Bicycle Racing News and Opinion,
Sunday, November 24, 2024
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2024 Tour de France | 2024 Giro d'Italia
The cleverest of all, in my opinion, is the man who calls himself a fool at least once a month. - Fyodor Dostoevsky
Les Woodland's book Cycling's 50 Triumphs and Tragedies: The rise and fall of bicycle racing's champions is available in print, Kindle eBook & audiobook versions. To get your copy, just click on the Amazon link on the right.
Upcoming racing:
- December 15: Namur Cyclocross-Citadelcross
Latest completed racing:
- November 17: Flandriencross
- November 3: European Cyclocross Championships
- November 1: X20 Trofee Oudenaarde-Koppenbergcross
- October 27: Superprestige Overijse-Vlaamse Druivencross
- October 15 - 20: Tour of Guangxi
- October 20: Japan Cup Road Race
- October 20: Veneto Classic
- October 16: Giro del Veneto
- October 13: Chrono des Nations
Here's the report from van Empel's Team Visma | Lease a Bike
Fem van Empel has won the Exact Cross in Kortrijk for the second year in a row. In the city center of Kortrijk, the 22-year-old rider proved to have the strongest legs, and the competitors did not come close. For Van Empel, this is her fourth victory of this cross season.
Fem van Empel takes a solo win in Kortrijk. Photo: Golazo
Van Empel, who prolonged her European title three weeks ago, proved to be sharp right from the start in Kortrijk. In the first round, she quickly took the lead and managed to ride away from the competitors. In the following rounds, the world champion steadily increased her lead, so she soloed to victory. Behind Van Empel, Imogen Wolff fought her way to a great sixth place on her cross debut for Team Visma | Lease a Bike Women.
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Fem van Empel:
“I am very happy to be back,” Van Empel looked back. “It's very nice to come back and then to be able to win right away. I had no questions about whether I would be good because I have not been sitting still for the past few weeks and have been able to train well. I immediately started riding at a high pace to keep myself warm. I enjoyed the race, and I am greatly looking forward to tomorrow's race because of the beautiful course and the strong field of competitors.”
Wolff, who made her cross debut for the team today, looks back with a satisfied feeling. “It's nice to be back because I missed cyclocross. My start wasn't very good, but luckily, I was able to move up quickly. I didn't make many mistakes, so I'm happy with my sixth place. Tomorrow, the field of competitors is stronger, so I'm curious to see how far I can get.”
Eli Iserbyt wins the men's race. Photo: Golazo
Women's race results:
- Fem van Empel (Visma - Lease a Bike) 41min 57sec
- Marion Norbert Riberolle (Crelan-Corendon) @ 47sec
- Inge Van Der Heijden (Crelan Corendon) @ 59sec
- Sanne Cant (Crelan Corendon) @ 2min 12sec
- Alicia Franck (De Ceuster-Bouwpunt) @ 2min 13sec
Men's race results:
- Eli Iserbyt (Pauwels Sauzen-Bingoal) 57min 44sec
- Niels Vandeputte (Alpecin-Deceuninck) @ 19sec
- Michael Vanthourenhout (Pauwels Sauzen-Bingoal) s.t.
- Jente Michels (Alpecin-Deceuninck) @ 21sec
- Gerben Kuypers (Charles-Liégeois Roastery CX) @ 30sec
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Here's the team's news:
The talented Brazilian will join our feeder squad for the 2025 season.
Henrique Bravo has agreed on a deal that will see him ride for one of the best U23 teams in the world, Soudal Quick-Step Devo. The 18-year-old has impressed in both road and mountain bike races in 2024, his standout result of last season coming on Spanish soil at the Vuelta Ribera del Duero – where he won the GC after an impressive stage victory on the steep gradients of Laguna Negra, which only underlined his potential as a climber.
“I'm really happy to enter in this team was a dream since the start of my when since when I started riding and then to be with these athletes and people, is really nice. I think will be a really nice experience and a really nice opportunity.”, said Henrique, who won six mountain bike races on home turf this year before producing a solid ride at the Juniors World Mountain Bike Championships held in Andorra.
He continued. ‘Here in South America, we have a good cycling culture but more on the mountain bike and not a lot on the road. To be able to go to a team in Europe is difficult for people from Brazil and they almost don't believe it is possible. Now I hope that I can prove that it's possible and to open more doors to the athletes here in Brazil and South America. It’s a unique feeling and I hope to learn and enjoy this opportunity.
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"I have always watched cycling; road cycling, mountain bikes, cycle cross - all these things all these things. I watch all the races, and I was fascinated with all the athletes and watched videos on YouTube. This kept me dreaming and then I started to work for it. Since 2018 I started riding in more competitions and then now I'm more focused on the road.
"I think more a climber for the long climbs, but let's see. Where I live, I have some good climbs, steep and 20 minutes long, so we have some good climbs. But where I live have this a lot of a lot of cars and when I went to Europe it's like the paradise when I find a lot of roads without cars and climbs – it’s really nice. Coming to Europe will be great learning tool. I will need to adapt a little bit to the routine in Europe, but I think it will be good and then I will try to get more experience in the winter. I will have to get used to the cold too but I think will be nice!"
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