Bicycle Racing News and Opinion,
Tuesday, January 24, 2023
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2022 Tour de France | 2022 Giro d'Italia
Finally we shall place the Sun himself at the center of the Universe. - Nicolaus Copernicus
Bill & Carol McGann’s book The Story of the Tour de France, 2022: The Fastest Tour Ever is available as in both Kindle eBook & audiobook versions. To get your copy, just click on the Amazon link on the right.
Current racing:
- Jan 22 - 29: Vuelta a San Juan
Upcoming racing
- Jan 25 - 29: Challenge Illes Balears-Volta Ciclista a Mallorca
- Jan 28 & 29: Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race
Latest completed racing:
- Jan 14 - 22: Schwalbe Classic & Tour Down Under
- Jan 1: GP Sven Nys Cyclocross
- Dec 30: Azencross-Loenhout
- Dec 28: Diegem Cyclocross
- Dec 27: Heusden-Zolder Cyclocross
- Dec 26: Gavere Cyclocross
- Dec 10: Exact Cross Essen
- Dec 4: Scheldecross Antwerp
We posted the report from stage winner Sam Bennett's Team Bora-hansgrohe with the results.
Here's the report from second-place Michael Mørkøv's Team Soudal Quick-Step:
A messy sprint brought to a conclusion what had been a rather quiet stage 1 at the Vuelta a San Juan, the only notable incident before the fight for victory being a crash that had taken place with less than ten kilometers to go. Fortunately, our riders avoided the incident, but the nervousness that was palpable inside the bunch made for a very chaotic run-in to the finish in San Juan.
Michael Mørkøv, who was supposed to launch Fabio Jakobsen after a mammoth pull of World Champion Remco Evenepoel, ended up being involved in the mass gallop, and took second place, just behind Sam Bennett (Bora-hansgrohe).
Michael Mørkøv grabs second place.
“Everybody was very eager to win today. I wasn’t supposed to do the sprint, but with 1500 meters to go we had to move to the right side of the road and we lost Fabio there, so we had to change the plan. It wasn’t perfect for us today, but it’s something we will learn from and we are motivated to get a win in the next days”, an upbeat Michael explained at the press conference.
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And here's the Vuelta a San Juan report from fifth-place Gleb Syritsa's Team Astana Qazaqstan:
Astana’s young neo-pro Gleb Syritsa started his season in a good way, taking a solid fifth place in today’s Stage 1 of the Vuelta a San Juan Internacional in Argentina.
Here's another shot of the stage one finish.
“Mostly, the stage turned out to be a calm one, but with some 15 km to go the pace as well as the tension in the group have increased seriously. My teammates helped me a lot to save some energy for the final, protecting me from the wind and providing me water and food all day long. I felt quite good in the final and I think I was able to do a good sprint. I believe it was quite a nice start for me, but I feel like it is possible to fight for something more. So, together with the team we are going to keep on fighting day by day”, – said Gleb Syritsa.
Two Astana Qazaqstan Team riders, Martin Lopez and Yevgeniy Gidich were involved in a big crash with a few kilometers to go, but, fortunately, without any consequences.
Another Astana rider Harold Tejada finished 13th today.
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Note: Though is not a race BikeRaceInfo covers, we thought our readers would want to read this report from De Lie's Team Lotto Dstny:
Lotto Dstny immediately took the win at its first race on European soil. It was Arnaud De Lie who showed his fast legs in a tough final at the one-day Classica Comunitat Valenciana. In the final uphill kilometres, De Lie was perfectly guided towards the sprint by his teammates. The 20-year-old Belgian unleashed his power in the final straight and proved the fastest in La Nucia. Boasson Hagen and Biermans flanked De Lie on the podium. “It’s fantastic to start the season with a victory, but more important to see that the team is immediately there to make sure that I could sprint at the end.”
Here's Arnaud De Lie winning the 2022 Trofeo Palma
On the steepest slopes of the Alto de Bixauca – as expected the decisive climb in the final – the peloton split and a front group formed with amongst others Brent Van Moer. After that move was reeled in, Lotto Dstny took the initiative in the bunch. The challenging last kilometres made for a chaotic final, but De Lie could count on his teammates, who guided him into the uphill last straight. The Belgian launched a powerful acceleration and sprinted to his first victory of the season.
Arnaud De Lie: “The long climb in the deep final didn’t make it easy but for us it was a very good scenario. Brent Van Moer was present at the front and back in the peloton, we showed to be the strongest team in the race. In the final kilometres, we played it perfectly and countered the various attacks. We were always in control and then it was up to me to sprint. So I am really happy that I can reward my teammates with the first victory of the season. Of course, this win is important after a winter of hard work to be immediately ready for the first race. That I could follow on the long climb showed that I took another step forward. This victory is a nice start, but I’m hungry for more…”
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Here’s the team’s news
UAE Team Emirates will head to the sunny shores of Mallorca to take on five individual 1.1 ranked race days which forms the series of races known as the ‘Challenge Mallorca’.
The Spanish Island will host the Trofeo Calvia (25 May), Trofeo Alcudia-Port d’Alcudia (26 Jan) Trofeo Andratx – Mirador des Colomer (27 May), Serra de Tramuntana (28 Jan), and the Trofeo Palma (29 Jan) where the team will take 9 riders, in a very experienced team packed with talent.
Mallorca was a good outing for the team in 2022 with the on-fire Brandon McNulty taking victory at the Trofeo Calvia followed by a fourth place (Trofeo Serra) and a podium (Trofeo Andratx) the following days, with Sebastian Molano also taking 2nd at the Trofeo Palma.
Brandon McNulty wins the 2022 Trofeo Calvia.
Joxean Matxin Fernandez (Sports Manager): “It’s been a very positive off-season and the guys are ready and motivated to race.
"In the squad for Mallorca we have proven winners – McNulty and Wellens both won here last year and other riders in our team are more than capable of taking big results here too this week.
"It’s early in the season still but as always we are focused to be aggressive from the beginning and aim to get some wins on the board as soon as possible.”
Sports Manager Joxean Matxin Fernandez (Spa) along with Sports Directors Manuele Mori (Ita) and Tomas Gil (Ven) will lead the team of 9 riders, with 7 riders starting per day:
Trofeo Calvia [1.1] – 25-Jan-2023
Mikkel Bjerg (Den)
Brandon McNulty (USA)
Domen Novak (Slo)
Rui Oliveira (Por)
Matteo Trentin (Ita)
Diego Ulissi (Ita)
Tim Wellens (Bel)
Ses Salines – Alcudia [1.1] – 26-Jan-2023
Mikkel Bjerg (Den)
Domen Novak (Slo)
Rui Oliveira (Por)
Matteo Trentin (Ita)
Diego Ulissi (Ita)
Tim Wellens (Bel)
Sebastian Molano (Col)
Trofeo Port d’Andratx – Mirador D’es Colomer (Pollença) [1.1] – 27-Jan-2023
Joao Almeida (Por)
Domen Novak (Slo)
Rui Oliveira (Por)
Brandon McNulty (USA)
Diego Ulissi (Ita)
Tim Wellens (Bel)
Sebastian Molano (Col)
Trofeo Serra de Tramuntana (Lloseta – Lloseta) [1.1] – 28-Jan-2023
Mikkel Bjerg (Den)
Brandon McNulty (USA)
Joao Almeida (Por)
Rui Oliveira (Por)
Matteo Trentin (Ita)
Diego Ulissi (Ita)
Tim Wellens (Bel)
Trofeo Palma – Palma [1.1] – 29-Jan-2023
Joao Almeida (Por)
Rui Oliveira (Por)
Brandon McNulty (USA)
Diego Ulissi (Ita)
Tim Wellens (Bel)
Sebastian Molano (Col)
Meanwhile in Australia, the same exciting squad from the Tour Down Under will take on the Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race.
The team will be guided by Sports Director Marco Marcato (Ita) who will oversee the seven man squad:
Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race [1.UWT] – 29-Jan-2023
Sjoerd Bax (Bel)
George Bennett (NZ)
Alessandro Covi (Ita)
Finn Fisher Black (NZ)
Marc Hirschi (Swi)
Jay Vine (Aus)
Michael Vink (NZ)
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