© UAE Tour
UAE Tour: Evenepoel hits hard
The second race of the season was good for Remco Evenepoel. The Belgian won the UAE Tour like a boss, his third overall success in a WorldTour stage race after the Tour de Pologne and the Vuelta. At the age of 23, the Soudal – Quick Step rider’s record of achievements continues to grow and proves, once again, that the current World Champion will be a force to reckon with at the upcoming Giro d’Italia, his main objective for the season. “It was a packed race, breathless until the end. Seven days at this level was ideal preparation and I received several good signs ahead of the Giro,” he explained.
The results: 1. Evenepoel (Soudal – Quick Step) ; 2. Plapp (INEOS Grenadiers) ; 3. A. Yates (UAE Team Emirates)…
Stages won by: Merlier (Soudal – Quick Step), Soudal – Quick Step, Rubio (Movistar), Molano (UAE Team Emirates), Groenewegen (Team Jayco AlUla), Merlier (Soudal – Quick Step), A. Yates (UAE Team Emirates).
*****
Tour du Rwanda: Mulubrhan: a new hero
The Eritrean flag fluttered in the skies over Rwanda. By winning the last stage in Kigali, Henok Mulubrhan kept his yellow jersey for the Tour du Rwanda until the end to win the overall general classification. The 23 year old double African champion earned himself the first stage race victory of his career. He also becomes the 4th rider from his country to win the event and confirms his recent progress, in the shadow of the great rival of his youth, Biniam Girmay. “I am so happy to put this race on my list. I had a magical week,” said an enthusiastic Mulubrhan, a new force in African cycling. He finished ahead of Italian Walter Calzoni (Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team) and Belgian William Junior Lecerf (Soudal – Quick Step Devo Team) in the overall.
The results: 1. . Mulubrhan (Green Project-Bardiani CSF-Faizanè) ; 2. Calzoni (Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team) ; 3. Lecerf (Soudal – Quick Step Devo Team)…
Stages won by: Vernon (Soudal – Quick Step), Vernon (Soudal – Quick Step), Mulubrhan (Green Project-Bardiani CSF-Faizanè), Bonnet (TotalEnergies), Ormiston (Global 6 Cycling), Badilatti (Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team), Tarozzi (Green Project-Bardiani CSF-Faizanè), Mulubrhan (Green Project-Bardiani CSF-Faizanè).
*****
Faun Ardèche Classic: Alaphilippe roars to his 40th
Missing out on a win for seven long months, Julian Alaphilippe has broken his drought at the Faun-Ardèche Classic. Exceptional on the ramps of the climb of Saint-Romain-de-Lerps, the French puncher found his legs, and sent a signal to those who no longer saw a future for him at the very top of world cycling by sprinting ahead of David Gaudu, who was the only rider to be able to stay with him at the front in the final of the French classic. “I really wanted to take a victory because it is a feeling I have missed a lot,” Alaphilippe admitted, visibly moved. “I was looking forward to getting there. I know that I have worked a lot in the last few weeks to be in good condition. It validates the work. I look forward to continuing.” Alaphilippe has launched his season in the best way, after his 2022 was marked by mishaps.
The results: 1. Alaphilippe (Soudal – Quick Step) ; 2. Gaudu (Groupama-FDJ) ; 3. Skjelmose (Trek – Segafredo)…
*****
Omloop Het Nieuwsblad: Van Baarle, a victory with style
Starts with fanfare. The Dutchman Dylan Van Baarle won the first Belgian classic of the season solo this Saturday at the Omloop Het Nieuwsblad. The 30-year-old rider as a result won his first victory with the Jumbo-Visma team and confirms his love of the classics one year after his victory at Paris-Roubaix and his second place at the Tour of Flanders.
After the bunch was reduced thanks to the incessant attacking of his teammates – six of the seven Jumbo riders attempted an escape within 100 km from the line -, Van Baarle placed his decisive acceleration 40 kilometers from the line, in the Molenberg, one of the twelve climbs of a route also embellished with nine cobbled sectors. “The goal was to win convincingly with the team. We tried to control the race as much as possible. It’s new for me to race in this way,” Van Baarle explained. “Everyone did a great job. I can only thank the guys for having raced like this and allowed me to take the victory. “
Arnaud de Lie (Lotto Dstny) and Van Baarle’s teammate Christophe Laporte (Jumbo-Visma) completed the podium.
The results: 1. Van Baarle (Jumbo-Visma) ; 2. De Lie (Lotto Dstny) ; 3. Laporte (Jumbo-Visma)…
*****
Faun Drôme Classic: Perez wins in dantesque conditions
Cofidis rider Anthony Perez won the Drôme Classic solo, the second part of the Boucles Drôme Ardèche. The 31-year-old Frenchman asserted himself with a very big attack 37 kilometers from the finish. Despite a headwind that greatly complicated the final kilometers, he managed to keep the lead to win and chalk up his fifth victory as a professional. “I’m super happy,” he said. “The team trusted me and I’m really happy to have won. It hasn’t really sunk in yet, I’ll see when I wake up in the next few days. My dad was at the race and that makes this even more moving. We still had four riders on the 2nd around the circuit and then I went as hard as I could. It suited me that it was a race of attrition, I suspected the course suited me well and it did. I’m super happy!”
The results: 1. Perez (Cofidis) ; 2. Costa ( Intermarché – Circus – Wanty) ; 3. Bagioli (Soudal-Quick Step)…
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Kuurne-Brussel-Kuurne: Benoot and Jumbo-Visma continue their streak
In the aftermath of Dylan Van Baarle’s victory over the Omloop Het Nieuwsblad, the Jumbo-Visma continued to impress for the opening weekend of the Flanders Classics. The Belgian Tiesj Benoot (Jumbo-Visma) raised his arms at Kuurne-Bruxelles-Kuurne after a strong demonstration by his team. He won ahead of his compatriot and teammate Nathan Van Hooydonck.
Isolated in a group of four in the last 50 kilometers also with Matej Mohoric (Bahrain Victorious) and Taco Van der Hoorn (Intermarché-Circus-Wanty), Benoot accelerated under the flamme rouge to win with a small margin over his breakaway partners. “I don’t win very often but when I win, they’re great races,” he said at the finish. “Here, Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne for me is a Classic. And it is clearly one of my greatest victories. With the team’s performance today, it’s really nice to end like this.”
The results: 1. Benoot (Jumbo-Visma) ; 2. Van Hooydonck (Jumbo-Visma) ; 3. Mohoric (Bahrain – Victorious)…
*****
Upcoming races:
28/02 : Le Samyn, https://lesamyn.be/
04/03 : Grand Prix Criquielion, https://www.ententecyclisteacrenoise.be/
04/03 : Strade Bianche (hommes et femmes), https://www.strade-bianche.it/en
From the 5 to 12/03 : Paris-Nice, https://www.paris-nice.fr/fr/.