Archiv für den Monat: August 2021

La Vuelta 21 – Etappe 1

Burgos – Burgos (ITT) 7,1km

1 Primoz Roglic (Slo) Jumbo-Visma 0:08:32
2 Alex Aranburu Deba (Spa) Astana-Premier Tech 0:00:06
3 Jan Tratnik (Slo) Bahrain Victorious 0:00:08
4 Tom Scully (NZl) EF Education-Nippo 0:00:10
5 Josef Cerny (Cze) Deceuninck-QuickStep
6 Dylan van Baarle (Ned) Ineos Grenadiers 0:00:11
7 Andrea Bagioli (Ita) Deceuninck-QuickStep 0:00:12
8 Lawson Craddock (USA) EF Education-Nippo 0:00:13
9 Michael Matthews (Aus) Team BikeExchange 0:00:14
10 Aleksandr Vlasov (Rus) Astana-Premier Tech

Solide Leistung von Felix Großschartner beim Auftaktzeitfahren der Vuelta a España

Zum Auftakt der Vuelta stand ein kurzes 7,1 km langes Einzelzeitfahren mit Start und Ziel an der Kathedrale von Burgos auf dem Programm. Die Strecke beinhaltete auf den ersten 3 km steigende Passagen bis hin zum Alto del Castillo einem 1,2 km langen und rund 7 Prozent steilen Anstieg. 38 Grad Hitze und böiger Südwestwind machten den Fahrer auf der Stecke ebenfalls zu schaffen. Der erste Fahrer rollte kurz vor 18:00 Uhr von der Startrampe und setzte die erste Richtmarke mit einer Zeit von 9:30. Patrick Gamper eröffnete das Rennen gegen die Uhr für den Raublinger Rennstall, während Felix Großschartner einer der letzten war, der die Strecke in Angriff nahm. Mit 8:52 Minuten fuhr Felix ein solides Rennen und am Ende reichte dies beim Sieg von P. Roglič für den 18. Platz, das beste Ergebnis des Teams heute. Maximilian Schachmann erreichte die Ziellinie in 8:54 Minuten und platzierte sich damit auf dem 25. Rang.

Reaktionen im Ziel
„Das Gefühl war ja grundsätzlich ganz gut heute und es war ein ziemlich solider Start. Es war wichtig, gut durchzukommen, und keine zu große Risiken einzugehen, um nicht irgendwo zu stürzen. Aber im Großen und Ganzen bin ich gut durchgekommen und so freue ich mich auf die nächsten Tage.“ – Felix Großschartner
„Wir sind froh, dass die Vuelta losgeht. Wir sind auf das Rennen gut vorbereitet und haben eine sehr junge Mannschaft hier am Start. Beim heutigen Zeitfahren war unser voller Fokus auf Felix Großschartner, der den 18. Platz belegte und gegenüber den Hauptkonkurrenten wenig Zeit einbüßte. Maximilian Schachmann ist auch noch zu nennen, mit dem 25. Platz nach dem kurzen und technischen Auftaktzeitfahren in Burgos.“ – Jens Zemke, Sportlicher Leiter

Team Vorarlberg beendet das Race Around Austria mit neuem Streckenrekord!

Mit einer Zeit von 2 Tagen 12 Stunden und 20 Minuten hat das starke 4er Team Vorarlberg beim legendären Race Around Austra ein Zeichen gesetzt und sensationell mit neuem Streckenrekord abgeschlossen.

Bei durchwegs warmen Temperaturen starteten Maximilian Kuen, Daniel Ganahl, Nikolas Riegler und der Schweizer Gastfahrer Peter Inauen am vergangenen Donnerstag Abend in St. Georgen im Attergau das härteste Radrennen Europas. Das Race Around Austria fordert sowohl von den Fahrern als auch vom Organisations- und Helferteam alles ab. Es gilt non-stop 2.200 Kilometer entlang der grenznahen Straßen rund um Österreich zurückzulegen und dabei unglaubliche 30.000 Höhenmeter zu bezwingen.

Neuer Streckenrekord durch das Team Vorarlberg
Die vier hochmotivierten Fahrer des Team Vorarlberg bewältigten die Strecke hervorragend und meisterten auch den schwereren Teilabschnitt mit Großglockner, Kühtai, Bielerhöhe, Faschina und Hochtannberg exzellent. Am Ende reicht es zum neuen Streckenrekord. Mit einer Zeit von 2 Tagen 12 Stunden und 20 Minuten ist die Sensation perfekt. Die vier Cracks vom Team Vorarlberg haben den bisherigen Streckenrekord somit um 1 Stunde und 17 Minuten unterboten.

Jürgen Schatzmann – Teamleiter: „Es war eine ganz spezielle Herausforderung für alle. Besonders die Logistik so eines Rennens ist enorm. Es erfordert sowohl vorab eine akribische Organisation als auch während dem Renneinsatz ein perfekt organisiertes Team an Navigatoren, Mechanikern, Physiotherapeuten, und weiteren Helfern. Ohne die wäre so ein Rennen nicht möglich. Natürlich kommen dann noch die speziellen Bedingungen wie Schlafentzug, ein non-stop Einsatz über Tage und Wetterbedingungen dazu. Es war ein geniales Erlebnis mit vielen Herausforderungen, die gemeinsam bewältigt wurden. Deshalb ist dieser Streckenrekord ein besonderer Sieg für alle! “
Maximilian Kuen: „Es hat rundherum alles gepasst und es waren optimale Verhältnisse. Ein großer Dank gilt auch den Betreuern im Hintergrund, die uns rundum perfekt versorgt haben. Nur so ist dieser Streckenrekord überhaupt möglich geworden.“
Nikolas Riegler: „Zu Beginn des Rennens haben wir uns die geplante Fahrer-Wechseltechnik einfach angeschaut und sind rasch in einen guten Modus gekommen. Es hat einfach alles gepasst und mit den motivierten Kollegen viel Spaß gemacht.“

Facts:
Fahrer Team Vorarlberg:
Daniel Ganahl (AUT), Nikolas Riegler (AUT), Maximilian Kuen (AUT) und Peter Inauen (SUI)*
* Peter Inauen startet als Gastfahrer für das Team Vorarlberg

Start- und Zielort: St. Georgen am Attersee (OÖ)
Streckenlänge: 2.200 Kilometer
Höhenmeter: 30.000 Meter
Anzahl Betreuer: 12 Personen (3 Fahrzeuge)
Durchschnittsgeschwindigkeit: 35,94 km/h

Neuer Streckenrekord: 2 Tage – 12 Stunden – 20 Minuten

Helferteam: Jürgen Schatzmann, Werner Salmen, Michael Heinzle-Schneider, Katharina Schatzmann, Gerald Kofler, Markus Entner, Nicolas Berton, Fabian Schmid, Hans Innerhofer, Samuel Rees, Stefan Schneeberger, Sebastian Illmer

Ergebnisse: https://race.perfect-tracking.com/race/raa2021/ergebnisse

Presse Service Team Vorarlberg
www.team-vorarlberg.at
marketing@proevent-cycling.at

Tour de l’Avenir Prolog

Prolog: Charleville-Mézières ITT – 5Km

1 WÆRENSKJOLD Søren NOR NORWAY 00:05:52
2 PRICE PEJTERSEN Johan DEN DENMARK 05:53
3 VAN DIJKE Mick NED NETHERLANDS 05:56
4 HOOLE Daan NED NETHERLANDS 05:58
5 KOPECKÝ Tomas CZE CZECH REPUBLIC 05:59
6 VERNON Ethan GBR GREAT BRITAIN 05:59
7 HEßMANN Michel GER GERMANY 06:00
8 PLAPP Lucas AUS AUSTRALIA 06:00
9 VAN UDEN Casper NED NETHERLANDS 06:01
10 HEALY Ben IRL IRELAND 06:01

Tour de Pologne – Etappe 5

Chochołow / Gmina Czarny Dunajec – Bielsko-Biała – 173 Km

1 ARNDT Nikias GER TEAM DSM 04:02:20
2 MOHORIC Matej SLO BAHRAIN VICTORIOUS 00:00
3 OLDANI Stefano ITA LOTTO SOUDAL 00:00
4 ALMEIDA João POR DECEUNINCK – QUICK-STEP 00:00
5 ULISSI Diego ITA UAE TEAM EMIRATES 00:00
6 HERMANS Quinten BEL INTERMARCHÉ – WANTY – GOBERT MATÉRIAUX 00:00
7 DEKKER David NED JUMBO-VISMA 00:00
8 STEWART Jake GBR GROUPAMA – FDJ 00:00
9 VENDRAME Andrea ITA AG2R CITROEN TEAM 00:00
10 HONORÉ Mikkel DEN DECEUNINCK – QUICK-STEP 00:00

Gesamt:
1 ALMEIDA João POR DECEUNINCK – QUICK-STEP 22:54:44
2 MOHORIC Matej SLO BAHRAIN VICTORIOUS 00:02
3 ULISSI Diego ITA UAE TEAM EMIRATES 00:14
4 KWIATKOWSKI Michal POL INEOS GRENADIERS 00:21
5 ROTA Lorenzo ITA INTERMARCHÉ – WANTY – GOBERT MATÉRIAUX 00:32
6 HINDLEY Jai AUS TEAM DSM 00:32
7 ALEOTTI Giovanni ITA BORA – HANSGROHE 00:32
8 TEUNS Dylan BEL BAHRAIN VICTORIOUS 00:32
9 RUBIO REYES Einer Augusto COL MOVISTAR TEAM 00:36
10 WELLENS Tim BEL LOTTO SOUDAL 00:36

Nach der letzten Bergetappe auf Rang sechs: Giovanni Aleotti weiter im Spitzenfeld bei der Polenrundfahrt

Die letzte Bergetappe der Polenrundfahrt heute war gleichzeitig die Königsetappe des Rennens. Einmal mehr setzte sich früh eine 6-Mann-Gruppe vom Feld ab, aber auch diesmal wurde die Gruppe rechtzeitig vor dem Finale gestellt. Obwohl einige Fahrer versuchten sich noch abzusetzen, konnte am Ende niemand dem Feld entwischen. Auch Michael Schwarzmann befand sich noch in der ersten Gruppe. Gemeinsam mit Giovanni Aleotti versuchte er sich im Sprint zu platzieren, allerdings ereigneten sich auf den letzten drei Kilometer noch einige Stürze. Auch Schwarzmann ging zu Boden, währen Giovanni seinen Sprint etwas früh anzog, bei 150 m noch an der Spitze lag, am Ende beim Sieg von N. Arndt aber auf Rang 13 über die Ziellinie rollte. Damit verbesserte sich Aleotti auf Rang sechs der Gesamtwertung vor dem morgigen Zeitfahren.

Von der Ziellinie
„Es war wieder ein harter Tag und die Jungs haben mich den Tag über sehr gut unterstützt. Im Finale wollten wir für Schwarzi fahren. Ich war in einer guten Position und wollte den Sprint für ihn anfahren, aber dann kam er leider zu Sturz. Bei 300 Metern war dann eine Lücke und ich wollte die Chance nützen, allerdings war ich dadurch zu früh im Wind und konnte auf den letzten 50 m mein Tempo nicht mehr halten. Persönlich kann ich mit dem Tag zufrieden sein, denn ich bin weiter sehr gut platziert in der Gesamtwertung. Aber ich wollte heute für Schwarzi fahren und etwas für tolle Unterstützung in den letzten Tagen zurückgeben. Es ist schade, dass das am Ende nicht geklappt hat.“ – Giovanni Aleotti

„Wir wussten, dass das heute auch eine Chance für Schwarzi sein kann und haben uns daher bis ins Finale zurückgehalten. Bis dahin haben wir versucht, ihn und Giovanni möglichst kräfteschonend ins Finale zu bringen und das hat dank Bodi und Lukas auch sehr gut geklappt. Auf der Schlussrunde haben wir festgelegt für Schwarzi zu fahren. Er und Giovanni waren auch sehr gut positioniert, aber dann ging Schwarzi leider zu Boden. Das ist wirklich frustrierend, denn einmal mehr hatten wir Pech. Es tut mir auch persönlich leid für Schwarzi, denn heute war alles für ihn drin. Auf der anderen Seite ist Giovanni wieder ein gutes Rennen gefahren. Er hat seinen Sprint zu früh angetreten, aber das kann gerade einem so jungen Fahrer auch mal passieren. Er hat sich in der Gesamtwertung weiter verbessern können, und das ist die positive Seite des heutigen Tages.“ – Christian Pömer, sportlicher Leiter

Tour of Denmark-Etappe 4

Holbæk – Kalundborg – 189 Km

1 JOYCE Colin USA RALLY CYCLING 04:22:44
2 NIELSEN Sebastian DEN RESTAURANT SURI – CARL RAS 00:00
3 SALMON Martin GER TEAM DSM 00:00
4 KLARIS Magnus Bak DEN TEAM POSTNORD 00:00
5 VAN POUCKE Aaron BEL SPORT VLAANDEREN-BALOISE 00:00
6 ØSTERGAARD Mads DEN TEAM COLOQUICK 00:02
7 NIZZOLO Giacomo ITA TEAM QHUBEKA NEXTHASH 00:06
8 PEDERSEN Mads DEN TREK-SEGAFREDO 00:06
9 CAVENDISH Mark GBR DECEUNINCK-QUICK STEP 00:06
10 MØRKØV Michael DEN DECEUNINCK-QUICK STEP 00:06

Gesamt:
1 Remco Evenepoel (Bel) Deceuninck-QuickStep 17:07:04
2 Tosh Van Der Sande (Bel) Lotto Soudal 0:01:33
3 Mads Pedersen (Den) Trek-Segafredo 0:01:36
4 Nick van der Lijke (Ned) Riwal Cycling Team 0:01:38
5 Mike Teunissen (Ned) Jumbo-Visma 0:01:40
6 Anthon Charmig (Den) Uno-X Pro Cycling Team 0:02:16
7 Milan Menten (Bel) Bingoal Pauwels Sauzen WB 0:03:31
8 Rasmus Tiller (Nor) Uno-X Pro Cycling Team 0:03:33
9 Lucas Eriksson (Swe) Riwal Cycling Team
10 Mattias Skjelmose (Den) Trek-Segafredo 0:03:43

Ladies Tour of Norway – Etappe 2

Askim – Mysen – 145 Km

1 MARKUS Riejanne NED JUMBO-VISMA WOMEN TEAM 03:40:01
2 RIVERA Coryn USA TEAM DSM 00:00
3 JACKSON Alison CAN LIV RACING 00:00
4 CHABBEY Elise SUI CANYON//SRAM RACING 00:00
5 CANT Sanne BEL PLANTUR-PURA 00:00
6 BRAND Lucinda NED TREK – SEGAFREDO 00:00
7 ROY Sarah AUS TEAM BIKEEXCHANGE 00:00
8 GASPARRINI Eleonora Camilla ITA VALCAR – TRAVEL & SERVICE 00:00
9 BORGLI Stine NOR FDJ NOUVELLE-AQUITAINE FUTUROSCOPE 00:00
10 FAULKNER Kristen USA TEAM TIBCO – SILICON VALLEY BANK 00:00

Gesamt:
1 FAULKNER Kristen USA TEAM TIBCO – SILICON VALLEY BANK 07:18:06
2 MARKUS Riejanne NED JUMBO-VISMA WOMEN TEAM 00:00
3 ANDERSEN Susanne NOR TEAM DSM 00:04
4 RIVERA Coryn USA TEAM DSM 00:04
5 JACKSON Alison CAN LIV RACING 00:06
6 BRAND Lucinda NED TREK – SEGAFREDO 00:10
7 CANT Sanne BEL PLANTUR-PURA 00:10
8 LUDWIG Cecilie Uttrup DEN FDJ NOUVELLE-AQUITAINE FUTUROSCOPE 00:10
9 CHABBEY Elise SUI CANYON//SRAM RACING 00:10
10 ROY Sarah AUS TEAM BIKEEXCHANGE 00:10

CELEBRATING FABIO ARU

Team Qhubeka NextHash’s Italian star rider Fabio Aru has confirmed on the eve of the Vuelta a Espana that he will retire from professional cycling at the conclusion of the 2021 edition of the race.


Photo by Plomi

Aru, fittingly, has chosen the Vuelta to conclude his professional career, an event that he won in 2015. It’s a decision that he has spent significant time considering and one which ultimately will see him focus on spending time with his young family.
The 31-year-old joined the team at the start of the 2021 season and says that he rediscovered his love for the racing his bike with Team Qhubeka NextHash, which culminated with him placing second overall at the recently concluded Vuelta a Burgos.

His stellar palmares includes:

• Overall victory at the Vuelta a Espana (2015) as well as finishing 5th in 2014.
• Twice finishing on the podium at the Giro d’Italia – 2nd (2015) and 3rd (2014).
• Six Grand Tour stages: 3 x Giro d’Italia, 2 x Vuelta a Espana and 1 x Tour de France (2017)
• 5th overall at the Tour de France (2017)
• Italian road race champion (2017)

Fabio Aru
Reaching this decision has not been easy but it is something that I’ve been thinking about and discussing with my family for some time. I’ve been racing my bike for 16 years and for more than a decade as a professional, but the time has come now to prioritise other things in my life, my family.

During my career, as any bike rider will tell you, a significant time is spent away from home and for me this is now the right time to give back to them.
I’ve been fortunate to realise my talent on the biggest stage of all, and together with my teammates celebrate incredible successes.
I hope that I have been able to demonstrate the true values of sportsmanship over my career, and in doing so made people proud.
I also want to express a deep sense of gratitude to all of my former teammates and staff at my former teams – Astana and UAE – who elevated me throughout my career. We shared some incredible moments which I’ll forever be grateful for.
Finally, I want to pay a special tribute to Team Qhubeka NextHash. Within our organisation we speak about the spirit of Ubuntu – I am because we are – and this sense of togetherness, at a time when the world needs it most, has been amazing for me to be a part of.

I must admit that when I joined the team I was aware that it was special, different but had no real understanding of what it would truly be like. This team, without doubt is completely unique not just in cycling but across all sport, I am incredibly proud to race here and honoured to end my time as a professional with them.
After a tough few years, in 2021 I was able to race my bike again and ride at a level that I knew I was capable of, while smiling on the bike. That is a victory in itself, and something that I will forever be grateful for.
I want to express my sincerest thanks to Douglas Ryder, Lars Michaelsen, Gabriele Missaglia, Mattia Michelusi and all the team’s staff and my fellow riders, it’s an honour to be your teammate.
In our team we speak about hope, opportunity and platform in order to be able to change lives with the bicycle. Having played my part in this will be something that I hold dear for the rest of my life, and I will forever be a supporter.
I will continue to ride my bike because it is what I love to do but for now I’m focused on riding the Vuelta a Espana to the best of my ability with my Team Qhubeka NextHash teammates; and it’s fitting that my journey will end here in Spain, a place and a race where I have incredible memories.

Die Trikots und Sonderwertungen der Deutschland Tour 2021

DT_Logo

Am 26. August stehen 132 Profis an der Startlinie der Deutschland Tour in der Hansestadt Stralsund. Auf dem Weg nach Nürnberg legen sie an vier Tagen eine Distanz von über 722 Kilometern zurück. Neben der Gesamtwertung und Tagessiegen geht es auch um prestigeträchtige Sonderwertungen und begehrte Trikots.

Umweltfreundliche Trikots von Santini
Santini Cycling Wear, offizieller Ausstatter der Deutschland Tour, hat die vier Wertungstrikots der Deutschland Tour entworfen. Neben einem modernen, aerodynamischen Schnitt setzt Santini bei den Trikots auf Fasern, die aus Wegwerf-Garnen und PET-Kunststoffen recycelt wurden. Wer es nicht auf das Podium schafft, kann sich im Santini-Shop die Sammlerstücke sichern. Neben den Profi-Trikots ist dort auch die ganz besondere Deutschland Tour Fan-Kollektion erhältlich.

Rotes Trikot für den Gesamtführenden: Top-Star meets Super-Fan
Tour de France-Etappensieger Matej Mohorič hat sich 2018 und Monument-Gewinner Jasper Stuyven 2019 das leuchtende Rote Trikot gesichert. Der Gewinner der Deutschland Tour 2021 kann sich auf ein ganz besonderes Trikot freuen: Erstmals im Profi-Radsport ist ein Fan-Portrait auf dem Leader-Jersey, das der Führende der Gesamtwertung trägt. Für jede der vier Etappen wurde ein Super-Fan ausgewählt, der „sein“ Trikot an den Führenden übergeben wird.

Grünes Trikot des Punktbesten
Ob Sprinter oder klassikererprobter Etappenjäger – wer bei der Deutschland Tour die Nachfolge von Sonny Colbrelli antreten möchte, erhält jeden Tag in zwei Sprintwertungen und im Etappenziel die Gelegenheit. Dort geht es um die wertvollen Punkte für das Grüne Trikot. Wie bei den großen Rundfahrten, von der Tour de France bis zur Vuelta a Espana, wird das Grüne Trikot auch bei der Deutschland Tour von Škoda präsentiert.

Blaues Trikot des besten Kletterers
Das Dach der Deutschland Tour liegt in diesem Jahr auf 769 Metern im Thüringer Wald. Passend dazu wird das Blaue Trikot der Bergwertung vom Freistaat Thüringen präsentiert. Gleich elf Bergwertungen verteilen sich auf die vier Etappen der Rundfahrt: vom kurzen Anstieg bei der flachen Auftaktetappe über langes Klettern an Kyffhäuser und Rennsteig bis zu den steilen Rampen der Fränkischen Schweiz.

Weißes Trikot des besten Nachwuchsfahrers
Für Marc Hirschi führte der Weg vom Gewinn der Nachwuchswertung der Deutschland Tour zum Etappensieg der Tour de France. Welcher Jungprofi wird in diesem Jahr sein Nachfolger? Die jüngsten Fahrer im Feld kämpfen um das Weiße Trikot. Diese Wertung wird traditionell im erfrischenden Design von Dauner, dem Wasser-Produzenten aus der Vulkaneifel, präsentiert.

Rote Rückennummer des Aktivsten Fahrers
Simplon präsentiert die tägliche Auszeichnung des angriffslustigsten Fahrers der Deutschland Tour. Der Inhaber dieser Sonderwertung erhält bei der Siegerehrung die besondere rote Startnummer, mit der er am nächsten Tag im Peloton auffällt. Bei der letzten Austragung waren die deutschen Talente mit den Top-Stars der Szene auf Augenhöhe: Remco Evenepoel hat sich die rote Nummer genauso gesichert wie Joshua Huppertz aus dem Team Lotto Kern-Haus, der am Finaltag auf seinem Simplon Bike für Aufsehen gesorgt hat.

Mannschaftswertung für das beste Team
Kern-Haus, einer der größten deutschen Massivhaushersteller im Qualitäts- und Premiumsegment, präsentiert das beste Team der Deutschland Tour. Am Ende jeder Etappe werden die 3 besten Zeiten der Fahrer eines Teams addiert. Auf der nächsten Etappe tragen alle Fahrer des Teams die besondere gelbe Rückennummer. Teamwork und Geschlossenheit bis zum Schluss entscheiden über den Gewinn dieser Sonderwertung.

La Vuelta 21 | Info with 1 day to go

Key points:

• La Vuelta 21 is about to start with Pelayo Sánchez set to be the first rider tackling the opening time-trial in Burgos, at 5:44 pm.
• “It’s a really really tricky first week”, according to the two-time defending champion Primoz Roglic, who will be the last on the road.
• Local champions such as the Movistar leaders and Mikel Landa also expressed strong ambitions on the eve of stage 1.

FROM SANCHEZ TO ROGLIČ, THE 184 PARTICIPANTS ARE READY TO GO
La Vuelta 21 starts this Saturday with an individual time trial around Burgos-Catedral VIII Centenario (7.1km) that will crown the first wearer of La Roja, the leader’s red jersey. The very young Asturian Pelayo Sánchez, from the local team Burgos-BH, will be the first rider to start, at 5:44, from the Plaza de Santa María. Among the big GC contenders, Adam Yates will go early, at 18:05. The last three champions to ride through the streets of Burgos will be Enric Mas, Egan Bernal and finally the two-time defending champion Primož Roglič at 8:47 p.m.

ROGLIČ: “A BIG FIGHT ALL THE WAY UNTIL THE END”
After a rollercoaster of a Summer, with the Olympic gold medal in Tokyo’s ITT following his withdrawal from the Tour de France, Primož Roglič (Jumbo-Visma) expressed his delight to return to La Vuelta: “First I celebrated, tried to realise and enjoy what we achieved. In the last days, I tried to train as well as possible ahead of La Vuelta. I always enjoy being here. I have special memories about this race, and about Spain. These victories are proof of the hard and good work we do, myself, and also my teammates and all the people involved in these successes.” The road to a historical third win starts early: “We’ll see after a couple of days if I’m ready. It’s a really really tricky first week. The second is more manageable and the last one is among the hardest I’ve ever seen.” Asked about his rivals, the Slovenian highlighted the depth of the opposition and shifted the focus onto what he and his team will do: “What I worry about is that we do our best. Egan [Bernal] is a super strong guy for sure, and it’s not only him, so it will be a big fight all the way until the end.”

“MOVISTAR ALWAYS COME FOR THE WIN”
Participating in La Vuelta for the 42nd year in a row, since Eusebio Unzué’s team was born under the patronage of Reynolds in 1980, Movistar Team aim to add to their success tally in the Spanish Grand Tour, with notably 4 overall victories and 64 stage wins. “I’m very excited to be here for a new La Vuelta, the race I love the most. And I’m excited with the team we have”, said Alejandro Valverde ahead of his 15th participation (overall winner in 2009, 12 stage wins). “It would be great to have Enric Mas or Miguel Angel Lopez on the podium and a stage win for myself.” Mas already finished on the podium in 2018 and he dreams of making it onto the top step in Santiago de Compostela: “Movistar always come for the win. Then we have to see what happens in the race but we’re convinced we can win, and if not be on the podium.” La Vuelta is also the Grand Tour Lopez rode most often (4 times since 2016): “It’s a beautiful race I’ve always loved. I have good memories here, from 2017, 2018, and it’s even sweeter to be here with Movistar, ready to give it a go from the start.”

LANDA: „MY GOAL IS TO RETURN ON THE PODIUM OF A GRAND TOUR“
Absent since 2015, when he won a stage in Cortals d’Encamp and achieved his best result (25th) in the general classification, Mikel Landa (Bahrain-Victorious) returns to La Vuelta with “a lot of desire. We must compensate for the lack of form with enthusiasm and a super powerful team like the one we bring”, with Poels, Caruso, Padun, Haig or Mäder to support the Spaniard. The champion from Murgia says he is not yet feeling at his best after crashing out of the Giro: „That is obvious, but I hope to reach that level during La Vuelta and I trust not to waste time at the beginning to be able to be in the fight when it happens“, since he has a clear objective, „to return on the podium of a Grande. In these years I have been very close in the Tour and in the Giro, but sometimes I have lacked a bit of luck or form.“ These setbacks have served to „learn to have a little patience; cycling is not only about winning, attitude also counts, and you have to keep fighting for your dreams or your goals“, argued Landa, who also highlighted his links with Burgos: „It is a city to which I am very fond of him and it is like starting at home. I am very motivated.“

PURITO: „BOTH MAS AND LANDA WILL SURELY FIGHT FOR THE PODIUM“
Caser Seguros, sponsor and official insurer of La Vuelta, organised a meeting between the accredited media, the general director of the race, Javier Guillén, and Joaquim ‘Purito’ Rodríguez, ambassador of the company. The former rider expects “a very hot La Vuelta with a great route” and pointed out that, despite the presence of Roglič or Bernal, there are Spanish options to win: “Both Enric Mas and Mikel Landa are coming with a great form and they will surely fight for victory or at least for the podium. They also ride with strong teams.” Guillén is committed to having „a safe La Vuelta. The situation is radically different from 2020, although the pandemic is still among us.” He added: “If there are infections, the race may be compromised“, so he asked everyone “to pay attention and to comply with sanitary measures”.

FOLLOW LA VUELTA WITH TWITCH AND THE OFFICIAL PODCAST
La Vuelta pursues its efforts to reach new audiences and this year it will also be possible to follow the event through new and thriving digital communication platforms: a Twitch channel (making it the first Grand Tour with a presence on this leading streaming platform) and the official Podcast. The Twitch channel, hosted by David García, is developed in partnership with RTVE after the success achieved in the recent Tokyo Olympic Games and will allow fans to enjoy live presentations after the stages with an analysis of what happened. As for the Podcast, which was already active in La Vuelta 20 and throughout this year every two weeks, it will run throughout the race with a daily edition available on the main platforms (Spotify, Ivoox, Apple and Google) with José Covián and Alberto Marcos.

LA VUELTA KEY FIGURES

STARTING ORDER | STAGE 1

THE HEROES OF LA VUELTA (5/6) EGAN BERNAL


Photo by Plomi

Egan Bernal was a hero of La Vuelta before he even participated in it. Three years ago, he envisioned the Spanish Grand Tour as the ideal terrain for his debut in a three-week race, but circumstances bring him there for the first time in 2021 with the prospect of becoming the youngest winner of the three Grand Tours!
In 85 years, since La Vuelta joined the Tour de France and the Giro d’Italia to form the three Grand Tours, seven riders have registered their names in the winning records of each of them: Jacques Anquetil (at 29 years old), Felice Gimondi (25), Eddy Merckx (27), Bernard Hinault (25), Alberto Contador (25), Vincenzo Nibali (29) and Chris Froome (33). Looking more closely, the one who achieved the treble at the youngest age is Bernard Hinault, who was 25 years, 6 months and 24 days old when the Giro arrived in Milan on June 7, 1980. Since January 13, Egan Bernal is 24 years old. If he climbs on the top step of the podium on September 5 in Obradoiro Square in Santiago de Compostela, he will therefore beat – largely – a new precocity record after having dethroned Felice Gimondi as youngest Yellow Jersey of the Tour de France in Paris in 2019 (at 22) before being himself debunked by Tadej Pogacar (21).

In the months following his triumph (to be the first Colombian to win the Tour was huge in the legend of global cycling and national sport), Egan Bernal repeated his dearest wish as an athlete: “I want to win all three Grand Tours, it would be great to be part of cycling history like that.“ Claiming the three was therefore a priority, in his mind, before even thinking of winning the Tour de France a second time, a goal his employer, Team Ineos, set for him in 2020, but without success since back pain forced him to retire and prematurely end his season. He has patiently rebuilt since then, and won the Giro in May.
It is curious to note that in the end, nothing went as planned in the already extraordinary career of the climber of Zipaquira. He turned pro at 18, at an age usually dedicated to learning in the U23 ranks, on the road after being trained as a mountain biker, and in Italy, in a team, Androni Giocattoli-Sidermec, who, logically, should have entered the Giro d’Italia. But during the two years he spent in Gianni Savio’s team (2016 and 2017), they were not invited to the Corsa Rosa! The Colombian took the opportunity to win the 2017 Tour de l’Avenir, like his compatriots Nairo Quintana, Esteban Chaves and Miguel Ángel López shortly before him, and he was sold to Team Sky. When he joined the British powerhouse, he was not guaranteed to compete in a three-week race in the first year, but he hoped La Vuelta 18 would be his first Grand Tour, to discover this big world at 21 years old. Circumstances precipitated things: 2nd in the Tour de Romandie behind Primoz Roglic (and these two are ready for more this Summer!) and winner of the Tour of California in May, he appeared ready to make his debut on the main stage sooner than expected, while Chris Froome, the indisputable leader of Team Sky at the time, was battling hard at the Giro d’Italia, turning the situation to his advantage at the very end. The Briton needed reinforcement in the mountains, and so instead of waiting for La Vuelta, Egan Bernal was called up for the Tour de France where he was exemplary in the service of Geraint Thomas, who finally dominated the situation, while Froome climbed on the third step of the podium.

The Colombian was not yet supposed to assume leadership on the 2019 Tour. Froome’s terrible fall at the Critérium du Dauphiné put him higher in the hierarchy. He was still behind Thomas at the exit of the Pyrenees but two stages in the Alps propelled him to the top. His career was turned upside down, his personal life too. The 2020 Tour brought him back to the great difficulties of the profession, and, finally, allowed him to return to his initial dream: to shine on the three Grand Tours, which he watched, as a child, on TV, with as much passion for the three. As soon as the victory was assured in the Giro last May, he was asked about the possibility of a follow-up to the Tour de France and the prospect of becoming Olympic champion. “No”, he replied. „My priority now is to win La Vuelta as well.“

„The presence of Egan Bernal is a very important appeal for La Vuelta 21,“ said general manager Javier Guillén. „I want to say, like my fellow Giro organisers this year, that he is finally coming to the start of our race, but we must not forget that he is still very young. Of course, if he won La Vuelta from his first participation, after the Tour and the Giro, that would be historic, but we must not lose sight of the fact that the level of competition is such that it is not won in advance. As he is a very smart boy who keeps his feet on the ground, he knows it won’t be easy. We are obviously delighted to count him among the main protagonists.“

The heroes of La Vuelta (4/6) : Mikel Landa


Photo by Plomi

Mikel Landa is not strictly speaking a La Vuelta hero, but now is the year or never to become one! He has not appeared in the Spanish Grand Tour since 2015 but in the wake of his victory last week at the Tour de Burgos, his name and his unique history have shaped the hope of local aficionados to see a Spaniard rise on the top step of the podium.

Of the 75 editions of La Vuelta already contested, 32 ultimately went to a Spanish rider. In the table of victories by country, France (9), Belgium (7), Italy (6) and Switzerland (5) follow. In the winning records, a maximum of six editions separates two Spanish winners (between Melchor Mauri in 1991 and Abraham Olano in 1998, the Swiss Tony Rominger won three times, his compatriot Alex Zülle twice, and the Frenchman Laurent Jalabert once). The last six champions crowned in Madrid’s Plaza de Cibeles were foreigners: the Italian Fabio Aru (2015), the Colombian Nairo Quintana (2016), the Brits Chris Froome (2017) and Simon Yates (2018) as well as the Slovenian Primoz Roglic (2019, 2020). It turns out that Alberto Contador took his third and final overall victory in Santiago de Compostela, where La Vuelta 21 will end on September 5th. Is this a harbinger of the end of this current drought over six editions?

Spanish cycling had a golden era in which Alberto Contador was far from ruling alone in his kingdom, as Carlos Sastre, Alejandro Valverde, Joaquim „Purito“ Rodriguez and Samuel Sánchez also took center stage. The intensity has dropped but the local protagonists have not failed since. From 2014, half the editions of La Vuelta ended with one of theirs on the second step: “Purito” in 2015, Enric Mas in 2018 and Alejandro Valverde in 2019. The succession of the Madrilenian seemed to have to be assured, at first, by Mikel Landa. Forced into exile with the closure of the team of his beginnings, Euskaltel-Euskadi, after his first two participations in La Vuelta (2012, 2013), he found refuge in global teams where he could not always choose his goals, nor focus primarily on the Spanish Grand Tour. Falls have also marked his course – they still have this year, but he seems to have recovered well from his injuries at the beginning of the Giro d’Italia. The laws of the market have pushed him to change employers every two years, and riders on the move don’t necessarily enjoy a smooth exit…

Still, he took part in La Vuelta during his two years at Astana (2014, 2015), but not with Team Sky (2016, 2017), nor Movistar (2018, 2019), nor Bahrain-McLaren last year. In four participations, his best final place is 25th in 2015, while he has six top 10s at the Giro d’Italia and the Tour de France, and his greatest feat remains his only stage victory, on day 11 of the same edition. It was presented as “the hardest stage of all time” because riders had to face 5,300 m of elevation over 138 km in the principality of Andorra. Landa had slipped into the morning breakaway in defiance of Astana’s directives and he refused to wait for his leader, Fabio Aru, but the affair did not make much noise, in the end, because the Kazakh formation scored on both levels: the stage win for Landa and La Roja for Aru, second in Cortals d’Encamp, 1’22“ later, and, above all, 1’37“ before Tom Dumoulin, who was wearing the leader’s red jersey until then.

Mikel Landa is now 31 years old and has eleven pro seasons behind him. He also won three stages at the Giro where he stood on the podium, 3rd in 2015, and won the mountain classification in 2017, two Vuelta a Burgos, a Giro del Trentino… His “landismo” personifies a champion with a huge potential promised to win a three-week races, according to the fans, when, finally, he will have been spared by crashes and the instructions of his team contrary to his individual ambitions.

„That day may come with La Vuelta 21“, observes the general manager of the event Javier Guillén. „We wish him that luck is finally on his side. He is a very followed and loved rider with a lot of fans. For the popular impact of La Vuelta, it is always interesting that Spaniards are among the big protagonists in the general classification. Mikel’s generosity to the cycling community makes him deserving to shine in our event and we are delighted to welcome him back after too long an absence.“
Murgia, his hometown, in the Basque province of Alava, is a one hour drive from Burgos, where La Vuelta 21 will start on Saturday. He will therefore immediately have many supporters, who do not forget his contribution to the relaunch at continental level of the Euskadi foundation, of which he took the presidency at the end of 2017 until last March. With the Euskaltel-Euskadi rising to Pro Continental and returning to the peloton of La Vuelta this year, „my role could lead to incompatibilities that nobody wanted“, he explained. „But my emotional connection with the Euskadi foundation will remain the same and my heart is and will be orange for life.“
Landa is also approaching La Vuelta 21 as a cyclist within an impressive Bahrain Victorious team, especially for the mountains, since his teammates are Damiano Caruso (2nd in the Giro this year), Jack Haig, Mark Padun, Wout Poels, Jan Tratnik, Gino Mäder and Yukiya Arashiro. They look able to compete with the powerhouses Ineos Grenadiers and Jumbo-Visma.

The heroes of La Vuelta : www.lavuelta.com