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Tuesday, October 31, 2023
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2023 Tour de France | 2023 Giro d'Italia
The better I get to know men, the more I find myself loving dogs. - Charles de Gaulle
Les Woodland's book Tour de France: The Inside Story - Making the World's Greatest Bicycle Race is available in print, Kindle eBook and audiobook versions. To get your copy, just click on the Amazon link on the right.
Upcoming racing:
Latest completed racing:
- Oct 28: Superprestige Ruddervoorde
- 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
Here’s the team’s announcement
Team dsm-firmenich are delighted to have Asbjørn Kragh Andersen return to the team in a coaching capacity for the 2024 season. A former professional rider, the Dane spent four years with the team, before hanging up his wheels at the end of 2022. As a rider Kragh Andersen showed a lot of tactical nous and ability to bring a group together, focusing on the details, and that is something he aims to take with him going into his career as a coach.
Asbjørn Kragh Andersen in his pro racing days.
Kragh Andersen expressed: “I had the opportunity to join the coaching team for 2023 but I decided to take a short break from the sport, but I stayed in close contact with the team. Through the year myself and Rudi had some good conversations about plans for the future and how my role in the team would look. It’s a good feeling to know that he and the rest of the team see my personal qualities and what my time on the bike can bring off the bike. Being a coach is different than being a rider as you must see things from a different perspective. It’s a big challenge but a nice one, and I’ve immediately had a lot of support from the rest of the coaches who are open to helping me, making me feel really welcome in the group. I’m looking forward to getting involved where I’ll be working mostly with the Development program but also working with the Men’s program too.”
Team dsm-firmenich head coach Rudi Kemna expressed: “During Asbjørn’s time in the team we saw a lot of potential in him as a coach for the future and already had good conversations in that direction in 2022. We kept in contact after his retirement and are happy that those talks have come together now as we welcome him back to the team for next year. As a rider he was someone that could read the races well and had good qualities as a captain, and we think that will transfer into his role as a coach. Of course, he is only starting out in the role, but he has a lot of drive to get better and improve himself and those around him, and with the environment we have here and great group of coaches alongside him, we think he can do just that.”
Continuing about the coaching structure in general Kemna added: “With Asbjørn returning, we’re happy to confirm that our coaching line-up for the 2024 season is complete. We have a good core group of coaches that have been together for some time and the new guys that have come on board this year have fitted in seamlessly, bringing their own attributes and qualities. I believe each of the coaches brings the rest of the of the group to a higher level and all our qualities complement each other. We’ll continue to function together in our current structure across our three programs, focusing on different riders’ specialisms, as we look to make the next steps as a team.”
The team’s coaching line-up is as follows:
Asbjørn Kragh Andersen
Roy Curvers
Kelvin Dekker
Callum Ferguson
Christian Guiberteau
Rudi Kemna
Bennie Lambregts
Pim Ligthart
Joey van Rhee
Luke Roberts
Albert Timmer
Phil West
Matt Winston
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Here’s the team’s press release:
Australian duo Georgia Baker and Alex Manly have committed to Team Jayco AlUla by extending their contracts to see them through to the end of 2024.
The pair returned to the team in 2022 after previously racing with the Australian squad before switching their attention to the track and the Tokyo Olympics. Manly has gone on to shown her qualities on the road since her return with several strong results, including a stage win at the Tour Down Under earlier this season, plus four stage wins and the overall victory at the Thüringen Ladies Tour in 2022.
Alexandra Manly wins stage two of the 2023 Tour Down Under.
Baker also demonstrated her abilities in her comeback to the road with an impressive stage victory at the Thüringen Ladies Tour, plus podium finishes against the clock at the prestigious women’s Giro d’Italia and Tour de Suisse in 2022.
Both riders recently enjoyed taking a World Championships silver medal together in the Madison event on the track and will focus on the upcoming Olympic Games in Paris in 2024 as they once again look to represent Australia.
With the development of Australian riders an integrated part of the team’s philosophy, re-signing the talented duo was an important part of building the foundations of a strengthened women’s team roster for 2024.
Brent Copeland – Team Jayco AlUla General Manager:
“Georgia and Alex are no strangers to the team; they are key members and keep the team culture and ethos alive. They have both been able to combine road and track commitments very well over the years, and next year will be the same with the Olympics Games coming around once again. Both riders have shown flashes of great strength and shown their ability to win on the biggest stage. We look forward to continuing our journey together, we are confident we will see big things from both Georgia and Alex in 2024 and it is motivating to see as our women’s team really come together and strengthen for 2024.”
Alex Manly:
“After having a two-year break from the road, coming back into GreenEDGE was like coming back home. A lot of things are familiar, but the team has also grown and changed drastically.
"The last two seasons have been my best ones yet, which has come down to the support we get from the staff and extended team, as well as the commitment and ‘buy in’ from all the riders. I’m very grateful to be staying with my GreenEDGE family and for Gerry’s continued support for our team.”
Georgia Baker:
“I’m really happy to be extending my contract with the team for another year, I’ve felt at home riding for the team the past two years, so why change something that’s good?
"I’ve been involved in some great team success for the past two seasons, and I’ve also been fortunate to be given the opportunity to chase after personal results and goals as well. I’m really excited about the future of the team, especially now that we are merging with Liv. This is a great step forward for our team and women’s cycling.”
Alex Manly
Date of birth: 28th February 1996 (27)
Nationality: Australian
Key Results:
1st Thuringen Ladies Tour – Overall (2022)
1st Thuringen Ladies Tour – Stage 1, 3, 4 & 6 (2022)
1st Tour Down Under – Stage 2 (2023)
1st Tour of Scandinavia – Stage 2 (2022)
3rd Tour of Scandinavia – Overall (2022)
Georgia Baker
Date of birth: 21st September 1994 (29)
Nationality: Australian
Key Results:
1st Thuringen Ladies Tour – Stage 2 (2022)
2nd Giro d’Italia Donne – Prologue (2022)
2nd Tour of Chongming Island – Stage 1 (2023)
4th Scheldeprijs (2022)
3rd Tour Down Under – Stage 1 (2023)
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Launched in January 2023, team Circus-ReUz-Technord concluded an exceptional first road season with more than twenty victories with nine different riders, among which ten UCI wins.
Directed by Kévin Van Melsen, the Continental Development team of Intermarché-Circus-Wanty won prestigious races such as Liège-Bastogne-Liège U23, the opening stage of the Giro Ciclistico Valle d’Aosta, the white young rider’s jersey in the Giro Next Gen or the overall classification of the U23 Road Series. The team also conquered three national titles with Francesco Busatto (Italy), Alexy Faure-Prost (France) and Aklilu Arefayne (Eritrea, time trial).
Team director Van Melsen racing in 2015. Sirotti photo
In total, fifteen riders of the squad received the opportunity to race in the jersey of the World Team this season. As a reward for the hard work of the staff of the Walloon structure, seven riders of Circus-ReUz-Technord signed their first professional contract this year to step up to the next level the coming seasons. Among them, three will represent Intermarché-Circus-Wanty : Francesco Busatto, Roel van Sintmaartensdijk and Alexy Faure.
The four other future pro riders will race on the Pro Continental level in 2024. Jasper Dejaegher and Dylan Vandenstorme join Team Flanders-Baloise, Jelle Vermoote will ride for Walloon team Bingoal-WB and Axel Huens will be part of TDT-Unibet.
"This season, there was a perfect balance in the team in terms of qualities, with profiles of punchers, climbers, sprinters and baroudeurs. So no matter the terrain, we always lined up for a race with chances on obtaining a top result. We went through fire for each other and liked to see each other win. There was no rivalry, but a continuous solidarity. That was probably our key to success and what enabled me to complete an exceptional last season in the U23 category with seven victories and the overall classification in the U23 Road Series. Signing a professional contract is what I'm dreaming of since I started cycling at the age of eight. It still feels a bit unreel that it will come true. I'm grateful for the help of Kevin Van Melsen, my teammates and the whole structure to make this dream come true." - Jasper Dejaegher
"I still remember where I was on the physical level one year ago. Comparing to today, the difference is huge. This progression is mainly a result of my work with our trainer Christophe Prémont. The structure of Intermarché-Circus-Wanty also gave me the possibility to make progression in other fields such as nutrition or equipment. The professional approach lifted the level of all of us, explaining our success from the start of the season. We immediately gained respect in the peloton, which enabled us to race in the front for the rest of the season. I was one of the riders who absolutely wanted to show themselves to sign a professional contract. But this attitude didn't disunite our group, we always stayed focused on our collective goals. Because we knew the message of Kevin Van Melsen, his vision was to offer everyone the opportunity to show himself. It was in this way that I managed to surpass myself the whole season with a long series of top five results in UCI races. I gained experience in a leader's role, but I'm also grateful for the opportunities to race with the World Team. I learned how to race in support for a leader, it was a perfect transition to the professional world. Last week, the whole structure was reunited to celebrate our season. For me it only felt like 'see you soon', because I know that the team will continue following my adventures on the Pro Continental level." - Axel Huens
"I'm very grateful for the opportunities I was given by the structure Intermarché-Circus-Wanty. This season with Circus-ReUz-Technord enabled me to join the professional world and to fulfil a childhood dream. I received a nice competition programme and the chance to regularly gain experience with the World Team. The winter preparation, often alongside the pro riders of Intermarché-Circus-Wanty, made a reel difference to enable us to make a rapid progression. Spending a lot of time together fostered a good atmosphere, that's why our cohesion was so strong. From our first race, which we won, we showed unity, sacrificing for each other. We showed the rest of the peloton that Circus-ReUz-Technord was a team to reckon with. We pushed each other to bring out the best in each other. That's how seven of us managed to sign a pro contract." - Dylan Vandenstorme
"I really felt the devotion of the whole structure to succeed its mission of opening doors to the professional world for us. We benefited from a very structured environment to foster our performances. I'm thinking of the clear internal communication, the close follow-up all year long, the importance attached to team spirit and collective goals, not to forget our high quality equipment, exactly the same as the World Team. All these factors enabled the whole team to make a step forward and in case of half of the U23 riders, to sign a contract with a professional team." - Jelle Vermoote
"We launched the project of Circus-ReUz-Technord with the aim of creating a talent pool for our World Team Intermarché-Circus-Wanty. To make this happen, we wanted to offer all riders opportunities. Now we can evaluate our first road season, we can affirm with proudness that we achieved our goals. Nine different winners, that's a fantastic compliment for our staff. We invested in riders without record achievements, but with potential and an aggressive race style. We wanted to help them to make a step forward. One aspect of our strategy was to offer them the opportunity to race with the World Team. We noticed the results, the whole team made progression. Seven riders signed a professional contract, we can be proud. We are probably the only Continental Development team to achieve this, especially during the team's first year of existence! Our future pro riders are happy, because they will fulfil a dream thanks to our development programme. Three of them will represent Intermarché-Circus-Wanty, but we will continue following the progression of the four others to the Pro Continental level." - Kevin Van Melsen (Sports Director)
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Bicycle Retailer & Industry News posted this:
Shimano is reporting that sales in bike-related products were down 24.8% in the first three quarters of its fiscal year, compared to the same period last year. The company's operating income in its bike business was down 48.8% over the same period.
The company reported that a "free inspection program" — an apparent reference to the global inspection and replacement program involving millions of Hollowtech cranksets — had already cost it 17 billion yen ($114 million) in the third quarter, which Shimano categorized as an extraordinary loss. It also included a 144 million yen ($961,000) non-operating expense for a voluntary recall. It did not give a specific forecast for what the program will cost in upcoming fiscal periods but did say the costs were included in its updated forecasts, which are slightly more optimistic than previous guidance (see Forecasts section below).
"Although the strong interest in bicycles cooled down, interest in bicycles continued to be high as a long-term trend," the company said. "On the other hand, market inventories generally remained high, despite ongoing supply and demand adjustments."
Shimano said inventory levels remained high in Europe and North America; it said there was strong interest in bicycles in Germany and the Benelux countries, especially, but that retail sales of complete bikes remained weak in North America.
It said that in Asian, Oceanian and Central and South American markets retail sales of completed bicycles "remained somewhat sluggish due to cooling consumer confidence on account of rising inflation and economic uncertainty, and market inventories were at a high level."
You can read the entire story here.
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