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Thursday, March 21, 2024

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2023 Tour de France | 2023 Giro d'Italia

Men in general are quick to believe that which they wish to be true. - Julius Caesar

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

Current racing:

• March 18 - 25: Volta a Catalunya
• March 19 - 23: Settimana Internazionale Coppi e Bartali

Upcoming racing:

• March 22: E3 Saxo Bank Classic
• March 24: Ghent - Wevelgem
• March 24: La Roue Tourangelle
• March 27: Dwars door Vlaanderen
• March 27: Paris-Camemnert Lepetit

Latest completed racing:

• March 20: Classic Brugge - De Panne
• March 16: Milano - Sanremo
• March 16: Classic Loire Atlantique
• March 15: Brendene Koksijde Classic
• March 14: GP de Denain
• March 13: Danilith Nokere Koerse
• March 13: Milano-Torino
• March 3 - 10: Paris-Nice
• March 4 - 10: Tirreno-Adriatico
• March 2: Strade Bianche

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Volta a Catalunya stage three team reports

We posted the report from stage winner Tadej Pogacar's UAE Team Emirates with the results.

Here's the report from second-place Mikel Landa's Team Soudal Quick-Step:

Mikel Landa was again the best of the rest at the seven-day race, for the second stage in a row going on the attack and showcasing his solid form that ended up netting him another top three finish. This impressive result saw Soudal Quick-Step’s 34-year-old retain his spot on the podium while widening his gap on the other riders ahead of what should be the easiest stage of the week.

Tadej Pogacar wins stage three,

A mammoth 18.5km climb averaging 6.8%, which returned at the race after three years, Port Ainé was the main attraction of a day that included two other classified climbs. As soon as the depleted peloton tackled its first ramps, Soudal Quick-Step over the reins and set a painful pace with neo-pro William Junior Lecerf. When the AlUla Tour runner-up peeled off the front, Jan Hirt moved to the front and put in a huge amount of work, driving the tempo for about five kilometers with Mikel Landa glued to his wheel.

The Basque made his move in the final seven kilometers, opening a gap before race leader Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates) counterattacked and rode clear. Landa rode his own tempo and was joined by two other men, together with whom we tried to reduce the margin. Then, two kilometers from home, on the steepest part of the ascent, he kicked again and dropped the others, riding to second atop Port Ainé and clocking up the team’s 30th podium of the season.

“The goal was to gain some more time on the riders behind me in the general classification. The boys did a great job for me and I attacked to see what would happen. I knew getting the victory would be difficult, but I felt good and gave my best, and at the end of the day, I am content with the shape and the team effort. I enjoy the race and we hope for some more good results in the next days”, a confident Mikel said.

Here's the Catalonia report from third-place Antonio Tiberi's Team Bahrain Victorious:

It was another difficult day in the Pyrenees, but unlike stage 2, conditions were kinder with clear skies over the 176.7 km from Sant Joan de les Abadesses to Port Aine. With the parcour featuring 3,958 vertical meters and two Hors Category climbs it showed a promising stage for the breakaway. On the first climb, a group of about 10 riders managed to gap the peloton, with Jack Haig attempting to bridge over to the break. However, UAE Emirates had other ideas putting a relentless pace at the front of the peloton and giving the break less than a minute throughout the day and keeping things under control for their leader.

On the final climb, the group had dwindled down to about 20 riders which included Tiberi and Poels. With 6km to go, race winner Pogacar had gone clear while a chase group of three riders formed. Meanwhile, our guys were placed in the third group controlling their effort on the challenging climb. Mikel Landa was the only one to break clear of the chase to finish second, while Antonio and Wout perfectly paced themselves to catch the rest in the final 2km and take the final step of the podium and 4th on the stage.

Antonio Tiberi finishing stage 16 of the 2023 Vuelta a España. Sirotti photo

Antonio Tiberi was pleased with his performance after a hard day on stage 2: ”Today was really hard from the beginning. Also especially after the stage of yesterday with the rain and the cold. Also, yesterday was really hard for me until 200m to the finish. Yesterday I was almost there but I finished my fuel. Today I was eating more from the start, and the feeling was better than yesterday. The last climb was really hard and I tried to follow the best guys with Landa, and Pogacar, who like always were strong. At the end, I finished 3rd and I’m super happy.”

Wout Poels moved up to 8th in the GC and was pleased with the overall performance: ”I think we had a really good day as a team, and I think we were smart not to try follow Pogacar because that is next level. And I think Antonio rode maturely too, and just follow and not go too early and blow up, which was the case for those we brought back in the end. So overall I think we did well. I feel that my condition is good, and so I’m looking forward to moving up in the GC.”

Here’s the Catalonia report from fifth-place Sepp Kuss' Team Visma | Lease a Bike:

Sepp Kuss gave it his all in the third stage of the Volta Ciclista a Catalunya. In a stage with around four thousand altitude meters, the American went on the attack on the final climb, ultimately resulting in fifth place in the day's results. Tadej Pogacar won the stage.

Sepp Kuss after winning stage 6 of the 2023 Vurelta a España. Sirotti photo

The stage from Sant Joan de les Abadesses toward the summit of Port Ainé would not have been out of place in the final week of a grand tour. The stage, which perhaps deserved the title of queen stage, took the peloton over three hard climbs. Steven Kruijswijk tried to be in the early breakaway, but the Dutchman's efforts proved in vain.

On the final climb, Kuss decided to attack after Pogacar rode off. Together with Mikel Landa, the winner of the most recent Vuelta a España tried to close the gap to the Slovenian, but the attempts did not succeed. In the final hundreds of meters, Kuss was outpaced by a pair from Bahrain - Victorious, so the American eventually had to settle for fifth place. Thanks in part to his attractive riding, Kuss moved up two places in the overall ranking, finding himself in seventh place now.

"This result satisfies me quite well," Kuss says after the race. "It's especially the way we achieved it that pleases me. With the team, we took the initiative today. Everyone contributed, and it seemed like we were all on the same page. Personally, I felt good on the final climb. That's why I have a positive feeling about today. Now, the focus shifts to the upcoming days, where we will assess what is still possible in terms of the overall standings."

Sports director Frans Maassen also likes to look foward. "Today was a pretty good day for the team. Pogacar was by far the best, but behind him a lot of guys are evenly matched. That offers possibilities for the coming days. After yesterday's slightly lesser day we can now look up again," Maassen stated.

And here's the Catalonia Tour report from ninth-place Lenny Martinez's Team Groupama-FDJ:

Another summit finish on the Volta a Catalunya, and another strong performance from Lenny Martinez. On a very mountainous stage 3 this Wednesday, finishing at Port Ainé, the young climber from Groupama-FDJ once again proved to be among the main contenders for the general classification. He secured ninth place at the top, just over a minute behind the winner Tadej Pogacar, but very close to his direct competitors. He even gained one position overall this Wednesday and now sits in fourth. Two easier days, on paper, now awaits the riders.

A cold, wet Lenny Martinez finishes Tuesday's stage two.

After a first battle between the favorites in Catalonia on Tuesday, an almost identical scenario was anticipated this Wednesday. However, the profile was not quite similar, since three major climbs featured in the third stage, with a finish at the top of the long Port Ainé (18 km at 6.7%). A day made of climbing and descending loomed for the bunch, which proved also extremely lively at the start of the race since many wanted to join the breakaway. The fight lasted until the day’s first climb, where ten riders managed to open a small gap. Mauri Vansevenant, Ethan Hayter, Juan Pedro Lopez, Hugh Carthy, Ivan Sosa, Nicolas Prodhomme, Harold Tejada, Andreas Kron, Stephen Williams and Andreas Leknessund established a solid leading group, but UAE Team Emirates tried to keep it under control. The gap barely reached one minute and a half, and the bunch further increased the pace on the second climb, after a long 50-kilometre valley. In the ascent of Port de Cantó, Visma-Lease a Bike took command, the breakaway was caught, a selection took place, and just fifty men reached the summit in the lead.

With the white jersey on his shoulders, Lenny Martinez was up there. “He found himself alone a bit too early today but Rémy had a bad day,” explained Thierry Bricaud. “He has two days to recover and have a great weekend.” “It was another hard day, with three climbs and descending valleys in-between,” added Lenny. “In the end, the day came down to three forty-five-minute efforts at threshold.” The last effort started eighteen kilometres from the finish, and the high tempo quickly reduced the favourites’ group to around twenty riders. The selection came from the back for quite a bit of time, before Mikel Landa launched a first attack more than six kilometres from the summit. The Spaniard was immediately chased and countered by Tadej Pogacar, who then flew towards a second victory in a row. Behind these two, Lenny Martinez kept his position in the main group of favorites. “I felt quite good in the last climb, much better than how I felt in the first one,” he said. “The pace was very, very high. I managed my effort until the top so as not to explode and to keep my place overall, or even gain one.”

Lenny Martinez even entered the last kilometre hoping for the day’s third place. However, a handful of riders took a small gap and the young man eventually reached the line in 9th, 1’10 behind Pogacar, twenty-two seconds behind Landa, and just seven from third place. Thanks to his great performance, he also rose to fourth place overall on Wednesday. “I gained one position, so it’s quite a good day,” he said. “We’re satisfied with this day, like we were yesterday,” added Thierry. “He’s still in the mix. The same ones were in front, but there is room to get a good result overall. We will have to stay focused in the next two days, then return to the fight on the last two stages.” Heading towards Leida on Thursday, the general classification should not undergo any real changes. “It’s not going to be calmer though,” added Thierry Bricaud. “It seems like the easiest stage on paper, but it will be very fast”.

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