Bicycle Racing News and Opinion,
Tuesday, February 6, 2024
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2023 Tour de France | 2023 Giro d'Italia
It isn't the mountain ahead that wears you out; it's the grain of sand in your shoe. - Robert W. Service
Les Woodland's book Tour de France: The Inside Story - Making the World's Greatest Bicycle Race is available in print, Kindle eBook and audiobook versions. To get your copy, just click on the Amazon link on the right.
Upcoming racing:
- Feb 8 - 11: Tour de la Provence
- February 9: Muscat Classic
- February 10: Vuelta a Murcia
- February 10 - 14: Tour of Oman
- February 11: Clasica de Almeria
Latest completed racing:
- Jan 31 - Feb 4: Etoile de Besseges
- Jan 31 - Feb 4: Volta a La Comunitat Valenciana
- Jan 30-Feb 3: AlUla Tour (formerly Saudi Tour)
- Jan 24-28: Challenge Vuelta Ciclista a Mallorca
Here’s the team’s news:
Following a strong outing at the AlUla Tour, our team will continue its journey in the Middle East this month, when a seven-man team will line out at the start of one of the oldest races in the region, the Tour of Oman. Just like last year, the event will be preceded by the Muscat Classic, a hilly one-day race favouring the attackers and those capable of surviving the hills and still carrying some speed at the end of the day.
Starting twenty-four hours later, the Tour of Oman will once again revolve around the Green Mountain climb, arguably one of the hardest in the sport, where Mauri Vansevenant produced an amazing display last year, taking the 900th victory in the team’s history and moving up to second on general classification. Jabal Al Akhdhar won’t be the only summit finish of the week, the Eastern Mountain – a 4.6km climb averaging 8.5% – being also set to take the riders over 1000 meters on stage three.
Soudal Quick-Step’s team for the six days in Oman will consist of Gil Gelders, former winner of the stage race Jan Hirt, Antoine Huby, Luke Lamperti, Paul Magnier – who just two weeks ago in Mallorca became the youngest Frenchman since 1953 to win a pro race – Fausto Masnada and Mauri Vansevenant.
Paul Magnier winning the Trofeo Ses Salines-Felanitx in Mallorca in late Janiary.
“Muscat Classic is a nice one-day race, where we could have a lot of action before a reduced bunch sprint. Concerning the five-day race, there’s a chance for a mass gallop there, but other than that, the route will be for the climbers and puncheurs, with some hard stages and ascents. Of these, the Green Mountain promises to be again decisive in the fight for the overall standings. We’ll try to do a good GC, but our main goal is to go for a stage win, and we have a strong team capable of fighting for one”, said Soudal Quick-Step sports director Wilfried Peeters.
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The team posted this news:
Liv AlUla Jayco is on its way to the third stop on the Women’s WorldTour calendar at the UAE Tour with dual goals of stage wins and the general classification.
Spanish champion Mavi Garcia, a former podium finisher at the Giro d’Italia, will be leading the team’s general classification goal in what is her debut at the race. Garcia moved to team during the winter and the UAE Tour will be her first race since joining.
Mavi Garcia. Photo: Spront Cycling
Taking place over four days, from February 8th to 11th, the second edition of the Middle Eastern race packs in three sprint stages where crosswinds could certainly cause trouble. Meanwhile, the ascent of Jebel Hafeet on stage 3 will be the decisive factor in who is the overall winner.
Fresh from a strong series of results in Australia during January, Georgia Baker will be one of two sprint options for the Australian squad. Letizia Paternoster, who started her year with a European title on the track, is making her 2024 debut in her second season with GreenEDGE Cycling.
Completing the strong line-up will be Teniel Campbell and two more Liv AlUla Jayco debutants in Silke Smulders and Jeanne Korevaar, who will be there to help guide the team through the stages and support the twin targets in the general classification and stage victories.
Liv AlUla Jayco:
Georgia Baker
Teniel Campbell
Mavi Garcia
Jeanne Korevaar
Silke Smulders
Letizia Paternoster
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Mavi Garcia:
“I’m really looking forward to this year and making my start with Liv AlUla Jayco! It will be different from the previous ones as it is also my first time on the UAE Tour. As I’ve developed as a rider I feel better on all types of terrain, and I think that I have a chance to do well in the general classification. I want to take advantage of the third stage with the climb to Jebel Hafeet while also having opportunities in the flat stages with teammates like Georgia Baker and Letizia Paternoster.”
Shawn Clarke (Sport Director):
“We’ve got a really strong team for this race with some big engines like Jeanne Korevaar, Silke Smulders, and Teniel Campbell, who can ride really well in difficult conditions like crosswinds. Mavi will be our leader for the general classification.
"Georgia is coming off a really great Australian summer and will be arriving in the UAE straight from the Nations Cup on the track, so she should be on top form. We’ve seen her get a bunch of second places and I’m hoping she can convert that to a first.
"This will be Letizia’s first road race of the year and we’re hoping to get her some experience behind the sprint train that we were working on in team camp. Overall, we have quite a strong package. This race comes down to how you manage the wind when it happens and I think we’ve got a strong team that can ride these conditions well. We’ve got good options for all outcomes, which I think is a nice way to go into this first race for most of the riders.”
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Here’s the team’s news release:
Astana Qazaqstan Team finds new sponsor in the Italian restaurant brand IT – Italian Trattoria, who will support the Kazakh cycling project throughout the 2024 season.
Mark Cavendish shows his new team sponsor. Pjhoto: Sprint Cycling
“We are happy to welcome IT – Italian Trattoria as Astana’s new sponsor, as the new member of our family! The solid restaurant brand is going to make an important step into cycling, and for us it is a very nice moment as we think we could make a really beautiful partnership. IT – Italian Trattoria management visited our team during winter training camp, and we have spent a great time together, showing all we love cycling for. It is always a good thing when a team finds a new sponsor or partner, and I believe that in IT – Italian Trattoria we found not only a sponsor but also a friend”, – said Alexandr Vinokurov, Astana Qazaqstan Team General Manager.
About IT – Italian Trattoria:
IT – Italian Trattoria is an Italian restaurant brand that draws its inspirations and recipes from the Calabrian origins of its founders, Gio and Renato Iera, to offer true and authentic southern Italian cuisine.
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