©Team DSM

Vuelta a Burgos Feminas: Labous takes her biggest victory

Juliette Labous (Team DSM) won the Vuelta a Burgos Feminas on Sunday after finishing second in the fourth and final stage, the finish of which was at Lagunas de Neila (125 km). Aged 23, she consequently posted the best victory of her career. Twelfth in Liège-Bastogne-Liège in April, she perfectly managed her race to overtake her compatriot Evita Muzic (FDJ Nouvelle-Aquitaine Futuroscope) in the overall standings. “It was a very tough race, my teammates worked very well. The breakaway got away without any of us being represented, but my teammates did what was necessary to bring it back. I followed Demi Vollering and Niamh Fisher-Black (Team SD Worx), and they tried one by one to drop me. I didn’t manage to follow Vollering at the end but I fought for the general classification, I’m very happy. I thank the whole team, we deserve it,” commented Labous. 

The results: 1. Juliette Labous (Team DSM), 2. Evita Muzic (FDJ Nouvelle-Aquitaine Futuroscope), 3. Demi Vollering (Team SD Worx)… 

Stages won by: Lotte Kopecky (Team SD Worx), Matilde Vitillo (Bepink), Mavi Garcia (UAE Team ADQ), Demi Vollering (Team SD Worx).

*****

Giro d’Italia: Carapaz dethrones Lopez

Juan Pedro Lopez‘s (Trek-Segafredo) pink jersey did not survive the hotly contested 14th stage on Saturday. After ten days of racing the Italian roads with the leader’s jersey on his shoulders, the Spaniard relinquished his property to Colombian Richard Carapaz (Ineos Grenadiers), who took third in the stage won by Simon Yates (Team BikeExchange-Jayco). Biniam Girmay (Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert Matériaux) injured an eye during the post-stage podium presentation on Tuesday after his first stage victory in a Grand Tour and was forced to retire the next day. And Frenchman Arnaud Démare (Groupama-FDJ) already has three stage wins to date.

Provisional classification: 1. Richard Carapaz (Ineos Grenadiers), 2. Jai Hindley (Bora-Hansgrohe), 3. Joao Almeida (UAE Team Emirates)… 

Stages won by: Mathieu Van der Poel (Alpecin-Fenix), Simon Yates (Team BikeExchange-Jayco), Mark Cavendish (Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl Team), Lennard Kamna (Bora-Hansgrohe), Arnaud Démare (Groupama-FDJ), Arnaud Démare (Groupama-FDJ), Koen Bouwnan (Jumbo-Visma), Thomas De Gendt (Lotto Soudal), Jai Hindley (Bora-Hansgrohe), Biniam Girmay (Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert Matériaux), Alberto Dainese (Team DSM), Stefano Oldani (Alpecin-Fenix), Arnaud Démare (Groupama-FDJ), Simon Yates (Team BikeExchange-Jayco), Giulio Ciccone (Trek-Segafredo)

*****

Grand Prix Herning: Stokbro the strongest

Danish rider Andreas Stokbro, who was racing in the colors of his national team, won the sprint in the Grand Prix Herning on Saturday. Aged 25, he also won a stage of the Tour du Loir-et-Cher in April. He finished ahead of his compatriot Mads Rahbek (BHS-PL Beton Bornholm) and the 2019 world champion, Mads Pedersen (Denmark).

The results: 1. Andreas Stokbro (Denmark), 2. Mads Rahbek (BHS-PL Beton Bornholm), 3. Mads Pedersen (Denmark)…

*****

Veenndaal-Veenndaal Classic: Groenewegen at home

Dutch sprinter Dylan Groenewegen (Team BikeExchange-Jayco) won his fourth Veenndaal-Veenndaal Classic on Saturday after his successes in 2015, 2016 and 2018. “I am delighted with this result, the team is also happy, everything went as planned. We are on the right track,” said the winner.

The results: 1. Dylan Groenewegen (Team BikeExchange-Jayco), 2. Gerben Thijssen (Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert Matériaux), 3. Arnaud De Lie (Lotto Soudal)…  

*****

Rund um Köln: Politt in control

Nils Politt (Bora-Hansgrohe) emerged victorious in the three-way battle fought out on Sunday during the Rund um Köln. He had slipped away from the rest of the peloton 50 kilometers from the finish in the company of Danny Van Poppel (Bora-Hansgrohe) and Nikias Arndt (Team DSM). The 28-year-old German, a native of Cologne and winner of a stage at the Tour de France in 2021, made a decisive effort four kilometers from the flamme rouge to win by 13 seconds ahead of Danny Van Poppel for a double podium from Bora-Hansgrohe.

The results: 1. Nils Politt (Bora-Hansgrohe), 2. Danny Van Poppel (Bora-Hansgrohe), 3. Nikias Arndt (Team DSM)…

*****

The races to come: 

Giro d’Italia du 6-29/05 http://www.giroditalia.it

Tour of Norway 24-29/05 https://www.tourofnorway.no/gb/

Circuit de Wallonie 26/05 https://lecircuitdewallonie.be