EUROTRASH News Round Up Thursday!

Maybe it’s snowing where you are, but the wheels carry on turning in the cycling world. Doping whistleblowers – TOP STORY. Primož Roglič wins in Monaco, Gorka Izagirre wins a Spanish cross, Deceuninck new Alpecin-Fenix ​​sponsor and Patrick Lefevere talks, prison for Doctor Bernard Sainz, Premier Tech to make announcement, Andreas Kron looking forward to the Ardennes Classics, Michael Gogl more consistent, Jake Stewart not just luck, Emanuel Buchmann thinking about a Grand Tour, Domenico Pozzovivo has hope and Giuseppe Martinelli happy working with Nibali. Rider news: Theo Bos and Piotr Havik retire, Katie Archibald to Ceratizit-WNT and Mikel Nieve to Caja Rural-Seguros RGA. Team news: Canadians to Texas, Gianni Savio for the WorldTour, Euskaltel Euskadi junior team, Lotto Soudal loose sponsor, BikeExchange Jayco men’s roster, Premier Tech training team and new riders and bikes for Roxo Racing. Race news: Superprestige in Boom to run, Scott Sunderland and Mark Renshaw join Worlds organisation, Challenge Mallorca now five days, L’Etoile de Bessèges and Tour du Rwanda route and teams and Baloise sponsor Belgium Tour for two years. Plus Tadej Pogacar’s manager improves and cyclo-cross meets snow video. Thursday EUROTRASH coffee time.

TOP STORY: Anti-doping Agency ITA Comes with Whistleblowers Platform
Anti-doping agency ITA has launched a platform on which whistleblowers can anonymously pass on their tips about possible doping use. The platform is called ‘REVEAL’ and was created in collaboration with athletes and former whistleblowers. The ITA also works with the MPCC, the credible cycling movement.

Since the beginning of 2021, ITA, the International Testing Agency, has been the permanent and independent anti-doping organisation working with the UCI. The creation of the REVEAL platform is one way to increase the effectiveness of its anti-doping programs. In this way, athletes can share information with the body in a safe environment and can also be done anonymously.

According to the ITA, sport can be kept clean in a more effective way through concrete indications of alleged doping use. The organisation points to former whistleblowers, who have brought several cases to light. The information shared via the platform ends up with a special unit of the ITA, which consists of experts in the field of the legal system, the police, criminology, digital and physical investigations and the intelligence services.

The Anti-Doping Agency will also work closely with sports federations, WADA, National Anti-Doping Agencies and enforcement. One of the parties with which the ITA also co-operates is the MPCC. The Credible Cycling Movement says it is encouraging riders to use the REVEAL platform to share information that can increase the credibility of cycling.

“The MPCC is proud to see that one of the partners is a leading player in the anti-doping scene,” said MPCC President Roger Legeay. “We are committed to contributing to the collection of information that can help build the credibility of our sport. The riders, who play the main role in the race, need a way to communicate with the authorities involved.”

 

Primož Roglič Wins in Monaco Criterium
Primož Roglič is the first winner of the BeKING criterium in Monaco, the race is the idea of Matteo Trentin to raise money for charities. The Slovenian Jumbo-Visma rider beat Sonny Colbrelli and Tadej Pogačar.

Trentin managed to get a lot of fellow cyclists, many living in Monaco, to the start of the criterium. In addition to Roglič, winner of the Vuelta a España, Colbrelli, winner of Paris-Roubaix, and Tour de France winner Pogačar, three-time world champion Peter Sagan, four-time Tour winner Chris Froome, Sam Bennett, Michael Matthews, Geraint Thomas and Elia Viviani along.

Prince Albert of Monaco gave the starting signal for the criterium, in which a total of forty riders appeared at the start. The race consisted of a course of 1.3 kilometres to be covered 40 times. Winner Roglič had a good feeling about the race. “It was a great event. It was important to participate and be involved for this purpose,” said the Jumbo-Visma leader.

With BeKING, Trentin wants to strengthen the relationship between professional cyclists and the local population of Monaco. The initiator mainly focuses on the youth. A Kids Ride was also held. In addition, Trentin hopes this way to raise as much money as possible for La Foundation Princesse Charlène de Monaco and La Fondazione Michele Scarponi. The theme of Safety was also discussed during a special conference.

Trentin hopes to make BeKING an annual event.

BeKING 2021 podium:

 

Gorka Izagirre Wins a Spanish UCI Cyclo-Cross
Gorka Izagirre has made another successful foray into cyclo-cross. In Abadiño, Spain, the 34-year-old rider of Astana-Premier Tech, who will be racing for Movistar for the next two seasons, won the UCI C2-cross Abadinoko Udala Saria. He also won this race in 2019. The cyclo-cross was canceled in 2020.

The riders had to deal with storms, sleet, snow and a lot of mud in Abadiño on Sunday afternoon. The Astana-Premier Tech rider quickly worked his way forward and took the lead on lap two. After that it became a one-man show and after an hour and three minutes he crossed the line as the winner. The 20-year-old Gonzalo Inguanzo was 42 seconds behind. Mario Junguera was third.

For Izagirre, it was not his first foray into cyclo-cross, the Spanish rider regularly rode cross with the juniors and the U23s. In 2020 he was third at the Spanish National Championships, where Felipe Orts took the title.

Cross win for Izaggirre:

 

Alpecin-Fenix ​​Announces Deceuninck as New Co-Sponsor
Earlier this year, Deceuninck announced that they would stop as the main sponsor of the Quick-Step team, but the plastics processing company will stay in the peloton next year. Deceuninck now has a four-year sponsorship agreement with the Alpecin-Fenix team.

Deceuninck was the main sponsor of Patrick Lefevere’s WorldTour team for the past three seasons, but decided to stop this year as the main sponsor of ‘The Wolfpack’. However, Deceuninck will not disappear from the sport, the company will be seen on the back of the Alpecin-Fenix ​​shorts next year.

Deceuninck will be a co-sponsor of the men’s team and also sponsor the mountain bike, cross and women’s team. “I am very pleased to announce this collaboration with Alpecin-Fenix,” said Francis Van Eeckhout, CEO of Deceuninck, in a press release. “Supporting young talent and strengthening women’s cycling are two values ​​that we hold dear.”

“I am already looking forward to the spring classics and in particular the Tour of Flanders. We believe that our brand, in close collaboration with Alpecin-Fenix, will stand out throughout the season.” Philip Roodhooft, owner and architect of the team together with brother Christoph, is also delighted. “We have experienced explosive growth in recent years, but we are far from the end of our journey.”

“Now that we can welcome Deceuninck on board, in addition to our current partners, we will be given the means to continue the current level and to realise our future ambitions even further. Deceuninck follows us in the pursuit of perfection. I am sure we will excel together.”

 

Patrick Lefevere Reacts to Deceuninck Switch
Deceuninck has been the main sponsor of Deceuninck – Quick-Step since 2019, but will be a sponsor of Alpecin-Fenix in 2022. Deceuninck and Alpecin-Fenix ​​will be working together for four years, quite a development, but Patrick Lefevere doesn’t blame anyone, he told Sporza in an interview.

It comes as a small surprise for the Belgian team manager that Deceuninck is committed to Alpecin-Fenix ​​for no less than four years. “We did not want to extend the collaboration – from our side. We were working on a project for five years,” he explained. “Deceuninck came at a favourable time, just when we were struggling. They were a helping hand, but they got a lot in return. But they didn’t want to sign for five years.”

But Lefevere has no grudge. “A contract has a certain duration,” the team boss said. “When that term is over and if two parties decide not to proceed together, then everyone is free to do as they please. I have absolutely no problem with it and I wouldn’t know why I should blame anyone.”

Patrick Lefevere doesn’t blame anyone:

 

Doctor Bernard Sainz Risks Two Years in Prison
Bernard Sainz faces two years in prison. The now 78 year-old Frenchman, also known within the cycling world as ‘doctor Mabuse’, risks a prison sentence for illegally practicing the profession of doctor and pharmacist and inciting doping.

Mabuse is no longer eligible for a suspended sentence, having been convicted twice in the past for violating anti-doping laws in the professional and amateur circuits. In addition to a (possible) prison sentence of two years, he may also have to pay a fine of €30,000. The prosecutor for the criminal court of Paris also asks for an absolute professional ban for Sainz.

The Frenchman gained fame mainly for his infamous collaboration with the late Frank Vandenbroucke. Mabuse says he also worked with other great riders in the past, such as two-time Tour winner Bernard Thévenet. The controversial doctor was also involved in equestrian sports and as a doctor often opted for alternative methods and treatments. A final judgment in the Sainz case will follow on January 17, 2022.

Ex-Doctor Bernard Sainz:

 

Premier Tech to Make Announcement in the Coming Weeks
Astana and Premier Tech parted ways earlier this season. The Canadian company, who has been active in cycling for 25 years, did not agree with the return of Aleksandr Vinokourov to the team. CEO Jean Bélanger then held talks with Qhubeka NextHash, Team BikeExchange and Israel Start-Up Nation, but that came to nothing (so far).

Premier Tech’s package deal included riders Jakob Fuglsang and Hugo Houle. After the deal with Israel Start-Up Nation fell through, Bélanger put the riders with Silvan Adams of the Israel team. In the Astana affair, Premier Tech chose the Belgian-Kazakh CEO Yana Seel, who will leave the Kazakh team after Vinokourov’s return. Next year she will be part of Lotto Soudal.

Premier Tech launched its own U23 Continental team on Monday. But the WorldTour is not yet a closed chapter, Bélanger told Radio Canada. He is working hard on a new sponsorship deal. “We’re talking to a few teams, three of which are serious. That’s going well. We hope to have everything ready for the new season. A lot needs to be done in the coming weeks. If that doesn’t work, it will be fine later in the season. We are aiming for June, between the Giro d’Italia and the Tour de France.”

Hugo Houle and Jean Bélanger:

 

Andreas Kron Looking Forward to the Ardennes Classics
Andreas Kron wants to show himself well in the Ardennes classics next season. The 23-year-old Danish all-rounder of Lotto Soudal had to miss the hilly races last season due to illness.

“Next year I hope to be in top shape at the start of the Ardennes classics,” Kron said through his team. “Those races will be my main goal for the first part of the season. The ambition is to achieve some great results there and the ultimate dream would be to win Liège-Bastogne-Liège in the future. But for now I would be very happy if I could be at the start and gain as much experience as possible.”

The Dane, who finished his time as a U23 with the Riwal team, completed his first year at Lotto Soudal last season and rode his first Grand Tour, the Vuelta a España. “Of course I am very happy and proud of my 2021 season and how I performed in my first year at WorldTour level. With two stage wins – one in the Tour of Catalonia and one in the Tour of Switzerland – it has been an incredible season.”

Missing the Ardennes classics was a big disappointment. “It was a real shame because this changed the course of my season. I was supposed to take a break after the Classics, but instead I trained hard for the Tour de Romandie and I used this stage race to build my form. Ultimately, that led to a stage win in the Tour of Switzerland.”

“It was difficult to miss the Ardennes Classics, the races I prefer to ride, but also mentally it was a challenge to change program. On the other hand, however, it gave me the chance to focus on other races,” said Kron.

The young rider feels at home at Lotto Soudal. “Racing for this team is really fun. I like the atmosphere in the team and it’s a nice group with riders from whom I can learn a lot. Mainly from guys like Tim Wellens and Philippe Gilbert, who are the same type of riders as I am. When we race, we always do our best to win and that mentality suits me well. We always think of the best chance of winning.”

Andreas Kron:

 

Michael Gogl Wants to be More Consistent with Alpecin-Fenix
Michael Gogl hopes to continue his development at Alpecin-Fenix ​​for the next two years. The 28-year-old Austrian showed himself this year with a sixth place in Strade Bianche. “I now know that I absolutely have the level to ride with the best in the world, but I have to become more consistent,” he told Radsport-News.com.

Gogl turned pro with Tinkoff in 2016, then rode for Trek-Segafredo for three years and raced for Qhubeka NextHash for the past two seasons. In the South African team, he was given his own chance several times, which led to a ninth (2020) and sixth place (2021) in Strade Bianche. He also achieved good results in the Etoile des Bessèges and in the Austrian championship, but a knee injury meant that he had to retire early in the Tour de France.

“Especially in the spring, I was able to show my class in some competitions,” Gogl looks back. “But unfortunately I didn’t have the luck that you sometimes need in cycling. For the past two years I have tried to race well. It was really fun to race like this, and that’s exactly the feeling I’m taking with me as I prepare for 2022. Alpecin-Fenix ​​is ​​one of the best teams right now.”

With his transfer from Qhubeka NextHash to Alpecin-Fenix, a lot is going to change for Gogl. “We always go into a race as favourites, because we are with a superstar or one of the strong sprinters,” the Austrian knows. “The classic team is really strong. But you also need that for those races. Anyone who is still there in the final is an asset, and that personally increases your chances of winning.”

Michael Gogl in the Strade Bianche’21:

 

Jake Stewart Wants to Prove it Wasn’t Luck
One of the early spring revelations of 2021 was Jake Stewart. However, the second part of his season did not go quite according to plan. Now he hopes to return to his previous level in 2022. “I want to repeat and improve my results,” he told Cycling Weekly.

The 22 year-old first-year professional from Coventry, Britain, rode well in the first races of the season. He was fourth in the Etoile de Bessèges, sixth in Nokere Koerse and second in the Omloop Het Nieuwsblad. The latter classification in particular made an impression on the cycling public. He only just lost out to the Italian Davide Ballerini in the sprint.

After this strong start, however, he broke his metacarpal bone in Cholet-Pays de la Loire, as a result of an incident with Nacer Bouhanni. With a dangerous manoeuvre Stewart hit the barriers with his hand in the sprint. “It was the week before the Tour of Flanders, a big goal for me and the team, especially because my form was so good. It was mentally tough to miss that race. In addition, I could not train on the road for the following weeks because the vibrations caused too much pain.”

When Stewart got back on track, during the Tour de Romandie, it was hard for him. “It was a difficult race, and I hadn’t spent enough hours on the bike because of my injury. Nor had I been informed. So I had a lot of trouble finding my good legs in the mountains,” he explains his poor performance in the races after his return.

In 2022, where he will be a leader with together with Arnaud Démare and Stefan Küng at Groupama-FDJ during the classics, he hopes to be there again. “I am eager to prove that Omloop Het Nieuwsblad was not a one-off success, a fluke. It’s easy to say that it was beginner’s luck as a neo-pro, but I was able to do that,” the Briton said, referring to his various top places. The confidence Stewart has in himself is shared by his squad. They have extended his contract until 2024.

Jake Stewart:

 

Emanuel Buchmann Still Thinking About a Grand Tour
Emanuel Buchmann has finished fourth in the Tour de France, but the German GC rider wants more. Buchmann hopes to be on the final podium of a Grand Tour in his career. He will probably try again next year in the Giro d’Italia.

In conversation with Radsport-News, Buchmann is already looking ahead to next season, but also looks back at 2021. The 29-year-old climber of BORA-hansgrohe mainly focused on the Giro d’Italia this year, also seemed to be on his way to a good final classification, but for a heavy crash. “If you look at the performances I managed to achieve in the Giro, I was on the right track,” Buchmann believes.

The German has ambitious towards 2022 and the coming years. Buchmann doesn’t yet know which Grand Tour he will contest next year, but is leaning more towards a Giro participation. “In the Giro there are relatively few time trial kilometres. They also always opt for a tough final week there and that is definitely something for me. The Tour route is also tough, but the first week is very treacherous, with a lot of wind and the stage over the cobblestones.”

“In other words, I’m not too sure about the Tour, as something can always go wrong in the first week.” Buchmann may participate in the Giro, but the question is whether he is good enough to compete for a podium place. “My goals have not changed. I’m still thinking about a podium place in a Grand Tour,” said a confident Buchmann.

Emanuel Buchmann:

 

Pozzovivo Has Hope
Domenico Pozzovivo – who celebrated his 39th birthday on Monday – has started training for the new season, but his contract with Qhubeka NextHash is running out. The Italian pocket climber hopes to stay with the South African team, but they are still without a sponsor for 2022. “I’m taking a risk,” he told BiciPro.

“As far as I understand, there are still opportunities,” said Pozzovivo about the situation of his current squad. WielerFlits has information that the WorldTour team has all the peripheral matters in order. Assos, BMC, Mercedez-Benz and Burberry will remain on board. “I therefore think that I will stay with this Qhubeka group. My gut feeling is that something else is about to happen. It wouldn’t be good if that didn’t happen, because I don’t have a plan B. I’ve spoken to Douglas Ryder, but it would be better if I had a concrete deadline. That would take some fear away from me.”

The Italian – who hopes to graduate in sports sciences soon – does not want to think about giving up. “I am still motivated and have the desire to make sacrifices to stay active as a pro. If I am forced to quit, I want to finish my thesis quickly and see if anyone is willing to hire me. I have been coaching myself for a few years now, under the supervision of the team. I know how to prepare for a pro race. But first I want to race for another year. I hope it works out and I think Doug will make it happen.”

Domenico Pozzovivo doesn’t want to stop yet:

 

Giuseppe Martinelli Happy to be Working with Vincenzo Nibali Again
Giuseppe Martinelli will be one of the key staff members at Astana Qazaqstan next year, where Alexander Vinokourov has again seized power. The 66-year-old former cyclist will again work with Vincenzo Nibali, who is returning to the Kazakhstan team. “In my heart I hoped he would come back,” Martinelli told Tuttobiciweb.

“We have never seen each other as opponents,” Martinelli said of Nibali, who has raced for Bahrain Merida and Trek-Segafredo in the past five seasons. “Only I feared that it was almost impossible to get him back. But I am very happy to be working with Vincenzo again. My wish is that he can race freely next year, without having to worry about the result.”

Still, the Italian manager knows that the Shark of Messina has a different status. “When Nibali races, everyone always expects him to compete for the standings. But in Astana he finds a staff with which he has won a lot and a place where he feels at home. That convinced him. He wanted to go back to the days when he was good,” said Martinelli.

Astana Qazaqstan will also have Miguel Ángel López and Gianni Moscon in 2022. They come from Movistar and INEOS Grenadiers respectively. “López seemed to be a perfect fit for Movistar, but after the Vuelta he suddenly returned,” says Martinelli. “He had reluctantly left us, but the budget didn’t allow us to keep him. I am convinced that he will be at his level again, because in the Astana jersey he took the podium in the Giro and the Vuelta.”

Moscon will also be a leader at Astana Qazaqstan. “After working so hard for others, he gets the chance to win a race here more than once. I then watch the classics, from Milan-Sanremo to Paris-Roubaix.”

Martinelli is also happy with the arrival of Valerio Conti from UAE Team Emirates. “He already wore the pink and won a Vuelta stage, and he has improved a lot since then. He is smart, likes to race for the team, but can also play a role as a leader. It is a pity that we lost Matteo Sobrero (to BikeExchange-Jayco), with whom we won the Italian time trial championship. But we are happy with the squad we have for next year.”

Giuseppe Martinelli looking forward to 2022:

 

Theo Bos Ends Professional Cycling Career
Theo Bos has decided to end his career as a professional track cyclist. The five time World Champion ended his career in style earlier this month, by winning his third Dutch championship on the team sprint with BEAT Cycling. Bos will become a coach for the Chinese track team and keeps an advising role at BEAT.

Bos joined the track team of BEAT in 2017. As a very experienced rider, he was one of the thriving forces within the team. During his span with the team, he won three national titles on the team sprint, three medals at the UCI World Championships and collected three victories at the UCI World Cups. Before he signed with BEAT, he won 37 professional races in road cycling, an Olympic silver medal in 2004 and eleven medals at the UCI Track World Championships, including five gold medals.

Two weekends ago, Bos rode his final race of his career. He represented BEAT at the Dutch Championships team sprint, which he won for the third time of his career, after winning it in 2017 and 2018 as well. Bos will stay with the team on an advising role. As an active cyclist, he already proved his value for the development of the team, on the road and track.

After his active career of almost twenty years as a cyclist, it is now time for him to move on. “We are very thankful that Theo was part of our team the past five years,” says team manager Geert Broekhuizen. “This is definitely not a goodbye, as Theo will still have an advising role for our team. We wish him the best of luck with his new job and support him in his development for a new role as a coach.”

Theo Bos:

 

Piotr Havik Retires
Piotr Havik puts an end to his cycling career. The 27-year-old rider will focus on his ‘social career’, reports his team BEAT Cycling.

Havik was a specialist in one-day races and the classics. In 2017, his first season as an elite rider, he secured an stagieire contract with WorldTeam Katusha-Alpecin with a win in the Wattmeister Challenge. He rode a Belgian-French program including the Primus Classic, the Tour de l’Eurométropole, Paris-Bourges and Paris-Tours, but that didn’t result in a professional contract.

In 2018 he continued his cycling career with BEAT Cycling. That season he won the Ronde van Overijssel and was third in the Ronde van Limburg and second in the National Closing Prize. He was also crowned Dutch champion Wattmeister. A year later, Havik was the best in the GP Stad Zottegem and the National Closing Prize. In 2020 he moved to Riwal Securitas, but he would only race for one season for the troubled ProTeam.

Havik took a step back to continental level last season and returned to BEAT Cycling. He completed a series of one-day races and classics, including a sixth place in the Antwerp Port Epic, finishing in the first group behind winner Mathieu van der Poel and Taco van der Hoorn. He also rode the Baloise Belgium Tour.

Piotr Havik:

 

Katie Archibald to Ceratizit-WNT for Three Years
Ceratizit-WNT has signed Britain’s Katie Archibald for the next three seasons. The 27-year-old multiple Olympic and World champion on the track, signed a contract with the German team to the end of 2024.

Archibald will be part of the Ceratizit-WNT road program. The team and the British rider will also team up to help her achieve her track ambitions in the coming years, with the aim of winning gold at the 2022 Commonwealth Games, the 2023 World championships and the ‘icing on the cake’ – according to the team on social media – gold at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris.

Archibald has put together a whole collection of titles and medals in track cycling in recent seasons. She became Olympic champion with the British team in the team pursuit during the 2016 Games in Rio and last summer in Tokyo, she won the Olympic title in the madison, together with Laura Kenny. She is also the reigning World champion in the omnium and has also won three more World titles in previous years.

In addition, Archibald also has experience in road cycling. In 2017 she won the sprint classification of the Emakumeen Bira and the British national criterium championship and in 2018 she was the best in the prologue of the BeNe Ladies Tour. In recent years, however, she has mainly focused on the velodrome. For the British rider, riding with the Ceratizit-WNT team will be a return, as she raced for the team in 2017.

Katie Archibald:

 

Mikel Nieve Returns to Caja Rural-Seguros RGA
Mikel Nieve will have another year in the pro peloton. The 37-year-old Spaniard from the Navarra completes the team of Caja Rural-Seguros RGA for 2022. The experienced climber comes from BikeExchange with thirteen WorldTour seasons under his belt. It is a return for Nieve, because he started with Caja Rural from 2004 to 2007. “Every race in this jersey makes 2022 special,” he said on the site of his new, old team.

After his first time with Caja Rural, the climber was unable to take the step to the pros, but after a year at the continental Orbea-Oreka SDA team he succeeded. In 2009 he made his debut at the highest level with Euskaltel-Euskadi. When that team ceased to exist at the end of 2014, Nieve switched to Team Sky. He would – just like later for Mitchelton-Scott – stay with the British formation for four years. Now he rejoins ProTeam Caja Rural-Seguros RGA, completing the circle in his career.

Nieve will be the leader of the Spanish team and he assist the young riders in their development. “It is special to wear the jersey of Caja Rural-Seguros RGA again next year. This is where my cycling career started, I enjoyed my time with this team and I have very good memories of that period. Since then the team has grown and in the meantime I have been part of other teams, with different languages ​​and cultures. Now it feels good to be home again.”

“I would like to contribute to the team, both on and off the bike,” continued the Spaniard, who was best known among his old teams as a highly regarded mountain domestique. “I would like to pass on my experiences to my young colleagues. On a personal level, I try to enjoy cycling as much as possible, as I had to deal with several crashes in 2021. I am therefore looking forward to the new season with great enthusiasm and motivation.”

During his career, Nieve won three stages in the Giro d’Italia, where he also won the mountains classification in 2016. In 2010 he won a stage in the Vuelta a España. The climber has a total of 22 Grand Tours under his belt, in which he finished in the top ten six times and nine times in the top twenty.

Mikel Nieuve – Giro’18:

 

Canadian Athletes Head to Texas for 2021 Pan American Cyclocross Championships
Fifteen Canadian athletes across Junior, U23 and Elite categories are heading to Garland, Texas, this weekend for the 2021 Pan American Cyclocross Championships, which are set to take place on December 4-5. Eight athletes will be competing with their respective teams, while seven development athletes will be competing under Cycling Canada colours.

Two-time Elite women’s gold medallist Maghalie Rochette will be unable to defend her title due to conflicting competitions on the world cup calendar, making room for a new Pan American champion to be crowned. Among the top contenders will be Canadian Elite women’s mountain bike champion Jennifer Jackson, as well as Canadian U23 road gold medallist & current U23 Pan American champion Ruby West who will be making her debut in the Elite category.

“I’m really excited for the Pan Am Championships this year,” said Ruby West. “I think it’ll be a dry and fast course based on what I’ve heard about that venue and past races held there. I’m not fully sure what to expect, but I know I’m on good form right now and I’m really thrilled and motivated for this race. This will mark my first race in the Elite category and my first time racing Pan Ams since coming away with the U23 title, so I’m looking forward to seeing what I can do this time!”

On the development side, six athletes will be competing as first year Juniors, including Canadian XCO Mountain Bike U17 champion Ian Ackert, Junior silver and bronze medallists Ava and Isabella Holmgren, as well as track star Kiara Lylyk, who recently won five medals at the Canadian Track Championships.

“We’re pleased to be able to support a team of development athletes at the Pan American Cyclocross Championships for the very first time,” said Cycling Canada’s Cyclocross Lead, Rob Holmgren. “It’s a big goal for Cycling Canada to increase racing opportunities across all disciplines and this is a great chance to do so. We have a great group of really talented young racers and we’re excited to see them in action this weekend!”

Team Canada
Ava Holmgren (Orillia, ON) – Junior Women
Isabella Holmgren (Orillia, ON) – Junior Women
Kiara Lylyk (Guelph, ON) – Junior Women
Ian Ackert (Severn, ON) – Junior Men
Theo de Groote (Orangeville, ON) – Junior Men
Luke Valenti (Orangeville, ON) – Junior Men
Matt Leliveld (Mulmur, ON) – U23 Men.

Matt Leliveld:

 

Gianni Savio Aims for the WorldTour in 2024
Gianni Savio will have a ProTeam license in 2022. His team, which will race next year under the name Drone Hopper-Androni Giocattoli, was missing from the UCI list of applications for licenses in 2022 at the end of October, reports SpazioCiclismo.

So we will see the Italian team back in the professional peloton next year. Savio blames bureaucratic reasons that Androni Giocattoli-Sidermec was not on the previously issued list. In the podcast SpazioTalk, he explains that his new Spanish main sponsor Drone Hopper is a startup company. As a result, they cannot present last year’s accounts to the UCI, one of the financial requirements for a new license. As a result, the procedure was delayed, as a series of additional checks were then necessary.

“We have now submitted all documents and I can confirm that we will be on the next UCI list of license applications that comes out,” emphasised Savio. With the arrival of Drone Hopper, the Italian team dreams of being part of the WorldTour in the 2024 season. The team would become the first in the top league of cycling since the disappearance of Lampre-Merida. The most famous names of the team in 2022 are those of Santiago Umba, Juan Diego Alba, Jefferson Cepeda, Didier Merchán, Andrii Ponomar and Natnael Tesfatsion.

Savio and his squad are best known for their scouting work in South America. In the past Colombians Iván Ramiro Sosa and Venezuelan José Rujano broke through with the Italian team. Tour de France and Giro d’Italia winner Egan Arley Bernal also made his professional debut for this team at the age of 18. Many Italians from the WorldTour also took their first step with the team; Davide Ballerini, Mattia Cattaneo and Fausto Masnada of Deceuninck – Quick-Step, Alessandro De Marchi of Israel Start-Up Nation and Diego Rosa of Arkéa Samsic.

Big plans for Savio:

 

Euskaltel Euskadi With Junior team Stefano Garzelli
Euskaltel Euskadi will have its own junior race team next year. The Basque squad, part of Fundación Euskadi, joins forces with the Stefano Garzelli Team, which races at the U19 level in Spain.

“It is very important to us that a professional team trusts us to help these guys grow as riders and as people,” the Stefano Garzelli Team said on social media. “This will be a very important step for the riders and for the sporting development of the team.”

Stefano Garzelli, now 48, stopped racing in 2013. His palmarès include the 2010 Giro d’Italia, seven stage wins in the Giro, Tirreno-Adriatico and the Tour of Switzerland. His own Stefano Garzelli Team was initially a cycling school for children between 4 and 13 years, and next year a junior team will also be added.

Stefano Garzelli in the 2011 Giro:

 

Lotto Soudal Loses Insurance Company Yuzzu as Sponsor
Lotto Soudal will have to do without the sponsorship of Yuzzu in 2022. The insurance company will not renew their contract as a sponsor of the WorldTour team. “A decision we made based on objective data,” Kenneth Vansina of Yuzzu told Het Nieuwsblad. “We did not achieve the objectives we set in terms of visibility and brand awareness. Whether that has to do with sporting achievements? For a part yes. It is related to victories, but also to presence in breakaways.”

Yuzzu’s name has been on the jersey and shorts of the Lotto Soudal riders since 2020. The company was a co-sponsor, just like bike sponsor Ridley and clothing sponsor Vermarc. Earlier this year, manager John Lelangue’s team was told that Soudal will stop as main sponsor after 2022. The building materials manufacturer is reportedly making the switch to Patrick Lefevere’s Quick-Step team in 2023.

No Yuzzu on the Lotto jersey in 2022:

 

An Upward Trajectory: Team BikeExchange Jayco Men Confirm Roster & Goals for 2022
Team BikeExchange, to be named Team BikeExchange Jayco in 2022, has confirmed its 28-rider men’s roster for the coming season, as the squad looks to rebuild, with a focus on widespread wins.

“We can be very satisfied with the work that has been done this year by the performance staff, who have done an exceptional job together with the sport directors and technical staff,” General Manager Brent Copeland explained. “Along with our team owner Gerry Ryan, who is deeply involved in these important team decisions, I truly believe we have done a detailed analysis of the past season and we are confident that the decisions have been made in the best interest of the team, both with regards to rider selections as well as team goals and ambitions.”

Rebuilding
After various structural changes to the Australian outfit during the 2020 season, 2021 was a year of adjusting and developing, with the team now optimistic in its approach to its second decade of racing, as it looks to maximise opportunities and deliver consistent victories by utilising its diverse roster.

“Over the last two seasons our roster has changed, so we also need to do things differently and adapt,” Head Sport Director Matt White identified.

“We have traditionally been a team that has won races across our roster from January to October and never relied on one star to deliver the majority of our wins. We did not achieve this in 2021 and it’s an area we will again focus on in 2022.

The Grand Tours are of course very important objectives, especially with leaders like Simon Yates and Michael Matthews, but in this rebuilding phase, winning races anywhere and everywhere is also crucial. With these changes in mind, we will alter some of our goals for the coming season, and that also involves adapting our style of racing when required.”

Injection of youth and power
For 2022, the team size will increase by one (28), and with seven new riders from seven different countries joining the Australian outfit, a balance of experience and youthful motivation will be key, as the squad embarks on its 11th season in the WorldTour peloton with high ambitions.

“We have a mix of young talent and experienced hands coming into the team next year,” White continued. “With two young world class track riders in Kelland O’Brien and Campbell Stewart, we will be transitioning them across to the WorldTour road ranks and they were specifically brought in to work with Kaden Groves, our developing sprint star. To have a young, developing sprint train around Kaden consistently, with riders of a similar age that can learn and win together, it is an area which we see as a great opportunity for us to gain wins in 2022.

Alex Balmer and Jesus David Peña are obviously great young talents, Balmer will continue at the highest level in the MTB world whilst continuing to develop as a world class road rider. Peña comes to us with little European exposure, largely due to COVID restrictions in his first two years out of the junior ranks, but we will help assimilate him into the European scene and we really believe in his raw talent.

Then in terms of experience, we are losing some of our older experienced guys, so replacing them with the right people was crucial. One is Lawson Craddock, who is renowned for being a reliable teammate across a variety of terrains. He has numerous years of experience at World Tour level but will also get the opportunity to challenge himself for personal objectives.

Matteo Sobrero, who pulled off one of the biggest time trial upsets of the year by beating World Champion Filippo Ganna to win the Italian Championships, also joins us with WorldTour pedigree as a support rider for big GC leaders. We also believe that Matteo can continue to reach new personal highs with us moving forward.

Then our final signing is Jan Maas, another rider who we are excited to have on board and continue his development. He has some great experience at continental level, and I am sure he will be of great value in the mountains in key races next year.”

Team BikeExchange Jayco for 2022:
Alex Balmer (SWI, 21) New rider for 2022
Jack Bauer (NZL, 36)
Sam Bewley (NZL, 34)
Lawson Craddock (USA, 29) New rider for 2022
Kevin Colleoni (ITA, 22)
Luke Durbridge (AUS, 30)
Alex Edmondson (AUS, 27)
Tsgabu Grmay (ETH, 30)
Lucas Hamilton (AUS, 25)
Michael Hepburn (AUS, 30)
Damien Howson (AUS, 29)
Amund Grøndahl Jansen (NOR, 27)
Kaden Groves (AUS, 22)
Chris Juul-Jensen (DEN, 32)
Tanel Kangert (EST, 34)
Alex Konychev (ITA, 23)
Jan Maas (NED, 25) New rider for 2022
Michael Matthews (AUS, 31)
Cameron Meyer (AUS, 33)
Luka Mezgec (SLO, 33)
Kelland O’Brien (AUS, 23) New rider for 2022
Jesús David Peña (COL, 21) New rider for 2022
Callum Scotson (AUS, 25)
Nick Schultz (AUS, 27)
Dion Smith (NZL, 28)
Matteo Sobrero (ITA, 24) New rider for 2022
Campbell Steward (NZL, 23) New rider for 2022
Simon Yates (GBR, 29)

2022 Team BikeExchange Jayco Men’s squad stats:
No. of riders: 28
No. of Australians: 11
No. of internationals: 17 (4x NZL, 3x ITA, 1x SWI, 1x COL, 1x DEN, 1x SLO, 1x EST, 1x NOR, 1x ETH, 1x USA, 1x NED, 1x GBR)
Youngest rider: Alex Balmer (21)
Oldest rider: Jack Bauer (36)
Average age: 27.6.

Another year for Simon Yates with BikeExchange Jayco:

 

Premier Tech and Hugo Houle Create a New Training Team
The Canadian company Premier Tech has been in cycling for years and a co-sponsor with Astana last season. After a disagreement over Aleksandr Vinokourov, the company left and has had talks with three other WorldTour teams that have come to nothing. That is why CEO Jean Bélanger decided to start his own Continental team.

Premier Tech U23 Cycling Project will be riding on a Canadian license and should be a springboard for young talent to the WorldTour. The team’s service course and headquarters are located in Breuil-le-Sec in northern France. The ten U23 riders will all have their own room and $5,000 to live. They will stay there for the first months of the year to prepare for the Belgian classics at the U23 level.

In the summer it is the intention that the riders return to Canada for the Tour de Beauce (UCI 2.2) and the national championships, and other races. They will move back to Europe in the autumn to compete in a series of races and prepare for the World championships, which should be held in Australia next year. In addition, it is a condition of being a member of this training team that the young riders continue their studies.

Hugo Houle – of Astana-Premier Tech, next season a rider with Israel Start-Up Nation – will also take care of the team in a role to be named. “We want the young riders to gain experience in the professional cycling world in Europe, so that they can take the step up,” he explains to Radio Canada. “When I was an U23 myself, I was still at school. Still, I came fourth at the World U23 championships in Valkenburg, 2012. That requires discipline, but it is possible.”

Bélanger also said that there will be a training team for women in 2023 or 2024. The men this year will ride the Wilier Triestina bikes that Astana-Premier Tech has been riding this season. The U23 team was nearly without bikes due to the many delays at the manufacturers due to corona, but the Canadian made an agreement when leaving Astana that he would take over the 2021 bikes for the training team.

The day-to-day running of the team will be in the hands of Frenchman Flavien Dassonville, whose family also owns the team’s building in northern France. He was not a high flyer in the U23 class, but as a senior in 2013 he out of the blue won the French U23 Championship on the road and Paris-Tours U23. Dassonville didn’t make the step up to the pros, but in 2014 he almost won the Classic Tro-Bro Léon; Adrien Petit was too quick for him in the sprint.

Dylan Bibic is probably the most well known rider on the team, the 18-year-old recently took all ten titles in both the sprint and endurance events at the Canadian Junior Track Championships. On the road he is known as a talented sprinter. We also see the American time trialist Riley Sheehan (21). He and Charles-Étienne Chrétien were stagieires at Rally Cycling this autumn.

Premier Tech U23 Cycling Project 2022:
Dylan Bibic (18) Canada
Florian Carpentier (19) France
Charles-Etienne Chrétien (22) Canada
Guillaume Dauschy (22) France
Julien Matisse (18) Canada
Francis Juneau (21) Canada
Carson Miles (21) Canada
Robin Plamondon (21) Canada
Nicolas Rivard (20) Canada
Riley Sheehan (21) USA.

Hugo Houle:

 

New Riders and Bikes For Roxo Racing
Roxo Racing, a Texas based women’s Domestic Elite cycling team, announces a new bike sponsor and new rider signings for 2022.

The team will contest a full National schedule competing on Time bicycles, specifically the highly regarded Alpe d’Huez 01 disc and featuring Shimano drivetrains.

New additions to the squad include Sommers Creed, from Athens, GA, who joins the team after a breakout season with Cardinal Classic Cycling. A former collegiate swimmer, Creed recently scored impressive G.C. results at Green Mountain Stage Race and Joe Martin Stage Race.
Roxo also welcomes the addition of Celine Oberholzer from San Marcos, TX from the powerhouse Wolfpack / ATX squad. Oberholzer, a proven top 10 competitor on the national stage, brings youth, skill, and experience to Roxo Racing.

The team also welcomes the signing of Sanna Younger from Spring, TX. Sanna proved herself in a late season call up with an encouraging debut in the El Paso USA Crits round. Returning the squad for 2022 are veteran Roxo riders Michelle Henry, Amber Smolik, Hannah Dalsing and Jaime Larmer.

About Roxo Racing
Roxo Energy, the primary sponsor of Roxo Racing, returns as title sponsor for 2022, with presenting sponsors Erdoes PC, and Oklahoma City law firm, and Scott Dennett Construction, a Fort Worth, TX commercial construction company. Industry sponsors include Castelli Cycling, suppliers of custom team kit, Shimano shoes and equipment, Lazer helmets, Arundel accessories and Velotoze accessories. Follow Roxo via: www.pezcyclingnews.com, www.roxoracing.com, www.instagram.com/roxoracing/.

Roxo Sponsors: https://roxoenergy.com/, https://www.erdoespc.com/, https://dennettconstruction.com/, https://bike.shimano.com/en-US/home.html, https://lazersport.us/, https://www.castelli-cycling.com/us, https://www.velotoze.com/, https://www.arundelbike.com/.

 

Superprestige in Boom will Run on Saturday, with Van Aert and Pidcock
Boom’s Superprestige cyclo-cross will be held on Saturday 4 December. Tomas Van den Spiegel of the umbrella organisation Flanders Classics confirmed to WielerFlits. On Monday evening there was an emergency meeting between the organisers and the mayor of Boom.

There were some doubts about the Superprestige race in Boom, because the World Cup in Antwerp will not take place. That cross should have been run on Sunday 5th December. The public are still allowed to attend cyclocross races, but organiser Golazo is wary of the extra measures imposed for the Antwerp cyclocross.

The organisers in Boom will have Wout van Aert and Tom Pidcock on the start line. Both are making their first appearance in a cross race this season. There were still some doubts about Pidcock’s participation, because not all contracts had been finalised, but that has now been resolved and so the British all-rounder can start. Mathieu van der Poel will have to wait a little longer. The World champion will start his cyclo-cross season on December 18 in the Rucphen World Cup.

Cross for Pidcock and Van Aert:

 

Scott Sunderland and Mark Renshaw Join Wollongong 2022 Organisation
The organisers of the 2022 World Cycling Championships, in Wollongong, Australia, has added two well-known names. Scott Sunderland will become race director, while Mark Renshaw will work as safety manager. Both come from New South Wales, the state where the World championships are to be held.

Sunderland, like Renshaw a former rider, brings quite a bit of experience. He has already acted as race director of Flanders Classics, the Ride London Classique and the Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race. UCI president David Lappartient is pleased with the appointment of Sunderland. Scott is highly regarded in professional cycling and his knowledge of Australia as a former director of several National Road Series events makes him the ideal person for this position.

Renshaw, who retired from cycling in 2019, also wants to use his experience. “I am very grateful for the opportunity to be involved in the World Road Championships in Wollongong, and I look forward to contributing to the preparations. Thanks to my 16 years of experience in racing, I can ensure that the rider’s perspective is taken into account,” said the former lead-out man for Mark Cavendish.

The World championships in Wollongong will be held from September 18 to 25, provided the corona situation allows. It is, after Geelong in 2010, the second time that the World championships take place in Australia. It is not yet known what the routes will look like: this will be presented in December.

2022 Worlds in Australia:

 

Challenge Mallorca Now Five Days
The Challenge Mallorca will be a five-day event in 2022. In recent years, the race series, with a UCI 1.1 race every day, lasted four days. Organiser Unisport Consulting has announced that the traditional race to Palma de Mallorca will return in the Challenge Mallorca. That race was missing last season. The choice for 2022 was not to exchange another race, but to add the Trofeo Palma to the 2021 edition. The last time the Challenge Mallorca was a five-day event was in 2011, but not since due to financial issues.

This year the Challenge Mallorca was moved from January to May due to the corona crisis. Ryan Gibbons, Jesús Herrada, Winner Anacona and André Greipel were the winners.

Challenge Majorca 2022:
Trofeo Calvià (January 26)
Trofeo Pollenca-Port d’Andratx (January 27)
Trofeo Serra de Tramuntana (January 28)
Trofeo Alcúdia-Port d’Alcúdia (January 29)
Trofeo Playa de Palma-Palma (January 30).

Ryan Gibbons winning in Mallorca’21:

 

L’Etoile de Bessèges Announces Route and Team List
The organisers of the Etoile du Bessèges has announced the route and the participating teams for 2022. The French stage race will last from 2 February to 6 February next year.

The 52nd edition of the Etoile du Bèsseges starts with a stage to and from Bellegarde. Then there are stages to Rousson, Bessèges and Mont Bouquet, before finishing with an individual time trial around Alès.

In total there are twenty teams at the start of the southern French competition. In addition to two continental team and nine ProTeams, nine WorldTeams will also participate: AG2R Citroën, Cofidis, Groupama-FDJ, EF Education-Nippo, INEOS Grenadiers, Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert, Israel Start-Up Nation, Trek-Segafredo and UAE Team Emirates.

L’Étoile de Bessèges 2022 (2-6 February) Route:
February 2, stage 1: Bellegarde – Bellegarde (160 km)
February 3, stage 2: Saint-Christol-les-Alès – Rousson (156 km)
February 4, stage 3: Bessèges – Bessèges (155 km)
February 5, stage 4: Saint-Hilaire-de-Brethmas – Mont Bouquet (145 km)
February 6, stage 5: Contre-la-montre Alès – Alès l’Ermitage (ITT – 11 km)

Participating Teams:
AG2R Citroen
Cofidis
Groupama-FDJ
EF Education Nippo
INEOS Grenadiers
Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert
Israel Start-Up Nation
Trek-Segafredo
UAE Team Emirates
Alpecin-Fenix
Arkea-Samsic
Bardiani-CSF-Faizane
B&B Hotels p/b KT
Bingoal-Pauwels Sauces-WB
Equipo Kern Pharma
Sport Flanders-Baloise
TotalEnergies
Uno-X.

Tim Wellens won in 2021:

 

Tour du Rwanda Announces Teams and Route
The organisers of the Tour du Rwanda (2.1) have announced the teams for the next edition of the race. Israel Start-Up Nation is the only team with a WorldTeam license. Furthermore, five ProTeams participate in the multi-day cycling tour.

The route: The riders start on Sunday 20 February 2022 with a short 4 kilometre prologue in Kigali, the capital of Rwanda. Stage two from Kigali to Rwamagana looks to be one for the sprinters. In the third stage to Rubavu it is up to the GC men, with four first category climbs on the stage.

Climbing is also a must in the subsequent stages. In stage four finishing in Gicumbi, the riders will climb over a hors category climb, to tackle two first category climbs a day later. The final three stages are all very tough. This year, Spaniard Cristián Rodríguez was the overall winner of the Tour du Rwanda. The TotalEnergies climber beat Canadian James Piccoli and American Alex Hoehn in the final standings.

Tour du Rwanda 2022 (February 20-27):
20/02 – Stage 1: Kigali Arena – Kigali Arena (4 km, prologue)
21/02 – Stage 2: Kigali – Rwamagana (148.3 km)
22/02 – Stage 3: Kigali – Rubavu (155.9 km)
23/02 – Stage 4: Kigali – Gicumbi (124.3 km)
24/02 – Stage 5: Muhanga – Musanze (124.7 km)
25/02 – Stage 6: Musanze – Kigali (152 km)
26/02 – Stage 7: Kigali – Kigali (152.6 km)
27/02 – Stage 8: Kigali Canal Olympia – Kigali Olympia (75.3 km).

One WorldTeam will travel to Rwanda: Israel Start-Up Nation. The Israeli team also rode this year. With B&B Hotels p/b KTM, Burgos-BH, Drone Hopper Androni, Team Novo Nordisk and TotalEnergies, there are five ProTeams on the start list. There are eight continental teams and five national selections at the start of the Tour du Rwanda 2022.

Participating teams in flag-RW Tour du Rwanda 2022 (20-27 February):
WorldTeams:
Israel Start-Up Nation

ProTeams:
B&B Hotels p/b KT
Burgos-BH
Drone Hopper Andronic
Team Novo Nordisk
TotalEnergies

Continental Teams:
Benediction Ignite
Bike Aid
Tarteletto-Isorex
Team Coop
Team ProTouch
Team SKS Sauerland NRW
Terengganu Cycling Team
Wildlife Generation Pro Cycling

National Selections:
Algeria
Eritrea
Britain
Morocco
Rwanda.

The fans will be out for the 2022 Tour du Rwanda:

 

Baloise Will be Named Sponsor for the Baloise Belgium Tour for Two More Years
Baloise will remain the named sponsor of the Baloise Belgium Tour for at least two years (2022 and 2023). The race has been carrying the name of the insurance company since 2011. The organisers of the Belgian tour announced the race will start next year in Merelbeke in East Flanders.

Bart Walraet, CEO of Baloise, is very happy with the new deal for the next two seasons: “We are happy and proud to be able to link our name to the national tour for the next two editions. Over the past decade, the Baloise Belgium Tour has become a fixture, among cycling enthusiasts at home and abroad, as well as the national and international media.”

“Baloise Insurance has had a passion for cycling for years and this is also reflected in our support for the Baloise Trek Lions, Sport Vlaanderen Baloise, Baloise Ladies Tour and the Lotto Six Days. Cycling not only gives Baloise Insurance visibility, but above all it also creates a connection. We are already looking forward to a safe and high-quality 2022 edition,” said Walraet.

The Baloise Belgium Tour 2022 will be held from Wednesday 15 to Sunday 19 June and the five-day tour starts in Merelbeke. Alderman of Sport Egbert Lachaert is enthusiastic: “Merelbeke considers cycling to be of paramount importance. As a municipality between the Flemish Ardennes and Gent, we can offer an attractive starting place, with a great first stage of this wonderful race.”

“Merelbeke is very happy with this Grand Départ”, says Mayor Filip Thienpont. “We previously organised the Belgian championship for juniors and in 2018 a stage in the Baloise Ladies Tour, then the BeNE Ladies Tour. We are once again putting ourselves on the map as a cycling community. An incentive for the many cycling enthusiasts and volunteers of the cycling clubs. We are already looking forward to the peloton!”

Christophe Impens, the man behind organiser Golazo, is also happy with Merelbeke as first place on the race route. “Merelbeke is ideally located to plan a trip towards the Flemish Ardennes.” This year the overall victory in the Baloise Belgium Tour went to Remco Evenepoel.

Evenepoel won the 2021 Baloise Belgium Tour:

 

Slight Signs of Progress for Tadej Pogacar’s Manager
Johnny Carera, the agent of Tour de France winner Tadej Pogačar and Vincenzo Nibali, and others, is showing ‘slight signs of progress’ after his car accident Friday night.

Carera is still in intensive care in Milan, reports La Gazzetta dello Sport. The manager was left with a ruptured lung and several broken ribs from the accident. In the Italian sports newspaper, Alex Carera gave an update on the condition of his brother Johnny. “The doctors have tried to wake him from his artificial coma and Johnny has responded well to external stimuli,” he said.

“No further news. Of course the doctors do not give their point of view and the prognosis remains tentative,” said Alex Carera, who founded the management agency A&J All Sports with his brother Johnny. The agency is very active in cycling.

Carera with Pogačar:

 

When Cyclo-Cross Meets the Snow: The Show is Coming to Val di Sole
With less than two weeks to go before the first Cyclo-cross World Cup in Vermiglio (December 11-12), Val di Sole has presented an exciting video trailer about cyclo-cross meeting snow and big mountains. Martino Fruet starred on the 3.000m asl of the Presena Glacier ratio.

Over this past weekend, the Laghetti di San Leonardo in Vermiglio have been covered with a white blanket of snow. As the barometer drops, the expectations for the UCI Cyclo-cross World Cup in Val di Sole are on the rise, with snow promising to be the key factor for a unique show on December 11th and 12th.

In just a few days, amazing champions such as Wout Van Aert, Tom Pidcock and Eli Iserbyt will arrive in Val di Sole to tackle the most eagerly awaited challenge of the winter, presented by the organising committee with an exciting launching video that tells of the unprecedented mix of cyclo-cross, snow and big mountains.

The main character of the video is Martino Fruet, the much-loved veteran of Italian off-road racing hailing from Trentino, who lets himself be overwhelmed by the excitement and the challenge of the snowy terrain until he reaches, with the bike on his shoulders in full cyclo-cross style, the summit of the Presena Glacier, on Passo Tonale, at over 3,000 m asl. The video “Get ready for the show, get ready for the snow” was directed by Filmotion, with concept and script by Vitesse.

On Thursday, December 2nd at 11.30 am CET, the presentation press conference will be held in Trento at the Trentino Marketing headquarters. Just ten days later in Vermiglio, it will be time to just push and try to make history.

 

---

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.