Vuelta a España wildcards announced: Daily News
Hello again, CyclingTips readers,
Tuesday brought news of the year’s final Grand Tour announcing its team selection, with the Vuelta giving wildcard spots to three Spanish ProTeams.
Also in the news: The Women’s Tour has been postponed, Ayesha McGowan is joining Liv Racing, and Jakob Fuglsang will get his season underway at the Tour du Haut Var.
Read on for the latest from the world of cycling.
Dane Cash
News Editor
What’s news?
Vuelta organizers announce team selection
Vuelta a España organizers announced the teams selected for the 2021 edition of the race on Tuesday, revealing that three Spanish ProTeams will make the start alongside the 19 WorldTour squads and Alpecin-Fenix, which receives an automatic invitation to all WorldTour races due to finishing atop the ProTeam rankings last year.
Burgos-BH, Caja Rural-Seguros RGA, and Euskaltel-Euskadi have received wildcard invitations to the 2021 Vuelta. All three teams raced the Spanish Grand Tour last year. With the three aforementioned squads invited, Equipo Kern Pharma is the the lone Spanish-based second-division squad that will not be in attendance.
The Women’s Tour has been postponed
Organizers of the 2021 Women’s Tour have announced that the race has been postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The six-day stage race, which was not held in 2020, was set to rune from June 7 to 12 of this year. Organizers are instead hoping to reschedule the WorldTour event to run from October 4 to 9.
Jakob Fuglsang will get his season underway at the Tour des Alpes Maritimes et du Var
Astana-Premier Tech unveiled its lineup for the upcoming Tour du Haut Var on Tuesday, confirming that Jakob Fuglsang will get his season underway at the French stage race.
Fuglsang will be joined by Manuele Boaro, Fabio Felline, Omar Fraile, Gorka Izagirre, and Harold Tejada at the three-day race, which will run from February 19 to 21.
Ayesha McGowan joins Liv Racing as a trainee
Liv Racing has announced that Ayesha McGowan is joining the team as a trainee.
The 33-year-old American, an activist who advocates for inclusivity in the sport, made her debut in UCI-registered events in 2019, making starts at the Joe Martin Stage Race and the Colorado Classic. McGowan is now set to train with the Liv WorldTour squad “with the goal of racing after August 1,” according to a press release.
“Working with this world-class organization is a dream come true,” McGowan said. “I’m excited to spend more time with my teammates during team camp next month and training hard before setting race goals for August and beyond.”
Melbourne to Warrnambool rescheduled to May
Organizers of the Melbourne to Warrnambool have announced that the event will now be held on May 1.
The 267 km race was originally scheduled for February 6 but was postponed when the Victorian government announced a five-day lockdown in response to a surge in COVID-19 cases.
Time Sport splits into two
Having acquired Time Sport in 2016, Rossignol has now sold the frame- and bike-manufacturing arm of the French company to the Cardinal Cycling Group.
Cardinal describe themselves as a French-American investment and management group specialized in the cycling industry. The sale does not include either TIME’s pedal or shoe business, which Rossignol has retained ownership of.
Moving Pictures
Qhubeka-Assos has released the first episode of Race for Change, a series that offers a behind-the-scenes look at the team and what drives it.
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