Bicycle Racing News and Opinion,
Monday, December 9, 2024
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2024 Tour de France | 2024 Giro d'Italia
The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you'll go. - Dr. Seuss
Bill and Carol McGann's book The Story of the Giro d'Italia, A Year-by-Year History of the Tour of Italy, Vol 1: 1909 - 1970 is available in print, Kindle eBook & audiobook versions. To get your copy, just click on the Amazon link on the right.
Upcoming racing:
- December 15: Namur Cyclocross-Citadelcross
Latest completed racing:
- November 17: Flandriencross
- November 3: European Cyclocross Championships
- November 1: X20 Trofee Oudenaarde-Koppenbergcross
- October 27: Superprestige Overijse-Vlaamse Druivencross
- October 15 - 20: Tour of Guangxi
- October 20: Japan Cup Road Race
- October 20: Veneto Classic
- October 16: Giro del Veneto
- October 13: Chrono des Nations
The team sent me this:
The team VF Group Bardiani-CSF Faizanè is preparing for its winter training camp in Altea, Spain, from December 9 to 22.
The VF Group Bardiani-CSF Faizanè team will hold a training camp in Altea, Spain, from Monday, December 9, to Sunday, December 22, to begin preparations for the upcoming season. Of the 23 riders on the 2025 roster, four will miss the first few days due to school commitments. During the training camp, the team will undergo an intense schedule of training sessions and physical tests, closely monitored by the athletic trainers, medical staff, and four sports directors.
Team VF Group Bardiani-CSF Faizanè
The training camp will also serve as an opportunity to get acquainted with the technical equipment for the upcoming year and strengthen team spirit. Additionally, the official photoshoot for the 2025 season will take place from December 18 to 21.
Roberto Reverberi, general manager of VF Group Bardiani-CSF Faizanè, stated: "This training camp will be crucial for both the newcomers and the returning riders. It will be a chance to start working with the new technical equipment and to foster cohesion within the group ahead of the 2025 season. Physical preparation and team-building will be two key focuses during these days in Altea, as well as activities dedicated to media and sponsors."
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Here’s the team’s post:
The 2024 calendar year was a rollercoaster for the WorldTour team of Team Visma | Lease a Bike. For Bart Lemmen, it was the year of his big breakthrough. A story of his first WorldTour races, an unexpected debut in the Tour de France, and a narrowly missed victory.
With few noteworthy races under his belt, Lemmen was announced at the end of 2023 as the newest addition to Team Visma | Lease a Bike. Merijn Zeeman and his colleagues believed in him. They saw potential in the former military man and offered him a one-year contract, which was extended mid-2024.
Bart Lemmen at the 2024 Tour de France presentation
“Of course, it was exciting to see how things would unfold at the WorldTour level,” Lemmen admits. “Looking back now, after an incredible year, I can say it went far better than I had expected or even dared to dream. I quickly felt very much at home in the team.”
Hardly settled in the team, Lemmen was sent to Australia for his first race in Team Visma | Lease a Bike colors: the Tour Down Under. “It was a very special trip. Right away, I spent three weeks with a new group on the other side of the world. I’d never been to Australia, so it was an amazing adventure to kick things off. I didn’t set any expectations for myself that week. I just wanted to give my best,” recalls the rider from Utrecht.
“That I ended up competing for a good GC result was a huge surprise,” says the 29-year-old. Lemmen achieved two top-10 finishes and ended up fifth in the overall standings. “It was great to prove to myself right away that I belonged at the WorldTour level, especially since I’d only completed one full season as a professional cyclist.”
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A few weeks later, Lemmen carried his good form into the UAE Tour. “I knew I could climb and time trial reasonably well, but I didn’t expect to perform at WorldTour level so soon. From the start of the year, I was in good shape, which led to some nice results.”
Lemmen’s rapid progress didn’t go unnoticed by the team’s management. Following Sepp Kuss’s illness, Team Visma | Lease a Bike included Lemmen in their eight-man squad for the Tour de France. “I was sitting on the couch at home when Grischa called to say I was the intended replacement if Sepp didn’t recover in time,” Lemmen remembers. “A week later, I was on the same couch when Grischa called again to confirm I was going to the Tour. That was an incredible moment.”
“I really enjoyed three weeks of racing at the highest level, but I knew I had to stay focused every single day,” says the typically down-to-earth Lemmen. “I did pinch myself at times, realizing how special everything was. But in the end, I had to just ride my bike as hard as I could. The overwhelming support from people around me made me realize how extraordinary the situation was.”
That realization only truly sank in during the fourth stage, climbing the Col du Galibier. “Near the summit, I remembered cycling there with my wife Nienke during our vacation in 2016. Back then, I had never raced before, so no one could have imagined I’d one day ride the Galibier in a race, let alone in the Tour de France—the biggest race in the world.”
When asked about his highlights, Lemmen has to think for a moment but is ultimately decisive. “I have a few, but the standout moment has to be Jonas Vingegaard’s stage win. The day we went all-in for yellow on the Plateau de Beille and the stage where Wout van Aert and I contested the victory round out my top three.”
After a rest period following the Tour, Lemmen had an impressive autumn campaign. He raced the Bretagne Classic, the Canadian races, the Tour de Luxembourg, and the World Championships, before heading to Italy for a late-season trio. At the Coppa Bernocchi, Lemmen was on the verge of capping his debut year at Team Visma | Lease a Bike with a victory, only to be overtaken by a chasing group near the finish.
“That was definitely hard, but I was mostly proud to even be in a position to win a race. It’s tough that I came so close, but I only take positives from it. Who would have thought twelve months ago that things would unfold like this? Certainly not me. With 2025 about to begin, I’m eager to keep showing my best in big races. I’m raising the bar for myself as well. I now have a year of WorldTour experience under my belt, and I hope to compete for victories next year,” concludes Lemmen, full of motivation.
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Here’s the team’s news:
The team gathers in Spain from 9-20 December
With the 2025 season already fast approaching, UAE Team Emirates are pleased to announce the riders and technical staff who will work behind the scenes for the forthcoming campaign. The team is also excited to announce the 11 young riders who will make-up the Gen Z squad which will continue to race at a Continental level after an impressive debut season in 2024.
The team will continue to work under the management of Mauro Gianetti (CEO & Team Principal), Andrea Agostini (Chief Operating Officer) and Matxin Fernandez (Sporting Manager).
Tadej Pogačar is signed to make the rest of the peloton suffer in 2025. Sirotti photo
Speaking on the announcement Mauro Gianetti said “2024 was an exceptional year for us and the good atmosphere we have built plays a huge part in that. The unity within our team, including both riders and staff, is extremely important to us.
We prioritise bringing together both talented and kind individuals who are experts in their respective areas. We focus on building a strong group of top-tier professionals, and with this outstanding combination of riders and staff, we believe we are well-positioned to maintain our success in the future.”
Riders 2025:
- João Almeida (Portugal)
- Igor Arrieta (Spain)
- Juan Ayuso (Spain)
- Filippo Baroncini (Italy)
- Mikkel Bjerg (Denmark)
- Jan Christen (Switzerland)
- Alessandro Covi (Italy)
- Isaac Del Toro (Mexico)
- Felix Grossschartner (Austria)
- Rune Herregodts (Belgium)
- Julius Johansen (Denmark)
- Vegard Stake Laengen (Norway)
- Rafał Majka (Poland)
- Brandon McNulty (USA)
- Juan Sebastián Molano (Colombia)
- António Morgado (Portugal)
- Jhonatan Narvaez (Ecuador)
- Domen Novak (Slovenia)
- Ivo Oliveira (Portugal)
- Rui Oliveira (Portugal)
- Tadej Pogačar (Slovenia)
- Nils Politt (Germany)
- Pavel Sivakov (France)
- Marc Soler (Spain)
- Pablo Torres (Spain)
- Florian Vermeersch (Belgium)
- Jay Vine (Australia)
- Tim Wellens (Belgium)
- Adam Yates (Great Britain)
Sports Directors:
Fabio Baldato (Italy), Fabrizio Guidi (Italy), Andrej Hauptman (Slovenia),Tomas Gil (Venezuela), Marco Marcato (Italy), Marco Marzano (Italy), Manuele Mori (Italy), Simone Pedrazzini (Switzerland). Jan Polanc (Slovenia/Gen Z), Yousif Mirza (UAE/Gen Z).
Medical Staff:
Raaghib Fredericks (South Africa), David Ogg (South Africa), Federico Paoletti (Italy), Adriano Rotunno (South Africa), Maurizio Piombo (Italy), Jason Suter (South Africa), Filipe Quintas de Lima (Portugal), Iolanda Lopez Ramirez (Spain/Gen Z).
Training & Performance Staff:
Didac Navarro (Spain), Kevin Poulton (Australia), Iñigo San Millan (Spain), Javier Sola (Spain), Jeroen Swart (South Africa), David Herrero Llorente (Spain), Gorka Prieto Bellver (Spain), Giacomo Notari (Italy/Gen Z)
Gen Z Riders:
- Mohammad Almutaiwei (UAE)
- Ugo Fabries (France)
- Marcos Freire (Spain)
- Luca Giaimi (Italy)
- Abdulla Jasim (UAE)
- Duarte Marivoet (Belgium)
- Adria Pericas (Spain)
- Anze Ravbar (Slovenia)
- Enea Sambinello (Italy)
- Gibbe Staes (Belgium)
- Davide Stella (Italy)
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