Bicycle Racing News and Opinion,
Friday, November 10, 2023
Back to news and opinion index page for links to archived stories | Commentary | Our YouTube page
2023 Tour de France | 2023 Giro d'Italia
Every leaf speaks bliss to me
Fluttering from the autumn tree – Emily Brontë
Bill & Carol McGann’s book The Story of the 2023 Tour de France, 2023: The Viking Again Conquers the Tour is available in both Kindle eBook & audiobook versions. To get your copy, just click on the Amazon link on the right.
Upcoming racing:
- Dec 17: World Cup Namur Cyclocross
- Dec 26: World Cup Gaver Cyclocross
- Dec 27: Superprestige Heusden Zolder
- Dec 28: Superprestige Diegem
- Dec 29: Exact Cross Loenhout-Azencross
Latest completed racing:
- 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 the team’s announcement:
A pro since 2016, Gianni Moscon will become the latest rider to join Soudal Quick-Step, after reaching an agreement to sign a deal with the most successful team of the past 21 years. Hailing from Trento, a region which produced some great riders, Gianni has built himself quite a solid palmares over these past seasons.
Gianni Moscon before the start of 2023 Tour de France stage 15. Sirotti photo
Nicknamed “Il Trattore” for the incredible engine he possesses and amount of work he is capable of putting in during a race, as well as his passion for farming equipment which was cultivated while growing up on his family’s apple farm, the 29-year-old has racked up 11 professional wins so far, including the Tour of Guangxi, the Arctic Race of Norway, and Giro della Toscana, one of the oldest races in his home country.
What has caught the attention of cycling fans during these seasons was also his remarkable versatility across all kinds of terrain, with results including a pair of top 10 finishes in Paris-Roubaix, a 15th place in Ronde van Vlaanderen and an impressive third at Il Lombardia, in addition to two consecutive national time trial titles, all serving as testimony to his talent and skills.
“Soudal Quick-Step is one of the biggest teams in the world, I could see that when racing against this squad in the classics in all these years, it always was the team to watch out for, the team who was in the right place at the right moment and made the race hard. It was one of my goals when I turned pro to ride for Soudal Quick-Step one day and I’m delighted that this will happen next season. Coming here after two difficult years in my career means a lot to me and I want to thank everyone for putting their trust in me.”
“I love the Classics, I love the way this team races and I can’t wait to be part of this group. I always give my best and I’m committed to what I do on the bike, and knowing I will be part of the Wolfpack makes me very excited”, said Gianni – who when isn’t on his bike, can be found on his farm – ahead of this new adventure.
“We’ve known Gianni for a long time now, since he was still an amateur. He is a very talented rider, who turned heads since his U23 days with the strong results he scored in races such as the Piccolo Giro di Lombardia and Tour de l’Avenir, and who continued to show what he is capable of also in the pro ranks. He will be an important addition to our squad for next season, and we are confident that in our team he can show some beautiful things in 2024”, said Soudal Quick-Step CEO Patrick Lefevere.
Content continues below the ads
Here’s the team’s news:
Yvon Ledanois:
“My number 1 philosophy is and always will be to pass on my experience gained in cycling. After a year spent abroad, I felt the need to help the young talents in the Arkea-B&B Hotels team. My wish is that, with my colleagues, we can achieve great seasons through the performances of our riders, starting with the next one”.
Emmanuel Hubert, General Manager
“I’ve always said that professional life is made up of collaborations, sometimes of paths that separate temporarily, but also of reunions. I’m delighted to have a man like Yvon Ledanois on the Arkea-B&B Hotels team’s team manager team for 2024 and beyond, a man whose technical qualities, vision of the race and tactical sense are beyond question. Yvon is a leader of men who knows how to blend into a team and, above all, how to get the very best out of it. With the reinforcement of Yvon Ledanois, our sports unit, as it is now constructed and structured, gives us a strong foundation on which the riders can build to continue to move forward at UCI WorldTour level.”
Content continues below the ads
Here’s the team’s post:
Team Bahrain Victorious is pleased to announce the addition of two new coaches, Loïc Segaert and Ioannis Tamouridis, to its performance team. These strategic additions are part of the team’s commitment to developing the next generation of cycling talents, enhancing its focus on nurturing young riders, and further solidifying its position as a leading force in the world of professional cycling.
Loïc Segaert, who joins us from Lotto Dstny, is excited to take on this new challenge and use his experience of working with young riders and development structures. He stated, “I’m really happy with the opportunity to join the team. Working in this performance structure at the highest level in cycling is absolutely a dream. I’m fully dedicated to applying my knowledge and experiences from previous years and also learning from the more experienced coaches. My main task will be to help young, talented riders develop in the first years of their career and have a good relationship with the CTF development team. In line with my job at Lotto-Dstny, where I had a very good time, I’ll also be focused on helping the time trial performances.”
Ioannis Tamouridis, formerly with Intermarche, is equally enthusiastic about his new role with Team Bahrain Victorious: “First of all, I would like to express my gratitude for the cooperation I had over the past two years with all my colleagues in Intermarche-Wanty-Cyrcus. Together, we achieved important results, and I am proud I was part of this great project. But now it’s time to take the next step and accept the opportunity to join one of the strongest teams in WorldTour for the next three seasons. In addition to the experienced riders with big GC ambitions, the team has a serious plan for the development of young talents, and I am sure I can contribute with my experience from working as Performance Manager in one of the most successful development teams, ‘SEG Racing Academy,’ to help these riders get the best out of themselves.”
Vladimir Miholjević, the Performance Director of Team Bahrain Victorious, underlined the significance of these coach additions to the team’s vision, saying, “We are delighted to welcome Loïc Segaert and Ioannis Tamouridis to our performance team. Their expertise in nurturing and developing young riders aligns perfectly with our goals for the future. Team Bahrain Victorious is committed to not only achieving success at the highest level of cycling but also to developing the next generation of cycling stars.
We look forward to witnessing the positive impact that Loïc Segaert and Ioannis Tamouridis will bring to the team in the seasons ahead.”
Content continues below the ads
The team posted this news:
The young Colombian rider Santiago Umba (20) signed his first WorldTour contract with Astana Qazaqstan Team, where he is going to spend the following season (2024).
“I am incredibly happy to sign my first contract with the WorldTour team and to become a part of such a big project as Astana Qazaqstan Team. I would like to thank all the team management for this opportunity, the trust that was placed in me. I am sure that Astana is the ideal team for me, and I think that I will be able to make a great progress here. I am ready to work hardly, I am ready to gain experience at the highest level in order to become a true professional”, – said Santiago Umba.
Santiago Umba got some notable results at Under 23 level, winning stages at Tour Alsace and Le Tour de Savoie in 2021 and becoming 10th in the General Classification of the Giro Next Gen in 2023. Alongside, the rider got some valuable experience in the professional races as Il Lombardia, Tour of the Alps, Giro dell’Emilia, Vuelta a Castilla y Leon, Tour of Slovenia, Adriatica Ionica Race and others.
“We see a great potential in Santiago, that can be revealed in our team. Despite such a young age, Santiago has already ridden many important professional races, gained serious experience, which can serve as a basis for his further development. He has a number of high results at the youth level, he already knows what professional racing is, so all he needs is careful and systematic work that will allow him to reach a good level in the WorldTour”, – said Alexandr Vinokurov, General Manager of Astana Qazaqstan Team.
Back to news and opinion index page for links to archived stories | Commentary