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Friday, August 9, 2024
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2024 Tour de France | 2024 Giro d'Italia
The theory of evolution by cumulative natural selection is the only theory we know of that is in principle capable of explaining the existence of organized complexity. - Richard Dawkins
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Current racing:
- 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:
- August 4 - 7: Arctic Race of Norway
- 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
We posted the report from stage winner Jay Vine's UAE Team Emirates with the results.
Here's the report from Max Poole's Team dsm-firmenich PostNL:
The penultimate day of racing at Vuelta a Burgos, saw the peloton tackle a hot and fast 18 kilometre-long time trial; from Santa María del Campo to Pampliega. Despite a few rolling sections and some technical corners through the towns, it would be a course that on paper would suit the more traditional time trial riders, with fast speeds expected throughout – although ever changing wind conditions also could play their part too. Good early times were set by Enzo Leijnse and Julius van den Berg, but it would be Team dsm-firmenich PostNL’s last man down the ramp – Max Poole – who would produced the team’s best effort on the day.
A Team dsm-firmenich PostNL rider on his stage four ride.
Flying through the opening tailwind section, Poole set the fastest time at the intermediate point before the route turned and he battle into stronger crosswind and headwind for the rest of his effort. Fighting until the line, he would ultimately stop the clock in a time of 20 minutes and 12 seconds which would see him take eighth on the stage and move up to second place on GC; ahead of tomorrow’s final stage.
Speaking after his TT effort Poole said: “It was a really hard, all-out time trial and with the recon we knew it was important to get after it down the long stretch in the first half. Maybe the conditions changed slightly throughout the day and I was really having to fight to hang on after that point, but I was motivated and knew it was important to get after it and leave it all out there. I wouldn’t have changed it and from a performance side it’s a nice confidence boost ahead of what’s to come.”
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Here's the Vuelta a Burgos stage four report from Team Groupama-FDJ:
On the eve of the final act, it was a time trial that livened up the Tour of Burgos on Thursday. Jay Vine won, Sepp Kuss retained the race lead, and Eddy Le Huitouze put in the best performance for the Groupama-FDJ cycling team, 1’03 behind the Australian rider. The Spanish race closes on Friday with a possible sprint.
Sepp Kuss kept his GC lead after the time trial.
Exactly eighteen and a half kilometres had to be covered this Thursday in the Burgos region, from Santa Maria del Campo to Pampliega, in the only time trial of the race of the same name. “The course was relatively straightforward, very rolling, with only a headwind in the first ten kilometres which made the time trial a little more difficult”, explained Thierry Bricaud. Eddy Le Huitouze, who started in the top thirty, took the provisional lead with a time of 20’54, but only for a few moments. Edoardo Affini, just behind him, improved his time by around fifty seconds. In the end, the Italian rouleur was only edged out by Jay Vine (UAE Team Emirates) for the stage win, the Australian having clocked 19’51. Eddy Le Huitouze maintained the best time of any rider in the Groupama-FDJ cycling team, finishing 26th on the day.
Rémy Rochas finished 1’07 behind the winner and Enzo Paleni 1’18 back. "We tried to do well, but we didn’t set any exceptional times,” said Thierry. Eddy did a decent time, and they all did it well, because that’s always useful”.
Friday sees the Iberian event come to a close with a 156-kilometre fifth stage to Condado de Treviño. "It’s a bit bumpy, but there’s room for a sprint,” concluded Thierry. We’ve seen how well Matt has done on the previous stages, and that could suit him, so we’re going to try to do everything we can to give ourselves a good opportunity.
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Here’s the team’s news:
Julien Vermote has extended his contract with Team Visma | Lease a Bike for another year. The experienced Belgian has proven his worth across all terrains in support of his team leaders throughout the year.
Julian Vermote wins stage two of the 2016 Tour of Britain.
Vermote (35) was added to the Team Visma | Lease a Bike roster in January. The support rider immediately demonstrated his value during the spring classics and excelled in his role as a domestique. “Julien is a good and reliable helper who supports our team leaders well on all terrains,” said sports director Grischa Niermann, who will join the sports management of Team Visma | Lease a Bike next year. “The experience he brings to our young team is very valuable. For these reasons, we did not hesitate to extend his contract.”
Vermote himself is also pleased with his extended stay with the Dutch WorldTour team: “Of course. Everything has happened quickly this year, but from the first moment I joined the team, at the training camp in January, I felt comfortable. I always felt good at the races and was warmly welcomed into the team. I’ve been able to do a lot of big races. Given where I come from, I’ve enjoyed it all the more.”
The Belgian praises the working conditions at Team Visma | Lease a Bike. “The atmosphere is always good in this team, both among the riders and the staff. Everyone works professionally, but there is also time for laughter. The balance is good, and I find that important. I thought it was a nice gesture that the team wanted to continue, so I did not hesitate to sign the extension. I feel that I am still valuable and can contribute to the team. I look forward to the future.”
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Here's the team's news release:
Team Jayco AlUla will strengthen their climbing ranks in 2025 with the addition of Koen Bouwman on a two-year deal.
The Dutchman has displayed his supreme talents throughout his career with a stunning tally of stage wins at the highest level, including two victories at the Giro d’Italia and a stage of the Critérium du Dauphiné.
The 30-year-old has spent his entire professional career in the Team Visma Lease a Bike setup and GreenEDGE Cycling is excited to see what he can do in a fresh new environment in 2025 and beyond.
Koen Bouwman wins stage three of the 2024 Coppi e Bartali race. Sirotti photo
The management team believe that Bouwman will not only add further depth to the climbing talent within the squad, but that the gifted Dutchman can also seize his own chances when given the opportunity to lead the team in a host of races.
Brent Copeland (General Manager):
“Koen is a great addition for us. He will be a strong domestique for GC riders like Ben O’Connor and we know he has the experience, after working with GC riders at Team Visma. Bouwman is will not only fit into that role, but he will also have the opportunity to get results for himself in the smaller one-week races.
This year he won the overall at Coppi e Bartali and we feel that he will be able to make the most of these types of races, whether it’s Catalunya, Paris-Nice, Tirreno-Adriatico or one of those types of races. He brings with him a huge amount of experience as one of the top climbing domestiques in the peloton and will really enhance the depth of our climbing group.”
Koen Bouwman:
“Team Jayco AlUla has shown a lot of trust and faith in me, and I really wantedto join the team. Within this team I can fulfil my dreams and own ambitions which I still strongly have. After being in a team where general classification was the most important part of every race, I would like to race aggressively and on the offensive again.
If I need to describe myself as a rider, I will say I’m all-round. Minus cobblestones, I think I can race well in every style of race and can be helpful for the climbers as well as for the sprint stages, on hilly terrain and in breakaways is where I can show my strengths the most.
Racing grand tours and being part of a long and intense preparation is what I love the most about cycling. Being away for a long time on the road with a group and sharing all the good and bad moments together is something I like. I have done nine grand tours so far but never the Tour de France, which is high on my list to race one day.
I would like to win more races together with the help of this team and share my experience and passion for cycling with the young guys. Besides that, being successful in grand tours and helping the leaders of Team Jayco AlUla is what I would like in the future in those big races.”
Koen Bouwman
New Contract: 2025 & 2026
Nationality: Dutch
Age: 30
Key Results:
1st Coppi e Bartali GC (2024
1st Coppi e Bartali stage 3 (2024)
1st Giro d’Italia stage 7 (2022)
1st Giro d’Italia stage 19 (2022)
1st Okolo Slovenska stage 3 (2022)
1st Criterium du Dauphine stage 3 (2017)
The team sent me this news:
Lotto Dstny can count on Liam Slock (23) for the next two years as well. The young Belgian has extended his contract by two seasons and will stay with the team at least until 2026.
Liam Slock
He recently animated the early breakaway in the fourth stage of the Tour de Wallonie, and earlier this spring, Liam Slock was out front for many kilometers in both Paris-Roubaix and the Scheldeprijs. Lotto Dstny can rely on those legs for the next two seasons as well. Slock came through the Development Team of Lotto Dstny and has been a pro for two years. "So, I'm going to make it four now," says a satisfied Liam Slock. "We have a great group ready to further strengthen the classics team around Arnaud De Lie next year, and I’m eager to continue contributing to that."
"I feel at home in this team. I’ve known many of the riders since before I turned pro, and I get along well with the staff. Over the past few years, I’ve had great opportunities to grow, and I hope to give something back over the next two years to show my gratitude. I want to establish myself even more as a classics rider, with Paris-Roubaix being particularly important to me. This season, I finished 20th after making it into the early break, so it would be great to improve on that."
Stéphane Heulot, CEO of Lotto Dstny, is delighted to announce the extended stay of Liam Slock following the contract extension of Sébastien Grignard earlier this week: "Liam is also one of the strong links in Lotto Dstny’s classics team. He can get himself noticed in the early breakaway and is always ready to support the team. We’re very pleased to have him with us for another two years."
Here’s the team’s news:
Lidl-Trek secure Eritrean climber Ghebreigzabhier for a further two seasons.
Amanuel Ghebreigzabhier’s story with Lidl-Trek dates back to 2021, when he was signed to bolster the American squad’s climbing contingent. In the close-to-four years since then, the Eritrean has proved his loyalty and commitment to the Team’s goals time and time again.
Amanuel Ghebreigzabhier in 2022.
Ghebreigzabhier is the reigning Eritrean time trial champion, a feat he has accomplished three times in his career, in addition to continental and national road race titles. He excels on the climbs, but has shown many times that he has the engine needed to pull on the flat to control a breakaway or position his teammates. After a troubled couple of years, including a serious crash at the Volta a Catalunya in 2022, Amanuel was back to his best this season. His tireless work at the head of the Giro d’Italia peloton was a vital contribution to Jonathan Milan’s three stage wins and Ciclamino jersey. With two more years in a Lidl-Trek jersey on the cards, we’re sure to see even more successes coming from Amanuel.
Amanuel Ghebreigzabhier:
“Last year I had to wait until the very last minute to know if I had a contract. I got my opportunity and I promised myself to exploit it full gas, from the very first moment.
"Before this year, I felt that I was not able to show my whole talent. I had some bad luck, like the heavy crash I suffered in Catalunya in 2022 as well the sickness suffered in the Giro 2023 contributed to creating an unfavorable situation. I approached the new season with strong motivation and the desire to show who Amanuel Ghebreigzabhier really is. I was really pleased with how it went so far. I did good performances and the Giro, which was maybe the icing on top.”
“In Italy, I felt good everyday, I’m really satisfied with the way I rode and that I was always able to do what the Team asked me – helping or going on the attack. I went full gas everyday. That’s how I see my future. The Team knows it can count on me and, at the same time, I would like to exploit every chance to get personal results. Starting from the second part of this season. I’ll look for something special for myself in the future. Getting a top result for me means also presenting something to Team. That’s my aim.
"I’m really happy for this renewal. I’ve always felt good in this Team, I’ve felt comfortable in this group. It’s really like a family for me. Continuing with Lidl-Trek was at the top of my priority.”
Luca Guercilena:
“Amanuel has found a home at Lidl-Trek, where his talent and work ethic is appreciated by the whole Team. At the Giro, he rode not only exceptionally selflessly, but also at an incredibly high level, and we will continue to work with him to consistently achieve this high level. He has the heart and the talent, and with a bit of good luck he can continue to grow in this Team.”
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