Bicycle Racing News and Opinion,
Thursday, August 15, 2019
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2018 Tour de France | 2018 Giro d'Italia
Your mind is like a parachute: If it isn't open, it doesn't work. - Buzz Aldrin
Current racing:
- August 12 - 18: BinckBank Tour
- August 12 - 18: Tour of Utah
- August 13 - 17: Vuelta a Burgos
- Aug 15 - 18: Arctic Race of Norway
Latest completed racing:
- July 31 - August 11: Volta a Portugal
- August 3 - 9: Tour de Pologne
- August 4: Prudential RideLondon-Surrey Classic
- August 3: Clasica San Sebastian
- July 27 - 31: Tour de Wallonie
- July 31: Circuito de Getxo
- July 6 - 28: Tour de France
Binckbank Tour stage three reports
We posted stage-three winner Sam Bennett's Bora-hansgorhe team report with the results
Here's the report from Dylan Groenewegen's Jumbo-Visma team:
Dylan Groenewegen has finished second in the third stage of the BinckBank Tour. In Aalter, the fast Dutchman was narrowly beaten by Irishman Sam Bennett, who achieved his third consecutive stage win.
Sam Bennet (right) just beats Dylan Gorenewegen. Sirotti photo
Just like the previous days, Team Jumbo-Visma took the initiative and controlled the race. Breakaway groups were given little space and were quickly taken back. In the difficult and twisty last ten kilometres, Groenewegen was well-positioned in the front by his team and was brought in an ideal position for the sprint. Groenewegen started the sprint first, but Bennett pipped him on the line by just a few millimetres.
“This is very disappointing”, Jan Boven said. “Everything went really well. After the disappointment of the past two days, the boys picked themselves up and shifted the focus to today. We were doing well all day in the race. Timo, Jos and Paul safely brought Mike and Dylan to the last corner and were in a good position. The fact that we get beaten by Bennett on the line is a pity.”
Tomorrow it will be a day for the GC riders with a short Ardennes stage in Houffalize. “I expect the race to explode from the start. It is a stage of barely hundred kilometres with more than 1600 altitude metres.”
Boven is counting on Laurens De Plus in Wallonie. “He has ridden very attentively for the past three days and he is feeling okay.”
Jasper Philipsen's UAE-Team Emirates sent me this report:
Jasper Philipsen was one of the main protagonists for the third consecutive day in the Binckbank Tour mass sprint.
The sprinter from UAE Team Emirates came home in 3rd place at the finish to stage 3 (166.9 kilometers with start and finish in Aalter), behind the winner Sam Bennett (Bora-hansgrohe, his third consecutive win) and Dylan Groenewegen (Jumbo-Visma).
The UAE Team Emirates squad worked hard to deliver Philipsen the perfect lead out into the last corner of the race with 500 meters to go.
The Belgian stepped on the gas as he came out of the corner in the lead but was overhauled by Bennett and Groenewegen.
Thanks to the time bonuses, Philipsen rose to 2nd place overall, 20 ” down on Bennett.
Philipsen: “Ferrari did a perfect job by ensuring I was in just the right place coming into the final bend. I was considering starting the sprint when I heard the crash behind but decided to wait it out a little bit longer .The headwind was pretty strong and made it hard to hold off Groenewegen, who started on my wheel, and then Bennett was able to come around too “.
The fourth stage, Houffalize – Houffalize, is just 96.2 km, and will take in three laps of a circuit including the Cote de Saint Roche (1.1 km at 11.5% average).
Team Sunweb signs Tiesj Benoot
The team sent me this release:
Team Sunweb are delighted to announce the signing of Tiesj Benoot, with the Belgian joining the team until the end of 2021. A world class rider, Benoot burst onto the scene in his neo-pro year in the WorldTour with an excellent fifth place at the Ronde van Vlaanderen. Since then Benoot has continued his development into a strong classics rider with his biggest success the win at an epic edition of Strade Bianche in 2018. In addition to his strength in the classics, Benoot has also proved himself on a multitude of terrains taking fourth at the 2018 Tirreno Adriatico, fourth at the recent Tour de Suisse and undertaking a strong Tour de France campaign which saw three top 10 finishes, including an impressive and hard fought second place.
Tiesj Benoot racing in the 2019 Strade Bianche. Sirotti photo
Benoot said: “I was looking for a team with a professional and scientific approach where I can make the next steps forward in my career; that’s why I chose Team Sunweb. I’m looking forward to joining a strong group of classics riders at the team, where I believe we can achieve some great results in the coming years. My biggest goal is to further grow and develop as a rider in general and turn that into results with the team.”
Team Sunweb coach Marc Reef added: “We are very happy that Tiesj is joining our team and we can continue his journey to become the best rider possible. Tiesj is someone we have been following for quite a while and there was already contact with him in the past. From the moment he turned professional he showed that he is one of the riders that was always there in the finals of the tough Flemish classics, and was already close to winning one early in his career. He has also showed his versatility in stage races like Tirreno Adriatico, Critérium du Dauphiné and the Tour de Suisse; proving how strong a rider he is. As well as adding firepower to our classics squad alongside guys like Michael [Matthews] and Søren [Kragh Andersen], we’ll also look to achieve more top results in the difficult stage races, using his diverse strength as a rider.”
Andrey Zeits joins Mitchelton-Scott
Here's the release the team sent me:
18-time Grand Tour finisher Andrey Zeits will join Mitchelton-SCOTT for the next two seasons, bolstering its depth and experience across the three-week races.
Zeits joins the team from Astana Pro Team, to date his only professional team, having ridden in support of the likes of Alberto Contador, Vincenzo Nibali and Mikel Landa. From 2020, the 32-year-old will join the Australian outfit which currently boasts three leaders in Simon and Adam Yates and Esteban Chaves.
Matt White – Head Sport Director:
“Andrey is a no frills, hard worker. He has done 18 Grand Tours in 12 years with Astana, and he has been a big part of the success they have had during that time.
“He comes with a wealth of experience on a team that knows how to win stage races and he will be a very valuable asset to us as we continue to build our depth in Grand Tours and WorldTour stage races.”
Andrey Zeits:
“I have spent 12 years in Astana from the first year I became a professional and have worked with a lot of great Grand Tour riders, including Contador, Nibali, Aru, Landa and Lopez.
“My speciality is Grand Tours. I have done 18 of them now and managed to finish them all. My body feels good for three weeks and I will be glad to share my knowledge and qualities with the team to achieve high places in general classification for my leaders.
“When I received an offer from Mitchelton-SCOTT, I thought seriously, why not? I have known about the existence of the team for a long time and for me personally this is an experience I haven’t seen yet. It will be all new to me.”
Andrey Zeits
Date of birth: 14th December 1986 (32)
Nationality: Kazakhstan
Turned Pro: 2008
Joins Mitchelton-SCOTT: 2020-2021
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