Bicycle Racing News and Opinion,
Monday, June 20, 2016

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I am one of those scientists who feels that it is no longer enough just to get on and do science. We have to devote a significant proportion of our time and resources to defending it from deliberate attack from organized ignorance. - Richard Dawkins

Recently completed racing:

• June 11 - 19: Tour de Suisse
• June 15 - 19: Ster ZLM Toer
• June 16 - 19: Route du Sud

Upcoming Racing:

• June 22: Halle-Ingooigem
• July 2 - 24: Tour de France
• August 20 - Sept 11: Vuelta a España (all stage profiles posted)

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Etixx-Quick Step headed to Halle Ingooigem

Here's the team's news:

The riders will fine tune their form before the National Championships, scheduled later this week.

Starting from Halle, the Belgian race will see the bunch cover 104.9 kilometers before entering on a 25km loop, which will be followed by a 17.7-km long circuit that the peloton will cover four times. The route includes some well-known hills from the Spring Classics, like Kanarieberg, Kruisberg, Knokteberg and Tiegemberg, which are expected to shake up the pack and be used by some riders as launchpad for their attacks, in order to make a selection and foil the plan of the sprinters at the end of the 200 km-long one-day event.

In case such an action won't stick and it will come down to a bunch gallop, Etixx – Quick-Step has two important cards to play, former world champion Tom Boonen and Colombian prodigy Fernando Gaviria, who's coming at the start after helping teammate Maximiliano Richeze win a stage at the Tour de Suisse. The fast duo will be joined for Wednesday's race by Rodrigo Contreras, Iljo Keisse, Nikolas Maes, Gianni Meersman, Pieter Serry and Stijn Vandenbergh.

Fernando Gaviria earlier this year

Giant-Alpecin's & Liv-Plantur's upcoming racing

The team sent me this update:

NATIONAL TIME TRIAL CHAMPIONSHIPS
This week sees the European national championships take place with the time trials starting this Wednesday. Defending champion Georg Preidler will line up at the Austrian time trial and he will be looking to wear the jersey for another year.

Also in action are Tobias Ludvigsson in Sweden, Nikias Arndt and Max Walscheid in Germany, Søren Kragh Andersen in Denmark and Tom Dumoulin in the Netherlands, who just returned from almost three weeks at the team's altitude training camp.

Nikias Arndt

The women of Team Liv-Plantur will have three riders competing, with two racing in the Netherlands and one at the British national time trial championships.

RACE: Men's National Time Trial Championships

DATE: 22-24/06/2015

LINE-UPS:

• Austria (22/06): Georg Preidler (AUT)
• Denmark (22/06): Søren Kragh Andersen (DEN)
• Germany (24/06): Nikias Arndt (GER), Max Walscheid (GER)
• The Netherlands (22/06): Tom Dumoulin (NED)
• Sweden (22/06): Tobias Ludvigsson (SWE) 

RACE: Women's National Time Trial Championships

DATE: 22-28/06/2015

LINE-UPS

• Great-Britain (22/06): Molly Weaver (GBR)
• The Netherlands (22/06): Floortje Mackaij (NED), Riejanne Markus (NED) 

NATIONAL ROAD RACE CHAMPIONSHIPS

This weekend’s national road race championships should offer several exciting battles with Team Giant-Alpecin strongly represented in both Germany and the Netherlands.

Team Giant-Alpecin has five riders in the German championships. With John Degenkolb, Nikias Arndt and Simon Geschke, the team will be looking for a strong result in the home championships.

Over at the Dutch nationals, the team has nine representatives. Ramon Sinkeldam finished second last year and he will be the team’s sprint option. In case of a tough finale, Roy Curvers and Koen de Kort are riders that can make the select front group.

Elsewhere in Europe, Team Giant-Alpecin riders are racing in Austria with Georg Preidler, Belgium with Zico Waeytens, Denmark with Søren Kragh Andersen, France with Warren Barguil, Norway with Sindre Skjøstad Lunke, and Sweden with Tobias Ludvigsson.

The Team Liv-Plantur women are also in road race action. The team is best represented at the Dutch nationals, with five riders starting, including Floortje Mackaij. The team is also sending riders to the championships of Canada with Leah Kirchmann, Great Britain with Molly Weaver and Sweden with Sara Mustonen.

RACE: Men's National Road Race Championships

DATE: 25-26/06/2015

LINE-UPS:

Austria (26/06): Georg Preidler (AUT)

Belgium (26/06): Zico Waeytens (BEL)

Denmark (26/06): Søren Kragh Andersen (DEN)

France (26/06): Warren Barguil (FRA)

Germany (26/06): Nikias Arndt (GER), John Degenkolb (GER), Johannes Fröhlinger (GER), Simon Geschke (GER), Max Walscheid (GER)

The Netherlands (25/06): Roy Curvers (NED), Laurens ten Dam (NED), Tom Dumoulin (NED), Lars van der Haar (NED), Koen de Kort (NED), Sam Oomen (NED), Ramon Sinkeldam (NED), Tom Stamsnijder (NED), Albert Timmer (NED)

Norway (26/06): Sindre Skjøstad Lunke (NOR)

Sweden (26/06):Tobias Ludvigsson (SWE) 

Swiss Championships – IAM Cycling aims to win laurels in the home region of its founder Michel Thétaz

IAM Cycling posted this:

“The sensations are good, and I hope to continue the momentum I have through to Martigny at the Swiss Championships,” said Reto Hollenstein, the silver medalists at the 2015 Swiss time trial championships, who has just completed the Tour de Suisse raced under appalling conditions.

Reto Hollenstein

IAM Cycling will field three riders in the time trial that is scheduled for Wednesday, June 22nd, with an early evening departure and finish line on the Place Central in Martigny. Reto Hollenstein with talented teammates Jonathan Fumeaux and Simon Pellaud will start between 7 and 7:20 pm in order to do two loops around a 20.5 kilometer course. And then the 195 kilometer road race on Sunday, June 26th, will start around 12:40 in the afternoon, when the Swiss IAM Cycling team will attempt to win its second national road title following Martin Elmiger’s success in 2014.

THE ANALYSIS: Marcello Albasini talked about the Swiss championships, which has been designate as a major objective by Michel Thétaz, founder of IAM Cycling. “We are certainly racing for the win, since if you go to the Swiss championships with no ambitions, it is better you just stay home. We have a competitive team with motivated riders. We are not alone because BMC certainly has points in its favor. The course is a bit special with steep climbs, technical descents, and an unpaved portion just before the finish. It will also be important not to forget that the wind will play a part as well. All possible scenarios must be considered beforehand so that we can react immediately.”

THE RETURN: Of Marcel Aregger after six weeks of recovery due to a fracture to his left ankle, which he suffered in a training ride crash.

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