Bicycle Racing News and Opinion,
Saturday, August 17, 2024
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2024 Tour de France | 2024 Giro d'Italia
Growing old is like being increasingly penalized for a crime you haven't committed. - Pierre Teilhard de Chardin
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Current racing:
- August 17 - Sept 8: Vuelta a España
- August 12 - 18: Tour of Poland
- August 14 - 18: PostNord Denmark Rundt
Latest completed racing:
- August 13 - 16: Tour du Limousin
- August 11: La Polynormande
- August 10: Clasica San Sebastian
- August 5 - 9: Vuelta a Burgos
- 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 race organizer's report with the results.
Here's the report from second-place Jordi Meeus' Team Red Bull-Bora-hansgrohe:
In the bunch sprint on the fifth stage of the Tour de Pologne (2.UWT), it was a 2nd place finish for Jordi Meeus. The 187km long stage with start and finish in Katowice was a day for the sprinters. With Filip Maciejuk, Ryan Mullen and Danny van Poppel, the 26-year-old Belgian Meeus could fully rely on a strong lead-out train. On the long finishing straight in Katowice, it was Tim Merlier who crossed the line first. On Sunday, the final stage of the seven-day long race, Jordi Meeus will have his next chance to sprint for victory.
Tim Merlier wins Tour of Poland stage 5
From the Finish Line:
“It was a super fast stage with a tricky and technical finale. This morning we did a recon of the final kilometres to be perfectly ready for the bunch sprint. The boys did a great job leading me out, but in the end Merlier was simply faster. Some mixed feelings right now - the next chance comes on Sunday.“ - Jordi Meeus
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Here's the Tour of Poland report from Olav Kooij's Team Visma | Lease a bike:
Olav Kooij finished third in the fifth stage of the Tour de Pologne. In another hectic final, the 22-year-old Dutchman only had Jordi Meeus and stage winner Tim Merlier in front of him after the finish.
Olav Kooij had won stage 4 the day before.
For the second day in a row a sprinting opportunity awaited in the Tour de Pologne. Today the riders rode 188 kilometres on relatively flat roads. After the start in Katowice, three riders formed the breakaway of the day, but the sprinters' teams kept the trio under control. They were caught at ten kilometres from the line.
With four kilometres to go, the peloton was startled by a crash. The Team Visma | Lease a Bike riders remained unscathed. After the crash, a depleted peloton rode towards the finish line. Kooij was led to the front at the right moment by teammate Mick van Dijke. After a strong launch, Kooij was eventually passed by Meeus and stage winner Merlier.
"We are racing without earpieces and that causes more stress in the peloton" - Jonas Vingegaard
Classification leader Jonas Vingegaard looks back on the hectic final kilometres. “It was even more nervous than yesterday”, the Dane said. “We are racing without earpieces and that causes more stress in the peloton. It's supposed to make the sport safer, but I think it has the opposite effect. The battle to be at the front of the bunch creates unnecessary risks.”
“Tomorrow's stage is one that should suit me. The climbs and hot weather conditions will make it extra tough. We will do everything we can to defend my position in the general classification. My feeling is getting better and better.”
And here's the Tour of Poland final report from Team Israel-Premier Tech:
After the disappointment of losing sprinter Pascal Ackermann through illness during Thursday’s fourth stage, IPT bounced back at the Tour de Pologne on Friday, as British rider Jake Stewart recorded a season-best result of fifth in Katowice.
Stewart is normally there to pilot Ackermann to the final meters, even in the most hectic of finales, yet for the second day running he showed his versatility by taking on the leadership role.
“I’m definitely happy, it’s always nice to go for a result for myself,” says Stewart, whose previous best result of 2024 was eighth in May’s Circuit de Wallonie. “To be able to get into that position coming towards the finish line is good.”
With turns and road furniture a feature of the final three kilometers (he was nearly taken down in a crash going into a corner), Stewart needed a strong IPT team performance to get in the mix.
He adds: “It was a really fast day: the guys in the break were fast, so it was fast behind. The boys put me in a good position going into the last 10km. We knew that the corner at 2.6km to go was pretty crucial and we nailed it. Schwarzi [Michael Schwarzmann] and G [Guillaume Boivin] did a really good job positioning me – I was 10 wheels back behind the big guys.
“G then did a good pull which was crucial – that meant I kept the momentum instead of being caught behind the lead-out guys as they slowed approaching the finish.
“I found myself on [stage winner Tim] Merlier’s wheel and tried to kick with him and the other big names. It’s hard racing against those guys, but I did the best I could.”
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We posted the race organizer's report with the results.
Here's the report from Team Groupama-FDJ:
Although consistent throughout the week, Groupama-FDJ ended the 2024 edition of the Tour du Limousin on Friday with a feeling of unfinished business. In Limoges, Cyril Barthe took eighth place and Valentin Madouas secured ninth place overall, but the results of the last few days have not lived up to the initial ambitions.
The usual finishing circuit of Limoges was set to conclude the 57th Tour du Limousin this Friday, with the fourth and last stage including 160 kilometres. The hilly final promised action, but the start was just as hectic from Oradour-sur-Glane. “There was a big fight for nearly 80 kilometres, with a lot of attacks and an average speed of 46 km/h in the first two hours, in addition to the heat”, testified Benoît Vaugrenard. “Enzo tried a lot in the first half of the race because we thought that a strong breakaway, with riders who were not dangerous in the general classification, could go far. So we had to be careful.”
Mathieu Burgaudeau wins stage four.
Despite several attempts, the young man from Groupama-FDJ was unable to escape, and it was eventually the offensive that came after his that managed to go clear. “We got back into a classic scenario, the breakaway gained a bit of time but never much, then Caja Rural attacked before entering the circuit, where it eventually came back all together,” summarized Benoît. In Limoges, Jordan Jegat (TotalEnergies) led the race for a while, then the Groupama-FDJ cycling team joined the chase with two laps to go with Lenny Martinez.
“As usual here, there is a lot of movement, but the same thing happens very often: either a sprint finish or a rider who breaks away in the last kilometre”, said Benoît. “We were counting on Paul today, but he didn’t have good legs and he told us so in the last lap. So Cyril took over for the sprint”.
The French rider was unable to fight for first place, however, since Mathieu Burgaudeau managed to break away alone in the last kilometre. Thibaud Gruel tried to follow the attack, unsuccessfully. On the line, Cyril Barthe eventually got eighth place. Present in the reduced peloton, Valentin Madouas secured his place in the final top-10 (9th). “The balance is disappointing,” confessed Benoît. “We were hoping for much better on this Tour du Limousin. We got a seventh place at best, and we didn’t come for that given our squad. The guys gave their all, but we came against stronger than us and we were a little overwhelmed at certain moments. We can only hope that this week of racing will serve them well in view of the Tour du Poitou-Charentes.”
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Here’s the team’s news:
Soudal Quick-Step have revealed that they will become T-Rex Quick-Step for the 2024 Vuelta a España, which starts this Saturday, in Lisbon. The initiative will also see them don a special Castelli jersey, designed around the T-Rex logo, as well as a rebranding of the team’s livery and a number of dinosaur related initiatives taking place throughout the three weeks of the race.
There will also be a dinosaur related theme related to our activities throughout the race, so keep your eyes peeled for our T-Rexs around the peloton. And of course, our team, led by Mikel Landismosaurus Rex, will do their best to try to put T-Rex at the top of the Vuelta podium.
The new jersey. Photo: Wout Beel
After seeing his new jersey for the first time, Mikel Landismosaurus Rex said: “It is a really cool design. The dinosaur face is something very different from anything else in the peloton and I think this is an iconic design that people will remember for a long time. It is a great way to thank Soudal for their support and promote one of the brands that is very important to them, but we have done it in a stylish way and it will catch a lot of attention.”
This was added to by Nuno Ribeiro, South Europe Regional Director of Soudal NV, who said: “We are incredibly proud to see La Vuelta begin in the vibrant city of Lisbon. This start in Portugal’s capital is a celebration of the rich culture and the growing importance of this region to both the cycling world and our business. It is also an exciting opportunity for us to highlight our T-Rex brand, which stands for durability, power, and innovation – qualities that align perfectly with the spirit of competitive cycling. The rebranding of the team Soudal Quick-Step to Team T-Rex Quick-Step reflects Soudal’s strategic focus on promoting T-Rex as a leading brand in the adhesives and sealants market. Known for its exceptional strength and reliability, T-Rex has become a symbol of the company’s commitment to quality and innovation.”
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