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Irishman beats Kubiš and Renard to the finish to take opening leader's jersey of the race
Sam Bennett (Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale) scored his first win of the season in a messy sprint finish to round out stage 1 of the Tour de la Provence
The Irishman hit the front in the dying metres of the 169km stage, coming through to beat Lukáš Kubiš (Unibet Tietema Rockets) and Alexis Renard (Cofidis) to the line as reigning champion Mads Pedersen (Lidl-Trek) came home in fifth place
The charge to the line in Saint-Victoret had been a disorganised one
with solo attacker Samuel Leroux (TotalEnergies) only caught with 18km to go after going on the attack 18km out
The Irishman hit the front in the dying metres of the 169km stage
coming through to beat Lukáš Kubiš (Unibet Tietema Rockets) and A (Cofidis) to the line as reigning champion l-Trek were denied the win by the fast-finishing Bennett
"We wanted to come here and get our first win of the season," Bennett said after the stage
"We knew it was going to be quite a hard beginning of the race
but we managed to get over the first climb with enough riders to bring me back into the first group
"It was quite windy but it actually helped me because a lot of the time it was actually a headwind over the climb
so it allowed me to get over in a better group
and I want to thank them for the amazing support
They didn't give up hope on me after Bessegès and we came here and I'm glad to repay them with a victory."
Bennett now holds the race lead heading into another hilly day on stage 2
He has four seconds on Kubiš and six on Renard
Fred Wright (Bahrain Victorious) lies in fourth place at seven seconds
The opening stage of the 2025 Tour de la Provence would take the peloton on a hilly 169.3km run from Marseille to Saint-Victoret
Three second-category climbs stood along the way while many more unclassified hills also dotted the route
The attacks came from the very start as riders fought to make the break of the day before a group of just four broke clear in the opening kilometres
and Victor Guernalec (Arkéa-B&B Hotels) were in the move as Lidl-Trek and EF Education-EasyPost) settled in to control the peloton behind
as the peloton split up on the hills in the opening 50km
breaking apart with 125km left to run as the break was hauled in early
things were back together at the front as the breakaway quartet was caught
Lidl-Trek were the best-represented squad in the much-slimmed front group with reigning champion Mads Pedersen joined in the move by teammates including Toms Skujins
Bahrain Victorious duo Matej Mohorič and Fred Wright were another key rider in the group
while EF could count on Darren Rafferty and Jefferson Cepeda
it was Lidl-Trek and EF who led the way at the front
keen to keep the move of around 20 riders going
Unibet Tietema Rockets were among the teams working in the distanced chase group
along the way making a catch and swelling the lead group to around 60 men – including Bennett
the stage would be contested among that still-reduced leading group
with Lidl-Trek assuming responsibility for the pacemaking heading towards the endgame
including the final classified hill of the day
Matteo Vercher (TotalEnergies) would strike with a solo attack
though his move was eventually shut down with 30km to run
and Raúl García Pierna (Arkéa-B&B Hotels) would follow
but the trio wouldn't get any real traction before getting brought back
Lidl-Trek continued to lead into the intermediate sprint 18km from the line
which saw Wright hit the front to take the win
with the Frenchman holding his gap and extending it on the uphill drag leading towards the final 10km
He'd hit that marker with a 40-second advantage
even as the combined might of Lidl-Trek and EF put in the work in the chase
On the largely downhill run from there to the finish line
the chasers did manage to eat into the gap
Leroux was in sight just up the road as the race hit the final 3km
though the Frenchman would battle on into the final kilometre before he was finally caught
Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale and Cofidis had joined the chase by that point
contributing the final push to bringing Leroux back
leaving the main group to contest the sprint finish
but it was Bennett who found the speed and the space to hit the front in time to claim a comfortable win at the line
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Not so long ago in Sam Bennett’s career a stage win at Tour de la Provence would have been celebrated
but perhaps only in the context of bigger races
Bennett was taking his team’s first win of the season and his best quality victory since the Vuelta in 2022
He was best in a sprint from a reduced bunch and what made this win so significant is that it might relaunch his career
Many were quick to write off the Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale rider when the same sort of success he experienced in the three years to 2021 wasn’t repeated after he came back from a double knee injury later that year
But he has now shown he can beat some of the best in the bunch – Mads Pedersen (Lidl-Trek) and Marijn van den Berg (EF Education-EasyPost) both behind him yesterday
It’s a win that might prove the starting point of a revival for the Irish rider
who told stickybottle late last year he felt good and his winter training had gone well
he said he had to fight to get back to the bunch after the first ascent
But his condition was clearly good enough to allow for a recovery for the finishing sprint from the 40-rider bunch
“We wanted to come here and try and get our first win of the season,” he said after his win into Saint-Victoret after a tough 169km of racing in windy conditions
“We knew it was going to be quite a hard beginning of the race
It was quite windy but it actually helped me because a lot of the times it was a headwind over the climb
“So it allowed me to get over in a better group
They didn’t give up hope on me after Bessegès and we came here and I’m glad to repay them with a victory.”
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Mads Pedersen secures GC title at three-day stage race
Sam Bennett (Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale) came late to win the stage
Marijn van den Berg (EF Education-EasyPost) was second and Alexander Konijn (Nice Métropole Côte d'Azur) was third
Pascal Ackermann (Israel-Premier Tech) appeared to hit a speed bump in the road and lost control of his bike just 100 metres from the finish
sparking a high-speed crash amongst the sprinters
Israel-Premier Tech said Ackermann suffered road rash and superficial wounds but did not suffer any fractures.
Pedersen avoided the crash and finished ninth and so secured overall victory
A strong breakaway got away late in the race and it was hard to catch them back
We didn't get the result but we still got the GC
"I think it was Ackermann who crashed and when he went down
That destroyed the sprint for me but I'm happy I didn't go down
There's still two months until Paris-Roubaix."
The final stage of the Tour de La Provence was the flattest of the race
offering a long day and 190km in the saddle.
with the peloton together even after a fast opening 70km of racing
It was a sign the finish would be fast and furious.
A slowing in the peloton inspired an attack and suddenly Raùl Garcia Pierna (Arkéa-B&B Hôtels)
Daniel Smajkic Årnes (Van Rysel-Roubaix)
Matisse Julien (CIC U Nantes) and Damien Girard (Nice Métropole Côte d’Azur) got away
Garcia Pierna was an overall threat and so the peloton kept them under control
However the attackers refused to give up hope and worked together in a slick and efficient paceline
Garcia Pierna was eventually dropped in the final 10 kilometres
Lidl-Trek did some of the work but with GC virtually assured they forced others to lead the chase and so Israel-Premier Tech and Unibet Tietema Rockets massed on the front in the final kilometres.
The gap to the attackers was still significant as they entered the final five kilometres but the peloton could see them and sensed an opportunity for another sprint show down.
Israel-Premier Tech had several sprint options but their hopes ended when Ackermann hit the speed bump in the final hundred metres and lost control of his bike
Bennett was to the right and slightly ahead of the crash
He did not hesitate and reproduced the speed that gave him victory on stage 1 in Saint-Victoret
Stephen FarrandSocial Links NavigationHead of NewsStephen is one of the most experienced member of the Cyclingnews team
having reported on professional cycling since 1994
He has been Head of News at Cyclingnews since 2022
before which he held the position of European editor since 2012 and previously worked for Reuters
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Aldi is bringing the taste of Greece home with the launch of its Gyros Kits — a tasty fakeaway for a purse-friendly £3.19
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CYCLING – FOLLOWING a very successful Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana
winning two stages and the overall classification
Bahrain Victorious return to action this week at the Tour de la Provence
Bahrain have only competed once in the event
when Phil Bauhaus won the final stage into Salon-de-Provence
The race will start in the city of Marseille
and tackle three stages on the way to a finale in Arles
Traditionally suited to sprinters and classics riders
Victorious’ GC leader in the South of France will be Matevž Govekar
winning stages at the Tours of Britain and Guangxi
having also taken the Girona leg of the UCI gravel World Championships
Govekar carried his good form into the new year
with victory in the Al Salam Championship in January
By his side will be his compatriot Matej Mohoric
returning to Provence for the first time since 2017
when he was runner-up in the youth classification
The third member of a headlining triumvirate is former British champion Fred Wright
who was part of Bahrain’s team four years ago
Riders will cover 169km from Marseille tomorrow on the opening stage
and the rollercoaster-like profile includes 2,600 metres of climbing spread across three second category ascents
After 35 hilly kilometres is the Col de l’Espigoulier (11.1km at 5.2 per cent)
30km after cresting that first test comes the Côte de Mazaugues (5.1km at 5.3pc)
The final third of the route contains the Col de Belcodène (3.3km at 5.6pc)
before several small climbs and plenty of descending into the small finish town of Saint-Victoret
and – on paper at least – appears likely to end in a sprint of some kind
anyone hoping to fight for the stage will first need to get over 2400 vertical metres in the 167km from Forcalquier to Manosque
the final kilometre is a strength-sapping 4pc drag to the line
The race concludes with a very flat 190km between Rognac and Arles
which will almost inevitably be decided by a pure sprint
The lack of climbing doesn’t necessarily mean that the day will be devoid of action however
as the proximity of the course to the sea could well result in wind and echelons
Mohoric and Wright will be four talented young riders: Oliver Stockwell
making the step up from Bahrain Victorious’ Development Team
Their role is simply to help and protect the leaders
as well as use the time to learn from their more experienced teammates
Sam Bennett has stormed in for victory at Tour de la Provence
the Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale man looking back to his best on a very hard day and beating some big name sprinters for victory
The Irish rider looked like he was boxed in a little during the headwind finish into Saint-Victoret
a couple of riders ahead of him moved in the road
opening the way for Bennett to come through and take it
he saw off Lukáš Kubiš (Unibet Tietema Rockets) and 3rd placed Valentin Ferron (Cofidis)
Though Mads Pedersen (Lidl-Trek) and Marijn van den Berg (EF Education-EasyPost) were the fancied riders in the final sprint
and got a lot of their teams’ support
Darren Rafferty (EF Education-EasyPost) was on the front for much of the final 15km
stringing out the much reduced peloton in pursuit of a lone attacker
Sam Bennett wins the opening stage of Tour de la Provence, his first win since May 2024! 👏 pic.twitter.com/Zvpssr3y9g
— Eurosport (@eurosport) February 14, 2025
And though Lidl-Trek bossed the front of the peloton
Bennett and his Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale team mates kept a slightly lower profile
That more subtle approach by the French team and its Irish sprinter proved the wiser strategy considering the draggy roads and headwind to the finish
this victory – his best since his two stage wins on La Vuelta in 2022 – will come as a big relief
It suggest his finishing sprint is returning to him and he will draw a lot of confidence from an early season win
Aside from Bennett scoring the victory today
the fact it came on a very challenging 169km stage
with 2,615m of climbing when the field split several times
despite the big shift he put in on the front for the final 15km
he managed to hold his place in the 40-rider peloton
finishing in 34th place on the same time as winner Bennett
They were joined today by Dillon Corkery (St Michel-Preference Home-Auber93)
He was in 50th place – of 115 starters – so in the next group after the small peloton sprinting for victory
that second group on the road was 11:35 down
A total of 38 communes in the south of France have been recognised as new drought disaster zones after the devastating drought in 2023
The official state of ‘catastrophe naturelle (natural disaster)’ was declared for the communes in the Bouches-du-Rhône department in a ministerial decree dated July 2
This official declaration means that people affected in the communes can now unlock special insurance money to help repair any damage caused
Drought in 2023 caused expansion and shrinkage of the ground
causing structural damage to many homes and properties
The decree mentions: “consecutive land movement caused by drought and rehydration of the ground (mouvements de terrain consécutifs à la sécheresse et à la réhydratation)”
It covers damage caused by this in the two-month period between April 1 and June 30
Claimants covered can now declare the loss to their insurance companies up to August 1
Read also: New tool helps homeowners in France assess drought damage risk
A similar decree was declared last year for the same reason, for 62 municipalities. This is now pushing up home insurance premiums, especially in Bouches-du-Rhône, which is now in the top three of the most expensive departments for home insurance costs in France, reports BFMTV
The situation looks likely to reoccur this year
the Bouches-du-Rhône prefecture has placed around 30 communes under a state of drought alert
Read also: How do I see if any drought rules are affecting my French home? Read also: 84 areas of south of France declared drought disaster zones: what changes?
The full list of communes affected by the new catastrophe naturelle decree is:
This small department on the German border is home to the historic city of Strasbourg
French succession laws can qffect inheritance of property from a step-parent
Couple may sue French council over drainage issues in their bargain property
All the broadcast info for the three-day French stage race
Watch the Tour de la Provence 2025 for an early-season French stage race with a quality field that includes 2024 champion Mads Pedersen (Lidl-Trek) along with the likes of Matej Mohoric (Bahrain Victorious) and Toms Skujins (Lidl-Trek)
The 2025 Tour de la Provence takes place over three stages from Friday
The race kicks off with a hilly 169.3km stage from Marseille to Saint-Victoret
with riders tackling three second-category climbs en route to a flat finish
Stage 2 is a 167.3km run from Forcalquier to Manosque with the first-category Col de l'Aire dei Masco lying 28km from the finish
which angles upwards for the final kilometre
The race is rounded off with a pure sprint stage in Arles on Sunday following a 190.6km stage from Rognac featuring just one third-category climb at the 50km mark
There are broadcast options for the Tour de la Provence in the UK
as well as free live streaming in Australia and France
Read on for all the details on how to watch the Tour de la Provence wherever you are in the world.
There will be free TV and streaming for the Tour de la Provence in both the host country of France and in Australia
SBS is a free-to-air broadcaster and SBS On Demand is free to use with a registration.
You can still tune in by using a VPN – more on that below.
If you're outside your usual country when the Tour de la Provence is on
you might think you can't watch the race due to geo-restrictions
A VPN is a nifty piece of internet security software that can alter your device's IP address to make it seem like it's in any country in the world
Provided it complies with your broadcaster's T&Cs
you can use a VPN to unblock your usual streaming services and enjoy your coverage as if you were back home.
There are loads of great VPN options out there
but for a VPN that's brilliant at streaming and is also TechRadar's pick for overall best VPN in the world
TechRadar love NordVPN’s super speedy connections
trustworthy security and the fact it works with Android
24/7 support and it's currently available for a knockdown price
Discovery+ is the streaming platform for Eurosport
but the Tour de la Provence won't make it onto linear television
Eurosport is being folded into TNT Sports at the end of this month
and Discovery+ subscriptions are shooting up from £6.99-a-month to £30.99.
Existing customers can still watch this one on the old rate but any new customers will have to pay the new rate.
A subscription to the streaming service will set you back US$30 / CAN $39.99 a month
with reductions for yearly plans at US$150 / $203.88.
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riot police and other armed security forces violently evicted what had come to be known as L’Amassada
a ZAD (Zone-to-Defend) occupation in Saint-Victor-et-Melvieu in southern France
and accomplishments of the occupation as well as the political and environmental context of ongoing ZAD struggles against the economic and ecological destruction required by “green” development
October 8th marks the first anniversary of the L’Amassada Eviction. Associated with the ZAD (Zone-to Defend) constellation in France
the L’Amassada struggle deserves greater recognition
not only because it is one year since its eviction by two-hundred riot police
two armored transport vehicles and two excavators (see figure 1)
but because L’Amassada paid the price for directly confronting the green economy
L’Amassada targeted “energy transition” and “renewable energy,” and in the process the occupation revealed the economic intentions
social alterations and ecological degradation created by “green” development
the struggle continues to remind us of the reality of energy infrastructure
exposing the “green camouflage” of capital accumulation and their rippling socio-ecological effects
Riot police stand around with armored transport vehicles
The following revisits the struggle one year later, reviewing its origins and message. We can now see more clearly what L’Amassada was fighting (see Figure 2), which is but one-site—the operational point—of the transformers supply chain. As L’Amassada’s documentary, Pas res nos arresta/Nothing Will Stop Us
this transformer is enmeshed in an entire economic system built on conventional extractive activities
wind and hydrological resources of North Africa to meet European Union renewable energy goals
L’Amassada was a reaction to what many locals perceived as an irregular land deal amidst the failure of legal struggles against the project that began in 2010
The occupation began as a protest site in response to the previous mayor of Saint-Victor-et-Melvieu Daniel Frayssinhes’s signing of a contract with RTE in violation
according to local residents and city council members at the time
The contract organized the expropriation of the Vernhet family and others’ farmland to build the transformer and corresponding access roads
Frayssinhes’s actions spurred a legal struggle and local organizing that led to the formation of L’Amassada
which at the time of construction was not illegal—as it was on private land—even if police harassment became endemic to the landowners and L’Amassada visitors
The construction of L’Amassada began in the wet
with the completion of the first common house in January 2015 (see figure 3)
establishing a protest site (Presidio) in place of the transformer
L’Amassada means “the assembly,” as its construction became a point of organization against the transformer
L’Amassada would grow and transform over the years
Beginning with a timber framed pallet house in 2015
L’Amassada would expand with a timber frame dormitory
a micro-scale wind turbine for energy self-sufficiency
greenhouses and a water reclamation system to begin a process of ecological self-sufficiency and resistance (see figure 4)
lookout tower & check corral to the left
L’Amassada was a protest site until June 13, 2018. Through the Public Utility Declaration (DUP) and, later, it’s inquiry process into the expropriation of Vernhet family’s farmland, L’Amassada would be legitimized. DUP and the inquiry procedure formed a process of bureaucratic land grabbing
which eventually transformed L’Amassada—in the eyes of the state—into an “illegal occupation” and ZAD
yet L’Amassada—contrary to the scare tactics of French media and portrayals of the “Zadiste”— was a community made of various political tensions
notably its celebration and use of cats as emblems of resistance (see Figure 5)
“I’d rather see this from a human perspective and therefore I’ll call it a community” explains “Black Cat,” speaking to media tactics seeking to demonize and isolate people defending the land
it’s a community based on resisting all the crap capitalism has brought to us in this region.”
“RTE GET OUT!” L’Amassada kitties and Kittens assemble
we can see the ecological disruption and change brought by the new Saint-Victor transformer
Dump trucks and backed up while police try to clear the roads
the “local” here means the Occitanie region that includes countless cities
there is an entire “necropoltical assemblage” related to the production of this transformer
not to mention a security regime of police and private security personnel that guard the mines necessary for the transformer’s production and geographical placement at Saint-Victor
the latter to prevent “pirate cats” from entering and pissing on everything
The deep hole hides the transformer from residents & Millau Bridge onlookers
meanwhile forming a barrier between concentrations of electromagnetic currents and residents
energy models and claims of energy transition
efforts on the part of authorities appear disingenuous
and the challenges are significant if value-webs and supply chains are to be reconciled
along with so many other ZADs and struggles for autonomy across the world
are efforts to defend habitats and stop industrial and cybernetic infrastructure from consuming territories and
and now the enormous hole where it once stood
should stand as a reminder that energy transition is not “green” and will always have a large socio-ecological cost
until people challenge the spread of industrial infrastructure and capitalist growth imperatives
The ecologically concerned and climate youth have an enormous challenge ahead of them
We can only hope that they will learn from L’Amassada
ZADs and the other autonomous and chaotic land defenders across the world
Supermarket Aldi has announced it will be slashing the price of its viral Chassaux et Fils Sainte Victoire Provence Rosé to just £9.99 from £12.49
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Aldi’s Chassaux et Fils Saint Victoire Provence Rosé offers ripe berry characteristics with whispers of floral notes on the palette for a deliciously smooth
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Sam Bennett’s first race of the season, Etoile de Bessèges (2.1)
was cut short after his Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale team withdrew over safety concerns
but the Irishman will go again in France this week in search of an early season win
He will line out at Tour de la Provence (2.1) on Friday
where he went so close to winning the final stage last year
And he will be joined by two of his young compatriots
Darren Rafferty (EF Education-EasyPost) and Dillon Corkery (St Michel-Preference Home-Auber 93)
Bennett will be searching for his and his team’s first win of the year
though the terrain should produce plenty of fierce racing
Rafferty and Corkery will be looking to build on their first seasons in the pro peloton proper last year
All of the team selections are provisional for now but Rafferty’s team mate
there is no Richard Carapaz down to race and the team line-up looks like one in which Rafferty could get his own chance
Rafferty has a great chance of securing a very strong general classification result
Corkery will likely play a team role in the opening two stages
though the final stage is one he will have an eye on and the 25-year-old will definitely be looking to move forward this season
Mads Pedersen (Lidl Trek) won the race overall last year after claiming three of the four stages and he will be back this week to pose a big threat
though it is not field stacked with big names
with the race getting underway with a 169km road race from Marseille to Saint-Victoret
whether the fight for victory comes down to a sprint
will very much depend on how the stage is raced and the weather
The cat 1 Col de l’Aire del Masco – 6.5km averaging 4.8 per cent – is crested just 28km from the finish and may prove the decisive climb of the three-day race
takes the riders 190.6km from Rognac and Arles and
it looks like the best bet for sprinters like Bennett
the opening stage might also be one where the versatile sprinters can compete
Dane goes away with Matej Mohorič to take his first victory of 2025
The final kilometre served up a 4% incline to the finish in Manosque
Pedersen looking in no huge hurry on the right side of the road with Mohorič glued to his wheel.
as Pedersen jumped with 300 metres to go and he easily crossed the line for his first victory of the season
three seconds ahead of his breakaway companion
Fred Wright (Bahrain Victorious) used a strong kick on the final stretch to grab third
just ahead of Dorian Godon (Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale) in the reduced peloton which crossed the line in Manosque 16 seconds back
The duo stole away from a reduced peloton with 18km to go
Pedersen earned 15 bonus seconds during the stage and for his win and so took the race leader's jersey from Sam Bennett (Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale)
The Dane now has a 13-second margin over Mohorič and 24 seconds over Wright in the GC with one stage to go
"When you have a strong group behind pulling
it's never safe until you pass the finish line
So I would say the last 'k' I was sure we would sprint for the victory
but you are never sure," Pedersen explained
"I know I'm in good shape and it was a nice feeling today
It was our plan to go really hard and try to be a small group on the top
The plan succeeded and we are really happy
The Tour de la Provence concludes Sunday with a 190.6km route between Rognac and Arles
a flat stage with only one classified climb in the opening section
The final places on the podium will be decided by the time bonuses awarded during the stage and especially at the finish.
It's only 23km between the start and finish in Forcalquier and Manosque
so the 167.3km stage twisted around Provence with sweeping roads through forests and resting lavender fields
and periodic views of a snowcapped Mont Ventoux in the distance
On the docket were three classified climbs enclosed by two intermediate sprints
a category 1 at Col de l'Aire dei Masco (6.5km
provided an 8km descent into the final sprint at La Bastide des Jourdans
but Jefferson Cepeda (EF Education-EasyPost) and Sander De Pestel (Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale) kept him in sight under the tree-lined climb and soon joined the pacesetting with the Dane.
A group of six - Bahrain Victorios duo Matej Mohorič and Fred Wright
Ewen Costiou (Arkéa-B&B Hotels)
Toms Skujinš (Lidle-Trek) and Lukáš Kubiš (Unibet Tietema Rockets) chased them and were just 10 seconds back.
Once the two front groups crested the final climb a reduced peloton formed 30 behind but race leader Bennett faded from the back of the bunch
even asking the television camera for Cepeda and De Pestel to pull through and do more work
Pedersen easily took the final bonus second at the intermediate sprint
knowing they could be precious in the overall classification on Sunday
When the six chasers bridged across to form a formidable group of nine
Lidl-Trek and Bahrain Victorious each had a pair of riders and a tactical advantage.
Mohorič didn't waste time and surged ahead
Pedersen latched on to his wheel as the duo took off and quickly opened a 14-second gap
the race changed complexion altogether as the peloton swept up the seven chasers.
But Mohorič and Pedersen went all in and worked together
The chase peloton committed to closing down the 40-gap to the front duo
with EF Education-Easypost setting the pace and Lidl-Trek riders trying to disrupt their work.
The final kilometres were on rolling roads but Mohorič and Pedersen rode at 50km/h
They did by just 12 seconds but it was enough for Pedersen to win and for Mohorič rise to second overall and still with a chance of final victory
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a sports marketing and public relations agency
which managed projects for Tour de Georgia
a Georgia non-profit to promote safe cycling
She is proud to have worked in professional baseball for six years - from selling advertising to pulling the tarp for several minor league teams
She has climbed l'Alpe d'Huez three times (not fast)
Her favorite road and gravel rides are around horse farms in north Georgia (USA) and around lavender fields in Provence (France)
Registration for the Vertical MRO Conference in Kelowna B.C. is now open! Click here to learn more.
Airbus Helicopters celebrated the 50th anniversary of the Gazelle’s maiden flight on April 25
during a conference at the museum of aviation (Musée de l’Aviation) in Saint-Victoret
Fifty years after its maiden flight on April 7
the Gazelle is still being operated by nearly 100 customers in 34 countries and it is appreciated for its ease of maintenance and high reliability
Developed and manufactured in cooperation with the United Kingdom at the end of the 1960s
more than 1,250 Gazelles have been delivered
470 rotorcraft — more than a third of all Gazelles manufactured – are still in service
100 of which are operated by the French army
the Gazelle was the first Airbus helicopter to be equipped with the Fenestron
which is still present on Airbus’ light and medium rotorcraft
This major innovation improves safety around the tail rotor on the ground and reduces the sound level of the rotorcraft
It was also the first Airbus helicopter to be equipped with glass-resin blades developed in cooperation with the German company Bölkow
it was the first helicopter in the world to be awarded the instrument flight rules (IFR) qualification
allowing operators to fly to IFR with a single pilot on board
the Gazelle broke three speed records in its category:
The Gazelle was a major success in the military sector and nearly 80 percent of the rotorcraft in service are used by armies around the world
the Gazelle fleet had accumulated more than seven million flight hours
The Gazelles (SA341 and SA342) that have accumulated the most flight hours (14,200 and 13,100
respectively) are currently operating in the United States
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Bell 525 Walkaround: The First Commercial Fly-by-Wire Helicopter
Bell 505 Contact seller for price Year: 2022
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