Bicycle Racing News and Opinion,
Tuesday, June 1, 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.
The best portion of a good man's life is his little, nameless, unremembered acts of kindness and of love. - William Wordsworth
Current racing:
- May 30 - June 6: Critérium du Dauphiné
Upcoming racing:
- June 4: GP Kanton Aargau
Cancelled & postponed races:
- May 21 - 24:
Tour of Norway - May 22:
Veenendaal-Veenendaal Classic
Latest completed racing:
- May 8 - 30: Giro d'Italia
- May 23: Vuelta a Murcia
- May 18 - 22: Vuelta Ciclista Andalucia - Ruta del Sol
- May 22: Tour du Finistère
- May 13 - 16: Challenge Illes Balears
- May 16: Tro-Bro Léon
Critérium du Dauphiné stage two reports
We posted the race organizer's stage two report with the results.
Here's the report from stage winner Lukas Pöstlberger's Bora-hansgrohe team:
With more than 3000m of elevation gain, stage two of the Criérium du Dauphiné was already a real test for the riders. The last climbs before the finish in Sauges within the last 20 kilometers especially offered a launchpad for attacks.
With Lukas Pöstlberger, today BORA – hansgrohe was present in the break of the day. Ineos controlled the race early with Bahrain joining the chase with about 50km to go while at the front Lukas and S. Archbold remained in the lead until the very final of the stage.
It was Lukas who went on his own on the last 20 kilometers, gritting his teeth to hold off an accelerating bunch. With an impressive performance Lukas made it to the line, taking the stage and the overall race lead.
Lukas Pöstlberger enjoys his win. Sirotti photo
From the Finish Line:
"I knew my shape wass really good after my last training camp. When I received the performance plan of the race two weeks ago, I already had in mind to go for it at one of the first two stages. There are not many sprinters here and therefore, it is a little easier for breakaways to survive. I really suffered a lot the last 6 kilometers, but I did it. It is an incredible feeling to grab a stage win here and almost unbelievable to start tomorrow’s stage in Yellow. I already look forward to that, it is one of my biggest successes for sure." – Lukas Pöstlberger
"That was a remarkable performance from Lukas. Actually, the gap was never really big and therefore even harder to make it to the line. Lukas had the legs, but he also did everything right. He didn’t go too early, neither too late. Huge congrats! Also the sixth place from Patrick is really strong and Wilco was without any problems in the first group as well. All in all, a perfect day I would say." – Enrico Poitschke, Sports Director
Here's the report from second-place Sonny Colbrelli's Bahrain Victorious team:
It was a consecutive second-place finish for Sonny Colbrelli, showing his sprint strength and taking over the Green Jersey on stage 2 of the Critérium du Dauphiné. Unfortunately, like Stage 1, it was a day for the breakaway getting to the line 12 seconds ahead of the bunch sprint.
Sonny Colbrelli wins the field sprint. Sirotti photo
The stage starting in Brioude featured five categorised climbs before finishing Saugues. An early break featuring five riders went up the road, taking a gap of five minutes on the first climb. With 15 kilometres remaining, the breakaway was down to a single rider in Lukas Pöstlberger (Bora-Hansgrohe), who had a lead of over two minutes. In the last 3 kilometres, Bahrain Victorious worked to close the gap and had it down to just 20 seconds, but Pöstlberger just managed to hold on and win the stage. Sonny again showed incredible form on the sprint crossing the line in second on a day many sprinter rivals struggled to make it to the finish with the group.
Sonny Colbrelli commented on finishing second and moving into Green: “I’m not so happy, as I’d prefer to change the colour of the jersey to yellow. But this is cycling. It’s another second place, and I’d like to thank my team for their support, but today was just a really strong breakaway, and Pöstlberger was very strong.
There are other opportunities for me, and I will try again tomorrow, but this is Dauphiné, and it’s never easy. But for sure, I will try tomorrow for another stage.”
Here's the report from 41-year old, third place Alejandro Valverde's Team Movistar:
It was a bittersweet taste for the Movistar Team at the end of Monday’s racing as they came close to a win on stage two of the Critérium du Dauphiné (UCI WorldTour) with the everlasting Alejandro Valverde, 3rd at the finish of Saugues after a demanding 169km route, with five rated ascents, where ‘Bala’ continued to show his great form already seen at the 2021 spring campaign.
Alejandro Valverde winning the GP Indurain earlier this year.
Lukas Pöstlberger (BOH), the only ‘survivor’ from a five-man morning breakaway, reached the line with barely 11" over a 40-rider group containing the Telefónica-backed squad’s three main references: Mas, López and ‘Bala’, well supported until the decisive climb of Pourcheresse (Cat-2) by some good work from Erviti, Arcas, Rojas and Carlos Verona.
Alejandro responded well to the accelerations from Team Bahrain Victorious -whose sprinter, Sonny Colbrelli, led the bunch home for 2nd- in the last few climbs, yet the group he was part of couldn’t bring back the escapee nor picked up the pace to further skirmish the group. The Spaniard was still content, though, as he improves to 3rd overall in France.
The Dauphiné will witness a first duel between the sprinters in Saint-Haon on Tuesday (stage 3, 172.5km) before the crucial ITT, in Roche-la-Molière (16km), on Wednesday, where the first GC gaps will be seen.
And here's the report from fourth-place Kasper Asgreen's Team Deceuninck-Quick Step:
Five classified climbs, including two second-category ones, meant the general classification was in for a shake-up at the race, but by the time everything was done and dusted, the gaps between the favourites were the same, as the peloton kept its powder dry for the big mountain stages coming towards the end of the week.
Kasper Asgreen waits for the start of stage two. Sirotti photo.
After having Ian Garrison in the break on the opening day, our team was again in the thick of the action, this time with Shane Archbold. The 2020 New Zealand National Champion, making his second appearance of the season in a World Tour race, jumped from the field soon after the start together with four other riders, opening a gap of five minutes between them and the peloton. Shane put in some solid turns at the front of the group, and even attacked inside the last 40 kilometers, forcing an important selection, but the tough gradients of Côte de la forêt de Pourcheresse eventually took its toll on the hard-working Kiwi, who lost contact with his breakaway companion and got caught by the bunch.
“I made the right breakaway and wanted to be there and fight for victory, but the finale was a bit too hard for me, not to mention that I got dropped by a much lighter guy. When I joined the group, I knew that the odds weren’t on my side, but had nothing to lose so I just did my best and tried to hang in there for as much as possible. At the end of the day, I’m pretty satisfied, knowing I gave everything out there”, said Shane in Saugues, where the stage concluded.
The last survivor of the breakaway, Lukas Postlberger (Bora-hansgrohe) won for a handful of seconds, ahead of a reduced peloton from where Deceuninck – Quick-Step’s Kasper Asgreen sprinted to fourth on the day. The Danish Champion moved a couple of positions in the GC and sits now just outside the podium.
Trek recalls 300,000-plus Bontrager pedals that can be difficult to install correctly
Bicycle Retailer & Industry News posted this:
Trek Bicycle is working with government officials to recall about 316,500 pedals in the U.S., and another 28,650 in Canada, because the pedals can fall off if installed incorrectly.
The Bontrager Satellite City Bicycle Pedals were original equipment on Trek Allant+, Dual Sport+, FX 2, FX 3, Verve 2, Verve 3, and Verve+ model bicycles.
Trek has received 132 reports of the recalled pedals loosening, locking up or falling off, including seven reports of riders falling and experiencing injuries, including scrapes, bruises and road rash. Consumers are being told to stop using bikes with the pedals and contact a Trek dealer for a pedal replacement.
A Trek dealer told BRAIN that the pedals have a shallow 6 mm hex socket on the inside of the spindle, and no 15mm wrench flats.
Because of the shallow socket, a wrench can pop off easily, the dealer said.
"Plus, you can't use just any 6mm Allen; most are much too short to get tight enough. And finally, because it's difficult to maneuver around to install them when the bike's on the floor, you try to tighten it while it's in the bike stand, and it's hard to get it tight enough that way. When you have the bike on the floor, you've got a sense of the torque being applied because you're essentially pushing against the ground," the dealer explained.
Consumers can contact Trek at 800-373-4594 from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. CT Monday through Friday or online at www.trekbikes.com and click on "Recalls" under "Legal" at the bottom of the page for more information. According to Trek's consumer notice, those who bring back the pedals to be replaced will receive an in-store credit of $20 to use toward any Trek or Bontrager merchandise.
The rest of the story with more information and pictures of the pedals can be found here.
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