VN news ticker: Dylan Groenewegen to start Paris-Roubaix, Hulst to host 2026 UCI world cyclocross championships

Dylan Groenewegen to start Paris-Roubaix

Dylan Groenewegen (Jumbo-Visma) is on the start list for the 2021 Paris-Roubaix, set for next Sunday, October 3.

He’ll be riding in support of Wout van Aert, along with Mike Teunissen—  who won the U23 edition of the race in 2014 — Nathan van Hooydonck, and Timo Roosen.

Two of seven roster positions remain open.

David Dekker is still unable to race, after crashing and injuring his hand at the Bretagne Classic on August 29. Tony Martin retired from pro racing Wednesday, and so is not on the Dutch team’s roster. Wielerflits reported that Jos van Emden, Olav Kooij, and Mick van Dijke are potential options for the squad, but that the team may opt to bring riders with more experience.

Groenewegen had recent success at the Flanders Championship, on September 17, in which he finished in second to Jasper Philipsen. In July, Groenewegen won stages 1 and 4, and also the points classification at the 2021 Tour de Wallonie.

The Dutch sprinter raced the “Hell of the North” in 2017 and 2018, finishing in 44th and 47th places, respectively.

Hulst, Netherlands to host 2026 UCI world cyclocross championships

The 2026 UCI world cyclocross championships will be hosted Perkpolder, in Hulst, the Netherlands.

Announced Friday, the location was approved and representatives from the host organization were excited about bringing such a large and significant event to the region.

“This is not only unique for Zeeland, but a once-in-a-lifetime event for a municipality like Hulst. We are now used to the ten to fifteen thousand spectators for the Vestingcross, but this World Cup – with easily two to three times as much public interest – will really be a milestone in the history of our city,” said sports councilor Jean-Paul Hageman van Hulst.

Hulst has played host to cyclocross World Cup races, hosted by the Vestingcross Foundation, and is recognizable by an iconic windmill near the venue.

A date for the 2026 event has yet to be finalized.

For the coming years, ‘cross worlds are scheduled for Fayetteville, Arkansas, United Stages (2022), Hoogerheide, Netherlands (2023), Tábor, Czech Republic (2024), Liévin, France (2025), Hulst, Netherlands (2026), and Oostende, Belgium (2027).

Sarah Roy signs for Canyon-SRAM

Canyon-SRAM has signed Australian national road champion Sarah Roy through 2023. Roy will be moving to the German-based squad after spending the past seven seasons with the Orica/Mitchelton/BikeExchange team.

Canyon-SRAM is hoping to use the 35-year-old’s experience and classics chops to help guide its youthful squad, which includes the likes of Chloé Dygert and Kasia Niewiadoma. Roy is also likely to play a role guiding riders in the team’s new development program which starts next year.

“The races and the season become more demanding every year. We had a quite young roster previously, but with the implementation of the development team in 2022, we wanted to add more experience to the Women’s WorldTeam,” said team manager Ronny Lauke.

“Sarah knows how to read a race and lead the group. Although she has had many years in the pro peloton she is still very hungry. In a new environment, she will blossom.”

Roy is the latest of a flurry of new signings for Canyon-SRAM. The team also recently confirmed that Soraya Paladin, Pauliena Rooijakkers, and Shari Bossuyt will join Niewiadoma and Co. next year.

“I feel very positive and enthusiastic about joining Canyon-SRAM Racing. I love what this team is about, and can already see what a great fit we are for each other. I am proud to be involved with an organization so committed to lifting our sport,” Roy said.

“I am really looking forward to further developing as a racer and a person with the team next year. Our plans have got me very excited about the future. I think the team and I have a lot to offer each other and this mutual feeling is extremely motivating for me.”

https://twitter.com/Sar_Roy/status/1441031429798998017

Ion Izagirre joins Cofidis

Spanish rider Ion Izagirre will leave Astana-Premier Tech and join Cofidis for 2022. The Spanish all-rounder will give the team more depth in the grand tours as well as hunting for stages and GC in one-week races.

“I’ll be helping Guillaume Martin and Jesús Herrada in the grand tours,” Izagirre said. “At the same time, I’ll be able to take the role as a leader in one-week stage races. It’s an honor to join Cofidis, a team with such a long history that’s had some big names.”

Un nouvel espagnol chez Cofidis et pas n'importe lequel. Bienvenue Ion Izagirre qui viendra apporter toute son expérience et son talent ! #cofidis2022

— Team Cofidis (@TeamCOFIDIS) September 24, 2021

Round of UCI track ‘champions league’ postponed due to vaccines

The Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines round of the UCI’s track “champions league” in November will be rescheduled for next year as the French venue is currently being used as a vaccination center.

The Paris-area velodrome was set to host the second round of the new series in November, but will return in 2022 as the facility is being used as a vaccination center for COVID-19.

The inaugural season will include five rounds instead of the scheduled six, with stops in Mallorca, Panevézys, London (two rounds), and Tel Aviv.

The league’s final classification prize pool for riders is unaffected, officials said, and preparations continue for the inaugural round in Mallorca, Spain, on November 6.

Mikkel Honoré extends with Deceuninck-Quick-Step

Top Danish talent Mikkel Honoré will ride two more years with Deceuninck-Quick-Step.

The team has extended Honoré’s contract through 2023 after an impressive season that has seen the 24-year-old hit the podium at Donostia San Sebastian and Bretagne Classic-Ouest France and win a stage of Itzulia Basque Country.

“I’m honored. I have had so many great experiences in my life as a pro rider so far as part of this amazing team,” Honoré said. “There have been a lot of things that helped me improve and learn more with each season. I feel each month the improvement I’m making and I look back on a lot of memorable victories I’ve been part of riding with such big names.”

Honoré joined Quick-Step as a stagiaire in 2018 and has since risen to become one of the most valued climber-classics riders on the team. After riding in support of Remco Evenepoel and Joao Almeida at this year’s Giro, team boss Patrick Lefevere is eyeing greater responsibility for Honoré with Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl in the future.

“I first took Mikkel as a stagiaire in the team and when we signed him, I knew he would be a great asset for us and that’s what he proved so far. This season he made a big step, taking two wins and several other strong results in a wide range of races,” Lefevere said. “He still has room to improve, and that’s what we will try to do. You feel Mikkel really feels at home here and together we’ll aim for some more successes in the next two years.”

https://twitter.com/MikkelHonore/status/1441034051024982020