VN news ticker: Crash at Vuelta a Burgos ensnarls multiple Ineos Grenadiers, Caleb Ewan extends with Lotto-Soudal

Crash at Vuelta a Burgos ensnarls Egan Bernal, Adam Yates, Aleksandr Vlasov

A crash some 20km from the finish of stage 1 of the 2021 Vuelta a Burgos took down Ineos Grenadiers Egan Bernal, Daniel Martínez, and Adam Yayes, as well as Astana-Premier Tech rider Aleksandr Vlasov.

Teams are in Spain using the five-day stage race as a tune-up and final preparations before for the 2021 Vuelta a España, on the calendar for Sataturday, Aug 14, 2021 – Sunday, Sep 5, 2021.

https://twitter.com/VueltaBurgos/status/1422560562605699076

Wielerflits reported that Martínez, Bernal, and Yates were slow to remount their bikes, suffering bruises and abrasions, and continued the hilly stage.

Astana-Premier Tech released a statement via Twitter indicating that Vlasov did not sustain serious injury, and also remounted his bike and continued.

“He [Vlasov] escaped with just minor injuries,” the team tweeted.

https://twitter.com/AstanaPremTech/status/1422581654850256899

Caleb Ewan extends with Lotto-Soudal

Australian sprint specialist Caleb Ewan extended with Lotto-Soudal for an additional two years, through the end of the 2024 season.

Ewan has been with the Belgian-registered squad for three years, and has won stages at the three grand tours.

“We have a lot of room for improvement and I’m really looking forward to working with our train consisting of Jasper De Buyst, Roger Kluge, Harry Sweeny, and Frederik Frison, as well as those who will soon be joining our team,” Ewan said.

Ewan hotly contested for the green jersey at the 2020 Tour de France. He was looking for a stage 3 win at the 2021 Tour when he locked bars with Peter Sagan in the final 200m of the race. The tangle caused a crash that saw Ewan’s immediate exit with a fractured clavicle and other injuries, and then the subsequent exit of Sagan from the three-week French race.

Neilson Powless extends with EF Education-Nippo

Neilson Powless has extended his contract with EF Education-Nippo. The team confirmed Monday that the Californian would remain on its books through 2022 in a contract extension of undisclosed duration.

“I really feel like I am a part of EF,” Powless said. “I’m part of the company and part of the team. The way that we operate is just unparalleled in cycling. It really feels like a family, with the way that the staff and everyone takes into account the riders’ lives and the riders’ well-being. It is always a really nice experience to go to a race or travel because they always take good care of us.”

Powless, 24, joined EF Education-Nippo at the start of last year. He has ridden both Tours de France since then, and just this weekend scored his first pro win at the Clásica San Sebastián. Powless has also twice scored top-six finishes in Tour de France stages with his American squad.

“Neilson is a big part of this team’s heart, and a big part of its future,” team CEO Jonathan Vaughters said. “Most importantly, he’s a truly upstanding person. We absolutely love having him on the team. I look forward to what we’ll accomplish together over the coming seasons.”

https://twitter.com/EFprocycling/status/1422297850134867978

Track star Ed Clancy calls time on Olympic career

British track star Ed Clancy called time on his Olympic career Tuesday. Clancy has been forced out of the Tokyo Games due to an ongoing back and sciatica issue, denying him a chance to chase a fourth gold medal.

“I’m absolutely gutted that my Olympic career has ended this way, but it would be unfair of me to try to carry on now I have aggravated my back injury,” Clancy said Tuesday.

“Ultimately, I want the rest of the lads to build on the hard work we have done over the past year and a half and give them the best possible chance of making it onto the podium. I will be supporting them all the way.”

Clancy, 36, had been due to race in the men’s Team Pursuit heats on Tuesday after victories in Beijing, London, and Rio. He also won bronze in the Omnium in 2012. He had previously said Tokyo 2020 would be his last Olympics.

Clancy, along with British teammate Jason Kenny, had hoped to become the first track cyclist to win four gold medals in one event at the Olympics.

https://twitter.com/BritishCycling/status/1422432616221921295

“I’ve spent just over 20 years on the Great Britain cycling team and I see it as my family. I have achieved more during my time than I ever could have dreamed of, it’s something I will remember for the rest of my life,” Clancy said.

“It’s been a pleasure, to the extent that if I could go back in time I would do it all over again. It’s a tough call because I’m enjoying it more now than I ever have done, but the difficult choice is usually the right one, and right now is the time to go.”

Charlie Tanfield will join Ethan Hayter, Ethan Vernon, and Ollie Wood in the team pursuit quartet for the rest of the Games. Team GB will line up for the Pursuit heats Tuesday.

Spanish squad set to stomp on Tour de l’Avenir

If you’re looking for the next Remco Evenepoel or Tadej Pogačar, the best place to look is the Tour de l’Avenir.

The marquee development race is set to roll out on August 13 and the Spanish team looks likely to take the race by storm with an all-star lineup. Juan Ayuso (UAE-Team Emirates), Carlos Rodríguez (Ineos Grenadiers) and Javier Romo (Astana-Premier Tech) will headline the Spanish six in the mountainous race starting next Friday.

Ayuso is hotly tipped as the next great stage race ace after dominating the “Baby Giro” in June, a race that stands alongside Tour de l’Avenir as a breeding ground of young talent. The 18-year-old Ayuso is signed with UAE-Team Emirates through 2025 and made his WorldTour debut at the Clásica San Sebastián on Saturday.

Rodríguez and Romo also have long-term deals in their pockets and WorldTour racing in their legs.

Previous winners of the nine-stage French race reads like a whos-who of top young talent. Pogačar, Egan Bernal, Nairo Quintana and Miguel Ángel López are among recent winners. The last edition – held in 2019 – was won by Tobias Foss.

https://twitter.com/tourdelavenir/status/1410528932336656387