Delko sign Rwandan Arreruya, Ronde van Drenthe victory for Sisr, Narrow stage loss for Fraile in Nice
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Bernhard Eisel (Dimension Data)(Image credit: Tim de Waele/Getty Images Sport)
Tour of Rwanda winner Joseph Areruya and stage seven winner Valens Ndayisenga after the final stage of the race in Kigali(Image credit: Tour of Rwanda)
Frantisek Sisr (CCC Sprandi Polkowice) celebrates victory(Image credit: Tim de Waele/Getty Images Sport)
David de la Cruz beats Omar Fraile to win stage 8 at Paris-Nice(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
David de la Cruz beats Omar Fraile for the stage 8 win at Paris-Nice(Image credit: Bettini Photo)
Dimension Data's run of bad luck continued Sunday at Tirreno-Adriatico with Bernie Eisel fracturing his right wrist in a crash. The Austrian also suffered facial lacerations as a result of his fall on stage 5.
The team lost Mark Cavendish on stage 1 of the race with the Manxman missing the time cut after he crashed in the team time trial. Like Cavendish, Eisel's crash forced him abandon the race while lead-out man Mark Renshaw was also a DNF on stage 5 due to illness.
Dimension Data provided a medical update on Eisel's condition following the stage and after he was taken to hospital in Ancona. The team stating that Eisel had fractured his right wrist and was also to undergo a CT scan. He was also having his facial lacerations stitched up.
"Thanks for the concerns and all your wishes for a speedy recovery. Back at the hotel and in good spirits to heal quick thanks to @JarradVZ @TeamDiData! Medical update tomorrow," Eisel wrote on Twitter. "Also a massive thank you to the ambulance and doctors @TirrenAdriatico! Grazie #HospitalAncona, every nurse radiologist and doctor there. The plastic surgent who came in on a Sunday to fix my face! #millegrazie".
With two stages to race in Italy, Dimension Data's GC rider Louis Meintjes sits in 15th place overall.
Delko Marseille Provence KTM sign Joseph Areruya on two-year deal
Areruya joins from the Dimension Data for Qhubeka Continental team where he spent the 2017 season and was contracted for 2018. Areruya won his home Tour of Rwanda last November and continued his winning streak with victory at Tropicale Amissa Bongo and the Coupe des Nations de l'Espoir Blue Line. The latter victory securing a historic start at the Tour de l'Avenir for Rwanda.
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"I signed a two-year contract with the club on Saturday; we are now processing paperwork so I can be cleared to ride in France," Areruya told Times Sport.
Areruya is set to make his debut with his new team in April as first he will line for his maiden Commonwealth Games next month on the Gold Coast, Australia.
Areruya is just the second Rwanda cyclist to sign for a Pro-Continental or WorldTour, following in the footsteps of Adrien Niyonshuti who rode for the Dimension Data team.
Ronde van Drenthe victory for Sisr
Frantisek Sisr opened his professional win count Sunday at Ronde van Drenth as the Czech sprinted to victory. The CCC Sprandi Polkowice rider proving to have the fastest legs after 192km of racing in Hoogeveen. The Belgian duo of Dries de Bondt (Vérandas Willems-Crelan) and Preben van Hecke (Sport Vlaanderen-Baloise) rounding out the podium.
The was was also the first of 2018 for CCC Sprandi Polkowice.
"I consider myself to be a fast rider, so I waited for the sprint. When other riders in the breakaway were attacking I was only responding to their moves," Sisr said." I was pretty confident late in the race, since I know what my strengths are. I also knew how far back the peloton was in the final kilometer, so I could play my cards right."
Prior to joining the Polish Pro-Continental squad CCC, Sisr rode with the QuickStep feeder squad Klein Constantia and rode as a stagiaire with them in 2016. However, no contract was forthcoming and he signed with CCC. With a full season in the Pro-Continental ranks now under his belt, Sisr explained he is ready for a big year.
"It's very important victory not only for me, but for CCC Sprandi Polkowice. It’s the first one of the season and I believe that it is just a beginning of a great year for us," he said.
Fraile loses final Paris-Nice stage in a bike throw
The weather for the final stage of Paris-Nice was hardly ideal as rain and wind battered the city of Nice. However, Omar Fraile (Astana) wasn't fazed and would be rewarded for his aggressive racing. The Spaniard along with teammate Jakob Fuglsang and Jesus Herrada (Cofidis) kicked the race into life as they broke away from the peloton on the early Cote de Levens.
The move sparked a frenetic finale in which Marc Soler (Movistar) won the overall by finishing third on the stage, just behind David de la Cruz (Sky) and Fraile, which was decided in a bike throw. Fraile explaining that he made the mistake of starting his run to the line too early and paid the price with second place.
"Right at the bottom of the first climb I pulled at the front, and all of a sudden, I was in a breakaway together with Jakob Fuglsang and some other riders," Fraile said. "I felt really good today, although it was a hard stage. The plan was to ride to the finish together with Jakob, but because of his crash I had to try it myself. At the end, I started my sprint too early as I was in a perfect position. It would have been the perfect finish of this Paris-Nice, a stage win, but I think we can still be very satisfied about this week of racing with the team."
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