EUROTRASH Information Spherical Up Thursday!

The Giro d’Italia is in the middle of the torrid third week, we have stages 16 and 17 with video, plus the Tour of Norway and a new women’s Hour Record. Mathieu van der Poel to finish the Giro – TOP STORY. Rider news: Simon Yates abandons Giro, Biniam Girmay medical update, Remco Evenepoel talks Liège, Astana interested in Nairo Quintana, Arkéa interested in Guillaume Martin, Julien Simon wants to stay with TotalEnergies, Julian Alaphilippe training and Jaime Restrepo shot. Team news: UCI statement on Gazprom-RusVelo, riders for Boucles de la Mayenne and RideLondon Classique and Bahrain Victorious sign Matevž Govekar. Race news: teams for the Critérium du Dauphiné. Video of INEOS Grenadiers Giro start in Budapest. *** Stop the war in Ukraine. ***

TOP STORY: Mathieu van der Poel Determined to Finish the 2022 Giro d ‘Italia
Mathieu van der Poel does not intend to leave the Giro d’Italia early. The winner of the opening stage in Hungary is still feeling good after two weeks of racing and is determined to reach the finish in Verona in five days.

“I feel good at the start of the third week for the time being,” 27 year-old Van der Poel told Sporza. By also getting through this difficult final week, the leader in the Alpecin-Fenix ​​team hopes to become stronger in the run-up to the Tour de France. “It is still a difficult last week with a lot of climbing in this Giro. The main goal is to get through well and finish this tour with a good feeling. After that, the Tour will arrive soon.”

It is the choice of Van der Poel himself not to get off and to spare himself, but to try to get through the tough last week of the Giro as best as possible. “I insist on riding it out myself. That will be good for my evolution as a rider. Trying to win one more time? That will be difficult in the mountains, but I’d rather be here than start training again. Moreover, it will be a beautiful experience. Hopefully that will also get me in top shape at the start of the Tour.”

Mathieu van der Poel wants to finish the Giro:

Giro d’Italia 2022
Jan Hirt won the Sixteenth Stage of the Giro d’Italia. On the Santa Cristina, the last climb of the day, the Czech of Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert rode away from the Dutchman Thymen Arensman, both had been in the long break of the day. Hirt crossed the finish line after a solo of 7 kilometres. Richard Carapaz held the overall lead.

The Giro continued without Jonathan Caicedo. The EF Education-EasyPost climber returned a positive covid test and had to be quarantined. Sonny Colbrelli was at the start. The 2021 Paris-Roubaix winner was sidelined due to a heart problem, but came to see the peloton at the start. There was a minute silence for Stefano Martolini, the sports director who tragically died during a U23 race last weekend. The battle for the escape of the day was not long in coming and the first attack came from Mathieu van der Poel. Van der Poel (Alpecin-Fenix) took the lead with Nans Peters (AG2R Citroën), Pascal Eenkhoorn (Jumbo-Visma), Thomas De Gendt (Lotto Soudal), Mark Cavendish (Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl) and Christopher Juul-Jensen (BikeExchange-Jayco). This group had a 1 minute lead, but Trek-Segafredo closed the gap before the start of the Goletto di Cadino. On the long climb, a large group of 24 riders eventually escaped. Van der Poel and De Gendt were missing as they couldn’t hang on up the first category climb.

The big break:
Nans Peters (AG2R Citroën), Wout Poels (Bahrain-Victorious), Filippo Zana (Bardiani), Wilco Kelderman, Lennard Kämna (BORA), Guillaume Martin (Cofidis), Mattia Bais (Drone Hopper), Hugh Carthy (EF-EasyPost), Lorenzo Fortunato (EOLO), Attila Valter (Groupama-FDJ), Jan Hirt, Lorenzo Rota (Intermarché), Koen Bouwman, Pascal Eenkhoorn (Jumbo-Visma), Sylvain Moniquet (Lotto Soudal), Alejandro Valverde (Movistar), Mauri Vansevenant (Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl), Simon Yates, Christopher Juul-Jensen (BikeExchange-Jayco), Thymen Arensman, Chris Hamilton (DSM), Giulio Ciccone, Dario Cataldo (Trek-Segafredo) and Davide Formolo (UAE).

Only four teams were missing from the main group: INEOS Grenadiers, the team of pink jersey Richard Carapaz, Alpecin-Fenix, Vincenzo Nibali’s Astana Qazaqstan and Israel-Premier Tech. Martin was best rider overall at the front, in 10th place 8 minutes from the pink. The KOM Bouwman was also there. In the battle for the mountains classification, the blue jersey had an important opponent in Ciccone. The Italian beat the Dutchman on the first climb and scored 40 points. On the climb, the break of the day lost Peters, Valter, Eenkhoorn and Juul-Jensen. Bais, due to a misjudged corner, and Kelderman, a puncture, fell behind, but were able to return. Due to a lack of cooperation, eight riders rode away and Poels, Kämna, Rota, Bouwman, Valverde, Arensman, Hamilton and Cataldo took a gap. Cataldo dropped back to the group with teammate Ciccone. The absence of the Italian was good news for Bouwman, who was able to start the climb of the Mortirolo with a good lead over his main competitor for the mountains classification. Rota was dropped on the Mortirolo, leaving only six riders up front. Ciccone turned out not to be as good as on the first climb and had to let go. Carthy and Hirt, were able to make the jump on the famous mountain climb. Bouwman won the KOM, earning 40 more points for the blue jersey. Astana Qazaqstan took control ahead of INEOS Grenadiers on the climb. The Kazakh team was clearly up to something.

Nibali dived down the descent of the Mortirolo, putting pressure on the opposition. Domenico Pozzovivo crashed on the winding roads, but the Italian was able to get back up quickly and continue. Nibali took a gap on the rest with his descending qualities, but it was still far to the finish. Lo Squalo dello Stretto slowed down in the last part of the descent and a small peloton with pink jersey Carapaz and the other GC riders caught him, but he had issued a warning. After the descent of the Mortirolo the situation had Poels, Kämna, Carthy, Hirt, Bouwman, Valverde and Arensman in the leading group, behind were a number of early breakaways, the peloton followed after 5 minutes. The road went up again, this time on the Teglio, a 5 kilometre climb at 8.7% that was non-categorised. Bouwman was dropped on this slope, leaving six at the front. On the descent of the Teglio, about 20 kilometres from the finish, Kämna broke away from the leading group and the winner of the Etna stage went solo.

Kämna started the Santa Cristina, the 13.5 kilometre long final climb of the day, with a 30 second lead. On the climb, Arensman chased him down. The Dutchman rode away from Carthy, Hirt and Valverde, while Poels had dropped back to help his leader Mikel Landa. In the group of the pink jersey, Bahrain-Victorious had taken matters into his own hands. After that, Hirt and later Carthy also left Valverde. Arensman approached Kämna slowly but surely and a little later was joined by Hirt, who had ridden his climb well. At 8 kilometres from the finish, Hirt and Arensman caught Kämna. Arensman attacked, but had Hirt on his wheel, while Kämna had to pass. Hirt then tried to ride the Dutch attacker off, which he succeeded in doing. With a lead of about 15 seconds, the Czech started the descent to Aprica, which was on wet roads. Hirt struggled in the changed conditions and nearly lost it on a corner. He stayed up-right, but saw Arensman get closer. The winner of the Tour of Oman stayed out of trouble and was able to secure the victory. For his team Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert it was the second victory of this Giro, after Biniam Girmay won the 10th stage. Behind Hirt and Arensman, Jai Hindley won the sprint for 3rd place, ahead of Richard Carapaz, Alejandro Valverde and Mikel Landa. After Bahrain-Victorious had broken up the elite group on the Santa Cristina, Landa attacked. Carapaz and Hindley were able to follow, while Vincenzo Nibali and João Almeida couldn’t. Hindley accelerated twice, preventing Nibali and Almeida from getting back. In the end, Carapaz, Landa and Hindley rode to the finish together with early brrealisedeakaway Valverde. Hindley picked up 4 precious bonus seconds. Carapaz kept pink.

# See more photos in the full PEZ ‘Stage 16 Race Report’ HERE. #

Stage winner and 9th overall, Jan Hirt (Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert Matériaux): “When attacks started in the last climb, I knew it should be steeper later. We cooperated together and when Arensman attacked, I realised I couldn’t wait anymore. I tried to come across and I did. I like the Mortirolo, it’s a really historic climb. Every time I do it, I make the breakaway, it’s my third time. For sure it motivates me to have the Mortirolo in a stage. I like steep climbs. They suit me well. I really like Italy too. I like the culture, the food, the nature and the mountains, especially the Dolomites and the Alps. I also love racing in Spring. That makes the Giro my favourite Grand Tour. I was looking forward to do something nice in this stage, because the Mortirolo has a special meaning for me. In 2019 I finished second in the queen stage which also passed the Mortirolo and in Aprica. I wanted to repeat this performance and it all started well as I managed to anticipate by joining the breakaway. However, not everything went according to plan. First, I had to close a gap on the Mortirolo because of the bad cooperation in the breakaway before the climb. When I was again in the lead of the race I planned to attack on the steepest part of the final climb Santa Christina. But meanwhile, Lennard Kämna already gained an important advantage before the foot of the climb. In the end, waiting for the highest climbing percentages was the best strategy for me. I had to dig really deep, bot uphill and downhill. I overcame several hurdles and felt pain everywhere, but my desire to win this stage was so strong. I fought until the finish line and I won! A stage victory in the Giro d’Italia was my ultimate goal before today… But now I’m here on the podium I’m convinced that my career is unfinished business!”

Overall leader and 4th on the stage, Richard Carapaz (INEOS Grenadiers): “It’s been a hard stage for everyone. When Nibali attacked, I didn’t feel any danger for us. I didn’t want to take any risk in the downhill. There had been a crash that had delayed some of my teammates but I knew they’d come across. There were still a lot of kilometres to be covered. At the end, only Jai Hindley has been faster than me. I’m not worried. There are many stages left. I just hope to go through them as smoothly as possible. We have to race them before thinking of the closing time trial. The Giro will probably be decided by not much. All seconds will count. Details will make the difference.”

2nd on the stage, Thymen Arensman (DSM): “I don’t have any classification ambitions, so let me attack. Let me go in the leading group. I hope there is still a success in it. I feel good physically again, only mentally I am still very disappointed. I would have liked to give the team and Romain back that stage victory, but unfortunately that was just not possible. It’s very disappointing, but I can also take the positive from it. That’s who I am. I never give up and always do my best. I also knew that Hirt is not the best descender. And it also started to rain. Maybe it’s still possible, I thought. In the end I still get to 6-7 seconds. But who knows, he might crack and I can get over it. That’s why I always keep fighting, because the finish is only at the finish. I’m never completely cracked. I first tried to crack it by going full over my limit. I was hoping for a gap, but he countered. I felt I had to ride at my own pace, like a time trialist. Those short shots are not ideal for me. So I rode up at my own pace, and maybe I could come back in the descent. But that wasn’t close enough, unfortunately. Today I felt better. It was also less warm and that makes a difference. I’m also recovering well, so hopefully tomorrow I will have the space to attack a bit.”

3rd on the stage and 2nd overall, Jai Hindley (BORA-hansgrohe): “In the beginning, Emu and I rode relatively conservatively in the peloton and tried to stay out of trouble. On the second to last climb Bahrain Victorious took control in the reduced peloton and the pace became faster and faster, especially over the last kilometres of the climb. I felt really good at that point and tried to launch a few attacks, but in the end it wasn’t possible to shake off Carapaz and Landa. Overall it was a good day, I gained four bonus seconds and now I’m only three seconds behind Carapaz in the GC. So like I said, a really good day.”

7th on the stage, Lennard Kämna (BORA-hansgrohe): “Today was definitely a very good day. I felt good, tried everything and I don’t think I made any huge mistakes. And if other riders are stronger, then one shouldn’t feel bad. On the whole, it was once again a super day for the team and from that point of view, I’m also very satisfied.”

Sonny Colbrelli (Bahrain-Victorious) was at the start of stage 16: “It’s going well. Yesterday I cycled for two hours with my team and I am happy. The fact that the Giro starts in my city means something to me. I have an important test, but I don’t know exactly when. At least I’m back on the bike. After the test, I will talk to my team about a possible return. It won’t be easy, but of course I’ll try. I’m super motivated. I watch the Giro every day on television and speak with Mikel and Pello. They have no pressure or stress and I believe today’s stage is going to be important. I’m sure Mikel will arrive in Verona with a good final classification.”

Giro d’Italia Stage 16 Result:
1. Jan Hirt (CZ) Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert Matériaux in 5:40:45
2. Thymen Arensman (Ned) DSM at 0:07
3. Jai Hindley (Aus) BORA-hansgrohe at 1:24
4. Richard Carapaz (Ecu) INEOS Grenadiers
5. Alejandro Valverde (Spa) Movistar
6. Mikel Landa (Spa) Bahrain-Victorious
7. Lennard Kämna (Ger) BORA-hansgrohe at 1:38
8. João Almeida (Por) UAE Team Emirates
9. Vincenzo Nibali (Ita) Astana Qazaqstan at 2:06
10. Hugh Carthy (GB) EF Education-EasyPost at 2:13.

Giro d’Italia Overall After Stage 16:
1. Richard Carapaz (Ecu) INEOS Grenadiers in 68:49:06
2. Jai Hindley (Aus) BORA-hansgrohe at 0:03
3. João Almeida (Por) UAE Team Emirates at 0:44
4. Mikel Landa (Spa) Bahrain-Victorious at 0:59
5. Vincenzo Nibali (Ita) Astana Qazaqstan at 3:40
6. Domenico Pozzovivo (Ita) Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert Matériaux at 3:48
7. Pello Bilbao (Spa) Bahrain-Victorious at 3:51
8. Emanuel Buchmann (Ger) BORA-hansgrohe at 4:45
9. Jan Hirt (CZ) Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert Matériaux at 7:42
10. Alejandro Valverde (Spa) Movistar at 9:04.

Giro’22 stage 16:

Santiago Buitrago (Bahrain Victorious) won Stage 17 of the Giro d’Italia from the early break. The Colombian defeated Gijs Leemreize (Jumbo-Visma) in a mountain stage of 168 kilometres finishing in Lavarone. The decisive attack came from Buitrago just before the top of the final climb of Monterovere. Earlier in the stage it looked like Mathieu van der Poel was going to win, but his move collapsed on that last climb. Richard Carapaz, Jai Hindley and Mikel Landa solidified the Giro podium. Carapaz held the pink jersey.

The start of the stage was extremely tough due to the pouring rain and the Passo del Tonale of almost 9 kilometres. A 25-strong leading group of the day was formed on the first climb in several moves. There were no mountain points on the Tonale, but that didn’t stop Koen Bouwman, Giulio Ciccone and Diego Rosa (the top-3 in the KOM) going with the escape.

Mathieu van der Poel, Thymen Arensman, Sam Oomen, Gijs Leemreize and Mauri Vansevenant were also present, as were climbers: Jan Hirt, Guillaume Martin, Felix Gall, Hugh Carthy, Santiago Buitrago and Attila Valter. They were allowed a gap by the peloton, where INEOS Grenadiers kept them at between 3 to 4 minutes on the descent and in the valley towards the third category Giovo climb. On the Giovo, the lead of the break grew towards 5 minutes. At the top it was Bouwman who sprinted Ciccone off his wheel and took the maximum 9 KOM points. On the descent they pushed on and the lead group split in two. Van der Poel, Martin, Carthy, Bouwman, Oomen, Leemreize, Vansevenant, Ciccone, Lorenzo Fortunato, Alessandro Covi and Antonio Pedrero took a gap, but the chasing group with Arensman and Hirt managed to return. The lead had grown to 7 minutes, putting Hirt (at 7:42 overall) close to leader Richard Carapaz. The co-operation at the front was not good enough and Van der Poel attacked. Gall, Martin and Covi reacted, and the four rode away from the others. This meant that Jumbo-Visma had to chase to keep Bouwman in the race for the mountain jersey. The four leaders started the final with a 1:20 lead, which started with the Passo del Vetriolo (12km at 7.6%). Carthy, Bouwman, Buitrago, Hirt and Vansevenant accelerated from behind, which was too fast for Ciccone. The Italian wanted to follow, but was dropped early on the climb. Leemreize managed to join that group, but the difference to the Van der Poel group remained at 30 seconds. Carthy, Hirt, Bouwman and Buitrago were clearly the better climbers. Two kilometres from the top they caught Martin, Gall and an impressive Van der Poel, who helped set the pace on this Alpine climb. Soon after, Leemreize also fought back. Bouwman was then given space by his fellow escapees to take the 40 KOM points and extend his lead in the mountains competition.

In the peloton it was Bahrain Victorious who took the lead on behalf of Mikel Landa. The considerably thinned out favourites group crossed the Passo del Vetriolo 5 minutes after Bouwman. On the descent, Van der Poel and Leemreize managed to create a gap of 30 seconds on the others. They took a lot of risks and almost had to pay for it with a crash over the guard-rail, but both Dutchmen saved themselves in time. With a lead of 1:30, Van der Poel and Leemreize started the final climb to Monterovere (7.9km at 9.9%), a chase had not started. Van der Poel dropped his companion early, while Carthy, Hirt and Buitrago came closer with difficulty. Bouwman had done his KOM work and rode to the finish at his own pace. Van der Poel was on the road solo, although Leemreize kept close. Three kilometres from the summit, the young Jumbo-Visma climber pulled Van der Poel back and accelerated immediately. Van der Poel seemed broken and Leemreize immediately had a gap. Behind; Buitrago was chasing the Dutchman; he caught up with Van der Poel 2 kilometres from the top as Leemreize had a 40 second lead. In the last kilometre of the climb, Leemreize had Buitrago on his back. The Colombian closed on him 500 metres before the top. Buitrago tried to get away, but Leemreize fought back, but the Dutchman had to let go after a second attack. Buitrago started the descent towards Lavarone with a slight lead, although there was also a short climb in the final stretch.

The difference between Buitrago and Leemreize was about 12 seconds. The Jumbo-Visma rider didn’t give up, but was unable to keep up with the pace of the Colombian. Buitrago had 25 seconds on the difficult part towards Lavarone and had time to celebrate the stage win. Leemreize crossed the finish line 35 seconds later. Van der Poel was caught in the final by Hirt, Carthy and the GC riders to eventually take 12th place on the stage. In the favourites group, Almeida had a hard time on the Monterovere after an acceleration by Bahrain Victorious. Of all the classification riders, Carapaz, Landa and Hindley again proved to be the best. Richie Porte and Wout Poels were the only helpers they could follow. Landa’s double attack caused even more damage, although Carapaz and Hindley were able to follow. Just before the summit there seemed to be some cracks in Carapaz and Hindley, but they still came over the top on the wheel of Landa and Poels. The favourites for the final win gave each other no space. João Almeida, Vincenzo Nibali and Domenico Pozzovivo had long since disappeared. In the end, the top men crossed the finish line just under 3 minutes from Buitrago. Carapaz made a long sprint for 5th place, but Hindley was on the wheel of the pink jersey. Landa was unable to hold the sprint and lost about 5 seconds on the other two. Almeida lost almost 1:10 to Carapaz, Nibali conceded more than 2 minutes.

# See more photos in the full PEZ ‘Stage 17 Race Report’ HERE. #

Stage winner, Santiago Buitrago (Bahrain Victorious): “I’m very happy with this victory, it’s my first Giro, it means a lot to me. When I crossed the finish line, I thought of my family. I’ve had opportunities to hunt for stage wins and today it finally worked. This win is very important for my career in general. I also have a good GC ranking. This Giro exceeds my expectations. We came with Landa with the goal of fighting for GC. I see him in good condition. I managed to help him yesterday. Mikel knows what today’s win means for me and our moral from now until the end of the Giro.”

Maglia Rosa and 5th on the stage, Richard Carapaz (INEOS Grenadiers): “Today three riders stand out on GC. Landa has a good level, Hindley also, the first place will be played among us. I think I have very good legs and we do things intelligently, so does Bahrain. All GC riders combined forces when Almeida started to get dropped. There are two important stages remaining before I start thinking of the closing time trial in Verona, especially stage 20. All details including time bonuses will count.”

2nd on the stage, Gijs Leemreize (Jumbo-Visma): “Disappointment prevails now. At one point I thought I was going to win. In the end I have to admit that Buitrago was stronger, so I can live with it. But for a while I had the hope that I would catch him. Van der Poel started so hard. I thought: he’s never going to last. But that also made me start too hard. I kept an eye on him. When Van der Poel also broke, I thought it was possible. Only, then of course I also heard that Buitrago was getting close. I was just dying. When he got over, I really couldn’t take it anymore. I was lactate up to my ears. There was no more in it. I tried to save quite a bit yesterday, and it payed off today. This is how I try to choose my days in this Giro.”

3rd on the stage and 7th overall, Jan Hirt (Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert Matériaux): “Knowing that the start was uphill today, I toyed with the idea of attacking again. When I saw a large group distancing the peloton with some of my contenders for GC, I didn’t hesitate one moment and jumped towards this group with the help of Rein Taaramäe. His presence was ideal, just like yesterday with Lorenzo Rota I could benefit from having a teammate in the breakaway. We managed to gain a nice advantage on the peloton so it became clear that I could do a good job in the general classification. I spent quite some energy to maintain this gap and that’s why I didn’t manage to rival for the stage win today, with riders who were racing with another intension and fresher legs. I’m happy with this new podium for the team and my current seventh place in the general classification. The stage tomorrow is rather flat, so let’s hope that we can enjoy some relative rest and that Domenico and I can give all we have left to achieve the best possible result in the three last hard days!”

6th on the stage and 2nd overall, Jai Hindley (BORA-hansgrohe): “It remains difficult to make differences. The level with Richard Carapaz and Mikel Landa is very evenly matched. It may not have been the most decisive stage, but I’m glad I can get a little time on the other riders. It was a very tough climb at the end. A lot of riders were very tired after yesterday’s epic ride. And today the pace was again high. It will be a difficult final weekend.”

10th on the stage and 3rd overall, Mikel Landa (Bahrain-Victorious): “It was another hard mountain stage. We took control on the second last climb and pushed the pace to start making the stage harder. In the end, we tried to drop some contenders, but we have seen really strong legs from Hindley (Bora) and Carapaz (Ineos), but we’ve gained some seconds on Almeida. It’s a good sign, and I’m happy. I’m also happy with the team performance and obviously super happy about Santi’s win. He has tried a couple of times, but today we saw his class. Overall a very good day for us.”

12th on the stage, Mathieu van der Poel (Alpein-Fenix): “I felt good uphill today. I was just hoping it would keep raining and stay cool. It was the first time that the temperature was somewhat normal again, and that suits me just a bit better. I’m also lucky to be able to do my thing in the descent. Actually, it is usually the intention to get to the front with a good group, to be able to take it easy at the end. But today I felt good, so I gave it a try. But the pace was very high on the first climb. We rode away with a good group, and then I felt pretty okay all day. I can live with not winning. It’s not that I was very close or anything. It was an all-or-nothing attempt in the hope that Gijs would break. Then maybe I could get wings, but he kept pushing. I had tried to make the hole for the steep part a bit, and try to get over it with wings. But that may have been a little optimistic. For the rest it was a good day. Was my attempt overestimated then? Certainly not. My power meter wasn’t working so I didn’t know what I was doing. But I knew I had to try that way. Gijs is of course the better climber.”

Giro d’Italia Stage 17 Result:
1. Santiago Buitrago (Col) Bahrain-Victorious in 4:27:41
2. Gijs Leemreize (Ned) Jumbo-Visma at 0:35
3. Jan Hirt (CZ) Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert Matériaux at 2:28
4. Hugh Carthy (GB) EF Education-EasyPost
5. Richard Carapaz (Ecu) INEOS Grenadiers at 2:53
6. Jai Hindley (Aus) BORA-hansgrohe
7. Mauri Vansevenant (Bel) Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl at 2:57
8. Koen Bouwman (Ned) Jumbo-Visma at 2:59
9. Guillaume Martin (Fra) Cofidis
10. Mikel Landa (Spa) Bahrain-Victorious.

Giro d’Italia Overall After Stage 17:
1. Richard Carapaz (Ecu) INEOS Grenadiers in 73:19:40
2. Jai Hindley (Aus) BORA-hansgrohe at 0:03
3. Mikel Landa (Spa) Bahrain-Victorious at 1:05
4. João Almeida (Por) UAE Team Emirates at 1:54
5. Vincenzo Nibali (Ita) Astana Qazaqstan at 5:48
6. Pello Bilbao (Spa) Bahrain-Victorious at 6:19
7. Jan Hirt (CZ) Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert Matériaux at 7:12
8. Emanuel Buchmann (Ger) BORA-hansgrohe at 7:13
9. Juan Pedro López (Spa) Trek-Segafredo at 12:27
10. Domenico Pozzovivo (Ita) Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert Matériaux at 12:30.

Giro’22 stage 17:

Tour of Norway 2022
Remco Evenepoel has gone straight for his victory in Liège-Bastogne-Liège to another win. In the opening Stage 1 of the Tour of Norway, the leader of Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl took an impressive sprint win on the uphill finish in Voss. Norwegian neopro Tobias Halland Johannessen was second, Spaniard Eduard Prades third.

The Tour of Norway started on Tuesday with a 173.6 kilometre stage from Bergen to Voss, with an uphill finish. Early in the race there was a leading group of six men including Jokin Murguialday (Caja Rural-Seguros RGA), Stephen Bassett (Human Powered Health), Jens Reynders (Sport Vlaanderen-Baloise), Frederik Muff (Team ColoQuick) and Håkon Aalrust and Eirik Lunder bot of Team Coop). They took a 5 minute lead on the peloton in rainy conditions. INEOS Grenadiers, Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl and Uno-X, the teams of Ethan Hayter, Remco Evenepoel and Tobias Halland Johannessen (winner of the Tour de l’Avenir in 2021), took responsibility and set the pace in the chase. In the second half of the race, the pace accelerated and the gap with the leading group started to decrease, until the six riders in front were within sight. Their lead then fluctuated around a minute for a long time.

The peloton closed the gap in the last 10 kilometres. Huff tried to go it alone, but 5 kilometres from the finish everything was back together. It finally came down to the final climb (2.1km at 8.4%) with a maximum gradient of 14.2%. On the climb, several riders attacked, but the race stayed together for a long time. In the last 300 metres Eduard Prades opened the debates and that lunge was answered by Evenepoel. The Belgian saw Tobias Halland Johannessen come close, but held him off to the finish. For Evenepoel, the Tour of Norway is his first race since Liège-Bastogne-Liège, where he took the victory a month ago after a solo of 14 kilometres. Since then he had time with his family and traveled to Spain for an altitude training camp. He had announced in advance that he wanted to succeed right away in the Norwegian stage race.

Stage winner and overall leader, Remco Evenepoel (Bel) Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl): “It was a cold and hard day. We had some low temperatures, rain, and even some wind, but the guys controlled the race perfectly and played a big part in my success. I am happy to return to competition with a victory and delighted that I had the legs to kick out and make the difference when it mattered. It’s always great to start a race like this, especially when I think this is the first time that I won an uphill sprint. We know it won’t be easy, but we’ll try to defend the orange jersey in the coming days.”

Tour of Norway Stage 1 Result:
1. Remco Evenepoel (Bel) Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl in 4:21:31
2. Tobias Halland Johannessen (Nor) Uno-X
3. Eduard Prades (Spa) Caja Rural-Seguros RGA at 0:02
4. Luke Plapp (Aus) INEOS Grenadiers at 0:03
5. Ethan Hayter (GB) INEOS Grenadiers
6. Esteban Chaves (Col) EF Education-EasyPost at 0:05
7. Gianluca Brambilla (Ita) Trek-Segafredo
8. Mike Teunissen (Ned) Jumbo-Visma
9. Cian Uijtdebroeks (Bel) BORA-hansgrohe
10. Laurens Huys (Bel) Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert Matériaux.

Tour of Norway Overall After Stage 1:
1. Remco Evenepoel (Bel) Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl in 4:21:21
2. Tobias Halland Johannessen (Nor) Uno-X at 0:04
3. Eduard Prades (Spa) Caja Rural-Seguros RGA at 0:08
4. Luke Plapp (Aus) INEOS Grenadiers at 0:13
5. Ethan Hayter (GB) INEOS Grenadiers
6. Esteban Chaves (Col) EF Education-EasyPost at 0:15
7. Gianluca Brambilla (Ita) Trek-Segafredo
8. Mike Teunissen (Ned) Jumbo-Visma
9. Cian Uijtdebroeks (Bel) BORA-hansgrohe
10. Laurens Huys (Bel) Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert Matériaux.

Norway’22 stage 1:

Stage 2 of the Tour of Norway was won by Ethan Hayter on Wednesday. The Briton of INEOS Grenadiers hit the streets of Geilo after a short but explosive stage of 123 kilometres. Mike Teunissen (Jumbo-Visma) finished second behind Tobias Halland Johannessen. The Norwegian from Uno-X took 5 bonus seconds and Remco Evenepoel’s leader’s jersey.

The climb to Dyranut of 28 kilometres at 4.4% was the main focus of this stage. The climb started after 40 kilometres and put many sprinters in trouble. Alexander Kristoff was one of the first to be dropped, along with Ethon Vernon, Sam Welsford and Gianni Vermeersch. Mike Teunissen and Mads Pedersen also had a hard time, but they were able to get back.

The early break, consisting of Aaron Van Poucke (Sport Vlaanderen-Baloise), Emil Vinjebo (Riwal), Jeppe Aaskov Pallesen (ColoQuick) and Hakon Aalrust (Coop) was caught on the climb to Dyranut. In the end, a peloton of about 30 riders entered the final towards Geilo. Thirty kilometres before the finish, Pedersen was dropped from that group, together with Gianluca Brambilla, Esteban Chaves, Michael Valgreen and Cian Uijtdebroeks. Up front, INEOS Grenadiers and Israel-Premier Tech set the pace for Ethan Hayter and Patrick Bevin, while GC leader Remco Evenepoel sat up front. The Pedersen group saw their loss rise to more than 30 seconds.

In the last 20 kilometres, Evenepoel and Kasper Asgreen were dropped off at the front, while Jumbo-Visma also formed a train with Timo Roosen and Mike Teunissen. Dutch champion Roosen was the first to sprint for Teunissen, but the Dutchman was narrowly beaten by Hayter on the downhill finish. Third place went to Tobias Halland Johannessen. The Uno-X rider finished second in the opening stage on Tuesday. Due to the 4 bonus seconds at the finish and 1 bonus second he took at the intermediate sprint, he is now ahead Remco Evenepoel in the general classification. Johannessen now leads the Belgian by one second. Hayter is on the same time as Evenepoel on the GC.

Stage winner and 2nd overall, Ethan Hayter (INEOS Grenadiers): “It’s incredible. To keep winning races is so nice and I owe that one to my teammates. We knew it could be windy and actually the snowbanks were making a lot of shelter. We knew a few guys were sat at the back and we thought we’d try (split the race). It was good fun! We did our homework before as riders and we thought this could be a nice moment to go if it hadn’t already gone on the climb. It was quite a small group in the end, so we made some time for GC.”

Tour of Norway Stage 2 Result:
1. Ethan Hayter (GB) INEOS Grenadiers in 2:53:17
2. Mike Teunissen (Ned) Jumbo-Visma
3. Tobias Halland Johannessen (Nor) Uno-X
4. Patrick Bevin (NZ) Israel-Premier Tech
5. Marco Haller (Aust) BORA-hansgrohe
6. Kasper Asgreen (Den) Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl
7. Aaron Van Poucke (Bel) Sport Vlaanderen-Baloise
8. Jonas Gregaard (Den) Uno-X
9. Luke Plapp (Aus) INEOS Grenadiers
10. Timo Roosen (Ned) Jumbo-Visma.

Tour of Norway Overall After Stage 2:
1. Tobias Halland Johannessen (Nor) Uno-X in 7:14:37
2. Ethan Hayter (GB) INEOS Grenadiers at 0:01
3. Remco Evenepoel (Bel) Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl
4. Mike Teunissen (Ned) Jumbo-Visma at 0:10
5. Luke Plapp (Aus) INEOS Grenadiers at 0:14
6. Carl Fredrik Hagen (Nor) Israel-Premier Tech at 0:16
7. Tao Geoghegan Hart (GB) INEOS Grenadiers
8. Jay Vine (Aus) Alpecin-Fenix
9. Patrick Bevin (NZ) Israel – Premier Tech at 0:26
10. Marco Brenner (Ger) DSM.

Norway’22 stage 2:

Ellen van Dijk Sets a New Women’s World Hour Record
Ellen van Dijk is the new holder of the World hour record. The Trek-Segafredo Dutch rider rode a total distance of 49.254 kilometres on the Grenchen track in Switzerland to smash Joscelin Lowden’s old record.

Lowden recorded 48.405 kilometres, also in Grenchen, in 2021 and improved the old record of Vittoria Bussi by almost 400 metres. On Monday the 23rd of May, Ellen van Dijk, the current world time trial champion managed to better Lowden’s schedule. Afterwards, the Dutchman looked back on an hour of suffering. “I was quite nervous at the beginning, but I did exactly what we had discussed beforehand. The plan was to speed up in the second part, but that didn’t really work out. In fact, it all went a little slower. It took a really long time after that,” Van Dijk can laughed. “After 45 minutes I really wanted to accelerate, but I was slowing down. In short, there was no more.”

Van Dijk is very happy with her hour record of 49.254 kilometres. “I’m really, really happy with breaking the hour record. In the first half hour I rode laps of 18.1 and 18.2 (seconds) and I knew I was well covered. I thought to myself: ‘if I don’t go above 18.5 now, I have the record’. At a certain point I could no longer hear everything from the side and it all became a bit blurry. I no longer rode such straight lines.”

“I was so happy when I heard it was over,” continues Van Dijk, who looks back with great pleasure despite all the pain. “It was a really great project. The whole build up was a really great experience. I couldn’t have wished for more support from my Trek-Segafredo team. Everyone has put so much time and energy into it. I also thought about everyone who worked so hard during my ride. I had to pay them back. All I can say now is: ride bikes, have fun, feel good!”

New World hour record holder – Ellen van Dijk:

Simon Yates Abandons the 2022 Giro d’Italia
Double stage winner Simon Yates abandoned the Giro d’Italia on Wednesday’s stage 17 after suffering with ongoing knee pain.

The 29-year-old Brit stormed to victory in the time trial event on stage two before unfortunately crashing on stage four to Mount Etna, which saw the Team BikeExchange-Jayco suffer knee issues on the following stages.

After working with the medical team, Yates was able to continue the race, bouncing back for a phenomenal solo win on stage 14.

However, with persistent knee issues, the decision was made for Yates to withdraw from the race to make a full recovery.

Dr. Matteo Beltemacchi (Team BikeExchange-Jayco Doctor): “Yates’ fall on Mount Etna and subsequent knee problem (likely edema of the bony spongiosa of the patella) weighed down on the rider for all following stages of the Giro d’Italia. Despite daily therapy and Simon’s tenacity, that resulted in a second stage win, the knee pain grew worse and worse, eventually leading to the decision for his retirement from the race.”

Simon Yates abandons the 2022 Giro:

Medical Update Biniam Girmay
Biniam Girmay underwent a new medical screening in Belgium this Tuesday following the eye injury he sustained during the Giro d’Italia. The left eye of the Eritrean rider from Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert Matériaux did not heal enough to resume training yet, but it is expected that this should be the case within the next ten days.

Biniam Girmay Hailu: “I am feeling better but I am not able to ride my bike just yet. Fortunately, I will not have any after-effects and this makes me happy. I would like to thank the doctors for the good advice and my team for the support. I hope to be able to race soon and resume my race program after some rest at home in Asmara, as it was scheduled before the start of the season. I’ve been following the team in the Giro d’Italia and I hope my teammates will achieve more success!”

Evenepoel: “Last 200 Metres of Liège I was Riding on a Cloud”
Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl’s 22-year-old Belgian – who returns to racing at the Tour of Norway – looked back on his biggest victory to date and talked about his expectations for this week.

The last month, since my win in Liège–Bastogne–Liège, has actually been quite relaxing.
“In the week after the race, I took some time off and spent some time with my family and my friends, and did the things that I had to cancel in the months previously, because I was always away racing or training. Then I had two weeks of hard training in Spain, which has brought me here to Norway, where I am about to start racing again. So, it was a really relaxing time after such a big win and maybe it will be the month that I will enjoy most during the season.”

“It still feels like it was the perfect day, apart from Julian and Ilan’s crash. I was never in trouble and my positioning was good all of the time, and I felt confident in the guys. Pieter and Tim worked really hard to deliver me to the bottom of La Redoute, and then Louis and Mauri brought me to the top.”

“The attack was exactly like we planned it to be – an all-out effort in a straight line, and then when I got to the right corner, Klaas said in the radio that I had 15 seconds and I decided to continue. Luckily, I had really strong legs that afternoon and I was able to finish it off in Liège, on one of the most beautiful days on my bike, in my life. I won’t have many days in my career that go that well and I had to maximise on feeling that good.”

I think winning there has made me feel more relaxed.
“My training and the work I have had to do since then have gone really smoothly, and nothing has felt like an obligation. I think it allows me to approach things in a different way, because I had worked so hard for that win in the months leading up to Liege, even since my first training camp in December and the races since, it was all in function of that win in Liège. The way that I won it is how I wanted to win it, and to be able to show myself in that way, it will help me know that I can just have fun on the bike in the future.”

“When I was having dinner with some friends, my family and my girlfriend, it dawned on me that I had won a Monument and that added a different perspective. I had won San Sebastian in the past, which was really special, but this was different – it is a historic race, the oldest Monument in the world, and to be the youngest winner in more than 50 years is special. Still to this day it is difficult to realise. For example, in the last 200 meters it didn’t really feel like I was riding over a finish line and it was like I was in a dream, riding on a cloud. And now when I see a friend or I am riding with someone they are saying ‘Hey, you know you won Liège!’ and then you realise it is something really special.”

It is a memory for life, I think.
“I saw the video that the team made. I obviously couldn’t see what was going on behind the scenes because I was in the race, but when I arrived at the finish to see Patrick, the other riders, the team staff and my family – everybody had tears in their eyes. I couldn’t help but cry myself and all of the emotions came out in that moment. The team had a difficult spring and I hope that this victory can give everyone a boost for the rest of the season. For everybody involved it was a big relief because we are known as a Classics team and even though we still won two, it wasn’t the season we had been expecting, and hopefully now we can push on.”

“It is really exciting to start racing again in Norway, a country where I raced also three years ago, in my debut season. It is going to be a really difficult parcours and the weather is not good, but that will make it a difficult challenge. I would like to leave here with a good result and some good feelings in my legs, because I have some big challenges coming up. After two weeks of hard training, I think I will be ready and I hope I will be fresh enough to compete every day. With my coaches and the team management we made good training plans for my last two weeks to help me to prepare to compete against the best guys, where I hope I can take a stage win and maybe the GC, but also look to take a sprint with Ethan.”

Astana Qazaqstan Interested in Nairo Quintana
Nairo Quintana is currently racing for the French Arkéa-Samsic team, but the 32 year-old Colombian may ride for Astana Qazaqstan next year. According to Spanish media, the Kazakh team are interested in the two-time Grand Tour winner.

Eurosport journalist and commentator Javier Ares was the first to announce the news and now sports newspaper Marca is also reporting Astana’s interest in the Colombian climber. The team is looking for a new leader for the tours, as Vincenzo Nibali will retire at the end of the season. Miguel Ángel López, the other Astana leader, still has a contract until the end of 2023.

Quintana has been associated with Astana several times in the past, but it never came to a deal with Alexander Vinokourov’s team. The climber started his European adventure in 2012 with Movistar and rode for eight seasons for the telecom team. In the winter of 2019, he signed a contract with Arkéa-Samsic. Quintana is in his third season in French employment, but his contract will expire after this season.

The winner of the Giro d’Italia (2014) and Vuelta a España (2016) started this season with overall victories in the Tour de La Provence and the Tour des Alpes Maritimes et du Var. He also rode to the top 5 in Paris-Nice and the Tour of Catalonia. Quintana is currently preparing for the Tour de France.

Quintana to Astana?

Arkéa Samsic Interested in Guillaume Martin
Arkea Samsic is interested in Guillaume Martin. The French climber’s contract with his current Cofidis runs out at the end of the year, but he has the interest of the ambitious team of Emmanuel Hubert, which wants to take the step to the WorldTour next winter.

Team manager Emmanuel Hubert confirmed in conversation with Le Télégramme his interest in 28-year-old Guillaume Martin, who is currently in the Giro d’Italia and is sitting in 10th place overall. “Yes, we are interested in him. He is a rider of stature in French cycling, he is a certainty.”

Martin turned professional with Wanty-Groupe Gobert in 2016. After four years he transferred to Cofidis in 2020. During his time with the French team, he won the mountain jersey of the Vuelta a España 2020 and the Mercan’Tour Classic Alpes-Maritimes 2021. He also finished eighth in the Tour de France in 2021.

Guillaume Martin to Arkéa?

Julien Simon Wants to Stay with TotalEnergies
Julien Simon is expected to extend his contract with TotalEnergies. This is what the 36 year-old all-rounder said in conversation with Le Télégramme. “I know that Jean-René Bernaudeau (team manager) is counting on me for 2023 and I really want to continue.”

Simon is in a successful period. This month he won the Grand Prix du Morbihan and the Tour du Finistère and finished eighth in the general classification of the Four Days of Dunkirk. On Sunday he was also eighth in the Boucles de l’Aulne-Châteaulin.

For the coming weeks, the Boucles de la Mayenne (26-29 May), the Mont Ventoux Dénivelé Challenge (14 June), La Route d’Occitanie (16-19 June) and the French Road Championship in Cholet (26 June) are on its way. He will not start in Tour de France at his own request.

Julien Simon to stay with TotalEnergies:

Alaphilippe Training in the Sierra Nevada
Julian Alaphilippe was spotted in the Sierra Nevada this week. The World champion is working on his recovery in the south of Spain, a month after his crash in Liège-Bastogne-Liège. Alaphilippe suffered several fractures and a collapsed lung, but his recovery is now clearly going in the right direction.

His Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl team announced just two weeks ago that Alaphilippe could train on the rollers at home. The 29-year-old Frenchman was not able to cycle outdoors at that time, but the world now looks completely different for Alaphilippe.

“After my last examination in Herentals it was nice to be able to get back on my bike for the first time since my crash in Liège–Bastogne–Liège. The good news was that my lung had completely recovered, which I was of course very happy about. The broken bones were still painful, which is completely normal as these injuries take more time to recover, but I was advised that I was ok to start training. I spent a few days on my rollers, which was great, but I was really happy to be able to try and spend a few hours out on the road. After a few days, I did not have any unexpected bad feelings, and it was decided that I should join the team in Sierra Nevada, where they have a training camp, and where I could try and find my normal rhythm.”

“Of course, I can’t yet be doing the same work as all of the guys here, as I need some time to train to take back my shape and I still have to be careful to not push my injuries so hard. I am super happy to be with the guys though, as we have a great atmosphere and perfect conditions in which to train. Every day I am improving, and I hope to continue like this – my injuries just need time, so there is no need to have any intervention or surgery, which is why I am able to ride again and it was decided with the team that I am ok to come out here and join the camp. I am trying to be an optimist, but I know I need to take my time and to see how the training is going. If everything continues as it is, then the option of the Tour de France is still open, which is still in my mind, but it is really important that we do not rush anything and we continue to be patient, keep talking with the medical team and take their advice before we decide when I can race again.”

“I would like to thank all of the staff at Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl, Patrick, the Doctors, everyone at the hospital in Herentals and my family who looked after me and helped me during this difficult time, and for all the kind messages that I have received.”

Julian Alaphilippe recovering:

Former Colombian Professional, Jaime Restrepo, Dies After Shooting Incident
Colombian ex-pro Jaime Restrepo, who was 9th in the World junior time trial championships in 2014, was shot in Colombia and died as a result. It was reported by El Tiempo. Restrepo rode for the Romanian Team Novák in recent years. He was 25 years old.

Restrepo was found dead in Ciudad Bolivar, a city in the department of Antioquia, of which Medellín is the capital. Antioquia police said eyewitnesses saw two armed suspects on a motorcycle approaching Restrepo, after which one of them fired multiple shots at him. The ex-rider would have died within minutes. The motives for the murder are not yet clear. A 35-year-old suspect has been arrested, from whom a revolver has been seized.

In his time as a junior, Restrepo was known as a great talent. In addition to the ninth place at the World time trial championships – won by Lennard Kämna, Filippo Ganna was fourth – he was also active on the track. With the Colombian team he raced, in 2014, to silver at the World junior team pursuit championship. In the same year, he also became Pan-American time trial champion in his age category.

With the U23, Restrepo didn’t have such good results, partly due to injuries. From 2019 to last year, he raced for Romanian Novák, which was initially a continental team, but took a step back in 2021 and became a club team. He hadn’t raced this year, but he was still training in hopes of continuing his career.

RIP Jaime Restrepo:

UCI Publishes Statement on the Former Gazprom-RusVelo Team Situation
The UCI has released a statement about the situation regarding the former Gazprom-RusVelo team. The UCI responds to the criticism it received after it withdrew the license of the Russian team. The International Cycling Union denies that it is doing too little to find a solution for the riders and staff, who have been out of work since the decision.

The press release begins by noting that the UCI has taken two measures because of the war that Russia started in Ukraine. In addition to revoking the license of (among others) Gazprom-RusVelo, this concerns the statement that sponsorship by Russian or Belarusian companies or brands is “damaging the image of cycling”. “Any display of the sponsor Gazprom, as well as the name ‘RusVelo’, is therefore prohibited at all events on the UCI calendar until further notice.”

The UCI says it understands that financing problems have arisen mainly because of this second measure. That is why the cycling union has informed the management of the team about “possible solutions and conditions for a return to competition”. This mainly concerns a change in the nationality of the team (the team’s paying agent comes from Switzerland), and the financial capacities of the team.

Not only the team is well informed, according to the UCI. In addition to the information given to the team about a possible return to competition, the UCI has also responded to all riders’ reactions and proposals from riders. “Unfortunately, the proposals made – whether made by the team or by the riders – could not be considered, as they amounted to the UCI paying the costs of the team.”

“With regard to the protection of the riders, the UCI has reminded them and the Cyclistes Professionnels Associés (CPA) that there is a bank guarantee based on UCI regulations, covering three months’ salaries for all riders and staff in the event of default.” According to the UCI, despite repeated reminders, there have been no requests for this cover.

Since 1 March, the UCI has also given the affected riders the opportunity to change teams during the season. “The riders in question will have the opportunity to deviate from the rules regarding transfers, so that they can switch teams at any time during the season and thus continue their career in another team,” the cycling federation wrote. Some riders, such as Nicola Conci (Alpecin-Fenix ​​Development), Eirik Lunder (return to Team Coop) and Michael Kukrle (return to Elkov-Kasper) did indeed take advantage of this.

“Since March 1, the UCI has never stopped communicating regularly with the teams concerned and replying to all their proposals, as well as those of their riders,” concludes the UCI. “The UCI remains at the disposal of the team management and the riders to work with them on the best possible solution.”

Not much hope for Gazprom-RusVelo:

Boucles de la Mayenne (May 26-29)
Benoît Cosnefroy: “I have just finished a training camp in the Sierra Nevada which went very well. We did a good block of work ahead of the second part of the season with a mix of riding at elevation and doing a few more leisurely outings. We all worked well. I am approaching the Boucles de la Mayenne with a lot of desire to do well. There is always a little bit of uncertainty just after a training camp at altitude, but I hope to have the good condition to play a role at the front. The course is a little more hilly than last year, which suits me better. There will be a great fight, especially the first two days. The objective will be to win a stage but why not think about the general classification if it all goes well. I hope to build up the pressure until the Tour de Suisse (June 12-19) and be ready for the start of the Tour de France (July 1-24) in just over a month.”

During a training camp in the Sierra Nevada from May 9 to 23, Benoît Cosnefroy covered 1560 kilometres and 28000 metres of elevation gain.

Calmejane and Vendrame with the most race days in 2022
As of the rest day this Monday at the Giro d’Italia, Lilian Calmejane and Andrea Vendrame are the AG2R CITROËN TEAM riders with the most racing days this year. They both have raced 42 days, or 6829 kilometres for Andrea Vendrame and 6799 kilometres for Lilian Calmejane.

UAE Team Emirates Set for Boucles de la Mayenne
Team heads to French stage race
UAE Team Emirates kick off the middle part of the calendar with the Boucles de la Mayenne in France which runs over 4 road stages from 26 – 29 May.

The team will look towards the speed of Sebastian Molano in the sprints while young Finn Fisher Black could spark a surprise in the General Classification.

Sports Directors Fabrizio Guidi (Ita) and Manuele Mori (Ita) will take charge of the team for the French block of racing.

Boucles de la Mayenne [2.Pro] – 26-May-2022 / 29-May-2022:
-Alexys Brunel (Fra)
-Finn Fisher Black (NZ)
-Sebastian Molano (Col)
-Joel Suter (Swi)
-Oliviero Troia (Ita)

RideLondon Classique – MAY 27 – 29
Pim Ligthart – Team DSM coach: “Our block of Women’s World Tour stage racing continues as we head to the RideLondon Classique this week. It’s an interesting route where the opening day has an uphill kick to the line, stage two has some short hills in the finale which might see attacks before the traditional finish route in London on the final day. We can expect three nice days of racing where our fast finishers, next to day results, potentially also have an opportunity for a good GC if things are controlled each stage. We bring a strong and motivated team and we’re looking forward to getting stuck into the action.”

Line-up:
Pfeiffer Georgi (GBR)
Megan Jastrab (USA)
Leah Kirchmann (CAN)
Franziska Koch (GER)
Charlotte Kool (NED)
Lorena Wiebes (NED).

Georgi on home roads:

Bahrain Victorious Sign Matevž Govekar
Bahrain Victorious are pleased to announce the signing of young Slovenian rider Matevž Govekar from Tirol KTM Cycling Team from the 1st of June.

The midseason jump up to the WorldTour for the 22-year-old is an exciting step for a rider who is considered an all-rounder with a fast finish. “I’m super excited to be joining Team Bahrain Victorious now in the middle of the season, and I will use the remaining time to gain experience and learn from the experienced riders and staff in the team.”

Tirol KTM Cycling Team General Manager, Thomas Pupp, is pleased for Matevz on this major career step and adds: “Matevz really deserves this ticket to the WorldTour. He is highly talented, focused, smart and one of the fastest young men in Europe. With Bahrain Victorious, he has also found the best environment for himself. But Matevž’s move to the WorldTour is also a great success for us as a U23 development team because it confirms our reputation as a springboard for young talents. We wish Matevž all the best.”

Critérium du Dauphiné 2022 – Yellow on the Horizon
With July approaching, yellow is the fashionable colour. This year, the tendency should not be an exception, and the colour will be the most observed when the peloton sets off, as the Jumbo-Visma team has chosen to go to the Critérium du Dauphiné to try to show its strength. With Primož Roglič and Jonas Vingegaard as leaders, the two runners-up to Tadej Pogačar in the Tour de France in 2020 and 2021, it is clear the yellow and black team has more than its fair share of the pre-race favourites. The rest of the line-up indicates that the Jumbo-Visma riders certainly will have the opportunity to excel every day by establishing a hold on the race as they did a few months earlier on Paris-Nice. The stages in the Ardèche could be suitable for Wout van Aert or Christophe Laporte, whereas the time trial in La Bâtie d’Urfé could be a good opportunity for Rohan Dennis to star. In the mountains, the big names will also be able to count on the support of lieutenants like Tiesj Benoot and Steven Kruijswijk. The list is impressive, but the future is never so easy to read in the entry lists, and the potential rivals of the “Primož gang” will also have their say throughout the week.

The most logical choice to compete with them is Ineos Grenadiers, the British team that has won seven of the last eleven editions of the Dauphiné, including last year with Richie Porte. The role assigned to the Australian in 2021 will this time go to Tao Geoghegan Hart, who has not had the opportunity to take on the leadership role for his team since winning the Giro in October 2020. On a different note, his teammates Filippo Ganna and Ethan Hayter are also expected to impress. The anticipated match could be troubled by several riders, who at times have performed well during the season. For example, this is the case for the winner of the Tour of Sicily, Damiano Caruso and his teammate at Bahrain Victorious Jack Haig, 6th on Paris-Nice; or Brandon McNulty, twice winner at the beginning of the season on the roads of Ardèche. A rider like Wilco Kelderman (4th in 2021) should not be excluded from the list of contenders, as the valiant Dutchman plans to ride the Giro d’Italia and the Dauphiné in a row. Among the French teams, AG2R Citroën Team is counting on Australian Ben O’Connor for the Alps challenge. The Dauphiné could also be a chance for David Gaudu, who won a stage on the Tour of Algarve, but was then troubled by crashes and physical problems, to get back to serious business, while Warren Barguil has honed his calves by winning on the roads of the Tirreno-Adriatico and the GP Indurain.

Key points:
Ø Among the riders of the 74th edition of the Critérium du Dauphiné, which will start in Ardèche on 5 June and finish on 12 June on the Plateau de Solaison in Haute-Savoie, the yellow and black jerseys of Jumbo-Visma are the most likely favourites. The Dutch team has a similar line-up to the one that dominated Paris-Nice with Primož Roglič and Wout van Aert, but with the addition of Denmark’s Jonas Vingegaard.
Ø Facing this armada, the Ineos Grenadiers will not be left behind with Tao Geoghegan Hart as the leader. The competition could also come from American Brandon McNulty, Australian Ben O’Connor or Frenchmen David Gaudu and Warren Barguil.

22 teams, the leading riders (as of 25/05)

Australia
Team BikeExchange-Jayco: Groenewegen (Ned)

Bahrain
Bahrain Victorious: Haig (Aus), Caruso (Ita), Teuns (Bel)

Belgium
Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl Team: Cavagna (Fra), Bagioli (Ita)
Lotto Soudal: Barbero (Esp), Van Gils (Bel)
Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert Matériaux: Meintjes (Rsa), Bakelants (Bel)

France
AG2R Citroën Team: O’Connor (Aus), Paret-Peintre (Fra), Van Avermaet (Bel)
Groupama-FDJ: Gaudu, Madouas (Fra), Storer (Aus)
Cofidis: Lafay (Fra), Geschke (Ger)
Team Arkea-Samsic: Barguil, Louvel (Fra)
TotalEnergies: Latour, Vuillermoz (Fra), Boasson Hagen (Nor)
B&B Hotels-KTM: Bonnamour, Koretzky, Rolland (Fra), Mozzato (Ita)

Germany
BORA-hansgrohe: Kelderman (Ned), Konrad (Aut), Politt (Ger)

Great Britain
Ineos Grenadiers: Geoghegan Hart, Hayter (Gbr), Ganna (Ita), Kwiatkowski (Pol)

Israel
Israel-Premier Tech: Froome (Gbr)

Kazakhstan
Astana-Qazaqstan Team: Battistella (Ita)

Netherlands
Team DSM: Combaud (Fra)
Jumbo-Visma: Roglic (Slo), Vingegaard (Den), Van Aert (Bel), Laporte (Fra), Dennis (Aus)

Norway
Uno-X Pro Cycling Team: T.Johannessen (Nor)

Spain
Movistar Team: Mas, Rodriguez (Esp)

United Arab Emirates
UAE Team Emirates: McNulty (Usa), Bennett (Nzl)

United States
EF Education-Easypost: Almeida (Por), Chaves (Col), Padun (Ukr)
Trek-Segafredo: Stuyven (Bel), Elissonde, Gallopin (Fra)

Roglič and Van Aert will be at the start of the Dauphiné:

Off-Script: INEOS Grenadiers at the Giro – Behind the Scenes in Budapest
Go behind the scenes with the INEOS Grenadiers at the Grand Partenza in Hungary. Hear from a host of riders including Richard Carapaz and Richie Porte in the latest episode of Off-Script.

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