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Bicycle Racing News and Opinion,
Tuesday, December 20, 2022

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2022 Tour de France | 2022 Giro d'Italia

When asked, 'How do you write?' I invariably answer, 'one word at a time.' - Stephen King

Les Woodland's book Paris-Roubaix: The Inside Story - All the bumps of cycling's cobbled classic is available in print, Kindle eBook & audiobook versions. To get your copy, just click on the Amazon link on the right.

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

The team sent me this news release:

The INEOS Grenadiers, together with the Team’s on-bike performance apparel partner Bioracer, are proud to launch a striking new look for its 2023 Pro Team Kit -  ‘Visibly Fast’ - a symbolic gesture to the performance-led ambitions of the team.

Multiple world champion Pauline Ferrand-Prévot shows the new jersey.

As a statement of intent for the coming year, INEOS’s ‘brigade red’ will now form the base colour of the 2023 kit, signifying the team’s plan to race with passion, grit and determination. In addition, this kit will see the introduction of the INEOS safety orange, worn by the team’s counterparts at INEOS Britannia (America’s Cup sailing team), as a fluorescent flash across the riders’ right hand sleeve. A nod to detail which helps enhance the visibility of riders out on the road and is part of the team’s on-going commitment to safety.

Rod Ellingworth - Deputy Team Principal INEOS Grenadiers said: “The team is shifting up a gear with our 2023 jersey. We’re excited by the evolution of the design and hope our fans love this new look as much as we do. The shift to INEOS’s brigade red reflects the way we plan to race - with passion, grit and determination.

“The introduction of the distinctive orange colour is also important. It will increase the visibility of our riders during racing, as the orange kit they wear does whilst they are training, helping to keep them safe on the road and supporting them in all conditions. Bioracer has really risen to the challenge with our 2023 jersey and we’re looking forward to racing in this ‘Visibly Fast’ kit.”

INEOS Grenadiers’ partnership with Bioracer is one of continuous innovation, with an emphasis on developing and utilising the latest advanced technologies to support and push forward performance. The launch of the team’s 2023 Pro Team Kit marks the next stage of this dynamic partnership.

Danny Segers, CEO of Bioracer said:  “We are proud to start our second year as the on-bike performance partner of the INEOS Grenadiers. After last season’s successes in both the spring classics, stage races and the world hour record, we have worked in close collaboration with both riders and the team’s performance specialists to constantly test and develop the next generation of cycling apparel.

“With ‘Visibly Fast’ this 2023 kit highlights two of our main focus points as a cycling apparel brand. Fast, because Bioracer’s mission is to make you faster. Visible, because we believe you need to be able to ride and train all day, every day, without limitations in daylight or weather conditions.

“Developed in Belgium together with the brightest experts in cycling, tested by our world-class Grenadiers and available throughout 2023 for riders all over the world. We believe this partnership not only pushes the team’s riders to the next level, but all Bioracer riders worldwide to become as fast as they can be.”

Here’s the team’s post:

Hugo Hofstetter and Amaury Capiot are among the “Flandriens” of the Arkéa-Samsic team. Here is the programme for the beginning of the 2023 season.

”We already know Hugo’s record”, says Théo Ouvrard, “as well as his appetite for one-day races, especially in Belgium at the beginning of the season. His 2023 programme does not change fundamentally, except for his first race which will be held this year in Australia, with the Donw Under and the . He will be the designated sprinter of the Arkéa-Samsic team in these two events. The Volta Ao Algarve will then mark his return to Europe. Hugo has also asked to compete in the Volta Catalunya with the same aim of competing in the UCI WorldTour Flanders Classics and Semi-Classics, and also with the ambition of competing in this race, which always allows the sprinters to express themselves”.

Hugo Hofstetter at the 2021 Tour of Flanders. Sirotti photo

Previsionnal programme of Hugo Hofstetter

• Tour Down Under (17 to 22 January)
• Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race (29 January)
• Volta ao Algarve (15 to 19 February)
• Grand Prix Samyn (28 February)
• Grand Prix Criquélion (4 March)
• Grand Prix Monséré (5 March)
• Ronde Van Drentrhe (12 March)
• Grand Prix de Denain- Porte du Hainaut (16 March)
• Bredene Koksijde Classic (17 March)
• Volta Ciclisya a Catalunya (20 to 26 March)

“Amaury Capiot’s 2023 programme at the start of the season is almost the same as last year’s, notes Théo Ouvrard. There are no big changes for Amaury. The only notable difference is that we expect him to ride the classics a bit more. Amaury won quickly in 2022 and that’s what we asked him to do. Amaury knows that we will be a bit more patient with him than in 2022. But knowing his qualities as a competitor, he may very well have some nice surprises in store for us. Amaury will also have the mission on certain occasions to launch his sprinters. But the target is really the beginning of the Belgian campaign where we expect him to perform very well”.

Amaury Capiot winning the 2022 GP d'Ouverture-La Marseillaise. Sirotti photo

Previsional programme of Amaury Capiot

• Clasica Communitat Valenciana- Gran Premi Valencia (22 January)
• Grand Prix Cycliste de Marseille – La Marseillaise (29 January)
• Muscat Classic (9 February)
• Tour of Oman (10 to 14 February)
• Omloop Het Nieuwsblad (25 February)
• Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne (26 February)
• Paris-Nice (5 to 12 March)
• Grand Prix de Denain – Porte du Hainaut (16 March)

Here’s the team’s news release:

Astana Qazaqstan Development Team (UCI Continental Team) is happy to present its 2023 roster consisted of 12 riders, 6 of them representing Kazakhstan.

Alongside Juan Carlos Lopez, Harold Martin Lopez, Nicolas Vinokurov, Alexandre Vinokurov, Daniil Pronskiy, Andrey Remkhe, Davide Toneatti and Orken Slamzhanov, who extended their contracts for another season, the team will be joined by four new riders:

Nil Aguilera Norba was second in the individual time trial at the Junior Spanish National Championships. Also, he scored a few victories in the Spanish national calendar: he won Sant Julia Vilatorta and a stage at the Vuelta al Besaya Juniors.

Saveliy Laptev, the winner of Velo Alanya Junoir, Judex Autonomicos Garrovillas de Alconetar, two stages of the Vuelta a las Comarcas and a stage of the Volta ao Concelho de Loule Juniores.

Maxim Taraskin was second in the road race at the Junior Asian Cycling Championships. Also, he was fourth in the General Classification of the Velo Alanya Juniors and 6th in the overall standings of the Tour de DMZ Juniors.

Simone Zanini, the winner of Trofeo Graziella E Francesco Pistolesi and Brescia-Montemagno

“The last season turned out to be a good one, it brought our development team a lot of experience and now the team is ready for its second season being more confident, more experienced and motivated. I consider the new roster as well-balanced, so we can expect further steps ahead from the riders. Some of them are going to do their first steps in the new age category, while others will aim important results both in Under 23 and Elite categories. As you can see, a half of the team are Kazakh riders of Under 23 category, where Yevgeniy Fedorov became the World Champion this year. Therefore, the project is very important for our youth domestic cycling”, – said Alexandr Vinokurov, General Manager of Astana Qazaqstan Team.

The full 2023 roster:

Nil Aguilera Norba (ESP), Saveliy Laptev, Juan Carlos Lopez (COL), Harold Martin Lopez (ECU), Daniil Pronskiy (KAZ), Andrey Remkhe (KAZ), Davide Toneatti (ITA), Alexandre Vinokurov (KAZ), Nicolas Vinokurov (KAZ), Maxim Taraskin (KAZ), Orken Slamzhanov (KAZ), Simone Zanini (ITA).

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