Bicycle Racing News and Opinion,
Sunday, January 12, 2020
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2019 Tour de France | 2019 Giro d'Italia
One of the secrets of life is that all that is really worth the doing is what we do for others. - Lewis Carroll
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
Deceuninck-Quick Step’s 2020 season starts in Calpe, Spain
Here's the team's latest release:
Sponsors, partners and dozens of journalists and photographers, numbers over 100 in total, attended the Deceuninck – Quick-Step team presentation on Friday afternoon at the Suitopia – Sol y Mar Suites Hotel in Calpe, where CEO Patrick Lefevere began by announcing a two-year extension of the contract with Lidl. Fresh Food Partner of the team since 2015, Lidl will continue to supply the squad with fresh food during the races, as well as equipping the riders and staff with Crivit PRO leisure wear.
“A new season kicks off soon and we want again to be among the best in the world and continue winning. We are very grateful for Lidl’s support. Their help in being able to offer our riders a healthy lifestyle is imperative in helping them to become some of the world’s best athletes. We all know the importance of fresh produce to a healthy lifestyle and having Lidl’s stores at our disposal, almost wherever we race in the world, is a great advantage for us”, said Patrick Lefevere, who also talked of the squad’s Sustainability Project, which will see Deceuninck – Quick-Step embark on an ambitious round of cultural and behavioural changes and thus become the world’s first carbon neutral cycling team.
“Our goal is to reduce our carbon footprint and we are ready to make a series of changes for that to happen. I think it’s an extraordinary idea and we are prepared to work together with CO2logic and our sponsors and partners in order to bring to life the two carbon offset schemes mentioned in our manifesto, in Uganda and on Mont Ventoux, and to get everyone involved in this; from riders and staff to fans and all those at the races.”
The best rider of 2019, recipient of the Velo d’Or and International Flandrien trophies and named France’s best sportsman by both L’Equipe and Eurosport, Julian Alaphilippe was one of the most in-demand riders of the Wolfpack at the team presentation, where he outlined his goals for his seventh season with Deceuninck – Quick-Step.
Julian Alaphilippe in stage 19 of the 2019 Tour de France. Sirotti photo
“Last year was an amazing one and I know it will be difficult to repeat it, but I will do my best. I will start once again in South America, with Argentina and Colombia, followed by an altitude training camp before returning to Europe for Paris-Nice. I am very motivated for that race, just as I’m when it comes to my debut in Ronde van Vlaanderen, where I’ll go after racing Dwars door Vlaanderen. But I want to give my all also in the Ardennes Classics, which are again a major goal, before the second part of the season, when I’ll do the Nationals, the Tour de France, the Olympics, the Worlds, and Lombardia, a race where I’m eager to return after three years.”
Another rider who found himself in the spotlight Friday evening was Remco Evenepoel, who only hours before the start of the team presentation confirmed his participation in the Giro d’Italia. The Belgian, who will soon turn 20, enjoyed a stellar neo-pro season and will look to build on that as he gets a taste of Grand Tour racing in May.
“It wasn’t easy to find my place in pro cycling last year, but eventually things fell into place and I could show what I was capable of, taking five wins, of which San Sebastian and the European ITT Championships were the most important. I’m now ready for another strong year, where I have my eyes on several big races: Liège–Bastogne–Liège, the Giro, the Olympics, the Worlds and Il Lombardia. I’m not saying I’m going there to win, but to learn, to discover them, to help the squad, and if possible, to get some good results.”
The team, who will race on Specialized bikes equipped with disc brakes during the entire 2020 season, is one of the youngest on the World Tour and comprises 28 riders representing 14 nationalities: Julian Alaphilippe, João Almeida, Shane Archbold, Kasper Asgreen, Andrea Bagioli, Davide Ballerini, Sam Bennett, Mattia Cattaneo, Rémi Cavagna, Tim Declercq, Dries Devenyns, Remco Evenepoel, Ian Garrison, Alvaro Hodeg, Mikkel Honoré, Fabio Jakobsen, Bob Jungels, Iljo Keisse, James Knox, Yves Lampaert, Michael Mørkøv, Florian Sénéchal, Pieter Serry, Stijn Steels, Jannik Steimle, Zdenek Stybar, Bert Van Lerberghe and Mauri Vansevenant (who’ll join the squad on August 1st).
Team Astana announces Tour Down Under roster
Here's the squad's announcement:
Astana Pro Team is ready to open its 15th cycling season with a traditional UCI WorldTour stage race Santos Tour Down Under, which will be held in Australia from January 21st to 26th. Also, the team will take part in Schwalbe Classic: Adelaide, a traditional criterium race on January 19th.
Luis Leon Sanchez (shown at the Vuelta Murcia) will be at the Tour Down Under.
Team's line-up: Manuele Boaro, Laurens De Vreese, Fabio Felline, Daniil Fominykh, Omar Fraile, Dmitriy Gruzdev and Luis Leon Sanchez.
Sports director in race: Stefano Zanini.
Michael Carbel joins NTT Pro Cycling & Daniel Foder becomes sports director
Here's the team's latest news:
We are delighted to confirm the signing of Michael Carbel for 2020 who becomes our 29th and final addition ahead of the racing season.
Michael Carbel racing for Cult Energy in 2015
While at the same time, we also look forward to welcoming former rider Daniel Holm Foder as a Sports Director who takes a position under the leadership of Lars Michaelsen. They were both previously involved with Danish UCI Continental outfit Team Waoo.
For Carbel, the 24-year-old Dane’s ability as a fast-finisher will look to add to the sprinting depth already in our squad as he looks to develop alongside the likes of Giacomo Nizzolo, Ryan Gibbons, Max Walscheid and Reinardt Janse van Rensburg.
The Danish Road Race Championships is in particular an event that he’s excelled at over the years, making his mark early by claiming second spot as an 18-year-old in 2014, a year after claiming the junior title. He’s added to that over time with three other top-10 finishes, including finishing twice on the podium.
The young man, who’s also ridden for Fortuneo-Samsic, claimed victory on stage three of the Fleche du Sud to go with second on stage four and finishing third on the overall points classification in 2019.
In 2017, while riding for Team Virtu Cycling, Carbel claimed the Danish under-23 title which he followed up by a hugely impressive third spot at the World Championships in Bergen.
In 2016 two top-10 stage finishes at the tough Tour l’Avenir was punctuated by a 4th place finish in the mountains classification of the Tour of Denmark.
Foder also joins from Team Waoo and so has immediate insight into the likes of Carbel, along with the rest of the Danish contingent within the group.
As a rider, the 36-year-old took a career-high sixth place in the 2014 Danish Road Race Championships in a career that spanned over a decade and concluded while at Team Trefor. The 2014 Nationals interestingly saw Carbel finish second, behind another of our current riders Michael Valgren.
After completing his career as a rider he’s spent three seasons as a director and trainer during which time he’s overseen a number of victories at a national level
Michael Carbel:
“I’m over the moon to be joining the team! It’s a dream coming true finally to be on the WorldTour level. No doubt It’ll be hard, but I’m looking forward to being a part of NTT Pro Cycling.
“The training camp in Denia will be the first time seeing everyone at the team, and I look forward to be meeting everyone and then getting the season underway.”
Daniel Holm Foder:
“I’m excited to join NTT Pro Cycling and at the opportunity to work at the highest level of the sport.
“I will be joining a strong group of riders with great potential to go with a very experienced group of sports directors, so it’s going to be a great professional challenge for me. That said, I’m confident that I will be able to bring my own expertise into the environment and contribute towards the future success of the team.”
Doug Ryder, Team Principal:
“It is wonderful to complete our roster of riders and sports directors with Michael and Daniel. Both stepping up into the world tour with different roles in NTT Pro Cycling is as exciting for them as it is for us. We believe in diversity, hard work and creating opportunities and we look forward to the impact they can make as we move forward together this season.”
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