©ASO / Thomas Maheux

Tour de France femmes avec Zwift: Annemiek Van Vleuten (Movistar Team) at the top

By winning the final two mountain stages of the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift, the Dutch rider Annemiek Van Vleuten (Movistar Team) proved to everyone she was the strongest on Sunday. At the age of 39, she won the first edition of the new formula event, 33 years after the success of Jeannie Longo: “Winning at the top with the yellow jersey is a dream come true. I’m super proud to be the first winner of the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift. It’s a wonderful start for this new event and I hope we can build an even bigger event in the future. Now I can party, celebrate this victory and eat pizza!” commented the triple world champion (2017, 2018, 2019) and Olympic champion (2021). 

Also, the winner of two stages and wearing the leader’s jersey for five days, Marianne Vos (Team Jumbo-Visma) was one of the riders who left their mark on the event. Second behind the unstoppable Van Vleuten during the final stage of the Super Planche des Belles Filles, Demi Vollering (Team SD Worx) took the polka dot jersey for the best climber.

The results: 1. Annemiek Van Vleuten (Movistar Team), 2. Demi Vollering (Team SD Worx), 3. Katarzyna Niewiadoma (Canyon/SRAM Racing)…

Stages won by: Lorena Wiebes (Team DSM), Marianne Vos (Team Jumbo-Visma), Cécilie Uttrup Ludwig (FDJ-Suez-Futuroscope), Marlen Reusser (Team SD Worx), Lorena Wiebes (Team DSM), Marianne Vos (Team Jumbo-Visma), Annemiek Van Vleuten (Movistar Team), Annemiek Van Vleuten (Movistar Team).

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Ethias Tour de Wallonie : Robert Stannard (Alpecin-Deceuninck) seizes his chance

Robert Stannard (Alpecin-Deceuninck) won the 43rd edition of the Ethia-Tour de Wallonie on Wednesday. The 23-year-old Australian rider was ahead of Loïc Vliegen (Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert Matériaux) and Mattias Skjelmose Jensen (Trek-Segafredo) in the general classification.

Winner of the first stage, the reigning double world champion Julian Alaphilippe (Alpecin-Deceuninck) was forced to abandon ahead of the 3rd stage after testing positive for Covid.

The results: 1. Robert Stannard (Alpecin-Deceuninck), 2. Loïc Vliegen (Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert Matériaux), 3. Mattias Skjelmose (Trek-Segafredo)…

Stages won by: Julian Alaphilippe (Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl Team), Oier Lazkano (Movistar Team), Arnaud De Lie (Lotto -Soudal), Davide Ballerini (Quick -Step Alpha Vinyl Team), Jan Bakelants (Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert Matériaux).

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Prueba Villafranca-Ordiziako Klasika: Simon Yates (Team BikeExchange Jayco) repeats his 2016 win

Simon Yates (Team BikeExchange-Jayco) won the 99th edition of the Prueba Villafranca – Ordiziako Klasika on Monday. The British climber had already won this same event in 2016. The 29-year-old rider broke away from the rest of the peloton about ten kilometers from the finish to win solo, eleven seconds ahead of his teammate from Team BikeExchange-Jayco, Dion Smith. “I made my attack in the same place as when I won in 2016, so I knew the race very well, and I chose my moment, exactly the same. This race suits me very well. The length of the climbs is really good for my characteristics,” he commented.

The results: 1. Simon Yates (Team BikeExchange Jayco), 2. Dion Smith (Team BikeExchange Jayco), 3. Xavier Canellas (Java Kiwi Atlantico)… 

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Vuelta a Castilla y LeónSimon Yates (Team BikeExchange Jayco) continues winning

By winning the second and final stage solo, beating George Bennett (UAE Team Emirates) by almost a minute, Briton Simon Yates (Team BikeExchange Jayco) won the 36th edition of the Vuelta a Castilla y León on Thursday.

The winner of the Vuelta a España in 2018, Yates already won the Prueba Villafranca-Ordiziako Klasika earlier this week, and confirms his excellent condition.

The results: 1. Simon Yates (Team BikeExchange Jayco), 2. George Bennett (UAE Team Emirates), 3. Jonathan Lastra (Caja Rural-Seguros RGA)…

Stages won by: Giacomo Nizzolo (Israël-Premier Tech), Simon Yates (Team BikeExchange Jayco).

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Donostia San Sebastian Klasikoa: Remco Evenepoel (Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl) doubles down

Remco Evenepoel (Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl) won the Clasica San Sebastian on Saturday. He had already won the event in 2019. The Belgian made the difference on the climb of Jaizkibel when he attacked 45 kilometers from the finish: “I felt super fresh so I think that’s what made the difference is the freshness. I felt good and decided to pick up the pace on the Jaizkibel climb. It was a plan laid out in advance. It went well. It was a long and difficult final,” said the 22-year-old racer. Frenchman Pavel Sivakov (Ineos Grenadiers) and Belgian Tiesj Benoot (Jumbo-Visma) completed the podium.

The results: 1. Remco Evenepoel (Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl Team), 2. Pavel Sivakov (Ineos Grenadiers), 3. Tiesj Benoot (Jumbo-Visma)…

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Tour de Pologne: Jonas Abrahamsen (Uno-X Pro Cycling Pro) leader after two stages

The first two stages of the Tour de Pologne ended in bunch sprints. On Saturday, Dutchman Olav Kooij (Jumbo-Visma) won; Gerben Thijssen (Intermarché-Wanty Gobert Matériaux) did the same on Sunday. The Norwegian Jonas Abrahamsen (Uno-X Pro Cycling Pro) took the opportunity to put on the leader’s jersey.

The Tour de Pologne will be decided on Friday at the finish of the 7th stage in Kraków.

Stages won by: Olav Kooij (Jumbo-Visma), Gerben Thijssen (Intermarché-Wanty Gobert Matériaux).

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Circuito de Getxo-Memorial Hermanos Otxos: Juan Ayuso (UAE Team Emirates) the strongest

Spaniard Juan Ayuso (UAE Team Emirates) won on Sunday at the Circuit de Getxo – Otxoa Brothers Memorial. At 19, this is his first professional victory. In a breakaway with three other riders, he sprinted ahead of his three breakaway companions, Italian Andrea Piccolo (Drone Hopper-Androni Giocattoli), Dutchman Wilco Kelderman (BORA-hansgrohe) and Frenchman Valentin Ferron (Team TotalEnergies ).

The results: 1. Juan Ayuso (UAE Team Emirates), 2. Andrea Piccolo (Drone Hopper-Androni Giocattoli), 3. Wilco Kelderman (Bora-hansgrohe)…

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Races to come:

Tour de Pologne 30/07-5/08 www.tourdepologne.pl/

Vuelta a Burgos 2-6/08 https://www.vueltaburgos.com/es/

Arctic Race of Norway 4-7/08 www.arctic-race-of-norway.com/fr

Sazca Tour 4-7/08 www.sazkatour.cz/