Bicycle Racing News and Opinion,
Thursday, August 1, 2024
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2024 Tour de France | 2024 Giro d'Italia
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Current racing:
- July 27 - August 4: Olympic cycling
Upcoming racing:
- August 4 - 8: Arctic Race of Norway
- August 5 - 9: Vuelta a Burgos
- August 10: Clasica San Sebastian
- August 11: La Polynormande
- August 12 - 18: Tour of Poland
- August 13 - 16: Tour du Limousin
- August 14 - 18: PostNord Denmark Rundt
- August 17 - Sept 8: Vuelta a España
Latest completed racing:
- July 22 - 26: Tour de Wallonie
- July 23: Vuelta a Castilla y Leon
- June 29 - July 21: Tour de France
- June 9 - 26: Many National Championships
- June 15 - 18: La Route d'Occitanie Cancelled because security forces busy with Olympics
- June 9 - 16: Tour de Suisse
- June 12 - 16: Baloise Belgium Tour
The team sent me this schedule:
Arctic Race of Norway - AUG 04 - 07
Joey van Rhee - Team dsm-firmenich PostNL coach:
"With the Arctic Race of Norway, we have another nice race on the schedule for our Men's program. The race will take place around the city of Bodø and features a nice parcours with a variety of terrain to contest. There is a nice uphill finish with a climb of seven kilometres, but there are also opportunities for reduced bunch sprints. With Gijs and Kevin, we have two guys whom we will support to go for a result in the GC, and that will be our main focus for this race. Additionally, we will start with Tobi, where we see possibilities in stage two for him in the sprint finish. We are looking forward to the race with the mixed team that we will have there, which will also include Bjorn Koerdt, who will join us as a stagiaire for the coming weeks."
Line-up:
- Tobias Lund Andresen (DEN)
- Alex Edmondson (AUS)
- Gijs Leemreize (NED)
- Bjoern Koerdt (GBR)
- Kevin Vermaerke (USA)
- Mees Vlot (NED)
Tobias Lund Andresen winning stage 7 of this year's Tour of Turkey.
Hel van Voerendaal - AUG 04
Bennie Lambregts - Team dsm-firmenich PostNL coach:
"Hel van Voerendaal is another race in the U23 Road Series where we will also line up with two riders from the Dutch Food Valley Cycling Team. Voerendaal is a tough climbers' race around Schin op Geul. The riders are very motivated to do this race, as it is almost like a home race for us. We want to show ourselves while continuing to work on our overall development."
Line-up:
- Vincent Bodet (FRA)
- Ryan Gal (NED)
- Oliver Peace (GBR)
- Thom van der Werff (NED)
Vuelta a Burgos - AUG 05 - 08
Callum Ferguson - Team dsm-firmenich PostNL coach:
"We line up for the first of the Spanish races of the month with Vuelta a Burgos. The mountain top finish on the first stage and the hard time trial on stage four will be the two decisive stages for the GC. We are excited to welcome Max back after a long time out and will see what he can do on the two main GC days, while we look for day results with Pavel as our sprint finisher on the two flatter stages."
Line-up:
- Pavel Bittner (CZE)
- Chris Hamilton (AUS)
- Enzo Leijnse (NED)
- Tim Naberman (NED)
- Max Poole (GBR)
- Martijn Tusveld (NED)
- Julius van den Berg (NED)
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Here’s the team’s news:
After three years with Israel – Premier Tech, Corbin Strong is set to stay having signed an additional two-year contract which will see the New Zealander in IPT colours until 2026.
Strong’s impressive stage win last week and second overall at the Tour de Wallonie is the latest success for the 24-year-old, building on previous wins at the Skoda Tour de Luxembourg and Tour of Britain.
Corbin Strong (purple jersey) wins 2024 Tour de Wallonie stage two.
Having spent the last few seasons developing on the road, after transitioning from the track, Strong is looking forward to achieving more success with IPT in the years to come.
“Since joining the team I’ve received a lot of trust and opportunities and built great relationships with both staff and teammates,” explains Strong. “I’m in a great environment to continue my development and perform to my best. Even the races that don’t go well are enjoyable with the group of staff and riders we have in the team. Not just on the bike but off the bike, I really enjoy my time with the team and am excited to be staying through to 2026.”
IPT General Manager Kjell Carlström said Strong’s contract extension was an easy decision to make.
“Corbin is a rider who integrated seamlessly into the team, both on and off the road, when he joined us in 2022 so we didn’t hesitate to sit down with him already last year to extend his contract through to 2026,” says Carlström.
“He’s shown his versatility as a sprinter and puncheur and it’s only a matter of time before he scores his first big WorldTour win. Corbin has been knocking on the door in the last seasons and was close to the win at the Grand Prix Cycliste de Quebec last year, which is exactly the kind of race that suits him. At 24 years old, Corbin is still very young and has a long and promising career ahead of him at IPT.”
Strong is set to make his road race debut at Paris 2024 this week before he sets his sights on important targets in the second half of the year, including the Vuelta a España.
“I’m still learning in this peloton but I’m hoping to say that less and convert the lessons I’ve learnt in my first couple of seasons into more wins for the team,” adds Strong. “Firstly, I’m excited to be on the long list for La Vuelta a España and am aiming for my first Grand Tour stage win.”
For IPT owner Sylvan Adams, Strong’s development over the last three years is validation of the team’s focus on identifying young talent with Strong joining the likes of Stevie Williams in re-signing for the coming seasons.
“I’m pleased that we have reached an agreement for Corbin to continue with IPT for several more years,” says Adams. “Corbin is a success story within our team. We recruited him, and helped him develop into the rider that he is today but, more importantly, will become in the coming years. We will go far together, I am convinced. Just. Getting. Started.”
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Here’s the team’s news release:
Having spent two and a half seasons with Astana Qazaqstan Team, Italian rider Christian Scaroni (26) has agreed to extend his contract with the team for another two years. Thus, the new agreement is valid for the 2025 and 2026 seasons.
Christian Scaroni finishes 2024 Giro d'Italia stage 16. Sirotti photo
Joining Astana Qazaqstan Team in late July 2022, Scaroni has shown himself to be an active and attacking rider, amassing a collection of podium finishes and Top-10 results. Among his key achievements are several stage podiums and second place overall in the Arctic Race of Norway (2023), 4th place in the Trofeo Laigueglia (2024), 7th place in the Coppa Bernocchi (2022, 2023), and 8th place in the WorldTour race Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race (2024).
“In a few days, I will start the Arctic Race of Norway, which I really like. Last year, I finished second overall, coming very close to victory but I couldn’t win. In fact, these two and a half years with the team have been very good, my level has significantly improved, and I’ve gained a lot of experience that is gradually translating into good results. The progress is evident, and all that’s missing is a victory. But I hope the victory will come soon. The team is also growing, evolving, and changing, and I’m happy to be part of this project. This is the place where I can continue to work, improve, and achieve success. I hope to have a strong second half of the season and then perform at a high-level next year. For now, I will focus on the race in Norway”,– said Christian Scaroni.
“Despite not having won yet, Christian Scaroni is one of the most consistent riders on the team. Christian is a very active rider, attacking a lot, always trying to be at the front. So, I think at some point everything will come together and victories will come. Riders like Christian are important for the team, so I’m glad we agreed to extend the contract for another two seasons. There is a lot of work ahead, with set goals that we will strive to achieve”, – said Alexandr Vinokurov, General Manager of Astana Qazaqstan Team.
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Here’s the team’s news release
Rosita Reijnhout and Maud Oudeman will remain part of Team Visma | Lease a Bike Women for the next few years. The 20-year-old riders have extended their expiring contracts with the Dutch team until 2027 and 2026, respectively.
For Reijnhout and Oudeman, both in their second season with the team, the decision to extend their contracts was logical. "I had already decided for myself that I wanted to stay here. I'm having a great time and can develop well here", Reijnhout says. Oudeman agrees. "It is very special to have the trust of the team. I feel very much at home, and the atmosphere between the riders and the staff is very good. I am proud and grateful to be able to ride here in the coming years."
The talented riders have enjoyed a successful first half of the season. Reijnhout won the Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race, her first World Tour victory. Oudeman competed in two grand tours, which were vital to Reijnhout's second place in the final classification of the Vuelta Femenina.
Rosita Reijnhout wins the 2024 Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race. Getty Images photo
"I'm proud of it”, Oudeman says. "It was super cool to win two stages with Marianne and to be on the podium with Riejanne for the first time since the women's team has existed. It feels good to contribute more and more to the team's performance. The stage races suit me, and I want to develop in this area. It is excellent that I have already raced two grand tours in my second season. It promises a lot for the future."
Reijnhout also reflects on her first season with Team Visma | Lease a Bike. "My win in Australia was a bit of a shock for everyone. I felt great that day but didn't think I would win. I was happy that it worked out. My dream has become even clearer. In the future, I would like to do well in the Giro, Tour and/or Vuelta. I'm curious to see what it will be like."
Reijnhout already knows what she needs to work on. "To become a more complete rider, I need to improve in all areas. Luckily, I am still young and have plenty of time." Oudeman is also looking forward to continuing the process. "I rode a lot of races last year, and I think that helped me become a better rider. I am happy and proud of the steps I have taken so far. I am in a good process and hope to continue in the coming years."
Rutger Tijssen, Team Manager of Team Visma | Lease a Bike Women, is pleased with the contract extensions for Oudeman and Reijnhout. "Maud and Rosita are two young riders who have developed well over the past few seasons. Rosita won her first WorldTour race earlier this season, and Maud has been very valuable in the grand tours. We see a bright future for them and want to continue working with them."
According to Tijssen, both riders have several specific qualities. "This is also shown by the number of UCI points they have won. Both Maud and Rosita are good climbers. Rosita is a more explosive rider, while Maud is better on the longer climbs. We are convinced that they can grow a lot in the next few years."
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