Del Toro signs for UAE - Global Cycling News Round Up
Mexican super-talent joins super-team, African rider contract updates, Tour de Langkawi and a big race round up
Welcome to Global Peloton!
While the news is saturated by mergers and transfer rumours among the elite of the sport, it’s also been the busiest point of the season for many riders in smaller nations.
The Asia Tour is in full flow. September and October is when most of the big races in the season happen. It was great to see some of that live with the Tour de Langkawi being televised last week. More is coming with the Tour of Hainan also available to watch over the next week.
Reflecting that busyness, it’s more of a newsy-newsletter this week. But hang on for a special exclusive later in the week (I hope) on Doug Ryder’s African development plans with Q36.5 after I spoke to him at the Tour of Britain last month. Paid subscribers will also get to hear that in full podcast form.
Enjoy,
Dan
Transfer News - Mexican Super Talent Joins Super Team
The big global transfer news this week is that Mexico’s Tour de l’Avenir winner Isaac del Toro has signed for UAE Team Emirates on a three-year deal.
Del Toro provided a shock in August by beating the likes of Matthew Riccitello and Giulio Pellizzari to the Race of the Future crown after he beat the American up the slopes of the fearsome Col de la Loze.
He is Mexico’s first World Tour pro since Luis Villalobos rode for EF Education First in 2019. Villalobos was banned for five years due to doping offences while contracted to EF. Before that, Raúl Alcalá was the most successful Mexican rider in history, a two-time Tour de France stage winner.
He joins an elite group of young talent at UAE, with some questioning how they can provide adequate support to the likes of Antonio Morgado, Jan Christen and Igor Arrieta as well as del Toro all at the same time. They are four very young talents, all with serious climbing ability. It will be fascinating to see who turns out to be the biggest success.
Del Toro is not the only Mexican among the professionals, though. 23-year-old Edgar Cadena signed a stagiaire contract with Green Project-Bardiani CSF-Faizanè from the 1st of August and has been riding for them in the recent Italian one-day races.
Cadena is another impressive Mexican climber. He has won the last two editions of the Vuelta a Salamanca and claimed victory up the mighty Alto del Vino at last year’s Vuelta a Colombia.
It’s not yet confirmed whether Cadena will stay on with Green Project-Bardiani CSF-Faizanè for next season.
It was also announced that 25-year-old Anet Barrera will stay with the DNA Pro Cycling team for 2024.
African Pros Update
Last week I shared the contract situations of some of the African pros without a ride yet for 2024.
This included the likes of Merhawi Kudus (EF Pro Cyling), Amanuel Gebreigzabhier (Lidl-Trek) and Tsgabu Grmay (Jayco-AlUla) all being on the hunt for a team.
Since that post, a few more contract situations have been revealed to Global Peloton.
Eyeru Tesfoam has a deal to sign an extension with Team Grand-Est Komugi La Fabrique but is hopeful that she may be able to sign with a bigger team.
There’s also a bit of change at Canyon//SRAM Generation as Algerian Nesrine Houili and Rwandan Valentine Nzayisenga will both move on. Diane Ingabire will stay with the German squad.
Asia Tour Race Round-up
The European racing may be starting to wind down now, but the end of season Asia Tour party is at its peak - and there’s more to come.
In Malaysia, the Tour or Langkawi was won by EF’s Simon Carr.
As expected, the racing was dominated by the big teams, with EF looking especially dominant on the queen stage up Genting Highlands and Tudor, Astana and Human Powered Health in control of the sprint stages.
There were some good Asian performances, though. Jambaljamts Saibayar (MON) was the top Asian continental rider on the GC, in 16th. Ariya Phounsavath (LAO) and Thanakhan Chaiyasombat (THA) were also respectable in their top-25 finishes.
Mohamad Izzat Hilmi Abdul Halil (MAL) was impressive in the sprints, finishing in the top-5 twice. Also there were many brave and strong breakaway attempts from the Asian conti teams.
The Oita Urban Classic in Japan was won by Ryan Cavanagh of KINAN Racing Team. The tough course favoured the Australians and Spanish riders who filled the top seven places.
Yuki Ishihara of Shimano Racing was the first Japanese rider home in eighth. A special mention also to Yuhi Todome who was tenth - he has had a great season in the colours of EF-Education NIPPO Development.
The first ever Tour of Binzhou took place in China and followed the pattern here of non-Asian riders struggling to gain a foothold in their home races. Lucas Carstensen from Roojai Online Insurance won after finishing first and second on the two stages of the race.
There was an impressive ride from 23-year-old Chinese rider Ruidong Wang who finished second on the opening sprint finish. Chinese champion Binyan Ma was third.
The Asian Games cycling events kicked off today. Olga Zabelinskaya won the women’s TT Gold for Uzbekistan ahead of Eri Yonamine of Japan.
Races Coming Up
The international cycling frenzy doesn’t stop here. There are loads of races to follow over the coming week and beyond, including:
03.10 - 07.10- GP Chantal Biya - Cameroon
03.10 - 05.10- 3x UCI 1.2 Races - Brazil
05.10-09.10 - Tour of Hainan - China
03.10 + 05.10 - Asian Games TT & RR - China
07.10-09.10 - Tour de Kyushu - Japan
Beyond that there will be UCI races in Malaysia, Japan, Burkina Faso, Turkey and of course the Chinese men’s and women’s World Tour events.
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Be interesting to know the extent to which some of theee signings- the women- actually are being paid a salary..much less a living one