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Friday, October 18, 2024
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2024 Tour de France | 2024 Giro d'Italia
Mothers all want their sons to grow up to be president, but they don't want them to become politicians in the process. - John F. Kennedy
Marcus Aurelius' Meditations is available in both Kindle eBook & audiobook versions. To get your copy, just click on the Amazon link on the right.
Current racing:
- October 15 - 20: Tour of Guangxi
Upcoming racing:
- October 20: Japan Cup Road Race
- October 20: Veneto Classic
Latest completed racing:
- October 16: Giro del Veneto
- October 13: Chrono des Nations
- October 12: Il Lombardia
- October 10: Gran Piemonte
- October 8: Tre Valli Varesine
- October 7: Coppa Bernocchi
- Sept 29 - Oct 6: Le Tour de Langkawi
- October 6: Paris-Tours
- October 6: Coppa Agostoni-Giro delle Brianze
- October 5: Giro dell'Emilia
- October 3: Sparkassen Münsterland Giro
- October 1: Binche-Chimay-Binche
We posted the report from stage winner and new GC leader Ethan Vernon's Team Israel-Premier Tech with the results.
Here's the report from second-place Juan Sebastian Molano's UAE Team Emirates:
Sebastian Molano came within inches of victory on stage 3 of the Tour of Guangxi with the fastman taking 2nd place behind Ethan Vernon (Israel Premier-Tech) in the lunge for the line from Jingxi to Bama (214km).
UAE Team Emirates controlled the later part of the stage with Tim Wellens and Michael Vink policing the front of the peloton and reeling in the two remaining escapees Dries de Bondt (Decathlon Ag2r) and Pepijn Reinderink (Soudal Quickstep) inside the final -10km.
Molano came from a long way back with a burst of speed but was just outmuscled on the line by Vernon who won by a sliver.
Here's the sprint.
Molano: “It was a long stage with a lot of tension particularly at the start when we had the crash around kilometre 30. Unfortunately we lost one of our riders, Laengen, in that crash and he had to pull-out. Luckily he doesn’t seem too badly hurt and we hope he recovers quickly. The team did a great job to control the race. I’m happy with the result but missing the victory which I hope we can get in the coming days.”
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Here's the Tour of Guangxi report from Team dsm-firmenich PostNL:
The third day of racing at the Tour of Guangxi saw the peloton faced with the longest stage of the race and a rolling 214 kilometre long route from Jingxi to Bama. Team dsm-firmenich PostNL left Jingxi with six riders remaining in the race as Fabio Jakobsen didn’t take to the start. It was a fast beginning to the day and there were several attacks before the race was neutralised due to a large crash in the bunch, in which Casper van Uden and Timo Roosen were involved, but thankfully both were okay to continue.
A breakaway duo had formed out front just before the neutralisation and once the race restarted things calmed down, with the attackers building up an advantage of over three minutes. As the kilometres ticked by, the gap came down and things were set up for a fast finish. Once more, the team had the joint goal of keeping safe in the GC but also protecting fast finisher Van Uden for the sprint. Charging under the flamme rouge, the team brought Van Uden forward where he and last lead-out Niklas Märkl were sat in a good position, in around sixth wheel. Unfortunately, just as Märkl kicked to bring Van Uden further forward, the riders from behind had already launched and boxed the duo in so they were unable to get a clear run to the line.
Team dsm-firmenich PostNL coach Callum Ferguson: “The guys worked really well together as a team today and have built on some things we wanted to improve on from the first days. GC wise, we once again kept ourselves safe in that regard which was good, before turning our attention to the sprint with Casper. Coming into the finish the guys moved up as a unit which was nice to see but we then just left it a bit too late to launch and couldn’t really compete for a result at the finish.”
And here's the Tour of Guangxi report from Team Visma | Lease a Bike:
Team Visma | Lease a Bike lost Milan Vader in the third stage of the Gree-Tour of Guangxi. Vader was involved in a big crash and could not continue his way. The defending champion's knee had to be stitched up.
The race paused after the big crash.
The peloton was shocked by a crash early in the stage. Several riders, including Vader, hit the asphalt and did not come out unscathed. The Dutchman suffered a lot of pain in his knee and decided not to continue. "Milan had a deep wound under his left knee. It was immediately clear that he could not continue", sports director Frans Maassen said.
"Our own doctor stitched him up in the hotel. That went well and fortunately he is already walking around here again." According to Maassen, Vader got off with a fright. "Sportive-wise it's a big bummer, because Milan was our leading man. On the other hand, we realise it could have been much worse."
Vader, meanwhile, is feeling ‘okay’ again. "I looked at my knee and knew right away that I didn't need to try any further. I'm glad no one was more seriously injured because it didn't look good at first."
According to the Dutchman, the crash occurred on a descent. "Someone next to me hit a wheel in front of him and came up against me. I couldn't avoid him anymore, so we were among the first to crash."
Vader is disappointed not to be able to succeed himself. "I was really looking forward to it. The exciting days were yet to come. It is a shame that I had to abandon the race early."
The third stage eventually ended in a bunch sprint. It was won by Ethan Vernon. Team Visma | Lease a Bike played no significant role in the sprint.
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Here's the preview from Team Soudal Quick-Step:
One of the most important races on the Asian continent, the Japan Cup will run its 31st edition this Sunday, when the riders will take on a 144.2km course around Utsunomiya, the host of the 1990 World Championships. The main difficulty will once again be the challenging Mt. Kogashi climb, which the riders are set to tackle a total of 14 times, the last of these ascents coming just ten kilometers from the line.
For Soudal Quick-Step, it will be the final appearance of the season in a UCI race, and our team will be keen on making the most out of it. Antoine Huby, former Belgian Champion Yves Lampaert, Fausto Masnada, Pieter Serry, Ilan Van Wilder and Mauri Vansevenant are the six riders who will be in action for the Wolfpack at the Japan Cup.
Here's Yves Lampaert before the start of stage two of the 2024 Tour of Switzerland. Sirotti photo
“We are excited to be at the start of this race. It’s going to be a packed weekend, with the criterium on Saturday and the race just twenty-four hours later. It’s been a long season, but we are still motivated to show the team’s colors and determination of always going for a good result, no matter the race. The boys are happy to be here and we are sure it will be a beautiful experience for them before calling it a season”, said sports director Wilfried Peeters.
Here's the Japan Cup preview from Yukiya Arashiro's Team Baharin Victorious:
Yukiya Arashiro lines up for the Japan Cup as he bids farewell to his time at Bahrain Victorious in the only UCI ProSeries race on his home roads. The Japan Cup, which began in 1992 as a memorial to the 1990 UCI Road World Championships in Utsunomiya City, has grown into a key event in the Asian racing calendar.
[Ed: I believe Arashiro is retiring after the 2024 season]
Likely making his final appearance in the WorldTour, Arashiro has been with Bahrain Victorious since the team was founded in 2017. He has been a pivotal figure for the team and an ambassador for Japanese cycling, playing a significant role in developing the sport within Japan and representing the country on the world stage.
Yukiya Arashiro before the start of the 19th stage of the 2015 Vuelta a España. Sirotti phboto
Arashiro’s career has been remarkable. Over the years, he has completed an impressive 16 Grand Tours, including 7 Tour de France appearances—a testament to his dedication. His presence in the peloton and his contributions to cycling both on and off the bike have made him a respected figure in the cycling world.
Arashiro will ride in support of Edoardo Zambanini, whose climbing abilities and solid sprint make him a strong contender for the 141-kilometer race, which features 14 laps of a 10.2-kilometer circuit with a 185-meter elevation gain per lap, including the Mt. Kogashi climb. Alongside Edoardo will be Matej Mohorič as co-leader, bringing a wealth of experience and winning know-how to the line-up.
Also riding in support for the leaders are Nicolò Buratti, Andrea Pasqualon, and Jasha Sütterlin.This race also marks the final appearance of Jasha Sütterlin in Bahrain Victorious colours before he moves to Team Jayco AlUla next season. Sütterlin has been a valuable part of the team and will look to drive the team to a good result on his final outing.
SD Franco Pellizotti comments: “This year we have a strong team. The riders are really motivated to close the season. Matej is in good shape and Zambanini is our leader, he’s really had a great season, and shown his form later in this season. He was here last year, and the format suits him.
There are a lot of quality teams here which will make the race really hard. But the team is strong, and with the motivation to really finish the season strong.
We’ve got Yuki here who is a big star in Japan and brings us a lot of knowledge and experience. We also have Buratti, Pasqualon and Sütterlin who will give us good support. We will need that support in the first part of the race. I hope we can take a good result home.”
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Here’s the team’s update:
Israel – Premier Tech is excited to announce that Tom Van Asbroeck has extended his contract with the team for an additional two years, committing his future to IPT through the end of 2026.
The 34-year-old Belgian Classics specialist and fast-man has been with the team since 2019. This year, Van Asbroeck has had one of his best seasons with his victory on the final stage of Tour de la Provence and numerous podiums and top 10 results throughout the year.
Tom Van Asbroeck wins stage four of the 2024 Tour of Provence.
Van Asbroeck says: “This year has been really good for me. I started off in the best possible way, with a victory in my first race of the season, and after that, I maintained a very consistent high level, thanks to the professional guidance of the team. There is just such a great atmosphere here and the team really feels like a family.”
IPT General Manager Kjell Carlström acknowledges Van Asbroeck’s development into a core member of the team over the past six years.
“Tom has a great team spirit, and he really contributes to the team atmosphere,” says Carlström. “His dedication to the team and his willingness to work for his teammates, when not going for a personal result, are two of the main reasons we have decided to extend his contract for the next two years.”
Team owner, Sylvan Adams, too, is happy to see Van Asbroeck continue with IPT for the next two years.
Adams adds: “Tom has been a supremely positive member of IPT, since he signed with us in 2019. Tom’s versatility includes being a key member of our sprint lead-out train, or a sprinter in his own right.”
After six seasons with IPT, Van Asbroeck has also witnessed the team’s progress over the years, highlighting its commitment to constant improvement.
“The team is really evolving to a higher level,” he says. “The research and development throughout the season have helped me perform at my best, and I’m confident that this will only keep on improving. I expect that both my personal and the team’s results will reflect this in the upcoming seasons.”
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