Bicycle Racing News and Opinion,
Wednesday, August 12, 2020
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2019 Tour de France | 2019 Giro d'Italia
Sometimes I've believed as many as six impossible things before breakfast. - Lewis Carroll
Current racing:
- August 12-16: Critérium du Dauphiné
- August 12: Gran Piemonte
Important upcoming racing, according to the UCI revised calendar:
- August 15: Il Lombardia
- August 16: La Polynormande
- August 16 - 19: Tour de Wallonie
- August 18: Giro dell'Emilia
Latest completed racing:
- August 5-9: Tour of Poland
- August 7-9: Tour de l'Ain
- August 8: Milano-San Remo
- August 5: Milano-Torino
- August 1 - 4: La Route d’Occitanie / La Dépêche du Midi
- August 3: Grande Trittico Lombardo
- August 2: Circuito de Getxo
- July 28 - August 1: Vuelta a Burgos
- August 1: Strade Bianche
Fabio Jakobsen Update from his Deceuninck-Quick Step team
The Dutch Champion will soon return to his home country.
Following his accident on stage 1 of the Tour of Poland, Fabio Jakobsen’s condition has improved further and he is now able to travel back to his homeland of the Netherlands.
Fabio Jakobsen is recovering from this horrific crash.
A team statement reads: “Fabio Jakobsen’s condition is evolving favourably, to the extent that he will be transferred Wednesday to the hospital in Leiden, the Netherlands (LUMC), where further follow-up treatment of his injuries will take place.”
CCC Team ready to tackle five days of climbing at Critérium du Dauphiné
CCC Team sent me this preview:
11 August 2020: CCC Team will head to the start line for the first stage of the Critérium du Dauphiné tomorrow (12 August) with a team that is ready to tackle the five-day stage race, which features an uphill finish every day.
Sports Director Fabio Baldato said that the first priority for CCC Team will be to race aggressively in France.
“We don’t have a so-called team leader for the Critérium du Dauphiné but instead we have a good group of riders who I think can all try to something across the five stages. Of course, we saw that Jan Hirt was racing well and in good form at the Tour de l’Ain and although he, unfortunately, crashed on the final stage, he still finished up there with the GC favorites on the long climbs. If he is fully recovered, which we hope he will be, I think he can try to do a good overall result but the main goal for us will be to race aggressively and to try to win a stage. While the first two stages finish on climbs, they are not that long, so on paper, I think they are more hilly stages than mountain ones and that could make them more open. Overall, it will be an interesting week and we have a good team with everybody able to look for opportunities to do something and to try to make a result,” Baldato explained.
Jan Hirt racing in the 2017 Giro d'Italia. Sirotti photo
Despite crashing on the final stage of Tour de l’Ain, Jan Hirt is hoping to build on the strong climbing form he showed at the three-day race.
“Right now, after my crash on the final stage of Tour de l’Ain, I’m not 100 percent sure what I can expect from myself at the Critérium du Dauphiné and I don’t want to set any specific goals. I’m still feeling the effects of the crash a little bit but I am hopeful that I will have recovered in time for stage one on Wednesday. I was happy with what I did at Tour de l’Ain so once again, I want to do a good race and with an uphill finish every day, there is a lot of opportunities for climbers,” Hirt said.
Critérium du Dauphiné (12 - 16 August):
Rider Roster: William Barta (USA), Victor de la Parte (ESP), Jan Hirt (CZE), Pavel Kochetkov (RUS), Fausto Masnada (ITA), Michael Schär (SUI), Łukasz Wiśniowski (POL)
Sports Director: Fabio Baldato (ITA)
Damien Touzé and Marc Sarreau sign with Ag2r La Mondiale for two years
The team sent me this release:
11 August 2020: The French cyclists, Damien Touzé (Team Cofidis) and Marc Sarreau (Groupama FDJ), 24 and 27 years old, have committed beginning 1 January 2021 for two years with the AG2R LA MONDIALE Team, which will become on that date the AG2R CITROËN TEAM.
DAMIEN TOUZE:
“The project to focus on the classics around Oliver Naesen convinced me to join. I want to progress in this area and to help the team win a monument. I like those races, and I think the profiles suit my strengths well. I know that the level will be very high on the team, but that makes it all even more motivating. From a personal point of view, I want to win a race. I was not far away from a win last year, in particular at the French Championships, so now it is up to me to make it happen.”
IN BRIEF
France
Born 7 July 1996, 24 years old
Professional since 2016
3rd French National Championships (2019); 6th U23 World Road Championships (2017)
MARC SARREAU: “Over the course of the discussions, I was attracted by Vincent Lavenu’s descriptions of the project focusing on the classics and sprinting opportunities, which in the end convinced me. I am happy to start this new adventure after six years with Groupama FDJ. I still have personal ambitions and I still want to improve. I know that the level will be very high with great leaders for the classics like Oliver Naesen and Greg Van Avermaet, and it will be very motivating to be with them at the biggest races on the calendar. From a personal point of view, I am focused on a victory for myself in the UCI WorldTour, which continues to be my goal. I hope to achieve it with the AG2R CITROËN TEAM.”
Marc Sarreau climbing in the 2019 Vuelta. Sirotti photo
IN BRIEF
France
Born 10 June 1993, 27 years old
Professional since 2015
Twelve victories including :
Winner of the Coupe de France (2019)
VINCENT LAVENU:
“Marc Sarreau already has a great deal of experience. He has won regularly since he joined the professionals. His consistency has also enabled him to win the general classification of the Coupe de France last year ahead of Benoît Cosnefroy. He is very close to getting a great victory in the UCI WorldTour and we are going to do everything to ensure that he succeeds with AG2R CITROËN TEAM. Damien Touzé is younger but he has already shown his qualities as a puncheur, especially last year by finishing third at the French Championships. He aspires to progress in order to get closer to the best. He and Marc Sarreau are two riders for the future.”
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