EUROTRASH News Round Up Monday!
Looking at the weather in Northern France, it would have been a dusty 2020 Paris-Roubaix, but pointless thinking about it. A full EUROTRASH Monday: Belgian virologist thinks there could be a 2020 Tour de France – Top Story. Bernal wants the Tour, Thomas to cycle for health workers, Gaviria thanks UAE health authorities, Lefevere fears bankruptcy, British Cycling out of pocket, De Vlaeminck rates Van der Poel, Italian champs postponed, Nys expecting late cross season, Tour de l’Avenir dates, Nibali stopped Riis going to Bahrain, Woods motivated for Olympics, Stuyven looking forward to autumn, Gilbert unhappy with Belgian coach, Bahrain McLaren for Swiss 5, Rogers perspective, Colorado Classic webinar series, The Cyclists’ Alliance contract management platform, Ineos deliver hand sanitiser and ‘The Magic of Paris-Roubaix’ by Deceuninck – Quick-Step video. Stay well out there.
TOP STORY: Belgian Virologist Considers a Postponed Tour de France Realistic
The chance that the Tour de France will start on June 27 is very small, but postponing the French Grand Tour is a realistic possibility. That is what the renowned Belgian virologist Marc van Ranst has said to Sporza. According to the Belgian doctor, there could be a shortened version of the Tour de France this year.
On Saturday a leaked email suggested that the Tour de France is focusing on postponing the race. La Grande Boucle may be on the program from July 25 to August 16.
In recent weeks, the discussion has included the option to ride the Tour de France with or without an audience. Van Ranst sees no major problem to the public along the road. “When people stand by the side of the road to see riders flash past, I don’t think there’s much danger in that. But at the start, the finish and in the VIP tents you do have social distancing problems,” he pointed out.
Tour director Christian Prudhomme indicated earlier this month that a Tour de France without an audience is not an option for him. The amounts that cities pay to organise a start or a finish are an important source of income for ASO.
The Tour needs the fans:
Egan Bernal: “Hopefully we can ride the Tour de France after all”
2019 Tour de France winner, Egan Bernal, seems to have changed his mind. Less than two weeks ago he thought it was opportune not to ride the Tour. Today he hopes that the Tour de France will go ahead. “That is better for myself, for my team, for the sport and for all fans.”
It might be better be postponed, he said on March 31. But the top talent also realises that it is important for the sponsors and by extension the entire cycling world that the Tour de France takes place. “So I train at home,” he told the Italian newspaper La Repubblica. “Not only out of boredom, but also to keep in shape.”
Bernal returned from Europe to Colombia in March. He doesn’t know what the rest of his season will look like, but has the Tour of Italy on his agenda for next year. “I have lived there, I have many friends and I know the roads. The idea was to ride the Tour this year, followed by a few classics like the Tour of Lombardy. Next year I want to do the Giro. But I don’t know yet how 2020 will continue.”
Tour winner Bernal:
Geraint Thomas to Cycle 36 Hours in Support of Health Workers
Geraint Thomas wants to make a special contribution to the fight against the corona virus. The winner of the 2018 Tour de France 2018 announced on his Instagram that he would ride Zwift for 36 hours in three days to support the British healthcare staff. “I also want to do something to be able to contribute. And all I can do is cycle,” said Thomas. “From Wednesday I will ride three times twelve hours from my picturesque garage,” he announced. Thomas calls on other riders to virtually ride with him and donate for charity.
It starts on Wednesday at 8:30am. The length of twelve hours has not been chosen at random. He refers to the services of employees of the NHS (National Health Service, the health care system in the United Kingdom). Thomas’s attempt will be followed live on his Facebook page.
To promote the promotion he using the hashtag #prayformygooch, pray for my buttocks. “I am a bit nervous, because I have never ridden so long in a day.”
Fernando Gaviria Thanks UAE Health Authorities After Fully Recovering from Corona Virus and Returning Home
UAE Team Emirates’ fastman Fernando Gaviria has thanked the UAE health authorities after receiving the ‘best care and attention in the world’ on his road to recovery after being diagnosed with Corona Virus last month.
Fernando Gaviria said, “I would like to thank the UAE government, our team president, Matar Suhail Al Yabhouni Al Dhaheri and the whole of the UAE Team Emirates team for their support. It has been a difficult period but I am lucky to have had the best care and attention in the world.”
Fernando has now returned to his home country, Colombia after arriving with 55 other returnees on an airplane filled with 13 tons of medical material donated by the United Arab Emirates.
Fernando said “I am very happy to be able to return home and embrace my loved ones, while still being aware that this pandemic is still among us and that we cannot let our guard down. My hope is to return to normality and get back racing as soon as possible. Until then, please follow the government instructions to try to limit the spread of the virus.”
Looking forward to racing again:
Lefevere Fears Bankruptcy of Cycling Teams
It is inescapable that the corona crisis will have major financial consequences for cycling. Not only the races, but also the teams are having a hard time. Several teams already asked their riders to take a salary cut. Patrick Lefevere fears that bankruptcies will follow.
“I fear that cycling teams will go bankrupt,” Deceuninck – Quick-Step’s team boss said in an interview with Sporza. “I myself am also afraid. Teams sponsored by private companies can afford not to race until the end of June.”
Cycling teams’ revenue model has always been fragile. “The difference with football is that football clubs have players who can sell them. There is no transfer money in the price. We live by the grace of sponsors and a little merchandising,” Lefevere explained.
Francis Van Eeckhout, CEO of main sponsor Deceuninck, said he was still talking to the team. “It is certainly not the intention to pull the plug.”
If Patrick Lefevere says it…
British Cycling Lose More Than Four Million
The British Cycling Federation has been hit hard by the corona crisis. It is estimated to lose £4 million (€4.55 million) in revenue, and action is needed to secure the federation and the jobs of workers.
The British Cycling Federation (British Cycling) has suspended all activities, due to the spread of the coronavirus, until June 30. “That was the right decision, taken to protect the health and wellbeing of everyone involved in everything we do,” said President Julie Harrington.
The shutdown of all activities hits the federation in the wallet. “Because much of the revenue comes from cycling events and most of them are held in the spring and summer months, it accounts for around £4 million in lost revenue.”
Measures have been taken to ensure the federation and the jobs of workers. “At the moment, 90 employees – a third of the manpower – have been sent on leave. The majority in April, a few in May. This was a difficult decision, which we made with great care,” said Harrington. In addition, the management team have taken a wage cut of 10% for May and June.
De Vlaeminck Thinks Mathieu van der Poel as a big Winner
Roger De Vlaeminck is full of praise for Mathieu van der Poel. The now 72-year-old former rider won Paris-Roubaix four times in the 1970s. Monsieur Paris-Roubaix sees 25-year-old Van der Poel a rider who could possibly improve his record.
“He will win Paris-Roubaix at least 3 or 4 times and maybe also 5 times. I really wish him that,” De Vlaeminck said to Sporza. “He can do everything: he speaks well, he takes care of himself, he trains well. He has class. He is my favourite for all races. He looks a bit like me. He is versatile. I would like to see him ride a time trial again against the big riders, so I can really form my complete idea about him,” he said. “By the way, I think Van der Poel is also the only rider who can win all five monuments.”
De Vlaeminck was successful in Roubaix at a time when he was competing against Eddy Merckx, Francesco Moser and Jan Raas. According to him, the competition is less now. “The opposition is also less strong now for Van der Poel. Only Wout van Aert, he will also win about three times in Roubaix,” he predicts. “Those boys are now 25, so I hope I can still experience Van der Poel’s 5th cobblestone.”
De Vlaeminck back in Roubaix’80:
Late June Italian Championship Postponed
The Italian cycling championship in June cannot take place due to the corona virus. Renato Di Rocco, the president of the Italian Cycling Federation, made the announcement to the Italian media.
According to Di Rocco, cycling is unlikely to resume before July. Because of this, the organisation has already decided to cancel the national championship on the weekend of June 20 and 21. The youth championships earlier that month were also canceled. The cycling federation is looking for a new date for the Italian championships. Last year the men’s victory went to Davide Formolo and Marta Bastianelli won the women’s championship.
The Dutch cycling union has not canceled their championships at the end of June. The KNWU does take postponement into account, however, if necessary the events will be from 7 to 10 August.
2019 Italian champ – Davide Formolo:
Sven Nys Expecting a Late Start to the Cyclocross Season
Sven Nys expects the corona crisis to have consequences for the cyclocross calendar. The UCI intends to extend the road season by one month and the Telenet-Baloise Lions team boss said to Het Nieuwsblad that the cyclocross season will move up to make way for the road season.
“Everything is in jeopardy,” Sven Nys thinks. “The calendar has been drawn up, but what if the postponed monuments of the road season are later moved to September or October? What will our TV partners prefer? I wouldn’t be surprised if the season doesn’t start in September.”
In addition, ‘cross cannot be experienced in the same way. “A marquee where a thousand people are packed together, that seems to be the last thing they will allow,” he predicts.
His team mainly faces logistical challenges in the short term. “Our Trek bikes are from the United States. Fortunately, we got all our new equipment just before the lockdown in Belgium, but assembling the bikes has become a feat. The riders have come to collect their bikes, one by one, but Lars van der Haar was no longer allowed to cross the border. We sent his bikes.”
On the commercial side, the team still faces a challenge. “The contract with Telenet will expire at the end of 2020. The search for a second partner will not be easy. Companies have other problems.”
Father and son, Nys:
Tour de l’Avenir Does Not Want to Clash with the Tour de France
With the news that the Tour de France has a plan ready to move Le Grand Départ by four weeks, this would mean that the largest cycle race in the world would coincide with the biggest Under 23 cycle race in the world… the Tour de l’Avenir. It is impossible, says Philippe Coulliou, race director of the Tour de l’Avenir.
“We are currently waiting for the date of Tour de France, so that it will not take place during the Tour de l’Avenir,” Colliou said to DirectVelo. “There are currently several options for the Tour de France. When it starts at the end of July, we try to start before or after.”
The two competitions could also not be held simultaneously logistically and organisationally. “We have ASO logistics assistance for cars, motorbikes and the race radio. The Republican Guard will not be able to join the Tour de France and the Tour de l’Avenir simultaneously. And it is complicated for the media to be present at the Tour de l’Avenir.”
Nevertheless, Colliou will do everything in its power to give the ‘Tour of the Young’ a place on the calendar again this year. “Although we are now in a waiting game.”
The Tour de l’Avenir is currently on the calendar from August 7 to August 16. Last year, Tobias Foss took the overall winner. This year, the Norwegian made his professional debut with the Jumbo-Visma team.
2019 l’Avenir winner Tobias Foss, now with Jumbo-Visma:
Nibali Stopped Riis from Going to Bahrain Merida
A few years ago, Bjarne Riis hoped to start working with the Bahrain Merida team through his company Virtu. However, it was Vincenzo Nibali who put a stop to that. Bjarne Jensen, a former Riis confidant, told the Danish website Feltet.dk.
Virtu was an ambitious project that the 1996 Tour winner, together with his partner Lars Seier, had in mind to finance cycling teams differently. Riis closed a deal with Bahrain Merida four years ago. He had already planned a press conference, but it did not come to a collaboration. According to Jensen, because Nibali and his entourage were afraid of losing influence to the controversial Dane.
When it was not possible to link-up with the WorldTour team, the project continued with the women’s team Team Virtu Cycling. That team died in 2019 after three seasons. The Virtu project also ended at the end of March, which included exercise bike Virtu Pro and training platform Virtu Go, run by former world champion Michael Rogers. Riis currently works as a team manager of the NTT team.
Riis now at NTT:
Michael Woods Motivated for a Postponed Olympics
On the 5th stage of Paris-Nice, Michael Woods crashed heavily. The 33-year-old EF Pro Cycling rider broke his thigh. A month later, the Canadian is working on his recovery and it is convenient that the Games have been postponed for a year.
After his crash in Paris-Nice, Woods was taken to Lyon hospital where a serious fracture of the thigh was diagnosed. He was operated on there and transferred to his home in Girona. Three weeks later, he was able to carefully start rehabilitation. “Everyone overtakes me on Zwift,” said Woods on the EF Pro Cycling website. “But I’m not concerned with that.”
“On the contrary. During my first virtual ride, where I pedalled barely fifty watts for fifteen minutes, I just loved being able to move my leg and be a bit active. Besides, I don’t want to rush because it is a serious injury. Yes, I have set a date when I want to be back, but I don’t want to pin too much on it. I’ll take it as it comes.”
While everyone has a hard time with the canceled and postponed races during the coronavirus pandemic, this is of course different for Woods, that the Olympic Games will not take place until 2021 is an extra motivation for the Canadian. “The Games and the World championships were my big goals for this year. It looks like the World championships will continue in September. I now think I can be one hundred percent fit for both events.”
Michael Woods wins Torino 2019:
Jasper Stuyven Looking Forward to a Nice Autumn
Jasper Stuyven is one of the few riders who already has a victory this year. At the end of February the Trek-Segafredo rider won Omloop Het Nieuwsblad, before the corona crisis paralysed the World. He is currently at home in Monaco.
Stuyven adheres to the 1-1-1 rule in Monaco: no more than 1 kilometre from home, once a day and no longer than 1 hour. “We have made ourselves a different rhythm. You get used to it,” he told Het Laatste Nieuws. “Mentally it is equally difficult for all riders. You cycle, but without a concrete goal. You also inevitably gain some extra weight. That is allowed at this stage. In December I was also heavier than in the Omloop. There is still plenty of time to get rid of that.”
He does not regret staying in Monaco. “You can then curse and think: Phew, if only I was in Belgium now. But if we can get out of here and immediately go into the surrounding mountains, the disadvantage will soon be an advantage again.”
For the time being, unlike colleagues in other teams, he does not have to worry about his salary. “That our main sponsor also owns the team is perhaps an advantage in this,” he says. “The company is committed to respecting the anticipated work budget and our contracts for as long as possible. That is reassuring.”
Stuyven hopes to be able to ride races this autumn. “I am mainly counting on us to have a nice autumn. With the Tour and the Classic Monuments as priorities. Because those races undeniably yield the greatest return for our sponsors. That will be crucial for the future of cycling. That way we can save our sport. Hopefully the UCI and organisers will be on the same page in the calendar rescheduling. To be honest, I’m a bit afraid of that.”
Jasper Stuyven winning Het Nieuwsblad:
Philippe Gilbert Not Happy with Belgian National Team Coach
Philippe Gilbert has strongly criticised the Belgian national team coach Rik Verbrugghe. According to the 37-year-old star, he never received apologies for an incident at the World championships in Yorkshire.
Gilbert has for the first time explained his crash in last year’s World champs: “The mechanic did not tighten the axle of my wheel enough, the axle came loose and I lost my front wheel,” he said in Sport-Voetbalmagazine. “Fortunately that happened in an ascent and not in a descent. Otherwise I don’t know if I could tell that story here now.”
According to the former World champion, little has come of the internal investigation that Verbrugghe announced at the time. And Gilbert is not happy with that. “Deep down, I am still very disappointed in Verbrugghe and his staff because they never gave me an explanation or apologies.”
“I talked to Verbrugghe on the day itself. I told him that I did not want to make a deal because mechanical problems occur, but I did want an apology from the mechanic. No one has ever done that, neither the federation nor the mechanic. And that is difficult to accept.”
Verbrugghe does not agree with Gilbert’s account and reacted in surprise. “It is true that an error was probably been made, although we cannot rule out the possibility that it is a construction error. That Gilbert wants an apology? He got it immediately from the mechanic.”
The Yorkshire Worlds were less than successful for Gilbert:
Bahrain McLaren Sign Up for the Digital Swiss 5
We are delighted to announce that we will join 15 other WorldTour teams, two Pro Continental teams, and the Swiss national team in racing The Digital Swiss 5, a series of five virtual races on sections of the same parcours planned for the Tour de Suisse 2020.
The Digital Swiss 5 is an initiative that has been launched by the organisers of the Tour de Suisse, Velon and the eSports platform ROUVY in response to the Covid-19 challenge. For our team, it will bring several benefits, including partner exposure, fan engagement and a new challenge for those riders participating.
The Digital Swiss 5 runs from April 22 to 26 with three riders per team participating across five race days. Each race will run for 1 hour per day and we have the option of changing the three riders for each race. Riders will use the indoor cycling platform, ROUVY, which combines real video footage of the roads and the rider’s avatar.
The Digital Swiss 5 will be broadcast live on television and fans can also participate in virtual events around the race and engage with a series of content streams currently being planned.
The five race routes and our rider-up will be announced in the coming days along with a full rundown of the event.
Participating teams:
1. Team Bahrain McLaren
2. AG2R La Mondiale
3. BORA-Hansgrohe
4. CCC Team
5. Deceuninck – Quick-Step Team
6. EF Pro Cycling
7. Groupama-FDJ
8. Israel Start-Up Nation
9. Lotto Soudal
10. Mitchelton-SCOTT
11. Movistar Team
12. NTT Pro Cycling
13. Rally Cycling
14. Team INEOS
15. Team Jumbo-Visma
16. Team Sunweb
17. Total Direct Energie
18. Trek-Segafredo
19. Swiss national team.
Michael Rogers: Perspective
NTT Pro Cycling’s recently appointed Technical Partner Manager, Michael Rogers, is no stranger to cycling fans. As a former three-time world time trial champion and multiple Grand Tour stage-winner, a decorated career saw him ride for the world’s biggest and most successful teams.
To go with the expertise he provides to our team, ‘Mick’ is also a devoted family man and so has drawn on his unique experience to pen his thoughts on the current state that not only cycling finds itself in, but the world at large.
“There are many lessons we learn from extreme situations. Ordinarily, my introduction to the NTT Pro Cycling community would be about what brings us together, cycling. It’s something beautiful and it bubbles with energy, emotions and memories. Professional cycling is on pause to the Covid-19 pandemic, but the riders are still training. On bikes in virtual world’s, connected to online platforms that – curiously – engages audiences, as well as participants, in a new-world era of sport.
When I was chasing world championship medals and doing all I could to succeed in races like the Tour de France, I thought of nothing else. Cycling was my world and nothing else mattered. I’ve grown up in cycling and although I understand why I felt this way then, I see it with a different perspective now. The pandemic has stopped a lot of what we know to be normal, but we humans adjust quickly. No one has the answer to the great: what-comes-next? But I’m doing my best to continue to be positive as I navigate my way through this extreme situation.
My family has been at home since mid-February. My three young daughters do their schooling online, and I stay in touch with people around the globe, as everyone is doing; conference calling has come of age and, within weeks, it’s clear that our kids aren’t missing too much of their education. And me, at work at home? I’ve never been busier. We all have our stories. Many of us are confined. Many are confused. Many are concerned. We’re all looking for solutions. And, I know we are becoming more united – in my new role at NTT Pro Cycling, it’s obvious, but I also hope that unity is gaining momentum elsewhere, in our communities, cities and countries.
It is easy to feel lost when you’re isolated. And hope vanishes even faster when goals have been taken away or ambitions suppressed. To use a sporting analogy, where’s the motivation in doing the extreme work required to be ready to compete? Without an objective, it’s logical to feel confused. But I’ve seen my family in action, even while they need to be more idle than they’d like. I’ve seen them find a way to keep moving, to stay healthy, to exercise and keep learning. It can be difficult but there are also huge rewards.
In the professional realm, I’ve engaged with my colleagues and felt part of a community that, thanks to logical adaptation through technology, is even more united than before. Perhaps because of the commonality of the broader issue that limits our movement, we are even more connected. Distance separates us but the problem brings us closer together, emotionally. I learned things about life when I raced my bike. Some of these lessons served me well in the years since I stopped competing. I understand the value of teamwork, good communication, and physical toil; if you combine these elements with some clever thinking, good support, attention to detail – and maybe a hint of luck for good measure – you move mountains.
Great. That’s fantastic, but then what?
Again: without an objective, it’s logical to feel confused.
It was cycling that paid my wages for over 20 years. Then I stopped racing and it would have been easy to get confused. For so long, the goal was to go from one line to the next. That’s it: start, finish. Job done. Next race.
Under the shadow of something like the novel coronavirus that has changed the world in a few short, dramatic months – something that truly requires teamwork, good communication and enormous emotional, physical and even spiritual toil to overcome – it’s easy to feel lost, aimless, lacking objective, and craving a goal.
But it’s also possible to feel inspired and capable and proud. How do I know? Because I’ve been lucky enough to have seen my family for a couple of months, and observe their resilience, watch them grow, listen to their arguments or join them in debates. This is a positive from a negative. And it’s enormously valuable to remember that it’s an experience we’re all going through, so you’re not lost or isolated because everyone is doing the same.
We may not move around like we did before but, at the end of each day, I look up to see the stars shine brighter than I remember them to be. And that’s not all I’m seeing differently.
At home and at work, I’m fulfilled. I’m not lost and there is a goal.
Cycling is on a pause, but at NTT Pro Cycling team we’re using this time to prepare, to better understand each other and find new ways of improving performance. We listen, we speak, we learn. I believe they are core elements of unity.
Personally I consider myself fortunate: I’ve learnt from my wife and children that the real goal in life is to experience what is right before us, to savour it, to understand that when we have unity, we are collectively stronger, and we go longer and faster than anyone of us could alone.
I have a new job now. I’m part of the NTT Pro Cycling team. There is a chance for me to pass on the knowledge I’ve acquired from my years in professional cycling, racing with some of the best athletes on the planet, in all manner of conditions – with lofty highs and dreadful, soul-destroying lows.
I’ve decided to look forwards. There might not be a wheel ahead of me – or even a road at the moment, but I’m confident that there’s a slipstream on offer. I might not see a team with the same perspective as in my previous profession, but I know it’s there with me during this ride. And it’s nice to feel united.” Michael Rogers.
Michael Rogers in the 2015 Giro d’Italia:
The Colorado Classic® Presented by VF Corporation Announces Business in Sport Webinar Series
Virtual series to offer business guidance for athletes of all sports.
In response to the stalled racing season, the Colorado Classic® presented by VF Corporation today announced the launch of the Business in Sport Webinar Series, a free series of conversations designed to provide education and information for female athletes in cycling and other sports.
“Our Colorado Classic team feels a sense of responsibility to the athletes in the women’s peloton; and since the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak we have been closely watching the impacts the virus has had on the sport,” stated Lucy Diaz, CEO of RPM Events Group LLC.
“With all professional sporting events currently canceled or postponed, our hearts go out to the athletes who rely on competition and prize money to support their livelihoods. We’ve been brainstorming ways in which we can make a meaningful contribution to the sporting community. In this time when so many of us are ‘sheltering in place,’ we’re hoping to make use of this downtime to expand the athletes skills and knowledge, both on and off the bike .”
Kicking off on Wednesday, April 15th, the series will be broadcasted live using Zoom, and feature panel discussions addressing relevant topics that many athletes deal with during their careers. From creating your own brand to attracting sponsorships, the series will bring together industry experts in the sport and business to share their experiences and advice with today’s athletes and team staff.
All discussions are free and open to the public and accessible via RSVP. Though the conversation will be steered specifically towards female athletes, all are welcome.
The educational series is part of the race organisers’ initiative to elevate women’s sports through exposure, opportunity, storytelling and enabling the athletes to make meaningful connections within the community and business worlds.
The Business in Sport Webinar series will kick off next week with:
Look at Me! The Importance of Creating and Promoting your Own Brand
Wednesday, April 15, 2020
2:30 p.m. MST
Via Zoom Conferencing (link)
Panelists include:
Jessica Murphy: co-founder of BibRave, a leading grassroots community, and social marketing agency.
Patrick Crawford: co-founder, and partner at the leading creator-marketing agency Inkwell
Kristen Mayer: founder of Betty Designs, an endurance sport apparel brand built on the concept that women can be both strong + beautiful.
Ellen Noble: Ellen Noble is a professional cyclocross and mountain bike racer riding for the Trek Factory Racing team. Noble has successfully used social media to build her brand and a platform from which to push for equity in sport and beyond.
To RSVP and learn more about the Business in Sport webinar series, visit https://www.coloradoclassic.com/business-in-sports
To learn more about the Colorado Classic, visit www.coloradoclassic.com or follow @coloradoclassicpro on Instagram and Facebook.
The Cyclists’ Alliance Contract Management Platform Launched
We’re pleased to announce the launch of TCA’s new ‘Contract Management Platform’ – an online resource designed to upskill riders’ commercial knowledge and awareness of their contractual rights.
The platform is another significant step forward for members, as part of TCA’s new seven-point plan to revolutionise the compensation and culture of professional women’s cycling in order to reach its key objective of 100% of female cyclists to benefit from a safe and stable working environment. 84% of riders surveyed have previously signed a contract without any legal assistance. The resources are designed to help riders negotiate on their own behalf, to redress the power imbalance and strive for fairness in professional cycling.The Contract Management Platform provides:
● a free ‘Contract Health Check’ which offers a review by a professional agent – to highlight key clauses and any issues;
● resources and factsheets on contractual requirements and minimum standards;
● negotiation tips;
● salary guidelines;
● supplemental insurance plans and a financial savings plan from a partnership with SVL Sports GmbH (SVL), the leading broker of personal and team insurance for riders in the elite cycling marketplace; and
● financial and insurance factsheets.
In addition, legal advice for more complex questions or further assistance from an agent can be sourced from the TCA at a preferential rate. With thanks to Bespoke-M for valuable input into the factsheets.
For further information go to cyclistsalliance.org.
Sir Dave Brailsford and Team INEOS Racing to Deliver Hand Sanitiser to NHS Hospitals Around the UK
Up to a million bottles of INEOS’ new hand sanitiser have started being delivered to NHS hospitals across the UK just ten days after the plan was announced. The project initiated by Sir Jim Ratcliffe is now being supported by Sir Dave Brailsford and Team Ineos. The initial deliveries are going from the INEOS production plant at Newton Aycliffe in the North East to 28 hospitals around the country.
INEOS is now producing almost 200 different products that are being used in drugs, testing kits, ventilators and protective clothing in the fight against the Coronavirus and the US Dept of Homeland Security has described many as being “critical to national resilience” from basic sanitation through to the search for a vaccine.
Sir Jim Ratcliffe, founder and chairman of INEOS, says, “Getting the hand sanitiser into production in just ten days was a huge team effort and Team INEOS, led by Sir Dave Brailsford have made a great contribution alongside the rest of the INEOS family. We knew there was a massive shortage of hand sanitisers across the UK and that speed was crucial. We believe these INEOS sanitisers will play a key part in the fight against the virus, helping protect our NHS front line staff and vulnerable people across the country.”
Sir Dave Brailsford, Team Principal, Team INEOS, says, “The British government asked industry to help and INEOS was proud to answer the call. Team INEOS is used to moving at speed but ten days from start to finish for three plants already was incredibly tight. We are all in this together and I am grateful to everyone in the entire INEOS family for their hands-on approach to getting the job done.”
INEOS, one of the largest manufacturing companies in the world, has today announced that it has started delivering a million bottles of hand sanitiser a month to NHS hospitals across the UK.
The project brought together the manufacturing and enterprise of INEOS led by Sir Jim Ratcliffe and the racing team logistics led by Sir Dave Brailsford, the Team Principal of Team INEOS. This major initiative has brought together the very best of all INEOS and its teams in a race against the clock.
INEOS announced that it would bring its production plant at Newton Aycliffe in Teesside online in just ten days and that deliveries would start immediately afterwards. It has repeated this in Herne Germany and Lavera in France and earlier this week announced a fourth facility in North East France at Étain.
Working closely with NHS Trusts, as of today, INEOS hand sanitisers are being delivered to 28 hospitals across the UK including Grangemouth, Halton, Teesside, Derby and London. Wider distribution will follow as the plant reaches full capacity.
INEOS is first focusing on meeting the needs of front line medical and care services before making “pocket bottle” hand sanitisers available for people’s personal use. These will all be produced to World Health Organisation specifications.
Hand to mouth contamination is one of the main ways that the Coronavirus infects people and there is a critical shortage of hand sanitisers across the UK and Europe.
All of INEOS nine polymer and chemical divisions are currently supplying products for the medical and pharmaceutical industries and many of them are now being used in the fight for CV19 vaccines and treatments.
Its products are essential for the production of essential health products in the medical field, including rubber gloves, PVC saline infusions, syringes, ventilators, medical tubes. Its products purify public drinking water. It produces raw materials for soap, phenol for aspirin and paracetamol, and its acetonitrile is used in essential pharmaceutical analysis in the procedures necessary to find a vaccine.
The US Department of Homeland Security has even described INEOS Acetonitrile, IPA and Acetone as “Critical to ensure National Resilience” in their CV-19 response.
For more information please go to: www.ineoshandgel.com
The Magic of Paris-Roubaix
12-Apr-2020: Deceuninck – Quick-Step CEO Patrick Lefevere and several of our riders talk of what makes Paris-Roubaix special and unique, a race that since its birth at the turn of the 20th century has earned a well-deserved reputation as the “Queen of the Classics”.
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