We catch up with the latest three stages of the Critérium du Dauphiné as Remco Evenepoel takes the lead, with reports, rider quotes and video.
Chinese businessman wants to take over Astana Qazaqstan – TOP STORY.
Rider news: Cian Uijtdebroeks returns to racing in the Tour de Suisse, Patrick Lefevere confirms that Julian Alaphilippe will not go to the Tour despite success in the Giro, Robert Stannard suspended for four years for doping, Alex Aranburu leaves Movistar, Israel-Premier Tech to take Chris Froome to the Tour de France, after conflict with Michael Woods, but Froome and Woods deny any problems, Alexandre Balmer makes his debut for his new team in the Tour de Suisse, Arne Marit returns in the Tour de Suisse and Lennard Kämna has successfully completed his first phase of rehab.
Team news: Team Visma | Lease a Bike Women signs Femke de Vries, Lotto Dstny team CEO not panicking about sponsorship, next races for dsm-firmenich PostNL, Soudal Quick-Step to the Tour de Suisse, Bahrain Victorious honouring Gino Mäder in Switzerland and Tour of Britain ideal preparation race towards important sports summer for SD Worx-Protime.
Race news: The Tour de Suisse Women to be before the men’s race from 2025.
TOP STORY: Chinese Businessman Wants to Take Over Astana Qazaqstan
The Astana Qazaqstan team might race with a Chinese license next year. A Chinese businessman seems to be willing to buy the license of Alexandre Vinokourov’s team, according to the French sports-paper L’Équipe.
Astana Qazaqstan’s current WorldTour license expires at the end of next year. The team seems to be heading for relegation due to a lack of good results and UCI points, but it might not be the end of the Kazakh team, because L’Équipe reports that a Chinese businessman is willing to take over the license and the project from team boss Vinokourov.
This would be a period of five years. The team could, in the event of a Chinese takeover, count on doubling its current budget. Vinokourov said to GCN last month that he is close to an agreement with a new sponsor. “We hope to be able to announce this during the Tour de France. The budgets are increasing every year and we have to survive. We have to remain competitive.”
Astana Qazaqstan has 29 riders under contract for this season, of which eighteen riders contracts expire this year: including Mark Cavendish, Alexey Lutsenko, Davide Ballerini, Michael Mørkøv, Simone Velasco and Lorenzo Fortunato. Other riders have a commitment until the end of 2025.
Astana has been part of the peloton since 2006. The team isn’t as successful as it used to be when Vinokourov, Alberto Contador and Vincenzo Nibali were racing. The team has won eight Grand Tours, including the Tour de France twice in 2009 and 2014.
Astana turning Chinese?
Critérium du Dauphiné 2024
Magnus Cort came out of the fog to upstage French escapee Bruno Armirail in the last stretch, to win the 142km Second Stage of the Criterium du Dauphiné on the Col de la Loge. Already a stage winner on the Tour de France and Paris-Nice, the most famous moustache in the peloton took advantage of the perfect work by his Uno-X Mobility team in the final climb to cross the line ahead of Primoz Roglič (BORA-hansgrohe) and Paris-Nice winner Matteo Jorgenson (Visma-Lease a Bike). The Dane took the yellow and blue jersey away from compatriot Mads Pedersen, who lost ground on the climb.
On Monday the start was given to 152 riders. Bruno Armirail (Decathlon-Ag2R), Mathis Le Berre (Arkéa B&B Hotels), Jonas Gregaard (Lotto Dstny), Xandro Meurisse (Alpecin-Deceuninck) and Filippo Conca (Q36.5) attacked from the flag and their lead quickly increased to a maximum of 5:20 after 34km. In the first of four climbs of the day, Cote de Fagot (Cat.3, 45.1km), Le Berre took the 2 points on offer ahead of Meurisse while the peloton was at 4:25. The Frenchman collected five more on the Col de Saint-Thomas (67.4km) to take the lead in the KOM classification.
The intermediate sprint of the day in St Thurin (100.9km) went to Filippo Conca, who picked the 10 points and 3 seconds up for grabs ahead of Armirail and Meurisse. At that stage, the escapees lead was down to 3:10. On the penultimate climb, Cote de St Georges en Couzan, Quentin Pacher (Groupama-FDJ) raised the tempo at the front of the pack and the peloton dropped several riders, including polka-dot jersey holder Mark Donovan. At the top, Le Berre picked up 5 more points as the peloton was just 1 minute behind, and made sure to take the KOM jersey away from the Briton.
At the bottom of the final climb, Col de la Croix Ladret, Armirail attacked on his own and dropped his former breakaway companions, who were reined in by the pack with 8km to go. Race leader Mads Pedersen was dropped by the peloton 500 metres from the top of the last hill and the French escapee held on as the main GC riders kept watching each other. Armirail retained a 25 seconds lead with 5km to go and was still leading the way with 300 metres left as the fog made the visibility very poor. He hardly saw the peloton rush past, led by Magnus Cort, who outpaced Roglič and the other favourites to win his first race in his new Uno-X colours.
Stage winner and overall leader, Magnus Cort (Uno-X Mobility): “The Dauphiné is a very big race. I have been racing for Uno-X Mobility for six months now and I didn’t really get off to a good start. I had some problems and the results were not forthcoming. I also got injured in Tirreno-Adriatico and was out of action for so long. It’s great to be back now and take the victory here. It was completely out of my hands. I was really at my limit on the last climb. On the steeper sections, man… I was really suffering. I really couldn’t go faster, but my teammates kept me well in front. Everything went according to plan in the final. This is good for Danish cycling again. Things have been going well in recent years. The fact that I can also put on the yellow jersey here is something I will remember forever.”
2nd on the stage and overall, Primoz Roglic (BORA-hansgrohe): “We can’t really find anything about the finale, as it was so foggy and therefore unclear. We were close to the stage victory. Due to poor visibility it was virtually impossible to make an assessment. Also because the group was still quite large. Everyone is so fit here and only one was faster to the finish line. They really worked very well. The result will definitely come, sooner or later. The most important thing is that we show a good level as a group. Everyone is committed, but I am still a bit disappointed that I couldn’t finish it.”
4th overall, Bruno Armirail (Decathlon-AG2R La Mondiale): “I was really close to victory. I could almost touch victory. I really couldn’t see anything through the fog. In the last kilometre I still had a lead of about ten seconds. I thought it was enough, but they still got past me in the sprint. There was control from the peloton today, but the goal was certainly to participate until the end. I was confident, but the leading group was perhaps not big enough. Yet we got far, despite the tactical games. This is of course a deception. I’m bummed about it. I really gave it my all and was very close. But, we have to move on now. In the end it wasn’t my day. I’ll definitely try it again!”
KOM, Mathis Le Berre (Arkéa-B&B Hotels): “Once up front the polka jersey was a goal, but also the win, we really had some strong guys up front, we were a little short, but it was a good day. Bruno, I didn’t think he still had it in him, he was very strong because we really rode hard. But getting caught at 200 metres is just the way it is… Of course, I’m going to do everything I can to keep it, especially as the next stages suit me well. After that, the last weekend will be for the big riders, but I’m going to try to keep it as long as possible.”
Best young rider, 3rd on the stage and overall, Matteo Jorgenson (Visma | Lease a Bike): “I thought the break would win but Bora worked very hard today. I’m happy with the way I felt in the climb and the sprint today. You never know how you’re going to feel after a training camp and I felt pretty good in the last two days and in the last sprint. We’re in a good spot. Of course it’s always nice to wear a jersey and especially on the Dauphine. There is so much history, you have to respect the race and it’s a privilege to wear a jersey. Hopefully we can change the colour by the end of the week.”
Critérium du Dauphiné Stage 2 Result:
1. Magnus Cort Nielsen (Den) Uno-X Mobility in 3:21:42
2. Primož Roglič (Slo) Bora-hansgrohe
3. Matteo Jorgenson (USA) Visma | Lease a Bike
4. Giulio Ciccone (Ita) Lidl-Trek
5. Oier Lazkano (Spa) Movistar
6. Dylan Teuns (Bel) Israel-Premier Tech
7. Lukas Nerurkar (GB) EF Education-EasyPost
8. Clément Champoussin (Fra) Arkéa-B&B Hotels
9. Romain Gregoire (Fra) Groupama-FDJ
10. Guillaume Martin (Fra) Cofidis.
Critérium du Dauphiné Overall After Stage 2:
1. Magnus Cort Nielsen (Den) Uno-X Mobility in 7:26:30
2. Primož Roglič (Slo) BORA-hansgrohe at 0:04
3. Matteo Jorgenson (USA) Visma | Lease a Bike at 0:06
4. Bruno Armirail (Fra) Decathlon-AG2R La Mondiale 0:08
5. Clément Champoussin (Fra) Arkéa-B&B Hotels at 0:10
6. Derek Gee (Can) Israel-Premier Tech
7. Oier Lazkano (Spa) Movistar
8. Krists Neilands (Let) Israel-Premier Tech
9. Juan Ayuso Pesquera (Spa) UAE Team Emirates
10. Jack Haig (Aus) Bahrain Victorious
Dauphiné’24 stage 2:
Derek Gee (IPT) showed that boldness finally pays off when he surged in the finale to clinch the 181.7km Stage 3 of the Criterium du Dauphiné on Tuesday. The Canadian, crowned the most aggressive rider of the Giro in 2023, won a tense battle with Frenchman Romain Gregoire in the final stretch to raise his arms and take the yellow and blue jersey away from Magnus Cort (Uno-X M). Briton Lukas Nerurkar was third.
The start was given to 151 riders. Antonio Tiberi (Bahrain Victorious) didn’t start. After a few unsuccessful attempts, by Mads Pedersen (Lidl-Trek), Dorian Godon (Decathlon-AG2R) and Darren Rafferty (EF Education-EasyPost) and others, the bunch tackled the first climb together, Nicolas Prodhomme (Decathlon-AG2R) scoring the first KOM point of the day. After 32km, the break of the day went for good. It included Prodhomme, Rémy Rochas (Groupama-FDJ) and Harry Sweeny (EF Education-EasyPost), who were finally given the go-ahead after Primoz Roglič (BORA-hansgrohe) crashed and changed bikes (41km).
The 2022 Dauphiné winner returned to the peloton bruised while the three increased their lead, which reached 2:50 in Ambert (54km). At the intermediate sprint of Arlanc (75.8km), Prodhomme collected 3 seconds ahead of Rochas and Sweeny as the trio were leading the pack by 3:10. The hardest climb of the day was Cote de St Victor sur Arlanc (Cat.2) at 87.6km and it was Rochas who picked the 5 points up for grabs at the top. By then the trio’s lead had dwindled to 2:30 on the pack, led by polka-dot jersey holder Mathis Le Berre, who scavenged 1 point. On the descent, Lars Boven (Alpecin-Deceuninck), who had been struggling all day, called it quits.
Magnus Cort’s Uno-X team-mates kept controlling the break, keeping the gap around 1 minute. But with 40km to go, wary of this cat-and-mouse game, Christopher Juul Jensen (Jayco AlUla) and Valentin Madouas (Groupama-FDJ) surged from the peloton to try and catch the break. While the Dane joined the trio with 36km left, the French champion failed in his attempt and was reeled in. Chris Harper (Jayco AlUla) crashed 28km from the line, but was unhurt and brought back to the front by his team-mates. In the last 20km, Rochas was dropped by the breakaway group, leaving his three companions in the lead while his compatriot Adrien Petit quit the race.
With 15km to go, INEOS Grenadiers and UAE Team Emirates decided to raise the tempo and the trio’s lead melted. Lidl-Trek then took over with Mads Pedersen leading the way, and the break’s gap went down to 20 seconds, 5km from the finish line. The break was finally over with 2.5km to go. The stage was set for an exciting finale and Krists Neilands (IPT) was the first to start the fireworks. His effort was a bit presumptuous, but it set the pace for teammate Derek Gee to go for it, wheel to wheel with Romain Gregoire. The Frenchman first appeared to have the upper hand, but Gee had an extra gear left and he went on to clinch his best victory to date.
Stage winner and overall leader, Derek Gee (Israel-Premier Tech): “This is definitely on a different level. It’s unbelievably special to win here. I’ve been waiting for a win in Europe. I’ve come second several times. It was nice to finish it off. A massive part of it was Krists Neilands attacking with one kilometre to go and I was in a good position and it was strung out. I wasn’t planning on going there but as soon as he came back, there was a bit of a lull and I had to take advantage of it. The goal coming into the race wasn’t necessarily for me to win a stage. We were going for Dylan [Teuns] most of the day, it was a good finish for him, but he made the call on the final climb saying ‘boys if you have the legs, go for it’ and we took it up. I’m really happy to come away with it. Wearing the yellow jersey is pretty special, that’s going to be quite a feeling I think.”
10th on the stage and 4th overall, Primoz Roglic (BORA-hansgrohe): “It was a tough start. There was a blockage in the peloton and that caused me to end up on the road. I fell alone. The bad news? That there isn’t much left of my kit. I’m not really in any pain, but we’ll see about that in the coming days. I’ve been through much worse. I’m still here. We were presented with a nice final today, but I just didn’t have the right legs. But it was nice to see that we were there again as a team. It’s nice to change bikes. It is a very good test. I have not ridden such a long time trial yet this year. With two important time trials in the Tour de France, it will be an important day.”
KOM, Mathis Le Berre (Arkéa-B&B Hotels): “The aim was to try and recover, so to speak, because it was still very fast today. Then, after the time trial, I’ll have to ride intelligently to get into the breakaway, but I won’t have 15,000 chances, so I’ll also have to rely on my team-mates to successfully defend this jersey. It’s an honour to ride with it, and you can feel that it inspires a bit more respect in the peloton. For a young rider like me, that’s a pleasure.”
Combativity prize, Nicolas Prodhomme (Decathlon-AG2R La Mondiale): “It’s true that ideally we would have liked to have had a few more guys with us. Three is really not enough, especially as they left us very little freedom. We got one guy back for the finale. But less than a minute wasn’t enough. Of course, you have to seize opportunities. If you wait in the pack, it’s complicated to go for the win.”
Remco Evenepoel (Soudal Quick-Step): “I had a good day. I felt okay and wanted to participate at the end, but I had a slow puncture in the last three kilometres. It was tough on a flat tire. I felt good and was always well positioned. I had a good run-in and felt like getting involved at the end. I was on the right wheel, Roglic’s, but I felt the pressure going out of my tyre. The time trial will be important to see how the shoulder is doing. It’s a 45 minute effort, so you can learn something from that. I hope everything functions and runs well.”
Critérium du Dauphiné Stage 3 Result:
1. Derek Gee (Can) Israel-Premier Tech in 4:52:10
2. Romain Gregoire (Fra) Groupama-FDJ
3. Lukas Nerurkar (GB) EF Education-EasyPost at 0:03
4. Giulio Ciccone (Ita) Lidl-Trek
5. Harold Alfonso Tejada Canacue (Col) Astana Qazaqstan
6. Santiago Buitrago Sanchez (Col) Bahrain Victorious
7. Aleksander Vlasov (-) BORA-hansgrohe
8. Clément Champoussin (Fra) Arkéa-B&B Hotels
9. Matteo Jorgenson (USA) Visma | Lease a Bike
10. Primož Roglič (Slo) BORA-hansgrohe.
Critérium du Dauphiné Overall After Stage 3:
1. Derek Gee (Can) Israel-Premier Tech in 12:18:30
2. Magnus Cort Nielsen (Den) Uno-X Mobility at 0:03
3. Romain Gregoire (Fra) Groupama-FDJ at 0:04
4. Primož Roglič (Slo) BORA-hansgrohe at 0:07
5. Matteo Jorgenson (USA) Visma | Lease a Bike at 0:09
6. Lukas Nerurkar (GB) EF Education-EasyPost
7. Bruno Armirail (Fra) Decathlon-AG2R La Mondiale at 0:11
8. Clément Champoussin (Fra) Arkéa-B&B Hotels at 0:13
9. Giulio Ciccone (Ita) Lidl-Trek
10. Carlos Rodriguez Cano (Spa) INEOS Grenadiers.
Dauphiné’24 stage 3:
World champion Remco Evenepoel took the Criterium du Dauphiné lead thanks to an impressive time trial over the 34.4km course between St Germain-Maval and Neulise on Wednesday. Despite his shoulder injury, The Belgian perfectly timed his effort to beat European champion and early started Josh Tarling (INeos Grenadiers), who was in the hot seat for two hours before conceding defeat by 17 seconds. Olympic champion Primoz Roglič (BORA-hansgrohe) was third, 39 seconds down. The Soudal Quick-Step rider now leads the GC by 33 seconds over Roglič. Matteo Jorgenson is third, 1:04 behind.
Jensen Plowright (Alpecin-Deceuninck) was the first rider in action, but all eyes were on the man starting three minutes behind him, European champion Joshua Tarling (INEOS Grenadiers). The Briton set the bar really high, passing the three riders who started ahead of him to set fastest marks of 10:44 and 30:03 after 10km and 25km before crossing the line in 42:06, at an average speed of 49.03kph. The real race against the clock started then for Tarling, who had to wait for nearly two and a half hours for the rest of the riders to finish.
His time did not look in jeopardy as Matteo Sobrero (BORA-hansgrohe) was the first one to finish within 2 minutes of the Briton, until Remco Evenepoel, the man who had beaten him into third place at the last World championships, started and was clocked 2 seconds fastest at the 10km mark. Even though he was still nursing a shoulder injury, the Belgian looked in good shape in his favourite event, and was only 1 second adrift after 24.9km. He finished faster than everyone, to cross the line 17 seconds faster than the European champion, at an average speed of 49.4 kph.
Primoz Roglič had a more cautious start but finished well and the 2022 Dauphiné winner limited the damage to finish on the day’s podium and stay in contention ahead of a gruelling last weekend with three high-mountain finishes. Paris-Nice winner Jorgenson, took a promising 4th place, 1:07 slower than the Belgian, to settle into third place overall and assert himself as the Visma-Lease a bike leader. Stage 4 winner Derek Gee, the Canadian time trial champion for the last two years, was an excellent 6th at the finish, 1:24 adrift, and is now just off the GC podium, 7 seconds behind Jorgenson. The day was a slight disappointment for Spaniards Juan Ayuso (UAE Team Emirates) and Carlos Rodriguez (INEOS Grenadiers) now 1:27 and 1:41 down on the general classification. Spanish champion Oier Lazkano was an unexpected 5th on the day and is now 5th overall at 1:21.
Stage winner and overall leader, Remco Evenepoel (Soudal Quick-Step): “It went better than expected. I had really good legs even if it’s not ideal yet, I struggled a bit halfway through, but I managed to finish well and that was the most important to win. It’s good for the confidence and for the future. It’s great to have a victory already and I will tackle the rest of the race day by day but I’m very happy for now. I had doubts after the first intermediate mark because I knew I was two seconds in front and then I was one second slower and I told myself Tarling went really fast. I had the impression I did not have anything left but I had enough left for the final hill which was an advantage for me. Everything will depend on the legs in the last three stages, I still don’t know how the form is before three very hard stages. This says nothing about final victory. If I crack one day, fair enough, I’m already surprised to ride at this level. It’s nice to wear the yellow jersey for the first time. It was already a goal at Paris-Nice and it didn’t happen. It’s a reward for a month of hard work and struggling. I will enjoy my day tomorrow.”
3rd on the stage and 2nd overall, Primoz Roglič (BORA-hansgrohe): “It was definitely a nice test and a nice TT, and the first time with new things, new team, new equipment. I definitely needed to do this kind of things to test the legs. I’m happy to go on like this for the next days. Some guys were faster today, but I have to look up for the days to come. We have to see, it’s just a start, the final decision will be in the last three super hard mountain stages. We have to see how it goes but we’ve been racing together as a team since the start and that’s a good thing.”
4th on the stage and 3rd overall, Matteo Jorgenson (Visma | Lease a Bike): “I had a hard time, but I did my best. I didn’t constantly look at my power meter along the way, I was more concerned with how I felt. It was quite a long race. That meant it was a long struggle, but I think I rode well today. I divided the course into three parts for myself. First there was the flatter straight section that was quite simple and allowed you to stay at the bottom of the gears. Then came a more technical part with bends, where I tackled it conservatively and took the time to rest where I could. With 11 kilometres to go came the final section, with the most false flat towards the finish. From there it was full throttle. My form is going well and I feel good. I had an excellent training camp and preparation for this tour. But the weekend is where it really gets tough. It will be tough in the mountains with my broad shoulders.”
Critérium du Dauphiné Stage 4 Result:
1. Remco Evenepoel (Bel) Soudal Quick-Step in 41:49
2. Joshua Tarling (GB) INEOS Grenadiers at 0:17
3. Primož Roglič (Slo) BORA-hansgrohe at 0:39
4. Matteo Jorgenson (USA) Visma | Lease a Bike at 1:08
5. Oier Lazkano (Spa) Movistar at 1:21
6. Derek Gee (Can) Israel-Premier Tech at 1:24
7. Neilson Powless (USA) EF Education-EasyPost at 1:25
8. Bruno Armirail (Fra) Decathlon-AG2R La Mondiale at 1:27
9. Juan Ayuso Pesquera (Spa) UAE Team Emirates
10. Tao Geoghegan Hart (GB) Lidl-Trek at 1:39.
Critérium du Dauphiné Overall After Stage 4:
1. Remco Evenepoel (Bel) Soudal Quick-Step in 12:27:22
2. Primož Roglič (Slo) BORA-hansgrohe at 33
3. Matteo Jorgenson (USA) Visma | Lease a Bike at 1:04
4. Derek Gee (Can) Israel-Premier Tech at 1:11
5. Oier Lazkano (Spa) Movistar at 1:21
6. Bruno Armirail (Fra) Decathlon-AG2R La Mondiale at 1:25
7. Neilson Powless (USA) EF Education-EasyPost
8. Juan Ayuso Pesquera (Spa) UAE Team Emirates at 1:27
9. Tao Geoghegan Hart (GB) Lidl-Trek at 1:39
10. Carlos Rodriguez Cano (Spa) INEOS Grenadiers at 1:41.
Dauphiné’24 stage 4:
Cian Uijtdebroeks Returns to Competition in the Tour of Switzerland
Cian Uijtdebroeks will be at the start of the Tour de Suisse next Sunday (9-16 June), reports Het Nieuwsblad. This will be the Visma | Lease a Bike Belgian’s first race since abandoning the Giro d’Italia.
Uijtdebroeks didn’t start the 11th stage of the Tour of Italy due to illness. Before he had to give up, the 21-year-old climber was doing well. He was fifth overall and wore the white best young rider’s jersey.
A week after his retirement, Uijtdebroeks was back on his bike. “I’m slowly but surely getting back into it,” he wrote on Instagram on May 23. Now he is ready to race again. The Belgian will have to compete against Tom Pidcock, Lenny Martinez and last year’s winner, Mattias Skjelmose. The eight-day stage race starts on Sunday with a 4.8 kilometre prologue in Vadus. The race also includes two mountain stages, four summit finishes and, on the final day, a mountain time trial.
Uijtdebroeks to Suisse:
Lefevere Confirms that Alaphilippe Will Not go to the Tour Despite Success in the Giro
Julian Alaphilippe announced in January that he will not start in the Tour de France this year. However, it was thought that his good Giro d’Italia could change that. But the Frenchman no longer wants to change his original program with the Olympic Games in Paris as the ultimate goal. Patrick Lefevere confirmed this in conversation with L’Équipe.
“I called him on the evening of his stage victory in the Giro,” said Lefevere. “He told me that he could imagine that people would think of him for the Tour, but that he would not want to start there because of other objectives. He assured me that he would respect our decision because we are his employer, but I cannot imagine for a moment that I would force him to appear at the start. As a team, we have never forced anyone to do anything.”
“Moreover, I understand that Julian has Paris in mind,” said Lefevere. “This could easily be his last chance to win at the Olympic Games, and in his own country. Why deprive him of that opportunity?”
Alaphilippe had a difficult spring, partly due to a fracture in his fibula head. However, the two-time World champion looked very like his old self in the Giro d’Italia. He attacked numerous times and was ultimately named the most combative rider of the Giro. That fighting spirit also earned him victory in the twelfth stage to Fano.
No Tour for Alaphilippe:
Robert Stannard Suspended for Four Years for Doping Violation
Robert Stannard had been on the list of provisionally suspended cyclists for almost a year, but has now also been retroactively given a four-year suspension by the UCI. Because the suspension has come into effect retroactively, Stannard is allowed to race again.
Stannard, now 25, has been suspended retroactively by the UCI from August 17, 2018 to August 17, 2022. This is due to a “violation of the doping regulations (when he was with Mitchelton-Scott) by using a prohibited substance or a prohibited method, as a result of deviating values in his biological passport.”
The UCI mentions in a press release about “abnormal values in his biological passport in 2018 and 2019.’ August 17, 2018, the day the first deviation occurs. Taking into account the delay with which the rider’s deviations were communicated to the UCI.”
The international cycling union also imposed a large fine on Stannard, equivalent to seventy percent of his average annual salary in 2018 and 2019. It is not yet a final punishment, as the rider still has the option to appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sports (CAS).
Stannard switched from the Mitchelton-BikeExchange training team to the WorldTeam at the end of 2018. He did this after an excellent year with the U23’s. He finished third in the U23 Tour of Flanders and third in the U23 Giro d’Italia and he won the Tour of Lombardy for U23’s. After three seasons at Mitchelton-Scott, the New Zealand-born Australian raced for Alpecin-Deceuninck until his provisional suspension.
Four year ban for Robert Stannard:
Alex Aranburu Leaves Movistar
Alex Aranburu will leave Movistar at the end of this year, according to the Diario de Navarra. The 28-year-old is said to be going to Arkéa-B&B Hotels next year.
Aranburu is in his third season with Movistar. He joined the Spanish WorldTeam in 2022 after racing for Astana for two years and now, allegedly, he is off to Arkéa-B&B Hotels. According to the Diaro de Navarra, Aranburu will sign a three-year contract with the French team and that Sergio Samitier may also join him.
Aranburu took 1584 UCI points for Movistar last year. Only Matteo Jorgenson, who now rides for Visma | Lease a Bike, scored higher. This season, Aranburu has also been racing well, despite breaking his collarbone in January. He finished third in the Gran Premio Castellón, won the points jersey in the Itzulia Basque Country and was second in Eschborn-Frankfurt.
In addition to Aranburu and Samitier, Movistar is also in danger of losing Oier Lazkano. BORA-hansgrohe is very interested in the Classic specialist, who won the Clásica Jaén this spring and finished third in Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne.
Aranburu going to Arkéa-B&B Hotels:
Israel-Premier Tech will take Froome to the Tour de France, year after conflict with Woods
Chris Froome is assured of his place in the Israel-Premier Tech team for the 2024 Tour de France, according to L’Équipe. Last year, the Briton was not chosen for the Tour de France after a conflict with Michael Woods the sports-paper reports.
In 2023, Woods had an excellent run-up to the Tour de France, with a second place in the CIC-Mont Ventoux and the overall victory in La Route d’Occitanie. The Canadian then demanded that he would be the team leader, without Chris Froome, in the Tour de France. So the four-time Tour winner wasn’t at the start in Bilbao. “Chris then had a bad period,” someone close to Froome told L’Équipe. “He didn’t see that blow coming.”
Woods won the stage to the Puy-de-Dôme, but was not a player in the overall. The team management, including owner Sylvan Adams, were not satisfied, L’Équipe wrote. Woods’ performance would be of much less publicity value than Froome’s presence. For that reason, Israel-Premier Tech wants Froome to be at the start of the French Grand Tour this year. Woods, who suffered a concussion in the first week of the Giro, “fits less into the staff’s plans,” according to L’Équipe.
Froome and Woods have both responded to L’Équipe’s story. According to them, it is not correct. “That’s news to me,” wrote Froome on ‘X’ (Twitter). “What about you, Michael Woods?” Woods replied to Froome: “Haha same here buddy.”
Froome is currently riding the Critérium du Dauphiné. Last week he made his return in the Mercan’Tour Classic Alpes-Maritimes with a 47th place. The Briton had not raced for two and a half months after suffering a scaphoid fracture in a crash in Tirreno-Adriatico. Before Tirreno-Adriatico he only rode the Tour du Rwanda, where he finished 27th on the general classification.
All well between Woods and Froome:
Alexandre Balmer Makes his Debut for his New Team in the Tour of Switzerland
Alexandre Balmer will continue his career with Corratec-Vini Fantini. The 24-year-old rider will finish the season with the Italian ProTeam and will make his debut in the Tour de Suisse (9-16 June).
While he was an U23, Balmer finished third in the Giro del Belvedere (1.2U), which was won by Juan Ayuso. Among the pros, he finished 9th in the Maryland Classic in 2022 and 8th in 2023 and finished 9th in the Giro del Veneto in 2022. In 2022 and 2023, Balmer rode for BikeExchange-Jayco and Jayco AlUla, but he didn’t get a new contract with the Australian WorldTeam.
The Swiss rider has been without a contract since the winter. In recent months, he rode the Volta ao Alentejo (2.2), the Circuit de Ardennes and the Tour de Romandie for his national team. He was meant to be racing for Corratec-Vini Fantini in Romandie. “I should have joined them for this Tour de Romandie, but it needed more time,” he said after the Swiss stage race which he rode on the old Jayco AlUla team bike with “60,000 kilometres on the odometer”. He has now signed the contract and will make his debut for his new team in the Tour de Suisse on Sunday. The rest of his race program is not known.
Balmer get’s a contract with Corratec-Vini Fantini:
Arne Marit Returns in the Tour de Suisse
After months of rehabilitation, Arne Marit will be racing again next week in the Tour de Suisse. The 25-year-old has not raced since his crash in the Scheldeprijs at the beginning of April.
Marit wanted to develop as a sprinter this year under the wings of lead-out Boy van Poppel, but bad luck has prevented it. In the Scheldeprijs he crashed with teammate Gerben Thijssen, but Marit suffered a fracture in the talus bone, the bone that forms the lower part of the ankle joint. An operation and ten days in a cast were necessary before he could start to recuperate.
“Last Friday I visited Arne. He is going in the right direction,” performance manager of Intermarché-Wanty, Aike Visbeek, told WielerFlits. “He can regain his competitive rhythm in the Tour of Switzerland. It is a tough course there and he may not even be able to sprint there, but getting stronger again is important for Arne.”
“Normally, the Baloise Belgium Tour would of course have been the most logical option for him to resume,” Visbeek admits. “But that’s where our riders who have to take care of the lead-out in the Tour de France ride for Gerben Thijssen. So we could no longer make room in that selection. But Arne is on the right way back, that is the most important thing.”
Arne Marit back in the Tour de Suisse:
Lennard Kämna has Successfully Completed his First Phase of Rehab and Moves to the Red Bull APC
Lennard Kämna continues to make great progress in his recovery from his serious training accident. At the end of May, he successfully completed the first block of his rehabilitation at the BG Klinikum in Hamburg. An emotional milestone in this phase was his return to the bike. 44 days after the accident on Tenerife, Lennard Kämna was able to ride his Specialized again for the first time – for a short test on the rollers.
Now the next step on the road back to sport begins. This week, Lennard Kämna moved to the Red Bull Athlete Performance Centre (APC). There he will work together with the Red Bull APC experts and the BORA – hansgrohe Medical Department on the second block of his rehabilitation. The program for the coming weeks includes tests, physiotherapy and training sessions.
Kämna in the gym:
Team Visma | Lease a Bike Women Signs Femke de Vries
Team Visma | Lease a Bike Women has signed Femke de Vries. The 30-year-old from the Dutch city of Nijmegen joins the WorldTour team. She was riding for the Continental team GT Krush Rebellease.
Femke de Vries could be described as a late bloomer. Unlike many riders, she did not grow up with cycling. “It wasn’t until I was 23 that I sat on a road bike for the first time”, De Vries says. “That was in 2016. I started cycling as a student. I was studying medicine. My uncle lent me a road bike. I was immediately hooked. The love of racing started there and never left.”
“I soon realised that I had more in me than just recreational cycling”, the good-humoured rider continues. “I joined a club. Each time, I managed to move up a level. I ended up at Krush. I rode there for two and a half years. All the time, I had a dot on the horizon.”
De Vries is referring to a move to the WorldTour. That wish is now coming true. “Joining Team Visma | Lease a Bike is a dream come true. I can’t describe it any other way. This is what I have worked so hard for all this time. The structure here will definitely help me, as will the scientific approach. I immediately felt a great atmosphere in Team Visma | Lease a Bike”, says the rider, who currently works as a doctor.
“Sometimes opportunities come along that you just cannot pass up”, team manager Rutger Tijssen says. “That’s why we signed Femke. We are happy that it worked out in consultation with GT Krush Rebellease and her management. Femke has developed so much as a rider this year that she caught our eye. We have brought her in now, in the middle of the season, to give her the time and space to get used to the WorldTour level and the chance to develop here. She will bring a balance of age and experience to the team. We also see a lot of potential in her for stage races and climbing.”
De Vries herself can hardly wait to get started. “It is a big step, so it is exciting, and I am really looking forward to it. I am especially looking forward to working as a close-knit team, pushing each other both on and off the bike. I am good at longer efforts. Though my acceleration could probably be improved. I have mainly process goals because I want to get better every day. This fits very well with the core values of Team Visma | Lease a Bike.”
Femke de Vries to Team Visma | Lease a Bike:
Lotto Dstny Team CEO Not Panicking about Sponsorship
It is still not clear whether Dstny will remain as co-sponsor of Lotto Dstny next year. However, Stéphane Heulot, CEO of the cycling team, is not worried and keeps calm in an interview with Het Nieuwsblad.
The agreement between Dstny and the team will expire at the end of this season. According to Het Laatste Nieuws, it looks like Dstny will drop out as a sponsor. The Belgian team is said to be already looking for two new sponsors behind the scenes and its search has led them to Digi, a Romanian telecom company.
Heulot doesn’t want to say anything yet. “I am not going to comment on rumours and the questions they ask about us can be asked about many teams,” he told Het Nieuwsblad. “We are indeed in a situation where we are negotiating with sponsors and with Dstny in particular. Things are moving forward. Of course we want it to go faster, but it takes time.”
According to Heulot, the sponsorship agreement with Dstny is not yet over. Both parties sat around the table last Friday to discuss the future. “I evaluate our conversation as cordial, enlightening and constructive. At Dstny, Daan (CEO Daan De Wever) is not only accountable to himself. He has a board of directors, investors who are watching. He also has international ambitions, because Dstny’s market is not limited to Belgium. I will soon review the content of our conversation with our Board of Directors so that I can provide answers to his questions. But most of all I remember that he didn’t slam the door.”
“It would indeed be better to know now how much budget I have in my pocket for next year. But that’s the way it is, we just keep doing our job. The riders on their bikes, us behind our desk. Our goal remains to further develop the team. Financially, I also aim for a higher budget so that we can continue working comfortably and not have to constantly wonder how we will pay the bills.”
“But we must be patient,” Heulot said “Our first priority was to sign the three leaders – Arnaud De Lie, Maxim Van Gils and Lennert Van Eetvelt – for a longer period of time and we succeeded in doing so. That is our wealth today, we no longer have that concern. I have an attractive team with a good image, a team that generates visibility. I already have about twenty riders under contract for next season. So I’m certainly not going to stress.”
“Of course I wish it was Christmas and there were lots of presents under the tree. But that’s not how it is. It is up to me to ensure that the team continues to perform as it is doing. I ask my riders to focus on the sport and to have confidence. There is no reason to panic. We remain calm, feet on the ground, without losing sight of reality,” Heulot is not worried.
What next for Lotto?
Next Races for dsm-firmenich PostNL
Tour of Britain Women – JUN 06 – 09
Kelvin Dekker – Team dsm-firmenich PostNL coach: “We’re happy that this year’s Tour of Britain is back on the calendar as it is a great race, from which we as a team have a lot of positive memories. We have Pfeiffer as our card to play to aim for a good GC, and Charlotte as our finisher for the sprints. The stages are challenging and offer a lot of possibilities to open up the race. We will have to be prepared to race from the off and together as a unit, and if we do so then I am sure that with this strong group, we’ll be able to do really well.”
Line-up:
Rachele Barbieri (ITA)
Pfeiffer Georgi (GBR)
Daniek Hengeveld (NED)
Franziska Koch (GER)
Charlotte Kool (NED)
Abi Smith (GBR).
Tour de Suisse – JUN 09 – 16
Pim Ligthart – Team dsm-firmenich PostNL coach: “The Tour de Suisse is really tough this year with six out of the eight stages finishing uphill and two time trials which open and close the race. With Oscar coming back after injury and fresh down from altitude, we will take it day-by-day with him and see what is possible in terms of GC and stage results. Next to Oscar, we have a well balanced team where we have chances in the possible sprint on the second stage and we can also look to go for stage results from the bigger breakaways with the likes of Frank, Gijs and Chris later in the race.”
Line-up:
Tobias Lund Andresen (DEN)
Pavel Bittner (CZE)
Sean Flynn (GBR)
Chris Hamilton (AUS)
Gijs Leemreize (NED)
Oscar Onley (GBR)
Frank van den Broek (NED).
Oscar Onley to the Tour de Suisse:
Soudal Quick-Step to the Tour de Suisse
Our team is ready for one of the most prestigious races on the calendar
Bookended by stages against the clock, the Tour de Suisse gets underway in a couple of days from Vaduz, the capital of Liechtenstein, with a short and flat prologue. This 87th edition should be one of the toughest in history, with no fewer than four summit finishes: Gotthard Pass, Cari, Blatten-Belalp and Villars-sur-Olon. Add to this the presence of Nufenenpass and Col de la Croix, and the uphill time trial on the final stage, and the overall picture is one of a tough and demanding week at the final World Tour event of the month.
Soudal Quick-Step has won 15 stages at the previous Tour de Suisse participations and will look to be again among the protagonists next week. Our seven-man team for the race held between 9-16 June will consist of Ayco Bastiaens, Gil Gelders, former Belgian Champion Yves Lampaert, William Junior Lecerf, Fausto Masnada – who just last month won the KOM classification at the Quatre Jours de Dunkerque – Louis Vervaeke and Jordi Warlop.
“We are going to this hard race with a nice team who is very motivated and capable of fighting for some good results. We’re curious to find out what William can do in the general classification, but we won’t put any pressure, and instead just take it day by day and see where he ends up in the standings”, said sports director Wilfried Peeters.
09.06–16.06 Tour de Suisse (SUI) 2.UWT
Riders:
Ayco Bastiaens (BEL)
Gil Gelders (BEL)
Yves Lampaert (BEL)
William Junior Lecerf (BEL)
Fausto Masnada (ITA)
Louis Vervaeke (BEL)
Jordi Warlop (BEL).
Sports Directors: Iljo Keisse (BEL) and Wilfried Peeters (BEL).
Yves Lampaert to Suisse:
Bahrain Victorious Honouring Gino Mäder in Switzerland
The upcoming Tour de Suisse will be an emotional edition for Team Bahrain Victorious. Following the tragic loss of our beloved rider & friend, Gino Mäder, one year ago during his home race, not a day goes by without us thinking of him and keeping his memory alive in every race in which we participate. Riding each day in his honour has become a heartfelt tradition, and we will ride with even more dedication at this year’s Tour de Suisse, which sees the first anniversary of his passing on June 16th.
Team Bahrain Victorious Sports Director, Roman Kreuziger, comments: “Last year was incredibly tough, and returning to the Tour de Suisse brings back many memories. We want to focus on the positive ones—Gino’s passion, dedication, and enthusiasm. Our aim is to do our best and hopefully, dedicate a win to him.”
TBV welcomes the various activities planned by the race organisers and Gino’s family, including a memorial ride arranged by the #rideforGino association on the anniversary, from Aigle to Villars. Additionally, the Tour de Suisse organisation, in agreement with Gino’s family, will dedicate the highest point of the race to him with the #rideforGino Mountain Prize for the winner.
Kreuziger adds: “It would be meaningful if one of our riders could win this memorial prize. We don’t have a clear GC leader because we want to see how Damiano Caruso feels after the Giro d’Italia and evaluate his potential. He finished the first Grand Tour of the season strongly, so I am confident in his capabilities if he feels mentally prepared. Alongside Damiano, we have Wout Poels, who is on the long list for the Tour de France. He is in good shape, and some of the finishes suit him well.”
“Our team is well-balanced, with Johan Price-Pejtersen, Fran Miholjevic, and Andrea Pasqualon supporting in the flat sections and approaching the climbs. We have four climbers, including Finlay Pickering and Torstein Træen. Our focus isn’t so much on the GC, however we aim to finish as high as possible and if we could win a stage that would be amazing.”
The Tour de Suisse kicks off on Sunday, June 9th in Lichtenstein with a short, flat prologue time-trial. “It doesn’t seem too technical,” Kreuziger explains. “I have high expectations for our specialists Fran and Johan, and hopefully Damiano and Wout can defend well against the other GC contenders.”
From Vaduz to Villars-sur-Ollon, the 8-stage race will cover 950 kilometres with nearly 19,000 meters of altitude gain. As usual, it’s a parcours that suits the climbers, with four mountain finishes in a row on the Gotthard Pass, Carì, Blatten, and Villars-sur-Ollon.
“We expect a showdown for climbers, with many ascents to showcase their strength. The initial stages are relatively easier. In Regensdorf and Rüschlikon, we might see sprint finishes or at least reduced bunch sprints. On stage 2, I hope Andrea can perform well in the sprint. Stage 3 is trickier with challenging terrain in the last 50 kilometres and a punchy finish. We need to be ready and race smart.”
From stage 4, the race becomes tougher, concluding on the Gotthard Pass after a 34 km ascent at 4.6%. “It’s demanding, finishing at around 2000 meters. It’s all about the legs,” states Kreuziger.
Stage 5 features another challenging climb day with early climbs (5.9km/7.4%, 8.8km/9.1%) and an uphill finish in Carì (11.6km/7.6%). “This stage is one of the hardest due to the tough start. I hope Finlay and Torstein can make the break and secure a good result.”
The Queen stage on June 14th includes the Nufenen Pass, the highest point of this year’s Tour de Suisse. “It’s a long, hard climb, followed by an uphill finish to Blatten. I hope to see our climbers in the mix.”
The final two stages, will be around Villars-sur-Ollon, with a mountainous circuit on Saturday and an uphill time-trial on Sunday. “Saturday will be intense and all about the legs, with the decisive GC day on Sunday – a course we know well from past races and where two years ago in the Tour of Romandie Caruso performed very well.”
Before the Tour de Suisse, Bahrain Victorious will participate in the 60th Grosser Preis des Kantons Aargau, a one-day race on June 7th. “We’ve raced here before and know what to expect. We’ll start with six riders, as Caruso joins us for the Tour de Suisse. I’m particularly keen to see how Pickering and Træen perform, as both are recovering from recent injuries. Andrea Pasqualon will be our road captain, guiding the younger riders. Fran Miholjevic and Johan Price-Pejtersen will take care of the guys paying attention at the start, while we expect Wout Poels to be strong in the final. While it won’t be easy to repeat last year’s podium (3rd place with Pello Bilbao), we aim to compete for a top-five finish.”
Tour of Britain Ideal Preparation Race Towards Important Sports Summer
“Hopefully we can enlarge our victory total”
Team SD Worx-Protime is heading for Tour of Britain Women with 31 wins already in its pocket this season. Sports manager Danny Stam is satisfied with the first months of the season and hopes to further thicken the win total at Tour of Britain. Team SD Worx-Protime will start with world champion Lotte Kopecky, Lorena Wiebes, Elena Cecchini, Barbara Guarischi, Christine Majerus and Chantal van den Broek-Blaak, who recovered from injury. “A strong team for a course that suits us. The organisers have made it an interesting race on paper,” Stam points out.
How do you evaluate the season so far?
Danny Stam: “For now, there’s almost nothing to write off. We’ve had a strong spring. In the Ardennes classics, we performed less than the year before, but overall I am satisfied with the spring. Then, as a team, we rode very impressively in the Spanish block. After the 2023 success year, we did not expect at the beginning of this season to have such a high win total again now.”
In the past three stage races, Team SD Worx-Protime lost only one stage. What does that say?
Stam: “First of all, that is impressive and it says that the periodisation is going very well. When the Spanish group finishes its races, another group is already on standby for the new block as was evident in RideLondon. It’s nice when you can count on that.”
What do you expect from Tour of Britain Women?
Stam: “We are going there with a strong team. Our aim is to get as many wins as possible. It is a challenging course that should suit us. However, we have to see how well Lotte Kopecky has recovered from the RideLondon. She rode an impressive race there, but also crashed hard and had a bit of a cold. For stage wins, we will certainly also be looking at Lorena Wiebes. She has gone the extra mile again this season. She is simply unbeatable in the sprint. That was also her goal heading into the Olympics. That has already succeeded and hopefully it will deliver stage wins in Tour of Britain as well.”
Tour de Suisse Women from 2025 before the Men’s Race
From 2025 the Tour de Suisse Women will be held before the men’s race. This shift makes the
women’s race even more appealing for Teams, as it allows a longer gap leading up to National
Championships.
Next year the Tour de Suisse Women begins on Thursday 12th June and ends after four stages on
Sunday 15th June. The last stage therefore overlaps with the first stage of the men’s race, which takes
place in 2025 from June 15th-22nd. “We are very pleased that we have been given this new calendar
slot for the Tour de Suisse Women following consultation with the UCI,” says Tour Director Olivier Senn.
Küssnacht was announced as the Start Hub for the men’s race a few months ago. The central Swiss
town will now also host the last two stages of the women’s race.
Other successful Host Cities for Tour de Suisse 2025 will be announced at the completion of this year’s
Tour.
The women’s Tour de Suisse before the men next year:
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