Bicycle Racing News and Opinion,
Friday, August 30, 2024
Back to news and opinion index page for links to archived stories | Commentary | Our YouTube page
2024 Tour de France | 2024 Giro d'Italia
Physics is the only profession in which prophecy is not only accurate but routine. - Neil deGrasse Tyson
Marcus Aurelius' Meditations is available in both Kindle eBook & audiobook versions. To get your copy, just click on the Amazon link on the right.
Current racing:
- August 17 - Sept 8: Vuelta a España
- August 28 - September 1: Renewi Tour
Upcoming racing:
- September 3 - 8: Tour of Britain
- September 8: Grand Prix Cycliste de Quebec
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
We posted the report from the race organizer with the results.
Here's a machine-translation of the report from stage 12 winner Pablo Castrillo's Equipo Kern Pharma:
It's not a dream. The Kern Pharma Team has won a stage in La Vuelta a España. Pablo Castrillo triumphed at the Manzaneda Mountain Station in an agonising finale, after a long-range attack and giving it his all right to the finish line, with the impetus of the memory of Manolo Azcona.
It was not a pipe dream. It was the goal of the entire Kern Pharma Team from the moment it was known that the Navarrese team was going to participate for the second time in its history in La Vuelta a España. A stage victory for which they have worked hard, taking care of every detail and with the support of all the sponsors, headed by Kern Pharma.
Pablo Castrillo wins stage 12. ASO photo
The day that began with the sad news of the death of Manolo Azcona, founder and great supporter of the team for three decades, ended with the best possible tribute. From the start, from the minute of silence of the whole peloton in his honour, the Kern Pharma Team was clear: in his memory and with their collective and fighting style they were going to race today giving their all.
In the initial kilometres, the cyclists of the Kern Pharma Team were already fighting hard to get into the breakaway, with Pablo Castrillo and Pau Miquel as their main assets. It was the man from Jaca who finally got into the breakaway of ten cyclists of superlative level who played for the victory.
Already in the final climb to Manzaneda, Pablo Castrillo was clear. His options were to reach the finish line alone and he did not hesitate. After a series of attacks from his rivals in the breakaway, almost ten kilometres from the finish the climber of the Kern Pharma Team launched an offensive. No one could follow him and he maintained a half-minute advantage that was unreachable for the rest.
“After the announcement of Manolo's death, we were sad but also motivated to be in the breakaway and try to get the victory. “Achieving this victory has been something incredible and very exciting that we have been able to dedicate to him,” said Pablo Castrillo after crossing the finish line victoriously, remembering Manolo Azcona with his fingers raised.
In every pedal stroke, in every movement of the bike, in every nod, in every drop of sweat was the drive of all those who are part of the Kern Pharma Team and those who have made it possible to get here. Only in this way, united and with a clear objective, can we achieve success.
“If life has taught us anything and Manolo has taught us anything, it is to be good people and then to constantly fight, to believe and fight for what we want. We are very proud of the work we have done and continue to do. We are a team that feels, that trusts, very united and focused, that is how we have reached La Vuelta, that is how we have shown ourselves today and that is how we have dedicated this victory to Manolo,” said an emotional Juanjo Oroz, manager of the Kern Pharma Team.
The Kern Pharma Team already has a stage win in La Vuelta a España under its belt. And it will be the first of many. Together
Here's the report from second-place Max Poole's Team dsm-firmenich PostNL:
Following on from Wednesday’s breakaway exploits where Team dsm-firmenich PostNL and Max Poole claimed third place on the stage, the team set out with the same goal of infiltrating the move and going for the stage win once again. This time the peloton would be faced with a rolling day in the saddle and a mountain-top finish at Estacion de Montaña de Manzaneda after 137 kilometres of racing.
Due to the short nature of the stage it was once again a fast start with lots of attacks, with the team rotating well to make sure they were always involved. Eventually, a strong and selective front group of ten escaped that included Poole and with no immediate GC threats their gap was allowed to balloon out to over ten minutes at one. It was clear that they would fight it out for the stage win but as they started the final climb the breakaway group was still together and things became tactical, as a flurry of attacks and moves followed.
When things regrouped once more, Castrillo would go on to make what would ultimately be the stage winning move as he built up a buffer of over 30 seconds on the second group, who all looked at each other to set the pace. Ineos, with two riders in the group, then began to set tempo and kept things steady before Poole attacked alongside Narvaez, as they quickly made it up to Schmid while Soler then joined them a few hundred metres later. Despite Poole trying to keep things going, the cooperation in the group wasn’t great and out front Castrillo kept riding a solid and steady tempo – around 30 seconds ahead. Inside the flamme rouge Poole used one of the steeper sections to create distance between himself and the rest of the group, setting off in pursuit of Castrillo but he would run out of road in the end, crossing the line for a valiant second place finish; just eight seconds in arrears of the stage winner.
Max Poole finishes second in the stage. Sirotti photo
After the stage Poole said: “We gave it a good go again today. Ineos had two guys in the break so I think it’s normal that everyone looked at them to close the gap in the final but in the end Castrillo was strong and he held on. I just went all-out to the line in the final 800 metres but it wasn’t enough. You have to race the final and go with what you think in that moment, and maybe take some risks. I also didn’t want to attack on the flatter section with guys in my wheel and pull them along. Immediately after the stage there are always going to be these feelings of disappointment, but maybe I can soak it in later and be pleased with it, to have the podium places from the past days. Yet, to come so close two days in a row is pretty tough, but I’m feeling better this week so hopefully we can get other chances in the rest of the race.”
Team dsm-firmenich PostNL coach Phil West continued: “We set off with the goal of being in the break as we have to take our chances when we can for the rest of the race. Again the guys showed some good teamwork and we ended up being in quite a select group with Max which was a really good situation for us. Coming towards the final climb we knew that we had to make our move, but it was about trying to time it right, as the climb wasn’t really steep. Castrillo went at a time that felt like it was a bit early as there were still quite a few guys there and Ineos were pulling because they had two riders, but credits to him as he rode well and held on. Max was really strong on the final climb but we just ran out of road in the end to make the catch, but that’s just racing at times. I think we can be super happy with another podium and also the teamwork the guys showed, so it’s a nice day and we can look forward to what’s coming next.”
Content continues below the ads
Here's the Vuelta report from third-place Marc Soler's UAE Team Emirates:
Marc Soler edged closer to an elusive stage win for the Catalan at the Vuelta España, taking 3rd place from the day-long escape behind stage winner Pablo Castrillo (Kern Pharma).
Soler jumped from kilometre zero and formed a strong group of 9 riders which would build a lead of almost 10 minutes to the peloton on the relatively short stage from Ourense to the Estación de montaña de Manzaneda (137km). Soler hit-out again as the group approached the base of the final climb with -13km but would be undone by Castrillo and Max Poole (DSM Firmenich) who took 2nd.
Marc Soler finsihing third. Sirotti photo
Soler: “We all wanted to win today but Pablo was the strongest and I’m pleased for him. It was good to be out front another day fighting in the breakaway but with desire to try again for a victory in the coming days. The sensations are good personally and also the team in general are strong so we’ll aim to be on the attack again for sure.”
Meanwhile in Belgium Tim Wellens put in a solid time against the clock in the ITT at the Renewi Tour which resumed in Tessenderlo (15.4km), finishing in 5th spot with a time of 17’15”, some 16” shy of stage winner and new race leader Alex Segaert (Lotto-Dstny).
The Belgian TT champion now sits 4th overall ahead of tomorrow’s pan flat day from Blankenberge to Ardooie (185.5km).
Fifth-place Jhonatan Narvaez's Team INEOS Grenadiers posted this Vuelta report:
Jhonatan Narvaez climbed to fifth on stage 12 of La Vuelta after a strong ride in the breakaway.
Jhonatan Narvaez finishing fifth in stage 12. Sirotti photo
The day was initially a fast one, with Oscar Rodriguez getting himself into a move that took a long time to settle, before Jhonatan Narvaez hopped across to make it two Grenadiers in the leading 10.
The day was defined by its one and only categorised climb, the Category One Estacion de Montaña de Manzaneda. On the mountain, and the Grenadiers would respond to attacks well, with Oscar riding selflessly for his teammate Narvaez. Pablo Castrillo (Equipo Kern Pharma) would launch and attack some 10 kilometres from the line, and quickly establish a gap.
Despite Narvaez upping the pace, and dragging a strong quartet clear, he was unable to bring the gap back, and the Ecuadorian would come home fifth on the day, with Oscar in 10th.
Content continues below the ads
Sixth-place Mauri Vansevenant's Team Soudal Quick-Step posted this stage 12 report:
For the third day in a row, a T-Rex Quick-Step rider joined the breakaway, and for the third consecutive time, the group made it to the finish. After William Junior Lecerf animated the stage to Baiona and James Knox the one finishing in Padron, now it was Mauri Vansevenant who attacked from the gun and booked a place in the leading group of a day that took them atop Manzaneda.
Mauri showed his trademark fighting spirit and huge determination in the breakaway which enjoyed a ten-minute maximum advantage by the time it arrived at the bottom of the last climb, making a return at the race for the first time since 2011. There, the Belgian accelerated with more than 12 kilometers to go, but the others came back. Attacks kept coming, and before taking on the steepest part of the ascent, Pablo Castrillo (Kern Pharma) went clear and remained in the lead until the finish, where he took the win.
Vansevenant still had something left for one more important effort, and the 25-year-old managed to drop some of his companions en route to sixth at the summit for his second top ten finish of this Vuelta, after the one in Yunquera, last week.
Mauri Vansevenant finishes stage 12. Sirotti photo
“I felt good the whole day and joined the breakaway because I sensed there was a chance for a group to go until the finish. We had a good gap, but on the last climb I began feeling it would be difficult for me, because I was almost empty. Even so, I did my best and wasn’t that far from the podium. I am pretty content with this result and motivated to continue helping the team and Mikel until the end of the race”, said Mauri after the stage.
Here's the Vuelta report from Wout van Aert's Team Visma | Lease a Bike:
The twelfth stage in the Tour of Spain presented no problems for the yellow-and-black brigade. Wout van Aert and Edoardo Affini showed their attacking spirit in the opening hour. Sepp Kuss finished in the group of favorites, well behind stage winner Pablo Castrillo.
Halfway through the Vuelta a España, the riders were presented with the shortest stage. The peloton set off in Ourense for 137 kilometers. After a hilly start, the final climb to ski resort Manzaneda was the focal point.
Van Aert and Affini tried to set up a breakaway several times. Each time their escape attempts were reeled in by the peloton. Moments later, an acceleration of ten riders without members of Team Visma | Lease a Bike proved successful. The peloton gave the ten a large lead. In the end, Castrillo proved to be the strongest. An emotional victory for the Spanish team, who announced the passing of their founder before the start of the stage.
Wout van Aert remains the owner of the green points classification leader's jersey. Sirotti photo
“I tried to be in the breakaway, but I missed the acceleration to make the jump to the front”, commented green jersey wearer Van Aert afterwards. “Once back in the peloton I was able to save energy with the upcoming stages in mind. Furthermore, it's nice for Castrillo and his team to win a stage here. They try to show themselves at the front of the race every day, so they absolutely deserve this reward for all their work.”
“Sports director Marc Reef: “It was another tough start with the long fight for a place in the breakaway of the day. The aim was to send Wout in the break, but unfortunately we were unable to make that happen. Once the breakaway was formed, we shifted our focus to Sepp Kuss. A few riders, including Cian Uijtdebroeks, were able to protect him for a long time on the final climb. In the end, nothing happened in the group of favorites. Tomorrow, another stage awaits the GC riders. Our goal will be to assist Sepp for as long as possible again.”
Content continues below the ads
And here's the Vuelta report from Team Groupama-FDJ:
On the shortest road stage of the 2024 Vuelta a España, this Thursday, the peloton headed towards the Manzaneda station. After a steady, rolling climb, Pablo Castrillo took the victory from the breakaway while David Gaudu kept eleventh place overall after a quiet climb among the favorites. The action should be back as from tomorrow on the Puerto de Ancares. Unfortunately, Kevin Geniets was forced to abandon.
The peloton 20 kilometers into the stage.
Barely 137 km of racing, but still 3000 metres of elevation gain were on the menu of the Vuelta this Thursday. Although only the final climb was classified, a demanding route was still lying ahead for the riders, which obviously made for another suitable day for the attackers. “There was a good chance that there would be climbers in the breakaway,” said Thierry Bricaud. “So it was not a particularly good day for us since Rémy does not feel well, Quentin still has to recover after his ride the day before yesterday, David will no longer be able to break away, and Kevin has not recovered from the first week, in which he experienced very difficult days due to the heat.”
The Luxembourger therefore left the race after around thirty kilometres, while the battle for the breakaway was still underway. “It was hard for him yesterday, it was the same today,” noted Thierry. Stefan Küng still tried to slip into a counterattack at the start, but a group of ten men ultimately was able to break away after about an hour of racing. “There will be much more favourable days, where we will have a real chance of winning,” added Thierry. “Today, the goal was rather to stay with David until the foot of the final climb.”
The peloton did not lead the chase behind the breakaway, which got up to ten minutes of a gap. Pablo Castrillo won the stage at the front, and although the pace certainly increased as the climb progressed within the bunch, all the top-20 riders overall finished together at the summit. “It was a relatively smooth climb, without too high gradients, there were no real gaps to be made,” explained Thierry. “Nothing happened and it was a “quiet” day for David.” Nineteenth on the line, the Frenchman kept his eleventh place overall, 5’55 from the red jersey. “For David, it was a good day, but it was more mixed from a team point of view,” added Thierry. “There was no miracle for Kevin. As for Rémy, he has really been feeling bad for 48 hours. At breakfast, I thought that he wasn’t going to last long, but it improved over the course of the morning. He didn’t have a great day, but it was still better than we could have imagined. We hope that it will improve in the coming days.” On the tough slopes of Puerto de Ancares on Friday, his leader could also need his abilities. “The GC could change on such terrain, with a very complicated final and high gradients,” concluded Thierry. “If David feels as good as yesterday, it could be an interesting day. We won’t be able to win with one of the other riders from the breakaway, so it will be all for David.”
Here’s the team’s news:
Italian rider Diego Ulissi has signed a two-year contract with the WorldTour team Astana Qazaqstan Team, where he will race during the 2025 and 2026 seasons.
Diego Ulissi (35) is one of the strongest one-day riders in the professional peloton, capable of excelling in races of nearly any level of difficulty. Additionally, Ulissi is traditionally strong in smaller stage races. Among the major achievements in his highly successful professional career are the Grand Prix Cycliste de Montréal (2017), Milano-Torino, Giro dell’Emilia (2013), GP Industria & Artigianato (2022), overall victories in the Presidential Cycling Tour of Turkey (2017), Tour of Slovenia (2011, 2019), Tour de Luxembourg (2020), and many others. Diego Ulissi has also won 8 stages of the Giro d’Italia between 2011 and 2020.
Diego Ulissi after stage 2 of the Coppi-Bartali stage race. Sirotti photo
In 2024, Diego Ulissi is having another successful season. The Italian rider has claimed a stage win and third place overall at the Settimana Internazionale Coppi e Bartali, a stage win and overall victory at the Tour of Austria, second place overall at both the Tour de Pologne and the Czech Tour, third place at the Giro dell’Appennino, and fourth place overall at the Tour of Oman and Tour de Hongrie.
“I am truly excited to become a part of the Astana project next year; this is a team with an impressive history. It’s an honor for me to join this team. Over the years, I’ve been able to achieve good results, and of course, in the new season with Astana Qazaqstan Team, I’d like to continue winning and competing for top places. I believe that together with the team, we can achieve great things. I’m familiar with many of the riders and staff, so I expect the transition to go smoothly. All that remains is to keep working 100%, set new goals, and strive for success”, – said Diego Ulissi.
“Diego needs no introduction – he is one of the most successful and consistent riders in the peloton. As far as I know, since 2010, Ulissi has never finished a season without at least one victory – this is an incredible achievement. We can see that 2024 is shaping up to be another successful year for him, with strong results in both one-day races and week-long stage races. This is exactly what our team needs. I am confident that Diego will strengthen Astana Qazaqstan Team, becoming a leader in many races, while also being able to support his teammates when needed”, – said Alexandr Vinokurov, General Manager of Astana Qazaqstan Team.
Back to news and opinion index page for links to archived stories | Commentary