Overall victory for Tim Wellens at the Eneco Tour

Tim Wellens (Lotto-Belisol) has taken overall victory in the Eneco Tour, winning the seven-stage race off the back of a solo victory on stage 6. Lars Boom (Belkin) was second overall with stage 3 ITT and points classification winner, Tom Dumoulin (Giant-Shimano) third.

Going into the weekend it was Lars Boom that led the Eneco Tour but on stage 5, which finished at the top of the famous Muur van Geraardsbergen, it was Greg van Avermaet (BMC) that took victory, attacking on the last of three times up the steep ramp.

On stage 6 Tim Wellens was part of an eight-rider breakaway that gained a maximum advantage of nearly 7:30. There were a number of attacks in the closing kilometres from the break, but just before the final climb of the day, La Redoute, Wellens closed down the attackers then set off alone. He went on to win the stage solo, 50 seconds ahead of Lars Boom. The win was Wellens’ first as a professional, moving him into the overall lead.

On the seventh and final stage a 20-rider breakaway got away early including Omega Pharma-QuickStep’s Guillaume Van Keirsbulck. The Belgian attacked from the bunch with 34km to go and held off the chase to take a solo victory by 46 seconds. Wellens finished back in the bunch, 1:01 behind, to take the overall victory by seven seconds over Boom and 13 seconds over Dumoulin.

Final Classification: > - Stage Result

Sunday 17th August 2014

1. be
WELLENS Tim
Lotto Belisol
25:30:15
2. nl
BOOM Lars
Belkin-Pro Cycling Team
 0:07
3. nl
DUMOULIN Tom
Team Giant-Shimano
 0:13
Course Profile Startlist
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Nairo Quintana wins Vuelta a Burgos after queen stage victory

Nairo Quintana (Movistar) has defended his overall title at the Vuelta a Burgos, winning the five-stage race off the back his victory in the race’s queen stage.

Quintana won stage 3 after the day’s main breakaway was caught and after a number of attacks in the closing kilometres thinned out the lead group. Quintana climbed the lower slopes of the final ascent to Lagunas de Neila with three other riders, putting in a number of attacks to bridge to the leading trio up the road.

By the time Quintana reached the head of the race just Mikel Landa (Astana) remained, with Quintana passing him on his way to victory. Quintana took the stage win by six seconds, enough to take the overall lead from his teammate Juan Jose Lobato.

A ninth place finish on stage 4 (which was won by Ag2r-La Mondiale’s Lloyd Mondory) was enough to see Daniel Moreno (Katusha) take the overall lead from Quintana, albeit with the same time. But in the final-stage ITT Quintana finished second behind Aleksejs Saramotins (IAM) while Moreno was fifth; the result seeing Nairo Quintana win the race overall for the second year in a row. Moreno was second, three seconds adrift, while Janez Brajkovic (Astana) was third another 52 seconds behind.

Final Classification: > - Stage Result

Sunday 17th August 2014

1.
QUINTANA Nairo
Movistar Team
 15:07:09
2. es
MORENO Daniel
Team Katusha
0:03
3. si
BRAJKOVIč Janez
Astana Pro Team
 0:55
Startlist
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Anna van der Breggen leads Rabo-Liv podium clean-sweep at Ladies Tour of Norway

Not for the first time this season, Rabo-Liv has swept the podium at a world-class bike race, this time going 1-2-3 at the UCI 2.1 Ladies Tour of Norway. Anna van der Breggen took out the overall victory in the three-day race after winning stage 1 while teammate and reigning world champion Marianne Vos won the prologue and stage 2.

Katarzyna Niewiadoma was third overall while Rabo-Liv also took out the teams classification and the points classification, the latter thanks to overall winner Anna van der Breggen.

Australians featured prominently throughout the race with Orica-AIS’s Jessie MacLean finishing fourth on stage 1 from the breakaway (after van der Breggen won solo by 29 seconds) and Tiff Cromwell (Specialized-Lululemon) finishing fourth from the winning move on stage 2.

Final Classification: > - Stage Result

Sunday 17th August 2014

1. nl
VAN DER BREGGEN Anna
Rabobank-Liv Woman Cycling Team
 05:38:11
2. nl
VOS Marianne
Rabobank-Liv Woman Cycling Team
 0:38
3. pl
NIEWIADOMA Katarzyna
Rabobank-Liv Woman Cycling Team
 0:45
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Steven Kruijswijk wins Arctic Race of Norway

Steven Kruijswijk (Belkin) has taken the greatest victory of his career over the weekend, winning the Arctic Race of Norway off the back of four consistent days of racing and two podium finishes.


Kruijswijk was third on the opening stage which was won by his Norwegian teammate Lars Petter Nordhaug before Alexander Kristoff (Katusha) took his first of two wins for the race. On stage 3 Kruikswijk finished second behind Simon Spilack (Katusha) on the summit finish to Kvænangsfjellet Pass, the pair finishing 15 seconds clear of a reduced peloton. The result was enough to propel Kruijswijk to the head of the race, eight seconds ahead of Nordhaug and 17 seconds ahead of Davide Villella (Cannondale).

On a thrilling finale to stage 4 a late attack from local favourite and retiring rider Thor Hushovd (BMC) was overhauled at the finish by compatriot Alexander Kristoff who took his second stage win ahead of Hushovd and Sam Bennett (NetApp-Endura). Kruijswijk finished eighth, seven second behind Kristoff, enough to win the race overall by four seconds, from Kristoff. Nordhaug was third, another 14 seconds behind.

Final Classification: > - Stage Result

Sunday 17th August 2014

1. nl
KRUIJSWIJK Steven
Belkin-Pro Cycling Team
 17:22:12
2. no
KRISTOFF Alexander
Team Katusha
0:04
3. no
NORDHAUG Lars Petter
Belkin-Pro Cycling Team
 0:18
Course Profile Startlist
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Text adapted from Belkin press releases.

Start-to-finish victory for Claudia Lichtenberg at the Route de France

Claudia Lichtenberg (Giant-Shimano) raced to third place on the final stage of La Route de France on Saturday and in doing so sealed the overall victory she claimed back in the opening stage of the seven-stage race.


A solo victory by 29 seconds on stage 1 gave Lichtenberg an imposing lead in the almost entirely flat stage race, before extending that lead further as the race came to a close.

On stage 6 Kirsten Wild (Giant-Shimano) won the bunch sprint ahead of Giorgia Bronzini (Wiggle-Honda) and Jolien D’Hoore (Lotto-Belisol). And in the final stage Lichtenberg finished third in a two-rider break that nearly caught solo winner Iris Slappendel (Rabo-Liv), the trio all finishing roughly two minutes clear of the main field. Belarusian champion Alena Amialiusik (Astana-BePink) was second on the stage, solidifying her second place overall.

Final Classification: > - Stage Result

Saturday 16th August 2014

1. de
LICHTENBERG Claudia
Team Giant-Shimano
 00:00:00
Course Profile
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Robert Power completes hat trick with GP Capodarco

Aussie young gun Robert Power completed an impressive hat trick of victories over the weekend, winning the UCI 1.2 GP Capodarco, one of the biggest Italian amateur races of the year.

With seven of the eight climbs up the Capodarco “wall” completed, a lead group of eight riders had formed, including Power and his Jayco AIS WorldTour Academy teammate Jack Haig. The final time up the climb Haig took to the front and split the bunch apart with Power attacking from Haig’s slipstream near the top. The 19-year-old West Australian (in his first year of the U23 program) then took over the pace on the cobbled climb, riding away to win by eight seconds. Haig finished fourth, eight seconds behind.

The victory follows Power’s wins in the GP Briga Novarese and GP Poggiana. He goes into the Tour de l’Avenir (often billed as the U23 Tour de France) as one of the big favourites.

1. au
POWER Robert
04:21:36
2. it
MOSCON Gianni
0:08
3. it
GIAMPAOLO Moreno
Vega - Hotsand
 0:13
View full results

Click here for a great report from the race at Espoirs Central. Click through for an interview with Robert Power that we did at the Tour d’Azerbaidjan earlier this year.

Bert-Jan Lindeman wins Tour de l’Ain with final-stage victory

A solo victory on stage 3 of the Tour de l’Ain has seen Rabobank Development Team rider Bert-Jan Lindeman take overall honours in the five-stage French race.


Lindeman won solo by nearly a minute on the hilly third stage, attacking on the penultimate climb and holding off a chase by Romain Bardet (Ag2r-La Mondiale). The victory saw Lindeman take the overall lead off Gianni Meersman (Omega Pharma-QuickStep) who had won the prologue and stage 2.

On the final stage Lindeman finished comfortably in the bunch, 48 seconds behind Julien Alaphilippe (Omega Pharma-QuickStep) who took his first win as a professional after attacking from a small breakaway towards the end.

Stage 3: Lagnieu > Lelex-Mont Jura - Stage Result

Friday 15th August 2014

1. nl
LINDEMAN Bert-Jan
Rabobank Development Team
 03:53:06
2. fr
BARDET Romain
AG2R La Mondiale
 0:57
3. ie
MARTIN Daniel
Garmin Sharp
 2:24
Course Profile Startlist
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Brenton Jones wins the Tour of the Great South Coast

Warragul’s Brenton Jones (Avanti) has been crowned the Campolina-Fulton Hogan Tour of the Great South Coast champion with the 22 year old earning the overall Subaru National Road Series lead as a result.

Jones went into the final stage 12 seconds ahead of closest rival Jesse Kerrison (Budget Forklifts) before time bonuses on offer throughout the race saw the gap narrow to seven seconds. In the final sprint to the line, Gold Coast’s Ryan MacAnally (Wormall Civil) claimed the honours, ensuring Jones secured the Tour win.

The victory adds to Jones’ quickly growing resume, which in 2014 has included winning the overall Bay Criterium Series, bronze medals at the National and Oceania championships and stage victories in New Zealand and Asia.

“This is up there with the best win of my career, a close second to my win at the Bay Crits,” explained Jones. “The NRS is so big at the moment and we’ve seen many riders develop to be Pro Tour riders and that’s where I want to go.”

After finding the podium in all eight stages, Jones completed the Tour 12 seconds ahead of Kerrison and 30 seconds to Germany’s Freinstein (CharterMason).

The Subaru National Road Series continues next weekend with the women’s Sam Miranda Tour of the King Valley while the men’s series moves to Gippsland where Jones will line up in his home town of Warragul for stage one on September 3.

Follow the link for final results in the 2014 Tour of the Great South Coast. Text adapted from a Cycling Australia press release.

Niki Terpstra disqualified from Eneco Tour after shoulder-barging Maarten Wynants

Paris-Roubaix winner Niko Terpstra (Omega Pharma-QuickStep) was disqualified from the final stage of the Eneco Tour over the weekend, after this incident with Belkin’s Maarten Wynants:

Terpstra accepted responsibility for the incident, with the team releasing the following statement:

“
I’m sorry for what I did. I don’t know who I was in that moment. I want to apologise first to Wynants and Team Belkin, because I put other riders in jeopardy with my actions and it is something you simply don’t do in the peloton.

But I want to also apologise to my team and the guys who were specifically here racing at the Eneco Tour. They worked hard for me all week and then I ruined their effort with this foolish action. I take full responsibility for my behaviour. Everybody knows I’m a guy with a lot of charisma, but it does not turn into abrasive behaviour on the bike that can harm others.

Today was out of character. I’ll take this as an important lesson on how to handle situations the right way for the sake of myself, my team, other teams in the peloton, and cycling in general including the fans.

Zdenek Stybar undergoes reconstructive surgery after Eneco Tour crash

After crashing hard on stage 4 of the Eneco Tour, Zdenek Stybar (Omega Pharma-QuickStep) has undergone reconstructive surgery on his face and mouth over the weekend.

According to an OPQS press release:

“Surgery included both internal and external stitches. Medical staff also replaced three teeth that Stybar lost in the impact with the ground. Due to difficulty eating and drinking as a consequence of both the crash and the operation, the Czech champion will remain in the hospital today under observation of hospital staff.”

Text adapted from an Omega Pharma-QuickStep press release.

Vuelta a Espana startlist starting to take shape

With the third and final Grand Tour of the season just five days away, many teams are starting to release their final teamlists. Among the noteworthy announcements is the fact Movistar goes in with two leaders — Giro d’Italia winner Nairo Quintana and Alejandro Valverde — while Chris Froome (Sky), Alberto Contador (Tinkoff-Saxo) and Joaquim Rodriguez (Katusha) will all be there as well.

Adam Hansen lines up for Lotto-Belisol in his ninth consecutive Grand Tour in three years — a remarkable achievement — and Gerald Ciolek heads up the MTN-Qhubeka squad which makes its Grand Tour debut.

“It’s a great thing that we’ll be at the start of La Vuelta, it is a big step forward for our team,” Ciolek said. “I am personally looking forward to it too because I believe our team can perform really well at this race. It is a race that suits our team and especially our climbers can be successful.”

Click through for the 2014 Vuelta a Espana startlist, with new names being added as they’re confirmed. Click here to read more at CyclingTips.

Edvald Boasson Hagen still without a contract for 2015, agent claims

According to Birger Hungerholdt, agent to Edvald Boasson Hagen, the Norwegian rider has no team confirmed for 2015 yet, but that a deal should be struck in the coming weeks. Boasson Hagen announced last week that he wouldn’t be riding with Sky next year.

“The point was that he needed new challenges and that’s why he’s moving on. We confirmed to Team Sky that he would be leaving last week. They hadn’t offered a contract to Edvald but there had been some good talks and there wasn’t any problems with the team. It wasn’t anything to do with money. They did want to keep him.”

“He’s been there for five years and after that amount of time you start thinking about new things and different teams. He wants to move to one of the best teams in the world and that should be finalised soon. He’s had the opportunities at Team Sky and he’s reached a better level but it’s time to move on.”

Click here to read more at Cyclingnews.

Roche considered riding Grand Tour triple, but confirms he’ll miss Vuelta

by Shane Stokes

Although Tinkoff Saxo team leader Alberto Contador confirmed in recent days that he will do the Vuelta a España, his team-mate Nicolas Roche has said that he will not take part.

He has said on several occasions that it is his favourite Grand Tour of the season, but riding the Giro d’Italia and Tour de France double has ensured a change of programme this year. That said, Roche did consider riding a rare Grand Tour triple for the first time in his career.

“At some stage I was thinking about the Vuelta but then I reconsidered it,” Roche told CyclingTips. “Maybe it is too much. It is not like my career is over next year. I have already done a hard year and I will try something different for a change.

“I have done the Giro and Tour, being super-competitive, always doing work and going in the breakaways. That is very demanding. So I will do other races instead. It should give me a bit more time to focus on the worlds as well.”

Roche’s race programme will see him ride the Vattenfall Cyclassics in Hamburg on August 24, the GP Ouest France in Plouay on August 31 and the Tour of Britain, which runs between September 7 and 14. He is then expected to ride the world road race championships later that month.

Click through to the read full story at CyclingTips.

Pinot chasing first victory of 2014 in Vuelta a España, but says he wants to ride race ‘for fun’

by Shane Stokes

Tour de France podium finisher Thibaut Pinot (FDJ.fr) has said that he is heading to the Vuelta a España with no pressure, but also made clear that he has a very important goal in mind.

The Frenchman finished seventh overall last year and made further progress this season, taking third in the Tour de France. He was also the best young rider. While those performances were a good reward for his team’s backing of him, he feels he owes it and himself another success.

“I haven’t won a race this year yet. I don’t want to go for my winter break without raising my hands up in the air,” he stated. “Climbs are difficult in Spain. I like them. I want to win a stage.”

Prior to the Tour de France Pinot said that the Vuelta would be one of his top goals of the season.

“I’m looking forward to the Vuelta,” he stated then. “I just love this race. Shall I do well on GC here, I’ll be able to go to the Vuelta with no pressure and ride for a stage win and the King of the Mountain competition.”

The team will also include three-time Giro d’Italia stage winner Nacer Bouhanni, who hopes to add to his Grand Tour tally in Spain.

Click here to read the full story at CyclingTips.

An interview with Lachlan Morton

Following the release of ‘Thereabouts’, a documentary made about the trip he and his brother Gus did from Port Macquarie to Uluru, Lachlan Morton caught up with CyclingTips’ Wade Wallace to chat about his season, his motivations and whether Thereabouts is something we’ll see more of from the Morton brothers.

Here’s an excerpt:

“
Cycling has always been a competitive thing…first you get into club racing and then you get into training for racing and that’s how it all started. The idea of using the bike as something different – for me I love to see new places and explore and meet new people. Using the bike as a tool for doing that was something I never really thought of before.

Now I have a big map in my apartment in Spain and I look around at all the possibilities and rides I want to do. On the top of my list is Patagonia, because it seems remote and relatively untouched. Stuff in America, Asia…there’s a lot I want to do. I get excited about that and it’s nice to have that in my head when I’m training and racing – it helps keep things in perspective a bit more.

Click through for the full interview with Lachlan Morton.

London bus driver fired after incident with cyclist

After driving on to the footpath to remonstrate with a cyclist, a tour bus driver has been fired from his job. You can see the incident in the video below:

The driver was dismissed with the company posting the following statement via Twitter:


A note about the Main Yarra Trail detour in Burnley

For any of you in Melbourne that use the Main Yarra Trail to get to and from work, the following information might be of interest. There are works currently going on to upgrade the path between MacRobertson Bridge and Burnley Harbour with a detour in place. Problem is, that detour takes riders along the footpath of MacRobertson Bridge where the law requires riders to dismount.

Mark Donnellan from City of Yarra tells us that this detour is in place because it’s the only detour they could publish that caters to the needs of less experienced riders. Donnellan encourages more experienced cyclists to detour through Richmond streets, or “exercise restraint” when using the MacRobertson Bridge detour.

More information about the detour can be found here and here.

Silly crash in the Eneco Tour

It helps to pay attention to where you’re going:

Why aerobars are a bad idea in the bunch

Also, best not to grab only the front brake when trying to stop quickly.

TORTOUR: the biggest non-stop-ultra-cycling event in the world

Here are a couple of videos from TORTOUR, an event the organisers call the “biggest non-stop-ultra-cycling event in the world”. The first video is of the prologue (which determined starting order):

And the following video shows highlights from the race itself, which featured more than 500 participants.

The Rocacorba Recap

And finally this morning, here are a few things you might have missed at CyclingTips:

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Today’s feature image comes from Jered Gruber and was shot in the Ardennes region of Belgium.