A race overload in today’s EUROTRASH Thursday. Tadej Pogačar is doing what he wants in the Volta Ciclista a Catalunya and Milano-Sanremo winner Jasper Philipsen wins again in the Classic Brugge-De Panne, plus the Settimana Internazionale Coppi e Bartali all with results and video.
Giro TT helmet provisionally approved by the UCI – TOP STORY.
Rider news: Five more years with Alpecin-Deceuninck and ten more years on a Canyon bike for Mathieu van der Poel, Tour de Romandie reveals Alexandre Balmer’s new team by accident, five-time Olympic champion Laura Kenny retires, Aleksandr Vlasov extends contract with BORA-hansgrohe for three years, Sebastian Kolze Changizi extends with Tudor, Marc Hirschi to leave UAE Team Emirates for Tudor and Mauri Vansevenant meets the Vuelta winner he is named after.
Team news: Bahrain Victorious set for Spring Classics in Belgium, dsm-firmenich PostNL next races, Bahrain Victorious wants Lenny Martinez, Maxim Van Gils extends his contract with Lotto Dstny until 2026 and Neilson Powless to resume full training after injury.
Race news: Lidl becomes title sponsor of the Deutschland Tour.
EUROTRASH coffee time.
TOP STORY: Visma | Lease a Bike’s Giro TT Helmet has Been Provisionally Approved by the UCI
The Giro time trial helmet used by Visma | Lease a Bike first in Tirreno-Adriatico has been approved by the UCI for at least one year, Sporza reports. The International Cycling Union started an investigation after there was a lot of commotion about the new helmet.
Following the sight of the helmet during the individual time trial in Tirreno-Adriatico, the UCI announced that it would examine the new equipment. The UCI was referring to the new Giro Aerohead 2.0 helmet and also the Rudy Project Windgream HL 85 helmet and the POC Tempor helmet. The UCI also decided to ban the ‘helmet sock’ made by Specialized from April 2.
According to the UCI, the focus is on the development of these helmets is not their protective function, but on promoting performance. The UCI also raised the issue of commercial availability. The helmets must be available for sale to the public, according to the regulations.
The Visma | Lease a Bike team can now use the helmet for the rest of this year. The UCI has approved the prototype for the period from January 18, 2024 to January 17, 2025. “After that period, the prototype must be available for sale to everyone under the applicable conditions,” the UCI emphasised its rules to Sporza. The helmets may be used on the road.
Yes, it’s legal:
Volta Ciclista a Catalunya 2024
Stage 1 of the 2024 Tour of Catalunya was won by Nick Schultz at the finish in Sant Feliu de Guíxols. Tadej Pogačar was the favourite, but the Australian, Schultz, of Israel-Premier Tech surprised everyone with a late attack. Pogačar started his sprint a too late and finished second. Schultz’s Israel-Premier Tech teammate, Stephen Williams, was third.
The 174 kilometre opening stage to and from Sant Feliu de Guíxols had 2,677 metres of climbing with three categorised climbs. The top of the last climb was 20 kilometres from the finish. The Alt de Sant Grau is 8.1km at an average gradient of 4%.
The early break of five formed after the first climb of the day, the Alt de la Ganga: Simone Petilli (Intermarché-Wanty), Kenny Elissonde (Cofidis), Alex Baudin (Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale), Ådne Holter (Uno-X Mobility) and Mikel Bizkarra (Euskaltel-Euskadi). After 25 kilometres the lead was 3 minutes, his was the most they would get. UAE Team Emirates were on the front of the peloton to keep the break close. Bizkarra was the first to be caught and, 30 kilometres from the finish, Petilli, Elissonde, Baudin and Holter were also pulled in, just before the last climb of the day, the Alt de Sant Grau. Before the climb there was a sprint for bonus seconds. Three seconds went to Egan Bernal, after some strong work by his INEOS Grenadiers team. Pogačar was second and took 2 seconds. On the Alt de Sant Grau, the pace was set by UAE Team Emirates and Visma | Lease a Bike, this got rid of the fast-finishers, like Bryan Coquard, but the GC men held on without amy problem. Just before the top, Marc Soler attacked with Pogačar on his wheel.
This was a UAE Team Emirates plan to split the race on the descent. This didn’t suit Mauri Vansevenant of Soudal Quick-Step and he attacked in the last kilometres of the descent, but was soon pulled in by the UAE men, who then kept the speed high to the tough uphill sprint. Just before the last kilometre there was a surprise attack from Nick Schultz. The Australian had a good gap as the others looked at each other to do the chase work. Pogačar saw the danger and jumped away from the peloton, but was just too late to catch Schultz before the finish line. This was Schultz third professional victory in his career. Pogačar had to settle for second place. Stephen Williams, also Israel-Premi Tech, crossed the line in third. There was a crash in the last kilometre involving several riders, including Egan Bernal.
Stage winner and overall leader, Nick Schultz (Israel-Premier Tech): “I think I was on the finishing line asking ‘what happened?’ This was a huge surprise for me. I think it was pretty clear what my objective was today – my job was to take Stevie down the last descent and through the final corners. I never once thought about winning the stage today, I was only thinking about the team. He was on my wheel just before the final corner and he yelled at me to keep going. He let the gap go. In that moment, I was going to go as hard as I could to provoke somebody to come after me, but I got a pretty gap and knew I had to keep going as hard as possible. Ultimately, I never thought it would come to fruition, but I’m really thankful to Stevie for letting that gap go because he could have won that stage in his own right. Maybe that was the beauty of not being the big leader: I had nothing to lose. In my head, I wasn’t racing for the win, I was racing to help Stevie. I think that ultimately meant I could leave it all out there – if I came fifth or 30th today, it wouldn’t have changed anything. There’s such a good atmosphere in the team. We’ve got great personnel, amazing staff, and a great group of riders, and this is just the hard work of everybody paying off. I think it’s clear that things are going so well when someone like me wins the stage. I’m not a guy who wins very often, if at all. I’m realistic – I’m not riding GC here at this race. I just had the biggest victory of my career, I’m going to enjoy it. I think the best way to do that will be to do what I love doing and helping out the guys tomorrow.”
2nd on the stage and overall, Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates): Pogačar: “I really enjoyed the day to be honest, it was a hard day in the saddle with a good tempo all day and our guys did a great job. I messed it up a bit in the final, I should have tried to close the gap to Schultz immediately but he was strong also and deserved the win after how he attacked in the last kilometre. I did a good sprint and I wanted a win for all the work the team did. Tomorrow on paper looks hard with a tough finish on Vallter 2000. We have a strong team here and we want to make it hard as possible.”
3rd on the stage and overall, Stephen Williams (Israel-Premier Tech): “I’m really proud of Nick, he’s a selfless helper and a great teammate. I’m really happy and proud to see him take his first WorldTour victory here. It’s a wonderful start to this race for our team. We rode great as a team all day. We knew that it was going to be key to get to the top of the final climb in a good position for the descent into the finish, as it was more than likely there were going to be splits. We got onto the coast for the final time, and we were well positioned. I went into the final corner one-two with Nick, and I thought I’d let the wheel go to see what would happen. He got a gap immediately and there was a lull behind. Inevitably, it was always going to go out, because nobody had any teammates to chase. I hoped he would be able to hold on, which he did. Behind, I was also able to open my sprint, and round out the podium.”
Volta Ciclista a Catalunya Stage 1 Result:
1. Nick Schultz (Aus) Israel-Premier Tech in 4:11:38
2. Tadej Pogačar (Slo) UAE Team Emirates
3. Stephen Williams (GB) Israel-Premier Tech
4. Dorian Godon (Fra) Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale at 0:02
5. Axel Laurance (Fra) Alpecin-Deceuninck
6. Rémy Rochas (Fra) Groupama-FDJ
7. Ilan Van Wilder (Bel) Soudal Quick-Step
8. Aleksandr Vlasov (-) BORA-hansgrohe
9. Sepp Kuss (USA) Visma | Lease a Bike
10. Harold Tejada (Col) Astana Qazaqstan.
Volta Ciclista a Catalunya Overall After Stage 1:
1. Nick Schultz (Aus) Israel-Premier Tech in 4:11:28
2. Tadej Pogačar (Slo) UAE Team Emirates at 0:02
3. Stephen Williams (GB) Israel-Premier Tech at 0:06
4. Laurens De Plus (Bel) INEOS Grenadiers at 0:09
5. Dorian Godon (Fra) Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale at 0:10
6. Axel Laurance (Fra) Alpecin-Deceuninck
7. Rémy Rochas (Fra) Groupama-FDJ
8. Ilan Van Wilder (Bel) Soudal Quick-Step
9. Aleksandr Vlasov (-) BORA-hansgrohe
10. Sepp Kuss (USA) Visma | Lease a Bike.
Catalunya’24 stage 1:
Tadej Pogačar won the first mountain stage of the Tour of Catalonia. The Slovenian of UAE Team Emirates rode away from the others on the final climb of Stage 2 to the Vallter 2000 ski resort and crossed the line with a lead of nearly one and a half minutes. Mikel Landa finished second, just ahead of Aleksandr Vlasov.
In the second stage of the Tour of Catalonia, the climbers had their chance. The finish was on top of the Vallter (11.4km at 7.4%), at 2,135 metres altitude. The climb in the Pyrenees has an average gradient of over 7%, but there were sections of up to 10%.
The break went 2 kilometres from the start: Jimmy Janssens (Alpecin-Deceuninck), Samuel Fernández (Caja Rural-Seguros RGA), Álex Jaime (Equipo Kern Pharma), Xabier Isasa (Euskaltel-Euskadi), Kevin Colleoni (Intermarché-Wanty) and Jambaljamts Sainbayar (Burgos-BH). They managed a maximum lead of 6 minutes. Surprisingly it was top favourite, Pogačar who tried to cross to the break. With his teammate, Domen Novak, the UAE Team Emirates leader was between the peloton and the leading group, but he saw this plan wasn’t going to work and sat up and waited for the peloton.
Janssens, Fernández, Jaime, Isasa, Colleoni and Sainbayar hit the first categorised climb of the day: the Coll de Coubet. They started the 10 kilometre 5.4% climb with a lead of just under 3 minutes. In the break Janssens pushed on and only Fernández was able to go with him, it was too fast for the other escapees. Fernández took the 10 KOM points at the top of the Coll de Coubet and the virtual mountains jersey, but the final climb to Vallter 2000 was still to come. Due to the acceleration of Janssens and Fernández, the lead on the peloton increased to 3 minutes again, but this was not enough to hold off the better climbers. On the descent of the Coll de Coubet, Janssens had to let Fernández go, but the Alpecin-Deceuninck rider managed to catch him again later. Pogačar dropped the peloton again with other riders of his team, but again they were allowed themselves to be swallowed up by the peloton.
UAE Team Emirates took the lead again, chasing the remaining leaders Janssens and Fernández. The two escapees held out through the hard rain and the lead fluctuated around 2 minutes. Before the final climb, Janssens attacked and started the final climb on his own. His lead of just over 1 minute was not enough for the stage victory. Janssens was passed by the front group, including Pogačar, 8 kilometres from the top. The Slovenian had his teammates thin the group down. With 6 kilometres to go, the Slovenian champion attacked and no one could follow. Pogačar extended his lead over the next kilometres, while Mikel Landa, Aleksandr Vlasov, Lenny Martinez, Egan Bernal and Chris Harper tried to limit the damage. Pogačar finished well over a minute ahead of his chasers for the stage win and the overall lead.
Stage winner and overall leader, Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates): “We started with almost summer weather but the clouds chased us and the rain fell starting from the penultimate climb. Despite the adverse weather conditions and the altitude, I felt good, testing my legs already in the last descent and then going at my pace until the end without looking back.”
2nd on the stage and overall, Mikel Landa (Soudal Quick-Step): “I am very satisfied, especially because I had not raced for a while. I actually wanted to take it day by day, but I’m better than expected. It was really cold today. I had problems with my hands in the final. It is clear that Pogačar is the strongest. Of course I would like to win a stage and finish on the podium. But it is important to take it one day at a time.”
5th on the stage and overall, Lenny Martinez (Groupama-FDJ): “I’ve never been so cold, but I felt really good on the final climb. When Pogačar started, I was really at my limit. Once it started raining again, the legs came back. When Pogačar accelerated, I decided to keep my own pace. I first had to close a gap to the pursuers, but then I tried to attack several times. We were more or less at the same level. Mikel Landa was also strong and when he attacked towards the top I was no longer able to follow. Then I just drove full speed towards the finish.”
Volta Ciclista a Catalunya Stage 2 Result:
1. Tadej Pogačar (Slo) UAE Team Emirates in 4:52:37
2. Mikel Landa (Spa) Soudal Quick-Step at 1:23
3. Aleksandr Vlasov (-) BORA-hansgrohe at 1:24
4. João Almeida (Por) UAE Team Emirates at 1:38
5. Lenny Martinez (Fra) Groupama-FDJ at 1:43
6. Chris Harper (Aus) Jayco AlUla at 1:44
7. Egan Bernal (Col) INEOS Grenadiers at 1:47
8. Enric Mas (Spa) Movistar at 1:49
9. Wout Poels (Ned) Bahrain Victorious at 2:03
10. José Manuel Díaz (Spa) Burgos-BH.
Volta Ciclista a Catalunya Overall After Stage 2:
1. Tadej Pogačar (Slo) UAE Team Emirates in 9:03:57
2. Mikel Landa (Spa) Soudal Quick-Step at 1:35
3. Aleksandr Vlasov (-) BORA-hansgrohe at 1:38
4. João Almeida (Por) UAE Team Emirates at 1:56
5. Lenny Martinez (Fra) Groupama-FDJ at 2:01
6. Chris Harper (Aus) Jayco AlUla at 2:02
7. Egan Bernal (Col) INEOS Grenadiers
8. Enric Mas (Spa) Movistar at 2:07
9. Sepp Kuss (USA) Visma | Lease a Bike at 2:21
10. José Manuel Díaz (Spa) Burgos-BH.
Catalunya’24 stage 2:
Tadej Pogačar won stage 2 of the Volta a Catalunya on Tuesday and repeated the trick on Wednesday in the Queen Stage 3 to Port Ainé. After a solo of 7 kilometres, Pogačar crossed the finish line solo to add another 48 plus seconds to his overall lead. Mikel Landa was second and Wout Poels finished fourth.
With one Cat.1 climb and two other hard climbs, this was a stage of 4,000 meters of climbing. The peloton was faced with the Port de Toses (4km at 9%), the Port de Cantó (25.5km at 4.2%, max. 10%) and the final climb to the Port Ainé ski area (18.5km at 6.8%).
Bauke Mollema was one of the first attackers, along with Steven Kruijswijk, but the experienced Dutchmen couldn’t get away. Just before the Port de Toses, a leading group of 6 formed, including Mauri Vansevenant, Hugh Carthy, Juan Pedro López and Andreas Kron. A group including Herald Tejada, Iván Ramiro Sosa and Andreas Leknessund and others joined them. This was a strong group with many climbers, so UAE Team Emirates made sure that the break didn’t get too far away. The lead fluctuated around 1:30 for a long time, but on the long climb of Port de Cantó the gap was closed to the last early attackers. At that point, Visma | Lease a Bike had moved up in the peloton for Sepp Kuss and Cian Uijtdebroeks. The pace was high, but not high enough to thin out the peloton too much. A large group, including all the favourites, headed towards the final climb of the Port Ainé (18.5 km at 6.8%) led by Pogačar’s men. Mikel Landa also had his men at the front, causing the group to become smaller and smaller.
This was the start of an attack by Landa 7.4 kilometres from the finish. The only rider who could follow him was Tadej Pogačar. The Slovenian didn’t follow for long, because he immediately attacked the Basque rider. There was nothing holding Pogačar, who quickly opened a gap of 20 seconds on Landa, Sepp Kuss and Chris Harper, who managed to cross to them. Behind, a group formed with Aleksandr Vlasov, but this was all well behind Pogačar, who was riding further and further away. His lead over Landa increased to 45 seconds. The Spaniard dropped the others in the Kuss and Harper group. The Slovenian had time to celebrate his victory and strengthened his overall lead. Landa finished second, 48 seconds behind Pogačar, followed by Antonio Tiberi and Wout Poels of Bahrain Victorous. Sepp Kuss was fifth.
Stage winner and overall leader, Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates): “It was a very tough final climb and it was also at altitude. I felt that it was cold and there wasn’t much humidity either. That made it very difficult. But it was a good stage for us as a team. I’m happy to win, because my teammates worked hard for this. It was Mikel Landa who was the first to attack. Then I went over him, after I saw that he immediately made a gap. Maybe it was too early, but I found a good rhythm and until the last two kilometres I was able to push. After that I felt it became more difficult, but luckily I was still able to finish it.”
3rd on the stage and overall, Antonio Tiberi (Bahrain Victorious): “Today was really hard from the beginning. Also especially after the stage of yesterday with the rain and the cold. Also, yesterday was really hard for me until 200m to the finish. Yesterday I was almost there but I finished my fuel. Today I was eating more from the start, and the feeling was better than yesterday. The last climb was really hard and I tried to follow the best guys with Landa, and Pogačar, who like always were strong. At the end, I finished 3rd and I’m super happy.”
4th on the stage and 8th overall, Wout Poels (Bahrain Victorious): ”I think we had a really good day as a team, and I think we were smart not to try follow Pogačar because that is next level. And I think Antonio rode maturely too, and just follow and not go too early and blow up, which was the case for those we brought back in the end. So overall I think we did well. I feel that my condition is good, and so I’m looking forward to moving up in the GC.”
5th on the stage and 7th overall, Sepp Kuss (Visma | Lease a Bike): “In any case, I felt okay on the final climb. That’s why I have a good feeling about today. This result makes me satisfied. It is mainly the way in which it can appeal to me. We took the initiative with the team today. Everyone contributed and it seemed like we were all in a good position. The focus is now on the coming days, in which we will see what is still possible with a view to the rankings. Pogačar was by far the best, but behind him a lot of men are evenly matched. That offers possibilities for the coming days. After yesterday’s slightly bad day, we can now look up again.”
Volta Ciclista a Catalunya Stage 3 Result:
1. Tadej Pogačar (Slo) UAE Team Emirates in 4:34:25
2. Mikel Landa (Spa) Soudal Quick-Step at 0:48
3. Antonio Tiberi (Ita) Bahrain Victorious at 1:03
4. Wout Poels (Ned) Bahrain Victorious
5. Sepp Kuss (USA) Visma | Lease a Bike
6. Aleksandr Vlasov (-) BORA-hansgrohe at 1:10
7. Cristián Rodríguez (Spa) Arkéa-B&B Hotels
8. Chris Harper (Aus) Jayco AlUla
9. Lenny Martinez (Fra) Groupama-FDJ
10. Enric Mas (Spa) Movistar.
Volta Ciclista a Catalunya Overall After Stage 3:
1. Tadej Pogačar (Slo) UAE Team Emirates in 13:38:12
2. Mikel Landa (Spa) Soudal Quick-Step at 2:27
3. Aleksandr Vlasov (-) BORA-hansgrohe at 2:55
4. Lenny Martinez (Fra) Groupama-FDJ at 3:21
5. Chris Harper (Aus) Jayco AlUla at 3:22
6. Enric Mas (Spa) Movistar at 3:27
7. Sepp Kuss (USA) Visma | Lease a Bike at 3:34
8. Wout Poels (Ned) Bahrain Victorious
9. Egan Bernal (Col) INEOS Grenadiers at 3:50
10. João Almeida (Por) UAE Team Emirates at 3:52.
Catalunya’24 stage 3:
Classic Brugge-De Panne 2024
Jasper Philipsen won a bunch sprint finish in the Classic Brugge-De Panne. At the end of almost 200 kilometres of racing, the winner of Milano-Sanremo was the fastest in a tricky final. In the last metres he was able to beat Tim Marlier and Danny van Poppel.
The Classic Brugge-De Panne is a sprinters race with an almost flat profile. The most important part of the 43.9 kilometre circuit is De Moeren, which has to be ridden three times. The Moeren could split the race if it is windy, but the weather is expected to be nice and no wind.
Soon after the start the break of the day formed. There were three ProTeams riders: Luca De Meester (Bingoal WB), Thomas Gachignard (TotalEnergies) and Victor Vercouillie (Flanders-Baloise). They soon had a 3 minute lead, which they increased to over 8 minutes before the sprinter’s teams started to chase. When the peloton hit the finishing circuit, BORA-hansgrohe, Tudor, Soudal Quick-Step, Jayco AlUla, Alpecin-Deceuninck, Bahrain Victorious and dsm-firmenich PostNL all put a man on the front. The gap was closed to De Meester, Vercouillie and Gachignard. The Frenchman of TotalEnergies held out the longest, but Gachignard was caught the last time through the Moeren.
The first lead-out trains had already got organised. The roads were narrow and full of street furniture on the way to De Panne, which made things more nervous. Everyone was looking at Milano-Sanremo winner Jasper Philipsen and Tim Merlier, but all the teams had a fast-finisher. BORA-hansgrohe had Danny van Poppel, due to their sprinter Welsford not going for the sprint. Van Poppel went too early and was passed by Philipsen and Merlier at the last minute. This was not easy for Philipsen as he had started the last kilometre in a bad position. He was brought forward by Ramon Sinkeldam and hit the final straight in around 15th place. He then got on Merlier’s wheel, who bumped with Philipsen behind Van Poppel. They managed to stay up-right and Philipsen pushed ahead of Merlier. Van Poppel finished third behind them.
Race winner, Jasper Philipsen (Alpecin-Deceuninck): “This is perhaps my best form. Everything has to go well, but I am happy that we succeeded again today. It was good teamwork, because everyone was fresh in the final. Sometimes it is a lottery, but fortunately we succeeded together with the team. I was able to make up positions and was on Merlier’s wheel. That’s almost the best wheel you can have. Van Poppel then took the lead and I wanted to pass on the left, but there I came into contact with Tim Merlier. That was a shame, but fortunately we were still able to do a good sprint. I saw space on the left, but couldn’t estimate what Van Poppel was going to do. Luckily I was able to keep my legs still in time before something happened. That’s why I’m happy that we were able to ride a nice sprint. In such a sprint you have to keep your head cool and make the right decision. If you are fresh, things will go better. I hope to achieve a nice victory this spring, because there are only important races coming up. It is already a great success, so everything that comes with it is just icing on the cake On Saturday I had my best legs ever, but here you don’t have to be 110% to win. You also need luck and good legs.”
2nd, Tim Merlier (Soudal Quick-Step): “When I want to start my sprint, I get a push from behind. I sat with my wheel to the left of Danny van Poppel, so I had no room left. That’s why I stuck with it. If I push through there, Jasper will go over the guardrail and I would have been the guilty one. That meant I couldn’t do my sprint… But yes, sprinting is a risk.” “At first I didn’t even know it was Jasper. It was mainly disappointment. Maybe I’m too good, but I don’t want to kill anyone. It was a hectic finish, so sprinting is not easy. Positioning is always very important, but without wind there is no spectacle. Despite that, it was still quite stressful.”
3rd, Danny van Poppel (BORA-hansgrohe): “That was a bit unexpected. I went back to Welsford, because we pulled his card. But then Welsford said I could sprint. At first I thought ‘let it go’… But I also wanted to reward the boys, even if it was with a place in the top 10. In the end I even saw the finish and thought about winning. I took the fastest route, which was on the left. That’s where Jasper and Tim come together. In the end it was a few meters too long for me, but they are world class. I am a lead-out and sometimes a sprinter as a side job. That is why I am proud of this, especially for the team. We have worked hard, so you can’t just let it slide.”
Fabio Jakobsen (dsm-firmenich PostNL): “I’m not satisfied. Look, as a sprinter you want to win. I didn’t do that. We have learned a lot, but you want to win. We are doing a lot of good things, but apart from Nokere Koerse (Jakobsen was 2nd) we have not been close to victory. That has to be improved and that is something that everyone is working hard for. Me too. We will now continue with that. We discuss that, how we can do it in communication. Just before the final we are in the wind too early and we lose each other. Everyone is racing together for the first time. It’s not that we rode together for 40 or 50 racing days. This is part of it, but I don’t mind it. It was mistake after mistake after mistake. I was just too far into the last corner, so I am behind the crash. That’s my fault, but Bram Welten and I were not in a losing position. Only because of that fall. I stood completely still, with my chain off. Then it’s over. That can happen, it is also a race. I don’t get frustrated, but I have to do better. I will be working on that in the coming period towards the Tour of Turkey and the Giro, because I am not doing it for the podium or these results. I am close to top form, we still have to look at that with trainers. I will continue to build from here, now I will train for a month.”
Classic Brugge-De Panne Result:
1. Jasper Philipsen (Bel) Alpecin-Deceuninck in 4:22:42
2. Tim Merlier (Bel) Soudal Quick-Step
3. Danny van Poppel (Ned) BORA-hansgrohe
4. Jason Tesson (Fra) TotalEnergies
5. Simone Consonni (Ita) Lidl-Trek
6. Stian Fredheim (Nor) Uno-X Mobility
7. Juan Sebastián Molano (Col) UAE Team Emirates
8. Phil Bauhaus (Ger) Bahrain Victorious
9. Emilien Jeannière (Fra) TotalEnergies
10. Luca Mozzato (Ita) Arkéa-B&B Hotels.
Brugge-De Panne’24:
Settimana Internazionale Coppi e Bartali 2024
The First Stage of the Settimana Internazionale Coppi e Bartali was won by Marco Brenner. The German rider of Tudor Pro Cycling, held off a chase group after a late attack. Brenner also took the first overall leader’s jersey. Matteo Malucelli (JCL Team UKYO) and Jenno Berckmoes (Lotto Dstny) were second and third at 1 second.
The opening stage of the Settimana Internazionale Coppi e Bartali started and finished in Pesaro. The stage was quite hilly with the last climb coming 20 kilometres from the finish. It was a short stage of just under 110 kilometres, giving climbers and attackers a chance.
James Whelan (Q36.5), Erik Fetter (Polti-Kometa), Luc Wirtgen (Tudor) and Manuele Tarozzi (VF Group-Bardiani CSF-Faizanè) made up the break of the day. These four took a maximum lead of 2 minutes. In the peloton it was EF Education-EasyPost and UAE Team Emirates who set the pace. The American team wanted to make it hard in the final. With 20 kilometres to go, Jefferson Alexander Cepeda (EF Education-EasyPost) attacked from the peloton, but the Ecuadorian was given any space and was soon caught. Paul Double was next to try with a little more success.
The British climber of Polti-Kometa crossed solo to the remaining leaders Whelan, Wirtgen and Tarozzi. These four held off the peloton for a while, but were caught with 15 kilometres to go. It now looked like Visma | Lease a Bike wanted the stage to finish in a sprint, but Marco Brenner of Tudor put in a late attack. The German climber picked the perfect moment to jump away and build up a big enough lead to take his first professional victory. Brenner held off the sprinting peloton, led in by Matteo Malucelli and Jenno Berckmoes. Brenner is the first overall leader.
Stage winner and overall leader, Marco Brenner (Tudor): “The team was incredible today. They did such a good job in keeping me in good position especially in the chaotic finale, so that I could save my legs. After trying the descent two times and discussing in the pre race meeting, we knew I needed to be in top 5 position to start the downhill. Hannes (Wilksch) did a super good last pull for me, and then I could take the wheel of a Visma rider, before placing my attack. What was said in the meeting worked out exactly to perfection.”
Settimana Internazionale Coppi e Bartali Stage 1 Result:
1. Marco Brenner (Ger) Tudor in 2:30:38
2. Matteo Malucelli (Ita) JCL Team UKYO at 0:01
3. Jenno Berckmoes (Bel) Lotto Dstny
4. Koen Bouwman (Ned) Visma | Lease a Bike
5. Hartthijs de Vries (Ned) TDT-Unibet
6. Davide De Pretto (Ita) Jayco AlUla
7. Diego Ulissi (Ita) UAE Team Emirates
8. Kristian Sbaragli (Ita) Corratec-Vini Fantini
9. Diego Pablo Sevilla (Spa) Polti Kometa
10. Gianluca Brambilla (Ita) Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team.
Settimana Internazionale Coppi e Bartali Overall After Stage 1:
1. Marco Brenner Ger) Tudor in 2:30:28
2. Matteo Malucelli (Ita) JCL Team UKYO at 0:05
3. Jenno Berckmoes (Bel) Lotto Dstny at 0:07
4. Koen Bouwman (Ned) Visma | Lease a Bike at 0:11
5. Hartthijs de Vries (Ned) TDT-Unibet
6. Davide De Pretto (Ita) Jayco AlUla
7. Diego Ulissi (Ita) UAE Team Emirates
8. Kristian Sbaragli (Ita) Corratec-Vini Fantini
9. Diego Pablo Sevilla (Spa) Polti Kometa
10. Gianluca Brambilla (Ita) Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team.
Coppi e Bartali’24 stage 1:
Diego Ulissi took the victory on the Second Stage of the Settimana Internazionale Coppi e Bartali on Wednesday. The Italian of UAE Team Emirates had the fastest sprint on the uphill finish in the narrow streets of Sogliano al Rubicone, catching and passing Archie Ryan and Davide De Pretto, the remainder of the break, in the final meters. Sylvain Moniquet and Menno Huising were fourth and fifth.
The second stage of the Coppi and Bartali was a tough mountain stage with more than 3,000 metres of climbing. After more than 60 kilometres the peloton crossed the finish line in Sogliano al Rubicone, to start four circuits of 24 kilometres with a climb of 3.3 kilometres at 6.2% at the end of each lap.
Brenner’s Tudor team took control of the peloton early in the stage. The Swiss team sent Mathys Rondel in the escape of the day. He was joined by Carl Fredrik Hagen (Q36.5), Lennert Teugels (Bingoal-WB), Manuele Tarozzi (VF Group-Bardiani CSF-Faizanè), Giosuè Epis (Arkéa-B&B Hotels Conti), Davide Bauce (Mg .K Vis-Colors for Peace), Jeferson Ruiz Acuña (GW Erco Shimano) and Nicolò Garibbo (Team Technipes). They didn’t got more than a 5 minute lead, because Tudor and Visma | Lease a Bike set the pace in the peloton. Teugels, Tarozzi and Garibbo held out the longest and started the last two laps with a lead of 2 minutes. They were caught 30 kilometres from the finish.
On the penultimate climb to Sogliano al Rubicone, Johannes Staune-Mettet of Visma | Lease a Bike put in an attack, but he was caught. From the thinned out peloton, the next attack came from Hartthijs de Vries (Tour de Tietema-Unibet). He managed to get away from an elite group and started the final climb solo, but was pulled in 4 kilometres from the finish. Giulio Pellizzari was next to try, after which Archie Ryan made a very strong attack that only Davide De Pretto could follow. They started the last 300 metres together in the old centre of Sogliano al Rubicone, but were slowed by the last steep metres. From behind it was Diego Ulissi who flew past Ryan and De Pretto with 100 metres to go to take the victory. Ulissi crossed the finish line solo, De Pretto and Ryan managed to hold off the peloton to take second and third. Ulissi also too the overall lead.
Stage winner and overall leader, Diego Ulissi (UAE Team Emirates): “Victory always gives great feelings. My first part of the season has been good until now, obtaining good results in Oman and in Milano-Torino. I also had to overcome some sickness, but I arrived to Coppi e Bartali in good form. Today I hadn’t good sensations until the final part of the race, but on the last climb my legs were great. My congrats to my teammates: many of them are very young riders from our development team, today they supported me in an amazing way.”
Settimana Internazionale Coppi e Bartali Stage 2 Result:
1. Diego Ulissi (Ita) UAE Team Emirates in 3:55:31
2. Davide De Pretto (Ita) Jayco AlUla
3. Archie Ryan (Irl) EF Education-EasyPost
4. Sylvain Moniquet (Bel) Lotto Dstny
5. Milan Vader (Ned) Visma | Lease a Bike
6. Koen Bouwman (Ned) Visma | Lease a Bike
7. Gianluca Brambilla (Ita) Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team
8. Adam Ťoupalík (CZ) TDT-Unibet
9. Domenico Pozzovivo (Ita) VF Group-Bardiani CSF-Faizanè
10. Giovanni Carboni (Ita) JCL Team UKYO.
Settimana Internazionale Coppi e Bartali Overall After Stage 2:
1. Diego Ulissi (Ita) UAE Team Emirates in 6:26:00
2. Davide De Pretto (Ita) Jayco AlUla at 0:07
3. Archie Ryan (Irl) EF Education-EasyPost at 0:09
4. Koen Bouwman (Ned) Visma | Lease a Bike at 0:13
5. Gianluca Brambilla (Ita) Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team
6. Sylvain Moniquet (Bel) Lotto Dstny
7. Milan Vader (Ned) Visma | Lease a Bike
8. Adam Ťoupalík (CZ) TDT-Unibet at 0:17
9. Jenno Berckmoes (Bel) Lotto Dstny at 0:18
10. Domenico Pozzovivo (Ita) VF Group-Bardiani CSF-Faizanè.
Coppi e Bartali’24 stage 2:
Mathieu van der Poel Five More Years at Alpecin-Deceuninck
Mathieu van der Poel (29) has extended his agreement with Alpecin-Deceuninck until the end of 2028. The reigning world champion will then have cycled no less than 18 years under the wings of the Roodhooft brothers. Unique!
These are memorable days for Alpecin-Deceuninck. Not only are we enjoying the exceptional team performance in Milan-San Remo, earlier today Mathieu van der Poel put his signature on a 10-year agreement as ambassador for our cycling partner Canyon.
On top of that, Alpecin-Deceuninck and Mathieu van der Poel also dissolved their existing contract until the end of 2025 and extended it until no less than the end of 2028. This new five-year agreement creates a unique situation in cycling: Mathieu, who took his first steps with the brothers in 2011, will then have cycled under their wings for no less than 18 years.
After 2028, Mathieu can/will decide year by year whether to continue as a professional road rider or not.
In a separate deal, Alpecin-Deceuninck and Canyon extended its cooperation, continuing the winning relationship that started in late-2017.
“Logical choice”
Mathieu van der Poel: “This extension is a logical choice for me. I have felt particularly comfortable in the structures of Philip and Christoph Roodhooft from the beginning. I have grown together with the team and I still feel that we are making progress. And although we have already achieved many successes together, I am still hungry for more. Not unimportant in the fact is that Alpecin-Deceuninck is also multi-disciplinary. This is the perfect team to continue to combine road, mountain bike and cyclocross.”
Philip and Christoph Roodhooft: “There is no doubt that we are delighted with Mathieu van der Poel’s extended agreement. We had a long-term plan with him from the beginning. The multidisciplinary vision was an important aspect of this. We quickly found each other in that as well. Over the years we have proven that our structure and vision works. It feels particularly good that we can also continue in the coming years. Just like Mathieu, we as a team are still hungry for more successes, and the world champion plays an important role in that, along with a number of other talents we have on board, both in the men’s and women’s teams.”
Five more years for Van der Poel with the Roodhooft brothers:
Strap Yourselves In – TENAC10US MVDP
MVDP signs with Canyon for 10 more years
If the last 8 years are anything to go by, we are in for quite the ride. 163 victories across three disciplines speaks for itself, but the manner in which he rides is what keeps us all on the edge of our seats.
Tenacious.
Read the MVDP story HERE.
Strong bond of trust
“This is a collaboration rooted in a mutual desire to continually push boundaries and reach the next level.”
Relentless speed
Riders like Mathieu van der Poel only come around once in a generation. His legendary status is matched only by the bikes he rides: Aeroad, Inflite, Lux.
Ten more years on a Canyon bike for Van der Poel:
Tour de Romandie Organisers Reveal Alexandre Balmer’s New Team by Accident
It looks like Alexandre Balmer will be racing with the Corratec-Vini Fantini team this year. Neither the rider nor the team have said anything about it, but the organisers of the Tour de Romandie names Balmer in a press release among the riders of Corratec-Vini Fantini. The team received a wildcard for the Swiss race.
Balmer rode for BikeExchange-Jayco/Jayco AlUla in 2022 and 2023, but was not given a new contract with the Australian WorldTeam. At the moment he is officially without a contract. However, on his own social media he shows that he is still in full training and writes that despite everything he has had a good winter.
When Balmer was an U23 he finished 3rd in the Giro del Belvedere (1.2U), which was won by Juan Ayuso. With the pros, he finished top ten twice in the Maryland Classic (9th in 2022, 8th in 2023) and finished 9th in the Giro del Veneto (2022).
Alexandre Balmer to Corratec?
Five-Time Olympic Champion Laura Kenny Retires
The 31 year-old track cyclist, Laura Kenny, announced via Instagram that she has ended her professional career. The British rider won five Olympic gold medals.
Kenny, who was known as Trott until 2016, won gold twice at both the London and Rio de Janeiro Olympic Games, both in the omnium and the team pursuit. In Tokyo (2021), she also won gold in the team pursuit together with Katie Archibald. In addition to her successes at the Olympic Games, Kenny was also World champion seven times and European champion fourteen times.
Laura Kenny is married to the successful track cyclist Jason Kenny. After the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, where they won five gold medals together, they were the ‘golden couple’. After the two had a son in 2017, Laura made a comeback and managed to win a gold medal in Tokyo.
Laura (Trott) Kenny retires:
Aleksandr Vlasov Extends Contract with BORA-hansgrohe for Three Years
Aleksandr Vlasov’s contract with BORA-hansgrohe was to expire at the end of this season. However, according to GCN, the Russian has re-signed with the German team for three more years.
Astana Qazaqstan and other team were interested Vlasov, La Gazzetta dello Sport reported. He rode for the Kazakh team in 2020 and 2021 It now seems certain that Vlasov will stay with BORA-hansgrohe. He would have committed himself to the team until the end of 2027. Vlasov is currently in his third season with BORA-hansgrohe. The 27 year-old achieved three podium finishes in the Challenge Mallorca this year and won the penultimate stage of Paris-Nice in March. He has also won the Giro dell’Emilia (2020), Tour of Valencia (2022) and Tour de Romandie (2022).
Three more years for Vlasov:
Sebastian Kolze Changizi Extends with Tudor
Sebastian Kolze Changizi has extended his contract with Tudor Pro Cycling. The Dane, who is part of Arvid de Kleijn’s sprint train, will remain with the Swiss team until at least the end of 2026. Petr Kelemen has also signed with Tudor, his new contract runs until the end of 2027.
Kolze Changizi turned professional with Tudor in 2023. The year before, he sprinted to a stage win in the Peace Race and was second twice in a stage of the Tour de l’Avenir, but with the Swiss team he has mainly been an important member of the lead-out train of Arvid de Kleijn. “It feels great to sign with this team for two more years,” said Kolze Changizi. “I am pleased to have reached this agreement so early in the year. This shows that things are going great.”
The 23-year-old Dane wants to be important for Tudor as a domestique and winner. “My dream is to raise my arms in the air, cross the line with the Tudor crest on my chest and take my first professional victory. In addition, I want to continue to work as a worker in Arvid de Kleijn’s sprint train to help the team achieve even more successes.”
Kelemen (23), will make his debut in the Flemish spring Classics this year. The Czech rider hopes to further develop in that area and in time trials in the coming years. “I am very happy to stay with Tudor Pro Cycling for another three years. To me it feels like a family since I joined the team in 2022, even before the big project started. I’m looking forward to winning big races with the team, gaining experience and performing, but also having fun! As always.”
Sebastian Kolze Changizi to stay with Tudor:
Marc Hirschi to Leave UAE Team Emirates for Tudor?
Marc Hirschi might ride for Tudor Pro Cycling next year. The rumour has been going around for some time, but according to Het Laatste Nieuws the deal has now been finalised and the Swiss rider will change teams at the end of the year.
The 25 year-old Hirschi was first noticed in 2020 when he won Flèche Wallonne and a stage victory in the Tour de France. In January of the next year, he left Team DSM early and signed for UAE Team Emirates. Due to injuries, he didn’t really show his early promise, but improved last autumn and won the Faun Drôme Classic in February. Hirschi’s contract with UAE Team Emirates finishes at the end of this year. It is no surprise that he has been linked to the Tudor team, as he is Swiss as is the team’s founder, Fabian Cancellara, who is also Hirschi’s manager.
Hirschi to Tudor?
Mauri Vansevenant Meets the Vuelta Winner he is Named After
A special meeting for the opening stage of the Tour of Catalonia. Mauri Vansevenant met Melchor Mauri, the former rider he is named after. The two shake hands in front of the Soudal Quick-Step team bus
The now 57 year-old Mauri was a professional from 1987 to 2003. The Spaniard’s biggest success was in 1991, when he won the Vuelta a España. He also won three time trials in that edition of his home tour. He also won two more stages in the Vuelta. His palmarès also include the Vuelta ao Algarve, Tour of Valencia (x2) and Vuelta a Murcia (x2).
Wim Vansevenant, Mauri Vansevenant’s father, explained to Sporza in 2019 why he and his wife came up with the name Mauri. “My wife’s grandfather was called Mauritz. In West Flanders, Mauritz becomes Maurice. I raced during the ONCE period and Melchor Mauri rode there. So we made a compromise and chose Mauri,” said Wim Vansevenant.
Mauri Vansevenant and Melchor Mauri:
Bahrain Victorious Set for Spring Classics in Belgium
The upcoming 4 races will not only serve as a warm-up for the second Monument of the season (the Tour of Flanders), but will also be an opportunity to add another good result to our 2024 tally. Last year Matej Mohorič and Andrea Pasqualon scored top 10 results at E3 and Dwars respectively, and this year we are aiming for even better.
The first race is the Classic Brugge – De Panne: 201 completely flat kilometres. The route is very similar to last year and hits the North Sea coastal town of Nieuwpoort after 40km. Rain, and especially high winds, could break the race into echelons from that point on since the race stays very close to the shore.
From all flats we go to almost no flat at all at E3 Saxo, which is the best warm-up for Flanders with a lot of the paved “bergs” that feature in the second monument. This race is for “puncheurs” so expect a lot of early splits in the peloton, with multiple attacks on the hills that are a constant throughout the parcours.
After a day’s rest the team will start Gent – Wevelgem: the longest cobbled classic of this set at 252km. The first half is flat while in the second half, riders will face rolling hills where the classics specialists will try to drop the sprinters. There are some gravel sectors thrown into the mix to make the race more interesting, but the outcome will most likely be a reduced bunch sprint.
The last (and the shortest) of this block is Dwars door Vlaanderen, at 188km. A combination of small hills and cobbled sectors will challenge the peloton, with the toughest sectors all coming in the last 71km where attacks will be launched.
Our Sports Director Enrico Poitschke analysed all 4 races: “First we start with Brugge – De Panne, which should be a race for the sprinters, but last year we saw that when weather conditions are extreme with wind and rain it becomes a hard race. At the moment the weather forecast looks good for Wednesday and from that side we have a lineup that will support Phil Bauhaus. We saw Phil is in good condition and we’ll try to bring him into a very good position for his sprint. Everything is possible, but our goal is top 5. Our team has a lot of experience that will be needed at this race. It’s Łukasz Wisniowski’s first race for our team, and he has shown in past years that he’s very motivated for Classics, so we hope he’ll be a good support to our guys in the crosswind situations and also in the preparation for the sprint, to be a lead out together with Govekar, Rajovic, and Bruttomesso who showed in the smaller races that he’s already on the top level and now starting for the first time a World Tour race.” Poitschke continued to talk about E3 Saxo: “This race is in its character completely different from De Penne. It is a very hard race, one of the hardest of the Classics. We have a clear leader in Matej Mohorič. He’s in very good shape, he did very strong races at the beginning of the season including last weekend’s Milano – Sanremo. The whole team will support Matej, but we also have Fred Wright who can help in the final or follow some early moves.”
2 days later on Sunday 24th is Gent – Wevelegem: “The race is very good for Matej, as he showed in last few years that he’s ready to fight for the win there. The whole team will support him. This race will also depend on the weather conditions to determine how hard that race is.” After this race riders have a two-day break before they start Dwars door Vlaanderen: “Matej and Fred will take a break before the Tour of Flanders. We’ll see in the upcoming races who’s in good shape and we’ll give guys from “the second row” a chance for result at this race.” concluded Poitschke.
E3 Saxo Classic – MAR 22
Pim Ligthart – Team dsm-firmenich PostNL coach: “We come to the E3 Saxo Classic with a young team. We see this as a nice opportunity for them to gain some valuable experience for the future. We will look for early opportunities in the race to make a jump into the breakaway and maybe be present in the final by doing so. Everyone will get the chance to race aggressively from the beginning and ensure that our team colours are represented in the moves.”
Line-up:
Tobias Lund Andresen (DEN)
Patrick Eddy (AUS)
Alex Edmondson (AUS)
Enzo Leijnse (NED)
Niklas Märkl (GER)
Timo Roosen (NED)
Julius van den Berg (NED).
Gent-Wevelgem Men – MAR 24
Rudi Kemna – Team dsm-firmenich PostNL coach
“Gent-Wevelgem will kick off the final week of the Flemish spring classics for this year and will offer everything that makes those races interesting – cobbles, steep hills, and the possibilities of echelons throughout the race. We will start with a nice mix of young and experienced riders to take on this challenge. As always, we must show good teamwork throughout the day to be in the race when the final kicks off. If this is in place, we have John and Nils as our finishers to go for a nice result, and we want to go all in to do so.”
Line-up:
John Degenkolb (GER)
Patrick Eddy (AUS)
Alex Edmondson (AUS)
Nils Eekhoff (NED)
Enzo Leijnse (NED)
Niklas Märkl (GER)
Casper van Uden (NED).
Gent-Wevelgem Women – MAR 24
Kelvin Dekker – Team dsm-firmenich PostNL coach: “Gent-Wevelgem is a race with a respectable history where the recipe for success is clear. You have the wind as a possible factor and then the passage in Heuvelland with the Kemmelberg as the biggest challenge. With Pfeiffer and Charlotte, we have multiple cards to play depending on which direction the race will go, and a strong team around them to direct the race in our favour.”
Line-up:
Rachele Barbieri (ITA)
Pfeiffer Georgi (GBR)
Franziska Koch (GER)
Charlotte Kool (NED)
Maeve Plouffe (AUS)
Abi Smith (GBR).
John Degenkolb back to Gent-Wevelgem:
Bahrain Victorious Wants Lenny Martinez
Lenny Martinez might be with the Bahrain Victorious team in 2025. The team is showing interest in the 20 year-old French climber. His contract with Groupama-FDJ expires at the end of this season.
Milan Eržen, the team manager of Bahrain Victorious, is honest about the interest in Martinez. “I have been following Lenny for about four years now and I am sure that he will grow into a new French cycling star. I just can’t confirm anything yet. We have spoken to his agent, but not yet to Lenny himself.”
Erzen is also realistic at the same time. “No signatures have been signed yet. He is at the top of our list, but we have to compete with so many other, even richer teams. We cannot compete with the insane amounts that are now being offered.”
Martinez is only in his second season as a professional, but has already achieved some very good results. He won the CIC-Mont Ventoux last year and wore the leader’s red jersey in the Vuelta a España. This year he was successful in the Var Classic and the Trofeo Laigueglia. He also finished second behind Jonas Vingegaard in O Gran Camiño and eighth in Strade Bianche.
Bahrain Victorious focuses on a specific type of new rider. “We are looking for drivers for the Grand Tours. We can also count on riders such as Pello Bilbao, Jack Haig, Antonio Tiberi and Damiano Caruso next year. We therefore focus on young riders who can join this group. That is now our main goal.”
Lenny Martinez to Bahrain Victorious?
Maxim Van Gils Extends his Contract with Lotto Dstny Until 2026
Maxim Van Gils stays with Lotto Dstny. The 24-year-old third-place finisher at the Strade Bianche has put pen to paper on a new two-year contract.
Even more good news: following Lennert Van Eetvelt’s extension last week, Maxim Van Gils has now also prolonged his stay with Lotto Dstny, until 2026. Van Gils has been riding for the team since 2018, making the transition from the young development team to the pro peloton in 2021. “Lotto Dstny feels like my second home”, a happy Maxim Van Gils explains. “I always look forward to heading back to the races to see my teammates and staff again. I’ve been here for over five years now, and everyone has become like family.”
Van Gils has started the year exceptionally strong. Since the beginning of the season, he hasn’t finished outside the top seven, with a third-place finish at the Strade Bianche, a victory in the time trial at the Ruta del Sol, and a seventh place in Milano-Sanremo last weekend as highlights. “The Ardennes classics are coming up soon, and I hope to perform well there too. It would be great if I could continue to raise my level over the next two years and help Lotto Dstny return to the WorldTour.”
Lotto Dstny’s CEO Stéphane Heulot is delighted that Van Gils has re-signed. “After Lennert Van Eetvelt, Maxim Van Gils also staying with Lotto Dstny for the next two years pleases us. We have strong belief in Maxim and his chances to continue shining in races. He can further grow with us and continue developing his talent.”
Maxim Van Gils to stay with Lotto Dstny:
Neilson Powless to Resume Full Training after Injury
Powless recovering from knee pain that forced exit from Tirreno-Adriatico
Neilson Powless expects to return to full training soon after abandoning stage six of Tirreno-Adriatico due to knee pain.
The American experienced pain around his right knee cap when he left the Italian stage race. The pain came from a combination of factors, likely including the cold weather and a crash at O Gran Camiño. Neilson took a few days off of training before he and the team’s medical staff were satisfied he was ready to resume light training. He continues to do targeted mobility work around his lower back, hips, and feet.
Matt Rabin, head of athlete care and team chiropractor, has been in contact with Neilson daily.
“The pain came on quite aggressively,” Rabin said. “We’ve been working on putting him right. He had something similar in his left knee last year, which is why he was so mindful about leaving the race because he didn’t want to aggravate it.”
“This happens in any given year, of course,” said team CEO Jonathan Vaughters. “One rider is having problems and another one of your really talented riders is on top of his game. Right now, Neilson is having problems and Alberto is on top of his game. Last year, it was the exact opposite. Of course I would love it if both of them were on top of their games at the same time, but that’s not the case. The priority is to let Neilson rest up and make sure his injury is completely healed and that he is completely healthy and ready to go. And that’s when he’ll come back to racing.”
Neilson has made sure to take advantage of the time on his hands when he wasn’t training.
“It’s been so nice to have Frances and Charlotte,” he said of his wife and infant daughter, respectively. “Being able to spend extra time with him has helped me handle the situation. Normally, this would probably be the most intense training and racing period of the year apart from the Tour de France. My family has been supporting me really well.”
Though he misses racing, he also recognises that resting his knee has been helpful.
“It was definitely hard to just watch Milano-Sanremo. I was screaming for Bettiol and, at the same time, I just wanted to be there so badly. But I know we’ve made the right decision with me not racing there. It’s quite a few hands on deck at the team to get me healthy and that’s made me feel like I’ve been getting well looked after. I have a lot of good people taking care of me and looking out for me, so I’m confident we’ve been making the right calls so far,” Neilson said.
Now that the irritation has died down, Neilson has done a few days of training at around ninety percent of his usual intensity and has been pain-free.
“I’m really happy that he’s making progress,” Rabin said. “We expect he will resume his normal training on Tuesday. He’s on the right path.”
The team has yet to determine when Neilson will return to racing.
“So long as I can do a full week’s training or so without any problems, then we’ll start to decide on a return race,” Neilson said. “I’m just itching for it but I have a lot of people looking out for me and I appreciate that.”
Powless training again:
Lidl Becomes Title Sponsor of the Deutschland Tour
The Deutschland Tour is the Germany’s most important cycling race. Since its comeback in 2018, the event has been inspiring enthusiasm for cycling across the country. The purpose is to bring top international sport as close as possible to the German fans and to combine it with many side events open to all and promoting cycling in all its forms.
“Cycling, whether as an ambitious sport or as part of everyday life, is an ideal building block for an active lifestyle. Lidl is also focusing on this idea, because in addition to exercise, a healthy and conscious diet promotes well-being. Promoting this and getting even more people excited about cycling is what connects Lidl and the Deutschland Tour. We want to make pro cycling accessible to the masses and inspire people to lead an active and healthy life as part of our social responsibility. To this end, we have planned numerous activities for fans along the course and spectators at home,” says Maciej Magdziarz, Managing Director Marketing at Lidl Dienstleistung GmbH und Co KG.
“Today is a milestone for the Deutschland Tour. We are delighted to welcome Lidl, who cares as much about promoting cycling as we do, as a title partner for the Deutschland Tour.. Together with Lidl, we aim to enthuse and inspire even more people about cycling, promoting its practice throughout Germany.” says Matthias Pietsch, Managing Director of the Gesellschaft zur Förderung des Radsports (A.S.O. Germany).
As the organiser of the Lidl Deutschland Tour, the Gesellschaft zur Förderung des Radsports (a subsidiary of the Tour de France organiser A.S.O.) has entered into a multi-year partnership with Lidl in Germany. In addition to its existing international partnerships, with the UCI WorldTeam and UCI Women’s WorldTeam Lidl-Trek, Lidl is now also focusing on cycling in its German home market.
Last summer, 750,000 fans along the route and six million TV viewers experienced the five-day stage race. The Deutschland Tour also gathered over 6,000 active cyclists who took part in the side events surrounding the professional race: from the kids of the “kinder Joy of Moving mini tour” to the women juniors of the “Newcomer Tour” and the amateur riders of the “Cycling Tour”.
This year, the Lidl Deutschland Tour runs from Schweinfurt to Saarbrücken between August 21st and 25th. In addition to the Tour de France stars, the best German cycling talents will also be presenting themselves to their home fans.
Key points:
- Germany’s most important cycling race gets a new name: Lidl Deutschland Tour.
- The grocery store chain is further expanding its involvement in professional cycling and will become the title sponsor and “Official Fresh Food Partner” of the Deutschland Tour.
- Lidl also presents the red jersey of the overall leader of the general classification.
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