Bicycle Racing News and Opinion,
Saturday, January 11, 2020
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2019 Tour de France | 2019 Giro d'Italia
Ninety eight percent of the adults in this country are decent, hardworking, honest Americans. It's the other lousy two percent that get all the publicity. But then, we elected them. - Lily Tomlin
Upcoming racing:
- Jan 19-26: Schwalbe Classic & Tour Down Under
- Jan 20-26: La Tropicale Amissa Bongo
- Jan 26 Feb 2: Vuelta a San Juan
- Jan 30-Feb 2: Challenge Illes Balears
- Feb 2: Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race
- Feb 2: GP la Marseillaise
- Feb 22: GP Leuven
Latest completed racing:
- Jan 1: GP Sven Nys
- Dec 29: Superprestige Diegen
- Dec 27: Azencross
- Dec 26: World Cup Heusden-Zolder
- Dec 22: World Cup, Namur
- Dec 15: Vlaamse Druivencross
- Dec 7: IKO Cyclocross-Essen
Esteban Chaves to kick-off 2020 season in Colombia
Chaves' Mitchelton-Scott team sent me this:
2019 Giro d’Italia stage winner Esteban Chaves will begin his 2020 campaign on home soil in February as he lines-up for the Colombian Road Race Championships and the Tour Colombia 2.1.
The 29-year-old will start the year at the National Championships in Boyacá, lining up in the time trial and road race events, before competing for the national team at the third edition of the six-day Colombian stage race.
Chaves will then head over to Europe to link back up with his Mitchelton-SCOTT teammates as attention turns to the next block of racing in the 2020 season.
After a testing two years, Chaves bounced back last season with an emotional victory on stage 19 of the Giro d’Italia, and ‘Chavito’ is now looking forward to building on an uninterrupted 2019 season.
Esteban Chaves wins stage 19 of the 2019 Giro.
“I’m really excited to start the new season," Chaves said. "Normally when you finish the season you want to switch off before starting to build again and after a little break, you’re ready to start the new season.
“The feeling during training has been good and I want to start this year with some really good results and a good taste in the mouth, especially as last year was without interruptions.
“Also, I’m really excited to start in Colombia. It will be the first time I have represented the team in my country, I’ve never raced as professional here in Colombia, so to start the season in Colombia will be awesome."
This will be the first time Chaves has raced the national championships since racing as a junior, and the former Il Lombardia winner is keen to get in the mix in what will be a strong domestic field.
“It will be my first national championships as a professional rider, so that will be really nice, and I want to race with the team’s colours," Chaves explained.
"The circuit is a really, really tough one, it’s more than 200-kilometres, it’s pretty hilly and at altitude. Maybe I have a chance to go for the jersey, but there are a lot of strong riders here, with strong teams, while I will be on my own. So it’s a bit of a lottery, but I will be ready and you never know.”
Chaves will round-up his time in South America with Tour Colombia 2.1 where the 29-year-old will ride in front of his family, friends and fans on home roads.
“It’s also my first time at the Tour of Colombia, and I’m pretty excited because this year the race will finish in my hometown and on my home training roads," Chaves said. "I know all of the last two stages like the back of my hand, so it’s pretty exciting.
“My family and friends will be there, plus racing in the national team colours is a special feeling. I can’t wait, it will be a really good experience and Colombian cycling is getting bigger every year and to be part of this generation of riders is amazing.”
Deceuninck-Quick Step to become carbon neutral cycling team
Here's the team's news release:
Deceuninck – Quick-Step have announced the launch of their Sustainability Project, which will see them become the world’s first carbon neutral cycling team, working in conjunction with CO2logic in order to offset their carbon footprint. This as well as embarking on an ambitious round of cultural and behavioural changes, aimed at limiting their environmental impact on the planet.
The end of the 2010s saw a tidal change in way that we view our environment and the impact that our everyday lives have on it. A globalised world has opened new horizons, building opportunities to explore and collaborate in ways unimaginable until recent times. But in recent years it has become obvious that out habits, along with the building of a throwaway culture, has started to take a toll on the planet.
Sadly, our sport burns a lot of gas and diesel. Sirotti photo
Sport has played a huge part in this, encouraging athletes and fans to travel vast distances to explore opportunities in new lands. In order to be aware of our contribution and climate impact Deceuninck – Quick- Step have calculated their carbon footprint to be 1288 tons of CO2, which is the equivalent of driving a car 179 times around the world, or 539 return flights between Brussels and New York. The amount of forestation required to capture this amount of CO2 is the equivalent of around 3099 football pitches.
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