Bicycle Racing News and Opinion,
Saturday, May 4, 2024
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2023 Tour de France | 2023 Giro d'Italia
There is no Frigate like a book to take us lands away nor any coursers like a page of prancing Poetry. - Emily Dickinson
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Current racing:
- May 4: GP du Morbihan
- May 4 - 26: Giro d'Italia
Upcoming racing:
- May 5: Tro-Bro Léon
Latest completed racing:
- May 1: Rund um den Finanzplatz Eschborn-Frankfurt
- 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
This is from Julian Alaphilippe's Team Soudal Quick-Step:
2024 is Julian Alaphilippe’s 11th season in the pro ranks and one which will mark a first for the charismatic Frenchman: his debut in the Giro d’Italia, the only Grand Tour he’s never ridden in the Soudal Quick-Step jersey. One of the most successful riders of our times, with a palmares that includes two World Champion titles, Milano-Sanremo, Strade Bianche, a hat-trick of La Flèche Wallonne successes and multiple Grand Tour stages, Alaphilippe is looking forward to this fresh challenge, which gets underway on Saturday.
Julian Alaphilippe at the Giro d'Italia teams presentation ceremony on Friday, the day before the race start. Sirotti photo
“The shape is good. I didn’t go on an altitude training camp, but I did a strong Tour de Romandie at the end of April, which was important for my preparation. I felt that I’ve improved there day by day. We’ll see how things go during the Giro, but I want to give my best so I don’t have any regrets. It would be great to get a win and complete the collection of stage victories in all Grand Tour, but I know it won’t be easy.”
The first weekend is one of the hardest of a Grand Tour in recent memory. On Saturday, the riders will take on several climbs, including a steep one featuring some nasty double-digit gradients just a few kilometers from the finish in Torino. Twenty-four hours later, the race schedules its first summit finish on the Santuario de Oropa, which can have quite a big impact on the general classification.
Both stages come with a bonus – the iconic pink jersey – but Julian prefers not to think about this, and instead, take it one day at a time and see what the race brings.
“My first focus will be on the opening stage, which will be a good opportunity for me to see where I am at the start of the race. We did a recon the other day and it will be a hard and nervous stage. I know there is a chance for me to be in contention for the maglia rosa on Saturday and wearing it would be a dream, but it will be very difficult as there are a lot of strong riders who can be in the mix there. I am motivated and confident and I hope for a good Giro together with my Soudal Quick-Step teammates”, added the 31-year-old Julian.
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This from Cian Uijtdebroeks' Team Visma | Lease a Bike:
On Saturday, May 4, Cian Uijtdebroeks will be at the start of his first Giro d'Italia. The Belgian climber is still in his first season with Team Visma | Lease a Bike and aims for a good spot in the general classification. "My ambition is top-10," Uijtdebroeks says.
Cian Uijtdebroeks riding up the Angliru in stage 17 of the 2023 Vuelta a España. Sirotti photo
Last month, Uijtdebroeks was getting ready for the Giro, his main goal this season, through an altitude training on 'El Teide.' "I have a free role and aim for a good result in the GC. That's my personal goal. The team's goal is to get as many stage wins as possible. With Olav Kooij, Christophe Laporte and Koen Bouwman we have suitable riders for that," Uijtdebroeks shares.
In preparation for this Tour of Italy, Uijtdebroeks did O Gran Camino, Tirreno-Adriatico and the Volta a Catalunya. In the first two races he felt strong and helped Jonas Vingegaard to get the overall victory. The Volta a Catalunya he had to abandon. "I got a little sick a few days before the start. During the race I recovered badly and when it also got cold, it went completely downhill," explains the Belgian, who was able to quickly move on. "I know that this bad result did not come because of a poor condition. The germs that emerged at that time played a much bigger role in it," Uijtdebroeks says.
This season, the young Belgian made the move to Team Visma | Lease a Bike. A choice with which he is extremely happy. "It is a super professional team that suits me very well, both as a rider and as a person. Everything is well considered to the smallest details and we as a rider don't have to worry about practical matters. This allows us to focus better on our training and resting periods," the young Belgian stresses.
"I'm also a rider who attaches a lot of importance to data and values. Science plays an increasingly important role in cycling today and I don't think I could have been with a better team in that than Team Visma | Lease a Bike," the climber says. "I'm someone who likes structure, but also has his own opinion. That's why I think it's great that as a rider we have a say in decisions. I really like that culture of consultation."
Looking at the course, we see that, as is often the case, the decisive point lies in the final week of the Giro. "That final week is really cruel. Especially the triptych of stages fifteen, sixteen and seventeen will provide a real battle of attrition. There the general classification can still be completely turned upside down," Uijtdebroeks says.
"Furthermore, it is important to get through the first two weeks as economically as possible and avoid crashes. You won't win the race there, but you can already lose it," clarifies the rider from Team Visma | Lease a Bike. The Tour of Italy will start in Turin on Saturday, May 4, and finish in Rome on Sunday, May 26
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Here's the final pre-Giro update from Team Lidl-Trek:
The start of the Giro d'Italia is just hours away. Determination, grit, expectations; the voice of our key riders Jonathan Milan, Jasper Stuyven and Junape Lopez
Jonathan Milan:
"This Giro has attracted a lot of sprinters, and with a few exceptions, I think the best are all here so, competing against them will be hard but exciting. On paper, there are many opportunities for us, I count at least six, but I expect really hard-fought challenges. If I have to give two names I fear most, I would say Olav Kooij and Tim Merlier.
Jonathan Milan at the Giro d'Italia teams presentation ceremony. Sirotti photo
"I come back to the Giro with great ambitions and, together with the team, we put a big red circle around this race in the winter already. We have built a train that, race after race, has gained consistency and confidence. I think we are one of the strongest teams for sprints at the start of this Giro. I feel so much confidence around me, so much desire to do well. I am really excited about this group. I will be the leader for the sprints, but our Giro is certainly not limited to that. We have riders who can play the game on all terrains, and that is what we, as Lidl-Trek, have in mind.
"It seems trite to say that winning is easy but repeating it is difficult. However, that is my big goal for the Corsa Rosa. I know the bar has been raised, I know I have a lot of eyes on me but, I also know that I have prepared in the best possible way. I am chasing the goal of stage wins and the Ciclamino jersey, achieving this would truly give me great satisfaction."
Jasper Stuyven:
"Recovering in time for this Giro has been a challenge, but, in the end, I’m glad I made it. I don’t want to spend energy regretting the time lost because of the crash. I did my utmost to prepare for the race but I know I am starting with some question marks and the hope to improve my form. What matters is that I am here now, happy and determined to get back in the peloton for my second Giro.
"The crash at Dwars door Vlaanderen is still a vivid memory. I lived the last month pedaling on home trainers, having medical checkups and doing a lot of physiotherapy. Only in the last days I was able to train on the road. I gave my body time to recover, that was the priority, and then I evaluated its reaction by getting back in the saddle.
"It’s hard for me to talk about concrete goals for this Giro as I would have done without the crash and all that came with it. Especially in the first week, I will live the race day by day. I want to contribute to the sprint lead out for Jonny, and then we will figure out the rest of the race and try to see how I can fight for a stage success myself. It will be a Giro to build on, stage by stage, with the hope of finding the feeling I had a month ago."
Juanpe Lopez:
"My approach to this Giro was special with my first win as a professional at Tour of the Alps, then the GC win, I think its the best I could hope for. I feel good, the condition is very good, and in short, it’s hard for me to ask for better coming into a Grand Tour that I love and that, in 2022, gave me great emotions.
"I do not hide that I have great ambitions for this race: my goal is to win a stage. I achieved the first step I was looking for, that of breaking the ice as a professional, and now I want a WorldTour victory. This Giro is a great opportunity and I want to make the most of it.
"I feel that talking about the GC is too early right now. I think it’s a goal to think about later in the race. Right now, in my head, there is the stage win, but that will certainly not mean that I will aim to get out of the GC quickly in order to enjoy more freedom. I’ll do my best to keep a good position along with other GC guys and then, we’ll see day by day how the classification turns out and what I can get in the third week."
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Rowe’s Team INEOS Grenadiers posted this:
Luke Rowe, trusted Road Captain and the longstanding INEOS Grenadier, has announced he will retire at the end of the 2024 season.
Luke has been with the team since becoming a neo-pro in 2012 and has ridden an impressive eight consecutive Tour de France races. As well as a standout rider in the Classics, with his own impressive performances in some of the toughest races, Luke has played the critical role of Road Captain for three different Tour de France winners in Chris Froome, Geraint Thomas and Egan Bernal.
Luke Rowe racing in the 2022 Elite Men's World Road Race Championship. Sirotti photo
Welshman Luke, who turned 34 last month, explained his decision to bring forward his retirement by a season: “I’ve had an amazing career and I have absolutely no regrets. But the last 18 months have been testing in different ways and with this latest crash and resulting injury, it just feels like now is the right time to bow out, head home to Wales and spend a bit more time with my family.
“I’ve got so many amazing memories and I have loved every part of being a professional cyclist. There are so many people who have played a key role in my career - too many to thank individually. Obviously huge thanks to my family and friends, but I’d also like to thank everyone in the INEOS Grenadiers, many of whom are also like family. I’ve been incredibly lucky to spend all 13 years as a pro bike rider with one team and it’s been a team who has supported me 100% through the good times and the bad. Their commitment and support to their athletes is world class and it’s part of the reason I have never wanted to race for anyone else.
“For now, I am focusing on recovering from this latest injury and working with the team and doctors to try and get back on the bike. I have the rest of the season left and would like to race again in 2024 - with the Tour of Britain being my dream race to end on. The fans around the world have always been amazing but it would be pretty special to end my career racing around the UK in front of home fans.”
John Allert, CEO of INEOS Grenadiers, praised Luke’s racing ability but also the positive impact he has on the team off the bike: “Luke is a massive part of what makes this team so special. He has been here since the very start and has played a huge part in our biggest wins and some of the most iconic moments in the team’s history.
“Not only is Luke a fearless, gritty, powerhouse of a racer who can read and control a race like few other riders, he’s a fantastic personality and team-mate off the bike too. In the last few years, he has been a willing mentor to our younger riders, passing down his wisdom, experience and tactical knowledge.
“We are all going to miss Luke, but he’ll always be a Grenadier, and I’m sure has a bright future working in some aspect of the sport he loves so much. I’m sure I speak for everyone who has ever worked with Luke, when I say thanks for everything and good luck with the remainder of the season.”
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