Bicycle Racing News and Opinion,
Tuesday, March 1, 2016

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Do something for somebody every day for which you do not get paid. - Albert Schweitzer

Current Racing:

• February 24 - March 2: Le Tour de Langkawi

Upcoming Racing:

• March 2: Le Samyn
• March 4 - 6: Driedaagse van West-Vlaanderen

BMC's racing plans

The team sent me this update:

29, February 2016, Santa Rosa, California (USA): BMC Racing Team will continue racing on Belgian soil this week after a successful opening weekend of the Spring Classics.

Sports Director Jackson Stewart said BMC Racing Team is bringing well-rounded teams to Le Samyn and Driedaages van West-Vlaanderen.

"We have an experienced rider like Philippe Gilbert in the team for Le Samyn and also Marcus Burghardt who will race for the first time since crashing at the Tour Down Under. Le Samyn and the three-day Driedags West Vlaanderen are both races where anyone can make the most of an opportunity."

Marcus Burghardt at the Down Under Classic earlier this year.

Burghardt is looking forward to getting some more race days in the legs leading into the big Classics. "After a long break between races I can't wait to get back in the peloton, especially in Belgium where the crowds and atmosphere are always good. I've been training in Lake Garda in Italy and I feel ready to race again."

Le Samyn (2 March)

Rider Roster: Tom Bohli (SUI), Marcus Burghardt (GER), Philippe Gilbert (BEL), Floris Gerts (NED), Joey Rosskopf (USA), Manuel Senni (ITA), Loïc Vliegen (BEL), Rick Zabel (GER).

Sports Director: Jackson Stewart (USA)

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Driedaages van West-Vlaanderen (4-6 March)

Rider Roster: Tom Bohli (SUI), Floris Gerts (NED), Joey Rosskopf (USA), Manuel Senni (ITA), Dylan Teuns (BEL), Loïc Vliegen (BEL), Rick Zabel (GER).

Sports Director: Jackson Stewart (USA)

Stig Broeckx out for several weeks after K-B-K crash

Stig Broeckx crashed hard yesterday at Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne after he was hit by a motor at about 30 kilometres from the finish. The Lotto Soudal rider has a fractured collarbone, a fractured rib and a bruised hand. Yesterday evening Broeckx underwent surgery in Deinze. This afternoon he could already go home. The rider will miss out on the spring races.

During the chase on the front group Lotto Soudal rider Stig Broeckx moved to the right of the road after pulling at the front to take a look at the riders in the group, when he got hit by a motor rider that was passing by the group of riders. Lotto Soudal regrets the collision and the speed of the motor while passing by the group of riders. The team emphasizes that the road was wide enough and wonders if the motor rider should have been on that place at that time.

The team loses an important rider who was part of the Classics core and who did a great job on Saturday and Sunday. Yesterday evening Lotto Soudal filed a complaint. The team and rider await the further investigation.

Lotto Soudal hopes that after the succession of events the past few months and because of what happened yesterday during Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne the theme ‘safety’ won’t only be further discussed between organisations, teams and their interest groups, federations and the international cycling union, but that soon also concrete measures will be taken to increase the safety of the riders.

Giant-Alpecin, Liv-Plantur race preview

This came from the team:

RACE PREVIEW: FEBRUARY 29 - MARCH 8 

STRADE BIANCHE (WWT)

Team Liv-Plantur participates this weekend in the second edition of the classic Strade Bianche, which is the first race of the newly established Women's WorldTour. The course starts and finishes in Sienna, Italy and consists of 121km of hilly terrain including 22,4km of gravel roads. The end of the race features a punchy climb that hits a maximum grade of 18% while the riders tackle the narrow roads of Sienna.

Leah Kirchman racing last year at the Women's Amgen Tour

Coach Hans Timmermans (NED) said: "After the weekend, the moral and team spirit is high and everyone is full of confidence. We head to Italy with a strong team who are all riding well. With Leah we have a rider in very good form and we will look to support her through the decisive moments of the race."

• RACE: Strade Bianche (WWT)
• DATE: 05/03/2016
• COACH: Hans Timmermans (NED) 
• LINE-UP: Leah Kirchmann (CAN), Riejanne Markus (NED), Sara Mustonen (SWE), Rozanne Slik (NED), Carlee Taylor (AUS), Molly Weaver (GBR) 

PARIS-NICE (WT)

Paris-Nice, the 'Race to the Sun', begins this weekend and Team Giant-Alpecin heads to the eight-day WorldTour race with a strong team. Among the highlight of the race will undoubtedly be the ascent of the Mont Ventoux on the fifth stage.

Tom Dumoulin (NED) will line-up at Paris-Nice after his successful season opener at the Tour of Oman. He will be joined by Laurens ten Dam (NED) for the first time, to make his debut for Team Giant-Alpecin.

Looking ahead to the race, coach Aike Visbeek (NED) said: "Our first focus will be to do a good prologue with Tom. From there on we will take it day by day to see what is possible in the general classification.

"With the experience of Koen and Roy we will be able to deal with the different conditions of the race. In addition, Laurens will bring that necessary experience for the mountains."

• RACE: Paris-Nice (WT)
• DATE: 06/03-13/03/2016
• COACH: Aike Visbeek (NED) 
• LINE-UP: Roy Curvers (NED), Laurens ten Dam (NED), Tom Dumoulin (NED), Simon Geschke (GER), Cheng Ji (CHN), Koen de Kort (NED), Tobias Ludvigsson (SWE), Georg Preidler (AUT)

Ag2r's upcoming racing:

Le Samyn (2 March): Quaregnon - Dour (202.6km) 

Composition de l'équipe: Gediminas BAGDONAS (Lit), Julien BERARD, François BIDARD, Maxime DANIEL , Nico DENZ (All)
Patrick GRETSCH (All), Blel Kadri

Directeur sportif: Gilles MAS

Gediminas Bagdonas will be at both Le Samyn and Driedaagse van West-Vlaanderen

Driedaagse van West-Vlaanderen (4-6 March)

04.03: Middelkerke - Middelkerke Prologue 7 km
05.03: Brugge - Harelbeke 176,3 km
06.03: Nieuwport - Ichtegem 182,7 km

Composition de l'équipe: Gediminas BAGDONAS, Julien BERARD, François BIDARD, Maxime DANIEL, Nico DENZ (All), Damien GAUDIN, Patrick GRETSCH (All), Quentin JAUREGUI

Directeur sportif: Gilles MAS

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