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Bicycle Racing News and Opinion,
Thursday, January 25, 2024

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2023 Tour de France | 2023 Giro d'Italia

True wisdom comes to each of us when we realize how little we understand about life, ourselves, and the world around us. - Socrates

Plato's dialogue Phaedo is available in both audiobook & Kindle eBook versions. To get your copy, just click on the Amazon link on the right.

Current Racing:

• Jan 24-28: Challenge Vuelta Ciclista a Mallorca

Upcoming racing:

• 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 12-21: Santos Tour Down Under
• Jan 20: Clasica Comunitat Valenciana
• Jan 1: GP Sven Nys
• Dec 29: Exact Cross Loenhout-Azencross
• Dec 28: Superprestige Diegem

We posted the report from second-place Aleksandr Vlasov's Team Bora-hansgrohe with the results.

Here's the report from winner Simon Carr's Team EF Education-EasyPost

Inspired by the two wins EF Education-Cannondale earned in their first two days of racing, the French Brit took off soon after the commissaire dropped his flag and spent the day out front, driving the break around a mountainous circuit in Mallorca’s southwest corner. As the front group shed riders, Simon stayed strong, matching attacks until it was only him and Bora’s Aleksandr Vlasov left, ready for a two-up dash to the line. Under the red kite, marking one kilometer to go, no one was going to stop Simon. He launched a long sprint up the drag to the finish and rode Vlasov off his wheel.

Simon Carr wins Trofeo Calviá. Getty Images

“It was just instinct,” Simon said after the finish. “Our DS Tejay was telling me to let off the wheel a little bit and surprise him, so I was just focused on him and when he was going to launch his sprint and just timing that right. I think in the end I had the jump on him anyway. I was just super focused on what he was doing and not looking back at all. I let him do that. It’s great to win this race, especially coming off winning Langkawi last year. This winter has been smoother than any other winter I have had as a pro, so now I can really show what I can do, instead of just catching up all the time. I am very happy.”

This is Simon’s sixth professional win and EF Pro Cycling’s third of the year, after Noemi Rüegg’s and Magdeleine Vallieres’s victories last week in Mallorca. The teams have been training together on the island and built up a great rapport. The hard work they put in and optimism they built there laid the foundation for these wins and set the tone for 2024. Alberto Bettiol proved he is in great shape today too. He came in fifth in the next group behind Simon’s.

“​​It was really motivating to have the women win two races this week,” said Tejay van Gaarderen, who shared DS duties today with Carmen Small. “We placed Simon in the early break and we knew that the race was going to split up over the descent of the Sóller, so we wanted to have him up there to have him out of the fight, as we had good riders behind like Alberto and Valgren and Costa. We had them fighting over the Sóller, but we missed one move with the Vlasov and McNulty, who bridged across to Simon. Simon had been out front all day. We told him to sit on. We had some strong guys behind, so he kind of had a free ride. And then it became clear that his move was going to make it to the line. Simon had a bit of luck, but played it very well. McNulty had a cramp. Vlasov attacked. Simon chased him down, so Vlasov led him out in the sprint and Simon just took it. This win bodes really well for 2024. After our camp In Mallorca, everything just has a positive flow, with positive momentum. Everyone seems happy and healthy and motivated and fit and ready to rock.”

Next up is the Trofeo Andratx - Mirador des Colomer, another hilly race that forms part of the Mallorca Challenge. EF Education-Cannondale went two for two in their first two races on the island. Now, EF Education-EasyPost is going to try to match them.

“After their wins, we had a bit of pressure,” Simon said after his victory. “There is a bit of friendly competition between us and they wanted to outdo us. They started off real strong, so we were really motivated to do the same and show that we can also win races. It’s a big motivation!”

Here's the report from third-place Brian McNulty's UAE Team Emirates:

Brandon McNulty served up a strong start to his season with 3rd place in the Trofeo Calvia in Mallorca, Spain today.

The 150km race starting and finishing in Palmanova was won from the breakaway by Simon Carr (EF Easypost) who held off for the win. McNulty teamed up with Aleksandr Vlasov (Bora-Hansgrohe) with 60 km left to race with a strong attack which saw the pair build a sizeable gap on the fragmented peloton.

McNulty, a former winner of the race back in 2022, would drop away in the final after suffering from cramps inside the last 4km and losing contact, something he put down to it being the first race back.

Brian McNulty winning the Trofeo Calviá in 2022.

McNulty: “I think it was a really good race, we stuck to our plan to make the race hard and attacked early and at the end I had cramps in both legs, these things that can happen in the first race back, but overall it was good. I felt strong all day but it was just the cramps in the end. I think the rest of the week should be fine and we’ll look for more results.”

The racing in Mallorca continues tomorrow at the Challenge Mallorca with the Trofeo Andratx.

Here's the report from ninth-place Ilan Van Wilder's Team Soudal Quick-Step:

Sunny Mallorca welcomed the peloton for the traditional five-day series taking place each year at the end of January. The first of this, the 150.1km Trofeo Calvia – taking place over a hilly course around the town of Palmanova – marked for seven of our riders their first appointment of the year. Among those to don the Soudal Quick-Step jersey Wednesday afternoon were also two of our new members, Gianni Moscon and Pepijn Reinderink, but also Leander Van Hautegem, the Belgian who this year competes for the Devo Team.

The race followed its usual pattern until 70 kilometers to go, when a strong group zipped clear from the peloton, setting out in pursuit of the small breakaway that had animated things since the start. After bridging across, another selection was made, leaving only three men at the front, and despite the chase from behind, they managed to arrive at the finish, where Simon Carr (EF Education-EasyPost) prevailed.

For our team it wasn’t the easiest of days, with Gianni Moscon crashing – fortunately without serious consequences – and Ilan Van Wilder the best rider home, in ninth place. Sports director Iljo Keisse talked about this at the end of the day: “It was a very tough race. We wanted more but it wasn’t possible. The guys at the front were really strong, while we had a bit of bad luck. On the other hand, Ilan showed a good form by coming in the top ten, and we hope for some better results in the coming days here.”

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