EUROTRASH News Round Up Monday!
While the cat’s away, the mice will play… No Mathieu Van der Poel, so two different winners at the weekend. Reports and results from Zonhoven and Essen with video. Liege’10 case closed – Top Story. As always, lots of other Monday morning cycling news: Julien Cadron in a coma, Tom Dumoulin fit, Mikel Landa happy, rider, team and contract news, Mathias Norsgaard breaks leg and Canyon dhb Powered by Soreen looks forward to 2020. EUROTRASH coffee time.
TOP STORY: Vinokourov and Kolobnev Case Closed
The bribery case of Alexander Vinokourov and Alexander Kolobnev has been finally closed. The Public Prosecution Service has decided not to appeal. In September the DPP demanded a jail sentence and financial penalty for the Kazakh and the Russian.
Guillaume Reynders, Kolobnev’s lawyer, did not think the Public Prosecution Service would leave it at that. “We are very relieved,” he told Het Laatste Nieuws. “We were not comfortable with it, because the Public Prosecution Service had really gotten involved in the matter. No expense or effort was spared to declare the two riders guilty. Completely out of proportion, which made it awkward for us to wait until the last moment.”
The case lasted a total of nine years. Only last month were Vinokourov and Kolobnev acquitted of bribery during the 2010 Liège-Bastogne-Liège edition, which was won by Vinokourov.
Liège’10:
Telenet Superprestige – Zonhoven 2019
Toon Aerts (Telenet-Baloise Lions) took a solo win in the Superprestige in Zonhoven. The Belgian champion was able to deal with Laurens Sweeck (Pauwels Sauzen-Bingoal), who crashed hard during the final. Aerts could then take ample time to celebrate.
Eli Iserbyt (Pauwels Sauzen-Bingoal) was the first through the first corner, but Toon Aerts and Quinten Hermans also had a good start. Sand specialist Laurens Sweeck was also near the front, but the leading group stayed together for a long time. Aerts, who feels at home in the sand and took a gap on the second lap. He took Sweeck and Hermans with him. Tom Pidcock, Corné van Kessel and Iserbyt followed at a gap, but halfway through the race everything was back together.
Pidcock tried to pull the leading group apart with an attack. He himself did not benefit from this, it was Aerts who took a 15-second gap. Sweeck was the only pursuer after he got rid of the others. Sweeck managed to reduce the difference on Aerts on the 7th lap of 10, to 9-seconds. A lap later, the leader of Pauwels Sauzen-Bingoal managed to connect with the Belgian champion and then it was a battle for the victory.
Aerts and Sweeck matched each other and chose to wait until the final lap. An attack by Aerts was not necessary to drop Sweeck, because at the top of the descent into the pit Sweeck crashed hard in the sand. Aerts could take the time to celebrate. Sweeck and Iserbyt completed the podium. Over the last three seasons the victory in Zonhoven had gone to Mathieu van der Poel, but he was absent today because of a training camp with the Corendon-Circus road team.
Race winner, Toon Aerts (Telenet-Baloise Lions): “This is a great relief. I knew that I had to go into the pit first and I might them win the race. I am curious what would have happened in the sprint. We were faster in the turn out of the pit. The strongest in the final lap was going to win, but I knew I had to take a risk. Maybe I forced him into the mistake. I needed this. Without Mathieu, it is a course for victory. I already had a good feeling in Koksijde and Kortrijk. I’m glad I can finish this period with a win. Now it is races, races, races up to and including the national championships and the Worlds.”
Zdeněk Štybar (Deceuninck – Quick-Step): “I was blocked a bit, but I expected that. I just followed in the first lap, since I could not pass anybody. I found a good rhythm after three laps and at one point I was with David van der Poel, but then I had a puncture. It took me a lot of strength to get back into my rhythm at all, even though it did work in the last three laps. But it was still tough, It was a perfect course to start with. There were many curves and few straights where you really had to try. I really enjoyed it, it seemed like I was racing for the win, so many supporters who cheered for me.”
Telenet Superprestige – Zonhoven Result:
1. Toon Aerts (Bel) Telenet-Baloise Lions in 59:15
2. Laurens Sweeck (Bel) Pauwels Sauzen-Bingoal at 0:28
3. Eli Iserbyt (Bel) Pauwels Sauzen-Bingoal at 0:34
4. Quinten Hermans (Bel) Telenet-Baloise Lions at 0:42
5. Lars van der Haar (Ned) Telenet-Baloise Lions at 0:45
6. Corne van Kessel (Ned) Telenet-Baloise Lions at 0:46
7. Thomas Pidcock (GB) TP Racing at 1:07
8. Jens Adams (Bel) Pauwels Sauzen-Bingoal at 1:31
9. David van der Poel (Ned) Corendon-Circus at 2:02
10. Marcel Meisen (Ger) Corendon-Circus at 2:11.
Zonhoven’19:
Ethias Cross – Essen 2019
Quinten Hermans (Telenet Baloise Lions) won the Ethias Cross in Essen. In the absence of Mathieu van der Poel and others, the Limburger was clearly the best. Laurens Sweeck and Tom Pidcock joined him on the podium.
Very few of the top riders chose to end their Spanish training camps earlier to go to Essen. So the race was counting on names such as Quinten Hermans, Tom Meeusen, Laurens Sweeck and… Zdenek Stybar to pull in the fans to Essen. Stybar wasn’t expecting too much at the start: “Certainly not expecting me at the front, I am not in shape yet,” said the triple cyclo-cross World champion. It was apparent at the start as Stybar fought in the top 10 in the opening phase, but did not play a big role in the race. He finished in 12th place.
Telenet-Baloise was the dominant team of the day. On the first lap it was Thijs Aerts – who was 4th last week in Mol – who imposed a solid pace. A ribbon of over twenty-five riders formed behind him, although favourites Sweeck and Pidcock couldn’t be seen at in front. Quinten Hermans, the winner of the previous Ethias Cross in Beringen, also saw who was missing and took the lead after 12 minutes and with a few strong efforts pulled the group apart. Tom Meeusen tried for the longest time, but blew up. Sweeck started his pursuit 10-second down, but as the race went on the gap opened further.
Hermans was by far the best rider of the day, he has been working hard on his final months at Telenet-Baloise, and eventually won with a lead of nearly a minute over Sweeck. Behind them the young Pidcock was stranded after a poor start and a strong pursuit for third place.
Race winner, Quinten Hermans (Telenet Baloise Lions, but will race for Tormans CX in 2020): “I have raced for Telenet-Baloise my entire career. I have to close it nicely. I felt really good at the start and I started very well. I was a little afraid of that, because I just returned from Spain. Then it is always a matter of waiting. It was certainly not my intention to ride away immediately, but I was left alone at once. Then I just started pushing. I think that’s the best I could do. An hour takes a long time, but the last two weeks I was able to ride long and constantly. Then I can do that today. Winning is winning, the absolute top riders were not present with Mathieu van der Poel, Eli Iserbyt and Toon Aerts, but beating Laurens Sweeck and Tom Pidcock is always fun. Those guys have also achieved results this year. This feels good!”
Ethias Cross – Essen Result:
1. Quinten Hermans (Bel) Telenet Baloise Lions in 59:26
2. Laurens Sweeck (Bel) Pauwels Sauzen-Bingoal at 0:57
3. Thomas Pidcock (GB) Trinity Racing at 1:35
4. Thijs Aerts (Bel) Telenet Baloise Lions at 1:43
5. Diether Sweeck (Bel) Pauwels Sauzen-Bingoal at 1:46
6. Jim Aernouts (Bel) Telenet Baloise Lions
7. Nicolas Cleppe (Bel) Telenet Baloise Lions at 1:48
8. Daan Soete (Bel) Pauwels Sauzen-Bingoal at 1:55
9. David van der Poel (Ned) Corendon-Circus at 2:10
10. Ryan Kamp (Ned) Pauwels Sauzen-Bingoal at 2:14.
Essen’19:
Belgian Rider in an Artificial Coma after a Heart Attack
The 27-year-old rider, Julien Cadron, has been held in an artificial coma since Saturday morning. The elite rider of the Belgian Gaverzicht-Be Okay team had crashed due to a cardiac arrest during a mountain bike race. “The first tests were positive, but it remains to be seen,” the team said in the first message. “We wish the family and friends a lot of strength and good cheer.”
A few hours later the team had an update on Facebook. “The respiratory equipment has been removed. Julien breathes independently. They are now going to silently try to wake him up. If they don’t succeed today, they will try again tomorrow.” It is not the first time this year that a rider has had a heart attack on his bike. Earlier this year it also happened to Robbert de Greef of the UCI Continental Alecto team.
Everyone at PEZ wishes Julen Cardon all the best:
Tom Dumoulin Fit Again
At Jumbo-Visma, they are convinced that Tom Dumoulin has recovered from his lingering knee injury. Dumoulin missed a large part of last season because of the injury. “His trainer Mathieu Heijboer and I, as a coach, work very intensively with him and we no longer see any limitations,” said Merijn Zeeman to De Limburger.
Dumoulin sustained the injury in a fall in the Giro d’Italia. Shortly thereafter he rode the Critérium du Dauphiné, but still needed surgery twice to treat the knee injury. This was followed by a long rehabilitation, and a much-discussed transfer from Team Sunweb to Jumbo-Visma.
“It is now at the beginning of December and no rider is where he needs to be,” said Zeeman about the shape of the 2017 Giro winner. “We will know more in January. But he is fully fit again. We now work with him at the same intensity as the others. In any case, I am very optimistic.”
The Giro’19 crash on stage 4:
Landa Happy with Bahrain-McLaren Move
Mikel Landa thinks he made the transfer from Movistar to Bahrain-McLaren at the right time. The Basque will finally be a team leader. “This opportunity comes at the right time. I am 30 years old, I have the experience and am joining an ambitious team,” he told Tuttobiciweb.
After a few years on ‘Plan B’ at Team Sky and Movistar, Landa will play the role of a leader in 2020. He also takes a lot of experience with the leaders with whom he previously raced. “From Samuel Sánchez when I was driving at Euskaltel, to Alejandro Valverde at Movistar. I learned from Vincenzo Nibali that every day was a new chance and from Chris Froome that you can study courses almost maniacally,” said Landa.
Landa has his best memories of his fourth place in the 2017 Tour de France, when he missed the final podium by just one second. It is often said that his time trial is not good enough for a good overall place. “Then I only say the name Richard Carapaz”, he responds. “If he manages to win the Giro, it means that we as climbers should not give up.”
The Basque climber is not afraid of a possible dominance from Egan Bernal. “He is not unbeatable, but he is a very complete rider. He is exceptionally good uphill, especially at altitude. He also has a good time trial,” described Landa. “That McLaren is now involved with us can be an extra weapon. I am going to do several tests in the wind tunnel in the coming weeks.”
Landa ahead of Carapaz and Nibali in the Giro:
Wanty-Gobert Were Very Interested in Piotr Havik
Piotr Havik had several conversations with Wanty-Gobert, but the team ended up with nothing, because the winner of the GP Stad Zottegem, in the end didn’t choose the Belgian ProContinental team. “Wanty is more old school, but it was very interesting because they run a very nice program,” said Havik.
Havik told WielerFlits that he could count on a lot of interest after an excellent season with the BEAT Cycling Club. “At the start I was focused on the WorldTour and I hoped for my chance if a space came up. That space was not there.” Vital Concept-B&B Hotels, among others, made offers to his manager, but that didn’t work out.
“At some point it was clear to me that it would be Riwal-Readynez or Wanty-Gobert for me,” said Havik. “At Wanty there was also interest from the riders. They liked the idea that I came as a lead-out or sprint preparer to set up the train. That ultimately didn’t get off the ground as desired.”
Havik chose the team that was the first to ask him: Riwal-Readynez. “I thought the contrast was pretty big. Wanty-Gobert is more old school, but it was very interesting because they run a very nice program. Only you don’t want to be burned out again,” he said about the Belgian team.
“I think they were talking to several riders. We have spoken, but I have never actually seen a contract proposal. That also made it difficult,” said Havik. “I had to have a team that made me feel good mentally and not just focused on performance.” Havik also said that he was thinking of stopping after being a stagiaire with Katusha-Alpecin, but also how he got back on top at BEAT Cycling Club.
Havik on the Zottegem podium:
Victor Campenaerts Focuses on Giro Time Trials
Victor Campenaerts hopes to participate in the Olympic time trial next year, but the new rider of the NTT Pro Cycling team will have to convince national coach Rik Verbrugghe. He wants to do that in the Giro d’Italia. “I hope to win all three time trials,” he says in conversation with Sporza.
The 28-year-old Campenaerts seemed to be on his way to the second Olympic ticket during the past World Championship time trial, but a crash threw a spanner in the works. The world hour record holder finished outside the top 8 and will have to fight for that second time trial place in the coming months. In addition to Campenaerts, Wout van Aert, Thomas De Gendt, Yves Lampaert and Laurens De Plus are also eligible.
“Because there are no longer any major championships before the Games, we cannot provide strict guidelines. The criteria will be less measurable than was the case this season. What is certain; what has happened in recent months no longer counts. Everyone starts from scratch again,” technical director Frederik Broché said. And so Campenaerts will have to score in the first months of 2020.
“I definitely have a chance to win at the Games, if everything goes well in the Giro. Wout van Aert will be my biggest rival,” says Campenaerts, who will ride three time trials in the Tour of Italy. “The three time trials are written for me. I hope to win them all. My new team gives me the freedom to prepare”, the time trial specialist doesn’t lacks confidence.
“What I hope for in 2020? I dream of an Olympic title or the rainbow jersey, maybe both. I hope I have an Olympic or world title on my record at the end of my career.” But first Campenaerts will have to put himself in the spotlight for Tokyo. The Belgian team will make a decision at the end of May or early June, just two months before the Olympic Games.
Hour record holder – Victor Campenaerts:
Darwin Atapuma Returns to Colombia
Darwin Atapuma will race for the new UCI Continental Colombian team, Tierra de Atletas next year, reports Colombian sports journalist Jairo Chavez Avila. The 31-year-old climber rode last season for the French Cofidis team, but proved unable to convince team manager Cédric Vasseur to keep him on.
A few weeks ago Atapuma seemed to be heading for the ambitious Hungarian cycling project Epowers Factory, but the riders were recently informed by open letter about the end of the team. The organisers of the team did not get the financial situation ready in time, so Atapuma had to look for a new team for 2020 in a hurry.
The experienced rider eventually signed a contract with Colombia Tierra de Atletas, a new continental formation. The Colombian Ministry of Sport supports the initiative to improve the image of the sport, after Manzana-Postobon stopped early this year after several doping cases. The project also consists of a women, newcomers, juniors and an Under23 team.
Colombia Tierra de Atletas previously announced the transfers of reigning Colombian champion Óscar Quiroz, Miguel Angel Rubiano and Nelson Soto, riders who, like Atapuma, have a history in Europe. The promising Hernán Aguirre also races for the team in 2020.
Atapuma started his career in 2012 at Colombia-Coldeportes. He won the queen stage in the Giro del Trentino that year. The aggressive climber was picked up by the big BMC team after two seasons, where he had some successes. In his final year he won a mountain stage in the Tour of Switzerland, he was 9th in the Giro d’Italia and wore the leader’s jersey in the Tour of Spain for a few days. That turned out to be the best year of his career, as Atapuma didn’t get the results with UAE Team Emirates (2017-2018) and Cofidis.
Atapuma at the 2019 Vuelta a España:
Scott Thwaites and Samuel Gaze for Corendon Circus in 2020
Scott Thwaites and mountain biker Samuel Gaze will be Mathieu van der Poel’s teammates in the Corendon-Circus team next year. The two riders will make the team almost complete for the 2020 season. Next year, Corendon-Circus want 25 riders, according to the team management. Thwaites and Gaze are already at the first training camp.
The New Zealander Gaze is celebrating his 24th birthday next week. He is known as a great talent within the mountain bike World. He won the under-23 Cross-Country at the 2016 UCI Mountain Bike World Championships and the 2017 UCI Mountain Bike World Championships. He also competes on occasion in road racing events, winning the National Criterium Championships in 2017 and 2018. In August 2019, Gaze joined UCI WorldTeam Deceuninck–Quick-Step as a stagiaire for the second half of the season. In March 2018 he also won his first World Cup with the elite riders in Stellenbosch in South Africa ahead of World champion Nino Schurter. Van der Poel finished 4th in the same race. As a neopro on the road, he must sign a contract for at least two seasons with Corendon-Circus, which combines road cycling with cyclocross and mountain biking, in accordance with the UCI rules.
The 29-year-old Briton, Scott Thwaites, rode the last season for the Continental Vitus Pro team in his own country, but before that, Thwaites was a professional for six years. First at NetApp-Endura, after which the team continued as BORA-hansgrohe. In 2017 and 2018 he raced with Dimension Data at WorldTour level. The Briton was eighth in the Tour de Yorkshire this year.
In the past, Thwaites mainly raced in the northern Classics, with numerous placings. His best performances are second places in the Ronde van Drenthe 2014 (behind Kenny Dehaes) and Le Samyn 2016 (behind Niki Terpstra). In 2017, the experienced Brit also completed the Tour de France. A year earlier he did the same in the Vuelta a España. After Ben Tulett – who comes directly from the juniors to the pros – Thwaites is the second Brit at Corendon Circus.
Corendon-Circus Provisional Roster for 2020
Antoine Benoist (Fra), Dries De Bondt (Bel), Floris De Tier (Bel), Petter Fagerhaug (Nor), Samuel Gaze (NZ), Lasse Norman Hansen (Den), Roy Jans (Bel), Jimmy Janssens (Bel), Senne Leysen (Bel), Marcel de Meisen (Ger), Tim Merlier (Bel), Sacha Modolo (Ita), David van der Poel (Ned), Mathieu van der Poel (Ned), Jonas Rickaert (Bel), Oscar Riesebeek (Ned), Loris Rouiller (Sui), Kristian Sbaragli (Ita), Ben Tullett (GB), Scott Thwaites (GB), Petr Vakoč (CZ), Otto Vergaerde (Bel), Gianni Vermeersch (Bel), Louis Vervaeke (Bel), Philipp Walsleben (Ger).
Scott Thwaites:
Movistar’s Mathias Norsgaard Breaks Leg
Bad news for Movistar and Mathias Norsgaard. The 22-year-old Dane broke his leg in a collision when training. The promising time trial rider was hit while in Spain and is currently in the Girona Hospital. Norsgaard has broken his shin in two places and will be out of circulation for half a year.
The accident happened on a descent on the outskirts of Girona. Norsgaard was unluckily hit by a car as the driver wanted to enter a parking space. “I didn’t have time to respond,” the unfortunate rider told Danish Sport.tv2. “I banged my shin full on a lamppost.”
“I would have been released with just a fright, since I have not sustained any further injuries.” The young motorist immediately called for help, which meant that Norsgaard could be taken to the nearest hospital quite quickly. “I just could not move, it was as if my foot no longer worked.” The young rider will soon have to have surgery.
It is still unclear where the operation will take place, in Spain or its home country, Denmark. One thing is certain, Norsgaard will have to recover for six months. “I was really looking forward to the new cycling season and my preparation was going perfectly, but now everything is falling apart. Fortunately I have a two-year contract, but my employment with Movistar could not have started worse.”
Mathias Norsgaard – Worlds’18:
Bak takes on Exciting New Role with NTT Pro Cycling
One of the peloton’s most experienced professionals, Lars Bak, will make the transition from rider to mentor in 2020 as it’s been confirmed that he will take up a new position as an Assistant Sports Director at NTT Pro Cycling.
Bak (39) rode his 18th and final season in the colours of Team Dimension Data for Qhubeka in 2019 after which he called time on a stellar career that saw him race with distinction for among others Lotto-Soudal, HTC-Highroad and Team CSC.
The former Danish road race champion and Giro d’Italia stage-winner capped off his career in some style as he finished seventh at Paris-Tours in October concluding a season in which he raced over 12,000km. 2019 also saw him ride his eighth Tour de France and in the process the 20th Grand Tour of his career.
In a relatively youthful squad for 2020, bolstered by the signing of nine new riders, Bak joins a department led by compatriot Lars Michaelsen, who recently was confirmed as taking up the position of Head Sports Director for next season.
He will link up with the team immediately at its pre-season training camp in Oliva, Spain, in mid-December as we look ahead to the season and our first race as newly rebranded NTT Pro Cycling at the Santos Tour Down Under in late January.
Lars Bak, Assistant Sports Director: “I’m really happy that everything fell into place for me to take on this new challenge in my life but I now have to quickly switch my mindset from being a rider to that of being a sports director. Of course it’s a big change and everything is going to be new for me, so I will be looking to listen and learn as much as possible from the excellent group of experienced guys already in the group. I’m effectively a trainee all over again as this is all new! Of course I’ve been in the game for many years and you always presume to know exactly what a director is doing but there’s a lot to learn including all of the planning both on the race itself as well as in the background. It’s going to be good to be at our training camp in Oliva where we will all be together – riders and staff – as it’s a very important time for us all to come together as a team. For me I hope to start out in some of the smaller races but before that, next week, will be a learning process to do all of the relevant planning with all of my colleagues and learn the protocol of being a director. It feels funny to say that now I’m a director, and it will take some time getting used to, but I will try and not speak too much but rather learn first from the others and take it day-by-day, and hopefully we can realise some success early in the year.”
Lars Michaelsen, Head Sports Director: “Over the years Lars has collected tons of experience within pro cycling as a rider. Now his challenge will be in executing the job from “the other side” with that same ambition ie. what’s best for the team? I have both raced with and against him, when he was an amateur as well as when we were both pro riders (2002-2007) and I’ve also had very close interaction with him over a two year period where I was his sports director (2008 and 2009). I was also there to encourage him from the team car via the radio when he won the Danish National TT Championship in 2008. But crucially, what I strongly remember from those years was a Lars Bak who was always constructive about how to tackle the next day’s race, seen from the team’s perspective; and that is the essence of what the job of a DS is all about.”
Lars Bak:
Tim Elverson Presents Canyon dhb Powered by Soreen
Soreen is a new title sponsor of Canyon dhb.
Performance sports clothing brand dhb will continue their involvement in 2020, after joining forces with Tim Elverson’s British UCI Continental squad in 2018. Canyon will also continue to support the team for a fourth year running. Soreen is a new sponsor for 2020 and will support the team, based in Fleet, Hampshire, which will be known as Canyon dhb p/b Soreen from January 1.
Bloor Homes have been replaced on the team’s title. However they will continue to support the team for the coming season. Eisberg, Hunt Bike Wheels, Maxxis, Roadwheel, PRO BIKE TOOL, Charters Peugeot, Precise Performance, Sidi, Stages Power, Hayden Brothers and Peaty’s will also continue to back the team in 2020.
They all enjoyed a great ride in 2019, with a top 5 at the Tour de Yorkshire, the Tour Series crown for a second year running and the Eisberg sprints jersey in the Tour of Britain among the highlights. Joining Canyon dhb p/b Soreen in 2020 is Hawkshead Brewery. Based in the heart of the Lake District, Hawkshead Brewery is a standalone craft brewery offering pale ales to dark stout and beer, and of course cyclist friendly 0.5% Hawkshead Lighter Times. We welcome new partner LQD® Spray for the 2020 season. Endorsed by leading healthcare professionals in the UK, LQD® Spray is the new innovative, naturally sourced, wound dressing for all cyclists with skin injuries.
Alex Duckworth, owner of LQD® Spray commented: “LQD® Spray is today’s high-performance wound-care product. We are so excited to be sponsoring a partner who are the best in their business. Canyon dhb demonstrate the same desires to set the highest standards. We believe Tim and his team share LQD® Spray’s ambitions of innovative thinking and higher performance. We are looking forward to helping them win in 2020 by reducing their time away from the saddle caused by wounds”
Tim Elverson
Tim Elverson, owner and sports director: “2019 was a fantastic season with many wins home and away. We have continued our progression year on year and in 2020 my only goal is to be better than ’19. I want to be even more competitive in Europe than we have been this year, so I have strengthened the squad with this in mind. I’m very fortunate to have continued with most of our existing partners, whilst introducing a new title sponsor, Soreen. I’m really pleased they have chosen to become more involved in cycling and I feel we will have a good partnership. Plus I love a Soreen malt loaf, so it’s a match made in heaven. We are working hard to create a package that delivers on expectations for all of our partners and I expect 2020 to not fall short of this.”
Nick Allen, UK marketing manager for Canyon: “After three very successful seasons supporting the Canyon dhb team, we are excited to continue the partnership for a fourth year in 2020. Next year the team continues to broaden its ambition in high level racing both domestically and overseas. We are both proud to support the athletes in their aim to perform at the highest level while also achieving our goal of contributing to the sport in the UK. We very much look forward to supporting them to succeed in the coming season.”
Rob Atkins, brand manager for dhb, is looking forward to building on an already successful partnership. He said: “We are thrilled to be embarking on a third year with the squad and we are confident 2020 is going to be the best yet. Watching Tim’s riders top the podium is a source of great pride for the whole dhb team, with our first season as title partner exceeding all expectations. But the partnership is about more than just winning. Feedback from the squad is key for us to keep developing exciting products for every cyclist, whatever their motivation.”
Mark Simester, managing director at Soreen: “Soreen is proud to become a partner of the Canyon dhb team. Soreen has been fuelling cyclists for decades and our new Soreen loaf bars have been designed with cyclists in mind as they’re the perfect size for cyclists to top up their energy levels during rides.”
dhb are delighted to announce their continuation as joint headline sponsor of Canyon dhb p/b Soreen and unveil the team jersey for 2020.
Collaborating closely with Tim Elverson’s squad for the past two years has been fundamental in the performance sports clothing brand making their kit better for all customers. dhb’s product development team have fully utilised a pool of riders who really know what they’re talking about and their regular visits to the firm’s Portsmouth headquarters have proved invaluable. The result of this collaboration is a refined Aeron Lab collection for 2020, including a speedsuit rigorously tested in the wind-tunnel and produced in a factory supplying Olympic champions.
dhb have embraced the challenge of delivering their fastest and most aerodynamic kit yet, without compromising on comfort. And once again improvements have been made across the wider range, so the benefits of the partnership are passed on to everyone.
Rob Atkins, dhb brand manager, said: “We have relished the past two seasons working with Tim and his squad, tapping into their expert knowledge to inspire our development team. With the help of the riders, Aeron Lab has come a long way since Harry Tanfield won on its debut outing in the 2018 Tour de Yorkshire. And it is that insight which ensures we will send them out onto the road next year with our fastest and most exciting kit to date.”
Throw in a pop of colour from the addition of fellow title partners Soreen and an already stand-out jersey, both at home and abroad, has become even more eye-catching.
Elverson, team owner and sports director, is excited to get his hands on the new kit. He added: “This is another step up from what was already great kit. The exciting part of this process is we get to suggest changes so dhb can adapt it for us to test. These changes are carried over to the kit that is available to buy, meaning you can wear exactly the same as our professional riders. A lot of hard work has gone into designing the kit and making it relatable to the real world, whether it be for comfort in racing or coffee shop rides. It really is amazing when we see the improvements as a direct result of our feedback. We have a great relationship with dhb because we have the same goal. We have the best kit and with the continued development through ideas and fabric development, it will stay a market leader.”
Replica jerseys will once again be available to buy. Watch out for an announcement early next year.
dhb have designed the 2020 Canyon dhb p/b Soreen jersey:
The PEZ INSTAGRAM Take a look at our Instagram page for a live feed and giveaways straight from your phone: https://www.instagram.com/pezcyclingnews
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