Published July 30, 2020 08:40PM
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Hello again, CyclingTips readers.
As we near the weekend and the first WorldTour race since March (that would be Strade Bianche, of course), the headlines from the cycling world included news on some recognizable names, another WorldTour rebrand, and more.
Remco Evenepoel delivered the eye-catching ride of the day, storming to a stage 3 victory and the overall race lead at the Vuelta a Burgos. Expectations have been sky-high for the 20-year-old Belgian since he made his debut with Deceuninck-Quick-Step last year, but based on his accomplishments so far, he seems to be handling things pretty well. Evenepoel took the overall wins in both of his two prior race starts this season and is now well-positioned to grab yet another stage race victory if he can hold on for the next few days in Spain.
In other news, the UCI has apparently dismissed Rohan Dennis’s case against the Bahrain team. The squad then known as Bahrain-Merida (now Bahrain-McLaren) terminated Dennis’s contract in September of last year, and Dennis filed a complaint. Months later, his case has been dismissed. According to the UCI, he has 30 days to appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
Read on for more …
Dane Cash
News Editor
| Evenepoel wins Vuelta a Burgos stage 3
Remco Evenepoel continued his impressive 2020 campaign with another strong showing Thursday. The 20-year-old Belgian put his climbing abilities on full display on stage 3 of the Vuelta a Burgos.
Evenepoel, who took the overall victories at both the Vuelta a San Juan and the Volta ao Algarve in his only other racing appearances earlier this year, surged to the top of the Picón Blanco finishing climb to take the win 18 seconds ahead of runner-up George Bennett, with Mikel Landa taking third 32 seconds back.
The AG2R La Mondiale team announced on Thursday that it is getting a new title sponsor in 2021.
French automotive brand Citroën will be coming aboard next season, marking a “new chapter” for a team that has gone by the name of AG2R La Mondiale since all the way back in 2008. In 2021, the team is set to become AG2R Citroën.
| UCI dismisses Dennis’s case
The UCI has dismissed Rohan Dennis’s case against his former team, the former Bahrain-Merida squad now known as Bahrain-McLaren.
The news comes a little over a year after Dennis withdrew from the 2019 Tour de France on the eve of a time trial for which he would have been among the top favorites for victory. Dennis never raced with the Bahrain-Merida team again. In September of last year, after Dennis rode to his second career world time trial title in Yorkshire, Bahrain-Merida announced that it had terminated his contract. Dennis filed a complaint against the team.
Dennis went on to sign with Ineos, and neither he nor his former squad have spoken at length about the case over the past several months. As of Thursday, the UCI dismissed the case.
“The UCI Arbitral Board issued today (30.07.2020) a decision in the case opposing Mr. Rohan Dennis to the paying agent Bahrain World Tour Cycling Team of the UCI WorldTeam Bahrain-McLaren,” the UCI said in a statement. “The Panel dismissed the rider’s claims. The decision may be appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport within thirty days.”
| Vos reportedly signs a two-year deal to join Jumbo-Visma
While official confirmation has yet to emerge (and it is unlikely to emerge before August 1), AD reports that Marianne Vos, who currently races for CCC-Liv, will join the nascent Jumbo-Visma women’s team for 2021.
The report comes a week after Cycling Opinions reported that Jumbo-Visma was in talks with the 33-year-old Dutchwoman, who counts multiple Olympic medals and world championships on her incredibly long list of career achievements.
According to AD, Vos has signed on for two seasons with the Jumbo-Visma team.
| Revised Giro route includes an added summit finish
Giro d’Italia organizers unveiled the revised route for the 2020 edition of the race on Thursday, confirming a handful of changes made to adjust for the cancellation of the planned start in Hungary. Most notable from the announcement is the news that the Giro has added a summit finish at Roccaraso.
After announcing last week that the race would start with a new time trial stage, the RCS revealed Thursday that it has also added stages to Matera and to Roccaraso, a climb that has seen the likes of Bernard Hinault and Fausto Coppi take stage victories in the past, before the first rest day.
| 2021 Merida Reacto IV revealed: a fourth-generation aero bike
As Dave Rome writes, Merida’s 2021 Reacto IV is a lighter, more well-rounded bike.
| Previews: What you need to know about Strade Bianche
With Strade Bianche around the corner, Matt de Neef has the previews with all the key things you need to know ahead of the men’s and women’s races.
| Shimano’s 2021 shoe range brings high-end features to low-end prices
As Iain Treloar writes, Shimano has updated its footwear range with 15 new or redesigned models.
Today’s feature image of Remco Evenepoel winning stage 3 of the Vuelta a Burgos comes from Cor Vos.