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Book Review: The Road Book 1989

A review of the Road Book 1989, a comprehensive record of the 1989 Professional Road Racing Season

The Road Book 1989 is the inaugural cycling almanack in the Blue Series celebrating one of the most exciting years in the sport, the year of the closest Tour de France finish and the year the Berlin Wall fell.


When the first Road Book was published covering the 2018 season it immediately identified a gap in the market few realised was there and brought a unique level of insight into the sport of professional road cycling. With it though came one point of frustration – why did no one do this years before?

Well, the creators of the Road Book listened and the Blue Series of Road Books was born, with the flag dropping on 1989. A year that reminded American audiences, again, that the biggest sporting event in the world wasn’t the Super Bowl or the World Series, but the Tour de France.

As with the ‘Red Series’ the book is chock full of statistics and essays by those in the thick of the action. All the big races are in there and with each a description of what happened that day both on and off the bike, the latter a reminder that while professional road cycling can seem like a bubble it happens in public life goes on around it. Here’s an example:

TOUR DE SUISSE
Stage 4
17 June 1989
Liestyal-Bad Zurzach

166.5kmThe city of Liestal is famous for its Chienbase traditional parade held annually on the Sunday night after Ash Wednesday. Often characterised as a pagan spring festival, it features the startlingly dangerous-looking sight of people processing through the cobbled streets of the old town clutching huge flaming torches of strips of pine.

p 196

Of course 1989 is the year that a certain American with a French surname, Greg Lemond, broke French hearts in the most painful way when he bested French ‘national treasure’ the late Laurent Fignon by a mere eight seconds, on the final day, in Paris. Three hammer blows that struck deep into the French psyche. It was the closest the French have come to winning their home race in the 33 years since. It was also the year of the Tour de Trump versus the Tour de Rump, not a typo – see page 121.

A gallery of photographs from some of the best photographers in cycling bring 1989 to life and remind us that this was the era not just of steel frames but before shell helmets and the ubiquitous presence of sunglasses, when the suffering and glory was there for all to see. Everything changes, but nothing changes.

Happy Reading!

More details on the Road Book Series can be found on the official website here: https://theroadbook.co.uk/

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Tour de France 2023 – Race Route and Team List

The Tour de France runs from 1-23 July, starting in the Basque city of Bilbao and finishing on the iconic Champs Elysee in Paris. The race, comprising 21 stages and covering a distance of 3,404-km, features five mountain stages and a sole time-trial of 22km on stage 16.

Stage List

DateStage # Start- FinishDistance
01/07Stage 1 | Bilbao – Bilbao182
02/07Stage 2 | Vitoria-Gasteiz – San Sébastián209
03/07Stage 3 | Amorebieta-Etxano – Bayonne185
04/07Stage 4 | Dax – Nogaro182
05/07Stage 5 | Pau – Laruns165
06/07Stage 6 | Tarbes – Cauterets-Cambasque145
07/07Stage 7 | Mont-de-Marsan – Bordeaux170
08/07Stage 8 | Libourne – Limoges201
09/07Stage 9 | Saint-Léonard-de-Noblat – Puy de Dôme184
10/07Rest Day
11/07Stage 10 | Vulcania – Issoire167
12/07Stage 11 | Clermont-Ferrand – Moulins180
13/07Stage 12 | Roanne – Belleville-en-Beaujolais169
14/07Stage 13 | Châtillon-Sur-Chalaronne – Grand Colombier138
15/07Stage 14 | Annemasse – Morzine les Portes du Soleil152
16/07Stage 15 | Les Gets les Portes du Soleil – Saint-Gervais Mont-Blanc180
17/07Rest Day
18/07Stage 16 (ITT) | Passy – Combloux22
19/07Stage 17 | Saint-Gervais Mont-Blanc – Courchevel166
20/07Stage 18 | Moûtiers – Bourg-en-Bresse186
21/07Stage 19 | Moirans-en-Montagne – Poligny173
22/07Stage 20 | Belfort – Le Markstein133
23/07Stage 21 | Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines – Paris115

Stage details can be found on the official Tour de France website here

Team List (correct as at 30 June 2023)

La Vuelta 2023 – Stage 18

Evenepoel reigns supreme in the realm of the Mountain King

Vuelta Espana 2023 – 78th Edition – 18th stage Pola de Allande – La Cruz de Linares 178,9 km – 14/09/2023 – Remco Evenepoel (BEL – Soudal – Quick Step) – photo Rafa Gomez/SprintCyclingAgency©2023

Remco Evenepoel (Soudal – Quick Step (WT)) took the spotlight off the Jumbo Visma Show with a superb solo win at La Cruz de Linares, finishing 4’44” ahead of Damiano Caruso (Bahrain – Victorious). Andreas Kron (»Lotto Dstny) took third at 5’10 just beating Max Poole (Team dsm – firmenich).

Video Highlights of Stage 18 (video copyright La Vuelta)

Stage 18 Top 10 and GC

Full results here

Tour of Britain 2023 – Stage 5

All Change at the Tour of Britain – Almost

Picture by Alex Whitehead/SWpix.com – 07/09/2023 – Cycling – 2023 Tour of Britain – Stage 5: Felixstowe to Felixstowe (192.4km) – Wout van Aert of Team Jumbo-Visma celebrates winning the stage.

Wout Van Aert gave Jumbo-Visma it’s 960th team victory with the Stage 5 win in Felixstowe bring to end teammate Olav Kooij’s run to wins. The Belgian also took over the race lead after her managed to finish 3 seconds clear of the bunch, making it the only thing that didn’t change on the day.

Stage 5 Top 10 and GC

Tour of Britain 2023 – Stage 4

Olav Kooij continues his dominance at the Tour of Britain

Picture by Alex Whitehead/SWpix.com – 06/09/2023 – Cycling – 2023 Tour of Britain – Stage 4: Sherwood Forest to Newark-on-Trent (166.6km) – Olav Kooij of Team Jumbo Visma (Wearing the Leaders Jersey) Wins his fourth consecutive stage of the 2023 Tour of Britain at Stage 4 in Newark-on-Trent

Jumbo-Visma’s ace sprinter made it four from four with the win in Newark-on-Trent, equalling the record for consecutive stage wins set by Edvald Boasson Hagen at the 2009 Tour.

The Dutchman once again benefited from a brilliant lead-out from his Jumbo – Visma team-mate Wout van Aert after the likes of TRINITY Racing, BORA – hansgrohe, and INEOS Grenadiers attempted to form their own trains approaching the historic town’s finish line.

Casper van Uden (Team dsm – firmenich) placed second, with Ethan Vernon (Great Britain) continuing his consistent week by placing third.

Unsurprisingly, Kooij continues to lead the race’s general classification and tops the standings in the cottages.com points and Sportive Breaks best young rider competitions.

A bunch sprint was always on the cards after two TDT – Unibet Cycling Team riders – Brit Harry Tanfield and Belgian Abram Stockman – were caught 27.5 kilometres outside of Newark-on-Trent.

Kooij said; “We’re just going day by day and it’s been amazing so far. The hat trick was already special and now four out of four is amazing.” He continues “I’m really happy with what we’ve done so far and I hope to keep it going.”

Jumbo – Visma started to lose position at the three-kilometre mark but he always trusted his team to get him back into perfect position. “The guys in front of me are strong enough to move through the wind and move up if it’s necessary. It’s never really smooth to get through the last few hundred metres, so sometimes you need to stay calm and know when it’s your time to move up. If we stay together, it’s a big advantage”

Stockman (TDT – Unibet) and Pinarello King of the Mountains leader James Fouche (Bolton Equities Black Spoke) attacked from the official start with Stockman’s teammate Harry Tanfield joining the duo one-kilometre later.

Tanfield and Fouche make this day number three in the break so far after spending most of stage one and three out the front together, and TDT – Unibet keeping up their appearances of being in a breakaway of every stage of this year’s Tour of Britain

Picture by Alex Whitehead/SWpix.com – 06/09/2023 – Cycling – 2023 Tour of Britain – Stage 4: Sherwood Forest to Newark-on-Trent (166.6km) – Harry Tanfield of Team TDT Unibet Cycling before the start of Stage 4 of the 2023 Tour of Britain in Sherwood Forest wearing a Robin Hood Hat

As expected Fouche took maximum points at the first classified climb on Kilton Hill. Shortly after Tanfield rolled through to victory at the cottages.com intermediate sprint in Broughton.

Fouche extended his lead in the Pinarello King of the Mountains classification by being the summit of the second classified climb at Red Hill Lane. The Kiwi decided his race was over after collecting his points, sat up and retreated back to the peloton, leaving the duo of TDT – Unibet riders ahead with 80-kilometres left.

The duo kept the gap between themselves and the peloton at around the minute mark until the break was eventually caught at the 27km mark, when Dimitri Peyskens (Bingoal WB) and Steven Kruijswijk (Jumbo – Visma) attacked from the peloton to end the duo’s hopes.

TRINITY and INEOS Grenadiers were the biggest antagonists of the bunch, pushing the pace in the peloton, but it was Jumbo – Visma once again who took control into the final right-hand corner with a perfectly drilled lead out.

Super domestique turned super lead out man Wout Van Aert led out his sprinter from 700 metres to go, the Belgian peeled away at 150 metres to go with his sprinter in perfect position to power to victory and make it four from four.

For full results and standings please click here.

Highlights of stage four will be broadcast on ITV4 in the UK at 20:00 on Wednesday 6 September and available on demand via ITVX for 30 days.

Stage five of the Tour of Britain sees the race return to Suffolk for the first time since 2017. Felixstowe will host both the start and finish of the longest stage of the 2023 Tour at 192 kilometres. The stage begins at 10:45 with more details here.

About the Tour of Britain

Stages

Stage one       Sunday 3 September              Altrincham to Manchester

Stage two       Monday 4 September             Wrexham to Wrexham

Stage three    Tuesday 5 September Goole to Beverley

Stage four      Wednesday 6 September       Sherwood Forest to Newark-on-Trent

Stage five       Thursday 7 September           Felixstowe to Felixstowe

Stage six        Friday 8 September                Southend-on-Sea to Harlow

Stage seven   Saturday 9 September            Tewkesbury to Gloucester

Stage eight    Sunday 10 September            Margam Country Park to Caerphilly

Teams

UCI WorldTeams: BORA – hansgrohe (Germany), INEOS Grenadiers (Great Britain), Jumbo – Visma (Netherlands), Movistar Team (Spain), Team dsm-firmenich (Netherlands)

UCI ProTeams: Bingoal WB (Belgium), Bolton Equities Black Spoke (New Zealand), Equipo Kern Pharma (Spain) Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team (Switzerland), Team Flanders – Baloise (Belgium), Uno-X Pro Cycling Team (Norway)

UCI Continental Teams: Global 6 Cycling (New Zealand), Saint Piran (Great Britain), TDT-Unibet Cycling Team (Netherlands), TRINITY Racing (Great Britain)

National Teams: Great Britain Cycling Team

La Vuelta 2023 – Stage 7

Soupe of the Day!

Stage 7: Utiel to Oliva (200.8km)

Geoffrey Soupe (TotalEnergies) served up a photo finish with Orluis Aular (Caja Rural – Seguros RGA) in Oliva before taking the win. Third spot went to Edward Theuns (Lidl – Trek). Favourite to take a third win was Kaden Groves (Alpecin-Deceuninck) but he became a bit scrambled in the final turn at 300m to go and finished fifth behind Juan Sebastián Molano (UAE Team Emirates).

Making history as the youngest rider to ever lead a Grand Tour, Lenny Martinez (Groupama-FDJ) retained La Roja and will defend it on Saturday on the infamous slopes up Xorret de Cati.

Stage 7: Top 10 Results and GC

La Vuelta 2023 – Stage 6

Kuss goes solo to win at the Observatorio Astrofisico de Javalambre

Vuelta Espana 2023 – 78th Edition – 6th stage La Vall d’Uixó – Observatorio Astrofísico de Javalambre 183,1km – 31/08/2023 – Sepp Kuss (USA – Jumbo – Visma) – photo Rafa Gomez/SprintCyclingAgency©2023

Pico del Buitre. Observatorio Astrofísico de Javalambre, Thursday, August 31st 2023 – An outstanding stage 6 of La Vuelta delivered historic results at the Observatorio Astrofisico de Javalambre. In a rare moment in the limelight the American climber Sepp Kuss (Jumbo-Visma), participating in his third Grand Tour of the year, was the strongest from an impressive breakaway to take victory ahead of Lenny Martinez (Groupama-FDJ).

STAGE RESULTINDIVIDUAL GENERAL CLASSIFICATION
1.     Sepp Kuss (Jumbo-Visma) in 4h27’29’’     1.     Lenny Martinez (Groupama-FDJ) in 21h40’35’’
2. Lenny Martinez (Groupama-FDJ) at 26’’2. Sepp Kuss (Jumbo-Visma) at 08’’
3. Romain Bardet (Team dsm-firmenich) at 31’’3. Marc Soler (UAE Team Emirates) at 51’’

At 20 years old Martinez became the youngest leader in the race’s history. After joining a large breakaway, the young man took full advantage of the support of Rudy Molard and Michael Storer up front, then finished it off wonderfully by claiming second place at the top of the Pico del Buitre. Next to the Javalambre Observatory, a new star is born on Thursday.

It is also the second leader’s jersey for Groupama – FDJ at a Grand Tour this season after Bruno Armirail’s pink on the last Giro.

Primoz Roglic and Jonas Vingegaard (Jumbo-Visma) ganged up against Remco Evenepoel (Soudal Quick-Step) to gain 30 seconds on the Belgian star. La Vuelta 23 started less than a week ago and the GC battle is already in full swing!

Stage 6: Top 10 Results and GC

Full Results here:

UCI 2023 World Championships Glasgow – Results Summary

Here is a summary of the road racing results so far at the 2023 UCI World Championships in Glasgow


89th World Championships Women’s Junior – Road Race (WC)

Saturday, August 05 2023, 10:00 Glasgow – Glasgow (70.km)

Julie Bego (France/Cofidis Women Team) has won the Women’s Junior Road race in Glasgow, beating 17 year old Briton Cat Ferguson and Belgian Fleur Moors by nine seconds.


89th World Championships Men’s Junior – Road Race (WC)

Saturday, August 05 2023, 13:00 Glasgow – Glasgow (127.7km)

Albert Withen Philipsen (Dernmark/Tscherning Cycling Academy) wins the junior men’s road race, beating Paul Fietzke (Germany/Team Auto Eder) and Felix Ørn-Kristoff (Norway/Stavanger SK)n by 1’19”.


89th World Championships Women Elite Individual Time Trial

Thursday, August 10 2023, 13:55, Stirling 36.2km

Chloe Dygert (USA/Canyon//SRAM Racing) takes gold in the women’s elite ITT with a time of 6″ faster than Australian Grace Brown (FDJ – SUEZ). Switzerland’s Christina Schweinberger (Fenix-Deceuninck) took bronze.

Tour de France 2023 – Stage 21/Final

Jonas Vingegaard secures second Tour de France win as Jordi Meeus takes the Finale in Paris

Paris Champs-Élysées, Sunday, July 23rd  –Jordi Meeus (Bora-hansgrohe) won the conclusive stage of the 110th Tour de France in Paris/Champs-Élysées in a bunch gallop that saw Jasper Philipsen and Dylan Groenewegen rounding out the podium in a very tight finish.

Jordi Meeus edges out Jasper Philpsen on the Champs-Élysées to conclude the 2023 Tour de France
Photo: ASO/Paulinee Ballet.

Jonas Vingegaard became the 14th twice winner of the Tour de France, the first to achieve the Critérium du Dauphiné-Tour de France double since Geraint Thomas in 2018. Tadej Pogacar attacked on the Champs-Élysées but remained second overall. The same two riders finishing first and second two years in a row didn’t happen since Bernard Hinault and Joop Zoetemelk in 1978-79. The same two riders in the first two places at the end three years running is a first in the history of the race.

Stage 21 Top 10 and Final GC

Tour de France 2023 – Stage 18

Asgreen Leads the Resistance!

Stage 18: Moûtiers to Bourg-en-Bresse, 184.9km

Kasper Asgreen win Stage 18 of the 2023 Tour de France
Kasper Asgreen win Stage 18 of the 2023 Tour de France © A.S.O. / Pauline Ballet

Bourg-en-Bresse, Thursday, July 20th  –Kasper Asgreen claimed a surprise win at Bourg-en-Bresse, his first at the Tour de France, as he along with his breakaway companions Pascal Eenkhoorn and Jonas Abrahamsen frustrated the peloton crossing the line with 25m to spare. Jasper Philipsen who was the top favourite had in what would on any other day be a certain catch had to settle for fourth in the first position of the peloton. Asgreen delivered Soudal Quick-Step’s first stage victory this year and a third for Denmark after Mads Pedersen and Jonas Vingegaard. The latter retains the yellow jersey.

Stage 18 Top 10 and GC

Tour de France 2023 – Stage 17

Vingegaard delivers mortal blow to Pogacar hopes of victory

Couchevel, Wednesday, July 19th  – Felix Gall gave AG2R Citroën Team it’s first win of the 2023 Tour de France, and after Jai Hindley and Carlos Rodriguez, became the third Tour de France debutant to win a stage. The 25 year old achieved his win on soloing up to 2304m col de la Loze to win at Courchevel by 34″ Simon Yates (Team Jayco AlUla) who had to settle for a second runner-up place of the Tour. Pello Bilbao (Bahrain – Victorious) rounded out the podium at 1’38”. The shock result though was the arrival of Jonas Vingegaard in fourth spot and the huge margin to Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates) who sagged over the line 7’37” after Gall and 5’45” down on Vingegaard. Vingegaard added to the pain by snatching the 2″ time bonus for fourth place.

19/07/2023 – Tour de France 2023 – Stage 17 – Saint-Gervais Mont-Blanc / Courchevel (165,7 km) – GALL Felix (AG2R CITROEN TEAM) Photo: A.S.O._Pauline_Ballet

It was a seconf nightmare stage for Pogačar after losing big on the previous day’s Individual Time Trial. He must have felt he was being played while dueling with Vingegaard in the days before the rest day such was Vingegaard’s massive finishing margins subsequently.

The damage wrought by Vingegaard affected much of the GC. Pogačar, Rodriguez and Adam Yates retained their podium places but stage results for Simon Yates saw him jump three spots to fifth, Bilbao to sixth, Gall to eighth, while Hindley, Sepp Kuss and David Gaudu are clinging on to top ten spots.

Stage 17 Top 10 & GC

Tour de France 2023 – Stage 16

Passy to Combloux (22.4km Individual Time Trial)

Vingegaard trounces rivals in ITT.

Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates) efforts to claw back seconds on his Danish rival looked in vain after Jonas Vingegaard rode home a 1’28” gain in the Stage 16 Individual Time Trial. It was Jumbo Visma’s first stage win despite Vingegaard leading the race since Stage 6.

Jonas Vingegaard en route to Stage 16 wi
Jonas Vingegaard en route to Stage 16 win © A.S.O. / Pauline Ballet

The course

The stage was a 22.4km individual time trial that featured a flat and fast start, a downhill section through Sallanches, a power section on a false flat to Domancy, and a final climb to the finish line in Combloux. The climb was the Category 2 Côte de Domancy, which was 2.5km long with an average gradient of 9.4%. The stage was expected to favor the GC contenders over the time trial specialists, especially those who could handle the steep slopes and the change of pace.

The winner

The stage was won by the yellow jersey holder Jonas Vingegaard (Jumbo-Visma), who produced a blistering ride to take a giant step towards being crowned champion for a second consecutive year. The Danish rider flew out of the blocks and never let up, setting the fastest times at all three checkpoints and finishing in 32min 36sec. He was 1min 38sec faster than his closest rival Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates), who caught his two-minute man Carlos Rodriguez (Ineos Grenadiers) but could not match Vingegaard’s pace. It was Vingegaard’s first time trial victory in the Tour de France and arguably the greatest performance of his life.

The podium

The second place on the stage went to Pogačar, who had to settle for second best after dominating the race last year. The Slovenian rider still put in a solid effort, but he was clearly not at his best and lost time on every section of the course. He now trails Vingegaard by 1min 48sec in the overall standings, with only two mountain stages and a flat finale left to try and close the gap.

The third place on the stage went to Wout van Aert (Jumbo-Visma), who showed his versatility once again by delivering a strong time trial after two second spots earlier in the race. The Belgian rider was still one minute 13 seconds seconds slower than Pogačar at the finish line and a 2’51” behind Vingegaard.

The top five

The top five on the stage were:

PositionRiderTeamTime
1Jonas VingegaardJumbo-Visma32min 36sec
2Tadej PogačarUAE Team Emirates+1min 38sec
3Wout van AertJumbo-Visma+1min 42sec
4Adam YatesUAE Team Emirates+2min 12sec
5Carlos RodriguezIneos Grenadiers+2min 18sec

The top five in the overall standings after stage 16 were:

PositionRiderTeamTime
1Jonas VingegaardJumbo-Visma63hr 06min 53sec
2Tadej PogačarUAE Team Emirates+1min 48sec
3Adam YatesUAE Team Emirates+8min 52sec
4Carlos RodriguezIneos Grenadiers+8min 57sec
5Wout Poels (Bahrain Victorious) +9min 13sec

Stage 16 Top 10 and GC