Grace Brown and Remco Evenepoel took the first cycling gold medals of the 2024 Olympic Games in the individual time trial. We have all the rider quotes, results and videos from Paris. Plus all the news from the Tour de Wallonie and the Ordiziako Klasika.
Remco Evenepoel and Wout van Aert back in Belgium to celebrate – TOP STORY.
Rider news: Gee and Baril break the ice at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games individual time trial, Lotte Kopecky had covid after Giro, Tom Pidcock not happy with the mountain bike course in Paris, Mathieu van der Poel feels less tired after the Tour de France this year than last year and Visma | Lease a Bike want Mike Teunissen back.
Team news: Dstny hasn’t extend contract and stops as sponsor of Lotto cycling team, Jordi Meeus extends contract with Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe, two more season with Astana for Yevgeniy Fedorov and Visma | Lease a Bike chooses new supplier of lubricants and cleaners.
Race news: Cyclo-cross in the 2030 Olympic Winter Games? 2024 Tour de France media figures.
Olympic Monday EUROTRASH coffee time.
TOP STORY: Evenepoel and Van Aert Returned to Belgium to Celebrate with Fans
Remco Evenepoel and Wout van Aert took Gold and Bronze medals at the Olympic Games on Saturday. So there was a big reason for a party at the Belgian House, where both riders appeared in the evening to celebrate. Evenepoel and Van Aert will not be in Paris in the coming days. Although the road race is next Saturday, both have returned to Belgium for a few days.
Evenepoel and Van Aert were welcomed as heroes on Saturday evening at the Belgian House, the headquarters of the Belgian fans. Hundreds of Belgians sang to the two riders. Earlier, the medalists had already received congratulations from Eddy Merckx and Greg Van Avermaet. There were also hugs from family members.
“This reception was quite crazy,” Evenepoel told VTM Nieuws. “But super nice. I am very satisfied. Hugging my mother was very special. I miss my whole family a lot. It is very extreme this summer, but that is part of the profession I practice. But there will be plenty of moments to enjoy ourselves together, anyway.”
Evenepoel returned home after the party. “That quality time is necessary”, according to the new Olympic champion. “It is also easier to train at home than there. I am also looking forward to soaking up some extra Olympic atmosphere in the Olympic village.”
Van Aert is also back in Belgium. Both will stay there until Wednesday, when they return to Paris. On Saturday they will be at the start of the road race as possible favourites.
Belgian celebrations:
2024 Olympic Games Men’s Time Trial
Remco Evenepoel is the new Olympic time trial champion. On a wet course in Paris, the Belgian was faster than Filippo Ganna and Wout van Aert by 15 and 25 seconds. Joshua Tarling was fourth at 27 seconds, but had to change bikes during the race.
The route of the men’s Olympic time trial was identical to that of the women. The riders rode a circuit of 32.4 kilometres, with intermediate timing after 19 kilometres and then 11 kilometres from the finish. The course was flat and not too technical. The rain and the slippery roads would be the main problem. There were several crashes in the previous women’s race.
Fortunately, there were no crashes amongst the first men off. Mathias Vacek recorded the best intermediate times out on the course and he was also the fastest at the finish. The first favourites began to start. Magnus Sheffield was 17 seconds faster than Vacek at the first intermediate point, Van Aert was 3 seconds faster and Joshua Tarling, but the British rider had a puncture. Tarling, one of the top favourites for gold, had to change bikes and lost valuable time. Nevertheless, he limited the gap to Van Aert at the first intermediate point to 4 seconds. At the second intermediate point, Van Aert had a bigger gap on the riders who rode before him. Sheffield in particular, who had crashed, lost a lot of time. The big competitors were still to come. Remco Evenepoel and Filippo Ganna came through the first intermediate point first and second. Evenepoel had gained 7 seconds on Ganna and 10 on Van Aert. At the finish, Daan Hoole recorded the fifth time (at that point), 11 seconds behind Vacek. It was Stefan Bissegger who eventually dethroned the Czech. The Swiss rider didn’t enjoy his lead for long, because Van Aert was on his way.
The Belgian improved the top time by 1 minute. Tarling had passed by the second intermediate point, where he was now down by 6 seconds on Van Aert. Ganna was close to Van Aert, but after 22 kilometres he was 5 seconds slower than the Belgian. It was eventually Evenepoel who broke Van Aert’s time at the second intermediate point. The battle was not over yet as the difference was only 12 seconds. Ganna and Tarling could still hope for Gold, although Ganna nearly crashed when he lost control on a very slippery section of paint on the road. Tarling was very strong final section, but was just short of Van Aert at the finish. There was only 2 seconds between the two. Van Aert lost his chance of gold when Filippo Ganna came in 10 seconds better than the Belgian. Silver also slipped through Van Aert hands when his country-man finished. Evenepoel was 15 seconds better than Ganna and took the Gold medal. The silver went to Ganna, the bronze to Van Aert. The Belgian was 2 seconds ahead of the very unfortunate Tarling, who without his puncture would have taken a medal.
# You cen see more photos in the ‘PEZ Race Report’ HERE.#
Olympic Time Trial Champion, Remco Evenepoel (Belgium): “I have few words. This is very special. It is truly unique. First the Tour and then this on top of that. Where did I win? No idea. I actually had the feeling from the start that I was really bad on the road. Believe it or not, I can’t really complain. At an intermediate point five kilometres from the finish I was far ahead. So they told me from the car not to take any more crazy risks on the corners. Here in the final straight I tried to enjoy it a bit. They told me then that I had won. I tried to ride the same pace all the time, without really taking any risks on the corners. I did take them quite well. Fortunately my legs were good. By watching the women, we realised that it was really slippery. I don’t think anyone, except the guys who fell, took any risks. I’m not the rider who wants to take the most risks in time trials anyway. It was slippery anyway, in the park with the orange asphalt there was a nasty part. Yesterday morning I felt great again for the first time. Training went well, this morning it went well. This morning the feeling that I could win really came into my head. It is super nice what we do, sharing the podium with Wout and Filippo is special. We did not go to Paris with the Tour, but Paris came to me. That was already gone after the Tour (stress). Everything that comes with it now is extra. This only gives us motivation. The Games can’t be ruined anymore, we are going to give it another go. It is a call to Belgium to go the extra mile in all disciplines. It is an end to the series of time trial championships. I have now ticked off everything. Very special, this is the beautiful cherry on a very beautiful time trial cake.”
Silver medal, Filippo Ganna (Italy): “It’s better than the previous Olympic Games. I’m very happy, because I’m not super good in the rain, but I tried to follow my dream and keep the right pace. I’m happy with my performance today. I have to thank the staff, because since the beginning of the season they’ve been helping me to achieve this result. I also have to thank my coach, because he’s the one who believes in me. Coming second hurts a bit, but tonight we’re going to celebrate. It was very close. I don’t know what happened exactly. Maybe I had an angel on my shoulder that prevented a bad crash. We did the reconnaissance in very good weather. It was dry and quite warm. Now the conditions are completely different. Maybe it would have been better to do another reconnaissance at high speed in wet conditions this morning, but in the end everyone had to ride the same race. I’m happy.”
Bronze medal, Wout Van Aert (Belgium): “I immediately felt I had a good day. It had been a long time since I felt like this during a time trial. In the first 30 minutes I had a perfect pace, but towards the closing kilometres I was suffering a lot. Fortunately, I was able to hold on and thus grab another medal. I am very proud of this achievement.”
4th, Joshua Tarling (Great Britain): “It’s a big disappointment. I tried, but I can’t help it. I want to congratulate the Belgians. They’re good and will do the same in the road race. I had a flat front tyre. I couldn’t help it. I was riding completely on the rim at first. If it had been a slow flat tyre, I might have been able to continue. But with the corners coming up, I had to change. I don’t know how much that incident costs me. Everyone rode a good time trial, they deserve their medals. So I don’t want to think too hard about what could have happened. I’m just looking forward to the road race now.”
2024 Olympic Games Men’s Time Trial Result:
1. Remco Evenepoel (Belgium) in 36:12
2. Filippo Ganna (Italy) at 0:15
3. Wout Van Aert (Belgium) at 0:25
4. Joshua Tarling (GB) at 0:27
5. Brandon McNulty (USA) at 1:04
6. Stefan Bissegger (Switzerland) at 1:26
7. Nelson Oliveira (Portugal) at 1:31
8. Stefan Küng (Switzerland) at 1:35
9. Maximilian Schachmann (Germany) at 1:38
10. Mikkel Bjerg (Denmark) at 1:43.
Olympic’24 TT:
2024 Olympic Games Women’s Time Trial
Australia’s Grace Brown took the first cycling Gold Medal in the women’s Olympic time trial. In a very wet Paris, she beat Britain’s Anna Henderson by 1:31, as America’s Chloe Dygert was second slower in third. The race was badly affected by crashes and a bad road surface in places.
The Olympic time trial was on a flat, not too technical course of 32.4 kilometres. The start was at Esplanade des Invalides, the finish line was on the Pont Alexandre III. There were two timing points on the course, after 19 kilometres and another 11 kilometres before the finish.
At 14:30pm Paris time, it was Slovenian Urska Pinter who, in rainy conditions, was the first to start and take the lead, but she wouldn’t be in the final top results. American Taylor Knibb was much faster than Marta Lach and Cecilie Uttrup Ludwig at the first timing point. However, Knibb fell three times on the wet road surface. She was not the only one, as Uttrup Ludwig also fell. Uttrup Ludwig did have the best time at the finish, but she was soon beaten by Lach. Knibb, who finished a few hundredths of a second behind Lach, was also better. Ellen van Dijk was also faster at the first intermediate point. The Dutch rider was only fifth, 18 seconds behind Knibb’s best time. Lotte Kopecky was a lot better. She was 3 seconds faster than at the first intermediate point. Between the intermediate points, Kopecky crashed. She still recorded the top time at the second intermediate point, although that was short-lived. Van Dijk had already come through earlier, but at this point it was already clear that she would not compete for the medals. At the finish line, she recorded the third best time, where Kim Cadzow was now first. There were many riders were doing better at the intermediate points.
Grace Brown in particular was flying. The Australian improved Anna Henderson’s time by 51 seconds at the second intermediate point. Henderson in turn had stayed ahead of Juliette Labous, Demi Vollering, Elisa Longo Borghini and Lotte Kopecky, in that order. It was now all down to Chloe Dygert, but the American also crashed just before the second intermediate point. She did record the second best time, but within the same second as Henderson. When Kopecky crossed the finish line, she was in the hot seat. She was 11 seconds better than Cadzow. Before she could take her seat, Labous went under her time. Demi Vollering couldn’t match the Frenchwoman, she was 10 seconds slower. Anna Henderson then set the provisional best time, but that was soon blown out of the water by Brown. The Australian was a full minute and a half better than Henderson. There was only Dygart and Christina Schweinberger to come in. Both did not come close to Brown, who won the Gold Medal. The silver went to Henderson, the bronze to Dygert. Behind Labous in fourth, Vollering finished fifth, while Kopecky came sixth.
# You cen see more photos in the ‘PEZ Race Report’ HERE.#
Olympic Time Trial Champion, Grace Brown (Australia): “I had a plan to win the time trial. I executed that plan to perfection. Or even better, so the day couldn’t have gone better! It was raining, but it didn’t affect my morale. I don’t mind rain that much. I know you have to take the corners a bit slower, ride a bit more conservatively. But everyone did that.”
Silver medal, Anna Henderson (Great Britain): “I still can’t believe it. Beforehand, I secretly felt I could make the podium, but to finish second after someone like Brown is incredible. On the road, I focused on my speed on the straights. The slippery corners were risky, so it was important to be careful. That’s where you could lose the race. I was very happy I stayed on my bike today. When the last rider crossed the line, I burst into tears. I am very happy.”
Bronze medal, Chloe Dygert (USA): “I’m very grateful to finish. A lot of riders crashed today, it was tough conditions. But it was the same for everyone. That’s the way cycling is. I like these conditions, with the cooler temperatures and the roads not rolling very well. Every time trial is different. A lot depends on the mindset you go into it. I’m not usually very emotional, but it was a tough day. My legs are sore, which worries me. But I can’t complain. What a way for Grace Brown to end her career, by the way. Congratulations to her. Being able to compete after my crash is an absolute priority. I don’t want to leave the other girls behind. We’re going to do everything we can to help the injury heal.”
5th, Demi Vollering (Netherlands): “I rode with my heart, so I can be satisfied. I rode super wattages. This might be my best time trial ever, considering the flat course, which wasn’t really perfect for me. The corners were really slippery. Maybe I missed the mark there. I immediately had a good pace and went well through the first corners. But then my rear wheel slipped a few times and I became more unsure. At one point I went square through the corners because I was going so slow. I didn’t want to risk everything. I ended up 19 seconds short of a medal. That does make me emotional, because secretly I was dreaming of the podium. The Olympics are so special. I hope to be able to grab a medal one day. But unfortunately it didn’t work out now. This will probably hurt some more later. I am really bummed. But at the same time I am also satisfied with the time trial I rode here. It makes me proud! The form is good and that’s promising for the future.”
6th, Lotte Kopecky (Belgium): “I had a good start to the time trial. I was able to pedal my wattages as wanted and it didn’t feel like I was on the limit. I was careful on the roundabout and thought I was through safely. But I come off the roundabout and slide down with two wheels. That fall plays in your head for a while then, but in terms of power, I stayed perfectly on track. Only, everything was dragging on my bike after the crash. I briefly considered changing bikes, but that costs you even more time. This is sour. I was secretly hoping for a medal and with the powers I delivered today, there might have been more in it. This is unfortunate.”
2024 Olympic Games Women’s Time Trial Result:
1. Grace Brown (Australia) in 39:38
2. Anna Henderson (GB) at 1:31
3. Chloe Dygert (USA) at 1:32
4. Juliette Labous (France) at 1:41
5. Demi Vollering (Netherlands) at 1:51
6. Lotte Kopecky (Belgium) at 1:56
7. Kim Cadzow (New Zealand) at 2:08
8. Elisa Longo Borghini (Italy) at 2:11
9. Audrey Cordon-Ragot (France) at 2:13
10. Christina Schweinberger (Austria) at 2:14.
Olympic’24 TT:
Tour de Wallonie 2024
The Fourth Stage of the Tour de Wallonie was won by Matteo Trentin. The Italian of Tudor Pro Cycling was the fastest in the sprint from a thinned peloton in a hilly stage over the Côte de La Redoute. Thanks to the bonus seconds, Trentin also took the leader’s jersey from Corbin Strong.
On day four of the Tour de Wallonie, the riders rode parts of the Liège-Bastogne-Liège route: The Côte de Saint-Jean-Sart (3.5km at 3.7%), Thier des Forges (4.2km at 4.2%) and the Côte de La Redoute (1.5km at 10.5 %). But there were many uncategorised climbs on the local circuit of 28 kilometres in and around Herve.
After the start in Verviers there were a number of attempts to escape. However, everything was still together when the riders got to an intermediate sprint after about 40 kilometres. Matteo Trentin, second on the general classification, was first, putting him within 9 seconds of Strong. Then a leading group emerged of Michael Gogl (Alpecin-Deceuninck), Cole Kessler (Lidl-Trek), Lorenzo Milesi (Movistar), Liam Slock (Lotto Dstny) and William Levy (Uno-X Mobility). The five had a lead of just under 3 minutes. Israel-Premier Tech led the peloton.
At the foot of the Côte de La Redoute the difference was 2:30. On the first parts of the steep climb, Louis Barré attacked the peloton. The Frenchman of Arkéa-B&B Hotels was caught towards the top by a small group, with Juan Pedro López (Lidl-Trek) and Per Strand Hagenes (Visma | Lease a Bike). The peloton was split, but after climbing the front came back together. Leader Strong had several teammates with him. They continued their chase for the leaders. They later also received help from Groupama-FDJ, TotalEnergies and Intermarché-Wanty. However, the gap didn’t close quickly: at the start of the final lap, the escapees still had more than a minute’s lead. And in the kilometres that followed, the gap only gradually shrank. However, at the start of the last 10 kilometres the peloton came quite close. Slock thought his moment had come and jumped away from his three fellow escapees (Levy had already been dropped). The Belgian was no match for the pack on his own. At 3.5 kilometres from the finish he was the last rider to be caught.
Immediately there was an attack from Per Strand Hagenes. The Visma | Lease a Bike Norwegian jumped away on a short climb. A Decathlon AG2R rider tried to close the breach, but couldn’t. Only when he received help from Samuel Watson (Groupama-FDJ) did he manage to cross. Natnael Tesfatsion also managed to make contact. The four held on until half a kilometre from the finish. Then they were caught by the peloton, where there was a big crash. Jordi Meeus fell with other riders. Lorenzo Manzin (TotalEnergies) escaped because he was at the front. He tried to surprise the rest by attacking from a very long way out. However, Matteo Trentin jumped on the Frenchman’s wheel and then went past. The Italian then managed to hold off his opponents. Timo Kielich was second, Manzin’s teammate Emilien Jeannière third. Strong finished in fourth place, but was later declassified due to an illegal sprint. So he missed out on the bonus seconds. So, Trentin is now the new leader.
Stage winner and overall leader, Matteo Trentin (Tudor): “I’m happy to win because I didn’t have a victory last year. I felt really good in the spring, but that doesn’t mean you automatically win. With the team, we decided to not controlling the race like we did the first two days We’re coming off some tough days here, my teammates did a good job to keep me placed and everything went well on Wednesday, I wanted. anticipate the big selection but it didn’t work I was still happy to have been able to stay with the group of favourites, finishing 3rd I am happy with my current physical condition. About fifteen runners are still in 20. seconds in the general classification, the battle on Friday in Thuin will therefore be tough, especially since I do not know the Mur de Thuin It is enough for a small group to come out in the final, to take the bonuses and the classification is. lost to me.”
Tour de Wallonie Stage 4 Result:
1. Matteo Trentin (Ita) Tudor 4:20:03
2. Timo Kielich (Bel) Alpecin-Deceuninck
3. Emilien Jeannière (Fra) TotalEnergies
4. Madis Mihkels (Est) Intermarché-Wanty
5. Mick Van Dijke (Ned) Visma | Lease a Bike
6. Louis Barre (Fra) Arkéa-B&B Hotels
7. Ivan Garcia Cortina (Spa) Movistar
8. Lewis Askey (GB) Groupama-FDJ
9. Tibor Del Grosso (Ned) Alpecin-Deceuninck
10. Dion Smith (NZ) Intermarché-Wanty.
Tour de Wallonie Overall After Stage 4:
1. Matteo Trentin (Ita) Tudor in 17:14:54
2. Corbin Strong (NZ) Israel-Premier Tech at 0:06
3. Alex Kirsch (Lux) Lidl-Trek at 0:15
4. Stan Dewulf (Bel) Decathlon-AG2R La Mondiale at 0:18
5. Frederik Wandahl (Den) Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe
6. Simon Clarke (Aus) Israel-Premier Tech
7. Carlos Canal Blanco (Spa) Movistar at 0:19
8. Dylan Teuns (Bel) Israel-Premier Tech
9. Rudy Molard (Fra) Groupama-FDJ
10. Natnael Tesfatsion Ocbit (Eri) Lidl-Trek.
Wallonie’24 stage 4:
Matteo Trentin won the Tour de Wallonie final overall. The Italian secured his final victory in a treacherous Final Stage 5, which was won by Samuel Watson. It became very exciting for Trentin, because he saw Corbin Strong reach the same position in the general classification.
As usual, Friday’s final stage was treacherous with the opening section including the climb of the Oude Kwaremont. The race went from Moeskroen to Thuin over 200 kilometres. It was especially tough in the final, so the differences in the general classification could still be played with.
A large group of riders went on the attack: Jimmy Janssens (Alpecin-Deceuninck), Dries De Bondt (Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale), Rune Herregodts & Lilian Calmejane (Intermarché-Wanty), Jonas Koch &apm; Filip Maciejuk (Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe), Mathis Louvel (Arkéa-B&B Hotels), Thibaud Gruel (Groupama-FDJ), Cole Kessler (Lidl-Trek), Gonzalo Serrano (Movistar), Johan Meens (Bingoal WB), Nick Schultz (Israel-Premier Tech), Geoffrey Soupe (TotalEnergies), Tom Bohli (Tudor), Anders Skaarseth (Uno-X Mobility) and Eli Iserbyt (Pauwels Sauzen-Bingoal).
The peloton didn’t let the leading group get too far away. Tudor, the team of overall leader, Matteo Trentin, saw the danger of Janssens. The Alpecin-Deceunin rider, who narrowly missed out on victory in the early breakaway on Wednesday, was only 1 minute behind on the general classification. The leading group reached the last 40 kilometres and the finishing circuit, with a lead of about 2 minutes. In the final there was a steep cobbled climb with the summit 1 kilometre from the finish. The first time up that climb immediately caused a number of attacks, both in the leading group and in the peloton, but the lead of the escapees remained around 2 minutes. The sixteen attackers split. De Bondt, Louvel, Maciejuk and Calmejane broke away from the rest and went into the last two laps together. They initially worked well together, but the peloton was now at full speed. The peloton were at 45 seconds at the start of the last lap, 10 kilometres from the finish.
Florian Vermeersch tried several times to make the jump to the front of the race, but the Belgian couldn’t succeed. It was Israel-Premier Tech that made sure of that as they rode hard on the front of the peloton in the last kilometres. De Bondt, Louvel, Maciejuk and Calmejane were caught starting the cobbled climb. Samuel Watson immediately attacked. Since Watson was not a threat to the GC, the peloton didn’t immediately chase. Watson was able to hold on to the finish in Thuin for his the first professional victory for Groupama-FDJ. A few seconds later, Corbin Strong, second overall, won the sprint for second place ahead of Timo Kielich. Strong took six bonus seconds, which brought him to the same time as Trentin on the overall. Trentin had to wait for a while, but after the arithmetic was done he received the good news. The results of Trentin and Strong from the previous days were added up, Trentin better had results over the entire Tour. The Italian was the final overall winner ahead of Strong and Alex Kirsch.
Stage winner, Samuel Watson (Groupama.FDJ): “I desperately wanted to win. Last year, I didn’t win. I needed a trigger. I felt good all week. This Friday, the team was at my service. It doesn’t happen often in the season. I wanted to seize this opportunity 200%. Lewis Askey set the pace on the first ascent of the Mur de Thuin. That got the ball rolling. I was still fresh before the last climb. All I had to do was go all out. I wanted to create a gap because no one would have had a team-mate to bring anyone back. If they had stayed on my wheel, I would have exploded on the final straight. In the end, I managed to gain a good ten metres. When I turned around, I didn’t see anyone.”
Final overall winner and 8th on the stage, Matteo Trentin (Tudor): “I knew it was going to turn out this way. It was very exciting. My teammates did very well today. At first we wanted to let the early break ride away, but in the end that didn’t work because Jimmy Janssens was also there. I knew then that it was all about the results in the stages. It was very exciting. It’s really nice to win the final overall. I also have to congratulate Strong, because he was very strong this week.”
2nd on the stage and overall, Corbin Strong (Israel-Premier Tech): “My teammates, like they have all week, looked after me and gave me every chance to win. Unfortunately one rider went clear and stayed away at the finish today, taking the 10 bonus seconds. I was able to pick up the six seconds, so it was pretty disappointing to finish on the same time as Trentin, with the count-back being decided by my relegation yesterday. That’s a tough pill to swallow. However, I’ve had a lot of fun racing here – I’m happy with the week of racing.”
Tour de Wallonie Stage 5 Result:
1. Samuel Watson (GB) Groupama-FDJ in 4:47:48
2. Corbin Strong (NZ) Israel-Premier Tech at 0:04
3. Timo Kielich (Bel) Alpecin-Deceuninck
4. Natnael Tesfatsion Ocbit (Eri) Lidl-Trek
5. Per Strand Hagenes (Nor) Visma | Lease a Bike
6. Stan Dewulf (Bel) Decathlon-AG2R La Mondiale
7. Ivan Garcia Cortina (Spa) Movistar
8. Matteo Trentin (Ita) Tudor
9. Rudy Molard (Fra) Groupama-FDJ
10. Carlos Canal Blanco (Spa) Movistar.
Tour de Wallonie Final Overall Result:
1. Matteo Trentin (Ita) Tudor in 22:02:46
2. Corbin Strong (NZ) Israel-Premier Tech
3. Alex Kirsch (Lux) Lidl-Trek at 0:15
4. Stan Dewulf (Bel) Decathlon-AG2R La Mondiale at 0:18
5. Frederik Wandahl (Den) Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe
6. Simon Clarke (Aus) Israel-Premier Tech
7. Carlos Canal Blanco (Spa) Movistar at 0:19
8. Natnael Tesfatsion Ocbit (Eri) Lidl-Trek
9. Rudy Molard (Fra) Groupama-FDJ
10. Dylan Teuns (Bel) Israel-Premier Tech.
Wallonie’24 stage 5:
Ordiziako Klasika 2024
Jan Christen won the 2024 Ordiziako Klasika in the Basque Country on Thursday. The 20-year-old Swiss rider of UAE Team Emirates crossed the finish line solo in the hilly one-day race, after attacking on the last climb of the day. Christen held off the chasers on the descent to Ordizia.
Two days after Caleb Ewan’s victory in the Vuelta a Castilla y Léon, the Spanish season continued with the Ordiziako Klasika in the Basque Country. The course was 165 kilometres with five climbs of the Alto de Abaltzisketa (3.1km at 7.3%). In the last two local circuits the Alto de Altzo (3km at 4.9%) was also to be climbed. After the last summit of the Alto de Abaltzisketa, there were 11 kilometres to the finish in Ordizia.
After 20 kilometres Thomas De Gendt attacked and was the instigator of the leading group of the day. The experienced Lotto Dstny rider was joined by Rémi Cavagna (Movistar) and Rory Townsend (Q36.5). The three leaders had more than 4 minutes, but that was reduced to 1 minute with 50 kilometres to go to the finish. UAE Team Emirates were helped by Jayco AlUla in the chase work.
The escape was caught and two riders broke away on the last climb of the Alto de Altzo. Cristian Scaroni (Astana Qazaqstan) and Harrison Wood (Cofidis) took 20 seconds, but were also caught on the last time at Alto de Abaltzisketa. It was then Jan Christen who tried and came over the top solo. The UAE Team Emirates leader dropped Jefferson Cepeda (Caja Rural-Seguros RGA) and was on his way to victory. Christen, who also won the Giro dell’Appennino solo earlier this month, kept Cepeda behind him and was able to celebrate the solo victory. Cepeda was passed by an elite group, from which Vincenzo Albanese sprinted to second place. Paul Miquel (Equipo Kern Pharma) finished third.
Ordiziako Klasika Result
1. Jan Christen (Sui) UAE Team Emirates in 3:40:25
2. Vincenzo Albanese (Ita) Arkéa-B&B Hotels at 0:22
3. Pau Miquel Delgado (Spa) Equipo Kern Pharma
4. Guillermo Thomas Silva Coussan (Uru) Caja Rural-Seguros RGA
5. Ruben Guerreiro (Por) Movistar
6. Samuele Battistella (Ita) Astana Qazaqstan
7. Gianmarco Garofoli (Ita) Astana Qazaqstan
8. Orluis Alberto Aular Sanabria (Ven) Caja Rural-Seguros RGA
9. Stefano Oldani (Ita) Cofidis
10. Axel Mariault (Fra) Cofidis.
Ordiziako Klasika’24
Gee and Baril Break the Ice at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games Individual Time Trial
Olivia Baril of Rouyn-Noranda, QC and Derek Gee of Ottawa, ON got the ball rolling for cycling at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games with a strong showing in the individual time trial on July 27.
Over a distance of 32.4 kilometres through the streets of Paris, starting at Les Invalides and finishing at Pont Alexandre III, passing through the Place de la Bastille, the riders had to endure a rainy day on slippery pavement, causing several falls throughout the peloton.
Fresh from a ninth-place overall finish in his first-ever Tour de France, 26-year-old Gee, competing in his second Olympic Games, clocked a time of 38:28.17m, good for 20th place.
“The conditions were very tricky and I knew my form would be challenged a bit,” said Gee, less than a week after the Tour de France. “It was a tough race for sure. I think that kind of form after the Tour will work better for the road race, because it’s a longer effort and with Mike (Woods) coming up, we’ll have some good options; I think he’ll arrive in good shape. Now I’ll recover a bit to prepare for next weekend.”
He finished 2 minutes 16 behind the new Olympic champion, Belgium’s Remco Evenepoel (36:12.16m), who was joined on the podium by fellow Belgian Wout Van Aert (+25.63s) with bronze. Italy’s Filippo Ganna (+14.92s) rounded off the podium with silver.
Derek Gee
Silver medallist at the Canadian Championships in the discipline, 26-year-old Baril set off on the course of her very first Olympic Games to finish in 20th position, 3 minutes 25 seconds behind the overall winner, Australian Grace Brown (39:38.24m).
“The course was very flat, so it doesn’t necessarily suit me best as the type of rider that I am,” said Baril. “It was quite rainy, but rainy for everybody, it made the streets of Paris very slippery. I’m happy because I stayed upright on my bike, which is important, contrarily to a lot of my competitors who crashed today, unfortunately. The preparation to get here was the best I could do, and I gave it my all today and I couldn’t have asked for better. I’m super motivated now for the road race.”
Olivia Baril:
Lotte Kopecky had Covid After Giro
Lotte Kopecky had corona after the Giro d’Italia Women, she told VTM Nieuws. However, the World champion believes that she will suffer much from this infection during the Olympic Games.
“I am not very afraid of Covid, because I came out of the Giro with a corona infection,” Kopecky said. “So I am immune to it for a while. I do not think that the infection will affect my performance. I took it easy for a few days after the positive test, but last weekend on the track everything felt good. So I do not think that it will have consequences.”
Kopecky spoke before Saturday’s individual time trial. She rode the course on Wednesday, was disappointed. “The road surface is not in great condition. There are a lot of holes, which made it very difficult to find a good line. That makes it difficult to stay in that position. You have to be constantly alert. I think that is to my advantage in some way. I am a rider who can still deliver high power when tired. But it remains a question mark how I will handle such a long time trial.” After the time trial, Kopecky will ride the road race and the omnium on the track.
Kopecky not happy with the Olympic TT road surface:
Tom Pidcock Not Happy with the Mountain Bike Course in Paris
Tom Pidcock has criticised the mountain bike course at the Olympic Games in Paris. The cross-country defending champion believes that the course is not a real mountain bike course, as it is ‘just gravel’. Pidcock is not the only one who is critical, Puck Pieterse told WielerFlits that she also has reservations about the circuit in Paris.
“It’s boring and I think they could have made it more of a mountain bike course,” Pidcock said blunt to CyclingWeekly. “It’s not the best course in the world, but it’s the same for everyone, so… We mountain bikers love our sport for certain reasons. You ride in special places and courses. But if you just ride over a hill with gravel on it, that’s not mountain biking.”
Pidcock’s criticism is the same as Pieterse’s words at the Dutch press conference. “The top layer is gravel, which makes it slippery in some corners. You have to be extra careful in that respect. It’s nice if the race can be determined on the climbs. But I definitely think that if you have the right rhythm here, you can also make up a lot of time on the sections in between,” she said to WielerFlits.
Pidcock not happy in Paris:
Mathieu van der Poel Feels Less Tired than Last Year after Tour de France
Mathieu van der Poel rode his only Post-Tour criterium of the year in Roeselare on Tuesday evening. This was his only race between the Tour de France and the Olympic road race. The World champion spoke with the media.
“A criterium like this is a good activity to keep the tension on your legs after the Tour;” he told VTM. “I also took part in this race last year to stay in shape for the World Championships. I am trying to repeat the successful formula of the World Championships in Glasgow, but of course every year is different. I already feel less tired than last year. Now we have to wait and see how my body reacts to the new intensive training.” Mathieu van der Poel was critical after Tour: “Can’t be completely satisfied, keep working towards the Games”
As for that Olympic road race on 3 August, Van der Poel knows who to keep an eye on. “I’m definitely looking at Remco and Wout, but Jasper Stuyven also rode an incredibly strong Tour. The Belgians will form a very strong block.”
MvdP was not completely satisfied with his Tour, he told WeilerFlits: “I knew it was going to be difficult for me personally, I had also expected more from it in advance. The chances of winning are slim, maybe I’ll win a stage again next year. With the team we focused well on Jasper Philipsen’s sprints, where we could gain the most. We ultimately did very well.”
Van der Poel wants to emulate the World champs in Glasgow:
Visma | Lease a Bike Want Mike Teunissen Back
Mike Teunissen is on his way back to Visma | Lease a Bike, several sources have told WielerFlits. The Dutch team is looking for a sprint lead-out for Olav Kooij and a reinforcement for the spring Classics core. This is why the team want the 31-year-old from Limburg. Allegedly a multi-year contract is ready for him.
Two years ago, Teunissen left the Dutch team to see if he could still ride for himself in some races. This took him to Intermarché-Wanty, where he could ride his own race in the Classics and would help Biniam Girmay in the sprints. This paid off in the Tour de France, where Teunissen played a leading role in Eritrean’s last sprint victory in particular. He cleared the way for Girmay, who then took his third stage win. Girmay was also the winner of the points classification in Nice.
There was plenty of interest in the services of Teunissen, whose colleagues praise him for his racing insight and ingenuity. Last year, it gave him a victory on the Vesten in Geraardsbergen during the final stage of the Renewi Tour. He set the tone for a very strong autumn for Intermarché-Wanty. At the European Championships on the VAM-berg, Teunissen also guided fellow countryman Kooij to bronze after a strong race. His current team also wanted to continue with him. There were four offers on the table, including from Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale.
Teunissen will celebrate his 32nd birthday at the end of August and will probably sign one of his last contracts. However, it is not only the financial aspect that counts for the Limburger, but also the sporting plan that has been presented to him. In 2015, he turned pro as a great talent with the then LottoNL-Jumbo team. After two years, Teunissen left for Team Sunweb, only to return to Jumbo-Visma for four seasons in 2019. There, he was a strong pairing with sprinter Dylan Groenwegen, who left for Jayco-AlUla in 2022. Teunissen left a year later.
At Intermarché-Wanty, the Limburger was a major force in the performance plan of coach Aike Visbeek with his experience and racing knowledge. He was also of great value in the development of Girmay. Teunissen is having a great time with the Walloon team, but also always had a lot of fun within what is now Visma | Lease a Bike. With Teunissen, the Dutch team will get the desired, permanent sprint lead-out for Olav Kooij. He was a bit lacking last year, while brothers Mick and Tim van Dijke will also be leaving Kooij’s team next season.
Mike Teunissen on his way back to Visma | Lease a Bike?
Dstny Has Not Extend The Contract with the Lotto Team
It has been rumoured for a long time that the dstny company wound not be a sponsor next year, but now it is official. According to De Tijd, Dstny will stop as sponsor of the Lotto Dstny cycling team at the end of this season. One of the reasons is said to be a difficult relationship between Dstny and the National Lottery, the owner of the team.
At the end of March, Het Laatste Nieuws reported that Dstny doubted whether it would remain associated with the Belgian team. Their contract expires at the end of the year and the collaboration didn’t always go smoothly. The style and personality of the CEO of the National Lottery, Jannie Haek, in particular, didn’t go down well. According to Daan De Wever, the CEO of Dstny, this did not match their standards and values.
“The relationship with the Lottery did not go well right from the start,” De Wever told De Tijd. “We quickly realised that we were in a construction where the Lottery did not want to share power. In every decision – both sporting and policy-related – they wanted to have the last word. The culture, the style and the collaboration were not what we had in mind.” So after about two years, the collaboration between Dstny and the cycling team comes to an end.
No dstny in the 2025 peloton:
Jordi Meeus extends contract with Red Bull – BORA – hansgrohe
Jordi Meeus will continue to sprint in the Red Bull – BORA – hansgrohe jersey in the coming seasons. The 26-year-old is the last rider to win on the famous Champs Elysées. Exactly one year ago, he celebrated his biggest career victory to date, winning the prestigious final stage of the Tour de France.
July 23, 2023 is a special day in the team’s history. Although it was the team’s 11th Tour stage win, the team had never before celebrated on the magnificent boulevard of Paris. After 3405 kilometres, it came down to a few centimetres: Jordi Meeus won and stood on the podium in Paris.
Just in time for the anniversary, the Belgian showed his top speed and won the opening stage of the Tour de Wallonie, his second victory of the season after winning a stage at the Tour of Norway. In the spring, Jordi Meeus impressed with a third place at Gent-Wevelgem and a Top10 result at Paris-Roubaix.
Jordi Meeus: “I’m really happy to stay with the team. I’ve become a professional cyclist here and I’ve felt at home from the beginning. I’ve learned a lot from the team and my teammates, and I’ve always felt super good here. The team was already one of the biggest when I first signed, and with Red Bull now on board, the project can now grow even further.”
Meeus to stay with Red Bull:
Yevgeniy Fedorov will continue with Astana Qazaqstan Team
24-year-old Kazakh cyclist Yevgeniy Fedorov will continue to compete with Astana Qazaqstan Team. The rider has signed a new contract with the team for the next two seasons (2025 and 2026).
The U23 World Champion (2022) and champion of the Summer Asian Games (2023) in the road race, Fedorov performed at a high level this year in one of the world’s most prestigious classic races Paris-Roubaix, finishing in 14th place, a record for Kazakh riders. Additionally, Fedorov won the Asian Championship in the individual time trial for the third consecutive time.
Fedorov participated in the Tour de France, contributing to Mark Cavendish’s historic 35th stage victory on the 5th stage of the French Grand Tour. Unfortunately, due to illness, the Kazakh rider had to leave the Tour de France early.
After recovering from the sickness, Yevgeniy Fedorov is now in Paris, where he will represent Kazakhstan in the individual time trial of 32.4 km.
“I am already in Paris and preparing to start the individual time trial tomorrow, on Saturday. This is a very important and responsible start for me, and I want to represent Kazakhstan with dignity. After the time trial, together with Alexey Lutsenko, I will also compete in the road race. This season has been mixed for me. On the one hand, there were certain successes, such as in Paris-Roubaix or at the Asian Championship. On the other hand, due to sickness, I couldn’t recover in time for some important starts or had to withdraw, as happened in the Tour de France. After the Tour and before Paris, I raced the Vuelta a Castilla y León to check my readiness. I feel good, so I am looking forward to tomorrow’s start. I am very happy to have extended my contract with Astana Qazaqstan Team, and I feel that in this team I can gain even more experience, become stronger, and achieve significant results. The first years in the WorldTour were tough and uneven, primarily due to the ongoing effects of the pandemic. But I hope that gradually I will reach a high level that will allow me to compete for victories in big races. And I feel that I can do this in my team,” said Yevgeniy Fedorov.
“Yevgeniy has everything necessary to achieve great results in the highest-level races. And we saw this year in Paris-Roubaix, where he is progressing season by season. Next year, he can make a big step forward in this classic, as well as in other races. It is not easy for all young riders to unlock their potential in the WorldTour, especially when factors such as sicknesses and injuries come into play. But I am confident that perseverance and hard work will eventually lead to success. I am glad that we have extended the contract with Yevgeniy, and in the next two years, we will continue to work to help him fully realise his potential. For now, all attention is on the Olympic Games in Paris, where Yevgeniy Fedorov will compete tomorrow. Both our riders, Fedorov and Alexey Lutsenko, are currently in good shape and ready to fight. I wish the team great success and good luck at the Olympics, and I hope that we can achieve our goals,” said Alexandr Vinokurov, General Manager of Astana Qazaqstan Team.
Two more season with Astana for Yevgeniy Fedorov:
Visma | Lease a Bike Chooses New Supplier of Lubricants and Cleaners
Silca, a company specialising in high-quality bicycle pumps, tools, lubricants and accessories, has announced a multi-year partnership with Team Visma | Lease a Bike. The agreement will see Silca become Team Visma | Lease a Bike’s official chain wax and bike care partner, with riders using Silca’s lubricants and cleaners exclusively.
Silca’s lubricants, including the oil-based Synergetic, Super Secret Drip Wax Lube, Secret Chain Blend Hot Melt Wax, are the most efficient on the market, according to the company, offering “exceptional performance in all weather conditions.” Their bike care products, including Ultimate Bike Wash, Chain Stripper, Brake and Drivetrain Cleaner and Ceramic Waterless Wash, are all designed to work in tandem with their drivetrain wax products, helping to maintain the bikes in the best possible way.
“We are delighted to officially partner with Visma | Lease a Bike, of which we have been great admirers and friends for many years,” says Josh Poertner, CEO of Silca. “Visma is a team known for its dedication to performance and innovation. Their pursuit of ‘marginal gains’ aligns perfectly with our own objectives and we are confident that our products will give them the winning edge to achieve their goals. At the same time, they will provide us with feedback at the highest level of our sport, to help us develop a new generation of Silca products.”
That enthusiasm is also reflected in the Dutch WorldTour team. “We are constantly looking for the fastest and best way to lubricate in every race and under all conditions. Chain waxing gives us the best possible chain in all conditions and Silca is a leading company in this field. Their expertise and innovative thinking align with our need and quest to continuously improve our equipment,” says Jenco Drost, Head of Performance Equipment for the team.
Visma | Lease a Bike to use Silca:
Cyclo-Cross Might be In the 2030 Winter Olympics
There seems to be a chance of cyclo-cross being added to the Olympic programme from the 2030 Winter Olympics. Various news sources have quoted UCI president David Lappartient.
Sporza presenter Karl Vannieuwkerke spoke about it on Saturday evening in the daily talk show Paris by night. “At the 2030 Winter Olympics, cyclo-cross, like cross-country running, would be added to the Olympic programme,” the presenter said. “It will be officially announced in 2025, but the chance that it will go ahead is 99.99%.”
In 2030, the Games will take place in the French Alps. That has only been official since the congress of the International Olympic Committee on 24 July. According to Vannieuwkerke, UCI president David Lappartient, also a member of the IOC, is one of the men behind those Games and the Olympic cyclo-cross lobby. The UCI president is said to have made it his life’s work, just like Sebastian Coe of the athletics federation World Athletics, who wants to add cross-country running to the Olympic programme.
According to Het Laatste Nieuws and the French newspaper Dauphiné Libéré, it is not yet that far, but the talks between the UCI, World Athletics and the IOC have been going on for some time, according to these newspapers, and are proceeding very positively and constructively. Lappartient admitted to the French newspaper that the IOC wants to work on it from 2025, but there are still points that need to be examined on a political level.
This includes the regulation that sports at the Winter Games must in principle always be competed on snow or ice. “It remains to be seen whether there can be an exceptional deviation from this. Cyclo-cross and cross-country running could share the same site in any case,” Lappartient added.
Winter Olympics cyclo-cross?
2024 Tour de France Media Figures
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