Schlagwort-Archive: ASO

When the „Roubaisiennes“ take the stage (IV/V)

Eintagsrennen, Frauenradsport, Frühjahrskassiker, Vorschau, , ,

Cecilie Uttrup Ludwig: „Here we are!“

Aware of the magnitude of the occasion, the riders in the women’s peloton are gearing up for the first edition of Paris-Roubaix Femmes, scheduled for Saturday 2 October, after their debut on the cobblestones of northern France was frustrated in October 2020 and again last spring. The world of cycling is awash with questions about the favourites to win the inaugural edition, wondering what it takes to shine in this race and whether the decisive attributes are exactly the same as in the men’s competition. Five of these favourites, particularly excited about this momentous event, tell us more about their relationship with the Queen of Classics as the countdown to their initiation on the cobblestones ticks away. For the Dane Cecilie Uttrup Ludwig, racing in the Hell of the North will be a childhood dream come true.

Cecilie Uttrup Ludwig (FDJ Nouvelle-Aquitaine Futuroscope)
Frederiksberg (Denmark), 23 August 1995
Teams: Rytger (2014–2015), BMS BIRN (2016), Cervélo–Bigla (2017–2019) and FDJ Nouvelle-Aquitaine Futuroscope (since 2020)
Major results:
2012: silver medallist in the World Junior Time Trial Championships
2016: silver medallist in the European U23 Road Race Championships
2017: winner of the UCI World Tour youth classification, third in the Trofeo Alfredo Binda, ninth in Strade Bianche and tenth in the World Championships
2018: fourth in La Course by Le Tour de France, sixth in the Giro d’Italia and seventh in the Trofeo Alfredo Binda
2019: third in the Tour of Flanders, third in La Course by Le Tour de France, third in the Trofeo Alfredo Binda, fifth in Strade Bianche and winner of the Grand Prix de Plumelec-Morbihan
2020: second in the Flèche Wallonne, fourth in the Giro d’Italia, eighth in the World Championships and winner of the Giro dell’Emilia
2021: second in La Course by Le Tour de France, third in the Trofeo Alfredo Binda, fifth in Strade Bianche and winner of stage 3 of the Vuelta a Burgos
An anecdote: a total extrovert who basks in the media glow, she might well have become an actor if she had not been a cyclist. „Once I’m done with cycling, perhaps. Who knows?“

A DREAM IS BORN
At the tender age of 10, Cecilie Uttrup Ludwig already used to put Paris-Roubaix at the top of her list of races to watch on television. „The hype was real. The approach to the Trouée d’Arenberg is something I’ll never forget. It was so brutal, so epic, that I would just go crazy when the peloton got there.“ She eventually came to the Arenberg Forest at the dawn of her pro career, six years ago, just for the fun of racing up and down those same cobblestones that she had dreamed about time and again. „It was really special. I thought to myself: ‚Oh, my God, I’ve seen this on television so many times before‘! And now my turn had come. I remember thinking: ’some day, maybe, there’ll be a Paris-Roubaix for me too“. And here we are!“

CUT OUT FOR THE COBBLESTONES?
While Paris–Roubaix is a race like no other, strong performances in the Tour of Flanders and Strade Bianche are a reliable indicator of a rider’s ability to do well here. This suits Cecilie Uttrup Ludwig, who finished third in De Ronde in 2019 and fifth in the Tuscan race on two occasions (2019 and 2021). However, the 26-year-old climber concedes that a small rider like her (52 kg) seems a bit out of place in the Hell of the North. „There’s no denying that the men who do well in Roubaix are big and strong and crank out some serious wattage. True, I’m nothing like that! But I hope I’ll still be able to produce enough watts and, even more importantly, to be astute enough. In a race like this, you need to stay at the front and be well positioned at the entrance to each sector.“ Since there has never been a Paris-Roubaix Femmes before, the type of riders who will have an edge over the others is still shrouded in uncertainty. „It’s our very first time, so we have no clue how this is going to play out! Thin cyclist, big cyclist, power riders, climbers… Everyone thinks they have a shot at winning, and this is what makes the inaugural edition so special.“

PREPARING FOR THE BIG SHAKE
Cecilie Uttrup Ludwig is gripped by a mix of fear and excitement at the prospect of tackling the cobblestones. „A bit of both! The Roubaix cobblestones are completely different from the ones in Flanders. I’ve seen pictures of riders who finished with their hands covered in blisters. I can’t imagine how much that must hurt, so I expect to suffer a lot. But I can’t wait to start!“ The FDJ Nouvelle-Aquitaine Futuroscope leader was unable to take part in her team’s training camp in the cobbled sectors last year. „I haven’t done any recon this year either. But after the road race of the Worlds (Saturday 25 September), I’ll spend the whole week in the area. I’ll take the opportunity to recon every sector, prepare as well as I can and find the right tyre pressure for the big day.“ In order to gear up for the event and get an idea of the nuances of the cobblestones, she admits that she turned to the „Danish Mafia“, the community of Danish riders, including former world champion Mads Pedersen, who just like her lives in Girona, Spain.

THE IDEAL SCENARIO
Scandinavians love it when the weather can change at the drop of a hat, and Cecilie Uttrup Ludwig is no exception. However, she is crossing her fingers for sunny skies on 2 October. „The course is tough enough as it is. If you add rain into the mix… I want to see a battle in which the best riders go head to head, not one in which the winner is simply the one who manages to stay on her bike.“ She hopes that the race will be decided by a long-range attack. „But I think many others would agree. Everyone will be ready to fight and vying for the leading places in the approach to the sectors. I think it’s going to be really tough… But this is how I want cycling to be. To be honest, I have no idea what to expect! A top 10 finish, a podium place… More than anything else, I hope to be able to cross the finish line knowing I’ve got nothing left in the tank. Whoever wins this Paris-Roubaix will go down in history. Everyone’s dreaming of being that person.“

When the „Roubaisiennes“ take the stage

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Elisa Longo Borghini : “I’m not afraid of the cobblestones”

Aware of the magnitude of the occasion, the riders in the women’s peloton are gearing up for the first edition of Paris–Roubaix Femmes, scheduled for Saturday 2 October, after their debut on the cobblestones of northern France was frustrated in October 2020 and again last spring. The world of cycling is awash with questions about the favourites to win the inaugural edition, wondering what it takes to shine in this race and whether the decisive attributes are exactly the same as in the men’s competition. Five of these favourites, particularly excited about this momentous event, tell us more about their relationship with the Queen of Classics as the countdown to their initiation on the cobblestones ticks away. Even though Elisa Longo Borghini is adamant that she’ll ride for her team-mate Ellen van Dijk, she’ll be one of the champions to follow because of her pedigree and her knowledge of the cobblestones.

Elisa Longho Borghini (Trek-Segafredo)
Ornavasso (Piemonte, Italy), 10 December 1989
Teams : Top Girls Fassa Bortolo (2011), Hitec Products (2012-2014), Wiggle Honda (2015), Wiggle High5 (2016-2018), Trek-Segafredo (2019-2021)
Major results :
2012 : 3rd of the World Championships, 3rd du GP de Plouay-Bretagne
2013 : winner of Trofeo Alfredo Binda, 2nd of the Flèche Wallonne Femmes
2014 : winner of the Tour de Bretagne, 2nd of the Grand Prix de Plumelec, 3rd of the Flèche Wallonne Femmes
2015 : winner of the Tour des Flandres, winner of the Route de France
2016 : winner of the Giro d’Emilia, 3rd of the Olympic Games in Rio
2017 : winner of the Strade Bianche, 2nd of the Giro Rosa, 3rd of La Course by le Tour de France, Italian champion
2019 : 5th of the World Championships
2020 : 3rd of the World Championships, 3rd of the Giro Rosa, 2nd of the Ceratizit Challenge by La Vuelta, Italian champion (road race + TT)
2021 : winner of the GP de Plouay, winner of the Trofeo Alfredo Binda, 2nd of the Strade Bianche, 3rd of the Olympic Games in Tokyo, 3rd of Liège-Bastogne-Liège Femmes, Italian champion (road race + TT)
An anecdote: An eight-time Italian champion (three for road racing and five for individual time trial), Elisa is the daughter Guidina Dal Sasso who claimed six national titles as an individual and five in the relay as a cross-country skier in the 80s.

A DREAM IS BORN
It’s not the first time for the name Longo Borghini to appear on a start list of Paris-Roubaix. Thanks to the inception of Paris-Roubaix Femmes, Elisa keeps following the path of Paolo who was a dedicated domestique in teams like Barloworld and Liquigas. “I got the passion for cycling because of my brother who is eleven years older than me”, she explained. “He took up cycling way before me and I’ve wanted to emulate him. Therefore, taking part in Paris-Roubaix after him is great! Since I have a strong passion for this sport, I’ve always followed this race – but all the other races as well, actually. My first big recollection of Paris-Roubaix is the entrance of Franco Ballerini on the velodrome for its last race ever (on 15 April 2001). When he unzipped his jersey to show his t-shirt “Merci Roubaix”, I was only 11 years old but I was particularly emotional about it.”
“2012 is the edition that stuck with me”, she continued. “Tom Boonen won an absolutely fascinating race that day. My brother rode Paris-Roubaix twice, in 2008 (80th) and 2014 (72nd) and I particularly remember the latter because I saw it on several cobbled sectors. I was watching everything attentively. So it wasn’t a new terrain for me when we went to recce the course of “our” Roubaix earlier this year. We also did two laps of the velodrome and it was moving.”

CUT OUT FOR THE COBBLESTONES?
The reigning Italian champion for road racing and individual time trial, Longo Borghini is currently third in the UCI world ranking behind the untouchable Dutch women Annemiek van Vleuten and Anna van der Breggen. She’s fourth of the 2021 UCI Women’s WorldTour of which she has won two legs: the Alfredo Binda Trophy in March and the GP Plouay in August. Third in the Olympic road race, she’s also a specialist of Strade Bianche as she came second this year of the race she once won in 2017 when she underlined the architectural and cultural environment of the event also held on gravel roads. However, that doesn’t necessarily make her one of the top favourites for Paris-Roubaix Femmes. “I don’t think the race suits me very well”, she said. “But I’m convinced that I can be a great help for my team Trek-Segafredo.”

PREPARING FOR THE BIG SHAKE
About the specificity of the Hell of the North, she’s categorical: “I’m obviously not afraid of the cobblestones”, she stated. “I’m a professional cyclist and I have to adjust myself to the races that are given to me. I know my job and I have to do it, end of the story. Our trainings on the cobbled sectors were also organised in order to test the equipment. We’ll use the bike Trek always provides for Paris-Roubaix: the Domane. I already have all the cobbled sectors in mind but we’ll recce them again in the lead up to the race. At the last minute, we’ll evaluate the situation to decide which wheels to use, which tyres, what to put on our hands and if we’re going to race with or without gloves. We’ll look into the last details.”

THE IDEAL SCENARIO
Talking about her role in the team Trek-Segafredo, she clarified: “I’ll race for what is our aim: to win the race with Ellen van Dijk.” The 34 year old Dutch rider has the experience required for this kind of event. Moreover, she’s the on-form champion of the moment as she recently took two major titles for herself: the European championship for road racing in Trento, Italy, on September 11, and the world championship for individual time trial in Brugge, Belgium, on September 20, getting her second rainbow jersey against the clock after the one of 2013. In both cases, she won alone as she crossed the line in Trentino 1’18’’ before Germany’s Liane Lippert. The ideal scenario for Trek-Segafredo would be a solo victory in Roubaix. Longo Borghini knows what it takes to make it happen. In 2014, she saw her brother escorting his leader Peter Sagan whereas in 2008 he was sharing this task at the service of Australia’s Baden Cooke with a debutant who didn’t manage to reach the velodrome: Chris Froome.

2021 PARIS-TOURS

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22 TEAMS, 212,3 KILOMETRES AND 9 VINEYARD TRACKS

Key points:
 The 115th Paris–Tours, which will start in Chartres on Sunday 10 October, will be decided on a 212,3 km course featuring 9 vineyard tracks with a combined length of 9.5 km within the final 50 km. It is a carbon copy of last year’s route and, therefore, perfect for the classics specialists.
 The 22 teams on the start list include the outfits of the winners of the last three editions, which were held in part on these unpaved sections. A total of 14 teams that participated in the last Tour de France will be present.

The one-off postponement of the Northern Classics to the autumn season, the final act of which will be Paris–Tours, has muddied the waters in terms of who is going to enter the race, but the course of the 2021 edition seems to be one for the tough men. Since the distance and the location of the vineyard tracks remain exactly the same, everyone knows where to pounce on the opportunity to thin out the peloton and later launch a decisive attack, in the same vein as the three men who have won the race since the transition to the new format. In 2019, Jelle Wallays threw caution to the wind with a victorious solo attack from 50 kilometres out, on the Côte de Goguenne, while the Côte de la Rochère has twice been the scene of the final selection. In 2018, Cosnefroy, Terpstra and Kragh Andersen took off here before the Dane proved strongest in the finale, while in 2020, Cosnefroy was also part of the decisive move together with Casper Pedersen, who went on to prevail in their duel on Avenue de Grammont. The Frenchman could be looking to settle the score this time round.

22 teams entered

World Teams
AG2R Citroën Team (FRA)
Bora-Hansgrohe (GER)
Cofidis (FRA)
Groupama-FDJ (FRA)
Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert Matériaux (BEL)
Israël Start-Up Nation (ISR)
Jumbo-Visma (NED)
Lotto-Soudal (BEL)
Team DSM (GER)
Trek-Segafredo (USA)

Pro Teams
Alpecin-Fenix (BEL)
B&B Hotels p/b KTM (FRA)
Bingoal Pauwels Sauces WB (BEL)
Delko (FRA)
Equipo Kern Pharma (ESP)
Euskaltel-Euskadi (ESP)
Sport Vlaanderen-Baloise (BEL)
Team Arkea-Samsic (FRA)
TotalEnergies (FRA)
Uno-X Pro Cycling Team (NOR)

Continentales
St Michel-Auber 93 (FRA)
Xelliss-Roubaix Lille Métropole (FRA)

2021 PARIS-ROUBAIX FEMMES: TEAMS SELECTION

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After the withdrawal of teams; A.R. Monex Women’s Pro Cycling Team (Ita), Plantur-Pura (Bel) and Cogeas Mettler Look Pro Cycling Team (Rus). The organizers of Paris-Roubaix Femmes have modified the teams selection for the 1st edition (Saturday, October 2, 2021) by inviting: Bepink (Ita).

Below the 22 teams selected:
WorldTeams automatically entered are:

Ale‘ BTC Ljubljana (Ita)
Canyon / / SRAM Racing (Ger)
FDJ Nouvelle – Aquitaine Futuroscope (Fra)
Liv Racing (Ned)
Movistar Team Women (Esp)
Team BikeExchange (Aus)
Team DSM (Ger)
Team SD Worx (Ned)
Trek – Segafredo (Usa)

Furthermore, the five following UCI Women’s Continental teams will participate by right in Paris-Roubaix Femmes:

Ceratizit – WNT Pro Cycling Team (Ger)
Lotto Soudal Ladies (Bel)
Parkhotel Valkenburg (Ned)
Team Tibco – Silicon Valley Bank (Usa)
Valcar – Travel & Service (Ita)

The organisers have invited the following teams:

Arkéa Pro Cycling Team (Fra)
Bepink (Ita)
Doltcini – Van Eyck Sport – Proximus Continental Team (Bel)
Drops – Le Col supported by Tempur (Gbr)
Team Coop – Hitec Products (Nor)
Jumbo – Visma Women Team (Ned)
NXTG Racing (Ned)
Stade Rochelais Charente-Maritime Women Cycling (Fra)

When the „Roubaisiennes“ take the stage (II/V)

Chantal van den Broek-Blaak: “You can’t compare Roubaix with any other race”

Aware of the magnitude of the occasion, the riders in the women’s peloton are gearing up for the first edition of Paris–Roubaix Femmes, scheduled for Saturday 2 October, after their debut on the cobblestones of northern France was frustrated in October 2020 and again last spring. The world of cycling is awash with questions about the favourites to win the inaugural edition, wondering what it takes to shine in this race and whether the decisive attributes are exactly the same as in the men’s competition. Five of these favourites, particularly excited about this momentous event, tell us more about their relationship with the Queen of Classics as the countdown to their initiation on the cobblestones ticks away. Winner of the neighbouring Tour of Flanders, the 2017 World Champion Chantal van den Broek-Blaak hopes her instinct and experience can make the difference in a race where “anything can happen”.

Chantal van den Broek-Blaak (SD Worx)
Rotterdam (South Holland, the Netherlands), 22 October 1989
Teams: AA Drink – Leontien.nl (2008-2012), Tibco – To the top (2013), Specialized-Lululemon (2014), Boels Dolmans (2015-2020), SD Worx (2021)
Major results:
2014: winner of Drentse 8 van Dwingeloo and Open de Suède Vårgårda
2015: winner of Le Samyn des Dames
2016: winner of Le Samyn des Dames, Ronde van Drenthe, Gent-Wevelgem and Boels Rental Ladies Tour
2017: World Champion, Dutch Champion
2018: Dutch champion, winner of Amstel Gold Race
2019: winner of Omloop Het Nieuwsblad
2020: winner of Le Samyn des Dames and Ronde van Vlaanderen
2021: winner of Strade Bianche and Simac Ladies Tour
An anecdote: at 31 years old and with many wins under her belt, Chantal van den Broek-Blaak has already announced she would retire at the end of the 2022 season, a year after her longtime teammate Anna van der Breggen. They are set to become coaches for SD Worx.

A DREAM IS BORN
As “a classics rider”, Chantal van den Broek-Blaak has been hoping for years to take on the unique challenges of Paris-Roubaix. “It’s a super cool course, a typical one-day race, it fits me and I’ve been waiting for this moment”, she acknowledges ahead of the first edition of the women’s event. “I always watch the men’s race”, she says, “and you can see it’s a pure classic. You can see it’s tough and you cannot compare it with anything else. So I have mixed feelings: I’m super excited but on the other hand it’s also a bit scary.” Van den Broek-Blaak, a proper expert in gruelling races, has been impressed by the action packed racing always displayed on the way to Roubaix, and most notably by Mathew Hayman’s exploit in 2016, when he triumphed in the velodrome ahead of the Belgian icon Tom Boonen despite a broken arm six weeks earlier: “If you can’t race for such a long time, and you prepare at home and win, that’s cool!”

CUT OUT FOR THE COBBLESTONES?
Used to shining in the Spring classics, Chantal van den Broek-Blaak is hopeful she can also tame the cobbles in the Autumn. “You need power for this, and I’m a bit of a bigger rider”, she explains. “Normally, I’m good in really hard races, when it’s been hard all day and there’s a hard finale coming up. Roubaix, whether it’s ridden fast or slow, you’ll always be empty in the end. I think it makes it a good race for me.” In her 14th season as a professional rider, she can also make the most of her experience in a nervous race requiring specific abilities: “It takes a mix of power and skills. I’m not bad at riding the cobbles, but I’m also not the best. It’s not like I’m a cyclo-cross rider that always jumps on and off the bike. I’m not gonna do it like Marianne Vos! But I’m not scared, so that’s a good thing.”

PREPARING FOR THE BIG SHAKE
With her experience, Chantal van den Broek-Blaak assures “you can’t compare the cobbles in Roubaix with any other race. I always take the example of Flanders, and in the Ronde, if you’re empty, you can always try to find a way out, but in Roubaix, it’s impossible. It’s flat and there is not much rest in between the sectors. And the cobbles are really hard, very bumpy. So when you’re empty, you really lose a lot of speed.” The Dutch champion has already done two recons to get familiar with the unique challenges leading to Roubaix and test specific material. “But we had good weather, with a lot of dust, and that makes me a bit nervous because the condition can be muddy in October. That’s why I’m returning quickly after the Worlds to prepare as much as possible. You can train physically, you can prepare your equipment, you can make yourself ready mentally, because you know it’s gonna be hard, and then you have to accept that anything can happen in Paris-Roubaix.”

THE IDEAL SCENARIO
With her resistance, Chantal van den Broek-Blaak has won most of her 25 pro wins in small groups or on her own, after she made the most of the challenges of the day to drop all her rivals. “The solo would be awesome”, she anticipates with a laugh with the velodrome of Roubaix on her mind. “But I can never predict a race, it’s a feeling, and I hope I can have the right instinct again in Roubaix. I normally race the best when everyone is just empty. Let’s start with a hard race, that always makes me happy.” Tactically, “it makes no sense to copy the men’s race”, she says, although she’s inspired by the many scenarios witnessed in previous editions: “We’ve seen it’s a race where anything can happen. You can win from the early breakaway. You can be in the best position and have a flat or crash. You can be dropped and return for the win. I’m gonna do everything and hopefully I’ll have good legs and a bit of luck!”

Paris–Roubaix Femmes Part 1

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When the „Roubaisiennes“ take the stage

Audrey Cordon-Ragot: „A race where cycling history is made“

Aware of the magnitude of the occasion, the riders in the women’s peloton are gearing up for the first edition of Paris–Roubaix Femmes, scheduled for Saturday 2 October, after their debut on the cobblestones of northern France was frustrated in October 2020 and again last spring. The world of cycling is awash with questions about the favourites to win the inaugural edition, wondering what it takes to shine in this race and whether the decisive attributes are exactly the same as in the men’s competition. Five of these favourites, particularly excited about this momentous event, tell us more about their relationship with the Queen of Classics as the countdown to their initiation on the cobblestones ticks away. French rider Audrey Cordon-Ragot has left nothing to chance in her endeavour to turn this historic occasion into a huge celebration.

Audrey Cordon-Ragot (Trek–Segafredo)
Pontivy (Morbihan, France), 22 September 1989
Teams: Vienne Futuroscope (2008–2013), Hitec Products (2014), Wiggle–Honda (2015), Wiggle High5 (2016–2018) and Trek–Segafredo (2019–2021)
Major results:
2012: winner of Cholet-Pays de Loire
2013: winner of the Tour de Bretagne
2014: stage winner in La Route de France and winner of the Grand Prix de Plumelec
2015: winner of Cholet-Pays de Loire and French time trial champion
2016: French time trial champion
2017: winner of the Chrono des Nations and French time trial champion
2018: sixth in the Amstel Gold Race, third in the Madrid Challenge by La Vuelta and French time trial champion
2019: winner of the Tour de Bretagne
2020: thirteenth in the World Championships, stage winner in the Tour de l’Ardèche and French road race champion
2021: French time trial champion
An anecdote: „Absolutely useless at mechanics“ by her own admission, the Breton married the former amateur rider Vincent Ragot, who works as a mechanic for B&B Hotels p/b KTM.

A DREAM IS BORN
Audrey Cordon-Ragot discovered the magic of Paris-Roubaix mainly on television. Back when she was a young teen who already stood out as one of the brightest riders of her generation, Tom Boonen and Fabian Cancellara’s duels and solo adventures kept her on the edge of her seat, and her passion for this extraordinary race has only grown since then. „Everyone who’s won here rates this victory a notch above their other ones. It has a legendary aura because it’s a race for warriors where cycling history is made. I also remember Peter Sagan beating Silvan Dillier and Philippe Gilbert snatching the win against astronomical odds. You get surprises on the podium all the time, even on the top step, such as that time when Mathew Hayman took the win from the early break“. For the Breton, this phenomenal atmosphere also has a lot to do with the place that has come to epitomise the Hell of the North: „I think of the velodrome as the beating heart of Paris-Roubaix… It’s just like a Roman arena. The crowd wants to see the wild animals, and it often comes down to a group of riders. Just going there as a spectator already packed quite an emotional punch.“

CUT OUT FOR THE COBBLESTONES?
Roubaix specialists come in all shapes and sizes, but Fabian Cancellara and, a few decades earlier, Francesco Moser showed that time trialists are a force to be reckoned with. This suits Audrey Cordon-Ragot to a tee: behind the 11 victories of Jeannie Longo, who was in a class of her own, she has racked up 5 national titles and an additional 6 podium finishes in the national time trial championships. It is now up to her to transpose these abilities to the cobblestones. „I’m exactly in the sweet spot between too light and too heavy! The proper technique involves staying on your saddle whenever possible and loosening up your whole body. I think I’m a cobble-gobbler. Positioning will also be key in the approach to the cobbled sectors, and I think my experience will help me here because I’ve learnt a lot when it comes to fighting for my place in the peloton“.

PREPARING FOR THE BIG SHAKE
In Paris-Roubaix, failing to plan is planning to fail. The men have set the example for a long time and are used to preparing for this race with fastidious care. Trek–Segafredo is a tad more passionate about the cobbled classics than other teams, leaving Audrey well placed to capitalise on the experience of her male colleagues: „I had a chat with John Degenkolb, as well as Mads Pedersen, who gave me tips such as not to wear gloves. At first, I thought he was making fun of me, but I heeded his advice anyway and ended up without a single blister.“ Recon is another important factor in the build-up to Paris-Roubaix. Here, too, she has dotted the i’s and crossed the t’s for this exceptional premiere. „Due to the succession of postponements, I’ve already got four recons under my belt and yet another one on my to-do list. We don’t use our Roubaix bicycles anywhere else, so you need to get a feel for the bicycle and, especially, carry out loads of tests to determine the right tyre pressure.“

THE IDEAL SCENARIO
Audrey Cordon-Ragot makes no secret of the fact that winning Paris-Roubaix would be a dream come true. However, there is more than one path that leads to success in the old André Pétrieux Velodrome. The first-timer is raring to go and has already sketched out her ideal scenario: „The perfect situation is one in which I launch an attack in the Carrefour de l’Arbre sector, go full gas in the final 15 kilometres and enter the velodrome on my own“, she reveals enthusiastically. „My kick is powerful enough to spring a surprise if it comes down to a sprint, but I’ll be facing much longer odds if I get to the finish in a small group.“ Depending on how events unfold and how she feels on the day of the race, Audrey is also ready to roll up her sleeves and work for her team, which boasts an enviable level of depth: „Trek–Segafredo has other cards to play, apart from myself, as we’re also bringing Elisa Longo Borghini, newly crowned European champion Ellen van Dijk and Liz Deignan to the race“.

La Vuelta 22

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THE 77TH EDITION OF LA VUELTA WILL TAKE PLACE FROM THE 19TH OF AUGUST TO THE 11TH OF SEPTEMBER 2022, WITH AN OFFICIAL DEPARTURE FROM THE NETHERLANDS

La Vuelta 22 will take off on the 19th of August with a team time trial through the streets of the Dutch city of Utrecht. The second stage will be held on the 20th of August between ‘s-Hertogenbosch and Utrecht. On Sunday the 21st of August, the peloton will continue to ride through the North Brabant Region in a circuit stage, both commencing and concluding at Breda. The team presentation will take place on Thursday the 18th of August in the centre of Utrecht. This act will inaugurate Holland’s official La Vuelta departure.

La Vuelta 22 will pass through 34 Dutch municipalities over three stages. The local organising committee, led by the cities of Utrecht, Breda and ‘s-Hertogenbosch and the provinces of Utrecht and North Brabant, is made up of a group of public institutions led by Sharon Dijksma, Mayor of Utrecht. “We have finally an official date. We were looking forward to get back on track with La Vuelta Holanda’s project and now we can’t wait to get back to work. We’re putting together a wonderful program for residents and businesses as well as for all our international guests. Our aim is to further reinforce the special link that already exists between Spain and the Netherlands”.

This vision is shared by Javier Guillén, General Manager of La Vuelta: “We’re establishing new dates for a project with almost 6 years of work behind it. These extra months of waiting haven’t reduced one bit our eagerness to work together, nor the enthusiasm and ambition we have put into organising this official departure from the very first day. This departure will go down in history, marking an important milestone for both Spanish and Dutch cycling.”.

A VAST ACTIVITY PROGRAM

The activity program connected with the official departure of La Vuelta from Holland will commence much earlier. The events that have been designed to entertain the regions and cities visited by the race will begin several months before it takes off, making the La Vuelta Holanda project a concept that goes far beyond just the three days during which it will host the stages. The organising committee has woven a contact network featuring sports clubs, schools, cultural institutions and local entrepreneurs in order to build a vast idea and activity program revolving around cycling, a healthy urban lifestyle and sustainability.
The official departure of La Vuelta from Holland also coincides with a very special occasion for the city of Utrecht, which celebrates 900 years since it was officially recognised as a city.

More information about La Vuelta : www.lavuelta.com

ESCHBORN-FRANKFURT 2021

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

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

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

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

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

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

La Vuelta 21 – Etappe 21 EZF

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Padrón – Santiago de Compostela ITT – 33,8 Km

1. Primoz Roglic (Slo, Jumbo) 0:44:02
2. Magnus Cort (Den, EF Education) +0:14
3. Thymen Arensman (Ned, Team DSM) +0:52
4. Josef Cerny (Cze, Deceuninck) +1:16
5. Chad Haga (USA, Team DSM) +1:43
6. Egan Bernal Gomez (Col, Ineos Grenadiers) +1:49
7. Felix Grossschartner (Aut, Bora) +1:52
8. Steven Kruijswijk (Ned, Jumbo)
9. Enric Mas Nicolau (Esp, Movistar Team) +2:04
10. Ion Izagirre Insausti (Esp, Astana) +2:06

Endstand:

1. Primoz Roglic (Slo, Jumbo) 83:55:29
2. Enric Mas Nicolau (Esp, Movistar Team) +4:42
3. Jack Haig (Aus, Bahrain Victorious) +7:40
4. Adam Yates (GBr, Ineos Grenadiers) +9:06
5. Gino Mäder (Sui, Bahrain Victorious) +11:33
6. Egan Bernal Gomez (Col, Ineos Grenadiers) +13:27
7. David de la Cruz (Esp, UAE Team Emirates) +18:33
8. Sepp Kuss (USA, Jumbo) +18:55
9. Guillaume Martin (Fra, Cofidis) +20:27
10. Felix Grossschartner (Aut, Bora) +22:22
11. Odd Christian Eiking (Nor, Intermarché) +25:14
12. Steven Kruijswijk (Ned, Jumbo) +26:42
13. Juan Pedro Lopez Perez (Esp, Trek) +31:21
14. Geoffrey Bouchard (Fra, AG2R Citroën Team) +49:09
15. Rémy Rochas (Fra, Cofidis) +52:32

Felix Großschartner beendet Vuelta a España auf Platz 10 in der Gesamtwertung

Die Schlussetappe der dreiwöchigen Rundfahrt durch Spanien endete nicht wie gewohnt in Madrid, sondern mit einem 33,8 km langen Einzelzeitfahren auf einer welligen Strecke zwischen Padrrón und Santiago de Compostela. Für Felix Großschartner, der seine Kampfstärke während der Rundfahrt mehrfach unter Beweis stellte, und heute als Gesamtzehnter von der Startrampe rollte, ging es darum seinen 10. Platz zu verteidigen. Der Österreicher lag nur 16 Sekunden vor seinem nächsten Kontrahenten, konnte aber am Ende, beim Tagessieg von P. Roglič, den 7. Rang belegen und damit seinen 10. Platz in der Gesatwertung behaupten. BORA – hansgrohe verließ die Vuelta mit einem 2. Platz auf der 16. Etappe durch Sprinter Jordi Meeus und dem 10. Platz in der GC von Felix.

Reaktionen im Ziel
„Das waren drei lehrreiche Wochen. Es war das zweite Mal, dass ich bei einer Grand Tour auf die Gesamtwertung gefahren bin. Meine letzten Rennen waren der Giro und dann die Sardinien Rundfahrt und obwohl ich gut trainiert habe, konnte ich meine Leistungsfähigkeit doch nicht so richtig einschätzen. Es gab eben mal gute und auch mal nicht so gute Tage hier, aber ich bin zufrieden damit, dass ich immer darauf fokussiert war mein Bestes zu geben und nicht aufzugeben. Wenn ich mal einen etwas schlechteren Tag hatte, habe ich mich immer wieder zurückgekämpft und eben das Beste daraus gemacht. Am Ende ist dies auch belohnt worden und ich kann mit dem Ergebnis echt zufrieden sein. Wichtig ist doch die klaren Fehler, die zwischendurch passiert sind zu analysieren und sie als Erfahrung mitzunehmen, so dass man bei den nächsten Rennen davon profitiert. Ich freue mich also jetzt auf die nächsten Rennen in Italien und hoffe dort auf einen guten Abschluss. Drei Wochen sind echt lange und wenn es auch zwischendurch mal nicht so läuft, wie auf der 17. Etappe, wo ich vor dem letzten Anstieg gestürzt bin, dann habe ich mich trotzdem zurückgekämpft. Wenn man also einen Einbruch erlebt und aus der Top 10 rausrutscht, das ist nicht so einfach, aber man muss eben immer sein Bestes geben. Unverhofftes kann immer passieren und auch an den letzten Tagen kann sich noch einiges ändern und man muss darauf vorbereitet sein. Meinen Dank an das ganze Team, denn jeder hat sein Bestes gegeben. Es war für jeden hart, nicht nur vom Streckenprofil her aber auch die Hitze und der Stress machte einem zu schaffen. Wir hatten auch einige Stürze im Team gehabt, aber jeder hat doch versucht weiter zu kämpfen. Also vielen Dank an alle, jeder hat an mich geglaubt und mich unterstützt und wenn es auch manchmal schwer war, hatten wir trotz allem eine gute Zeit zusammen.“ – Felix Großschartner

„Es war eine Achterbahnfahrt von Höhen und Tiefen. Wir hatten eine sehr ernüchternde Leistung auf der dritten Etappe an dem Picon Blanco, wo Felix nur den 35. Platz belegte und sich schon viel Zeit eingefahren hatte, und an der drittletzten Etappe zum Alto del Gamoniteiro sind wir aus den Top 10 rausgefallen. Aber wir haben auch extrem starke Leistungen gesehen, als wir auf einer Etappe nur 8 Sekunden am Führungstrikot vorbeigeschrammt sind. Von daher gehen wir mit einem guten Gefühl mit dem 10. Platz in der Gesamtwertung aus der Vuelta. Das war auch die Zielsetzung, die Top 10 vom letzten Jahr zu bestätigen. Für das Team, mit dem wir hier angetreten sind, ist das eine sehr respektable Leistung, denn drei unserer Fahrer sind noch nie eine Grand Tour gefahren. Wir waren hier mit einem ganz jungen Team, einem Team ohne viel Vuelta-Erfahrung. Der Etappensieg war auch greifbar nahe, mit dem zweiten Platz von Jordi Meeus beim Sprint. Das war die Zielsetzung, eine Etappe gewinnen, was wir knapp verpasst haben und eine Top 10 Platzierung in der Gesamtwertung, was wir erreicht haben. Es ist nicht immer einfach mit einem Team von Rookies Felix auf dem höchsten Niveau zu unterstützen, aber die Jungs haben das gut gemacht und jeder hat sein Bestes gegeben. Der Ausfall von Maximilian Schachmann hat uns schwer getroffen. Er ist ein Fahrer mit dem wir, wenn er in guter Form ist, sicherlich auch in Spitzengruppen besser vertreten gewesen wären, und auch eine große Chance auf einen Etappensieg gehabt hätten. Alles in allem können wir aber zufrieden sein. “ – Jens Zemke, Sportlicher Leiter

Roglic triumphs at the end of the Camino

Three weeks after he won the opening time trial of La Vuelta 21, in front of the cathedral of Burgos, Primoz Roglic (Jumbo-Visma) dominated the final one with a finish next to the cathedral of Santiago de Compostela. The Slovenian made four stage wins in this edition of the Spanish Grand Tour to claim his third overall victory in a row in dominant fashion. His margin of 4’42’’ on Enric Mas (Movistar Team) is the biggest between the winner of La Vuelta and the second rider overall since 1997. Jack Haig (Bahrain Victorious) joins Roglic and Mas on the overall podium after 3.417km of battle through Spain.
Josef Cerny (Deceuninck-Quick Step) is the first rider on the road, at 17:02. He’s also the first at the finish in front of the cathedral, with a time of 45’18’’, and he sits on the hot seat for more than an hour before Magnus Cort Nielsen (EF Education Nippo), freshly crowned as the most combative rider of La Vuelta 21, shows he still has something in his tank after his three spectacular stage wins: 44’16’’ (45.813km/h).

Thymen Arensman (Team DSM) takes a spot between Cort Nielsen and Cerny, with a time of 44’54’’ 8+38’’). The top of the standings don’t change until the leaders start their effort. Primoz Roglic (Jumbo-Visma) is on his way to Santiago de Compostela at 19:43, a few minutes after Fabio Aru (Team Qhubeka NextHash) bids farewell to pro cycling. “I want to thank everyone in La Vuelta and the fans around the world”, the Italian winner of the 2015 editions says.

Primoz Roglic flies to the first intermediate (km 13), already putting 19’’ between him and Cort Nielsen and 1’08’’ to Enric Mas (Movistar Team). Adam Yates (Ineos Grenadiers) already gains 26’’ on Jack Haig (Bahrain Victorious) in the battle for the third place on the podium. The Brit needs to gain 1’ to edge the Aussie.
After such a strong start, Roglic powers to victory 14’’ ahead of Cort Nielsen. He even goes past Mas in the final hectometres to seal his overall triumph with a historical margin of 4’42’’. Haig eventually finishes 26’’ faster than Yates to be the second Australian rider on the podium of La Vuelta, 12 years after Cadel Evans.

La Vuelta 21 – Etappe 20

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Sanxenxo – Mos,Castro de Herville – 202 Km

1 CHAMPOUSSIN Clement FRA AG2R CITROEN TEAM 05:21:50
2 ROGLIČ Primož SLO JUMBO – VISMA 00:06
3 YATES Adam GBR INEOS GRENADIERS 00:08
4 MAS Enric ESP MOVISTAR TEAM 00:08
5 HAIG Jack AUS BAHRAIN VICTORIOUS 00:12
6 HAMILTON Christopher AUS TEAM DSM 00:16
7 BIZKARRA Mikel ESP EUSKALTEL-EUSKADI 00:23
8 GIBBONS Ryan RSA UAE TEAM EMIRATES 00:26
9 MADER Gino SUI BAHRAIN VICTORIOUS 00:26
10 de TIER Floris BEL ALPECIN – FENIX 00:50

Gesamt:

1 ROGLIČ Primož SLO JUMBO – VISMA 83:11:27
2 MAS Enric ESP MOVISTAR TEAM 02:38
3 HAIG Jack AUS BAHRAIN VICTORIOUS 04:48
4 YATES Adam GBR INEOS GRENADIERS 05:48
5 MADER Gino SUI BAHRAIN VICTORIOUS 08:14
6 BERNAL Egan Arley COL INEOS GRENADIERS 11:38
7 KUSS Sepp USA JUMBO – VISMA 13:42
8 MARTIN Guillaume FRA COFIDIS 16:11
9 de la CRUZ David ESP UAE TEAM EMIRATES 16:19
10 GROSSSCHARTNER Felix AUT BORA – HANSGROHE 20:30
11 EIKING Odd Christian NOR INTERMARCHE – WANTY – GOBERT MATER. 20:46
12 KRUIJSWIJK Steven NED JUMBO – VISMA 24:50
13 LOPEZ PEREZ Juan Pedro ESP TREK – SEGAFREDO 26:18
14 BOUCHARD Geoffrey FRA AG2R CITROEN TEAM 43:59
15 ROCHAS Remy FRA COFIDIS 47:47

Felix Großschartner schiebt sich wieder in die Top-10 nach der vorletzten Etappe der Vuelta a España

Heute ging es durch den bergigen Westen Galiziens nahe der portugiesischen Grenze. Die Strecke, begann ziemlich leicht bevor es in der zweiten Rennhälfte in rascher Folge über fünf kurze aber harte Anstiege ging. Für die Klassementfahrer bot sich hier eine letzte Chance vor dem bevorstehen Einzelzeitfahren noch einmal an Boden gegenüber ihren Konkurrenten zu gewinnen. Das Feld ließ eine 16-Mann Ausreißergruppe früh entkommen und da keines der Teams ernsthaft die Nachführarbeit übernehmen wollte, dehnte sich der Vorsprung auf mehr als 11 Minuten aus. Ungefähr 55 km vor dem Ziel attackierte A. Yates, gefolgt von mehreren anderen GC-Fahrern. Felix Großschartner war einer stark besetzten Gruppe, aus der nun ständig attackiert wurde und sich letztlich die Hälfte der Top Ten der Gesamtwertung lösen konnten. Danach war das Tempo in der Verfolgergruppe raus und beim Sieg von C. Champoussin aus der Ausreißergruppe überquerte Felix die Ziellinie auf dem 17. Platz. Damit verbessert er sich um zwei Plätze auf den 10. Rang in der Gesamtwertung.

Reaktionen im Ziel
„Es war ein super harter Tag, aber ich habe mich heute wesentlich besser gefühlt seit meinem Sturz auf der 17. Etappe. Es war ein äußerst chaotischer Tag was das GC betrifft und ich bin froh, wieder in den Top-10 zu sein. Morgen ist das Einzelzeitfahren und ich hoffe, dass ich da gute Beine haben werde, um meine Top-10 Platzierung zu verteidigen.“ – Felix Großschartner
„Diese schwere Bergetappe der Vuelta war nichts für schwache Nerven. Wir wollten natürlich mit Felix versuchen zurück in die Top 10 zu fahren und uns kämpferisch zeigen. Heute versuchten wir zuerst in die Fluchtgruppe zu gehen, um da vielleicht noch Zeit gutzumachen. Aber das hat nicht geklappt, was aber nicht zu schlimm war. 16 Fahrer sind weggefahren und wir haben uns auf das Finale mit den schweren Bergen konzentriert. Am drittletzten Berg war eigentlich klar, dass jetzt die Favoriten das Rennen nochmal richtig eröffnen würden. Felix hatte einen guten Tag und konnte mitfahren, war zwischenzeitlich auch schon mal virtuell in den Top 10 weil Martin und Kuss schon über eine Minute abgehängt waren. Leider hat es sich taktisch aber so entwickelt, dass vorne 5 Favoriten weitergefahren sind und die anderen Favoriten um Lopez nicht mitmachten. Dadurch sind mehrere Fahrer wieder zurückgekommen. Letztendlich konnte Felix aber im Schlussanstieg Eiking noch Zeit abnehmen und ist damit zurück in die Top 10. Also schon ein guter Tag nach den Rückschlägen, die wir hatten. Wir sind also mit diesem Tag zufrieden.“ – Steffen Radochla, Sportlicher Leiter

Champoussin triumphs in a crazy final mountain stage

Clément Champoussin (AG2R-Citroën Team) took his first pro win on Saturday, atop the climb of Castro de Herville, after an incredible stage 20 in the Galician hills. After an all day battle, the Frenchman was caught by the GC contenders on the final ascent of the day but he kicked again with 1.6km to go and snatched the victory ahead of Primoz Roglic (Jumbo-Visma), Adam Yates (Ineos Grenadiers) and Jack Haig (Bahrain Victorious), who climbs on the overall podium after Miguel Angel Lopez (Movistar Team) and Egan Bernal (Ineos Grenadiers) didn’t follow a key attack with 60km to go. On Sunday, La Vuelta 21 finishes with a time-trial to Santiago de Compostela.

The peloton of La Vuelta 21 face a final mountain stage with almost 3,500m of elevation and four categorised climb on Galician roads ahead of the final ascent to the summit finish at Alto Castro de Herville. 143 riders roll from Sanxenxo without Oier Lazkano (Caja Rural-Seguros RGA) and Aleksandr Vlasov (Astana-Premier Tech), who suffered crashes in the previous days.
After an intense battle, a 16-man breakaway gets together at km 42: Lilian Calmejane, Clément Champoussin, Stan Dewulf (AG2R-Citroën Team), Floris de Tier (Alpecin-Fenix), Mark Padun (Bahrain Victorious), Dani Navarro (Burgos-BH), Jesus Herrada (Cofidis), Mikel Bizkarra (Euskaltel Euskadi), Jan Hirt (Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert Matériaux), Sylvain Moniquet (Lotto Soudal), Nick Schultz (Team BikeExchange), Romain Bardet, Chris Hamilton, Michael Storer (Team DSM), Ryan Gibbons, Matteo Trentin (UAE Team Emirates).

With no GC threat at the front, Jumbo-Visma take it easy in the peloton. The gap increases to almost 12’ before Ineos Grenadiers up the pace on the first climb of the day, the cat-3 Alto de Vilachan, inside the last 100km. They bring the gap down to 5’ over the next climb, the cat-2 Alto de Mabia.
The race situation is turned upside down on the main climb of the day, the cat-1 Alto de Mougas: 9.9km, 6.3%. After a series of attacks and counter-attacks, five riders emerge from the GC group with 60km to go: Primoz Roglic (Jumbo-Visma), Enric Mas (Movistar Team), Jack Haig, with Gino Mäder (Bahrain Victorious), and Simon Yates (Ineos Grenadiers). Miguel Angel Lopez (Movistar Team), 3rd overall, and Egan Bernal (Ineos Grenadiers), best young rider, are not in that group.
At the front, Gibbons goes solo on the downhill, with more than 50km to go. He goes over the cat-2 Alto de Prado with a gap of 55’’ to a first chase group, led by Bardet and Storer. Padun drops to the GC group, to help Haig climb on the overall podium and Mäder take the white jersey. The Lopez-Bernal group are 4’ behind.
They catch the chasers at the bottom of the final climb (9.9km, 4.8%), Gibbons is still 1’45’’ ahead. Gibbons is caught inside the last 5km and after a series of attacks, Champoussin goes all in with 1.6km to go and resists Primoz Roglic on the line. Meanwhile, Lopez abandons.

La Vuelta 21 – Etappe 19

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Tapia – Monforte de Lemos – 191 Km

1 NIELSEN Magnus Cort DEN EF EDUCATION – NIPPO 04:24:54
2 OLIVEIRA Rui POR UAE TEAM EMIRATES 00:00
3 SIMMONS Quinn USA TREK – SEGAFREDO 00:00
4 BAGIOLI Andrea ITA DECEUNINCK – QUICK – STEP 00:00
5 ROUX Anthony FRA GROUPAMA – FDJ 00:00
6 KRON Andreas DEN LOTTO SOUDAL 00:00
7 CRADDOCK G Lawson USA EF EDUCATION – NIPPO 00:05
8 DAINESE Alberto ITA TEAM DSM 00:18
9 TRENTIN Matteo ITA UAE TEAM EMIRATES 00:18
10 KRIEGER Alexander GER ALPECIN – FENIX 00:18

Gesamt:
1 ROGLIČ Primož SLO JUMBO – VISMA 77:49:37
2 MAS Enric ESP MOVISTAR TEAM 02:30
3 LOPEZ Miguel Angel COL MOVISTAR TEAM 02:53
4 HAIG Jack AUS BAHRAIN VICTORIOUS 04:36
5 BERNAL Egan Arley COL INEOS GRENADIERS 04:43
6 YATES Adam GBR INEOS GRENADIERS 05:44
7 KUSS Sepp USA JUMBO – VISMA 06:02
8 MADER Gino SUI BAHRAIN VICTORIOUS 07:48
9 MARTIN Guillaume FRA COFIDIS 08:31
10 de la CRUZ David ESP UAE TEAM EMIRATES 09:24
11 EIKING Odd Christian NOR INTERMARCHE – WANTY – GOBERT MATER. 13:15
12 GROSSSCHARTNER Felix AUT BORA – HANSGROHE 13:35
13 KRUIJSWIJK Steven NED JUMBO – VISMA 17:55
14 LOPEZ PEREZ Juan Pedro ESP TREK – SEGAFREDO 18:03
15 BOUCHARD Geoffrey FRA AG2R CITROEN TEAM 36:19

Ruhiger Tag für BORA-hansgrohe auf der 19. Etappe der Vuelta a España

Das ständige Auf und Ab der 187,8 km langen Strecke durch Galizien machte das Terrain ideal für einen Ausreißercoup, sollten die schnellen Männer nach den vorherigen schweren Bergetappen keine guten Beine mehr haben, um am Ende um den Sieg zu kämpfen. Nach dem Start in Tapia gab es einen großen Kampf um die Ausreißergruppe, die sich letztlich im zweiten Anstieg absetzen konnte und am Ende der Etappe den Sieg auch unter sich ausmachte. Mit keinen Fahrern in der Spitzengruppe war Felix Großschartner der bestplatzierte BORA-hansgrohe Fahrer, der die Ziellinie im Hauptfeld 18 Sekunden hinter dem Tagessieger M. Cort überquerte.

Reaktionen im Ziel
„Wir wussten, dass auf der heutigen Etappe eine Spitzengruppe ankommen könnte, aber dass es auch genauso gut zum Sprint kommen könnte. Wir haben für das Szenario, dass eine Spitzengruppe ankommt versucht, mit Patrick Gamper vorne dabei zu sein. Leider ist er mit Krämpfen aus der Spitzengruppe zurückgekommen, und für unseren Sprinter Jordi Meeus war der Parcours leider zu schwer. Am Ende ist der Tagessieg an die Spitzengruppe gegangen und das Feld ist um Platz 8 gesprintet. Wir haben uns in der Gesamtwertung durch den Sturz von Meintjes auf Platz 12 verbessert und wir wünschen ihm eine gute Besserung und hoffen, dass ihm nichts Schlimmes passiert ist.“ – Jens Zemke, Sportlicher Leiter

Another thriller and another win for Cort Nielsen

Magnus Cort Nielsen (EF Education Nippo) took his third stage win of La Vuelta 21 on Friday, after a 191.5km battle from Tapia to Monforte de Lemos. The Dane made the early breakaway over the first climbs of the day. The gap never went higher than 2’45’’ but Cort Nielsen was still in a position to outsprint his last companions at the end of stage 19, only 18’’ ahead of the raging bunch. The race is in Galicia and Primoz Roglic (Jumbo-Visma) collected his 50th Grand Tour leader jersey only two days ahead of the finish in Santiago de Compostela.
The peloton of La Vuelta 21 have overcome the biggest mountains of this edition and are now facing another type of challenge with 191.2 hilly km from Tapia to Monforte de Lemos. The stage features more than 3,200m of elevation with early climbs leading to a big battle for the breakaway.

18 riders at the front
Mikael Cherel (AG2R-Citroën Team), Ander Okamika (Burgos-BH), Aritz Bagües (Caja Rural-Seguros RGA) and Nico Denz (Team DSM) are the first attackers of the day. Antonio Jesus Soto (Euskaltel Euskadi), Mark Padun (Bahrain Victorious) and Damien Touzé (AG2R-Citroën Team) join them at km 5. And 17 more riders, including Magnus Cort Nielsen (EF Education Nippo), bridge the gap just ahead of the first climb (km 12).
The pace is relentless with many more attacks on the first two climbs of the day, the cat-3 Alto de Sela and the cat-2 Alto da Garganta. Fabio Jakobsen (Deceuninck-Quick Step), wearing the green jersey, is among the riders dropped with the hard pace set on these ascents.

The situation eventually settles on the third climb of the day, with 18 riders at the front: Mikaël Cherel, Damien Touzé (AG2R-Citroën Team), Jay Vine (Alpecin-Fenix), Mark Padun (Bahrain Victorious), Pelayo Sanchez (Burgos-BH), Julen Amezqueta (Caja Rural-Seguros RGA), Andrea Bagioli (Deceuninck-Quick Step), Lawson Craddock, Magnus Cort Nielsen (EF Education-Nippo), Antonio Jesus Soto (Euskaltel-Euskadi), Anthony Roux (Groupama-FDJ), Andreas Kron (Lotto Soudal), Robert Stannard (Team BikeExchange), Nico Denz (Team DSM), Fabio Aru (Team Qhubeka NextHash), Quinn Simmons (Trek-Segafredo), Jan Polanc, Rui Oliveira (UAE Team Emirates).

An incrdibly tight finale
Alberto Dainese’s Team DSM pull the bunch and the gap never gets higher than 2’45’’ as the race enters the last 100km. With the bunch closing in on them, the early attackers accelerate again inside the last 65km and the breakaway is torn in pieces. A crash in the bunch with 43km to go leads to the abandon of Louis Meintjes (Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert-Matériaux). Team BikeExchange take the helm of the peloton for Michael Matthews.
At the front, Simmons and Oliveira drop their companions with 34km to go. But they’re joined by Bagioli, Craddock, Cort Nielsen, Roux and Kron 8km later. The peloton trail by 28’’. And the gap is still up to 30’’ with 7.5km to go, and 20’’ into the last kilometre.
Simmons opens up the sprint but Cort Nielsen edges the young American and Bagioli on the line. Only 18’’ behind, Dainese is the fastest rider in the bunch but can’t take the win.

CERATIZIT Challenge – Etappe 2

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Estación de Montaña de Manzaneda ICTT – 7,3 Km

1 VAN VLEUTEN Annemiek NED MOVISTAR TEAM WOMEN 00:19:08
2 REUSSER Marlen SUI ALE‘ BTC LJUBLJANA 00:20
3 CAVALLI Marta ITA FDJ NOUVELLE-AQUITAINE FUTUROSCOPE 00:28
4 FAULKNER Kristen USA TEAM TIBCO – SILICON VALLEY BANK 00:48
5 THOMAS Leah USA MOVISTAR TEAM WOMEN 00:59
6 LABOUS Juliette FRA TEAM DSM 01:00
7 LIPPERT Liane GER TEAM DSM 01:15
8 NIEWIADOMA Katarzyna POL CANYON//SRAM RACING 01:20
9 ŽIGART Urška SLO TEAM BIKEEXCHANGE 01:23
10 ROOIJAKKERS Pauliena NED LIV RACING 01:24

Gesamt:

1 REUSSER Marlen SUI ALE‘ BTC LJUBLJANA 03:27:03
2 ROOIJAKKERS Pauliena NED LIV RACING 01:36
3 VAN VLEUTEN Annemiek NED MOVISTAR TEAM WOMEN 01:39
4 RIVERA Coryn USA TEAM DSM 01:45
5 CHABBEY Elise SUI CANYON//SRAM RACING 01:48
6 CAVALLI Marta ITA FDJ NOUVELLE-AQUITAINE FUTUROSCOPE 02:06
7 FAULKNER Kristen USA TEAM TIBCO – SILICON VALLEY BANK 02:26
8 THOMAS Leah USA MOVISTAR TEAM WOMEN 02:37
9 LABOUS Juliette FRA TEAM DSM 02:38
10 LIPPERT Liane GER TEAM DSM 02:54

The Dutch star Annemiek van Vleuten (Movistar Team) dominated on Friday the second stage of the CERATIZIT Challenge by La Vuelta 21. After a first hilly stage, day 2 saw the field take on a 7.3km uphill time-trial leading to the mountain resort of Manzaneda with slopes at an average gradient of 5.8%. Following her Olympic title in Tokyo’s ITT, Van Vleuten set a winning time of 19’08’’. The overall leader Marlen Reusser (Ale’BTC Ljubljana), also a silver medallist in the Olympic ITT, finished 2nd on the day (+19’’) and Marta Cavalli (FDJ Nouvelle-Aquitaine Futuroscope) rounded out the podium with a gap of 27’’.

“I chose the time-trial bike because it was faster for me and I was just happy to ride it”, Van Vleuten said. She announced a big battle to try and overturn Reusser’s lead before the race reaches Santiago de Compostela on Sunday: “Tomorrow, I have nothing to lose and everything to win. I hope other teams feel like that and we can put on a big show.”

With another strong performance, Marlen Reusser has an advantage of 1’36’’ overall on Pauliena Rooijakkers (LIV Racing) and Annemiek van Vleuten is now third (+1’39”). The Swiss champ also leads the points standings. On Saturday, the penultimate stage will see the peloton take on another hilly course from the mountain resort of Manzaneda to Pereiro de Aguiar.