News Round-up: Mark Cavendish survives as Lutsenko thrives on monster Tour of Türkiye climb

There was more transfer news on Tuesday, with a couple of big signings and a huge raft of renewals at one team, while there was a key switch in the management ranks of the women's peloton. We bring you all the latest on that front, along with Remco Evenepoel's post-2023 and pre-2024 thoughts and the unfortunate postponement of an African race, but we start with Tuesday's show-stealing climb in Turkey.

Alexey Lutsenko conquers the Babadag on stage 3 of the Tour of Türkiye

The Tour of Türkiye has often sprinkled its glut of sprint stages with the odd spectacular and punishing climb, but none like what we witnessed on stage 3 of the 2023 edition. It’s a wonder that they’ve kept it hidden for so long, as the climb - named Babadag - turned out to be one of the most monstrous we’ve seen in professional cycling.

Measuring 18.4km at an average gradient of 10.4%, it even towers over such well-established brutes as Spain’s Alto de l’Angliru (12.4km at 9.8%) and Italy’s Monte Zoncolan (10.1km at 11.9%). On Tuesday, it provided a spectacular summit finish for stage 3 of the Tour of Turkey, even if it took well over an hour, and even if the action appeared to be unfolding in slow motion.

At the top, it was Alexey Lutsenko (Astana Qazaqstan) who ground his way clear to celebrate the stage win and take the overall lead of the eight-stage race. The Kazakh champion emerged with Bora-Hansgrohe’s Ben Zwiehoff in the final 500 metres of the climb, resisting his accelerations before hitting him with a killer blow on the final ramps, which were among the steepest of the whole mountain.

© Sprint Cycling Agency

Incredible views from the top of the climb

Lutsenko’s teammate Harold Tejada made it two Astana riders on the podium, finishing 27 seconds down, while Florian Lipowitz made it two Bora riders in the top four at 48 seconds. Matteo Badilatti (Q36.5) rounded out the top five as the only other rider within a minute of Lutsenko, as the biggest-name climber, Jay Vine (UAE Team Emirates) struggled and finished more than 12 minutes down.

Mark Cavendish (Astana Qazaqstan) was up against the time cut imposed by his own teammate but finished in penultimate position at 52 minutes to survive for the remaining sprint stages. There are a couple of more moderately hilly days to come, with Lutsenko leading overall by 16 seconds over Zwiehoff and 33 seconds over Tejada.

Remco Evenepoel looks to 2024 after grading 2023

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Remco Evenepoel wasn't too displeased with his 2023 season

Remco Evenepoel has begun to mull over his roadmap to the 2024 Tour de France, turning his attention to next year after a 2023 season he marked as an ‘8.5 or 9 out of 10’.

In an interview with Het Laatste Nieuws ahead of the Belgian newspaper’s Crystal Bike awards on Tuesday night, the Soudal Quick-Step suggested he could have won the Giro d’Italia, were it not for the COVID-19 infection that ruled him out while in the lead, and explained that his rushed preparation might have been to blame for his costly off-day at the Vuelta a España. Still, that rushed preparation allowed Evenepoel to become time trial world champion, and his Grand Tours were hardly unsuccessful, with two stage wins in half a Giro and three at the Vuelta, not to mention another victory at Liège-Bastogne-Liège in the spring.

“It could have been even more impressive, without the Covid infection in the Giro or with slightly better preparation for the Vuelta. In that sense, I consider this season as 'not completely successful',” he said. “I lack a podium place in a Grand Tour, which means I don't give my season a 10 out of 10, but rather an 8.5 to 9.”

As for next year, Evenepoel has made no secret of the fact it’s time for time to race the Tour de France, and he’ll do so in the colours of Soudal Quick-Step, after talks around a merger with Jumbo-Visma came to nothing.

“The team still has to decide, but I will probably resume around February 15 to 20, and maybe I'll add another Monument,” said Evenepoel, with Milan-San Remo being the most logical there. He also wants to return to Liège and one day target La Flèche Wallonne and Amstel Gold Race, although he’s not clear that’ll be next year.

“UAE Tour and Paris-Nice could be a nice first combination block in that sense. Then it is time to move towards the Classics via an altitude training period. Perhaps not doing the Giro will offer more room to race in March or April. We'll see."

FDJ-SUEZ poach performance director Lieselot Decroix from Jumbo-Visma

© Jumbo-Visma

Lieselot Decroix working for Jumbo-Visma

FDJ-SUEZ have gone from strength to strength in recent years and they have made what they believe is a “significant step” with the signing of Lieselot Decroix from Jumbo-Visma. This isn’t a rider signing, but a strengthening of their coaching set-up, with the former Olympian and doctorate-level academic joining as performance director.

Decroix rode for the Boels Dolmans team and Lotto Soudal Ladies before retiring in 2016. She has a PhD in sports sciences and physiotherapy as well as a Masters in Biomedical Sciences and for the past three years, she has been Jumbo-Visma’s head of performance.

“Lieselot possesses this rich combination of experience of high-level competition and a scientific approach,” said the team’s general manager, Stephen Delcourt. “We are convinced that her vision and her competencies will strengthen our status, eyeing ever more innovation and performance in our future projects.”

FDJ-Suez are spearheaded by Cecilie Uttrup-Ludwig, winner of the Giro dell’Emilia and top-10 at the Tour de France Femmes and Giro d’Italia Donne this year, as well as 2022 Flèche Wallonne and Amstel Gold Race winner Marta Cavalli.

“I’m happy and proud to announce I will join FDJ-SUEZ. I feel connected to their vision, ambition, and passion, and I’m extremely motivated to contribute to the future success of the team.”

Tropicale Amissa Bongo postponed

There has been a blow to the African cycling calendar, with La Tropicale Amissa Bongo postponed in 2024 due to political instability in Gabon.

The early-season race was scheduled for 22-28 of January 2024 but has been removed from that slot, and it’s unclear when or even if it will be moved.

The postponement is due to the recent military coup in Gabon, which brought to an end over 50 years of rule by the Bongo family.

“This decision, in agreement with the authorities, is dictated by a rethinking of the priorities for the coming months, in the context of the renewal of the institutions of the Republic of Gabon,” said Rwanda TV journalist Kayishema Tity Thierry.

Geoffrey Soupe (TotalEnergies) won the 2022 edition of the race, with a handful of European teams usually competing alongside African teams.

Movistar unveil 12 contract extensions

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Fernando Gaviria is among those staying at Movistar

Movistar have shorn up the lion’s share of their men’s roster for 2024 in one fell swoop, announcing 12 contract extensions in one go.

Fernando Gaviria is among them, the Colombian signing another one-year deal after the one he joined on this season, which has seen him win two races. While Gaviria is kept on a short-term contract - the same as Johan Jacobs and Albert Torres - there are more generous offerings for three riders, with Ivan Garcia Cortina, Gonzalo Serrano, and Mathias Norsgaard all penning three-year extensions through 2026. Staying for a further two years are Will Barta, Jorge Arcas, Gregor Muhlberger, Nelson Oliveira, and Antonio Pedrero.

Movistar already have eight riders under contract for 2024, including Grand Tour leader Enric Mas, which takes their roster to 20. That’s 10 short of the UCI maximum, so there’s still room to invest in the transfer market, with a deal for UAE Team Emirates’ Davide Formolo rumoured but yet to be announced. The Spanish team looked to prize Carlos Rodriguez from Ineos but the Spaniard backtracked and extended with the British team.

Movistar are losing Matteo Jorgenson to Jumbo-Visma, and Carlos Verona to Lidl-Trek, while Oscar Rodriguez looks set to join Ineos.

The latest from the transfer window

In other transfer news, we've had a couple of announcements today, with Kristen Faulkner confirmed to be moving from Jayco-AlUla to the new EF-Cannondale women's team, while Tim Declercq was announced as a Lidl-Trek rider after seven years at Soudal Quick-Step.

Finally, GCN has ascertained that rumours linking Belgian talent Cian Uijtdebroeks to Groupama-FDJ are unfounded but that the Bora-Hansgrohe is speaking to other teams with a view to 2025.

Here are links to our full articles on those stories:

• Kristen Faulkner signs for EF Education-Cannondale
• Tim Declercq pens two-year deal with Lidl-Trek
• Cian Uijtdebroeks not heading to Groupama-FDJ but Lidl-Trek and Ineos possibilities for 2025 transfer