RideLondon cancelled, Pantano receives a four-year ban: Daily News Digest
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Hello again, CyclingTips readers.
At the midpoint of the week, the cycling world offers a few intriguing headlines along with some news we hope we’ll eventually start seeing less of.
Starting with the bad news, RideLondon is cancelled for 2020, taking the lone British event off of the men’s WorldTour calendar. Meanwhile, Jarlinson Pantano, who retired after being notified of an adverse analytical finding for EPO last year, has officially received a four-year ban, not that we expected to see him racing again any time soon anyway.
In other news, Richard Carapaz has offered some insight into his time at, and departure from, the Movistar team, Lizzie Deignan has expounded on her plans for 2020, and L’Equipe has published some interesting data on rider salaries.
Read on for more …
Dane Cash
News Editor
What’s news
| RideLondon cancelled for 2020
Organizers announced on Wednesday that the Prudential RideLondon cycling festival has been cancelled for 2020, dropping the RideLondon one-day races from the men’s and women’s calendars. The men’s event, initially scheduled for August 16, was the only men’s WorldTour race in the United Kingdom, while the women’s race, planned to take place on August 15, was a ProSeries event for 2020.
“We know how disappointing this news will be to the tens of thousands of riders who were hoping to participate in one of the fantastic events in the world’s greatest festival of cycling, for the thousands of charities that would have benefited from fundraising and for the world’s best professional cyclists who love racing on the streets of London and Surrey, but I am sure everyone will understand why this decision has been made,” said event director Hugh Brasher in a press release.
| Sagan is pro cycling’s highest earner
L’Equipe has published a list of its estimations for the top 20 earners in professional cycling, with Peter Sagan at the top of the list.
The three-time world road champ reportedly makes something in the ballpark of €5 million, putting him ahead of cycling’s second highest earner Chris Froome, who reportedly earns €4.5 million yearly. According to L’Equipe, Froome’s Ineos teammate Geraint Thomas rounds out the earnings podium as the sport’s third highest earner with a salary of €3.5 million.
| No regrets for Carapaz
Reigning Giro d’Italia champ Richard Carapaz, who joined Ineos from Movistar this past transfer season, has not been shy about discussing his change of scenery in interviews he has given since making the switch. He spoke further on the subject in a conversation with YouTuber Valentí Sanjuan this week, saying that he does not have any regrets about leaving Movistar.
“Living in those circumstances is very difficult,” Carapaz said. “It’s like having a knife over your head and not knowing when it will fall. There were situations in the race [the 2019 Giro] where both of us [Carapaz and Mikel Landa] were there and you didn’t know who was riding for whom.”
| Pantano receives four-year ban
The UCI’s Anti-doping Tribunal has handed down a four-year ban to Jarlinson Pantano.
The 31-year-old Colombian, who won stages at the Tour de France, Volta a Catalunya, and the Tour de Suisse and took a Colombian time trial title during his career, tested positive for EPO in February of last year and announced his retirement shortly thereafter. On Wednesday, the UCI announced that Pantano’s official suspension will last until 2023.
| Deignan eyes Flanders
Assuming the racing calendar goes ahead as planned, Lizzie Deignan will target the Giro Rosa and the Classics this season. The former world champ expounded on her 2020 goals in a press release from her Trek-Segafredo team, noting that the Tour of Flanders (which she has won before) was a particular goal.
“I’m particularly excited to race the ‘Spring Classics!'” Deignan said. “I don’t think it matters what time of the year they’re raced. They are iconic races and daydreaming about a victory there for the team is what motivates me now during lockdown training. Flanders has a special place in my heart and it will be another chance to experience the climbs and cobbles before the World Championships in 2021.”
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SUBSCRIBE TO THE DAILY NEWS DIGEST PODCASTToday’s featured image of the close sprint battle at the 2019 edition of the RideLondon Classic comes from Cor Vos.
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