EUROTRASH News Round Up Monday!

A crash filled weekend in Lombardia and the Dauphiné. Remco Evenepoel – TOP STORY. Race Reports from Il Lombardia, La Périgord, Critérium du Dauphiné, Tour de Wallonie and the Portuguese Road Race Championship. Hail-stones in France, where will the 2020 Worlds be run? Team news from Androni, Lefevere going to court. Rider news: Nairo Quintana knee problem, Terpstra returns and Pozzovivo back. Contract news from Philipsen, Masnada, De Bie and Vermaerke. Top action in EUROTRASH Monday.

TOP STORY: Remco Evenepoel crashes out of Il Lombardia and the season
These are turbulent times for Patrick Lefevere, team manager of Deceuninck – Quick-Step. On Saturday, Remco Evenepoel suffered a pelvic fracture in Il Lombardia after he landed in a ravine after crashing into the wall of a bridge. This happened just over a week after Fabio Jakobsen’s serious crash in the Tour of Poland.

The 20-year-old Evenepoel, who was on the treacherous descent of the Muro di Sormano, collided with a parapet of a bridge when taking a tight bend. He lay in the ravine for some time as it took a while for rescuers to find the best way to carry him up to the waiting ambulance at the road-side.

Eventually the rescue workers managed to lift him out of the ravine by stretcher. As a precaution, his head was stabilised. He was taken to hospital by ambulance, where the doctors found a pelvic fracture. Evenepoel also suffers from a bruised right lung. It is unlikely that the talented young Belgian will compete for the rest of the season.

“Remco will have to watch a lot of TV this autumn, but he can still watch. That’s the most important thing,” Lefevere said to VTM Nieuws. “He ended up on his feet after his fall over the stone wall. The impact on his pelvis was heavy. Remco suffered a fracture where the head of his hip enters the pelvis.”

“He does talk normally and wanted to say something to his teammates. It all seems fine now, but we will keep him here (the Como hospital) for observation. Afterwards we have to see if and when we fly it over to Belgium. If an operation is involved, then rather in Belgium. If we can decide that ourselves, of course.”

Lefevere sees two leaders with Jakobsen and Evenepoel drop out, but the manager is especially happy that both riders are still alive. “We like to win and we all think winning is important. But now we just don’t think about races, but about how we can get those guys back in a healthy way.”

Evenepoel’s crash – Not comfortable viewing:

Maximilian Schachmann also had a problem at the end of the race, the German champion collided with a car that should never have been on the race route. He finished in 7th place, but a collarbone fracture was found during a check-up in the hospital.

With less than 2 kilometres to go, things went horribly wrong for the 26-year-old BORA-hansgrohe rider. On the descent towards the finish, a car appeared out of nowhere on the right side of the road. Schachmann tried to overtake the car on the left, but driver seemed to realise that something was wrong and turned left into a side street. Schachmann had no chance and hit the side of the car. After the collision, he quickly got back on the bike to ride to the finish. Afterwards, it turned out that he rode the last metres with a fractured right collarbone.

The UCI announced in a press statement that it is investigating the incident. “Races on the WorldTour calendar are of the highest level and are obliged to close the route at all times. The UCI is considering submitting a complaint against RCS Sport to the disciplinary committee.”

Schachmann, the winner of Paris-Nice, will most likely miss the Tour de France due to the injury.

What was the car doing there?

Il Lombardia 2020
Jakob Fuglsang (Astana) won Il Lombardia solo after breaking away with the New Zealander, George Bennett (Jumbo-Visma) and his Russian teammate, Aleksandr Vlasov. Then on the last ascent of the day he left them in his wake to finish half a minute up on Bennett in Como. Bauke Mollema (Trek-Segafredo), last year’s winner, was fourth.

You can read the PEZ Race Report with more photos HERE.

Remco Evenepoel’s Deceuninck – Quick-Step team took control of the peloton and so the break of eleven riders would not stay out front for long. Marco Rapporti, Davide Gabburo, Emmanuel Morin, Denis Nekrasov, Andrea Pasqualon, James Piccoli, Aleksandr Rjaboesjenko, Joey Rosskopf, Daniel Savini, Florian Stork and Petr Vakoc made up the break. The Canadian, Piccoli, was the hardest worker, and drove the leaders to a maximum lead of 4 minutes. On the Madonna del Ghisallo he was the last to be caught.

The favourites took it easy on the Madonna del Ghisallo, but due to the pace of Aleksandr Vlasov, many riders lost contact on the Muro di Sormano. Maximilian Schachmann, Richard Carapaz and eventually Mathieu van der Poel cracked, leaving only seven riders on the front: Jakob Fuglsang, Bauke Mollema, Vincenzo Nibali, Giulio Ciccone, George Bennett, Remco Evenepoel and Aleksandr Vlasov made up the lead group. Evenepoel would be the first to lose contact. The young talent hit a bridge wall and fell in to the ravine on the descent. Evenepoel remained conscious and the Deceuninck – Quick-Step rider was loaded into an ambulance.

The six remaining riders then started the Civiglio. Trek-Segafredo took control. Nibali rode hard on the front for Mollema and Ciccone, but in the end all three couldn’t hold an attack by Vlasov. Bennett and Fuglsang crossed to the Russian champion. Mollema and Ciccone were not finished. The two riders chased at 15 seconds for a long time and it looked like they might make contact, until Mollema misjudged a bend 10 kilometres from the finish which ended their hopes.

The race was decided on the climb of the San Fermo della Battaglia. Bennett attacked first and dropped Vlasov, but Fuglsang held on. Fuglsang rode away from Bennett. In Como, Fuglsang was able to celebrate his second Monument victory with 33 seconds in hand over Bennett. Vlasov was third on the podium at 51 seconds. Trek-Segafredo took fourth, fifth and sixth place with last year’s winner Bauke Mollema at 1:19, Giulio Ciccone at 1:40 and Vincenzo Nibali at 3:31. Maximilian Schachmann was seventh at 4:31 after a rogue car knocked him off in the last kilometres.

2020 Lombardia winner, Jakob Fuglsang (Astana): “I am super happy to win here today and to add another Monument to my palmarès. It’s amazing. I knew I was coming into this race in good shape and I felt like I could win the race but it is always easier to say that than it is to actually do it. The team was super today and they did a great job for me all day especially Vlasov, who was really strong and with me right until the final kilometres. It was great to have him there with me. I knew that in the final I could win the sprint against Bennett but on that last climb, I decided to speed up and try to see if I could distance him earlier and that worked out perfectly so, like I said before, I am really happy. I was just watching the race now and saw that he [Evenepoel] was not behind us after that bridge. I heard he had crashed but I thought he was still racing. I hope that he is okay. That’s not the way you want anyone to finish a race.”

2nd, George Bennett (Jumbo-Visma): “A great week for me overall, after my victory in the GranPiemonte on Wednesday and today’s second place, I can’t feel disappointed. I thought I could have won it, being on the front with two Astana riders, I wanted to try to drop then and not risk arriving at the sprint against the two of them. I tried but it was too much… and Jakob dropped me! Still a great race and lots of fun. At the moment I am a bit disappointed but I am sure when I will look back at this week I will be happy thinking about it!.”

3rd, Aleksandr Vlasov (Astana): “Today was a good day for us, we were working the whole day together and set the pace. I think, we showed a great teamwork and I am also happy with my third place, I supported Jakob and at the end as he went on, I rode my own rhythm. It was a tough and long race but he took the control over the race. I just want to say that I hope Remco is well and I wish him a speedy recovery.”

4th, Bauke Mollema (Trek-Segafredo): “I am a little bit disappointed. I am a bit disappointed that I just missed the podium, but there were just three riders stronger. I think we drove a strong race as a team. We also cross the line in fourth, fifth and sixth. After the climb of the Muro di Sormano we were still with three riders in the front group of seven. I also felt quite good, but the heat played tricks on me in the final. I think it was tough for the other riders too, if you look at the differences in the top 10.”

10th, Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Fenix): “As predicted it was a very difficult race today. I surprised myself. The pace in the race was very high, but I stayed with the last ten, in the wake of the real climbers. I did not expect that. Can I ever really compete here for the win? That will be very difficult. Today was again better than Wednesday. I am gradually where I want to be. This result is certainly a boost to the championships. Next week will be a quieter week for me, but here and there I will put the necessary accents in my training towards the following races.”

Remco Evenepoel Update:
The 20-year-old Belgian suffered multiple injuries during Saturday’s Il Lombardia.

One of the favourites at the start of the season’s second Monument, Remco Evenepoel crashed inside the last 50 kilometres, on the descent of Muro di Sormano, hitting a bridge wall and going over it into a ravine. Placed into a precautionary neck brace and taken to the Como hospital by ambulance, Remco was conscious at all times as he underwent a series of examinations to reveal the extent of his injury.

Unfortunately, the X-rays showed a fractured pelvis and a right lung contusion, which will keep Evenepoel – a winner of four stage races this season – on the sidelines for the upcoming period. Our rider will remain in the hospital overnight under observation, before flying to Belgium on Sunday.

Il Lombardia Result:
1. Jakob Fuglsang (Den) Astana in 5:32:54
2. George Bennett (NZ) Jumbo-Visma at 0:31
3. Aleksandr Vlasov (Rus) Astana at 0:51
4. Bauke Mollema (Ned) Trek-Segafredo at 1:19
5. Giulio Ciccone (Ita) Trek-Segafredo at 1:40
6. Vincenzo Nibali (Ita) Trek-Segafredo at 3:31
7. Maximilian Schachmann (Ger) BORA-hansgrohe at 4:31
8. Diego Ulissi (Ita) UAE Team Emirates at 5:20
9. Ben Hermans (Bel) Israel Start-Up Nation at 6:00
10. Mathieu Van der Poel (Ned) Alpecin-Fenix at 6:28.

Lombardia’20:

La Périgord 2020
Smart, strong performance by Spaniard from Movistar Team in Périgueux rewards Telefónica-backed squad’s magnificent teamwork in southwestern France.

Three weeks after their first post-lockdown victory with Katrine Aalerud at the Norwegian time trial Championships, the women’s Movistar Team scored another success at La Périgord (UCI 1.2; Cornille – Périgueux, 100 km), the first international race back on French soil, with a brilliant performance from Sheyla Gutiérrez.

The ‘Lioness from Logroño’ capped off a performance full of strength and intelligence by the whole Telefónica-backed squad. Gloria Rodríguez, Jelena Eric, Barbara Guarischi, Aude Biannic and Alba Teruel kept under control each and every single move early on, keeping all breaks within sight before Gutiérrez launched the decisive move.

Sheyla jumped with less than 20km to go into an eight-woman escape with all big teams represented, Eugénie Duval (FDJ) and Tania Erath (CSR) as main threats from WorldTour outfits. At the final lap of the circuit around the Côte de Bauchaux (1.7km @ 5.5%; 4 ascents), Gutiérrez left behind the opposition to raise her arms victorious, ahead of Levenez (ARK, 2nd) and Erath (3rd).

The win marks Gutiérrez’s ninth UCI success and her second triumph in Movistar Team colours, after conquering, 14 months ago, the Spanish ITT Championships in Yecla, Murcia, a title she hopes to retain at next Friday’s race in Jaén. After that, the Spaniard and all of her team-mates will go for the biggest goals of the season, in the months of September and October, which the Sebastián Unzué / Jorge Sanz-squad will tackle with this morale boost.

Race winner, Sheyla Gutiérrez (Movistar): “At the final circuit I expected the race would split, and I knew it could go well for me. I had raced for the first time since lockdown at the Pamplona classic, three weeks ago, and saw myself doing really, really well – I knew I’d have that chance, but having just gone down from altitude training yesterday, we have those doubts into your mind, and my legs felt a bit weird because of that contrast. But seeing how well my team-mates were doing, always following the moves, avoiding any splits, keeping a steady pace, trusting my chances – I felt I could do it.”

“As soon as the final selection was made, I knew I could go for the win, and tried it from the foot of the last climb. I didn’t want to go to a sprint at the end, I tried to go solo and it ended up being a really beautiful victory. Many big squads were missing, but it gives you morale to see that the feeling that you had, something like this like bound to happen after my good start in Navarra, came true in the end. I had that ‘something’ inside that I was able to get out today. We’re now going to the Nationals with a lot of excitement, this victory will give us much confidence for the two races. We’re hoping and aiming for the Movistar brand to remain on the top step of the podium. After this long time out of racing, as difficult for us as for our entire community, we had some responsibility in mind to be able to give back soon something to those who continued to support us through those challenging times. Thanks to the confidence by all of my team-mates, I was able to make it happen, and so this victory goes to the entire Movistar Team and the Telefónica brand, for the support they offered us in the last few months.”

La Périgord Result:
1. Sheyla Gutiérrez (Spa) Movistar in 2:43:11
2. Sandra Levenez (Fra) Arkéa at 0:03
3. Tanja Erath (Ger) Canyon//SRAM at 0:08
4. Silvia Zanardi (Ita) Bepink at 0:13
5. Eugénie Duval (Fra) FDJ Nouvelle Aquitaine Futuroscope
6. Elizabeth Holden (GB) Bizkaia Durango
7. Cedrine Kerbaol (Fra) France
8. Gabrielle Pilote-Fortin (Can) Massi-Tactic at 1:21
9. Hannah Barnes (GB) Canyon//SRAM at 1:31
10. Jelena Erić (Serb) Movistar.

Sheyla Gutiérrez takes the win:

Critérium du Dauphiné 2020
Primož Roglič (Jumbo-Visma) won the first real mountain Stage 2 of the 2020 Critérium du Dauphiné. The Slovenian champion beat his major competitor Egan Bernal (Ineos) on the Col de Porte final climb. Roglič also took the leader’s jersey from his teammate Wout Van Aert.

Shortly after the start, eight riders made up the break of the day. Michael Schär successfully took the KOM jersey on stage 1 and the experienced Swiss CCC rider was again in the early break. Schär, who was looking for more mountain points, was joined by Kasper Asgreen, Jasha Sütterlin, Jérôme Cousin, Geoffrey Soupe, Fabien Doubey, Bruno Armirail and Ben O’Connor. The leading group worked well together and gained more than 3 minutes.

The aggressive Schär was second on the Côte de Viriville and first on the Côte de Roybon. He also took full points on the Côte de Maillet (6.2 km at 8%). In the peloton Wout Van Aert was back to working for his team leaders. He set such a pace that André Greipel, Peter Sagan and Roman Kreuziger and James Knox had to let go of the peloton, the winner of Strade Bianche and Milan-Sanremo was clearly on form. Armirail and Schär were the first to the top of the Côte de Maillet and started the technical and treacherous descent with a minute and a half lead.

Jumbo-Visma put Robert Gesink on the front to shake things up on the run-up to the Col de Porte. 20 kilometres from the finish, Sergio Higuita crashed on a traffic island. The Colombian climber, 7th overall, was joined on the ground by Daniel Martin and Pierre Latour. Gesink and Dumoulin were also delayed by the crash, but were able to continue. At the front, Armirail turned out to have the best legs. Shortly after starting the Col de Porte, the Groupama-FDJ rider left Schär, who was already sure of his mountains jersey. The group of favourites started to look at each other, so that Armirail managed to hold onto his lead.

11 kilometres from the top, Dylan van Baarle was on the front for his leaders Egan Bernal and Geraint Thomas. Team Ineos set the pace on the final climb, this ruined any chances for Latour, Alexey Lutsenko and Carl Frederik Hagen, and others. Armirail was caught by the what was left of the peloton, but the main action was still to come.

Jonathan Castroviejo took over from Van Baarle to set the pace. The Spanish rider managed to put a few top riders, including Davide Formolo, David De la Cruz and Tiesj Benoot in trouble, and at 6 kilometres from the finish, Julian Alaphilippe had to let go. Next it was Michał Kwiatkowski’s turn on the front. The Pole managed to thin out the group of favourites considerably. Alejandro Valverde, Adam Yates and Froome could not keep up with the pace of the ex-World champion. With less than 4 kilometres to go, Kwiatkowski pulled over and it was up to 2018 Tour winner Geraint Thomas to thin the group even further: Enric Mas, Rigoberto Urán and Kruijswijk were next to lose hold.

The pace of Ineos was not enough for Emanuel Buchmann, who put in an attack. The German was countered by Sepp Kuss, who then lead the way with Roglič in his wheel. Nairo Quintana, Bernal, Miguel Ángel López, Richie Porte and Mikel Landa were still with the lead group, Tadej Pogačar had to let the others go, leaving twelve riders at the front.

At 800 metres from the line, Quintana tried to get a gap, but the Colombian was not allowed any space. Then Roglič decided to attack and the Slovenian simply rode Bernal off the wheel. The Jumbo-Visma rider crossed the finish line with a nice lead. Thibaut Pinot finished second at 8 seconds, ahead of Buchmann. Bernal dropped to tenth. Roglič now has a 12 second lead over Pinot on GC, Buchmann is third at 14. The first ten riders are still within 20 seconds.

Stage winner and overall leader, Primoz Roglic (Jumbo-Visma): “It is a good result for our team. We have shown once again that we prepared well for these races. The whole team did a great job and I am glad I was able to finish it off. We knew it was going to be a difficult stage with a tough final climb. Perhaps the toughest this week. We controlled the stage from the start. The boys were very strong and we finished it perfectly. I am very happy with this victory. I certainly cannot complain with how it is going after having won the Tour de l’Ain and this stage. I am happy with every race I can ride this year and I am very happy with the way things are going now. Both for me and for the team. But we are not there yet. The next three days are going to be tough and we have to stay sharp and focused.”

2nd on the stage and overall, Thibaut Pinot (Groupama-FDJ): “I felt good, but Roglič really stands out at the moment. It was a really great stage. Roglič is currently the best, but then ten riders are evenly matched. I already feel better than in Occitanie. We are presented with three more beautiful mountain stages.”

3rd on the stage and overall, Emanuel Buchmann (BORA-hansgrohe): “I felt very strong today, even though the pace was relatively fast. In the end, I tried to attack and just see what happens. I took 3rd in the end, which isn’t so bad. The level is very high here, there were lots of riders still present in the final stage of the race, something we wouldn’t have expected, and they looked to be in good form, so in the end, we more or less had an uphill sprint to the line. Roglic looked very strong, and he’s definitely the favourite. But we’ll keep trying over the next few days. Today was certainly a good test for the upcoming stages, as well as for the Tour de France, and I think it shows that I’m one of the stronger riders here. My performance bodes well for the next few days at the Dauphiné.”

7th on the stage and 10th overall, Dani Martínez (EF Pro Cycling): “It was a pretty hard day, at the beginning it was really hot and then I just made it over the line before the storm. It wasn’t great to see Sergio crash since he was going to be a key player with me in the final climb, but my legs were feeling good and felt like they were racing well. I was a little bit behind some of the others, but it was good to still make it to the line with the best riders. It was a day where there was a really strong pace set by Ineos at the beginning of the climb and then Jumbo-Visma towards the end of the stage, but I’m feeling good and I’m looking forward to the next few days and the battles they’ll involve. Being back racing is great, I was getting bored of just being at home training. It’s good to be getting back into the rhythm, but yesterday felt hard. The first day of competition always feels a bit strange, especially with the heat and then the changes in pace that you don’t experience in training, but we fought well in the group. Then today with the longer climbs it felt better.”

Chris Froome (Ineos): “I’m still looking for race rhythm. It’s great to be back in the peloton, but don’t forget that since my crash I haven’t raced very much. I’m still looking for race pace, but I feel like I’m getting better. I am optimistic about the upcoming Tour. Egan has done very well in Occitanie and the Tour de l’Ain. We’re here to help Egan win the overall. It is now important to improve the condition as much as possible. I am very happy with the progress made.”

Hard worker, Sepp Kuss (Jumbo-Visma): “I felt really good. The pace of Team Ineos was high from the start of the climb and it was mainly a matter of keeping your rhythm and trying to follow. After Ineos was done, I increased the pace because I knew Primoz could finish it off on such a finish. He did, and how! We have once again proved that we can work well together as a team and that our confidence is very high. I am already looking forward to the coming days.”

Critérium du Dauphiné Stage 2 Result:
1. Primoz Roglic (Slo) Jumbo-Visma in 3:39:40
2. Thibaut Pinot (Fra) Groupama-FDJ at 0:08
3. Emanuel Buchmann (Ger) BORA-hansgrohe
4. Guillaume Martin (Fra) Cofidis
5. Nairo Quintana (Col) Arkea-Samsic at 0:10
6. Miguel Angel Lopez Moreno (Col) Astana
7. Daniel Felipe Martinez Poveda (Col) EF Pro Cycling
8. Mikel Landa Meana (Spa) Bahrain-McLaren
9. Richie Porte (Aus) Trek-Segafredo
10. Egan Arley Bernal Gomez (Col) Ineos.

Critérium du Dauphiné Overall After Stage 2:
1. Primoz Roglic (Slo) Jumbo-Visma at 9:07:12
2. Thibaut Pinot (Fra) Groupama-FDJ at 0:12
3. Emanuel Buchmann (Ger) BORA-hansgrohe at 0:14
4. Egan Arley Bernal Gomez (Col) Ineos at 0:16
5. Guillaume Martin (Fra) Cofidis at 0:18
6. Nairo Quintana (Col) Arkea-Samsic at 0:20
7. Richie Porte (Aus) Trek-Segafredo
8. Mikel Landa Meana (Spa) Bahrain-McLaren
9. Miguel Angel Lopez Moreno (Col) Astana
10. Daniel Felipe Martinez Poveda (Col) EF Pro Cycling.

Dauphiné’20 stage 2:

Stage 3 of the Critérium du Dauphiné was won by Davide Formolo after a long solo. The UAE Team Emirates Italian champion finished 33 seconds ahead of overall leader, Primoz Roglic on the line in Saint-Martin-de Belleville. Egan Bernal cracked and lost time to the Slovenian.

Stage started in Corenc without Juan Pedro López (Trek-Segafredo) and Daniel Martin (Israel Start-Up Nation). After 30 kilometres the break made its move, but due to the chase, the average speed was 50kph in the first hour.

Daniel Oss (BORA-hansgrohe), Bob Jungels (Deceuninck – Quick-Step), Pierre Latour (AG2R-La Mondiale), Davide Formolo (UAE Team Emirates), Chris Juul-Jensen (Mitchelton-Scott), Søren Kragh Andersen, Jasha Sütterlin (both Sunweb), Guy Niv (Israel Start-Up Nation) and Maxime Chevalier (B&B Hotels-Vital Concept) managed to get away. They managed to take a maximum of 4 minutes from the peloton.

Due to the high pace the race was well ahead of schedule. The Col de la Madeleine, 17.3 kilometres at 8.3% with the top at 50 kilometres from the finish, soon loomed up. Formolo and Latour attacked from the leading group. The Italian then dropped his French companion at 65 kilometres from the finish. Formolo extended his lead on the peloton towards 6 minutes on the Madeleine, taking the virtual lead, and put Latour at a minute. In the peloton, Arkéa-Samsic started to work for Nairo Quintana, but the peloton did not get much closer at that point. Jumbo-Visma then took control, with green jersey wearer Wout van Aert doing his turn.

In the valley towards the final climb, Formolo lost some time on the peloton. With 4 minutes, he started the climb to the ski station of Saint-Martin-de Belleville (14.8 kilometres at 6%). The pace of Jumbo-Visma and Van Aert was too fast for Chris Froome, who was dropped by the peloton more than 12 kilometres before the finish.

Jumbo-Visma started the last 10 kilometres with Steven Kruijswijk, Tom Dumoulin and Sepp Kuss on the front for Roglic. They maintained a fast pace and gradually thinned out the favourites group. Among the dropped riders was Alejandro Valverde. Formolo, now almost 60 kilometres solo, lost a lot of time in this section.

From the favourites group; Lennard Kämna attacked at 6 kilometres from the finish, but Jumbo-Visma kept the pace high and did not let him drive far. In the meantime, Formolo only had 1:30 in hand for the last 3 kilometres. Sepp Kuss was once again the last lead-man for Roglic, and Kämna was swallowed up again.

The 1 minute lead that Formolo had at the start of the final kilometre turned out to be enough to win the stage. Behind him, another attack was placed by Daniel Felipe Martinez, after which a select group remained with Roglic, but without Egan Bernal. The Colombian could not keep up with the pace and had to let them go.

Roglic managed to sprint in 33 seconds behind Formolo for second place and six bonus seconds, ahead of Thibaut Pinot. On the general classification; the Slovenian champion has 14 seconds on Thibaut Pinot, Emanuel Buchmann is third at 20 seconds.

Stage winner, Davide Formolo (UAE Team Emirates): “I restarted the 2020 season with a pretty good race at the Strade Bianche. I felt a little down after Milano-Sanremo. But today we deserved it. We worked hard and I’m delighted to take this victory. At the bottom of La Madeleine, we only had 3 minutes, which was not enough, so I told myself I had to try to open the gap. I was alone for the 10km valley before the final climb. It was really hard, I lost energy. The last climb was up and down all of the time so it was not enough to make differences from the break. I had to attack on La Madeleine and pray to make it to the finish.”

2nd on the stage and overall leader, Primoz Roglic (Jumbo-Visma): “It was another hard day, with hard racing. We show again we are a strong team and it was a good day in the end for us. The goal was to control. We could have let a bigger break go but in the end we had to go fast because Formolo wasn’t 15′ down on GC but closer. We can expect two hard days this week-end. We need to keep the focus with the whole team and do our job. We can be confident with how strong we are.”

4th on the stage and 3rd overall, Emanuel Buchmann (BORA-hansgrohe): “It was a really good race from the team. In the finale, we were in an excellent position for the last climb. Gregor stayed all the time with me and in the end, Lennard attacked, a move that got everybody in trouble. From that point, the pace was really fast and in the sprint finish, I got fourth. I think it is a good result and I’m happy with it.”

5th on the stage and 6th overall, Dani Martínez (EF Pro Cycling): “Today’s stage went by fast. My feelings are good and I was surprised when they called me to the podium. Being able to get the white jersey today filled me with great joy.”

Xandro Meurisse (Circus-Wanty Gobert): “I fought to be in the early breakaway, but Cavagne was very strong. Finally, we were caught after 10 kilometres, but the battle continued for a long time. I climbed the Madeleine and reached the finish at my own pace, in order to save some energy for another attempt this weekend.”

Critérium du Dauphiné Stage 3 Result:
1. Davide Formolo (Ita) UAE Team Emirates in 4:06:56
2. Primoz Roglic (Slo) Jumbo-Visma at 0:33
3. Thibaut Pinot (Fra) Groupama-FDJ
4. Emanuel Buchmann (Ger) BORA-hansgrohe
5. Daniel Martinez (Col) EF Pro Cycling
6. Mikel Landa Meana (Spa) Bahrain-McLaren
7. Guillaume Martin (Fra) Cofidis
8. Tadej Pogacar (Slo) UAE Team Emirates
9. Pavel Sivakov (Rus) Ineos at 0:39
10. Miguel Angel Lopez (Col) Astana.

Critérium du Dauphiné Overall After Stage 3:
1. Primoz Roglic (Slo) Jumbo-Visma in 13:14:35
2. Thibaut Pinot (Fra) Groupama-FDJ at 0:14
3. Emanuel Buchmann (Ger) BORA-hansgrohe at 0:20
4. Guillaume Martin (Fra) Cofidis at 0:24
5. Mikel Landa Meana (Spa) Bahrain-McLaren at 0:26
6. Daniel Martinez (Col) EF Pro Cycling
7. Egan Bernal (Col) Ineos at 0:31
8. Miguel Angel Lopez (Col) Astana at 0:32
9. Nairo Quintana (Col) Arkea-Samsic at 0:35
10. Richie Porte (Aus) Trek-Segafredo.

Dauphiné’20 stage 3:

Lennard Kämna soloed to his first professional victory at the end of a Stage 4, where three of his BORA-hansgrohe teammates abandon the race, including his leader Emanuel Buchmann (3rd overall before his abandon). The young German rider dominated the breakaway on the final climb in Megève to claim the win ahead of David de la Cruz (UAE Team Emirates) and Julian Alaphilippe (Deceuninck – Quick-Step). Primoz Roglic (Jumbo-Visma) finished with all his rivals to retain the leader’s jersey. The Slovenian champion also crashed and lost his teammate Steven Kruijswijk. The winner of the 2019 Tour de France Egan Bernal (Ineos) didn’t start the stage due to back pain according to his team.

Non-starters: Egan Bernal (Ineos) with a bad back, and Nils Politt (Israel Start-Up Nation) with knee-related issues following a crash in the first stage.

Thomas De Gendt (Lotto Soudal) attacked from the gun, but it took more than 20km for the break to succeed. The Belgian was joined by 14 others on the Col de Plan Bois (summit at 28k): Luis Leon Sanchez (Astana), Lennard Kämna (BORA-hansgrohe), Michal Kwiatkowski and Dylan van Baarle (Ineos), Julian Alaphilippe (Deceuninck – Quick-Step), David de la Cruz (UAE Team Emirates), Marc Soler (Movistar), Jack Haig (Mitchelton-Scott), Kenny Elissonde and Marc Hirschi (Trek-Segafredo), Matej Mohoric and Dylan Teuns (Bahrain-McLaren), Nicolas Edet (Cofidis) and Fausto Masnada (CCC).

Three riders abandoned after a crash at 29 kilometres: Emanuel Buchmann and Gregor Muhlberger (Bora-Hansgrohe) and Steven Kruijswijk (Jumbo-Visma). Muhlberger with an arm injury and Buchmann suffered abrasions. Kruijswijk dislocated his shoulder according to early reports. Thibaut Pinot (Groupama-FDJ) was also involved, but without a problem.

David de la Cruz took 10 KOM points on the Col de Plan Bois, also it’s the same up the Col des Aravis (cat-3, km 50.5) and the Côte d’Héry sur Ugine (cat-2, km 69). With 27 KOM points, De la Cruz took the lead in the mountains competition from his teammate Davide Formolo on 25 points. Jumbo-Visma controlled the gap to between 3 and 4 minutes. André Greipel (Israel Start-Up Nation) and Andreas Schillinger (BORA-hansgrohe) abandoned.

Race leader Primoz Roglic crashed at 82 kilometres, with abrasions on his left side, he returned to the bunch. The peloton slowed and the gap reaches its maximum of 5 minutes after 89 kilometres. The pace increases again ahead of the climb of Bisanne and the lead was down to 3:40 after 100 kilometres.

Thomas De Gendt accelerated on the first slopes, but was soon pulled back. De la Cruz summits first with only seven riders with him: Alaphilippe, Masnada, Elissonde, Kwiatkowski, Haig, Kämna and Mohoric. The GC group also split with Mikel Landa’s Bahrain-McLaren setting a hard pace to bring the gap down to 1:30. There were only eight riders with Roglic, but on the downhill the stragglers: Miguel Angel Lopez (Astana), Romain Bardet (AG2R-La Mondiale) and Wout van Aert (Jumbo-Visma) managed to return as the gap to the front of the race increased to 2:25 with 10 kilometres to go.

Kenny Elissonde attacked at the start of the final climb: 7.4km with an average of 4.7%. De la Cruz joins him with 5 kilometres to go, but Kämna got back to them and then put on some pressure to go solo with 3.5 kilometres out. Kämna soloed to his first victory as a professional ahead of David de la Cruz and Julian Alaphilippe.

Thibaut Pinot (Groupama-FDJ) led the GC group on the finish line at 3:05. Pinot is still Roglic’s closest rival on the GC at 14 seconds. Guillaume Martin (Cofidis) is now third at 24 seconds.

Stage winner, Lennard Kämna (BORA-hansgrohe): “I’m so happy with this victory, my first ever professional win and to celebrate it here at the Dauphiné is such a big thing for me. I’m so glad about it! Today’s strategy was actually for me to be a relay station for Emu, the plan was for him to attack in the penultimate climb but, unfortunately, he crashed, so I went for it. It’s a bittersweet day… I hope all the best for Gregor and Emu and that he’s back in form for the Tour de France. I’ll enjoy this moment now, give my best tomorrow again and then look ahead at the rest of the season, most probably the German Championships and the Tour de France.”

2nd on the stage, David De La Cruz (UAE Team Emirates): “It was a very hard day, it was the most demanding stage of the Dauphiné. Until now I hadn’t had great sensations. I think I paid a little for having just come down from training at altitude, but today I had very good legs, which allowed me to get in the break. Being up front would also have allowed me to eventually help Pogačar, but in the end I found myself fighting for the win and for the ranking of best climber. It would have been nice to win, but Kamna was stronger and second place is a good result.”

5th overall, Dani Martínez (EF Pro Cycling): “The sensations were really good today, and the final climb wasn’t as hard as we thought. There were quite a few of us who arrived at the finish line together. But in general, I finished with the legs feeling in good shape and I hope that tomorrow will be another good stage. On the last climb there were about 6 or 7 of us, the pace was high, the group definitely wasn’t hanging around. Then towards the line Nairo had tried to get ahead and so there was a sprint to the line.”

Tom Dumoulin (Jumbo-Visma): “On the one hand you keep the overall lead, which is fine, but on the other hand we lose Steven. That descent was very dangerous with a lot of gravel and potholes. Such a descent does not belong in cycling. Let’s hope that Stevie will be fine and that he can start the Tour, but this is not ideal. I had a good day myself. I am happy that we are improving every day. We controlled the stage very well as a team. The boys were all very strong. What Tony, Robert and Wout have done can’t be underestimated. All in all, Primoz didn’t lose any time despite his crash, so that’s good. Hopefully the damage will not be too bad for Primoz and we can get the job done tomorrow. It will be another difficult day to control the stage, but we have a lot of confidence.”

Critérium du Dauphiné Stage 4 Result:
1. Lennard Kämna (Ger) BORA-hansgrohe in 4:27:56
2. David De la Cruz (Spa) UAE Team Emirates at 0:41
3. Julian Alaphilippe (Fra) Deceuninck – Quickstep at 0:56
4. Jack Haig (Aus) Mitchelton-Scott at 0:58
5. Kenny Elissonde (Fra) Trek-Segafredo at 1:02
6. Fausto Masnada (Ita) CCC at 1:10
7. Michal Kwiatkowski (Pol) Ineos at 1:19
8. Marc Hirschi (Swi) Sunweb at 1:43
9. Thibaut Pinot (Fra) Groupama-FDJ at 3:01
10. Primoz Roglic (Slo) Jumbo-Visma.

Critérium du Dauphiné Overall After Stage 4:
1. Primoz Roglic (Slo) Jumbo-Visma in 17:45:32
2. Thibaut Pinot (Fra) Groupama-FDJ at 0:14
3. Guillaume Martin (Fra) Cofidis at 0:24
4. Mikel Landa Meana (Spa) Bahrain-McLaren at 0:26
5. Daniel Martinez (Col) EF Pro Cycling
6. Miguel Angel Lopez (Col) Astana at 0:32
7. Nairo Quintana (Col) Arkea-Samsic at 0:35
8. Richie Porte (Aus) Trek-Segafredo
9. Tadej Pogacar (Slo) UAE Team Emirates at 1:17
10. Romain Bardet (Fra) AG2R-La Mondiale at 1:24.

Dauphiné’20 stage 4:

The Final Stage 5 of the Critérium du Dauphiné turned the race upside down with aggressive racing from the start and major gaps on the line. The race leader Primoz Roglic (Jumbo-Visma) abandoned after a crash on Saturday. Second placed Thibaut Pinot (Groupama-FDJ) couldn’t maintain his advantage on Daniel Martinez (EF Pro Cycling), who attacked on the Côte de Domancy to claim the overall victory, his biggest win to date. With Roglic on his way home, Sepp Kuss (Jumbo-Visma) won the stage.

The overall leader Primoz Roglic was not part of the 136 rider peloton at the start from Megève after a crash on stage 4. Groupama-FDJ’s Thibaut Pinot was the overall leader.

The battle was on from the start. The bunch split on the Cat-2 Côte de Domancy (2.5km at 9.4%). Thibaut Pinot featured in a 11-man group off the front, with Jumbo-Visma’s Tom Dumoulin and Sepp Kuss showing their aggressive intentions. Guillaume Martin, 2nd overall after Roglic’s abandon, was forced to chase.

The battle kept going on the HC climb of the Col de Romme. Julian Alaphilippe (Deceuninck – Quick-Step) was one of the most aggressive riders at the front. Nairo Quintana (Arkéa-Samsic) struggled at the back. David de la Cruz (UAE Team Emirates) took the 15 KOM points at the summit to tighten his grip on the polka-dot jersey.

The race situation settled between the Col de Romme and Col de la Colombière, with an impressive group of 24 riders off the front: Thibaut Pinot and Sebastian Reichenbach (Groupama-FDJ), Miguel Angel Lopez and Alexey Lutsenko (Astana), Hugh Carthy and Daniel Martinez (EF Pro Cycling), Lennard Kämna (BORA-hansgrohe), Jonathan Castroviejo and Pavel Sivakov (Team Ineos), Julian Alaphilippe (Deceuninck-Quick-Step), Tom Dumoulin, Sepp Kuss and Wout van Aert (Jumbo-Visma), Romain Bardet (AG2R-La Mondiale), Tadej Pogacar and David de la Cruz (UAE Team Emirates), Alejandro Valverde and Enric Mas (Movistar), Adam Yates (Mitchelton-Scott), Marc Hirschi (Sunweb), Warren Barguil (Arkéa-Samsic), Mikel Landa (Bahrain-McLaren), Guillaume Martin (Cofidis) and Kris Neilands (Israel Start-Up Nation).

Pavel Sivakov and Julian Alaphilippe accelerated 3 kilometres from the summit of La Colombière. Sébastien Reichenbach led the bunch and controlled the gap around 1 minute while Mikel Landa was at 3:55 at 83 kilometres.

Reichenbach, Van Aert and De la Cruz set the pace in the valley towards the final climbs of the day. Pavel Sivakov crashed with 32km to go, but he managed to get back to Alaphilippe at the bottom of the Côte de Domancy, 25 kilometres from the finish.

Tadej Pogacar, Miguel Angel Lopez, Sepp Kuss and Daniel Martinez made their way to the front of the race. Martinez was the main threat to Thibaut Pinot, only 12 seconds down on GC at the start of the stage. The French climber was unable to react and the gap went up to 1:25 at the top of the penultimate climb of the day, the Côte de Cordon with 15.5km to go.

The Pinot group then brought the gap down to 45 seconds, but Kuss went solo just ahead of the final climb, 8 kilometres from the finish line. The American climber went all-in to take the victory 27 seconds ahead of Daniel Martinez. Thibaut Pinot crossed the line in 7th position, 1:02 down.

Daniel Martinez is the third Colombian to win the Critérium du Dauphiné, after Martin Ramirez (1984) and Luis Herrera (1988 and 1991). Thibaut Pinot finishes 2nd overall at 29 seconds.

Stage winner and 10th overall, Sepp Kuss (Jumbo-Visma): “We had to shift our focus. After yesterday it was a bit weird to wake up, because we had to shift our focus. We were a bit in shock after yesterday, after all the crashes and the efforts. As a result, we could now race aggressively. It was one of the toughest stages I’ve ever ridden. It was full throttle from the start and everyone was very tired. I was able to take advantage of the fact that I was lower in the standings. That allowed me to attack early. I am happy that I won here, because now I am going to the Tour with a good feeling.”

2nd on the stage and final overall winner, Daniel Martinez (EF Pro Cycling): “This morning they told me Roglic wouldn’t start. I knew the race would be hectic from the beginning. My team worked very well for me in the first part and I was able to save strength for the finale and go for the win. I was at the limit but I was determined to make it to the finish. It’s one of the biggest race in the World and to be able to win this, coming from Colombia, makes me very happy.”

3rd on the stage and 4th overall, Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates): “The race had a very high pace from the first climb to the finish. Today I was doing well and I managed to put in a good performance, also thanks to the support of my teammates, who helped me throughout the Dauphiné. In the final I was fine, but the other riders were also pushing hard with me leading the race. I followed Martinez and I got a good result.”

5th on the stage and 7th overall, Tom Dumoulin (Jumbo-Visma): “I have had such tough days in a row. I really am completely finished, I think everyone is. You don’t even experience this in the Tour, such mountain rides in succession. I was also good at it, but I came too short to make a difference. The last fifteen kilometres I got through it a bit. But Sepp is a great man to finish this. It is an eternal shame what happened to Steven Kruijswijk and Primoz, so today we wanted to get everything out of it. We succeeded. Wout has taken the green jersey, Sepp wins the stage and I move up some places in the standings. In that respect it couldn’t be better. I suffered very hard for eight days, really. It has been very tough. Now I am going to rest and hopefully it has brought me a step closer to top form. I will now be staying here in the mountains for another week, for the altitude and to rest. And then I will go to Nice a few days before the Tour.”

6th on the stage and 8th overall, Lennard Kämna (BORA-hansgrohe): “It was an extremely hard day. Actually, Peter did a really good job to bring us in a good position to the second climb which gave me the chance to get back to the front group again. From that point on it was full gas racing and, in the finale, I managed to pace myself well and take a good place.”

Points competition winner, Wout van Aert: “With Primoz’s crash, it felt like everything we did was for nothing. But in the bus, I felt we didn’t want to give up and we were ready to give everything in this stage. It was super hard from the start. I was happy to take points in the sprint and help Tom [Dumoulin] and Sepp [Kuss] for the finale. Sepp is an incredible guy, always helping, and it’s greats to see him win. It was good for me to win the only stage not finishing in altitude. But Pinot was only 1 point away before today’s. I was lucky he had to focus on GC. Everything is great, the team is doing really good. And what makes me happy is that after a day like yesterday we can answer on the pedals. I think I’ve showed I can do a lot of things, I can win on the flat, but I can also survive hard stages. The whole team is strong and we just hope that Stevie [Kruijswijk] and Primoz have a good recovery.”

David de la Cruz (UAE Team Emirates): “I thought yesterday was the hardest stage of this Dauphiné but I was wrong! Today, we went full gas from the start, a GC group got together with the HC climb and then it was a team time trial. We’re happy that I can keep the polka-dot jersey and that Tadej [Pogacar] improved a lot on GC. It’s a good sign for the Tour de France. It’s special to win this jersey in one of the hardest Dauphinés ever. The main goal in the Tour will be the GC with Tadej and also Fabio Aru. We’ll see what I can do myself.”

Critérium du Dauphiné Stage 5 Result:
1. Sepp Kuss (USA) Jumbo-Visma in 3:58:39
2. Daniel Felipe Martinez Poveda (Col) EF Pro Cycling at 0:27
3. Tadej Pogacar (Slo) UAE Team Emirates at 0:30
4. Pavel Sivakov (Rus) Ineos at 0:45
5. Tom Dumoulin (Ned) Jumbo-Visma at 0:51
6. Lennard Kämna (Ger) BORA-hansgrohe
7. Thibaut Pinot (Fra) Groupama-FDJ at 1:02
8. Guillaume Martin (Fra) Cofidis at 1:04
9. Romain Bardet (Fra) AG2R-La Mondiale at 1:06
10. Warren Barguil (Fra) Arkea-Samsic.

Critérium du Dauphiné Final Overall Result:
1. Daniel Felipe Martinez Poveda (Col) EF Pro Cycling in 21:44:58
2. Thibaut Pinot (Fra) Groupama-FDJ at 0:29
3. Guillaume Martin (Fra) Cofidis at 0:41
4. Tadej Pogacar (Slo) UAE Team Emirates at 0:56
5. Miguel Angel Lopez Moreno (Col) Astana at 1:38
6. Romain Bardet (Fra) AG2R-La Mondiale at 1:43
7. Tom Dumoulin (Ned) Jumbo-Visma at 2:07
8. Lennard Kämna (Ger) BORA-hansgrohe at 2:14
9. Warren Barguil (Fra) Arkea-Samsic at 2:49
10. Sepp Kuss (USA) Jumbo-Visma at 2:55.

Dauphiné’20 stage 5:

VOO-Tour de Wallonie 2020
The opening Stage 1 of the 2020 Tour of Wallonie was won by Lotto Soudal’s Caleb Ewan. After a stage of 187 kilometres from Soignies to Templeuve, the Australian sprinter was the best in a bunch sprint, ahead of Sam Bennett (Deceuninck – Quick-Step) and Tim Merlier (Alpecin-Fenix). Ewan also took the first leader’s jersey in the Belgian stage race.

The leading group of the day consisted of Julien Duval (AG2R-La Mondiale), Dries De Bondt (Alpecin-Fenix), Jens Reynders (Hagens Berman Axeon), Julien Van den Brande (Tarteletto-Isorex) and Tom Paquot (Bingoal-Wallonie Bruxelles). They manage to take a maximum lead of 5 minutes over the peloton.

Lotto Soudal, Arkéa-Samsic and Groupama-FDJ led the chase and reduced the difference in the last hour of racing to under 1 minute. This allowed Edward Planckaert to make the leap to the leading group on his own. The peloton stayed at less than half a minute from the breakaway. In the final there was heavy downpours around the finish town of Templeuve. A general regrouping followed 30 kilometres from the end, after which a large peloton started the local circuits.

Bryan Coquard was dropped 8 kilometres from the finish, but he quickly returned to the peloton after a puncture. In the last kilometres; Bahrain-McLaren and Deceuninck – Quick-Step took the lead for their sprinters, a little later Lotto Soudal and Arkéa-Samsic came forward with their trains.

Arnaud Démare started the sprint first, but it turned out to be too early. Sam Bennett came off his wheel and looked like he would grab the victory, but the Irishman was passed on the right side of the road by Caleb Ewan. The Australian took the stage victory and the leader’s jersey. Behind Ewan and Bennett, Belgian champion Tim Merlier sprinted to third place. Arvid de Kleijn of Riwal Readynez finished fourth.

Stage winner and overall leader, Caleb Ewan (Lotto Soudal): “The whole day was quite nice until it started raining with one hour to go. The rain and cobbles on the finishing circuit made it a super nervous run-up to the final sprint. My team did a good job in keeping me close to the front. In the end I was a little bit far, but that was perfect since my competitors launched the sprint very early and I could come back in the final meters. Lotto Soudal did a great training camp in July in the Vosges. Everyone is on good form and this win proves all the hard work we have been doing with the team. I knew that coming here it would be a hard contest for the victory. But it is great for the confidence that I can beat the other guys that are here. I only had two race days since the confinement and I feel that this race is the ideal preparation heading to Tour de France. I was disappointed in my performance in Milano-Sanremo last week. It is such a hard race and the heat and the new course made it even harder for me. But I will try again in the future! I want to defend the leader’s jersey tomorrow and maybe even the day after tomorrow if I have good climbing legs. But the fourth stage will be too hard for me. With Philippe Gilbert we have someone in great form and he knows the local roads. So he will target the GC for team Lotto Soudal.”

VOO-Tour de Wallonie Stage 1 Result:
1. Caleb Ewan (Aus) Lotto Soudal in 4:18:16
2. Sam Bennett (Irl) Deceuninck – Quick-Step
3. Tim Merlier (Bel) Alpecin-Fenix
4. Arvid De Kleijn (Ned) Riwal Readynez
5. Nacer Bouhanni (Fra) Arkea-Samsic
6. Itamar Einhorn (Isr) Israel Start-Up Nation
7. Arnaud Demare (Fra) Groupama-FDJ
8. Manuel Peñalver Aniorte (Spa) Burgos-BH
9. Silvan Dillier (Swi) AG2R-La Mondiale
10. Clement Venturini (Fra) AG2R-La Mondiale.

VOO-Tour de Wallonie Overall After Stage 1:
1. Caleb Ewan (Aus) Lotto Soudal in 4:18:16
2. Sam Bennett (Irl) Deceuninck – Quick-Step
3. Tim Merlier (Bel) Alpecin-Fenix
4. Arvid De Kleijn (Ned) Riwal Readynez
5. Nacer Bouhanni (Fra) Arkea-Samsic
6. Itamar Einhorn (Isr) Israel Start-Up Nation
7. Arnaud Demare (Fra) Groupama-FDJ
8. Manuel Peñalver Aniorte (Spa) Burgos-BH
9. Silvan Dillier (Swi) AG2R-La Mondiale
10. Clement Venturini (Fra) AG2R-La Mondiale.

Wallonie’20 stage 1:

Portuguese Road Race Championship 2020
Success for Rui Costa in the Portuguese Championships. The UAE Team Emirates rider has been crowned national road champion for the second time in his career, beating Daniel Mestre (W52/FC Porto) at the end of a long and hard-fought sprint.

The race was held in Paredes over a distance of 164 km. Rui Costa was able to count on the support of teammates Ivo and Rui Oliveira (who finished 17th and 16th at the finish). Costa arrived to the final straight in the company of Mestre, challenging him to the sprint for the victory for the Portuguese champion jersey.

Rui Costa: “It was a very special victory. Rui and Ivo Oliveira rode out of their skin for me today. They both worked hard on the front when it was necessary and got in the right moves. To win here in Portugal is complicated when you have teams with big numbers against us but we worked it out perfectly between in the end. I put in a really hard attack in the final kick and I was happy to finish it off in the sprint. This weekend has been a huge success for the team, with Ivo winning the TT and me the road race, it couldn’t have gone any better.”

For Rui Costa, today’s victory is the second victory of the season, after the one obtained in February in the first stage of the Saudi Tour. On Friday the UAE Team Emirates rider finished second in the time trial, beaten by team mate Ivo Oliveira.

Portuguese Road Race Championship Result:
1. Rui Costa (UAE Team Emirates) in 4:04:05
2. Daniel Mestre (W52/FC Porto)
3. Francisco Campos (W52/FC Porto) at 0:28.

Tony Martin Still In the Dauphiné on Stage 3
For an hour, Tony Martin had been removed from the results and the classification of the Critérium du Dauphiné on Thursday. The German from Jumbo-Visma had finished out of time on the Col de Porte, after he took shelter under a tree during a hail storm. Sports director Grischa Niermann then had to move heaven and earth to keep Martin in the race.

According to CyclingOpinions, Niermann’s argument about the “Extreme Weather Protocol” was not enough to convince the UCI jury. According to the Italian jury chairman, this would no longer come into effect if the winner had already crossed the finish line, which was Jumbo-Visma leader Primoz Roglic, who won the stage in – at the time – dry weather conditions.

The jury informed Niermann that Martin had taken a risk by hiding. The sports director said it was a totally incomprehensible “fallacy” to get his rider off the race because of this situation. After a discussion of about an hour, the German Jumbo-Visma DS was told that the time limit was being adjusted, so that Martin and Jérôme Cousin of Total Direct Energie were allowed to start on Friday in stage 3.

Italy Not Interest in Organising the 2020 World Championships, Maybe
While the UCI is looking for an alternative location for the UCI Road World Championships, a candidate country seems to be withdrawing from the race. Renato Di Rocco, president of the Italian cycling association and also involved in the UCI, says Italy has no interest in organising the 2020 Worlds. As a result, all eyes seem to be on France.

After the cancellation by the Swiss regions of Aigle and Martigny, the UCI wants to please the climbers and still offer them a World championships on hilly or mountainous terrain. There is not much choice in Europe, outside the recognised cycling countries. The UCI wants to have clarity about an alternative World championships between 20-27 September, no later than 1 September.

Di Rocco told Tuttobiciweb that the UCI had to wait for the final decision of the Swiss government. “Previously, the UCI could not contact other countries, because Switzerland could then claim image damage,” said Di Rocco. “Now there is two weeks to find a new location, which is similar to the previous route. Riders who have tailored their program to a climbing course must be respected.”

According to the president of the Italian federation, the UCI has not yet approached him. “To be honest, there are no resources available in any region. You should also remember that Italy had signed up for the 2020 World championships, but that it had to withdraw due to financial problems. Then Switzerland emerged. A new Italian proposal would therefore go against the grain. That is not consistent and there is no money.”

Italian national coach Davide Cassani hopes that an alternative will be found soon, although he sees some problems. “Time certainly doesn’t play in our favour,” he believes. “But we have to stay positive and wait for the next message from the UCI.”

Previously, the Italian region of Trentino already ceded the organisation of the European Championship 2020. The European Cycling Union then went to Plouay, where the European titles will be competed from August 24-28.

According to La Gazzettta dello Sport, there is indeed interest from Italy to organise the World championships. The regions of Piemonte, Veneto, Abruzzo and Emilia-Romagna are said to be open to the race in their region, but it would only be the road races for elite men and elite women.

Where will the 2020 Worlds be held?

Androni Pulling Out as Main Sponsor
The end of an era is near. The Italian toy manufacturer Androni will stop after twelve years as a sponsor of Gianni Savio’s cycling team. La Gazzetta dello Sport reports that the sponsor will stop after this season.

The current co-sponsor Sidermec will remain involved with the team. As a result, manager Gianni Savio has to look for a new main sponsor. In 2007, the Italian team, now a ProTeam on the second rung of the cycling ladder, for the first time bore the name Androni Giocattoli, the maker of children’s toys. For the first three years as second name sponsor (after Serramenti PVC Diquigiovanni) and from 2010 as main sponsor. Serramenti PVC Diquigiovanni, Venezuela, Sidermec, Bottecchia and again Sidermec have since been linked to the team. In addition to a series of Italians, South American talents also broke through at Androni, including Egan Bernal and Iván Ramiro Sosa who went on to Team Ineos. The next big start could be Kevin Rivera.

Kevin Rivera:

Patrick Lefevere Takes Back Jail Statement, But Continues Lawsuit
“I take back that they had to throw Dylan Groenewegen in jail – that was the emotion of the moment – but we continue our lawsuit against him.” Patrick Lefevere said in his weekly column in Het Nieuwsblad. “Fabio Jakobsen is doing well, everything taken into account.”

“To be clear, this column is only intended to provide some insight into the business implications of the crash. As CEO we are part of it, but my primary concern is of course Fabio’s health and recovery. First as a person, then as a rider. He himself will want to go as quickly as possible, but we as a team are going to give him plenty of time.”

The CEO of Deceuninck – Quick-Step gave an update on the health of his unfortunate sprinter. “All proportions are taken into account – Fabio is doing well. I have been in contact with him via text message for the past few days. Talking works a little bit, but the cannula in his windpipe makes that very difficult. He has already talked to his dad by covering the hole in his throat with a finger. So for Fabio, being silly is not for him.”

Lefevere also talked about Dylan Groenewegen. “Of course I saw his expression of regret at the NOS. I am not inhuman, I realise that he is also very upset and that he did not want Fabio’s heavy crash. That does not alter the fact that he has made a mistake and that he has to bear the consequences. I take back that they should throw him in jail – that was the emotion of the moment – but we are continuing our lawsuit against him.”

“As a manager of a team, I am confronted with the delicate aspects of that matter,” Lefevere continues. “This week I was on the phone with the Berkhout brothers. With their company SEG Cycling, they are the agents of Fabio… and Dylan Groenewegen. They want to act as mediators, but I think that’s inappropriate. We hired a Polish lawyer. And I personally wouldn’t think it was a bad idea that Fabio would also file a complaint against Groenewegen in the Netherlands, in his own name.”

“That would make our position legally stronger, but it must be one hundred percent his own decision. Not mine, but certainly not those of his agents, who are involved on both sides of the fence. As a team manager you have to look beyond the emotion that comes with the crash and that is not always pleasant. It is a delicate matter, but there are also financial consequences. Fabio was well on his way to becoming the absolute world top. The contract extension he signed this season ensures that he will also be paid accordingly from 2021 onwards. There is a UCI rule that states that you can reduce the wages of a rider to fifty percent if he does not ride a race for three months. After six months you can even reduce it to zero. Honestly, I have never used that rule in my life. So that is not the intention now. But a cycling team is so tightly budgeted that we cannot afford to play OCMW (Openbaar centrum voor maatschappelijk welzijn – public legal and medial help). That is why I think that the financial damage in this whole story should not only lie with our team.”

Not good:

Knee Injury Causes Quintana To Abandon Dauphiné
Nairo Quintana suffered from his knee again two weeks before the Tour de France. The leader of Arkéa-Samsic decided not to finish the last stage of the Critérium du Dauphiné.

“My legs felt good, but I got pain in my knee again,” Quintana said. “It’s the knee that was injured when I was hit during a training session in early July. That is why I have chosen to give up in this stage, with the Tour de France in prospect.” Quintana started the fifth stage in seventh place overall, but missed the final battle.

The crash that caused the injury in July:

Niki Terpstra Returns Two Months After Serious Crash
Niki Terpstra makes his comeback in competition exactly two months after his heavy crash during training. The classic leader of Total Direct Energie starts on August 16 in the Tour de Wallonie, a four-day stage race in Belgium. On June 16, Terpstra was admitted to intensive care.

In mid-June, 36-year-old Terpstra sustained the necessary damage in a crash. With a collapsed lung, a concussion, broken ribs and a broken collarbone, he ended up in hospital. His French employer then expected that the recovery of the North Hollander would take about three months.

But Terpstra’s rehabilitation went well. At the end of July he had already made his first rides on the bike and he already dared to talk about the Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix, two of his main goals that are planned for October. “It is realistic to target those rates, yes,” he said at the time. Not much later, he joined the Total Direct Energie training camp.

And now, two months after his crash, the first official race kilometres are waiting for Terpstra. In the four-day Tour of Wallonia, a stage race that he already managed to win in 2015. Terpstra has Pim Ligthart and Dries Van Gestel at his side in that race.

Whether the Tour de France is still a possibility for the experienced classic specialist, is not yet known. When Total Direct Energie published the pre-selection, Terpstra was still half in the wrinkles. The Tour starts in Nice in more than two weeks.

Terpstra back in action:

Remarkable Pozzovivo Impresses a Year on From Horror Crash
NTT Pro Cycling climber Domenico Pozzovivo climbed off his bike following the conclusion of stage 3 of the Criterium du Dauphine, sporting a wry smile. Having finished just over two mins behind compatriot Davide Formolo, who won solo in stunning style, he’d also just slipped off the back of the race’s elite group of climbers with 3km to go.

The 37-year-old Italian had expertly managed himself to the finish, retaining his top-20 spot on the general classification; a confidence building performance ahead of bigger challenges ahead, namely the Tour de France.

The date was an important one for Pozzovivo, as 14 August, 2020 marked exactly a year since he underwent a mammoth six hour operation on serious injuries to his leg and arm sustained in a head-on collision with a car while out training. It’s a remarkable recovery for a man who thought that his cycling career had ended on that day.

“I could not imagine to be (back) here and at this level. In the beginning my opinion, and that of the doctors, was that it would be impossible to come back to even ride a bike again, let alone to race one. The first surgery was an emergency on the day of the crash (12 August 2019), it was simply to save my life. On the 14th I was operated on again in Switzerland where consideration was given to maximising what they could for the future, including the insertion of over 20 screws and four metal plates.”

“From that point there was a still a lot of uncertainty, as you don’t know how the body will react to the metal and how the body will develop in the future as I’d lost a lot of bone, on the street. I spent a month in hospital which included six surgeries for injuries to my tibia, right hand, four ribs as well as the collar bone.”

Pozzovivo, incredibly, made a return to racing in February at the Tour de la Provence, followed by the UAE tour, and says that he’s getting stronger all the time: “I always try to do my best but if you think (of what’s happened) then I must be proud. In February when I raced it was still playing on my mind and I had some pain but now during the race but it’s not something I’m thinking about anymore, I’m just occupied by the tempo, and performing in the race.”

Domenico Pozzovivo:

Jasper Philipsen to Leave UAE Emirates
Jasper Philipsen is in his last season with UAE Team Emirates. The 22-year-old sprinter’s contract expires with the team and it will not be extended. According to Het Nieuwsblad, Deceuninck – Quick-Step is said to be interested in Philipsen.

The strong sprinter, was a stage winner in last year’s Tour Down Under, has no shortage of attention. Several teams would have been reported to want Philipsen in their ranks from next season. He made his debut for UAE Team Emirates in 2019 after a year of racing with Hagens Berman Axeon.

UAE Team Emirates has not yet presented any riders for 2021, but according to various media outlets, Matteo Trentin (CCC) is on his way to the team. In terms of rider type, the Italian is very similar to Philipsen, who also focuses on the sprints and the Classics.

Jasper Philipsen:

Fausto Masnada may go to Deceuninck-Quick Step this year
Will Remco Evenepoel have Fausto Masnada’s help in the Tour of Italy? According to Italian sports newspaper La Gazzetta dello Sport, the Italian CCC rider is on his way to Deceuninck – Quick-Step and there are talks about an early transfer.

Should Masnada jump from the CCC team for Deceuninck – Quick Step during the season, then according to the UCI regulations, today is the last day to make the transfer official. The transfer rule 2.15.120a states that the transfer window for any change of team is open from 1-15 August. He is currently racing in the Critérium du Dauphiné with Jim Ochowicz’s team.

The 26-year-old Italian has been part of the professional peloton since 2017, after he won the Piccolo Giro di Lombardia for U23 riders. In his early years with Androni Giocattoli, he won the Tour of Hainan and a stage in the Giro d’Italia, he finished third in the Giro di Sicilia and fifth in the Tour of the Alps. This season he has been racing for CCC and he was 9th in the Tour des Alpes Maritimes et du Var.

Fausto Masnada:

A Year More for Sean De Bie with Bingoal-Wallonie Bruxelles
Sean De Bie has extended his contract with Bingoal-Wallonie Bruxelles by one year. WielerFlits reports from the Tour of Wallonia.

“Hopefully I can prove myself this autumn and I will also be a professional cyclist next year,” Sean De Bie said two months ago. De Bie has known more than his fair share of bad luck in recent years and was even at peace with the fact that he would no longer have a professional contract at the end of 2019. Finally, Bingoal-Wallonie Bruxelles offered him a one-year contract.

According to sources, his contract is already being extended for an extra year. De Bie, now 28, secured two top ten places in the Czech Tour last week. His next race will be the Tour du Limousin, which starts next Tuesday.

Sean De Bie:

Sunweb Sign Talented American Kevin Vermaerke
Team Sunweb are delighted to announce that they have signed 19-year-old Kevin Vermaerke on a three-year deal, until the end of 2023. The young American will compete in a select few races as a stagiaire for the remainder of 2020 before making the step to the WorldTour program.

A talented climber, Vermaerke had a good final year as a junior in 2018 where he picked up strong results at the Tour du Pays Vaud and Saarland Trofeo, before ending his season with an impressive eighth place on the challenging parcours at the Innsbruck World Championships. Making the step up to U23-level in 2019, Vermaerke immediately made his mark with a fantastic win at Liège-Bastogne-Liège in a three-up sprint – a hugely impressive result for a rider who was competing in his first race at that level. Vermaerke continued to develop in 2019 with good showings at the Tour de Yorkshire, Tour of Utah and Lillehammer GP. After joining the team’s camp last December, Vermaerke is looking forward to riding alongside the team next year, continuing his development.

On joining Team Sunweb Kevin Vermaerke said: “Taking the step up to the WorldTour is something I have been dreaming about and working towards since I first started cycling. Team Sunweb invited me out to their December training camp in Calpe last year and I really liked the impressions I got from the team. I felt welcomed at the camp and could see how organised and professional the team is. Team Sunweb has really invested in young talent in the past few years and I am really looking forward to joining this group and seeing what we can do together over the coming seasons. I think Team Sunweb will be the perfect place to continue my development and discover what type of rider I can become.”

Team Sunweb’s head of coaching Rudi Kemna added: “Kevin has impressed us for a while with his results and showed his professionalism when joining our training camp. As a first-year U23 rider he took an extraordinary win at Liège-Bastogne-Liége, highlighting his abilities as a puncheur and capability in the hilly Ardennes. Those are the types of races we believe he can excel at in the future and with our team of experts, trainers and coaches, we’ll work towards those goals. At the recent Tour de l’Ain he proved he can go well on the longer climbs so we’ll also aim to improve his all-around abilities and identify where his real potential is.”

Kevin Vermaerke:

*****

The PEZ INSTAGRAM
See our Instagram page for a quick fix on your phone: https://www.instagram.com/pezcyclingnews

*****
The PEZ NEWSWIRE!
Don’t forget to check the “NEWSWIRE” section, you can find it on the homepage, just above the PEZ Shop section. The bits of news that missed the EuroTrash deadline are in there, plus any news as-it-happens will be added there too.

*****
Any comments drop me a line, email address: [email protected] or Twitter. And check the PezCyclingNews Twitter and Facebook Page.