Wouter Poels won a cold and wet Liège-Bastone-Liège, the snow was on the road, but the race went on. We look at the Extreme Weather Protocol and the race with report, result, quotes and video. More race action from Trentino, Croatia, Turkey and the Joe Martin stage race. Cycling news from the Giro d’Italia, Romandie, Tour de France and Cannondale/Drapac.
TOP STORY: Bad Weather Doesn’t Stop Liège
So when is bad weather bad enough to stop a race? A difficult question to answer.
On Sunday the snow was bad enough to cause the organizers of Liège-Bastogne-Liège to re-route the early part of the course to avoid the worst of the snowfall. At the start the temperature was just above freezing, but there was no snow and the race started as expected. Reports came in from the course that the snow was lying on the road and the organizers made the ‘on the move’ diversion decision. The race carried on as if nothing was wrong and in the end we had a great battle. Maybe the favorites lost out and we had a surprise winner, but anything can happen in a bike race.
So what was the difference between Sunday’s Liège and stage cancellations at Paris-Nice and Tirreno Adriatico. Under the new Extreme Weather Protocol the race cancellations were called for after meetings between a riders representative and the race organizers, this didn’t happen on Sunday due to the representative being ill. The organizers started the race and made all the proper decisions, the race went ahead and finished without more than the usual amount of crashes. Can the organizers not be trusted to run their race in bad weather, it seems the answer is only when it suits certain people.
It was pretty bad in 1980:
Liège-Bastonge-Liège 2016
Twenty-eight years after Adri Van Der Poel, a heroic Wout Poels became the fifth Dutchman to win Liège-Bastogne-Liège. The rider from Sky made the best of the penultimate climb of the day to power away from the favorites group alongside Rui Costa, Michael Albasini and Samuel Sanchez. The decision was finally made on the final straight in Ans where Poels managed to out-sprint his rivals, crossing the line in front of Albasini and Costa.
Very cold weather conditions welcomed the riders of Liège-Bastogne-Liège for the start of the 102nd edition of La Doyenne. It was actually 1°C as the 200 riders took off from the Place Saint-Lambert in the centre of Liège for the 253kms of the race. After eleven kilometers, seven men managed to take off: Brutt (Tinkoff), Tiralongo (Astana), Edet (Cofidis), Benedetti (Bora-Argon 18), De Gendt (Lotto Soudal), De Marchi (BMC) and Roy (FDJ).
While the pack was not too concerned by the early breakaway, an eighth man powered away from the main field: Vegard Stake Laengen (IAM Cycling). That was just before the race organization decided to change the initial course due to the cold and snowy conditions. Indeed from km 45 to km 75 the riders headed south avoiding the more hilly roads (meaning 5kms less). On that new itinerary, Laengen eventually managed to catch the front group at kilometer 51. The gap carried on growing and reached a maximum 8:50.
After returning to the initial course at km 75, Movistar and Etixx – Quick-Step moved to the front of the pack and started slowly chasing. From 9 minutes at the top of the Côte de la Roche-en-Ardenne, it went down to 7:50 at the summit of the Côte de Saint-Roch. As Paolo Tiralongo made it first to the top of the Côte de Wanne (84kms from finish), the chasing pack remained 4 minutes adrift.
On the Col du Maquisard, Pavel Brutt was the first to struggle and was dropped by his former companions. De Marchi made the best of that climb to power away, eventually taking with him De Gendt, Edet and Laengen moments later. On the legendary Côte de la Redoute, Edet was the first to give it a go. The Frenchman was rapidly caught by De Marchi. After clearing the next two climbs, they were finally caught with under 25kms to go by a hungry pack led by the Etixx – Quick-Step boys.
Just after the Côte de la Roche-aux-Faucons with under 20kms to go, Carlos Betancur (Movistar) was the next to try his luck, but the Colombian was caught five kilometers later after enjoying a slim advantage. As riders continued struggling, just under thirty riders remained together. On the Côte de Saint-Nicolas, Diego Rosa (Astana) and Ilnur Zakarin (Katusha) managed to power away but that attempt wouldn’t be the decisive one either. Eventually on the penultimate and new climb up the Côte de la Rue Naniot, Michael Albasini (Orica-GreenEDGE) would launch the perfect move. On the steep hill, the Swiss took off taking with him three riders: Rui Costa (Lampre-Merida), Wout Poels (Sky) and Samuel Sanchez (BMC). The front four reached the last kilometer with a 10 second lead, enough to start considering victory.
After a first attempt on the final climb to Ans, Wout Poels moved to the front and launched the final sprint just after the last left turn. The Dutchman managed to hang on all the way to the line, finally beating Albasini and Rui Costa for what would be the greatest victory of his career. Twenty-eight years after Adri Van der Poel, Poels gives the Netherlands a fourth victory in Liège-Bastogne-Liège. Already overall winner of the Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana and stages of Tirreno Adriatico, the Tour of Basque Country and more recently the Tour of Catalunya, The 28-year-old conquers his first ever monument.
Liège winner, Waut Poels (Sky): “It’s unbelievable. I’m really happy and I still can’t believe I won Liege-Bastogne-Liege. It’s a really nice victory that’s for sure! To be able to win the first Monument for the team, especially a team like this, is really special. I’m riding with the best riders in the world. It’s a huge win for the team and also for myself. I know I’m quite fast but I also knew that guys like Albasini were quick too. After 260km no sprint is the same. I think everyone was really tired from the cold, rain, snow and everything else the weather threw at us today. I did a good sprint and luckily it was enough to win Liege-Bastogne-Liege!”
2nd, Michael Albasini (Orica-GreenEDGE): “It was really tough out there. In those kinds of conditions you are always thinking about staying as warm and dry as possible especially towards the end. We had stripped off some layers going into the final and then it snowed again, it was really demanding. It was close at the end, I felt good and I tried a couple of times to get away but I didn’t quite have the legs in the last few meters. Maybe it’s too soon to be happy about second place but I think in the days to come I will be pretty happy about it. I came on Liège to work for Simon Gerrans but saw he was struggling in the Côte de Saint-Nicolas. It was my turn to lead the team. I went to the front of the group to be able to attack or chase attempts. I then pushed on the cobbles and was surprised to be the strongest. Eventually, at the end of the day, I wasn’t the strongest. On the final straight I could no longer feel my legs. I believe Poels was just the strongest today. We were all tired. You can’t be as focused after such a day. Maybe I should have attacked earlier. I proved that I could be with the best and that’s what counts the most. I thought perhaps I was the strongest of the four. I set the pace on the Cote de Ans and I was surprised that Poels launched the sprint at the exit of the last corner. In the sprint, my gearing was too small. I couldn’t do the sprint with the same power, and I should have changed my gears beforehand. That was my error, although I have to admit he did a super sprint, too. He was already ahead of me in Flèche Wallonne so if I can’t be happy with second, I realize I’ve done a good race all the same.”
3rd, Rui Costa (Lampre-Merida): “The weather conditions influenced the race, making it so demanding and preventing everybody to attack from faraway. It was one of the hardest race I ever participated, however I succeeded in realizing a very good performance and I had good legs when I followed the attack of Albasini. I wish I could have had the same legs also on the final straight, but I perceived my body was at its limit, so I think the third place is a very good result, even if I had little regrets for having being so close to a real opportunity of victory.”
4th, Samuel Sanchez (BMC): “It’s a good result and its good UCI WorldTour points for the team, for me the most important thing is the performance in the final. It’s a fight to win the race. When I arrived at the finish line there was really nothing left. The race was a survival race. There were a lot of crashes in the final, a lot of rain, so it was really hard. For me and for the team, and my teammates it’s a good result. The perfect result is the first three places but still. My form is impressive. I’m 38 years old and it’s my 13th Liège-Bastogne-Liège, so I’m happy.”
7th, Roman Kreuziger (Tinkoff): “I think that we tackled a very tough race today. With the weather it was very hard, but we raced well together in position and stayed pretty safe, so from this point we can be satisfied. Me personally, I waited until Saint-Nicolas to play just one card. But on the new climb with cobbles, in the first half I couldn’t find my rhythm and couldn’t follow the other guys that attacked so I’m disappointed with this because nobody wanted to pull and really make the race to help catch the break. I’m very disappointed, as I saw in the last 500m that even into a head wind I was making up ground. I expected more than seventh, but that’s how the one-day races go – you need some luck.”
Break rider, Vegard Stake Laengen (IAM Cycling): “I tried my luck chasing onto the break, but I still managed to reach my goal. I tried to keep a good pace to join up to the breakaway. Then we rode well together since there was a good amount agreement among us. But I was not able to hang onto the leading group once we hit la Redoute. Even if my legs were good today, that was just a bit too much for me. I hope to be as fit for my next races coming up like the Tour of Belgium.”
Liège-Bastonge-Liège Result:
1. Wouter Poels (Ned) Sky 06:24:29
2. Michael Albasini (Swi) Orica-GreenEDGE
3. Rui Costa (Por) Lampre-Merida
4. Samuel Sanchez (Spa) BMC at 0:04
5. Ilnur Zakarin (Rus) Katusha at 0:09
6. Warren Barguil (Fra) Giant-Alpecin at 0:11
7. Roman Kreuziger (Cze) Tinkoff at 0:12
8. Joaquin Rodriguez Oliver (Spa) Katusha
9. Bauke Mollema (Ned) Trek-Segafredo
10. Diego Rosa (Ita) Astana.
Liège action:
Liège Bastogne Liège – Best of 2016 por tourdefrance
Giro del Trentino 2016
It was to be Landa versus Nibali, it’s becoming Landa against everyone. Giro del Trentino Melinda’s Stage 3 from Sillian to Mezzolombardo offered a spectacular clash between the strongest men on the Fai della Paganella ascent, the last difficulty of the day before the finish in the heart of the Rotaliana area. Landing the spoils was Astana’s Estonian Tanel Kangert, one of Nibali’s trusted domestiques, who managed to leave the company of the reduced group, selected on the climb and the following descent, with 1 km to go. Patrick Konrad (Bora-Argon 18) and Romain Bardet (AG2R-La Mondiale) had to make do with 2nd and 3rd, edging at 10 seconds the chasing group including – among others – Jakob Fuglsang (4th) of Astana and sky’s Mikel Landa (6th).
Plenty of Astana and AG2R men, against only one from Sky in the leading group on the 10 km long Fai della Paganella climb, that offered a tasty appetizer of what we will see in about a month, in the Giro d’Italia stage 16. The GC leader Mikel Landa was soon left alone among his strongest opponents, who attacked him thick and fast, but apparently never affecting the composure of the Spaniard, who looked the strongest uphill along with Dane Jakob Fuglsang, the new protected leader of the Kazakh team while Vincenzo Nibali (21st today at 2:45) is still looking for his best rhythm. Plenty of attacks came from Fuglsang himself, from Kangert, Frenchmen Peraud and Bardet, Pozzovivo, young Colombian Bernal and Pirazzi. Landa always replied, looking comfortable and confident with strong legs.
Meantime, today it was the day of 29-year-old Estonian Tanel Kangert, another of Nibali’s men for his next assault on the Giro d’Italia, and who – just like Valerio Agnoli on day one – has found at the Giro del Trentino Melinda the best possible reward for his huge work as domestique, particularly in the Grand Tours.
Before the Fai della Paganella, 10 breakaway riders took the center stage, including home-favorites Cesare Benedetti (Bora-Argon 18) and Iuri Filosi (Nippo-Fantini), new red jersey Antonio Molina (Caja Rural-Seguros RGA), and the brave Brazilian Magno Nazaret (Brazil), who deservedly claimed the most combative rider’s jersey.
Overall leader, Mikel Landa (Sky): “Today it wasn’t that easy, actually. I managed to control on the climb, but in the descent and the last flat section I had to keep my eyes open: the gaps are still pretty little, and with time bonuses at the finish you don’t need that much to see some good advantage vanish. Also today, several rivals showed they can be dangerous – Fuglsang, and beyond – and tomorrow I know I will be attacked again: and for me, attacking might be the best defense.”
Stage winner and 2nd overall, Tanel Kangert (Astana): “I am not so much used to winning, indeed, but I know what my dimension as a rider is, and my goal is to be one of the best domestiques in the peloton, but today the team left the options open, and I was good and lucky to seize the opportunity. Fuglsang was clearly the strongest in our team today, and honestly I was not brilliant on the climb too. In the finale, though, I managed to come back and I opted to try only one kick, with all that I had left. And it worked out. We will have to be creative: if we don’t put in an aggressive and unpredictable strategy, it will be tough to drop Mikel.”
Giro del Trentino Stage 3 Result:
1. Tanel Kangert (Est) Astana in 5:05:27
2. Patrick Konrad (Aut) Bora-Argon 18 at 0:10
3. Romain Bardet (Fra) AG2R-La Mondiale
4. Jakob Fuglsang (Den) Astana
5. Sergey Firsanov (Rus) Gazprom-RusVelo
6. Mikel Landa Meana (Spa) Sky
7. Emanuel Buchmann (Ger) Bora-Argon 18
8. Jean-Christophe Peraud (Fra) AG2R-La Mondiale
9. Egan Arley Bernal (Col) Androni Giocattoli-Sidermec
10. Domenico Pozzovivo (Ita) AG2R-La Mondiale.
Giro del Trentino Overall After Stage 3:
1. Mikel Landa Meana (Spa) Sky in 10:37:23
2. Tanel Kangert (Est) Astana at 0:08
3. Jakob Fuglsang (Den) Astana at 0:10
4. Sergey Firsanov (Rus) Gazprom-RusVelo at 0:15
5. Romain Bardet (Fra) AG2R-La Mondiale at 0:20
6. Patrick Konrad (Aut) Bora-Argon 18
7. Domenico Pozzovivo (Ita) AG2R-La Mondiale at 0:24
8. Emanuel Buchmann (Ger) Bora-Argon 18 at 0:26
9. Jean-Christophe Peraud (Fra) AG2R-La Mondiale at 0:38
10. Hubert Dupont (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale at 0:52.
Stage 3:
Who knows if, during his defense of the leadership of the Giro del Trentino Melinda’s Final Stage 4, Mikel Landa (Sky) had the time to notice the pink shade of the blossoming apple orchards that framed his winning effort in Val di Non. That pinks looks like a good omen, after seeing Team Sky’s Spaniard impose his supremacy to the finish of the fourth stage of the GS Alto Garda race to Malè-Cles, 161 km. But do not think it was an easy job, Landa’s throne was everything but assured until the final pedal stroke.
Estonian Tanel Kangert (Astana) was certainly not a top favorite at the beginning of the race, but he ended up within two seconds of the most unlikely of victories. After reaching Riva del Garda last Monday with only two wins in his pro palmarès, Nibali’s trusted domestique doubled his spoils in the space of two days, taking also the fourth stage after the third, this time by edging a 13-man sprint.
It was the day in which Vincenzo Nibali (Astana) redeemed a sub-par edition for him with a brave breakaway effort along with Damiano Cunego (Nippo-Fantini) and Alexander Foliforov (Gazprom-RusVelo), eventually rewarded with the most combative rider’s jersey. Regardless of the result, the move confirmed the Italian Champion’s desire to honor a race he has always shown to love. But today, the first step of the podium was for his main rival for the Giro title.
Landa was simply the strongest uphill over the four days of the race, as he managed to respond to the attacks from all his rivals (from Astana and AG2R mostly), often with a lack of support from his teammates. History and facts show that the Giro del Trentino Melinda is the perfect preparation for the Giro d’Italia, and the balance of the challenge against Nibali now leans more on his side.
For the first time in its history, the Giro del Trentino Melinda ends without an Italian winner. No stages (this happened in 2011, when Michele Scarponi won the GC), nor the overall. That also underlines the growing international participation at the GS Alto Garda event.
3rd on the stage and overall winner, Mikel Landa (Sky): “It was hard until the end, I even had to discover my sprinting skills to secure the decisive bonus. Today I had a teammate on my side at the end, but having managed to control and win the race even when down in numbers gives me huge confidence in the view of the Giro d’Italia. Rather than a stronger Nibali, I was expecting a more combative Nibali. But Vincenzo knows himself very well, he was coming out of a training camp, and I know he will be in great shape at the Giro.”
Stage winner and 2nd overall, Mikel Kangert (Astana): “I knew I was a decent sprinter, but I did not expect another win as also today I came back after being distanced on the climb, the strongest on the team was Fuglsang (third overall), but we could not make a difference. No regrets, I am happy with two wins, as the strongest man took it all.”
Giro del Trentino Stage 4 Result:
1. Tanel Kangert (Est) Astana in 4:07:29
2. Matteo Busato (Ita) Southeast-Venezuela
3. Mikel Landa Meana (Spa) Sky
4. Patrick Konrad (Aut) Bora-Argon 18
5. Jakob Fuglsang (Den) Astana
6. Sergey Firsanov (Rus) Gazprom-RusVelo
7. Domenico Pozzovivo (Ita) AG2R-La Mondiale
8. Romain Bardet (Fra) AG2R-La Mondiale
9. Sergio Pardilla (Spa) Caja Rural-Seguros RGA
10. Hubert Dupont (Fra) AG2R-La Mondiale.
Giro del Trentino Final Overall Result:
1. Mikel Landa Meana (Spa) Sky in 14:44:48
2. Tanel Kangert (Est) Astana at 0:02
3. Jakob Fuglsang (Den) Astana at 0:14
4. Sergey Firsanov (Rus) Gazprom-RusVelo at 0:19
5. Patrick Konrad (Aut) Bora-Argon 18 at 0:24
6. Romain Bardet (Fra) AG2R-La Mondiale
7. Domenico Pozzovivo (Ita) AG2R-La Mondiale at 0:28
8. Emanuel Buchmann (Ger) Bora-Argon 18 at 0:30
9. Jean-Christophe Peraud (Fra) AG2R-La Mondiale at 0:42
10. Hubert Dupont (Fra) AG2R-La Mondiale at 0:56.
Final Stage 4:
Tour of Croatia 2016
Stage 3 finished with a very technical sprint that saw Giacomo Nizzolo (Trek-Segafredo) win the sprint and take the overall lead back from Mark Cavendish (Dimension Data) who finished 4th. Nizzolo’s Trek-Segafredo team brought him through the finalé to finish ahead of Timothy Dupont (Veranda’s Willems) and Matteo Pelucchi (IAM Cycling).
The break of the day was made up of Josef Cerny (CCC Sprandi Polkowice), Nicola Boem (Bardiani-CSF), Marcin Bialoblocki (ONE Pro Cycling), Artem Ovechkin (Gazprom-RusVelo), Mark Christian (Team WIGGINS), and Kamil Gradek (Verva ActiveJet) and at one point they had a lead of 6 minutes. Dimension Data were controlling the race with a little help from Trek-Segafredo and Tinkoff. The lead dropped from the half-way point, but the escape still had 2 minutes with 25 kilometers to go and Trek put more men on the front for Nizzolo and as the race entered the final 3 kilometers the lead was 20 seconds. Tinkoff and Dimension Data both put in a strong efforts to catch the leaders and then Trek hit the front for another win for Nizzolo
Stage winner and overall leader, Giacomo Nizzolo (Trek-Segafredo): “It was really fast to get the breakaway back, and the guys did a perfect job in the lead-out, so I had to win. All day we rode well, the circuit was hilly and before was tough too, harder than last two days. I am feeling good and I was confident for the sprint, but at the end, I was scared because I could not shift into my biggest gear. My cadence was really high, but it worked out with the perfect lead out.”
3rd, Matteo Pelucchi (IAM Cycling): “At this race, we were sprinting more for position than to develop your top speed. This kind of finish is absolutely not something that suits my strengths. The end was very technical, and it was almost impossible to produce a real effort. Third place is not the result I expected. But it comes after a day of real team work throughout the stage. My teammates supported me to the absolute best of their abilities, especially since this was a very difficult day. We came to the Tour of Croatia with a view to preparing for the Giro. Although we are still missing a victory from our time here, we are nailing down the lead out so that it will be second nature, and the whole team is communicating well.”
Tour of Croatia Stage 3 Result:
1. Giacomo Nizzolo (Ita) Trek-Segafredo in 4:35:42
2. Timothy Dupont (Bel) Veranda’s Willems
3. Matteo Pelucchi (Ita) IAM Cycling
4. Mark Cavendish (GB) Dimension Data
5. Nicola Ruffoni (Ita) Bardiani-CSF
6. Roman Maikin (Rus) Gazprom-RusVelo
7. Coen Vermeltfoort (Ned) Continental Team Join-S de Rijke
8. Ioannis Tamouridis (Gre) Synergy Baku
9. Paolo Simion (Ita) Bardiani-CSF
10. Marco Benfatto (Ita) Androni Giocattoli-Sidermec.
Tour of Croatia Overall After Stage 3:
1. Giacomo Nizzolo (Ita) Trek-Segafredo in 15:35:59
2. Mark Cavendish (GB) Dimension Data at 0:10
3. Timothy Dupont (Bel) Veranda’s at 0:16
4. Mark Renshaw (Aus) Dimension Data at 0:20
5. Matteo Pelucchi (Ita) IAM Cycling at 0:22
6. Nicola Ruffoni (Ita) Bardiani-CSF at 0:23
7. Alexey Kurbatov (Rus) Gazprom-RusVelo at 0:25
8. Ioannis Tamouridis (Gre) Synergy Baku at 0:26
9. Coen Vermeltfoort (Ned) Continental Team Join-S de Rijke
10. Roman Maikin (Rus) Gazprom-RusVelo.
Stage 3:
Trek-Segafredo’s Riccardo Zoidl climbed his way to victory in Stage 4 with an attack just over a kilometer from the summit finish in Vojak. This was the Austrian’s first win in three years. Home rider, Matija Kvasina (Synergy Baku) took the overall lead and is now 19 seconds ahead of Zoidl. Victor de la Parte (CCC Sprandi Polkowice) was third and is now 4th overall behind Radoslav Rogina (Cro) Adria Mobil.
Sprinters Giacomo Nizzolo (Trek-Segafredo) and Mark Cavendish (Dimension Data) were soon dropped as eight riders escaped: Artem Ovechkin (Gazprom-RusVelo), Scott Davies (Team WIGGINS), Alessandro Tonelli (Bardiani-CSF), Daniel Turek (Cycling Academy), Brecht Dhaene (Veranda’s Willems), Sondre Holst Enger (IAM Cycling), Javier Megias (Team Novo Nordisk), and Domen Novak (Adria Mobil).
The breakaway was caught on the final long 20 kilometer climb, the last man out was Holst Enger who didn’t get pulled back before 5km to go. Felix Grosschartner (CCC Sprandi Polkowice) attacked 4km out, but Zoidl pulled him back taking a small group off the front including Victor de la Parte and Kvasina, Jesper Hansen (Tinkoff) and Radoslav Rogina (Adria Mobil) were not far behind.
Hansen dropped Rogina to cross to the leaders before the top, but Zoidl made his winning move to solo to the line.
Stage winner and 2nd overall, Riccardo Zoidl (Trek-Segafredo): This victory means a lot for me because this year I had a lot of troubles at the beginning of the season. Then just to continue with this victory, we have already two, is incredible. Thanks to the team, they rode amazing in the last 50 kilometers. I am very happy about the win! I knew the climb was very long and that you have to pace it and wait and wait. Dirk (Demol, director) told me to wait until the last moment. With five kilometers to go, I tried to split it a little bit and then we were three guys. I felt good, so I decided to go early – at 2kms to go – and yeah, it worked out. It’s an amazing day for me. It’s a pity that I lost 50 seconds on the second stage with the crash, but after two victories and now again today we are really motivated; we will go full gas tomorrow, and we will see.”
Overall leader and 2nd on the stage, Matija Kvasina (Synergy Baku): “On paper Baku is just a small team, but we have proven that with teamwork we can achieve great results, it is a small team with a huge heart and soul. Nothing would have been possible today without this amazing team. Special thanks to Kirill, who gave his best for me the whole day and in crucial moments. I am forever thankful and hope that I can return the favor to the whole team. It is nice to lead my homeland race and we will fight for it until the end.”
Jonathan Fumeaux (IAM Cycling): “Finishing thirteenth is not the result I wanted or expected. But after crashing yesterday, I can be pretty satisfied with the way I rode and where I ended up today. I went in a breakaway that formed early in the stage. After a few kilometers we were joined by another group of riders, which notably also included Sondre Holst Enger. I probably wasted some energy in this exploit, but it could have been worth it. Sondre also tried his own attack with nine kilometers to go, but he didn’t have enough kick to make it stick. Then the team kept me very well placed at the front. Leigh Howard and Marcel Aregger have been invaluable help. On the last climb, I managed to stay with the front group until about three kilometers to go. I really tried everything, gave everything. I came with a view to place well in the general classification, In my heart, I was hoping for a top-10. And when I see where I am in the current ranking, I believe that it was well within my capabilities. Unfortunately, I had a lot of bad luck. I lost 50 seconds on the second stage because I was caught behind a crash. And then my own crash yesterday cost me almost five minutes. My lucky star did not travel with me to Croatia it seems. This team time trial we definitely intend to ride à bloc. On the one hand, it is always a good discipline to practice. And then on the other hand, we have a team that is capable of putting in a strong time. Although we don’t have all the specialists with us, the sprinters can certainly lay down a good tempo. A top-5 seems within reach.”
Tour of Croatia Stage 4 Result:
1. Riccardo Zoidl (Aut) Trek-Segafredo in 3:17:04
2. Matija Kvasina (Cro) Synergy Baku at 0:28
3. Víctor De La Parte (Spa) CCC Sprandi Polkowice
4. Jesper Hansen (Den) Tinkoff at 0:34
5. Radoslav Rogina (Cro) Adria Mobil at 0:48
6. Markus Eibegger (Aut) Team Felbermayr-Simplon Wels at 1:04
7. Felix Grosschartner (Aut) CCC Sprandi Polkowice at 1:18
8. Domen Novak (Slo) Adria Mobil at 1:21
9. Scott Davies (GB) Team WIGGINS at 1:35
10. Julian Arredondo (Col) Trek-Segafredo at 1:41.
Tour of Croatia Overall After Stage 4:
1. Matija Kvasina (Cro) Synergy Baku in 18:53:51
2. Riccardo Zoidl (Aut) Trek-Segafredo at 0:19
3. Radoslav Rogina (Cro) Adria Mobil at 0:26
4. Víctor De La Parte (Spa) CCC Sprandi Polkowice at 0:53
5. Domen Novak (Slo) Adria Mobil at 0:57
6. Jesper Hansen (Den) Tinkoff at 1:03
7. Felix Grosschartner (Aut) CCC Sprandi Polkowice at 1:16
8. Markus Eibegger (Aut) Team Felbermayr-Simplon Wels at 1:33
9. Scott Davies (GB) Team WIGGINS at 2:04
10. Julian Arredondo (Col) Trek-Segafredo at 2:10.
Stage 4:
Even with a crash involving Juraj Sagan, Tinkoff won the team time trial Stage 5 with a time of 49:36. Gazprom-RusVelo were second at 4 seconds and the Polish CCC Sprandi Polkowice team were 3rd at 6 seconds which moved Victor de la Parte in to 3rd place on the same time as Hansen and Felix Grosschartner into 4th at 55 seconds.
Overall leader, Matija Kvasina’s Synergy Baku team finished 4th, 31 seconds down on Tinkoff and he is still leading with 32 seconds from Tinkoff’s Jesper Hansen. Trek-Segafredo finished 12th place at 2:21 putting him out of overall contention and is now at 2:09.
Overall leader, Matija Kvasina (Synergy Baku): “This is a dream come true. Synergy Baku has proven what our small well-played team is capable of doing. Millions of thanks to all my teammates and to our sponsors for giving us the chance to be here. It is one winner but there was great work done by the whole team, both riders and staff. Let’s now survive the last stage and then we can enjoy it a little bit, but with our whole focus on the Tour d’Azerbaidjan.”
Ivan Basso (Tinkoff DS): “It was a fantastic day – when you win a team time trial it’s a present for not only the riders, but the staff and the whole team. I’ve been saying all week how good the team spirit is here and it was a real collective effort today. I’m so happy for Oleg too as I know he loves to be the best team so when we win the team time trial it shows the collective strength. I’ve got to say thanks to Jan Valach who helped me to prepare this day.”
Alex Sans Vega (Dimension Data DS): “We were the first team to start in full rain. It was raining for nearly our whole time trial, it was maybe only the last 10km where it was not raining but everything was still very wet. Obviously we didn’t want to take any risks because we have some big goals coming up this season and there was no real point to take risks in these kind of weather conditions. So considering we got the worst of the weather and took no risks, we did a pretty decent time. Now we focus on tomorrow’s final stage and it could very well be a bunch sprint so we will go for it and try to win.”
Tour of Croatia Stage 5 Result:
1. Tinkoff in 49:36
2. Gazprom-RusVelo at 0:04
3. CCC Sprandi Polkowice at 0:10
4. Synergy Baku at 0:31
5. ONE Pro Cycling at 0:42
6. Veranda’s Willems at 0:58
7. Cyclingteam Join-S de Rijke at 1:13
8. Dimension Data at 1:19
9. Adria Mobil at 1:29
10. Verva ActiveJet at 2:00.
Tour of Croatia Overall After Stage 5:
1. Matija Kvasina (Cro) Synergy Baku in 19:43:58
2. Jesper Hansen (Den) Tinkoff at 0:32
3. Víctor De La Parte (Spa) CCC Sprandi Polkowice
4. Felix Grosschartner (Aut) CCC Sprandi Polkowice at 0:55
5. Radoslav Rogina (Cro) Adria Mobil at 1:24
6. Domen Novak (Slo) Adria Mobil at 1:55
7. Riccardo Zoidl (Aut) Trek-Segafredo at 2:09
8. Kirill Pozdnyakov (Rus) Synergy Baku at 2:19
9. Markus Eibegger (Aut) Felbermayr-Simplon Wels at 3:40
10. Scott Davies (GB) Team WIGGINS at 3:46.
Stage 5:
Sonder Holst Enger (IAM Cycling) won the Final Stage 6 of the Tour of Croatia in a two man sprint with Edward Theuns (Trek-Segafredo), Timothy Dupont (Veranda’s Willems) was third 2 seconds later. Matija Kvasina (Synergy Baku) held onto his overall lead by 24 seconds from Jesper Hansen (Tinkoff) and 34 seconds ahead of Víctor De La Parte (CCC Sprandi Polkowice) in 3rd.
Race winner, Matija Kvasina (Synergy Baku): “Yesterday I had an emotional day with the team time trial to keep the lead and today the team fought really hard and used their last legs to defend this lead. I am happy for them and will be forever grateful. Now I need to take some rest mentally, not physically, as I am really ready for the Tour d’Azerbaidjan next.”
Stage winner, Sondre Holst Enger (IAM Cycling): “The final climb was steep, I am an explosive rider, and so my strengths were well suited to this incline. I had to wait until the last moment to produce my top effort. This victory was a clever mix of tactics and explosiveness. Fortunately, my teammates were around me the entire day. This is what allowed me to be still pretty fresh by the foot of the last climb. They protected me and stayed with me throughout the stage, they were giving me tips on how to conserve my energy. At the start of the final circuit, Leigh told me to stay in a front position so I would not risk getting trapped.”
Tour of Croatia Stage 6 Result:
1. Sondre Holst Enger (Nor) IAM Cycling in 3:45:14
2. Edward Theuns (Bel) Trek-Segafredo
3. Timothy Dupont (Bel) Veranda’s Willems at 0:02
4. Markus Eibegger (Aut) Felbermayr-Simplon Wels at 0:03
5. Laurens De Vreese (Bel) Astana
6. Brecht Dhaene (Bel) Veranda’s Willems at 0:05
7. Jordi Simon (Spa) Verva ActiveJet
8. Nicola Boem (Ita) Bardiani-CSF at 0:08
9. Karol Domagalski (Pol) ONE Pro Cycling at 0:09
10. Coen Vermeltfoort (Ned) Cyclingteam Join-S de Rijke.
Tour of Croatia Final Overall Result:
1. Matija Kvasina (Cro) Synergy Baku in 23:29:29
2. Jesper Hansen (Den) Tinkoff at 0:24
3. Víctor De La Parte (Spa) CCC Sprandi Polkowice at 0:32
4. Felix Grosschartner (Aut) CCC Sprandi Polkowice at 0:47
5. Radoslav Rogina (Cro) Adria Mobil at 1:16
6. Domen Novak (Slo) Adria Mobil at 1:47
7. Kirill Pozdnyakov (Rus) Synergy Baku at 2:19
8. Markus Eibegger (Aut) Felbermayr-Simplon Wels at 3:26
9. Scott Davies (GB) Team WIGGINS at 3:38
10. Riccardo Zoidl (Aut) Trek-Segafredo at 3:50.
Final Stage 6:
Presidential Tour of Turkey 2016:
Poland’s Przemysław Niemiec (Lampre-Merida) won stage one, the Spor Toto İstanbul – İstanbul stage (129.2 km), of the 52nd Presidential Tour of Turkey, after joining the early breakaway and then riding solo for 39.5 km before taking the win atop the steep climb leading to the breathtaking Sultanahmet Square, between the Hagia Sophia and the Blue Mosque. José Gonçalves (Caja Rural-Seguros RGA) attacked on the final climb for second place on the stage. Behind him, Marco Zanotti (Parkhotel Valkenburg) won the bunch sprint for third.
Stage winner and race leader, Przemysław Niemiec (Lampre-Merida): “I managed to surprise everyone in a stage that seemed destined for the sprinters. I don’t know how. It’s my first time in Turkey, and my first win since 2014. I’m very happy to win here, especially for the team. Turkey is important for the team’s sponsor, Lampre. Last year we won with Durasek. This first day has gone very well indeed. Now we’ll see day after day, and take each stage as it comes. In the final 8 km, after the climb, which was pretty hard, I saw the group across the road and I still had a lead of 1:40. That as when I started to believe. I knew that there was a climb in the final 1.5km. I gave it everything. All the energy I still had, I gave it all. The final 2km were very dangerous. As well as the pave, there were 90 degree turns and you had to be very careful. But let’s say, they probably suited me better than they did the bunch. Thanks to my lead I managed to win it. After the second lap of the final circuit, the group was approaching, and came to within 40 secs, my breakaway companions said, Enough. I decided to go, I went all alone. I believed. Perhaps the group relaxed when they saw I was alone. I built up a lead of three minutes, and I managed to hold it all alone. Tomorrow’s circuit looks very hard. It starts uphill, and it has an uphill finish. We’ll see what we can do. We know we will all be a bit tired after today. But no stress.”
Beauties of Turkey sprints leader Lluís Mas (Caja Rural-Seguros RGA): “Being in the breakaway, when we saw the gap going down to only 47 seconds, we realized it would be difficult to make it to the finish so we stopped pulling but Niemiec went flat out and continued by himself. I don’t know if the people in the peloton didn’t know that he was away or if they didn’t know who Niemiec is but he’s a top rider! With three minutes lead, of course he could win the race. As I was in the breakaway, I thought of this beauties of Turkey classification that I won last year so I went for it again. I’ll try to win it again but it’s difficult because there’s only one sprint per day and it’s impossible to break away every day. However, I’ll do my best for this trophy.”
KOM, Rémy Di Gregorio (Delko Marseille Provence KTM): “It was an attack of strong men when we rode away from the bunch at the beginning of the race. I heard that eight riders were coming across and I thought that could make it a decisive move but only two of them arrived (Hansen and Mas). Then I heard that CCC and a sprinters’ team (Southeast-Venezuela) were pulling so we had no chance. It would have been nice to reach the finishing line with an advantage before the hilly stages. But that’s how it is. I’ve won the King of the Mountains price at the Tour La Provence, back at home, in February, and at the Criterium International in March. I’d like to do it here as well but it’s too early to make it a goal. This is new to me. I don’t know the climbs in Turkey.”
3rd, Marco Zanotti (Parkhotel-Valkenburg): “This makes me happy, even though it’s a bittersweet feeling because had it been a bunch sprint for the win, I might have won. I love those finales with 90° curves like this. Anyway, to make the podium in such an important race is great. We’re a small team and this is the biggest race we get access to. It’s a great incentive for racing well.”
Presidential Tour of Turkey Stage 1 Result:
1. Przemyslaw Niemiec (Pol) Lampre-Merida in 3:10:18
2. José Gonçalves (Por) Caja Rural-Seguros RGA at 0:11
3. Marco Zanotti (Ita) Parkhotel-Valkenburg at 0:16
4. Mauro Finetto (Ita) Unieuro-Wilier
5. Matteo Malucelli (Ita) Unieuro-Wilier
6. Grzegorz Stepniak (Pol) CCC Sprandi Polkowice
7. Manuel Belletti (Ita) Southeast-Venezuela
8. Quentin Pacher (Fra) Delko-Marseille Provence-KTM
9. Daniele Colli (Ita) Nippo-Vini Fantini
10. Pello Bilbao (Spa) Caja Rural-Seguros RGA.
Presidential Tour of Turkey Overall After Stage 1:
1. Przemyslaw Niemiec (Pol) Lampre-Merida in 3:10:18
2. José Gonçalves (Por) Caja Rural-Seguros RGA at 0:11
3. Marco Zanotti (Ita) Parkhotel Valkenburg at 0:16
4. Mauro Finetto (Ita) Unieuro-Wilier
5. Matteo Malucelli (Ita) Unieuro-Wilier
6. Grzegorz Stepniak (Pol) CCC Sprandi Polkowice
7. Manuel Belletti (Ita) Southeast-Venezuela
8. Quentin Pacher (Fra) Delko-Marseille Provence-KTM
9. Daniele Colli (Ita) Nippo-Vini Fantini
10. Pello Bilbao (Spa) Caja Rural-Seguros RGA.
Turkey Stage 1:
Powless Powers To First UCI Win At Joe Martin
Fayetteville, Arkansas – Neilson Powless scored his first UCI stage race victory Sunday in dramatic fashion for the Axeon Hagens Berman Cycling Team.
The 19-year-old from Roseville, California, made up a seven-second deficit on the last day of the Joe Martin Stage Race by earning a pair of time bonuses during the 85-minute criterium before sprinting to a runner-up finish. Those results delivered Powless to a four-second victory over Nigel Ellsay (Silber Pro Cycling) while Janier Acevedo, who had held the overall lead for Team Jamis since winning Thursday’s opening time trial, finished third, five seconds back.
“This is awesome,” Powless said. “It pretty much all came down to the time bonuses. I knew going into the last lap that I didn’t have enough seconds to take the win. So Geoffrey Curran gave me a full lap lead out to the base of the climb. I was going back and forth all the way to the line with Travis McCabe (Holowesko-Citadel Racing Team) and Carlos Alzate (UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling Team). It came down to a bike length between the three of us as we all threw our bikes at the line.”
Powless said Curran acted as road captain all day, coordinating the efforts of teammates Jonny Brown, Phil O’Donnell, Justin Oien and Chad Young. All six riders had been part of Axeon Hagens Berman’s victory in the team classification at the Redlands Bicycle Classic two weeks ago.
“Geoffrey was keeping track of the sprint laps for me,” Powless said. “I actually went a lap early on the first one but Geoffrey and I had pretty much gone off the front. So I took a gamble and stuck it out there for another lap. Luckily, I had enough in the tank to win that one and take three seconds.”
A breakaway group nabbed the second of the three time bonus sprints before Curran again set up Powless. This time by overtaking UnitedHealthcare’s sprint train to finish second to Robin Carpenter (Holowesko-Citadel Racing Team) and earn two more seconds. Curran said he and Powless also avoided a last-lap crash as Powless rode away with the “best young rider” white jersey and the green jersey for the sprint classification.
“Today was about improving on everything we had done at Redlands and making it happen here,” Curran said. “We are a team with solid sprinters but we aren’t 180-pound monsters who can win everything. So for us to do that takes a lot of opportunism and teamwork to make it happen.”
Axeon Hagens Berman Sport Director Jeff Louder, who stood by proudly as Powless donned each of the jerseys on the stage in downtown Fayetteville, saluted the team’s effort.
“I am super proud of all the guys,” Louder said. “It is a great result and Neilson needed all of this teammates today to make it happen. We discussed that before the race. On Saturday, they all saw what could come from working together when they contributed to Neilson’s third-place finish. That was a big confidence booster. I don’t want to call it a practice run, but it was an opportunity for them to see the fruits of their labor and to see that it was possible.”
The month of April has been nothing short of remarkable for Powless, who raced mountain bikes internationally until last year. He won the individual time trial when he was runner-up at Redlands two weeks ago and placed third overall at the San Dimas Stage Race the week before that. He started off the season with wins in individual races in California, the UC Merced Road Race and the Copper Town Square Circuit Race.
“I can tell that I have had a steady progression with my form,” Powless said. “My coach, Todd Herriott, talks with me every day and we figure out where we are going and make sure I am fully recovered and improving my form for each race. These races may not be long, but with the heat, they really do take a lot out of you. So I have been taking care of my body and keeping a positive attitude.”
Next up for Axeon Hagens Berman is another UCI and USA Cycling Pro Road Tour event, the Tour of the Gila in Silver City, New Mexico, May 4-8.
Joe Martin Stage Race 2016 Final Result:
1. Neilson Powless (USA) Axeon Hagens Berman in 9:44:30
2. Nigel Ellsay (Can) Silber Pro Cycling at 0:04
3. Janier Acevedo (Col) Team Jamis at 0:05
4. Robin Carpenter (USA) Holowesko-Citadel Racing Team at 0:32
5. Travis McCabe (USA) Holowesko-Citadel Racing Team at 0:41
6. Brayan Sanchez (Col) Team Jamis at 0:43
7. Morgan Schmitt (USA) Canyon Bicycles-Shimano at 0:45
8. Joseph Schmalz (USA) Elevate Pro Cycling p/b Bicycle World
9. John Murphy (USA) UnitedHealthcare at 0:46
10. Benjamin Perry (Can) Silber Pro Cycling.
Neilson Powless celebrated Axeon Hagens Berman’s fourth win of the season Sunday at the Joe Martin Stage Race:
99th Giro d’Italia: 15 Days to the Big Start Provisional Entry List
There are only 15 days before the 2016 Giro d’Italia Big Start takes place in Apeldoorn, Netherlands – just the 12th time in the Corsa Rosa’s history that the race has begun outside of the Italian border. The race, organized by RCS Sport/La Gazzetta dello Sport, will begin with an Individual Time Trial on Friday 6 May in Apeldoorn, Netherlands, and finish in Turin, Italy on Sunday 29 May.
The 11 Giro d’Italia Starts Abroad
1965 San Marino (final winner: Vittorio Adorni); 1966 Monaco (Gianni Motta); 1973 Verviers – Belgium (Eddy Merckx); 1974 Vatican City (Eddy Merckx); 1996 Athens – Greece (Pavel Tonkov); 1998 Nice – France (Marco Pantani); 2002 Groeningen – Netherlands (Paolo Savoldelli); 2006 Seraing, Liege – Belgium (Ivan Basso); 2010 Amsterdam – Netherlands (Ivan Basso); 2012 Herning – Denmark (Ryder Hesjedal); 2014 Belfast – Northern Ireland (Nairo Quintana).
Giro website: www.giroditalia.it.
These are the 22 teams at the start, each made of nine riders, with their main entries:
AG2R LA MONDIALE (FRA) – Pozzovivo, Péraud
ASTANA PRO TEAM (KAZ) – Nibali, Scarponi
BARDIANI CSF (ITA) – Colbrelli, Boem
BMC RACING TEAM (USA) – Gilbert, Atapuma
CANNONDALE PRO CYCLING TEAM (USA) – Uran, Formolo
ETIXX – QUICK STEP (BEL) – Kittel, Brambilla
FDJ (FRA) – Démare, Fischer
GAZPROM-RUSVELO (RUS) – Firsanov, Kolobnev
IAM CYCLING (SUI) – Haussler, Pelucchi
LAMPRE – MERIDA (ITA) – Ulissi, Modolo
LOTTO SOUDAL (BEL) – Greipel, Wellens
MOVISTAR TEAM (ESP) – Valverde, Visconti
NIPPO – VINI FANTINI (ITA) – Cunego, Bole
ORICA GREENEDGE (AUS) – Chaves, Ewan
SOUTHEAST – VENEZUELA (ITA) – Pozzato, Belletti
TEAM DIMENSION DATA (RSA) – Anton, Sbaragli
TEAM GIANT – ALPECIN (GER) – Dumoulin, De Backer
TEAM KATUSHA (RUS) – Zakarin, Porsev
TEAM LOTTO NL – JUMBO (NED) – Battaglin, Kruijswijk
TEAM SKY (GBR) – Landa, Viviani
TINKOFF (RUS) – Majka, Tosatto
TREK – SEGAFREDO (USA) – Cancellara, Hesjedal.
2016 Giro Promo:
Giro d’Italia Long-List Announced
The first Grand Tour of the season, the Giro d’Italia is fast approaching and Team Giant-Alpecin can now reveal the long-list of 13 riders from which nine will be selected closer to the time. This year’s Giro is very special as it starts in Apeldoorn, The Netherlands, on 9th May with a 9.8km individual time trial, only a few steps away from the team’s Service Course. This is followed by two more stages in Holland before the race moves back home to Italy.
The 2016 edition should present the team with opportunities for more than one rider to compete for a stage victory. Two riders who will definitely be on the start line this May are Tom Dumoulin (NED) and Nikias Arndt (GER). Dumoulin will be making his Giro debut next month, aiming for a stage victory in one of the time trials. For Arndt, there are many early chances to go for a stage win with the flat stages in the first week of racing.
Coach for the Giro d’Italia, Marc Reef (NED) said: “It is the first Grand Tour of the season and our target is to go for a stage victory in the time trials with Dumoulin. Secondly, our focus will be on stage success in the sprint stages where in the first week there should be several opportunities for a bunch sprint. Finally, when the stages become more challenging, we will use an offensive strategy and give ourselves and our riders the best chance for a good result.”
Long-list:
Nikias Arndt (GER), Bert De Backer (BEL), Tom Dumoulin (NED), Caleb Fairly (USA), Johannes Fröhlinger (GER), Chad Haga (USA), Cheng Ji (CHN), Carter Jones (USA), Tobias Ludvigsson (SWE), Georg Preidler (AUT), Tom Stamsnijder (NED), Albert Timmer (NED), Zico Waeytens (BEL).
Coach: Marc Reef (NED).
Tom Dumoulin at la Vuelta:
Porte and van Garderen Team Up for Tour de Romandie
Richie Porte and Tejay van Garderen will team up once again at the Tour de Romandie where their sights are set on the General Classification.
The Tour de Romandie is an important race for BMC Racing Team for numerous reasons, Sports Director Yvon Ledanois said.
“With a Swiss title sponsor in BMC Switzerland, the Tour de Romandie is a home race for us so we are motivated to do well. In addition, it is an important race for any Tour de France contender so with Richie and Tejay there we are going in with a strong and determined team. I’m confident that we can get a good result,” Ledanois said.
For Porte and van Garderen, it is another chance to work together in preparation for the Tour de France.
“We raced for the first time at Vuelta a Catalunya and showed that we could really ride well as a team, so I’m going in motivated for Tour de Romandie knowing that it is one of the first big tests of the season,” Porte said.
“We’ve just come out of altitude training so a race like Tour de Romandie is the perfect chance to put this training to the test. Richie and I have a strong team supporting us and with the two of us together I think we can show what we can do,” van Garderen confirmed.
Rider roster:
Tom Bohli (SUI), Brent Bookwalter (USA), Damiano Caruso (ITA), Amaël Moinard (FRA), Richie Porte (AUS), Tejay van Garderen (USA), Peter Velits (SVK), Danilo Wyss (SUI).
Sports Directors: Yvon Ledanois (FRA),Valerio Piva (ITA).
Richie Porte:
Tour de France: First 2017 Tour Battleground after Düsseldorf Revealed
A cycling parade and the launch of a campaign to promote cycling in Düsseldorf gave Christian Prudhomme the opportunity to reveal another detail of the route of the 2017 edition. Mönchengladbach will host the intermediate sprint in stage 2.
Information on the 2017 Tour de France is being given out in dribs and drabs. Back in January, the announcement of the Grande Boucle’s return to German soil, set against a background of renewed public interest and the wave of success of Teutonic sprinters, shed some light on what the race will look like. The 13 km time trial through the streets of Düsseldorf makes it all but certain that the first yellow jersey will end up in the hands of a power rider, providing yet another incentive for the home crowds to turn out and cheer for their three-time World ITT Champion Tony Martin. The organizers, who came on a preparatory visit, unveiled part of the following stage’s program this morning together with Thomas Geisel, mayor of Düsseldorf, and Hans Wilhelm Reiners, mayor of Mönchengladbach. Sprinters such as Kittel, Degenkolb and Greipel could be called to action quite early in the second stage, which will start with a 50 km loop taking the peloton through Düsseldorf a second time. The location of the first intermediate sprint of the 2017 Tour is a nod to the achievements of German athletes, with points being awarded in Mönchengladbach, not far from the home stadium of Borussia Mönchengladbach, one of the most successful clubs in the history of German football.
Tour de France 2017 Grand Départ in Düsseldorf:
Tour de France 2017 Grand Départ in Düsseldorf por tourdefrance
Slipstream, Drapac to partner on development team in 2017
Starting next season, Slipstream Sports will partner with Drapac Capital Partners to create a development squad that equally emphasizes racing and higher education.
The team will be a UCI Continental registered squad based in Australia that competes in Europe for part of the season. Management will require riders to enroll in university courses or apprenticeship programs during the off-season — a mandatory requirement — but will schedule racing that’s conducive to studies.
The approach, while uncommon and testing of young riders in several ways, has been adopted to develop racers into well-rounded individuals.
“I’ve seen too many great people dedicate their lives to cycling and they’ve totally ignored everything else. And then something happens, a crash or they aren’t able to move up in the ranks, something. And they have enormous difficulty recovering as human beings. We seek to prevent that. We seek to prevent athletes being used as disposable assets,” said Michael Drapac, who founded the Drapac team.
The partnership is a natural extension of both organizations’ ideals. The first team Slipstream CEO Jonathan Vaughters managed and financially backed was 5280-Subaru, a junior development team. The genesis of the Drapac program came from the idea that developing complete athletes as opposed to one-dimensional bike racers was a better way to run a cycling operation.
“Michael and I have been friends for over five years. We share a lot of the same philosophies and visions, and we’ve worked together on other projects. I’ve been helping him scout potential investments for his real estate company in the Western U.S., for example,” said Slipstream’s CEO Jonathan Vaughters. “I look forward to working with him and creating a unique development team for riders who want to divide their time between studies and moving their way up to the WorldTour.”
Since its inception in 2004, the Drapac program has sought to encourage holistic approaches to athlete development, including an emphasis on transition plans for riders done not as afterthoughts but throughout a rider’s career.
“Cycling has been and continues to be a sport that uses up and quickly discards riders without looking out for their futures beyond results and immediate salaries,” Drapac said. “We’re going to keep working to make it a more sustainable business and sport from both athletic and intellectual perspectives.”
While the approach is exacting mentally and physically, Vaughters doesn’t see it as a hindrance to performance in the end.
“Do I think that you can successfully identify talent that can succeed in the WorldTour when riders are dividing their time between studies and racing and training? Yes, I do,” he said. “In fact I’ve seen many examples where highly intelligent riders perform better when they have one physical and one intellectual focus. It balances them out. It can lead to better performance. A great example of an up-and-comer in the United States who I think is doing this pretty well is Sepp Kuss — he won the mountain-top finish at Redlands and he’s a university student.”
Kuss is enrolled at the University of Colorado at Boulder currently, studying advertising. He says he may or may not turn professional.
“This team will race in Europe basically tailored around when these kids are on break. When they’re not on break then they’ll be doing local races around where they’re going to university and training,” Vaughters said.
Another successful example is the Cannondale Pro Cycling Team’s Mike Woods, a neo pro at 29 years old after finishing a degree at the University of Michigan and switching to cycling after a foot injury derailed his elite-level running career. Larry Warbasse also graduated from the University of Michigan and now rides for IAM Cycling.
Does it slow down the potential development of a young rider by maybe a year? Possibly. But in the long term, does the time to study have a detrimental effect on a racer’s career prospects?
“No, I don’t think so,” Vaughters said. “The upside is too great to ignore, anyways. It benefits some guys tremendously to be able to explore intellectual and physical avenues at the same time. We just want to make it easier for the right athlete to strike that balance.”
More information about the partnership will be released in late June.
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