Brawny Italian sprinter Danilo Napolitano – racing this week at the Tour of Qatar – is hoping a change of team colors will put him back in the heat of the sprints in 2009. After an inconsistent season that saw him miss both the Giro d’Italia and the Tour de France, Napolitano signed with Russian-sponsored Katusha to search out new motivation. With two second-places in the opening three stages at the Qatar race, the new team colors seems to be working so far.
Spanish sprinter Fran Ventoso has finally found a team for the 2009 season, inking a deal to join the Italian team Carmiooro-Astyle. The 26-year-old Ventoso turned pro in 2004 and raced four years with Saunier Duval. He enjoyed a breakout sprint victory in the 2006 Vuelta a España, but struggled last year with Andalucía-CajaSur. He two races early in the season but was overlooked for the team’s selection for the Vuelta.
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Team Rock Racing will ride Kestrel RT900 frames for the 2009 season, the bicycle company announced Tuesday. "We have built great relationships with many of Rock Racing's riders through our other brands' sponsorships, and I'm happy they will get the opportunity to race on our bikes in 2009," said Karen Bliss, marketing director at Advanced Sports, Inc., Kestrel's parent company. Advanced Sports also owns the Fuji, Breezer and SE Racing bicycle brands. Rock Racing used Fuji bikes for part of the 2008 season.
With the economy sucking wind like a sprinter on the Angrilu, participating in a pricey sport like bicycle racing must fall far short of the podium for most of us, well behind making the mortgage, the car payment and the utility bill.
The Ridley Noah is one of the latest in series of road frames developed specifically with aerodynamics in mind. As time trial bikes have pushed the aero envelope, many of the technologies discovered for TT use have also found a home on road frames. The added benefits incorporated by Ridley into the $3000 Noah frameset make it possibly one of the fastest road frames available.
A weekend in Hoogerheide: Sunday morning at 7:30. One local tavern was already packed. The guys in the orange chicken suits may have looked goofy, but they were staying warm.
A weekend in Hoogerheide: “Guantanamo!” they yelled when we asked where they were from. We have reason to believe they were pulling our leg and the real answer should have been "Belgium!"
Price: $2.50 each Weight: 32 grams Sizes: 1.1 ounce Flavors: Blueberry Pomegranate and Vanilla Orange Web site: www.guenergy.com GU now has a high-octane version of its original energy gel. Roctane is similar to the original GU energy gel but has added nutrients, including amino acids and electrolytes.
Sizes: 25-serving bag Price: $38.25 Web site: www.infinitnutrition.com When it comes to nutrition, size matters. A larger rider is going to require a higher caloric intake than a smaller one. In addition to size, there are other factors that result in our varying metabolic rates (and it always seems like the scrawniest guy at the table can down the biggest plate).
Belgian Tom Boonen (Quick Step) claimed his first stage win of this year's Tour of Qatar Tuesday, in the process taking the leader's jersey from Britain's Roger Hammond. Boonen, of Quick Step, won a bunch sprint at the end of the third stage ahead of Italian Danilo Napolitano and Belgian Jurgen Roelandts.
A Belgian court on Tuesday ruled that one of the country's biggest cycling stars, Tom Boonen, would not face criminal charges relating to a positive test for cocaine. Boonen, a former world champion and winner of a host of prestigious races, including Paris-Roubaix and the Tour of Flanders, tested positive for the recreational drug in an out-of-competition test in May 2008.