Author: Harold Dalton

SPOILERS BELOW! Race Report Team Jumbo-Visma has won the team time trial of Paris-Nice. After a lightning-fast race against the clock, the Dutch team had the fastest time at the finish line. Team Jumbo-Visma won the race with an average speed of almost 57 kilometres per hour, earning them their eighth victory of the season. The team time trial was right up the yellow-and-black team’s alley. Team Jumbo-Visma, which consists of time trial experts Rohan Dennis, Edoardo Affini, and Tobias Foss, already had the best time at the intermediate point and could hold onto the first position. Despite being small,…

Race Report Fabio Jakobsen nabbed the win on the second stage of the Italian race, unleashing a huge acceleration before cunningly throwing his bike over the line for Soudal Quick-Step’s 12th success of the year. Follonica – a small town in the province of Grosseto, more accustomed to welcoming the peloton of the Giro d’Italia than the one of Tirreno-Adriatico – was the site of Jakobsen’s 40th pro win, which came at the end of a stage that our team controlled from the beginning until the end. Dries Devenyns kept the breakaway on a tight leash, making sure the gap…

Race Report “I was not totally sure until it was announced so I am pretty happy that it was enough to win.” Mads Pedersen sprinted to victory on Stage 2 of Paris-Nice after a superb team performance all day and a perfect lead-out towards the line from Alex Kirsch. The finish was close. So close in fact that initially even Pedersen wasn’t totally sure he had secured the win in Fontainebleau. However, once the news came through over race radio the Danish rider was able to celebrate his second victory of 2023 with his teammates before heading onto the podium.…

Race Report Filippo Ganna stormed to a dominant victory in the opening time trial at Tirreno-Adriatico to move into an early race lead. The Italian national champion went 28 seconds quicker than anyone else across the chilly 11.5-kilometre test to pull on the race’s first maglia azzurra. “We did an amazing performance today. I was just thinking about riding as fast as possible. Two days ago I didn’t know what my performance level today would be. But I wanted to do my maximum. It’s really really nice, after many podiums, getting the victory is important for me. I think for…

Race Report Tim Merlier won on the opening day of a stage race for the third time this season. After his successful outings with Soudal Quick-Step at the Tour of Oman and the UAE Tour in February, the 30-year-old repeated the feat also in Paris-Nice, at his debut here. The Wolfpack’s most successful rider so far this season, Tim benefited from another outstanding job from his teammates, who not only controlled the early breakaway, but neutralized two dangerous attacks in the last hour of the race, the last of which was with just three kilometers to go. Kasper Asgreen and…

Race Report Together, Demi Vollering and Lotte Kopecky climbed the Via Santa Catarina in Siena and the battle was decided in a millimetre sprint between the two teammates on the Piazzo del Campo. The jury had to study the finish photo for minutes before Vollering was declared the winner. “Beforehand, you don’t dare predict such a scenario. That’s why there were no agreements. They sprinted for the win as mature riders. One and two in Strade Bianche, this is a dream day for the team,” said sports manager Danny Stam. Team SD Worx has ruled the Strade Bianche in recent…

Race Report Tom Pidcock claimed a rousing solo victory at Strade Bianche following a gutsy attacking ride of over 50 kilometres. The Brit was part of a move that went clear on the tough Monte Sante Marie gravel sector as the race began to break apart. Using his power, combined with superb bike handling skills, Pidcock was able to go clear as a tense battle against the chasing pack began. Managing his efforts superbly, Pidcock’s gap of around 30 seconds was gradually eroded on the run-in, to the point where the chasing group of five had the INEOS Grenadier rider…

The bees are dying. The oceans are rising. World War Three looms. And, most concerning of all, jorts have made their way into the pro peloton. We joked about it. Now the madlads are actually doing it. AG2R’s clothing sponsor Rosti introduced their denim cycling shorts last year, with pre-orders opening in December. Yes, pre orders. For jorts. Now they’re available, and, as predicted, they’re in the pro peloton. Strade Bianche is the most gravel of the actually good races. Let’s hope we can contain this incursion of horrible gravel culture to just this one race.