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Bicycle Racing News and Opinion,
Thursday, January 6, 2022

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2021 Tour de France | 2021 Giro d'Italia

History is a set of lies agreed upon. - Napoleon Bonaparte

Les Woodland's book Cycling's World Championships: The Inside Story is available as an audiobook here. For the print and Kindle eBook versions, just click on the Amazon link on the right.

Upcoming racing:

• Jan 22, 2022: Flandriencross
• Jan 26 - 29, 2022: Challenge Illes Balears
• Jan 30 - Feb 6, 2022: Vuelta a San Juan Cancelled
• Jan 31: GP Cycliste la Marseillaise
• Feb 1 -5: Saudi Tour
• Feb 2 - 6: Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana
• Feb 2 - 6: Etoile de Bessèges
• Feb 12, 2022: Gavere Cyclocross
  

Latest completed racing:

• Jan 1, 2022: GP Sven Nys Cross
• Dec 30: Azencross
• Dec 29: Diegemcross Cancelled
• Dec 27: Heusden Zolder Cyclocross
• Dec 19: Namur Cyclocross
• Dec 11: Ethiascross-Essen
• Dec 5: Scheldecross Antwerp - Cancelled because of Covid-19
• Nov 13: GP Leuven

Van Aert’s Jumbo-Visma team sent me this update:

Wout van Aert has shown his class once again, this time in Herentals. The Belgian champion started the cross in his hometown well and never relinquished his leading position. For the rider of Team Jumbo-Visma, it resulted in his eighth victory of the cross season. Afterwards, Van Aert announced that he would not be competing in the World Championships in Fayetteville, USA, due to his road goals for next spring.

Wout van Aert wins in Herentals.

Van Aert showed that even after the bad luck in Hulst on Sunday, his morale was good. He increased his lead with every lap and won his eighth cyclocross race in nine races. By doing so, Van Aert showed he is in good shape ahead of Sunday’s Belgian championship in Middelkerke.

Shortly after the race, Van Aert gave a clear look at his race. "The tactic for today was pretty clear. In the first lap, the competition fought for the bonification seconds linked to the classification. Then I decided to increase the pace. I structured my race so that I could go full speed on the ski hill. I’m glad that tactic worked out well. I made a few mistakes along the way, so there is still room for improvement. At those moments in the race, I blame myself. It’s nice that I can finally celebrate the win in front of my family in my hometown."

Afterwards, Van Aert announced that the cyclocross World Championships will not be part of his programme this season. "In consultation with the team, I decided not to ride the World Championships in Fayetteville. This was the intention from the beginning, but we have now made the decision. It creates essential preparation time for my goals on the road in the classic spring. That is what I will focus on after next Sunday", Van Aert explained.

We posted the first part of this retrospective yesterday.

On the eve of a new season, CEO Jean-François Bourlart flashes back to the roads taken in the team’s first season in the World Tour (part 2).

JULY – NEW DYNAMICS
Early in the summer, the team is affected by the accident of Maurits Lammertink, who was hit by a scooter during a walk with his family. The team’s fourth participation to the Tour de France is marred by crashes in the first week, which lead to the abandon of Loïc Vliegen and injuries to Zimmermann and Rota. But the team continued to move forward: Louis Meintjes finished fourteenth in the general classification, the six riders reaching Paris all obtained a top ten, among which a prestigious sixth place for Danny van Poppel in the sprint on the Champs-Elysées.

The after-Tour de France saw the birth of an upward spiral. Zimmermann, another revelation, carried on after his first Tour and delivered the third victory of the season in the Tour de l’Ain, a success which was coupled to the defense of the yellow leader’s jersey the next day. On the same day, Lorenzo Rota finished fourth in the Clasica San Sebastian despite a crash in the final kilometers. Early August, the overall victory in the Arctic Race of Norway slipped out of Odd Eiking’s hands for only two seconds. Meanwhile, Taaramäe finished third in the Sazka Tour.

George Zimmermann wins the second stage of the 2021 Tour de l'Ain

“We started the Tour with GC ambitions for Louis Meintjes and targets in the sprints with Danny van Poppel. Louis obtained his best Grand Tour result in four years, recovering his best level defending our colors. This was made possible thanks to an fitting racing calendar and total trust in our leader. Even though we had a difficult first week at the Tour, we haven’t morphed into passivity during the rest of the race. In fact, we grew progressively day by day and delivered nice performances during the third week. This was a testament of the character running through the core of this team. Also, it was the first Tour de France for our sponsor Intermarché, with who we maintain a warm connexion.”- Jean-François Bourlart (CEO)

AUGUST – THE RED DREAM
Mid-August, Eritrean rider Biniam Girmay Hailu made a sparkling debut for IWG in the Tour de Pologne, just like his teammates who continued to distinguish themselves with their offensive attitude. It is in that manner that Rein Taaramäe earned a fabulous win in the Vuelta a España, on the third stage towards Picon Blanco. Just like in the Giro, the stage win took place in the team’s first participation to the event. Cherry on the cake, the Estonian rider also became leader in the general and mountains classification, a position he kept for two days until a crash diverted him from the red jersey.

After stage 10, Odd Eiking regained the precious leader’s jersey of the Vuelta, allowing the red dream to continue. It lasted for seven more days, during which Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert Matériaux’ line up was praised for its ability to defend a position they have never been in on a Grand Tour. Reaching Santiago de Compostela, Eiking ended in eleventh place in the final GC. Never a rider of the team had done better in a three week event. The only negative note blemishing this incredible Vuelta was the unfortunate crash and abandon of Louis Meintjes two days before the end, as he was sitting in tenth position in the provisional classification.

“A stage victory and nine days with the leader’s jersey on our shoulders in our first Vuelta, that’s exceptional. Moreover, I remember the way we defended this position. This Tour of Spain is our reference race of 2021. The glances changed during the event, this new responsibility made us grow as a team. The eleventh place of Odd Christian Eiking in GC was unexpected, it was a very nice result even though it is just outside the top 10. We can be proud of this phenomenal collective performance.” - Jean-François Bourlart (CEO)

SEPTEMBER – OCTOBER : THE APOTHEOSIS
Inspired by his teammates in the Vuelta, Danny van Poppel added another win in the Egmont Cycling Race the day after Taaramäe’s victory. Early September, Taco van der Hoorn won in the Benelux Tour, again after a long day in the front, and Biniam Girmay took his first European victory in the Classic Grand Besançon. The podium appearances kept on coming, Aimé De Gendt joined Remco Evenepoel on the podium of the Brussels Cycling Classic and the Druivenkoers Overijse while van der Hoorn was the only rider able to compete with Mathieu van der Poel in the Antwerp Port Epic.

Taco van der Hoorn wins stage three of the Benelux Tour

At the end of September, the team was represented by the most important contingent in its history at the World Championships in Leuven. For the first time, it had an African rider at the start: Biniam Girmay of Eritrea competed in the U23 race. Thanks to a mind-blowing sprint, the 21 year old earned the silver medal and wrote history by becoming the first Black African on the podium. This medal was also the first one for Eritrea and for Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert Matériaux.

An exemplary team performance in the Omloop van het Houtland resulted in a victory for Taco van der Hoorn, once more after a long breakaway, ahead of his teammate Danny van Poppel, who continued impressing with his consistency in the end of the season classics. On October 5th, the Dutch sprinter offered the best farewell present to Ludwig De Winter with a victory in Binche-Chimay-Binche, the team’s home soil. Lorenzo Rota showed his aggressive racing style in the Italian classics, collecting five top ten finishes. Pasqualon, who grabbed the first podium of the season, also earned the last with a second place in the Ronde van Drenthe, the final race of the season.

“The medal of Biniam Girmay resonated as the birth of a continental hero. His performance in Leuven was the confirmation of his big talent. As far as the the victory of Danny in Binche is concerned, it was the apotheosis of 2021, an insane victory on our home soil. What we achieved during our first year in the World Tour, each of the nine victories and the numerous podiums, were the fruit of the work of all riders, staff and unwavering confidence from our partners. Of course, you can always to do better, for example in the classics or the Tour de France. With a strengthened line up, staff and family of partners, we will start 2022 with renewed ambitions.” - Jean-François Bourlart (CEO)

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