Bicycle Racing News and Opinion,
Wednesday, October 26, 2022
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2022 Tour de France | 2022 Giro d'Italia
Two nations between whom there is no intercourse and no sympathy; who are as ignorant of each other's habits, thoughts, and feelings, as if they were dwellers in different zones, or inhabitants of different planets. The rich and the poor. - Benjamin Disraeli
Les Woodland's book Cycling's World Championships: The Inside Story is available in print, Kindle eBook & audiobook versions. To get your copy, just click on the Amazon link on the right.
Upcoming racing
- Oct 29: Superprestige Ruddervoorde Cyclocross
- Nov 1: Trofee Oudenaarde-Koppenbergcross
- Nov 5 & 6: European Cyclocross Championships
- Nov 20: Vlaamse Druivenveldrit Overijse Cross
- 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:
- Oct 11 - 18: Tour de Langkawi
- Oct 16: Japan Cup
- Oct 16: Veneto Classic
- Oct 16: Chrono des Nations
- Oct 12: Giro del Veneto
For those who are not up to speed about Ms. Pieters and her crash, here is the Wikipedia entry about this extremely capable athlete:
Amy Pieters (born 1 June 1991) is a Dutch professional road and track cyclist, who currently rides for UCI Women's WorldTeam SD Worx. She was a member of the Dutch team that finished sixth at the 2012 Summer Olympics in the team pursuit (together with Ellen van Dijk, Kirsten Wild and Vera Koedooder).
On 23 December 2021, Pieters was placed in an induced coma and underwent emergency surgery to relieve pressure on her brain caused by a fall that day during a training ride near Alicante [Spain] with the Dutch national track team. After being repatriated to the Netherlands the following month, Pieters had regained consciousness in April but, due to the brain injury suffered, doctors were unsure of her "residual symptoms and remaining abilities".
Amy Pieters in better days
Her website posted this news today about her progress:
Amy has taken her first steps!
Amy has been in therapy for a while at the Daan Theeuwes Center in Woerden, the Netherlands. Various exercises and training sessions are given that Amy participates in. Amy has already been able to cycle along on a side-by-side tandem.
Lately, it’s been a little more difficult to motivate Amy with physical exercises.
Talking is not yet possible, which makes it difficult to explain herself. Not being able to explain or express herself is sometimes a bit difficult for her and also for us. Fortunately, she can be motivated by playing a game. We take it for granted that she chooses her own moment. And that moment comes because suddenly she is standing!
With a little help, she gets up from her chair and takes her own steps. She walks for short moments when supported. This is what we like to see.
Amy sets the pace. There are days when she doesn’t want to show this again, and then there comes another day when she wants to stand, starts walking, and immediately makes a serious effort.
What she shows then is the conviction that Amy will be able to walk again! Amy’s tiny steps are already turning into real steps. What a progression!
We now hear more and more soft sounds from her. Then we’re glad to hear from her.
Sometimes we suddenly hear a small word clearly escape from her mouth. She does not repeat this yet, but it’s so nice and hopeful to hear her familiar voice in this spontaneously uttered word.
However, there are also moments of panic. Everything seems to be going a little better and then suddenly we are again confronted with the facts. Amy had a epileptic seizure. Ambulance at the door and panic everywhere. The last time Amy had a epileptic seizure, she had a massive relapse. Probably by acting well and quickly and letting her sleep for a long time, Amy has no further serious consequences, apart from a considerable fatigue. Thank god.
We must have patience and hope. We are convinced that Amy will show us some very beautiful things.
We can’t thank the people often enough who help Amy. This also applies to her fellow rehabilitators, who continue to motivate each other positively. This strengthens everyone. But also thanks to the volunteers, therapists, doctors, friends, acquaintances, family and everyone who gives Amy a warm heart.
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The team posted this update:
Dario Cataldo has found his happy place in cycling after moving to Trek-Segafredo in 2022.
“Over the last 16 years, I have seen first-hand the radical change in the cycling world. Keeping up with the different phases of this modernization, being a rider that can add value to my team has always been my priority,” explained Cataldo.
“At Trek-Segafredo I have found a reality where my experience and my contribution to the Team’s success in an increasingly competitive system is appreciated.”
Dario Cataldo wins stage 15 of the 2019 Giro d'Italia. Sirotti photo
Over the last 12 months Cataldo has relished racing in Trek-Segafredo colors and he is looking forward to spending another year as part of the Trek-owned Team. It will be his 17th season as a professional.
“There is an extremely professional structure at Trek-Segafredo,” explained Cataldo.
“The Team is attentive to the needs of modern cycling in every way, and over the last year I was able to experience the true family atmosphere here. There is a special relationship, and a lot of mutual respect, between staff and teammates.
“The 2022 season allowed me to earn the confidence of the Team and now, to continue my adventure with everybody. Many thanks to Luca Guercilena for offering me this opportunity. At almost 38-years-old, I will go into this new season with the same grit and desire to do well that I had as a neo-professional.”
Trek-Segafredo General Manager, Luca Guercilena is confident that Cataldo will continue to help fulfill the Team’s ambitions in 2023 and 2024.
“This year, we saw that the experience Dario brings is invaluable,” confirmed Guercilena.
“We recruited Dario for 2022 because we felt we needed someone with the wealth and depth of knowledge he has, and who could really support our leaders as well as help the younger riders in our sporting project to develop further. Dario has fulfilled this role 100 per cent and it was an easy decision to offer him this contract extension.”
“We remain deeply confident in his qualities as a rider and as a role model and I, personally, believe he will continue to add value to the whole team and help us achieve even more in 2023.”
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Here’s the team’s news release:
After two years in the Kazakh team the Italian rider Samuele Battistella extended his contract with Astana Qazaqstan Team for two more seasons, until the end of 2024.
“I am sure that this is the best choice for me and my career. I have spent two great years in Astana Qazaqstan Team, I am feeling here really good as I found in this team a great environment. So, I am happy to sign a new deal for two more seasons. I got a lot of experience during my first two seasons here, I am improved a lot, but at the same time I am still feeling like I can achieve more, and I am really happy to continue growing up as a professional rider together with Astana Qazaqstan Team”, – said Samuele Battistella.
Samuele Battistella wins the 2021 Veneto Classic
Previous season (2021) Samuele won his first race in Astana jersey at Veneto Classic in Italy, also becoming fourth in the General Classification of the Arctic Race of Norway.
In 2022 despite a challenging season due to the crashes and sickness Battistella got some important results too: twice he was second in the stages of the Vuelta a España, he was third in the General Classification of the Tour of Hungary and finished 7th in the overall standings of the Tour de la Provence and the Tour de Pologne.
“Samuele faced a tough season due to some back luck with the crashes and sickness, especially if we talk about Tour de France, where he was forced to abandon due to COVID. But, at the same time we see in Samuele a very talented and motivated rider who still has a room for improvement. He already won a race for Astana in 2021 and for a few times he was close for another success during this season, especially at La Vuelta, so I am happy that he stays with us for two more years and I am sure he can achieve much more in our team”, – said Alexandr Vinokurov.
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The team posted this:
Team DSM are happy to announce that Kelvin Dekker, Callum Ferguson, Christian Guiberteau and Joey Van Rhee will join their coaching staff for the 2023 season. This news follows on from the team’s restructured approaching to coaching last year, which sees select groups of riders work within a given specialism and block – sprint, classics and GC – to help streamline their training and progression.
Speaking about the new staff, Team DSM head coach Rudi Kemna said: “We’re really looking forward to welcoming Kelvin, Callum, Christian and Joey to the team. Christian of course is a former colleague and we’ve always kept in contact with each other, so it will be really nice to reconnect and work with him again. In the talks we’ve had with Kelvin, Callum and Joey, we can see they are all incredibly driven and passionate individuals, who all complement and strengthen our coaching group in different ways. They’ve all worked extremely hard to get to where they are now and it gives us pleasure to give them the platform to showcase their talents as coaches.”
Dekker joins from Allinq Continental Cycling team where he has been performance manager which he combined with a role in cycling development at the Watersley Sports and Talentpark; having previously been a team leader at NXTG Racing. With a focus on the Women’s program, Dekker will also work in the other programs of the team throughout the year too, embedding into the team structure.
Dekker said: “I’m looking forward to working within the professional structure of Team DSM. I’ve been passionate about cycling for as long as I can remember, and later this passion was joined with that for coaching and making people better at what they’re doing. I love how the team sees coaching as a true profession and that’s what makes my drive to work at the team even bigger. I’m young and this is only the beginning, but I have a lot of ambition to keep Team DSM a winning team.”
Ferguson is a former rider himself who has honed his skills and craft as a coach, working both privately, but also with the Zappi Racing Team and Mg-Kvis Colours For Peace where he has helped to mould and grow several young talents. Like Dekker, Ferguson will work alongside different programs to further learn about the team, but will have a main focus on the Men’s program.
Ferguson added: “After conversations with Rudi, I realised the values of the team matched mine. The development and progression of the riders is vital. Plans made by the staff is what makes this team run so smoothly and this is what makes me so excited to get underway and start working with both riders and staff. With previous teams I’ve learned a lot being about being a coach in the majority of the U23 world’s best races. I understand what it takes to be a coach at this level; being clever isn’t just tactics but listening to the riders is just as important. I’m excited to put what I’ve learned from my previous years into practice with Team DSM.”
Guiberteau returns to Team DSM having been a valued member between 2011 to 2015, and since then has been part of the coaching staff at Cofidis where he has helped take them from ProContinental level to the WorldTour. Guiberteau will take a more hands on role as responsible coach for the staff at races, while he will also support the Men’s program.
Guiberteau expressed: “I still remember the good memories of my years in the team from 2011 to the end of 2015 and after a time of separation, I am very happy to be back. I will have to adapt again to the team which has continued to develop and has become a great structure. I’m motivated and eager to start working this winter, with a function that sees me work closely with the staff, to continue my adventure with Team DSM again for the coming seasons.”
Van Rhee rode his bike on the Continental European scene before hanging up his wheels and starting coaching with a focus on mentality – helping youngster Pim Ronhaar to a cyclocross world title. Van Rhee will find his feet in the team and continue to grow as a coach, working more specifically with the Development program but also gaining experience working alongside other coaches from the Men’s program.
Van Rhee said: “I’m really happy and excited with the opportunity to join and work at Team DSM. I am looking forward to getting the best out of each rider, not only physically but also personally and mentally too. As a coach I believe that your whole system, physically and mentally, have to work together to get the best out of yourself and I want to help guide the riders to do just that.”
Team DSM would like to thank Huub Duijn, Marcel Sieberg and Boris Zimine for all of their hard work and efforts over the past seasons; and wish them all the best in their next roles.
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