Schlagwort-Archive: ASO

TRO BRO LEON 2023: A LAND AND SEA MENU

Eintagsrennen, Frühjahrskassiker, Vorschau, ,

Key points:
 The 39th edition of the Tro Bro Leon will be held on 7 May on a 203.1 km course starting and ending in Lannilis, with 28.9 km of ribinoù, the dirt and gravel roads that give the Breton race its special flavour.
 This escapade through the Pays de Leon, in the far south-west of the Finistère department, will take the field to Pointe Saint-Mathieu on a course with almost no respite from the wind.
 Any favourites and outsiders who withstand the fury of the elements will have to contend with the toughest of the tough on the final circuit around Lannilis, which has the „ribin du château“ as a sting in the tail.

As with kouign-amann and, especially, the kig ha farz in the Pays de Leon, a winning recipe should never be changed, but it is perfectly fine to tinker with the amounts and origins of certain key ingredients. This is how Jean-Paul Mellouët, the chef at the helm of the Tro Bro Leon since its launch in 1984, sees it: „I have never cooked up the same course twice“, he explains at the unveiling of the menu that will be served to runners on 7 May. The race will still be centred on the town of Lannilis, but the first change for the 2023 edition has to do with the direction of the loop, with the field heading south at the beginning, then cutting through the middle of the mini-peninsula to reach its tip in Le Conquet, and tackling the return trip largely on coastal roads. „The course is a bit less steep than usual, but it is much more exposed to the wind, which will blow sideways if it comes from the west, as is often the case“, explains Mellouët, also raising the possibility of splits near the halfway point.
However, the dirt and gravel roads that put the riders‘ acrobatic skills to the test —27 in total— remain the calling card of the Tro Bro Leon. Coming into the decisive phase of the race, the peloton will tackle one of the five brand-new sectors on the menu: „The Saint-Mathieu lighthouse ribin is the longest on the course, at 2.3 kilometres. The exit of the sector is 115 km from the finish line, but an early selection is on the cards“. Much further down the road, the Meshuel ribin will turn the screws on the peloton and knock out many other pretenders before the final circuit. However, the final contenders will have to wait until the exit of the famous Keroüartz Castle ribin, stretching for 1,600 metres and culminating under the tunnel of ambition, to play their ace cards. „This is the make-or-break moment“, admits the cook and designer, always eager to watch the last tussles, in which the last men in contention for the win will clash with less than 7 kilometres to go.
© A.S.O.

Paris-Roubaix and Paris-Roubaix Femmes avec Zwift – Teams selection

Eintagsrennen, Frühjahrskassiker, Vorschau, Weltcup und Klassiker, ,

The organisers of Paris-Roubaix Femmes avec Zwift have selected the teams for the 3rd edition, Saturday, April 8th.

In accordance with the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) regulations, the fifteen UCI Women’s WorldTeams automatically entered are:

Canyon / / SRAM Racing (GER)
EF Education – Tibco – SVB (USA)
FDJ – Suez (FRA)
Fenix – Deceuninck (BEL)
Human Powered Health (USA)
Israel Premier Tech Roland (SUI)
Liv Racing TeqFind (NED)
Movistar Team Women (ESP)
Team DSM (NEd)
Team Jayco Alula (AUS)
Team Jumbo – Visma (NED)
Team SD Worx (NED)
Trek – Segafredo (USA)
UAE Team ADQ (UAE)
Uno-X Pro Cycling Team (NOR)

Furthermore, the two best 2022 UCI Women’s Continental teams will participate by right in Paris-Roubaix Femmes avec Zwift:

Ceratizit – WNT Pro Cycling Team (GER)
Lifeplus Wahoo (GBR)

The organisers have invited the following teams:

AG Insurance – Soudal Quick-Step Team (BEL)
Arkéa Pro Cycling Team (FRA)
Cofidis Women Team (FRA)
Parkhotel Valkenburg (NED)
St Michel – Mavic – Auber 93 (FRA)
Stade Rochelais Charente Maritime (FRA)
ZAAF Cycling Team (ESP)

PARIS-ROUBAIX: TEAM SELECTION

The organisers of Paris-Roubaix have selected the teams for the 120th edition, Sunday, April 9th.
In accordance with the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) rules, the eighteen UCI WorldTeams are invited:

AG2R Citroën Team (FRA)
Alpecin Deceuninck (BEL)
Astana QazaQstan Team (KAZ)
Bora-Hansgrohe (GER)
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 Arkea-Samsic (FRA)
Team Bahrain Victorious (BRN)
Team Cofidis (FRA)
Team DSM (NED)
Team Jayco AlUla (AUS)
Trek-Segafredo (USA)
UAE Team Emirates (UAE)

Furthermore, the three highest ranked UCI ProTeams in 2022 will participate by right in Paris-Roubaix:

TotalEnergies (FRA)
Lotto Dstny (BEL)
Israel Premier Tech (ISR)

The organisers have invited the following teams:

Bingoal Pauwels Sauces WB (BEL)
Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team (SUI)
Team Flanders-Baloise (BEL)
Uno-X Pro Cycling Team (NOR)

ARDENNES CLASSICS: THE COURSE OF HISTORY

Frühjahrskassiker, Vorschau, Weltcup und Klassiker, ,

Key points:

 In the Ardennes classics, there are, first of all, classics! The Flèche Wallonne (194.2 km) and Liège-Bastogne-Liège (258.5 km), which will take place respectively on 19 and 23 April, will be based on the key passages that have marked the history of these races.
 The Mur de Huy and the final loop, including the Ereffe and Cherave climbs, will also be on the programme of the Flèche Wallonne Femmes, which has a total route of 131.5 km. Four days later, the riders of the seventh edition of Liège-Bastogne-Liège Femmes will, for the first time, confront the Wanne, Stockeu and Haute-Levée sequence of climbs before attacking La Redoute and finish their race in the Liège city centre after 140 km.
 25 teams, including four invited by the organisers, will each nominate seven cyclists to form pelotons of 175 riders for the Flèche Wallonne and Liège-Bastogne-Liège, while 144 female riders from 24 teams will form those of the Flèche Wallonne Femmes and Liège-Bastogne-Liège Femmes.

The evocation of the Ardennes classics campaign always triggers memories, and congers up either distant or recent images, which have become embedded in the consciousness of cycling enthusiasts. In terms of history, the Flèche Wallonne experienced a significant turning point in 1985, when the finish line was painted indelibly at the top of the Mur de Huy. Several variants have been tried on the approach of the now famous Chemin des Chapelles, which the riders climb three times, at the end of a final circuit, including the climbs of Ereffe and Cherave as springboards for the ambitious riders who hope to present themselves at the foot of the Mur with a slight advantage. And if no solo rider has managed to resist the peloton of punchers for 20 years, the most spectacular kilometre of the cycling world still retains its indomitable character.

Since 1998, the women’s peloton has joined the train of history by confronting the iconic hill-climbing reference giving rise to hard-fought battles and cycles of domination that are occasionally interrupted. The Valverde and Alaphilippe in the women’s record book are Marianne Vos and Anna van der Breggen, the latter having even hit harder on the heights of Huy with a series of seven consecutive victories. However, it was only in 2022 that the women riders had the opportunity to climb the Mur three times in a row. It will be the case again this year during the 131.5 km expedition.

The course of La Doyenne features references all too familiar to history lovers. The most well-known round trip on the calendar has had slightly different versions according to the era, with a constant sequence of steep and short climbs that provide the race to the finish line in Liège its character. The names of La Redoute, the Roche-aux-Faucons or the age-old Côte des Forges have become part of the vocabulary of connoisseurs, as well Wanne, Stockeu and Haute-Levée sequence of climbs concentrated in 15 kilometres and where the shrinking of the peloton becomes increasingly evident. The champions will reunite with this trio, whilst a small subtlety will perhaps modify the strategy applied on La Redoute, which will immediately precede a new addition to the race, the Côte de Cornémont.

The contenders for the title on Liège-Bastogne-Liège Femmes start for the seventh time from Bastogne on a course that is increasingly similar to the route of the men’s race. In 2023, the race distance will be 130 kilometres and include the famous Wanne, Stockeu and Haute-Levée triptych, which will be a first for the ladies, before the action-packed final stretch heading towards Liège. For example, it was on the Côte de la Roche-aux-Faucons where Annemiek van Vleuten dealt a crushing blow to her remaining rivals in last year’s edition. The race is once again wide open.

LIÈGE-BASTOGNE-LIÈGE CHALLENGE: THREE ROUTES FOR THE CYCLISTS
It has also become a classic for cyclists. Liège-Bastogne-Liège Challenge has taken on the promise of taking amateur cyclists on the legendary roads of the Doyenne. For its 12th edition, 8,000 cyclists are once again expected on Saturday 22 April 2023 to register for one of the three proposed routes according to their level and motivation: 80km, 150km and 260km to be covered, starting from the town of Banneux, located 20 km from Liège. Registration on the website lblchallenge.be

Deutschland Tour 2023 startet im Saarland

Etappenrennen, Vorschau, ,

Am 23. August feiert die Deutschland Tour ihren großen Auftakt im Saarland. In St. Wendel erfolgt der Start zur diesjährigen Ausgabe von Deutschlands wichtigstem Radrennen. Die Kreisstadt wird Gastgeber des Prologs. Am 24. August führt die erste Etappe von St. Wendel komplett durch das Saarland bis nach Merzig.

Im August wird die saarländische Radsportbegeisterung die Deutschland Tour 2023 empfangen. Als Gastgeber vieler Wettbewerbe, bis hin zu Cross-Weltmeisterschaften und MTB-WorldCups, hat sich St. Wendel fest im Radsport etabliert. Dazu findet seit 35 Jahren mit der Trofeo eines der wichtigsten internationalen Nachwuchsrennen im Saarland statt. Für einige Deutschland Tour-Profis wird der August zu einer Rückkehr zu ihren sportlichen Wurzeln.

Prolog Deutschland Tour 2022

Nach der erfolgreichen Premiere des Prologs im vergangenen Jahr, beginnt auch die diesjährige Deutschland Tour mit einem kurzen Einzelzeitfahren. Ein technisch anspruchsvoller Rundkurs durch St. Wendel verlangt den 120 Profis gleich zum Auftakt alles ab. Das Sekundenspiel ist spannend für die Zuschauenden entlang der Strecke und prägt die sportliche Entscheidung um das Führungstrikot auf den folgenden Etappen.

St. Wendel wird auch Ausgangspunkt der ersten Etappe. Sie verläuft komplett durch das Saarland und führt die Profis durch den bergigen Norden des Bundeslandes. Die Strecke bietet sehenswerte Ausblicke, wie zum Beispiel auf die Saarschleife, und verläuft bis nach Merzig. Mit dem hügeligen Profil und einer anspruchsvollen Zielrunde erhält die Etappe ihren klassikertypischen Charakter.

Für die Deutschland Tour ist das Etappenziel in Merzig ein Comeback. Bereits 2018 war das Rennen hier zu Gast, damals setzte sich Matej Mohoric im Sprint einer Führungsgruppe knapp vor Nils Politt durch und legte den Grundstein für seinen späteren Gesamtsieg.

„Ich freue mich, dass die Deutschland Tour in diesem Jahr mehr Zeit im Saarland verbringt. Wir haben bei der Erstausgabe der neuen Deutschland Tour vor vier Jahren die große Begeisterung entlang der Strecke erlebt. Jetzt gestalten wir zwei ganze Tage, die die Fans freuen und die Profis fordern werden. Ich bin mir sicher: das Saarland wird die Deutschland Tour 2023 prägen“, sagt Matthias Pietsch, Geschäftsleiter bei der Gesellschaft zur Förderung des Radsports.

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 auch in diesem Jahr das Motto von Deutschlands größtem Radsportfestival. Von der Expo Tour mit Bühnenprogramm, über entspanntes Alltagsradfahren auf gesperrten Straßen bis zur „kinder Joy of Moving mini tour“, Kinder und Jugendliche für das Radfahren begeistert, wartet ein volles Programm in St. Wendel und Merzig.

SAUDI TOUR: The new El Dorado

Etappenrennen, Vorschau, ,

Key points:
· Top sprinters in contention: Dylan Groenewegen, Pascal Ackermann, John Degenkolb, Andrea Pasqualon, Cees Bol.

Colombia’s Santiago Buitrago who had his breakthrough at the Saudi Tour last year wants to avenge himself on GC.

Before winning the first two editions of the Saudi Tour, Phil Bauhaus (2020) and Maxim Van Gils (2022) did not yet have an overall stage race victory to their credit. AlUla Saudi Arabia is a new El Dorado for cycling, where dreams of greatness take shape.

The other sensation of the 2022 edition, the Colombian Santiago Buitrago, kept a feeling of unfinished business. Winner of the second stage in Abu Rakah, the final victory had eluded him on echelons. Since then, he raised his profile by winning stage 17 of the Giro d’Italia (12th on GC) then stage 1 of Vuelta a Burgos. He wants to take revenge on the Saudi Tour, so his team Bahrain Victorious has enrolled him again. He will be the hot favorite on the start line at AlUla International Airport on January 30.

The teams of the Arabic Gulf are particularly motivated by the idea of making a name for themselves in the region. Bahrain Victorious has also called up very fast men for the stages likely to arrive in a sprint: Jonathan Milan, Andrea Pasqualon, Dusan Rajovic and Heinrich Haussler. Similarly, UAE Team Emirates is aiming for bunch sprint finishes with Pascal Ackermann and the general classification with Davide Formolo, supported by new recruit Felix Grossschartner.

Two teams established for some time in professional cycling have recently concluded partnerships in Saudi Arabia: Movistar, with the national cycling federation, hence the designation of its versatile new rider, the Portuguese Ruben Guerreiro, as leader for this race, and Australia’s only WorldTour squad, now named Team Jayco-AlUla. The latter returns in AlUla with Dutch sprinter Dylan Groenewegen after he won two stages last year. “We’ve got a couple of options with some younger guys for the general classification but the big focus is to build the sprint train around Groenewegen”, Team Jayco-AlUla’s sport manager Matt White explained. “Every race is important but obviously when your team’s sponsor hosts the event as well, it adds some motivation. We’re going there to win stages and showcase our sponsors in a good way.”

The youngsters in question are European u23 road champion Felix Engelhardt and former mountain biker Alexandre Balmer. Other young guns to watch out for include u23 world time trial champion Soren Wærenskjold (Uno-X) while the sprinters’ category includes John Degenkolb (DSM), Cees Bol (Astana Qazaqstan), Simone Consonni (Cofidis), Erlend Blikra (Uno-X), Matteo Malucelli (Bingoal WB) and Algeria’s Youcef Reguigui (Terengganu Polygon) who finished 4th in the 2020 Saudi Tour.

As part of the Asia Tour, the event also aims to provide access to the top level to the best squads of the continent, namely Terengganu Polygon from Malaysia and Team Ukyo from Japan. This time around, the national team of Saudi Arabia will ride at home !

The 16 teams and main riders of the 3rd Saudi Tour, from January 30 to February 3rd:

· Astana Qazaqstan Team (Cees Bol)
· Bahrain Victorious (Santiago Buitrago, Andrea Pasqualon)
· Cofidis (Rubén Fernandez, Simone Consonni)
· Movistar Team (Ruben Guerreiro, Gregor Mühlberger)
· Team Jayco AlUla (Dylan Groenewegen, Felix Engelhardt)
· Team DSM (John Degenkolb, Casper van Uden)
· UAE Team Emirates (Davide Formolo, Pascal Ackermann)
· Bingoal WB (Matteo Malucelli)
· Euskaltel-Euskadi (Xabier Mikel Asparren)
· Human Powered Health (Gijs Van Hoecke, Pier-André Côté)
· Uno-X Pro Cycling Team (Soren Wærenskjold, Erlend Blikra)
· Q.36.5 Pro Cycling Team (Alessandro Fedeli, Jack Bauer)
· Team Corratec (Etienne van Empel, Karel Vacek)
· Terengganu Polygon (Youcef Reguigui, Jambaljamts Sainbayar)
· Team Ukyo (Raymond Kreder, Benjamin Prades)
· National team of Saudi Arabia

TOUR OF OMAN 2023: MAKE IT TWO RACES

Etappenrennen, Vorschau, ,

Key points:

A new race is born in the Sultanate, the Muscat Classic, on the eve of the 12th edition of the Tour of Oman, featuring 5 stages from 11 to 15 February.
 For the first time in the history of the event, the final stage leads the riders to Jabal Al Akhdhar, on the slopes of the iconic “Green Mountain”, after an ascent of nearly 6km at more than 10%.
 Nine UCI WorldTeams have confirmed their participation and the national team of Oman is making its comeback after a successful first in 2022.

The best habits can always benefit from exciting novelties. Thirteen years after the birth of the Tour of Oman, the Sultanate welcomes a new professional road race to go along the emblematic stage event at the start of the season in the Middle East: the Muscat Classic, stepping into the international calendar as the only 1.1 race organized in Asia.
On the eve of the 12th Tour of Oman, the course explores demanding roads towards Al Bustan, where punchers and sprinters have regularly fought for victory. Peter Sagan, Alexey Lutsenko, Fabian Cancellara and André Greipel are among the stars who already claimed victory there. A one-day event, the Muscat Classic can offer new, even more explosive racing dynamics to crown its first champion on February 10.

New summits and twists
The following day, the Tour of Oman will return with a first stage from Al Rustaq Fort to Oman Convention & Exhibition Centre. The course, favouring sprinters, saw Fernando Gaviria take the first leader’s jersey in 2022, before he achieved another success five days later in Muscat. This year, the fast men better shine immediately, otherwise they won’t find any terrain suited to their abilities.
The road already rises on stage 2, towards Qurayyat, where Anthon Charmig displayed his talent in 2022. And the finale will be even tougher the next day, on the irregular slopes of Jabal Haat (4.6km at 8%), before another tough finish on the Yitti hills (stage 4). On this day, the riders will face the longest stage (195.5km), with two climbs inside the last 10 kilometres. After the last summit, there will only be 800 metres left… The end promises to be thrilling.
The contenders for victory will have to catch their breath for the decisive stage of the Tour of Oman 2023. For the first time, the last finish line is set on the slopes of Jabal Al Akhdhar (Green Mountain), the iconic ascent in the area. Who will emerge as the winner after 5.7km of climbing at an average of 10.5%? The race to succeed Jan Hirt will soon begin.

9 UCI WorldTeams
The Muscat Classic and the Tour of Oman 2023 bring together 18 teams, including nine from the World Tour (2 more than in 2022). Six teams from the UCI ProTeams division will also be there, including Lotto Dstny, determined to regain their place in the elite after their recent relegation, and Uno-X Pro Cycling Team, who shined on the Tour of Oman 2022 and are now preparing their first participation in the Tour de France. Asian teams JCL Team Ukyo and Terengganu Polygon will also be there.

Champions from all over the world will battle with the national team of Oman, whose riders ignited several moves for their first participation last year. New opportunities to shine await them around Muscat and across the Sultanate, which now hosts two events.

Muscat Classic, 10.2.23:
Al Mouj Muscat > Al Bustan

2023 stages Tour of Oman:
Stage 1: Al Rustaq Fort > Oman Convention & Exhibition Center (OCEC)
Stage 2: Sultan Qaboos Sports Complex > Quarayyat
Stage 3: Al Khobar > Jabal Haat
Stage 4: Izki > Yitti Hills
Stage 5: Samail “Al Feyhaa Resthouse” > Jabal Al Akhdhar (Green Mountain)

CRITÉRIUM DU DAUPHINÉ: A VOLCANIC START AMONG THE ‘PUYS’

Etappenrennen, Vorschau, ,

Key points :
 Proceedings for the 75th edition of the Critérium du Dauphiné will be kicked off in Chambon-sur-Lac, at the heart of the Auvergne region’s ancient volcanoes. It will be the second start of the event in the Puy-de-Dôme department following the gathering of the peloton in Clermont-Ferrand in 2020.
 The route of the first stage is 158-km long, beginning and finishing in Chambon-sur-Lac: the surrounding relief will already give observers an indication of who are the riders in form at the time.

The riders take part in the Critérium du Dauphiné to find the answers to all the questions concerning them with a month to go before the Tour de France and, naturally, to achieve prestigious victories likely to boost their confidence. For this date inscribed in their diaries on the first weekend of June, they will find themselves in familiar territory. While Chambon-sur-Lac will be proudly adding its name to the map of the event for the first time, several neighbouring municipalities have recently given the elite riders opportunities to express themselves on a variety of terrains. In 2020, it was in the Puy-de-Dôme department, in Clermont-Ferrand, that Wout van Aert victoriously opened an edition reduced to five stages and moved to August due to the exceptional “Covid year” schedule. The following year in Issoire, Brent Van Moer made a solo breakaway to pick up his finest victory. Finally, in 2022, it was even nearer to the slopes of the Puy de Sancy that David Gaudu surprised Wout van Aert to pip him at the post on the finishing line in Chastreix.

On the programme for 2023, the route of the first stage has been traced out to start and finish at Chambon-sur-Lac, taking in a 158-kilometre expedition among the direct surroundings of the town, spread over four loops. In particular, the first will take the peloton to the ski resort of Mont-Dore, while the second, measuring 23 kilometres and containing three laps of the same circuit, will include obstacles to the sprinters’ ambitions such as the Côte du Rocher de l’Aigle (900 m with an average gradient of 6.7%). In total, there will be 2,860 m of climbing during the day, with the relief of the Auvergne putting the riders to the test from the outset. The visit to Chambon-sur-Lac will also offer the riders a short preview of the 10th stage of the Tour de France 2023, since the peloton will be passing through the municipality midway between Vulcania and Issoire in July.

@ASO

THE ROUTE OF LA VUELTA 23

Etappenrennen, Vorschau, , ,

The official presentation of the route of La Vuelta 23 was held at the Palau de la Música Catalana on Tuesday. The Spanish tour’s 78th edition will take off from Barcelona on Saturday, the 26th of August and will conclude in Madrid on the 17th of September. Its 21 stages will include 12 unprecedented departures and eight unprecedented finish-lines, all while visiting nine autonomous communities and three countries: Spain, Andorra and France. The cyclists will face ten high-altitude finales, five of which are new to La Vuelta, two time trials, seven mountains stages, six mid-mountain stages, four flat stages and two flat stages with high-altitude finales.

VE23_Mapa Recorrido 1080x1080px

Unipublic has presented, on Tuesday the 10th of January, the route of La Vuelta 23, that will take place between the 26th of August and the 17th of September. For the second time in its history, the Spanish tour will take off from Barcelona. The city will host an urban team time trial as its first stage and the second stage will depart from Mataró and arrive in Barcelona once again, in front of the Lluís Companys Olympic Stadium.

Following the two first finish-lines in Barcelona, the peloton will then head to Andorra from Súria in order to experience the race’s first mountain stage. The Principality will host La Vuelta 23’s first unprecedented high-altitude finale with a climb of Arinsal. The riders will sleep in Andorra before heading South from Andorra La Vella towards Tarragona in order to conclude the race’s initial Catalan and Andorran journey.

The Autonomous Community of Valencia will be the star of the next phase of La Vuelta. The riders will ride through the Province of Castellón in a mid-mountain stage between Morella and Burriana. The Castellón locality of La Vall d’Uixó will be the starting point for the next stage, heading to Teruel, with the final climb up to the Observatorio Astrofísico de Javalambre as the day’s main attraction. The race’s first flat stage will take place on the 7th day, with a finale that will benefit the sprinters at Oliva. The peloton will then bid farewell to the Autonomous Community of Valencia with a finale along the Costa Blanca, on a summit that is already well-known to the riders: Xorret de Catí.

As a final challenge to end the week before the rest day, the Region of Murcia will put the riders to the test with a stage beginning in the coast, in Cartagena, heading inland towards the finish-line in Caravaca de la Cruz.

The second week of competing will begin in the Province of Valladolid with a 25-kilometre individual time trial. The peloton will then continue its route towards Castilla y León’s West, in order to visit the Laguna Negra in Vinuesa. Zaragoza will provide sprinters will a final opportunity before heading to the Pyrenees for two challenging mountain stages: Aubisque and Tourmalet first, and Issarbe, Larrau and Larra-Belagua on the second day – two stages that will play a deciding role within the race. Pamplona and Lekunberri will host the stage before the second and final rest day.

The demanding nature of the race will not diminish in the last week of racing as, following the unprecedented high-altitude finale in Bejes, will be La Vuelta’s great colossus: L’Angliru. The Principality of Asturias will, once again, be the judge of the race with its unprecedented high-altitude finale in Cruz de Linares, as was the case in 2022 with the Colláu Fancuaya. The Castilian wind may play an important role on the way to Íscar, giving sprinters their opportunity before arriving in Madrid. The second-last linear stage will be held in the Guadarrama Basin in a “classic” stage format, featuring 10 3rd category climbs that will determine La Vuelta’s final overall winner before the traditional final stage in Madrid.

BARCELONA, A CITY THAT LOVES SPORTS

Barcelona will be an exceptional host for the grand departure of La Vuelta 23. “When we looked at Barcelona, we took into account four essential pillars that define the city and fit in perfectly with La Vuelta’s own philosophy: sports, sustainability, tradition and innovation. As a large cycling event, those four characteristics are extremely important to us,” assured Javier Guillén, General Director of La Vuelta.

LA VUELTA DE LOS COLOSOS
Mountains will play an important role in La Vuelta’s 78th edition. Familiar summits such as Angliru, Xorret de Catí and Javalambre will feature along with unprecedented summits such as Larrau, Larra-Belagua, Cruz de Linares and one of cycling’s most mythical summits: the Tourmalet. “Mountains are a part of La Vuelta’s DNA and will make the 2023 edition very exciting, yet again,” said Guillén. “The Tourmalet will be a landmark in the history of our race and will be this year’s great colossus, along with the Angliru. We continue searching for new summits in order to showcase great cycling and it is in this search that we discovered new finales at Larra-Belagua, Cruz de Linares and Bejes, and such mountain passes as Larrau and Issarbe,” explains the race’s General Director.

Etappen der VUELTA 23:
1. Etappe, 26. August: Barcelona – Barcelona, 14,6 km, MZF
2. Etappe, 27. August: Mataró – Barcelona, 181,3 km
3. Etappe, 28. August: Súria – Arinsal/Andorra, 158,5 km
4. Etappe, 29. August: Andorra – Tarragona, 183,4 km
5. Etappe: 30. August: Morella – Burriana, 185,7 km
6. Etappe, 31. August: La Vall d’Uixó – Observatorio Astrofisico de Javalambre, 181,3 km
7. Etappe, 1. September: Utiel – Oliva, 188.8 km
8. Etappe, 2. September: Dénia – Xorret de Cati, 164,8 km
9. Etappe, 3. September: Cartagena – Caravaca de la Cruz, 180,9 km

1. Ruhetag, 4. September

10. Etappe, 5. September: Valladolid – Valladolid, 25 km, EZF
11. Etappe, 6. September: Lerma – La Lagruna Negra, 163,2 km
12. Etappe, 7. September: Ólvega – Zaragoza, 165,4 km
13. Etappe, 8. September: Formigal – Col du Tourmalet, 134,7 km
14. Etappe, 9. September: Sauveterre-de-Béarn – Larra-Belagua, 161,7 km
15. Etappe, 10. September: Pamplona – Lekunberri, 156,5 km

2. Ruhetag, 11. September

16. Etappe, 13. September: Liencres Playa – Bejes, 119,7 km
17. Etappe, 14. September: Ribadesella – Alto de L’Angliru, 122,6 km
18. Etappe, 15. September: Pola de Allande – La Cruz de Linares, 178,9 km
19. Etappe, 16. September: La Baneza – Iscar, 177 km
20. Etappe, 16. September: Manzanares El Real – Guadarrama, 208,4 km
21. Etappe, 17. September: Hippodromo de la Zarzuela – Madrid, 101 km

Saudi Tour 2023

Etappenrennen, Vorschau, ,

Key points:
• The third edition of the Saudi Tour, a 2.1 stage race on the UCI calendar sanctioned by the Saudi Arabia Cycling Federation, will feature five stages, suitable for sprinters, explosive riders and climbers, from January 30 to February 3rd.
• The route, located in the north-west of the country around the wonders of AlUla, returns to the Skyviews of Harrat Uwayrid and showcases other World Heritage Sites recently designated by UNESCO.

For the second year running, the Saudi Tour, of which this is the third edition after a successful launch in 2020, is concentrated in the region of AlUla, an increasingly popular tourist destination in Saudi Arabia strongly linked to cycling. In 2022, the peloton rode through Hegra – the first place in Saudi Arabia designated by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site (in 2008) – on a 7.5km stretch of an eight meters wide graveled road, just before Caleb Ewan’s win at Winter Park.

Early season races in the Middle East (since the turn of the 21st century) have built a reputation for themselves as a sprinter’s paradise. In fact, Dylan Groenewegen won the other two flat stages last year, but the Saudi Tour showed that in five days, all types of cyclists could find a way to express themselves. The event therefore returns to the Skyviews of Harrat Uwayrid, where Maxim Van Gils had sealed his final victory. The final consists of a 2,8km long ascent at 12% with a section at 22% preceding 7km on a plateau offering a lunar landscape. This steep route led to a wonderful fight where the 2022 Giro stage Winner, Santiago Buitrago was beautifully trapped by the young Belgian.

At the end of stage 3, the 2023 Saudi Tour also returns to Abu Rakah where the Colombian from Bahrain Victorious had preceded Andrea Bagioli. “But it is not the same finale, the approach to this one is less steep”, warns technical director Jean-Marc Marino. The new course features a 1.5km slope at an average of 8.5% followed by a flat kilometer to finish. It’s a puncher’s affair.

Once the difficulties on the route were established, the course designers could then focus on showcasing the local sceneries: “the general desire is to highlight all the sites of the AlUla region designated by UNESCO”, Marino informs. It is also an archaeological site that has been inhabited for over 200,000 years. Listed as a World Heritage Site since the end of 2022, it features rock formations resembling kites.

The old Al Manshiyah train station, refurbished and recently reopened to the public, also listed as “Heritage Site”, will host the start of stage 3 while Maraya, on the program for the last two days, represents the other novelty of the route. Its concert hall, a masterpiece of engineering amidst sandstone cliffs, is recognized as the world’s largest building covered with mirrors. It will mark the finishing point of this third Saudi Tour, on a newly asphalted road with the last 500 meters at an average gradient of 6%. After the sprinters, the punchy climbers, the climbers and possibly the echelons’ experts (if the wind is part of the game), a punchy sprinter should have the last word on this final stage.

The stages of the 2023 Saudi Tour:
Stage 1, Monday, January 30th: AlUla International Airport – Khaybar, 180,5km
Stage 2, Tuesday, January 31st: Winter Park – Shalal Sijlyat Rocks, 184 km
Stage 3, Wednesday, February 1st: Al Manshiyah Train Station – Abu Rakah, 159,2 km
Stage 4, Thursday, February 2nd: Maraya – Skyviews of Harrat Uwayrid, 163,4 km
Stage 5, Friday, February 3rd: AlUla Old Town – Maraya, 142,9 km

The 16 teams selected

7 UCI WorldTeams
Astana Qazaqstan Team (Kaz)
Bahrain Victorious (Brn)
Cofidis (Fra)
Movistar Team (Esp)
Team Jayco AlUla (Aus)
Team DSM (Ned)
UAE Team Emirates (Uae)

6 UCI ProTeams
Bingoal WB (Bel)
Euskaltel – Euskadi (Esp)
Human Powered Health (Usa)
Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team (Sui)
Uno-X Pro Cycling Team (Nor)
Team Corratec (Ita)

With these 13 teams, 3 more are selected
Saudi Arabian Cycling Federation (Sau)
Terengganu Polygon Cycling Team (Mas)
JCL Team Ukyo (Jap)

TOUR DE FRANCE 2023 : THE 22 TEAMS

Etappenrennen, Tour de France, Vorschau, ,

Key points:
 The peloton of the 110th edition of the Tour de France will include 22 teams at the start in the Basque country on 1st July 2023.
 18 UCI WorldTeams and 4 UCI ProTeams, with one unprecedented participation.
Details of the selection:

18 teams UCI WorldTeams:

• AG2R Citroën Team (Fra)
• Alpecin Deceuninck (Bel)
• Astana QazaQstan Team (Kaz)
• Bora-Hansgrohe (Deu)
• 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 Arkea-Samsic (Fra)
• Team Bahrain Victorious (Brn)
• Team Cofidis (Fra)
• Team DSM (Ned)
• Team Jayco AlUla (Aus)
• Trek-Segafredo (Usa)
• UAE Team Emirates (Uae)

4 teams UCI Proteams:

The two teams qualified by right:
• Lotto dstny (Bel)
• TotalEnergies (Fra)

The two teams invited by the organiser:
• Israel-Premier Tech (Isr)
• Uno-X Pro Cycling Team (Nor)

©A.S.O.

PARIS-NICE 2023: A BALANCED MENU FOR A 90TH ANNIVERSARY

Etappenrennen, Vorschau, ,

Key points:

 For the 14th consecutive year, Paris-Nice will start from the Yvelines department. La Verrière takes over from Mantes-la-Ville where the race started last year.
 A team time trial (32.2 km in Dampierre-en-Burly) is on the race menu for the first time in 30 years.
 Paris-Nice returns to its highest summit, the Col de la Couillole (1,678m), six years after Richie Porte won the stage there in 2017 while Sergio Henao seized the overall lead.
 The 6.7km, 7.1% climb to La Loge des Gardes in the Allier region, the closest winter sports resort to Paris, is unprecedented.
For twenty-three years now, nearly a quarter of its existence, François Lemarchand – with the helping hand of Yannick Talabardon – has designed the race signalling the return of spring – Paris-Nice. He certainly put his stamp on the first major stage race of the cycling calendar. And this personal touch is obviously to be found in the course of this special edition as Paris-Nice celebrates its 90th anniversary this year. It can be summed up in two words: variety and balance. “In the twenty years since I took over the management of Paris-Nice from Laurent Fignon, the sporting level has risen considerably. We had to find suitable playing fields for a new generation of riders,” the race director said.

The Race to the Sun, once seen as a preparation race for classics of Grand Tours, has become a major objective crowning versatile riders, as was the case for Primoz Roglic last year. “My objective is to design an all-round course for an all-round rider,” François Lemarchand explained. As a result, the contenders to take over from Primoz Roglic – who is expected to leave his team leader spot on this Paris-Nice to last year’s Tour de France champion Jonas Vingegaard – have much to look forward to. There will be something for everyone from the start in La Verrière on Sunday 5 March to the finish on the Promenade des Anglais a week later.

The big novelty of this edition is the return of a team time trial, thirty years after an ONCE team victory in 1993 in Roanne. The decision was imposed by the terrain in Dampierre-en-Burly, which was perfectly suited for such an effort, but also by the desire to do something different: instead of being taken on the third or fourth finishing rider, the times in this TTT will be registered on the first rider of each team across the line. This should force each team to adopt the best strategy to lead out their leader in the final stretch, which is not unlike team sprint events on the track. The innovation should also stop a whole team sweeping the top GC standings, while the hierarchy is likely to be reshuffled the next day, when the peloton will change gear to tackle a new climb.

La Loge des Gardes, in the Allier department, is probably the closest winter sports resort to Paris (390 km) and the climb leading to it is certainly the hardest within this radius around the French capital. With its 6,7 km length and its 7,1% average slope, this very promising climb should sort out the general classification ahead of the weekend’s showdown.

The main course of this 81st Race to the Sun will be on Saturday’s menu with Col de la Couillole, at the top of which Richie Porte won in 2017 while Sergio Henao took the leader’s jersey. At an altitude of 1,678 m, the pass is still the highest one ever climbed in Paris-Nice and it could once again crown the future winner, unless the Sunday finale on the heights of Nice, via Col d’Eze, offers once again a breathtaking suspense, forcing the leaders to rely on their best support to triumph on the Promenade des Anglais.

Sprinters and aggressive finishers have not been forgotten. Depending on the race conditions, the first could find suitable terrain – unless there are echelons – in the first two stages finishing in La Verrière and Fontainebleau, but also in stage 5, which ends in Saint-Paul-Trois-Châteaux. Breakaway specialists, who can set their sights on the Loge des Gardes, will be particularly spoiled on Friday between Tourves and La Colle-sur-Loup, a stage with no lull and an elevation of 2,750 m, a perfect foretaste of the weekend ahead.

 Paris-Nice 2023 stages

Sunday, March 5th, stage 1: La Verrière > La Verrière, 169,4 km
Monday, March 6th, stage 2: Bazainville > Fontainebleau, 163,7 km
Tuesday, March 7th, stage 3: Dampierre-en-Burly > Dampierre-en-Burly (T.T.T), 32,2 km
Wednesday, March 8th, stage 4: Saint-Amand-Montrond > La Loge des Gardes, 164,7 km
Thursday, March 9th, stage 5: Saint-Symphorien-sur-Coise > Saint-Paul-Trois-Châteaux, 212,4 km
Friday, March 10th, stage 6: Tourves > La-Colle-sur-Loup, 197,4 km
Saturday, March 11st, stage 7: Nice > Col de la Couillole, 142,9 km
Sunday, March 12nd, stage 8: Nice > Nice, 118,4 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 Paris-Nice 2023.
Lotto Dstny (Bel)
TotalEnergies (Fra)

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