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Saturday, September 28, 2024
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Current racing:
- September 22 - 29: World Road Cycling Championships
Upcoming racing:
- Sept 29 - Oct 6: Le Tour de Langkawi
- October 12: Il Lombardia
Latest completed racing:
- September 18 - 22: Tour de Luxembourg
- September 21: Super 8 Classic
- September 20: Kampioenschap van Vlaanderen
- September 18: GP de Wallonie
- September 15: Grand Prix Cycliste de Montréal
- September 15: Trofeo Matteotti
- September 14: Memorial Marco Pantani
- September 13: Grand Prix Cycliste de Québec
- September 12: Coppa Sabatini
BBC posted this heartbreaking news:
Swiss cyclist Muriel Furrer has died after suffering a serious head injury at the Road and Para-cycling World Championships in Switzerland.
The 18-year-old crashed during the junior road race on Thursday and was taken to hospital by emergency helicopter.
Muriel Furrer. Getty Images
The Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) said in a statement following the "tragic" news: “With the passing of Muriel Furrer, the international cycling community loses a rider with a bright future ahead of her.
"The UCI and the Organising Committee of the 2024 UCI Road and Para-cycling Road World Championships offer their sincere condolences to Muriel Furrer's family, friends and her Federation Swiss Cycling.
"Muriel Furrer's family asks that their privacy be respected at this very painful time."
Swiss Cycling said on X: "Our hearts are broken. It is with a heavy heart and infinite sadness that we have to say goodbye to Muriel Furrer.
"We are losing a warm-hearted and wonderful young woman who always had a smile on her face. There is no understanding, only pain and sadness."
The Zurich 2024 Local Organising Committee (LOC) said earlier on Friday it remained "extremely concerned" about Furrer’s condition.
However, as per the family's wishes, it was agreed the championship would continue according to the race programme.
Furrer was a double silver medallist in the time trial and road race at this year's Swiss road nationals.
Torrential rain fell during much of Thursday's racing in Zurich.
The entire story is posted here.
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Here’s the team’s news:
Julian Alaphilippe, Kasper Asgreen, Remco Evenepoel, James Knox, Mikel Landa – riders who between them have won a dozen races this year – will take on the World Championships in Zurich in just a couple of days. Switzerland hosts the event for the first time since 2009, and two of our riders have already won medals there: Remco took his second rainbow jersey in the ITT last Sunday, while Mattia Cattaneo – who raced earlier this week – time trialled to bronze together with Italy’s mixed relay team.
Julian Alaphilippe won the World Road Championships in 2020 & 2021. Here he is winning the 2021 edition in Leuven, Belgium. Sirotti photo
The 273.9km course is one of the hardest seen at the Worlds this century, a total of ten significant climbs peppering the route between Winterthur and Zurich. From the top of the last ascent, only a couple of kilometers remain until the finish, making it the perfect terrain for an attack that could go all the way.
“It’s a very hard course. The start isn’t easy and the peloton will tackle a hard ascent on the approach to Zurich before that challenging circuit that they will cover seven times. The climb there is followed by some up-and-down roads before a descent towards the lake. The route is difficult to control and gives opportunities for some late attacks. It’s a very attractive climb with a tricky final part, and it will be interesting to see how things will go there, because some teams will try to control, while others will be keen to go on the attack”, said Soudal Quick-Step sports director Tom Steels.
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Here’s the team's announcement:
After two years representing Lidl-Trek, Lisa Klein has taken the decision to step back from WorldTour competition
After two seasons together, Lidl-Trek and Lisa Klein have mutually agreed to part ways at the end of 2024. The German rider made the tough decision to focus on her health and own performance goals and take a step back from the WorldTour in consultation with the Lidl-Trek performance and management team. Everyone at Lidl-Trek wishes Lisa all the best for her future.
Lisa Klein
“The decision was a process and now I can analyze what was wrong and what was good and bad,” reflected Lisa. “But the main thing is that I cannot just continue and ‘float’. I would love to take my chance and continue to race for Lidl-Trek next year, but you sometimes force things and at some point you need to make a decision. This season I struggled with sickness around my big goals, and then when I was racing I felt like I wasn’t recovering like normal. Also the days away from home have become more of a struggle.
“It’s not an easy decision, but it is one that was reached after considering many things. The solution for me is to step back, have less pressure and be more relaxed. To leave Lidl-Trek, with such good teammates who have always helped me to be strong, is pretty brutal for me.”
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Here’s the team’s update:
A contingent of nine riders from the Intermarché-Wanty team will travel to Zurich, Switzerland, to represent their nation in the road races of the World Championships, with four starting in the U23 race on Friday, September 27th, and five in the Elite event on Sunday, September 29th.
The Zurich road race features a course that favors climbers with a good punch, with significant elevation gain. The 27-kilometer circuit includes the ascent of Witikon (1.7 km at 7%) as its main attraction. Starting from Uster, the U23 riders will have to climb it five times for a total race distance of 173 kilometers. Two weeks after winning the European U23 title, Huub Artz will be competing in his first World Championships with the Dutch team. He will be joined at the start by his two Eritrean teammates at Wanty-ReUz-Technord, Aklilu Arefayne and Mewael Girmay, and his future teammate Francesco Busatto. The 21-year-old Italian, who rides for the WorldTeam, is returning to the U23 race with a vengeful spirit, as a crash ruined his chances the previous year in Glasgow.
On Sunday, five Intermarché-Wanty riders will have to cover 100 kilometers more from Winterthur and conquer the climbs of Buch am Irchel (5 km at 5%), Kyburg (1.3 km at 10%) and Suessblatz (1.7 at 8%) at the beginning of the race, before seven laps of the Zurich circuit. At the start, we find the Tour de France green jersey winner Biniam Girmay, who won a historic silver medal for Eritrea in 2021 in Leuven, as well as recent European bronze medalist Madis Mihkels for Estonia. South African Louis Meintjes, U23 World Championship silver medalist in 2013, returns to the World Championships for the first time since 2020, while Italian Lorenzo Rota and German Georg Zimmermann are competing for the third and fourth time in the race for the world champion title.
Could Biniam Girmay be wearing a rainbow jersey Sunday afternoon? Sirotti photo
Georg Zimmermann:
“I’m really looking forward to these World Championships. Even though I’ve participated several times in previous years, it’s always a special atmosphere and you never get used to it. It’s also nice to reunite with the national team and the best riders from my country, the young talents and also the female riders. The best cyclists in the world gather here. The course is tough, it reminds me of Imola in 2020, with demanding climbs in the circuit. To do well, it will be a huge challenge, but I’ve trained hard, so I’m ready. I’m confident, especially since we’re here with a strong team and my preparation for the World Championships has been perfect.”
Huub Artz:
“I’m approaching these World Championships with a lot of confidence and motivation, especially after my European title. I don’t feel much pressure because I already consider my season a success. My form is good, if I have a good day, I think the course can suit me with all the technical climbs, both the steep and the longer ones. Winning the world title depends on many factors, not just the legs, so I hope to reach the podium. The support of Intermarché-Wanty has allowed me to arrive in the best possible condition. I wasn’t at the level I hoped for at the Tour de l’Avenir, but we were able to adjust our plans to use it as preparation. This allowed me to be in excellent form at the Euros and now at the Worlds.”
Francesco Busatto:
“I expect a difficult and demanding race. I’m sure it will be unpredictable because that’s the nature of the World Championships. My form is good but many competitors can say the same. If I play my cards right, I can do well because this circuit suits my qualities. The start is relatively flat, then come the climbs with the approach to the technical and hilly summit. Controlling the race will be very difficult, the heavier riders will not cope as well with the climbs so we must expect them to attack on the flat. It’s crucial to be at the front from the start. I think I can come away with a good result, as always I start with the ambition to win but I would also be happy if one of my compatriots makes it to the podium. Our Italian team is very strong, we will take our responsibilities and we will try to be the ones to initiate the action. The preparation with Intermarché-Wanty has been ideal, it started early with the Tour de Pologne and the Canadian classics, I feel very strong now and I’m ready to give my best.”
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