Now that you’re done with Turkey (or Tofurkey) and all the fixins, maybe it’s time to catch up on what you missed after a Tryptophan-induced food coma after Thanksgiving.
Kopecky wins Simac overall, but Bäckstedt fights on
After crashing on stage 5, Lotte Kopecky (SD Worx-Protime) won stage 6 of the Simac Ladies Tour, taking the overall lead with a ten-second time bonus. In the final sprint, teammate Lorena Wiebes was second and Marthe Truyen (Fenix-Deceuninck) third.
Canyon SRAM’s Zoe Bäckstedt finished third overall—but she did so without any teammates. After winning the opening time trial, Bäckstedt slowly lost all her teammates. Chloe Dygert walked into a door before the TT and didn’t start Stage 2. She wasn’t the only DNS on the German team. Maike van der Duin and Soraya Paladin also didn’t feel well enough to start, leaving Bäckstedt with only one teammate left to help. Still, the daughter of Paris-Roubaix winner Magnus Bäckstedt—and a multiple world champion herself—put in a strong ride to finish on the podium.
There was one Canadian racing—Lidl-Trek’s Ava Holmgren, competing in her first Women’s WorldTour race. The MTB, ‘cross, and road star finished 8th overall in the young riders’ competition.
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Eli Iserbyt gets DQ’d after a nasty move on Ryan Kamp
At the Exact Cross opener in Belgium, Lars van der Haar won, but the day was overshadowed by a clash between Eli Iserbyt and Ryan Kamp. After a crash, Iserbyt stomped on Kamp’s rear wheel, intensifying their long-standing rivalry.
Iserbyt disqualified for stomping on Kamp’s wheel after crash
Iserbyt later admitted his actions were fuelled by frustration, explaining in interviews that Kamp’s comments and past conflicts triggered his outburst. Disqualified for his reaction, Iserbyt acknowledged it was unnecessary and rooted in their history of tension, dating back to when Kamp was on his team.
On X, Iserbyt apologized, accepting the disqualification and vowing to focus on the positives in future races.
Pogi Pogis like only Pogi can at Il Lombardia
On Saturday, Tadej Pogačar claimed victory at Il Lombardia, the final Monument and second-to-last WorldTour race of the season. With this win, the Slovenian joins Alfredo Binda with four Il Lombardia titles, just behind Fausto Coppi’s five.
Pogačar capped off his 2024 season with wins at both Strade Bianche and Il…
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