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Bicycle Racing News and Opinion,
Thursday, November 16, 2023

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2023 Tour de France | 2023 Giro d'Italia

The real problem is not whether machines think but whether men do. - B. F. Skinner

Plato's dialogue Apology 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

Van Aert’s Jumbo-Visma team posted this:

Saturday, 9 December, will be the first cyclocross race of the season for Wout van Aert. After two months without racing, the former cyclocross world champion will compete in Essen. The rider of Team Jumbo-Visma can't wait to start the cyclocross season, even though he will unfortunately be racing less than last year.

Wout van Aert wins the 2021 Essen Cross.

"It's a conscious decision to do a shorter programme", the 29-year-old Belgian says. "Last year, I found it mentally difficult to focus on the cyclocross season and then move on to the spring. I didn't want to leave anything to chance with the spring classics. That is why, with a heavy heart, I am riding a more limited programme."

"It will definitely be difficult to reach a high level", the former world champion continued. "I have a few races to get in shape, and then it will stop already. I hope to prove myself during these races. For the first time, it will be different from what I am used to, but with a higher goal in mind."

The peak of the cyclocross season for Van Aert is around Christmas. The Jumbo-Visma rider will race in Mol, Antwerp, Asper-Gavere and Heusden-Zolder. "I am looking forward to starting the cyclocross again soon. It's great to see the fans again. These races are always special for me."

Van Aert has reservations about his participation in Zonhoven and Benidorm. They almost coincide with the team's training camp in January, and that causes snags. In addition, fatigue built up just before and after the training camp will also play a role in the final assessment of whether starting fits in the run-up to the spring.

The team sent me this:

Henrietta Christie, Audrey Cordon-Ragot, Barbara Malcotti, Daria Pikulik, Marit Raaijmakers, Lily Williams and Alice Wood complete the squad, joining nine new signings for a dramatically revamped roster for 2024. 

“We have built an exciting roster of athletes and staff ahead of the 2024 season,” said Ro de Jonckere, General Manager. “We see a great foundation to build upon with the team and our riders developing year over year, alongside the expansion of women’s cycling.”

Previously announced, new signings Yuliia Biriukova, Krista Doebel-Hickok, Ruth Edwards, Maëlle Grossetete, Romy Kasper, Wiktoria Pikulik, Katia Ragusa, Silvia Zanardi and Linda Zanetti are a crucial part of that foundation.

The team will be led by General Manager Ro de Jonckere with Performance Manager Kenny Latomme working alongside Team Directors Giorgia Bronzini and Clark Sheehan.

The recently released Women’s WorldTour calendar bears similarities to 2023 but with the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift moved to August to accommodate the Paris Olympic Games. It once again kicks off at the Tour Down Under in Australia, starting January 12.

HUMAN POWERED HEALTH CYCLING 2024

Yuliia Biriukova
Henrietta Christie
Audrey Cordon-Ragot
Krista Doebel-Hickok
Ruth Edwards
Maëlle Grossetete
Romy Kasper
Barbara Malcotti
Daria Pikulik
Wiktoria Pikulik
Marit Raaijmakers
Katia Ragusa
Lily Williams
Alice Wood
Silvia Zanardi
Linda Zanetti

2024 UCI WOMEN’S WORLDTOUR CALENDAR

January 12-14: Santos Tour Down Under (Australia)
January 27: Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race – Elite Women’s Race (Australia)
February 08-11: UAE Tour (United Arab Emirates)
February 24: Omloop Nieuwsblad (Belgium)
March 2: Strade Bianche (Italy)
March 9: Miron Ronde van Drenthe (The Netherlands)
March 17: Trofeo Alfredo Binda – Comune di Cittiglio (Italy)
March 21: Classic Brugge-De Panne (Belgium)
March 24: Gent-Wevelgem In Flanders Fields (Belgium)
March 31: Ronde van Vlaanderen – Tour des Flandres (Belgium)
April 6: Paris-Roubaix Femmes (France)
April 14: Amstel Gold Race Ladies Edition (The Netherlands)
April 17: La Flèche Wallonne Féminine (Belgium)
April 21: Liège-Bastogne-Liège Femmes (Belgium)
April 29-May 5: Vuelta España Femenina by Carrefour.es (Spain)
May 10-12: Itzulia Women (Spain)
May 16-19: Vuelta a Burgos Feminas (Spain)
May 24-26: Ford RideLondon Classique (United Kingdom)
June 4-9: Women’s Tour (United Kingdom)
June 15-18: Tour de Suisse Women (Switzerland)
July 7-14: Giro d’Italia Internazionale Femminile (Italy)
August 12-18: Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift (France)
August 24: Classic Lorient Agglomération – Trophée CERATIZIT (France)
August 27-September 1: Tour of Scandinavia (Norway)
September 5-8: Tour de Romandie Féminin (Switzerland)
October 8-13: Simac Ladies Tour (The Netherlands)
October 15-17: Tour of Chongming Island (China)
October 20: Tour of Guangxi (China)

Canadian Cycling Magazine posted this:

On Tuesday, GCN + announced in a statement that the cycling streamer will close as of Dec. 19. GCN +. Which covers MTB, road racing, ’cross and track, as well as as a wide range of cycling-related documentaries.

“It’s with sadness that I have to announce that the GCN+ service and GCN App will close from 19 December. This follows Warner Bros. Discovery’s broader strategy to consolidate its streaming services to provide customers with all the sports they love in one place, alongside the widest range of entertainment content, seeking to provide extended value to subscribers and everyone in their household,” the statement. “Obviously, this is hugely disappointing as we are very proud of what we have built with GCN+, a single destination for all your cycling racing and documentaries.”

According to the announcement, in Europe, GCN+ subscribers will have the option to subscribe to discovery+ or the Eurosport App continue to watch the live cycling content they access on GCN+. As far as what will happen in Canada or the U.S.A., it is not clear as of Tuesday. “In markets outside of Europe, we are working to ensure they continue to have access to live content and will be keeping customers fully informed,” the statement concluded.

You can read the entire story here.

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