More teams map out their Grand Tour plans for 2021: Daily News Digest
Hello again, CyclingTips readers,
As a new week gets underway, news of which stars will be targeting which race continues to emerge, either in the form of official announcements or reports.
Read on for the latest from the world of cycling.
Dane Cash
News Editor
What’s news?
Pogacar set to race the Tour and the Vuelta in 2021
UAE-Team Emirates announced the Grand Tour objectives of some big names on Monday, confirming that defending Tour de France champ Tadej Pogacar is planning to race both the Tour and the Vuelta a España this year.
UAE plans to send Davide Formolo, Brandon McNulty, and Fernando Gaviria to the Giro d’Italia. Pogacar will be joined by new teammate Marc Hirschi as well as Alexander Kristoff at the Tour, while Matteo Trentin and David de la Cruz are slated to race the Vuelta alongside Pogacar.
Jumbo-Visma reportedly plans to send Roglic, Dumoulin, and Kruijswijk to the Tour
In other news of Grand Tour plans, Wielerflits reports that Jumbo-Visma is planning to send Primoz Roglic, Tom Dumoulin, and Steven Kruijswijk to the Tour de France this year.
Bringing all three riders to the race was also the preliminary plan for 2020, but Steven Kruijswijk ultimately did not make the start last year after crashing at the Critérium du Dauphiné. According to Wielerflits, Jumbo-Visma’s current Tour plans involve taking Roglic, Dumoulin, and Kruijswijk, as well as Robert Gesink, Sepp Kuss, Tony Martin, Mike Teunissen, and Wout van Aert.
Astana maps out 2021 plans
Astana has also revealed calendar details for some of its stars, tweeting out planned race starts over the next several months for Jakob Fuglsang, Ion Izagirre, Alexey Lutsenko, and Aleksandr Vlasov.
As far as the Grand Tours go, Vlasov will head to the Giro d’Italia, which he started in 2020 before pulling out on stage 2 with stomach issues. Fuglsang, Izagirre, and Lutsenko, meanwhile, will head to the Tour. Also of note: Fuglsang’s busy early-season program includes a start at the Tour of Flanders. The two-time Monument winner is set to make his second career start in the race this April.
Evenepoel likely off the bike for three weeks
Remco Evenepoel recently revealed that his recovery from the injuries he suffered in a crash at Il Lombardia last year has not gone as well as hoped recently, and Deceuninck-QuickStep manager Patrick Lefevere has since provided more information, telling Sporza that Evenepoel will likely need to spend another three weeks off the bike. The team is hoping that Evenepoel will then be able to work his way back into form in time to make a planned start at the Giro d’Italia.
“If it is good then we have to see if we take the risk to send him to the Giro,” Lefevere said. “If we have to, he will not ride. We have enough resources to see how his fitness is. We will not do the same thing again, making the mistake of starting over too soon.”
Shara Marche joins SD Worx as nutritionist
Shara Marche (née Gillow) may have retired from racing her bike last year, but she will still be working for a top-tier squad in 2021.
The 33-year-old Australian, a four-time national time trial champ and a Giro Rosa stage winner, announced on social media on Monday that she will be joining SD Worx as a nutritionist.
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