Bicycle Racing News and Opinion,
Sunday, August 6, 2017
Back to news and opinion index page for links to archived stories | Commentary | Our YouTube page
2017 Tour de France | 2017 Giro d'Italia
The law, in its majestic equality, forbids the rich as well as the poor to sleep under bridges, to beg in the streets, and to steal bread. - Anatole France
Today's racing:
- July 31 - August 6: Tour of Utah
Upcoming racing:
- August 7 - 13: Binck Bank Tour (formerly Eneco Tour of Benelux)
Latest completed racing:
- August 1 - 5: Vuelta a Burgos
- July 29 - August 4: Tour of Poland
- July 31: Cicuito de Getxo
- July 30: La Poly Normande
- July 30: RideLondon-Surrey Classic
- July 29: Clasica San Sebastian
- July 22 - 26: Tour de Wallonie
- July 1 - 23: Tour de France
Vuelta a Burgos final team reports
Second-place Enric Mas' Quick-Step Floors team posted this:
Quick-Step Floors' neo-pro Enric Mas took home the best young rider trophy, while David De La Cruz rounded out the overall podium.
Enric Mas' star shone brightly this week at Vuelta a Burgos, one of the most brutal and testing week-long stage races of the season, where the 22-year-old showed his class, potential and a maturity beyond his age on the way to finishing second in the rankings and becoming the youngest rider since 2012 to make it onto the podium.
The Spaniard, who came to Quick-Step Floors after making his apprenticeship with Klein Constantia in 2016, was one of the strongest riders of the race in the mountains, which he proved right from the inaugural day, when he came home in fourth place, a result followed by two resounding top-3 finishes, on Picon Blanco and Lagunas de Neila; on the latter, he dropped overall winner Mikel Landa (Team Sky) 200 meters from the line, taking second on the stage and sealing his win in the young riders classification.
"I am really happy with the result and how my condition is after the training camp in Livigno, last month, which paid off here. This race has been a great experience, with nice stages and fans, who encouraged me on the climbs and gave me even more motivation to get a good result", said Enric Mas, whose second place on the iconic Lagunas de Neila (11.3km, 9.5%) meant that Quick-Step Floors was the only team to place a rider in the top-3 on all five stages.
The Mallorcan, whose consistency was underlined by his top-3 finish in all of the race's classifications, continued: "I'm satisfied with the legs I had this week; finishing second, less than a minute behind Landa, who was the strongest rider in the race, and taking home the trophy for the best U23 rider, are two feats which make me very confident for the next appointments of the season."
Also David De La Cruz put in a solid climbing display in the Vuelta a Burgos, as the 28-year-old was one of the few riders who attacked and tried to put pressure on Mikel Landa. The 28-year-old came just short of a stage victory on Picon Blanco, before a fourth place on Lagunas de Neila helped him claim third in the general classification, 46 seconds behind the winner.
David De La Cruz winning 2017 Paris-Nice stage eight.
For David, who earlier this season nabbed stage victories at Paris-Nice and Vuelta al Pais Vasco, it was only the second participation at the Vuelta a Burgos and it marked his best result in a stage race since finishing runner-up at Vuelta a Asturias, five years ago.
Here's Team Movistar's report:
Dani Moreno was again the Movistar Team's top performer at the Lagunas de Neila, second and final mountain-top finish of the 2017 Vuelta a Burgos, which Mikel Landa (SKY) won convincingly.
The Madrilian took 7th in the stage, 37" behind Miguel Ángel López (AST), after setting a progressive pace through the hardest part of the ascent, 3km before the end, with four Blues into the 20-rider lead group: Carapaz, Pedrero, Soler and the veteran Spaniard.
Other than Dani's top-ten -also finishing 7th overall- and the long, early break by José Herrada, caught into the decisive ascent, the telephone squad also shone with Antonio Pedrero, on the attack with 7km remaining and eventually 11th (+1'10"), 15th GC.
Carapaz, in turn, was a respectable 16th on the stage result and closed his race in 21st spot overall.
Lotto-Soudal's plans for the Binck Bank Tour
The team sent me this:
From Monday 7 till Sunday 13 August the WorldTour peloton will ride through Belgium and the Netherlands on the occasion of the BinckBank Tour, the former Eneco Tour. The riders get a varied course that takes them to Dutch Limburg, West-Flanders and the Walloon and Flemish Ardennes.
André Greipel is Lotto Soudal’s sprinter. He will have to compete against other fast men like Arnaud Démare, Fernando Gaviria, Dylan Groenewegen and Elia Viviani. The sprinters get a few chances at the BinckBank Tour, but the same goes for classic riders. On Saturday a hilly stage to Houffalize is scheduled and on Sunday the riders will need to cover the Bosberg and Muur van Geraardsbergen twice. The opponents of Tiesj Benoot, Tony Gallopin, Jelle Vanendert and Tim Wellens will be among others Jan Bakelants, Tom Dumoulin, Philippe Gilbert, Jens Keukeleire, Oliver Naesen, Peter Sagan, Jasper Stuyven, Wout Van Aert, Greg Van Avermaet and Sep Vanmarcke.
André Greipel will be Lotto-Soudal's sprinter at the Binck Bank Tour
Herman Frison, sports director Lotto Soudal: “The opening stage is an opportunity for the sprinters, although you can’t underestimate the influence of the wind on that course. If it’s a sprint on day one, the leader’s jersey can already change shoulders on Tuesday. In a time trial of nine kilometres the time gaps will be limited, but for the overall classification every second counts. It is very likely we get a sprint on Wednesday and Thursday. There aren’t many top sprinters in this race, so that could mean few teams will control the peloton. On Friday the race runs over roads of the Amstel Gold Race, but the stage can’t be compared to a Classics race. That stage is perfectly suited for escapees, the GC riders won’t be able to create considerable time gaps. The GC will be determined on Saturday in the stage to Houffalize and on Sunday when the stage finishes in Geraardsbergen.”
“We have a very versatile team, so we should be able to play a role in the sprint, in breakaways and in the hilly stages. It’s our goal to win a stage and that is possible on the different types of courses. We have several riders who can aim for a high place on GC too. It will become clear during the week who will be in the running for that.”
Line-up Lotto Soudal: Tiesj Benoot, Jasper De Buyst, Tony Gallopin, André Greipel, Nikolas Maes, Marcel Sieberg, Jelle Vanendert and Tim Wellens.
Sports directors: Herman Frison and Bart Leysen.
Stages
- Stage 1 Monday 7 August: Breda – Venray (169.8 km)
- Stage 2 Tuesday 8 August: Voorburg – Voorburg (9 km) (ITT)
- Stage 3 Wednesday 9 August: Blankenberge – Ardooie (185 km)
- Stage 4 Thursday 10 August: Lanaken – Lanaken (154.2 km)
- Stage 5 Friday 11 August: Sittard-Geleen – Sittard-Geleen (167.3 km)
- Stage 6 Saturday 12 August: Riemst – Houffalize (203.7 km)
- Stage 7 Sunday 13 August: Essen – Geraardsbergen (191.3 km)
Orica-Scott welcomes back Australian Cameron Meyer for 2018
Orica-Scott sent me this news:
ORICA-SCOTT today confirm the return of Grand Tour stage winner and multiple track champion Cameron Meyer to the Australian WorldTour team for the 2018 season. One of the original GreenEDGE Cycling signings back in 2012 and enjoying four successful seasons with the team, Meyer left for Dimension-Data in 2016 and after a short hiatus has since raced both on the track and the road for the Australian national team.
ORICA-SCOTT and the 2015 Jayco Herald Sun Tour winner have agreed to a three-year contract that runs until the 2020 season and 29-year-old Meyer spoke of his happiness and excitement at coming back into the familiar environment of the Australian outfit.
Cameron Meyer in 2015
“I am really happy to be coming back to the team,” said Meyer. “I have a lot of friends here including riders and staff members and I’m excited to be returning to a familiar environment where I previously spent four successful years.”
“During my time away from the team racing for the Australian national squad I found that striking a good balance between track and road commitments is what suits me best. A big goal on the horizon for me is to win a gold medal in the madison at the next Olympics in Tokyo and the Commonwealth Games before that.
“I couldn’t be happier to be going back to a team where I already have good relationships and that helps and allows me to achieve those goals on the track whilst maintaining a balance with my objectives on the road.
“Along with those ambitions on the track I am looking forward to pursuing success on the road and giving my experience to the team. I am excited about targeting new races such as the Hammer Series as it adds another element to professional cycling.
“When speaking to Matt White and Shayne Bannan I found that they were happy to help me find the perfect balance in terms of supporting me in chasing my dreams both on the track and on the road and I feel very fortunate to be coming back into this set up.”
Meyer has an impressive palmares, a multiple track world champion in the madison, points race and team pursuit along with Grand Tour stage wins on the road from a rider who possesses strong all round skills, especially in the time trial.
Sport director Matt White went through the positives of a signing a homegrown rider such as Meyer and the added versatility he will bring to the team. “Cam has come back with a different focus,” explained White. “And the primary focus is to be an Olympic champion in Tokyo in the madison. We will always be a team with Australian DNA so we would like nothing more than to support Cam in that ambition.”
“We know what we get with Cam. We know he is a very versatile rider and we have had a long relationship with him. He is coming back with a new focus and a new drive and I don’t think there is another team that understands Cam better than us.
“Cam is back more motivated than ever to win, and we have seen that this year with his results with the national team. He is very keen to pass on his experience to our younger riders, while at the same time keeping the team in the winner’s circle over the coming years.”
Cameron Meyer
Date of Birth: 11/1/88 (29)
Place of Birth: Perth, Australia
Turned Pro: 2009
Key Results:
Road:
- 2015 1st Herald Sun Tour – General Classification
- 2014 1st Giro d’Italia – Stage 1 (TTT)
- 2013 1st Tour de France – Stage 1 (TTT)
- 2012 3rd World Championships – (TTT)
- 2011 1st Tour Down Under – General Classification
- 2011 1st National Road Championships, Australia – Time Trial
- 2010 1st National Road Championships, Australia – Time Trial
Track:
Multiple gold, silver and bronze world championship medals in the madison, points race and team pursuit from 2009 – 2017.
Jürgen Roelandts to strengthen BMC Racing Team's 2018 roster
BMC sent this team update:
4 August, 2017, Santa Rosa, California (USA): Jürgen Roelandts, 32, is the latest addition to BMC Racing Team's 2018 roster, General Manager Jim Ochowicz today announced.
The former Belgian National Road Race champion brings a wealth of experience, particularly in the Spring Classics. "Jürgen Roelandts has years of experience racing the Classics and he has excelled at that over the last ten years. Jurgen has a great skill set and has had podium finishes in many of the biggest one-day races in the calendar," Ochowicz explained.
"Jürgen is coming to us to be one of our primary Classics riders to work alongside Greg Van Avermaet and help Greg and the team continue our success at these races. Wherever Greg is, you can expect to see Jurgen at his side, especially in the Belgian races where he knows the roads so well. We are very excited to have a rider with Jurgen's experience join us next year."
2018 will be Roelandts' eleventh year at the WorldTour level, during which time he won the Belgian Road Race Championships and stood on the podium at multiple Classics, including Milan-San Remo, Ronde van Vlaanderen and E3 Harelbeke.
Roelandts is relishing the chance for a change. "First of alI, I want to thank my former team for the nice 10 years I had with them and for the chances I got. But, I had the feeling I was looking for something new. I was already interested in BMC Racing Team because I want to keep improving my time trial skills and the focus BMC Racing Team has on the spring Classics was really appealing. The team operates on the highest level in both disciplines so I was really pleased when they showed interest," Roelandts said.
"In the past I've shown that I'm a rider who can adapt quickly and handle different types of parcours. It will be the first time in my career that I will ride for a different team, so I hope I can integrate well and contribute to the successes of the team. A big objective for me every year is the Spring Classics so I want to help the team achieve their goals there and support Greg Van Avermaet, who has shown he can win these races. If I have the chance to go for a win myself, it would be a dream and career goal. I also like to do team time trials so I hope I can perform well in this discipline too."
Roelandts is the second rider to join BMC Racing Team in 2018, following the signing of Alberto Bettiol.
In keeping with BMC Racing Team policy, no other details of the contract were released.
Martijn Tusveld joins Team Sunweb
Here's the media release the team sent me:
Team Sunweb are pleased to add Martijn Tusveld (NED) to their WorldTour roster for the coming two years. The new agreement means that Tusveld will be riding in the team's colours until the end of 2019.
Before signing the contract with his current team, Team Roompot–Nederlandse Loterij, Tusveld has been part of Team Sunweb as a trainee during the second half of the 2016 season. During this period he impressed with strong showings including an impressive 8th place overall at the Abu Dhabi Tour. Following a strong 2017 season Team Sunweb believe that the 23-year-old is ready for the next step.
Tusveld said: "I got to know the team last year and my first experiences were really good. I immediately had a good feeling about the team and how they work and I'm pleased to be able to take the next step with my career and ride on a WorldTour level from next year. I am thankful to Team Roompot for their good support this season, because of that I was able to make the next step in my development."
Team Roompot–Nederlandse Loterij general manager Michael Zijlaard (NED) added: "We're happy to deliver another talented rider to the highest tier of cycling. Martijn was still under contract with our team until the end of 2018, but following some positive and constructive talks with Team Sunweb together we decided to give Martijn the opportunity to step up to WorldTour level next season."
Team Sunweb coach Marc Reef (NED) said: "We recognised Martijn's potential during last year throughout his traineeship with the team. We can see that he has already taken some steps forward uphill and in time trials, even on a WorldTour level. He is a really good all-rounder with these strengths and he is also able to bring value to the team in the classics and the sprint train. We aim to increase his engine and continue his development whilst doing races across all terrain at the highest level with the team."
Manuel Senni joins Bardiani-CSF
Here's the team's announcement:
Bardiani-CSF announces the signing of Manuel Senni, starting from 2018. After three years with World Tour team BMC, Italian rider is ready for a new challenge wearing the jersey of the #GreenTeam.
Born in 1992 in Cesena, the same town of Marco Pantani, Senni stand out in Under 23 category and professional cycling for his continuous improvements as climber and stages races rider. After the experience with Team Colpack in U23, he became professional with BMC in 2015, taking 5th place in Italian TT Champ as top result. In 2016 he made his debut in a grand tour, racing and finishing Giro d’Italia. Early in 2017, at Volta Valenciana, Senni took his top results in career: best young rider jersey, third place in final classification and TTT stage win. Another podium at Giro dell’Appennino (third place) and second experience at Giro d’Italia have completed his palmares so far.
Manuel Senni
Quotes from Bruno and Roberto Reverberi, managers of Bardiani-CSF: “We really wanted and looked to have Manuel in our roster for 2018. He’s a young rider but already experienced and his rider profile is perfect for the #GreenTeam project. Year after year he showed to have the right potentiality to stand out. Becoming professional and riding three years in a top team such as BMC is not a chance for everyone. We didn’t offer him just a contract but, above all, an opportunity. Manuel has a lot of ambitions, our team too: we’re happy and ready to pursue the same goals”
Quotes from Manuel Senni: “I’m really pleased that Bardiani-CSF pushed deeply to sign me. I feel already a lot of trust around me and it’s big stimulus, both to finish this season with BMC in the best way both to start a new phase of my career”.
“I talked with Reverberi and Zanatta, expert and capable team directors that, I’m sure, will support me in the best way. They explained me the #GreenTeam project and the benefits I can have with this team. Bardiani-CSF is a solid structure with an important racing schedule, two perfect factors for a young rider like me who looks for a quality step”.
“In BMC I earned a huge experience. I raced several World Tour races, I learned looking great champions, their attitude in terms of preparation, training, nutrition and off race life. These knowledges will be the starting point of my new experience and I hope could be useful also for my new teammates”.
“I don’t feel the passage from World Tour team to a Professional one like a step back, but only as a new chance. In Bardiani-CSF I will have more freedom and opportunities to stand out. I feel my growth is not finished yet and I want to reach the top to establish myself in cycling elite. I’ve a dream, the same of the #GreenTeam: being protagonist at Giro d’Italia. I hope to make it real already in 2018”.
What does the cycle industry think about Interbike's move to Reno? Is the 'reset' enough to revitalize the show?
Bicycle Retailer & Industry News sent me this analysis of the bicycle trade show situation:
SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO, Calif. (BRAIN) — Following Interbike's announcement Thursday that it will move from Las Vegas to Reno-Tahoe starting in 2018, retailers and suppliers said they are largely upbeat about the new location — but many are unsure the change of scenery and new show format will be enough to prop up sagging attendance or bring major bike brands back to the show floor.
"Honestly, anything would be an improvement from Vegas," said Davis Carver, owner of Carver Bikes and retailer Bath Cycle and Ski in Woolwich, Maine. "All in all, I think the proximity to better riding, Lake Tahoe, etc. is a good thing. I was campaigning for Denver or Atlanta, just to change things up, but I'm generally happy with the decision."
Retailer Michael Paese of Gotta Ride Bikes in San Antonio said he is also happy to see the show leave Las Vegas, but the move to Reno will make travel more difficult for him.
"There are pretty much no nonstops to Reno from anywhere outside of the nearby West Coast. For us in Texas, that will nearly double my travel time — that's now a six- to seven-hour flight. What's it going to be like for those on the East Coast? Vegas at least had great nonstops," he said. "If they had gone to Denver, they would have made the show much more accessible for the rest of the country."
Additionally, the change of venue doesn't address what Paese believes are Interbike's two most challenging issues: a dearth of major exhibitors, and late timing by sticking with September dates.
"It used to be that we saw products and wrote orders there, but not anymore. Those are either done already, or will be done very shortly. And what is there to see when most of the top companies don't come — the same knockoffs in the Chinese trade booths, or TENS units and skin cream?" he said.
On the other hand, Sunnyside Bicycles co-owner Vanessa McCracken said she would like to have seen the show move later on the calendar.
"We are super excited about the move to Reno-Tahoe and already have the dates blocked out on the calendar for next year. It's all the staff is talking about this morning," she said Thursday from her shop in Fresno, California. "I personally wish it was moved to mid-October since we are still pretty busy in September. Mid-October would make it easier for us to close and bring the whole staff. Everyone is so excited about the move to Reno, though, that we will figure out a way to make it work in September."
In announcing the venue change Thursday, Interbike noted that the Reno-Sparks Convention Center is a nonunion facility, which should mean fewer setup restrictions and lower costs for exhibitors. That was good news to Detroit Bikes president Zak Pashak.
"I've never been a fan of Vegas, and it's all so complicated and expensive to set up the booth. That might be true of any trade show, but Vegas didn't make it any simpler. There are so many layers and it seems like there are a lot of people wanting to extract money from you in Vegas, coming out of nowhere to give you a bill," he said.
"It will be neat to have a fresh start, and Reno seems like an exciting place to check out. Vegas is such a busy city, and I think it will be easier and more enjoyable to be in Reno. And being outside more instead of stuck in a giant mall will be great," Pashak said.
You can read the entire article here.
Back to news and opinion index page for links to archived stories | Commentary