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Vinther jumps Stetina for Avenir win
It was a close call for America’s Peter Stetina, who crossed the line second in Tuesday’s fourth stage at the Tour de l’Avenir and bounced into the top 10 overall. Denmark’s Troels Vinther won with a late attack that included Stetina and another rider. Vinther sprung his winning move in the final kilometer, gapping Stetina to claim the win by seven seconds. The main pack roared across the line 11 seconds slower, with French rider Julién Bérard retaining the overall lead that he’s held since an opening stage breakaway.
Gerrans grabs stage 10; Valverde leads
Simon Gerrans (Cervélo TestTeam) wasn’t included in this year’s Tour de France, but he proved to his team that he can be counted on to win in big-time races. The Aussie played it smart to take a four-up sprint out of the day’s winning 19-man breakaway to win stage 10 of the Vuelta a España on Tuesday. The win gave Gerrans a victory in every grand tour (with stage wins in last year’s Tour and this year’s Giro d’Italia) and gave his Cervélo squad a stage victory in all three grand tours in its rookie season.
Despite the world’s results, VeloNews’ Matt Pacocha says tests show 29-inch wheels are faster.
Editor's Note: For more on Matt's test protocol and tools and a review of three of his favorite 29ers, see Singletrack.com. The 26-inch wheeled hardtail mountain bike is, indeed, dead. OK, so I’ve been intentionally stirring the pot this summer with that proclamation. What you’re about to read is no exception.
In his racing return following a horrific Tour crash, Jens Voigt gets a warm welcome from Missouri fans
The last time many American fans saw Jens Voigt on television, he was sliding along the road on his face, unconscious. Many of those fans in St. Louis saw a much healthier Voigt take the start of the Tour of Missouri Monday, and gave him big cheers.
iamTedKing: Supersized
Ten-lane highways. Venti. And of course, the mere fact that there exists something called a Triple Baconator. There’s no getting around the fact that seemingly everything is bigger in America. This is noticeable the moment I got back on home soil, since the list of “everything” includes the two-hour wait I slogged through immediately after landing while creeping through customs.
The Practicalities Of Tubulars
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Vande Velde fractures hand in stage 1 crash
Christian Vande Velde (Garmin-Slipstream) hit the deck within sight of the finish line on stage 1 of the Tour of Missouri, and X-rays later disclosed that he fractured a bone in his hand. Still, he said he plans to start stage 2 — without a cast. “Luck hasn’t been on my side this year,” said Vande Velde, who crashed out of the Giro d’Italia this year on stage 3.
Travieso wins US 100K Classic
Longtime criterium stalwart Frank Travieso (Championship Porsche) scored the biggest victory of his career Monday in Marietta, Georgia, by winning the 2009 edition of the US 100K Classic. The Cuban-born rider leapt out of the slipstream of Team Type 1’s Aldo Ino Ilesic at the tail end of a blistering 90 kph downhill sprint just in time to come around the Slovenian and take his first NRC title. Jake Keough (Kelly Benefit Strategies), who still holds the lead in the USA CRITS Series, was third.
Cav’ motors to Missouri win
Mark Cavendish (Columbia-HTC) survived a chaotic finale to win stage 1 of the 2009 Tour of Missouri on Monday in St. Louis. Cavendish's train was derailed in the final kilometer, and a pair of crashes threw additional monkey wrenches into the works, but he managed to close the deal anyway, finishing ahead of J.J. Haedo (Saxo Bank) and Thor Hushovd (Cervélo TestTeam).
Kump takes stage, Bérard leads Avenir
America’s Alex Howes was one of the main protagonists in Monday’s 189km third stage at the Tour de l’Avenir. Howes snuck into the day’s main breakaway, which built up a menacing lead and put pressure on the French team to work hard to neutralize the dangerous escape.
Valverde seizes lead in Vuelta
A heavy Spanish accent was back on the Vuelta a España in Monday’s wild and unpredictable seven-climb stage from Alcoy to Xorret de Catí. After a week of stages dominated by non-Spanish riders, Gustavo Cesar Veloso (Xacobeo-Galicia) found himself the sole survivor of a daylong breakaway that tore itself to shreds on the final obstacle, the Category 1 Alto Xorret de Cati at 185.6km. Veloso became the first Spanish winner so far in the 64th Vuelta, having just enough in the tank to fend off the fast-chasing GC favorites.
Young Guns: Columbia-HTC for 2010
You may not recognize many of the new names on the Columbia-HTC 2010 squad, but take note, says team owner Bob Stapleton, as they will likely be big names in the near future. Among the 10 new riders on the men’s roster, eight are under 25. They are: twin brothers Peter and Martin Velits, 24, Slovakia Matt Goss, 23, Australia Patrick Gretsch, 22, Germany Tejay Van Garderen, 21, USA Jan Ghyselinck, 20, Belgium Rasmus Guldhammer, 20, Denmark Leigh Howard, 20, Australia
Tour of Missouri draws top-notch field
Defending champion Christian Vande Velde (Garmin-Slipstream) will be joined by three Olympic medalists, 18 current or former national champions and 10 Tour de France stage winners when the Tour of Missouri rolls out for stage 1 on Monday in St. Louis.