Pro Log: Wout van Aert and Marianne Vos get debut wins, Adam Yates suffers concussion and ‘fraudulent’ Cynisca

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Pro Log: Wout van Aert and Marianne Vos get debut wins, Adam Yates suffers concussion and ‘fraudulent’ Cynisca

Welcome back to another edition of Pro Log. Tim Merlier (Soudal-QuickStep) was a sprinting force to be reckoned with at the UAE Tour, becoming the first rider to win three stages in one edition of the race. His sprint successes also resulted in a win in the points classification.

The race was won by Lennert Van Eetvelt (Lotto-Dstny), who attacked on the final day’s Jebel Hafeet climb to win the stage and the overall. Ben O’Connor (Decathlon-AG2R La Mondiale) finished second in the GC by just two seconds while Pello Bilbao (Bahrain Victorious) came third. Elsewhere, Jonas Vingegaard (Visma-Lease a Bike) won three stages and the general classification at O Gran Camiño.

Meanwhile, Classics season is well and truly underway. It was a big weekend for Visma-Lease a Bike, with Jan Tratnik and Marianne Vos winning their Omloop Het Nieuwsblad races. Wout van Aert would win Kuurne-Brussel-Kuurne the following day as Kristen Faulkner (EF Education-Cannondale) went on a storming 50km solo breakaway to win Omloop van het Hageland.

There’s so much to talk about.

Marianne Vos wins Omloop on debut

With 249 victories under her belt, it’s hard to find a race that Visma-Lease a Bike’s Marianne Vos hasn’t won, let alone started. But sure enough, her first participation in the first spring Classic of the year at Omloop Het Nieuwsblad arrived this past weekend.

Vos prematurely ended her 2023 season to have surgery on her left iliac artery and her first road race this year was the Setmana Ciclista Valenciana, in which she finished second on Stage 1 and 2. Making her debut at Omloop Het Nieuwsblad, Vos worked her way into a powerful leading quartet formed on the Bosberg comprised of Lidl-Trek’s Elisa Longo Borghini and Shirin van Anrooij plus World Champion Lotte Kopecky of SD Worx-Protime.

It was neck and neck in the final kilometre before Vos pulled away to win ahead of Kopecky and Longo Borghini, further cementing her ‘greatest of all time’ status in the women’s peloton.

Wout van Aert sprints to victory at Kuurne-Brussel-Kuurne

It was a busy weekend for Visma-Lease a Bike, winning with Jan Tratnik and Marianne Vos at Omloop Het Nieuwsblad, Jonas Vingegaard at O Gran Camiño and then Wout van Aert at Kuurne-Brussel-Kuurne.

Van Aert helped drive the breakaway trio away, with Tim Wellens (UAE Team Emirates) and Oier Lazkano (Movistar) going with him. When it got down to a three-man sprint, it was unsurprisingly Van Aert who had the legs against Wellens, Lazkano rounding out the podium. It was a weekend of successful debuts too, as it was Van Aert’s first participation in Kuurne-Brussel-Kuurne.

But perhaps the real winner of the day was Rik Bossuyt on his scooter.

Adam Yates suffers concussion at UAE Tour

While pipped to be the general classification favourite at the UAE Tour, Adam Yates (UAE Team Emirates) was forced to abandon on Stage 3 to Jebel Jais. Yates, who won the UAE Tour in 2020, finished second in both 2021 and 2022, and third in 2023, came down heavily in a crash on a stretch of road towards the summit finish. He appeared to hit his head hard but remounted his bike.

Teammate Jay Vine admitted afterwards that the Brit couldn’t even remember hitting the ground. Yates climbed off and abandoned the race a few kilometres later. In a statement posted to social media, UAE Team Emirates said, ‘Adam Yates has been diagnosed with a concussion… for the sake of his health, and as per concussion protocols, he was withdrawn from racing. He will need recovery, and the medical team will continue with neurological monitoring and rehab going forward.’

There was much debate during and after the stage on concussion protocols. Yates was not evaluated despite live images broadcasting his hard crash. The UCI does have a protocol for those on the ground to follow, with information cards disseminated on how to examine concussions and what to look out for, but it seemed this wasn’t followed in the case of Yates’ crash.

‘Fraudulent actions’ by Cynisca Cycling squad results in suspensions

The UCI has announced its decision in disciplinary proceedings against the UCI Women’s Continental Team Cynisca Cycling for actions at the Argentina Classic – 2 Districtenpijl Ekeren-Deurne.

The race required five riders to start, with Cynisca Cycling attempting to only field four. The Disciplinary Commission found that several members of the team participated ‘in a fraud… by attempting to deceive the Commissaires’ Panel into believing a fifth rider was present and could take part’.

Cynisca Cycling sports director Danny Van Haute instructed the four riders to lie about the whereabouts of a fifth rider who was not at the venue. After being told they they could not participate in the race unless five riders signed the start sheet and took the start, Van Haute instructed team mechanic Moira Barrett to ‘wear a rider’s clothes and a face mask, to present herself at the start and sign… as the team’s fifth rider’.

Van Haute was found to be the main perpetrator. He was fined and is suspended from any activity in cycling until 31st December 2025. Barrett is suspended from any activity in cycling until 1st September 2024. The riders were found to have followed Van Haute’s instructions and have been reprimanded. The team is suspended for the next event on the UCI International Calendar for which their participation is confirmed and has also been fined.

It comes just one day after Cynisca’s Lauren Stephens won the Clasica de Almeria.

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