Bicycle Racing News and Opinion,
Sunday, January 27, 2019
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2018 Tour de France | 2018 Giro d'Italia
There is only one day left, always starting over: it is given to us at dawn and taken away from us at dusk. - Jean-Paul Sartre
Current racing:
- January 26-27: Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race
- January 27 - February 3: Vuelta a la Provincia de San Juan
Upcoming racing:
- January 30 - February 3: Herald Sun Tour
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
Mitchelton-Scott reports on Women's Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race
Here's the team's post:
Climbers Lucy Kennedy and Amanda Spratt have taken the minor placings, finishing second and third respectively, at the Deakin Women’s Race as part of the Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race.
After their Mitchelton-SCOTT teammates put the pressure on in the final 30km, the pair crested the final classified climb up Challambra Cresent in the lead group of five riders, but Arlenis Sierra (Astana Pro Team) bridged across in the closing kilometres, before winning solo in Geelong.
Arlenis Sierra finished solo in Geelong.
Despite the reluctance of the majority of the peloton, Be Pink sent solo riders up the road on three occasions.
Rachele Barbieri was the first to try, in search of the sprint classification, before her teammates Silvia Valecchi and Nicole Steigenge also tried their luck out front alone, but were not match when the intensity picked up in the closing phases.
With a clear plan and needing a hard race, Mitchelton-SCOTT put on the pressure with 30km to go. Sarah Roy was the first to put down the hammer, followed by Jessica Allen, and the peloton stretched out with the pressure.
Trek-Segafredo joined in at the front of the peloton, and whilst the bunch had reduced, it was still all together at the bottom the main climb just inside the final 10kilometres.
As expected, the Challambra Climb cleared out the field, with the superior climbers coming to the fore. Ashleigh Moolman (CCC-Liv) put on the pressure from the bottom with only Spratt and Elisa Longo-Borgini (Trek-Segafredo) able to immediately follow. Over the top, Kennedy and Brodie Chapman (Tibco) also joined them as the five crested the top with a small advantage.
The undulating roads to the finish on Eastern Beach saw Sierra bridge across to join them. Kennedy used another uphill ramp to get a narrow advantage on the lead group before Sierra joined her and then rode the Australian off her wheel.
Behind, Spratt tried to attack the second group, but it wasn’t enough as Sierra went ahead to a solo victory, with Kennedy and Spratt crossing the line together behind.
Lucy Kennedy:
“The first couple of hours wasn’t particularly tough but those last 20-25km were really really hard.
“I was really looking forward to it, I could tell from the beginning that I had good legs, the team rode so strongly there to set it up but Sierra was just super strong and unfortunately I couldn’t quite get there.
“There’s pros and cons of being a team that everyone looks to. I’m sure they were expecting us to make that final hard, and that’s what we did, we just couldn’t quite pull off the win.
“I was doing a lot of work trying to set Spratty up, she couldn’t quite get away (on Challambra), there was a few girls climbing really well, so it came down to a group of five or six of us. I managed to slip away on the last little climb but Sierra was just so strong and I couldn’t hold her wheel. Then Spratty tried to jump across but just couldn’t quite get the gap down.”
Amanda Spratt:
“Sierra had an amazing ride. We know for last year, she was getting WorldTour podiums and she was up there in a lot of harder hilly races, so she is certainly a strong rider and she had an incredible ride today.
“It was going really well. After that final climb Lucy got away which was good. Arlenis got across to her and she was so strong and Lucy just couldn’t quite get there. But Lucy has been getting better and better each race and it was good to give her that opportunity.
“I could see ahead that Lucy had been dropped so I knew at that moment I had to go. Sierra already had a gap and she had a strong ride so we have to give her credit.
“We’re not super frustrated. Arlenis Sierra had a super strong in the end, I don’t think we did anything super wrong in the race. The team rode brilliantly, the team had a plan, we were really patient. You see all my other teammates absolutely killed themselves for us and set us up for the final.
“I think we walk away pretty proud actually. Sometimes you’re really disappointment with a second place, but I think in this case we are actually proud of the way we raced.”
UCI considers Tosh Van der Sande doping case closed
Van der Sande's Lotto-Soudal team sent me this:
Lotto Soudal was notified by the UCI of their position concerning the control that has been carried out with Tosh Van der Sande during the Six Days of Ghent, where he took part in on his own behalf. After consulting the dossier, including the explanatory documents, the UCI decided not to prosecute the rider in this case and to consider the case closed. The team was notified that the explanation given by the rider was declared admissible and that no disciplinary procedure will be started. Tosh Van der Sande will be reintegrated in the team with immediate effect. As such, Lotto Soudal reconfirms its zero tolerance regarding doping-related matters.
Tosh Van der Sande. Sirotti photo
Team Dimension Data with Mark Cavendish to ride Vuelta de San Juan
Here's the team's update:
The week-long race gets underway on Sunday 27 January featuring some of the world’s top riders.
There are a number of sprint opportunities up for grabs, an individual time trial as well as a climb to the renowned Alto Colorado, where the GC competition could well be decided.
Based in the beautiful north-western San Juan province of Argentina, the race will be passionately supported by the local fans and we’ve picked a mixture of youth and experience for this exciting event.
Riders To Watch:
Mark Cavendish
After being forced to cut his 2018 season short due to illness, the Manxman makes his return to racing in Argentina. The number of expected sprint finishes on offer will see opportunity for him to test his legs where he will be supported by the likes of long-time teammates Bernie Eisel and Julien Vermote.
“The last time that I was in Argentina was for the Tour de San Luis in 2015. I’ve heard a lot about the Vuelta a San Juan and I’m excited that I can finally get here to come and race. It’s a beautiful part of the world; lots of mountains as well as the flat, so the terrain is going to be challenging but it’s going to be a good season opener to run into fitness.” – Mark Cavendish
Will Mark Cavendish be his old speedy self? Sirotti phto.
Gino Mäder
The neo pro has impressed his teammates during the off-season integrating himself quickly into our WorldTour setup. He now has the opportunity to do so in a race that will be featuring a number of talented young riders and his will be a name to look out for, along with another debutant, Rasmus Tiller.
Key Stages:
Stage 1: The opening stage of 159km from San Juan to Pocito is likely to end end in a bunch sprint. The depth of sprinters among the World Tour teams in the race should make for an exciting finish.
Stage 5: After the rest day the Queen Stage, as it has in the past, could likely decide the eventual race winner. The long climb to the finish at Alto Colorado at over 2500m will see the strongest riders on the day well rewarded.
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