Toyota Motor Sales, USA, will not renew its three-year contract to sponsor the Toyota-United Pro Cycling Team, the team announced Friday. Team owner Sean Tucker held a conference call with team riders, staff and managers to tell them that the car company will let its three-year contract expire at the end of this season. Tucker said he is looking to find another sponsor in the next 100 days.
Kelly Benefit Strategies rider Alex Candelario negotiated a tricky circuit and rode his leadout train to victory in the latest installment of the USA CRITS Speed Week series on Thursday in Greenwood, South Carolina, “The team rode really well,” Candelario said. “We knew we’d probably be riding for a field sprint, so we lined up all the boys with 10 laps to go. They did a great job of keeping guys in check. One of the Rock Racing guys jumped in the final, but Martin Gilbert responded and dropped me off at 250 meters to go.”
On another blustery day in southwestern New Mexico, Bissell's big men Tom Zirbel and Ben Jacques-Maynes hammered on the GC contenders to take the first two spots in the 16.4-mile Tyrone time trial. Zirbel turned a 34:26, beating his teammate by about 17 second and third place rider Chris Wherry (Toyota-United) by 49 seconds.
At least one top professional cyclist is to face doping charges after thousands of blood samples were analyzed as part of the Union Cycliste International’s blood passport program, the UCI said Friday. The UCI did not reveal the identity of the cyclist concerned, but said he is one of 23 riders who "warranted further scrutiny" following 2172 tests on blood samples as part of their far-reaching passport scheme.
Andreas Klöden (Astana) won the stage 3 individual time trial and seized the overall lead of the Tour de Romandie on Friday. The 18.8km course included a dozen flat kilometers, a 266-meter climb with a pitch of 12 percent, and a rapid descent to the Place de la Planta with a twisting, turning final 500 meters that almost proved the Astana man’s undoing — Klöden clipped a barrier in the finale, but kept it upright to win the stage in 25 minutes and 32 seconds.
Winter training is over, and the racing season is just getting under way. Here is a nice selection of reader photos that we've been saving up for you. If you've got some cool photos, send them our way! Submit your photos here
Two rounds of the 2008 UCI World Cup are now in the books, and the North American chase for the Beijing Olympics is beginning to take shape. Round two saw riders tackle the 5.1km course in Offenburg, Germany, which many have referred to as the most technical ride on the World Cup circuit.
Last year’s runner-up Andy Schleck and Spanish climber Carlos Sastre will both skip this month’s Giro d’Italia in favor of a run at the Tour de France podium. The two Team CSC stars have opted to put everything on the Tour and will leave the Giro to other riders on the squad. While Schleck, 22, had already decided in favor of the Tour even before his dramatic run through Liège-Bastogne-Liège on Sunday, Sastre ended speculation over the weekend that he might start the Giro.
Mt. Evans in July
Lead Chase Group A Race ECCC Race Series Grafton,Ma
The road to myself
Toby and Joe hill opposite Alpe dHuez
Jim and Kyle in Globe, AZ
six shooter trail Globe, AZ
Ned Overend still racing, Sea Otter 2008
Una at Oak Bay on her new bike
One More Lap, Seward Park Crit (I'm in Orange and Blue)
Descending skills at Wintergreen, VA 2008!
Andrew Avalos rides Sinister GRUITR at Grassroots cycles ranch style jump jam
Don strings them out at Volunteer Park Crit in Seattle
Tyler Wren (Colavita-Sutter Home) won Thursday's second stage of the Tour of the Gila with a final kilometer solo attack, while overall leader Gregorio Ladino Vega's Team Tecos-Trek put on another powerful show, setting a blistering pace over 80 miles of wind and hills. The Tecos effort kept a small breakaway within two minutes of the pack for most of the stage. It also forced a number of abandons throughout the day.