Bicycle Racing News and Opinion,
Friday, May 6, 2022
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2021 Tour de France | 2021 Giro d'Italia
I know not with what weapons World War III will be fought, but World War IV will be fought with sticks and stones. - Albert Einstein
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Current racing:
- May 3 - 8: 4 Jours de Dunkerque
- May 6 - 29: Giro d'Italia
Upcoming racing:
- May 14: Grand Prix du Morbihan
- May 15: Tro-Bro Léon
Latest completed racing:
- April 26 - May 1: Tour de Romandie
- April 29 - May 1: Vuelta Asturias
- May 1: Rund um den Finanzplatz Eschborn - Frankfurt
- April 24: Liège-Bastogne-Liège
- April 18 - 22: Tour of the Alps
- April 20: La Flèche Wallonne
- April 10 - 17: Tour of Turkey
- April 17: Paris-Roubaix
Here's the news from Mark Cavendish's Team Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl:
Mark Cavendish:
“I’m coming into the race prepared and relaxed. I worked hard for this, scored some victories already this year, and the motivation is there. I always loved being here and it feels great to return after nine years. Last time I was here I took five wins and the points jersey, so there are a lot of great memories I have from the previous participations.”
A blast from the past: Mark Cavendish wins stage two of the 2012 Giro d'Italia. Sirotti photo
“Obviously, the dynamic of the Giro might have changed since the last time I was here and it might not be the race I remember, so we’ll see how things unfold. But as I already said, I had a good preparation and I’m happy with where I am. Actually, I’m in pretty similar form to last year, and this gives me confidence.”
“We have a very good team for this race and I’m delighted to have Michael as my lead-out man, but also Davide and Bert, who will form a strong train for the bunch sprints. That’s the biggest factor for my confidence, knowing that I have these incredible guys in front of me that I can trust. But it’s not only them, it’s also Mauro, Mauri, James and Pieter, all great guys to ride around Italy and spend time with.”
“I looked over the parcours and there will be a couple of opportunities for a bunch sprint in the next three weeks, although I don’t think the pure sprinters will have a chance on the opening stage. The Giro has always had some savage stages and this year is no different, but it will be the same for everyone. We’re happy to be here, you can feel how everything is building up with just days to go until the start, and we’ll try to be in contention every time there will be an opportunity.”
Here's the Giro update from team Lotto Soudal:
On Friday 6 May, the starting shot for the 105th Giro d’Italia will be given in the Hungarian capital Budapest. For the fourteenth time in its history, the Giro will start outside the borders of ‘Il Bel Paese’. The opening stage brings the peloton in just under 200 kilometres from Budapest to Visegrád, where the first pink jersey is up for grabs after a short climb. On the second day Budapest will again be the setting for a nine-kilometre test against the clock. The final day of racing in Hungary will be a 200 kilometres long stage between Kaposvar and Balatonfüred, suited to the sprinters.
During the first rest day, the Giro lands on Sicily, where the riders with general classification ambitions will immediately have to show their cards the next day with a finish on the slopes of the volcano Etna. From the heel of Italy, the Corsa Rosa will head north with a mix of sprint, mountain and hilly stages. The final eight days at the Giro will be very tough with no less than six mountain stages, one chance for the sprinters and a closing time trial in Verona with a finish inside the iconic Arena di Verona, where the curtain falls on the battle for the pink jersey. With a course including over 50,000 altitude metres, the 105th edition of the Giro will be a real war of attrition.
Caleb Ewan wins stage five of the 2021 Giro d'Italia. Sirotti photo
During the sprint stages, Lotto Soudal will be aiming to bring its Australian sprinter Caleb Ewan into position. For that, he will be assisted by amongst others the three experienced Germans Michael Schwarzmann, Rüdiger Selig and Roger Kluge, who will be starting in their second, fourth and fifth Giro d’Italia respectively. Rouleur Thomas De Gendt will play an important role in controlling the early breakaway during the sprint stages. Undoubtedly, the 35-year-old Belgian will also be motivated to show something himself during his 22nd Grand Tour. For the young climber Sylvain Moniquet, it will be his maiden Giro. After a good start to the season, the young Belgian is eager to show himself on Italian soil. Another young climber who set his mind on a stage victory is Harm Vanhoucke. Last year, Vanhoucke came close in the ‘gravel’ stage towards Montalcino. This year, he will undoubtedly give it another shot to make his dream come true. Just like Vanhoucke, 28-year-old Brit Matthew Holmes will also be aiming to join breakaways.
Allan Davis, one of the Lotto Soudal sports directors at the Giro, briefly explains the ambitions and plans of the team. “The goal is to win as many stages as possible during this Giro. Of course in the first place with Caleb Ewan during the sprint opportunities. He is surrounded by some strong and experienced guys who can put him in an ideal position towards the final sprint. In addition, we have a lot of other riders in our line-up who need to take the chances as they come. We need to ride bravely and grasp every opportunity. We have a good combination of youth, experience and talent in our Giro selection to achieve our goals. We can’t wait to get started”, concludes the Australian sports director of Lotto Soudal.
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Here's what Team Trek-Segafredo has to say about the Giro:
Team director Gregory Rast analyzes the Corsa Rosa for Trek-Segafredo:
The Giro d’Italia is about to unveil itself to the eyes of the cycling world. With two days to the start of the 105th edition, the attention is growing – a curiosity to see the riders race a course that reflects the characteristics that have made the Corsa Rosa famous: toughness, unpredictability and frenzy.
To better understand what to expect over the next three weeks, we chatted with Trek-Segafredo’s leading team director Gregory Rast about our two pivotal factors in the first GT of the season: our eight-rider team and the course.
Bauke Mollema at the teams presentation ceremony the day before the Giro start. Sirotti photo
"The Grande Partenza in Hungary will be a very nervous three days. The first Maglia Rosa is a high-stakes game, everyone will be fresh, and the routes are full of unknowns. Imagining the first stage, mostly flat and with a final climb to decide the winner – we can expect a very high level of tension. And everyone expects it. The time trial the following day, although short, is very technical and not to be underestimated. In short, you have to be ready from the first kilometer of the race.
"With the restart in Sicily and Mount Etna on Stage 4, we will have a first definition of the GC. It will be the first real division of the race.”
“There will be more opportunities for attacks from afar, but, at the same time, the fight to get into a breakaway will be tight. Until the Blockhaus stage (9th), it will be a very difficult race to predict; routes that are anything but bland. It’s enough to look at the stage arriving in Potenza (7th) or Naples (8th): risky for those who look at the GC, but at the same time, inspiring to race and watch,”
“The second week will have a softer start but not predictable. Reggio Emilia, Genoa and Cuneo are arrivals on paper for fast wheels, but there will be a fight. From Stage 14, finishing in Turin, the mountainous Giro begins. The next three days, interspersed with the last rest day, will be a fundamental step. Stage 16, 202kms with Passo Croce Domini, Mortirolo, Valico Santa Cristina, and arrival at Aprica, is for me, the queen stage and the hardest of the whole Giro.
“The last five days will be the most-awaited and the decisive ones for the final classification. There is a continuous up and down between the Alps and the Dolomites, with only the Treviso stage (18th) to give a bit of breathing space. The penultimate day on the Marmolada will tell a lot about the definition of the GC, but maybe not everything. The ITT in Verona could be a catwalk, but not for everyone. Once again, uncertainty and toughness are what makes the Giro a special race to enjoy until the last breath.
“I feel this is the most complete and well-equipped team I’ve ever led in a GT as a sport director. This squad has everything to be competitive on every stage that the Giro 2022 offers. It’s a great motivating factor for everyone: riders, directors and staff,”
“We have two riders, Ciccone and Skjelmose, who have the characteristics and the ambition to look at the GC. However, for Mattias, it is the first time ever in a GT. But we have to be patient and face this challenge, stage by stage. There are always so many variables to take care of, and we will not underestimate them, but smartness and intelligence are needed to do well in GC while still fighting for stage wins,”
“I expect a united and motivated team. Mollema, Ciccone, Cataldo, and Mosca know the Giro well; the other half of the team will race it for the first time. I ask Theuns, Vergaerde, Lopez, and Skjelmose to face this experience with serenity and grit. The Giro is a unique race, different in environment and level of competitiveness. Racing the Giro is a fundamental stage of growth and maturation for every rider. Being a winner, would be a consecration.”
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The team posted this wonderful news:
Each year, an estimated 630,000 plastic bottles are used in the professional peloton. And now, thanks to Cannondale, we’re doing our part to cut down on waste.
Cannondale has developed cycling’s first 100 percent compostable bottle, and both the EF Education-EasyPost and EF Education-TIBCO-SVB teams will begin using them immediately, cutting down on roughly 34,000 plastic bottles used annually.
The EF Education-EasyPost team will use the new compostable bottle starting at the 2022 Giro d’Italia.
Made from plant-derived materials, the bite value, cap, and body are entirely compostable and plastic-free. In as little as three months, the bottle will disintegrate when exposed to micro-organisms, heat, and humidity. In its continued effort to help create a more sustainable future for professional racing, Cannondale will open this innovation to the entire WorldTour beyond 2022.
The compostable bottles are the latest effort from the team and its partners to decrease the environmental footprint of the sport.
The EF Pro Cycling organization is also proud to be part of EF’s “Hello Zero” initiative, EF Education First’s commitment to voluntarily offset all its global carbon emissions, including that of the EF Education-EasyPost and EF Education-TIBCO-SVB teams. The first step in the program is the EF Forest Initiative, a project to create and conserve forests around the world. EF’s goal with Hello Zero is two-fold: to be carbon negative every year starting in 2021, and to eventually become historically carbon neutral, removing all of the carbon EF has ever emitted, directly or indirectly in association with its programs, since EF’s founding in 1965.
* Many bottles in professional cycling are only used once then discarded, though many make it into the hands of fans. They are commonly thrown roadside in specified feed/rubbish zones during a race and not used again due to hygiene reasons.
** In an industrial compost system, the bottle will disintegrate within 3 months. This is certified by European Compost Standards EN13242. At home, this will be approximately 10 – 12 months due to the variability in home compost systems.
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