Bicycle Racing News and Opinion,
Wednesday, September 29, 2021
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2020 Tour de France | 2021 Giro d'Italia
The audiobook version of The Story of the Tour de France, Volume 1 is available.
My religion is very simple. My religion is kindness. - Dalai Lama
Current racing:
- Sept 28 - Oct 3: Il Giro di Sicilia
- Sept 29: Eurométropole Tour
Upcoming racing:
- Oct 1: Route Adéle de Vitré
- Oct 2: Giro dell'Emilia
- Oct 2: Classic Loire Atlantique
- Oct 3: Paris-Roubaix
Latest completed racing:
- Sept 19 - 26: UCI World Road Championships
- Sept 21: GP de Denain
- Sept 19: Trofeo Matteotti
- Sept 19: Rund um den Finanzplatz Eschborn-Frankfurt
- Sept 14 - 18: Tour de Luxembourg
- Sept 18: Memorial Marco Pantani
- Sept 18: Primus Classic Impanis-Van Petegem
- Sept 17: Kampioenschap van Vlaanderen
- Sept 16: Coppa Sabatini
- Sept 15: GP de Wallonie
- Sept 15: Giro della Toscana
Giro di Sicilia stage one report from Team Eolo-Kometa
We posted the report from stage winner Sebastaina Molano's UAE Team Emirates with the results.
Here's the report from second-place Vincenzo Albanese's Eolo-Kometa team:
What a pity, what a pity, what a pity. For a handful of meters, for a breath, for an instant. A great Vincenzo Albanese has nearly won the first stage of the Giro di Sicilia, mocked on the line by the Colombian Molano, mocked after a brave and splendid sprint started at one kilometer from the end.
Still a second place for our rider, that at the end of the stage has worn the jersey of leader of the young classification and has taken all the applauses of the square of Modica that has recognized him the deserved tribute.
Sebastian Molano (right) and Vincenzo Albanese drive for the line. Sirotti photo
“I knew – said Vincenzo Albanese – that at 600 meters from the end there was a sharp curve and that it would be important to take it in front and then shoot full throttle. We were good to be in the first positions and I tried, at 200 meters from the end I turned and thought I could make it. It’s a pity, UAE is a great team and Molano is very fast: it’s a pity for the umpteenth podium of this season and for this victory that doesn’t want to arrive. I have a great leg and I will try again, starting from tomorrow: to say the truth I didn’t think I could try to win today, I was thinking more to tomorrow’s stage… I’m anyway happy, because being there to play is always a great thing. I’m not angry, you get angry when you fall and hurt yourself, not when you come close to winning. I’ll keep looking for it, and it will come sooner or later”.
In addition to Albanese’s white jersey, Manuel Belletti’s excellent eighth place was also worth mentioning.
Tomorrow, therefore: 173 kilometers from Selinunte to Mondello. A stage that once again the EOLO-KOMETA will try to run as protagonist. With Albanese? Who knows: for sure, this guy would deserve it. A lot.
Team DSM's upcoming racing
The team sent me this schedule:
Paris-Roubaix Femmes: OCT 2
Albert Timmer - Team DSM coach
"Paris-Roubaix is of course a new race on the Women’s calendar, and one that we’re all looking forward to. With it being a new event, it’s hard to predict exactly how the race will go but with the team we have I think we’re prepared and ready for most scenarios. We have a really strong group, and everyone has shown that they’re on a really high level. With Floortje and Pfeiffer we have two riders who are capable of going far in a race like this; while Franziska, Susanne, Lorena and Megan are all strong too and will be able to support the team deep into the race.”
Line-up:
Susanne Andersen (NOR)
Pfeiffer Georgi (GBR)
Megan Jastrab (USA)
Franziska Koch (GER)
Floortje Mackaij (NED)
Lorena Wiebes (NED)
Paris-Roubaix: OCT 3
Marc Reef - Team DSM coach
"Paris-Roubaix is always a very special race, with 55 of the last 160 kilometres taking place over cobbles, and it will be great to take on the famous sectors like the Arenberg in autumn. It will be an even more unique edition because it is so late in the season and situated one week after the World championships. Due to that we also know who we can expect to be in the final of the race and who to keep an eye on. We have a really strong team across the board, and we don't have a specific finisher for the race; we want to be able to play multiple cards. In Paris-Roubaix, good material and parcours knowledge is crucial. It is always good to be in the race from the start and that is also what we will aim for first. After that we look to be aggressive throughout the day, not hold anything back and take our chances when and where we can."
Nikias Arndt (shown at the 2019 Vuelta) will ride Paris-Roubaix. Sirotti photo
Line-up:
Søren Kragh Andersen (DEN)
Nikias Arndt (GER)
Cees Bol (NED)
Nils Eekhoff (NED)
Max Kanter (GER)
Casper Pedersen (DEN)
Jasha Sütterlin (GER)
Sparkassen Münsterland Giro: OCT 3
Wilbert Broekhuizen - Team DSM coach
"Traditionally a race for the sprinters, the hills and weather conditions can see reduced groups head to the finish to fight it out for the win at Sparkassen Münsterland Giro. We go to the race with a strong team and we have multipe cards to play throughout the day if the race does split up. If things do end in a sprint finale then we will work to position Alberto, who's been in good form recently, for the fast finish."
Line-up:
Pavel Bittner (CZE)
Alberto Dainese (ITA)
Nico Denz (GER)
Leon Heinschke (GER)
Niklas Märkl (GER)
Martin Salmon (GER)
Martijn Tusveld (NED)
Women's Tour: OCT 4-9
Albert Timmer - Team DSM coach
"We head to the Women’s Tour for six days of nice racing in the UK. Lorena is continuing her return to action after her crash and if she’s in good form then she is one of the fastest riders in the peloton. We’re able to play that card with her as our finisher, but of course it depends on how her body reacts to racing after her crash in the Simac Ladies Tour. With the rest of the team, we’ll look to support Lorena on the flatter days while on the TT stage we have several riders who can go for a nice result there and with that be up there in the GC fight. We also need to be careful of any chaotic and attacking days, but with the strength of our team then we’re also prepared for some aggressive racing too.”
Line-up:
Pfeiffer Georgi (GBR)
Megan Jastrab (USA)
Leah Kirchmann (CAN)
Juliette Labous (FRA)
Liane Lippert (GER)
Lorena Wiebes (NED)
Binche - Chimay - Binche: OCT 5
Bennie Lambregts - Team DSM coach
"Binche-Chimay-Binche is a really nice classic race at 1.1 level, with a challenging parcours and a tricky final circuit in Binche which often decides the race. We want to be active in the race and be on the offensive. After some great recent performances our Development program is full of confidence and we're looking to continue that here. In the finale, we want to be there in numbers and try to get Casper and Marius in the final group for a potential fast finish. Racing against several strong WorldTour level teams, it will be another great learning experience for our Development program, with Florian also joining us from our Men's program."
Line-up:
Tobias Lund Andresen (DEN)
Marius Mayrhofer (GER)
Pepijn Reinderink (NED)
Vegard Stokke (NOR)
Florian Stork (GER)
Casper van Uden (NED)
Hannes Wilksch (GER)
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