Bicycle Racing News and Opinion,
Friday, October 25, 2019
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2018 Tour de France | 2018 Giro d'Italia
The reason a lot of people do not recognize opportunity is because it usually goes around wearing overalls looking like hard work. - Thomas A. Edison
Upcoming racing:
- Oct 26: Cincinnati Cyclocross
Latest completed racing:
- Oct 17 - 22: Tour of Guangx
- Oct 20: Japan Cup
- Oct 20: Chrono des Nations
- Oct 13: Paris-Tours
- Oct 12: Il Lombardia
- Oct 10: Paris-Bourges
- Oct 10: Gran Piemonte
- Oct 9: Milano-Torino
- Oct 8: Binche-Chimay-Binche
- Oct 8: Tre Valli Varesine
2020 Giro d'Italia route revealed
The race will start in Budapest, Hungary.
Link to results for every stage of every edition of the Giro d'Italia
This will be the 103rd edition of the Giro and the fourteenth time the race has started outside Italy.
Dates: May 9 - 31
Distance: 3,579.8 km (2,224 miles), 170.5 km average stage length
The stages:
| 1 | Saturday, 9/05 | BUDAPEST > BUDAPEST (ITT) | 8.6 km |
| 2 | Sunday, 10/05 | BUDAPEST > GYŐR | 195 km |
| 3 | Monday, 11/05 | SZÉKESFEHÉRVÁR > NAGYKANIZSA | 204 km |
| 4 | Tuesday, 12/05 | MONREALE > AGRIGENTO | 136 km |
| 5 | Wednesday, 13/05 | ENNA > ETNA (Piano Provenzana) | 150 km |
| 6 | Thursday, 14/05 | CATANIA > VILLAFRANCA TIRRENA | 138 km |
| 7 | Friday, 15/05 | MILETO > CAMIGLIATELLO SILANO | 223 km |
| 8 | Saturday, 16/05 | CASTROVILLARI > BRINDISI | 216 km |
| 9 | Sunday, 17/05 | GIOVINAZZO > VIESTE | 198 km |
| Monday, 18/05 | Rest Day | ||
| 10 | Tuesday, 19/05 | SAN SALVO > TORTORETO LIDO | 212 km |
| 11 | Wednesday, 20/05 | PORTO SANT'ELPIDIO > RIMINI | 181 km |
| 12 | Thursday, 21/05 | CESENATICO > CESENATICO | 205 km |
| 13 | Wednesday, 13/05 | CERVIA > MONSELICE | 190 km |
| 14 | Saturday, 23/05 | CONEGLIANO > VALDOBBIADENE (ITT) | 33.7 km |
| 15 | Sunday, 24/05 | BASE AEREA RIVOLTO > PIANCAVALLO | 183 km |
| Monday, 25/05 | Rest Day | ||
| 16 | Tuesday, 26/05 | UDINE > SAN DANIELE DEL FRIULI | 228 km |
| 17 | Wednesday, 27/05 | BASSANO DEL GRAPPA > MADONNA DI CAMPIGLIO | 202 km |
| 18 | Thursday, 28/05 | PINZOLO > LAGHI DI CANCANO | 209 km |
| 19 | Friday, 29/05 | MORBEGNO > ASTI | 251 km |
| 20 | Saturday, 30/05 | ALBA > SESTRIERE | 200 km |
| 21 | Sunday, 31/05 | CERNUSCO SUL NAVIGLIO > MILANO | 16.5 km |
At the route presentation: 2019 Winner Richard Carapaz with Giro boss Mauro Vegni. Sirotti photo
Peter Sagan will ride his first Giro in 2020. His Bora-hansgrohe team posted this:
“Italy holds a special place in my heart. It is the country where I won my first World Championship in 2008 and where I spent the formative years of my professional career, riding for an Italian team. In the last ten years I have had the opportunity and privilege to compete, many times, in some of the most prestigious races held in Italy, but I always felt that something was missing, the Giro d'Italia. I don't think there is any rider that doesn't dream of taking part in the Corsa Rosa, one of the most beautiful and challenging races in the world. This is why I'm delighted to announce that on May 9th, I will be on the starting line in Budapest, ready to tackle this iconic Grand Tour for the first time. It will certainly not be an easy race but I look forward to it. With the Grande Partenza and the first three stages held in Hungary, next year's Giro d'Italia will also give me the chance to race so close to Slovakia and I'm sure the cheers of the Slovak crowds will be felt along the course.” – Peter Sagan
Peter Sagan at the route presentation.
“I have always said that Peter’s race program would change in the future. For next year’s season he’ll have the Giro in his program, where he’ll be involved in the fight for the points classification. A champion like Peter should, in my opinion, be at the Giro at least once in his career. For me, it also shows respect towards the Giro, a traditional event within our sport. I have not yet examined the route in detail, however, traditionally the Giro contains several stages that suit Peter. Having said this, the fans in France should not worry, as Peter will also be competing in the Tour de France in July.” – Ralph Denk, Team Manager
Mitchelton-Scott men's team looks back on 2019 season
The team sent me this:
Mitchelton-SCOTT men wrapped up the 2019 season in China earlier this week with another consistent year of victories highlighted by four wins on the sport’s biggest stage, the Tour de France.
Of the outfit’s 35 UCI victories, just three shy of last year’s record-breaking season, 13 were WorldTour victories and five Grand Tour stage victories.
Daryl Impey wins stage nine of this year's Tour de France. Sirotti photo
Whilst South African Daryl Impey topped the team’s winner board taking six victories and Adam Yates and Matteo Trentin sit just behind with five apiece, 11 separate riders shared the team’s winning load, including two victories from neo-pro Edoardo Affini.
Matt White – Head Sport Director:
“In general, it’s been a very very consistent year. We performed at a very high level in all the WT events and across the season we have been super competitive at every race we have lined up in.
“We’ve shown consistency and that comes with having depth in the team. As a team we don’t lean on one person for a lot of results. Daryl, Matteo and the Yates brothers have a number of wins between them, but the wins are really spread amongst the group, which is great because people see that there’s opportunities out there for everybody.
“It’s going to be hard to eclipse our performance at this year’s Tour de France in the future. Four and a half stage wins is a big chunk of the race for any one team. Whenever you take that many wins at a Grand Tour it’s very special, especially on the biggest stage in the sport. It’s a Tour de France that won’t be forgotten too easily, that’s for sure.
“But for me, the important thing to note is that we never go very long without winning. That’s from January to October, and not many teams can guarantee such stability. We have 35 wins this year, and in all of our seasons we haven’t diverted too far from those numbers and to be able to continue to be consistent in our eighth year, with so many wins, it’s not easy and it’s a big achievement that we will be looking to complete again in 2020.”
We take a look back at some highlights of the 2019 season:
Best Ever Tour de France:
After a number of lean appearances at the Tour de France, 2019 was a year to remember with four stellar stage victories from the 21 days of racing.
Having previously won three stages across the last seven years, each of the 2019 stage victories came from breakaways, with 2018 Vuelta a Espana champion Simon Yates winning two stages and Impey and Trentin each taking one apiece.
Historic Down Under:
South African champion Impey created history at the Tour Down Under, becoming the first male in the race’s 21-year history to win back-to-back overall titles.
After winning on countback in 2018, Impey won stage four on his way to claiming a more convincing 13-second victory at the team’s home WorldTour stage race in 2019.
35 wins, 11 winners:
Mitchelton-SCOTT wrapped up the 2019 season with 35 victories, just three shy of last year’s record breaking achievement.
The team won consistently from January to October, with 11 different victors across the season, including victories for Tsgabu Grmay and Nick Schultz in their first season with the team, and two victories for Affini in his neo-pro year. 23-year-old Lucas Hamilton also took two victories in a big year of development for the young Australian.
Mitchelton-SCOTT Men – 2019 UCI Victories:
National Championships Australia – TT: Luke Durbridge
Tour Down Under – Stage 4: Daryl Impey
Tour Down Under - Overall: Daryl Impey
Herald Sun Tour – Stage 4: Nick Schultz
Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana – Stage 2: Matteo Trentin
National Championships South Africa – TT: Daryl Impey
Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana – Stage 4: Adam Yates
National Championships South Africa – RR: Daryl Impey
Vuelta a Andalucia Ruta Ciclista Del Sol – Stage 2: Matteo Trentin
Vuelta a Andalucia Ruta Ciclista Del Sol – Stage 4: Simon Yates
Vuelta a Andalucia Ruta Ciclista Del Sol – Stage 5: Matteo Trentin
Tirreno-Adriatico – Stage 1: TTT
Paris-Nice – Stage 5: Simon Yates
Volta Ciclista a Cataluyna – Stage 3: Adam Yates
Settimana Internazionale Coppi e Bartali – Stage 1b: TTT
Settimana Internazionale Coppi e Bartali – Overall: Lucas Hamilton
Itzulia Basque Country – Stage 6: Adam Yates
Giro d’Italia – Stage 19: Esteban Chaves
Tour of Norway – Stage 4: Edoardo Affini
Hammer Limburg – Stage 3: TTT
Tour of Slovenia – Stage 2: Luka Mezgec
National Championships Ethiopia – TT: Tsgabu Grmay
Tour de France – Stage 9: Daryl Impey
Tour de France – Stage 12: Simon Yates
Tour de France – Stage 15: Simon Yates
Tour de France – Stage 17: Matteo Trentin
Tour de Pologne – Stage 2: Luka Mezgec
Tour de Pologne – Stage 5: Luka Mezgec
Czech Cycling Tour – Stage 1: TTT
Czech Cycling Tour – Stage 4: Lucas Hamilton
Czech Cycling Tour – Overall: Daryl Impey
Tour of Britain – Stage 2: Matteo Trentin
Tour of Britain – Stage 6: Edoardo Affini
CRO Race – Stage 5: Adam Yates
CRO Race – Overall: Adam Yates
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