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Bicycle Racing News and Opinion,
Tuesday, December 19, 2023

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2023 Tour de France | 2023 Giro d'Italia

You know, somebody actually complimented me on my driving today. They left a little note on the windscreen, it said 'Parking Fine.' So that was nice. - Tim Vine

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:

• Dec 26: World Cup Gaver Cyclocross
• Dec 27: Superprestige Heusden Zolder
• Dec 28: Superprestige Diegem
• Dec 29: Exact Cross Loenhout-Azencross
• Jan 12-21: Santos Tour Down Under
• Jan 20: Clasica Comunitat Valenciana
• Jan 24-28: Challenge Illes Balears-Volta Ciclista a Mallorca
• Jan 28: GP d'Ouverture-La Marseillaise
• Jan 28: Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race
• Jan 30 - Feb 3: Saudi Tour

Latest completed racing:

• Dec 17: World Cup Namur Cyclocross
• Nov 5: European Cyclocross Championships
• Nov 1: Trofee Oudenaarde-Koppenbergcross
• Oct 28: Superprestige Ruddervoorde
• Oct 22: Superprestige Overijse-Vlaanse Druivencross
• Oct 12 - 17: Tour of Guangxi
• Oct 15: Japan Cup
• Oct 15: Veneto Classic

Here’s Team dsm-firmenich’s post:

Today, Team dsm-firmenich announce that Lorenzo Milesi will transfer to a new team [Movistar] for the 2024 season onwards.

Lorenzo Milesi in the Vuelta a España's race leader's red jersey after his team won the 2023 Vuelta's opening team time trial. Sirotti photo

Team dsm-firmenich head coach Rudi Kemna expressed: “Lorenzo is a good rider, who has worked well with us and we’ve come through a lot together, so it would have been nice for both Lorenzo and us if we continued. We were approached by another team who had interests in a rider with his capacity, which we then discussed with Lorenzo. He was open to considering the move and then started to discuss things with the new team. From thereon, all parties were able to openly communicate about proceedings together and come to an agreement in a good way, in the end coming to a textbook transfer. We look back fondly on our time together with Lorenzo and wish him all the best for next season and the coming years; while as a team we are happy with the direction we are heading in for 2024 and beyond, and the opportunities this brings us now with an extra spot available for 2025 where we can specifically strengthen our roster.”

Milesi added: “I’ve had a good few years with a great team, staff and teammates here at Team dsm-firmenich and had the opportunity to turn professional with them. It also would have been nice to complete the full term of my contract with Team dsm-firmenich. When the opportunity then came to move to another team though, everyone involved had really good conversations and we came to a nice agreement together. I’m looking forward to what’s next and wish everyone at Team dsm-firmenich the best for the future.”

Here’s the team’s news:

Astana Qazaqstan Team is happy to confirm its official roster for 2024 season, team’s 19th season in the highest league of world of cycling.

The team built around Kazakh champion Alexey Lutsenko and one of the best sprinters of all times Mark Cavendish is welcoming 14 new riders, two of them are coming from Astana Qazaqstan Development Team (Harold Martin Lopez and Nicolas Vinokurov) and another two are coming from other Kazakh projects (Daniil Marukhin and Anton Kuzmin).

Alexey Lutsenko leads Julian Alaphilippe in stage 15 of the 2023 Tour de France.

“I believe that we created a well-balanced roster with a good ratio of young talents and experienced riders, well-known and respected in the peloton. So, we are thinking about some big goals in the upcoming season. We got some important experience in the matter of sprint and by strengthening this direction towards 2024 we can aim high in the bunch sprint in all kinds of races. Besides, I believe that with the riders we have and with the riders who come to the team we will be competitive in week-long stage races and the classics. Well, on paper we are missing a rider, who can fight for the General Classification in a Grand Tour, but let’s see, how the season will go on. We have talented strong riders, and we won’t be statists in the Grand Tours.

"After a few tough years we are quite optimistic about the upcoming season, and we are looking forward to begin 2024 in a great way. We understand that alongside the goals of the professional calendar, one of the main starts of the season will be the Olympic Games in Paris, and the team will do all possible to prepare the riders to compete at the Olympics at the highest level. The goals of the National Team of Kazakhstan have always been and remain a priority for Astana Qazaqstan Team, therefore, special attention is and will be paid to the training of athletes and the full technical support of the National Team representing Kazakhstan not only at the Olympics, but also at the Asian Championships, World Championships and Asian Games”, – said Alexandr Vinokurov, General Manager of Astana Qazaqstan Team.

The full 2024 rider roster includes 29 riders:

Davide Ballerini (Italy), Samuele Battistella (Italy), Cees Bol (Netherlands), Gleb Brussenskiy (Kazakhstan, Asian Champion), Mark Cavendish (Great Britain), Anthon Charmig (Denmark), Igor Chzhan (Kazakhstan), Yevgeniy Fedorov (Kazakhstan), Lorenzo Fortunato (Italy), Gianmarco Garofoli (Italy), Michele Gazzoli (Italy), Yevgeniy Gidich (Kazakhstan), Dmitriy Gruzdev (Kazakhstan), Max Kanter (Germany), Anton Kuzmin (Kazakhstan), Alexey Lutsenko (Kazakhstani Champion), Harold Martin Lopez (Ecuador), Daniil Marukhin (Kazakhstan), Henok Mulubrhan (Eritrea, African Champion), Michael Mørkøv (Denmark), Vadim Pronskiy (Kazakhstan), Christian Scaroni (Italy), Ide Schelling (Netherlands), Rüdiger Selig (Germany), Gleb Syritsa (Neutral athlete), Harold Tejada (Colombia), Santiago Umba (Colombia), Simone Velasco (Italian Champion), Nicolas Vinokurov (Kazakhstan).

The team sent me this:

Team GRENKE - Auto Eder: the BORA - hansgrohe U19 junior team will start the 2024 season with this name. However, GRENKE will not only be present among the young talents. The finance company is also visible on the new jerseys of the WorldTour pros.

The GRENKE Group is a global financing partner for small and medium-sized companies. It is headquartered in Baden-Baden (Germany) and has around 2,000 employees in over 30 countries worldwide. GRENKE has been involved in sports for decades and has always been focused on supporting young athletes. With its commitment to BORA - hansgrohe and Team GRENKE - Auto Eder, GRENKE is now entering the world of cycling for the first time. The long-term partnership is all about developing talented young cyclists on their way to the professional ranks.

Ralph Denk, Team Principal BORA - hansgrohe: “We are delighted to welcome GRENKE – a strong partner for both our pro team and our junior team. In the slipstream of BORA - hansgrohe, our U19 team has grown considerably.”
“From an originally Bavarian outfit, we have developed into one of the strongest junior teams in the world. And I am particularly grateful to Auto Eder for that. The company has supported this team from the very beginning - as a title sponsor for 17 years! That is something remarkable and shows an exceptional loyalty. Now Auto Eder is once again showing great understanding for the changes that are taking place in cycling and that are necessary for the further development of the U19 team. Auto Eder is accepting a strong partner alongside itself and is releasing the first naming rights so that the team can continue to develop. My personal thanks go to Willi Bonke and the Eder family. The partnership with GRENKE gives us the opportunity to promote cycling talent at an even higher level and further consolidate Team GRENKE - Auto Eder's leading position in international junior cycling. I am very much looking forward to the future”, says Ralph Denk.

Dr Sebastian Hirsch, CEO of GRENKE adds: “In cycling, endurance, resilience and continuous commitment lead to success. In a team, everyone supports each other - especially when the conditions are tough. It's the same in business. Without our employees, GRENKE's top performance would not be possible. Because they are driven by the same spirit, Team GRENKE - Auto Eder and the pros from BORA - hansgrohe are a perfect match for us.”

TEAM GRENKE - AUTO EDER 2024
Patrick Casey (Ire)
Theodor Clemmensen (Den)
Paul Fietzke (Ger)
Lorenzo Mark Finn (Ita)
Anatol Friedl (Aut)
Kryštof Král (Cze)
Noah Lindholm Møller Andersen (Den)
Thibaut Van Damme (Bel)

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