Bicycle Racing News and Opinion,
Friday, December 16, 2022
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2022 Tour de France | 2022 Giro d'Italia
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Upcoming racing
- Dec 26: Gavere Cyclocross
- Dec 27: Heusden-Zolder Cyclocross
- Dec 29: Diegem Cyclocross
- Dec 30: Azencross-Loenhout
- Jan 1: GP Sven Nys Cyclocross
- Jan 14 - 22: Schwalbe Classic & Tour Down Under
- Jan 22 - 29: Vuelta a San Juan
- Jan 25 - 29: Challenge Illes Balears-Volta Ciclista a Mallorca
- Jan 28 & 29: Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race
Latest completed racing:
- Dec 10: Exact Cross Essen
- Dec 4: Scheldecross Antwerp
- Nov 20: Vlaamse Druivenveldrit Overijse Cross
- Nov 5 & 6: European Cyclocross Championships
- Nov 1: Trofee Oudenaarde-Koppenbergcross
- Oct 29: Superprestige Ruddervoorde Cyclocross
- Oct 11 - 18: Tour de Langkawi
Team Arkéa-Samsic posted this schedule:
Théo Ouvrard, Team Arkéa-Samsic Sports Manager, presents the early season program of the two leaders of the Arkéa-Samsic team, Nacer Bouhanni and Warren Barguil.
Nacer Bouhanni’s provisional program:
- Challenge Ciclista Mallorca (25 to 28 January)
- Étoile de Bessèges (1 to 5 February)
- Clasica Almeria (12 February)
- Tour des Alpes-Maritimes et du Var (17 to 19 February)
- Tirreno-Adriatico (6 to 12 March)
- Milan-Turin (15 March)
- Classic Cholet-Pays-de-la-Loire (19 March)
Nacer Bouhanni wins the 2022 La Roue Tourangelle. Photo: LNC/B.Bade
“We know that Nacer often wins several races in a season,” says Théo Ouvrard, Arkéa-Samsic team manager. We have therefore drawn up a program for him at the start of the year that can give him the opportunity to achieve this quickly. The aim of these first competitions is to build his confidence so that he can perform again quickly. He will go to Tirreno-Adriatico with probably less pressure, because his performances are mainly in one-day races, with real chances to win, without neglecting the stage races, of course. After his year 2022, the priority for his comeback will be the one-day races”.
Warren Barguil’s provisional program
- Challenge Ciclista Mallorca (25 to 28 January)
- Vuelta Ciclista a la Region de Murcia ” Costa Càlida, 11th February
- Volta ao Algarve (15 to 19 February)
- Strade Bianche (4 March)
- Tirreno-Adriatico (6 to 12 March)
- Milan-San-Remo (18 March)
“Warren’s program at the beginning of the season is more or less the same as last year. It is however a little bit lighter because of medium term objectives for him. He will therefore race a little less at the beginning of 2023. We have also decided that he will race again in Milan-San-Remo because of the way this race has looked in the last few seasons. He could be one of our best cards if a group of 20 riders breaks away at the top of the Poggio. Warren will be our leader on the whole Italian front at the beginning of the season”.
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Team Jumbo-Visma posted this:
To our great sadness, Karel van Eerd (84), founder of Jumbo Supermarkets, our main sponsor, passed away today. Mr. Van Eerd stood at the basis of the long-standing cooperation between Jumbo and Team Jumbo-Visma.
When Karel van Eerd assumed daily control of his father Frits' business, he was just eighteen years old. He proved to be a natural fit for the supermarket industry. His leadership saw the company expand quickly.
Karl van Eerd with Primoz Roglic, presumably at the Vuelta a España.
Almost forty years ago (in 1983), Van Eerd purchased the Jumbo moniker from a fellow entrepreneur. He also took over the accompanying store formula. Three Jumbo stores in Brabant were the start of an A-brand that now has approximately 700 stores in the Netherlands and nearly 30 in Flanders.
In 2007, Karel van Eerd celebrated his fiftieth anniversary at Jumbo and was inducted as an officer into the Order of Orange-Nassau.
Van Eerd was a born entrepreneur. He was imaginative, brave, and able to see opportunities. He also exhibited customer-focused thinking and behaviour. Mr. Van Eerd wanted to be the best, to win together. And last but not least, he was a great sports fan.
Jumbo has been our cycling and skating team's main sponsor since 2014. His contribution was significant. He went to cycling races with us on several occasions. In 2017 and 2018, he literally merged with the team during the Giro d'Italia. He didn't miss a stage and spent a lot of time talking and reflecting with everyone.
Richard Plugge, director of Team Jumbo-Visma: "We are deeply saddened by the news that Karel has passed away. Karel served as the cornerstone of our long-term collaboration and served as the catalyst for our development of young talent. The Karel van Eerd Academy is the name of our internal training program for a reason. Karel (and his wife Kitty) grew close to the team over time, as well as to my wife and me. He shared a lot of valuable advise thanks to his extensive expertise. He was constantly interested in learning everything there was to know about our cycling team and had ideas for how to run the organisation. Straightforward, without any digressions, with heartfelt advice. Of course, it was wonderful to drink a beer with Karel and reflect on life."
"We are very grateful for all that Karel has given and taught us. He was and continues to inspire us because of his desire to be the greatest and his mantra, "Youth has the future.” We will miss him and sympathise with his wife Kitty, his children Colette, Frits and Monique and the rest of the family, friends and Jumborians. We wish them much strength with this great loss."
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The team sent me this news release:
The Belgian professional cycling team Lotto Soudal, next season Lotto Dstny, and Ghent University are starting a strategic partnership. The collaboration will provide the coaches, trainers, nutritionists, medical staff and other professionals of the cycling team with a scientific sounding board. The experienced research group PACE (exercise physiology and sports sciences) of the department of Movement and Sports Sciences at Ghent University finds the ultimate showcase in the cycling team and an opportunity to translate their scientific knowledge into practice.
The collaboration with Ghent University is a next step for Lotto Dstny in the further professionalization of the team's performance department. “For us, this is a great sounding board for our coaches, trainers, nutritionists, medical staff and all other specialists within the team,” says sports director Nikolas Maes. Together with Maxime Monfort, he leads the performance department of the team. “It is a way to fine-tune everything even better in our team, with a scientific basis. All topics can be covered: heat training, altitude training, exercise science, strength training, nutrition, hydration and much more. We are currently already discussing the latter two topics in very concrete terms.”
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In concrete terms, Lotto Dstny and PACE (Ghent University) will meet on a regular basis under the leadership of Professor Jan Boone to exchange knowledge on various topics. Team doctor Peter Plessers: “As doctors, trainers, coaches and nutritionists, we naturally have a thorough basic knowledge of our domain, supplemented with very specific experience within cycling. However, it is impossible for us to keep up with the continuous flow of scientific research and publications. And that while there are very interesting insights to be found. In the research group led by Professor Jan Boone, we have found a very professional and knowledgeable partner to translate that specific knowledge to us. On the one hand to gain new insights, but also to support our existing practices or protocols on a scientific basis.”
The research group PACE at Ghent University is led by Professor Jan Boone. He is very enthusiastic about the collaboration with the professional Belgian cycling team: “We are two Belgian institutions with a certain history and reputation that have joined forces. In concrete terms, we will proactively approach the team with certain sports scientific knowledge and vice versa, the team can contact us with all possible questions. From the various sessions we have already had together, we notice how open the team is to new insights. As a scientist, it is nice to be able to discuss with the specialists in the field. All in all, this collaboration is very positive for both us and the team.”
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