Milano-Sanremo this Saturday – We have all the build-up news from ‘La Classicissima’. Tom Pidcock’s future according to Rod Ellingworth – TOP STORY. Results and video from Milano-Torino and the Danilith Nokere Koerse. Rider news: Thibaut Pinot feeling good and Patrick Lefevere and Jurgen Van den Broeck on Remco Evenepoel. Team news: Gazprom-RusVelo still hope and UAE Team Emirates not in Netflix series. Race news: 2022 Vuelta a España teams, teams for Veenendaal-Veenendaal, Paris-Roubaix routes, USA Cycling and FloBikes announce National Championships and Kwik Trip Tour of America’s Dairyland registration. Plus video: Rémi Cavagna is back! *** Stop the war in Ukraine. ***
TOP STORY: Rod Ellingworth on Tom Pidcock
The chance that Tom Pidcock will make his debut in the Tour de France this year is increasing. Especially now that INEOS Grenadiers team manager Rod Ellingworth openly said that the option is on the table. “He is ready to ride the Tour, but it’s not confirmed yet,” Ellingworth told VeloNews.
After his cyclo-cross winter, in which Pidcock became World champion, he slowed down a bit. “We have to be careful with him and see what comes next,” said the successor to Dave Brailsford. The original plan was to send the young Brit to the Giro d’Italia, but now there is talk of the Tour de France. “I don’t see why he can’t. It would be great to see him race there.”
“In addition to the leaders, we have drawn up a long list for the Tour and it is about putting the right riders on that list at the right time. Something always changes and I think Tom is open to the idea. But it is a while until the Tour. At the moment he is still concentrating on the spring,” said Ellingworth. “After the Classics, Pidcock will have a short break and then we will see what the next step will be.”
The manager of the INEOS Grenadiers team cites another example. “Luke Plapp rode very strongly in the UAE Tour. He was there with the best six, seven climbers in the peloton. You can’t if you don’t have the legs. Because of that performance, he will soon ride the Tour of Catalonia, even though that was not the plan initially. We don’t want to stop those guys from doing that. Who knows, Plapp will soon also ride the Tour de France…”
In addition to the Tour de France issue, Pidcock’s contract is also still an issue. Rumour has it that there is serious interest from BORA-hansgrohe to take him in 2023, but the Olympic mountain bike champion seems to be going for a contract extension with INEOS Grenadiers.
“I don’t want to say too much about that,” said Ellingworth. “Once it’s done, we can confirm it. I know there is some speculation and everyone is asking about us, but when it comes to Tom you have to be with his management. We’re still working on that. There will be more teams that want to get him. And that will apply to even more riders.”
Tour and new contract for Tom Pidcock?
Milano-Torino 2022
Mark Cavendish won a sprinter’s edition of Milan-Turin on Wednesday. After an almost flat course of 197 kilometres, the Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl leader was the fastest in the bunch sprint in Rivoli. Cavendish beat Nacer Bouhanni and Alexander Kristoff.
After several failed attack attempts, Daniel Viegas (EOLO-Kometa), Martin Marcellusi (Bardiani-CSF-Faizanè) and Juan Diego Alba (Drone Hopper-Androni Giocattoli) made up the break of the day. Behind; Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl, Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert, Arkéa-Samsic and DSM led the chase. The sprinter’s teams kept the gap at around 2 minutes for a long time and reduced the difference to less than 30 seconds in the last hour of the race. At about 20 kilometres from the finish, the pace increased and the escape was caught. EF Education-EasyPost riders Alberto Bettiol and Ben Healy tried to surprise the peloton with an attack. Healy stayed off the front the longest and had a 17 second lead, but the sprinter’s teams didn’t let him get any further. Healy was caught 4 kilometres before the finish.
The last 3 kilometres were on wide roads, but there were several roundabouts that stretched the peloton. TotalEnergies and Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl came to the front and were joined by Arkéa-Samsic in the last kilometre. Nacer Bouhanni’s train took the lead early. It was then Michael Mørkøv who started the sprint for Mark Cavendish. The British rider was dropped off in just the right place, after which he sprinted to victory. He skilfully held off Nacer Bouhanni and Alexander Kristoff. Peter Sagan finished fifth. For Cavendish it is his 159th professional win of his career.
Race winner, Mark Cavendish (Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl): “I’m particularly happy. I’m now riding with Michael Mørkøv again and you’re always in the right place. As a sprinter train, you only have one chance in a one-day race and you have to hit it. This is the perfect team for a one-day race. We never panicked. My team-mates did a solid race for me here. You see, this is just incredible the way they’ve led me out. I like to win any race. I’ve already won Milan-Sanremo. So now I have won Milano – Torino as well. It’s not always a race for sprinters so I’m happy to have my name on the same record book as some great climbers! I’m super happy.”
2nd, Nacer Bouhanni Arkea-Samsic): “I’m obviously disappointed. We didn’t come here to finish second. We had gone the hardest until the last curve. Clément [Russo] was at the end of his effort while Cavendish came from behind at full speed behind Morkov. I finished the sprint strongly but I knew it was already over for the win. I was losing speed. My form is coming back. It’s been a bit complicated with the accident I had early this year. But I feel better and better ahead of my upcoming goals Milano-Sanremo and De Panne.”
3rd, Alexander Kristoff (Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert Matériaux): “We eventually managed to pass Michael Morkov but he made the top 10, that says a lot! He did a very good lead-out for Cavendish. As I said before the race, Morkov was his biggest weapon today. He proved again how valuable he is. Third is the best I could do today. It’s a good result. I cannot be disappointed. I did quite a good sprint. With my team we were a bit spread out. Had we stayed together, we would have had a greater chance. My shape is good ahead of Milano-Sanremo. Saturday, it’s a bit longer and a harder race. Today it was not a very difficult race but I felt strong at the end.”
Milano-Torino Result:
1. Mark Cavendish (GB) Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl in 4:31:22
2. Nacer Bouhanni (Fra) Arkea-Samsic
3. Alexander Kristoff (Nor) Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert Matériaux
4. Max Kanter (Ger) Movistar
5. Peter Sagan (Svk) TotalEnergies
6. Andrea Vendrame (Ita) AG2R Citroën
7. Michael Mørkøv (Den) Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl
8. Ben Swift (GB) INEOS Grenadiers
9. Simone Consonni (Ita) Cofidis
10. Biniam Girmay (Eri) Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert Matériaux.
Torino’22:
Danilith Nokere Koerse Men 2022
The 2022 Nokere Koerse victory went to Tim Merlier on Wednesday. After a race of almost 190 kilometres it turned out to be a bunch sprint on Nokereberg and the Alpecin-Fenix rider was the fastest. He beat Max Walscheid and Arnaud De Lie after a long sprint.
The break of the day consisted of five riders: Frenchman Adrien Lagrée (B&B Hotels-KTM) and American Robin Carpenter (Human Powered Health) were joined by home riders Aaron Verwilst (Sport Vlaanderen-Baloise), Gil D’Heygere (Minerva) and Kobe Vanoverschelde (Tarteletto-Isorex). They quickly took a three minute lead. Two Belgian teams led the bunch to control the break: Alpecin-Fenix for Tim Merlier and Lotto Soudal for their man Arnaud De Lie. 100 kilometres from the finish, the Frenchman Hugo Hofstetter crashed hard, but was able to continue. The peloton didn’t ease off and Bingoal Pauwels Sauces WB also came to the front, the early break was caught more than 80 kilometres from the finish. Casper van Uden (DSM) was the next to attack along with Samuele Zoccarato (Bardiani-CSF-Faizanè) and Andreas Goeman (Tarteletto-Isorex). The Italian was quickly dropped, but the Dutchman and the Belgian pushed on.
Pöstlberger (BORA-hansgrohe) crossed to the leading group. The four had 50 seconds on the bunch and that was the sign for Victor Campenaerts to start a chase on the cobbles of Huisepontweg. It was the start of a series of attacks, which caught the front riders with 23 kilometres from the finish. Groupama-FDJ rider Samuel Watson then tried to go on his own. He took a 20 second lead in no time. The last stretch of the Lange Ast caused some upset, but a large part of the peloton stayed together. For Watson, his move was over shortly after the Lange Ast. Other attempts were also neutralised, but the peloton had thinned out considerably on the last cobble sections. UAE Team Emirates then took matters into their own hands for Pascal Ackermann, but Lotto Soudal also had their train for De Lie. In the end, it was Groupama-FDJ that had the best positions in the last kilometre, but Tim Merlier was also there and he took the lead on the descent towards Nokereberg. At full speed he dived into the last corner, after which he also held off the others in the sprint. Max Walscheid was a few bike lengths behind in second, ahead of birthday boy Arnaud De Lie. Bert Van Lerberghe was fourth. Bram Welten (Groupama-FDJ) was in fifth place.
Race winner, Tim Merlier (Alpecin-Fenix): “I watched previous editions yesterday. When Bouhanni won (in 2017) he also went from far. He took his speed with him. That’s the most important thing on this finish. If I went into that last left turn first and can keep my wattage, then not many would pass. My acceleration still had a problem, because I was quite large. But I was happy enough. Nokere Koerse is a home race for me. They put serious pressure on me here. It is nice to be the first to cross the finish line in your own region. It quickly became an open race. We have kept control with the team, although we always make some mistakes, but we will discuss that later. In the end everything turned out okay.”
2nd, Max Walscheid (Cofidis): “It was an impressive sprint from Tim. He started early, while I wanted to wait a little longer. Once Tim went it was all out, but that 350m sprint from him was impressive. When he passed me I knew he had the momentum. I gave everything, but it was impossible to get him back. During the race I was also active, because I was in good shape after Paris-Nice. I also had a good build-up to this period. I was hoping it would be a little faster on the road, but it was good for me now too. I’ll be riding almost all the classics in the coming weeks. I might skip a tough race like the E3 Saxo Bank Classic, but I hope to get good results in races like Dwars door Vlaanderen, the Scheldeprijs, and the GP de Denain and Bredene Koksijde Classic in the coming days.”
3rd, Arnaud De Lie (Lotto Soudal): “I felt really good today. Yes, it was my birthday. But any race is an opportunity for a good result. I am very happy with this third spot in a Flemish Classic. I have to thank them all (the team). Thanks to them I was able to get this third place. They were just stronger today, I have nothing to be sorry about. A podium spot in a Flemish Classic as Nokere Koerse is just wonderful for me.”
Danilith Nokere Koerse Result:
1. Tim Merlier (Bel) Alpecin-Fenix in 4:20:04
2. Maximilian Walscheid (Ger) Cofidis
3. Arnaud De Lie (Bel) Lotto Soudal
4. Bert Van Lerberghe (Bel) Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl Team
5. Bram Welten (Ned) Groupama-FDJ
6. Rasmus Tiller (Nor) Uno-X
7. Hugo Hofstetter (Fra) Arkea-Samsic
8. Pierre Barbier (Fra) B&B Hotels-KTM
9. Pascal Ackermann (Ger) UAE Team Emirates
10. Jannik Steimle (Ger) Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl.
Nokere Koerse’22:
Danilith Nokere Koerse Women 2022
Off the back of two brilliant recent wins, Team DSM’s Women’s program made it an exceptional three in a row at Nokere Koerse this afternoon as Lorena Wiebes surged to victory on the uphill cobbled finale.
A somewhat undulating 125 kilometre long parcours awaited the peloton today as they rolled out of Deinze for Nokere Koerse. Taking control of the bunch early on, the team worked well to make sure that no dangerous moves went clear as they looked to conserve energy and keep protected finisher Lorena Wiebes safe for the finale; with Elise Uijen and Esmée Peperkamp doing a great job. One lone rider managed to forge clear, but the bunch were always in control and heading into the last 40 kilometres the race was all back together. Unfortunately, bad luck struck the team as several riders were involved in a large crash when the race was strung out and full gas. As a result, Pfeiffer Georgi and Franziska Koch were too far behind and as a result stopped the race. That left Charlotte Kool and Wiebes in the reduced front peloton heading into the last 20 kilometres.
Undeterred, Kool did a brilliant teammates role to expertly mark out any dangerous attacks and the race was all together heading into the finale. With Kool positioning Wiebes approaching the flamme rouge, Wiebes brilliantly surfed the wheels and used all of her experience to find the perfect line around the last corner, timing the moment to launch her sprint masterfully. Delivering a devastating kick on the Nokereberg and surging clear of the peloton, Wiebes had an abundance of time to raise her arms aloft, celebrating another brilliant Team DSM win.
Race winner, Lorena Wiebes (DSM): “We had some bad luck today with four of us crashing but in the end I think we can be happy with how things went. We controlled the race from the beginning on and it was a really good race for us before the bad luck in the crashes. Charlotte and I were still in the front group for the final. We did a good job to stay together and control the race as much as possible, with Charlotte following the moves. Then in the finale I focused on Kopecky’s wheel and could sprint as I wanted which went great. I think it was a really good race for us overall and it’s nice to take another win for the team.”
Danilith Nokere Koerse Women Result:
1. Lorena Wiebes (Ned) DSM in 3:14:47
2. Lotte Kopecky (Bel) SD Worx at 0:01
3. Marta Bastianelli (Ita) UAE Team ADQ
4. Chiara Consonni (Ita) Valcar-Travel & Service
5. Maria Apolonia Van ‘T Geloof (Ned) Le Col Wahoo
6. Barbara Guarischi (Ita) Movistar
7. Noemi Rüegg (Swi) Jumbo-Visma
8. Eugénie Duval (Fra) FDJ Nouvelle-Aquitaine Futuroscope
9. Letizia Borghesi (Ita) EF Education-TIBCO-SVB
10. Shari Bossuyt (Bel) Canyon//SRAM.
Nokere Koerse’22:
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Pogačar on Milan-San Remo: “The hardest race to win”
Tadej Pogačar won Tirreno-Adriatico for a second consecutive time on Sunday, but is already talking about the next Italian race: Milan-San Remo. The Slovenian hopes to take a shot at another monument victory on Saturday, but he doesn’t lose sight of reality. “Milan-San Remo is, for me, the hardest race to win.”
Last Sunday, after the finish of the final stage of Tirreno-Adriatico, Pogačar looked ahead to ‘La Primavera’. “I keep getting questions about Saturday. I expect a tough and hard race. Milan-San Remo is one of the easiest races to finish, but one of the hardest races to win. We are going there with a strong team and we will give everything.”
The UAE Team Emirates rider, who has won Liège-Bastogne-Liège and the Tour of Lombardy last year and was already the best in Strade Bianche this year, certainly does not estimate his chances very high. “Look at the final. The Cipressa is not that steep and many riders are able to survive the Poggio, including some sprinters. The race then often turns into a sprint, or someone tries it with a late attack.”
“I am not the rider with the greatest chances of winning. But I will definitely try it if I get the chance,” said Pogačar, who may have to rely on an attack from far out. “That would be special, but I don’t think it’s very realistic. Although it might be possible to do something on the Cipressa.”
Tough win for Pogačar in Sanremo:
Mike Teunissen Not Starting Milan-Sanremo
Mike Teunissen will not be at the start of Milan-Sanremo on Saturday. After his retirement in the 7th stage of Paris-Nice, the race has been removed from the program of the classic specialist.
Teunissen had to give up on the penultimate stage of Paris-Nice. The 29-year-old rider no longer felt fit, after which he got off in consultation with the Jumbo-Visma team management in the stage with the uphill finish on the Col de Turini. According to the team, he did not want to force himself with a view to the spring classics.
In order not to run the risk of having to start the Flemish classics in bad health, Teunissen will not travel to Italy this week for Milan-San Remo, according to his official website. “To give myself some more time and rest, it is wise to make that decision now,” he says.
“Better than thinking the day after tomorrow that racing is possible again and then running behind the facts again. So we’re going to fix it first. We’ll see after that,” said Teunissen. In the Jumbo-Visma team he will be replaced by Jos van Emden, who will assist Wout van Aert.
No Mike Teunissen in Sanremo:
Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl to Milano-Sanremo
Fabio Jakobsen will make his debut at the Italian race this weekend.
The easiest Monument of the season, but the most complicated to win, the race that always has the most electrifying finale of the calendar and which many riders have called it a lottery, Milano-Sanremo (293km) takes place this Saturday.
The 113th edition will once again start from Lombardy’s biggest city and travel to the Ligurian Riviera, where the peloton will take on the well-known selection of Capi (Mele, Cervo and Berta) before the famous Cipressa and Poggio, from the top of the latter plunging down on the fast and technical descent leading to the centre of Sanremo and the iconic Via Roma.
Victorious here in 2019, when he out-sprinted a select group, World Champion Julian Alaphilippe won’t be at the start of the Italian Monument due to bronchitis, making it the first time in six years that he won’t ride Milano-Sanremo.
Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl’s team for Saturday will consist of Andrea Bagioli, Davide Ballerini, Mattia Cattaneo, Mikkel Honoré, Fabio Jakobsen, Florian Sénéchal and Zdenek Stybar.
“Milano-Sanremo is an event we love and which we are always happy to race, but this year we know the chances won’t favour us, as we can’t count on Julian, who we hope will make a fast and complete recovery. We have a young team at the start, featuring also Fabio, who has had a great season so far and will make his first appearance here. Despite not being among the favourites, we are still motivated to do a good race”, said sports director Davide Bramati.
19.03 Milano-Sanremo (ITA) 1.UWT
Riders:
Andrea Bagioli (ITA)
Davide Ballerini (ITA)
Mattia Cattaneo (ITA)
Mikkel Honoré (DEN)
Fabio Jakobsen (NED)
Florian Sénéchal (FRA)
Zdenek Stybar (CZE).
Sports Director: Davide Bramati (ITA) and Wilfried Peeters (BEL).
Alaphilippe not at 2022 Sanremo:
Jasper Philipsen Recovered for Sanremo
Jasper Philipsen has recovered sufficiently to be at the start of Milan-San Remo on Saturday. The sprinter of Alpecin-Fenix had to cancel Milan-Turin on Wednesday, but will be at the departure of La Classicissima.
Philipsen was active in Paris-Nice in the past week, but due to illness he had to give up after five days. He was also involved in a crash in the Race to the Sun, in which he suffered several scrapes and bruises. His health has improved in the meantime, his team reports, and the wounds to his left hip have healed. “He should be able to race in Milan-Sanremo next Saturday.”
In addition, Alpecin-Fenix sees a handful of riders return in the race. Lionel Taminiaux and Kristian Sbaragli are back in Milan-Turin after a collarbone fracture and illness respectively. In the Settimana Internazionale Coppi e Bartali, which starts on March 26, Oscar Riesebeek will most likely return. The Dutchman is still recovering from a covid infection, but according to his team, things are getting better every day and the training is going well. Jonas Rickaert had to leave Paris-Nice due to problems with his left leg. Exams reassured him, but in the meantime he also became ill. After a few days of recovery, he has now resumed training. Jay Vine had to leave Paris-Nice with flu symptoms, which kept him off the bike for a few days after the round. Finally, Alex Bogna’s knee injury is almost a thing of the past. The press release with the list of names does not mention Mathieu van der Poel. Whether that means he will be racing again soon is unknown.
Jasper Philipsen to Sanremo:
Sonny Colbrelli Not Riding Milan-San Remo Due to Bronchitis
Sonny Colbrelli will not be at the departure of Milan-Sanremo on Saturday. The European champion is still recovering from the bronchitis that forced him out of Paris-Nice and now La Classicissima.
For Colbrelli, Paris-Nice was his third race of the season. On the first stage of the Race to the Sun, the Italian had to let go of the group and crossed the line more than six minutes down. In the interest of his health and in preparation for his next races, the European champion soon gave up.
Colbrelli and his Bahrain Victorious team decided that he will not participate in Sanremo on Saturday. The strong sprinter, who took his first monument victory in Paris-Roubaix last year, finished eighth in the classic last season and has also been sixth and ninth in La Primavera in the past.
No Sanremo for Colbrelli:
Milano – Sanremo – MAR 19
Matt Winston – Team DSM coach: “We’re excited to take on the first Monument of the year at Milano – Sanremo. As it is the longest race of the season, we need to work well as a group to save as much energy as possible for the punchy climbs of the Cipressa and Poggio in the finale. We head to the race with a strong and motivated group of riders who are keen to get in the mix and show themselves at the front of the race. We have lots of different cards to play in what is normally an exciting and attacking final, with the race either decided by a small group going clear, a late attack, or a reduced group sprint to the line.”
Line-up:
Søren Kragh Andersen (DEN)
John Degenkolb (GER)
Nico Denz (GER)
Nils Eekhoff (NED)
Andreas Leknessund (NOR)
Joris Nieuwenhuis (NED)
Kevin Vermaerke (USA).
John Degenkolb 2015:
Pinot Hasn’t Felt This Good Since the 2020 Dauphiné
Thibaut Pinot, the French climber seems to be back at the top for good. The Groupama-FDJ rider finished eighth last weekend in a hard edition of Tirreno-Adriatico. “I give my morale a nine out of ten at the moment,” he told L’Équipe.
The 31-year-old Pinot says he feels reborn after having problems with his back for a long time. In Tirreno-Adriatico he rode with the world’s best for the first time in a long time. Also on the Queen stage to Carpegna: Pinot crossed the line in 7th place, in a group with Damiano Caruso and Jai Hindley, ahead of top riders such as Giulio Ciccone, Pello Bilbao, Romain Bardet, Remco Evenepoel and Wilco Kelderman.
“I haven’t felt this good since the Critérium du Dauphiné in 2020,” said Pinot. “At the first pass of Monte Carpegna, I looked back and saw that only twenty riders were left. I couldn’t understand why the other riders had to pass. The good feeling was there again. I have waited so long for this moment, that I can ride among the leaders again. In order not to have to take a seat on the bus, fifteen minutes behind. I don’t want to go through that again.”
An eighth place in Tirreno-Adriatico is a big boost for Pinot with a view to the coming races. The French climber focuses mainly on the Tour de France this year, but hopes to win something before the Tour. “That would be ideal,” it said ambitiously. The Tour of the Alps and the Tour de Romandie are the next stage races for Pinot.
A change of luck for Pinot?
Patrick Lefevere on Evenepoel’s Tirreno
Remco Evenepoel was on course for a good result in Tirreno-Adriatico, his first WorldTour podium of the year. On Saturday afternoon the Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl team leader dropped down the GC, after not being able to follow the favourites very early on Monte Carpegna. Team manager, Patrick Lefevere, say what happened, but does not want to make a drama.
Lefevere was in conversation with Het Laatste Nieuws. Was it a day off, the cold? It was a steep climb, it happened. “They will probably never become Remco’s best friends (steep climbs).” Although he finds it positive how his rider handled the situation. “He keeps questioning himself and everything he does, handles the situation very well and has one thing in mind: to keep working hard.”
According to Lefevere, Evenepoel’s performance in Tirreno-Adriatico has clarified a lot. “The fact that Remco lost uphill is considered by many to be an eighth wonder of the world. But hey, he will have to let go more often in his life. The fact is: anyone who makes him ‘the new Merckx’ has been grossly mistaken in person. Not him, but Tadej Pogačar is ‘the new Merckx’. That’s clear now, I think.”
Let Remco Evenepoel just be Remco Evenepoel, says Lefevere. It is not yet clear where the qualities of the 22-year-old best come into their own. “Whether there is a strong classic one-day racer in him, rather than a (Grand) Tour rider? That will have to be choppy. But what if he is also dropped in the Flèche Walloon and Liège-Bastogne-Liège? What are they going to make of it then? A fairground rider…?”
The Quick-Step team manager concludes that it is sometimes forgotten that his rider, who is in his fourth year as a professional, is still only 22 years old. “Because of the rapid breakthroughs of other young talents. They are certainly not all Bernals or Pogačars. Let us calm down and discover where we met Remco. We are patient. Hopefully you too.”
Evenepoel finished 11th in Tirreno-Adriatico, more than 4 minutes behind overall winner Pogačar. After an altitude training camp, he resumes competition with the Tour of the Basque Country, which starts on April 4.
Not the Tirreno that Quick-Step hoped for:
Jurgen Van den Broeck on Evenepoel
Remco Evenepoel must be given time to further discover himself and his limits. That is the opinion of Jurgen Van den Broeck, the Belgian GC rider who made it to the top-ten in the Giro d’Italia, the Tour de France and the Vuelta a España.
According to Van den Broeck, conclusions should not be drawn too quickly from the 11th place of Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl leader in Tirreno-Adriatico. “Remco is still young, isn’t he? Very young even. Well, Pogačar is too, but his engine is just a little bigger. I think we should still give Evenepoel time,” he told Het Laatste Nieuws. “Time to further explore himself and his limits. Unfortunately, people all too often get stuck on a result and when that disappoints, it is mainly what is remembered.”
According to the ex-pro, one failed Tirreno is no reason to adjust the ambitions in the tours now. “The reality is that as a rider you don’t just have good days. Building a round career is a process that takes years.” A process in which both Evenepoel and his team have to grow further. “At the time, Lotto was also looking for something. For example, the team chose to always take a sprinter along with me. So I really only had a man to myself, but I would have liked that. Evenepoel and his close staff have yet to figure out those kinds of things.”
Van den Broeck applauds that Evenepoel will be kept away from the hustle and bustle of the Tour this year and may start in the Vuelta. “You can’t ride around comfortably in the Tour de France, can you. Whether you go for the overall or not. In the Vuelta a España things are different in that regard. I even like what they do with him. Liège-Bastogne-Liège racing and such. You learn to wring, race in different circumstances. Well, Evenepoel has the future ahead of him. There is still so much for him to discover.”
Evenepoel resumes competition after an altitude camp with the Tour of the Basque Country, which starts on April 4. “This Tirreno is not allowed to crawl into his clothes too much mentally,” says Van den Broeck. “Step by step, keep building the road. I can’t really give him much more homework.”
What next for Remco?
Gazprom-RusVelo has ‘Interesting Contacts’
Gazprom-RusVelo, who’s license was revoked due to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, has had “interesting contacts” as it seeks alternative sponsors to fill the €3.5 to €4 million deficit for the remainder of 2022.
Team manager Renat Khamidulin and the team have given themselves until Sunday 27 March to find a solution to be able to make a new start. “For the moment we can see that we already have some interesting contacts and a real interest in this project,” said the ProTeam manager. “But of course we would rather have the signature on the document so we can say it was a successful search.”
The team manager hopes that a possible solution will be found in the coming days. “We will do everything we can. We’re just ready to fight – sport fighting. I think we’ve done a good job in the training camps this year and we’ve really changed the team for this season. We have had some good results. I know that if the team now finds a new partner, a new sponsor, it will be a successful season.”
Gazprom-RusVelo won stages in the UAE Tour and the Tour of Antalya in the past month with Mathias Vacek and Matteo Malucelli. In Antalya, Alessandro Fedeli finished second on GC and the team achieved a handful of top 5 placings.
It has been a good season so far for Gazprom-RusVelo:
UAE Team Emirates Not in Netflix Series
UAE Team Emirates, the team of two-time Tour winner Tadej Pogačar, doesn’t want to participate in the exclusive behind the scenes series following the 2022 Tour de France. The team explained why to Velonews. “It is not a priority for now. In addition, there are logistical concerns,” said Andrea Agostini on behalf of UAE Team Emirates.
Agostini, who is responsible for communication within UAE Team Emirates, among other things, is enthusiastic about the new project. “It’s a very good project and it can bring a lot to the cycling world. It just causes problems. Such a series is not a priority for us now. Maybe in the future, if Netflix decides to keep the door open for participation, but we’re not interested right now.”
And then there are also logistical objections. “We are then followed by a Netflix cameraman before and during the Tour, while we also employ a cameraman, photographer and someone for the media. We don’t have that much space in our bus. It is sometimes difficult to manage everything in the right direction. We have now found the right balance between riders and staff. This makes everyone very happy and motivated. We are now the perfect machine.”
“It can then be dangerous to introduce new things. Many teams participate because they have to be featured, they have to be recognisable. That is not an issue for us. If we can compete again for the Tour victory, we won’t need all that. Of course we have nothing to hide, but it is extremely important to find a certain balance within a team. But for other teams it is extremely important to get and stay in the picture.”
The eight teams participating in the documentary are Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl, EF Education-EasyPost, Jumbo-Visma, Groupama-FDJ, INEOS Grenadiers, AG2R Citroën, Alpecin-Fenix and Movistar. The main goals of the Tour de France series are primarily to reach “new audiences that are not completely familiar with professional cycling and are used to consuming sport in a different way”. Other goals include “providing unprecedented and additional content to attract and retain fans” and “raise the public profile of the best riders and elevate them to superstar status.”
The production costs, provisionally estimated at eight million euros, are covered by Netflix. The streaming service has also promised to pay a license fee of one million euros to be divided among various shareholders, with the ASO and France Télévisions each collecting 250 thousand euros. The eight teams would then split the remaining €500,000, giving each team €62,000. However, for many involved teams, the financial compensation is seen as a short-term advantage. The series is set to launch in May 2023.
No Netflix for Tadej:
La Vuelta’22 Teams Selection
The organisers of La Vuelta have chosen the teams that will take part in the 77th edition of the Spanish Grand Tour. La Vuelta 22 will start on Friday the 19th of August and finish on Sunday the 11th of September, from Utrecht (the Netherlands) to Madrid, World Capital of Sports 2022.
In accordance with UCI rules, the following 18 UCI WorldTeams are automatically invited to the race:
AG2R Citroën Team (FRA)
Astana Qazaqstan Team (KAZ)
Bahrain Victorious (BHR)
Bora – Hansgrohe (GER)
Cofidis (FRA)
EF Education – Easypost (USA)
Groupama – FDJ (FRA)
Ineos Grenadiers (GBR)
Intermarché – Wanty – Gobert Matériaux (BEL)
Israel Premier Tech (ISR)
Jumbo-Visma (NED)
Lotto Soudal (BEL)
Movistar Team (ESP)
Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl Team (BEL)
Team BikeExchange – Jayco (AUS)
Team DSM (NED)
Trek – Segafredo (USA)
UAE Team Emirates (UAE)
Furthermore, Alpecin-Fenix (BEL) and Arkéa-Samsic (FRA), leaders in the 2021 classification of UCI ProTeams will take part by right in La Vuelta 22.
In addition to these 20 teams, and following the request made by the organisers of La Vuelta to increase the number of teams, which was supported by the Professional Cycling Council, the UCI Management Committee has granted a derogation to article 2.2.002 of the UCI Regulations, allowing the maximum of number of riders to increase to 184. Therefore, the organisers have awarded the following wildcards:
Euskaltel – Euskadi (ESP)
Equipo Kern Pharma (ESP)
Burgos – BH (ESP)
This derogation is only applicable for 2022 and under no circumstances will it be possible to make this request for 2023.
More information about La Vuelta: www.lavuelta.com
Four WorldTour Teams for Veenendaal-Veenendaal 2022
The field of Veenendaal-Veenendaal is taking shape. The Dutch one-day event will have four WorldTeams at the start this year, including BikeExchange-Jayco, which will take the stage with three-time winner Dylan Groenewegen. Jumbo-Visma, DSM and Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert are also there. The race is scheduled for Saturday, May 21.
Groenewegen has good memories of this race. In 2015 he recorded his first professional victory in Veenendaal. Riding for Roompot-Oranje Peloton he won the bunch sprint of the then Arnhem-Veenendaal Classic. A year later he returned as Dutch champion with LottoNL-Jumbo, and won again. In 2018 he won the Veenendaal-Veenendaal Classic for the third time.
Chasing a fourth victory, Groenewegen can count on the support of his new BikeExchange-Jayco team, one of the WorldTeams at the start alongside Jumbo-Visma, Team DSM and Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert. In the last edition of the race in 2019, there were WorldTeams in Veenendaal-Veenendaal. This year the Veenendaal race has become part of the Exterioo Cup, which encourages a stronger field of participants.
In addition, seven ProTeams are riding: Alpecin-Fenix, Bingoal Pauwels Sauces WB, Sport Vlaanderen-Baloise, B&B Hotels-KTM, Arkéa Samsic, TotalEnergies and Human Powered Health. The peloton is completed by ten teams from the continental circuit. Further details on the list of participants will be announced in the coming weeks.
Veenendaal-Veenendaal is the fourth round of the Exterioo Cycling Cup. Earlier this month Matteo Trentin took the victory in Le Samyn. Then Arnaud De Lie sprinted to victory in the GP Monseré. Last weekend Dries Van Gestel soloed to the win in the Ronde van Drenthe. After three races, Hugo Hofstetter leads the standings.
Veenendaal-Veenendaal Men’s Team (21 May):
Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert
Jumbo-Visma
BikeExchange-Jayco
Team DSM
Alpecin-Fenix
B&B Hotels-KTM
Bingoal Pauwels Sauces WB
Human Powered Health
Sport Flanders-Baloise
Arkéa Samsic
TotalEnergies
ABLOC CT
Allinq
BEAT Cycling
Bolton Equities Black Spoke
Hagens Berman Axeon
Metec-SOLARWATT
Minerva
Lotto-Kern Haus
Trinity Racing
VolkerWessels.
The women’s race on Friday 20 May will also have a strong field, with three Women’s WorldTeams at the start: Liv Racing Xstra, Jumbo-Visma and UAE Team ADQ. The field is completed by thirteen continental teams and three club teams.
Veenendaal-Veenendaal Women’s Teams (20 May):
Liv Racing Xstra
Jumbo-Visma
UAE Team ADQ
Andy Schleck-CP NVST-Immo Losch
Bingoal Casino-Chevalmeire-Van Eyck Sport
GT Krush Tunap
IBCT
Lotto Soudal Ladies
Multum Accountants
NXTG by Experza
Parkhotel Valkenburg
Plantur-Pura
Proximus-Alphamotorhomes-Doltcini
Roxsolt Liv SRAM
Coop-Hitec Products
Valcar-Travel & Service
GRC Jan van Arckel
Merida Eagle
WV Schijndel.
Groenewegen winner in 2016:
Paris-Roubaix 2022: The Return of Spring
Three years after Philippe Gilbert’s victory, the Paris-Roubaix peloton will return to the cobbles in April, on a slightly unusual date with the Amstel Gold Race having been requested to switch calendar slots due to the impossibility of disrupting road traffic on the day of the first round of the presidential election. Nevertheless, in a return to tradition, the Queen of the Classics will, once again, take place on Easter Sunday. It is also on a course in keeping with the spirit of the event where cycling’s best acrobats will battle, with the first cobbled sector immediately after the village of Troisvilles. The slight changes from the October 2021 route concern the Cambrésis cobbled sectors, but they shouldn’t change their impact on the race. After the peloton thins, the first battle of the contenders for victory begins with the Trouée d’Arenberg, which is a monster, whatever the weather conditions. This year, the immediate aftermath of Arenberg will also serve as a preview of stage 5 of the Tour de France, when it will encounter the sectors of Hornaing-Wandignies (#17), Warlaing-Brillon (#16) and Tilloy-Sars-et-Rosières (#15). From there, nearly 70 kilometres to the Roubaix velodrome, with some cruel portions like the passages through Mons-en-Pévèle and the Carrefour de l’Arbre. There will be no shortage of moments of truth!
After a slippery and muddy version of Paris-Roubaix last October, the women’s peloton will become familiar with its traditional springtime atmosphere on Saturday, 16 April. While the total distance of the cobbled sectors will not change, this year’s race is 8 kilometres longer. This will be felt in the legs during the final push for victory. The 29.2 kilometres of cobbles, over 17 sectors, proved to be very selective in the first-ever women’s race. It will be more of the same for 2022, with the last 85 kilometres of the course being modelled on the men’s race, starting in the town of Hornaing. And the riders must not forget that a breakaway is a bonafide possibility. Great Britain’s Liz Deignan won the inaugural race with a solo ride of more than 80 kilometres. The element of surprise is no longer.
Key points:
Ø In 2022, Paris-Roubaix returns to its traditional springtime date, with the start of the 119th edition on Sunday 17 April in Compiègne. The riders will battle on an essentially unchanged course of 257.2 km, including 54.8 km of cobbles. Of the 30 sectors, three will be of particular interest to the future riders of the Tour de France, who will take them on, once again, on stage 5.
Ø After their maiden race on the cobbles in October 2021, the women’s peloton will kick off the action with edition two of Paris-Roubaix Femmes avec Zwift on Saturday, 16 April. The 124.7 km course between Denain and Roubaix will include 29.2km of cobbles
USA Cycling and FloBikes Announce Streaming Schedule for 2022 National Championships
Five events make up the initial streaming calendar of National Championships.
On Wednesday, USA Cycling announced the schedule for streaming of the 2022 USA Cycling National Championships on their media partner’s, FloBikes, platform. Like in 2021, the USA Cycling Pro Road National Championships in Knoxville, Tenn., will kick off the 2022 live stream calendar. Other key USA Cycling National Championships that will be live-streamed include the 2022 USA Cycling Mountain Bike National Championships, Collegiate Track National Championships, Madison Track National Championships, and Cyclocross National Championships.
“We’re thrilled to partner with FloBikes to be able to provide live streaming at five of our national championships in 2022. Being able to share the excitement of our national championships to virtual spectators and a platform for athletes and their sponsors is an added value to our national championships,” said Tara McCarthy, USA Cycling’s Director of National Events. “The production for events like Cyclocross National Championships and Mountain Bike National Championships were pushed to the next level in 2021. FloBikes’ additional coverage at Cyclocross and their coverage of Downhill at Mountain Bike has expanded access to our keystone events, allowing for fans and families to catch all the action.”
FloBikes members can find all USA Cycling content at the USA Cycling FloBikes hub. Content in the hub includes replays of all the live streams from 2021, including the streams from the Pro Road Race, Cross Country events, and Cyclocross. In addition to the live stream replays, FloBikes provides content and commentary on Team USA’s performances at events across the globe. You can watch FloBike’s Jessica Alexander’s interviews with Clara Honsinger or Kerry Werner or watch Ashton Lambie’s rainbow stripe earning performance at the 2021 UCI Track World Championships in the Individual Pursuit.
The current calendar for USA Cycling’s live-streamed events:
*Streaming schedule for these events has not been finalised yet.
Visit USACycling.org for more information on the athletes, events, and membership programs, and follow @USACycling across all channels for the latest on Team USA.
Rémi Cavagna is Back!
Sidelined since last December following a training injury that required surgery and a long rehabilitation, the French Champion is ready to finally get underway his sixth season in the colours of Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl.
Watch the video, here!
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