Danny van Poppel wins Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana opener

http://ift.tt/2GAn9DV

Danny van Poppel sprinted to victory on the opening stage of the Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana to get his 2018 season off to a flying start with his new team LottoNL-Jumbo.

The Dutchman, who moved from Team Sky in the off-season, beat Luka Mezgec (Mitchelton-Scott) to the line in Peñiscola, with Jurgen Roelandts (BMC Racing) finishing a more distant third.

Van Poppel's new teammates shouldered more than their fair share of responsibility on the largely flat 191km stage, helping to catch the day's breakaway before amassing at the front of the peloton in the closing kilometres.

ADVERTISEMENT

They had to burn a couple of extra matches when a crash involving EF-Drapac’s Sacha Modolo and Tom Van Asbroeck caused a split and left Team Sky's Gianni Moscon out front with a small margin in the last couple of kilometres. Moscon went all in but was caught with several hundred metres to go, leaving LottoNL's final lead-out man with just a few more pedal strokes before letting Van Poppel emerge from the slipstream.

When he did, he produced a powerful surge to which only Mezgec – Mitchelton-Scott's chosen sprinter here as Matteo Trentin returns from injury – could respond. The Slovenian champion came back towards the line but never looked like overhauling Van Poppel.

Behind them, Roelandts held on for third place on his BMC debut, just ahead of Dan McLay, who was making up considerable ground having started his sprint some way back on his own debut for EF-Drapac.

How it unfolded

You can read more at Cyclingnews.com

via Cyclingnews Latest Race Results http://www.cyclingnews.com/races/volta-a-la-comunitat-valenciana-2018/stage-1/results

Etoile de Besseges: Sarreau wins stage 1

http://ift.tt/2GAn9DV

Marc Sarreau (FDJ) won stage 1 of Étoile de Bessèges, beating Thomas Boudat (Direct Energie) and Bryan Coquard (Vital Concept) in a bunch finish in Beaucaire.

Coquard’s Vital Concept team was very active through the day in helping to set up the mass finish, but the Frenchman suffered a mechanical problem on the finishing circuit. Although he managed to chase back on through the race convoy, Coquard paid for that effort in the finishing sprint, and had to settle for third place.

Christophe Laporte (Cofidis) took fourth ahead of Sean De Bie (Veranda’s Willems-Crelan), but the day belonged to the 24-year-old Sarreau, who produced a well-timed effort to fend off the challenges of Boudat and Coquard.

ADVERTISEMENT

The opening day of the first stage race of the French calendar was marked by a three-man break featuring Michel Dieleman (Cibel-Cebon), Artiz Bagües (Euskadi Basque Country-Murias) and Milan Menten (Sport Vlaanderen-Baloise), who escaped in the first two kilometres of racing.

In temperatures of nine degrees and beneath slate grey skies, the trio built up a maximum advantage of 3:35 before the sprinters’ teams began to keep closer tabs on their buffer.

By the final 60 kilometres, the gap had been pared down to a very manageable two minutes, and it dropped still further on the second of two ascents of the Côte de la Tour, where Menten secured a stint in the king of the mountains jersey and Bagües briefly betrayed signs of suffering before latching back on over the summit.

You can read more at Cyclingnews.com

via Cyclingnews Latest Race Results http://www.cyclingnews.com/races/etoile-de-bessges-2018/stage-1/results

Herald Sun Tour: Clancy wins prologue

http://ift.tt/2GAn9DV

Ed Clancy (JLT Condor) has started his 2018 season with a bang, clocking an average speed over 50km/h to win the Herald Sun Tour prologue in Melbourne.

On the 1.6 kilometre course, Clancy’s time of 1:54 minutes was just under a second quicker than Danish duo of Mads Pedersen (Trek-Segafredo) and Lasse Norman Hansen (Aqua Blue Sport).

A three-time Olympic gold medallist and five-time world champion on the track, the win is Clancy's first professional victory on the road. The shortening of the prologue from previous years played very much to his strengths.

ADVERTISEMENT

The 10th starter of 101 riders, Clancy endured a long but ultimately successful wait in the hot seat. For JLT Condor, the start of the Herald Sun Tour has yielded podiums, but until Wednesday evening no victories.

Clancy will now wear the leader's yellow jersey in the first of four road stages, with the peloton heading west from Colac along the Great Ocean Road to Warrnambool. The possibilities of crosswinds are sure to result in a nervous day for Clancy and JLT Condor.

"This is the biggest thing I have won on the road. It is unusual for a stage race of this calibre to start off with such a short prologue. It suits the track with my physical assets," Clancy said.

You can read more at Cyclingnews.com

via Cyclingnews Latest Race Results http://www.cyclingnews.com/races/jayco-herald-sun-tour-2018/prologue/results

Chapman wins Women's Herald Sun Tour

http://ift.tt/2GAn9DV

Brodie Chapman sealed overall Women's Herald Sun Tour victory Wednesday evening, holding off world time trial champion Annemiek van Vleuten in the 1.6km race against the clock. The stage was won by van Vleuten with Chapman in 17th place.

"To wear it makes me proud and it does remind me of winning and being world champion. To win in the world champion in Australia makes me really proud," van Vlueten said of winning, tipping her hat to Chapman as a "smart" and "strong" rider deserving of victory.

Chapman, 26, built her overall win with solo victory on stage 1 into Healesville with her 12-second advantage over van Vleuten enough time to pull off the upset result of the summer. Despite clawing back time Chapman, van Vleuten was forced to settle for second place on the general classification by five seconds. Chloe Hosking held onto her third place overall on the podium at 1:03 minutes to Chapman.

ADVERTISEMENT

"It does feel really good and I am glad I could pull it off for the team in the end of the day," said Chapman. "It would have been optimistic to really hold her off that much. She is the world time trial champion. My prerogative was to keep it tidy, and stay safe which is what I did.

"I am always nervous before a race because I care about it, you just have to use that nervous energy to pull it into the race. I also don't want to be serious so that it stresses me out."

Of the 81 starters to take to the course, Libby Arbuckle was the first to roll out. The New Zealander briefly slotting into the hot seat before Rachele Barbieri (Wiggle-High5) took over with a 2:15 minute ride. Annette Edmondson quickly disposing her teammate by two seconds and moving into the lead. A stirring ride one day ahead of track nationals for the South Australian and continuation of her good road form over January.

You can read more at Cyclingnews.com

via Cyclingnews Latest Race Results http://www.cyclingnews.com/races/womens-herald-sun-tour-2018/stage-2/results

Momentous Women's Herald Sun Tour victory for Chapman

http://ift.tt/2GyZZxs

World time trial champion Annemiek van Vleuten might have closed the inaugural Women's Herald Sun Tour by winning the second and final stage in her rainbow jersey, but the overall victory went to a previously unheralded Australian Brodie Chapman, racing for the national team.

As a race, the Sun Tour has always been one for providing opportunities to young and upcoming Australian talent and it is a philosophy now shared by both races. Chapman's stage 1 win and overall triumph is a testament to the faith and trust placed in local riders to animate the race. Chapman's short career thus far has been one of highs and lows, spread across multiple disciplines and full-time work, but has now been punctuated by a historic win.

The stage 2 time trial was just 1.6 kilometres on a stretch of road Chapman knows well, adjacent to the Yarra River in Melbourne. At that length, her 12-second advantage over Van Vleuten was logically too large a margin even for a world champion to chase down, and would ultimately prove so with Chapman doing more than enough to hold on for a momentous victory.

ADVERTISEMENT

"It does feel really good and I am glad I could pull it off for the team," said Chapman. "It would have been optimistic to really hold her off that much. She is the world time trial champion. My prerogative was to keep it tidy and stay safe which is what I did.

"There was a confidence that I could maintain that gap, some of that gap. I was nervous that I might be too cocky in the corners but I held it back a little bit just to make to the finish line.

"It is very satisfying to have your hard work and mental determination pay off. "

You can read more at Cyclingnews.com

via Cyclingnews Latest News http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/momentous-womens-herald-sun-tour-victory-for-chapman

Blaak announces two-year extension with Boels Dolmans at team presentation - Gallery

http://ift.tt/2GyZZxs

Chantal Blaak, the current road world champion, announced that she has extended with Boels Dolmans for two more years, taking her contract through to the end of 2020. Former world champion Lizzie Deignan also revealed that she will target the UCI Road World Championships in Austria in September, among other bigger races.

The announcements were made while riders were on stage at the team's official presentation, which was shown via a live video feed on the team's Facebook page.

Director Danny Stam has also extended with the team for two more years.

ADVERTISEMENT

The full team roster was in attendance at the presentation as Blaak was joined by British road champion Deignan and Luxembourg champion Christine Majerus, Women’s WorldTour winner Anna van der Breggen, Karol-Ann Canuel, Amalie Dideriksen, Megan Guarnier, Amy Pieters, Jip van den Bos, Anna Plichta and Skylar Schneider.

"I'm super excited to be here because it is an excellent opportunity and I want to make the most of it," said newcomer Schneider, who got a call-up to the team after winning a stage at the Lotto Thüringen Ladies Tour in 2017. "I want to learn everything I can and help the team."

Schneider's compatriot Guarnier said that she is hoping to have a better season after recovering from injuries last February and again at the World Championships in September. "I started with a concussion and ended with a broken jaw," said Guarnier, who hopes to do well in the spring Classics and the Giro Rosa this year. "There was success in there. The team supported me and they were there for me. It was a good feeling - a family on the bike."

You can read more at Cyclingnews.com

via Cyclingnews Latest News http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/blaak-announces-two-year-extension-with-boels-dolmans-at-team-presentation-gallery

Silber Pro Cycling continue developing young Canadian talent

http://ift.tt/2GyZZxs

Canadian Continental team Silber Pro Cycling, known for developing young riders and graduating them to the higher ranks, have once again assembled a competitive team to race the UCI America Tour. The 14-rider team, directed by former racer Gord Fraser, added four new recruits and support five current Canadian national champions including junior road champion Charles-Étienne Chrétien and junior time trial champion Graydon Staples.

"I feel very fortunate to direct Silber Pro Cycling going into its fifth year as a UCI Continental team," Fraser said. "We have positioned ourselves as a top North American competitor while providing the very best Canadian talent a pathway to grow and achieve their dreams in cycling."

Chrétien and Staples will be joined by returning riders, compatriots Marc-André Soucy (under-23 road champion), Adam Roberge (under-23 time trial champion), and Pier-André Côté (elite men's criterium champion).

ADVERTISEMENT

Also new to the team are Adam Jamieson, who spent three years in Europe and the 2017 season with An Post Chain Reaction. He is also a member of Canada's men's Team Pursuit squad. He will be competing on the track at the Commonwealth Games in April in Australia and will start his road season in June at the Tour de Beauce.

Travis Samuel joins the team after spending three years with H&R Block. He had one of his best seasons finishing fifth at the GPC de Saguenay and ninth overall at Cascade Cycling Classic. He was also tenth at the Tour of Taihu Lake.

The 2018 roster also includes returning riders Ryan Roth, who provides a leadership role to the younger riders on the team. The team will also look for leadership from Emile Jean, who signed on again for 2018 after last year’s stage wins at the GPC de Saguenay, part the UCI America Tour.

You can read more at Cyclingnews.com

via Cyclingnews Latest News http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/silber-pro-cycling-continue-developing-young-canadian-talent

24 teams named for Women's Tour of Flanders

http://ift.tt/2GyZZxs

Coryn Rivera's Team Sunweb are among the 24 teams confirmed for the 15th edition of the Women's Tour of Flanders. Rivera was the surprise victor at last year's race when the climbers failed to shake her in a fast finish into Oudenaarde. It was her second WorldTour victory of last spring after she won the Trofeo Alfredo Binda just a few weeks earlier.

The 24 teams is a reduction from the 28 that contested last year's event, matching the men's race in reducing the size of the peloton. As well as Team Sunweb, the line-up includes the squads of several other past champions with Lizzie Deignan's Boels Dolmans and Elisa Longo Borghini's Wiggle-High5 also set to be on the start line over the Easter weekend, along with Marianne Vos' Waowdeals.

Three Belgian teams have made the cut for De Ronde with Lotto-Soudal their headline squad. The newly named Experza-Footlogix squad has earned an invitation along with the Doltcini-Van Eyck Sport team. Parkhotel completes the Netherlands' offering of teams while Italy has a strong representation with Ale Cipollini, Aromitalia-Vaiano, Valcar PBM, Astana and BePink headed to the race.

ADVERTISEMENT

Mitchelton-Scott, that won with Judith Arndt in their debut season in 2012, will be there as will FDJ Nouvelle Aquitaine Futuroscope. Canyon-SRAM, Cervelo-Bigla, Cylance and the nascent Movistar women's team will be expected to mix things up in the race, while Team Virtu Cycling Women, Hitec, Trek-Drops, Team Tibco-Silicon Valley Bank and BTC City Ljubljana complete the list of 24 teams.

The 2018 women's Tour of Flanders will take place on April 1, starting and finishing in Oudenaard.

Teams for the elite women's Tour of Flanders: Alé Cipollini, Valcar PBM, Bepink, Aromitalia Vaiano, Astana Women's Team, Sunweb, Waowdeals, Boels Dolmans, Parkhotel Valkenburg, Lotto Soudal Ladies, Experza-Footlogix, Doltcini - Van Eyck, Cylance, Team Tibco, Wiggle High5, Trek-Drops, Cervelo-Bigla, Virtu Cycling, Movistar, Mitchelton-Scott, Canyon-SRAM, FDJ Nouvelle Aquitaine Futuroscope, Hitec, BTC City Ljubljana.

You can read more at Cyclingnews.com

via Cyclingnews Latest News http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/24-teams-named-for-womens-tour-of-flanders

'No pressure' for Ferrand-Prevot at Cyclo-cross World Championships

http://ift.tt/2GyZZxs

Pauline Ferrand-Prévot confirmed Wednesday that she will line up for the elite women's UCI Cyclo-cross World Championships in Valkenburg, Netherlands, on Saturday, despite a heavy fall in last weekend’s World Cup in Hoogerheide. The former world champion, who took a two-year hiatus from cyclo-cross, says that she feels no pressure heading into the race.

"Even if I had broken my ribs I think that I still would have tried to race on Saturday," Ferrand-Prévot said.

Ferrand-Prévot crashed with Jolanda Neff last Sunday and was taken to hospital. She was later cleared and released with no major injuries. Neff sustained a broken elbow and collarbone, and has been forced to sit out of the championship event.

ADVERTISEMENT

Ferrand-Prévot is one of the favourites to win the world title again, even though this is her first season racing cyclo-cross since taking a two-year break from the discipline, citing injury and burn-out.

"I don't want to speak about results. On Saturday I have nothing to lose. I don't have the rainbow jersey to defend. Like I said, I’ve had a nice season so far. I want to do my best, go full gas, not forget anything important, or make any mistakes. I’m in good shape, I have the best support around me and I want to do the maximum race I can do with all of those things."

Before she took time off, Ferrand-Prévot won back-to-back national titles in 2014 and 2015. She went on to win the world title in 2015, and together with her road race world title and the mountain bike world title, she held three rainbow jerseys within 12 months of each other.

You can read more at Cyclingnews.com

via Cyclingnews Latest News http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/no-pressure-for-ferrand-prevot-at-cyclo-cross-world-championships

Peter Sagan rides high in Kuurne-Brussel-Kuurne poster - News Shorts

http://ift.tt/2GyZZxs

World champion Peter Sagan (Bora-Hansgrohe) stars in the poster for the 70th edition of Kuurne-Brussel-Kuurne, not in his traditional cycling kit but dressed in 18th century garb on horseback. The painting, dubbed "Where Legends Conquer" depicts the Slovakian on a white rearing horse atop a cobbled climb "with an outstretched arm, Peter the Conqueror bravely beckons forward: 'First Kuurne, now the world!'," according to the press release.

The art work closely resembles "Napoleon Crossing the Alps" by French painter Jacques-Louis David.

"The painting symbolizes our home-born passion for cycling. Here at the cradle of the classics. And our pride in announcing the 70th anniversary of the race. The painting is the story of ordinary people," the organisers write. "Hundreds of proud volunteers, who passionately organize a legendary race. Against all odds, often in harsh circumstances, but always with unrelenting willpower. Our team and our unpredictable race embody all of these extraordinary qualities.

ADVERTISEMENT

"It's the race where multiple disciplines clash. Where the early form is demonstrated. Where sprinter teams desperately try to hold the leash. Where classic riders are always a threat. And where the weather can easily turn the contest into hell on earth. It's the race where only legends conquer."

Sagan won the 2017 edition of the race, besting Jasper Stuyven and Luke Rowe from a five-man breakaway.

Zurlo injured in crash with car

Israel Cycling Academy and Aqua Blue Sport secure Amstel Gold wild card invitations

63km of dirt roads in 2018 Strade Bianche men's route, women face 31.4km  

You can read more at Cyclingnews.com

via Cyclingnews Latest News http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/peter-sagan-rides-high-in-kuurne-brussel-kuurne-poster-news-shorts

Vuelta a Costa Rica winner among 12 riders to test positive in 2017 edition

http://ift.tt/2GyZZxs

The UCI announced Wednesday that 12 riders were notified of an Adverse Analytical Finding (AAF) for samples collected on December 22, 2017 during the Vuelta Ciclista Internacional a Costa Rica.

"In accordance with UCI Anti-Doping Rules, the riders have been provisionally suspended until the adjudication of the matter,” read a statement from the UCI.

The list of riders include overall race winner Juan Carlos Rojas Villalegas, third-place finisher Cesar Andres Rojas Villalegas, Jewinson Leandro Varela Zuniga, stage 4 winner Vladimir Fernandez Torres, Jose Alexis Rodriquez Villalobos, Jason Huertas Araya, Jose Irias, Gabriel Eduardo Marin Sanchez, leader after stage 2 Melvin Mora Garita, Kevin Murillo Solano and Jordy Sandoval.

ADVERTISEMENT

All were notified of an AAF of the third-generation blood booster EPO-CERA, except Jeancarlo Padilla, who was notified of an AAF of EPO. Both CERA and EPO are classified as "Peptide Hormones, Growth Factors, Related Substances and Mimetics" as per the World Anti-Doping Prohibited List.

Each rider has the opportunity to request and attend the analysis of the B sample.

According to a statement from the UCI, they were intelligence-led doping controls that were planned and carried out by the Cycling Anti-Doping Foundation (CADF), the independent body in charge of defining and implementing the anti-doping strategy in cycling.

You can read more at Cyclingnews.com

via Cyclingnews Latest News http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/vuelta-a-costa-rica-winner-among-12-riders-to-test-positive-in-2017-edition

Pinot confirms 2018 Giro d'Italia participation

http://ift.tt/2GyZZxs

Thibaut Pinot (FDJ) has confirmed that he will return to the Giro d’Italia in 2018 before tackling the Tour de France. It will mark the second year in succession that Pinot will tackle both the Giro and Tour, although he will follow a lighter race programme in the early part of 2018 in a bid to ensure that he is competitive in each Grand Tour.

Pinot enjoyed a fine Giro debut in 2017, placing 4th overall and winning the penultimate stage in Asiago, but he paid a price at the Tour for his efforts in Italy in May. The Frenchman began the Tour targeting stage victory rather than a high overall finish, but he was hampered by fatigue and illness, and abandoned in the final week.

Despite Pinot’s affinity for Italian racing in general and the Giro in particular, it initially seemed that he would be forced to miss the corsa rosa in 2018 in order to focus on the Tour. With a gap of six weeks rather than the usual five between the end of the Giro and the start of the Tour in 2018, however, Pinot has decided to tackle both races once again this year. Speaking at the presentation of FDJ’s new title sponsor Groupama in Paris on Wednesday, Pinot explained that he will race fewer days in the early months of the season in order to arrive fresh at the Giro and Tour.

ADVERTISEMENT

“I’ll have a lighter programme at the start of the year, and there’ll be an extra week between the two races,” Pinot said, according to AFP. “It’s a gamble and I hope that it pays off. At the end of the July, I didn’t believe it would be feasible at all. But after having a break, we discussed it and analysed a lot of things. My desire was to do the Giro and the Tour, so it was complicated to have to choose between the two.”

Pinot has a strong record in Italian races dating back to his overall victory at the Giro della Valle d’Aosta as an amateur in 2009. After turning professional with FDJ, he proceeded to win the Settimana Lombarda in 2011, and has since shone at Il Lombardia, where he placed third in 2015 and 5th last year, and Tirreno-Adriatico, where he finished third in 2017.

Pinot remained in contention for overall victory right up to the 2017 Giro’s concluding time trial in Milan, and he made no secret of his objective of finishing on the final podium in Rome this time out.

You can read more at Cyclingnews.com

via Cyclingnews Latest News http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/pinot-confirms-2018-giro-ditalia-participation

Attention to detail pays dividends for Clancy in Herald Sun Tour

http://ift.tt/2GyZZxs

Google Maps research and an extensive recon of the Herald Sun Tour prologue course on the banks of the Yarra River proved extremely valuable for Ed Clancy. A triple Olympic gold medalist on the track, Clancy's preparation was vital in his win by seven-hundredths of a second over Mads Pedersen. It was Clancy's first professional win on the road, and with it, a debut race leader's jersey.

With the race decided by less than a second, Clancy's research of the adjusted parcours, which was reduced this year to 1.6 kilometers from 2.1 in 2017, proved to be the winning edge.

"I spent a lot of time thinking about it, looking at it on Google maps because I have never done this course before, trying to suss out the corners and road surface and so on," Clancy explained. "I just broke it down into three parts. There was easy time to be made off the line. There was easy time to be made accelerating in that first left-hander, assuming you don't crash around it either. Then I figured it being moderately technical around the footpath that as long as you commit and hope for the best, it would be much of a muchness around there. Then it just comes down to a drag race in the last five hundred metres. In the last five hundred metres, it felt like I was pedalling in sand. Speaking to a few other guys, it was the same story. It worked out and it was a tense hour but I am dead happy."

ADVERTISEMENT

Clancy's time in the hot seat was equivalent to over 50 of his race-winning rides but well worth the wait. The course recon and time on google maps made the difference.

“I am absolutely buzzing honestly. I am used to riding on the track with Team GB and you try to keep it fresh but there is this sort of expectation to go out there and get world medals and Olympic medals," he said. "You almost become accustomed to it even after a decade. On the road, this is still new to me. This is big for a guy like me and perhaps as big as it is going to get. I am over the moon and I can't wait to ride around in the yellow jersey tomorrow. I think everyone here knows what I am about and no one is expecting me to take on Chaves on stage 3, so I am going to enjoy my day in yellow."

Of his team pursuit Olympic medal-winning teammates, the Barnsley born Clancy hasn't pursued a road career in the same manner of Bradley Wiggins, Geraint Thomas or Peter Kennaugh. Clancy now has a yellow jersey to match Wiggins' from the 2009 Herald Sun Tour, a year after the duo's gold medal in Beijing, but at 32 Clancy isn't considering a late discipline change.

You can read more at Cyclingnews.com

via Cyclingnews Latest News http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/attention-to-detail-pays-dividends-for-clancy-in-herald-sun-tour

Lance Armstrong invited to Pantani Gran Fondo to celebrate 1998 Giro-Tour double

http://ift.tt/2GyZZxs

Lance Armstrong has been invited to the Marco Pantani memorial Gran Fondo ride to celebrate the 20th anniversary of Pantani's Giro d'Italia-Tour de France double victory and perhaps reconcile with Pantani's family.

According to La Gazzetta dello Sport, Alberto Contador, Jan Ullrich, Pavel Tonkov and Miguel Indurain have also been invited to take part in a 'Champions Ride' on the day before the Gran Fondo, with the organisers also hoping Bradley Wiggins will ride.

Armstrong and Pantani often clashed in races and via the media but, according to La Gazzetta dello Sport, Pantani's mother is now keen to meet Armstrong, with the Gran Fondo suggested as the right place for reconciliation.

ADVERTISEMENT

Armstrong was gradually returning to racing from testicular cancer when Pantani won the Giro-Tour double in 1998, and the Texan then won the 1999 Tour de France as Pantani was fighting to clear his name following his disqualification from that year's Giro for returning a high haematocrit in a blood test on the penultimate day. In 2000, the two clashed at the Tour and fell out very publicly after Armstrong apparently eased up to let Pantani win on Mount Ventoux.

Their different characters and backgrounds, as well as the lack of a common language, meant that their feud was never resolved before Pantani died from a cocaine overdose in 2004.

Armstrong was banned for life after an investigation by the United States Anti-Doping Agency and so cannot attend UCI races in an official capacity. He has been invited to speak at a pre-Tour of Flanders event this spring and is likely be at the race as a guest despite a protest from new UCI president David Lappartient.

Basso, Ullrich, Contador and Cipollini also invited

You can read more at Cyclingnews.com

via Cyclingnews Latest News http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/lance-armstrong-invited-to-pantani-gran-fondo-to-celebrate-1998-giro-tour-double

Bakelants 1cm shorter after Il Lombardia crash

http://ift.tt/2GyZZxs

Jan Bakelants has revealed that he is one centimetre shorter in height as a result of his dramatic crash at last year's Il Lombardia. 

The Belgian broke four vertebrae, along with seven ribs, when he flipped over the roadside barrier and into a ravine on the descent of the Muro di Sormano in the late-season Classic in October. 

The nature of the injuries placed question marks over Bakelants' future as a professional cyclist, but surgery and the subsequent rehabilitation have gone as well as could have been hoped, and he has been able to go out on his bike since the turn of the year. 

ADVERTISEMENT

With plans now in place to make his racing comeback this spring, Bakelants paid a visit to Energy Lab in Belgium for a bike fitting on Wednesday, and discovered the unexpected side effect. 

"Since my crash I felt my old position wasn’t doing the trick any longer. As it turned out I got 1cm shorter due to the multiple fractures," Bakelants wrote on his social media. 

If all goes to plan, Bakelants will make his return to racing at the Volta a Catalunya in late March. At that point he would likely still have titanium rods in his back, which are due to be removed in April, but he is keen to come back as soon as possible in the hope of earning a place in AG2R La Mondiale's squad for the Tour de France in July. 

You can read more at Cyclingnews.com

via Cyclingnews Latest News http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/bakelants-1cm-shorter-after-il-lombardia-crash

2018 Tour of Flanders wild cards announced

http://ift.tt/2GyZZxs

The seven wild cards for the 2018 Tour of Flanders have been announced, with Direct Energie and Wilier Triestina-Selle Italia the most notable teams to miss out on selection for the race, which takes place on April 1.

Flanders Classics announced the seven invited Pro Continental teams on Tuesday evening. The Belgian squads Sport Vlaanderen-Baloise, Wanty Group-Gobert, Veranda's Willems-Crelan and WB Aqua Protect Veranclassic have been selected, together with French teams Cofidis and Vital Concept, and Dutch outfit Roompot-NL Loterij.

The wild cards will join the 18 WorldTour teams who are automatically invited to the Ronde. There will be 25 fewer riders in the Tour of Flanders peloton this year due to the UCI’s decision to reduce team sizes in the Classics from eight riders to seven.

ADVERTISEMENT

Vincenzo Nibali (Bahrain-Merida) has announced his intention to ride the Tour of Flanders this year, along with Michal Kwiatkowski (Team Sky), while defending champion Philippe Gilbert (Quick-Step Floors), world champion Peter Sagan (Bora-Hansgrohe) and Olympic champion Greg Van Avermaet (BMC Racing) will also be on the start line in Antwerp.

Flanders Classics' decision not to invite Direct Energie and Wilier means that two previous podium finishers at the Ronde will be absent from this year's race. Direct Energie's Sylvain Chavanel was pipped to the line by Nick Nuyens in a three-up sprint in 2011, while Wilier's Filippo Pozzato lost out to Tom Boonen in similar circumstances 12 months later. Pozzato’s Wilier team has already been overlooked for a wild card for this year’s Paris-Roubaix.

Pozzato and Chavanel have remained competitive at the Tour of Flanders in recent seasons, albeit not among the top rank of contenders. In 2017, they placed 8th and 9th, respectively, in a race won by Gilbert.

You can read more at Cyclingnews.com

via Cyclingnews Latest News http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/2018-tour-of-flanders-wild-cards-announced

Groupama-FDJ reveal new colours

http://ift.tt/2GyZZxs

The FDJ team have unveiled their new Groupama-FDJ colours during a special team presentation in Paris, where it was confirmed that Thibaut Pinot will ride the Giro d’Italia before also going on to target the Tour de France.

Groupama will become the lead title sponsor, with French newspaper L'Equipe estimating that the team's budget will rise to somewhere in the region of €16 to 20 million per year, which would surpass that of AG2R La Mondiale, the only other French WorldTour team.

The partnership will come into come into full effect in March when the riders race in the new kit for the first time at Paris-Nice.

ADVERTISEMENT

FDJ also confirmed that the women’s FDJ-Nouvelle Aquitaine-Futuroscope team will continue until at least 2020, with a doubling of the team budget.

While the FDJ kit consists of blue and white, the new Groupama-FDJ kit includes more red, clearly matching the blue, white and red of the French flag.

The front of the jersey is white to show off the Groupama and FDJ logos, with sets of stripes on the hips giving a modern look. One sleeve is blue and the other red, while the shorts are blue, with white inserts and red edgings.

Team manager Mark Madiot believes that national champions’ jerseys should not carry any sponsorship logo and so French national champion Arnaud Demare has a plain blue, white and red kit, while Dutch national champion Ramon Sinkeldam has the same colours in an inverse pattern.

— Groupe Groupama (@GroupeGroupama) January 31, 2018

You can read more at Cyclingnews.com

via Cyclingnews Latest News http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/groupama-fdj-reveal-new-colours

2018 Herald Sun Tour prologue start times

http://ift.tt/2GyZZxs

2017 Herald Sun Tour champion Damien Howson (Mitchelton-Scott) will start his title defence at 6:17:15pm in the 1.6-kilometre prologue to kick off the final race of the Australian summer.

Howson will be the 43rd of 102 starters with 45 seconds to separate each rider. Australian national road race champion Alex Edmondson (Mitchelton-Scott) is the last rider to start at 7:01:30pm.

The opening prologue course starts in Alexandra Gardens on the south bank of the Yarra River with riders following the Capital City Trail to the finish at Queensbridge Square. Although the start of the prologue has been adjusted from previous years, the fast finish remains unchanged.

ADVERTISEMENT

The first rider to start will be Reece Tucknott of the KordaMentha Real Estate - Australia team at 5:45:45pm. Early riders to watch who are favoured to place well at the conclusion of the stage in include Joseph Cooper (Bennelong SwissWellness), and Edward Clancy (JLT Condor). However, the likes of Lasse Norman Hansen (Aqua Blue Sport), Michael Hepburn (Mitchelton-Scott), Callum Scotson (KordaMentha Real Estate - Australia), Anthony Giacoppo (Bennelong SwissWellness) and Alex Frame (Trek-Segafredo) are all late starters and expected to post times capable of taking a win.

For the GC riders, the time of Esteban Chaves (Mitchelton-Scott) at 6:06pm will be one to watch with the Colombian aiming to get an early advantage before the four road stages. 

 

You can read more at Cyclingnews.com

via Cyclingnews Latest News http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/2018-herald-sun-tour-prologue-start-times

Fumiyuki Beppu’s Trek Madone 9 Race Shop Limited – Gallery

http://ift.tt/2DQp6dz

Japanese domestique Fumiyuki Beppu has been racing with Trek-Segafredo (formerly Trek Factory Racing) since the 2014 season. Prior to that he spent his first three years and the subsequent two seasons with Discovery Channel and RadioShack respectively.

To celebrate the Japan Cup one-day race, Trek created this limited edition finish on their top of the line aero frame, the Madone. Beppu’s frameset is one of a limited run of one hundred framesets, exclusively available in Japan.

The predominantly black frame features a grey disruptive pattern design on the inside of the forks, stays and main frame triangle. On the top tube, 'Je sais que je peux' - French for 'I know I can' - sits in white decals, looking deceptively like Japanese calligraphy.

ADVERTISEMENT

For 2018, Trek-Segafredo have switched from SRM power meters to Shimano’s unit, which works seamlessly with the Shimano Dura-Ace R9150 groupset equipped on Beppu’s machine.

Trek’s component wing Bontrager provides the finishing kit for Beppu’s Madone including the Aeolus 5 wheels, XXX bottle cages, Serrano RXL saddle, Pro Blendr stem and Race Light handlebars.

Flick through the gallery above to take a closer look at Beppu’s Trek Madone 9 Race Shop Limited.

You can read more at Cyclingnews.com

via Cyclingnews Latest Interviews and Features http://www.cyclingnews.com/features/fumiyuki-beppus-trek-madone-9-race-shop-limited-gallery

Matthews: Scared of the Classics? No, I'm excited

http://ift.tt/2DQp6dz

When Michael Matthews spoke about his plans for this year's Spring Classics, and his intention to compete on both the cobbles of Flanders and the hills of Limburg and the Ardennes, one was reminded of the advertising campaign a major pizza concern built around the multi-talented American sportsman Deion Sanders in the 1990s.

Sanders was combining careers in professional baseball and American football when he signed with the Dallas Cowboys in 1995, and a commercial trading on his dexterity was swiftly put together to mark his arrival at the NFL's marquee franchise. The spot shows Sanders locked in tense negotiations with Cowboys owner Jerry Jones at Texas Stadium. "So what's it going to be, Deion? Football or baseball?" Jones asks. Sanders shrugs: "Both, boss."

"Offense or defense?" Jones continues. Sanders, a cornerback with a penchant for cameos as a wide receiver, nonchalantly repeats the previous answer: "Both." When contract talks are interrupted by a pizza delivery, Sanders is offered his choice of bases, and responds with the same punchline: "Both."

ADVERTISEMENT

In truth, Sanders – aka Prime Time, aka Neon Deion – had an outsized public persona more in keeping with the one affected by Peter Sagan, but in terms of sheer athletic versatility, Matthews is perhaps his equivalent in the professional peloton of today.

In an era of increasing specialization, Matthews is firm in his intention to play in both directions over the coming weeks. Last spring saw him test the waters in the cobbled Classics with an assured display in his first Gent-Wevelgem appearance in six years, and then barely a month later, he surpassed all expectations to place fourth at Liège-Bastogne-Liège. At the Tour de France, meanwhile, he was regularly on the offensive in the mountains in search of the intermediate sprint points that eventually yielded the green jersey.

When Matthews sketched out his 2018 schedule with Team Sunweb, the key question was whether to focus on the cobbled Classics or the Ardennes. It didn't take long for him to reach an answer. Both.

Cobbles

From Via Roma to the Côte de Ans

The green and the gold

You can read more at Cyclingnews.com

via Cyclingnews Latest Interviews and Features http://www.cyclingnews.com/features/matthews-scared-of-the-classics-no-im-excited

Women's Herald Sun Tour: Chapman takes upset stage 1 victory

http://ift.tt/2BFqoGj

Brodie Chapman (Australian National Team) upset her bigger name rivals with a solo ride to stage 1 victory in Healesville. The NRS rider with a full-time job is the least well known of the stacked national team at the inaugural edition of the Women's Herald Sun Tour but showed no inhibitions in storming to the win, eight seconds clear of the chasing Annemiek van Vleuten (Mitchelton-Scott Women).

Chloe Hosking led home a reduced peloton of 29 riders in third place, 1:02 minutes in arrears to Chapman. The bonus seconds on the line and at intermediate sprint points helping the Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race winner into third place on GC.

"It is so good – victory tastes so sweet," said Chapman. "I had a rough 2017, and have been trying to get back on the bike and do something satisfying. Today was that day. A huge thanks to the KordaMentha Real Estate – Australia national team for giving me a go, my employer for giving me days off work, and everyone in the team who were so good to me today."

ADVERTISEMENT

Chapman, 26, will take narrow 12 second lead into the second final stage of the race, 1.6-kilometre races against the clock in Melbourne. World time trial champion van Vleuten in second place overall is sure to challenge for the overall win.

The overall is likely to be decided between Chapman and van Vleuten but the podium remains wide open. Australian time trial champion Katrin Garfoot in fourth place one rider capable of causing a final day upset. 

Second place for van Vleuten allows the Dutchwoman the opportunity to debut her rainbow stripes with stage victory front of mind.

You can read more at Cyclingnews.com

via Cyclingnews Latest Race Results http://www.cyclingnews.com/races/womens-herald-sun-tour-2018/stage-1/results

Marcotte and McCabe together again on UnitedHealthcare

http://ift.tt/2DZwlD1

The band is back together. Eric Marcotte and Travis McCabe, the formidable duo of Arizona racers who finished first and second, respectively, in the 2014 USA Cycling National Championships road race, are back on the same roster this year at the UnitedHealthcare Professional Continental team.

Last week at the Vuelta a San Juan in Argentina, the pair raced together for the first time since the former SmartStop team disbanded after the 2015 season and they went their separate ways – Marcotte to Jamis and then Cylance, McCabe to Holowesko and then UnitedHealthcare last year.

"It's super cool, man, and I'm rooming with him, too," Marcotte told Cyclingnews before the final stage of the Argentinean race on Sunday. “It’s good. He's like a younger brother almost."

ADVERTISEMENT

McCabe, 28, and Marcott, 37, both came up in cycling from the Arizona amateur scene before riding on a national level with the Elbowz elite squad. They both joined SmartStop as trainees at the end of 2013, and then stuck with the squad the next year as it transitioned from a criterium focus to a top domestic stage race and one-day team.

The pair shocked US cycling when they took control of the 2014 US pro road race from a small group and then took the top two spots ahead of Garmin-Sharp’s Alex Howes. But their collaboration ended when SmartStop folded after the 2015 season.

McCabe signed with Unitedhealthcare from Holowesko last year, and Marcotte signed on with UnitedHealthcare for this season after racing with Cylance in 2017. Marcotte also raced for the former Jamis team in 2016, which was directed by UnitedHealthcare's current director Sebastian Alexandre.

Putting a bug in UHC's ear

Hoping to conquer the cobbles

You can read more at Cyclingnews.com

via Cyclingnews Latest News http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/marcotte-and-mccabe-together-again-on-unitedhealthcare

Brajkovic signs with Continental team Adria Mobil Cycling in 2018 - News Shorts

http://ift.tt/2DZwlD1

Janez Brajkovič has signed with the Slovenian Continental team Adria Mobil Cycling for the 2018 season. Brajkovič, 34 years old and from Slovenia, joins the team after spending one season as a domestique for Bahrain Merida.

"I'm happy with my return to a cycling team from Novo Mesto," said Brajkovič, who started his racing career with the team in 2001. “I know I didn’t say the last word in cycling and I'm full of optimism for the future. I had some offers from the other teams, but I choose to sign for Adria Mobil Cycling.

"It's as organized as other teams, has good riders and good racing program that will enable me to progress and prove myself. I want to pay back for everything that the team did in the start of my racing career. There are a lot of young cyclists in the team and I’m sure they can gain from my experiences."

ADVERTISEMENT

Brajkovič joined Adria Mobil, then called Krka Telekom, 17 years ago. After his success in 2004, with a victory in the under-23 time trial at the World Championships, Brajkovič moved on to a professional contract with Discovery Channel.

He spent three seasons with the American team followed by two years with Astana, two with RadioShack and another three seasons with Astana. A decade spent racing with WorldTour teams came to an end in 2015 when Brajkovič signed a two-year deal with the American Professional Continental team UnitedHealthcare but he wound up back on the WorldTour with Bahrain-Merida last year.

His standout results include victories on Critérium du Dauphiné (2010), Tour of Slovenia (2012), Tour de Georgia (2007), and he was ninth overall at the 2012 Tour de France.

Naesen starts season with AG2R La Mondiale in Valencia

Porsev focused on flat stages in Valencia

Canola leads Nippo-Vini Fantini at Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana

You can read more at Cyclingnews.com

via Cyclingnews Latest News http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/brajkovic-signs-with-continental-team-adria-mobil-cycling-in-2018-news-shorts

Tests reveal fractured pelvis and sacrum for De Plus after truck crash

http://ift.tt/2DZwlD1

Laurens De Plus has fractured his pelvis and his sacrum following a training crash in South Africa last week, the Quick-Step Floors team has confirmed. The Belgian team is attempting to bring De Plus back to Europe but he will need to lie down during the flight due to his injuries, making the process somewhat harder.

The team added that De Plus will have to miss his scheduled start to the season due to his injuries.

De Plus was training with his teammates Bob Jungels and Petr Vakoc when they were hit from behind by a passing lorry. Jungels escaped any injury but Vakoc was diagnosed with broken vertebrae and underwent surgery on Friday. He will have to remain in hospital until at least the end of this week.

ADVERTISEMENT

De Plus was initially cleared of any serious injuries with Quick-Step Floors previously stating his injuries as "multiple abrasions and a minor pulmonary and kidney contusion." However, further tests on Monday revealed that his injuries were more extensive than previously thought.

"The exams revealed a non-displaced fracture to the acetabulum on the right side of his pelvis and a microfracture to his sacrum. De Plus will have to undergo conservative therapy and he will need at least three weeks of recovery before resuming training,” the team said.

This is the second time in three months that De Plus has suffered a fracture. He crashed on the descent of the Sormano during Il Lombardia last October, going off the road and into a ravine. He fractured his kneecap in that incident and had to spend several weeks off the bike.

You can read more at Cyclingnews.com

via Cyclingnews Latest News http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/tests-reveal-fractured-pelvis-and-sacrum-for-de-plus-after-truck-crash

Mechanical doping: Voeckler 'wouldn't be shocked' if Lance Armstrong had used a motor

http://ift.tt/2DZwlD1

Thomas Voeckler has spoken out about mechanical doping, saying he is convinced that he raced against riders using hidden motors and that he wouldn't be surprised if Lance Armstrong had cheated in such a way.

The Frenchman called an end to his 17-year career at the end of the 2017 Tour de France and is preparing to make his debut as a pundit for French state broadcaster France Télévisions next month.

Voeckler rode through a troubled era in cycling as the sport failed to clean itself up in the wake of the 1998 Festina Affair. He has always denied doping himself but there were a number of cases involving his contemporaries – including Armstrong – and now, having initially been sceptical, he believes there was doping of the mechanical sort, as well as the chemical.

ADVERTISEMENT

"At first, when I heard people talking about it, I laughed. I said to myself, 'What have they found now to damage cycling?'" Voeckler told French newspaper, Le Parisien.

"Later, seeing certain reports, I was convinced that some have taken us for fools and used a motor."

The issue of mechanical doping has become increasingly prominent over the past few years. Sophisticated technology is clearly in existence and many suspect it has been used in the sport's biggest races. The UCI has stepped up its testing to include scans using a tablet device – though question marks have been raised over its effectiveness – and David Lappartient made the issue a key part of his campaign as he defeated Brian Cookson to become the new UCI president in September.

You can read more at Cyclingnews.com

via Cyclingnews Latest News http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/mechanical-doping-voeckler-wouldnt-be-shocked-if-lance-armstrong-had-used-a-motor

Wyman, Pidcock, and Richards lead Great Britain challenge at Cyclo-cross Worlds

http://ift.tt/2DZwlD1

Helen Wyman, Tom Pidcock, and Evie Richards will lead the challenge for Great Britain at the Cyclo-cross World Championships in Valkenburg this weekend. British Cycling has announced a 13-rider squad for the Worlds, and will field riders in every event bar the junior women's race.

Wyman recently regained the British cyclo-cross title from Nikki Brammeier, and both riders feature in the British team for the elite women’s race, along with Bethany Crumpton.

Pidcock led a British clean sweep of the junior Worlds podium a year ago, ahead of Dan Tulett and Ben Turner, and that trio will all line out in the under-23 race this weekend.

ADVERTISEMENT

Pidcock has been the outstanding performer on the under-23 circuit this winter, winning the World Cup series. The Yorkshire native is a favourite for the rainbow jersey, though he will face stiff competition from Eli Iserbyt (Belgium), who beat him into second place at the European Championships in Tabor.

Evie Richards again lines out in the under-23 women's race, and is seeking her third medal in as many attempts. She claimed the inaugural under-23 women's rainbow jersey in Zolder in 2016 in what was her first ever cyclo-cross race outside of the United Kingdom, and then placed third in Bieles a year ago.

Still only 20 years of age, Richards showcased her form by winning the elite race at the Namur World Cup in December and placing third in Hoogerheide at the weekend. She is joined in the British team by Harriet Harnden and Anna Kay.

Great Britain for 2018 Cyclo-cross World Championships

You can read more at Cyclingnews.com

via Cyclingnews Latest News http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/wyman-pidcock-and-richards-lead-great-britain-challenge-at-cyclo-cross-worlds

Chris Froome could accept salbutamol responsibility in hope of lenient ban

http://ift.tt/2DZwlD1

Chris Froome is reportedly ready to accept that he took an excess dose of salbutamol in the hope of receiving a six to nine-month ban so that he can return to racing in time for the Giro d’Italia or Tour de France.

The Team Sky rider, who returned an adverse analytical finding for the asthma drug at last year’s Vuelta a España, is currently training intensely in South Africa, having clocked up 4,500km since Christmas.

La Gazzetta dello Sport has claimed that Froome, who has not been provisionally suspended, will race for the first time at the Ruta del Sol in Spain from February 14-19. However, the Corriere della Sera newspaper reports that Froome "has understood he has lost the war and is ready to sign an honourable armistice".

ADVERTISEMENT

The Italian newspaper claims that Froome has little chance of convincing the UCI Legal Anti-Doping Services (LADS) that he reached a level of 2000ng/ml of salbutamol in his urine – twice the limit – through permitted dosages using his asthma inhaler.

Corriere della Sera also suggests the idea that Froome’s kidneys could have somehow retained a quantity of salbutamol and skewed his sample has only irritated the UCI and a number of cycling doctors, while the idea of undergoing a pharmacokinetic test in a laboratory could massively backfire. If Froome failed to reach a level close to that of the Vuelta a España, he would face a ban of between 12 and 24 months.

The newspaper claims that this lack of options has lead to Froome’s wife, Michelle, advising him to consider plea-bargaining with the UCI via an ‘Acceptance of Consequences’.

• Chris Froome returns adverse analytical finding for salbutamol
• Chris Froome: I haven't broken any rules
• Giro d'Italia director calls on UCI to 'sort out' Chris Froome's salbutamol case
• A lot of explaining to do: The questions raised by the Chris Froome salbutamol case

You can read more at Cyclingnews.com

via Cyclingnews Latest News http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/chris-froome-could-accept-salbutamol-responsibility-in-hope-of-lenient-ban

Eg ready to suffer as he learns the ropes

http://ift.tt/2DZwlD1

Niklas Eg was one of several young riders who announced themselves as talents for the future during the 2017 season. A third place at the Tour de l'Avenir helped to seal a contract with Trek-Segafredo for the 23-year-old, who made his debut with the WorldTour team at the Tour Down Under and Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race. The Herald Sun Tour later this week will complete his busy Australian racing programme.

With his hometown of Herning and adopted home in Girona both experiencing zero degree temperatures, Eg explained to Cyclingnews that he requested a warm-weather start to his career with Trek-Segafredo.

"We talked about it being better for me to ride the races here with the warmer weather because I really don't like the cold weather," he said. "For me, it is better to ride in the heat. Maybe not in the 40-degree plus but normally the warmer weather is better."

ADVERTISEMENT

Eg wasn't the only Tour de l'Avenir podium finisher lining out in Adelaide to start the 2018 season. Overall winner Egan Bernal was making his Sky debut at the race and runner-up Bjorg Lambrecht was also due to race but was ruled out due to the UCI rules requiring riders to file whereabouts data for 42 days before they can race.

While Eg was riding in support of teammate Ruben Guerreiro, and generally learning the trade of WorldTour racing, Bernal was leading the line for Sky. The young Colombian got off to a solid start and delivered the British team the best young rider prize and sixth in the general classification. Having seen the performances and results of Bernal, Eg explained that, while his 2018 focus is development, a GC result is certainly achievable.

"I know a lot of the guys from U23 and I can see they are going really strong [in Australia] but, in the peloton, I feel good," he said. "Obviously we are not riding that fast but in the finals, you can feel the older pros have another gear.

You can read more at Cyclingnews.com

via Cyclingnews Latest News http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/eg-ready-to-suffer-as-he-learns-the-ropes

Timeline of Chris Froome's adverse analytical finding for salbutamol

http://ift.tt/2DZwlD1

The UCI confirmed on Wednesday, December 13, that Chris Froome (Team Sky) was notified of an adverse analytical finding (AAF) for salbutamol in excess of 1,000 nanograms per millilitre (ng/ml) in a sample collected during the Vuelta a España this September 7, an event where he went on to win the overall title.

Froome was notified of the AAF on September 20, the same day he finished third in the elite men's time trial at the UCI Road World Championships in Bergen.

The analysis of the B sample confirmed the results of the rider's A sample to have 2,000ng/ml of salbutamol, twice WADA's threshold limit, and the proceedings are being conducted in line with the UCI Anti-Doping Rules, according to a statement from the UCI.

ADVERTISEMENT

Froome has said previously that he suffered from asthma since he was a child and has used inhalers during his career. He explained that his symptoms worsened during the Vuelta, and he sought medical advice from the team doctor in order to increase his salbutamol dosage. Team Sky principal David Brailsford said the team will co-operate with the UCI to establish the cause of Froome's elevated concentration.

The World Anti-Doping Agency has regulations around the use of salbutamol, a bronchodialator (beta 2-agonist) used to treat asthma.

The medication is strictly prohibited in oral and injectable forms. When used to treat asthmatic symptoms via an inhaler, however, WADA's prohibited list provides that "the presence in urine of salbutamol in excess of 1000 ng/mL or formoterol in excess of 40 ng/mL is presumed not to be an intended therapeutic use of the substance and will be considered as an Adverse Analytical Finding (AAF) unless the Athlete proves, through a controlled pharmacokinetic study, that the abnormal result was the consequence of the use of the therapeutic dose (by inhalation) up to the maximum dose indicated above."

You can read more at Cyclingnews.com

via Cyclingnews Latest News http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/timeline-of-chris-froomes-adverse-analytical-finding-for-salbutamol

Mitchelton-Scott aiming for Herald Sun Tour defence with Howson

http://ift.tt/2DZwlD1

Australian WorldTour team Mitchelton-Scott starts the 2018 Herald Sun Tour aiming to close out the Australian summer with its fourth overall win in five years.

The team started the summer with Alex Edmondson winning the national title before Daryl Impey added the overall Tour Down Under title. Impey was then third at the Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race. The Sun Tour is now the final target of the summer with defending champion Damien Howson, 2015 winner Cameron Meyer and Esteban Chaves headlining the squad.

"The Sun Tour is always a special race, the team has always done really well. I have been fortunate to be involved in a few wins with Cameron Meyer and Simon Clarke, and also last year to get my own piece of glory was very special to me and something I will always remember," Howson said ahead of the race.

ADVERTISEMENT

"Going in as defending champion, I am very excited. It'll be a new experience and I'm looking forward to the opportunity to come back to the Sun Tour and racing well."

The 2018 Herald Sun Tour is one of the more challenging routes in race history with the queen stage to Lake Mountain a leg-sapping 218 kilometres. The previous day's stage 2 from Warrnambool to Ballarat at 198.6 kilometres also testing the riders early in the season. While stage 3 is set to decide the overall, the final day circuit race around Kinglake will be the final deciding factor.

For Meyer, the final stage will be key and explained a full team effort across the five days of racing will be required to secure the yellow jersey.

You can read more at Cyclingnews.com

via Cyclingnews Latest News http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/mitchelton-scott-aiming-for-herald-sun-tour-defence-with-howson

Van Vleuten: The relentless rainbow dreamer

http://ift.tt/2noZzli

There was a time, around the mid-2000s, when Annemiek van Vleuten was living in cramped student accommodation, working a 32-hour week, and racing on a salary of just €100 a month. If it’s tough at the top, as the old adage goes, then it’s a hell of a lot tougher at the bottom.

Almost a decade later and the 35-year-old is striding confidently through the Hilton Hotel in downtown Adelaide, greeting fans and mingling with the cycling public who affectionately call out, ‘Annemiek’ before instinctively positioning themselves for selfies.

That previous world, when Van Vleuten was just starting out on the Vrienden van het Platteland team, must seem like a galaxy away. Now, the world time trial champion is at the pinnacle of the sport but, as she tells Cyclingnews’ Daniel Benson, she’s far from finished and just as determined as ever to build on her ever-improving legacy.

ADVERTISEMENT

This year, Van Vleuten will embark on perhaps her most challenging season yet as she aims to dovetail her love of road racing and time trialling with ambitions of success on the track at the World Championships. Given the increasing specialisation and competitiveness that has developed in women’s cycling, it will be no easy venture but the Mitchelton-Scott leader is anything but fazed.

"I only want to take on a challenge if it’s really serious," she says with a smile that belies her undoubted hunger.

So, this year Van Vleuten will use the early-season races in Australia – she is currently racing the Herald Sun Tour – as building blocks before switching to individual pursuit preparations in February. Her track plans mean that she will miss the majority of the Classics – barring the Tour of Flanders – before returning for a serious tilt at the Giro Rosa and then a three-pronged attack at the UCI Road World Championships in the autumn, in which she will race the team time trial, the individual time trial and then the road race. She is nothing if not eager.

You can read more at Cyclingnews.com

via Cyclingnews Latest Interviews and Features http://www.cyclingnews.com/features/van-vleuten-the-relentless-rainbow-dreamer

Degenkolb: I believe that every cloud has a silver lining

http://ift.tt/2noZzli

John Degenkolb's two victories at the Challenge Mallorca have helped the German Classics rider put the disappointment, illness and near-misses of 2017 behind and to look to the spring of 2018 with new optimism.

With solid backing from many of the teammates who will ride with him between now and Paris-Roubaix, Degenkolb won the opening Trofeo Campos race on Thursday and then Sunday's Trofeo Palma, both with a well executed, high-speed sprint finish.

'Dege' is back and understandably thrilled to celebrate a successful start to the season with his Trek-Segafredo teammates after a meagre 2017.

ADVERTISEMENT

"I believe that every cloud has a silver lining," the 29-year-old German tells Cyclingnews in an exclusive interview.

The German's own disappointments of 2017 reflected that of the Trek-Segafredo team. While Alberto Contador's retirement was a fairy tale ending, the US-registered WorldTour squad underperformed last season.

"We had a lot of podium spots in 2017 but in the end, only 18 wins. A team as important as Trek-Segafredo should be able to do better," Degenkolb says in agreement. "If we manage to finalise 50 per cent of our second spots from 2017, then we'll be pretty far up in the rankings.

Winning counts so much, perhaps too much

A rare combination of both speed and skill

New sprints, same passion for winning

You can read more at Cyclingnews.com

via Cyclingnews Latest Interviews and Features http://www.cyclingnews.com/features/degenkolb-i-believe-that-every-cloud-has-a-silver-lining

2018 Herald Sun Tour start list

http://ift.tt/eA8V8J

You can read more at Cyclingnews.com

via Cyclingnews Latest Interviews and Features http://www.cyclingnews.com/features/2018-herald-sun-tour-start-list

2018 Women's Herald Sun Tour start list

http://ift.tt/eA8V8J

You can read more at Cyclingnews.com

via Cyclingnews Latest Interviews and Features http://www.cyclingnews.com/features/2018-womens-herald-sun-tour-start-list

Hayman: I told my wife to shoot me if I do another year

http://ift.tt/2noZzli

He turns 40 later this spring and while retirement is on the horizon at some point in the near future Mathew Hayman has not made any concrete decisions beyond the end of this campaign. The former Paris-Roubaix winner turned pro in 2000 and has become one of the most loyal and trusted domestiques in the modern peloton but with the prospect of hanging up his wheels looming ever closer the Mitchelton-Scott rider has begun to contemplate a life after pro cycling and what it could mean for him and his young family.

In this personal interview with Cyclingnews, Hayman talks about denial over one day having to stop, how coping with the transition away from racing could affect him, and how having fun in his final outings as a rider is one of his main priorities.

Cyclingnews: When were you first asked, 'is this going to be your final year?

ADVERTISEMENT

Mathew Hayman: Probably a couple of years ago. And now it's turning around the other way. Now that I'm starting to contemplate this being my final year people seem to be shocked by it. For a couple of years people were asking 'when are you going to stop, when are you going to stop?' but now I've told them that this could be it, they come back and ask 'well why would you stop?'

CN: Have you made your decision in your mind?

MH: If you'd asked me a few months ago I would have said for sure that this was the last year, not that I've not decided yet. It's not set in stone but I'm a bit more comfortable about it. I got to January, February in 2017 and I felt that it wasn't going to be my final season. I wanted to come back to the Tour Down Under and there were a few other things I wanted to do. Last year I knew that I wanted to do another year but I don't know about next year yet.

You can read more at Cyclingnews.com

via Cyclingnews Latest Interviews and Features http://www.cyclingnews.com/features/hayman-i-told-my-wife-to-shoot-me-if-i-do-another-year