What does Pinot have in store for us for its final season?
Cycling
From Pineau to Vino: How Cavendish bounced back
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His objective for the season is called the Giro where he hopes to join in the fight with the best (Evenepoel, Roglic…) to win a stage victory on the pedal. And as he also wants to say goodbye to the Tour, the former third will have to tear himself away to obtain one of the six sesames alongside David Gaudu and Arnaud Démare at Groupama.
Pinot, generator of emotions: The highlights of his career on video
Will Vingegaard bounce back?
A curious question that consists in wondering if the winner of the Tour de France less than six months ago will “bounce back”. And yet, in the case of Jonas Vingegaard, it is anything but ridiculous. Because the shy Dane has since seemed to be dragging a lot of baggage. Winning the Tour changes your life and the low-key Vingegaard might not have been ready for that. Since July, the leader of the Jumbo-Visma has only contested seven days of racing (for a victory). We wonder if he has recharged the batteries, more mental than physical, this winter and if he will be able to confirm.
Evenepoel, Pogacar or another: who will win the most?
Is the era of gluttonous sprinters over? After the Kittel, Viviani, Groenewegen and Démare, the table of the best “scorers” of the season has welcomed new profiles for two years: Primoz Roglic and Wout Van Aert (2021) then Tadej Pogacar in 2022. The Slovenian had finally beaten Remco Evenepoel thanks to his successes at the Trois Vallées Varésines and the Tour of Lombardy (16 victories against 15 for the Belgian). The duo should still monopolize the very top of the table, unless Van Aert comes to interfere in the battle or Arnaud De Lie does not impose his law on one-day races.
From Pogacar to Evenepoel: Top 5 wins in 2022
Another new Monument winner?
Reserved for experienced riders, the five most prestigious classics of the season? Milan-Sanremo, the Tour of Flanders, Paris-Roubaix, Liège-Bastogne-Liège or the Tour of Lombardy would not be offered to the first comer, it is said. This is true, although it takes great strength to defeat any of them. The fact remains that since 2010, a new rider has, each season, opened his counter on these separate races. Unless the headliners (Pogacar, Van Aert, Van der Poel, Evenepoel, Alaphilippe) raid, there is a good chance that the statistics will be confirmed. Because these men sometimes tend to mark themselves and leave doors open.
Can a Frenchman finish on the podium of a Grand Tour?
France has been waiting for this for almost six years. After a good period between 2011 and 2017 (Gardet, Péraud, Pinot and Bardet twice, on the podium in Italy and France), France is evolving a notch below in the three-week races. So close, so far from the podium like Julian Alaphilippe on the 2019 Tour (+2’34” with two amputated stages) or David Gaudu last year (+6’17”).
Has Van Aert got the better of Van der Poel?
One never, or almost, goes without the other. Their rivalry in cyclo-cross having been exported to the road, their style resembling each other in the extreme, their objectives crossing most often, Wout Van Aert and Mathieu Van der Poel are irremediably linked. And this winter, the Belgian seems to have gotten the better of his Dutch rival. Will he also do it on the road? In 2022, his exceptional Tour de France propelled him ahead of Van der Poel… but he triumphed over a second Tour of Flanders when “WVA” awaits its first success at Ronde or Roubaix. It’s time for Van Aert and his winter level promises a lot when the back of “MVDP” worries.
A crazy three-way sprint: Van Aert mates Van der Poel and Pidcock
Can Bernal return to who he was?
Visualize the path that happens to be in front of Egan Bernal. In the light of his success on the Tour de France 2019, it was projected for him a lasting domination on the big tours. Injuries have been there and even a terrible accident that could have left him for dead last year.
The Colombian has a double challenge in front of him: to become himself again then, perhaps, to rise to the height of Pogacar, Vingegaard or Evenepoel. For 2023, it is easy to imagine that he will be content to succeed in the first. Seeing death in the face can obviously leave traces in the mind of a top athlete. And the scale of the task could put too much pressure on Bernal’s shoulders.
What profile for Démare?
Is Arnaud Démare a pure sprinter or a sprinter capable of winning classics? Him the Picard loves Paris-Roubaix above all. Him, the former winner of Milan-Sanremo (2016) would love to bisser on the Primavera. And yet, with the exception of Paris-Tours, it no longer weighs heavily on one-day races. So, should Arnaud Démare choose? And does he want it? The Groupama-FDJ rider should be at the start of the Tour de France this summer (July 1-23). It is with the cursor placed on his qualities as a pure sprinter that he has the best chance of shining there…
Is Peter Sagan “finished”?
His arrival at TotalEnergies in early 2022 raised a few questions. The first of them, perhaps the most severe, was the following: is he in pre-retirement with the Vendeans? The Slovak has always promised he won’t die long in cycling and at 32 the inner fire seems to have left him. His 2022 season has been disrupted by illness and he has been chasing form for a long time. He has only won twice and on the Tour, he has never touched victory. In short, Sagan did not give any pledges of confidence for his new team. Second season, that of the rebound?
Who to be the revelation of the season?
We’ve said it, written it, shouted it, the peloton has been undergoing quite a rejuvenation treatment for the past few years. The Tadej Pogacar, Remco Evenepoel, Juan Ayuso or Arnaud De Lie have set new standards. Also, we wonder each year who will be, if not the new bomb of world cycling, at least the new curiosity. In 2023, we advise you to watch Lenny Martinez and Romain Grégoire (both 19), the two nuggets of Groupama-FDJ.
But they will not be alone. Since we quote these two, it is appropriate to do it with Leo Hayter, little brother of Ethan and winner of the Giro U23 in 2022. At INEOS, he should work a lot but if the talent is there… He is undeniably at Cian Uijtdebroeks (Bora-Hansgrohe), winner of the Tour de l’Avenir last year. And we won’t forget Andrea Piccolo (EF Education-EasyPost), Edoardo Zambanini (Bahrain-Victorious), Axel Laurance (Soudal – Quick-Step) or Oscar Onley (Team DSM) and others we don’t even see to arrive…
Cycling
Former Sky doctor permanently removed from the order
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Cycling
Lieuwe Westra died aged 40
YESTERDAY AT 12:25 PM