Daily Cycling News Digest – February 9, 2021

Here are the cycling news highlights for February 9, 2021

Astana – Premier Tech to kick off 2021 season at Tour de la Provence

The four-day race will be the official season start for the Kazakh-Canadian UCI WorldTeam, where a mix of young and experienced riders will line up in the new look of Astana – Premier Tech with Aleksandr Vlasov and Alexey Lutsenko returning to France as the defending winners of the youth and points classification and second and third on the General Classification respectively, alongside 2019 winner Gorka Izagirre.

Following the stage race in France, Astana – Premier Tech will line up at the Classica de Almeria, where Spanish road race champion Luis Leon Sanchez will make his season debut on home soil, and the Tour des Alpes Maritimes et du Var, where Jakob Fuglsang will lead the team.

“First of all, we hope to have a normal season again with all remaining races able to take place. 2020 was a difficult year for everyone but we were still able to collect 15 victories,” said Team Principal Alexandr Vinokurov. “In 2021, we have a strong team with a good mix of young and experienced riders, who can achieve great results. After the cancellation of Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana, we are excited to finally pin a number on the back of our jersey and start our season at Tour de la Provence, followed by Clasica de Almeria. We have used the extra time to prepare at training camp and now we will focus on a strong start to the season and getting some wins on the board.”

Pirelli Joins AG2R CITROËN Team as Technical Partner

Having reconfirmed for 2021 agreements with Trek-Segafredo and Team BikeExchange, Pirelli now announces a partnership with France’s AG2R CITROËN.

The agreement, signed with in conjunction with Swiss bike brand BMC, will see the World Tour team, as well as the Under 23 team, ride Teammachine SLR01 and Timemachine Road 01 bikes equipped with Pirelli’s top road tire technology: the brand-new P ZERO in both TLR (tubeless-ready) and tubular versions.

The team has a high-profile roster, including reigning Olympic road champion Greg Van Avermaet who commented: “Pirelli can bring their great experience to cycling which is a big benefit so I’m happy I can ride Pirelli not only on my car but also on my bike. Super happy with the first feelings: rolling resistance and grip are good on wet roads which is super important in terms of performance and safety. I’m looking forward to test the tires at higher speed at the races.”

Team Novo Nordisk sign Polish Track Star Mateusz Rudyk

Team Novo Nordisk today announced the signing of 2016 UEC European team sprint gold medalist Mateusz Rudyk.

Rudyk will continue to race and compete on the track as he prepares for the upcoming Tokyo Olympics. Diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at age 12, Rudyk joins 18-time US National Champion Mandy Marquardt as Team Novo Nordisk’s second fully supported professional track athlete.

“Joining Team Novo Nordisk is an important stage in my career,” began Rudyk. “The team consists of people with diabetes, just like me, and it shows that with diabetes you can be a professional athlete and achieve high results in sports.”

“The Olympic Games are my main goal. I want to fight for a medal, and I believe in myself. My goal is to show people that with diabetes I am able to be the best in the world.”

Boasting an impressive pedigree on the track, Rudyk won a bronze medal in the individual sprint at the 2019 World Championships in Pruszków and another bronze in the individual sprint at the 2019 European Championships in Apeldoorn. With the Tokyo Olympics the big goal for 2021, Rudyk and Team Novo Nordisk will work together over the coming months to provide the best possible environment for Rudyk to train and prepare for Tokyo.

2021 is a major milestone and anniversary for all of the people living with diabetes around the world as it marks the 100th year anniversary of the discovery of insulin. Keenly aware of the significance of 2021 for the diabetes community and particularly for Team Novo Nordisk, Rudyk is thankful for the opportunity joining the team presents.

“This is an important year for everyone with diabetes,” continued Rudyk. “If not for the discovery of insulin, life with this disease would have been completely different. I cannot imagine my life without insulin, it accompanies me all the time and it is one of the most important elements of living with diabetes.”

Rally Cycling Shows Off 2021 Team Bikes

Introducing Rally Cycling’s road bikes for the 2021 season – the AR and FR from Felt Bicycles. For the full list of specs visit the page.

Megan Jastrab and Kendall Ryan Receive Grants for Olympic Campaigns

The USA Cycling Foundation continues its efforts of directly supporting athletes to develop American cycling and achieve international success, awarding grants to Megan Jastrab and Kendall Ryan from the Kelly Catlin fund, created in honor of the late National Team athlete.

The grants have been distributed to Jastrab and Ryan to assist in their pursuit of the Tokyo Olympic Games. Both Jastrab and Ryan are members of the Olympic Long Team and are training to make the final team that will be announced in June 2021. The women have been at the Olympic Training Center, following COVID-19 protocols, in Colorado Springs training for the Women’s Madison and Team Pursuit.