More Tadej Pogačar domination in EUROTRASH Thursday. The news, views, reports and video of the latest stages of the Giro d’Italia and the Ronde van Limburg.
CPA chairman Adam Hansen talks about the Livigno weather protocol problems – TOP STORY.
Rider news: Giulio Pellizzari regains his good legs in a difficult Giro, Jonas Vingegaard gets a tattoo and is training in Mallorca, Mathieu van der Poel has been playing golf, Wout van Aert prepares for a tentative comeback in the Tour of Norway, Jan Ullrich congratulates former nephew Georg Steinhauser on his Giro stage win, Lizzy Banks acquitted in doping case and Riejanne Markus moves to Lidl-Trek.
Team news: The next races for Team dsm-firmenich PostNL and Matthew Brennan moves up to the WorldTour.
Race news: Amateur rider flees after suspicions of mechanical doping and drags race director on his car, Miss Caffeina Present ‘Cuando acabe el Verano’ and the Official Song of La Vuelta’24.
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TOP STORY: CPA Chairman Adam Hansen Talks About the the Livigno Weather Protocol Problems
There was chaos on Tuesday in Livigno before the start of stage 16 of the Giro d’Italia. No one knew what was happening: Would the stage start or not, or be shortened, or…?. Adam Hansen, the president of the CPA riders’ union, calls for change.
Due to the bad weather conditions of snow, freezing rain and extreme temperatures, it was decided, the insistence of the riders, to significantly shorten the stage. Although the race organisers were keen on canceling the climb of the Umbrail Pass. There was uncertainty for a long time about the route of the stage. The teams stated that they would not start the stage unless the pass was removed from the route. RCS Sport eventually, after much deliberation changed the route. It was decided to drive the riders to Lasa, on the other side of the Umbrail Pass, for an alternative start for a stage of 118 kilometres. All this was preceded by a lot of discussions. “The CPA contacted all stakeholders for the first time on the rest day to make a decision based on the weather forecasts for the sixteenth stage,” Hansen wrote about the Umbrail pass decision. “The riders therefore proposed to cancel the climb, so that they would not have to descend in two degrees and snow.”
“The riders wanted to race without having to stop because of the weather,” Hansen pointed out. “The riders unanimously agreed on this. This was then also communicated to the outside world. The CPA did its best, after an hour-long meeting, to convey this. It was clear that the Umbrail Pass was not suitable for cycling, as the local mountain pass was also closed by the local authorities due to heavy snowfall. If the riders had ridden over the Umbrail Pass, we would have had to put our foot down,” said Hansen. “To be clear: the peloton always had the intention to race, which is what ultimately happened. However, due to bad weather it was not possible to complete the original route. The temperature at the start was also around freezing point. If that doesn’t create an Extreme Weather Protocol, what will?”
The Giro organisers in the end decided to shorten the stage, but it took a very long time before there was clarity. “It is 2024: we must move towards a clear protocol in which all stakeholders understand and accept how we can safeguard the image of cycling,” Hansen want’s things to change. “With a ‘let’s see what happens’ approach, the riders should have taken shelter from the snow. That is not the solution.”
No one really knew what was happening:
Giro d’Italia 2024
On a shortened Stage 16, due to snow and rain, Tadej Pogačar waited until the last kilometres before he started his climbing turbo, dropped what was left of the bunch and swept past the riders in front of him for his fifth Giro’24 stage win. The UAE Team Emirates rider also took more time on the other GC men. Daniel Felipe Martínez (BORA-hansgrohe) finished third on the stage and moved back into second overall above Geraint Thomas (INEOS Grenadiers).
In the event of extreme weather conditions, the stage will be neutralised up to a place where the safety conditions are met. At 9 a.m. the Commission met and at 10 a.m., given the conditions at that time, decided to implement Option 2 with the opposition of the athletes. A few minutes before the start, the weather conditions deteriorated further and so the Commission decided to fall back on Option 3. The stage will have its typical start and procedures in Livigno. From there, a parade will start towards the Tunnel Munt Raschera. The riders will stop and change before the Swiss border. The actual start will be in Prati allo Stelvio as per the time trial.
Stage sixteenth didn’t go over the Passo dello Stelvio, or in the end, the Umbrail Pass. Due to the bad weather conditions, with snow, freezing rain and cold, it was decided to take the riders by car to Lasa, on the other side of the Umbrail Pass. The shortened stage started at just before 2:30pm. The 206 kilometre stage was shortened to only 118.4 kilometres, but it was still going to be a tough day. In the last 30 kilometres the race would climb the Passo Pinei (23.4km at 4.7%). Then after a short descent there was the final climb to Santa Cristina (6.5km at 6.1%), the Monte Pana. The GC men would be able to make differences on this final brute of a climb. The first 83 kilometres were flat or downhill, so it was fast and there were many attacks. The first rider to get away was Marco Frigo. The Italian of Israel-Premier Tech held on for a while, but was eventually caught. Four riders were next to get away and soon had a lead of 1:30. Julian Alaphilippe was part of the escape. The Frenchman of Soudal Quick-Step was joined by Mirco Maestri (Polti-Kometa), Davide Ballerini (Astana Qazaqstan) and Andrea Piccolo (EF Education-EasyPost). In the peloton it wasn’t UAE Team Emirates, the team of pink jersey Tadej Pogačar, or any of the other GC teams that chased, but Movistar. The Spanish team were working for Nairo Quintana or Einer Rubio today. Quintana finished second in the stage to Livigno on Sunday and would want to go one place better. Due to the work of Fernando Gaviria in particular, the lead of the Alaphilippe group was cut. Before the start of the 20 kilometre Passo Pinei, the lead was under 1 minute.
Alaphilippe decided to drop the other escapees. Maestri was able to hang on the longest. Alaphilippe put his head down and tried his hardest to say out of the grasp of the chasers as long as possible. In the thinned out peloton, it was still Movistar on the front, now with their climbers. An impressive Alaphilippe was able to take more time. The Frenchman extended his lead and at the Intergiro sprint, 28 kilometres from the finish, he had 2 minutes. The chase wasn’t at full speed and Filippo Fiorelli and Andrea Pietrobon counter-attacked. Alaphilippe still kept a fast pace, but the toughest parts of the climb were yet to come. Seven kilometres from the summit of the Passo Pinei, there was another counter-attack, this time from Pelayo Sánchez, the rider who beat Alaphilippe in the gravel stage to Rapolano Terme. He went on his own after the Frenchman. Sánchez was unable to bridge the gap, but his attack made the peloton speed up. On the steeper Passo Pinei, Quintana towed the group of favourites for Rubio and this caused the first selection. Quintana’s move turned out to be short-lived, but Movistar still had Sánchez. His pace was too high for seventh placed, Romain Bardet. The Frenchman was one of the better climbers on Sunday, but he would lose a lot of time today. The group of favourites was getting closer to Alaphilippe and so some other riders tried to jump across to the Frenchman. Ewen Costiou (Arkéa-B&B Hotels), Christian Scaroni (Astana-Qazaqstan) and Giulio Pellizzari (VF Group-Bardiani CSF-Faizanè) got together, but Alaphilippe was not finished yet. The two-time World champion was the first to reach the top of the Passo Pinei. Scaroni reached the top of the Passo Pinei 10 seconds later, but Alaphilippe took more time on the descent to the final climb to Santa Cristina (6.5km at 6.1%, with ramps of up to 15%). He started the last climb of the day with a lead of about 20 seconds over the first chasers. The group of favourites, where UAE Team Emirates set the pace, was another 25 seconds behind.
At the front, a very strong Alaphilippe was still holding out. The Soudal Quick-Step rider refused to be caught, but was joined by Pellizzari, Costiou and Scaroni within sight of the top. Just 2 kilometres from the top, Alaphilippe blew, just before the two tough final kilometres. The other Frenchman, Costiou, continued on the steep ramp. The Arkéa-B&B Hotels rider briefly opened up a gap, but was countered by Pellizzari. The young Italian of VF Group-Bardiani went past Costiou and made a bid for victory. The danger for Pellizzari was behind, as the group of favourites was getting close due to the work of Rafal Majka. The Pole split the GC group and then it was up to his leader to deal the killer blow. The Slovenian rode away from the other classification riders with ease without exerting himself excessively. Pogačar then rode past Costiou and Scaroni in no time and then Pellizzari. The latter was joined by the Slovenian in the final kilometre and tried to hold on, but soon had to pay for it. Pogačar rode to another stage victory, his fifth in this Giro. The 25-year-old also added to his lead on the general classification. Pellizzari crossed the line second, just ahead of Daniel Felipe Martínez. Martínez did well enough to jump up to second place overall, Geraint Thomas and Ben O’Connor, lost quite a lot of time. At the finish, the difference between Martínez and Thomas was 33 seconds. Martínez now has 22 seconds over the Welshman and 1:24 on O’Connor.
# You can see lots more photos in the full PEZ ‘Stage Report’ HERE. #
Stage winner, KOM and overall leader, Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates): “The day started really on and off and we didn’t know what to do, but when we started it was fine. The breakaway went, and it was good for us, and we sat back and tried to relax but Movistar kept on pushing and kept the breakaway close and then they went really fast on the second last climb and then the final 2km we tried to control and then Rafał had enough. He said we push on we try to make some gaps. Since yesterday, I was just thinking to be safe during the stage. In the end, it was good for us and also good for the people, good for everybody so i think we should be happy given the circumstances.”
3rd on the stage and 2nd overall, Daniel Felipe Martínez (BORA-hansgrohe): “The stage immediately after a rest day can be complicated, especially with a tough route like today. It was a cold day in the saddle, for sure, and I think a lot of guys found it difficult. Despite the conditions, I felt good in the small general group, and I am very satisfied with my performance. I was able to make up time on Thomas and get back to second overall. I also want to thank my teammates and also the staff for the support today, it was a difficult day so thank you and hats off. There are still some difficult stages ahead, but we are in a good position for the future.”
3rd overall, Geraint Thomas (INEOS Grenadiers): “I felt like I had nothing today and the last climb was a big drag on getting to the top, basically. I was quite surprised that Movistar took the initiative so soon and also controlled the break. Congratulations to them, they made a good attempt, but of course we came back and Pogačar went. Dani has overtaken me, but I guess he is still close, so tomorrow will be another day.”
5th on the stage and overall, Antonio Tiberi (Bahrain-Victorious): “The way it has gone, it has been a pretty positive day for me and the team. A very hard and demanding day with a cold and rainy start, in fact the sensations at the beginning were not exactly good. My legs felt a little heavy, but luckily in the final stages I started to feel better. When I reached the last climb was the moment when I felt better, in fact I was able to do the climb very well and I gained a few seconds on Arensman and also on Thomas.”
9th on the stage, Ewan Costiou (Arkéa-B&B Hotels): “It was a Dantesque stage! It rained throughout the race, it was chaos. He had good legs. When I found myself in front I tried to get ahead, because the understanding was not very good with the transalpine (Italian) riders. I would like to thank Julian Alaphilippe who supported me, he gave me one last relief even though he was ‘dead’. He is a great champion. Thanks to him. I have reached a level here that I have never experienced before. I continue to discover myself, I respond in the third week of a Grand Tour. This bodes well for the future and I still hope to get other good results at the end of this Giro d’Italia.”
Attila Valter (Visma | Lease a Bike): “To be honest, I still had something in my legs. The conditions were harsh. I probably could have gone a little deeper at the end, but I recognised that it was of little use because the racing head was out of place. I better save that energy for the next few days.”
Davide Piganzoli (Polti Kometa): “We made the penultimate climb very fast, the group accelerated to neutralise Maestri’s escape, Pietro also tried it looking to score points for the Intergiro, but finally on the final climb, UAE set a strong pace for its riders interests and we have tried to get as far ahead as possible. I’m quite satisfied.”
Giro d’Italia Stage 16 Result:
1. Tadej Pogačar (Slo) UAE Team Emirates in 2:49:37
2. Giulio Pellizzari (Ita) VF Group-Bardiani CSF-Faizanè at 0:16
3. Daniel Felipe Martínez (Col) BORA-hansgrohe
4. Christian Scaroni (Ita) Astana Qazaqstan at 0:31
5. Antonio Tiberi (Ita) Bahrain-Victorious at 0:33
6. Thymen Arensman (Ned) INEOS Grenadiers at 0:38
7. Damiano Caruso (Ita) Bahrain-Victorious at 0:39
8. Michael Storer (Aus) Tudor at 0:42
9. Ewen Costiou (Fra) Arkéa-B&B Hotels
10. Valentin Paret-Peintre (Fra) Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale at 0:45.
Giro d’Italia Overall After Stage 16:
1. Tadej Pogačar (Slo) UAE Team Emirates in 59:01:09
2. Daniel Felipe Martínez (Col) BORA-hansgrohe at 7:18
3. Geraint Thomas (GB) INEOS Grenadiers at 7:40
4. Ben O’Connor (Aus) Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale at 8:42
5. Antonio Tiberi (Ita) Bahrain-Victorious at 10:09
6. Thymen Arensman (Ned) INEOS Grenadiers at 10:33
7. Romain Bardet (Fra) dsm-firmenich PostNL at 12:18
8. Filippo Zana (Ita) Jayco AlUla at 12:43
9. Einer Rubio (Col) Movistar at 13:09
10. Jan Hirt (CZ) Soudal Quick-Step at 14:07.
Giro’24 stage 16:
Georg Steinhauser (EF Education-EasyPost) won Stage 17 with a perfect solo ride in the finale. Just like in stage 16, overall leader Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates), chased after the lone leader, but had left it just too late to take another stage victory. The Slovenian took yet more time on the other beaten competitors.
A short but intense mountain stage. After going over the Passo Sella and descending through the Val di Fassa and Val di Fiemme all the way to Predazzo, the route takes in an unbroken succession of tough climbs and descents, clearing the Passo Rolle and the Passo Gobbera, and crossing Canal San Bovo. After the first ascent to Passo Brocon via the northern side, the route passes near the finish and descends rapidly on wide track up to Castello Tesino. The steep closing climb begins in Pieve Tesino. The final kilometres are uphill. The steepest part of the last categorised climb, with gradients exceeding 10%, ends at the 2km mark, followed by almost level or uphill drags. The final 500m are on a slight incline. The home straight (100m) is on 6m wide tarmac.
The battle was on from the start. Due to the Giro not climbing the Stelvio and the Umbrail Pass on Tuesday, the Passo Sella became the Cima Coppi for this year. There were a lot more KOM points on offer as well as the climber’s honour. Giulio Pellizzari (VF Group Bardiani-CSF Faizanè) was the first over the summit, but only after a real fight with Nairo Quintana (Movistar). It needed a photo-finish to split the two riders, giving it to the young Pellizzari.
Pellizzari also started the ‘break of the day’. Amanuel Ghebreigzabhier (Lidl-Trek), Julian Alaphilippe (Soudal Quick-Step), Damiano Caruso (Bahrain-Victorious), Marco Frigo (IPT), Georg Steinhauser (EF Education-EasyPost) and Davide Ballerini (Astana Qazaqstan) tried join the Italian in the valley before the Passo Rolle, along with Attila Valter (Visma | Lease a Bike) and Nicola Conci (Alpecin-Deceuninck). The 10 leaders couldn’t get more than 2 minutes, as UAE Team Emirates started to chase. The peloton slowed a little on the Passo Rolle, allowing dropped riders to return and the break to take more time. At the summit, Pellizzari took 40 more KOM points, but their lead was down to 1 minute due to work by dsm-Firmenich PostNL. Bardet’s team wanted to pull back the leading group on the Gobbera, with 60 kilometres to go.
Due to the work of dsm, the favourites group was thinned down. Filippo Zana was one of the GC men who had missed the move, but he was able to return because everything slowed down again. Ghebreigzabhier and Steinhauser started the Passo Brocon with a 1 minute lead. When the gap became too big, dsm-firmenich PostNL started chasing again, to the annoyance of Rafal Majka, who did not understand the tactics of Bardet’s team was. At the front, Steinhauser dropped Ghebreigzabhier just before the top. The German now had a 33 kilometre solo in front of him. dsm-firmenich PostNL had given up whatever it was they were planning, Steinhauser’s lead on the pink jersey group had increased to 2 minutes at the top of the penultimate climb. Only Ghebreigzabhier, Marco Frigo and Christian Scaroni were still ahead of the peloton, but Steinhauser was getting further away.
The 22-year-old Steinhauser had a lead of 2:30 over the Pogačar group on the Passo Brocon (12.2km at 6.4%). In between, Ghebreigzabhier was within 40 seconds of the leader, but the Eritrean couldn’t stay ahead. Steinhauser’s lead over the favourites increased to more than 3 minutes, was it enough for the stage victory? Yes it was. For Steinhauser, in his first Grand Tour, it was also his first professional victory. Behind; INEOS Grenadiers increased the pace in the last 5 kilometres. After Jhonatan Narvaez, it was Thymen Arensman who set the pace for Geraint Thomas. It was too fast for Ben O’Connor, who was 4th overall. Daniel Felipe Martínez attacked, but was countered by the favourites group, although Arensman had a hard time after that attack. Tadej Pogačar followed on Martínez’s wheel and then decided to attack. Martínez, Thomas, Bardet, Antonio Tiberi and Einer Rubio couldn’t follow the pink jersey. Arensman and Jan Hirt were able to join that group again, but after the pace lifted again. they were dropped. Pogačar was in a class of his own again, but ‘only’ finished second on the stage. Tiberi sprinted to third place 15 seconds later. Arensman lost just over 10 seconds to the Thomas group. O’Connor managed to keep the damage limited.
# You can see lots more photos in the full PEZ ‘Stage Report’ HERE. #
Stage winner, Georg Steinhauser (EF Education-EasyPost): “I had a lot of fun on the road today. You have to like to suffer for that. Just to ride in front of everyone else is an amazing feeling and to make it all the way to the finish is super special. I knew I had to be as light as possible to win a Grand Tour stage, that’s why I took off what was unnecessary, the gloves and stuffs. I also rode without power meter. I just like to follow my feelings. I never really had an idol and I made my own things, even my father didn’t want to interfere in my career because his career and mine are from very different eras, but I’ve watched a lot of cycling. Seeing Chris Froome running up a climb was amazing and I also loved to see Michal Kwiatkowski winning Milano-Sanremo by just a few centimetres. Today is the first time that I myself achieved something so special and I’m super happy about this.”
Maglia Rosa, KOM and 2nd on the stage, Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates): “Today I was happy with Steinhauser to win. He did an incredible job. He was in the original breakaway and he went again. Chapeau to him. Tomorrow it’s a flat stage. Let’s hope for Molano to find some luck in a bunch sprint with Rui [Oliveira], then there’s one medium stage for a breakaway to win again and then, Monte Grappa is an iconic stage, not far from Slovenia so I expect a lot of Slovenian fans, let see if I can win a fifth stage with the Maglia Rosa.”
Best young rider, 3rd on the stage and 5th overall, Antonio Tiberi (Bahrain-Victorious): “I’m super happy about today, which was tough right from the start with the climb and the rain all day making everyone pretty nervous. But I really enjoyed the stage, and my legs are feeling good even though it’s the 3rd week. I was waiting for the last climb to try to do something, and at the moment Tadej attacked I tried to follow but the pace was too much. I saw O’Connor was struggling so wanted to get a few seconds on him and Arensman who had also lost the wheels. I tried 3 or 4 times to attack, and I managed to keep a good tempo in the last 500/600m before the final sprint, so I am more than satisfied with taking 3rd place and some bonus seconds.”
5th on the stage and 7th overall, Romain Bardet (dsm-firmenich PostNL): “Today I left with the mentality of, if possible, making differences. But in the previous climb I found myself a bit alone. Thanks to Nairo who gave me some gels, since he really was without strength. When I saw that INEOS was trying to control the race and that the gap was increasing, I thought that maybe they wanted to set a pace so that no one would attack. When I heard that O’Connor was hanging on and Thomas only had Arensman left, I decided to try to see how he would go. We tried and on Saturday we will have another chance. If I have good legs, I will surely try it. I think Saturday’s climb is the hardest we are going to have in this Giro. We remain concentrated and focused on what we want.”
7th on the stage and overall, Romain Bardet (dsm-firmenich PostNL): “Today we raced the way I liked. When you can influence the race with the team, I really enjoy it. Our intention and our plan was to get me into the first break. I wasn’t far from moving on to the first escape, but the pace wasn’t that high on the first climb and with the valley roads I sat back and waited for the peloton because I knew it would be easy for some teams to pull me back if they wanted to. From there, we knew the conditions were going to be difficult, so we also tried to do a hard race, since I like it when you have to push the pedals hard all day. After pushing hard on the descent and split up on the next climb, we thought it could be a good time to try to attack and get ahead and in position to go for the stage. I was a little surprised to see that Pogačar wanted to make some moves and get behind me, because that meant that the other men in the general standings were following him, and that was it. Even so, I felt very good on the last climb and the boys did a great job today, so we can rest easy. We still have a couple of mountain stages left to try something.”
Marco Frigo (IPT): “We wanted to be on the getaway again and today was a day that I was very excited about. I recognised this stage a few weeks ago and I have had it as my goal since the start of the Giro. It was a hard day from the beginning. Once the first break formed, there were strong people in front and I thought we had a good group. Just like yesterday, I can’t control what happens behind me, that’s cycling. When the race came together again, I missed the opportunity to follow the stage winner. It’s a shame, because that made the stage difficult, I was always chasing from that point. Of course, it turned out the race was over. Maybe I should see the glass half full because he had good legs. But, ultimately, I am here to get a good result and that is still missing.”
Giro d’Italia Stage 17 Result:
1. Georg Steinhauser (Ger) EF Education-EasyPost in 4:28:51
2. Tadej Pogačar (Slo) UAE Team Emirates at 1:24
3. Antonio Tiberi (Ita) Bahrain-Victorious at 1:42
4. Geraint Thomas (GB) INEOS Grenadiers
5. Romain Bardet (Fra) dsm-firmenich PostNL
6. Einer Rubio (Col) Movistar
7. Romain Bardet (Fra) dsm-firmenich PostNL
8. Thymen Arensman (Ned) INEOS Grenadiers at 1:55
9. Jan Hirt (CZ) Soudal Quick-Step
10. Rafał Majka (Pol) UAE Team Emirates.
Giro d’Italia Overall After Stage 17:
1. Tadej Pogačar (Slo) UAE Team Emirates in 63:31:18
2. Daniel Felipe Martínez (Col) BORA-hansgrohe at 7:42
3. Geraint Thomas (GB) INEOS Grenadiers at 8:04
4. Ben O’Connor (Aus) Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale at 9:47
5. Antonio Tiberi (Ita) Bahrain-Victorious at 10:29
6. Thymen Arensman (Ned) INEOS Grenadiers at 11:10
7. Romain Bardet (Fra) dsm-firmenich PostNL at 12:42
8. Einer Rubio (Col) Movistar at 13:33
9. Filippo Zana (Ita) Jayco AlUla at 13:52
10. Jan Hirt (CZ) Soudal Quick-Step at 14:44.
Giro’24 stage 17:
Ronde van Limburg 2024
Dylan Groenewegen of Jayco AlUla won the Ronde van Limburg on Monday in a fast, chaotic bunch sprint. Maurice Ballerstedt finished second, Arnaud De Lie was third.
A day after Alexander Kristoff won the Antwerp Port Epic, the Tour of Limburg was next on the Belgian race calendar. Kristoff was again on the start list, as was Arnaud De Lie, Dylan Groenewegen, Gerben Thijssen and Biniam Girmay.
The Ronde van Limburg has changed for this year. The final of the Flemish one-day race was based on the same climbs that will be used in the European Championships in Limburg in September. The local circuit round Tongeren included Manshoven (1km at 2.4%), Op de Kriezel (1.7km at 3%), Kolmontberg (1.5km at 3.1%) and Zammelenberg (800m at 4.3%) several short slopes. The break of the day got together after the climb of the Keiberg. Darren van Bekkum (Visma | Lease a Bike Devo Team), winner of the U23 Ronde de l’Isard, was joined by Kamil Małecki (Q36.5) and Roland Thalmann (Tudor) and took a 3 minute lead. In the peloton, Lotto Dstny, Uno-X Mobility and Jayco AlUla made sure that the escapees didn’t get any more time. The race was closed-down in the run-up to the local circuit in Tongeren, until a counter-attack by Jochem Kerckhaert. The 23-year-old Dutchman of BEAT Cycling tried to cross to the leading group – on his own, with just over 130 kilometres to go. Kerckhaert was unable to make the crossing and was caught by the peloton.
Van Bekkum, Thalmann and Małecki held their lead in the run-up to the first passage of the circuit, but the peloton was pulling them back slowly. With 60 kilometres to go, the difference had dropped to 1 minute. This caused a lot of counter-attacks. No one got away at first, but eventually Cormac Nisbet managed to get away. The 19-year-old British rider races for the Soudal Quick-Step training team, crossed to the three escapees on his own. It was a good move, but the peloton quickly caught the four leaders. Petr Keleman attacked, but the Czech Tudor rider was pulled back. Several teams didn’t want a bunch sprint. Visma | Lease a Bike sent Morten Aalling Nørtoft on the attack. The 21-year-old Dane was solo for a while, but was passed by Simon Pellaud, but this attack by the Tudor rider didn’t work. The climbs so far were not difficult enough to split the race, but the Kolmontberg (1.5km at 3.1%) and Zammelenberg (800meters at 4.3%) could upset the fast finishers. On the Kolmontberg it was Tosh Van der Sande (Visma | Lease a Bike) who opened a gap and started with a slight lead on the Zammelenberg, but was passed by the peloton on the climb.
At the summit of the Zammelenberg the gaps were very small. Julien Vermote, Huub Artz and Pau Miquel broke away in the last flatter kilometres and built a good lead, but with 3 kilometres to go, it was all together again and the bunch could get ready for the sprint. The sprinter’s teams lifted the pace, but the run-up got chaotic. Dylan Groenewegen jumped from the front at the right time and was the first to hit the last corner and then managed to sprint away from the others. Maurice Ballerstedt finished second at several bike lengths, Arnaud De Lie crossed the line in third. For Groenewegen it is his second victory of the season, although his last was in January, in the Clàssica Comunitat Valenciana 1969. It is a welcome boost for the 30-year-old Dutchman before the Tour de France.
Race winner, Dylan Groenewegen (Jayco AlUla): “It’s been a while, so it’s certainly nice to cross the line with my hands in the air again. I was often close, but it didn’t happen. I have to thank the team for never losing confidence in me. I always felt confidence in the team. We always went for it, but unfortunately, we were more often not rewarded. That is also part of cycling. The team knows what I can do when I am given the freedom to sprint. In Veenendaal-Veenendaal I was a bit boxed in. I am happy to get the win today.”
3rd, Arnaud De Lie (Lotto Dstny): “It went so fast in the final that I didn’t know what was happening. I was almost in the wheel of Dylan (Groenewegen), but eventually had to hit the brakes in that last bend. Anyway, Dylan deserves this and is a real top sprinter. I am happy with this third place and the work that my team has done today. Once again I had 100% confidence that they would bring back the attackers and they did. As a result, we may have taken the lead a little too early, but we cannot be dissatisfied. The first time together with Joshua Giddings also went well. Am I disappointed that I didn’t win again? Not really. Of course, you always come to a race to win, but that doesn’t always work out. Today I finished third, but next time I might take another victory. It is also important to enjoy these types of competitions. The Tour is still far away. It’s still more than a month away. I will first go to the Sierra Nevada for an altitude training camp and then I will ride the Tour of Switzerland (June 9-16). The Tour is of course an important race, but there are other goals to follow first.”
Ronde van Limburg Result:
1. Dylan Groenewegen (Ned) Jayco AlUla in 4:30:40
2. Maurice Ballerstedt (Ger) Alpecin-Deceuninck
3. Arnaud De Lie (Bel) Lotto Dstny
4. Alexander Kristoff (Nor) Uno-X Mobility
5. Gerben Thijssen (Bel) Intermarché-Wanty
6. Matteo Moschetti (Ita) Q36.5
7. Simon Dehairs (Bel) Alpecin-Deceuninck
8. Daniel Stampe (Den) Airtox-Carl Ras
9. Toon Aerts (Bel) Team Deschacht-Group HensContainers Maes
10. Marc Brustenga (Spa) Equipo Kern Pharma.
Limburg’24:
Giulio Pellizzari regains his good legs in a difficult Giro
Giulio Pellizzari looked to be on his way to the stage 16 victory on Monte Pana, but Tadej Pogačar passed him in the final kilometre. There was no real disappointment afterwards for Pellizzari. “I definitely started the stage with the intention of crossing the line first. When I was caught by Pogačar, I thought for a moment: damn, but hey, that’s just part of it. I quickly came to terms with it,” the young climber said about the last kilometres on the website of his VF Group-Bardiani CSF-Faizanè team.
The 20-year-old Pellizzari is happy that he can distinguish himself in the mountains, because the first two Giro weeks were difficult. “At least the feeling was good again now. I had been suffering from several physical ailments in recent days. I even thought about giving up, but Massimiliano Gentili and my coach Leonardo Piepoli convinced me to continue. I feel good again now and look where we are now.”
Pellizzari took a shot at a stage win in his first Giro on the slopes of the steep Monte Pana, but was still overtaken by Pogacar in the last kilometre. The Slovenian apparently felt a little guilty about that afterwards. The leader of UAE Emirates rewarded his opponent, who managed to secure second place, with a big hug after the finish.
And it didn’t stop there, because Pogacar then handed Pellizzari his sunglasses and pink jersey. And the Italian escapee was visibly happy with that. “I have to thank Tadej for his pink jersey. I will definitely frame it, it is a beautiful gift.” During the first Giro week, Pellizzari admitted that Pogacar was his great example. He then shared a selfie he took with the Slovenian wolverine in 2019.
Pellizzari happy with his Giro… now:
Jonas Vingegaard Gets a Tattoo and is Training in Mallorca
Jonas Vingegaard is making progress after his crash in the Basque Country. The Dane recently had his first outdoor training ride and is now training again in Mallorca. He is seen in a photo on the social media of Ca’n Topa, a café at the top of the Coll de Sóller.
“It was great to see cycling great Jonas Vingegaard training at the Coll de Sóller today and to see him stop to say hello to his fans,” the restaurant wrote. “Wonderful to see him on his bike again! He looked super fit!” Vingegaard was in a photo with some fans at the top of the Sóller and in the photo you can see he has a tattoo of a butterfly on his left arm.
Vingegaard broke his collarbone and several ribs in a fall in the Tour of the Basque Country on April 4. He also suffered a collapsed lung and bruised his lungs. He was released from hospital in Spain on April 16. Three weeks later he was able to ride his first training kilometres on the road again, in Denmark. Now, two weeks later, he is in Mallorca for a training camp.
“Of course I hope to start in the Tour de France,” he said after his first ride in Denmark. “We don’t know yet how my form will develop and how my recovery will continue, but I am doing everything I can to be in top form there.” This year’s Tour de France starts on June 29 in Italy. The opening stage goes from Florence to Rimini and includes some climbing.
Photo of Jonas Vingegaard training in Mallorca from ‘X’ (Twitter):
Mathieu van der Poel Turns His Hand to a Bit of Golf
Mathieu van der Poel is an avid golfer when he is not on his bike and the World champion showed his skills on the green at the Soudal Open. There Van der Poel took part in a demonstration competition with several well-known Flemish people.
The Soudal Open is played at the Rinkven Golf Club in Schilde, Antwerp. The official tournament starts on Thursday, but the day before the professionals tee off, it was the turn of some well-known Flemish people and residents of Flanders to test the course. Van der Poel plays an occasional match in a team with former football players Wesley Sonck (ex-Ajax), Geert De Vlieger and former tennis player Xavier Malisse.
It is not the first time this year that Van der Poel has been on the golf course. The day after he won the cyclo-cross World championships, he played a round at the Rinkven Golf Club. Then the day after Van der Poel won Paris-Roubaix, he was also found on the green. During his holiday in Dubai he also made a trip to the golf course, where he played a round with professional golfer Alan De Bondt.
MvdP – Keen golfer:
Wout van Aert Prepares for a Tentative Comeback in Tour of Norway
After an absence of more than eight weeks, Wout van Aert will return to racing next Thursday. The 29-year-old Belgian of Team Visma | Lease a Bike, who will participate in the Tour of Norway from 23-26 May, is eager to return to racing. “I’m not in the best shape; it’s a test. But I’m looking forward to it.”
It will be Van Aert’s first race since his crash at Dwars door Vlaanderen, in which he broke his collarbone, sternum and seven ribs. As a result, the winner of Kuurne-Brussel-Kuurne was forced to pull out of all the spring classics and his Giro d’Italia debut. A long rehabilitation followed. “It hasn’t always been easy sitting on the sidelines, but fortunately, I can now look ahead again”, Van Aert says.
The Tour of Norway will give Van Aert a chance to get back into the race rhythm. “I am looking forward to pinning on a race number again. I have been able to train more and more in recent weeks, but it is still different from racing. So, my main goal is to test myself and see how I do in a race. Without any expectations.”
Sportive director Merijn Zeeman also points out that there are no immediate expectations for Van Aert. “It’s great to have Wout back in the team after his crash. He starts without any pressure to perform. This is a good moment for him to test himself in competition again. We don’t know yet what the rest of his race schedule will look like. We will see in the coming weeks.”
“We are taking things one step at a time. That has proven to be the best way to recover”, concludes Van Aert, who will be joined in Norway by Bart Lemmen, Koen Bouwman, Tijmen Graat, Menno Huising and Per Strand Hagenes.
Van Aert to Norway:
Jan Ullrich Congratulates Former Nephew Georg Steinhauser on His Giro Stage Win
Jan Ullrich will have enjoyed watching stage 17 of the Giro d’Italia. The stage victory went to Georg Steinhauser, who was Jan’s nephew at one time. Ullrich shared his congratulations to 22-year-old Steinhauser on social media.
“My respect and sincere congratulations, Georg,” Ullrich wrote on Instagram. He saw his young countryman win the Giro mountain stage to the Passo Brocon on Wednesday after a solo of 33 kilometres. “What a fabulous stage, what a success! You did it and you deserve this!”
Ullrich was Georg Steinhauser’s uncle for many years. Georg’s aunt Sara Steinhauser had a relationship with Ullrich until 2017, they were married for twelve years. The Steinhauser family had even more ties with Ullrich, because Tobias Steinhauser (Georg’s father) was a teammate of Ullrich during his time at Telekom and Bianchi.
Congratulations to Steinhauser:
Lizzy Banks Acquitted in Doping Case, but Ends Career
Lizzy Banks has not raced since July 2023 and there hasn’t been much news about the British rider. She wrote on her personal blog that she delivered a positive doping test last year, after which a long legal battle began. Ultimately, 33-year-old Banks was acquitted and not suspended, but she will not resume her cycling career.
Banks received notification from the British anti-doping authority UKAD on July 28, 2023 that she had tested positive for two substances. “First, formoterol, a medication I have been taking for my asthma for four years in a concentration that corresponds to how I am prescribed it. The second substance was chloralidone, a diuretic. This substance was found in such a low concentration that it indicated a contamination. The low contamination level of the diuretic indicates that my asthma drug formoterol, which is normally permitted, had provoked a second positive test.”
After the positive test, Banks spent more than nine months ‘investigating, investigating and writing explanations for how the contamination occurred’. Initially she had no success. “UKAD continued to insist that I should be suspended for two years, despite the fact that both the concentration and the substance indicated a type of contamination that anti-doping authorities have known about for more than a decade.”
The case was eventually referred to court. However, five days before the hearing, UKAD withdrew. They now concluded that Banks had made no mistake after all, nor could he be accused of negligence. As a result, the rider was not given a suspension or other punishment.
Banks said that the process has cost her a lot. “My husband and I have spent all our savings and the great mental pressure has left deep scars,” she said. “But somehow, despite everything, I knew I had to fight. From the beginning, I learned that other athletes had been in similar situations with chlortalidone contamination. Their lives and careers were also torn apart.”
Banks claims her life was turned upside down by the anti-doping authorities for nothing, taking aim at UKAD and world anti-doping agency WADA. “No party thought that I had consciously ‘consumed’ chlortalidone, but this is how the system works,” she said in her extensive explanation.
Banks was a professional from 2018 to 2023. She won two stages in the Giro d’Italia for women and rode her final seasons for EF Education-TIBCO-SVB. There will be no return to the peloton. “I already knew that professional cycling was over for me. Even if I wanted to return, I don’t think I could because this whole process has been so damaging. It destroyed my husband and me. I couldn’t risk going through something like that again.”
Lizzy Banks innocent but retires:
Riejanne Markus Moves from Visma | Lease a Bike to Lidl-Trek
Riejanne Markus is racing for Visma | Lease a Bike for the fourth season, but according to Algemeen Dagblad, she will be moving on next year. 29-year-old Markus is said to be on her way to Lidl-Trek.
Several sources confirm to AD that Markus will move to the American formation. Her contract with Visma | Lease a Bike ends this year and she has had interest from various teams. Her current employer also wanted to continue, but Markus has opted for a new start with Lidl-Trek.
According to the AD, the choice for Lidl-Trek did not come out of the blue. The team of Shirin van Anrooij, Ellen van Dijk, Elisa Longo Borghini and Elisa Balsamo has been investing heavily in women’s cycling for years. In the first months of 2024, Lidl-Trek could compete with SD Worx, the team that has dominated women’s cycling for years. Lidl-Trek is also a team that has been serious about time trials, a discipline in which Markus excels and wants to specialise further. Two years ago, the team decided to fully support Ellen van Dijk in her successful new World Hour Record.
Markus joined Jumbo-Visma Women in 2021 and has achieved considerable success in recent seasons. She became Dutch champion on the road and in time trial, won a stage in the Simac Ladies Tour and was the strongest in Veenendaal-Veenendaal last week. She has also had top rankings in La Vuelta Femenina, 4th in 2023 and 2nd in 2024.
Riejanne Markus going to Lidl-Trek:
New Danish Sponsor on the Visma | Lease a Bike Tour de France Kit
Visma | Lease a Bike has announced a new partnership with Bygma, a Danish company that provides products and services to professionals in the construction sector. The Bygma logo will be featured on the jerseys and shorts of the Dutch team during the Tour de France and Tour de France Femmes. It is not yet known where exactly the logo will be printed on the kit.
With two-time Tour winner Jonas Vingegaard, Visma | Lease a Bike has a Danish leader, but the team had no Danish sponsors until now. “At Bygma we are proud to be the first Danish partner of Visma | Lease a Bike and be part of a success story,” says Klaus Hadsbjerg, CEO of Bygma. “Like thousands of Danes, Bygma has shared the success of Visma | Lease a Bike followed over a long period of time. So when the opportunity to support came up, we didn’t want to miss it.”
Sander Kruis, commercial director of Team Visma | Lease a Bike is also enthusiastic about the new partnership. “We specifically looked for Danish partners. That is why we are pleased to welcome Bygma as our first Danish partner, who enthusiastically supports us in our ambition to grow. Together we strive to stay ahead. We look forward to working together to realise our shared vision.”
New sponsor for Visma | Lease a Bike:
The Next Races for Team dsm-firmenich PostNL
Alpes Isère Tour – MAY 22 – 26
Joey van Rhee – Team dsm-firmenich PostNL coach: “Alpes Isère Tour is our next stage race with our Development program. It is a beautiful race around the area of Lyon, with the last stage in the Alps. The first days include a lot of undulating roads with short ascents and climbs that are quite manageable. The last stage is a proper queen stage with four mountains and a finish at the bottom of Alpe d’Huez. We have five climbers with us and one puncher so we can look for different options in the stages depending on how the race unfolds, but the most important thing for us here is to make the next steps in development and not a focus on results.”
Line-up:
Vincent Bodet (FRA)
Jacob Bush (GBR)
Robbe Dhondt (BEL)
Ryan Gal (NED)
Oliver Peace (GBR)
Frank Aron Ragilo (EST).
Tour of Norway – MAY 23 – 26
Callum Ferguson – Team dsm-firmenich PostNL coach: “The parcours at the Tour of Norway this year favours attacking racing, and this is what we will aim to do as a team. We will look for day results, especially in the first two stages through the breakaways and attacks, when the peloton will take on some harder terrain and some tough climbs to the line. Then in the final two stages, which on paper are more likely to end in sprint finishes, we will look to set up Pavel as our finisher.”
Line-up:
Pavel Bittner (CZE)
Romain Combaud (FRA)
Sean Flynn (GBR)
Tim Naberman (NED)
Timo Roosen (NED)
Martijn Tusveld (NED).
RideLondon Classique – MAY 24 – 26
Phil West – Team dsm-firmenich PostNL coach: “We are looking forward to coming back to the RideLondon Classique. Historically we have been able to perform well at this race so the motivation is high to maintain our good record here. We will have Charlotte as our sprinter finisher, where she’ll be backed up and supported by a strong group which includes our British Champion, Pfeiffer. While we anticipate being competitive in the sprints, we also don’t take for granted that the racing will always come down to a straight sprint each day, so we’re going to be prepared with the mindset to race hard as a unit, and get stuck into the action each day as it unfolds.”
Line-up:
Rachele Barbieri (ITA)
Pfeiffer Georgi (GBR)
Daniek Hengeveld (NED)
Megan Jastrab (USA)
Franziska Koch (GER)
Charlotte Kool (NED).
Rund um Köln – MAY 26
Bennie Lambregts – Team dsm-firmenich PostNL coach: “Rund um Köln is a beautiful and historic race with a varied course which includes a flat early part, then a hilly zone and some flatter roads as we head back to Köln. If the racing is fast in the hilly zone, then the peloton will be thinned out considerably and it will be difficult for the sprinters to survive, so we need to be sharp there. Nonetheless, our goal for the race is to keep our finisher, Casper, in the reduced peloton so that we can go for a sprint result with him in the final. For this we will need good teamwork throughout the day, but we are ready for the battle.”
Line-up:
Patrick Eddy (AUS)
Milan Kadlec (CZE)
Axel Källberg (FIN)
Enzo Leijnse (NED)
Emils Liepiņś (LAT)
Niklas Märkl (GER)
Casper van Uden (NED).
Omloop Het Nieuwsblad U23 – MAY 26
Rudi Kemna – Team dsm-firmenich PostNL coach: “We once again team up with Dutch Food Valley Cycling Team for the next race in the U23 Road Series at Omloop Het Nieuwsblad U23. The riders can expect a challenging day out with some difficult cobbled sections and like most races in this part of the world, the wind strength and direction can have a big outcome on how things are raced. Benjamin and Adam will look to gain experience riding on a route like this and working together with the riders from Dutch Food Valley Cycling Team, we will aim to get the most out of the day.”
Line-up:
Benjamin Peatfield (GBR)
Adam Seeman (CZE).
Pfeiffer Georgi to the RideLondon Classique:
Matthew Brennan Moves Up to the WorldTour
First-year U23 rider Matthew Brennan is set to make the move to the WorldTour next season. The 18-year-old Brit, currently riding for Team Visma | Lease a Bike Development, signed a contract until 2027. With Brennan on board, Team Visma | Lease a Bike will have eight riders from their own development team under contract in 2025.
“I’m obviously super happy about this,” Matthew Brennan responds. “Signing a first pro contract is a big deal. It’s something you dream of, of course, when you come in as an U23 rider with a team like Team Visma | Lease a Bike. But when that offer comes, and so quickly too, it’s really cool. I’m looking forward to racing the races I used to watch on TV myself now.”
Brennan (18) only joined Team Visma | Lease a Bike Development this winter and made an immediate impression. Not only by winning his first two races (Umag Trophy and Porec Trophy) and later landing on the podium in his first professional race (Circuit de Wallonie), but also by his approach to the sport. “Apart from his physical qualities – which we are extremely impressed by – we believe that Matthew is a perfect fit for us in all other aspects,” said head of development Robbert de Groot. “For his age, he’s quite mature. Matthew shows leadership qualities, communicates well, integrates well with the group, and is very eager to learn. He excels in all areas and because of that overall package, he’s an incredibly interesting athlete. We saw that quickly, which is why we quickly sat down with him to extend his contract.”
Sporting director Merijn Zeeman agrees: “Matthew demonstrates exceptional qualities both physically and in terms of personality. That’s why we have confidence in a successful future together. We’re very happy he’s staying with us longer.”
Brennan will make the transition to the WorldTour team in 2025, and his training and racing calendar will gradually be modified. “Like all riders on our Development Team, Matthew has access to all the facilities that the WorldTour riders have,” says Zeeman. “We have a long-term plan for him and will gradually increase his program. He will still race with the Development Team next year as well.”
“The next three years are crucial for my further development,” Brennan acknowledges. “As it was this year, my development should be the priority. Results are less important. I don’t want to put pressure on myself or rush things. Here, I can learn from the best riders and specialists in the world. That’s super interesting to me, and I’m open to anyone on the team who can teach me something. I’m really looking forward to the continuation of that learning process.”
Matthew Brennan moves up to the WorldTour:
Amateur Rider Flees After Suspicions of Mechanical Doping and Drags Race Director on his Car
It appears there was a case of mechanical doping in the Route de l’Oise, a French stage race for amateurs. One of the participants fled when the organisers wanted to check his bike for mechanical doping. He got into his car and drove into the race director, who tried to stop him.
The check for mechanical doping took place on Monday, prior to the last stage of the Route de l’Oise. The organisers had good reason to test the participants’ bikes, specifically the bike of 3rd overall, Giovambattista Iera.
“We had suspicions of possible foul play,” race director Frédéric Lenormand explains to Le Parisien. “On Saturday, in the stage from Beauvais to Maignelay-Montigny, he closed the gap to the leading group incredibly quickly. And on Sunday, several people said there was an unusual noise as he raced by.”
When they wanted to check Iera’s bike, he fled to his car. “I wanted to stop him, but he ran away,” said Lenormand, who chased the rider. “He hit me with his car and I lay on the front for almost a hundred metres. It could have been much worse.”
AC Bellaingeoise, the Iera team, was not allowed to start the final stage. Lenormand, who was unharmed, reported the incident to the gendarmerie and an investigation is now underway.
Mechanical doping in a French amateur race:
RTVE and Miss Caffeina Present ‘Cuando acabe el Verano’, The Official Song of La Vuelta’24
RTVE and Miss Caffeina have presented the official song of La Vuelta 24: Cuando acabe el verano. The public TV station’s headquarters at Torrespaña hosted the launch of the melody that will accompany La Vuelta’s peloton from the Grand Departure in Lisbon, Oeiras and Cascais, on the 17th of August, right up until the Grand Finale in Madrid on the 8th of September.
‘For us, it’s an honour to become a part of La Vuelta’s official song history. We have memories attached to many of them and to some summers in particular. It’s important, it’s something that lives on in your memory and that’s what we’ve always wanted for our music,’ said the members of Miss Caffeina. Speaking about Cuando acabe el verano, they affirmed that: ‘It’s a very direct, very energetic song, we understood the feeling that the race wished to convey as well as what was expected of us so we decided to fill our song with energy, guitars and a little bit of nostalgia. The song talks about summer memories, when La Vuelta was playing in our homes as we were growing up, evolving and learning to understand the world around us.’
Formed in 2005, this band has a vast musical history behind it, having already released six studio albums. Its members, Alberto Jiménez, Sergio Sastre and Antonio Poza, know what it’s like to attend some of Spain’s most famous music festivals, such as Sonorama Ribera, FIB, Low Festival and Arenal Sound. In 2024, they also participated in Benidorm Fest, even reaching the final with their song Bla bla bla. Now, the alternative pop band from Madrid will set the rhythm for La Vuelta.
From Madrid to Portugal, the band has a special relationship with our neighbouring country that will host the race’s Grand Departure. Miss Caffeina was one of only two Spanish bands that played at the Rock In Río festival in Lisbon in 2022 and one of its most popular songs, Reina, has been re-recorded in Portuguese by the band itself.
‘Miss Caffeina is a band that’s brimming with energy and vitality, something that coincides perfectly with the spirit of the race,’ says Charles Ojalvo, La Vuelta’s Director of Sponsorship and Public Relations. ‘In an edition featuring such a special Grand Departure as this one, it’s great to have a band that links Spain to our neighbouring country, just as our race does,’ he added.
🎶 @rtve and @misscaffeina present ‘Cuando acabe el verano’, the official song of #LaVuelta24
🎶 RTVE y Miss Caffeina presentan ‘Cuando acabe el verano’, la sintonía oficial de La Vuelta 24 pic.twitter.com/O1CNZPY2H4
— La Vuelta (@lavuelta) May 21, 2024
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