Bicycle Racing News and Opinion,
Tuesday, May 24, 2022
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2021 Tour de France | 2022 Giro d'Italia
It takes considerable knowledge just to realize the extent of your own ignorance. - Thomas Sowell
Bill and Carol McGann's book The Story of the Giro d'Italia, A Year-by-Year History of the Tour of Italy, Vol 2: 1971 - 2011 is available in print, Kindle eBook and audiobook versions. To get your copy, just click on the Amazon link on the right.
Current racing:
- May 6 - 29: Giro d'Italia
- May 24 - 29: Tour of Norway
Upcoming racing:
- June 1: Giro dell'Appennino
Latest completed racing:
- May 22: Rund um Köln
- May 21: Veenendaal - Veenendaal
- May 21: Tour du Finistère
- May 15: Tro-Bro Léon
- May 14: Grand Prix du Morbihan
- May 3 - 8: 4 Jours de Dunkerque
- April 26 - May 1: Tour de Romandie
- April 29 - May 1: Vuelta Asturias
- May 1: Rund um den Finanzplatz Eschborn - Frankfurt
- April 24: Liège-Bastogne-Liège
Here’s the report from van Dijk’s Team Trek-Segafredo:
Ellen van Dijk has etched her name into cycling’s history books after smashing the UCI Hour Record in the Tissot Velodrome in Grenchen, Switzerland.
Van Dijk surpassed the distance set by Joss Lowden in 2021 of 48.405 kilometers by an incredible 800 meters – a full minute quicker! – to set a new record of 49.254 kilometers. [Ed: This is faster than Ole Ritter's men's record in 1968. Granted, that was before aero equipment]
Ellen van Dijk going faster for an hour than any woman has ever gone before. Way. To. Go.
Ellen was ahead of the required time throughout. She knew early on that if she maintained her pace, even with some slowing, she would surpass the current record.
“In the beginning, I was a bit nervous, but under control I think,” she explained. “I did exactly what we wanted to do. In the first half-hour, I was around 18.1-18.2 [secs per lap) and that was well under the pace I knew I needed to ride, so I thought if I don’t slow down too much and don’t go over [18.5] then I should have it. I don’t think I was ever over 5, maybe sometimes, but I couldn’t hear everything.”
Ellen tried to will more out of her legs in the second half but admitted that her body could not respond.
“If I felt great I wanted to accelerate in the second part. At 45 minutes I thought ‘Okay, I need to accelerate’ and I thought I was accelerating, but I was actually slowing down. Then the time started to tick down really really slow. I have to say!”
The pain is felt everywhere in the final moments, but Ellen’s aero position never wavered. As the clocked tick towards one hour, the cheering grew louder from friends and family in the velodrome, urging her on in the final minutes.
“Everything became a little blurry, especially at the end, and I was not so straight anymore,” admitted Ellen, whose jersey displayed the all-important motto, ‘Hold the line’. “I was just so happy when I heard that it was over. This was all I had for today and I am very happy I broke the record!”
The suffering was over, and what she had just accomplished was still sinking in.
“This whole project has been so amazing for me, the whole build was such a great experience. I couldn’t wish for more support from Trek, it was really, really the best I have ever had,” said van Dijk. “During the ride, I thought about the whole team, everyone who put some much into this, and I need to give everything for all their work and time and everything. In the end, all I can say is: Ride bikes, have fun, feel good!” Ellen laughed.
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The team sent me this schedule:
L'Alpes Isère Tour: MAY 25 - 29
Boris Zimine - Team DSM coach:
“We start the second part of the season for our Development program at L'Alpes Isère Tour and it is the first hilly stage race of the year for them. We bring a really strong team and Henri, who joins us from our Men's program, will be our finisher. It is really nice to have the opportunity that Henri races again with the Development program. After his step up this season, he can share a lot of valuable experience with his young teammates. It's a tough parcours with a lot of tricky climbs, although no mountain top finish, but we are all looking forward to an attacking and aggressive week where we aim to work well as a group and be up there fighting for good results."
Line-up:
Lorenzo Milesi (ITA)
Oscar Onley (GBR)
Max Poole (GBR)
Joris Reinderink (NED)
Pepijn Reinderink (NED)
Henri Vandenabeele (BEL)
RideLondon Classique: MAY 27 - 29
Pim Ligthart - Team DSM coach:
"Our block of Women's World Tour stage racing continues as we head to the RideLondon Classique this week. It's an interesting route where the opening day has an uphill kick to the line, stage two has some short hills in the finale which might see attacks before the traditional finish route in London on the final day. We can expect three nice days of racing where our fast finishers, next to day results, potentially also have an opportunity for a good GC if things are controlled each stage. We bring a strong and motivated team and we're looking forward to getting stuck into the action."
Line-up:
Pfeiffer Georgi (GBR)
Megan Jastrab (USA)
Leah Kirchmann (CAN)
Franziska Koch (GER)
Charlotte Kool (NED)
Lorena Wiebes (NED)
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Van der Sande's Team Jumbo-Visma posted this update:
Tuesday 24 May is an important day for Tosh Van der Sande. The Belgian, who has been riding in Dutch service since this year, is making his comeback in Norway after a period of injury.
Tosh Van der Sande in 2019. Sirotti photo
For Van der Sande, it all went wrong almost two months ago. The Belgian had a strong first preseason for Team Jumbo-Visma until he crashed in the E3-Prijs and broke his elbow. For Van der Sande, who was brought in to reinforce the classic core, it was anything but a dream start. “I am disappointed with my start to the season. The goal was to be top in the Spring Classics period. Everything went perfectly until the crash, which was especially tough on a mental level.”
After sitting at home for two weeks, the unfortunate rider was able to resume his training. That wasn’t easy either. “I thought the good feeling would come back soon. But you notice that a fracture and an operation with anesthesia have consequences. Since last week I have had that good feeling again and am ready to race.”
Van der Sande is pleased to return to the Tour of Norway. After all, the past has shown that he can do well on Norwegian roads. “I think the course in Norway suits me well. It's not too difficult, but certainly not easy either. There are always some 'punchy' arrivals or sprints with a smaller group. Those are things that suit me well.”
A challenging course awaits the riders in Norway. On the first day, there is a tough uphill finish. In the third stage, the classification riders have to be at their best with a finish on a first category climb. The organisation has also mapped out a challenging course for the other stages. In any case, the undulating Norwegian roads are certainly an invitation to race.
“I don't think I should go for my ambitions in Norway yet. Maybe later in the season. As a team, we can go for stage wins. The course is tough, but not overly so. We will take it stage by stage and try to get a stage win."
Van der Sande also dares to look beyond Norway. “In the Tour de Suisse, I hope to be at an excellent level again. There are several arrivals there that should suit me. The Belgian championships are also high on my list. Later in the season, I want to be good during the races in Canada and the Benelux Tour. It is still a long season with many races. The ambition is to win races, the goal I had set in advance”, says Van der Sande.
Line-up Tour of Norway (24/05-29/05)
- David Dekker
- Michel Hessmann
- Timo Roosen
- Mike Teunissen
- Nathan Van Hooydonck
- Tosh Van der Sande
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Bicycle Retailer & Industry News posted this:
MILAN (BRAIN) — Asobi Ventures, an Austin, Texas, group that acquired a majority share in Gruppo Srl in 2021, has acquired the remaining shares. Gruppo Srl is the parent of Cinelli and Columbus.
Asobi Ventures Inc, is the family investment vehicle of Victor Luis. The company said it "has been investing in talent, systems and product development to create a sustainable model for the long-term development of the two most iconic brands in the biking world."
Victor Luis said, "My family and I could not be prouder to have been entrusted as stewards of these magnificent brands. Since 1919, Columbus has held a unique place in Italian industrial history as a manufacturer of high tech precision tubing, as a luxury furniture brand and as supplier of high-performance proprietary steel alloys and tubing to the world’s finest bicycle brands and independent artisans and craftsman. Celebrating this year the 75th Anniversary since its founding by the great Cino Cinelli, Cinelli has been a leader in blending form and function as a world and Olympic champion as well as a trailblazer of the urban fixed gear bike movement. Our family and our teams look forward to bringing Cinelli back to its leadership position as a house of innovation, design, and technology while blazing new trails in urban culture.”
You can read the entire story here.
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