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Bicycle Racing News and Opinion,
Friday, October 14, 2016

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We can be knowledgeable with other men's knowledge, but we cannot be wise with other men's wisdom. – Michel de Montaigne

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Lotto-Soudal's Elite Mens World Championship Road Race preview

Tour of Flanders, the Inside Story

The World Championships in Qatar are being held this week, three more days to go and then it’s up to the elite men to battle for the rainbow jersey in the road race. Four Lotto Soudal riders will defend their national interests on Sunday.

Jens Debusschere and Jürgen Roelandts are part of the Belgian selection of nine riders. Lars Bak is lined-up for Denmark, while André Greipel is the leader of the German team. All four of them got the same two questions: When will you be satisfied after the race? Why are you looking forward to the Worlds?

Jens Debusschere

1. The Worlds will be successful for me if I ride a good race. That can be in support of the team or for a more personal goal if the circumstances require that. I just hope I can play a role in the finale, any role, and that I can show something. When I achieve that, I will be satisfied about my first participation in the World Championships.

2. This will be a special race anyway, because it’s the first time I go to the Worlds for Belgium. It’s a course that suits me, because of the possibility of echelons. The heat on the other hand is something I’m less looking forward to.

Jürgen Roelandts

1. I will be satisfied if I can ride the finale. Hopefully there will be enough wind in the desert. I hope several countries will want to make the race hard by creating echelons, but I expect they will look at the Belgians. That doesn’t need to be a disadvantage though. The Netherlands could maybe be an ally.

2. It’s always nice to be selected for the Worlds. This is a course on which I can use my skills, so it feels good to be part of the team. The Belgian line-up is strong and we can handle a race with echelons and that’s an extra motivation.

Lars Bak

1. I will try to join a breakaway on Sunday. When you ride in the front group in the finale a miracle can always happen. I might jump away in the last kilometres if I’m in the break. Although that will be difficult. Otherwise, when it comes down to a bunch sprint, I will do my job for Michael Mørkøv and Magnus Cort Nielsen. Then I will be happy if I am able to help them.

2. It’s always an honour to represent your country. Of course it’s strange to compete against riders who are your teammates all year long, but it’s fun to finish the season with the Worlds. When you are selected for the national team it means that you’re a valued rider. This selection makes me proud. I am looking forward to a nice race.

Lars Bak

Lars Bak

André Greipel

1. It’s not like any normal race, it’s always unpredictable. I did everything that was in my power to be well prepared. I travelled early to Qatar to get used to the conditions. I would really be satisfied if I could achieve a podium place, together with the German team.

2. The World Championship is the most special bike race of the year. The sprinters don’t often get the opportunity to become world champion. This year we have a chance and that’s why it is a goal for me. I really wanted to be here.

Impey to stay at ORICA-BikeExchange for next three years

The team sent me this news

ORICA-BikeExchange has secured core team member, and the first South African to wear the yellow jersey at the Tour de France, Daryl Impey for the next three seasons.

Impey, who has been a regular feature in many of the Australian outfit’s biggest victories across one-day Classics, week-long Tours and Grand Tours, joins Esteban Chaves as riders locked in through to 2019.

The 31-year-old is considered to be one of the team’s most important contributors, and is feels suitably at home within the fold. “This team is where my career took off and I feel really at home with everything here,” Impey said. “It’s been a fantastic run these last five seasons and I’m happy to continue to be part of it. To me, there is a unique feeling on this team and that’s what makes the difference.

Daryl Impey

Daryl Impey

“I’m looking forward to expanding my role a little bit and it feels good to be part of the team that helps out in the hillier races too. I feel very motivated going into these next years and to help achieve new goals for the team.”

Crediting his versatility and contribution to team culture, sport director Matt White reiterated the importance of Impey to the ORICA-BikeExchange team. “Daryl is a very important backbone of this team,” White said. “He has been part of our biggest victories and is a key rider across all types of terrain. There aren’t a lot of riders in the peloton who are as versatile as him. He can do lead-outs in the sprints and this year we saw him finish second on a mountain stage in the Tour.

“His personality really gives a lot to the team and our values and he is a real leader both on and off the bike. We’re really proud to continue with Daryl and we are confident of seeing him evolve even more into one of our real leaders and also to take chances when presented to win for himself.”

Daryl Impey
Age: 31
From: Johannesburg, South Africa
Turned Professional:  2008

ORICA-GreenEDGE major results:

-       1st 2014 National Championship South Africa – Time Trial
-       1st 2014 Tour of Alberta – General Classification
-       1st 2014 Tour of Alberta – Stage 5
-       1st 2013 National Championships South Africa – Time Trial
-       1st 2013 Tour de France – Stage 4 (TTT) plus two days in the
yellow jersey
-       1st 2013 Vuelta Ciclista al Pais Vasco – Stage 2

Lampre-Merida headed to Abu Dhabi

This note came to me from the team:

LAMPRE-MERIDA too will participate in the second edition of the Abu Dhabi Tour, which is scheduled from 20 to 23 October.

Under the supervision of the sports directors Scirea and Mauduit, in the United Arab Emirates will ride Chun Kai Feng, Marko Kump, Sacha Modolo, Jan Polanc, Diego Ulissi and the trainee Edward Ravasi.

Chun Kai Feng

Chun Kai Feng

In the operative staff there will be the physician Dr Beltemacchi, the mechanic Bacchion and Romanò and the masseurs Napolitano and Redaelli.

In the race program there will be four stages: three will be suitable for the sprinters (the 1st-Adnoc Stage; the 2nd-Nation Tower Stage and the 4th-Yas Island Stage) and one with summit arrival (the 3rd-Strata Stage), for a total of 555 km.

Thanks to the cooperation between the organizers of the race (RCS Sport) and Velon (company among whose members there's also LAMPRE-MERIDA), the media offer for the fans will be very rich and it will include live transmission of data concerning the performances of the key riders, live images from the bikes and video shooting from GoPro cameras, in addition to a deep involvement of the cyclists on their social media profiles.

Specialized recalls high end road race bike

I spotted this in Bike-Eu.com:

MORGAN HILL, USA – Specialized issued a voluntary recall in the US after it received seven reports of fractures in the bicycle’s rear triangle after the rear wheel came out of the dropout.

This recall involves 2016 Specialized S-Works Venge Vias and Venge Pro Vias road bicycles. About 1,000 units were sold in black, white, red and black, white and black and green and blue color combinations.

You can read the entire Bike-Eu.com story here.

Here's the recall notification posted by the Consumer Product Safety Commission.

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