Bold combo Pidcock, nice Dutchmen and... comeback of double Olympic champion Evenepoel in Kelso
Cycling
The Tour of Britain kicks off in Kelso, Scotland, on Tuesday in the shadow of the Vuelta a Espana. Only four WorldTour teams are making the trip to Britain, but that shouldn't spoil the fun: in this case, it seems to be "quality over quantity," so we can still get ready for an enjoyable six days through the United Kingdom.
The crowdpleaser will be two-time Olympic champion Remco Evenepoel. "I'm looking forward to racing in the Tour of Britain. It will be my first appearance after the Olympics. It was nice to refuel after this period, but now it's time to put on a jersey again. I'm looking forward to the races this fall. It's extraordinary that I can ride in Scotland, where I have memories of my world time trial title last year," the Belgian said.
Sports director Tom Steels did the preview on behalf of the team. "We have a strong team for this race. The selection will be made in the first three days. We will see what Julian Alaphilippe and Remco can do on that hilly terrain. Three days after that, a sprint seems to be a big possibility. There, we will see if we can put Paul Magnier in contention. His performance in Plouay was already a good sign. So we are looking forward to a nice week of confidently racing," Steels said ahead of the race.
Soudal Quick-Step may be the strongest team on paper, but they will not get it as a gift. For example, Tom Pidcock is at the start on behalf of INEOS Grenadiers just two days after the World Mountain Bike Championship. "I tried my best to stay focused and prepared after the Games. It was a great motivation for me to defend my title, but it wasn't enough," the number three of this year's World Championships announced in Andorra.
Read more below the photo.
Dutch contributors include Van Uden and Poels
dsm-firmenich PostNL is also participating, with Casper van Uden and Oscar Onley: the latter will start the race in his hometown of Kelso. "We are highly motivated for the Tour of Britain and want to continue the momentum the team has achieved after some good performances in recent weeks. Oscar is targeting the GC after his promising ride on the Tour of Poland, and for the sprints, we have a speedy guy with Casper," said sport director Pim Ligthart.
At Bahrain Victorious, Wout Poels is in the game. 'Together with Pello Bilbao, he belongs to the senior riders who can watch the leading riders. Wout will be our road captain and has already competed in the Tour of Britain five times, in which he managed to win a stage each time," reported the team in its press release. However, the Dutchman, who will be moving to the Astana Qazaqstan Team next season, will not immediately find a course to suit him.
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Latest Comments
- Well explained, thanks for the clarity! Daniel DantasDanieldantas20-12-2024
- This is the kind of 'news' that belongs in a cheap tabloid. No matter how boring the offseason gets, nobody wants to read this.
santiagobenites19-12-2024 - I wish we could have seen him try. He'd absolutely get dropped before Pogi overtakes his domestiquesVeganpotter10-12-2024
- Talk is cheap! Next year barring crashes with a healthy team... all well be on track! Some need to talk to make a headline!mootman27-11-2024
- I do not see this event listed on HBO Max Sports Online? Can anyone confirm? Thanks!
MrYuck23-11-2024 - It seemed that he was focusing forward at the time of the crash, after seeing a quick video snippet. But one thing I think he should focus on more intently is breaking a bad habit he has, right now. And that is his constant looking over his shoulders. He does that so much, that I am very sure it is not good for him. Simply watch videos of the greats of CX and you will see very little of that constant looking over their shoulders. That is a behavior that betrays a bit of insecurity on his part. He shouldn't be so concerned, incessantly, about what is over his shoulder. He needn't worry they didn't all disappear. He neds to keep his focus more ahead of himself, and he needs to pay a bit more attention to himself, in a confident manner. It is very frustrating to watch, because it is apparent that he has a lot of potential, and is in much better shape thwan many of his competitors, but the mental game needs to be sharpened more, because that part of strategy plays a huge part in the final results
reemmo022-11-2024 - hahahaha love this shit! I didnt even watched the race, but reading all the gossip articles of how stupid this is!Zatoichi19-11-2024
- Van Aert is really handsome. He can influence me all day! Ditto for Philipsen. Why do you think many of us love cycling?: to see heroic attempts at climbing mountains at high altitudes or to watch speedsters sprint for the finish line or to watch a human being ride at break neck speed down a tricky descent? No, it's all about their lean physiques and muscular legs. (apologies for objectifying these dedicated and amazing athletes).BarwonHeadsUp25-10-2024
- It is unfortunate that the author can't feel the joy that Pogacar brings to the sport and his fans who are legion and I for one feel lucky to have watched such a memorable performance and historic season From the Strada until yesterday with multiple wins in stages in both tours and beyond dominance in the World's. He is proud to wear the Rainbow stripes, shows his leadership to protect his fellows and is as courteous and sportsman-like as the sport allows. He goes early to not have to respond to each attack as all the rest would make him do it. Any racer who could would do the same. Don't "grow tired" of greatness as it is always fleeting.ccrider13-10-2024
- What load of rubbish. Pog is likely a once in a generation cyclist, the like of which hasn't been seen since 'the Cannibal '. How many people were complaining that Merckx was making racing predictable? I remember this year's World RR as one of the most exciting I've watched. Mainly BECAUSE Pog was the favourite and launched what everyone thought (Pog included) was a suicidal attack with 80km to go. For the next 2 hours, I was on the edge of my seat thinking "this is too much, even for Pog". Maybe Zonnefeld prefers the snooze-fest that is a bunch sprint? Like most people I know, I can't watch two hours of the bunch riding very fast... I wait for the final 5km and watch just the sprint. In any event, most races are won from a sprint or lone break. What difference does it make who makes the lone break? Ultimately, the other contenders will have to figure out a way to beat Pog. Even if that means collaboration between teams. It's going to be an exciting few seasons, until the next Pog arrives on the scene. If this is boring, heaven knows what exciting looks like!Michael513-10-2024