Bicycle Racing News and Opinion,
Thursday, May 30, 2024
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2023 Tour de France | 2023 Giro d'Italia
Every strike brings me closer to the next home run. - Babe Ruth
Les Woodland's book Sticky Buns Across America: Back-roads biking from sea to shining sea is available in print, Kindle eBook & audiobook versions. To get your copy, just click on the Amazon link on the right.
Upcoming racing:
- June 2: Brussels Cycling Classic
- June 2 - 9: Critérium du Dauphiné
- June 5 - 9: ZLM Tour
- June 7: GP Canton Aargau
- June 9 - 16: Tour de Suisse
- June 12 - 16: Baloise Belgium Tour
- June 15 - 18: La Route d'Occitanie Cancelled because security forces busy with Olympics
- June 21 - 26: Many National Championships
- July 1 - 23: Tour de France
Latest completed racing:
- May 29: Circuit Franco-Belge
- May 4 - 26: Giro d'Italia
- May 23 - 26: Tour of Norway
- May 26: Rund um Köln
- May 14 - 19: 4 Days of Dunkirk
- May 18: Veenendaal - Veenendaal Classic
- May 11: Tour du Finistère
- May 5: Tro-Bro Léon
- May 4: GP du Morbihan
- May 1: Rund um den Finanzplatz Eschborn-Frankfurt
The team sent me this schedule:
Tour de l'Oise: MAY 30 - JUN 02
Asbjørn Kragh Andersen - Team dsm-firmenich PostNL coach:
"Ronde de l’Oise is a nice four-day stage race which should have a bit of everything in it. The roads in the region aren’t mountainous but they aren’t pure flat either so we can expect lots of small climbs, narrow roads and even some crosswinds in the more exposed areas. Our focus will be on taking things day-by-day and really working on the basics of racing and getting them right in what is often a hectic race. It’s important for us to focus on that development from the guys and not necessarily day results. It’s also the last race for the Development program before a short break, so everyone is really motivated for it."
Line-up
Vincent Bodet (FRA)
Johan Dorussen (NED)
Milan Kadlec (CZE)
Axel Källberg (FIN)
Benjamin Peatfield (GBR)
Mees Vlot (NED)
Heistse Pijl: JUN 01
Roy Curvers - Team dsm-firmenich PostNL coach
"Heistse Pijl is a race that normally ends in some type of sprint finish. However, with a technical final that goes over the cobbled climb in the town centre of Heist just inside two kilometres before the line; it isn’t a walk in the park for the fast men and there are always people that try attacks. We have to be on point with our positioning and teamwork going into that final so that we can be in the mix for the sprint and go for a result with one of our fast guys."
Line-up
Pavel Bittner (CZE)
John Degenkolb (GER)
Tim Naberman (NED)
Frank Ragilo (EST)
Timo Roosen (NED)
Casper van Uden (NED)
Bram Welten (NED)
John Degenkolb at the start of this year's Dwars door Vlaanderen. Sirotti photo
Brussels Cycling Classic: JUN 02
Roy Curvers - Team dsm-firmenich PostNL coach
"Brussels Cycling Classic is race that lets the classics lovers’ hearts open up again after two months since the Flemish Ardennes. The key part of the race is the loop over the Muur van Geraardsbergen and Bosberg, so we must be ready to rumble and go for it there. Riders like Nils, Pavel and John are in their natural habitat there so we'll have to make sure they are supported well for those points, but we also have a fast finisher in Casper who can also go far on a parcours like this. In the end, we aim to have multiple cards to play as a team as we make our way back to Brussels and go for the best result possible."
Line-up
Pavel Bittner (CZE)
John Degenkolb (GER)
Tim Naberman (NED)
Frank Ragilo (EST)
Timo Roosen (NED)
Casper van Uden (NED)
Bram Welten (NED)
Critérium du Dauphiné: JUN 02 - 09
Phil West - Team dsm-firmenich PostNL coach
"The Critérium du Dauphiné is always a hard race and this year's parcours will be no different. Although there will not be any straightforward sprint stages, we see two opportunities for a possible sprint and with more rolling terrain on those days we hope that can suit the abilities of Emils as our finisher. Aside from that, we will start with the team goal of bringing Warren into the GC fight as our finisher there, but we also want to keep an eye on each stage as it comes in the pursuit of day results. The final three stages are all difficult mountain days where a lot will still be possible, so it is important that we come through the first half of the race well as a team, with energy and motivation to really go for it on those final days."
Line-up
Warren Barguil (FRA)
Romain Combaud (FRA)
Enzo Leijnse (NED)
Emils Liepiņś (LAT)
Niklas Märkl (GER)
Martijn Tusveld (NED)
Kevin Vermaerke (USA)
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Here’s the team’s update:
If it’s the first weekend of June, then it must be the start of the Critérium du Dauphiné, the prestigious race won in the past by the likes of Louison Bobet, Jacques Anquetil, Eddy Merckx, Luis Ocaña or Bernard Hinault. Taking place between 2-9 June, the Dauphiné will be for many the last important test before this summer’s Tour de France, which starts one month from now.
The course of this 77th edition will be heavily tilted towards the climbers, who’ll take on a total of five uphill finishes: Col de la Loge, Les Estables, Le Collet d’Allevard (11.2km, 8.1%), Samoëns 1600 (10km, 9.3%) and Plateau des Glières (9.4km, 7.1%). Squeezed between these is the 34.4km individual time trial held around Neulise, which comes just four days into the race and promises to widen the gaps between the general classification contenders.
Critérium du Dauphiné will mark Remco Evenepoel’s return to competition following the Itzulia Basque Country crash that derailed his spring campaign almost two months ago. The Belgian Champion, making his Dauphiné debut, leads a strong Soudal Quick-Step squad comprising also neo-pro Antoine Huby, James Knox, Volta a Catalunya runner-up Mikel Landa, Gianni Moscon, Casper Pedersen and Ilan Van Wilder, a top-five finisher this season at the UAE Tour and the Tour de Romandie.
Earlier this year: Remco Evenpoel wins Paris-Nice stage 8. Sirotti photo
“I am looking forward to returning to racing in a couple of days’ time. I am in a good place after the crash in Itzulia and the injuries I sustained there, but there is still some work to do so I get back to my top shape. I am happy to discover the Dauphiné, but I will look less towards my general classification position, as this will be more a chance to return to the race rhythm and see where I’m at”, said Remco ahead of his first appearance at the French World Tour event.
“It’s going to be a hard race, with a demanding course overall and a tough weekend. The many summit finishes will be important, as they will give us the chance to see where Remco stands at this point in the season. We also want to discover how he will fare in the time trial, which will be his first since that injury. The confidence is there, the team is a very good one, consisting mainly of strong and experienced riders, but the plan is to take it one day at a time as we know we still have some progression to make”, added Soudal Quick-Step sports director Tom Steels.
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Here’s the team’s announcement:
Roger Hammond has joined the team of Sports Directors at BORA – hansgrohe. For the past two seasons, the 50-year-old Briton has been working for Ineos Grenadiers. He will take up his new position in the German UCI WorldTeam on June 1st and will join the team for the first time at the Tour de Suisse.
The only picture I have of Roger Hammond. Here he is behind Tom Boonen racing the 2010 Paris-Roubaix. Hammond finished a superb fourth that day.
Rolf Aldag, Head of Sports BORA – hansgrohe:
"Roger and I have known each other for many years. We used to race against each other on the bike. After that, we worked together in very different constellations and for many seasons. It's great that our paths have now crossed again. I appreciate Roger's very professional race preparation and his strong race analyses. I am delighted that he is strengthening our team of Sports Directors."
Roger Hammond:
"I'm very excited to be joining BORA – hansgrohe. I have enjoyed following their progression from a small continental team through to a leading team in the WorldTour. The ambition that Ralph and his team has for the future sounds equally inspiring, I look forward to being part of the journey."
Sports Directors BORA – hansgrohe:
Rolf Aldag (Head of Sports), Shane Archbold, Bernhard Eisel, Enrico Gasparotto, Roger Hammond, Heinrich Haussler, Christian Pömer, Patxi Vila
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Here’s the team’s news:
Junior Elliot Rowe will be joining Team Visma | Lease a Bike Development next year. The 17-year-old Brit has signed a contract for his first two years as an under-23 rider.
Rowe has achieved some nice results in various important junior races over the past two years. He finished in the top ten in races such as Liège-Bastogne-Liège and Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne. According to the head of development, Robbert de Groot, Rowe has a very versatile profile. "Elliot has a background in track cycling, a fast sprint, great endurance, and also a strong time trial ability. He still has much to discover, but we are confident that he can develop into a strong rider."
The rider, who comes from the same junior team as Matthew Brennan and Jed Smithson, is very enthusiastic about his move to Team Visma | Lease a Bike. "This team clearly focuses on talent development. I am looking forward to continuing my development here. I will be surrounded by the best specialists and riders in the world, and I am confident that they will help me advance in my career."
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