Loads of Tour de France news in today’s EUROTRASH Monday, plus (most of) the National road championship reports and results.
Eurosport Player shuts down after the Tour – TOP STORY.
2024 Tour de France news: Visma | Lease a Bike to the Tour de France with Jonas Vingegaard and Wout van Aert, UAE Team Emirates confirm eight riders to take on Tour de France, Tao Geoghegan Hart will not start the Tour due to injuries, Visma | Lease a Bike Tour de France jersey, a trio of options as Matthews, Groenewegen & Yates lead Team Jayco AlUla’s charge at the 2024 Tour de France, Santiago Buitrago leads Bahrain Victorious line-up to the Tour de France and Cofidis might not take Axel Zingle to the Tour due to his transfer to Visma | Lease a Bike.
Rider news: Remco Evenepoel couldn’t defend his Belgian road title, David Gaudu tests positive for covid, Romain Bardet extends contract with dsm-firmenich-PostNL and will stop after Dauphiné 2025, Anna van der Breggen returns as a rider with SD Worx-Protime in 2025, Jasper Philipsen and Alpecin-Deceuninck extend their collaboration until the end of 2028, Simon Yates will be with Visma | Lease a Bike next year, Rémi Cavagna has language problems with Movistar, Julian Alaphilippe to ride the Tour of Slovakia, Michel Hessmann’s doping case finaly over, Elisa Balsamo returns to racing more than a month after crash, no Olympic Games for Katie Archibald due to injury, Aleksandr Vlasov will not go to the Olympic Games even though he has IOC approval and Ramon Sinkeldam will retire at the end of this season.
Team news: EF Education-EasyPost terminates Andrea Piccolo’s contract and UCI issue a statement on the situation and Brustor extends sponsorship contract with Alpecin-Deceuninck.
EUROTRASH coffee time!
TOP STORY: Eurosport Player Shuts Down After the Tour
The Eurosport Player will disappear after the Tour de France on July the 22nd 2024. Customers received an email from Eurosport last Friday. All sports broadcasts will be moved to HBO Max or discovery+, all owned by Warner Bros. The subscription price will also go up and you need to also subscribe as and add-on to see the live cycling.
“Dear Customer,
We regret to inform you that the Eurosport Premium subscription service will no longer be available on July 22. If your subscription is set to renew automatically before July 22, you will not be charged again and will be able to continue enjoying the Eurosport Premium subscription service until it is discontinued. Otherwise, once the service has been terminated, you will receive a refund for the remaining unused time of your subscription. Refunds will be made to the payment method you used to purchase your subscription.
You can continue to enjoy our free articles and news content on the Eurosport website and app.
The good news is that Max is the new broadcast home of Eurosport! On Max you will find everything you love about discovery+, the iconic series and must-see movies from HBO Max, as well as an unmissable complement of live sports with which you can continue accessing Eurosport content. As a token of our gratitude and goodwill for any inconvenience caused by the closure of the Eurosport Premium subscription service, we would like to offer you a discounted subscription to Max.”
So now customers in Europe have to take out a subscription with HBO Max (It has different names in some countries) and then an add-on subscription for sport. The price varies from country to country, but the cheapest basic plan is around €100 for a year with HBO, plus €5 a month for the sport for a total of around €160 a year, minimum. The Eurosport Player was around €40 a year, as was GCN+ at the time. You would have the film etc on HBO, but maybe you only want to watch cycling.
It does not seem possible to simply subscribe to HBO Max’s sports only. The great thing about GCN+, was that it had all the cycling at a good price without paying for things you didn’t want. This looks to have been the plan by Warner
Bros. when the took over GCN+ and took the cycling, and the other sports via Eurosport and force people to have the HBO Max subscription. Maybe you already have Amazon Prime or Netflix, that your family watch (for around €50 a year), they maybe don’t want HBO and if you need to have everything….. All very expensive.
Is there no EU law on constriction of citizens choice?
The end of reasonably priced cycle race viewing on TV in Europe:
French National Road Championship 2024
Paul Lapeira is the new French road champion. The 24-year-old Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale rider was in the decisive leading group of the day and after 240 kilometres was too strong for Julien Bernard and Thomas Gachignard, who took silver and bronze.
French National Road Championship Result:
1. Paul Lapeira (Fra) Decathlon-AG2R La Mondiale in 5:32:03
2. Julien Bernard (Fra) Lidl-Trek at 0:03
3. Thomas Gachignard (Fra) TotalEnergies at 0:08.
French National Road Championship Result:
1. Juliette Labous (Fra)
2. Gladys Verhulst-Wild (Fra)
3. Jade Wiel (Fra).
Belgian National Road Championship 2024
The Belgian men’s road title went to Arnaud De Lie. After a race of 222 kilometres, finishing in Zottegem, the leader of Lotto Dstny was the first across the finish line. Defending champion Remco Evenepoel couldn’t start and now De Lie takes his tricolour jersey. Jasper Philipsen was in his wheel, but had to settle for silver. Jordi Meeus took the bronze, beating Tim Merlier, Wout van Aert and Thibau Nys.
Arnaud De Lie (Lotto Dstny): “I feel liberated, I really have no words for it,” says an emotional Arnaud De Lie. “This is the most beautiful jersey in the peloton, and I get to wear it for a year. That’s incredible. I really want to show off this jersey. Starting soon, next week, in the Tour de France. Then we knew it would come down to a sprint,” says De Lie. “I stayed calm throughout. My legs felt good, but my head was in a good place too. When your teammates come up to you during the race and say you’re still looking good, it gives you wings. They had complete confidence in me, and that means a lot. The team did an enormous amount of work, and then there was that impressive lead-out. I was on Milan Menten’s wheel. At the moment he moved aside, you know: you just have to go. I gave it everything and saw no one around me at the finish… That’s when I knew I had won.”
Belgian National Road Championship Result:
1. Arnaud De Lie (Bel) Lotto Dstny in 4:55:52
2. Jasper Philipsen (Bel) Alpecin-Deceuninck
3. Jordi Meeus (Bel) BORA-hansgrohe.
Belgian National Road Championship 2024
Lotte Kopecky (SD Worx-Protime) is the Belgian road champion for the fourth time. In Zottegem there was no holding the World champion, who crossed the finish line with a lead of 3:27 after a solo of 30 kilometres. Sanne Cant (Fenix-Deceuninck) finished took the silver medal and Justine Ghekiere (AG Insurance-Soudal Quick-Step) took bronze.
Lotte Kopecky (SD Worx-Protime): “It was quite a tough course, so I had to go deep at times. We started with quite a big peloton, which I wanted to make smaller quickly. It was nice that after the first hill we were in the front with a smaller group. That made it easier to control. I felt like I was in control all day too. It’s nice to win the Belgian tricolour in such a way. Suppose I lose that beautiful rainbow jersey in September, I still have the Belgian one in my pocket. I felt supported by the fans, it’s nice to feel that so many people are behind me. Now the focus goes to the Giro. There my goal is to take a stage win and get conditionally stronger for the next main goal: the Olympics.”
Belgian National Road Championship Result:
1. Lotte Kopecky (Bel) SD Worx-Protime in 3:06:21
2. Sanne Cant (Bel) Fenix-Deceuninck at 3:27
3. Justine Ghekiere (Bel) AG Insurance-Soudal Quick-Step.
Spanish National Road Championship 2024
Alex Aranburu is the new road champion of Spain. The 28-year-old Movistar rider won after a long solo. His teammate and last year’s champion, Oier Lazkano, finished second, Jesús Herrada (Cofidis) was third.
Spanish National Road Championship Result:
1. Alex Aranburu Deba (Spa) Movistar in 4:39:53
2. Oier Lazkano (Spa) Movistar at 0:53
3. Jesus Herrada Lopez (Spa) Cofidis at 0:59.
Spanish National Road Championship Result:
1. Usoa Ostolaza Zabala (Spa)
2. Yurani Blanco Calbet (Spa)
3. Mavi García (Spa).
Italian National Road Championship 2024
Alberto Bettiol is the new national champion in Italy. The EF Education-EasyPost rider crossed the finish line solo after 228 kilometres. For Bettiol, who won his first professional victory in the 2019 Tour of Flanders, it is his first Italian title on the road. He beat Lorenzo Rota (Intermarché-Wanty) and Edoardo Zambanini (Bahrain Victorious) to the other medals in Sesto Fiorentino. The start of the championship was in Florence, where the Tour de France starts next week.
Italian National Road Championship Result:
1. Alberto Bettiol (Ita) EF Education-EasyPost in 5:03:06
2. Lorenzo Rota (Ita) Intermarché-Wanty at 0:17
3. Edoardo Zambanini (Ita) Bahrain Victorious.
Italian National Road Championship Result:
1. Elisa Longo Borghini (Ita)
2. Chiara Consonni (Ita)
3. Eleonora Camilla Gasparrini (Ita).
Netherlands National Road Championship 2024
Dylan Groenewegen is the new Dutch road champion. On a 199 kilometre race around the Posbank and Arnhem, the leader of Jayco AlUla was the fastest finisher. He succeeds Dylan van Baarle, who was unable to defend his title due to injury. Olav Kooij (Visma | Lease a Bike) had to settle for the silver medal. The bronze went to Ramon Sinkeldam (Alpecin-Deceuninck).
Dylan Groenewegen (Jayco AlUla): “I am super happy, this is a jersey for a whole year, so that is nice. It was not very easy, especially not at the beginning, the whole team rode so hard for this, the boys gave it their everything to make it come to a sprint. It’s really nice to finish it off like this with the win, I was really convinced of my ability in the last kilometre and it is special to take the jersey to the Tour de France now.”
Netherlands National Road Championship Result:
1. Dylan Groenewegen (Ned) Jayco AlUla in 4:20:10
2. Olav Kooij (Ned) Visma | Lease a Bike
3. Ramon Sinkeldam (Ned) Alpecin – Deceuninck.
Netherlands National Road Championship 2024
Chantal van den Broek-Blaak is the new Dutch road champion. After an attacking race of 155 kilometres over the Posbank and through Arnhem, she finished solo. She is the successor to teammate Demi Vollering. Mischa Bredewold completed the party for SD Worx-Protime in second place, ahead of Nina Kessler (EF Education-Cannondale).
Chantal van den Broek-Blaak (SD Worx-Protime): “The past months were tough, but also the most beautiful months of my life of course. It was hard to come back. Yet I kept believing in it. I knew it was still in me physically, but it was tough. In the year I was absent, the peloton has changed a lot. The level is higher. There is more pushing and pulling. When I woke up this morning, I was confident. I was awake automatically at 6 o’clock. I said to Lars Boom: The last time that happened, I won Strade Bianche. To which he said: Well then, try it today too. My last win dates from October 2021, a lot has happened since then. This is the most beautiful victory of my career. To take my first win as a mother in this way is very special. Then when that little one is waiting for you at the finish line, there are no words for it. I’m going to enjoy the jersey.”
Netherlands National Road Championship Result:
1. Chantal Blaak-van den Broek (Ned) SD Worx-Protime in 3:50:29
2. Mischa Bredewold (Ned) SD Worx-Protime at 0:08
3. Nina Kessler (Ned) EF Education-Cannondale.
British National Road Championship 2024
The British road title went to Ethan Hayter. The INEOS Grenadiers rider beat Lewis Askey on the difficult finish in Saltburn-by-the-Sea to solo to victory. After a hilly race of 182 kilometres, which consisted of seven laps of 26 kilometres, three riders were left to fight for the British champion’s jersey. The decision came on the final climb of 400 metres at 7% in Saltburn-by-the-Sea, just south-east of Newcastle. Max Walker (Astana Qazaqstan) was the first to drop out due to Askey’s acceleration. Hayter was able to follow the attack of the Groupama-FDJ rider and then chose the right moment to attack himself. A battle-weary Askey settled for silver, while Walker won bronze. It is the 25-year-old Hayter’s first British title on the road with the pros.
British National Road Championship Result:
1. Ethan Hayter (GB) INEOS Grenadiers in
2. Lewis Askey (GB) Groupama-FDJ
3. Max Walker (GB) Astana Qazaqstan Development Team.
British National Road Championship 2024
After her fourth-place finish in the Elite time trial earlier this week, Pfeiffer Georgi has successfully defended her British Road Race Title for Team dsm-firmenich PostNL, securing the third road title of her career. The race took place on the same course as last year, featuring a hilly lap around Saltburn-by-the-Sea. Becky Storrie did a great job bringing the early break back before the group got smaller and smaller as the laps counted down. Georgi was supported by her teammate Josie Nelson, who also made the jump into the select group that fought for the title. In the final lap, Nelson led the group into the final punchy climb to the finish, and Georgi was able to launch her winning move at the same spot as last year.
Pfeiffer Georgi (dsm-firmenich PostNL): “I actually can’t believe it, as I doubted a bit during the race because there were quite a lot of strong girls in the race today who made it hard. I also felt some pressure, also coming from myself, because I really wanted to win again and pay the girls back for their work. My team was fully supporting me throughout the day, with Becky riding to close the break and Josie leading me out into the bottom of the climb. We had a plan and fully committed to it, and luckily it paid off.”
British National Road Championship Result:
1. Pfeiffer Georgi (GB) dsm-firmenich PostNL
2. Anna Henderson (GB) Jumbo | Lease a Bike
3. Elizabeth Deignan (GB) Lidl-Trek.
Slovenian Road Race Championship 2024
Domen Novak was crowned the new national champion of Slovenia in Trebnje today, winning the men’s road race. At the end of the race, Novak overpowered his countrymen Gal Glivar (UAE Gen Z) and Matej Mohorič (Bahrain Victorious) to claim his second title. After seven laps and 150.5 km on the 21.5 km long circuit, the Grmada climb made the biggest selection (1.7 km/10.6 percent) and is where Novak made the difference.
Domen Novak (UAE Team Emirates): “We had one goal and that was to win. Glivar prepared the ground for me already when we went up the hill for the first time, which I reached the top of alone. But it would have been impossible to continue in the lead all day. That’s why I waited, and then we worked together. I didn’t feel the best, but then in the next three laps I felt better and better. I told Gal to dictate the rhythm on the uphill. We know that the national championship is a kind of raffle. The shirt of the national champion remains with UAE since Tadej’s title last year. This is the finishing touch and now I have some rest and preparation for the last part of the season.”
Slovenian Road Race Championship Result:
1. Domen Novak (Slo) UAE Team Emirates in 3:45:51
2. Gal Glivar (Slo) UAE Team Emirates Gen Z at 0:21
3. Matej Mohorič (Bahrain- Victorious at 2:51.
Slovenian Road Race Championship 2024
Urška Žigart rounded out a dominant week at the Slovenian national championships by taking her first road race victory by more than 10 minutes in Trebnje on Sunday. It is the Liv AlUla Jayco rider’s second national title within two days, after claiming gold in the Slovenian national time trial championships on Friday, delivering her fourth career TT title. Due to a lack of numbers, the elite women raced with the junior men over a demanding 107.5km course. This was not an issue for the 27-year-old as she showed her world-class climbing strength and powered her way to victory, by a big margin over of her rivals. Žigart will now return to Monaco to train and focus on the the up and coming Giro d’Italia Women, where she will showcase the Slovenian national colours for the first time.
Urška Žigart (Liv AlUla Jayco): “The race was really hard today. We started with the junior men, like always, and the course was hard this year with almost a 2km climb at 10% and it was really selective. After the first lap I was the only woman left in the group with the guys and I was really on the limit so I knew the next time around I would not make it. I followed some moves to get a little bit of an advantage before the second time climbing. We got a minute at the bottom so when the best guys from the group behind went again, it was perfect because I was in the front group. From then on, I just tried to stick with them and it was super hard. In the end I made it with a huge gap and I’m really, really happy to have the legs today to play it smart and it all came together. It’s my first road race title so I’m super happy to finally wear the Slovenia flag in the road races.”
Slovenian Road Race Championship Result:
1. Urška Žigart (Slo) Liv AlUla Jayco in 3:01:14
2. Urška Pintar (Slo) at 10.47
3. Spela Kern Slo) at 11:03.
Portuguese National Road Championship Result:
1. Rui Costa (Por)
2. Luis Gomes (Por)
3. Afonso Silva (Por).
Portuguese National Road Championship Result:
1. Daniela Campos (Por)
2. Ana Caramelo (Por)
3. Mariana Libano (Por).
Suiss National Road Championship Result:
1. Mauro Schmid (Sui)
2. Simon Pellaud (Sui)
3. Stefan Bissegger (Sui).
Suiss National Road Championship Result:
1. Noemi Rüegg (Sui)
2. Linda Zanetti (Sui)
3. Elena Hartmann (Sui).
In Germany there was a surprising title win for Marco Brenner (Tudor), who crossed the line solo.
German National Road Championship Result:
1. Marco Brenner (Ger) Tudor
2. Florian Lipowitz (Ger) BORA-hansgrohe
3. Kim Heiduk (Ger) INEOS Grenadiers.
German National Road Championship Result:
1. Franziska Koch (Ger)
2. Liane Lippert (Ger)
3. Antonio Niedermaier (Ger).
Italian National Time Trial Championship 2024
For the fifth time in six years, Filippo Ganna claimed the Italian time trial title. The favourite of INEOS Grenadiers defeated Edoardo Affini and Filippo Baroncini after just over 35 kilometres of time trial in Grosseto. Ganna crossed the in a time of 39:17, at an average speed of 53.611 kilometres per hour. Edoardo Affini of Visma | Lease a Bike gave it his best shot and finished 24 seconds behind Ganna.
Filippo Baroncini, a former U23 World champion on the road, lost 55 seconds, but took the bronze medal. But the big winner was Ganna again. The 27-year-old time trial star from Verbania was crowned the best time trialist in Italy for a fifth time, after national titles in 2019, 2020, 2022 and 2023. In 2021 he finished in fourth place. For Ganna, the Italian time trial championship was also an important measuring moment towards the Olympic Games. He hopes to be successful in track events in Paris, but is also looking for an Olympic title in the time trial. He will be up against Remco Evenepoel, Wout van Aert, Joshua Tarling and Stefan Küng in Paris.
Italian National Time Trial Championship Result:
1. Filippo Ganna (Ita) INEOS Grenadiers in 39:17
2. Edoardo Affini (Ita) Visma | Lease a Bike at 0:24
3. Filippo Baroncini (Ita) UAE Team Emirates at 0:55.
Another jersey for Ganna:
Belgian National Time Trial Championship 2024
Tim Wellens is the new Belgian time trial champion. In the national race against the clock in Binche, he narrowly beat Alec Segaert, Rune Herregodts was third.
The race was fought on a 38.6 kilometre course in Binche. There was a circuit of 19.3 kilometres to be covered twice. In the absence of Remco Evenepoel and Wout van Aert, Rune Herregodts and Alec Segaert were the top favourites. Of the first wave of riders, Ward Vanhoof recorded the best time. Brent van Moer had been faster on the road, but at the finish the Lotto Dstny rider was 9 seconds down. In the next block, Van Moer’s first split time was also improved by several riders. Tim Wellens went under by 1 second, Rune Herregodts was between Wellens and Van Moer. Segaert was also close, at 2 seconds to Wellens.
At the second intermediate point, at the halfway mark, Wellens had extended his lead. Herregodts was now 13 seconds behind, Segaert limited the damage to 8 seconds. It was now a three-way battle in the second part of the race. Wellens, Herregodts and Segaert all still had a chance of the win. Wellens didn’t ease off, while Herregodts lost 10 seconds to the UAE Team Emirates rider at the third intermediate check and Segaert gained 1 second. The situation didn’t change on the last part of the race. Segaert gave it his all, but finished 9 seconds behind Wellens, who took the Belgian champs jersey. This is the first time that Wellens has won Belgian time trial champion. Ten years ago he was second.
Belgian National Time Trial Championship Result:
1. Tim Wellens (Bel) UAE Team Emirates in 46:05
2. Alec Segaert (Bel) Lotto Dstny at 0:09
3. Rune Herregodts (Bel) Intermarché-Wanty at 0:29.
New Belgian TT champion:
Visma | Lease a Bike to the Tour de France with two-time winner and defending champion Jonas Vingegaard and former green jersey winner Wout van Aert
Team Visma | Lease a Bike will start the 111th Tour de France in Florence on Saturday, June 29, with defending champion Jonas Vingegaard. The Danish two-time Tour winner has recovered enough from his crash in the Tour of the Basque Country to fight for a good result.
Vingegaard has worked hard over the past two months to get fit in time. “I am excited to start the Tour. The last few months have not always been easy, but I thank my family and Team Visma | Lease a Bike for their unwavering support. We have worked together to get to this moment, and of course, I am very excited to see where I stand. I feel good and very motivated.”
Sporting Director Merijn Zeeman: “I am very proud of Jonas and the coaching team. He is coming back from a serious injury. In the last few weeks, he has shown what a champion he is, both mentally and physically. Of course, we don’t know how far he can go yet. We are being cautious because he has not been able to race, and his preparation has been less than ideal, to say the least. But he will be there, healthy and motivated.”
Joining Vingegaard at the Tour will be nine-time stage winner Wout van Aert, who is recovering from a serious injury following his crash in Dwars door Vlaanderen. Van Aert has already raced the Tour of Norway. He has been training at altitude with Vingegaard in Tignes in recent weeks. “I am really looking forward to the Tour de France. Of course, this was not the plan initially, but after my development in the last weeks, I really wanted it, and the team agreed. Our main goal is, of course, to ride a top classification with Jonas. I want to contribute to that with an excellent team.”
Merijn Zeeman: “Just like Jonas, Wout has had to deal with a considerable physical and mental blow. But once again, Wout has shown himself to be a rock-solid champion. His class as an athlete and leadership qualities add value to our team. We are happy to have Jonas and Wout at the start, together with an excellent team. And also in this unique Renaissance jersey that was unveiled today.”
Jorgenson, Kuss, Laporte, Benoot, Kelderman and Tratnik complete the team
Merijn Zeeman: “Matteo Jorgenson has already become one of the strongest riders in the team this year, with wins in Paris-Nice and Dwars door Vlaanderen and his second place in the Dauphiné. Sepp Kuss proved last year that he is a great climber, an important domestique, and a leader in his own right with a victory in the Vuelta a España. European champion Christophe Laporte had an unfortunate spring due to injury and illness but has returned to form in the last two months. He will be an important link in the team. Tiesj Benoot had an excellent spring, including a podium finish at the Amstel Gold Race, and carried that good feeling into the final training period. Wilco Kelderman missed the Giro d’Italia with a broken collarbone but is now fit again and will be an important rider in the mountain stages. Jan Tratnik has already won Omloop het Nieuwsblad this year. He was strong in the Giro, and with his experience and qualities, he will play an important role in the Tour squad.”
Visma | Lease a Bike Tour’24 team:
UAE Team Emirates Confirm Eight Riders to Take on Tour de France
Pogačar to lead experienced team in search of third Tour title
UAE Team Emirates have officially unveiled the team heading into the Tour de France (29 June-21 July) which gets underway in the city of Florence, Italy for the Grand Depart.
The team heads into the 21 stages led by the former two-time winner of the race Tadej Pogačar, with a mix of climbers and rouleurs to support the Slovenian.
The 25 year old who most recently won the Giro D’Italia in May will face challenges along the 3492km course which begins in Florence with a 206km road stage to Rimini before moving west entering France through the Alps after passing through cities like Bologna and Torino. The race will conclude in Nice on July 21, with a move away from the traditional finish in Paris.
Sports Manager Joxean Matxin Fernandez (Spa) will lead the squad alongside Sports Directors Andrej Hauptman (Slo), Simone Pedrazzini (Swi) and Fabrizio Guidi (Ita). The team is comprised of 8 riders:
Tadej Pogačar (Slo)
Juan Ayuso (Spa)
Pavel Sivakov (Fra)
Marc Soler (Spa)
Nils Politt (Ger)
Adam Yates (GB)
Joao Almeida (Por)
Tim Wellens (Bel).
Pogačar: ”It’s already my fifth time coming to the Tour and I’m really excited about it.We’ve worked really hard all year as a team to prepare for this and we hope we can give everyone watching 3 weeks of exciting racing.
It’s nice also to be going back to an Italy again to start the Tour. Obviously I’m coming from there with good memories of the Giro and thankfully I can say that preparation has gone very well since then. I took a bit of a break after Giro and then the past weeks have been fully focused on the Tour.
We’ve spent a lot of time together as a group training at altitude and put in a lot of hours in the saddle. We’re in a really good place as a group and I think now we just can’t wait to get started and hope to fight for the win and put on a good show.”
Yates: “I think as a group we’re in a really good place and know what we have to do to support Tadej. We’re aiming for the win and we know if things go our way it’s possible so it’s just a matter of staying focused and pulling together all the way to Nice.”
Almeida: “It’s my first ever Tour which is exciting and I’m proud to be going there as part of a very strong team with big ambitions in the race.The Tour de Suisse was a nice confidence booster and confirmation the condition is good so we’re ready to get things going.”
Ayuso: “I’ve dreamed of being at the Tour de France since I was a kid so to be here about to start my first Tour feels amazing. It’s a privilege to be part of a race like this in a team like this so I will try and soak it all in as much as possible, but we have a big objective also and that is to win. We’re coming from a good block of training at Isola and the group is really united and motivated so we can hope for good things over the next three weeks.”
Tao Geoghegan Hart Will Not Start the Tour de France Due to Injuries
Tao Geoghegan Hart will not ride the Tour de France. The possible Tour leader of Lidl-Trek is still suffering from his crash in the Critérium du Dauphiné.
In the final weekend of the French stage race, the British rider was unable to start due to the crash in the 5th stage. He suffered an injury to his ribs, his back and his side, just three weeks before the start of the Tour. But it got worse. “I spent zero hours on the bike this week and was Covid-positive for five days,” the 2020 Giro d’Italia winner wrote on his Instagram. “I thought that period was long behind us, but unfortunately I became very ill.”
His illness lasted longer than expected, his Lidl-Trek team said in a press release. The combination of injuries and illness means that he can’t start the Tour. Along with Giulio Ciccone, he would have been one of the team’s GC leaders.
No Tour for Tao Geoghegan Hart:
IPT to chase stage wins at the Tour de France
Israel – Premier Tech aims to continue the team’s most successful season to date, chasing stage win glory at this year’s Tour de France.
“The main goal is to win a stage,” sports director Steve Bauer explains. “It’s a clear goal that certainly 21 other teams have as well. We have a strong, balanced and versatile team with riders able to shine in different terrains, giving us potential to be competitive throughout the race as the Tour evolves stage by stage. The competition will be fierce, but I believe in the group we are bringing to this Tour.”
“In the past editions of the Tour, we have been successful racing aggressively, opportunistically and hunting for stage wins from breakaways. We will still need to do that, however, we need to be ready for the intense sprint finishes or even to challenge the best competitors in the mountains. Every stage is a chance and a new day to race hard to be in the game. The Tour is never easy, but we know we have guys who can win.”
IPT has won three stages in the last two editions of the Tour de France, while captivating fans and spectators with its opportunistic and courageous way of racing.
Embodying this exact attitude on the bike is Tour debutant Derek Gee. The 26-year-old Canadian won the hearts of everyone watching last year’s Giro d’Italia and he’s lining up for the Tour fresh off a stage win and a sensational third place in Critérium du Dauphiné earlier this month. Now, Gee hopes to follow in the footsteps of his Tour de France stage-winning Canadian teammates.
“I’m unbelievably excited to be lining up at my first Tour,” Gee tells. “It’s truly a childhood dream to race the Tour de France, and I can’t wait to experience the atmosphere of the biggest race in the world. The dream would be to win a stage and try to follow what Hugo [Houle] and Mike [Woods] have done for Canada at this race in the last few years.”
Stevie Wiliams is another Tour debutant for IPT who has had an incredible season so far, winning the the Tour Down Under and Flèche Wallonne. After a strong show of strength at the Tour de Suisse last week, Williams is turning his focus towards the Tour de France.
Williams says: “I’m looking forward to racing in my debut Tour de France. It will be a special moment to line up at the biggest bike race in the world. It’s something I dreamt of as a kid growing up. This has already been a wonderful year for me so far with some nice victories. Now, I’m eager to target some stages over the next month and try to tick off a major goal for myself and for the team.”
This year’s course also offers numerous opportunities for the sprinters and in Pascal Ackermann, IPT has a strong card to play in the fast finishes. The 30-year-old German has previously won stages in Vuelta a España and Giro d’Italia and now, he hopes to complete his Grand Tour hat-trick by taking a stage win in the Tour de France as well. Curiously, despite an already decorated career, Ackermann, too, is a Tour debutant.
“It’s a special feeling – I can’t really believe it,” he says. “I have been waiting eight years for this. Racing the Tour was my childhood dream. I grew up watching the race and I followed it on site, going camping, so it’s really special and really exciting to finally be racing it! I think my preparation has been going really well and I’m finally where I want to be.
“Getting a Grand Tour hat-trick would be very special. I’m really close to it and obviously, it’s a big goal for me. I really want to win a stage in this Tour. I’m not flying home without one.”
Tour debutant Jake Stewart and IPT veteran Guillaume Boivin are set to help Ackermann in the sprints, while Jakob Fuglsang and Krists Neilands will add firepower to the hilly stages. Former Tour de France stage winner Hugo Houle completes the team’s line-up.
IPT team owner Sylvan Adams echoes the great ambitions and he’s looking forward to seeing the many Tour debutants showing off the team’s colours during the race.
He says: “I am pleased with our roster for this year’s Tour. It was one of the toughest team selections we have ever had to make which speaks of the depth of our rider roster. Ultimately, our performance team was unanimous in making these selections, knowing we wanted a team geared towards hunting for individual stages, rather than a high placing on GC. For the third consecutive year, our roster will boast three Canadians, cementing our position as both Israel’s and Canada’s home programs. I’m particularly excited for our first time Tour participants, representing half of the group selected. They will be hungry to make it count.”
IPT at the Tour de France Riders:
Pascal Ackermann (GER), Guillaume Boivin (CAN) Jakob Fuglsang (DEN), Derek Gee (CAN), Hugo Houle (CAN), Krists Neilands (LAT), Jake Stewart (GBR), Stevie Williams (GBR)
Sports Directors: Steve Bauer (CAN), Sam Bewley (NZL), Dror Pekatch (ISR), Rik Verbrugghe (BEL).
Visma | Lease a Bike Pays Tribute to Limitless Thinking with New Tour de France Jersey
Team Visma | Lease a Bike pays homage to the Renaissance with a special Tour de France jersey inspired by the spirit of this remarkable period of development. The drive for innovation and progress from that era reflects the team’s mission to push boundaries and strive for improvement every day. The unique Renaissance pattern on the Tour jersey represents this mindset.
The 111th edition of the Tour de France makes its way from Florence to Nice, from the birthplace of the Renaissance to the land where it bloomed like never before. The Grand Départ takes place in the city of creative thinkers, revolutionary innovators, and versatile artists such as Michelangelo, Leonardo Da Vinci, and Donatello. These figures are emblematic of this unique period when the worldview shifted, placing humanity at the centre and prioritising knowledge and progress.
The jersey, by clothing partner AGU, has been unveiled in a special manner over the past few days with the help of fans through a digital experience. After fans revealed the jersey, the cycling kit was launched with a spectacular video. It features the riders of Team Visma | Lease a Bike placed in iconic locations in Florence, styled in the manner of the Renaissance using 3D technology.
Richard Plugge, CEO of Team Visma | Lease a Bike, said: “With this beautiful cycling jersey, we not only honour this historic period and beautiful city and region, but it also symbolises our dedication to innovation and renewal. This commitment extends both within our team and in our collaboration with partners.”
The new cycling jersey will be worn for the first time during the first stage of the Tour de France 2024 in Florence, where Team Visma | Lease a Bike continues its ambition to make sporting history.
More information about the jersey can be found at: therenaissance.teamvismaleaseabike.com.
A Trio of Options as Matthews, Groenewegen & Yates Lead Team Jayco AlUla’s Charge at the 2024 Tour de France
Three experienced, former Tour de France stage winners will lead the charge for Team Jayco AlUla at the 2024 edition in the shape of Australian powerhouse Michael Matthews, Dutch sprint star Dylan Groenewegen and general classification contender Simon Yates.
With 11 Tour de France stage victories between them, the three leaders know what it takes to win on the biggest stage and provide the Australian outfit with diverse, promising options. The squad is set to make its 13th appearance at ‘La Grande Boucle’ with the goal of challenging for success on all fronts, from stage wins to an overall podium finish.
Eyes on the top-three in Nice
After finishing just shy of the podium last year, which would have delivered the Briton a top-three overall placing in each of the three Grand Tours, Simon Yates is eyeing a spot on the overall podium this time round, to bolster his impressive palmarès.
The 2018 Vuelta a España champion will have a strong, well gelled group around him, similar to last year’s Team Jayco AlUla line-up, with Australia’s Chris Harper set to be his key wingman in the brutal mountain stages.
Yates: “It is always exciting to be getting ready for the TDF and we’re feeling confident going into the race with a similar team to 2023. After last year with two close second place stage finishes and fourth overall, it would be nice to get on to the top step and overall podium. I have held the leader’s jersey in the Giro and Vuelta and podiumed overall in both but not in the TDF yet. That’s a big goal of mine.”
Sprints on the radar
After getting the team off to a brilliant start in 2022 with a spectacular stage three victory, which provided his fifth individual Tour de France career win, Groenewegen is hungry for more bunch sprint success in the 2024 edition. With a well-tuned sprint train that consists of trusted Dutch compatriot Elmar Reinders and Slovenian Luka Mezgec, the squad is confident that, if the Dutch rocket is in the right position, he is still one of the fastest riders in the world and can deliver.
Groenewegen: “I’m feeling good, and I think there should be seven or eight sprint stages at this year’s Tour so that’s good for me and I’m looking forward to it. My shape has been growing and growing every week and it’s nice to have the Tour of Slovenia in the legs now too. I’ve been working well with the team and the sprint group, Elmar and Luka are in good shape too. I have had some wins this season, but also lot of second and third places. I know the speed is there and I want to get it right at the Tour. I’m looking forward to being at my third Tour de France with this team and we have a very strong group with Matthews and also Yates.”
Ready for anything
After a strong start to the season with a stunning second place in Milan-San Remo, Michael Matthews is enjoying stellar form and lines up ready to embark on his eighth Tour de France with fire in his belly. With an experienced support group around him including fellow compatriot Luke Durbridge, who will make his 10th TDF appearance, plus Dane Chris Juul-Jensen, ready to make his sixth appearance, Matthews is more motivated than ever to get his hands in the air once again at the Tour de France. The 33-year-old will be looking for key stages that suit his talents, ready to take every opportunity that unfolds, particularly on relentless days.
Matthews: “I’m looking forward to returning to the Tour this year and after my stage win in 2022, I really want to take another win in 2024. I’m feeling in good shape, I had a good start to the season, I was on the podium again at Milan-San Remo and have been close to some wins, so after a lot of training at altitude and some stage recons I hope everything will fall into place at the Tour. It’s interesting starting in Florence and will be cool starting the final stage in Monaco where I live. The team we have is solid, we all know each other well and it’s been a similar team to the last years so we’re ready.”
The 2024 Tour de France will take us from a unique Italian Grand Depart in Florence to an untraditional finish location in Nice, where the 21-day race will conclude with a 33.7km race against the clock.
2024 Team Jayco AlUla TDF Team:
Luke Durbridge – (AUS) – 10th appearance
Dylan Groenewegen – (NED) – 6th appearance
Chris Harper – (AUS) – 2nd appearance
Chris Juul-Jensen – (DEN) – 6th appearance
Michael Matthews – (AUS) – 8th appearance
Luka Mezgec – (SLO) – 5th appearance
Elmar Reinders – (NED) – 2nd appearance
Simon Yates – (GBR) – 7th appearance
Simon Yates to the Tour:
Santiago Buitrago Leads Bahrain Victorious Line-Up to the Tour de France
For the first time, the Tour de France will begin in Italy, with the Grand Départ from Florence kicking off 21 days of intense racing across 3,497 km and over 53,000 vertical metres of climbing.
Santiago Buitrago, making his debut in the 111th edition, will lead the Bahrain Victorious team. Drawing confidence from his recent successes on Italian soil at the Giro d’Italia in 2022 & 2023, where he secured stage wins in his last two appearances, Buitrago is poised for a strong performance.
The young Colombian will be supported by a wealth of experience, including three stage winners from last year’s Tour: Pello Bilbao, Wout Poels, and Matej Mohorič. Jack Haig and Fred Wright will play crucial roles in supporting the team while also seeking their own opportunities throughout the race. Rounding out the line-up, Nikias Arndt will act as the final lead-out man for Phil Bauhaus, who aims to claim his first Tour de France win after finishing inside the top three on three occasions last year.
The 21 stages of the Tour have been categorised into eight flat stages, four intermediate stages (including a gravel sector stage on stage 9), seven mountain stages, and two individual time trials (ITT). While the overall competition will likely be decided in the Alps, this year’s Tour offers no easy weeks. The action starts as early as stage 4, with riders tackling 3,625 vertical metres across just 130 km of racing before a 25 km ITT on stage 7 caps off the first week.
Week two promises back-to-back challenging stages on stages 14 and 15, with 8,838 vertical metres across three Hors catégorie climbs, including the Col du Tourmalet, a 19 km ascent with an average gradient of 7.4%. Following the second rest day, stage 16 moves towards the south coast of France. Although it’s a flat stage, the potential for echelons could catch out the GC contenders.
The final three days will be crucial, featuring two decisive mountain stages in the Alps with a total of 8,734 vertical metres of climbing. The highlight will be the Hors catégorie Cime de la Bonnette, a 22.9 km climb with an average gradient of 6.9%, reaching an elevation of 2,802 metres. This is the highest paved road in France and was last featured in the Tour in 2008. Following these gruelling stages, the race concludes with a challenging 33.7 km ITT from Monaco to Nice, marking the first time the Tour de France will end outside of Paris due to the Olympics.
Santiago Buitrago: “I’m really excited about my first Tour de France, the team and I have been working hard over in Andorra at training camp, and I think at this Tour you need to be ready from the first stage. It’s a really hard opening week. We start in Italy, which is comfortable for me. I have experience racing the Giro, and I’ve won two stages there, so hopefully, this will bring good fortune to me on this year’s Tour. I am fighting to do my best in the GC, and there is really strong competition, but I know that if I follow my race, I can be up there with the best talents and also fight for the white jersey. I have a great team with a lot of experience who will guide and help me through the upcoming three weeks.”
Pello Bilbao: “The start in Florence is going to be a new experience. Personally, it won’t be as intense as departing from my home, but even so, it will be nice to start in Italy. I’ve always had great memories racing in Italy, and I’ve missed it because, in the last few years, I’ve not raced the Giro, which is one of my favourite races, so I’m excited about starting the Tour in such a great city like Florence. Overall, I would say the parcours is pretty complete with two long time trials, which I’m really looking forward to, especially as I’ve worked really hard this year for improvements in the TT, and I want to see if the results are arriving. We then have the gravel sector this year which will also be a decisive stage for the overall. The difficulties are pretty spread out over the three weeks straight from the beginning, and you’ll need to be 100% from the off. You can’t start the Tour and expect to grow in the race. It’s going to be crucial to be ready. My ambitions obviously will be to try win another stage. Last year it was one of the most intense emotions I’ve ever lived through in my cycling career, and I’d love to repeat it; there is nothing comparable to winning a stage at the Tour de France. Meanwhile I will also be focussing on the GC and want to do my best possible race. It will be a really interesting Tour with all the big contenders here, and it will also be interesting to see who comes out on top this year between Tadej and Jonas, especially after Tadej’s strong show in the Giro. Overall, we have a really strong team coming here, and every day will be an opportunity for us.”
Matej Mohorič: ”Personally, I think the start in Florence is something we’ve not seen before. It kicks off with a mountain stage, and the roads are quite nervous, being twisty and narrow. It’s going to be full-on racing from the first two days. It’s a good thing as we will immediately see who has the legs in the GC, which most likely means there will be less stress as we move into France. We’ve got a well-balanced parcours this year. Personally, the two stages I look forward to the most are the gravel stage and stage 18, which could be a good opportunity for the breakaway. There will be other opportunities across the race as things never go as planned, and we need to embrace those opportunities. Physically, I feel ready and motivated for the Tour. It’s the biggest race of the year, so I will be doing my best to make the most of the opportunity. As far as the team goals, we have a really strong line-up with some guys for the GC, and we will also look to support Phil in the sprint. But honestly, I think any member of this team is capable of winning a stage at this year’s Tour.”
Cofidis Might Not Take Axel Zingle to the Tour Due to His Transfer to Visma | Lease a Bike
Axel Zingle looks like he will be going to Visma |Lease a Bike next year, which has not gone down well with his Cofidis team, according to L’Équipe. According to the sports-paper, the French WorldTeam is considering not taking Zingle to the Tour de France as punishment.
It is rumoured that Zingle has signed a three year contract with Visma | Lease a Bike. The 25-year-old rider, who turned professional with Cofidis in 2022, also received an improved offer from his current team, but decided to go to the Dutch team. Cofidis is not happy about that. It is considering not including Zingle in the Tour de France team unless he wins the French road championship in Saint-Martin-de-Landelles.
Six Cofidis riders are currently assured of a place in the Tour de France team. They are: Bryan Coquard, Guillaume Martin, Simon Geschke, Jésus Herrada, Alexis Renard and Ion Izagirre, who crashed in the Tour of Switzerland. After the national championships, the team will announce which other two riders will be at the start in Florence.
Maybe no Tour for Axel Zingle:
Remco Evenepoel Couldn’t Defend his Belgian Road Title
Remco Evenepoel caught a cold a week before his debut in the Tour de France. Which could be a big disruption for the Soudal Quick-Step leader in his preparation for the French Grand Tour. As a result of his infection, Evenepoel didn’t defend his Belgian road title on Sunday. “But I am not very ill,” Evenepoel explained.
Soudal Quick-Step reports that it is not a serious cold that he had from when he was altitude training. However, in consultation with the team, it was decided not to start at the Belgian championship in Zottegem, ‘which will be a competitive and demanding race, to avoid further disrupting his preparations for the upcoming Tour de France and Olympic Games’.
Last year Evenepoel won the Belgian Championship. “I am disappointed that I cannot attend the Belgian Championship,” he said in the team’s press release. “Last year I won and that’s why I got to wear the famous Belgian tricolour, that was a great honour for me and it would have been a privilege to try to defend the jersey. And although I am not very ill, I would not be able to ride at 100% of my ability. That is required for such an important race, and we think it is better that I do not take any risks just before the Tour de France. I wish my teammates the best of luck and hopefully we can keep that nice jersey in the team,” said Evenepoel.
Evenepoel not Belgian champ any more:
David Gaudu Tests Positive for Covid a Week Before the Tour de France
David Gaudu couldn’t ride Sunday’s French national championship. The Groupama-FDJ rider tested positive for covid in the run-up to the title race, his team announced on ‘X’ (Twitter).
Gaudu will now concentrate on his preparation for the Tour de France, which starts on Saturday in Florence and, according to the team, he will be there. The 27-year-old Gaudu, 9th in the Tour de France last year and 4th in 2022, has not had a good season so far. The Critérium du Dauphiné was another disappointment with a 15th final overall place.
No nationals for Gaudu:
Romain Bardet Extends Contract with dsm-firmenich-PostNL and will Retire After the 2025 Dauphiné
Romain Bardet has announced his retirement from professional cycling. The French climber will end his career after the Critérium du Dauphiné in 2025. He will stay with the dsm-firmenich PostNL team and will be the leader in the 2025 Giro d’Italia 2025 and will race until the end of the Dauphiné later that year. Bardet says he will then race on gravel.
The 33-year-old Bardet is in his last year as a professional cyclist. In 2012 he made his debut with AG2R La Mondiale, where he left after nine seasons to go to DSM. He has ten victories in his palmarès, including three stage victories in the Tour de France, a mountain jersey in the Tour and second place in 2016. Bardet also won a stage in the Vuelta a España and won a World’s silver medal in 2018 in Innsbruck.
The end of his professional career on the road will be in the Critérium du Dauphiné next year. Before that, he wants to make another attempt as a leader in the Giro d’Italia. “It was a no-brainer to stay with this team and end my career here,” said Bardet. “I wasn’t sure if I wanted to continue cycling for long, but I feel that I am still valuable and can achieve good results.”
“This is the ideal way to end my career. I hope to pursue big victories in 2025, especially in the Giro, where I want to achieve my missing stage victory. After that, the Dauphiné is my last road race, because it is my favourite race on the calendar. Then I will take on a new challenge with enthusiasm: racing gravel with the support of the team. I will ride World Cups and hope to do well at the Gravel World Championships in Nice at the end of 2025.”
The last year on the road for Bardet:
Anna van der Breggen Returns as a Rider with SD Worx-Protime in 2025
Anna van der Breggen will return as a rider with SD Worx-Protime from 1 January 2025. The Olympic and two-time World road champion has signed a contract until the end of 2026 with the cycling team.
Since 2022, Van der Breggen has been a team manager with the Dutch WorldTeam. In the past year, she noticed that the motivation to start racing again came back. “I am looking forward to pinning a jersey number on again,” Van der Breggen said.
Van der Breggen, who is now 34, realises that she is still of age to make a comeback. “I also find my job as a team leader beautiful and challenging, but I realise that I can still do this job in ten years’ time. If I want to return as a cyclist, it’s now or never. I am looking forward to it immensely.”
Van der Breggen: “The motivation is great to get back on the bike after three years. It’s an exciting decision. If I didn’t feel the motivation, I would never be able to do this. That was also the reason why I decided to stop in 2021 after the Tokyo Olympics. I had been doing the same thing for years and felt I was tired. I was able to win a lot of competitions, but physically and mentally it also takes a lot out of you. After a three-year period where I looked at cycling from a different angle, I feel that the motivation and the will to cycle is completely back. I am excited to come back. To suffer on the bike again and to race with the team again. I realise now how much I love the game, the sport and the competition.”
“My mindset will be different. I will be less focused on wins in certain races or on having clear goals. After this long break, I feel it is a privilege to be able to ride races and be a cyclist again. For me, it is no longer so much about ticking off races or victories, but more about enjoying the sport and the competition. In the next six months, I will train a lot and work on my fitness. I am curious to see what level I can get back to. Of course I aim to become a better cyclist than in my previous period. Whether that succeeds always remains the question.”
“Do I still want to be a winner? Of course I feel competition in me. I always want to win. However, that doesn’t mean you always can win. That’s fine too, because that only makes the victories you have more beautiful. When you have to struggle to get somewhere, it just makes the rewards later more beautiful. In any case, for me it is a privilege to be a cyclist again soon in 2025.”
Team manager Erwin Janssen: “Last winter, it became clear to us that Anna was becoming motivated to cycle races again. We immediately responded to this with great enthusiasm. A champion like Anna van der Breggen is only born once every so many years. She managed to win almost every major race for our team between 2017 and 2021 and has become one of the best cyclists of all time. Anna was one of the culture bearers of our team during those years, but also later as team leader, and helped shape the DNA of our team. With her commitment, she managed to take our team to the next level. We are confident that Anna will find the pleasure in cycling all over again and will also be of great value to our team as a cyclist again.”
Sports manager Danny Stam: “We had already noticed for some time that during stage races Anna increasingly started cycling a bit herself. We are happy to have another world-class cyclist in the team with her. We hope she can grow to that high level again. We are confident about that. If Anna has doubts about something, she won’t do it. That certainly applies to this big step.”
World champion Lotte Kopecky: “I am looking forward to racing with Anna in the coming years. I just joined the team when she quit and I actually regretted that at the time. If you see Anna still training with us at training camp, we didn’t just ride her off, on the contrary. I think it’s a good choice and she won’t regret it.”
Lorena Wiebes: “I like the fact that Anna is coming back. She almost rode us off at times during training too. I think she will bring a lot of good things, in terms of atmosphere and also on a sporting level. I expect her to compete at a high level again soon and hopefully win enough races. I have always been able to work well with Anna as a sport director and I expect the same in the races. I am curious to see what it will be like in the peloton.”
Anna van der Breggen returns to the peloton:
Jasper Philipsen and Alpecin-Deceuninck Extend their Collaboration Until the End of 2028
After two previous two-year terms, Alpecin-Deceuninck and Jasper Philipsen have decided to extend their collaboration for four more years. “Our story is not yet fully written,” said the 26-year-old sprint bomb.
On 1 January 2021, Jasper Philipsen joined our team. Barely a year and a half later, the agreement with the Roodhoof brothers’ team was extended for another two years, unCl the end of this year.
“But our story is not yet fully written,” said Jasper. “I feel good about this project. I am happy with the structure within the team and I definitely wanted to build on this. And the first talks with the management immediately indicated that this feeling is mutual. Moreover, the long term planning appeals to me enormously.”
Philipsen extended his deal until 2028. “Nice, right? That way I don’t have to sit around the table every year and we can continue working together quietly in the coming years.”
Earlier, Mathieu van der Poel also extended his long-term contract with Alpecin-Deceuninck. “That obviously gave me some extra confidence. We have an excellent relationship and we can build on that in the coming years. Hopefully that will lead to even more successes.”
There is no doubt that team management is also delighted with the extended partnership. “Over the past few years, our team has grown and that has led to great successes. We will continue to grow, but continuity is also important and in that, after Mathieu van der Poel, it was important to keep Jasper on board for a longer period of time as well,” said Philip Roodhoof.
“Moreover, Mathieu and Jasper have already shown several times that they are compatible and can strengthen each other. That is a benefit both can continue to enjoy in the future.”
Jasper Philipsen with Alpecin-Deceuninck until the End of 2028:
Simon Yates Will be With Visma | Lease a Bike Next Year
As reported in EUROTRASH last week, it has been confirmed that Simon Yates has made the decision to make the move to Visma | Lease a Bike for the 2025 season. WielerFlits has had confirmation from different sources that the British rider will be in yellow and black next year.
Several top teams, including INEOS Grenadiers, were looking at Simon Yates after it was know that he was looking for a new team. He has been racing with the Australian Jayco AlUla team for 11 years, since he made his professional debut in 2014. Simon raced with his twin brother, Adam, with the Australian set-up until he left at the end of 2020 to go to INEOS Grenadiers and then UAE Team Emirates.
Simon Yates, winner of the 2018 Vuelta a España, also had offers from Israel-Premier Tech, Visma | Lease a Bike as well as INEOS. In the end he has given a verbal agreement to the Dutch team. Officially, according to UCI rules, teams and riders can’t have an agreement until after August 1st.
Visma | Lease a Bike also has Jonas Vingegaard, Sepp Kuss, Matteo Jorgenson and Cian Uijtdebroeks on thier books, but believes that Yates can still step up. He is also an important reinforcement for the smaller stage races.
Simon Yates to Visma | Lease a Bike:
Rémi Cavagna has Language Problems with Movistar
Rémi Cavagna moved from Soudal Quick-Step to Movistar last winter. The Frenchman hoped to give his career a kick restart, but he doesn’t seem to be achieving much. In an interview with l’Équipe, he said that the problems are due to his new team. The language barrier with his Spanish colleagues in particular bothers him.
“I didn’t expect it to be so difficult,” said Cavagna, who has a contract with Movistar until the end of 2026. “I was at Quick-Step for seven years, it was all easy, but I got to an age where I wanted to try something different. Anyway, I don’t regret my decision.”
Cavagna finished fourth at the French time trial championship on Thursday, where he conceded 1:09 to winner Bruno Armirail. It was his best result of the season. In the spring he had set his sights on the cobbled classics, but he didn’t get any better than a 47th place in the E3 Saxo Classic.
It is mainly the language barrier that makes it difficult for Cavagna to perform with Movistar. “My Spanish has improved. I took some courses, I invested in them and now I understand almost everything. But when I want to express myself a little, it becomes difficult. That’s annoying when you’re trying to integrate. The Spaniards form a block within the team. Everything on the radio is in Spanish, which is complicated at the important moments in a race. I’ve switched teams for a change, but I feel like I’m still at the beginning, I didn’t sign up for this.”
Cavagna not only changed team, but also bikes: he went from a Specialized to a Canyon. That transition was not as easy as hoped. He also changed coaches. “I came to this team to develop, but for now it’s all downhill. I am not hoping to ride in the top fifty in the Tour of Belgium. I am worth more than that. We have to communicate. That is the basis of everything, just like in a relationship. This way we can improve each other. At this point I am giving nothing and receiving nothing in return. It’s complicated.”
Cavagna was to ride the Critérium du Dauphiné, but that was removed from his schedule. He is also still unsure about the Tour de France. “I don’t know yet. It was confirmed, but at the moment I have little news. I looked at the time trials in the Tour, they are very nice and there are more beautiful stages. I know that a stage win in the Tour can change a career. If I don’t do the Tour, it would really be a blow, but I don’t lose hope. Even though I’m not having a spectacular season, I feel the momentum is coming. If I can get a free role in the Tour, it only takes one stage to change a season, to go from red to green.”
Cavagna’s team change not going to plan:
Julian Alaphilippe to ride the Tour of Slovakia
Julian Alaphilippe will not be at the start of the Tour de France. After Sunday’s French championship, the two-time World champion will be at the Tour of Slovakia (26-30 June), he announced on ‘X’.
“I am very happy to announce that I will return to the Tour of Slovakia. I have very good memories of my last participation and hope to see you there,” Alaphilippe said in a video message. The Soudal Quick-Step rider is referring to his participation in the 2018 Tour of Slovakia, when he won a stage and the final classification.
Alaphilippe announced in January that he would not participate in the Tour de France this year. However, it was thought that his good Giro d’Italia could change that. But the Frenchman stuck to his original programme, with the Olympic Games in Paris as the ultimate goal. It is not known whether he will ride another race after the Tour of Slovakia in preparation for the Olympic road race on August 3.
Alaphilippe to Slovakia:
Michel Hessmann’s Doping Case Finaly Over
Michel Hessmann has been suspended by the German anti-doping agency NADA for four months, with retroactive effect of three months. This is the result of a positive doping test by the German cyclist of Visma | Lease a Bike, where traces of Chlortalidone were found. Hessmann is suspended for a month and Visma | Lease a Bike and Hessmann will only then consider a possible return to the team.
On June 14, 2023, traces of the diuretic Chlortalidone were found during an out-of-competition check of Hessmann, then racing for Jumbo-Visma. He was then provisionally suspended by the Dutch team. There was uncertainty about the doping case for months. Visma | Lease a Bike announces that after more than ten months there had been a breakthrough and that the German doping authority NADA has made a decision.
“NADA has come to the conclusion that it is likely that Hessmann took a contaminated medication such as paracetamol, ibuprofen or naproxen. External experts previously came to that conclusion and the German Justice Department dismissed the case in January,” Visma | Lease a Bike said in a statement.
“However, NADA also believes that the risk of contaminated medication lies with the athlete and therefore proposed Hessmann the lightest possible suspension of 4 months, with a retroactive effect of three months. The rider accepted that today.”
Hessmann has been suspended for the next month. There is a chance that he can return to Visma | Lease a Bike. “After, Michel Hessmann and the team will consider a follow-up,” said the Dutch WorldTeam.
“It takes a lot of time,” said team boss Richard Plugge about the doping case at the beginning of 2024. “We are still waiting for a possible suspension. For the rider himself, on a personal level, it is of course very frustrating that it takes so long. But yes, we have to wait for those procedures.”
The end of the tunnel for Michel Hessmann?
Elisa Balsamo Returns to Racing More than a Month After Crash
Elisa Balsamo can now race again, more than a month after her crash in the Vuelta a Burgos. The Italian sprinter of Lidl-Trek crashed hard into the barriers and broke her nasal bone and suffered concussion. Balsamo is now on her way back and wanted to ride in the Italian championship.
“The doctors gave me the news I’ve been waiting for: I can race again,” Balsamo wrote on social media. “I am very enthusiastic, and even though my fitness is still developing, I want to pin my jersey number again on Saturday at the Italian road championship.”
The 26-year-old Balsamo still has enough time to prepare for the Olympic Games and the Tour de France Femmes, which are not scheduled until the end of July and August. “There is still work to be done, but this is a new beginning. I feel very fortunate to have all the professionals by my side who made this quick comeback possible.”
Elisa Balsamo can race again:
No Olympic Games for Katie Archibald Due to Injury
Katie Archibald will not compete in the Paris Olympics. The British rider, who won gold together with Laura Trott at the madison in Tokyo three years ago, broke her ankle earlier this week. British Cycling reported on social media.
“Earlier this week, Katie Archibald had an accident at home, breaking her ankle. She has now undergone surgery,” writes British Cycling. “Following medical advice, this unfortunately means that Katie will not be able to compete in the upcoming Olympic Games.”
Archibald had a chance to win Olympic gold in Paris in several events. Last year she was European champion in the madison, omnium and team pursuit. She also became world champion in the latter discipline, together with Elinor Barker, Josie Knight, Anna Morris and Megan Barker.
Katie Archibald will miss the Olympics:
Aleksandr Vlasov Will Not Go to the Olympic Games Despite IOC Approval
Aleksander Vlasov will not participate in the Olympic Games in Paris for ‘sporting reasons’, Sporza reports. The BORA-hansgrohe rider was one of only fourteen Russian athletes to receive provisional approval from the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to participate in the Games.
The war between Ukraine and Russia has meant that athletes from Russia and Belarus are not welcome at the Olympic Games in Paris this summer. The IOC has decided that individual athletes from the two countries may participate under the neutral flag under certain conditions. The Russian and Belarusian Olympians must have no ties with their own military or security services and must not support or have supported the Russian invasion.
To check this, the IOC has created a special panel. Aleksandr Vlasov passed the inspection, but has now decided not to travel to Paris after he rides the Tour de France.
Vlasov not going to the Paris Olympics:
Grace Brown will Retire at the End of 2024
Grace Brown will retire from racing at the end of the season. The Australian of FDJ-Suez is only 31, but announced her retirement as a professional cyclist in a video on her Instagram.
“I have big news,” Brown began her emotional announcement. “I have decided that this will be my last year as a professional cyclist. It’s something I’ve been thinking about for a while, but I finally feel confident enough to share it. I know I could have had many more years in cycling, but I miss my life in Australia with my boyfriend, family and friends. That is something that is becoming harder and harder to leave behind. I am very happy with what I have achieved, it is much more than what I ever expected.”
“I’m excited for the next chapter in my life, but also sad to leave this part behind. I’m going to miss the atmosphere at the races, which you don’t experience in normal life. And the many people I have worked with over the years. It has been a special experience. It’s not over yet, I still have very big goals that I want to achieve and I will complete this season with full motivation. We’ll have to see if I can wave goodbye ‘in style’. This is not yet goodbye.”
Brown had a relatively short professional career. It was only in 2018 that she signed her first professional contract with Wiggle-High5. She signed with FDJ-Suez after three years with Mitchelton-Scott. The Australian won 23 professional races, but at the beginning of this year she took the biggest victory of her career in Liège-Bastogne-Liège. She also won the Tour Down Under, Brugge-De Panne and the Brabantse Pijl.
Grace Brown to retire this year:
Ramon Sinkeldam Will Retire at the End of This Season
Ramon Sinkeldam is in his last season as a professional cyclist. The 35-year-old Alpecin-Deceuninck rider will hang up his bike at the end of 2024. He announced via social media.
Sinkeldam is currently in his thirteenth season as a professional cyclist. He turned professional in 2012 with Argos-Shimano, a predecessor of the current dsm-firmenich-PostNL. After six years with Iwan Spekenbrink’s team, he moved to Groupama-FDJ in 2018. There he was important in the lead-out for Arnaud Démare. He has had the same role at Alpecin-Deceuninck since 2023, where he is often in Jasper Philipsen’s sprint train.
Sinkeldam managed to take seven pro victories. In 2012 he took two stages in the Tour of Hainan, followed by victories in the World Ports Classic (2014), Garmin Velothon Berlin (2015) and Binche-Chimay-Binche (2015). His biggest win came in 2017, when he became Dutch road champion in ‘s-Heerenberg. Sinkeldam’s last victory came a year later, when he won Paris-Chauny.
Ramon Sinkeldam to retire:
Team Statement on Andrea Piccolo
EF Pro Cycling has terminated Andrea Piccolo’s contract, effective immediately. Piccolo was suspended internally without pay in March after taking a sleeping aid that was not approved by the team, though legal. The team reported the usage to the UCI immediately, but due to legal reasons surrounding the UCI standard rider contract, we were unable to terminate his contract at the time. After serving his suspension, he returned to competition at the Giro d’Italia. On June 21, Piccolo was stopped by Italian authorities upon entering the country on suspicion of transporting human growth hormone. Our organisation will cooperate fully with any investigation into the matter, and we encourage Andrea to be open and truthful with anti-doping authorities.
UCI Say Andrea Piccolo was Search Because of an Investigation
The UCI also issued a statement on the situation surrounding Andrea Piccolo. EF Education-EasyPost announced that it had immediately terminated the Italian’s contract. It appears that Piccolo was stopped at the border by the Italian authorities on Thursday on suspicion of transporting human growth hormones.
Human growth hormones are a prohibited doping product. EF Education-EasyPost, which previously suspended Piccolo internally for a month due to the use of a (legal) sleeping aid that had not been approved by the team, now had the option to dismiss the Italian. The UCI now reports that Piccolo was not simply stopped at the national border. “The search of the rider is the result of an investigation led by the International Testing Agency (ITA), in close cooperation with the National Anti-Doping Organisation of Italy (NADO) and the Italian enforcement authorities (NAS Carabinieri). The UCI welcomes this cooperation and assesses whether further action will be necessary in this matter.”
Andrea Piccolo’s contract terminated:
Brustor Extends Sponsorship Contract with Alpecin-Deceuninck
Brustor, a leading manufacturer of innovative sun protection systems is delighted to announce the extension of its sponsorship agreement with Alpecin-Deceuninck. This renewed partnership marks another milestone in the team’s journey towards continued success and excellence in professional cycling.
Brustor’s extended sponsorship underscores the company’s commitment to supporting high performance sports and promoting a healthy, active outdoor lifestyle. The collaboration has already yielded significant benefits for both parties, and this extension will further enhance the team’s ability to compete at the highest levels.
“We are excited to continue our partnership with Brustor,” said Team Manager’s Philip Roodhoof. “Their support has been invaluable in our achievements, and their dedication to quality and innovation mirrors our own. With Brustor by our side, we are confident in our ability to reach new heights in the upcoming season.”
“We are proud to extend our sponsorship with the Alpecin-Deceuninck team,” said Steven Heytens – co-CEO of Brustor “Our partnership has been mutually beneficial, and we are thrilled to support the team as they pursue excellence on the world stage. Brustor’s values of innovation, drive for performance and teamwork align perfectly with the cycling team’s. It also highlights our commitment to build a stronger International brand for our shading solutions”.
The renewed agreement will see Brustor’s branding prominently displayed on the team’s cycling shorts, shirts and equipment, reinforcing the strong association between the two entities. “We are convinced that further collaboration with the WorldTeam of Mathieu van der Poel and Jasper Philipsen will ensure that our brand will be in the spotlight all year long. Together with the cycling fans and team supporters, we are looking for an exciting performance starting with the Tour de France 2024”, concluded Heytens.
Brustor to stay with Alpecin-Deceuninck:
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