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Thursday, January 9, 2025
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2024 Tour de France | 2024 Giro d'Italia
The best measure of a man's honesty isn't his income tax return. It's the zero adjust on his bathroom scale. - Arthur C. Clarke
Bill and Carol McGann's book The Story of the Tour de France, 2019: A Year of New Faces is available in both Kindle eBook and audiobook versions. To get your copy, just click on the Amazon link on the right.
Upcoming racing:
- January 18 - 26: Tour Down Under
- January 25 - February 2: Challenge Vuelta a Mallorca
- January 25: Ruta de la Cerámica - Gran Premio Castellón
- January 26: Classica Comunitat a Valenciana 1969
- February 2: GP La Marseillaise
Latest completed racing:
- January 3: X20 Trofee Koksijde-Vlaamse Druivenveldrit Cross
- January 1: GP Sven Nys Cross
- December 30: Diegem Cyclocross
- December 26: Gavere Cyclocross
- December 27: Exact Cross Loenhout-Azencross
- December 15: Namur Cyclocross-Citadelcross
- November 17: Flandriencross
- November 3: European Cyclocross Championships
- November 1: X20 Trofee Oudenaarde-Koppenbergcross
Here’s the news from Landa’s Team Soudal Quick-Step:
The 35-year-old will take on the Corsa Rosa – which he twice finished on the podium – for the eighth time in his career.
One of the most consistent Grand Tour riders this side of the century, with a total of 10 top-ten overall placings from 22 participations, Mikel Landa will return at the start of the Giro d’Italia this season, three years after his previous start there.
Mikel Landa racing stage 15 of the 2024 Vuelta a España. Sirotti photo
The experienced Basque had enjoyed an impressive first season in the Soudal Quick-Step colors last year, finishing top-five at the Tour de France while in the service of Remco Evenepoel and eighth at his home Grand Tour, the Vuelta a España. In addition to these, Mikel came runner-up in Catalunya – his best result there in six participations – and cracked the Critérium du Dauphiné top ten for the first time in his career.
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The 108th edition of the Corsa Rosa, whose full parcours is set to be revealed next week in Rome, will start from Albania, the first Balkan country in 29 years to host the Grande Partenza. In total, three stages will take place there, including a 14km individual time trial on the streets of capital Tirana.
“I am very happy that I will race the Giro, which holds a special place in my heart. It’s the race that helped me make a name as a rider. Back in 2015 I won two stages there and finished third on the standings, and that stage I won over Mortirolo with the finish in Aprica is to this day one of my best memories.
"It’s going to be a challenge, because there will be many good riders at the start, but I will do my best to fight for a stage win and a good result in the general classification. I look forward to the month of May and to meeting again the incredible Italian fans who make the Giro one of the best races in the world”, said Landa, who’ll get his 15th pro season underway in March, on the picturesque white roads of Strade Bianche.
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Here's the team's news:
Yann Le Normand has been recruited to join the Arkea-B&B Hotels staff as trainer of the women's team.
Yann Le Normand
Yann Le Normand: Joining the Arkea-B&B Hotels women's structure represents a new project and a new challenge for me. I'm delighted to be joining a women's team that will be competing at ProSeries level in 2025. I already know a few women racers. I'm delighted that Gaël Le Bellec thought of me for this position. It's a real pleasure to be back in top-level competition. I'm Breton in a Breton team, and that's something important to me. Everything's easier, because I live next door to the service course, and everything's smoother and simpler, including communication. Brittany is my land, our team territory. Moreover, this year, if we're invited, there's the Grand Départ of the Tour de France Femmes from Brittany, and that's obviously a challenge that motivates us all.
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Emmanuel Hubert, General Manager: Yann Le Normand was a racer in his youth, so he knows the ins and outs of our sport, and has been in the field of training for many years. His professional life took him away from cycling at one point, but he returned to it when he took his national qualifications. He then became sports director of the Breizh Ladies team, which competed in the National 1 division. A trainer at heart, Yann Le Normand will make a major contribution to the apprenticeship of the young riders on the Arkea-B&B Hotels team.
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