Italian cyclist Leonardo Piepoli, one of seven riders to fail a drugs test at the Tour de France, saw his hopes of clearing his name shattered Friday when his B-sample showed traces of banned blood booster EPO CERA, the French anti-doping agency (AFLD) said. Piepoli tested positive at the end of the tenth stage of this year's Tour and was then dumped by his Saunier-Duval team.
Rock Racing is hiring former Telecom and T-Mobile coach Rudy Pevenage as director sportif for the 2009 season, adding some top flight team management to complement its expanded roster. The team's choice of Pevenage, however, is sure to get attention for another reason: as Jan Ullrich's former director, Pevenage was tied up in the Operacion Puerto scandal that ended the German racer's career.
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.
Well, today was my first meeting with Andy Pruitt at the Boulder Center for Sports Medicine. I was warmly greeted by staff, filled out the requisite paperwork and waited to be called in. As I waited I noticed, among the many motivational photos of the outdoors, that there were various autographed photos of athletes from around the world thanking Pruitt for his help; I was quietly hoping that the day would soon come when I’d be able to send him a photo of myself offering him my thanks…
Although this week’s Garmin-Chipotle team camp has been a series of meetings, fittings, easy rides, meals and team-building exercises, it hasn’t been all fun and games for Tyler Farrar. The 24-year-old sprinter is staying in close contact with his family following an October car-bike collision that left his father, Ed, in intensive care with serious injuries, including spinal trauma.
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?
Andre Greipel will be back to defend his title at the Tour Down Under Jan. 18-25 as Team Columbia confirmed its presence at the season kick-off in Australia. The big, burly German sprinter won four stages and the overall in the 2008 edition and later finished fifth overall in the UCI ProTour rankings. Supporting Greipel will be a strong Columbia lineup, including 2002 champ Michael Rogers and George Hincapie.
Team officials say they are confident of landing new sponsors to allow the Spanish squad Saunier Duval to continue next season despite the departure of its title sponsor. Team manager Joxean Fernández Matxin told the Spanish daily MARCA that the appropriate paperwork has been filed with the UCI to assure the team a presence in the peloton next year. Matxin said negotiations are continuing with potential new title sponsors, but he’s confident enough that he’s moving forward with plans to race in 2009.
The Lance Armstrong Foundation (LAF) is proud to announce that its founder and chairman, Lance Armstrong, today was named one of America’s Best Leaders by U.S. News Media Group, one of the nation’s leading sources of news analysis and service journalism, in association with the Center for Public Leadership (CPL) at Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government.
Whitmore’s Offers Worlds Largest Women’s Purse -- Again November 20, 2008; Conshohocken, PA, USA: Stories of an economic meltdown dominate the daily news and world politics. But cyclocross, at least in America, seems unfazed. Record entries are commonplace and increased purses are the norm. Nowhere is that trend more apparent than this weekend’s Whitmore’s Landscaping Super Cross Cup on New York’s Long Island.
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.
The first-ever USA Cycling Mountain Bike Summit went off Nov. 14-16 in Colorado Springs with the simple goal of providing a forum for industry stakeholders to share ideas. The three-day conference offered a variety of industry members the opportunity to collectively meet and discuss direction and changes within the sport, share best practices and develop initiatives to advance mountain bike racing in the United States.
The inaugural USA Cycling National Racing Calendar (NRC) Promoter Summit was conducted last weekend, Nov. 14-16, at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs as 32 individuals representing 23 events on the 2009 NRC converged to share their thoughts regarding the nation’s premier Pro-Am road racing calendar.
Two weeks ago, I wrote about the collision that hospitalized Dr. Ed Farrar (see Yet another collision). Since then, I’ve received a letter I’d like to share. First, C.S. wrote in to say:
We held Ed's rally this last Sunday. I figure 700 - 800 riders showed up. It was one of the greatest moments of my adult life. Watching this many people from all over the Pacific Northwest show and give their support to Ed. I actually got to see him. His eyes were bright and sparkly and he had the biggest grin on his face!
Garmin-Chipotle’s fall training camp started out with a bang this week. A literal bang, actually, as the team kicked off its second annual November meet-and-greet camp with a round of paintball in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains, near the team’s U.S. headquarters of Boulder, Colorado. After three unseasonably warm days of the weeklong camp — which started on Monday and ends on Sunday and includes bike and clothing fittings, sponsor meetings, casual training rides and a Saturday evening team presentation — the paintball excursion stands out as the highlight.
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.
The International Cycling Union (UCI) presented its Cycling for All programme at the 12th World Sport for All Congress in Genting Highlands, Malaysia, last week. The Cycling for All and UCI Golden Bike Coordinator Georges-Emmanuel Denjean, was one of more than 500 participants from 96 countries who discussed subjects relating to the theme “Sport for All – for life”. The preoccupation of the sporting and health experts present was to encourage a regular practice of sport in a world where people are less and less active.
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Three U.S. bike industry leaders were elected as Bikes Belong Coalition board officers at the organization’s November 18 meeting in Boulder, Colorado. Steve Meineke, president of Raleigh America, was picked to become president after serving three years as vice president. Former treasurer Chris Fortune, CEO of Saris Cycling Group, was named vice president. Michael Mercuri, VP of SRAM Corporation, was elected treasurer. All three began service immediately.
Cycling enthusiasts ready to add their favorite festival to the 2009 calendar can now find details about the Sea Otter Classic, a four-day Celebration of Sport, on its official website at www.seaotterclassic.com.
We’re back and the racing has been abundant. I picked up a win in Toronto two weeks ago and a podium last weekend at the USGP in New Jersey. Now the biggest races of the year loom on the horizon and I’m looking forward to them all: the USGP Finals in Portland and the national championship weekend in Kansas City. But, as a change of pace, this diary isn’t going to be about racing.
Dear Explainer dude,
I know that most of us talk as if this time of year is known as the “off-season,” but for some of us — and me in particular — this is the height of the cycling season. I love ‘cross. When I ride on the road, I’m thinking of cyclocross; when I ride my mountain bike it’s because I’m working on my ‘cross technique.
Well, there have always been a couple of things that have bothered me when it comes to cyclocross.
One is: why isn’t cyclocross an Olympic event?
Michael Barry was back in the spotlight in 2008, winning his first race since the 2005 season with a dramatic stage victory at the Tour of Missouri. He also rode to fifth in the Tour of Ireland and finished ninth in the grueling Olympic road race in Beijing. The 32-year-old Canadian returned to form this year after struggling through a challenging 2007 campaign that was wiped out with a nasty bout of pneumonia. Though he missed out on a slot on the nine-man Tour de France squad, Barry regained his confidence with a consistent and steady season that will carry over into 2009.
At least one company is benefiting from the global economic crisis: Netherlands-based bicycle maker Accell predicted Wednesday that it will enjoy higher than expected 2008 profits due to rising sales. "Cycling remains popular in economically adverse times," Accell Group chief executive Rene Takens said in a statement. "Last summer’s increase in fuel prices caused a lot of consumers to think about alternative means of transportation. This led to a more frequent use of the bicycle."
The BikeReg.com MABRAcross series travels to Leesburg Virginia this Sunday, November 23, for the penultimate round of its most successful season ever. The Tacchino Ciclocross is held annually near the Thanksgiving holiday at the stunning Ida-Lee Park. The park, located just blocks away from the center of Leesburg’s historic old section, is a top-notch modern recreation facility with a panoramic view of the Catoctin Mountain range.
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.
Ric Hjerberg is leaving FSA, where has has worked for six years, most recently as technology manager. Hjertberg got his start in the bicycle business when he opened the Wheelsmith retail store in Palo Alto in 1975 with his brother Jon. Wheelsmith evolved into a spoke and wheel company.
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)
Storck Bicycle and Vanderkitten Racing have announced a multi-year sponsorship deal that will place the Elite Women’s Team on Storck road bikes beginning with the 2009 racing season. “Our organization enjoyed a terrific 2008 season and we are confident that 2009 will be even more successful now that we will be riding Storcks”, said Robin Zellner, Managing Director - Vanderkitten Racing.
The Jazz Apple Women’s Cycling Team is pleased to announce their 2009 partnership with ‘sweat equity’ charity organization, Plus3Network. www.plus3network.com Plus3 Network, the brainchild of former Monterey Sea Otter Classic Director, Rick Sutton, combines incentive-oriented exercise with benefiting a broad cross-section of charities, including environmental protection and promoting equality and wellness causes. Former Olympian and Jazz Apple team owner, Susy Pryde is proud to unite the Jazz Apple Women’s dedication for cycling to the Plus3 Network
A national program is offering race promoters the opportunity to send their top amateurs to the 2009 edition of the Nature Valley Grand Prix (Minnesota, June 10-14) to compete against the country’s top men and women professional bicycle racers. Entering its second year, the “Nature Valley Pro Ride” will select amateur men and women at regional races around the United States to become part of a pair of Nature Valley composite teams for the 11th annual edition of the five-day stage race that begins June 10.
SUGOI Performance Apparel, a division of Dorel Industries (TSX: DII.B, DII.A), today announced that a new Marketing Manager and a new Creative Services Manager have joined the Company.
The Zipp OVCX Tour incorporates the Ohio State Championships when it travels to suburban Columbus on Sunday, November 23. The Cap City Cross will be held in Upper Arlington, a suburb of Ohio’s capital city of Columbus.
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.
Lance Armstrong has revealed that he fears being attacked by spectators when he makes his return to the Tour de France next year. The American, a seven-times winner of the Tour, believes he could be targeted by French fans angry that doping allegations surrounding him have helped to destroy the credibility and the magic of cycling's most famous race.
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.”