Bicycle Racing News and Opinion,
Wednesday, January 6, 2021
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2020 Tour de France | 2020 Giro d'Italia
The audiobook version of The Story of the Tour de France, Volume 1 is available.
Happiness is not a matter of intensity but of balance, order, rhythm and harmony. - Thomas Merton
Upcoming racing:
- Jan 19 - 24, 2021: Santos Festival of Cycling
- Jan 24 - 31, 2021: Vuelta a San Juan
- Jan 28 - 31, 2021: Challenge Illes Belears
Latest completed racing:
- Jan 1: GP Sven Nys Cyclocross
- Dec 26: Heusden-Zolder Cyclocross
- Dec 23: Azencross-Herentals
- Dec 20: Namur Cyclocross
- Dec 13: Gavere Cyclocross
- Dec 12: Scheldecross
- Nov 14: GP Leuven Cyclocross
- Nov 7 - 8: European Cyclocross Championships
Team DSM (formerly Team Sunweb) and Marc Hirschi part ways
The team sent me this announcement:
Team DSM has reached a settlement agreement with their rider Marc Hirschi to terminate their present employment before the original end date of 31 December 2021. It has been agreed that the agreement will be terminated with immediate effect and that no further comments will be made.
Marc Hirschi wins the 2020 Fleche Wallonne
Marc Hirschi experienced in 2020 a breakthrough season with some amazing highlights. Hirschi and the team brought home some great wins; a stage in the Tour de France and Fleche Wallonne. An exciting 2nd place in Liège-Bastogne-Liège and a podium finish at the Road World Championships (3rd) were a further display of the great season which youngster Hirschi experienced in 2020.
Team DSM wishes Marc Hirschi all the best for the continuation of his career and expresses its gratitude for what Marc Hirschi has contributed to the team.
Team DSM also sent me this news:
Team DSM are happy to announce that Wilbert Broekhuizen will join their coaching staff for the 2021 season.
Broekhuizen most recently worked at BEAT Cycling as a coach, as well as in an operational role for the track and road teams. Under his tutelage, he was part of successful road seasons for the Dutch based team, alongside their impressive displays on the track. Holding a Bachelors degree in Human Movements and Sports, alongside his masters in Educational Leadership, Broekhuizen aims to bring those organisational and learned qualities with him to Team DSM.
On joining Team DSM Broekhuizen explained: “I’m really excited to join Team DSM in 2021, where I am looking forward to coaching at the highest level and working with a group of really motivated and committed people. I believe that with good cooperation you can achieve a lot more together than as an individual – something the team believes in and show through their performances on and off the bike. I think the structure of Team DSM will suit me well personally and I can’t wait to get started and achieve some good things together.”
Team DSM head of coaching Rudi Kemna added: “Wilbert joins us from BEAT Cycling where his coaching ability and organisational skills really caught our eye. As we have gotten to know each other he has really impressed us with both his ability and approach to his work, we think he will be a great motivator for our riders and staff. We are confident that he will be a great fit to the team and are looking forward to getting the season underway as we further strengthen our coaching team.”
Israel Cycling Academy continental team to become U-23 team
Here’s the team’s announcement:
The Israel Cycling Academy Continental team will continue in 2021, with its efforts to grow Israeli talent to the WorldTour level strengthened in the upcoming season.
In a strategic move to bolster the current development model, team management is turning Israel Cycling Academy into an under-23 team. The main purpose of ICA is to develop talent – especially Israeli – to a WorldTour level and the U23 designation contributes to that mission.
Being a U23-team allows ICA to compete in races that would normally not be open Continental teams.
“The idea of focusing completely on a U23 team is that it will allow us to field strong teams in the biggest U23 races like Liege-Bastogne-Liege and, hopefully, the Baby Giro,” says Zak Dempster, the head sports director of the Continental team. “These races are critical for the development of young riders and it’s imperative we are there fighting for results – if we are to develop the next generation of WorldTour riders within our structure.”
THE TEAM STRUCTURE:
ICA scouted talent from around the world in 2020, but Israelis will dominate, by number, the Continental team in 2021. Three new Israeli forces made their way onto the team: Yuval Tsahor, Kogut Odet and Rotem Tene, bringing the total to eight Israeli riders and six riders with a non-Israeli nationality on the team this year.
ISN/ICA co-owner Ron Baron says that ICA will continue to create new generations of Israeli WorldTour riders. “Israel Cycling Academy has been the heart and soul of this project since our establishment in 2014. The development program includes the most talented U23 riders in Israel. They can prepare for a great number of races.”
One of the first challenges for ICA will be the Tour du Rwanda, which is scheduled to take place in March. Baron: “That is an important race for us, to emphasize our Israeli identity and highlight our social responsibility.”
PROFESSIONALS:
Riders on the Israel Cycling Academy team can rely on support from the best staff, and will have an opportunity to learn, grow and enjoy their journey to success, according to Directeur Sportif Aviad Israel. “To further our mission to help riders become professionals on and off the bike, we will support the selected young cyclists with all our best efforts to reach this pro level.”
Dempster will continue to help further to develop the talent on the squad. “Some of the guys made good progress towards being competitive in Europe,” he says. “Therefore, it’s important we recognize that and commit to giving them the platform and the races needed to take the next step in their careers. All the while, concentrating on the next generation of prospects and focusing on effective processes in order to bridge the gap to becoming a world-class U23 cyclist.”
The team has made a number of changes to its roster for 2021, in order to commit to the U23 team standards.
THE RIDERS WHO WILL BE RACING IN THE COLORS OF ICA THIS YEAR ARE:
Yuval Ben Moshe, Israel
Edo Goldstein, Israel
Lahav Davidzon, Israel
Omer Lahav, Israel
Sanad Abu-fares, Israel
Kogut Oded, Israel
Yuval Tsahor, Israel
Rotem Tene, Israel
Riley Pickrell, Canada
Robin Plamondon, Canada
Mason Hollyman, Great Britain
Alastair McKellar, Australia
Taj Jones, Australia
Jakub Boucek, Czech Republic
Archer adds dropbar wireless shifting system to work with TRP brakes
Bicycle Retailer & Industry News send me this:
SCOTTS VALLEY, Calif. (BRAIN) — Archer Components is launching a new wireless shifting system for dropbar bikes, to join Archer's existing flatbar mountain bike system.
Both systems combine a two-button wireless shifter remote with a chainstay-mounted unit that pulls a short cable attached to the rear derailleur.
Archer's new Drop Bar Remote works with the same chainstay-mounted shifting unit, the D1x Trail Shifter, as Archer's mountain bike shift system. The remote attaches to TRP's Hylex RS brake lever, to allow shifting from the brake hoods. TRP's Hylex RS is a hydraulic road brake system originally designed for singlespeed bikes. (TRP also offers a mount to attach Shimano Di2 shift buttons to its levers).
Riders who already have Archer's D1x flat bar system can buy the new road remote separately if they want to switch to a dropbar bike. Since the system can be adjusted to work with nearly any rear derailleur and number of gears, it allows riders to, for example, use mountain bike rear derailleurs and cassettes to add very low gears to dropbar bikes.The remote and shifter in the red color option.
"The custom-designed DBR works ergonomically within the TRP hood to give the look and feel of a totally integrated system, with unparalleled ease and convenience when shifting," the company said.
"In addition to expanding the drivetrain options for gravel bike riders and builders alike, we knew we wanted full integration with the brake hood for a clean look and killer ergonomics, so the choice of TRP was obvious," said Devin Carlson, Archer's founder. "Electronic shifting has always come at a high price before this, and we wanted to make it affordable for everyone. We've seen great success with our D1x, and we're confident the new DBR will be equally well received."
You can read the entire story here.
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