EUROTRASH News Round Up Monday!
The 2022 European season kicked off in Valencia on Sunday: Reports and results from the Clàssica Comunitat Valenciana and the cyclo-cross in Hamme and Hoogerheide. Covid in the peloton – TOP STORY. Rider news: Nibali to ride Omloop Het Nieuwsblad, can Froome repeat past performances? Sosa’s last months at INEOS were complicated, Jakobsen happy, Buchmann’s schedule to the Giro, Van Vleuten to ride Giro, Tour and Vuelta, Kuss to the Tour, Mas Tour-Vuelta, Bilbao wants to be in the top-5 in Giro or Vuelta, Bettiol feels reborn, Bouhanni suffers concussion, Philipsen feels strong, Kiesenhofer at the Israel training camp and Minali retires. Team news from Movistar and Bingoal Pauwels Sauces WB. Race news: Deutschland Tour and Tirreno-Adriatico. Plus Geniez charged with domestic violence, doping in Poland and Saris Rouvy Sauerland are looking for new riders. Big EUROTRASH Monday coffee time.
TOP STORY: UCI Updates Covid Protocol: No Vaccination Obligation for Races
The UCI has updated its corona protocol in the run-up to the start of the road season. The Union emphasises that the basic principle is that the strictest rules apply during competitions. There will be no compulsory vaccination for UCI competitions.
The updated protocol will come into effect on Monday and will apply to all road races included in the international calendar: From the WorldTour and World Championships to competitions in the .1 and .2 categories. The protocol was drawn up by a team led by the medical director of the UCI, Professor Xavier Bigard, and consists of a delegation of riders, teams, team doctors and race organisers.
The new version is broadly in line with the 2021 health protocol and emphasises national regulations, vaccination levels and individual prevention measures. “For 2022, the UCI and its partners in the steering committee emphasise the fact that where national laws in the host country of an event are more stringent than UCI rules, the laws of that country take precedence.”
“However, if the national laws are less strict, the UCI rules apply. Teams are encouraged to ensure that as many riders in the peloton as possible are vaccinated, and the third dose of the vaccine is strongly recommended,” the UCI said.
There will be no compulsory vaccination for UCI competitions. If you want to be part of team bubbles in the one-day races and multi-day races of less than seven stages, you must either be fully vaccinated or have a negative PCR test less than two days old. For team bubbles in multi-day races of seven stages or more, a negative PCR test less than two days old is required, whether or not the person has been vaccinated.
Interim PCR tests will be conducted during the Grand Tours. The rules apply not only to the riders, but also to UCI personnel, commissaires, anti-doping officials, the medical team, organisers and journalists. In addition, rules such as the obligation to wear a face mask, keep sufficient distance and wash hands regularly still apply.
Vaccination Rate in Professional Teams varies from 40 to 100 percent
In October and November, the UCI has conducted a survey among WorldTeams, Women’s WorldTeams and ProTeams into the covid vaccination coverage in the peloton. The results show large differences.
The UCI conducted the survey as part of its corona protocol, which will come into effect on Monday and will apply to all road races on the international calendar. According to the union, the response to the survey was ‘satisfactory’, ranging from 100% for the Women’s WorldTeams to 79% for the ProTeams.
The results from the teams show that the vaccination rate varies from 40% to 100%. It shows that the entire staff is vaccinated, but also only two in five riders. The UCI does not state which team(s) it concerns. However, in 75% of the teams, more than 80% of the personnel (riders and staff members) are fully vaccinated.
For the vast majority of the teams, the vaccination coverage of the staff members is higher than that of the riders, 85% and 79% respectively. The vaccination protection of Women’s WorldTeams is better than that of the WorldTour men’s teams and the ProTeams (97% versus 79% and 86%). The UCI estimates that the pack’s vaccination rate is currently 82.7%.
Despite the varying results, the UCI calls the vaccination coverage in the pack ‘good’. Based on these and other results, the UCI corona protocol has been updated. The cycling federation encourages teams “to ensure that as many riders in the peloton as possible are vaccinated, and the third dose of the vaccine is strongly recommended”.
Two Belgian World Champs Riders Test Positive for Covid Just Before they Travel
Bad news for Quinten Hermans and junior Xaydee Van Sinaey. Due to a positive corona test, they miss the cyclo-cross World championships. Without a negative test you cannot board the plane to the United States.
Hermans was one of the favourites for the men’s World championship in Fayetteville. The Tormans-Circus rider won the World Cup round in Fayetteville in October. Due to the absence of Hermans, reserve Toon Vandebosch will replace him.
On Sunday Hermans finished 7th in Hoogerheide. After the cross, everyone from the Belgian team was tested, because the flight to Chicago is scheduled for Monday. Hermans and Van Sinaey, who recently won the junior national championship, will not make that trip. It is not yet known whether Belgium will participate in the Team Relay test event. Van Sinaey was on the schedule for this. Last week, junior Ferre Urkens also received the same news. He tested positive for the corona virus on Tuesday and because Belgian Cycling had not designated any reserves, only five junior men will travel to Fayetteville instead of six.
Masks for a bit longer yet:
Clàssica Comunitat Valenciana 1969 – Gran Premi València 2022
Giovanni Lonardi won the Clàssica Comunitat Valenciana, the first road race of the European season, on Sunday. After 175 kilometres from La Nucia to Valencia, the EOLO-Kometa Italian sprinter was fastest, although the last 5 kilometres was marred by two big crashes. Amaury Capiot (Arkéa-Samsic) was second and Chris Lawless (TotalEnergies) third.
The first European road race of 2022 had a leading group of nine riders: Sandy Dujardin, Alan Jousseaume (both TotalEnergies), Xabier Azparren (Euskaltel-Euskadi), Alessandro Verre (Arkéa-Samsic), Filippo Zana (Bardiani-CSF-Faizanè), Eugenio Sánchez, Roger Adriá (both Equipo Kern Pharma), Daniel Hoyos (Electro Hiper Europa-Caldas) and Marton Dina (EOLO-Kometa).
The group built up a lead of 1:30 in the difficult opening section, including the Coll de Rates. That gap grew towards the three minute mark. On the last climb of the day, the Alto de Barx, the leading group still had 80 almost flat kilometres to go to the finish in centre of Valencia. It was too fast for Hoyos on the Alto de Barx, so the leaders were down to eight. Caja Rural-Seguros RGA and Burgos-BH were the teams that set the pace in the peloton and they kept the difference just over a minute. At the front there was some disagreement: Dujardin, Verre and Adriá rode away from the break and held off the sprinter’s teams the longest, but were unable to prevent a sprint.
Nine kilometres from the finish, there was a regrouping. The sprinter’s teams started to organise for the expected bunch sprint. TotalEnergies set the pace in the last 3 kilometres for Niccolò Bonifazio. Arkéa-Samsic and EOLO-Kometa were also near the front. A crash split the race with less than 5 kilometres to go and another crash in the final kilometre blew the race wide apart. Giovanni Lonardi took full advantage and managed to take the win for EOLO-Kometa, ahead of the Belgian Amaury Capiot. The difference between Lonardi and Capiot on the line was very small, but enough for the Italian to be the winner. Chris Lawless (TotalEnergies) took the third podium place.
Race winner, Giovanni Lonardi (EOLO-Kometa): “I must confess that I did not expect to ride so well. In the end we were very lucky and were able to avoid some crashes. My teammates guided me perfectly and I only had to ride the last 200 meters to win. At the end there were a lot of crashes and the road was a bit wet. In Mallorca I want to do well in the coming days and trying to win again.”
Crash victim, Niccolò Bonifazio (TotalEnergies): “Oil on the road is very dangerous. A great start to the season.”
Clàssica Comunitat Valenciana 1969 – Gran Premi València Result:
1. Giovanni Lonardi (Ita) EOLO-Kometa in 4:02:34
2. Amaury Capiot (Bel) Arkéa Samsic
3. Chris Lawless (GB) TotalEnergies
4. Álex Jaime (Spa) Equipo Kern Pharma at 0:02
5. Antonio Jesús Soto (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi
6. Jesús Ezquerra (Spa) Burgos-BH
7. Filippo Fiorelli (Ita) Bardiani-CSF-Faizanè
8. Juan Diego Hoyos Cano (Col) Electro Hiper Europa-Caldas
9. Francisco Galván (Spa) Equipo Kern Pharma
10. Vincenzo Albanese (Ita) EOLO-Kometa.
GP Valencia’22:
X20 Trofee Men – Flandriencross Hamme 2022
Laurens Sweeck won the X20 Trofee in Hamme on Saturday. After Tom Pidcock crashed on the final lap, Sweeck managed to hold off Toon Aerts in the sprint. Eli Iserbyt finished third, ahead of Lars van der Haar.
Top favourite Pidcock, who just came back from an INEOS Grenadiers training camp, didn’t start in the front row, so he had to be ready for a catch-up race. This gave classification leader, Toon Aerts, a good reason to ride strongly in the first lap. Eli Iserbyt crashed early, just like his teammate Michael Vanthourenhout. Although both were able to continue quickly, in the company of Laurens Sweeck, the riders of Pauwels Sauzen-Bingoal also had chase Aerts, who took off solo. Corné van Kessel was in second place. At the end of the second lap, the three of Pauwels Sauzen-Bingoal had joined Van Kessel. Meanwhile, Pidcock also came up with Lars van der Haar on his wheel. Van der Haar couldn’t hang on as Pidcock took his place in the group of pursuers with Sweeck on the front.
Not much later, however, Pidcock took over. The group then fell apart, only Sweeck could hold his wheel and around halfway through the race, the Englishman joined Aerts. On the 5th of the 9 laps, Pidcock put the pressure on, but Sweeck and Aerts didn’t let him get too far and quickly returned. The Belgians at one point dropped Pidcock, who was given an energy drink. A little later he was joined by Iserbyt. Together, Pidcock and Iserbyt returned to the front with two laps to go. The final lap started with this four in the lead. Pidcock immediately put pressure on the others, but crashed on a corner and lost any chance of the win. The three Belgians were able to avoid Pidcock and fight for the victory. After Iserbyt lost hold, it came down to a sprint between Sweeck and Aerts. Sweeck started early and managed to hold off Aerts narrowly.
Race winner, Laurens Sweeck (Pauwel Sauzen-Bingoal): “It was a long time ago that I participated for a win, and then it makes me feel extra good when I suddenly succeed. I wasn’t sure about my sprint, but I felt that he (Toon Aerts) wasn’t quite on the wheel as we turned up the last straight. And when you’re fully sprinting, it comes close. Although I noticed that it became difficult in the last meters. That is never a bad thing. The Belgian champs were good, last weekend I could also live with that and I can certainly live with this.”
2nd, Toon Aerts (Baloise Trek Lions): “I got a gap in the beginning and I knew that Pidcock hadn’t started well, I thought it was important to maybe go through and get a gap, so that he couldn’t get into the race. That didn’t work out, but in the end he still eliminated himself. Laurens (Sweeck) was planning to do, I think, if you turned up the final straight first, you had an advantage. In principle I still had a sprint in my legs, I could still get out of the wind, but I should have been in the lead at the bike park. Laurens was just a bit quicker there.”
X20 Trofee Men – Flandriencross Hamme Result:
1. Laurens Sweeck (Bel) Pauwel Sauzen-Bingoal in 1:01:11
2. Toon Aerts (Bel) Baloise Trek Lions
3. Eli Iserbyt (Bel) Pauwel Sauzen-Bingoal at 0:20
4. Lars van der Haar (Ned) Baloise Trek Lions at 0:33
5. Tom Pidcock (GB) INEOS Grenadiers at 0:47
6. Michael Venthourenhout (Bel) Pauwel Sauzen-Bingoal at 0:49
7. Corné van Kessel (Ned) Tormans-Circus at 1:15
8. Tom Meeusen (Bel) Deschacht-Group Hens-Containers Maes at 1:29
9. Clément Venturini (Fra) AG2R-Citroën at 1:34
10. Toon Vandebosch (Bel) Pauwel Sauzen-Bingoal at 1:41.
Hamme’22:
X20 Trofee Women – Flandriencross Hamme 2022
Lucinda Brand won the X2O Trofee Flandriencross in Hamme before the men’s race on Saturday. The Baloise Trek Lions rider broke away halfway through the race and eventually crossed the line solo. With her win, Brand also takes the lead in the X2O Trofee from Denise Betsema, who finished third today, just behind Shirin Van Anrooij.
Although the World championships in Fayetteville are already being looked forward to, there was enough at stake during the Flandriencross in Hamme. Before the race, Denise Betsema and Lucinda Brand, first and second in the X2O Trofee standings, were only 2 seconds apart. The two riders were also the big favourites for today, partly due to the absence of Marianne Vos. The new champion of the Netherlands will compete in the Hoogerheide World Cup on Sunday. Brand showed her keenness and was the fastest from the start line. The current World champion was fast, but Betsema quickly closed the gap that Brand had made. However, Betsema was unable to prevent Brand from taking 15 seconds bonus at the end of the first lap. Because Betsema, as second, only got 10 seconds, Brand took a lead of 3 seconds in the virtual overall standings.
In the second lap, after the intermediate sprint, a few riders were able to rejoin the two at the front, so we had a leading group of six: Ceylin Del Carmen Alvarado, Annemarie Worst, Manon Bakker and Shirin van Anrooij. The latter took her teammate Brand in tow on the third lap in an attempt to get away from Betsema. However, the Pauwels Sauzen-Bingoal rider initially stayed close. When Brand moved to the front not much later, she steadily expanded her lead over Betsema. Betsema, who had passed Van Anrooij at one point, came through at 11 seconds after 4 of the 6 laps. Later, the difference between Brand and Betsema got bigger. Meanwhile, Van Anrooij rejoined Betsema to compete for second place. Van Anrooij won the battle. Brand crossed the line 18 seconds ahead of Betsema and now leads the standings with a 21 second lead with two more races to come.
Race winner, Lucinda Brand (Baloise Trek Lions): “It hurt quite a bit. You have been in a rhythm all winter and especially the Christmas period. People then think it’s easy to skip a weekend, but you’re suddenly out, and it’s exciting to see how you’re back in it. (Will she take it easy on Sunday in Hoogerheide?) No, no, we can just go for it again tomorrow.”
3rd, Denise Betsema (Pauwel Sauzen-Bingoal): “At the moment there is nothing that can be done about Brand, she is in the shape of her life. It’s chasing right now. That’s not always fun, I knew today was going to be very difficult. There was one part of the course, that hill, that didn’t suit me very well. I was constantly sinking, even though everyone else must have had too. That’s where the difference was made and I couldn’t close it. Now I’m quickly looking forward to the next one. I’m still short, so I think there are still opportunities. At the moment it is mainly a bit of hope that I can get my form a little better. And a mistake is made quickly, so I still have hope and I think it is really possible, but it will be difficult.”
X20 Trofee Women – Flandriencross Hamme Result:
1. Lucinda Brand (Ned) Baloise Trek Lions in 46:00
2. Shirin Van Anrooij (Ned) Baloise Trek Lions at 0:17
3. Denise Betsema (Ned) Pauwel Sauzen-Bingoal at 0:18
4. Annemarie Worst (Ned) 777 at 0:24
5. Ceylin Del Carmen Alvarado (Ned) Alpecin-Fenix at 1:02
6. Manon Bakker (Ned) IKO-Crelan at 1:03
7. Sanne Cant (Bel) Plantur-Pura at 2:11
8. Marion Norbert Riberolle (Bel) Starcasino at 2:12
9. Aniek van Alphen (Ned) 777 at 2:20
10. Anna Kay (GB) Starcasino at 3:17.
Hamme’22:
UCI Cyclo-Cross World Cup Men – Hoogerheide 2022
Eli Iserbyt won the last round of the 2021-2022 World Cup in Hoogerheide. The Pauwels Sauzen-Bingoal Belgian managed to stay ahead of Lars van der Haar, Tom Pidcock and Michael Vanthourenhout in the final of the GP Adrie van der Poel.
Ryan Kamp had the best start in Hoogerheide, ahead of Quinten Hermans and Toon Aerts. Tom Pidcock and Eli Iserbyt had a bad start. Lars van der Haar started well and took the initiative in the first lap. He had Hermans, Kamp and Corné van Kessel with him.
The European champion did not stop and drove his competitors off his wheel one by one, except Hermans. Van Kessel, Kamp, Aerts, Pidcock, Iserbyt, Michael Vanthourenhout and Vincent Baestaens followed at 10 seconds. It was the British rider who took the lead in the chase and was in front at the end of the third lap of nine. Vanthourenhout, Iserbyt and Van Kessel had to give chase. Aerts was eliminated after an error jumping the bars. Van der Haar also made a mistake. He slid down a descent, taking three others with him. Van Kessel was the biggest victim; his chain broke and he had to give up. Pidcock was in front of the fall and took full advantage, while Vanthourenhout was just able to avoid the crash and was the lone pursuer. On the fifth lap, Van der Haar and Iserbyt joined Vanthourenhout, leaving Pidcock with three pursuers 20 seconds behind. That difference was halved a lap later, led by World Cup winner Iserbyt. However, he made a mistake and that caused the gap to widen again.
Due to a bike change and a mistake, Van der Haar had to let his colleagues Vanthourenhout and Iserbyt go, but due to a miss by Vanthourenhout at the beams, the Dutchman came back in third place. Iserbyt stayed on the bike and two laps from the finish he was 6 seconds behind Pidcock. Not much later, the Belgian joined the Brit. In the last part of the penultimate lap, Van der Haar and Vanthourenhout made the battle for the win even more exciting, by joining Iserbyt and Pidcock. Toon Aerts also came within 10 seconds of the leading group. Iserbyt saw it and accelerated and dropped the others, Pidcock reacted fiercely. The race was still open in the final lap. After the bars, Pidcock jumped with a firm sprint towards Iserbyt, but it wasn’t enough. The win went to Iserbyt. The beaten Pidcock was passed by Van der Haar on the uphill finish.
Race winner, Eli Iserbyt (Pauwel Sauzen-Bingoal): “This is a boost towards the World championships. I had a bad start and then lost some time after that crash. However, we got back on track. Fortunately I could count on Michael Vanthourenhout, who set a very fast lap. It’s great that I was able to finish it afterwards. I’m glad it turned out all right, but I’m mostly satisfied with my form. I didn’t think we’d get back at Pidcock when he had twenty seconds. That does surprise me and we have to take that with us to next week. It’s a matter of making good tactics. Our national coach will also have seen who has the right form. I don’t think we have to change much and have one or two leaders. Pidcock and Van der Haar are important contenders. We will have to use the right tactics to beat them.”
2nd, Lars van der Haar (Baloise Trek Lions): “The legs felt good from the start. I have to say that I am disappointed with my fall. I screwed up with that for myself and for a few others as well. I didn’t do it on purpose of course, but it’s a sour moment. It was a demanding course. I think we had a good pace and Eli Iserbyt was there the strongest. Good legs. Before the race I said the result was not important, but a second place is still nice. The legs felt good from the start. I’ll take that to America. But I can’t point to a top favourite yet.”
3rd, Tom Pidcock (INEOS Grenadiers): “This isn’t the end of the world, but it was pretty tough. I thought I saw that they were making mistakes behind me, but I couldn’t hold onto my lead. In the last lap they came back and Eli (Iserbyt) could get a gap… It’s not the end of the world. It just didn’t go as I had hoped. But now is the time to recover properly. We still have everything to fight for. I think this will be it. A lot of riders can win and the course is pretty even there. In any case, it will be a nice race.”
UCI Cyclo-Cross World Cup Men – Hoogerheide Result:
1. Eli Iserbyt (Bel) Pauwel Sauzen-Bingoal in 1:00:18
2. Lars van der Haar (Ned) Baloise Trek Lions at 0:02
3. Tom Pidcock (GB) INEOS Grenadiers at 0:03
4. Michael Vanthourenhout (Bel) Pauwel Sauzen-Bingoal at 0:05
5. Toon Aerts (Bel) Baloise Trek Lions at 0:54
6. Mees Hendrikx (Ned) IKO-Crelan at 1:03
7. Quinten Hermans (Bel) Tormans-Circus at 1:07
8. Tom Meeusen (Bel) Deschacht-Group Hens-Containers Maes at 0:08
9. Toon Vandebosch (Bel) Pauwel Sauzen-Bingoal at 0:10
10. Laurens Sweeck (Bel) Pauwel Sauzen-Bingoal at 0:20
Hoogerheide’22
UCI Cyclo-Cross World Cup Women – Hoogerheide 2022
The win in the Hoogerheide World Cup for women went to Marianne Vos on Sunday. The Jumbo-Visma Dutch champion put in the decisive attack in the final lap, leaving World champion Lucinda Brand (second) and Puck Pieterse (third) behind. A week before the World championships in Fayetteville, Vos showed her top form in her own country.
Inge van der Heijden and Dutch champion Marianne Vos had the best start, but the peloton was in their wheel. World champion Lucinda Brand and Denise Betsema didn’t start well, but were in the first leading group. Blanka Kata Vas, Shirin van Anrooij, Fem van Empel, Puck Pieterse and Silvia Persico were also there. Vas put the pressure on, but the large leading group remained intact. On the third lap of seven, Pieterse went on the attack. An acceleration that Brand, Vos and Van Empel were able to follow with difficulty. A lap later, the U23 World Cup leader tried again, but the foursome stayed together. Vas joined them.
On lap five, the Hungarian put in her move, but she couldn’t get away. Again it was Pieterse who attacked, but the Alpecin-Fenix rider also could not get away. The five leaders entered the penultimate lap together. Brand and Vos powered away from the others on a short climb. Only Pieterse was able to catch them, partly due to the jump over the bars. Van Empel and Vas seemed to give up. At the start of the final lap, Vos, Brand and Pieterse were 7 seconds ahead of Van Empel and 13 on Vas. Behind, Van Anrooij was in 6th place, but she never caught up with the front riders. It was Pieterse who took the initiative and trailed the World champion, but Brand recovered. An attack by Vos on a short climb was impressive. In no time she had an 8 second gap. Brand and Pieterse had no answer and saw Vos disappear. The win in Hoogerheide went to the Jumbo-Visma rider, who had plenty of time to celebrate. Brand won the sprint from Pieterse for second place.
Race winner, Marianne Vos (Jumbo-Visma): “Every time it is a race in itself. I go to America with a good feeling. Next week it will be another World champs. I went well every lap. I also know that Lucinda and Puck can sprint, so you have to come up with something. I was very happy with the feeling today, but also knew that it would be difficult to make the difference early on. It got together every time. If I wanted to have a chance, I had to strike at a moment’s notice. I’m very happy with my season, and I’ve competed well from the start in the World Cup. It’s nice to win here.”
2nd, Lucinda Brand (Baloise Trek Lions): “She showed that she is the biggest competitor. Marianne is very experienced and that she is in top form, she showed again today. Marianne is ready for next week. That was a very heavy section and I also knew that I wouldn’t be able to follow. I felt like it was yesterday, because then I couldn’t drive out at the end. Somewhere I was able to enjoy it for a while, but not extensively.”
3rd, Puck Pieterse (Alpecin-Fenix): “It was very tough and also tactical. Each time it was a bit of a wait and then it fell silent again. I was afraid that Blanka Vas, Shirin van Anrooij and Fem van Empel would join the final. I wanted to finish on the podium and accelerated as a result, but that’s why Lucinda managed to get over in the sprint. The World Cup has been a big goal. I wanted to make it my classification this season and I succeeded, luckily. It was the last cross before the World championships, so Shirin and Fem looked at each other a bit today. But I’m glad I was the first U23 today.”
UCI Cyclo-Cross World Cup Women – Hoogerheide Result:
1. Marianne Vos (Ned) Jumbo-Visma in 52:14
2. Lucinda Brand (Ned) Baloise Trek Lions at 0:10
3. Puck Pieterse (Ned) Alpecin-Fenix at 0:11
4. Fem van Empel (Ned) Pauwel Sauzen-Bingoal at 0:18
5. Blanka Kata Vas (Hun) SD Worx at 0:21
6. Shirin van Anrooij (Ned) Baloise Trek Lions at 0:55
7. Silvia Persico (Ita) Valcar-Travel & Service at 1:27
8. Denise Betsema (Ned) Pauwel Sauzen-Bingoal
9. Eva Lechner (Ita) at 2:00
10. Ceylin del Carmen Alvarado (Ita) Alpecin-Fenix at 2:32.
Hoogerheide’22
Vincenzo Nibali Adds Omloop Het Nieuwsblad to Race Schedule
Vincenzo Nibali will start the Omloop Het Nieuwsblad for the first time this year, SpazioCiclismo reports. Earlier it was announced that the 37-year-old Italian will contest the Giro d’Italia, the Tour de France and the five monuments in 2022.
Nibali had never before started Omloop Het Nieuwsblad, but will participate in the Flemish opening classic for the first time this year. The 37-year-old rider has a busy schedule for 2022. Nibali’s season starts in the Tour of Valencia, followed by the Ruta del Sol and now with the Omloop Het Nieuwsblad.
He then returns to his home country for Tirreno-Adriatico and Milan-San Remo, where he won in 2018. In April, the Classics follow with the Tour of Flanders, Paris-Roubaix and Liège-Bastogne-Liège. Just like in 2021, he will be in the Tour of Italy and the Tour de France. The Tour of Lombardy is scheduled for the autumn, which he has won twice.
“I don’t want to say what my main goal is this season. There are certainly important races that I don’t want to miss and in which I want to play a major role, but the competition is unbelievable and it’s getting harder and harder to win. I will have to choose my moments.”
Busy time for Nibali:
Verbrugghe Doesn’t Know if Froome Can Repeat Past Performances
Chris Froome has been struggling with physical problems of various kinds since his crash in the Dauphiné of 2019, and recently a knee problem has been added to the list, which resulted in a delay in his 2022 training. “I hope he can start racing from mid-March,” said Rik Verbrugghe, one of Froome’s Israel-Premier Tech team DS, in conversation with Het Nieuwsblad.
“Chris had to end his season earlier than planned due to Bilharzia last year and tried some other sports in the interim, such as running and swimming, to rebuild. But that resulted in a knee injury. In the meantime, he is cycling again, albeit without any form of intensity,” Verbrugghe said about his rider.
It is expected that Froome will be able to race again from mid-March, but a concrete race program is not yet available. The plan to ride the Tour of Rwanda and then Paris-Nice has been canceled due to the injury. “There is no point in making plans about his competition schedule now. First he has to be one hundred percent fit.”
What is clear is that Froome will have a training camp in February. “He goes on a camp with the boys from the team to work on his form. We know what needs to be done to get him up to standard and we’re going to do everything we can. But whether Chris is still able to achieve the performances of yesteryear, I no longer dare to answer that,” admits Verbrugghe.
But even if the now 36-year-old Froome no longer reaches his level, he is still of value, the Belgian explains. He owes his generous salary not only to his sporting qualities. “Chris is a big name. His presence opens doors that would otherwise remain closed. Cycling is also about reputation and prestige. Chris plays a major role in this and is an exemplary figure for young riders within our team.”
A late start for Chris Froome:
Sosa’s Last Months at INEOS Grenadiers Were Complicated
The 24-year-old Colombian, Iván Sosa, has moved from INEOS Grenadiers to Spain’s Movistar for 2022. In an interview with Spanish sports paper Marca, Sosa looks back on his last months with the British formation. “It was a difficult period.”
In the winter 2018, Sosa was brought into the British team of Dave Brailsford and managed to good results in the INEOS Grenadiers kit. He won the Tour of Burgos and the Tour de La Provence and was important for the team leaders, Egan Bernal and Richard Carapaz.
Last year the collaboration between Sosa and INEOS Grenadiers started to show some cracks and the climber became more and more associated with Movistar during the season and, coincidentally or not, was called to race for INEOS less and less. In 2021 he only had 32 race days and no Grand Tours. “That last one hurt me a lot,” Sosa says now.
“The team was focused on something else. Certain things have happened, although I don’t want to talk too much about them. It was all complicated. Still, I left as a happy man, because I also learned a lot. Overall it was a good experience and now I need to take advantage of that. I want to experience how much I have grown as a person and a rider.”
Sosa gained the confidence of his new team and can prove himself as a GC rider in the 2022 Giro d’Italia. “I like the Giro. What are my goals? First of all I will look for stage wins, but certainly don’t rule out a good classification. I would love to finish on the podium.” Sosa will start his season later this month in Mallorca, followed by the Tour de La Provence in France, where he will try to defend his title.
Iván Sosa:
Fabio Jakobsen: “I Have My Smile Back”
The Dutchman talked about his expectations for the season he’ll start at the Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana.
Fabio Jakobsen finished 2021 with seven wins under his belt, but by far, his biggest victory was returning to a normal life and to sprinting elite following the crash in which he was involved in the summer of 2020. After pinning on a number again for the Tour of Turkey – his first race in eight months – Fabio slowly but surely found his place in the peloton and began building his shape, and this road eventually took him to an emotional victory on stage 2 of the Tour de Wallonie.
Another win later in the week rounded out an incredible comeback, but the best was still to come, on familiar territory for the Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl sprinter – the Vuelta a España. The place where Fabio made his Grand Tour debut back in 2019 was where he completed his remarkable turnaround, taking three stage victories – including one on his birthday – and the prized green jersey.
Now, the 25-year-old is ready to get his fifth season with the Wolfpack underway at the Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana (2-6 February), where despite the predominantly hilly terrain, the sprinters will get their opportunities to shine.
“It’s another year and I’m happy to kick it off as a member of this team. I feel normal again, part of this group. I have my smile back and I’m happy to be where I am at this moment. I look forward to fighting together with the guys for some more Wolfpack victories. I want to see them win again, to feel that great vibe, and of course, to take a couple of wins myself. Everything is going well and I can’t wait for my first race of the season, in Valencia. I like it there, I’ve won a stage two years ago and I hope for a good start”, said Fabio, who has clocked up 25 wins since turning pro with Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl in 2018.
A happy Fabio Jakobsen:
Emanuel Buchmann’s Run-Up to the Giro d’Italia
Emanuel Buchmann starts his season in Mallorca and works his way towards the Giro d’Italia. In the Italian tour, the 29-year-old German hopes to ride for a good GC place for his BORA-hansgrohe team.
Buchmann will contest three stage races in the run-up to the Giro. After the Challenge Mallorca (January 26-30), he will ride the Ruta del Sol (February 16-20), Tirreno-Adriatico (March 7-13) and the Tour of the Basque Country (4-9 April). After the Basque race, Buchmann has a month to prepare for the Tour of Italy (6-29 May).
The German is not the only BORA-hansgrohe rider who focuses on the Giro. Jai Hindley and Wilco Kelderman, second and third in the 2020 Giro, will also be present in Italy as will Lennard Kämna. Buchmann was at the start of the Giro last year. After two weeks of racing he had a good GC place, but on stage 15 to Gorizia Buchmann was involved in a massive crash early in the stage and couldn’t continue.
Emanuel Buchmann crashed out of the 2021 Giro:
Annemiek van Vleuten to Ride Giro, Tour and Vuelta
During the Movistar team presentation, Annemiek van Vleuten revealed her main goals for the coming season. She will focus on the Giro Rosa, Challenge Vuelta and Le Tour de France Femmes. The latter race in particular is high on her list. The rest of Van Vleuten’s program has not yet been announced by the Spanish team.
July in particular will be a busy period for Van Vleuten. The Giro Rosa, which the 39-year-old rider has won twice, is scheduled from July 1 to 10, the Italian race ends just two weeks before the Women’s Tour de France starts on July 24. After the Tour ends on July 31, the Ceratizit Challenge by La Vuelta, which Van Vleuten won last year, starts on September 8 and ends on September 11. For Van Vleuten, this race will probably also serve as preparation for the World championships in Australia later that month.
Giro, Tour and Vuelta for Annemiek van Vleuten:
Sepp Kuss Takes a Different Approach to the Tour de France
Sepp Kuss is taking a completely different direction this season. The Jumbo-Visma rider opts for a different preparation for the Tour de France. “I was not in my best shape before the start of the Tour last year. So I’m going to do it a little differently this year,” he told Cyclingnews.
Kuss, 27, started his season last year in the UAE Tour and then rode the Tour of Catalonia, Tour de Romandie and Critérium du Dauphiné in the run-up to the Tour. This year, his season schedule looks completely different. “I’ll start with a few one-day races in France, followed by Strade Bianche, Tirreno-Adriatico, the Tour of the Basque Country and the Tour of Switzerland.”
Kuss hopes to prepare well for the Tour de France. In the French race, the American climber will work for leaders Primož Roglič and Jonas Vingegaard. Kuss doesn’t expect to have the space again this year to look for a stage win. “We have two candidates for the final win in the team with Primož and Jonas. So I will probably ride more for the team.”
Kuss also hopes for a place in Jumbo-Visma’s Vuelta team after the Tour. However, the American is not yet certain of a place. “We will see who will qualify for the Vuelta after the Tour. It has always been a good combination for me. Normally I always feel better in the Vuelta than in the Tour.”
Sepp Kuss want’s to ride the Tour and Vuelta:
Enric Mas: Tour-Vuelta Combination
Movistar has announced which leaders will race where, as far as the Grand Tours are concerned. It was clear that Alejandro Valverde is targeting the Giro and Vuelta. It has been officially confirmed that Enric Mas will ride the Tour de France and Vuelta a España, going for the podium in both races.
Mas wants to race offensively in both races. “The fans are right: I’ve sinned a bit in recent years by not being aggressive enough. But that was also because of a lack of strength. This year, if I can, I want to race more aggressively than in previous years,” he said during the presentation. But just displaying an attractive racing style is not enough for the 27-year-old rider. He has big ambitions. “I would like to be on the podium in the Tour and the Vuelta. But if I win one of those two and I’m not on the podium in the other, I’ll sign for it.”
Mas, from Mallorca, is familiar with the Tour-Vuelta combination. In 2020 he finished fifth in both races, in 2021 he finished sixth in the Tour de France and second in the Tour of Spain. This year, the Tour de France ends on July 24, while the Vuelta starts on August 19, in Utrecht. It is not yet known which races Mas will ride in the run-up to the Tour. During the presentation it became clear that Iván Ramiro Sosa, who comes from INEOS Grenadiers, will appear at the start of the Giro d’Italia with Valverde.
Tour and Vuelta for Mas:
Pello Bilbao: “I Want to be in the Top-5 in the Giro or Vuelta”
Pello Bibao has had a long rest period. The Spaniard has not been in action since the Tour de France, but after his full race program, that is not very surprising. By doing the double Giro-Tour in both 2020 and 2021, he rode four grand tours in one year. “I noticed I was burning up,” he told Deia. In the interview he takes a closer look at the mental aspect of cycling, his peddling technique and his ambitions for 2022.
Due to the changed calendar in 2020, many riders have had a busy period, Bilbao said. “We were all aware of the burden we had to carry. I coped well, but it is true that in the last Tour de France there were certain moments when I noticed that the competition and stress associated with the Tour took their toll on me,” he reflected.
Although he still finished ninth in the Tour, it was especially that race that was hard for him. “The Tour is a race that pushes you to the limit. If you have the mental freshness, you can handle a lot. But for me it was more mentally than physically. If the head can no longer command, the body only hurts more,” explained the Bahrain Victorious rider.
For that reason Bilbao took a long rest period. “I thought it was necessary to lose a lot of my fitness and take a break from the life of an athlete. I have been away from the bike for a month. You notice that your powers are dwindling, that you are no longer the same, you can kick the same abilities – that’s when you say to yourself, ‘Let’s get back to work on it.’ Now it’s time to improve again, even better than last year, and surprise myself,” he looks ahead.
Especially in the time trials, Bilbao wants to get better. “I have the feeling that my time trial qualities have deteriorated a bit and I want to go back to the level of two or three years ago,” he pointed out. Another point where he sees room for improvement is his peddling technique. “I can’t say I have bad technique, as I’ve had good results, but I see some mistakes in my pedal stroke.”
“It has crept in unconsciously over the years. Now we’re trying a more sophisticated, orthodox style. However, the important thing is not the aesthetics, but the effectiveness. I think there is room for improvement there,” said the 31-year-old rider.
Bilbao also announces that he will drop the Tour this year, because he likes variety. However, he has big plans in the Giro and Vuelta, which he does want to contest. “I would like to be top-5 in the Giro or Vuelta. Or – why not? – standing on the podium in one of these competitions,” he said with ambition. Bilbao has also made a target of the Tour of the Basque Country, where he also wants to finish on the podium and hope to win a stage. “Strade Bianche is also a race that I ticked.”
Pello Bibao:
Alberto Bettiol Feels Reborn
Alberto Bettiol says he is on the right track. After he missed the end of the 2021 season due to an inflammation in his colon and he was still struggling with training in December for the same reason, he is now looking forward to spring with ambition. The Italian told La Gazzetta dello Sport.
“I need to win more and there are no excuses because I’ve had an excellent winter and have fully recovered physically. The only thing we don’t know yet is how much of an influence my period of inactivity has had,” said Bettiol, who was active in the Classics last year and took a stage win in the Giro d’Italia.
Bettiol’s intestinal problems, which he first had in the autumn of 2020, returned after the Olympic Games in Tokyo. Although he is still not 100 percent sure that the complaints will go away completely, he is currently feeling well after being treated in Turin last autumn. “I feel reborn,” he says, before adding that he has had enough of just training. “I have to admit that I really miss the adrenaline of racing.”
He won’t have to wait long for that adrenaline. The 28-year-old rider will start his season on February 2, in the Etoile du Bessèges. After an altitude training camp on Tenerife and the Gran Camiño, an Italian block follows with the Strade Bianche, Tirreno-Adriatico and Milan-Sanremo. He then starts on the Flemish races. Of course also the Tour of Flanders, which he won in 2019.
“When I won Flanders, it changed my life. I wasn’t ready. Living with that new status was tough,” Bettiol pointed out. “And when I was just getting used to it, my manager Mauro Battaglini passed away. There was a lot of uncertainty, which added to my physical problems.”
Now that he is back to ‘normal’, he believes he can compete again with Wout van Aert, Mathieu van der Poel and Julian Alaphilippe. “I prefer Van Aert from them, his versatility is sensational. But having said that, I beat everyone when I won the Ronde. When I feel good, I don’t feel like I’m inferior.”
“I can at least compete for the win. I’m not that far off, I think. I can’t wait to test myself with them,” he concluded.
Alberto Bettiol:
Nacer Bouhanni Suffers Concussion After a Training Crash
Nacer Bouhanni crashed on Thursday during a training ride in Spain and was unconscious for a short time. The French Arkéa-Samsic sprinter suffered a concussion and a wound to his eyebrow in the crash.
Sutures had to be placed in the eyebrow, the French ProTeam said. In addition, examinations has to be carried out in the hospital of Benidorm, where Arkéa-Samsic is currently having a team training camp, a concussion was diagnosed. Bouhanni was also suffering from headaches.
Bouhanni will start his season in the Saudi Tour at the beginning of February (1-5 February), although it is not known whether this injury will affect his program. Later this spring, Tirreno-Adriatico and Milan-San Remo are big targets for the sprinter.
An earlier post from Arkéa-Samsic only mentioned the stitches in the eyebrow, this was later amended.
Nacer Bouhanni in training crash:
Jasper Philipsen: Strong in the Winter
Jasper Philipsen will start the season in top form. The Alpecin-Fenix sprinter said in an interview with Het Nieuwsblad: “I didn’t start the season in top condition last season and we’ve been working on that. Now I’m much further along, I’m not worried.”
“Next Saturday I will leave for another two weeks, on an altitude internship to Denia,” says Philipsen, who will sleep there at altitude. “I have little experience in that area, but there is enough knowledge in the team to follow up closely to see if I am getting better. That’s why we do it, of course. I can already say: if I don’t get sick, I’ll be there right away. I don’t think I’ve ever been this strong in winter.” Denia is at sea-level, but Philipsen will be staying at the Hotel Syncrosfera.
Philipsen will start 2022 in the UAE Tour and then ride Paris-Nice. “Two stage races to start, ideal. Only then will there be more clarity about my program, but I will ride the most important classics,” he continues. Whether that will be with or without Mathieu van der Poel remains to be seen. “Obviously, his presence or absence is important. I am sure that our team will do everything possible to get Mathieu back in top shape, but exactly when that will be remains unclear. Preferably as soon as possible, but we have to wait and see.”
“Our team is also more than Mathieu, there are other riders. We showed last year as a team how strong we can be. Of course Mathieu will remain our great leader and we hope that he will recover as soon as possible,” explained Philipsen. The division of roles with fellow sprinter Tim Merlier has also been discussed. “The team is doing a good job of dividing everything and giving everyone opportunities. There are enough competitions in the spring, that should not be an issue if clear agreements are made.”
Philipsen does not yet dare to speak about the Tour de France, but he does know that in addition to his role as co-leader in the sprints, he will have a bigger role in the spring Classics. “The team wants to walk that path and we are on the right track. In terms of training, I am also increasingly sent to that. That works well, I took steps again. We have worked a little more intensively in this training camp, but I will also continue to work on my sprint.”
Jasper Philipsen strong for 2022:
Olympic Champion Anna Kiesenhofer at the Israel-Premier Tech Training Camp
The Israel-Premier Tech team had a guest with them during their training camp in Spain. Olympic champion Anna Kiesenhofer trained for a few days with the team, including four-time Tour de France winner Chris Froome.
Kiesenhofer lives in Switzerland, but because it was very cold at home the 30-year-old amateur rider wanted to go somewhere warm. Kiesenhofer was invited by Israel-Premier Tech to participate in their 10-day training camp. “The last time I did a big training camp was in 2017, so it’s been a while since I’ve done anything like this. It was really an absolutely fascinating experience for me,” she told the WorldTeam website.
The Tokyo Olympic road race winner was not only impressed with the training, but also enjoyed sitting with the staff. “I’ve always read a lot about nutrition and sports science, but being able to ask my questions to the experts and see how the best in the world put things into practice was really enriching for me. It was great to get to know the riders that you normally only see on television and to talk to them and realise that they are really down to earth, normal people.”
Kiesenhofer found it a unique experience to be on the road with the Israel-Premier Tech riders. “They are also super strong. It’s so impressive when they’re on the road, they’re so strong. The guys are so used to their world of professional cycling, with over 50 races a year, and I’m just a different kind of rider. So it was really cool to spend the last ten days at camp and I’m really grateful for the opportunity,” said the rider, who has a deep passion for mathematics in addition to cycling.
Matthias Brändle was pleased to welcome his compatriot to the team. “Anna and I probably see each other twice a year at the World championships and the Austrian National championships. But this is the first time I’ve seen her since she won Olympic gold, so it was nice to congratulate her in person. Every eight years or so, Austria wins a gold medal in the Olympics and she brought one home. It was a big win for her and for Austria.”
Brändle noticed how concentrated Kiesenhofer was. “You can tell she knows a lot about cycling and everything that comes with it. She’s probably more informed than many of our guys put together. It was really nice to have her here at the camp and I think she can learn a lot from us and how we work as a team. Even if it’s just on the road, riding in a big group, having more confidence in the descents because we’re all together. Things like that can make a big difference.”
Olympic champion Anna Kiesenhofer:
Riccardo Minali Retires and Now Works for Alé Clothing
Riccardo Minali has put an end to his professional cycling career. The Italian sprinter, who raced for Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert last season, will remain active in the cycling world, as he will start working for the clothing brand Alé.
Minali’s father, Nicola, was also a professional cyclist in the 1990s and early 2000s. Before turning professional, Minali combined road with track cycling. As a junior, he took silver in the omnium at the European Championships in Anadia in 2013 and in his first professional season, 2017, he raced to bronze during the European Championship behind the derny in Hanover. He also won several Italian national titles on the track.
On the road; in 2017 Minali signed his first professional contract with Astana, where he won two stages in two years in the Tour de Langkawi and a collection of podium places in the Dubai Tour, the Tour of Turkey, the Belgium Tour and the PostNord Danmark Rundt. He then moved to Israel Cycling Academy and Nippo Delko Provence, before Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert brought him back to the WorldTour in 2021.
2021 was his last season as a professional, Minali will now work at Alé Cycling. “I consider myself lucky to enter through the front door and represent one of the world’s leading brands in the production of cycling clothing,” the 26-year-old rider told Bici.PRO. “Alessia Piccolo, who is the general manager of Alé, has handed me this trump card.”
“I like to learn and have the experience of a cyclist, I know what it means and above all how fundamental it is to dress well on a bike. What I will do is do my best, adapt quickly and trust that stimulates me so much, pay back.”
Riccardo Minali:
Movistar Team Tackles New Challenges, Keeps Essence Intact for 2022 Project
Longest-standing organisation in pro cycling – 43 years of uninterrupted activity – celebrates digital event on Thursday, between their Almería camp and Madrid’s Movistar studios; three rosters presented for the very first time, with women’s, men’s and esports.
The Movistar Team, the longest-standing, most renowned team in international pro cycling, celebrated, together with Telefónica, the launch of its teams for their twelfth year of partnership. It will be the 43rd season of a squad established in 1980, which, after nearly 1,000 victories – they’re just five wins short for such a milestone, will continue to fight for big goals in a 2022 season which has started with a digital event for the fans and media held on Thursday. A press conference and a public event broadcast by #Vamos (the sports channel exclusive to customers of Spanish platform Movistar+), as well as the Movistar Team and Telefónica Tech’s online channels, helped the Blues show to the world the 53 faces of their 2022 roster.
Telefónica CEO José María Álvarez-Pallete welcomed everybody to an event where, for the very first time, three different lineups were presented at the stage in Vera (Almería), one of two venues for the event together with the Movistar+ studios in Madrid. “I want to remember two great people and team-mates who sadly passed away last year, Gary Baños and Jesús Hoyos, whose families and friends I’d like to send all of my support. To us, the Movistar Team represents much more than a cycling team. It’s an accurate expression of our values, which include effort, resiliency, hard work and commitment. That’s why we’re so proud that you’re a part of the Telefónica family. Despite the circumstances forcing us to carry out this event as a digital format, I’m really looking forward to welcome you to Distrito Telefónica very soon, especially the new additions to the team. We put in your hands our biggest brands, and above that, our excitement about sport. We only ask you the same as every year: honour our brands at each and every ride and competition.”
The Movistar eTeam, the Blues’ esports squad created in March 2021 to compete in the best virtual cycling competitions in the world, featured for the very first time in such an event, with its two captains – Spaniard Ana Dillana and Dutchman Pim van Diemen – representing a 10-member group with five women and five men.
Alejandro Valverde, the leader and beacon of the Movistar Team for almost two decades, received the appreciation and recognition from his main sponsor at the last team launch he will take part in as a professional rider, before starting a 2022 season where he’s expected to end his career on the bike. Enric Mas, second overall in the 2021 La Vuelta and twice on the top-ten of the Tour de France, will lead, together with ‘Bala’, a men’s squad featuring eight signings, including one of the biggest names in Spanish cycling in 2021, Basque Alex Aranburu, and two new Latin American additions to the Movistar Team roster: Iván Sosa (Colombia) and the young Vinícius Rangel (Brazil).
The two, together with Puerto Rico’s Abner González; Einer Rubio and Paula Patiño (COL); and the arrival of Arlenis Sierra (Cuba), continue to strengthen a Movistar Team whose women’s roster will still be spearheaded this year by the mighty Annemiek van Vleuten. The world’s number 1 rider in 2021, together with the biggest revelation of the WWT last season, the Danish powerhouse Emma Norsgaard, are the two leaders of a block with strength in all terrains and enormous potential in the likes of Katrine Aalerud, Aude Biannic, Sara Martín, Sheyla Gutiérrez or the Blues’ other signing for the new year, Australia’s Sarah Gigante.
The 2022 Movistar Team launch also showed, once again, the strong ties between Telefónica’s values and those of its main sponsored squad. Equal opportunity and teamwork, represented by the power and cohesion of a women’s team which has risen to the top-3 in the UCI ranking in just four years. The commitment to innovate, best expressed by the work from the team partners and the arrival, in 2021, of Telefónica Tech, with Big Data as their top focus. The support of road safety campaigns, directed to both cyclists and drivers, to remind them about mutual respect under the motto #RodamosJuntos. And a big effort on sustainability, propelled by the Movistar Team’s initiatives during the last two years, which have received backing from their sponsor; the applause from the Union Cycliste Internationale, which puts the team as an example; and the Seal of Recognition from Spain’s Ministry for Ecological Transition.
Telefónica, a big supporter of Spanish cycling with its partnerships with the Movistar Team and also the Royal Spanish Cycling Federation, with the ‘Women in Bike’ program as main impulse, wants to keep showing this sport to the public as no one else does, and will release, in few months’ time, Season 3 of their documentary series ‘The Least Expected Day’. The 2021 season of the Telefónica-backed squad’s women’s and men’s outfits will be the protagonist of this new instalment.
The Movistar Team will start its 2022 season with its road teams in just under a week’s time, with the men’s squad making its debut at the Mallorca Challenge on Wednesday 26th January. The women’s roster will kick off its activity shortly after, at the Vuelta CV Féminas on Sunday 6th February, while the eTeam continues with the winter season of the Zwift Racing League’s Premier Division they started with on January 10th.
Movistar Team – 2022 Rosters
Men’s Team: Alex Aranburu, Jorge Arcas, Will Barta (USA), Iñigo Elosegui, Imanol Erviti, Iván García Cortina, Abner González (PUR), Juri Hollmann (GER), Gorka Izagirre, Johan Jacobs (SUI), Matteo Jorgenson (USA), Max Kanter (GER), Oier Lazkano, Enric Mas, Lluís Mas, Gregor Mühlberger (AUT), Mathias Norsgaard (DEN), Nelson Oliveira (POR), Antonio Pedrero, Vinícius Rangel (BRA), Óscar Rodríguez, José Joaquín Rojas, Einer Rubio (COL), Sergio Samitier, Gonzalo Serrano, Iván Sosa (COL), Albert Torres, Alejandro Valverde, Carlos Verona.
General Manager: Eusebio Unzué. Head of Performance (both teams): Patxi Vila. Technical Head (both teams): Iván Velasco. Sports directors: Chente García Acosta, José Luis Jaimerena, Maximilian Sciandri (GBR), Pablo Lastras.
Women’s Team:
Katrine Aalerud (NOR), Aude Biannic (FRA), Jelena Erić (SRB), Sarah Gigante (AUS), Alicia González, Barbara Guarischi (ITA), Sheyla Gutiérrez, Sara Martín, Emma Norsgaard (DEN), Lourdes Oyarbide, Paula Patiño (COL), Gloria Rodríguez, Arlenis Sierra (CUB), Annemiek van Vleuten (NED).
Manager: Sebastián Unzué. Sports directors: Jorge Sanz, Pablo Lastras.
Movistar eTeam:
Pim van Diemen (NED), Ana Dillana, Vidar Mehl (NOR), Steph Clutterbuck (GBR), Daniel Guld (DEN), Hayley Simmonds (GBR), Jimmy Kershaw (GBR), Becky Storrie (IOM), Miguel Ángel Andrés, Beth Maciver (SCO).
2022 newcomers in italic.
Bingoal with Pauwels Sauces WB for Five Years More
Bingoal Pauwels Sauces WB can count on the sponsorship of Bingoal in the coming seasons. The Belgian online betting office is committed to the ProTeam for the next five years, of which it has been a sponsor since 2020.
Team manager Christophe Brandt is very happy and proud of the sign of trust and support from the company. “By being by our side for the next five years, Bingoal is sending us a strong and very positive signal, for the long term and for the development of our riders. In addition to the partnership, a true friendship has developed with Bingoal and its managers, who fully support our broad sports development project and performance goals.”
Joeri Impens, CEO of Bingoal, said his company is very pleased with the extension of its longer-term partnership. “It is unusual in the cycling world for sponsor contracts to be concluded for such a long term of five years, on top of the two years that we have already been a main partner. This only reflects our confidence in the team’s project and fully supports Bingoal’s ambitions for the coming years.”
Last season, Bingoal Pauwels Sauces WB took three wins. Timothy Dupont was successful early on in the Etoile du Bessèges. A month later, Ludovic Robeet took a nice win in Nokere Koerse. At the beginning of autumn, Milan Menten won a stage in the CRO Race. In the winter, the team welcomed six new riders: Marco Tizza, Karl Patrick Lauk, Dorian De Maeght, Ceriel Desal, Louis Blouwe and Johan Meens.
Bingoal Pauwels Sauces WB team:
Deutschland Tour Starts with Prologue in Weimar
The Deutschland Tour starts this year with a prologue in the city of Weimar. Then there are four more ‘classic’ stages on the program. Last year the overall victory went to home rider Nils Politt, ahead of Pascal Ackermann and Alexander Kristoff.
The organisers of the Tour of Germany presented the route of the next edition of the race on Thursday. On Wednesday 24 August, the riders will kick off with a prologue in the streets of Weimar, located in the state of Thuringia. Weimar has played an important role in German (political) history. In 1919, the content of the constitution of the new German republic was determined in the local theatre in Weimar.
After the prologue in Weimar, there are still four ‘traditional’ stages on the program. The first stage goes from Weimar to Meiningen and the next stage takes place between Meiningen and Marburg, through the federal states of Thuringia and Hesse.
Then it’s up to the climbers. Saturday’s stage starts in Freiburg and ends on Schauinsland, a 1,284 meter high mountain. The top of the climb is reached via a 12 kilometre long road of hairpin bends.
The organisers will present the full route in detail at a later date.
The Deutschland Tour 2022 (24-28 August):
24/08 – Prologue: Weimar – Weimar
25/08 – Stage 1: Weimar – Meiningen
26/08 – Stage 2: Meiningen – Marburg
27/08 – Stage 3: Freiburg – Schauinsland
28/08 – Stage 4: Schiltach – Stuttgart.
Kristoff won stage 4 of the 2021 Deutschland Tour:
Tirreno-Adriatico: Queen Stage over Monte Carpegna, No Final Time Trial
The Tirreno-Adriatico 2022 route has been revealed. The Race of the Two Seas, which runs from March 7-13, will begin with a 13.9-kilometre time trial. The traditional final time trial in San Benedetto del Tronto has been replaced by a sprinters stage. The classic specialists and the climbers get their chances in the Italian stage race.
After the GC men have to ride hard on day one, it is the turn of the sprinters the next day. The 219 kilometre second stage between Camaiore and Sovicille is relatively flat. This also applies to the third stage, which is a lot shorter at 170 kilometres. The terrain is more difficult on stages four and five with more climbing. Especially on day four with its difficult finish, which should split the race. On day five the finish is far from flat.
The Queen Stage is on the sixth day. There is no uphill finish, but there is a double crossing of Monte Carpegna, Marco Pantani’s training climb. One of the two sides that the riders climb is seven kilometres long with a 10% average. The stage has a total distance of 213 kilometres. On the stage to Carpegna, the race will be decided. The race ends with a flat stage.
2022 Tirreno-Adriatico Stages:
07/03 – Stage 1: Lido du Camaiore – Lido di Camaiore (ITT, 13.9 km)
08/03 – Stage 2: Camaiore– Sovicille (219 km)
09/03 – Stage 3: Murlo – Terni (170 km)
10/03 – Stage 4: Cascata delle Marmore – Bellante (202 km)
11/03 – Stage 5: Sefro – Fermo (155 km)
12/03 – Stage 6: Apecchio – Carpegna (213 km)
13/03 – Stage 7: San Benedetto del Tronto – San Benedetto del Tronto (159 km).
2021 winner – Tadej Pogačar:
Alexandre Geniez Charged with Domestic Violence
Alexandre Geniez was on trial in Rodez on Wednesday after being charged by his wife, Lucie Garrigues. She accuses him of domestic violence. The 33-year-old rider of TotalEnergies, who will stop cycling at the end of this season, denies having used physical violence, France3 reports.
Geniez and Garrigues have known each other since 2013 and have two children, but since February 2020 the relationship is said to have deteriorated, causing regular quarrels – mostly over household matters. On November 7, things led to a phone being thrown by Geniez, which he admits, but ten days later, there was even more physical violence, Garrigues claims.
Garrigues cites two medical certificates as evidence, showing that she had multiple bruises, including on the wrist, and spent a day in hospital. Garrigues’ sister also supported the allegations as a witness. Geniez’s lawyer says he endorses part of the accuser’s story, but denies the physical violence. He therefore asks to drop the case. Although Geniez remains at large for the time being. The verdict will be passed on March 2 this year. If found guilty, Geniez faces a possible six-month suspended prison sentence.
Geniez has won three stages in the Vuelta in the past, in 2013, 2016 and 2018. He has been racing for TotalEnergies since 2021, before that he spent four years with AG2R. He started his career at Skil-Shimano.
Alexandre Geniez:
Former World Champion Adrian Tekliński Banned for Four Years
Adrian Tekliński has been banned for four years by the Polish doping agency POLADA for using a banned substance. The 2017 scratch World champion tested positive for EPO in the autumn of 2020. Tekliński has meanwhile ended his sports career.
Tekliński was a specialist in the endurance events and became World champion on the scratch race during the 2017 World Cup in Hong Kong. He jumped away a few laps before the end of the sixty-lap race and held onto his lead until the finish. He also won two medals at the European Championships and became Polish national track champion several times. In an out-of-competition test in the autumn of 2020, the Pole tested positive for EPO and has now been punished. His suspension will run from October 30, 2020 to October 29, 2024.
Mountain biker Jarosław Wołosiuk was also caught using EPO in 2020, during a cross country championship. Like Tekliński, he was given a four-year suspension from October 21, 2020 to October 20, 2024.
Adrian Tekliński banned for 4 years:
Calling All Young Riders Saris Rouvy Sauerland are Looking for New Riders!
Saris and Rouvy are proud to announce a new partnership becoming title sponsors for the continental racing team Saris Rouvy Sauerland Team.
Founded in 2016 the mission is to offer young talented athletes an environment where they can learn and develop their skills and help them reach pro level. Saris’s mission has always been to break down the barriers of cycling and make it more inclusive.
Starting in February 2022 every season roster selection will partly take place through online races giving more riders an opportunity to participate. Qualification will happen through an online 4-part race series on Rouvy with final selection taking place in-person in March.
Riders from across the globe are encouraged to apply. So, if you are a young budding rider or know anyone who is looking to make it as a pro click the link below to apply through Saris’s website.
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