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2023 Tour de France | 2023 Giro d'Italia
Maybe this world is another planet's hell. - Aldous Huxley
Les Woodland's book Tour of Flanders: The Inside Story - The rocky roads of the Ronde van Vlaanderen 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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The team sent me this news:
From 1 January 2024, the three cycling teams of Team Jumbo-Visma will continue as Team Visma | Lease a Bike. Visma and Lease a Bike have signed a contract as title sponsors for an indefinite period.
European software company Visma has been the second title sponsor of the team for the past five years. Lease a Bike joined the team as a sub-sponsor on 1 January 2023. From the new year, both companies will adorn the chest of all riders, and Team Visma | Lease a Bike is a fact.
We won't know what the new team kits will look like until December 21. Here they are at the start of this year's Tour of Lombardy. Sirotti photo
Managing director Richard Plugge is delighted with the two title sponsors. "We are delighted to confirm our new partnership agreements with Visma and Lease a Bike, two strong international companies that we already enjoy an excellent relationship with. These evolving partnerships are another big step forward, ensuring that we have the resources to further develop and improve as a team. Last year, we proved once again that we can grow and be successful together. This is also our common long-term goal."
Merete Hverven, CEO of Visma: "I’m thrilled to confirm that we’re continuing our longstanding and successful cooperation with the best cycling team in the world, which will ride on as Team Visma | Lease a Bike. These incredible athletes have reached the top of their game through sheer grit, dedication and teamwork, values that resonate with Visma’s own, and that we are proud to be associated with. As one of Europe’s leading software companies, we will continue to provide the team with solutions that help them improve both their sporting and business performance."
"Lease a Bike's mission is to inspire people to go biking. For sports, for commuting and in everyday life", says Ward Matser, Managing Director at Lease a Bike. "What better way to spread this message than through an extremely inspiring cycling team? We want to encourage people to live healthier and more sustainable lives and see Team Visma | Lease a Bike as a way to contribute to this. We are already successful in the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany and Austria and we are expanding to other countries in Europe and to the USA. We believe in innovation, developing talent and doing things a little better every day. A vision we share with the cycling team."
In addition to Lease a Bike, Pon will continue its partnership with the cycling team through the Cervélo, Škoda, Nimbl, Reserve Wheels, MAN and BBB Cycling brands as well.
On Thursday, 21 December, Team Visma | Lease a Bike will present its riders, main goals and new corporate identity to the media and partners at Move Amsterdam.
The team sent me this news release:
The new team logo and the 2024 roster have been revealed. 22 riders in the lineup, with 21 being Italian. There are 8 Under23 athletes.
The announced today the first step towards the new year by officially presenting its new image, which also hints at some novelties in the jersey, reverting to the colors of VF Group, the company that will be the title sponsor starting from January 1, 2024. The new logo is surrounded by the shield, a reference to the Italian identity of the team.
The new team logo
Statement from team manager Roberto Reverberi: 'We come from a good season where many of our riders gained experience, especially the younger ones. We are confident that next year could be the consecration for many of them; some will have top-level experiences. We have renewed the trust of 8 riders and have taken on 4 young talents who can give a lot to the team in perspective. The entrance of a major sponsor like VF Group allows us to strengthen. I thank Vincenzo Oliva, owner of VF Group, who has placed trust in our project, and of course, we thank our historical sponsors: Bardiani, CSF, and Faizanè."
The 2024 roster includes a total of 22 riders. 8 athletes under 23, with an average age of 23.2 years.
4 new arrivals: Mattia Pinazzi, Vicente Rojas, Federico Biagini, and Filippo Turconi.
8 renewals: Alessandro Pinarello, Alex Tolio, Filippo Fiorelli, Alessio Martinelli, Martin Marcellusi, Enrico Zanoncello, Manuele Tarozzi, Luca Colnaghi.
10 riders already present in the lineup: Luca Covili, Filippo Magli, Alessandro Tonelli, Luca Paletti, Lorenzo Conforti, Matteo Scalco, Davide Gabburo, Samuele Zoccarato, Giulio Pellizzari, and Riccardo Lucca.
The team sent me this news release:
Team dsm-firmenich are thrilled to reveal that Angus Stoneham will join their Development program in 2024, with the young Brit set to wear the two-striped jersey through the 2025 campaign.
Angus Stoneham. Photo: Mathilde Choussé
Angus Stoneham:
Hailing from the United Kingdom, Stoneham honed his skills in the British racing scene and made the step into the junior category in 2022. That initial season saw him find his feet with consistent and solid performances over a variety of terrain, including a brilliant stage win at the Junior Tour of Mendips where he went solo in the finale and managed to hold off the opposition. His second year in the junior category saw Stoneham ply his trade with Zappi Junior Race Team in 2023, where he took on a much more international calendar. After a solid start to the year, from July onwards he started to shine with two impressive stage wins and second overall at Bizkaiko Itzulia; and victory on the opening stage at Ronde des Vallées Juniors where he would go on to finish second on GC. Those were two of Stoneham’s main highlights, but he further backed up those results with several top five and ten finishes throughout the campaign, all of which give him confidence as he steps up to the U23 ranks with the Development program in 2024.