Bicycle Racing News and Opinion,
Wednesday, March 13, 2024
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2023 Tour de France | 2023 Giro d'Italia
Wherever there is a human being, there is an opportunity for a kindness. - Seneca
Les Woodland's book Paris-Roubaix: The Inside Story - All the bumps of cycling's cobbled classic is available in print, Kindle eBook & audiobook versions. To get your copy, just click on the Amazon link on the right.
Current racing:
- March 13: Danilith Nokere Koerse
- March 13: Milano-Torino
Upcoming racing:
- March 14: GP de Denain
- March 15: Brendene Koksijde Classic
- March 16: Milano - Sanremo
- March 16: Classic Loire Atlantique
Latest completed racing:
- March 3 - 10: Paris-Nice
- March 4 - 10: Tirreno-Adriatico
- March 2: Strade Bianche
- February 28: Trofeo Laigueglia
- February 27: Le Samyn
- February 19 - 25: UAE Tour
- February 22 - 25: O Gran Camiño
Here's the jersey the team says they will ride for the balance of 2024:
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The team sent me this schedule:
Milano-Torino, MAR 13
Luke Roberts - Team dsm-firmenich PostNL coach:
"In recent editions of Milano-Torino we had a change in the race design, from being a race for the climbers to being one for the pure sprinters. This year’s edition will again have a change, with the inclusion of two climbs in the final 40 kilometres offering opportunities for the punchier riders and creating a challenge for the sprinters. We expect an aggressive and exciting final where we will need to be prepared to go with the attacks and also have a card to play in the event of a reduced bunch sprint."
Patrick Bevin (shown racing the 2023 Schwalbe Classic) is scheduled to start Milano-Torino. Sirotti photo
Line-up:
Patrick Bevin (NZL)
Alex Edmondson (AUS)
Milan Kadlec (CZE)
Enzo Leijnse (NED)
Ben Peatfield (GBR)
Casper van Uden (NED)
Kevin Vermaerke (USA)
Nokere Koerse, MAR 13
Roy Curvers - Team dsm-firmenich PostNL coach:
"Nokere Koerse is a traditional cobbled sprint race between some of the bigger classics. It is known for the finish on the iconic cobbled Nokereberg. In the final, timing and positioning are really important to achieve a good result. With Fabio we have a former winner in the team who knows how to do all this and take the win, but before coming into the last 500 metres we have a challenging parcours where we have to be on it for the whole day, because there are still a lot of opportunities for surprises."
Line-up:
Pavel Bittner (CZE)
Johan Dorussen (NED)
Patrick Eddy (AUS)
Nils Eekhoff (NED)
Fabio Jakobsen (NED)
Frank Ragilo (EST)
Bram Welten (NED)
Tour de Normandie, MAR 14 - 17
Albert Timmer - Team dsm-firmenich PostNL coach:
"We bring a pretty young team with us to our first trip to Tour de Normandie. The opening time trial will shape the GC and show us the direction for the week. We have a few good riders that can do a good TT on the first day. After that, we will see if we want to ride for a GC or if we want to go for day results. We are prepared for both scenarios and each day will suit us as a team, so we will look for our opportunities either way."
Line-up:
Daniek Hengeveld (NED)
Josie Nelson (GBR)
Maeve Plouffe (AUS)
Abi Smith (GBR)
Anna van der Meiden (NED)
Nienke Vinke (NED)
Bredene Koksijde Classic, MAR 15
Roy Curvers - Team dsm-firmenich PostNL coach:
"At Bredene Koksijde Classic, the wind is always dangerous. We go to the race with a lot of Northern European riders who have grown up with the wind so we are prepared for a battle with the elements. The race finishes in Koksijde where usually a sprint decides the winner. If it comes to a sprint with a bigger bunch we aim to set up Emils so he can have a shot for the win. On the other hand, we have more guys with fast legs who can finish it off in case of an echelon battle."
Line-up:
Tobias Lund Andresen (DEN)
Julius van den Berg (NED)
John Degenkolb (GER)
Johan Dorussen (NED)
Emils Liepins (LAT)
Tim Naberman (NED)
Timo Roosen (NED)
Youngster Coast Challenge, MAR 15
Bennie Lambregts - Team dsm-firmenich PostNL coach:
"The Youngster Coast Challenge is a nice U23 race, where we can compete against some of the best development teams. We will be able to get a good idea of where we are at compared to other teams of the same age. We want to continue at the level that we showed at Ster van Zwolle and Ronde van Limburg, and with good teamwork our goal is to be attentive from the flag drop. On this challenging course, the Kemmelberg and the Moerenas will be the decisive parts. Whether the race comes to a bunch sprint or a smaller group going to the line will depend on the weather conditions and how the peloton race on the day, but we have good plans for both scenarios."
Line-up:
Vincent Bodet (FRA)
Robbe Dhondt (BEL)
Ryan Gal (NED)
Vlad van Mechelen (BEL)
Oliver Peace (GBR)
Mees Vlot (NED)
Milano - Sanremo, MAR 16
Rudi Kemna - Team dsm-firmenich PostNL coach:
"We are looking forward to closing off our trip to Italy with the first Monument of the season. Our main goal is to be in the race and show our team colours throughout the day. We will race aggressively and look for our opportunities from the breakaway and through that we hope to bring ourselves in a good position for the final, where Kevin will be our card to play. He showed some good performances already this year and comes out of Tirreno in a good shape."
Line-up:
Patrick Bevin (NZL)
Pavel Bittner (CZE)
Romain Combaud (FRA)
Alex Edmondson (AUS)
Chris Hamilton (AUS)
Martijn Tusveld (NED)
Kevin Vermaerke (USA)
Trofeo Alfredo Binda, MAR 17
Kelvin Dekker - Team dsm-firmenich PostNL coach:
"Trofeo Alfredo Binda is a long-standing classic in women’s cycling and we have good memories of the race, so we look forward to riding it. We come with a strong line-up where Juliette and Pfeiffer are our finishers, but the other four riders are also strong and allow us to influence the race from kilometre zero onwards, to steer it in our favour. We’ll race aggressively and look to create our opportunities."
Line-up:
Francesca Barale (ITA)
Eleonora Ciabocco (ITA)
Pfeiffer Georgi (GBR)
Juliette Labous (FRA)
Eglantine Rayer (FRA)
Becky Storrie (GBR)
Dorpenomloop Rucphen, MAR 17
Bennie Lambregts - Team dsm-firmenich PostNL coach:
"At Dorpenomloop Rucphen we will again go into the race with a clear plan to focus on further building on the good foundations we have shown in the first races of the year. The weather can have a big impact on the outcome of the race. Good teamwork and riding as one unit will be crucial to make sure we are in contention and able to compete for a result in the final."
Line-up:
Jacob Bush (GBR)
Robbe Dhondt (BEL)
Johan Dorussen (NED)
Axel Källberg (FIN)
Ben Peatfield (GBR)
Frank Ragilo (EST)
Thom van der Werff (NED)
Volta a Catalunya, MAR 18 - 24
Phil West - Team dsm-firmenich PostNL coach:
"Volta a Catalunya will be the first of many visits to Spain in the coming season and we can as ever, anticipate an exciting and challenging parcours around the beautiful Catalunya region. We will be targeting day results throughout the race, where we will take on the sprint stages with Emils, supported by a solid team to prepare the sprint on those days. Outside of the sprints, we'll take our opportunitiy as protagonists by racing aggresively for the other stages, where guys like Pavel, Sean and Frank can play a part in the finals each day."
Line-up:
Patrick Bevin (NZL)
Pavel Bittner (CZE)
Frank van den Broek (NED)
Romain Combaud (FRA)
Sean Flynn (GBR)
Emils Liepins (LAT)
Martijn Tusveld (NED)
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The team sent me this news:
7 athletes called up by VF Group Bardiani-CSF Faizanè for a completely revamped edition of the Milano Torino.
The race will start from Rho to reach Salassa after 177 kilometers, a revised edition compared to previous ones, dedicated to sprinters, which leaves room for those who want to try something in the finale. The 7 chosen to take part in the oldest classic in the world include Mattia Pinazzi and Lorenzo Conforti, authors of a splendid double victory in the opening stage of the Istrian Spring Trophy. Following them are Filippo Magli and Enrico Zanoncello, who finished the Tirreno Adriatico last Sunday. Completing the lineup are Martin Marcellusi, Manuele Tarozzi, and Alessio Martinelli, for whom this will be the debut race of the 2024 season.
Leading the team from the team car will be sport directors Roberto Reverberi and Mirko Rossato.
The race will be broadcast live on Eurosport and Raisport from 14:20 (Italian Time).
LINEUP:
- Mattia Pinazzi (2001)
- Lorenzo Conforti (2004)
- Filippo Magli (1999)
- Enrico Zanoncello (1997)
- Martin Marcellusi (2000)
- Manuele Tarozzi (1998)
- Alessio Martinelli (2001)
DS Roberto Reverberi e Mirko Rossato.
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Slock’s Team Lotto Dstny posted this
Finally back to racing. Six weeks after his serious crash in the GP La Marseillaise, Liam Slock (23) is at the start of the Danilith Nokere Koerse. "With a healthy dose of nerves, but with more eagerness than stress."
Liam Slock in an undated Lotto Dstny photo
It was a tough injury report for Slock after his crash in La Marseillaise, at the end of January: a six-centimeter muscle tear in his thigh, quite a few abrasions and a severe concussion sidelined him for weeks. Tomorrow he can finally race again, in Nokere. "I'm curious," he says. "I was sidelined for six weeks, during which I couldn't ride for one week and had to take it easy for two weeks. Training looked good, but it's always uncertain how it translates into a race. So, I'm starting Nokere Koerse with some nerves, but there's more eagerness than stress."
He doesn't remember anything about the crash- Slock fell over another rider in a descent. And nothing remains of the hours after. "I was also very forgetful at the beginning. For example, the day after the fall, I called my mother twice with the same story. It's not a pleasant feeling to know that a piece of your memories has disappeared. Fortunately, there's no sign of that today. We've been very cautious in terms of training workload. I have to thank the medical team and performance staff for giving me that time, because it was crucial."
Slock spent the past weeks in Spain to get back in shape for the rest of spring. "Falling is frustrating, especially so early in the season. I felt like I was in my best form ever and hoped for a few more good results. Meanwhile, I'm looking forward again, the season is still long. I want to help the team and occasionally try my own luck. If I could do something for Arnaud De Lie in Paris-Roubaix, that would be fantastic."
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