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UEC Road European Cycling Championships

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Buongiorno Trento: Day 2 – Top names square off against the clock

Good morning from the UEC Road European Cycling Championships. A sparkling first day gave Italy its first gold in the Team Relay, whilst Belgian Alec Segaert and Russian Alena Ivanchenko have celebrated successes in the Juniors’ time trials. The program of the greatest continental review in Trentino (8-12 September) goes on with the Men’s and Women’s time trials for the Elite and Under 23 categories.
The first race gets off at 9.15 AM CET: that’s the Under 23 Women’s time trial, followed at 10.45 AM by the Women Elite time trial, the Men Under 23 time trial at 2.15 PM, and the Men Elite time trial at 4 PM (all CET times).

THE COURSE – THE HIGH-SPEED CHALLENGE STARTS FROM THE MUSE
The time trials’ route at the Trentino 2021 European Championships is perfectly suited to specialists in the discipline, capable of pushing long gears and developing high speeds.
Starting from the MUSE-Museo delle Scienze in Trento, and finishing in the near Piazza delle Donne Lavoratrici, the pan-flat 22.4 km loop crosses the towns of Romagnano, Matterello and Aldeno, an area rich of high-quality vineyards.
The time trial route passes through the village of Mattarello, located along the ancient road that connected Trento to Rovereto. Mattarello is close to Trento airport and the Gianni Caproni Aeronautical Museum, which displays the world’s first aeronautical collection, built in the 1920s. It is a unique collection of vintage aircraft, including early twentieth-century aircraft that have made history. These include the Ansaldo SVA 5 that took part in Gabriele D’Annunzio’s demonstration flight over Vienna on 9 August 1918.
The exhibition is named after Gianni Caproni, an aeronautical engineer, entrepreneur and pioneer of flight and founder of the company of the same name engaged in the construction of aircraft in the first half of the 20th century.

THE PROTAGONISTS – GANNA AIMS FOR SECOND GOLD VERSUS FIERCE RIVALS

After the joy of the Team Relay, the medal ambitions for the Italian National Team are not over. World Champion Filippo Ganna has to be considered the top favorite of the Men’s Elite Time Trial: after showing a solid condition in the team race, he will be trying for a second gold medal at Trentino 2021.
Competition won’t be lacking for the Olympic gold medalist in the Team Pursuit: fellow countryman Edoardo Affini, defending champion Stefan Küng (Switzerland), Rémi Cavagna (France), Remco Evenepoel(Belgium), Mikkel Bjerg and Kasper Asgreen (Denmark), Jos Van Emden(Netherlands) and two-time Tour de France winner Tadej Pogacar (Slovenia).

Vittoria Bussi and Elena Cecchini will be at the start of the Women’s Elite race, where the four-time continental champion Ellen Van Dijk (Netherlands) is the clear favorite.

In the U23 Men’s race, wonderboy Juan Ayuso (Spain) will make his debut in the continental event in Trentino, whilst Hannah Ludwig (Germany) had good chances to retain her title among Under 23 Women.

WEATHER FORECASTS
More good news for the riders from the weather side on Thursday 9 September, with sun forecasts and almost no wind. A temperature of 22 degrees is expected in the morning. Temperatures will rise in the early afternoon to 26-27 degrees.

Thursday September 9th

Under 23 Women’s Time Trial

Distance: 22.4 km
First athlete start: 09.15 am
Favorites: Hannah Ludwig, Elena Pirrone, Aigul Gareeva

Elite Women’s Time Trial

Distance: 22.4 km
First athlete start: 10.45 am
Favorites: Ellen van Dijk, Lisa Brennauer, Demi Vollering

Under 23 Men’s Time Trial
Distance: 22.4 km
First athlete start: 02.15 pm
Favorites: Juan Ayuso, Andrii Ponomar, Mathias Vacek

Elite Men’s Time Trial
Distance: 22.4 km
First athlete start: 04.00 pm
Favorites: Filippo Ganna, Remco Evenepoel, Remi Cavagna

ESCHBORN-FRANKFURT 2021

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Key points:
 It will be a high-profile anniversary. Big names have announced themselves for September 19th to celebrate the 60th edition of the German classic.
 For the first time, 13 teams from the WorldTour will start at Eschborn-Frankfurt and the start list promises a great race.

 The complete podium of the last edition will be there – a reunion of the still active winners: Pascal Ackermann (Bora-Hansgrohe, winner 2019), John Degenkolb (Lotto Soudal, winner 2011) and Alexander Kristoff (UAE-Team Emirates, winner 2014-2018).

In addition, the fans can look forward to Deutschland Tour winner Nils Politt (Bora-Hansgrohe). Besides Politt, two other stage winners of this year’s Tour de France will be taking part: Politt’s teammate Patrick Konrad as well as Dylan Teuns (Bahrain Victorious) and Bauke Mollema (Trek-Segafredo) want to shine at the WorldTour event.

The German classic unites Tour de France and classic stars
The list of illustrious names becomes even more extensive with the addition of many classic stars. With former Olympic champion Greg van Avermaet (AG2R Citroën Team) and former world champion Philippe Gilbert (Lotto Soudal), two more Paris-Roubaix winners will meet local hero John Degenkolb at his home race. With Vincenzo Nibali and Mads Pedersen, Trek-Segafredo will bring a Tour de France winner and the 2019 world champion to the Taunus hills. Among others, they will compete with Italian national champion Sonny Colbrelli (Bahrain Victorious), Grand Tours stage winner Michael Matthews (Team BikeExchange) and two-time stage winner of this year’s Vuelta a Espana Jasper Philipsen (Alpecin-Fenix).
For the German fans, many home stars will be lining-up: besides Ackermann and Politt, Phil Bauhaus (Bahrain Victorious), Emanuel Buchmann (Bora-Hansgrohe), Simon Geschke (Cofidis), André Greipel (Israel Start-Up Nation) and the winner of the white jersey of the Deutschland Tour Georg Zimmermann (Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert Matériaux) have announced their participation.

Dress rehearsal for the World Championships
The impressive start list underlines the special date of this years‘ race, as it has been postponed from its traditional date on May 1 to September 19. Eschborn-Frankfurt will be a dress rehearsal for the World Championships, as the race takes place exactly one week before the UCI Road World Championships. Many riders use the Taunus for a last test before they head to Flanders or their preparation for the upcoming monuments, like Paris-Roubaix. On 187.4 kilometres they ride from the start in Eschborn first to the city centre of Frankfurt and on to the ascent of the Feldberg. Afterwards they the iconic Taunus circuit is on the program: four times over the Mammolshainer Stich, twice over the Ruppertshainer Anstieg and once over the Billtalhöhe. The pros already have more than 3,200 metres of altitude in their legs when they enter the finish lap and head for the win in front of the Alte Oper in the heart of Frankfurt.

6,000 participants in the ŠKODA Velotour
On September 19th, a double anniversary will be celebrated, because the ŠKODA Velotour also has an anniversary. For the 20th time, amateur cyclists will experience a true sportive classic. 6,000 participants are registered for the two routes. The ŠKODA Velotour Classic (100 kilometres) starts in the morning before the pros and includes all the legendary Taunus climbs. In the afternoon, the ŠKODA Velotour Skyline leads over 40 almost completely flat kilometres to the city of Frankfurt and back to Eschborn. This year, both distances will start with smaller starting blocks, which are sent into the race with a time lag. All participants either must be vaccinated, recovered, or tested.

UEC Road European Cycling Championships 2021

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Buongiorno Trento: Day 1 – Get the party started I Press Release September 8th, 2021

Good morning from the UEC Road European Cycling Championships. Finally, the long wait is over, and after the long months of preparation, Trento and its territory are ready to live five days of races with great technical and spectacular content.
As traditional, the continental event (8-12 September) gets off in the morning of Wednesday, September 8th with the time trials for the Junior categories: Women start at 9.15 AM CET, followed by Men at 10.45 AM CET.

In the early afternoon, at 2.30 PM CET, it will be the turn of the Team Relay, with 8 competing teams with six riders each (three men and three women).

THE COURSE – THE HIGH-SPEED CHALLENGE STARTS FROM THE MUSE
The time trials’ route at the Trentino 2021 European Championships is perfectly suited to specialists in the discipline, capable of pushing long gears and developing high speeds.
Starting from the MUSE-Museo delle Scienze in Trento, and finishing in the near Piazza delle Donne Lavoratrici, the pan-flat 22.4km loop crosses the towns of Romagnano, Matterello and Aldeno, an area rich of high-quality vineyards.
In the afternoon’s Team Relay, the riders will be engaged over two laps of the TT course, for a total distance of 44.8 km.

A LAND TO DISCOVER – BETWEEN SCIENCE AND WINE
The starting point for all the time trials is the MUSE, the Science Museum of Trento, designed by Renzo Piano like the whole Le Albere district that surrounds it. The Museum offers a journey of discovery through science and nature over five floors and an impressive variety of experiences.
Opened in 2013, in just a few years MUSE has become one of the most visited museums in the Country (and the most popular among science museums) with over 500,000 visitors every year from all over the world.
The time trial route runs through an area renowned for the production of wines such as Traminer and Trento Doc from Aldeno. The area around Trento is also famous for the cultivation and production of Marzemino, a grape variety that has found its ideal habitat in the basaltic soils of the lower Trentino region. Marzemino harmonizes a gentle perfume and a round taste tending towards bitterness.

THE PROTAGONISTS – GREAT EXPECTATIONS FOR TOP PROSPECT UIJTDEBROECKS
There’s growing expectations for the Junior races, since the trend for precocious talents in World cycling has become evident in recent years.
In the Junior men’s TT race, Cian Uijtdebroecks seems to have the odds stacked against him. Following in the footsteps of Remco Evenepoel, the new golden boy of Belgian cycling will try to make his mark against some of the brightest talents in world cycling. Among his rivals, Norwegian Per Strand Hargenes might be one of the names to watch.
The Junior Women’s race could be open to more solutions: challenging the defending Champiion, Dutch Elise Uijen, are German Linda Riedmann, Swiss Noelle Ruetschi and Italian Carlotta Cipressi, bronze a year ago in Plouay.
Having become a part of the European Championships’ programme just in 2019, the Team Relay will be a big goal for several strong teams, including Italy, that will be playing up some of its best cards.
Netherlands (2019) and Germany (2020) have won the first two editions, but this time in Trento it could be time for the home Azzurri to celebrate: the line-up of made by Time Trial World Champion Filippo Ganna, Time Trial Italian Champion Matteo Sobrero, Alessandro De Marchi, Elisa Longo Borghini, Marta Cavalli and Elena Cecchini look poised for something big.

WEATHER FORECAST
Good news for the riders, as sun is expected on the course on Wednesday August 8th. A temperature of 20 degrees is forecast for the morning, rising to 24-25 degrees in the early afternoon.

THE EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIP ON TV
On Wednesday September 8th, the Team Relay will be aired live from 14:30 to 17:15 CET, on Eurosport (Pan-European), één (Belgium), TV2 (Denmark), RaiSport (Italy), NRK (Norway), L’Equipe TV (France) and npo.nl (Netherlands).

THE SCHEDULE OF THE DAY
Wednesday 8th September

Junior Women’s Time Trial
Distance: 22.4 km
First rider’s start: 09.15

Time trial Junior Men
Distance: 22.4 km
First rider’s start: 10.45

Team Relay
Distance: 44.8 km (2 laps of 22.4 km)
First team’s start: 14.30

THE WORLD’S BEST COME TO THE CERATIZIT CHALLENGE BY LA VUELTA 21

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• The expanded format, over four days (from September 2 to 5), seduced the world stars of the women’s peloton.
• Annemiek van Vleuten, Anna van der Breggen and Elisa Longo Borghini are among the big names at the start of the Cabeza de la Manzaneda mountain resort.
• Mavi Garcia and the best Spaniards are also expected in Galicia.

The 7th edition of the CERATIZIT Challenge by La Vuelta 21 promises to be spectacular, from September 2 to 5, from the Cabeza de la Manzaneda mountain resort to Santiago de Compostela. The most famous stage race on the Spanish calendar, which this year offers a complete program in Galicia, with two medium mountain stages, an uphill time trial and a flat stage, has won over the world stars of the peloton. female, according to the list of entries. 24 teams sent their list of participants, for a total of 143 competitors expected at the start.

Three very big names stand out, those of the top three riders in the UCI world ranking: Annemiek van Vleuten (Movistar Team Women), Anna van der Breggen (Team SD Worx) and Elisa Longo Borghini (Trek-Segafredo). The first one is the European road champion and current leader of the UCI Women’s WorldTour and she has just won, in the wake of her Olympic time trial title, the Donostia San Sebastian Klasikoa Women and the Ladies Tour of Norway. Van der Breggen is the reigning World champion, approaching the end of her career scheduled at the end of the current season, and Longo Borghini is the Italian national champion, bronze medalist in the road race at the Tokyo Olympic Games.

The two-time defending champion Lisa Brennauer (Ceratizit-WNT Pro Cycling Team) will try to make it three in a row even if the route, this year, presents characteristics different from the editions concluded in the streets of Madrid. Three other members of the world top 10 (7/10 in total) are announced: Cecilie Uttrup Ludwig (FDJ-Nouvelle Aquitaine-Futuroscope), Lotte Kopecky (Liv Racing), Katarzyna Niewadoma (Canyon // SRAM). The future will also be written on the roads of Galicia since the best two youngsters of the UCI Women’s WorldTour are lined up: the New Zealander Niamh Fisher-Black (SD Worx), who dominated the best young rider standings of three stage races this year (Vuelta a Burgos Féminas, Giro d’Italia and Ladies Tour of Norway), and the French Elite champion Evita Muzic (FDJ-Nouvelle Aquitaine-Futuroscope).

Competitors from very diverse backgrounds will attend the race with Japan’s Eri Yonamine (Tibco-Silicon Valley Bank), Australia’s Amanda Spratt at the head of a strong Team BikeExchange, Hungary’s Kata Blanka Vas (SD Worx), the USA’s Coryn Rivera (DSM), Mexico’s Katia Martínez (Eneicat-RBH Global-Martin Villa), Colombia’s Paula Patiño (Movistar Team Women), Cyprus’ Antri Christoforou (Women Cycling Sport)…

The CERATIZIT Challenge by La Vuelta 21 is also a source of great motivation for Spanish cyclists, led by the national champion (road and time trial) Mavi Garcia (Alé BTC Ljubljana). Ane Santesteban (Team BikeExchange), Sheyla Gutiérrez and Lourdes Oyarbide (Movistar Team Women) may have to work in the service of their leaders. The event represents a great opportunity to shine for other teams in the country that are invited to participate: Massi-Tactic Women Team, Eneicat-RBH Global-Martin Villa, Women Cycling Sport, Rio Miera-Cantabria Deporte, Laboral Kutxa-Fundacion Ciclista Euskadi and Team Farto-BTC.

More information about the CERATIZIT Challenge by La Vuelta : www.challengebylavuelta.com

An impressive cast of contenders have arrived in Galicia ahead of four days of action (September 2-5) en route to Santiago de Compostela. Among them, the World Champion Anna van der Breggen (3rd in the UCI World ranking) will participate for the first time in the CERATIZIT Challenge by La Vuelta in what may be her last appearance with the rainbow jersey before she defends her titles in Belgium. Other riders from the top positions of the UCI World raking are in Galicia: Annemiek van Vleuten (1st), Elisa Longo Borghini (2nd), Lisa Brennauer (7th, winner of the last two editions in Madrid), Marlen Reusser (10th), Katarzyna Niewiadoma (11th)…

As La Vuelta also heads to Galicia, the stars of the UCI Women’s WorldTour will battle in a much different environment than the usual settings of the CERATIZIT Challenge by La Vuelta, around Madrid and in the streets of the Spanish capital. The first three stages are centred around the mountain resort of Manzaneda, with 2 hilly stages (1 and 3) and an uphill time-trial on day 2 (7.3km with an average gradient of 5.8%). The final stage, on Sunday, heads to Santiago de Compostela on flatter terrain (107.4km). The overall winner will be crowned on the Praza do Obradoiro, in front of the cathedral.
Over 340 km, the race will enjoy the support of ŠKODA, who display once again their support for cycling and for equality in sport. They will provide 15 cars to the organisation, including two electric SUVs ENYAQ iV and the hybrid versions of OCTAVIA and SUPERB.

TIFFANY CROMWELL: “THE AMBITION IS ALWAYS TO WIN”
Fresh from her come-back in the UCI Women’s WorldTour at the GP Plouay in France on Monday, Tiffany Cromwell, a true world’s traveller who recently took part in the Belgian Waffle Ride in North Carolina (USA) after representing Australia at the Olympic Games in Tokyo, heads to Spain for a first taste of the CERATIZIT Challenge by La Vuelta with her team Canyon SRAM Racing led by Poland’s Katarzyna (“Kasia”) Niewadoma who is currently 11th on the UCI world ranking.

How many countries have you visited this year?
I’ve lost the counting but it’s close to 20! It’s been a great year so far with lots of wonderful experiences and sporting satisfactions. My last time to Spain was in mid-May for the Gran Premio Ciudad de Eibar and I’m looking forward to returning for the CERATIZIT Challenge by La Vuelta. It will be my first participation because in previous years, my team didn’t enter due to a busy program until last year but I wasn’t on the line up. I’m excited to discover Galicia. The closest I’ve been to was Ponferrada for the world championships in 2014.

What do you expect from the CERATIZIT Challenge by La Vuelta?
It should be great! It’s a different parcours from what it was like in the region of Madrid. It’s mountainous, maybe not the perfect terrain for me but it’s a nice program and an excellent build-up for the world championships.

What are your team’s ambitions?
The ambition is always to win. We have a good team. The competition will be of a very high level but we want to do well, whether it’s the final podium or a stage win. Kasia is a great rider. She loves to race hard and aggressive. As a team-mate, she’s awesome. She’s full of energy and very talented. She was second at the Flèche wallonne féminine this year. The terrain of the CERATIZIT Challenge by La Vuelta should suit her well.

What about yourself?
For this race, I’ll have a support role as I probably don’t have enough strength for these climbs. I’m having my best season in many years, I was stronger when I was younger and I’ve had some ups and downs in the last few years but I’ve had some good racing in the classics and going to the Olympics this year has been great. However, I always want more. I might try and get a result in the last stage of the CERATIZIT Challenge by La Vuelta since we don’t really have a sprinter in the team. In any case, I’ll be there for the team and I hope for a great four days of racing in Galicia.

Niewiadoma in Trentino to fight for gold and glory

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The Polish rider with a passion for cuisine has her sight set on the European Championships in Trento (8-12 September 2021), hoping to add to her previous success in the continental champs and claim her first seasonal win.
As an intense feeling between Katarzyna Niewiadoma with the European Road Cycling Championships has remained unchanged although she still misses the most prestigious success in the Elite category (while she won the U23 race twice), maybe the right time is coming, from September 8th to 12th in Trentino that “Kasia” considers „a special place, with so much to offer, the nature, the mountains, good food and very kind people“.

For the Polish rider, winner at the 2016 Giro del Trentino, the current season has been plenty of top placements in major races, grazing the victory at Flèche Wallonne and Dwars door Vlaanderen, both finished as runner-up: „I would like to win more frequently, even if it’s not easy – Niewiadoma argued -. I’m aware that it is just a matter of time, I should trust the timing and keep believing in myself and my team! Maybe I wish I had some more luck in the past, but it’s all part of my learning process”.

On the Trentino roads, however, the Polish athlete will have to face the hard competition of the Dutch team and other fierce competitors aiming to dress the European Champion jersey. „All Dutch cyclists are always to watch out for, as well as Elisa Longo Borghini, Cecilie Ludwig, Lizzy Deignen and Lisa Klein, just to name a few.“

Regarding the route of the Women’s Elite road race on Saturday, September 11th (107.2 km) and its technical features, Niewadoma said: „I haven’t been there for a recce, but I have seen some race profiles on the internet and I’m excited about it! I always like so much to represent my country and this year we have a great opportunity to race in Italy, which I always feel very special. I love Italy and would love to live there for a while one day.“

In recent years, Niewiadoma has been able to make herself appreciated as a reference point in women’s cycling that “keeps progressing, with better focus on aspects such as training and nutrition” and by her followers for her passions beyond cycling, mostly fashion and cooking: “I was mainly focusing on cycling previously but over the time I realized to need something extra for keeping myself inspired and motivated. I love cooking and baking, and luckily my boyfriend (former US rider Taylor Phinney, ed) has a big appetite and eats anything with a big smile”.

PROGRAM

Wednesday, September 8th

9:15 am – Junior Women Individual Time Trial – 22,4 km
10:45 am – Junior Men Individual Time Trial – 22,4 km
2:30 pm – Team Relay – 44,8 km (2 laps of the 22.4 km circuit)

Thursday, September 9th

9:15 am – U23 Women Individual Time Trial – 22,4 km
10:45 am – Elite Women Individual Time Trial – 22,4 km
2:15 pm – U23 Men Individual Time Trial – 22,4 km
4:00 pm – Elite Men Individual Time Trial – 22,4 km

Friday, September 10th

9:00 am – Junior Men Road Race – 107,2 km
1:50 pm – Junior Women Road Race – 67,6 km
4:30 pm – U23 Women Road Race – 80,8 km

Saturday, September 11th

9:00 am – U23 Men Road Race – 133,6 km
2:15 pm – Elite Women Road Race – 107,2 km

Sunday, September 12th

12:30 pm – Elite Men Road Race – 179,2 km

Großer Auftakt der Deutschland Tour in der Hansestadt Stralsund

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In Kürze:

• Vier anspruchsvolle Etappen mit 722 Kilometern, von der Ostsee bis nach Franken
• Ein international hochkarätiges Fahrerfeld, darunter der viermalige Tour-de-France-Sieger Chris Froome, der Rekord-Etappensieger der Tour de France Mark Cavendish und der Etappengewinner der Deutschland Tour 2019 Alexander Kristoff
• Ein Heimspiel für die deutschen Stars, von Nils Politt und Emanuel Buchmann bis zur kompletten Sprint-Elite, um Pascal Ackermann, Phil Bauhaus und John Degenkolb sowie den einzigen Mecklenburger im Fahrerfeld André Greipel

Top-Mannschaften auf anspruchsvollen Strecken
Die Deutschland Tour 2021 führt auf vier abwechslungsreichen Etappen quer durch Deutschland, von der Ostsee im Norden bis nach Franken im Süden. Zum Auftakt wird am Donnerstag eine flache, aber windanfällige Etappe in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern erwartet. Nach dem Start in der Hansestadt Stralsund wird an der Küste und später im Hinterland dem Wetter eine wichtige Rolle zukommen. Für Lokal-Matador André Greipel könnte sich die Streckenkenntnis zum entscheidenden Faktor entwickeln.
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Nils Politt: Vom Etappen-Sieger der Deutschland Tour zum Tour-Etappen-Gewinner
Nils Politt hatte gleich die Premiere der neuen Deutschland Tour perfekt für sich genutzt: Er gewann die Schlussetappe in Stuttgart und holte seinen ersten Profi-Sieg. Dieses Jahr konnte er dann bei der Tour de France einen draufsetzen, mit einem Solo-Sieg über zwölf Kilometer in Nimes – sein bisher größter Erfolg. „Das Profil der Deutschland Tour scheint dieses Jahr nicht zu schwer. Allerdings wird das Wetter wohl nicht so gut, das Rennen also vermutlich schnell und nervös. Und es sind viele Sprinter dabei, es wird also nicht so leicht“, so der 27-jährige Hürther.

Tim Heiduk und Chris Froome – Deutscher U23-Meister trifft auf vierfachen Tour de France-Gewinner
Am Vorabend der Deutschland Tour 2021 stand Chris Froome als einer der internationalen Top-Stars bei Fans und Medien im Mittelpunkt. „Jetzt, wo ich alle Probleme gelöst habe, die mich dieses Jahr behindert haben, freue ich mich auf den mein erstes Rennen seit der Tour de France“, sagte Froome: „Ich bin mit einem guten Team hier und habe gehört, dass die Etappen schwer vorherzusehen sind.“
„Den größten Druck mache ich mir selbst. Ich bin voller Ambitionen, allein wegen der vielen großen Namen, die dieses Jahr dabei sind – eine große Ehre, da mitzufahren!“, sagt der deutsche U23-Meister Kim Heiduk. Der Nachwuchs-Fahrer vom Team Lotto – Kern Haus ist bereits das zweite Mal bei der Deutschland Tour und sieht die Rundfahrt als Sprungbrett für die weitere Entwicklung.

Pascal Ackermann und Phil Bauhaus: Die Sprint-Elite
Pascal Ackermann steht nach 2018 und 2019 zum dritten Mal am Start der Deutschland Tour. Und es war immer die 1. Etappe, die ihm lag. Bei der letzten Austragung kämpfte er sich zum Sieg und fuhr in das Rote Führungstrikot der Rundfahrt. „Der Wind wird eine große Rolle spielen. Und im Sprint können viele mitgehen. Es wird sicher interessant!“
Während Ackermann seinen Deutschland Tour-Hattrick perfekt macht, feiert der gleichaltrige Phil Bauhaus seine Premiere. Die Form passt. Von den letzten drei Rundfahrten kehrte er mit mindestens einem Etappensieg zurück – eine Serie, die in den kommenden Tagen nicht reißen soll. „Mein Jahr läuft bisher ziemlich gut, auch die Beine passen. Mein Ziel für die Deutschland Tour ist ein Etappen-Sieg, aber dafür muss neben den Beinen alles passen. Die Konkurrenz ist groß – ich freue mich schon“, so der Sprinter.

André Greipel: Der Lokal-Matador
Rückblick zum Karriere-Ende: Im Juli 1982 wurde André Greipel in Krizmow geboren, einem Vorort von Rostock. Gut 70 Kilometer nach dem Start in Stralsund erreicht die Deutschland Tour Rostock. Die erste Sprintwertung der diesjährigen Rundfahrt inklusive. Eine Hommage an den „Gorilla“, denn seiner Mecklenburger Heimat ist André Greipel immer noch verbunden: „Ich habe nie vergessen, wo ich herkomme“, betont er gerne: „Und nun ist es soweit – 17 Jahre musste ich auf ein Rennen durch meine Heimat warten. Ich werde es genießen, aber ich will auch um den Sieg mitfahren.“

„Road to Deutschland Tour“ – Neues Talentprogramm im Radsport

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Gemeinsam mit dem Team Dauner-Akkon startet die Deutschland Tour ein Talentprogramm. Ab sofort beginnt der große Auswahlprozess für deutsche Nachwuchsfahrer. Ihr Ziel: einen Platz beim Kölner Rennstall sichern, um an der sportlichen Karriere zu feilen und bei der nächsten Deutschland Tour zu starten.

Das neue Programm dient der langfristigen Entwicklung deutscher Radsporttalente. Fahrer, die im 2. Jahr der U19-Kategorie fahren, können sich ab sofort unter talent@deutschland-tour.com bewerben. Es winkt der erste Profi-Vertrag in einem professionell organisierten UCI Continental Team. Von der sportwissenschaftlichen Begleitung bis zum internationalen Rennprogramm bekommt die Radsport-Karriere im Team Dauner-Akkon den notwendigen Schub.

Gerald Ciolek, früherer U23-Weltmeister und Gewinner von Mailand-San Remo und jetzt Sportlicher Leiter des Team Dauner-Akkon, sieht einen großen Mehrwert in der Kooperation: „Die Nachwuchsförderung liegt in unserer DNA. Bei Dauner-Akkon haben wir für Talente eine einzigartige Struktur aufgebaut und gezeigt, wie wir ihrer Entwicklung Rückenwind geben. Die Deutschland Tour ist für jeden deutschen Nachwuchsfahrer ein Ziel – darum bin ich mir sicher, dass unser neues Programm viele Talente anlocken wird. Ich bin gespannt auf die Bewerbungen!“

Claude Rach, Geschäftsführer der Gesellschaft zur Förderung des Radsports, sagt: „Das Team Dauner-Akkon teilt unsere Vision, den deutschen Radsport nachhaltig zu fördern. Gemeinsam haben wir dieses neue Talentprogramm und damit eine einzigartige Kooperation zwischen Team und Veranstalter entwickelt. Ich möchte mich auch bei der Sportlichen Leitung um Gerald Ciolek und bei Dauner bedanken, dass sie diese innovative Zusammenarbeit unterstützen.“

Neben dem Platz im Team wird den Talenten auch die Tür zur beruflichen Ausbildung geöffnet. Als Einstieg in das Sportmarketing sind Praktikumsplätze beim Veranstalter der Deutschland Tour fest reserviert, inklusive Reinschnuppern bei der Tour de France, die vom Mutterunternehmen A.S.O. veranstaltet wird.
Eine Jury, in der neben Gerald Ciolek und Claude Rach auch Dauner-Geschäftsführerin Marion Zimmermann sowie die Ex-Profis Marcel Wüst, Marcel Kittel und Fabian Wegmann vertreten sind, trifft aus allen Bewerbungen eine Vorauswahl von bis zu zehn Talenten. Aus dieser Gruppe werden in einem mehrstufigen sportlichen Scouting-Prozess die beiden Fahrer gefunden, die 2022 im Team Dauner-Akkon fahren werden. Mindestens einer der beiden Fahrer wird im Team Dauner-Akkon bei der Deutschland Tour 2022 starten.

Sagan sprints towards Trento: “I’m coming back”

Meisterschaften, Strassenrennen, Vorschau, , ,

After the knee injury sustained at the Tour de France, Peter Sagan looks forward to his racing comeback at the UEC Road European Championships in Trento (September 8th-12th), five years after his victory in Plumelec.
In 2016 in Plumelec (France), Peter Sagan inaugurated with a win the first edition of the UEC Road European Championships for the Elite categories, writing the first page of a prestigious golden book. Five years later, the three-time World Champion is completing his preparation for the “Trentino 2021” edition from September 8th to 12th, 2021.

The name of Sagan joins other major riders such as Tadej Pogacar, Remco Evenepoel, Filippo Ganna and Kasper Asgreen, who have already confirmed their presence at the UEC Road European Championships “Trentino 2021”.
The European Championships will also mark Sagan’s return to racing after the knee injury that forced him to withdraw from the Tour de France, and the consequential surgery. “My recovery is on the right track,” stated the Slovak. “I’m training intensively in order to get back to the best possible level.”
Trento will be both a litmus test and an important goal, with an Elite Men’s race (179 km), on Sunday September 12th, potentially very well suited for Sagan’s skills. “In a race such as the Road European Championships, there are so many factors that can influence a race and nearly all of them are beyond our control. Just that makes it impossible to truly foresee how it will play out. The only thing I am sure about is that I will give it my all, and I’ll try to get the best result I can”, explained Sagan.

Five years ago, the European Champs – and the following World title – were the last major successes before Sagan switched teams to Team BORA-hansgrohe, the one he is now about to leave for French TotalEnergies. A stint full of success, just like the one that the European Champs have enjoyed over these five years, with more top-class winners like Alexander Kristoff, Matteo Trentin, Elia Viviani e Giacomo Nizzolo.
“Without a doubt, the UEC Road European Championships have seen an impressive growth since 2016. I don’t know to what extent my victory contributed to this, but I’m happy to add my small stone even if it’s just a little bit. As for this year’s edition, I’m sure it will have a top-level field that will guarantee an exciting race”, said Peter Sagan.


Photo by Plomi

Neuzugang und junger Bekannter: BORA – hansgrohe präsentiert Jonas Koch und Luis-Joe Lührs für 2022

Teamnews, Vorschau, , , ,

Während Koch ein Neuzugang ist, der einen Zweijahresvertrag erhält,
kommt Lührs aus dem eigenen U19 Team Auto Eder. Nun darf er sich bei den Profis beweisen und bekommt dazu einen Vertrag bis Ende 2024. Nach seinem erfolgreichen Umstieg von den Mountainbikern wird auch der Vertrag von Ben Zwiehoff um ein Jahr verlängert.

„Wir hatten bisher ja vor allem internationale Neuzugänge präsentiert, aber natürlich ist es uns wichtig, als deutsches Team auch entsprechend viele deutsche Fahrer im Kader zu haben. Durch unser U19 Team Auto Eder leisten wir da ja auch viel an Nachwuchsarbeit und darum freut es mich sehr, dass wir Luis-Joe nun eine Chance bei BORA – hansgrohe geben können. Wohin er sich als Rennfahrer entwickeln kann, werden wir erst sehen, aber er hat in jedem Fall die nötigen Anlagen und auch das Rüstzeug, um sich bei den Profis zu etablieren. Die Arbeit in unserem U19 Team hat sich definitiv bezahlt gemacht, denn Cian Uijtdebroeks wird ja ebenfalls aufsteigen. Ich erhoffe mir da auch in den kommenden Jahren einiges.
Jonas hat diesen Schritt bereits geschafft. Er ist ein hervorragender Allrounder, den wir auf vielen Terrains und in unterschiedlichen Rollen einsetzen können. Egal ob in einem Sprint als Anfahrer, oder als Helfer bei den Klassikern, Jonas wird eine wichtige Stütze sein.
Ben hat den Umstieg auf die Straße sehr gut geschafft, finde ich. Er ist nicht nur ein guter Bergfahrer, sondern konnte unsere Leader auch im Flachen sehr gut unterstützen, das war überraschend, aber sehr erfreulich. Nach einem guten Frühjahr hat er leider einen Rückschlag durch einen Schlüsselbeinbruch erlitten, aber jetzt bei der Vuelta wird er wieder wichtige Dienste fürs Team leisten und das soll auch in Zukunft so bleiben.“ – Ralph Denk, Team Manager

„Ich freue mich natürlich sehr, die kommenden Jahre bei BORA – hansgrohe zu fahren. Nach einigen lehrreichen Jahren im Ausland ist es nun wunderschön, für ein deutsches Team zu fahren. Außerdem ist das Team unter den allerbesten in der WorldTour und das ist schon nochmal ein Schritt für mich. Ich möchte mich als Helfer weiterentwickeln und so zum Erfolg des Teams beitragen. Ich denke, die Eingewöhnung wird mir nicht schwer fallen, denn viele der Jungs kenne ich ja schon.“ – Jonas Koch

„Nach zwei erfolgreichen Saisons im BORA – hansgrohe Nachwuchsteam Team Auto Eder bin ich stolz darauf, in den nächsten drei Jahren Rennen im Trikot der Profimannschaft bestreiten zu dürfen. Ich möchte die Chance nutzen, um mich in den kommenden Jahren bestmöglich zu entwickeln und freue mich, zu den Erfolgen des Teams beitragen zu können.“ – Luis-Joe Lührs

„Ich bin total glücklich über das Vertrauen des Teams. Die Menge an Erfahrungen, die ich in der ersten Saison sammeln konnte, war enorm und ich bin absolut ready 2022 den nächsten Schritt mit BORA – hansgrohe zu gehen! Die Motivation ist riesig. Trust the process.“ – Ben Zwiehoff

Ötztaler Radmarathon mit Top-Besetzung!

Bergrennen, Jedermann-Rennen, Radmarathon, Vorschau, , ,

Gleich neun ehemalige Sieger sind am kommenden Sonntag, den 29. August, neben rund 4.000 Teilnehmern am Start des 40. Ötztaler Radmarathons. Wenn um 6:45 Uhr der Start in Sölden fällt, tummeln sich auch ehemalige Sportgrößen, wie Dominik Landertinger und Thomas Rohregger, im Starterfeld.

Die Ketten sind geschmiert, die Wadeln in perfektem Zustand. Nur noch wenige Tage bis zur 40. Jubiläumsausgabe des Ötztaler Radmarathons, der über 238 Kilometer mit 5.500 Höhenmetern über die Pässe Kühtai, Brennerpass, Jaufenpass und das Timmelsjoch führt. Die Jubiläumsauflage des Marathonklassikers der Alpen ist seit Beginn der Corona-Krise auch das erste große grenzüberschreitende Sportevent zwischen Österreich und Italien!

Viele Ex-Sieger am Start
Von den 4.023 Teilnehmern aus 32 Nationen sind 246 Frauen. Die meisten Starter kommen aus Deutschland, gefolgt von Österreich. Neben tausenden Hobbyradsportlern bestreitet auch der ehemalige Spitzen-Biathlet Dominik Landertinger kurz nach seiner Hochzeit die Premiere im Ötztal. Auch Ex-Rundfahrtssieger Thomas Rohregger ist wieder dabei. Zahlreiche ehemalige Ötzi-Sieger stellen sich in Sölden wieder der Herausforderung: An der Spitze der dreifache Gewinner Mathias Nothegger, der auch die letzte Auflage 2019 mit neuem Streckenrekord von 6:47,02 Stunden gewann. Auch die letzte Damensiegerin Christina Rausch startet am Sonntag in Ötztal, ebenso wie Stefano Cecchini, Monika Dietl, Hugo Jenni, der Vierfachsieger Ekkehard Dörschlag, Enrico Zen, Giuseppe Bovo und der Deutsche Bernd Hornetz, mit 48 Jahren der älteste Ötzi-Sieger!

Die Favoriten: Nothegger, Lakata, …
Neben den besten Marathonfahrern aus Italien und Deutschland zählt erneut der Vorarlberger Mathias Nothegger zu den großen Favoriten. Und das, obwohl die gesamte Saison unter keinem guten Stern stand: „Ich gehe mit einem komischen Gefühl in den Ötzi, da die Saison sehr holprig war. Bis März hatte ich eine Bombenform, dann einen schweren Unfall mit Rippenbrüchen und einem Loch in der Lunge; ich musste auf die Intensivstation. Nach dem Arlberg Giro war ich dann noch eine Woche krank. Aber egal, ich freue mich riesig auf diesen Ötztaler!“
Neben dem ehemaligen Tour de France-Starter Johnny Hoogerland aus den Niederlanden, der im Juli die Dolomitenradrundfahrt gewann, muss man auch Eliminator-Weltmeister Daniel Federspiel sowie den vielfachen MTB-Weltmeister Alban Lakata auf der Rechnung haben. Übrigens, Lakata wurde 2017 bei der Premiere des UCI-Rennens Pro Ötztaler 5500 als bester Tiroler 27.! Heuer bestreitet er neben dem Pro Ötztaler 5500 seinen zweiten Ötztaler Radmarathon: „Mein Ziel wäre es, mal ohne gröbere Probleme durchzukommen. Wenn ein Podium dabei rauskommt, wäre ich sehr zufrieden. Wie heißt es so schön, alle guten Dinge sind drei.“

Live-Übertragung
Spannende Storys und Impressionen aus Sölden sowie live von der Strecke liefert der Ötztaler Radmarathon am Renntag. Von 6.45 Uhr bis 21.30 Uhr können Fans am Bildschirm das Geschehen an den verschiedensten Schauplätzen des Jubiläums-Ötztalers mitverfolgen. Empfangbar ist die Live-Übertragung über die Website des Ötztaler Radmarathons – www.oetztaler-radmarathon.com/livestream. Die gesamte Livestrecke wird von K19 mit 15 Kameras, Drohnen, Helikopter und insgesamt 30 Personen produziert. Und das Fahrerbriefing sowie die Vorschau läuft am kommenden Samstag, den 28. August, ab 18:30 Uhr ebenso im Livestream.

www.oetztaler-radmarathon.com

———————————
Pressekontakt:
MR PR – Martin Roseneder
Tel.: +43 664 913 76 77
eMail: martin@mr-pr.at
Homepage: www.mr-pr.at

UEC Road European Championships Trentino (Northern Italy) from September 8th to 12th, 2021

Eintagsrennen, Meisterschaften, Vorschau, ,

Tadej Pogačar lands in Trento: the European Champs turn yellow
Winner of the last two editions of the Tour de France, the 22-year-old Slovenian phenomenon will show off in Trentino from 8th to 12th September: the continental championships keep adding champions to their startlist
Another stage race giant is about to head to Trento for UEC Road European Championships in Trentino (Northern Italy) from September 8th to 12th, 2021: Slovenia’s Tadej Pogačar is set to feature among the greatest stars of the Continental event.
The Slovenian has won the last two editions of the Tour de France and showed his immense talent also in one-day races, winning Liège-Bastogne-Liège in 2021 and achieving an Olympic Bronze medal in Tokyo.
Pogačar is a champion who loves to attack, and that is exactly what he might have to do to shake up the plans of the puncheurs in the Trento circuit, and maybe even before, on the ramps of the Monte Bondone, the highlight of the in-line section of the Elite Men’s course.
The presence of eclectic talents such as Pogačar and Evenepoel brings an added tactical dimension to the race. The limited distance of the Elite Men Road Race route of Sunday, August 12th (179,2 Km) could make it more adapt to daring long-distance moves, something certainly in the style of Pogačar.
An exceptional climber and a talented time trialist, it is hard to find weaknesses in the 22-year-old rider from Komenda, central Slovenia. Pogačar will also participate in the European time trial, the 22,4km test of Thursday, September 9th, suitable for time trial specialists, providing another opportunity for Slovenia to aim big following the gold medal of Primoz Roglic in the Olympic Time Trial.

Wednesday, September 8th
09:15 – Junior Women Individual Time Trial – 22,4 km
10:45 – Junior Men Individual Time Trial – 22,4 km
14:30 – Team Relay – 44,8 km (2 giri del circuito di 22,4 km)

Thursday, September 9th
09:15 – U23 Women Individual Time Trial – 22,4 km
10:45 – Elite Women Individual Time Trial – 22,4 km
14:15 – U23 Men Individual Time Trial – 22,4 km
16:00 – Elite Men Individual Time Trial – 22,4 km

Friday, September 10th
09:00 – Junior Men Road Race – 107,2 km
13:50 – Junior Women Road Race – 67,6 km
16:30 – U23 Women Road Race – 80,8 km

Saturday, September 11th
09:00 – U23 Men Road Race – 133,6 km
14:15 – Elite Women Road Race – 107,2 km

Sunday, September 12th
12:30 – Elite Men Road Race – 179,2 km

Elena Cecchini looks to add to family tally in Trento
A few days after the Olympic bronze medal was won by her fiancé Elia Viviani, the Italian went on reconnaissance on the route of the UEC Road European Championships in Trento, to which she looks with ambitions. „Watch out for surprises in the finale …“.

On August 5th, she was in front of the TV screen holding her breath for her life partner, Elia Viviani, who rode his way to the bronze medal in the Omnium at the Tokyo Olympics. On Sunday 8th, however, Elena Cecchini began working on her own ambitions for a medal, the one she will chase on Saturday September 11th, when the European Women’s Elite road race title will be up for grabs again in Trento.
The 29-year-old from Italy, vice-European champion in Alkmaar in 2019 behind Amy Pieters, has come to Trento specifically to discover the secrets and pitfalls of the circuit of 13.2 km (250 m of elevation gain) on which the road races will be held. Her ambition is to improve the result of the 2019 edition, and imitate Elia Viviani himself, who won that edition.
„Our coach Salvoldi had reported me about a challenging course, and he was right,“ says Elena Cecchini. – There might not be a huge elevation gain, but the circuit gives no respite. The Povo climb can make a selection as the laps sum up, especially in the women’s races.”
„I like the course – continued the three-time Italian champion – and I think it will be a beautiful European Championship, open and hotly contested. It could be resolved with a reduced sprint, but the finale in the city center is very technical: a small gap could make a difference with all those corners affecting the chasing effort. We will have to watch out.”

A course suited to strong rouleurs with a fast finish – a description that matches the skills of Elena Cecchini. „When racing with the National team, you always try to give your 110%, and racing at home is an extra motivation. It’s too early to say what our tactical plans will be, but I hope to have my opportunity. In the end, taking the win for Italy is the most important thing.”
The recent editions of the UEC Road European Championships often went down to the duel between Italy and the Netherlands, the latter clearly being the leading nation in World women cycling. In the Olympic race in Tokyo, however, the tactical stalemate ended up favoring an outsider, Austrian Anna Kiesenhofer, with Dutch Van Vleuten in second place and Italian Elisa Longo Borghini to the bronze medal. „The Dutch team is the one to beat, individually they are so strong. We watch out for each other a lot in these races, because we know our respective strengths. Compared to the Olympics it will be easier to control the race because relying on bigger teams and racing on a circuit makes things much easier to control. As Italians, we will also have the people’s support on our side: I am looking forward to racing in Trento.“