Todd Wells (GT Bicycles) and Amanda Miller (Mesa Cycles) took the wins on the second day of Iowa City's Carousel Volkswagen Jingle Cross Rock, on a day when overnight snow turned the course's Mt. Krumpit descent into a muddy bog that looked more like a bobsled run.
Thirty-five degrees, steady showers, gray skies … in short, perfect conditions for the final round of the BikeReg.com MABRAcross series, which also served as the Maryland, Delaware and D.C. cyclocross championships. The course was a long loop with many off-camber sections made treacherous by the weather conditions.
Jamey Driscoll (Cyclocrossworld.com-Cannondale) and Maureen Bruno-Roy (MM Racing-Seven Cycles) won this weekend's Bay State Cyclocross race in Sterling, Massachusetts, the seventh event of the Verge New England Cyclo-Cross Series. Driscoll's win solidified his overall lead in the Verge series. Bruno-Roy was in third place in the series coming into the Sterling race, behind series leader Amy Dombroski (Velo Bella-Kona) and Rebecca Wellons (Ridley). Dombroski was not at the Sterling race. [nid:85483]
Troy Wells (Clif Bar) and Todd Wells (GT) kicked off the 2008 UCI Carousel Volkswagen Jingle Cross Rock in Iowa City, Iowa, in fine style. The brothers finished 1-2 in the first day of racing, with Andy Jacques-Maynes (California Giant Strawberries) finishing third. In the women's event, Devon Haskell, Lisa Strong, and Josie Jacques-Maynes fought for position in a very tight event. In the final laps, Haskell pulled away from the other two, with Strong placing second and Jacques-Maynes claiming third. [nid:85492]
American Katie Compton (Spike Shooter) and Belgian Erwin Vervecken (Fidea) won the fourth round of the cyclocross World Cup, the Cross of Koksijde Dunes, in Belgium on Saturday. Compton outsprinted world champion Hanka Kupfernagel, beating the German by one second to the line on Saturday. Kupfernagel, who won her fourth world cyclocross title in January, finished 17 seconds ahead of Holland's Daphny van den Brand. Compton’s win moves her to seventh place in the overall World Cup standings, with 110 points, well behind Kupfernagel’s solid first place, with 220.
Price: $34.95 Web site:www.roadrashrepairkit.com Road rash: Large, shallow abrasions caused by sliding across pavement without a full Kevlar suit. Symptoms: Loss of sleep, reduced mobility, and hypersensitivity to hot water, resulting in unpleasant cold showers and general crankiness.
The Ohio State Championships were held in Columbus this past weekend on a course that featured equal parts power and equal parts skill. However, the presence of strong winds on race day made the power sections more significant, as three sections of lengthy straightaway went straight into a headwind. The park was extremely spectator-friendly, with most watchers perched up on the finish line hill looking down on the entire course.
Another unseasonably dry Oregon afternoon greeted about 500 competitors at the Kruger's Crossing Cyclocross Classic, the closing race of Portland's local 'cross scene before the Crank Brothers U.S. Gran Prix comes to town Dec. 6 and 7 for its finale. [nid:85434] Held on Sauvie's Island, an agricultural area and migratory bird sanctuary about 20 minutes from downtown Portland, the course sent riders careening along rutted farm roads, through berry fields, pastures, a barn, over a pile of pumpkins and past a dead rat. And, of course, we shouldn't forget the beer garden and bonfire.
In my travels this fall I've gathered a notebook and a camera memory card full of neat new products — or soon-to-be-maybe products — that have yet to find a home on VeloNews.com. Here is a buffet table full of a few of them:
Web site: www.geargrinder.com Geargrinder is a new casual cycling apparel company that features eco-friendly clothing and accessories for the everyday rider. The clothing is ride-ready, yet suitable for looking and feeling good off the bike or after a ride.
The Nov. 16 installment of the Chicago Cyclocross Cup traveled to the southern suburb of the Village of Lansing. The course was flat as a pancake; however, it was filled with multiple twisty sections and a loose sand pit.
Weston Schempf and Betsy Shogren turned in strong performances to win the Men’s and Women’s 1-2-3 classes at the Squadra Coppi Tacchino Ciclocross (i.e.: “Turkey Cyclocross”) on Sunday at Ida Lee Park in Leesburg, Virginia.
Retail price: $18.95 Web site: www.velopress.com Pages: 224 Weight Training for Cyclists: A Total Body Program for Power and Endurance by Ken Doyle and Eric Schmitz is now available in a revised second edition. The new edition features: • All-new illustrations for clarity and ease of use • A new chapter on stretching and warm-up • Expanded coverage of core strength and lower-body strength exercises
Should I wax my carbon seatpost?
Spanish cyclist Manuel Beltran has been banned from racing in France for two years after testing positive for the banned blood booster EPO at this year's Tour de France. France's national anti-doping agency (AFLD) made the announcement Tuesday.
The price of 11s
Dear Lennard,
I have been riding Campagnolo components for years and years. The new 11s stuff looks great, but the new 11s cranks are not inexpensive.
I cannot understand why given a 5.5 to 5.9 mm difference in changes the 10s crank would not work fine. Do you have any experience with the 11s parts used with a 10s crank. I happen to have a carbon 10 crank, first generation, Record.
Jeff
Dear Jeff,
I think you’ll find that your Record crank will work just fine with the 11-speed group.
Web site: www.fizik.it Weight: 145 grams Are lightweight saddles a pain in the butt for you? Well, Fi’zi:k has created a new saddle that may satisfy your lightweight obsession without sacrificing the comfort of your backside. The Antares is the third ‘a’ between Fi’zi:k’s two other premium a’s: Aliante and Arione. Compared to others in the ultra-lightweight saddle category, Antares has 300 percent more padding and 50 percent more flat sitting area, yet it weighs only 145 grams.
Colors: White, Silver, Grey White, Black Sizes: 38 to 48 Price: $400 Web site: www.gaerne.com There is no question of whether or not the Gaerne Myst is a high quality road shoe. Every stitch, perforation, and bit of material was designed to serve a function, and do it well.
Jeremiah Bishop (Trek-Volkswagen) and Melanie Swartz (Vela Bella- Kona) won Saturday's events at the North Carolina Grand Prix in Hendersonville, North Carolina. The UCI Cat. 2 events were part of the North Carolina Cyclocross series, which concludes next weekend the finals in Salisbury, North Carolina. The Hendersonville races continue Sunday.
Jeremiah Bishop (Trek-Volkswagen) and Melanie Swartz (Vela Bella- Kona) won both events at this weekend's North Carolina Grand Prix in Hendersonville, North Carolina. The UCI Cat. 2 events were part of the North Carolina Cyclocross series, which concludes next weekend the finals in Salisbury, North Carolina.
A pair of UCI category one and a pair of cat. 2 events made up this past weekend's USA Cycling Cyclocross National Calendar. At Long Island's Whitmore's Landscape Super Cross Cup — the cat. 1 events — Ryan Trebon (Kona) won on Saturday while Todd Wells took Sunday's event. Trebon moved into the USAC calendar standings lead for the first time this season. Meanwhile Georgia Gould (Luna) won both days in Long Island to increase her lead in the standings.
To a cycling enthusiast, the fall Garmin-Chipotle team camp may look like Christmas for the 28 riders on the squad, but to them it’s another day at the office. Whether they’re thumbing through Fi’zi:k’s ‘Blackbook,’ the brand’s 2009 saddle catalog, trying to decide which saddle to choose or test, or they’re submitting sizes for 2XU compression gear, or sitting through a lecture on wheel selection by sponsor Zipp — it’s all work. [nid:85344]
Georgia Gould delivered a knock-out at the Whitmore’s Landscaping Super Cross Cup in the Hamptons Sunday to take both the race and the North American Cyclocross Trophy Championship. Meanwhile, Todd Wells went toe-to-toe with Jeremy Powers to win the men’s race while Ryan Trebon refused to tap-out after a bad break on lap one.
A day of surprises greeted the NACT competitors at the first day of the Whitmore’s Landscaping Super Cross Cup on Saturday. Perhaps the biggest surprise of the UCI C1 event occurred before most of the Elite competitors had even arrived at the venue. Earlier in the morning, Tim Johnson, tested his injured knee on the trainer and found he couldn’t even pedal a full circle. Johnson injured his knee when he banged it on a wood post while riding to victory in the USGP in New Jersey last Saturday.
Australia's national team won the Melbourne round of the UCI Track Cycling World Cup Classics series here on Saturday. The Australian Cyclones, with 112 points, edged out compatriots Team Toshiba, which scored 98 points over three days of competition. Although an impressive performance, the win came in light of only limited participation by the world's strongest track squad, the British national team. Australian Shane Perkins went one better than his Manchester World Cup silver earlier this month to claim the men's sprint with a straight heats win over Frenchman Michael D'Almedia.
Price: $21.95 Web site: www.firstendurance.com First Endurance, the makers of Ultragen and Optygen, also make an unbeatable electrolyte mix. Electrolyte Fuel System (EFS) is packed with all of the right ingredients to provide lasting energy during endurance events.
Alejandro Valverde has won just about everything he’s wanted in his productive career, except a grand tour. Prolific in one-day classics and smaller stage races, Spain’s “Balaverde” has struggled in GC in three-week grand tours. With two podium finishes in the Vuelta a España, Valverde still believes he can win a major tour.
Australia's emerging pursuit talent staked their claim as the riders of the future with a dominant win over Spain in the 4km team pursuit final on day two of the Melbourne round of the 2008-09 UCI Track Cycling World Cup Classics series on Friday. Olympians Mark Jamieson, 24, and Jack Bobridge, 19, along with reigning junior World Champions Rohan Dennis, 18, and Luke Durbridge, 17 were the clear favorites after a strong qualifying round and they lived up to the expectation.
One of the neatest features of Garmin Edge GPS bike computers is the "Virtual Partner," which lets you race against a previous trip over the same course, with your relative positions marked by little cartoon riders on the screen. It's a geeky fun distraction, even if its name is a little creepy. But what if you are a professional racer, looking for tools, not amusement? How could you use that feature?
The Tour de France is heading back to Holland in 2010. Tour officials announced Thursday that the 2010 Tour will start in Rotterdam. More details will be provided in an official ceremony on Dec. 11 in the Dutch port city, officials said. “Rotterdam is an important metropolitan area with assurance of success,” Tour director Christian Prudhomme told AFP. “It’s doing everything so that people can get around on the bike. It’s in this spirit that the city wants the grand départ.” The Dutch city was picked ahead of Utrecht, Holland, and Dusseldorf, Germany.
Price: $23.99 Web site: www.oscycling.com OS Performance Nutrition is a new all-natural multipurpose energy drink mix that is available in four specific formulas suitable for your race situation. OS Endurance for longer, moderate intensity activities. OS Sprint for intense efforts. OS Pre-Load for a pre-race carbohydrate and protein load. OS Re-Load for post-ride recovery. Each formula is available in three flavors.
Sizes: 24 to 72 servings per box Price: $17.99 to $79.99 Web site: www.motortabs.com Motor Tabs are an easy-to-carry and easy-to-use carbohydrate and electrolyte replacement supplement. No mixing necessary, just the drop of a single effervescent tablet into your water bottle. Each 65-calorie tablet contains 250mg sodium, 75mg potassium, and 16g of carbohydrates from sucrose, dextrose, and maltodextrin.
Todd Wells (GT Bicycles) is on top of the Crankbrothers U.S. Grand Prix of Cyclocross standings for the first time in his career, following his win Sunday and second place Saturday at the Mercer Cup in New Jersey.[nid:85247] Wells, a two-time national champion in cyclocross, passed Jesse Anthony (Jamis) who had led the series after the first weekend. Anthony fell to sixth place following a disappointing weekend in the Garden State. (Complete men's standings)
Why do my Speedplay cleats wear out?
Katie Compton (Spike Shooter) won the third round of the Superprestige cyclocross series on Sunday at the Aspere-Gavere race in Belgium. World champion Hanka Kupfernagel skipped the race, run in wet and very muddy conditions. The hallmark of the course was a steep, muddy downhill chute that caused many falls, some of them race-ending, like the one that sent Niels Albert to the hospital with an injured spleen. Compton got off to a comfortable start in third position after a front-row start, with Saskia Elemans leading and Daphny van den Brand in second.
Following her double wins at the USGP Mercer Cup races in New Jersey this weekend, Georgia Gould (LUNA) has landed on top of the USA Cycling national cyclocross standings. Gould takes over the lead from Laura Van Gilder.[nid:85220] Jeremy Powers (Cyclocrossworld.com-Cannondale), who finished fourth and third in New Jersey, remains on the top of the men's rankings although his teammate Tim Johnson is closer, thanks to his first place Saturday (Johnson did not start Sunday).
With only the Whitmore’s Landscaping Super Cross Cup remaining, the battles for the inaugural North American Cyclocross Trophy series are still tight.
With Lance Armstrong, Carlos Sastre, Damiano Cunego and Ivan Basso already confirmed to start the centenary celebration of the corsa rosa, another big name has announced that he will race the 2009 Giro d’Italia. Denis Menchov (Rabobank) is the latest to confirm his presence in the Giro, set to begin May 9 in Venice. “Why would we want to change the program?” asked Rabobank sport director Erik Breukink in the Dutch daily De Telegraaf. “We saw last year the double worked well, so this year we’ll follow the same program, with the Giro before the Tour.”
Price: $28.99 to $50.99 Color: White, Black, Blue, Red and Yellow Web site: www.vittoria.com Are traditional black tires cramping your “euro white” style? May your style never be cramped again. Vittoria now offers the Rubino, Rubino Pro, Zaffiro Pro, and others in a classy white in addition to black, blue, red and yellow.
Price: $38 to $225 Sizes: 16, 38, 60mm and full disc Web site: www.wheeltags.com Wheeltags is a manufacturer of stylish graphics for high profile rims and disc wheels. With over a dozen (and growing) styles to choose from you can find the perfect match to make your bike just that much more unique. If Wheeltags doesn’t provide a stock design that’s perfect for you then you have the option to go the custom route for a little extra cost.
As advertised, the ‘cross course through the Washington County Fairgrounds in Hillsboro, Oregon, was wide-open, grassy and void of anything resembling elevation gain. Several days of dry weather and Sunday’s beautiful, mostly blue skies only added to the warm feelings about how quickly the course could be covered.
Cooler, windier weather on Day 2 of the U.S. Gran Prix of Cyclocross Mercer Cup, presented by Knapp's Cyclery, in New Jersey, made Saturday's tough race conditions look easy by comparison. Thicker, stickier mud competed with gusting winds for an extra punch in the gut but Day 2 saw a repeat for the women, with LUNA teammates Georgia Gould and Katerina Nash clinching gold and silver by a wide margin. It was GT’s Todd Wells who emerged the victor in the men’s event.
Samuel Sánchez continues to soak up the attention that comes with the Olympic gold medal. Everywhere he goes, journalists are knocking down his door for an interview. This week, “Samu” is on vacation in Spain’s Canary Islands and told reporters there more details about his racing schedule for the upcoming season. He’ll skip the 2009 Tour de France (where he finished seventh overall last year) and focus on trying to win the Vuelta a España.
Mud so thick that racers had to pedal downhill set the stage for Day 1 of the U.S. Gran Prix of Cyclocross Mercer Cup, in New Jersey on Saturday. In races of attrition, in which time gaps grew to a minute or more among the top five, Georgia Gould (LUNA) and Tim Johnson (Cyclocrossworld-Cannondale) bested the competition through tough, power-stealing conditions.
“This is definitely my favorite race and that’s my main motivation,” said Costa Rican cyclist Federico Ramirez (BCR-Pizza Hut) after finishing the 2008’s La Ruta de los Conquistadores, on Saturday in Limón, Costa Rica.
A grim reality sets in at the midpoint of any multi-day mountain bike stage race. The anxious buzz of the event’s first half has all-but petered out, and riders no longer speak only in the tone of optimism. Legs are drained and bodies are exhausted, perhaps injured. Bikes creak and squeak. Butts are sore. For some, the knowledge that half of the journey still remains is enough to drive the motivation straight into the basement. Many contemplate quitting, or simply wonder how in God’s name they plan to reach the finish line. [nid:85129]
The seventh stop of the Chicago Cyclocross Cup traveled to the village of Northbrook, a suburb north of Chicago. The race brought out the dedicated to mix it up in the treacherous 'cross conditions.
Sizes: Medium and Large Price: $89.99 Web site: www.lezyne.com Lezyne’s Carbon Road Drive is in a class of its own when it comes to road hand pumps. Coming in two sizes, the medium weighs in at a slim 88 grams, and the large at 104 grams. Machined out of aluminum and topped off with a solid lay-up carbon handle, it is light yet durable. They advertise that the carbon mounting bracket is noise and vibration free. As a special feature, it is compatible with Lezyne water bottle cages.
The most dominant feature on Stage 2 of La Ruta de los Conquistadores is the 25km paved climb from San Ignacio Acosta to Copalchi, which accounts for roughly one-third of the 76km trip from west to east San Jose. In La Ruta’s trusty race guide, the climb’s profile appears a gradual three-peaked slog up 3000 vertical feet.
FOX Racing will produce two commemorative suspension components — a special 40 RC2 fork and DHX RC4 shock — based on development that netted championship titles in men’s and women’s downhill worlds in 2009. Only 200 of each will be produced for consumers.
Colors: Red, Black, Blue Sizes: Small, Medium, Large Price: $64.95 Web site: www.barmitts.com Are you a cold-weather rider? Then Bar Mitts may be of interest to you. Modeled after hang gliding mitts, Bar Mitts encase your hoods, brakes, and handlebars, creating warm neoprene pockets for your hands. This weather shield for your hands allow you to wear a thinner glove, which leads to better bike handling.
What’s the best way to quantify pain? This question popped into my head countless times during today’s opening stage of La Ruta de los Conquistadores, a hellacious 68.7-mile slog from Jaco Beach to the outskirts of San Jose. During the journey I carried my bike up ridiculously steep, muddy slopes, climbed 14,500 feet of elevation gain (much of it in the granny gear) and suffered like a rented mule. I crossed the line cross-eyed and drooling just under eight hours in 42nd place, about two hours behind stage winner Frederico “Lico” Ramirez.
Price: TBA Web site: www.zerotractionfilm.com ZERO traction is a film about the 2007 cold and muddy USA Cycling’s Cyclocross National Championships in Kansas City. Shot entirely in high definition, the film captures the grimy details of ‘cross. The film is scheduled to premiere in Lawrence, Kansas on November 19th. DVDs will soon be available at www.zerotractionfilm.com.
Bobbles, bubbles and beer — there was all that and more last weekend during the Single Speed Cyclocross World Championships in Portland, Oregon. Canadian Drew MacKenzie won the men’s crown, beating the likes of Ryan Trebon, Nat Ross, Steve Fassbinder and Adam Craig. Sue Butler took top honors in the women's race, winning a come-from-behind battle.
Team Cyclocrossworld.com-Cannondale doubled up this past weekend during the UCI 1 Toronto International Cyclocross in Toronto, Canada, putting Jeremy Powers atop the podium on Saturday with Tim Johnson taking the win on Sunday. Canadians had plenty to cheer about, too, as Ottawa’s Natasha Elliott (Stevens-EMD Sorono) scored two consecutive victories on the muddy Centennial Park course.
I just returned from Europe after visiting both the Milan bike show and a Formula 1 team in Silverstone, England that designs and has built aerodynamic carbon handlebars and bikes. At the Milan show, big news was the acquisition of Italian suspension maker Marzocchi by Tenneco, Inc. of Lake Forest, Illinois through the assumption of Marzocchi’s approximately $15 million in debt. Tenneco will lease Marzocchi’s Bologna manufacturing plant and will take over Marzocchi sales, marketing and customer service operations in the USA and Canada and purchasing and sales operations in Taiwan.
Colors: Black, Green, Red Sizes: Small to XX Large Price: $54.95 Web site: www.knog.com.au The Love Hate Gloves from the Australia-based company Knog, with “love” and “hate” stitched across the knuckles are made with goatskin leather. For extra durability, they have double stitched the key wear points. To improve breathability the gloves are perforated along the outsides of the glove and most notably along the strap.
Trek-Volkswagen rider Jeremiah Bishop claimed the men's win at this weekend’s 10th annual Iceman Cometh, a Michigan mountain bike race that caps registration at 2000 because of its immense popularity. In his first attempt, Bishop set a course record on the 27-mile course of 1:28:31. In the women's race, Amanda Carey (Kenda Titus Hayes), finished in 1:45:45, more than two minutes ahead of Susan Stevens (Brodie) and Heather Irmiger (Gary Fisher).
Nineteen year old Pete Ostroski in Intervale, New Hampshire, won this weekend's Porky Gulch Classic, an unusual omnium race held at Mount Washington, New Hampshire. Ostroski won two of the weekend's three events: the Toughest Two hillclimb, which ascends the first two miles of the Mount Washington Auto Road; and the Story Land Criterium, held on a hilly, narrow course inside a children's amusement park. In the Porky's third event, the Rockpile Rampage cyclocross race, Ostroski finished second to Todd Wheelden, who was second on the first two events and wound up second overall.
Price: $29.99 Web site: www.pedros.com The Pedro's Trixie is an all-around tool for the single-speed or fixed gear rider. With no moving parts and all the necessary tools extruded out of hardened steal, it screams durability and practicality. The Trixie is small enough to be carried in a jean pocket, but more comfortably in one of the pen sleeves of your messenger bag.
The UCI C2 HPCX served as the seventh round of the MAC Powered by SRAM Cyclocross Series on Sunday. Unlike the previous day’s sandfest at the Beacon Cyclocross in southern New Jersey, Sunday’s race meandered through a large grassy park next to the business district of Jamesburg. At 2.7 km, the course was technically one of the shortest on this year’s MAC circuit, but the combination of turns, hills and heavy ground from the previous day’s rainstorm made for long lap times, in the eight minute range for the Elite Men.
The BikeReg.com MABRAcross Series took to the property surrounding the Frank IX and Sons silk factory in downtown Charlottesville Virginia Sunday. Riders raved about the course- lots of fun but very difficult both technically and physically. The course included a sand pit as well as stairs constructed just for the race. The hot cider and fresh donuts from Carpe Donut were much appreciated in the cool morning hours, however the racing heated things up quickly.
Gathering winds blew in cloud cover and relatively cooler temperatures for an afternoon of Elite UCI racing in Los Angeles. The second-annual UCI Dam Cross race is the only UCI (class-two) CX event held in California this year. The 3.17-kilometer course was set at the base of LA’s Hansen Dam, snaking around and through an oak studded, bowl shaped park.
World champions Lars Boom (Rabobank) and Hanka Kupfernagel won the third round of the UCI’s World Cup of cyclocross, in Pijnacker, the Netherlands, on Sunday. In the men's race, the 22-year-old Boom grabbed the win ahead of Belgian Niels Albert (Palmans) and Belgian champion Sven Nys (Landbouwkrediet). Boom took an early lead on the first lap, with only Albert and Nys able to hold his wheel. The three traded the lead with attacks from each throughout the race.
Price: $59.99 Sizes: Small to XXL Web site: www.pearlizumi.com Pearl Izumi has answered the challenge of fall and winter cycling with the Shine Shoe Cover, which lets riders keep their feet warm and be more visible to motorists when cycling after sunset.
The 66th Milan Bicycle Show is the first major show since the financial meltdown. The mood was not upbeat the first day of the show, but it was election news from the U.S. that raised spirits on day two. That the show is very small was determined long ago when the booths were reserved, but the outlook on the market probably was largely created in October. Reflecting a common theme heard around the show, Lorenzo Piotto, marketing manager for Elite, said, “We are in a difficult period now.”
Defending Tour de France champion Carlos Sastre says he’s all but certain to skip next year’s Vuelta a España and said he’s looking forward toward a possible showdown with Lance Armstrong at the 2009 Tour. Speaking to reporters at an engagement in Spain, Sastre reconfirmed that he’ll likely start the Giro d’Italia to prepare for the Tour and then skip the Vuelta, where he finished third overall in September.
Leonardo Piepoli, one of seven riders to fail drug tests at the Tour de France, has demanded a counter-test, according to the French national anti-doping agency (AFLD) on Wednesday. Piepoli, one of four who tested positive for a new strain of a banned blood booster EPO called CERA, will be controlled in the coming weeks AFLD said, without giving further details. Last month Austria's Bernhard Kohl became the seventh positive doping case after being controlled retroactively for CERA, joining Italians Piepoli and Riccardo Ricco and Germany's Stefan Schumacher.
That wasn’t just any old Trek XO cyclocross bike Travis Brown was riding in last weekend’s Boulder and Redline Cup races — it was a prototype belt-driven bike. The Trek product tester first raced the anodized green machine, dubbed the XOB, at CrossVegas, held in conjunction with the Interbike trade show in Las Vegas.
Italian road cycling great Paolo Bettini was taken to hospital on Tuesday after crashing and hitting his head on a security barrier during the Six Days of Milan track festival, ANSA reported. The 34-year-old, who announced his retirement from road racing in September, was racing the Madison with Spanish veteran Juan Llaneras when he crashed alongside Ukrainian Yaroslav Popovych. Bettini's helmet broke upon impact with a security barrier. His neck and head were immediately immobilized before the emergency services rushed him to the Sacco hospital in Milan.
German public broadcaster ARD has been told it has no basis on which to bring a premature end to its contract with Tour de France organizers to televise the race during 2009-11. A spate of recent doping scandals, some of which involved German and Austrian riders, prompted ARD and fellow German broadcaster ZDF to announce their intention to stop broadcasting the world's biggest bike race.
Sizes: 49 to 59 cm Retail Price: Frameset: $1,200 Web site: www.rideblue.com/cxc The Blue CXc Carbon Cross frameset is the high-end version of Blue’s two cyclocross frame options. Though still considered a new company, its capabilities to perform at the highest level were proven by David Frattini at the UCI Cyclocross World Championships.
Jamey Driscoll (Cyclocrossworld.com-Cannondale) scored double wins at the Cycle-Smart International race in Northampton, Massachusetts, this weekend, while Laura Van Gilder took the win in Sunday's race. Driscoll, in his first year aged out of the U23 category, has developed a formula for success in New England: a steady start on lap 1 and then turning on the pressure for each lap after that until he finds himself alone
Lance Armstrong powered to victory at this weekend’s Tour de Gruene, winning both the individual and team time trials in convincing fashion. Armstrong’s participation was a welcome surprise to co-promoters Will Rotzler and Tom Sickmann, who learned of the Tour de France winner’s plans just days before the event. Sickmann attributed record participation levels for the tour to the “Lance factor,” adding that, “people don’t look at him like a rock star, or celebrity, they see someone who has transcended sport with his story. They see inspiration; they see hope.”
The second day of UCI cyclocross racing in Boulder, Colorado, saw repeat scenarios develop as on Sunday, with an identical result in the women’s race and a new winner from the same podium finishers from Saturday’s men’s race. In men’s racing, a lead group quickly formed containing Cannondale-Cyclocrossworld.com teammates Tim Johnson and Jeremy Powers, Ryan Trebon (Kona) and Saturday’s winner Todd Wells (GT).
On a warm day under clear skies, Melanie Swartz and Ryan Dewald stormed to victory at the Wayne Scott Xross in Fair Hill Maryland on Saturday. The long and relatively flat course through the Cecil County Fairgrounds was fast and technical with few opportunities to recover. In the Elite Men’s race, Greg Wittwer (ALAN North America) took a lead on the first lap and made the rest of the field ? and himself ? suffer. “I was going real hard,” he said after the race. “I saw from the earlier races that the races were staying together in the front and I wanted to spread it out.”
Cyclocrossworld.com-Cannondale's Jamey Driscoll and Stevens Cycles' Natasha Elliott won in Northampton, Massachusetts on Saturday, at the Cycle-Smart Invitational race. Driscoll's win ahead of Specialized's Andy Jacques-Maynes solidified his lead in the Verge New England series. Check back soon for photos and a complete report.
It was no day at the beach for the hundreds of professional and amateur ’crossers who competed in the opening round of the Boulder Cup, held Saturday on a sand-laden course at the Boulder Reservoir in Colorado. Todd Wells (GT) and Georgia Gould (Luna) took wins in the elite races, which stood as the fifth of eight round of the North American Cyclocross Trophy (NACT).
Riders from Britain's successful Beijing Olympic team was out in front again as the hosts won all six golds up for grabs in Manchester Saturday on the second day of the opening leg of the World Cup. Ed Clancy and Geraint Thomas, half of Britain's gold medal-winning and record-breaking team pursuit quartet in Beijing, joined up with Rob Hayles and Steven Burke to enjoy a triumph on their home track. Bradley Wiggins, a member of the team that stood atop the podium in China, opted out in preference for Sunday's Madison while Paul Manning has retired.