©ASO / Charly Lopez

Tour de France: Pogacar and Van Aert put on a showlow

Four stage victories and four other places on the podium after nine days, Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates), double defending champion of the race, and Wout Van Aert (Jumbo-Visma), make it look impressively easy and have decided to leave only crumbs to their opponents at this 109th edition. The Slovenian and the Belgian, who have now won eight stages each in the Tour since 2019, have left their mark on the start of the race.

With a 39-second lead overall over Jonas Vingegaard (Jumbo-Visma), presented as his main rival this year, Tadej Pogacar already has plenty of room to maneuver, which should allow him to manage the race, despite the abandonment of his teammate Vegard Laegen, who tested positive for Covid 19 on Saturday: “Vingegaard is very strong, yes, and he shows it. There’s going to be a fight between him and me, that’s for sure, but other favorites aren’t far behind and I don’t think there’s enough of a gap to say it’s over between them and me.”

The peloton will take advantage of Monday’s rest day to prepare in particular for the two mountain stages on Wednesday and Thursday, with finishes at the Col du Granon in Serre Chevalier and Alpe d’Huez.

Stages won by: Yves Lampaert (Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl Team), Fabio Jakobsen (Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl Team), Dylan Groenewegen (Team BikeExchange-Jayco), Wout Van Aert (Jumbo-Visma), Simon Clarke (Israël-Premier Tech), Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates), Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates), Wout Van Aert (Jumbo-Visma), Bob Jungels (AG2R Citroën Team).

***** 

Giro d’Italia Internazionale Femminile: Van Vleuten makes it three

Annemiek Van Vleuten (Movistar Team) won her third Giro on Sunday after her successes in 2018 and 2019. “This third victory is different from the other two because it was with my new team (it had won previously under the colors of Mitchelton- Scott),” said the winner. “It’s new for us, with two more big stages, so it’s quite exciting. And it’s good to be back in pink after two years of not being able to compete for my chances. In 2020 I left the Giro Donne with a broken wrist, so it feels good to finish in pink again.”

The Italian Marta Cavalli (FDJ Nouvelle-Aquitaine Futuroscope) and the Spaniard Mavi Garcia (UAE Team ADQ) complete the podium. Annemiek Van Vleuten also wore the points classification jersey, while Kristen Faulkner (Team BikeExchange-Jayco) won the mountain and Niamh Fisher-Black the best young rider classification.

The results: 1. Annemiek Van Vleuten (Movistar Team), 2. Marta Cavalli (FDJ Nouvelle-Aquitaine Futuroscope), 3. Mavi Garcia (UAE Team ADQ)…

Stages won by: Kristen Faulkner (Team BikeExchange-Jayco), Elisa Balsamo (Trek-Segafredo), Marianne Vos (Team Jumbo-Visma), Annemiek Van Vleuten (Movistar Team), Elisa Balsamo (Trek-Segafredo), Marianne Vos (Team Jumbo-Visma), Juliette Labous (Team DSM), Annemiek Van Vleuten (Movistar Team), Kristen Faulkner (Team BikeExchange-Jayco), Chiara Consonni (Valcar-Travel&Service).

*****

Races to come: 

Tour de France 1-24/07 www.letour.fr/fr/

©ASO / Charly Lopez

Tour de France: Van Aert (Jumbo-Visma) takes yellow

Wout Van Aert (Jumbo-Visma) left Sønderborg on Sunday evening wearing the leader’s yellow jersey. His happiness would be complete if the Belgian rider had not accumulated three second places during the first three stages of the Tour in Denmark: “I think I will stop sprinting [laughs]. I think it might be a record, three days in a row 2nd in the Tour de France. This time, it doesn’t make me laugh anymore, to be 2nd three days in a row. Otherwise, it was great this first day in yellow. I am very happy to bring it (the yellow jersey) back to France”.

The Jumbo-Visma rider is seven seconds ahead of Yves Lampaert (Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl Team), winner of the opening time trial on Friday, and fourteen seconds ahead of the two-time winner, Slovenian Tajed Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates).

After a day of rest on Monday, the peloton will contest the 4th stage between Dunkirk and Calais (171.5 km) on Tuesday.

Stages won by:  Yves Lampaert (Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl Team), Fabio Jakobsen (Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl Team), Dylan Groenewegen (Team BikeExchange-Jayco)

***** 

Giro d’Italia Internazionale Femminile: Elisa Balsamo (Trek-Segafredo) already in place

After a day of rest on Sunday, the Italian world champion Elisa Balsamo (Trek-Segafredo) will start in Cesena on Monday with the leader’s jersey. Third in the prologue on Thursday, she won the second stage and climbed to the top of the general classification. Balsamo is six seconds ahead of Marianne Vos (Team Jumbo-Visma). The Team BikeExchange-Jayco duo, Georgia Baker and Kristen Faulkner, follow by less than fifteen seconds.

Stages won by: Kristen Faulkner (Team BikeExchange-Jayco), Elisa Balsamo (Trek-Segafredo), Marianne Vos (Team Jumbo-Visma)

*****

Lotto Belgium Tour: Skalniak-Sojka the strongest

The 2022 Polish time trial champion Agnieszka Skalniak-Sojka (Poland) won the Lotto Belgium Tour on Thursday. Just 25 and already the winner of Gracia-Orlovà at the beginning of May, the Polish rider benefited from the failure of the general classification leader Ally Wollaston (AG Insurance-NXTG Team) during the second stage to win.

The results: 1. Agnieszka Skalniak-Sojka (Poland), 2. Shari Bossuyt (Belgium), 3. Ally Wollaston (AG Insurance-NXTG Team)…

Stages won by: Agnieszka Skalniak-Sojka (Poland), Ally Wollaston (AG Insurance-NXTG Team), Annemarie Worst (Plantur-Pura).

*****

Races to come: 

Tour de France 1-24/07 www.letour.fr/fr/

Giro d’Italia Internazionale Femminile 1-10/07 https://www.giroditaliadonne.it

Axion Swiss Bank Gran Premio Città di Lugano 10/07 www.gplugano.ch/

©Buchli Fotografie / Sam Buchli

Tour de Suisse: Thomas (Ineos Grenadiers) building up

Geraint Thomas (Ineos Grenadiers) won the 85th edition of the Tour de Suisse after finishing second in the time trial on Sunday. In this final stage the leader of the general classification Sergio Higuita (Bora-hansghore) gave up the jersey which he had snagged the stage before. “It’s good to get the victory, I’ve had a complicated time since the Tour de France 2021, it’s been a dark time in my career,” recalled Geraint Thomas. “Coming back this year, I’m trying to enjoy and build something with the team. This victory is great, especially since it was unexpected because I was not the designated leader at the start. To be honest, I’m a bit disappointed not to win the stage. For the Tour, I don’t know at all. Basically, it doesn’t matter, I will be happy to contribute to the success of the team, though I would like to play my card too,” concluded the winner of the Tour de France 2018.

The results: 1. Geraint Thomas (Ineos Grenadiers), 2. Sergio Higuita (Bora-hansgrohe), 3. Jakos Fuglsang (Israel-Premier Tech)…

Stages won by:  Stephen Williams (Bahrain-Victorious), Andreas Leknessund (Team DSM), Peter Sagan (TotalEnergie), Daryl Impey (Israël Premier Tech), Aleksandr Vlasov (Bora-hansgrohe), Nico Denz (Team DSM), Thibaut Pinot (Groupama-FDJ), Remco Evenepoel (Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl Team).

***** 

Mont Ventoux Dénivelé Challenges: Guerreiro (EF Education-EasyPost) tames Bald Mountain

Ruben Guerreiro won the fourth edition of the Mont Ventoux Dénivelé Challenges on Tuesday, an event marked by the double ascent of the Géant de Provence (a first time from Sault, a second time from Bédoin, for 4,500 m of elevation gain in total). The Portuguese of the EF-Education EasyPost team put in a decisive acceleration more than eleven kilometers from the summit, on the harshest slopes of the bald mountain.

The results: 1. Ruben Guerreiro (EF Education-EasyPost), 2. Esteban Chaves (EF Education-EasyPost), 3. Michael Storer (Groupama-FDJ)…

*****

Baloise Belgium Tour: Mauro Schmid (Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl) holds on

Mauro Schmid (Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl) won the Baloise Belgium Tour on Sunday following Fabio Jakobsen‘s victory in the fifth and final stage. Placed on the same time as Tim Wellens (Lotto Soudal) at the start of the stage, the Swiss rider had to win at least as many bonus seconds as his opponent during the golden kilometer, and he managed it after a stormy fight between the two teams: “My team did a perfect job for me. I made a mistake in the first sprint because I let a gap form to Tim Wellens’ Lotto Soudal. I don’t know, I couldn’t really concentrate on that golden kilometer,” commented Schmid.  

The results: 1. Mauro Schmid (Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl Team), 2. Tim Wellens (Lotto Soudal), 3. Quinten Hermans (Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert Matériaux)…

Stages won by: Mads Pedersen (Trek-Segafredo), Jasper Philipsen (Alpecin-Fenix), Yves Lampaert (Quick-Step Alpha Vynil Team), Quinten Hermans (Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert Matériaux), Fabio Jakobsen (Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl Team).

*****

La Route d’Occitanie La Dépêche du midi: Michael Woods (Israel-Premier Tech) against the wind

Canadian Michael Woods (Israel-Premier Tech), winner of the Saturday stage, took the overall of the 46th edition of the Route d’Occitanie-La Dépêche du Midi. On Sunday, he faced the competition and withstood the gusty wind, which caused several echelons. “This is the first stage race that I have won in my career,” commented the 35-year-old rider, winner of two stages in the Vuelta (2018 and 2020). “I’m really happy with this result and very satisfied with the teamwork. I always felt protected. I’m really happy and I can’t wait to be in the Tour de France now!”

The results: 1. Michael Woods (Israel-Premier Tech), 2. Carlos Rodriguez (Ineos Grenadiers), 3. Jesus Herrada (Cofidis)… 

Stages won by: Arnaud Démare (Groupama-FDJ), Roger Adria (Equipo Kern Pharma), Michael Woods (Israel-Premier Tech), Niccolo Bonifazio (TotalEnergies)

***** 

The races to come:

National Championships

©Yves Perret / www.ypmedias.com

Critérium du Dauphiné: Roglic and Jumbo-Visma without rivals

Unsurprisingly, Primoz Roglic (Jumbo-Visma) won the 74th edition of the Critérium du Dauphiné on Sunday. A race perfectly mastered by the Jumbo-Visma team, especially since the team was able to take three stage victories (with Van Aert and Vingegaard). The 32-year-old Slovenian Roglic took the leader’s jersey from his teammate Wout Van Aert (Jumbo-Visma) on Saturday before finishing the job at the end of the climb on the plateau de Solaison: “Everything was under control. It was a tough day with a fast start. The others were all there but all jumped away one by one and everyone joined in the work. It’s a great day for the team,” commented the man who became the second Slovenian to win this race, twelve years after Janez Brajkovic.

The results: 1. Primoz Roglic (Jumbo-Visma), 2. Jonas Vingegaard (Jumbo-Visma), 3. Ben O’Connor (AG2R Citroën Team)…

Stages won by: Wout Van Aert (Jumbo-Visma), Alexis Vuillermoz (TotalEnergies), David Gaudu (Groupama-FDJ), Filippo Ganna (Ineos Grenadiers), Wout Van Aert (Jumbo-Visma), Valentin Ferron (TotalEnergies), Carlos Verona (Movistar Team), Jonas Vingegaard (Jumbo-Visma).

*****

The Women’s Tour: Longo Borghini (Trek-Segafredo) by a second

A single second. This is what separated Elisa Longo Borghini (Trek-Segafredo) from Grace Brown (FDJ Nouvelle-Aquitaine Futuroscope) at the end of the sixth and final stage of the Women’s Tour on Saturday. The Italian champion did indeed manage to dethrone the leader of the general classification by finishing in third place in the last stage. “It’s a big relief to win this race because it’s been a strange spring for me. Now I am back to my usual level. It’s good to win an overall classification, it hasn’t happened to me often in my career. It’s only the third stage race I’ve won,” said the Italian.

The results: 1. Elisa Longo Borghini (Trek-Segafredo), Grace Brown (FDJ Nouvelle-Aquitaine Futuroscope), Katarzyna Niewiadoma (Canyon/SRAM Racing)… 

Stages won by: Clara Copponi (FDJ Nouvelle-Aquitaine Futuroscope), Lorena Wiebes (Team DSM), Lorena Wiebes (Team DSM), Grace Brown (FDJ Nouvelle-Aquitaine Futuroscope), Elisa Longo Borghini (Trek-Segafredo), Lorena Wiebes (Team DSM).

*****

ZLM Tour: Olav Kooij (Jumbo-Visma) no gifts

This is called dominating from start to finish. The Dutch rider from the Jumbo-Visma team did not leave it to anyone to believe in victory. Winner of the first two stages, he took the leader’s jersey on the first day of the race and took it to Rijsbergen. The 20-year-old rider, already an impressive winner of the Circuit de la Sarthe-Pays de la Loire in April, even gave himself the luxury of winning the last stage. He could have ended with an even more impressive record if he had not been beaten in a photo finish during the fourth stage…

With three distinctive jerseys (general, points and best young rider), he dominated the race.

The results: 1. Olav Kooij (Jumbo-Visma), 2. Jakub Mareczko (Alpecin-Fenix), 3. Aaron Van Poucke (Sport Vlaanderen-Baloise)…

Stages won by: Olav Kooij (Jumbo-Visma), Olav Kooij (Jumbo-Visma), Jakub Mareczko (Alpecin-Fenix), Timothy Dupont (Bingoal Pauwels Sauces WB), Olav Kooij (Jumbo-Visma).

*****

Adriatica Ionica Race: Zana (Bardiani-CSF-Faizanè) the strongest

The Adriatica Ionica Race ended on Wednesday as it started. With a sprint victory for Christian Scaroni (Italy). But after five days of racing, it was Filippo Zana (Bardiani-CSF-Faizanè) who won the overall. The 23-year-old rider and winner of the Tour of the Czech Republic in 2021, took the leader’s blue jersey at the end of the second stage.

The results: 1. Filippo Zana (Bardiani-CSF-Faizané), 2. Natnael Tesfatsion (Drone Hopper – Androni Giocattoli), 3. Vadim Pronskiy (Astana Qazaqstan Team)… 

Stages won by: Christian Scaroni (Italy), Natnael Tesfatsion (Drone Hopper – Androni Giocattoli), Giovanni Carboni (Italy), Riccardo Lucca (Work Service Vitacare Vega), Christian Scaroni (Italy).

*****

Tour de Suisse: Williams (Bahrain Victorious) the first leader

Stephen Williams (Bahrain Victorious) won the sprint during the first stage of the Tour de Suisse. The 26-year-old Briton beat a group of fifteen riders and as a result posted his first victory in the WorldTour. Having taken 43rd in the 2021 edition, Williams started the Swiss event perfectly. Thibaut Pinot (Groupama-FDJ) suffered during this inaugural stage and has already conceded 51 seconds to the other favorites.

First stage: 1. Stephen Williams (Bahrain-Victorious), 2. Maximillian Schachmann (Bora-hansgrohe), 3. Andreas Kron (Lotto-Soudal)…

*****

Races to come : 

Tour de Suisse 12-19/06 www.tourdesuisse.ch

Mont Ventoux Dénivelé Challenges 14/06 http://www.denivelechallenges.com

Baloise Belgium Tour 15-19/06 www.sport.be/baloisebelgiumtour/2022/nl/

La Route d’Occitanie La Dépêche du midi 16-19/06 www.laroutedoccitanie.fr

©A.S.O. / Aurélien Vialatte

Critérium du Dauphiné Libéré: a winning return for Van Aert

Wout Van Aert (Jumbo-Visma) won the first stage of the Critérium du Dauphiné on Sunday. The Belgian champion sprinted ahead of Ethan Hayter (Ineos Grenadiers) and took advantage of his hard work in recent weeks in training to take a victory. This win puts his team, which has ambitions for this race, in an ideal position: “It was quite difficult to get ahead of someone like Ethan Hayter. I am very happy with this victory. I felt good on the climbs, partly thanks to the great work of the team. I hope I can keep the leader’s jersey for a few more days and then hand it over to Primoz Roglic. The next stages suit me well, so we’ll see how far I can go.”

Provisional general classification: 1. Wout Van Aert (Jumbo-Visma), 2. Ethan Hayter (Ineos Grenadiers), 3. Sean Quinn (EF Education-EastPost)…

Stages won by: Wout Van Aert (Jumbo-Visma)

*****

Course de la Paix Grand Prix Jeseniky: Van Eetvelt meets expectations

Winner of the second stage on Saturday, the Belgian Lennert Van Eetvelt managed the last day of racing well on Sunday to win the U23 Course de la Paix. Second in Flèche Ardennaise and the U23 Liège Bastogne Liège this year, Lennert Van Eetvelt, 20, confirms the ambitions that Lotto Soudal Team has in him for next season.

Samuel Watson won the final stage during which the sprinters were able to settle their last score.

The results: 1. Lennert Van Eetvelt (Belgium), 2. Rudy Porter (Australia), 3. Mathias Vacek (Czech Republic)… 

Stages won by: Mathias Vacek (Czech Republic), Sebastian Kolze Changizi (Denmark), Lennert Van Eetvelt (Belgium), Samuel Watson (Great Britain).

*****

Giro dell’Appennino: Meintjes seven years later

Louis Meintjes won solo on Thursday in Genoa on the Giro dell’Appennino. The South African climber from the Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert Matériaux team had not had a victory for seven years since he took a stage and the overall at the Settimana Internazionale Coppi e Bartali. Everything seems to be working for the Belgian team, which has been accumulating victories for the past several weeks.

The results:  1. Louis Meintjes (Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert Matériaux), 2. Natnaël Tesfatsion (Drone Hopper-Androni Giocattoli), 3. Georg Zimmermann (Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert Matériaux)…

*****

Brussels Cycling Classic: Van der Hoorn clips Willems

Taco van der Hoorn (Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert Matériaux) won the 102nd edition of the Brussels Cycling Classic on Sunday. He took the victory just meters ahead of Thimo Willems (Minerva Cycling) who had started the sprint from a far way out. Too far, no doubt. This is the first victory this season for the man who was born 28 years ago in Rotterdam and who won a stage of the Giro in 2021. Tobias Bayer (Alpecin-Fenix) completed the podium.

The results: 1. Taco Van der Hoorn (Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert Matériaux), 2. Thimo Willems (Minerva Cycling), 3. Tobias Bayer (Alpecin-Fenix)… 

*****

Races to come: 

Critérium du Dauphiné 5-12/06 www.criterium-du-dauphine.fr/en/

The Women’s Tour 6-11/06 www.womenstour.co.uk

ZLM Tour 8-12/06 www.zlmtour.nl

Tour de Suisse 12-19/06 www.tourdesuisse.ch