Ganna wins stage 2 of the UAE Tour: Daily News
Hello again, CyclingTips readers,
The UAE Tour continued on Monday with a time trial, and with a bit of other news as the Alpecin-Fenix team has pulled out of the race after a staff member tested positive for COVID-19.
Monday also brought news that the UCI Disciplinary Commission has suspended Patrick Van Gansen, former manager of the Health Mate-Cyclelive team.
Until next time, readers.
Read on for the latest from the world of cycling.
Dane Cash
News Editor
What’s news?
Filippo Ganna wins stage 2 of the UAE Tour, Alpecin-Fenix withdraws from race
Filippo Ganna delivered on his status as the pre-stage favorite in the stage 2 time trial at the UAE Tour, completing the 13 km course on Al Hudayriat Island in 13:56 to take the stage win.
Stefan Bissegger was the next fastest rider on the day, taking runner-up honors at 14 seconds back, with Mikkel Bjerg nabbing third, 21 seconds down.
Tadej Pogacar put in a strong ride to finish fourth, 24 second down on Ganna’s time, and that performance propelled the reigning Tour de France winner into the overall UAE Tour lead. He will start stage 3 with a five-second lead over João Almeida, who set the sixth-fastest time in Monday’s time trial.
Mathieu van der Poel, who led the race after stage 1, did not start the second stage following the withdrawal of his Alpecin-Fenix team after a staff member tested positive for COVID-19.
The team said following the stage that Van der Poel, Roy Jans, Jasper Philipsen, Kristian Sbaragli, Louis Vervaeke, and three staff members, who were not deemed high-risk contacts, would head home on the condition that rapid tests on Monday were negative. The rest of the team’s riders and staff will “remain in quarantine at the team’s hotel as long as required by the UAE health authorities.”
UCI Disciplinary Commission suspends Patrick Van Gansen
The UCI Disciplinary Commission has suspended Patrick Van Gansen, who had been found guilty by the UCI Ethics Commission of having committed ethics violations during his time as manager of the Health Mate-Cyclelive team, until December 31, 2022.
The UCI Ethics Commission opened an investigation into Van Gansen’s actions after multiple allegations of abuse and harassment. After finding Van Gansen guilty of violating the UCI Code of Ethics, the Ethics Commission handed the case over to the UCI Disciplinary Commission. On Monday, the UCI announced that Van Gansen received a suspension of two years and seven months, retroactively starting on April 16, 2020.
Van Gansen has said that he does not plan to work in women’s cycling in the future, but should he return, he will also be required to take a class on workplace sexual harassment.
Dauphine unveils 2021 route
The Critérium du Dauphiné has unveiled its route for 2021, with a time trial and some tough mountain stages on tap for the French stage race, which gets underway on May 30.
The eight-stage event will open with three days tailored to those hunting stage wins before an individual time trial of 16.5 km on stage 4. After a hilly fifth stage, the last three days of racing feature some tough climbs. Stage 7 will conclude on the hors categorie La Plagne, while stage 8 will crest the hors categorie Col de Joux Plane inside the last 20 km of the race.
Organizers also announced the team selection for the race, with B&B Hotels-KTM and Arkéa-Samsic given wildcard bids for the event.
Itzulia Women cancelled for 2021, organizers will run Women’s Clásica San Sebastián
The organizers of what would have been the inaugural edition of the Itzulia Women stage race announced on Monday that the event would not take place in 2021, but that a Women’s Clásica San Sebastián will take place instead.
The one-day race is scheduled to run on the same day as the men’s event, July 31.
Organizers said that they hope to run both the Itzulia Women and a Women’s Clásica San Sebastián next year.
André Dufraisse dies at age 94
Former cyclocross world champion André Dufraisse died on Sunday at the age of 94.
The French cyclocross great won five consecutive cyclocross world championships between 1954 and 1958. All told, he finished on the worlds podium a total of 11 times between 1951 and 1963, and also compiled seven French national titles over the course of his career.
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