Australian champs crowned, Vos to undergo surgery: Daily News Digest
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Hello again, CyclingTips readers!
Here’s hoping things are going as well for you this January as they are for Amanda Spratt and Cameron Meyer.
Spratt rode to her third career Australian national road title on Sunday in Buninyong. On the heels of an impressive 2019, she certainly looks set for another season of big results.
On the men’s side, Cameron Meyer powered to his first career elite road title after more than a decade of trying, putting in an impressive solo move late in the race.
Chapeau to Spratt and Meyer for starting the new year off a style.
Until next time, readers!
What’s News
| Spratt and Meyer win Australian national road titles
Amanda Spratt and Cameron Meyer claimed the Australian national road race titles on Sunday in Buninyong.
Spratt got clear of the pack early on in the 104.4-kilometer race with her Mitchelton-Scott teammate Grace Brown and Roxsolt-Attaquer’s Justine Barrow. The trio would go on to build a massive lead on the bunch, and then Spratt took the convincing win at the line for her third career title. Barrow took second with Brown in third.
Meyer powered away from the field on the final climb in the men’s event and soloed to an impressive win 12 years after his first appearance in the race. His Mitchelton-Scott teammate Lucas Hamilton took second with Sapura’s Marcus Culey rounding out the podium.
| No ‘cross Worlds for Vos
Marianne Vos will not line up at cyclocross Worlds in Switzerland next month. The seven-time world champ is undergoing surgery to treat an artery issue in her groin, making Sunday’s Dutch national championship race (more on that in a moment) her final ‘cross appearance of the season.
“If everything goes according to plan, I can burden my body again six weeks after the procedure,” she said in a CCC-Liv press release. “In cooperation with the team, I am working on a recovery process in order to achieve my goals during the road season.”
| Alvarado and van der Poel take Dutch ‘cross titles
The Alpecin-Fenix duo of Mathieu van der Poel and Ceylin del Carmen Alvarado left little room for surprises in either the men’s or women’s events at Dutch cyclocross nationals on Sunday.
Alvarado, who has been on an impressive run of form lately, topped Annemarie Worst and Lucinda Brand to win the women’s title. The 21-year-old told reporters after the race that she is still mulling whether she will race Worlds in the under-23 category or as an elite.
Van der Poel bested Lars van der Haar and Joris Nieuwenhuis in the men’s race to claim his sixth consecutive Dutch men’s title.
| Deceuninck-Quick-Step plans to go carbon neutral
The Deceuninck-Quick-Step squad says it is working to become carbon neutral.
In an announcement, the Belgian WorldTour team pledged to a list of changes that include reducing plastic use and energy consumption, while offsetting emissions with “certified climate projects,” including an initiative to provide a safe water supply in Uganda’s Kaliro District and a conservation and reforesting effort in the region around Mont Ventoux.
| Brown and Clarke among Skyline signings
Jonny Brown, who rode to an American elite men’s road title in 2018 while racing for Hagens Berman Axeon, is joining the Skyline Continental squad. The 22-year-old was one of several signings announced by the team in a press release.
Other notables coming aboard are Australia’s Jonny Clarke, who raced with Floyd’s Pro Cycling in 2019, South Africa’s Johann van Zyl, who rode with 303 Project last year after several seasons with Dimension Data, and versatile American Curtis White, who took second at ‘cross nationals last month.
In case you missed it
| E-bikes on the rise in the Bay Area
The use e-bikes is growing fast in the San Francisco Bay Area. The San Francisco Chronicle reports on the rise of e-bikes and their potential there.
For everything you need to know ahead of Sunday’s action, Matt de Neef has the in-depth previews of both the women’s event and the men’s event.
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SUBSCRIBE TO THE DAILY NEWS DIGEST PODCASTToday’s featured image is by Matt Rousu (@matt_rousu_photography) entered into the Mark Gunter Photo of the Year Awards:
“Paul Van Der Ploeg and I had just finished up a sunset shoot on the top of Mt Pilot in Victoria’s Nth East, everything was packed up and we were about to head down. I turned around and saw Paul filming the scene with his phone and thought his silhouette looked amazing, I quickly pulled my camera out of the bag and asked him to ride a few laps on his CX bike. If you know Paul then you’ll know he likes to show off a bit and his few laps turned into “I wonder how high I can bunnyhop this thing.”
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