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Friday, October 11, 2024
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2024 Tour de France | 2024 Giro d'Italia
I'll do whatever it takes to win games, whether it's sitting on a bench waving a towel, handing a cup of water to a teammate, or hitting the game-winning shot. - Kobe Bryant
Bill & Carol McGann’s book The Story of the Tour de France, 2022: The Fastest Tour Ever is available in both Kindle eBook & audiobook versions. To get your copy, just click on the Amazon link on the right.
Upcoming racing:
- October 12: Il Lombardia
- October 13: Chrono des Nations
- October 15 - 20: Tour of Guangxi
- October 16: Giro del Veneto
- October 20: Japan Cup Road Race
Latest completed racing:
- October 10: Gran Piemonte
- October 8: Tre Valli Varesine
- October 7: Coppa Bernocchi
- Sept 29 - Oct 6: Le Tour de Langkawi
- October 6: Paris-Tours
- October 6: Coppa Agostoni-Giro delle Brianze
- October 5: Giro dell'Emilia
- October 3: Sparkassen Münsterland Giro
- October 1: Binche-Chimay-Binche
- September 22 - 29: World Road Cycling Championships
- September 18 - 22: Tour de Luxembourg
We posted the report from winner Neilson Powless' Team EF Education-EasyPost with the results.
Here's the report from second-place Corbin Strong's Team Israel-Premier Tech:
Corbin Strong made the podium in Gran Piemonte this Thursday after an impressive team performance by the IPT riders in the Italian one-day race.
“I’m a little gutted to only get second, but I’m also really happy with the way we raced as a team today,” Strong said after the finish line. “The guys worked so hard to set me up for the sprint.”
Corbin Strong (center) getting second on this year's Gran Piemonte. Sirotti photo
After a relatively quiet start, the race really opened up on the main climb of the day with 60 km to go. Schultz was constantly attentive near the front, and when a dangerous group broke away, the 30-year-old Aussie made sure to get in the mix and represent the team at the front.
Meanwhile, Strong made a huge effort on the climb to stay with the main group, always able to count on impeccable support from his teammates.
“Over the top of the climb, I was just about hanging on to the back of the bunch, which is normally perfect for me when I’m on a good day, as the other sprinters will have been dropped,” he explained.
“After we caught the group with Nick, my teammates worked so hard to set me up for the sprint, and we almost managed to bring it back. Marco [Frigo], Nick [Schultz], and Hugo [Houle] were so strong out there in the final.”
However, despite the strong work by IPT in the final, the leading rider, Neilson Powless (EF Education – EasyPost), managed to hold on to his lead and take the win by just seven seconds, while Strong claimed his 12th podium spot of the year.
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Here's the Gran Piemonte report from Team dsm-firmenich PostNL:
Italian one-day racing returned today with Gran Piemonte, as Team dsm-firmenich PostNL Men’s program lined up on European soil for the penultimate time this season. Approaching the main climb of the day, the team took control in the peloton, setting the pace behind the breakaway to make the race more challenging.
In the second part of the ascent, Martijn Tusveld took over and set up an attack by Kevin Vermaerke, who crested the climb in a strong chasing group. Unfortunately, he was held up by a puncture and fell out of contention. However, Martijn managed to bridge to the front group, which grew larger as more dropped riders returned to the front. While a solo attacker claimed the win, Martijn put in a solid performance and finished in 14th place in the sprint from the first chasing group.
Romain Bardet before the race start. Sirotti photo
Tusveld said: “It was a nice day for me. We planned to really make the race hard on the long climb, as we wanted to create a situation where we could tire out the sprinters and get over the top in a small group with as many of us as possible. Immediately at the bottom of the climb, we went to the front to set a good pace. It was really nice, as we were all there together and pushing. I set the pace for Kevin in the second part of the climb, and he launched a strong attack. We had some bad luck on the descent, as he got a puncture and dropped from the leaders. I felt really good and made it into the group of 15 that caught the breakaway. I think our plan was really good, because if Romain [Bardet] had a slightly better day and Kevin had a bit more luck, both would have been in that group, and we would have had several cards to play. I took a bit of a gamble for the sprint at the end, but I got boxed in when I tried to launch it. Overall, though, I am really happy with my result, with how I felt, and with how we animated the race as a team.”
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Here's the team's post:
Team Visma | Lease a Bike hopes to make an impact in the final Monument of the year: the Tour of Lombardy. Matteo Jorgenson and sports director Marc Reef preview the race. "With our strong team, we're determined to aim for a great result.”
Il Lombardia, also known as the Race of the Falling Leaves, is rich in cycling history but has yet to be conquered by Team Visma | Lease a Bike. This Saturday, the peloton will set off from Bergamo, Italy, and after more than 250 kilometers, finish in Como. Along the way, riders will tackle seven challenging climbs.
Matteo Jorgenson
Jorgenson is aiming high for Saturday, but keeps a realistic mindset. “In general, I like to be a realist while still aiming high. We don’t have the top favorite on our team, and we have to be honest about that. Still, speaking for myself, I’m ambitious. I believe a top 5 finish is within reach. Winning will be tough, but the race still has to be ridden," says the 25-year-old Jorgenson.
His thoughts are echoed by sports director Reef. “We haven't secured a podium result in a Monument this year, and that's something we're really aiming for on Saturday. In races like the Giro dell’Emilia and the Coppa Bernocchi, we showed strong teamwork. Bart Lemmen even came close to victory in the latter. While we don’t have the absolute favorite for the win this time, we do have a well-rounded and strong team with Matteo, Bart, Wilco Kelderman, and Tiesj Benoot. We're definitely a team to keep an eye on. We'll assess our chances and fully commit during the race.”
"Lombardy is always a huge day on the bike," Jorgenson notes, "and it demands a lot of willingness to suffer, even just to finish. The race is quite honest and tactically straightforward. The results at the finish usually reflect exactly how strong your legs were on the day."
After taking a short break following the Tour de France and the Olympics, Jorgenson has shown solid form in recent races in Canada and Italy. “Personally, I think me and the team have managed my race calendar quite well this year, and I still have something left to give mentally. I'm not at the same level physically as I was during the summer, but I believe I can still play a role in the final of the race on Saturday."
“The Tour of Lombardy is always a beautiful but incredibly tough race," Reef concludes. "With a long history, it remains one of the hardest days of the season. Like in previous editions finishing in Como, we'll once again climb the San Fermo della Battaglia in the finale, which will likely be decisive. The course has been slightly altered, making it harder to predict. But with our strong team, we're determined to aim for a great result.”
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Here’s the team’s announcement:
UAE Team Emirates will count on the experience and strength of one of the best climbers in the pro peloton with Rafal Majka extending his current deal until the end of 2025.
Majka, 35, first joined the Emirati squad in 2021 and has clocked up four personal victories as well as being a key lieutenant for many of the team’s biggest successes such as overall victories in the Giro D’Italia and in multiple editions of the Tour de France.
Here's Rafal Majka riding in 2023 Tour de France Stage 13. Sirotti photo
Majka: “I’m very pleased to be staying here at UAE for next season. I feel very at home in this team and excited for what we can achieve over the next year. I think I still have a lot to give to the team and have found a role which I am enjoying a lot. “
Mauro Gianetti (Team Principal & CEO): “We are happy to have Rafal with us again for 2025. It’s a team which has a lot of young talents but also a rider like Rafal with his experience and qualities can have an important part to play. Majka is an example of a rider who has grown into his role in the team and is still one of the best climbers in the world on his day.”
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