Bicycle Racing News and Opinion,
Wednesday, December 15, 2021

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2021 Tour de France | 2021 Giro d'Italia

The length of a film should be directly related to the endurance of the human bladder. – Alfred Hitchcock

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Les Woodland's book Sticky Buns Across America: Back roads biking from sea to shining sea is available as an audiobook here. For the print or Kindle eBook version just click on the Amazon link on the right.

Upcoming racing:

• Dec 19: Namur Cyclocross
• Dec 27: Heusden Zolder Cyclocross
• Dec 29: Diegemcross
• Dec 30: Azencross
• Jan 1, 2022: GP Sven Nys Cross
• Jan 16 - 23, 2022: Le Tour de Langkawi
• Jan 22, 2022: Flandriencross
• Jan 26 - 29, 2022: Challenge Illes Balears
• Jan 30 - Feb 6, 2022: Vuelta a San Juan
• Feb 12, 2022: Gavere Cyclocross
  

Latest completed racing:

• Dec 11: Ethiascross-Essen
• Dec 5: Scheldecross Antwerp - Cancelled because of Covid-19
• Nov 13: GP Leuven
• Nov 7: Elite Men European Cyclocross Championships
• Nov 6: Elite Women European Cyclocross Championships
• Nov 1: Koppenberg Cyclocross

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Biniam Girmay is 2021 African cyclist of the year

Girmay’s Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert team posted this news

On Tuesday, 21-year old Biniam Girmay was rewarded for his incredible 2021 season and elected as African Cyclist of the Year by a jury presided by Bernard Hinault.

Silver medalist Biniam Girmay (far left) on the podium of the U23 Mens World Road Race championships with 1st place Filippo Baroncini and 3rd place Olav Kooij. Sirotti photo.

Biniam Girmay of Eritrea joined Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert Matériaux in August 2021 and made immediate impact in his first appearance on the Tour de Pologne. On the attack, Girmay managed to finish in the top 10 of his first day of racing with the Belgian team.

He then took 7th place of the Druivenkoerse Overijse and a week later, earned a fantastic win on the Classic Grand Besançon Doubs, rivaling climbers such as Nairo Quintana and Thibault Pinot on the hills before defeating them in a sprint. The next day, he took 7th place in the hilly Tour du Jura, and the day after repeated his second place from the 2020 Tour du Doubs.

His stunning month of September would eventually end on a historic note, with the young Eritrean earning the silver medal at the U23 World Championships in Leuven, thanks to a sublime sprint finish.

With this achievement, Biniam Girmay made history as the first Black African rider to earn a medal at the World Championships, and the first African rider to do so since his teammate Louis Meintjes of South Africa, back in 2013.

"Bini" delivered two additional 5th place finishes in one-day races Route Adélie de Vitré and Gran Piemonte maneuvering through hectic and dangerous finales.

Both African riders of Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert were nominated early in the month to become African Cyclist of the Year by the organizers of the Tropicale Amissa Bongo.

The jury presided by 5-time Tour de France winner Bernard Hinault chose Biniam Girmay on 14 December, the 21-year old receiving the award for the second year in a row.

Trek-Segafredo announces key riders for the major races of 2022

Here’s the team’s announcement:

Season Debut
The men’s team will race for the first time on January 30th on two fronts: in France at GP Marseillaise and in Argentina at Vuelta San Juan. The women’s debut will be in Spain at Setmana Valenciana, February 17th to 20th.

The first to pin their numbers will be Giulio Ciccone and Bauke Mollema at Volta Valenciana, and Mads Pedersen at Etoile de Besseges. Same as 2021, Jasper Stuyven will debut in his home country at the end of February at Omloop Het Nieuwsblad.

Jasper Stuyven (shown winning 2021 Milano-Sanremo) will start his season at the Omloop Het Nieuwsblad. Sirotti photo

For Lizzie Deignan, Elisa Longo Borghini and World Champion Elisa Balsamo, their first appearance will be at Setmana Valenciana. Same for European Champion Ellen Van Dijk while Lucinda Brand debuts at the Trofeo Binda after a period of recovery from cyclocross.

The Classics
The program for the Classics remains almost unchanged from tradition: Pedersen and Stuyven will be the leaders for the cobbled races, arriving after racing Paris-Nice. And, of course, Stuyven will be at the start of Milano-Sanremo, proudly displaying bib number one. Ciccone and Mollema will focus their attention on the Ardennes, racing Fleche Wallonne and Liege- Bastogne-Liege.

The women’s program will follow the usual tradition, notably with the inclusion of Elisa Balsamo. In the cobbled Classics and Strade Bianche, Deignan, Longo Borghini, Van Dijk and Balsamo will form a competitive quartet, adding Brand for Ronde van Vlaanderen and Paris-Roubaix.

Elisa Longo Borghini racing in the 2021 Olympics.

For the second edition of L’Enfer du Nord, Longo Borghini (3rd in 2021) will be missing, a decision to allow her to aim for her best in the Ardennes Classics. Deignan will provide a 1-2 punch in Liege- Bastogne-Liege.

Third last year, Elisa Longo Borghini will forego Paris-Roubaix in 2022.

The Grand Tours
At the Giro d’Italia, Trek-Segafredo will entrust the leadership to Giulio Ciccone and Bauke Mollema. Both will primarily target stages instead of fighting for the GC.

In the Tour de France, the goal will again be to hunt stages. Pedersen, obviously, is motivated for the Grand Depart in Denmark and will work together with Stuyven. Mollema and Ciccone will lead the team in the mountains.

The overall strategy for the Vuelta a España will be determined as the season unfolds.  However, after promising performances in the previous two editions of the race, Juan Pedro López hopes to be on the start line of his home Grand Tour once again.

Women’s Key Stage Races
For the first edition of the Tour de France Femmes, Deignan, Longo Borghini, Van Dijk, and Cordon-Ragot will make up the team along with world champion Balsamo, who will do double duty with the Giro d’Italia Femminile.

While we wait for the details about the 2022 Giro route, we do know that Brand will be part of our roster alongside newcomer Leah Thomas.

And finally, looking ahead to the Women’s Tour of Britain, Deignan and Longo Borghini have confirmed their presence.

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