The hilly Classics season started on Wednesday with the men’s and women’s Brabantse Pijl, we have all the news and video from Belgium, plus the first two stages of the Giro d’Abruzzo.
Police identify who threw beer at Mathieu van der Poel at the Tour of Flanders and woman who threw hat in Paris-Roubaix turned herself in – TOP STORY.
Rider news: Primoz Roglič is back on the bike after his Basque Country crash, Lenny Martinez to signs with Bahrain Victorious to earn four times his present wage, Jay Vine takes first steps after horror crash, Alexis Vuillermoz announces his retirement, Silvan Dillier on Paris-Roubaix: “We really wrote a piece of history”, Amund Grøndahl Jansen has to have more surgery due to a persistent injury and Sénéchal says there were problems with the team bikes in Paris-Roubaix.
Team news: Decathlon AG2R, dsm-firmenich PostNL and UAE Team Emirates to Amstel Gold Race, KNWU appoints Laurens ten Dam as the first national gravel coach, Intermarché-Wanty sprinters sustained ankle injuries, Mareille Meijering extends with Movistar and Lily Williams signs with Human Powered Health through 2026.
Race news: Race jury didn’t do anything when juniors rode inside the blue line on the Roubaix Velodrome, former detective joins UCI to fight against mechanical doping, teams for Tro Bro Léon, Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana Gran Premi Banc Sabadell receives the highest rating from the UCI and Palestinians call for road closed to genocide over participation of Israeli government-sponsored team.
Alexey Tsatevich dies at 34.
TOP STORY: Police Identify the Person who Threw Beer at Mathieu van der Poel in the Tour of Flanders
Belgian police have identified who threw beer at Mathieu van der Poel during the Tour of Flanders. “He has not yet been interrogated, but he can expect an invitation,” Joost Duhamel of the Flemish Ardennes police told Het Nieuwsblad.
On his way to his third victory of the Tour of Flanders, Mathieu van der Poel had beer, spit and boos from some spectators. Race organiser, Flanders Classics didn’t want to let the situation go and wanted the perpetrators punished.
The police made their investigations last week and have now identified one person. “Following last week’s beer throwers at the Oude Kwaremont, one person is already clearly in the picture. He has not yet been interrogated, but he can expect an invitation,” said Duhamel. The police received some new information on Sunday, after Van der Poel also had beer thrown over him in Paris-Roubaix. “Following these facts, we are again receiving tips about beer throwing during the third ascent of the Oude Kwaremont. People who think that things cannot continue like this. Rightly so. First throw a beer, now a hat. Where is it going to end?”
“We have to set limits on that behaviour. If you can’t just go out and support, then stay home,” Duhamel stated. “Although there are also two camps regarding investigations. People who think we are right to track down those beer throwers and others who openly wonder whether we have nothing better to do. But Sunday’s incident during Paris-Roubaix clearly shows that we must take action. That behaviour must stop before it goes from bad to worse.”
Paris-Roubaix: The Woman Who Threw a Cap at Van der Poel Has Turned herself In
According to the Belgian newspaper Het Nieuwsblad, the woman who threw a cap at Mathieu Van der Poel on Sunday during Paris-Roubaix, has come forward and she is a supporter of the Dutchman. As expected, the riders’ union filed a complaint on Tuesday.
On sector number 10, 42 kilometres from the finish, a woman threw a cap at the World champion. The two riders’ unions, the CPA (international) and the UNCP (French) filed complaints on Tuesday morning at the Bergerac police station, place of residence of Pascal Chanteur, vice-president and president of the two groups. The complaint is that the ‘accused’: “endangering others, which could lead to injury or death.”
The complaint was sent to the Bergerac public prosecutor’s office, and would then be transferred to Lille. The riders’ union, would like community service to be imposed: “This could be in an association which takes care of the repair of the paving stones every year,” Pascal Chanteur said.
President of the CPA, Adam Hansen, said on Sunday: “Any individual who behaves badly in our races will be systematically prosecuted. This happens too often. There, it was a cap, but when I see the riders who have beer, wine or even piss thrown at them, I can’t stand it anymore. These are unacceptable behaviours.”
According to Het Nieuwsblad, it is a Flemish woman who was present at the race in a VIP tent. “When we saw the footage, we didn’t think the woman was part of our group. She didn’t have a badge to enter and exit our tent. But we investigated and asked all our customers if they knew the lady in question,” said the event organiser, Eventour.
A company attending the event contacted Eventour to say they knew the woman in question. “These people told us that the woman was going to turn herself in,” continued the Eventour organiser, without knowing whether she had turned herself in to the authorities or come forward to the race organiser. Het Nieuwsblad states that she was a fan of Mathieu Van der Poel, this would imply that her action was not deliberate.
Mathieu Van der Poel, interviewed on Sunday after the race, didn’t make a big deal out of it: “I just saw something white thrown in my direction but I couldn’t see what it was. Apparently, not everyone likes to see me in front but I don’t care much,” Mathieu Van der Poel told Dutch television channel NOS.
“Never Intended to Cause Harm”
The spectator who threw a cap at Mathieu van der Poel’s bike during Paris-Roubaix on Sunday said she had no malicious intentions. The Flemish woman has now revealed her identity to the French riders’ association, UNCP. “She would like to explain everything, but she does not want to have that conversation in the media,” the woman’s lawyer said. “We have also already contacted the French riders’ union,” the lawyer told Het Nieuwsblad. “That happened this week. We have taken the step. In that message, my client identified herself and clarified that she is the woman seen in the images. She has also indicated that she is open to a conversation and that she would like to provide the union with an explanation about what happened there.”
“She wants to explain everything. We are now waiting for a response. It was evidently never my client’s intention to harm the rider in question. Let alone that she wanted to bring him down. No sane person would do something like that, right? My client prefers to keep the explanation for the discussion with the riders’ association. She can explain this to them. But she doesn’t want to have that conversation in the media.”
The lawyer also confirms that her client supports Van der Poel. The woman in question does not want to tell her story in the media, but she did tell Het Nieuwsblad: “If there are any complaints, I will take responsibility. I don’t want to waste more words on that in the media.” She believes that due to an unfortunate manoeuvre she has now unnecessarily ended up in a storm of criticism and curses.
Some fans took it too far:
Brabantse Pijl – La Flèche Brabançonne 2024
Benoît Cosnefroy won the Brabantse Pijl in a sprint from group of six. The French Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale rider was the fastest ahead of Dylan Teuns (Israel-Premier Tech) and Tim Wellens (UAE Team Emirates). Marijn van den Berg was also in the group, he attacked in the final kilometres, but was caught and dropped, to finish in 7th place.
The Brabantse Pijl started in Leuven for 195 kilometres through Flemish and Walloon Brabant, with a final circuit round Overijse. This circuit had the cobbles of the Hertstraat (0.7km at 3.7%), the Holstheide (1km at 5%), the harder Moskesstraat (0.5km at 7%) and the S-bend (1.3 km at 3.7%), shortly before the finish on the Brusselsesteenweg.
The break of the day came in two parts. Jordi Warlop (Soudal Quick-Step) and Tomáš Kopecký (TDT-Unibet) crossed to six others: Alan Riou (Arkéa-B&B Hotels), Nicolas Debeaumarché (Cofidis), Jens Reynders (Bingoal WB), Dylan Vandenstorme (Flanders-Baloise), Lorrenzo Manzin (TotalEnergies) and Anders Halland Johannessen (Uno-X Mobility). The peloton wouldn’t let them take more than a 2 minute lead. Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale, Alpecin-Deceuninck, Israel-Premier Tech and UAE Team Emirates were all working. The race really warmed up as the peloton fought for the best positions on the Moskesstraat for the first time, 70 kilometres from the finish. The break was caught by jumps from Quinten Hermans, Jelle Johannink and Pascal Eenkhoorn. Alec Segaert, Antoine Huby and Andres Leknessund were off the front for a while. Behind them; top favourite, Tim Wellens, started to get involved 50 kilometres from the finish. His acceleration on the Moskesstraat caused a split in the peloton. Søren Kragh Andersen and Axel Laurance made the jump to the Segaert group, after which Benoît Cosnefroy, Dries De Pooter, Frank van den Broek, Lawson Craddock, Stephen Williams and Antonio Morgado also joined them.
EF Education-EasyPost missed the move and pulled the leading group back, which allowed leader Marijn van den Berg to join Dylan Teuns and Tim Wellens on the penultimate climb of the Moskesstraat. The three didn’t get much of a lead, but the chase was also not great. They started the final lap with a 20 second lead. Michael Matthews and Dries Van Gestel made a frantic attempt the last time on the Hertstraat, but that came to nothing. The work by Alpecin-Deceuninck and Decathlon AG2R had more effect, because at the foot of the Moskesstraat the gap was halved. Van den Berg was at the front with Wellens and Teuns, but a strong Hermans was able to join just after the top. There was a second group not far behind.
From that group, Cosnefroy crossed to the leading group on Holstheide, resulting in five front riders starting the last 7 kilometres together. The gap was small enough for Joseph Blackmore and Jefferson Cepeda to get across from behind. Marijn van den Berg looked to be the best sprinter in the group of the seven leaders, but he didn’t want to wait. Two kilometres out he took his chance and had a lead going in the S-bend. It was Blackmore who closed the gap to Van den Berg, who ran out of steam. In the sprint, Blackmore pulled ahead of Teuns, but he was no match for Benoît Cosnefroy’s surge for the line. The Frenchman was the fastest ahead of Teuns and Wellens. Blackmore finished fourth, ahead of Cepeda and Hermans. Ten seconds later, Van den Berg finished seventh.
Race winner, Benoît Cosnefroy (Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale): “I am very happy to win this race. Although the last lap was very difficult for me, because when I jumped to the first group, I had to deal with Teuns alone. In the sprint it went perfectly, because Dylan opened the gap on the side and that was perfect for me. It is better to start the Ardennes campaign with a victory. That’s why I’m very happy for the team and for myself. I feel at home here, you can see that in my results. I felt that I had good legs, but this race is difficult to read, but after I made the crossing, I had confidence.”
2nd, Dylan Teuns (Israel-Premier Tech): “I gave everything in the sprint, but he still came over. I think I can handle Cosnefroy in the sprint, but he had the advantage of saving a lap came back later and was able to save his legs for another lap. Quinten Hermans also had that, so they were two fresh and fast men and I also had a teammate who came back. He (Blackmore) did a fantastic last kilometres. I needed that to keep the pressure on, especially on that difficult climb with a difficult sprint. In the sprint I saw an opening on the left and attacked from far out. In the end it turned out to be a good move, but Benoît was on my wheel and he still managed to get over. I always like to do the Brabantse Pijl, although more and more riders are skipping this race. Now I want to recover for three good days and then on to Sunday. My ambitions are no different than today, we want to participate in the race and get the most out of it.”
3rd, Tim Wellens (UAE Team Emirates): “The three of us were at the front, but a group suddenly came back. I tried to pull away on the last climb, but I couldn’t tell the difference. It became a sprint for the win. Fortunately, Israel-Premier Tech was still with two men when Van den Berg attacked. I was mostly afraid of him. I tried on the last climb but couldn’t make a difference. When that group returned, he attacked, but they brought him back for the sprint. I rode a very good preseason, better than expected. I showed myself and as a team we were very strong. Now I’m taking a few days of rest. Then I will explore Tour stages, at altitude and then to the Critérium du Dauphiné. Then I will go to altitude again to be good at the Tour de France.”
6th, Quinten Hermans (Alpecin-Deceuninck): “I had to make a big effort to get to the front in the last lap and I fell short in the end. I was completely empty. I no longer had the legs and I didn’t sprint either. I should have been a little more alert on the penultimate lap. Then I wouldn’t have had to make that effort to get there. When they rode away, I was sitting a little too far back. There was no place to move up. Perhaps the heavy effort I had to make afterwards meant that those percentages were missing at the end. I feel I can compete with the best. I just have to be a little more alert thirty or forty kilometres from the finish.”
7th, Marijn van den Berg (EF Education-EasyPost): “Maybe it was a bit stupid, maybe I should have waited for my sprint. They left a gap and at first I thought I had good legs, but then I exploded. It was a bit stupid not to go for the sprint. I’m a bit disappointed. The biggest chance was probably betting on my sprint. I don’t know, it was a bit stupid of me. I think I can show beautiful things. Next Sunday (Amstel Gold Race) I hope I can do a little better than this.”
Brabantse Pijl – La Flèche Brabançonne Result:
1. Benoît Cosnefroy (Fra) Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale in 6:01:03
2. Dylan Teuns (Bel) Israel-Premier Tech
3. Tim Wellens (Bel) UAE Team Emirates
4. Joseph Blackmore (GB) Israel-Premier Tech
5. Jefferson Alveiro Cepeda (Ecu) Caja Rural-Seguros RGA
6. Quinten Hermans (Bel) Alpecin-Deceuninck
7. Marijn van den Berg (Ned) EF Education-EasyPost at 0:10
8. Michael Matthews (Aus) Jayco AlUla at 0:28
9. Vito Braet (Bel) Intermarché-Wanty
10. Corbin Strong (NZ) Israel-Premier Tech.
Brabantse’24
Brabantse Pijl – La Flèche Brabançonne Women 2024
After her win in the Tour of Flanders, Elisa Longo Borghini won the Brabantse Pijl on Wednesday. The Italian champion of Lidl-Trek was too good for Demi Vollering, who looked strong. but was dropped 8 kilometres from the finish when Longo Borghini attacked on the Holstheide. The Dutch champion finished second, Alexandra Manly (Liv AlUla Jayco) was third.
The women’s race was over just under 135 kilometres, between Sint-Kwintens-Lennik and Overijse, with cobbles and climbs. The final lap in Overijse has the cobbles of the Hertstraat (0.7km at 3.7%), Holstheide (1km at 5%), the Moskesstraat (0.5km at 7%) and the famous S-bend climb (1.3km at 3.7%), just before the finish on the Brusselsesteenweg.
The break of the day consisted of four riders: Laura Molenaar (VolkerWessels), Coryn Labecki (EF Education-Cannondale), Emily Watts (Chevalmeire) and Karin Söderqvist (Lifeplus Wahoo). They had a lead of more than 4 minutes on the peloton, but couldn’t hold out on the final lap. More than 60 kilometres out, it was Demi Vollering who was looking keen. This turned out not to be her only attack of the day. At the Holstheide, just under 30 kilometres from the finish, SD Worx-Protime leader Vollering managed to connect with Elisa Longo Borghini of Lidl-Trek. The only escapee who could keep up with the two top favourites was Alessia Vigilia (FDJ-SUEZ), who had crossed over to the leading group before the final. The three started the final lap in Overijse together.
Vigilia had to let go on the Moskesstraat for the last time. Vollering and Longo Borghini, who worked well together, started the last 10 kilometres with a 20 second lead. The peloton was slow to chase, but on the climb of Holstheide the group came close. Longo Borghini didn’t let it happen; she surprised Vollering with an attack. Vollering struggled on, but saw the Italian champion get further away. Vollering couldn’t do anything and lost more time. Longo Borghini, who won the Tour of Flanders and was on the podium in the Omloop Het Nieuwsblad and Strade Bianche, took the win. Demi Vollering was second at 40 seconds and Alexandra Manly won the sprint from the first bunch.
Race winner, Elisa Longo Borghini (Lidl-Trek): “It was a very strong team performance again and we showed it in Flanders. Today we really wanted to have a kind of open race but we planned an attack at kilometre 85 with the team and then we did it again on the Moskesstraat. Big credit today to my teammates, everyone was really committed to doing well. We were relaxed but really determined. This victory is for my husband Jacopo [Mosca], he’s on the Teide training and I hope to see him very soon. It’s for a silly reason, he’s surname is Mosca and today we were on the Moskesstraat. She (Vollering) looked really strong and did a really good race. She’s a rider I have a lot of respect for. Today I was stronger, tomorrow she will be stronger. It’s like this in cycling.”
Brabantse Pijl – La Flèche Brabançonne Women Result:
1. Elisa Longo Borghini (Ita) Lidl-Trek in 3:26:18
2. Demi Vollering (Ned) SD Worx-Protime at 0:41
3. Alexandra Manly (Aus) Liv AlUla Jayco at 1:06
4. Femke Gerritse (Ned) SD Worx-Protime
5. Shirin van Anrooij (Ned) Lidl-Trek
6. Amber Kraak (Ned) FDJ-SUEZ
7. Eleonora Ciabocco (Ita) dsm-firmenich PostNL
8. Justine Ghekiere (Bel) AG Insurance-Soudal
9. Yara Kastelijn (Ned) Fenix-Deceuninck
10. Margot Vanpachtenbeke (Bel) VolkerWessels Women’s Pro Cycling Team.
Brabantse’24
Giro d’Abruzzo 2024
The First Stage of the Giro d’Abruzzo was won by Enrico Zanoncello. The 26-year-old Italian of VF Group-Bardiani CSF-Faizanè beat Matteo Malucelli in the sprint, but it took the photo finish to separate them. Zanoncello is also the overall leader.
Stage 1 of the Giro d’Abruzzo was a hilly 161 kilometres from Vasto to Pescara. There were several climbs, but a sprint from a large group was expected.
The ‘break of the day’ formed early: Nicola Rossi (Beltrami TSA-Tre Colli), Tomasso Dati (Biesse-Carrera), Gergo Orosz (Epronex-Hungary), Matteo Spreafico (Mg.K Vis-Colors for Peace), Bernardo Suaza (Petrolike), Diego Bracalente (MBH Bank Colpack Ballan), Nicholas Tonioli (UM Tools Caffé Mokambo) and Andrea Guerra (Zalf Euromobil Fior). The group of 8 built a maximum lead of just over 5 minutes. The leading group started to thinned out: Orosz was the first to be dropped and next it was too fast for Tonioli. The six remaining leaders started the last 60 kilometres with a 2 minute lead. This was when Dati, Bracalente and Guerra put the pressure on and drop the others. At the same time the peloton was also losing riders out the back. Several sprinters and lesser climbers were left behind, while other riders tried to jump across to the leading group. Seven counter-attackers: Dimitri Peyskens, Alex Martín and Ben Granger got away, but failed to catch the leaders.
The chasers came together 20 kilometres from the finish, but Dati, Bracalente and Guerra were still off the front. Their lead continued to fluctuate around 1 minute, but 12 kilometres from the finish, the three Italians were caught. In the final there were attack attempts by George Bennett and Valerio Conti, but they were quickly pulled in. A sprint from a large group looked to be on the cards, but four riders jumped away from the peloton within sight of the finish. Alexey Lutsenko, Giovanni Carboni, Diego Ulissi and Filippo Magli had a lead with 2 kilometres to go, but it wasn’t enough to hold off the bunch. Everything was together again before the final kilometre. Max Kanter started the sprint 250 metres from the line, but he couldn’t hold his speed and was passed by Matteo Malucelli. The Italian looked to have the win, but Enrico Zanoncello came up to him at speed. It was too close at the finish and it took a photo-finish to show who had won
Stage winner and overall leader, Enrico Zanoncello (VF Group-Bardiani CSF-Faizanè): “I’m very happy. I had bookmarked this stage. After an eventful stage, it came down to a head to head with Matteo Malucelli. It was tight. I’m glad I won it. Fiorelli brought me onto Malucelli’s wheel and I managed to pass him. This is my first pro win in Europe and above all in Italy. Moreover this is the confirmation we were looking for. Let’s hope this win will convince my team to take me to the Giro d’Italia.”
3rd on the stage and overall, Manuel Peñalver (Polti Kometa): “Racing in Italy is always special for Polti Kometa and we really acted like a team. The victory didn’t come, but third place did, along with a clear sense of improvement. I thank the entire staff for their confidence in me.”
Maglia Verde, Andrea Guerra (Zalf Euromobil Fior): “I took the initiative of the move from the very beginning of the stage. This is my way of racing and I saw a good occasion to race offensively today. Once ahead, I waited for some more riders to come along and form the breakaway. I didn’t have big expectations for the KOM but I felt I had good legs. I didn’t know the Colombian rider [Bernardo Suaza] was a winner of Giro della Valle d’Aosta and King of the Mountains of Le Tour de Langkawi, I just pushed the pedals to the maximum to win this KOM. I got caught in a crash towards the end so I can’t race for GC anymore so I’ll give it all to defend the climbers’ jersey although I know it won’t be easy to win it.”
Maglia Bianca, Thomas Pesenti (JCL Team UKYO): “Today’s stage was tailor-made for Matteo Malucelli, too bad he didn’t win but we’re having a good beginning of the season with several second places, let’s hope the win is around the corner. I was covering the moves to him and making sure he was fine in the downhill. I’ll try to defend this white jersey for sure.”
Giro d’Abruzzo Stage 1 Result:
1. Enrico Zanoncello (Ita) VF Group-Bardiani CSF-Faizanè in 3:38:41
2. Matteo Malucelli (Ita) JCL Team UKYO
3. Manuel Peñalver (Spa) Polti Kometa
4. Max Kanter (Ger) Astana Qazaqstan
5. Nicklas Amdi Pedersen (Den) TDT-Unibet
6. Thomas Pesenti (Ita) JCL Team UKYO
7. Riccardo Biondani (Ita) General Store-Essegibi-F.Lli Curia
8. Jan Christen (Sui) UAE Team Emirates
9. Samuel Quaranta (Ita) MBH Bank Colpack Ballan
10. Valerio Conti (Ita) Corratec-Vini Fantini.
Giro d’Abruzzo Overall After Stage 1:
1. Enrico Zanoncello (Ita) VF Group-Bardiani CSF-Faizanè in 3:38:31
2. Matteo Malucelli (Ita) JCL Team UKYO at 0:04
3. Manuel Peñalver (Spa) Polti Kometa at 0:06
4. Bernardo Suaza (Col) Petrolike at 0:08
5. Max Kanter (Ger) Astana Qazaqstan at 0:10
6. Nicklas Amdi Pedersen (Den) TDT-Unibet
7. Thomas Pesenti (Ita) JCL Team UKYO
8. Riccardo Biondani (Ita) General Store-Essegibi-F.Lli Curia
9. Jan Christen (Sui) UAE Team Emirates
10. Samuel Quaranta (Ita) MBH Bank Colpack Ballan
Abruzzo’24 stage 1:
Jan Christen won Stage 2 of the Giro d’Abruzzo on Wednesday. The 19-year-old Swiss rider of UAE Team Emirates finished solo after a hard stage to Magliano de’ Marsi, he also took the overall lead. Alexey Lutsenko (Astana Qazaqstan) won the sprint from the chasing group ahead of Thomas Pesenti (JCL Team UKYO).
The second stage of the Giro d’Abruzzo had more climbing than the first day, but not so hard to rule out a sprint finish. The final climb came fifteen kilometres from the finish in Magliano de’ Marsi, it was long, but not steep. From there it was a descent to the finish. Abram Stockman (TdT-Unibet), Diego Bracalente (MBH Bank Colpack Ballan), Alessandro Tonelli (VF Group-Bardiani CSF-Faizanè) and Andrea Guerra (Zalf Euromobil Fior) made up the break of the day. They had more than 4 minutes on the UAE Team Emirates, Astana Qazaqstan and Tudor led peloton, but the gap was closed before the final really started.
Stockman was caught 23 kilometres rom the finish and Tonelli, the last escapee, was pulled in soon after. On the last climb, UAE Team Emirates sent Jan Christen on the attack. George Bennett of Israel-Premier Tech was also involved. Due to the high pace, the peloton split on the climb and an elite group got away. UAE Team Emirates had the most riders at the front. Jan Christen escaped 6 kilometres out and then his teammates, Adam Yates and Pavel Sivakov stalled any chase. Christian had a 20 second lead and was able to take his first professional win. Alexey Lutsenko took the sprint for second place at the head of the chase group.
Stage winner and overall leader, Jan Christen (UAE Team Emirates): “It was my goal to win a pro race already this and I’m delighted I did today, before I turn 20. We had a good plan with the team and everything went quite well. We set up a good pace from the bottom of the last climb. Then it was my turn to attack but Lutsenko rode behind. It was a bit crazy after that. I wanted to attack again in the downhill and it went well. With 2km to go, I realised I was going to win. With the team we said today is my stage. We did super good. Tomorrow we’ll go with Adam Yates for the GC and I will give my best for him to win Il Giro d’Abruzzo overall.”
Maglia Verde, Andrea Guerra (Zalf Euromobil Fior): “It’s been harder than yesterday to break away. Many teams wanted to be part of it. After several attempts, I realised it wasn’t ideal to wear the Maglia Verde, so I let three guys go and I came across to them a bit later. There was again Diego Brancalente with me so it was another battle between us for the KOM and the intermediate sprint. I’m not particularly fast but I took advantage of the circumstances for winning both. It’s going to be difficult for me to defend the jersey after I spent so much energy in the first two days but I’ll try. In any case, Il Giro d’Abruzzo is a big occasion for me to bid for the highest category of cycling. That remains my goal”.
10th on the stage and 7th overall, Paul Double (Polti Kometa): “I controlled all the attacks during the last climb, but when Christen broke away in the final descent and his teammates understandably didn’t cooperate, I decided to conserve energy ahead of the queen stage…”
Giro d’Abruzzo Stage 2 Result:
1. Jan Christen (Sui) UAE Team Emirates in 4:05:10
2. Alexey Lutsenko (Kaz) Astana Qazaqstan at 0:16
3. Thomas Pesenti (Ita) JCL Team UKYO
4. Yannis Voisard (Sui) Tudor
5. Sébastien Reichenbach (Sui) Tudor
6. Domenico Pozzovivo (Ita) VF Group-Bardiani CSF-Faizanè
7. Pavel Sivakov (Fra) UAE Team Emirates
8. George Bennett (NZ) Israel-Premier Tech
9. Giovanni Carboni (Ita) JCL Team UKYO
10. Paul Double (GB) Polti Kometa.
Giro d’Abruzzo Overall After Stage 2:
1. Jan Christen (Sui) UAE Team Emirates in 7:43:41
2. Alexey Lutsenko (Kaz) Astana Qazaqstan at 0:20
3. Thomas Pesenti (Ita) JCL Team UKYO at 0:22
4. Sébastien Reichenbach (Sui) Tudor at 0:26
5. Yannis Voisard (Sui) Tudor
6. Giovanni Carboni (Ita) JCL Team UKYO
7. Paul Double (GB) Polti Kometa
8. Domenico Pozzovivo (Ita) VF Group-Bardiani CSF-Faizanè
9. George Bennett (NZ) Israel-Premier Tech
10. Adam Yates (GB) UAE Team Emirates.
Abruzzo’24 stage 2:
Primoz Roglič is Back on the Bike After his Basque Country Crash
Good news from Primoz Roglič. The Slovenian abandoned the Itzulia Basque Country after crashing two days in a row, but has now resumed training. BORA-hansgrohe shared a photo of Roglič smiling while on a home trainer.
Roglić crashed with Jonas Vingegaard and Remco Evenepoel on the fourth stage of the Basque race. A day earlier, in stage three, Roglič also crashed. After two falls in two days, the BORA-hansgrohe leader decided to call an end to his race. The Slovenian had no fractures, but he was covered in abrasions. He was back on his bike again on Tuesday. Inside, but he still enjoyed his training ride as you could see from the smile on his face.
Roglič seems happy to be training again:
Lenny Martinez to Signs with Bahrain Victorious to Earn Four Times his Present Wage
According to RMC Sport, Lenny Martinez will race for Bahrain Victorious from next year. Martinez is said to have already signed a long (pre-)contract with the Middle East team at the beginning of 2024.
With Groupama-FDJ, Martinez currently earns around €200,000 a year. A small amount compared to what he will get with Bahrain Victorious. It is being said that he has signed a contract with the team for three seasons with a fee of €2,500,000. His annual salary will be more than four times what it is now.
The 20-year-old Martinez is considered a great prospect in mountains. After turning pro with Groupama-FDJ last year, he won three races: the CIC – Mont Ventoux in 2023 and the Classic Var and Trofeo Laigueglia this spring. In 2024 he also finished second in O Gran Camiño, eighth in Strade Bianche and seventh in the Tour of Catalunya.
Big money for Martínez:
Jay Vine Takes First Steps after Horror Crash
Jay Vine was one of the main victims of the big crash in the Tour of the Basque Country. The Australian climber broke a cervical vertebra and two thoracic vertebrae in his spine. On Monday evening, the UAE Team Emirates rider wrote on Instagram.
“Medical update on my end: I’m tracking as well as can be expected, I have been able to walk around my room with the aid of a walker, and taking the first step was pretty emotional after what I’ve been through.
Waiting to get home to Andorra, but the folks in the hospital have been A + with the care I have received.
Just can’t believe that I will still be able to walk and play with my kids one day, it was pretty scary for a couple of days when we weren’t sure if surgery or neurological problems might present themselves.
Long road ahead for my recovery, but I am looking forward to getting the process rolling.”
His team previously announced that Vine didn’t require surgery, but will have to wear a neck brace for six weeks. “The fractures are stable enough that surgical correction is not necessary,” team doctor Adrian Rotunno describes his medical situation. No neurological injuries (brain, spinal cord and nerves), other serious injuries or head trauma were found.
Alexis Vuillermoz Announces his Retirement
2024 will be Alexis Vuillermoz’s last season as a professional cyclist. The 35-year-old Frenchman will finish his career at the end of the season, he announced on Instagram.
“It is with great emotion and pride that I announce that 2024 will be my last professional season,” Vuillermoz wrote. “There are still great competitions waiting for me and I will continue to give everything so that I can retire without regrets.”
Vuillermoz turned professional in 2013 with Sojasun, where he had previously been a stagiaire. In 2014 he joined the WorldTour, with AG2R La Mondiale. He raced for this team for seven years, after which he switched to Total Direct Energie, now TotalEnergies, in 2021, where he is now.
Vuillermoz took nine professional victories. His biggest win was in July 11, 2015, when he won stage 8 of the Tour de France in the Mûr-de-Bretagne. His palmarès also includes the 2017 Tour du Limousin and stage 2 of the 2022 Critérium du Dauphiné. He also finished in the top ten twice in the Flèche Wallonne, 6th in 2015 and 10th in 2022 and he finished 4th in the 2017 Tour of Lombardy. He also finished 13th overall in the 2017 Tour de France.
Alexis Vuillermoz to retire:
Silvan Dillier on Paris-Roubaix: “We Really Wrote a Piece of History”
Mathieu van der Poel soloed to victory in Paris-Roubaix on Sunday, but team performance was also very strong. Silvan Dillier, second in the cobbled Classic in 2018, was one of the Alpecin-Deceuninck domestiques. The Swiss rider spoke to WielerFlits after the race.
“It may be easier said than done, but it was of course our goal to tackle the race in this way,” said Dillier about the performance of Alpecin-Deceuninck, which took control early on and thinned out the peloton. . Dillier’s work was done in the final, so he didn’t see what was happening at the front. “I sometimes heard something through communication, but it was not very clear. I did realise that Mathieu was alone in the front and the boys behind were doing a great job protecting him. It was another great team effort and a phenomenal performance by Mathieu.”
Van der Poel attacked just under 60 kilometres from the finish. Was that the plan? “To be honest, we never discussed when or how we would attack. Our goal was simply to get Mathieu and Jasper into the final. Then you have to see how the course unfolds and when there is a moment to go. Mathieu is very good at seeing these moments and he is not afraid to make an effort.”
The spring Classics have gone perfectly for Alpecin-Deceuninck. With Milano-Sanremo, the Ronde van Vlaanderen and now also Paris-Roubaix, they have won all Monuments so far. “We really wrote a piece of history today,” said Dillier. “It is almost unbelievable what we have achieved. Already last year (Van der Poel and Philipsen also finished first and second in Roubaix), but now it went even better. It’s crazy.”
Dillier has no idea how such a great success can be celebrated. “Champagne is no longer enough,” he laughed. “I think we just have to enjoy the moment, like always. Then we move on to the next adventure.”
Silvan Dillier working hard:
Amund Grøndahl Jansen has to Have More Surgery Due to a Persistent Injury
Amund Grøndahl Jansen of Jayco AlUla will need further surgery for a narrowed femoral artery. TV 2 Sport reported.
Grøndahl Jansen already had surgery at the end of 2022 due to a narrowing of his femoral artery. With this injury, which is common among cyclists, there is not enough blood flow to the leg during exercise. An intervention can solve the problem, but this doesn’t seemed to have worked for Grøndahl Jansen. He needs to be operated on again for the same problem. It is not yet known how long Grøndahl Jansen will be out of circulation, but usually riders with a femoral artery injury must stay off the bike for six weeks. Then they can slowly build up again.
Grøndahl Jansen has not reached his usual level for some time. With Jumbo-Visma, he was an important worker, but since he switched to Team BikeExchange, now Jayco AlUla, in the winter of 2020 to 2021, things have not run smoothly. Paris-Roubaix was his last race until he recovers.
Amund Grøndahl Jansen out again for a while:
Sénéchal Says there were Problems with the Team Bikes in Paris-Roubaix
Florian Sénechal had a lot of problems on the cobbles of Paris-Roubaix. The Frenchman had to change bikes four times. He suspects that something is wrong with the Arkéa-B&B Hotels team bikes.
The problems started early for Sénechal, about 150 kilometres from the finish. “My bike wasn’t going well,” he told CyclismActu. “It was my fork or stem that started to fail. I heard the sound of cracking carbon turning into cardboard. I got scared and stopped to change bikes. I couldn’t cycle faster anyway, because I couldn’t pull the handlebars. And I didn’t want to fall on my broken collarbone.” That first bike change was just the beginning. “I had to change bikes a total of four times. At the Carrefour de l’Arbre the handlebars of my spare bike even came loose. I think we have a technical problem with our bikes. We’ll have to look into it. It’s annoying to always have problems.”
Sénechal considers himself lucky that he didn’t crash. He eventually finished in 16th place. “The legs were there, the physical condition was there. I have nothing to prove to myself. I have to be patient now. I didn’t want to give up, even though I wasn’t having any luck yet. I kept coming back and I wanted to do it right. I made no tactical or technical mistakes and was always in the right place.”
No luck for Florian Sénechal in Roubaix:
Decathlon AG2R to to Amstel Gold Race
Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale has announced its team for the Amstel Gold Race. The French squad is counting on a strong selection for Sunday, with Benoît Cosnefroy, Oliver Naesen, Dorian Godon and revelation, Paul Lapeira.
Cosnefroy will be the team’s main rider, as he has already ridden well in the Amstel Gold Race. Two years ago the Frenchman thought he had crossed the line first. Cosnefroy was eventually given second place after the race jury studied the photo-finish, then they awarded the win Michal Kwiatkowski. The form of the Decathlon AG2R rider is good. Cosnefroy won Paris-Camembert recently and was fourth in the Région Pays de la Loire Tour.
Two other Decathlon AG2R riders to watch are Oliver Naesen, who was fourth in Omloop Het Nieuwsblad and seventh in the Tour of Flanders and Dorian Godon, the winner of the Brabantse Pijl last year. Paul Lapeira will make his debut in the Amstel Gold Race. The 23-year-old Frenchman has broken through at the highest level this season, with victories in the Classic Loire Atlantique, Cholet Agglo Tour and Tour of the Basque Country. The others in the team are Pierre Gautherat, Valentin Retailleau and Damien Touzé.
Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale Team for the Amstel Gold Race:
Benoît Cosnefroy (Fra)
Dorian Godon (Fra)
Pierre Gautherat (Fra)
Valentin Retailleau (Fra)
Damien Touzé (Fra)
Paul Lapeira (Fra).
Oliver Naesen (Bel).
Cosnefroy to Amstel:
Amstel Gold Race Men – APR 14
Roy Curvers – Team dsm-firmenich PostNL coach: “Amstel Gold Race is the only Dutch WorldTour one-day race so it will be a special one for us as a Dutch-rooted team. We are racing in the area where dsm-firmenich was founded and PostNL goes from door to door. This will give us some extra motivation to honour the colours that we wear every day. We aim to race offensively to anticipate the early moves and we have Warren, Oscar and Kevin as three strong cards to play in the final and go for a good result.”
Line-up:
Warren Barguil (FRA)
Enzo Leijnse (NED)
Tim Naberman (NED)
Oscar Onley (GBR)
Martijn Tusveld (NED)
Frank van den Broek (NED)
Kevin Vermaerke (USA).
Amstel Gold Race Women – APR 14
Kelvin Dekker – Team dsm-firmenich PostNL coach: “Amstel Gold Race is our home race, with a lot of our riders using the AquaStep Keep Challenging Center in Sittard as their base for different parts of the season – this always makes it a special race. We start with a strong team where we aim to go for a top result with Pfeiffer and Juliette as our finishers. We will need the whole team on a high level of teamwork for this and are confident that we have what it takes.”
Line-up:
Francesca Barale (ITA)
Eleonora Ciabocco (ITA)
Pfeiffer Georgi (GBR)
Juliette Labous (FRA)
Elise Uijen (NED)
Nienke Vinke (NED).
Oscar Onley to Amstel:
Ardennes Racing in Amstel Gold – Hirschi & Ayuso Among Main Favourites
UAE Team Emirates are to resume a block of racing in Belgium this week with De Brabantse Pijl on 10 April followed by Amstel Gold Race on 14 April.
Former Amstel Gold winner Marc Hirschi will hope to repeat his previous run in the Ardennes as he is joined in the squad by the in-form Juan Ayuso who comes fresh from victory at the Itzuila Basque Country last weekend.
Ayuso: “Personally I’m feeling good and carrying over form from Itzulia. For Amstel Gold on Sunday I think we’re going in with a few options. Obviously we know these races can also really suit a rider like Hirschi and I hope to be there in the mix in the final too, so we’ll play our cards on the day. It’s my first time coming into these races in good shape and I’m really motivated for it.”
Sports Manager Matxin Fernandez (Spa) will lead team along with Sports Directors Andrej Hauptman (Slo) and Tomas Gil (Ven) at Amstel Gold Race:
Amstel Gold Race [1.UWT] – 14-Apr-2024:
Joao Almeida (Por)
Juan Ayuso (Spa)
Sjoerd Bax (Ned)
Jan Christen (Swi)
Marc Hirschi (Swi)
Finn Fisher Black (NZ)
Brandon McNulty (USA)
KNWU Appoints Laurens ten Dam as the First National Gravel Coach
Laurens ten Dam will start working at the Netherlands Cycling Union as national coach Gravel. He is the first to hold this position in this relatively new but increasingly popular discipline. Ten Dam will continue to race on gravel himself.
“I am very happy that the KNWU has asked me as national coach Gravel and am motivated to take Dutch clay court to the next level,” said Ten Dam on the KNWU website. “It is a position in which I can express my enthusiasm for the sport and working with athletes.”
Ten Dam was a top road professional from 2004 to 2019. After he ended that career, he continued riding gravel. He had already discovered this aspect of the sport a few years earlier and is considered the founder of gravel racing in the Netherlands. In 2022 and 2023, Ten Dam finished fourth in Unboud Gravel, one of the largest and most prestigious gravel competitions in the World in the United States. In 2021 he was second in this 350 kilometre race. Next year, in addition to his duties as national coach, he will continue to race.
The KNWU sees gravel sport as ‘a great connection between recreational sport and top sport’, according to technical director Wilbert Broekhuizen. “Many different conversations have been held in recent months and we see plenty of opportunities for gravel sport, nationally and internationally. We were looking for a coach from the gravel community and with a lot of top sports experience. Our top riders are at the start of the championships, so it is important to know what is going on and as a coach you have to experience top sport.”
“You also have to keep the performance setting of gravel sports in mind, have a lot of fun and still race super fast and go for it together. Of course you will quickly end up at Laurens. As an ex-professional on the road, Laurens brings with him a wealth of knowledge and experience, but he has also made his mark as a gravel biker. I am very happy that we can expand our top sports team with Laurens as National Gravel Coach.”
In the coming years, Ten Dam will be tasked with making selections for the championships and forging units from the various groups. In addition, he aims to make the increasingly popular gravel sport even bigger in the Netherlands.
Laurens ten Dam to be Dutch gravel coach:
Ankle Injuries for Marit and Thijssen
This Wednesday 3rd of April, Arne Marit and Gerben Thijssen were both involved in a crash in the beginning of the Scheldeprijs. The two sprinters of Intermarché-Wanty sustained ankle injuries and will be out of competition for several weeks.
Gerald Ackerl (Head doctor): “Arne Marit sustained a fracture of the talus bone, the bone that makes up the lower part of the ankle joint. He underwent surgery in the hospital of Herentals this Thursday in order to stabilise his fracture and to be able to start earlier with functional aftercare. He was released from the hospital after his operation and will carry a plaster for ten days.”
“An MRI scan showed that Gerben Thijssen did not sustain an ankle fracture, but due to a partial ligament rupture he needs to observe a rest period for one or two weeks before starting his build up.”
Gerben Thijssen injured:
Mareille Meijering Extends with Movistar Team “Family” Through 2027
29-year-old Dutchwoman makes her WorldTour spell a long stay, after only 18 months fully committed to pro cycling; will remain with Blues for the foreseeable future following splendid performances.
Movistar Team is pleased to announce Thursday that Mareille Meijering (Stadskanaal, NED; 1995) has signed a new, three-year contract with the squad managed by Sebastián Unzué. The Dutch rider will thus remain a member of the Blue outfit at least until 31st December, 2027.
In just eleven months as a pro athlete for the Telefónica-backed squad, Mareille has proven to be an example of effort, human values and sporting quality. An Economics teacher at university until 2022, she impressed with brilliant performances in the early 2024 season. It was a great bounce back from a difficult first WorldTour season, 2023, when she joined the Abarca Sports organisation in the spring, then injury struck her hard right after her first few races.
Winner overall at the Vuelta a Extremadura, as well as the Queen stage in Guadalupe, Meijering shone on the attack at the recent Trofeo Binda and finished 9th against the WorldTour’s best climbers atop Jebel Hafeet, mountain top finish in the Emirati race.
Mareille Meijering: “Since last year, my life definitely changed a lot. From teaching at university, to suddenly quitting completely and going all-in for cycling. Obviously, 2023 was not as successful as everyone hoped it would have been, with injury and sporting difficulties, so the main goal for this winter was to stay healthy. The steps I was able to take over the last few months were a big surprise. Turning into being a helper within the team to winning my first professional bike race two weeks ago is incredible. The team just kept believing in me, helped me through this difficult period and gave me all the time and space that I needed to recover. That made it an easy decision when the time came to decide if I wanted to stay. I really feel at home here.”
“You always hear about this team that it’s like a family, but you don’t realise how far it goes to that extent until you’re part of it. The vibe is super good; the riders are amazing, super strong while also being super nice; the staff is amazing, they do an incredible job, and they help you through every step you need. So, what are my goals now? Probably the sky is the limit! I think that, if I can build in some consistency over the next few years, there’s a lot of steps I can make. Plus, I believe I can still learn a lot from everyone in the team. Even though I’m almost a grandma (laughs), I sometimes feel like a 20-year-old that is learning from the girls and the staff every day again.”
Lily Williams Signs Through 2026
American pens new long term deal with Human Powered Health
An integral part of the Classics squad, in her time on the team Williams has finished on the podium of Danilith Nokere Koerse and in the top five of La Classique Morbihan as well as in stage of the Tour Cycliste Féminin International de l’Ardèche and Setmana Ciclista Volta Femenina de la Comunitat Valenciana. Alongside her achievements on the road, Williams has been an anchor in the USA team pursuit squad, winning the world championships and an Olympic bronze medal during her time on the team.
Williams is emblematic of Human Powered Health’s growth from the continental level to a sustainable Women’s WorldTour team. “We’ve grown together and we’ve learned together,” Williams explains. “It’s been so fulfilling to be part of a process where you get better together. Every year I’ve been on this team I’ve gotten better. In the past months, we’ve seen the first consistent results since we’ve been on the WorldTour but that’s just the surface of what’s been evolving behind the scenes.”
Having joined in 2020 amid COVID and immediately racing the Spring Classics, the then 25-year-old was thrust straight into the theatre of European racing. Since then, she has been a linchpin in the team.
“I’ll forever be thankful to the team for supporting me during that time,” she says. “The team is helping me as I aim to compete to Paris this summer. These are the goals that make you more than just a rider. To be supported by the team in all of these personal goals and through injuries and rehabilitation is so important.”
The Human Powered Health Pillars of Performance – movement, fuel, mindset and recovery – are key mantras that Williams has followed. “Fuel has been the biggest change for me this year,” she says. “We have a performance nutritionist [Erica Lombardi] and cook [Pablo Salas] now. I’ve had plenty of struggles with this throughout my time as a performance athlete so when you learn how to do it correctly in a sustainable way that isn’t hard and you’re eating the right things and you feel good without craving foods you feel you’re missing out on has been a huge boost in my performance.”
After Paris 2024, she will be coming straight back to the road, something she says not many may do but that will be an important part of her mindset and recovery. On a more day-to-day basis, movement has been the pillar that connects Williams road and track ambitions. “When you have goals throughout the season you have to focus on keeping healthy movement in your routine because cycling is so hard on your body,” she says. “Making sure to take care of those pieces throughout the year is key. Human Powered Health prioritises our bodies, minds, and wellbeing and not just the outcome of the races.”
Her goals beyond the Olympics highlight the growth in her performance. “I want to see continued consistency and show that I belong in the WorldTour,” she says. “Whatever that looks like, whether it’s me getting the result or helping someone else it doesn’t matter to me. It’s a whole team effort and I feel valued on Human Powered Health no matter what I’m doing. Results would be great but feeling good about my progress is just as, if not more important.”
Race Jury didn’t Say Anything When Juniors Rode Inside the Blue Line on the Roubaix Velodrome
At the end of the U19 Paris-Roubaix, Albert Withen Philipsen was alone in the lead when he came into the Vélodrome, but on the first bend of the track the pursuers came back by cutting the corner if the track. Tim van Dijke was declassified from the pro result later in the afternoon for a similar action, but the jury didn’t intervene in the U19 race.
The images show how World champion Albert Withen Philipsen is the first to dive into the corner. However, four riders return, far inside the Côte d’Azur (the blue strip of the track). The eventual winner, the Slovenian Jakob Omrzel also to this line. The race eventually ended in a sprint. Other images show how the front riders all cut the last corner in the final lap. Philipsen had to settle for fourth place.
The jury did not intervene with the juniors, but they did later in the day when Tim van Dijke attacked inside the blue section. The Dutchman accelerated at the start of the final lap on the inside of the Côte d’Azur and crossed the finish line in eighth. However, the jury put him back to sixteenth place, the last place of the group from which he had jumped away from.
Afterwards Van Dijke admitted to what he did. “Rules are rules. Apparently that is the case in track cycling,” he said to WielerFlits. Laughing: “It’s just a bit of a shame that I don’t understand that much. I was really only concerned with my attack, because I just wanted to finish eighth. I take the shortest possible way to the finish.”
“In retrospect, I should have known that, I think. I’m not the only rider who has done it, although that doesn’t matter,” Van Dijke continued. “But hey, rules are rules. So I was rightly put back. But that doesn’t detract from my performance, I think. It just has a sour aftertaste.”
Van Dijke was declassed:
Former Detective Joins UCI to Fight Against Mechanical Doping
The UCI continues to work hard to eradicate technological fraud in cycling. The UCI has taken an extra step in the fight against mechanical doping in the coming years and sees Nicholas Raudenski as the ideal man to guide this in the right direction.
From May 1, Raudenski will “set up and lead a detailed and global strategy in the fight against technological fraud in cycling,” the UCI said in a press release. “Building on the work the UCI has already done in this area. He will strengthen the UCI’s programme, optimise the use of existing resources, monitor and assess current technological progress and oversee the development of new methods to detect technological fraud. He will also analyse and investigate all allegations and reports of possible technological fraud.”
Raudenski, born in America but currently living in Switzerland, worked in recent years as Head of Intelligence & Investigations for Anti-Doping Agency ITA. This independent body has been working with the UCI for years in the fight against doping. Raudenski previously worked for more than twenty years as a detective in the highest levels of global sports and for the US Department of Homeland Security. In the past, he was active for the World Football Association FIFA and the European Football Association UEFA. He was involved in match-fixing, corruption and other ethical issues.
“Pursuing an effective fight against technological fraud is high on the agenda,” said UCI president David Lappartient. “We are very pleased to now have Nick Raudenski on board. With his unparalleled experience in deterrence and detection, intelligence, investigations and sports integrity, we can ensure our highest ethical standards.”
UCI fighting technological fraud:
Tro Bro Léon 2024: 20 Teams at the Start, 6 UCI WorldTeams
The 75th Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana Gran Premi Banc Sabadell Receives the Highest Rating from UCI
The evaluation report of the international organisation highlights the great work in safety, routes and general organisation of the recent Valencian cycling tour.
The Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) has awarded the highest possible rating to the organisation of the VCV – Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana Gran Premi Banc Sabadell, after the recent dispute of the 75th edition of the VCV last February. This is reflected in the evaluation report that the UCI has sent to the organisational team led by former cyclist Angel Casero, which highlights the work done in areas such as security, the route, the accommodation of the teams and, ultimately, the overall organisation of the event. This is very good news for a Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana that has just celebrated its 75th edition and whose short and medium term objective is to continue climbing categories in the UCI stage race ranking.
“The organising committee is well structured and those responsible for each area are well identified. Great attention is paid to safety and precautionary measures. The route is varied and selective. The reception from the teams and commissaires is excellent. The television production was very attentive to the safety instructions. The organisation was able to deal effectively with a fatal accident at the finish line of the fourth stage”. The UCI report on the 75th VCV begins with these general indications. A document that is then divided into different areas of action.
Security wise, the UCI stresses that «a lot of work is done by the Guardia Civil, with 40 motorcycles, and the motorcycle escort link». “The most dangerous obstacles are very well indicated, especially at the end. The medical service is very involved and very well sized», it continues. Regarding the accommodation of the teams, the UCI highlights not having received «any negative comments from them; while praising the television production, which always listened to the safety instructions and was available to review the images requested by the commissaires”.
The UCI made special mention of the ‘public and route’ section. «There was a fairly large number of people at the start and finish sites, as well as a fairly frequent presence of schools in the cities of passage. In addition, on the last day there are junior races and a women’s international race that benefits from the same race system as the men», concludes this section.
Finally, the highest international cycling body makes an overall assessment of this 75th VCV. “A committee very involved in safety and danger signalling. Experienced race vehicle drivers, who listen to safety instructions. The start and finish locations are well chosen and of good size. Very welcoming organising committee, who listen to the commissaires team. Very good quality accommodation. A very varied and selective route that highlights the beauties of the region», states the UCI, ending with a final note. During the fourth stage, a fatal accident occurred a few meters from the finish line. The organisation, in agreement with the commissaires, was able to cope and readapt the finish line in a few minutes in another place. There was a good management of this unprecedented crisis”, concludes the UCI report.
High marks also for VCV Féminas
Parallel to the 75th VCV, on Sunday, February 4, it was held the VI VCV Féminas Gran Premio Tuawa, a one-day race of the UCI category 1.1. A pioneer race in equality between men and women in the sport, won this year by the French rider Cedrine Kerbaol. The UCI report on the race highlights «the numerous spectators on the course and at the finish, as well as the promotion of the race through other competitions aimed at fans and children. The report recognises the importance of the race being broadcast live on television, which «helped to strengthen the promotion of women’s cycling», and concludes by celebrating the «high level of organisation and competition».
Brandon McNulty and Angel Casero:
Giro d’Italia and Tour De France: Palestinians Call for Road Closed to Genocide Over Participation of Israeli Government-Sponsored Team
Israel is plausibly committing genocide against Palestinians in Gaza, as ruled by the International Court of Justice. International sporting bodies have a moral obligation to take all measures to prevent genocide, or risk being held criminally liable.
Despite this, the Giro d’Italia (4 – 26 May) and the Tour de France (29 June – 21 July) are planning to allow the Israeli government-sponsored cycling team to participate, even as Israel murders more than 33,000 Palestinians in Gaza, intentionally uses starvation as a weapon of war to engineer a famine in Gaza, deliberately fires on Palestinians desperately seeking what little aid enters Gaza and the aid workers delivering it, and commits sporticide, killing Palestinian athletes and destroying Palestinian sports facilities.
The Israeli cycling team was created by Canadian-Israeli billionaire Sylvan Adams with the stated goal of sportswashing Israel’s 75-year-long regime of military occupation and apartheid, and now its genocide. Adams has described Israel’s genocide against Palestinians in Gaza in racist terms of “good vs. evil and civilisation against barbarism.” He has called world leaders “useful idiots” for merely urging Israel to stop “this killing of women, of children, of babies.”
UCI, the international body governing cycling, claims to be a “politically neutral organisation.” UCI immediately sanctioned Russia just days into its illegal aggression against Ukraine, suspending all Russian and Belorussian teams and banning all UCI events in Russia and Belarus. Yet in a show of typical Western hypocrisy, UCI has not only closed an eye to Israel’s decades-long record of grave crimes against Palestinians, but is now helping to sportswash Israel’s Gaza genocide.
Israel is able to commit this livestreamed genocide and continue what Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch have determined to be a 75-year apartheid regime with complete impunity because of the failure of international bodies to uphold international law by sanctioning Israel.
In light of this failure, Palestinians are calling for more protests than ever along the race routes of the Giro d’Italia and the Tour de France.
The Palestinian Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel (PACBI) was initiated in 2004 to contribute to the struggle for Palestinian freedom, justice and equality. PACBI advocates for the boycott of Israeli academic and cultural institutions, given their deep and persistent complicity in Israel’s denial of Palestinian rights as stipulated in international law. Visit PACBI at https://bdsmovement.net/pacbi and follow us on Twitter @PACBI.
To be more protests against the Israel Premier-Tech team:
Alexey Tsatevich Dies at 34
Alexey Tsatevich has died at the age of 34. The Russian, who rode for Katusha for most of his career, was a professional from 2012 to 2017. The cause of death is unknown.
Tsatevich turned pro with Katusha in 2012, after riding for the training team for a year. In his second year with the WorldTour team, he won the semi-classic Le Samyn and a stage in the Settimana Ciclistica Lombarda by Bergamasca (UCI 2.1). He also won the final stage of the 2016 Tour of Catalunya. In Barcelona, the Russian beat Primoz Roglič, who was then in his first season with LottoNL-Jumbo, in a two-man sprint.
Despite winning at WorldTour level, Tsatevich couldn’t stay with Katusha after 2016. He took a step back to ProContinental Gazprom-RusVelo. There was no room for him there after one season, so he decided to retire at the end of 2017. Tsatevich was an ice hockey player at amateur level after his cycling career.
RIP Alexey:
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