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Bicycle Racing News and Opinion,
Sunday, January 14, 2024

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2023 Tour de France | 2023 Giro d'Italia

Resentment is like drinking poison and waiting for the other person to die. - Saint Augustine

James Witherell's book Bicycle History: A Chronological History of People, Races and Technology is available in both print and Kindle eBook formats. To get your copy just click on the Amazon link on the right.

Current racing:

• Jan 12-21: Santos Tour Down Under

Upcoming racing:

• Jan 20: Clasica Comunitat Valenciana
• Jan 24-28: Challenge Illes Balears-Volta Ciclista a Mallorca
• Jan 28: GP d'Ouverture-La Marseillaise
• Jan 28: Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race
• Jan 30 - Feb 3: Saudi Tour

Latest completed racing:

• Jan 1: GP Sven Nys
• Dec 29: Exact Cross Loenhout-Azencross
• Dec 28: Superprestige Diegem
• Dec 27: Superprestige Heusden Zolder
• Dec 26: World Cup Gaver Cyclocross
• Dec 17: World Cup Namur Cyclocross

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

Here’s the report from Team Visma | Lease a Bike:

Team Visma | Lease a Bike Women prove themselves in second stage Tour Down Under

The riders of Team Visma | Lease a Bike Women had a good second stage of the Santos Tour Down Under. Maud Oudeman, Lieke Nooijen and Rosita Reijnhout were part of the reduced peloton that fought for the day's victory. In the end, the yellow and black trio had to settle for a place outside the top ten. The stage win went to Cecilie Uttrup Ludwig.

Cecilie Uttrup Ludwig takes stage two. TDU photo

The second stage of the Australian stage race took the riders from Glenelg to Stirling. For a long time, not much happened on the hilly course. There were a few attacks in the last 50 kilometres, but the peloton neutralised them all. The peloton was reshuffled during the local laps in Stirling. Oudeman, Nooijen and Reijnhout were among the favourites in the reduced peloton. Ultimately, the Visma | Lease a Bike Women riders finished just outside the top ten on the sloping finish.

"We had a good day”, Oudeman said. "After yesterday, we decided to be a bit more aggressive. We tried to stretch out the peloton when the wind was strong. Unfortunately, it didn't go as we had hoped, but the team's effort was good. Ultimately, we had four riders in the front after some good work by Nienke (Veenhoven) and Linda (Riedmann). We just missed out on the sprint, but we can look back on this stage with satisfaction.”

"With an average age of 20, we are the youngest team here”, Oudeman continued. "With each race, we are making progress. Coming here with five U23 riders is excellent. We can be proud of that. Tomorrow, we have another challenging stage with a finish on Willunga Hill. The team spirit is already good. We are looking forward to it.”

Here's the news from race winner Jhonatan Narvaez's Team INEOS Grenadiers:

Jhonatan Narvaez got the 2024 road season off to a perfect start for the INEOS Grenadiers with victory in the Down Under Classic Criterium

Jhonatan Narvaez wins at the first opportunity. TDU photo

The Ecuadorian took the win in style on the streets of Adelaide after his late escape group foiled the chasing peloton in the final kilometres.

The seven-man move combined well to break the hearts of the sprinters, with Narvaez fending off Natnael Tesfazion (Lidl-Trek) and Isaac Del Toro (UAE Team Emirates) in the reduced kick.

Elia Viviani was well placed in the chasing pack to finish 11th, with the crit opener providing the perfect appetiser for the WorldTour opener, which kicks off on Tuesday.

Here's the report from third-place Isaac Del Toro's UAE Team Emirates:

Neo-pro Isaac Del Toro started 2024 off on the right foot for UAE Team Emirates with the 20 year old taking a third place podium at the Down Under Classic in Adelaide, Australia.

The win was taken by Jhonathan Narvaez (Ineos Grenadiers) from  small but powerful breakaway which formed early and would fight it out to the line. The group was almost caught but a fast sprint would see them hold off the peloton with Del Toro quick to congratulate  Del Toro picked up three of the preme intermediate sprints along the way to highlight his aggressive racing and ambition for the week ahead.

Isaac Del Toro on the attack. Sirotti photo

The criterium traditionally is raced in the days before the Tour Down Under which gets underway next Tuesday 16th.

Isaac Del Toro: “I feel really good after that. It’s my first time racing with the team and I’m trying to enjoy it all and take it all in as much as possible. It’s one of the biggest dreams just to be here so to pick up a nice result on day one is beyond expectation. We’re really looking forward now to the big race next week.”

And here’s the report from fifth-place Gil Gelders’ Team Soudal Quick-Step:

Gil Gelders finished top five at the Tour Down Under Criterium, in our first outing of 2024.

It’s been a long wait and a cold and boring winter, but cycling has finally returned and it’s here to stay for the next ten months! Saturday brought our first race of the year, with the Soudal Quick-Step boys pinning on a number for the traditional Tour Down Under Criterium, held in downtown Adelaide.

One hour of fast racing plus three laps to top it off were on the menu, and it took only seconds for the first attacks of the day. Soudal Quick-Step was right in the thick of the action, driving the pace in the breakaway group before things came back, but the pace continued being a relentless one, as several teams were determined to prevent the sprinters from fighting for victory on Wakefield Street.

Our riders made sure of not missing any of the big moves, and when another strong group got away in the closing part of the race, Gil Gelders was there for the Wolfpack. The 21-year-old neo-pro, winner of Gent-Wevelgem and a Girobio stage in his last U23 season, impressed with the huge amount of work he put in there, helping the leaders establish a solid gap over a bunch who was running out of road to bring them back. Despite the effort, Gil still had enough left to sprint at the finish, as the group stayed away, and concluded in fifth place behind Jhonatan Narvaez (Ineos Grenadiers), who took the win.

“I’m very happy with my result. It was a very hard and fast race, but we followed all the right moves and did a great job as a team. When I joined the group, I didn’t know if it would go all the way to the finish, but we worked well together and managed to hold off the bunch. In the finale I hesitated a bit and I think this ended up costing me the podium, but overall, I’m very happy to start the season this way”, said Gil after the race.

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