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Friday, January 10, 2025
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2024 Tour de France | 2024 Giro d'Italia
Pleasure in the job puts perfection in the work. - Aristotle
Bill & Carol McGann's book The Story of the Tour de France, 2021: The Little Cannibal Dominates is available in both Kindle eBook & 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 report from Plapp’s Team Jayco AlUla:
A new course in Perth couldn’t stop Luke Plapp from powering to his third Australian time trial championship title, while Amber Pate secured a super second place in the elite women’s race.
Plapp made it back-to-back wins against the clock as the defending champion set the fastest time through each of the intermediate splits over the 38km course. Despite the time gap to his nearest rival Jay Vine shrinking as the finish line approached, the 2024 champion had more than enough in the tank to bring home the title.
The podium, from left: Jay Vine (2nd), Luke Plapp (1st) & Kell O'Brien (3rd). Photo: Chris Auld
The 24-year-old was joined on the podium by his Team Jayco AlUla teammate Kell O’Brien who took a strong third place finish, while Chris Harper and Michael Hepburn made it four GreenEDGE riders in the top 5 places as the pair finished fourth and fifth respectively.
Over in the elite women’s event Pate put on a show, flying through the first intermediate time check at nine kilometres in first position, seven seconds ahead of her nearest competitor.
As the kilometres ticked down and the finish approached, Brodie Chapman clawed her way back to better the Liv AlUla Jayco rider’s time and claim the national title, with Pate settling for a very respectable second place finish over the challenging 28km course.
Luke Plapp – First Place
“I’m super happy with that. It’s my favourite event in the world to be honest, the national time trial championships. I love training over the summer here in Australia for this event and it’s super special to go back-to-back with the team.”
Amber Pate – Second Place
“Personally I am very happy with second place today. It has been a really nice block leading into the event. I haven’t been on the time trial bike, focussing on it for the past two or three years so to come in second against Brodie and not too far off her, I am really proud. Hopefully next year for the team I can finish one place higher.”
Elite Men’s Results:
1. Luke Plapp (Team Jayco AlUla) 46:33:00
2. Jay Vine 46:4178
3. Kell O’Brien (Team Jayco AlUla) 47:27:95
Elite Women’s Results:
1. Brodie Chapman 39:53:51
2. Amber Pate (Liv AlUla Jayco) 40:26:22
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Here's the Australian time trial championship report from 2nd-place Jay Vine's UAE Team Emirates:
Jay Vine kicked-off the 2025 road campaign with a strong performance at the Australian National Time-Trial Championships in Perth today, taking second by the narrow margin of 8” behind Luke Plapp (Jayco AlUla) who took the title.
The 29 year-old UAE man blitzed the 38km loop at a blistering pace of 49.4kmph average, a full 46” ahead of third place Kelland O’Brien (Jayco AlUla) who rounded out the final podium.
Vine will now turn his focus to the road nationals on Sunday, before changing his attention to the Santos Tour Down Under where he was champion in 2023.
Vine: “It’s great to get things started after a good off-season behind me. Second is a good result, though obviously I would have preferred to be on the top step. But hats-off to Luke who put in a very strong ride and deserved the win.
"Looking at the positives, I know the shape is there and it bodes well heading into Sunday’s race and importantly also for the Tour Down Under, where I’m excited to be heading back to, together with a very strong UAE Team Emirates XRG crew. It’s going to be an exciting few weeks ahead.”
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Here’s the team’s update:
European Champion Tim Merlier and his trusted lead-out man Bert Van Lerberghe have agreed on a new deal with Soudal Quick-Step, which would see them remain with the Wolfpack until the end of 2028.
Tim has joined our squad ahead of 2023, and has since became one of the fastest riders in the world under the guidance of our staff, racking up a total of 27 victories, including the continental title, a hat-trick of Giro d’Italia stages, Nokere Koerse twice and Scheldeprijs, the oldest race in Flanders.
Tim Merlier wins the 2024 Scheldeprijs. Sirotti photo
“Ever since my days as a young rider I had this dream of racing for this team one day, and now, to extend my contract after just two seasons means a lot. I have a lot of beautiful memories from the past two years, I have won a lot of races and I want to continue doing so in the next four years.
"This season will be a special one, as I will compete with the European Champion jersey on my shoulders, and I would love to show it in the Tour de France and get a stage victory there. At the same time, it’s great to remain on the same team as Bert. We have known each other since we were kids, we have a strong bond which can be seen in the races we do together and we hope to have the same successful partnership that we have enjoyed until now.”
Bert, who is part of the team since 2020, is more than Tim’s lead-out man, it’s his best friend, their strong relationship dating back to their pre high school days, when the two of them were just 12 years old. In the past couple of seasons, Van Lerberghe played a vital role not just in Tim’s successes, but also in many of the team’s cobbled Classics wins.
“All the wins that I played a part in are important to me, but the most memorable ones are those of the 2021 Spring Classics campaign and the ones of Tim. We trust each other 100% and this makes things easier for us when we are in a race”, Bert added. “I’m very happy to stay here, I feel great and love the atmosphere in the squad. Soudal Quick-Step is a special team, the best team for me, and I appreciate their confidence, something which only motivates me to continue giving my best.”
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Here’s the team’s news:
Luke Roberts:
"After nine years as sports director at DSM, where I had the opportunity to work with great leaders, I was looking forward to new challenges, and the project with the team fits me perfectly. The team has a great history with riders Australians, and with two Australians in the WorldTour team and one in the NewGen team, it's a great place to grow and develop. My philosophy as a sports director is never to measure success by results alone. I want to get the best out of everyone I work with, and I'm convinced that results will naturally follow."
Luke Roberts
Sébastien Joly:
"We are delighted to welcome Luke Roberts as sporting director. With the evolution of the team and the internationalization project, it was only natural to turn to an experienced, English-speaking directeur sportif. Luke will take the team to the Giro d'Italia with the aim of working with our leaders and winning stages. We chose Luke because he's an experienced man: he's achieved his goals with DSM, both on stages and in the general rankings. He has a global vision and will bring to the team his professionalism and human qualities, just like a road captain."
The news
An Olympic title in Athens
Luke Roberts has several prestigious victories to his name, including a stage win at the Tour Down Under and the Vuelta Ciclista de Murcia, as well as two participations in the Tour de France and the Giro d'Italia. But it's on the track that he's best known, with an Olympic pursuit title in Athens in 2004.
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