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Friday, June 14, 2024

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2023 Tour de France | 2024 Giro d'Italia

I want a man who's kind and understanding. Is that too much to ask of a millionaire? - Zsa Zsa Gabor

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Bill & Carol McGann's book The Story of the Tour de France, 2021: The Little Cannibal Dominates is available in both Kindle eBook & audiobook versions. To get your copy, just click on the Amazon link on the right.

Current racing:

• June 9 - 16: Tour de Suisse
• June 12 - 16: Baloise Belgium Tour

Upcoming racing:

• June 15 - 18: La Route d'Occitanie Cancelled because security forces busy with Olympics
• June 21 - 26: Many National Championships
• July 1 - 23: Tour de France
• July 27 - August 11: Olympic cycling

Latest completed racing:

• June 2 - 9: Critérium du Dauphiné
• June 5 - 9: ZLM Tour
• June 7: GP Canton Aargau
• June 2: Brussels Cycling Classic
• May 29: Circuit Franco-Belge
• May 4 - 26: Giro d'Italia
• May 23 - 26: Tour of Norway
• May 26: Rund um Köln

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Tour de Suisse stage five team reports

We posted the report from fourth-place Matthew Ricitello's Team Israel-Premier Tech with the results.

Here's the report from stage winner and race leader Adam Yates' UAE Team Emirates:

UAE Team Emirates put on a strong display on the final climb of stage 5 of the Tour de Suisse (Ambrì-Carì, 148,6 km) thanks to a perfect team performance that allowed Adam Yates win the stage and to consolidate his leadership in the GC. Also João Almeida crossed the finish line behind the team mate to maintain the second position in the GC.

Adam Yates wins stage five. Sirotti photo

The team directed by the DS duo Fabrizio Guidi and Simone Pedrazzini controlled the main breakaway of the day limiting the advantage, then the UAE Team Emirates riders accelerated the pace on the final climb, 10,2 km at 8%, heavily selecting the head bunch.

When at 6.5 km to go Almeida took the head of the group after the work of Del Toro, only four riders were left with him: the leader Adam Yates, Egan Bernal (Ineos Grenadiers), Enric Mas (Movistar), Matthew Riccitello (Israel-Premier Tech).
The high pace of the Portuguese rider was the prelude to two accelerations from Adam Yates at -1.5 km and in the final kilometers that gave him the victory with 5” on Almeida who had worked hard previously.

The 39 victories for UAE Team Emirates allowed Adam Yates and João Almeida to strengthen their leadership in the GC: the British rider is in 1st place with 35” on his team mate and 1’11” on Egan Bernal. 

Yates: “It was a very strong performance, João kept a a crazy pace in the final part of the climb, after that Ineos had kept a pace very hard in the first two climbs.

"In the team we all are in super shape and super motivated. Being two guys from the same team in the first two places of the GC is a good position for us and we had super team mates who could work for us”.

In stage 6, Locarno-Blatten (151.4 km), the cyclists will face again climbs (Neufenenn Pass, 21.9 km at 6%, and the final climb of Blatten, 5.8 km at 8,8%).

Here's the report from Cian Uijtdebroeks' and Wilco Kelderman's Team Visma | Lease a Bike:

Cian Uijtdebroeks and Wilco Kelderman had a tough day at the Tour de Suisse. The two were unable to keep up with the best riders on the final climb, but maintained their place in the top fifteen of the general classification. Johannes Staune-Mittet was part of a breakaway group along the way.

Cian Uijtdebroeks finishes tenth. Sirotti photo

Staune-Mittet bridged towards a breakaway group of four after the first two climbs of the day. The Norwegian managed to close the gap. The five then built up a lead of about two minutes. However, on the flanks of the final climb towards Carì, the leading group was caught.

Soon after, the pace in the group of favorites increased. Uijtdebroeks and Kelderman were having a hard time when the team of general classification leader and later stage winner Adam Yates took the lead. The pair then rode to the top at their own pace. Uijtdebroeks completed the top ten, Kelderman eventually finished fifteenth. The Belgian dropped to ninth place in the general classification. Kelderman is now number twelve.

"This was a very tough day," Uijtdebroeks indicated. "On the final climb, the pace was high. Just like yesterday, I noticed that I still lack some explosiveness. When the competition accelerated, I quickly found my own pace. Then I tried to limit the loss. Unfortunately, it wasn't my very best day. The differences towards the top five are still manageable. I notice that the basis is there, but I'm still a little short. Of course I will keep fighting. The next three days are not easy. It's definitely not done yet."

The Tour de Suisse continues tomorrow with a short stage. The organization already decided some time ago to shorten the queen stage considerably due to the weather conditions. The peloton will cover a distance of only 42 kilometers tomorrow.

Here's the report from Lenny Martinez's Team Groupama-FDJ:

He was hoping to have better legs on Thursday with a summit finish more suited to his qualities. Unfortunately, Lenny Martinez suffered again on stage 5 of the Tour de Suisse, finishing in Carì. The young French climber was dropped quite early from the yellow jersey group, and eventually reached the summit in 24th position, more than three minutes behind the winner Adam Yates. He is now eighteenth overall.

Lenny Martinez before the start of stage three. Sirotti photo

The final climb of Carì promised another nice fight among the Tour de Suisse’s GC contenders. That being said, the first thirty kilometres, featuring two demanding climbs, caused just as much damage on Thursday in Swiss territory. Due to a fierce battle for the breakaway, the peloton exploded into several pieces from the start. Lenny Martinez, once again in trouble, was one of many to pay for it. “There is a really high level on this Tour de Suisse, we feel that we are in Tour de France mode,” recalled Thierry Bricaud. “It went fast from the start, there were lots of small splits. It was an energetic, intense start.” “It was a very, very hard stage,” Lenny added. “I completely exploded at the start. Then, we were close to coming back on the descent, but I broke a spoke. I first had to wait for the neutral service to change my wheel, then we changed it again later with the DS car. I was completely empty when I got back into the peloton.”

At the front, five riders took the lead, including Einer Rubio and Alexey Lutsenko. “Everything came back to normal in the valley, after an hour of racing,” Thierry added. “We still had five riders in what was left of the peloton. Then, it was a strong pace all the way to the bottom of the final climb.”

The peloton never allowed the day’s breakaway to get more than a two-minute lead, and the gap was even reduced to one minute at the bottom of the last climb (10 km at 8%). Quite early, Lenny Martinez was distanced. “I did everything I could on the last climb,” he said. “I was dropped right from the bottom because the pace was really fast. I’m really struggling to cope with accelerations this week. I took my own pace and didn’t want to sit up completely. I still wanted to keep pushing and climb as quickly as I could. The legs aren’t as good as I hoped, but I just hang on, and it’s part of cycling.” “He’s not feeling super good, and you pay for it straight away,” Thierry added. “However, he doesn’t give up. He kept going at his own pace, did a decent climb, even if far from his usual capacities.”

The young Frenchman still caught some riders on his way to the top as he joined the line in twenty-fourth place, 3’10 behind Adam Yates, winner and yellow jersey. “He is now more than five minutes down overall,” concluded Thierry. “The goal now is to have a good day on Saturday because it will just come down to the final climb tomorrow.” With the withdrawal of the Nufenenpass, the riders will only have 42 kilometers to complete on Friday, with a summit finish in Blatten (6km at 8,5%).

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