Bicycle Racing News and Opinion,
Saturday, December 18, 2021
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2021 Tour de France | 2021 Giro d'Italia
Anyone who considers protocol unimportant has never dealt with a cat. - Robert A. Heinlein
Les Woodland's book The Olympics' 50 Craziest Stories: A Five Ring Circus 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
Here’s the team’s announcement:
Lotto Soudal proudly presented its outfit for the upcoming cycling season. The new race kit was revealed by Caleb Ewan and Arnaud De Lie, who steps up from the Lotto Soudal Development Team in 2022.
Also this year, the Belgian clothing brand Vermarc Sport will provide the outfit for the Lotto Soudal WorldTeam, the Lotto Soudal Ladies and Lotto Soudal Development Team.
Lotto-Soudal's 2022 race kit
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The team sent me this update:
Team DSM’s Joris Nieuwenhuis will not compete in any further races during this cyclocross season. The combination of a positive COVID-19 test and some complaints with his back resulted in an extended period of limited training, which has set Nieuwenhuis back in form from his big season goals in the early part of the new year. While things are heading in the right direction, both Joris and the team have together decided to not put any additional stress or pressure on his recovery.
Nieuwenhuis said: “It’s been hard to have to make this call, but it feels like the right one and feels like a relief to make it. With the team we’ve worked hard on trying to make our way up and build form during the cyclocross campaign, but after starting the season with some back problems and then getting COVID-19, it was not easy to maintain a solid shape. Rationally, we made the decision to not hurry things now and take our time preparing for the road season next year, with things currently going well here at team camp.”
Team DSM head coach Rudi Kemna added: “This cyclocross season we have faced some challenges, like a lot of people have due to COVID-19, which resulted in Joris not being able to train and prepare in the best way possible for our upcoming goals. To take the pressure off we have together decided to give Joris the time he needs to get back to full race fitness and end his season at this stage, so that we can build together in a really good way ahead of our early season spring classics goals on the road in 2022.”
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Here’s the team’s announcement:
We are pleased to announce that Sir Dave Brailsford is appointed Director of Sport at INEOS effective immediately, alongside his role as Team Principal here at INEOS Grenadiers
Dave Brailsford (center) at a press conference before the start of the 2015 Tour de France. That's Chris Froome on the right. Sirotti photo
Sir Dave Brailsford said:
“For me there is no more exciting place to be in global sport right now than at INEOS given the extraordinary range of talents across the different teams. I am very pleased to have this new opportunity to work together with the other team leaders to look at how we can take advantage of these collective talents and develop a wider performance framework in partnership. It goes without saying I am really looking forward to learning more from each of them and their teams and looking at how to put their ideas into wider practice across the INEOS sport family.
“This culture and approach are at the heart of what makes INEOS such a successful business - a federal structure with clear responsibilities but a desire to cross pollinate new thinking and ideas across the Group. The aim now is to replicate this model across the sports at INEOS. Alongside this new role I will continue to lead INEOS Grenadiers with Rod Ellingworth as my deputy. We are already deep into the planning for 2022 and are committed to going all in for next season.”
As the sports organisation has grown, most recently with the addition of the Performance Partnership with the New Zealand All Blacks, INEOS are now looking to develop a performance agenda across all sports. Brailsford will work with each of the teams to develop this agenda and the supporting framework that fosters cross team collaboration and shared learning. He will continue to lead the INEOS Grenadiers cycling team as Team Principal.
The responsibility for execution and delivery in sports remains with each sports team CEO/Team Principal in cycling, sailing, football, rugby and Formula 1.
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