Bicycle Racing News and Opinion,
Wednesday, February 28, 2018
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2018 Tour de France | 2018 Giro d'Italia
The most wasted of all days is one without laughter. - e. e. cummings
Upcoming racing:
- March 3: Strade Bianche
- March 4: Dwars Door West-Vlaanderen
- March 4: GP Industria & Artigianato
- March 4 - 11: Paris-Nice
Latest completed racing:
- February 27: Le Samyn
- February 21 - 25: Abu Dhabi Tour
- February 25: Kuurne-Brussel-Kuurne
- February 25: Royal Bernard Drome Classic
- February 24: Faun Environnement-Classic de l'Ardeche
- February 24: Omloop Het Nieuwsblad
- February 13 - 18: Tour of Oman
- February 14 - 18: Volta ao Algarve
- February 14 - 18: Vuelta a Andalucia-Ruta del Sol
Greg Van Avermaet to lead BMC at Strade Bianche
BMC sent me this preview:
27 February, 2018, Santa Rosa, California (USA): Greg Van Avermaet will continue his Classics campaign in Italy this weekend when he leads BMC Racing Team at Strade Bianche on Saturday, 3 March.
A strong team will support Van Avermaet at the UCI WorldTour one-day race, BMC Racing Team Sports Director Valerio Piva said.
"Strade Bianche is a race that Greg traditionally likes to do, and he has been just short of the victory a couple of times, including finishing second place last year, so, he will be our leader. We know he is in good shape and he will have a good team around him. I expect Alberto Bettiol, as this is almost a home race for him, together with Damiano Caruso and Stefan Küng to be there in the final with Greg. Of course, we need to be careful and pay attention during the whole race and try to jump in the moves, but with the help of these guys, I think we can do a good race. We also have strong guys like Francisco Ventoso, Michael Schär and Loïc Vliegen there in support of Greg. It depends on the tactics of the race, and the weather forecast is not so good at the moment, but we will see what happens and hopefully we can produce a good result," Piva explained.
We're headed to Tuscany's white roads on Saturday.
Van Avermaet, who finished on the podium in 2015 and 2017, is looking forward to heading back to the start line in Siena.
"Strade Bianche is a race that is pretty honest, so I am looking forward to it. It is one of my favorite races in the year, and I hope the weather is okay because I do not love the cold that much, or the rain. We will see how it goes, but I am feeling motivated again. Last year, I was second, and I have been on the podium a few times already so hopefully this year I can win," Van Avermaet said.
Strade Bianche (3 March)
Rider Roster: Alberto Bettiol (ITA), Damiano Caruso (ITA), Stefan Küng (SUI), Michael Schär (SUI), Greg Van Avermaet (BEL), Francisco Ventoso (ESP), Loïc Vliegen (BEL)
Sports Directors: Valerio Piva (ITA), Maximilian Sciandri (ITA)
Ag2r boss Vincent Lavenu looks forward to Paris-Nice:
“We can be happy with our start to the season already with six wins and 40 top tens. It is a very beautiful beginning. It allows us to approach Paris-Nice with confidence but also with humility.
We want to shine in an important UCI WorldTour event, which is the first big stage race of the season. We will have a strong team with Tony Gallopin as our leader, but we can also count on Alexis Vuillermoz and Oliver Naesen. The latter proved at the opening of the classics that his form is very good. Tony joined the team over the winter, and he integrated perfectly. He is ambitious, the team is solid, a final place on the podium is definitely possible. From experience, we know that Paris-Nice is a hard race, and every day has its share of difficulties. This year will be no exception, and will be tough right up until the last day in Nice. It’s up to us to be animators in this battle.” - Vincent Lavenu
Arjen Livyns to transfer to Veranda's Willems-Crelan
Beat Cycling Club, a Dutch Continental squad, sent me this note that I thought you'd find interesting:
February 27, 2018 - Arjen Livyns will leave BEAT Cycling Club just before the start of the road season and join the Pro Continental team Veranda's Willems-Crelan. Last season, the 23-year-old from East Flanders also rode as a trainee for the same team, and he now has another chance to prove himself in the pro peloton.
“On March 1 I will switch from my current club, BEAT, to Veranda’s Willems-Crelan, where I will finish my first professional season as a neo-pro,” said Livyns. "For me, it’s a boy’s dream that is coming true, and I am glad that I can achieve it. I really hoped to become a pro at the end of last season after my internship with them, but there was no follow-up, so the plans fell apart. The chance that has arisen now is a turn that I had not anticipated but I’ve always dreamed of. I want to seize this opportunity with both hands and continue my own #RoadToBEAT.”
Arjen Livyns enjoys a pleasant day of training. Beat Cycling photo.
“At BEAT, I experienced a professional environment in a Continental team where I felt 110% well, and I was convinced that this was a good step for my further development as a cyclist. The professionalism and perfectionism of the team aren’t often seen at the Continental level. This motivated me to get the best out of myself again. I am sure that there is a future in BEAT, and I am proud to be a very small part of it. I felt the confidence of the team, and that helped me stay motivated during the winter months. That’s why I want to thank the management, the team leadership, the staff and riders. I remain a member of the club and continue to follow the project closely.”
“Our goal for this season is to help everyone within our club, from pro riders to partners to members, realize their ambitions,” said BEAT co-founder Geert Broekhuizen. “We are proud of the fact that Arjen can make another step in his career before the start of the season. For us, it is a challenge, because shortly before the start of the season we are losing an important rider in the team. We will be looking for a replacement for Arjen in the coming period. We wish him a lot of success on his #RoadToBEAT, and we will continue following him as a club member with enthusiasm.”
Fallbrook – NuVinci announces Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceedings
Bike Europe sent me this news piece:
CEDAR PARK, TEXAS – Yesterday Fallbrook Technologies Inc. announced that Roger Wood, former CEO of publicly traded Dana Holding Corp, will become the new CEO for the privately held developer and licensor of NuVinci. His first act as Fallbrook CEO will be to implement a financial restructuring that substantially reduces debt service and recapitalises the company. The restructuring is to be achieved through a Chapter 11 reorganisation filed yesterday.
Fallbrook’s bankruptcy proceedings comes after the company decided to change the name of NuVinci Cycling into enviolo at the start of this year. It was said that “the rebranding is mainly based on organizational reasons, the company is taking the opportunity to mark the entry into a new chapter and set an intention to become ‘the moving standard’ for eBikes and bicycles.”
In a press release on the Chapter 11 filing Fallbrook further says on the Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceedings “In connection with the filing, the Company entered into a Restructuring Support Agreement with some of its largest creditors to support a Plan of Reorganization. In addition, subject to Bankruptcy Court approval, Fallbrook has an agreement to secure debtor-in-possession financing as well as post-exit financing. This restructuring will best position Fallbrook to grow the NuVinci CVP technology and expand our community of licensees. We are thankful to our dedicated employees who remain focused on the advancement of Fallbrook’s innovative and unique technologies supporting applications across multiple markets.”
You can read the entire story here.
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