Foldable Bikes Party: April 2015

Thursday 30 April 2015

Double day for Optum in Tour of the Gila

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The Optum p/b Kelly Benefit Strategies team scored dual victories in the second stage of the Tour of the Gila, with Eric Young taking out the bunch sprint on the men's side, and Annie Ewart claiming the women's stage from a two-rider breakaway. Both Young and Ewart also claimed the green sprinters' jerseys.

Ewart's victory came with a heavy dose of drama, and she crossed the line with her right hip torn to shreds and a large bandage on her elbow, the after-effects of a high-speed crash on the day's tricky descent. After picking herself up off the ground from her crash, Ewart got patched up by the medics and then caught back to the field, only to find Olivia Dillon (Visit Dallas) had escaped and the field was not responding. In her adrenaline-fuelled state, the only option was to bridge across. Her team director, former pro Pat McCarty, thought she was nuts.

"When [Pat] first came up to me in the break, the first thing he said was, 'are you crazy?'," Eward told Cyclingnews. "I probably was. But he's an awesome director. I love racing for him and this team. It's always a team effort. The goal was to win the stage and to protect Jasmin [Glaesser] for the overall. I think she can win this race. I just went, and it ended up working out. I'm really happy. It's great that Optum men and women got the stage."

The peloton came within half a minute of catching Ewart, but even in her tattered state, the 21-year-old from Victoria, Canada could hold off the chase, even after dropping Dillon.

"When I made the final right turn off the highway, I thought I saw a group at 10 seconds and thought it was over. I just dug as deep as I could, then I looked back again and they weren't really there. I thought maybe I have this. I couldn't even put my arms up at the finish. I was so cooked." When asked if her wounds slowed her down at all, she said, "at that point, it was my lungs that hurt. It's hard coming to altitude, but I'm so happy with the win."

The victory was Ewart's best result after a fourth place in the UCI team time trial world championships in Ponferrada with Optum last year, and her first of this season.

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Montiel confident in Tour of the Gila overall

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Rafael Montiel maintained his overall lead in the Tour of the Gila on the second stage, the "Inner Loop" route, putting one more day behind him on the way to an overall victory. Should he manage to pull off the coup, it would be the first UCI stage race overall win for the 33-year-old Colombian. Only the 26km time trial and criterium stand in the way for this climbing specialist, who is expected to be formidable on the final stage, the fearsome Gila Monster mountain finish.

Montiel knows that his 57-second lead over Chris Horner (Airgas-Safeway), and perhaps more importantly, his 1:01 gap over Redlands Classic winner Phil Gaimon (Optum Pro Cycling), will be difficult to hold, but he continues to vow that he can win.

"I know how strong our rivals are, but I'm confident in my strength and the strength of my team," Montiel said after the finish of a stage in which his teammate Cristhian Montoya took over the mountains classification lead. "My teammate really wanted to get the KOM jersey. He was feeling great so he went for it. It was part of the plan. He did great, and we're really happy to have that jersey, too."

Looking ahead to the coming two stages, Montiel said he didn't feel under pressure, but knows that the other teams are starting to feel it. "I was able to handle it because I'm a racer with experience and know how to. I know my team can handle this kind of situation, too. We are prepared and we train very hard for these kinds of situations, so we're confident."

He admitted tomorrow's time trial will be a challenge. "It's going to be very hard because we're good in the mountains and the time trial doesn't have a lot of climbing, but I'll do my best. I'm confident it will be fine."

The Colombian climbers aren't well known for their time trialing abilities, and the Orgullo Antioqueno team's long journey to New Mexico meant they came with limited equipment. Montiel's teammate Cristhian Montoyo explained the team had only three time trial bikes to share between seven riders. "We will either share or someone will be without a TT bike. We're a little worried because there are very good time trialists here and we don't have a lot of experience. We will do everything we can to defend the jersey."

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Q&A: Matthews focused on Giro d'Italia stage wins

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In 2015 Michael Matthews has either won or placed on the podium at each race he has started with current form and results bolstering the Orica-GreenEdge rider's confidence ahead of a second Giro d'Italia appearance this month. Matthews enjoyed an impressive debut at the 2014 Giro as he wore the maglia rosa for six days and enjoyed stage six victory the pink leaders jersey.

In each of the three grand tours that Matthews has started, he as won at least one stage and worn the leaders jersey on two occasions. With recent podiums at both the De Brabantse Pijl and Amstel Gold Race, and stage wins at Paris-Nice and Tour of the Basque Country, Matthews looks good to continue his run at the Giro d'Italia which gets underway with a team time trial in San Lorenzo on May 9.

Cyclingnews spoke to the 24-year-old from his European base of Monaco ahead of the Giro as he puts the finishing touches to his preparation for the race.

Cyclingnews: What's the final week before the Giro d'Italia looking like for you?
Michael Matthews: The work is pretty much all done up to this point. It's just a few days of sprint training and a little bit of motorpacing and just the final 'one percenters' before the race starts really. I haven't checked out any of the stages yet but we go and do it Wednesday and Thursday with the team all together so we all know what we are in for.

CN: Have you targeted any specific stages at the Giro for success?
MM: Stage four is my biggest target for the moment. It's the one that probably suits me the best in the first week. That's the one I am aiming for but the stages before that also suit me really well but it will depend on what the team wants to do and who we ride for, what the strategy is.

CN: How is your confidence level going into the Giro this year compared to last year?
MM: My confidence has probably doubled from last year going into the Giro, especially as I know what I am in for at the Giro now and the start of the season that I've had has almost gone 100% to plan, other than a few of the third places. We've basically ticked all the boxes leading into the Giro like we planned compared to last year when we didn't tick so many boxes so my confidence has definitely doubled this year knowing what I know from last year and the experiences I had like the stage win in the pink jersey. It's definitely a confidence booster going into the 2015 Giro.

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Canevari injured in Tour of the Gila crash

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The second stage of the men's Tour of the Gila was marred by a number of crashes on the steep, narrow descent to Sapillo Creek 45km into the stage. Canyon Bicycle's Anthony Canevari, who was sitting second in the sprint classification after making the breakaway on stage 1, was the worst injured. He was transported from the scene and airlifted to El Paso, Texas where he was diagnosed with a broken pelvis.

Mike Pratt, the Canyon team's director, explained to Cyclingnews what happened.

"[Canevari] was working his way through the caravan [and] went through a tight corner on a narrow road decent. [He] got squeezed by a car and high-sided into a rocky embankment. His teammate Pat Casey was with him a few wheels back. Pat stopped to render aid. He realized it was serious."

The ambulance following the race quickly arrived and transported Canevari from the scene, and then arranged for his transport to El Paso, where he will need to undergo surgery.

His teammate Casey dropped out of the race, giving up his opportunity to finish his first Tour of the Gila to stay with his teammate.

Team Smartstop's Julian Kyer also went down and suffered a broken collarbone. Angus Morton (Jelly Belly) also crashed but continued on and finished 14:23 down suffering only bruises and road rash.

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Video: Tour de Romandie stage 3 highlights

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A case of déjà vu all over again on stage 3 of the Tour de Romandie, as Michael Albasini (Orica-GreenEdge) out manoeuvred Julian Alaphilippe (Etixx-QuickStep) in a reduced bunch sprint to land his second successive win and double his overall lead into the bargain.

The rolling 172-kilometre trek from Moutier to Porrentruy featured four categorised climbs and a long, fast descent towards the finish line. In short, it was a day typical of the Tour de Romandie – too tough for the pure sprinters but not quite difficult enough for the general classification contenders to make the difference. When the final climb of the Côte de Lure failed to splinter the leading group, a sprint was inevitable, despite a flurry of attacks on the drop towards the finish.

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Video: Kittel says he’s not expecting to win at Tour de Yorkshire

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Marcel Kittel has played down the prospects of making a winning return to racing when he returns to action at the Tour de Yorkshire on Friday after being sidelined for three months with a virus.

“My form isn’t all that great after being sick for another week, and only having a couple of days of training right before the race is not perfect,” said the Giant-Alpecin sprinter, who has been laid up since the Tour of Qatar in early February.

“For me, this has been a season when a lot of things haven’t gone smoothly, but I guess that’s always part of a sporting career,” he said when he spoke to the press at the Tour de Yorkshire presentation on Thursday evening in York. “After [the Tour Down Under in] Australia I was sick. I thought it was a cold but in the end it was a virus. But I only found that out after the Tour of Qatar, so I made it worse by riding in Qatar.”

Kittel explained that it took some time and lots of medical tests to diagnose exactly what his problem was. “In the end I was fine, but it meant that I missed a big part of my training time and all of my early season goals, which was the down side of being out of racing. But I’m really happy to be back on the bike again now,” he said.

The German revealed that he fell ill again two weeks ago with another virus, and admitted with regard to his form that, “things aren’t going super well”. He added: “At the moment the key thing is to find my way back into racing. But at least this will be a start. I’m not focused on any special goals, beyond being with the team.”

Kittel said he was pleased to be returning to action in Yorkshire, where he enjoyed one of his career highlights last year when he took the Tour de France’s yellow jersey by winning the opening stage of the 2014 race in Harrogate, which lies just 30km west of York.

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Armstrong, Brennauer will headline California women's TT

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Organisers of the Amgen Tour of California Women's Time Trial today released the lost of athletes who will compete at the May 15 race at Big Bear Lake. The roster of the fifth annual women's invitational time trial includes previous Tour of California winners along with world champions, national champions and Olympic gold medalists.

Among the lineup of 23 will be Lisa Brennauer, the reigning individual and team time trial world champion; two-time Tour of California time trial winner and Olympic champion Kristin Armstrong; Amber Neben, who has held multiple national and world titles in road racing and time trial; para-cycling powerhouse Sarah Storey; and Tayler Wiles, who placed third in last year's Amgen Tour of California Time Trial. Two of Brennauer's teammates from the team time trail championship, Carmen Small and Evelyn Stevens, will also be competing.

“The Amgen Tour of California has always been a place where the best women in the world can come to race in an international forum,” said Stevens, who will be riding for Boels Dolmans Cycling Team. “This year, the competition is steeper than ever.”

Beginning at 11 a.m. on May 15, the UCI sanctioned race will precede the stage 6 men's individual time trial. The 24km race is ranked 1.1 by the UCI, the highest race classification behind a World Cup.

“I was planning to retire until I learned I had the opportunity to race in the 2015 Amgen Tour of California,” said BMW-Happy Tooth Dental's Rhae Shaw, who recently won the time trial in Big Bear Lake as part of the Redlands Bicycle Classic. “It's a race worth sticking around for, and I'm thrilled to be a part of it.”

Jackie Crowell, a Tour of California Ambassador, will be competing under the Breakaway from Cancer banner in her first professional race since she was diagnosed with a brain tumor in 2013.

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Modolo gains confidence after Tour of Turkey stage win

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In surging through on the uphill sprint finish on the fifth stage of the Tour of Turkey on Thursday, Sacha Modolo (Lampre-Merida) removed a hefty weight from his shoulders. It was the Italian’s first victory of the year and served as a timely confidence boost ahead of the Giro d’Italia.

“This year I’ve come here [to Turkey] to prepare for the Giro d’Italia but I also wanted to win so I would go there with a good mentality knowing that I was strong,” said the upbeat 27-year-old after his win.

“I’ve been good since January but I haven’t managed to get the win but my preparation has been good and today is the confirmation.”

His frustration with the way his campaign has panned out so far is understandable. In the previous two years he got off the mark at the first race on his calendar – the Tour de San Luis – and by this stage last year he already had six wins to his name. This season, though, things haven’t worked out quite as well, despite a string of top 10s, including fourth and second in the first two stages in Turkey.

“I wanted this because in January in Argentina I was up against [Fernando] Gaviria who was a surprise and [Mark] Cavendish and since then I haven’t really been in the sprints,” said Modolo.

“In Tirreno [Adriatico] I fell in the first stage so I wasn’t there, then at [Three days of] De Panne I started getting back into the sprints. In Turkey I wanted to be there. Today I got the win and it gives me confidence going into the Giro.”

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Video: ‘Liberated’ Bradley Wiggins set for Tour de Yorkshire debut

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With his Team Sky days firmly behind him a 'liberated' Bradley Wiggins (WIGGINS) is set to make his racing debut for his new development team at the Tour de Yorkshire on Friday.

The former Tour de France winner hung up his WorldTour wheels at Paris-Roubaix and has spent the intervening weeks training on the track ahead of his June Hour Record attempt. However the ASO-organised race in the United Kingdom marks another important event in the rider's 2015 calendar.

"This is my first race back after Roubaix and it's just a nice starting point for the team and for my appearance with the team having not been able to come last summer," Wiggins told the media at the race presentation on Thursday evening.

By 'last summer' Wiggins was of course referring to the 2014 Tour de France and Team Sky's choice to leave him at home in order to give Chris Froome the calmest and most focused opportunity to defend his race title. That snub or line-up choice - depending on your point of view – sparked the beginning of the end of Wiggins' time at the team and set in motion the plans for the WIGGINS squad.

"This all came together really quickly and this all happened because I didn't get selected for the Tour last year and I sat at home twiddling my thumbs and I thought 'I'll have my own team next year, sod this. I'll race in the UK and enjoy myself' because I wasn't enjoying it."

The differences between Team Sky and WIGGINS are monumental in terms of budget, scope and sheer strength on the road, and Wiggins seems to be enjoying a new lease of life under a less constrained atmosphere. Organisation and attention to detail are two elements the WorldTour variant are always keen to stress whereas Wiggins' new track-road squad are tad less pressuring. Part of Wiggins' new bike only arrived on the scene as recently as today, for example.

"We're not trying to win the Tour de France. That's clear. Our goals are on the track and this was team started out in order to facilitate that. We don't have a huge budget. We're never going to compete with the Sky's of this world but I never wanted it to go to that level or be a Tour de France team. I've said a few times that I want it to be development team, similar to what Axel Merckx has in America.

"I feel liberated in some ways that I can have a dig and have a go. At Sky there is such a precedent and such a standard that there's always someone able to do something whereas here we've got a bunch of young kids who just want to race so that frees me up in some ways to try something. I attacked in Roubaix but other than that I can't remember the last time I attacked in a race. I'm so used to riding in a defensive role so I'll see what happens in the next few days."

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Aru training hard for the Giro d’Italia after stomach virus

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Fabio Aru has confirmed that he has made a full recovery from the stomach virus that forced him to miss last week’s Giro del Trentino and is confident he will be ready to lead the Astana team at the Giro d’Italia.

The 24 year-old Sardinian finished third in the 2014 Giro d’Italia and then was fifth in the Vuelta a Espana. He is considered one of the favourites for overall victory this year alongside Alberto Contador (Tinkoff-Saxo) and Richie Porte (Team Sky).

However his final preparation for the Giro d’Italia was disrupted by a nasty stomach virus that forced him to withdraw from the Giro del Trentino. He reportedly lost five kilogrammes but is now training for the Giro d’Italia in the Sestriere ski resort near the French border. Aru has only raced for 15 days so far this season but revealed he has clocked up 15,000km in training since November. On Wednesday Aru was seen training in the snow near Sestriere. He told Gazzetta dello Sport that he did a seven-hour rider, covering 210km and 4000 metres of climbing, along with Astana teammates Dario Cataldo, Diego Rosa and Paolo Tiralongo. Today he posted an Instagram photo of himself enjoying a rest day ride with his teammates but he will continue to train in Sestriere until the weekend.

“I’m finally starting to feel better after four difficult days last week. I felt pretty bad at first and struggled to train well but I’ve got two good training rides in my legs now and I’m feeling better,” Aru told Cyclingnews.

“It’s cost me some form, it affected my training schedule. I won’t be at my very best at the start of the Giro d’Italia but I should be okay. I’ve worked hard and I’m recovering the training I lost. I think I’ll be at 90 per cent of my best at the start of the Giro.”

Legal action against Henderson

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Rund um Finanzplatz Eschborn-Frankfurt cancelled after police thwart possible terrorist action

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German police have cancelled Friday's Rund um Finanzplatz Eschborn-Frankfurt race after arresting a married couple they believe were planning a terrorist attack on the event.

“Due to the actual and still unclear hazardous situation and its relationship to tomorrow’s cycling race, this event must sadly be cancelled due to safety reasons,” the police said in a statement Thursday evening. “Many people look forward, as every year, to tomorrow’s traditional event. But no matter how attractive the sport – because of the hazardous situation and the fact that at this point there are still too many unanswered questions, safety absolutely comes first!”

The couple, whose names have not yet been released, are said to have links to the Salafist scene in Frankfurt, as well as to al Qaida, Reuters reports. A search of their home turned up an automatic assault weapon, 100 rounds of live ammunition, chemicals commonly used in preparing home-made bombs and a canister full of petrol.

Chief prosecutor Dr. Albert Schreiber said that the man had been seen “on the course of the race to be held tomorrow, between Oberursel and the Feldberg,” according to Radsport-news.com.

Wiesbaden Police Chief Stefan Müller told Reuters, "Clearly since the Boston Marathon these security concerns have been part of the considerations of how to deal with that [danger] before every marathon race in Germany - and that is also valid for cycle races.

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Bouchard-Hall to replace Johnson as CEO and President of USA Cycling

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Derek Bouchard-Hall, former US pro criterium champion and executive at the online cycling retailer Wiggle, will take over as the CEO and President of USA Cycling in June, the organisation’s Board of Directors announced on Thursday. Bouchard-Hall will take the place of Steve Johnson, who will step down after a nine-year term.

“I could not be more excited to be returning to the sport I love at this time in its history,” Bouchard-Hall said. “We hope to capitalize on the very positive aspects of cycling, including the growth of women's cycling and the broadening of participation in cycling by those seeking to improve their fitness and well-being. I can’t wait to get started."

Bouchard-Hall, 45, is a former member of the US national cycling team. He was a member of successful American-based teams Shaklee from 1994-98 and Mercury Cycling Team from 1998 until he retired in 2002. His career highlights on the road include winning the US pro criterium championships in Downers Grove, and he competed in international events Paris-Roubaix, Gent-Wevelgem and Criterium International. He was also a member of the team pursuit squad at the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games.

Bouchard-Hall, who grew up in Massachusetts, was as devoted to his excellence in education as he was to his cycling career. He holds degrees in Structural Engineering from Stanford, Architectural Engineering from Princeton and an MBA from Harvard Business School.

He began a post-cycling career in consulting with Ernst & Young in Boston and then with McKinsey in London. At McKinsey, he focused on designing and implementing change programs across a range of commercial and governmental organizations. He joined Wiggle in 2011.

“We hired Derek based on his business background,” USA Cycling Board of Directors Chairman Bob Stapleton told Cyclingnews. “Wiggle succeed based on how they engage, retain and grow their customer base, daily and hourly. That is super relevant and mission critical for USA Cycling. Perhaps more subtle in his background is that he has really been an architect and a leader for change.

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Armstrong's girlfriend target of US subpoena

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The government wants to question Lance Armstrong's domestic partner as part of its civil case against the disgraced cyclist, according to a report in USA Today.

Anna Hansen, the target of the subpoena, is the mother of Armstrong's two youngest children. The former seven-time Tour de France winner, who was stripped of his titles because of PED use, is fighting the subpoena, saying it "appears to have been served only to harass Armstrong and his family," according to the USA Today report.

Hansen was recently summoned to appear next month in the government's case on behalf of the US Postal Service and whistleblower Floyd Landis. Hansen met Armstrong in 2008, four years after the USPS sponsorship ended, his attorneys state.

"Anna knows nothing about events related to the USPS sponsorship," Armstrong's attorney, Sharif Jacob, stated in an e-mail to government attorneys, according to the USA Today report.

But government attorney David Finkelstein replied in an email to Armstrong's legal team that "Ms. Hansen is a fact witness to several issues in this case," according to the USA Today report.

The newspaper also reported that Armstrong's attorneys filed several documents Wednesday that outline his legal team's dispute with the government over the sharing of pretrial evidence.

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The perfect Boulder tour with VeloNews and Cognoscenti

Overlooked Aussie Jay McCarthy quietly contending for Turkey GC

'Liberated' Wiggins plans to attack

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Sir Bradley Wiggins says he is not trying to win the inaugural three-day race in Yorkshire but plans to go on the attack.

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Optum sweeps Tour of the Gila stage 2 with Young and Ewart

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It was a good day to be wearing orange and black in Silver City, New Mexico, as Optum-Kelly Benefit Strategies won both the men’s and women’s UCI races at the Tour of the Gila stage 2 with Eric Young and Annie Ewart on Thursday.

The 76.2-mile men’s race featured a two-man breakaway with Robin Carpenter (Hincapie Racing) and Danny Summerhill (UnitedHealthcare). After a flurry of attacks in the final 15 miles of racing, the escape was caught.

In the bunch sprint, Young proved fastest, dispatching Travis McCabe (Team SmartStop), who was second, and Summerhill’s teammate, Kiel Reijnen, who took third.

Rafael Montiel (Orgullo Antioqueno) kept the overall lead, which he claimed in Wednesday’s Mogollon road race.

Breakaway wins a nail-biter in women’s race

While the two-rider break couldn’t stay away in the men’s race, the 75-mile women’s stage was a different story.

Despite suffering a crash earlier in the day, Ewart went on the attack, along with Olivia Dillon (Visit Dallas). At one point, their gap went north of seven minutes, but the Amy D. Foundation composite team soon went to the front to drive the pace on behalf of race leader Mara Abbott.

The break’s advantage began to fall precipitously, and it looked as if they might be caught before the line, but the intrepid duo held on to the very end. Ewart won the two-up sprint, and Dillon had to settle for second place.

Behind, Alison Jackson (Twenty16-Sho-Air) rounded out the podium in third.

Abbott keeps the overall lead going into Friday’s stage, a 16.15-mile individual time trial for both men and women.

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Wiggins happy again after leaving Sky

Amgen Tour of California announces women’s TT roster

Cookson: ‘People willing to invest in our sport again’

Gallery: 2015 Tour de Romandie, stage 3

Dowsett can break record - Boardman

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Former Olympic champion Chris Boardman believes Alex Dowsett can break the hour record in Manchester on Saturday.

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Results: 2015 Tour de Romandie, stage 3

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1. Michael ALBASINI, ORICA GreenEDGE, in 4:14:56
2. Julian ALAPHILIPPE, ETIXX – QUICK STEP, at :00
3. Damiano CARUSO, BMC RACING TEAM, at :00
4. Rui Alberto FARIA DA COSTA, LAMPRE – MERIDA, at :00
5. Simon GERRANS, ORICA GreenEDGE, at :00
6. Nathan HAAS, TEAM CANNONDALE – GARMIN, at :00
7. Rigoberto URAN URAN, ETIXX – QUICK STEP, at :00
8. Ramunas NAVARDAUSKAS, TEAM CANNONDALE – GARMIN, at :00
9. Luka MEZGEC, TEAM GIANT – ALPECIN, at :00
10. Sergei CHERNETSKI, TEAM KATUSHA, at :00
11. Jarlinson PANTANO, IAM CYCLING, at :00
12. Jan BAKELANTS, AG2R LA MONDIALE, at :00
13. Ivan ROVNY, TINKOFF – SAXO, at :00
14. Ilnur ZAKARIN, TEAM KATUSHA, at :00
15. Christopher FROOME, TEAM SKY, at :00
16. Rohan DENNIS, BMC RACING TEAM, at :00
17. Ivan SANTAROMITA, ORICA GreenEDGE, at :00
18. Tobias LUDVIGSSON, TEAM GIANT – ALPECIN, at :00
19. Pavel KOCHETKOV, TEAM KATUSHA, at :00
20. Vincenzo NIBALI, ASTANA PRO TEAM, at :00
21. Yury TROFIMOV, TEAM KATUSHA, at :00
22. Rafal MAJKA, TINKOFF – SAXO, at :00
23. Jakob FUGLSANG, ASTANA PRO TEAM, at :00
24. Maxime MONFORT, LOTTO SOUDAL, at :00
25. Jonathan CASTROVIEJO NICOLAS, MOVISTAR TEAM, at :00
26. Jurgen VAN DEN BROECK, LOTTO SOUDAL, at :00
27. Mathias FRANK, IAM CYCLING, at :00
28. Stef CLEMENT, IAM CYCLING, at :00
29. Tony MARTIN, ETIXX – QUICK STEP, at :00
30. Andrey ZEITS, ASTANA PRO TEAM, at :00
31. Stefan KUENG, BMC RACING TEAM, at :00
32. Nairo Alexander QUINTANA ROJAS, MOVISTAR TEAM, at :00
33. Robert GESINK, TEAM LOTTO NL – JUMBO, at :00
34. Pawel POLJANSKI, TINKOFF – SAXO, at :00
35. Thibaut PINOT, FDJ, at :00
36. Simon SPILAK, TEAM KATUSHA, at :00
37. Egor SILIN, TEAM KATUSHA, at :00
38. Michele SCARPONI, ASTANA PRO TEAM, at :00
39. Andre Fernando S. Martins CARDOSO, TEAM CANNONDALE – GARMIN, at :00
40. Rein TAARAMAE, ASTANA PRO TEAM, at :00
41. Danilo WYSS, BMC RACING TEAM, at :00
42. Simon YATES, ORICA GreenEDGE, at :00
43. Romain BARDET, AG2R LA MONDIALE, at :00
44. Ryder HESJEDAL, TEAM CANNONDALE – GARMIN, at :00
45. Chris Anker SÖRENSEN, TINKOFF – SAXO, at :00
46. Thomas DANIELSON, TEAM CANNONDALE – GARMIN, at :00
47. Diego ULISSI, LAMPRE – MERIDA, at :00
48. Maxime BOUET, ETIXX – QUICK STEP, at :00
49. Jose Rodolfo SERPA PEREZ, LAMPRE – MERIDA, at :00
50. Alexandre GENIEZ, FDJ, at :00
51. Romain SICARD, TEAM EUROPCAR, at :00
52. Kristof VANDEWALLE, TREK FACTORY RACING, at :00
53. Carlos Alberto BETANCUR GOMEZ, AG2R LA MONDIALE, at :00
54. Jean-Christophe PERAUD, AG2R LA MONDIALE, at :00
55. Marcel WYSS, IAM CYCLING, at :00
56. Robert KISERLOVSKI, TINKOFF – SAXO, at :00
57. Carter JONES, TEAM GIANT – ALPECIN, at :00
58. Steve MORABITO, FDJ, at :00
59. Nicolas ROCHE, TEAM SKY, at :00
60. Jesper HANSEN, TINKOFF – SAXO, at :00
61. Amaël MOINARD, BMC RACING TEAM, at :00
62. Mikael CHEREL, AG2R LA MONDIALE, at :00
63. Laurens TEN DAM, TEAM LOTTO NL – JUMBO, at :00
64. Pierre ROLLAND, TEAM EUROPCAR, at :00
65. Darwin ATAPUMA HURTADO, BMC RACING TEAM, at :00
66. Riccardo ZOIDL, TREK FACTORY RACING, at :00
67. Winner ANACONA GOMEZ, MOVISTAR TEAM, at :00
68. David DE LA CRUZ MELGAREJO, ETIXX – QUICK STEP, at :00
69. Bart DE CLERCQ, LOTTO SOUDAL, at :00
70. Andrey AMADOR BAKKAZAKOVA, MOVISTAR TEAM, at :00
71. Eros CAPECCHI, MOVISTAR TEAM, at :00
72. Ben GASTAUER, AG2R LA MONDIALE, at :00
73. Fabrice JEANDESBOZ, TEAM EUROPCAR, at :00
74. Maxime MEDEREL, TEAM EUROPCAR, at :00
75. Georg PREIDLER, TEAM GIANT – ALPECIN, at :00
76. Przemyslaw NIEMIEC, LAMPRE – MERIDA, at :00
77. Tsgabu Gebremaryam GRMAY, LAMPRE – MERIDA, at :24
78. Andriy GRIVKO, ASTANA PRO TEAM, at :30
79. Rory SUTHERLAND, MOVISTAR TEAM, at :30
80. Matteo BONO, LAMPRE – MERIDA, at 1:16
81. Angelo TULIK, TEAM EUROPCAR, at 10:07
82. Eugenio ALAFACI, TREK FACTORY RACING, at 10:07
83. Johannes FRÖHLINGER, TEAM GIANT – ALPECIN, at 10:07
84. Anton VOROBYEV, TEAM KATUSHA, at 10:07
85. Gianni MEERSMAN, ETIXX – QUICK STEP, at 10:07
86. Bruno PIRES, TINKOFF – SAXO, at 10:07
87. Manuel SENNI, BMC RACING TEAM, at 10:07
88. Romain GUILLEMOIS, TEAM EUROPCAR, at 10:07
89. Maxim BELKOV, TEAM KATUSHA, at 10:07
90. Jos VAN EMDEN, TEAM LOTTO NL – JUMBO, at 10:07
91. Sander ARMEE, LOTTO SOUDAL, at 10:07
92. Thierry HUPOND, TEAM GIANT – ALPECIN, at 10:07
93. Matthieu LADAGNOUS, FDJ, at 10:07
94. Janier Alexis ACEVEDO COLLE, TEAM CANNONDALE – GARMIN, at 10:07
95. Luke ROWE, TEAM SKY, at 10:07
96. Julien BERARD, AG2R LA MONDIALE, at 10:07
97. Geraint THOMAS, TEAM SKY, at 10:07
98. Giacomo NIZZOLO, TREK FACTORY RACING, at 10:07
99. Lieuwe WESTRA, ASTANA PRO TEAM, at 10:07
100. Peter KENNAUGH, TEAM SKY, at 10:07
101. Matthew BUSCHE, TREK FACTORY RACING, at 10:07
102. Sam BEWLEY, ORICA GreenEDGE, at 10:07
103. Benoît VAUGRENARD, FDJ, at 10:07
104. Brian BULGAC, TEAM LOTTO NL – JUMBO, at 10:07
105. Pieter SERRY, ETIXX – QUICK STEP, at 10:07
106. Manuele MORI, LAMPRE – MERIDA, at 10:07
107. John GADRET, MOVISTAR TEAM, at 10:07
108. Christopher JUUL JENSEN, TINKOFF – SAXO, at 10:07
109. Alessandro VANOTTI, ASTANA PRO TEAM, at 10:07
110. Bryan NAULLEAU, TEAM EUROPCAR, at 10:07
111. Jerome COUSIN, TEAM EUROPCAR, at 10:07
112. Stig BROECKX, LOTTO SOUDAL, at 13:21
113. Alan MARANGONI, TEAM CANNONDALE – GARMIN, at 13:21
114. Bertjan LINDEMAN, TEAM LOTTO NL – JUMBO, at 13:21
115. Tom VAN ASBROECK, TEAM LOTTO NL – JUMBO, at 13:21
116. Ruben PLAZA MOLINA, LAMPRE – MERIDA, at 13:21
117. Chad HAGA, TEAM GIANT – ALPECIN, at 13:21
118. Tosh VAN DER SANDE, LOTTO SOUDAL, at 13:21
119. Ian STANNARD, TEAM SKY, at 13:21
120. Marco COLEDAN, TREK FACTORY RACING, at 13:21
121. Elia VIVIANI, TEAM SKY, at 13:21
122. Cheng JI, TEAM GIANT – ALPECIN, at 13:21
123. Jérémy ROY, FDJ, at 13:21
124. Imanol ERVITI, MOVISTAR TEAM, at 13:21
125. Cédric PINEAU, FDJ, at 13:21
126. Fabio SILVESTRE, TREK FACTORY RACING, at 13:21
127. Michael HEPBURN, ORICA GreenEDGE, at 13:21
128. Daniel MARTIN, TEAM CANNONDALE – GARMIN, at 13:21
129. Boy VAN POPPEL, TREK FACTORY RACING, at 13:21
130. Brett LANCASTER, ORICA GreenEDGE, at 13:21
131. Rick FLENS, TEAM LOTTO NL – JUMBO, at 13:21
132. Campbell Flakemore, BMC RACING TEAM, at 13:21
133. Reto HOLLENSTEIN, IAM CYCLING, at 13:21
134. Lawrence WARBASSE, IAM CYCLING, at 13:21
135. Jonathan FUMEAUX, IAM CYCLING, at 13:21
136. Dennis VANENDERT, LOTTO SOUDAL, at 13:21
137. Greg HENDERSON, LOTTO SOUDAL, at 13:21
138. Maarten TJALLINGII, TEAM LOTTO NL – JUMBO, at 13:21
139. Danny PATE, TEAM SKY, at 13:21
140. Matthias BRANDLE, IAM CYCLING, at 13:21
DNF Arthur VICHOT, FDJ
DNS Svein TUFT, ORICA GreenEDGE

The post Results: 2015 Tour de Romandie, stage 3 appeared first on VeloNews.com.

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Pro Bike: Dowsett’s Canyon Speedmax WHR

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Britainâ€™s Alex Dowsett is taking on the World Hour Record this Saturday in Manchester, UK and Movistar bike sponsor Canyon has created the Speedmax WHR â€“ a track-specific version of the German brandâ€™s flagship TT bike â€“ especially for the attempt.

Dowsett will be aiming to beat the record of Rohan Dennis â€“ 52.491km â€“ something Canyon says requires an average power output of around 400 watts. 90 percent of this is overcoming air resistance, something the Speedmax is well equipped for.

The bikeâ€™s tube profiles and minimal frontal area are designed to reduce air turbulence. Gone are the integrated front and rear brakes along with bottle bosses, derailleur mountings and cable holes.

Canyon says this means a much smoother surface than the regular Speedmax and that â€œthe result is a trimmed down and focused design that leaves no doubts as to this bikeâ€™s purpose.â€

The dropouts have been changed along with the axle width

Frame and fork: Canyon Speedmax WHR
Bars: Speedmax Flat Handlebar W/O holes
Cockpit: Speedmax L Bend Extensions with Lizard Skin 1.8mm tape
Seatpost: Canyon Speedmax
Saddle: Fizik Antares
Wheels: Campagnolo Pista Disc
Tubulars: Continental Tempo II, 22mm
Crankset: Campagnolo Pista with Power2Max power meter
Chain: KMC Track
Head tube stiffness: 80 NM/Â°
Bottom bracket stiffness: 65 N/MM

You can read more at BikeRadar.com

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Rio velodrome construction may halt amid concerns about worker safety

In the News: Police foil terror threat to German bike race

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NOS reports that German police have arrested two people suspected of plotting a terror attack at Rund um Finanzplatz Eschborn-Frankfurt, a bike race in Frankfurt, Germany scheduled for Friday.

Reports indicate that police raided a house in Oberursel, near Frankfurt, and found a homemade pipe bomb, bomb-making materials, an automatic rifle, and ammunition. One of the arrested suspects, a 35-year-old man, is said to be involved with the Salafists movement, which is associated with Sunni Islam.

German police conducted the raid on Thursday amid concerns that the race would be targeted. The man reportedly explored a forest on the race route. This behavior, combined with materials purchased under a pseudonym at a nearby construction store — large quantities of hydrogen peroxide and alcohol — prompted authorities to intervene.

The race has been cancelled due to this threat.

That's that, no racing tomorrow. Really can't believe this is happening in cycling… http://t.co/N89IccIwzl

— Koen de Kort (@koendekort) April 30, 2015

Pro’s Closet vintage pro bike video: Moninger’s 1991 Serotta

Bloody minded: Dowsett's record bid

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Doctors urged Alex Dowsett to take up chess when he was told he had a blood disorder. But a need for speed led him to cycling.

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Wiggle exec and former pro Derek Bouchard-Hall appointed CEO of USA Cycling

Bouchard-Hall named USA Cycling Chief Executive Officer

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The USA Cycling Board of Directors announced Thursday the appointment of Derek Bouchard-Hall as the next CEO and President of USA Cycling.Bouchard-Hall will replace Steve Johnson in June, who is stepping down after nine years in the position.

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Take two: Albasini wins second Romandie stage, wearing yellow

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Tour de Romandie race leader Michael Albasini (Orica-GreenEdge) delivered his second win in as many days on Thursday in Porrentruy, Switzerland.

The Swiss rider was cued up perfectly in the final kilometer by a late rush from Etixx-Quick-Step whose riders were aiming to lead-out Julian Alaphilippe for the win. However, the young Frenchman had to settle for second place behind Albasini, who delivered a convincing kick in the final 200 meters to win by a couple bike lengths.

Many of the race’s GC contenders animated the final 20 kilometers of the 173.2km race.

Danilo Wyss (BMC) attacked with 13.5km to go, and soon, Nairo Quintana (Movistar) and Andrey Zeits (Astana) bridged up.

But with just over 10km to go, the trio was caught. Next, it was Vincenzo Nibali’s (Astana) turn to test his legs, delivering a counter-attack, albeit an unsuccessful one.

BMC launched another rider of the front, but again the peloton chased it back.

Nearing the final five kilometers, another GC favorite, Rigoberto Uran (Etixx-Quick-Step) took a dig at the front, but the field was intent on keeping things together for a bunch gallop.

Giant-Alpecin, Lampre-Merida, and Cannondale-Garmin cued up at the front of the bunch with five kilometers left.

After a great deal of work by Lampre, Etixx-Quick-Step took over in the last kilometer, but yellow jersey-wearer Albasini was poised perfectly. He made his jump after the final lefthand corner and blasted up the outside to win the stage handily, ahead of Alaphilippe. Damiano Caruso (Lampre-Merida finished third.

The post Take two: Albasini wins second Romandie stage, wearing yellow appeared first on VeloNews.com.

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Dowsett spotlights hour record ahead of Wiggins ride

One more for the road as Petacchi prepares for another Giro d'Italia

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When Alessandro Petacchi was deemed surplus to requirements by Omega Pharma-QuickStep at the tail-end of last season, it appeared as though his career had come to an end. Soon to turn 41 and with a shrinking number of berths available on other teams, it was logical to assume that his brief spell in Mark Cavendish’s retinue might prove to be Petacchi’s professional swan song.

In early January, however, the team formerly known as YellowFluo, unveiled a new sponsor, Chinese steel concern Southeast, some rather more sober grey colours and a high-profile arrival in the shape of Petacchi. Shortly afterwards, the squad was confirmed among the wildcard invitations to this year’s Giro d'Italia, despite the positive tests of Danilo Di Luca, Mauro Santambrogio and Marco Rabottini in the past two seasons.

Petacchi, currently in action at the Tour of Turkey, has raced sparingly thus far in 2015, but he will be the marquee name in Southeast’s Giro d'Italia line-up and almost certainly the oldest rider in the field at the corsa rosa when it gets underway in San Remo on May 9.

“I’m looking to build up as best I can. My condition is only ok right now, but I feel quite good, and so long as it continues to improve, then I'll be happy,” Petacchi told Cyclingnews recently.

Petacchi has won 22 Giro stages in his 13 appearances to date, though he was stripped of five more following his positive test for salbutamol during the 2007 race. In 2004, Petacchi clocked up a remarkable nine stage victories but Angelo Zomegnan’s arrival as race director the following year saw opportunities for the sprinters gradually recede. By 2011, when Petacchi claimed the last of his stage wins in Parma, there were just three bona fide bunch sprints, though he startled by almost claiming the uphill sprint finish in Fiuggi. That year marked the end of Zomegnan’s reign, and under the stewardship of first Michele Acquarone and now Mauro Vegni, the sprinters have been afforded more amenable terrain and more sprint finishes.

“I think there could be six sprint stages or so this year,” Petacchi said. “And beyond that, there’s always the chance of some tougher stages that could end up with a reduced peloton 80 or 90 riders sprinting it out. But for sure there’ll be six or seven chances for the sprinters, which is about the usual.”

You can read more at Cyclingnews.com

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Q&A: André Greipel on returning to the Giro d'Italia

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After playing an impressive team role for Lotto Soudal in the cobbled classics, André Greipel returned to sprinting duties at the Tour of Turkey this week, surviving the climb in the finale of stage four to take a resounding stage victory in Marmaris on Wednesday.

That same evening, Greipel opted to leave the race in order to continue his preparation for the Giro d’Italia but before departing Turkey, he sat down with Cyclingnews to discuss his approach as he returns to the corsa rosa for the first time since 2010.

Cyclingnews: You changed the structure of your season this year, missing the Tour Down Under for the first time in eight years. What were the objectives of the new programme and how is it going?

André Greipel: The goal was to be good in the Classics with the whole team. I think it worked really well. We have made a really good improvement with changing the programme I would say. The next goal will be a stage win in the Giro and also the Tour.

CN: You’ve not done the Giro for a few years, what made you decide to go back there?

AG: Just for myself. A Grand Tour is always something special and I always liked the Giro – I’ve done it two times and, yeah, I just wanted to go back. I’ve done the Tour of Belgium four years in a row now and I was looking for a different race.

You can read more at Cyclingnews.com

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Swift leads Team Sky at the Tour de Yorkshire

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Bradley Wiggins is no longer a Team Sky rider and will start the Tour de Yorkshire with his own WIGGINS Continental team. However the British team has selected a solid squad in support of Yorkshireman and sprinter Ben Swift as it targets stage and overall success.

Swift will have the support of Ian Boswell, Philip Deignan, Nathan Earle, David Lopez, Lars Petter Nordhaug, Salvatore Puccio and Chris Sutton.

Team Sky also has riders in action at the Tour de Romandie with Chris Froome and Geraint Thomas, while others are preparing for next week’s Giro d’Italia. Richie Porte will lead Team Sky at the Giro d’Italia, with Lopez and Puccio expected to support Australian in Italy after riding the Tour de Yorkshire.

The three-day Tour de Yorkshire (May 1-3) is organised by Tour de France organiser ASO and is the legacy event of the 2014 Tour de France Grand Depart.

The race offers Team Sky a rare chance to race on British roads, with Swift facing competition in the sprints from Marcel Kittel (Giant-Alpecin) who is returning to racing after a virus, Barry Markus (LottoNL-Jumbo), Matteo Pelucchi (IAM Cycling) and Gerald Ciolek (MTN-Qhubeka). Also in action will be Greg Van Avermaet (BMC) and Thomas Voeckler (Europcar).

Swift struggled in the recent Tour of Basque Country but won a stage and finished second overall in the Coppi e Bartali stage race. Immediately after the Tour de Yorkshire, Swift will travel to the USA for the Tour of California.

The initial stage between Bridlington and Scarborough has been billed as one for the sprinters. However, the sharp drops and climbs on the North Yorkshire Moors and the very exposed coast road between Whitby and the finish on Scarborough's Marine Drive could well bring the GC contenders to the fore. Day two between Selby and York suits Kittel much more. The climbs on the Yorkshire Wolds come too far from the finish to have a significant impact, leaving plenty of time for Giant-Alpecin to chase down any escapees before entering the finishing circuit in York.

You can read more at Cyclingnews.com

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Gallery: The Giro d'Italia and the Passo del Mortirolo

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The Passo del Mortirolo returns to the Giro d'Italia this year and is again expected to be one of the decisive moments of the Corsa Rosa and play a significant role in deciding who goes on to win the maglia rosa in Milan.

This year the Giro d’Italia climbs the Mortirolo from the traditional Mazzo di Valtellina side. The 11.8km climb is one of the toughest and steepest used in professional races. It has an average gradient of 10.9%. Several sectors are at 18%, with a six-kilometre middle sector climbing at a painful 12.2%.

The Mortirolo has quickly become one o the iconic climbs of the Giro d’Italia, alongside the Passo dello Stelvio, the Passo Gavia and the stunning climbs of the Dolomites.

It first featured in the Giro d’Italia in 1990. Leonardo Sierra had the honour of being the first rider over the summit on the way to winning that day’s stage. The climb also featured in the Giro d’Italia in 1991 with Franco Chioccioli replicating Sierra as the first rider over the climb and the stage winner. The Italian also claimed the overall victory.

Marco Pantani conquered the Mortirolo in 1994 as he first showed his climbing ability in a Grand Tour. He dropped race leader Evgeni Berzin and Miguel Indurain to win in Aprica and secure second overall ahead of the Spaniard.

In remembrance of Pantani, the first rider over the Mortirolo receives the special Cima Pantani prize. A monument to remember Pantani was also erected on the Mazzo di Valtellina side of the climb in 2006.

You can read more at Cyclingnews.com

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Rebellin extends lead, Modolo notches first win of year in Turkey

Bell Super 2R vs MET Parachute helmets

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The fast-paced world of enduro racing is evolving, with bigger tracks, faster riders and more rules and regulations. Mirroring the rise of enduro racing is the growth in the numbers of riders hitting their local trails on more and more capable bikes.

For those looking for more protection, full-face lids make a lot of sense, but if you pedal all day, how do you balance protection and breathability? MET and Bell are two lid manufacturers looking for that answer. Weâ€™ve taken them head to head to find out which should receive your well-earned cash.

Bell Super 2R

Price: Â£150 / US$200 / AU$299 (standard); Â£175 / US$220 / AU$329 (MIPS)
Removable, ventilated chin guard
Secures via three clasps offering plenty of rigidity
Same upper as the well-regarded Bell Super
MIPs anti-rotation protection
Adjustable visor, cheek pads and GoPro mounting options

MET Parachute

Â£170 / US$N/A / AU$279
Lightweight, well ventilated full face construction
Meets full ASTM safety standard for full-face lids
Double-D buckle chin strap
Adjustable cheek pads and goggle clip

On the (full) face of it, both helmets offer the same level of protection, but each has distinct features. The MET Parachute complies with the ASTM safety standard thatâ€™s required of full-face helmets â€“ this is the same benchmark that your Troy Lee D3 Carbon complies to. While the removable chin guard of the Bell Super 2R will undoubtedly offer some extra protection in the event of a faceplant, it doesnâ€™t meet this standard.

Turning to the upper, there are two versions of the Bell â€“ standard and MIPS. The standard option has the usual EPS in-moulded construction weâ€™re used to seeing on the majority of helmets. The addition of MIPS gives the brain protection against rotational forces found when the helmet suffers an angled impact, and Bell has also added the ICEdot emergency identification tag to its lids. MET, meanwhile, has gone with the standard EPS/in-moulded construction, with the addition of a 'Homothetic Embedded Skeleton', purportedly to help spread impact force.

Winner: draw

Bell and MET each have well established and developed retention systems for their helmets. Bellâ€™s TAG fit system offers a decent level of adjustment thatâ€™s easy to use with gloves on thanks to the rubber finish of the adjustment wheel. The Parachute has a more exposed, but smaller wheel, but the Safe-T Advanced adjustment system feels like it encloses the head better, with changes in tightness being more noticeable all around the head.

You can read more at BikeRadar.com

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Skratch Labs releases chewable ‘Fruit Drops’

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Skratch Labs has just announced the release of its new energy chews. Following the same vein as the infamous Secret Drink Mix (SDM), the fruit chews are all natural and designed to keep your gut happy out riding.

Based off the basic recipe for a gumdrop (a popular type of chewable candy), like the SDM, the Fruit Drops are a watered down version as to not overload your body with carbohydrates.

â€œWe made our Fruit Drops less sweet by adding slightly more water. This makes our fruit drop softer, less sticky, easier to chew, and more palatable.â€ Dr. Lim said in a lengthy blog on the Skratch Labs website.

â€œGram for gram, this also makes our fruit drop about 15% less sweet or energy dense than competing energy chews. Although this reduces the total calories per bite, it makes eating more fruit drops easier on the palate and gut, which improves oneâ€™s ability to stay fueled over the long haul,â€ Dr. Lim continued.

Each 16 calorie drop contains a specific ratio of sugars (glucose and fructose) and electrolytes (sodium), without any of the extra colouring agents, emulsifiers, preservatives, and flavoring agents often found in other energy chews.

Available through the Skratch Labs website, the Fruit Drops retail for US$2.45 per 50g bag or US$24.50 for a box of ten bags. The Fruit Drops will land in Australia later this year. Australian pricing, along with UK availability is TBC.

You can read more at BikeRadar.com

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How to get the most from your training camp

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With the chance to live like a pro cyclist and clock up some sunny miles, itâ€™s no wonder so many of us are jetting away for training camps. Whatever your ambitions, cycling camps can kick start your cycling season with all your needs catered for, beautiful roads to ride on and plenty of expert advice. If you're about to join a camp, a little preparation goes a long way.

BikeRadar joined new women's cycling team the Crankettes on their inaugural team camp to pick up some top tips for getting the most out of your week in the sun.

Pre-camp preparation

A little planning will start things off on the right foot. Set clear goals and match your cycling plans to your aims. If youâ€™re using the camp to train for hilly sportives or gran fondos then head to the mountains. Battle the offshore breeze along the coast if youâ€™re planning to do a flat, windy road race.

Hit the camp as if itâ€™s a big training week. Have a rest three weeks out, and then gradually build up the duration or intensity of your riding over the two weeks beforehand.

Try to ride long miles on two consecutive days in your preparation, or your legs and buttocks won't know whatâ€™s hit them! (On that note; pack a lot of chamois cream.)

Your bike is your ally, so treat it to a service before you fly out. Halfway down the epic descent of the Sa Calobra is not the ideal place to find out your brake cables are worn! You also donâ€™t want to realise just before lift off that the handlebars wonâ€™t squeeze into your bike box, so check that your bike fits in plenty of time, and learn how to pack it to keep it safe and secure.

What to expect at cycle camp

Back at home

You can read more at BikeRadar.com

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