Bicycle Racing News and Opinion,
Thursday, January 24, 2019
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2018 Tour de France | 2018 Giro d'Italia
There is nothing in this world that can compare with the Christian fellowship; nothing that can satisfy but Christ. - John D. Rockefeller
Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God. – Jesus Christ
Upcoming racing:
- January 27: Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race
- January 27 - February 3: Vuelta a la Provincia de San Juan
Latest completed racing:
- January 15 - 20: Santos Tour Down Under
- January 13: Down Under Classic
- January 1: GP Sven Nys
- December 30: Superprestige Dieghem
- December 28: Azencross
- December 26: Heusden-Zolder cyclocross
- December 23: Namur Cyclocross
- December 15: Scheldecross
- December 1: GP Hasselt
Fernando Gaviria to start season at Vuelta a San Juan
Gaviria's UAE-Team Emirates sent me this update:
Fernando Gaviria will debut in UAE Team Emirates’s colours in the Vuelta a San Juan, January 27 to February 3 in Argentina.
“I’m returning to Argentina and San Juan with pleasure,” said the Colombian sprinter. “I have good memories: in 2017, I won two stages and in 2018, before pulling out due to a crash in the fourth stage, I was able to win a stage. This year, I hope to repeat the success from two years ago.
It will also be my debut with UAE Team Emirates and I can’t hide that I’d like to start on the right foot with the idea that this is going to be a great season for me and the team“.
Fernando Gaviria winning the first stage of the 2018 Vuelta a San Juan in his 2018 Quick Step colors.
Seven stages with a day of rest are on the menu in Argentina: four stages should suit the sprinters, one time trial of 12 km, a stage for the all-arounders, and one for the climbers.
UAE Team Emirates brings a roster ready to support Gaviria’s speed, but also with the desire to take part in the overall with Valerio Conti.
Riders: Tom Bohli (Sui), Simone Consonni (Ita), Valerio Conti (Ita), Roberto Ferrari (Ita), Fernando Gaviria (Col), Oliviero Troia (Ita).
Sports Director: Simone Pedrazzini (Sui).
Bardiani-CSF team reveals 2019 race kit
The team sent me this:
As you can see, they'll be racing on Guerciotti bikes. Photo: CPStudio
Deceuninck – Quick-Step to ride Cadel Evans Road Race
Hee's the team's news:
It’s going to be a busy second half of the week in Melbourne, with the Cadel Evans Great Ocean Criterium and Road Race scheduled in the space of just four days. The first event will consist of 14 laps held on the famous 5.3km-long Formula 1 Grand Prix track and will suit the sprinters, who have travelled here after completing the inaugural World Tour race of the season, Tour Down Under.
Sunday’s event (163 kilometers) will start from Melbourne and travel to Geelong, host of the 2010 World Championships, where the peloton will take on the hard Challambra climb several times, before continuing onto Scenic Road all the way to the finish on the Geelong Waterfront, which in the past years has seen both sprinters and attackers prevail.
First rider to take a World Tour win this season, Elia Viviani will lead Deceuninck – Quick-Step at the Cadel Evans Road Race, where in 2018 he finished a close second, just as the peloton was catching the late attackers with the line in sight. Alongside him will be Rémi Cavagna, Dries Devenyns – who comes here after completing the Tour Down Under in the top 10 overall for the second consecutive season – neo-pro Mikkel Honoré, James Knox, Danish Champion Michael Mørkøv and Fabio Sabatini.
Jay McCarthy beat Elia Viviani in the 2018 Cadel Evans Road Race.
“We have a very motivated Elia, who was runner-up last year, and wants to be again in contention for a solid result. It will not be easy, because the field here is strong, but we have a plan and more than one rider who can be in the mix in the finale. It’s pretty hot at the moment and it looks like the mercury will go up also on Thursday, when we have the criterium, but we hope it will be better on Sunday. Regardless of the conditions, we are ready for the challenge”, said sports director Rik Van Slycke.
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