Lotto Belisol confirmed today that Jurgen Van den Broeck won't ride the Tour de France next year, rather the 31-year-old Belgian will mainly focus on WorldTour stage races of one week before heading to the Vuelta a Espana. Van den Broeck will decide in concert with his team whether he will start the Giro d'Italia.
Van den Broeck has started the Tour every year since 2009, earning his best finish in 2010 with a third-place showing. He finished fourth in 2012 after abandoning the race the previous year. Van den Broeck abandoned the race before stage 6 in 2013 after crashing in the previous day's stage. He returned this July to finish 13th overall. Van den Broeck's season ended this year when he abandoned the Vuelta during stage 13.
"After the Vuelta we took the time to look back and think about the future," said Lotto Belison Manager Marc Sergeant. "Jurgen had a long rehabilitation after his crash in the Tour 2013. Then he immediately started his preparation for the 2014 season. Unfortunately, in Tirreno-Adriatico he fell on the same knee he had hurt in the Tour. The Dauphiné was hopeful and that's why it seemed obvious to start the Tour with a clear ambition. Circumstances made it impossible to fulfill his and our ambitions. In the Vuelta he had no energy left."
Van den Broeck said he hopes to return to the Tour de France in the future, but this year he has new dreams for other races.
"The Tour is the most beautiful race, but I don't say no to a new project," Van den Broeck said. "I have a love-hate relationship with the Tour. I got into top five two times, but there are the several crashes I had as well. I was criticized by the media and others. I can put that in perspective, but it's no fun. The Giro can be an option in 2015. That race is special to me because my career as a GC rider started there. I dream of a nice season."
USA Cycling elects Bachochin Klein to board of directors
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Kristin Bachochin Klein, senior vice president of AEG Sports and executive director of the Amgen Tour of California, was elected this to the USA Cycling Board of Directors this week as an at-large representative during the board of directors meeting in Colorado Springs.
"We are extremely excited to have Kristin join the USA Cycling Board," said outgoing USAC CEO and President Steve Johnson. “As Executive Director of the Amgen Tour of California, Kristin brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to the organisation."
As an at-large representative, the USAC board will draw from Bachochin Klein’s range of event management and marketing experience, which includes 12 years with AEG and 10 years in senior management with the Amgen Tour of California.
"Kristin brings essential communication and engagement skills as well as remarkable, directly relevant experience from her leadership role at the world class Amgen Tour of California," said USAC Board of Directors Chairman Bob Stapleton. "She has passionately invested herself in showcasing both compelling male and female athletes at one of the worlds top cycling events."
Bachochin Klein said it was an honor to serve on the board.
"As a member of the board of directors, I look forward to further collaborations with USA Cycling to continue to promote this great sport while raising the awareness from the grassroots level to the professional men’s and women’s ranks," she said.
Bachochin Klein was named the executive director of the Amgen Tour of California in 2010 and is responsible for the overall production and management of the UCI 2.HC stage race. She has been a member of the event’s senior management team since the race’s 2006 inception.
Bachochin Klein joined AEG in 2004 as the director of marketing for AEG Events. She was responsible for overseeing a variety of national and international sporting events and championships, including the UCI Track Cycling World Championships, UCI Junior Track World Championships and UCI Track Cycling World Cup, among others.
Only two Continental teams for Spain in 2015
The Spanish Federation (RFEC) has confirmed that only two Continental teams have applied for UCI status in 2015, Biciciclismo reports: the Burgos BH squad of Julio Andrés Izquierdo and the new Basque team, Murias Taldea run by former Euskaltel director Jon Odriozola.
According to the report, six teams expressed interest in becoming professional teams, but only these two passed the requirements for a licence by the December 10 deadline.
Three women's teams submitted applications for UCI status: Lointek, Bizkaia-Durango and the new team BZK ProBasic.
Gerard Vianen passes away
Dutch domestique Gerard Vianen has died the age of 70. The former professional cyclist rode in service of Joop Zoetemelk and Raymond Poulidor during a career that lasted from 1967 to 1976 that also included a stage at the Tour de France in 1974 and three stages at the Vuelta a Espana.
Vianen also took wins at the Tour de Suisse, Paris-Nice, Ruta del Sol and the Tour of Netherlands.
