PREVIEW

EDITED BY NED BOULTING

A YEAR APART

A COMPREHENSIVE RECORD OF THE 2020 SEASON WITH SPECIAL ATTENTION PAID TO

THE GIRO D’ITALIA, TOUR DE FRANCE AND VUELTA A ESPAÑA

THE MEN’S AND WOMEN’S UCI WORLDTOURS

CONTRIBUTIONS FROM

Anna van der Breggen, Tao Geoghegan Hart, Allan Peiper, Nic Dlamini, Ashleigh Moolman-Pasio,

Bert Wagendorp, Laura Weislo, Lucy Martin, Peter Cossins, Matt Rendell, Kit Nicholson, Rob Hatch,

Richard Williams, Lukas Knöfler, Rose Manley, Max Leonard, William Fotheringham and Jonny Long

PREVIEW SAMPLE THE ROAD BOOK 2020

CONTENTS

RIDERS OF THE YEAR 2020 ix

IN THE WINNERS’ WORDS xi

EDITOR’S INTRODUCTION by Ned Boulting 1

JANUARY 15

La Tropicale Amissa Bongo 16

Tour Down Under 20

Vuelta a San Juan 26

Race Torquay 30

Trofeo Campos 31

Trofeo de Tramuntana 32

Capricorn Star by Nic Dlamini 33

FEBRUARY 41

Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race 42

Pollença–Andratx 43

Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race 44

Trofeo Palma 45

GP La Marseillaise 46

Saudi Tour 47

Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana 50

Étoile des Bessèges 53

Herald Sun Tour 56

Tour de Langkawi 59

Tour Colombia 2.1 63

Tour de la Provence 66

Vuelta a Murcia 68

Malaysian International Classic Race 69

Clásica de Almería 70

Trofeo Laigueglia 71

Volta ao Algarve 72

Vuelta a Andalucía 75

Tour of Antalya 78

Tour des Alpes Maritimes et du Var 80

UAE Tour 82

Tour du Rwanda 89

Omloop Het Nieuwsblad 93

Faun-Ardèche Classic 94

Chasing Shadows: Remco and Eddy by William Fotheringham 95

MARCH 99

La Drôme Classic 100

Kuurne–Bruxelles–Kuurne 101

Tour de Taiwan 102

Le Samyn 105

GP Jean-Pierre Monseré 106

Paris–Nice 107

The World’s Only Racer by Bert Wagendorp 116

JULY 123

Sibiu Cycling Tour 124

Vuelta a Burgos 127

Return to Racing in Romania by Lukas Knöfler 130

AUGUST 137

Strade Bianche 138

Strade Bianche 139

La Route d’Occitanie 140

Circuito de Getxo 142

Milano–Torino 143

Tour de Pologne 144

Mont Ventoux Dénivelé Challenge 149

Czech Tour 150

Tour de l’Ain 152

Milan–Sanremo 154

Gran Piemonte 156

Critérium du Dauphiné 157

Il Lombardia 162

Dwars door het Hageland 164

Tour de Wallonie 165

Giro dell’Emilia 167

Tour du Limousin 168

European Championships 170

Bretagne Classic–Ouest-France 174

GP de Plouay 175

Tour Poitou–Charentes 176

La Course 179

Druivenkoers–Overijse 180

Trofeo Matteotti 181

Tour de Hongrie 182

Tour de France 186

Brussels Cycling Classic 230

Memorial Marco Pantani 231

Children of the Summer’s End by Richard Williams 232

SEPTEMBER 237

Settimana Internazionale Coppi e Bartali 238

Tour du Doubs 241

Tirreno–Adriatico 242

Giro Rosa 250

Antwerp Port Epic 259

Tour de Luxembourg 260

Giro della Toscana 263

Tour de Slovaquie 264

Coppa Sabatini 267

Giro dell’Appennino 268

Gooikse Pijl 269

GP d’Isbergues 270

Paris–Camembert 271

World Championships 272

Paris–Chauny 278

BinckBank Tour 279

Flèche Wallonne 284

Flèche Wallonne 285

Double Dutch: The Rider in Second Place by Rose Manley 286

OCTOBER 293

Giro d’Italia 294

Liège–Bastogne–Liège 338

Liège–Bastogne–Liège 340

Tour of Thailand 341

Brabantse Pijl 344

Gent–Wevelgem 345

Gent–Wevelgem 346

Paris–Tours 347

Prueba Villafranca–Ordiziako Klasika 348

Scheldeprijs 349

Tour of Flanders 350

Tour of Flanders 352

Three Days of De Panne 353

Vuelta a España 354

Three Days of De Panne 392

Calling It Home: How the Giro made it to Milan by Rob Hatch 393

NOVEMBER 403

Madrid Challenge 404

Racing Between Realities by Ashleigh Moolman-Pasio 410

NATIONAL CHAMPIONS 417

TEAMS 423

Men’s WorldTour Teams 424

Men’s ProTeams 462

Women’s WorldTour Teams 482

Men’s End-of-season Rankings 514

Women’s End-of-season Rankings 516

War, Illness and Not-Racing by Max Leonard 518

HISTORICAL RESULTS 525

Men’s Historical WorldTour Results 526

Women’s Historical WorldTour Results 572

VIRTUAL RACING 595

Riding through the Void by Laura Weislo 614

OBITUARIES 619

CONTRIBUTORS 645

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 647

IN THE WINNERS’ WORDS

ANNA VAN DER BREGGEN

In May, Anna van der Breggen made the surprise announcement that she would retire at the height of her

powers to become a sports director. With the postponement of the Olympics, she has subsequently pushed

back the date of her final race till 2021. Besides, she would have had no idea in May what a flood of

success would come her way in 2020 when women’s racing resumed in Spain in late July. She went on

to win the Giro Rosa for a third time, and then became a double world champion in the road race and

the time trial for the first time in her career. That time trial was marred by a crash by American Chloé

Dygert, just as injuries affected Van der Breggen’s great rival Annemiek van Vleuten’s chances at the Giro

and at the Worlds. But the facts speak for themselves: as Van der Breggen says, it was her ‘best season ever’.

——

It was scary that a small virus like this can change the world so much. Cycling in this time was

not very important for me. I always expected it would come back, but I just didn’t know when.

At the time, it was more important that people didn’t fall ill. The lockdown period was strange

for me and my husband, Sierk-Jan. Normally, as a sports director with Jumbo-Visma, he is away

from home a lot. But it was also a really beautiful period because we were together for a long time

and I really rested. Nothing could be planned.

I never expected that the Olympics would be possible. When they were coming closer it was clear

that it would not be fair for athletes because not everybody had a fair chance to train well or to

prepare for selection. So it was the best solution to postpone the Games.

When the virus was slowly disappearing, I started to train with a well-planned schedule. It was

more structured than ever before because I had a lot of time and no races or activities planned.

We worked on specific goals during this long period, like focusing on the time trial, which was

really motivating me.

I was happy when we could restart our season in Spain. Training had been really good for me,

so I was ready for racing. At the same time it was scary because the women were the first to start

again with competition. I felt a bit conflicted: we wanted to race but only if it was safe. I knew I

was not in the best form yet – I hadn’t done too much hard interval training because it was still

a pretty long period until the Giro and World Championships. Nevertheless, the results in Spain

were pretty satisfying for me.

Before the Giro it became clear that the World Championships were really going to take place.

My main goal during the Giro was finding my best possible form. I think taking advantage of a

xiii

The Road Book 2020 00i_650.indd 13 13/11/2020 09:33

rider who crashed [Annemiek van Vleuten, who was leading the Giro at the time] sounds really

strange. I just focus on my own race and do the best I can. I was really happy that I started to feel

very good in the last hard stages.

Before the World Championship time trial I was quite nervous. I had already been second four

times in the World Championships, but I had already become European champion this season.

That time trial showed that my training had worked, so I was going to the World Championships

with a good feeling.

In a time trial you always go to the limit. That’s why a recon is really important in this discipline;

I like to know on every corner how fast I will go in the time trial. Controlling your bike is always

part of cycling. Of course, I always hate it when somebody crashes and gets hurt. But winning it

was a big dream. It was a really special moment.

Before the road race, I felt good because I had just become a world champion and was in good

form. I liked the road race parcours, and we had a motivated and strong team. It was a big chance

– maybe my last one to become world champion on the road. My Boels Dolmans teammates were

there, which was really nice. I race with these girls through the whole season and it’s sometimes

strange not to be able to ride these important championships together. On the other hand, it is

also very special to ride with the best Dutch riders in one team – riders who are normally my

rivals. I am very grateful they sacrifice their own chances for me, knowing I will be their rival

again for the rest of the season.

The parcours was already hard but we planned to start our attacks in the fourth lap. Because

Annemiek and me were both in a position to win, we agreed that we both would try to attack

and would find out who was the strongest. The race went exactly like it was planned. I was totally

empty in the end.

I couldn’t really believe that I was a double world champion within three days. I still would like

to do the Olympics. Then I am looking forward to starting a new chapter in my life with different

challenges and hopefully less suffering… But 2020 was my best season ever.

xiv

AUGUST

WORLDTOUR MEN’S RACE

STRADE BIANCHE

1 August 2020

Siena–Siena

184km

WEATHER

TEMPERATURE

37°C

WIND

W 8km/h

The WorldTour restarted on the first day of

August with the race that was cancelled at the

last minute just at the point the calendar had

disintegrated in March. With Siena eerily devoid

of tourists, the finish lines cleared of crowds, and

the Italian public assiduously conforming to social

distancing and mask-wearing, this would be a

Strade Bianche like no other. The race withstood

the shock of a positive Covid-19 test for AG2R La

Mondiale’s Sylvan Dillier on the eve of the start,

and duly rolled out of Siena and into sweltering

heat and high humidity. Misfortune befell 2019

winner Julian Alaphilippe, who reportedly

punctured six times. Mathieu van der Poel of

Alpecin-Fenix was one-sixth as unlucky, also

having to deal with a flat tyre, and was never in

contention for the win. Instead, Wout van Aert – in

just his second road race since his terrible crash at

the 2019 Tour de France – rode clear of the select

group of favourites with around 13km remaining

and was never seen again. He cut a lonely figure

climbing the deserted Via Santa Caterina all alone.

After two second places in successive years, the

Belgian took an emphatic victory ahead of Davide

Formolo of UAE Team Emirates (making his

debut on the race) and Paris–Nice winner Max

Schachmann of Bora-Hansgrohe. NB

PROFILE

SIENA

BREAKAWAY

N. Bagioli (ANS), B. Declerq (ARK), I. Filosi (BCF),

Q. Pacher (BVC), S. Pellaud (ANS), C. van Kessel

(CWG)

SIENA

RESULTS

TRIVIA

POS NAME TEAM TIME

1. W. van Aert TJV 4:58:56

2. D. Formolo UAD 0:30

3. M. Schachmann BOH 0:32

4. A. Bettiol EF1 1:31

5. J. Fuglsang AST 2:55

6. Z. Štybar DQT 3:59

7. B. Bookwalter MTS 4:25

8. G. Van Avermaet CCC 4:27

9. M. Gogl NTT 6:47

10. D. Rosa ARK 7:45

11. G. Mühlberger BOH 8:11

12. M. Kwiatkowski INS 10:03

13. T. Pogačar UAD s.t.

14. S. Küng GFC s.t.

15. M. van der Poel AFC 10:06

16. D. Ulissi UAD 10:09

17. G. Izaguirre AST s.t.

18. L. Vliegen CWG 10:11

19. M. Mohorič TBM 10:30

20. A. Vendrame ALM 13:41

» The 2020 edition was the hottest Strade Bianche

on record, hitting 37ºC, which is unlikely to ever be

beaten as the race usually takes place in March

138

AUGUST

STRADE BIANCHE

1 August 2020

Siena–Siena

136km

WORLDTOUR WOMEN’S RACE

WEATHER

TEMPERATURE

37°C

WIND

W 8km/h

AUGUST

The first race to be cancelled due to the arrival of

the Covid-19 pandemic in Europe in March, it was

fitting that the Strade Bianche was also the first

Women’s WorldTour race after the restart of the

cycling season. In the August heat, the race over

Tuscany’s roads – including eight gravel sectors for

a total of 31.6km of gravel – turned up an expected

yet surprising winner.

After several splits and regroupings in the first

half of the race, 11 riders made a move at just

under 50km to go. Most of the big teams were

represented in this group, including Ellen van Dijk

(Trek-Segafredo), riding her male teammate Koen

de Kort’s bike as the women’s team’s bikes had

been stolen the day before. Also in the group were

Margarita Victoria García (Alé BTC Ljubljana),

Amanda Spratt (Mitchelton-Scott) and Leah

Thomas (Équipe Paule Ka), and it was García who

took off on a long solo 47km from the finish. With

no real cooperation behind her, García built her

advantage to more than 3 minutes on the chase

group and over 5 minutes on the peloton. But

by the final 20km, García was visibly struggling,

and Annemiek van Vleuten (Mitchelton-Scott)

had bridged to what remained of the chase group.

The world champion soon went on a solo chase,

catching the Spaniard on the run-in to Siena, and

García had no reply to Van Vleuten’s acceleration on

the steep Via Santa Caterina just before the finish.

Thomas rounded out the podium. LK

PROFILE

SIENA

BREAKAWAY

M. García (ALE)

SIENA

RESULTS

TRIVIA

POS NAME TEAM TIME

1. A. van Vleuten MTS 4:03:54

2. M. García ALE 0:22

3. L. Thomas EPK 1:53

4. A. van der Breggen DLT 2:05

5. E. Longo Borghini TFS 2:11

6. M. Vos CCC 2:26

7. C. U. Ludwig FDJ 2:40

8. L. Brennauer WNT 3:26

9. K. A. Canuel DLT 4:20

10. M. Bastianelli ALE 5:20

11. R. Leleivytė VAI 5:21

12. M. Harvey EPK s.t.

13. A. Spratt MTS 5:55

14. E. Bujak ALE 6:02

15. A. Santesteban WNT 6:23

16. L. Lippert SUN 6:27

17. E. van Dijk TFS 6:43

18. S. Stultiens CCC 6:59

19. O. Shapira CSR 7:08

20. D. Vollering PHV 8:06

» Van Vleuten kept her winning record alive with

victory at Strade Bianche, taking five victories from

all five starts so far in 2020

139

AUGUST


MILAN–SANREMO

8 August 2020

Milan–Sanremo

305km

WEATHER

TEMPERATURE

32°C

WIND

S 8km/h

Avoiding its traditional roll-out from outside the

Duomo in Milan, La Primavera set out from

Lombardy towards Liguria, respectful of the price

paid by the host region at the peak of the Covid-19

outbreak. That said, the race had to be rerouted

inland over a long section of the Ligurian coast, at

the request of local mayors of the seaside resorts

who were resistant to closing roads at the very

height of the restarted tourist trade. Hitting the

normal race route at Imperia, after passing over the

sapping Colle di Nava, Milan–Sanremo then took

on its usual shape. The Cipressa was ridden hard

enough for many of the specialist sprinters to be

dropped, including the highly fancied Caleb Ewan.

The battle on the Poggio was ignited by 2018

winner Vincenzo Nibali. His attack was countered

by Julian Alaphilippe, who launched a full-blooded

attack in the last kilometres of the final climb to

try and distance the pursuant Wout van Aert. The

small gap the Frenchman took over the top was

reduced to nothing by the time the pair entered

Sanremo, where Van Aert led most of the way to

the line with Alaphilippe on his wheel. The group

behind were closing but not quickly enough and,

try as he might to get past the Belgian, the 2019

winner could do nothing to prevent the dominant

Van Aert from claiming his first Monument and

repeating Alaphilippe’s feat of taking Strade

Bianche and Milan–Sanremo in the same year. NB

PROFILE

MILANO

BREAKAWAY

M. Bais (ANS), M. Boaro (AST), H. Carretero (MOV),

D. Cima (GAZ), M. Frapporti (THR), F. Mazzucco (BCF),

A. Tonelli (BCF)

SANREMO

TRIVIA

» Wout van Aert is the third rider to win both Strade Bianche and Milan–Sanremo

in one season, following Julian Alaphilippe (2019) and Michal Kwiatkowski

(2017), despite the two races only co-existing for 14 years

154

CAPRICORN STAR

BY NIC DLAMINI

Editor’s note

Nic Dlamini, 25, rides for NTT. He specialises in hard races with plenty of short sharp hills to attack. He

has ridden two editions of the Vuelta, and in 2018 he won the King of the Mountains competition at the

Tour Down Under. He is the only black South African to be racing overseas.

In late December 2019, he was out for a training ride on a regular route on the Cape Peninsular. During

the ride he was hauled off his bike and assaulted by a park ranger who broke his left arm in a deliberately

violent assault that was filmed by a passing cyclist. That assault is still subject to legal proceedings. Dlamini

now has a metal plate in his upper arm and a scar that measures 32 stitches in length.

He currently triangulates his life between his new family home in the predominantly white Cape Town

suburb of Muizenberg, Girona in Spain and the UK, where he spent lockdown. But he still visits his old

friends with whom he grew up in the troubled township of Capricorn Park.

For The Road Book 2020, he has shared his childhood memories, as well as retelling the story that made

international headlines just as the year was getting underway.

——

As an athlete you always know you’ll break your own bones. But I never thought someone else

would break mine. It’s a scar that means a lot to me. It’s part of the story. It’s part of me. I have

memories. But they don’t break me down.

A lot of people suggested that I go for counselling so that I could get my mind back and avoid

having flashbacks at some point. Maybe if it had happened to someone else, they might have

needed counselling. But since I grew up in a township, I didn’t feel like I needed it. I’ve never

had any flashbacks, not once. My background helped to make me strong. Obviously I broke my

arm, but I’ve seen worse.

CAPRICORN STAR BY NIC DLAMINI

33

I grew up in Capricorn Park. If you grow up in a township, you get exposed to a lot of stuff. It’s

very different to growing up in a white household. We saw everything, all the time. I’ve seen people

being killed. I’ve seen people being driven over by a train. I’ve seen crazy things. At any given time,

you’ll see people fighting. Then one of them will take out a knife and stab the other one. Or maybe

they’ll take out a gun and start shooting the other one. These are the things we grew up seeing.

Normally if you see someone take out a knife, or a gun, you start running. But in South Africa

you don’t run. When that happens, we don’t run away. We actually want to see what the other one

is going to do. That’s what it’s like, that’s what you get exposed to. You get used to it. You want

to see what’s going to happen. It becomes a normal thing. You’ll be walking along and you’ll see

someone lying there who’s just been shot a minute or two ago and people are just walking by,

minding their own business.

It’s madness living in a township. It is dirty. The streets are dirty, and full. The houses were built

by the government – really small, really basic. They used the cheapest materials. When it started

to rain, the doors would swell and they wouldn’t close. Then they’d start falling apart. I remember

when our door was broken and, in order to get in or out, we’d have to remove the whole door and

put it to one side to go out, then we’d put it back again. The roof would leak when it rained, and

the blankets would get wet. We’d have to put buckets underneath where the holes were.

In winter it would be a disaster, it would be really, really cold. Some people had a paraffin heater

and they’d leave it on the whole day. Other people couldn’t afford heaters, and they’d make fires

outside. Then, once the fire settled down, they’d bring the coals in.

We had one bedroom, made of bricks, and asbestos on top. One of us would sleep on the couch,

one on the floor and my sister would share the bed with my mum.

My mum has always done domestic work. She’s done it for a very long time and worked for a lot

of people. She’d have to wake up very early to leave the house by five o’clock. In the winter it was

a nightmare. She’d have to walk to the taxi rank [a ‘taxi’ in South Africa is normally a sixteenseater

minibus that transports passengers on a fixed route for a set fare but does not operate to a

timetable] and it was very worrying, with the township being so dangerous. So sometimes I’d walk

with her to make sure she got on to the taxi. We’d see my father sometimes, but we never stayed

with him or spent much time with him. Really, he was just not there. My mum did everything

when we were young.

A summer’s day in South Africa is noisy. People start spring cleaning, playing loud music, some

people will be drinking. People love alcohol in South Africa. I think it helps them to forget about

some of the things they are going through. It’s loud. People are cooking; the guys from Malawi

might be cooking fish or rice, frying it so it becomes really smelly. There’s a lot of sand in Cape

Town. It stinks too, it gets wet and kind of mouldy. That’s why people do so much cleaning.

Some days when it rained and the roof would leak, the material inside would start to smell like

mould. You have to open the windows and the doors. To get into some places you have to duck

under washing. You can imagine, maybe six people living on a small piece of land. Everyone’s doing

washing. You’re always having to duck under washing wherever you’re going. But I think the people

have found a happiness in that. They have accepted it. I did, too. I think that if you grow up in

an environment like that, you basically adapt to it and you’re able to find a lot of happiness in it.

34


Growing up, I was really naughty, to be honest. You know, if you grow up in a township that’s

well known for drugs and all the crazy stuff, the gangsters, it’s so easy to be influenced by those

things. My friends and I would go hunting. We’d kill birds – guinea fowl, goose, any sort of birds.

I’ve eaten every sort. We made traps using crates and ropes. Sometimes we’d drive a bird towards

the fence. Once it was close to the fence it wouldn’t be able to fly. Then we’d come from every

side and catch it. We’d make small houses in the bush. We’d come back from school and go and

sit in our small house. Then we started smoking. But I wasn’t really into it.

I remember one day coming back from school and thinking, ‘I don’t know if I’m really enjoying

what we’re doing.’ I must have been about 11 when I realised I didn’t want to do this. So I started

staying at home. I’d come back from school and basically just stay at home. I’d only see my friends

if my mum sent me out to go and buy something from the shop. That was the only time I saw

them then, playing in the street, and they’d always tease me. ‘You’re a homeboy now!’ I’d sit with

them for five minutes and then go back home.

My earliest memory is having to make this transition.

——

My twin sister and I were very sporty. The primary school and high school we went to were very

reliant on us when it came to sport. The school always counted on us when it came to athletics

and getting maximum points. We were very valuable. My mum didn’t have to go and find a high

school for us. There were already a lot of schools that had spotted us and decided that when we

went to high school they wanted to take us.

We were good at everything. My sister was more talented than me. She’s loud and very active. I

was more laid-back. She would win races without even training at all. I was a good middle-distance

runner, from 800m to 5,000m. We’d race at the weekends and win back to back. For us, it was a

really good feeling. We got along really well, too. Sometimes we’d train together. We both knew

we were both good, but she started to focus more on her academics, whereas I just focused on

sport and my studies took a dip when I started to get into cycling. It took up a lot of my time.

I knew nothing about the Tour de France, Paris–Roubaix or the Giro. I’d never heard of them.

We loved riding bikes. Every kid in the township wanted to ride a bike, but not everybody could

afford one. So, if one friend had a bike there’d be ten guys taking turns to ride it – riding down

the road, coming back and then giving it to someone else to take their turn. A friend of mine used

to cycle. We’d share stories. He’d tell me how far he’d gone on it and what he’d seen. He told me

he’d seen baboons and Chapman’s Peak. And I thought that sounded nice. It’d be nice to see that.

Then there was Geoff who had a small workshop in Capricorn fixing bikes, called Ben Bicycles.

He’d been a good cyclist back then but maybe didn’t have the opportunities. When he was younger,

cycling was still considered a white sport. We’d pay him 100RD fee [£8] for a year and he’d provide

a bike and kit. That’s when I started cycling. I was 12 then. He gave me a steel bike with downtube

shifter gears. That was my first bike.

At the weekends we’d ride as a group. We’d ride the famous route to Simonstown. It’s only an

hour long, and then we’d come back. We’d see all the white guys with their carbon-fibre bikes

and deep section rims.


35

I didn’t know much about changing gears. The bikes we had were like fixed-gear mountain bikes

that you’d buy cheap at a Chinese shop. So the first day I had my bike and we started riding,

everyone started going past me, and I was wondering why everyone was going fast. I was just

stuck in this one gear. I got sent back. I’d only done about 30 minutes with them before I had to

turn back. It was quite disappointing. But then I learned about gears. ‘Ah, OK! You have to shift

gear and it gets harder!’

Geoff had an aluminium Scott bike. It was the nicest bike I’d ever seen because I’d never been

outside of Capricorn to see other bikes, better bikes, carbon bikes. I hadn’t seen that. So I thought

Geoff had the nicest bike in the whole world. He did a great job for me, giving me a bike and

giving me a start. Without him, I wouldn’t have been a cyclist.

Mum earned very little as a domestic worker. She earned enough to feed the family, but that was

about it. Food and nothing else. Sometimes we didn’t even have food. You’d wake up so hungry

in the morning, and then my mum would go to work. We wouldn’t be able to wait until she came

back from work. Sometimes she’d come back with leftover food from whoever she was working

for. We’d know that it was almost four o’clock and that she might be on her way back. You could

see the taxis coming into Capricorn Park from where we lived. We stood there and watched them

coming in. We couldn’t wait for her to get back. When we could see her getting off, we’d start

running to her, looking to see if she had some plastic bags with her that meant she had food. We’d

take the bags home, check out what was inside and start eating. But some days there’d be nothing.

Some days we’d not have eaten the night before either.

Luckily, at school they had a feeding scheme. So we’d leave home a little early to get to the feeding

scheme and eat some porridge before school. But in the school holidays, there was no food. I

always went training though. I’d ride and of course I’d start to get the hunger knock. So I’d stop

and eat these red num-num fruits from the bush just to have something in my stomach. Or figs.

I would start eating figs, and then I could ride back.

We’d have to walk 5km get to school. We got used to it. The walk to school was long enough for

me to imagine things while I walked. As I walked, I started to imagine being a professional. I’d

wake up in the morning, have tea, breakfast, and then get ready to go and ride at eight o’clock

in the morning. It felt like I was painting my own life because a few years later that’s basically

what happened.

I started training hard, especially during school holidays. We’d go out with the team in the

mornings and then come back. But then I’d get bored and I’d think, ‘Maybe I can go out again?’

There were some days I’d have to start training at five o’clock in the morning, or perhaps leave very

early to get to a race. I’d always have to ride to the races in the dark. That’s the most dangerous

time: 4 or 5 am. That’s when the guys do all the robbing and breaking into houses, in the early

hours of the morning. I’d go out of the house and think to myself, ‘This is very dangerous. If

anything’s going to happen, it’ll be now.’

If you went to my house back then, you’d see posters all over the wall – pictures of local riders and

some of Chris Froome. I didn’t know much about any of the international riders back then, but

every time I saw a picture of a cyclist in a magazine, I’d cut it out and take it home.

36


One day Paris–Roubaix was on and my friend had a TV that was showing it. I rode over to his

house and we watched the race. Cancellara and Tom Boonen were still racing at that time. It was

so good to watch them. I looked at all the kit and the equipment and saw that it was really top

level and thought I’d love to be a professional one day.

If the coach saw good progress, you got a better bike. So I started getting aluminium bikes and I

was very happy. At 14 I started racing competitively. I won the summer league. When I was 17 I

started thinking about what I really wanted to do – and I thought of cycling. I started doing a lot

of racing. And when I was 18 I started winning races.

No one in my family had ever owned a car. Sometimes we’d take a taxi or go in a friend’s car. So

one of my wishes was that one day I could have a car so that we could go to the beach with the

whole family and just have fun. That was also painting a picture because we’ve done all those

things as well.

For me, it was just dreaming. Dreaming a life.

——

In 2015 when I was riding for the MTN feeder team, we had a team house in Potchefstroom.

It was very mixed. There were white guys, black guys from South Africa, Eritreans, Rwandans

all staying in one house. We started getting used to each other and learning about each other.

We started learning about each other’s cultures as well. It was strange for the first couple of

months, because we all cooked for ourselves. The Eritreans were cooking their things, and I

started wondering, ‘Jeez, is this what these guys eat?’ They’d come to South Africa with these hot

spices and they’d boil eggs and cook chicken with them and eat them with these small, very sour

pancakes. The food was so hot! The Rwandans always cooked pap [maize porridge]. So we’d learn

from each other’s ways of living and we got used to each other.

We became like a family. Now, when I’m away at races and there are other Africans there, there

is a special feeling. When I look at the list of riders, I look for the African guys and when I see

their names I think, ‘Awesome! There is another black guy. I feel good now, I have someone to

talk to.’ You can see it in the races. When the racing is relaxed, we all gather and we catch up

because we feel more connected than with the white guys. We ride together and chat. But when

the racing starts again and it’s crunch time, then we all do our own things that we’re supposed

to do within the team.

Most of the time I go to a race and I’m the only black guy on the team. But there have been times

when I have been the only black guy in the whole race. The first year I raced the Vuelta a Burgos,

I was the only black rider. But it felt normal, I don’t know why. I wasn’t too intimidated. I think

it also depends who you are.

In WorldTour races, you can’t just ride at the front. You’ve got to have a leader, or people have got

to know who you are for you to ride there, otherwise they’ll push you back. Now I’ve got more

comfortable riding in the front. For example, if you approach a corner on the inside, they’d look

at you and work out who you are. They’ll look and if they don’t like you, they’ll block you into

the corner and you have to go hard on the brakes.


37

It is true, though, that there has been a lot of incidents of racism in the peloton. For example, there

was an incident between Gianni Moscon and Kévin Reza. In fact, I think it happens most of the

time. It may be happening less often but you will still find that one person who is very racist. It’s

like when you are out on the road and most drivers are very polite, but every now and again you

find that one driver who’s very impatient. It’s basically the same. Most of the guys are very good,

but every now and again you’ll find the one guy who’s really racist. I’ve seen it happening to the

African guys. I’ve seen it happen to Natnael Berhane.

We were racing up a climb and it was crunch time. Natnael was about 20 metres ahead of me,

and there was this one rider moving up. He came alongside Natnael and just pushed him straight

off the road. I looked at that and I thought, ‘You can’t do that.’ But Natnael didn’t mind it. I

think it’s happened so many times to him that he doesn’t even take it into account any more.

But I saw what it was like. It wasn’t cool. I think the guy just looked at him and thought, ‘You’re

a black guy. You’re not supposed to be here anyway. I need to go past, so I’m just going to push

you.’ Those small things.

Then you get guys like Tsgabu Grmay. He stands tall. If a guy does something like that to him,

he goes crazy as well. I think it depends on who it happens to. If that were to happen to me, I

wouldn’t go crazy about it but I would exchange words with that person in a polite way. I’d make

the person understand that it wasn’t right what they did. But perhaps that goes back to the respect

I get within the peloton.

For some reason, I have gained a lot of respect from the peloton. A lot of guys are starting to

recognise me, which makes me feel welcome.

——

It was just a normal training day. I was going out to do my efforts. I have this climb about 5 or

6km from my house called Ou Kaapse Weg and it’s slightly longer than the other climbs, so I

always go there. It’s about 10 or 11 minutes to the top. But there is an extended section into a

nature reserve, through a gate. So, if you want a 15-minute effort, you normally turn there and

carry on for another three or four minutes.

I go up there all the time. In the past I’ve been up there with Ben Swift, with Bernie Eisel and with

another, local friend of mine. You have to go past the gate, ride to the top and turn around. That

day I was on my own. I passed the gate and went to the top. As I was coming down, there was a

guy in the middle of the road, and some other guys at the side. He was a ranger. I saw him but I

had no idea what he was doing there. Then I see that he’s stopping me, so I braked. I was going

too fast to stop where he was standing, so I had to go past. But as I came past him, he grabbed my

arm. He was a big guy, and off I went. I crashed and landed on my back, and I couldn’t breathe

for a second. I thought, ‘This guy must be crazy.’

I stood up and yelled, ‘What are you doing?’

Then he started to get angry. ‘Do you have a pass?’

‘We never need a pass to come up here!’

38


‘Do you have a pass?’

‘We train with my friends here all the time. Not once have we been asked for a pass.’ I was still

angry. ‘Do you understand that you can never grab someone’s arm at that speed? I’m a professional

cyclist.’

Then I told him I was going to report him, and he said, ‘Don’t make me hit you!’

As I reached for my phone, he grabbed me and pushed me against the van. It was a hard push. He

pulled me round and then banged me against the car for a second time. Then he started pulling

my arm. He was breaking my arm. He broke it. It completely snapped. Then they chucked me

into the back of the van. I was in such pain.

He wouldn’t have done it if I had been white. But also I think he thought I was foreign. Even

though most racism is between black and white, it’s also between black South Africans and

foreigners from Zimbabwe and Malawi. In some ways that’s worse. I’m dark. It’s not easy for

people to tell that I am actually Xhosa. The fact that I spoke English to him is one of the reasons

he probably thought, ‘This guy must be a foreigner.’ I’m pretty sure it wouldn’t have come off

like that if I’d spoken Xhosa with him. I worked it out. I looked at him and I knew where he was

from. I could tell which tribe he was from.

A bully likes challenges. And the people he works with never challenge him. They never question

him. Whatever he says, gets done how he wants it. People like power. As soon as they are given

power they go overboard. They know no one is going to question them. So, whatever they do,

people will pretend not to have seen it. Especially those close to them. It’s like with the cops in

America. The cops who were there pretended nothing had happened.

The reason these things will never stop is because of people trying to cover it up and to paint it

as nice as possible. I’m pretty sure they know what they did was wrong.

Just to be heard was very important to me. It was very nice to see how everyone worked together

to spread the Black Lives Matter message and make sure it was heard across the world. It is

important to everyone. It does not matter if you are black or white. Whoever gets power must

never think they are better than anyone else.

I was born in 1995. Mandela’s election was in ’94. My whole life has been lived in freedom.


39

AUGUST


TOUR DE FRANCE

Stage 1

29 August 2020

Nice Moyen Pays–Nice

156km

WEATHER

TEMPERATURE

27°C

WIND

SE 7km/h

The late-August weather achieved the impossible

by making the Tour and its public forget

coronavirus for an afternoon. It had not rained

for months, and the roads were coated with a

treacherous patina the French call ‘verglas d’été’ –

summer black ice – and, for days, slo-mo footage

circulated of the unfortunate Miguel Ángel López

on a left-hand corner with 46.5 km to go, losing

his back wheel, saving it, and having time, as he

slid sideways towards the inevitable face-first

impact with a post across the road, to reflect that

it might have been better to have fallen first time

round. His Astana team had breached a decision

described as collective by its chief enforcer,

Jumbo-Visma’s Tony Martin, to take the stage

easy. On that dicey descent, Team Jumbo-Visma

had moved authoritatively to the front. They

would stay there for most of the rest of the Tour.

The road captain of the team they replaced in

that position, Luke Rowe, commented afterwards,

‘Chapeau to the whole peloton, apart from

Astana, who made themselves look pretty stupid.’

Groupama-FDJ’s Valentin Madouas reckoned

there must have been a hundred fallers. The first

abandon of the race was Bahrain-McLaren’s

Rafael Valls: good news for one Catalan punter

who made a thousand Euros from a two-Euro

bet. His teammate Wout Poels broke a rib and

battered a lung, but battled on. After stage 5,

Poels’ persistence would be rewarded with the

combativité award. Lotto Soudal lost two men:

John Degenkolb, outside the time limit, and

Philippe Gilbert, with a fracture to the same

kneecap he broke on the Col de Portet d’Aspet in

2018. Then, not much more than a metre inside

the ‘3km to go’ banner, another mass crash caught

Thibaut Pinot. A jolting blow to the lower back

put him out of contention for the 2020 race,

although no one knew it at the time. The likeable

Alexander Kristoff took a popular stage win,

allowing UAE Team Emirates an excellent start to

the Tour. MR

PROFILE

NICE

BREAKAWAY

3

CÔTE DE RIMIEZ

S 3

NICE

M. Schär (CCC), C. Gautier (BVC) and F. Grellier (TDE)

CÔTE DE RIMIEZ

GENERAL CLASSIFICATION

POS NAME TEAM TIME

1. A. Kristoff UAD 3:46:13

2. M. Pedersen TFS 0:04

3. C. Bol SUN 0:06

4. S. Bennett DQT 0:10

5. P. Sagan BOH s.t.

6. E. Viviani COF s.t.

7. G. Nizzolo NTT s.t.

8. B. Coquard BVC s.t.

9. A. Turgis TDE s.t.

10. J. Stuyven TFS s.t.

KING OF THE MOUNTAINS

POS NAME TEAM PTS

1. F. Grellier TDE 2

2. M. Schär CCC 2

3. C. Gautier BVC 2

POINTS

POS NAME TEAM PTS

1. A. Kristoff UAD 59

2. M. Pedersen TFS 30

3. P. Sagan BOH 29

YOUNG RIDER

POS NAME TEAM TIME

1. M. Pedersen TFS 3:46:17

2. C. Bol SUN 0:02

3. S. Higuita EF1 0:06

BONUSES

TYPE NAME TEAM

Sprint 1 M. Schär

CCC

KOM 1 F. Grellier TDE

KOM 2 M. Schär CCC

NICE

174

STAGE RESULTS

POS NAME TEAM TIME

1. A. Kristoff UAD 3:46:23

2. M. Pedersen TFS s.t.

3. C. Bol SUN s.t.

4. S. Bennett DQT s.t.






10. J. Stuyven TFS s.t.

11. O. Naesen ALM s.t.

12. M. Trentin CCC s.t.

13. C. Venturini ALM s.t.

14. L. Mezgec MTS s.t.

15. H. Houle AST s.t.

16. S. Higuita EF1 s.t.


18. C. Swift ARK s.t.

19. C. Ewan LTS s.t.

20. C. Laporte COF s.t.

21. J. Koch CCC s.t.

22. M. Mørkøv DQT s.t.

23. M. Haller TBM s.t.

24. C. Gautier BVC s.t.

25. D. Formolo UAD s.t.

26. A. Amador IGD s.t.

27. V. S. Laengen UAD s.t.

28. S. Consonni COF s.t.

29. J. Polanc UAD s.t.

30. E. Theuns TFS s.t.

31. J. Bauer MTS s.t.

32. C. Pedersen SUN s.t.

33. J. Nieuwenhuis SUN s.t.

34. S. Kragh Andersen SUN s.t.

35. W. van Aert TJV s.t.

36. D. F. Martínez EF1 s.t.

37. C. Russo ARK s.t.

38. A. G. Jansen TJV s.t.

39. P. Roglič TJV s.t.

40. R. Gibbons NTT s.t.

41. S. Kuss TJV s.t.

42. M. Marcato UAD s.t.

43. T. Dumoulin TJV s.t.

44. R. Carapaz IGD s.t.

45. E. Bernal IGD s.t.

46. E. Chaves MTS s.t.

47. J. Debusschere BVC s.t.

48. D. Oss BOH s.t.

49. J. de Buyst LTS s.t.

50. R. Kluge LTS s.t.

51. C. Juul-Jensen MTS s.t.

52. T. Martin TJV s.t.

53. K. Asgreen DQT s.t.

54. C. Barthe BVC s.t.

55. F. Grellier TDE s.t.

56. K. Reza BVC s.t.

57. M. Cherel ALM s.t.

58. T. Van Asbroeck ISN s.t.

59. D. Quintana ARK s.t.

60. N. Quintana ARK s.t.

61. F. Aru UAD s.t.

62. M. Chevalier BVC s.t.

63. G. Mühlberger BOH s.t.

64. T. Benoot SUN s.t.

65. F. Großschartner BOH s.t.

66. E. Buchmann BOH s.t.

67. S. Geschke CCC s.t.

68. G. Van Avermaet CCC s.t.

69. R. Gesink TJV s.t.

70. H. Hofstetter ISN s.t.

71. T. van Garderen EF1 s.t.

72. J. Keukeleire EF1 s.t.

73. Q. Pacher BVC s.t.

74. P. L. Périchon COF s.t.

75. G. Martin COF s.t.

76. M. Kwiatkowski IGD s.t.

77. G. Soupe TDE s.t.

78. N. Oliveira MOV s.t.

79. D. de la Cruz UAD s.t.

80. E. Mas MOV s.t.

81. A. Vuillermoz ALM s.t.

82. P. Latour ALM s.t.

83. N. Peters ALM s.t.

84. R. Bardet ALM s.t.

85. N. Powless EF1 s.t.

86. H. Carthy EF1 s.t.

87. A. Bettiol EF1 s.t.

88. K. Neilands ISN s.t.

89. M. Walscheid NTT s.t.

90. M. Valgren NTT s.t.

91. E. Boasson Hagen NTT s.t.

92. G. Izaguirre AST s.t.

93. R. Urán EF1 s.t.

94. P. Rolland BVC s.t.

95. N. Edet COF s.t.

TRIVIA

POS NAME TEAM TIME

96. B. Mollema TFS s.t.

97. M. Gogl NTT s.t.

98. M. Nieve MTS s.t.

99. M. Schachmann BOH s.t.

100. D. van Baarle IGD s.t.

101. K. Elissonde TFS s.t.

102. N. Roche SUN s.t.

103. J. Hirt CCC s.t.

104. A. De Marchi CCC s.t.

105. D. Devenyns DQT s.t.

106. T. Declercq DQT s.t.

107. J. Alaphilippe DQT s.t.

108. B. Jungels DQT s.t.

109. A. Lutsenko AST s.t.

110. I. Zakarin CCC s.t.

111. I. Erviti MOV s.t.

112. J. Castroviejo IGD s.t.

113. L. L. Sanchez AST s.t.

114. B. Cosnefroy ALM s.t.

115. R. Porte TFS s.t.

116. A. Yates MTS s.t.

117. D. Impey MTS s.t.

118. D. Martin ISN s.t.

119. L. Kämna BOH s.t.

120. D. Pozzovivo NTT s.t.

121. T. Skujiņš TFS s.t.

122. A. Valverde MOV s.t.

123. D. Cataldo MOV s.t.

124. F. Frison LTS s.t.

125. Je. Herrada COF s.t.

126. R. Sicard TDE s.t.

127. R. Kreuziger NTT s.t.

128. M. Landa TBM s.t.

129. O. Fraile AST s.t.

130. M. A. López AST s.t.

131. I. Izaguirre AST s.t.

132. H. Tejada AST s.t.

133. L. Rowe IGD 3:53

134. L. Pöstlberger BOH 0:00

135. A. Perez COF s.t.

136. D. Rosa ARK s.t.

137. W. Barguil ARK s.t.

138. W. Anacona ARK s.t.

139. B. Hermans ISN 4:04

140. S. Bewley MTS 0:00


142. M. Ladagnous GFC s.t.

143. R. Molard GFC s.t.

144. T. Pinot GFC s.t.

145. S. Reichenbach GFC 4:15

146. V. Madouas GFC 0:00

147. M. Hirschi SUN s.t.

148. M. Schär CCC s.t.

149. N. Eg TFS s.t.

150. M. Burgaudeau TDE 4:51

151. L. Calmejane TDE s.t.

152. W. Poels TBM 0:00

153. C. Verona MOV s.t.

154. G. Niv ISN 5:14

155. J. J. Rojas MOV 0:00

156. A. Greipel ISN s.t.

157. N. Politt ISN s.t.

158. M. Soler MOV s.t.

159. W. Bonnet GFC s.t.

160. R. Cavagna DQT s.t.

161. P. Bilbao TBM s.t.

162. D. Caruso TBM s.t.

163. S. Colbrelli TBM s.t.

164. M. Mohorič TBM s.t.

165. D. Gaudu GFC s.t.

166. G. Bennett TJV s.t.

167. T. De Gendt LTS 11:04

168. N. Bonifazio TDE s.t.

169. P. Gilbert LTS s.t.

170. J. Cousin TDE s.t.

171. N. Arndt SUN s.t.

172. P. Sivakov IGD 13:04

173. S. Cras LTS s.t.

174. K. Ledanois ARK s.t.

175. R. Valls TBM 0:00

» After racing 148 stages, Alexander Kristoff wore the yellow

jersey for the first time

AUGUST

JULY

175

AUGUST


TOUR DE FRANCE

Stage 2

30 August 2020

Nice Haut Pays–Nice

186km

WEATHER

TEMPERATURE

28°C

WIND

SW 30km/h

Day two, and on a medium-mountain stage with

two categorised climbs, the Col de la Colmiane

and the Col de la Turini (billed by the rally press

as ‘the most dangerous road in the world’),

cycling’s most dangerous attacker accelerated when

everyone knew he would, held off the chase as

everyone thought he might, and won the stage. The

swashbuckling Julian Alaphilippe started where he

left off in 2019, then, in tears, dedicated the win to

his father, who had passed away on 27 June. The

super slo-mo camera even contrived to mask out

the 2018 Under-23 World Road Race champion

Marc Hirschi, who had turned 22 five days before

the Tour and had lost the stage, as the photo finish

showed, by less than a wheel. As yet, the Swiss

prodigy, managed by Fabian Cancellara, did not

merit a word of praise, although, as Alaphilippe

recognised, without Hirschi and Adam Yates, riding

away into the headwind would have been mission

impossible. Fourth behind Alaphilippe, Hirschi

and Yates was Greg Van Avermaet, sprinting

shoulder to shoulder with Sergio Higuita, whose

EF Pro Cycling had gone into the stage with a

plan to deliver Higuita well positioned into the

sprint: Neilson Powless, of Amerindian heritage

like many of the Colombians, had attacked on

the Col d’Eze with 40km to go but, 10km further

on, the Dauphiné champion Dani Martínez was

preparing to follow up when he lost his front wheel

and slapped down hard on the road surface. His

status as an outsider to win the Tour dissolved in

a heartbeat. Speculation about Alaphilippe’s race

lead began soon after the stage: could he match,

or even beat, his 2019 tally of 14 days in yellow?

When the 2017 Under-23 World Road Race

champion Benoît Cosnefroy took the red polkadot

jersey, another fabulous French Tour seemed

guaranteed. Peter Sagan had been wearing the

green jersey, borrowed from race leader Kristoff, in

the 23rd breakaway of his Tour career. So far, the

Tour was on familiar territory. MR

PROFILE

NICE

S 1

1

2

LAC DU BROC

BREAKAWAY

GENERAL CLASSIFICATION

POS NAME TEAM TIME

1. ↑106 J. Alaphilippe DQT 8:41:35

2. ↑114 A. Yates MTS 0:04

3. ↑141 M. Hirschi SUN 0:07

4. ↑12 S. Higuita EF1 0:17

5. ↑12 T. Pogačar UAD s.t.

6. ↑40 E. Chaves MTS s.t.

7. ↑18 D. Formolo UAD s.t.

8. ↑37 E. Bernal IGD s.t.

9. ↑35 R. Carapaz IGD s.t.

10. ↑33 T. Dumoulin TJV s.t.

KING OF THE MOUNTAINS

POS NAME TEAM PTS

1. — B. Cosnefroy ALM 18

2. — A. Perez COF 18

3. — M. Gogl NTT 12

YOUNG RIDER

POS NAME TEAM TIME

1. ↑19 M. Hirschi SUN 8:41:42

2. ↑1 S. Higuita EF1 0:10

3. ↑1 T. Pogačar UAD s.t.

BONUSES

COL DE LA COLMIANE

P. Sagan (BOH), L. Pöstlberger (BOH) B. Cosnefroy

(ALM), K. Asgreen (DQT), T. Skujiņš (TFS), A. Perez

(COF) and M. Gogl (NTT)

TYPE NAME TEAM

Sprint 1 M. Trentin

CCC

KOM 1 B. Cosnefroy ALM

KOM 2 A. Perez COF

KOM 3 N. Roche SUN

COL DE TURINI

COL D’ÈZE

NICE

176

STAGE RESULTS

POS NAME TEAM TIME

1. J. Alaphilippe DQT 4:55:27

2. M. Hirschi SUN s.t.

3. A. Yates MTS 0:01

4. G. Van Avermaet CCC 0:02

5. S. Higuita EF1 s.t.

6. B. Mollema TFS s.t.

7. A. Lutsenko AST s.t.


9. M. Schachmann BOH s.t.

10. A. Bettiol EF1 s.t.

11. G. Martin COF s.t.

12. E. Chaves MTS s.t.

13. D. Caruso TBM s.t.

14. A. Valverde MOV s.t.

15. P. Latour ALM s.t.

16. M. A. López AST s.t.

17. E. Bernal IGD s.t.

18. N. Quintana ARK s.t.

19. Je. Herrada COF s.t.

20. R. Carapaz IGD s.t.

21. P. Rolland BVC s.t.

22. T. Dumoulin TJV s.t.

23. K. Elissonde TFS s.t.

24. N. Roche SUN s.t.

25. E. Mas MOV s.t.

26. E. Buchmann BOH s.t.

27. M. Landa TBM s.t.

28. P. Bilbao TBM s.t.

29. T. Pinot GFC s.t.

30. R. Bardet ALM s.t.

31. P. Roglič TJV s.t.

32. R. Urán EF1 s.t.

33. D. Formolo UAD s.t.

34. R. Porte TFS s.t.

35. S. Reichenbach GFC s.t.

36. L. L. Sanchez AST s.t.

37. G. Izaguirre AST 0:19

38. M. Kwiatkowski IGD 1:04

39. M. Soler MOV 1:12

40. D. Pozzovivo NTT 1:16

41. G. Bennett TJV s.t.

42. F. Aru UAD 2:09

43. R. Molard GFC s.t.

44. V. Madouas GFC s.t.

45. S. Kuss TJV s.t.

46. W. van Aert TJV s.t.

47. H. Carthy EF1 3:38

48. D. F. Martínez EF1 s.t.

49. A. Vuillermoz ALM s.t.

50. N. Edet COF 4:25

51. H. Tejada AST s.t.

52. I. Zakarin CCC s.t.

53. R. Sicard TDE s.t.

54. M. Nieve MTS s.t.

55. I. Izaguirre AST s.t.

56. W. Barguil ARK s.t.

57. J. Stuyven TFS 5:35

58. K. Neilands ISN 7:02

59. J. Castroviejo IGD s.t.

60. B. Jungels DQT s.t.

61. M. Cherel ALM s.t.

62. W. Anacona ARK s.t.

63. N. Oliveira MOV 8:41

64. R. Gesink TJV s.t.

65. N. Eg TFS s.t.

66. D. Rosa ARK 9:55

67. J. Polanc UAD 9:57

68. C. Gautier BVC 10:19

69. T. Skujiņš TFS s.t.

70. B. Hermans ISN s.t.

71. L. Kämna BOH s.t.

72. F. Großschartner BOH s.t.

73. G. Mühlberger BOH s.t.

74. D. Cataldo MOV s.t.

75. C. Venturini ALM 12:43

76. C. Verona MOV 13:52

77. N. Powless EF1 s.t.

78. S. Kragh Andersen SUN s.t.

79. D. Devenyns DQT 14:33

80. K. Asgreen DQT 17:45

81. O. Naesen ALM s.t.

82. C. Swift ARK s.t.

83. N. Politt ISN s.t.

84. D. Quintana ARK s.t.


86. N. Peters ALM s.t.

87. M. Schär CCC s.t.

88. R. Kreuziger NTT s.t.

89. J. J. Rojas MOV s.t.

90. S. Geschke CCC s.t.

91. Q. Pacher BVC s.t.

92. B. Cosnefroy ALM s.t.

93. J. Koch CCC s.t.

94. A. Perez COF s.t.

95. E. Theuns TFS s.t.

TRIVIA

POS NAME TEAM TIME

96. D. Gaudu GFC s.t.

97. T. Benoot SUN s.t.

98. O. Fraile AST s.t.

99. T. van Garderen EF1 s.t.

100. D. Martin ISN s.t.

101. A. G. Jansen TJV s.t.

102. E. Boasson Hagen NTT s.t.

103. L. Pöstlberger BOH s.t.

104. T. Declercq DQT s.t.

105. D. van Baarle IGD s.t.

106. D. Oss BOH s.t.

107. M. Gogl NTT s.t.


109. T. Martin TJV s.t.

110. S. Colbrelli TBM s.t.

111. A. De Marchi CCC s.t.

112. J. Hirt CCC 17:51

113. M. Valgren NTT 20:42

114. M. Trentin CCC s.t.

115. M. Mohorič TBM s.t.

116. D. Impey MTS s.t.

117. G. Niv ISN s.t.

118. J. Keukeleire EF1 s.t.

119. K. Ledanois ARK s.t.

120. J. Bauer MTS s.t.

121. P. L. Périchon COF s.t.

122. C. Juul-Jensen MTS s.t.

123. T. Van Asbroeck ISN 21:38

124. M. Ladagnous GFC s.t.

125. C. Barthe BVC s.t.

126. J. Nieuwenhuis SUN s.t.

127. I. Erviti MOV s.t.

128. H. Houle AST s.t.

129. W. Poels TBM 25:47

130. P. Sivakov IGD 28:15


132. J. Debusschere BVC s.t.

133. R. Cavagna DQT s.t.

134. H. Hofstetter ISN s.t.

135. G. Soupe TDE s.t.

136. V. S. Laengen UAD s.t.

137. A. Kristoff UAD s.t.

138. M. Marcato UAD s.t.

139. L. Mezgec MTS s.t.

140. M. Haller TBM s.t.

141. M. Chevalier BVC s.t.


143. L. Calmejane TDE s.t.

144. A. Amador IGD s.t.

145. C. Pedersen SUN s.t.

146. M. Pedersen TFS s.t.

147. C. Laporte COF s.t.

148. L. Rowe IGD s.t.

149. M. Mørkøv DQT s.t.

150. R. Gibbons NTT 28:55


152. M. Walscheid NTT s.t.

153. W. Bonnet GFC s.t.

154. S. Bewley MTS s.t.

155. A. Greipel ISN s.t.

156. C. Russo ARK s.t.

157. T. De Gendt LTS s.t.

158. S. Cras LTS s.t.

159. N. Arndt SUN s.t.

160. R. Kluge LTS s.t.


162. M. Burgaudeau TDE s.t.

163. D. de la Cruz UAD s.t.

164. F. Grellier TDE s.t.

165. S. Consonni COF s.t.

166. J. Cousin TDE s.t.

167. C. Bol SUN s.t.

168. S. Bennett DQT s.t.

169. N. Bonifazio TDE s.t.

170. K. Reza BVC s.t.

171. F. Frison LTS s.t.

172. J. de Buyst LTS 29:08

173. C. Ewan LTS s.t.

» This was Alaphilippe’s fifth Tour stage victory

AUGUST

JULY

177

RACING BETWEEN REALITIES

BY ASHLEIGH MOOLMAN-PASIO

Maybe this is the year. Maybe this is the time that we’ve been building up to, that people will look

back on and say, ‘That was the moment.’ Then again, maybe nothing will change… but that’s not

the way I see things.

When Spain was forced into complete lockdown because of the Covid-19 pandemic, like everyone

else, I was faced with the shock and challenge of having my daily life turned upside down. For me,

the greatest change was training inside. I couldn’t fathom training the big hours I was accustomed

to, nor that I would be able to keep it up for weeks or months on end. But what choice did I have?

I watched as the world outside completely changed – and as my inside world did too. Within a few

weeks, the Zwift training wheels were off. I was exploring the virtual island of Watopia, joining

meet-ups, racing, eventually hosting my own weekly women’s ride for Liv, pushing mega power

and loving every second. My training didn’t suffer; my power actually got better. I enjoyed being

able to connect socially more easily and regularly online than I could ever do in real life. I still

missed the road, but until now I had been missing out on the untapped potential that the virtual

world had to offer. It was like the world opened up again and I started to see something I had

never seen before.

——

Many athletes and coaches will tell you that to achieve big athletic goals, you have to eat, sleep, and

dream cycling. If you want to medal at the Olympics, for four or more years you have to think of

nothing else but the Games. But as I’ve grown into my sport, into my profession and into myself

as a person, I’ve accepted that isn’t the way I’m wired. Cycling is my passion, but I’ve always been

driven by a deeper purpose. For me, it wasn’t just about getting to the Olympics and winning

races, it was also about then figuring out how that path, opportunity and mindset could be used

in a bigger way. And I had a vision of making positive change in women’s cycling.

410

RACING BETWEEN REALITIES BY ASHLEIGH MOOLMAN-PASIO

When I began to pursue cycling, I was unclear how to effect the change I wanted to see. At first

it was about chasing goals and owning that ambitious persona to empower other women. Season

after season, I continued to push for women’s cycling whether it was encouraging a developing

rider on the team, doing an interview about the lack of broadcasting or about pay inequity,

blogging about the realities of being a female pro in a male-dominated industry, or just spreading

the message that women can dream big. I found purpose in speaking up and I was encouraged

by others to continue, so I knew I was going in the right direction.

However, I didn’t always receive positive encouragement. Occasionally there was backlash, and

many times I felt I couldn’t speak up freely. ‘Just ride your bike, Ashleigh,’ or ‘Just focus on the

racing,’ I was told many times by the annoyed people I was challenging, but the more success I

had in my career, the more I was able to speak up. Fighting for change in a system where your job

security is easily threatened is risky, and many riders are in a more vulnerable position – younger,

newer, not as highly ranked – than me, but if I identified an opportunity to speak up, I took it.

I couldn’t ignore what I saw.

And what I constantly saw was that women’s cycling is always marginalised. It’s always compared

to men’s cycling and unjustly seen as inferior. In a catch-22, we can never seem to get the coverage

we need to warrant more investment, but without investment we never seem to warrant enough

coverage. That circles back to an overall lack of resources in the sport, which means there is a

lack of opportunity and development, underpaid staff, little tolerance for change, and cut corners

that lead to bad faith and abuses in power. Fighting against these deeply ingrained cultural norms

makes change slow and extremely difficult.

I never want to diminish the incredibly dedicated, passionate people in women’s cycling who have

devoted their lives to the sport. Without them the sport would fail and the positive changes I’ve

personally seen in the last ten years would never have occurred. Nevertheless, we need more change

and growth in all aspects of the sport, from broadcasting to the UCI. We need to connect the dots in

cycling – to bring all the spheres of cycling together – to create a more promising future for women’s

cycling where we can lead the next generation into a sport with more inclusivity, equal opportunity

and long-term sustainability. That vision became the purpose behind my passion for cycling. And

like a good athlete, I will keep working towards it as hard as I can, both on and off the bike.

Part of that vision gave birth to Rocacorba Cycling. If you want to boil it down, we’re a cycling

hotel. We have a few houses for accommodation on a historic Catalan estate that we’ve renovated

to include bike rental, high-performance services and much more. We host camps and pro teams

with the idea of one day running a women’s team, hosting the service course, and allowing guests

to come and train on the facilities just like the professionals. It’s a place where everyone is on

equal ground and can share their passion for cycling on the magical roads and trails of Girona.

But it’s about more than just beds and bikes: it’s a demonstration of how connecting the dots

in cycling can bring about sustainability; it’s a hub that brings the athlete, lifestyle and business

parts of cycling together; it’s a boots-on-the-ground, putting-the-theory-into-action, leading-byexample

kind of project. I still need to blog and do podcasts, interviews and social media, and

hold a space of leadership in my team and community to speak up for change, but Rocacorba

Cycling is a different tool to achieve the same goal, where – one guest at a time – people change

their appreciation of and engagement with women’s cycling.

——


411

When the world shut down because of Covid-19, just like everyone else, Rocacorba Cycling had

to close its doors temporarily. In the meantime, I still had to train. I was lucky to already have a

fantastic indoor set-up with a Tacx smart trainer and a Zwift account hooked up to a big-screen

TV, but my head still was wary about spending 20 hours or so a week pedalling and going nowhere.

At first, my coach adjusted my plan slightly, making my sessions shorter and power targets a bit

lower, but I was really just doing my normal sessions with ‘live entertainment’. When I was asked

to race on Zwift, however, that’s when everything changed.

I was actually pretty nervous about racing on Zwift. Firstly, I had seen other races, and the power

numbers riders were putting out were downright intimidating. Secondly, I had never raced virtually

before. I had ridden on the game a little, but I didn’t know how to use the power-ups, how to

draft, and all the rest of the game nuances, so I was scared of embarrassing myself. Eventually I

convinced myself and my coach to just jump in and try it.

My first race was at 8pm so I spent the entire day waiting. I had nervous butterflies in my stomach!

It had been a long time since I’d felt like that before a bike race. I prepared properly with a good,

long warm-up, and I had a small table next to me with my nutrition and the fan on high to keep

me cool. My family was surrounding me, ready to cheer me on. With all the avatars corralled in

the start pen, my heart was beating like it was my first race ever.

The countdown began and so did my legs. I knew I had to pedal before so that I wasn’t stationary

when we started, but I completely overdid it and shot right off the front. Lesson one: there is a

delay between the pedals and the screen! It’s a tricky balancing act to put the right amount of

power down in relation to the reaction of my avatar. After shooting off the front, I eased up but

then slipped right off the back. I was like a yo-yo for the first few minutes until I mastered the

delay, but then I was in the game.

I had raced the course in real life, so I was really impressed with how real the road felt compared

to my memory of it. I remembered the finishing climb perfectly so I knew exactly where to attack.

But there aren’t ‘power boosts’ in real life or the ‘burrito’ feature (where no one can benefit from

your draft). I figured out not to pedal on long downhills so my avatar would aero tuck and go

faster, and I quickly fell in love with the ‘feather boost’ – an instant 9kg off your power-to-weight.

Just like the Giro Emilia, I knew it was all going to come down to the finishing climb, but you

can’t see a burrito or feather boost coming so you need a different strategy when racing virtually.

Compared to real-life races, virtual races are shorter in length and intense from start to finish,

and you have to stay on the pedals all the time. The game features are part of it but, unlike the

road where teams and race strategy are crucial, it really comes down to sheer power. To perform

like that physically, you have to mentally commit to sweat it out in your living room or garage

or wherever while you’re surrounded by normal life. It’s a headspace not everyone can tap in to,

which is why some great road racers weren’t as good virtually and why other relatively unknown

riders were smashing it.

I had come into the race with no expectations, just to try it out and see if it was my cup of tea. I

still had a lot to learn but I realised pretty fast I was in it to win it. On the first time up the climb

I set a hard tempo to thin out the bunch but the second and final time, I laid down the power

100 per cent. Years earlier I had attacked in the same place and came up short, but not this time.

I won and it was pretty clear that I was hooked on virtual racing.

412


Winning was definitely a different experience. There was no crowd, no podium, no big team

celebration with hugs and cheers. But with the emotional and physical effort I’d invested, the

adrenaline rush and the satisfaction were still very much there. It was also incredible to have my

family literally right next to me, experiencing the race with me. Winning like this wasn’t more or

less; it was just different, which sums up my feelings about virtual racing. One thing was for sure,

though: within the negative of such scary changes in real life thanks to the pandemic, this was a

big, welcome positive.

Following the positivity, I fully bought in to virtual racing and training and I started to race as

often as I could. I took part in more meet-ups and hosted a Liv women’s ride every Monday. I

started to spread the word and encourage other pro women to race and engage with online training

platforms. I started to blog and speak about how we could use this difficult time to engage in

something positive, not only to help us cope but to create something positive for the future even

when normal life resumed. I committed myself to keeping a presence on Zwift, including virtual

races. I saw big potential and imagined the changes it could bring.

Participating in virtual racing saw my follower numbers on social media boom and, from a quick

scroll through, I realised I actually knew some of these people – a few were the men and women

I had connected with on Zwift. I was especially happy to recognise some of the women from my

weekly Liv group, as I had really fallen in love with those Monday rides. So many of the women

during these group rides told me they were too nervous or anxious to ride outside or to join a

group ride in real life. Without the fear of getting dropped, feeling ‘not good enough’, being new,

geographically isolated or having scheduling conflicts with family and work, in the comfort and

safety of their own home they were able to enjoy cycling in a new and positive way. I made sure

to connect personally with anyone who was new, to encourage them and make them feel welcome

and accepted, sharing advice and learning about their lives and cycling experiences. I felt honoured

to spend time with them and to share my passion. It was a big mental boost for me during the

difficult time of lockdown, keeping me connected and motivated to train and, more importantly,

really stoking my passion for women’s cycling.

I was ‘meeting’ so many new cyclists and reaching a whole new audience through the virtual

world, especially after winning three stages in the Tour For All. Whenever women’s cycling is

broadcast to a large audience, we never fail to impress but in real life it never seems to stick. Lack

of continuity, competition for resources or just plain poor coverage seems to kill any momentum,

setting us back at square one. But now, with everyone’s attention on virtual racing because of the

pandemic, we had continuity and we didn’t have to compete for equal, high-quality or convenient

coverage. While the avatars on screen were entertaining, the live feed of key racers sweating and

digging deep next to their couches or on their balconies made every event captivating. This was

a new racing experience and everyone who watched or participated was suddenly realising the

power of virtual cycling – including the Tour de France.

A Virtual Tour de France was announced that, for the first time in the Tour de France’s history,

would stage equal men’s and women’s races. Without so many of the traditional barriers and

with Zwift’s insistence on equal opportunity and coverage, the Virtual Tour de France had men

and women racing six stages, equal in distance, across three weekends in July. My team, CCC

Liv, would participate along with 16 other pro women’s teams and 23 pro men’s teams. And I

was definitely racing.


413

It’s not the first time ASO has ventured into including women but it’s never been on equal

ground. During the Tour de France ASO also hosts a one-day race for women, La Course, but

there is always a very clear distinction between us and them. Although it’s a step forward to have

a women’s event alongside the Tour, there is no spirit of equality and the atmosphere of the race

always feels like an afterthought. Most importantly, there is zero media crossover – the official

Tour de France Twitter account didn’t even mention La Course once. It’s no wonder there are

barely any fans there because it seems they just don’t know we’re racing.

This time, though, everyone knew the women were racing. I was so excited to see CCC Liv

on the Tour de France website, next to all the other women’s and men’s teams on the startlist.

Winning a stage in the Tour is one of the most prestigious achievements for a cyclist but, without

a women’s race, it was never a reality for me. Part of me had made my peace with that; I wanted

equality, not necessarily a replica of men’s cycling. But, when it came down to it, I was a cyclist

and every cyclist dreams of the Tour. When I saw my name on that startlist, I couldn’t help it: I

wanted to win a stage of the Tour de France, even if it was virtual. The dream would be to win

solo on a famous mountain. And that’s exactly how I did it: on the Queen Stage of the race, a

virtual summit finish on Mont Ventoux, I went all in. I attacked and got away solo, laying all my

cards on the table with 2km to go. I might have been in my house but my legs, my heart and my

soul were in France. When I crossed the line, it was the classy hard-earned victory that I had

dreamed of. It was a massive win for me, and it felt like an even bigger win for women’s cycling.

The race was covered on mainstream media and on the official Tour de France website and social

media, bringing us the viewership and the visibility we had been fighting for, and I immediately

saw the impact. Sometimes big performances and wins in real-world races can feel like an anticlimax

– there’s a massive effort and lots of emotion and adrenaline and then no one knows the

race even happened – but things were different with mainstream media coverage. The day after

my win, I rode into town for coffee and people were staring at me. ‘They know you won the stage

yesterday,’ my husband explained. I wasn’t convinced until a car slowed down to take a photo

of me: ‘You’re the one that won the VR TDF stage!’ Nothing like that had ever happened to me

before, but it clearly shows that there is an appetite for women’s cycling.

When it comes to connecting all the dots in cycling, we can’t ignore the impact of the Tour de

France. It is one of the world’s biggest sporting events, positioned as the epitome of cycling,

representing the history, culture and romance of cycling that every rider is drawn to. That kind of

influence is exactly why ASO is so critical to the success of women’s cycling: if they got behind

women’s cycling, everyone would follow, as shown by the women’s Virtual Tour de France. I

wholeheartedly believe there is ample business opportunity and financial success to be had in the

women’s sport, but I also believe ASO has a responsibility to take the lead and support women’s

cycling. Virtual racing is such a big step forward, and I hope the positive outcomes from including

women’s racing have demonstrated the wealth of opportunities, necessity for change and a path

forward even ASO can’t ignore.

As the world shifts into a post-quarantine reality, I see the virtual world as an even more untapped,

undervalued resource. Perhaps we actually needed this forced focus on virtual cycling to recognise

its value; perhaps this drastic situation was the shake-up women’s cycling needed to bring about

realistic lasting change. More personable and intimate than standard social media, easier to

undertake than traditional broadcast coverage, and incredibly more accessible with unparalleled

reach, what started as a means to an end opened my eyes to an invaluable opportunity for women’s

414


cycling. With significantly less need to compete for limited resources and fight head-on against such

deeply ingrained cultures, this is a real chance to claim the space that women’s cycling deserves,

has earned and needs for a sustainable future. Excellent coverage and equal racing opportunities

came with racing that was tough, competitive and a whole new discipline of cycling that required

just as much effort and a special set of skills – and fans could see that. The appetite for women’s

cycling is there and, although we’ve proved it time and time again, this different medium might just

enable change to continue, even post-pandemic. It’s not the magical answer to all the problems in

women’s cycling, but the timing and scale of the opportunity has the power to be a turning point.

Despite the uncertainty of the continuing pandemic, I can see my vision of women’s cycling even

more clearly. Virtual platforms allow us to harness the moment and turn it into a real movement,

connecting the different spheres of cycling by creating positive and meaningful experiences that

also present sustainable business opportunities for key stakeholders. It won’t be something we

will be able to put on our palmarès, but it will be a hard-fought, fulfilling and significant victory

if 2020 is the season we begin to lead the next generation into a better reality of women’s cycling.

——

Of course, the gap between the future and the present is big and, as quarantine was lifted and we

found a new normal alongside Covid-19, I knew it was important to keep momentum. But reality

hit hard, literally, when I started racing on the road again. After a ‘get back into the swing of things’

race in the Basque country in Spain, I had big plans for Strade Bianche. It had been a big target for

my 2020 season and was even more so after the majority of the races were cancelled in response

to the pandemic. The day before the race during a routine route recon, I hit a protruding rock

on a gravel section, my apparently loose bars slipped down, and I hit the ground and slid along

the gravel. I had blood gushing from my arm, my waist was bloody and swollen, and emotionally

I was deflated: I knew it was over. Months of hard work and preparation to race for the podium

in a WorldTour Classic – on the indoor trainer, in every Zwift race, and all the mental fortitude it

took during lockdown – felt over in a manner of seconds. I always stay positive but that doesn’t

mean I ignore the negative, and this… well, it sucked.

It took a few days for me to start moving again. Then there I was, back on the indoor trainer

again, this time because of the 60 stitches I had on my arm and waist. I couldn’t help but think

about everything that had happened during the ‘season’ up to Strade Bianche. I had built up this

big day in my head, I was ready to execute, and then… nothing. I was worried the same could

happen for women’s cycling. As soon as real-life racing was well underway, ASO and the entire

industry could very easily go back to pre-pandemic normal. All the momentum we had built up

with virtual racing could be gone.

But whatever was left of my season wasn’t over because I crashed. All the work in preparation

for Strade Bianche wasn’t for nothing. The effort and progress were still in the bank. The mental

work, the development and belief in a vision, that hadn’t disappeared. There were more races to

come, virtually and on the road. The same was true for women’s cycling. For years we had been

building up to an opportunity like this, a real turning point to direct a better future, and no matter

what setbacks or changes were ahead, that momentum wasn’t directed at a single moment that

determined success or failure; it was building momentum towards a movement.

Even as the heyday of virtual cycling begins to fade and real-life racing begins again, such

unprecedented times gained us positive change and increased visibility. Whether or not the future


415

reveals that virtual cycling during the pandemic was in fact a key moment for women’s cycling,

there is no doubt that momentum was created. I know pay equity isn’t going to happen tomorrow.

I know a women’s Tour de France or mainstream media coverage isn’t going to happen next week.

But I do know that, thanks to virtual cycling, women’s cycling moved towards both those goals.

And while 2020 will be a year we all remember because of the pandemic, thanks to virtual cycling

I also see it as the moment that created a movement towards greater sustainability, inclusivity

and equality in cycling.

416


ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT

For all the environment virtues that cycling boasts, professional racing is

another thing entirely. The sheer amount of equipment and energy used by

each team to support dozens of riders and staff to race in locations around the

world doesn’t come without an environmental cost. Deceuninck-QuickStep,

one of the biggest and most successful WorldTour squads of the last few years,

decided last year not only to calculate what went into their racing operation

but also to offset their carbon usage. This will be done through two projects:

the first will provide a safe water supply to an area in Uganda so that people

don’t have to burn wood in order to boil water; the second is a conservation

project in the area surrounding Mont Ventoux. The region is a habitat for

wolves, obviously a cause close to the ‘wolfpack’s’ hearts.

Days

272

Race days

79

Countries

20

Tonnes of CO 2

Brussels > New York return flights

1,288 equivalent > to 539 > or

Football pitches needed to capture CO 2

3,000

Bottles

27,000

Helmets

180

Groupsets

300

Gels

12,500

Caps

2,500

Wheels

400

Bikes

280

Chains

600

TEAMS

MEN'S WORLDTOUR

TEAM JUMBO-VISMA

2020 SEASON REVIEW

Jumbo-Visma were being hotly tipped to finally

break Ineos’ stranglehold on the Tour de France,

and things were going to plan as they showed

their strength in the warm-up races and through

three weeks of Grand Tour racing, before they

forgot to account for Tadej Pogačar’s supreme

talents. They still managed to take a number of

prestigious one-day victories in Strade Bianche,

Milan–Sanremo and Liège–Bastogne–Liège, and

at the Vuelta Primož Roglič bounced back from

Tour disappointment, winning four stages and

defending his red jersey, in what was as much a

team effort as an individual performance. JL

2020 VICTORIES

Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana – stage 1 2.Pro D. Groenewegen

Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana – stage 3 2.Pro D. Groenewegen

UAE Tour – stage 4 WT D. Groenewegen

Slovenia – RR NC P. Roglič

Strade Bianche WT W. van Aert

Milan–Sanremo WT W. van Aert

Tour de l’Ain – stage 2 2.1 P. Roglič

Tour de l’Ain – stage 3 2.1 P. Roglič

Tour de l’Ain 2.1 P. Roglič

Gran Piemonte 1.Pro G. Bennett

Critérium du Dauphiné – stage 1 WT W. van Aert

Critérium du Dauphiné – stage 2 WT P. Roglič

Critérium du Dauphiné – stage 5 WT S. Kuss

Belgium – ITT NC W. van Aert

Tour de France – stage 4 WT P. Roglič

Tour de France – stage 5 WT W. van Aert

Tour de France – stage 7 WT W. van Aert

Settimana Internazionale Coppi e Bartali – stage 4 2.1 P. Eenkhoorn

Liège–Bastogne–Liège WT P. Roglič

Vuelta a España – stage 1 WT P. Roglič



Vuelta a España – stage 13 (ITT) WT P. Roglič

Vuelta a España WT P. Roglič

TEAM INFORMATION

UCI CODE

UCI STATUS

COUNTRY

FOUNDED 1990

TEAM NAME HISTORY

TJV

MEN’S WORLDTOUR

NETHERLANDS

1990–1992 BUCKLER-COLNAGO-

DECCA

1993–1994 WORDPERFECT-

COLNAGO-DECCA

1995 NOVELL SOFTWARE-

DECCA

1996–2010 RABOBANK PROTEAM

2011–2012 RABOBANK CYCLING

TEAM

2013–2014 BELKIN-PRO CYCLING

TEAM

2015–2018 TEAM LOTTONL-JUMBO

2019–2020 TEAM JUMBO-VISMA

TEAM MANAGER

RICHARD PLUGGE

2020 NEW RIDERS

TOM DUMOULIN, TOBIAS FOSS,

CHRIS HARPER, CHRISTOPH PFINGSTEN

EQUIPMENT

BIKE

GROUPSET

WHEELS

BIANCHI

SHIMANO

SHIMANO

454

RIDER PROFILES

PRIMOŽ

ROGLIČ

Slovenia

29.10.89

Years Pro 5

Years On Team 5

Grand Tour Apps 7

Wins 47

UCI Ranking 1

Primož Roglič looked formidable throughout the

Tour de France until the final time trial, when

Tadej Pogač ar blew him away. He bounced back

almost immediately, finishing sixth at the Imola

Worlds before winning Liège–Bastogne–Liège

with a smart sprint. At the Vuelta he took four

stages en route to defending both his red and

green jerseys, holding form despite slipping in

the third week.

WOUT

VAN

AERT

Belgium

15.09.94

Years Pro 4

Years On Team 2

Grand Tour Apps 2

Wins 17

UCI Ranking 3

Van Aert dominated the restart of the season,

winning Strade Bianche and Milan–Sanremo,

then taking two stages of the Tour while

performing domestique duties for Primož Roglič.

After the Tour, he will have been disappointed

with a string of second places in the Worlds TT

and Road Race as well as the Tour of Flanders.

This was the year of Wout van Aert.

GEORGE

BENNETT

New Zealand

07.04.90

Years Pro 9

Years On Team 6

Grand Tour Apps 13

Wins 2

UCI Ranking 26

ROBERT

GESINK

Netherlands

31.05.86

Years Pro 14

Years On Team 14

Grand Tour Apps 18

Wins 13

UCI Ranking 442

SEPP

KUSS

United States

13.09.94

Years Pro 3

Years On Team 3

Grand Tour Apps 5

Wins 6

UCI Ranking 117

TIMO

ROOSEN

Netherlands

11.01.93

Years Pro 6

Years On Team 6

Grand Tour Apps 4

Wins 2

UCI Ranking 218

MAARTEN

WYNANTS

Belgium

13.05.82

Years Pro 16

Years On Team 10

Grand Tour Apps 8

Wins 0

UCI Ranking 1433

KOEN

BOUWMAN

Netherlands

02.12.93

Years Pro 5

Years On Team 5

Grand Tour Apps 5

Wins 1

UCI Ranking 568

DYLAN

GROENEWEGEN

Netherlands

21.06.93

Years Pro 6

Years On Team 5

Grand Tour Apps 4

Wins 53

UCI Ranking 409

TOM

LEEZER

Netherlands

26.12.85

Years Pro 13

Years On Team 13

Grand Tour Apps 8

Wins 1

UCI Ranking –

MIKE

TEUNISSEN

Netherlands

25.08.92

Years Pro 6

Years On Team 4

Grand Tour Apps 4

Wins 6

UCI Ranking 156

LAURENS

DE PLUS

Belgium

04.09.95

Years Pro 5

Years On Team 2

Grand Tour Apps 4

Wins 1

UCI Ranking –

CHRIS

HARPER

Australia

23.11.94

Years Pro 1

Years On Team 1

Grand Tour Apps 1

Wins 3

UCI Ranking 514

BERT-JAN

LINDEMAN

Netherlands

16.06.89

Years Pro 9

Years On Team 6

Grand Tour Apps 7

Wins 4

UCI Ranking 553

ANTWAN

TOLHOEK

Netherlands

29.04.94

Years Pro 5

Years On Team 4

Grand Tour Apps 4

Wins 1

UCI Ranking 305

TOM

DUMOULIN

Netherlands

11.11.90

Years Pro 9

Years On Team 1

Grand Tour Apps 13

Wins 21

UCI Ranking 54

LENNARD

HOFSTEDE

Netherlands

29.12.94

Years Pro 4

Years On Team 2

Grand Tour Apps 4

Wins 0

UCI Ranking 945

PAUL

MARTENS

Germany

26.10.83

Years Pro 15

Years On Team 13

Grand Tour Apps 11

Wins 7

UCI Ranking –

TACO

VAN DER HOORN

Netherlands

04.12.93

Years Pro 4

Years On Team 2

Grand Tour Apps 0

Wins 3

UCI Ranking 649

PASCAL

EENKHOORN

Netherlands

08.02.97

Years Pro 3

Years On Team 3

Grand Tour Apps 0

Wins 3

UCI Ranking 242

AMUND GRØNDAHL

JANSEN

Norway

11.02.94

Years Pro 4

Years On Team 4

Grand Tour Apps 3

Wins 2

UCI Ranking 1275

TONY

MARTIN

Germany

23.04.85

Years Pro 15

Years On Team 2

Grand Tour Apps 20

Wins 66

UCI Ranking –

JOS

VAN EMDEN

Netherlands

18.02.85

Years Pro 13

Years On Team 13

Grand Tour Apps 12

Wins 13

UCI Ranking 773

TOBIAS

FOSS

Norway

25.05.97

Years Pro 1

Years On Team 1

Grand Tour Apps 1

Wins 0

UCI Ranking 356

STEVEN

KRUIJSWIJK

Netherlands

07.06.87

Years Pro 11

Years On Team 11

Grand Tour Apps 18

Wins 2

UCI Ranking 588

CHRISTOPH

PFINGSTEN

Germany

20.11.87

Years Pro 6

Years On Team 1

Grand Tour Apps 4

Wins 0

UCI Ranking 1434

JONAS

VINGEGAARD

Denmark

10.12.96

Years Pro 2

Years On Team 2

Grand Tour Apps 1

Wins 1

UCI Ranking 330

TEAMS

455

TEAMS

WOMEN'S WORLDTOUR

BOELS DOLMANS CYCLING TEAM

2020 SEASON REVIEW

Led by superstar Anna van der Breggen, the

team boasts a squad where every rider can

compete for victory, giving the team multiple

options in all races. This was played out most

explicitly in the Tour of Flanders, where Van der

Breggen put herself at her teammates’ service,

controlling the race and enabling Chantal van

den Broek-Blaak’s solo victory.

Van der Breggen took her own share of wins,

including the Giro Rosa, Flèche Wallonne,

Setmana Ciclista Valenciana, and a double at

the World Championships. Jolien D’hoore was

the team’s protected rider in the flatter Flemish

Classics and won Gent–Wevelgem from a small

group but was relegated from her winning

position in Three Days of De Panne due to

irregular sprinting. Van den Broek-Blaak also

won Le Samyn. Amy Pieters was an invaluable

teammate in the Classics, finishing fifth in

Liège–Bastogne–Liège and winning the sprint for

second place behind her teammate in the Tour of

Flanders.

TEAM INFORMATION

UCI CODE

UCI STATUS

COUNTRY

FOUNDED 2010

TEAM NAME HISTORY

DLT

WOMEN’S WORLDTOUR

NETHERLANDS

2010–2011 DOLMANS LANDSCAPING

TEAM

2012 DOLMANS-BOELS

CYCLING TEAM

2013–2020 BOELS DOLMANS

CYCLING TEAM

TEAM MANAGER

DANNY STAM

2020 NEW RIDERS

LONNEKE UNEKEN

Christine Majerus defended her Luxembourg

ITT and road race titles, Amalie Dideriksen

won the Danish ITT championship, and – for

the first time in her career – Van der Breggen

won the Dutch road race championships and the

European ITT Championships. LK

2020 VICTORIES

Setmana Ciclista Valenciana – stage 2 2.2 A. van der Breggen

Setmana Ciclista Valenciana 2.2 A. van der Breggen

Le Samyn des Dames 1.2 C. van den Broek-Blaak

Luxembourg – ITT NC C. Majerus

Netherlands – RR NC A. van der Breggen

Luxembourg – ITT NC C. Majerus

European Championships – ITT CC A. van der Breggen

Giro Rosa WWT A. van der Breggen

World Championships – ITT WC A. van der Breggen

World Championships – RR WC A. van der Breggen

Flèche Wallonne WWT A. van der Breggen

Denmark – ITT NC A. Dideriksen

Tour of Flanders WWT A. van den Broek-Blaak

484

RIDER PROFILES

CHANTAL

VAN DEN

BROEK-BLAAK

Netherlands

22.10.89

Years Pro 8

Years On Team 6

Wins 22

UCI Ranking 16

Often racing in support of even stronger

riders on her trade or national team, she

still achieved a number of stand-out results,

the biggest of which was her solo Tour of

Flanders victory in her 12th participation

in the race. She also won Le Samyn

and finished fourth in the Omloop Het

Nieuwsblad and European Championships.

ANNA

VAN DER

BREGGEN

Netherlands

18.04.90

Years Pro 9

Years On Team 4

Wins 52

UCI Ranking 1

Winning the Giro Rosa and both the ITT

and Road Race World Championships, she

was one of the most dominating riders of the

season. She also won her sixth consecutive

Flèche Wallonne as well as the Dutch road

race title, the European ITT Championships

and the Setmana Ciclista Valenciana and

played a vital role in the team’s victory in the

Tour of Flanders.

EVA

BUURMAN

Netherlands

07.09.94

Years Pro 5

Years On Team 2

Wins 0

UCI Ranking 379

AMY

PIETERS

Netherlands

01.06.91

Years Pro 8

Years On Team 4

Wins 14

UCI Ranking 17

KAROL-ANN

CANUEL

Canada

18.04.88

Years Pro 11

Years On Team 5

Wins 6

UCI Ranking 145

SKYLAR

SCHNEIDER

United States

03.09.98

Years Pro 4

Years On Team 3

Wins 1

UCI Ranking –

JOLIEN

D’HOORE

Belgium

14.03.90

Years Pro 13

Years On Team 2

Wins 47

UCI Ranking 27

LONNEKE

UNEKEN

Netherlands

02.03.00

Years Pro 2

Years On Team 1

Wins 0

UCI Ranking 93

AMALIE

DIDERIKSEN

Denmark

24.05.96

Years Pro 6

Years On Team 6

Wins 12

UCI Ranking 263

JIP

VAN DEN BOS

Netherlands

12.04.96

Years Pro 6

Years On Team 4

Wins 1

UCI Ranking 173

KATIE

HALL

United States

06.01.87

Years Pro 7

Years On Team 2

Wins 15

UCI Ranking 498

CHRISTINE

MAJERUS

Luxembourg

25.02.87

Years Pro 13

Years On Team 7

Wins 35

UCI Ranking 40

TEAMS

485

HISTORICAL

RESULTS

Each race has a unique story to tell.

Some races are relatively new inventions,

even if they appear to have been around

for a century or more. Other races have

a hundred years’ history and yet fail to

punch their weight in the modern cycling

landscape. Often, the list of former

winners and their relative importance

will inform the changing prospects of any

given race as its significance waxes and

wanes. In 2020 some great races drew the

attention of a diminished startlist, whereas

others that had been ignored for decades

by the biggest names suddenly boasted

podiums of the highest order.

HISTORICAL RESULTS

303

MEN'S HISTORICAL RESULTS

LIÈGE–BASTOGNE–LIÈGE

RESULTS BY YEAR

YEAR 1ST 2ND 3RD

2020

2019 J. Fuglsang D. Formolo M. Schachmann

2018 B. Jungels M. Woods R. Bardet

2017 A. Valverde D. Martin M. Kwiatkowski

2016 W. Poels M. Albasini R. Costa

2015 A. Valverde J. Alaphilippe J. Rodriguez

2014 S. Gerrans A. Valverde M. Kwiatkowski

2013 D. Martin J. Rodriguez A. Valverde

2012 M. Iglinskiy V. Nibali E. Gasparotto

2011 P. Gilbert F. Schleck A. Schleck

2010 A. Vinokourov A. Kolobnev P. Gilbert

2009 A. Schleck J. Rodriguez D. Rebellin

2008 A. Valverde D. Rebellin F. Schleck

2007 D. Di Luca A. Valverde F. Schleck

2006 A. Valverde P. Bettini D. Cunego

2005 A. Vinokourov J. Voigt P. Bettini

2004 D. Rebellin M. Boogerd A. Vinokourov

2003 T. Hamilton I. Mayo M. Boogerd

2002 P. Bettini S. Garzelli I. Basso

2001 O. Camenzind D. Rebellin D. Etxebarria

2000 P. Bettini D. Etxebarria D. Rebellin

1999 F. Vandenbroucke M. Boogerd M. Den Bakker

1998 M. Bartoli L. Jalabert R. Massi

1997 M. Bartoli L. Jalabert G. Colombo

1996 P. Richard L. Armstrong M. Gianetti

1995 M. Gianetti G. Bugno M. Bartoli

1994 Y. Berzin L. Armstrong G. Furlan

1993 R. Sorensen T. Rominger M. Fondriest

1992 D. De Wolf S. Rooks J. F. Bernard

1991 M. Argentin C. Criquielion R. Sorensen

1990 E. Van Lancker J. C. Leclercq S. Rooks

1989 S. Kelly F. Philipot P. Anderson

1988 A. van der Poel M. Dernies R. Millar

1987 M. Argentin S. Roche C. Criquielion

1986 M. Argentin A. van der Poel D. E. Pedersen

1985 M. Argentin C. Criquielion S. Roche

1984 S. Kelly P. Anderson G. Lemond

1983 S. Rooks G. Saronni P. Jules

1982 S. Contini F. De Wolf S. Mutter

1981 J. Fuchs S. Mutter L. Peeters

1980 B. Hinault H. Kuiper R. Claes

1979 D. Thurau B. Hinault D. Willems

1978 J. Bruyere D. Thurau F. Moser

1977 B. Hinault A. Dierickx D. Thurau

1976 J. Bruyere F. Maertens F. Verbeeck

1975 E. Merckx B. Thevenet W. Godefroot

1974 G. Pintens W. Planckaert W. Panizza

1973 E. Merckx F. Verbeeck W. Godefroot

1972 E. Merckx W. Schepers H. Van Springel

1971 E. Merckx G. Pintens F. Verbeeck

1970 R. De Vlaeminck F. Verbeeck E. Merckx

1969 E. Merckx V. Van Schil B. Hoban

1968 V. Van Sweevelt W. Godefroot R. Poulidor

1967 W. Godefroot E. Merckx W. Monty

1966 J. Anquetil V. Van Schil W. In ‘t Ven

1965 C. Preziosi V. Adorni M. Vandenbossche

1964 W. Bocklant G. Vanconingsloo V. Adorni

1963 F. Melckenbeeck P. Cerami V. Adorni

1962 J. Planckaert R. Wolfshohl C. Colette

1961 R. Van Looy M. Rohrbach A. Desmet

1960 A. Geldermans P. Everaert J. Planckaert

1959 A. De Bruyne F. Schoubben F. De Mulder

1958 A. De Bruyne J. Zagers J. Theuns

1957 G. Derycke/ N/A M. Buys

F. Schoubben

1956 A. De Bruyne R. Van Genechten A. Close

1955 S. Ockers R. Impanis J. Brankart

1954 M. Ernzer R. Impanis F. Kubler

1953 A. De Hertog M. Diot R. Remy

1952 F. Kubler H. Van Kerckhove J. Robic

1951 F. Kubler G. Derycke W. Wagtmans

1950 P. Depredomme J. Bogaerts E. Van Dijck

1949 C. Danguillaume A. Verschueren R. Gyselinck

1948 M. Mollin R. Impanis L. Caput

1947 R. Depoorter R. Impanis F. Mathieu

1946 P. Depredomme A. Hendrickx T. Verstraeten

1945 J. Engels E. Van Dijck J. Moerenhout

1943 R. Depoorter J. Didden S. Ockers

1939 A. Ritserveldt C. Van Overberghe E. Vissers

1938 A. Deloor M. Kint F. Vervaecke

1937 E. Meulenberg G. Deloor J. Heernaert

1936 A. Beckaert G. Levae J. Horemans

1935 A. Schepers F. Bonduel L. Hardiquest

1934 T. Herckenrath M. Cardynaels J. Moerenhout

1933 F. Gardier R. Dewolf A. Bolly

1932 M. Houyoux L. Roosemont G. Lambrechts

1931 A. Schepers M. Houyoux J. Deschepper

RIDER RESULTS

WINS RIDER

5 E. Merckx

4 M. Argentin, A. Valverde

3 A. De Bruyne, L. Houa, A. Schepers

2 M. Bartoli, P. Bettini, J. Bruyere,

R. Depoorter, P. Depredomme,

B. Hinault, S. Kelly, F. Kubler, L. Mottiat,

R. Vermandel, A. Vinokourov

PODIUMS RIDER

7 E. Merckx, A. Valverde

5 D. Rebellin

4 M. Argentin, P. Bettini, W. Godefroot,

R. Impanis, F. Verbeeck

3 V. Adorni, M. Bartoli, M. Boogerd,

C. Criquielion, A. De Bruyne, B. Hinault,

L. Houa, F. Kubler, M. Raes, J. Rodriguez,

S. Rooks, A. Schepers, F. Schleck,

D. Thurau, A. Vinokourov

2 P. Anderson, L. Armstrong, J. Bruyere,

J. Coomans, R. Depoorter,

P. Depredomme, G. Derycke,

D. Etxebarria, F. Gardier, M. Gianetti,

P. Gilbert, M. Houyoux, L. Jalabert, S. Kelly,

M. Kwiatkowski, D. Martin, J. Moerenhout,

L. Mottiat, S. Mutter, S. Ockers, G. Pintens,

J. Planckaert, L. Rasquinet, S. Roche,

J. Rossius, A. Schleck, F. Schoubben,

J. Siquet, R. Sorensen, A. van der Poel,

E. Van Dijck, V. Van Schil, R. Vermandel

COUNTRY RESULTS

WINS COUNTRY

60 Belgium

12 Italy

6 Switzerland

4 France, Netherlands, Spain

3 Ireland, Kazakhstan, Luxembourg

2 Denmark, Germany

1 Australia, Russia, United States

PODIUMS COUNTRY

174 Belgium

36 Italy

23 France

14 Netherlands

13 Spain

12 Switzerland

7 Germany, Luxembourg

6 Ireland

4 Kazakhstan, United States

3 Australia, Denmark

2 Poland, Russia, United Kingdom

1 Canada, Norway, Portugal

304


RESULTS BY YEAR (CONT.)

YEAR 1ST 2ND 3RD

1930 H. Buse G. Laloup F. Gardier

1929 A. Schepers G. Hombroeckx M. Raes

1928 E. Mottard M. Raes E. Van Belle

1927 M. Raes J. Hans J. Siquet

1926 D. Smets J. Siquet A. Macar

1925 G. Ronsse G. Van Slembrouck L. Eelen

1924 R. Vermandel A. Benoit J. Matton

1923 R. Vermandel J. Rossius F. Sellier

1922 L. Mottiat A. Jordens L. Seret

1921 L. Mottiat M. Lacour J. Rossius

1920 L. Scieur L. Buysse J. Coomans

1919 L. Devos H. Hanlet A. Claerhout

1913 M. Moritz A. Fonson H. Noel

1912 O. Verschoore J. Coomans A. Blaise

1911 J. Vandaele A. Lenoir V. Kraenen

1909 V. Fastre E. Charlier P. Deman

1908 A. Trousselier A. Lauwers H. Dubois

1894 L. Houa L. Rasquinet R. Nulens

1893 L. Houa M. Borisowski C. Collette

1892 L. Houa L. Lhoest L. Rasquinet

HISTORICAL RESULTS

305


PARIS–ROUBAIX

RESULTS BY YEAR

YEAR 1ST 2ND 3RD

2020

2019 P. Gilbert N. Politt Y. Lampaert

2018 P. Sagan S. Dillier N. Terpstra

2017 G. Van Avermaet Z. Stybar S. Langeveld

2016 M. Hayman T. Boonen I. Stannard

2015 J. Degenkolb Z. Stybar G. Van Avermaet

2014 N. Terpstra J. Degenkolb F. Cancellara

2013 F. Cancellara S. Vanmarcke N. Terpstra

2012 T. Boonen S. Turgot A. Ballan

2011 J. Vansummeren F. Cancellara M. Tjallingii

2010 F. Cancellara T. Hushovd J. A. Flecha

2009 T. Boonen F. Pozzato T. Hushovd

2008 T. Boonen F. Cancellara A. Ballan

2007 S. O’Grady J. A. Flecha S. Wesemann

2006 F. Cancellara T. Boonen A. Ballan

2005 T. Boonen G. Hincapie J. A. Flecha

2004 M. Backstedt T. Hoffman R. Hammond

2003 P. Van Petegem D. Pieri V. Ekimov

2002 J. Museeuw S. Wesemann T. Boonen

2001 S. Knaven J. Museeuw R. Vainsteins

2000 J. Museeuw P. Van Petegem E. Zabel

1999 A. Tafi W. Peeters T. Steels

1998 F. Ballerini A. Tafi W. Peeters

1997 F. Guesdon J. Planckaert J. Museeuw

1996 J. Museeuw G. Bortolami A. Tafi

1995 F. Ballerini A. Tchmil J. Museeuw

1994 A. Tchmil F. Baldato F. Ballerini

1993 G. Duclos Lassalle F. Ballerini O. Ludwig

1992 G. Duclos Lassalle O. Ludwig J. Capiot

1991 M. Madiot J. C. Colotti C. Bomans

1990 E. Planckaert S. Bauer E. Van Hooydonck

1989 J. M. Wampers D. De Wolf E. Van Hooydonck

1988 D. Demol T. Wegmuller L. Fignon

1987 E. Vanderaerden P. Versluys R. Dhaenens

1986 S. Kelly R. Dhaenens A. van der Poel

1985 M. Madiot B. Wojtinek S. Kelly

1984 S. Kelly R. Rogiers A. Bondue

1983 H. Kuiper G. Duclos Lassalle F. Moser

1982 J. Raas Y. Bertin G. Braun

1981 B. Hinault R. De Vlaeminck F. Moser

1980 F. Moser G. Duclos Lassalle D. Thurau

1979 F. Moser R. De Vlaeminck H. Kuiper

1978 F. Moser R. De Vlaeminck J. Raas

1977 R. De Vlaeminck W. Teirlinck F. Maertens

1976 M. Demeyer F. Moser R. De Vlaeminck

1975 R. De Vlaeminck E. Merckx A. Dierickx

1974 R. De Vlaeminck F. Moser M. Demeyer

1973 E. Merckx W. Godefroot R. Rosiers

1972 R. De Vlaeminck A. Dierickx B. Hoban

1971 R. Rosiers H. Van Springel M. Basso

1970 E. Merckx R. De Vlaeminck E. Leman

1969 W. Godefroot E. Merckx W. Vekemans

1968 E. Merckx H. Van Springel W. Godefroot

1967 J. Janssen R. Van Looy R. Altig

1966 F. Gimondi J. Janssen G. Desmet

1965 R. Van Looy W. Sels W. Vannitsen

1964 P. Post B. Beheyt Y. Molenaers

1963 E. Daems R. Van Looy J. Janssen

1962 R. Van Looy E. Daems F. Schoubben

1961 R. Van Looy M. Janssens R. Vanderveken

1960 P. Cerami T. Sabbadini M. Poblet

1959 N. Fore G. Desmet M. Janssens

1958 L. Vandaele M. Poblet R. Van Looy

1957 A. De Bruyne R. Van Steenbergen L. Vandaele

1956 L. Bobet A. De Bruyne J. Forestier

1955 J. Forestier F. Coppi L. Bobet

1954 R. Impanis S. Ockers M. Ryckaert

1953 G. Derycke D. Piazza W. Wagtmans

1952 R. Van Steenbergen F. Coppi A. Mahe

1951 A. Bevilacqua L. Bobet R. Van Steenbergen

1950 F. Coppi M. Diot F. Magni

1949 S. Coppi/A. Mahe N/A G. Martin/F. Leenen

/J.-J. Moujica

1948 R. Van Steenbergen E. Idee G. Claes

1947 G. Claes A. Verschueren L. Thietard

1946 G. Claes L. Gauthier L. Vlaemynck

1945 P. Maye L. Teisseire K. Piot

1944 M. De Simpelaere J. Rossi L. Thietard

1943 M. Kint J. Lowie L. Thietard

1939 E. Masson M. Kint R. Lapebie

1938 L. Storme L. Hardiquest M. Van Houtte

1937 J. Rossi A. Hendrickx N. Declercq

1936 G. Speicher R. Maes G. Rebry

1935 G. Rebry A. Leducq J. Aerts

1934 G. Rebry J. Wauters F. Bonduel

1933 S. Maes J. Vervaecke L. Le Calvez

1932 R. Gijssels G. Ronsse H. Sieronski

RIDER RESULTS

WINS RIDER

4 T. Boonen, R. De Vlaeminck

3 F. Cancellara, O. Lapize, E. Merckx,

F. Moser, J. Museeuw, G. Rebry, R. Van

Looy

2 H. Aucouturier, F. Ballerini, G. Claes,

C. Crupelandt, G. Duclos-Lassalle,

M. Garin, S. Kelly, L. Lesna, M. Madiot,

H. Pelissier, R. Van Steenbergen

PODIUMS RIDER

9 R. De Vlaeminck

7 T. Boonen, F. Moser

6 F. Cancellara, J. Museeuw, R. Van Looy

5 E. Merckx, G. Rebry

4 F. Ballerini, G. Duclos-Lassalle,

M. Garin, G. Ronsse, L. Trousselier, C. Van

Hauwaert, R. Van Steenbergen

3 J. A. Flecha, A. Ballan, L. Bobet, G. Claes,

F. Coppi, C. Crupelandt, A. Garin,

W. Godefroot, J. Janssen, S. Kelly,

O. Lapize, F. Sellier, A. Tafi, N. Terpstra,

L. Thietard

2 H. Aucouturier, E. Christophe, H. Cornet,

E. Daems, A. De Bruyne, J. Degenkolb,

M. Demeyer, G. Desmet, R. Dhaenens,

A. Dierickx, F. Faber, J. Fischer, J. Forestier,

T. Hushovd, M. Janssens, M. Kint,

H. Kuiper, A. Leducq, L. Lesna,

O. Ludwig, M. Madiot, A. Mahe,

C. Meunier, W. Peeters, C. Pelissier,

H. Pelissier, M. Poblet, R. Pottier, J. Raas,

R. Rosiers, J. Rossi, Z. Štybar, A. Tchmil,

G. Van Avermaet, L. Vandaele, J. Van

Hevel, E. Van Hooydonck, P. Van

Petegem, H. Van Springel, J. Vervaecke,

E. Wattelier, S. Wesemann

COUNTRY RESULTS

WINS COUNTRY

58 Belgium

30 France

11 Italy

6 Netherlands

4 Switzerland

2 Australia, Germany, Ireland

1 Luxembourg, Slovakia, Sweden

PODIUMS COUNTRY

160 Belgium

92 France

33 Italy

18 Netherlands

12 Germany, Switzerland

5 Spain

3 Ireland, United Kingdom

2 Australia, Czech Republic, Luxembourg,

Norway

1 Canada, Denmark, Latvia, Russia,

Slovakia, Sweden, United States

306


RESULTS BY YEAR (CONT.)

YEAR 1ST 2ND 3RD

1931 G. Rebry C. Pelissier E. Decroix

1930 J. Vervaecke J. Marechal A. Magne

1929 C. Meunier G. Ronsse A. Deolet

1928 A. Leducq G. Ronsse C. Meunier

1927 G. Ronsse J. Curtel C. Pelissier

1926 J. Delbecque G. Van Slembrouck G. Rebry

1925 F. Sellier P. Bestetti J. Van Hevel

1924 J. Van Hevel M. Ville F. Sellier

1923 H. Suter R. Vermandel F. Sellier

1922 A. Dejonghe J. Rossius E. Masson

1921 H. Pelissier F. Pelissier L. Scieur

1920 P. Deman E. Christophe L. Buysse

1919 H. Pelissier P. Thys H. Barthelemy

1914 C. Crupelandt L. Luguet L. Mottiat

1913 F. Faber C. Deruyter C. Crupelandt

1912 C. Crupelandt G. Garrigou M. Leturgie

1911 O. Lapize A. Charpiot C. Van Hauwaert

1910 O. Lapize C. Van Hauwaert E. Christophe

1909 O. Lapize L. Trousselier J. Masselis

1908 C. Van Hauwaert G. Lorgeou F. Faber

1907 G. Passerieu C. Van Hauwaert L. Trousselier

1906 H. Cornet M. Cadolle R. Pottier

1905 L. Trousselier R. Pottier H. Cornet

1904 H. Aucouturier C. Garin L. Pothier

1903 H. Aucouturier C. Chapperon L. Trousselier

1902 L. Lesna E. Wattelier A. Garin

1901 L. Lesna A. Garin L. Itsweire

1900 E. Bouhours J. Fischer M. Garin

1899 A. Champion P. Bor A. Garin

1898 M. Garin A. Stephane E. Wattelier

1897 M. Garin M. Cordang M. Frederick

1896 J. Fischer C. Meyer M. Garin

HISTORICAL RESULTS

307

OBITUARIES

Just

as life had to go on in 2020, so too

did death. While coronavirus accounted

for an unimaginable toll of excess

mortality across the world, lives still began

and came to a close independently of

the pandemic that had wreaked so much

damage. Cycling – being part of the

human experience and not separate from

it – had cause therefore to bid farewell

to those who had played their part in

manifold ways, furthering the cause of a

sport that so much respects its past. This

year, just as in any other, those individual

tales and chapters closed, those friends

and family members mourned, take

their place alongside others in the pages

that follow. Each and every one leaves

something irreplaceable behind.

399

OBITUARIES

JACQUES DUPONT

19 JUNE 1928 – 4 NOVEMBER 2019

Olympic kilometre champion at the 1948 London Games and a professional racer for ten seasons,

during which he won Paris–Tours on two occasions, Jacques Dupont died at the age of 91 in

Saint-Jean-de-Verges.

Born a little to the north of that that Ariège village, in Lézat-sur-Lèze, Dupont began as a track

specialist. His career almost came to an end in 1946 when he sustained a serious head injury while

racing on the velodrome at Perpignan, the incident temporarily depriving him of the ability to

talk and ultimately leaving him with permanent speech difficulties. Doctors had told him it was

unlikely he would be able to race again. However, Dupont’s robust constitution enabled him to

make a quick recovery physically, and he moved from the Pyrenean foothills to Paris to further

his track career.

French pursuit champion in 1948 and silver medallist in the sprint at that year’s World Track

Championships in Amsterdam, Dupont went to the London Olympics as a medal favourite and

lived up to that billing when he claimed the kilometre title on the Herne Hill velodrome that

hosted the track events. He added a bronze medal in the team road race.

Dupont turned pro in 1950 with the Peugeot-Dunlop team, and won Paris–Tours for the first time

in their colours the following season. He made his Tour de France debut in 1952, representing

the Paris team. Never overly fond of stage races, he abandoned on the sixth stage. He also failed

to make it to the finish on his two subsequent appearances, in 1953 and 1955.

Known for his meticulous approach to racing, which earned him the nickname ‘Jacques la

méthode’, he was a persistent threat in one-day races, particularly those with flatter courses. He

won the French road title at Montlhéry in 1954 and took a second Paris–Tours win in 1955, his

average speed of 43.666kph earning him the yellow riband for the fastest average on a race of

more than 200km in length. He held this record until 1962, when Dutchman Jo de Roo broke

it, once again in Paris–Tours.

Dupont retired from racing in 1960 after a season with the prestigious Saint Raphaël-Geminiani

team led by Jacques Anquetil and took up a new career in the family butcher’s. Later in his working

life, he ran a DIY and tool shop at Cahors.

He remains the best rider ever to emerge from the department of Ariège in the Pyrenees, and

regularly appeared as the guest of honour at track and road events in that region.

400

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