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Tuesday, June 25, 2024
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2023 Tour de France | 2024 Giro d'Italia
Baseball is a game, yes. It is also a business. But what is most truly is is disguised combat. For all its gentility, its almost leisurely pace, baseball is violence under wraps. - Willie Mays
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.
Current racing:
- June 9 - 26: Many National Championships
Upcoming racing:
- June 29 - July 21: Tour de France
- July 27 - August 11: Olympic cycling
Latest completed racing:
- June 15 - 18: La Route d'Occitanie Cancelled because security forces busy with Olympics
- June 9 - 16: Tour de Suisse
- June 12 - 16: Baloise Belgium Tour
- June 2 - 9: Critérium du Dauphiné
- June 5 - 9: ZLM Tour
- June 7: GP Canton Aargau
- June 2: Brussels Cycling Classic
The team sent me this:
On Saturday 29th June this year’s Tour de France will take off in the city of Florence, Italy. The Lotto Dstny Team will tackle the 21 stages, with a diverse team, in the search of a stage win. Maxim Van Gils, Arnaud De Lie, Victor Campenaerts, Brent Van Moer, Jarrad Drizners, Harm Vanhoucke, Sébastien Grignard and Cedric Beullens are ready for three weeks of racing on the highest level. Unfortunately Andreas Kron didn’t get ready on time for the Tour, due to the consequences of his crash in the Dauphiné. Sports Manager Kurt Van de Wouwer gives his view on the Tour squad.
Maxim Van Gils, who got close to a stage win already in his first participation last year, earned his spot in the Tour team after a magnificent spring. “Maxim did a great Tour debut last year, coming close to that win. The goal is to go for a stage win with him, but of course we know that won’t be easy.”
Maxim Van Gils wins the 2024 Eschborn-Frankfurt race.
Arnaud De Lie, who just became Belgian champion on the road, makes his first appearance at the Grande Boucle next week. “Arnaud goes to the Tour without any pressure, as it’s his first participation we don’t put any expectations around him. He goes there to learn and gain experience, of course there are some stages that suit him and in sprints he can try his chance, but without any musts.”
“Initially Harm wasn’t on the longlist, but his good results and his personal desire to go, made us choose him. He deserves the selection and in the mountain or hilly stages he can also try to go in a breakaway. Jarrad and Cedric will both help Arnaud in the leadouts. Victor can bring a lot of experience and calmness in the young group of riders we bring and he was the most combative rider last year. He just became a father, so he had a bit of a different preparation but we know he will be ready 100%.”
“Further on, Brent can also go his own chance, he has proven in the past he’s capable of that. Sébastien is someone we can always count on. He’s always there. Looking to the team we have a strong group, hopefully we can make it a beautiful Tour de France together”, Kurt Van de Wouwer says.
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The team sent me this:
Carlos Rodríguez and Egan Bernal will spearhead a seasoned squad of riders at this year’s 111th Tour de France, featuring two previous Tour winners and five Tour stage winners. The team’s eight riders have ridden an impressive 39 editions of the Tour de France and collectively know what it takes to succeed in cycling’s most prestigious race.
Following Carlos Rodríguez’s strong performance at the 2023 edition of the Tour de France, he has continued his progression as a GC rider in 2024 with a win overall and Best Young Rider at the Tour de Romandie, a second at the Tour of the Basque Country and a stage win and overall fourth placing in the Critérium du Dauphiné. A Grenadier since 2020, Carlos confirmed his long-term commitment to the team last season by extending his contract until 2027, with the team praising his natural talent, racing spirit and professionalism.
Carlos Rodriguez wins stage 8 of the 2024 Critérium du Dauphiné. Sirotti photo
Popular Colombian Tour winner Egan Bernal has continued his impressive rise back to the top tier of cycling after a potentially life-changing accident in 2022. His 2024 season has seen him consistently building form with a seventh place finish at Paris-Nice, third at Volta a Catalunya and fourth at the Tour de Suisse.
Lining up alongside Carlos and Egan will be some of the leading names in the sport, providing the Grenadiers a variety of cards to play as the race unfolds.
INEOS Grenadiers line-up:
Egan Bernal (27), Colombia - the 2019 Tour de France winner will be racing his fifth Tour de France this year after a run of strong performances including an impressive podium in Catalunya.
Jonathan Castroviejo (37), Spain - the versatile and ever-reliable climber and six-time national time trial champion will be starting his 10th Tour de France after a consistently strong 2024 season.
Laurens De Plus (28), Belgium - the strong climber and stage racer starts his second Tour de France after a successful lead-in that includes an impressive fifth place finish at the Critérium du Dauphiné.
Michal Kwiatkowski (34), Poland – the former World Champion is one of the most experienced riders in the peloton. As a double Tour de France stage winner, Kwiato lines up for his 10th Tour de France in 2024.
Tom Pidcock (24), Great Britain - the multi-discipline rider and 2022 Tour de France stage winner is tackling his third Tour de France this year after a season that has seen him win Amstel Gold, demonstrate strong form in stage races and achieve mountain bike success.
Carlos Rodriguez (23), Spain – co-leader for his second Tour de France following a breakthrough stage win and fifth place overall in 2023, the young Spaniard has been riding into form throughout the 2024 season, winning the Tour de Romandie and the final stage of the Critérium du Dauphiné.
Geraint Thomas (38), Great Britain - G, with 12 Tour de France starts for the team including his 2018 victory, second in 2019 and third in 2022, starts his 13th edition of the Tour off the back of a hard-earned podium place at the Giro d’Italia.
Ben Turner (25), Great Britain - the popular and super-strong Brit lines up for his second Tour de France after an impressive season focussed on the Classics.
Scott Drawer, Performance Director, said: “We are all ready to start in Florence and take on three weeks of the hardest racing in sport, in front of the best fans in the world.
“The competition is tougher than ever, but nothing is a given in Grand Tour cycling. We have been racing this season as the hunters not the hunted and that brings its own advantages. The Giro last month was a perfect example of how we love to race as a team - putting the pressure on, fighting for every opportunity, and taking chances, and it is how we plan to race in France over the coming weeks.
“After a strong and consistent season, Carlos will be leading the INEOS Grenadiers’ charge across France. Carlos has continued to impress us with his racing as well as his professionalism and attitude on and off the bike. Right beside him will be the strength and Tour experience of Egan, with Tom and Geraint providing support but also looking to race aggressively, disrupt and take the race to our competition.
“Laurens’ climbing ability will also be invaluable in the high mountains while Castro will bring his trademark selfless and steady presence to the team and will help to drive the pace. And with all his experience and Tour de France wins in his own right, Kwiato will provide insight, protection and look for opportunities on the flats and cross winds alongside Ben, a popular powerhouse of a rider.
“This exceptional group has real depth of experience and a broad range of skills, and their collective insight into what it takes to succeed in the Tour de France will prove invaluable over 21 gruelling stages with over 52,000 metres of elevation gain.”
Carlos Rodríguez said: “My preparation has gone well so far, and I feel confident that I will be starting in Florence in the best shape possible. I had a good training block at the end of last year and a great altitude camp in January. I had a slower start to the year than I wanted but have turned that around and the legs are now feeling good, and my body is responding well. I think that shows that the plan has worked, and we have done things in the right way and in the right order.
“The team has helped me a lot this year, looking at every aspect of my performance and going over every detail to help me improve. Now I am feeling ready and am really looking forward to the Tour starting. I have great memories from last year’s Tour de France, sharing some special moments with the team and my family so I hope this year will be even better.”
Reflecting on the strength of the wider group of riders in the team, Carlos added: “In cycling, you get individual results but it’s a team sport. The help from these teammates and from the staff will be what makes all the difference, especially when the level of racing is going to be so high. Having such a strong group of riders around me is what is going to help us get the best result possible as a team.”
Egan Bernal said: “I am very happy to be selected again. It’s a big honour to be in the biggest race in the world and as with every year, we’ll fight for the best result possible.
“My ambition is to be really competitive and to be someone who can make a real difference in the race. As a team we want to win and we have a few riders who can do really well. It is going to be important to have different options especially in the second and third week. If we can reach that point with a number of riders high on GC it can become a bit of a strategic game, and having various cards to play is going to be important.”
Tom Pidcock said: “Preparation for the Tour this year has gone really well and I feel like I’m in a really good place ahead of it. We’ve selected a team that’s going to provide opportunities for us to continue to race in a way that’s very exciting for me personally, and the team.
“I’ve won a Tour stage before and that’s really something I would love to do again, it was one of the best days on the bike. The opening few stages this year presents a real opportunity but of course there are many riders with eyes on the yellow jersey.
“After a block at altitude and then getting back to racing at the Tour de Suisse, i was improving every day and I had my best day on the TT bike, which is very promising and certainly the right direction I want to be going in at the moment. I can’t wait for my third tour."
Geraint Thomas said: “Can’t quite believe I am starting my 13th Tour de France - let’s hope it’s a lucky one!
“I didn’t know how I would feel after the Giro and getting back to training as I have never done the Giro-Tour double before, but it’s been a solid block and the legs are feeling pretty good. I thought it would be really hard to stay on it but I’ve actually enjoyed it and got some good work done.
“Obviously, it's a slight unknown how the body will respond given I haven’t had a season like this before, but I am feeling pretty fresh mentally and just looking forward to the Tour getting started now.
“It's going to be a super competitive and hard race, but we’ve got a super strong team with plenty of experience and Carlos is clearly on the up this season. Personally, I am looking forward to racing with a bit less pressure and more freedom to mix it up and try to get really stuck in.”
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Here’s the update the team sent me:
An exciting Grand Départ awaits the Tour de France peloton this year with the 21-day festival of cycling getting underway in Florence, Italy this weekend. Today Team dsm-firmenich PostNL announce their eight-rider roster that is set to take on the wide variety of parcours on offer over the three weeks as they hunt stage success.
Taking inspiration from the film Italian Job, the doors could be blown off the bunch on the opening stage where they face a challenging parcours to Rimini, while the puncheurs and climbers will fancy their chances again on stage two which borrows the famous San Luca climb from Giro dell’Emilia. The fast finishers in the peloton will be thankful to get an opportunity on stage three before the climbers or breakaway artists will do battle the following day as the race returns to French soil. A time trial, a mixture of sprint stages and those for opportunists, plus a gravel-filled stage nine round out the opening week of action.
Week two is balanced between sprint stages and climbing days, but of course the barodeurs and breakaway specialists will no doubt toss their proverbial hats into the ring for stage glory too. The final week gets underway with the last sprint opportunity of the race before the route heads eastwards and not north, towards the grand finale in Nice. A couple of potential breakaway days sit amongst hard mountain days where those still in the GC battle will look to play their hands one last time, while the climbers will also set off in pursuit of stage glory.
The race then ends with a spectacular and hilly time trial from Monaco to Nice; the first time that the Tour has finished with a time trial since 1989, and more amazingly the first time the race has finished outside of Paris in over 100 years.
Looking to build on their good recent form, Team dsm-firmenich PostNL are ready to take on the 21 days of action; aiming to ride smartly as a unit and pick their opportunities to go all-out for stage results throughout the Tour de France.
Team dsm-firmenich PostNL coach Matt Winston said: “We’re looking forward to being on the start-line of the Tour de France once again. This year we come in with the sole focus of going for day results, whether that be in the sprint finishes, in the mountains or on the rolling terrain in between. We have an exciting group of riders who are all committed to that, but we will need to be smart about when and where we use our energy to maximise our chances.
"In the pure sprints we will go with Fabio as our finisher, with John, TDF debutant Bram and Nils as his final lead out. It’s good to have Nils back in action after his recovery from concussion, motivated and ready to go to complete this group in this sprints. In the hills and mountains we have the likes of Romain, Warren, Frank and Oscar – the latter two also on their TDF debut. We believe everyone in the team can play a role in the finale on the right stage and in the right circumstances. We will need to show good teamwork from the off as we can expect a hard start on the climbs in Italy, before some sprint opportunities after that. From that point there is a variety of parcours and terrain over the three weeks where we can be in the mix. We will look together as a team and make plans for the best possible way to approach each stage, so that we can show ourselves at the very front of the race.”
Fabio Jakobsen wins the first stage of the 2024 Tour of Turkey.
Fabio Jakobsen added: “I am really excited to take on my first Tour de France with Team dsm-firmenich PostNL. We bring a really strong group to the race that can go for stage success on every terrain. I have a nice group around me to target the sprint stages, but with Warren, Frank, Oscar, and Romain, we also have really strong riders for the hilly and mountainous stages. We aim to show strong teamwork and really fight for each other, and if we perform at a high level, I believe we can have a great race together. I can’t wait to get started.”
Line-up:
- Romain Bardet
- Warren Barguil
- John Degenlolb
- Nils Eekhoff
- Fabio Jakobsen
- Oscar Onley
- Frank van den Broek
- Bram Welten
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Here's the team's news:
Introducing the eight Lidl-Trek riders heading to Florence for the Grand Depart of this year’s Tour de France on Saturday (29 June):
- Julien Bernard (FRA, 32): fourth participation
- Jasper Stuyven (BEL, 32): eighth participation
- Giulio Ciccone (ITA, 29): fourth participation, winner of the polka dot jersey in 2023, yellow jersey for two stages in 2019
- Tim Declercq (BEL, 35): fifth participation
- Ryan Gibbons (RSA, 29): second participation
- Mads Pedersen (DEN, 28): fifth participation, back-to-back stage wins in 2022 and 2023
- Toms Skujins (LAT, 33): sixth participation
- Carlos Verona (ESP, 31): fifth participation
What did our Sport Director, Steven de Jongh say about the rider roster?
"Despite having to make some changes to our initial line-up due to illness and injury, I am incredibly confident in the strength of our Tour de France team. With Tao Geoghegan Hart unfortunately no longer able to race, we have added extra support for Mads [Pedersen] to go for stage wins but also put together a team that has a wealth of experience and a depth of talent in their own right. A group of riders that we know, and have seen on endless occasions both this year and in previous years, can work exceptionally well together.
Mads Pedersen winning stage three of this year's Tour of Provence.
"Giulio [Ciccone] has been right on track after coming back from his health issues at the start of the year and he was racing impressively at Critérium du Dauphiné, especially on those three final climbing stages. Jasper [Stuyven] also comes in to replace an injured Alex [Kirsch] but we know from his Giro d'Italia performance and then the way he raced in Belgium after, that he will be a valuable asset."
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