EUROTRASH Thursday: What Next from The Giro? All The News

A lot has happened since Monday in the Giro d’Italia. All the news from Italy and the 4 Jours de Dunkerque – Grand Prix des Hauts de France with video, results and reports.

Jan Bakelants ‘advises’ Remco Evenepoel to ride the Tour, Patrick Lefevere says no – TOP STORY.

Rider news: New covid rules for the Giro, Patrick Lefevere on the abandonment of Remco Evenepoel, Patrick Lefevere not happy with accusations from La Gazzetta dello Sport, Soudal Quick-Step medical update, Director of the Slovenian Cycling Association doubts whether Evenepoel has corona, Rigoberto Urán and Davide Cimolai also leave the Giro and did Primoz Roglič benefit from ‘drafting’ in the Giro time trial?

Team news: Christophe Laporte to stay with Jumbo-Visma until 2026, Jan Polanc calls time on racing career, Ex-Pink Jersey Andreas Leknessund Returns to Uno-X, Adrien Petit extends with Intermarché-Circus-Wanty, join the Ben Healy fan club and Soudal Quick-Step Giro d’Italia video week 1 – Not the ending we were looking for.

Plus Wahoo ready for innovation.

Monday EUROTRASH coffee time.

 

TOP STORY: Jan Bakelants ‘advises’ Evenepoel: “Tour is an attractive prospect”
Remco Evenepoel had to leave the Giro d’Italia after a positive test for covid on Sunday. The World Champion must be disappointed by his early giro departure while in the pink jersey, but the season has only started and there are a lot of race still to come. Former rider Jan Bakelants has suggested: “The Tour can offer an attractive perspective.”

Bakelants, in his role as an analyst for Het Laatste Nieuws, sent this message to Evenepoel: “This is the situation now and you have to make the best of it. Don’t grieve too long now. Cry for ten days, then change your mind and look ahead again.”

Is a first participation in the Tour de France an option for Evenepoel? The second Grand Tour of the year will start in just over six weeks, on July 1, in Bilbao, Spain. “I think the Tour can offer an attractive perspective for the second part of the season, and give the year an unexpected turn,” said Bakelants. “It just might turn out to be an incredible success. And that many valuable lessons are taken home.”

Patrick Lefevere: “No, Remco Evenepoel is Not Going to the Tour de France”
Patrick Lefevere has put an end to all speculation: Remco Evenepoel will not be in the Tour de France this year. The Belgian World Champion will choose other goals after his forced retirement from the Giro d’Italia. “He will probably want and be able to ride the World Championships.”

At the start of stage 11 in Camaiore, Lefevere told RTBF: “No, Remco is not going to the Tour. That wouldn’t be very smart either. It is important that he now fully recuperates. We will test his health and then see how he can continue his planning.” Lefevere put an end to the speculations about Evenepoel’s possible participation in the Tour. The manager of Soudal Quick-Step also spoke briefly about what the World Champion will be riding in the coming months. “He will probably want and be able to ride the World Championships in August, but it is still too early to decide on the Vuelta.”

Tour for Remco?

 

Giro d’Italia 2023
Magnus Cort won Stage 10 of the Giro d’Italia. The EF Education-EasyPost Dane escaped with Derek Gee and Alessandro De Marchi through very heavy rain to defeated his companions in the sprint. Geraint Thomas held his overall lead, but there are a few names missing due to covid and crashes.

Before the start, no one was sure whether the whole stage could be ridden. Shortening the stage was considered due to the rain, wind and cold, but after much deliberation the stage would be as planned. Despite the bad weather conditions, many riders were eager for the early break. It turned out to be the start of a crazy start. There were many attacks at the front of the peloton and at the back there were many in trouble. Mads Pedersen was dropped very early and it also went too fast for an ill Aleksandr Vlasov, who was sixth overall.

Amanuel Ghebreigzabhier (Trek-Segafredo), Alessandro De Marchi (Jayco AlUla), Louis Vervaeke, Mattia Cattaneo (Soudal Quick-Step) and Derek Gee (Israel-Premier Tech) managed to escape. These five riders formed the first serious break, but didn’t stay together for long. It was too fast for Ghebreigzabhier and Cattaneo, then Vervaeke also couldn’t follow the pace of De Marchi and Gee uphill. The Italian and Canadian continued and managed to take a maximum lead of 4 minutes. Now that the ‘break of the day’ had gone, peace slowly returned to the peloton and Movistar took control of the race. The Spanish team were obviously aiming for a sprint finish with Fernando Gaviria, who is still looking for his first stage victory in this Giro. De Marchi and Gee were joined by two riders, who had counter-attacked. Magnus Cort (EF Education-EasyPost) and KOM, Davide Bais of EOLO-Kometa. The lead of De Marchi, Gee, Cort and Bais continued to fluctuate around 4 minutes to the top of the Passo delle Radici. They still had more than 120 kilometres to go to the finish in torrentially cold rain. The top of the climb was at 1,500 metres altitude, this was a lot of suffering for the riders. Simone Petilli and Vlasov couldn’t take it anymore and they both abandoned.

At the top of the Passo delle Radici, Bais was first in his blue jersey, to add 18 points in his battle for the King of the Mountains classification. The peloton came over the summit 4 minutes later, and the soaked riders started the 30 kilometre wet and treacherous descent. At the head of the peloton, Movistar had been replaced by INEOS Grenadiers, for race leader Thomas. The British team took no risks on the descent. Bahrain Victorious had other plans and went for it on the descent. Andrea Pasqualon dropped like a stone and took two teammates with him: Sprinter Jonathan Milan and GC man Damiano Caruso. Pavel Sivakov tried to follow, but crashed and was then caught by the peloton. The three riders of Bahrain Victorious went ‘full gas’, but their daring attempt didn’t work, although the thinned peloton had split into several pieces. The work of Bahrain Victorious didn’t immediately pay off for Caruso, but the work had not been in vain. Due to the high pace, some fast men had been dropped. Gaviria was the main victim, while Milan was still well at the front and had his team drive at full speed. Bahrain Victorious received support from Soudal Quick-Step. The Belgian team had a candidate stage winner with Davide Ballerini. Mads Pedersen, Michael Matthews and a strong Mark Cavendish were also among them.

With 50 kilometres to go, the situation was that De Marchi, Gee and Cort were still in the lead, as KOM Bais sat up on the descent, but the lead was now down to 2:30. Chaos was never far away. There was a crash and then Alberto Bettiol ran into Jayco AlUla mechanic, both were able to carry on their work. Warren Barguil also crashed and was able to continue, but was in a lot of pain. The sprinter’s teams had now united and were eating away at the lead. With 15 kilometres to go, the difference was only 50 seconds. Closing the gap turned out not to be so easy. In the chasing group, the last domestiques were burnt out, while the three at the front were still giving it their all. De Marchi, Gee and Cort proved to be particularly tough to catch and barely lost any time in the last 10 kilometres. At 3 kilometres from the finish, the chasing group, what was left of the peloton, was at 40 seconds.

With 2 kilometres to go it was clear that the winner was in the front group and Cort was the favourite. The Dane had the fastest sprint of the three, but there was a surprise attack from Gee with a kilometre and a half to go. For a moment it looked like the Canadian had the win in his sights. De Marchi couldn’t chase, but Cort managed to get back to Gee’s rear wheel. they eased enough for De Marchi to try a last minute jump, but it was Cort who had the strongest finish. Gee finished second for the second time in this Giro, De Marchi had to settle for third place. For Cort, it is his ninth stage victory in a Grand Tour, but only his first in the Giro d’Italia. The Dane has completed the trilogy of winning a stage in all three big Tours. Pedersen won the sprint for fourth place, ahead of Ackermann.

# You can see the full PEZ ‘Stage Report’ HERE. #

Stage winner, Magnus Cort Nielsen (EF Education-EasyPost): “The 2022 Giro d’Italia was my first participation in a Grand Tour in which I didn’t win any stage so I’m super happy that I succeeded in my second trial. It’s a big deal for me to win at least one stage win in every Grand Tour. It’s something I’ve been hoping for and dreaming of for many years. It’s a big part of the reasons for me being here again this year. A Giro stage win was missing on my palmarès, it feels great now. It was an incredibly hard stage, one the hardest days on my bike, because of a majority of climbing in the first 90 kilometres. We wanted to push as hard as we could to stop the sprinters and we didn’t succeed, so I had to reach the breakaway instead. I was lucky that De Marchi kept working at the front. I could feel that I wasn’t pushing the same watts in the last hour. I was scared that my body would suddenly stop working, but luckily my legs kept turning normally.”

The Maglia Rosa, Geraint Thomas (INEOS Grenadiers): “The way I took the Maglia Rosa is not normal and the weather today was not ideal to enjoy it. As a respect to the race, I wanted to keep the jersey in the bunch. What happened [to Remco Evenepoel] is unfortunate, but if someone has to wear the Maglia Rosa, I’m happy to do that. There are still lot of good bike riders in the race. The main difference is that we have the jersey now. We haven’t raced to the top of a mountain yet, so we’ll see what Friday’s stage brings. We’ll defend the lead until then. We have a strong team with several riders highly placed on GC but we’re not getting complacent. There are eleven stages to go. Weather conditions can impact the race but I hope for a better forecast, I’ve left Wales when I was 20 to go away from the bad weather. However, conditions are the same for everyone. I was keen to race the whole course if it was possible and it proved to be the case.”

2nd on the stage, Derek Gee (Israel-Premier Tech): “I think it’s going to take a while for it to sink in what I did out there today but I’m really happy with my race. It was touch and go for a while out there, not knowing if we would make it or not. For a long time, I didn’t think we had a shot. I actually can’t believe we made it at the end. To be honest, this one hurts a little more [than the last second place] as I could really see the victory right there. I knew that Cort was faster than me and that I shouldn’t go up against him head-to-head. I tried a late attack but ultimately, I ended in a sprint against him anyway. The Giro is still long but I will try not to think about that right now as my legs really hurt after today!”

3rd on the stage, Alessandro De Marchi (Jayco AlUla): “It was another really big day, a really hard one, especially because of the bad weather conditions, it made the race even harder, it was already tricky with the first 80km going uphill. The plan was to look for a breakaway, for a big group and we were ready from the start, me and Pöstlberger especially. I found the good move at the beginning of the first climb going into the hilly section of the stage and then it was about surviving on the climbs with the cold and rainy weather. Once we got to the top, we were all committed to keeping the pace high and playing our cards on the flat part in the last 50km. I was confident because both Gee and Cort were really strong, so I was confident that we could play for the result. In the end it went as expected because they are both really fast and with that kind of finish, flat and completely straight in the last 3km, it was really difficult to find the moment to surprise them. So there were not many other options in a finish like that other than to sprint with the legs I had. I am happy but also a bit disappointed because after a hard day like that you want to win, but we are still far away from Rome and there are plenty of opportunities. Now the goal is to recover, both physically and mentally, then be ready for the next opportunities.”

31st on the stage, Patrick Konrad (BORA-hansgrohe): “It was another very tough day today, not least because of the weather. In the end, the group of favourites was also quite small. Some riders crashed or had problems with the cold. Unfortunately, Bob and Toni were also involved, luckily I was able to stay with Lenni. After Aleks unfortunately dropped out, that was all the more important for us.”

Giro d’Italia Stage 10 Result:
1. Magnus Cort (Den) EF Education-EasyPost in 4:51:15
2. Derek Gee (Can) Israel-Premier Tech
3. Alessandro De Marchi (Ita) Jayco AlUla at 0:02
4. Mads Pedersen (Den) Trek-Segafredo at 0:51
5. Pascal Ackermann (Ger) UAE Team Emirates
6. Stefano Oldani (Ita) Alpecin-Deceuninck
7. Jonathan Milan (Ita) Bahrain Victorious
8. Mark Cavendish (GB) Astana Qazaqstan
9. Mirco Maestri (Ita) EOLO-Kometa
10. Filippo Fiorelli (Ita) Green Project-Bardiani CSF-Faizanè.

Giro d’Italia Overall After Stage 10:
1. Geraint Thomas (GB) INEOS Grenadiers in 39:26:33
2. Primož Roglič (Slo) Jumbo-Visma at 0:02
3. Tao Geoghegan Hart (GB) INEOS Grenadiers at 0:05
4. João Almeida (Por) UAE Team Emirates at 0:22
5. Andreas Leknessund (Nor) DSM at 0:35
6. Damiano Caruso (Ita) Bahrain Victorious at 1:28
7. Lennard Kämna (Ger) BORA-hansgrohe at 1:52
8. Pavel Sivakov (Fra) INEOS Grenadiers at 2:15
9. Eddie Dunbar (Irl) Jayco AlUla at 2:32
10. Thymen Arensman (Ned) INEOS Grenadiers.

Giro’23 stage 10:

 

The longest stage of the 2023 Giro d’Italia was won by Pascal Ackermann. After 219 kilometres between Camaiore and Tortona, the German of UAE Team Emirates was the fastest in a bunch sprint, although a photo finish was necessary between him and points competition leader, Jonathan Milan. Mark Cavendish was third. The big news of the day was the retirement of Tao Geoghegan Hart, who crashed 70 kilometres from the finish. Geraint Thomas held the overall lead.

After Tuesday’s thirteen retirements, there were again eight withdrawals on Wednesday morning. The biggest blow was to the battered Soudal Quick-Step team, where, following leader Remco Evenepoel, four more riders tested positive for covid. That is now 34 riders out of the 2023 Giro d’Italia before the start of the longest stage.

The day started in dry conditions. Laurenz Rex (Intermarché-Circus-Wanty) was one of the first attackers, he was joined by Filippo Magli (Green Project-Bardiani CSF Faizanè), Diego Pablo Sevilla (EOLO-Kometa), Thomas Champion (Cofidis), Veljko Stojnic and Alexander Konychev (Corratec-Selle Italia). The six were kept close by the sprinter’s teams. Trek-Segafredo, Bahrain Victorious and Astana Qazaqstan gave the front riders more than 4 minutes, but then kept the difference around 3 minutes for a long time. The rest of the peloton was able to recover from the horrible stage 10. In the leading group it was Sevilla who took 9 mountain points on the first climb of the day. Stojnic grabbed the most points on the second climb. In the peloton, especially after yesterday’s successful escape, no risks were taken with the ‘break of the day’. The lead fluctuated in the hilly part of the stage at around 2 minutes for a long time. The speed was too fast for Kaden Groves, who had not yet recovered from illness earlier in the Giro.

As the race settled in to a nice rhythm towards the final, there was a crash of several of the favourite riders. On a wet descent, Alessandro Covi crashed and took pink jersey Geraint Thomas and second placed Primoz Roglič with him. Fortunately they were able to continue. Tao Geoghegan Hart was not so lucky. INEOS Grenadiers’ second leader crashed hard and had to be taken to hospital. Another victim of that crash was Pavel Sivakov, who was able to continue, but he was in a lot of pain. He lost a lot of time and dropped out of the top 10 on GC. Not much later, Óscar Rodríguez of Movistar slid on a bend, hitting a road sign and the side of a house. He was also taken to hospital. On the last climb of the day, the Passo della Castagnola (4.9km at 4.5%), Jayco AlUla pushed hard. Michael Matthews’ team tried to thin out the peloton and get rid of the sprinters. The peloton split into pieces due to the work of Filippo Zana. At the front, Stojnic, Rex and Champion started the last 40 kilometres of the stage with a 45 second lead. The stage route was mainly descending to the finish line. Jayco AlUla came off the front when they realised that sprinters like Fernando Gaviria and Mark Cavendish were still in the peloton. As a result, Trek-Segafredo and Movistar took over again in the chase for Rex and Stojnic, the only remains of the break. The strong Belgian dropped the Serb and started the last 20 kilometres solo.

Rex held on for a long time, but after more than 210 kilometres off the front, he had to give in to the sprinter’s teams. He was caught 5 kilometres from the finish in Tortona. The GC teams had also appeared at the front of the peloton to keep their leaders out of trouble. As a result, the nervousness also increased. As a result, there was a crash near the head of the bunch, about 2 kilometres to go. Jasha Sütterlin and Henok Mulubrhan crashed and caused a big split in the peloton. A group of 30 men would compete for the stage victory. Mads Pedersen started too early, allowing Mark Cavendish and Pascal Ackermann to pass him. The German thought he had won and had his arms in the air, but Jonathan Milan had come from behind and looked like he might have just taken the win from under Ackermann’s nose. Ackermann and Milan were both very happy, but the photo finish would decide the winner. After a few minutes the victory was awarded to Ackermann. Milan was second, Cavendish third and Pedersen fourth. Geraint Thomas held the overall lead, but again there are some changes to the GC due to crashes, covid and other illness.

# You can see the full PEZ ‘Stage Report’ HERE. #

Stage winner, Pascal Ackermann (UAE Team Emirates): “It took me a while to be back to the big races. I’ve been waiting for the three years to my next Grand Tour stage win. I’ve worked very hard this year to get it again. I’m super happy to show that I’m still able to win big races, especially after my broken coccyx last year. I was three months away from racing. I’m glad that I’ve finally won another race. It was very important for me personally to win again. These past few days I got no support from the team because they had to take care of the GC riders. Today I got help and they did an amazing job. I’m super happy that Ryan [Gibbons] took me in perfect position. I hope to get the same support again in the next sprint stage. It was tight but I immediately knew that I won. All my family was here today, so it adds to my happiness to win. I already wanted to win yesterday but we didn’t catch the breakaway.”

Overall leader, Geraint Thomas (INEOS Grenadiers): “It’s a bit of a shock to lose Tao [Geoghegan Hart]. It was a big blow when he heard that he abandoned and Pavel [Sivakov] is a bit banged up. The Giro is never straightforward. Yesterday, I was saying how many strong guys we were in the team and a lot has changed today. It’s cycling. We have to adapt, stay positive and move forward. I couldn’t avoid [Alessandro Covi] but fortunately I landed on him. I definitely don’t blame him. He didn’t want to create that crash but the riders first, second and third on GC were right behind him. The Giro was a dream for our team up to this point. It’s disappointing but we are still in it.”

2nd on the stage and points leader, Jonathan Milan (Bahrain Victorious): “I made a mistake by going too far into the last corner. It was very close. I gave everything and until the finish line I kept hoping for victory. In the end it came second. I’m glad I still have this jersey. I can’t deny that I thought I had won. It is still a good result for me. At the last corner I made a small mistake by being too far, but after that I rode a good sprint. I am satisfied with it.”

2nd overall, Primož Roglič (Jumbo-Visma): Roglič had a n injury to his left leg. “You can see that there is still some meat to see, but I’m going to take a shower first… I’m still here, so okay, huh.”

3rd on the stage, Mark Cavendish (Astana Qazaqstan): “We were really motivated for today’s stage. It was a nice sprint on paper, but it wasn’t easy to arrive there… The way we built as a team this Giro we knew if we work together, we get there. Vadim rode the whole day on the front, making an incredible tempo and making sure the break never got too far. And the boys looked after me in the final. There was a small kick when another team attacked to try to drop us, but the boys stayed with me. We were just off the pack, but we came back, we stayed together, we straight to the front and set up for the sprint. I was so motivated; the boys rode incredible for me, and I am so proud of them, and I am just sorry I couldn’t finish it off. I couldn’t change anything else about the sprint. In terms of how the sprint went and how I rode it I just got beaten by, actually, two incredible young riders, Pascal Ackermann and Jonathan Milan. It’s not bad boys to be beaten by. So, my congratulations to Pascal.”

Break rider, Laurenz Rex (Intermarché-Circus-Wanty): “So far, my first Grand Tour has been particularly difficult. Almost every day we had to brave difficult weather conditions, which inevitably leads to illness in the peloton. My profile of a classic rider luckily offers me good resistance to this kind of conditions. However, I really suffered yesterday. I was even one of the first dropped riders. It was difficult mentally, but the support of all team members helped me to understand that this is not unusual in a Grand Tour. I felt refreshed this morning. I attacked from the start of the stage with the same good legs as in the first week. But the peloton didn’t give us any freedom, with a gap oscillating between two and three minutes all day, making it very hard in the front. Quite early I understood that I had to pursue the adventure alone in order to try to go as far as possible. I’m happy that I could show what I’m capable of for the first time this Giro. I hope to be rewarded with the red number for most combative rider by the fans on Twitter. I will now enjoy massage and a good night of sleep, hoping to not pay this day too much in the stage of tomorrow and then to pursue our battle for a stage victory.”

Nico Denz (BORA-hansgrohe): “It was a long day today and we were prepared for the worst again weather-wise. I have to admit, I actually started out too wrapped up, and we saw again today for the first time that the sky is actually blue and not grey. And then of course, as it is here at this year’s Giro, in the finale, a bit of rain came down again. All in all, though, it was actually not too bad. Our goal was to get through safely. That’s why we invested a bit in the finale to get around the front. That also worked out well. I entered the roundabout first for the final two kilometres, with Lenni on my rear wheel, so we were safe and didn’t really notice the crash in the end.”

Crash victim, Tao Geoghegan Hart (INEOS Grenadiers): “I’m devastated this is how my giro ended. Thank you all for your messages and support. I was so excited about the remainder of this race and loving every minute of it. Arrivederci @giroditalia.” Geoghegan Hart has sustained a fracture of the left hip which will require surgery.

Giro d’Italia Stage 11 Result:
1. Pascal Ackermann (Ger) UAE Team Emirates in 5:09:02
2. Jonathan Milan (Ita) Bahrain Victorious
3. Mark Cavendish (GB) Astana Qazaqstan
4. Mads Pedersen (Den) Trek-Segafredo
5. Stefano Oldani (Ita) Alpecin-Deceuninck
6. Vincenzo Albanese (Ita) EOLO-Kometa
7. Marius Mayrhofer (Ger) DSM
8. Davide Ballerini (Ita) Soudal Quick-Step
9. Simone Consonni (Ita) Cofidis
10. Arne Marit (Bel) Intermarché-Circus-Wanty.

Giro d’Italia Overall After Stage 11:
1. Geraint Thomas (GB) INEOS Grenadiers in 44:35:35
2. Primož Roglič (Slo) Jumbo-Visma at 0:02
3. João Almeida (Por) UAE Team Emirates at 0:22
4. Andreas Leknessund (Nor) DSM at 0:35
5. Damiano Caruso (Ita) Bahrain Victorious at 1:28
6. Lennard Kämna (Ger) BORA-hansgrohe at 1:52
7. Eddie Dunbar (Irl) Jayco AlUla at 2:32
8. Thymen Arensman (Ned) INEOS Grenadiers
9. Laurens De Plus (Bel) INEOS Grenadiers at 2:36
10. Aurélien Paret-Peintre (Fra) AG2R Citroën at 2:48.

Giro’23 stage 11:

 

4 Jours de Dunkerque – Grand Prix des Hauts de France 2023
The First Stage of the Four Days of Dunkirk, finishing in Abbeville, was won by Olav Kooij. The Dutchman won the mass sprint after a very chaotic final, which was marred by several crashes. Arnaud De Lie did not participate in the victory: the Belgian crashed hard in the last hundred metres.

The 67th edition of the Four Days of Dunkirk started on Tuesday. The race started with a stage from Dunkirk, the famous coastal town close to the Belgian border, to Abbeville. There were five mountain sprints, three intermediate sprints and more than 1,700 metres of climbing, but a sprint finish was still expected after a 200 kilometres of racing.

The break of the day didn’t just happen. The first attack attempts were shut down, but in the end five riders escaped the peloton. Mathis Le Berre (Arkéa-Samsic), Alex Colman (Team Flanders-Baloise), Kenny Molly (Van Rysel-Roubaix Lille Métropole), Damien Girard (Nice Métropole Côte d’Azur) and Maël Guégan (CIC U Nantes Atlantique) built up a lead of more than 3 minutes. In the peloton, the sprinter’s teams had things under control. The five escapees continued to work well together and started the last 20 kilometres with a 1 minute lead. With more than 15 kilometres to go, Le Berre made his move. The young Frenchman, who made an impression in Omloop Het Nieuwsblad, managed to thin out the leading group. Only the Belgian, Molly, was able to go with him. Le Berre and Molly lasted little longer, but were caught at with 10 kilometres to go.

Unfortunately, the final was marred by three serious crashes. In the last crash, Arnaud De Lie hit the deck. The Belgian Lotto Dstny rider was not able to take part in the sprint. Kooij was well placed and managed to avoid the chaos and won the sprint. The Dutchman of Jumbo-Visma put the German Max Walscheid and the young Frenchman Paul Penhoët behind him. Tim Merlier finished in fourth place. Kooij took his second victory of the season and also takes the lead in the general classification. The young sprinter is 4 seconds ahead of Walscheid, Penhoët is third at 6 seconds.

Stage winner and overall leader, Olav Kooij (Jumbo-Visma): “It was a question of timing. The last few kilometres we were riding into the wind, so it was challenging to prepare a perfect sprint as a team. The peloton went from left to right, so the situation was never under control. I didn’t see the crash, but I heard it. I hope everyone is OK. It was a goal to win a stage here. To do it on the first day is fantastic. I waited a long time to sprint today, but I was confident. If you can win a bunch sprint in Paris-Nice, you should be able to succeed in most other races. I’m happy that I was able to prove myself today and finish. We’ll see what the next few days will bring. The time trial will be the deciding factor, and I’m afraid I’ll lose some time there. After the time trial, we will see which of our riders is best positioned in the general classification. Tomorrow’s stage will be challenging again. The final is tricky, but there is a chance that I can sprint again.”

4 Jours de Dunkerque/Grand Prix des Hauts de France Stage 1 Result:
1. Olav Kooij (Ned) Jumbo-Visma in 4:31:38
2. Max Walscheid (Ger) Cofidis
3. Paul Penhoët (Fra) Groupama-FDJ
4. Tim Merlier (Bel) Soudal Quick-Step
5. Daniel McLay (GB) Arkéa Samsic
6. Matteo Malucelli (Ita) Bingoal WB
7. Gerben Thijssen (Bel) Intermarché-Circus-Wanty
8. Erlend Blikra (Nor) Uno-X
9. Stanisław Aniołkowski (Pol) Human Powered Health
10. Peter Sagan (Slov) TotalEnergies.

4 Jours de Dunkerque – Grand Prix des Hauts de France Overall After Stage 1:
1. Olav Kooij (Ned) Jumbo-Visma in 4:31:28
2. Max Walscheid (Ger) Cofidis at 0:04
3. Paul Penhoët (Fra) Groupama-FDJ at 0:06
4. Alex Colman (Bel) Team Flanders-Baloise at 0:07
5. Samuel Leroux (Fra) Van Rysel-Roubaix Lille Métropole
6. Mathis Le Berre (Fra) Arkéa Samsic
7. Anthony Turgis (Fra) TotalEnergies
8. Peter Sagan (Slov) TotalEnergies at 0:08
9. Mark Stewart (GB) Bolton Equities Black Spoke
10. Jannik Steimle (Ger) Soudal Quick-Step at 0:09.

Dunkerque’23 stage 1:

 

Romain Grégoire has taken his first professional victory on the Second Stage of the Four Days of Dunkirk. The 20 year-old talent, was the best after an impressive jump on the final climb of 1.9 kilometres in Laon. He beat Ethan Vernon and Benoît Cosnefroy. Olav Kooij had to give up the overall leader’s jersey to early escaper Samuel Leroux, who is now first thanks to time bonuses.

The riders had a stage of more than 1,800 metres of climbing, including a difficult final around Laon. There were five climbs in the first 110 kilometres, followed by two more climbs in the final. The finish was in Laon after a climb of 1.9 kilometres at 4.1%.

Ten kilometres after the start, a leading group of five men got away, including: Tuur Dens (Team Flanders-Baloise), Ceriel Desal (Bingoal WB), Samuel Leroux (Van Rysel-Roubaix Lille Métropole), Logan Currie (Bolton Equities Black Spoke) and Canadian Pier-André Coté (Human Powered Health). They had a lead of about 4 minutes. Cofidis set the pace in the peloton, but Jumbo-Visma, Intermarché-Circus-Wanty and Groupama-FDJ also showed themselves. Especially since there was the possibility of echelons. They failed to materialise, so that a complete peloton stormed towards the final climb. However, Desal, Coté, Currie and Leroux held on for a long time.

On the penultimate climb, Brent Van Moer and Benoît Cosnefroy showed themselves, but they could not make the jump to the three last remaining escapees. Desal, Currie and Coté started the final climb in Laon with a lead. Victor Lafay made the jump to Currie and Coté, but they were swallowed up by the peloton. There it was Romain Grégoire who sprinted to victory with an impressive kick. He took the lead early in the twisty finale and crossed the finish line with a big lead ahead of Ethan Vernon, Benoît Cosnefroy and Peter Sagan. Overall leader Olav Kooij, who had won the opening stage on Tuesday, finished 10th in the same time as Grégoire. Kooij had to give up the leader’s jersey to Samuel Leroux. The Frenchman was in the early break and had taken enough bonus seconds to pass Kooij on GC, he finished in Laon on the same time as Grégoire. Leroux leads with by 1 second on Kooij and Grégoire.

Stage winner and 3rd overall, Romain Grégoire (Groupama-FD): “I had confirmed several times since the beginning of the season that I could be in the top 10, but I was missing a win. I was really looking forward to it, so I knew that in an ending like that I could go looking for it. It was quite a tricky final to drive, especially with the bump 5km from the finish. I knew it was an important moment in the race. A group withdrew, I managed to make the jump on the descent because we were not represented in front. We had to be patient, analyse which cyclists were moving. I made an effort of 300 meters before the last corner with 100 meters from the finish line, I knew I could last until the end.”

2nd overall and 10th on the stage, Olav Kooij (Jumbo-Visma): “Of course, we knew that this final was not really up my alley, but Mick van Dijke, Per Strand Hagenes, and I gave it our best shot. Mick was in a good position, but then everything came together again. I was in a good position in the last kilometre, but I didn’t have the legs to lead the sprint and win. We’re looking forward to the rest of the week. An arrival like today was new for me too. So I cannot be dissatisfied, we can continue with this. There are still many opportunities to come. Everything is still close, and tomorrow, the stronger time trialists will pass me. Hopefully, it will be someone from our team.”

3rd on the stage and 7th overall, Benoît Cosnefroy (AG2R Citroën): “I had good feelings throughout the day. I tried to make the selection in the first climb of the final. But that was not enough, and in the process, I was surprised by Romain Grégoire who started the sprint quite early. Inevitably, it’s a bit frustrating at the finish, but above all it’s important to keep my great team around me. The team we have here is a mix of experienced and young riders and we have quickly found good chemistry. It’s very nice to race together. I hope that we will be rewarded for all our efforts with a win by Sunday. There are still great opportunities to perform, especially on Saturday with the finish in Cassel. I came to these 4 jours de Dunkerque to win.”

4 Jours de Dunkerque – Grand Prix des Hauts de France Stage 2 Result:
1. Romain Grégoire (Fra) Groupama-FDJ in 3:59:05
2. Ethan Vernon (GB) Soudal Quick-Step
3. Benoît Cosnefroy (Fra) AG2R Citroën
4. Peter Sagan (Slov) TotalEnergies
5. Victor Lafay (Fra) Cofidis
6. Benjamin Thomas (Fra) Cofidis
7. Anthon Charmig (Den) Uno-X
8. Paul Penhoët (Fra) Groupama-FDJ
9. Greg Van Avermaet (Bel) AG2R Citroën
10. Olav Kooij (Ned) Jumbo-Visma.

4 Jours de Dunkerque – Grand Prix des Hauts de France Overall After Stage 2:
1. Samuel Leroux (Fra) Van Rysel-Roubaix Lille Métropole in 8:30:32
2. Olav Kooij (Ned) Jumbo-Visma at 0:01
3. Romain Grégoire (Fra) Groupama-FDJ
4. Ethan Vernon (GB) Soudal Quick-Step at 0:05
5. Pier-André Coté (Can) Human Powered Health
6. Paul Penhoët (Fra) Groupama – FDJ at 0:07
7. Benoît Cosnefroy (Fra) AG2R Citroën
8. Logan Currie (NZ) Bolton Equities Black Spoke
9. Mathis Le Berre (Fra) Arkéa Samsic at 0:08
10. Peter Sagan (Slov) TotalEnergies at 0:09.

Dunkerque’23 stage 2:

 

New Covid Rules For the Giro
In the light of the latest developments concerning positive tests results on some riders, the Direction of the Giro d’Italia informs that wearing a face mask will be compulsory in all areas of contact with the riders. The areas in which the obligation will be enforced include, but are not limited to:

• Team buses parking (at the start and at the finish)
• Signature check podium area
• Prize ceremony podium area
• Post-race mixed zone;
• Finish line area;
• Press conference area;
• Anti-doping control area.

Roglič has been wearing a mask since the start:

 

Patrick Lefevere on the Abandonment of Remco Evenepoel
Patrick Lefevere responded via social media on Sunday evening to Remco Evenepoel’s sudden retirement from the Giro d’Italia due to a positive covid test.

“This explains everything,” Lefevere wrote on Twitter. Referring to Evenepoel not being able to follow Roglič at the end of stage 8 and his ‘disappointing’ time trial on Sunday, which he won, but not by the large amount everyone expected. Evenepoel had an overall lead of 45 seconds on Thomas and more on the others.

“We wish you a good recovery,” continued Lefevere. “I hope everyone respects that and his privacy. He will come back stronger. Thank you, Remco Evenepoel.”

On Twitter, Lefevere also responded to a message from WielerFlits journalist Raymond Kerckhoffs. “You never know what is going on under the skin. It’s not a 9-to-5 job. We are not taking any risks.”

Lefevere keeping an eye on Evenepoel:

 

Lefevere Not Happy with Accusations from La Gazzetta dello Sport
Patrick Lefevere was not pleased with an article in the Italian sports newspaper La Gazzetta dello Sport on Tuesday and decided to speak to the journalists in question after the finish of the tenth stage in the press room. The newspaper stated that Evenepoel used his covid infection as an excuse to leave the Italian Grand Tour.

According to the Italian sports newspaper, Evenepoel used the corona virus as an excuse. The pink jersey deserves more respect, was their point. Lefevere says he has not read the article in question, but was made aware of it on Tuesday. “A line has been crossed. Too bad they don’t know the word libel. Actually, I should sue them for defamation,” he told Het Nieuwsblad.

“Remco’s father was very angry. How can you accuse someone who is sick, has corona, of fleeing home? Who are they to question a doctor? That is anything but correct. Moreover, Remco has not fled. He didn’t leave for home until 9:30 on Monday. I have spoken to him via Whatsapp in the meantime. He is still positive and still has symptoms. Apparently there are still infected riders in the Giro who continue to ride, but that is their own choice.”

“We don’t. We had several corona cases in the team last year, including Tim Declercq who was in hospital with an inflammation of his pericardium. It’s not worth it to me,” says Lefevere. “We’re not going to be silly, are we? I’m not toying with the life of a 23 year-old boy. I don’t want that on my conscience.”

Soudal Quick-Step decided to send a press release to the World after Evenepoel’s positive covid test, but had not yet notified the organisers of the Giro. “That may have been the only mistake we made,” admits Lefevere. “But that doesn’t mean they shouldn’t use that to accuse Remco. One should be grateful to Remco in Italy for coming to the Giro, and then they shoot him.”

La Gazzetta has doubts:

 

Soudal Quick-Step Medical Update
Soudal Quick-Step is disappointed to announce that four more riders from its Giro d’Italia squad have tested positive for Covid-19 and will leave the race.

Following the positive test of Remco Evenepoel on Sunday, a further round of tests were made on the riders and staff that remained in Italy, with Jan Hirt, Josef Cerny, Louis Vervaeke and Matteo Cattaneo unfortunately unable to continue.

Team doctor Toon Cruyt said, “after the positive of Remco on Sunday Evening, we had two more riders who were feeling unwell on Monday morning, but were negative on antigen tests. Therefore a PCR test was carried out on the seven remaining riders, the results of which showed that the four guys were positive. We will continue to monitor and implement our testing protocol on the three riders and staff that remain at the race.”

We wish them all the best for their recovery, and the best of luck to the riders that remain in the race.

More join Evenepoel:

 

Director of the Slovenian Cycling Association Doubts Whether Evenepoel has Covid
Martin Hvastija, the director of the Slovenian cycling federation, has made a strong statement on the Evenepoel covid case. The former cyclist has said he is not sure whether Remco Evenepoel really has corona. “I do not judge what is true and what is not. But until they show me the proof, I don’t know if I should believe all this,” he said in a podcast of RTVSLO, the Slovenian public broadcaster.

Hvastija mainly bases his suspicions on Evenepoel’s performance in the stage to Fossombrone. The World Champion had to let Primoz Roglič, also Slovenian, go and eventually lost fourteen seconds to the Jumbo-Visma leader. A day later, Evenepoel tested positive for corona. “In the only stage so far where Roglič and Evenepoel could attack each other, Remco was not as he should have been. We will never know why, but my position is that his form was already declining.”

Before Evenepoel got corona, he also crashed twice in the fourth stage of the Giro d’Italia. According to Hvastija, the Belgian only had himself to blame for this. “Fortunately he escaped without serious injury, as it was his own fault. The first time he was put on the ground by a dog. But that beast did not come into contact with Evenepoel at all. And when he fell a second time, it was entirely his fault. So he doesn’t have many excuses.”

Now that Evenepoel has left the Giro d’Italia, he may be able to get ready for his debut in the Tour de France. According to Hvastija, however, he has little business there. “Remco is mostly overrated by the Belgian public. At the same age, Tadej Pogačar already had two overall victories in the Tour. Remco is not so very young anymore. When he goes to the Tour, he will not only meet Pogačar but also Jonas Vingegaard. I don’t believe he can prepare for this and be competitive.”

Remco overrated by the Belgians?

 

Rigoberto Urán and Davide Cimolai Also Leave the Giro
Remco Evenepoel is not the only rider to leave the Giro d’Italia after the first week of racing. Rigoberto Urán also tested positive for covid. The Colombian was tested on Sunday evening. Davide Cimolai doesn’t have covid, but didn’t start the time trial on Sunday as the Cofidis rider had crashed earlier in the Giro.

“Rigoberto Urán has tested positive for corona after showing symptoms in the evening,” wrote EF Education-EasyPost on social media. “He will leave the Giro and take his time to rest before resuming competition.”

Urán was 22nd on GC after nine stages. He was 6:23 behind Remco Evenepoel, who also has covid. EF Education-EasyPost has Hugh Carthy in sixteenth place, 3:22 behind Geraint Thomas, the new overall leader.

On Sunday Cimolai had not recovered enough from his crash to be able to start in the time trial to Cesena, Cofidis said via social media.

No more Giro’23 for Rigo:

 

Did Primoz Roglic Benefit from ‘Drafting’ in the Giro Time Trial?
Philippe Gilbert took to Twitter after the second time trial of the Giro d’Italia. Did Primož Roglič benefited in the absolute final phase from a bike that was too close to the Slovenian. “This is really outrageous”, Gilbert Tweeted.

Primož Roglič managed to limit the damage in the 35 kilometre flat time trial to Cesena on Sunday. The Jumbo-Visma rider finished 6th in the stage result, 17 seconds behind Remco Evenepoel, but may have had an advantage over his opponents in the time trial.

Photos show Roglič and Evenepoel ride under the last kilometre red flag and the moto in-front of the Slovenian is quite close, while Evenepoel’s lead moto is well away from him. In the earlier part of the time trial, the moto was further from Roglič. It is difficult to estimate how much Roglič benefited from the ‘incident’.

Any advantage?

 

Laporte to Stay with Jumbo-Visma Until 2026
Christophe Laporte has signed a three-year contract extension. The winner of Ghent-Wevelgem will stay with Team Jumbo-Visma through the end of 2026.

The 30-year-old Frenchman joined Team Jumbo-Visma in 2022. He immediately won stages in Paris-Nice, the Tour de France, and the Tour of Denmark. He also won Binche-Chimay-Binche. This season, he has maintained his momentum by winning the classics of Ghent-Wevelgem and Dwars door Vlaanderen.

“I feel great here,” Laporte says. “This team works in an extremely professional way, but at the same time, it feels very familiar. From the first day I arrived, there was a lot of trust in the team. I thank everyone, the staff and the riders, for that. I am still learning every day, and I want to advance with the team. I know that if I stay here, I can reach my potential.”

Team Jumbo-Visma is, of course, also pleased with Laporte’s extended stay. “Christophe joined the team last year to strengthen the classics team,” sports director Merijn Zeeman explains. “His arrival proved to be a success, and in a year and a half, he has gained the leader status. In addition, Laporte plays a crucial supporting role for Wout van Aert in the classics and for the GC riders in the grand tours. We are also convinced that he still has room to grow.”

“There was a lot of competition from other teams to sign him”, Zeeman continues. “But Christophe consciously decided to stay longer because of who we are and how we work. I take that as a huge compliment.”

Laporte extends:

 

Jan Polanc Calls Time on Racing Career
Cardiac issues see 31 year old step-back from peloton

Jan Polanc will bring the curtain down on his career as a professional cyclist with the Slovenian forced to make the difficult decision following irregularities during routine cardiac scans in the winter of 2022.

After further checks it was decided that the risks associated with continuing elite level sport participation were greater than the benefits.

Jan Polanc: “Firstly I would like to thank the team and all the doctors involved for all their support during this process. It has taken a lot of checks and follow-ups and the team has been by my side and working to find answers and to make the right decisions. Also special thanks to my family and friends who have been close to me during this time and have always supported me during my career in both the good and bad moments.”

“It’s obviously not the way I hoped to end my career as a rider, but when I look back I think I can be very happy. I have been in professional cycling for 10 years and with UAE Team Emirates since the very beginning of my career and have shared some amazing moments with them. I hope to continue in this family in some capacity on the road ahead. I am looking forward to the future as there are a lot of other beautiful things happening in my life at the moment and I feel very grateful for that and for everything we have already achieved.”

Mauro Gianetti (Team Principal & CEO): “In the case of Jan we spent many months seeking advice from our medical team and some of the finest specialists in the world and the final decision was made that it was time to stop for the good of his own health. Jan has been an asset to our team since the beginning and we are very proud of what he has achieved with us over the years. Our team and organisation is always expanding and we hope we can work towards finding a new role for Jan in the future.”

Jan Polanc retires:

 

Ex-Pink Jersey Andreas Leknessund Returns to Uno-X
Andreas Leknessund will leave the Dutch DSM team at the end of the season. The 23 year-old Norwegian has not been able to show his promise, until the Giro. He will return to Uno-X after this season, according to WielerFlits.

Leknessund signed for Team Sunweb (as the team was then) in May 2019, although he stayed with Uno-X until 2020 as he was dealing with the loss of his father. Leknessund’s father died in January 2019 from the effects of a malignant brain tumour. Uno-X then made the step from Continental to ProContinental level in 2020. That last year was perhaps Leknessund’s best to that point. In the covid season he won the Norwegian time trial championships, European time trial champion with the U23s, fourth in the Tour of Slovakia and won the very difficult Giro della Regione Friuli Venezia Giulia (2.2) at the end of the year. In his first year with DSM he finished 10th in the Brabantse Pijl, after being in the early break all day and 7th in the Arctic Race of Norway.

Last year he finished 11th in Paris-Nice, 13th in the Tour of Switzerland, with a solo stage victory, finished the Tour de France and then won the Arctic Race of Norway. Leknessund is currently in the Giro d’Italia, where he wore the pink leader’s jersey from the 5th stage, when he finished 2nd behind Aurélien Paret-Peintre, to the rest day. “I’m still in good shape in the general classification, but I really want a stage win,” the Norwegian said on Monday’s rest day. Leknessund will probably ride the Tour de France for Romain Bardet.

With Uno-X he returns to his old Norwegian team, which is one of the best 23 teams in the World. The team will ride the Tour for the first time this year and the team is aiming at the highest level. Leknessund should be one of the leaders in his new team. Other strong riders are Alexander Kristoff, Rasmus Tiller and top talents Søren Wærenskjold, Stian Fredheim and the twins Tobias and Andreas Halland Johannessen.

Leknessund back to Uno-X:

 

Adrien Petit Extends: “I Enjoy Being Part of this Big Family”
Intermarché-Circus-Wanty keeps reinforcing its structure by extending the contract of Frenchman Adrien Petit, one of the most experimented road captains and a central element in the sprint trains and classics team, until the end of 2025.

The 32 year old Frenchman is above all a cobble specialist. With Intermarché-Circus-Wanty, he finished sixth of Paris-Roubaix last year, his best result in eleven participations and third top ten. During the same spring of 2022 he also raced for the victory in the GP de Denain (3rd) and the Antwerp Port Epic (5th).

From his first months with the team of Jean-François Bourlart, his experience was decisive in the collective strength, guiding for example Biniam Girmay through his first Flemish classics and towards a historical victory in Ghent-Wevelgem.

The fast rider launched the sprinters of the team towards victories and podiums all over Europe, including in the Tour de France. Next to leading Alexander Kristoff to third place on the Champs-Elysées, he guided his teammates over the first cobble section in the stage towards Arenberg, named Sector Adrien Petit “Le Bison” in his honour.

The rider from Arras recently came back in competition after a complicated start of 2023 due to bad luck. Following a crash in the Trofeo Alcudia, his first race in January, his shoulder underwent an operation so he was out for several weeks. A couple of days after his return in March, he broke a phalanx during a crash in Dwars door Vlaanderen.

Adrien Petit : “The period of spring classics I experienced with Intermarché-Circus-Wanty in 2022 is undoubtedly the most memorable of my career so far, with especially unforgettable performances in Ghent-Wevelgem and Paris-Roubaix. I’m enjoying myself a lot since my arrival in this big family. What makes the difference is the atmosphere during the moments off the bike, between teammates, staff members or our sponsors. Cohesion is omnipresent and as a rider you can feel the continuous support. That’s why I couldn’t imagine anything else than extending the adventure. Despite the crashes and injuries which obstructed my start of the season, the sports direction never ceased showing its confidence in my capabilities. The continuous support of the team reinforces my conviction that this is the best environment for me. This enables me to return in a serene way to my normal level, aiming to show good things in the second half of the season.”

“From this Tuesday I’ll participate in the Dunkirk Four Day, my first stage race of the season which will play an important role in my preparation. I will reinforce the sprint train of Gerben Thijssen in a region I know well. Julius Johansen and Boy van Poppel already have good automatisms to guide Gerben in the final, so my role will probably consist of positioning the train or jumping in where necessary following the race circumstances. Following the tradition, the race passes on several difficulties in the region, among which some cobble sections in my training region and the Mont Saint Eloi, my favourite climb for intervals, before passing nearly in front of my home in stage four towards Achicourt. I’ll then go to the Tour of Norway to guide a young group, a part of my job I appreciate a lot. My absence during the classics enabled me to follow the team in detail from my sofa, admiring the performances of our young talents such as Madis Mihkels. I’m looking forward to accompany him and the other guys in Norway. I also can’t wait to be reunited with Biniam Girmay and Mike Teunissen, with who I trained a lot this winter, with the goal to achieve victories in the most prestigious races!”

Aike Visbeek (Performance Manager): “One year and a half ago, Adrien Petit quit his comfort zone by joining a foreign team for the first time in his career. Progressively, he became more convinced about our approach which was new to him. Despite his rich experience he managed to make a new step, improving his personal best in Paris-Roubaix with a fantastic sixth place. I’m also proud of his evolution in a leading role. Because of his strong race intelligence and his involvement in de development of young riders we put our trust in him to grow into a captain role. He admittedly had to experience Paris-Roubaix 2023 from his sofa, but he managed to be useful for the team by giving Laurenz Rex advice during a 30 minute phone call the day before the race. This is really meaningful. Adrien has the charisma of a true leader, respected by his teammates. He is a passionated worker with teamspirit. For all these reasons he is an essential element in our team.”

“We really missed him during the spring classics. Not only for his capabilities of achieving results, but also in his role alongside our young talents. I’m looking forward to see him back at the top of his form in our sprint trains and our classics team. Investing in road captains is a priority for Intermarché-Circus-Wanty. On another note, this contract extension was also an excellent opportunity to support Adrien in his way back to his best level.”

Jean-François Bourlart (CEO Continuum Sports): “Since his arrival in the beginning of 2022, Adrien Petit immediately found his place in the team, as if he had always been there. His mindset goes perfectly together with our structure, both on and off the bike. His personality is respected by his teammates for his work and devotion, appreciated by the staff for his attitude and by the fans for his accessibility or by our sponsors because they find in him all their values.”

 

Join the Ben Healy Fan Club!
His rivals knew it was coming, but could only watch Ben Healy time trial away when he attacked with 50 kilometres left in stage eight of the Giro. The solo break is Ben’s signature move. This one was art. Ben had all of the time in the world to celebrate his first-ever grand tour stage victory.

 

Soudal Quick-Step Giro d’Italia: Week 1
Not the ending we were looking for, but join us and Remco Evenepoel on our journey from the hard work at our training camp in Tenerife, that led to maglia rosa ecstasy, and unfortunately, rest day agony.

Watch the video here:

 

Wahoo Ready For Innovation
New Capital Structure Eliminates all Debt, Readies Business for Innovation and Growth

Led by Wahoo’s Founder, Chip Hawkins, Wahoo has fully recapitalized its business with significant equity support from new and current investors with substantial experience in supporting diverse connected fitness and endurance athlete platform businesses.

Confidential terms of the arrangements eliminate all debt and provide significant cash liquidity designed to extend the company’s prominence in advancing innovation in the global smart fitness and training category.

Wahoo Founder, Chip Hawkins commented, “The successful recapitalization of the business provides the flexibility we were seeking as a management team to allow for investment in innovation and growth from the company’s substantial base and category leadership position, by diversifying the breadth of its offerings to better support athletes and fitness enthusiasts. Wahoo’s management team is energized by a renewed focus on delighting its customers and continuing Wahoo’s mission of building a better athlete in all of us.”

Mike Saturnia, Wahoo CEO stated, “The investment from both new and existing investors is a clear sign of confidence in the strength of Wahoo- specifically our team, brand, strategy, and powerful ecosystem of innovative products, software, and services. This could not have happened without months of hard work and support from our channel partners. We want to thank our supply chain and retail and distribution partners for their trust and confidence as we navigated to a successful conclusion to this process.”

The terms of this transaction are confidential.

 

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