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Friday, March 15, 2024
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2023 Tour de France | 2023 Giro d'Italia
It's a poor sort of memory that only works backwards. - Lewis Carroll
Les Woodland's book Paris-Roubaix: The Inside Story - All the bumps of cycling's cobbled classic is available in print, Kindle eBook & audiobook versions. To get your copy, just click on the Amazon link on the right.
Current racing:
- March 15: Brendene Koksijde Classic
Upcoming racing:
- March 16: Milano - Sanremo
- March 16: Classic Loire Atlantique
- March 18 - 25: Volta a Catalunya
- March 19 - 23: Settimana Internazionale Coppi e Bartali
Latest completed racing:
- March 14: GP de Denain
- March 13: Danilith Nokere Koerse
- March 13: Milano-Torino
- March 3 - 10: Paris-Nice
- March 4 - 10: Tirreno-Adriatico
- March 2: Strade Bianche
We posted the report from winner Jannik Steimle's Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team with the results.
Here's the report from Team Soudal Quick-Step:
Taking place over 196.2 kilometers, the 65th edition of the Grand Prix de Denain was for many riders a repetition ahead of Paris-Roubaix, which is scheduled in three weeks’ time. A total of twelve cobblestone sectors, many of them caked in mud following the rain that fell in the region at the beginning of the week, were quite treacherous and made for a tense race.
Jannik Steimle was the winner of the 2024 GP de Denain. Sprint Cycling Photo
The fact that the breakaway had a gap of seven minutes didn’t help the peloton, who soon began to panic when they realised they were running out of road to bring back the escapees. A number of crashes disrupted the chase, including one with ten kilometers to go, just as the gap was rapidly coming down. As a result, the riders in the front made it and Jannik Steimle (Q36.5) took the victory from a two-man sprint.
A large chasing group arrived one minute later, and Yves Lampaert finished in the top 20 as the best placed Soudal Quick-Step rider in what was the Belgian’s final outing before the start of the cobbled Classics next weekend.
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Here's the team's post:
The first Monument of the season will take place on Saturday and Lidl-Trek will be aiming high with a strong and super-motivated team. Our race preview includes the thoughts of the team leader Mads Pedersen, former winner Stuyven, and rising star Jonathan Milan.
Mads Pedersen:
"It’s always hard to compare one year’s experience and feeling with the other. I prefer to focus on the present and I know my current shape is good. My whole winter and preparation pre-Milano-Sanremo has gone really well, and that was quite different compared to last year, when I got sick at Paris-Nice and I was in far from ideal form for this race. But so far, things went really well. I have been happy with the feedback I’ve got from each race and with the position I’m in now, two days from the event.
"Paris-Nice, and more generally the February races, were ridden to win stages and to arrive at Milano-Sanremo in the best condition possible. I won’t hide that at Paris-Nice I would have liked to have won a stage, but I came close and we had some very tough days. A week before Sanremo, we rode a 200km long stage which I saw as a great opportunity to destroy myself with one last brutal effort. I did this because I had Sanremo and the coming Classics always in my mind.
"Honestly, I haven’t pictured any scenario for Saturday. I really take the race as it comes. I think it’s too hard a game to spend energy thinking about a scenario and then it doesn’t happen, being forced to change the way of racing I had in my head. I really just want to focus on myself and doing as best as possible. With this in my mind, I know I can win the race if it comes to a sprint between a group of 5 or 15 riders. At least, I have to believe in it. Milano-Sanremo is a super hard race that suits me well so, I don’t care how the race is raced as long as I’m racing to win."
Mads Pedersen winning stage one of the 2024 Tour of Provence. La Provence photo
Jasper Stuyven:
"When previewing Milano-Sanremo, the expectation is always to talk about what will happen on the Cipressa and the Poggio, which are well-known as the key points of the race. But, from my experience it’s the management of the previous hours that makes the difference. When the group arrives at Cipressa and the race starts to get hard, you need to be ready to go deep. Especially when you have a wannabe winner like Pogacar, who will look to make the race harder and harder and drop as many riders as possible. If we add Van der Poel to Pogi, the chances for a sprint get smaller and smaller. That’s a fact, if we look back to the last editions as well, but Milano-Sanremo is also a race of a thousand scenarios. If a rider and his team want to win it, they have to take into account all of them and to be ready to deal with whatever happens. So, for me the big favorites for Saturday are the ones who don’t want a sprint finish, but the option of a bunch arrival must be always there in the back of the mind.
"Personally, I feel good. I raced a tough Paris-Nice in support of Skjelly for the GC and Mads for stages, and I felt strong every day. I spent the days in between the two races working to maintain this good feeling. I’m happy with how things are going, and I really look forward to the Classicissima. As a former winner, it’s always nice to get there and relive such emotional moments. In 2021, when I won it, I was maybe a dark horse in the peloton, but to win a race like this you need more than the surprise effect. I raced intelligently, but without the legs and the lucidity that only a top condition gives you, I would not have been able to be the best that day. Living a day like this again would be more than amazing."
Jonathan Milan:
"This is an important moment in my calendar, the start of a series of races that I have been waiting for, ones that will be a remarkable test for me. My long term dream is to become a rider capable of success in these races. Becoming a Classics hunter is my ambition, my goal. I want to get there soon, but I’m also realistic. The Classics are races where experience counts a lot and that’s a factor to keep in account for me. I think the best approach is to take everything step-by-step. My motivation and desire is not lacking, nor is the confidence between me and Lidl-Trek, a strong team and certainly one of the best to be part of if I want to become competitive in the Classics.
"I will face Milano-Sanremo with very high morale. My wins and performance at Tirreno-Adriatico gave me a boost and strong confidence in my form. That’s what I wanted. I like this Monument, of course, and I dream about winning it one day, but it’s also a very difficult race to approach, really unpredictable and experience plays a pivot role. Compared to the past, it’s now a race in which the protagonists are not just the fast riders. I expect to be able to aim to be among the aspiring winners in the future, but for this year, I first want to prove myself, give my all and be an important part of the team. Mads [Pedersen] is super strong, Jasper [Stuyven] is a rider who knows how to win Sanremo, and I’ll be at their side ready to play the best role for the team’s success.
"The 2024 Milano-Sanremo is an important opportunity for me to grow. I started this season with the motivation to use every race to learn, to improve. From Valenciana to today, everything has been a step forward. Now I don’t want to stop, and I feel the same ambition in the Team. It’s also a path to discovering myself as a rider and, honestly, I still can’t say how much of my potential has been seen. On Saturday, I want to give an important performance for the good of the Team. Together, we can make a great Milano-Sanremo."
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Here’s the team’s news:
Bahrain Victorious is set for the first Monumental Classic of the season, Milano-Sanremo, scheduled on Saturday, 16th March. This year, the race begins with a new start in Pavia, concluding after 288km in the iconic Ligurian town.
The only alteration to the historical course occurs in the first part, which then merges with the classic route after 44km, from Lombardia to Liguria, climbing the Passo del Turchino, hugging the coastline for a picturesque journey that unfolds with the traditional sequence of the Capi (Mele, Cervo and Berta), and the two legendary climbs the Cipressa and the Poggio beginning with 9 km to go.
The twisty and technical descent from the summit, a pivotal moment in the outcome of the race, played a crucial role in Matej Mohorič’s extraordinary victory in 2022. The Slovenian Champion, etched his name in history with a strategic attack and a masterful use of equipment, clinching victory in a thrilling downhill finish on Via Roma, which remains the race’s traditional endpoint this year too.
Matej Mohoric winning stage two of this year's Tour of Valencia.
Once again, Slovenian ace Matej Mohorič will lead the Bahrain Victorious team at the 115th edition, aiming for another day of glory on the Italian roads: “Coming back to Milano-Sanremo is always a special emotion for me. I have been feeling very good so far this season, and I am really looking forward to the race this year. I believe I have a chance to win, and I will grab the opportunity if it comes my way. I will once again have great support from my teammates this year. We will need to be really patient and wait for the right moment to go on Saturday.”
“You need a perfect day to win the unpredictable Milano-Sanremo, but you also need the legs”, TBV Sports Director Franco Pellizotti explains. “Last year, our boys showcased impressive teamwork on the Poggio for our leader, securing an 8th place finish. I hope to see this kind of team spirit and commitment again, and, of course, we aim for success with Matej. Considering the contenders, our goal is at least a podium spot, though a top-ten result is commendable in a Monument. I anticipate a rider like Fred Wright to make a mark sooner or later. He is in good shape and will be prepared for any sprinting opportunities in the finale”.
Highlighting the crucial role in the race, Pellizotti adds, “I’m convinced that taking the Cipressa in the top position is fundamental. Our riders, especially the young debutants Nicolò Buratti, Matevz Govekar, and Fran Miholjevic, will work to perform this task. The experience of our road captain, Nikias Arndt, and Andrea Pasqualon, will also be essential to provide support after the Cipressa and ensure optimal positioning before the Poggio. Milano-Sanremo may seem straightforward in strategy, but its unpredictability makes it one of the most difficult races to win.”
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Here’s the team’s news:
In 2020, Lennert Van Eetvelt joined the Lotto Dstny Development Team. After making the step to the pro team in 2023, he has never left Lotto Dstny, and now the 22-year-old Belgian climber signs a contract until the end of 2026. His season started really successful, with a win in the Mallorca Challenge and an impressive ride at the UAE Tour in February, seeing him take the victory at the last stage, the overall and youth classification.
Lennert Van Eetvelt wins stage seven of the 2024 UAE Tour.
"I'm super happy to ride for Lotto Dstny for two more years", a happy Van Eetvelt says. "The team has made a big positive evolution the last years, which everyone sees, and I hope we can keep on making progression. It was quite some journey already, as I was a rider in the Development Team before and now this year I have taken another step with winning the UAE Tour. I know the staff and riders well, it feels like a second family. The freedom I get here and the whole project of the team is just super positive and I am glad I can keep on being part of this story."
Stéphane Heulot, CEO of Lotto Dstny, is equally proud to see Lennert Van Eetvelt stay with the team: "Lennert is a product of our Development Team, which makes the story even nicer. Seeing his development from close is impressive, he made a big step this year winning his first WorldTour victory. I am confident we will see a lot more nice things of him in the future, we will guide him in every step."
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