Deceuninck-Quick Step goes 1-2 at Itzulia Basque Country: Daily News
Hello CyclingTips readers,
Racing continues in the Basque region with stage 5 of the Itzulia Basque Country. The breakaway took control of the stage on a technical run-in to the finish where one team claimed the top two steps.
For more news from the cycling world, read on.
Abby Mickey
Associate Editor
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Deceuninck-Quick Step goes 1-2 at Itzulia Basque Country stage 5
Deceuninck-QuickStep teammates Mikkel Honoré and Josef Cerny crossed the finish line side by side in stage 5 of Itzulia Basque Country after leaving their day-long breakaway behind. Behind them, Brandon McNulty finished safely in the peloton with the rest of the general classification contenders to retain his race lead.
The two Deceuninck-QuickStep riders were part of a six-man move that formed in the first 20 km of the stage. Approaching 30 km to go the break was reduced to three: Honoré, Cerny, and Julien Bernard.
Bernard was distanced in the final 5km, leaving Honoré and Cerny to take an emotional win for their Deceuninck-Quick Step team, with Honoré leading over the line for the victory.
“He deserves the same to be here, but unfortunately only of us can be,” Honoré said of Cerny after the finish.
Bernard arrived 17 seconds later to take third on the day. In the overall standings, McNulty retains a 23-second lead heading into Saturday’s final stage.
Top 10, Stage 5
1 HONORÉ Mikkel (Deceuninck-Quick Step) 3:39:54
2 CERNY Josef (Deceuninck-Quick Step)
3 BERNARD Julien (Trek-Segafredo) 0:17
4 IMPEY Daryl (Israel Start-Up Nation) 0:28
5 CLARKE Simon (Team Qhubeka ASSOS)
6 OLDANI Stefano (Lotto Soudal)
7 ROGLIC Primoz (Team Jumbo-Visma)
8 SIMON Julien (Team Total Direct Energie)
9 CORT Magnus (EF Education-Nippo)
10 POGACAR Tadej (UAE-Team Emirates)
Top 10, GC
1 MCNULTY Brandon (UAE-Team Emirates) 12:25:21
2 ROGLIC Primoz (Jumbo-Visma) 0:23
3 VINGEGAARD Jonas (Jumbo-Visma) 0:28
4 BILBAO Pello (Bahrain Victorious) 0:36
5 POGACAR Tadej (UAE-Team Emirates) 0:43
6 YATES Adam (Ineos Grenadiers) 1:02
7 BUCHMANN Emanuel (Bora-Hansgrohe) 1:07
8 VALVERDE Alejandro (Movistar) 1:13
9 IZAGIRRE Ion (Astana-Premier Tech) 1:15
10 LANDA Mikel (Bahrain Victorious) 1:23
Kasia Niewiadoma extends Canyon-SRAM contract through 2024
Kasia Niewiadoma has extended her contract with Canyon-SRAM for an additional three years. Niewiadoma has been part of Canyon-SRAM’s team since 2018 when she left WM3 Energie. Her contract was set to end after 2021, and although she spoke with other teams, she opted to stay with her current program through the next Olympic cycle.
While part of the Canyon-SRAM team Niewiadoma has won the Amstel Gold Race and Trofeo Alfredo Binda, and finished seconds overall at the Giro Rosa, along with a handful of other impressive podium results.
“Everyone understands me on the team and I feel comfortable here. I am 100 per cent myself and that’s very important to me,” Niewiadoma said. “I need a team that accepts me for who I am and is accepting of others. We’re such a different group of riders and staff and amongst all of these differences, I can find a place for myself. I am supported nonstop by everyone on the team towards my race and season goals and I know that together we can aim high.”
News of Niewiadoma’s signing follows her impressive performance at Dwars door Vlaanderen, where she finished second behind Annemiek van Vleuten. In the press release about her extension, Niewiadoma emphasised the importance of feeling secure in the team prior to the Tokyo Olympics.
Team manager Ronny Lauke has been supportive of Niewiadoma since she joined the team, and the teams racing style is perfect for the Polish rider.
“Kasia is important to the team as she is unique, still rising, an athlete with racing qualities not many are gifted with,” said Lauke. “Her punchy, unpredictable way of racing is important to our further progress as a team. Kasia works hard to achieve her goals and we are happy to continue on that path together with her.”
Romain Sicard ends his career due to a heart problem
Romain Sicard of Total Direct Energie has announced his retirement from cycling. The former U23 world champion has not yet raced in 2021 due to a cardiac anomaly. In a statement on his social media, the French rider announced he would no longer be racing due to the heart problem, “I no longer have the heart to ride,” Sicard wrote. “Indeed, I have been diagnosed with a cardiac anomaly that will prevent me from practising the sport at a high level and therefore from continuing my career as a professional cyclist.”
Sicard won the Tour de l’Avenir and the U23 world championship in 2009 before joining Team Europcar.
“My journey is an example that with a good dose of work and dedication many dreams are possible,” wrote Sicard. “The passion doesn’t stop, I will certainly remain linked to the world of cycling.”
Rotterdam aims for Tour de France Grand Départ in 2024 or 2025
Rotterdam is hoping to host the grand depart of the Tour de France in either 2024 or 2025 with The Hague hosting stage 2. The last time the race began in the Netherlands was in 2015 when Rohan Dennis wore the first yellow jersey after winning the opening time trial in Utrecht and André Greipel sprinted to victory the following day.
“For us, it is the light at the end of the corona tunnel”, representatives of the cities said in an article on ad.nl.
Rotterdam is also hoping to host the final stage of the women’s Tour de France in 2023.
The grand depart is set for 2021 in Brest, with Copenhagen and Bilbao next in line in 2022 and 2023.
Prison in Belgium launches e-racing team
A prison in Oudenaarde, home of the Tour of Flanders, will launch an e-racing team for inmates. “The Breakaway” team will have six riders who will compete anonymously on Zwift. The program is sponsored by the athletic superstore Decathlon.
In a video promoting the team, one participant said, “sport makes you feel happy. Makes you feel free. You stop thinking about these walls, I’m going all out.”
Coming up …
Itzulia Basque Country wraps up tomorrow with a challenging final stage. The course features seven categorized climbs, with a final categorie one ahead of a tiny downhill to the finish in Arrate. With only 111.9 km to cover, the final day will be fast and exciting.
The Presidential Cycling Tour of Turkey, a men’s 2.Pro race, begins on April 11th.
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