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Sunday, December 15, 2024
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2024 Tour de France | 2024 Giro d'Italia
My religion is very simple. My religion is kindness. - Dalai Lama
Les Woodland's book Dirty Feet: How the Great Unwashed Created the Tour de France is available in print, Kindle eBook & audiobook versions. To get your copy, just click on the Amazon link on the right.
Current racing:
- December 15: Namur Cyclocross-Citadelcross
Upcoming racing:
- December 26: Gavere Cyclocross
- December 27: Exact Cross Loenhout-Azencross
- December 30: Diegem Cyclocross
- January 1: GP Sven Nys Cross
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
Here's the women's race report:
Fem van Empel has won the fourth manche of the X2O Badkamers Trofee. On the tricky course in Herentals, the 22-year-old rider from Team Visma | Lease a Bike reached the finish line solo, after getting away from her competitors on the penultimate lap. Van Empel took her sixth win of the cyclo-cross season.
From the start, Van Empel immediately showed the aspirations she had come to Herentals with. The reigning European champion went up the famous Skiberg first and only saw Lucinda Brand, Ceylin del Carmen Alvarado and Annemarie Worst following in her. On the penultimate lap, Van Empel distanced herself from her competitors, after which she was able to ride unthreatened to the finish.
Fem van Empel has again left everyone behind.
Fem van Empel:
"I am super happy with this. I've been working hard in recent weeks, so then it's nice when you see results right away", Van Empel said. "On a course like this, it was key to keep the pressure on all the time. I thought: if I go full on every climb, I will push the others to a gap. It was important to enter the descent first, so you could follow your own line. Because it was slippery, a mistake is easily made. Fortunately, it all went well today."
Van Empel, who has just finished a training camp on the road, will be back in action tomorrow at the World Cup in Namur.
Results:
- Fem van Empel (Visma | Lease a Bike) 43min 42sec
- Lucinda Brand (Baloise Trek Lions) @ 19sec
- Ceylin Del Carmen Alvarado (Fenix-Deceuninck) @ 20sec
- Annemarie Worst (Cyclocross Reds) @ 28sec
- Sanne Cant (Crelan-Corendon) @ 2min 15sec
Here's a machine-translation of the race organizer's men's race report:
The versatile course on and around the Skiberg also provided an exciting battle in the men's cross. Pim Ronhaar, Laurens Sweeck and Michael Vanthourenhout fought together until the final lap for the victory in this X2O Badkamers Trophy. Vanthourenhout made the difference in the last climbs and was finally able to hold off Ronhaar and Sweeck.
Local Toon Aerts took off like a rocket. He was the first to dive into the mud and immediately made the difference with his opponents. Eli Iserbyt and his brother Thijs Aerts were the closest pursuers. He immediately gained a few seconds. However, a flat tire threw a spanner in the works. At the moment that Michael Vanthourenhout was able to close the gap, Aerts rode around on the rim. A long running passage cost him a lot of strength and he disappeared from the outposts.
Michael Vanthourenhout immediately took over and rode solo for a while in Herentals. Baloise Trek Lion Pim Ronhaar was the first to join and even immediately take control. Laurens Sweeck and Niels Vandeputte followed at a short distance. Sweeck was still able to make the jump towards the two leaders, Vandeputte was not.
The three of them fought for the victory in the final round. Michael Vanthourenhout made his attempt on the Skiberg and put pressure on the ascending sections and on the descents, among a crowd of people. He was able to put both competitors under pressure and hold on until the finish. Ronhaar ran aground in his search, Sweeck a few seconds behind.
Michael Vanthourenhout wins again. Photopress photo
With his fifth place, Eli Iserbyt takes over the leading position from Lars Van der Haar in the X2O Badkamers ranking.
Vanthourenhout did not get it for free. “It was a very exciting cross. Pim Ronhaar and I were the two best in the race. I really had to go to the limit. I made it a very long final, and that's why I narrowly won.”
Results:
- Michael Vanthourenhout (Pauwels Sauzen-Bingoal) 1hr 1min 18sec
- Pim Ronhaar (Baloise Trek Lions) @ 3sec
- Laurens Sweeck (Crelan-Corendon) @ 21sec
- Niels Vandeputte (Alpecin-Deceuninck) @ 31sec
- Eli Iserbyt (Pauwels Sauzen-Bingoal) @ 34sec
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Here’s the team’s announcement:
The attire we will use in our 23rd season is inspired by the dynamic movement of cycling.
Designed by Castelli graphic designer Luisa Menini, the new kit predominantly comprises the traditional dark blue that is synonymous with our team, while incorporating the red of our sponsor Soudal. Mixed into this is a lighter blue shade, which is a nod to the team’s history and our domination of the northern classics. This is all integrated into a moving fusion pattern that has been designed to imitate the movement of a passing cyclist.
The 2025 Soudal Quick-Step jersey.
As announced earlier in the year, our team will continue their relationship with the famous cycling apparel outfitter Castelli, for the next two seasons. They will kit our team out with not only this beautiful new jersey and shorts, but with an extensive range of clothing, including their industry leading Gabba R jacket, and other garments that will help our riders to perform in the world’s biggest and hardest races, whatever the conditions.
Menini said: “I was honoured to be asked to help with the design of the Soudal Quick-Step 2025 kit. I wanted to add in a fresh feel and experimented with a lighter blue fade and when this was presented to the team, we formulated a pattern that would allow us to give a nod to the great history of this famous team. I then looked to integrate the red of Soudal in a natural way, such as that seen for the T-Rex outfit used at last year’s Vuelta, which also gave the perfect canvas on which to place the team’s sponsors’ logos.”
Castelli’s Brand Manager, Steve Smith, said: “We always seek opportunities to elevate performance. Working with such a motivated team allows us to refine products that excel in aerodynamics, comfort, and protection against the elements. The graphic elements of the 2025 kit showcase a young, dynamic design that reflects the team’s energy, motivation, and the strong synergy between Soudal Quick-Step and Castelli’s Race Performance Division. This partnership embodies how innovation thrives in the pro peloton, and we’re proud to ensure these advancements benefit not only Soudal Quick-Step riders but cyclists everywhere.”
“I love the new design, and I will be proud to wear it in 2025. Castelli makes some wonderful cycling garments that can help keep us warm at the colder races earlier in February and March and then help to battle the heat of the Tour de France or La Vuelta, while having quality and comfort that means we can ride all day. The new design is very eye-catching, and I am sure everybody will love it. Next season could be an historic one for the team, as we’re inching in on our 1000th victory, and it would be really great to achieve this incredible milestone in this beautiful kit”, added Soudal Quick-Step’s Mikel Landa.
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Here’s the team’s post:
Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe won the last Grand Tour of the 2024 season, setting the benchmark for 2025. Next year, winning a Grand Tour is back on the wish list.
To achieve this ambitious goal and win the third Grand Tour title in the team's history, the team is relying on the full strength of its ranked riders.
After a year off, Primož Roglič will return to the Giro d'Italia. In 2016, the Giro was the first Grand Tour he ever raced. He finished third in his second appearance and took home the maglia rosa in 2023. Now a comeback is planned. The road to the Grande Partenza includes the Volta ao Algarve in February and the Volta a Catalunya in March.
Primož Roglič in pink after the 2023 Giro d'Italia. Sirotti photo
Jai Hindley, the 2022 winner, and Dani Martínez, the 2024 runner-up, also have the Giro in their plans. Hindley will use Tirreno-Adriatico to prepare for it, while Martínez will race Paris-Nice.
The second Grand Tour highlight on the calendar is the Tour de France, where Primož Roglič will compete. He will be joined in his GC ambitions by Aleks Vlasov and Dani Martínez. For the Vuelta a España, the team plans to have two leaders: Jai Hindley and Aleks Vlasov will race together in the race that Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe won this year.
Ralph Denk, CEO Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe:
“We had a successful season. But of course we are ambitious and want to achieve more. We finished second in the Giro and won the Vuelta, so winning a Grand Tour again is the logical goal for 2025. That is what drives us and with our strong squad it is absolutely within our reach.”
One-day races back in focus
With a transfer offensive, the team has also repositioned itself for the one-day races. Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe will tackle the cobbled classics with the new depth of the team. In the demanding one-day races, such as the Ardennes, newcomer Maxim Van Gils will play an important role.
Ralph Denk:
"In the long term, we want to establish ourselves as the most attractive brand in cycling. In addition to the Grand Tours, there are many highlights on the calendar that we can influence with our style. These include the week-long tours, where our GC talents can take responsibility and make the next step. Or the one-day races, for which we have specifically strengthened our team with new riders and on which we are also focusing."
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Here’s the team’s news:
With the new cycling year approaching, Liv AlUla Jayco Women’s Continental Team has strengthened further with the addition of 19-year-old Tabea Huys. The Austrian rider will join the Continental Team from January 1st, 2025, and the addition of Huys completes the selection of the successful development squad for next season.
Tabea Huys
Huys is considered one of the biggest talents in Austrian women’s cycling, especially in the time trial discipline which is known as her strongest weapon. Last autumn, in her first year as a U23 rider, she finished seventh at the European championships in Belgium. Earlier in the season, she won the Austrian time trial title (U23) and triumphed in the time trial (13.5 km) at the Gracia Orlová, traditionally an important stage race in which talented riders come out on top.
Clear vision
“Of course I am ambitious and would like to take steps forward, but I did not expect to join such a strong team already for next season. I felt very comfortable during the first talks with the team and noticed that Liv AlUla Jayco has a clear vision when it comes to talent development. For me, it is important that I get all the space I need to develop myself into a complete rider, without having a lot of pressure on my shoulders. In addition, there are still opportunities to continue doing triathlon, my other passion, and to finish my last high school year. The team offers the right balance.”
Maximum results
From the team, 19-year-old Huys will get all the support she needs to reach a higher level. “My strengths are now obviously in time trials. I got that confirmation this year at the championships and in the Gracia Orlová in the Czech Republic. But I feel I have more to offer and would like to get the most out of myself. I am not a born climber, but I can push myself well on the longer, non-steep climbs. Maybe there might be a classic rider in me, who knows. However, to take the step to the top, I will still have a lot to learn. Liv AlUla Jayco provides all the resources needed for that.”
Two Austrians
At Liv AlUla Jayco, Huys will meet several familiar faces, including her compatriot Leila Gschwentner, who has already made considerable progress in the past debut year of the Continental Team. “Funnily enough, Leila was in the same club team in her junior days as I was in. Before she made the transition to Liv AlUla Jayco, she rode in the same German team I rode in last season. Seen in that sense, my steps are very similar to hers.”
Transformation
Continental Team Manager Eric van den Boom has been following Huys’ progression throughout the season and explained: “Tabea Huys impressed us in a positive way several times over the season in races in which we were competing in ourselves. During the year, she showed that she has a lot of potential. So, when an opening came up to offer her a contract, we didn’t hesitate and acted quickly. With our development plan, we want to help her in her transformation into an even more complete rider. We are convinced that we can help her take the step to the top of women’s cycling.”
Liv AlUla Jayco’s Continental Team in 2025::
Moroj Adil (Saudi Arabia)
Mackenzie Coupland (Australia)
Leila Gschwentner (Austria)
Hélène Hesters (Belgium)
Tabea Huys (Austria)
Noä Jansen (Netherlands)
Emma Jeffers (United Kingdom)
Kaia Schmid (United States)
Lucinda Stewart (Australia)
Matilde Vitillo (Italy)
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