Bicycle Racing News and Opinion,
Monday, December 28, 2020
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2020 Tour de France | 2020 Giro d'Italia
The audiobook version of The Story of the Tour de France, Volume 1 is available.
Start every day off with a smile and get it over with. - W. C. Fields
Upcoming racing:
- Jan 19 - 24, 2021: Santos Festival of Cycling
- Jan 24 - 31, 2021: Vuelta a San Juan
- Jan 28 - 31, 2021: Challenge Illes Belears
Latest completed racing:
- Dec 26: Heusden-Zolder Cyclocross
- Dec 23: Azencross-Herentals
- Dec 20: Namur Cyclocross
- Dec 13: Gavere Cyclocross
- Dec 12: Scheldecross
- Nov 14: GP Leuven Cyclocross
- Nov 7 - 8: European Cyclocross Championships
Wout van Aert triumphs in Dendermonde mudfest
Van Aert’s Jumbo-Visma team sent me this report:
Wout van Aert has won the very tough World Cup race in Dendermonde today with an impressive display of power. For Van Aert it is the second victory of the cyclocross season after his victory in Herentals. With his victory, the expectant father also took the lead in the World Cup classification.
A muddy Wout van Aert wins in Dendermonde. Cor Vos photo.
Yesterday, Van Aert had to settle for second place in the Super Prestige in Zolder after a puncture early in the race. Today he was able to get to the front right from the start. It seemed to become another duel with world champion Mathieu van der Poel, but Van Aert quickly managed to create a gap to his rival. He managed to expand his lead and plodded on the muddy course to a rare difference of almost three minutes when he crossed the finish line.
“It was a difficult race but I love these circumstances. It was one of the craziest crosses I’ve ever done. The course worsened every lap. It was epic and I really enjoyed it. It didn’t make much sense to apply tactics. You just had to find a maintainable pace and apparently mine was higher than the rest. When I created the gap, it quickly became bigger and that was certainly good for my morale. The differences on such a course automatically become significant. Here everyone is constantly giving everything. It’s not that I’m suddenly that much better than the rest, although this is of course a confirmation that I am in good shape ”, Van Aert said.
On New Year’s Day, the Belgian cyclist and Sportsman of the Year will ride his next cross in Baal, followed by the World Cup in Hulst on Sunday.
Valerio Conti sustains dislocated collarbone in training crash
Conti’s UAE-Team Emirates posted this bad news:
The 27 year old was out training near his home in Monaco when he collided with a wall after being struck from behind by a motorist.
Valerio Conti winning the 2020 Trofeo Matteotti. Sirotti photo
Conti was training alone at the time of the accident when a passing cyclist alerted the emergency services and ambulance arrived on the scene shortly after.
UAE Team Emirates doctor Michele De Grandi “ X-Rays at the hospital in Nice showed a 2nd degree dislocation of the clavicle and it was decided that surgery was not required. Valerio will be off the road for 3 weeks but should be able to resume indoor training in the coming days.”
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