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Bicycle Racing News and Opinion,
Thursday, November 24, 2022

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2022 Tour de France | 2022 Giro d'Italia

To see a world in a grain of sand
And heaven in a wild flower
Hold infinity in the palm of your hand
And eternity in an hour  - William Blake

Les Woodland's book Tour de France: The Inside Story - Making the World's Greatest Bicycle Race is available in print, Kindle eBook and audiobook versions. To get your copy, just click on the Amazon link on the right.

Upcoming racing

• Dec 4: Scheldecross Antwerp
• Dec 10: Exact Cross Essen
• 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:

• 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
• Oct 16: Japan Cup
• Oct 16: Veneto Classic
• Oct 16: Chrono des Nations
• Oct 12: Giro del Veneto

The team sent me this announcement:

Eduardo Sepulveda (31) and Johannes Adamietz (24) will defend the colours of Lotto Dstny in 2023. Adamietz has signed for two years with the Belgian team, Sepulveda for one. “These two riders will give our team more depth in races with a lot of altitude meters”, explains sports manager Kurt Van de Wouwer.

Eduardo Sepulveda wins stage four of the 2022 Tour of Turkey.

The German rider Adamietz will make his professional debut at Lotto Dstny. He showed his capacities past season with a seventh place in the Sibiu Cycling Tour. As a rider of a continental team, his performance at the Deutschland Tour also stood out. “I am very pleased and excited with this opportunity at Lotto Dstny, a big team with a lot of history in cycling”, says Johannes Adamietz. “I am a rider for the high mountains and hilly classics. On those terrains I want to further develop myself at Lotto Dstny. This really is a dream come true.”

The Argentinean rider Sepulveda already has the necessary experience at the highest level. He finished the 2022 season strongly with a seventh place in the Tour of Langkawi, but his stage win and third place overall at the Tour of Turkey also impressed. “I am extremely motivated to become a part of Lotto Dstny”, says Eduardo Sepulveda. “This team has a beautiful history. It will be my first time in a Belgian team and I am looking forward to meeting everyone. I am ready to help my teammates achieve good results and fight for victory myself.”

Sports manager Kurt Van de Wouwer is excited about the two latest reinforcements for the 2023 team. “These two riders will give our team more body in races with a lot of altitude meters. Maybe they are not the two most striking names, but they are more than worth their spot in our team. Sepulveda has a lot of experience and is very ambitious to get results in difficult races. He also knows what it means to work for a leader. Adamietz has shown himself as a continental rider amongst the pros. We believe he can still improve and grow and will help in this process.”

The team sent me this:

Team BikeExchange-Jayco has confirmed its complete and final men’s roster for the 2023 season, with strength and depth added to all areas, as the Australian outfit welcome onboard 11 new riders to form a well-balanced 30-rider strong team.

Fortified Sprint Squad:
With the welcomed addition of sprint star Dylan Groenewegen in January 2022, bunch sprint victories have become a high priority for the team, with Groenewegen capable of winning at the highest level, demonstrated by his stage win at this year’s Tour de France. Now, as the squad heads into its 12th season in the UCI WorldTour peloton in 2023, fortifying the sprint group even further was a key priority.

Dylan Groenewegen wins 2022 Tour de France stage three. Getty Images

With this, Team BikeExchange-Jayco recruit experienced Dutch rider Elmar Reinders (who joined midway through 2022), plus young Australian talent Blake Quick, both fast men that will slot into the team’s lead-out train and complement the work of the seasoned lead-out professionals, such as Luka Mezgec and Luke Durbridge. With an eye on building for the future, Quick also provides the squad with an option to lead the team’s ‘B’ sprint group, made up from former track riders such as Campbell Stewart and Kelland O’Brien.

“We have enjoyed seeing the team step up and challenge for sprint victories throughout the entire season and how the lead-out train has improved to become one of the best in the world. It was very important to continue with this momentum, we’ve put a lot of work and resources into our sprint team, and we believe the new riders we have joining the team next year will really help to boost us in this area. We have big ambitions for sprint finishes in 2023.” – General Manager Brent Copeland

Consistency With Climbers:
With general classification success in stage races continuing as a major focus for the squad, 2023 sees the Australian outfit bolster its climbing group significantly, with the addition of Australian Chris Harper, Irishman Eddie Dunbar, and Italian champion Filippo Zana.

Alongside the three climbers will be Austrian all-rounder Lukas Pöstlberger, and two older experienced riders with Italian Alessandro De Marchi and Czech Zdeněk Štybar, providing the team with a more enriched group to tackle stage races, in support of general classification leader Simon Yates.

“Winning stage races is a big goal for us as an organisation and we are thrilled to have such diverse and talented riders joining us next year that will be able to support our leaders in stage races, from the high mountains to keeping safe and protected on the flat throughout Grand Tours. We believe we have found and created a very well-balanced team, one of our strongest team rosters for the hilly races and a team that will really enable us to step up another level next year, especially in the big tours, chasing podium finishes.” – Copeland 

Developing The Future:
Finding and developing young talent is always of high importance for GreenEDGE Cycling, and in 2023 it is no different. With the backing of Team Owner Gerry Ryan confirmed through to 2025, development projects have been included into the roster. Ethiopian climber Welay Hagos Berhe is a rider that the team believe has incredible potential in the mountains, along with Rudy Porter from Australia. U23 European champion Felix Engelhardt is also amongst the names of new rider signings that the team looks to assist with their transition into the WorldTour peloton and development deep into the future.

“With a clear vision for the future, we’re delighted to be able to bring onboard young talented riders, give them a plan and assist them with the important start of their careers as they step into the WorldTour. This has always been very important for us, to find and nurture new talent, the stars of the future, and it is very motivating for us to have four young and gifted riders in Hagos Berhe, Porter, Engelhardt and Quick for 2023. With the support staff, our dedicated sponsors, and the older experienced riders on the team, we believe it is a great environment to help these riders on their journey to becoming the world’s best.” – Copeland.

Team BikeExchange-Jayco 2023 Roster: (30)
Alex Balmer (SUI)
Welay Hagos Berhe (ETH) *New Rider
Kevin Colleoni (ITA)
Lawson Craddock (USA)
Alessandro De Marchi (ITA) *New Rider
Eddie Dunbar (IRL) *New Rider
Luke Durbridge (AUS)
Felix Engelhardt (GER) *New Rider
Tsgabu Grmay (ETH)
Dylan Groenewegen (NED)
Lucas Hamilton (AUS)
Chris Harper (AUS) *New Rider
Michael Hepburn (AUS)
Amund Grøndahl Jansen (NOR)
Chris Juul-Jensen (DEN)
Jan Maas (NED)
Michael Matthews (AUS)
Luka Mezgec (SLO)
Kelland O’Brien (AUS)
Jesús David Peña (COL)
Lukas Pöstlberger (AUT) *New Rider
Rudy Porter (AUS) *New Rider
Blake Quick (AUS) *New Rider
Elmar Reinders (NED) *New Rider
Callum Scotson (AUS)
Matteo Sobrero (ITA)
Campbell Stewart (NZL)
Zdeněk Štybar (CZE) *New Rider
Simon Yates (GBR)
Filippo Zana (ITA) *New Rider

Team BikeExchange Jayco:
No. of riders: 30
No. of Australians: 9
No. of other nationalities: 21 (4x ITA, 3x NED, 2x ETH, 1x NZL, 1x GBR, 1x AUT, 1x COL, 1x SLO, 1x NOR, 1x DEN, 1x IRL, 1x USA, 1x SUI, 1x GER, 1x CZE)
Youngest rider: 21 - Welay Hagos Berhe
Oldest rider: 36 - Zdeněk Štybar
Average age: 27.5

Here’s the team’s news release:

Two Kazakh riders, Andrey Zeits and Gleb Brussenskiy have prolonged their contracts with Astana Qazaqstan Team for one more season (2023).

Andrey Zeits (35), the most experienced Kazakh rider in the peloton, has spent a solid season in the team being part of the squad at the Tour de France, where he provided a good support to Alexey Lutsenko. Alongside his great dedication to the team goals, Andrey was able to score several personal results, among them an eighth place at the Mont Ventoux Dénivelé Challenge, a ninth place in the General Classification of the Tour of Sicily and two tenth places in the overall standings of the Route d’Occitanie and Le Tour de Langkawi.

Jesper Hansen, Dario Cataldo and Andrey Zeits racing in stage 19 of the 2017 Giro d'Italia. Sirotti photo

“Even though the year was not easy at all due to COVID and all the consequences of the pandemic, I think I managed to spend a good season. I am happy I was useful in team’s tactics, to help our leaders to achieve the goals that were set. And, of course, I am happy that I managed to prove myself in those races where the team was waiting it from me. I feel that both motivation and physical form remain at a high level, so I am ready to continue working, helping my team with all my forces. I am happy to extend the contract for another season and I am going to do my all to spend it as best as possible”, – said Andrey Zeits.

Recently ended season for Gleb Brussenskiy (22) became his second year as a pro in Astana Qazaqstan Team. During 2022 Gleb won the road race of Under 23 Asian Cycling Championships, took third in the road race of the Kazakhstan National Championships and finished 15th in the General Classification of the Tour de l’Avenir.

“It is great to have the opportunity to continue performing as a part of our Kazakh team, to continue working on myself to reach a new level. The first two years in the WorldTour passed very fast and maybe a little messy because of the pandemic. So, I failed to fully reach my potential. But I am sure that the success will come, I am ready to work a lot to realize myself as a professional rider at 100%”, – said Gleb Brussenskiy.

“Indeed, Andrey Zeits is a true veteran of domestic cycling, but this season he showed he is still full of energy and motivation to keep on riding on a very high level. Andrey is a strong rider you can always lean on in any race, so I am happy he stays with us for one more year. If we talk about Gleb Brussenskiy, he spent two good but at the same time tough seasons much affected by the pandemic. Last season this young rider had ups and downs, but that’s normal. He is still very young, he is still missing valuable experience, so we are going to keep on working together to reach some good results in the upcoming season”, – said Alexandr Vinokurov, General Manager of Astana Qazaqstan Team.

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