All Content
Sastre taking it slow
Carlos Sastre clipped out of his pedals following a time trial performance Tuesday at the Vuelta a Castilla y León that might have caused concern among certain quarters. While Levi Leipheimer and Alberto Contador roared to a one-two sweep in the 28.2km race of truth, Sastre was a lowly 36th at 2:32 off the pace, hardly what one would expect from the defending Tour de France champion. “Tranquilo, todo tranquilo,” Sastre said as he stopped to sign two quick autographs and disappear into a small, Cervélo TestTeam camper van. “Everything’s fine.”
Brit’s hunt for track gold
The British team that has dominated track cycling at the Olympics and worlds competition in past years is set to redress the gold medals balance Thursday after missing out on victory four times on the opening day of the world championships in Pruszkow, Poland. Great Britain, which won seven of ten titles on offer at the Beijing Olympics last year, have so far lived up to claims of taking a relaxed approach to a gradual build-up to the London Olympics in 2012.
Connie Carpenter reports on Day 1 at track worlds, where it was the World vs. Britain — and the world won
Editor's Note: Connie Carpenter is in Pruszkow, Poland, covering the Track World Championships for VeloNews.com while supporting her son, Taylor Phinney. Carpenter is a former world champion on the track and an avid fan of track cycling. Big surprises on the opening night! Yes!
Armstrong recovering after surgery
Seven-time Tour de France champion Lance Armstrong was recovering Wednesday after surgery to repair his right collarbone, which was broken into four pieces in a crash on Monday at the Vuelta a Castilla y León. In an article posted on the Astana team website, doctor Doug Elenz, the orthopedic surgeon who performed the procedure in Austin, Texas, said it wasn't yet clear when Armstrong would be able to return to racing.
Krupeckaite sets record in 500m time trial
Lithuanian Simona Krupeckaite won the women's 500 meter time trial in a record time of 33.296 at the world track cycling championships on Wednesday in Pruszkow, Poland Krupeckaite started second from last in the 23-strong field and powered over the two-lap event to beat the early pacesetter, Australian Anna Meares, into second place for the silver medal. In doing so Krupeckaite beat Meares' world record of 33.588, set at the 2007 world championships in Palma de Mallorca. Britain's reigning Olympic sprint champion, Victoria Pendleton, took the bronze medal in 34.102.
The Bulls take charge — despite a mid-race dislocated shoulder — as Sauser’s team is penalized for taking assistance.
The Bulls team of Germany's Karl Platt and Stefan Sahm took over the lead of the Absa Cape Epic following stage 4, as the previously dominant songo.info team suffered a mechanical — and then were penalized for accepting assistance.
The Explainer – Them there’s fightin’ words
Dear Explainer,
An announcer on a Birmingham, Alabama, sports talk show on WJOX 94.5 called “The Roundtable” recently went off on an inexplicable rant on cyclists, which included support for the idea of cars running down cyclists simply for being on the road.
"I wish people would hit them, just clip them and send them flying over their handlebars," he said.
It’s pretty sick and irresponsible for a radio announcer to advocate killing or severely injuring another person for any reason at all.
Jerry
Birmingham, Alabama
Cunego takes stage, Visconti leads at Coppi e Bartali
Former Giro d'Italia winner Damiano Cunego (Lampre) won the second stage of the Settimana Internazionale di Coppi e Bartali–Trofeo UniCredit Banca on Wednesday. Cunego edged out Colombian Jose Serpa (Serramenti PVC Diquigiovanni) in the 182.1km leg from San Lazzaro to Faenza, with third place going to Giovanni Visconti (ISD), the new overall leader. A group of nine riders broke clear on the Monte Trebbo before Cunego and Serpa separated themselves from the rest and the Italian easily took the sprint finish.