Bicycle Racing News and Opinion,
Friday, April 12, 2024
Back to news and opinion index page for links to archived stories | Commentary | Our YouTube page
2023 Tour de France | 2023 Giro d'Italia
The only thing worse than being blind is having sight but no vision. - Helen Keller
Les Woodland's book Cycling Heroes: The Golden Years is available in the print, Kindle eBook & audiobook versions. To get your copy, just click on the Amazon link on the right.
Upcoming racing:
- April 14: Amstel Gold Race
- April 14: Tour du Doubs
- April 15 - 19: Tour of the Alps
- April 17: La Flèche Wallone
- April 21: Liège-Bastogne-Liège
Latest completed racing:
- April 10: De Brabantse Pijl
- April 7: Paris-Roubaix
- April 6: Women's Paris-Roubaix
- April 1 - 6: Tour of the Basque Country/Vuelta Ciclista al Pais Vasco
- April 2 - 5: Region Pays de la Loire Tour
- April 3: Scheldeprijs
- March 31: Ronde van Vlaanderen (Tour of Flanders)
- March 30: Gran Premio Miguel Indurain
- March 30: Volta Limburg Classic
Here’s the team’s update:
Amstel Gold Race is scheduled at the end of the week, signaling the start of the Ardennes Classics, and will once again put on the table a demanding parcours comprising more than thirty climbs. The most iconic of these remains the Cauberg, the 800m hill averaging 6.5% that once was the finish of the race, but its role in the final outcome won’t be as important as in the past now that it comes around 30 kilometers from the line.
Instead, the Geulhemmerberg and Bemelerberg – set to be tackled shortly after – are the two ascents where the race-winning attack could come, especially as from the top of the latter only a couple of kilometers remain until the finish of this 58th edition.
Just like in Brabantse Pijl, Soudal Quick-Step will bring a young squad to this 17th World Tour event of the season, consisting of neo-pros Gil Gelders, Antoine Huby, AlUla Tour runner-up William Junior Lecerf, and Pepijn Reinderink, who will be joined by Mauri Vansevenant, Louis Vervaeke and Jordi Warlop.
William Junior Lecerf (shown at the 2023 Tour du Rwanda) wil ride the Amstel Gold Race.
“The injuries have forced us to make some changes, and as a result we will start with a young team, but that doesn’t mean we’ll lack the motivation and desire to do a good race. It’s good for these young guys to get an opportunity in such an important race like Amstel, where they will rely on the guidance of Louis, our road captain. We know it won’t be easy, but we keep the Wolfpack spirit and the determination to give our best on Sunday”, said Soudal Quick-Step sports director Geert Van Bondt.
Content continues below the ads
Van Aert’s Team Visma | Lease a Bike posted this:
More than two weeks after his crash in Dwars door Vlaanderen, Wout van Aert is already doing much better. His fractures are recovering well and he has already been carefully riding indoors for the first time. But there has been no serious training yet. Therefore, in consultation with the team, he has decided not to start in the Giro d'Italia. Christophe Laporte will replace Van Aert in Italy.
The team also posted a video of van Aert discussing his recovery.
Content continues below the ads
Here’s the team’s press release:
Team Arkea-B&B Hotels and Florian Sénéchal would like to jointly apologize for the comments made on Sunday 7 April at the finish of Paris-Roubaix.
Team Arkea-B&B Hotels would also like to make the following clarifications regarding the statements made by its rider to the media on Sunday:
– Following discussions between Bianchi and the technical staff of the team, it emerged that the specific instructions provided by Bianchi for assembling the handlebars of bikes were disregarded in some cases, causing disparities in the handling of the bicycles in competition.
– Bianchi is a long-established, forward-thinking bicycle brand with an innovative, high-performance research and development department that puts the safety of all those who use its bikes first.
The Arkea-B&B Hotels team, its General Manager Emmanuel Hubert, and all the riders of the three structures would like to reaffirm their total confidence in Bianchi bikes, which have already allowed to win seven races this season: five men’s road races, one women’s race and the French Cyclo-cross Championship, as well as recently finishing 2nd in the Tour of Flanders with Luca Mozzato.
Content continues below the ads
Here's Bianchi's statement:
Bianchi learned with surprise and concern of the statements made to the international press by Team Arkea-B&B Hotels rider, Florian Sénéchal, following Paris-Roubaix last Sunday 7 April, regarding the reliability of the Bianchi bicycles supplied to the team.
Following a discussion with the team, and having ascertained the specifics of the incident, Bianchi would like to clarify the following:
All Bianchi frames and components have successfully passed the validation test protocols in accordance with the ISO 4210-5 standard, which certifies their suitability for use in total safety by our customers, and by professional athletes equipped by Bianchi.
With specific reference to the demands of racing on cobblestones – and in particular Paris-Roubaix, one of the most demanding races for bicycles and their components – the Arkea B&B Hotels organisation carried out several tests that validated the use of both the Bianchi Specialissima RC and Oltre RC models.
The numerous pre-race tests and the continuous use in competition of the Bianchi RC models by Team Arkea-B&B Hotels in the Northern classics, including Luca Mozzato’s second place at the Tour of Flanders on the Oltre RC, demonstrate the total efficiency and effectiveness of the Bianchi Reparto Corse models, even in very high-stress races.
Following discussions between Bianchi and the technical staff of the team, it emerged that the specific instructions provided by Bianchi for assembling the handlebars of bikes were disregarded in some cases, causing disparities in the handling of the bicycles in competition.
Regardless of competitive and performance contexts, Bianchi considers the safety of its customers and professional athletes to be of paramount importance.
The company constantly invests not only in research and development but also in laboratory and road testing activities which guarantee the use of its products in total safety.
Bianchi reiterates its support for Team Arkea B&B Hotels with renewed positivity, looking forward to the upcoming important events of the season with the aim of taking more victories and consolidating the top ten position in the UCI WorldTour rankings.
Back to news and opinion index page for links to archived stories | Commentary