Schlagwort-Archive: Saudi-Tour

Alula Tour Etappe 5

AlUla Old Town – Skyviews of Harrat Uwayrid – 150,2 Km


@ASO/Charly Lopez

1 YATES Simon GBR Team Jayco-AlUla 03:24:37
2 LECERF William Junior BEL Soudal Quick-Step 00:00
3 FISHER-BLACK Finn NZL UAE Team Emirates 00:00
4 MAJKA Rafal POL UAE Team Emirates 00:02
5 LATOUR Pierre FRA TotalEnergies 00:05
6 JOHANNESSEN Anders Halland NOR Uno-X Mobility 00:05
7 BRAMBILLA Gianluca ITA Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team 00:07
8 SOBRERO Matteo ITA BORA-hansgrohe 00:07
9 FORMOLO Davide ITA Movistar Team 00:11
10 ROMEO Ivan ESP Movistar Team 00:29
11 WRIGHT Fred GBR Bahrain Victorious 00:34
12 PLUIMERS Rick NED Tudor Pro Cycling Team 00:34
13 KOCH Jonas GER BORA-hansgrohe 00:34
14 CARBONI Giovanni ITA JCL Team UKYO 00:34
15 COQUARD Bryan FRA Cofidis 00:34
16 DENZ Nico GER BORA-hansgrohe 00:34
17 MARTÍN Gotzon ESP Euskaltel-Euskadi 00:34
18 HAMILTON Lucas AUS Team Jayco-AlUla 00:34
19 DVERSNES Fredrik NOR Uno-X Mobility 00:34
20 CONCA Filippo ITA Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team 00:34
21 KUDUS Merhawi ERI Terengganu Cycling Team 00:34

Endstand:


@ASO/ Charly Lopez

1 YATES Simon GBR Team Jayco-AlUla 18:37:05
2 LECERF William Junior BEL Soudal Quick-Step 00:03
3 FISHER-BLACK Finn NZL UAE Team Emirates 00:03
4 SOBRERO Matteo ITA BORA-hansgrohe 00:12
5 BRAMBILLA Gianluca ITA Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team 00:18
6 FORMOLO Davide BEL Movistar Team 00:22
7 COQUARD Bryan FRA Cofidis 00:32
8 PLUIMERS Rick NED Tudor Pro Cycling Team 00:40
9 ROMEO Ivan ESP Movistar Team 00:40
10 KUDUS Merhawi ERI Terengganu Cycling Team 00:45
11 KOCH Jonas GER BORA-hansgrohe 00:45
12 LASTRA Jonathan ESP Cofidis 00:45
13 MATE Luis Angel ESP Euskaltel-Euskadi 00:45
14 WRIGHT Fred GBR Bahrain Victorious 00:52
15 DENZ Nico GER BORA-hansgrohe 00:54
16 LUDVIGSSON Tobias SWE Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team 00:54
17 VAN UDEN Casper NED Team dsm-firmenich PostNL 01:14
18 MAJKA Rafal POL UAE Team Emirates 01:20
19 JOHANNESSEN Anders Halland NOR Uno-X Mobility 01:21
20 OLIVEIRA Rui POR UAE Team Emirates 01:46

AlUla Tour: Matteo Sobrero beeindruckt bei seinem Debüt

Die AlUla Tour in Saudi-Arabien war das erste Etappenrennen für Neuzugang Matteo Sobrero im Trikot von BORA – hansgrohe. Der Italiener zeigte dabei direkt Führungsqualitäten und beendete das Rennen auf Rang vier im Gesamtklassement. Dank einer starken Teamleistung gewann BORA – hansgrohe zudem die Mannschaftswertung.

Am Ende war es eine Angelegenheit von wenigen Metern. Nach einem großen Kampf am finalen Anstieg der fünften Etappe der AlUla Tour fehlten Matteo Sobrero nur ein paar Sekunden auf die Spitzengruppe. Für den Italiener, der nicht als ausgewiesener Bergspezialist gilt, ein großer Erfolg. Der Lohn: In der Gesamtwertung beendete er das Etappenrennen im Norden Saudi-Arabiens auf Rang vier, zwölf Sekunden hinter dem Sieger Simon Yates aus Großbritannien. „Auch wenn wir das Podium verpasst haben, freue ich mich. Das war schließlich mein erstes Rennen für BORA – hansgrohe überhaupt“, sagte er im Ziel.

Von Tag eins an hellwach

In der Tat stellte Sobrero, der im Winter von Jayco AlUla zu BORA – hansgrohe gewechselt war, an allen fünf Tagen der AlUla Tour sein Können unter Beweis. So sammelte er bei den Zwischensprints wichtige Bonussekunden für die Gesamtwertung und war hellwach, wenn es in die jeweiligen Etappen-Entscheidungen ging. So auch auf dem heutigen fünften Tagesabschnitt, als er lange mit ausgewiesenen Kletterern wie Simon Yates mithielt. „In der Tat fehlte nur wenig, um ganz vorn zu landen“, so Sobrero, der mit einem entsprechend guten Gefühl die Heimreise antreten wird: „Das war das erste Rennen. Wenn wir so weitermachen, wird die Form noch besser werden – und die Ergebnisse werden kommen.“

BORA – hansgrohe gewinnt Teamwertung


@ASO/Charly Lopez

Zufrieden zeigte sich auch Sportdirektor Rolf Aldag: „Unser Ziel war Top fünf, das haben wir mit Platz vier erreicht. Mit etwas Glück wäre sogar noch mehr möglich gewesen, denn in einer möglichen Sprint-Entscheidung hätte Matteo gute Karten gehabt. Alles in allem war das ein guter Einstand von ihm.“ Aldag hob auch die Leistung der gesamten Mannschaft hervor. So konnte BORA – hansgrohe die Teamwertung des saudi-arabischen Etappenrennens für sich entscheiden. „Nach sehr kurzfristigen krankheitsbedingten Ausfällen waren wir hier mit nur fünf statt sieben Fahrern am Start. Dass wir trotz dieser Unterzahl die Teamwertung gewonnen haben, spricht für den Einsatzwillen, den hier alle gezeigt haben. Ein großes Lob an die Mannschaft.”

Alula Tour Etappe 4

Hegra – Maraya – 142 Km

1 MERLIER Tim BEL Soudal Quick-Step 03:11:43
2 COQUARD Bryan FRA Cofidis 00:00
3 VAN UDEN Casper NED Team dsm-firmenich PostNL 00:00
4 PLUIMERS Rick NED Tudor Pro Cycling Team 00:00
5 MEZGEC Luka SLO Team Jayco-AlUla 00:00
6 MOSCHETTI Matteo ITA Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team 00:00
7 CIMOLAI Davide ITA Movistar Team 00:03
8 WÆRENSKJOLD Søren NOR Uno-X Mobility 00:03
9 OLIVEIRA Rui POR UAE Team Emirates 00:03
10 JEANNIÈRE Emilien FRA TotalEnergies 00:03
11 SOBRERO Matteo ITA BORA-hansgrohe 00:03
12 MALUCELLI Matteo ITA JCL Team UKYO 00:03
13 CANAL Carlos ESP Movistar Team 00:03
14 DENZ Nico GER BORA-hansgrohe 00:03
15 KUDUS Merhawi ERI Terengganu Cycling Team 00:03
16 LOPEZ DE ABETXUKO Andoni ESP Euskaltel-Euskadi 00:03
17 KOCH Jonas GER BORA-hansgrohe 00:03

Gesamt:

1 MERLIER Tim BEL Soudal Quick-Step 15:12:12
2 VAN UDEN Casper NED Team dsm-firmenich PostNL 00:04
3 COQUARD Bryan FRA Cofidis 00:14
4 SOBRERO Matteo ITA BORA-hansgrohe 00:21
5 PLUIMERS Rick NED Tudor Pro Cycling Team 00:22
6 MEZGEC Luka SLO Team Jayco-AlUla 00:24
7 FISHER-BLACK Finn NZL UAE Team Emirates 00:26
8 KUDUS Merhawi ERI Terengganu Cycling Team 00:27
9 BRAMBILLA Gianluca ITA Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team 00:27
10 FORMOLO Davide BEL Movistar Team 00:27
11 KOCH Jonas GER BORA-hansgrohe 00:27
12 LECERF William Junior BEL Soudal Quick-Step 00:27
13 ROMEO Ivan ESP Movistar Team 00:27
14 LASTRA Jonathan ESP Cofidis 00:27
15 YATES Simon GBR Team Jayco-AlUla 00:27
16 MATE Luis Angel ESP Euskaltel-Euskadi 00:27
17 REINDERS Elmar NED Team Jayco-AlUla 00:27
18 WRIGHT Fred GBR Bahrain Victorious 00:34
19 OLIVEIRA Rui POR UAE Team Emirates 00:36
20 LUDVIGSSON Tobias SWE Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team 00:36
21 DENZ Nico GER BORA-hansgrohe 00:36

Alula Tour Etappe 3

AlUla International Airport – AlUla Camel Cup Track – 171 Km

While the day started under the clouds for the start of stage 3, it ended with a bright sunshine and a spectacular finale at the AlUla Camel Cup track. It all started by echelons in the final 20kms splitting the pack apart. It ended with a bunched sprint between just over 30 riders. In these conditions that probably reminded him of his native Belgium, Tim Merlier (Soudal Quick-Step) made the best of his speed to beat Arvid De Kleijn (Tudor Pro Cycling Team) and Casper van Uden (Team DSM-Firmenich PostNL), on the day of his son’s birthday. The overall leader’s Green jersey switches shoulders and goes to van Uden.

1 MERLIER Tim BEL Soudal Quick-Step 03:59:52
2 DE KLEIJN Arvid NED Tudor Pro Cycling Team 00:00
3 VAN UDEN Casper NED Team dsm-firmenich PostNL 00:00
4 MEZGEC Luka SLO Team Jayco-AlUla 00:00
5 MOLANO Sebastian COL UAE Team Emirates 00:00
6 RAJOVIC Dusan SRB Bahrain Victorious 00:00
7 OLIVEIRA Rui POR UAE Team Emirates 00:00
8 COQUARD Bryan FRA Cofidis 00:00
9 HAMILTON Lucas AUS Team Jayco-AlUla 00:00
10 SYRITSA Gleb RUS Astana Qazaqstan Team 00:00
11 KUDUS Merhawi ERI Terengganu Cycling Team 00:00
12 LECERF William Junior BEL Soudal Quick-Step 00:00
13 FORMOLO Davide BEL Movistar Team 00:00
14 VAN GESTEL Dries BEL TotalEnergies 00:00
15 ROMEO Ivan ESP Movistar Team 00:00
16 WRIGHT Fred GBR Bahrain Victorious 00:00
17 KOCH Jonas GER BORA-hansgrohe 00:00
18 SOBRERO Matteo ITA BORA-hansgrohe 00:00

19 EEKHOFF Nils NED Team dsm-firmenich PostNL 00:00
20 DENZ Nico GER BORA-hansgrohe 00:00

Gesamt:

1 VAN UDEN Casper NED Team dsm-firmenich PostNL 12:00:37
2 MERLIER Tim BEL Soudal Quick-Step 00:02
3 SOBRERO Matteo ITA BORA-hansgrohe 00:10
4 EEKHOFF Nils NED Team dsm-firmenich PostNL 00:10
5 COQUARD Bryan FRA Cofidis 00:12
6 PLUIMERS Rick NED Tudor Pro Cycling Team 00:14
7 WRIGHT Fred GBR Bahrain Victorious 00:14
8 FISHER-BLACK Finn NZL UAE Team Emirates 00:15
9 KUDUS Merhawi ERI Terengganu Cycling Team 00:16
10 BRAMBILLA Gianluca ITA Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team 00:16
11 FORMOLO Davide BEL Movistar Team 00:16
12 MOLANO Sebastian COL UAE Team Emirates 00:16
13 KOCH Jonas GER BORA-hansgrohe 00:16
14 VAN GESTEL Dries BEL TotalEnergies 00:16
15 ROMEO Ivan ESP Movistar Team 00:16
16 LECERF William Junior BEL Soudal Quick-Step 00:16
17 LASTRA Jonathan ESP Cofidis 00:16
18 HAMILTON Lucas AUS Team Jayco-AlUla 00:16
19 YATES Simon GBR Team Jayco-AlUla 00:16
20 MATE Luis Angel ESP Euskaltel-Euskadi 00:16

Nach drei von fünf Etappen rangiert BORA – hansgrohe Fahrer Matteo Sobrero auf Rang drei in der Gesamtwertung der Rundfahrt in Saudi-Arabien. Sportdirektor Rolf Aldag sieht seine Mannschaft „absolut im Soll“.

Noch konnte das Team BORA – hansgrohe bei der derzeit laufenden AlUla Tour in Saudi-Arabien keinen Sieg einfahren. Dennoch zeigte die dritte Etappe einmal mehr, dass die deutsche WorldTour Equipe zu den prägenden Mannschaften des Rennens zählt. Nachdem Matteo Sobrero bereits am ersten Tag drei Bonussekunden ersprintet hatte, gelang ihm das gleiche Kunststück auch heute. Der Lohn: Nach drei von fünf Etappen liegt der Italiener auf Rang drei in der Gesamtwertung – nur drei Sekunden hinter dem führenden Niederländer Casper van Uden.

„Deshalb können wir mit dem bisherigen Verlauf des Etappenrennens sehr zufrieden sein. Gegen die reinen Sprinterteams liegen wir absolut im Soll. Gleichzeitig ist Matteo nun in einer aussichtsreichen Position in der Gesamtwertung. Derzeit sieht es nämlich schon so aus, als dass es am Ende ein Sekundenpoker wird“, sagte Sportdirektor Rolf Aldag im Ziel der dritten Etappe. Aldag lobte in diesem Zusammenhang auch die Harmonie und den Zusammenhalt innerhalb des Teams. „Nach sehr kurzfristigen krankheitsbedingten Ausfällen stehen wir hier mit fünf statt sieben Fahrern am Start. Unsere Jungs halten aber gut dagegen – und Matteos Platzierung zeigt, dass wir uns nicht verstecken müssen.“

Besonders freut sich Aldag auch über die Performance von Matteo Sobrero. Der Italiener bestreitet sein allererstes Rennen für BORA – hansgrohe überhaupt – und präsentiert sich direkt als Leader. „Manchmal hat man das Gefühl, dass er schon seit drei Jahren bei uns fährt – so gut ist er bereits integriert“, erzählt der Sportdirektor, der für die kommenden Tage zwei schwere Etappen erwartet. „Morgen müssen wir aufpassen, dass im Bergaufsprint keine Löcher entstehen und wir vorne dabei sind. Am letzten Tag geht es dann ums Klassement. Hier müssen wir Matteo in eine gute Ausgangsposition bringen.“

Alula Tour Etappe 2

AlUla Winter Park – Sharaan Nature Reserve – 199 Km

After a very eventful day including echelons in the wilderness around AlUla, stage victory was decided after a bunched sprint for only the strongest men of the event. Well led out by his Uno X Mobility team, Soren Waerenskjold captured a second stage success in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia after triumphing last year. On the line the Norwegian beat Henok Mulubrhan (Astana Qazaqstan Team) and Nils Eekhoff (Teal DSM-Firmenich PostNL) to become the new overall leader of the AlUla Tour.

1 WÆRENSKJOLD Søren NOR Uno-X Mobility 04:42:04
2 MULUBRHAN Henok ERI Astana Qazaqstan Team 00:00
3 EEKHOFF Nils NED Team dsm-firmenich PostNL 00:00
4 COQUARD Bryan FRA Cofidis 00:00
5 VAN UDEN Casper NED Team dsm-firmenich PostNL 00:00
6 WARLOP Jordi BEL Soudal Quick-Step 00:00
7 PLUIMERS Rick NED Tudor Pro Cycling Team 00:00
8 ZIJLAARD Maikel NED Tudor Pro Cycling Team 00:02
9 LATOUR Pierre FRA TotalEnergies 00:02
10 ROMEO Ivan ESP Movistar Team 00:02
11 BRAMBILLA Gianluca ITA Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team 00:02
12 SOBRERO Matteo ITA BORA-hansgrohe 00:02
13 CANAL Carlos ESP Movistar Team 00:02
14 BENDIXEN Louis DEN Uno-X Mobility 00:02
15 WRIGHT Fred GBR Bahrain Victorious 00:02
16 MOSCHETTI Matteo ITA Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team 00:02
17 KUDUS Merhawi ERI Terengganu Cycling Team 00:02
18 LECERF William Junior BEL Soudal Quick-Step 00:02
19 JOHANNESSEN Anders Halland NOR Uno-X Mobility 00:02
20 MAJKA Rafal POL UAE Team Emirates 00:02

Gesamt:

1 WÆRENSKJOLD Søren NOR Uno-X Mobility 08:00:49
2 VAN UDEN Casper NED Team dsm-firmenich PostNL 00:00
3 MULUBRHAN Henok ERI Astana Qazaqstan Team 00:04
4 EEKHOFF Nils NED Team dsm-firmenich PostNL 00:06
5 MERLIER Tim BEL Soudal Quick-Step 00:08
6 SOBRERO Matteo ITA BORA-hansgrohe 00:09
7 AZPARREN Xabier ESP Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team 00:09
8 COQUARD Bryan FRA Cofidis 00:10
9 PLUIMERS Rick NED Tudor Pro Cycling Team 00:10
10 JOHANNESSEN Anders Halland NOR Uno-X Mobility 00:10
11 WRIGHT Fred GBR Bahrain Victorious 00:10
12 DVERSNES Fredrik NOR Uno-X Mobility 00:11
13 BRAMBILLA Gianluca ITA Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team 00:12
14 MOSCHETTI Matteo ITA Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team 00:12
15 KUDUS Merhawi ERI Terengganu Cycling Team 00:12

Alula Tour Etappe 1

Al Manshiya Train Station – Al Manshiya Train Station – 149Km
A bunched sprint was expect at the end of stage 1 and that’s exactly what happened on the opening day of the AlUla Tour. In a hectic final straight with a lot of candidates to victory, Casper Van Uden (Team DSM-Firmenich PostNL) proved to be the fastest. The young Dutchman only just captures his first major success by beating compatriot Dylan Groenewegen (Team Jayco AlUla) and Belgium’s Tim Merlier (Soudal Quickstep). Thanks to his victory, Van Uden takes command of the general classification and will be wearing the green jersey for tomorrow’s stage 2.

STAGE CLASSIFICATION

1 VAN UDEN Casper NED Team dsm-firmenich PostNL 03:18:55
2 GROENEWEGEN Dylan NED Team Jayco-AlUla 00:00
3 MERLIER Tim BEL Soudal Quick-Step 00:00
4 WÆRENSKJOLD Søren NOR Uno-X Mobility 00:00
5 RAJOVIC Dusan SRB Bahrain Victorious 00:00
6 DE KLEIJN Arvid NED Tudor Pro Cycling Team 00:00
7 MALUCELLI Matteo ITA JCL Team UKYO 00:00
8 MOLANO Sebastian COL UAE Team Emirates 00:00
9 SYRITSA Gleb RUS Astana Qazaqstan Team 00:00
10 CIMOLAI Davide ITA Movistar Team 00:00
11 MOSCHETTI Matteo ITA Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team 00:00
12 KOCH Jonas GER BORA-hansgrohe 00:00
13 TESSON Jason FRA TotalEnergies 00:00
14 OLIVEIRA Rui POR UAE Team Emirates 00:00
15 MARTÍN Gotzon ESP Euskaltel-Euskadi 00:00
16 BRAMBILLA Gianluca ITA Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team 00:00
17 MULUBRHAN Henok ERI Astana Qazaqstan Team 00:00
18 PASQUALON Andrea ITA Bahrain Victorious 00:00
19 KUDUS Merhawi ERI Terengganu Cycling Team 00:00
20 LOPEZ DE ABETXUKO Andoni ESP Euskaltel-Euskadi 00:00

ALULA TOUR 2024 : BETWEEN MOUNTAINS AND DESERT, SUBSTANTIAL MENU FOR THE RIDERS

Key points:
• The 2024 edition of the AlUla Tour will take place from 30 January to 3 February 2024 over five stages in the heart of the historic and mountainous region of AlUla, giving the puncheurs-grimpeurs and sprinters a chance to express themselves.
• The route, around the historic site of AlUla, will take the riders through several exceptional sites such as AlManshiyah train station, the Sharaan nature reserve and Hegra, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The AlUla Tour (formerly the Saudi Tour) is living up to its new name, with five stages contested in the AlUla region, a tourist destination with a rich historical heritage and timeless landscapes. The unprecedented start at the foot of the Hegra tombs, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2008, promises a grandiose visual spectacle that the riders in the international peloton will not soon forget.

Early season races in the Middle East have often been favourable for sprinters, and Dylan Groenewegen will be keen on winning once again in the Saudi desert and wear the jersey of his Jayco-AlUla team with pride. The climbers and puncheurs will also be out in force, with Simon Yates, who finished fourth in the last Tour de France, expected to liven up the mountain stage. The final stage of the AlUla Tour and the final climb towards Skyviews of Harrat Uwayrid promises a fierce battle for the overall classification, with an average gradient of 17% over one kilometer.

Before reaching the end of this fifth and final stage, the riders will have to cover several hundred kilometers through the winding roads of the Saudi desert and mountains. After a first stage promised to the sprinters and a second which could smile to the puncheurs with its bumpy finish leading to the Sharaan nature reserve. The third stage has the potential to shake up the expected scenario with a brand new finish around the AlUla Camel Cup Track. Race director Jean-Marc Marino warns: „With this straight stretch of almost twenty kilometers exposed to the wind, we can expect to see a lot of echelons, as was the case in 2023 during the second stage“.

The fourth leg, from Hegra to Maraya, is a small-scale reflection of Saudi Arabia. A site steeped in history as the starting point, combined with the modernity of Maraya, a cultural space made up of mirrors offering a unique perception of the neighbouring desert landscape, as the finishing point.

The stages of the AlUla Tour 2024 :
1st stage, Tuesday 30 January: AlManshiyah Train Station – AlManshiyah Train Station, 149.1 km
2nd stage, Wednesday 31 January: Winter Park – Sharaan Nature Reserve, 199.1 km
3rd stage, Thursday 1 February: AlUla International Airport – AlUla Camel Cup Track, 170.6 km
4th stage, Friday 2 February: Hegra – Maraya, 142.2 km
5th stage, Saturday 3 February: AlUla Old Town – Skyviews of Harrat Uwayrid, 150.2 km

18 teams selected

Nine UCI WorldTeams
Astana Qazaqstan Team (Kaz)
Bahrain Victorious (Brn)
Bora-Hansgrohe (Ger)
Cofidis (Fra)
Movistar Team (Esp)
Team Jayco AlUla (Aus)
Team dsm-firmenich PostNL (Ned)
Soudal Quick-Step (Bel)
UAE Team Emirates (Uae)

Five UCI ProTeams
Euskaltel – Euskadi (Esp)
Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team (Sui)
TotalEnergies (Fra)
Tudor Pro Cycling Team (Sui)
Uno-X Mobility (Nor)

These 13 teams will be joined by four others
JCL Team Ukyo (Jap)
Roojai Insurance (Thai)
Terengganu Cycling Team (Mas)
Saudi National Team (Sau)

Saudi Tour – 5. Etappe

AlUla Old Town – Maraya – 143 Km

1 CONSONNI Simone ITA COFIDIS 03:10:13
2 MALUCELLI Matteo ITA BINGOAL WB 00:00
3 ACKERMANN Pascal GER UAE TEAM EMIRATES 00:00
4 GROENEWEGEN Dylan NED TEAM JAYCO-ALULA 00:00
5 KANTER Max GER MOVISTAR TEAM 00:00
6 BOL Cees NED ASTANA QAZAQSTAN TEAM 00:00
7 LOBATO Juan Jose ESP EUSKALTEL-EUSKADI 00:00
8 TIZZA Marco ITA BINGOAL WB 00:00
9 SAJNOK Szymon POL Q36.5 PRO CYCLING TEAM 00:00
10 MILAN Jonathan ITA BAHRAIN VICTORIOUS 00:00

Endstand:

1 GUERREIRO Ruben POR MOVISTAR TEAM 20:20:04
2 FORMOLO Davide ITA UAE TEAM EMIRATES 00:08
3 BUITRAGO Santiago COL BAHRAIN VICTORIOUS 00:09
4 GROSSSCHARTNER Felix AUT UAE TEAM EMIRATES 00:18
5 MILAN Jonathan ITA BAHRAIN VICTORIOUS 00:24
6 BOL Cees NED ASTANA QAZAQSTAN TEAM 00:32
7 CONSONNI Simone ITA COFIDIS 00:33
8 BARTA William USA MOVISTAR TEAM 00:37
9 AZPARREN Xabier ESP EUSKALTEL-EUSKADI 00:38
10 TIZZA Marco ITA BINGOAL WB 00:43

Last stage for Consonni, Guerreiro wins the Saudi Tour

After visiting some of the most spectacular sites of AlUla including the UNESCO world heritage site of Hegra, the final stage of the Saudi Tour came down to a bunched sprint. Just above the mirrored Maraya concert hall, Simone Consonni (Cofidis) made the best of his punchy sprint to beat Matteo Malucelli (Bingoal WB) and Pascal Ackermann (UAE Team Emirates). The final general classification and this 2023 Saudi Tour was won by Portugal’s Ruben Guerreiro who finished safely in the bunch.

It was time for the final showdown. Before the start of the fifth and last stage of the Saudi Tour the first three of the general classification were within ten seconds, Ruben Guerreiro (MOV) leading the way with a slim 8” advantage over Formolo (UAE) and 9” over Buitrago (TBV). In other words anything could still happen especially with a gravel section through the UNESCO World heritage site of Hegra on the menu of the day’s 143-km race where a puncture could occur at any time. There would indeed be quite a possibility for some drama.

BATTLE FOR BREAKAWAY
For this final day of the event, the 102 remaining riders all gathered together at the start in the old town of AlUla. With still a lot at stake in all the different standings, the battle was intense to get into the day’s breakaway. Desal (BWB) was the first man to go clear of the pack at km 15. The Belgian was soon caught by five other men: blue jersey Hansen (UXT), Malecki (Q36), Juaristi (EUS), Iacchi and Van Empel (both COR). At the first intermediate active sprint (km 21) won by Hansen ahead of Juaristi and Malecki, the front six could enjoy a 2’25’’ advantage.

HANSEN CLOSES IN ON BLUE JERSEY
Eager to try and win a second stage on this Saudi Tour, team Jayco AlUla started chasing down the escapees. At the second Intermediate active sprint (km 71) Hansen moved a step closer to the final blue jersey by again beating Juaristi and Malecki. Meanwhile the pack remained 1’50’’ adrift. With UAE team Emirates and Movistar helping out at the front of the pack, the gap carried on dropping as the riders went through the gravel section of the spectacular Hegra site. As the pack excited the UNESCO world heritage site, Donovan (Q36) took off on a counter-attack. With 25kms to go, the front 6 had a 25’’ lead over the British rider and 55’’ over the pack. Just before the bonus sprint, Donovan stopped his vain solo effort. That all important sprint (km 122) was to be claimed by Juaristi ahead of Hansen, guaranteed of winning the blue jersey.

THIRD PRO WIN FOR CONSONNI
With 15kms to go, the gap has dropped down to 35’’. Seeing the pack move dangerously closer, Malecki gave it a final go on his own. He would be the last man standing of the breakaway but was caught with just under 2 kilometres to go. The pack remained bunched for the final uphill straight just by the Maraya concert hall. On this punchy type finish, Simone Consonni (COF) flew to victory, beating Malucelli (BWB) and Ackermann (UAE). The Italian Olympic and World team pursuit champion conquers his third professional win, his first of 2023.

FIRST STAGE RACE WIN FOR GUERREIRO
Finishing safely among the peloton in 16th position, Ruben Guerreiro (MOV) wins this third edition of the Saudi Tour ahead of Davide Formolo (UAE) and Santiago Buitrago (TBV). The Portuguese conquers his first ever stage win. Thanks to his fourth position on the final stage, Dylan Groenewegen (JAY) wins the points classification (red jersey) while Buitrago finishes best young rider (white jersey) and UAE is crowned best team.

Saudi Tour – 4. Etappe

Maraya – Skyviews of Harrat Uwayrid – 164 Km


Foto Plomi

1 GUERREIRO Ruben POR MOVISTAR TEAM 03:45:01
2 FORMOLO Davide ITA UAE TEAM EMIRATES 00:00
3 BUITRAGO Santiago COL BAHRAIN VICTORIOUS 00:00
4 GROSSSCHARTNER Felix AUT UAE TEAM EMIRATES 00:04
5 BARTA William USA MOVISTAR TEAM 00:22
6 MUHLBERGER Gregor AUT MOVISTAR TEAM 00:23
7 MARIAULT Axel FRA COFIDIS 00:23
8 AZPARREN Xabier ESP EUSKALTEL-EUSKADI 00:23
9 MEZGEC Luka SLO TEAM JAYCO-ALULA 00:28
10 CONSONNI Simone ITA COFIDIS 00:28
11 HINDSGAUL MADSEN Jacob DEN UNO-X PRO CYCLING TEAM 00:28
12 EDMONDSON Alex AUS TEAM DSM 00:28
13 GIBBONS Ryan RSA UAE TEAM EMIRATES 00:28
14 BOL Cees NED ASTANA QAZAQSTAN TEAM 00:28
15 TIZZA Marco ITA BINGOAL WB 00:28
16 SAINBAYAR Jambaljamts MGL TERENGGANU POLYGON CT 00:28
17 MILAN Jonathan ITA BAHRAIN VICTORIOUS 00:28
18 PEYSKENS Dimitri BEL BINGOAL WB 00:28
19 DONOVAN Mark GBR Q36.5 PRO CYCLING TEAM 00:28
20 JUARISTI Txomin ESP EUSKALTEL-EUSKADI 00:28

Gesamt:

1 GUERREIRO Ruben POR MOVISTAR TEAM 17:09:51
2 FORMOLO Davide ITA UAE TEAM EMIRATES 00:08
3 BUITRAGO Santiago COL BAHRAIN VICTORIOUS 00:09
4 GROSSSCHARTNER Felix AUT UAE TEAM EMIRATES 00:18
5 MILAN Jonathan ITA BAHRAIN VICTORIOUS 00:24
6 BOL Cees NED ASTANA QAZAQSTAN TEAM 00:32
7 BARTA William USA MOVISTAR TEAM 00:37
8 AZPARREN Xabier ESP EUSKALTEL-EUSKADI 00:38
9 CONSONNI Simone ITA COFIDIS 00:43
10 MEZGEC Luka SLO TEAM JAYCO-ALULA 00:43
11 TIZZA Marco ITA BINGOAL WB 00:43
12 HINDSGAUL MADSEN Jacob DEN UNO-X PRO CYCLING TEAM 00:43
13 DONOVAN Mark GBR Q36.5 PRO CYCLING TEAM 00:43
14 PEYSKENS Dimitri BEL BINGOAL WB 00:43
15 SVESTAD-BÅRDSENG Embret NOR HUMAN POWERED HEALTH 00:48

Stage 4 of the Saudi Tour was promised to a climber or at least a man with GC ambitions and it delivered. The decisive and extremely steep climb to the Skyviews of Harrad Uwayrid saw four strong men pull away: Buitrago (TBV), Formolo, Grossschartner (UAE) and Guerreiro (MOV). They managed to keep a decent enough gap on the green jersey group to make it clear to the line and battle for the overall lead. Ruben Guerreiro proved to be the fastest beating Formolo and Buitrago to the line. The Portuguese who joined Movistar from EF during the winter break wins his fourth ever pro win and captures the green jersey with one day to go.
A clear sky, very little wind and mild temperatures. The scene was perfectly set for what promised to be the queen stage of this third edition of the Saudi Tour. After what seemed to be an appetizer yesterday with the final climb up to Abu Rakah crowning young Norwegian prince Soren Wearenskjold and Italian king Jonathan Milan, the new green jersey, stage 4 was designed for the GC contenders. With the demanding finish to the Skyviews of Harrat Uwayrid where Maxim Van Gils conquered the 2022 title last year, all eyes were on the climbers. The superb Maraya Concert Hall designed in the Ashar Valley to blend into the surrounding landscape was the host of a picturesque start for the 105 remaining riders. On the menu : 163.4kms including two large loops before a final climb and a long straight towards Harrat Uwayrid.

4 ESCAPEES
After a visit of the splendid Banyon Tree resort during the neutralised start, a fierce battle started straight from the gun. Despite quite a few attempts, it wasn’t before km 24 that three men managed to break away: Engelhardt (JAY), Zukowsky (Q36) and Barac (COR). These three were rapidly caught by Mohd Zariff (TSG) and the gap reached 2’10’’ at km 30. The first Intermediate active sprint was claimed by Barac while the pack started chasing led by team Bahrain Victorious of green jersey Milan and title contender Buitrago. Shortly after, white jersey wearer and 9th overall, Andoni Lopez de Abetzuko (EUS) was forced to retire after an incident with another rider that saw him crash out.

ZUKOWSKY LAST TO BE CAUGHT
The second intermediate active sprint (km 106) was again claimed by Barac while the pack had the escapees under control (1’45’’). At the end of the second of two big loops around AlUla, the pack led by UnoX pushed hard. With 15kms to go, Zukowsky was the last man at the front while his companions were caught. The Canadian was finally caught after 150kms.

FOUR MEN POWER AWAY
As soon as the first kilometres of the final climb the heavy sprinters were dropped: Groenewegen (JAY), Ackermann (UAE), Waerenskjold (UXT). At the front four men managed to power away: Buitrago (TBV), Formolo, Grossschartner (both UAE) and Guerreiro (MOV). At the summit where Guerreiro won the bonus sprint and its precious 3 seconds, the front group had an advantage of 20’’ over the first chasers and 1’ over the green jersey group of Jonathan Milan. There were still eight kilometres to cover until the finish line but the front four managed to remain clear. The stage win eventually went to Ruben Guerreiro ahead of Formolo and Buitrago. The Portuguese who won a stage of the Giro back in 2020 as well as the KOM jersey that same year claims his first win of the season under his new Movistar colours.

GUERREIRO IN GREEN
Thanks to the 13 bonus seconds he captured on the day (10” at the finish + 3” at the bonus sprint), Guerreiro takes command of the general classification with an 8” lead over Formolo and 9” over Buitrago. The 28-year-old will be wearing the green jersey on the final day of the event with the hope of keeping it for good. Meanwhile Buitrago becomes the best young rider (white jersey) and Milan keeps the lead of the points classification (red jersey). Marcus Hansen (UXT) also keep the blue jersey of the most active rider.

Saudi Tour – 3. Etappe

Al Manshiyah Train Station – Abu Rakah – 160 Km

1 WÆRENSKJOLD Søren NOR UNO-X PRO CYCLING TEAM 04:23:18
2 MILAN Jonathan ITA BAHRAIN VICTORIOUS 00:00
3 BOL Cees NED ASTANA QAZAQSTAN TEAM 00:00
4 CONSONNI Simone ITA COFIDIS 00:00
5 GUERREIRO Ruben POR MOVISTAR TEAM 00:00
6 GROSSSCHARTNE Felix AUT UAE TEAM EMIRATES 00:00
7 FORMOLO Davide ITA UAE TEAM EMIRATES 00:00
8 FEDELI Alessandro ITA Q36.5 PRO CYCLING TEAM 00:00
9 KANTER Max GER MOVISTAR TEAM 00:00
10 CÔTÉ Pier-André CAN HUMAN POWERED HEALTH 00:00
11 LOPEZ DE ABETXUKO Andoni ESP EUSKALTEL-EUSKADI 00:00
12 TIZZA Marco ITA BINGOAL WB 00:00
13 FERNANDEZ Ruben ESP COFIDIS 00:00
14 MEZGEC Luka SLO TEAM JAYCO-ALULA 00:00
15 BUITRAGO Santiago COL BAHRAIN VICTORIOUS 00:00

Gesamt:

1 MILAN Jonathan ITA BAHRAIN VICTORIOUS 13:24:46
2 BOL Cees NED ASTANA QAZAQSTAN TEAM 00:08
3 KANTER Max GER MOVISTAR TEAM 00:16
4 GUERREIRO Ruben POR MOVISTAR TEAM 00:17
5 GROSSSCHARTNER Felix AUT UAE TEAM EMIRATES 00:18
6 CONSONNI Simone ITA COFIDIS 00:19
7 MEZGEC Luka SLO TEAM JAYCO-ALULA 00:19
8 CÔTÉ Pier-André CAN HUMAN POWERED HEALTH 00:19
9 LOPEZ DE ABETXUKO Andoni ESP EUSKALTEL-EUSKADI 00:19
10 TIZZA Marco ITA BINGOAL WB 00:19
11 FORMOLO Davide ITA UAE TEAM EMIRATES 00:19

FIRST PRO WIN FOR WAERENSKJOLD

After two stages designed for sprinters, it looked like it would be the GC specialists’ turn to battle for glory at the Saudi Tour.

But despite the steep final climb before the finish in Abu Rakah, young Norwegian wonder boy Sören Waerenskjold managed to conquer his first ever pro victory after winning the decisive group sprint. The 2022 U23 time trial World Champion beat yesterday’s winner Jonathan Milan (Bahrain Victorious) to the line while Cees Bol (Astana Qazaqstan Team) finished third. In the general classification, Milan captures the leader’s Green jersey.
For some, exhausted, it was good news, for others a disappointment, but as they woke up this morning, the wind had suddenly calmed down and the temperature slightly dropped. As they took off for the third stage of the Saudi Tour, the 106 remaining riders of the peloton could expect a slightly calmer day in the sun. On the menu: 159.2kms from the Al Manshiyah Train Station to Abu Rakah. After battling it out during the first two stages, the sprinters knew that it would probably be the turn of the GC boys to shine on the final climb of the day.

5 MEN AT THE FRONT
As soon as km 0 was passed, four men broke away: Alabdulmunim (SAU), Juaristi (EUS), Barac and Masotto (COR). They would rapidly be caught by a fifth rider, Yamamoto (JCL). Not too concerned, the peloton let the front men go clear. After only 10kms, the gap had reached 2’30’’. It even went up to 8’30’’ at km45 when team Jayco AlUla of race leader Dylan Groenewegen decided to push harder. The Aussie squad even managed to split the pack into two but a left hand turn and the resulting headwind calmed things down.

JUARISTI LAST MAN STANDING
At the first intermediate active sprint (km72) won by Juaristi, the pack had moved closer (6’10’’). The Spaniard would also be the last man to remain in the lead while all his breakaway companions were gradually caught. After capturing 3 seconds and points at the bonus sprint (km 122) he was finally caught. From then on a new race started. The pack at a very fast pace made it bunched to the second intermediate active sprint (km153) where Juaristi beat Rajovic and Kepplinger.

FIRST PRO WIN FOR WAERENSKJOLD
On the final climb of the day heading towards the heights of Abu Rakah, Zdenek Stybar (JAY) managed to pull away before being caught, first by Buitrago (TBV) and then by a group of around twenty men. Victory was finally decided in a small bunched sprint. Fourth of the opening stage of this Saudi Tour, Soren Waerenskjold (UXT) flew to his first ever professional success. The rising star of Norwegian cycling who conquered the U23 World time-trial title last year in Wollongong managed to beat Jonathan Milan (TBV) and Cees Bol (AST) to the line.

MILAN NEW LEADER
In the new general classification, Milan captures the leader’s Green jersey with an 8’’ lead over Bol and 16’’ over Kanter (MOV) with two more stages to go. The Italian also remains the best young rider (White jersey) and takes command of the points classification (Red jersey) while Marcus Hansen (UXT) keeps his most active rider’s Blue jersey.

Saudi Tour – 2. Etappe

Winter Park – Shalal Sijlyat Rocks – 184 Km


Plomi Foto

1 MILAN Jonathan ITA BAHRAIN VICTORIOUS 04:53:35
2 GROENEWEGEN Dylan NED TEAM JAYCO-ALULA 00:00
3 BOL Cees NED ASTANA QAZAQSTAN TEAM 00:00
4 BLIKRA Erlend NOR UNO-X PRO CYCLING TEAM 00:00
5 KANTER Max GER MOVISTAR TEAM 00:00
6 WALSCHEID Max GER COFIDIS 00:00

7 GIBBONS Ryan RSA UAE TEAM EMIRATES 00:00
8 MEZGEC Luka SLO TEAM JAYCO-ALULA 00:03
9 CONSONNI Simone ITA COFIDIS 00:03
10 SAJNOK Szymon POL Q36.5 PRO CYCLING TEAM 00:03

Gesamt:

1 GROENEWEGEN Dylan NED TEAM JAYCO-ALULA 09:01:28
2 MILAN Jonathan ITA BAHRAIN VICTORIOUS 00:06
3 WALSCHEID Max GER COFIDIS 00:12
4 BOL Cees NED ASTANA QAZAQSTAN TEAM 00:12
5 KANTER Max GER MOVISTAR TEAM 00:16
6 GIBBONS Ryan RSA UAE TEAM EMIRATES 00:16
7 BLIKRA Erlend NOR UNO-X PRO CYCLING TEAM 00:16
8 MEZGEC Luka SLO TEAM JAYCO-ALULA 00:19
9 CÔTÉ Pier-André CAN HUMAN POWERED HEALTH 00:19
10 CONSONNI Simone ITA COFIDIS 00:19
11 GUERREIRO Ruben POR MOVISTAR TEAM 00:19
12 GROSSSCHARTNE Felix AUT UAE TEAM EMIRATES 00:19
13 LOPEZ DE ABETXUKO Andoni ESP EUSKALTEL-EUSKADI 00:19
14 AZURMENDI Ibai ESP EUSKALTEL-EUSKADI 00:19
15 VAN UDEN Casper NED TEAM DSM 00:19

SWEET REVENGE FOR MILAN

A year after struggling in the echelons of a similar stage on the Saudi Tour, a day after suffering a mechanical incident in the final moments of the opening stage, Jonathan Milan (Bahrain Victorious) concluded a windy day in style. A sweet revenge for the Italian who beat Dylan Groenewegen (Team Jayco AlUla) and Cees Bol (Astana Qazaqstan Team) in a final bunched sprint. Thanks to his second spot, Groenewegen keeps the overall leader’s Green jersey.
After a first demanding stage to the south-east of the ALUla region, the 107 remaining riders were offered another grueling test on day 2. On the menu : a rectangular course from the Winter Park to Shalal Sijlyat Rocks over 184kms. With the wind picking up and the changes in direction it would promise to be an exciting day, a frightening one for those not to used to echelons.

4 AND THEN 2 IN LEAD
While many were expecting fireworks straight from the start, the pack took off at a fairly quiet pace allowing four men to break away: Azparren (EUS), Vacek (COR), Mohd Zariff (TSG) and Ishibashi (JCL). The front four would drop down to two after 10kms, Vacek suffering mechanical issues and Mohd Zariff struggling after all his efforts in yesterday’s breakaway. At the bonus sprint (km 18,9) won by Azparren, the pack had a deficit of 6’10. The gap would grow to a maximum 7’30’’ before dropping down under the influence of teams Jayco AlUla and Bingoal WB.

ECHELONS OF COURSE
While the peloton moved closer to the escapees, three teams (DSM, Jayco AlUla and Uno X) moved to the front and “put the hammer down”. The pack rapidly broke into several echelons at km 68 leaving only 20 men in the first part of the peloton (including the likes of Groenewegen, Stybar, Milan, Formolo, Degenkolb, Walscheid, Waerenskjold). Meanwhile the front two were eventually caught at km 83.
After enjoying a 30’’ lead over a group including Rajovic and Ackermann, the leading Green jersey group was finally caught and the entire peloton bunched up together after a left turn into headwind. The first intermediate active sprint (km 123) was then claimed by Walscheid (COF) ahead of Hansen (UNO) and Goikoetxea (EUS). The situation calmed down for the next 50kms before the big teams again powered to the front shattering the pack into several groups. At the front just under 40 riders took off leaving in a second echelon riders like Rajovic (TBV), Buitrago (TBV), Ackermann (UAE) and white jersey Hansen (UNO). Just after Walscheid again captured the most points at the second intermediate active sprint (km 160), the front group could enjoy a 30’’ advantage with 15kms to go.

NORSGAARD POWERS AWAY
Another change in direction saw the second group catch the leaders with just under 10kms to go. That was the moment chosen by Mathias Norsgaard (MOV) to try his luck in a solo breakaway. The Norwegian had a 10” lead with 5kms left but he would later be gobbled up by the pack. It finally all came down to a bunched sprint by the Shalal Sijlyat Rocks. With his team mate, red jersey wearer and second yesterday Dusan Rajovic (TBV) out of contention, Jonathan Milan flew to his first win of the season, the third of his career after two successes at the Cro Tour last year. The young Italian beat Dylan Groenewegen (JAY) and Cees Bol (AST) to the line.

GROENEWEGEN STILL LEADER
Thanks to his second spot, yesterday’s stage winner Groenewegen keeps his overall leader’s green jersey. He also stays in command of the points classification while 22-year-old Milan captures the white jersey for the best young rider. Marcus Hansen keeps the blue jersey for the most active rider.

Saudi Tour 2023 – Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team Roster

Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team will make its 2023 racing debut this week at the Saudi Tour (Jan 30 – Feb 3) with a diverse and ambitious seven-rider squad.

The Swiss-registered team will take on the five-stage UCI 2.1 race in Saudi Arabia with a strong roster and clear goal of being competitive on each of the stages and of making a strong first impression in the Q36.5 jersey.
Three sprint stages and two hillier stages are up for grabs in a race that is typically held in sweltering temperatures and where the desert wind is often the catalyst for the infamous echelons.

Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team will be represented by a multicultural roster spearheaded by Brit Mark Donovan, Italian Alessandro Fedeli and Polish sprinter Szymon Sajnok. The three will be the team’s protected riders and will look for their chances to fight for a top result throughout the week in the desert.

Experienced New-Zealander Jack Bauer and American Joey Rosskopf will play a crucial support role on the flat terrain, whereas Polish Kamil Małecki brings climbing firepower for the hillier stages. The seven-rider roster is completed with former Canadian champion Nick Zukowsky, whose versatility and previous experience racing in the Saudi Tour will prove invaluable all week.
Ready and Eager
“This will be our first race of the season and we’re eager to show our jersey, race aggressively and make our partners proud. We’re bringing a strong team and our main objective is to take a stage win. Szymon Sajnok will be our card for the sprint stages while both Donovan and Fedeli will aim for the uphill finishes. This will be a competitive race but we’re confident that we can leave our mark and start the 2023 season on a good note,” said Gabriele Missaglia, DS at Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team.

“The Saudi Tour will be the curtain raiser for our team and the first time to pin numbers onto our technology advanced Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team jersey. We are fully committed to start our journey of #RacingTheFuture in the best possible way. The team is strong, ready and united and I truly believe that will propel us to achieve great results and do our sponsors and our fans proud. We have options to fight for victory in all stages and come away with a nice result that will set the momentum for what will be a very busy Spring of racing,” added Doug Ryder, General Manager of Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team.

Racing at the Saudi Tour for the first time in his career 26-year-old Italian Alessandro Fedeli believes the race will serve up good opportunities to show his early season form and his looking forward to the challenge ahead.

“The Saudi Tour is a great race to start the season. Personally, I really enjoy to start racing outside of Europe, in sunny, warmer locations. I will be my first time in Saudi Arabia so I’m excited to visit a new country and discover a new culture. I’m in good shape and very motivated for this race where I will try to do my best. I believe we can achieve a good result and get a stage win,” said Fedeli.

Five Exciting Stages
The Saudi Tour covers a total distance of 830 km over the course of five days with Stage 1 starting in Alula Airport and finishing in Khaybar providing a flat opener suited for the fast men in the peloton. Stage 2 from Winter Park to Shalal Sijlyat Rocks will be the longest of the race with 184km and will serve up another chance for a bunch sprint finale.The race enters hillier terrain on Stage 3 from Al Manshiyah to Abu Rakah and the uphill finale will certainly bring the General Classification contenders to the fore. A steep short climb within the final 15 km of the penultimate stage from Maraya to Skyviews of Harrat Uwairid will provide the perfect backdrop for the punchier climbers to take their chances and seize stage glory. The Saudi Tour concludes on Friday, February 3rd with a sprinter friendly Stage 5 from Alula Old Town to Maraya.

Gabriele Missaglia and Piotr Wadecki will be Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team’s DS’s for the Saudi Tour, a race which will be televised internationally on Eurosport, GCN and other major sport broadcasters.
Saudi Tour 2023 – Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team Roster

Jack Bauer (NZL)
Mark Donovan (GBR)
Alessandro Fedeli (ITA)
Kamil Małecki (POL)
Joey Rosskopf (USA)
Szymon Sajnok (POL)
Nick Zukowsky (CAN)