VN ticker: Peiper, UAE split ways, Cataldo suffers fractures, Dygert set for return?
Here's what's making headlines on Monday, March 20.
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Just weeks after announcing his return to UAE Team Emirates, Australian sport director Allan Peiper will be leaving again.
Peiper helped direct Tadej Pogačar to victory in the 2020 Tour de France, but stepped away for health issues. Peiper was slated to return to the team this season.
On Monday, however, team CEO and principal Mauro Gianetti confirmed he will leave.
“The desire to have Allan with us was greater than the real difficulties of reinstating him back in the team,” Gianetti said. “After the agreement reached, we realized that the needs of a team as big as ours, which has grown considerably in terms of structure as well as the roster of riders in the last two years, were greater than Allan’s real possibilities to concentrate on all the aspects of the team.
“Our personal relationship will remain unchanged. We wish him continued health and whenever he wants to be our guest he will be warmly welcomed.”
Peiper said there are no hard feelings.
“I thank Mauro and UAE for trying to re-incorporate me into the squad, but my vision of collaboration was different from those of the team. I wish the team all the best going forward,” he said.
Dario Cataldo to undergo surgery after Catalunya crash
Dario Cataldo suffered severe injuries when he was caught up in a crash in the closing kilometers of Monday’s opening stage at the Volta a Catalunya.
Trek-Segafredo officials said the Italian veteran suffered several fractures and will undergo surgery following the high-speed crash.
“A CT scan performed at the hospital revealed a fractured left femoral head & right acetabulum (the ‘ball & socket’ joint of the hip), two transverse process fractures of the lumbar spine without neurological impact, multiple broken ribs with a bilateral pneumothorax and a fractured left collarbone,” a medical update stated. “He is conscious and hemodynamically stable and will be transferred to another hospital in Catalunya in the first instance. After a second assessment at the new hospital in Girona, he will undergo surgery to fix the femur fracture.”
Chloé Dygert showing up on start lists
Is Chloé Dygert poised to return to racing?
Her name is showing up on preliminary starts lists for Thursday’s Classic Brugges-De Panne, and this weekend’s Gent-Wevelgem.
The Olympic medalist has suffered a string of injuries and setbacks since her gruesome crash during the 2020 road cycling world championship time trial race in Italy.
She returned to race the Tokyo Olympic Games in 2021, when she won a bronze medal in team pursuit, but only raced one day on the road in 2022 with Canyon-Sram.
Team officials told VeloNews on Monday that her return to competition this week is not yet confirmed.