All change. Professional cycling has seen rising interest from the Middle-East, especially Saudi Arabia. Now this has gone from tentative handshakes and side sponsorships to a takeover with the news that the Tour of Flanders has been bought by Saudi investors. The race is to be rebranded as the “Flanders Tour presented by Al Lua” and move to the desert.
Mathieu van der Poel attacks on the Koppenberg. Matteo Jorgenson and Mads Pedersen try to chase but they’re quickly distanced, the Dane loses 30 seconds by the top but fared better than the rest of the lead group as they were left walking up the climb. Van der Poel left them standing.
The Ronde happens this Sunday and its an event of national significance in Belgium, a million people will stand by the road, multiples will watch it on television.
This year’s overlap with Easter isn’t evoking stories of miraculous resurrection, instead Flemish fans are still mourning the “de wonde van Vlaanderen“, the wound of Flanders and particularly the absence of Wout van Aert. Mathieu van der Poel is going for a third win but can he and his team keep a lid on what now promises to be an open race?
You probably know the Tour of Flanders is this Sunday. But all the other races? With the season busy now and more probably readers today than back in early January, a reminder that you can get the pro cycling calendar for 2024, free to download for your diary or phone. It’s packed with all the men’s and women’s pro races for the road season.
Do you ever wonder that to win somebody’s got to lose? With all the focus on Tadej Pogačar and Jumbo-Visma winning so often these days, others are on the receiving end. Right now Cofidis are having a difficult to start to the season but if they can just get one win then they can start to look down on others. Or at least Arkéa-B&B Hotels which is having a lean spell comparable to Garmin’s drought of 2015-2017.
A look at the team finances of the Ag2r Citroën team from 2022. It’s back in the days when the squad had brown shorts, Greg van Avermaet and more but these are the latest set of published accounts so a closer look.
A year ago the win rates of Tadej Pogačar, Mathieu van der Poel, Wout van Aert, Remco Evenepoel and Primoz Roglič were remarkable, a “fantastic five” ahead of their peers. Revising and rejigging the numbers and Pogačar is now well ahead. Statistically he’s not quite Eddy Merckx… but he’s not far off.
Mathieu van der Poel has signed two deals, one to keep him with the Alpecin-Deceuninck until 2028, the other with bike brand Canyon for ten years. The UCI has also announced a plan to introduce budget caps for professional road cycling in the coming years. These two stories go together.
Jasper Philipsen sprints down the left side of the Via Roma to pass Michael Matthews and win by centimetres.
The longest race of the year that builds to some of the most thrilling moments of the season, Milan-Sanremo is open to all, from sprinters to grand tour winners. Mathieu van der Poel starts his season hoping for a repeat win, Tadej Pogačar wants his first win and many others will hope to seize the day.