All roads lead to Harrogate: Pro cycling 2019

[longeared]

Really? That's a shame, I was debating booking the Friday off specifically to see him in Donny to see him at the start of the under 23 race. Also see that last year's under 23 champion Marc Hirschi was on the podium today.

The Ride London Classique is just starting, on the BBC red button for those in the UK.

[ursus arctos]

https://twitter.com/laflammerouge16/status/1147974877137244161

[longeared]

Kirsten Wild crosses the line first in the Classique, but she switched line in the sprint and caused a huge crash behind her which kept on going right across the road. She may well get disqualified for that which would give Lorena Wiebes the win.

[Mumpo]

Astonishing lack of sympathy for those involved in the crash by Wild in the post-race interview. I understand she probably didn't want to say anything that might have been construed as an admission of responsibility but still, a few words of concern would not have gone amiss. Glad she was DQ'd.

[longeared]

Enjoyed seeing the commissaire telling David Millar off for his motorbike getting too close to the break in his opening link at the RideLondon Surrey Classic.

Caleb Ewan got dropped on the third ascent of Box Hill and doesn't have any team mates with him, so he's not going to win this.

[delicatemoth]

Viviani wins the Surrey Shuffle after a crash takes out some of the field ("decimated" it, as the commentator has thrice mentioned, how he can tell so precisely I don't know). Earlier Luka Mezgec took stage 2 of the Tour de Pologne, impressively beating Gaviria and Ackermann.

[Me Old Flower]

Holmfirth's Gabz Cullaigh has signed a two-year contract with Movistar.

[longeared]

Awful news - Lotto's Bjorg Lambrecht has died after a crash in the Tour of Poland.

[ursus arctos]

Zakarin to CCC for two years.

I don't see Katusha surviving as a World Tour team.

[ursus arctos]

Evenepoel won the European Time Trial Championship yesterday

[longeared]

Remco Evenepoel est le nouveau Eddy Merckx, Thierry.

The opening stage of the inaugural Women's Tour of Scotland was abandoned with approximately 40k remaining owing to wind and rain. Easy to say from 200 miles away but I hope they've done that because it was genuinely unrideable rather than the organisers and police panicking about conditions.

[Janik]

Well, if it's anything like the picture at the top of this report or the ones further down of trees down on roads, it was a no-brainer.

[ad hoc]

The annual Tour of Szeklerland is on at the moment, where I live (though I am not there). There are a really nice set of photos from today's 200km stage round the area I live here (the stage started and finished in Csikszereda) https://sportfotopress.zenfolio.com/p766078904

[ursus arctos]

Those are lovely

Viviani wins the European Road Race, so Cofidis will have at least one distinctive jersey next season

[delicatemoth]

The finish of the women's race was quite amusing, as Holland rode at the front of the peloton despite having Pieters in the three-woman break; they eventually stopped, and Pieters won the sprint.

[ursus arctos]

Sam Bennett has won both stages at BinckBank so far. In the rain yesterday and the dry today, without much of a lead out either time.

I'm quite interested in where he ends up next season.

[delicatemoth]

Deceuninck, isn't it?

[longeared]

Felice Gimondi has died aged 76. He won the Tour de France in 1965 and until the other week was the youngest post-WW2 winner of the race. Surprisingly he never repeated that victory, partly because of the emergence of a certain E Merckx and partly as the Giro became a more significant annual target for him (in those days many of the Italian teams often bypassed the Tour entirely). He won the Giro three times, the Vuelta once and is one of only seven riders to have won all three Grand Tours. Won San Remo, Roubaix (I used to have a t-shirt of that victory) and Lombardia among his one day wins. He was also world road champion in 1973 and is synonymous with looking stylish on a Bianchi.

[ursus arctos]

Dumoulin to Jumbo Visma

Campanaerts to Team NTT (neé Dimension Data)

Philippe Gilbert returns to Lotto Soudal

[ursus arctos]

In weird coincidence news, Saxo Bank, which is now owned by a Chinese automobile company, has taken over BinckBank

[Kevin S]

Holmfirth's Gabz Cullaigh has signed a two-year contract with Movistar.

Missed this before, that's great news. Another young Brit leaving Team WIGGINS to go up to the World Tour is Penrith's Mark Donovan, 20, who will be with Sunweb - presumably on the level 2 and 1 races initially though rather than straight into HC and WT.

[Me Old Flower]

On the subject of Team WIGGINS, this season will be their last.

[Antepli Ejderha]

On the subject of Team WIGGINS, this season will be their last.

Marcel Kittel has also announced this season will be his last, he's not raced since May anyway.

Marcel Kittel: German sprinter announces retirement from cycling - http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cycling/49450969

With Cavendish all but finished the end of an era is upon us when Griepel quits.

[ursus arctos]

Statement of intent from Arkea-Samsic

[URL="https://twitter.com/arkea_samsic/status/1168512030514585600?s=21"]https://twitter.com/arkea_samsic/status/1168512030514585600[/URL]

[Kevin S]

Wow, not pulling any punches with their statement either - aiming to win a Grand Tour within three years. They also say:

"The alliance between Nairo Quintana and Warren Barguil must be an added strength. They must use one another to progress. Nairo Quintana has won the Giro and the Vuelta and has three podiums in the Tour de France. I am also convinced that Warren Barguil has the ability to shine in the overall standings and it is on this path that we want to bring him."