As we try to return to ‘normal’ life without the Tour de France, the race season is still on the go: We have all the news, views, results, reports and video from the Tour de Wallonie and the Clásica Castilla y León.
New book on doping at Team Sky – TOP STORY.
Rider news: No Olympics for Tadej Pogačar, no Vuelta for Primoz Roglič? Biniam Girmay with Intermarché-Wanty until 2028, Dylan Teuns on his way to a new team, Blanka Vas extends contract through 2027 with Team SD Worx-Protime and Peter Sagan ends his career with second place at the Slovak MTB Championship.
Team news: Patrick Lefevere is done with talking about Soudal Quick-Step’s Tour and Euskaltel-Euskadi is the first to reveal their Vuelta team.
Race News: 2024 Tour de France: Pogačar a class apart.
Plus: The sad news of an Irish club rider who dies on a cycling holiday at the Tour de France.
TOP STORY: New Book on Doping: “This story makes you look at Team Sky and Team GB differently”
British journalist Nick Harris is releasing a new book on doping. Harris spent years researching both Team Sky and Team Great Britain and has now written a book on the subject. “This story has been 12 years in the making and will change how you look at the golden era of Team Sky and Team Great Britain,” he wrote in a preview on his Sporting Intelligence blog.
“The story is about an entrenched culture of doping among the staff of both Team Sky and Team GB during the golden era of British cycling,” wrote Harris, who began his research in 2012, the year Sky rider Bradley Wiggins became the first Briton to win the Tour. After five years he wanted to publish on the subject, but was stopped by his newspaper at the time, he says. Now Harris will reveal the story.
“I will reveal for the first time what I have discovered about the doping history of key figures from the major teams that brought gold and glory to British cycling. I’ll tell you how – at a time when the figureheads of these teams claimed they were proof that you could win clean – insiders and whistleblowers told me about the hypocrisy, misinformation and obfuscation at the heart of the project. And about the omertà that kept all secrets secret. And I will explore the implications of this for the greats of British cycling’s golden era, including the individuals who became superstars,” Harris summed up in his preview.
Harris worked for many years as a sports journalist for the Mail on Sunday. In 2022, Harris was nominated in the ‘Sports Journalist of the Year’ category at the British Journalism Awards. He was nominated for, among other things, revealing that a British cyclist rode away from a doping control officer before the 2012 London Olympics and got away with it. Harris left Mail on Sunday in October 2023 following cuts within the company.
Harris started his investigation in 2012:
Tour de Wallonie 2024
Jordi Meeus won Stage 1 of the Tour de Wallonie. The Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe rider beat Madis Mihkels and Paul Penhoët in a bunch sprint. Meeus is also the first overall leader of the Belgian stage race.
The Tour de Wallonie started with a tough stage. From the start in Tournai, the race headed towards the Pays des Collines, which is included in the hilly zone of Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne. This was far from the finish, which was in the province of Hainaut. In the final, the peloton had to complete a local circuit, with the Côte de Petit Try as the ultimate obstacle. After that climb there was more than 10 kilometres to the finish.
Three attackers managed to get away. The two young Belgians Michiel Lambrecht (Bingoal WB Devo) and Kenay De Moyer (Pauwels-Sauzen Bingoal) were joined by the more experienced Norwegian Anders Skaarseth (Uno-X Mobility). At one point the trio had a 4 minute lead, but the gap didn’t get any bigger. The three started to lose time. De Moyer, who is only 20-years-old, was the first to be caught with 60 kilometres to go. Lambrecht and Skaarseth held out a little longer, but in the end they too were pulled in. There was then a lot of attacks. Benoît Cosnefroy, Matteo Trentin, Dries De Bondt, Tibor Del Grosso and Pim Ronhaar, tried, but couldn’t get away.
There were many attacks, but also a lot of flat tyres. In the last 30 kilometres there was one puncture after another, including Florian Vermeersch and De Bondt. This happened before the climb of the Côte de Petit Try (1.2km at 7.2%). This was a decisive section of the race. Andreas Kron tried here too. The Danish leader of Lotto Dstny attacked the difficult climb and was accompanied by Alex Kirsch and Corbin Strong, who, like Lambrecht and Cosnefroy, took three bonus seconds, but a gap was not created and the attackers were caught very soon. A little later, Per Strand Hagenes and Rune Herregodts jumped away, but they also had little success.
It looked more likely that there was going to be a bunch sprint in Fleurus. In the build-up to the sprint, a large part of the peloton was sent the wrong way, which also caused Jasper De Buyst and Alberto Dainese to crash. Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe stayed out of danger in the final kilometres, after which they tried to lead-out Jordi Meeus, but he lost their wheels. The strong sprinter had to find position himself in the last kilometre, but he succeeded. The Limburger, who wasn’t picked to go to the Tour, won after an impressive sprint. For Meeus it is only his second victory of the season. Madis Mihkels and Paul Penhoët finished second and third, ahead of Mick van Dijke in fourth.
Stage winner and overall leader, Jordi Meeus (Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe): “It was a pretty hard stage and the finale was super hectic. I managed to stay in a good position and launched my sprint at the right time. This victory wouldn’t have been possible without my team mates. They did a great job keeping the race together and I’m super happy that I was able to finish it off with a win.“
2nd on the stage and overall, Madis Mihkels (Intermarché-Wanty): “It was a course that suited me, difficult with short climbs and a sprint at the finish. We have one of the strongest teams at the start, for the sprint we made clear tactical agreements and that’s how I found myself in a perfect position in the last 1,500 meters. At that moment, things almost went wrong, because a motorbike chose the wrong direction, which even caused a crash. I got away with a fright, because I almost crashed too. In the end, I’m happy with the sprint I did. Jordi Meeus was the fastest man and deservedly wins. I think we can be satisfied with this podium and our collective performance today.”
Tour de Wallonie Stage 1 Result:
1. Jordi Meeus Red (Bel) Bull-BORA-hansgrohe in 4:03:11
2. Madis Mihkels (Est) Intermarché-Wanty
3. Paul Penhoet (Fra) Groupama-FDJ
4. Mick Van Dijke (Ned) Visma | Lease a Bike
5. Emilien Jeannière (Bel) TotalEnergies
6. Pierre Gauthera (Ned) Decathlon-AG2R La Mondiale
7. Jesse Kramer (Ned) Visma | Lease a Bike
8. Lilian Calmejane (Fra) Intermarché-Wanty
9. Luca Van Boven (Bel) Bingoal WB
10. Florian Vermeersch (Bel) Lotto Dstny.
Tour de Wallonie Overall After Stage 1:
1. Jordi Meeus (Bel) Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe in 4:03:01
2. Madis Mihkels (Est) Intermarché-Wanty at 0:04
3. Paul Penhoet (Fra) Groupama-FDJ at 0:06
4. Corbin Strong (NZ) Israel-Premier Tech at 0:07
5. Benoit Cosnefroy (Fra) Decathlon-AG2R La Mondiale
6. Michiel Lambrecht (Bel) Bingoal WB
7. Alex Kirsch (Lux) Lidl-Trek at 0:08
8. Matteo Trentin (Ita) Tudor
9.Anders Skaarseth (Nor) Uno-X Mobility
10. Stan Dewulf (Bel) Decathlon-AG2R La Mondiale at 0:09.
Wallonie’24 stage 1:
Corbin Strong won Stage 2 of the Tour de Wallonie. The New Zealander of Israel-Premier Tech was the fastest of a thinned group after a chaotic stage. He also took over the leader’s jersey from Jordi Meeus.
On day two the first uphill finish in this Tour de Wallonie. The largest part of the stage took place in the province of Namur, where there were the climbs of the Côte de Froidvau and Côte du Président. In total, the stage had about 2,700 metres of climbing.
The race organisers had a route of local circuits again. In Ouffet, the Côte de Géromont (1.6km at 8.1%) had to be climbed 12 kilometres from the finish. The road to Ouffet also rose considerably, but was not classified as a climb. But was it tough enough to drop the sprinters? The first attack was successful. Baptiste Veistroffer (Decathlon AG2R), Cole Kessler (Lidl-Trek), Johan Jacobs (Movistar) and Pascal Eenkhoorn (Lotto Dstny) managed to get away. This was a great opportunity for Veistroffer and Kessler, because they will ride most of their races this season for the training team of their WorldTeam.
Eenkhoorn had a different purpose. The Dutchman knew that a bonus sprint was waiting early in the stage in Beaumont, where he could make a move for the overall. However, Eenkhoorn was beaten by Veistroffer, meaning Eenkhoorn had to make do with two seconds. The former Dutch champion then dropped back to the peloton, where Israel-Premier Tech and Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe, the team of overall leader Jordi Meeus, took control. The three never really had a chance to stay ahead, especially because the peloton still wanted to race in the final. On the Côte de Geromont, Natnael Tesfatsion took control. The Eritrean made Lidl-Trek’s ambitions clear: setting a strong pace and breaking the peloton into several parts. They succeeded, especially when leader Juan Pedro Lopez gave it an extra boost a little later. That was the end of the game. Lewis Askey and Samuel Watson (Groupama-FDJ), Corbin Strong and Simon Clarke (Israel-Premier Tech), as well as Mick van Dijke and Per Strand Hagenes (Visma | Lease a Bike), and others, took their chances to get away. But at the top the differences were still too small. Andreas Kron (Lotto Dstny) tried to close the gap, but took too many risks and crashed on the descent.
An uncontrolled final followed. Lucas Eriksson (Tudor), Alex Kirsch and Lopez (Lidl-Trek), Rune Herregodts (Intermarché-Wanty), Clarke (Israel-Premier Tech), Watson (Groupama-FDJ) and Jon Barrenetxea (Movistar) went in the rolling final in a new escape, but they could never get further than 10 seconds. The collaboration was also not ideal, allowing Alpecin-Deceuninck, Decathlon AG2R and Bingoal WB to chase. They brought back a peloton of about 40 riders. Timo Kielich’s teammates could then control the final kilometres, but the strongest train came from Israel-Premier Tech, which seemed to have every confidence in Corbin Strong. Clarke put the New Zealander in an ideal position to the uphill finish, and Strong held off Emilien Jeannière (TotalEnergies). Leader Jordi Meeus was still present in the first group, but couldn’t go for a top result. Strong, who already took 3 bonuses yesterday in an intermediate sprint, was the new leader.
Stage winner and overall leader, Corbin Strong (Israel-Premier Tech): “I’ve been thinking about this week here for a couple of months now. Training went really well, I’m really happy with how the form is, and it’s nice to come here and get the win. I think if you watched the stage today, it was such a privilege to be a part of this team today. They were all behind me – I even thought to myself in the last three kilometres, with the work my teammates did today, that I better pull this one off! They all rode really strongly – Schultzie, Clarkey, Dylan in the final kilometres, they all did a dream lead-out. I always think that on a finish like this, if I’m not coming from too far back, they suit me really well. I had a lot of confidence in myself today. I think I’ll be surprised if tomorrow’s a sprint – it’s a really hard day, but I’m looking forward to giving it a go and seeing if I can keep the jersey to the end of the race.”
Tour de Wallonie Stage 2 Result:
1. Corbin Strong (NZ) Israel-Premier Tech in 4:04:23
2. Emilien Jeannière (Fra) TotalEnergies
3. Paul Penhoet (Fra) Groupama-FDJ
4. Alex Kirsch (Lux) Lidl-Trek
5. Natnael Tesfatsion Ocbit (Eri) Lidl-Trek
6. Alec Segaert (Bel) Lotto Dstny
7. Carlos Canal Blanco (Spa) Movistar
8. Matteo Trentin (Ita) Tudor
9. Clement Venturini (Ita) Arkéa-B&B Hotels
10. Simon Clarke (Aus) Israel-Premier Tech.
Tour de Wallonie Overall After Stage 2:
1. Corbin Strong (NZ) Israel-Premier Tech in 8:07:21
2. Jordi Meeus (Bel) Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe at 0:03
3. Paul Penhoet (Fra) Groupama-FDJ at 0:05
4. Emilien Jeannière (Fra) TotalEnergies at 0:07
5. Benoit Cosnefroy (Fra) Decathlon-AG2R La Mondiale at 0:10
6. Alex Kirsch (Lux) Lidl-Trek at 0:11
7. Matteo Trentin (Ita) Tudor
8. Pascal Eenkhoorn (Ned) Lotto Dstny
9. Stan Dewulf (Bel) Decathlon-AG2R La Mondiale12
10. Mick Van Dijke (Ned) Visma | Lease a Bike at 0:13.
Wallonie’24 stage 2:
Markus Hoelgaard won the Queen Stage 3 of the Tour de Wallonie on Wednesday. The Norwegian champion of Uno-X Mobility was the best of the early escape and beat the experienced Jimmy Janssens (Alpecin-Deceuninck) after 188 kilometres, he out-smarted the Belgian in the winding finale. The favourites group started to chase too late and fought for third place; Matteo Trentin won the bunch sprint in La Roche-en-Ardenne, Corbin Strong holds the overall lead.
In the final of the Queen stage, the riders had to contend with a Liège-Bastogne-Liège style stage, with a total of 2,900 metres of climbing. From Houffalize the riders had a circuit of about 30 kilometres, which had to be ridden two and a half times. This included the Côte de Maboge (2.8km at 6.5%) and Col de Haussire (4.1km at 6.9%). The latter is known as ‘the longest and most difficult climb in Belgium’ with the top at 498 metres. The finish was at the foot of this climb, after the descent.
There was an early leading group of five riders. Two Belgians: Jimmy Janssens (Alpecin-Deceuninck) and Gilles De Wilde (Flanders-Baloise), as well as KOM Johan Jacobs (Movistar), Thomas Bonnet (TotalEnergies) and Markus Hoelgaard (Uno-X Mobility). They escaped about 20 kilometres and built up a lead of more than 5 minutes. Behind; leader Corbin Strong’s team controlled. With about a 5 minute lead, the group started the local circuit round La Roche-en-Ardenne. Janssens, De Wilde and Hoelgaard were at the front the longest, while Pim Ronhaar launched an attack behind them, more than 60 kilometres from the finish. An attack that was followed by Gerben Kuypers, but they were both brought back on the first time up the Col de Haussire.
An active Juan Pedro López jumped away on the climb with Floris De Tier. They picked up the dropped Jacobs and gained 30 seconds on the peloton, where Intermarché-Wanty and Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe were chasing. Matteo Trentin made the jump to López and De Tier. This happened well behind Janssens, De Wilde and Hoelgaard, who started the final lap of 30 kilometres with a 2:50 lead. The peloton caught the Trentin group at the start of the last lap. Simon Clarke went on the attack on the Col de Haussire for the last time, but he was still 2 minutes behind Janssens and Hoelgaard, who had got rid of De Wilde. The two leaders could now think of a stage win, because the course went down hill to the finish. At the foot of the Côte de Maboge (2.8km at 6.5%), the gap was still more than 1:30.
On the climb, a chase group of 8 got together, Overall leader Corbin Strong managed to join them. Israel-Premier Tech had the most riders, so the co-operation wasn’t good. A group got close, but the stage victory was gone. The battle was between Hoelgaard and Janssens. There were several bends in the last 400 metres, which the Norwegian champion took with much more speed, relegating his Flemish escapee to second place. More than 20 seconds later, Matteo Trentin won the sprint for third place, also taking a four-second bonus on the general classification. Corbin Strong remains the leader after finishing 6th on the stage. Trentin moved up to second place and Alex Kirsch is third.
Stage winner, Markus Hoelgaard (Uno-X Mobility): “This feels great. When I became Norwegian champion, I had declared a goal. I wanted to win at least once in this jersey. Doing it straight away on day three is better than I dreamed. I am really very happy,” said Markus Hoelgaard shortly after his stage victory in the Tour de Wallonie. I knew my form was good, but I was behind the crash yesterday and lost a lot of time. So I decided to go for the flight. We sat there with five strong men and the hole remained green. Then I felt confident that we could go for the ride,” he said. “We’re going to try to win even more here. We have a strong team and we really want to. This week has already been a success, but we will continue to aim for more stage victories.”
Overall leader and 6th on the stage, Corbin Strong (Israel-Premier Tech): “I was often on defence in this stage because there were a lot of restarts at the front of the peloton. The goal of the day was to do everything to keep my leader’s jersey in the general classification. Maybe I was a little too patient. The objective on Thursday, during the 4th day, will be to be at the front and to manage the different climbs well.”
Tour de Wallonie Stage 3 Result:
1. Markus Hoelgaard (Nor) Uno-X Mobility in 4:46:15
2. Jimmy Janssens (Bel) Alpecin-Deceuninck at 0:02
3. Matteo Trentin (Ita) Tudor at 0:23
4. Frederik Wandahl (Den) Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe
5. Carlos Canal Blanco (Spa) Movistar
6. Corbin Strong (NZ) Israel-Premier Tech
7. Lorenzo Rota (Ita) Intermarché-Wanty
8. Per Strand Hagenes (Nor) Visma | Lease a Bike
9. Alex Kirsch (Lux) Lidl-Trek
10. Stan Dewulf (Bel) Decathlon-AG2R La Mondiale.
Tour de Wallonie Overall After Stage 3:
1. Corbin Strong (NZ) Israel-Premier Tech in 12:54:57
2. Matteo Trentin (Ita) Tudor at 0:07
3. Alex Kirsch (Lux) Lidl-Trek at 0:11
4. Stan Dewulf (Bel) Decathlon-AG2R La Mondiale at 0:12
5. Simon Clarke (Aus) Israel-Premier Tech
6. Carlos Canal Blanco (Spa) Movistar
7. Dylan Teuns (Bel) Israel-Premier Tech
8. Lorenzo Rota Intermarché-Wanty
9. Rudy Molard (Fra) Groupama-FDJ
10. Natnael Tesfatsion Ocbit (Eri) Lidl-Trek.
Wallonie’24 stage 3:
Clásica Castilla y León 2024
Caleb Ewan won the Vuelta, now Clásica Castilla y Leon. The Australian took the win in a bunch sprint on a difficult finish. For Ewan, who has had a difficult season, it is only his first victory since February 10, when he won the first stage of the Tour of Oman.
After years of being a multi-day stage race, the Vuelta a Castilla y Leon was just one day. This was also the case in 2021, but otherwise racing has been over several days in the Spanish autonomous region in the west of the country since 1946. This time a race of just under 200 kilometres was planned between Valladolid and La Cistérniga.
There were some opportunities for the attackers, with five third-category climbs. After the last climb of the day, the Alto de Olivares, there were 45 kilometres to the finish. In the final, there was still a sharp climb at 16 kilometres from the finish. The finish was ideal for strong sprinters. With Antonio Morgado (UAE Team Emirates), Milan Menten (Lotto Dsnty), Caleb Ewan (Jayco AlUla), Jon Aberasturi (Euskaltel-Euskadi), Giacomo Nizzolo (Q36.5), David Dekker and Jenthe Biermans (Arkéa-B&B Hotels), Davide Cimolai (Movistar), Stanislaw Aniolkowski (Cofidis) and Samuele Battistella (Astana Qazaqstan), there was a few possible winners.
There were a lot of teams who wanted to control the race. Clement Alleno (Burgos-BH), Unai Cuadrado and Nicolas Alustiza (Euskaltel-Euskadi), Carlos Garcia Pierna (Kern Pharma), José Mendes (Victoria Sport), Brayan Vargas (Colombia Potencia de la Vida) and Edgar Curto (Illes Balears Arabay Cycling) managed to escape. Pierna was off the front the longest, until 12 kilometres from the finish, but a sprint turned out to be inevitable. Arkéa-B&B Hotels took the perfect lead-out for Jenthe Biermans in the final kilometre, but Caleb Ewan timed his effort perfectly. The Australian jumped at the right time and narrowly held off Davide Cimolai on the slightly uphill finish.
Race winner, Caleb Ewan (Jayco AlUla): “On paper, it was a pretty easy looking day but it’s harder when you factor in the heat. At some points, when I looked at my Garmin it was 43 and 44 degrees so it was super hot today. The uphill sprint made it harder, too, but I think it suited me really well and my team did a great job today. We really controlled the race from the start and then I’m happy I could finish it off. I knew UAE would try something on the last climb because they don’t have a sprinter here. I expected it to be aggressive but my team did a great job to keep the attacks under control and make it a sprint. The Vuelta a España was one of my first big victories as a pro so its also a pleasure to come back and race in Spain.”
10th, Manuel Peñalver (Polti-Kometa): “I’m happy to have at least secured tenth place, though it’s a shame we couldn’t have some teammates in the final. After a long and refreshing break, I take home a result that brings many points but we aim to do better in the next opportunities. I thank the Whole team and I’m ready to serve them in two days at Ordizia.”
Clásica Castilla y León Result:
1. Caleb Ewan (Aus) Jayco AlUla in 4:33:55
2. Davide (Ita) Cimolai Movistar
3. Jenthe Biermans (Bel) Arkéa-B&B Hotels
4. Max Kanter (Ger) Astana Qazaqstan
5. Ivo Emanuel Oliveira Alves (Por) UAE Team Emirates
6. Jon Aberasturi Izaga (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi
7. Giacomo Nizzolo (Ita) Q36.5 Pro Cycling
8. Orluis Alberto Aular Sanabria (Ven) Caja Rural-Seguros RGA
9. Stanislaw Aniolkowski (Pol) Cofidis
10. Manuel Penalver Aniorte (Spa) Polti Kometa.
Castilla y León’24.
Tour Winner, Tadej Pogačar Withdraws from the Olympic Games
Tadej Pogačar will not be in Paris for the Olympic Games. The Slovenian Olympic Committee has announced that Pogačar is too tired after his victories in the Giro d’Italia and the Tour de France. This means that both Primoz Roglič and Pogačar will not be part of the Slovenian team.
Pogačar, who won bronze in the Tokyo Games, would have ridden the road race together with Matej Mohorič, Jan Tratnik and Luka Mezgeč, next Saturday, August 3. The Committee has called up Domen Novak, Pogačar’s teammate at UAE Team Emirates, as a replacement.
There were already some rumours that Pogačar wouldn’t go to the Games. Fatigue was stated as the cause by Bicisport, but also the situation surrounding the non-selection of his fiancée Urska Zigart. The reigning Slovenian road and time trial champion was not selected for the women’s team, which led to a lot of frustration from both Zigart and Pogačar.
Pogačar’s manager, Johnny Carera, said after the Tour that only the World championship is a certainty on the Slovenian star’s calendar. “That’s his other big goal. And I think the same can be said for Lombardy But I wouldn’t guarantee his presence at the Olympics one hundred percent. Given his status, he should be in it to win, but we are talking about a unique race that will be held in ten days.”
No Olympics for Pogačar:
Pogačar Responds to His Absence in Paris
Much has been said and written about the last minute non-participation of Tour winner Tadej Pogačar in the Olympic road race in Paris, but now the Slovenian has also spoken about the situation.
Before the official confirmation of Pogačar missing the Olympics, there were already some rumours that Pogačar would not go to the Games. Fatigue was stated as the cause, but also the situation surrounding the non-selection of his fiancée Urska Zigart. The reigning Slovenian road and time trial champion was not selected for the women’s races, which led to a lot of annoyance for both Zigart and Pogačar.
Pogačar doesn’t seem to have any grudges towards the Slovenian cycling federation and wrote on his Instagram: “After a few intense months, I need to take a little rest. I want to build up to the World championships, where I look forward to wearing the Slovenian colours again. I would like to congratulate Domen Novak, who will take my place, and all the other athletes competing at the Olympic Games.”
Pogacar will resume racing on Friday, September 13 in the Grand Prix Cycliste de Québec and two days later, on Sunday September 15, the Grand Prix Cycliste de Montréal. The Canadian races will be his final preparation for the World championships in Zurich, which is scheduled for September 29. Pogačar hopes to take the rainbow jersey from Mathieu van der Poel on the difficult course in Switzerland.
Pogačar to the Worlds:
No Vuelta for Primoz Roglič? “He Only Trains on the Exercise Bike”
After his crash and retirement in the Tour de France, Primoz Roglič was to focus on his next goals, according to his Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe team. However, at the moment it seems rather unlikely that the Vuelta fits into those plans. Team manager Ralph Denk said in a podcast by the German WorldTeam.
Things went wrong for Roglič during stage 12 of the Tour. Alexey Lutsenko fell due to an obstacle on the road, which was not indicated. Roglič then crashed on the right side of the road, but a lot of riders also fell on the left. Afterwards, the team didn’t sound very positive.
Roglič finished the stage, but the following morning a statement from his team announced the Slovenian’s retirement. “Primoz was carefully examined by our medical team after yesterday’s stage and again this morning,” the team said. “This resulted in the decision that he will not start again today, in order to focus on his upcoming goals. We wish him a speedy recovery.”
Since then, it has remained quiet from Roglič, until Vuelta race director hinted last week at the participation of three-time winner Roglič. The Slovenian could be co-record holder if he won, but in the team’s Inside podcast, Ralph Denk (CEO of Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe) remains calm about the situation. “Then he knows more than I do. Primoz only trains a bit on the exercise bike, so I don’t think it is yet clear whether he will participate. I know that the director would like to have him in his course, but I cannot confirm that yet.”
Roglič out of the Tour, but in la Vuelta?
Biniam Girmay Continues the Adventure with Intermarché-Wanty Until 2028
Eritrean sprinter Biniam Girmay, who made history at the Tour de France as a three-time stage winner and the first African cyclist to win the points classification, has extended his contract with Intermarché-Wanty until 2028.
Since joining Jean-François Bourlart’s team in the summer of 2021, Biniam Girmay has continuously made his mark on the cycling world, first by becoming the U23 World Championship runner-up in Leuven at the end of 2021, then by winning Gent-Wevelgem in the spring of 2022 and subsequently a stage of the Giro d’Italia the same year.
Last Sunday, he won the points classification of the Tour de France after wearing the green jersey for sixteen days. Victorious in Turin, Colombey-les-deux-Églises, and Villeneuve-sur-Lot, he gave Intermarché-Wanty their first victories on the Grand Boucle and allowed the Belgian team to complete the Grand Tour trilogy.
Biniam Girmay: “Intermarché-Wanty is like a family to me. The results achieved during this Tour de France have confirmed that Intermarché-Wanty is the perfect team to achieve my goals, with a highly developed Performance structure but while always maintaining a family atmosphere. In all circumstances, the team has supported and trusted me, even in the most difficult moments. Intermarché-Wanty remains my favourite team, so extending the adventure for two more years is simply an obvious choice. I am convinced that we can still achieve great things together, and I am already looking towards the next goals, starting with the Olympic Games! I am really glad to continue this story with my beloved team”
Jean-François Bourlart (CEO): “In 2021, we began a fantastic journey with Biniam Girmay. We’ve built on this over the past four years, culminating in this Tour de France that propelled both Biniam and our Intermarché-Wanty team to the pinnacle of world cycling. It was therefore a no-brainer to continue writing this story for another four years, with many more exciting moments to come, I’m sure. This also marks another step forward in the development of our team, which continues to grow year after year.”
Aike Visbeek (Performance Manager): “The trust between Biniam Girmay and the team is mutual, as this extension clearly shows. Biniam still has a lot of room for growth, so we are delighted that he will continue the adventure with the team. The results during the Tour prove that our approach is working, and now we want to continue on this path and build further together. Our next goal is to win a Monument, and we will be doing everything we can to achieve this in the coming years.”
Biniam Girmay with Intermarché-Wanty until 2028
Dylan Teuns on His Way to a New Team
Dylan Teuns will leave Israel-Premier Tech at the end of this season, according to WielerFlits. Two years ago, the Israelis brought the 32-year-old Belgian from Bahrain Victorious, hoping to stay in the WorldTour, that didn’t work. Now he is going Cofidis next year, the French team is currently just above the relegation zone.
Teuns has fourteen professional victories to his name, including the overall win in the 2017 Tour of Poland and two stage victories in the Tour de France (2019 and 2021). The hilly Classics specialist won Flèche Wallonne in 2022, while riding for Bahrain Victorious. He has not won with Israel-Premier Tech. This spring he finished second in the Brabantse Pijl and eighth in the Tour of Flanders. Last year Teuns finished fifth in the Arctic Race of Norway and ninth in the Tour of Switzerland.
The experienced rider must help Cofidis out of the relegation zone. Cedric Vasseur’s French team is currently in seventeenth place, finishing next season no lower than eighteenth place would guarantee them to a WorldTour license in the next cycle from 2026 to 2028. The current cycle will finish at the end of October 2025, so they still have time. With Teuns, Cofidis is trying to compensate for the loss of Guillaume Martin. He will leave for Groupama-FDJ after this season. Martin finished the Tour in fourteenth place.
Teuns off to Cofidis:
Blanka Vas Extends Contract through 2027 with Team SD Worx-Protime
“Ideal team to develop me further”
Blanka Vas has extended her contract with Team SD Worx-Protime until 2027. The reigning world champion in the Under-23s opts for continuity at the team where she has already been under contract since June 2021. “I feel good here and get a lot of freedom here. I am convinced that Team SD Worx-Protime is the team where I can continue to develop further,” said the Hungarian champion.
Blanka Kata Vas signed a contract with Team SD Worx-Protime in mid-2021. The still only 22-year-old Hungarian showed in recent seasons that she is making strides. Last season, she managed WorldTour victories in the Giro Donne and Tour de Suisse, while this year she was, among others, a two-day leader in the Vuelta a España Femenina.
Sports manager Danny Stam: “Blanka is a mega-talent. She has had difficult moments, but she is showing that she is cut from the right cloth. She is an all-round rider who has already shown she can win stages in important stage races. She should also be able to hold her own in the classics. We will continue to invest in her development in the coming years and are happy with this extension until 2027. You see longer contracts quite often now in women’s cycling. This is possible because our main sponsors SD Worx and Protime provide stability. If you have real confidence in someone like we do with Blanka Vas, you are also happy to keep them in your team for longer.”
Blanka Vas did not have to think long about the contract extension. “I feel good at Team SD Worx-Protime. The atmosphere within the team suits me. I get to combine cyclocross with road and mountain biking. I get a lot of freedom and just feel at home here.”
“I have already learned a lot from my experienced teammates. I ride alongside several top riders and learn a lot from them. My best win so far is the one in the Giro. The U23 world title is also a highlight. I get a lot of confidence from that. This year, luck was not yet on my side, but I have to focus on the positive things. I am recovering better and feel I am making strides. My goals for the future are to go for wins, get stronger in climbing and be more present in finals. I am also looking forward to racing with Anna van der Breggen. I already learned a lot from her as my trainer over the past three years. I look up to her and look forward to pinning on a back number with her.”
More years for Blanka Vas with SD Worx-Protime:
Peter Sagan Ends his Career with Second Place at the Slovak MTB Championship
Peter Sagan’s cycling career is really over after today. The 34-year-old Slovakian recently ended his career as a road cyclist, but has now also decided to end his professional career as a mountain biker. He was in action one last time.
His team Pierre Baguette announced via social media. “After his health problems earlier this year, Peter Sagan will today end his professional career in mountain biking. He will do this during the Slovak national MTB championships in Košice,” the team said on ‘X’.
The three-time road World champion suffered from heart problems earlier this year and had to undergo two operations. Sagan initially hoped to end his career in the Olympic mountain bike race in Paris, but that chance, partly due to his health problems, had to be forgotten when he failed to qualify for the Olympic Games. The seven-time winner of the green jersey in the Tour de France rode the Slovak Short Track race on Saturday and finished second behind Matej Ulik.
Peter Sagan has ridden his last race:
Lefevere is Done with Talking About Soudal Quick-Step’s Tour
Remco Evenepoel was third on the final podium of the Tour de France on Sunday. A great success and also for Soudal Quick-Step and team manager Patrick Lefevere, who was a happy man afterwards.
“There is very little that was not good,” Lefevere told Het Laatste Nieuws. “Everyone can keep quiet about that now about our team, that it is too weak. I know where we come from, I know the efforts we have made. We are a year ahead of schedule. I have always said that we should not aim for a podium finish in the Tour before 2025. The year is 2024, it is Evenepoel’s first Tour and he comes third.”
Lefevere states that Evenepoel has grown mentally. That he took a good rest and struck when he could. Mikel Landa played an important role. “It is Mikel Landa’s credit that he kept Remco calm. In addition to ensuring that he stayed as close to Remco as possible, that was also a major role for Landa. If you take someone like Landa into the team, who has ridden so many Grand Tours and won with great riders, you also expect him to transfer his experience to Remco,” said Lefevere, who says that Evenepoel looks up to Landa. “I knew that too when I got Landa.”
Lefevere was also asked how Soudal Quick-Step can bridge the gap with UAE Team Emirates and Visma | Lease a Bike in the future. “Last year we were just a team of bunglers. It was better everywhere than with us. When I look at Visma now, they didn’t ride a great Tour either. I hear the marketing talk, that they know exactly what they are doing and that they know how many watts Tadej and Remco will push in the third week. Well, I haven’t seen the result of that either.”
“Last year they won three Grand Tours, this year none. Maybe they will win the Vuelta. Or maybe we will win the Vuelta. Should we intervene somewhere? All in due time.”
Lefevere: “Visma didn’t ride a great Tour either”
Euskaltel-Euskadi is the First to Reveal their Vuelta Team
ProTeam Euskaltel-Euskadi was the first to name its eight man team for the Vuelta a España. As usual, the Basque team, which had to count on a WildCard to participate in the third Grand Tour of the season, will aim for stage victories in their own country.
Half of the team consists of riders over 30, with 40-year-old Luis Angel Maté as the oldest. With his years of experience at the highest level at Cofidis, he will more than likely become the team’s road captain. Although 38-year-old Victor De La Parte (ex-Movistar, CCC and TotalEnergies) is also present, as is Mikel Bizkarra (34). The printer is 35-year-old Jon Aberasturi, who rode for Lidl-Trek for the past two years.
The 27-year-old Joan Bou has had a good 2024 season in the O Gran Camiño and the Giro della Romagna. Xabier Berasategi (24), Txomin Juaristi (29) and Gotzon Martín (28) complete the squad. The team also presented their ‘new’ kit; sponsor Euskadi is more prominent and the new co-sponsor Kutxabank has been added.
Euskaltel-Euskadi team for the 2024 Vuelta a España:
Jon Aberasturi Izaga
Xabier Berasategi Garmendia
Mikel Bizkarra Etxegibel
Joan Bou Company
Victor De La Parte Gonzalez
Txomin Juaristi Arrieta
Gotzon Martin Sanz
Luis Angel Mate Mardones.
2024 Tour de France: Pogačar A Class Apart
Key Point:
- With a third title on his roll of honour, in addition to a Tour-Giro double that had not yet been achieved in the 21st century, Tadej Pogačar has taken on a new dimension in the history of cycling. The six stages he won on the road to triumph, a harvest which had not been accomplished since the success of Bernard Hinault in 1979 (with 7 stages), just shows the manner in which the Slovenian ace distanced Jonas Vingegaard (2nd, 6’17’’ behind) and Remco Evenepoel (3rd, 9’18’’ behind) on the way to being crowned the winner.
It is easy to utter the old adage, “things always come in threes”, used at every opportunity and in every field, almost automatically, as if this repeated saying was self-evident. It is not something that would sit well with the thirteen two times winners of the Tour who never managed to make it a hat-trick, from Ottavio Bottecchia to Laurent Fignon (who almost did, but for eight fateful seconds!!), not forgetting Gino Bartali, Fausto Coppi or Bernard Thévenet. Among the nine riders who achieved triple success, only one in the history of the Tour de France managed to accomplish this feat before celebrating his 26th birthday and his initials are “TP”, as in “The Pioneer” … can you guess who it is?
“Total Perfection” can also be used to sum up how Tadej Pogačar tackled the three weeks of racing that enabled him to write his name for a third time on the Tour de France’s roll of honour, after having endured, with a smile but not without frustration, the domination of Jonas Vingegaard in the previous two editions. However, the challenge for “The Pog” was not without uncertainties at the race start in Florence, five weeks after his triumph on the Giro, especially when faced with a level of competition that was much different from anything he had experienced before. Following a change of team, his elder and countryman Primoz Roglič, surfing on the wave of his recent win on the Critérium du Dauphiné, was once again a serious rival, while Remco Evenepoel promised to be an adversary on which he would have to keep a very watchful eye. As for Vingegaard, “he wouldn’t be taking starter’s orders if he wasn’t ready,” said the Slovenian UAE Team Emirates team leader in the majestic setting of the Palazzo Vecchio.
“Tutti Piano” was more or less the rhythm at which the maestro played in Italy, for the beginning of his recital. However, on crossing the border for the climb up the Galibier, Pogacar began to mark his territory in earnest. Already at this point in the race, his UAE Team Emirates “dream team” was putting the hammer down to methodically sap the competition, in preparation for their leader’s attacks, which he only triggered 800 metres away from the summit. By the time the race had reached Valloire, the Yellow Jersey had distanced Evenepoel by 45″ and Vingegaard by 50″, for a beginning to the race that immediately looked “Truly Promising”.
One week on the Tour without a victory is a very long time for Tadej Pogačar when on top form. This year, this drought – if it can even be called that – nonetheless involved two second places, the first behind world time-trial champion Evenepoel on the Belgian’s favourite exercise in Burgundy, bringing him to within 33 seconds of the Slovenian, and the second for the first time in a sprint with his main rival from Denmark, on completion of a mountainous stage that finished with a duel at Le Lioran. “That’s a Pity” is what the man from Komenda probably sighed, because it is not his style to panic. More importantly, the Yellow Jersey wearer was well aware that his time would come and that he would be able to strike a bigger blow when the weekend arrived, with battle to be done at Pla d’Adet, where he previously tasted victory, and the Plateau de Beille. As is often the case, the “Tsar of the Pyrenées” hit a bullseye, winning twice to leave the mountain range and enjoy the rest day with a lead of more than three minutes over Vingegaard and more than five minutes over Evenepoel, after Roglič returned home prematurely. With a total of seven victories in the Pyrenees, Pogačar has quite simply won more than half of the mountain stages that have been held there on the Tour since 2020!
He seemed well set to achieve his main objective, but the temptation of adding a prestigious stage to his collection, including a climb to an altitude of 2,802 metres over the Cime de la Bonette, was too much for Pogačar to ignore. His power play on the ascent to Isola 2000 at a distance of 9.5km from the mountain resort is not something either Vingegaard or all the survivors of the breakaway trying to believe in their chances of victory are likely to forget soon, as he left his two nearest GC pursuers trailing further in his wake. The Team Visma | Lease a Bike team tried to fight back on the Col de la Couillole pass but it was a bad move because in the end the merely exposed their leader to a new assault by “The Pog”, who almost went for the win in spite of himself to collect his fifth stage victory of the race. Finally, the prospect of winning a stage starting in the city which he calls home, with explosive power in his legs partially honed by riding every which way up and down the Col d’Èze pass during training, was a final challenge that seemed to be commensurate with the temperament and energy still possessed by the Yellow Jersey wearer on the time-trial between Monaco and Nice. His sixth victory was both the seal on the race and the symbol of his domination over the Tour in 2024. For the rest of the pack, it would now seem that he is just “Too Powerful”.
Find the highlights of the Tour de France 2024 on letour.fr/en.
Irish Club Rider Dies on Cycling Holiday at the Tour de France
Irish club rider Niall Kieran died last weekend. The 29-year-old cyclist hit an obstacle during a bike ride and fell into a ravine about 35 meters down.
The rider was on a cycling holiday in France with his father. Watching the final weekend of the Tour de France together was to be the high point of the trip. The fatal accident took place on Sunday afternoon, Kieran was hoisted back up by the emergency services after a long waiting, but was pronounced dead at the site of the accident.
“It is with great sadness that we have to announce the tragic death of our clubmate Niall Kieran due to a cycling accident,” said a statement from Cycling Ireland.
“Niall and his father Gerry had gone cycling together in France. Those who knew Niall know that he was really looking forward to the trip with his father. Niall loved every aspect of cycling – weekend coffee rides, racing, but also the social aspect. He was well known and much loved in our club and will be sorely missed.”
Mr Kieran was a long-time member of both Cycling Ireland and the Orwell Wheelers cycling club, which is based in Dundrum in south Dublin.
Condolences to his family and friends:
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