All the latest happenings from la Vuelta a España, plus the Tour of Britain and the Maryland Cycling Classic Presented by UnitedHealthcare all with results, reports and video.
Miguel Indurain on the 2023 Vuelta: “Evenepoel versus Roglič will be the match” – TOP STORY.
Rider news: Young Olav Kooij takes his 25th pro victory, Tadej Pogačar to race three more times this season and Raúl García Pierna signs with Arkéa-Samsic.
Team news: Simone Velasco extends with Astana Qazaqstan, Julien Bernard and Jacopo Mosca stay with Lidl-Trek, Mathys Rondel signs long-term agreement with Tudor, Diego Pablo Sevilla stays with EOLO KOMETA and Soudal Quick-Step and AG2R Citroën to Canada.
TOP STORY: Miguel Indurain on the 2023 Vuelta: “Evenepoel versus Roglič Will be the Match”
After ten stages, we still don’t know who is the top favourite for the overall victory in the 2023 Vuelta a España. Several top riders are still in the running for the red jersey, but Miguel Indurain expects a battle for the final victory.
The Vuelta had a big visitor on Tuesday: Miguel Indurain was in Valladolid to watch the time trial. The 59 year-old Spaniard, who won the Tour de France five times and the Giro d’Italia twice, spoke about the 78th Vuelta a España with VTM.
Indurain was asked about Remco Evenepoel. “I see him as a very complete rider, but the competition is fierce in this Vuelta. There are three of the Jumbos and then you also have men like Juan Ayuso and Enric Mas. But Evenepoel is holding up well for the time being,” said Indurain, whose best result was in 1991, when he finished second in the Vuelta, behind Melchor Mauri.
“The time trial has given Evenepoel a nice lead over its rivals, but there is still a lot to come. I think of the stage to the Tourmalet and also the mountains in Asturias. I think his team is quite balanced, compared to many other teams. Roglič-Evenepoel, I think that will be the duel for the overall victory.”
Indurain at la Vuelta:
Vuelta a España 2023
The individual time trial Stage 10 of La Vuelta’23 saw Filippo Ganna (INEOS Grenadiers) power to his first victory in Spain as he got the best of the World champion Remco Evenepoel (Soudal Quick-Step) in Valladolid. The Italian star covered the 25.8km at an average speed of 56.0kph, setting a time of 27:39. Evenepoel was 2nd at 16 seconds and was the fastest of the GC contenders, 20 seconds ahead of Primoz Roglič (Jumbo-Visma), while Jonas Vingegaard (Jumbo-Visma) lost a minute to the Belgian defending winner of La Vuelta. Riding with the red jersey, Sepp Kuss (Jumbo-Visma) set the 13th best time and only lost 17 seconds to Marc Soler (UAE Team Emirates), his closest rival in the overall standings. Evenepoel moved up to 3rd overall, with a gap of 1:09 to the American leader.
After the rest day, La Vuelta returned to action with a key time trial (25.8km) to kick-off the second week of racing in Valladolid, a classic of the Spanish Grand Tour since it hosted the very first stage finish in 1935. Callum Scotson (Jayco AlUla) was the first rider to start, and Sepp Kuss (Jumbo-Visma) was the last rider off the ramp, with the red jersey on his shoulders.
Clément Davy (Groupama-FDJ) sets the first interesting time of 30:55. But the Frenchman is no match for the European TT champion Stefan Bissegger (EF Education-EasyPost), he was faster at every intermediate point and eventually clocks a time of 28:58. The Swiss rider impressed, but he confessed he “didn’t have the best day”. Filippo Ganna (INEOS Grenadiers) starts his effort 44 minutes after Bissegger. And he quickly shows he’s off to a flying performance. The 2-time ITT World champion, holder of the hour record and current Italian national ITT champion, he led by 33 seconds at the first intermediate point, 52 at the second, and 1:18 at the line. He averaged 56.0kph over the 25.8km.
The GC battle got going with a strong performance from Aleksandr Vlasov (BORA-hansgrohe), the first rider to finish less than a minute behind Ganna at 52 seconds. Joao Almeida (UAE Team Emirates) finished just ahead of Vlasov (+50 seconds) but Jonas Vingegaard (Jumbo-Visma) is not as fast. The Danish winner of the Tour de France conceded 1:18. Primoz Roglič (Jumbo-Visma) and Remco Evenepoel (Soudal Quick-Step) trade seconds until the Belgian sets the 2nd best time on the line, 16 seconds down on Ganna, 20 seconds head of his Slovenian rival. Sepp Kuss (Jumbo-Visma) takes the 13th best time and only loses 17 seconds to Marc Soler (UAE Team Emirates). The American still leads the overall standings.
You can see more photos in the full PEZ ‘Stage Report’ HERE.
Stage winner, Filippo Ganna (INEOS Grenadiers): “I’m really happy. After the Giro, winning here was a goal and a dream. We have another two weeks to try again. After the Worlds, I didn’t know if the team wanted me or not in the Vuelta but I pushed a lot to be here for G [Geraint Thomas]. To be here is amazing. The course was really nice and we were also lucky with the weather. I just enjoyed.”
Overall leader, Sepp Kuss (Jumbo-Visma): “It was different for sure [to ride an ITT with a leader’s jersey to defend]. Actually, I felt surprisingly relaxed. It’s only stage 10 and I knew there’s still so much racing to come and I was just happy starting in the red jersey. It’s the first time I’ve started last in a time trial, so it’s the first time no-one passes me in a time trial. I just tried to keep it simple, enjoy the day and push as hard as possible on the pedals! Every time I passed a time check, Addy [Engels], the director in the car, just said: ‘good job’. So I figured maybe I’m not doing so well because there was no reference… But I felt good and I’m happy with how it went. It’s still a good advantage [on GC] but with what’s to come, one minute can be lost in one stage or even one climb. There are beautiful stages coming and a lot can happen.”
2nd on the stage and 3rd overall, Remco Evenepoel (Soudal Quick-Step): “It’s a mixed feeling. I didn’t have my best day out there and after ten minutes I had a difficult moment, and I think that’s where I lost the time trial. After that, I managed to increase the speed and match Ganna’s time, while gaining seconds on the others. On the plus side, I extended my advantage over the other GC guys, which is an encouraging thing at the start of this second week. We’ll soon arrive in the high mountains and I hope to keep the momentum of last weekend.”
3rd on the stage and 4th overall, Primož Roglič (Jumbo-Visma): “I am happy with this result. Evenepoel is the world time trial champion for a reason, so we knew he would be strong today. I could pedal hard all the time, and I felt great. It’s also wonderful that Sepp managed to keep the red jersey. It’s up to us to defend it in the coming days.”
4th on the stage and 6th overall, João Almeida (UAE Team Emirates): “I was good, I succeeded in doing a good effort, so I am happy and I could take time on the other contenders. Tomorrow we will face another hard day, not super tough but it will be necessary to be up there and be vigilant. We’ll focus the attention on the next stages until stage 13 with the summit arrival on the Tourmalet, it will be important to save energy until that point.”
Vuelta a España Stage 10 Result:
1. Filippo Ganna (Ita) INEOS Grenadiers at 27:39
2. Remco Evenepoel (Bel) Soudal Quick-Step at 0:16
3. Primož Roglič (Slo) Jumbo-Visma at 0:36
4. João Almeida (Por) UAE Team Emirates at 0:50
5. Aleksandr Vlasov (-) BORA-hansgrohe at 0:52
6. Mattia Cattaneo (Ita) Soudal Quick-Step at 1:09
7. Juan Ayuso (Spa) UAE Team Emirates at 1:11
8. Marc Soler (Spa) UAE Team Emirates at 1:12
9. Nelson Oliveira (Por) Movistar
10. Jonas Vingegaard (Den) Jumbo-Visma at 1:18.
Vuelta a España Overall After Stage 10:
1. Sepp Kuss (USA) Jumbo-Visma in 35:52:38
2. Marc Soler (Spa) UAE Team Emirates at 0:26
3. Remco Evenepoel (Bel) Soudal Quick-Step at 1:09
4. Primož Roglič (Slo) Jumbo-Visma at 1:36
5. Lenny Martinez (Fra) Groupama-FDJ at 2:02
6. João Almeida (Por) UAE Team Emirates at 2:16
7. Jonas Vingegaard (Den) Jumbo-Visma at 2:22
8. Juan Ayuso (Spa) UAE Team Emirates at 2:25
9. Enric Mas (Spa) Movistar at 2:50
10. Aleksandr Vlasov (-) BORA-hansgrohe at 3:14.
Vuelta’23 stage 10:
Jesus Herrada (Cofidis) showed talent, craft and mastery to win Stage 11 of La Vuelta’23 on the slopes up La Laguna Negra. The Spanish puncheur made his way into a hard fought break and eventually powered to victory with a perfectly timed acceleration on the most gruelling slopes of the final climb. He takes his third victory in the Spanish Grand Tour, after he won in similar circumstances in Ares del Maestrat (2019) and Cistierna (2022). Romain Grégoire (Groupama-FDJ) came 2nd and Geraint Thomas (INEOS Grenadiers) was 5th. Remco Evenepoel (Soudal Quick-Step) accelerated but his rivals matched his pace.
After the key individual time trial in Valladolid, the peloton faced new summits with an uphill finish on the slopes leading to Laguna Negra, overlooking the city of Vinuesa. Dan Martin won there in 2020, ahead of Primoz Roglic and Richard Carapaz. And attackers are inspired to succeed the Irish puncheur.
The start is slightly delayed after Juan Ayuso (UAE Team Emirates) crashed on the way to km 0. Once the flag dropped, a flurry of attacks ensue, but baroudeurs were caught one after another. The peloton covered 47.7km in the first hour. Then a group of 26 eventually managed to get away, featuring two previous stage winners in La Vuelta’23: Andreas Kron (Lotto Dstny) and Filippo Ganna (INEOS Grenadiers) as well as established stars such as Geraint Thomas (INEOS Grenadiers) and Luis Leon Sanchez (Astana Qazaqstan) and up and coming youngsters Romain Grégoire (Groupama-FDJ) and Andrea Piccolo (EF Education-EasyPost). Jumbo-Visma drove the bunch. The gap went over 5 minutes as the riders entered the last 50 kilometres. And up to 6 minutes ahead of the final climb.
Paul Ourselin (TotalEnergies) attacked his breakaway rivals with 10 kilometres to go and reached the bottom of the climb to Laguna Negra (6.5km at 6.8%, with the steepest slopes in the final kilometre) with a lead of 25 seconds. Ganna pulled the chase and Ourselin was caught with 5km to go. Jonathan Caicedo (EF Education-EasyPost) attacked twice, but Geraint Thomas reacted. The Ecuadorian was caught inside the last 300 metres. Nobody could react when Jesus Herrada (Cofidis) put the hammer down. In the GC group, Cian Uijtdebroeks (BORA-hansgrohe) jumped away. Remco Evenepoel (Soudal Quick-Step) sprinted in the last metres, but everyone in the GC favourites group finished together.
You can see more photos in the full PEZ ‘Stage Report’ HERE.
Stage winner and KOM, Jesús Herrada (Cofidis): “You can’t know when you’ll get your opportunity. You try, you try… And sometimes it works out. I knew it was a good finale for me and it was gonna be very hard to be in the break. After many efforts, I was up there. It was a big breakaway so it was hard to make it work in the end with riders like Geraint Thomas, the FDJ… I felt good at the end. I saved my sprint until the last 300 metres and I did it. I can’t be happier than this. The goal was to win a stage. We had to wait for the second week. But now we’ve achieved a goal, we’ll enjoy and keep fighting! My father was here at the start and at the finish. I’m happy to have my relatives close to me and this is for them and also for those who couldn’t be there.”
Overall leader, Sepp Kuss (Jumbo-Visma): “It was quite a nice day I think. It took a while for the breakaway to go. It was a big group. We were happy to let it go for the stage win and to ride the last climb defensively. Either way, if we had ridden it faster or slower, I think it would have been a sprint in the end like we saw today. I think we’re happy with today. I think everybody was looking at each other a bit and it’s a climb where you need to invest a lot in order to have differences in the end. There were some attacks from guys a bit further down on GC.”
7th overall, Jonas Vingegaard (Jumbo-Visma): “To be honest, I thought the others would go for it today, that is their choice and their tactics. We have no influence on that, we didn’t want to go for it, so it was fine for us. We are in great shape with this situation. Every day we get through this way is good for us. I think the pace was high on the climb, but it wasn’t too difficult, and no one wanted to go for it. We will have to wait until Friday, then we will see how we are doing. Primož and Sepp have both already won a stage and I hope I can add one to that as well, but as long as we have the red jersey, everything is good for us.”
Points leader, Kaden Groves (Alpecin-Deceunick): “Actually, we had a nice day today. I think it is the perfect day to find your legs again after the rest day and the TT. Today I enjoyed the day and I think I will be ready to go for another sprint tomorrow. I’m doing well. It was actually a hard start, a lot of people tried to go on the breakaway, myself included. We were seeing maybe I could get up the road for some more points. This week, it’s just tomorrow [for a sprint]. It will be a fast stage and a hectic final.”
8th on the stage, Nicolas Prodhomme (AG2R Citroën): “I had marked this stage for myself. I’m really happy to have managed to be in front today, especially with two team-mates. I did not necessarily have great sensations throughout the day, but I am still satisfied with the result. A top-10 on a grand tour stage is not nothing. The team was counting on me today; Dorian and Damien did a great job of work, I just came across a touch stronger. I have no regrets, I gave everything until the line. The Vuelta route will give us some new opportunities to ride to our strengths all the way to Madrid. We will try to do our best to get a result.”
9th on the stage, Dorian Godon (AG2R Citroën): “I was really looking forward to this stage. The breakaway had a good chance of going to the finish, so I wanted to be among them. I put a lot of energy into getting in the break. Then we had to focus on the final climb. With the composition of the breakaway and the steep gradients in places, I am at my proper level by finishing ninth. I come away knowing that the form is good and that we will have to try again, especially on Sunday for the 15th stage. The objective remains to go for a victory before Madrid and I will do everything for that.”
Vuelta a España Stage 11 Result:
1. Jesús Herrada (Spa) Cofidis 3:29:17
2. Romain Grégoire (Fra) Groupama-FDJ 0:03
3. Andreas Kron (Den) Lotto Dstny at 0:08
4. Jonathan Klever Caicedo (Ecu) EF Education-EasyPost at 0:12
5. Geraint Thomas (GB) INEOS Grenadiers at 0:19
6. Pelayo Sánchez (Spa) Burgos-BH at 0:24
7. Rudy Molard (Fra) Groupama-FDJ
8. Nicolas Prodhomme (Fra) AG2R Citroën at 0:27
9. Dorian Godon (Fra) AG2R Citroën at 0:58
10. Filippo Ganna (Ita) INEOS Grenadiers at 1:16.
Vuelta a España Overall After Stage 11:
1. Sepp Kuss (USA) Jumbo-Visma in 39:27:45
2. Marc Soler (Spa) UAE Team Emirates at 0:26
3. Remco Evenepoel (Bel) Soudal Quick-Step at 1:09
4. Primož Roglič (Slo) Jumbo-Visma at 1:36
5. Lenny Martinez (Fra) Groupama-FDJ at 2:02
6. João Almeida (Por) UAE Team Emirates at 2:16
7. Jonas Vingegaard (Den) Jumbo-Visma at 2:22
8. Juan Ayuso (Spa) UAE Team Emirates at 2:25
9. Enric Mas (Spa) Movistar at 2:50
10. Aleksandr Vlasov (-) BORA-hansgrohe at 3:14.
Vuelta’23 stage 10:
Tour of Britain 2023
On Stage 2, Dutchman Olav Kooij became the first rider in four years to win back-to-back stages of the Tour of Britain as he took his second victory in as many days in Wrexham on Monday. Kooij was once again the beneficiary of a perfect Jumbo-Visma lead-out, although BORA-hansgrohe’s Danny van Poppel pipped Wout van Aert into second and deny the all-conquering team consecutive one-twos. Victory means Kooij emulates what Mathieu van der Poel did on the final two days of the 2019 race, and also retains the overall race lead going into stage three in East Riding of Yorkshire on Tuesday.
Ninety-five riders started the 109.9-kilometre clockwise loop from Chester Street in Wrexham under a blanket of 25°C heat, across the border into Cheshire and back to the start and finish line in Wrexham’s bustling city centre.
It didn’t take long for three riders to breakaway: Jacob Scott (Bolton Equities Black Spoke), Abram Stockman (TDT-Unibet), and Finn Crockett (Saint Piran) went clear after 3 kilometres, before Callum Ormiston (Global 6 Cycling) made a monumental effort to bridge the gap and join them at the 5 kilometre mark. The peloton kept the quartet on a short leas, with the gap between themselves and the riders ahead plateauing around 30 seconds for the majority of the stage. Crockett led the breakaway into the base of the first Pinarello king of the mountains climb at Eyton, upon which competition leader and Scott’s team-mate James Fouche tried to bridge the gap across to them. He timed his attack slightly too late, allowing Crockett to take maximum points.
Three kilometres later Stockman rolled through first at cottages.com sprint at Johnstown, but by now it was just him and Crockett clear. They were caught by the peloton with 12.6 kilometres remaining. Jumbo-Visma’s Edoardo Affini took control at the front of the race with 2 kilometres to go, setting a blistering pace with van Aert behind. The 2021 Tour of Britain champion then perfectly placed Kooij to launch his sprint with just 100 metres to the finish line. Victory means that Kooij also retained the lead in the cottages.com points and the Sportive Breaks best young rider classifications.
Stage winner and overall leader, Olav Kooij (Jumbo-Visma): “All the teams gave us the initiative on this short stage. We put Jos and Steven in the lead to take the lead group back. We knew that the last kilometre was going to be quite twisty. It was crucial to be at the front; fortunately, we managed that. Wout accelerated on a slightly uphill section just in time, so I only had to finish it off. Now, it’s a matter of resting well and preparing for the rest of the week. It’s always scary to see a crash at high speed. I hope those who crashed are all right.”
Tour of Britain Stage 2 Result:
1. Olav Kooij (Ned) Jumbo-Visma in 2:22:51
2. Danny van Poppel (Ned) BORA-hansgrohe
3. Wout van Aert (Bel) Jumbo-Visma
4. Sam Bennett (Irl) BORA-hansgrohe
5. Max Kanter (Ger) Movistar
6. Ethan Vernon (GB) Great Britain
7. Luke Lamperti (USA) Trinity
8. Stian Fredheim (Nor) Uno-X
9. Thomas Pidcock (GB) INEOS Grenadiers
10. Davide Bomboi (Bel) TDT-Unibet.
Tour of Britain Overall After Stage 2:
1. Olav Kooij (Ned) Jumbo-Visma in 6:13:53
2. Wout van Aert (Bel) Jumbo-Visma
3. Sam Bennett (Irl) BORA-hansgrohe
4. Max Kanter (Ger) Movistar
5. Danny van Poppel (Ned) BORA-hansgrohe
6. Ethan Vernon (GB) Great Britain
7. Stian Fredheim (Nor) Uno-X
8. Davide Bomboi (Bel) TDT-Unibet
9. Thomas Pidcock (GB) INEOS Grenadiers
10. Gonzalo Serrano (Spa) Movistar.
Britain’23 stage 2:
Olav Kooij became only the second rider in modern Tour of Britain history to claim three-consecutive stage victories after completing his hat-trick in Beverley, East Riding of Yorkshire, on Tuesday’s Stage 3.
Kooij was run closer than at any other point to date in the race, but he held off fast finishes from Danny van Poppel (BORA-hansgrohe) and Ethan Vernon (Great Britain) to win outside of the Yorkshire town’s racecourse. In doing so he matched Edvald Boasson Hagen’s feat from the 2009 race of winning a trio of stages in a row (the Norwegian went on to win four consecutively), albeit the Jumbo-Visma rider has made his own piece of history by the fact he has triumphed in every stage of the Tour in which he has competed to date. The stage kicked into life inside the final 40 kilometres, following a three-man attack by Saint Piran’s Alex Richardson, Harry Birchill and Jack Rootkin-Gray. The trio quickly bridged to the Harry Tanfield (TDT-Unibet) and Nico Sessler (Global 6 Cycling), the remainder of the day’s three-man breakaway, which forced Kooij’s Jumbo-Visma team into life.
Today’s stage, which started in Goole, was sponsored by trade kitchen experts Howdens and passed by their manufacturing site inside the opening 10 kilometres. By that time, the day’s three-man breakaway had formed. Instigated by Nicolas Sessler (Global 6 Cycling), he was quickly joined by Pinarello king of the mountains leader James Fouché (Bolton Equities Black Spoke) and TDT-Unibet’s Harry Tanfield. The three breakaway riders went into the base of the first categorised climb at Towthorpe Lane with 3 minutes on the chasing peloton. Fouché (Bolton Equities Black Spoke) took maximum points there, and over the top of the second hill at Langtoft, to further extend his lead in the mountains classification. As the riders entered the seaside town of Bridlington, the trio’s advantage was just 30 seconds, but they stayed clear long enough for Tanfield to roll through the cottages.com sprint at Skipsea first. Fouché decided his day was done at this point; he sat up and was the first to be caught by the peloton with 42 kilometres remaining.
But far from that being the start of a regulation final hour of racing, it was actually where the stage took on a whole new life. Saint Piran tried their hand with a pre-planned attack, which forced Jumbo-Visma into using the energy of Tour de France podium finisher Steven Kruijswijk and Jos van Emden to pull back. Saint Piran’s audacious, but ultimately unsuccessful, move seemed to get everyone’s tails up. INEOS Grenadiers sent Ben Turner and then Luke Rowe on the attack approximately 25 kilometres out from the finish. After those bids failed, Connor Swift made his move and was joined by eight riders, including reigning champion Gonzalo Serrano (Movistar), Rasmus Tiller (Uno-X), Nathan Van Hooydonck (Jumbo-Visma), Nils Politt (BORA-hansgrohe), and British duo Matthew Bostock and Jacob Scott (Bolton Equities Black Spoke)
German rider Politt, who narrowly missed out on winning in Mansfield during the 2018 race, split the breakaway alongside Bostock as the race passed through Long Riston. The pair held a 30 second gap until Jumbo-Visma, TRINITY Racing, and the Movistar team took up control at the head of the peloton and chased them back. Bostock’s resistance was last to be broken, but once he was reeled in with 6 kilometres remaining, the outcome of the stage seemed all but inevitable. Former Tour of Britain stage winner Edoardo Affini peeled off on the long drag up to Beverley Racecourse, before super domestique Wout van Aert placed Kooij in a perfect position with 300 metres to go. Kooij’s compatriot van Poppel at one point looked like he’d take the victory for the Netherlands, but couldn’t quite find the second burst to do so. Victory further extends Kooij’s lead in the cottages.com points classification, and he also continues to top the Sportive Breaks best young rider standings.
Stage winner and overall leader, Olav Kooij (Jumbo-Visma): “It was another great team performance. We have gained a lot of confidence from the first two days before. Today, we showed again that we can finish it off. That’s great. This was more of an uphill finish. Even though it seemed like we got to the front a little too early, thanks to the skills of riders like Edo and Wout, I was perfectly guided to the finish line.”
Tour of Britain Stage 3 Result:
1. Olav Kooij (Ned) Jumbo-Visma 3:25:58
2. Danny van Poppel (Ned) BORA-hansgrohe
3. Ethan Vernon (GB) Great Britain
4. Max Kanter (Ger) Movistar
5. Rasmus Tiller (Nor) Uno-X
6. Thomas Pidcock (GB) INEOS Grenadiers
7. Robert Donaldson (GB) Trinity
8. Casper van Uden (Ned) dsm-firmenich
9. Rory Townsend (Irl) Bolton Equities Black Spoke
10. Davide Bomboi (Bel) TDT-Unibet.
Tour of Britain Overall After Stage 3:
1. Olav Kooij (Ned) Jumbo-Visma in 9:39:51
2. Danny van Poppel (Ned) BORA-hansgrohe
3. Max Kanter (Ger) Movistar
4. Ethan Vernon (GB) Great Britain
5. Wout van Aert (Bel) Jumbo-Visma
6. Davide Bomboi (Bel) TDT-Unibet
7. Thomas Pidcock (GB) INEOS Grenadiers
8. Gonzalo Serrano (Spa) Movistar
9. Rasmus Tiller (Nor) Uno-X
10. Rory Townsend (Irl) Bolton Equities Black Spoke.
Britain’23 stage 3:
Olav Kooij equalled Edvald Boasson Hagen’s record of four-consecutive Tour of Britain stage victories after winning Stage 4 of the 2023 race in Newark-on-Trent, Nottinghamshire, on Wednesday.
The Dutchman once again benefited from a brilliant lead-out from his Jumbo-Visma team-mate Wout van Aert after the likes of TRINITY Racing, BORA-hansgrohe, and INEOS Grenadiers attempted to form their own trains approaching the historic town’s finish line. Casper van Uden (dsm-firmenich) placed second, with Ethan Vernon (Great Britain) continuing his consistent week by placing third. Unsurprisingly, Kooij continues to lead the race’s general classification and tops the standings in the cottages.com points and Sportive Breaks best young rider competitions. A bunch sprint was always on the cards after two TDT-Unibet Cycling Team riders, Brit Harry Tanfield and Belgian Abram Stockman, were caught 27.5 kilometres outside of Newark-on-Trent.
Stockman (TDT-Unibet) and Pinarello King of the Mountains leader James Fouche (Bolton Equities Black Spoke) attacked from the official start with Stockman’s teammate Harry Tanfield joining the duo 1 kilometre later. Tanfield and Fouche make this day number three in the break so far after spending most of stage one and three out the front together, and TDT-Unibet keeping up their appearances of being in a breakaway of every stage of this year’s Tour of Britain.
As expected Fouche took maximum points at the first classified climb on Kilton Hill. Shortly after Tanfield rolled through to victory at the cottages.com intermediate sprint in Broughton. Fouche extended his lead in the Pinarello King of the Mountains classification by being first at the summit of the second classified climb at Red Hill Lane. The Kiwi decided his race was over after collecting his points, sat up and retreated back to the peloton, leaving the duo of TDT-Unibet riders ahead with 80 kilometres left.
The duo kept the gap between themselves and the peloton at around 1 minute until the break was eventually caught at the 27km mark, when Dimitri Peyskens (Bingoal WB) and Steven Kruijswijk (Jumbo-Visma) attacked from the peloton to end the duo’s hopes. TRINITY and INEOS Grenadiers were the biggest antagonists of the bunch, pushing the pace in the peloton, but it was Jumbo-Visma once again who took control into the final right-hand corner with a perfectly drilled lead-out. Super domestique turned super lead out man Wout Van Aert led out his sprinter from 700 metres to go, the Belgian peeled away at 150 metres with his sprinter in perfect position to power to victory and make it four from four.
Stage winner and overall leader, Olav Kooij (Jumbo-Visma): “The hat trick was already extraordinary, but this is beyond all expectations. We were the favourites to win today. But that’s always easier said than done. We took control of the race today. We showed that we wanted to go for the fourth. The strength of the team makes the difference here. They put me in a position to sprint for the win four days in a row. It’s been an incredible week, and we’re gaining confidence. We will enjoy this win before we look at the opportunities that may come our way in the next few days.”
Wout van Aert (Jumbo-Visma): “It is also nice to sit back and enjoy the team’s performance. It is very nice to be successful all the time. That works well in building a bond. We are building it here, because we haven’t raced together that much yet. A few times together in Belgium at most. In a Grand Tour this can work out well, if Olav is our leader in the flat stages. He has the potential to become one of the best sprinters in the world. I actually think he might already be almost there. He has the speed and will get a much bigger engine in the coming years, given his young age.”
Tour of Britain Stage 4 Result:
1. Olav Kooij (Ned) Jumbo-Visma in 3:45:40
2. Casper van Uden (Ned) dsm-firmenich
3. Ethan Vernon (GB) Great Britain
4. Milan Fretin (Bel) Team Flanders-Baloise
5. Max Kanter (Ger) Movistar
6. Stian Fredheim (Nor) Uno-X
7. Davide Persico (Ita) Bingoal WB
8. Ben Turner (GB) INEOS Grenadiers
9. Sam Bennett (Irl) BORA-hansgrohe
10. Davide Bomboi (Bel) TDT-Unibet.
Tour of Britain Overall After Stage 4:
1. Olav Kooij (Ned) Jumbo-Visma in 13:25:31
2. Ethan Vernon (GB) Great Britain
3. Max Kanter (Ger) Movistar
4. Wout van Aert (Bel) Jumbo-Visma
5. Davide Bomboi (Bel) TDT-Unibet
6. Danny van Poppel (Ned) BORA-hansgrohe
7. Thomas Pidcock (GB) INEOS Grenadiers
8. Casper van Uden (Ned) dsm-firmenich
9. Gonzalo Serrano (Spa) Movistar
10. Rory Townsend (Irl) Bolton Equities Black Spoke.
Britain’23 stage 4:
Maryland Cycling Classic Presented by UnitedHealthcare 2023
Mattias Skjelmose won the second edition of the Maryland Cycling Classic solo. The Lidl-Trek leader was the big pre-race favourite to win the hilly race in the United States, and he lived up to it. In the final he rode away from an elite group. More than 2 minutes later, Neilson Powless (EF Education-EasyPost) came second and Hugo Houle (Israel-Premier Tech) third.
In Baltimore, the organisers of the Maryland Cycling Classic had planned a race of almost 200 kilometres. There were hardly any really long climbs on the course, but due to the ups and downs, there was almost 3,000 metres of climbing.
Halfway through the race the peloton was split and only 35 riders remained for the victory. On the local circuit there were only five riders left. Skjelmose, Powless, Houle, Lucas Hamilton and Toms Skujins. Lidl-Trek would play the team game in the final by first having Skujins attack. When the Latvian was brought back, Skjelmose saw his chance. The Lidl-Trek leader shot off and crossed the finish line over 2 minutes ahead of his competitors. Danish champion Skjelmose is the successor to the now retired Sep Vanmarcke on the honours list of the Maryland Cycling Classic, a UCI 1.Pro) event, who won the very first edition last year. It is an important race for Lidl-Trek, as it is sponsor Trek’s ‘home race’.
Race winner, Mattias Skjelmose (Lidl-Trek): “I was racing in my home country of Denmark just the other week and it was 23 degrees (celsius, 73 degrees F) and today it was almost 38 degrees, 100 degrees F). I think a lot of guys didn’t want to sprint. Everyone was expecting a race like last year where the break at the beginning went home, but it didn’t [happen]. A smaller group went, and we caught them back with some big attacks. Toms (Skujins) was really smart. He realised what EF was doing 31 miles (50 km) before they did it. We were in a perfect position when they set a really good tempo. In the end it was full gas. I think the course is really nice. I think the heat was also a big factor. The combination with the heat and the flat…made for a really nice race. If only one of them was there, it wouldn’t have really been a super hard race, but in combination it made for a perfect race. It wasn’t exactly the plan, but we wanted to win. We knew we could use the numbers; we’re one of the strongest teams here. Both me and Toms were feeling really good. In my opinion, we rode a perfect race. Of course, it’s really sad with Toms’ puncture, but we rode a really good race.”
2nd, Neilson Powless (EF Education-EasyPost): “I knew it was most likely going to be a race for second because everybody knows how good Mattias (Skjelmose) is so I tried to do everything I could to get the best result possible. This year I did the sprint much better. I won the sprint for second place…unfortunately it wasn’t for the win, but I think it was the best result I could have expected.”
Maryland Cycling Classic Presented by UnitedHealthcare Result:
1. Mattias Skjelmose (Den) Lidl-Trek in 4:26:05
2. Neilson Powless (USA) EF Education-EasyPost at 2:20
3. Hugo Houle (Can) Israel-Premier Tech
4. Lucas Hamilton (Aus) Jayco AlUla
5. Toms Skujiņš (Lat) Lidl-Trek at 2:56
6. Mikkel Frølich Honoré (Den) EF Education-EasyPost at 4:54
7. Scott McGill (USA) Human Powered Health at 4:56
8. Alexandre Balmer (Sui) Jayco AlUla at 5:00
9. Riley Sheehan (USA) Israel-Premier Tech at 5:04
10. Eder Frayre (Mex) L39ION of Los Angeles.
Maryland Classic’23:
Kooij Takes his 25th Pro Victory
Olav Kooij has taken his 25th professional victory at the age of 21. In history, only two riders reached this score at a younger age: Giuseppe Saronni and Eddy Merckx.
Kooij is currently 21 years and 323 days old. Merckx was only two days younger than the Dutchman when he took his 25th victory. Saronni was the youngest at only 20 twenty when he won for the 25th time, the Italian was only 20 years and 333 days old at the time.
In the list of young riders with 25 professional victories, Kooij is between Merckx and Remco Evenepoel. Evenepoel took 68 days longer than Kooij to achieve his 25th professional victory and had already become 22 years old.
In the interview after his 25th win, in the Tour of Britain, Kooij didn’t speak of his palmarès. The Dutchman did thank his teammates for another day of hard work on a more difficult day than the previous stages. “We miscalculated a bit in the final, but fortunately I was able to score a clean hat trick.”
“The finish was slightly uphill and then you need the legs. Fortunately, I had the confidence and as a team we showed that we are the favourites. We all stayed calm, it was a real team effort,” said the Dutchman.
Youngest Riders with 25 Victories:
20 years 333 days: Saronni
21 years 321 days: Merckx
21 years 323 days: Kooij
22 years 26 days: Evenepoel
22 years 108 days: Sagan
22 years 121 days: Boasson Hagen
22 years 123 days: Maertens
22 years 208 days: Thurau
22 years 265 days: Pogačar.
Pro win No.25 for Olav Kooij:
Tadej Pogačar to Race Three More Times this Season
Tadej Pogačar will be seen with a race number three more times this year. The Slovenian will race three Italian autumn races at the end of September and the beginning of October. The UAE Team Emirates rider will end his race season after Il Lombardia.
Pogačar was last seen in action less than a month ago at the World championships in Glasgow, Scotland. The double Tour managed to sprint to the bronze medal, behind Mathieu van der Poel. In the Worlds time trial, Pogačar finished in 21st place.
The 24 year-old decided to rest after the Worlds, but he still has the end of season races. Pogačar will compete three more times in Italy: the Giro dell’Emilia (September 30), Tre Valli Varesine (October 3) and Il Lombardia (October 7). Pogačar announced his race schedule to the Italian sports newspaper La Gazzetta dello Sport.
Pogačar also rode the same schedule in 2022. In the Giro dell’Emilia he was second to Enric Mas, but he won the Tre Valli Varesine and Il Lombardia. The Slovenian is training in the hope of winning ‘The Race of the Falling Leaves’ for a third time.
Pogačar’s race programme:
30-09 Giro dell’Emilia
03-10 Tre Valli Varesine
07-10 Il Lombardia.
Third Lombardia win for Pogačar?
Promising Spanish All-Rounder Signs with Arkéa-Samsic
Raúl García Pierna will not race for the Kern Pharma team next year as he has signed for Arkéa-Samsic. The 22 year-old Spaniard was on Movistar’s radar last year, but opted for the French team. García Pierna is a promising all-rounder and was the Spanish elite time trial champion in 2022.
Raúl García Pierna was linked to Movistar last year as part of an exchange deal, but is going to Arkéa-B&B Hotels next year. The young Spaniard is obviously a good time trialist, but is also a good climber and hopes to develop his climbing in the future. He was also 4th this year at the World U23 time trial championships, but also finished 6th in the Vuelta a Castilla y Leon and 12th in the Tour of Burgos.
“I am very happy to join Arkéa-Samsic in 2024. This is a big step forward, to be part of a WorldTour team. This gives me the opportunity to continue to grow sportingly and compete in new competitions. I think we can achieve good results. I know I will learn a lot next year. I am a rider with a preference for time trial and stage races. I think I also have the necessary climbing qualities, but I still need to refine this further.”
“Raúl García Pierna is a young rider who we have been following for a while,” explains team manager Emmanuel Hubert. “He has developed excellently in recent years, with promising performances. Raúl has already proven himself as a time trialist and can also perform very well in the shorter laps. He is a talented rider, but we still have to improve him so that he can and will perform even better.”
Raúl García Pierna to Arkéa:
Simone Velasco Extends with Astana Qazaqstan Team
The Italian road race champion Simone Velasco (27) will stay with Astana Qazaqstan Team. The new agreement has been signed for the next two seasons (2024 and 2025).
“Coming in Astana, immediately I found here a great family atmosphere and my own place. I feel really good in this team. Astana Qazaqstan provided me a chance to make my step into the WorldTour, to ride the biggest races as the Giro d’Italia and the Tour de France. I improved a lot as an athlete, as a rider and now I can look forward, aiming something bigger and more ambitious. This season one of my dreams came true – I won the “maglia tricolore” and this victory means a lot to me. I am ready to keep on working hard to become better and better, together with the team achieving new big results. I know, everything is possible”, said Simone Velasco.
Simone Velasco moved to Astana Qazaqstan Team in 2022, when he took a third place in a stage of the Tirreno-Adriatico, was fourth in a stage of the Volta Ciclista a Catalunya, 7th in the Coppa Sabatini and finished 30th in the General Classification in his debut Tour de France.
During the current season Velasco reached his biggest success so far, winning the road race title in the Italian National Championships. Besides, Simone won a stage in the Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana, finished third in the Circuit de Getxo, became fifth in the overall classification of the Vuelta a Castilla y Leon and finished 26th in the General Classification of his first Giro d’Italia.
“Simone shows an impressive progress throughout these two seasons with Astana Qazaqstan Team, and we are happy to continue our adventure together. Simone is strong, motivated and very ambitious rider who can act as a leader in one-day or short stage races, but also can be a solid helper for his teammates. In the next two years we are going to set some new important goals and I believe together we can achieve it”, said Alexandr Vinokurov.
Simone Velasco to stay with Astana Qazaqstan:
Two Extend Contracts with Lidl-Trek
Lidl-Trek is strengthening its selection for the coming season, but the American team is also retaining existing riders. Julien Bernard and Jacopo Mosca will race for manager Luca Guercilena’s team in 2024 and 2025.
The 31-year-old Bernard has been riding for the American team since 2016 and is a valued helper for the leaders in the team. The Frenchman, son of former professional cyclist Jean-François Bernard, third in the Tour de France in 1987, has so far had one professional victory in his career. In 2020 he won the final stage of the Tour des Alpes Maritimes et du Var.
His teammate Mosca, who is one year younger, has three professional victories to his name, with the overall victory in the Tour of Hainan, with a stage victory and a stage victory in the Tour of China I. The Italian has been competing for Lidl-Trek since August 2019 and is also an important domestique.
“Julien and Jacopo are both incredibly loyal and selfless teammates who have given so much to the team over the years. They can cycle fast, but also have the right mentality. I am very happy that we can start a new chapter together,” Guercilena said in a press release.
The team has signed Tao Geoghegan Hart, Jonathan Milan, Simone Consonni, Andrea Bagioli, Fabio Felline, Ryan Gibbons, Patrick Konrad and Carlos Verona.
Jacopo Mosca to stay with Lidl-Trek:
Mathys Rondel Signs Long-Term Agreement
Mathys Rondel has signed a long-term agreement with Tudor Pro Cycling a few days before turning 20. The Frenchman, who just finished sixth in this year’s Tour de l’Avenir, and second at Tour d’Alsace, will stay with the organisation at least until 2027. The agreement includes an eventual promotion to the Pro Team.
Revealed at the Ronde de l’Isard 2022 where he finished 7th and won the points classification in his first year U23, Rondel joined Tudor Pro Cycling last January with great ambitions despite limited experience. In fact, Rondel started cycling in 2021 – as a junior – after transferring from speed and roller skating where he was part of the French National Team.
Diego Pablo Sevilla Will Continue to Wear EOLO KOMETA Jersey
Announcing the renewal of Diego Pablo Sevilla is like certifying that a “home-grown” rider will remain at home. The cyclist who has been with the Contador Foundation for the longest time, who has ridden for all the development teams and who made his debut this year in the Giro d’Italia, has extended his contract with EOLO KOMETA until the end of 2024.
The years go by but there are fundamental pieces that continue to form the backbone of the projects. With humility, sacrifice, working for the interests of the team and also with his opportunities to shine, Diego Pablo Sevilla is building a professional career that places him, beyond his sporting merits, as a highly valued and loved cyclist in the team. “It is not unexpected to continue in EOLO KOMETA, because I have worked for it and I was confident that I could continue wearing these colours, but nothing is ever certain. When the news is confirmed, it is always exciting to be able to say to all the people who are watching and wish you all the best”.
Diego has been involved in the project from the very beginning of the Contador Foundation: “I think that together with Fran Contador I’ve been here the longest. That means I’ve seen the teams grow, move forward with them… Together with cyclists like Fernando Tercero or Álex Martín, we are the proof that the project works, and even if you are not a super winner you can become a professional and have your chance”.
Every year, one step further. And every time he climbs, he does it to ensure that progress with his calm manner and his always smiling face. That’s how he also faced his debut in the Giro d’Italia, although with a bit more nerves, dedicated as always to the interests of the team: “It has always been clear to me that I had to find my place, since I came up to the pros they told me that and although at some point I would have had a chance to look for my options, it wasn’t difficult to me to sacrifice them even in a race like the Giro d’Italia. You have to be valuable in something and I have made myself valuable as a team man, who works, is obedient and knows what he has to do at all times”.
The new challenges that lie ahead for EOLO KOMETA will therefore continue to be led by Diego Pablo Sevilla. An honour for both parties and a story that continues to write chapters. This year he was part of the victories of Rivi in Poitou-Charentes or Fortu in Vuelta a Asturias, which he admits he enjoyed “especially. With so much work pulling the peloton, controlling it, and winning the stage and the overall, that’s when you’re really satisfied”. Ahead, a new season with many more opportunities to show his worth.
And someone who knows him well is Jesús Hernández, his sport director and guide in the best but also in difficult moments: “Diego, beyond the results, is a great domestique. He is capable of renouncing his own personal glory for the benefit of his team-mates. That is his greatest value and for us, he is a fundamental piece. He is the Contador Foundation’s flagship”. Not in vain, he has seen the project grow and has grown with it. Jesús Hernández also highlights Diego’s values: “He is an example of the philosophy and way of working of the Foundation in its training teams, which goes back to his time in the junior category. Generosity, chivalry, effort, sacrifice, making the most of his qualities and never saying no when it comes to his work”.
Soudal Quick-Step Returns to Canada
Julian Alaphilippe headlines our seven-man squad for the only World Tour races held in North America.
The peloton travels again to North America, for the continent’s only World Tour events. The first of these, scheduled on Friday, is the Grand Prix Cycliste de Québec, which will see the peloton cover 16 laps of a 12.6km circuit that includes four demanding climbs: Côte de la Montagne (375m, 10%), Côte de la Potasse (420m, 9%), Montée de la Fabrique (190m, 7%) and Montée du Fort (1000m, 4%).
Then, Sunday afternoon, the bunch will take on the Grand Prix Cycliste de Montreal (221.4 kilometres), another race run on a local circuit, this time 12.3 kilometres in length, similar to the one used at the World Championships won by Eddy Merckx almost five decades ago. Côte Camillien-Houde (1800m, 8%), Côte de Polytechnique (780m, 6%) and Avenue du Parc (560m, 4%) will be the day’s three difficulties, which should fragment the peloton and advantage the attackers, especially in the closing laps.
Double World Champion Julian Alaphilippe will compete in the two Canadian events for the first time in 2019, part of a strong Soudal Quick-Step team that will have more than one card to play. Joining him in Quebec and Montreal will be Dries Devenyns, Fausto Masnada, Mauro Schmid, Jannik Steimle, Ilan Van Wilder – who just a couple of weeks ago won a stage and the overall classification at the Deutschland Tour – and Mauri Vansevenant.
“We are bringing a strong and motivated team to the start this weekend. These two races are beautiful but never easy, it’s up and down, left and right all the time, but we come to the start very confident in our chances of being up there when it will matter. The squad we have can control the race and get involved in the fight for a good result with several riders, so we’re looking forward to Friday and Sunday”, explained sports director Davide Bramati.
08.09 Grand Prix Cycliste de Québec (CAN) 1.UWT
Riders:
Julian Alaphilippe (FRA)
Dries Devenyns (BEL)
Fausto Masnada (ITA)
Mauro Schmid (SUI)
Jannik Steimle (GER)
Ilan Van Wilder (BEL)
Mauri Vansevenant (BEL).
Sports Director: Davide Bramati (ITA).
Julian Alaphilippe to Quénec:
Grand Prix Cycliste de Québec & Montréal (September 8 & 10)
Greg Van Avermaet has been on the podiums of the Grand Prix Cycliste de Québec et Montréal nine times, which is a record. The Belgian from the AG2R CITROËN TEAM won the Grand Prix Cycliste de Montréal in 2016 and 2019. He also finished third in 2018. Van Avermaet also finished second in the 2012, 2016, 2017, 2018 and third in the 2013 and 2019 Grand Prix de Québec. This year, he will participate for the tenth and last time in his career in both events.
Benoît Cosnefroy: “I am super excited to return to the Grand Prix Cycliste de Québec et Montréal. My victory last year in Quebec remains one of the most beautiful moments of my career. I want to do the double this year! This time of year has always been when I seem to score some great results. Somehow I feel like I can fully express myself. After my second place in the Tour du Limousin (August 15-18), I spent a few days in the Basque Country where I took advantage of the steep climbs to work on my explosiveness and the repetition of efforts. Returning to race at the Bretagne Classic on Sunday confirmed that I was in tune. The level will once again be super high at these two Canadian races, but we will have a very strong team to join in the fight, in particular with Ben O’Connor and Greg Van Avermaet, who has already won twice in Montreal.”
Ben O’Connor returns to racing
Ben O’Connor will race at his first event since Donostia San Sebastian Klasikoa (July 29). The AG2R CITROËN TEAM rider will compete in the Grand Prix Cycliste de Québec et Montréal for the third time in his career. “I am really happy to participate in these two Canadian races. They are among the most beautiful races of the season,” he explained. “There will be a very good line-up again this year and we will arrive with a lot of ambition. Personally, too, I have a lot of ambition for the last part of the season. I worked hard in training so that I could perform well. We will have a very strong team capable of shining on all fronts. If the Grand Prix Cycliste de Québec corresponds very well to Benoît Cosnefroy’s qualities, I think that the Grand Prix Cycliste de Montréal is cut pretty well towards my strengths. I cannot wait to be there.”
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