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Bicycle Racing News and Opinion,
Friday, December 22, 2023

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2023 Tour de France | 2023 Giro d'Italia

If the highest aim of a captain were to preserve his ship, he would keep it in port forever. - Thomas Aquinas


Tour de France: the Inside Story

Les Woodland's book Tour de France: The Inside Story - Making the World's Greatest Bicycle Race is available in print, Kindle eBook and audiobook versions. To get your copy, just click on the Amazon link on the right.

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Team Uno-X signs Johannessen twins until 2026

Team Uno-X sent me this:

Uno-X Mobility is thrilled to announce the renewal of contracts with Norwegian twins Tobias and Anders Halland Johannessen. The brothers will continue to be part of the red and yellow train for another three years.

Tobias Johannessen wins stage five of the 2023 Tour of Luxembourg. Tour of Luxembourg photo

“We are extremely excited to continue our journey with Tobias and Anders," said Jens Haugland, General Manager. "They embody the spirit of Uno-X – a combination of youthful energy, persistent hard work, and a profound passion for cycling. We are confident that their continued presence on our team will contribute significantly to our journey in the coming seasons," Haugland adds.

Tobias Halland Johannessen expressed his enthusiasm about the renewal, “It's an absolute honor to continue our journey with Uno-X. Anders and I have grown immensely here, both as athletes and individuals. We're excited to keep contributing to the team's vision and can't wait to see what the future holds for all of us. A huge thank you to everyone who has supported us along the way – our journey is just getting started.”

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Melanoma: It started with a freckle Peaks Coaching: work with a coach! Schwab Cycles

Team Jumbo | Lease a Bike re-signs Jonas Vingegaard, Sepp Kuss & Fem van Empel

The team sent me this update:

As defending champions, Team Visma | Lease a Bike enters the Vuelta a España with high ambitions. The season will show how these ambitions will be realised. Zeeman: "Last season was historic, and as defending champions we are always ambitious, but our concrete plans for the Vuelta will be finalised later."

New contracts for Vingegaard, Kuss and Van Empel
In addition to the sporting challenges for 2024, the team is proud to announce that cyclocross world champion Fem van Empel, Vuelta winner Kuss and two-time Tour winner Vingegaard have all signed new contracts. Kuss and Van Empel have signed until 2027. Vingegaard has extended his contract until the end of 2028. 

Zeeman: "This is excellent news for us. We like to enter into long-term partnerships, and we are happy that Fem, Sepp and Jonas feel the same way. We will continue to make sports history in the years to come."

Jonas Vingegaard: "I feel very much at home with this team. And we are very successful with our approach. That's why I'm happy to extend my contract again. My future is here, and I'm proud of it."

Sepp Kuss: "This team is like a family. I feel at home here. The excellent results we have achieved as a team and my personal victory in the Vuelta a España are proof of that. It is also a good feeling to be able to build on this for the coming years. Together, we will be even more successful!"

Fem van Empel: "I have the right people around me at Team Visma | Lease a Bike to continue to grow and achieve great results. Things are already going well, but I am convinced that even more is possible. I am therefore delighted to be able to count on the support of this team for many years to come."

The new Jumbo|Lease a Bike kit. Jumbo-Visma photo

New logo and kit
During the team presentation, Team Visma | Lease a Bike also unveiled its new logo and jersey for the 2024 cycling season. The combination of Visma and Lease a Bike as main sponsors marks a fresh start, building on everything the team has achieved and built over the past few years. This is reflected in the team's kit, which is dominated by yellow and black. These colours are embedded in Yellow B., the new name of the company behind the cycling team, which replaces Blanco Pro Cycling.


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Movistar Team, Gobik and Telefónica unveil their 2024 kit

Here's the team's announcement:

Telefónica-backed squad's women's and men's programs -plus esports and gravel- to wear revamped jersey next season.

The Movistar Team presented on Thursday its new kit for the 2024 season. The new jersey, produced by Gobik, shines with the light effects mixed asymmetrically with the well-known Blue background used by the Telefónica-backed squad over its entire era under the current sponsor. It’s a restyling from the previous design, updated to include Telefónica’s 100th anniversary celebration logo, while also presenting a resemblance of patterns from networks and fiber, a wink to the year’s ‘leitmotiv’.

The 2024 Movistar kit. Team Movistar photo

Spanish brand Gobik produces clothing with advanced technical garments which offer breathability, perfect aerodynamic adjustment and comfort to put up with long rides. The Movistar Team’s new ‘skin’ has focused on improving the the clothes’ technical performance and sustainability of its production cycle.

The new jersey for the 2024 season presents aesthetic improvements, yet keeps the same colours and design that have made the team’s visual identity recognisable globally by fans and professionals alike.


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BORA-hansgrohe and Cian Uijtdebroeks mutually terminate their contract

Bora-hansgrohe sent me this update to this ongoing dispute (first story on the newspage):

BORA - hansgrohe, Cian Uijtdebroeks and Jumbo - Visma have today concluded a three-party-agreement. The UCI has just approved the agreement in an urgent decision. This means that the current rider contract between Cian Uijtdebroeks and BORA - hansgrohe will be terminated by mutual agreement on December 31, 2023. BORA - hansgrohe wishes Cian Uijtdebroeks the best of luck in the next step in his career.

Cian Uijtdebroeks racing stage 6 of the 2023 Vuelta a España. Sirotti photo

Ralph Denk, Team Manager BORA - hansgrohe: "Today is a day of mixed feelings. I was surprised to be approached on short notice with the desire to reach an agreement. But it's well known that I'm open to talks and that I won't stand in the way of a transfer if the conditions are right, and if it's done according to the rules. That was the case three weeks ago and it was the same today."

"I am pleased that the dust has finally settled, and that the case is now closed. The agreement shows that it's never too late for a reasonable, personal discussion. I would like this case to remain an isolated incident for the entire cycling family: Let's respect contracts and rules, let's be fair with each other."

"Above all, I stand behind my team. When false accusations are made against our riders, a line is crossed. To be clear: these accusations did not come from Cian. They were never voiced to us by Cian as a reason to change teams."

 

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