Bicycle Racing News and Opinion,
Saturday, October 5, 2024
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2024 Tour de France | 2024 Giro d'Italia
There is no greatness where there is no simplicity, goodness and truth. - Leo Tolstoy
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Current racing:
- Sept 29 - Oct 6: Le Tour de Langkawi
- October 5: Giro dell'Emilia
Upcoming racing:
- October 6: Paris-Tours
- October 6: Coppa Agostoni-Giro delle Brianze
- October 7: Coppa Bernocchi
- October 8: Tre Valli Varesine
- October 10: Gran Piemonte
- October 12: Il Lombardia
Latest completed racing:
- October 3: Sparkassen Münsterland Giro
- October 1: Binche-Chimay-Binche
- September 22 - 29: World Road Cycling Championships
- September 18 - 22: Tour de Luxembourg
- September 21: Super 8 Classic
- September 20: Kampioenschap van Vlaanderen
- September 18: GP de Wallonie
- September 15: Grand Prix Cycliste de Montréal
- September 15: Trofeo Matteotti
- September 14: Memorial Marco Pantani
- September 13: Grand Prix Cycliste de Québec
- September 12: Coppa Sabatini
We posted the race organizer's report with the results.
Here's the report from 5th place Casper van Uden's Team dsm-firmenich PostNL:
The sixth day of racing at Le Tour de Langkawi saw a much flatter affair with a 123 kilometre route from Batu Pahat to Kulai on the menu. It was a fierce start to proceedings as riders and teams battling in the top ten of the GC looked to duke it out at the early intermediate sprint, before a break of four then went clear after that. Enzo Leijnse set the pace at the head of the peloton for Team dsm-firmenich PostNL, with the joint goal of ensuring the gap didn’t grow out too far so the team’s GC lead with Max Poole wouldn’t come under threat, but also so that other sprint teams would want to help out and bring things back together.
Manuele Tarozzi won Tour of Langkawi stage six.
Leijnse did receive some help from a few teams but the quartet out front were strong and coming into the last ten kilometres the gap stood at the magical one minute mark. However, on the slightly rolling run-in two of the breakaway riders would hold on to fight it out for the stage win in a two-up sprint, while nine seconds behind in the peloton Casper van Uden produced a good sprint to take fifth place on the stage; while Poole retains the overall race lead heading into the weekend.
Van Uden said: “We tried to keep the break under control to protect Max’s GC and then set up a possible sprint. Unfortunately, we didn’t quite catch them but the boys were still able to deliver me in a decent position and I could give it a go from the bunch for fifth.”
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Team Polti Kometa posted this Tour of Langkawi stage six report:
The breakaway managed to reach the finish line of the sixth stage of the Tour de Langkawi. In the main group, Team Polti Kometa again looked for its chance to be second in the mass sprint with Manuel Peñalver, fourth overall. The same fourth position is held by Fernando Tercero in the general classification with two stages to go.
In the final stretch of the Tour de Langkawi, Team Polti Kometa continues to accumulate places of honour. The peloton failed to neutralise the breakaway in a very fast finish where Tarozzi (Bardiani) raised his arms. But the team collaborated in the chase and Manuel Peñalver responded to this work by managing to be second in the main group only behind De Kleijn (Tudor), fourth in the stage.
Tour of Langkawi stage six gets started.
There are only two days left and, although every day the postometer causes changes in the general classification, Fernando Tercero maintains his fourth place, 20 seconds behind the leader of the race. A goal to maintain and the option of climbing the podium, which will be fought for until the end.
Manuel Peñalver: ‘It’s a pity, because despite the good work the breakaway has been able to arrive and a second place has become fourth today. But we maintain our regularity, our presence in the race, always at the front, and it gives us confidence that these energies will allow us to achieve victory in the remaining stages, where the fatigue will surely be more noticeable as the days go by’.
Jesús Hernández, sports director: ‘We can’t be happy because in the end the breakaway has arrived. It was very difficult to catch them in the final part, but we still have a leading role and presence in the sprint finishes, so we are going to face the remaining days with that attitude’.
A long transfer for the riders today as they change islands to face tomorrow’s longest and straightest stage, with almost 200 kilometres along the coast from Miri to Bintulu. An essentially flat profile, but with a climb 40 kilometres from the finish, these are the ingredients of the penultimate stage of the Tour de Langkawi, which is nearing its end.
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Here’s the team’s update:
On Saturday October 5th, Bahrain Victorious will compete in the Giro dell’Emilia (1.Pro), after a four-year absence from the event. The team last participated in 2020, when the pandemic shifted the race to August. However, the most memorable moment in this Italian Autumn Classic came in 2017, during the team’s debut season, when Giovanni Visconti claimed victory ahead of teammate Vincenzo Nibali.
For this 107th edition, Bahrain Victorious will take on the challenging roads around Bologna with a climber-heavy squad, ideal for the course’s demanding finale. Antonio Tiberi, Damiano Caruso, and Wout Poels will lead the team, with the race likely to be decided on the iconic San Luca climb, a 2.1 km climb at a punishing 9% gradient, which is tackled five times.
Wout Poels on the podium after winning stage 20 of the 2023 Vuelta a España. Sirotti photo
San Luca has featured in Grand Tour stages recently, specifically the 2019 Giro d’Italia’s uphill time trial, and the Tour de France’s Grand Depart in Italy this year, making this classic more popular and more attractive to the world’s top climbers. The Giro dell’Emilia is also a key part of riders’ preparation for Il Lombardia, the final Monument of the season.
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For the first time in the race’s history, the start will be in Vignola, with three flat laps of 17 km each. The parcours then takes on several challenging climbs, including Zocca (13.9 km at 3.9%), Grizzana Morandi (6.2 km at 5.8%), and Montechiaro (3.1 km at 9.7%, 18% max), before entering the San Luca circuit (4 x 9.2km). In total, the riders will cover 215.5 km with 3,403 metres of elevation gain.
Sports Director Gorazd Štangelj commented, “While we had to withdraw Pello Bilbao after his crash at the Worlds, we still have a strong lineup. In such a tough race, motivation is as important as form. As always, we expect the first climb of San Luca to cause a significant selection, and staying in the lead group will require both strength and mental grit.”
"Nikias Arndt, Andrea Pasqualon, and young stagiaire Vlad Van Mechelen, will protect the leaders Tiberi, Poels and Caruso. The veteran Italian will also act as road captain. On the final circuit, Torsten Træen will also lend support.
Štangelj concluded, “This is always a highly competitive race, and we aim to be in the mix for a top result.”
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