The 2024 season is far from over and EUROTRASH has the videos, results, reports and rider quotes from the men’s and women’s Binche – Chimay – Binche/Memorial Frank Vandenbroucke, the first two stages of the Cro Race and the Betcity Elfstedenrace.
Mark Cavendish to stay with Astana Qazaqstan – TOP STORY.
Rider news: At least one rider rode with Muriel Furrer before her fatal crash, Mathieu van der Poel Still has One Road Race in 2024, Michael Mørkøv will stay in cycling after his career, Olav Kooij ends season due to knee pain, Philippe Gilbert has applied for the Belgian National coach job, Pauline Ferrand-Prévost’s reason for abandoning the Worlds road race, Elisa Longo Borghini is ready for a change after six seasons with Lidl-Trek, Bradley Wiggins’ son riding the CRO Race with Jayco AlUla, Max Poole is holding on to the long-term goal and Urko Berrade will remain with Equipo Kern Pharma.
Team News: Movistar sign 19-year-old Colombian climber.
Race news: Latvia not happy with the van der Poel decision at the Worlds, Paris-Tours: Philipsen and Pedersen… well supported and new beach race series in the Netherlands.
EUROTRASH Coffee time.
TOP STORY: Mark Cavendish to Stay with Astana Qazaqstan
Mark Cavendish will remain with Astana Qazaqstan in 2025, according the Dutch cycling website WielerFlits, but in what role? It seems there are three options, one of which was already announced last month: a longer stay… on the bike. However, that is not a foregone conclusion, Mark Renshaw thinks that this is not realistic, he told the website.
The Briton has been the record holder with the most stage wins in the Tour de France ever since this summer. Initially, he was supposed to stop after 2023. But a crash that resulted in a broken collarbone caused an early abandonment in the Tour de France. That same week, team boss Aleksandr Vinokourov convinced the sprinter to try again in 2024. That was a success story, because Cavendish took a stage win in the first week. The idea was that he would retire as a pro after the last Tour and that was also the expectation within the team.
Cavendish had other plans. “I’m not ready for this year yet,” he said last month at the Tour of Britain, where he was present as a guest. “I don’t know what will happen after that. I do know that I won’t start in the Tour de France again. I said that before the Tour and after the Tour. I’m taking care of my family now, I’m chilling and I took some time off before I started cycling again. Now I’m training again. I’ve had time to process everything. We’ll see what happens in the future.” So he left the door open for a longer career.
Vinokourov was keen to respond to Cavendish. “It doesn’t make any sense, our goal was this season. I think that was clear to everyone. But you can call Mark and ask him directly. I don’t think he’ll be racing with anyone next year, but that’s my personal opinion. It makes no sense to keep racing. But again, call him yourself.” From the team’s perspective, a longer stay as a rider seems out of the question.
“He’s doing well, he’s still training a bit and he’s enjoying his life after racing for so long. That makes him happy,” said his friend and Astana Qazaqstan team manager, Mark Renshaw. “I’ve ridden with him for a large part of his career and I was lucky enough to be there in the Tour this year. It was an honour to be able to help out at his side. That was really great. To achieve that, when many people thought it wasn’t possible, was really great. Will he continue as a cyclist? I’m pretty sure he won’t continue as a professional cyclist next year.”
It looks very much like Cavendish will indeed remain with the team. He could be an ambassador for the team, like Alejandro Valverde is with Movistar. He could work with Mark Renshaw as a sprint coach. A lead-out train is already in place, which Cavendish used himself. Now all that is needed is someone that can finish the job, could that be Caleb Ewan?
According to WielerFlits, Cavendish has indicated that he wants to stay anyway, in whatever form. Vino has told several people about this: “I still have to find a job for him”. Astana Qazaqstan still has room for next year, because only 23 riders have been signed, so there is room for at least five and a maximum of seven riders.
What will Cavendish do next year?
Binche – Chimay – Binche / Memorial Frank Vandenbroucke 2024
Arnaud De Lie won the 37th edition of Binche-Chimay-Binche on Tuesday. The Belgian champion passed Jasper Philipsen in the bunch sprint and held off Biennium Grimy and Milan Fretin on the uphill finish.
Binche-Chimay-Binche, a Walloon semi-classic, is the final race of the Belgian cycling season at UCI level and always has a top field of participants every year: This year nine WorldTeams were on the start line in Binche.
Tim Merlier, Arnaud De Lie, Jasper Philipsen, Biennium Grimy, Jordi Meeus, Jasper Stuyven lined up to battle between Binche and Chimay, on a tough circuit of 16.2 kilometres, to be covered five times. The route was constantly up and down and the wind would blow across the wide roads. The only official obstacle was the uphill cobbles of Pépinière, just under 900 metres from the finish. Six riders formed the break of the day. Rindert Buiter (VolkerWessels), Stijn Appel (BEAT), Michel Coppens (Cofidis), Michael Schwarzmann (Israel-Premier Tech), Iker Mintegi (Euskaltel-Euskadi) and Adrien Maire (Tour de Tietema-Unibet). This escape didn’t last long and with three laps to go, the six were caught. This began a new phase in the race, in which many riders tried to get away, hoping to avoid a sprint. Dries De Bondt and then Alessandro Covi went solo for a while, but they were quite quickly pulled in.
With 10 kilometres to go, the sprinters were able to prepare for the finish. In the last kilometres, the pace was extremely high and impossible for anyone to get away. The big favourites for the victory; Merlier, Philipsen and De Lie, started in a good position on the cobbles of Pépinière. It was Danny van Poppel who surprised. The Dutchman went from very far out, but Philipsen was immediately on his wheel. The Alpecin-Deceuninck rider then decided to start the sprint himself, taking a gap he seemed to be on his way to victory. De Lie had better timing and pulled Philipsen back and held off Biniam Girmay and Milan Fretin. Philipsen was fourth. Merlier was boxed-in and unable to sprint.
Race winner, Arnaud De Lie (Lotto Dstny): “I actually didn’t feel great this morning. Also during the first hours of the race my legs didn’t feel super, but on the local lap I started to feel better. Maybe it was because of a lack of race rhythm. The team rode a great finale, we were where we had to be. I tried to tackle the sprint in the best way possible, and it worked out. I’m super happy I could win my first race in the Walloon part of Belgium in this jersey. And I leave behind some nice names. It’s always a hard race here. There was a lot of wind, but not enough to make a real selection. I was sick after GP Wallonie, but my motivation was still there. I trained five hours in the rain last week and it paid off.”
2nd, Biniam Girmay (Intermarché-Wanty): “Binche-Chimay-Binche is a very important race for Intermarché-Wanty. We’re at home here on the territory of our sponsors. Every year, it’s a major goal for our team and for me personally. The difficult course caused a lot of chaos in the finale. My plan was to be in the best possible position for the sprint and my teammates helped me immensely. Tactically, we executed our plan perfectly. We took our responsibility from the start by controlling the race, and a powerful lead-out brought me to the finish. I think we handled the sprint finale quite well to achieve this second place. It’s always a special sprint over the cobbles of Binche. I’m happy to reward the team’s fantastic work with a podium finish.”
Binche – Chimay – Binche / Memorial Frank Vandenbroucke Result:
1. Arnaud De Lie (Bel) Lotto Dstny in 4:29:38
2. Biniam Girmay Hailu (Eri) Intermarché-Wanty
3. Milan Fretin (Bel) Cofidis
4. Jasper Philipsen (Bel) Alpecin-Deceuninck
5. Vincenzo Albanese (Ita) Arkéa-B&B Hotels
6. Luke Lamperti (USA) Soudal-Quick Step
7. Oliver Naesen (Bel) Decathlon-AG2R La Mondiale
8. Rui Filipe Oliveira Alves (Por) UAE Team Emirates
9. Edward Theuns (Bel) Lidl-Trek
10. Paul Penhoet (Fra) Groupama-FDJ.
Binche’24:
Binche – Chimay – Binche pour Dames 2024
Cat Ferguson, junior World champion in both the road and time trial, won her second professional race on Tuesday. She sprinted to victory in Binche-Chimay-Binche. Charlotte Kool was in a perfect position in the final, but puller her shoe out of her pedal just before the sprint.
The women’s Binche-Chimay-Binche started in Chimay, but the finish was still in Binche, where there was a difficult final circuit. The circuit had a long uphill cobbled section and had to be ridden two and a half times.
In the long run-up, there wasn’t too much action. There was a break of ten, but they were quickly brought back by the peloton. Then Karolina Perekitko went solo. She was caught with 50 kilometres to go. The peloton then split due to the high, but about 60 riders regrouped. Then Jeanne Korevaar went on the attack. Victoire Berteau and Anneke Dijkstra crossed and left Korevaar. The two had a nice gap on the peloton, but when they started the final 2 kilometres they only had 10 seconds.
In the chase, it was the dsm-firmenich-PostNL that set the pace for Charlotte Kool. With 1K to go, Berteau and Dijkstra were caught. It was now Emma Norsgaard (Movistar) who took the lead for her young teammate Cat Ferguson, the double junior World champion. Yet Kool was still ideally placed when they started the final 300 metres, but the Dutch rider pulled her shoe from the pedal and couldn’t click back in on the cobbles, her chance of the win was gone. It was then an easy job for Ferguson to finish. The 18-year-old won the sprint and took her second pro victory, to go with the opening stage of the AG Tour de la Semois. She was ahead of Christina Schweinberger and Anniina Ahtosalo. Kool finished in fourth place.
Race winner, Cat Ferguson (Movistar): “It’s incredible, I’m here just to learn, I’m still a junior, I’m still a stagiaire and this is totally not what I expected at the front of the race so it’s really surreal. I’m so grateful to the girls because I’m new and they are so welcoming and accommodating and they help me so much to learn. I hope to just continue how I’m doing now – if I can keep on the progression that I’m going on at the minute then I think I can achieve great things but the next three years are just about adapting to the new category and learning from the girls around me.”
Binche – Chimay – Binche pour Dames Result:
1. Cat Ferguson (GB) Movistar in 2:53:31
2. Christina Schweinberger (Aust) Fenix-Deceuninck
3. Anniina Ahtosalo (Fin) Uno-X Mobility
4. Charlotte Kool (Ned) dsm-firmenich-PostNL
5. Marthe Truyen (Bel) Fenix-Deceuninck
6. Franziska Koch (Ger) dsm-firmenich-PostNL
7. Daria Pikulik (Pol) Human Powered Health
8. Mylene De Zoete (Ned) Ceratizit-WNT
9. Margot Vanpachtenbeke (Bel) VolkerWessels
10. Laura Tomasi Labor (Ita) Kutxa-Fundacion Euskadi.
Binche’24:
Cro Race 2024
The 37-year-old Alexander Kristoff (Uno-X Mobility) won the First Stage of the CRO Race on Tuesday. In Sinj, Kristoff beat Italians Giovanni Lonardi (Polti Kometa) and Alberto Bruttomesso (Bahrain Victorious) and also took the overall lead.
In Vodice, on the Adriatic Sea, the ninth edition of the CRO Race started on Tuesday. The Croatian stage race had a strong start list, with Filippo Ganna, Elia Viviani, Fred Wright, Sam Welsford, Frank van den Broek, Oscar Onley and Brandon McNulty.
In the opening stage there were two categorised climbs, including the Cat.1 Tesije (17.4km at 3.1%). After this climb there was a largely flat final of about 50 kilometres to the finish in Sinj. Five riders set up the early break. Axel van der Tuuk of the Continental Metec-Solarwatt was joined by Jokin Murguialday (Caja Rural-Seguros RGA), Cyrus Monk (Q36.5), Francisco Muñoz (Polti-Kometa) and Filip Řeha (ATT Investments). These five were not considered a threat and their lead increase to more than 7 minutes.
In the peloton, the work was done by dsm-firmenich-PostNL, Uno-X Mobility and Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe, the teams of sprinters Tobias Lund Andresen, Pavel Bittner, Alexander Kristoff and Sam Welsford. The escapees held their lead well and so the difference at the foot of the climb to Tesije, more than 60 kilometres from the finish was still almost 7 minutes. The escapees worked together well, but due to a crash by Muñoz, Řeha and Murguialday on a bend, the leading group fell apart. Van der Tuuk and Monk missed the crash and were able to continue. Murguialday and Muñoz were less fortunate, but still managed to rejoin. Řeha had to abandon. There were now only four leaders at the top of the last climb. The sprinter’s teams managed to pull back quite a bit of time on the not too difficult climb, but things still looked good for the leaders at the top. Muñoz and Van der Tuuk kept it going, which was too fast for Monk and Murguialday. They were dropped and were soon caught by the peloton. The two leaders struggled on for quite a while, but at the start of the last 15 kilometres there was a regrouping. Van der Tuuk would have the KOM jersey at the end of the day.
A bunch sprint was going to decide the first stage. In the last 4 kilometres, the pace was set by Uno-X Mobility and INEOS Grenadiers. It was Joshua Tarling who took the lead ahead for his sprinter Elia Viviani, followed by another top rider; Filippo Ganna. The British team was briefly outpaced by Polti Kometa and Bahrain Victorious in the last kilometre, but INEOS Grenadiers got its sprint train back on track just in time. Ben Turner piloted Viviani perfectly, but the Italian didn’t have the jump in the final sprint. Viviani was outpaced by Alexander Kristoff. The Norwegian held them all off to take his seventh victory of the season and the 95th victory of his career. Giovanni Lonardi finished in second place, Alberto Bruttomesso was third and Viviani fifth.
Stage winner and overall leader, Alexander Kristoff (Uno-X Mobility): “I didn’t feel really good today. I was a bit sick in the run-up to this race and I still have a bit of a cold. We didn’t really want to do the work at the front of the peloton, because I didn’t feel well. We eventually decided to sacrifice a rider to catch the early breakaway. We were ‘lucky’ that they fell at the front. That made it a bit easier to catch them again. In the final there was quite a bit of stress in the peloton. There were some sharp bends in the course, but we managed to stay well grouped and position ourselves. In the last kilometres I could still count on four teammates. We knew that we couldn’t really compete with INEOS Grenadiers, for example. That team didn’t ride during the stage and they have a lot of strong riders. I mainly looked at Elia Viviani and managed to get on his wheel. I started my sprint a bit earlier and hoped to surprise him a bit. There was a bit of headwind and it was quite a long sprint, but luckily I was able to keep it up until the finish line. Last year I was in better shape. I have already raced a lot this year and was therefore not completely fit in the run-up to this race. Last year I had a small injury before this race, but that allowed me to schedule a training camp and I started this race in good shape. I came second in the classification then, but I am feeling more tired now. I am not really thinking about a classification, but I am aiming for more stage wins.”
2nd on the stage and overall, Giovanni Lonardi (Polti Kometa): “The sprint was expected and, since last year I launched too early, today I decided to stay hidden and make a late move. It was the right choice and I only missed beating Kristoff for a few metres. There will be other opportunities to aim for a victory before the season ends.”
3rd on the stage and 4th overall, Alberto Bruttomesso (Bahrain Victorious): “We did the long climb pretty fast because the breakaway took a lot of minutes and we only closed the gap here on the last circuit. I was very nervous. Then in the final, I had a great team to help me and for the last 200m I was behind Kristoff. I tried to come off his wheel but he was stronger. It’s a good result though, and hopefully we can go better and better in the coming days.”
Break rider, Francisco Muñoz (Polti-Kometa): “If it hadn’t been for this setback, who knows how it would have gone. Behind they had slowed down a lot, the five of us in front had built a nice gap. While I wait for them to apply some stitches, I can say that I’m still happy with the results achieved by Lona and Javi.”
Cro Race Stage 1 Result:
1. Alexander Kristoff (Nor) Uno-X Mobility in 3:53:02
2. Giovanni Lonardi (Ita) Polti Kometa
3. Alberto Bruttomesso (Ita) Bahrain Victorious
4. Anders Foldager (Den) Jayco AlUla
5. Elia Viviani (Ita) INEOS Grenadiers
6. Oded Kogut (Isr) Israel-Premier Tech
7. Jordy Bouts (Bel) TDT-Unibet
8. Sam Welsford (Aus) Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe
9. Javier Serrano Rodriguez (Spa) Polti Kometa
10. Marcin Budzinski (Pol) Mazowsze Serce Polski.
Cro Race Overall After Stage 1:
1. Alexander Kristoff (Nor) Uno-X Mobility in 3:52:52
2. Giovanni Lonardi (Ita) Polti Kometa at 0:04
3. Cyrus Monk (Aus) Q36.5
4. Alberto Bruttomesso (Ita) Bahrain Victorious at 0:06
5. Axel Van Der Tuuk (Ned) Metec-Solarwatt P/B Mantel
6. Alfred Wright (GB) Bahrain Victorious at 0:07
7. Jordy Bouts (Bel) TDT-Unibet at 0:08
8. Luc Wirtgen (Lux) (Bel) Tudor at 0:09
9. Jokin Murguialday Elorza (Spa) Caja Rural-Seguros RGA
10. Anders Foldager (Den) Jayco AlUla at 10.
Cro Race’24 stage 1:
Juan Sebastian Molano (UAE Team Emirates) won Stage 2 of the CRO Race. The Colombian sprinter won the bunch sprint in Novalja ahead of Giovanni Lonardi (Polti Kometa) and Sam Welsford (Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe).
The second stage of the CRO Race was short at only 114.5 kilometres between Biograd na Moru and Novalja. A Cat.2 and a Cat.3 could make it difficult for the sprinters, as could the hilly final section. A print was still expected.
From the start, five riders attacked: Axel van der Tuuk (Metec-Solarwatt), Nicolas Gojkovic (Adria Mobil), Dan Andrej Tomsic (Ljubljana Gusto Santic), Maksymilian Radosz (Mazowsze Serce Polski) and Piotr Pekala (Santic-Wibatech). This was Van der Tuuk’s second day on the attack, and an ideal opportunity to strengthen his green mountain jersey. The group was caught before the last 50 kilometres. Pawel Bernas (Mazowsze Serce Polski), Kim Heiduk (INEOS Grenadiers) and Daniel Turek (Caja Rural-Seguros RGA) broke away and took the mountain points. On the next climb, Jakub Kaczmarek (Mazowsze Serce Polski) and Casper van der Woude (Metec-Solarwatt) did the same. In the chaotic final, there were numerous attempts to escape, including Heiduk and Robert Stannard (Bahrain Victorious), but the sprinter’s teams were in control. Bahrain Victorious and Polti Kometa did everything in the final to set up the ideal lead-out for their sprinters, and despite Giovanni Lonardi looking like the winner, Molano was faster at the finish.
Stage winner, Sebastian Molano (UAE Team Emirates): “I’m really happy to take this win, my first of the season, finally. I’ve been looking for this win for a long time, but things just didn’t click. I want to try and add to it now and give everything to get more wins on the board before the end of the year.”
Overall leader and 2nd on the stage, Giovanni Lonardi (Polti Kometa): “Wow! All day at fifty kilometres per hour, we did an amazing job and there’s nothing to regret. My rival was stronger, but I’m super motivated to try again. I’ll honour this jersey, but the priority is to get a victory.”
Cro Race Stage 2 Result:
1. Sebastian Molano UAE Team Emirates in 2:16:19
2. Giovanni Lonardi Polti Kometa
3. Sam Welsford Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe
4. Nicolo’ Buratti Bahrain Victorious
5. Alexander Kristoff Uno-X Mobility
6. Pavel Bittner dsm-firmenich-PostNL
7. Edoardo Zambanini Bahrain Victorious
8. Mirco Maestri Polti Kometa
9. Javier Serrano Rodriguez Polti Kometa
10. Ben Turner INEOS Grenadiers.
Cro Race Overall After Stage 2:
1. Giovanni Lonardi Polti Kometa in 6:09:09
2. Alexander Kristoff (Nor) Uno-X Mobility at 0.02
3. Cyrus Monk Q36.5 at 0.06
4. Sam Welsford Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe at 0:08
5. Alberto Bruttomesso Bahrain Victorious
6. Alfred Wright (GB) Bahrain Victorious
7. Pavel Bittner dsm-firmenich-PostNL at 0:09
8. Nicolas Gojkovic Adria Mobil
9. Jordy Bouts TDT-Unibet at 0:10
10. Tobias Lund Andresen dsm-firmenich-PostNL.
Cro Race’24 stage 2:
Betcity Elfstedenrace 2024
The Betcity Elfstedenrace was won by Taco van der Hoorn on Wednesday. The Dutchman of Intermarché-Wanty was the strongest of a group of five in the final. Jelte Krijnsen (Parkhotel Valkenburg) was second and Christophe Laporte (Visma | Lease a Bike) was third at the end of a race of echelons
This unique race follows the route of the legendary Elfstedentocht, skate race. It started quite early in the morning, at 10:30 and from the west side of Leeuwarden, at the Elfstedenhal, it went through all eleven cities without police escort, but busy roads and centres were avoided. In this way, the pressure on traffic was minimised.
Leeuwarden, Sneek, IJlst, Sloten, Stavoren, Hindeloopen, Workum, Bolsward, Harlingen, Franeker, Dokkum and Leeuwarden were passed, and although the roads were flat, everyone was on their guard, because there was a risk of echelons. The first attempts were shut down. A first echelon group was formed in two phases, not the top favourites and fastest riders at the start, Dylan Groenewegen (Jayco AlUla) and Fabio Jakobsen (dsm-firmenich PostNL).
Among the riders at the front were Christophe Laporte, Mick van Dijke and Tosh Van der Sande of Visma, also Gerben Thijssen, Taco van der Hoorn, Rune Herregodts and Roel van Sintmaartensdijk of Intermarché. Jayco AlUla had Max Walscheid, Nils Eekhoff, Timo Kielich, man-in-form Jelte Krijnsen and TDT-Unibet sprinter Joren Bloem were also among the 24 off the front. The lead remained limited to 2 minutes for a long time. Only in the last 30 kilometres did the group behind give up hope and that created a good gap to start playing at the front. In this elimination race, the leading group was thinned out to 15 riders, and from there Van der Hoorn, Laporte and Krijnsen jumped away, together with Elmar Reinders (Jacyo AlUla) and Lionel Taminiaux (Lotto Dstny).
Reinders started playing poker, of course he had Walscheid behind. The other four kept riding and took advantage of the hesitation of the chasers It was only 4 kilometres from the finish that things started to go wrong. Van der Hoorn was the first to try to outwit his fellow escapees, but Reinders was alert. When the tall Dutchman tried again a few seconds later, he succeeded. Laporte decided to look at the rest instead of reacting, and so Van der Hoorn was gone. It is a victory that meant a lot to the 30-year-old Van der Hoorn. 502 days passed between the 2023 Tour of Flanders and the 2024 Tour of Leuven. That is how long it took for Taco van der Hoorn to make his comeback in a UCI race, after he crashed hard in the first race and suffered a severe concussion for the second time in his career. The recovery took a year, four months and two weeks, here he could celebrate for the first time again.
Race winner, Taco van der Hoorn: “From the moment I felt healthy again, more than 15 months after my crash in the 2023 Tour of Flanders, I started believing I could return to my previous level. In recent weeks, I raced with a good feeling and full of confidence, but I was waiting for a more selective race like today to show the real Taco van der Hoorn. Throughout the race, we at Intermarché-Wanty had a numerical advantage in the lead group. First, we had four teammates in a group of fifteen, then five in a group of twenty-four. In the final, we knew we had to attack alongside riders from Jayco-Alula and Visma-Lease a Bike, the two other well-represented teams. Eventually, I led with four other riders. The fact that there were two sprinters in the group didn’t intimidate me. With my good feeling and the tailwind in the final, I knew I had a chance to ride solo to the finish. My plan worked, and in the last 500 meters, I was able to celebrate. Crossing the finish line was a very special moment, which brought out a lot of emotions after this particularly long and difficult period. I’m incredibly happy with my successful comeback, a beautiful way to thank the team for their continued trust, and I plan to show myself in my last two races of the season: Paris-Tours and the Tour of Guangxi.”
Betcity Elfstedenrace Result:
1. Taco van der Hoorn (Ned) Intermarché-Wanty in 4:10:32
2. Jelte Krijnsen (Ned) Parkhotel Valkenburg at 0:07
3. Christophe Laporte (Fra) Visma | Lease a Bike
4. Lionel Taminiaux (Bel) Lotto Dstny at 0:10
5. Elmar Reinders (Ned) Jayco AlUla at 0:16
6. Rory Townsend (Irl) Q36.5 at 0:35
7. Roel Van Sintmaartensdijk (Ned) Intermarché-Wanty
8. Simon Dehairs (Bel) Alpecin-Deceuninck Development Team at 0:39
9. Nils Eekhoff (Ned) dsm-firmenich-PostNL
10. Max Walscheid (Ger) Jayco AlUla.
Elfstedenrace’24:
At Least One Rider Rode with Muriel Furrer Before her Fatal Crash
More and more seems to be coming out about the fatal accident of Muriel Furrer during the World Cycling Championships for junior women. According to the Swiss newspaper Blick, there was indeed at least one witness who saw Furrer make an unusual manoeuvre before her fatal crash.
The investigation into the death of 18-year-old Muriel Furrer is still on going. The Swiss rider died last week after a crash during the junior race at the World championships in Zurich. The Swiss authorities have shared information from the investigation. Furrer lay unnoticed on the course for ‘some time’ after her fall. It is not yet known how long it took for assistance to be called. There are no indications of third-party influence, it is said. Also, no one would have witnessed the crash, but Blick concludes after a detailed reconstruction that Furrer was not riding alone before the crash and was indeed surrounded by other cyclists, in a small group.
The newspaper states that Furrer must have fallen at 11:03 or 11:04. It bases this on its own reporter, who was stationed 400 metres from the scene of the accident and was filming the cyclists passing by. An analysis of the images shows that the journalist in question first sees two cyclists passing by, followed by Furrer one and a half seconds later. After the Swiss rider, two more cyclists pass by, after which a group of three immediately follows. Twenty to thirty seconds later, these cyclists would reach the bend where the tragic accident took place. According to Blick, it is therefore plausible that these same cyclists were still in each other’s vicinity at the time of the accident.
Blick managed to identify two riders who were riding in Furrer’s wake and decided to contact their cycling federations. In conversations that were held, it was confirmed that the two juniors formed a group of three with Furrer at the time of the incident. The rider on Furrer’s wheel may have seen the Swiss rider deviate from her line, without having experienced the crash or its impact. “Due to the high speed and the bad weather conditions, she could never have seen the accident herself,” said a spokesperson for the cycling federation. “But we are very happy to help with the investigation, because we all want it to be cleared up. But as far as I know, none of us have been contacted yet.” The names of the riders are not mentioned for privacy reasons.
A terrible accident – Muriel Furrer:
Mathieu van der Poel Still has One Road Race in 2024
Mathieu van der Poel has one more big event on his calendar this season: the World Gravel championship on October 6. After that, the leader of Alpecin-Deceuninck will go on holiday, but he still one last road race this year. On Saturday, October 26, he will ‘race’ a Spanish criterium. In La Nucía, a very sports minded town in the Spanish province of Alicante, about ten kilometres from Benidorm and walking distance for our PEZman in Spain. Van der Poel will line up with Pablo Castrillo and former riders; Alejandro Valverde, Samuel Sánchez, Gianni Bugno and Claudio Chiappucci and others.
There was rumours that Mathieu van der Poel would ride Il Lombardia, but that is not going to be this year. After the finish of the World championships road race in Zurich, the Dutchman announced that he will not participate in the Italian autumn Classic on Saturday, October 12.
Last 2024 road race for Van der Poel in Spain:
Michael Mørkøv will Stay in Cycling After his Pro Career Ends
Michael Mørkøv will stop as a professional cyclist at the end of this season, but he will remain active in the sport. The 39-year-old rider will start working as Denmark national coach from January 1, 2025. He will succeed Anders Lund, who has been coach of the Danish elite men since 2015.
Mørkøv said on the website of the Danish cycling association that it is an honour to become the new national coach. “I look forward to offering the experience and skills I have”, said the sprinter, who is on his sixteenth season as a professional. “I look forward to working closely with my new colleagues, and not least with our talented riders. In this way I want to continue the great cycling tradition of Denmark. We have every opportunity to build on the successes of recent years.”
Morten Bennekou, director of the Danish Cycling Federation, is enthusiastic about the appointment of Mørkøv. “Michael Mørkøv is one of the sharpest and most experienced tactical riders in recent Danish cycling history. His in-depth knowledge of both track and road cycling, as well as his ability to read races and develop strategy, makes him the perfect choice as a national coach. We are sure that he will bring a new dynamic and will continue to lift Danish cycling to new heights. I am proud that Mørkøv has accepted the task.”
Michael Mørkøv, the new Danish national coach with PEZ’s Ed Hood:
Olav Kooij Ends Season Due to Knee Pain
Olav Kooij will not race again in 2024. The Dutch sprinter has put an end to his season, because he is struggling with knee complaints. Investigations shows that he has a small stone in his knee.
“Olav Kooij will no longer be in action for the remainder of the season”, Visma | Lease a Bike wrote on social media. “The 22-year-old sprinter has suffered from knee problems in recent days. Medical examinations have revealed the presence of a small stone, probably the result of an earlier fall. This requires surgical removal. After the procedure, he will need a short rest period before he can begin his recovery process. Given the timing, it has been decided that his season is over.”
Kooij still had three races on his schedule in 2024; the Betcity Elfstedenrace (October 2), the Sparkassen Münsterland Giro (October 3) and Paris Tours (October 6). Last season, Kooij won eight times. He started in February with victories in the Clasica Almeria and UAE Tour, in March followed by two victories in Paris-Nice and in May he was the best in stage nine of the Giro d’Italia. After that, the Dutchman won twice in the Tour of Poland and the BEMER Cyclassics.
Olav Kooij ends his season:
Philippe Gilbert Has Applied for the Belgian National Coach Job
Sven Vanthourenhout, the National Belgian coach will leave the job at the end of this season. There have been a few suggested replacements: Serge Pauwels and Greg Van Avermaet are two, but now it turns out that Philippe Gilbert has also applied for the job.
“I applied because the job interests me,” Gilbert said in an interview with Le Soir. The 42-year-old ended his cycling career in 2022, mentions as one of his plus points that he knows many of the riders of the current generation very well. “I have raced with most of them. I was a teammate of Remco (Evenepoel) and in my last year also of Arnaud (De Lie).”
Gilbert was a professional for twenty years, from 2003 to 2022. In 2012, he became World champion in Valkenburg. After his career, he started working for Eurosport and wants to continue combining that job with the national coaching position. He would not be the only one doing this, because the French national coach Thomas Voeckler, also works for television. It is not clear whether Gilbert wants to stay with Eurosport, or whether the Belgian federation would allow it.
Dirk De Wolf is in favour of Philippe Gilbert as national coach. In the TV programme Wielerclub Wattage he suggested a shared position with Serge Pauwels, who until now was assistant to Sven Vanthourenhout. “He is bilingual, as a reporter for Eurosport he follows the race closely, he is friends with Evenepoel, he has raced with many riders and he has been world champion”, De Wolf said about Gilbert.
Tom Boonen isn’t so sure: “Riders with good results do not automatically become good national coaches”, he stated. “It is often the other way around.”
Gilbert: The next Belgian coach?
Pauline Ferrand-Prévot’s Reason for Abandoning the World Championship Road Race
Pauline Ferrand-Prévot has given an explanation for her leaving the World championship road race in Zurich. The Frenchwoman started as one of the favourites, but soon knew that it was going to happen. “I ate way too much”, she said to Cyclism’Actu.
“I wanted to prepare for the game, but my stomach couldn’t digest anything anymore. As a result, I eventually had to vomit and I knew that nothing was possible anymore”, she continued. “I do have a mixed feeling about this race. I thought I’d do much better. But yes, on the other hand, it’s been a long time since I’ve been on the road for such a long time. Even in training I hardly reach these distances, so it is logical that it will take a while before the form really returns. In any case, it ensures that I go into the winter motivated.”
The 32-year-old Ferrand-Prévot made her return to the road this weekend after almost three years. In the coming years she will race with Visma | Lease a Bike, where she will try to win the Tour de France Femmes.
Pauline Ferrand-Prévot eat too much:
Elisa Longo Borghini is Ready for a Change After Six Seasons with Lidl-Trek
It has been rumoured for a while that Elisa Longo Borghini is leaving Lidl-Trek for UAE Team ADQ. Now it is official: The 32-year-old top rider has signed a three-year contract with her new team.
The Italian champion has been riding for the team since 2019 and achieved her greatest successes. Longo Borghini was very successful in the Classics this year with victories in the Brabantse Pijl and Ronde van Vlaanderen, but she also won the Giro d’Italia for the first time. She was also third in the World championships in Zurich. Longo Borghini’s list of achievements includes a second Tour of Flanders, Paris-Roubaix, Strade Bianche, the Trofeo Alfredo-Binda (twice), Giro dell’Emilia (three times), UAE Tour Women and the Women’s Tour. The experienced climber has achieved 46 victories in her career as a professional.
Longo Borghini’s departure had been in the air for a while and UAE Team ADQ was one of the teams in the running, now the deal is done. Longo Borghini will be the team leader in the Classics and Grand Tours with her new team. For Lidl-Trek, the transfer of Elisa Longo Borghini to UAE Team ADQ is a major setback, but the American team has already managed to strengthen itself in recent months for the coming seasons. The team has attracted four top performers: Riejanne Markus, Niamh Fisher-Black, Anna Henderson and Emma Norsgaard.
Elisa Longo Borghini to UAE:
Bradley Wiggins’ Son Started the CRO Race with Jayco AlUla
There was a surprising name in the Jayco AlUla line-up for the CRO Race (October 1-6). Ben Wiggins, the son of British cycling legend Sir Bradley Wiggins, will participate as a stagieire in the Tour of Croatia. It wasn’t known that the 19-year-old would ride with the WorldTeam at the end of the year.
Ben Wiggins finished second at the World junior time trial championships last year, after previously wining the Trophée Centre Morbihan (2. Ncup). This season, the young British rider is under contract with the development Hagens Berman Axeon team. He took silver at the national time trial championship for Under23’s in June.
In the CRO Race (2.1), Wiggins will not be able to show his time trial skills as the six-day race doesn’t have one. There are opportunities for the attackers. Wiggins started alongside Campbell Stewart, Michael Hepburn, Lucas Hamilton, Blake Quick, Lawson Craddock and Anders Foldager.
Ben Wiggins guest with Jayco AlUla:
Max Poole is Holding on to the Long-Term Goal
Max Poole wants to continue to develop as a GC rider with dsm-firmenich PostNL. This year, the young British rider had the hope of taking a good overall finish for the first time in a Grand Tour, but that didn’t happen in the Vuelta a España due to an early crash. What followed was an attacking Vuelta with some near-wins as a result of Poole. The young Brit looked back on his season and forward to 2025 with WielerFlits.
An elbow fracture in Tirreno-Adriatico kept Poole, seventh in the UAE Tour in February, on the sidelines for more than four months this year. With a second place in the Tour of Burgos, behind Sepp Kuss, he was looking towards the Vuelta. There he started with ambitions. “Burgos was really good, I was very happy with that”, he said. “I went to the Vuelta with confidence, but started there with a heavy crash in the first lap-in-line. The first ranking day was already two days later, so that made it difficult.”
“It was difficult to bring back that competitive feeling in the warm opening week. I needed all my energy to recover, but in the end we went full hunting for a result. I am very happy with how the Vuelta ended”, referring to his four top-3 results and third place in the points competition of the Vuelta. “I also really enjoyed doing it. It’s a different way of racing, where it’s good to have that experience in your pocket.”
But does Poole want to race a Grand Tour more often with the ambitions to win stages, or does he prefer to race for an overall classification? “That’s hard to say now. I really enjoyed hunting for race victories, but the long-term plan is to develop myself as a classification rider. But it’s also good that I can now learn to win a competition. I have already gained a lot of experience for that in the Vuelta.”
“It has not been the most ideal year for me,” he looks back on 2024. “It was good to see that I was at a level and that I could show that. That gave me confidence. I want to continue that line this winter, I want to continue to improve myself. It’s good that I can still ride some races now. I also discover new countries this way, which is a great experience. I want to take my chance here in the Tour de Langkawi, although I would have preferred to have ridden more races in the middle of the season.”
The next step for 21-year-old Poole is to win a stage or race at WorldTour or ProSeries level, he thinks. “Yes, I’ve already shown that level, so that must be the goal. But for that I have to do everything right. My level is already good, but it can always be improved”, he remains ambitious.
Max Poole looking forward to 2025:
Urko Berrade Will Remain with Equipo Kern Pharma
Urko Berrade will stay with Equipo Kern Pharma. The 26-year-old Spaniard, who won the eighteenth stage of the Vuelta a España this year, has extended his contract until the end of 2026.
Berrade finished seventh in both the Tour of Slovakia and the CRO Race in 2023. In the 2024 Tour of Burgos his form started to come back and he finished fourth overall. This was followed by his breakthrough in the Vuelta a España. After a few places on some stages, Berrade won the 18th stage to Maestu-Parque Natural de Izki. It was a very successful Vuelta for Equipo Kern Pharma, because Pablo Castrillo also won two more stages. Both INEOS Grenadiers and Movistar wanted to sign him.
“I am very happy to stay with this team for two more years, which has seen me grow and that has helped me take steps,” Berrade said on the Equipo Kern Pharma site. “This year I took the leap I was looking for and what I expected of myself.” Juan José Oroz, team manager of Equipo Kern Pharma, is very pleased with the contract extension of Berrade. “Urko gives us the certainty that we can compete in top-level matches. He has a very good track record and his best years are yet to come. Urko has grown with us and we will continue to grow together.”
Urko Berrade to stay with Equipo Kern Pharma:
Movistar Sign 19-Year-Old Colombian Climber
Diego Pescador will be a pro with Movistar next year. The 19-year-old Colombian has signed a three-year contract with the Spanish team, until the end of 2027.
Pescador raced for GW Erco Shimano, a Continental team from Colombia, for the past two seasons. In his first year as an U23, he rode well in the Tour de l’Avenir, but only really broke through in 2024. He finished second in G.P. Palio del Recioto (1.2U) and third in the Trofeo Piva (1.2U), two prestigious one-day races for U23’s in Italy. This was followed by a seventh place in the Tour de l’Avenir.
For Pescador, it is a dream to make his professional debut with Movistar. “Movistar has always helped riders from Latin America a lot, it has opened doors to races on the other side of the world”, according to the young climber. “The truth is that sometimes I wake up and still can’t believe I’m going on my way with them. It’s a WorldTeam, it’s the team of my idol, Nairo Quintana, who I’ve admired since I watched television as a little boy.”
Pescador mainly wants to grow ‘as a person’ at Movistar. “I want to put into practice everything I learned at home here”, he says. “In addition, I also want to fight for the generation change that the Colombian fans demand of us. I know I will come to a good team, where I will be supported and where they will make it easy for me to do well. It will all depend on myself. I have to work hard, have discipline and ambition, be responsible and look ahead.”
Diego Pescador – Neo-pro with Movistar in 2025:
Latvian Federation Writes Open Letter to UCI After Van der Poel’s Move: “Apparently No Equal Treatment”
Mathieu van der Poel won a bronze medal World Championship last Sunday, but according to the Latvian Cycling Federation, the Dutchman should never have been on the final podium. Van der Poel seemed to have crossed the line with a manoeuvre earlier in the race, but was ultimately not punished by the UCI. This really upsets the Latvian Cycling Federation.
When Van der Poel was boxed in behind Remco Evenepoel, while several riders attacked at the front, Van der Poel saw no other option than to jump onto the pavement. He narrowly missed several spectators and managed to pass Evenepoel and the others. “That is absolutely not allowed,” former rider and cycling commentator Robbie McEwen said on TV. Later, he added: “I am not condemning Mathieu. I am only explaining what the current regulations entail. In my active career, I have passed many riders by jumping on footpaths and cycle paths, I would have gotten into trouble.”
The Latvian Cycling Federation (LRF) also saw what happened and decided to raise the issue with the UCI commissaires after the race. However, the federation was turned down and so Toms Skujiņš had to settle for fourth place. And this while Luke Rowe, Marlen Reusser and Johan Price-Pejtersen were taken out of the races in the past after a similar ‘offence’.
The Latvian federation clearly does not agree with the events and also makes this known in an open letter. “According to UCI rules, a rider who jumps onto the pavement and endangers the public or other riders must be disqualified immediately,” says Sandis Akis, the president of the cycling association. “This does not mean that he was only riding on the pavement, because that normally carries a fine of 200 to 1000 Swiss francs.”
“Van der Poel endangered people with his action, which we have already seen with Marlen Reusser in Gent-Wevelgem and with Luke Rowe in the Tour of Flanders. These actions were punished with a disqualification at the time. Van der Poel did not even get a fine on Sunday, even though he was not trying to avoid a fall with his action.”
The federation immediately sounded the alarm after the race. “We discussed the situation with the UCI commissaires. One of them stated that he had seen the situation, but that it was not dangerous enough to punish. Our reaction was that the rules should apply to everyone, but the commissioner argued that it would not be good for the sport to interpret the regulations as you see fit.”
According to the Latvian Cycling Federation, this is a bad thing and sets a dangerous precedent. “It seems that some riders are more equal than others, especially when it comes to unpopular decisions. As a relatively small federation, we are very concerned about this decision. What if Van der Poel had hit a spectator? Would that have been good for cycling?”
“We call on the UCI to apply its own rules consistently, in order to guarantee the safety and integrity of cycling. We expect an explanation from the UCI about this decision, in order to prevent similar situations. If we let this go, there is more room for riders to take risks and nobody wants that,” the federation concludes.
Latvia not happy with the Van der Poel decision:
Paris-Tours 2024: Philipsen and Pedersen… Well Supported!
Key points
Paris-Tours is shaping up to be a final for the spring classics specialists, who benefit from a final session at the onset of autumn. The opportunity to end the year on a high note attracts several sprinters, including the two most high-profile riders, Jasper Philipsen and Mads Pedersen, who will have to contend with Arnaud Démare and Arnaud De Lie.
The 118th edition of Paris-Tours, which starts in Chartres on Sunday morning October 6th, will feature vineyard trails for the seventh time (10 kilometres from a total distance of 213.8 km). Given the possibilities that this terrain offers, the list of favourites has expanded to include contenders such as Magnus Cort, Stefan Küng, and Anthony Turgis.
The U23 peloton will kick off proceedings ahead of the professional race, starting in Bonneval for a 178.9-kilometre route. All eyes will be on the newly crowned world champion in the category, Niklas Behrens. The young German will attempt to put an end to a series of three consecutive Norwegian victories in the event.
There are plenty of good reasons to throw everything you’ve got into the battle for a victory in Tours that will make your record look good when it comes time to compile your annual results. The results are never good enough for sprinters and classic chasers, who are more often than not subjected to emotional ups and downs as the weeks go by in the peloton. Jasper Philipsen, for example, would be hard-pressed to take a back seat after adding to his CV this year with a win in Milan-Sanremo, a runner-up finish behind his leader Mathieu Van der Poel in Roubaix, and three more stage wins in the Tour de France. But the Belgian rider, who his compatriot Tim Merlier beat at the European championships (4th), is banking on Paris-Tours to end his year in triumph. However, he must share Alpecin-Deceuninck’s ambitions with former winner Soren Kragh Andersen (2018). The Dane had won by leading the way for all those who counted on distant attacks on the vineyard paths. This scenario paid off several times, but a sprint finish could still be possible in a group of more or less survivors. In that case, Philipsen should come up against solid opposition, with Arnaud Démare, for example, who found the winning formula in 2021 and 2022, but also bouquet collectors such as Mads Pedersen, Arnaud De Lie or Pascal Ackermann.
The option of an unbridled race, as has been the case for the most part since the regular visits to the vineyards, opens up prospects for attacking profiles capable of withstanding the excess dust and gravel. There are even more of them in this category, each with strengths. Candidates such as Magnus Cort, Stefan Küng, John Degenkolb, Axel Zingle and the winner of the ”chemins blancs‘’ stage of the Tour de France, Anthony Turgis, will need to keep a close eye on every move they make as soon as the first difficulties of the course arise.
The main participants (as of 30/09):
Belgium
Lotto Dstny: De Lie, Van Moer, Segaert (Bel)
Alpecin-Deceuninck: Philipsen (Bel), Kragh Andersen (Dan)
Intermarché-Circus-Wanty: Mihkels (Est), Page, Petit (Fra), Rex (Bel)
Bingoal-WB: Vliegen, Van Rooy (Bel)
France
Decathlon Ag2r La Mondiale Team: Gautherat (Fra), Naesen (Bel), Boasson-Hagen (Nor)
Groupama-FDJ: Küng (Sui), Penhoet (Fra), Lewis (Gbr)
Cofidis: Zingle (Fra), G.Izagirre (Esp)
Team TotalEnergies: Turgis, Dujardin, Simon (Fra)
Arkéa-B&B Hotels: Démare, Sénéchal (Fra), Mozzato (Ita)
St Michel-Mavic-Auber 93: Delettre, Lecrocq (Fra)
Van Rysel-Roubaix: Leroux, Leveau (Fra)
CIC U Nantes Atlantique: Basset, Braz, Guégan (Fra)
Team Nice Métropole Côte d’Azur: Le Ny, Narbonne (Fra)
Israel
Israel-Premier Tech: Ackermann (All), Hofstetter (Fra), Sheehan (Usa)
Kazakhstan
Astana Qazaqstan Team: Bol (Hol), Morkov (Dan)
Norway
Uno-X Mobility: Cort, Abrahamsen, T.Johannessen, (Nor)
Spain
Equipo Kern Pharma: Berrade, Miquel (Esp)
Switzerland
Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team: Steimle (All)
Tudor Pro Cycling Team: Trentin (Ita)
The Netherlands
Team Visma | Lease a Bike: Laporte (Fra), Affini (Ita)
Team dsm-firmenich PostNL: Degenkolb (All), Eekhoff (Hol)
United Arab Emirates
UAE Team Emirates: Bjerg (Dan), Molano (Col), Morgado (Por)
United States
Lidl-Trek: Pedersen (Dan), Theuns (Bel), Vacek (Rtc).
More information about Paris-Tours on paris-tours.fr.
New Beach Race Series in the Netherlands
Next winter, there will be thirteen beach races on the Dutch calendar. Five of them will be part of the NL Beachcup, which was previously the KNWU Strandrace Competition. There will be a large number of new elements introduced by the KNWU and NTFU. The improvements were proposed by and for the riders. Licensees can register until October 4.
The NL Beachcup consists of five events. They start Texel, after which Katwijk (which is also the NK Strandrace), Petten (a combination race with gravel elements), Renesse (over a new course) and Rockanje. For people who register before October 4, a new hard plastic frame plate, with the rider’s name and number, has been developed with an integrated chip. This allows you to ride all five NL Beachcup beach races and it is easy to mount at home on the seatpost. They can also participate in two other beach races for free.
In addition, there are seven separate races and a completely new try-out. That is a beach race from Wijk aan Zee to Den Helder and back again over a distance of 110 kilometres. There are two posts with supplies and five posts with inner tubes on the route. On October 20, Wijk aan Zee-Den Helder-Wijk aan Zee will be the opener of the season. Riders can decide when they start between 10:00 a.m. and 12:00 p.m. In addition, tactics are involved, because it is low tide in Wijk aan Zee at 2 p.m. and is already a lot higher around 4 p.m. The organisers see it as a time trial against the tide. Now it is an NFTU ride, in the future possibly a competition.
Furthermore, the KNWU has honoured the request of participants to no longer start before 10:00 a.m. The fun class for NTFU members also returns, as well as the entry licenses of the KNWU with 4 age Group classifications (16-35 years, 36-45 years, 46-55 years and the 55+’ers). In addition, the federation will shorten the races for this class by one lap, giving you beach races of about 35 kilometres. The idea is that this way the beach racing is accessible to every level. The nine Belgian races were also taken into account.
Beach racing in the winter:
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