The regular look at which teams are sailing into the World Tour and which teams are taking on water in the battle to avoid relegation.
Vuelta a España Preview
A look at the overall contenders for the Vuelta and it’s a step into the unknown with little to go on when it comes to form, fatigue and motivation. It all makes it more open, there’s a lot to look forward to and the first week of racing should tell us plenty.
Nairo Quintana’s Predicament
Nairo Quintana has been disqualified from the Tour de France following the presence of Tramadol in two blood samples taken during July. Tramadol is a pain-killing opiod that is not a banned substance but the UCI prohibits its use in competition.
Vuelta a España Technical Guide
Here’s the Vuelta a España guide with all the stage profiles and more on one page. It’s got all the technical information for the different points competitions, time bonuses, time cuts and more in case you need to hand.
Throughout the race you’ll find this page via the menu at the top of the page or visit inrng.com/vuelta
Promotion and Relegation FAQ
The World Tour promotion and relegation topic ought to be simple with the top-18 teams on the rankings making the cut… but it turns out to be a lot more complicated. For starters there are no official rankings, the rules are spread across disparate few paragraphs inside a 200 page PDF tucked away on the UCI website and more, no wonder people are confused.
I get regular comments about the promotion relegation system in the comments, by email and over on Twitter and if some are asking, a lot more must be wondering. With this in mind, here’s some of the frequently asked questions and a go at the answers.
UCI World Tour Promotion and Relegation Weekly
An update on the promotion and relegation standings with Lotto-Soudal closing in on that crucial 18th place while Israel are making emergency mid-season signings to help win points.
Book Review: Le Tour de France Côté Verso
Le Tour de France Côté Verso, by Jean-Louis Pagès
The Tour de France is a travelling circus and while all eyes are rightly on the riders and landscapes, it requires a shadow army of workers, many of whom work overnight. They put up barriers, lay cables, paint finish lines and more. For over 30 years Jean-Louis Pagès was part of this and eventually in charge of it all. This book explains much of the behind-the-scenes work that makes it all happen.
Saturday Shorts
Dylan Teuns has moved from Bahrain to Israel-PremierTech. Pro cycling has a mid-season transfer window from 1-15 August and a move is possible if both teams agree and the UCI approves. He can help in their relegation battle but he’ll have to win big and often.
UCI World Tour Promotion and Relegation Weekly
BikeExchange-Jayco have had a good week and climb from 18th to 17th, with Movistar slipping to 18th having begun the season in 15th. There’s a close four-way battle to avoid 18th place but four teams involved here have a buffer on Lotto-Soudal and Israel-PremierTech who are struggling to score.
The Moment The Tour de France Was Won
Annemiek van Vleuten rides solo on Stage 7. Having attacked the field on the climb of the Petit Ballon, only Demi Vollering could or would follow her and she then went clear on the Platzerwasel. She started the day a minute and a half down on GC and took the stage, the yellow jersey and a lead of over three and half minutes. This was the moment the race was won. She triumphed and so did the relaunch of this race.