It's been another action packed week of pro racing, with races in Argentina, Australia,
and the Netherlands, but we're going to start on the normally sunny island of Majorca, Spain.
The Challenge Majorca is a series of four back to back one day races, an interesting
and relatively unique concept which means that riders don't have to finish, or even
start any one particular day, in order to compete the next.
John Degenkolb chose to start the first and the last races, and he couldn't really have
got his own season, or that of Trek Segafredo, off to a better start, winning them both in
a bunch sprint.
Majorca treated the team very well, in fact, with newly signed twenty six year old Tom
Skujins got to raise his arms on day three, on what was a punchy day out to say the very
least - feast your eyes on this for a hard day in the saddle.
(Source: Twitter @ammattipyoraily)
Day two, meanwhile, belonged to Tim Wellens of Lotto Soudal – just as it did last year
in fact.
The notoriously difficult stage to Deia was made even tougher by the weather, but Wellens
excels in the rain, so it wasn't a surprise to see him at the head of affairs, comfortably
out sprinting Gianni Moscon.
In fact the result was even less surprising if you'd seen Wellens' Instagram post from
a couple of days previous – he'd netted a ten minute personal best power in training,
a monstrous Five hundred and thirteen watts at seventy one kilograms.
If you've got access to a power meter, go and see how long you can hold that power to
weight for, it may just give you a renewed admiration for pro cyclists.
(source: Instagram Tim Wellens)
The Trofeo Serra de Tramuntana was also, incidentally, the second race back for Alejandro Valverde
after his horror crash at last years Tour de France.
He finished third after riding a particularly aggressive race, so it seems that there is
still life in him yet.
Vuelta a San Juan
Over to Argentina now, where stage one winner and Colombian super talent Fernando Gaviria
was forced to abandon and head to hospital after a heavy crash on day stage four.
It did open the way for his team mate Max Richeze to win the stage, but it was small
consolation for the QuickStep team, who will be hoping this doesn’t interrupt an important
Spring campaign for the twenty three year old.
Ryan Mullen won his first professional race outside of the Irish National Championships
with victory on the stage three individual time trial, a great start to his first race
with Trek Segafredo.
He did, though have to rely on some help from a local cycling fan after getting lost on
his way back from the subsequent press conference.
Teammate Giacomo Nizzolo concluded the race with a sprint victory, his first win for over
year.
That made five wins in six days for Trek Segafredo, so instead of rider of the week, we have our
first ever Team Of The Week - thoroughly deserved Trek Segafredo, what a way to start your season.
The race overall, though, belonged to Gonzalo Najar.
Never heard of him?
Nope, neither had we, although perhaps we should have done given that he’s the current
Argentinian national champion.
The twenty four year old showed everybody a clean pair of wheels on the Queen stage,
attacking from far out and averaging a whopping 31.5kph on the fifteen km four point five
percent climb to the line.
He soloed to the stage win, almost two minutes ahead of anybody else.
From that point on, the general classification was never really in doubt.
Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race (VIDEO)
Jay McCarthy took the second pro win of his career in the men's race and with it the second
World Tour win of the year for Bora Hansgrohe.
The race was run off in sweltering conditions with the thermometer topping out at forty
one degrees.
The one hundred and sixty four kilometre race was animated from the flag drop, with a five
man break going clear that included Dane Lasse Norman Hansen of Aqua Blue and Katusha’s
Pavel Kochetkov, this pair surviving until the the final lap of the tough finishing circuit
in Geelong, their efforts enough to reward them with the King of the mountains and sprint
jerseys respectively.
With the break absorbed a reduced peloton hit the final ascent of Challambra Crescent
and it was here that Lotto NL Jumbo’s George Bennett and Borah Hansgrohoe’s new signing
Peter Kennaugh really forced the pace, splitting the group and sending an elite nine rider
group clear which included Mitcheleton Scott’s Esteban Chavez, BMC’s Simon Gerrans and
McCarthy.
The group never really combined as a unit and with a smaller chasing group breathing
down their necks Chavez took flight with three km to go but was caught as both the lead and
chasing group merged within the last five hundred metres.
McCarthy proved the sharpest in the rush to the line, just pipping a fast finishing Elia
Viviani who had to come from a long way back after being part of the chasing group.
In form Daryl Impey rounded out the top three.
Just take take a look at these stats from Velon, showing the sprint efforts of Viviani,
Gerrans and Dries Devenyns after four hours of racing..
Ale Cipolini’s Chloe Hosking ensured Commonwealth Games selection for Australia with her victory
in the Women’s race, using her renowned sprint prowess to take the sprint from a reduced
bunch; out pacing Mitchelton Scott’s Gracie Elvin and Cylance’s Giorgia Bronzini.
Towards Zero Race Melbourne (VIDEO)
Preceding the road races was the Race Towards Zero - a twenty two lap circuit race which
takes place on Melbourne’s Albert Park Formula One circuit.
Bora-Hansgrohe’s Sam Bennett got the better of Elia Viviani and Steele Von Hoff in the
men’s event.
The twelve lap women’s race was taken by the in-form Annette Edmondson in a very close
bunch sprint.
Giorgia Bronzini took second with Tibco’s Kendall Ryan in third.
CycloCross World Cup Hoogerheide
Hoogerheide in the Netherlands hosted the final round of the Telenet UCI World Cup at
the weekend, simultaneously serving as the final preparation for the World Championships.
It was fitting to see both Sanne Cant and Mathieu Van Der Poel take spoils - those two
have dominated their respective categories this season, although the margins of victory
certainly give us hope of a very close fought battle this coming weekend.
Cant bounced back from a disappointing result the previous week in France, powering away
from the midway point of the race, leaving Eva Lechner to settle for second.
Another fine performance from British U23 National Champion Evie Richards saw her round
out the podium - she’s a standout favourite for the U23 rainbow bands.
The big news in that race, though, was the crash of Pauline Ferrand Prevot and World
MTB Champion Jolanda Neff, Prevot was taken to hospital, but thankfully with no major
injuries, she’s hopeful of competing at the Worlds.
Home favourite Marianne Vos took 4th, albeit at 51s - it seems a long shot that she’ll
take an eighth Elite World Title, but you still can’t count her out.
In the men’s, Van Der Poel might have crossed the line first, but it wasn’t quite as convincing
as previous weeks.
Current World Champion Wout Van Aert crossed the line just 8 seconds later.
This Sunday will almost undoubtedly be a two horse race, but it could well be a close fought
battle nonetheless.
Before we finish, we must say we were delighted to see Vincenzo Nibali announce that he will
make his Tour of Flanders debut this year.
Nibali is, of course, better known for his Grand Tour exploits – he's won all three
– but he's also no stranger to monument success, having twice won Il Lombardia.
And I think we should all applaud him for going outside his comfort zone here, it's
going to be fascinating to see how he gets on, rubbing shoulders with the hard men of
the classics.
Right, that's it for this week, we'll be back in the same place this time next week, where
we'll be talking through the Volta a Valenciana, the Herald Tour and Etoile de Bessages, but
first and foremost, the World Cyclo Cross championships in Valkenberg.
Who will take the coveted rainbow bands?
Find out right here.
In the meantime, you might want to watch this next video with former World Time Trial Champion
Emma Pooley, in a special edition of Ask GCNything.