Author: Henri Giroud

Fifty years of pro cycling journalism and television commentary. It gets easier after the first forty years.

The first edition of the Wörthersee Gravel Race proved to be an extraordinary success, presenting a remarkable turnout for a thrilling race set against breathtaking scenery and idyllic weather conditions. In bright sunshine and a pleasant 25 degrees, 1,200 enthusiastic gravel bikers from 36 nations gathered on the turquoise shores of Lake Wörthersee for this unique event. “The premiere of the Wörthersee Gravel Race was a complete success and we are overwhelmed by the positive response and the enormous interest in our event,” emphasizes Roland Sint, Managing Director of the Wörthersee Rosental region. With an impressive time of 04:00:23.3, Austrian…

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Report Brandon McNulty of UAE Team Emirates secured a remarkable hat-trick of victories at the UAE Tour by storming to first place in the Individual Time Trial (ITT) held at Al Hudayriyat Island. The American rider displayed an impressive performance, clocking a time of 13 minutes and 27 seconds over the 12.1-kilometer course, setting a blistering pace that none could match. McNulty was closely followed by his teammates Jay Vine and Mikkel Bjerg, who finished just 2 and 4 seconds behind him, respectively. This dominant display by UAE Team Emirates saw them claim the top three spots on the podium,…

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Report In a display of sheer sprinting dominance, Tim Merlier of Soudal Quick-Step claimed his eighth victory of 2024 at the opening stage of the UAE Tour. The seasoned Belgian rider left no room for doubt this time, crossing the finish line with several bike lengths to spare, unlike last year’s tight photo-finish. The stage, stretching from Al Dhafra Walk to Liwa, remained relatively tranquil until the final kilometers, where the pace surged on the wide roads leading to the finish. While crosswinds were anticipated throughout the day, they only made a decisive appearance in the closing stretch, challenging riders…

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Known as ‘the race of truth’ because there’s nowhere to hide, no wheel to sit on and no bunch to draft behind, time trialling is the purest form of bike racing: it’s just you against the clock. How fast can you complete the course? In time trialling, just as in athletics and other speed-based sports, there are the traditional ‘standard’ distances. There’s 10 miles, 25 miles, 50 miles, 100 miles, 12 hours and 24 hours – and there’s a National Championship for each of these. There are also many non-standard distances on ‘sporting’ courses – generally circuits on single-carriageway roads…

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LAVA TRI Dapeng Bay is the most famous triathlon event launched by the local brand “LAVA Sports Taiwan Triathlon Co. Ltd” since 2013. Dapeng Bay is the largest inner bay in Taiwan, featuring its geographical distribution and the abundance of natural resources. The triathlon event also stimulates local tourism development. This complementary integration of the natural environment with LAVA Sports cultivation in triathlon has made it become a favored destination for athletes and spectators alike, attracting more than 2000 people to join annually. From leisurely adventures or epic all day exploration, there’s all kinds of outdoor activities for everyone. The…

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XTERRA Triathlon is a series of Cross Triathlon races, founded in 1996 on the Hawaiian island of Maui. Originally introduced as ‘Aquaterra’ the series was later renamed as XTERRA. The series includes two main categories, the ”Professionals” and the ”Age-groupers”. This race format takes the traditional combination of swimming, mountain biking and trail running. The distances of each race can vary widely, depending on the terrain available, although there are two typical off-road distances:• The Full Course: 1,5Km Swimming, 30Km Cycling and 11km Running.• The Short Course: 800m Swimming, 20km Cycling and 5km Running. For nearly a quarter of a…

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Contributed content The 1989 Tour de France is widely regarded as one of the most dramatic and closely contested editions of the race in history. The race was won by American cyclist Greg LeMond, who narrowly defeated his French rival, Laurent Fignon, in the final stage time trial. The race began on July 1, 1989, in Luxembourg, and consisted of 21 stages covering a total distance of 3,285 kilometers. The race featured several challenging mountain stages, as well as a number of individual and team time trials. LeMond, who had won the Tour de France in 1986 and was returning…

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Report Tiesj Benoot has won Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne after some incomparable team play to complete a Team Jumbo-Visma domination of the Flemish Opening Weekend. The Belgian of Team Jumbo-Visma seized the perfect moment to ride away from the leading group in a thrilling final. Nathan Van Hooydonck completed the yellow-and-black formation’s celebration by finishing second. Team Jumbo-Visma made another early move and tried to break up the peloton on the Flemish climbs. The attempt succeeded spectacularly. On Le Bourliquet, after an acceleration by Jan Tratnik, a group of five with Van Hooydonck and Benoot rode away from the peloton. They quickly grabbed…

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