sprint for third. Pogačar blasted away from his rivals on La Redoute and went on to secure his sixth Monument title, matching the tally of World Champion Van der Poel.
The full peloton of 175 riders started the 110th edition of Liège-Bastogne-Liège, departing from the Quai des Ardennes with 254.5km of tough racing awaiting the peloton over the hard climbs of the last Monument of the spring.
Gil Gelders (Soudal Quick-Step), Rémy Rochas (Groupama-FDJ), Lilian Calmejane (Intermarché-Wanty) and Paul Ourselin (TotalEnergies) were the four riders who attacked early and they led by 15 seconds at 3.5km. Fabien Doubey (TotalEnergies), Enzo Leijnse (dsm-firmenich PostNL), Christian Scaroni (Astana Qazaqstan), Iván Romeo (Movistar) and Loïc Vliegen (Bingoal WB) then joined the early break at 6km. Danny van der Tuuk (Equipo Kern Pharma) valiantly chased for several kilometres to join them, though his efforts were eventually unsuccessful, so it was a group of 9 riders who stayed clear. Pogačar’s UAE Team Emirates colleagues rode with him at the front of the peloton, ensuring they were in control, whilst the bunch was 3 minutes adrift of the break after 30km of racing. That gap was slightly reduced to 2:35 by 52km, but then steadily grew and as the break left Bastogne with 155km of racing to go they had a lead of 4:10.
With 100km to go the 9 rider’s gap was down to 1:10 and the riders faced cross-head winds as they made their way north from Bastogne to Liège. Mathieu Van der Poel (Alpecin-Deceuninck) was just behind a crash which involved three riders, Chris Hamilton, Toon Clynhens and Junior Lecerf. Van der Poel was not impacted by that first crash, before another big fall in the bunch with 98km remaining saw him lose ground as the peloton was split in two. A large group was delayed by that crash, notably including Van der Poel and Valentin Madouas. Ahead, the group including Pogačar continued its efforts before approaching the Mont-le-Soie climb. Leijnse, Calmejane, Vliegen and Romeo could not hold the pace on the Mont-le-Soie ascent and soon the remaining escapees were chased down. As the surviving break riders started the Côte de Wanne ascent their lead on the peloton was just 14 seconds, but early on that climb they were swallowed up by the peloton. Gelders, Rochas, Scaroni, Doubey and Ourselin caught by the bunch on the first slopes of the Côte de Wanne, at 166km. A mechanical problem for Tom Pidcock (INEOS Grenadiers) saw him stop for a bike change and temporarily fall behind the Van der Poel group. There were around 50 riders in this trailing group, including Van der Poel and Simon Yates (Jayco AlUla), which continued to lose ground, with a 1:10 deficit at 174km, as the UAE Team Emirates kept the pressure on up front. Pidcock recovered and then launched out of the Van der Poel group on the Côte de Stockeu to try to join the Pogacar group and he was followed in that move by Santiago Buitrago (Bahrain-Victorious) and Mauri Vansevenant (Soudal Quick-Step). Rémy Rochas and Romain Grégoire (Groupama-FDJ) also managed to join Pidcock and Vansevenant’s chasing group and 71km from the finish the peloton was all back together.
The teams were fighting for prominence at the front of the peloton ahead of the Côte de La Redoute climb. Then Pogačar exploded on La Redoute at 34.5km from the finish and was only followed initially by Richard Carapaz (EF Education-EasyPost), who eventually could not stay with him. As he went over the summit of Côte de La Redoute, Pogačar was 8 seconds clear and he increased his advantage on the descent. That lead increased to 0:50 within 4km after La Redoute, Pogačar was confidently leading the way ahead of a group including Vansevenant, Bernal, Carapaz, Van Gils and Lutsenko. Several more riders joined the chasing group: Healy, Grégoire, Benoot, Vlasov, Skjelmose, Almeida, Hirschi, Bardet, Cosnefroy and Paret-Peintre. Irish champion Healy and the leader of the dsm-firmenich team Bardet set out in pursuit of Pogačar, joined in the chase by Grégoire and Cosnefroy, but they were still 1 minute behind the race leader as they reached Côte des Forges. Bardet attacked for second place on the final Côte de la Roche-aux-Faucons climb and made it on to the podium again after his 3rd place in ‘La Doyenne’ in 2018. Van der Poel completed the 2024 Liège-Bastogne-Liège podium securing third in a bunch sprint at the line. Maxim Van Gils in 4th and Aurélien Paret-Peintre in 5th completed the top-5.
# See lots of photos in the full PEZ ‘Race Report’ HERE. #
Race winner, Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates): “Two years ago just before Liège Urska’s mother passed away and last year I broke my hand, so the last two years were really difficult. I was riding for Urska’s mother today and I’m really happy that finally I can again win in this beautiful race. Thanks to all the team that worked for me today, because it was amazing teamwork and I couldn’t have done it without them. I’m full of emotion. We rode hard on the climbs and safe on the downhills and on La Redoute we did exactly what we’d said. From then on it was suffering to the finish. After these kind of long races it’s really special to come home solo, also with my national champion’s jersey it’s beautiful to come like this to the finish.”
2nd, Romain Bardet (dsm-firmenich PostNL): “I thought about 2018 in the finale, yes. In this race I was too often frustrated by missing good opportunities. This time, after the decisive attack on La Redoute, we had to be there in that second fight and get rid of as many rivals as possible. I had goosebumps on Roche-aux-Faucons because it’s a climb that I really like. I knew it was going to be important because I have already seen in the past that at this point we could take advantage of the situation. At that point 5 seconds can be enough, you just need to not break down mentally. It was to be expected that Tadej Pogacar would attack on La Redoute and we saw how strong he was. I knew at that moment that I was going to fight for the podium. I always believed it was possible, otherwise I would have stopped already. If I continue, it’s simply because I’ve never felt so strong on a bike. But my competitors are even stronger. In any case, finding myself on the podium between Pogacar and Van der Poel will make a beautiful photo that I can frame for my son.”
3rd, Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Deceuninck): “I’m happy with that. We came back to the front after a long pursuit and I already felt my legs were tired a bit. But even with the legs from Roubaix or Flanders it would have been hard to follow Tadej. I’m realistic enough, I know that if Pogacar has a good day I can’t follow him even with my best legs. You never know, he could have a bad day, or at least I hope he can! He was impressive again today. I think my Classics season was already more than successful. I’m really happy to end up on the podium here today. Everybody has their races and I did what I had to do in mine.”
4th, Maxim Van Gils (Lotto Dstny): “It was very hard today and I actually didn’t feel super in the beginning. I was suffering, luckily halfway La Redoute I found back my good feeling, but Tadej was already gone. We were with a big group behind, which didn’t make it easy as everyone was watching each other and there weren’t a lot of helpers left. The team and myself are super happy with the result here and my podium at la Flèche Wallonne. It’s sad that I just missed out on the podium today, the sprint was quite long and it’s just about that last punch, but I can be proud. This is a special race, a monument and it’s one of my favourite races of the year, I’m happy with this beautiful result.”
6th, Mauri Vansevenant (Soudal Quick-Step): “I am happy with my result. Maybe I could have finished top five, but the sprint was very hectic, so there’s no reason for me to have any regrets. Top ten at this hard and prestigious race is a nice result that makes me proud. It wasn’t easy today, but I did my best and I had a strong Soudal Quick-Step team that helped me in the last part of the race, doing a great effort to help me come back. Sixth here gives me a lot of confidence, I feel that I have made another important step in my development, and now I can’t wait for the next races.”
Liège-Bastogne-Liège Result:
1. Tadej Pogačar (Slo) UAE Team Emirates in 6:13:48
2. Romain Bardet (Fra) dsm-firmenich PostNL at 1:39
3. Mathieu van der Poel (Ned) Alpecin-Deceuninck at 2:02
4. Maxim Van Gils (Bel) Lotto Dstny
5. Aurélien Paret-Peintre (Fra) Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale
6. Mauri Vansevenant (Bel) Soudal Quick-Step
7. Valentin Madouas (Fra) Groupama-FDJ
8. Alexey Lutsenko (Kaz) Astana Qazaqstan
9. Pello Bilbao (Spa) Bahrain-Victorious
10. Thomas Pidcock (GB) INEOS Grenadiers.
Liège’24:
Liège-Bastogne-Liège Women 2024
After two runner-up places in 2020 and 2022, Australia’s Grace Brown finally got her first Liège-Bastogne-Liège Femmes victory. The FDJ-SUEZ rider played her cards exactly like she did four years ago, breaking away midway through the race to play for the win in the final. Lizzie Deignan managed to upset her that day, and a powerful trio with Elisa Longo Borghini (Lidl-Trek), Demi Vollering (SD Worx-Protime) and Katarzyna Niewiadoma (Canyon//SRAM) seemed poised to do so this year after linking back from the bunch. Yet, on the final sprint in Liège’s Quai des Ardennes, Brown managed to defeat Longo Borghini and Vollering to deservingly raise her arms in victory.
140 riders took the start on the 8th edition of Liège-Bastogne-Liège Femmes. There was one non-starter: Barbara Malcotti (Human Powered Health). The 152,9-kilometre race from Bastogne to Liège was tackled on steady, sunny conditions and against cross-head winds that slowed the riders down. A breakaway attempt by Cofidis’ Spela Kern and Arkéa-Samsic’s Titia Ryo failed to stick ahead of the Côte de Saint-Roch (1km at 11,2%) after 15,8km, where Sarah Gigante (AG Insurance-Soudal) took off to establish herself solo at the front. Stina Kagevi (Coop-Repsol) went clear from the peloton at kilometre 39, as did Sara Martín (Movistar) and Kim Cadzow (EF Education-Cannondale) a bit later on. At the foot of the Côte de Mont-le-Soie (1,7 km at 7,9%) after 59,7km, Gigante held a 1:45 gap on Kagevi, 2:20 on the duo behind and 2:55 on a peloton that was about to pick up the pace.
Martín and Cadzow overtook Kagevi on the Côte de Wanne (3,6km at 5,1%) 67,9km, but were quickly reeled in by the bunch before the Côte de Stockeu (1km at 12,5%) 74,5km, atop which Gigante’s lead had plummeted down to 1:00. It was on this climb and the following descent that an eight-woman group took off with Mischa Bredewold (SD Worx-Protime), Lucinda Brand (Lidl-Trek), Eva van Agt (Visma | Lease a Bike), Élise Chabbey (Canyon//SRAM), Mikayla Harvey (UAE Team ADQ), Grace Brown (FDJ-SUEZ), Flora Perkins (Fenix-Deceuninck) and Cadzow, again. They linked up with Gigante on the Col du Rosier (4,4 km at 5,9%) 92,9km, where Cofidis’ Julie Bégo set off in pursuit from a bunch where no team took the reins. Five kilometres from the Côte de la Redoute (1,6km at 9,4%) 119km, the nine riders in the lead held a 30 seconds gap on Bégo and 3:00 on the peloton.
Lidl-Trek took on the helm in the bunch ahead of La Redoute. It was on this climb where Chabbey, Cadzow and Brown dropped the rest of her breakaway companions, who were brought back one by one by the peloton. The front trio held a 1’00” gap at the foot of the Côte de la Roche-aux-Faucons (1,3km at 11%) 139,8km. Elisa Longo Borghini (Lidl-Trek) unleashed a powerful acceleration there, one that only Demi Vollering (SD Worx-Protime) and Katarzyna Niewiadoma (Canyon//SRAM) could match. They joined the head of the race with 9 kilometres to go, and had a scare with 7 left to race as Brown missed a left-hand turn and nearly crashed. Despite the Canyon//SRAM riders’ repeated efforts to go clear, the six women in the lead made it together to the final straight in Liège’s Quai des Ardennes. Niewiadoma led out with Longo Borghini in wheel two. For a moment, the Italian national champion seemingly had the win in her pocket, yet Brown managed to overtake her in the final 100 metres.
Race winner, Grace Brown (FDJ-SUEZ): “We know that quite often a really strong breakaway goes in middle section of this race. The plan was for me or one of my teammates to be in that break. It was finally me who made it. We worked well together and built very decent gap that surprised me. I knew that, if the break survived, it was going to be a long day for me. I was in there just to get a head start ahead of the climbs, so I didn’t have to drive it. Some other riders were more motivated than me to pull. As the peloton was not riding fast, we didn’t have to push hard at the front. Once we got over La Redoute with a group of three I thought we definitely could make it with the front group to the finish. I felt I was on the limit in the last climbs, but once I survived La Roche-aux-Faucons I knew everything was downhill to the finish. Even when the three riders came from behind, I believed I was the strongest sprinter on the group and I was confident I could win the race on the final sprint. In the closing kilometres, I was mainly managing the late attacks from Canyon//SRAM. As they were playing one-two moves, I gambled a bit on which ones to follow. I tried to play it patiently as Kim [Cadzow] chased Kasia [Niewiadoma] down with Elisa [Longo Borghini] on her wheel. I was hoping I could come around them in the final meters. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t… and this time it did! This is probably the biggest win of my career so far. I have had many 2nd places in many good races, but this is the first Monument me and my team have won. It’s an exciting page on the history books for both me and my team. My next race will be La Vuelta Femenina 24 by Carrefour.es, and then I will take a little break.”
2nd, Elisa Longo Borghini (Lidl-Trek): “It was a very long sprint. Kasia [Niewiadoma] had a gap and I could close it. I launched my sprint with 200 meters to go, and in the last 75m Grace overtook me. I have to say I’m satisfied, as I came here aiming for a good result and I had good legs. My team and I did our best today and, even if it is a bit disappointing to be second, it is what it is. Congratulations to Grace [Brown], as she was the fastest today. To be fair, I always believed we would catch the breakaway because I was supported by a very strong team. My Lidl-Trek teammates rode really hard onto the Roche-aux-Faucons, and I just had to finish off the work they did. I was sure we would catch the women at the front, but there was a chance that some of them would stick with us as the terrain to the finish in Liège was quite rolling. Unfortunately, I got a bad client in Grace… but again, chapeau to her. Maybe I was the strongest today, but in cycling the strongest does not always win. Victory can go to the fastest, or the smartest, or the best at taking corners… This is what makes cycling fantastic, in my opinion. I don’t think I did too much – I just did what I had to do.”
3rd, Demi Vollering (SD Worx-Protime): “Anything could happen today in the final kilometres. It could go one way or the other. I tried to stay sharp. Elisa [Longo Borghini] was also alone, so I assumed he would jump on anything. In the final sprint, I went too late. I stayed a little bit too long on the wheels and it was a mistake. It was a really easy race. We rode slowly because of the headwind. Some girls attacked, and we kept it cool. We closed the gap, so I don’t believe that we let it grow too big. I think the team did a really good job – Femke and Blanka rode all day to protect us, then Niamh [Fisher-Black] took over in La Redoute. All three pulled afterwards, as Mischa [Bredewold] dropped from the break to help us out. It’s a pity that she couldn’t stay in the front group, because it would have been very nice. Anyway, I believe my teammates did a great job today. Regrets about the Classics campaign? I have regrets mostly about this race. Amstel Gold Race got down to become a criterium race due to the circumstances. La Flèche Wallonne Femmes was easier than normal too, with several climbs left out of the course. I was feeling very well that day, but Kasia [Niewiadoma] was stronger in the Mur de Huy. As for today, I made a stupid mistake, because I was on a position to win and I didn’t. This would leave a hangover feeling that will take a couple of days for me to overcome. I didn’t think about pressure during the race. It’s before and after the race when you realise that you come away with nothing. During the race, everybody is nervous – that’s normal, and even good. It’s more in between the races that you feel bad about not having won anything. This will make me angrier ahead of La Vuelta Femenina 24 by Carrefour.es. Two years ago, I felt really bad about getting away with nothing from the Ardennes, and the last year I made the triple. What happened this week can give me some extra energy for the future.”
Liège-Bastogne-Liège Women Result:
1. Grace Brown (Aus) FDJ-SUEZ in 4:29:00
2. Elisa Longo Borghini (Ita) Lidl-Trek
3. Demi Vollering (Ned) SD Worx-Protime
4. Elise Chabbey (Sui) Canyon//SRAM
5. Katarzyna Niewiadoma (Pol) Canyon//SRAM
6. Kim Cadzow (NZ) EF Education-Cannondale
7. Marianne Vos (Ned) Visma | Lease a Bike at 0:52
8. Juliette Labous (Fra) dsm-firmenich PostNL
9. Ricarda Bauernfeind (Ger) Canyon//SRAM
10. Niamh Fisher-Black (NZ) SD Worx-Protime.
Liège’24:
Tour of the Alps 2024
Simon Carr won Stage 4 of the Tour of the Alps. The Brit of EF Education-EasyPost joined the early break, leaving his companions behind 45 kilometres from the finish. There was also plenty of action among the favourites, but Juan Pedro López held strong and retained his leader’s jersey. Second placed Tobias Foss, dropped out of the GC.
The fourth stage of the Tour of the Alps started in Leifers and ran via several climbs towards the finish town of Borgo Valsugana. From the start it was immediate climbing. The Passo di San Lugano and Passo di Redebus were not categorised, but would certainly be close to the final. The final started with the Passo del Compet (10.2km at 8.1%). Then the Passo del Vetriolo (9.3km at 8.7%) and the Colle San Marco (5.3km at 7.1%) were also presented. The finish was 10 kilometres after the top of that last slope.
After the first climb of the day, we had four men in the lead: Simon Carr, Hugh Carthy (EF Education-EasyPost), Sergio Higuita (BORA-hansgrohe) and Davide Piganzoli (Polti Kometa). Later Gijs Leemreize (dsm-firmenich PostNL), Óscar Rodríguez (INEOS Grenadiers), Gregor Mühlberger (Movistar), Lucas Hamilton (Jayco AlUla), Mikel Bizkarra (Euskaltel-Euskadi) also arrived. Mattia Bais (Polti Kometa) and Luca Covili (VF Group-Bardiani CSF-Faizanè) joined. This gave us a leading group of eleven. The eleven had a maximum lead of about 3 minutes. At the foot of the Passo del Compet, there was still a minute and a half left, thanks to the pursuit work of Lidl-Trek and later Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale. Leemreize had ridden away alone on the descent towards this penultimate climb, but was soon caught again. When the climbing started, former teammates Carr and Higuita took off. They came together over the top of the Passo del Compet. Carr and Higuita started the Passo del Vetriolo with a 50 second lead, the peloton was 2 minutes behind. On the climb itself, the gap with both the first pursuers and the favourites increased. This was mainly due to Carr, who put heavy pressure on Higuita. The Colombian had to lose a few meters a few times and after a few kilometres of climbing he seemed to give up for good. Carr continued alone, but Higuita kept him in sight.
In the meantime, some things happened to the favourites. First, former leader and second on the rankings Tobias Foss had to pass. Chris Harper jumped to Hamilton, who had dropped back from the leading group and briefly took his leader in tow. But getting away was not an option. O’Connor and Bardet responded quickly and the other classification riders were also able to return. Decathlon AG2R’s Valentin Paret-Peintre took the lead again. The French team initiated an attack by O’Connor. Like his compatriot Harper, he was unable to make a gap. At least, on his first try. When O’Connor went again, initially only leader Juan Antonio López, Antonio Tiberi and Wout Poels could follow. Before the rest could return, Poels blasted away. The Dutchman rode away alone for a time, but with an intermediate attack O’Connor and Tiberi managed to rejoin. López needed a little more time, but eventually came back. The four joined Higuita a kilometre before the top, but still had a lead of just under 1 minute. On the descent towards the Colle San Marco he initially moved ahead of the pursuers, where Bardet, Harper, Michael Storer and Ivan Ramiro Sosa had now also joined up again. But as the descent continued, Harper was on his heals. The Australian from Jayco had jumped away from his companions and went alone to chase the British EF Education-EasyPost rider. However, things went wrong for Harper about 25 kilometres from the finish. The climber lost control on a left-hand bend and crashed. He hit a lamppost with his head and had to abandon. O’Connor had also pulled away from the other GC riders, but he crashed in the same corner as Harper. Fortunately he was able to remount. He joined the other favourites again and continues to fight for the overall victory.
He and the other favourites could forget the stage victory. Due to the crashes of Harper and O’Connor, the classification riders slowed down. Carr saw his lead grow again. At the foot of the last climb he had almost 3 minutes. When the peloton almost came to a complete stop, more and more riders came back, including Geraint Thomas and Valentin Paret-Peintre. The latter immediately attacked. Because the Frenchman was only 48 seconds behind López in the rankings, a tense situation arose for the overall. Halfway through the Colle San Marco he was almost in the virtual lead. López decided to take responsibility and started to increase the pace in the group of favourites and O’Connor, among others, had to pass. After an attack by Tiberi, López also had a hard time, but at the top he was there again, together with Poels and Bardet. In the descent there was a regrouping, because while O’Connor and co returned from the rear, Paret-Peintre fell back from the front. This all happened far behind Carr, who successfully completed his impressive solo in finish town Borgo Valsugana. Only 1:19 later did the second placed, Michael Storer, cross the line. Storer had pulled away in the final phase with none other than O’Connor, who still made up some time compared to López, despite a bad moment. Due to the absence of Foss, he moved up to second place and is 38 seconds behind López with one stage to go.
Stage winner, Simon Carr (EF Education-EasyPost): “Today’s victory is really special for me, because I came here to the Tour of the Alps with legitimate GC ambitions, and I also went on an altitude training for three weeks ahead of this. I came with confidence, but in the first three days, I struggled a lot, especially due to allergies. However, the team, especially DS Juan Manuel Garate, inspired me to keep the confidence: the rain arrived, and today I found the right feelings again. I’m very happy. At one point my advantage dropped below the minute, and I honestly thought the chasers would catch me. Then on the descent, there were a couple of crashes, and probably they chose not to take too many risks. On the flat stretch, the advantage increased again, and on the last climb, I started feeling more confident, but was running on fumes and I went hard until the top. Only on the descent I realised I could relax a bit.”
Overall leader and 8th on the stage, Juan Pedro López (Lidl-Trek): “Yesterday was a tough stage, and today the GC men attacked me from all sides, but I managed to respond and defend the lead. I felt good, and even when I found myself chasing, losing the jersey was never on my mind: I just focused on giving my 100% until the last meter. Today I made it, tomorrow is another day: I have a green jersey to defend.”
7th on the stage and 5th overall, Romain Bardet (dsm-firmenich PostNL): “I’m a little disappointed with how things went in the final today. I feel like I missed the opportunity to gain some time and positions in the general classification and sprint for a better result. I felt good on the last climb and We managed to open a small gap, but it came together again on the last descent. One last chance tomorrow, in which we will try again.”
10th overall, Davide Piganzoli (Polti Kometa): “We had the idea of being in the breakaway, we were able to do it and we made our way to the hardest part. There was a high level among those in front, I tried to attack without success and in the end the favourites caught me from behind. I held on to stay in the top-10 overall, the team has done a spectacular stage and we will defend it tomorrow.”
Tour of the Alps Stage 4 Result:
1. Simon Carr (GB) EF Education-EasyPost in 4:06:27
2. Michael Storer (Aus) Tudor at 1:19
3. Ben O’Connor (Aus) Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale
4. Wout Poels (Ned) Bahrain-Victorious at 1:22
5. Valentin Paret-Peintre (Fra) Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale
6. Antonio Tiberi (Ita) Bahrain-Victorious
7. Romain Bardet (Fra) dsm-firmenich PostNL
8. Juan Pedro López (Spa) Lidl-Trek
9. Giulio Pellizzari (Ita) VF Group-Bardiani CSF-Faizanè at 2:19
10. Georg Steinhauser (Ger) EF Education-EasyPost.
Tour of the Alps Overall After Stage 4:
1. Juan Pedro López (Spa) Lidl-Trek in 15:30:23
2. Ben O’Connor (Aus) Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale at 0:38
3. Antonio Tiberi (Ita) Bahrain-Victorious at 0:48
4. Wout Poels (Ned) Bahrain-Victorious
5. Romain Bardet (Fra) dsm-firmenich PostNL
6. Valentin Paret-Peintre (Fra) Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale
7. Michael Storer (Aus) Tudor at 1:40
8. Giulio Pellizzari (Ita) VF Group-Bardiani CSF-Faizanè at 1:54
9. Iván Ramiro Sosa (Col) Movistar at 2:52
10. Davide Piganzoli (Ita) Polti Kometa at 2:58.
Alps’24 stage 4:
Juan Pedro López took the overall victory in the 2024 Tour of the Alps. The Final Stage 5 was won by Aurélien Paret-Peintre in a sprint from a thinned out peloton. Antonio Tiberi and Valentin Paret-Peintre finished second and third on the stage.
The final stage of the Tour of the Alps started and finished in Lovico Terme. The first 50 kilometres were flat, but after that there was quite a bit of climbing. The Palù del Fersina (12.5km at 6.1%) had to be crossed twice. The top of the final climb was about 25 kilometres from the finish.
It was a short stage of less than 120 kilometres and INEOS Grenadiers tried to prevent a break and sent their leaders on the attack. Tobias Foss and Geraint Thomas tried to get away, but without success. Thomas was off the front of the peloton for a while with Hugh Carthy and Giulio Pellizzari, but they were caught again the foot of the final climb. On the climb, it was Bahrain-Victorious who tried to make things difficult for overall leader, Juan Pedro López. First, Antonio Tiberi went on the attack, but the Italian was pulled in by López’s teammate Carlos Verona.
Next it was Wout Poels who went into the lead. The Dutchman got away, but Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale started to chase and thinned out the peloton, defending Ben O’Connor’s second place. Poels din’t have a big gap, only 16 seconds at the top of the Palù del Fersina. After a few kilometres on the descent he knew that his move wouldn’t succeed and dropped back to the peloton. There were attacks in the last kilometre, but in the end they was a sprint in Levico Terme. Bahrain-Victorious didn’t lead-out Poels well, so he had to start his sprint early and only finished in 5th place. Aurélien Paret-Peintre managed to sprint to victory. Tiberi was second, Aurélien’s brother Valentin was third. López crossed the line in 9th place to take the overall victory. For the 26-year-old Spaniard it is his second professional victory. O’Connor and Tiberi were second and third on the final overall.
Stage winner, Aurélien Paret-Peintre (Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale): “This is the perfect way to end this week. I am very happy with this victory. In the last kilometre I knew that I could be the rider with the best sprint. It is also nice that Ben O’Connor finishes on the final podium. We have had a good week. That had to do with the Giro. This week in the Tour of the Alps marked the end of our preparation. Our focus now goes completely to the Giro, where we start with ambition.”
2nd overall, Ben O’Connor (Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale): “I’m proud of everyone. We can be very satisfied that we led the race, that we were aggressive and that we probably had the strongest team in the race today, so I’m proud of everyone. Aurélien’s victory was very good, he worked hard for me and also took advantage of his opportunity, so all my thanks to him. Now I am going to take care of myself these next two weeks, assimilate all the work we have been doing and go to the Giro with ambition.”
3rd overall, 2nd on the stage and best young rider, Antonio Tiberi (Bahrain-Victorious): “We tried several times both me and Wout but on the climb it was impossible to make the difference today, as everybody seemed to be enough strong to keep a good rhythm. After Wout was caught back we went fast and furious towards the last kick, where Bardet accelerated and I was surprised that we could still not have made a strong selection. I’m satisfied with today’s result and my performance here at the Tour of the Alps in general. I feel I improved physically and mentally. I proved that I can compete with the strongest riders. I have still something to improve, but I was coming from a period of high altitude training, and I can be happy with what I achieved so far.”
4th on the stage and 5th overall, Romain Bardet (dsm-firmenich PostNL): “We wanted to make the race hard in the final stage today and we did a good job with that. I tried to make some moves in the final, but it was difficult to change things on the GC. In general, it has been a positive week for us and it has been a good sign for the next races, although we have not achieved the result we were looking for.”
10th overall, Davide Piganzoli (Polti Kometa): “I finish the Tour of the Alps satisfied. Because I had a good feeling, because Fabbro and I were in front and because of the top-10 overall. I tried to play my cards right at the end, although it was complicated with many great riders for the sprint.”
Tour of the Alps Stage 5 Result:
1. Aurélien Paret-Peintre (Fra) Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale in 2:50:20
2. Antonio Tiberi (Ita) Bahrain-Victorious
3. Valentin Paret-Peintre (Fra) Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale
4. Romain Bardet (Fra) dsm-firmenich PostNL
5. Wout Poels (Ned) Bahrain-Victorious
6. Filippo Zana (Ita) Jayco AlUla
7. Óscar Rodríguez (Spa) INEOS Grenadiers
8. Matteo Fabbro (Ita) Polti Kometa
9. Juan Pedro López (Spa) Lidl-Trek
10. Michael Storer (Aus) Tudor.
Tour of the Alps Overall After Stage 5:
1. Juan Pedro López (Spa) Lidl-Trek in 18:20:43
2. Ben O’Connor (Aus) Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale at 0:38
3. Antonio Tiberi (Ita) Bahrain-Victorious at 0:42
4. Valentin Paret-Peintre (Fra) Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale at 0:44
5. Romain Bardet (Fra) dsm-firmenich PostNL at 0:48
6. Wout Poels (Ned) Bahrain-Victorious
7. Michael Storer (Aus) Tudor at 1:40
8. Giulio Pellizzari (Ita) VF Group-Bardiani CSF-Faizanè at 1:54
9. Iván Ramiro Sosa (Col) Movistar at 2:55
10. Davide Piganzoli (Ita) Polti Kometa at 2:58.
Alps’24 stage 5:
Remco Evenepoel hasn’t Change His Race Programme Before the Tour
Remco Evenepoel can stick to his planned race schedule for the Tour de France, Het Laatste Nieuws reports. The 24-year-old Belgian broke his collarbone and shoulder blade in the Itzulia Basque Country crash, but his rehabilitation is going according to schedule.
Evenepoel is currently unable to train outdoors, as he is still limited by his injuries, but the Soudal Quick-Step leader is cycling on a home trainer. He intention to go to the Sierra Nevada in early May for a first altitude training camp. After training at altitude, he will ride the Critérium du Dauphiné (2-9) as a build up race for the Tour de France. If he isn’t ready for the Dauphiné, which is not expected, then he could ride the Tour of Switzerland (June 9-18).
After the Dauphiné there will be a second altitude training camp, to put the finishing touches for the Tour. On Sunday, June 23, Evenepoel will ride the Belgian road championships in Zottegem. Evenepoel will not ride the national time trial championships two days before, as it doesn’t fit in Evenepoel’s schedule.
Remco Evenepoel’s Race Programme:
02-06 – 09-06 Criterium du Dauphine
29-06 – 21-07 Tour de France
03-08 Olympic Games Road Race
29-09 UCI World Championships – Road Race.
Evenepoel heading to the Tour:
Update on Remco Evenepoel’s Injuries
Remco Evenepoel has given an update on his injuries. The Belgian said on The Wolfpack Howls podcast, a podcast by his Soudal Quick-Step team, that he will start building up again after the weekend. “Cycling outside was not an option until now,” said Evenepoel.
“I can’t complain at the moment,” Evenepoel responded when asked how he feels. “I feel my body is recovering. I have less and less pain. I have really given up on that broken collarbone. I had underestimated it myself, I thought it would hurt less.”
Because his injuries are recovering well, Evenepoel also has a view to resuming training. “After the weekend I hope to be able to rebuild. So far I have been able to do some light exercises at the gym. Cycling outside was not an option. I’ll try cycling on rollers soon. I hope it won’t take me too long before I feel good again.”
The Belgian spoke about the crash in the Itzulia Basque Country and that he wasn’t the only rider in hospital. “Primoz was next to me in the hospital, so I spoke to him briefly. I also sent Jonas a message. With the other boys, I just kept an eye on social media to see how they were doing. Considering the circumstances, everyone is doing well, fortunately.”
Evenepoel’s participation in the Tour de France is not in danger. “My preparation starts a week earlier. I go to altitude and then, based on my form, I choose the Critérium du Dauphiné or the Tour of Switzerland, including another altitude training period. The start of the Tour is coming soon, that’s for sure.”
“After that there will be the Olympic Games. That is also a very special event for me. In recent years you can see that it has become much more popular. As a rider you actually only have the chance to win a medal there three or four times in your career. I hope for a medal in both the time and road race. So I’m really looking forward to the summer,” he concluded.
Evenepoel talks:
Chris Harper Suffered a Mild Concussion in his Tour of the Alps Crash
Chris Harper had to abandon the Tour of the Alps on Thursday. The Australian attacked during the fourth stage, but crashed on the penultimate descent. A few seconds later Ben O’Connor also crashed on the same corner.
Harper had broken away from the group of favourites on the descent of the Passo del Vetriolo. He was chasing down early escapee Simon Carr and was getting closer, but about 25 kilometres from the finish the Jayco AlUla climber lost control in a left-hand bend and crashed. He slid and then hit a lamppost with his head. It was obvious that Harper would not continue.
O’Connor had also jumped away from the other GC riders on the descent and wasn’t far behind Harper. He also crashed on the same bend. O’Connor was able to continue and rejoin the other favourites. Harper suffered no fractures from his crash, the Jayco AlUla team wrote on social media. He did suffer “superficial wounds and a mild concussion. The Australian will now rest, recover and follow the team’s concussion protocol.”
Harper crashed out of the Tour of the Alps:
Florian Vermeersch Back on the Bike Two Months after Breaking Femur
Florian Vermeersch is riding his bike again after his crash in the Vuelta a Murcia more than two months ago. The Belgian spoke about his first ride after the fracture in his femur. The Lotto Dstny Classics specialist took his first training ride around his hometown of Gent.
Vermeersch crashed in the Vuelta a Murcia at the beginning of February at the start of the descent of the Alto Collado Bermejo, the big climb of the day. He went over a guardrail and ended up in a ravine. The Belgian suffered a fracture of his femur and faced months of recovery.
The Belgian is back on his bike and has posted his activities on Strava. He previously said that he hoped to be able to race again in July or August. However, it is unclear for the time being when Vermeersch will be back in the peloton.
Florian Vermeersch on his way back:
Lefevere on Alaphilippe
Julian Alaphilippe recently said that he raced part of the spring with a fractured fibula head. Patrick Lefevere confirmed in his weekly column for Het Nieuwsblad that the Frenchman was indeed struggling with this injury. The team manager of Soudal Quick-Step emphasised that Alaphilippe himself had the final say in the choice to continue racing with this injury.
“For the record: it is true that Julian raced with a fracture to his fibula this spring,” Lefevere wrote. “He suffered that in a crash in Strade Bianche. After Milan-Sanremo he complained of mild pain. We did indeed see the fracture on an ultrasound. Minuscule, but clearly noticeable. After consultation, it was decided to continue in the spring.”
“The outside world interpreted that as ‘under pressure from the team’, if it wasn’t Lefevere in person. It’s true that it would have been a big disappointment to lose Julian at a crucial moment, but of course he had the final say. Julian had raced for seven days in Tirreno-Adriatico with that injury. And in Milan-Sanremo he sprinted for victory without a flat tyre. Julian was fit enough to be competitive and couldn’t aggravate the injury.”
In his column, Lefevere also talked about a consultation with the performance staff. After the poor performance this spring, this conversation lasted particularly long: from 9:30 am to 5:00 pm. One of the conclusions that Lefevere drew was that the equipment cannot be the cause of the poorer performance. “Technical Manager Nicolas Coosemans also attended the meeting. I learned from him that our frames weigh 200 grams lighter than last year. The wheels are 140 grams lighter. That should normally mean a performance gain.”
“Of course we talked about tyres for a long time. But as I indicated earlier: I don’t think that’s where the clapper hangs for us. All teams ride tubeless these days, except for two if I’m well informed. Our type of tyres is the same as BORA-hansgrohe. And I am very curious whether Lotte Kopecky and SD Worx have also won Strade Bianche and Paris-Roubaix.”
Lefevere talk Alaphilippe:
Movistar Thinks Nairo Quintana will Start the 2024 Giro d’Italia
The Movistar team thinks that Nairo Quintana will be fit in time for the Giro d’Italia. The Colombian had to withdraw from the Tour of the Alps due to physical problems, it was to be his last race before the Tour of Italy. However, his team Movistar is optimistic that he will be on the start line.
Ciro Scognamiglio of La Gazzetta dello Sport, quotes ‘sources within the team’ think Quintana will be fit in time. The 107th Giro d’Italia starts in just over two weeks, on Saturday, May 4th, with a stage to Turin. Quintana won the Giro in 2014 and in 2017 he was second. The 34-year-old climber is currently at home in Colombia, where he is continuing to recover from his crashes in the Tour of Catalonia. He fell twice in the Catalan stage race on the 6th and 7th stages. He suffered no fractures from those falls, but he did abandon after his last mishap.
Quintana is also suffering from an almost complete tear of the anterior sterno-clavicular ligament in his right arm, this is the joint that connects the sternum to the collarbone. He couldn’t start the Itzulia Basque Country.
Will Quintana be ready for the Giro?
A Thin Eddy Merckx Appears in Public for the First Time After Surgery
Eddy Merckx was at the opening of the Maison du Cyclisme on Friday, an interactive cycling museum at the foot of the Côte de la Redoute. It was the first time since his intestinal operation a few weeks ago that he had been seen in public. It was obvious that he had lost a lot of weight.
Merckx underwent surgery last month due to an intestinal problem. On the night of March 25 to 26, he was in the emergency unit of the University Hospital in Jette. During the operation that followed, a significant part of the intestine had to be removed.
“But everything went well,” his son Axel, who was also present at the opening, told Belgian RTL. “He still needs time to recover. You shouldn’t forget that he will soon be 79, then things will slow down a bit. He comes out for the first time since the operation. He looks good and doesn’t feel bad. It’s good to see him back on his feet.”
Merckx has been watching the races in recent weeks and made a prediction for Liège-Bastogne-Liège to Sudinfo. If he has to choose between Tadej Pogačar and Mathieu van der Poel, Merckx gives the Slovenian a better chance. “It is said that he saved himself in the Amstel, but I thought Mathieu looked a little less fresh there,” said the five-time Liège-Bastogne-Liège winner. “That is of course not surprising, after those efforts in the Tour of Flanders and Roubaix-Roubaix. Even such a champion will feel this at some point. So as far as physical fitness is concerned, I’ll go for Pogačar.”
“Stephen Williams really surprised me in the Flèche Wallonne,” Merckx added, when asked about a surprise for Liège. “In his current form he can aim for the podium. Hopefully there is also a Belgian on it. It is a good sign that Maxim Van Gils is not afraid of bad weather.”
Eddy Merckx out at the opening of the Maison du Cyclisme:
Lennert Van Eetvelt Out After Operation
Lennert Van Eetvelt had surgery on his knee on Saturday, Het Nieuwsblad reports. The hope was that the Lotto Dstny climber, who has been sidelined for a month and a half with knee problems, could start racing again in the Tour of Hungary (8-12 May). Now, this will not be possible due to a ‘minor intervention’.
Van Eetvelt will have to rest for a week after the operation, after which he can carefully start training again. But the expectation is that it will be at least five weeks before he can return to racing. The Tour of Hungary is now not an option, but the Tour of Switzerland (9-16 June), which was on his original program, still seems possible. Van Eetvelt also has the Vuelta a España on his race schedule later this season.
Van Eetvelt had a good spring. He won in Mallorca in January, then the UAE Tour in February and was 11th in Strade Bianche in March. It was after that, he started to have knee problems and had to cancel racing in the Tour of Catalonia and the Ardennes Classics. Now he will have to miss the Tour of Hungary.
Knee operation for Lennert Van Eetvelt:
Alejandro Valverde Won the Fourth Round of the UCI Gravel World Series
Alejandro Valverde is still going well at 44 years of age. The Spaniard, who’s 44th birthday is next Thursday, won ‘La Indomable’, repeating last year’s result. The gravel race is part of the UCI Gravel World Series.
‘La Indomable’, is run in the south of Spain over 96 kilometres and had more than 2,400 metres of climbing. Valverde, who races for the Movistar Gravel Team, was in a leading group of four, before breaking away in the last kilometres, to finish solo. Hugo Drechou was second, Tiago Ferreira third. Valverde has automatically qualified for the Gravel World Championships, which will be held in Flanders on the weekend of October 5 and 6. Last year Valverde finished fourth in the World Gravel Championships.
‘Balaverde’ still winning at 44:
TotalEnergies in Negotiation with Julian Alaphilippe
It is no secret that TotalEnergies would like to sign Julian Alaphilippe. The Frenchman, who has been riding for Soudal Quick-Step since 2014, chose to stay with the Belgian team last winter, but TotalEnergies’ are still interested, according to team boss Jean-René Bernaudeau, who spoke to Ouest-France.
“The negotiations have started,” said Bernaudeau. “I like his desire, he doesn’t make noise and works a lot. He is now disappointed that he had this fibula injury, which prevented him from expressing himself as he would have wanted to at the start of the season. We met him last week with Benoît Genauzeau. We do our work and discuss our project with him.”
The Frenchman sees a role à la Sagan for Julian Alaphilippe. Less than two months ago, Bernaudeau indicated this in a conversation with L’Equipe. The team has now taken the next step. Although Alaphilippe is not alone. “We are speaking with Julian, as with others, to move our project forward. Today we are in a good place, but to grow we have to present projects.”
For the 31-year-old Alaphilippe, a move to a new team could perhaps provide new impetus. The Frenchman’s results have not been great lately and there has also been ‘arguments’ between team boss Patrick Lefevere and Julian Alaphilippe. It now looks like the marriage will be over soon.
Alaphilippe to TotalEnergies?
Jayco AlUla Wants to Extend with Simon Yates: “But it Depends on What we Can Spend”
Simon Yates has been racing for the Jayco AlUla team for 10 years, but the 31-year-old climber’s contract expires at the end of this season. If it was up to the Australian team, Yates would stay with the team in 2025.
“Simon has been part of the team ever since he became a professional cyclist together with his brother (Adam). He feels part of the team and has always achieved good results. What he did last year in the Tour de France (4th overall) was fantastic. It is also fantastic what he managed to achieve this year in the AlUla Tour,” general manager Brent Copeland told GCN.
“So we would like him to stay on board,” Copeland said. “We haven’t had the chance to sit together yet, to talk about the sporting aspects, his expectations and ours. That should happen in the coming weeks. I called his agent to make an appointment.”
“I would say we were confident if budget wasn’t an issue. It depends on what we can spend and what we can do to keep him on board. A leader is important for every team, even when it comes to the other riders within your selection. A lot depends. You talk to different drivers, but you only take action once you have brought in the leader.” Copeland added.
Jayco AlUla still has to fill ten places for 2025, but the team doesn’t plan on signing many new riders. “We have a lot of riders with expiring contracts and we want to keep them. We have riders who have been part of the team since the beginning. They know the culture inside and out. If we can reach an agreement on all levels, we will extend the contracts.”
Simon Yates to stay with Jayco?
Injured Timo Roosen Can’t Lead-Out Fabio Jakobsen in the Giro d’Italia
Timo Roosen suffered a fracture in his forearm when he crashed in the E3 Saxo Classic. This only became apparent last Monday, when he had an additional scans. The dsm-firmenich PostNL lead-out man can’t go to the Giro d’Italia (4-26 May), where he would have been working for Fabio Jakobsen.
Roosen crashed in the E3 Saxo Classic on March 22 and has not raced since. About three weeks after his last event, it was discovered that he had a fracture in his forearm. “The membrane of my forearm is still very painful and I cannot cycle outside yet,” the 31-year-old wrote on Instagram. “It’s a big disappointment that I have to miss the first big goal of the season.”
In the run-up to the Giro d’Italia, Roosen would also ride the Tour of Turkey (April 21-28). That race has also been removed from his programme. The dsm-firmenich PostNL selection for the Giro d’Italia is not yet known exactly. It is clear that the team has two spearheads with climber Romain Bardet and sprinter Fabio Jakobsen. Sports director Matt Winston also recently told WielerFlits that he already has a certain ratio in mind between climbers and sprinters. “Normally it could be 4-4,” he said during the Tour of the Alps. “Four climbers; and four riders in the sprint train. But maybe it leans towards five sprint guys and three climbers. Due to the injury list, we have to leave that open for a while.”
No Giro for Timo Roosen:
Cofidis Commits to the Team Until 2028
The finance company, Cofidis has extended its sponsorship of the French cycling team until 2028. The team is not too high on the UCI rankings at the moment, but the credit company remains confident in the team. The team announced that its resources are being strengthened with a clear goal: to get closer to the top 10 of the WorldTour ranking.
Cédric Vasseur’s team has had no victories so far in 2024. The team is at the moment in the danger zone in the UCI rankings if they want to stay in the WorldTour. The team is currently safe in seventeenth place, but will have to be careful.
The main sponsor of the team, Cofidis has been active in cycling since 1997 and will be with the team until at least 2028. The company is increasing the sponsorship budget to keep the top 10 target in sight. The sponsor also has ambitions for the women’s team to join the women’s WorldTour.
“I would like to thank the management of Cofidis,” Cédric Vasseur said a the team press release. “This is fantastic news for us, a great vote of confidence that honours the continued professionalism of the riders and staff. This new proof of confidence allows us to look to the future with peace and stability. This start to the season has not met our expectations, but I am confident that, like this expansion, the good news and successes will return soon. Having visibility until 2028 is an opportunity to build in the long term, retain riders and strengthen our team.”
Cofidis sponsor to 2028:
Soudal Quick-Step to the Tour de Romandie
Julian Alaphilippe makes his first outing in nine years at the prestigious Swiss race, which will take place between 23-28 April.
The last World Tour event of the month, the 77th Tour de Romandie gets underway on Tuesday with a short prologue around Payerne and continues with a hilly stage finishing in Fribourg, the charming town founded almost nine centuries ago. The first proper test for the climbers will come one day later, on the summit finish of Les Marécottes, but the general classification could be in for some more changes just twenty-four hours later.
A 15.5km individual time trial held on the rolling roads of Oron promises to spice up the fight between the yellow jersey contenders just before the second uphill finish of the race, Leysin, coming after a day peppered with five classified climbs. The race concluded on Sunday, in Vernier, where a relentless up-and-down course without a single meter of flat could make for an action-packed day.
Julian Alaphilippe will be at the start of the Tour de Romandie for just the second time in his career, following the 2015 edition, which he raced as a second-year pro. The two-time World Champion – who is slated to make his Giro d’Italia debut next month – will be joined on the Soudal Quick-Step team by Kasper Asgreen, Mattia Cattaneo, last year’s Romandie prologue winner Josef Cerny, Fausto Masnada – who finished third overall here in 2021, neo-pro Pepijn Reinderink, and Ilan Van Wilder.
“We go to the Tour de Romandie with a strong team, confident and motivated to do a solid race. Our roster comprises a couple of time trial specialists, so we hope for some good results on those stages. We also have Ilan, who will be our GC leader. He can rely on the likes of Julian and Fausto for the hard stages, and hopefully, be in the mix for a strong overall result”, said sports director Dries Devenyns.
23.04–28.04 Tour de Romandie (SUI) 2.UWT
Riders:
Julian Alaphilippe (FRA)
Kasper Asgreen (DEN)
Mattia Cattaneo (ITA)
Josef Cerny (CZE)
Fausto Masnada (ITA)
Pepijn Reinderink (NED)
Ilan Van Wilder (BEL).
Sports Director: Dries Devenyns (BEL) and Tom Steels (BEL).
Van Wilder to Romandie:
Tour de Romandie: First Race On Home Soil This Season
The 77th edition of the Tour de Romandie 2024 will set off from Payerne on Tuesday, April 23. Comprising a prologue and five stages, including an individual time trial, the World Tour event has a reputation for being challenging and crowning big names.
Tudor Pro Cycling is proud and excited to be invited to this event for the second time. Seven riders will represent Tudor Pro Cycling: Marco Brenner, Alberto Dainese, Arthur Kluckers, Sebastien Reichenbach, Yannis Voisard, Luc Wirtgen and Maikel Zijlaard.
For Team Owner Fabian Cancellara, it is special to have the team racing in Switzerland in Switzerland: “As a Swiss team with a strong Swiss identity, we ere very much looking forward to the Tour de Romandie next week. Racing at home means more motivation and support at the roadside. But it also means more pressure and demands. As a team, we work hard to put the riders in the best physical and mental condition to perform in such an environment, and we hope to make our partners and fans proud. But we also keep in mind that this is only our second participation in the race and our second season at this level, so we are keeping our feet on the ground.”
Sylvain Blanquefort, Team’s sports director, will lead the group next week: “We have multiple objectives: a stage win with Alberto Dainese and a good GC performance with Yannis Voisard. We also think Maikel Zijlaard can put in a good performance in the short prologue in Payerne”.
Damiano Caruso Leads TBV in Romandie
Damiano Caruso will lead TBV at Tour de Romandie for a fourth consecutive season in a race that has seen him finish in the top 10 overall in the last three editions and where he rounded off the GC podium last year.
The six-day race in the Romandie region of Switzerland opens with a 2.3km prologue before proceeding with five stages, including a 15km ITT in Oron on stage 3. Characterised by its hilly terrain and often challenging weather conditions, the Tour de Romandie is the perfect race to fine-tune ahead of the Giro d’Italia.
Including the prologue and ITT, the race features 657km of racing over an elevation gain of nearly 11,000 meters. Stage 4 is the ‘queen stage’, which features five categorised climbs totalling 3,512m of elevation gain across the 151km parcour and will ultimately define the GC on the long final cat 1 climb to the finish in Leysin, which is 13.1km and averages 6.1%.
Road captain Nikias Arndt will support Caruso and look to test his speed should there be any sprint opportunities, particularly on Stage 5. Matevz Govekar, Rainer Kepplinger, Johan Price-Pejtersen, Cameron Scott, and Edoardo Zambanini will support Caruso’s GC ambitions and look for opportunities across the five stages.
Sports Director Neil Stephens: “We look forward to returning to the Romandie region in Switzerland. We’ve got six days of racing, including the Prologue and ITT, with two intermediate stages and two mountain stages with summit finishes.
We head there to support Damiano Caruso, who has run in the top 10 in the last 3 editions and is a very constant performer in Romandie. He is in great shape and looking forward to his final test before the Giro. He will be motivated to run high in the GC.
The Prologue stage is a twisty urban circuit in Payerne, and interestingly, we will not be riding Time Trial bikes, but our fast aero Merida road bike, the Reacto, which is the advice from our aero and performance experts. We want to be positioned amongst the best there and set ourselves up for stage 1, where we expect a sprint finish, but there are never dead flat stages, so there aren’t any pure sprinters that line up for this race, and typically, it will be the fast men who can get over the climbs. We have Nikias and Matevz, who could look for a result.
We’ve got a well-rounded team to keep us competitive across the different stage profiles. We will look to fight for a result every day and place Damiano high up in the GC as he prepares for the Giro.”
Alpecin-Deceuninck will be Alpecin-Pimapen in the Tour of Turkey
Don’t talk about Alpecin-Deceuninck during the Tour of Turkey. During this race (April 21 till April 28) the team will be called temporary Alpecin-Pimapen!
In Deceuninck’s efforts to strengthen their presence in the Turkish market we will be switching to jerseys from Pimapen, one of the Turkish Deceuninck brands. Additionally, the team will adopt the name “Alpecin-Pimapen” during this time to further emphasise the connection to the Turkish market.
This strategic decision is driven by the aim to enhance their market share and brand visibility in Turkey. By aligning with a prominent Turkish brand like Pimapen, Deceuninck believe they can better connect with their Turkish audience and further establish their presence in this important market.
Temporary Alpecin-Pimapen:
The PEZ INSTAGRAM
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