Bicycle Racing News and Opinion,
Monday, September 30, 2024
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2024 Tour de France | 2024 Giro d'Italia
What sunshine is to flowers, smiles are to humanity. These are but trifles, to be sure; but scattered along life's pathway, the good they do is inconceivable. - Joseph Addison
Bill & Carol McGann's book The Story of the Tour de France, 2020: The Tour During Covid-19, Better Late Than Never is available in both Kindle eBook and Audiobook versions. To get your copy, just click on the Amazon link on the right.
Current racing:
- Sept 29 - Oct 6: Le Tour de Langkawi
Upcoming racing:
- October 1: Binche-Chimay-Binche
- October 3: Sparkassen Münsterland Giro
- October 5: Giro dell'Emilia
- October 6: Paris-Tours
- October 6: Coppa Agostoni-Giro delle Brianze
- October 7: Coppa Bernocchi
- October 8: Tre Valli Varesine
- October 10: Gran Piemonte
- October 12: Il Lombardia
Latest completed racing:
- September 22 - 29: World Road Cycling Championships
- 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
We posted the UCI's race report with the results.
Here's the report from winner Tadej Pogacar's UAE Team Emirates:
Tadej Pogačar put in a monumental ride at the World Championships road race in Zurich, Switzerland with the 26 year old staying away solo after more than 100km on the attack. Second was the Australian Ben O’Connor (Australia) +34” and third was Mathieu Van Der Poel (Netherlands) +58”.
The action began at -100km when Pogačar surprised his rivals by attacking with still four laps remaining. He would build a slender lead of no more than a minute with assistance from his teammate Jan Tratnik (Slovenia) who helped to pull Pogačar across to the original breakaway groups which had merged ahead. With little cooperation happening out in front, Pogačar struck out with only Pavel Sivakov (France) for company though the lead over the chasers would never rise much over 40-50 seconds.
Pogacar attacking.
As the advantage waned and groups behind began to form, Pogačar persevered to arrive to the line alone after a remarkable season which now includes the Giro D’Italia, Tour de France and now the coveted World Championships title. He becomes only the third rider in history, after Eddy Merckx and Stephen Roche, to win the Giro, Tour, Worlds triple.
Pogačar:
“I cannot believe what just happened, after this kind of season, I put a lot of pressure on myself for today. I had pressure from myself, from the team, we came here for the victory. The race unfolded pretty quick and there was a dangerous break in the front, I maybe did a stupid attack, luckily Jan [Tratnik] was there with me and I never gave up until the final. It’s an incredible day, I can’t believe what happened. Of course,it was not planned. We had planned to keep race under control but the race went quite early and I don’t know what I was thinking and I just went also, I went with the flow and luckily I made it, but it was so tough.
"For sure I wanted this title, after many years fighting for the Tour de France and other races, I never had a World Championships as a pure goal, and this year everything went smoothly already. After a perfect season, this was a big goal to win the World Championships and I can’t believe it happened, I have to thank the whole team, without them it would not have been possible and I’m super proud of the national team.”
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Here’s the World Championships report from Team Red Bull-Bora-hansgrohe:
The World Championships in Zurich came to an end today with the men's road race. Almost 274 kilometers had to be covered on the difficult course around Zurich. Ten riders from Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe competed for their nations.
Already in the first half of the race, Florian Lipowitz showed that the course suited him. Around 120 kilometers before the finish, the German was in a strong group that caught up with the race leaders and tactically positioned itself for the second part of the race. Shortly afterwards, the Slovenian team around Primož Roglič got serious. Tadej Pogačar rode out of the peloton and closed the gap to the Lipowitz group. Shortly after, he accelerated from the front with 80 kilometers to go. A selection was made in the peloton and a new group, which included Lipowitz, Jai Hindley, Frederik Wandahl and Roger Adrià, set off in pursuit of the Tour de France winner. The remaining laps were characterized by an attractive race full of attacks. But nobody was able to get in the way of Pogačar's solo victory.
The peloton climbing in the World Championship road race. Sirotti photo
Roger Adrià achieved his personal best placing at a world championship with 11th place. After winning the Grand Prix de Wallonie and the top result at the Super 8 Classic last week, the Spaniard is proving to be in strong form. Jai Hindley reaches the finish line in 18th place, Frederik Wandahl in 23rd.
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We posted the race organizer's report with the results.
Here's the report from stage winner Gleb Syritsa's Team Astana Qazaqstan:
Astana Qazaqstan Team rider Gleb Syritsa claimed a brilliant sprint victory at the finish of the first stage of the Petronas Le Tour de Langkawi in Malaysia. After an excellent lead-out from his teammates, Syritsa opened his sprint 250 meters from the finish and confidently powered to victory.
Gleb Syritsa wins stage one.
“The stage was short and very fast. The guys were always by my side, helping me maintain my position and bringing me water, as it was very hot. In the final kilometers, we had an excellent lead-out train, we moved to the front and took the perfect position for the sprint. In the final kilometer, Rüdiger Selig dropped me off right where I needed to be, and I opened my sprint with about 250 meters to go. After the Belgian Classics, I’ve been feeling pretty good, so I’m happy to have capitalized on my good form right on the first stage. Well, we’ll see how the next days go, but of course, I’m aiming to fight for every sprint stage”, – said Gleb Syritsa.
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And here's the Tour de Langkawi report from Team dsm-firmenich PostNL:
Le Tour de Langkawi got underway on Sunday with a short and sharp 96 kilometre long route, starting and finishing in Kuah. Although there were a few short climbs, it looked destined to be a day for the sprinters and Team dsm-firmenich PostNL began the stage with that plan too; aiming to keep control of things and set up fast finisher Casper van Uden for the finale.
There was rain early in the stage.
Bjoern Koerdt and Enzo Leijnse rode strongly to help set tempo at the front of the peloton alongside some other teams, keeping the breakaway in check as the kilometres ticked by. Approaching the last intermediate sprint, only one long rider remained out front so the team sensed an opportunity and positioned Max Poole, who showed a good turn of speed to get third through that point; taking one bonus second with it. With the original break fully caught, another counter attack went, but the team and peloton were always in control and things were back together at ten kilometres to go.
After Koerdt and Leijnse finished their pulls, Johan Dorussen took over as the drag race between the sprint trains started before he handed over to Poole who then dropped off Niklas Märkl and Casper van Uden on the back of another train. Märkl then bided his time, before bringing Van Uden up onto the shoulder of De Kleijn, where he then opened up his sprint in sight of the line. Van Uden gave it everything he had and delivered a strong kick, but on the day Syritsa was stronger, with Van Uden and the team claiming a good second place on the stage.
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