Schlagwort-Archive: ASO

Paris-Nice – 2. Etappe

Ergebnisse, Etappenrennen, Teamnews, , , , ,

Bazainville – Fontainebleau – 164 Km

1 PEDERSEN Mads DEN TREK – SEGAFREDO 03:28:57
2 KOOIJ Olav NED JUMBO-VISMA 00:00
3 NIELSEN Magnus Cort DEN EF EDUCATION – EASYPOST 00:00
4 MCLAY Daniel GBR TEAM ARKEA – SAMSIC 00:00
5 TAMINIAUX Lionel BEL ALPECIN-DECEUNINCK 00:00
6 MATTHEWS Michael AUS TEAM JAYCO ALULA 00:00
7 VAN DEN BERG Marijn NED EF EDUCATION – EASYPOST 00:00
8 BOL Cees NED ASTANA QAZAQSTAN TEAM 00:00
9 RENARD Alexis FRA COFIDIS 00:00
10 DEMARE Arnaud FRA GROUPAMA – FDJ 00:00
11 KRISTOFF Alexander NOR UNO-X PRO CYCLING TEAM 00:00
12 COQUARD Bryan FRA COFIDIS 00:00
13 ALVES OLIVEIRA Rui Filipe POR UAE TEAM EMIRATES 00:00
14 MERLIER Tim BEL SOUDAL QUICK-STEP 00:00
15 TURGIS Anthony FRA TOTALENERGIES 00:00

Gesamt:

1 PEDERSEN Mads DEN TREK – SEGAFREDO 07:19:35
2 POGAČAR Tadej SLO UAE TEAM EMIRATES 00:02
3 MERLIER Tim BEL SOUDAL QUICK-STEP 00:04
4 KOOIJ Olav NED JUMBO-VISMA 00:08
5 BENNETT Sam IRL BORA – HANSGROHE 00:08
6 MATTHEWS Michael AUS TEAM JAYCO ALULA 00:10
7 NIELSEN Magnus Cort DEN EF EDUCATION – EASYPOST 00:10
8 LATOUR Pierre FRA TOTALENERGIES 00:10
9 GODON Dorian FRA AG2R CITROEN TEAM 00:12
10 VAN HOOYDONCK Nathan BEL JUMBO-VISMA 00:12
11 COQUARD Bryan FRA COFIDIS 00:14
12 DEMARE Arnaud FRA GROUPAMA – FDJ 00:14
13 BOL Cees NED ASTANA QAZAQSTAN TEAM 00:14
14 VAN DEN BERG Marijn NED EF EDUCATION – EASYPOST 00:14
15 VAN POPPEL Danny NED BORA – HANSGROHE 00:14

BORA – hansgrohe verpasst auf der zweiten Etappe ein Spitzenergebnis

Die zweite Etappe von Paris-Nizza führte das Peloton von Bazainville über 163,7 flache Kilometer nach Fontainebleau. Eine Soloflucht von J. Gregaard wurde 53km vom Peloton und den Sprinterteams beendet. BORA – hansgrohe leistete in Vorbereitung auf die Sprintankunft viel Arbeit und war stets an der Spitze des Feldes vertreten. Im Finale herrschte Chaos, Sam Bennett war 500m vor dem Ziel etwas blockiert und verpasste die Chance, um ein Spitzenergebnis zu sprinten. Den Sieg holte sich M. Pedersen, bestplatzierter BORA – hansgrohe Fahrer war Danny van Poppel auf Rang 17.

Reaktionen im Ziel
„Das Team war großartig heute, wir waren als starke Einheit unterwegs. Leider habe ich am entscheidenden Kreisverkehr vor dem Ziel das Hinterrad verloren und war danach zu weit hinten positioniert. Auf den letzten 500m hatte ich nicht mehr die Geschwindigkeit, um nochmal zurück zu kommen. Kein ideales Ende heute für uns! “ Sam Bennett

„Unser Zug ist den ganzen Tag über perfekt gelaufen, nur am Ende haben wir die Einfahrt zum Bahnhof verpasst. Im Finale herrschte nach einem Sturz Chaos, wir haben uns als Mannschaft etwas verloren und waren am entscheidenden Kreisverkehr, 500m vor dem Ziel, nicht mehr in Position. Wir hatten zwar Pech, sind aber ohne Sturz oder Verletzungen durchgekommen. Die Niederlage heute gilt es zu akzeptieren, der Fokus liegt jetzt auf dem Mannschaftszeitfahren morgen und den nächsten Etappen.“ Rolf Aldag, Sportlicher Leiter

Chateau Pedersen!

In front of the spectacular castle of Fontainebleau, Denmark’s Mads Pedersen outwitted the rest of the field to snatch his second stage victory in Paris-Nice after the one clinched last year in Dun-le-Palestel. The former world champion beat promising Dutch sprinter Olav Kooij (Jumbo-Visma) and compatriot Magnus Cort to take the yellow jersey away from Tim Merlier (Soudal Quick Step). Tadej Pogacar, who again won the day’s intermediate sprint, is second overall, two deconds behind, ahead of a crucial team time trial on Tuesday.

Gregaard goes again
The real start was given at 13:00 to 154 riders. With 3 km done, Jonas Gregaard (Uno-X Pro), already part of yesterday’s break with Paul Ourselin (TotalEnergies) was back in action, this time going solo for a long day at the front. The Dane took his gap to a maximum of 4:25 before the peloton, led by Merlier’s Soudal Quick Step team-mates decided it was enough. With a lead settling at under three minutes, Gregaard came first at the top of the 3rd category Cote des Granges-le-Roi, to add three points to his KOM tally, making him the provisional leader of the mountain classification.

New KOM leader
A brief echelon took place after kilometre 81, when the peloton suddenly raised the tempo and split, losing a few riders along the way. While the pack came within 25 seconds of the escapee, it finally regrouped and let Gregaard regain some of his lead. The Dane went ahead, again coming first at the top of Cote de Méréville (km 103.1) to take his KOM lead to eight points. He will keep the polka-dot jersey until stage 4 since there are no KOM points on offer in stage 3’s team time trial. Gregaard was also voted the most aggressive rider of the stage.

Pogacar collects
His KOM harvest completed, he waited for the pack and was reeled in with 53 km to go. Over two days, the Dane has spent 229 km at the front. In the last 50 km, the pack geared up for the final sprint and the only event was a crash by Pierre Latour, 6th overall, with 39 km to go. The Frenchman was able to make it back on his bike and into the pack with a little help from team-mates Jeremy Cabot and Paul Ourselin. On the only intermediate sprint of the day, Tadej Pogacar attempted the same move as a day before, going for the six seconds up for grabs. The UAE Emirates team leader beat Michael Matthews (Jayco-Alula) and Nathan van Hooydocnk (Jumbo Visma) on the line to snatch precious time ahead of Tuesday’s team time trial. A crash took place under the red flame, disorganizing the final sprint which looked undecided before Mads Pedersen surged to take the day’s laurels.

Paris-Nice – 1. Etappe

Ergebnisse, Etappenrennen, Teamnews, , , , ,

1. Etappe, 5. März: La Verrière – La Verrière (169,4 km)
2. Etappe, 6. März: Bazainville – Fontainebleau (163,7 km)
3. Etappe, 7. März: Dampierre-en-Burly – Dampierre-en-Burly (32,2 km / MZF)
4. Etappe, 8. März: St.-Amand-Montrond – La Loge des Gardes (164,7 km / BA)
5. Etappe, 9. März: St.-Symphorien-sur-Croise – St.-Paul-Trois-Chateaux (212,4 km)
6. Etappe, 10. März: Tourves – La Colle-sur-Loup (197,4 km)
7. Etappe, 11. März: Nizza – Col de La Couillole (142,9 km / BA)
8. Etappe, 12. März: Nizza – Nizza (118,4 km)

La Verrière – La Verrière – 169Km

1 MERLIER Tim BEL SOUDAL QUICK-STEP 03:50:52
2 BENNETT Sam IRL BORA-HANSGROHE 00:00
3 PEDERSEN Mads DEN TREK-SEGAFREDO 00:00
4 KOOIJ Olav NED JUMBO-VISMA 00:00
5 DE LIE Arnaud BEL LOTTO DSTNY 00:00
6 MATTHEWS Michael AUS TEAM JAYCO-ALULA 00:00
7 COQUARD Bryan FRA COFIDIS 00:00
8 GARCÍA CORTINA Iván ESP MOVISTAR TEAM 00:00
9 GROVES Kaden AUS ALPECIN-DECEUNINCK 00:00
10 DÉMARE Arnaud FRA GROUPAMA-FDJ 00:00
11 MARIT Arne BEL INTERMARCHÉ-CIRCUS-WANTY 00:00
12 VAN POPPEL Danny NED BORA-HANSGROHE 00:00
13 CORT Magnus DEN EF EDUCATION-EASYPOST 00:00
14 DUJARDIN Sandy FRA TOTALENERGIES 00:00
15 WRIGHT Fred GBR BAHRAIN VICTORIOUS 00:00

Sam Bennett zum Auftakt von Paris-Nizza auf Platz zwei

Mit einer 169,4km langen Etappe wurde heute in Frankreich die achttägige Fernfahrt Paris-Nizza (2.UWT) eröffnet. Schmale Straßen, windanfälliges Terrain und zwei Bergwertungen der dritten Kategorie versprachen einen spannenden ersten Renntag. Eine frühe, zweiköpfige Ausreißergruppe bestimmte das Rennen bis zum Zusammenschluss 30km vor dem Ziel.
Die finalen 20km waren geprägt von Attacken, schlussendlich aber wurde die Etappe in einem Massensprint entschieden. Beim Sieg von T. Merlier sicherte sich Sam Bennett Platz zwei.

Reaktionen im Ziel
„Ein großer Dank an meine Teamkollegen, die speziell in dem hektischen Finale den Überblick behalten und einen großartigen Job gemacht haben. Die letzten 30km waren richtig hart, ich habe mich aber sehr gut gefühlt, das stimmt mich positiv für die Flachetappe morgen.“ Sam Bennett

„Ein kalter Tag mit einem ziemlich heißen Finale! Leider waren Bob Jungels und Nils Politt am vorletzten Anstieg in einen Sturz involviert und fehlten somit für unser Leadout. Danny van Poppel hat im Finale einen super Job gemacht, Sam Bennett musste sich am Ende knapp geschlagen geben. Klar wollen wir hier um den Sieg fahren, sind aber mit Platz zwei zum Auftakt auf jeden Fall zufrieden. Morgen gibt’s die nächste Chance!“ Rolf Aldag, Sportlicher Leiter

Key points:
 Race director François Lemarchand believes Pogacar and Vingegaard will be at the front from day 1.
 Jonas Vingegaard tackles his first Paris-Nice hoping for the best after his show of strength in the Grand Camino.
 Ambitious Tadej Pogacar jokes that he is unlikely to win all Paris-Nice stages despite an impressive sweep of wins so far this season.

FRANÇOIS LEMARCHAND : “WE’RE GOING TO SEE POGACAR AND VINGEGAARD IN STAGE 1”
It’s become commonplace in Paris-Nice that instead of a prologue or a finish for pure sprinters, François Lemarchand takes advantage of the terrain in the Yvelines to force the peloton to face hills and winds that can hamper the plans of the sprinters teams. “You only have to look at the map to understand that we have definitely opted to try and spur attacks. There are changes in direction all the time and we have gone looking for the hardest climbs in the Chevreuse Valley. We also placed the only intermediate sprint of the day at the top of a hill 6 km from the finish,” the race director said.“ Bearing in mind that Paris-Nice is often decided by a few seconds, bonus time will be interesting to pick up especially as there will be more to grab on the finish line. I’m not saying that they will go all the way but I believe that we’re going to see Vingegaard and Pogacar at the front,” he added. Still quite a few of the sprinters at the start are capable of going over the last climbs of the day, including the Millon-la-Chapelle or 17 Tournants hills: “A lot will depend on the intensity of the race when the peloton reaches them. The Millon-la-Chapelle climb is a small wall, but riders like Arnaud De Lie, Michael Matthews or Mads Pedersen should be able to cope. Actually anything is possible.”

JONAS VINGEGAARD: “I’M READY FOR THE BEST”
Tour de France champion Jonas Vingegaard is tackling his first Paris-Nice with a lot of ambitions, knowing that he has to beat his arch-rival Tadej Pogacar in the week ahead in order to be crowned on the Promenade des Anglais. “I’m excited, it’s always nice to race against Tadej. He’s always very strong so yeah it will be a nice week”, he told a press conference ahead of Sunday’s start in la Verrière. Winner of the three stages and the GC of the Gran Camino, his first race of the season, the Dane admitted he was in great shape but so is the case of his Slovenian opponent. “It was very nice to win three stages out of three in the Gran Camino. My training went well before and my shape was good. I think I’m ready for this race and ready for the best and fighting for victory,” he said. Asked about the course, the Team Jumbo-Visma leader said it was extremely varied and versatile. “There’s almost everything. The first stage will be about crosswinds, then we have the team time trial, and then a climbing stage at the start. Basically there’s a bit of everything and I can’t say there is one stage that stands out as the most important one,” he said. “The team time trial, for sure it’s important, we have to discuss it because the rules are different, we might have to use different tactics. We have to see about it.”

TADEJ POGACAR: “IT WOULD BE NICE TO WIN ALL THE STAGES. BUT… NO”
Riding his first Paris-Nice, Tadej Pogacar admits the Race to the Sun would be “nice to add to his palmares”, yet the UAE team leader expects fierce competition all the way to the French Riviera. This 81st edition is all the more exciting as the level of the field is extremely high with the last two Tour de France winners, Pogacar and Dane Jonas Vingegaard, standing as clear favourites for final victory. “For sure Jonas is in great shape but I’m also in good shape, it’s going to be fun, it’s going to full on until the line and it’s not going to be easy,” said the Slovenian, winner of the Tour of Andalucia last month. Both Pogacar had impressive starts to the season, each sweeping almost all the races they entered, the Slovenian winning three stages in Andalucia while the Dane also picked three wins in the Gran Camino. “I don’t plan ever to win a stage I just plan to go good in each stage but it’s not like Andalucia when every stage was super hard. It would be nice to win all the stages but no, unfortunately no,” he said. Two of the big question marks of this Paris-Nice are the team time trial on stage 3, which will be clocked on the time of the fastest rider in each team and the summit finishes in La Loge des Gardes on stage 4 and La Couillole on the penultimate day. “More or less all the teams will race a similar time trial as a normal team time trial as you’re faster with more guys around you anyway. But I won’t tell you how we’re going to race. You will see on stage 3,” said Pogacar. And he admitted he seldom knew anything about the climbs on the course before the final day in Nice. “I don’t really know any of the climbs except for the last stage. I really know the last stage. It’s like my home stage. And I have an idea about the penultimate stage but I don’t know any of the climbs before that. We have Google Earth and the radios. A climb is a climb anyway, you have to push good power,” he said.

SIMON YATES: PARIS-NICE IS A RACE I REALLY ENJOY
After finishing second twice in 2018 and 2022, Simon Yates will start Paris-Nice for the 8th time with real ambitions despite the strength of the field. “It’s been a different start to my season compared to the last couple of years after starting in Australia and it was nice to kick things off with a stage win at the Tour Down Under,” said the Briton, winner of four stages in the Race to the Sun in the past. “I’ve had success at Paris-Nice before and it’s a race I really enjoy, particularly the last stage around Nice. The team time trial on stage three should make things interesting for the GC, but I think we have a really strong team for it,” the Team Jayco AlUla leader added. Yates won on all terrains in Paris-Nice previously – a bumpy stage in Fayence in 2017, a mountain stage at La Colmiane in 2018, an individual time trial in Barbentane in 2019 and the final stage last year in Nice. “It’s always a stacked field and a challenging course, but we are all ready and I’m looking forward to a solid eight days of racing,” he said.

KEVIN VAUQUELIN : AMBITIOUS AND HUMBLE
French hopeful Kevin Vauquelin (Arkea-Samsic) tackles first stage race at World tour level with ambition after winning the Tour des Alpes Maritimes et du Var three weeks ago. But the 21-year-old stays modest about his chances in the Race to the Sun. “Of course it’s impressive to start my very first Paris-Nice, a stage race whose reputation is well established. It’s a major race of the early season, certainly one of the first highlights of the season with a beautiful course which is a one-week summary of the Tour de France with stages for sprinters, a time trial, even though it’s a little bit specific this year, and really bumpy stages towards the finish,” he said. “The leader’s jersey is yellow too. I’m starting the race the way as I always do, with ambition but also humility. I have a little more pressure but I take it easy because I know that with the whole Arkea Samsic team, we’re going to try and to our best. We recently went training in the south and we checked out the last three stages of the Race to the Sun. It allowed me to know my way around. It’s definitely a plus.”

For its 6th edition, Paris-Nice Challenge is giving all cycling fans a chance to slip into the shoes of a real professional rider under the Côte d’Azur sun on Saturday 11 March 2023. The cyclosportive in the heart of the Nice countryside marks the launch of the season in an idyllic setting. Just 24 hours before the peloton, it will offer more than 1,200 cyclists the opportunity to ride the route of the last stage of Paris-Nice: 128km from the famous Promenade des Anglais, 2,400m of positive altitude difference and a finish at the gates of the Paris-Nice village on the Quai des États-Unis.
©A.S.O.

81. Paris-Nizza Vorschau

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Romain Bardet: „There are always strong riders and a big battle on Paris-Nice“


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After two years essentially focused on the Giro, Romain Bardet has put the general classification of the Tour de France back in his sights for 2023 and thus returns to Paris-Nice with this in mind. Ten years after his debut in the Race to the Sun, the Frenchman will ride for the first time in the DSM jersey of the Dutch team, with which he has been since the 2021 season. Fifth in the general classification in 2019, he will have the opportunity to measure himself against Jonas Vingegaard and Tadej Pogacar this year.

Romain Bardet, how do you feel after the opening races that launched your season in the south of France?
I think this was the best programme to allow me to prepare for Paris-Nice, the best way to arrive in shape. I am not yet at my peak, but my legs are good. I have to get over a little virus which weakened me last weekend, but it will pass quickly. I had a mechanical problem in the Ardèche, which prevented me from going for the win, and the next day on the Drôme Classic, I felt that I was lacking a bit of punch in the run to the finish. But despite the cold, it was still a very intense race, and this work was helpful.

„It’s the toughest one-week race in the entire calendar. The tension is constant.“

Do you remember the 2013 Paris-Nice and your sixth place in Brioude, which is still your best result on a stage?
Indeed, that goes back a long way. It was my second professional year, but above all, the one in which I genuinely discovered the elite level. Everything was new, and I understood too well that I was entering another dimension. The conditions were difficult for the Brioude stage, but I was up to it. I quickly realised that Paris-Nice was a very demanding race.

What do you mean?
I think it’s the toughest one-week race on the entire calendar. It is right behind the big tours. It is not where I feel most at ease, but there is always a good fight. The tension is constant. It’s a difficult race, with always a steep stage early in the week, then there is the wind factor, then a time trial, and then the final weekend with a series of climbs. The Dauphiné is easier for me because the ascent is more progressive. And Tirreno-Adriatico has more days reserved for the sprinters, so it is not as hard.

„The climb to La Colle-sur-Loup is tremendously difficult, and you can’t be off that day.“
Have you made this Paris-Nice an intermediate objective?
More than anything else, it is an essential race in the build-up to my season. Getting my bearings with a new group will be one of the challenges. I spent some time with my teammates in training. We have excellent young riders and real talents. Casper Van Iden and Pavel Bittner are more sprinter-punchers. They need to get their teeth into it. And Max Poole is only 19 years old, but he is a great climber in the making. He fell last Sunday, and I still hope he can be with us so that he can dive into the deep end.

The Col de la Couillole stage will be the big event, but have you been able to study the route in detail?
First, I will make a reconnaissance ride of the opening stage, which could be good. Then, the team time trial is a double-edged sword because of the armadas that will be present. As for the rest, I know the sector very well of the last three stages, and I can tell you that the La Colle-sur-Loup ascent is tremendously difficult, and you can’t be off that day. As for the La Couillole climb, I have already ridden it several times, and I did it again last week.

As a general classification rider, is it realistic to aim for victory with favourites like Jonas Vingegaard and Tadej Pogacar?
We’ll see. They’ve been flying since the start of the season. And they are also with some big teams, that’s for sure. But whatever happens, there are always strong riders and a big battle in Paris-Nice. So, I still go there saying I will ride my race. I have to rely on my legs first and my form.
Historical series: trial balloons

Stage race organizers sometimes innovate in the way they run time trials. This year, Paris-Nice is experimenting with a special style of team time trial, with the times achieved by each rider being used for the day’s classification. An individual time trial run by teams, in short, is a strange idea. But the history of cycling is not lacking in unusual attempts at time trials. The official website of Paris-Nice offers an overview of the most creative initiatives: the „separate starts“ in the 1920s; the preface of the 1988 Tour; or, closer to our time, the chrono-pursuit raced by women in Marseille in 2017, etc.
The four first episodes can be found here: https://www.paris-nice.fr/en/paris-nice-trial-balloons
©A.S.O.

PARIS-NICE 2023: REVVING UP FOR THE BATTLE

Etappenrennen, Vorschau, ,

Key points:

 The route of the 81st edition of Paris-Nice has attracted the current leading lights of stage races: Tour de France winners Jonas Vingegaard, Tadej Pogačar and Egan Bernal have signed up for a major battle that could start on the first stage in the Yvelines department on Sunday 5th March and continue until the race finishes in Nice on 12th March, including the challenge of the Col de la Couillole on the penultimate day.
 Among the expected challengers, Simon Yates boasts the most convincing record on the Race to the Sun. Watchful eyes will also be on Frenchmen David Gaudu and Romain Bardet for their first major race of the year.
 The sprinters will also have the opportunity to express themselves, especially if they have the capacity to withstand modestly hilly stages, which will be the challenge for Arnaud Démare, Michael Matthews, Sam Bennett, Mads Pedersen, Bryan Coquard, Arnaud De Lie and Tim Merlier, among others.

A well-known trap that can be fallen into is to project the lessons learned on Paris-Nice onto the following edition of the Tour de France. Cycling enthusiasts have been doing so for the last 90 years and will no doubt get carried away again once the finish of the last stage has taken place on the Promenade des Anglais. The list of participants promises a battle between the sport’s leading lights, with top billing for riders such as Jonas Vingegaard, Tadej Pogačar and Egan Bernal, namely the winners of the last four editions of the Tour de France. In 2022, Jumbo-Visma commenced its show of force on the very first day and the team, reinforced this year by the presence of the Danish champion, could again prove to be ready to seize all the opportunities available from the stage in La Verrière onwards. The riders in the black and yellow jerseys are most likely to face fierce opposition from the outset from Tadej Pogačar, who will also be discovering the Race to the Sun, but who has never proved to be timid on a first encounter. The Slovenian, who has been untenable since starting his 2023 season, has somewhat of an edge over his rival of last July, but also over Egan Bernal, who is heading with little certainty into the race on which he launched his winning campaign in 2019.

On the rather particular formula of a time-trial ridden in team format but timed individually, the three most prominent champions will have another opportunity to measure themselves against each other in Dampierre-en-Burly in the Loiret department, as well as the possibility of assessing their rivals’ potential for resistance. Simon Yates, 2nd on Paris-Nice last year, as was the case in 2018, proved to be in great form by winning the queen stage on the Tour Down Under for his debut to the season. As for American Matteo Jorgenson, 8th in 2022, his victory on the Tour of Oman shows that he is making significant progress. They will undoubtedly try to eke out place in the weekend’s battle and specifically on the climb up the Col de la Couillole on Saturday. The best climbers will have the opportunity to show how well they can compare with the three favourites: Frenchmen David Gaudu and Romain Bardet, respectively 4th and 6th on the Tour de France in 2022, will find themselves on terrain that suits them, just like Spaniard Ion Izagirre, who has finished three times in the top 5 on the Race to the Sun (in 2016, 2018 and 2021). Max Schachmann, a two times winner of the event, will have his work cut out to stay in touch with the leaders, whilst the other men in form in February, namely Neilson Powless, Kevin Vauquelin, Aurélien Paret-Peintre or also emerging young star Mattias Skjelmose, will try to capitalise on any chances they get on their way to Nice. For the latter, the virtues of Denmark’s school of cycling are no longer a mystery to anyone…

22 TEAMS, THE MAIN PARTICIPANTS:

Australia
Team Jayco AlUla: S.Yates (Gbr), Matthews, Hamilton (Aus)

Bahrein
Bahrain Victorious: Haig (Aus), Mäder (Swi)

Belgium
Soudal Quick Step: Asgreen (Den), Cavagna (Fra), Merlier (Bel)
Lotto Dstny: De Lie, T.De Gendt (Bel), Sweeny (Aus)
Intermarché-Circus-Wanty: Calmejane, Page (Fra)
Alpecin-Fenix: Kragh Andersen (Den), Groves (Aus)

France
AG2R Citroën Team: Paret-Peintre (Fra), Dewulf, Naesen (Bel)
Cofidis: Coquard, Thomas (Fra), I.Izagirre (Spa)
Groupama-FDJ: Gaudu, Démare (Fra), Küng (Swi)
TotalEnergies: Boasson Hagen (Nor), Latour, Turgis (Fra)
Team Arkea-Samsic: Champoussin, Vauquelin (Fra)

Germany
BORA-hansgrohe: Schachmann (Ger), Bennett (Irl)

Israel
Israel-Premier Tech: Houle (Den), Van Asbroeck (Bel)

Kazakhstan
Astana Qazaqstan Team: Sanchez, De la Cruz (Spa)

Netherlands
Jumbo-Visma: Vingegaard (Den), Dennis (Aus), Laporte (Fra), Foss (Nor)
Team DSM: Bardet (Fra), Degenkolb (Ger)

Norway
Uno-X Pro Cycling Team: Kristoff, Tiller (Nor)

Spain
Movistar Team: Garcia Cortina (Spa), Jorgenson (USA)

United Arab Emirates
UAE Team Emirates: Pogačar (Slo), Majka (Pol), Trentin (Ita), Wellens (Bel)

United Kingdom
Ineos Grenadiers: Bernal, Martinez (Col), Fraile (Spa), Hayter (Gbr)

USA
EF Education-Easypost: Powless (USA), Cort (Den), Bisseger (Swi)
Trek-Segafredo: Pedersen, Skjelmose (Den)

Historical series: trial balloons

Stage race organizers sometimes innovate in the way they run time trials. This year, Paris-Nice is experimenting with a special style of team time trial, with the times achieved by each rider being used for the stage classification. An individual time trial run by teams, in short, is a strange idea. But the history of cycling is not lacking in unusual attempts at time trials. The official website of Paris-Nice offers an overview of the most creative initiatives: the „separate starts“ in the 1920s; the preface of the 1988 Tour; or, closer to our time, the chrono-pursuit raced by women in Marseille in 2017, etc.
The first two episodes can be found here: https://www.paris-nice.fr/en/paris-nice-trial-balloons

Bremen ist Gastgeber des großen Finales der Deutschland Tour 2023

Etappenrennen, Vorschau, , ,

Am 27. August erwartet die Fans ein besonders spannender Abschluss der fünftägigen Rundfahrt: Die Bremer Überseestadt wird zur Kulisse eines Sprint Royal der weltbesten Radsportler. Bevor die Profis um den Gesamtsieg der Deutschland Tour fahren, sind bereits tausende Hobbysportler*innen in und um Bremen auf ihren Rennrädern unterwegs.

Erstmals kommt die neue Deutschland Tour in die Freie Hansestadt Bremen. Damit hat Deutschlands wichtigstes Radrennen bereits 11 der 16 Bundesländer seit seiner Neuauflage besucht. In Bremen trifft die Deutschland Tour auf eine fahrradbegeisterte Region. Die Hansestadt ist die fahrradfreundlichste Großstadt Deutschlands: tagtäglich sind hier doppelt so viele Fahrräder wie Autos unterwegs und Bremen gilt als deutscher Geburtsort der Fahrradstraße. So wird die Deutschland Tour mit ihrem vielfältigen Mitmachprogramm am 27. August Teil der Bremer Radkampagne: Bike It!

Sprintfinale in der Überseestadt
Der Zielbereich der Deutschland Tour ist in der Bremer Überseestadt geplant. Aus der Mittelweser-Region kommend, erreichen die Profis das Stadtgebiet über die Carl-Carstens-Brücke und passieren kurz vor dem Ziel das Weserstadion und die Bremer Altstadt. Zur Deutschland Tour-Tradition zählt, dass die Zuschauenden das Spektakel gleich mehrfach genießen können: Eine Zielrunde führt die Profis dreimal durch die Bremer Kulisse. Es ist die Vorbereitung für den krönenden Abschluss der Deutschland Tour 2023, denn die lange Zielgerade von 750 Metern ist wie gemacht für einen Sprint Royal.

Deutschland Tour Ride – Rennen für Hobbysportler*innen in Bremen

Bevor am Sonntagnachmittag das Profirennen für Spannung sorgt, gehören die Straßen morgens ganz den Hobbysportler*innen. Beim Deutschland Tour Ride können alle Rennradfans ihr eigenes Rennen fahren. Auf zwei gesperrten Strecken über 55 Kilometer und 110 Kilometer erleben sie die Hansestadt und die Region rund um die Weser.
Das flache Streckenprofil bietet Renn-Debütanten und ambitionierten Radsportler*innen ein einzigartiges Erlebnis.
Es werden 3.000 Teilnehmende erwartet, die als Höhepunkt ihres Rennens durch das Ziel der Profis fahren.
Ab sofort ist die Anmeldung für die begehrten Startplätze auf ride.deutschland-tour.com geöffnet.

2023 PARIS–ROUBAIX: THE ROAD TO HELL IS PAVED WITH GRAND AMBITIONS

Eintagsrennen, Vorschau, Weltcup und Klassiker, ,

Key points

 The 120th Paris–Roubaix will be held on Sunday, 9 April, on a 256.6 km course stretching from Compiègne to Roubaix Velodrome and featuring 54.5 km of cobblestones. One of the 29 sectors on the menu —Haspres— is returning to the race nearly two decades after its latest appearance.
 Paris–Roubaix Femmes avec Zwift, whose third edition will be held one day earlier on Saturday, 8 April, has been lengthened to 145.4 km (versus 124.7 km in 2022). Following the extended roll-out from Denain, the women will merge onto the men’s course to tackle an identical succession of 17 cobbled sectors (for a total of 29.2 km).

No-one can tame the cobblestones of Paris–Roubaix. The riotous 2022 edition showed that, in our day and age, it is not unusual for a favourite to find himself on the wrong end of a split before the race even starts in earnest —as Mads Pedersen is painfully aware—, for fortune to favour the bold —as Dylan van Baarle can attest— or for a cruel twist of fate to dash the hopes of a rider who just a few seconds earlier seemed invincible —as happened to Matej Mohorič. The menu of the 120th running of the race will serve up another hearty ration of drama, starting with the traditional first contact with the cobblestones in Troisvilles, just under 100 kilometres after the start in Compiègne. A bit further down the road, the changes made to the course this year will make their appearance in the run-up to the Trouée d’Arenberg, with the return of the Haspres sector (km 139.6), unseen since spring 2004. In 2001, this 1,700-metre section, which Thierry Gouvenou freely admits is „not very well paved”, went hand in hand with the debut of the Haveluy sector, coming a dozen kilometres later. From there, it is a long, hard slog to the finish. The highlights are the „five-star“ sectors that will separate the wheat from the chaff, namely, the Trouée d’Arenberg (km 161.3), Mons-en-Pévèle (km 208) and the Carrefour de l’Arbre (km 239.5).

The alteration made to the third edition of Paris–Roubaix Femmes avec Zwift comes before the first cobblestones, but it is likely to make itself felt at a later point in the race. Two distinct loops on windswept roads near the beginning of the course will add an extra 20 kilometres or so to the total distance. The multiple changes of direction in the preliminary phase could trigger a brawl among the favourites, who will merge onto the men’s course upon reaching the cobbled sector in Hornaing. The no-holds-barred contest will continue for another 82.4 kilometres (including 29.2 km of cobblestones) before the finish in Roubaix Velodrome. Another two decisive moments will come in Mons-en-Pévèle (km 96.9) and the Carrefour de l’Arbre (km 128.3), where every time without fail —Lizzie Deignan in 2021 and Elisa Longo-Borghini in 2022— the future winner has been alone at the front. Can anyone buck the trend?

Paris-Roubaix Challenge

Saturday April 8th 2023 – Amateur cyclists will face the legendary “Hell of the North” and its mythical cobbles a few hours before the professional pelotons and compete in one of the three proposed distances: 70 km (8 cobbled sections), 145 km (19 cobbled sections) and 170 km (29 cobbled sections).
©A.S.O.

More information about Paris-Roubaix Femmes on paris-roubaix-femmes.fr
More information about Paris-Rouaix on paris-roubaix.fr

CRITÉRIUM DU DAUPHINÉ 2023 BASTILLE ON THE HORIZON

Etappenrennen, Vorschau, ,

Key points:
 The route for the 75th edition of the Critérium du Dauphiné, which will take place between 4th and 11th June, was unveiled this morning in Lyon by Bernard Thévenet, a two times winner of the race (1975-76) and Gilles Maignan, the race director, in the presence of the president of the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes regional council, Laurent Wauquiez.
 Eight stages are on the programme, covering a total of 1207.2 kilometres, starting from Chambon-sur-Lac in the Puy-de-Dôme department.
 The confrontation between the pretenders for the title should increase in intensity with the time-trial that winds through the Loire department, before reaching a climax during the final weekend. The highest stage finish in history will take place on Saturday at the Col de la Croix-de-Fer pass, while on Sunday the race will reacquaint itself with the Bastille climb on the heights above Grenoble, which the race has not visited since the edition in 2000.

Because Critérium du Dauphiné week is considered as decisive in preparing for the Tour de France by the riders taking part, they would be well advised to show balance in all circumstances and rely on strategy to gain a real grasp of the route for the 2023 edition. This was the way Jonas Vingegaard did it last year, launching his summer campaign by taking second place on the Alpine race behind his team-mate Primoz Roglic. The Dane’s example could be followed by all the pretenders for victory on the Dauphiné and the Tour de France, starting with the race’s sequence in the Auvergne. In the Puy-de-Dôme department at Chambon-sur-Lac to kick off proceedings or on the way to La Chaise-Dieu in the Haute-Loire department, the undulating profile of the stages as well as the dynamics of the circuits will encourage the riders to be both watchful and to show initiative. The sprinters will very likely have pride of place as the race heads to Le Coteau during stage 3, before another phase in the event unfolds as from the traditional time-trial on Wednesday and its 31.1-km route between Cours and Belmont-de-la-Loire.

The most powerful pedallers will have certainly taken command of the provisional race hierarchy that will have been established before the riders tackle a progressive increase in pressure and altitude. The visit to the Jura department and Salins-les-Bains could just as easily be dominated by a spontaneous breakaway or battle between the favourites. The contest will be even more serious on the road to the Savoy department resort of Crest-Voland, which they will reach after having climbed over the Col des Aravis pass and battled it out on a final ascent of 2.5 km and 6.2% average gradient.

However, nothing will be decided before the weekend, during which each day may give rise to major upheavals. Sudden developments are customary on the Dauphiné and the programme for Saturday could indeed blow apart the general classification, with a total of more than 4,000 metres of climbing over a distance of 147.7 kilometres. Never before has a Critérium du Dauphiné finishing line been held as high as on the Col de Croix-de-Fer pass, at an altitude of 2,067 metres, three more than at La Plagne two years ago! The terrain is ideal for a climber to make a major statement, but the following day, the road to Grenoble contains all the ingredients for another to take revenge. In the last fifty kilometres, the climbs up the Col du Granier, Col de Cucheron and then the Col de Porte passes boast gradients conducive to attacks. All that will remain is to plunge down into Grenoble to then confront the short but formidable climb up to the Bastille Fort. In 1977, a very young Bernard Hinault crossed the finishing line as winner, with blood stains on his face and his first major leader’s jersey, which just goes to show that there is not just one famous Bastille in France’s history!

The finishes of the Critérium du Dauphiné at La Bastille
. 1977: Romans-sur-Isère > Bastille (214 km), won by Bernard Hinault
. 1979: Bastille > Bastille (Ind. t-t., 4 km), won by Bernard Hinault
. 1981: Bastille > Bastille (prologue, 3 km), won by Johan Van der Velde
. 1982: Bourgoin > Bastille (187.5 km), won by Robert Alban
. 1988: Grenoble > Bastille (Ind. t-t., 26.7 km), won by Lucho Herrera
. 1989: Crest > Bastille (230 km), won by Thierry Claveyrolat
. 1993: Bonneville > Bastille (192 km), won by Laurent Dufaux
. 1996: Briançon > Bastille (174 km), won by Luc Leblanc
. 2000: Bastille > Bastille (prologue, 3.6 km), won by Alberto Lopez de Munain

The stages of the 75th edition:
Sunday 4 June stage 1: Chambon-sur-Lac > Chambon-sur-Lac, 157,7 km
Monday 5 June, stage 2: Brassac-les-Mines > La Chaise-Dieu, 167,3 km
Tuesday 6 June, stage 3: Monistrol-sur-Loire > Le Coteau, 191,3 km
Wednesday 7 June, stage 4: Cours > Belmont-de-la-Loire, 31,1 km (clm-ind.)
Thursday 8 June, stage 5: Cormoranche-sur-Saône > Salins-les-Bains, 191,1 km
Friday 9 June, stage 6: Nantua > Crest-Voland, 168,2 km
Saturday 10 June, stage 7: Porte-de-Savoie > Col de la Croix de Fer, 147,7 km
Sunday 11 June, stage 8: Le Pont-de-Claix > La Bastille – Grenoble Alpes Métropole, 152,8 km

22 teams selected

In accordance with Union Cycliste Internationale rules, the following eighteen UCI WorldTeams are automatically invited to the race:

AG2R Citroën Team (Fra)
Alpecin-Deceuninck (Bel)
Astana Qazaqstan Team (Kaz)
Bahrain Victorious (Brn)
Bora – Hansgrohe (Ger)
Cofidis (Fra)
EF Education – Easypost (Usa)
Groupama – FDJ (Fra)
INEOS Grenadiers (Gbr)
Intermarché – Circus – Wanty (Bel)
Jumbo-Visma (Ned)
Movistar Team (Esp)
Soudal Quick-Step (Bel)
Team Jayco AlUla (Aus)
Team Arkea – Samsic (Fra)
Team DSM (Ned)
Trek – Segafredo (Usa)
UAE Team Emirates (Uae)

Furthermore, the first two teams in the 2022 classification of UCI ProTeams will take part by right in Critérium du Dauphiné 2023.
Lotto Dstny (Bel)
TotalEnergies (Fra)

The organisers have invited the following teams:
Israel – Premier Tech (Isr)
Uno-X Pro Cycling Team (Nor)

Essen ist Etappenort der Deutschland Tour 2023

Etappenrennen, Vorschau, , ,

Die Deutschland Tour kommt in das Ruhrgebiet. Essen ist Gastgeber für die Zielankunft der 3. Etappe von Deutschlands wichtigstem Radrennen. Am 26. August fällt in der Ruhrmetropole eine Vorentscheidung für den Gesamtsieg der Deutschland Tour 2023.

Erstmals seit ihrer Neuauflage führt die Deutschland Tour durch das Ruhrgebiet. Zuletzt machte das Radrennen in den 50er und 70er Jahren Station in Essen. Die fünftägige Rundfahrt beginnt in diesem Jahr im Saarland, wo der Prolog (St. Wendel) und die komplette 1. Etappe (St. Wendel – Merzig) ausgetragen werden. Mit dem Finale der 3. Etappe in Essen nimmt der Streckenverlauf der Deutschland Tour 2023 Form an.

Die Radsport-Fans im Ruhrgebiet können sich am 26. August auf einen ereignisreichen Deutschland Tour-Samstag freuen. Am vorletzten Tag der Rundfahrt bietet Essen die Kulisse für den prestigeträchtigen Tagessieg und eine Vorentscheidung im Kampf um das Rote Trikot des Gesamtsiegers. Neben der Zielankunft der Elitefahrer als Höhepunkt des Tages wird auch die Newcomer Tour in Essen ausgetragen. Das Nachwuchsrennen ist bereits gute Tradition und fördert ganz gezielt den weiblichen Radsport-Nachwuchs.

„Wir wollen mit der Deutschland Tour den Radsport ganz nah zu den Fans und in die Städte bringen. Dazu bietet Essen etwas Einzigartiges: 10 Millionen Deutsche wohnen in der Metropolregion. Ihnen bieten wir Spitzensport vor der Haustür und unzählige Aktionen zum Mitmachen. Wir freuen uns auf die Ruhrgebiets-Premiere“, sagt Matthias Pietsch, Geschäftsführer der Gesellschaft zur Förderung des Radsports – dem Veranstalter der Deutschland Tour.

„Essen freut sich auf die Deutschland Tour! Es wird ein tolles Sportevent auf unseren Straßen, das schon jetzt ein guter Grund für einen Besuch in Essen ist. Ich freue mich, dass einen ganzen Tag lang der Fahrradsport im Mittelpunkt steht. Als Großstadt mitten im Ruhrgebiet bauen wir unsere Fahrradinfrastruktur kontinuierlich aus. Damit das Fahrrad auch im Alltag auf dem Siegertreppchen steht“, sagt Thomas Kufen, Oberbürgermeister der Stadt Essen.

Die Deutschland Tour 2023 findet vom 23. bis zum 27. August an fünf Renntagen statt. In den kommenden Wochen werden die weiteren Etappenorte bekanntgegeben. Das Radrennen lockt jährlich mehr als 500.000 Besuchende an die Strecke und allein in Deutschland über 5 Millionen Zuschauende an die Bildschirme.

Zuschauen und Mitmachen ist das Motto von Deutschlands größtem Radsportfestival. Den ganzen Tag erwartet die Besuchenden in Essen die große Expo Tour mit Bühnenprogramm und Angebote zum entspannten Alltagsradfahren auf abgesperrten Straßen. Dazu wird die „kinder Joy of Moving mini tour“ bei kleinen und großen Kids zwischen zwei und zwölf Jahren für viel Spaß auf zwei Rädern sorgen. Sie können sich auf eine Fahrrad-Erlebniswelt, ein Laufradrennen auf der Zielgeraden und eine große Bike Parade freuen.

U23-Rennen kehrt zurück zum Radklassiker

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Nach dreijähriger, pandemiebedingter Pause feiert am 1. Mai die U23-Ausgabe von Eschborn-Frankfurt ihr Comeback. Mehr als 160 Nachwuchsfahrer werden zum Radklassiker erwartet. Wie die WorldTour-Profis starten auch die Talente in Eschborn, fahren durch den Taunus bis zum Ziel vor der Alten Oper.

108 Kilometer stehen für die U23-Fahrer auf dem Programm. Auch für den Nachwuchs wird es ein anspruchsvoller Radklassiker, denn mit dem Feldberg prägt eine Taunus-Ikone das Streckenprofil. Nachdem hier zur Rennmitte die Bergwertung abgenommen wurde, geht es zurück in die Frankfurter Innenstadt.

„Wir freuen uns, dass die U23-Fahrer beim Radklassiker zurück sind. Unsere Entscheidung für das Nachwuchs-Rennen kommt genau zur richtigen Zeit, denn die Nachfrage der Teams war riesengroß. Jetzt starten die weltbesten Development-Teams gemeinsam mit einem bunten internationalen Feld und den deutschen Talentschmieden“, sagt Nathanael Bank, Projektleiter für Eschborn-Frankfurt bei der Gesellschaft zur Förderung des Radsports.

Am 1. Mai wird ein großes Starterfeld mit 23 Teams aus 12 Nationen erwartet. Neben dem Development-Team der WorldTour-Mannschaft Jumbo-Visma, treten auch zwei Nationalmannschaften (Österreich, Luxemburg) und fünf deutsche Kontinental-Teams an. Mit dabei sind auch die Lokalmatadoren von Hessen-Frankfurt-Opelit – dem U23-Team vom RV Sossenheim 1895. Im Verein liegen die Wurzeln des Rennens am 1. Mai.

Der U23-Radklassiker ist ein Sprungbrett für die besten Nachwuchsfahrer. Mads Pedersen hat in Frankfurt gewonnen, fünf Jahre bevor er Weltmeister wurde. Mit Fabio Jakobsen zeigte einer der derzeit weltbesten Sprinter bereits 2017 seine Endschnelligkeit vor der Alten Oper. Auch Jonas Rutsch und Nils Politt standen bereits auf dem U23-Podium. Die letzte Ausgabe des Rennens (2019) gewann Frederik Rodenberg vor Kaden Groves, der zuletzt bei der Vuelta a Espana seinen ersten Grand Tour-Etappensieg holte.

Team-Auswahl Eschborn-Frankfurt U23 2023 (Stand 14. Februar 2023)

BHS PL Beton Bornholm (DEN)
Bialini Team Global Cycling Project (POL)
BIKE AID (GER)
ColoQuick Cycling (DEN)
CYCLING SHEFFIELD (GBR)
Bingoal WB Development Team (BEL)
Cycling Team Friuli ASD (ITA)
Cycling Vlaanderen (BEL)
Lotto Dstny Development Team (BEL)
Hessen – Frankfurt – Opelit (GER)
Merida Adelaar Cycling Team (NED)
Nationalteam Luxembourg (LUX)
Nationalteam Österreich (AUT)
P&S Benotti (GER)
Saris Rouvy Sauerland Team (GER)
Team Colpack Ballan (ITA)
Restaurant Suri – Carl Ras (DEN)
Jumbo Visma Development Team (NED)
Team Lotto Kernhaus (GER)
Team Rad-net Oßwald (GER)
Team Ringerikskraft Elite (NOR)
Team Taurus (SUI)
TUFO PARDUS Prostějov (CZE)

Tour of Oman – 5. Etappe

Ergebnisse, Etappenrennen, Teamnews, , , , , , ,

Samail – Jabal Al Akhdhar – 152 Km


Plomi Foto

1 [BEL] Vansevenant Mauri Soudal Quick-Step 03:53:51
2 [USA] Jorgenson Matteo Movistar Team + 00
3 [FRA] Bouchard Geoffrey AG2R Citroën Team + 12
4 [EST] Taaramäe Rein Intermarché-Circus-Wanty + 22
5 [BEL] Van Gils Maxim Lotto Dstny + 37
6 [ITA] Ulissi Diego UAE Team Emirates + 37
7 [ESP] Rodriguez Cristian Team Arkéa-Samsic + 58
8 [ESP] Herrada Jesus Cofidis + 58
9 [ESP] Verona Carlos Movistar Team + 01:00
10 [BEL] Uijtdebroeks Cian BORA-hansgrohe + 01:12
11 [GER] Buchmann Emanuel BORA-hansgrohe + 01:21
12 [DEN] Eg Niklas Uno-X Pro Cycling Team + 01:21
13 [GER] Zwiehoff Ben BORA-hansgrohe + 01:30
14 [MON] Langellotti Victor Burgos-BH + 01:35
15 [CZE] Hirt Jan Soudal Quick-Step

Endstand:

1 JORGENSON Matteo USA MOVISTAR TEAM 19:56:21
2 VANSEVENANT Mauri BEL SOUDAL QUICK-STEP 00:01
3 BOUCHARD Geoffrey FRA AG2R CITROËN TEAM 00:28
4 TAARAMÄE Rein EST INTERMARCHÉ-CIRCUS-WANTY 00:46
5 ULISSI Diego ITA UAE TEAM EMIRATES 00:48
6 VAN GILS Maxim BEL LOTTO DSTNY 00:58
7 HERRADA Jesus ESP COFIDIS 01:20
8 RODRIGUEZ Cristian ESP TEAM ARKÉA-SAMSIC 01:22
9 UIJTDEBROEKS Cian BEL BORA-HANSGROHE 01:36
10 VERONA Carlos ESP MOVISTAR TEAM 01:37
11 LANGELLOTTI Victor MON BURGOS-BH 01:59
12 EG Niklas DEN UNO-X PRO CYCLING TEAM 02:01
13 BUCHMANN Emanuel GER BORA-HANSGROHE 02:07
14 HIRT Jan CZE SOUDAL QUICK-STEP 02:21
15 ZWIEHOFF Ben GER BORA-HANSGROHE 02:40

Cian Uijtdebroeks verteidigt Top Ten Platz am letzten Tag der Tour of Oman

Mit einer Bergankunft auf dem Green Mountain wurde heute die Tour of Oman entschieden. Zwar setzte sich erneut eine Spitzengruppe früh vom Feld ab, allerdings ohne jemals echte Chancen auf einen Sieg zu haben. Es kam zum erwarteten GC-Showdown und am Ende setzen sich die besten Bergfahrer dieser Woche erneut durch. M. Vansevenant holte sich den Tagessieg, während M. Jorgenson mit Rang zwei den Gesamtsieg absichern konnte. Cian Uijtdebroeks verteidigte mit Rang 10 auf der letzten Etappe, dicht gefolgt von Emanuel Buchmann auf Rang 11, seinen 9. Rang in der Gesamtwertung. BORA – hansgrohe konnte auch die Teamwertung der Tour of Oman 2023 für sich entscheiden.

Von der Ziellinie

“Am Ende muss man sagen, dass es keine komplizierte Etappe war. Das Rennen war immer Kontrolle und am Ende waren die besten Fahrer vorne. Der Green Mountain ist ein fairer Berg, da entscheiden einfach die Beine. Cian hatte heute leider nicht den besten Tag und konnte nicht ganz seine gewohnte Leistung abrufen. Da müssen wir erst analysieren, woran das gelegen hat. Rang neun in der Gesamtwertung ist nicht schlecht, aber wir hatten uns schon etwas mehr ausgerechnet. Erfreulich ist aber in jedem Fall, dass wir die Mannschaftswertung gewinnen konnten. Emu und Ben sind ebenfalls ein solides Rennen gefahren und das hat uns diesen Sieg abgesichert.” – Rolf Aldag, Sportlicher Leiter

Vansevenant – Jorgenson, wonderkids tame Green Mountain

The final stage of the Tour of Oman 2023, set for the first time up the ascent of Jabal Al Akhdhar (Green Mountain), saw two 23-year-old talents rise to victory in an explosive finale. Mauri Vansevenant (Soudal Quick-Step) was the strongest on the brutal slopes of a 5.7km ascent with an average gradient of 10.5% to take an emotional victory in front of his family, who came to Oman to support him. Matteo Jorgenson (Movistar) managed to hang on and save the leader’s red jersey for 1’’. A couple of days after his first professional victory, he becomes the first American overall winner of the Tour of Oman.

The final challenges of the Tour of Oman 2023 inspire seven attackers who get on the move as soon as they leave Samail: Lawrence Naesen (AG2R Citroën), Ceriel Desal (Bingoal WB), Angel Fuentes (Burgos-BH), the Oman National Champion Faisal Al Mamari (Oman National Team), Benjamin Perry (Human Powered Health), Irwandie Lakasek (Terengganu Polygon) and Manabu Ishibashi (JCL Team Ukyo).

Astana Qazaqstan pull the bunch
They open a gap of 4’10’’ after 14km but Astana Qazaqstan react at the front of the bunch to defend the options of Alexey Lutsenko, who dominated Jabal Al Akhdhar and the Tour of Oman on two occasions (2018, 2019). The Asian team control the gap around 2 minutes.
Al Mamari goes first through the intermediate sprint of Wadi Squt (62.7km to go). Some 20km further, Lakasek and then Al Mamari are dropped by their breakaway companions.
The gap increases again, up to 2’40’’, before the peloton up the ante inside the last 30km. But the attackers also increase their pace. They still hold an advantage of 1’20’’ at the bottom of the climb up Jabal Al Akhdhar (Green Mountain): 5.7km at 10.5% to decide the Tour of Oman 2023.

The final showdown
Intermarché-Circus-Wanty set the pace on the first part of the ascent. Naesen and Desal are the last riders to be caught, just inside the last 4km of ascent.
With 3km to go, only Matteo Jorgenson (Movistar), Mauri Vansevenant (Soudal Quick-Step) and Geoffrey Bouchard (AG2R Citroën) can keep up with Rein Taarämae (Intermarché-Circus-Wanty). But the Estonian climber is the next rider to drop.
It eventually comes down to a brutal uphill sprint. Vansevenant is the most explosive to take victory in front of his parents and his sister. But Jorgenson hangs on to win the overall standings by 1’’.

Tour of Oman – 4. Etappe

Ergebnisse, Etappenrennen, , , , , , , , ,

Alle zehn Fahrer, die gestern, kurz vor dem Ziel der 3. Etappe, durch die verschobenen Banden aufgehalten wurden, erhalten eine Zeitgutschrift in Höhe von 20 Sekunden. Dazu zählen auch die beiden Deutschen Emanuel Buchmann und Ben Zwiehoff vom Team Bora – hansgrohe.

Rund 200 Meter vor dem Ziel der Mini-Bergankunft am Jabal Haat war hinter den Top 15 am Montag plötzlich eine ganze Kette an Absperrgittern durch einen tieffliegenden Hubschrauber quer auf die Straße geblasen worden. Der Weg war dadurch komplett blockiert und 10 Fahrer mussten stoppen. Bis die Bande ein wenig zur Seite geschoben werden konnte vergingen ca. 13 Sekunden.

Der Hubschrauberpilot darf heute an der Tour of Oman nicht mehr teilnehmen.

Izki – Yitti Hills 205km:


Plomi Fotos

1 [ITA] Ulissi Diego UAE Team Emirates 04:36:48
2 [FRA] Zingle Axel Cofidis + 00
3 [NED] Schelling Ide BORA-hansgrohe + 00
4 [BEL] Warlop Jordi Soudal Quick-Step + 00
5 [DEN] Bendixen Louis Uno-X Pro Cycling Team + 00
6 [BEL] Biermans Jenthe Team Arkéa-Samsic + 00
7 [ITA] Vendrame Andrea AG2R Citroën Team + 00
8 [BEL] Van Gils Maxim Lotto Dstny + 00
9 [ESP] Herrada Jesus Cofidis + 00
10 [KAZ] Lutsenko Alexey Astana Qazaqstan Team + 00
11 [BEL] Van Boven Luca Bingoal WB + 00
12 [BEL] Naesen Lawrence AG2R Citroën Team + 00
13 [USA] Jorgenson Matteo Movistar Team + 00
14 [GER] Buchmann Emanuel BORA-hansgrohe + 00
15 [BEL] Teugels Lennert Bingoal WB + 00
16 [BEL] Vansevenant Mauri Soudal Quick-Step + 00
17 [COL] Tejada Harold Astana Qazaqstan Team + 00
18 [GER] Zwiehoff Ben BORA-hansgrohe + 00
19 [ITA] Formolo Davide UAE Team Emirates + 00
20 [DEN] Eg Niklas Uno-X Pro Cycling Team

Gesamt:

1 [USA] Jorgenson Matteo Movistar Team 16:02:36
2 [ITA] Ulissi Diego UAE Team Emirates + 05
3 [BEL] Vansevenant Mauri Soudal Quick-Step + 05
4 [FRA] Bouchard Geoffrey AG2R Citroën Team + 14
5 [BEL] Van Gils Maxim Lotto Dstny + 15
6 [ESP] Herrada Jesus Cofidis + 16
7 [EST] Taaramäe Rein Intermarché-Circus-Wanty + 18
8 [MON] Langellotti Victor Burgos-BH + 18
9 [BEL] Uijtdebroeks Cian BORA-hansgrohe + 18
10 [ESP] Rodriguez Cristian Team Arkéa-S

Ide Schelling am Podest der vierten Etappe der Tour of Oman

Die mit 205 km längste Etappe der diesjährigen Tour of Oman wartet am vorletzten Tag mit zwei Anstiegen auf den letzten zehn Kilometern auf. Eine Ausreißergruppe konnte sich erst nach 90 km formieren, aber das Feld hielt sie immer gut unter Kontrolle und die Spitze wurde rechtzeitig wieder eingeholt. Im letzten Anstieg kam es zu Attacken aus einem reduzierten Feld und es gelang D. Ulissi sich etwas abzusetzen. Im Sprint zeigte sich Ide Schelling stark und rollte beim Sieg von Ulissi als Dritter über die Ziellinie.

Reaktionen im Ziel
„Es war ein schneller und hektischer Start heute, keiner wollte eine Ausreißergruppe wegkommen lassen, was uns eigentlich in die Karten spielte. Im welligen Finale waren wir mit den beiden Anstiegen gut vertraut und die Jungs waren dort die ganze Zeit gut positioniert. Ben hat Ide dann auch sehr gut um die Zielkurve gebracht und mit 250 m bis zum Ziel hat der Niederländer seinen Sprint eröffnet und letztendlich den dritten Platz eingefahren. Was das Gesamtklassement betrifft, haben wir auch unseren 9. Platz mit Cian verteidigt und wir führen weiterhin die Teamwertung mit einem Vorsprung von 41 Sekunden an. Also insofern war es ein guter Tag und die Jungs fühlten sich ziemlich gut.“ – Rolf Aldag, Sportlicher Leiter

Ulissi punches over Yitti Hills

After he came close to victory in Qurayyat and Al Hamra, Diego Ulissi rose his arms in triumph on Tuesday, in Yitti. Stage 4, the longest of the Tour of Oman 2023 (204.9km), had an explosive finale in store for the peloton with a couple of ascents in the last 10 km. Pascal Ackermann, Ulissi’s teammate in the ranks of UAE Team Emirates, went on the move on these up and down sections before he was caught with 2km to go… It was then time for the Italian puncheur to display his power and take victory ahead of Axel Zingle (Cofidis) and Ide Schelling (Bora-Hansgrohe), while Matteo Jorgenson (Movistar) retained the leader’s red jersey. After a week of racing in the Sultanate, a final challenge awaits the rider: the mighty climb up Jabal Al Akhdhar (Green Mountain), where the overall winner of the Tour of Oman will be crowned.

As usual in this Tour of Oman 2023, attackers get on the move immediately after the start, from Izki. But the 204.9km ahead of them inspire many riders, leading to a relentless battle for the break of the day.
Josef Cerny (Soudal Quick-Step) tries to make the most of his raw power to make a difference. Jeroen Meijers (Terengganu Polygon) is also determined to race at the front to defend his golden jersey as the leader of the most aggressive rider classification.

Two hours of battle for the break
But everyone get back together ahead of the first intermediate sprint (km 52.4). Fredrik Dversnes seizes the opportunity to take 3 points and the lead of the virtual standings against Meijers (13 pts vs 11).
It takes two hours of racing at 47.3km/h for a group of attackers to eventually make the break with Dversnes, back at the front after he was reeled in by the bunch, as well as the U23 World Champion Yevgeniy Fedorov (Astana Qazaqstan), Urko Berrade (Kern Pharma) and the winner of the African Games Youcef Reguigui (Terengganu Polygon).

Movistar, Arkéa-Samsic and Cofidis work together
After such a battle, they enter the last 100km with a lead of 3’40’’. Matteo Jorgenson’s Movistar drive the bunch to defend the red jersey and they quickly receive support from Arkéa-Samsic and Cofidis. They control the gap around 2 minutes. Reguigui dominates the second intermediate sprint (49.2km to go) ahead of Dversnes, who extends his lead in the most aggressive rider classification. Reguigui drops back to the bunch as his breakaway companions enter the last 20km with a lead of 1’10’’.

Ackermann attacks, Ulissi delivers
Dversnes, Fedorov and Berrade are caught at the bottom of the penultimate climb of the day, in Al Jissah (2.5km at 6.9%). Maxim Van Gils (Lotto Dstny) and Alexey Lutsenko (Astana Qazaqstan) set a brutal pace on the ascent and a small group emerges at the front. Pascal Ackermann (UAE Team Emirates) attacks on the downhill and manages to open a gap of 25’’. He’s caught inside the last 2km to go. Ivan Cobo (Kern Pharma) launches a counter-attack on the final ascent (1.6km at 6.6%). He’s caught right at the summit, inside the last kilometre. The battle for the stage win comes down to a sprint in a reduced bunch. And Diego Ulissi demonstrates once again his expertise in this area. Meanwhile, Matteo Jorgenson safely defends his red jersey on the eve of the final battle up Green Mountain.