Pinot's farewell, Van der Poel's coronation, Jumbo-Visma's domination... Our favorites and 2023 cycling claws

Favorites

The grandson of Mariano (professional from 1971 to 1981, winner of 2 stages on the Tour, polka dot jersey in 1980) and son of Miguel (Olympic gold medalist in mountain biking in 2000, pro in the early 2000s) , considered one of the great hopes of the Groupama-FDJ team, competed in his first Grand Tour in September. He was able to shine and make a name for himself by wearing the red jersey of leader of the Vuelta for two days (before finishing 24th in the final general classification).

He dreamed of a successful outing, he was faithful to his legend. Generous, competitive (5th in the final general classification of the Giro, 11th in the final general classification of the Tour), Thibaut Pinot (33 years old) made the hearts of his spectators beat during the penultimate stage of the Grande Boucle (with a corner invaded in the Petit Ballon) and during the Tour of Lombardy. For moving farandoles, an unforgettable melee. A successful outing.

Also read Cycling: Thibaut Pinot, public friend number 1

A born striker, the Dutchman lit up a diabolical world championship in Glasgow. At the end of a race by elimination, Mathieu Van der Poel made a sharp attack around twenty kilometers from the finish, picking off Pogacar, Van Aert and Pedersen to run headlong. But Raymond Poulidor's grandson was not at the end of his emotions. A fall on a bend, a broken shoe played with his nerves, left him with intense suspense. Before liberation and rainbow triumph. To celebrate a prosperous season marked by prestigious successes in Milan-San Remo and Paris-Roubaix.

14th in the Giro, 12th in the Tour by playing the role of valuable, dedicated teammate, the American Sepp Kuss was able to achieve his dream by winning the Vuelta (ahead of his Jumbo-Visma teammates, Jonas Vingegaard and Primoz Roglic) . Consecration for a faithful. Morality being saved, the headliners of the team finally put aside their ambition to let the first American winner of a grand tour since Chris Horner (Tour of Spain 2013) parade.

The years passed and reminded us of the lack of success of the northern team in the Tour de France. Cofidis has been chasing a stage victory on the Grande Boucle since 2008. The northern team has won three. With Victor Lafay (started under the red flame in Saint-Sébastien) and Ion Izagirre (solo in Belleville-en-Beaujolais). To twist, with brilliance, the neck of a stubborn curse. And reward the work patiently put in place by manager Cédric Vasseur.

Also readTour de France: Victor Lafay’s masterstroke

Claws

Cycling is a dangerous discipline. The year 2023 sadly reminded us of this. Last June, in the final kilometers of the 5th stage of the Tour de Suisse, Gino Mäder (Bahrain-Victorious) fell into a ravine. Found “inert” in a stream, the Swiss man was “immediately” resuscitated by medical staff before being airlifted to a hospital. Unfortunately, the stage-winning climber on the Tour of Italy in 2021 finally succumbed to his injuries a few hours later, at just 26 years old and with the future ahead of him...

And one and two and three Grand Tours. In 2023, Jumbo-Visma left only crumbs to its opponents in the three-week races, winning the Tour of Italy thanks to Primoz Roglic, winning the Tour de France thanks (again) to Jonas Vingegaard and winning the Tour of Spain with the unexpected Sepp Kuss. And if cycling fans were treated to a little suspense on the other side of the Alps and on the Grande Boucle – at least before the last week – this was not the case on the Vuelta Ciclista a España as the training Dutch stunned the race, finishing (easily) in the first three places in the general classification…

For several weeks, the cycling world was agitated by a rumor. More than a rumor, it was a real project. And what a project! That of a merger between two of the best formations in the professional peloton: the Jumbo-Visma of Jonas Vingegaard and Wout van Aert and the Soudal-Quick Step of Remco Evenepoel and Julian Alaphilippe. Ultimately, this desire for rapprochement – ​​which would have completely turned the world of the Little Queen upside down – was abandoned, undoubtedly due to the complexity of the case. To the delight of the other teams...And those who would probably have lost their jobs in the operation.

They were (highly) anticipated and slightly disappointed. Julian Alaphilippe and David Gaudu did not have the results hoped for in 2023. The first, despite an encouraging start to the season, did not manage to rise to the level of the best in the Flandrian and Ardennes classics; and on the Tour de France, it never really weighed on the race...unlike in previous seasons. The second, after his remarkable Paris-Nice (2nd), aimed for the podium on the Grande Boucle; but he was (very) far from it (9th in the general classification). There is no doubt that we should find them at the forefront in 2024!

For his last season on the road, Peter Sagan was discreet. Far too discreet. And in particular on the Tour de France – an event in which he has won twelve stages and won the points classification seven times since its debut – where he has not managed to do better than a (disappointing) eighth place. “After this Tour, I understand that it is better to leave,” he assured in Paris. The cycling world, however, hoped for a better outing, like that of Thibaut Pinot. Fortunately, fans of the Little Queen will have the opportunity to see it on mountain bikes in 2024...and in particular at the Paris Olympics!