It’s a busy EUROTRASH with loads to get through this Thursday – News form the Olympic Games and everything else from the peloton:
Olympic news: Mathieu van der Poel doesn’t have to worry about teenage girls in Paris, Remco Evenepoel, Wout van Aert and the Belgian team are preparing for the Olympic road race, Tom Pidcock aims for double gold at the Olympic Games, Mattias Skjelmose wants to ride in the same team as Jonas Vingegaard one day and the Belgian coach behind INEOS Grenadiers’ Olympic mountain bike success.
Rider news: Soudal Quick-Step puts two new Monuments on Remco Evenepoel’s programme for 2025, Olympic champion Tom Pidcock could be on the market before 2025, Olympic MTB Champion Pauline Ferrand-Prévot will now focus on the Tour de France Femmes, Remco Evenepoel is considering riding the Tour of Britain in preparation for the World Championships, Jay Vine Medical update, another year for Nairo Quintana with Movistar, Lawson Craddock announces retirement, Coryn Labecki suddenly retires, Charlotte Kool has doubts for the Tour de France Femmes, Triathlete Kristian Blummenfelt wants to win the Tour de France in 2028 and Victor Campenaerts thinks it’s possible.
Team news: Matteo Moschetti discharged from hospital after training incident, Max Poole makes his comeback after four months, Christian Scaroni stays with Astana Qazaqstan, Corbin Strong set to stay with IPT through to 2026, Giovanni Aleotti extends contract with Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe, Corbin Strong set to stay with IPT through to 2026, the next races for Team dsm-firmenich-PostNL and Lotto will continue next season without Dstny.
Race news: Arctic Race of Norway 2024: Spectacle in view in Nordland and sixth stage of la Vuelta a España to start in a supermarket.
EUROTRASH Olympic coffee time!
Mathieu van der Poel Doesn’t Have to Worry About Teenage Girls in Paris 2024
Mathieu van der Poel and Dylan van Baarle joined the Dutch team for the Olympic road race on Saturday in Paris. Time trialist, Daan Hoole, stayed in the hotel of the Dutch team, west of Paris in the ‘middle of nowhere’ after his TT last weekend. Raymond Kerckhoffs reported in the Dutch website, WielerFlits on the national team’s hotel arrangements for the Olympics Games.
Far away from Paris and also far removed from the Olympic feeling. The cyclists of the Netherlands team who will be racing in the Olympic Games are housed in the Hotel Centre Port-Royal in the peace of the forests of the Chevreuse valley. It is about a 45-minute drive from the city centre to get to the hotel, which has been decorated with orange banners and bean bags and red, white and blue stickers.
The entire hotel has been rented by Team NL for the cycling teams. Onlookers are kept at a distance. If you drive onto the hotel grounds, two security guards will immediately rush out. The road, track, BMX and mountain bikers can enjoy peace and quiet, and three of those groups also have their venues nearby in Saint-Yvelinnes. Far away from civilisation, Mathieu van der Poel, Harrie Lavreysen, Marianne Vos and the others, don’t have to worry about situations such as in the run-up to the World championships in Wollongong, Australia, when teenage girls kept ‘MVDP’ awake the night before the championship race. There is no chance of anyone bothering the cyclists.
National coach Koos Moerenhout is happy to be preventing an incident like in Wollongong with this place on a mountain not far from the hamlet of Saint-Lambert.
Moerenhout: “In terms of peace and quiet, we have nothing to complain about here. In addition, we can easily train from here and we are not far from a large part of the course. Only the final around Montmartre is further away, but the official training for that is on Thursday when the course in the city is closed. The incident with the annoying teenage girls in the airport hotel south of Sydney is not the reason that we are now somewhat shielded from the outside world,” Moerenhout emphasises. “I think NOC*NSF had this hotel in mind two years ago in consultation with the KNWU. They purely looked at which location is the best in terms of performance.”
Moerenhout visited the Olympic village with Daan Hoole at the beginning of this week. “Then you are glad that you are sleeping here. The ‘Olympic Village’ is located in the city, which makes it difficult to get to the roads where you can train well. It is also constantly busy and you also lose a lot of time with security going in and out of the village. No, in all respects we are ideally located here.”
The hotel brochure : “This is the ideal place to relax, let go, unite and motivate your troops to achieve new goals.”
No annoying kids here:
Remco Evenepoel, Wout van Aert and the Belgian Team Preparing for the Olympic Road Race
As the tension is rises before the Olympic Games road race in Paris, most riders travelled to the French capital in the last few days, including the Belgian team. Remco Evenepoel arrived on Tuesday evening and went to train with Lotte Kopecky on Wednesday. The following evening (Thursday), Wout van Aert, Tiesj Benoot and Jasper Stuyven will arrive.
Evenepoel and Kopecky went for a long training session on the large loop of the Olympic course on Wednesday morning. For the Olympic time trial champion, it was a six-hour ride, followed by national coach Sven Vanthourenhout, wrote Het Laatste Nieuws. Van Aert, Benoot (who are travelling by train) and Stuyven (by plane) had their last long training session on their home roads on Tuesday. For Van Aert, that was a ride, partly in the Netherlands, of 227.5 kilometres at an average of just under 38kph.
Both HLN and Het Nieuwsblad report that the Belgians will ride the circuit in the centre of Paris on Thursday, as will all the other countries. “We will do the last sixty kilometres of the big loop,” said Vanthourenhout. “And then we will ride two more laps on the Parisian circuit of 18 kilometres in the city centre that will be closed to traffic for two hours. Everyone there talks about the Butte Montmartre, but 4 kilometres earlier there is a cobbled climb that has a spur on asphalt. That zone is 1,600 meters long, quite tough with bad cobbles and that spur still rises 5% to 6% percent on average.”
“On Friday there is traditionally a coffee ride of one and a half hours where they spend the morning relaxing on the bike,” the Belgian national coach continues. “In the afternoon that is rest, massage, food and to bed on time. It is pure competition preparation. The ‘water plan’ has already been made. That means that there will be people every 30 kilometres. The last meeting is Friday evening, but that is more of a summary of everything that was discussed in the weeks and days before. Saturday will be a racing day with nice, sunny weather but with 25 degrees not excessively warm.”
Wout and Remco looking forward to Saturday:
Tom Pidcock Aims for Double Gold at the Olympic Games: “It is Definitely Possible”
After his victory in the mountain bike race at the Olympic Games in Paris, Tom Pidcock’s hunger for the road race is super high. In his entourage, they realise that it will be difficult to go for the same result, but there is also confidence after the Briton’s previous victory.
Cyclingnews spoke to British Performance Director Stephen Parks about the situation. “Tom must first enjoy the moment. He was extremely focused on the road race, both physically and mentally. But Tom is also a professional. He will be back on it soon. He went into the ‘post-race recovery protocol’ immediately after the race, I am sure he will be ready for the battle. Winning on the mountain bike also gives him confidence for the road race.”
The management has every confidence in the leader of the British team, which is made up of Fred Wright, Stephen Williams and time trialist Joshua Tarling at the start. “There is no doubt that we will have to ride as a real team. Everyone will be motivated, but so will the opponents. Tom has the legs, he has his mind set on the race, so they will all ride for him without any problem.”
What does Parks think about the possibility of double gold for Pidcock? “It is certainly possible. But I think that if there is one cycling race that I would never bet on, it is the Olympic road race. It is such a tough race, a real battle of attrition. If the whole peloton is riding against you, it is very difficult to win. But we have to wait and see, we will definitely participate.”
A second 2024 Gold medal for Pidcock?
Mattias Skjelmose Wants to Ride in the Same Team as Jonas Vingegaard
Mattias Skjelmose will be part of the Danish Olympic quartet with Mikkel Bjerg, Michael Mørkøv and fellow favourite Mads Pedersen for the road race in Paris on Saturday. Two-time Tour de France winner Jonas Vingegaard will not be there, but Skjelmose would like to share the leadership with him at the World Championships later this season.
The Lidl-Trek rider told the newspaper Ekstra Bladet, the most visited news website in Denmark, that he hopes to be the leader at the World championships, unless Vingegaard participates. “I think our chances of a medal are much greater if we both participate. I would love to ride in a team with Jonas. On paper he is the better climber, probably in practice too. But I think it is dangerous to have only one leader during the World Championships on the road.”
Unlike the Olympic Games, where Denmark is only one of five countries that will start with the maximum number of four riders, the Scandinavians can have eight riders at the World championships in Switzerland. “Let Jonas be our leader and I be the shadow leader,” Skjelmose explained. “If we are still together in the last lap, I have no problem sacrificing myself for him. That is our best chance of a medal. It would be a shame to start with only one leader in such a great race.”
The question is to what extent the Danish leader of Visma | Lease a Bike will respond to Skjelmose’s call. After the Tour, Vingegaard already announced that he would not be riding many races in the autumn. The Vuelta a España was ruled out early on, due to his wife expecting their second child during the Spanish race. The men’s World championship road race is on Sunday 29 September.
Skjelmose wants to be with Jonas Vingegaard at the Worlds:
The Belgian Coach Behind INEOS Grenadiers’ Olympic Mountain Bike Success
For INEOS Grenadiers, the 2024 Olympic Games couldn’t have been better. Pauline Ferrand-Prévot and Tom Pidcock both won gold on their mountain bikes. The man behind the success is Kurt Bogaerts, the Belgian coach who prepared the French and British riders over the past two years, with Gold as the ultimate result.
Bogaerts told his story to Het Nieuwsblad. “First I invested in general training for Pauline and Tom. Then we worked specifically on Élancourt’s requirements. I prepared them for the heat and for the explosiveness of half a minute to two minutes. And let them recover very quickly between the intervals. Although there was not much time left to recover after Tom’s flat tyre.”
“Because Tom had to close that gap, he was forced to skip certain ‘fuelling zones’,” he explained. “Then you have to dig even deeper to win that race, because he was no longer in control of the race. But I did see at every pass that he was still in control of himself. After the finish he said to me: ‘You stayed calm when that wheel had to be replaced. You acted as if nothing had happened.’ I said: what else could I do?”
Bogaerts also spoke of the puncture. “This title is proof that despite adversity, it is never over. And that gold is at the finish, and nowhere else. Tom has shown enormous resilience. It was great to see how much courage he can get out of himself. I have never seen him so dogged. I will remember that. But you also have to have the physical strength to turn that around. That last attack by Victor Koretzky was difficult.”
The Frenchman was carried by the ‘super chauvinistic home crowd’ according to Bogaerts and they booed loudly when Pidcock crossed the finish line. On Saturday, the British rider will be at the start of the road race and later this autumn he is aiming for the World Championships in Switzerland. But will he defend his MTB title again in 2028 in Los Angeles? “Tom simply likes mountain biking. Of course, his ambition on the road is growing. And he is getting progressively better. I never saw this year’s Tour as a benchmark. It was simply ridden with a view to the future.”
Pidcock now has more ambition for the road:
Soudal Quick-Step Puts Two New Monuments on Remco Evenepoel’s Programme for 2025
There were rumours that Soudal Quick-Step would have Remco Evenepoel make his debut in the Tour of Flanders and Milan-Sanremo in 2025. That idea has now become more concrete. In an interview with La Dernière Heure, Patrick Lefevere shared part of Evenepoel’s provisional spring programme, including the two Monuments.
“The idea is to let him discover Milan-Sanremo and de Ronde van Vlaanderen,” said Lefevere. “He will also ride either Paris-Nice or Tirreno-Adriatico. After that, he will ride a race to prepare for the Tour of Flanders. That will be Dwars door Vlaanderen or the E3 Saxo Classic.” Afterwards, Evenepoel will start in Liège-Bastogne-Liège, the Monument that he has won twice. Then the focus will shift to the Tour de France. The Belgian finished third this year on his debut and hopes to do even better in the future.
Evenepoel to ride Sanremo and Flanders in 2025:
Olympic Champion Tom Pidcock Could be on the Market Before 2025
Tom Pidcock could be in his final year with INEOS Grenadiers. It has been widely reported that two teams are interested in signing the 25-year-old. Pidcock has a contract until the end of 2027 with INEOS Grenadiers.
The two unnamed teams, have been informed that the British rider would like to make a transfer at the end of 2024. Other teams are also said to be investigating the possibility of taking the two-time Olympic mountain bike champion from INEOS Grenadiers. There is even talk of a deal where the British team would pay part of Pidcock’s current salary if he moves. A possible reason for Pidcock’s transfer could be that INEOS Grenadiers wants to win the Tour de France. Pidcock is one of the peloton’s most highly paid riders, but has failed to show that he can compete for the overall victory in a Grand Tour. He did win a stage on Alpe d’Huez in 2022, Strade Bianche and the Amstel Gold Race.
Pidcock’s agent Andrew McQuaid says that a departure from INEOS Grenadiers is “not a question at the moment”. The Briton is focusing on his goals for the future. “The problem with long-term contracts is that things can change over time. Tom signed a five-year extension in 2022 and he has achieved everything he needed to achieve so far, as we discussed during the negotiations,” his manager explained.
“Tom wants to tick off a number of big goals in the coming years,” McQuaid continued. “INEOS is a great team with great people, we are constantly communicating about what is best for the team and how Tom fits in, what is best for Tom, what the goals are, how to achieve them, etc. If at any point the goals between Tom and the team differ, I am sure that as adults we will sit down with the management of INEOS Grenadiers and talk about it. From the owner down to the bottom, they are smart, committed, ambitious and experienced people. If there are ever any problems, I am sure we can sit down and talk about it.”
One of the teams that has previously said that they are interested in Pidcock is Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe. That is not surprising, since Red Bull is a personal sponsor. With Pidcock riding different cycling disciplines, he fits in perfectly with the image of Red Bull. The German team could pay his annual salary of around three million euros. Of course there is still talk of Remco Evenepoel in connection with INEOS Grenadiers, but he seems quite happy with Soudal-Quick-Step.
A move for Tom Pidcock?
Olympic MTB Champion Pauline Ferrand-Prévot: “I Will Focus on the Tour de France Femmes in the Coming Years”
Pauline Ferrand-Prévot won gold on Sunday in the Olympic mountain bike race in Paris. This is the icing on the cake of her mountain bike career. From next year she will be racing on the road for Visma | Lease a Bike and will focus on the Tour de France Femmes in the coming years, she told Cyclingnews after her Gold medal ride.
“I have already decided that I will stop mountain biking at the end of this year and that will not change now,” said Ferrand-Prévot. “Even if I were to win gold, I would stop.”
The French rider already had a plan for the future: “I wanted to prepare well for these Games, but I also had to know what would happen afterwards. My future plans for road cycling will become official in the second week of August. I have a great project that will help me focus on the Tour de France in the coming years. I have now won Olympic gold, but I still have some goals,” said the 32-year-old rider.
Road cycling is not new to Ferrand-Prévot. She was junior World road champion on the road in Offida, Italy in 2010 and turned pro in 2011, where she immediately had good results. Rabobank to give her a chance with their team in 2012. Under the wings of Jeroen Blijlevens, Grischa Niermann and Koos Moerenhout, the French rider quickly grew into a World-class rider.
In 2014, she had a series of top results. She won the Flèche Walloon, won in the tough stage race Emakumeen Bira, second to Marianne Vos in the Giro Donne and was World champion on the road in Ponferrada. The following winter, Ferrand-Prévot also won World cyclo-cross championships and in 2015 she decided to focus more on mountain biking.
Now that she has won a mountain bike Olympic Gold, Ferrand-Prévot wants to focus completely on the road again and will be part of the Visma | Lease a Bike team.
Olympic Gold for Ferrand-Prévot:
Remco Evenepoel is Considering Riding the Tour of Britain in Preparation for the World Championships
Remco Evenepoel has the Tour of Britain on his provisional schedule. Until now, his team Soudal Quick-Step had not announced which races the Olympic time trial champion would ride it prepare for his next goal, the World championships in Zurich at the end of September.
It is a busy summer for Evenepoel with three major goals. The Tour de France, where he made it onto the podium after disrupted preparation due to a crash in the Itzulia Basque Country, the Olympic Games, where he won the time trial, and the World Championships in Switzerland, which seems to be made for climbers.
Cycling Weekly reports that the Belgian would ride the Tour of Britain between the Olympics and the Worlds. This stage race is not yet definite for Evenepoel, but according to team boss Patrick Lefevere it is on his provisional schedule. The Tour of Britain begins in Kelso on September 3 and finishes in Felixstowe on September 8. The Swiss World championships has the individual time trial on September 22 and the men’s road race on September 29.
Evenepoel coming to Britain?
Jay Vine Medical Update
Jonas Vingegaard and Remco Evenepoel have both recovered after their terrible crash in the Itzulia Basque Country and both rode very well in the Tour de France. Jay Vine had to watch the French Grand Tour on TV at home, but he now has an update.
Vingegaard and Evenepoel both finished on the final podium in the Tour. One of the last victims of the Basque crash is now also close to his comeback, although it is still unclear when. The 28-year-old Australian of UAE Team Emirates broke his neck and two thoracic vertebrae in the crash. He was one of the biggest victims that day.
On Instagram, he shared an update on his health. “Just over four weeks ago, the doctors gave me the green light to ride downhill again. I think it’s fair to say that I’m enjoying being back on the bike and doing normal training. And I’ve also enjoyed saving all the fuel by not being able to go up and down the mountains. No two rehabilitation processes are the same and sometimes I’ve had to adapt to that. I have to give a shout out to my team, who have been so supportive throughout.”
Vine is in his second season with UAE Team Emirates, who bought out his contract with Alpecin-Fenix at the end of 2022 after two stage wins in the Tour of Spain that year. “I’m starting to feel more and more like myself. But perhaps even more importantly, I’m enjoying riding my bike again. I’m currently on an altitude training camp with my team and some other guys, where I’m doing some quality training. No, I don’t have any plans to race at the moment. We’re taking it day by day and week by week. But I am looking forward to racing again soon.”
Jay Vine training again:
Another Year for Nairo Quintana with Movistar
Nairo Quintana will be racing with the Movistar team in 2025. According to different sources, the 34-year-old Colombian will have a one-year contract extension with the Spanish team.
Quintana returned to Movistar at the beginning of 2024, after having been without a team since October 2022. He was also removed from the Tour de France results that year, after testing positive for Tramadol. That painkiller is not on the WADA banned substances list, but is banned by the UCI. Quintana had a long search for a new team, until his former team, Movistar, offered him a place.
In his first months with the team, Quintana did show some flashes of his former class that won him the Giro in 2014 and the Vuelta in 2016. In the Giro stage to Livigno, he looked on his way to a stage win, but Tadej Pogačar passed him in the final kilometres. Quintana had his best result since his comeback with a second place.
Quintana is very important for the Movistar telephone brand in South America and the team still believes in Quintana’s potential, but he will only get a contract extension for 1 year.
One more year for Quintana:
Lawson Craddock Announces Retirement
Lawson Craddock racing his final season as a professional cyclist. He announced his retirement via Instagram. The 32-year-old American will have been a professional cyclist for 11 years.
“One more trip to Europe with the family,” Craddock wrote with a photo with his children at the airport in Houston, Texas. “It’s been an amazing trip, but I’m happy to say that 2024 will be my last year in the professional peloton. There are so many people to thank, but none more so than my wife and children. I’m so blessed to have them by my side and can’t wait to see what the future holds for us.”
Craddock turned pro with Giant-Shimano at the age of 21. He rode for the Dutch team in 2014 and 2015, the same team as Marcel Kittel and Tom Dumoulin. The American then moved to Cannondale. The Texan remained with Jonathan Vaughters’ team until 2021, after which he switched to BikeExchange Jayco, now Jayco AlUla, where he will end his career.
Craddock’s palmarès includes two professional victories. He was US time trial champion in 2021 and 2022, He also finished 6th in the World time trial championship in Harrogate in 2019. Craddock was also a good climber. He had some good finishes in Grand Tour mountain stages from early breaks. In 2014, in his first year as a professional, he finished 3rd overall in the Amgen Tour of California.
It is not yet known which races Craddock will ride in his final months.
Lawson Craddock to retire:
Former Tour of Flanders Winner, Coryn Labecki, Suddenly Retires
Coryn Labecki rode her last race as a professional cyclist this week in the Kreiz Breizh Elites Femmes. Her team EF-Oatly-Cannondale announced on Instagram. The departure of the 31-year-old American, who was known as Coryn Rivera in her first years of her career, came as a surprise.
Especially since Labecki announced at the end of last year that she would leave Jumbo-Visma after two years, because she wanted to win more again. The Olympic Games were seen as a major goal, but Labecki did not make the selection for that.
Labecki’s greatest successes date from her time at Team Sunweb, the predecessor of dsm-firmenich PostNL. In 2017, she even won the Tour of Flanders, Trofeo Binda and the Ride London Classic. It is expected that she will now focus on riding criteriums in America, a discipline in which she is the reigning national champion.
Coryn Labecki suddenly retires:
Charlotte Kool has Doubts for the Tour de France Femmes
Charlotte Kool, the sprinter of dsm-firmenich PostNL was very successful last year, but in 2024 she has only had one win. Since the victory in the Baloise Ladies Tour, she has been struggling with her health. She hopes to find her good feeling again going towards the Tour de France Femmes, she said in an interview on the website of the Grand Départ in Rotterdam.
“I didn’t come out of that race completely fit (the Baloise Ladies Tour),” where she won the second stage to Zulte. “We just don’t know what’s going on. It’s complicated, so I can’t say much about it yet.”
“I couldn’t really be happy with that victory, because I haven’t been the best version of myself all season,” the 25-year-old rider pointed out. “I haven’t been riding badly all season and I’m doing well in the finals, especially in tough races, so I’ve really made progress this winter. I also felt really good in the preparation for this season. My values in training and races have improved, but I still haven’t had a top feeling all year. And that irritates me.”
Can things get better for Kool going into the Tour de France Femmes, which starts on 12 August with a stage from Rotterdam to The Hague? “You never know what’s going to happen in a sprint. And of course I hope that I can find the right feeling in the coming weeks. The Tour has been a very important goal for me for so long. You know: around the National Championships I really started to improve and I thought I was on the right track again, but now something strange is happening again, which I hope is something innocent and that it will go away with rest.”
Kool thinks it’s ‘super special’ that the Tour de France Femmes starts in her own country. “It says a lot about the development of the Tour that this is happening. It’s not as big as the men’s of course, but it’s going in that direction and that’s great. I hope there will be a lot of people on the roadside during the stages and I also expect that this will give women’s cycling in our country a huge boost.”
Only one win for Charlotte Kool this season, so far:
Triathlete Kristian Blummenfelt Wants to Win the Tour de France in 2028
Kristian Blummenfelt, the reigning Olympic triathlon champion, wants to turn professional next year. And the 30-year-old Norwegian has no intention of just riding around. He has the ambition to win the Tour de France in 2028.
Blummenfelt is thought of as one of the best triathletes in the World. In recent seasons he has won Olympic gold in Tokyo and two World titles, one in the middle distance and one in the long distance. He should have defended his Olympic title in Paris this week, but due to the water quality, the event has been postponed.
In the run-up to the race, his trainer Olav Aleksander Bu spoke to the press on Sunday. Bu said that Blummenfelt wants to concentrate on road cycling in 2025, as was previously announced. The Norwegian triathlete, who has a VO2max of 103ml/kg/min, is in the sights of Jayco AlUla.
“We are not going to cycle to cut down. We are going to cycle to make a difference. We have to take the yellow jersey in the Tour de France. It is that simple,” Bu told Norwegian broadcaster TV2. “We will probably need a few years. The first year we probably will not do the Tour de France. 2025 will be a year in which we orient ourselves and see in which areas we have to improve.”
“In 2026 we want to ride the Tour. In 2027 we have to be in a position to take a few jerseys. If we’re not in a position to win some stages or be at the absolute top of the GC, it’s going to be very hard to think we can do something magical in 2028. We think we’ll really test it in 2027 and then the goal is to go all-in on the Tour de France in 2028.”
Bu also said that it’s “90% certain” that Blummenfelt will race next year. “The reason I say ’90’ is because we haven’t signed a contract yet. There are still a few small things that need to be sorted out,” the coach said.
Kristian Blummenfelt in Paris – Next time for the Tour?
Is Triathlete Kristian Blummenfelt’s Tour Dream Realistic? Victor Campenaerts Thinks So
When triathlon star Kristian Blummenfelt said he wanted to win the Tour de France in 2028, there was some disbelief. But, Victor Campenaerts thinks it is not impossible that the Norwegian could fulfil his high ambitions.
Campenaerts, a former triathlete himself, does not think Bu’s words about Blummenfelt are a bluff. “I believe in it,” said the Belgian, who knows Blummenfelt and Bu ‘very well’, in an interview with Het Nieuwsblad. “Mentally, they are unmatched. If you think I’m a professional idiot… Well, I can guarantee everyone that I won’t even reach their heels. After his Olympic title in Tokyo, I sent a message to congratulate Kristian and asked them if they were going to rest for a while. Well, they had taken one day to visit the Olympic village, one day to return home and then they started training for the next goal.”
Bu’s statements didn’t come as a surprise to Campenaerts. He already knew in April that Blummenfelt had made plans to start racing and aim for the very highest. “I asked his coach if he realised that it would not be easy for them to ride in a professional peloton. They realised that, he said, because they were not owls. He describes 2025 as the year in which they will seek out the limits. Ride through a bend as quickly as possible until Kristian falls, for example. So that the next time they can go through the bend at the same speed without falling. His first race will also be crucial. Kristian will immediately claim his place, so that everyone understands that Blummenfelt is not to be messed with. They mean business. Their plan is too concrete not to be true.”
According to Campenaerts, Blummenfelt has a fantastic VO2max, but in cycling more factors are important to achieve a top performance. For example, you have to be able to ride well in a peloton. But Bu and Blummenfelt will find a solution for that, Campenaerts thinks. He is also not worried about Blummenfelt’s weight, which is 75 kilos at 176 centimetres, according to the data available online.
“If it turns out that he has to lose ten kilos to win the Tour, then he will lose ten kilos. He will not eat for six months, so to speak. But I don’t believe they want to lose all that weight. Blummenfelt is not skin and bones and that has also been considered. According to Bu, his athletes perform better when they have a slightly higher fat percentage,” said Campenaerts, who is full of praise for the trainer. “He knows better than anyone how his athletes react to stimuli. They are also unparalleled in that respect.”
Campenaerts thinks Blummenfelt can do it:
Moschetti Discharged from Hospital After Training Incident
On Tuesday, July 23rd, during a training ride on the outskirts of Milan, Italy, Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team cyclist Matteo Moschetti was involved in a serious collision with a truck, resulting in multiple fractures.
Promptly attended to by paramedics, Moschetti was transported to a local hospital where he received immediate treatment for his injuries. He was discharged this past Sunday.
“After a collision with a truck on July 23rd 2024, Matteo Moschetti suffered several fractures of the cervical and thoracic spine, as well as a left-sided collarbone fracture and a sternum fracture. In addition, there were deep wounds on the left side of his face. He was always in stable condition and the collarbone fracture was surgically treated last week. Fortunately, Matteo was discharged from the hospital this past Sunday. Further medical checks will follow but we are confident that he will recover in the next few weeks/months,” stated Lorenz Emmert, Head Physician at Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team.
Moschetti will undergo additional medical exams and commence his rehabilitation process in due course. Speaking from home, the 27-year-old sprinter expressed his gratitude and optimism about his recovery: “I’m happy and thankful to be in one piece and relatively healthy. I owe a great deal of thanks to the doctors, my family, and my team for their unwavering support during this challenging time. My main focus now is on recovering and regaining my health. I also want to extend my gratitude to everyone who sent messages of support and encouragement over the past week,” said Moschetti.
Currently in his eighth season as a professional cyclist and his second year with Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team, Matteo Moschetti has nine professional victories to his name and achieved 10 Top-10 finishes this season.
Moschetti recovering:
Max Poole Makes his Comeback After Four Months
Max Poole will return to racing next week. The 21-year-old British rider, who broke his elbow in March, will at the start of the Vuelta a Burgos on Monday with the dsm-firmenich PostNL team
Poole is seen as a future leader in stage races with the dsm-firmenich PostNL team. Last year, in his first season as a professional, he finished fourth in the Tour of Hungary and the Tour of Romandie. This season started well for Poole with a seventh place in the UAE Tour. Not long after that he crashed on the queen stage of Tirreno-Adriatico. Poole was taken to the nearest hospital, where it turned out that he had a fracture of his elbow. After a long rehabilitation, the promising rider is now ready to race again.
“We are looking forward to seeing Max again after a long absence,” said Callum Ferguson, coach at dsm-firmenich PostNL, in a press release. “We will see what he can do on the two most important GC days.”
In addition to Poole, Chris Hamilton, Enzo Leijnse, Tim Naberman, Martijn Tusveld, Julius van den Berg and Pavel Bittner will also be at the start of the Vuelta a Burgos for the Dutch WorldTeam. With Bittner, the team is aiming for stage results on the flatter stages.
Max Poole on the way back:
Christian Scaroni Stays with Astana Qazaqstan Team
Having spent two and a half seasons with Astana Qazaqstan Team, Italian rider Christian Scaroni (26) has agreed to extend his contract with the team for another two years. Thus, the new agreement is valid for the 2025 and 2026 seasons.
Joining Astana Qazaqstan Team in late July 2022, Scaroni has shown himself to be an active and attacking rider, amassing a collection of podium finishes and Top-10 results. Among his key achievements are several stage podiums and second place overall in the Arctic Race of Norway (2023), 4th place in the Trofeo Laigueglia (2024), 7th place in the Coppa Bernocchi (2022, 2023), and 8th place in the WorldTour race Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race (2024).
“In a few days, I will start the Arctic Race of Norway, which I really like. Last year, I finished second overall, coming very close to victory but I couldn’t win. In fact, these two and a half years with the team have been very good, my level has significantly improved, and I’ve gained a lot of experience that is gradually translating into good results. The progress is evident, and all that’s missing is a victory. But I hope the victory will come soon. The team is also growing, evolving, and changing, and I’m happy to be part of this project. This is the place where I can continue to work, improve, and achieve success. I hope to have a strong second half of the season and then perform at a high-level next year. For now, I will focus on the race in Norway,”– said Christian Scaroni.
“Despite not having won yet, Christian Scaroni is one of the most consistent riders on the team. Christian is a very active rider, attacking a lot, always trying to be at the front. So, I think at some point everything will come together and victories will come. Riders like Christian are important for the team, so I’m glad we agreed to extend the contract for another two seasons. There is a lot of work ahead, with set goals that we will strive to achieve.” said Alexandr Vinokurov, General Manager of Astana Qazaqstan Team.
Two more years for Christian Scaroni with Astana Qazaqstan:
Corbin Strong Set to Stay with IPT Through to 2026
After three years with Israel – Premier Tech, Corbin Strong is set to stay having signed an additional two-year contract which will see the New Zealander in IPT colours until 2026.
Strong’s impressive stage win last week and second overall at the Tour de Wallonie is the latest success for the 24-year-old, building on previous wins at the Skoda Tour de Luxembourg and Tour of Britain.
Having spent the last few seasons developing on the road, after transitioning from the track, Strong is looking forward to achieving more success with IPT in the years to come.
“Since joining the team I’ve received a lot of trust and opportunities and built great relationships with both staff and teammates,” explains Strong. “I’m in a great environment to continue my development and perform to my best. Even the races that don’t go well are enjoyable with the group of staff and riders we have in the team. Not just on the bike but off the bike, I really enjoy my time with the team and am excited to be staying through to 2026.”
IPT General Manager Kjell Carlström said Strong’s contract extension was an easy decision to make.
“Corbin is a rider who integrated seamlessly into the team, both on and off the road, when he joined us in 2022 so we didn’t hesitate to sit down with him already last year to extend his contract through to 2026,” says Carlström.
“He’s shown his versatility as a sprinter and puncheur and it’s only a matter of time before he scores his first big WorldTour win. Corbin has been knocking on the door in the last seasons and was close to the win at the Grand Prix Cycliste de Quebec last year, which is exactly the kind of race that suits him. At 24 years old, Corbin is still very young and has a long and promising career ahead of him at IPT.”
Strong is set to make his road race debut at Paris 2024 this week before he sets his sights on important targets in the second half of the year, including the Vuelta a España.
“I’m still learning in this peloton but I’m hoping to say that less and convert the lessons I’ve learnt in my first couple of seasons into more wins for the team,” adds Strong. “Firstly, I’m excited to be on the long list for La Vuelta a España and am aiming for my first Grand Tour stage win.”
For IPT owner Sylvan Adams, Strong’s development over the last three years is validation of the team’s focus on identifying young talent with Strong joining the likes of Stevie Williams in re-signing for the coming seasons.
“I’m pleased that we have reached an agreement for Corbin to continue with IPT for several more years,” says Adams. “Corbin is a success story within our team. We recruited him, and helped him develop into the rider that he is today but, more importantly, will become in the coming years. We will go far together, I am convinced. Just. Getting. Started.”
Two more years with IPT for Strong:
Giovanni Aleotti Extends Contract with Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe
With Giovanni Aleotti, Red Bull – BORA – hansgrohe has tied another talent to the team for the coming seasons. The 25-year-old started his professional career in the German UCI WorldTeam and feels particularly at home when the elevation gain increases. He recently proved this by winning the Tour of Slovenia.
Giovanni Aleotti is having a strong season. At the Giro d’Italia he helped Dani Martínez onto the podium, and at the Tour of Slovenia he rode as a leader himself. On the undulating terrain of stage 3, he took advantage of a descent just before the finish to break away, riding solo to the line and taking the leader’s jersey. He confidently defended it on the queen’s stage and celebrated the biggest success of his career to date.
Giovanni Aleotti: “I’m more than happy with my contract extension at Red Bull – BORA – hansgrohe. Since I turned pro with the team in 2021, I’ve always felt at home here. I really think this is the best place to take the next step in my development and I would like to thank our Team Manager Ralph Denk for his trust.”
Aleotti to stay with Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe:
The Next Races for Team dsm-firmenich PostNL
Arctic Race of Norway – AUG 04 – 07
Joey van Rhee – Team dsm-firmenich PostNL coach: “With the Arctic Race of Norway, we have another nice race on the schedule for our Men’s program. The race will take place around the city of Bodø and features a nice parcours with a variety of terrain to contest. There is a nice uphill finish with a climb of seven kilometres, but there are also opportunities for reduced bunch sprints. With Gijs and Kevin, we have two guys whom we will support to go for a result in the GC, and that will be our main focus for this race. Additionally, we will start with Tobi, where we see possibilities in stage two for him in the sprint finish. We are looking forward to the race with the mixed team that we will have there, which will also include Bjorn Koerdt, who will join us as a stagiaire for the coming weeks.”
Line-up:
Tobias Lund Andresen (DEN)
Alex Edmondson (AUS)
Gijs Leemreize (NED)
Bjoern Koerdt (GBR)
Kevin Vermaerke (USA)
Mees Vlot (NED).
Hel van Voerendaal – AUG 04
Bennie Lambregts – Team dsm-firmenich PostNL coach: “Hel van Voerendaal is another race in the U23 Road Series where we will also line up with two riders from the Dutch Food Valley Cycling Team. Voerendaal is a tough climbers’ race around Schin op Geul. The riders are very motivated to do this race, as it is almost like a home race for us. We want to show ourselves while continuing to work on our overall development.”
Line-up:
Vincent Bodet (FRA)
Ryan Gal (NED)
Oliver Peace (GBR)
Thom van der Werff (NED).
Vuelta a Burgos – AUG 05 – 08
Callum Ferguson – Team dsm-firmenich PostNL coach: “We line up for the first of the Spanish races of the month with Vuelta a Burgos. The mountain top finish on the first stage and the hard time trial on stage four will be the two decisive stages for the GC. We are excited to welcome Max back after a long time out and will see what he can do on the two main GC days, while we look for day results with Pavel as our sprint finisher on the two flatter stages.”
Line-up:
Pavel Bittner (CZE)
Chris Hamilton (AUS)
Enzo Leijnse (NED)
Tim Naberman (NED)
Max Poole (GBR)
Martijn Tusveld (NED)
Julius van den Berg (NED).
Chris Hamilton to the Vuelta a Burgos:
Lotto will Continue Next Season Without Dstny: “Determined to Keep Building on the Solid Foundations we Have Today”
Dstny will stop being the main sponsor of Lotto Dstny at the end of this season. After two and a half years in the peloton, the paths of the name sponsors will go their separate ways. Lotto, however, remains a well-established presence in the peloton and continues to build towards a bright future.
Lotto and Dstny have written a beautiful story together. The team became Belgian champions, recently won a stage in the Tour de France and with the Lotto Dstny Development Team, we took the Giro Next Gen. Stéphane Heulot, CEO of Lotto Dstny: “We have secured all our talents for the future, which was our top priority. Youthful enthusiasm, attractive racing, and being the challenger to the big teams will thus remain part of the team’s DNA in the coming seasons. Additionally, I want to emphasise that behind the scenes, there has been excellent cooperation over the past two and a half years to bring all this success to realisation. Crucial decisions were always made by the Board of Directors in mutual consultation and with mutual trust. The team could always count on them.”
Karel Van Eetvelt, President of Lotto Dstny: “The departure of Dstny is not a cause for concern. Various discussions are taking place to secure the future of our team, and hard work is being done. The National Lottery remains our main partner, having supported us previously during challenging times. We are determined to continue building on the solid foundations that we have today. As the oldest team in the peloton, with 40 years of rich history, we’ve seen partners come and go. That’s part of cycling. With Orbea, we have secured a long-term international agreement and our other partners, listed at the bottom of this statement, believe in the strength of the team and ensure that our foundations remain strong.”
We want to sincerely thank Dstny for their support and trust in the team over the past two and a half years.
This is the composition of the Board of Directors: Karel van Eetvelt (president), Olivier Alsteens, Gregory Maes, Filip De Koster, Céline Van Gansbeke, Marc Genin, Marleen Mannekens, Joachim Lauwers, Joris Van Rymenant, Els Verhaegen, Ander Olariaga (advisory member).
No more Dstny with Lotto in 2025:
Arctic Race of Norway 2024: Spectacle in View in Nordland
The peloton for the 11th edition of the Arctic Race of Norway is a well-balanced mix of experience and youth. Christopher Froome, a five-time Tour de France winner, will be discovering the Arctic Race of Norway for the first time. Alongside him, Magnus Cort and Alexander Kristoff stand out with their multiple Tour de France stage wins. Nearly half of the engaged peloton will be under 25 years old.
The local team, Uno-X Mobility, aims to be a major player in the event. Beyond Alexander Kristoff and Magnus Cort, former Arctic Race of Norway winner Andreas Leknessund (2022) will leverage his versatility to aim for the top of the general classification. The tireless energy of Jonas Abrahamsen, a key player in the recent Tour de France, will be a valuable asset in the team’s quest for success.
Against these recognised names from the international peloton, young wolves will look to showcase their qualities in an event that can reveal the champions of tomorrow. Stephen Williams, winner of the previous edition, triumphed on the Mur de Huy in 2024. Joseph Blackmore (Israel-Premier Tech) will certainly be inspired by this example to confirm the promises seen during this year’s Tour du Rwanda and make a mark for the coming seasons. With Christopher, the 21-year-old has strong arguments in his quest for glory.
18 Teams and their main riders for the Arctic Race of Norway 2024:
Australia:
Team Jayco AlUla: A.G. Jansen (Nor), Schmid (Sui), Craddock (Usa), De Pretto (Ita)
Belgium:
Bingoal WB: de Tier, Van Boven (Bel)
Lotto Dstny: Gregaard (Dan), Guarnieri (Ita), Eenkhoorn (Ned), Berckmoes (Bel)
Team Flanders-Baloise: Bonneu (Bel)
Spain:
Equipo Kern Pharma: Galvan (Esp)
United States:
Team Novo Nordisk: Peron (Ita)
France:
Arkéa-B&B Hotels: Champoussin (Fra), Biermans (Bel)
Cofidis: Hermans (Bel)
Team TotalEnergies: Latour, Burgaudeau (Fra), Van Gestel (Bel)
Israel:
Israel-Premier Tech: Blackmore, Froome (Gbr)
Italy:
VF Group-Bardiani CSF-Faizane: Pozzovivo, Fiorelli (Ita)
Kazakhstan:
Astana Qazaqstan Team: Scaroni, Batistella (Ita)
Norway:
Uno-X Mobility: Kristoff, Leknessund (Nor), Cort (Dan)
Team Coop-Repsol: Stensby (Nor)
Netherlands:
TDT-Unibet: Toupalik (Rtc)
Team dsm-firmenich PostNL: Vermaerke (Usa), Andresen (Dan)
Switzerland:
Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team: Hagen (Nor), Ludvigsson (Sue)
Tudor Pro Cycling Team: Kamp (All), Pellaud (Sui).
Key points:
- 108 riders will converge from August 4 to 8 around Bodø, the European Capital of Culture 2024 and the central hub of the Arctic Race of Norway 2024.
- Top names from the international peloton will compete for a prestigious victory. Among them, Christopher Froome, a five-time Tour de France winner, stage winners from the Tour de France such as Magnus Cort (2022) and Alexander Kristoff (2014, 2018, 2020), and regular Arctic Race of Norway contenders like Andreas Leknessund (Uno-X Mobility), Ben Hermans (Cofidis), Andreas Toupalik (TDT-Unibet) and Michele Scaroni (Astana Qazaqstan Team).
- Eyes will also be on the rising stars, especially Joseph Blackmore, the 2024 winner of Liège-Bastogne-Liège U23 and the Tour du Rwanda.
2024 Artic Race of Norway route:
Sixth Stage of la Vuelta a España to Start in a Supermarket
In 2024, French supermarket Carrefour will be the sponsor of the red leader’s jersey in the Tour of Spain for the twelfth year. This will be celebrated, the supermarket chain announced in a press release, by the sixth stage of the Vuelta starting in the middle of a Carrefour supermarket.
The sixth stage of this year’s Vuelta starts in Jerez de la Frontera, in Andalusia, South Spain. The starting location will be a Carrefour supermarket in the city. The press release states that more than four hundred Carrefour employees will be involved in the preparations for a ‘unique and original event that will go down in cycling history’. The riders will ride through a part of the decorated store, they say.
Carrefour is not only the sponsor of the red jersey in the Tour of Spain for men, but also the main sponsor of the Vuelta for women: the Vuelta España Femenina by Carrefour.es.
La Vuelta peloton can do some shopping:
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