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Bicycle Racing News and Opinion,
Friday, April 1, 2022

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2021 Tour de France | 2021 Giro d'Italia

A common mistake that people make when trying to design something completely foolproof is to underestimate the ingenuity of complete fools. - Douglas Adams

David L. Stanley's masterful telling of his bout with skin cancer Melanoma: It Started with a Freckle is available in print, Kindle eBook and audiobook versions. To get your copy, just click on the Amazon link on the right.

Current racing:

April 1: Route Adélie de Vitre

Upcoming racing:

Latest completed racing:

March 30: Dwars door Vlaanderen
March 21 - 27: Volta Ciclista a Catalunya
March 27: Gent-Wevelgem
March 27: GP Industria & Artigianato Larciano
March 27: La Roue Tourangelle
March 22 - 26: Settimana Internazionale Coppi e Bartali
March 25: E3

Tom Pidcock signs five-year contract with the INEOS Grenadiers

The team sent me this news release:

Tom Pidcock has extended his long-term commitment to the INEOS Grenadiers - making it his home for the next five years.

The 22-year-old British Olympic gold medallist, cyclo-cross world champion and all-round road racer is excited to continue his development as a Grenadier.

Tom Pidcock racing & winning the 2021 Olympic MTB race. Sirotti photo

Pidcock said: “INEOS Grenadiers is the right team for me. It’s become my home over the past year and it’s incredible to think it’s the team I grew up dreaming of joining. To have the trust of the team and INEOS is an amazing feeling. With the quality of staff and riders I’ve met and raced alongside, it’s been clear since day one that there’s no better team in which to spend the next five years of my career.

“INEOS Grenadiers have backed me all the way, across every discipline I’ve raced in. I couldn’t have asked for better support leading up to my mountain-bike Olympic gold and cyclo-cross world title. For my future goals - chasing Monuments, world titles, and one day a Grand Tour – this is definitely the best place to be.”

INEOS Grenadiers Team Principal, Sir Dave Brailsford said: “Tom’s an incredibly talented bike racer but what sets him apart is his versatility. Already an Olympic gold medallist, cyclo-cross world champion and proven winner on the road, he’s at the heart of an exciting new generation of young riders who’ve grown up riding multiple disciplines and love full-on racing. I admire the values he brings to his racing, which fit perfectly with those of the INEOS Grenadiers. Given he is so young, easy going and fun, the intensity and determination he has is remarkable and he gives his all every time he gets on a bike.

“The length of the relationship we’ve agreed with Tom gives us the opportunity to enable his ambitious, multi-disciplined goals, while giving him the benefit of learning from the wisdom and experience of his many champion teammates. I’m very excited about what we can achieve together.”

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Team Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl headed to Ronde van Vlaanderen

Here’s the team’s announcement:

The only team in the modern era to have won Ronde van Vlaanderen eight times, Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl will travel to the start of the 106th edition with a squad led by none other than the defending champion Kasper Asgreen, who last year took the victory in spectacular fashion.

Kasper Asgreen winning the 2021 edition ahead of Mathieu van der Poel. Sirotti photo

Third at Strade Bianche earlier this season and a solid performer last week at E3 Harelbeke, Kasper will wear bib number one in Antwerp, where he will have around him a strong team that is set to include also Tim Declercq, Yves Lampaert, Florian Sénéchal, Jannik Steimle – who’ll get to ride a Monument for the first time in his career – Zdenek Stybar and Bert Van Lerberghe.

One of the longest and toughest one-day races of the whole year, Ronde van Vlaanderen will feature 18 climbs, including the Molenberg, Koppenberg and its viciously steep gradients which have a history of putting many riders into difficulty, Taaianberg, Oude Kwaremont and Paterberg. The last two will be tackled in quick succession in the last 25 kilometers, from the top of the Paterberg – which averages an insane 12.3% over just 360 meters – only 13 kilometers separating the riders from the finish in Oudenaarde.

“De Ronde is one of the best races in the world, but at the same time, one of the toughest. Looking over the course there aren’t that many changes, so we know what to expect. The difference is, of course, the team that is not on full strength, with all the sickness that has struck us. But despite this, we have the belief that on Sunday we will play a part in the race.”

“Kasper showed he’s one of the best out there at the moment. We have Florian and Jannik, who also proved they are ready, even though Florian had a lot of bad luck in the past races. Tim, Yves, Zdenek and Bert know the parcours, they are experienced, so even with some condition they can handle the course and do something good. Of course, it goes without saying that we aren’t the big favourites for this race. We will have to ride smart to get a good result, but that doesn’t mean we aren’t confident”, said Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl sports director Tom Steels.

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Lotto Soudal to ride Volta Limburg Classic and GP Indurain

Here's the team's news:

On Saturday 2 April, Lotto Soudal will be racing on two fronts. In the Netherlands, the Belgian WorldTeam will be at the start of the 47th Volta Limburg Classic (1.1), while the 31st Gran Premio Miguel Indurain (1.Pro) is scheduled in the Spanish region of Navarra.

After two years of absence, the Volta Limburg Classic is back, and how… With no less than 38 hills, the 195 kilometres long race really is a tough one. Between start and finish in Eijsden, the riders will take on plenty of elevation gain on twisty and narrow roads, which will undoubtedly make for an exciting race. Lotto Soudal is heading to Limburg with a strong selection: Thomas De Gendt, Arnaud De Lie, Philippe Gilbert, Roger Kluge, Andreas Kron, Michael Schwarzmann and Rüdiger Selig.

Andreas Kron, who will be one of the Lotto Soudal team leaders at the Volta Limburg Classic, is shown winning stage five of the 2020 Tour of Luxembourg.

“We will start with two clear leaders at the Volta Limburg Classic: Andreas Kron and Arnaud De Lie”, says sports director Maxime Monfort. “Andreas has had a long training period after Strade Bianche to prepare for the Ardennes Classics. Arnaud has shown some nice things in recent weeks. Philippe resumes racing after illness and will act as a road captain on roads he knows like the back of his hand. We are one of the four WorldTour teams at the start, which means we have to take control of the race. We are of course aiming for a top result. With a difficult course full of short climbs, it is also a good rehearsal for the Walloon Classics.”

Also in the Spanish region of Navarra, the peloton will take on a race full of altitude metres: GP Indurain. In and around Estella-Lizarra it’s up to the punchers of the bunch. The short and sharp Alto de Ibarra has to be climbed four times, with the final time at just over one kilometre from the finish, which can serve as an ultimate springboard to victory. Lotto Soudal sends a young climbing team to Spain with Filippo Conca, Steff Cras, Matthew Holmes, Sylvain Moniquet, Harry Sweeny, Maxim Van Gils and Viktor Verschaeve.

“We are at the start with a young but talented team of climbers”, says sports director Allan Davis. “Everyone is motivated to race but we also have to be realistic with the strong field of contenders at the start. So we need to race offensively in order to get a good result. Besides, the GP Indurain is quite special to me. The Spanish Basque Country has been my home for 20 years and as an Australian, it’s nice to race so close to my ‘home away from home’.

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