Bicycle Racing News and Opinion,
Sunday, August 4, 2024
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2024 Tour de France | 2024 Giro d'Italia
It was not pre-arranged. It just happened that the driver made a demand and I just didn't feel like obeying his demand. I was quite tired after spending a full day working. - Rosa Parks
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Current racing:
- July 27 - August 4: Olympic cycling
- August 4 - 8: Arctic Race of Norway
Upcoming racing:
- August 5 - 9: Vuelta a Burgos
- August 10: Clasica San Sebastian
- August 11: La Polynormande
- August 12 - 18: Tour of Poland
- August 13 - 16: Tour du Limousin
- August 14 - 18: PostNord Denmark Rundt
- August 17 - Sept 8: Vuelta a España
Latest completed racing:
- July 22 - 26: Tour de Wallonie
- July 23: Vuelta a Castilla y Leon
- June 29 - July 21: Tour de France
- June 9 - 26: Many National Championships
- June 15 - 18: La Route d'Occitanie Cancelled because security forces busy with Olympics
- June 9 - 16: Tour de Suisse
- June 12 - 16: Baloise Belgium Tour
We posted the report from gold medalist Remco Evenepoel's Team Soudal Quick-Step with the results.
Here's a machine-translation of the report from silver medalist Valentin Madouas' Team Groupama-FDJ:
He had been thinking about nothing else for months, and when the day came, he didn't tremble. In the colours of the French team, Valentin Madouas delivered a sensational performance on Saturday in the streets of Paris, during the road race of the 2024 Olympic Games, to secure an extraordinary silver medal at the foot of the Eiffel Tower. Thanks to a well-felt anticipation, then at the end of ten interminable and high-tension kilometres, the Breton managed to secure his place on the Olympic podium, surrounded by Remco Evenepoel, the hands-down winner, and his teammate for the day Christophe Laporte. Across the Butte Montmartre, a new dream came true for the former French champion.
The podium, from left: Valentin Madouas (Silver), Remco Evenepoel (Gold) & Christophe Laporte (Bronze).
For an exceptional outcome, exceptional circumstances were also needed. In the literal sense of the term, they were well and truly gathered this Saturday around Paris for the road race of the 2024 Olympic Games. Due to different quotas than usual, only ninety riders were present on the starting line, and the most numerous nations, including France, only had four elements. All on a 272-kilometer course with a cumulative elevation gain of nearly 3,000 meters and a demanding final circuit around the Butte Montmartre.
In fact, the control of the race was announced to be more chaotic than usual, but it was first a relatively harmless breakaway that animated a good part of the event, launched at around 11 a.m. It was only at the start of the last hundred kilometers that the race of movements truly began. Ben Healy and Alexey Lutsenko notably took a lead, joined and dropped the early breakaways, then the counterattacks continued to flow. Stefan Küng particularly stood out in the climbs of the Chevreuse Valley, but the most incisive counterattack finally took shape 60km from the finish.
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Shortly after entering Paris, Valentin Madouas managed to find the opening, with his usual teammate Stefan Küng but also Fred Wright, Nils Politt and Michael Woods. "I trusted Thomas [Voeckler], confided the Breton. At the end of the briefing yesterday, he said to me: "Val, really try to take this lead because I assure you that it can go really far".
I thought about it the whole race, but I wanted to wait for the right moment. I went to get a bottle 80km from the finish and Thomas told me that it would come out on the flat. I attacked and we got away like that. It was perfect. From then on, I just had to manage." Before the peloton reacted, the counterattack was able to build up a one-minute lead and close to just twenty seconds behind the leader, Ben Healy. On the first cobbled climb of the Butte Montmartre, the big maneuvers were initiated under the leadership of Mathieu van der Poel, but it was finally a few minutes later that the turning point of the race occurred with the sharp acceleration of Remco Evenepoel, who saw the chasing group again in the space of a few moments. "I was waiting for the champions to come back," Valentin said. "When Remco came back, I just had to hang on to his wheel for as long as possible. I knew that the further I was able to accompany him, the more chance I had of winning a medal."
As expected, the Belgian wanted to clean up on the penultimate climb of the Butte Montmartre, and only Valentin Madouas was then able to hold his wheel all the way to the summit. The Frenchman therefore started the last loop in the lead with the Flemish prodigy and with a certain margin on the rest of the competition. The gap swelled to more than a minute, but even before the last climb towards the Basilique du Sacré-Cœur, Remco Evenepoel took advantage of the false flat of the Rue de Belleville to push hard and distance the usual member of the Groupama-FDJ cycling team.
From then on isolated on the counterattack, the former French champion engaged in a time trial of around ten kilometres to avoid the return of very threatening pursuers. At the end of the final climb of the Butte Montmartre, and pushed by a huge and excited crowd, he maintained a thirty-second lead, which was only twenty when he reached the six kilometers of flat leading to the Eiffel Tower. On the other hand, Ben Healy, Matteo Jorgenson and Marco Haller did everything they could to get closer, but the presence of another Frenchman, Christophe Laporte, also slowed down their pursuit. So, and while Remco Evenepoel was offering himself a historic double coronation in front of the Iron Lady, Valentin Madouas was able to approach the last kilometer with a lead of around ten seconds. More than enough to conclude a memorable and unforgettable performance. After a final turn on the right in front of the Eiffel Tower, and at the end of the Pont de l’Alma, the 28-year-old Breton, former French champion, winner of the Bretagne Classic,
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And here's the report from bronze medalist Christophe Laporte's Team Visma | Lease a Bike:
Christophe Laporte has secured bronze in the road race at the Paris Olympics. The Frenchman won the sprint of a chasing group in his home country, under the shadow of the Eiffel Tower. Remco Evenepoel took gold, while silver went to Laporte’s compatriot Valentin Madouas.
The riders race past Sacre Coeur.
In addition to Laporte, Team Visma | Lease a Bike riders Wout van Aert and Tiesj Benoot (Belgium), Attila Valter (Hungary), Matteo Jorgenson (United States), Dylan van Baarle (Netherlands), and Jan Tratnik (Slovenia) also participated in the Olympic road race.
Van Aert and Benoot assisted their Belgian teammate Evenepoel with several strong efforts, helping him secure the victory. Van Baarle played a crucial role throughout the race, helping his team leader Mathieu van der Poel. Valter (fourth), Tratnik (eighth), and Jorgenson (ninth) all achieved commendable positions.
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“This is a dream,” Laporte stammered after the race. “We hoped to compete for the win with our country, but silver and bronze are also fantastic. I never dared to dream of this. To stand on the Olympic podium in Paris, near the Eiffel Tower, exceeds all my expectations.”
The Frenchman is still savoring the moment. “I am overjoyed with this bronze medal. To be honest, due to the chaos in the race, I didn’t realize I was sprinting for bronze. When I crossed the finish line, Valentin told me he had won silver and I had won bronze. It’s incredible. My wife and children are here, along with some good friends. That makes this medal even more special. I am very proud to do this for them and for France,” concluded a visibly emotional Laporte.
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