CW LIVE: Julian Alaphilippe responds to Lefevere criticism; stunning Sam Bennett leadout data; Jakobsen wins at San Juan; could you be new BC sprint talent? Charlie Quarterman's 'nightmare start'; GB CX Worlds squad announced; Lifeplus-Wahoo 2023 roster

Fabio Jakobsen sprints to stage two victory at the Vuelta a San Juan

After a disappointing stage one of the Vuelta a San Juan, where he finished 58th, Fabio Jakobsen (Soudal Quick-Step) bounced back to claim stage two in Jáchal. The European champion timed his kick perfectly to beat Fernando Gaviria (Movistar) and Jon Aberasturi (Trek-Segafredo).

It was Jakobsen's teammate Remco Evenepoel who set up the win, as the world champion pushed the peloton to their limit with 3km to go, ensuring that his Dutch colleague was in pole position, and that the day's break was caught.

Sam Bennett (Bora-Hansgrohe), the winner of stage one, finished fourth and did enough to cling onto the leader's jersey for another day.

"Yesterday was a very dangerous final, I think, with a hectic and chaotic final kilometre," Jakobsen said, according to Cyclingnews. "But I spoke with the organisation last night. They promised me the final 5km today would be safe and they delivered. It was a nice sprint for all the trains, and it was a fair sprint. I'm happy I had the fastest legs today and I could win.

"Remco is such a world-class rider, he basically brought Lampy [Yves Lampaert] to the last kilometre. Then Lampy and Morky [Michael Mørkøv] is the best combination, they dropped me off in the perfect place, and I know that on a good day I’ve got the legs to beat anyone," Jakobsen said, and then smiled: "When I say it like that, it seems easy." 

Wales rider Stevie Williams has talked about the collapse of the B&B Hotels team and his move to Israel PremierTech, saying "I'm one of the fortunate ones, but I feel like I deserve to be here."

The 26-year-old was making his debut for the team at the Vuelta a San Juan in Argentina, which began on Sunday and runs till this Sunday 29 Jan.

“Luckily, I was able to get something done before it all kicked in,” Williams told sister outlet Cycling News of the deal.

“I’d arranged to go to B&B, that was all agreed in the summer, so it was definitely a shock and quite a stressful winter for me,” Williams said. “It was just something I’d never thought I’d have to go through. But I know it’s happened before and, more than likely, this won’t be the last time it happens in cycling.”

B&B Hotels, which had also been due to take on Mark Cavendish, collapsed in early December.

Lefevere lets rip at Alaphilippe and Asgreen and suggests, "cut wages to zero"

Soudal-Quick Step boss Patrick Lefevere is courting controversy yet again after taking a pop at his riders Julian Alaphilippe and Kasper Asgreen, as reported in Sporza.

Both suffered from a lack of results in 2022, which could largely be put down to untimely crashes. But Lefevere said of former world champ Alaphilippe: "I told him I was not happy at all. I understand his illnesses and falls, but you can't keep hiding behind that. It was the cool truth.

"Everyone knows that I do not attack injured riders, but if there is a high price tag attached to it, then I can respond."

As for Dane Asgreen, he crashed in the run-up to the Tour de France and though he said he was fit to ride, Lefevere was apparently left unimpressed at having to withdraw him after stage eight.

"Kasper has not raced since that day, but the money should be there at the end of the month."

Both are established Quick Step riders who have brought the team some big results over the years, but the recent lack of results seems to have prompted Lefevere to suggest that teams should consider cutting wages, to zero if need be.

"As a team you have the right to halve the wage after 3 months and to go to 0 after 6 months."

 "I've never done that, but sometimes you should consider it," he said, ominously.

The eye-watering facts and figures from Sam Bennett's San Juan lead-out

Ever wondered what exactly goes into a WorldTour team lead-out – even this early in the season? Well Danny Van Poppel has provided the answers, courtesy of twitter's own @ammattypyoraily.

The Bora-Hansgrohe rider's stage one lead-out at the Vuelta a San Juan to set up winner Sam Bennett boasts some pretty impressive figures.

Over the 13 seconds, he averaged 69.5kph (43.1mph), 1,207 watts, and a cadence of 109rpm. Oof.

Here's the full story.

Let cyclists through red lights, Scots says campaigner and charity founder

Scots cycling campaigner Gregory Kinsman-Chauvet has called on the Scottish government to follow the lead of France and allow cyclists though red lights at certain junctions.

Kinsman-Chauvet, who founded the cycling charity Bike for Good, told Scotland on Sunday: "After reading various studies proving that removing the obligation for cyclists to stop at red lights increased safety, I decided to test it myself.

"In Paris and Lyon last summer I had the opportunity to experience this and quickly felt much safer on the road. At junctions motorists knew they had to prioritise cyclists and were more cautious...It's time to change mindsets."

Campaign group Cycle Scotland has said it does not agree with Kinsman-Chauvet's ideas, and that the French system is too far removed from that in Scotland to be able to replicate.

TotalEnergies bust out their yellow jersey dance moves at La Tropicale Amissa Bongo

The Vuelta a San Juan might be stealing the limelight right now, but further round the globe, the UCI 2.1 Tropicale Amissa Bongo is quietly going about its business in Gabon on Africa's west coast – and GC leader Geoffrey Soupe for one is loving it.

A post from the race shows him dancing on the podium ahead of this morning's stage (careful of those legs, Geoff!) – after which he retained the jersey.

The TotalEnergies ProTeam is ruling the roost so far, with Soupe winning yesterday's stage one and his team-mate Jason Tesson taking stage two earlier this morning. Both finished in a bunch sprint.

British interests are represented by Bingoal WB's Tom Portsmouth and Toby Perry of the EF-Nippo Development Team.

The seven-stage race culminates on Sunday.

If anyone can Catch 'Em All, this guy can

So you thought you seen everything and anything possible on a bike? Well, we have news for you. One Taiwanese man has taken things to the next level by making his bike a vehicle for what is basically a 64-screen Pokémon Go console, reports The Indian Express.

His bank of 64 phones mounted up front puts the bridge of the Starship Enterprise as he travels the neighbourhood (very gingerly, we'd assume) in search of rare Pokémon characters.

He was introduced to the game by his grandson in 2016, but has already attained celebrity status, having become known locally as Pokémon Go Grandad.

As one person justifiably pointed out, this is “taking a don’t use your phone while driving or cycling to a whole new level."

Fancy yourself as the next star track sprinter for Great Britain? The next Jason Kenny, or Becky James? If so there's an opportunity coming up that you're going to be interested in.

British Cycling is launching a new Talent ID project next month, with the aim of finding riders that can step up to the Talent Pathway and Performance Pathway, ultimately in search of international success.

You'll need to have been born in either 2007, 2008 or 2009, be eligible for a British passport, but no racing experience is necessary.

Visit the British Cycling website and fill in the application form before Fri 24 February to be in with a chance of an invite to one of the velodrome testing days, which are being held at: 

Derby (Sat 11 Mar); London (Sat 18 Mar); Bath (Sun 19 Mar), and Manchester (Sat 1 April).

Good luck!

Julian Alaphilippe dismisses Patrick Lefevere criticism: "It won't impact me"

Julian Alaphilippe has dismissed criticism from his Soudal-Quick Step boss Patrick Lefevere, saying, "The remarks he's made won't impact my way of working or my motivation for the season which starts tomorrow for me."

The French former world champion was speaking ahead of his appearance at the Trofeo Calvia in Majorca, the first of a series of five one-day UCI 1.1 races on the island, culminating in the Trofeo Palma on Sunday. 

Alaphilippe added: "I'm focused on what I need to do, like I always have been. I don't dwell on the last few seasons which haven't been up to my expectations, for various reasons."

'LouLou' will line up alongside a strong Soudal team that includes Florian Sénéchal, Kasper Asgreen, Davide Ballerini and second-year Brit Ethan Vernon.

"Nightmare start" for Charlie Quarterman at Vuelta a San Juan

Charlie Quarterman has had what he described as a "nightmare start" to his season at the Vuelta a San Juan, ending up in an ambulance on stage two yesterday after suffering in the heat.

"Being over my limit for too long in 43°C cooked me too much and when I started to get tunnel vision with the dehydration I couldn’t keep it up any longer so that’s it," said the 24-year-old Team Corratec rider in an instagram post.

Oxford-born Quarterman spent two-and-a-half seasons in the WorldTour with the Trek-Segafredo team, but was let go at the end of 2021 and spent last year with the Philippe Wagner amateur team in France. The experience had "taught me how to fight", he told Cycling Weekly last year.

Zoe Bäckstedt leads medal charge as BC announce CX Worlds squad

Reigning junior world champion Zoe Bäckstedt leads the Team GB medal hunt at next weekend's World Championship cyclo-cross in Hoogerheide, Netherlands. The Welsh rider steps up to U23 level for the first time at the Worlds, where she will face major competition from riders such as home favourite Shirin Anrooij.

Newly crowned elite national champion Bäckstedt is joined in the British team by riders including elite men Cameron Mason – recently crowned national champ – and Thomas Mein, who has racked up some solid World Cup results. Anna Kay is the only elite woman on the squad and has a number World Cups under her belt this season, plus a brace of National Trophy wins at home.

Said Bäckstedt: "It was amazing to take the national title and it’s definitely given me confidence going in to Worlds. I’ll race whoever lines up next to me and give it my all.”

Here's the full line-up:

Elite men
Thomas Mein
Cameron Mason 

U23 men
Joe Blackmore
Corran Carrick-Anderson

Junior men
Oli Akers
Alfie Amey
Sebastian Grindley

Elite women
Anna Kay 

U23 women
Zoe Bäckstedt
Ella Maclean-Howell
Millie Couzens

Junior women
Cat Ferguson
Imogen Wolff
Emily Carrick-Anderson
Elizabeth McKinnon

Lifeplus-Wahoo finalises riders for 2023

Lifeplus-Wahoo, formerly known as Le Col-Wahoo and originally started out as Drops, has finalised its roster for 2023.

Announcing the line-up, manager Tom Varney said: “We have gathered a young but talented team, determined to take the next step in their development. Having secured automatic Women’s WorldTour invitations, due to our fantastic 2022 season, we can be focused on the race calendar that is ahead of us.”

The team is an international line-up replete with new signings, with just Eluned King and April Tacey having ridden for the team in 2022.

Here are the names:

Ella Harris (Nzl, new signing)
Eluned King (GBr)
Typhaine Laurance (Fra, new signing)
Maddie Leech (GBr, new signing)
Mariia Novolodskaia (Rus, new signing)
Kate Richardson (GBr, new signing)
Kaja Rysz (Pol, new signing)
Karin Söderqvist (Swe, new signing)
April Tacey (GBr)
Babette van der Wolf (Ned, new signing)
Margaux Vigié (Fra, new signing)
Ella Wyllie (Nzl, new signing)

Well, I reckon that's just about all from me on this dank old day. We'll see you back here tomorrow morning, hopefully for a load more cycling action and intrigue – and some warmer temperatures. Have a great evening.