Hello, you've made it to Friday and as a treat, here is Cycling Weekly's live blog to tide you over today. I'm Anne-Marije Rook taking over from Adam Becket to bring you everything that's going on in our cycling world on this very wintery day.
If you're in the UL, be sure to pick up our Reviw of the Year issue of Cycling Weeklyin print. There are interviews with Geraint Thomas; Ned Boulting on Mark Cavendish's scintillating National Championship road race win; the inside story of Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl's phone call with the King of the Belgians; and much, much more. You can get subscriptions and single issues here at Magazines Direct.
Key developments
UK time zone:
9.33 - Lizzie Deignan back racing in May
10.36 - Israel-Premier Tech release new kit
11.05 - Peter Sagan on his frosty relationship with Wout van Aert
11.53 - Soudal Quick-Step launch their new jersey
12.34 - Aussie Olympian Alex Porter retires from elite cycling
14.18 - Jonas Vingegaard aims to defend Tour de France title in 2023
US time zone:
10.56 - USA Cycling names its selection for the 2023 Cycling Esports World Championship
13.22 - Gyroor recalls 3,000 e-bikes due to fire hazard
Lizzie Deignan says she'll be back in May "conservatively"
After missing the entirety of the 2022 season due to expecting and then having her second child, Shea, Lizzie Deignan revealed that she expects to be back racing in May, seemingly at the latest.
The British former world champion posted an answer to a question on Instagram on whether she'd be back in time for Paris-Roubaix: "Conservative plan is to start racing in May so no Roubaix next year... but you never know April is a few months off."
Deignan, who turns 34 on Sunday, has not raced since the 2021 Women's Tour, which followed her victory at the first edition of Paris-Roubaix Femmes in October last year.
Trek-Segafredo also won the second edition through Elisa Longo Borghini, so the team must be intrigued by the possibility of having both champions back in the same squad.
She also said that her second child has been more difficult for her than her first, Orla. "So far I would say recovery has taken longer this time around," she said. "Shea was a much harder baby to carry so did a lot less fitness in pregnancy, and we seem to have been fighting [illness] as a family since he was born!"
Israel-Premier Tech aim to stand out in new kit
Israel-Premier Tech has released its new kit for the 2023 season, the first time the team will be at ProTeam level since 2019.
The jersey is made by its new kit supplier EKOÏ, and is designed to standout in the peloton with its "abstract blue, pink, and orange design of the jersey complimented by simple navy bib shorts which allow the jersey to shine".
Kjell Carlström, the team's general manager, said: "When it came to designing our 2023 kit, we wanted to do something a little different. Our Racing For Change kit at the Tour de France was a huge success and, in our opinion, one of the best kits in the peloton in recent years.
"So we figured, why not do something a bit different all season long. Blue and white, the Israeli colors, are at the core of our identity. But, as we saw in 2022, there was a lot of blue and white in the peloton. So, we wanted to add some additional color into the mix and create a fresh and modern look that stands out on the bike.
"Particularly on the back of the jersey, where we have replaced the team logo with the monogram of our star and P from Premier Tech so that we can be easily spotted on television. That’s our aim for 2023: stand out in the peloton when it comes to our kit design and the way we race."
Peter Sagan: Wout van Aert 'disappointed me as a person'
Peter Sagan has said that Wout van Aert disappointed him "as a person" after they clashed on stage three of this year's Tour de France.
The TotalEnergies rider told La Gazzetta dello Sport on Thursday that Van Aert is "a great champion", but he insulted him during that sprint in Sønderborg. Sagan felt that he was boxed out in the finalé, and raised an arm and pointed his finger in protest.
“He’s a great champion. But he insulted me at the Tour, and he hasn’t apologised yet,” Sagan said.
“In this, he disappointed me as a person. I’m waiting for him to come to me, I won’t go to him. And I think he himself understands why.”
In a wide-ranging interview with the Italian sports newspaper, the three-time world champion also touched on why he didn't like being asked if he could still match the best at an elite level. He said: "I’m doing my best, like always, to be ready to fight at the highest level. If I didn’t believe in it, I wouldn’t do it.”
Cyclist killed by lorry in London
A man was killed after being trapped under the wheels of a lorry while riding his bike in west London on Thursday.
The victim was declared dead at the scene at the junction with Charleville Road and North End Road in West Kensington at roughly 3.30pm on Thursday.
He was believed to be the seventh cyclist to be killed on London's roads this year.
A Metropolitan Police spokesman said: “Officers were called at 15:18hrs on Thursday, 15 December to Charleville Road, W14.
“A cyclist was reported to have been in a collision with a lorry. London Ambulance Service and London’s Air Ambulance attended.”
Soudal Quick-Step releases new jersey
It has been a long time coming, and was teased for seemingly forever, but finally, the new Soudal Quick-Step jersey is out.
That's right, for a start Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl are now known as Soudal Quick-Step, having poached their rival Belgian team's sponsor, and now there is a bit more red in what was a largely blue kit.
There's an exciting trailer for the new kit starring Yves Lampaert, and it can already be purchased for €89.95 on Quick-Step's website.
Castelli's second kit for the Belgian super-team is largely blue, with a white bit blasted out of the middle to make way for SOUDAL and its customary red bar. I can already picture Fabio Jakobsen and Julian Alaphilippe winning in it.
UAE Team Emirates face sanctions threat
Our very own Chris Marshall-Bell has an intriguing story in this week's Cycling Weekly, which is that UAE Team Emirates could come under pressure if the UAE faces sanctions from western governments due its relationship with Russia.
The UAE is allegedly facilitating the flow of Russian personnel and money during the ongoing war in Ukraine.
Since Russia invaded Ukraine in late February, a reported 275,000 Russians, including individuals sanctioned by the West, have relocated or made frequent visits to the UAE, with some moving their money and assets. Former FBI agent Karen Greenaway told news publication Vox that this “movement of money… allows Russia to continue to run its economy and its war economy.”
Politics and sport mix once again - read the full story for details of how this could affect Tadej Pogačar and co.
Aussie Olympian Alex Porter retires from elite cycling, 18 months on from shock track crash
Alex Porter, the Australian whose handlebars snapped during qualifying for the team pursuit final at the Tokyo Olympics, has retired from elite cycling.
As the four riders rounded a bend, the South Australian slid out at the back of the quartet, a touch of wheels initially suspected to have caused the fall but television replays showing he hadn't been touched, his hands fell and he followed as the handlebars gave way.
AusCycling apologised after releasing a report into the incident last year. The report, conducted by mechanical and aeronautical engineer John Baker, made 14 recommendations after Porter’s bars snapped dramatically during qualifying. The heavy crash left the rider with numerous injuries including friction burns to his face.
The 26-year-old said: ""After the Tokyo Olympics, it is clear I need to put my health first and this means stepping away from the sport.
"I have been cycling since I was a teenager, it has shaped me into the person I am today, and I am grateful for all the joy it has brought to my life."
Jonas Vingegaard excited by Tour de France route
Jonas Vingegaard has confirmed that he wants to go back to the Tour de France next summer. Not that it was particularly in doubt, but there was some speculation that the Giro d'Italia route would favour him with 52km of time trialling.
The defending champion will, obviously, be at the Tour next summer instead, he explained to RIDE Magazine and WielerFlits.
“I want to go back to the Tour. It seems very special to me to start with back number 1”, Vingegaard said. “I have seen that the Giro d'Italia has enough time trial kilometers that suit me, but I have not looked at that course otherwise.”
“It looks like it will be another tough round. When I first saw the course, my first feeling was that this was a Tour de France more suited to Tadej Pogačar . But the more often and better I look at the trajectory, the harder it seems to get. Every time I study the course, I get the feeling that it suits me better.”
Take a look at Ellen van Dijk's time trial machine for 2023
Trek-Segafredo has revealed Ellen van Dijk's rainbow-themed time trial bike for 2023, which commemorates the Dutchwoman's third time trial world championship, which she won back in September.
The silver machine is a top of the range Trek Speed Concept, and has the rainbow bands around the front forks and the super-aero seat tube too.
Some of the details 🫶 pic.twitter.com/1r88skZwFiDecember 15, 2022
Berkeley squared: Strava art takes over Californian city
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Over 32 hours of moving time in the summer, Ruben Murillo covered pretty much all of Berkeley, California on Strava, riding a mountain bike and a single speed.
The whole thing actually took 270 hours, roughly 11 days, and saw him cycle 560.92km, not a bad effort, all things considered.
18 riders to represent Team USA at the virtual Esport Cycling World Championships in February
USA Cycling today named its 18-rider team for the 2023 UCI Cycling Esports World Championships coming up in February.
Now in its third year, the Esport World Championships, held on Zwift, will feature three short and explosive elimination events, and in the end only one female and one male rider will walk away with the virtual rainbow jersey.
Team USA will be sending a stacked squad with the hopes of wrapping that jersey around an American rider's avatar.
With nominations from both the UCI and USA Cycling, 11 men and 7 women were selected to toe the virtual starting line from their living rooms.
Race favorites will be Kristen Kulchinsky (Team Twenty 24), who is currently the top-ranked female in the world, and J Bruhn (NeXT p/b Enshored) for the men, currently ranked second on ZwiftPower.
The Team USA roster is as follows:
Elite Men
Kevin Bouchard-Hall ( Velocio)
J Bruhn (NeXT p/b Enshored)
Joseph Chudyk (TURBO)
Matt Curbeau (Saris/ NoPinz)
Brian Duffy Jr (NeXT p/b Enshored)
Daniel Jamrozik (Restart Racing)
Ryan Larson (Saris/ NoPinz)
Zach Nehr (NeXT p/b Enshored)
Timothy Rugg (HTeam Skyline)
David Talbott
Alex Tenelshof (TURBO)
Elite Women
Jacqueline Godbe (Saris/ NoPinz)
Kristen Kulchinsky (Team Twenty 24)
Liz Van Houweling (Saris/ NoPinz)
Courtney Nelson (Saris/ NoPinz)
Ellexi Snover (Electric Spirit Co.)
Morgan Uceny (Saris/ NoPinz)
Arielle Martin-Verhaaren (AEO)
Gyroor recalls 3,000 e-bikes due to fire hazard
The Consumer Product Safety Commission has announced that it's working with Chinese e-mobility device manufacturer, Gyroor, in recalling more than 3,000 Gyroor C3 e-bikes due to a fire hazard.
The model in question is the Gyroor C3 e-bikes, which contain battery packs that have been "posing fire and burn hazards."
The recall came about after Gyroor received reports of battery packs igniting and additional reports of injuries that required medical treatment, including burns to the consumer’s foot and smoke inhalation, the CPSC reports.
Often sold on Amazon, the C3 bikes are recognizable by a C3 logo printed on the seat tube and a serial number, printed on the frame just below the headlight, starting with 8330.
Consumers are encouraged to stop using the battery packs on the C3 e-bikes immediately and contact Gyroor at 833-737-1294 or benson@gyroor.com for a repair in the form of a free replacement battery pack.
Lithium-ion battery fires have been wreaking havoc in cities across the globe due to an abundance of cheap, poorly made products from disreputable sources that are sold via the internet, are often untested and do not adhere to any safety standards.
The New York Fire Department alone reports that it has reported to at least 200 residential fires caused by e-mobility devices this year. The New York City Council is looking into curbing this deadly rise in e-bike and e-scooter related fires through a series of informational campaigns as well as banning the sale of both second-use and uncertified batteries. Apartment building owners have also begun banning e-bikes all-together.
If you own an e-bike, always follow the manufacturer’s instructions for charging and storage and use the manufacturer’s cord and power adapter made specifically for the device.
When purchasing devices, you can check to see if the product was tested for safety by looking for the internationally recognized Underwriters Laboratories Mark of approval. These products will carry an embossed or otherwise visible UL mark.
It's also always a good idea to not leave your charging devices unattended or on the charger for an extended time.
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