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Bicycle Racing News and Opinion,
Wednesday, September 26, 2018

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2018 Tour de France | 2018 Giro d'Italia

There are things known and there are things unknown, and in between are the doors of perception. - Aldous Huxley

Melanoma: It Started with a Freckle

Current racing:

Latest completed racing:


Elite Women's Individual Time Trial reports

We posted the report from winner Annemiek van Vleuten's Mitchelton-Scott team with the results.

Here's what silver medalist Anna Van der Breggen's Boels-Dolmans' team posted:

25 September 2018: Anna van der Breggen once again stepped onto the podium of a world championship event. For the sixth time in her career she earned a silver medal, this time in the individual time trial. Karol-Ann Canuel finished eighth.

“I’ve still won a medal, but I can’t really say I’m very happy with it,” said Van der Breggen after the race. “You hope to have a good day on the bike and I really wanted to win. Of course I’m disappointed that I didn’t.”

Elite women time trial podium

The Elite Women's time trial podium, from left: Anna van der Breggen (2nd), Annemiek van Vleuten (1st) & Ellen van Dijk (3rd). Sirotti photo

Van der Breggen was the 35th rider to take to the start. At that point, compatriot Ellen van Dijk (Team Sunweb) was in the hot seat after she had set the fastest time. However, it became clear that Van der Breggen was substantially faster on her ride. At the intermediate time split, she already had a 28-second advantage. Still, Van der Breggen thinks it’s the first part of the race where she might have lost the race potentially.

“Maybe I could’ve gone a little faster at the beginning,” she said. “But it’s really important to pace yourself as well. The second part of the course was really tough. You have to keep that in mind, so I think that overall I did a good time trial.”

“I heard the time differences during my ride, but you’re still following your own plan,” continued Van der Breggen. “That doesn’t change if you hear intermediate times. You just ride as fast as you can and I executed the plan I had as best I could.”

At the finish line, Van der Breggen had doubled her lead on Van Dijk and set a time of 34:54.35. It was a phenomenal time, but one woman was faster than this. Defending world champion Annemiek van Vleuten (Mitchelton-Scott) gained some seconds right from the start and only extended her lead along the way.

Eventually, the podium was orange-filled, with Van Vleuten as the winner, Van der Breggen taking silver and Van Dijk earning bronze. A unique situation that never happened before.

There are new chances for Van der Breggen and Canuel in the Worlds road race this Saturday. The other riders of the Boels-Dolmans Cycling Team to take to the start in the race are defending world road champion Chantal Blaak, Amy Pieters, Amalie Dideriksen, Anna Plichta and Megan Guarnier. Christine Majerus has withdrawn due to illness.

Konrad, Mühlberger, Pöstlberger and Großschartner extend with Bora-hansgrohe

This came from the team:

All Austrians extend their contracts with BORA – hansgrohe until the end of 2020. Their development in the past was more than promising and the team is happy to continue this successful story with them in the future. 

“All our Austrians developed really well in the last years. They matured to key performers of our team, and we are happy to continue this successful relationship with them. Especially Patrick – with his 7th place at the Giro – had a real breakthrough in 2018 and deserves a leader roll in 2019. With Lukas we keep on planning in direction of the Classics, while Gregor is a true allrounder with lots of potentials. Felix was the first season with us and he had a strong spring with a 10th place at Paris-Nice. He still needs some time to develop and we wanted to send a signal that he will get this time at BORA - hansgrohe.” – Ralph Denk, Team Manager

“My season so far was almost perfect, the Giro was a true highlight. I stepped up to become a Grand Tour contender and the team played a key role in this process. Ralph Denk gave me the chance to develop step by step, without any pressure. I am happy that we can keep on progressing in the future together. I feel great support from the team, the environment is highly professional. BORA – hansgrohe is the perfect team for me.” – Patrick Konrad

“It’s always nice to extend an agreement early, it gives you the opportunity to focus on cycling. At BORA – hansgrohe also the young riders get their chances. This is key in terms of development. I think with my Tour Tour de France debut and my first WorldTour win, I fulfilled all expectations. But I want to keep on progressing, and to do so, a strong and dedicated team is key. BORA – hansgrohe is both. Nevertheless, there is always room for jokes and we have lots of fun, especially between us Austrians in the team.” – Gregor Mühlberger

Gregor Muhlberger

Gregor Mühlberger winning stage five of this year's Binckbank Tour

“My spring was frustrating. But from the national championships onwards all went pretty well. I took my second title in the road race and was selected for the Tour de France. All the time the team was supporting me, and I could feel their trust. I am happy we agreed early about a contract extension. I still want to grow as a rider and take on more responsibility in the future at BORA – hansgrohe.” – Lukas Pöstlberger

“I felt really comfortable at BORA – hansgrohe from the beginning. We have a great spirit in the team and I am really happy to have already extended my contract with them. To feel their trust gives me lots of confidence. 2018 was my first full season at WorldTour level, I achieved some strong results and did a good Giro. But I still need to work on consistency. BORA – hansgrohe supplies the perfect environment for that next step in my career.” – Felix Großschartner

Jonathan Caicedo joins Education First-Drapac in 2019 

Here's the team's press release:

Jonathan Caicedo makes the move to the WorldTour with EF Pro Cycling in 2019. The Ecuadorian won Vuelta Colombia last month and finished second in Vuelta Asturias.

“This is a new stage in my sporting life,” said Caicedo. “I have to thank EF Education First – Drapac p/b Cannondale for the opportunity they have provided. This is the most important step I have made professionally.”

“Caicedo is our wild card bet,” said EF Pro Cycling CEO Jonathan Vaughters. “I started observing him after his breakthrough result at Vuelta Asturias. He got second to Richard Carapaz (Movistar), who went on to finish in fourth place at the Giro. That’s the result that caught my attention. Caicedo’s win in Vuelta Colombia, while not a UCI race anymore but is still every bit as hard, sealed the deal for me. He knows how to win a race at high altitude, low altitude. The harder, the better.”

“My great pride is winning Vuelta Colombia,” said Caicedo. “It told me I have the capacity for big things.”

Vaughters expects that Caicedo will start his first Grand Tour in his first season in #PinkArgyle. “Likely he’ll race the Giro or Vuelta,” said Vaughters. “He’ll probably start his season at Oro y Paz and work toward the Giro. That would be my guess. He’s a good time trialist, and he’s a good climber. He has a fair little sprint on him, too. I think he’s a guy for riding general classification in mountainous stage races.”

Caicedo has raced for South American continental teams for the last four years. He most recently spent a single season at Medellin, the Colombian team that hails from future teammate’s Rigoberto Uran’s hometown. He joins the team on the recommendation from Carapaz. The Giro stage winner vouched for the 25-year-old.

“I don’t know much about Ecuadorian cycling,” said Vaughters. “Carapaz recommended him and called himself Caicedo’s biggest fan. They grew up racing together. We have a really great reputation in South America,” Vaughters added. “We have guys from South America that want to come to our team, and we’re happy to give the guys that really enjoy our team spirit an opportunity to be a part of it.”

Caicedo is excited not only to join a new team but also a new company. “I want my new EF co-workers to know that I’m proud to be a part of something bigger than a cycling team,” said Caicedo. “I’m focused on the bike. Away from the bike, I’m like anyone else with hopes and dreams. I’m sociable with people, and I hope I’m recognized as a humble person.”

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