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Friday, October 27, 2023
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2023 Tour de France | 2023 Giro d'Italia
Success is often achieved by those who don't know that failure is inevitable. - Coco Chanel
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Upcoming racing:
- Oct 28: Superprestige Ruddervoorde
Latest completed racing:
- Oct 22: Superprestige Overijse-Vlaanse Druivencross
- Oct 12 - 17: Tour of Guangxi
- Oct 15: Japan Cup
- Oct 15: Chrono des Nations
- Oct 15: Veneto Classic
- Oct 11: Giro del Veneto
- Oct 8: Paris-Tours
- Oct 7: Il Lombardia
- Oct 5: Paris-Gien-Bourges
Here’s the team’s post:
The 2024 Tour de France will cover a distance of around 3,500 kilometers. For the first time, it will start in Italy, with the finale in Nice also being a premiere at the Tour. In between there are several kilometres of time trial and gravel and over 50,000 meters of altitude.
Shortly after the route presentation, Ralph Denk, Team Manager of BORA - hansgrohe, gave his initial assessment: “At first glance, it's a balanced Tour de France. For the fans, it's exciting that the GC favourites have to show themselves straight away in the first week and that the decision about yellow won't likely be made until the final TT. Two TTs and several altitude meters bode well for our plans. It is well known that I am not a fan of cobbled and gravel sectors in Grand Tours. That's what the classics are for, in my opinion.”
2024 Tour de France stage nine profile with its 14 graveled sectors
Rolf Aldag, Head of Sports at BORA - hansgrohe, has already analysed the route: "We know that the Tour start is always nervous. Now add to that the fact that it is also very difficult from a sporting point of view. To plan more specifically, we will definitely look at the Italian stages. There will be plenty of opportunities around Paris-Nice and Tirreno-Adriatico in the spring to do our homework."
"It won't be a long wait - stage 4 is already a tough one. As a GC rider, it's not enough to just be at 90%. It may be an old saying, but it certainly applies here: on this day you can't necessarily win the Tour, but you can lose it very early on. After that follows an unusual back and forth. It's not a typical clockwise or counterclockwise loop through France. It's more of an Alps-Pyrenees-Alps switch."
"The time trials are both hard. Knowledge of the course, pacing strategy, choice of material - everything becomes very important here. The final TT, in particular, is unrhythmic, uphill out of Monaco and downhill into Nice. It could be an advantage that many riders live there and know the course."
"The last week is particularly demanding and offers many chances for a preliminary decision. If you already have the chance to make up time here, you’d be sure to take it and avoid the decision on the final day."
"The 2024 Tour has some extremely high mountains. There will be a lot of riding above 2000 metres. Who will do well at that altitude? Not many riders can, and it's the step up to the 2000 metre mark that quite often makes a difference among the climbers. We'll adjust to that, and the altitude training camps will be even more important now in our preparation."
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The team sent me this:
Fan favourite Chris Juul-Jensen and Australian powerhouse Michael Hepburn are both set to stay at Team Jayco AlUla after signing new two-year contracts, while Texan Lawson Craddock extends his contract to see him through to the end of 2024.
Juul-Jensen’s new contract will take the Dane to 10 years in the GreenEDGE Cycling family, while Hepburn, one of the original GreenEDGE Cycling riders, who joined the team in its inaugural season back in 2012, will enjoy starting his 13th season with the squad. Craddock, a fresher face who joined the group more recently at the start of the 2022 season, will see this new contract extension take him into his third year.
The Dane:
Now 34 years old, Juul-Jensen joined the Australian outfit in 2016 and has become a valuable and dependable domestique. The ‘Joker’, as he is also affectionately known, has proved his worth across a variety of races from three-week Grand Tours to one-day Classics, having been a part of many of the team’s great victories. With this, the management team is delighted to see the experienced Dane, who has 14 Grand Tour starts to his name, continue for two more seasons.
Chris Juul-Jensen:
“I have been lucky enough to enjoy eight great years with GreenEDGE Cycling and to continue for two more years says it all really, I love it here. The old and the new. I couldn’t imagine myself happier and hungrier for success anywhere else.
"I’ve experienced many ups and downs with the team throughout the last eight years and I can’t wait for more of that during the next two. I hope we can continue to have more wins, more success and more fun. It will be great to work with some new faces in 2024 as well.”
Chris Juul-Jensen wins stage four of the 2018 Tour of Switzerland.
The Australian:
Hepburn, now 32 years old, like Juul-Jensen has moulded himself into a being a powerful and reliable rider, mixing roles between working on the flat with his sheer horsepower but also as a key member of the ever-developing team sprint train. Bringing a wealth of experience after being professional for 12 years and having started 12 Grand Tours, ‘Heppy’ will continue as a key member of the team in to GreenEDGE Cycling’s next chapter.
Michael Hepburn:
“I’m very happy to have re-signed with GreenEDGE for another two years. It’s no secret that I feel right at home in this team and I’m looking forward to continuing that relationship. There are incredible people all over this organisation and I feel very proud to be a part of the team’s history. I’ve grown a lot here and it’s been really special to see the team evolve over the years.
"Although I’ve had many different roles in the past 12 years, the goal for the coming seasons is to continue to give my all for my teammates wherever I can. We’ve made some great signings over the past years & for 2024, and I’m confident that we’ll continue to achieve great results at the biggest races. We have big ambitions for the future, and I feel like I have a responsibility to share my experience and help the younger guys coming through. I have to thank the whole team, our sponsors and Brent & Gerry for their continued support and trust.”
The American:
Lawson Craddock, now 31 years old, is known for his relaxed and fun nature, often seen entertaining the fans on the sign on podiums of races. Craddock’s diverse traits make him a huge asset and the team is keen to keep hold of the reliable American as Team Jayco AlUla’s men’s team strengthens in all areas with high ambitions for 2024.
Lawson Craddock:
“I’m very happy to be staying with Team Jayco AlUla for another season, I definitely feel like I found a new lease in my career after joining the team in 2022 and I am very grateful to Gerry Ryan and Brent Copeland for giving me the opportunity to join the team quite late in my career. I really feel like I fit in well amongst the guys and I am extremely honored that the team put the trust in me, to keep me on board and I’m looking forward to making some more good memories in the future.”
Brent Copeland – Team Jayco AlUla General Manager:
“Both Michael and Chris are riders that are part of the real culture of this team, they have been here for a long time. They are riders that bring a lot, they help the young riders on and off the bike, they are motivated, professional, strong, and positive people to have on the team. Lawson joined a little later, but it feels as if he too has been with the team since the start. These riders are part of the foundations of our team and the all-important engine room. They each have very diverse roles and they always get the job done. They know what they need to do, and they bring a lot of experience to the team, so it is important for us to keep them and continue this journey together.”
Chris Juul-Jensen:
Date of birth: 6th July 1989 (34)
Nationality: Danish
Key Results:
1st Danish Time Trial Championships (2015)
1st Tour of Denmark (2015)
1st Tour de Suisse – stage 4 (2018)
Michael Hepburn:
Date of birth: 17th August 1991 (32)
Nationality: Australian
Key Results:
1st Tour of Qatar ITT – stage 3 (2014)
1st Australian Time Trial Championships (2014)
1st Oceania Time Trial Championships (2015)
Lawson Craddock
Date of birth: 20th February 1992 (31)
Nationality: American
Key Results:
2x 1st American Time Trial Championships (2021, 2022)
3rd Amgen Tour of California (2014)
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Here’s the team’s news:
Rodríguez, known for his strong climbing ability, scored his breakthrough Grand Tour stage victory at La Camperona on stage 13 of the 2018 Vuelta a España. Oscar has demonstrated resilience and impressive strength of character this season, coming back from a serious crash which saw him abandon the Giro d’Italia on stage 11.
Oscar Rodriguez wins stage 13 of the 2018 Vuelta a España. Sirotti photo
Rod Ellingworth, Deputy Team Principal, commented, "We are delighted to welcome Oscar to the INEOS Grenadiers family. Over the years he’s consistently demonstrated his talent and ability to support his teammates over tough, mountainous terrain. He has the tenacity to seize an opportunity when it’s presented and take victories of his own – a characteristic we encourage in our riders. He will further strengthen our roster, and I’m sure his cool head and upbeat personality will be a great fit with our rider group."
Oscar Rodríguez shared his thoughts on the partnership, adding, "I’m really happy to be joining the INEOS Grenadiers. It’s always been a dream of mine to be part of this Team, one of the best in the world, and so this is a pretty special feeling.
"The mountains are my natural habitat so that’s where I hope to provide the most support to the team. I can’t wait to be out there pushing it on the climbs with my team-mates wearing an INEOS jersey. It’s going to be fun!
"To ride with guys like Egan and Geraint, who have both won the Tour de France, will be a real honour. I’m looking forward to learning from both of them, and using their knowledge to help improve myself as a rider."
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Here’s the team’s announcement:
Neilson Powless is coming into his own.
2023 was the American’s best year yet. He just became a father. His ambitions now are greater than ever. Neilson recently extended his contract with our team through the 2027 season and is ready to lead EF Education-EasyPost into the future.
“It is a pretty awesome feeling,” Neilson says. “I joined the team in 2020 and have just grown so much here and developed so much as a rider and a person. Every year, I have been getting better with this team and its support and structure. It was pretty clear that this place felt like the best place for me to succeed and continue to grow. I just feel so at home here and am really happy with the direction of my career and the people that I have around me to support that.”
Neilson Powless in polka dots after Tour de France stage 8. Sirotti photo
Ever since Neilson joined our team in 2020, he has been a stalwart racer. Wins at the Donostia San Sebastian Klasikoa, Japan Cup, Etoile de Bessèges, and Grand Prix Cycliste la Marseillaise, a podium at Dwaars door Vlaanderen and fifth place at the Tour of Flanders, plus a stellar run in the King of the Mountains jersey during this year’s Tour de France are crowning moments from his time in EF Education-EasyPost pink so far. The contributions he makes on the road and in the bus every time that he pins on a number are just as valuable.
“Neilson has a very strong sense of team—of family,” says EF Education-EasyPost CEO Jonathan Vaughters. “He brings his best to every day he races. He never shows up unprepared. He always wants to do the best he can for his team. That’s an example his teammates should look to for direction and exactly why I’m happy to sign him up for the coming years.”
Neilson credits the atmosphere that we have created at EF Education-EasyPost for his success. This team feels like home to him.
“I think this team just really knows how to get the best out of each person,” Neilson says. “This team has a lot of different kinds of people, from all over the world. I think we are probably the most international team in the WorldTour and being able to pull success from people from all over the globe, from so many different places, bringing them all together on one team and getting the most out of them as a person and as an athlete and as a team player, is a pretty difficult task, but the people that we have who facilitate that and try to make it a reality have figured out a great way to do it. I mean, I just love going to bike races and spending time with all of the guys on the team. The team atmosphere is just so good and it is always just a really great experience to go to a race. Winning is always the ambition and the goal, but no matter the result, the team atmosphere and the way we work together is always where it needs to be, and if there are any changes that need to be made, those issues get addressed immediately and everyone can learn from them and move on. The way that the team operates is one of a kind.”
Our team’s open-mindedness is also a huge plus for Neilson. He has become one of the most versatile racers in the peloton, ready to go toe-to-toe with the best climbers in the world over the Tour de France’s highest cols and the top classics riders on Belgium’s cobbled bergs. Never one to be boxed in, he has been encouraged to go out and keep breaking down walls by trying new things. That keeps him motivated for the future.
“It feels like I am getting physically stronger, but I am also just learning new ways to race and learning about different types of races that I can be competitive in and just being on a self-discovery path like that at this level is really exciting,” Neilson says. “This year was a really big eye opener for me in terms of being able to go after wins in the spring classics. That is a really, really exciting path, an exciting adventure for me to try to go after. Those were races that I didn’t really think I was going to be able to be a part of, but I just think it was awesome that I was in a team that was willing to take a chance on it and give it a try. Those races were just so much fun. I have been loving racing my bike these last few years, because I have been able to try a lot of new things and learn a lot about myself in those moments, and I think that is probably what has helped me grow and improve even faster.”
Neilson’s teammates also keep him motivated. Professional cyclists spend a lot of time together at camps and on the road, but with the riders we have on our squad those moments are always enjoyable experiences, which makes it much easier for Neilson to keep pushing hard.
“I definitely miss my family when I go to a camp, but they are genuinely really fun,” Neilson says. “I think that is just because of the group of guys we have. I don’t think I have ever been to a training camp where I was bored or didn’t want to be there anymore. It is always just like we are going to hang out with a bunch of friends and enjoy riding bikes, and I feel like that is the way it should be. It should be a career that you get a lot of joy out of, because at the end of the day, we chose this career, we chose this sport, because we love it, and you don’t want to lose that. This team definitely keeps that dream alive, which is awesome.”
The bonds formed during those camps or on long trips help Neilson and his teammates ride better during those critical, chaotic moments in races when they have to put their trust in each other and make split-second decisions and moves for one another on the fly. Neilson is very aware of the efforts that his teammates make for him and is always determined to finish off the job.
“There have been plenty of races, especially this last year in the classics, when having a teammate just completely sell out for me would absolutely make or break my race, and having teammates who were willing to make that sacrifice and were happy to do it, were happy to just suffer for me, knowing that it is for me, not for them, that really hits deep,” Neilson says. “It gives me a lot of motivation, a lot of confidence, and it makes me really appreciate the guys that I have around me, the guys who are willing to go through that pain for me, knowing that they aren’t going for a result themselves, but that they are going through all of that pain to put me in a position to do well, that really makes me want to go even deeper.”
For the coming years, Neilson’s ambitions know few bounds. He and his teammates are going to race for big wins.
“I would like to win a cobbled classic,” he says. “I would like to win a Monument and keep going after world championships every year. This is an Olympic year coming up as well. I have a lot of one-day racing ambitions, and then, obviously, there is the Tour de France. You always want to show up to the Tour with the best form you can to race the best guys in the world when they are at their peak fitness, but the cobbled classics and the Monuments are special races in their own right. It feels like I am knocking at the door of one of those races, so I hope I can nail one next year.”
We hope so too, Neilson. No matter what, we’re excited to watch you keep progressing as a racer and go after those victories in EF Education-EasyPost pink.
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