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Bicycle Racing News and Opinion,
Tuesday, November 28, 2023

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2023 Tour de France | 2023 Giro d'Italia

Autumn is a second spring when every leaf is a flower. - Albert Camus

Les Woodland's book Sticky Buns Across America: Back-roads biking from sea to shining sea is available in print, 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
• 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:

• 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

The team sent me this news:

The INEOS Grenadiers are delighted to announce that Tobias Foss, the former World Time Trial champion, will join the team from 1 January, 2024.

The 26-year-old Norwegian from Lillehammer, who turned professional in 2020, has signed a three-year contract until the end of 2026.

In 2022, Foss scored the biggest result of his career capturing the World Time Trial title in Wollongong, Australia. His palmares also includes an impressive victory at the Tour de l’Avenir in 2019, twice being crowned Norwegian time trial champion as well as road race champion in 2021.

Tobias Foss on his way to winning the 2022 Elite Men's World Championship. Sirotti photo

In celebrating the news of his move, Foss said: “When I was 14 years old and started cycling, Edvald Boasson Hagen and Team Sky became my idols and my favourite team. After that Chris, Bradley and Geraint inspired me as I dreamt of the Tour de France.

"All of this made the INEOS Grenadiers my dream team so this was a big factor in me signing, together with my belief that this team can help me further my career.”

Foss has ridden at the highest level for four seasons and established himself as one of the biggest talents in the pro peloton.

“I know some of the guys on the team a bit from before, and my impression is that it is a great group of people within the team. So, I am looking forward to meeting everyone and creating good memories on the bike together.

"I would like to have a season where I can be consistent with the best. I don’t have any specific goals, but I want to take my chance, contribute to the team getting good results and go for a medal at the Olympics,” he said.

Foss will join a team boasting significant experience in the likes of Tour de France champions Geraint Thomas and Egan Bernal alongside some of the sport’s most exciting young talents.

“I really think there are some proper role models within this team. I am extremely excited to race with these guys and grow in my own experience. The future of the INEOS Grenadiers is very exciting; we have good mentors that we can learn from, so that we, the young riders, can maintain the culture and make this team greater every year.

“I still can’t believe that this is happening, it’s funny as I was the biggest ‘fanboy’ ever of this team and now I am actually in the team!”

John Allert, Managing Director, INEOS Grenadiers said: “Tobias is an exciting and established talent and someone who we believe will reach his full potential with our team.

"He has clear ambitions for 2024 including the Paris Olympics and the team are looking forward to supporting him in what could be a big year ahead. We’re very pleased to welcome him and wish him every success as a Grenadier."

Steve Cummings, Sport Director, said: “Tobias is renowned for his time trialling ability, but with what he’s achieved in the past he has also shown he can really climb too.

"He’s achieved a range of very good results and we fully believe he has the versatility to play a key part in a GC team. We’re all looking forward to working with him and our current group of riders, who are all as motivated and hungry for success as he is in 2024 and beyond.”

The team sent me this news:

From January 1, 2024, Decathlon is committed for 5 years alongside Ag2r La Mondial as title co-partner of the three cycling teams:

6 new riders join the WorldTour team in 2024: Bruno Armirail, Sam Bennett, Dries De Bondt, Victor Lafay, Gianluca Pollefliet and Sander De Pestel.

Here's the new kit. Decathlon-Ag2r photo

The arrival of Decathlon January 1, 2024 for 5 years, marks a new chapter in the history of the Ag2r La Mondial cycling team, 32 years after its creation by Vincent Lavenu.

The Ag2r La Mondial Group has been the team's historic partner since 1997 and its shareholder since June 2022. This new partnership with Decathlon will allow the team to take an important step towards achieving great victories from the 2024 season.

It is also an opportunity for Decathlon to associate its name with a popular sport with recognized values of commitment, cohesion and emotion, and thus to give as many people as possible the desire to practice cycling.

The team's 28 riders:
Bruno Armirail (Fra)
Sam Bennett (Irl)
Clément Berthet (Fra)
Franck Bonnamour (Fra)
Geoffrey Bouchard (Fra)
Benoît Cosnefroy (Fra)
Dries De Bondt (Bel)
Sander De Pestel (Bel)
Stan Dewulf (Bel)
Felix Gall (Aut)
Pierre Gautherat (Fra)
Dorian Godon (Fra)
Jaakko Hänninen (Fin)
Jordan Labrosse (Fra)
Victor Lafay (Fra)
Paul Lapeira (Fra)
Oliver Naesen (Bel)
Ben O’Connor (Aus)
Aurélien Paret-Peintre (Fra)
Valentin Paret-Peintre (Fra)
Nans Peters (Fra)
Gianluca Pollefliet (Bel)
Nicolas Prodhomme (Fra)
Valentin Retailleau (Fra)
Damien Touzé (Fra)
Bastien Tronchon (Fra)
Andrea Vendrame (Ita)
Lawrence Warbasse (Usa)

Bicycle Retailer & Industry News posted this:

TAIPEI, Taiwan (BRAIN) — Giant Group's sales in the first three quarters of the year were NT$62.1 billion ($1.97 billion), a decrease of 12.4% from the same period last year. The manufacturer's net income after tax was NT$3.12 billion, a 45% decrease year-over-year.

The company said it has had strong growth in China, "however, the weak demand from the US and Europe markets on the entry to mid-level products and the high inventories within the distribution network resulted in the decline in sales."

"This year inventory reductions in both the U.S. and Europe markets were slower than expected, which affected sales performance for Giant's OB (own brand) sales in both the U.S, and Europe markets for the first three quarters, but China domestic sales saw close to 70% sales increase which compensated the sales decline in the U.S. and Europe. Due to the increased popularity in cycling for recreation and fitness that started a huge cycling trend in China," the company said.

You can read the entire story here.

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