Esports Worlds, up-and-comers on the move: Daily News Digest
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Hello again, CyclingTips readers,
We may not be used to seeing rainbow jerseys awarded on weekdays in December, but that’s exactly what happened on Wednesday as riders contested the inaugural UCI Cycling Esports World Championships.
When all was said and done, two new world champions were crowned after a virtual battle in Watopia.
Read on for more …
Dane Cash,
News Editor
What’s News
| Ashleigh Moolman-Pasio wins the women’s race at Esports Worlds
Ashleigh Moolman-Pasio powered to victory in the women’s race at the inaugural UCI Cycling Esports World Championships, besting Sarah Gigante in an uphill kick after 50 virtual kilometers.
The race came down to a battle on the Zwift KOM finishing climb, where Moolman-Pasio put in a big dig off the front of a reduced pack, boosting her attack with a feather power-up. Only Gigante could follow the move, using her own feather power-up, but Moolman-Pasio proved too strong in the final few hundred meters. The 35-year-old South African sprinted to the win (on her birthday, no less) at the top of the climb.
Gigante settled for a close second with Cecilia Hansen arriving one second later to take the final spot on the podium.
| Jason Osborne wins the men’s race at Esports Worlds
Jason Osborne won the men’s race at the first ever edition of Esports Worlds, surging clear of the field inside the last kilometer to take a convincing victory.
With the pack staying mostly intact throughout the 50km race, the virtual battle was decided on the final ascent. Osborne’s German teammate Jonas Rapp put in a surge that created some distance between himself and the rest of the field, and then Osborne moved across to his compatriot before soloing clear. The versatile 26-year-old, who is also an Olympic rower, bolstered his chances with an aero power-up in the last few hundred meters, and no one came particularly close to catching him as he surged towards the finish line.
Osborne took the victory with a 1.74-second advantage over Denmark’s Anders Foldager, with Denmark’s Nicklas Pedersen taking third on the day.
| Bahrain-McLaren signs Mäder and Milan
Promising up-and-comers Gino Mäder and Jonathan Milan will join Bahrain-McLaren for next season, the team announced on Wednesday.
Mäder, 23, comes aboard after two seasons with NTT. A talented all-rounder, he rode to two stage wins and third overall at the Tour de l’Avenir in 2018 (among many other strong under-23 results). He rode in his first WorldTour at the recent Vuelta a España, taking second on the challenging 17th stage to the Alto de la Covatilla.
Milan, 20, is Italy’s under-23 national time trial champ. He won a stage at the under-23 Giro Ciclistico d’Italia this year, and spent the past two seasons with the Friuli ASD Continental squad.
| Landa plans to race two Grand Tours in 2021
According to Basque newspaper Deia, Mikel Landa will be focused on the Tour de France in 2021 while also planning on racing one other Grand Tour.
Deia reports that Landa, who rode to fourth at this year’s Tour, will decide on whether he will add either the Giro d’Italia or the Vuelta a España to his slate after getting a better look at the race routes.
| Porte will be at the Santos Festival of Cycling
Richie Porte won’t have a chance to defend his Tour Down Under title or go for an eighth consecutive year winning at least one stage there next season, but that doesn’t mean he won’t be racing his bike in Australia in January.
Organizers announced on Wednesday that Porte will ride for the Australian national team in the National Road Series event that will run as a part of the Santos Festival of Cycling, which will take place next month in lieu of the Tour Down Under.
| Cape Epic postponed until October of 2021
The 2021 Cape Epic has been postponed from March of next year to October.
Organizers announced the decision on Wednesday, explaining that the decision was made “due to an upsurge of international and local Covid-19 cases, and the ever-changing restrictions relating to mass participation events in South Africa.” The 2021 edition of the race, now scheduled to run from October 17-24, will be the first edition to run since 2019 after the 2020 race was cancelled.
A legend’s autobiography: Being Gary Fisher and the Bicycle Revolution
Gary Fisher, One of the founding parents of mountain biking, has released a picture-heavy autobiography covering his life from being a kid racer through to the present day world of mountain biking, and all the shenanigans between.
Co-authored by Guy Kesteven, Being Gary Fisher and the Bicycle Revolution is now available through Trek dealers or at trekbikes.com for US$39.95.
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Today’s featured image of comes from the archives of Cor Vos. Can you name the two-time Monument winner powering to victory at a muddy Paris-Roubaix?
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