Donostia San Sebastian Klasikoa Women: Make it 80 for Van Vleuten!

Donostia San Sebastian Klasikoa Women: Make it 80 for Van Vleuten!

© Donostia San Sebastian Klasikoa Women

Donostia San Sebastian Klasikoa Women: Make it 80 for Van Vleuten!

Olympic silver medalist in the road race (and winner of the ITT), Annemiek Van Vlenten (Movistar) proved that she has recovered perfectly well from the time difference with Japan. The Dutch rider who is current European Champion clinched her 80th UCI victory by winning on the boulevards of San Sebastian: “This is more than an individual victory, this is a victory for the entire Movistar team. After Tokyo, I was so tired and jet lagged that I couldn’t get much sleep in the past two days. But with such work from my team, I had to finish it off well.”

The American Ruth Winder and the Italian Tatiana Guderzo completed the podium.

The results: 1. Annemiek Van Vleuten (Movistar); 2. Ruth Winder (Trek Segafredo); 3. Tatiana Guderzo (ALE BTC Ljubljana) 

 

*****

Donostia San Sebastian Klasikoa Men: Powless surprises the favorites

A professional since 2016, Neilson Powless will remember July 31st for a long time. The 24-year-old rider surprised all the favorites to win the Classica San Sebastien, a classic on the UCI WorldTour calendar! Powless, who completed his second Tour de France two weeks earlier, dominated a group of five riders to achieve his goal. The double Tour stage winner Matej Mohoric took second, ahead of the Danish rider Honoré. “I’m so happy to get this victory today. My sports director (Juanma Garate) is Basque and every time I race here the atmosphere is just amazing.”

The results: 1. Neilson Powless (EF Education Nippo) ; 2.Matej Mohoric (Bahrain Victorious); 3.Mikel Frolich Honoré (Deceuninck Quick Step)

 

*****

Vuelta a Castilla y Leon: Louvel takes his first pro win

At 22, Frenchman Mathis Louvel posted his first professional victory by winning solo in the Vuelta a Castilla y Leon. With a lead of 44 seconds ahead of Odani, Louvel, who has been a professional rider for a year, even had the time to savor his success: “It was a great day. I had the legs and the luck! My sporting director said to me: Come on, it’s your day, you’re going to go get your first professional victory.”

The results: 1. Mathis Louvel (Arkea Samsic); 2. Stefano Odani (Lotto Soudal); 3. Mauricio Moreira (Efapel) 

*****

Circuito de Getxo – Memorial Hermanos Otxoa: Nizzolo is the fastest 

Winner of the Clasica de Almeria this season and a stage at the Giro d´Italia, Giaccomo Nizzolo added a third victory this season by winning at the Circuito de Getxo. The European Champion racing for the Qhubeka NextHash team was very fast in the sprint, and beat two fellow breakaway riders Aleotti and Buitrago. “I finished second here last year. This time my winning it is a great satisfaction. The race was very hard to control, so thank you to those who contributed to this victory,” Nizzolo said.

The results: 1. Giacomo Nizzoli (Team Qhubeka NextHash) ; 2. Giovanni Aleotti (Bora Hansgrohe) ; 3. Santiago Buitrago (Bahrain – Victorious)

*****

The races to come

Vuelta a Burgos, Esp, 3-5/08, www.vueltaburgos.com/es

Tour of Norway, Nor, 5-8/08, www.arctic-race-of-norway.com/fr

 

 

 

VOO-Tour de Wallonie: Simmons opens his palmarès

VOO-Tour de Wallonie: Simmons opens his palmarès

Junior World Champion in 2019, the American Quinn Simmons took his first professional victory by winning the Tour de Wallonie. Winner of the third stage, the rider Trek Segafredo succeeded also in winning the general classification of the Belgian event. The Walloon race was additionally noteworthy due to the return to the foreground of Dylan Groenewegen and Fabio Jakobsen, both of whom won two stages each.

The results: 1. Quinn Simmons (Trek Segafredo) ; 2. Stan Dewulf (AG2R CITROËN TEAM) ; 3.  Alexis Renard (Israël Start-Up Nation) ; 
Stages won by: Dylan Groenewegen (Jumbo Visma) ; Fabio Jakobsen (Deceuninck Quick Step) ; Quinn Simmons (Trek Segafredo)

 

Prueba Villafranca Ordiziako Klasika: Luis Leon Sanchez wins using his experience

Taking the first seven places, the Spanish riders dominated the Basque event. But Prueba Villafranca Ordiziako Klasika gave the experienced Luis Leon Sanchez (37) the chance to claim his 47th professional victory. The former Spanish Champion dominated the youth of his country. The young prodigy Juan Ayuso, 18, recent winner of the Baby Giro, took second place, just ahead of Roger Adria, who is barely 23 years old. Spanish cycling has a bright future ahead of it.

The results: 1. Luis Leon Sanchez (Astana Premier Tech) ; 2. Juan Ayuso (UAE Team Emirates) ; 3. Roger Adria (Equipo Kern Pharma); 

 

Races to come: 
Vuelta a Castilla y Leon, Esp, 29/07, www.vueltacastillayleon.es

Donostia San Sebastien Klasikoa Women, 31/07, www.klasikoa-women.eus

Donostia San Sebastien Klasikoa, 31/07, www.klasikoa.eus

Tour de France: Pogacar crowned

Tour de France: Pogacar crowned

The last week of the Tour de France did not change the destiny of Tadej Pogacar.
At 22, the Slovenian won a second Tour de France… in his second participation. Before him, only
Eddy Merckx, Bernard Hinault and Laurent Fignon had achieved such a feat. Already the winner of the 5th stage time trial between Laval and Changé, Pogacar completed his task by winning at the Col du Portet during the 17th stage and the next day at Luz Ardiden: “I really wanted to win a stage with the yellow jersey on my back.” This success also means that a Slovenian rider has won four of the last six Grand Tours with Primoz Roglic (Vuelta a Espana 2019-2020) and Tadej Pogacar (Tour de France 2020-2021).

This 2021 Tour de France will also be remembered for Mark Cavendish having won four stages, the green jersey in Paris, and equaling Eddy Merckx’s record of 34 stage victories. Pogacar, who also leaves with the white best young rider jersey and the polka dot King of the Mountains jersey, stood on the podium with Dane Jonas Vingegaard (24) and Ecuadorian Richard Carapaz (28).
Carapaz, who won the 2019 Giro and took 2nd at the Vuelta a Espana last year, completes his podium collection in the three-week races.

 General classification: 1. Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates) ; 2. Jonas Vingegaard (Jumbo Visma); 3. Richard Carapaz (Ineos Grenadiers);

 Stages won by: Julian Alaphilippe, Mark Cavendish (Deceuninck Quick Step) ; Mathieu Van Der Poel and Tim Merlier (Alpecin Fenix) ; Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates) ; Matej Mohoric and Dylan Teuns (Bahrain Victorious) ; Ben O’Connor (AG2R CITROËN TEAM) ; Nils Politt and Patrick Konrad (Bora Hansgrohe); Bauke Mollema (Trek Segafredo);Wout Van Aert and Sepp Kuss (Jumbo Visma)

Races to come

VOO-Tour de Wallonie, Bel, 20-24/07, www.trworg.be
Grand Prix Cerami, Bel, 25/07, www.grandprixcerami.be

Prueba Villafranca Ordiziako Klasika, Esp, 25/07, www.ordizia-pruebavillafranca.com

 

Tour de France (Fra): Pogacar not worried

Tour de France (Fra): Pogacar not worried

@ A.S.0 / Pauline Balllet

Tour de France: Pogacar not worried

Winner of the 5th stage of the Tour de France between Changé and Laval, Tadej Pogacar is still leader of the Tour going into the second rest day. The Alps, then the double ascent of Ventoux marked by the victory of Wout Van Aert, did not change the appearance of the race. And even though Sepp Kuss ended a decade without a win for the Americans at the Tour by winning in Andorra la Vieille, the Slovenian from UAE Team Emirates is still 5’18” ahead of Rigoberto Uran. But before claiming a second consecutive victory at la Grande Boucle, Pogacar will face a tricky final week ahead with the Pyrenees and a time trial the day before the finish in Paris. 

The general classification: 1. Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates) ; 2. Rigoberto Uran (EF Education Nippo); 3. Jonas Vingegaard (Jumbo Visma); 

Stages won by: Julian Alaphilippe, Mark Cavendish (Deceuninck Quick Step) ; Mathieu Van Der Poel and Tim Merlier (Alpecin Fenix) ; Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates) ; Matej Mohoric and Dylan Teuns (Bahrain Victorious) ; Ben O’Connor (AG2R CITROËN TEAM) ; Nils Politt (Bora Hansgrohe); Bauke Mollema (Trek Segafredo);Wout Van Aert and Sepp Kuss (Jumbo Visma)

—–

Giro d’Italia Internazionale Femminile: Van Der Breggen takes her fourth title

 

Anna Van Der Breggen was never out of the pink jersey of the Giro d’Italia Internazionale Femminile since winning on stage 2! The Dutch cyclist, also the winner of the 4th stage, rode a perfect race to win the general classification for the fourth time after having already won it in 2015, 2017 and 2020. But above all, this edition of the women’s Giro was marked by the stranglehold of the riders from the SD Worx team. Indeed, the South African Ashleigh Moolman (winner of the 9th stage) took second, just ahead of her teammate, the Dutch rider
Demi Vollering. But when we look again at the Italian event, how can we not highlight the incredible career of Marianne Vos? The 34-year-old Dutch rider won two stages at this Giro. Since 2007, Vos, who is the leader of Team Jumbo Visma, has raised her arms in victory 30 times in Italy at the Giro! Unbelievable. In the middle of the Tour de France, Mark Cavendish paid tribute to her: “She has been my inspiration for a very long time. “

 

The general classification: 1. Van Der Breggen (SD Worx); 2. Ashleigh Moolman (SD Worx) ; 3. Demi Vollering (SD Worx) 

Stage won by: Trek Segafredo ; Anna Van Der Breggen and Ashleigh Moolman (SD Worx) ; Marianne Vos (Jumbo Visma) ; Lorena Wiebes and Coryn Rivera (Team DSM) ; Emma Norsgaard (Team Movistar) ; 

 

Races to come

Tour de France (Fra), 26/06-18/07, www.letour.fr

Pogacar on another level

Pogacar on another level

@ A.S.0 / Charly Lopez

Tour de France (Fra): Pogacar on another level

What a first week of the Tour de France! If it was Mathieu Van Der Poel who illuminated the first part of the race with his class, winning in particular the second stage and wearing the leader’s jersey for six days, it was the defending champion Tadej Pogacar who quieted all debates about who is the strongest. Winner of the stage 5 time trial in Mayenne, the Slovenian hit nearly a knockout blow in the first mountain stage, the finish of which was at Le Grand-Bornand. Even Australia’s Ben O’Connor’s victory the next day in Tignes couldn’t change anything. After nine stages, the UAE Team Emirates rider is already 2’01” ahead of the AG2R CITROËN rider, and 5’18” ahead of Colombian Rigoberto Uran. The second part of the Tour promises to be exciting!

The general classification: 1. Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates) ; 2. Ben O’Connor (AG2R CITROËN TEAM) ; 3. Rigoberto Uran (EF Education Nippo) 

Stages won by: Julian Alaphilippe, Mark Cavendish (Deceuninck Quick Step) ; Mathieu Van Der Poel et Tim Merlier (Alpecin Fenix) ; Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates) ; Matej Mohoric et Dylan Teuns (Bahrain Victorious) ; Ben O’Connor (AG2R CITROËN TEAM)

***** 

 

Giro d’Italia Internazionale Femminile: Van Der Breggen again in control

The Trek Segafredo Team won the inaugural time trial between Fossano and Cuneo, allowing American Ruth Winder to don the first leader’s jersey. But the very next day, Anna Van Der Breggen reminded everyone that she was indeed the strongest rider at the Giro. The Dutchwoman, and double World Champion last year in ITT and road race, won the second stage solo with a 1’22” lead over her SD Worx teammate Ashleigh Moolman. Already a triple winner of the Giro Rosa (2015-2017-2020), Van Der Breggen seems to have taken a serious option on a 4th victory.

The general classification: 1. Van Der Breggen (SD Workx); 2. Ashleigh Moolman (SD Worx) ; 3. Demi Vollering (SD Worx) 

Stages won by: Trek Segafredo ; Anna Van Der Breggen (SD Worx) ; Marianne Vos (Jumbo Visma) 

 

*****

The races to come

Tour de France (Fra), 26/06-18/07, www.letourdefrance.fr

Giro d’Italia Internazionale Femminile (Ita), 2-11/07, www.giroditaliadonne.it