Bicycle Racing News and Opinion,
Thursday, June 20, 2024
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2023 Tour de France | 2024 Giro d'Italia
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Current racing:
- June 19 - 26: Many National Championships
Upcoming racing:
- July 1 - 23: Tour de France
- July 27 - August 11: Olympic cycling
Latest completed racing:
- 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
- June 2 - 9: Critérium du Dauphiné
- June 5 - 9: ZLM Tour
- June 7: GP Canton Aargau
- June 2: Brussels Cycling Classic
- May 29: Circuit Franco-Belge
- May 4 - 26: Giro d'Italia
- May 23 - 26: Tour of Norway
- May 26: Rund um Köln
Team Lotto Dstny sent me this news:
Good news from the Lotto Dsnty camp, as Lennert Van Eetvelt (22) and Florian Vermeersch (25) are back. Van Eetvelt will already be at the start of the Belgian Championship time trial tomorrow, and Florian will join the selection on Sunday.
Lennert Van Eetvelt winning stage 7 of the 2024 UAE Tour.
After a nasty crash in the Tour of Murcia, where Florian Vermeersch broke his left thigh bone, he not only had to cross out his spring classics but also the rest of the season so far. Vermeersch worked his way back over a long road. In recent weeks, he prepared himself in Sierra Nevada, and there is finally light at the end of the tunnel: this coming Sunday, he will be at the start of the Belgian Championship road race. "Normally, my return was scheduled for August, but I feel good and really want to race again," says Vermeersch. "I thought, 'I'll just start at the Belgian Championship and see what happens.'"
After months of rehabilitation, Vermeersch is finally back to his old self. "I have been training for two months without complications. Everything has healed well. I will stay in Sierra Nevada until Friday, then return home for the national championship. I haven't raced much; it has been a really long time, so I have no idea about my level. The signals are good, and I am especially happy to be back. After the Belgian Championship, it will probably take some time before I race again; during the Tour, there is simply not much of a program. So, I will mainly try to enjoy this coming weekend, where hopefully we can achieve a good result with the team."
And there is more good news to announce, as Lennert Van Eetvelt is also returning to competition. He will already be at the start of the Belgian Championship time trial tomorrow, Thursday, and will also be part of the team on Sunday. Van Eetvelt dropped out with knee problems after Strade Bianche. On top of that, he was hit by a car during his first long training since that injury, at the end of May. "In recent weeks, I feel more and more like a cyclist again," he says. "I feel my condition improving, and that is good. On Thursday, I will start without expectations. It will mainly be good to be back on the bus with my teammates and pin a race number again."
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Tarling's Team INEOS Grenadiers posted this:
Josh Tarling powered to a second consecutive British National time trial title by over a minute in Yorkshire.
Josh Tarling on his way to winning the opening time trial of the 2024 O Gran Camino stage race.
Tarling was fastest through the intermediate time check by 56 seconds, on a hilly course in and around Catterick. The European Champion would only extend his lead as he crossed the line.
The Welshman would win by 1'13" over Max Walker (Astana Qazaqstan Development Team). Connor Swift and Ethan Hayter would put in solid rides to finish fifth and seventh respectively.
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Markus’ Team Visma | Lease a Bike posted this report:
Riejanne Markus has once again crowned herself the Dutch champion in the time trial. The 29-year-old was half a minute faster in Steenbergen than teammate Lieke Nooijen, who surprisingly grabbed the silver.
Riejanne Markus on her way to a repeat championship.
Nooijen set a sharp time at both the halfway point and the finish line. The competition then continually beat the time of the Team Visma | Lease a Bike rider. Markus started last and proved to be even faster than her teammate along the way. On the finish line the difference was thirty seconds in Markus' favor, who thus prolonged her time trial title.
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"Beforehand, I could only dream of this scenario," Markus said. "I knew I had a good chance, but at the same time I was aware that it was going to be very difficult. It feels a little unreal that I get to grab this title for the second year in a row. Things have been going very well lately. This title feels a bit like the icing on the cake."
Nooijen is also delighted with the time trial result. "This is a wonderful scenario. I grant Riejanne the jersey wholeheartedly and am very happy that I get to stand next to her on the podium. I am very satisfied with my performance. We are going to enjoy this together," Nooijen said.
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