VN news ticker: Thibaut Pinot returns to Giro d’Italia in 2023; Jumbo-Visma auctions bikes
Here's what's making headlines on Friday, December 9.
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Thibaut Pinot returns to Giro d’Italia in 2023
Groupama-FDJ captain Thibaut Pinot will race the Giro d’Italia in 2023.
It will make for the Frenchman’s first start in the Corsa Rosa since he dramatically abandoned the 2018 race ahead of the final stage after spending the final week in contention for the podium.
“I will have a clear goal: to win against the best on the pedals on mountain stages,” Pinot said. “Overall, it’s a mountainous route that awaits us. This difficult Giro d’Italia will probably be the hardest of the three grand tours of the year, and therefore the one that suits me the best.”
Meanwhile, Davide Gaudu will lead Groupama-FDJ’s Tour de France team with the intention of hitting the podium. The 26-year-old this year finished a career-best fourth in Paris.
Jumbo-Visma auctions bikes to support young cycling talent
If you want to own the bike that Jonas Vingegaard rode on his way to victory at the Tour de France, now’s your time.
Jumbo-Visma is auctioning 18 bikes from its men’s and women’s teams to support the development of young cycling talent. Cervélo R5 and S5s ridden by Vingegaard, Marianne Vos, Wout van Aert, and Sepp Kuss at the Tour and Tour de France Femmes are headlining prizes.
“At Team Jumbo-Visma we’re engaged in many initiatives supporting cycling talents to flourish,” team boss Richard Plugge said.
“Think of our academy, the talents of our Development Team, and of course the initiative CyclingClassNL in which we participate as a cycling team. That is how we truly contribute to the future of Dutch cycling and this auction enables us to take the next step.”
The auction started Thursday and runs through December 19.
So if you’ve got €10,000 to top the current biggest bid on Van Aert’s green fork-edition S5, get over to the website here.
Filippo Ganna targets Paris-Roubaix, Giro d’Italia in 2023
Filippo Ganna confirmed Thursday he will center his early season on Paris-Roubaix and the Giro d’Italia in 2023.
The UCI Hour Record Holder sketched out his coming calendar to La Gazzetta Dello Sport while at the Ineos Grendiers Mallorca camp.
Ganna will debut his season at Vuelta a San Juan alongside Ineos Grenadiers teammate Egan Bernal. The Argentine eight-dayer late January will give Ganna a taste of the Giro to come, with Remco Evenepoel also touted to be starting both races. The time trial-heavy course in Italy will give the two superstar specialists three occasions to renew their long-standing rivalry in races against the clock.
Ganna also revealed to Gazzetta he intends to return to Paris-Roubaix for a fourth time next spring. The now 26-year-old powerhouse won the U23 Roubaix in 2016 and has been dreaming of a senior repeat ever since.