Bicycle Racing News and Opinion,
Sunday, September 19, 2021
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2020 Tour de France | 2021 Giro d'Italia
The audiobook version of The Story of the Tour de France, Volume 1 is available.
Happiness is not a goal; it is a by-product. - Eleanor Roosevelt
Current racing:
- Sept 19: Trofeo Matteotti
- Sept 19: Rund um den Finanzplatz Eschborn-Frankfurt
- Sept 19 - 26: UCI World Road Championships
Upcoming racing:
- Sept 21: GP de Denain
- Sept 28 - Oct 3: Il Giro di Sicilia
- Sept 29: Eurométropole Tour
Latest completed racing:
- Sept 14 - 18: Tour de Luxembourg
- Sept 18: Memorial Marco Pantani
- Sept 18: Primus Classic Impanis-Van Petegem
- Sept 17: Kampioenschap van Vlaanderen
- Sept 16: Coppa Sabatini
- Sept 15: GP de Wallonie
- Sept 15: Giro della Toscana
Tour de Luxembourg final reports
We posted the report from stage winner David Gaudu's Groupama-FDJ team with the results.
Here's the stage five report from GC winner Joao Almeida's Deceuninck-Quick Step team:
João Almeida continued his red-hot form by securing the GC victory at the 81st edition of the Tour de Luxembourg after one of the most dominant rides seen at the race in recent history, the 23-year-old taking home also the points and youth classification, in addition to four top 3 finishes, including his victory on the opening day.
Joao Almeida winning Tour of Luxembourg stage one.
Created in 1935, the same year as the Vuelta a España, the Tour de Luxembourg marked the second time this year that João triumphed in a stage race, after the Tour de Pologne six weeks ago, where he captured his maiden World Tour victory. Supported by an incredibly strong Deceuninck – Quick-Step team, the man from Caldas da Rainha rode calmly and authoritatively, asserting his dominance over the race regardless of the terrain, and became the first Portuguese in history to win the Tour de Luxembourg – racking up our team’s 60th victory since the start of the year.
Almeida was joined on the overall podium of the competition by teammate Mattia Cattaneo, who finished third thanks to a solid display in the time trial, making Deceuninck – Quick-Step the first squad in six years to place two riders in the top three. But the most special moment, as João was quick to point out after the last stage, was having the whole Wolfpack there to celebrate winning the team classification.
“To notch up another stage race after Poland feels amazing, but what made everything more memorable was being with all the guys on the podium to receive the best team trophy. It’s thanks to them that this was possible, this is a team victory, and I am grateful for their effort and incredible work and commitment. We had an incredible week, we were there every single day, fought hard and took two stage victories, so we can be proud of what we achieved. I had good legs in Luxembourg and I hope to carry this form into the last races of the year”, said the young Portuguese, who sits on six victories so far this season.
Here's the final report from the Tour de Luxembourg organizer:
The last stage of the 81st Skoda Tour Luxembourg presented many challenges. On the hilly course of 183,7 km between Mersch and Luxembourg City, four categorized climbs had to be tackled.
The breakaway group was formed by Benjamin King (Rallye), Otto Vergaerde (Alpecin), Morten Hulgaard (Uno-X Pro) and Kenny Molly (Bingoal). They took a lead of more than six minutes, but in the end, they had no chance against the peloton.
Finally, David Gaudu (Groupama) won the stage with an attack in the last kilometer, ahead of Joao Almeida (Deceuninck) and Pierre Latour (Total Energies).
David Gaudu won the final stage ahead of Joao Almeida.
Portuguese rider Joao Almeida (Deceuninck) secured the overall victory. He wins this SkodaTour Luxembourg with a lead of 46” over Marc Hirschi (UAE Emirates) and 1’05” over Mattia Cattaneo (Deceuninck).
Joao Almeida: “I wasn’t able to respond to all the attacks in the final. It wasn’t enough to catch David Gaudu, even if I was close. My team did a great job. This final victory gives me a lot of confidence. Now it’s time for the world championships. It will be a completely different race on a difficult course that doesn’t suit me 100 per cent. Nevertheless, I will give everything for Portugal. But before that, I need to rest.”
David Gaudu: “I knew that I had to attack after the last climb. I told my teammate Thibaut Pinot that it shouldn’t happen on the climb itself, but after. I am very happy that it was enough in the end. This SkodaTour Luxembourg surprised me. It was a nice race and the circuit was not dangerous. We are happy that we could be here.”
Primus Classic Impanis-Van Petegem team reports
We posted the report from winner Florian Senechal's Deceuninck-Quick Step team with the results.
Here's the report from runner-up Tosh Van der Sande's Lotto-Soudal team:
Tosh Van der Sande has shown his excellent shape once again at the Primus Classic. The Lotto Soudal rider impressed on the roads of next week’s world championships and was part of a five-rider front group that sprinted for the victory. The Frenchman Sénéchal was the fastest, Van der Sande had to settle for second place. Jasper Stuyven came in third and completed the podium.
Florian Senechal was the winner at this years Primus Classic.
In an almost 200 kilometres long race between Brakel and Haacht, things lit up quite early. After an early breakaway – which included amongst others Gerben Thijssen – was caught at around 60 kilometres to go, the race exploded. On a selective course – partly on the roads of the upcoming world championships – riders put in one attack after another until a select group formed after the Bekestraat, at around 35 kilometres from the finish. Van der Sande was attentive and joined this move. With five Deceuninck-Quick Step riders in the front group, it would become a tactical game, which started at 20 kilometres from the line. The original front group was reduced to five riders: Clarke, Honoré, Sénéchal, Stuyven and Lotto Soudal rider Van der Sande. In the nerve-racking final kilometres, teammates Honoré and Sénéchal played their cards but eventually, five riders would sprint for the victory in Haacht. Sénéchal proved to be the fastest, Van der Sande had to be content with second place.
“First of all, I have to be proud of this performance and the shape I am currently in”, says Tosh Van der Sande. “But at the same time it’s also a disappointment as it’s another time close but no cigar… Of course, I knew it would be difficult to win from this quality group, but I did everything I could. A second place is of course nice but it’s a bit sour as well…”
“You could feel from everything that the race would explode early. Beforehand, I expected quite a long race but I was ready for the fight. Already thirty to forty kilometres before we climbed the Moskesstraat for the first time, the roads were very narrow, which made for some very nervous racing. Then you just know the race would start early. It currently is the latest fashion in cycling for the race to start at 100 kilometres from the finish. But anyway, the legs did the talking today, which resulted in a second place.”
Here's the Primus Classic report from Team DSM:
Belgian one-day racing continued for the team today at Primus Classic, and a parcours that featured some of the route from the upcoming World Championships. With climbs littered throughout the day it was set to be a hard afternoon of racing.
From the flag drop a fierce pace was set, with riders looking to make the breakaway. The team worked well together with Martin Salmon, Romain Combaud, Thymen Arensman and Felix Gall all trying to get away, before Combaud eventually made it into the six man group after a hard fought 40 kilometres. The peloton kept the gap close though and as the race entered the important section after 115 kilometres, it was all back together. Riding well as a group, Tiesj Benoot, Arensman, Ilan Van Wilder and Casper van Uden made the front split, before the attacks started again.
Riding aggressively, Arensman made it into a promising seven rider group which comprised of several other strong teams. Building up a gap of almost a minute, it looked as if they could stay away but over the next climbs the peloton behind ramped up the speed and another group of riders bridged, with Van Wilder there for the team too. The pace stayed high as the climbs came thick and fast, with Van Wilder and Arensman trying their best to hold on but a front group of 11 just managed to escape. With the gap growing those ahead would fight it out for the win, while the duo came home alongside Benoot in the chasing peloton, one minute in arrears.
“It was a really hard race but the team did a good job, we properly committed to each other which was great,” explained Arensman. “In the beginning me, Felix, Martin and Romain did a really great job to try and be in the break. We covered a lot of moves and it took a long a time before the break went, but Romain was in there. In the peloton we sat together but ahead Romain didn’t get much space and the peloton kept the pace high. We had a good position in the bunch around Tiesj and protected him, and we also tried to put him in the front at the key point after 115 kilometres. Tiesj, Casper, Ilan and I were in the front there so that was really good. I tried to attack with a few guys from other strong teams and we got a nice gap. The favourites came across, with Ilan too, and we almost went to the finish but just didn’t make it in the final split. We maybe didn’t have the best result possible, but we did a really good race all of us and we can be proud of that.”
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