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Thursday, September 29, 2022
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2021 Tour de France | 2022 Giro d'Italia
I hope you love birds too. It is economical. It saves going to heaven. - Emily Dickinson
Bill and Carol McGann's book The Story of the Giro d'Italia, A Year-by-Year History of the Tour of Italy, Vol 2: 1971 - 2011 is available in print, Kindle eBook and audiobook versions. To get your copy, just click on the Amazon link on the right.
Current racing:
- Sept 29: Coppa Agostoni
Upcoming racing:
- Oct 1: Giro dell'Emilia
Latest completed racing:
- Sept 18 - 25: World Road Championships
- Sept 13 - 17: Tour de Luxembourg
- Sept 17: Primus Classic
- Sept 17: Memorial Marco Pantani (cancelled)
- Sept 16: Kampioenschap van Vlaanderen
- Sept 15: Coppa Sabatini
- Sept 14: GP de Wallonie
- Sept 14: Giro della Toscana
The team sent me this:
Multiple Grand Tour podium finisher Simon Yates will return to racing tomorrow at Coppa Agostoni, as he joins his Team BikeExchange-Jayco team-mates in Italy, for an intense week of one-day racing building up to Il Lombardia.
Yates, who was forced to abandon the Vuelta due to COVID-19, has since recovered and is motivated for results in races that suit his characteristics. With multiple races coming one after the other, the team line-up will switch and change, as the Australian outfit field key players for each and every race.
Simon Yates before the start of 2022 Vuelta a España stage three. Sirotti photo
For the hiller days, Yates will be the leader, with the likes of climbers Kevin Colleoni, Damien Howson and Lucas Hamilton around him for support. For the flatter potential sprint days, recent La Vuelta stage winner Kaden Groves will lead, with fast-man Dion Smith and powerhouses in Lawson Craddock, Chris Juul-Jensen and local Italian Matteo Sobrero by his side to assist.
Northern Italy will host these end-of-season races, with five races coming in one week starting tomorrow, Thursday 29th with the classic Coppa Agostoni; a very challenging course with little flat.
On Saturday, 1st October, the steep climb that leads to San Luca, the sanctuary that dominates Bologna, will decide the winner of the Giro dell’Emilia, before the following day’s Bernocchi Cup, typically a day for the sprinters.
The climbs then return for Tre Valli Varesine and as an appetiser for Il Lombardia (8th October), the Gran Piemonte takes place on October 6th with an arrival of a small bunch sprint likely.
Team BikeExchange-Jayco for Coppa Agostoni
Kevin Colleoni (ITA)
Lawson Craddock (USA)
Tsgabu Grmay (ETH)
Damien Howson (AUS)
Tanel Kangert (EST)
Dion Smith (NZL)
Simon Yates (GBR)
Team BikeExchange-Jayco for Giro dell’Emilia
Kevin Colleoni (ITA)
Davide De Pretto (ITA) *Stagiaire
Tsgabu Grmay (ETH)
Lucas Hamilton (AUS)
Damien Howson (AUS)
Jan Maas (NED)
Simon Yates (GBR)
Team BikeExchange-Jayco for Coppa Bernocchi
Alexander Balmer (SUI)
Lawson Craddock (USA)
Kaden Groves (AUS)
Chris Juul-Jensen (DEN)
Tanel Kangert (EST)
Dion Smith (NZL)
Matteo Sobrero (ITA)
Team BikeExchange-Jayco for Tre Valli Varesine
Kevin Colleoni (ITA)
Davide De Pretto (ITA)
Lucas Hamilton (AUS)
Damien Howson (AUS)
Chris Juul-Jensen (DEN)
Nick Schultz (AUS)
Simon Yates (GBR)
Team BikeExchange-Jayco for Gran Piemonte
Alexander Balmer (SUI)
Lawson Craddock (USA)
Chris Juul-Jensen (DEN)
Luka Mezgec (SLO)
Kaden Groves (AUS)
Nick Schultz (AUS)
Matteo Sobrero (ITA)
Kevin Colleoni:
“I am ready for these final races of the season, home races for me in Italy. I think I have good condition and I'm aiming for a result, especially at the Coppa Agostoni which takes place on the roads where I train very often. In the next two races, Emilia and Tre Valli Varesine, I will work for the team and for our captain Simon Yates”.
Kaden Groves:
“I am excited to race again in Italy. We have a strong versatile squad and I’m interested to see how my shape has improved after finishing my first Grand Tour a few weeks ago, La Vuelta. I am feeling good and want to finish the season strong.”
David McPartland - Sport Director:
"We head into these races in Italy with really well balanced teams. We have Simon Yates coming back in to the peloton, we have a stagiaire joining us, Davide De Pretto, and in general a really motivated squad ready for this final part of the season.
"It will be a very intense week with five one-day races and motivation will very important at this time of the year. Coppa Agostoni, Giro dell’Emilia and Tre Valli Varesine they are all very selective races while Coppa Bernocchi is more for sprinters and we will have Kaden Groves for that.
"We have options for every single race that we are starting, all the way up to Lombardia and so we are really looking forward to finishing off the season on a high with nice results.”
Race Details:
Coppa Agostoni Race Details:
Thursday, 29th September, Lissone – Lissone, 193km
Giro dell’Emilia Race Details:
Saturday, 1st October, Carpi - Bologna, 198km
Coppa Bernocchi Race Details:
Monday, 3rd October, San Giorgio su Legnano - Legnano, 190km
Tre Valli Varesine Race Details:
Tuesday, 4th October, Busto Arsizio - Varese, 196km
Gran Piemonte Race Details:
Thursday, 6th October, Omegna - Beinasco, 198km
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Here’s the team’s update:
Only seven races left for the Wolfpack this season, and the first of these October appointments will be the Giro dell’Emilia, which once again is set to take the peloton on a hard circuit built around the spectacular but tough San Luca climb. Lying not far from Bologna, the 2.1km hill – which featured also at the Giro d’Italia in the past – averages 10% and promises to create a selection long before the final time up there, when the 105th edition will most likely be decided.
Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl, who tops the team victory classification with 46 wins brought by twelve different riders, will go there with a strong team comprising two-time World Champion Julian Alaphilippe – who will be at the start of the Giro dell’Emilia for the first time in his career – Tim Declercq, Dries Devenyns, James Knox, Ilan Van Wilder, Mauri Vansevenant and Louis Vervaeke.
Julian Alaphilippe racing at this year's Vuelta a España. Sirotti photo
“We have a solid and very motivated team for Saturday. We did well here in the past and we hope for another good outing this weekend. Julian comes from Australia and is very determined for these final weeks of the season, but we also have other guys who can get a nice result at the end of the day, so we’re confident and will do our best out there”, said sports director Davide Bramati.
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Here’s the team’s news:
After a two week racing hiatus during the World Championships in Australia, UAE Team Emirates are back to competition and will set their sights on two upcoming races in Italy: the Coppa Agostoni (29 Sept) followed by the Giro dell’Emilia (1 Oct).
At Coppa Agostoni the team will look to the experience of Diego Ulissi as well as the in-form Marc Hirschi who claimed victory at the Giro Della Toscana earlier this month.
Tadej Pogačar leads the line on Saturday for the Giro dell’Emilia, with the Slovenian also showing late-season form with recent victory at the GP Montreal in Canada.
Tadej Pogačar (shown winning stage 17 of this year's Tour de France) will be racng in Italy. ASO photo
Pogačar: “Last year was my first time doing this Italian block of races and it’s a period I really enjoyed. To win in Lombardia was the perfect end to the season and we are motivated to go back and try to repeat that. The Giro dell’Emilia is a hard circuit race and an exciting one for the fans. I’ve been taking it easy since getting back home from Australia so we’ll see how the form is for Saturday. I’m looking forward to a good build-up to Lombardia, which is sure to be a special race to finish the year.”
The teams will be overseen by Sports Directors Fabio Baldato (Ita) and Marco Marzano (Ita).
Coppa Agostoni – Giro delle Brianze [1.1] – 29-Sep-2022
George Bennett (NZ)
Alessandro Covi (Ita)
Davide Formolo (Ita)
Marc Hirschi (Swi)
Vegard Stake Laengen (Nor)
Arthur Kluckers (Lux)
Diego Ulissi (Ita)
Giro dell’Emilia [1.Pro] – 01-Oct-2022
George Bennett (NZ)
Alessandro Covi (Ita)
Davide Formolo (Ita)
Marc Hirschi (Swi)
Rafal Majka (Pol)
Tadej Pogačar (Slo)
Diego Ulissi (Ita)
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Here’s the team’s news:
Israel-Premier Tech will be lining up for the up-coming Italian one-day races with a powerful mix of climbers, puncheurs and sprinters, determined to finish off the season on a strong note.
“We are here to be protagonists, not spectators”, sports director Claudio Cozzi says. “We want to finish this season with good results. Motivation is always an important factor this late in the season and we are highly motivated to fight for victories. We have a strong group of riders for both the hilly races and the ones expected to finish in a sprint. We are ready.”
IPT newcomer, Dylan Teuns, who joined the team midseason in August, has shown great shape in his first races in the blue and white colors of the team and the Belgian is eager to get started on this challenging block of racing.
“I’m looking forward to these Italian autumn classics”, Teuns explains. “I’m really motivated. My condition is still good and I’ve prepared well so I think I can be confident taking on these races.”
Dylan Teuns (shown winning this year's Fleche Wallone ) will race Il Lombardia. Sirotti photo
Below are the initial IPT lineups for the up-coming Italian one-day races:
Coppa Agostoni – (Sep 29)
Antonio Puppio
Alessandro De Marchi
Jakob Fuglsang
Carl Fredrik Hagen
Corbin Strong
Michael Woods
Dylan Teuns
Giro dell’Emilia (Oct 1)
Simon Clarke
Alessandro De Marchi
Jakob Fuglsang
Carl Fredrik Hagen
Corbin Strong
Michael Woods
Dylan Teuns
Coppa Bernocchi – GP BPM (Oct 3)
Alessandro De Marchi
Reto Hollenstein
Daryl Impey
Corbin Strong
Alexandros Agrotis
Antonio Puppio
Nadav Raisberg
Tre Valli Varesine (Oct 4)
Simon Clarke
Alessandro De Marchi
Jakob Fuglsang
Carl Fredrik Hagen
Reto Hollenstein
Michael Woods
Dylan Teuns
Gran Piemonte (Oct 6)
Patrick Bevin
Carl Fredrik Hagen
Reto Hollenstein
Daryl Impey
Giacomo Nizzolo
Corbin Strong
Simon Clarke
Il Lombardia (Oct 8)
Simon Clarke
Alessandro De Marchi
Jakob Fuglsang
Carl Fredrik Hagen
Reto Hollenstein
Michael Woods
Dylan Teuns
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