In today’s edition of the Daily News Digest: D’Hoore takes stage one of Boels Rentals Ladies Tour; Rogers awarded 2004 Olympic bronze medal; Cavendish move to MTN-Qhubeka would require Briton to bring sponsor; Dumoulin still can’t believe Vuelta performance, Degenkolb says sensations are good before world championships; Quintana: I’m tired after the Tour but I hope the mountains are calling for me; Wiggins and Phinney confirmed for Aviva Tour of Britain; Tinkoff-Saxo denies firing of Julich and Healey, describes their departure as a mutual decision; Amy Pieters to join Wiggle Honda Pro Cycling in 2016; Introducing the inaugural Giro della Donna; Fabian Cancellara details his Trek Domane and explains his lucky number; What’s In A Pro Cyclist’s Suitcase? With Team Sky’s Ian Boswell
D’Hoore takes stage one of Boels Rentals Ladies Tour
Belgian rider Jolien D’Hoore (Wiggle-Honda) was quickest at the end of stage one of the Boels Rentals Ladies Tour, triumphing into ’s-Heerenberg.
The winning shot! The #BelgianBullet @JolienDhoore does it again! Stage one victory at the @ladiestour today! pic.twitter.com/sA5v5nrHA7
— Wiggle Honda (@WiggleHonda) September 1, 2015
The Belgian Champion finished well clear of the young Briton Lucy Garner (Liv-Plantur) and Dutch champion Lucinda Brand on the uphill rise to the line, nabbing the stage and the first leader’s jersey.
“It was quite a hectic day,” she said. “There was a big crash, after 20-25km, so the bunch was reduced to about 30 riders. But everything came back together again and it was a bunch sprint.”
D’Hoore recently missed out on the final round of the World Cup despite being the overall leader, reasoning that preparing for the world championships was more important. It’s a gamble, but she feels good about that choice.
“In the end I think it was a good decision,” she smiled. “I did some good training last week, and it was the last week I could do it, so I took advantage of it. Then I’m going to use this week again, as some good training in the races, and that should be perfect preparation for Richmond, I hope.”
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Boels - Dolmans Cycling TeamRogers awarded 2004 Olympic bronze medal
Eleven years after he finished fourth in the Olympic Games time trial in Athens, Tinkoff-Saxo rider Michael Rogers was presented with the bronze model by the the Australian Olympic Committee.
Australian Olympic Committee awards Michael Rogers with bronze medal from Athens 2004 http://t.co/cEaupPSfH7 pic.twitter.com/HHLsV6pH1m
— IOC MEDIA (@iocmedia) September 1, 2015
Rogers inherited the medal after the winner, Tyler Hamilton, admitted blood doping and was disqualified back in 2012. Rogers was given the medal by the IOC Vice-President and President of the Australian Olympic Committee John Coates awarded the medal to Rogers.
Also present were IOC President Thomas Bach and UCI President Brian Cookson.
“I was the Chef de Mission at three of the four Olympic Games that Michael participated in for Australia, so I am very proud,” stated Coates. “Michael raced in every Olympic competition from 2000 to 2012 … and was the world champion in the time trial in 2003, 2004, and 2005. He is a great credit to Australia and a great credit to the sport of cycling.”
Rogers described the moment as a great honour. “When I reminisce about that day 11 years ago in Athens, my first reaction is that of a smile. This bronze medal gives me great satisfaction and adds something tangible to my great memories.”
Cavendish move to MTN-Qhubeka would require Briton to bring sponsor
MTN-Qhubeka has said that discussions have taken place in relation to Mark Cavendish potentially joining the team, but said that current budget limitations would mean that the Briton would have to bring a sponsor with him if he were to race for the team.
“The rumor is true. We have had conversations with Cavendish’s agent,” general manager Brian Smith told VeloNews. “Cavendish would help the team, in PR and with his success, but at this moment, we cannot afford Mark Cavendish.”
Cavendish is rumoured to be leaving Etixx – Quick-Step after three years there, although his current team won’t rule him out staying there.
Smith said that the talks show that the team is being taken seriously.
“If Mark Cavendish comes with a large sponsor to pay his salary, we’re open to talking. Who wouldn’t be?” Smith said. “I’m happy that Mark would consider racing with us. It means we’re doing something right.”
Click here to read the full story on VeloNews.
Dumoulin still can’t believe Vuelta performance, Degenkolb says sensations are good before world championships
Tom Dumoulin’s palmares point towards a rider with plenty of talent, but for many his Vuelta a España performance has been unexpected. The rider too feels this way, saying on the first rest day that he can’t quite believe how things have turned out for him.
“I am very satisfied with the course of the race so far, as it has turned out far above my expectations,” the Vuelta race leader said. “Especially my stage win was unbelievable and very special for me. Also the red jersey is great and a really nice bonus.
“If someone would have told me two weeks ago that I would win a stage with an uphill finish and have the leader’s jersey on the first rest day, I would have said he was insane.”
On Sunday Dumoulin beat Tour de France champion Chris Froome and the other climbers in the race to win the ninth stage. Wednesday’s race in Andorra is far tougher, with six categorised climbs packed into a relatively short 138 kilometres.
He knows it will be a massive test of his race leadership.
Click here to read more at CyclingTips.
Quintana: I’m tired after the Tour but I hope the mountains are calling for me
Currently seventh overall in the Vuelta a España, one minute 17 seconds behind the race leader Tom Dumoulin, Nairo Quintana has admitted that his first attempt at the Tour/Vuelta double has taken a lot more out of him that he expected.
The Movistar rider is just 25 years of age and, after finishing second to Chris Froome (Sky) in the Tour de France, hasn’t yet found himself in the same form in the Vuelta.
He was speaking on the race’s first rest day, one day before what many regard as the toughest stage in a Grand Tour in many years. On Wednesday the riders will slug it out on a daunting day in Andorra, taking in no less than six categorised climbs in just 138 kilometres.
“I think that tomorrow’s stage would have been better for me in another point of the season,” he accepted, speaking about both himself and also his team-mate Alejandro Valverde. “It’s the hardest in the Vuelta, no doubt; we came here after a Tour that squeezed the best out of us and we’re reaching this point of the season tired. But that’s mostly everyone’s situation.
“The important thing here is that we’re both ready to keep pushing in a stage that suits us both. Should we find good legs tomorrow, we’ll try to please the fans. We’ll try to offer the best of us two.
Click here to read more at CyclingTips.
Wiggins and Phinney confirmed for Aviva Tour of Britain
The 2012 Tour de France winner Bradley Wiggins (Team Wiggins) and BMC Racing Team’s Taylor Phinney are the two latest names to be confirmed for the Aviva Tour of Britain. The race begins this Sunday, September 6, in Beaumaris in North Wales.
Wiggins in a past winner of the race while Phinney has also ridden strongly on British soil; he was fourth in both the London Olympic road race and time trial.
He is returning after a severe injury which kept him out of the peloton for more than a year. Despite that, he won the opening stage of the recent USA Pro Challenge.
Also riding will be the Croatian Robert Kiserlovski plus his Tinkoff-Saxo team-mates Chris Anker Sorensen and Nikolay Trusov, a past stage winner.
The Cult Energy Pro Cycling team will include past Tour de France yellow jersey wearer Linus Gerdemann plus the 2005 British Road Race Champion Russ Downing.
Tinkoff-Saxo denies firing of Julich and Healey, describes their departure as a mutual decision
Responding to media reports Monday suggesting that Bobby Julich and Daniel Healey had been fired from the Tinkoff-Saxo squad, the team has described the stories as incorrect reporting and clarified the situation.
“All parties had agreed to make this announcement once the season was over in order not to distract the team while at the races, but now feel the need to make an official joint statement to clear things up,” it said.
“At no time were Bobby Julich or Daniel Healey fired from Tinkoff-Saxo. Several weeks ago, a mutual decision was made on behalf of all parties involved to end their professional relationship due to a difference in opinion regarding the future vision of the team. This decision was reached amicably.”
It added that it holds both in high regard and wishes them well for the future.
Healy joined the team earlier this year and slotted into the new position of head of sports science. He was previously head of nutrition for New Zealand’s high performance sports system between 2008 and 2012 and has experience of coaching professional road and track cyclists.
Click here to read more on CyclingTips.
Amy Pieters to join Wiggle Honda Pro Cycling in 2016
Dutchwoman Amy Pieters is to join Wiggle-Honda Pro Cycling in 2016, transferring across after spending her full pro career thus far with Liv-Plantur.
“I chose Wiggle-Honda because I’m in my fifth year with my current team, and I’m looking for a new challenge, and a new experience,” she said. “I think Wiggle-Honda will give me that.
“I also want to make the next step; I think I’ve reached a high level with Liv-Plantur, but I think Wiggle-Honda can help me with this.”
She is the third rider to be confirmed for next year’s lineup. Also on board will be one of the current riders, the Belgian Champion Jolien D’hoore, plus the incoming Swedish Road and Time Trial Champion Emma Johansson.
This year Pieters has taken the women’s Dwars door Vlaanderen plus the prologue of the Route de France. The team’s owner Rochelle Gilmore said that she has been keen to sign her since the team began. “To finally be able to introduce her to our already incredibly strong team is a huge achievement.”
Introducing the inaugural Giro della Donna
After months of planning, CyclingTips is delighted to unveil details of our first-ever Gran Fondo. We and our sister site Ella invite you to join us on Sunday November 22, 2015 for the inaugural Giro della Donna.
It begins in the township of Warburton, Victoria, finishes at the top of Mt. Donna Buang, and features one of the most spectacular cycling routes in Australia. It will be held over 107km of closed and traffic-managed roads and those taking part will climb more than 2,700 metres including the gruelling (and stunning) 20km Reefton Spur ascent and a true mountain-top finish at Mt. Donna Buang.
The route also includes a 13km gravel section along the stunning Acheron Way.
Watch the video below to learn more, and head here for full details and to register for an early invite. Spots are limited.
Fabian Cancellara details his Trek Domane and explains his lucky number
What’s In A Pro Cyclist’s Suitcase? With Team Sky’s Ian Boswell
What You Missed
And finally this morning, here are a few things you might have missed at CyclingTips in the past few days:
- Abrupt welcome to Dutch racing: Nettie Edmondson’s Boels Rental Ladies Tour stage one diary
- Photo gallery: A chaotic 90th edition of Schaal Sels
- The Best of Eurobike: Show-stoppers
- The Best of Eurobike: Shoes, helmets and sunglasses
- How the World Cycling Centre Africa has helped develop MTN-Qhubeka’s talent, and what the future holds
- Too many bikes?
- Daily News Digest: Tuesday September 1
- Ella Picks: Women’s cycling content we loved this week
