What happened ?
There was a distinct Slovenian flavour at this year’s Spanish Grand Tour, with overall victory going to an impressive Primož Roglič (Team Jumbo Visma) – his first Grant Tour win - and third place to his countryman Tadej Pogačar (UAE-Team Emirates). At just 20 years of age, Pogačar signed three stages in Spain, including an incredible 40km solo ride to victory on the penultimate stage. Nineteen years separate the second and third with 39-year-old UCI World Champion Alejandro Valverde (Movistar Team) on the second step overall in Spain, 16 years after his first Vuelta podium and just two weeks before defending his rainbow stripes in Yorkshire.
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Nobody should rule out Michael Matthews (Team Sunweb) for the UCI Road World Championships in Yorkshire. After a mainly disappointing season, the Australian rider pulled a magnificent sprint out of the bag to succssfully defend his title in Québec and demonstrate that he is in good shape two weeks out from the Worlds. An attack from Julian Alaphilippe (Deceuninck – Quick-Step) 2km from the end of he 200km race saw a rapid reaction from a handful of riders, including Peter Sagan (Bora-Hansgrohe) and Greg Van Avermaet (Team CCC). But the leaders were reeled in and Matthews sprinted to victory in front of two-time winner – in 2016 and 2017 - Sagan (2nd) and Van Avermaet, who finished second in 2016, 2017 and 2018.
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Already in the mix two days earlier in Québec, Olympic Champion Greg Van Avermaet (CCC Team) took the win in Montreal ahead of Diego Ulissi (UAE Team Emirates), with Ivan Garcia (Bahrain-Merida) in third. The riders had tackled an extended 221km course with 4,734 metres of climbing at the end of which Julian Alaphilippe (Deceuninck – Quick-Step) took an advantage at the last turn before being overtaken by Ulissi who in turn saw Van Avermaet surge past for the victory.
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Victory in the opening time trial set up Germany’s Lisa Brennauer (WNT Rotor Pro Cycling Team) for the overall win in the two-day Spanish race. Brennauer won the night-time individual time trial by four seconds over Lucinda Brand (Team Sunweb), with Brand’s team mate Pernille Mathiensen another nine seconds back. The three riders remained in that overall position at the end of the following day’s 98.6km road race, won from a bunch sprint by Australian Chloe Hosking (Ale Cipollini). The women’s peloton covered 17 laps of a fast and flat circuit that the Vuelta a España peloton would cover later in the day. Brennauer and Brand, who both finished in the bunch, had fought all day at the intermediate sprints with the German finally winning by 10 seconds over Brand.
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The fifth and penultimate round saw Italy’s Gaia Tormena take her third win of the season and solidify her place at the top of the UCI World Cup rankings. The young rider sailed through qualifications to the final, which she won solo ahead of Germany’s Marion Fromberger (2nd) and winner of the previous round, Ella Holmegård from Sweden.
In men’s racing Belgian Fabrice Mels celebrated his second UCI World Cup win in Winterberg after setting the fastest qualifying lap. Second and third places went to two French riders: Hugo Briatta in 2nd who retains his overall UCI World Cup lead and triple UCI World Champion Titouan Perrin-Ganier.
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Young blood provided serious challenge to the podium regulars in rounds 7 and 8 of the UCI BMX Supercross World Cup. Rising Russian star Natalia Afremova (21) came 2nd and 3rd in the two Rock Hill rounds of the Elite Women’s competition, sharing the podium both days with 2018 UCI World Champion Laura Smulders (two wins) and reigning UCI World Champion Alise Willoughby.
In the men’s competition, Australian Champion Izaac Kennedy (19) clinched third in round 7 - his first-ever UCI World Cup final – behind local American stars Corben Sharrah and Connor Fields. The young Australian was unable to confirm the next day, crashing out in round 8, which saw victory go to the Netherlands’ Niek Kimmann.
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Both the men’s and women’s races in the season’s opening UCI World Cup round saw first-time UCI World Cup winners, both of whom put in decisive attacks on Mt Krumpit.
While reigning cyclo-cross UCI World Champion Mathieu Van der Poel sealed overall victory on the road in the Tour of Britain, Belgian Eli Iserbyt (21) accelerated up Iowa’s Mt Krumpit with three laps remaining then soloed to a win over fellow Belgians Toon Aerts, last year’s winner, and Daan Soete.
A crash early in the race did not deter Canadian Maghalie Rochette, who also made her winning move on Mt Krumpit – with two laps to go – to take her maiden victory in front of Katerina Nash (CZE). The USA’s Clara Honsinger also celebrated her first UCI World Cup podium with third place.
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2019 UCI Para-cycling Road World Championships
After four full days of competition and 53 world titles awarded across the mixed team relay, individual time trials and the road races, Australia proved to be the dominant nation with nine gold medals, a silver and five bronze. Germany was second in the medals table (eight gold, eight silver and three bronze) followed by Italy (eight gold, three silver and two bronze). Host nation the Netherlands surpassed all their performances from the season’s UCI Para-cycling Road World Cup to finish fourth with 12 medals including seven gold. Full reports of each day’s racing are available on the UCI website.
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