Thibaut Pinot won the final stage of the Tour of the Alps, putting the long saga of chronic injuries behind him and ending the even longer winless streak and avenging his frustration at finishing second yesterday. Below is a video clip from L’Equipe TV with studio guest Pierre Carrey offering both a portrait and a tribute, worth sharing… and adding an English translation.
Thursday Shorts
Up popped Dylan Teuns. Third in the 2017 edition aged 25, he looked set to win the race as when a young-ish rider can place, they often return and improve thanks to wisdom and in particular how to negotiate the two last bends.
UCI World Tour Promotion and Relegation Weekly
Another week, another look at the promotion and relegation standings. The chart above now says plenty in one glance, Israel and Lotto-Soudal are almost tied for 19th place but well below the relegation line while a four-way scrap for 18th place.
Paris-Roubaix Preview
It’s back and it’s bone dry. The cobbles of Paris-Roubaix this weekend will be dusty and the roadside verge baked hard, making it the first ever dry edition for the women… and for the men a return to almost normal with sunny conditions again, seemingly like every time each spring.
The Exceptional Paris-Roubaix
This weekend’s Paris-Roubaix has to be the unique race on the calendar. Its cobbles are enough to make the Oude Kwaremont look new. The velodrome finish is unusual but the exceptions don’t end there, this is a race where reaching the showers has become part of the ritual. Even the name stands out, Roubaix is celebrated as a strong brand by the cycle-trade when in the reality it’s France’s poorest town and rarely something to celebrate.
UCI World Tour Promotion and Relegation Weekly
Another look at the UCI team rankings over three years. This week’s update doesn’t see any big changes, instead established trends continue.
Amstel Gold Race Preview
A calendar change because of presidential elections this Sunday in France means the Amstel Gold Race swaps slots with Paris-Roubaix, a hilly race instead of the flattest of them. Some things stay the same though: it’s Mathieu van der Poel vs the field.
UCI World Tour Promotion and Relegation Weekly
The latest standings with a solid week for Lotto-Soudal but they’ve got a long way to go to avoid relegation and another bad week for Israel-PremierTech.
The Moment The Ronde Van Vlaanderen Was Won
165 starters reduced to duel. The third time up the Paterberg couldn’t separate Tadej Pogačar from Mathieu van der Poel. A sprint into Oudenaarde loomed and try as you might to cite factors as to why Pogačar might win, van der Poel had his rival right where he wanted.
Ronde Van Vlaanderen Preview
Vlaanderens Mooiste, Flanders’ finest takes place today and arguably the only one day race of national importance. Expect big crowds, grim weather and an unusual race without local hero Wout van Aert.