The Cycling Disciple

Dylan Groenewegen continued his rise to prominence as one of the best sprinters in the world as the Dutchman won stage two of Paris-Nice.  Dylan Groenewegen takes his season tally to five wins Photo credit: cyclingweekly.com Groenewegen (LottoNL-Jumbo) - who won the opening classics race of the season, Omloop Het Nieuwsblad, on 25 February - beat Elia Viviani (Quick-Step Floors) and Andre Greipel (Lotto Soudal) with Phil Bauhau (Team Sunweb) and race leader Arnaud Demare (Groupama-FDJ) in fourth and fifth respectively. 24-year-old Groenewegen - who claimed his first Tour de France stage win last season on the Champs-Elysees - is one of a flourishing new wave of sprinters under the age of 25 that first showed itself at last seasons Tour Down Under with Caleb Ewan (Mitchelton-Scott) winning all four sprints against world champion Peter Sagan (Bora-Hansgrohe) and continued at the Giro d'Italia, as 2016's omnium track world champion Fernando Gaviria (Quick-Step Floors) domi...

A photo finish was required to separate Arnaud Demare (Groupama-FDJ) and Gorka Izagirre (Bahrain-Merida) on the opening stage of the 2018 Paris-Nice in Meudon. Arnaud Demare leads a four-way charge to the line in Meudon Photo credit: cyclingnews.com Christophe Laporte (Cofidis) and Tim Wellens (Lotto-Soudal) came third and fourth respectively, as the tricky cobbled uphill section with 2km to go spliced together general classification contenders, sprinters and classics specialists - as happened on the same stage of last season. Overall race contenders Ilnur Zakarin (Katusha-Alpecin) and Jakob Fuglsang (Astana) fell victim to a crash inside the final 3km, losing time on general classification and an earlier crash with 35km to go forced Tejay Van Garderen (BMC Racing) to abandon.  The Race Jurgen Roelandts (BMC Racing), Pierre Rolland (EF Education First-Drapac p/b Cannonale) and Pierre-Luc Perichon (Fortuneo-Samsic) made up the early breakaway out of Chatou as the race...

The 'Beast from the East' may have decided otherwise, but spring is officially here in a meteorological sense at the very least, which means Paris-Nice is only days away. This year more than any, it is quite literally The Race to the Sun. While we mere mortals are sheltering inside from the bitter Siberian cold, the hardy souls of the pro peloton are getting ready for battle in the first European stage-race of the season. Paris-Nice is the perfect race to prepare for the Classics, with a combination of flat stages, tricky uphill finishes, puncheur-friendly lumpy stages and a fair few Cols and Cotes thrown in for good measure. The Contenders Julian Alaphilippe wins the uphill time trial on stage four of the 2017 Paris-Nice Photo credit: velon.cc Looking for overall general classification glory will be Julian Alaphilippe (Quick-Step Floors), Sergio Henao and Wout Poels (Team Sky), Daniel Martin (UAE Team Emirates), Warren Barguil (Fortuneo-Samsic), Ilnur Zakari...

Daryl Impey won his first stage race since 2014 as Andre Greipel beat Caleb Ewan in a maniacally unorganised sprint on the sixth and final stage of the 20th edition of the Tour Down Under. Andre Greipel takes his 18th Tour Down Under stage victory Picture credit: VeloNews.com 33-year-old Impey (Mitchelton-Scott) was without a general classification victory since the 2014 Tour of Alberta, and despite being tasked with looking after Caleb Ewan and not winning a stage, took the 2018 Tour Down Under on countback. Richie Porte (BMC), the favourite to win overall before the race, came second on the same time, with 2013 Tour Down Under winner, Tom-Jelte Slagter (Dimension Data) in third. An elated Impey, who becomes the first South African to win the Tour Down Under, said: "I'm thrilled. Coming into the race I didn't expect to win but sometimes the stars line up. "It was pretty hectic [over the final few laps] and you know a lot's at stake," said Impey, ...

Richie Porte won on Willunga Hill for the fifth consecutive year but Daryl Impey takes the overall lead of the Tour Down Under on countback. Richie Porte battles up Willunga Hill surrounded by fanatical Aussies Picture credit: cyclingnews.com Porte (BMC) was the indisputable favourite to win the Queen stage with no likely riders capable of matching his climbing credentials, however sprinter, Impey (Mitchelton-Scott) held on eight seconds behind Porte to take the leaders ochre jersey on countback. 2013 Tour Down Under winner, Tom-Jelte Slagter (Dimension Data), claimed third, 10-seconds in arrears.  "First of all, I must give credit to my team," said Porte, "they were fantastic today, as per always. Rohan Dennis really laid it all on the line for me." Impey only holds the ochre jersey by countback on bonus seconds gained going into the criterium stage in Adelaide city centre tomorrow, which Porte was disappointed about: "Look, for me that's unf...

Peter Sagan managed to stay with the general classification contenders over Norton Summit and beat Daryl Impey in the sprint to the line to claim his first win of the season and the ochre jersey on stage four of the Tour Down Under. Peter Sagan shows his strength to beat the climbers to victory on stage four Picture credit: VeloNews.com Sagan (Bora-Hansgrohe) used Impey (Mitchelton-Scott) as a lead-out man in the final few hundred metres, before powering past the South African for the stage win and the overall race lead. Luis Leon Sanchez (Astana) and Diego Ulissi (UAE Team Emirates) came third and fourth. Sagan was pleased to get his first win of the season: "For sure it's very nice. I already won the criterium. Everyday it's a different winner which is good for the race and also good for the organisation." Sagan effectively ruled him out going for the overall victory tomorrow, with McCarthy being more suited to the decisive climb of Willunga Hill: "...

Elia Viviani took advantage of a poorly judged sprint from Caleb Ewan to claim his first ever win for Quick-Step Floors at the Tour Down Under on stage three. Elia Viviani moved to new team Quick-Step Floors from Team Sky Picture credit: cyclingnews.com Ewan and Australian National Champion Alex Edmondson (Mitchelton-Scott) appeared to have the sprint under control but failed to anticipate the charge of Viviani (Quick-Step Floors) allowing the Italian to jump the race leader and take the stage win. Phil Bauhaus (Team Sunweb) also capitalised on Ewan's poor sprint to come second with Simone Consonni (UAE Team Emirates) in fourth. Viviani was pleased with his win, given the extreme temperatures on the stage: "It's the fourth sprint [of the week] and it's not easy to come [to Australia] in January with these conditions. I never win in the hilly season like that so that's a good thing and means I've had a good winter. I feel lucky to be here and take...