Bicycle Racing News and Opinion,
Saturday, March 23, 2024

Back to news and opinion index page for links to archived stories | Commentary | Our YouTube page
2023 Tour de France | 2023 Giro d'Italia

Computers are like Old Testament gods; lots of rules and no mercy. - Joseph Campbell

---

Les Woodland's book Cycling's World Championships: The Inside Story is available in print, Kindle eBook & audiobook versions. To get your copy, just click on the Amazon link on the right.

Current racing:

• March 18 - 24: Volta a Catalunya
• March 19 - 23: Settimana Internazionale Coppi e Bartali

Upcoming racing:

• March 24: Ghent - Wevelgem
• March 24: La Roue Tourangelle
• March 27: Dwars door Vlaanderen
• March 27: Paris-Camembert Lepetit

Latest completed racing:

• March 22: E3 Saxo Bank Classic
• 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

---

Volta a Catalunya stage five team reports

We posted the report from Team Visma | Lease a Bike with the results.

Here's the report from GC leader Tadej Pogacar's UAE Team Emirates:

There was an epic battle in one of the first big cobbled classics of the year, with Tim Wellens (4th) and Nils Politt (7th) both right in the mix at E3 Saxo Classic in Belgium.

The race was run under tough rainy conditions as the attacking opened up inside the final 80km with the in-form Mathieu Van Der Poel (Alpecin-Deceuninck) going solo to take victory. Wellens was in the third chasing group who sprinted it out for fourth behind the duo of Jasper Stuyven (Lidl-Trek) and Wout Van Aert (Visma LAB).

In Catalunya Pogačar and the team successfully defended the leadership on stage 5 as Axel Laurance (Alpecin-Deceuninck) won the sprint from a reduced group finish. The Emirati squad continue to lead the race with an advantage of 2’27” ahead of tomorrow’s queen stage from Berga to Queralt (154.7km).

Axel Laurance (on right) takes stage five. Cofidis photo

Pogačar: “I think it was one of the hardest of all stages until now – it was one of the most attacking-wise. We had exciting racing until the final, and I’m happy it’s over. I’m looking forward to tomorrow’s stage.  There are very steep climbs and a lot of climbing in a short period of time. It’s going to be really aggressive from the start, and a lot can happen.“

In Italy, Diego Ulissi took 6th place on stage 4 of Coppi e Bartali in Italy on a lumpy day starting and finishing in Brisighella (150.7km). The day was won by Archie Ryan (EF Education First).

Here's the Tour of Catalonia report from Team Soudal Quick-Step:

The profile of stage five screamed breakaway, but the day ended up in a bunch sprint. The many climbs in the first 140 kilometers were perfect for a group to ride away and stay there until the finish, and as such, the start was insanely fast, dozens of riders trying to get in the breakaway. One of these was Ilan Van Wilder, who attacked before the intermediate sprint, but the bunch responded to his acceleration – and to the many other similar moves that came afterwards – and kept things together.

It was almost 100 kilometers into the stage that five riders went up the road, building a two-minute advantage that was quickly erased on the Alt de la Creu d’Aragal ascent. William Junior Lecerf attacked on the descent and almost opened a gap, only for the peloton to react fiercely and remain as one, with the goal of a mass gallop in their mind.

At the end of the day, Axel Laurance (Alpecin-Deceuninck) took the win in Viladecans, while Mikel Landa concluded safely in the bunch and remained second overall before the last summit finish of the race, which will come at the end of a stage comprising more than 4000 vertical meters.

E3 Saxo Bank Classic team reports

We posted the race report from sixth-place Jhonnatan Narvaez's Team INEOS Grenadiers with the results.

Here's the E3 report from third-place Wout van Aert's Team Visma | Lease a Bike:

Wout van Aert finished third in a spectacular edition of the E3 Saxo Classic. After he crashed on the Paterberg, the 29-year-old team leader had to settle for a podium spot after a long chase against winner Mathieu van der Poel. Matteo Jorgenson finished in a fine fifth place, but the team lost Tiesj Benoot and Per Strand Hagenes en route due to crashes.

Mathieu van der Poel wins the 2024 E3.

The 66th edition of the Flemish spring classic did not turn out to be the most fortunate for Team Visma | Lease a Bike. Per Strand Hagenes had to leave the race soon after a crash. Further examination revealed that the 20-year-old Norwegian sustained a broken nose. Later, Dylan van Baarle, Tiesj Benoot and leader Wout van Aert had their part of bad luck.

After a fast first hour of racing, the peloton allowed a leading group of ten riders a gap. Behind them, the yellow-and-black formation was always alert in a nervous peloton, which was preparing for the crucial hills. Once on the cobbled hills, the favourites attacked each other. Van der Poel placed several attacks well away from the finish, but the Team Visma | Lease a Bike riders managed to respond each time. Meanwhile, Van Baarle disappeared from the peloton after equipment failure. Tiesj Benoot had to leave the race a little later after a crash.

Soon the favourites joined to the front of the race. A group of around 25 riders, including Van Aert and Jorgenson, dived into the finale. On the climb of the Paterberg, things went wrong for Van Aert. In an ultimate attempt to move up a place, he hit the ground. Once he was back on the bike, the two-time E3 winner set up a solo chase behind Van der Poel. The Belgian approached to within 10 seconds, but he could not make up the final stretch on the world champion. In the final kilometres, Van Aert got caught by eventual number two Jasper Stuyven.

"It was a stupid crash”, Van Aert said afterwards about his crash on the Paterberg, the moment where he lost sight of Van der Poel. "I wanted to gain a position via the cobbles, but my wheel got stuck on the edge. Before I knew it, I hit the ground. That crash obviously determined how the rest of the race turned out.”

"For a while I believed I would close the gap to Van der Poel," he continued. "For some time it went evenly, but the chase cost me a lot of energy. After the Karnemelkbeekstraat it was difficult for me to keep the pace high. So at the end I ran out of strength. Somehow I was relieved when Stuyven joined me. That way I could rest in his wheel for a while. In hindsight, third place was still the highest possible."

In the chasing group, Jorgenson rode to spot five. "We could call this an unlucky day for the team. On the way we lost some important riders, which made us collectively weaker. We were able to fight back with Wout and myself in the leading group, but the turning point was Wout's crash on the Paterberg. Then I found myself in the chasing group, where I got very cold. I tried to follow Stuyven, but the legs were empty. All in all, I am happy that I was able to compete for a nice result for myself here as well. I am looking forward to the upcoming classics, where hopefully we will have better luck as a team," the 24-year-old American said.

"It is up to us to show resilience," stated sports director Arthur van Dongen. "Of course it was a pity, but we have already managed to deal with bad luck situations in the past. We were well represented in the race as a team, but the crashes of Tiesj and Wout were crucial. I am convinced Wout was able to follow Van der Poel, although he was definitely the rightful winner in the end. Now we will lick our wounds and review the situation with an eye on the upcoming classics."

Coppi-Bartali stage four reports

We posted the report from stage winner Archie Ryan's Team EF Education-EasyPost with the results.

Here's the report from Team Lotto Dstny:

Alec Segaert coloured the fourth stage with start and finish in Brisighella in the breakaway, with nine other riders. "Suddenly Gianluca Brambilla, who was very close in the GC, jumped towards the break and of course that made it difficult. The chances for Alec were gone, so he tried to go solo", Jenno Berckmoes looks back.

Marco Brenner joined Segaert at the front. "Alec waited for us, as we knew it wasn't possible anymore to go for the victory there. He still did a perfect job, together with Logan (Currie) and Harm (Vanhoucke) he set the pace towards the final climb, on 5 kilometers from the finish. It all went well, until the attack of Archie Ryan (EF). He was the strongest on the climb."

Archie Ryan wins the stage. Sirotti photo

"Luckily Sylvain (Moniquet) and Jarno (Widar) were also super strong, and they went full gas to take him back. There still was a crash in the descent, which gave some chaos and probably saw us missing some seconds there. We just miss out on the victory again, which is disappointing, but at the same time it's nice to feel the team is super strong. Tomorrow for the last stage we will defend our GC, as well as try to take that victory", Berckmoes says.

Back to news and opinion index page for links to archived stories | Commentary