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Saturday, June 15, 2024

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2023 Tour de France | 2024 Giro d'Italia

If you learn from defeat, you haven't really lost. - Zig Ziglar

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Bill & Carol McGann’s book The Story of the 2023 Tour de France, 2023: The Viking Again Conquers the Tour 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 six team reports

We posted the report from stage winner Joao Almeida's UAE Team Emirates with the results.

Here's the report from third-place Mattias Skjelmose's Team Lidl-Trek:

In a super short stage, the Danish champion finished third once again, reviving his ambition for the GC podium.

Mattias Skjelmose finishes third. Sirotti photo

There were two question marks that Mattias Skjelmose brought with him to the start of the sixth stage of the Tour de Suisse today. The first concerned the unpredictability of the race because, due to the closure of the Nufenenpass as a consequence of bad weather, the route was shortened to just 42km with an uphill finish.

The second question mark concerned yesterday’s stage, where the talented Dane was unable to express himself as he wanted and, on balance, lost seconds for the GC challenge.

All doubts were dispelled kilometer after kilometer with Skjelmose sticking with the best riders in the race as they all went head to head on the climb. At the finish, Almeida and Yates (UAE) were 9 seconds ahead of Skjelly, who delivered a gutsy ride that made it clear that yesterday’s outcome was just an unexpected episode.

With two stages to go (tomorrow’s arrival in Villars-sur-Ollon is where Mattias won last year and on Sunday the ITT finishes in the same place), the situation sees Skjelmose as the best young rider and 4th in GC, at 2’24” from leader Yates and 56″ from third place, occupied by Bernal (Ineos).

Mattias' reactions:
"It’s an important result for myself, my morale and of course for the belief that was had in me since the beginning. That was what I needed after yesterday, when I didn’t get what I expected. It didn’t have many answers on what went wrong yesterday, but I think today I proved it was only a bad day.

"On an unusual stage like today, you just have to stay focused on the key moment and going full gas on the climb. Just like in the other days, the Team did a great job, leading me in the perfect position at the bottom of the climb. From there on we climbed with a strong tempo, set by Ineos, and I immediately felt comfortable. I’m proud that I always kept Yates in sight after he attacked. Being close to such strong rider in such good shape is a good takeaway. I’m now 4th in GC, I’ll do my best to jump on the podium by the end of the race."

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

Lenny Martinez did not intend to finish the Tour de Suisse as he had started it. He eventually took advantage of the most special day of all to return to the forefront. On Friday, in a sixth stage reduced to only 42.6 kilometres, the young French climber showed his real qualities in the final climb to Blatten. He indeed snatched fifth place at the top, just 35 seconds behind winner Joao Almeida. He is now fourteenth overall before a very tough weekend around Villars-sur-Ollon.

Lenny Martinez finishes fifth. Sirotti photo

No, the second individual time trial of the Tour de Suisse hadn’t been moved to this Friday. The 42.5 kilometres on the day’s program, on stage 6, were the simple consequence of a – significant – shortening decided a few days ago due to the snow present on the Nufenenpass, initially planned on the course. “The day’s organization was a little unusual,” confessed Thierry Bricaud. “We left the hotel this morning, drove two hours, then loaded the cars onto a train to cross the Gotthardpass. Then, we had to take the start at 3 p.m. for a 42-kilometer stage, including nearly 30 kilometres downhill.” The start of the race therefore proved extremely fast, and although a trio of fugitives managed to go, they never had a lead of more than a minute.

“It was a bit strange to ride only 42 kilometres,” said Lenny. “Moreover, I often have better legs at the end of a stage than at the start. I thought it was going to be difficult, but ultimately the legs were quite good today.” The young man therefore decided to join in the fight at the bottom of the final climb of Blatten (6 km at 9%). “I was very well positioned by the team,” he added. “It was perfect, I was at the front. We then had to follow the UAE Team Emirates’ pace, which was very high.”

Lenny Martinez was slightly distanced when the push got stronger, and while only a dozen riders were still present at the front. On the other hand, the Groupama-FDJ rider proved faster than others on the second part of the climb. He passed a few riders on his way up, and even found himself in a third group with Tom Pidcock 1500 metres from the summit. “I made my effort, and I gave it my all until the end, but the last 500 metres seemed long,” he smiled. “It feels good to finally have better legs and have fun up front with the best.”

On the line, he was only beaten by four riders: Joao Almeida, Adam Yates, Mattias Skjelmose and Egan Bernal. “He wanted to do well and make up for the previous days,” commented Thierry. “He knows he wasn’t where he belonged, and he wasn’t ok with that. He wanted to reassure himself, which he did very well today. He rode a very nice climb, it’s good going forward. He has a good weekend left to gain positions overall, put in a good performance on the last mountain stage on Saturday and a good time trial on Sunday to finish this Tour de Suisse on a nice note.” Thanks to his day’s performance, Lenny Martinez entered the top-15 overall (14th at 5’54). On Saturday, 3,000 meters of elevation gain will have to be overcome over just 110 kilometres, with another summit finish, in Villars-sur-Ollon (8 km at 7.7%).

Here's the report from Team dsm-firmenich PostNL:

Team dsm-firmenich PostNL hit the fast and frantic shortened sixth stage at the Tour de Suisse on the offensive with Frank van den Broek spending the majority of the stage at the front of the race before a strong final climb by Oscar Onley to finish 12th.

The stage was just 42.5 kilometres, ending on the climb up to Blatten. The first part of the stage was largely downhill and it was here that van den Broek went clear with just two others for company and quickly built up a lead of over one minute. On the lower slopes of the final climb, van den Broek pulled clear on his own, eventually being caught with less than four kilometres to go.

He dug deep to give teammate Onley some support as he passed from behind with the GC battle unravelling. Onley finished strongly to cross the line just outside the top 10.

The back of the peloton after the stage finish. Sirotti photo

After the stage Frank van den Broek commented: “I went with the first attack of the day and it immediately stuck, ending up with just three guys. We worked well together and I started the climb with a small advantage, enough to ride my own pace. I could then help Oscar in the last two or three kilometres and then rode to a nice result myself too. We had the plan to do this and executed it well. We’re still up there in the GC with Oscar and have an exciting weekend to come.”

Team dsm-firmenich PostNL coach Pim Lighart added: “We took the gamble to follow the first move from km 0. Frank went up the road in order to fight for the stage or to have someone up there to support Oscar on the climb. Oscar struggled a bit in the final and here Frank came into play to support Oscar to limit his losses. We dropped one place in GC but with two hard days to come still we are already motivated to fight back.”

Here's the Tour de Suisse report from Team Visma | Lease a Bike:

In the ultra-short mountain stage at the Tour of Switzerland, the Team Visma | Lease a Bike riders were unable to compete for the day's victory. Cian Uijtdebroeks, Wilco Kelderman and Ben Tulett reached the finish line behind the leaders.

Wilco Kelderman finishing 14th.

Originally the stage was supposed to go over the Nufenenpass, but the organizers announced some time ago that they were removing it from the course due to persistent snowfall. The new course consisted of only 42 kilometers.

The pace in the first part of the short ride was quite high, with an average speed close to 60 kilometers per hour. On the ascent to the finish, Uijtdebroeks, Kelderman and Tulett then had difficulty following the pace of, among others, stage winner João Almeida.

Sports director Marc Reef said after the stage: "With only 42 kilometers, the first 35 of which were downhill and the last 7 steep uphill kilometers, it was a special stage. The peloton had a flying start, because within about forty minutes they were at the foot of the climb. From there, the pace was immediately high. There wasn't a moment to catch their breath. Unfortunately, Cian, Wilco and Ben struggled today. They couldn't keep up with the best in the end. We'll see what we can still do in the final part of this Tour de Suisse."

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