VN news ticker: Kévin Reza to retire at end of season, Pieters, Muzic, García new national road champions

Amy Pieters, Évita Muzic, Mavi García score national road titles

Amy Pieters, Évita Muzic and Mavi García will all be pulling on the jersey of national champion for the next 12 months.

Pieters went solo to win the Dutch title Saturday, beating second-place Nancy van der Burg by nearly two and a half minutes. Marianne Vos finished eighth in the star-studded race, while Annemiek van Vleuten placed 11th.

Kévin Reza to retire at end of season

Kévin Reza will hang up his wheels at the end of the season.

After 11 years in the pro peloton, Reza has decided that the pressure and intensity of racing has become too much.

“The tension that reigns in the peloton, the risks that some riders take and the efforts to be made with each restart, lifting myself out of the saddle again and again … I feel like I can’t anymore,” Reza said in a statement from Team B&B Hotels.

Reza has seen many highs and lows through his pro career, including two third-place stage finishes at the Vuelta a España and a near-miss at the French nationals. Along with being an active voice against racism in cycling, Reza was the victim of a serious crash at the 2016 Vuelta which left him with a broken skull.

Reza cited the incident and the perils of racing as another reason prompting his decision to retire.

“It was a hell of a challenge getting back on the bike after this accident,” he said. “I could not see myself stopping my career on this event. I wanted to prove to myself that I could come back to the top level.

Elisa Longo Borghini, Matteo Sobrero score TT titles as Filippo Ganna falters

Elisa Longo Borghini, Matteo Sobrero (both Italy), Mavi García, Ion Izagirre (both Spain) and Christine Majerus (Luxemburg) scored national TT victories Friday.

Longo Borghini defended her 2020 title, beating second-place Soraya Paladin by a solid 1:10. She will be hoping to defend her road title Sunday before heading to the Giro Rosa early July.

“It was a great day,” Longo Borghini said.

“I have huge emotions right now as this is a very big victory for me,” he said.

“To win the maglia tricolore is a dream for all Italian riders and now I achieved this goal! That’s something special for me and I am super happy! Well, I came here really motivated after my performance on the last day of the Giro and after the recent Tour of Slovenia and I wanted to show my best in this race. 

“It’s an incredible day and an incredible win for me.”