Valverde wins the GP Miguel Indurain

https://ift.tt/2E9UTVZ

Alejandro Valverde (Movistar) continued his run of spring success on Saturday, winning the GP Miguel Indurain race with a solo attack.

The 37-year-old had been tempted to stay in Belgium for Sunday’s Tour of Flanders after impressing at the mid-week Dwars door Vlaanderen. However, he preferred to head back to Spain and captained the Movistar team to take his ninth victory of 2018 in what is the team’s home race.

Mitchelton-Scott only had five riders in the warm-up race for the Vuelta al Pais Vasco but still tried to take on Movistar in the finale, sending Jack Haig up the road in the early break and then in a solo move. However, Valverde used his teammates wisely to lead the chase and launch other attacks, before making his own move on the Alto de Muru, the final climb of the race.

ADVERTISEMENT

Carlos Verona tried to defend Mitchelton-Scott’s pride and went with him but was dropped on a short climb two kilometres from the finish. Valverde savoured a solo victory in Estella and was immediately congratulated by Miguel Indurain in person. 

Verona finished 20 seconds behind, with Australia’s Nick Schulz (Caja Rural-Seguros RGA) an impressive third at 1:04, leading home a front group of 14 riders that formed in the finale.

“I’m very happy to be able to win this edition for all that it means, with a tribute to (former team manager) José Miguel Echávarri. It's always a beautiful race but this time I wanted to come and run for him,” Valverde said, confirming the real reason why he preferred to return to Spain and miss the Tour of Flanders.

You can read more at Cyclingnews.com

via Cyclingnews Latest Race Results http://www.cyclingnews.com/races/gp-miguel-indurain-2018/results

Tratnik wins the Volta Limburg Classic

https://ift.tt/2E9UTVZ

Jan Tratnik (CCC Sprandi) dug deep to win the Volta Limburg Classic in the Netherlands, winning a small group sprint after being caught in the final kilometres of the race.

Tratnik won the final time trial stage at the recent Settimana Internazionale Coppi e Bartali in Italy and used his speed and pace in the rain-soaked finale.

He was away with Oscar Riesebeek (Roompot - Nederlandse Loterij) in the rolling finale. However after Tratnik put his foot out to avoid crashing on a curve, Riesebeek had no where to go and flipped over a gate.

ADVERTISEMENT

Tratnik pushed on alone, was caught by the chasers but still won.

More to follow.

You can read more at Cyclingnews.com

via Cyclingnews Latest Race Results http://www.cyclingnews.com/races/volta-limburg-classic-2018/results

Dillier wins Route Adelie de Vitre

https://ift.tt/eA8V8J

You can read more at Cyclingnews.com

via Cyclingnews Latest Race Results http://www.cyclingnews.com/races/route-adelie-de-vitre-2018/results

John Degenkolb's custom Tour of Flanders Trek Madone

https://ift.tt/2J5fkHg

This article first appeared on Bikeradar

Former Paris-Roubaix winner John Degenkolb is lining up for the Tour of Flanders on a custom bike that has been modified in a few unusual ways. Laser-etched graphics on brand new wheels, and cranks shortened after gebioMized testing on the cobbles highlight the uniqueness of his Trek Madone.

geobioMized on the cobbles

Trek-Segafredo technical director Matt Shriver worked with German biometric company geobioMized to test a variety of product and positions with his riders over the winter, measuring pressure on their saddles and under their feet. Riding on pavement and cobbles, the team tested various types of frames, handlebars, wheels and positions.

ADVERTISEMENT

 

On his regular bike, Degenkolb uses 172.5 cranks, but 170mm on his cobbles bike

One takeaway for Degenkolb was a shift from 172.5mm cranks to 170mm cranks for the cobbled classics.

Sometimes, aero isn't everything

But for wheels, aero is an advantage

You can read more at Cyclingnews.com

via Cyclingnews Latest Interviews and Features http://www.cyclingnews.com/features/john-degenkolbs-custom-tour-of-flanders-trek-madone

Tour of Flanders: 12 top contenders

https://ift.tt/2J5fkHg

The 2018 Tour of Flanders will have one of the most wide-open fields of contenders in recent memory, with numerous riders to choose from as possible winners. Who can stop the Quick-Step Floors blockade? Will Peter Sagan shake off his bad luck of last year? Has Philippe Gilbert been hiding his form? Cyclingnews picks a dozen of the top riders to watch on Sunday.

Greg Van Avermaet (BMC Racing)

In his pre-race press conference, Greg Van Avermaet disclosed that the Classics are decided by '90 per cent legs and 10 per cent luck'. While the majority of statistics are almost certainly made up, the Belgian's assessment holds a line of truth to it. The problem for Van Avermaet, however, is that based on his performances thus far this year, he is bare in both legs and luck. That's not to propose he has performed poorly, far from it, but in the last few races he has missed whatever spark that dazzled 12 months ago when everything he touched turned to gold. In Dwars door Vlaanderen, he followed rather than led when Tiesj Benoot attacked, before eventually fading into the chase group, and while Wednesday's semi-classic will not define Van Avermaet's season, his next set of races will.

Flanders has been a race of mixed fortunes for the Olympic champion. He has stood on the podium three times in the last four seasons but a win has eluded him through a blend of crashes and superior opposition. This year the opposition has improved; Peter Sagan has found form, the Quick-Step juggernaut looks unstoppable, and Van Avermaet is playing catch-up. But Sunday is not a Gent-Wevelgem or a Dwars door Vlaanderen, and Van Avermaet undoubtedly has the skills to win. Maybe he just needs a bit more than 10 per cent of luck this time around.

ADVERTISEMENT

Peter Sagan (Bora-Hansgrohe)

Despite his bulging palmarès, the Tour of Flanders remains Peter Sagan's one and only Monument victory. His past record has also included a second place and two more top-10 finishes. The world champion's Classics campaign thus far has been a tale of two halves after delaying his cobbled debut until E3 Harelbeke last week. The so-called mini-Flanders was a day Sagan will not want to think about too much, after missing the crucial splits and rolling in more than three minutes down. He turned his fortunes around two days later with victory at Gent-Wevelgem, showing that you can't keep a good man down.

Gent-Wevelgem, as Sagan was pointed to remind us, is a very different prospect to the Tour of Flanders, but the performance shows that E3 was a blip rather than a lack of form. If he was to win Flanders on Sunday, he would be one of the rare riders to do so having finished outside the top 10 at E3 Harelbeke. However, rare achievements are something that Sagan specialises in.

Philippe Gilbert (Quick-Step Floors)

Tiesj Benoot (Lotto Soudal)

Yves Lampaert (Quick-Step Floors)

Zdenek Stybar (Quick-Step Floors)

Niki Terpstra (Quick-Step Floors)

Sep Vanmarcke (EF Education First-Drapac)

Vincenzo Nibali (Bahrain-Merida)

Jasper Stuyven (Trek-Segafredo)

Oliver Naesen (AG2R La Mondiale)

Matteo Trentin (Mitchelton-Scott)

You can read more at Cyclingnews.com

via Cyclingnews Latest Interviews and Features http://www.cyclingnews.com/features/tour-of-flanders-12-top-contenders

Terpstra, an individualist and a team player

https://ift.tt/2uy3EJR

"Who will be the new sheriff in the Texas of Flanders?" So read the poster for last week’s E3 Harelbeke, which featured a Tom Boonen lookalike in Western garb to mark the first edition of the race since Tommeke hung up his wheels a year ago.

By the end of the afternoon, it was Boonen's old teammate Niki Terpstra who was standing atop the podium in Harelbeke, after going on the attack with 70 kilometres to go and riding alone for the final 20 kilometres. His face fixed a seemingly permanent half grin, Terpstra has always carried himself with a certain swagger, yet he has always been curiously reticent to lay any claim to the badge of outright leadership at Quick-Step Floors.

As the Tour of Flanders approaches, Terpstra is one of the top contenders for victory, but even now, he is quietly insistent that he will set out from Antwerp as one of four Quick-Step riders with equal status, alongside defending champion Philippe Gilbert, Dwars door Vlaanderen winner Yves Lampaert and Zdenek Stybar.

ADVERTISEMENT

Terpstra's public emphasis on the collective seems difficult to reconcile with his reputation as an individualist, a tag that, rightly or wrongly, took hold in the popular imagination during the early part of his tenure at Quick-Step. During that time, he seemed rather more adept at combining team duties with personal glory than teammates like the more obviously selfless Sylvain Chavanel.

The characterisation surfaced again in the finale of E3 Harelbeke last week, when Terpstra – and teammate and breakaway companion Yves Lampaert – appeared in no mood to wait for their fellow Quick-Step Floors man Philippe Gilbert, who was trying to bridge across after accelerating on the Karnemelkbeekstraat. Terpstra bristles at the suggestion that he is given to pre-empting attacks or ignoring team orders.

"Whoever says that, doesn't know anything about cycling," Terpstra said earlier this week. "Feel free to ask my teammates. Or ex-teammates. I don't care whether it's a climber, sprinter or Classics rider. It's called give and take."

Leadership

You can read more at Cyclingnews.com

via Cyclingnews Latest Interviews and Features http://www.cyclingnews.com/features/terpstra-an-individualist-and-a-team-player

Chris Harper wins Oceania title

https://ift.tt/eA8V8J

You can read more at Cyclingnews.com

via Cyclingnews Latest Race Results http://www.cyclingnews.com/races/oceania-championships-2018/elite-men-road-race/results

Tour of Flanders: Rowe's start 'a dream' seven months after leg break

https://ift.tt/eA8V8J

Team Sky's Luke Rowe says it is a "dream come true" to start the Tour of Flanders on Sunday, seven months after breaking his leg.

via BBC Sport - Cycling http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cycling/43588894

Endura's Drag2Zero is its most aerodynamic kit yet

https://ift.tt/2J19Z3O

This article originally appeared on BikeRadar

In the race to be as fast as possible and save watts here and watts there, much time and effort has been spent micro-engineering the bicycle to the finest detail. But if Endura's aerodynamics specialist Simon Smart is to be believed, the development of aerodynamic clothing is lagging five years behind.

Perhaps, until now.

ADVERTISEMENT

With the help of Smart, and the use of the Mclaren-AMG Petronas F1 Team's wind tunnel, Endura is claiming that its latest range of Drag2Zero clothing is the fastest on the market.

Endura has released three new outfits: a skinsuit named the Encapsulator for TT riders and Grand Tour racers; a Road Suit for road racers and those looking for high-end performance on the road without the drawbacks of a full skinsuit; and a bibs and jersey set for those looking for a touch more flexibility.

There's also a new Drag2Zero Helmet, which comes with a click on/off aerodynamic fairing and a visor that's attached with magnets.

Chevrons and fancy patterns

The clothing

Saving watts

Riding the kit

Worth its weight?

You can read more at Cyclingnews.com

via Cyclingnews Latest Interviews and Features http://www.cyclingnews.com/features/enduras-drag2zero-is-its-most-aerodynamic-kit-yet

Lampaert wins Dwars door Vlaanderen

https://ift.tt/2E20yO0

Yves Lampaert (Quick-Step Floors) retained his Dwars door Vlaanderen crown with a performance that continued his team’s domination of the Belgian cobbled classics.

In pouring rain, Lampaert matched a number of key attacks in the final 25 kilometres before sailing away from a five-man break inside the final kilometre. Mike Teunissen (Team Sunweb) and Sep Vanmarcke (EF-Education First) completed the podium.

The five-man group slipped clear on one of the final major sector of cobbles with 25 kilometres to go with Vanmarcke lifting the pace after a dangerous move involving Greg Van Avermaet (BMC Racing) and Tiesj Benoot (Lotto Soudal) was nullified.

ADVERTISEMENT

Vanmarcke powered clear on the cobbles and only Lampaert was able to follow at first before Mads Pedersen (Trek-Segafredo), Teunissen and finally Edvald Boasson Hagen (Dimension Data) made contact.

With Quick-Step monitoring the chase group, the quintet quickly built up a lead of over 40 seconds, as Van Avermaet tried in vain to mount a counter attack.

With five kilometres to go, it was clear that the break would decide the win, and Vanmarcke was the first to begin hostilities with a stinging attack from the front of group. Once again, it was Lampaert who matched him, and the Quick-Step rider responded with the same tactic as he quashed moves from Teunissen, Boasson Hagen and then Pedersen.

How it unfolded

You can read more at Cyclingnews.com

via Cyclingnews Latest Race Results http://www.cyclingnews.com/races/dwars-door-vlaanderen-2018/results

Van Dijk wins Dwars door Vlaanderen

https://ift.tt/2E20yO0

Ellen van Dijk (Team Sunweb) won the women's Dwars door Vlaanderen thanks to a powerful solo attack in the final seven kilometres of the rain-soaked race.

She gradually opened a gap on a group of riders that had emerged on the Knoteberg climb after 84km of racing. They struggled to respond to her time trialling skills and van Dijk won alone.

Three-time winner Amy Pieters (Boels-Dolmans) won the sprint for second place ahead of Floortje Mackaij (Team Sunweb).

ADVERTISEMENT

The mid-week, semi-classic was positioned between two Women's WorldTour races; Gent-Wevelgem, won by Marta Bastianelli on March 25, and Tour of Flanders on April 1, which offered a good test for the riders looking for success in Oudenaarde.

The women raced 117.9km starting in Tielt and finishing in Waregem. The parcours was mainly flat in the first half but hit the bergs mid-race with Kluisberg, Knokteberg, Vossenhol and Nokereberg climbs, and the cobblestoned roads Holstraat and Herlegemstraat.

Van Dijk was in a late-race lead group that included Pieters and Mackaij, along with Eugenia Bujak, Annemiek Van Vleuten, Ashleigh Moolman-Pasio and Kasia Niewiadoma. They held a 20-second lead over the field in the closing kilometres.

You can read more at Cyclingnews.com

via Cyclingnews Latest Race Results http://www.cyclingnews.com/races/dwars-door-vlaanderen-women-2018/results

Wide shoes: Why you need them and which brand makes the best

https://ift.tt/2pQs63U

This article first appeared on BikeRadar.

No hesitations here — the following commentary is likely to upset a shoe designer or two. But, as the saying goes, if you want to make an omelet you’ve got to crack a few eggs. So here goes: cycling shoes are categorically too narrow.

• Best shoes for mountain bikers
• Gallery: The shiniest cycling shoes for next season
• Clipping in: 5 mistakes I made so you don’t have to

Regardless of whether you’ve ever worn a wide shoe or not, I’m asking you to try something out.

ADVERTISEMENT

Go to your cycling equipment closet (or locker, cage or cave) and pull out your favorite shoes. Remove the footbed (that's an 'insole' for UK readers) and place it on the ground. Now stand on each of them one foot at a time, with maximum body weight located near the front third of your foot (simulating pressure on the pedals).

How much of your foot hangs over the edge of your footbed?

In my experience as a fitter, more than half of you will find your feet hang over more than you anticipated. In fact, most riders I’ve fitted could benefit from wide shoes, but have never considered them because they don’t wear wide shoes for walking, running, or work.

Foot mechanics

The solution

Most companies take the extra volume route because it allows them to add material to the upper without creating a new lower

Wide vs high-volume

Lake CX402

Bont Vaypor+ and Vaypor G

Shimano

Sidi

Sidi has a pretty flat last, so again, an aftermarket insert will likely be required to meet the needs of even the smallest of arches

Bontrager

The skinny

You can read more at Cyclingnews.com

via Cyclingnews Latest Interviews and Features http://www.cyclingnews.com/features/wide-shoes-why-you-need-them-and-which-brand-makes-the-best

Iconic images of the Tour of Flanders - Gallery

https://ift.tt/2pQs63U

Rain, hail or shine, the Tour of Flanders always produces worthy winners and iconic images. The hellingen of West Flanders provide a natural amphitheatre in which hundreds of thousands of passionate fans gather every year, and the riders are faced with a wall of noise on every climb and key point of the gruelling course.

De Ronde has seen its share of memorable battles and controversial moments, as the biggest Classics names of the era have tested themselves in one of cycling’s true heartlands.

We've searched our photographers' archives, of more than two decades of images, to remember some of the names that have marked the season's second Monument.

ADVERTISEMENT

Some of the most memorable performance were Edwig Van Hooydonck's triumph in 1991, Fabian Cancellara's dominance in 2013 and 2014, Peter Sagan's victory in 2016 and Philippe Gilbert's winning performance in the 2017 edition. In between, there was Johan Museeuw's consistency in the 1990s, Gianni Bugno's shock win in 1994, Michele Bartoli's stylish triumph in 1996, and the more recent multiples by Peter Van Petegem, Stijn Devolder and Tom Boonen.

The enduring spirit of the Tour of Flanders lives on, regardless of the course, the riders or the weather. We expect no less from the 2018 Tour of Flanders set to take place on April 1.

You can read more at Cyclingnews.com

via Cyclingnews Latest Interviews and Features http://www.cyclingnews.com/features/iconic-images-of-the-tour-of-flanders-gallery

Shane Perkins: Australian cyclist on switching to Russia and 2020 Tokyo Olympics

https://ift.tt/eA8V8J

Cyclist Shane Perkins on his switch from Australia to Russia as he seeks gold at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

via BBC Sport - Cycling http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cycling/43501875

Quick-Step Floors open pop-up store for the Classics - Gallery

https://ift.tt/2I6fbSO

Aligning with the northern Classics, Quick-Step Floors have opened a pop-up store from February right through until April 7th in Kortrijk, Belgium.

The Belgian team have Paris-Roubaix, Tour de France stage and World Championship winning bikes on display from Tom Boonen, Niki Terpstra, Tony Martin, Mark Cavendish and Michal Kwiatkowski.

Alongside the historic bikes and other racing memorabilia, team kit is available to purchase alongside the team sponsors' products, including a display of the latest bikes from longtime team bike supplier Specialized.

ADVERTISEMENT

Rocket Espresso - who provide coffee machines to an array of WorldTour teams and riders - have a machine in the store and there are several dates to enjoy a coffee and a signing session with various Quick-Step Floors riders.

The bikes

Mark Cavendish's 2013 Specialized S-Works Venge: Cavendish won 19 races in his debut season with Quick-Step Floors - then Omega Pharma-Quick-Step - including stages at the Giro d'Italia, Tour de France and Tour of Britain and the General Classification at Tour of Qatar.

The team

You can read more at Cyclingnews.com

via Cyclingnews Latest Interviews and Features http://www.cyclingnews.com/features/quick-step-floors-open-pop-up-store-for-the-classics-gallery

2018 Dwars door Vlaanderen women start list

https://ift.tt/eA8V8J

You can read more at Cyclingnews.com

via Cyclingnews Latest Interviews and Features http://www.cyclingnews.com/features/2018-dwars-door-vlaanderen-women-start-list

Bioracer Speedwear: One of cycling's best kept secrets - Gallery

https://ift.tt/2I6fbSO

This article first appeared on BikeRadar.

In the past twelve months, Rigoberto Uran has finished second at the Tour de France, Sebastian Langeveld finished third at Paris-Roubaix, and 38 medals have been won at the road, cyclocross and track world championships, all while wearing Bioracer clothing.

Despite this race-winning pedigree, Bioracer hasn't quite got the same race-proven reputation as the likes of Castelli, Sportful, Endura, Santini or even Rapha, but why?

ADVERTISEMENT

As the Classics season kicked off, I headed over to Belgium for 'opening weekend' and to learn more about why Bioracer in Belgium is one of cycling's hidden gems.

• Do the Kessel Run in under 12 parsecs with BioRacer's Star Wars Collection
• Iris Slappendel talks clothing, collaboration and equality

Belgian roots

A wall of jerseys showcases some of the company's biggest projects

Making a cycling jersey

Bioracer Speedwear

Winning in the WorldTour 

Looking forward

You can read more at Cyclingnews.com

via Cyclingnews Latest Interviews and Features http://www.cyclingnews.com/features/bioracer-speedwear-one-of-cyclings-best-kept-secrets-gallery

Para-cycling Track World Championships: British duo win second gold

https://ift.tt/eA8V8J

Britain's Sophie Thornhill and Helen Scott claim their second gold in as many days at the Para-cycling Track World Championships.

via BBC Sport - Cycling http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/disability-sport/43547302

Boudat wins Cholet - Pays de la Loire

https://ift.tt/eA8V8J

You can read more at Cyclingnews.com

via Cyclingnews Latest Race Results http://www.cyclingnews.com/races/cholet-pays-de-la-loire-2018/results

Gent-Wevelgem: Peter Sagan claims record-equalling third title in Belgian race

https://ift.tt/eA8V8J

Peter Sagan claims a record-equalling third Gent-Wevelgem title with victory in a sprint finish in the Belgian race.

via BBC Sport - Cycling http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cycling/43534584

Peter Sagan wins Gent-Wevelgem

https://ift.tt/2pHaZ4f

Peter Sagan (Bora-Hansgrohe) claimed his third Gent-Wevelgem title in impressive fashion with a comprehensive sprint win over Elia Viviani (Quick-Step Floors) and Arnaud Démare (Groupama-FDJ).

The World Champion rode a composed race and waited patiently for the final sprint as Quick-Step Floors set about controlling the race after the final ascent of the Kemmelberg. With strength in numbers Viviani came into the sprint as the favourite but the Italian was left boxed in after choosing to follow Matteo Trentin’s (Mitchelton-Scott) wheel. Sagan, meanwhile use his experience to drift onto Jasper Stuyven’s (Trek-Segaredo) left shoulder.

When the sprint opened up with just under 200m to go, Sagan had a clear road ahead of him, and the Bora rider drew his line to the left as Viviani was forced to come through the crowd and then around Démare. The Frenchman had a better line than Viviani but was left exposed when Sagan turned on the afterburners. Viviani found the strength to take second but the ground he conceded at the start of the sprint was too much to make up.

ADVERTISEMENT

Two days ago, Sagan's form was questioned after he failed to impress in E3 Harelbeke. He may not even be at his very best but he was more than good enough to take the win in Wevelgem. With a week to go until Tour of Flanders, his rivals have been warned.

As for Viviani, the Italian slumped to the floor after crossing the line, a soigneur draping a jacket over his shoulders as the rider failed to fight back the tears of defeat. Until the final 500m, the De Panne winner had put in the perfect performance, making every key split, including the decisive one over the Kemmelberg.

Teammates Philippe Gilbert, Zdenek Stybar and Yves Lampaert all sacrificed their chances for him in the finale, with Gilbert the most impressive of the lot, with a huge turn on the front inside the final 5km. Their work was undone when was Viviani caught in the wheels. A split second of hesitation, saw him go around to the right and back onto Démare’s wheel but by the damage was done.

How it unfolded

The decisive Kemmelberg

You can read more at Cyclingnews.com

via Cyclingnews Latest Race Results http://www.cyclingnews.com/races/gent-wevelgem-2018/results

Rosa wins Coppi e Bartali

https://ift.tt/2pHaZ4f

Jan Tratnik (CCC Sprandi) won the finale stage 4 time trial at Settimana Internazionale Coppi e Bartali on Sunday. He won the 12.5km course from Fiorano Modenese to Montegibbio in 19:22 beating race leader Diego Rosa (Team Sky) by 28 seconds and Victor de la Parte (Movistar) by 32 seconds.

Rosa's time was enough to secure the overall title at the four-day, five-stage race beating nearest rival Bauke Mollema (Trek-Segafredo) by 20 seconds and third placed Richard Carapaz (Movistar Team) by over a minute.

ADVERTISEMENT

 

You can read more at Cyclingnews.com

via Cyclingnews Latest Race Results http://www.cyclingnews.com/races/settimana-internazionale-coppi-e-bartali-2018/stage-4/results

Volta a Catalunya: Simon Yates wins final stage, Valverde takes overall

https://ift.tt/2pHaZ4f

Alejandro Valverde (Movistar) had to fight every metre of the way to win his third Volta a Catalunya in a dramatic, crash-ridden finale that saw second-placed Egan Bernal (Team Sky) abandon the race injured, and Simon Yates (Michelton-Scott) take the stage win.

The defending champion responded personally to several attacks by Bernal and Yates on a tumultuous series of multiple 6.6-kilometre laps of the slippery, hilly final circuit through the Montjuic Park in Barcelona.

Yates went clear first with teammate Daryl Impey, then formed a four-rider attack with another Michelton-Scott rider, Carlos Verona. He finally dropped Valverde’s teammate Marc Soler - who had beaten the Briton recently in Paris-Nice - to claim the stage win alone.

ADVERTISEMENT

Valverde, however, remained the overall leader, taking the Volta a Catalunya ahead of Nairo Quintana - the overall winner in 2016 - and Pierre LaTour (AG2R La Mondiale). It was Valverde’s third stage race win of the season, after the Volta a Valencia and Tour of Abu Dhabi. Next stop: the Ardennes.

"It's been a very hard-fought race, and overall we did very well," Valverde said, "with me in first, Nairo second, Marc fifth and second on today's stage and the teams prize. I'm just sorry about what happened to Bernal.

"It's just sad proof that we are right to say something is never won 'til you cross the final finishing line."

You can read more at Cyclingnews.com

via Cyclingnews Latest Race Results http://www.cyclingnews.com/races/volta-ciclista-a-catalunya-2018/stage-7/results

Marta Bastianelli wins Gent-Wevelgem women's race

https://ift.tt/2pHaZ4f

Marta Bastianelli (Alé Cipollini) won Gent-Wevelgem in a sprint from a group of just over thirty riders after a hard-fought finale. Jolien D'hoore (Mitchelton-Scott) narrowly missed victory for the second year in a row, but takes the overall lead in the UCI Women's WorldTour. Lisa Klein (Canyon-SRAM) sprinted to third place.

The main difficulties of the 142.6-kilometre race were the three climbs of the Baneberg, Kemmelberg, and Monteberg, each being ascended twice, as well as three Plugstreet gravel sections in between the two hilly loops.

No rider could get away from the peloton for more than a few minutes on the first 50 kilometres. There were some splits on the Baneberg and the Kemmelberg, but after the Monteberg everything had come back together.

ADVERTISEMENT

Next up where the three Plugstreets, stretches of gravel roads named for World War 1 events. Raced at high speed, the peloton split into three groups here. The lead group was up to 28 seconds ahead of the second bunch, but the three groups joined up again on the run-in to the second ascent of the Baneberg.

With under 50km to go, the final started here, as a group of six riders attacked just before the climb. They were caught immediately, but the peloton split into two groups in this chase. The two groups came back together before the Kemmelberg, and it was there, with 38km to go, that the decisive move would be made.

The top riders led up the steep cobbled slopes themselves, and after the descent a group of 16 riders had gotten clear of the next group. Most sprinters couldn't keep up with the best puncheurs - Jolien D'hoore was in the first chase group that was quickly brought back to the front by her teammate Gracie Elvin.

You can read more at Cyclingnews.com

via Cyclingnews Latest Race Results http://www.cyclingnews.com/races/gent-wevelgem-women-2018/results

Artem Ovechkin wins 2018 Tour de Langkawi

https://ift.tt/2pHaZ4f

Artem Ovechkin has made history for Malaysian cycling with the Russian holding off a plethora of attacks to deliver overall victory for the Terengganu Continental outfit at the Tour de Langkawi. In 23 editions of the race, the win is the first for a Malaysian team.

In the final stage from Rembau to the capital Kuala Lumpur, Andrea Guardini won his second stage of the race and 24th overall. The Bardiani-CSF sprinter getting the better of compatriots Manuel Belletti and Luca Pacioni. Ovechkin safely placed in the bunch in 37th place.

"I thought it was would be easy but it was not easy. It was a very hard day. After two mountains, the breakaway went away with one or two good guys on GC," Ovechkin told Cyclingnews on the finish line. "I am very happy of course. Thank you very much to all my team and staff. I am very happy."

ADVERTISEMENT

In an aggressive final stage, Arturo Sierra and Amanuel Gebreigzabhier both enjoyed moments as the virtual leader of the race. However, the work of Rally and Bardiani-CSF ensured the sprint final with Guardini keeping intact his winning record in the Kuala Lumpur finale.

"Start the sprint before the others," Guardini said of the secret to his success in the capital. "Some guys start the sprint with 150 metres but I know it will be too late. I was also a bit lucky because the Androni guys leave me space in the left and I say. 'It is unbelievable'. They leave me space and I start and say ok this is my best finish ever."

The win also gave Guardini the points classification ahead of Riccardo Minali after the Astana rider suffered a mechanical in the final 600 meters and could only finish eighth. There was also a change in the mountains classification with Alvaro Raul Duarte of Forca Amskins claiming the red polka dot jersey. Another classification win for a Malaysian team.

How it unfolded

You can read more at Cyclingnews.com

via Cyclingnews Latest Race Results http://www.cyclingnews.com/races/le-tour-de-langkawi-2018/stage-8/results

Quaade wins Classic Loire Atlantique

https://ift.tt/eA8V8J

You can read more at Cyclingnews.com

via Cyclingnews Latest Race Results http://www.cyclingnews.com/races/classic-loire-atlantique-2018/results

Sharlotte Lucas wins women's Oceania road race title

https://ift.tt/eA8V8J

You can read more at Cyclingnews.com

via Cyclingnews Latest Race Results http://www.cyclingnews.com/races/oceania-championships-2018/elite-women-road-race/results

At home with Julien Vermote - Gallery

https://ift.tt/2I4H39Z

Julien Vermote wakes up with heavy legs and a foggy head. It’s the morning after Kuurne-Brussel-Kuurne and, after making himself a coffee, he gets ready to head out for a recovery ride. As well as spinning out the lactate from his legs, he’ll also be spinning out a lingering sense of disappointment.

The Belgian was a late attacker at Kuurne and was on his way to a sensational victory until he was unceremoniously caught by the peloton just 200 metres shy of the line. Scarcely two kilometres from his home, it cut deep. "It will take a long time to swallow this," he said, pale as a ghost.

On the Monday morning, as he welcomes Cyclingnews into his home on the outskirts of Kortrijk, he’s slightly more philosophical. "Ah, it’s ok, at least I tried, eh?"

ADVERTISEMENT

Vermote wraps up against the icy conditions and heads into town to pick up his old teammate Zdenek Stybar from Quick-Step’s hotel. After an hour’s riding through the network of narrow roads in the Flanders countryside, they stop for lunch and meet up with another old friend, Niki Terpstra.

"During the Classics it’s nice to go out with the guys like Styby. You can catch up again. A lot of guys stay around Kortrijk, so in that’s really nice because we don’t see each other so much, and at the races you never have enough time to speak. So when they’re staying so close to your home it’s easy."

Vermote's training routes

You can read more at Cyclingnews.com

via Cyclingnews Latest Interviews and Features http://www.cyclingnews.com/features/at-home-with-julien-vermote-gallery

Coppi e Bartali: Lawless wins stage 3

https://ift.tt/2HZWKit

Chris Lawless (Team Sky) won stage 3 at Settimana Internazionale Coppi e Bartali from a reduced bunch sprint in Crevalcore on Saturday. He beat Italians Paolo Toto (Sangemini-MG.Kvis) and Lorenzo Rota (Bardiani CSF).

Lawless' teammate Diego Rosa was in the front group and retained his lead in the overall classification heading into the final stage on Sunday, a 12.5km time trial from Fiorano Modenese to Montegibbio.

Stage 3 at Coppi e Bartali was one for the sprinters, a pan flat 171km circuit in Crevalcore. Bauke Mollema (Trek-Segafredo) won the uphill finish during the previous day's stage 2, however, Rosa placed a close second and moved into the overall race lead.

ADVERTISEMENT

An early breakaway emerged included Remy Di Gregorio (Delko Marseille), Michal Paluta (CCC), Dimitri Peyskens (WB Aqua Protect), Peter Williams (One Pro Cycling) and Christofer Jurado (Trevigiani), Marco Coledan and Jacopo Mosca (Wilier Triestina - Selle Italia).

Bardiani CSF, along with Team Sky, controlled the pace ahead of the main field to keep the five riders at a 2:30. It wasn't until the final stretch that the teams picked up speed to reel in the breakaway with 35km to go but the higher speeds caused the main field to split.

The leading group included roughly 40 riders and with most of the main GC contenders, with the exception of third place overall Koen Bouwman (LottoNL-Jumbo), who took a hard fall during stage 2 but still started the third stage.

You can read more at Cyclingnews.com

via Cyclingnews Latest Race Results http://www.cyclingnews.com/races/settimana-internazionale-coppi-e-bartali-2018/stage-3/results

Volta a Catalunya: Schachmann wins shortened stage 6

https://ift.tt/2HZWKit

Maximilian Schachmann (Quick-Step Floors) came out on top in a two-up sprint to decide stage 6 of the Volta a Catalunya. The 24-year-old German outsprinted breakaway companion Diego Rubio (Burgos BH) with Sam Bennett (Bora-hansgrohe) leading home the peloton in third.

Alejandro Valverde (Movistar) finished safely within the peloton to retain his overall lead with one stage remaining in the race.

The leading pair broke away early in the stage and built up an advantage of around four minutes. The stage had been shortened from 194 to 117 kilometres due to fear of snow, but the riders still had to deal with pouring rain and windy conditions throughout. In the end, it was the wind that saved the break, with a strong tailwind carrying them all the way to the finish in Vielha.

ADVERTISEMENT

The peloton began to chase their chase too late but with 27km remaining the bunch split to pieces due to crosswinds, with Mitchelton-Scott, Bahrain-Merida and Bora-hansgrohe doing the majority of the work.

Schachmann and Rubio had seen their lead shrink to two minutes with 50km to go but with 15km remaining the gap still hovered at just under a minute. They still had a chance.

The bunch at this point was down to less than 40 riders, and the firepower was lacking when it came to narrowing the gap. The sprinters’ teams rallied in the final 5km and reduced the gap to 28 seconds but when the two leaders made it under the final 1km to go banner the fate of the bunch was sealed.

You can read more at Cyclingnews.com

via Cyclingnews Latest Race Results http://www.cyclingnews.com/races/volta-ciclista-a-catalunya-2018/stage-6/results

Tour de Langkawi: Belletti wins stage 7 in Muar

https://ift.tt/2uh8POd

At the end of a dramatic five hours of racing, Manuel Belletti (Androni) held off his breakaway companion for stage 7 victory at the Tour de Langkawi. The Italian beat Eugert Zhupa (Wilier) and Ruslan Tleubayev (Astana) in the eight-rider sprint at Muar.

Artem Ovechkin (Terengganu) was facing the possibility of losing his race lead after a dramatic opening 100km of racing but recovered his early deficit to arrive in the peloton 1:28 minutes after the breakaway. With one stage to come, he now leads Lukasz Owsian (CCC) with the Pole jumping into second place from 18th via the breakaway.

Ben Dyball (St George) lost his second place overall but holds his podium position as the top-ten was reshuffled. Giuseppe Fonzi (Wilier) and Brendon Davids (Bennelong SwissWellness) also making a major leap up the standings as the breakaway got the better of the peloton for the second time this week.

ADVERTISEMENT

"For me, it is a big relief to win today after two years, especially after last year when my season was ruined by a salmonella virus," said Belletti off his first win since re-joining Androni. "This year I started in Argentina at the Vuelta San Juan with a great condition but on stage 3 there was a crash and I broke my collarbone and three ribs. To come back from that crash and winning today is a big relief. I hope to continue this way starting from tomorrow when I try to win again."

Belletti, a Giro d'Italia stage winner, rejoined Androni in 2018 ten years after he started as a professional with Gianni Savio's Pro-Continental team.

With just under one minute separating second place to 15th on GC, the final stage of the Tour de Langkawi from Rembau to Kuala Lumpur is expected to be another explosive final. However, overall victory for Ovechkin looks but all assured after he his Terengganu team weathered the storm of stage 7 and are set to make history for Malaysian cycling with the victory. A first for a Malaysian team in the 23 editions of the race.

How it unfolded

You can read more at Cyclingnews.com

via Cyclingnews Latest Race Results http://www.cyclingnews.com/races/le-tour-de-langkawi-2018/stage-7/results

Cape Epic: Leaders extend their advantages in stage 5 time trial

https://ift.tt/2uh8POd

Yellow and Orange are increasingly beginning to look like gold as the men’s and women’s leader jersey wearers consolidated their leads in Friday’s Absa Cape Epic Stage 5 time-trial.

With just two more stages to go the men’s and women’s Investec Songo Specialized teams have built up leads that they should defend comfortably barring serious health or mechanical setbacks.

In a day of soaring temperatures, Czech Jaroslav Kulhavy and Howard Grotts of the USA tightened their hold on the Men’s category yellow jersey as they added another three minutes to their overall cushion.

ADVERTISEMENT

On paper the course, with an eye-watering 1,430m of vertical gain, looked to favour the cross-country specialists – more specifically the Cannondale Factory Racing team and prologue winners, Centurion Vaude.

But Cannondale were the biggest losers of the day, a result of Thursday’s heroic efforts having caught up with them. German Manuel Fumic and Brazilian Henrique Avancini looked out of sorts for most of the route, the latter of whom took tremendous strain on the climbs.

“We rode really hard and took some risks,” said Avancini. “We gave it a shot but had no legs … it is what it is.”

Langvad and Courtney continue dominant performance

You can read more at Cyclingnews.com

via Cyclingnews Latest Race Results http://www.cyclingnews.com/races/cape-epic-2018/stage-5/results

Terpstra wins E3 Harelbeke

https://ift.tt/2uh8POd

Niki Terpstra became the first Dutchman to win E3 Harelbeke since Steven de Jongh in 2003, after a dominant performance by the Quick-Step Floors team. Terpstra soloed to the line after initially getting away on the Taaienberg with teammate Yves Lampaert with more than 70 kilometres remaining.

Philippe Gilbert made it a 1-2 for the Quick-Step team, with defending champion Greg Van Avermaet (BMC Racing) rounding out the podium. World champion Peter Sagan (Bora-Hansgrohe) had another difficult E3 Harelbeke, crashing in the early stages, getting dropped in the final 40 kilometres and finishing over three minutes down.

Quick-Step took the race by the scruff of the neck with more than half the race still to run after a crash held up a large portion of the peloton, including several of the pre-race favourites. The drive, which was assisted by Lotto Soudal, cut chunks out of the advantage of the day's breakaway. With the remaining leaders within toughing distance, Terpstra and Lampaert attacked on the Taaienberg.

ADVERTISEMENT

With Gilbert and Zdenek Stybar to run interference behind, the Quick-Step pairing built an advantage that the chasers struggled to shut down. As the race hit the penultimate helling, the Karnemelkbeekstraat, it looked like it might be about to fall apart for the Belgian team as Lampaert began to struggle. Terpstra seemed unsure of carrying on alone and held back to wait for his ailing teammate as Gilbert attacked behind.

Lampaert got back on, but Gilbert was stuck in no-man's land and eventually sat up and waited. Lampaert's resurgence didn't last long and it was eventually left to Terpstra to try and bring it home for the Belgian outfit. The group behind - with Van Avermaet and two teammates, Sep Vanmarcke (EF Education First-Drapac), Matteo Trentin (Mitchelton-Scott) and Oliver Naesen (AG2R La Mondiale) among others – cut the gap to Terpstra to 12 seconds with three kilometres remaining.

However, they ruined any chance of catching the flying Dutchman by playing cat-and-mouse games, appearing to be racing for second place rather than the victory. Their repeated attacks and lulls slowed the chase and allowed Terpstra to build his lead to 19 seconds, even with a slowdown to celebrate his second win of the Classics.

How it unfolded

Quick-Step Floors' to lose

You can read more at Cyclingnews.com

via Cyclingnews Latest Race Results http://www.cyclingnews.com/races/e3-harelbeke-2018/results

Mollema wins stage 2 of Coppi e Bartali

https://ift.tt/2uh8POd

Bauke Mollema (Trek-Segafredo) claimed his first win of the 2018 season, taking out an uphill sprint win over Team Sky's Diego Rosa on stage 2 of the Settimana Internazionale Coppi e Bartali.

Mollema had a strong start to the season with fourth place overall in the Volta ao Algarve, but had a bad Paris-Nice due to an infection. He was pleased to find that he had recovered his form.

"I am happy with the win today, especially after the last two weeks; I was not feeling too good, my blood values were not good, and I was feeling tired all the time," Mollema said. "In Paris-Nice I could see something was off: I didn't have the right legs, and I couldn't train very hard in the last weeks. Luckily in the last couple of days, I already felt much better.

ADVERTISEMENT

"Only on Monday evening did we decide that I could start here, and I was not sure about the form and how my body would react to racing again. But yesterday already I felt really good. It's strange how things can change in one week's time."

Rosa finished two seconds behind, but gained the overall race lead after the first stage breakaway riders, Pascal Eenkhoorn (LottoNl-Jumbo) and Lawson Craddock (EF Education First-Drapac) were distanced on the short, punchy 130km stage from Riccione to Sogliano al Rubicone.

In the finale, the peloton tackled a tough climb of the Ville di Monte Tiffi - a 4.7km climb averaging 7.7% - three times, cresting the last ascent with 8.8 rolling kilometers remaining before an uphill push to the line.

You can read more at Cyclingnews.com

via Cyclingnews Latest Race Results http://www.cyclingnews.com/races/settimana-internazionale-coppi-e-bartali-2018/stage-2/results

GB win three golds on day two of Para-cycling Worlds in Rio

https://ift.tt/eA8V8J

British tandem pairings Lora Fachie and Corrine Hall and Steve Bate and Adam Duggleby win individual pursuit gold at the Para-cycling Track World Championships in Brazil.

via BBC Sport - Cycling http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/disability-sport/43525539

Wout Van Aert: Belgium's next big thing?

https://ift.tt/2HZKwq3

In the latest instalment in Cyclingnews' 'Belgian Week' series of features, Jan-Pieter de Vlieger, cycling correspondent at Belgian national newspaper Het Nieuwsblad, profiles rising star Wout Van Aert.

For all our Belgian Week content, click here.

With 20 kilometres to go in Strade Bianche, Roger De Vlaeminck sends a text message. He’s watching the race at his home in Kaprijke, in his electric adjustable easychair. He writes: “Van Aert is going to win. Strongest rider in the race.”

ADVERTISEMENT

Van Aert didn’t win, he came third. “Too much at the front,” De Vlaeminck observed. “Foolish boy. But mark my words, next year he’ll be the strongest Belgian rider in the Classics.”

It is safe to say that what Van Aert did in Strade Bianche was extraordinary. He must be the first rider since Roger de Vlaeminck to impress Roger De Vlaeminck.

When Van Aert first announced that he would ride the Classics after an exhausting cyclo-cross winter, many armchair experts like myself were convinced that he was biting off more than he could chew. No-one really believed he would be up to par with ‘fresh’ World Tour-riders.

An interesting character

No more choking

Every WorldTour team wants to sign Van Aert

You can read more at Cyclingnews.com

via Cyclingnews Latest Interviews and Features http://www.cyclingnews.com/features/wout-van-aert-belgiums-next-big-thing

Volta a Catalunya: Pantano wins on Vielha

https://ift.tt/2IMUdcO

Jarlinson Pantano (Trek-Segafredo) beat Vegard Stake Laengen (UAE Team Emirates) to win stage 5 of the Volta a Catalunya after both emerged from the break of the day during the long ride through the Pyrenees.

The Colombian got a gap on Laengen on the fast descent to the finish in Vielha Val d’Aran and held him off to win with his arms in the air.

Matej Mohoric (Bahrain-Merida) used his descending skills to jump from the peloton to the remains of the break and then powered clear. He celebrated at the finish, thinking he had won the stage but was third.

Alejandro Valverde (Movistar) finished eighth on the stage, 14 seconds behind Pantano and so kept his race lead. Egan Bernal (Team Sky) is second overall at 16 seconds, with Nairo Quintana (Movistar) third at 26 seconds.

ADVERTISEMENT

Alejandro Valverde (Movistar) finished eighth on the stage, 14 seconds behind Pantano and so kept his race lead. Egan Bernal (Team Sky) is second overall at 16 seconds, with Nairo Quintana (Movistar) third at 26 seconds with just two stages left to race.

“It was a desperate, high-speed finale,” Pantano explained, happy to have won a road race for the first time since his 2016 Tour de France stage.

“I had a good partner with me, I don't know about the others but I knew our breakaway was a very strong one. It's just wonderful to come home with the victory. The descent was very technical, it was good to have Laengen for company, but in the end, I pulled it off.”

How it happened

You can read more at Cyclingnews.com

via Cyclingnews Latest Race Results http://www.cyclingnews.com/races/volta-ciclista-a-catalunya-2018/stage-5/results

Tour de Langkawi: Pacioni wins stage 6

https://ift.tt/2IMUdcO

Having already won in Gabon and Taiwan this season, Luca Pacioni continued his winning start to his Wilier Triestina-Selle Italia career with stage 6 victory at the Tour de Langkawi. Pacioni beat Riccardo Minali (Astana), who has two stages in the race this year, and Malaysian Mohd Harrif Saleh (Terengganu) to the win. Andrea Guardini (Bardiani-CSF) was fourth.

Artem Ovechkin (Terengganu) finished safely in the bunch and retains the yellow jersey over Ben Dyball (St George) with two stages to race.

"This is my most beautiful victory so far after I won the last stages of Tour of Taiwan and Tropicale Amissa Bongo," said Pacioni, a former Lampre-Merida stagiaire who joined the team from Androni at the end of last season.

"Now with these three victories I have shown the team that I can also be a sprinter and deserve respect as a sprinter. In the team we have Jakub Mareczko, he was winning sprints here the last two years, and he is faster than me. I am not a pure sprinter but I am not afraid of putting myself in the sprints."

For Terengganu, it was the team's first day defending a leader's jersey at HC level and passed with little stress. Third place for Harrif and tenth place for Metkel Eyob in the sprint ensuring a successful day all around.

"It was okay today. Bardiani took a lot of responsibility. They obviously wanted to set it up for Guardini so it was just a matter of making sure no one dangerous went up the road," TSG's Drew Morey told Cyclingnews of the day defending yellow.

"We had two guys up the road working with Bardiani-CSF and then some of the bigger teams took control which was nice for us."

Ovechkin, who described stage 6 as "an easy day", is sure to be tested on stage seven with six categorised climbs and 222.4 kilometres on the menu. The stage is expected to finish in a group sprint but the 2018 Tour de Langkawi is proving to be a race full of surprises.

How it unfolded

ADVERTISEMENT

After the transfer down Cameron Highlands, the peloton assembled in Tapah for stage 6 of the Tour de Langkawi. The shortest stage of the race at just over 100km was expected to see a return to the field sprint finals.

With no break forming by the first sprint and key seconds on offer for the GC riders, Astana's Yevgeniy Gidich stole in behind Jacob Hennessy for two seconds with Amanuel Ghebreigzabhier claimed third and one second. The time bonuses would not change the top-ten overall, at least for for now.

Perez Perez (7/11), Amir Mustafa (Forca Amskins) and Genki Yamamoto (Kinan), with Drew Morey (Terengganu) in pursuit, came close to initially the day's breakaway. Turakit Boonratanathanakorn then made his solo move with Perez launching a late bid to join the Thai rider. Boonratanathanakorn pushed on alone at the halfway mark of the race as the rains begun to fall and quickly saw his lead reach 2:30 minutes. Wang Bo (Hengxiang) wasn't fazed by the time gap and also tried to bridge, albeit unsuccessfully as he was stuck in no man's land.

At the sole categorised climb of the day in Felda Besout, Boonratanathanakorn had 3:20 minutes as the rain continued to fall. The sprint teams came to the front of the peloton to control the move, bringing his lead down to 1:30 minutes with 20km to race.

There was added drama to the catch as Andrea Guardini suffered a mechanical and a number of attacks were launched from the peloton before Boonratanathanakorn was swallowed up with five kilometres to race.

Guardini's Bardiani-CSF squad took up the reins in the finale but it was Wilier Triestina-Selle Italia and Luca Pacioni taking the victory following excellent lead-out work by Eugert Zhupa. Pacioni becoming the fifth winner in six stages of the 2018 Tour de Langkawi and third Italian after Guardini and Minali.

 

You can read more at Cyclingnews.com

via Cyclingnews Latest Race Results http://www.cyclingnews.com/races/le-tour-de-langkawi-2018/stage-6/results

Cape Epic: Rohrbach/Geismayr win Queen stage; Kulhavy/Grotts keep overall lead

https://ift.tt/2IMUdcO

The “super brutal” Queen Stage on Thursday duly delivered a battle royal for supremacy in the Men’s category race and a gift to women’s leader Annika Langvad on her birthday.

But the drama began even before the starting gun when Team Spurs’ gutsy Githa Michiels, lying second in the Women’s category with Ariane Luthi, had to pull out with a fever shortly before the race was due to begin.

That left Langvad and partner Kate Courtney (Investec Songo Specialized) with a comfortable lead in the women’s race and they duly extended it. After a solitary night in Worcester, the race transitioned to Wellington via the testing 113km/1800m Stage 4.

ADVERTISEMENT

In the Men’s category, Cannondale Factory Racing’s Manuel Fumic and Henrique Avancini were on a mission to rectify their tactical mistakes on Stage 3, when they relinquished their lead and yellow jersey to Investec Songo Specialized.

Alban Lakata and Kristian Hynek (Canyon Topeak) pushed the pace of the leading pack early in the stage in a ploy to hurt Howard Grotts of Investec Songo Specialized. It worked – and Grotts, the first American to wear the yellow zebra jersey, had no choice but to call on his powerful partner, Jaroslav Kulhavy, for assistance.

“I only had one speed out there today, so it was very tough for me but Jaroslav (Kulhavy) was helpful, riding at my pace,” said Grotts.

You can read more at Cyclingnews.com

via Cyclingnews Latest Race Results http://www.cyclingnews.com/races/cape-epic-2018/stage-4/results

Volta a Catalunya: Valverde wins stage 4 in La Molina

https://ift.tt/2pA5PqB

The Movistar team dominated the mountain stage up to the ski resort of La Molina in the Volta a Catalunya, with Alejandro Valverde winning the stage and taking back the overall race lead.

Egan Bernal (Team Sky) and Pierre Latour (AG2R La Mondiale) were the only two able to respond when Valverde, Nairo Quintana and Marc Soler forced the selection in the final seven kilometres of the stage. Bernal bravely tried to attack the trio and eventually distanced Soler but then Quintana and Valverde worked him over, with the veteran Spaniard jumping past his younger rival to win the stage.

Quintana finished six seconds back with Latour fighting to hold on for fourth place at 23 seconds. Thibaut Pinot (Groupama-FDJ) brought home the chase but was 53 seconds behind.

ADVERTISEMENT

Valverde now leads Bernal by 19 seconds in the general classification, with Quintana moving up to third at 26 seconds after overnight leader Thomas De Gendt (Lotto Soudal) finished well behind the leaders.

Pinot, Dan Martin (UAE Team Emirates), George Bennett and Steven Kruijswijk (LottoNL-Jumbo), Simon Yates, Hugh Carthy (EF Education Frist-Drapac) and Ben Hermans (Israel Cycling Project) are now all more than a minute behind in the overall classification.

"It was very hard, very cold day. The team rode like ten men, they controlled the race the whole time. Soler and Quintana made it very easy for me, all I had to do was finish," Valverde said, showing respect to young rival Bernal but happy to have won for a seventh time this season.

From the sun to the snow

You can read more at Cyclingnews.com

via Cyclingnews Latest Race Results http://www.cyclingnews.com/races/volta-ciclista-a-catalunya-2018/stage-4/results

Coppi e Bartali: Team Sky win stage 1b TTT

https://ift.tt/2pA5PqB

Team Sky claimed the victory in the short team time trial half-stage on the opening day of the Settimana Internazionale Coppi e Bartali. The result moved Sky's Chris Lawless into third overall behind the two escapees of the morning's stage, Pascal Eenkhoorn and Lawson Craddock.

Eenkhoorn's LottoNL-Jumbo team came in fourth on the stage, 11 seconds behind Sky and only one second behind Mitchelton-Scott and CCC Sprandi Polkowice. But more importantly, the Dutch team extended Eenkhoorn's lead by topping EF Education First-Drapac by 10 seconds.

ADVERTISEMENT

“I didn’t feel super strong, but I could keep up with the pace. We really went very fast," Eenkhoorn said afterwards. “In the end, there were five of us left, finishing just behind the number two and three in about the same time. It’s nice that I got some extra time bonus in the general classification because of it.”

Craddock is now 12 seconds back in second place overall with three stages to come.

You can read more at Cyclingnews.com

via Cyclingnews Latest Race Results http://www.cyclingnews.com/races/settimana-internazionale-coppi-e-bartali-2018/stage-1b/results

D'hoore wins Women's WorldTour race in De Panne

https://ift.tt/2pA5PqB

Belgian champion Jolien D'hoore (Mitchelton-Scott) won the sprint finish at the Driedaagse De Panne one-day race on Thursday, March 22. D'hoore outsprinted Chloe Hosking (Alé Cipollini) and Christine Majerus (Boels Dolmans) after the last escapee, Mieke Kröger (Team Virtu Cycling), was caught on the final kilometre.

Kasia Niewiadoma (Canyon-SRAM) didn't race today but stays in the lead of the UCI Women's WorldTour after four races.

Starting in Bruges, the peloton faced 151.7 kilometres to De Panne, mostly close to the Flemish coast. It rained for the first half of the race, and strong winds were certain to play an important part. Fifteen riders formed a break on a cobblestone section about 15km into the race and built an advantage of 1:30 minutes on the peloton.

ADVERTISEMENT

Though the gap never got larger than 1:45 minutes, the escapees kept the chasers at least a minute behind for most of the race as the peloton was split in crosswinds or slowed down by crashes. Jeanne Korevaar (WaowDeals) was dropped from the break with a mechanical with 97km to go, and Christine Majerus suffered the same fate 40km later, leaving a front group of 13 riders at the 50km mark.

In the open, windswept landscape, the peloton split into several echelons, which raised the speed. The break was only 45 seconds ahead entering the final circuits around De Panne with 34km to go. Sara Penton (Team Virtu Cycling) and Moniek Tenniglo (FDJ Nouvelle-Aquitaine Futuroscope) crashed on tram tracks running in the road on the first of two laps, as did several riders in the peloton.

This led to the gap increasing to a full minute again, but only eight riders remained in front. The decisive move included Romy Kasper (Alé Cipollini), Emma Norsgaard Jørgensen (Cervélo-Bigla), Sheyla Gutierrez (Cylance), Gracie Elvin (Mitchelton-Scott), Mieke Kröger (Team Virtu Cycling), Katarzyna Pawlowska (Team Virtu Cycling), Monique van de Ree (WaowDeals), and Eva Buurman (Trek-Drops).

— Voxwomen (@Voxwomen) March 22, 2018

You can read more at Cyclingnews.com

via Cyclingnews Latest Race Results http://www.cyclingnews.com/races/driedaagse-de-panne-koksijde-women-2018/results

Commonwealth Games 2018: Mark Cavendish forced to withdraw through injury

http://ift.tt/eA8V8J

Mark Cavendish withdraws from the Isle of Man team set to compete at April's Commonwealth Games in Australia.

via BBC Sport - Cycling http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/commonwealth-games/43520573

Para-cycling Track World Championships: GB's Jody Cundy & Katie Toft win gold

http://ift.tt/eA8V8J

Jody Cundy and Katie Toft both claim gold for Great Britain on the opening day at the Para-cycling Track World Championships in Brazil.

via BBC Sport - Cycling http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/disability-sport/43512335

Women's Tour of Flanders: Six of the best

http://ift.tt/2IL0DsX

This article is part of 'Belgian Week''on Cyclingnews, a special run of features to celebrate the start of the Classics. For all our Belgian Week content click here. 

While the Tour of Flanders might not be the longest standing event on the women's calendar, it has become an integral part of the spring calendar since its inception 14 years ago. It is also the sixth round of the 2018 Women's WorldTour.

The women's peloton had long been taking on the rough hellingen - hills - around Flanders, but 2004 was the first time that an official Ronde Van Vlaanderen voor Vrouwen took place. The event has developed over the years from the decidedly short 94km offering in its inaugural edition to last year's race, which came in at 153km.

ADVERTISEMENT

After being broadcast online in recent seasons, the 15th edition of the race will be the first to be broadcast on television.

Cyclingnews has been digging through the race's archives and reliving some of the best moments that Flanders' Finest has had to offer over the past 14 years.

2004

Winner: Zoulfia Zabirova

What the inaugural edition of the women's Tour of Flanders lacked in distance, it made up for in aggressive racing. Starting in Oudenaarde, several years before the men's finish moved there, the race took in nine climbs, including the double-header of the Muur van Geraardsbergen and the Bosberg before the finish in Meerbeke.

2006

Winner: Mirjam Melchers-Van Poppel

2012

Winner: Judith Arndt

2014

Winner: Ellen van Dijk

2015

Winner: Elisa Longo Borghini

2017

Winner: Coryn Rivera

You can read more at Cyclingnews.com

via Cyclingnews Latest Interviews and Features http://www.cyclingnews.com/features/womens-tour-of-flanders-six-of-the-best

Naesen: Even the greatest riders are only normal people

http://ift.tt/2IL0DsX

This article is part of 'Belgian Week' on Cyclingnews, a special run of features to celebrate the start of the Classics. For all our Belgian Week content click here. 

The Tiegemberg is far from the steepest climb in the Flemish Ardennes, but the contours on the map would be altogether tighter if the cartographer had accounted for its positioning in the final, frantic kilometres of E3 Harelbeke.

A year ago, Oliver Naesen began to lose contact with the winning move at Harelbeke following Philippe Gilbert’s sustained application of pressure on the Tiegemberg, and he crested the summit with 20 metres or so to recoup: a relative eon in the units of measurement particular to this corner of the world at this time of the year. Even so, Naesen stuck grimly to his task as the road dipped over the other side, and gradually began to claw back the inches that separated him from Gilbert and the third man in the equation, Greg Van Avermaet.

ADVERTISEMENT

That Naesen counts Van Avermaet as both a training partner and friend was of no help whatsoever to his pursuit, however. No, rather than stall Gilbert, his one-time foe at BMC, Van Avermaet came to the front just as his friend was drawing close enough to touch their coattails. He delivered a stinging turn that threatened to distance Naesen all over again.

In Flanders, a race is a race and Naesen wouldn’t have it any other way.

“Friends or not friends, it’s professional cycling,” Naesen says a year on. “We made it clear to ourselves and to each other: no matter how good he is or I am, we just have to race full for the victory. I would never be angry if he rides against me and I don’t think he would be angry if I ride against him. The day after you have to be able to say, ‘Yesterday was a race and today is another day.’”

Being thrown a lifeline

A team is only as strong as its leader

Even the greatest are only normal people

You can read more at Cyclingnews.com

via Cyclingnews Latest Interviews and Features http://www.cyclingnews.com/features/naesen-even-the-greatest-riders-are-only-normal-people