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The Tour de France just doesn’t stop giving. We catch up with the action with reports, rider quotes and video. The Roodhooft Brothers on Mathieu van der Poel – TOP STORY. Team announcements for the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift and Wahoo ‘Open The Road Episode 2’ video. Rider news: Miguel Ángel López makes his comeback, Tom Dumoulin and Peter Sagan’s program to the World champs. Team news: Cynisca Cycling new pro women’s team, Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl, DSM and AG2R Citroën to the Tour de Wallonie, B&B Hotels to be sponsored by Carrefour and Qhubeka returns to the Tour of Britain, Dario Igor Belletta to Jumbo-Visma and AG2R Citroën stagiaires. Plus Michael Mørkøv’s brave solo at the Tour de France. Don’t forget Ukraine and get the coffee.
TOP STORY: What the Roodhooft Brothers Have to Say About Van der Poel
Mathieu van der Poel abandoned the Tour de France last week. After a good opening time trial, he had a very difficult first week. By the second weekend he looked to be getting better. On the epic stage to the Col du Granon he part of the early break, but was the first to be dropped on Lacets des Montvernier. His abandonment of the 2022 Tour came soon after. The Alpecin-Deceuninck team owners, brothers Christoph and Philip Roodhooft, spoke on the rest day about Van der Poel to WielerFlits.
What effect did Mathieu’s poor performance have on you?
Christoph: “A leader who doesn’t march, that weighs on the group. I thought his time trial in Copenhagen was still okay. But after that it didn’t go well. An unfit Mathieu and also the loss of Michael Gogl on the cobbles stage determined what we wanted to do here. They are two riders who can still lead the way in a group of thirty to forty riders.”
Philip: “If you see the role Mathieu plays in the stage that Tim Merlier won last year, he did a one and a half kilometre turn before Jasper Philipsen took the lead-out for Tim. We only have one of those.”
What’s wrong with Mathieu now?
Christoph: “No idea, we don’t have an answer to that. But if we could just answer this question, then there would be no problem.”
Philip: “He is not good, so far is clear. Maybe we did know for a while. The classic story, his base was too narrow and I don’t know much anymore. But that’s not something anyone could have changed. The only choice there was with that narrow base was not to ride the classics. Would that have been better?”
And that Giro right after that, then?
“Riding the Giro d’Italia, we still stand behind that. There are myths that organiser RCS Sport had paid us. But we already saw last winter that there was a very nice opportunity for a stage win in the first stage, with an automatic pink jersey. Mathieu van der Poel doesn’t get a chance like that seven times in his career, certainly not in combination of all his disciplines. He checked this box. Was the second part of Giro the most sensible? Maybe we can discuss that. But he has conquered the heart of cycling-loving Italy there. Forever. Does that have value or not, Mathieu has left an impression there.”
Did you consider leaving him at home if you saw that he wasn’t the best version of himself?
Christoph: “No, why should we? What does it mean if Mathieu van der Poel seems less on paper? In Milan-San Remo he was only a few meters from the victory and there he was certainly not top. Primož Roglič is also out of the Tour again. He didn’t even start with that idea. The figures for the Tour showed that Mathieu was not at his best. You have to respect that, but data is not the only truth.”
Philip: “That would make it really easy, wouldn’t it? Then there would be little skill involved. Then everything would come down to talent times workforce equals results. That would make it very predictable. Of course we infer something from numbers. But even without knowing them you could have seen that they didn’t indicate top form. He was nowhere near full strength when he finished third in Paris-Roubaix last fall. Should we have left him there too? Come on, get it? The penny has now turned the other way. And that’s just that, isn’t it? Soon that quarter will be straight again and it will fall in the right direction again.”
What’s the plan with him now?
Philip: “We are still in the middle of the Tour and have very consciously said that we will only make a plan after that. Until then, there’s nothing for him for a while and maybe that’s fine sometimes.”
It hasn’t been Champagne all the way:
Tour de France 2022
Hugo Houle became the first rider from Quebec and the second from Canada (after Steve Bauer in 1988) to win a Tour de France stage as he soloed to an emotional victory in Foix as a tribute to his late brother. Valentin Madouas and Michael Woods rounded out the podium. Jonas Vingegaard retained the yellow jersey after he controlled Tadej Pogačar’s attacks.
Five non-starters: Jakob Fuglsang (Israel-Premier Tech, broken ribs), Lennard Kämna (BORA-hansgrohe, cold), Aurélien Paret-Peintre and Mikaël Chérel (AG2R-Citroën) who tested positive for Covid. 29 riders went clear after 4 kilometres: Brandon McNulty (UAE Team Emirates), Wout van Aert and Nathan Van Hooydonck (Jumbo-Visma), Daniel Martinez (INEOS Grenadiers), Alexander Vlasov and Felix Großschartner (BORA-hansgrohe), Mikkel Honoré (Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl), Gorka Izagirre and Matteo Jorgenson (Movistar), Simon Geschke (Cofidis), Damiano Caruso and Dylan Teuns (Bahrain Victorious), Olivier Le Gac, Valentin Madouas and Michael Storer (Groupama-FDJ), Nils Eekhoff (DSM), Simone Velasco (Astana Qazaqstan), Stefan Bissegger and Neilson Powless (EF Education-EasyPost), Maxime Bouet and Lukasz Owsian (Arkéa-Samsic), Philippe Gilbert and Tim Wellens (Lotto-Soudal), Tony Gallopin (Trek-Segafredo), Mathieu Burgaudeau (TotalEnergies), Hugo Houle and Michael Woods (Israel-Premier Tech), Cyril Barthe and Alexis Gougeard (B&B Hotels-KTM). Burgaudeau attacked at 14km. He was joined by Jorgenson and Gougeard. The American wasn’t allowed by his team to take turns and eventually sat up. Burgeaudeau was later instructed by TotalEnergies to wait for the chasing group, so Gougeard found himself alone in the lead after 30km. It was 29 riders in the lead again at 51 kilometres while the peloton led by Tiesj Benoot and Christophe Laporte for Jumbo-Visma was at 5:30.
At the 100 kilometre mark, the deficit of the peloton was 7:40. This put Vlasov in virtual fourth place overall, and later he was on the same time as second placed Pogačar as the time difference went up to 8:10 before the two Cat 1 climbs. Le Gac and Caruso rode away from the front group at the bottom of Port de Lers. Caruso forged on by himself and was joined, first by Woods and Storer, then by Van Aert, McNulty, Jorgenson and Geschke 1km before the summit. Geschke extended his lead in the KOM classification as he crested Port de Lers in first position. Pogačar attacked three times on the climb, the third time right on the line of the KOM, but Vingegaard reacted every time. The GC group were at 7:15.
A leading group of 12 riders formed in the valley. Houle escaped 40km before the finish in Foix. Gallopin chased, but couldn’t close the gap. Jorgenson, Woods and Storer made a chasing trio. Houle steadily climbed the Mur de Péguère and crested it first, 20 seconds before Jorgenson and Woods and had the same gap at the bottom. Jorgenson crashed in a curve with 14km to go, but got back on. A first ever fully North American top 3 was looming until Madouas caught Jorgenson and Woods in the last kilometre to take second place in Foix 1:10 after Houle. The pace in the yellow jersey group had put some riders in difficulty, including third placed Geraint Thomas but from the main contenders of the overall classification, the main loser was Romain Bardet who dropped down from 4th to 9th while his compatriot David Gaugu moved up into the top 5.
# You can see more photos in the full PEZ ‘Stage Report’ HERE. #
Stage winner, Hugo Houle (Israel-Premier Tech): “I could not believe it when I crossed the line. I was just so happy. It was what I have been dreaming of for the past ten years. This one is for my brother. When I attacked it was basically to set the table for Mike Woods and when I saw that they let me go, Mike made a gap, I just went all in. I went full gas. You never know how it will turn out in the breakaway. Sometimes you need some luck. I mean I was strong and everything went smoothly. I said ‘Ok I am really tired but if I go up the road then it’s easier for Mike’. Nobody wanted to commit and the gap was 40 seconds, then 30 seconds. And then it was just a time trial to the end, all or nothing. I was hanging on but I was suffering so much on the steep climb, but I knew that if I got to the top with 30 or 40 seconds, maybe I could do it. It was tight, it was a long time at 30 seconds but I never gave up. I gained some more time in the technical section and when they told me the gap was one minute, I knew I was going to do it. I had one dream: win a stage for my brother who died when I turned professional. Today I won it for him. I worked hard for ten years and today I got the win for him. It’s incredible, I don’t know what to say. I’m just so happy.”
Overall leader, Jonas Vingegaard (Jumbo-Visma): “Tadej had some good attacks, but I expected him to try. We handled it well as a team. We had two men up front who came back at the right time to help. The plan worked out perfectly. We are still in the lead with the same difference and I am very happy about that. I take it all as it is. If I win, I win. If it isn’t, there’s nothing you can do about it. As long as I do my best, that’s what it is. If I don’t win, there’s nothing I can do about it.”
2nd overall and best young rider, Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates): “It wasn’t such a bad day. In any case, it was hard to make differences in this stage. I tried to attack in the downhill but it hasn’t really worked out. I didn’t manage to attack Jonas. He was well escorted. Things changed when Rafal Majka broke his chain because he setting a high tempo. After that, I found myself with the Jumbo-Visma riders who received the help of Van Aert from the front group. Climbs will be longer in the coming two days. There will be more opportunities for attacking.”
7th overall, Louis Meintjes (Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert Matériaux): “I had a relaxed rest-day yesterday, during which I also rode 1h30 on the time trial bike. After two weeks of Tour de France I of course feel the fatigue, but once we were on the bikes at noon I felt ready for the first Pyrenees climbs. I knew the climbs from previous editions of the Tour, so I knew what to expect. The temperature was a little lower than the previous days, but as it was more humid it felt warmer for me. We payed attention for the wind in the beginning of the stage and then focused on the decisive second race half with two climbs of first category. I tried twice to escape from the peloton to anticipate the steeper parts, but Team Movistar didn’t wanted me to go. So I gave everything to follow the favourites as long as possible. On paper, this first Pyrenees stage was the least difficult, so I expect a tough battle the next two days.”
6th on the stage and 8th overall, Aleksandr Vlasov (BORA-hansgrohe): “It was another hard day. I made it into the group today which was our goal before the start. I didn’t feel too bad in the beginning, but I also had to spend some energy early to keep the group going. Felix did a great job to support me, and we have been in a perfect position before the last two climbs. But again, I didn’t have my normal climbing legs today. I felt a bit better, but I am not at 100%. I suffered a lot and just was able to go on my own rhythm. Still, I gained some time today in GC and we have to see how the last two days in the mountains will play out. I think it will be hard for breakaways and I have to see how I can recover.”
9th overall, Romain Bardet (DSM): “Right now I can’t explain what happened. It was one of my worst days on the bike ever. This morning I still felt good, but after that I really don’t know what happened. I do hope that the good feeling comes back and that I just had an off day. I would like to thank all my teammates for their support and encouragement.”
Points leader, Wout van Aert (Jumbo-Visma): “We always start our day with a plan and today it has been respected. We wanted to have someone at the front. Initially, we thought more of Christophe Laporte but I went for it because there were Mc Nulty and Dani Martinez and the group got formed very quickly. Eventually, it was a good situation for us. We feared that Jonas would be isolated in the Mur de Péguère, that’s why I was there to accompany him in the downhill to avoid any surprise. Every day that we keep our advantage is one day more towards the win in Paris.”
KOM, Simon Geschke (Cofidis): “Fighting for the stage win and the KOM classification? I can’t do everything. Today, when I was on the break, my big goal was to get as many points as possible for the KOM classification. Then of course I acted differently as to how I would have acted if I had been trying to win the stage. The stage win was very far away, with a very strong breakaway that tactically was also super hard to play. I focused on the points, and I’m happy with how it turned out. Our only goal now is to keep the polka-dot jersey for as long as possible. There are two stages left with big points to score. We will try to keep it going like this… and why not win it instead of just keeping it? Paris is still far when you look at the stages remaining. Today has been an important day, because I got a lot of points and my concurrence didn’t score any. It was a good day. I hope I can recover as good as possible, because tomorrow and the day after are super important days for the Mountains jersey and the GC. I hope to have luck by my side and recover well to take points tomorrow as well.”
Tour de France Stage 16 Result:
1. Hugo Houle (Can) Israel-Premier Tech in 4:23:47
2. Valentin Madouas (Fra) Groupama-FDJ at 1:10
3. Michael Woods (Can) Israel-Premier Tech
4. Matteo Jorgenson (USA) Movistar at 1:12
5. Michael Storer (Aus) Groupama-FDJ at 1:25
6. Aleksandr Vlasov (-) BORA-hansgrohe at 1:40
7. Dylan Teuns (Bel) Bahrain-Victorious
8. Simon Geschke (Ger) Cofidis at 2:11
9. Mathieu Burgaudeau (Fra) TotalEnergies at 5:04
10. Damiano Caruso (Ita) Bahrain-Victorious.
Tour de France Overall After Stage 16:
1. Jonas Vingegaard (Den) Jumbo-Visma in 64:28:09
2. Tadej Pogačar (Slo) UAE Team Emirates at 2:22
3. Geraint Thomas (GB) INEOS Grenadiers at 2:43
4. Nairo Quintana (Col) Arkéa Samsic at 4:15
5. David Gaudu (Fra) Groupama-FDJ at 4:24
6. Adam Yates (GB) INEOS Grenadiers at 5:28
7. Louis Meintjes (SA) Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert Matériaux at 5:46
8. Aleksandr Vlasov (-) BORA-hansgrohe at 6:18
9. Romain Bardet (Fra) DSM at 6:37
10. Thomas Pidcock (GB) INEOS Grenadiers at 10:11.
Tour’22 stage 16:
Tadej Pogacar claimed his third stage victory of the 109th Tour de France at Peyragudes, beating Jonas Vingegaard in a two-man steep up-hill sprint, but the Dane retained the yellow jersey in the second of three Pyrenean stages. Brandon McNulty rounded out the podium of Stage 17 after he worked hard for Pogačar in the hills. Geraint Thomas managed to hold onto his third place overall.
Two non-starters: Rafal Majka (UAE Team Emirates) and Tim Wellens (Lotto-Soudal). There were many attacks and accelerations, but except for Connor Swift (Arkea-Samsic) and Dylan van Baarle (INEOS Grenadier) for a little while, none of the breakaway attempts worked. Jasper Philipsen (Alpecin-Deceuninck) won the intermediate sprint ahead of Wout van Aert (Jumbo-Visma) at La Barthe-sur-Nest (32.9km). Owain Doull (EF Education-EasyPost) and Guillaume Boivin (Israel-Premier Tech) went clear of the peloton after 44 kilometres. More than 50km were covered in the first hour of racing. The Canadian couldn’t follow the Welshman at the start of the ascent to col d’Aspin.
Doull was reeled in and Thibaut Pinot (Groupama-FDJ) and Alexey Lutsenko (Astana) managed to go clear 8km before the summit. Pinot crested col d’Aspin in first position before Lutsenko while Geschke defended his polka dot jersey crossing in third place. A group of 15 was formed behind the leading duo before Romain Bardet (DSM) attacked from the peloton and made the crossing to the counter-attackers. Pinot and Lutsenko, again in the same order at the top of La Hourquette d’Ancizan, were 45 seconds ahead of the 15 man chasing group and 1:20 ahead of the yellow jersey group from which Adam Yates (INEOS Grenadier) had been dropped.
Pinot and Lutsenko were reeled in by the 14 chasers 30km before the finish. Leknessund attacked on the climb to Val Louron-Azet. Rigoberto Urán (EF Education-EasyPost) chased him down but with no success while Pinot, Bardet and their companions were reeled in and later dropped by Vingegaard and Pogačar. 2.5km before the top of Val Louron, a leading trio was formed with Brandon McNulty, Vingegaard and Pogačar, the American from UAE Team Emirates setting a high tempo to prepare an offensive by the defending champion. Pogačar attacked just before the summit but it only enabled him to crest Val Louron-Azet (Cat 1) in first position and the trio was back together again on the downhill with McNulty leading the way. 10km before the finish, Kuss, Bardet, Leknessund, Lutsenko and Thomas were 1:15 adrift. The final climb didn’t change the race scenario as McNulty kept pulling with Pogačar and Vingegaard in his slipstream. Thomas defended his third place overall by showing he’s the ‘best of the rest’ after the two giants of the 109th Tour de France.
# You can see more photos in the full PEZ ‘Stage Report’ HERE. #
Stage winner and 2nd overall, Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates): “The way the team rode today, we couldn’t help but aim for victory. Without George, Rafal, Marc and Vegard we still managed to give our best. Let’s see how it goes tomorrow, but for the moment I’m very happy with this victory. In the final I gave everything, I knew I couldn’t do anything other than win, I owed it to the team. Marc, Brandon and Mikkel did a great job and we were able to give each other strength. There is still an important stage tomorrow and I want to give my best.”
Overall leader and 2nd on the stage, Jonas Vingegaard (Jumbo-Visma): “Of course I would have liked to win the stage, but a finish like this just suits him better. It was a fight today and I am happy I could follow Pogačar and McNulty. It isn’t nice to be isolated on the penultimate climb, but I definitely can’t blame the guys. They worked hard. I take it day by day. Tomorrow Pogačar will try again and then it’s up to me to follow him. Tomorrow’s climb is longer and suits me better.”
3rd overall and 4th on the stage, Geraint Thomas (INEOS Grenadiers): “I felt alright but didn’t feel quite as light on the pedals as I’ve done earlier in the race. I just wasn’t feeling tip-top today. I was there but I made the call to wait for the group behind rather than try and battle and go into the red trying to get back to the group, blowing up and risk losing even more time. I waited for the group behind, saved the legs a bit and was able to ride a solid pace all the way to the line then. Fair play to [UAE] they really took that on and Pogacar deserved it. Chapeau to him.”
6th on the stage and overall, Romain Bardet (DSM): “I’m very happy with today. As a team we can be proud of the way we rode. We wanted to hit back after yesterday and it went exactly as we planned in the meeting. A few of our riders were in the leading group (Chris Hamilton and Andreas Leknessund) and after that it was up to me to go for it. We don’t regret this and got everything out of it. This is good for morale.”
8th on the stage and overall, Aleksandr Vlasov (BORA-hansgrohe): “Patrick saved me today. I stayed a little too long with Pogacar on the penultimate climb and really suffered after that. But at that moment Koni came back from the break and helped me to survive in the chasing group. In the downhill I was able to recover again. In general, I finally felt better today, not 100%, but better. I spent a lot of energy already yesterday and wasn’t sure how today will be, but it was good. Actually, I was a little surprised to find myself in a group with Nairo in the end. The stage was really hard again and tomorrow will be the same. I have to see how I feel, but maybe I try again to make it into a break.”
Points leader, Wout van Aert (Jumbo-Visma): “It was a super hard day, a hard race in the first climb. There wasn’t a breakaway gone before the col d’Aspin. We had a hard time controlling things. It became even harder when UAE decided to go hard, for the stage win I guess. They don’t really have the numbers anymore but they don’t need it apparently. They’re super strong. After today, we know they’ll keep attacking until the last moment. We need to be ready again tomorrow. We have to support Jonas.”
KOM, Simon Geschke (Cofidis): “The polka dot jersey is the best motivation to keep pushing. Today was neither a good day nor a bad day: I collected some points, but I was hoping to get some more in order to gain some advantage on the GC guys, who are closing in. It was a bit frustrating to miss a KOM sprint because of a dropped chain. Today my team was really amazing, on fire to get me on the breakaway. I hope to have another good day tomorrow. It would be a very big thing for me personally if I manage to win the KOM jersey. Right now, it’s 50/50 between me and the GC guys for the win right now. I did all I could so far to collect as many points as possible, but Pogacar and Vingegaard are first and second on every mountaintop finish and notch a good chunk of points as a consequence. I need to be lucky, get on the break… Otherwise, it will be very tough.”
Brandon McNulty (UAE Team Emirates): “Mikkel [Bjerg] did a super good pull on the Hourquette d’Ancizan, and also at the beginning of the Val Louron climb. From then on, the initial plan was for me to ride 15 minutes full gas. But, as I was pushing it, I began to hear on the radio that more and more riders were getting dropped from my pace and I ended up going on for much longer than expected. It was a big effort for me, but it went well and I’m happy to pull it out because it meant we could actually lead the race on the mountains for the first time on this Tour de France. It was very special. With 5 kilometres to go I thought that Jonas [Vingegaard] and Tadej [Pogačar] might act very nice and let me win the stage… but then I realised that there are no gifts on this sport. Anyway, it was very nice to pull off this performance and to stand on the podium with the most aggressive rider award. Today we rode with lots of grit. We were racing on emotion, basically, for the guys who couldn’t take part today. There was no secret plan: we just wanted to make the race hard. Tomorrow will be hard as a well. Right now I just look forward to rest… but, once I get some sleep, I’ll probably be more excited about tomorrow’s stage.”
Tour de France Stage 17 Result:
1. Tadej Pogačar (Slo) UAE Team Emirates in 3:25:51
2. Jonas Vingegaard (Den) Jumbo-Visma
3. Brandon McNulty (USA) UAE Team Emirates at 0:32
4. Geraint Thomas (GB) INEOS Grenadiers at 2:07
5. Alexey Lutsenko (Kaz) Astana Qazaqstan at 2:34
6. Romain Bardet (Fra) DSM at 2:38
7. David Gaudu (Fra) Groupama-FDJ at 3:27
8. Aleksandr Vlasov (-) BORA-hansgrohe at 3:32
9. Louis Meintjes (SA) Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert Matériaux
10. Nairo Quintana (Col) Arkéa Samsic.
Tour de France Overall After Stage 17:
1. Jonas Vingegaard (Den) Jumbo-Visma at 67:53:54
2. Tadej Pogačar (Slo) UAE Team Emirates at 2:18
3. Geraint Thomas (GB) INEOS Grenadiers at 4:56
4. Nairo Quintana (Col) Arkéa Samsic at 7:53
5. David Gaudu (Fra) Groupama-FDJ at 7:57
6. Romain Bardet (Fra) DSM at 9:21
7. Louis Meintjes (SA) Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert Matériaux at 9:24
8. Aleksandr Vlasov (-) BORA-hansgrohe at 9:56
9. Enric Mas (Spa) Movistar at 16:35
10. Alexey Lutsenko (Kaz) Astana Qazaqstan at 16:50.
Tour’22 stage 17:
’40 + 1′: Movistar Team part of New Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift
’22 TDFF GUIDE | All info on the Grande Boucle + Movistar Team
Telefónica-backed squad to compete at first ‘Grande Boucle’ of new era – following forty consecutive appearance in the men’s race – with lineup very similar to winning Giro Donne squad.
Present at every men’s edition with no absences since 1983, 40 consecutive appearances, the Movistar Team simply couldn’t miss the reboot of the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift, which starts in Paris on Sunday 24th and will end atop La Super Planche des Belles Filles on July 31st.
The ‘Grande Boucle’, which the Telefónica-backed squad hopes to turn into the zenith of its progression after five years in the bunch and a plethora of success, will be another great opportunity for most of the roster that brilliantly conquered the recent Giro Donne.
The squad directed by Sebastián Unzué and Jorge Sanz will line up with Annemiek van Vleuten, Emma Norsgaard, Arlenis Sierra, Paula Patiño and local Aude Biannic, to be joined by Spaniard Sheyla Gutiérrez, the biggest change from the roster seen in Italy.
Team DSM Reveal Roster for the First Edition of Tour de France Femmes
Years in the making – the inaugural edition of the Tour de France Femmes will no doubt provide thrilling racing each day, with Team DSM revealing an exciting roster which aims to challenge on all fronts.
Getting underway on the city streets of Paris, the famous Champs-Élysées will play host to an expected fast finale where the winner and their team will take the coveted yellow jersey for the first time. Leaving the capital, the following two days look good for the sprinters but with hills in the finale, or rises to the line, the attackers and puncheurs will also look to fight it out for stage honours. The fourth day of action sees the peloton take on testing gravel roads and hills, before an expected sprint stage the next day, followed by an opportunity for the attackers on rolling terrain. The final weekend of racing takes place in the mountains with Saturday’s stage filled with three challenging climbs, and albeit without a summit finish, the GC battle should take shape there with time gaps expected. The GC battle will crescendo all the way to the line as the final day of racing ends on the famous La Super Planche des Belles Filles with its steep gradients and gravel section just before the summit.
After strong recent performances in their carefully selected races, alongside well-developed training programs from the team’s specialists; the Team DSM roster are looking forward to getting underway in Paris next Sunday.
Team DSM coach Albert Timmer said: “We’re all looking forward to the Tour de France Femmes and it’s a really nice parcours for the first edition of the race. The first two days in theory should be sprint finishes and we’re hoping that is the case. The next few stages get more difficult and could end in a variety of ways; either for the break, a small group or a bigger sprint finish – particularly on stage four where we might potentially see a GC battle over the gravel. Stage five could end in a sprint but it’s one of the longest races of the year, while the following day again could be one for the break. Then the final weekend will see an all-out GC battle between the best riders in the world. We have two main goals for the race: to go for sprint success with Lorena as our fast finisher, while Juliette will go for the best GC result possible for the team; but we will also look to different days and race situations to hunt for other potential stage results too. We have a strong group of riders to support those goals and we’ve shown in recent races that everyone is in good shape. We’re all motivated for an exciting week of action and show our Team DSM colours at the front of the race.”
Full line-up:
Pfeiffer Georgi
Franziska Koch
Charlotte Kool
Juliette Labous
Liane Lippert
Lorena Wiebes.
Team SD Worx Goes for the Yellow Dream in First Ever Tour de France Femmes
“It is our goal to win le Tour”
The arrival of the Tour de France Femmes is a milestone for women’s cycling. Team SD Worx does not hide its ambition. “With Demi Vollering we are going for the overall win,” says sports manager Danny Stam. “It would be an insult to our ambition if we did not aim for a Tour win. The green jersey with Lotte Kopecky is also a goal, if it fits into our plans for the final victory.”
The arrival of the Tour de France Femmes is a milestone for women’s cycling. Team SD Worx does not hide its ambition. “With Demi Vollering we are going for the overall win,” says sports manager Danny Stam. “It would be an insult to our ambition if we did not aim for a Tour win. The green jersey with Lotte Kopecky is also a goal, if it fits into our plans for the final victory.”
Demi Vollering
Danny Stam: “Demi Vollering has made a main goal of this Tour de France. She is our leader for the yellow jersey. Of course there is a lot of pressure involved. The outside world expects her to win the Tour. But, Demi will have the necessary competition for the final victory. In addition, with Ashleigh Moolman-Pasio we have a second hurdle in the fire. It is an advantage when you can go for the classification with several riders. La Super Planche des Belles Filles is a climb that should suit Demi Vollering and she has explored it several times, but the danger lies in the other stages. In the gravel stage for example… You can’t win the Tour there, but you can definitely lose it. The yellow jersey will not be a given, but Demi has done everything to be ready and we will start with a top team in France to support her.”
Lotte Kopecky
Stam: “Lotte Kopecky has indicated a number of stages where she wants to go for the stage win, including the third stage. This stage ends on a steep climb and this uphill finish should suit her. Lotte Kopecky is also eyeing up the green jersey. She can take away points in different places, so green could be a possibility. There are a lot of points to win in the intermediate sprints, so we’ll have to see how we deal with that. Time will tell whether yellow and green are compatible. After three stages we will have an idea if Lotte plays a role in the battle for the green jersey. Then we can see if it pays off to spend energy on the intermediate sprints. We have a team that is good on all terrains, that gives us several cards to play.”
Ashleigh Moolman-Pasio
Stam: “Ashleigh Moolman-Pasio has also made a goal of the final classification. She has already proven in the past that she really has what it takes to go for a good GC. In 2018 and 2021 she finished second in the Giro Donne behind Anna van der Breggen. She will be very driven at the start. I see the fact that we have two contenders for the overall win as an advantage. If someone has a problem, you still have someone in reserve. It is interesting to have two riders with Ashleigh and Demi who can go far in a final with a lot of climbing. That has always been the strength of this team.”
Chantal van den Broek-Blaak
Stam: “Chantal van den Broek-Blaak has already been invaluable to our team this season. With her profile, she can certainly snatch a stage win. We will try to get her in the breakaway a few times, hoping she can stay away and win. Some of the stages suit her profile. Chantal has already done a lot of work and contributed to some important wins for the team. But she is still waiting for that big victory herself this season. That’s a bit of a shame for a rider of her calibre, so she will certainly be very eager to take a stage win. We hope that in the Tour de France Femmes she will be able to take that big victory.”
Marlen Reusser
Stam: “Marlen Reusser had bad luck in June with an unfortunate fall on her hand, which forced her to abandon the Women’s Tour. She later missed the Tour de Suisse due to a covid infection. But I have no doubt that Marlen will be at the top of her game. She is just a super good rider who always helps to determine the course. In the spring she did mountains of work for our team and we will also benefit of her strong racing in the Tour. I hope she can get into a nice breakaway and win a stage. We have several riders who are eligible for a stage win and we are aiming for an overall win, but both goals don’t have to get in the way of each other.”
Christine Majerus
Stam: “Christine Majerus is a strong rider who always puts the team first. She is someone who really embodies the concept of team spirit. Christine can do very well in these kinds of races. With her experience, she is an important rider in the team who can read the race well. She is also super motivated for this first ever Tour de France Femmes. Christine is the biggest team player in our team. Someone you can always rely on. If you give her an assignment, she carries it out down to the last detail. Christine will play an important role in the pursuit of our yellow dream.”
Marlen Reusser: “The arrival of the Tour de France Femmes represents an important step for women’s cycling”
After a difficult June with abandoning the Women’s Tour (after a fall on her hand) and missing the Tour de Suisse Women (because of covid), Marlen Reusser returns to the Women’s World Tour this week. On Sunday the two-time European time trial champion will start the Tour de France Femmes in Paris. “The Tour de France Femmes is a milestone, it will bring our sport even more attention,” Reusser said.
Tour de France Femmes: “A great step forward”
An important moment in the history of women’s cycling: the Tour de France for women returns. This Sunday the first Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift will start in the heart of Paris. Liv Racing Xstra is ready for this eight-day stage race that will draw worldwide attention.
The Tour de France Femmes will start with a flat stage in Paris, with finish on the famous Champs-Élysées. The second stage brings the riders to Provins, where probably another sprint will decide about the stage win. One day later the first hills appear in the course on its way to Epernay. On day four the peloton will get a mix of hills and gravel sectors on its way to Bar-Sur-Aube. The fifth stage is relatively flat and the longest stage over 175,6 km from Bar-le-Duc to Saint-Dié-des-Vosges. Stage six offers a new chance for the puncheurs with four categorised ascents. It is a small warm-up for the finale two stages, in which the peloton heads over the Petit Ballon, Col du Platzerwasel and the Grand Ballon in stage seven, followed by the Côte d’Esmoulieres, Ballon d`Alsace and La Super Planche des Belles Filles in the final stage.
Liv Racing Xstra brings Rachele Barbieri, Valerie Demey, Thalita de Jong, Jeanne Korevaar, Silke Smulders and Sabrina Stultiens to the start line. Wim Stroetinga and Giorgia Bronzini will be the sports directors in this race.
“It is a nice step forward for women’s cycling, which made big steps already. The riders have to realise it is really special that they will ride the first Tour de France Femmes. It will have a huge impact and it will bring a lot of attention to the sport. In the future I think it will get the same attention as the men’s edition”, Stroetinga told about the race. “We want to ride an attractive race. In the stages which will finish in a bunch sprint we will look after Rachele. In the other stages the girls will have a free role to try and show themselves in a breakaway for example. It will be important to get through the first day in a good way and deliver a good sprint as a team. If that works out good, it will be easier in the rest of the race.”
Smulders will ride her first race since months after she crashed hard in Paris-Roubaix. “It is great to be at the start of this race. It is the first Tour de France Femmes and I am there, so that is really special. Honestly I didn’t think I would make after my hard crash in Paris-Roubaix. Luckily I could do some good training in the last weeks, so I think my condition is good enough to race here. The only thing I have to get used to again is riding in the peloton. Of course I want to try and show myself, maybe in a breakaway. Of course I also want to be there for the team when we enter the finale of a stage”, Smulders said.
Stages
– 24/07, stage 1: Paris (Tour Eiffel) – Paris (Champs-Élysées) (81.7 km)
– 25/07, stage 2: Meaux – Provins (136.4 km)
– 26/07, stage 3: Reims – Épernay (133.6 km)
– 27/07, stage 4: Troyes – Bar-Sur-Aube (126.8 km)
– 28/07, stage 5: Bar-le-Duc – Saint-Dié-des-Vosges (175.6 km)
– 29/07, stage 6: Saint-Dié-des-Vosges – Rosheim (128.6 km)
– 30/07, stage 7: Sélestat – Le Markstein (127.1 km)
– 31/07, stage 8: Lure – La Super Planche des Belles Filles (123.3 km)
Momentum
In the run-up to the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift, our eyewear partner SunGod made a beautiful video (MOMENTUM) about the importance of this race. The SunGod team visited our training camps at the beginning of the season and some races. The video can be seen online. To celebrate the Tour de France Femmes, Liv Racing Xstra competes in the race with special eyewear. The MOMENTUM Limited Edition is available online.
The Run Up Series
Another video featuring Liv Racing Xstra will follow later this week. It is a new episode of The Run Up. The video crew visits Rachele Barbieri at altitude training in Livigno and Thalita de Jong at home. Both riders talk about their preparation for the Tour de France Femmes and the importance of this race. The video will be online later this week.
Embracing Change | Wahoo’s Inside Scoop on the Tour de France Femmes
For the first time in 33 years, the Tour de France Femmes is right around the corner. As we prepare for the women’s race, we must embrace the moment and welcome the changes that are to follow. At least, that’s what Marianne Martin, the first American to win the Tour de France says.
“Change is meaningless unless we see it through.” In this episode, Martin discusses her past victory and future hopes for women’s cycling. She’s joined by EF Education Tibco SVB—the longest-running women’s pro cycling team, which Linda Jackson founded 17 years ago.
The episode follows this team as they prepare for the women’s Tour. As Jackson states, “A lot of women in the past two decades have been happy just to have had the opportunity to race. Now that we’re proving what we can do, it’s time to move forward.”
As Martin states, “With the women’s Tour de France around the corner, it is truly an incredible time for the sport of cycling. May the road be open from here on out.”
Miguel Ángel López Makes his Comeback Next Week
The return of Miguel Ángel López is imminent, according to the Italian sports newspaper La Gazzetta dello Sport. The Colombian of Astana Qazaqstan has not been in action since the Giro d’Italia. López had to retire early in the Italian tour due to a hip injury.
The 28-year-old López will pin a race number on for the Prueba Villafranca-Ordiziako Klasika on Monday 25th July. The Colombian climber hopes to regain some racing rhythm in this (UCI1.1) race, going towards the Vuelta a España, his main goal in the autumn. López is also on the provisional entry list of the Vuelta a Castilla y Leon (July 27-28), a UCI2.1 Spanish two-day race.
López had to give up early in the Giro d’Italia due to the hip injury and he then decided to focus on the Tour de France. However, the French race came too early for his recovery and so he had to reset new goals. The 77th edition of the Vuelta a España starts on Friday 19th August in Utrecht. López was on the final podium of the Vuelta in 2018, third behind overall winner Simon Yates and Enric Mas.
López had to pull out of the Giro and miss the Tour:
Tom Dumoulin’s Program to the World Championships
Tom Dumoulin has put together his program for the World championships in Wollongong, Australia, in consultation with his Jumbo-Visma team. Dumoulin will ride the Clásica San Sebastián on Saturday 30 July, then the Tour of Denmark (16 to 20 August) and then the Bretagne Classic – Ouest France (GP Plouay) on 28 August.
The World championships will take place from September 18 to 25, but due to the long journey and the time difference, the riders need at least a week to acclimatise to the conditions. Dumoulin will compete there in both the time trial and the road race. Dumoulin was initially going to ride the Benelux Tour and the Tour of Poland, but because the first stage race was canceled this year, his program had to be changed. It is not yet known what Dumoulin’s program will look like after the World championships. The Limburger is currently on an altitude training camp in Livigno, Italy, together with teammate Lennard Hofstede.
The man from Maastricht would prefer to ride a few more Italian classics and then finish his career on Saturday 8 October with Il Lombardia. On Friday 3 June, Dumoulin announced that he would stop his professional cycling career at the end of this season. The World championship time trial in Australia will be his last big goal.
Tom Dumoulis race program:
July 30: Donostia San Sebastian Klasikoa
Aug 16 to Aug 20: Tour of Denmark
Aug 28: Brittany Classic – Ouest-France
Sept 18: UCI Road World Championships – Men’s Time Trial.
Worlds TT for Dumoulin:
Peter Sagan’s Program to the World Champs in Wollongong
Peter Sagan is working on his program after the Tour. The three-time world champion has revealed his program for this autumn in conversation with La Gazzetta dello Sport. He is preparing for the World championships road race in Wollongong with an altitude training camp and various races.
After the Tour de France, Sagan leaves for the United States. There he goes on an altitude training camp, just like he did before the Tour de Suisse. Then he was in Utah and rode Unbound Gravel, in Kansas. This time, after his return to Europe, he will ride the BEMER Cyclassics in Germany and the Brittany Classic in France, before crossing the ocean again. Sagan then travels to Canada, where the Grand Prix Cycliste de Québec and Grand Prix Cycliste de Montréal will be held on September 9 and 11.
Sagan will then participate in the World champs in Wollongong (September 25). He is currently riding the Tour de France, where he finished fourth twice, once fifth and once sixth in the stage results.
Sagan working towards the world champs:
Cynisca Cycling, New Pro Women’s Team Announced, Creating More Opportunities for Female Cyclists
As popularity of women’s cycling continues to climb, advocates of increasing the number of women at elite levels of the sport announced today a new American-licensed Continental professional women’s team, Cynisca Cycling. The team also cut the ribbon on its European service course at Château de Saint-Martory in France.
Cynisca Cycling is working with partners at USA Cycling and other independent North American teams to identify young riders with the talent, dedication and drive to compete at the World level. The team will inspire and elevate American women participating in developmental programs to reach the highest levels of the sport through a full system of support, guidance, coaching and science.
“In order to be the best in the world, you need to race with the best in the world,” said Marion Clignet, Cynisca’s Sports Director and six-time world champion, former world-record holder and Olympic medalist. “Cynisca will give young riders the opportunity to train and race on the world stage.”
Cynisca Cycling plans for the future
Initial funding for the team is being provided by Solution Tree, who deliver comprehensive professional development to preK-12 educators around the world. Cynisca is currently seeking and in negotiations for more sponsorship dollars as the team builds momentum.
For the 2022 season, Cynisca Cycling is sponsoring the USA Cycling women’s junior through elite national teams. Cynisca and USA Cycling are committed to working together, supporting the athlete development programs for women and creating more opportunities for them to progress to the elite ranks of pro cycling. As the separate Cynisca Cycling professional team progresses, it will continue to work cooperatively with USA Cycling on all fronts and strive to retain an athlete roster that is 70% American.
Negotiations are currently in progress with top, race-proven, American developmental athletes with talent identification efforts supported by USA Cycling. “We are finding very talented cyclists who are capable of competing internationally but simply haven’t had the opportunity and support,” said Chris Gutowsky, Cynisca founder and general manager.
In 2023, 10-12 female cyclists will compete in a full road racing program with Cynisca Cycling as a UCI registered, American-licensed Continental professional women’s team. The specific race calendar is being developed with a European racing focus, including World Tour events. The schedule will take into consideration riders’ goals, capabilities and interests and also include major US races. Based on additional funding, the team will follow a similar program in 2024, but focus on World Tour events.
Supporters turn out for Cynisca Cycling launch
Supporters turned out for the launch event at Château de Saint-Matory welcoming more women into the sport as management, staff and athletes. Leaders in local tourism also attended with enthusiasm for attracting more cyclists and cycling tourism to the area.
Brendan Quirk, USA Cycling CEO, said: “We couldn’t be more excited for Cynisca’s support of our Women’s National Team and Junior Development programs. USA Cycling is committed to developing more women into elite cyclists, and this partnership is a critical step forward towards our long-term goals at the Paris 2024 and Los Angeles 2028 Olympics. Thanks to Cynisca, we’ll welcome a new team of American women into the European peloton, and we’ll strengthen the next generation of up-and-coming riders.”
David Lappartient, Union Cyclist Internationale (UCI) President, said from a pre-recorded message: “It is great news that another team will join the women’s peloton. As president for the UCI, I’m truly delighted by the progress we have made for women’s cycling. We have more teams than ever, and these teams are very competitive. We also have more high-level events that showcase the fantastic quality of women’s racing. Women have made a name for themselves in our sport, and every day amaze us with their performances.”
“The UCI works very hard to develop women’s cycling and is glad of the support it receives for this mission. So, my thanks go to Jeff Jones and Chris Gutowsky, who had the vision to launch another pro cycling team in Europe. The Cynisca riders have a great name to live up to. I’m sure this will motivate them to reach for the stars. We look forward to following Cynisca Cycling as its riders embark on this new and exciting adventure. I wish you the very best of luck on the roads of Europe.”
Documentary filmmakers capture the event
Documentary filmmaker Jill Yesko and her crew were on site capturing footage for a new film on the history of the women’s Tour de France called Uphill Climb: The Women Who Conquered the Impossible Race. When she heard about the team’s launch plans this spring, she was eager to take part in what she sees as another historic time in women’s cycling.
“It’s exciting to see women’s cycling grow and flourish after a lull in recent years,” said Yesko. “Cynisca and USA Cycling will help make sure more US women are part of this history in the making.”
More on Uphill Climb at www.uphillclimbfilm.com
Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl to the Tour de Wallonie
Julian Alaphilippe will make his first appearance in a stage race since April’s Itzulia Basque Country.
In a couple of days’ time, Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl will be at the start of the 49th Tour de Wallonie, which this year puts on the table a parcours that the puncheurs and attackers will love, as they’ll have plenty of opportunities to go for victory and to leave their mark on the general classification. Having won a total of eleven stages at the previous participations – most recently in 2021, when Fabio Jakobsen scored two victories – our team will be keen to play again a prominent role over the race’s five days.
The Tour de Wallonie will mark Julian Alaphilippe’s first outing since June’s National Championships, where he had a vital role in Florian Sénéchal’s memorable triumph. The Frenchman, who recently completed an altitude training camp in Livigno, will be for just the second time in his career at the start of the Tour de Wallonie, a race where he’ll be joined by Davide Ballerini, Tim Declercq, Dries Devenyns, Iljo Keisse, Stijn Steels and Ilan Van Wilder.
“This year’s Tour de Wallonie will be a very hard race. On the very first day, the peloton tackles the Mur de Huy, which we know from Flèche Wallonne, but also the other stages in the Ardennes will be challenging. We are happy to have Julian here, as he’ll ease back into competition and prepare the second part of the season. He can fight for a stage win, as he will have support from many strong and motivated guys. Concerning the general classification, we’ll see how far he can get there, but our main goal here is to get a victory”, said Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl sports director Wilfried Peeters.
23.07–27.07 Ethias-Tour de Wallonie (BEL) 2.Pro
Riders:
Julian Alaphilippe (FRA)
Davide Ballerini (ITA)
Tim Declercq (BEL)
Dries Devenyns (BEL)
Iljo Keisse (BEL)
Stijn Steels (BEL)
Ilan Van Wilder (BEL).
Sports Director: Davide Bramati (ITA) & Wilfried Peeters (BEL).
Alaphilippe to ride the tour de Wallonie:
Ethias Tour de Wallonie – JUL 23 – 27
Marcel Sieberg – Team DSM coach: “The Tour de Wallonie and its five difficult stages marks the start of the second half of the season for a lot of riders; who are coming back off of a break from racing and structured training blocks. Our goal will be to have a good plan in place for each stage and ride together strongly as a team. We have a good group at the start line but with the tricky parcours and strong opponents we will look at our tactics on a day-by-day approach, as we hunt for stage results.”
Line-up:
Romain Combaud (FRA)
Nico Denz (GER)
Frederik Rodenberg Madsen (DEN)
Niklas Märkl (GER)
Tim Naberman (NED)
Casper Pedersen (DEN)
Sam Welsford (AUS).
Nico Denz to Wallonie:
Tour de Wallonie (July 23rd – 27th)
Greg Van Avermaet: “I trained for the last two weeks in Spain to prepare for the second half of the season. I can’t wait to start the Tour de Wallonie. It’s a race that I know very well, and one where I have performed well when I was younger. I won it twice (in 2011 and 2013) and I have very good memories of it. The route suits me and I hope to start the end of the season well before participating in the Tour du Limousin and the Deutschland Tour to prepare for the Grands Prix Cyclistes Québec and Montréal, two big objectives for me. In Wallonia, there are two or three stages which should give me good indications of my current form even if I already know that my sensations are good. I am motivated to post some strong performances.”
B&B Hotels-KTM to be Carrefour-B&B Hotels Next Year With Bigger Budget
The French department store chain Carrefour will become the first name sponsor of the current B&B Hotels-KTM from 2023. This will also lead to a significant budget increase. On the third rest day at the Tour de France, WielerFlits learned that the team of manager Jérôme Pineau can count on a budget between 15 and 20 million euros.
B&B Hotels-KTM made its debut in the pro peloton in 2018 as Vital Concept. A year later, the hotel chain B&B Hotels also stepped in. Then as second name sponsor, from 2020 as main sponsor. Next year, the department store chain Carrefour will be the main sponsor. This was confirmed by several sources.
Attracting Carrefour, a sponsor of the Vuelta a España and the Tour KOM in the past, also involves a substantial financial injection, more than double. It is said to have a budget of between 15 and 20 million. B&B Hotels-KTM has been going through life since its inception as a ProTeam, but in terms of budget, the team could be amongst the WorldTeams.
According to the Dutch cycling website, the team would also say goodbye to bicycle manufacturer KTM, although which bikes they would ride next year is unknown. In the meantime a number of top riders are being sought to strengthen the team. The ProTeam has not been too visible, but it is possible to assume that it would be invited to the Tour de France.
Riders such as Mark Cavendish, Dylan Teuns, Michael Matthews and Alexis Vuillermoz would be on the wish list, but there is no confirmation of that. For now, the team only has 15 riders under contract for 2023. Among them Franck Bonnamour and Alexis Gougeard, mountain biker Victor Koretzky and sprinter Jérémy Leroq. Pierre Rolland has an expiring contract with the French team.
B&B-Hotels gets Carrefour money:
Team Qhubeka Returning to the Tour of Britain in 2022
Team Qhubeka is thrilled to announce that it will return to the Tour of Britain in 2022. Featuring South African rider Nicholas Dlamini, who was crowned the ŠKODA King of the Mountains in the 2018 Tour, the team will compete in the UK’s most prestigious cycle race for the 10th time.
Team Qhubeka have an illustrious history in the event, having won the race twice – through Edvald Boasson Hagen (2015) and British rider Steve Cummings (2016) – since they made their debut in 2008. Boasson Hagen also claimed one of the team’s two stage victories in the race to date.
The team’s roster includes some of Africa’s most promising talents – including South African Travis Stedman and Ethiopian Negasi Haylu Abreha – alongside upcoming Italian riders Luca Coati, Jacopo Menegotto and Kevin Bonaldo. Since the team’s inception, Team Qhubeka has played a crucial role in developing cycling in Africa. Over 50 riders from the continent have had the opportunity to grow through the team’s programme and race at the highest level. Qhubeka, the team’s charity partner, has supplied more than 100,000 bicycles through fundraising initiatives.
Mick Bennett, Tour of Britain race director, said: “Inviting Team Qhubeka back to the Tour of Britain was a no-brainer. In addition to being one of the most successful teams in modern race history, the work Qhubeka do in Africa still needs to be both celebrated and given a platform from which their message can be spread. We wish them the best of luck for their upcoming races and look forward to seeing them in Aberdeen this September.”
Douglas Ryder, Team Qhubeka – team principal, said: “To be invited this year to the UK’s biggest bike race is such a privilege. We have fought hard on the roads of the UK with great success in the past and have always felt the warm reception and support for our team and the Qhubeka Charity from the public. We look forward to showing our colours and presenting our young team this year in an event ending on the Isle of Wight, and its toughest finish to date.”
This year’s Tour of Britain will see over 100 of the world’s best riders battling it out for glory across eight days of racing. Beginning in Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire on Sunday 4 September, this year’s route will feature the race’s first visit to North Yorkshire since 2009, and first-ever full stages in Gloucestershire and Dorset, before what promises to be an unforgettable finale on the Isle of Wight (Sunday 11 September).
Team Qhubeka are the sixth team confirmed for this year’s race; they will join a Great British national squad and the country’s four leading domestic squads – Ribble Weldtite Pro Cycling, Saint Piran, TRINITY Racing and Wiv SunGod – on the start line.
Last year’s star-studded race was won by Belgian rider Wout Van Aert (Team Jumbo – Visma), with reigning world road race champion Julian Alaphilippe finishing third overall. A roadside crowd of over one million spectators resulted in the Tour of Britain generating £29.96m of net economic benefit for the UK economy, according to research by Frontline.
ITV4 will continue to broadcast live flag-to-flag coverage of every stage, as well as a nightly highlights show, allowing fans in the UK to watch wherever they are. The race will also be shown in over 150 countries worldwide, in part thanks to the event’s partnerships with Eurosport and the Global Cycling Network.
Italian Junior Champion Belletta to Jumbo-Visma Development Team
Dario Igor Belletta will be part of the development team of Team Jumbo-Visma from next season. The reigning Italian junior champion signs a contract with Jumbo-Visma Development Team for two seasons.
In addition to road cycling, Belletta is also a track cyclist. As a junior, the Italian won several Italian and world titles on the track. Belletta is currently racing for GB Team-Pool Cantù.
“I’m really looking forward to this challenge”, 18-year-old Belletta said. “Team Jumbo-Visma is currently one of the best cycling teams in the world and I think the Development Team is also one of the best in the world. There is a lot of knowledge within this team. In addition, I can ride a nice and challenging race program, which will help me develop. In the coming years, I want to gain experience and develop myself. Hopefully, I will move on to the pros after that.”
Head of Development Robbert de Groot is happy to add a promising rider to the Jumbo-Visma Development Team’s talent group. “Dario is a rider who has shown himself on many different terrains, especially in Italian races with selective courses. His track background also plays an important role because, in scouting, we look beyond just the results achieved on the road. Dario’s versatility makes him an interesting rider to work with in the coming years.”
Belletta to Jumbo-Visma:
AG2R Citroën 2022 Stagiaires
Three stagiaires will join the AG2R CITROËN TEAM beginning August 1.
They are:
–Thomas Delphis, 23 years old, member of the AG2R CITROËN TEAM U23, French espoir time trial champion in 2020, son of Jean-Pierre who wore the colours of the Chazal team from 1992 to 1994
–Pierre Gautherat, 19 years old, member of SCO Dijon, former member of the AG2R CITROËN TEAM U19, vice-champion of France junior in 2021
–Bastien Tronchon, 20, member of the AG2R CITROËN TEAM U23, vice-champion of France juniors in 2020.
Thomas Delphis:
Michael Mørkøv’s Brave Solo Ride at the Tour de France
Alone at the back of the race for almost 200 kilometres, Michael showed his huge fighter’s heart on what turned out to be a brutally hot day, keen on honouring the race, which he did despite missing out on the time cut.
Greeted by Tour de France sports director Christian Prudhomme – who congratulated him for the respect shown to the race – as he arrived at the line more than one hour behind the peloton, Michael talked after the stage about how he fought to finish in Carcassonne and why he now leaves home without any regrets.
Watch the video here!
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