Remco Evenepoel Beats Martinez, Alpecin Reveal 2024 Kit and Omloop Cancelled? | Full Episode #56

In a week of racing in Portugal, Oman, France and Rwanda. The Belgians stole the headlines alone with Daniel Martinez in Algarve with Remco Evenepoel winning the overall and Wout van Aert animating the race. In Tour of Oman Adam Yates sealed the overall on the final stage and Lenny Martinez stole a victory in the Classic Var. And will Omloop.

Collaboration between @thecyclingdane and @OwDoCycling

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00:00 Intro
00:30 Alpecin Deceuninck 2024 Kit Reveal
04:00 Remco claims Volta ao Agrave 2024
12:11 Can Remco win the Tour de France Now?
17:08 Gran Camino 2024 Preview
18:14 Vuelta Andalucia Cancelled Almost Because of Protests
25:53 Will Omloop het Nieuwsblad 2024 Be Cancelled?
38:34 Adam Yates Dominates Tour Of Oman 2024
42:48 Tour du Rwanda Underestimated?
47:09 Biniam Girmay to Rwanda?
48:29 French Racing Corner
53:26 Rider Of Week

Hello everyone and welcome to another episode of the ason cycling podcast where three cycling nerds discuss what’s been happening in the week of cycling and also with one eye to the week ahead because unlu is coming uh but yeah as always I’m joined by Miss g y Wilson and

Also Patrick Blake of Alo cycling and I mean guys it’s been well we’ve got a lot of racing to go through I mean alab happened rud the soul almost happened Rwanda started and up syndic conic thought February was a good time to launch short team kit we might as well

Start with the kit cuz it Doesn’t Really hang in with the rest of the racing thank you for kicking things off with this kit I think it’s fantastic okay looking aside the obvious problem here which we will discuss this is a really really cool kit it’s full denim uh well

Denim effect it’s not actually made of denim that would be highly impractical but it’s denim shorts and a denim effect shirt it builds on what as did last year for strata bianka where they wore denim effect shorts this time it’s a full denim kit to reflect their values for

The new year and their team identity don’t quite know where that fits in are they stuck in the 1990s the early 2000s that’s what I’m getting from this it reminds me of that picture of Justin timlake and Britney Spears from the from a red carpet event like 20 years ago now

Where they’re both wearing double denim it’s kind of iconic in my books but um yeah this is this is a really really cool kit we will talk about the evident problem though I’m sure the evident problem being which obviously I’ve pointed out which is the it’s like a

Twin of the um of the sudar quickstep kit it’s unbelievably similar like even the the alerson logo which is on the chest is in like exactly the same place as where sudal is and of course both of them have a red sponsor that’s I think that’s people’s main problem is alerson

OB obviously seen because they’ve raced against them that sud what sudar quick steps kit looks like and it looks very similar am in the camp if I think it is a little bit annoying that you see that somebody’s got a kit and you’ve just made one which is unbelievably similar

To it even if it does have the denim effect on it stuff’s in the pipeline for a longer time than we see it for so therefore it could be quite hard for them to be like oh we plan to release this kit but oh crap you know sudal have

Released one so maybe when sudal released it all of alon’s like kit designers were like oh my God like callus were like oh no we’ve we’ve done a boo boo here maybe that will explain why it took them 2 and a half months to release this kit um they’ve already done

Wall tour races in their old kit already we we rant the old kit in our tier list already and now they drop this one we’ve seen like teams drop kits late but this one just seems ludicrously late and I mean you talk about it being mon in the

Pipeline but sud’s kit is just a slight redesign from last years did they not even see the resemblance between this one and last year maybe if it were teams with different sort of objectives it could be forgiven but these are two very similar teams from the same Nation they’re both

Belgian teams with similar objectives in the Sprint and the classics it’s going to be hard to pick them out it’s already hard enough with all of these blue jerseys to pick pick out half these teams anyway that’s very true well at least the main man the king mat Al the will be

Very easy to distinguish because of course he will be in His World Champ bands has LOL hasn’t done a road race so far this year is that am I correct in saying that yeah not this year but he has last year well I have the the framed photo in my

Office that this was him wearing the kit last year but he hasn’t he hasn’t done a race in the road this year yet yeah I think his cyc cross counterpart who is already winning an algara oh SE boilers actually we’re going to go to cyc cross Corner no I’m kidding that do

Doesn’t exist anymore it doesn’t exist everyone calm down un calm down I think there are still races but we we we Shan go there uh yeah y uh I mean it was very Belgium dominated this tour ofal apart from one Colombian but uh yeah who wants to fill us in with the

Details okay um the 50th Walter Alara and bi cleta happened in the south of Portugal stage one was a Sprint stage one by hia of anal shti who we had a clip from a couple weeks back on the podcast that was ahead of Marin Fen and Charles Sprint sensation yod Mouse who

Finished in third the next stage stage two was an uphill Mountaintop Sprint a very interesting Dynamic on that stage led to Daniel Martinez taking that one in a Sprint against Arco aopo the Belgian Champion with seus in third place in Serio in fourth also up there

In the mix was T gagh har for leadle Trek interestingly enough stage three to Tava saw W vard take a Sprint win ahead of Ruby Oliva of UAE and malas Mayer of cheetah procycling this marks Wen Art’s first road win of the Year stage four however was a time trial around holiday

Resort of albaa where we saw remu aaple take the win in the time trial ahead of Magnus Sheffield and Sten Kung in third interestingly fourth place went to isach deloro who can time trial apparently who knew the race leader Danny Martinez f in top 10 in eighth place but it was not

Enough to keep the leader Jersey that was handed over to Remco a theole before the final day of racing to the AL where Danny Martinez took another stage win ahead of him aapo with Tom Pitcock in third and chisan scaroni of asan Kazakhstan led the way with tratnik

And cus in fourth fifth and sixth overall that Drew close to our week of racing with REM AO taking the overall title for 3 seconds ahead of Daniel Martinez a double stage win in this race in third place going to Yan TR L visma Lisa bike fourth went to Ben Healey and

Fifth to team in Harman we roll it back to the start there was confusion in the first Sprint because there were time gaps but they were removed I I don’t exactly they were reasoning but I know that there was one crash by Marco Hower and I’m not sure if that just meant that

All the time gaps were just neutralized at that point because there were guys like Ben Healey was down like five minutes or something because they weren’t in that front group of sprinters so I’m not really sure what to make of that whether it’s just like it feels a

Little bit Ling but if the reasoning is one person crashed therefore time gaps neutralized it detracts from the people who are actually well positioned and then therefore benefited from being in that good position whereas everybody else just sat up but or it might just be that the Finish was a bit Technical and

Sketchy where maybe they decid did just to neutralize the time gaps anyway I don’t really know but W said that he wasn’t sprinting on the first day and then he also said he wasn’t sprinting on the third day however as we all know and as you said he won the Sprint on stage

Three so what we can conclude from is that W is a liar and you can’t believe anything really he says well well okay we we’ everyone’s quite critical of us being critical of w but I actually enjoyed W through the whole week I thought okay take away the comments of

Him not going for GC but that final stage he really tried to go for it I really like that the Sprint on stage three it looked like gin Tyson was basically forced to open the Sprint too soon because his lead out yeah he he didn’t have any more he needed one more

Man essentially so he opened the Sprint and I think it was kind of an incline or like full flat and yeah that just suited W down to T but if W wasn’t in that race I think the race would have been a bit more stale yeah and also I thought it

Gave us a good sort of a moose B for what could come of the gar as well seeing that he sprinted a little bit climbed a little bit still finished in top 10 in GC I’m really really interested to see how he’s going to go with the

J I’m surprised on stage two he wasn’t there towards the Finish because that climb wasn’t exactly it’s not exactly the toughest of climbs Magnus Court Nelson won the stage the year before it’s not the gaps on weren’t exactly yeah it’s it’s not the most steep or challenging climb to say the least yeah

It was a bit of a sort of a strange one that but that whole stage had a very odd Ambiance the team also looked like they were backing set Cur in that one so understandably he wasn’t their number one man in the end of the week it was

Actually Yan trenck who got the best results for bisma that was very confusing was just who yo were going for w was just on the limit I think it was like a crosswind and Y he just got G I just I just refuse to believe that

This Malisa bike is actually a thing I just don’t believe it exists yo are getting so much free publicity this year because everyone’s refusing to go for bike name yeah it’s this and you know what we’ll continue to because I will continue to forget viz Malisa bike were

Very confusing but yeah wild just got fully gapped and it was like a crosswind section he just got gased like he did that classic wild out where he’s kind of like on the drops just kind of like bobbing a little bit and you can tell him that point it’s the same Bob which

He had when he failed to get around Kristoff leaport the European championships kind of like you can tell when wart on the limit and uh I think you’re right it is it was a very interesting performance that final stage where he broke away with hey and they

Got up to Lan bler that was really cool appreciated the the attempt at making the race interesting and it did Force the sudar quickstep boys to really kind of focus up because you know Landa we saw a lot of Kat had to go back jles was

Putting in a massive shift as well for Bora and I think that overall you know VY was not big it was like less than 20 Riders so yeah a fair play to W for actually making a race interesting because like you say Scott if he wasn’t then um you

Wouldn’t know what was what was going to go on because you know who who knows what he says I’m going to Sprint and then he doesn’t and then I’m not sprinting and then he does I mean he would have got 10 more bonus seconds if he would have sprinted on the first day

But you know he just decided just to check out I also just want to raise a point for my man with two passports we’re in a similar boat here Ben Healey great week of racing from him I I thought it was really cool to see him do

A stage race like this he also time TR really well um on that Alba Farah time tral we got some really interesting results I mentioned it in the recap isak Del Toro finishing in fourth place definitely a fascinating TT uh for us at home Del Toro didn’t actually finish he

Abandon on the final stage which I’m not quite sure why and he Al Del he also was dropped quite early on the climb which was strange apparently he had a bad night’s sleep didn’t feel well the final stage abandoned but he finished fourth place the day before so yeah that make

It quite enigmatic but um champagne’s out it’s just like exactly he’s just a young man just 20 years of age not quite used to not quite used to handling the champagne but definitely an interesting time tral from him and also quite a good time tral from Martinez in top 10 there

We’ve seen Martinez be a little bit underwhelming in the past two years in time trials but I think he really pulled a b it what the national Colombian time trial Champion yeah but it’s a different setup he not H come on like Serita and ber but yeah he’s good he’s good I like

Danny I’m big fan of Danny Martinez favorite Colombian but but but my point here is that he’s on a different setup now he’s on the specialized set oh here we go okay so he’s got different equipment it’s it’s it’s very very different tell us you tell us about the equipment man it’s

Fast but he’s got got the face p on now so he’s got the whole he’s got the snood but I mean we might as well well we’ll draw two things here if well you guys might find more things but in terms of Remco Veno winning it third time most

Wins joined now are we just going to go where we always go now is he the favorite for the Tor of France cuz now I I think yeah the toour France yeah we will’ll probably say no M go Pacha but I mean more as quickstep as a whole like you

Well Patrick was drawing about that we saw Lander it seemed like Lander’s role here was really shown okay it wasn’t you Bingo up the road but still it was Ward and Ben hey it wasn’t exactly bani yeah sorry that’s that’s very true I think I’d been more

Impressive was on the stage two finish James Knox put in a huge shift like he I couldn’t believe how long he was on the front for cuz he like peeled off and then landed like okay and then and then that was it so I think that James Knox

Was insanely good but like say it was good to see Lander kind of how he was going to fit into that role and yeah he he was actually really good and I think that if sud quicket bring a bit of that to to the tour like it doesn’t even have

To like a lot I think they can just ride the coat tals of a lot of other teams use their work and then rco can just try and do his thing but just a Landa and a noxes performance Rider in there as well mixed him with a load of rulers to try

And just keep him safe on the flat in terms of positioning it to bottom of climbs and stuff and also navigating the Sprint stages I think that that could work quite well yeah for an illan V Wilder who’s in the Middle East right now that could really change that team

He’s really solid but it was good to see James Knox back to his best he was really good in 2019 and the co season in 2020 went a little bit off the radar in the past two years but um he’s such a good domestique quite underrated I feel

At sud out quickstep being pushed down the pecking order a little bit there but uh he definitely made a name for himself this week and I mean AOL didn’t win either the mountain stages but with that Mega TT that he has in his legs it just

It’s so hard to overcome that kind of that kind of time Gap though but before we get on who’s not going to win the tot of France based in this performance is Teo ganard who didn’t even finish in top 10 OU fellow redhead going against each

Other that’s not what we like to see just I do remember given an like early season prediction of saying that ta is going to come top five but I don’t know what the conversion rate is between Al gav and toter France winner clearly it’s not even the Paul’s not proving this so

Far so you know you win guard as many times as you like but it’s not at all so you know how many Thea won Al yeah was it 2019 he won it CU I think it was a Neo Pro season so it wasn’t his T of France season he’s got it

Once off way see I think I mean but we want derail it with t yeah but with Scottish on Scottish fake Scott on fake Scott uh triggered anyone on the podcast Yan’s giving me a very disgruntled well displeased look but I mean yeah the opposition here rco was facing he did

Say though in the interview after stage five uh that he was in the big ring so he couldn’t actually switch down to the small ring which I mean come on rco you should be able to go on the big ring and that’s why he wasn’t able to win the

Sprint against Danny Martinez but Danny Martinez isn’t going to be necessarily who is well probably not who he’s going to be facing for a win in terms of the torto front stages no Danny Martinez is supporting Primo rocklit let’s not forget and apparently Sasha blaso who

Said he’s not going to be working for Primo rocklit side note that interview came out this week that is a oops yeah that was juicy thing yeah his competition here was was good but yeah it’s not like a it’s not your pogies and Andes and stuff and Ro

Glitches neither of which we’ve seen so far this year so everyone’s just really in their C in their you know cryo Chambers right now just kind of like set up on the volcanoes all kind of planning what’s going to go on it does kind of feel like we are usually we’ve seen some

Of the kind of galacticos at this time like at this time of year it definitely feels like we’re still waiting from the big unveiling we’ve had Remco we’ve had W now but it it still feels like we’re really the season is still really to kick off big style right it still feels like

We’re kind of we’re on a little bit of a simmer and there still kind of stuff to go but maybe that’ll kick off in the next couple of weeks hopefully next week Gran caminho reigning to the Fran gonna be there he is yeah Yodas is going to gr

Cinia right that’s going to be pretty cool 22nd of February everybody put it in it’s got a disgustingly strong start list it actually does I know until last year well look last last year it was just the the the visma Lisa by Kua visma experience this week we have multiple

Former T France Champions we have egal he’s going to be here we also have Wonder kid iban Sosa Richard Kath raber uran Carlos Rodriguez fourth play well fifth place wherever he finished in the toour of France in the end noral world champion mial kovski is going to be here

In Lenny Martinez it’s going to be delicious we are going to be eating good in galsia oh I mean before we get to that next SE well next week uh there’s other races that happen this week as well before you two derail this into a grand Cino preview

Uh I mean where next to go um Tor of man or oh okay no no fair enough rud what rud Del Sol Tor Andre luo what happened there well it wasn’t much of a radel Sal it was more of a Diel Sal it only happened for one day there was only 4.9

Kilm of racing in this in what was supposed to be 5 days of racing um europe-wide farmer protests um have derailed racing in Europe recently there was a stage of that was cancelled and in south of Spain four out of the five stages were canceled the only stage that

Happened was actually a last minute um redesign of a route certainly had 5 kilometers of racing it was an uphill time trial and That Was Won by Maxim Fon Hills of lot Destiny who had a great season last year despite a bit of a whoopsy in Japan at the end of the year

Where where he um had a bit of a moment at the end of one of the stages uh Second Place went the ju user on that stage and third went to Antonio tber whose exploits in San Marino are well written about it was such like an odd sequence of deterioration of the race

Because we went from we’re going to have five stages to we’re going to have four stages to we’re going to have free stages but it’s going to be a a t a like uphill whatever little circuit race thing and then a the stage five was going to remain the same but it was

Going to be stage three and then we just had the one TT and then that was it and it was really I don’t know what’s happening with the UCI points surely they can’t give like full UCI points for real like this no they’ve they’ve SC grabed UCI points and technically Max

Andun heels didn’t win the overall imagine like going around be like I’ve won but like well you haven’t really that’s you’d be like how dare you actually this was an important week for maton for the hills his uh suspension for his whoopsy in Japan actually ended

Last W on Tuesday his first couple days back from racing when he was sitting in on the northeast step after almost pushing someone off his bike in Japan he um he did some mad training and managed to beat Hanan uzo in an uphill TT but to

Be fair I don’t think we can really conclude much from a 4 kilometer long up pill TT and a week of racing where everyone was a little bit confused and us it to win the Tour of France I’m kidding on the heals to win the toour exactly this isn’t a political Channel

Even though sometimes we get accused of that but yeah it when is this going to are we going to get bigger races potentially impacted than that sorry want and see I like you a lot but there is Ute Head News blood coming yeah well at all the B happened in France the

South of France uh farmer protest canceled a stage there here in the south of Spain we had a lot of protests that canceled four days of racing and reduced one more day of racing and people are very very worried about whether omip news blad and Cuda Brussel kuna can

Happen at the weekend given that I mean it’s going through very agricultural parts of Belgium and farmer protests are almost certain to be happening on Saturday Saturday is the day of protesting in in a lot of Europe um so it’s it’s likely that it could be

Affected we don’t quite know if what the situation is is in Belgium a lot of like been reading a lot of people in in Belgium on Twitter saying that it’s not looking great I wouldn’t be too certain that omope is happening so with that I’m slightly wary despite um the

Significance that omope news blood carries in our calendar I read that the the French side has been resolved to an extent so I don’t think the protest in France will be quite as severe so stuff like par E I think will probably be quite safe because I think the French

Have got the government’s got quite quickly on like resolve this but yeah the main concern is is om loop I think everyone’s quite looking forward to the opening weekend you know it’s it holds that historical opening weekend feel like a lot of people consider this to be the

True start of the cycling season and it would be we’ve been getting messages about our Tor down under segment so uh don’t start this up again just no no I just love to St but you said people you didn’t say us no we think the season starts a great

CIA we being you and Patrick I think I’m fighting with to under or did season ever stop did the season ever stop no it never stops car stop won’t stop um I don’t know I really hope om goes ahead because it it is a is a

Cracking race to to watch and I think you know I’m looking forward to sitting down on Saturday and watching it all live on my Telly because I still have a got disturb Discovery plus and you know just it’s just a good vibe you know even if it doesn’t have you know

Your vanderpol and and stuff that but you know it’s it’s got a pretty good start list and it would be a shame for the protest to to get it is a shame how protests like people generally just like don’t like cyclists and cycling kind of intruding on their lives but all of a

Sudden it’s fine to use it as a platform to elevate your position but I think it’s also because it’s a very easily accessible Arena yeah um it’s free to go to it’s on public roads these are public amities it’s it’s a general inconvenience I understand why it’s a

Very lucrative Arena to hold these kind of protests especially with the cameras like they have to kind of show the race you know people aren’t really doing protest at football matches cuz to get do that and nobody cares about Premier League yeah but to get into a Premier

League football match have to pay 80 pound like $100 you know and like who’s who who’s going to be willing to do that a big group of people willing to do that for their calls if they’re going to get caught as well because there security to

Get you into the stadium to go to a bike race you don’t need any security that’s a sad thought you know anything could happen at at the side of a road we’ve seen people throw tax at Riders we’ve seen people run the roads we’ seen people glue themselves to the roads this

Is Rick did it in in the world championships uh well here in Scotland and they’re still going you know and it really helped get their message out to the point where they’re now one of the most sort of known activist groups here in Glasgow so it will be interesting to

See what happens I am excited to see um omope on Saturday if it does happen actually I was at the 2018 World Championships in inbook and there at the top of H which was the well spectacle that year there was someone the day before that had graffitied something on

The road and the they were doing it all night the organizers to try and get rid of it and by the time the race happened there was nothing there but they had absolutely sprayed something about the government on that you say that there is someone who is specifically employed in

The totor France I believe um Ian tra did a piece about this a couple of years back on cycling tips where someone from the to France goes around and does the provoc makes the provocative um things on the road into like they make like penises into butterflies and make

Political statements into other things you know someone goes around and like repaints the provocative stuff before the race Before the Race arrives but I don’t think Oma’s going to have that same thing can’t quite paint a farmer who’s standing there with his tractor block

You the road let me just oh wait no well what’s going to happen to to all these farmers in the T France where it’s usually like do do welcome the T France like when they like Drive their tractors around with a hay Bal that’s not going

To be happening this year it really is sad just all of it but nevertheless we might as well move on to the well if omu does happen there is one particular team who are coming with all gun blazing and I mean no matle no yeah I think no much

No W Berard is W Berard but who’s the team let’s just go there instead before we dive into this I’m going to go for a piss I’m going to include this in the podcast let’s put like elevator music in at this point dude just kind like waiting for it all to

Happen oh man I really really want Loop to go ahead I don’t want it to be I’m worried now I didn’t even know this was a threat you was talking about that you bringing all these ah it’s not going to happen I’m like no please I want it to happen here we

Go definitely can’t just move it because that would be that would be problem yeah doing start what you we were just saying that you brought us bad news and now it’s like we could risk not seeing omad oh well let’s just do it anyway let’s just do it through the

Farmers hypothetical omloop that will happen optimism so who’s the team um it is an aing stack team it’s a bit disgusting so there’s Dyan mbal who of course won R race last year accompanied by W vanart the European Champion Kristoff laort tbote Yanik who as we mentioned earlier finished third

In the voltr Mato katano and Eduardo aini who is going to have so much work to do in this hypothetical omloop that will be happening that I feel truly sorry for him Eduardo um I hope you have lots of Pastor before this race because you are going to be worked of a bone

It’s a disgustingly powerful team considering the rest of the quality of the field and I would be awfully surprised if vism s didn’t win this race importantly I’m really excited to see what Mato jensson brings to this I know I sound like a broken record and not getting commission every time I

Mention his name but his place in this team is really interesting will he be a helper domestic style or will he be allowed to go out in the break he could climb well he top 10 in the that I last year similarly a really unformed Yan

Tracknick will he be sent up the road early on um to help a later move from D wods or kist laal in reality they have probably the three strongest riders in this race to finish on a Podium um if they don’t win this race I think it’s ludicrous it’s theirs to lose hopefully

It’s a little bit more exciting than last year where we saw dbal go up the RO and yeah hopefully it’s a little bit more exciting than last year where we just saw Del van Bala go up the road everyone look at each other so um yeah it’ll be interesting to see because this

Team is going to be monster it’s going to be Giga it’s going to be nuclear it’s going to be biblical it’s going to be Chernobyl you know it’s goingon to be off the scales um and we’re gonna have to get in the next month I’m just think I’m confused as to

How this team is going to work out to be honest with you there’s a couple of unknowns here like laort we haven’t seen so far this year again correct me if I’m wrong but I’d guess like Jorgenson hasn’t raced so far this year AI I mean he’ll just be the domestique but it’s

The kind of van Bal hasn’t raced this year although that didn’t stop him winning last year but as you know vanal W laort trck yinson if you say that maybe Ben no will be a domestique aini it’s just it’s so powerful that I do fear that it will end up like last year

Rather sadly just because of the she numbers that they have it’s very it’s very quick step from back in the day it’s going to be the sort of Whittle it down get four people into a group of 10 ping somebody off the front Mark moves person there’s no stard here or was

About I was about to say who’s going to be standard in this situation oh I don’t know who could be with ion stard maharic yeah yeah yeah moar I think is a writer who’s smart enough to do that dare I say Janny moson I don’t want to say his name out

Loud who if you say his name three times in the mirror he appears but Janny moscon riding for sudal if he’s recovered from all this Blood problems and all that you know old school Jenny Muson could do it but uh yeah I mean it’s pretty open to see who is going to

Beat that new guy and we also have some people who’ve moved around teams as well Florence and AAL starting his classic campaign now with ar samik what’s he going to bring to the table bam gai is kicking off here as well yasper Philips from abson Tock second place last year

At P Bay what’s he going to bring to the table they also have Quinton Hons who missed the mark last year it’s exciting for these other guys behind VI Spike but ol can be sort of a race of super attrition or it could be more of a bunch

Sprint like it was back in 2021 that very very sleepy race that was won by badini I always kind of forget how om Loops play out because I SP they don’t have the same finishing kind of line all the time do they because it is it

Differs year on year by by looks the ballerini finish that I remember in my mind’s ey is not the same finish that vanal went on last year it’s not he was annoyed about about the new finish because it was a couple hundred meters further on than when he W or they in

Stard finish I do not remember them going up the mo yeah yeah it kind of varies p l we were talking about he needs to get like the Cobble a big Cobble race this seems like an open goal almost yeah he’s on really good form even like his uh his super strong

American teammate Quinn Simmons he’s not goingon to be here either they’ve got Jonathan Milan but I don’t really think he’ll do much I mean stoven did you mention dele I did mention Dilly who rode an incredible race last year but we haven’t seen dly in the same form as last year

The was on insane form this time in 2020 2023 he’s only raced three races so far and didn’t finish one which was the olive oil Classic this week I mean any old listeners well loyal listeners I guess who’ve been here from the beginning they will know that this

Podcast was essentially for the first few weeks just an honor dele appreciation podcast yes an honor dele Circle joke you could say he could be a stun arst I remember him crashing last year and still doing well like if he’s got I don’t know say there’s a a visma

Lisa bike take a pick of five up the road and then he’s got say I don’t know W and Jorgenson and buut on his wheel I would back dele to win the Sprint from those guys to be honest with you if it was like a three-on-one I do think he could

Be the stanard es Rider he’s got that dog in him ATO speaking of the classican the winner of that or Caro is also here of course he did quite well in dor land last year I expect him to make a pretty big impact he could be quite an

Interesting Rider to watch consider M never really do that great in the Cobble Classics it’s good to that they’ve got somebody to Route Around well we have a long list of like un favorites in terms of riders but I think that is one of the Patrick favorites Los car yeah he has to

Be side B basato Ben black of Max Paul since it was mentioned should we talk about the olive oil classic classic if you want yeah okay where this is where pogy took his first win last year on my birthday last year what a what a great birthday presid

OAS Cano took the win ahead of bastia H Yan tratnik and Tim wellin Tim well not firing as well as he was last year but last Conor that was a really really impressive ride from a rider I think who’s really maturing in his um in himself and I’m yeah I’m kind of with

You I think he could make a big splash this year in the classics that dwo performance it was like a little bit strange because it was from the Breakaway but I think he could definitely bring something uh in 2024 and I’m expecting a bit of a breakout

Somewhere along the way yeah sure I mean yumbo can you know Vima Lisa bike ah messed up a little bit well messed up they got I mean we should have like a swear job but like a y yeah literally that be such a good idea just have a little counter in the bottom

Corner but w got a nail through his wheel or whatever seus became a one day racer and tracknick was really good and I honestly think that tranic could be the main man I think tranic could be slept on for om I think he could be a really strong Rider and I think people

Should be I would be more scared of what tranx going to do considering how he looked at our he look he’s just looking super strong yeah tranic is phenomenal such a Swiss army knife of a ride just thinking about like last Cano again remember last year when I think it was

Matis leer was um was up he he roded the breakway omope and made he was like in second place up until the final like 15K if lano’s in a similar situation I think he could definitely hold on and try to finish on the podium unlike leau last year yeah I definitely think that

Lo car would be like an ideal person as like a to do an an anticipation move from a little bit further out and then gets caught by one of five vimal eabic Riders and then is kind of like a two up to the line I I I would not surprise me

At all if the podium was something like tranic L Caro Phillipson from a Sprint behind or something like that like that would be a completely reasonable Podium for me I think yeah I think also Baran victorious’ team looks quite interesting you’ve got Matthew Mich who’s been eyeing up the

Spring Classics for a while now alongside Fred Wright as well I mean I think Fred wri’s a little bit overrated sometimes but they could definitely try to feature inside the top 10 there I mean Alberto betol is here of course he needs the air time J

Kong as well um Sten Kung who did not time trial as well in alava as he probably should have to be honest that might be harsh but I would have expected something a little bit better from him yeah here who was super good in proval

Pon also good in poos or was it was it poos or was it B Tom vanas is that yeah that was provos he W the final stage yeah he’s here for Israel Premier Tech he could get a top 10 I wouldn’t be surprised trying to think as who else I’m not sure whether

To expect anything from pitcock he always seems to promise so much for the C class but he just never seems to execute on a all right it’s just few years ago since he had the top results that’s true like Trenton even could be slept on as well third in

Classica alia clearly quite fast his team’s decent as well marus is on good for yeah yeah absolutely I was gonna say DSM but I don’t really think we have anybody anybody here the c ag2r p gonut maybe is like a very outside name all about B Binny’s on this start list and

We haven’t no he was mentioned in passing um but I don’t recall him saying this was part of his program to be honest I thought he was going straight to terrano drao and then this was I don’t recall this being part of it at the team presentation well he lied to

Yeah he lied to everyone but on the starless Phantom AR it’s the man with one of the hardest and longest names in the prop palon Ru F Martin’s day he’s going to be there the man with the most Dutch sounding name we might as well before we hijack well you two hijacking

Completely to be Ute hit news blood France France you want to go to France no om man there you go boom well actually I’m I’m yeah I’m starting to fall into the Patrick camp now with these Middle Eastern races yes as a Tor of Qatar whatever sympathizer wanted back

Whatever nostalgist um yeah this is starting to become a bit dull and with the UA team well UAE tour start list as well you and I did the preview and I think yeah the appetite for that isn’t great either so uh yeah toron um well I’ll go through this

Quickly it’s no longer a banger of a race like it was 10 years ago stage one won by Caleb buan in a Sprint ahead of Koka Kristoff and glad in fourth stage two was Biven uphill Sprint won by Finn Fisher black luk lamp and Diego ulissi he’s back baby uh stage three was

Another uphill Sprint won by Paul Man head of Luke Lampa they’ve become quite the double like this year so far both new signings for sudal quickstep uh with Brian Kar in third and the depotter in fourth stage five stage four round father was an uphill stage won by Emily

Keo of Al bayay hotels with Edis selling now riding for asite Kazakhstan in second place I completely forgot about that transfer uh stage five however up to Green Mountain what used to be an iconic climb now is a little bit Adam y won there ahead of yan hit who took the

Win there two years ago this put Adam Yates in the overall lead which he took ahead of yan hit and his own teammate Finn Fisher black in third place fourth place went to UAE as well and Diego alissi and fifth went to Christian Rodriguez of BNB also Warren B just mentioned him

Finished in sixth place welcome back I think the stage which man one was shorten because of extreme weather which was just shocking in oh man I was like what to what what what what what do you mean extreme protocol what do you mean storm isn’t that too hot like I don’t

Think you would want to be riding in like 50° or whatever or sandstorms well no but nobody was like it was Ring no no we just rain okay yeah know I was just like I couldn’t believe it but I don’t know just was what it was the most interesting part was well

People love these Middle Eastern races for one reason and one reason know the only people who enjoy these races are those people who calculate what’s pilo from oh no not this race no it’s the sandstorms it’s the echelons on the main Highway into Doha that is the interesting races and I there’s no

Sarcasm here from me I love those races Nikki testra and Mark Cavendish dominating those races in the mid 2010s oh some of my favorite races now we have to go through the UE tour I my word yeah I mean I’m not looking forward okay on

Man had a great week it was good good for him like he’s he’s only 19 that’s incredible like he’s the new French hope two pro wins this this year already and him and Luke lampy are besties both used to ride for and they be they both keep sort of

Getting good results together well I love how man is C to like the baby zerro or something this year like just to completely curb and under 23 Le Buster Le how is that even allowed that shouldn’t be allowed if you’re World Tour Rider you shouldn’t be in an under

23 race come on yeah I do kind of agree with that you are just it’s like you’ve made it like come on you want a stage of T man ahead of some pretty serious competition you don’t need to go and stomp over under 23 Riders who really

Need the air time a bit more like call that a controversial take yeah also I just think the general sort of level of competition of this race in terms of the teams that are invited and so forth has just like decreased hugely in the past couple years to the point where now like

There’s a couple World Tour teams and like nobody else really to look out for which is a bit of a shame hopefully the tman comes back at some point soon I mean speaking of disappointing competition the tour of Rwanda has started as well and and I don’t know how

You guys feel about this but there’s no World Tour team there but it’s all the world tour development teams as well which I feel like is a bit it is probably the biggest race in Africa you would say in terms of the state race the Amisa Bongo to potentially could be the

Only thing you well would claim as bigger I’m not sure but yeah what do you guys think of that cuz I think it’s a bit disrespectful to the Randa race we have the world champion chair in two ,000 well next year so yeah not seeing

High level teams here is sad it is and you would think because the worlds are going to be here soon that it would up the level here maybe it will next year couple these French Pro Continental teams and all these Dev teams it’s good for these young Raiders to get something

In there couple really interesting young Raiders you should look out for this this week gal gar in particular the Slovenian riding for UAE genz Squad awful name for a team he’s someone that’s been on my radar for a while look out for him but this opening time trial

As well you could see that there was a wealth divide between some of these bigger teams where they had the time trial equipment the smaller teams did not it just doesn’t really seem fair just make just make every team do it on a on a road bike you know even if you

Have stick on Arrow ball it doesn’t matter just like it seems a bit harsh when some teams have the fall full equipment and some teams don’t but despite that Chris F still lost five minutes on a 18 km long TT wait what it’s mental it’s it’s actually

Insane um I I don’t know I just think considering the build up to like I just think it’s a bad time of year not of there’s ever really like a good time of year to be hosting race but there’s always sort of a it’s a long way to fly

People out when everything’s really focused in just like one area at the moment you know like it’s always kind of like the transfer times and stuff which we don’t really appreciate the cost of all Logistics all of getting your bikes and the staff and the Riders and getting

All that sorted it’s just it’s not as convenient as going to one stage race in Spain to another stage race in France to a one day race in Belgium it’s just it’s it’s less enticing but I would like to see definitely like next year considering that like you say the world Champs is

Done I hope that it gets a little bit more High profess because it would make sense to wouldn’t it like you may as well but World Champs are going to be there if you want to be competitive there it would make sense to go over there and ride some other roads rather

Than flying yourself or whatever out there but team flying you out at some other points to get you Recon in yep but then if it’s so hard to get there why are these War tour teams sending these children you know it they’re Expendable also at the same time T wild is barely broadcast

There is I mean it does get some media hype every now and then I think Chris f as much as we like to insult him has helped with that I just I I really hope things improve um in the years to come I think this is more a systemic problem

Than a sort of race organizers problem I mean have you seen this eth stage I’m pretty sure D’s got some roads it’s in Kali the the capital well apparently politicians in England didn’t realize that’s the capital of Rwanda but we won’t go in there um I seem to recall there was a cobble

Climb or something on the World’s route so yeah the MU the Kali maybe Chris V is eyeing up this maybe this is part of his Recon for the World Championships gosh um maybe it would be cool for him to be picked for like the time trial so he

Could like race his home for race an African World Championships because he probably would have never imagined that would happen as someone who grew up in Africa I know he raced for the United Kingdom but still like that that would be quite cool for him he shouldn’t do

The road race come on be real we should let the real like the time but you like in tour Banda just to mention as well you’ve got maroi kudu in there running for their TR team because he’s no longer World Tour Rider unfortunately and you’ve got G so not

Gay but uh his Ethiopian almost namesake uh but yeah I mean if you had Binum gay for the well we were talking about bin gay potentially being a favorite for this next year so it would have been great for him writing for riding for your TR but in much I’m not

Going to let him ride for the national team let’s to be honest no no as as as cool as it would be and he’s also got European targets as well with the spring Classics and tyrano and so forth coming up I think just logistically it makes

More sense for him to be based in Europe all right should we move to Europe should we move to France finally I was going to say he’s actually based in atraya most of the time because he trained that and then he comes back to Europe so Rwanda is closer

Than where yeah yeah but in terms of like the fact that he’s he’s racing already in Europe and he’s yeah yeah yeah but like the ud thing wasn’t on the plan before but I mean that all side you and youas three times enjoy yourself what’s happening not yeah what’s happening in France what

Is happening in France um well in the south of France has been a lot of racing towards the maritime Alps um beginning with the classic VAR and this is not a reference to the football V but there should have been in the end because Lenny Martinez beat to beas Hal

Johanneson who started celebrating too early he thought the Finishing Line was earli than it was I don’t get how um but he started celebrating like 100 meters before the line and Lenny Martinez beat him to H johanis seemed very frustrated he said there was like a metal bridge

That he thought was the Finishing Line it was not so the victory went to the youngster from France who led the B spia last year could to see him get off to a good start this year so far third placement to Bal of DSM fish as well

Ahead of Michael Woods and fourth and Orelia P pant in fifth then there was a stage race in the very similar area the to is at Mar te forly to at Mar uar they dropped the VAR bit um stage one was a British Affair Ethan Vernon took stage

One for Israel Premier Tech with Shan F of Scotland in second place and vinzo alaban who now rides for Al samik in third and a good Sprint from to Hal johanneson to finish in fourth he’s evidently in good form the next stage and the final stage yes it’s a quick

Race to v um saw budha kosa take the stage win ahead of his teammate Oran pantra and Vincenzo alanza once again in third place for AR samik it really could have been any the a rider there three riders in top 10 three contending that final Sprint as Bastian Kos also

Finished inside top 10 this man overall in this race bu K took the overall Victory Han banza in second place and aelia B pant in third alexand DEET in fourth and Bastian T in fifth that was kind of a mess up about the classic V with har johanis and Lenny Martinez is

It definitely floated around quite a lot in some gifts around Twitter and stuff just seeing him like holding his hand up just like what what was this um it’s a good it’s a good tip for race organizers tried to put the Finish Gantry bit exactly where the line is cuz otherwise

People will get confused it’s a good thing it’s not no offense like the Most High Caliber race like one day race you know if it was something like I don’t know like a flesh wone and they just decided to put the Finish Gantry 25 meters earlier that would probably russle some

More feathers but yeah hopefully they learn the less than we don’t do that again yes but it’s K season is he finally back other there we go to win the to C to win Le B Le Milan San yes you we know this time of

Year it does happen it do be like that he do he always does this every year gets us so hyped up and then he’ll just like disappear and then he’ll win GP of Quebec yep or like m still go and it be nowhere else for the rest of the season

He is a bit of a yo-yo Rider very H cold but he’s had decent start this season but it wasn’t exactly the highest caliber of competitors especially when like bant and to were there like also right in the mix in that final stage you know his own

Teammates yeah exactly I mean but but you got to win to to win you know you gota exactly a win finishing e exactly I mean before we go to the ride of the week I just wanted to bring something up that we might look at a bit more uh for

The weeks I mean the running tally of wins in terms of teams it’s something that we don’t really focus on too much in cycling I mean just in general not just us but as of recording we’ve got Le Trek is currently leading the world tour well the leaderboard you will say with

Nine victories yeah soal quickstep seven team jaob aula seven seven for uat memor and Bor hansar as well with six that’s our top five but yeah I just think that that would be quite a funny little segment to look at we also have GW enor Shimano from Colombia they have four

Victory the highest Place Continental team in terms of pro cycling stats a winning league for 2024 I’m surprised little tracker leading that to be honest mes pill I guess it’s leading this um Milan took a stage win as well it adds up quick those French races yeah true true and also including

The overall wins that you got as well at both B and PS so anyways coming to everyone’s favorite part of the show all the world tour Riders tuning in for this our writer of the week and I mean guys who’s your writer of the week I hope you

Don’t choose mine this time I’ll let youan go first because I think he’s very excited about his oh if he’s not been orif I don’t know what’s going on it’s not it’s Bastian toel man from shamb the Homeland well the former homeland of this team I don’t know if they bit move

North since they changed the the sponsor but he’s had such a good week he was second place of the olive oil race seventh at Classic far uh seventh uh on that final stage of to marim duvar just out marim and he finished fifth overall there he’s had a really good season up

Until this point being right up there he was top 15 amounts lofty at the tour and under 21st overall in that race he’s been quite good quite under the radar over the past couple years he’s been making steady steady progress and this might be the one and only time I ever

Have the chance to to give him my rider of the week shout sorry yannik it’s going to B well that’s okay cuz my rer week’s Yan traic because third place in GC in a high caliber field I would call it I think that he did a really really good

Job and I think that he could honestly go on to win our hopefully happening om pet news blood I think Yan trck is just in insane form at the moment and I reckon he could definitely keep us going for for a little bit was was that your ride of a week

Scott did I just St it no I mean all tra super nice I mean there was actually Cy races sorry Eli use a bit it’s not going to be no you’re not exist it’s half that time just like after the world you don’t exist we see we’ll see you in November

Even though it starts in September but we’ll see you in November um yeah okay my R of week is going to what because he actually entertained me a lot in the alav world alav so I thought he showed real panach interesting yeah I enjoyed him in almost every single one of the r

Stages there two visala bike riders getting rid for a week one to cat Rider yeah that’s pry that counter balances I think that’s quite that’s quite balance it’s like ying and yang this might be the second ride of the week after Patrick gave P pant oh

Yeah oh we need to yeah well at some point we’ll we’ll do a spreadsheet and uh keep up running running talo who has the most ride of the week it’s probably met and Paul let’s be honest and the and AR de yeah oh Aro dele he definitely has

A few but anyways that’s basically it for our episode 56 if you haven’t already make sure to well hit the like button comment below as well get involved uh we promised a a comment section this it’ll come next next week there there’s too many races we’re

Looking for a a break in the in the schedule but yeah if you haven’t already check us all out on Twitter as well that’ll be in the description down below hopefully this time if I remember and of course as always thank you for watching and we will see you next week