Bernal on what it’s like to win the Tour: Daily News Digest
(Want the Daily News Digest delivered directly to your inbox? Here’s the sign-up.) Hello again, CyclingTips readers. Another week is underway with updates on a few of the peloton’s best climbers, news from the world of gravel racing, and more huge rides worthy of headlines. Egan Bernal…
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Hello again, CyclingTips readers.
Another week is underway with updates on a few of the peloton’s best climbers, news from the world of gravel racing, and more huge rides worthy of headlines.
Egan Bernal has provided some interesting insight into just what it’s like to win the Tour de France. As he told France TV, “It’s like a drug. Once you’ve tried it, you want more and more,” which might help explain why he, Geraint Thomas, and Chris Froome are all hoping to make another run at the Tour title this year.
Speaking of strong climbers who have had success at the Tour, former mountains classification winner Warren Barguil is apparently set to make his debut at both Milan-San Remo and Paris-Roubaix this season. It’s always good to see people broadening their horizons.
Away from the WorldTour, Dirty Kanza organizers have said that they are looking into “options for a name change.” As of yet, the outcome of those considerations is unclear, but organizers say they plan to “share progress as we work through this process.” The subject of the event’s name was addressed in a statement published Sunday, one day after the dismissal of race founder Jim Cummins.
Read on for more.
Dane Cash
News Editor
What’s news
| Bernal on the joy of a Tour victory
As he gears up for the return of racing, Egan Bernal has described what it’s like to win the Tour de France, a feat he is hoping to accomplish for the second straight year this season. Considering the way the 23-year-old Colombian describes the joy of a Tour win, you can understand why he and his two Tour-winning Ineos teammates (Chris Froome and Geraint Thomas) might all want to go after the target this year.
“There’s nothing bigger than winning the Tour de France so the next thing is to win another Tour de France,” Bernal said in an interview with France TV.
“It’s like a drug. Once you’ve tried it, you want more and more. You never have enough. When you win a Tour, you want to win a second, and a third, and a fourth … You want to win more and set a record.”
| Barguil eyes San Remo and Roubaix
These days, you don’t often expect polka dot jersey winners to have their sights set on Paris-Roubaix, but Warren Barguil has told Le Telegramme that he’s planning on making his career debut at the race this year, as well as making his first ever start in Milan-San Remo.
“I feel good on the cobblestones and there, to end the year, is the perfect opportunity,” Barguil said of starting Paris-Roubaix in 2020. “Paris-Roubaix is mythical. So I’m going to chain Flèche Wallonne, Liège-Bastogne-Liège, Amstel Gold Race and, two weeks later, Paris-Roubaix.”
| Dirty Kanza organizers considering options for name change, Life Time launches Diversity and Inclusion Council
Following the dismissal of Dirty Kanza founder Jim Cummins, who was fired after he wrote a Facebook post in which he referred to the shooting of Rayshard Brooks as “justified,” a statement posted to the Dirty Kanza social media accounts on Sunday reiterated the event’s commitment to inclusion and outlined actions organizers are taking in keeping with that commitment.
“As an initial step, in the last few weeks, Life Time has launched a Diversity and Inclusion Council,” organizers said. “This council will allow us to act and put intentional focus on changes we need to make internally so our company, clubs and events are a place for everyone.”
The statement also addressed the subject of the event’s name.
A petition circulated earlier this year calling for the race to change its name, describing Dirty Kanza as a racial epithet, as Kanza is a name for the Kaw Nation and its people. Cummins then met with Kaw Nation representatives, and the event released a statement in conjunction with the Kaw Nation stating that the name of the race would not change. In Sunday’s social media post, race organizers said that they “have been working throughout this year on options for a name change,” committing to “share progress as we work through this process.”
| Manuel Scheidegger’s wheelied Everest
Like so many others around the world lately, Manuel Scheidegger spent his weekend Everesting—but he did so in a pretty unique fashion. Scheidegger says that he compiled his 8,848 vertical meters of elevation gain while wheelie-ing.
Scheidegger spent more than 21 hours on the bike en route to completing the challenge, undertaken in a fundraising effort for Wheels4Nepal.
| Cyclocrosser Lane Maher ascends 100,000 feet
Cyclocross up-and-comer Lane Maher, who rides for the Cannondale-Cyclocrossworld Development team, amassed a whopping 100,000 feet of elevation (30,480 meters) in a huge recent ride that took him over 60 moving hours (with an elapsed time of just over three days).
The 19-year-old American put in the 585.3-mile (942-kilometer) ride in Connecticut this past week in an effort to raise funds and awareness for the Black Lives Matter movement, garnering over $6,500 towards his $10,000 goal as of Monday.
In case you missed it
| Gallery: Lachlan Morton’s Everesting
Not long after his first attempt at the Everesting record, which ended up being short of the planned 8,848 meters of elevation gain, Lachlan Morton tried again. This time, he succeeded.
| Attaquer All Day men’s kit review: Soft and stylish everyday comfort
As Dave Rome writes, Attaquer’s All Day kit combines quality materials with a comfortable fit.
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SUBSCRIBE TO THE DAILY NEWS DIGEST PODCASTToday’s featured image of Egan Bernal at the Tour de France comes from Cor Vos.