Bicycle Racing News and Opinion,
Wednesday, January 10, 2024
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2023 Tour de France | 2023 Giro d'Italia
Poets are the sense, philosophers the intelligence of humanity. - Samuel Beckett
Bill & Carol McGann's book The Story of the Tour de France, Vol 1: 1903 - 1975 is available in print, Kindle eBook & audiobook versions. To get your copy, just click on the Amazon link on the right.
Upcoming racing:
- Jan 12-21: Santos Tour Down Under
- Jan 20: Clasica Comunitat Valenciana
- Jan 24-28: Challenge Illes Balears-Volta Ciclista a Mallorca
- Jan 28: GP d'Ouverture-La Marseillaise
- Jan 28: Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race
- Jan 30 - Feb 3: Saudi Tour
Latest completed racing:
- Jan 1: GP Sven Nys
- Dec 29: Exact Cross Loenhout-Azencross
- Dec 28: Superprestige Diegem
- Dec 27: Superprestige Heusden Zolder
- Dec 26: World Cup Gaver Cyclocross
- Dec 17: World Cup Namur Cyclocross
Here’s the team’s announcement:
Team dsm-firmenich PostNL are thrilled to reveal that home-grown talents Nils Eekhoff and Casper van Uden have committed their long-term future to the team, both penning contracts until the end of the 2026 campaign.
Both graduates from the Development program, Eekhoff has been wearing the two-striped jersey in some form since his debut in 2017 before making the step-up to the Men’s program in 2020; while Van Uden has been with the squad since 2020 before turning pro in the middle of the 2022 campaign. The multiple-year contracts are a mark of intent and stability as Team dsm-firmenich PostNL looks to build for the future.
Nils Eekhoff riding the 2023 ZLM Tour prologue. Sirotti photo.
Nils Eekhoff
Hailing from Rijsenhout in the Dutch province of North Holland, the rangy Eekhoff has progressed steadily through the ranks with the team and is an integral member of the squad on and off the bike. A strong U23 career saw him claim a memorable cobblestone win with the team at Paris-Roubaix Espoirs in 2017, alongside several other successes, before a promotion to the WorldTour. Since then, Eekhoff has learned from the more experienced riders around him and has shown great mental resilience and fortitude to return from setbacks through illness or injury. That hard-work paid off in the 2023 campaign where he took his first pro win with the team at the ZLM Tour and rode strongly in classics-style races such as a third-place finish at Tro-Bro Leon. It was also a campaign that saw Eekhoff record his best result at a Grand Tour with fifth place on stage eight of the Tour de France, and he has his sights set firmly on continuing that progression and winning feeling with the team in the future.
Eekhoff expressed: “The team feels like home for me, I know my way around and all the people really well. It’s been a great environment for me to continuously make steps as a rider and I would like to continue that journey with the team. Throughout the years I’ve learned that setbacks are also part of being a professional athlete and as long as we keep on making steps in the right direction it will bring something good in the future. It was great to therefore be able to finally take my first pro win in 2023. It’s proof of what I, and the team, know I am capable of, so I’m really motivated to continue these steps with the team and show even more in the coming years. I think with my passion to give my all, I hope to be able to inspire the other guys to push each other further and in turn that will hopefully make us achieve great things together as we need everyone to give 110 percent. I want to work towards being one of the key riders in the classic finals, and being of value wherever else I can for the team’s goals.”
Team dsm-firmenich PostNL head coach Rudi Kemna added: “Nils has been with the team for several years already now and we have really seen him grow as a rider both on and off the bike; and he’s a real culture carrier within the group. We’ve seen him make good progress in the last year and we want to continue that development with him, particularly in the Classics. Those are races where we think Nils has the qualities to really make the next step and not only bring himself, but those around him, to a higher level.”
Casper van Uden
Still very much in his early twenties, Schiedam born Van Uden is just about to begin his second full-season as a professional, having been promoted to the Men’s program in mid-2022. That promotion was well deserved after a barnstorming few seasons which saw him take seven UCI level wins as part of the Development program, where he showed his sprint capabilities against not only other young talents but seasoned veterans and strong riders from the Continental level scene. The step-up to the WorldTour with the Men’s program has seen Van Uden begin to find his feet and learn from those around him, with promising results in the sprint finishes, such as third at Milano – Torino and second on a stage at the Tour of Britain, a glimpse at where his future lies with the team.
Van Uden said: “I like the way the team’s structure works, they give you a lot of help and structure but always keep you thinking and challenging yourself and the people working within the team. It feels like a really comfortable and relaxed environment for me. I think it was really nice to come through the Development program, it made me develop all of the basics that I needed to be in a good place for the WorldTour. Then when I made the step-up it has all been about just fine tuning those things and getting stronger. In my first full-year as a pro I have learned to be patient and work hard. Going into the season my goal was that I really wanted to win straight away but unfortunately didn’t manage to. It was a bit mentally tough, but I received a lot of support from the other guys and the staff in the team helped me to get through it and keep me hungry; and we still managed to get some good results. Looking ahead I want to be able to share my knowledge that I have of the team with the other guys and be someone that can bring the group together. On the bike I want to become a more consistent sprinter and fight for those wins in the races where I am the finisher, but I’m also excited to get stuck in and be a team player too.”
Team dsm-firmenich PostNL head coach Rudi Kemna continued: “Casper is a guy who always gives his all for the team and that’s a very commendable quality which he brings to our sprint group. We believe that he has the talent to continue to improve as a finisher within the team and further develop in the races against the very best in the future as we look to continue to hunt for more results with our sprint group. We’ve had some good years with Casper so far as he’s progressed through the ranks, and we’re excited to continue that.”
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Here’s the team’s news:
This Sunday 7th of January, the delegation of Intermarché-Wanty arrived in Adelaide, in the south of Australia, for the first races of the 2024 road season. In a period of two weeks, the Walloon World Team will participate in three events on the continent Oceania: the Tour Down Under, the Surf Coast Classic and the Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race.
In 2023, Intermarché-Wanty was in the mix for the victory every day in the Tour Down Under (2.UWT), with multiple top five finishes and a top ten in the final classification. This year, the event from 16th to 21st of January is divided in six stages and doesn’t start with a prologue, in contrary to the previous edition. The profile of the first four days alternates chances for sprinters and punchers, before an explosive closing weekend on the slopes of Willunga Hill (Saturday) and Mount Lofty (Sunday).
But before starting the World Tour season, the selection directed by Steven De Neef will race for the first time in the new kit of Verge Sport in the Down Under Classic, a criterium through the streets of Adelaide on 13th of January.
On Thursday 25th of January, or four days after the Tour Down Under, Intermarché-Wanty will participate for the first time to the Surf Coast Classic (1.1), a race which was organised a first time in 2020 in the state of Victoria. After a 10 kilometer climb from the start in Lorque, the parcours towards Torquay is favourable for sprinters.
The Australian campaign will be concluded on Sunday 28th of January with the Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race (1.UWT). Last year, Hugo Page achieved his first World Tour podium by finishing second in a group sprint with 35 riders, in which also Dion Smith (7th) was present.
The main obstacles during this classic of 176 kilometer around Geelong are the open roads in the beginning of the race and the technical urbain circuit of 17 kilometer with Challambra climb (900m at 8.9%) which has to be covered four times in the final.
Biniam Girmay will be on the start line in Australia. Here he is winning 2023 Tour of Switzerland stage two. Sirotti photo
The seven riders who will represent Intermarché-Wanty are Lilian Calmejane, Biniam Girmay, Madis Mihkels, Tom Paquot, Simone Petilli, Dion Smith and Georg Zimmermann.
"The excellent results we achieved twelve months ago in our first participation to the Australian races tasted like more. Remembering last year's great season start, we composed a solid and balanced line up for these 2024 opening races back in October. With Lilian Calmejane, Dion Smith and Georg Zimmermann we have several cards to play for the general classification and the difficult finals. Biniam Girmay and Madis Mihkels are our leaders for the sprint, the courses suit them very well. These men can rely on two exemplary teammates on all terrains: Tom Paquot and Simone Petilli. Our plan is to offer these seven riders a long training block after these races, on altitude for some of them, in order to prepare well for the classics on European soil."
"For their preparation, the majority of our selection finished their 2023 road season relatively early. All followed a specific training programme during our team training camp in December, including individual training sessions behind the scooter for example. Our team travelled to Adelaide earlier than most of the other teams, in order to have enough time for acclimatisation, acquiring training rhythm and course recons. I expect this transition to go smoothly, especially for Biniam Girmay and Dion Smith who have been preparing these races in their home country the past three weeks. Dion comes from New-Zealand and benefits from a short trip. Biniam's advantage is the similar weather circumstances in Eritrea compared to what we can expect in Australia. I'm really looking forward to this first appointment with a group of ambitious riders, while we unite the rest of the team in Spain to finalise our preparation for the first races on European soil." - Aike Visbeek (Performance Manager)
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Here’s the team’s post:
UAE Team Emirates have announced the team to take on the first challenge of the year as the team heads to Australia for the Santos Tour Down Under (16-21 Jan).
The six days of competition will be based in and around Adelaide, kicking off with a 144km road stage in Tanunda.
The team go into the race as defending champions after Jay Vine claimed the title in fine fashion in 2023.
2023 winner Jay Vine. Sirotti photo
This year the UAE contingent will be captained by the experienced head of Diego Ulissi on the road with a young but promising team behind him.
Diego Ulissi: “We’re really looking forward to starting the 2024 season here in Australia.We have a very strong team coming into the race with plenty of options for wins. I’ve had some good results here in the past and hope to be competitive but also be able to lend my experience to the younger guys who are growing in the team.
"We got together as a group for a big team training camp in December which went very well and we’re really focused on getting the season started on the right foot.”
The team will be guided by Sports Director Marco Marcato (Ita) who will oversee the seven man squad.
The same team will also take part in the Down Under Classic criterium (13 January).
Santos Tour Down Under [2.UWT] – 16 Jan-2024 / 21-Jan-2024
Alessandro Covi (Ita)
Isaac Del Toro (Mex)
Finn Fisher Black (NZ)
Alvaro Hodeg (Col)
Antonio Morgado (Por)
Diego Ulissi (Ita)
Michael Vink (NZ)
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Here’s the team’s news:
Happy New Year, and Happy New Season!
The opening race of the 2024 UCI WorldTour is already upon us, with the Santos Tour Down Under running from Tuesday 16th, to Sunday 21st. The six days cover a total of 825km from Tanunda to Mount Lofty, and Team Bahrain Victorious are in Australia with a balanced team, ready to fight for victory on each stage, and challenge for the overall GC.
Lead Sports Director is Neil Stephens, who comments:
“Four of the guys are young and new to this race, are really excited to be here and all really keen to do their jobs well. Everyone is enjoying the Australian experience so far”
“It’s a race in two parts really: stages 1-4 are opportunities for the sprinters but we’ll certainly try to keep the different areas covered of course.”
"Our fast man in Australia is Phil Bauhaus, who took the second stage when the race returned after Covid in 2023. His first chance comes on day one, which takes in three circuits in Barossa totalling 144km. The following day is another potential sprint finish, although this time, there is a short but very steep climb: Fox Creek. The peloton will tackle it twice, and we will surely see that 1.6km ascent used by those who want to thin out the leading group, and challenge for the win in Lobethal.
Phil Bauhaus wins 2023 TdU stage one. TdU photo
Stephens says,
“Phil Bauhaus is coming back to the TdU for a second consecutive year. Last year, he had some great support from the team and was able to pull off stage one. He’s certainly coming back trying to aim for stages, he’s probably in even better shape than he was last time around, and he’s really looking forward to the race once again”
Day 3 is another flat profile of just over 140km. It will be a fast, flat finish into Campbeltown and promises to be a frantic fight for victory at a frenetic pace.
Supporting Bauhaus in the latter kilometres on these opening days will be one of two Australians in our team, Cameron Scott.
“Cam is another rider who was here last year,” explains Stephens. “He’s an Adelaide boy too – a local, so he’s been helping us during the training days since we arrived. His job, as well as supporting the team generally, of course – will be as the last man in the lead out for Phil.”
On Friday, the race starts to be more selective, as stage 4 has an uphill finish in Port Elliot, with the ocean in the riders’ sight as they approach the line. And then it’s the weekend, and those GC boys who have made it safely through the first part of the TdU can come out to play.
Our leader is Jack Haig, riding on home roads, and Stephens is positive about Haig’s chances now he’s returned to his home country for the first time in a few years!
“It’s great to have Jack on board. It’s a while since he’s done the TdU and it’s brilliant to have him here leading the team. He’s really keen to do well in this race for the team, and it’s an added bonus being an Australian in Australia! We’ll try our best to be amongst the best riders and finish with a high GC for Jack”
Stage 5 sees a return to Willunga Hill. The climb is a favourite of the race organisers and of the spectators; so much so it has almost become synonymous with the Tour Down Under itself. It’s 3km, averaging 7.4% (with a maximum gradient of 15.6%), and this year, the bunch will crest it as part of a two-lap closing circuit before ascending it again to the finish line.
Along with Jack, Phil and Cameron, Bahrain have three newcomers to the season opener, in Fran Miholjević, Johan Price Pejtersen, Nicolò Buratti and, making his debut for the team: Torstein Træen. The Norwegian may be something of an unknown for our supporters, having signed from UNO-X in the close season, but Stephens is confident in the 28 year old’s potential.
“Torstein will be there as a really big support in the mountains, and who knows … he might even do well in GC on his own!
"The others are all young guys, and all have different experiences in different areas. They’re a good bunch who work well together, and each of them is looking forward to doing his best out here.”
The Santos Tour Down Under is held in the height of the Southern Hemisphere summer, which explains why none of the race days are over 146km. And the scorching heat is as much of a factor in the fight for the ochre jersey as the parcours.
The 2024 winner of that leader’s jersey will be decided – as it was last year – atop Mount Lofty. Three loops of a finishing circuit means three times up the 1.3km climb, which averages 7.3% and maxes out at 13.3%.
It was a hugely positive start to 2023 for TBV, with stage wins for Bauhaus and Pello Bilbao, who also finished 3rd overall, and Stephens sees no reason why we can’t repeat, or even better, those results this time around:
Those last 2 stages are the GC stages. There are plenty of hills and there’s going to be plenty of action! I’m hopeful we can not only win at least one early stage with Phil, but also get our GC riders into the high positions overall.
Whichever of the GC hopefuls can hold it together during the week, and turn it on up Wilunga and the final mountain, will reach the ‘lofty’ heights of 2024 Tour Down Under champion.
Let the season commence!
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