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Tuesday, August 27, 2024
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2024 Tour de France | 2024 Giro d'Italia
Insane people are always sure that they are fine. It is only the sane people who are willing to admit that they are crazy. - Nora Ephron
Bill and Carol McGann's book The Story of the Giro d'Italia, A Year-by-Year History of the Tour of Italy, Vol 2: 1971 - 2011 is available in print, Kindle eBook and audiobook versions. To get your copy, just click on the Amazon link on the right.
Current racing:
- August 17 - Sept 8: Vuelta a España
Upcoming racing:
- August 28 - September 1: Renewi Tour
Latest completed racing:
- August 25: Bretagne Classic Ouest-France
- August 20 - 23: Tour du Poitou-Charentes en Nouvelle Aquitaine
- August 12 - 18: Tour of Poland
- August 14 - 18: PostNord Denmark Rundt
- 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
Here's the team's update:
Three days for the sprinters, one for the time trial specialists and the traditional stage to Geraardsbergen – taking in a total of twenty climbs, including the mythical Bosberg and Muur-Kapelmuur – are on the menu of the Renewi Tour, which this year celebrates its 20th edition.
Running between 28 August-1 September, this 30th World Tour race of the season will see Soudal Quick-Step come to the start in Riemst with Ayco Bastiaens, Josef Cerny, former Belgian Champion Yves Lampaert, most successful sprinter of the season Tim Merlier, Bert Van Lerberghe, Ilan Van Wilder and Warre Vangheluwe, the young Belgian neo-pro who has impressed this year by taking a stunning solo victory at the Quatre Jours de Dunkerque.
Warre Vangheluwe winning stage 4 of the 2024 Quatre Jours de Dunkerque
“Our main goal for the Renewi Tour will be to take a stage victory with Tim. He has been one of the most impressive riders of the season, is in good form and has a strong team that can help him in the sprints. Concerning the general classification, we’re curious to see what Ilan – who is doing this race for the first time in his career – can do. The 15.4km ITT and the hard stage finishing on the slopes of the Muur will be decisive for the standings and we are looking forward to finding out where he will end up on Sunday”, explained Soudal Quick-Step sports director Tom Steels.
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Matej Mohorič to lead Bahrain Victorious at Renewi Tour
Antontio Tiberi abandons Vuelta:
Before going to the team news, Team Bahrain Victorious posted this about Vuelta a España stage 9: "Antonio Tiberi felt unwell during stage 9 suffering from heat stroke, becoming lightheaded with a high body temperature.
"Cooling methods helped stabilize him, and he is now in good condition, but sadly, he had to abandon."
Here’s the team’s news:
Matej Mohorič heads a strong line-up for the Renewi Tour, a five-stage race covering 762 kilometres through Belgium and the Netherlands. The race kicks off on August 28th in Riemst and concludes in Geraardsbergen.
While our riders in Spain are tackling the brutal ascents of the Vuelta, the Renewi Tour presents a different challenge, tailored for punchy, one-day classic riders in a stage race format. Though the race has only 4,880 meters of vertical gain, the pace is expected to be intense, with unpredictable weather conditions requiring constant vigilance from the peloton. The course features cobbles and short, sharp climbs, such as the Paterberg and three ascents of the Muur van Geraardsbergen on stage 5, as well as a 15km individual time trial on stage 2 that will play a crucial role in shaping the general classification.
Matej Mohorič wins stage four of the 2023 Renewi Tour.
Matej Mohorič, who secured a seventh place finish in the general classification last year and claimed victory in the final stage, is aiming to improve his standing and add another stage win to his name. Phil Bauhaus will focus on the sprint stages, with Nikias Arndt serving as his final lead-out man. Łukasz Wiśniowski, Dusan Rajovic, and Andrea Pasqualon will provide crucial support, especially in the early lead-out for Bauhaus. Fred Wright, known for his strong performances in cobbled classics, completes the line-up and is eager to chase a result.
Team Bahrain Victorious Sports Director Michał Gołaś commented: “Renewi Tour, as every year is a very dynamic and fast race. Two stages are hard enough to make the GC with stage 1 on the rolling parcour around Reimst; it’s similar to previous years and will definitely make some gaps in the GC. We will then have to do well in the ITT on stage 2 to stay in the GC. But Stage 5, which features famous Muur and other climbs, will make the race even harder than previous years as we do one more final lap of the circuit in Geraardsbergen.
I expect the race will be more selective than in previous years and will be the most decisive stage in GC.We have a competitive team with Matej and Fred, and they are coming back into great shape, we showed it in Tour of Poland. They will have great support.
There are also some nice opportunities for Phil in the sprint, and looking at our line-up, we have a very solid lead out, so it looks like we can have a good week, but every day we have a chance for a good result.”
Here’s the team’s news:
Team Jayco AlUla will line up at the Renewi Tour this week with a well-motivated and calibrated squad targeting multiple objectives, led by Dylan Groenewegen and Kell O’Brien.
Dylan Groenewegen at the start of 2024 Tour de France stage 18. Sirotti photo
Groenewegen has enjoyed a break from racing since the Tour de France, where he took an impressive stage win in a tough field, and will be fresh as he goes hunting for victories in the expected sprints.
Meanwhile, O’Brien will aim for the overall GC in the five-day race. A gold medallist at Paris 2024 in the team pursuit, the 26-year-old showed his general classification capabilities with an eighth-place overall finish at the Boucles de la Mayenne in May.
With the experience of Max Walscheid and Michael Hepburn, the speed of Campbell Stewart and the reliability of the two Dutch riders Elmar Reinders and Jan Maas, the duo will have a strong team around them.
The 19th edition of the Renewi Tour, which starts in Riemst and takes place from 28th August to 1st September, will bring the peloton to the Belgian roads with a mixture of sprint days and Classics-like stages.
2024 Team Jayco AlUla Renewi Tour line-up:
Dylan Groenewegen (NED)
Kell O’Brien (AUS)
Jan Maas (NED)
Elmar Reinders (NED)
Campbell Stewart (NZL)
Max Walscheid (GER)
Michael Hepburn (AUS)
Dylan Groenewegen:
“I’m very happy to return to racing after the Tour de France. After finishing the Grande Boucle, I had a short rest period and then resumed training for this Renewi Tour. Looking at the route of this edition there should be at least two sprint finishes. There will be many good sprinters fighting for the victory, so it will be an exciting challenge!”
David McPartland (Sport Director):
“We are heading to Renewi Tour motivated with a world class sprinter who has won here before. Our main goal is a stage win with Dylan. We also have a well-balanced team where we can even have guys like Kell O’Brien high on GC, fresh off his Olympic gold medal from the track in Paris.
"The rest of the team are all here to support these main goals. It is a hectic week up north with the usual stress of small roads, potential wind, and of course, the last stage which is really a Flemish classic one day race! All this and not forgetting the 15k ITT stage 2, it’s a busy week of racing with a lot of opportunities for our boys.”
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The team sent me this update:
Team Visma | Lease a Bike welcomes Victor Campenaerts back to the team. The Belgian, who won a stage in this year's Tour de France, has signed a three-year contract.
Victor Campenaerts wins 2024 Tour de France stage 18. Sirotti photo
Campenaerts was already part of the team, known then as Team LottoNL-Jumbo, in 2016 and 2017. During that period, the Belgian developed himself as a time trial specialist, winning the European title in that discipline. Since then, both the team and Campenaerts have made impressive strides. Team Visma | Lease a Bike has won the Tour de France twice and, in 2023, managed to win all three Grand Tours in one single season. Campenaerts, on his part, became the world hour record holder and won stages in the Giro d’Italia and, this summer, in the Tour de France.
"We still know Victor well from his previous time with the team and have kept in good contact since then," says team director Grischa Niermann, who will be part of the sports management of Team Visma | Lease a Bike starting next season. "He is a very strong rider, with a good time trial, as he proved again in this Tour de France. By now, he is also a very experienced rider known for his pursuit of innovations. We can really use that experience."
Whereas Campenaerts left the team after his first stint to pursue more personal opportunities, he returns with the clear ambition to contribute to the performances of the team leaders in the Grand Tours. "We see him as a very valuable asset for the team in that regard," says Niermann. "Due to his experience and physical capabilities."
"My ultimate goal is to one day win the Tour de France. I am not capable of doing so myself, but I can be a successful part of the team that achieves that victory." - Victor Campenaerts
The 32-year-old Belgian is looking forward to it: "Throughout my career, I have always set ambitious but realistic goals. I have often achieved them, like in this past Tour de France. My ultimate goal is to one day win the Tour de France. I am not capable of doing so myself, but I can be a successful part of the team that achieves that victory. And with that goal, you naturally look to Team Visma | Lease a Bike. I hope I can make the Tour squad next year. This team is the benchmark when it comes to stage racing, so I’m very happy to return."
The team sent me this:
Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe is expecting twins next year. Mick van Dijke and his brother Tim will join the German WorldTeam from 2025. The two 24-year-old talents will primarily strengthen the team's classics group.
Mick is already in his fourth WorldTour season, having won the Flanders Tomorrow Tour in 2021 and turned pro the following day. This year, he was runner-up in the Dutch ITT championships and recently placed at the front in the sprints of the Tour de Wallonie.
Tim made a name for himself at Paris-Roubaix in the spring and reached the velodrome in the group sprinting for a top 10 place. He also proved his speed in the Romandie, where he wore the white jersey, and at the Giro d'Italia, which was his Grand Tour debut.
Tim van Dijke racing in stage 1 of the 2024 Tour de Romandie. Sirotti photo
Mick van Dijke:
“I’m very excited to be part of Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe for the next years. I believe that together with the team I can make the next step in my career.”
Tim van Dijke:
"I’m very happy to start this new adventure with Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe. I can’t wait to work together and become part of the team!"
Ralph Denk:
“With Mick and Tim we are continuing with our transfer strategy and bringing more youngsters into the team. Both are powerful and quick. Combined with their physical presence, this is a combination that will help us in the spring and give us even more options in our sprint preparation.”
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Here’s the team’s news release:
Fresh off the back of a brilliant sprint win on stage five last week at the Vuelta a España, Team dsm-firmenich PostNL are delighted to reveal that Pavel Bittner has extended his contract with the team. Bittner will continue to adorn the two-striped jersey that he has worn since 2021, contracted with the team through the 2026 campaign.
Pavel Bittner wins 2024 Vuelta a España stage 5. Sirotti photo
After a strong junior career, Bittner joined Team dsm-firmenich PostNL’s Development program in 2021. Finding his feet quickly at U23 level and proving to be a hard-working and loyal teammate, he progressed through the ranks and in the middle of 2022 made the jump up to the WorldTour with the Men’s program. A year of mostly learning from those around him as he adjusted to the next step, Bittner showed glimpses of what the team knew he was capable of with very respectable results in the likes of Tour de Suisse and CRO Race. In 2024 Bittner has continued his trajectory, where he’s ridden as an early support or lead-out rider for his teammates but has also shone when he’s been the team’s finisher. After a handful of close results earlier in the year, Bittner’s breakthrough performance came at the Vuelta a Burgos where he powered to a very impressive win on the opening stage, before going on to round out the race by showing it wasn’t a one-time result with another win. Currently at his first Grand Tour, Bittner came close in the opening sprints, but he and the team knew more was possible, and that all came to fruition on stage five. Producing a devastatingly long sprint, Bittner won the stage in a photo finish, taking a truly memorable win for him and the team.
Bittner said: “I believe there is still a lot to learn together with the team. We made a lot of progress since the start of 2021 and now it feels like home here, spending time with everybody. Since my time in the Development program I think I have made really good progress. I had all the good people around me making sure we don’t miss any steps in my development and although sometimes it was taking longer than I maybe had wished for, it was all worth it to trust the process. I really like the friendly atmosphere, it’s always fun with my teammates and the staff we have in the team. Personally, I am trying my best to be a supportive guy on and off the bike towards all the members of the team. I believe one day I can maybe be a captain myself but that will take some time and learning from the most experienced guys we have here. I am not sure what the future is going to bring, but I believe if we all try our best, we can never lose. There are a lot of very talented and strong guys in the team, so if we put in the work together, then I think we can achieve whatever we want.”
Team dsm-firmenich PostNL head coach Rudi Kemna expressed: “Pavel has really impressed us since he joined the team back in 2021. He’s not only strong on the bike, but he also brings a really good atmosphere to the team with his energy. He’s always open to new ideas and learning, but also to helping those around him, and us too. On the bike we have seen him take steps each season as he has progressed from the Development program to the Men’s program. This year he has continued to take those steps and with a really good foundation laid due to his committed and hard work in the Development program, we’re starting to see him take some top results, with the sprints wins in Burgos and the Vuelta incredibly special. I think everyone at the team has enjoyed working with Pavel so far, so we’re really excited to continue with him for the next few years and continue to push each other to be better.”
Here’s the team’s news:
Lidl-Trek is thrilled to announce the signing of 25-year-old Danish talent, Emma Norsgaard, to its women’s team roster through 2027. Norsgaard, an all-rounder known for her versatility and sprint, becomes the third major addition to Lidl-Trek’s 2025 women’s roster.
Emma Norsgaard. Photo by Alex Broadway/Getty Images
Norsgaard burst onto the scene in 2016, when at just 16 years old she claimed the Danish elite national road race title, signaling the start of a promising career. Since then, she has racked up an impressive 15 career victories across a variety of terrains, including a commanding bunch sprint win at the Giro d’Italia, victory in Le Samyn, and a daring long-range breakaway at the 2023 Tour de France Femmes.
Although she initially made her mark as a sprinter, Norsgaard has evolved into a polyvalent rider capable of excelling across diverse terrains. Her versatility was on full display with her Tour de France Femmes stage win – a victory she considers her crowning achievement to date. Now, Norsgaard sees herself as a classics specialist with a quick finishing kick and dreams of one day winning the prestigious Tour of Flanders.
Commenting on her move to Lidl-Trek, Emma Norsgaard said, “This team has always been a dream team for me, and I really had the feeling that they have confidence in me and believe so much in me. I am so proud to become part of one of the absolute best teams in the world. I already started dreaming about the upcoming season after my first meeting with Trek. I am really looking forward to become a better cyclist and make a plan to reach my dreams together with my new teammates. I am hoping to be the best version of myself and the best possible teammate.”
Lidl-Trek General Manager, Luca Guercilena, expressed his enthusiasm for Norsgaard’s arrival, stating, “Emma is a phenomenal talent with a wide range of skills. Our Team is well-known for its aggressive racing style, and I believe Emma will align perfectly with this. Her Tour de France stage win epitomized this attacking, never-say-die attitude.
Even though Emma has been racing at the highest level for several years already, she is still a young rider. We believe she has the potential to become one of the top riders in the classics, and we’re excited to support her development over the next few years. She’s a rider who knows how to win in different scenarios, and we’re confident she’ll be a key asset to Lidl-Trek.”
Lidl-Trek looks forward to supporting Norsgaard in the next stage of her career, helping her pursue her goals while strengthening the Team’s performance at the toughest races. With her talent and ambition, she is poised to be a key figure for Lidl-Trek in the years to come.
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