You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles
YUMPU automatically turns print PDFs into web optimized ePapers that Google loves.
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
WORLDTOUR MEN’S RACE
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
CAPRICORN STAR BY NIC DLAMINI
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.
CAPRICORN STAR BY NIC DLAMINI
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
CAPRICORN STAR BY NIC DLAMINI
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.
CAPRICORN STAR BY NIC DLAMINI
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
CAPRICORN STAR BY NIC DLAMINI
‘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.
CAPRICORN STAR BY NIC DLAMINI
39
AUGUST
WORLDTOUR MEN’S RACE
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.
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.
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.
17. T. Pogačar UAD 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
141. S. Küng GFC s.t.
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
WORLDTOUR MEN’S RACE
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.
8. T. Pogačar UAD 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.
85. S. Küng GFC 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.
108. P. Sagan BOH 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
131. E. Viviani COF s.t.
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.
142. A. Turgis TDE 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
151. G. Nizzolo NTT s.t.
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.
161. B. Coquard BVC 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.
——
RACING BETWEEN REALITIES BY ASHLEIGH MOOLMAN-PASIO
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
RACING BETWEEN REALITIES BY ASHLEIGH MOOLMAN-PASIO
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.
RACING BETWEEN REALITIES BY ASHLEIGH MOOLMAN-PASIO
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
RACING BETWEEN REALITIES BY ASHLEIGH MOOLMAN-PASIO
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
RACING BETWEEN REALITIES BY ASHLEIGH MOOLMAN-PASIO
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
RACING BETWEEN REALITIES BY ASHLEIGH MOOLMAN-PASIO
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 8 WT P. Roglič
Vuelta a España – stage 10 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
MEN'S HISTORICAL RESULTS
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
MEN'S HISTORICAL RESULTS
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
MEN'S HISTORICAL RESULTS
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
VISIT THEROADBOOK.CO.UK TO PURCHASE THE FULL BOOK