Bicycle Racing News and Opinion,
Tuesday, April 12, 2022
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2021 Tour de France | 2021 Giro d'Italia
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Current racing:
- April 10 - 17: Tour of Turkey
- April 12: Paris-Camembert Lepetit
- April 12 - 15: Il Giro di Sicilia
Upcoming racing:
- April 13: De Brabantse Pijl
Latest completed racing:
- April 10: Amstel Gold Race
- April 4 - 9: Vuelta al Pais Vasco
- April 5 - 8: Circuit Cycliste Sarthe
- April 6: Scheldeprijs
- April 3: Tour of Flanders
- April 2: GP Miguel Indurain
- April 2: Volta Limburg Classic
- April 1: Route Adélie de Vitre
We posted the report from stage winner Kaden Groves' Team BikeExchange-Jayco with the results.
Here's the report from third-place Sam Bennett's Bora-hansgrohe team:
Improved Sam Bennett takes third at Tour of Turkey stage two.
Also at stage two the bunch controlled an early break quite effective and never was in trouble to miss out on the goal of another bunch sprint. But on the last 25km the race got hectic due to some crosswind sections. Some crashes happened but the peloton regrouped before the final run in to the line.
On the last three kilometers also BORA – hansgrohe moved up with Sam Bennett. The team managed their effort really well and after the last corner Danny van Poppel was in perfect position with Sam in his wheel. The sprint was super-fast with tailwind and Sam crossed the line in third place today after clearly showing improved shape.
Kaden Groves wins stage two in Turkey. Photo: Getty Sport
“It was a very fast finale due to the tailwind. The fight for positions was quite hard and there have been also some crashes, but the boys did once again a great job to keep me out of trouble the whole day, and also in the end they have been amazing. After the last corner I was sitting in Danny’s wheel and the position was very good. When Caleb opened his sprint, he wasn’t fresh enough and didn’t really accelerate which surprised me, so I got stuck a little behind him while on the right side Philipsen and Groves passed. I tried to accelerate but it was already too late. But I am happy with the progression over the last weeks, and I am not far away from being really competitive again. I still miss a little top end power, but it is getting better and better.” – Sam Bennett
“The team did a good job again today. It was important to be up front when it mattered in the crosswind, and we have been safe there. Only Matt crashed once, but he is fine. A final with tailwind is always tricky. It was super nervous, but our lead-out worked really well. Also Sam is getting better and better. He just was sitting in the wrong wheel today. I think we can be happy with his progress, and I am optimistic for the remaining sprint stages.” – Bernhard Eisel, sports director
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Here’s the report from fourth-place Cees Bol’s Team DSM:
Rolling out from Selçuk (Efes) this morning, a 156 kilometre long parcours awaited the peloton as they tackled a few rolling hills and one main KOM before the flatter finale in Alaçatı. It was an attacking start to the day, with the bunch still all together after the opening 20 kilometres before a group of eight managed to establish itself out front, while all Team DSM riders stayed in the peloton, looking to conserve energy for the finale.
As the kilometres ticked by the breakaway were slowly reeled in and over the top of the climb with 30 kilometres to go it was all back together. A nervousness swirled in the air, replicating the swirling winds above the bunch as the threat of crosswinds loomed large, where a few unfortunate crashes saw Sam Welsford caught up, before he remounted and rejoined the back of the peloton.
Any splits caused by the wind reformed and the team did a really good job to find each other as a group, moving forward to the front of the peloton en masse with around ten kilometres to go. Peeling off one-by-one, the team delivered finisher Cees Bol into a good position as the bunch charged under the flamme rouge, with Bol placed in around sixth wheel. The pace stalled somewhat and riders surged from behind, but coming around the final corner Bol opened up his sprint, producing a good turn of speed to take a fine fourth place finish at the line.
Speaking at the finish Bol said: “There was a lot of headwind at the start today but later on we had some hectic moments with crosswind danger. We took the initiative in the finale which was really motivating. We lost each other for a little while so thats still a big improvement point but we fought back well and Alberto brought me into a good position in the last corner, and from there I could do the sprint. All in all, I think we showed good fighting spirit today and I had good sensations in the legs, so we will take that with us going into the next days.”
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Here’s the team’s update:
Leuven, the host of last year’s World Championships, will welcome the peloton for the start of the 62nd Brabantse Pijl, whose 204.8km course consists of an interminable succession of hills, some featuring double-digit gradients. The first of these – Chaussée d’Alsemberg – comes more than 60 kilometers into the race, while the last, S-Bocht Overijse (1300m, 5.7%), will be crested just 200 meters before the line – a final opportunity for the puncheurs to attack and go for a solo victory.
Julian Alaphilippe wins the Brabantse Pijl in 2020.
Julian Alaphilippe, who back in 2020 took the win here just days after becoming World Champion for the first time in his career, will race Brabantse Pijl for the sixth time only four days after he completed a successful Itzulia Basque Country, where he scored a stage victory and took two additional podiums. Another Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl rider who made the headlines in Spain, finishing fourth overall and winning the youth classification, Remco Evenepoel will also be part of the team for Wednesday’s race, together with Andrea Bagioli, Davide Ballerini, French Champion Rémi Cavagna, Dries Devenyns and Mauri Vansevenant.
“We go into the race with a lot of confidence after a solid week in the Basque Country, where many of our Brabantse Pijl guys were present and rode strongly. Both the morale and form are good. In Julian and Remco we have two leaders, riders capable of featuring in the business end of the race, while Andrea – who we have to see how he recovers after his Amstel crash – Davide, Rémi, Dries and Mauri will bring a lot of support and can help us get really far in the race”, said sports director Geert Van Bondt.
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Bicycle Retailer & Industry News sent me this:
NEWARK, N.J. (BRAIN) — Samuel Mancini, the director of a Denver-based fund that planned to invest in several well-known cycling brands, has pleaded guilty to one count of securities fraud.
Mancini, arrested last July, could be sentenced to up to 20 years in prison and hit with a $5 million fine for the one count. Sentencing is scheduled for Aug. 17.
Prosecutors charged that Mancini, the managing director of Outdoor Capital Partners, raised over $11 million from about 40 investors in a plan to acquire De Rosa Cycles, De Marchi Apparel, Limar Helmets and Gruppo Srl, the parent of Cinelli and Columbus. None of the acquisitions were completed.
The guilty plea is related to criminal charges in the case filed by the U.S. Attorney's Office in New Jersey. In a separate civil case also filed in New Jersey, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission is charging Mancini with securities law violations. In the civil case the SEC is asking for disgorgement of ill-gotten gains with interest and civil penalties. The SEC also is seeking to bar Mancini from serving as an officer or director of any public company.
You can read the entire story here.
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