© Saudi Tour / Pauline Ballet

Saudi Tour: Ruben Guerreiro, king of the desert

He had been waiting for this moment for many years. By winning the Saudi Tour, Ruben Guerreiro has finally won the general classification of a stage race. King of the Saudi desert, the Portuguese from Movistar was able to make the difference during the fourth stage, the queen stage, towards Skyviews of Harrat Uwayrid by winning a tough summit finish ahead of Davide Formolo (UAE Team Emirates) and Santiago Buitrago (Bahrain – Victorious).

The former stage winner and King of the Mountains at the Giro d’Italia in 2020, well protected by his teammates, was not worried during the last stage won in the sprint by the Italian Simone Consonni (Cofidis). “In this sport it’s already difficult to win a stage so winning a general classification is really special”, the 28-year-old climber explained. “Today, I managed to stay well placed in the tricky and technical final. I am very emotional, and I feel stronger than ever.”

The results: 1. Ruben Guerreiro (Movistar) ; 2. Davide Formolo (UAE Team Emirates) ; 3. Santiago Buitrago (Bahrain – Victorious)

Stages won by: Dylan Groenewegen (Team Jayco AlUla) ; Jonathan Milan (Bahrain – Victorious) ; Soren Waerenskjold (Uno-X Pro Cycling Team) ; Ruben Guerreiro (Movistar) ; Simone Consonni (Cofidis).

*****

Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana Gran Premi Banc Sabadell: Rui Costa’s 30th! 

Rui Costa offered a crazy epilogue to the 74th Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana. While Giulio Ciccone (Trek-Segafredo) seemed on the royal road to claim the overall in the general classification after his victory in the 2nd stage, the Portuguese from Intermarché-Circus-Wanty showed his opportunism in the last short and tricky stage (93.2 km) between Paterna and Valencia. Sixth in the general classification that morning, Rui Costa pulled away from the group of favorites two kilometers from the finish to join and then overtake the Dutchman Thymen Arensman (Ineos Grenadiers) on the line… and at the same time take the overall by 16 seconds. “I have found new impetus since my arrival at Intermarché-Circus-Wanty. This team believes in me and that motivates me a lot”, said Costa, who already has three victories this season. “This Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana is a very good race, I’m happy to win against such a strong field of competitors. This start to the season has been simply fantastic.”

His stage success and his overall victory mean the former world champion (36 years old) has now reached the milestone of claiming 30 professional victories. 

The results: 1. Rui Costa (Intermarché-Circus-Wanty) ; 2. Giulio Ciccone (Trek-Segafredo) ; 3. Tao Geoghegan Hart (Ineos Grenadiers)… 

Stages won by: Biniam Girmay (Intermarché-Circus-Wanty) ; Giulio Ciccone (Trek-Segafredo) ; Simone Velasco (Astana Qazaqstan Team) ; Tao Geoghegan Hart (Ineos Grenadiers) ; Rui Costa (Intermarché-Circus-Wanty).

 *****

Upcoming races :

11/02 to 14/02: Tour of Oman, https://www.tour-of-oman.com/

11/02: Vuelta Ciclista a la Region de Murcia, https://www.vueltamurcia.es/es

© Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race

Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race Women: Loes Adegeest offers a new prestigious success to FDJ-Suez

What a start to the season for FDJ-Suez! Thanks to its new Dutch recruit Loes Adgeest, the French team took another prestigious victory this season at the Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race. Breaking away on the final climb with Australian Amanda Spratt (Trek-Segafredo), Adgeest dominated her rival in the sprint on the home stretch. The Dutch Nina Buijsman (Human Powered Health) completed the podium. “It’s really good to start the season like this,” Adgeest enthused. “It’s incredible! I felt like I could keep up with Spratt and I was actually the only one who could really keep up with her… After the first ascent of Challambra Crescent I knew this could be my day. I played a little poker. I tried and it worked.”

The results:

1. Loes Adegeest (FDJ – Suez) ; 2. Amanda Spraat (Trek-Segafredo) ; 3. Nina Buijsman (Human Powered Health)…

*****

Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race: Marius Mayrhofer (Team DSM) invites himself to the party

There’s a new face among the top international sprinting regulars with which we will have to familiarize ourselves. Marius Mayrhofer won the Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race in Geelong on Sunday. At 22, this is the first victory for the DSM sprinter. In this return edition after three years of absence due to the coronavirus pandemic, the Australian event offered up a five-star scenario. With relentless attacks, including from 2022 Giro winner Jai Hindley (Team DSM) and recent Tour Down Under winner Jay Vine (UAE Team Emirates), the final outcome remained in doubt deep into this suspenseful race. Finally, the DSM team ensured the casing peloton would come to the line together, which allowed its German sprinter to triumph in front of the Frenchman Hugo Page (Intermarché-Circus-Wanty) and the Australian Simon Clarke (Israel – Premier Tech). “The last time I won was in the juniors, so finally winning my first victory, that says it all,” said an emotional Mayrhofer at the finish. “The team did a great job all day. I have dreamed of this victory for so long, I can’t believe what happened.”

The results:

1. Marius Mayrhoffer (Team DSM), 2. Hugo Page (Intermarché – Circus – Wanty), 3. Simon Clarke (Israel – Premier Tech)…

 *****

Upcoming races :

30/01 to 03/02/2023: Saudi Tour, https://www.thesauditour.com/en

01/02 to 05/02/2023: Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana Gran Premi Banc Sabadell, https://vueltacv.com/  

© Tour Down Under

Tour Down Under: Jay Vine (UAE Team Emirates) shines at home

A star at home! Jay Vine wowed the crowds during the Tour Down Under, which he won after a well-rounded week of racing. The Australian from UAE Team Emirates took the lead in the general standings on the third stage, and was able to respond to the onslaught from the British Simon Yates (Team Jayco AlUla) and Australian Ben O’Connor (AG2R Citroën Team) on the final and decisive stage towards Mount Lofty. At 27, Vine has earned himself the greatest success of his career.
“It’s incredible to win here. The way my teammates handled this race was really impressive. It’s not just my success but a victory for the whole team,” he said.
This first World Tour race of the season was also marked by Bryan Coquard‘s stage success. The Cofidis sprinter won for the first time in his career at the highest level by dominating the competition at Willunga Township. “I have been waiting for this victory for ten years, my first on the World Tour,” he confided, obviously moved. “I am very proud and very happy. I won a lot of races, but never on the World Tour.”

The results:

1. Jay Vine (UAE Team Emirates), 2. Simon Yates (Team Jayco AlUla), 3. Pello Bilbao (Bahrain-Victorious)…

Stages won by: Alberto Bettiol (EF Education – EasyPost), Phil Bauhaus (Bahrain-Victorious), Rohan Dennis (Jumbo-Visma), Pello Bilbao (Bahrain-Victorious), Bryan Coquard (Cofidis), Simon Yates (Team Jayco AlUla).

*****

Classica Comunitat Valenciana: Arnaud De Lie (Lotto Dstny) chalks up his first win

Arnaud De Lie (Lotto Dstny) impressed upon his return to racing. The Belgian sprinter won after a difficult final. In the last kilometer on an uphill false flat, the young 20-year-old racer beat his compatriot Jenthe Biermans (Arkéa-Samsic) and the Norwegian Edvald Boasson Hagen (TotalEnergies). “It’s fantastic to start the season with a win,” he said. “But the most important thing is that the team was strong so that I could do my sprint.”

The results:

1. Arnaud De Lie (Lotto Dstny), 2. Jenthe Biermans (Arkéa-Samsic), 3. Edvald Boasson Hagen (TotalEnergies)… 

 *****

Upcoming races :

01/28/2023 : Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race Women, https://www.cadelevansgreatoceanroadrace.com.au/

01/29/2023 : Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race, https://www.cadelevansgreatoceanroadrace.com.au/

6 new organizers join AIOCC in 2023

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

Grosser Preis des Kantons Aargau 09/06/2023
Tour of Iran (Azarbaijan) 10-14/06/2023
Tour of Slovenia 14-18/06/2023
Giro della Toscana – Memorial Alfredo Martini 13/09/2023
Gran Premio città di Peccioli – Coppa Sabatini 14/09/2023
Sparkassen Münsterland Giro 03/10/2023

Last General Assembly in 2021

©Agence YP Médias

SAVE THE DATE

24th of November 2022 : General Assembly in Compiègne (France).

©Mathilde L’Azou

Chrono des nations: Küng and van Dijk fulfill expectations

Stefan Küng (Groupama-FDJ) got his revenge. Beaten by Tobias Foss (Jumbo-Visma) at the world time trial championships on September 18th in Australia, the rider from the Groupama-FDJ team beat the Norwegian on Sunday at Les Herbiers, winning the Chrono des Nations for the second year in a row. The 28-year-old Swiss won by two seconds at the end of an intense 45.4 kilometer course: “It’s nice to win and finish on a good note, in a great event with a very high level this year. I’ve taken a little revenge on the world championships. It’s the conclusion of a very good year for me, where I’ve been very consistent overall,” commented Stefan Küng, already focused on the 2022/2023 season.

Among women, no surprise with the success of the Dutchwoman Ellen van Dijk (Trek-Segafredo), triple world champion in time trials (2013, 2021, 2022). She ended her season with a ninth victory: “I’m really happy to have been able to end my season this way. What else could you wish for? I feel very happy and lucky. It was a very good season. I’ve always dreamed of breaking the hour record, my biggest dream has come true. Then winning the world championships again is something I never thought I could do. It took me eight years to start over after my first victory. For me, it’s crazy how good the last two years have been. Everything fell into place, I’m grateful for that and I’m looking forward to next season,” she concluded.

The results:

Men: 1. Stefan Kung (Groupama-FDJ), 2. Tobias Foss (Jumbo-Visma), 3. Matteo Sobrero (Team BikeExchange-Jayco)…

Women: 1. Ellen Van Dijk (Trek-Segafredo), 2. Valeriya Kononenko (Ukraine), 3. Amber Neben (United States)…