Highlights Report Alexey Lutsenko blitzed the field in the Crtierium du Dauphiné stage 4 time trial to take an impressive win on a day when Astana – Premier Tech went one-two with Ion Izagirre taking second place. Izagirre set a flying pace on the 16.4km course to cross the line in 21’44” and move into the hot seat for a few minutes before Lutsenko stopped the clock eight seconds faster. The Kazakh time trial champion started well to set the provisional third fastest time at the intermediate checkpoint but it was in the second half of the 16.2km course when…
Author: Henri Giroud
Henri Giroud
Fifty years of pro cycling journalism and television commentary. It gets easier after the first forty years.
Highlights Results Stage 1Sonny Colbrelli (Ita) Bahrain Victorious3:56:362Alex Aranburu Deba (Spa) Astana-Premier Tech3Brandon McNulty (USA) UAE Team Emirates4Jasper Stuyven (Bel) Trek-Segafredo5Wilco Kelderman (Ned) Bora-Hansgrohe General Classification 1Lukas Pöstlberger (Aut) Bora-Hansgrohe12:35:082Sonny Colbrelli (Ita) Bahrain Victorious0:00:023Alex Aranburu Deba (Spa) Astana-Premier Tech0:00:184Alejandro Valverde (Spa) Movistar Team0:00:205Kasper Asgreen (Den) Deceuninck-QuickStep0:00:236Quentin Pacher (Fra) B&B Hotels p/b KTM0:00:247Patrick Konrad (Aut) Bora-Hansgrohe8Geraint Thomas (GBr) Ineos Grenadiers9Ilan Van Wilder (Bel) Team DSM10Steven Kruijswijk (Ned) Jumbo-Visma Points 1Sonny Colbrelli (Ita) Bahrain Victorious692Alex Aranburu Deba (Spa) Astana-Premier Tech383Kasper Asgreen (Den) Deceuninck-QuickStep38 Mountains 1Matthew Holmes (GBr) Lotto Soudal132Lukas Pöstlberger (Aut) Bora-Hansgrohe123Brent Van Moer (Bel) Lotto Soudal10 Young Riders 1Ilan Van Wilder…
Highlights Report With more than 3000m of elevation stage two of the Critérium du Dauphiné was already a real test for the riders. Especially the last climbs before the finish in Sauges within the last 20 kilometers offered a launchpad for attacks. With Lukas Pöstlberger also today BORA – hansgrohe was present in the break of the day. Ineos controlled the race early with Bahrain joining the chase with about 50km to go while at the front Lukas and S. Archbold remained in the lead until the very final of the stage. It was Lukas who went on his own…
Highlights Report Brent Van Moer put on a serious show in the opening stage of the Critérium du Dauphiné. The 23-year-old Lotto Soudal rider went on the attack immediately after the start, left his breakaway companions behind at 15 kilometres from the finish, held off the reduced bunch and soloed to a fantastic first professional victory. By winning the opening stage, the Lotto Soudal rider is also the first leader of the Critérium du Dauphiné. Besides, Van Moer realised a clean sweep as he also took the mountain, points and young rider’s jersey! “I almost can’t believe it. My first…
Highlights Report Egan Bernal put the finishing touches to a rousing Giro d’Italia victory on a special final day in Milan. The Colombian took a comfortable advantage into the time trial and had time to savour the moment as he raised his arms in victory, with an eventual winning margin of one minute and 29 seconds. Also celebrating on the day was Filippo Ganna, with the world time trial champion securing a phenomenal fifth Giro time trial stage victory in a row. The first rider in history to do so. It was far from straightforward for the Italian, who had…
Highlights Report Damiano Caruso secured his first Grand Tour win on Stage 20 of the Giro and further secured second place standing in the GC, taking time off his rivals with only a 30km Time Trial remaining in Milan tomorrow. The 164km stage started in Verbania, and despite 4,200m of altitude gain, it was the tactical brilliance of Caruso and Bilbao, attacking on the descent of the first climb on Passo San Bernardino, latching on to a move from Team DSM. From 50 kilometres to go, Bilbao put in an impressive effort to help Caruso distance himself from the GC rivals. With…
Highlights Report Briton Simon Yates attacked the final of today’s 19th stage of the Giro d’Italia and held on to deliver Team BikeExchange a spectacular solo stage victory, displaying his great strength in the third and final week of this year’s tour. After Team BikeExchange worked relentlessly throughout the 166-kilometre stage, Yates repaid his teammates with the victory atop the first category climb, Alpe di Mera, the penultimate summit finish of the 2021 Giro d’Italia. The 2018 Vuelta a España champion accelerated to follow a move by Joãn Almeida with six kilometres to go, making the catch and then launching a damaging acceleration on his Bianchi Specialissima one kilometre later.…
Highlights Report “The Giro is the most beautiful race in the most beautiful country in the world. This year I would love to win a stage.” Yet it was clearly not enough for Alberto Bettiol to simply be a stage winner. This is his home country after all. He was victorious in the most unforgettable way possible. “It’s really special to win a stage like this. It feels like the Tour of Flanders years ago,” said Bettiol. It was a promising start for the Italian pro who joined the breakaway group that quickly set an unforgiving pace. “We had to first…