Bicycle Racing News and Opinion,
Saturday, March 16, 2024
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2023 Tour de France | 2023 Giro d'Italia
The noblest pleasure is the joy of understanding. - Leonardo da Vinci
Bill & Carol McGann's book The Story of the Tour de France, Vol 1: 1903 - 1975 is available in print, Kindle eBook & audiobook versions. To get your copy, just click on the Amazon link on the right.
Current racing:
- March 16: Milano - Sanremo
- March 16: Classic Loire Atlantique
Upcoming racing:
- March 18 - 25: Volta a Catalunya
- March 19 - 23: Settimana Internazionale Coppi e Bartali
Latest completed racing:
- March 15: Brendene Koksijde Classic
- 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 Luca Mozzato's Team Arkéa-B&B Hotels with the results.
Here's the report from Team Soudal Quick-Step:
It’s one of the youngest races in Belgium, but the 22nd episode of the 201.2km Bredene Koksijde Classic made up in pure spectacle for what it lacks in tradition, and that’s because Friday’s race was ridden full gas from the very beginning.
Echelons, crazy attacks in the crosswinds, massive accelerations on the Kemmelberg, riders throwing caution to the wind and trying their luck with more than 100 kilometers to go, gutsy moves inside the final kilometers when everything pointed out to a bunch sprint, and a fast and chaotic dash to the line made it a tough but exciting and quite unforgettable day in the saddle.
Luca Mozzato wins the race. Getty photo
Soudal Quick-Step, who had a very young team at the start, was present in all the main moves of the day, with the likes of Gil Gelders, Paul Magnier or Pepijn Reinderink, all neo-pros who impressed with the confidence shown, the relentless turns they took at the front of the leading group and the all-out attacks launched from the distance as they tried to prevent the groups scattered all over the road from coming back.
In the final twenty kilometers, the chasers managed to bridge across, but our team remained committed to lighting up the race. Two-time Dwars door Vlaanderen winner Yves Lampaert rode clear with eight kilometers to go, part of a small group from which he then attacked. Joined by only one other rider, Yves left everything out there and kept believing in his chances despite doing all the work alone, but his dreams were shattered a frustrating 1200 meters from the line.
A small bunch sprint decided the victor, who was Luca Mozzato (Arkea-B&B Hotel). Paul Magnier was our first rider to cross the line, just outside the top ten, thanks to a solid turn of legs in the strong headwind, after almost five hours in the saddle.
“We are very proud of the team’s performance. We had a lot of young wolves led by an experienced captain, and they did a great race, despite being hectic and really nervous out there. The guys were always up there, went on the offensive and did their best as they tried several times to make the difference. We deserved more after this race, and even though it’s not the result we wanted, the team’s display today fuels our confidence for the next outings”, said sports director Iljo Keisse.
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Here’s the team’s post:
The defending champion Gerben Thijssen managed to secure a podium for the second year in a row during the Bredene Koksijde Classic on Friday, March 15.
Intermarché-Wanty helped determine the course of the race and was attentive to the critical points: the Moeren and the passage through the Heuvelland, which included a double series of Kemmelberg.
After the hill zone, the Walloon World Team was best represented at the front with its leader Gerben Thijssen, accompanied by Roel van Sintmaartensdijk and Madis Mihkels. Despite his crash, both Baptiste Planckaert and Dries De Pooter joined the local circuit of Koksijde.
A final collective effort on the final lap caught the escapees and allowed the Belgian sprinter to take third place on the line. Gerben Thijssen thus achieved his third podium finish of the season, the eleventh for Intermarché-Wanty.
Here's Gerben Thijssen (left) winning the race in 2023.
“I raced at the front for almost the entire race and managed to survive all the selections every time. Even after the crash in Poperinge with Baptiste Planckaert, I preceded the crack in the peloton together with Madis Mihkels and Roel van Sintmaartensdijk. Once at the local laps it was a big challenge for my four teammates to keep everything under control, but they managed to show their collective strength and bring me to the finish in the best possible position. Even when Dries De Pooter was on the attack in the final kilometers, he continued to draw my card. That shows how close our group is. Not only the team around me in Bredene-Koksijde, I also wish my teammates the best of luck in Milan-Sanremo this Saturday.
"In the end I finished in third place today, which was probably the highest possible since I had to dig deep into my reserves several times during the race. I am pleased to receive confirmation that I continue to make progress year after year by playing at the front all day long in this type of competition scenario. I feel in top form and am looking forward to my next big appointment, Brugge-De Panne, with another very strong team around me." - Gerben Thijssen
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Here’s the team’s update:
The season's first monument, Milan-Sanremo, takes place on Saturday. It's already the 115th edition of La Primavera. A confident Team Visma | Lease a Bike travels to northern Italy, where the team hopes to continue the successes of recent weeks.
On Saturday, Christophe Laporte will be one of the eye-catchers for Team Visma | Lease a Bike. The thirty-one-year-old Frenchman is in good form going into his tenth race, as evidenced by his fifth place at Omloop Het Nieuwsblad, fourth place at Kuurne-Brussel-Kuurne and tenth place at Strade Bianche. He hopes to continue his excellent form at the Italian classic.
Christophe Laporte (in the European Champion's jersey) checks out the Strade Bianche course earlier this year. Sirotti photo
"I think Milan-Sanremo is a great race. We are not the favourites to win, but we can play an important role in the final. On the Poggio, I will try to stay in front as long as possible and fight for the win. If there is a big group, we have a great sprinter in Olav Kooij. It would be great if we could finish on the podium", Laporte says.
This season, his teammate Kooij has already secured four victories. The 22-year-old sprinter took two stage wins at Paris-Nice last week and will compete for the first time at Milan-Sanremo. "I am really looking forward to riding my first monument. I've had a good start to the season, so we'll see what the race brings."
Kooij is curious to see how he will digest his first monument. "I don't think we have the top favourite in our team, although Christophe has started the season very well. As a team, we need to be in a good position and follow the strong men. On the Poggio, it's up to Christophe to go up with the better guys."
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Sports director Maarten Wynants likes that, for once, Team Visma | Lease a Bike does not have a clear favourite in the team. "This time, the underdog role suits us. Christophe and Olav are in top form, but if Mathieu van der Poel and Tadej Pogacar accelerate, it will be quite a challenge to follow them", the Belgian says. "Fortunately, the favourite doesn't always win. It could go our way if we are lucky."
Milan-Sanremo is the longest one-day race at 288 kilometres. The course has few secrets and is mostly flat, with the first six climbs coming 130 kilometres into the race. The Cipressa and the Poggio are traditionally the most demanding challenges of the day. "Everyone knows where you need to be well-positioned", Wynants continues.
"The race has a slow start, but is very intense, which makes it special. You can't compare it with the Tour of Flanders or other monuments. These are real battles of exhaustion. Milan-Sanremo is the easiest classic."
In addition to Laporte and Kooij, the Team Visma | Lease a Bike squad includes Tim van Dijke, Mick van Dijke, Julien Vermote, Tosh Van der Sande and Johannes Staune-Mittet.
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