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When you grit your teeth so hard that one of them actually breaks 😅
Can we get a big round of 👏for @VCampenaerts at #DDV22 today? pic.twitter.com/JYe7Gi2JGP
— Lotto Soudal (@Lotto_Soudal) March 30, 2022
Cycling commentators often talk about riders ‘gritting their teeth’ during tough moments, usually when they’re trying their best to bridge the gap to the group in front, or hanging on grimly during a tough climb.
But Lotto-Soudal’s Victor Campenaerts took the expression to its literal extreme at Dwars door Vlaanderen today, breaking part of his front tooth during the frantic finale.
Despite the current hour record holder’s late tooth-breaking attack, he could only manage fourth at his home race, finishing behind Tom Pidcock in the small group sprint for the final podium place.
Let’s just hope nobody loses a tooth on Sunday…
Mathieu van der Poel sent a warning this afternoon to Wout van Aert ahead of Sunday’s Tour of Flanders, by beating the Belgian’s Jumbo-Visma teammate Tiesj Benoot in a two-up sprint to win Dwars door Vlaanderen.
The duo slipped away from a strong eight-rider lead group, which included Ineos teammates Tom Pidcock and the impressively strong Ben Turner, Stefan Küng and Victor Campenaerts, inside the final two kilometres of what was an absorbing and complex finale.
Pidcock won the sprint behind for third, showing some good form after a month plagued by illness.
The decisive move of the day was made on the Berg Ten Houte cobbled climb with just under 70 kilometres remaining, as the peloton split to pieces under pressure from Turner and Pidcock.
Missing from the front was Tadej Pogačar, who was out of position at the bottom of the climb after being caught behind a crash. Despite trying in vain for the rest of the race – and at one point looking like he was about to solo across to the lead group – the two-time Tour de France winner had to settle for tenth in his first taste of the cobbles for 2022.
While it seemed at the start of the year that we would have to endure a classics season without Mathieu van der Poel, a third (at Milan-San Remo no less) and a first in his only two one-day races of 2022 sets a pretty ominous marker ahead of De Ronde.
The Commonwealth Games in Birmingham is now 120 days away, and organisers are looking for mountain bike and BMX talent to volunteer for what is promised to be "something amazing" for the opening ceremony. Applicants must be adept at riding BMX or mtb on skateparks and/or on the flatlands.
Theatre director Iqbal Khan said: “We are looking for confident riders who are aged 18 or over and are eager to show off their skills during the official Opening Ceremony for the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games.
"This is a unique opportunity to be part of a moment in history for the West Midlands region – it will be a night that everyone in that stadium and those watching our broadcasts will never forget.”
Know anyone who fits the bill or reckon your skills are good enough? Auditions take place on Saturday 2nd April, and applications can be made here.
I had to get involved... https://t.co/GYQ5NmWYiS pic.twitter.com/h1LPEiExYs
When two classics collide, courtesy of Cycling Industry News editor Mark Sutton. If you haven't seen it yet, you can catch up here.
While plenty of UK cities have a lot of work to do when it comes to improving provisions for cycling and walking, at least none of them have Miami Commissioner Manolo Reyes in charge.
The Next Miami reports that Commissioners voted 4-1 for an order that would force housing developers to provide more parking, with Commissioner Reyes saying: “This is not a pedestrian and bicycle city, we don’t have a mass transit system, period.”
Reyes also believes people are parking in front of his house due to a lack of parking, while opponents to the order say that requiring more parking in new developments will make housing even less affordable.
In the comments under the original article many appear to disagree with the commissioners, with one saying: "Really speechless. And next time a bicyclist or pedestrian is killed on the streets they should personally sue the 4 Commissioners who voted for this."
Another added: "I guess we’re a high-traffic and gridlock city."
Tributes have flooded in across the cycling world and beyond for journalist, author and podcaster Richard Moore, who has died at the age of 49.
On Monday, our hearts were crushed and the air sucked from our lungs. Words can never do justice. Richard, you were the best of us. You charged from the front. You made shit happen. You were one of the few friends who never, ever let me down. You never let anyone down.
pic.twitter.com/klRr2srBBV
— Tao Geoghegan Hart (@taogeoghegan) March 30, 2022
Absolutely devastated by news of Richard Moore passing away. Richard was a force of nature, a hugely talented man who wore that talent lightly. One of the best journalists I have ever met.
Floored by the news about Richard Moore. A very funny man with few equals as a journalist who encouraged me generously. Go well, Big Yin. My thoughts and condolences to Richard’s family
Richard’s generosity, his spirit, his humour will forever go unmatched. He was a force of nature. He always embraced progress and looked to the future, so it’s hard now to picture one without him in it.
Here’s to you, Rich!
You’ll be so utterly, sorely missed.
RIP Richard Moore. Goes without saying that he was extravagantly talented, but there's no particular virtue in that. To write the kind of books he did required serious rigour and, I suspect, massive balls. A really outstanding journalist.
Hard to take this morning's news in. My thoughts are with his family and with everyone who worked so successfully with Richard Moore on the Cycling Podcast.
My heart is completely broken at the news of Richard Moore’s passing. Shattered. He was a wonderful, lovely man and cycling journalism flourished because of his wonderful words.
This hole will never be replaced, which says how brilliant he was. RIP.
Such terribly sad news about Richard Moore. One of the nicest men, a true gent, always kind, compassionate & funny. A huge talent & trailblazer. I will miss his voice & company on the @cycling_podcast immeasurably. All thoughts with Lionel, Daniel, the pod & above all his family.
Sad to hear of the death of Richard Moore. His book 'The Dirtiest Race In History' about the Seoul 100m final is one of my favourite sports books of all time. Do please buy one if you want an incredible story written by an incredible writer.
So sad. Such a wonderful man. https://t.co/9dgpbfefrr
We would like to extend our condolences to the friends and family of former Scottish international rider and cycling journalist Richard Moore.
He will be sorely missed by everyone in the Scottish cycling community.
Read more here: https://t.co/PkQwuc8Elf pic.twitter.com/uyPo0scCKL
> Cycling writer and podcaster Richard Moore dies at the age of 49
A former Commonwealth Games racer, co-founder of the acclaimed Cycling Podcast and contributor to various cycling magazines and national newspapers over the years, Richard wrote a number of expertly researched and eloquently-written books which adorn the shelves of many a cycling fan’s home, including his 2008 debut In Search of Robert Millar, Sky’s The Limit, Étape, and his brilliant dive into doping in athletics, The Dirtiest Race in History.
The prologue of his book on the 1986 Tour de France, Slaying the Badger, in which he describes a desperate Greg LeMond defecating into a box filled with postcards of his teammate and rival Bernard Hinault, is one of cycling literature’s great opening salvos.
As well as giving fans valuable, in-depth and nuanced insight into the sport and its history, Richard’s talent and impressive work – his books, newspaper and magazine articles, and his role as the driving force behind The Cycling Podcast – inspired me to write about cycling, and I’m sure it inspired countless others too.
He will be missed not only by his friends and family, but also by anyone who loves to watch, listen to, or read about the complicated and wonderful world of professional cycling, a world he helped bring to life more than most.
Rijdt Julian Alaphilippe zondag toch mee in de Ronde van Vlaanderen? Wereldkampioen duikt op Ronde-parcours ophttps://t.co/sSpkQYSwcH pic.twitter.com/hPmXCV7QCH
Could a late call-up for Julian Alaphilippe provide the answer to Quick Step-Alpha Vinyl’s woes at the cobbled classics this spring?
The world champion was spotted reconning sections of the Tour of Flanders route with Kasper Asgreen yesterday.
The 29-year-old was only scheduled to target the Ardennes classics this spring, after he claimed that it was too difficult to peak for both De Ronde and the hillier races later in April.
But with Yves Lampaert seemingly out of sorts, Florian Sénéchal bruised and battered from a series of crashes, Davide Ballerini back in Italy, and Tim Declercq only starting to rev up the tractor engine again after a month out with a heart condition, could an unexpected Flemish detour for Alaphilippe – bearing in mind that the Frenchman has only just recovered from bronchitis himself – prove to be something of a Hail Mary pass from a desperate Patrick Lefevere?
But with Alaphilippe, you never know…
A post shared by TRINITY Racing (@trinityracing_)
The U23 Giro Ciclistico d'Italia, better known to most as the Baby Giro, will be without one of its leading lights in recent years as British team Trinity Racing failed to secure an invite for the 2022 race.
Trinity Racing have been a constant presence at the front of the Baby Giro since the multi-disciplinary team turned its attention to the road two years ago.
Tom Pidcock won the prestigious mini grand tour, along with three stages, in 2020, while Thomas Gloag finished fourth last year with teammate Ben Healy (who has been an attacking force at the spring classics for EF-EasyPost in recent weeks) winning the final stage in the Irish national champion’s jersey and Ben Turner (now with Ineos) wearing pink for a day.
This is a real shame. I know how much it means the these lads! https://t.co/8UM344f5Rj
Trinity Racing said in a statement today: “To our riders, staff, sponsors and fans - we understand you’re disappointed that we were unable to gain selection to the U23 Giro d’Italia.
“Today’s news that we were not invited to the 2022 edition of the U23 Giro is very disappointing. It is a race we love, and have always made the focus of our season. As a team, we have made our name from it…
“This year we had big plans. Thomas Gloag, one of the most promising U23 riders in the world, had made it the top priority of his season. We have multiple U23 national champions on our squad who were excited about the opportunity to show off their jerseys at one of the best U23 races in the world, supporting Thomas and looking for stage wins themselves.
“We do not understand the U23 race organiser’s decision not to invite our team, however we accept it, and will race as hard as we can elsewhere with the aim of earning an U23 Giro spot in 2023.
“Best of luck to the 2022 edition, and all riders involved.”
The Baby Giro, which has also been won by current pros Pavel Sivakov, Aleksandr Vlasov and Juan Ayuso in recent years, will take place between 8 and 18 June.
Now that is what you call a near miss…
A cyclist in San Jose, California narrowly avoided being struck by two drivers during a high-speed collision at a junction last week. Fortunately, no one was seriously hurt according to reports.
As you can see in the video, the driver of the Porsche SUV flies through the junction – jumping a red light in the process – before slamming into a silver sedan; the two cars careening across the street and missing the cyclist by inches.
The driver in question was fleeing from police at the time of the incident, after an officer tried to pull him over for speeding shortly before the crash.
According to Santa Cruz County Sherriff’s Office, the Porsche was also reported as stolen by two suspected carjackers in 2020.
While the driver, 53-year-old Carlos Bryand, was not a key suspect in the robbery, he was arrested and charged for possession of a stolen vehicle and reckless driving.
So, a speeding motorist, driving a stolen car, causes a massive crash while he’s fleeing from police – and how does the Daily Star begin its report of the incident?
“A cyclist running a red light…”
Even a short, rolling roadblock was too much for this impatient (or perhaps clueless, let’s try to be fair) lorry driver a few moments ago at the women’s Dwars door Vlaanderen…
There's always some idiot who ignores the road blocks 🤦#ddvwomen pic.twitter.com/zFqpk8jOfE
You won't believe what this cyclist in front of me does... pic.twitter.com/CoLizbwyYv
It’s the most wonderful time of the year…
The hardest part about the classics is finding a trainingroute in my area with some climbs without getting blocked because of a race.
— Thomas De Gendt (@DeGendtThomas) March 30, 2022
I’m sure if TDG just joined in, nobody would mind – oh wait, turns out he’s already done it:
I once jumped in a u23 race in the ardennes. When it is one line on a climb it can be easily done. After 20kms the commissaire noticed a vacansoleil rider and took my out of the race.
— Thomas De Gendt (@DeGendtThomas) March 30, 2022
I also clandestinely jumped into a race once – although that was only because I sat out the previous lap in need of a breather and then tried to sneak back into the bunch without anyone noticing…
Egan Bernal’s recovery from the potentially life-threatening injuries he sustained in a training crash in January has been one of the more remarkable stories of 2022 so far.
The 2019 Tour de France winner – who suffered fractured vertebrae, a fractured right femur, fractured right patella, chest trauma, a punctured lung and several fractured ribs when he collided with a parked bus while training on his time trial bike – is already back out on his home roads in Colombia, just two months after being in intensive care with a reported 95 percent chance of becoming paraplegic.
Earlier this week, Bernal posted photos and videos of his return to the bike with the caption: “The happiest day of my life. After 2 months and 20 broken bones, here I am, and I want more! See you guys on the road.”
A post shared by Egan Bernal (@eganbernal)
While the Colombian star promised to see everyone out on the open road, Bernal is also giving fans the opportunity to ride with him on the virtual roads of Zwift this weekend.
The ‘Ride with Egan’ mass participation event will take place on Saturday 2 April at 4pm BST, allowing the 25-year-old the chance to thank fans for the overwhelming support they’ve offered him during his rehabilitation.
“This has been, and still is, the biggest challenge I’ve ever had to deal with in life, and to be able to be back on my bike already so soon after my accident is something that I have been dreaming about for the last few weeks,” Bernal said in a statement.
“I can’t describe how happy it has made me. But not being at the races I miss the fans and the support and energy they all give me, that’s why I want as many as possible to come join me on Zwift this Saturday and for us to ride along together for an hour.”
The link to the Zwift ride, which will also include some of Bernal’s Ineos Grenadiers teammates, can be accessed here.
Might be worth getting some last-minute training in beforehand, judging by Bernal’s turn of pace at this town sign sprint…
A post shared by Egan Bernal (@eganbernal)
As they say, class is permanent.
Lutsenko shared a video of his crash on Instagram. (via @gamefreaker1) pic.twitter.com/DtuBpDsgwh
Just like the mystery bug that has made its way around the peloton since Paris-Nice, training crashes on time trial bikes are becoming a bit of an unfortunate habit this season among the pros.
This latest incident, which saw Astana Qazaqstan’s Alexey Lutsenko fracture a collarbone and shoulder, however owes less to the perceived safety hazards of extreme aero positions and more to a sudden gust of wind blowing across the third-highest volcano in the world.
Lutsenko was riding with Samuele Battistella on Tenerife’s Mount Teide, a popular altitude training haunt for the pros, when the gusting wind on a descent caused him to hit the deck, taking down his Italian teammate in the process.
The 29-year-old Kazakhstani rider, who finished seventh in the Tour de France in 2021, fractured his collarbone and shoulder, and was transferred to a Belgian hospital for surgery on Monday.
Those injuries mean Lutsenko will miss the upcoming Ardennes Classics, though he is expected to return in time for the Tour, where he will be looking to build upon his surprise GC performance last year.
Sharing the footage of the crash on Instagram, Lutsenko wrote: “It's cycling, sometimes you fall sometimes you win. As a result, a broken collarbone…
“It's a pity to miss important races again. I'm sure I'll come back stronger.”
Ineos Grenadiers rider Laurens De Plus replied under the post: “Get well soon man”, while Astana leader Vincenzo Nibali wished his teammate well, writing: “Bad luck haunts us”.
Ryan joined road.cc as a news writer in December 2021. He has written about cycling and some ball-centric sports for various websites, newspapers, magazines and radio. Before returning to writing about cycling full-time, he completed a PhD in History and published a book and numerous academic articles on religion and politics in Victorian Britain and Ireland (though he remained committed to boring his university colleagues and students with endless cycling trivia). He can be found riding his bike very slowly through the Dromara Hills of Co. Down.
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