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Tuesday, December 31, 2024
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2024 Tour de France | 2024 Giro d'Italia
Thousands of candles can be lighted from a single candle, and the life of the candle will not be shortened. Happiness never decreases by being shared. - Buddha
Bill & Carol McGann’s book The Story of the 2023 Tour de France, 2023: The Viking Again Conquers the Tour is available in both Kindle eBook & audiobook versions. To get your copy, just click on the Amazon link on the right.
Upcoming racing:
- January 1: GP Sven Nys Cross
- January 18 - 26: Tour Down Under
Latest completed racing:
- December 30: Diegem Cyclocross
- December 26: Gavere Cyclocross
- December 27: Exact Cross Loenhout-Azencross
- December 15: Namur Cyclocross-Citadelcross
- 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
The team posted this:
Matteo Jorgenson experienced a 2024 season to remember. The 25-year-old American from Team Visma | Lease a Bike impressed with victories in both one-day classics and stage races. “This year, I realized my body can perform at a high level for three weeks. That was something I wasn’t sure about in the past.”
The spring already showed promise. Jorgenson triumphed in Dwars door Vlaanderen and later claimed the overall victory in Paris-Nice. “The highlight of the year was undoubtedly crossing the finish line in Nice. I rode past my apartment and realized I had won Paris-Nice. It was a completely unexpected victory and a feeling I might never surpass. Just thinking about it still brings a smile to my face”, Jorgenson shared.
Matteo Jorgenson wins Dwars door Vlaanderen. Sirotti photo
His success in Paris-Nice proved to be no fluke. At the Critérium du Dauphiné, he confirmed his form with second place in the general classification. During the Tour de France, Jorgenson cemented his status as a strong stage racer, finishing eighth overall—the best performance by an American in a decade. Moreover, he played a crucial role in supporting Jonas Vingegaard, who finished second overall.
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Jorgenson gave everything to help his Danish teammate secure a third consecutive Tour win, but it wasn’t to be. “On the Plateau de Beille, we realized as a team that we had given everything to try and win the Tour again, but it just wasn’t enough. It was a long climb, and I listened to Grischa Niermann guiding Jonas through that tough moment”, he reflected.
“This year was a dream in so many ways”, Jorgenson emphasized. “I pushed boundaries I didn’t know were possible, thanks to the team’s efforts and my commitment to sticking to the plan as closely as possible.”
Jorgenson attributes his progress to changes in his training and technique since joining Team Visma | Lease a Bike. He worked closely with a biomechanic to improve his pedaling technique. “It was like I had to forget my muscle memory or break that pattern, and it’s made a world of difference.” Off the bike, he has also grown significantly. “I’ve gotten to know myself better. I now understand what I need to be successful.”
Despite his first season full of success, Jorgenson is far from satisfied. “One day, I hope to compete for the general classification in a Grand Tour. I say that because I’ve somewhat changed my perspective this year. During the Tour, I didn’t have a single bad day. Of course, there were tougher moments, but I never cracked. Especially in the third week, I felt very comfortable. So, one day, I want to go for it. When that moment will come, I don’t know. I’m not in a hurry. For now, I can’t wait to start 2025. We have work to do”, Jorgenson concluded, motivated.
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Here’s the team’s news:
A first in the team’s history, Team dsm-firmenich PostNL are delighted to announce that two promising young Colombian riders will don the two-striped kit as of next year; as the team builds on their international roster with a Dutch heart. Juan Martinez is set to ride for the Men’s program through 2027, while Juliana Londoño will wear the team’s colours until at least the end of 2026.
Juliana Londoño
Hailing from Medellín in Colombia, Londoño started competing in cycling only towards the start of 2022 having previously used the sport as part of her training for skating competitions. Immediately performing well, she raced a lot on the Colombian domestic scene in 2022, honing her skills both on the road and track. What would be her final junior year in 2023 saw Londoño come out with a bang, winning the Pan-America time trial championship and finishing second in the road race.
Juliana Londoño
A good performance at the Vuelta a Guatemala followed before she tested herself against the best in her age category at the road World Championships. Alongside her road racing, Londoño raised her arms in glory as she took a memorable world title in the Omnium event at the track World Championships which took place in her native Colombia. This season, after winning the Clásica de Rionegro, she made the trip over to Europe where she has ridden with the UCI WCC Team. Gaining valuable experience in a variety of competitions and over different parcours, she “won” the sprint for sixth behind the breakaway at La Périgord Ladies and took third place on stage three of the Princess Anna Vasa Tour, while performing consistently throughout the whole season.
Londoño expressed: “I’m really excited to join Team dsm-firmenich PostNL next year. It will be a big step for me to race in the WorldTour but I just want to learn as much as I can from the rest of the girls in the team and the staff here, especially in my first year as I settle in. The team is really professional and structured, there is someone to help you for everything, and I think that suits me as a person. Right now, I’m not fully sure what type of rider I am. I do have a good sprint, but I also want to be a complete rider and not focus on only one speciality as I am still young, so I think that will work well with the team and how they do things. I’m looking forward to it.”
Team dsm-firmenich PostNL head coach Rudi Kemna continued: “Juliana has been on the radar of our scouting department for some time. She visited us at our Keep Challenging Center in Sittard where we did some testing, and she really impressed us with not only her test results but also her personality too; as she’s a super driven and intelligent young individual. Winning both on the road and on the track highlight her abilities, and we think she has untapped potential that we can further develop with our group of coaches and experts. We want to give her the room to grow and improve without any pressure, as she gets used to WorldTour level racing.”
Juan Martinez
Coming from the Boyacan Highlands’ department in Colombia within the Andean region, Martinez is a natural climber who finds himself at home when the road goes uphill. Like many, he was inspired by the successful Colombian cyclists from the past who come from his region and showed his talents in the very competitive junior races in Colombia but also over in Spain, where he made a mark by winning the uphill time trial on stage four at Bizkaiko Itzulia. Making the daunting trip over to Europe full-time in 2023 to join Q36.5 Continental Cycling Team, Martinez has faced a few setbacks but has progressed solidly with the Swiss squad. Continuing to grow as a rider, things clicked earlier in 2024 at the Valle d’Aosta where second and fourth places on stages were enough to see him claim sixth overall in a very competitive field, also claiming the mountains jersey. Staying in Italy, his form saw him take an impressive win in Bassano – Monte Grappa in July; once again highlighting his strength when the road goes upwards. After that, he represented his nation at the famous Tour de l’Avenir where he supported his teammates.
Martinez said: “Team dsm-firmenich PostNL is one of the biggest teams in the world and it will be special to turn professional with them. They have developed a lot of great riders in the past so I think it will be a good fit for me as I make the next step in my career. The support you get as a rider in terms of nutrition, training, the equipment; everything is very professional. Also looking at the races, this year the team had some really nice results which is good and gives me confidence in the success of how they work. I think for now I am more of a pure climber, but I just want to improve as much as I possibly can in the next years. Hopefully I can help the team to more victories and if I can take one myself as a pro – that would be the dream.”
Team dsm-firmenich PostNL head coach Rudi Kemna continued: “Juan has shown himself to be a very exciting climbing talent, and he really excels when the road goes uphill. He’s experienced racing in Europe with Q36.5 Pro Cycling’s Development team over the past two years and this season he won the mountains jersey at the Giro Valle d’Aosta, which is one of the most prestigious races in terms of climbing at this age level. As he is still a young rider, we believe there is still a lot of space for him to progress and develop in the coming years with us.”
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Here’s the team’s news:
XDS Astana Team (as from January 1, 2025) is announcing two roster changes: Gleb Syritsa (24) will move to XDS Astana Development Team for the upcoming season, while Anton Kuzmin (28) has extended his contract with the XDS Astana Team for one more year (2025).
“It’s no secret that the team’s main goal in 2025 is to secure enough ranking points to retain the WorldTour license. To strengthen the team, we’ve made significant changes to the roster and brought in several specialists to help push the team toward achieving better results. Additionally, during our December training camp, we conducted individual meetings with each rider to refine their race calendars and set goals for the season. As a result, Gleb Syritsa will move to our Continental team. This decision aligns with the interests of both the team and the rider. For the team, it’s crucial that Gleb fully dedicates himself to team objectives in races where he’s selected for the main squad. For Gleb, it’s important to have the chance to pursue his own ambitions, which he will have with the Development team.
Gleb Syritsa wins strage 1 of the 2024 Tour of Langkawi.
In a points-focused strategy, some riders will need to set aside their personal ambitions in the next season. However, if there’s a way to both support the team and seize opportunities for personal growth, why not take it? I believe this is the optimal solution for both the team and the young rider”, – said Alexandr Vinokurov, General Manager of XDS Astana Team.
“As for Anton Kuzmin, we primarily see him as a reliable domestique in WorldTour races. He proved himself as a solid team player in 2024, earning respect for his dedication and loyalty in every race. His new contract with XDS Astana Team and his place in the main squad will allow us to use him strategically in the UCI WorldTour calendar, where the majority of ranking points are contested”, – added Alexandr Vinokurov.
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