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Wednesday, May 1, 2024
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2023 Tour de France | 2023 Giro d'Italia
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Current racing:
Upcoming racing:
- May 4: GP du Morbihan
- May 4 - 26: Giro d'Italia
Latest completed racing:
- April 21 - 28: Tour of Turkey
- April 23 - 28: Tour de Romandie
- April 26 - 28: Vuelta Asturias
- April 21: Liège-Bastogne-Liège
- April 15 - 19: Tour of the Alps
- April 17: La Flèche Wallone
- April 14: Amstel Gold Race
Here's the news from Tadej Pogacar's UAE Team Emirates:
UAE Team Emirates have unveiled the team heading into the Giro d’Italia (4-26 May) with an exciting squad starting the race which begins from the city of Turin with the winner to be crowned three weeks later in Rome after 3345.6km of racing.
Leading the team’s hopes for the General Classification will be debutant Tadej Pogačar while Sebastian Molano will lead the line in the sprint stages.
It will mark the long-awaited debut for Pogačar who is eagerly anticipating the race.
Tadej Pogacar winning Liége-Bastogne-Liége on April 21, 2024. Photo: ASO/Gaetan Flamme
Pogačar: “The preparation for the Giro has gone really well. I haven’t raced too much so far this year, just 10 days, so I’m feeling fresh and ready to take on my first Giro. It’s a race I’ve dreamed of doing for a long time and it feels like now that the time is right to go for it.
"I raced in Italy a lot as an amateur and it has been an important country in my journey as a cyclist. For sure it is one of my favourite places to ride a bike and I also love the culture and of course the food. I hope we can make this month a special one.
"Obviously my aim is to go for the GC and we also have Molano for the sprints and a very solid team in general. We can’t wait to get it started.”
Sports Manager Matxin Fernandez (Spa) will lead the squad alongside Sports Directors Fabio Baldato (Ita), Marco Marcato (Ita) and Manuele Mori (Ita) .
The team is comprised of 8 riders:
– Mikkel Bjerg (Den)
– Vegard Stake Laengen (Nor)
– Felix Grossschartner (Aus)
– Rafal Majka (Pol)
– Sebastian Molano (Col)
– Domen Novak (Slo)
– Rui Oliveira (Por)
– Tadej Pogačar (Slo)
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Here's the Giro team announcement from Team Soudal Quick-Step:
First Grand Tour of the season gets underway in just a couple of days, Venaria Reale hosting the Grande Partenza of the competition which between 4-26 May will run its 107th edition. It will be a race of two halves – one comprising many opportunities for the sprinters and the puncheurs, and just two proper stages for the GC men – and a second one heavily tilted towards the climbers.
The Corsa Rosa will feature this year a total of 71 kilometers of individual time trialing, and it remains to be seen what their impact will be on the final outcome given that the third week of the race brings some leg-sapping hurdles, such as Forcola di Livigno, the mythical Stelvio, Passo del Broncon, Cima Sappada, and a double ascent of the Monte Grappa coming on the penultimate day of the race.
Our team will be at the start of the Giro d’Italia for the 20th time in its history, having won a total of 29 stages and nine jerseys at the previous participations. A two-time World Champion and winner of numerous races – from Strade Bianche and Tirreno-Adriatico stages to Milano-Sanremo – on Italian soil, Julian Alaphilippe will make his debut at Il Giro, which Soudal Quick-Step will take on with a strong squad capable of being in the mix on all terrains.
Julian Alaphilippe at the start of the 2024 Dwars door Vlaanderen. Sirotti photo
The most successful sprinter of the season, with seven victories to his name, Tim Merlier will also be in action for the Wolfpack, together with Josef Cerny, Jan Hirt, neo-pro Luke Lamperti, Pieter Serry – riding his tenth Giro – Bert Van Lerberghe and Mauri Vansevenant, who impressed in the Ardennes Classics.
“We have a good team for the first Grand Tour of the season, comprising riders who can do something in the sprints, on the hilly stages, but also in the mountains. All the guys are confident and motivated to do a good Giro. It won’t be easy, it never is, but we are ready to take it day by day in the next three weeks and give our best, and hopefully, this will bring us some nice results”, said Soudal Quick-Step sports director Davide Bramati.
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And here's the Giro preview from Team Israel-Premier Tech:
When the 107th edition of the Giro d’Italia kicks off this Saturday in Torino, Israel – Premier Tech will be looking to take care of unfinished business.
After an inspiring race in 2023, which saw the team’s young riders, led by Canadian Derek Gee, light up the race on a daily basis to finish in the top-five on nine occasions, IPT is determined to secure the stage win that eluded the team last year.
Derek Gee climbing in stage 19 of the 2023 Giro d'Italia. Sirotti photo.
“Last year, the Giro d’Italia was a turning point for Israel – Premier Tech,” says Sports Director Rene Andrle. “We may not have won a stage but the way the team rode was nothing short of inspiring and coming so close to a victory on so many occasions has made us even hungrier this year. We have a strong team of opportunists and we will be targeting stage wins once again.”
While last year’s hero of the Giro, Derek Gee – who won the hearts of cycling fans around the world by coming second on four occasions – will focus on other objectives this year, IPT has assembled a dynamic and versatile team to hunt for stage wins across the three weeks.
Andrle adds: “The experience of guys like Mike Woods, Simon Clarke, and Nick Schultz will be instrumental and I think all three riders can win a stage. Marco Frigo has the added motivation of racing on home soil, we have Hugo Hofstetter racing his first Giro d’Italia, while Riley Pickrell, Nadav Raisberg, and Ethan Vernon are set to line up at their first Grand Tour.
“Ethan, Hugo, and Riley give us multiple cards to play in the sprint stages and I really think we have a team that can win on all terrain. We are excited for the next three weeks of racing and hope to race as aggressively as we did last year.”
After a sensational win at the Tour de France last year, Woods returns to the Giro d’Italia after a six-year hiatus looking to complete the trifecta of Grand Tour stage wins.
“It’s been six years since I have been to the Giro and I’m really excited to be doing it again,” explains Woods, “I’ve had a tough start to the season with some illness but I feel like that is finally behind me and now it’s time for one of the coolest races on the calendar.
“My big ambition for the race will be stage hunting. Particularly with the illness that I’ve had in the last few months, I will aim to have a conservative start and then look for stages later on as the race progresses. So hopefully I can find some form in the early stages and then be aggressive and bag a stage win by the end of the race.”
As one of IPT’s trio of Grand Tour debutants, Ethan Vernon is approaching the Giro d’Italia as a learning experience however, having already opened his 2024 account with a stage win at Tour des Alpes Maritimes, Vernon is keen to test his legs in the sprints.
“I’m really excited for my first Grand Tour,” says Vernon. “I think it’s going to be a really good learning experience for future years. To be lining up alongside experienced guys like Simon Clarke and Mike Woods and be able to ask them questions will be really valuable.
“Personally, I want to use this as a big training block ahead of the Olympics and an opportunity to build experience. I’m excited to get stuck into some of the sprints with Hugo and Riley. There are a few sprint stages I like the look of and also the two time trials. The type of training I have been doing recently should suit them.”
Since the team’s first Giro d’Italia in 2018, with the historic Grande Partenza in Israel, IPT has developed a special relationship with the first Grand Tour of the season, including stage wins courtesy of Alex Dowsett in 2020 and Dan Martin in 2021, and Alessandro De Marchi’s stint in the Maglia Rosa in 2021.
After enjoying the most successful start to the season in IPT’s 10-year history with 15 victories so far, there is no shortage of determination to add to the team’s Giro d’Italia palmarès.
IPT at the Giro d’Italia (Saturday May 4 – Sunday May 26)
Riders: Simon Clarke (AUS), Marco Frigo (ITA), Hugo Hostetter (FRA), Riley Pickrell (CAN), Nadav Raisberg (ISR), Nick Schultz (AUS), Ethan Vernon (GBR), Mike Woods (CAN)
Sports Directors: Rene Andrle (CZE), Rene Mandri (EST), Oscar Guerrero (ESP)
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Here’s the news from Powless’ Team EF Education-EasyPost:
After a difficult spring beset by injury, the American is looking forward to US nationals and the Tour de France
Tomorrow, Neilson Powless will pin a race number to his jersey for the first time since early March.
The American missed his spring classics campaign due to a nagging knee injury, but is now healthy and strong and excited to get back into the peloton before US nationals and his final training camps ahead of the Tour de France. Neilson kept fit by swimming in the Mediterranean near his home in Nice and doing rehab work with our team’s medical pros. He’s kept optimistic by spending time with his family. Now, he is ready to get back to competition.
Neilson Powless in the polka-dotted climber's jersey after stage 11 of the 2023 Tour de France. Sirotti photo
We caught up with Neilson ahead of Eschborn-Frankfurt.
Neilson, you had a tough spring. How was your healing process?
In the beginning, we weren't really sure what was causing my knee pain, but I had some inflammation in my patella. With the team and the medical staff, we worked through a lot of different possible reasons as to why I was getting inflammation. It seemed like it was a combination of a few different things—possibly the crash at Gran Camiño and compensation from that crash afterwards, and then maybe a bit of an aggressive bike position as well, but with a bit of rest, rehab and minor position changes, I think we've found the solution. It was kind of a touch and go process. Having an inflamed patella tendon is sort of tricky. There's not a clear timeline for healing. It's just a matter of waiting until the inflammation goes away. So I tried to stay fit by swimming and doing rehab exercises from the physios on the team, and everything that I was doing seems to be helping and supporting, supporting my knee. Now, I'm in a place where I'm healthy. I haven't felt any knee pain now for about three or four weeks. I've been able to train for about two weeks. Unfortunately, I did get sick. So that was another slight delay. But then this last week I had a good uninterrupted week of training. Hopefully it's all systems go from here.
At times, it must have been frustrating. How did you keep optimistic?
It was really disappointing to miss the classics. I was really hoping to be there in Belgium racing, but I just had to see it as an opportunity to cheer on my teammates and spend a bit of extra time with my family, with Frances and Charlotte. That's not always a privilege we get to have—to have that much time at home. I tried to make the most of it and just tried to enjoy watching my teammates and cheering for my teammates. It was tough to watch from home, but I just tried to stay positive and just keep telling myself that it was out of my control. At least I've got some strong teammates to watch and it was still an exciting time of year. Luckily I was able to continue exercising. I just wasn't able to ride. So, I was swimming a lot. I feel like exercise is sort of like therapy for me and being able to swim and get out of the house each day, helped a lot. Frances and Charlotte were always so supportive and happy to have me around. I just tried to be a good, good dad in that time and help out around the house and keep myself busy. Still being able to get outside and swim was very helpful and just really kept me in a good mood.
We hope you're not thinking about a return to triathlon…?
Not for a few years yet!
How do you feel going into your first race?
I'm not really 100 percent sure where I'll be fitness-wise for Eschborn-Frankfurt, but I'll be racing tomorrow, and I'm really excited to just get back in the peloton and get back with my teammates and feel the rhythm of a race again. On the bright side, this whole situation has opened up a window for me to race nationals and that's really exciting. I didn't think I was going to be able to race nationals, but now it's in the cards. That is actually something I'm really looking forward to. Nobody wants any injury, but I've got things to look forward to now, which is really nice.
What does it mean to you to go back and race in the States?
It means a lot. We don't have too many opportunities to race in the States. Nationals, especially, is always a really fun event. It’s not a very high stress race, but it's always a hard race. I’ve always just had so much fun racing nationals, even though I haven't won yet. Maybe this year will finally be the year. That would be awesome. It would be pretty amazing to rep the Stars and Stripes. That's a dream for every cyclist, to have their national championship jersey on while they're racing all over the world.
How is your prep for the Tour de France looking?
Pretty good! I think my body came healthy right at the perfect time to have a nice, steady build for the Tour. I'm not rushing anything right now, but the fitness is coming along pretty well. My prep going into the Tour should still remain the same. Hopefully, this has just given me some added freshness.I'll be in the States for a couple weeks for nationals, and then I'll head back to Europe for some altitude training. After that, I will be racing Tour de Suisse. And then after Suisse, hopefully the Tour de France!
And here's the Eschborn-Frankfurt news from Team Bahrain Victorious:
As anticipation grows for the start of the Giro d’Italia on Saturday, Team Bahrain Victorious will be in Germany on Wednesday for Eschborn-Frankfurt, the country’s most important cycling event. This World Tour one-day race always takes place on May 1st, (2019’s Covid edition excepted), and was first held in 1962.
The route is unchanged this year at 203.8km, and features a circuit with both of the day’s climbs. The Feldberg will be crossed twice, and the shorter but steeper ‘Mammolshain’ (2.3km @8.3% but with ramps up to 15%), three times.
In the past a sprinter has often taken victory, but Bahrain’s Sports Director Enrico Poitschke says it is no longer a race for the pure fast men:
“As we saw last year, it’s more likely now that a group comes to the finish together and fights for the win. It’s going to be hard throughout, and very selective, so I think a lot of teams will have better climbers in their roster than in previous years, rather than just banking on it being a bunch sprint.”
The parcours is not easy, and while some teams will do their best to control the race, the build-up of small ascents certainly seems to favour an early attack pushing a high enough pace to drop the sprinters. Whoever is in contention by the time they reach Frankfurt will have a flat, straight finale of 500 metres where we will see a city centre sprint for glory.
“Our line-up is very strong and very experienced”, continues Poitschke. “Yuki Arashiro, Jack Haig, Wout Poels and Nikias Arndt are four guys who know this kind of race, and are tactically very astute. They can handle any kind of situation that might happen.
Yuki Arashiro riding the 2023 San Sebastian Classic. Sirotti photo
Then we have three younger riders, Nicolò Buratti, Cameron Scott and Matevž Govekar. Govekar showed he is in good shape at Romandie last week, and he is someone who can do well if there is a sprint from a selected group. So if that’s how it plays out, Matevž is our man. If there are attacks earlier, especially on the climbs, then Wout, Jack or Nicolò can follow, and we can try to get a good result that way.”
Bahrain’s best result here was Phil Bauhaus’ 4th place in 2022, and with the blend of talent in Germany for us this year, we will be hoping to equal or better that on Wednesday.
The 61st edition of Eschborn-Frankfurt starts at 12:05 CET, and is scheduled to finish between 16:51 & 17:20.
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