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Sunday, September 8, 2024

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2024 Tour de France | 2024 Giro d'Italia

Go to Heaven for the climate, Hell for the company. - Mark Twain

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Plato's dialogue Crito is available both in audiobook and Kindle eBook versions. To get your copy, just click on the Amazon link on the right.

• August 17 - Sept 8: Vuelta a España
• September 3 - 8: Tour of Britain
• September 8: Bemer Cyclassics
• September 8: Grand Prix Cycliste de Quebec
  

Upcoming racing:

• September 10: Grand Prix Cycliste de Montréal
• September 10: GP de Formies

Latest completed racing:

• August 28 - September 1: Renewi Tour
• August 25: Bretagne Classic Ouest-France
• August 20 - 23: Tour du Poitou-Charentes en Nouvelle Aquitaine
• August 12 - 18: Tour of Poland
• August 14 - 18: PostNord Denmark Rundt
• August 13 - 16: Tour du Limousin
• August 11: La Polynormande
• August 10: Clasica San Sebastian
• August 5 - 9: Vuelta a Burgos
• August 4 - 7: Arctic Race of Norway
• July 27 - August 4: Olympic cycling

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Vuelta a España stage 20 reports

We posted the report from the race organizer with the results.

Here's the report from stage winner Eddie Dunbar's Team Jayco AlUla:

Irish eyes were smiling again as Eddie Dunbar soared to his second victory of the 2024 Vuelta a España on stage 20.

Dunbar had already notched up his debut Grand Tour stage win in the second week, but he wanted more. He bided his time in the group of favourites as it was whittled down by successive tough climbs before launching a daring move with just under five kilometres to go.

The 28-year-old, who moved up to 11th in the general classification with his victory, powered his way over to the lone leader Pavel Sivakov before going solo himself. With the gradients pitching up to 18 percent, Dunbar had to dig deep into his reserves to hold the chasers at bay, in what was a nail-biting finale.

Despite the GC leaders behind attempting to shut his move down, the Irishman kept his cool and rode his own pace up the brutally steep ascents to take yet another win in what has been a very successful Vuelta a España for Team Jayco AlUla.

Eddie Dunbar on his solo journey to victory.

In addition to Dunbar’s two stage wins, Mauro Schmid and Filippo Zana delivered the team to three brilliant second places between them with one stage remaining.

Eddie Dunbar
“I always knew it was going to be a really difficult stage but with the way the last three weeks have been ridden I just thought that a lot of guys would be tired today, especially GC guys who have gone to the limit every day. I’m a bit behind on GC, I knew that if I stayed with them and did everything right in the last week, I’d have a chance to maybe get the stage win today. I was never going to be let go in the breakaway, but I always believed I could win today.

"I knew if I just kept pacing myself and kept riding at threshold, if someone was going to come across it was going to take a big effort, so I paced myself really well. It wasn’t until about 200 metres to go that I thought I could probably hold them off, when I looked back and saw a bit of daylight there. I was just enjoying that last 50 metres.”

Valerio Piva (Sport Director)
“It’s fantastic. We knew that Eddie was in good shape and super motivated for the stage today to move in GC but also to do a good result. The victory was a dream and now we have it as a reality. I’m very happy for him. The team helped him for as long as possible and he saw a good moment when all the leaders were looking at each other and they were without helpers. He was amazingly strong because to stay in front when the leaders are attacking each other is not easy and he showed a fantastic quality and shape. He has finished this Vuelta in very top shape and that is fantastic for him and for us.”

Here's the Vuelta report from GC leader Primoz Roglic's Team Red Bull-Bora-hansgrohe:

Stage 20 was the queen stage of the Vuelta 2024: seven categorised climbs, more than 4,700 metres of climbing. As if these challenges were not enough as the Vuelta 2024 draws to a close, Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe had to face additional difficulties. A wave of illness hit the team overnight.

The result: Dani Martinez and Patrick Gamper were unfortunately forced to abandon the stage, while Aleks Vlasov arrived on the Picón Blanco 34 minutes behind and Nico Denz fought valiantly to be the last rider to cross the finish line.

Primoz Roglic on the day's final climb. Sirotti photo

Patxi Vila:
"A wave of illness has swept over us overnight. We are currently investigating whether food poisoning is the cause. Several staff members have been affected and have had to pull out of today's stage. Also, Nico, Gampi, Dani and Aleks were unwell during the stage. We will gather now and will focus on tomorrow's final stage."

During the stage, Giovanni Aleotti, Roger Adriá and Florian Lipowitz grouped around Primož Roglič and his red jersey. The last steep kilometres of the final climb suited Roglič. He crossed the line in third place and added another 8 seconds to his lead.

Florian Lipowitz finished the day with another good result. The youngster once again finished in the top ten and moved up to 7th place in the overall standings. He is about to complete his first Grand Tour.

Primož Roglič has now increased his lead to 2'02" ahead of tomorrow's final time trial. He will be the last rider to tackle the 24.6km through Madrid. He will roll off the start ramp at 19:04.

Here's the Vuelta report from Team Soudal Quick-Step:

Seven classified climbs and 5000 vertical meters – two good reasons why the penultimate day of the Spanish Grand Tour was labelled as being the queen stage of the whole race. The final showdown between the general classification favourites in the high mountains brought an impressive display from the entire T-Rex Quick-Step team, who turned themselves inside out in support of Mikel Landa.

Our boys took over the reins in the peloton with around 70 kilometers to go, and their presence there was felt immediately, as the gap to the breakaway was reduced while riders began to lose contact with the bunch as a result of this forcing. On the long Puerto de los Tornos, Landa took the race by the scruff of its neck and danced clear of the main group, enlivening the race and shedding riders out the back, including some of his GC rivals.

A regrouping happened five kilometers from the top, but on the plateau leading to the last ascent of the day, the Basque tried again, spreading panic in the group, who chased hard to rejoin him. Not long after, Mattia Cattaneo and William Junior Lecerf made it back to the front of the race, and their presence ended up being of huge importance to Landa, who could save energy while the T-Rex Quick-Step duo controlled things.

Mikel Landa riding stage 13. Sirotti photo

On Picon Blanco, a climb where he won at the 2017 Vuelta a Burgos, Mikel dug deep and attacked countless times in an attempt to make the difference, and his efforts didn’t go unrewarded. An acceleration just 500 meters from the line ensured him a top ten finish on this hard climb, where Eddie Dunbar (Jayco-AlUla), and at the same time helped Mikel move to eighth on the standings with just the individual time trial in Madrid left.

“I am proud of the team, they worked hard for me today and I tried to do my best. I attacked several times, but found no allies, so the others came back. It wasn’t an easy stage, but I kept believing and fighting until the very end, so I am content and have no regrets”, Landa said after the stage.

Carlos Rodriguez's Team INEOS Grenadiers posted this short Vuelta report:

Carlos Rodriguez battled to limit his losses on stage 20 of La Vuelta a Espana.

A huge day with almost 5000 metres of climbing was taken at pace from the flag drop, with the GC group still intact at the foot of the penultimate climb. An upping of the tempo from Soudal - Quickstep would see the overall contenders splinter, with Carlos slipping back and maintaining an effort he could carry to the line.

Carlos Rodriguez before the start of stage 18. Sirotti photo

The Spaniard would continue to fall back from GC contenders on the final, fierce climb, ultimately finishing 5’42” on stage winner Eddie Dunbar (Jayco - AlUla).

The result would see Carlos in 10th overall, with the crucial time trial in Madrid still to come.

Here's the Vuelta report from Team Visma | Lease a Bike:

Team Visma | Lease a Bike was unable to get involved in the battle for the stage win in the final regular stage of the Vuelta a España. Sepp Kuss crossed the line in 25th place. He is now 13th in the overall standings.

Stage 20 featured seven categorized climbs and almost five thousand altitude metres. For Robert Gesink, it was an especially significant day, as it marked the final regular stage of his professional career.

“We had the plan to go for the stage win,” said sports director Grischa Niermann after the race. “That could have been possible either through the breakaway or with a strong Sepp. But unfortunately, we have to admit that we weren't good enough today. Sepp had to drop back on the penultimate climb. It is what it is for now. The guys certainly fought and did what they could, but we simply weren't good enough to compete today.”

Robert Gesink before the start of stage 3. Sirotti photo

Sunday’s final stage in Madrid will be a time trial. In that, Gesink will ride his last official kilometers of his career, Edoardo Affini will aim for a strong result as a time trial specialist, and Kuss will look to defend his 13th place in the general classification.

And here's the Vuelta news from Thomas De Gendt's Team Lotto Dstny:

In Madrid, he will truly call it quits. Thomas De Gendt will bid farewell to the Vuelta and, by extension, any future Grand Tour. Later this season, he will also hang up his bike for good. There were gifts this morning at the start in Villarcayo because the grueling stage toward Picón Blanco marked De Gendt's 500th stage in a Grand Tour. "And it's likely the toughest stage I've ever done," De Gendt laughs.

How unique it is to win a stage in a Grand Tour is evident in the statistics. Out of those 500 stages, De Gendt won 5. His first was in the 2012 Giro, that iconic one on the Stelvio. He also won again in the Giro in 2022. In the Tour, he won in 2016 – on Mont Ventoux – and in 2019. In the Vuelta, he won in 2017. "In fact, I only won 1 percent of the stages I started in. All the work, all the preparation, all the training for just one percent success. 99 percent 'for nothing' – although, of course, I shouldn't say it like that. I just want to point out how difficult it is to win a single stage. And I won five. That’s something to be proud of."

Froome and the Mont Ventoux
De Gendt's favourite is the one on the Stelvio in the 2012 Giro, where, after a massive solo effort through walls of snow, he could raise his arms in victory for the first time in a Grand Tour.

Thomas De Gendt climbing the Stelvio in the 2012 Giro d'Italia. Sirotti photo

"And there’s one stage that everyone always forgets because someone else stole the headlines that day. It was the stage where Chris Froome had to run up Mont Ventoux without his bike. I won at Chalet Reynard, but that’s not what people remember from that stage (laughs). The 2017 Vuelta will also always stay with me. We won no fewer than four stages as a team, including the 19th in Gijón, which I won. It wasn’t just that stage, but the whole Vuelta that was special. The atmosphere in the team was amazing back then. We won from early breakaways, with three different riders. Those were three fantastic weeks."

Thomas De Gendt wins the famous stage 20 atop the Passo Dello Stelvio in 2012. Sirotti photo

At the end of this Vuelta, De Gendt will have 25 Grand Tours under his belt. A special milestone that De Gendt looks back on with great fondness. "It’s everything. The preparation to begin with, the journey towards it. But also the adventure. Being on the road for three weeks with the same team. The difference between the first and third week, when fatigue sets in. Often surprises happen during a Grand Tour. Early breakaways that stay ahead, riders who suddenly climb well because they’re fresher than others. That’s what makes a three-week Tour so different from a seven-day stage race."

That beautiful adventure comes to an end tomorrow in Madrid, without a sixth victory. "The level is much higher than before, and I’m no longer improving. Last week, I produced my second-highest ten-minute wattage of 2024, but I was still just in the second group on the climb. In the past, you would break away with such numbers. Today, it’s just enough to be in the second group behind the favorites. Today won’t be the day either – my 500th stage is incredibly tough. Ah well, tomorrow will be my real last stage, the time trial. Then I’ll ride alone and can enjoy it a bit more. I’m looking forward to it, just as I’m looking forward to Monday when I’ll see my wife and kids again."

Tour of Britain stage 5 reports

We posted the report from stage winner Paul Magnier's Team Soudal Quick-Step with the results.

Here's the report from Team dsm-firmenich PostNL:

The penultimate day of racing at Tour of Britain saw the peloton take on rolling roads; starting and finishing in Northampton. It was a fast start to things with multiple attacks behind a three-rider move, but eventually things calmed down and those ahead built on their lead. Riding smartly, they kept it at a gap which was close so the peloton didn’t want to shut them down too early, before fully going for it in the final 30 kilometres.

Team dsm-firmenich PostNL contributed to the chase and eventually the leading trio was reeled in at the flamme rouge. However, on the technical and twisting run-in to the line the team weren’t able to fully nail the lead-out and sprint finisher Casper van Uden ran out of steam in the battle to the line, finishing the stage in tenth place.

Paul Magnier wins Tour of Britain stage 5.

Van Uden said: “The boys a good job looking after Oscar and me today. It was a hard stage with a strong break out front over the rolling terrain so it cost quite a bit to bring it back. Unfortunately, at the moment I am just lacking some legs for these types of finishes. However, we have one more day to finish off with a bang tomorrow!”

UAE Team Emirates' upcoming racing

Here's the team's update:

UAE Team Emirates will take-on a big block of racing across Europe with the BEMER Cyclassics (8 Sept) in Germany along with a separate squad of riders to the GP Industria & Artigianato (8 Sept), Giro Della Toscana (11 Sept) and the Coppa Sabatini (12 Sept) as the Italian autumn classics get under way in the build-up to the grand finale of Il Lombardia.

Home favourite Nils Politt will lead the teams ambitions at the Bemer Classic while the likes of Marc Hirschi, Diego Ulissi and young talent Jan Christen will all aim for glory in Italy.

Nils Politt riding stage 4 of the 2024 Critérium du Dauphiné. Sirotti photo

Politt: “The Bemer Classic is a very nice race. Obviously I’m looking forward to racing on home roads in Germany, it’s always an extra motivation. I was top-10 here last year and it would be amazing to go even better this year. It’s been a big year for the team, a historic one, and motivation is high to continue like this right to the end of the season.”

The squad in Germany will be overseen by Sports Directors Andrej Hauptman (Slo) and Jan Polanc (Slo), while the teams in Italy will see Fabrizio Guidi (Ita) and Marco Marzano (Ita) as Sports Directors.

BEMER Cyclassics [1.UWT] – 8-Sep-2024

• Mikkel Bjerg (Den)
• Sebastian Molano (Col)
• Antonio Morgado (Por)
• Ivo Oliveira (Por)
• Nils Politt (Ger)
• Tim Wellens (Bel)
• Felix Grossschartner (Aus)

GP Industria & Artigianato [1.Pro] – 08-Sep-2024

• Sjoerd Bax (Ned)
• Alessandro Covi (Ita)
• Finn Fisher Black (NZ)
• Marc Hirschi (Swi)
• Vegard Stake Laengen (Nor)
• Rafal Majka (Pol)
• Diego Ulissi (Ita)

Giro della Toscana – Memorial Alfredo Martini [1.1] – 11-Sep-2024

• Sjoerd Bax (Ned)
• Alessandro Covi (Ita)
• Jan Christen (Swi)
• Vegard Stake Laengen (Nor)
• Antonio Morgado (Por)
• Diego Ulissi (Ita)
• Luca Giami (Ita) (Gen Z)

Gran Premio città di Peccioli – Coppa Sabatini [1.Pro] – 12-Sep-2024

• Sjoerd Bax (Ned)
• Alessandro Covi (Ita)
• Jan Christen (Swi)
• Vegard Stake Laengen (Nor)
• Marc Hirschi (Swi)
• Diego Ulissi (Ita)
• Luca Giami (Ita) (Gen Z)

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