Mathieu van der Poel will miss the Superprestige opener this weekend with a lingering knee injury keeping him from the Belgian race. The Cyclo-cross world champion sustained his left-knee injury while racing with the Dutch national team at the Tour de L'Avenir in August and has already missed the World Cup opener in Las Vegas and the first Belgian races of the 'cross season last weekend.
The 20-year-old was able to ride for 45-minutes on rollers without pain according to a statement released by his BKCP-Corendon team.
Tosatto stays on at Tinkoff-Saxo
Matteo Tosatto, one of the oldest riders competing at WorldTour level, has no intention of hanging up his wheels just yet and has signed up for another year at Tinkoff-Saxo.
The 41-year-old has spent the last five seasons at the Russian team and has provided domestique services across the board, most notably playing a role for Alberto Contador in the Grand Tours. Tosatto has ridden 10 three-week races in his time at the team (31 in total), eight of them alongside Contador, of which the Spaniard has won three - Vuelta a Espana in 2012 and 2014, Giro d'Italia in 2015 - excluding his expunged Giro win in 2011.
Tosatto will finish his 2015 season with the Italian one-day races and the Abu Dhabi Tour before turning his attention to 2016, where he will be a key part of Contador's bid for Tour de France glory, while also lending support in other races to new world champion Peter Sagan.
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"I was already thinking about continuing and after the Giro d'Italia I saw I was still at a very good level and I could be useful to the team in 2016. I had a number of offers from other teams but staying with Tinkoff-Saxo was my priority. I wanted to continue being part of the group of one of the world's best riders, Alberto Contador, and with Peter Sagan now crowned World Champion, I am convinced I made the right choice," said Tosatto.
"My main goal is to be at 100% of my form, physically and mentally, at the Tour in order to give my best for Alberto, the way I did this year at the Giro and Tour. If the team, prior to that, calls me to help Peter in the Classics, then I will be there to support the new World Champion, again in the best shape I can be."
Jet lag forces Van Avermaet out of Lombardy
Greg Van Avermaet has been forced to withdraw from Sunday’s Tour of Lombardy due to jet lag from his return to Europe after the World Championships in Richmond, USA.
The BMC rider announced the decision on Thursday via his Facebook page, adding that his next race will be Paris-Tours on October 11.
Van Avermaet has established himself as one of the most consistent Classics performers over recent years, though he has failed to capture that first big win. He has ridden Il Lombardia four times, from 2010 to 2013, and has finished in the top 10 each time, his best placing coming with 12th in 2011.
Rasmus Quaade to ride for Cult Energy-Stölting Group in 2016
Rasmus Quaade has signed a one-year contract with Cult Energy-Stölting Group for 2016. This year the 25-year-old has spent his first year as a full professional with the Danish Cult Energy Pro team, which recently joined forces with Continental outfit Stölting Group after a struggle to secure sponsorship.
Quaade is a strong time triallist with a background on the track, but has had a troubled 2015 campaign punctuated by illness. He had a strong finish to the season and went into the World Championships time trial as something of a dark horse, eventually finishing 21st.
“I’m happy about being able to continue my development at CULT Energy-Stölting Group. I’m grateful that the management has been aware of my track career and has allowed me to take part of the 4000 meter Danish national squad. I’m confident that I’ve grown as a rider this year and I’m looking forward to bringing my experiences into 2016”, said Quaade in a statement from the team.
Cult Energy directeur sportif André Steensen added: “With a pro-season behind him and a good winter break where he can recover, I’m confident that he will be able to combine his TT skills with his road race experiences, which will provide us with opportunities in several stage races with a time trial, and therefore we look forward to continuing working with Rasmus in 2016.”
UCI Cycling Gala
To mark the end of the road season, the UCI is holding its inaugural Cycling Gala in Abu Dhabi on October 11 in conjunction with the new Abu Dhabi Tour.
The event, taking place at the Yas Marina Island “du Arena” concert venue on the evening of the final day of the four-stage race, will see awards handed out to riders who have achieved notable success this season.
“From shoulder to shoulder sprints to the finish line to courageous solo break-away moves, the riders have kept us on the edge of our seats throughout the year,” said UCI President Brian Cookson. "The UCI Cycling Gala is our way of thanking and rewarding them for their amazing performances.”
The awards categories are as follows:
Winner of the UCI WorldTour Individual Classification (Alejandro Valverde)
2nd in the UCI WorldTour Individual Classification (Unknown)
3rd in the UCI WorldTour Individual Classification (Unknown)
Winner of the UCI WorldTour Team Classification (Unknown)
Winner of the UCI WorldTour Classification by Nation (Unknown)
Men’s Elite UCI Road Race World Champion (Peter Sagan)
Women’s Elite UCI Road Race World Champion (Lizzie Armitstead)
Men’s Elite UCI Individual Time Trial World Champion (Vasil Kiryienka)
Women’s Elite UCI Individual Time Trial Champion (Linda Villumsen)
Men’s Elite UCI Team Time Trial Champion (BMC)
Women’s Elite UCI Team Time Trial Champion (Velocio-SRAM)
Winner of the UCI Women Road World Cup (Lizzie Armitstead)
Men’s UCI Hour Record Holder (Bradley Wiggins)
Women’s UCI Hour Record Holder (Molly Shaffer Van Houweling)
