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Tuesday, August 6, 2024

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2024 Tour de France | 2024 Giro d'Italia

If it's the Psychic Network why do they need a phone number? - Robin Williams

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Bill & Carol McGann's book The Story of the Tour de France, 2021: The Little Cannibal Dominates is available in both Kindle eBook & audiobook versions. To get your copy, just click on the Amazon link on the right.

Current racing:

• August 4 - 8: Arctic Race of Norway
• August 5 - 9: Vuelta a Burgos
  

Upcoming racing:

• 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 27 - August 4: Olympic cycling
• 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

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Vuelta a Burgos stage one reports

We posted the report from stage winner Pavel Bittner's Team dsm-firmenich PostNL with the results.

Here's the report from Team Visma | Lease a Bike:

Team Visma | Lease a Bike had a solid start in the Vuelta a Burgos. Edoardo Affini sprinted to the fourth place in the first stage. Leader Sepp Kuss crashed in the final part of the stage, but was able to continue his race without issues.

Pavel Bittner wins stage one.

Monday afternoon, the 46th edition of the Vuelta a Burgos started in Vilviestre del Pinar, where the riders had a relatively easy day. Three riders formed the breakaway and rode in front for a large part of the race, but did not survive the final climb Alto del Aguilón. After a small crash by Sepp Kuss, Team Visma | Lease a Bike was alert in the streets of Burgos. Affini sprinted to a creditable fourth place. Pavel Bittner took the day's victory.

Team Visma | Lease a Bike had an almost perfect day. Sports director Marc Reef was satisfied with that. "It was incredibly hot today, about 35 degrees. Our riders were prepared for the heat and handled it well. Ben Tulett grabbed one bonification second in the intermediate sprint and showed his sharpness. In the final, we wanted to try something with Edoardo Affini. Unfortunately, the pace was very high which made it difficult for Edo to grab his moment."

The only blemish in first stage of the five-day Spanish stage race was Sepp Kuss' involvement in a small crash. "Fortunately, he was able to continue quickly and he is fine", says Reef. "It’s been a good day. A number of our riders just returned from altitude training and then a first stage always takes some getting used to. We are here to prepare for the bigger goals for the rest of the cycling season, but that does not mean we do not have any ambition for this race itself. We are riding for the best possible general classification and that is our mission for tomorrow's stage as well. The last kilometre is uphill and that's where we have to be alert”, the sports director concludes.

Arctic Race of Norway stage two reports

We posted the race organizer's stage two report with the results.

Here's the report from Kevin Vermaerke's Team dsm-firmenich PostNL:

The second day of action at Arctic Race of Norway saw a relatively calm day in the saddle before the intensity ramped up in the finale. Team dsm-firmenich PostNL set out with similar aims as the opening day; go for the finish with Tobias Lund Andresen and look to try and take bonus seconds in the intermediate sprint if possible. In the last 20 kilometres the nervousness increased in the peloton ahead of a gravel section which unfortunately saw a crash that included Mees Vlot and Alex Edmondson, although both could remount and finish the stage. Further on, Lund Andresen suffered a puncture towards the end of the section and after a quick change he was brought back to the bunch by Bjoern Koerdt.

In the peloton, Kevin Vermaerke should a good kick once again to take one bonus second in the intermediate sprint, moving up on GC in the process, before he helped Lund Andrsen. Unfortunately, the duo could never fully make it to the front and with Lund Andresen having spent quite a bit of energy to return, he sprinted to just outside the top ten on the stage.

Alexander Kristoff wins stage two.

Vermaerke said: “It was a pretty easy start to the day. Until the last 40 kilometres it was quite a controlled race so we just focused on saving energy. Then coming into that last hour we had quite some bad luck. Mees and Alex were involved in a crash just before the gravel sector and then Tobi had a puncture on it, so there was a bit of chaos. Tobi got a new front wheel and Bjoern did well to bring him back in the peloton. In the intermediate sprint I was able to take a bonus second which was good. I was then able to find Tobi a bit in the last five kilometres but unfortunately I couldn’t do one last push to bring him up into a good position; we were a bit too far back in the last two kilometres and got swamped. Once we hit the final downhill there was no moving up so we were on the back foot. It was good to see the commitment from everyone though and tomorrow will be a chance for the GC riders on the climbs so we will see how it goes.”

Team Bahrain Victorious signs Lenny Martinez

Here's the team's announcement:

Team Bahrain Victorious is pleased to announce the signing of young French talent Lenny Martinez for the next three seasons.

Martinez has already displayed great credentials at the young age of 21, winning several races this year and clinching Best Young Rider at the Volta Ciclista a Catalunya.

Lenny Martinez winning this year's Trofeo Laigueglia

The signing signifies the team’s direction of developing and racing with the best young riders. Lenny bolsters the team’s GC credentials alongside Santiago Buitrago and Antonio Tiberi.

Lenny Martinez expressed his excitement about joining Team Bahrain Victorious and his gratitude to his current team, Groupama-FDJ: “I am extremely happy to join Team Bahrain Victorious for the next three seasons. The solid project around the team and myself convinced me. Together, we have great ambitions, and I am convinced we will achieve great things. I would like to thank the Groupama FDJ team, who accompanied me during my first years in the professional ranks.”

Milan Erzen, Managing Director of Team Bahrain Victorious, shared his thoughts on the new signing: “When we started this project in 2017, we dreamed of achieving a podium at the Tour de France with a French rider from our team. We believe Lenny gives us that chance. His talent, dedication, and spirit align perfectly with our team’s vision. France has a rich history of great champions in our sport, and we want to help Lenny create his own legacy in French cycling. We are excited to support him in reaching his full potential and achieving great things together.”

Sébastien Grignard stays with Lotto Dstny for two more years

Here’s the team’s news:

Sébastien Grignard will continue to represent Lotto Dstny for the next two seasons. The Belgian has extended his contract until 2026, remaining a key player in the spring classics. "It’s a pleasure to work for a leader like Arnaud De Lie."
For Sébastien Grignard, Lotto Dstny has become his second home: after three years with the development team and four years with the pros, he’s adding another two seasons. Grignard has extended his contract until 2026. "This is a logical choice for me," says a happy Sébastien Grignard. "I’ve spent most of my career with the team, and after all these years, I still feel very good here, both with the riders and the staff. I see no reason to leave."

Sébastien Grignard time trialing in the 2023 Vuelta a España. Sirotti photo

The 25-year-old Belgian also wants to continue to be part of the classics team around Arnaud De Lie for the next two years. "It’s a pleasure to work for such a leader. That’s also one of the reasons why I want to stay. Besides that, I want to continue developing my role as a domestique in other races. I’ve just returned from the Tour de France, which was an enormous experience. I’m eager to continue contributing to this great work in the coming seasons."

Stéphane Heulot, CEO of Lotto Dstny, is pleased to announce the contract extension: "Sébastien Grignard is a rider we can always rely on. His performance over the past few years has demonstrated his value to the team, particularly during the Flemish classics. We have great confidence in his abilities and are assured of his commitment in every race he competes in."

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