Saturday, 28 February 2015
Team USA Opens Up Spring Classics Campaign in Belgium
Team USA began its Spring Classics campaign in Belgium on Saturday, racing in the womenand#39;s edition of the Omloop het Nieuwsblad. Coryn Rivera (Tustin, Calif./UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling) was the top placed rider from USA Cyclingand#39;s womenand#39;s development program, finishing 4:02 behind the race winner.
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Boonen: We should have waited for the sprint
Amid the comedy of errors that was Etixx-QuickStep’s unravelling in the finale of Omloop Het Nieuwsblad on Saturday, Tom Boonen could at least summon up some gallows humour. As he leant across to congratulate the surprise winner Ian Stannard (Team Sky) on the podium, he quipped laconically that it had been “a nice team time trial.”
Boonen had two Etixx-QuickStep teammates – Niki Terpstra and Stijn Vandenbergh – for company in the four-man winning move that formed after the cobbles at Haaghoek with 40 kilometres remaining, and nothing, it seemed, could come between the team and a first Omloop win since Nick Nuyens triumphed all of a decade ago.
True, Stannard was able to sit on their wheels all the way to Ghent, but the race’s apparent strongman, Sep Vanmarcke (Lotto-JumboNL) had punctured out of the move. The deck was stacked so heavily in Etixx-QuickStep’s favour that it simply seemed a question of choosing exactly how they wanted to win it.
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They ultimately opted to play a rather surprising hand, however, as Boonen himself was the first to launch a telling attack in the finale. He punched his way clear with a little over four kilometres remaining, but a resilient Stannard clawed him back and grew in confidence thereafter.
Stannard responded to Terpstra’s later move, too, and then pulled the Dutchman away with him inside the final three kilometres. Boonen gave a desperate, lone chase through the streets of Ghent’s southern outskirts, but had to settle for third place, while Terpstra contrived to lead out the sprint and lose it to Stannard.
“We made the error of starting to attack,” Boonen said afterwards. “Stannard could have sat on our wheels for an hour. We didn’t have a lead of a few minutes on the chasers either. We should have just kept riding to make sure they didn’t bring us back.”
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Lefevere laments Stannard’s tactics in Omloop Het Nieuwsblad
Despite a numerical advantage in the day’s main break Etixx-QuickStep lost out on victory in the Omloop Het Nieuwsblad. The race was won by Ian Stannard (Team Sky) who beat three riders from Patrick Lefevere’s team. Lefevere regretted the loss while heralding his team's performance, claiming that the chase group benefited from motorbikes, thus keeping the pressure on the riders. He also added that a team leader like Stannard should not stay on the wheels for 40 kilometres.
Forty kilometres from the finish line in Ghent the Etixx-QuickStep formation steamed forward on the Haaghoek cobbles in the Omloop Het Nieuwsblad. Three of the team’s riders featured in the lead group – including top gun Tom Boonen - with Stannard hanging on for dear life on the cobbles. Few people believed the riders from Lefevere would give away the victory and Boonen seemed destined to win his first Omloop Het Nieuwsblad, filling a hole in his rich palmarès. It wasn’t to be.
Sep Vanmarcke (LottoNL-Jumbo) kept the pressure on from behind together with Greg Van Avermaet (BMC) and Zdenek Stybar (Etixx-QuickStep). They made the three Etixx riders in the lead group work hard to maintain their advantage as Stannard profited and remained in the wheels.
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At 4.5km from the finish Boonen attacked, and Stannard closed the gap. Nikki Terpstra attacked and his teammate Stijn Vandenbergh followed him, joined by Stannard. Ultimately Stannard accelerated and only Terpstra was able to keep up, with an ailing Boonen at short distance. Terpstra led out the sprint but was beaten on the line by Stannard. A head-shaking Boonen crossed the line at a handful of seconds.
Lefevere was very cynical when asked for a reaction at the team bus shortly after the unexpected defeat. His team always features several favourites for the win at the Omloop but they have failed to convert that into a win since 2005 when Nick Nuyens won.
“It hurts, that’s true,” Lefevere said. “I can’t blame the team for anything. I’m proud we added colour to the race. We’re ready but it’s very hard to win. With Stannard on the wheels for thirty kilometres everybody was getting nervous. Maybe they made a couple of mistakes but we decided the race. We excelled as a team.”
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Stannard: Everything aligned for me to win Het Nieuwsblad
Ian Stannard’s initial feeling on making the winning selection at Omloop Het Nieuwsblad was one of relief, but the reality of his predicament slowly began to dawn on him as the famous grey towers of Ghent drew nearer on the horizon.
When the dust settled after the cobbled section at Haaghoek with 40 kilometres remaining, Stannard found himself in a four-man break with no fewer than three Etixx-QuickStep riders for company. It’s hard to imagine at that moment that there was a single bookmaker in Flanders prepared to lay odds on the Sky man outmanoeuvring Tom Boonen, Niki Terpstra and Stijn Vandenbergh.
“At first I was comfortable, I didn’t have to ride, but then you start thinking about different scenarios and I realised they were just going to attack me in the finale and there’s not much you can do,” Stannard said. “But I knew they’d have to ride hard coming into the finish as well. They haven’t won this race in a long time and it’s missing off Tom’s palmares as well, so I knew they’d commit to it.
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Yet, some way, somehow, Stannard managed to pull off the most improbable of victories and claim his second successive Omloop win, after he shed both Vandenbergh and Boonen in the finale, and then disposed of Terpstra in the two-up sprint before the stunned masses in Sint-Pietersplein.
Stannard’s reputation has been built on his brute strength rather than his tactical acumen, – “I’m certainly not the smartest, but hopefully one of the stronger ones,” he joked afterwards – and he credited his surprise outflanking of Boonen et al to the circumstances of the day.
“I think everything aligned right for me to win the race,” he said, pointing to the fact that Sep Vanmarke’s determined pursuit behind kept the Etixx trio honest. Rather than try to attack Stannard one by one in the finale, they were put to the pin of their collars just to hold off the Vanmarcke group, while the Englishman was able to sit in the wheels.
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VIDEO: Storey 'in pieces' after record attempt
Britain's Dame Sarah Storey says she is "in pieces" after failing in her attempt to break the women's hour record at the London Olympic velodrome.
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VIDEO: Storey 'in pieces' after record attempt
Britain's Dame Sarah Storey says she is "in pieces" after failing in her attempt to break the women's hour record at the London Olympic velodrome.
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Stannard defends title in Belgium
Britain's Ian Stannard holds off the challenge of three Etixx - Quick-Step riders to win his second Omloop Het Nieuwsblad.
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Results: 2015 Omloop Het Nieuwsblad
- 1. Ian STANNARD, TEAM SKY, in 4:58:42
- 2. Niki TERPSTRA, ETIXX-QUICK STEP, at :00
- 3. Tom BOONEN, ETIXX-QUICK STEP, at :03
- 4. Stijn VANDENBERGH, ETIXX-QUICK STEP, at :12
- 5. Sep VANMARCKE, TEAM LOTTO NL-JUMBO, at 1:24
- 6. Greg VAN AVERMAET, BMC RACING TEAM, at 1:24
- 7. Zdenek STYBAR, ETIXX-QUICK STEP, at 1:29
- 8. Philippe GILBERT, BMC RACING TEAM, at 4:35
- 9. Luke ROWE, TEAM SKY, at 4:55
- 10. Arnaud DEMARE, FDJ, at 4:55
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Van Avermaet: I didn’t do anything wrong
At the sunny start of Omloop Het Nieuwsblad on Sint-Pietersplein in Ghent on Saturday, the BMC team bus was quickly surrounded by a huge amount of media and fans. On the morning of the race, Belgian newspaper Het Nieuwsblad broke the news that BMC rider Greg Van Avermaet has been implicated in the investigation into the activities of ‘ozone therapy’ doctor Chris Mertens.
Greg Van Avermaet didn’t hide away when stepping out of the team bus and explained to several media what he had been accused of. That attitude was in stark contrast to BMC’s former rider Alessandro Ballan who was largely shielded from the media ahead of races when he was implicated – and later sanctioned – in the Mantova doping case.
“I was a patient with Doctor Mertens. I’m going to explain myself to the federation, why I was there. I don’t have anything to blame myself for. I’m going to give my explanation and then all will be behind me,” Van Avermaet said. “I didn’t do anything wrong. I think that I’m a clean rider. Nothing has happened for which I should feel guilty. It’s absurd that I always have to provide accountability.”
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Van Avermaet explained he was trying to stay focused, thanking the team for their support. “It’s quite difficult. I didn’t expect to end up in a situation like this but that’s the way it is. I’m innocent so I just want to focus on the race. Today, that’s my first task. I’m glad the team allows me to start. I’ll tackle the race as well as possible. I’m in great shape. Those few days will not change that. I slept well last night. I’m ready for it.”
When asked about the timing of the news, Van Avermaet explained he wasn’t surprised. “I expected this to happen. [...] I knew that the news I received on Thursday wouldn’t stay out of the media. It’s sad such news is being leaked, that I only knew it for a couple of hours. [...] You know that it is a possibility. We’re going to give everything. I’m convinced all will be good in the end,” Van Avermaet said.
He was asked by VTM to explain why he expected it. “Because I received the letter of course. That I have to explain myself to the federation. That’s what I will do. I’m going to give my explanation and then all will be well.”
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Start gallery: Omloop Het Nieuwsblad
The other Saint Peter’s Square – Sint-Pietersplein in Ghent – is among cycling’s great sites of worship, as the masses congregate to hail the beginning of the Belgian season and the coming of spring at the start of Omloop Het Nieuwsblad.
As ever, the greatest fervour was reserved for Tom Boonen. Fans huddled around his Etixx-QuickStep bus for a glimpse of their man, and his appearance on the podium was greeted by the loudest cheer of the morning, not least because the organisation saw fit to present him with a pair of tricycles as a gift for his recently born twin daughters.
Bradley Wiggins (Sky) is making his first Omloop appearance since 2005, when the race was named for Het Volk, and he was applauded warmly by the local fans, as was Alexander Kristoff (Katusha), the man many feel is most likely to deny the home contingent of victory. “In the flat races, I’ve been good so far but this is not all flat,” Kristoff said. “I’m not the rider who needs to attack, though, I must follow and see if I can do it.”
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There was a degree of mischief on the signing on rostrum, when Yoann Offredo (FDJ) was complimented for his prominent part Tour of Oman. “Here’s Yoann, who said no to Mr. Merckx,” speaker Michel Wuyts joked.
There was sorrow, too, as the late Claude Criquielion was remembered at the first Belgian race to take place after his premature death last week. A minute’s silence was observed on the start line in memory of the 1984 world champion.
The story that dominated all conversations in Ghent, however, was that of Greg Van Avermaet, who has been implicated in the doping investigation centred around the activities of Dr. Chris Mertens and will appear before the Belgian cycling federation for questioning on March 13.
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Van Avermaet set to ride Omloop Het Nieuwsblad despite doping allegations
Greg Van Avermaet has been requested to appear in front of the Belgian Cycling Federation on March 13 and explain his alleged links to Dr Chris Mertens.
The Belgian doctor is under investigation for providing ozone therapy, a controversial treatment where blood is extracted, infused with ozone and then re-injected. The process has been purported to help clear certain infections, but is dangerous and there is no scientific evidence for any benefits of ozone therapy.
The news regarding Van Avermaet has been reported by a number of Belgian publications this morning, with Van Avermaet looking set to defend himself against allegations of doping. Het Nieuwsblad claim that the BMC rider could face up to a two-year ban due to offences dating back to 2011, however the publication state that the rider has not been accused of taking EPO or steroids.
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Van Avermaet has not made a statement on the matter but his BMC Racing team officially confirmed that they would allow the Belgian to carry on racing for the immediate future.
“The BMC Racing Team was notified Friday by the Belgian Cycling Federation, Koninklijke Belgische Wielrijdersbond, that Greg Van Avermaet has been requested to appear in relation to the investigation of Dr. Chris Mertens,” the team’s statement read.
“The team has been aware of the investigation of Dr. Mertens from various stories published in the press, but until Friday, February 27, had not confirmed that one of the Team's riders would be required to appear.”
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News shorts: Jalabert linked with Dr Ferrari once more
Jalabert named as client of Ferrari
Former Tour de France points and mountains classification winner, Laurent Jalabert has been linked to the banned doctor Michele Ferrari in an interview with Jacques Mombet. During an interview with the journalist Pierre Ballester, the former French rugby doctor once went to Dr. Ferrari in search of advice and in discussing his reasons he named Jalabert as one of his clients, according to a transcript published in Le Monde.
He initially says: “they have taken their cue from what they did in cycling, and especially with a French cyclist of the time,” before going on to name the former rider specifically.
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He added: “It is from this collaboration they left us the details of their protocol and how they arrived by private plane on training sites with their products, how they went through cure periods, take it for ten days, stop for fifteen days, repeat the cycle to repeat three times in total. They talked about everything: growth factors, testosterone, EPO…”
Jalabert has previously been linked with Ferrari during the French Senate hearing into retrospective analysis conducted on sampled given during the 1998 Tour de France, where he was found to have taken EPO. Jalabert denied any relationship with Ferrari, jokingly saying that the team’s doctor was called Doctor Citroën.
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Storey fails in hour record attempt
Britain's Dame Sarah Storey fails in her attempt to break the women's hour record at the London Olympic velodrome.
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Kona Honzo - first ride
Conventional, but not necessarily correct wisdom suggests 29ers should be the preserve of long-distance truckers designed to bang out miles as efficiently as possible, while their smaller-wheeled brethren are best for aggressive flickable fun. There are a growing number of bikes bucking the trend, with Kona's Honzo joining its full suspension cousin, the Process 111, in the winch-up, point-down-and-hold-on 29er format.
That winch and drop mentality perfectly describes what the Honzo is about. Pedal away to the top, then drop the saddle and hoon back down, in as much control as you can muster.
The Honzo is no race bike – climbing is far from its forte, with the 14kg (30.9lb) weight conspiring against you when you want to accelerate up hills. If you’re used to a longer travel full suss bike this may not be an issue, but if you’ve come from a cross-country race machine then beware.
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A Revelation fork is an excellent choice at this price range
There’s scope to shed weight, whether from the finishing kit or by going tubeless with the wheels, but the chromoly steel frame will never be light. The kinked seat tube exacerbates this weight problem. While the advertised figure of 74.5 degrees is reasonably steep, it’s an effective steepness based on the saddle at a prescribed height. The tube is kinked to shorten the seat stays, so the higher the saddle, the slacker the effective seat tube angle, bringing your weight backwards and compromising the position of the hips over the bottom bracket.
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Winning all five Monuments remains a goal for Gilbert
Regardless of what he achieves on the 200-kilometre loop from Ghent and back on Saturday afternoon, Omloop Het Nieuwsblad is likely to mark Philippe Gilbert’s sole appearance in a cobbled classic this year. For the third successive season, the Belgian focuses his attention on the Ardennes Classics, while Greg Van Avermaet will lead the line for BMC at the Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix.
It hasn’t always been thus, of course. Gilbert finished on the podium of the Tour of Flanders in successive years before breaking his Ardennes duck at Amstel Gold Race in 2010, and by the time he landed the hat-trick of Ardennes Classics victories during his annus mirabilis of 2011, many wondered whether Gilbert might become the next man – after Messrs. Merckx, De Vlaeminck and Van Looy – to win all five of the Monument Classics.
Four years on, Liège-Bastogne-Liège and the Tour of Lombardy remain the only Monuments on Gilbert’s palmarès, and while Milan-San Remo is a perennial goal, he has not raced Paris-Roubaix since 2007 and the Tour of Flanders has also been excised from his programme in the intervening period. Despite his recent specialisation, however, Gilbert told reporters in Kortrijk on Friday that completing the quintet remains an ambition.
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“This is a goal but I know it’s very hard,” Gilbert said. “When I was younger I thought I’d win Milan-San Remo and the Tour of Flanders sooner than I won the Tour of Lombardy. I thought Lombardy was the one I’d never win because it’s so hard. But you have to work specifically for these races.”
For the time being, splitting objectives with Van Avermaet – who has himself shone in the Ardennes in years past – makes sense for both Gilbert and BMC. At 32 years of age, however, Gilbert is aware that the window of opportunity is slowly closing. “Yeah, sure, I can’t wait much longer,” he said of Paris-Roubaix. “I will give it a try.”
Omloop
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Friday, 27 February 2015
Praxis to debut complete wide-range 10-speed mountain bike cassette
Praxis Cycles will soon debut its first complete mountain bike cassette aimed at riders who want more range from their current 10-speed systems but aren't interested in breaking the bank for a complete 11-speed setup. The new cassette will feature a wide 11-40T range, even ratio jumps, and a price and weight roughly on par with Shimano Deore XT.
Aftermarket 'range expander' cogs have been available for some time now for 10-speed drivetrains, adding a hill conquering 40-tooth or 42-tooth on top of the standard 36-tooth one. Their add-on nature doesn't come without compromises, though. Adding that cog forces users to remove another cog elsewhere in the cassette to make room – which produces an awkward ratio gap – and the jump from the original 36T cog to the new add-on gear isn't always factory-smooth. In addition, those new range extenders are often added to older cassettes and chains, which can make for a rough-feeling drivetrain and accelerated wear.
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The new Praxis wide-range 10-speed cassette promises better shifting performance than other cassettes that have been modified with an add-on range expanding cog
Instead of jumping into the increasingly-crowded expanded range market, Praxis Cycles has decided to launch a complete wide-range cassette with a useful 11-40t spread. Praxis says that since its new cassette was designed from the outset as a cohesive unit, its new cassette will have relatively even ratio gaps throughout and will offer smoother shifting performance than any add-on system.
Praxis isn't releasing complete details just yet, but we do know that the new cassette will feature a mix of steel and aluminum cogs with standard 10-speed spacing for use on Shimano or SRAM transmissions (although something like the new Lindarets GoatLink might still be a good idea). The weight target is roughly on par with Shimano Deore XT, which would put the Praxis cassette at about 340g. Pricing is still being finalized but provided Praxis can keep costs in check, this new cassette should be very enticing given that many range extending setups cost nearly US$100 for a single cog.
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Best women's warm baselayers
When suiting up for a cold ride, choosing the right baselayer is just as important as deciding which jersey or jacket to wear. The baselayer is your last defense against the elements and is what sits directly against your skin, wicking away moisture and keeping you dry and warm.
BikeRadar tested a round of different women’s baselayers to find the best options for all types of weather and temperatures. These are our favorites.
US$79 / £55
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Best for cold and windy days
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IceBike 2015 mega gallery
Ridley 2016 cyclocross collection
With over half its business coming from cyclo-cross, Ridley has overhauled its range for this 2016 collection.
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Ridley's Jekyll and Hyde inverted paint scheme on the X-Night SL
The top of the muddy podium is the X-Night SL (previously known as simply X-Night), an ultra-light and stiff carbon steed for slicing through the muck. Tons of clearance and a diminutive head tube means it’s the ideal pro-level head-down racer. The X-Night SL comes in 10, 20 and 30 models. The top-end SL 10 comes with hydraulic Dura-Ace, the 20 with hydraulic SRAM Force and the 30 with hydraulic Ultegra.
The graphics are inverted from one side to the other, with Ridley referring to this as Jekyll and Hyde designs. Smaller 41 and 48cm frames have also joined the range for smaller or junior riders. Ridley also said the X-Night will be changing to a 15mm thru-axle version with a rotor scuff guard.
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Astana willing to work with Licence Commission
Just under three months after they were popping champagne corks and celebrating their nervously awaited WorldTour licence, Astana could find themselves without it again. Following the result of an audit, the UCI have requested that the Licence Commission revoke Astana’s licence.
Astana say that they are ready to work with the Licence Commission in light of the UCI’s request. “We are compelled to respect the decision that’s coming pending the due process of the independent commission’s decision,” the team told Cyclingnews. “The decision is not a UCI decision, it is not a team decision, it is the decision of the independent commission and if they want to call us again then we are willing to come and meet with them.”
Astana already told Cyclingnews that they were talking with their lawyers following the announcement. The team has been under scrutiny by cycling’s governing body after the Iglinskiy brothers Maxim and Valentin tested positive for EPO, followed by a stagiaire and two of the continental team riders testing positive for steroids. The UCI subsequently referred the case to the Licence Commission.
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A day prior to the decision, documents from the Padova investigation were leaked and it was revealed that 17 current and former Astana riders had links with the banned doctor Michele Ferrari. It came too late to be considered in the Licence Commission’s final decision and they went onto award the licence to the Kazakh team in December but stated that they must adhere to stricter operational requirements and undergo an audit.
The Padova documents were later supplied to the University of Lausanne, who conducted the audit. The UCI itself cannot suspend Astana and the request has to be ratified by the Licence Commission before it becomes official. Astana say that they will comply with any demands from the Commission.
“If they want us to provide them with more information or to implement measures as they have promised to recommend then we will be happy to take those on and implement them as we can.”
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Voigt hired as ambassador for Tour of California
AEG, the organisers of the Tour of California, announced today that retired racer Jens Voigt has been brought on as an ambassador for the race, allowing him to continue his involvement in the sport after having competed in all nine previous editions of the race.
Voigt will be a member of the race's management team, providing input into the race operations, as well as acting as an on-air analyst for the live coverage of the race on NBC Sports. He will also have a daily segment on the live Tour Tracker and take part in the events prior to the start of the race in Sacramento and in the awards ceremonies after the stages.
"We couldn't be prouder or happier," race executive director Kristin Bachochin said. "We will have a better race organisation with Jens."
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Voigt will also take part in the L'Etape California, which will take place on May 16, on the day of the Mt. Baldy stage. Amateur riders will have a chance to tackle some of the same roads over which the professional men will race later in the day. There will be two rides, an 80-mile route and a 40-mile route, both finishing on top of Mt. Baldy. Entry into L'Etape will include special front-row seating at the finish for the men's stage.
"I'm very happy to stay not only in cycling, but with the people of the Tour of California, and to stay connected to the fans. I will get to spend even more time interacting with the fans than I would be if I was racing. It also gives me a reason to keep riding my bike. I hope I don't get dropped by riders going up Mt. Baldy in L'Etape."
For more information on L'Etape, visit the race web site.
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Wiggins comes full circle at Omloop Het Nieuwsblad
Racing in Belgium has the uncomfortable tendency to remind neo-professionals that they’re not in Kansas anymore. Bradley Wiggins’ first taste of the Classics came at Omloop Het Volk in 2002, when he lined up in the colours of La Française des Jeux, and once the peloton hit that peculiarly Flemish version of the yellow brick road, he was quickly jettisoned out the back.
“I remember almost knocking [Johan] Museeuw off on the entry to Côte du Trieu because I was fighting to be up there,” Wiggins said. “I had [Andrei] Tchmil on one side and Museeuw on the other and I just remember thinking to myself ‘what the fuck are you doing here? These guys are way better than you.’ So I just got out of the way, went to the back, got dropped and that was it.
“I got dropped after 30k so I didn’t even make it to the Kwaremont. Because of the respect I had for those guys I didn’t want to get in their way. You have to earn the right to be in the first 20 or 30 positions with those guys.”
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Wiggins was speaking in Kortrijk on Friday on the eve of his first appearance at the Omloop since 2005, and while much has changed in interim – the race now carries the name of another Belgian newspaper, Het Nieuwsblad, and his old nemesis the Trieu does not feature on the parcours, for instance – the Englishman is back on familiar ground and in a familiar position.
Like on those first, tentative efforts on the pavé over a decade ago, Wiggins is, with Paris-Roubaix in mind, trying to earn the right to a long-term lease on some prime real estate at the head of the peloton. The Hell of the North is his final race in the colours of Team Sky, and unlike twelve months ago, Wiggins will ride a full programme of cobbled races in preparation for the last grand challenge of his road career.
“It’s good to get into the mind-set for these races, to get to know the roads and for the others guys, Boonen and that, to see you there,” Wiggins explained. “When it comes to the real fight, they’re perhaps happy to sit behind you and not push you off the wheel because they know you won’t lose the wheel. So it’s confidence for everyone that they see you there.”
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Richmond 2015 schedule and route changes announced
The schedule for the 2015 World Championships in Richmond has been revealed. Organisers of the event have also announced a number of minor changes to the route previously announced in February last year. The eight-day competition will take place between September 20 and 27, with a day of team time trial training on Saturday before racing commences.
There is little surprise in the general schedule with the team time trial kicking things off as it has for the last three editions of the World Championships. The junior women will begin the individual time trial programme on the second day, which culminates in the elite men’s event two days later. There will be a break in competition on Thursday 24, allowing the teams to reconnoitre the road course ahead of the weekend.
Some of the events have been moved forward by 30 minutes or more to ensure prime-time coverage on European television including the elite men’s, which will begin at 9am local time.
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“We’ve been able to incorporate many of the things we learned from the official test event, the USA Cycling Collegiate Road National Championships, which was held last spring, in order to provide the best experience for racers, fans and Central Virginians alike,” Richmond CEO Tim Miller said on the event website. “We can’t wait to showcase Richmond to the world and for the world to experience everything Richmond has to offer.”
As well as the schedule a number of modifications to the original routes. The start to the team time trial has been moved several miles north from Rocketts Landing to the Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden, taking in the North Side of Richmond before joining the original course. There has been a small alteration to the road race route to reduce the disruption caused by the event. Most notably, however, is the addition of the 23rd Street Climb to all road races. Originally, the climb had only been penned for the elite riders but the organisers wanted to test the younger generation.
“We heard resoundingly from several national federations, and the U23 and Junior cyclists in particular, who have visited the area and ridden the course that they wanted to take on the gruelling, partially cobbled 23rd Street climb,” Miller said. “After reviewing the technical elements with the UCI, we’ve decided to give these young athletes their chance to attack a climb that could serve as a springboard to victory.”
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Philadelphia Cycling Classic to shorten men's and lengthen women's race
New organizers of the Philadelphia International Cycling Classic, G4 Productions, are putting the final touches on the newly upgraded women's World Cup and the men’s UCI 1.2 events that will be held on June 7 in Pennsylvania.
Robin Morton, the event’s technical director and a founder of G4 Productions, noted that some of the changes to this year’s races included lengthening the women’s race and shortening the men’s race.
The races will follow the same course design as it has during the previous two years with the start-finish line at the top of the circuit’s main climb on the Manayunk Wall, and follow a 19.2km circuit that includes climbs over Lemon Hill, Strawberry Mansion and flat sections along Kelly Drive.
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The women will race for one extra lap for a total of six laps and roughly 115km. The men’s race will be one lap shorter for a total of nine laps and around 173km.
“We shortened the men’s race because of the time frame that we have to work with,” Morton told Cyclingnews. “We only have from 8am to 4pm and we really didn’t have any leeway in terms of extending the day.”
Morton acknowledged the possibility of a return to the old start and finish area along the Benjamin Franklin Parkway, where the finish line was located just a few hundred metres away from the stairs to the Philadelphia Art Museum. Throughout the history of the event, that finish line was used 19 times during the women’s race, and 28 times for the men’s race. The flat and fast run-in catered to many bunch-sprint victories, with the exception of a few occasions where breakaways succeeded.
You can read more at Cyclingnews.com
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VIDEO: Will Storey break the hour record?
Dame Sarah Storey reveals why she is relishing this Saturday's hour world record attempt at London's Olympic Velodrome.
via BBC Sport - Cycling AV http://ift.tt/1E4IsbW
VIDEO: Will Storey break the hour record?
Dame Sarah Storey reveals why she is relishing this Saturday's hour world record attempt at London's Olympic Velodrome.
via BBC Sport - Cycling http://ift.tt/1E4IsbW
Recovering King targets Rio place
Olympic champion Dani King targets a place in the women's team pursuit at the Rio 2016 after recovering from a serious road crash.
via BBC Sport - Cycling http://ift.tt/1C4RyVi
USA Cycling, USA BMX announce format for 2015 BMX Worlds qualification
USA Cycling and USA BMX announced Thursday that qualifications for the 2015 UCI BMX World Championships will take place in both the eastern and western United States.
via USA Cycling News Headlines http://ift.tt/185TPCk
Let's talk about it: best bike carriers
What's the best way to transport your bike across the country? Find out by chatting with the BikeRadar community. You can get some advice from this conversation thread here where we're discussing the best bike carriers.
Got one? Come and have your say. Want one? Have a read of what like-minded riders think.
Other things we're currently discussing include:
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- Upgrading your wheel hubs
- The problems of horse poo
- What to do if hair is sticking through your shorts
Like our tips on how to make the most of your cycling? Want to discuss a kit review? Need more advice on which bike to plump for or a second opinion on that new component?
You can get all that and more by talking to the BikeRadar community, where you can chat about all things bike with fellow cyclists just like you.
BikeRadar 's forum now has more than 268,000 members, with more than 312,000 discussion topics (and not just ones about bikes!), with an average 1,500 posts every day. Whatever you want to know, there are riders in the forum talking about the same thing.
You can read more at BikeRadar.com
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Friday five-a-side: This week's best new bike gear
Hey there, bike riders. Happy Friday. Take a break from your work and get the weekend started off right with a nice visual dose of bike gear. Here are 10 pieces of the best and most interesting gear that showed up at the BikeRadar offices this week.
New mountain bike gear
Most of us will have a shock pump that came with our bike or fork, but they don’t last forever. The Birzman Salut is a high quality alloy shock pump with a maximum pressure of 300psi. The valve simply threads in place and a special ‘Airlock’ valve ensures no air escapes from the shock when disconnecting. A bleed valve sits recessed into the back of the 1.6in gauge, something that doubles as a hand hold too.
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£40 / US$TBC / AU$TBC
We were impressed with the amount of coverage the original Bell Super provided when we tested it several seasons ago. Bell has just introduced an updated design that incorporates the MIPS system to offer riders even more protection.
New road bike gear
- Banana Beet with Ginger
- Banana Mango with Coconut
- Pizza Margherita
- Sweet Potato with Sea Salt
You can read more at BikeRadar.com
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