Bicycle Racing News and Opinion,
Thursday, June 29, 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
What we wish, we readily believe, and what we ourselves think, we imagine others think also - William Shakespeare
Current Racing
- Last week of June: National Championships
Upcoming racing:
- July 1 - 23: Tour de France
- July 2 - 8: Tour of Austria
Latest completed racing:
- June 21: Halle Ingooigem
- June 10 - 18: Tour de Suisse
- June 14 - 18: Ster ZLM Toer
- June 15 - 18: Route du Sud
- June 11: Rund um Köln
- June 4 - 11: Critérium du Dauphiné
Tour de France News
The provisional 2017 TDF startlist is posted.
Team Sky DS Nicolas Portal on the 2017 Tour route
Team Sky sent me this:
28TH JUNE 2017: Team Sky's lead Directeur Sportif, Nicolas Portal, is expecting a tight GC battle at the Tour de France and has suggested that those hopeful of overall victory will have to make their own opportunities to take time throughout the three weeks, rather than waiting for 'set piece' stages.
The Frenchman, who has overseen all of Froome's three Tour de France victories from the lead race car, said:" It might not immediately look it in terms of profiles, but it’s a really challenging course and it will be a difficult Tour to win.
"There are a lot of hard stages but only three summit finishes. Two of these are proper summit finishes in the mountains and the third one is Planche de Belles Filles. That one will be pretty punchy.
"The fact that we have only three summit finishes is a challenge. When you have big GC contenders that are really good on the climbs, obviously for them the challenge is to ensure they perform really well on those big stages. This year we have to find other ways to win.
"I think riding smart every day and creating opportunities could be a way to win the Tour de France this year; obviously the three mountain finishes are really important but every day will be very important, the tension will be very high, and we will have to be focused.
Christopher Froome after winning his first Tour in 2013
This year the race is very open. There are lots of stages that might not have the big climbs, but there is something tricky. That might be crosswinds or a really short climb to the finish where a lot of teams will think they have an opportunity.
"I think it will be hard racing every day - you cannot lose one day. If you lose a chance on a stage, you are not sure the next day or the next week you will get another opportunity. We really need to take a day by day view of this year’s race as I expect it to be really tight."
Team Movistar looks back on its past Tour successes
The squad posted this retrospective:
28 JUNE 2017: No team can aspire to achieve the numbers the Movistar Team holds on their previous appearances in the Tour de France. The squad managed by Eusebio Unzué will start in Düsseldorf on Saturday their 35th consecutive appearance -with five different sponsors- in the most followed cycle race in the world.
Miguel Indurain wins his fifth Tour de France
Ever since 1983, when a young and strong squad astonished the world with a maiden stage win and GC podium finish, the Abarca Sports organization has never stopped achieving milestones, with 7 overall wins –Indurain, Delgado and Pereiro–, 14 podiums –Zulle, Quintana and Valverde joining the former–, 32 stage wins and victories in all Team (4), Young Rider( 5) and KOM (1) classifications. The Blue team has also worn the yellow jersey for 80 days.
NUMBERS
- 35th appearance (since 1983)
- GC wins: 7
1988 - Pedro Delgado
1991 - Miguel Indurain
1992 - Miguel Indurain
1993 - Miguel Indurain
1994 - Miguel Indurain
1995 - Miguel Indurain
2006 - Óscar Pereiro
- Overall podiums: 14
2nd
Arroyo ('84)
Delgado ('88)
Zülle ('99)
Quintana ('13)
Quintana ('15)
3rd
Valverde ('15)
Quintana ('16)
- Days in yellow: 80
Indurain (60)
Delgado (11)
Pereiro (7)
Valverde (2)
- Stage wins: 32
Indurain – 12
Valverde – 4
Costa – 3
Arroyo – 2
L.L. Sánchez – 2
Chozas – 1
Gorospe – 1
Delgado – 1
Olano – 1
Chente – 1
Flecha – 1
Lastras – 1
Quintana – 1
I. Izagirre – 1
- KOM victories: 1
Quintana ('13)
- Best Young Rider: 5
Mancebo ('00)
Menchov ('03)
Karpets ('04)
Quintana ('13, '15)
- Team GCs: 4
1991 - Banesto
1999 – Banesto
2015 – Movistar Team
2016 – Movistar Team
- All stage wins
1983 - Ángel Arroyo (Puy de Dôme)
1984 - Ángel Arroyo (Morzine)
1985 - Eduardo Chozas (Aurillac)
1986 - Julián Gorospe (Saint-Étienne)
1988 - Pedro Delgado (TT, Villard de Lans)
1989 - Miguel Indurain (Cauterets)
1990 - Miguel Indurain (Luz Ardiden)
1991 - Miguel Indurain (TT, Alençon)
1991 - Miguel Indurain (TT, Mâcon)
1992 - Miguel Indurain (TT, Blois)
1992 - Miguel Indurain (TT, San Sebastián)
1992 - Miguel Indurain (TT, Luxembourg)
1993 - Miguel Indurain (TT, Le Puy du Fou)
1993 - Miguel Indurain (TT, Lac de Madine)
1994 - Miguel Indurain (TT, Bergerac)
1995 - Miguel Indurain (TT, Seraing)
1995 - Miguel Indurain (TT, Lac de Vassivière)
1997 - Abraham Olano (TT, Eurodisney)
2000 - Chente García Acosta (Draguignan)
2003 - Pablo Lastras (Saint Maixent L’École)
2003 - Juan Antonio Flecha (Toulouse)
2005 - Alejandro Valverde (Courchevel)
2008 - Alejandro Valverde (Plumelec)
2008 - Alejandro Valverde (Super-Besse)
2008 - Luis León Sánchez (Aurillac)
2009 - Luis León Sánchez (Saint-Girons)
2011 - Rui Costa (Super-Besse)
2012 - Alejandro Valverde (Peyragudes)
2013 - Rui Costa (Gap)
2013 - Rui Costa (Le Grand-Bornand)
2013 - Nairo Quintana (Semnoz)
2016 - Ion Izagirre (Morzine)
Team Sunweb promotes two riders to its World Tour team as stagiaires
Here's the report the team sent me:
After a successful opening to the season, Development Team Sunweb's Max Kanter (GER) and Leon Rohde (GER) make the step up to Team Sunweb's WorldTour team as stagiaires from August, 1.
Team Sunweb's Development Program is specifically designed to bring young up-and-coming German and international talents through the ranks of professional cycling, giving riders the opportunity to develop and excel with the support of a professional structure around them. After joining the team's Development Program at the beginning of the year, the duo have already taken some impressive results. Rohde took the win at Bundesliga Düren and most recently Kanter was crowned the U23 German national road race champion.
Speaking of joining Team Sunweb's WorldTour Program team Kanter said: "I'm really pleased that the team have given me the chance to become a stagiaire. It's going to be a brilliant experience and I'm proud that the team are giving me the chance. I'm really looking forward to racing on a WorldTour level and I hope that I can learn a lot and make another step in my development as a rider."
Rohde added: "This is a real honour and a great opportunity for me to show my strengths. We've worked together to achieve some good results in the Development Program so far this season and it's a really good signal that the hard work really does get rewarded."
Development Team Sunweb's coach Sebastian Deckert (GER) said: "We're satisfied with the progression we've made so far with our Development Program. Both Max and Leon have had a great season and we see this as the best next step in their development to potentially becoming a professional rider. They have demonstrated that they work according to the team's philosophy and this is now being rewarded by a chance to prove themselves amongst the world's best. It's a brilliant opportunity for both of them and I am certain that they will make the most of it and continue to thrive."
Back to news and opinion index page for links to archived stories | Commentary