Remco Evenepoel takes his second World time trial title in a row and Grace Brown tops her final season with a rainbow ride. All the news from the World time trial championships, Skoda Tour de Luxembourg, Kampioenschap van Vlaanderen, Super 8 Classic and the Alfasun Gooikse Pijl β Videos, rider quotes, reports and results.
Remco Evenepoel is looking forward to the World road championships with PogaΔar and Van der Poel β TOP STORY.
Rider news: Evenepoel answers Dumoulin, David Formolo disqualified from the Tour de Luxembourg, Patrick Lefevere surprised by Remco Evenepoel, Dylan Groenewegen made his comeback three weeks after breaking his collarbone and Cian Uijtdebroeks ends his first season with Visma | Lease a Bike.
Team news: Elmar Abma and Tobias MΓΌller join IntermarchΓ©-Wanty, Baptiste Veistroffer turns pro with Lotto Dstny and SD Worx-Protime sign Julia KopeckΓ½.
Race news: Tour de France considering a finish on Mont Ventoux in 2025.
And the sad news of the passing of Rolf Wolfshohl.
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TOP STORY: Remco Evenepoel is looking forward to the World road championship with PogaΔar and Van der Poel
In the run-up to the World Time Trial Championship, Remco Evenepoel was also looking ahead to the road race next Sunday in Zurich. The two-time Olympic champion is one of the favourites for the road race, but so are Tadej PogaΔar and defending champion Mathieu van der Poel. βFirst and foremost, he is a competitor of ours,β he said to Sporza about the Dutchman.
Van der Poel and Evenepoel regularly train together in Spain. βWe more or less know each otherβs form, but itβs not like we can just ride together. Mathieu is not a compatriot and not a teammate,β Evenepoel emphasises. βI havenβt done the lap myself yet, but if someone like Mathieu focuses on it, he will be ready. Wout van Aert could have done it too. But we have to wait and see whether Mathieu can handle that accumulation of difficult laps. Although he will definitely be there.β
The Belgian leader is also looking forward to a battle with Tour winner PogaΔar. They raced against each other in LiΓ¨ge and Lombardy, but each time they didnβt have a direct battle. βThe Tour is a different story,β said Evenepoel. βIt is another step and a new chance to measure myself. Tadej looks very good. It will not be self-evident, but I can have confidence that I can handle him and that I can make it a great race. [β¦] The World Championship is similar to those races (LiΓ¨ge and Lombardia). He is the man to beat, but that is why I am here.β
PogaΔar and Evenepoel to battle in Zurich:
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World Time Trial Championships β Men 2024
Remco Evenepoel is the World time trial champion for the second year in a row. In Zurich the Belgian top favourite fought out a fierce battle with Filippo Ganna (Italy). Evenepoel had a 20 second lead, but lost 14 seconds in the final section, but it was enough to take the win. Ganna was second and the European champion, Edoardo Affini was third.
The menβs World time trial championship for men was raced over 46.1 kilometres from Oerlikon to Zurich. There was some climbing halfway through the test, first 1.1km at 4.6%, then 600 meters at 6.3% and finally 350 meters at 6.4%, followed by a tricky descent. The intermediate timing points were at 12.5, 26.6 and 36.7 kilometres.
After several of the βnot so favouriteβ riders had started from Oerlikon it was time for the outsiders to have their chance. SΓΈren Waerenskjold set good target times, but the new European champion Edoardo Affini was the most impressive of the early starters. Stefan KΓΌng, Joshua Tarling, Brandon McNulty, Primoz RogliΔ, Filippo Ganna and 2023 champion, Remco Evenepoel were still to start. There was a panic for Evenepoel, as just before his start his chain came off. With some quick work, the Olympic time trial champion was able to start down the ramp on time. At the first intermediate point, Tarling set a top time, which Ganna went under. Evenepoel started well despite his early panic, after 12.5 kilometres he led by 6 seconds on Ganna and 12 seconds on Tarling. KΓΌng was at more than 20 seconds, while RogliΔ was already 37 seconds down.
The riders had to the first climbs in the second part of the time trial. It was Jay Vine who posted a better time than Affini, Tarling, McNulty, KΓΌng and RogliΔ. Vine was third at this point, as Ganna and Evenepoel were faster than the Australian. Ganna was keeping pace with Evenepoel at around 8 seconds. On the tougher climb, the Belgian held his lead. He came over the top with a 9 second lead over Ganna after 26.6 kilometres. Vine followed 28 seconds later, with Affini at 47 seconds and Tarling at a further 52 seconds behind. The third section had another short climb, a tricky descent followed by flat roads. At the third intermediate point after 36.7 kilometres, Vine still had a better time than Affini, but the Australian had lost almost 20 seconds. Vine had crashed on the descent and the battle for bronze could go to Vine, Affini or Tarling. The Australian lost more time in the finale and dropped out of the medals. Tarling was also in trouble and so the European champion, Affini was pushing his way into third place and a World championship bronze medal.
The battle for the rainbow jersey was between Evenepoel and Ganna. In the third section, the Belgian increase his lead from 9 seconds to 19, coming into the last 10 kilometres. In the flat finale, Ganna was catching RogliΔ and had him as a target, this must have helped him set the fastest time. Everyone was now waiting for the βGolden Boyβ Evenepoel, but he was losing time in the final kilometres. The difference at the finish was just over 6 seconds between Evenepoel and Ganna. Evenepoel was now the World time trial champion for the second year in a row. Ganna and Affini were second and third on the podium. They were the only riders who were within 1 minute of Evenepoel after the 46.1 kilometres. Tarling and Vine filled the top-5.
# You can see more photos in the Full βPEZ Race Reportβ HERE. #
2024 World time trial champion, Remco Evenepoel (Belgium): βIβm incredibly happy with the fact I successfully defended my time trial World title! It was a pretty tough day for me, I would go as far as saying it was the hardest time trial of my career, but I was motivated to do my best and Iβm proud with the way I rode. I pushed quite hard on the second small climb of the day and I went all-out on the downhill as well. As I said, it wasnβt easy, but now I am so happy that I could pull it off and take gold at the Worlds after doing the same at the Olympics.β
2nd, Filippo Ganna (Italy): βIβm really happy. Especially compared to last year, because a month ago I didnβt feel well. I had to drop out of the Renewi Tour because I was completely exhausted. Health-wise, my legsβ¦ I had to stay off the bike for a week to get energy back and recharge my batteries. And today I finished only six seconds behind Remco. I canβt say anything more about it. Iβm especially happy and see this performance as a victory. It wasnβt really a course for me either. On the climb my legs exploded and on the descent I suffered. I didnβt try to take any risks there either, but after that I gave it my all. It was a great time trial and I finished second, so Iβm happy. Itβs silver after all.β
3rd, Edoardo Affini (Italy): βItβs a great feeling. I didnβt expect to be on the podium. To be honest, I thought a top-10 finish was a good result beforehand. I dreamed of a top-5. When I was in the hot seat and saw others crossing the finish line, I slowly started to think that there was more in it. Itβs great that I can share the podium with Filippo. Iβm disappointed for him, because he came close. It would have been perfect if he had won, but this is also very nice. Remco just did really well. There was no time to do specific training. The last few days were all about recovering after the Vuelta and the European Championships. It seems to have worked. Maybe itβs an option to race a lot more often and just rest in between. Although it canβt get any busier than this.β
4th, Joshua Tarling (GB): βIβm not feeling great right now. I didnβt get going. I was saving my strength, but when I wanted to push I was done. Iβm not in great shape and not where I want to be. Iβm struggling right now. After the Olympics I broke down. Then I also had a bad Vuelta. I feel guilty towards the people who support me and help me. I let them down. Iβm going to try to get myself back on track for next season. Focus on 2025 then, right?β
Primoz RogliΔ (Slovenia): βIt was really tough. Everything was tough, it was really painful. I felt like I was still recovering from the Vuelta that was behind me. It was really hard to deliver power here. On the other hand, it keeps me going towards the end of the season. Itβs already been a good season for me, but itβs hard to continue it with a few races. Itβs better to keep the rhythm and mix it with the best riders, huh? That helps.β
World Time Trial Championships β Men Result
1. Remco Evenepoel (Belgium) in 53:01
2. Filippo Ganna (Italy) at 0:06
3. Edoardo Affini (Italy) 0:54
4. Joshua Tarling (GB) at 1:17
5. Jay Vine (Australia) at 1:24
6. Kasper Asgreen (Denmark) at 1:30
7. Tobias Foss (Norway) at 1:44
8. Stefan KΓΌng (Switzerland) at 1:48
9. Victor Campenaerts (Belgium) at 1:55
10. Brandon McNulty (USA) at 1:58.
Worldsβ24 Menβs TT:
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World Time Trial Championships β Women 2024
Australiaβs Grace Brown added the World championships to her Olympic time trial gold. Brown was behind Demi Vollering (The Netherlands) at the second intermediate timing point, but thanks to a strong finish she took the win by 16 seconds. Vollering was second and Chloe Dygert (USA) took third at 56 seconds.
The Elite Womenβs time trial started in Gossau and finished in Zurich, 29.9 kilometres later. The riders had a few short climbs: The first was 2.6 kilometres at an average of 4.5% and then steeper one of 1.4 kilometres at over 5%. Olympic champion Grace Brown was the top favourite, but there was a lot of tough competition: ChloΓ© Dygert, Lotte Kopecky, Demi Vollering and Antonia Niedermaier would give her a battle.
One of the first contenders for a medal was Ellen van Dijk. At the first timing point she had the best time, ahead of Brodie Chapman. The difference was 24 seconds. At the finish line, Van Dijkβs lead over the Australian had increased to almost 40 seconds. But the top riders were still to start. At the first intermediate point, Lotte Kopecky had lost 18 seconds to Van Dijk. The first to go under the time of the Dutch rider was Antonia Niedermaier. Demi Vollering soon followed, who was 23 seconds better than the German. Then Olympic champion Grace Brown came through to better all their times. She had a lead of 6 seconds over Vollering. ChloΓ© Dygert, who was last to came through, was 37 seconds down on Brown.
At the second intermediate point, Niedermaier had a lead of 21 seconds on Van Dijk. Vollering was nearly 45 seconds faster. The Dutch rider had lifted her speed in the middle section and Grace Brown lost a little time to her. With 9 kilometres to go, Vollering was 9 seconds ahead of Brown. Vollering kept pushing hard and just after the next timing point she passed Juliette Labous. The French rider tried to hold her, but Vollering was pushing hard for the win. At the finish line, she was 48 seconds better than Niedermaier, who would take the U23 World title. Brown was now the only rider who could threaten Vollering. The Australian had something left in her legs. She was closing in on Vollering and would eventually beat her by 16 seconds. Third place went to Chloe Dygert, fourth to Niedermaier. Lotte Kopecky was fifth.
# You can see more photos in the Full βPEZ Race Reportβ HERE. #
2024 Time Trial World Champion, Grace Brown (Australia): βIβm really going to retire after this season. A lot of people ask, but Iβm really going to retire after this season. Iβm really lucky to be able to end my career like this. These months feel like a dream. I had a lot of goals and I did them. This is really cool. The experience of the Games and the success I had there, that gave me a lot of confidence. In the last kilometres I said to myself: βI can really become World champion!β. That gave me the strength to keep pushing until the end. I had all the information, so I knew I was in the lead after the first climb. Then Vollering rode a really good middle part. It took me a while to get into my rhythm on the flat, especially after all that climbing, but I was able to accelerate and make up time there. I didnβt have that much time to prepare, but I did so many time trials and believed in my preparation.β
2nd, Demi Vollering (The Netherlands): βI was so close to that jersey, you really want it. Then it hurts for a moment, but I am very happy with the second place. It is my first medal at a time trial championship, that is very nice. It is not four seconds, the difference is clear. Grace has really set her mind on the time trials this season, it is really not stolen by her and very much deserved. I did not want to know those intermediate times. Then you might think that you do not have the legs or that you can take it easier. I wanted to get everything out of it and ride my best time trial for myself, then you will see after the finish whether it was enough. I felt good along the way. I was afraid of collapsing on the last part, because that part was difficult to divide. On the climbs I pulled myself apart. After that I hoped that I still had something in my legs for the last part. That was fine, it flew by. Mentally it was less tough than I was afraid of. In a road race everything has to go well. The form is good, but you also need a bit of luck, you have to keep your head and who knows, maybe it will work out on Saturday, that first place. Iβm going home (50 kilometres from Zurich), to training at home for a few days.β
3rd, ChloΓ© Dygert (USA): βI did everything I could today, but it wasnβt enough. The talent of the other riders is high. We all train to stand on the top step, so not being there is hard. But Iβm on the podium with two of the best riders in the world. Iβm very blessed to be here. It keeps me motivated to keep pushing next year.β
4th and U23 World champion, Antonia Niedermaier (Germany): βIβm really happy with today. After I rode the course yesterday, I was excited by the climbs but also quite nervous with the high-speed descents. I aimed to defend my title and keep the rainbow jersey, as itβs an honour to wear it. So to win the U23 race and finish fourth in the elite classification makes me very happy!
World Time Trial Championships β Women Result
1. Grace Brown (Australia) in 39:16
2. Demi Vollering (The Netherlands) at 0:16
3. Chloe Dygert (USA) at 0:56
4. Antonia Niedermaier (Germany) at 1:05
5. Lotte Kopecky (Belgium) at 1:39
6. Christina Schweinberger (Austria) at 1:44
7, Anna Henderson (GB) at 1:44
8. Ellen van Dijk (The Netherlands) at 1:47
9. Juliette Labous (France) at 1:51
10. Amber Neben (USA) at 2:20.
Worldsβ24 Womenβs TT:
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Skoda Tour de Luxembourg 2024
The Second Stage of the Tour de Luxembourg was won by Mads Pedersen (Lidl-Trek). The Dane was too fast for overall leader, Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Deceuninck) in a flat sprint. Robin Froidevaux (Tudor) was third.
Stage two of the Tour de Luxembourg was one for the fast men. There were two categorised climbs: the CΓ΄te de Zittig (1.7km at 6.6%) and MontΓ©e de Steinsel (1.5km at 8.9%) early in the stage, but flatter before the finish in Schifflange. On the final circuit the race climbed the Poteau de Kayl (0.9km at 7.4%) three times, with 5 kilometres to the finish from the last climb.
Two riders escaped: Alexandre Kess (Philippe Wagner/Bazin) and KOM Pepijn Reinderink (Soudal Quick-Step). They built up a maximum lead of 5 minutes, but there was a crash in the peloton involving one of the favourites, Mattias Skjelmose. The Dane tried to continue but he had to abandon. Reinderink took the points on the CΓ΄te de Zittig and MontΓ©e de Steinsel and then sat up. Kess pressed on bravely, but had no chance against the peloton. He was caught 30 kilometres from the finish.
Carl Fredrik Hagen attacked the first time up the Poteau de Kayl. The Norwegian of Q36.5 came through the finish solo and took 3 bonus seconds. Behind; Marc Hirschi sprinted for 2 bonus seconds, ahead of Idar Andersen and Wilco Kelderman. Due to the acceleration in the peloton, Hagen was caught. Victor Vercouillie was the next to go. The 21-year-old rider of Flanders-Baloise had 50 seconds on the peloton, with Reinderink chasing again. He eventually closed the gap with 14 kilometres to go. Their lead shrunk and at the start of the last lap it was only 15 seconds. Hirschi managed to take 1 bonus second.
The last time on the Poteau de Kayl, the peloton was very close and Reinderink knew he had to attack. Vervouillie was dropped. Uno-X Mobility put the pressure on and Reinderink was also caught. There was an attack by Juan Ayuso, but Lidl-Trek closed the gap and Esteban Chaves attacked. The Colombian couldnβt get away and so there would be a sprint. Lidl-Trek led-out Mads Pedersen off perfectly, but he had Mathieu van der Poel on his wheel. The World champion tried to come past the Dane in the sprint, but wasnβt fast enough. Pedersen took the win. Van der Poel came second, which earned him 6 bonus seconds.
Stage winner, Mads Pedersen (Lidl-Trek): βThe climb from 5km-4km to go was hard, with Uno-X doing a really hard attack to make pelotonβs legs tired. I had Amanuel there to ride a hard tempo so we could close them again and then no one else wanted to attack. We did the downhill full gas and from then on it was surfing a bit here and there. Quinn and Alex did a perfect lead out in the end. Having a home rider like Alex that knows more or less itβs really important in days like this. But in general the whole season heβs been an important guy for me. In a final like this, it isnβt the same when he isnβt there. We lost Skjelmose today and that changed a lot our plan for the GC. At least we can leave with a stage win, so thatβs ok, but of course we wanted more. Tomorrow is a really hard day and it doesnβt suit me, but Quinn is doing really well and heβs in good shape, so weβll try to set him up for something nice.β
2nd on the stage and overall leader, Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Deceuninck): βIt went pretty well today. The last five kilometres were very hectic. It went really fast. Thatβs why it was quite a difficult sprint. But Iβm happy with second place. Itβs okay. We were here for stage wins, so weβll see if we can control the stages somehow. Today was okay, but tomorrow itβs going to be almost impossible for us. We will see what happens. Tomorrow is probably the toughest stage. It will be a good day to test my legs. This week is perfect to prepare for Zurich.β
6th on the stage and 9th overall, Mirco Maestri (Polti Kometa): βVery good feeling, the team worked perfectly with Davide Bais in the first positions. The idea was to work for Lonardi, but he couldnβt be well positioned for the sprint and I fought for sixth place. Now comes the hardest stage, we will try to do well again.β
Skoda Tour de Luxembourg Stage 2 Result:
1. Mads Pedersen (Den) Lidl-Trek in 3:41:27
2. Mathieu van der Poel (Ned) Alpecin-Deceuninck
3. Robin Froidevaux (Sui) Tudor
4. Christophe Laporte (Fra) Visma | Lease a Bike
5. Alfred Wright (GB) Bahrain Victorious
6. Mirco Maestri (Ita) Polti Kometa
7. Ivo Emanuel Oliveira Alves (Por) UAE Team Emirates
8. Laurence Pithie (NZ) Groupama-FDJ
9. Lorenzo Milesi (Ita) Movistar
10. Antonio Tiberi (Ita) Bahrain Victorious.
Skoda Tour de Luxembourg Overall After Stage 2:
1. Mathieu van der Poel (Ned) Alpecin-Deceuninck in 7:27:39
2. Christophe Laporte (Fra) Visma | Lease a Bike at 0:10
3. Andreas Kron (Den) Lotto Dstny at 0:12
4. Marc Hirschi (Sui) UAE Team Emirates
5. Carl Fredrik Hagen (Nor) Q36.5 at 0:13
6. Idar Andersen (Nor) Uno-X Mobility at 0:15
7. Harry Sweeny (Aus) EF Education-EasyPost
8. Antonio Tiberi (Ita) Bahrain Victorious at 0:16
9. Mirco Maestri (Ita) Polti Kometa
10. Jon Barrenetxea Golzarri (Spa) Movistar.
Luxembourgβ24 stage 2:
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The Queen Stage 3 on Friday was won by Mauri Vansevenant (Soudal Quick-Step). After a hilly 201 kilometre stage, he finished solo in Diekirch. Overall leader Mathieu van der Poel had a battle with Marc Hirschi in the tough finale and finished third and lost his leaderβs jersey to stage winner Vansevenant (he was later moved up to 2nd).
The third stage of the Tour de Luxembourg was not short of climbs: The CΓ΄te de Michelsbierg (2.2km 7.1%), CΓ΄te de Beaufort (3.6km 4.4%) and Um Knupp (3.8km at 4%) where all on the route and then on the final circuit there was the MontΓ©e de Seitert (0.8km at 9.9%) and the MontΓ©e de Haemerich (1.1km at 7.4%), from that climb there were 4 kilometres to the finish in Diekrich.
The βbreak of the dayβ was made up of Louis Vervaeke (Soudal Quick-Step) and Johannes Kulset (Uno-X Mobility) and they built a 7 minute lead. At the first intermediate sprint there was a 1 second bonus left for the peloton, Marc Hirschi won it and closed the gap on overall leader Mathieu van der Poel. On the Um Knupp climb, Vervaeke went solo, but Kulset was joined by counter-attackers Bastien Tronchon and Amanuel Ghebreigzabhier. The lead slowly decreased due to the work by UAE Team Emirates and Visma | Lease a Bike, who thought they might put Van der Poel in trouble as he only had two teammates.
The first attack from the peloton came 30 kilometres from the finish. Christophe Laporte formed a break with UAEβs Felix GroΓschartner. He joined what was left of the leading group when turning into the local circuit, although the peloton was not far behind. At 25 kilometres, a merger followed as a result of an acceleration by Wilco Kelderman, to which Mathieu van der Poel also responded. The overall leader was racing defensively at that stage. Mauri Vansevenant escaped with Davide Formolo and behind them a group with Bart Lemmen, Bob Jungels and Nicolas Prodhomme also managed to get away. The differences were small, but Vansevenant was riding into the virtual leaderβs jersey. He tried to drop Formolo, but that didnβt work, after which he wanted the Italian to work again, that led to a pat on the back from the experienced Italian. The gap continued to increase. Vansevenant and Formolo started the last 10 kilometres with a 30 second lead over the Lemmen group which also included David Gaudu, the thinned out peloton followed at more than 50 seconds. Hirschi attacked from that last group on the steep MontΓ©e de Seitert (0.8km at 9.9%), but he had Van der Poel and later also Quinn Simmons with him.
Vansevenant attacked Formolo from the foot, Hirschi also did the same with Van der Poel. The Swiss rider blasted away from the world champion, who had no answer and had to ride at his own pace. Hirschi was stuck in the group with Gaudu and Lemmen and so Van der Poel was able to return just before the top. This was well behind Vansevenant, who started the final kilometre with a good lead and maintained that to the finish. Vansevenant crossed the finish line 18 seconds ahead of Formolo. Behind him Van der Poel won the sprint for third place, but with a view to Saturdayβs time trial, he has a gap of 41 seconds. Vansevenant now has a lead of 23 seconds over Formolo and 34 seconds over Van der Poel. Behind them, Hirschi and Andreas Kron are also within 50 seconds of the leader.
After the stage, second placed Davide Formolo (Movistar) was disqualified for a dangerous position on the bike where he was sitting on the top tube while descending. Everyone moved up one place in the stage result and overall.
Stage winner and overall leader, Mauri Vansevenant (Soudal Quick-Step): βI came here after a hard La Vuelta, so Iβm not super fresh, but when the engine is running it doesnβt stop. We had a plan for this stage, and after Louis β who did a great effort β was brought back, I said to myself that it was the right moment to go. In the leading group, I had the feeling I was the strongest, so as I still had some power left, I went. When Iβm alone, I can keep going, and Iβm delighted I could do that today and take this victory. I am motivated and I will give my best in the next two stages.β
2nd on the stage and overall, Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Deceuninck): βIt was a very tough stage and today it became clear that we didnβt have enough manpower to control. I was on my own early on because of that. I had to respond to a lot of attacks afterwards. I can be happy with my legs. It was a tough local lap, but I did a good job managing the attacks. The goal was to win a stage, even more than a good final classification, so Iβll see how the last few days will go.β
7th overall, Davide Piganzoli (Polti Kometa): βSince the course was challenging, we saved energy. An excellent Davide Bais kept us at the front during the circuit and, when we caught the breakaway, I also tried to counterattack. In the end I had to settle for resisting among the best and thatβs fine, especially since Iβm heading into the weekend with good legs.β
Skoda Tour de Luxembourg Stage 3 Result:
1. Mauri Vansevenant (Bel) Soudal Quick-Step in 4:53:34
2. Mathieu van der Poel (Ned) Alpecin-Deceuninck at 0:41
3. Marc Hirschi (Sui) UAE Team Emirates
4. David Gaudu (Fra) Groupama-FDJ
5. Bart Lemmen (Ned) Visma | Lease a Bike
6. Nicolas Prodhomme (Fra) Decathlon-AG2R-La Mondiale
7. Andreas Kron (Den) Lotto Dstny
8. Wilco Kelderman (Ned) Visma | Lease a Bike
9. Juan Ayuso Pesquera (Spa) UAE Team Emirates
10. Antonio Tiberti (Ita) Bahrain Victorious.
Skoda Tour de Luxembourg Overall After Stage 3:
1. Mauri Vansevenant (Bel) Soudal Quick-Step in 12:21:16
2. Mathieu van der Poel (Ned) Alpecin-Deceuninck at 0:34
3. Marc Hirschi (Sui) UAE Team Emirates at 0:49
4. Andreas Kron (Den) Lotto Dstny at 0:50
5. Harry Sweeny (Aus) EF Education-EasyPost at 53
6. Antonio Tiberi (Ita) Bahrain Victorious at 0:54
7. Davide Piganzoli (Ita) Polti Kometa
8. Bart Lemmen (Ned) Visma | Lease a Bike
9. Wilco Kelderman (Ned) Visma | Lease a Bike
10. David Gaudu (Fra) Groupama-FDJ.
Luxembourgβ24 stage 3:
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Juan Ayuso (UAE Team Emirates) won the individual time trial Stage 4 of the Tour de Luxembourg. The Spaniard defeated Antonio Tiberi (Bahrain Victorious) and Mads Pedersen (Lidl-Trek). Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Deceuninck) finished fifth and took over the leaderβs jersey from Mauri Vansevenant.
Stage 4 was a 15.5 kilometre time trial around Differange. The time trial was not flat, at halfway there was the Col de lβEurope (1.3km at 8.5%). After the top (9 kilometres), was the timing point. Mauri Vansevenant was last to start the time trial and had a lead of 32 seconds on second placed, Mathieu van der Poel.
Mads Pedersen was down on GC and started early. The Dane improved the previous best time of Vincent Van Hemelen (Flanders-Baloise) by about 30 seconds to take the hot seat. Lorenzo Milesi, Alex Kirsch and Felix GroΓschartner came close, but they all failed to beat Pedersenβs time. Juan Ayuso, 12th overall, improved the top time by eleven seconds. Wilco Kelderman was next, but was almost a minute down on Ayuso. Teammate, Bart Lemmen lost more time.
Hirschi was the third fastest at the first intermediate point for a while. Mathieu van der Poel, the first rider to come through after Hirschi, was only 4 seconds down on Ayuso and gained 3 seconds on Hirschi. Mauri Vansevenant limited his loss to 21 seconds and the timing point to Ayuso. He was still in the virtual lead. In the second part, only Antonio Tiberi, 7th at the intermediate point, 2nd on the finish line, got closer to Ayuso. The rest lost more time. Hirschi 15 seconds and Van der Poel 19. Van der Poel could still take the lead, depending on how Vansevenant finished. The Soudal Quick-Step rider lost 37 seconds and his leaderβs jersey. Mathieu van der Poel was back in the overall lead and would start the final stage with a 3 second lead on Ayuso and Vansevenant.
Stage winner and 2nd overall, Juan Ayuso (UAE Team Emirates): βIt was full gas from the start. Seeing the parcours from this morning it was a course I liked and that it might suit me. I was one of the first guys from the GC to start so I didnβt have many reference times but I managed to suffer a lot and stay in the red zone and could push to take the win. I focussed on myself and did the best effort I could and it was enough for the win today. Weβll have to look at the GC now and see how weβre going to play our cards but for sure we will be trying to win the race tomorrow.β
5th on the stage and overall leader, Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Deceuninck): βA time trial is always difficult, so today was no exception. Especially the first part, on top of the climb, was very tough. Up until that point I managed to keep up the speed well, but after that I lacked some freshness to really ride the pace I wanted to ride until the finish. I knew the first part suited me better, also because aerodynamics were a bit less important there. The second part was very fast. Guys who are more aero have an advantage over me there, but I think I can be quite happy with this result and with the feeling. Yesterday was an incredibly tough day, so I am also happy that the recovery was good. Of course I will now fight for the GC, but that was not the big goal. We will see how the race unfolds tomorrow. As I said before, the team is weakened after a few guys got sick. But we will see. The Tour de Luxembourg is already a success for me.β
2nd on the stage and 5th overall, Antonio Tiberi (Bahrain Victorious): βIβm happy and satisfied with the TT result today. From the start of this race I thought I could do well here because the parcours is quite tough and I have good legs at the moment. This gives me confidence and belief going into tomorrow, but even more looking forward to the World Championships and Il Lombardia.β
8th overall, Davide Piganzoli (Polti Kometa): βWe had to go full gas, the course suited me and I had the legs for it. I tried to race as best as I could and my result reflects the great work done by the whole team. Tomorrow will be a tough finale, weβll try to get into the break and aim for a sprint finish with our fastest guys.β
Skoda Tour de Luxembourg Stage 4 Result:
1. Juan Ayuso Pesquera (Spa) UAE Team Emirates in 19:11
2. Antonio Tiberi (Ita) Bahrain Victorious at 0:07
3. Mads Pedersen (Den) Lidl-Trek at 0:11
4. Marc Hirschi (Sui) UAE Team Emirates at 0:14
5. Mathieu van der Poel (Ned) Alpecin-Deceuninck at 0:19
6. Felix Grossschartner (Aust) UAE Team Emirates at 0.20
7. Lorenzo Milesi (Ita) Movistar
8. Quinn Simmons (USA) Lidl-Trek at 0:26
9. Harry Sweeny (Aus) EF Education-EasyPost
10. Alex Kirsch (Lux) Lidl-Trek at 0.31.
Skoda Tour de Luxembourg Overall After Stage 4:
1. Mathieu van der Poel (Ned) Alpecin-Deceuninck in 12:41:18
2. Juan Ayuso Pesquera (Spa) UAE Team Emirates at 0:03
3. Mauri Vansevenant (Bel) Soudal Quick-Step
4. Marc Hirschi (Sui) UAE Team Emirates at 0:08
5. Antonio Tiberi (Ita) Bahrain Victorious at 0:10
6. Harry Sweeny (Aus) EF Education-EasyPost at 0:28
7. David Gaudu (Fra) Groupama-FDJ at 39
8. Davide Piganzoli (Ita) Polti Kometa at 0:46
9. Mats Wenzel (Lux) Luxembourg at 0:57
10. Wilco Kelderman (Ned) Visma | Lease a Bike at 1:02.
Luxembourgβ24 stage 4:
Β
Antonio Tiberi (Bahrain Victorious) won the 2024 Tour de Luxembourg final overall, beating Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Deceuninck) in the final day by 15 seconds. The Italian managed to get into a break on the last lap, it took a big lead and David Gaudu (Groupama-FDJ) won the stage. Tiberi finished at 3 seconds and had enough time to beat Van der Poel for the final overall victory.
The Tour de Luxembourg ended with a hilly stage from Mersch to Luxembourg City, with several climbs early in the stage. In the first 60 kilometres there was the CΓ΄te de Nommern, the MontΓ©e de Gralingen and the CΓ΄te de Kautenbach. Then the difficult final three circuit in Luxembourg City, there was the Pabeierbierg (800 meters at 9%) just before the finish.
World champion Mathieu van der Poel had regained the lead in Saturdayβs time trial and had a 3 second lead on Juan Ayuso and Mauri Vansevenant, 8seconds on Marc Hirschi and 10 seconds on Antonio Tiberi. A group of 17 riders made an early escape and Van der Poel attacked solo for a while. The break didnβt get anywhere, after which Johannes Staune-Mittet (Visma | Lease a Bike), Archie Ryan (EF Education-EasyPost) and Lorenzo Milesi (Movistar) jumped away from that group. They gained more than 3 minutes lead over the peloton, which meant that Staune-Mittet was the virtual leader at that point. Led by Lidl-Trek and Soudal Quick-Step, the lead decreased. The final really started on the circuit in Luxembourg City. There were bonus seconds on the first pass, but Staune-Mittet and Ryan took the, despite an acceleration by Hirschi on the Pabeierbierg. The differences were small. It looked like a group with Wilco Kelderman would get away, but UAE Team Emirates chased them and the last early escapees down. The race would came down to the last two laps.
Hirschi accelerated on the penultimate Pabeierbierg, but he couldnβt get away. Van der Poel, Vansevenant and Quinn Simmons were able to follow, after which a large split came back. Kelderman tried again, but again he could not get away. He did take 3 bonus seconds, just ahead of Vansevenant on 2 seconds and Van der Poel took 1 second. In the final lap there were many attacks and Van der Poel had to watch them all. He let a group including Kelderman, Simmons and Tiberi escape, which meant that the Italian was the virtual leader. The gaps were still small, but Tiberi went full out for the win. He was joined by Simmons, David Gaudu and Jordan Jegat coming to the final climb and they built a lead of 40 seconds.
The last time on the Pabeierbierg (800 metres at 9%), Van der Poel attacked, leaving Hirschi behind. Only Pedersen was able to stay with to him. At the front, Tiberi was fighting for the overall and Gaudu was able to ride away after a strong attack and win the stage solo. Simmons and Jegat were second and third, ahead of Tiberi. Tiberiβs lead was, despite the counterattack by Van der Poel and Pedersen, big enough to win the Tour de Luxembourg. He had managed to change his 10 second deficit on Van der Poel into a 15 second overall lead. After his stage win and bonuses, Gaudu moved up to third, pushing Vansevenant off the podium.
Final overall winner and 4th on the stage, Antonio Tiberi (Bahrain Victorious): βIn the final circuit, my legs felt even better, and I expected a lot of attacks. I decided to push to the limit on the longest climb all the way to the finish. I was with three other riders, and my goal was to gain as many seconds as possible to try and win the general classification. When they told me at the finish line that I did it, I was super happy! This is my first stage race win and the first time wearing the yellow jersey. Iβm so happy. Itβs been a fantastic week with great results. Everyone on the team performed well, and we were really united. Luxembourg is a beautiful place, and I truly enjoyed this week. This victory boosts my morale for the upcoming races, especially the Worlds and Il Lombardia.β
6th on the stage and 2nd overall, Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Deceuninck): βI am very happy with this feeling. I had the legs to win, but it is difficult when they keep attacking. I had to gamble a bit. I am very happy with today. The legs felt good until the final. I am very happy with the form and this week. I enjoyed the race here. This was the most difficult stage to control, with a difficult final lap, but I felt very good. On that last steep climb I felt very strong, that is why I am very happy with my feeling.β
9th overall, Davide Piganzoli (Polti Kometa): βWe capped off a great week, which gives me and the team good feelings ahead of the major classics in Italy that will conclude this year.β
KOM, Pepijn Reinderink (Soudal Quick-Step): βLuxembourg was a pretty hard race, but I enjoyed being here. I came in quite a good shape at the start and I am content with how I rode and proud of the whole team. To be on the podium at the end of the race and get my first pro jersey here makes me happy and feeds my confidence ahead of the final appointments of the season, where Iβm motivated to do my best again.β
Skoda Tour de Luxembourg Stage 5 Result:
1. David Gaudu (Fra) Groupama-FDJ in 4:06:03
2. Quinn Simmons (USA) Lidl-Trek at 0:03
3. Jordan Jegat (Fra) TotalEnergies
4. Antonio Tiberi (Ita) Bahrain Victorious
5. Mads Pedersen (Den) Lidl-Trek at 0:29
6. Mathieu van der Poel (Ned) Alpecin-Deceuninck
7. Juan Ayuso Pesquera (Spa) UAE Team Emirates at 0:31
8. Bastien Tronchon (Fra) Decathlon-AG2R-La Mondiale
9. Mauri Vansevenant (Bel) Soudal Quick-Step
10. Marc Hirschi (Sui) UAE Team Emirates.
Skoda Tour de Luxembourg Final Overall Result:
1. Antonio Tiberi (Ita) Bahrain Victorious in 16:47:34
2. Mathieu van der Poel (Ned) Alpecin-Deceuninck at 0:15
3. David Gaudu (Fra) Groupama-FDJ at 0:16
4. Mauri Vansevenant (Bel) Soudal Quick-Step at 0:19
5. Juan Ayuso Pesquera (Spa) UAE Team Emirates at 21
6. Marc Hirschi (Sui) UAE Team Emirates at 0:26
7. Harry Sweeny (Aus) EF Education-EasyPost at 46
8. Jordan Jegat (Fra) TotalEnergies at 0:54
9. Davide Piganzoli (Ita) Polti Kometa at 1:04
10. Mats Wenzel (Lux) Luxembourg at 1:15.
Luxembourgβ24 stage 5:
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Kampioenschap van Vlaanderen 2024
Tim Merlier (Soudal Quick-Step) won the 2024 Championship of Flanders on Friday in his new European championβs jersey. After 180 kilometres, he was the fastest in the bunch sprint. Merlier beat Arvid de Kleijn (Tudor) and Jasper Philipsen (Alpecin-Deceuninck) into second and third places.
The Championship of Flanders is twelve laps of 14.7 kilometres around Koolskamp. The circuit also goes through Egem, Pittem and Kruiskalsijde. In the last 500 metres there were some bends that could upset the sprint lead-out.
European champion Tim Merlier showed his new jersey and was up against fast men: Jasper Philipsen, Jordi Meeus, Arvid de Kleijn, Dylan Groenewegen, Fabio Jakobsen and Alexander Kristoff. The break of the day formed after more than 10 kilometres with Alex Colman (Flanders-Baloise), Sam Gademan (VolkerWessels) and Fabio Christen (Q36.5). The lead increased to more than 3 minutes. The peloton was nervous because the easterly wind was dangerous and this led to several crashes, but no favourites were involved.
Gademan was the first to be dropped from the break, Colman and Christen rode on. Soudal Quick-Step, Uno-X Mobility, Lidl-Trek, Alpecin-Deceuninck, IntermarchΓ©-Wanty and Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe rode on the front of the peloton. At the start of the last lap, the difference to the leaders was 30 seconds, Christen then left Colman. There was a crash on one of the narrow sections 10 kilometres from the finish. It happened at the front of the peloton when Sam Welsford lost control, causing almost the entire peloton to stop. Fabio Jakobsen was one of the victims and his race was as good as over. Tim Merlier and Alexander Kristoff were also held up and had a hard chase back as Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe were at full speed.
Jasper Philipsen, Jordi Meeus, Gerben Thijssen and Arvid de Kleijn were all at the front in the finale as Christen had been caught. Everyone was getting ready for a bunch sprint. A chasing group with Merlier, Kristoff and Dylan Groenewegen caught the front group in the last 4 kilometres, but there wasnβt much time to get the lead-out train ready. In the final kilometre, Philipsen was taken to the front by Simon Dehairs, but it was too early. The leader of Alpecin-Deceuninck was the first to start the sprint, but couldnβt keep it going. Merlier came off his wheel for the victory, his first as European champion. De Kleijn finish second, ahead of Philipsen.
Race winner, Tim Merlier (Soudal Quick-Step): βThereβs always an extra pressure on you at the first race you do with a special jersey on your shoulders, but luckily, I managed to get the win just a couple of days after becoming European Champion, so all is good. The boys were again amazing today. It wasnβt easy, because I didnβt have the best feeling and I was also blocked behind that crash, but thanks to Warre I could make it back just in time for the sprint. I tried to remain calm and just do my own sprint after Bert put me in a good position and Iβm super happy now, especially as there were a lot of good sprinters at the start. The end of the season is just a couple of weeks away, but I am still motivated and ready to give my best, because each race is important and each win matters.β
Kampioenschap van Vlaanderen Result:
1. Tim Merlier (Bel) Soudal Quick-Step in 3:56:24
2. Arvid de Kleijn (Ned) Tudor
3. Jasper Philipsen (Bel) Alpecin-Deceuninck
4. Lionel Taminiaux (Bel) Lotto Dstny
5. Gerben Thijssen IntermarchΓ©-Wanty
6. Jordi Meeus (Bel) Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe
7. Madis Mihkels (Est) IntermarchΓ©-Wanty
8. Dylan Groenewegen (Ned) Jayco AlUla
9. Pierre Gautherat (Fra) Decathlon-AG2R-La Mondiale
10. Jules Hesters (Bel) Team Flanders-Baloise.
Kampioenschap van Vlaanderenβ24:
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Super 8 Classic 2024
Filippo Baroncini (UAE Team Emirates) took his first professional victory on Saturday. The 24-year-old Italian, who was U23 World champion in 2021, soloed to victory in the Super 8 Classic. Rick Pluimers (Tudor) rode to second place. Baronciniβs teammate Rui Oliveira sprinted to third.
The Super 8 Classic was 197.6-kilometres long, with 16 climbs. Among those climbs were the Moskesstraat (500 metres of cobblestones at 7.2%) and the Smeysberg (600 metres at 7.9%) twice. The final 20 kilometres were flat. The finish was in Haacht, where World champion Mathieu van der Poel took his first victory in the rainbow jersey last year.
The break of the day consisted of five riders: LoΓ―c Vliegen (Bingoal WB), Kay De Bruyckere (Pauwels Sauzen-Bingoal), Lars Craps (Flanders-Baloise), Anders Halland Johannessen (Uno-X Mobility) and Julius van den Berg (dsm-firmenich-PostNL). The five never had more than 2:30 and it was less as they got to the hilly zone. Johan Jacobs (Movistar) counter-attacked, but he was stuck between and then was caught again. There was then several attacks. Natnael Tesfatsion (Lidl-Trek) managed to get away, but he couldnβt catch the break. Vliegen and De Bruyckere had been dropped with 40 kilometres to go.
At the start of the second time up the Moskesstraat, the escape still had 20 seconds and at the top they were almost caught, due to an acceleration by Tim Wellens. Only Johannessen could hold off the peloton, until Wellens attacked again after the summit. The Belgian was the first to catch the solo Johannessen, together with Gil Gelders and Florian Vermeersch. The rest of what was left of the peloton soon pulled them in. More attempts followed. An attack by Sandy Dujardin led to four riders getting away. There was Dujardin (TotalEnergies), Rick Pluimers (Tudor), Filippo Baroncini (UAE Team Emirates) and Roger AdrΓa (Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe), who had won the GP de Wallonie on Wednesday. They worked well together, but the lead was small. A chase group kept them in sight.
From the chase group, riders tried to cross. Mike Teunissen, Toms Skujins and Matteo Trentin gave it a go, but in the end there was a lead group of 17 riders. The sprinters; Biniam Girmay and Jasper Philipsen were no longer there. Baroncini attacked with 14 kilometres to go. The Italian soon had 30 seconds. The chase was slow to get going. Rick Pluimers working for Matteo Trentin, but Baroncini was flying towards the win. This was his first professional victory. Pluimers jumped away from the chasing group to finish second. The sprint for third place was won by Rui Oliveira for UAE Team Emirates.
Race winner, Filippo Baroncini (UAE Team Emirates): βIβm the happiest person in the world right now. The past three years have been tough with a series of injuries so for things to come good like this feels really special. We came here looking for victory today. Personally I came out of the Vuelta feeling really good and knew I had the legs to do something in these races. Iβm really happy with my performance and even more pleased and proud of the performance of the team who were just fantastic. It was a hard parcours but the team played their part to make the race hard and we could take the win.β
Super 8 Classic Result:
1. Filippo Baroncini (Ita) UAE Team Emirates in 4:27:09
2. Rick Pluimers (Ned) Tudor at 0:21
3. Rui Filipe Oliveira Alves (Por) UAE Team Emirates at 0:28
4. Emilien Jeannière (Fra) TotalEnergies
5. Roger Adria Oliveras (Spa) Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe
6. Matteo Trentin (Ita) Tudor
7. Laurenz Rex (Bel) IntermarchΓ©-Wanty
8. Jake Stewart (GB) Israel-Premier Tech
9. Mike Teunissen (Ned) IntermarchΓ©-Wanty
10. Dylan Vandenstorme (Bel) Team Flanders-Baloise.
Super 8 Classicβ24:
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Alfasun GP Gooikse Pijl p/b Lotto 2024
Tim Merlier (Soudal Quick-Step) won the 2024 GP Gooikse Pijl on Sunday. The European champion was the fastest sprinter after more than 195 kilometres, but it was close between him and Jordi Meeus (Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe). Olav Kooij (Visma | Lease a Bike) finished third, ahead of Dylan Groenewegen (Jayco AlUla).
From the start in Roosdaal, the riders headed for the circuit through Flemish Brabant. There were eight local laps of 21.8 kilometres on the program, a rolling circuit without any significant hills. This would not pose any problems for the sprinters, so the expectation was that after 195.8 kilometres there would be a sprint for the victory.
A new clash between European champion Tim Merlier and Jasper Philipsen was expected, but the latter dropped out due to illness. Everyone was looking at Merlier and he would be up against Olav Kooij, Arnaud De Lie, Jordi Meeus, Jonathan Milan and Dylan Groenewegen. A lead group of four escaped early: Jacopo Mosca (Lidl-Trek), SΓ©bastien Grignard (Lotto Dstny), Axel Huens (Tour de Tietema-Unibet) and later Rune Herregodts (IntermarchΓ©-Wanty). The leading group took a lead of more than 2 minutes and there was also a new group behind them. Sebastian SchΓΆnberger was the first counter-attacker and he was later joined by Jonas Rickaert and Arno Claeys, the gaps were still small.
Eventually Claeys and SchΓΆnberger managed to join the leading group, while Rickaert was caught by the peloton. Six leaders started the last hour of racing with a lead of over a minute. The peloton didnβt let the difference become too big and Soudal Quick-Step, Lotto Dstny, Visma | Lease a Bike and Tudor made sure that the last escapees were caught. This happened 8 kilometres before the finish. Due to some rain, the peloton was quite nervous. Many teams therefore wanted to keep their sprinter well in front. The sprint was going to be chaos and the top favourites were near the front. Tim Merlier took the left side of the road and had a clear road to the finish line. Olav Kooij kept up as Jordi Meeus and Dylan Groenewegen came up. With a strong jump, Meeus got very close, but Merlier was fast enough to hang on. Kooij was third, just ahead of Groenewegen.
Race winner, Tim Merlier (Soudal Quick-Step): βIt was a nervous day of racing, typical for a Belgian race. We gave our best to close the gap, then in the lost kilometres I lost some places, but managed to come back thanks to a great effort of the team. The sprint was a bit uphill, which meant it was important to launch the sprint at the right moment, and Iβm glad I made it again today. It wasnβt easy, but Iβm happy. Itβs a great feeling to rack up my 50th pro win in front of my home fans, with the European Champion jersey on my shoulders.β
Alfasun GP Gooikse Pijl p/b Lotto Result:
1. Tim Merlier (Bel) Soudal Quick-Step in 4:18:57
2. Jordi Meeus (Bel) Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe
3. Olav Kooij (Ned) Visma | Lease a Bike
4. Dylan Groenewegen (Ned) Jayco AlUla
5. Stanislaw Aniolkowski (Pol) Cofidis
6. Erlend Blikra (Nor) Uno-X Mobility
7. Gleb Syritsa (-) Astana Qazaqstan
8. Lionel Taminiaux (Bel) Lotto Dstny
9. Davide Ballerini (Ita) Astana Qazaqstan
10. Stian Edvardsen-Fredheim (Nor) Uno-X Mobility.
Gooikse Pijlβ24:
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Evenepoel Answers Dumoulin: βI won at the Olympic Games, didnβt I?β
In an interview with WielerFlits, former riders Stef Clement and Tom Dumoulin spoke about Evenepoelβs class and also the areas of improvement of the time trialist Remco Evenepoel, but the World champion didnβt like what they said, much.
The 2017 World champion, Dumoulin, did compliment the Belgian, but when asked about any possible ββimprovement, he said: βHis cornering technique, heβs still a bit inconsistent in that respect. Sometimes I think: βwow, heβs going through the corner quite nicelyβ. But heβs also ridden time trials with fear. Take the first corners in the first time trial of the Tour de France this year. That didnβt look good. Compared to PogaΔar, he lost a lot of time there. But in other aspects he excels so much that he still wins.β
HLN put the quote to Evenepoel at the press conference of the Belgian team on Friday afternoon before the Worlds TT. βTom wonβt have seen the time trial at the Olympic Games, right?β Evenepoel replied.
βIt was raining, it was slippery and I won there too!? Tom can be quite strange sometimes. Victor (Campenaerts, ed.) had a good quote about it at the table yesterday: when you win everything, people sometimes start to hate you. Thatβs what itβs about at the table. Weβre having funβ, according to Evenepoel.
Dumoulin had indeed seen that Olympic time trial. βDoesnβt that cornering technique play tricks on him? Well, no. At the Games, Evenepoel also won in the pouring rain. He doesnβt have to worry about that. Certainly not on Sunday, because the course in Zurich isnβt too technical. That reduced cornering technique wonβt play a major role. If it had been a city circuit, it would have been to Evenepoelβs disadvantage. But that is not the case. It is two very long straights with a climb in the middle. It is not much more than that. Evenepoel is the top favourite.β
Evenepoel doesnβt seem to have too many problems:
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David Formolo Disqualified from the Tour de Luxembourg
Davide Formolo was disqualified from the Tour de Luxembourg at the end of stage 3. The Movistar Italian was disqualified by the race jury due to the position that Formolo used on a descent, where the rider sits on the top tube of the bike. This has been prohibited by the UCI for several seasons.
The disqualification came half an hour after the stage finish, where Formolo came second. In the finale, he couldnβt stay with his fellow escapee Mauri Vansevenant. Vansevenant won the stage and took the overall lead. Formolo crossed the finish line 18 seconds later and moved in to second place overall. The Italian used the position 9 kilometres from the finish, on the descent to the last climb of the day. Everyone could see Formolo on TV hold the position for abound half a kilometre.
The race jury used this UCI rule: β7.9 Using a non-regulatory position (or support) on the bike that poses a danger to the rider or the participants.β Formolo could have been fined 200 to 1,000 Swiss francs, penalised 5 to 25 UCI points or a declassification or disqualification. He was disqualified.
Bad boy Formolo:
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Patrick Lefevere Surprised by Remco Evenepoel
Remco Evenepoel will be going for his second World road title in Zurich next Sunday. However, the double Olympic champion recently had a dip, according to Soudal Quick-Step team boss Patrick Lefevere in his Het Nieuwsblad column.
Lefevere, talking before the time trial, said his team leader was ready. βI hear positive signals from Zurich. Our development manager Nicolas Coosemans is on site with Remco Evenepoel and tells us that it is an exceptionally beautiful time trial course. Tailor-made for Remco, with quite a lot of elevation. But also technical and in a beautiful setting. In our WhatsApp conversation I asked how the champion is feeling. Nicolas replied: βSuper motivatedβ.β
Nevertheless, Lefevere also has his reservations about Evenepoelβs performance. βRemco would like to keep his jersey for another year, but I wonder: can you peak three times in one year? Remco was aiming for the spring, then for the Tour and the Games. Thatβs more than a plate full. You see it with many of the Olympians. Filippo Ganna has been in a slump since Paris, Joshua Tarling hasnβt found his best legs yet either.β
βRemco was also in a slump after the Games, as trainer Koen Pelgrim put it. He had a few difficult weeks, but now I saw another tough training on Strava: seven hours of cycling. 260 kilometres in total, with 3,594 metres of elevation. Itβs the common denominator of all great champions: no matter how successful they are, the most important race is always the next one. Remco will definitely continue until Lombardy, where he still has an outstanding bill after his fall into the ravine. I suspect that races such as the Coppa Bernocchi and the Giro dellβEmilia will also be on his programme.β
Evenepoel ready for more:
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Dylan Groenewegen Made his Comeback Three Weeks after Breaking his Collarbone
Dylan Groenewegen resumed racing on Friday. The Dutchman broke his collarbone three weeks ago in the Renewi Tour, but is now ready to race again. He was at the start of the Championship of Flanders
Groenewegen broke his collarbone on 28 August, in the bunch sprint finish in Bilzen in the first stage of the Renewi Tour. Tim Merlier moved from his line just before the finish, which caused himself and Dylan Groenewegen to crash. While Merlier did start the time trial the next day, Groenewegenβs Renewi Tour was over. The fast finisher from Amsterdam had to leave the race with a broken collarbone.
Groenewegen made his comeback on Friday in the Kampioenschap van Vlaanderen and finished 8th after a late chase back to the peloton, due to a crash.
Groenewegen back:
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Cian Uijtdebroeks Ends his First Season with Visma | Lease a Bike
Cian Uijtdebroeksβ season is over. The 21-year-old Belgian, who moved from BORA-hansgrohe to Visma | Lease a Bike last winter, will not race again this year, he announced on his Instagram.
βMy 2024 season is over,β Uijtdebroeks wrote. βIβm taking some good rest and am currently working on some physical problems, so that Iβm ready for 2025. Iβm looking forward to building up again.β
Uijtdebroeks transfer last winter was less than smooth. Jumbo-Visma presented him as a new rider at the beginning of December 2023, but BORA-hansgrohe then claimed that he was still under contract with them until the end of 2024. Eventually, the two parties reached an agreement and Uitdebroeks was able to make the move to Visma | Lease a Bike, previously Jumbo-Visma.
In February, Uijtdebroeks made his debut for the Dutch team. He came fifth in the O Gran CamiΓ±o won by Jonas Vingegaard. Then there was a seventh place in Tirreno-Adriatico. The Tour of Catalonia, Uijtdebroekβs first really big goal, ended in disappointment: he could not keep up in the mountains and did not finish the final stage.
The Giro dβItalia did start well. Uijtdebroeks was fifth after ten days and wore the white jersey for best young rider. However, he had to stop due to illness. In the Tour of Switzerland and Tour of Burgos, he didnβt do much, as his big autumn goal was the Vuelta a EspaΓ±a.
His second Grand Tour of the year also ended in disappointment for Uijtdebroeks. The Belgian was not involved in the first two weeks, suffered from a βnumb feeling in his legsβ and then he was ill again. He was found to have a covid infection and didnβt start the fifteenth stage. He will now not be in action for the rest of the season.
Cian Uijtdebroeks out for the rest of the season:
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International Talents Elmar Abma and Tobias MΓΌller Join IntermarchΓ©-Wanty
IntermarchΓ©-Wanty continues to attract the most sought-after international talents with the arrivals of Dutch rider Elmar Abma and German Tobias MΓΌller, who will strengthen the Wanty-ReUz-Technord squad led by KΓ©vin Van Melsen.
A tall and powerful rider, Elmar Abma (20 years old) has claimed three victories in 2024 on Dutch soil, including a success in a UCI event at the Olympiaβs Tour, where he won the first stage just ahead of the sprinters. This victory came just after his win on the cobbles of the Kasseienomloop van Exloo and shortly before the Kersenronde Mierlo, a U23 Road Series event.
In June, he won bronze in the time trial and road race at the national championships, after having excelled in breakaways at the ZLM Tour, a stage race won by IntermarchΓ©-Wantyβs Rune Herregodts. These performances earned him a selection for the Dutch team at the European Championships.
Trained on the track where he became a double Dutch Omnium champion and a Junior European champion, Elmar Abma becomes the fourth Dutchman to continue his development within the Wanty-ReUz-Technord team led by KΓ©vin van Melsen, after Huub Artz, Wouter Toussaint and Roel van Sintmaartensdijk, who like him had arrived from the VolkerWessels team.
Also aged 20, Tobias MΓΌller is one of the most promising German sprinters in the U23 category. Coming from a cycling family, he is the son of Viola-Paultiz, a two-time participant in the Summer Olympics, and Ulrich MΓΌller, a representative of the Rad-Net team where he has been riding since 2023. This season, he obtained his first professional podium, finishing third in a stage of the Tour de lβAin, and recently placed ninth twice in sprints at the Tour of Germany won by Mads Pedersen and Jonathan Milan.
A fast rider who likes hilly courses, he excelled at Gand-Wevelgem U23 won by Huub Artz with an eighth place, and has just finished eighteenth in the road race at the European U23 Championships, his first selection with the Mannschaft in an international competition. In addition to his podium at the Tour de lβAin, MΓΌller has numerous placings in UCI events, including three podiums at the Tour de la Mirabelle, a third place in Paris-Troyes and a sixth place in Eschborn-Frankfurt U23.
Elmar Abma: βLike many young Dutch people, I started cycling at the age of 10 on a regular bike, the one I used to go to school with. I really enjoyed that feeling, and so a little later, I tried road cycling. A decision that led to my career in cycling, which is progressing step by step. The next step is this adventure with Wanty-ReUz-Technord, a reward for the good season Iβm having. In June at the ZLM Tour, I spoke with Adriaan Helmantel, now a coach at IntermarchΓ©-Wanty, whom I knew as the coach of the Dutch national team. The VolkerWessels team was the ideal environment to gain experience, and now Iβm eager to continue my progress at a higher level with the IntermarchΓ©-Wanty structure. I want to realise my dream of becoming a professional cyclist and one day participating in Paris-Roubaix. I canβt wait to contribute to the team and learn from the World Team pros. I love intense races from start to finish, where positioning plays an important role, even with a lot of wind and rain. Apart from very mountainous courses, I like all types of profiles.β
Tobias MΓΌller: βIβve made a lot of progress this season. I had set myself the goal of taking a big step forward, driven by my dream of becoming a professional cyclist. I was really excited when I heard about IntermarchΓ©-Wantyβs interest. Itβs a fantastic opportunity for my future. Both of my parents were cyclists, so I grew up in this environment. After trying football, Iβm now fully focused on cycling where Iβm developing into a fairly versatile rider. I enjoy all types of terrain and have a good top speed. There are races that Iβve competed in at the U23 level, like Paris-Tours and Gent-Wevelgem, where I hope to shine with Wanty-ReUz-Technord. Thanks to IntermarchΓ©-Wantyβs training program, Iβm going to continue developing and further increase my physical abilities. I know thereβs close cooperation with the World Team, and I canβt wait to learn alongside the pros to one day reach the highest level.β
KΓ©vin Van Melsen (sports director): βWe followed Elmar closely, and we noticed during his victories just how powerful a rider he is with a big engine. He has the profile we needed for our 2025 squad. A rider suited to the Flemish races, especially on the cobbles like Paris-Roubaix. In addition to his powerful engine, Elmar will also be a valuable asset for our sprint train. At 20 years old, he already has some experience against the pros. Itβs experience that he can share with our younger riders. Personally, Iβm very happy with this reinforcement. During our discussions, he seemed both calm and motivated. Heβs aware of what he can bring to our team and determined to continue his development within our structure, which has already successfully supported Roel van Sintmaartensdijk and Huub Artz, and I hope he can follow in their footsteps.β
βTobias is a fast rider who can also handle the climbs well. We saw that at the Tour de lβAin, where he made the podium against professional riders, and I met him at the Tour of Germany where he was also very strong. He performed well on the difficult stages, each time surviving the climbs in the finale to participate in the sprint and get several top 10 finishes. So, heβs already proven that he can perform at the highest level. Weβre happy to have a promising rider like Tobias in our structure, with a profile capable of regularly challenging for top positions. Personally, I believe he can excel in the Flemish classics and certain stage races. Heβs the type of rider we need for tough courses where pure sprinters will struggle to get over the steep climbs. In these situations, heβll be able to make a difference and sprint for the victory.β
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Baptiste Veistroffer Signs a Pro Contract with Lotto Dstny
The 24-year-old Frenchman agreed on a two-year contract with Lotto Dstny. 2025 will be his first season as a pro rider.
Baptiste Veistroffer has finished the Tour of Britain two weeks ago with his current Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale Development Team. For the next two years Veistroffer signed a deal with Lotto Dstny. βIβm super happy to have his opportunity. Becoming pro with the Lotto Dstny Team is a huge step. It gives me the chance to further grow. I will discover a foreign team as a Frenchman which will give me different views and experiences. I think the values of the team match perfectly with myself, being offensive. I still need to discover which type of rider I am, grand tours or classics, I donβt really know yet.β
This season Veistroffer won the fourth stage at the Tour de Bretagne Cycliste. βI was able to hold off the peloton, for 30 kilometres. As a Breton winning a stage in your home region is very special.β The young Frenchman, who likes to discover the world by bike, was a triathlete before making the step to road cycling four years ago.
StΓ©phane Heulot, CEO of Lotto Dstny, is very happy to welcome a new talent. βBaptiste will become a pro rider with us, he still has to discover a lot and we will guide him in this process. He showed already he can ride very fast and the victory he took this year was impressive. We are eager to find out where his capabilities reach.β
Baptiste Veistroffer new pro with Lotto Dstny:
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Team SD Worx-Protime Pleased with the Arrival of Talented Julia KopeckΓ½
βPerfect team to take the next step in my careerβ
Team SD Worx β Protime has committed 20-year-old Julia KopeckΓ½ for the next two years. The Czech is considered one of the bigger talents in the peloton. Within Team SD Worx-Protime, they are convinced Julia KopeckΓ½ can make big strides in the coming years.
Julia KopeckΓ½ is not related to world champion Lotte Kopecky. She does come from a real cycling family as her brothers Tomas and Matyas currently compete for the pro teams of TDT-Unibet and Novo Nordisk respectively.
The new addition to Team SD Worx-Protime was born in the Netherlands and has lived in Leiden all her life. She previously competed for AG Insurance β Soudal. In the colours of the Belgian formation, she managed to win the Tour de Feminin. She also finished second in the Volta NXT Classic this spring behind Femke Markus. Furthermore, she participated in the Paris Olympics.
At Team SD Worx-Protime, she really came onto the radar after her second place in the time trial Omloop van Borsele, where she only saw triple world champion Ellen van Dijk finish ahead of her.
βIf you can get such a good result in such a long time trial at that young age, you have quite a lot of potential,β sports manager Danny Stam indicated. βAfter this result, we started following her intensively. I see Julia growing into a very strong rider in the future. With her good time trial skills, she can start riding very strong races as a hard rider. We also noticed that she is often well positioned at the crucial moments in a race. We will have to be patient with her, but we will give her that time. We believe Julia can develop into one of the better riders in the peloton.β
βWhy I signed with Team SD Worx-Protime? It is the number one team in the world. After my conversation with sports manager Danny Stam, I knew I would fit in,β Julia KopeckΓ½ comments. βI can find the professionalism I need to take the next step in my career with this team. When you see the steps some riders have made with this team, I am convinced I can do the same. I am very confident about my move to Team SD Worx-Protime.β
βIn my home country Czech Republic, there is still too little media attention for womenβs cycling. It is a small mission of mine personally to hopefully change that with my performances in the future. I hope to become a complete rider here. In recent years, I have made strides, but when you see how fast the absolute top goes, I realise that I still have a long way to go. However, I fully believe that I can grow to that level within this team. That I can learn a lot from the experienced riders. One working point is that I have to learn to listen to my body better. An athlete is used to keep pushing, but if you are a bit sickly and you keep going, you make it worse.β
βI see myself as a classic rider,β KopeckΓ½ continued. βI have also improved in the time trial. I want to develop further in all areas. One of my strongest points is the mental aspect anyway. I study psychology at Leiden University. I am now starting the third year and would like to specialise in sports psychology later on. The past two years I competed in the U23 cross season, but the combination with my studies is tough in winter. So I donβt know yet if I will do it again this winter. The absolute highlight of my career was my very first UCI victory in Leiedal Koerse. That was unexpected and beautiful. I also remember my Olympic debut as the youngest participant in the womenβs race. I hope to pick up victories at Team SD Worx-Protime too in due course.β
SD Worx-Protime sign Julia KopeckΓ½:
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Tour de France Considering a Finish on Mont Ventoux in 2025
The Tour de France might have a finish on the summit of Mont Ventoux for the first time since 2016. There is a good chance that the Giant of Provence will be part of the Tour route in 2025, says Dominique Santoni, the president of the Vaucluse department, in an interview with La Marseillaise.
βThere is a very good chance that we will have the Tour de France next year.β According to the French newspaper, Santoni sounded very optimistic, which makes a passage of the Tour over the famous Mont Ventoux seem almost certain. The southern French department of Vaucluse hopes for a finish on the top of the Ventoux.
The last time that Mont Ventoux had a finish on the mountain was in 2016. The finish was planned at the top, but due to weather conditions the finish was moved to Chalet Reynard. It became the much-discussed stage in which Chris Froome ran up the mountain, in which everyone got Bauke Mollemaβs time and the stage victory went to Thomas De Gendt. In 2013, Froome won at the top of the Ventoux and in 2009 it was Juan Manuel Garate.
In 2021, the Tourβs last passage over the Ventoux was a double climb. Wout van Aert then took the stage victory from the breakaway in MalaucΓ¨ne. The official presentation of the route of the 2025 Tour de France will take place on 29 October. The Grand DΓ©part will be in Lille in Northern France next year.
Ventoux for the 2025 Tour?
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German Legend Rolf Wolfshohl Passed Away at 85 Years-Old
Rolf Wolfshohl was World cyclocross champion three times in the sixties and won the Vuelta a EspaΓ±a in 1965. He was 85 years old when he passed away last week.
In 1957, at the age of 18, Wolfshohl rode his first World cyclocross championships and finished seventh. He took twelve podium places at the cyclocross World championships: Second five times, third three times and won three times, in 1960, 1961 and 1963.
In 1960, Wolfshohl was also a professional on the road, with Rapha-Gitane. He joined the team with countryman, Rudi Altig. Together with Altig, Karl-Heinz Kunde and Hennes Junkermann, he would later be considered part of the βgolden generationβ of German cycling. Wolfshohl won the Vuelta a EspaΓ±a in 1965, Paris-Nice in 1968 and two stages in the Tour de France in 1967 and 1970. In the 1968 Tour won by Jan Janssen, he wore yellow jersey. He was also second in LiΓ¨ge-Bastogne-LiΓ¨ge in 1962 and Milan-Sanremo in 1963. In total, he won 140 road races and 110 cyclo-cross races.
After his career, Wolfshohl started a bike shop in his hometown of Cologne. From 1995 to 2000, he was also involved in the organisation of Rund um KΓΆln.
Rest in peace Rolf Wolfshohl:
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