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Thursday, February 29, 2024
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2023 Tour de France | 2023 Giro d'Italia
We shall never know all the good that a simple smile can do. - Mother Teresa
Les Woodland's book Tour of Flanders: The Inside Story - The rocky roads of the Ronde van Vlaanderen is available in print, Kindle eBook and audiobook versions. To get your copy, just click on the Amazon link on the right.
Upcoming racing:
- March 2: Strade Bianche
- March 3 - 10: Paris-Nice
Latest completed racing:
- February 28: Trofeo Laigueglia
- February 27: Le Samyn
- February 19 - 25: UAE Tour
- February 22 - 25: O Gran Camiño
- February 25: Kuurne-Brussel-Kuurne
- February 25: Faun-Drôme Classic
- February 24: Omloop Het Nieuwsblad
- February 24: Faun Ardeche Classic
- February 14 - 18: Volta ao Algarve
We posted the report from winner Lenny Martinez's Team Groupama-FDJ with the results.
Here's the report from third-place Juan Ayuso's UAE Team Emirates:
UAE Team Emirates took a double top-5 at the Trofeo Laigueglia in Italy today, with Juan Ayuso (3rd) and Jan Christen (5th). The race was won in a solo move by the Frenchman Lenny Martinez (Groupama FDJ).
Juan Ayuso just after the race. Sirotti photo
The racing began to heat up around 50km to go as they approached the first of four circuits around the Ligurian hills. Each lap climbed both the Colla Micheri (1.9km at 8.6%) and the Capo Mele (2km at 3.4%), which also feature on the Milan-San Remo route.
UAE Team Emirates took up their position at the front of proceedings as they hit the climb but after the group remained mainly intact over the top, Lorenzo Rota (Intermarché-Wanty) took his chances on the technical descent and went solo.
Rota was reeled in as UAE kicked off the racing on the second lap up the Micheri, led by Christen and Ayuso. This split the racing apart with only the strongest climbers hanging on.
Christen chased Martinez solo and came within 10 seconds of the Frenchman though would ultimately succumb the being caught by the group behind containing Ayuso who sprinted home for the podium spot.
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Here’s the update from Alaphilippe’s Team Soudal Quick-Step:
This year’s Strade Bianche comes with more kilometers, more demanding gravel sectors and more kilometers of dirt roads than ever before – turning it into the hardest edition so far, one which due to the presence of that extra loop around Siena could be more attritional.
For the first time since it was created in 2007, Strade Bianche will go over the 200km barrier, and this will lead to around five hours in the saddle, a change that has the potential to alter the entire dynamic and how it will be raced on Saturday. A total of 15 white roads sectors are on the menu of the 215km-long 18th edition, including the Monte Sante Marie, Colle Pinzuto, and Le Toffe, old acquaintances which are expected to play an important role in the outcome. Once all these have been cleared, one more obstacle remains for the riders: the steep climb on Via Santa Caterina – with its 16% maximum gradients coming with just 500 meters before the finish in the beautiful Piazza del Campo.
To this day the only Frenchman to have won Strade Bianche, Julian Alaphilippe will be at the start of the Italian World Tour race for the sixth consecutive year. Joining him on the Soudal Quick-Step line-up for Saturday will be Kasper Asgreen – who took an impressive podium in 2022 – Josef Cerny, Pieter Serry, Mauri Vansevenant, but also two neo-pros: Antoine Huby and Paul Magnier, the latter being one of the surprises of the season, with two victories already under his belt.
Julian Alaphilippe wins the 2019 Strade Bianche ahead of Jakob Fuglsang. Sirotti photo.
“We are motivated for what is one of the most beautiful races of the year. Julian and Kasper are two riders who between them have finished three times on the podium here, while for the young guys on the team it will be a good opportunity to gain some experience. The course has changed and it will be harder than in the past, but we hope for a good result at the end of the day”, said sports director Davide Bramati.
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Here's the team's preview:
The key riders of our men’s and women’s teams share their opinions ahead of the iconic Italian race, on the schedule for Saturday. Here are the previews from Bagioli, Skujiņš and Simmons together with Deignan, Longo Borghini and Van Anrooij.
From the cobbles to the white roads, the WorldTour calendar swaps from Belgium to Italy. On Saturday, March 2nd, the fascinating Strade Bianche will capture global attention with the men’s and women’s races. Its beauty and intrigue will be even greater this year, given the lengthening of the route and the additional gravel sectors; though we won’t know the significance of these changes until the post-race analysis.
Amid so many question marks, Lidl-Trek approaches the challenge with confidence in its selections. At Opening Weekend, a few days ago, Lidl-Trek rolled the dice with early attacks and a demonstration of good form, for both the men’s and the women’s Teams. The aim now is to repeat this.
To get you in the mood for Strade Bianche we asked our key riders how they approach the race and their personal preview.
The Men: Bagioli, Skujins and Simmons
Toms Skujiņš:
“This is a WorldTour race with a special and unique character. It’s a race that reminds me of strong emotions, like the top ten in 2019, but also the hell of 2020, the year we raced in the extreme heat of August, with over 40°C and my head boiling!
Tom Skujins finishes stage 12 of the 2023 Giro d'Italia. Sirotti photo
“It’s fair to approach this year’s edition with nice expectations, both as a team and on a personal level. The Opening Weekend confirmed me that the condition is there and it’s good. This, together with the experience I have gained over the last years, gives me confidence to try and fight with the best riders. That’s the goal.
“We will have a tougher and more exciting race compared with the past, but the main characteristic of Strade Bianche always remains the unpredictability and the difficulty in controlling it. We have to be mentally prepared for this and be able to seize the moment. We have a strong team, and it’s good to have different tactics to play. We saw it already last week in Belgium: not always the strongest rider in the bunch is the one who wins. That can be a good mantra ahead of Saturday.”
Andrea Bagioli:
“Short but intense climbs and efforts: I like Strade Bianche and that’s the terrain where I can bring out my best. The expectations to do a great race are there. I know I can be really good in one-day races and Saturday will be a good test for my ambitions. I have big targets for 2024, I feel a lot of confidence from the team. Winter has gone well and Volta ao Algarve was a good start to get into a race rhythm. I feel ready for the challenge, the desire to leave a mark is strong.
“With the changes to the route, we will have a much tougher race. 4,000 meters of altitude difference in short climbs means that there’s practically no flat. The big unknown remains when the big selection will take place, when we will have the major attacks. In the past the sector of Sante Marie was decisive, but now it is 77km from the finish and perhaps we will have to wait. In any case, it will be essential to manage the energy to arrive in the last 20km with enough reserves for the final challenge, as well as having a good team strategy.”
Quinn Simmons:
“Strade Bianche is the race I look forward to most in the season. In my previous three experiences I learned about the route, its pitfalls, how and where the race can explode, as well as how to play my cards. I know what to expect and I worked to adjust my approach in the best way. Only on Saturday will we see if the effort I put in has been enough, but I’m confident. Hopefully I’ll wake up with my best legs, I’ll leave my thoughts behind and go into the challenge with maximum motivation.
“As a team, this year we’ll have more key riders capable of doing well. It is an advantage to be able to pick the right move with multiple options. I’d love to be the one who make that move, but the goal is to have a Lidl-Trek jersey among the best and I’m ready to play the role it takes to get there. It won’t be easy considering the starting list, but we have to believe in it. Regardless of my personal result, I’ll look for a development as a rider. The new course adds an unknown, but it might not change the story of the race. We have always seen the best riders winning, regardless of the race it’s 180 or 215kms. In the end, maybe the new course will only prolong the show and… our suffering.”
The Women’s race: former winners Deignan and Longo Borghini, plus Van Anrooij
Lizzie Deignan:
“I was happy to finally get my season started with Opening Weekend and I know that with every race I will get stronger. I think as a team we can be happy with how we raced and with the results of Elisa [Longo Borghini] and Shirin. I have a lot of good memories from Strade, especially my win in 2016, and so I am happy to be going back and with this group of riders. We have another strong line up of women for this year’s Strade and, while we might have missed the top step of the podium, I think we can take a lot of confidence out of Het Nieuwsblad and Hageland, and we will be heading to the start line with the same mindset as last weekend.”
Elisa Longo Borghini:
“I expect a more selective race than in the past, especially if the weather is not so good. The final circuit adds a significant variable to the course, especially in the finale. It will not be easy to read it. For sure, it will be a super exciting race to follow and, for us in the peloton, a very unpredictable challenge to face.
“I come to Strade Bianche with the confirmations I was good in Belgium, with a lot more confidence. The podium at Omloop Het Nieuwsblad was the signal I wanted on the growth of my condition. I feel that I am not yet at 100% of my level of competitiveness, but I am confident that I can play a role in supporting the team to achieve an important result. At the Opening Weekend Lidl-Trek was really competitive as a collective, not just as individual riders. We know how to manage the race, how to be put our teamwork-based strategy in action. In addition, I think that for the characteristics of our team, Strade Bianche fits better than OHN. In short, we will give a hard time to our competitors until the last meter.”
Elisa Longo Borghini wins the 2022 Paris-Roubaix. Sirotti photo
Shirin van Anrooij:
“I was super happy about my start to the Classics season. It was an unexpected call up to my first Opening Weekend but I’m really proud of the way I raced and how we raced as a team. It was an amazing feeling to be back fighting at the front of a race again and to finish fourth in my debut Omloop Het Nieuwsblad is something I am proud of. Strade Bianche is a race I really enjoy. I always want to race well here so I am super motivated for this weekend. We have another really strong team ready to take on the beautiful (and sometimes brutal) white roads and I think we can be confident in our abilities and chances.”
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Here’s the team’s announcement:
The 21-year-old from Pittsford, New York, joined the team at the end of 2021 aged 19, and made an immediate impact winning Brabantse Pijl in Belgium. Sheffield also took stage wins at the Vuelta a Andalucia Ruta Ciclista Del Sol and the Tour of Denmark - where he went on to finish second overall - and finished the year widely touted as one of the peloton's top new prospects.
2023 saw Sheffield’s season begin promisingly but interrupted by injury, finishing second on the general classification at the Tour of Norway. He placed 4th overall three times: at the season-opening Tour Down Under, the Tour of Britain and the CRO race. At all of those events, he also walked away with the award for the best young rider.
Magnus Sheffield won the Best Young Rider category at the 2023 Tour Down Under. Siurotti photo
The 2024 season has seen Sheffield pick-up from where he left off last year, as he most recently time-trialed his way into second place on stage four of the Volta ao Algarve, delivering an impressive performance among a very strong field.
Sheffield said that continuing with the team has been an easy decision to make: “Growing up it was a big goal of mine to join this team, with riders that I looked up to, and who were role models for me, so just to be a part of it is a massive accomplishment. And I'm really excited to be part of its future for the coming years.
“The opportunity to be in this environment which has been incredibly supportive - both on and off the bike - is a real privilege and I see it as the perfect place for the next chapter of my career.
“This year is important to me with the Olympic Games in Paris, which is a big goal of mine especially ahead of my home Games in LA in 2028. Another goal this year is to win my first WorldTour race, as well as a stage race, and I would really like to go for one of the Monuments or one of the big Classics, there’s so much to aim for!”
John Allert, CEO of the INEOS Grenadiers said: “Magnus has clearly demonstrated, in his brief career so far, that he’s an enormous talent. He’s delivered some outstanding performances on the bike and has huge scope to grow. That promise is coupled with an attitude and demeanor off the bike that makes him a very impressive young professional.
“The Grenadiers are focused on developing some of the world’s best talent and Magnus is an example of our commitment to that objective. We’re very excited about the career he has ahead and supporting him in achieving the big ambitions that he has set for himself.”
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