16 new organizers join AIOCC in 2022

Following our General Assembly in November 19, new organizers join us : 

• ZLM Tour
• Tour of the Alps
• Setmana Ciclista Valenciana
• Lotto Belgium Tour
• Ladies Tour of Norway
• Giro di Sardegna
• Adriatica Ionica Race
• Cholet Pays de la Loire 
• La Classic Grand Besançon Doubs
• Le Tour du Jura 
• Paris-Roubaix Women
• Tour de France Women 
• Vuelta ciclista andalucia “ruta del sol” elite women
• Vuelta a la Comunidad Valenciana
• Vuelta a la Comunidad Valenciana femenina
• Tour de Romandie Women

AIOCC Trophy : Awarded to Eddy MERCKX

Already the winner of the AIOCC Trophy in 1980 at the end of his sporting career, Eddy Merckx received the award this year to recognize the positive influence he has had over cycling through the years.
 
Awarded since 1960, the Trophy rewards an influential cycling figure each year. Over the editions, the recipients include Eugène Christophe (winner 1965), winner of Milan San-Remo 1910, Jacques Anquetil (winner in 1974), five-time winner of the Tour de France, and Jacques Goddet.

Members of the new Board of Directors (from left to right): Yannick TALABARDON ; Mauro VEGNI ; Wim VAN HERREWEGHE ; Sonia MARTINEZ BARRIO ; Kiko GARCIA (General Director) ; Christian PRUDHOMME ; Ruben PERIS ; Ed BUCHETTE ; Luc GHEYSENS ; Renzo OLDANI ; Javier GUILLEN
© YP Médias

The AIOCC held its General Assembly this Friday, November 19 in Paris. 85 member races were represented in person this morning and 8 members followed the discussions by video conference. A new Board of Directors was elected which appointed Christian Prudhomme to chair it for the next four years.

After the last two years marked by the Covid-19 pandemic and the many difficulties encountered by the organizers, the participants were able to discuss the subjects introduced by the AIOCC.

• Safety is a recurring theme which is faced head on by all the organizers.
• The AIOCC is delighted with the development of women’s cycling; the momentum is gaining with 25 UCI Women’s WorldTour events in 2022. The economic balance will be decisive for the future.
• The organizers undertake to continue their efforts to respect the environment, which is a necessity. Competitive cycling should be seen as a driving force behind the desire to engage in cycling for as many people as possible.

Christian Prudhomme: “Our unity is important”

“I am proud of the confidence placed in me once again by the members of AIOCC, which is the voice of the organizers. Our unity is important as is the unity of the cycling world, which has enabled most of races to run in 2020 and 2021. Everyone worked together.

We will continue with strength and conviction to do the work that we have carried out for several years to better explain the job of the organizers, which is varied and not limited to the sporting aspect.

I strongly believe in the cycling pyramid. You need a wide base. We have the will with the new Board of Directors to do more for the races of the other members to support them, encourage them, and answer their questions.”

The new Board of Directors :

President: Christian PRUDHOMME (FRA) – Tour de France

Deputy Vice-President: Ruben PERIS (ESP) – Vuelta Catalunya

Vice-President: Wim VAN HERREWEGHE (BEL) – Tour of Flanders

Secretary General: Luc GHEYSENS (BEL) – Gent-Welvelgem

Assistant Secretary: Sonia MARTINEZ BARRIO (ESP) – Tour de Burgos Femmes

Treasurer: Ed BUCHETTE (LUX) – Tour du Luxembourg

Deputy Treasurer: Yannick TALABARDON (FRA) – Flèche Wallonne Femmes

Members: Thierry GOUVENOU (FRA) – Paris Roubaix; Mauro VEGNI (ITA) – Giro d’Italia; Javier GUILLEN (ESP) – Vuelta a Espana; Renzo OLDANI (ITA) – Tre Valli Varese; Sébastien ARSENAULT (CAN) – Grands Prix Cyclistes Quebec et Montreal

©Chrono des Nations

Chrono des Nations: Küng finishes well

Double European champion in the individual time trial, the Swiss Stefan Küng concluded the season perfectly by winning the Chrono des Nations. The Groupama FDJ rider completed the 44.5 kilometers around Les Herbiers at a speed of 51.561 km / hour. Another great performance was given by the experienced Dane, Martin Toft Madsen (36) who finished 36 seconds behind the Swiss rider. The French event secured a top-notch podium with third place for Alessandro De Marchi, who also wore the pink jersey in the Giro d’Italia this year.

In the women’s event, Marlen Reusser of Switzerland, the silver medalist in the ITT at the World Championships, edged out Olympic road race champion, Austria’s Anna Kiesenhofer by 52 seconds. In nearly the same time as Kiesenhofer, Germany’s Mieke Kröger completed the podium.

The results men: 1. Stefan Küng (Groupama FDJ) ; 2. Martin Toft Madsen (BHS – PL Beton Bornholm); 3. Alessandro De Marchi (Israël Start-Up Nation)

The results women: 1. Marlen Reusser (Alé BTC Ljubljana) ; 2. Anna Kiesenhofer ; 3. Mieke Kröger (Team Coop – Hitec Products)

*****

Grand Prix du Morbihan: Marit a revelation

Two years after Benoît Cosnefroy’s victory, the Grand Prix du Morbihan has had a makeover. The Cadoudal climb, which generally caused a big selection among the riders, is no longer on the program. Instead the peloton moved a few kilometers away to Grand-Champ, a town which notably hosted the French Championships last year. And this new version of the Grand Prix du Morbihan smiled on the young Belgian Arne Marit (Sport Vlaanderen – Baloise) who finished ahead of two renowned sprinters, Bryan Coquard and Elia Viviani.

The results: 1. Arne Marit (Sport Vlaanderen – Baloise) ; 2. Bryan Coquard (B&B Hotels p/b KTM) ; 3. Elia Viviani (Cofidis, Solutions Crédits)

©Pool Luca Bettini

Coppa Bernocchi: Play it like Remco

Belgian Remco Evenepoel outclassed the competition at the Coppa Bernocchi. After a long solo raid, the rider from Deceuninck Quick Step not only managed to overtake riders on the final circuit, but he won with a huge margin of 1’49 ” over Alessandro Covi and his teammate Fausto Masnada. Badly injured last year following a crash at Il Lombardia, Evenepoel clinched his eighth win of the season in Italy.

The results: 1. Remco Evenepoel (Deceuninck Quick Step); 2. Alessandro Covi (UAE Team Emirates); 3. Fausto Masnada (Deceuninck Quick Step)

*****

100 Tre Valli Varesine: De Marchi is eternal

At 35, Alessandro De Marchi is enjoying a good season. Having led the Giro d’Italia for two days in May, the veteran Italian took the 6th victory of his career by winning the 100 Tre Valli Varesine. He had not won a race since 2018 when he took the Giro Dell’Emilia. This week in Varese, the rider from the Israel Start-Up Nation team beat Davide Formolo in the sprint. The two-time winner of the Tour, Tadej Pogacar completed the podium. 

The results: 1. Alessandro De Marchi (Israël Start-Up Nation); 2. Davide Formolo (UAE Team Emirates); 3. Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates)

*****

Milano-Torino: Roglic is the boss

A few days after the Giro Dell’Emilia, Primoz Roglic secured the 60th victory of his career, dominating Milano-Torino finishing at the top of the Superga, which overlooks the city of Turin. The three-time Vuelta winner broke away at the end of the race to finish handily ahead of Briton Adam Yates and Portuguese Joao Almeida.

The results: 1. Primoz Roglic (Team Jumbo Visma); 2. Adam Yates (Ineos Grenadiers); 3. Joao Almeida (Deceuninck Quick Step)

***** 

Gran Piemonte: Walls as the fastest

Already the winner of the last stage at the Tour of Norway in August, Briton Matthew Walls posted the second victory of his career by winning the classic Gran Piemonte. At 23, he put in a great performance, beating former European champion Giacomo Nizzolo and Dutchman Olav Kooij in the sprint.

The results: 1. Matthew Walls (Bora Hansgrohe); 2. Giacomo Nizzolo (Team Qhuebka NextHash); 3. Olav Kooij (Team Jumbo Visma)

*****

Paris-Bourges: Super strong Meeus

Winner of a stage at the Tour de Hongrie in May, the Belgian Jordi Meeus ended the season well. At 23, the rider from Bora Honsgrohe enjoyed the luxury of beating the triple French Champion, Arnaud Démare and the Italian Niccolo Bonifazio, two of the fastest riders in the peloton. 

The results: 1. Jordi Meeus (Bora Hansgrohe); 2. Arnaud Démare (Groupama FDJ); Niccolo Bonifazio (Team Total Energies)

*****

Il Lombardia: Pogacar extends his domination

What a season for Tadej Pogacar! After Liège-Bastogne-Liège in April, the Slovenian added a second Monument to his list by dominating Il Lombardia. This year, the young rider succeeded in winning the UAE Tour, Tirreno Adriatico, three stages of the Tour de France on his way to a second consecutive victory in the Tour de France, which is already not nothing!

“My form fluctuated over the second half of the season. But today I had really good legs! It’s amazing to win here, which is a race that I have dreamed of winning.” At 23, Pogacar seems to be making more cycling history every day.

The results: 1. Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates) ; 2. Fausto Masnada (Deceuninck Quick-Step) ; 3. Adam Yates (Ineos Grenadiers)

*****

Paris-Tours Elite: Démare takes a breath

Arnaud Démare has said it often in the press: he was not as successful as he had hoped to be this year. But at the end of a breathless final, the Groupama FDJ rider picked up a fine victory on the Avenue de Grammont to win an exciting edition of Paris-Tours for the first time in his career. Having been forced to strike out a long way from the finish to hunt down the two remaining breakaway riders, he beat his compatriot Franck Bonnamour and the Belgian Jasper Stuyven, winner of Milan Sam-Remo, in a nail-biting sprint finish.

The results: 1. Arnaud Démare (Groupama FDJ) ; 2. Franck Bonnamour (B&B Hotels p/b KTM) ; 3. Jasper Stuyven (Trek Segafredo)

*****

Races to come

Grand Prix du Morbihan (Fra), 16/10, www.gpmo.bzh

Chrono des Nations (Fra), 17/10, www.chronodesnations.com