Bicycle Racing News and Opinion,
Tuesday, February 25, 2020
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2019 Tour de France | 2019 Giro d'Italia
The sun, with all those planets revolving around it and dependent on it, can still ripen a bunch of grapes as if it had nothing else in the universe to do. - Galileo
Current racing:
- Feb 23-29: UAE Tour
Upcoming racing:
- Feb 29: Omloop Het Nieuwsblad
Latest completed racing:
- Feb 21-23: Tour des Alpes-Maritimes
- Feb 19-23: Ruta del Sol
- Feb 19-23: Volta ao Algarve
- Feb 16: Clasica de Almeria
- Feb 13-16: Tour de la Provence
- Feb 16: Trofeo Laigueglia
- Feb 14-15: Vuelta a Murcia
UAE Tour stage two team reports
We posted the report from stage winner Caleb Ewan's Lotto-Soudal team with the race results.
Second place Sam Bennett's Deceuninck-Quick Step team posted this report:
Stage 2 of the UAE Tour recalibrated the general classification, at the end of a 168km-long day that took the peloton from Hatta, through the Hajar Mountains, and onto the brutal Hatta Dam climb. This challenging 200m hill, with slopes ranging from 12% to 17%, was where many riders hit a wall and found themselves dropped, while the victory played out between two men.
One of these was Deceuninck – Quick-Step’s Sam Bennett, who was brought to the front by the experienced Michael Mørkøv, after Pieter Serry made sure of reeling in the two late attackers in the run-in to the ascent. The Irish Champion, already victorious in two races this season, kicked out with 175 meters to go and opened a gap over the fragmented peloton, but was passed in the final meters by Caleb Ewan (Lotto-Soudal), who took both the win and the leader’s jersey.
Caleb Ewan muscles his bike up the hill a bit faster than Sam Bennett.
For Bennett, it was the fifth podium of the year, but more importantly, Monday’s result, scored on a tough finish were even the punchers struggled, confirmed his strong condition and showed that a victory at the UAE Tour might be just around the corner.
“I don’t know what I did in the last 50 meters, but I checked right and I rode into the barrier for a split second and that gave Caleb a bike length. I kicked again and did a good effort, but I couldn’t come back. I did everything that was possible today and even though I’m not satisfied with the result, I look on the bright side of things, and that’s the legs I had on this hard climb”, said Sam, who made a huge jump in the general classification, where he now sits in second place.
Team Bora-hansgrohe sent me this:
Sprinters or climbers – the outcome of today’s second day of the UAE Tour 2020 was uncertain from the start. The 168 km long stage around Hatta was played out on mostly rolling to hilly terrain with a finale on the short but steep Hatta Dam climb with its gradients up to 17% on the last metres right before the finish line. With Pascal Ackermann leading the general classification after yesterday’s opening victory, BORA-hansgrohe managed to control the race and helped to catch the last escapee of the day, Leonardo Tortomasi, with 23 kilometres to go.
The difficult last kilometres saw a duel between the puncheurs and the fast men with the better end for the latter. Caleb Ewan won a tricky and tough finale and took over the lead in the general classification from Pascal Ackermann who reached the finish with the grupetto. Best BORA-hansgrohe riders were Rafal Majka and Patrick Konrad who crossed the line as 16th and 17th with the same time as the winner.
From the Finish Line:
"Today was a really tough day in the saddle. I had some problems with the heat and didn’t feel very well but I still tried to go for a good result. Unfortunately, the pace in the final was too fast for me that’s why I couldn't keep up with the front group on the long climb ten kilometres before the finish line. When I got dropped, I took it a bit easier to save energy for the upcoming stages. I would like to thank my teammates for supporting me, I’ll do my best to get back on the winning track again." – Pascal Ackermann
"Our strategy today was to either support Pascal Ackermann in a potential sprint finish or Gregor Mühlberger in a more difficult finale. Gregor likes steep, short climbs that's why he would have had good chances for a top result today. With the leader's jersey in our team, we controlled the race for large parts of the day. Especially Rüdiger Selig did an awesome job at the front. Unfortunately, neither Pascal nor Gregor had good legs today and both were struggling with the desert heat. That’s why we focussed on maintaining the positions of Emanuel Buchmann, Rafal Majka and Patrick Konrad in the general classification in the end which was the best we could achieve today." – Enrico Poitschke, Head Sports Director
Team Sunweb's upcoming races
The team sent me this update:
Omloop Het Nieuwsblad: FEB 29
Marc Reef - Team Sunweb coach:
"We're ambitious for the Classics this year and are looking forward to getting things underway after a good preparation period. Our main Classics contenders are just back from high altitude camps so are well prepared and eager to get going with racing. For OHN, Tiesj and Søren will be the guys for the final with the other five guys there to support and bring them into position for the Molenberg, one of the key points in the day where the action normally starts. We want to create as many options as possible in the finale, and go all in for a team result to continue our early season success. We're looking forward to our first cobbled race of the year this weekend."
Tiesj Benoot will be at the Omloop Het Nieuwsblad start line. Sirotti photo
Line-up:
Søren Kragh Andersen (DEN)
Nikias Arndt (GER)
Tiesj Benoot (BEL)
Nico Denz (GER)
Nils Eekhoff (NED)
Casper Pedersen (DEN)
Jasha Sütterlin (GER)
Omloop Het Nieuwsblad Women: FEB 29
Hans Timmermans - Team Sunweb coach:
“We start at Omloop Het Nieuwsblad with a strong team and have several cards to play to go for a good result. We want to approach the race with an open strategy and be active at the front; Alison makes her debut for the team and we'll work to bring her and Floortje into a good position to make their mark in the final. If the race ends in a sprint we'll look to set up Coryn for a good result, with good support with Franziska, Susanne and Julia to guide the team through the Flemish cobbles and punchy hills. We started really well in Australia and we've taken a lot of confidence from that, so we want to keep the momentum going here and ride for a podium to start our spring classics season.”
Line-up:
Susanne Andersen (NOR)
Alison Jackson (CAN)
Franziska Koch (GER)
Floortje Mackaij (NED)
Coryn Rivera (USA)
Julia Soek (NED)
Ster van Zwolle: FEB 29
Roy Curvers - Team Sunweb coach:
"Ster van Zwolle is a race that can go two ways: in windy conditions it is a battle for position and a fight against the wind from the start until the finish, but in calmer conditions it normally ends in a bunch sprint. For the sprint we have Niklas who has shown in the past that he can win after a hard day on the bike and the rest of the guys will set him up as best as possible for the finish. If it becomes a big battle in the wind then we have to use our strength in numbers to our advantage and make the race our own. We also have three guys who are making their debut for us; Enzo, Leo and Casper who are all motivated to make it a good race."
Line-up:
Leo Hayter (GBR)
Enzo Leijnse (NED)
Niklas Märkl (GER)
Jarno Mobach (NED)
Tim Naberman (NED)
Casper van Uden (NED)
Ludvig Anton Wacker (DEN)
Kuurne-Bruxelles-Kuurne: MAR 1
Marc Reef - Team Sunweb coach:
"We are happy that Kuurne-Bruxelles-Kuurne is back on our calendar. Just like in a lot of the other Flemish races, the Oude Kwaremont will play an important role, alongside the Kluisberg which quickly follows it. The Kluisberg is now at just 50 kilometres to go; the change of parcours will make it harder for any chasing groups to get back to the front of the race or for teams to set up a bunch sprint finish. We're prepared for different scenarios and we will look to bring Søren into a good position for the Oude Kwaremont and Kluisberg. We also bring in Cees for the race, who has proved he is in good form after his win in Algarve and the guys will work to set him up if the day ends in a bunch sprint finish."
Line-up:
Søren Kragh Andersen (DEN)
Nikias Arndt (GER)
Cees Bol (NED)
Nico Denz (GER)
Nils Eekhoff (NED)
Casper Pedersen (DEN)
Jasha Sütterlin (GER)
Ben Serotta relaunching his bike brand
Bicycle Retailer & Industry News sent me this:
BALLSTON SPA, N.Y. (BRAIN) — After spending the past six years traveling the world as a bike designer and supply-chain consultant, Ben Serotta will relaunch his iconic bike brand this spring.
In the coming months, Serotta's refocus is on building metal bikes in steel, aluminum and titanium offerings. Steel and aluminum models will be available in March, with titanium beginning in early summer.
"We expect to introduce additional products every six months or so after that," Serotta said. "It's hard to imagine a future product line that does not include an e-bike option whether that is purely in the road range or well outside of it is to be determined."
Focus at first will be on three road designs: Duetti (mostly pavement), Modomio (pavement/dirt and gravel) and Scappero (mostly dirt and gravel and trail). Each will be available in three price groups defined mainly by the frame material. Prices for complete bikes will start at $3,995 and top out at $11,500 or more with available upgrades. Serotta said the models will be constructed with new "gen-next" proprietary tubing and paired with carbon forks.
"Longer term, we'll add other models based on what my team and I love to ride and then believe we can deliver something exceptional," Serotta said. "Nothing is off the table."
Serotta was founded in 1972, and the company has been through several iterations. In 2012, Serotta announced it had partnered with financial services group Bradway Capital. The next year, it joined the Divine Cycling Group, an investment group formed in 2012. DCG later went bankrupt.
When asked about trademark rights, Serotta said, "We are comfortable with our position.”
Serotta launched the Serotta Design Studio in 2017. And while Serotta said he will keep the studio active and continue to do some consulting, the lure of full-time bike building couldn't be ignored.
"There will always be a place for a company that pulls off exceptional, extraordinary, elevating. ... That potential is a powerful driving force, and it's the key to fueling the journey forward," Serotta said. "I guess you could say that it's a fire I have that never went out. I just had to notice that it was still there and apply it. So, with the help of an awesome, small and growing team, Serotta, the bicycle company, has a reason, energy and fuel to be.
You can read the entire story here.
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