Category: Cycling

Van Aert ‘happy to be back training outside’ just four weeks after horror crash

April 23, 2024

Wout van Aert is back on his bike – only four weeks after a horror crash in which he broke a collarbone.

Van Aert had to go under the knife for an operation after the crash, which also left him with a broken sternum, several broken ribs and damaged a lung.

The Belgian is still expected to compete at the 2024 Olympics in Paris this summer, having already missed the Paris-Roubaix earlier this month.

No date has been pencilled in for his return yet, but the video on X, formerly Twitter, shows van Aert back out cycling on the road, and he jokingly quips: “If you want to have a tasty ice cream, you need to turn right here.”

‘Almost impossible to do properly’ – Kopecky to skip TDF, will focus on Olympics

April 23, 2024

World champion Lotte Kopecky will not be racing at the 2024 Tour de France Femmes, her team SD Worx has confirmed.

Instead, the Belgian superstar will put all her focus towards the 2024 Paris Olympic Games.

Ever since the schedule for 2024 was announced, it always seemed that the top cyclists were going to have to make a choice, with the Olympics finishing just a day before the Grand Depart of the Tour.

And speaking to Belgian outlet Sporza, SD Worx team manager Danny Stam said that the Tour just isn’t going to be possible for Kopecky.

“The omnium ends on Sunday afternoon, the Tour starts on Monday morning. It is almost impossible to do that properly,” explained Stam.

“Combining those two events would also be a very difficult task mentally.”

It has been a stellar season for Kopecky so far, having won Paris-Roubaix, Strade Bianche and Nokere Koerse, as well as the GC at the UAE Tour.

Last year she finished second at the Tour de France Femmes in dramatic fashion, leading the race until the penultimate stage when team-mate Demi Vollering passed her in the GC on the Col du Tourmalet.

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Stage 1 highlights: SD Worx one-two as Kopecky soars into yellow

Between now and the Olympics, Kopecky is scheduled to race at the Tour of Britain and the Giro d’Italia.

Discovery+ is the streaming home of the Olympic Games, and the only place you can watch every moment of Paris 2024 this summer

Wiebes signs contract extension with Team SD Worx-Protime until 2028

April 22, 2024

Lorena Wiebes has signed a three-year contract extension that will see her remain with Team SD Worx-Protime until the end of 2028.

The renowned Dutch rider, who had a deal in place until the end of 2025, has been in fine form this season.

Wiebes has already secured six wins and has established herself as arguably the most feared sprinter on the Women’s World Tour.

She powered to victories in Stage 1 and Stage 2 at the season-opening UAE Women’s Tour before winning at GP Oetingen, Ronde van Drenthe, Gent-Wevelgem and Scheldeprijs.

“I didn’t hesitate for long,” said Wiebes. “I feel completely at home in this team and I also feel that in this environment I can make the necessary steps in the coming years.

“It is a big compliment for me that the team wants to work with me as far into the future as 2028. I was offered a nice contract, so we quickly reached an agreement.

“I have been racing for this team since 2023. I notice that I have made the necessary steps in this environment and thanks to the good guidance of the team.

“That I have become a lot stronger has shown last spring with the victory in Gent-Wevelgem as the highlight. The fact that the team has a lot of confidence in me also strengthens me.”

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Wiebes pips Balsamo to Gent-Wevelgem title after sprint photo finish

SD Worx took over as sponsors of Boels-Dolmans Cycling Team in 2021 before Protime joined as a second title sponsor at the start of this year.

“Together with SD Worx and Protime, we have already built up something very beautiful in recent years,” team manager Erwin Janssen said. “It is also inspiring for us to see how the sponsorship of the cycling team is very much alive among the employees of both companies.

“It gives us a lot of energy that we already know that we can continue at the highest level for the next four seasons. In doing so, SD Worx and Protime also support our ambition to continue to be the number one team in the world in the coming years.

“We are one of the few top teams in the peloton that focuses entirely on women’s cycling. I think this is also part of our strength.

“Women’s cycling has been on the rise tremendously in recent years. There is much more attention on the sport. Our main sponsors SD Worx and Protime are also anticipating that growth with us for the coming years.”

In what is a period of transition for SD Worx-Protime, the team are set to lose Demi Vollering after the Belgian announced she would be moving on at the end of the year, while a number of other riders are also out of contract when 2024 draws to a close.

‘I was quite emotional’ – Pogacar dedicates win to fiancée’s late mother

April 21, 2024

The Slovenian pulled out of the Monument in 2022 after his fiancée’s mother died, before he fractured his wrist in a nasty crash a year later.

He put in a devastating display on Sunday as he attacked on the imposing La Redoute with 35km remaining, with only Richard Carapaz (EF Education First) able to cope with the change in tempo – and even then, only briefly.

Pogacar quickly built a lead of well over a minute as he evoked memories of his victory at Strade Bianche in March, when he dropped a staggering 82km solo exhibition.

The 25-year-old cruised into the finish in Liege to wrap up a seventh win in just 10 days of racing in 2024, dedicating the victory to the late mother of his fiancée, fellow pro cyclist Urska Zigart.

“All day it was quite emotional for me riding on the bike, thinking of Urska’s mother from two years ago when we had to go home, and last year when I broke my hand,” said Pogacar.

“The last two years were really difficult and I was riding for Urska’s mother today. I’m really happy that I can finally win in this race again, this beautiful race.

“Thanks to all the team that worked for me today, it was amazing teamwork and I couldn’t have done it without them. I’m full of emotion.”

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Highlights: Pogacar storms to win, Van der Poel fights back for third

Pogacar is focused on a Giro d’Italia-Tour de France double in 2024 and said his priority was staying safe after last year’s crash.

“Today, I had all day in my mind [telling myself] to be careful. Last year I had all day in mind [trying] to save as much energy as possible, but today I was more on the safe side,” he said.

“The team did a super job. We rode hard on the climbs, safe on the downhills and La Redoute we did exactly what we said. From then on, it was suffering to the finish.”

Pogacar will next pin on a number at the Giro, which starts in Piedmont on May 4.

He will come up against Geraint Thomas (Ineos Grenadiers) in Italy, while his main GC rival at the Tour could yet be Jonas Vingegaard (Visma-Lease a Bike) despite the Danish two-time champion suffering multiple fractures in a crash at Itzulia Basque Country earlier in April.

Remco Evenepoel (Soudal Quick-Step), who is also recovering from a broken collarbone sustained in that crash, and Primoz Roglic (Bora-hansgrohe) are expected to provide further competition to Pogacar at the Tour in July.

Brown upsets Longo Borghini and Vollering to win Liege-Bastogne-Liege

April 21, 2024

Grace Brown (FDJ -SUEZ) landed the biggest win of her career as she edged a sprint containing Elisa Longo Borghini (Lidl-Trek) and Demi Vollering (SD Worx-Protime) at Liege-Bastogne-Liege.

After surviving a scare when misjudging a corner and having to briefly show off her cyclo-cross skills, Brown proved the strongest in a tactical finale. against the two big favourites plus Kim Cadzow (EF Education-Cannondale) and the Canyon/ /SRAM pair of Kasia Niewiadoma and Elise Chabbey.

Brown, Chabbey and Cadzow were part of a strong group of nine riders that bridged across from the peloton to join early attacker Sarah Gigante (AG Insurance-Soudal) with 60 kilometres to go.

Gigante herself put in a mightily impressive performance as the lone breakaway rider for much of the race and even picked up a €3,000 bonus for being the lead rider over the first six categorised climbs, but those efforts finally caught up with her on the fearsome Cote de la Redoute.

Chabbey dropped the hammer on the steep slopes and shredded the lead group to just three while behind, Fenix-Deceuninck showed the first signs of life in the peloton and splintered into just the main favourites and a handful of their teammates.

But while the peloton slowed and swelled again after the climb, the lead trio pressed on with a three-minute gap but now without SD Worx, Lidl-Trek and Visma respresented at the front.

It was Longo Borghini who sent her troops to the front with Ellen van Dijk, then Amanda Spratt slashing the leaders’ advantage to less than a minute before the decisive Cote de la Roche-aux-Faucons.

The Italian – runner-up in this race 12 months ago in a head-to-head sprint with Vollering – was matched only by the Dutch champion and reigning Fleche-Wallone champion Niewiadoma when she attacked out of a dramatically reduced peloton.

The lead trio survived the Roche-aux-Faucons but were caught on the last uncategorised climb before the finish, with Longo Borghini looking like she’d played a tactical masterclass when she attacked immediately as Vollering paused to draw breath.

She was pulled back through, and despite the indomitable Riejanne Markus giving everything for Marianne Vos behind, it was clear that the winner would come from the lead six.

The Canyon/ /SRAM pair were the most active in the finale but neither could break free while Brown just looked happy to be there after almost crashing when she locked out on a roundabout in the final stages.

Niewiadoma attempted to go long in the final kilometre and initially pulled a gap of 10 metres but Cadzow dragged her back before Longo Borghini jumped to draw her back and then even put a small amount of space to the other four riders as the distance ticked down.

But Brown timed her jump to absolute perfection, opening her sprint with around 150 metres to go and benefitting from both riders’ slipstream to just sneak ahead of Longo Borghini for victory.

Vollering completed the podium ahead of Chabbey, Niewiadoma and Cadzow while Vos won the sprint behind – but 52 seconds behind Brown who picked the perfect stage for her first road race win of the season.

Pogacar drops another masterpiece as he cruises to Liege-Bastogne-Liege win

April 21, 2024

Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates) was in a different league again as he stormed to a second title at Liege-Bastogne-Liege.

The Slovenian, returning to the scene of his fractured wrist a year ago, took off with 34km remaining and quickly found himself alone on the Ardennes tarmac.

In-form duo Van der Poel and Tom Pidcock (Ineos Grenadiers) were caught up in a big crash with 97km remaining and although they latched back onto the front group before Pogacar escaped, it was energy they could ill-afford to spend if they wanted to live with the 25-year-old sensation.

Pogacar drops another masterpiece as he cruises to Liege-Bastogne-Liege win

April 21, 2024

Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates) was in a different league again as he stormed to a second title at Liege-Bastogne-Liege.

The Slovenian, returning to the scene of his fractured wrist a year ago, took off with 34km remaining and quickly found himself alone on the Ardennes tarmac.

In-form duo Van der Poel and Tom Pidcock (Ineos Grenadiers) were caught up in a big crash with 97km remaining and although they latched back onto the front group before Pogacar escaped, it was energy they could ill-afford to spend if they wanted to live with the 25-year-old sensation.

Liege–Bastogne–Liege LIVE: Vollering chases third title

April 21, 2024

LIVE: Bastogne – Liège

Liège – Bastogne – Liège Women – April 21st, 2024

Follow the Liège – Bastogne – Liège Women Bastogne – Liège stage live with Eurosport. Bastogne – Liège starts at 11:50 AM on April 21st, 2024.

Catch the latest cycling news and find Liège – Bastogne – Liège Women results, standings and routes. After Bastogne – Liège is done, be sure to check out the full schedule of stages and get live updates for the next stage. You can also find a list of previous winners.

Follow Rui Costa, Mathieu van der Poel, Mark Cavendish and other key riders to see who is dominating this season. See the hottest cycling teams in action – Bora-Hansgrohe, Ineos Grenadiers and Cofidis to name a few.

Cycling fans can read breaking Liège – Bastogne – Liège Women news headlines, interviews, expert commentary, replays & highlights. Keep up with all of this season’s top events, including the Tour de France, Giro d’Italia and Vuelta a España.

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Liege–Bastogne–Liege LIVE: Pogacar, Van der Poel and Pidcock set for showdown

April 21, 2024

LIVE: Liège – Liège

Liège – Bastogne – Liège Men – April 21st, 2024

Follow the Liège – Bastogne – Liège Men Liège – Liège stage live with Eurosport. Liège – Liège starts at 8:15 AM on April 21st, 2024.

Catch the latest cycling news and find Liège – Bastogne – Liège Men results, standings and routes. After Liège – Liège is done, be sure to check out the full schedule of stages and get live updates for the next stage. You can also find a list of previous winners.

Follow Rui Costa, Mathieu van der Poel, Mark Cavendish and other key riders to see who is dominating this season. See the hottest cycling teams in action – Bora-Hansgrohe, Ineos Grenadiers and Cofidis to name a few.

Cycling fans can read breaking Liège – Bastogne – Liège Men news headlines, interviews, expert commentary, replays & highlights. Keep up with all of this season’s top events, including the Tour de France, Giro d’Italia and Vuelta a España.

Make Eurosport your go-to source for sports online from cycling to football, tennis, snooker and more. Enjoy live updates from the biggest sports competitions.