EUROTRASH News Round Up Monday!

There were a lot of young riders in Innsbruck, but the new World road race champion, Alejandro Valverde, is not one of them. All the results, rider quotes and videos from the Innsbruck road events, plus the cyclo-cross in Iowa. 380 cases of doping, fraud or corruption – Top Story. Lots of other cycling news: Sagan at Bora-Hansgrohe till 2021, BMC transition to CCC, Cervelo for Sunweb, Roompot-Charles team, Segafredo for the Trek women, more contract news, no Worlds for Vicenza in 2020 and UCI TV Commissaire video. World’s coffee time!

TOP STORY: Credibility Figures as at 31 August
380 cases of doping, fraud or corruption have already been revealed this year in the world of sport on the highest level. Among them, only 6 concerned cycling.

With cycling ranking 13th “Credibility Ranking”, riders can be genuinely surprised to still be the targets of so many negative comments regarding their image. These comments are not really due to the number of doping cases revealed this year, but probably more to the sole case concerning Chris Froome. This case has been subject to a lot of media attention until the UCI dismissed it 5 days prior to Le Tour de France.

As of today, 6 professional cyclists are linked to ongoing procedures concerning suspected doping : 3 in Europe, 3 in Latin America. None of them involves a World Tour rider, a women, or a mountain bike rider. This number is smaller than last year (10 less cases on the same date) but we still need to be careful on drawing any conclusion. In 2017, there were 7 cases at the end of August and 15 at the end of the year (14 eventually, given that Froome was not convicted). Cautiousness is required too when it comes to the nature of the detected substances : in two cases out of six, EPO usage has been detected.

Out of cycling, the nations and sports involved in doping revelations have been the same for a few years. Dominican Republic leads the way with 23 doping cases, all of them involving baseball players. Crossfit makes a sensational entrance into our classification. This new sport is now well aware that a big clean-up among his practitioners is an urgent issue. The 14 cases registered in only a few weeks prove that their testing methods are efficient!

Corruption, fraud and match-fixing also have their favorite sports, and they are not always the same as in doping : football, cricket and tennis account for more than 80% of the revelations in 2018.

UCI World Road Championships 2018
Men’s Road Race
After six podium places in the Men’s Elite Road World Championship, Spain’s Alejandro Valverde claimed the gold medal for the first time at the age of 38. He joined the important break of the day on the steep climb of the Höll, the grueling climb at the end of the race. With France’s Romain Bardet and Canada’s Michael Woods, Valverde dropped into Innsbruck and the finish line. They were caught by Dutchman Tom Dumoulin in time for Valverde to out-sprint the others for the rainbow jersey.

Fifteen months after breaking his leg and ankle in a brutal crash against a barrier on stage one of the 2017 Tour de France, Alejandro Valverde made his comeback complete by winning the World championships in Innsbruck on Sunday.

Valverde kept calm through-out the 165 kilometer race, protected by his Spanish teammates until the 2.8km, 11% average-gradient, 28% maximum slope of the Höll. As Michal Kwiatkowski, Primoz Roglic or Simon Yates were already out of contention before that last climb, only seven riders were able to contest the victory: Michael Valgren (Denmark) escaped from the bunch at the final ascent to Igls, Julian Alaphilippe, Romain Bardet, Thibaut Pinot (all France), Gianni Moscon (Italy), Michael Woods (Canada) and Alejandro Valverde were all at the front and ready for the climax to the near seven hour race. Alaphilippe and Moscon couldn’t hold the pace on the steep ramps, leaving Woods, Bardet and Valverde at the head of the race and only the descent into Innsbruck in-front of them.

Tom Dumoulin (Netherlands) made a big effort and managed to join Woods, Bardet and Valverde trio. Known to be the best finisher, Valverde was forced to the front in the final kilometer and lead out a very long sprint, no one could get past him. Alejandro claimed his 122nd pro victory, his first World championship after fifteen years and six medals.

‘Bala’, the ‘Bullet’, is finally the champion of the World.

Full PEZ Men’s Road Race Report HERE.

New Men’s RR World champion, Alejandro Valverde (Spain): “I can’t believe it. I just can’t. It’s been so many years fighting for it, and we finally made it. It’s my biggest pro victory. One that I’ve fought hard to achieve for all these years. Something I’ve been chasing for during my entire career. I’ve been so close, so many times, six medals yet no golds. I even thought I would never become world champion. I didn’t get obsessed about it anymore. I always went to the World Championships with an aim to do well, but knowing it was too hard to win, even more so when you’re one of the top favorites. I had almost surrendered to that fact, but it all turned out well today. I had a superb day, we raced really well, the weather conditions helped much – and I could make that dream finally become true. I think about my family, and all those who love what I do and always support me – this goes to them, to everybody who is happy, even many rivals who came to congratulate me after the finish. This goes to all of you. Above them all, I want to thank my Spanish national team-mates, for their outstanding job. They made me remain so calm, all of them working hard for this success. I think the training camp we held in Sierra Nevada last week helped us much. We were able to build strong bonds, become a real family, and that had an impact on the race’s events. Everyone remained really focused at all points of the race. My job was ‘just’ to be there at the right moment, seeking for the distance where I had to launch my moves, go for the sprint and win. The rest, they did it for me. I knew I couldn’t disappoint them, I had to give my all for the team.”

“It was a really long sprint, where I had to take on full responsibility. I kept checking my rivals’s reactions and the finishing banners until, with 350 meters to go, I thought: ‘Now! I attack and don’t wait for anyone else.’ I was looking at them from below my saddle, seeing they remained closed but not able to overtake me. After that, the emotions, the feelings, were something I won’t ever forget. I’m so proud of wearing this jersey for the next twelve months. I’ve been at other World Championships where a team-mate won and I enjoyed it, but taking it yourself is just special. Sagan told me he was really happy about my victory – that if it wasn’t him who stayed in the rainbow jersey, he’d like me to take the baton as World Champion. There’s some time left for me before retiring, but with such a victory, I can already leave this sport happy (smiles). Everything which comes after this is a plus. Everything after the crash was already a plus. I had through my career was over at Düsseldorf. Coming back, winning 14 races, becoming World Champion – it’s a big joy.”

2nd, Romain Bardet (France): “On a flat finish, it was hard to beat a guy like Alejandro Valverde. Earlier, I was hoping for Julian [Alaphilippe] or Thibaut [Pinot] to come back but once it came down to a sprint on the flat, I knew I’m not faster than this guy. Unfortunately, Julian wasn’t able to follow us in the last climb because he had cramps. I had a mechanical at the top and I was afraid to lose everything at that moment but everyone’s legs were burning and I didn’t lose ground.”

3rd, Michael Woods (Canada): “It’s certainly a slight surprise for me to make the podium but I was hoping for this. It was my goal coming into this race. When we did the course recon, I realized this last climb was for me. When drafting isn’t important, I’m pretty good. Up the Höll, my ears were ringing because the people were so loud and I could hear their cow bells. Even before the race, I told myself I’d try to get inspiration and energy from what the fans bring to the race. There were so many fans today! Coming from another sport, it’s been hard for me to believe that I could win when so good riders are in the field but my stage victory at La Vuelta helped me boost my confidence. Now I’m starting to believe in myself.”

World Championships Men’s Road Race Result:
1. Alejandro Valverde (Spain) in 6:46:41
2. Romain Bardet (France)
3. Michael Woods (Canada)
4. Tom Dumoulin (Netherlands)
5. Gianni Moscon (Italy) at 0:13
6. Romain Kreuziger (Czech Republic) at 0:43
7. Michael Valgren (Denmark)
8. Julian Alaphilippe (France)
9. Thibaut Pinot (France)
10. Rui Costa (Portugal).

Men’s RR:

Women’s Road Race
Reigning Olympic Champion Anna van der Breggen (Netherlands) became the women’s road race World Champion for the first time after she soloed to victory 40 kilometers away from the finishing line. A proven climber with multiple victories in the Giro d’Italia, Liège-Bastogne-Liège, Flèche Wallonne and Amstel Gold Race, the 2016 European Champion made the best of her favorite terrain in Innsbruck-Tirol. Van der Breggen crossed the line 3:42 before runner up Amanda Spratt from Australia and 5:26 ahead of Italy’s Tatiana Guderzo who took the bronze medal.

Full PEZ Race Report HERE.

Woman’s World champion, Anna van der Breggen (Netherlands): “I really liked the circuit since the first time I saw it. I built my season for being fresher than usual at this time of the year, skipping some races like the Giro d’Italia that I won last year and doing some mountain biking instead of road racing. I felt the pressure growing as we came closer to the race. It’s been quite a long period leading up to today. This morning, I felt that it’d be over soon and I could finally relax. I had an incredible team to help me and Annemiek [Van Vleuten]. We were two leaders but she had a nasty crash. Amanda Spratt made the first breakaway. We knew she’s a good climber, but we reacted perfectly and I could continue racing for the win. When I crossed the finishing line, I felt absolutely relieved that it finally worked out well for me at the World Championship. I really like to be here in Innsbruck-Tirol. I just love the mountains, the area and the people. They were so happy to host the World Championships. They’ve put on a really nice event. I like climbing and we don’t have that at home. Innsbruck is close to Holland. It’s the perfect place to come for training. I’ll be back!”

2nd, Amanda Spratt (Australia): “I’m definitely happy with the silver medal. I can be very proud of this. The Australian team did a very good job protecting me in the early laps. When I made my move, I was expecting the Dutch to come across and Anna [van der Breggen] came across. I just tried to hold her wheel as much as I could, which was maybe a little mistake. I probably could have stayed with her a little longer than I did but she was on another level today. She was so, so strong… I’m glad to deliver a medal for the team. They’ve been supporting me, backing me since when the team was selected. It was my second time racing in Austria. 13 years ago, I rode the Junior Worlds, track and road, in this country. I also came here to Innsbruck in October last year to reconnoitre the course. I love the beautiful nature and scenery in Tirol.”

3rd, Tatiana Guderzo (Italy): “We started with Elisa [Longo Borghini] as our leader and we haven’t changed any tactical plan, but there has been some stress at some stage. I wanted to race for my team-mates and get a good place at the end. It went well eventually. Anna van der Breggen doesn’t need any introduction. She was the athlete to beat, so if she won, it means she was unbeatable. When she rode away, I was flat out and I didn’t see the race situation very well. After that we had to assess the situation in order to get a medal and we made it.”

World Championships Women’s Road Race Result:
1. Anna van der Breggen (Netherlands) in 4:11:04
2. Amanda Spratt (Australia) at 3:42
3. Tatiana Guderzo (Italy) at 5:26
4. Emilia Fahlin (Sweden) at 6:13
5. Malgorzata Jasinska (Poland)
6. Karol-Ann Canuel (Canada) at 6:17
7. Annemiek van Vleuten (Netherlands) at 7:05
8. Amy Pieters (Netherlands)
9. Lucinda Brand (Netherlands) at 7:17
10. Ruth Winder (United States Of America).

Woman’s RR:

Men’s Under 23 Road Race
Marc Hirschi became the first Swiss World Champion in the Under 23 Road Race in Innsbruck-Tirol as he soloed to victory on the final descent with 10km to go, showing great self-confidence despite his young age. The Swiss team outnumbered the other nations in the decisive breakaway of the day and the 20-year-old from Bern fended off Belgium’s Bjorg Lambrecht and Finland’s Jaakko Hänninen who sprinted home for silver and bronze medals 15 seconds later. Hirschi will join WorldTour Team Sunweb for the next three years.

More photos and news in Pelopics HERE.

World Men’s Under 23 Champion, Marc Hirschi (Suisse): “You have to be strong and smart to win the world title. Bjorg Lambrecht was the strongest but he was nervous. I was at the limit, I could have waited for the sprint but I saw the possibility to attack in the descent. We learned from previous experiences at the World Championships, so we wanted to make a very active race today. We rode together perfectly as a team although the way the race unfolded wasn’t what we planned. We had three leaders [with Gino Mäder and Patrick Müller]. I’m very happy with the outcome of course.”

2nd, Bjorg Lambrecht (Belgium): “I’m a little bit disappointed, but I have to be happy that we take another medal. The Belgian team is happy with it. My team Lotto Soudal is also happy that I made the podium. I felt that I was the strongest on the climb, but I knew since last year’s Tour de l’Avenir that Marc Hirschi was very good in riding downhill and I’m not the best descender myself.”

3rd, Jaakko Hänninen (Finland): “It’s nice to race against the best U23 riders in the world, although some of them are already professional cyclists when I’m an amateur. They were also riding in teams while I was the only one from Finland. But the course today was hard so it was more the legs to do the talking. I tried to save as much energy as possible in the first part of the race. The last part was more about having the legs.”

World Championships U23 Men’s Road Race Result:
1. Marc Hirschi (Switzerland) in 4:24:05
2. Bjorg Lambrecht (Belgium) at 0:15
3. Jaakko Hanninen (Finland)
4. Gino Mader (Switzerland) at 0:35
5. Mark Padun (Ukraine) at 0:37
6. Jaime Castrillo Zapater (Spain) at 0:45
7. Tadej Pogacar (Slovenia) at 0:47
8. Etahn Hayter (Great Britain)
9. Patrick Muller (Switzerland)
10. James Shaw (Great Britain).

U23 Men’s RR:

Junior Men’s Road Race
Remco Evenepoel proved once again to be on another planet to the rest of the field of Juniors. The Belgian claimed the Road title just three days after he won the Individual Time Trial, again with a significant margin. A crash left him two minutes behind but he made it back and rode away solo after he dropped his last opponent, Germany’s Marius Mayrhofer, with 15km to go. Italian Alessandro Fancellu rounded out the podium as he out-sprinted Alexandre Balmer of Switzerland for third place.

More photos and news in Pelopics HERE.

Junior World road champion, Remco Evenepoel (Belgium): “I guess everyone saw the crash. It was a stupid crash because the road was straight. The Junior peloton is more nervous than the one of the pros. Even in the neutral zone, there was a crash! I never panicked although it took me more than two minutes to get a wheel change. The German rider [Marius Mayrhofer] told me: ‘I’m not gonna ride with you’, and then he asked me to take him to the line and he’d let me win but I’m not stupid. I wanted to finish alone anyway and with the same celebration for my last race of the season as on the first one, Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne, that I won after a 60km long solo breakaway. The feeling of doing it at the World Championship is so much better. I’m very happy.”

2nd, Marius Mayrhofer (Germany): “In the last big climb, I saw guys behind me, so I knew I had to go fast again in order to get a medal. I trained a lot in the mountains for the last few weeks. I was prepared for this course. Between the first and the second climbs, I realized he [Remco Evenepoel] was stronger than me today and generally, so when it came to last climb I went at my own pace and he went at his pace, and that was good.”

3rd, Alessandro Fancellu (Italy): “We tried to attack Remco from the start but when he came back to the front [after his crash], it wasn’t possible to stay with him. In the future, I don’t know, I hope it’ll be possible to beat him but today it was impossible. I don’t know him much but he’s very well respected in the bunch. I’m happy with the medal. I’ve been close to fight for silver instead of bronze but when the Swiss guy [Alexander Balmer] started to attack me, our agreement to ride together till the top of the climb was no longer valid so the cooperation between us was not good anymore.”

World Championships Junior Men’s Road Race Result:
1. Remco Evenepoel (Belgium) in 3:03:49
2. Marius Mayrhofer (Germany) at 1:25
3. Alessandro Fancellu (Italy) at 1:38
4. Alexandre Balmer (Switzerland)
5. Frederik Wandahl (Denmark) at 3:20
6. Gabriele Benedetti (Italy)
7. Alois Charrin (France)
8. Kevin Vermaerke (United States Of America)
9. Antonio Tiberi (Italy)
10. Sean Quinn (United States Of America) at 3:25.

Junior Men’s RR:

Junior Women’s Road Race
Austria’s Laura Stigger delighted the local crowd in Innsbruck-Tirol as she claimed the Road Race world title for Junior Women in her native town less than three weeks after taking the Rainbow Jersey for Cross Country mountain biking, which has been her speciality so far. Stigger attacked uphill and out-sprinted her three breakaway companions with France’s Marie Le Net and Canada’s Simone Boilard crossing the line in second and third places respectively.

More photos and news in Pelopics HERE.

World junior road race champion, Laura Stigger (Austria): “My plan was to have fun riding in my hometown. I live only 15 kilometers away from here. This win was unexpected. It’s incredible. I thought I’d give my best but that’s all. Before the sprint, I had in the back of my brain that number 4 means no medal, but I got the gold medal and it’s crazy. My focus was on mountain biking all year. After I won the world title [in Switzerland], I got some input from Tommy [Rohregger, former Austrian WorldTour cyclist] to prepare for the Road Race. I have ridden the course but not that often. The last climb was my favorite. I don’t know yet what my future will be. Next week I’ll go to Buenos Aires, Argentina, for the Youth Olympics, then I’ll decide which way I’ll go in my cycling career. My big goal will be Tokyo 2020 but it’s too early to figure out which race I’ll go for.”

World Championships Junior Women’s Road Race Result:
1. Laura Stigger (Austria) in 1:56:26
2. Marie Le Net (France)
3. Simone Boilard (Canada)
4. Barbara Malcotti (Italy)
5. Jade Wiel (France) at 0:14
6. Vittoria Guazzini (Italy)
7. Camilla Alessio (Italy) at 0:29
8. Aigul Gareeva (Russian Federation) at 0:56
9. Mie Saabye (Denmark) at 1:52
10. Maina Galand (France).

Junior Women’s RR:

UCI Cyclo-Cross World Cup – Jingle Cross Iowa 2018
Toon Aerts (Telenet Fidea) took the second round of the UCI World Cup in the US on Saturday in Iowa. He again beat World champion, Wout Van Aert, after the unsponsored Belgian rider was stuck in the mud on lap 6. Aerts finished 512 seconds ahead of Van Aert, with Michael Vanthourenhout (Marlux-Bingoal) in 3rd at 1:16.

Van Aert and Aerts escaped from the lead group at the end of lap one and rode together until the World champion’s mistake, Aerts took advantage to solo to the finish. Vanthourenhout and Quinten Hermans (Telenet Fidea Lions) had a similar battle for 3rd place until Vanthourenhout attacked with one lap to go to finish 16 second before Hermans. Obviously, with two wins Aerts holds the UCI Cyclo-Cross World Cup lead.

Iowa winner, Toon Aerts (Telenet Fidea Lions): “Wout made a mistake and that was my chance to do a little effort and take some seconds out front. The gap got bigger and bigger. I had to make no mistakes and keep the pace high. It will get a little easier for the next seven races for the interviews because my English is not very good.”

2nd, Wout Van Aert (Belgium): “It was the same situation as last week. I felt strong in the beginning and I went away with Toon from the start. I felt strong for half the race, and then I felt like my energy level fell down. It was weird. I don’t have an explanation for it. It’s the second time this week that in the second half of the race I have struggled.”

UCI Cyclo-Cross World Cup – Jingle Cross Iowa Result:
1. Toon Aerts (Bel) Telenet Fidea Lions in 1:02:28
2. Wout Van Aert (Bel) at 0:52
3. Michael Vanthourenhout (Bel) Marlux-Bingoal at 1:16
4. Quinten Hermans (Bel) Telenet Fidea Lions at 1:32
5. Corne van Kessel (Ned) Telenet Fidea Lions at 2:06
6. Tim Merlier (Bel) Crelan-Charles at 2:13
7. Kevin Pauwels (Bel) Marlux-Bingoal at 2:16
8. Elie Iserbyt (Bel) Marlux-Bingoal at 2:21
9. Laurens Sweeck (Bel) Pauwels Sauzen-Vastgoedservice at 2:32
10. Daan Soete (Bel) Pauwels Sauzen-Vastgoedservice at 2:35.

Iowa’18:

Peter Sagan to Stay with BORA – hansgrohe Through 2021
THE star of cycling will remain the key rider in Ralph Denk’s team. Peter Sagan feels at home at BORA – hansgrohe and the team is looking forward to keep working with him to achieve further success. Next from Peter Sagan, the team is also extending the contracts of brother Juraj, Erik Baška, Maciej Bodnar, Daniel Oss and Marcus Burghardt until the end of 2021.

“Thanks to my main sponsors BORA and hansgrohe, both of which already extended their contracts early this season, we are in the fortunate position of being able to plan on a long-term scale. Peter is the star of cycling. He is not only one of the most successful riders, but also a real brand ambassador who fascinates even those outside our sport. It’s quite understandable that we have re-signed him early. It is a pleasure to work with him and we all get along well.”

“This is just our second WorldTour season, yet we have already had some remarkable successes together. His victory at Paris-Roubaix was of course a true highlight. But we are still aiming to progress further. We continue to foster ambitious goals, and with Peter we can count on a rider who is gifted with incredibly rare talent. Yet in his slipstream there is also ample room for our young guns to develop, with all the attention, public interest and media being focused upon him. For riders like Patrick Konrad, Pascal Ackermann and Emanuel Buchmann, this setup has worked very well. I think we are on track heading into the future. We are still growing as a team and Peter Sagan will remain a foundational aspect of this process.” – Ralph Denk, Team Manager.

“I am delighted to commit myself to BORA-hansgrohe until the end of 2021. It was a straightforward decision for me to take, even if I still have one more season to go under my current contract. I’ve enjoyed two remarkable years with this team and I wouldn’t want to move from somewhere that has given me so much trust, support and belief in me, even in the most difficult moments. I feel confident the coming years with BORA-hansgrohe will be as fulfilling as the first two.” – Peter Sagan, UCI World Champion.

“We are very pleased that Peter has made this early decision to extend his contract. This is a reflection of our common ideas and goals, and the excellent cooperation of all involved. BORA had already signaled their intention in April, extending our commitment until 2021. With Peter’s future committed, we continue together on our journey with the team. Peter Sagan is an ambassador for cycling. He not only shines through his extraordinary achievements, but also as a team player. He pushes boundaries and he surprises and excites people. He is a star for everyone in a sport for all, a star even beyond sport. And he is our brand ambassador for one product for all. Together, we are on the right path, getting closer to realizing our vision of „the end of the extractor hood”. – Willi Bruckbauer, founder and CEO BORA.

“We are pleased that Peter extended his contract with the Team. This is a sign of continuity and a big chance to further strengthen our performance. Peter is not only a real ambassador for the BORA – hansgrohe Team, but also for its sponsors. As the hero in our Tour de France campaigns “Shower like a pro” and “Your Daily Dose of Energy”, he clearly communicated the benefits of showering and deep relaxation. Thanks to the performances of Peter and the whole Team, these campaigns drove excellent results. We even developed an exclusive Peter Sagan hansgrohe hand-held shower, which can be bought on his website. We are looking forward to continued success with Peter!” – Philippe Harinck, Sponsoring Project Manager of the Hansgrohe Group.

Cooking lesson for Peter Sagan:

Continuum Sports to Operate as CCC Team from 2019
Continuum Sports will be known as CCC Team from January 1, 2019 when Polish shoe and bag manufacturer CCC assumes title sponsorship of the team, taking over from BMC Switzerland.

“After announcing CCC as the new title sponsor of Continuum Sports in July, we are pleased to confirm that the team will be known as CCC Team from 2019 and become the first Polish UCI WorldTour team,” General Manager Jim Ochowicz said.

“In conjunction with Dariusz Milek, President of CCC, we decided to adopt a short team name that will reinforce the CCC brand as the team’s identity. Whilst we are always searching for additional sponsors, CCC will be the sole title sponsor of the team.”

“As has been announced in recent weeks, CCC will be expanding their sponsorship in cycling to include a women’s team, becoming title sponsor of WaowDeals Pro Cycling, and their current Professional Continental team, CCC Sprandi Polkowice, will continue as a Continental development team. Although the teams will operate as three separate entities, CCC will become a prominent fixture as a title sponsor in the different tiers of professional cycling and we look forward to doing our part to promote the CCC brand in the men’s WorldTour with CCC Team.”

CCC Team’s management structure will remain largely unchanged with Ochowicz and Gavin Chilcott being joined by Robert Krajewski from CCC Sprandri Polkowice in the senior management team.

Sports directors Piotr Wadecki and Gabriele Missaglia will make the move to CCC Team from CCC Sprandi Polkowice, joining Fabio Baldato, Valerio Piva, and Jackson Stewart as the team’s five primary sports directors, while Marco Pinotti will remain as Head of Performance, Ochowicz confirmed.

“Planning for the 2019 season is well underway so there is no better time to confirm our sports director team. The rider roster and race program are taking great shape so we are approaching the coming season with a great sense of excitement and motivation to hit the ground running in January. All five of our sport directors have many years of experience in cycling and have been instrumental in some of the teams’ biggest wins,” Ochowicz said.

“As planning continues we will have further announcements to make with new technical sponsors joining us from 2019 and more riders to add to the already-confirmed list of 20 riders.”

Sunweb and Cervélo Announce Partnership
Cervélo and Team Sunweb are excited to officially announce their new partnership, beginning on 1st January 2019. As of that moment Cervélo will be the bike of choice of both the men and women WorldTour programs, as well as Team Sunweb’s Development program.

“We’re very excited to partner with Team Sunweb, for us it’s the perfect match in ambition and performance,” explained Richard Keeskamp, Sports Marketing Director at Cervélo. “The team is word-class and active in a wide range of fields and disciplines with men, women and U23 programs – competitive in the one-day races, time trials, sprints and grand tours, which requires very specific equipment to be able to make the difference over competition. It challenges us to raise the bar even further in developing and delivering new and state-of-art technologies.

“We proudly launch the new S5, which heralds a new era for our company and stunning advances in aero and engineering technology for Team Sunweb’s riders. The partnership will allow us excellent R&D opportunities to continue to develop new technologies in close cooperation with the team, benefiting from their feedback and experience.”

On Cervélo bikes Team Sunweb have prospects of taking things to the next level in 2019. Team Sunweb CEO, Iwan Spekenbrink said: “We’re thrilled to welcome one of the most high-tech brands in the industry to our team. Having the resources and knowledge at hand to make our equipment lighter, better and faster will make the difference. Time trials and road races are sometimes won or lost by a fraction of a second, which is a confirmation to us that these efforts do pay off. We’ve a shared DNA to keep pushing technology forward and innovation is key to both our organisations, which makes for the perfect fit. Behind the scenes Cervélo has been working hard on the new S5 race bikes revealed today, this emphasizes their commitment to helping us and we’re already looking forward to kicking off the 2019 season.”

Partners Believe in ‘Roompot-Charles Cycling Team’ Crelan Confirms Commitment Until the End of 2018
‘Roompot – Charles Cycling Team’ will be the name of our Pro Continental cycling team in 2019. Roompot Vakanties and Charles, the name partners of the project, have given their approval for the cooperation. As planned, it will be a professional cycling team with Dutch and Belgian input.

The plan to develop an ambitious Dutch-Belgian cycling project was already launched by both teams. Mutual trust has remained intact after the recent developments, as has the belief to set up a strong project together with the support of all sponsors involved, including the name partners Roompot Vakanties and Charles. Roompot believes in young talent and also wants to give these young talents a chance in Belgium: We won’t drop all these talents now that one rider has indicated that he doesn’t want to ride for the team.

In the run-up to the launch of the new team, partner Crelan of cycling team Veranda’s Willems – Crelan and cyclo-cross team Crelan – Charles will stay loyal until the end of the year. By doing so the cooperative bank guarantees that all commitments of the teams can be fulfilled and it offers the team management the opportunity to prepare for the future in all tranquillity and serenity. Furthermore, it was decided in mutual consultation and on good terms not to continue the cooperation in 2019.

Philippe Voisin, CEO of Crelan: “As a cooperative bank, we attach great importance to personal contact and long-term relationships. Crelan already took her first steps as a sponsor in cycling in 2000 with the aim of supporting young Belgian talents. Even now we don’t want to let the riders down and continue to take on our commitment to the team so that the team management has the necessary time to outline its future in peace and serenity. This commitment runs until the end of 2018.”

Nick Nuyens: “Chris Compagnie and I are of course pleased with this decision. Crelan has always been a loyal partner and it comes out again now. This commitment gives us time in the coming months to develop the new future perspectives for the team.”

Roompot Vakanties reaches out to shape the planned Belgian-Dutch formation from 2019 onwards. CEO Jurgen van Cutsem has expressed his confidence in the project, so it can now be stated with certainty that Roompot – Charles Cycling Team will see daylight on 1 January 2019. Charles, quality brand of prepared meals and sandwich fill, has also confirmed its commitment.

For Nick Nuyens and Chris Compagnie it is above all important that the continuity is now guaranteed: “We are very pleased with the engagement of Roompot Vakanties and that all our people with a contract for next year can move on. Our first concern was the continuity of the project, that we’re able to fulfill our commitments to our people and partners.”

Michael Zijlaard will be responsible for the general management of Roompot – Charles: “With this step we will continue to grow and generate more involvement in and with Belgium. We are happy and proud that we can put our plans into practice. The best of both teams will be merged and will be a reinforcing factor. With Charles, a valued and stable partner will be added. We will continue to develop our sporting identity, namely showcasing an attractive and active style of racing and giving opportunities to talented riders. The development of our riders has always been important. We are proud that, again, many talents have been able to make a huge step forward with us.”

Management Roompot Vakanties: “We’ve been a partner of Team Roompot for four years now and strongly believe that we can now develop a sustainable Dutch-Belgian project together. We are pleased that we can continue this cooperation and gladly reach out to the employees and riders of Sniper Cycling who become part of this journey.”

Marc De Cock, CEO of Charles: “We are very pleased that we can join this story as a loyal partner. After being sponsor of the cyclo-cross team for two years, this is a new step in our cooperation. We give our full support to this project, which we believe is the best solution for all parties involved. We are already looking forward to the coming season and the successes that we will achieve together.”

Charles will continue its commitment as main sponsor of the current Crelan – Charles cyclo-cross team next year. Of course, there will be a strong cross-fertilization with the Roompot-Charles team for the road program of the Charles riders.

Segafredo Zanetti Confirmed as Sponsor of New Trek Women’s Team
Trek is delighted to announce that the Massimo Zanetti Beverage Group, owner of the Italian coffee brand Segafredo, has committed to a two-year co-title partnership of the new women’s road team effective January 1, 2019, making Trek-Segafredo the newest name in the UCI Women’s WorldTour.

CEO Massimo Zanetti: “Since we started sponsoring the men’s team in 2016, I have been so proud to see our brand associated with a great project. Coffee and cycling are a great match, so when Trek decided to launch its own women’s team, we were excited to get on board. Both teams will be called Trek-Segafredo, two strong brands united to chase even more victories, and we are really looking forward to that.”

Trek President John Burke: “There’s a ton of excitement inside Trek about the new women’s team and about the things we will do differently, so it’s fantastic to have our friends at Segafredo join the cause. We are entering the fourth year of our partnership with the men’s team, and this new project will strengthen the relationship between our two companies even more. Things are changing rapidly for women’s cycling, audiences are growing fast, and the racing is really, really good. I’d like to thank Mr. Zanetti for agreeing to join forces with Trek for this new project. I can’t wait to see what’s in store for our team.”

Trek-Segafredo General Manager, Luca Guercilena: “It goes without saying that I am thrilled Segafredo Zanetti will be part of our women’s team as well. When Segafredo joined the men’s team in 2016, it became obvious that both brands, Trek and Segafredo, fit super well together. Trek-Segafredo has become a very well-known name in cycling worldwide and adding a women’s team will reinforce our partnership. Together we will promote the equal opportunities in sport – I am sure that this project will give us amazing emotions.”

Since the official announcement of the team in July, a dozen riders have joined the new Trek-Segafredo women’s team in what promises to be one of the most influential and global teams on the Women’s WorldTour:

Lizzie Deignan (GBR), Audrey Cordon-Ragot (FRA), Lauretta Hanson (AUS), Lotta Lepistö (FIN), Elisa Longo Borghini (ITA), Letizia Paternoster (ITA), Anna Plichta (POL), Ellen van Dijk (NED), Abi Van Twisk (GBR), Tayler Wiles (USA), Ruth Winder (USA), Trixi Worrack (GER).

Lluís Mas becomes Movistar Team’s third addition for 2019
28-year-old rouleur from Mallorca to bring his courage, commitment to Eusebio Unzué’s WorldTour outfit starting next year.

The Movistar Team announced Friday that Lluís Mas (Ses Salines, Mallorca, ESP; 1989) will be a member of Eusebio Unzué’s WorldTour squad in the 2019 season. A veteran competitor -ten pro seasons, the last five to date (from 2014) with Caja Rural- despite being just 28 years old, the Spaniard has always been a great rouleur, yet able to cope with hilly courses and also capable developing some high speeds in reduced fields’ sprints.

A member of the Spanish national team at the 2015 and 2017 UCI Road Race World Championships, as well as a seventh-place finisher in his only appearance at the ITT Worlds as an under-23 rider (Copenhagen, 2011), Mas has one notable victory to his pro palmarès in the final stage of the 2015 Tour of Turkey. At an extremely technical finish in Istanbul, a powerful last-kilometer acceleration from Mas saw him out-sprinting the likes of Mark Cavendish or Alessandro Petacchi.

Mas, a courageous rider who attacks in every race he takes part in, has completed a quite consistent 2018 season from start to end, shining in his beloved Vuelta a España – where he donned the KOM jersey for a long stretch of the 2014 race- and offering solid performances in the Vuelta a San Juan, the Tour of Norway, the Volta a Catalunya or the Spanish Championships – 10th in the time trial.

Mas in the Vuelta’18 time trial:

Martina Alzini Signs with Cervélo Bigla to Develop her Potential
Martina Alzini is the latest young talent to join the Cervélo Bigla Pro Cycling Team. The 21-year-old has shown great potential on the track in the last few seasons and is looking to transfer her skills to the road discipline.

Alzini won the silver medal in the under 23 women’s individual pursuit at the 2018 UEC track Europeans Championships and was part of the Italian national team that won the gold medal in the team pursuit.
“Martina is a young Italian personality who is modern, speaks English well and has already had international success,” team manager, Thomas Campana said. “I watched her on the track in Agile doing an impressive ride with the Italian team in the European championships. She will continue to work on the track with the Italian team towards the Olympic games but she also wants success on the road. She will reinforce our team when it comes to the team time trial, that’s an important discipline for us. What’s important is she is very keen to have an international cycling career and that’s something we can work with.”

Alzini explained her decision in moving to the Swiss-based team. “I think Cervélo Bigla is one of the best women cycling teams who are able to develop young athletes and get them to focus on specific goals and build confidence in them. That’s why I think this is the best choice for my future.”


“My ambitions for next season are to improve, especially on the TT bike, become stronger and increase my skills in road races, in particular, the classic races of the north. I like sprints and the time trial, but still need more experience to define myself as a specific type of rider which is why I’ve chosen to join the team. I’d like to help the team as best as I can and to learn a lot from the other girls and the management too.”

Alzini has shown great potential from a young age and still holds her victory in the European Youth Olympics road race in 2013 as one of her greatest memories.

Martina Alzini:

Domingos Gonçalves Returns to Caja Rural-Seguros RGA in 2019
The third signing of Caja Rural-Seguros RGA for the next season is an ‘old friend’. The Portuguese Domingos Gonçalves returns to the Navarre squad after two years at Radio Popular-Boavista in his country, where he has completed two good seasons.

In 2018, Gonçalves has released his locker of victories in professionalism, all in Portugal. His ‘fantastic week’ came in the National Championships, where he achieved a double – both on the road and in the time trial. A streak that lasted until the victory of stage harvested in the always hard Volta to Portugal, where he finished ninth in the general standing. In addition, he achieved with his national team the silver medal in the time trial of the Mediterranean Games.

All of this success was close to growing several times, since Domingos signed another thirteen top-10 during all season. The current Portuguese champion made the leap to professionalism in 2012 and since then has completed almost his entire career in teams in his country. Now he returns to Caja Rural-Seguros RGA, more mature and eager to continue growing.

Domingos Gonçalves: “2018 has been a great year for me, and closing the season by competing in the time trial world championships has been a pleasure. I am very happy to be able to return to Caja Rural-Seguros RGA, of which I have a very good memory when I was in 2016. It is a new opportunity to show my value in this good team. I hope to be able to contribute with some victories, although I did not set any particular career. The important thing will be to achieve the objectives that the team establishes.”

The Vicenza 2020 Committee Accepts the News of the Allocation of Road World championships in 2020 by the UCI to Switzerland
Following the news learned through the communication published today by the Unione Ciclistica Internazionale, the Vicenza 2020 committee takes note of the successful assignment of the 2020 road cycling world championships to Switzerland, the cantons francophones of the Vaud and the Valais, and not to Italy.

“We learn this news of course with regret but at the same time with the serenity of those who have on their side the awareness of having worked for five years with commitment and passion to a serious project that would have all the credentials to materialize and lead to something important for the city of Vicenza, the Veneto Region and the whole Italian cycling movement. We congratulate our colleagues in Switzerland for the results achieved and we wish them all the best for the success of the event. I also want to thank all the members of the Vicenza 2020 Committee, primarily Alessandro Belluscio and Moreno Nicoletti, and then all those who in recent years have worked on the cause together with us putting in the field passion, time, resources and energy with the desire to realize this world dream,” says the lawyer, Claudio Pasqualin, Chairman of the Vicenza 2020 Committee.

No Worlds for Vicenza in 2020:

The UCI TV Support Commissaire
The UCI Management Committee has approved, from 2018, a new “Support/TV” Commissaire at each of the three Grand Tours (Giro d’Italia, Tour de France and Vuelta Ciclista a España) and the five Monuments (Milano-Sanremo, Ronde van Vlaanderen/Tour des Flandres, Paris-Roubaix, Liège-Bastogne-Liège and Il Lombardia) on the UCI WorldTour, as well as at the UCI Road World Championships.

The role of this extra Commissaire will be to follow the race live via the different TV images available, thus supporting the members of the Commissaires’ Panel who are out on the course.

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