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Thursday, February 22, 2024

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2023 Tour de France | 2023 Giro d'Italia

Always forgive your enemies - nothing annoys them so much. - Oscar Wilde

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Bill & Carol McGann's book The Story of the Tour de France, Vol 1: 1903 - 1975 is available in print, Kindle eBook & audiobook versions. To get your copy, just click on the Amazon link on the right.

Current racing:

• February 19 - 25: UAE Tour
• February 22 - 25: O Gran Camiño

Upcoming racing:

• February 24: Omloop Het Nieuwsblad
• February 24: Faun Ardeche Classic
• February 25: Kuurne-Brussel-Kuurne
  February 25: Faun-Drôme Classic

Latest completed racing:

• February 14 - 18: Volta ao Algarve
• February 17 - 18: Tour de Alpes-Maritimes
• February 14 - 18: Vuelta Andalucia - Ruta del Sol
• February 16: Classic Var
• February 10 - 14: Tour of Oman
• Feb 8 - 11: Tour de la Provence
• February 12: Clasica Jaén - Paraiso Interior
• February 11: Clasica de Almeria
• February 10: Vuelta a Murcia

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UAE Tour stage three reports

We posted the race organizer's report with the results.

Here's the report from stage winner Ben O'Connor's Team Decathlon Ag2r La Mondiale:

Ben O’Connor: "It's been a long time since I've won a mountain race. It was incredible. The boys were very good today. It's my second win of the year, which is really good. I wasn't confident about a sprint finish, so we decided to give it our all in the last kilometer. Valentin Paret-Peintre almost took me out of his wheel when he attacked, but we managed to pull ahead and I kept going right to the end. I felt really good all day, even with the wind. It's good to be in the race for overall victory before Jebel Hafeet (Ben is 2nd overall)."

Ben O'Connor wins the stage.

The news:
The tactics put in place on stage 3 of the UAE Tour were applied to the letter, as sports director Sébastien Joly explains: "Sam Bennett, Gianluca Pollefliet and Valentin Retailleau did a great job in the kerbs. Then it was Bruno Armirail's turn to work at the foot of Jebel Jais. Already this morning, Ben O'Connor had asked Nicolas Prodhomme and Valentin Paret-Peintre to make the race harder on the summit, which they did perfectly after Mikkel Bjerg had controlled the climb for a long time. Ben O'Connor was really strong, and this is a great collective victory.

The number: 1
Thanks to Ben O'Connor's victory at the top of Jebel Jais, the Decathlon Ag2r La Mondiale team has won its first World Tour event this season.

And here's the report from new GC leader Jay Vine's UAE Team Emirates:

It was a bittersweet day for UAE Team Emirates on stage 3 of the UAE Tour (Al Marjan Island-Jebel Jais, 176 km) with Jay Vine climbing up to the top of the overall classification, but also with the withdrawal of Adam Yates due to a crash.

Jay Vine is the new GC leader.

The accident of the British rider occurred around the 40 km to go point and while Yates came back on his bike and tried to approach the final climb (19 km at 5,6%) with the rest of the bunch, he had to give up at 10 km to go with signs of a potential concussion.

Despite this unlucky episode, UAE Team Emirates showed their strength: Mikkel Bjerg set the pace and controlled the head group on the climb until -2 km, then Ben O’Connor (Decathlon Ag2R) attacked causing the reaction of Jay Vine, who had noticed that GC leader and team mate Brandon McNulty could not promptly react.

O’Connor took the success with 5” on Vine, McNulty was 18th at 14”.
Vine is the new leader of the GC, O’Connor is 2nd at 11”, while McNulty is 3rd (+13”).

Vine: “The plan was to get someone from the team to the top of the climb in the leaders jersey. Mikkel Bjerg did a fantastic job to work on the climb and reduced the bunch massively and kept things together. Unfortunately today we lost Adam who had a nasty crash and his his head, we wish him all the best.

We’re here to take the jersey home at the end of the week, whether it’s on my shoulders or Brandon’s that doesn’t matter. It’s incredible that I’m here on my first race of the year and already in a leader’s jersey. Hopefully we can defend it for the team.”

Dr.Adrian Rotunno (Medical Director): “Unfortunately Adam Yates has been diagnosed with a concussion after his crash today at the UAE Tour. He is stable with other superficial injuries.

For the sake of Adam’s health, and as per concussion protocols, he was withdrawn from racing. He will need recovery and the medical team will continue with neurological monitoring and rehab going forward.”

Sprinters will be the protagonists again in stage 4, 175 of flat roads from Dubai Police Officer’s Club to Dubai Harbour.

And here’s the report from third-place Lennert Van Eetvelt's Team Lotto Dstny:

In the third stage of the UAE Tour, the peloton was presented with the Jabel Jais. It promised to be a spectacular finish, also for the general classification.

The stage started flat, but echelons caused nervousness. The peloton even broke into two parts for a while. Towards the start of the final climb, the pace picked up. Lennert Van Eetvelt managed to keep himself well in front. The best riders seemed to ride together to the finish, but Ben O'Connor chose to attack. After Ben O'Connor, Van Eetvelt sprinted to 3rd place in a small group.

Lennert Van Eetvelt finishes stage 14 of the 2023 Vuelta a España. Sirotti photo

"Normally these are slightly easier days, but it was still stressful in the peloton. There were echelons and the peloton once broke in two. I was looking forward to the final climb all day and I immediately had the right feeling. It was not a steep climb, but there was a lot of wind so I had to wait and in the end I waited a bit too long, because I did win the sprint of the small group. I feel there was more in it, but I am looking forward to Sunday's stage," Van Eetvelt said.

And here's the report from fifth place Ilan Van Wilder's Team Soudal Quick-Step:

Stage three of the Middle East race came with a double dose of action: early crosswinds and the climb to Jebel Jais, one of the longest ascents in the first weeks of the season. The peloton was hoping for a quiet day until the base of the day’s only hurdle, but with the wind picking up with more than 90 kilometers from the finish, the bunch got split into two big groups.

Several general classification riders were caught on the back foot, which resulted in a hectic chase for around 20 kilometers, when the race came back together and two men were allowed to snap the elastic. They remained off the front until the early ramps of the climb, where the peloton numbered some 50-odd riders. One of these was Jan Hirt, and the Tour of Oman runner-up put in a strong dig, getting a gap and forcing the others to work hard in order to reel him in.

A couple of more attacks came, but it was only with 1200 meters to go that a move got away and Ben O’Connor (Decathlon-AG2R) took the win. Ilan Van Wilder rode a solid stage, remaining calm until the flamme rouge, where he put in a dig that landed him fifth at the top.

“The echelons made the day a bit nervous and stressful, but I stayed calm and well placed thanks to the excellent job of my Soudal Quick-Step teammates. On the ascent I tried to do my best, but went a bit into the red when I tried to follow the late attacks. Luckily, I didn’t lose time and at the end of the day I am content with how things went. The white jersey is a bonus, but my main goal here is to get a good result in the standings”, said Ilan, who is fourth overall with four stages to go.

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