Bicycle Racing News and Opinion,
Wednesday, August 23, 2023
Back to news and opinion index page for links to archived stories | Commentary | Our YouTube page
2022 Tour de France | 2023 Giro d'Italia
Education is not preparation for life; education is life itself. - John Dewey
Marcus Aurelius' Meditations is available in both Kindle eBook & audiobook versions. To get your copy, just click on the Amazon link on the right.
Current racing:
- August 22 - 25: Tour Poitou-Charentes en Nouvelle Aquitaine
- August 23 - 26: Renewi Tour
Upcoming racing:
- August 26 - Sept 17: Vuelta a España
Latest completed racing:
- August 9 - 20: Volta a Portugal
- August 17 - 20: Arctic Race of Norway
- August 20: Bemer Cyclassics
- August 15 - 19: Tour of Denmark
- August 15 - 19: Vuelta a Burgos
- August 15 - 18: Tour du Limousin
- August 13: La Polynormande
- August 5 - 13: World Road Championships
- July 29 - August 4: Tour of Poland
The team sent me this statement:
Allan Davis is no longer employed at Lotto Dstny. The collaboration with the Australian sports director was recently terminated.
Just before the Tour de France, Davis was hit by a personal affair. The team decided not to take him to the Tour to keep the peace, but did start an internal investigation into accusations regarding transgressive behaviour.
“Without going into details, it has been decided to stop the collaboration with Allan,” says CEO Stephane Heulot, “Lotto Dstny has its own values and standards which we apply in our daily work and in the team. We have a line that we do not deviate from and we require our employees to adhere to it. We prioritize the well-being and integrity of our team and a further collaboration was therefore impossible.”
In the meantime, the other sports directors are taking over Allan Davis' duties and a solution is being sought for next season.
Neither the team nor its employees will make any further comments on this statement.
Editor's note: Mr. Davis was fired after admitting he had sent "inappropriate word and actions" to women online.
Part of the statement he released regarding one particular interaction: "I acknowledge that our multiple direct-messaging interactions in May and June of 2023 touched upon both personal and professional matters. We discussed topics related to relationships, family and work, and I understand that at times my words and actions were inappropriate. I failed to consider the consequences of my behaviour, and for that, I am truly sorry."
Content continues below the ads
Here’s the team’s news:
This Saturday, Hugh Carthy, Stefan Bissegger, Diego Camargo, Jonathan Caicedo, Andrea Piccolo, Sean Quinn, Julius van den Berg, and Marijn van den Berg will roll down the start ramp of the 2023 Vuelta a España and hurtle down Barcelona’s city streets to set a fast time during the opening team time trial of the great Spanish race.
Here's Hugh Carthy winning stage 12 of the 2020 Vuelta. Sirotti photo
At the finish line, 20 more stages will lie ahead of them. The 78th edition of Spain’s grand tour crosses 3,153 kilometers of countryside, including some of the most rugged and remote mountain roads in western Europe, on its way to its grand finale, three weeks from now, in Madrid.
This year, the fearsome Alto de L’Angliru is back on the Vuelta’s route. Hugh Carthy is eager to return to the slopes of the Asturian peak where he attacked during the 2020 Vuelta and won the most beautiful victory of his career. The Brit is ready to ride another offensive race. Hugh hopes his efforts in the mountains will keep him near the top of the GC. Diego Camargo, Jonathan Caicedo, and Andrea Piccolo will support him in the high sierras and seize every chance that comes their way.
Pyrenean cols such as the Aubisque and Tourmalet, which shape stage 13, have been the site of some of the most storied feats in cycle racing. They are the stuff of every bike racer’s nightmares and dreams. But our riders know that the decisive moments of this year’s Vuelta are just as likely to happen on any of the dozens of lesser known peaks on the route. That’s what makes the Vuelta special. It is an unpredictable, volatile race that’s liable to explode every time the road goes uphill. At this year’s Vuelta, the road goes uphill a lot.
Content continues below the ads
There are a handful of less mountainous stages too. That’s where our fast man Marijn van den Berg will come to the fore. He has had a breakout season this year, with wins at the La Route d'Occitanie–La Dépêche du Midi, Trofeo Ses Salines–Alcudia, and Tour de Pologne, and is excited to make his grand tour debut at the Vuelta. Marijn’s fellow grand tour rookies Sean Quinn and Andrea Piccolo will set him up for the sprints and look for chances to go in breaks. So will Stefan Bissegger, who is focused on stage ten’s individual time trial too. Julius van den Berg will keep Marijn towards the front of the pack on those hard, hilly days where Marijn will have his best chances to drop the pure sprinters and go for the win from a reduced group.
Together, they form a balanced team, ready to light up the Vuelta across all terrain. It’s going to be an exciting race.
Content continues below the ads
The team sent me this preview:
Renewi Tour: AUG 23 - 27
Matt Winston - Team dsm-firmenich coach:
"We will go to the Renewi Tour to look for stage results. On stages one and four there is a good chance for a bunch sprint with Sam as our finisher. We also use this race as an opportunity to work on our lead-out and even try some new things with that and experiment with the order in the finale. We also have a time trial on stage two, where everyone will go full gas and try to get the best possible result out of the day. On stages three and five we will try to get guys up the road, be in the race and look for stage results with Nils and Pavel as potential finishers on the harder parcours."
Nils Eekhoff riding the ZLM Tour prologue.
Line-up
Pavel Bittner (CZE)
John Degenkolb (GER)
Alex Edmondson (AUS)
Nils Eekhoff (NED)
Niklas Märkl (GER)
Casper van Uden (NED)
Sam Welsford (AUS)
Deutschland Tour: AUG 23 - 27
Pim Ligthart - Team dsm-firmenich coach:
"We will start the Deutschland Tour with a fast opening prologue. After that two GC days are waiting for the peloton, where we want to be in the bike race with guys like Frank and Kevin as potential finishers. The last two stages are possible sprint days where we have Marius as our finisher. We're looking forward to an exciting week of racing where hopefully we can show ourselves at the front of the race on each stage."
Line-up
Patrick Eddy (AUS)
Jonas Iversby Hvideberg (NOR)
Marius Mayrhofer (GER)
Florian Stork (GER)
Frank van den Broek (NED)
Kevin Vermaerke (USA)
Tour of Scandinavia: AUG 23 - 27
Kelvin Dekker - Team dsm-firmenich coach:
"The Tour of Scandinavia is a race that can have multiple scenarios almost every day. We have a youthful team which will give us the space to try and animate the race and give multiple riders a chance to shine and show our team colours. We will have an eye on the GC with Eglantine as our finisher depending on how the race goes. There is no pressure to perform for results as such, but we see this race as an important opportunity in the development of our young riders. We also then have Megan as a sprint finisher with us when stages are decided in a bunch sprint."
Line-up
Megan Jastrab (USA)
Franziska Koch (GER)
Esmée Peperkamp (NED)
Eglantine Rayer (FRA)
Becky Storrie (GBR)
Anna van der Meiden (NED)
La Vuelta Ciclista a Espana: AUG 26 - SEP 17
Phil West - Team dsm-firmenich coach:
"We’re looking forward to starting the final Grand Tour of the year at the Vuelta a España. We have a nice balance of experience in our line-up with four of our guys making their three-week debut which will be an important step in their development. Sportive wise, our main goal will be to search for our opportunities over the 21 days, hunting for stage results on the mixed terrain; with chances in the mountains and hilly days for our climbers, while our rouleurs will play their cards on the rolling terrain, and of course we have the sprints as well.
"With our line-up we are also looking to the future with our young GC talents; using it as an opportunity to learn from our more experienced riders on how to ride GC in a three-week race, which will be an invaluable experience for the coming years. As for the route, there is something for everyone throughout the three weeks with sprint stages, hilly breakaway days, and challenging days in the mountains with some famous and brutally tough climbs. As a team, we are really motivated after some nice team camps and good recent racing, and we’re excited to pin on our numbers again in Barcelona."
Line-up
Romain Bardet (FRA)
Romain Combaud (FRA)
Alberto Dainese (ITA)
Sean Flynn (GBR)
Chris Hamilton (AUS)
Lorenzo Milesi (ITA)
Oscar Onley (GBR)
Max Poole (GBR)
Ronde van de Achterhoek: AUG 27
Joey van Rhee - Team dsm-firmenich coach:
"The Ronde van de Achterhoek is a really interesting and special one-day race since it includes quite a lot of gravel parts along the parcours. It’s important to stay together in the front throughout the day and we have a nice team which can do that. We have to be sharp for the breakaways and be part of the race the whole day, not sitting back as a group. If we do a good job with all of that, then we have some options and a variety of finishers to go for a result."
Line-up
Joost Brinkman (NED)
Axel Källberg (FIN)
Moritz Kärsten (GER)
Enzo Leijnse (NED)
Frank Ragilo (EST)
Adam Seeman (CZE)
Lorenzo Ursella (ITA)
Back to news and opinion index page for links to archived stories | Commentary