News Round-up: Carlos Verona signs for Lidl-Trek

With the Vuelta a España taking its first rest day on Monday, there was no Grand Tour racing to report on, but plenty of other news from the world of cycling. The riders in Spain went in front of the media to talk about their races so far, plus the Tour of Britain continued over in the UK. Plus we've got the Simac Ladies Tour coming up, and of course the latest transfer news from around the peloton.

Carlos Verona signs for Lidl-Trek

As reported by GCN last week, Spanish rider Carlos Verona has agreed terms to join Lidl-Trek on a two-year deal. Verona, who currently races for Movistar Team, was the subject to interest from Ineos Grenadiers during the spring but after the British backtracked on their intent to sign the rider Verona was left looking for a replacement team.

Verona had a number of teams after his signature following Ineos’s decision but it was Lidl-Trek who got the move over the line with the 30-year-old and former Critérium du Dauphiné stage winner.

“After five very nice years in the Movistar Team I had the feeling that it was the right moment to look around to find a team where I could keep growing as a cyclist,” Verona said in a press release issued by his future team.

“I want to enjoy the best years of my career with new goals and motivations and luckily the opportunity to join Lidl-Trek came just at the right moment. Everything happens for a reason and I am very happy about this journey that is about to start. “What attracts me most to Lidl-Trek is the way the team usually races. You can feel how every team member fights for the team goals, playing with different cards while having fun. I can’t wait to be part of such an international group of people where the influence of different countries and cultures makes the team so interesting for every team member,” Verona added.

Verona joins a raft of new signings at Lidl-Trek in 2024 with Tao Geohegan Hart and Jonathan Milan among the team’s main signings. 

Tour of Britain stage 2: Olav Kooij takes second stage win

© Sprint Cycling Agency

Olav Kooij sprinted to victory in Wrexham on stage 2 of the Tour of Britain

Jumbo-Visma delivered Olav Kooij to a second win in as many days on stage 2 of the Tour of Britain, navigating a hectic finish in Wrexham to take victory on the shortest stage of this year's race.

The Dutch team had controlled the stage all day, and went into the final kilometre with two lead-out riders in front of Kooij, allowing Wout van Aert to drop his sprinter off just a few hundred metres from the line and deliver another victory for the team.

Danny van Poppel (Bora-Hansgrohe) took second, coming round Van Aert as the Belgian settled for third, denying a repeat of the Jumbo-Visma 1-2 seen in Manchester on Sunday.

A crash in the final kilometre took down a handful of riders and saw others held up, but Jumbo-Visma and Bora-Hansgrohe navigated the finale safely to battle for the win.

"It was a short stage and after yesterday all the team were looking at us to control the break," Kooij said at the finish. "So we used two guys to get the break back and then it was quite fast towards the last 3km. We knew that the start of the last 1km was crucial from the recon that we did, then Wout went on a slightly uphill part, and then everyone is suffering. And then I just had to do one last bit."

Head over to our race report for a full recap of the stage.

Geraint Thomas refocuses Vuelta a España goals after podium slips away

Geraint Thomas (Ineos Grenadiers) has hinted that stage wins are now his main focus at the Vuelta a España after the Welshman consistently lost time in the GC battle during week one.

Thomas went into the first rest-day at the Vuelta in 22nd place overall, and over 12 minutes down on current red jersey, Sepp Kuss (Jumbo-Visma).

The 2018 Tour de France winner arrived at the Vuelta with aspirations of winning the race, having finished on the podium in his last two Grand Tours, but he has been dropped on each mountain stage, while two crashes have had an effect on the veteran’s health.

“It’s been up and down, mainly down on the floor as much as anything else. It’s been a tough week for the team, and obviously for me personally,” Thomas said on the rest day.

Read the full story here.

Lotte Kopecky to debut rainbow jersey at Simac Ladies Tour

© Velo Collection (TDW) / Getty Images

Lotte Kopecky won the women's road race at the Glasgow World Championships

Newly-crowned world champion Lotte Kopecky (SD Worx) will debut her new rainbow jersey at UCI level this week at the Simac Ladies Tour.

The Belgian has shown off her new stripes in some criterium events already - alongside men’s world champion Mathieu van der Poel - but this week will mark her first UCI race as the world champion.

Kopecky heads to the Simac Tour in the Netherlands as part of a strong SD Worx team that includes defending champion Lorena Wiebes, Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift winner Demi Vollering, and recent Classic Lorient Agglomération winner Mischa Bredewold.

The Classics-style racing in the Netherlands should suit Kopecky, and she will be a big favourite for the Cauberg stage as she returns to her first stage race since a remarkable second place at the Tour de France Femmes in July.

Trinity Racing wear one-off cancer charity jersey at Tour of Britain

Development team Trinity Racing are wearing a one-off jersey at the Tour of Britain this week as they support Cyclists Fighting Cancer (CFC).

The British team takes on the eight-day race with a number of promising young riders in the ranks, including sprinter Luke Lamperti.

The one-off Trinity Racing jersey aims to raise funds for a cause that works with children and young people with cancer. All profits from the jersey sales go directly to the CFC.