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EUROTRASH Thursday: TDU Latest & All the News From the Peloton!

Catch-up on the cycling news

Loads of EUROTRASH this Thursday: The men’s and women’s Tour Down Under and Miguel Ángel López wins in Colombia – Reports, results and video.
Pello Bilbao and Bahrain Victorious handelbars at the TDU – TOP STORY.
Rider news: Year of truth for Egan Bernal, Julian Alaphilippe on Patrick Lefevere’s statements, Nairo Quintana to sign contract this week, Peter Sagan wants to win Milan-Sanremo, Chris Froome to ride the Tour du Rwanda and Eliot Lietaer and Amaro Antunes retire.
Team news: Juan Pedro López breaks collarbone in training crash, Jonas Abrahamsen crashes while sprint training, IPT’s 2023 jersey celebrates Premier Tech’s centenary, ASSOS technical apparel partner of Tudor pro team and documentary on first Tour de France Femmes for SD Worx.
Race news: Dstny to sponsor the Amstel Gold Race and National Cycling League announces ZIeL Concept Store as the Miami race fan headquarters and club house for the Miami Nights Cycling Club.
Contract news: Mark Cavendish and Cees Bol sign with Astana Qazaqstan.
Plus a good friend talks about Lieuwe Westra and Raúl Garcia Alvarez dies after 24 years in a coma.


Watch the Tour Down Under on GCN+ Starting on Saturday (January 14-22)
You can watch the most comprehensive live & ad-free coverage of Tour Down Under on GCN+. Go deeper and get interactive with live polls & quizzes, plus rider profiles, race updates, results & more – plus stream original and exclusive cycling documentaries. Watch it all with GCN+ on any device.


top story
TOP STORY: Pello Bilbao and Bahrain Victorious Play with the UCI Rules
Pello Bilbao didn’t have a great result in the prologue of the Tour Down Under, but after he had finished there was a lot of attention on the Spaniard’s bike. His Bahrain Victorious team had been quite creative with their understanding of the UCI regulations.

For logistic reasons, time trial bikes were not allowed during the prologue of the Tour Down Under, but Bilbao was at the start with unusual handlebars. The brake levers had been moved inward and were higher, allowing Bilbao to achieve a more aerodynamic position.

“We had prepared a special bike and I kept my wrists on the handlebars as per UCI regulations. The rain just prevented me from taking all the risks, but a lot can still happen. I have been working on this for four to five months.” Bilbao, who lost 20 seconds to stage winner Alberto Bettiol, said after the prologue.

New rules on the way from the UCI?
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Men’s Santos Tour Down Under 2023
The Prologue of the Tour Down Under was won by Alberto Bettiol. The Italian of EF Education-EasyPost started early in the 5.5 kilometre time trial and took full advantage of the dry weather to set the fastest time. Bettiol is the first leader of the Australian WorldTour race. Magnus Sheffield and Julius Johansen took second and third.

2023 was the first time that the Tour Down Under started with a prologue. The course was designed around the Torrens River and was run in the evening in Adelaide and so European cycling fans could also watch live.

The prologue was held in varying weather conditions. The first riders were able to race in the dry, but then a summer shower passed over Adelaide. This was especially in favour of Alberto Bettiol, who started early and set a target time of 6:19 minutes. It would be a long time in the hot seat for the Italian. Several riders slipped or decided not to take any risks on the technical course in the centre of the city. For a long time, Sam Gaze (Alpecin-Deceuninck) was second at 11 seconds on Bettiol.

In the last hour the rain shower cleared and the road dried up a bit. This opened up opportunities for the favourites who started late. Simon Yates finished 26 seconds behind Bettiol, while Michael Matthews was at 14 seconds and Luke Plapp at 20 seconds. Time trial specialist Rohan Dennis also had to make do with some wet sections and lost 17 seconds to Bettiol. Magnus Sheffield did better. The American of INEOS Grenadiers managed to move into second place, 8 seconds behind Bettiol. But there were more riders who came close to Bettiol: Julius Johansen came in at 9 seconds, just faster than Kaden Groves.

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Stage winner and overall leader, Alberto Bettiol (EF Education-EasyPost): “Sometimes you need a bit of luck. I am very happy but I also feel very lucky. I knew I could do well today, but I didn’t think I could win. There are much better riders and also time trialists, especially in a short prologue like this. But the weather in Australia helped me. But I am very happy, also with the help of the team. I only had to go full throttle for six minutes. I asked if I could start first, so that I could pass on information to my teammates Mikkel Honoré and Sean Quinn, but unfortunately they fell and I’m standing here now as a winner. That is very surprising. It wasn’t the strategy, but you need a bit of luck. I’m going to enjoy the jersey. Because I love this race and I’m proud to wear the leader’s jersey tomorrow. We’ll see how it goes this week. The real race starts tomorrow.”

2nd, Magnus Sheffield (INEOS Grenadiers): “I’m really happy with how the start of the season has gone. I had really good form and I’m really happy with the off-season and also how I came down here. It’s a long race and we’ve got plenty of cards to show for later in the race. In the stage you saw today on Corkscrew in the women’s race, I think it will be a really exciting week. The way the race is structured with time bonuses it’s always going to be really tight no matter how the stages play out. There’s guys like Michael Matthews and also the strong sprinters like Caleb (Ewan). There’s a lot of fast guys you need to watch out for. It was really special getting to race here by the Adelaide Dome. It was a really nice course, although some of us were hindered a bit by the rain, but there’s nothing you can do about this.”

3rd, Julius Johansen (Intermarché-Circus-Wanty): “This course of less than 6 kilometres was ideal for me. I was perfectly equipped for this type of effort with my Cube Lightening Aero. To prepare, I had studied my position on the bike and trained to maintain the most aerodynamic stature possible. This is something that will also be useful for my role in Gerben Thijssen’s sprint train. Hugo and I were spared by the rain today. Our leader for the GC Sven Erik Bystrøm was not so lucky, and yet he delivered a magnificent TT considering the circumstances. This prologue was an opportunity for me to show what I was capable of, and I expect the rest of the team to do the same in the coming days as we have a strong squad here. This good start bodes well for the future. Our intention is to start the season well and we will do everything to propel Gerben on the way to victory, why not repeat our achievement of 2022 with success from our first days of racing!”

9th, Jay Vine (UAE Team Emirates): “I’m happy with how I went out there and importantly managed to stay upright in the wet and not ruin this brand new national champions skin-suit which was shipped over from Italy from Pissei especially for me. There are lots of stages with favourable terrain on the way in this race so we’re going to give it our all.”

Santos Tour Down Under Men – Prologue Result:
1. Alberto Bettiol (Ita) EF Education-EasyPost in 6:19
2. Magnus Sheffield (USA) INEOS Grenadiers at 0:08
3. Julius Johansen (Den) Intermarché-Circus-Wanty at 0:10
4. Kaden Groves (Aus) Alpecin-Deceuninck at 0:11
5. Samuel Gaze (NZ) Alpecin-Deceuninck
6. Hugo Page (Fra) Intermarché-Circus-Wanty at 0:12
7. Marius Mayrhofer (Ger) DSM at 0:13
8. Jannik Steimle (Ger) Soudal Quick-Step
9. Jay Vine (Aus) UAE Team Emirates at 0:14
10. Michael Matthews (Aus) Jayco AlUla.

Santos Tour Down Under Men – Overall After the Prologue:
1. Alberto Bettiol (Ita) EF Education-EasyPost in 6:19
2. Magnus Sheffield (Usa) INEOS Grenadiers at 0:08
3. Julius Johansen (Den) Intermarché-Circus-Wanty at 0:10
4. Kaden Groves (Aus) Alpecin-Deceuninck at 0:11
5. Samuel Gaze (NZ) Alpecin-Deceuninck
6. Hugo Page (Fra) Intermarché-Circus-Wanty at 0:12
7. Marius Mayrhofer (Ger) DSM at 0:13
8. Jannik Steimle (Ger) Soudal Quick-Step
9. Jay Vine (Aus) UAE Team Emirates at 0:14
10. Michael Matthews (Aus) Jayco AlUla.

TDU’23 prologue:

 

Phil Bauhaus won Stage 1 of the Tour Down Under. The German was the fastest in a bunch sprint in which there was a big crash. Caleb Ewan crossed the line second, Michael Matthews finished third.

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The first stage of the Tour Down Under started and finished in Tanunda with a circuit of about 50 kilometres once, followed by four laps of about 26km, with Menglers Hill (average 3.6%, maximum 13%) every lap. On the second and fourth lap there were mountain points on Menglers Hill. After the last time over the climb, there was still more than 10 kilometres to the slightly uphill finish in Tanunda.

With prologue winner Alberto Bettiol in the orange leader’s jersey, the peloton set off for the 149.8km stage. The first attack of the day took a long time coming, it was Australian champion Luke Plapp who made the first move, but he was not given any space. The same was true for Taco van der Hoorn, who made an attempt a little later. The pace in the peloton was too high. Nans Peters went solo. The Frenchman of AG2R Citroën got a lead of just under 5 minutes on the peloton, where leader Bettiol’s EF Education-EasyPost controlled things. The American team was helped by the Australian selection, which had one of the big favourites for the stage victory in Caleb Ewan.

While Peters was alone in the lead, Patrick Bevin abandoned. The New Zealander crashed in the Schwalbe Classic last weekend and sprained his ankle. He also sustained injuries to his knee and elbow. The Team DSM rider, who was one of the contenders for the general classification, was too injured to carry on. Meanwhile, Peters was at the first intermediate sprint, where he took three bonus seconds. Behind him, Michael Matthews picked up two seconds. Peters would also take the first mountain points, but just before the second sprint of the day, with 55km to go, he was caught. There had been an acceleration in the peloton, where there was again a fierce battle for bonus seconds. Corbin Strong beat Michael Matthews and Ethan Hayter. After Peters was caught up, the pack stayed together. In the second mountain sprint there was still an acceleration from Plapp, who had also taken points earlier. The INEOS Grenadiers’ rider took the mountain jersey. Sjoerd Bax and Gerben Thijssen hit the asphalt together with a few other riders. They all got back on and returned to the peloton.

There they prepared for a bunch sprint and things were relatively quiet for a long time. Just under 25km before the line, there was another crash. Along with Alex Baudin, three riders from Jumbo-Visma were involved: Tim van Dijke, Timo Roosen and Robert Gesink. Gesink landed on his head and left the race, the other three were able to continue. In the last 20 kilometres it was a stretched peloton to Menglers Hill, which was to be climbed one more time. Nothing happened and so there would be a bunch sprint. Before the sprint started, there was a big crash in the final kilometre. Including Magnus Sheffield and Jordi Meeus, who had also fallen earlier in the stage. Michael Matthews was looking for the win and had a good lead-out. Phil Bauhaus, who had crashed earlier in the stage, surprised everyone by starting the sprint early. The German made it a long sprint, but still managed to hold on. Caleb Ewan, who came from a long way back, had to settle for second place. Matthews was third and moved up on GC thanks to the bonus seconds. Bettiol remains leader.

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Stage winner, Phil Bauhaus (Bahrain-Victorious): “Today was super nervous, a lot of guys, unfortunately, went down. I crashed pretty bad like it was big impact, but I could recover. The team did a really good job. We were always in the front in the last lap. At Schwalbe Classic, I waited too long, so I just went with 300 meters to go. It was really close to Caleb Ewan, but yeah, I am super happy.”

Overall leader, Alberto Bettiol (EF Education-EasyPost): “Tomorrow we will do the same, we will stay together, we will show our jerseys at the front controlling the stage. Hopefully we have some help from other teams like Team Jayco AlUla because of course Michael Matthews is one of the favourites for this race. We are confident and then we have nothing to lose, that’s our mentality, everything we get from this Santos Tour Down Under we will keep and take without any pressure. We know more or less everything, we saw the finish line for tomorrow, but like all the other teams that’s nothing new that everybody doesn’t know. It’s always about bonus seconds at the Santos Tour Down Under, especially without the Willunga Hill [finish]. Today everyone saw how strong my team is, we are under control. We are not the favourites but for the moment we still have Santos Ochre Leader’s Jersey.”

2nd, Caleb Ewan (UniSA-Australia): “To be honest, I was a bit surprised to be that close to the win, as I thought that I was way too far back to be in contention. It’s of course disappointing with the legs I had but I am pretty happy about my form and sprint. I lost a couple of teammates in a crash, but Jarrad Drizners did a good job in the final, until his chain came off in the last descent. So I was alone in the end, but managed to keep a pretty good position in a sketchy final kilometres. I was in a good position until about one kilometre to go but the lead-outs in front ran out of guys and I got swamped a bit. I was way too far back and to be honest, I thought the stage was gone. That I was able to come this close to victory in the end, really surprised me. There’s a few more chances coming up this week so we’ll definitely give it another shot.”

3rd, Michael Matthews (Jayco AlUla): “I can speak of a successful day. The guys also did a great job, because the goal was also to get as many bonus as possible. I now have eight, I can be satisfied with that. I wouldn’t mind a somewhat heavier stage, but the peloton had other plans. The weather conditions weren’t too bad either. It was not as warm as usual today. So the guys who came over from Europe also had good legs. Maybe I should be disappointed because I was so close to it, but I knew it was going to be difficult. In short, I can look back on a good day, also because my friends, parents and girlfriend were there to encourage me.”

Santos Tour Down Under Men – Stage 1 Result:
1. Phil Bauhaus (Ger) Bahrain-Victorious in 3:37:35
2. Caleb Ewan (Aus) UniSA-Australia
3. Michael Matthews (Aus) Jayco AlUla
4. Alessandro Covi (Ita) UAE Team Emirates
5. Paul Penhoët (Fra) Groupama-FDJ
6. Emīls Liepiņš (Lat) Trek-Segafredo
7. Hugo Page (Fra) Intermarché-Circus-Wanty
8. Hugo Hofstetter (Fra) Arkéa Samsic
9. Taj Jones (Aus) Israel-Premier Tech
10. Gerben Thijssen (Bel) Intermarché-Circus-Wanty.

Santos Tour Down Under Men – Overall After Stage 1:
1. Alberto Bettiol (Ita) EF Education-EasyPost in 3:43:54
2. Michael Matthews (Aus) Jayco AlUla at 0:06
3. Magnus Sheffield (USA) INEOS Grenadiers at 0:08
4. Julius Johansen (Den) Intermarché-Circus-Wanty at 0:10
5. Kaden Groves (Aus) Alpecin-Deceuninck at 0:11
6. Samuel Gaze (NZ) Alpecin-Deceuninck
7. Hugo Page (Fra) Intermarché-Circus-Wanty at 0:12
8. Marius Mayrhofer (Ger) DSM at 0:13
9. Corbin Strong (NZ) Israel-Premier Tech
10. Jannik Steimle (Ger) Soudal Quick-Step.

TDU’23 stage 1:

 

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Women’s Santos Tour Down Under 2023
Alexandra Manly won Stage 2 of the Tour Down Under for women. The Australian Jayco AlUla rider was the fastest from a thinned peloton in Uraidla. Georgia Williams (EF Education-TIBCO-SVB) was second, Nina Buijsman (Human Powered Health) sprinted to third place. Manly is now the new overall leader.

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The 90 kilometre stage from Birdwood to Uraidla started relatively flat. In the final the riders had to climb Mount Lofty (6.1km at 3.2%). Until then, relatively little happened, but the race exploded on the climb. After GC leader Daria Pikulik (Human Powered Health) was dropped, there was an attack from Amanda Spratt. The Trek-Segafredo rider was the first over the top with a big lead.

From there it was just over 10 kilometres to the finish. With 3 kilometres to go, Spratt still had a gap of 15 seconds on the group behind, which consisted of about fifteen riders. This turned out not to be enough. With five hundred meters to go, the Australian was caught, mainly due to the work of Jayco AlUla. A sprint would decide the stage. Manly took the lead through the last corner and started the last 250 metres first. No one could pass her before the line. Williams was second, Buijsman finished in third place. With her victory, Manly also took over the leader’s jersey from Pikulik. She now has an 8 second lead over Williams and Grace Brown.

Stage winner and overall leader, Alexandra Manly (Jayco AlUla): “We just had the perfect lead out and yeah I’m so thankful. To do this in my backyard is just so nice. It was a hot stage all day and things were constantly happening. At the finish after that last sprint, I decided to keep going, I think I gambled a little bit and luckily it all came together. It’s super special (winning at home). A lot of my friends were out on the finish line, so it was really nice. I’m so lucky, I’ve got the best support out there so I think at the numbers will play to our advantage. I think Trek will try to put us under pressure but we’ll try and try and keep the jersey.”

Women’s Santos Tour Down Under Stage 2 Result:
1. Alexandra Manly (Aus) Jayco AlUla in 2:23:33
2. Georgia Williams (NZ) EF Education-TIBCO-SVB
3. Nina Buijsman (Ned) Human Powered Health
4. Danielle de Francesco (Aus) Zaaf Cycling Team
5. Grace Brown (Aus) FDJ-SUEZ
6. Nicole Frain (Aus) UniSA-Australia
7. Eugénie Duval (Fra) FDJ-SUEZ
8. Abi Smith (GB) EF Education-TIBCO-SVB
9. Nikola Nosková (CZ) Zaaf Cycling Team
10. Amanda Spratt (Aus) Trek-Segafredo.

Women’s Santos Tour Down Under Overall After Stage 2:
1. Alexandra Manly (Aus) Jayco AlUla in 5:26:20
2. Georgia Williams (NZ) EF Education-TIBCO-SVB at 0:08
3. Grace Brown (Aus) FDJ-SUEZ
4. Ruby Roseman-Gannon (Aus) Jayco AlUla at 0:13
5. Amanda Spratt (Aus) Trek-Segafredo at 0:14
6. Nicole Frain (Aus) UniSA-Australia
7. Loes Adegeest (Ned) FDJ-SUEZ
8. Krista Doebel-Hickok (USA) EF Education-TIBCO-SVB
9. Nina Buijsman (Ned) Human Powered Health at 0:16
10. Danielle de Francesco (Aus) Zaaf Cycling Team at 0:20.

TDU’23 stage 2:

 

Grace Brown won the Final Stage 3 and took the final classification of the Women’s Tour Down Under. The Australian of FDJ-SUEZ-Futuroscope broke away on the difficult last stage to Campbelltown with her compatriot Amanda Spratt and also took the leader’s jersey from Alexandra Manly.

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The decision in the women’s Tour Down Under came in the finalé of the third and final stage. The climb of Corkscrew Road (2.4km at 9.1%) was the decider with the summit 8 kilometres from the finish. Trek-Segafredo rider Amanda Spratt managed to create a gap of 20 seconds on Grace Brown.

Spratt was solo on the descent to Campbelltown, but was caught by Brown at the start of the last kilometre, after which the FDJ-SUEZ-Futuroscope rider took the stage victory and the overall victory. Spratt finished second and was also second overall. The first chase group crossed the finish line 13 seconds after Brown, led by Georgia Williams (EF Education-TIBCO-SVB). She managed to secure her third place in the final standings. The Women’s Tour Down Under has been canceled for the past two years. The American Ruth Winder won the last edition in 2020.

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Stage and final overall winner, Grace Brown (FDJ-Suez): “I knew that the climb would be a challenge because I knew that [Amanda Spratt] would have enough to handle me on the climb and I just needed to keep her within reach. I actually planned before the stage to put some bigger gears on my bike so that I could keep pushing on the descent and I was able too. In the last 3 kilometres I could see her and then I thought, I think I can catch her. I decided to sit behind her in the last kilometre because I was fairly confident that I could jump her in the sprint. So good! The whole three stages really. They (her team) looked after me, they helped me go through the intermediate sprints, which are crucial in the end for the overall lead. Today, [They gave me] an awesome lead out into the final climb. Usually, I get a bit stressed with those things, but I felt really calm with my team in front of me so that was great. I don’t really have words for it. It’s really special. I never really thought that I would ever become a GC rider. But races like this really suit me and I have a team that believes in me. They tell me that I can do it and I believe them. I think we’re now going to watch the Men’s Prologue and have some cocktails.”

2nd on the stage and overall, Amanda Spratt (Trek-Segafredo): “I think they keep making these finish lines about one kilometre further than I want. That’s how it is but my team rode perfectly, we had a plan. I knew where I wanted to go on the Corkscrew and I think today my team set me up so well once again. I attacked where I wanted to and I knew I needed a good gap on Grace Brown and it’s never nice when you hear the race bikes chasing you. I know her strength would be that downhill and that flat to the finish. I gave everything I had. I didn’t finish with anything left. I have no regrets. I’m so pleased and thankful to my team for supporting me here.”

Women’s Santos Tour Down Under Stage 3 Result:
1. Grace Brown (Aus) FDJ-SUEZ in 2:37:11
2. Amanda Spratt (Aus) Trek-Segafredo
3. Georgia Williams (NZ) EF Education-TIBCO-SVB at 0:13
4. Danielle de Francesco (Aus) Zaaf Cycling Team
5. Ruby Roseman-Gannon (Aus) Jayco AlUla
6. Rachel Neylan (Aus) UniSA-Australia
7. Henrietta Christie (NZ) Human Powered Health
8. Claire Steels (GB) Israel Premier Tech Roland
9. Krista Doebel-Hickok (USA) EF Education-TIBCO-SVB
10. Ella Wyllie (NZ) New Zealand.

Women’s Santos Tour Down Under Final Overall Result:
1. Grace Brown (Aus) FDJ-SUEZ in 8:03:29
2. Amanda Spratt (Aus) Trek-Segafredo at 0:10
3. Georgia Williams (NZ) EF Education-TIBCO-SVB at 0:19
4. Ruby Roseman-Gannon (Aus) Jayco AlUla at 0:28
5. Krista Doebel-Hickok (USA) EF Education-TIBCO-SVB at 0:29
6. Danielle de Francesco (Aus) Zaaf Cycling Team at 0:35
7. Henrietta Christie (NZ) Human Powered Health
8. Ella Wyllie (NZ) New Zealand
9. Rachel Neylan (Aus) UniSA-Australia
10. Abi Smith (GB) EF Education-TIBCO-SVB at 0:38.

TDU’23 final stage 3:

 

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Primera Clásica de Ciclismo Villeta – Cundinamarca – Colombia 2023
Miguel Ángel López didn’t wait long for his first victory in the colours of Medellin-EPM. The 28 year-old Colombian, who was fired by Astana Qazaqstan in December because there was new evidence against him in a doping case, won the Primera Clásica de Ciclismo Villeta – Cundinamarca in Colombia last Saturday.

The Clásica de Villeta is a national race, but there were some well-known names on the start-list. López beat Andrés Camilo Ardila (Burgos-BH) and his teammate Óscar Sevilla into second and third places. “It is an honour to race here in Villeta among all the fans,” López told El Tiempo after the race. “I enjoyed the event. I’m here with my family and that makes me feel good.”

Soon López will compete against top riders from the WorldTour in the Vuelta a San Juan (January 22-29) for Medellin-EPM. In the Argentinian stage race, Remco Evenepoel and Egan Bernal are among the riders.

Primera Clásica de Ciclismo Villeta – Cundinamarca Result:
1. Miguel Ángel López (Col) Medellin-EPM in 2:10:00
2. Andres Ardila (Col) Burgos-BH at 2:17
3. Oscar Sevilla (Spa) Medellin-EPM at 5:21
4. Yecid Arturo Sierra (Col) Liga Cundinamarca at 5:23
5. Javier Jamaica (Col) Medellin-EPM at 5:49
6. Anuar Castillo (Col) Ampro at 6:16
7. Jesus David Peña (Col) Jayco-AlUla at 6:16
8. Diego Alejandro Galeano (Col) Independiente at 6:40
9. Felipe Morales (Col) Team Juan Valerios at 7:54
10. Yeisson Casallas (Col) Pacto por el Deporte at 8:28.

López’s first win for Medellin-EPM:

 

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Egan Bernal’s Year of Truth
For Egan Bernal, 2022 was a season to forget, but this year everything should be about a return to the top. The Colombian finally seems to got rid of all his physical problems and can dream of winning again.

Bernal will start his season in Argentina with the Vuelta a San Juan. After a difficult rehabilitation, with ups and downs, the Tour winner of 2019 finally seems ready to shine again. His preparation for the new season went smoothly. “Things are going very well at the moment. It all went very well. We have trained a lot and I am very curious to see how things really stand now,” Bernal told Colombian AS.

“I think the values I get from training are very good. Cycling is a sport where you can rely on data to know how you are doing. That all looks very promising, although training is of course different from racing. The idea is now to race again,” outlined the INEOS Grenadiers rider.

“I am surprised at how quickly my rehabilitation has gone. It’s not even a year ago (when he hit the back of a bus on his TT bike) and I’m already thinking about the Tour de France. And not just to participate or finish, but to try to go for a good ranking. I really wouldn’t have thought that a year ago. However, with the support of my family and team, this turned out to be possible.”

After the Vuelta a San Juan (January 22-29), Bernal will participate in the Colombian National championships (February 5), after which he will fly to Europe for his European program with the Ruta del Sol (February 15-19), Paris-Nice (March 5-13) and the Tour of Catalonia (March 20-26). In the run-up to the Tour de France, he will compete in the Critérium du Dauphiné or the Tour de Suisse.

A good year for Bernal in 2023?
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soudal quick-step
Alaphilippe on the Statements from Lefevere
Patrick Lefevere put pressure on Julian Alaphilippe in the run-up to the new season. “Julian has a salary of a champion, but he has to confirm that he is still champion,” said Soudal Quick-Step’s team boss. Alaphilippe discussed Lefevere’s statements in conversation with L’Équipe.

Patrick Lefevere expects a lot from Julian Alaphilippe in 2023. The Belgian manager understands that the French rider had a lot of bad luck in 2022, but is also critical. “It is always the same people who have bad luck. I want him to get back on track. He owes me revenge. I don’t care that he is no longer World champion, but he hasn’t won much in recent years.”

“We all love him very much, he has been riding for this team since he was 17 years old. But I informed him that he would be allowed to leave when he got tired of the environment. I’m not into a rider who has had it for a while,” Het Nieuwsblad quoted Lefevere.

Alaphilippe responded this week in L’Équipe to Lefevere’s statements. “Every time I had conversations with him, everything went well. He also never asked me if I want to leave. He never said such things to me. To be honest, I was a bit surprised when I read that. If he really had a problem with me, he would have spoken to me about it first. So I’m not too worried.”

Alaphilippe hopes to distinguish himself again this year. The two-time World champion will again combine the Tour of Flanders with the hilly Classics in 2023. He will start his season at the end of this month in the Challenge Mallorca, after which he will work towards a block with Strade Bianche, Tirreno-Adriatico and Milan-Sanremo via the Ardèche Classic and the Drôme Classic.

Alaphilippe not worried:
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colombia
Nairo Quintana to Sign Contract with New Team this Week
The future of Nairo Quintana is still shrouded in mystery, but this week the Colombian will finally sign a contract with a new team. The father of the two-time grand tour winner informed Noticias Caracol.

The 32-year-old Quintana will fly to Europe this week to sign a contract, although it is not yet clear where his future lies. He himself has already announced that he will compete at WorldTour level in 2023, but in recent weeks it has remained remarkably quiet.

The climber was disqualified from the Tour de France in August, in which he finished sixth, after testing positive for tramadol. This painkiller is not on the WADA banned substance list, but it is banned by the UCI. Quintana appealed against this disqualification, but this was rejected by the CAS.

Quintana raced for the French Arkéa-Samsic team for the past three seasons, but at the beginning of October both parties decided, despite an earlier verbal contract extension agreement, to part ways.

According to Ciro Scognamiglio, a journalist of La Gazzetta dello Sport, Quintana’s manager has had talks with Team Corratec. The Italian team has a ProTeam license for this year and has already strengthened itself in recent months with Valerio Conti, Alexander Konychev, Etienne van Empel and Charlie Quarterman, and others. The agreement has not yet been finalised and it is difficult to estimate whether that will happen.

Maybe we will know the future of Quintana soon:
quintana chaves

 

total
Sagan Wants to Win Milan-Sanremo
Peter Sagan had a difficult 2022, partly due to covid infection, but the Slovak expects a better 2023, he said in conversation with Ouest-France. “Believe me, this season will be much better,” said the TotalEnergies rider.

“Everything is going well, I have been training since October without any setbacks. I think it will be a good year,” continued the three-time World champion, who will start his season with the Vuelta a San Juan (January 22-29) in Argentina. Sagan will stay in South America for a while, on an altitude training camp in Colombia. “Then I will come back for the opening weekend in Belgium with the Omloop Het Nieuwsblad (February 25).” It is not yet known whether he will also start Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne (26 February).

The precise plans for his spring will be announced after the Omloop Het Nieuwsblad, Sagan said. But he has his sights set on Milan-Sanremo (March 18). “I want to win there. Only when that race is no longer missing from my palmarès can I speak of a completely successful career. The race has eluded me for too long. It’s a simple game, but very hard to win. TotalEnergies can win a monument. Nothing is impossible.”

The now 32-year-old Sagan stood on the podium of Milan-San Remo twice: in 2013 and 2017 he was second. He has been at the start of the Italian Classic twelve times. He finished in the top ten nine times.

Sagan wants Sanremo:
wevelgem22

 

israel
Froome to Ride the Tour du Rwanda
Chris Froome will compete in the Tour du Rwanda from February 19 to 26. He made the announcement via a video message that the organisers of the African stage race shared on social media. “It’s the first time in a long time that I’m back in Africa, so I’m looking forward to it,” said Froome, who grew up in Kenya and South Africa.

The Israel-Premier Tech rider has never been to Rwanda, he says. “It will be a new experience. It looks like it’s going to be a fantastic race and for me it’s also an opportunity to watch the team’s ‘Fields of Dreams’ cycling project. I’m going to see what it really looks like.” Israel-Premier Tech wants to support Rwandan children through the ‘Field of Dreams’ campaign with a cycling centre, including a pump track, a track and a cycling academy.

Before Froome leaves for Africa and the Tour du Rwanda, he will first ride the Santos Tour Down Under in Australia. He then contests the Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race and stay for a while for a short training camp with teammate Simon Clarke. “I always feel it’s beneficial for me if I go somewhere in January where I can get a lot of miles and the weather is a bit more similar to the European summer.”

“That, getting those miles in the legs, is one of the reasons to come here. I prefer the heat to the cold,” said the 37 year-old Briton, who is not yet thinking about ending his career. “I hope to do this for a few more years.” When Froome moved from INEOS Grenadiers to the then Israel Start-Up Nation in 2020, the team didn’t disclose exactly how many years he had signed for. According to Cyclingnews sources, Froome has a contract until the end of 2025.

Froome off to Rwanda:
vuelta22st10tt

 

b&b
Eliot Lietaer the Next Victim of B&B
Eliot Lietaer has decided at the age of 32 to put an end to his cycling career. The Belgian was without a team after B&B Hotels-KTM closed down and he has not been able to find a new team.

“I had not seen this coming at all,” said Lietaer in December after the bad news about B&B-Hotels. “Pineau was a racing rider himself. I thought he must have a plan B somewhere, something he kept in reserve. Apparently not. However, Pineau also knows that it is a disaster, a bloodbath, if you have to tell 24 riders in December that they are at the end of their contract.”

Lietaer hoped for a breakthrough in recent weeks, continued to train, but it didn’t bring the rider anything concrete. “Needless to say, it is a great disappointment to have to end my career in this way,” he said via Instagram. “On the other hand, I am also very proud of the road traveled, and I have to thank the people in my immediate environment for the support.”

Lietaer was a professional for 11 years and rode during his career for Topsport Vlaanderen-Baloise (2012-2017), Wallonie-Bruxelles (2018-2020) and B&B Hotels-KTM (2021-2022). There is one professional victory on his palmarès, in 2014 he was the best in the second stage of the Boucles de la Mayenne. Another standout achievement dates back to his junior days. In the final stage of the Peace Race 2008 he beat Peter Sagan and Michal Kwiatkowski.

Lietaer is the seventh rider of the B&B Hotels team who, although not forced, retires from cycling. Pierre Rolland, Cyril Lemoine, Thibault Ferasse, Cyril Gautier, Jonathan Hivert and Julien Morice are the others.

The end of the road for Eliot Lietaer:
lietaer

 

abtf
Amaro Antunes Retires
Amaro Antunes will not be in the cycling peloton this year. The 32 year-old Portuguese climber signed a contract with ABTF Betão-Feirense in October 2022, but is now putting an end to his career.

We mainly know Antunes from his period at W52-FC Porto, the ‘troublesome’ Portuguese continental team. Last week it was announced that ten former cyclists of W52-FC Porto must appear before the Portuguese court. They are accused by the Public Prosecution Service of dealing in prohibited substances and methods of using them. Two team DS’s have also been charged.

A total of 26 people are on trial in the context of operation Prova Limpa (Clean Evidence), but Antunes’ name does not appear in the documents. “However, the Prova Limpa criminal trial has partly ensured that I no longer have any motivation to train, which is of course essential as a professional cyclist. My mother’s early death is also an important reason to stop,” he said via Instagram.

Antunes started with LA-Antarte in 2011 and also competed for Italian and Portuguese Conti teams. He also competed at Pro level for a few years with CCC in 2018 and 2019. Antunes won the Volta a Portugal three times in his career (in 2017, 2020 and 2021) and was also the strongest in the final stage of the Volta ao Algarve in 2017.

Amaro Antunes retires:
Malhao - Portugal - wielrennen - cycling - radsport - cyclisme - Amaro Antunes (W52-FC Porto) pictured during the Volta ao Algarve em Bicicleta 2017 stage 5 from Loulé to Malhao (179.2k - photo LB/RB/Cor Vos © 2017

 

trek segafredo
Juan Pedro López Breaks Collarbone in Training Crash
Juan Pedro López will have to postpone his season start. The Spanish Trek-Segafredo climber broke his left collarbone in a crash during training on Tuesday.

López, 25, crashed during a training ride with his Trek-Segafredo teammates. The American team is currently in Spain for a training camp. The unfortunate López will have surgery on Wednesday. The team cannot yet say how long the rehabilitation will take, and when the Spaniard can race.

Trek-Segafredo will release a new update after surgery. López was scheduled for the Tour of Valencia (February 1-5), but this is now too early. The climber can prepare for his first participation in the Tour de France this year. “I would not have thought of it myself, but you must have ridden the Tour at least once in your career. It’s time,” he said recently.

López is facing an important year, after making his breakthrough in the Giro d’Italia in 2022. In the Italian tour he rode in the pink leader’s jersey for ten days and finished tenth on the final overall.

Delayed start for Juan Pedro López:
giro22st9

 

uno x
Jonas Abrahamsen Crashed Sprint Training
Jonas Abrahamsen has been released from hospital after he crashed while sprint training. The 27 year-old Norwegian of Uno-X crashed during high-speed sprint training when his chain came off. “Jonas was thrown into the air and was unconscious when we got to him,” his teammate Søren Wærenskjold told TV2.

It turned out that Abrahamsen had swallowed his tongue in the crash. Wærenskjold and Tord Gudmestad were the first on the scene and together managed to ensure that their teammate could breathe again. “It was pretty intense,” Wærenskjold reacted afterwards. Uno-X’s support vehicle, containing the team doctor, and the emergency services were also quickly on site.

Abrahamsen was then able to communicate with the doctors, but knew nothing about the crash. He was taken to a hospital and allowed to return to the team hotel in Altea after a few hours. “I’m fine under the circumstances,” he says. “I took a hard blow to my head and the back of the thigh. I don’t remember anything that happened between just before the accident and an hour after. That was a terrifying experience.”

“I have a lot of abrasions and slightly bruised bones and muscles,” said Abrahamsen about the damage. He also has concussion. It is not known how long the Norwegian can start training again.

Jonas Abrahamsen in hospital with shock:
uno-x

 

israel
IPT’s 2023 Jersey Celebrates Premier Tech’s Centenary
On the eve of the first WorldTour race of the season, Israel – Premier Tech is pleased to reveal Premier Tech’s milestone 100th anniversary celebrations as the inspiration for the team’s unique 2023 jersey design.

israel

Today, Premier Tech has officially unveiled its Beyond 100 signature to celebrate the Canadian company’s first century and their passionate and forward-thinking approach. Featured on the left sleeve of the Israel – Premier Tech jersey, the Beyond 100 signature features ‘epic pink, open sky blue, and passionate tangerine’. The 2023 jersey incorporates these colours throughout the design, alongside IPT’s signature blue and white, to create the eye-catching, abstract pattern designed by stycle.design.

“Premier Tech’s steady and sustained growth is the result of the commitment and passion of thousands of team members across the world for whom our clients’ success is a priority since 1923,” says Jean Bélanger, president and chief executive officer of Premier Tech. “Resolutely focused on the future and driven by our rich history, we are beyond proud to reach this significant milestone and we are excited to see the Beyond 100 signature come to life on the Israel – Premier Tech jersey this year.”

“Premier Tech is a foundation partner of IPT, and it is fitting that the company’s remarkable 100th anniversary be celebrated with a unique Beyond 100 signature and influence on our jersey, which the team proudly wears. Let’s ride together for the next 100 years!,” says IPT co-owner Sylvan Adams.

2022 Tour de France stage winner Hugo Houle acknowledged Premier Tech’s success as inspiration for the upcoming season. “I love the jersey design, especially the additional colour inspired by the Beyond 100 signature. 100 years of operation is an incredible achievement for Premier Tech and we are proud to celebrate this milestone on our jersey and throughout the year. I hope we can channel the success Premier Tech has enjoyed in its first 100 years and have an equally successful season on the road,” adds Houle.

israel

 

tudor
ASSOS Confirmed as Technical Cycling Apparel Partner of Tudor Pro Cycling Team
ASSOS of Switzerland has entered a multiyear partnership with Tudor Pro Cycling as the team’s technical cycling apparel supplier, effective from 1 January 2023.

Building on a longstanding history with Tudor Pro Cycling Team owner Fabian Cancellara, ASSOS will be working closely alongside the riders to gather technical feedback on the products as they are raced in the most demanding conditions.

85% of the apparel with which the team will be equipped will be standard ASSOS EQUIPE RS equipment that its customers have access to as well. To ASSOS, this serves as the ultimate stress test protocol. The remaining 15% of the equipment are work-in-progress prototypes of future platforms, applications, components, tec & textiles.

Roche Maier, Créateur, Brand and Product Chief at ASSOS, said: “It is with great joy and excitement for ASSOS to join Cancellara’s project of a truly Swiss professional team which envisions to be THE pinnacle extension of the Swiss cycling federation. Hence, an ideal environment to further develop tomorrow’s TOP Swiss athletes. The team structure, people, process, and knowhow that Fabian and his directors have created for and around this team is simply great work. We congratulate Fabian, the entire team and the team’s partners for the initiative and being part of this unique, exciting project to further promote the benefits of the bicycle, the sport & youth support. Merci!”

Edwin Navez, ASSOS CEO, said: “We at ASSOS are thrilled to support the amazing project Fabian and the team put together. ASSOS aims to develop the best apparel, helping the most demanding cyclists bring their performance to the next level. We share that quest for excellence mindset with the Tudor team. We are sure this team has gathered all assets to win at the highest levels of professional cycling.”

Fabian Cancellara, Tudor Pro Cycling Team owner, said: “I was fortunate to spend many years of my career in ASSOS and know firsthand how committed the company is to making apparel function for the racer. I see their common values that are also essential to Tudor. Adding another iconic Swiss brand like ASSOS was an obvious, perfect match.”

tudor assos

 

sd worx
Documentary on First Tour de France Femmes for Team SD Worx
Women’s cycling experienced another milestone last year with the first Tour de France Femmes. Never before had a race given women’s cycling such a boost. The best cycling team in the UCI ranking, Team SD Worx, seized this first Tour de France Femmes to make a unique documentary. At training camps, at the riders’ homes, during the recons of stages and throughout the lap, a camera crew was given complete freedom to follow the team ‘behind the scenes’.

The first ride in the special jersey designed by Amy Pieters. The disappointments after the failed second stage. The division of roles between the two leaders for the classification. The joy of Marlen Reusser’s win in the gravel stage. The pain of the many crashes. And Demi Vollering’s hard fight for the win in the mountain classification and the second place in the overall classification. Triumph and tragedy were close together at Team SD Worx, a team always thinking about winning.

Demi Vollering managed to win the mountain classification and finished strongly in second in the overall classification. “The Tour de France Femmes was my highlight last year,” Vollering says. “I was really looking forward to this race, especially as the last two stages through the Vosges Mountains were close to my home in Switzerland. From all angles, more attention was already coming to the Tour in the run-up, so you already felt how special it was going to be. Only afterwards did I realise how grand this was. It was special to be followed in this race by the documentary makers. It also took some getting used to at times, because yes during all moments was now a camera on us. Yet this quickly became normal. I think it has become a very nice documentary, where you are taken behind the scenes and get to know us better as riders. But it also becomes clear how important a team around us is.”

Flemish production company Zebra63 has made a four-part documentary of Team SD Worx’s first Tour de France Femmes. Each part lasts about 45 minutes and has its own emotions. From 15 March, the documentary can be seen on Amazon NL, while the series will be broadcast by Canvas from 17 April.

SD Worx Tour documentary:
sd-worx

 

amstel
Dstny to Sponsor the Amstel Gold Race
The Amstel Gold Race has added Dstny to its list of sponsors. The cloud-based business communication company, joined the Belgian Lotto team as a main sponsor for this season, now wants to increase its brand awareness in the Netherlands.

“We are proud that we have managed to bind another beautiful young and dynamic company with a passion for cycling, which fits the Amstel Gold Race,” said Leo van Vliet, race director of the Amstel Gold Race. “With his international reputation and experience, Dstny can contribute to the further development of the Amstel Gold Race.”

Ed Smit, managing director Dstny Netherlands, said that Dstny wants to establish itself in cycling. “Of course we don’t want to be left behind in the Netherlands and we are honoured to become one of the main sponsors of the Amstel Gold Race. With this we connect to one of the most popular and well-known cycling races in the country.”

Marketing manager Koen Coppens of the company explains why Dstny chooses to collaborate with the Amstel Gold Race. “We believe in giving talent every opportunity, in the importance of a strong partner network, in diversity and in team spirit. Our sponsorship of the Amstel Gold Race and the cycling team gives us the opportunity to showcase our brand to a wide and diverse audience, both during the races and in the media. We are proud to link the Dstny brand to cycling and to be seen in full around and in the race.”

The Amstel Gold Race for men and women will be held on Sunday 16 April this season.

Leo van Vliet, Ed Smit and Koen Coppens:
amstel23

 

ncl
National Cycling League (NCL) Announces ZIeL Concept Store as the Miami Race Fan Headquarters and Club House for the Miami Nights Cycling Club
NCL and ZIeL Concept Store create a cycling hub to promote cycling as a sport and lifestyle for the South Florida community.

The National Cycling League, the first of its kind in professional sports built around 21st century values of diverse ownership, gender equality, technology, and sustainability, today announced that it has selected ZIeL Concept store, Miami’s preeminent cycling resource and lifestyle community store as the official fan headquarters and club house for the Miami Nights CC.

The two companies will collaborate on a range of initiatives and experiences around the development and showcasing of professional & amateur cycling as a sport, cycling culture in general as a lifestyle and develop a fanatic community. ZIeL offers South Florida cyclists a cycling club, professional bike servicing, in a modern sophisticated environment curated with the best professional cycling and lifestyle products.

“With the city of Miami Beach, being our inaugural NCL race city, collaborating with the ZIeL Concept Store community was a perfect fit,” said Paris Wallace NCL Founder & CEO. “We were looking for a local partner for our base of operations for the Miami Nights CC, who shared our values of building a diverse & inclusive cycling culture ZIeL, as the preeminent hub for the professional, amateur and casual cycling enthusiasts’ community in Miami matched up perfectly with our goals.”

ZIeL will support NCL riders and fans as the Headquarters for the NCL Miami Beach race and year-round as the club house for Miami’s NCL team, the Miami Nights CC. Leading up to NCLs April race in Miami Beach and throughout the 2023 Miami Nights’ season, cyclists and fans will be invited to ZIeL for group riders, clinics, and special events.

“ZIeL is a hub for cyclists to train, recover, shop, service their bikes, and learn about the latest trends and tech in the sport, surrounded by people who are passionate about cycling,” said Miami Nights rider, Frank Travieso. “I’m looking forward to the well-earned post ride recovery coffee at ZIeL with my Miami Nights CC teammates and my fellow cyclists after one of the NCL/ZIeL training rides leading up to NCL Miami Beach 2023.”

“Our mission is to honour the sport of cycling and the lifestyle and nourish its culture. We’re committed to helping people access and fall in love with the sport and the lifestyle – whether it is by finding their dream bike, training them to become the best athlete they can possibly be or simply by leading a damn good ride” said ZIeL founder Enrique Romero. “So, the opportunity to partner with the NCL whose mission completely aligned with ours of developing cycling as a sport, a lifestyle and a community was the perfect synergy.”

Follow @nclracing, @nclmiaminightscc & @ziel.conceptstore for a full schedule of events and experiences in Miami.

About National Cycling League
The National Cycling League, Inc. is revolutionising professional cycling in the United
States by building the professional sports league of the future – a league with
foundational values of diverse ownership, gender equality and inclusion, technology,
and sustainability. Featuring a new cycling league format, racing on iconic circuits, in
the most iconic cities. Men and women will compete on the same team, on the same
course, in a way that respects their differences yet weighs their performances and
values their contributions equally.
The NCL will launch in 2023 with 10 teams (invite-only) of professional cyclists
competing for a record-setting $1 Million prize purse across a series of criterium-style
races in four major markets: Miami Beach, Fla.; Atlanta, Ga.; Denver, Colo.; and
Washington D.C. In 2024, the National Cycling League will expand to a planned eight
(8) markets nationally.

About ZIeL Concept Store
Born from the love for cycling culture, ZIeL is the combination of everything we’re
deeply passionate about. From hammer rides to Cafecito stops, cooling down with
beers and sharing experiences on and off the bike. At ZIeL, we strive to share this
lifestyle through the culture of cycling, combined with coffee, beer, wine & gourmet food.

Located at:
6917 S Red Road,
Coral Gables, Florida
33149

https://ziel.miami/

ncl

 

astana
Mark Cavendish joins Astana Qazaqstan Team
Astana Qazaqstan Team is happy to announce the arrival of British National Champion Mark Cavendish, who is going to join the Kazakh team for the season of 2023.

“I am really excited for this adventure. I raced with Alexandr Vinokurov for many years, and now I’m racing with his 2 boys! I remember when they were children the same age as my own, dreaming to be bike racers. Astana Qazaqstan Team is going to be a great place to be successful, with a strong team led by Alexandr, a champion on the bike and a gentleman off the bike. I’ve enjoyed a long career already, but the joy of riding my bike and the hunger to continue winning are as bright as ever. So I’m looking forward to being part of a successful team, whether working with the team for wins, crossing the line first myself, or cheering on my teammates. As always, the objective will be for us to stand on the top podium,” – said Mark Cavendish.

Mark Cavendish (37) is one of the greatest road sprinters of all times, who shares a phenomenal 34-Tour-de-France-stage-win-record with the legendary Eddy Merckx. Mark is the winner of the sprinter’s jersey in all three Grand Tours and 2011 Road World Champion.

In the season of 2022 Mark Cavendish won Milano-Torino, a stage at the Giro d’Italia, Tour of Oman and UAE Tour.

“Well, Mark Cavendish doesn’t need any presentation. He is the best sprinter of all times, and I am happy to welcome Mark in Astana Qazaqstan Team. The arrival of a top sprinter in our team is kind of challenge for us, but we are ready for it. We see new ways and new possibilities. The goals however are still the same – victories in any kind of race: Classics, stages in different stage races and, of course, in the Grand Tours. Mark still has a big desire to win and we are going to support this feeling with all our forces in all kind of races,” – said Alexandr Vinokurov, General Manager of Astana Qazaqstan Team.

Cycling’s worst kept secret:
cavendish

 

astana
Cees Bol signs with Astana Qazaqstan Team
Astana Qazaqstan Team completes its transfer campaign, signing a one-year deal with the Dutch sprinter Cees Bol for the season of 2023.

“I feel really good coming to Astana Qazaqstan Team. Obviously, we are already at the beginning of the new year and for me it is a great surprise that finally it ends in such a good way. I am so happy that I am here in this great team, and I can focus on building up to the new goals together with Astana. My main goal for this season is to get back to winning, taking some sprint opportunities and fighting for a win in any kind of races. But of course, with Mark Cavendish now in the team, another big goal for me will be to help him to fight for the success. I’d like to do some Classics to see how far I can reach together with the team. So, I am really looking forward to 2023,” – said Cees Bol.

Cees Bol (27) is a fast sprinter, who scored several solid results during his four seasons in the UCI WorldTour. He won one-day race Danilith Nokere Koerse and a stage at Amgen Tour of California and Tour of Norway in 2019, a stage at Volta ao Algarve in 2020, a stage at Paris-Nice in 2021 and a stage at the Tour of Britain in 2022.

“Cees Bol is a powerful sprinter and first of all we would like to see him next to Mark Cavendish helping him in the bunch sprint. However, we know that Cees is a strong rider, and he can deliver some good results by himself. So, it is another strengthening of our sprinter’s group, which takes a visible shape. So, with this signing we are completing our transfer campaign and now all our thoughts are about the new season. We are at the start of our second training camp, two our rosters are in Australia and Argentina already, so everything is ready for a good start of 2023,” – said Alexandr Vinokurov, General Manager of Astana Qazaqstan Team.

Cees Bol to join Cavendish:
astana

 

holland dutch
A Friend who Helped Lieuwe Westra Thought he was Just Getting Better
The sudden death of Lieuwe Westra has been in the spotlight since it was announced. The former cyclist died last Saturday at the age of just 40, after suffering from depression for years. “However, things actually went better for him. He went for things again,” said his good friend Eelke Winkel in conversation with NH News.

Winkel tells his story, partly to rectify speculations of suicide in recent days. He came into contact with Westra a year ago through a mutual acquaintance. “He was just divorced and came back from Spain. I saw a broken boy. He was quite confused. We took him in tow. He stayed with us so that he could become a little human again. And in fact he has always been. I didn’t even know he had been a cyclist at first. I didn’t hear that until later.”

Eelke often took his good friend to a garage in Zwaagdijk, where they do a lot of work on cars. “He thought that was fantastic, even though he wasn’t much into cars in the beginning. But he started cleaning cars on his own, for example, he was very good at that. That really cheered him up. We have talked and experienced a lot together in a short time. An intense friendship. In terms of depression, it went with peaks and troughs. It is not a flu that will pass.”

“But the periods when things went well got longer and longer. He generally became happier. That was the beginning of the recovery.” Westra was even busy with the future again and wanted to help young people with mental problems and even registered with the Chamber of Commerce a day before his death. He was as happy as a child. “Now we can finally start, he said. And then a day later it is a completely different story…”

Last Saturday, Westra was found at the company premises in Zwaagdijk, North Holland. “Lieuwe wanted to get some sleep in the bus, so I started already. When I went outside later to grab something from the work van, I saw him lying against the fence.”

The cause of death is unknown, but speculation of suicide soon spread. “I find that quite intense. I learned he died of heart failure. I know what has happened in his life in the last year. And yes: he had a hard time, especially when he arrived here. But he had already bought a house and we had plans for the future. A lot of people don’t know that. Then I think it is short-sighted to say: it is suicide. That is why I also want to tell my story, for him. In fact, things got better for him. He went for things again. Joy came out of him again, you could just see that. And then suddenly: poof. I think that’s terrible.”

Westra and Scarponi:
Bergerac - France - wielrennen - cycling - radsport - cyclisme - Michele Scarponi (Ita-Astana Pro Team) - Lieuwe Westra (Ned-Astana Pro Team) pictured during stage - 19 of the 101th Tour de France 2014 - from Maubourguet Pays du Val d’Adour to Bergerac - photo Wessel van Keuk/Dion Kerckhoffs/Cor Vos © 2014

 

spain
Raúl Garcia Alvarez Dies After 24 Years in a Coma
Alvarez remained in a vegetative state after crashing down an embankment in a Madrid race in 1998.

The young cyclist from Villacastín, a town of only 1,400 inhabitants, was racing in the Vuelta Ciclista a la Sierra Norte de Madrid. On the second stage, going down the Carcuera pass, he crashed off the road on a curve and fell down an embankment. The result was severe head and chest trauma that left him in bed for more than two decades.

He was rescued by helicopter and transferred to the 12 de Octubre hospital and then to the Burgos hospital. Finally, he spent the last 23 years at his home in the Segovian municipality where he has had the support of his family and especially his mother. This week he said goodbye to life after spending the last 24 years in a coma. “Those were very hard times, especially for my parents. I’m sure if he had been in a hospital it wouldn’t have lasted as long. My father and mother were with him for 24 hours and gave him all their love,” recalls Antonio, his older brother, who took him to many races.

Cycling was “his passion”, he recalls, “he was thinking about it all day, after his studies, he had nothing else on his mind.” In those days there was no lack of support from ‘Chava’ Jimenez, Carlos Sastre, Carlos Melero or José Luis de Santos.

RIP Raúl Garcia Alvarez:
garcia

 


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