October 15, 2009 (Louisville, KY) - The series that stoked the exponential growth of cyclocross in the United States and in the Ohio Valley - the U.S. Gran Prix of Cyclocross - returns to Louisville, KY for it's third consecutive season on October 24th and 25th downtown at Champions' Park.
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Alejandro Valverde finally has a date with destiny. November 16, to be exact, when the Court of Arbitration for Sport will hear testimony in the ongoing appeal on his two-year racing ban in Italy for links to the Operación Puerto blood doping scandal. The reigning Vuelta a España champion is fending off allegations leveled by Italian authorities that he was one of the top clients of Dr. Eufemiano Fuentes, a Madrid gynecologist and alleged ring-leader of the Puerto ring.
Philippe Gilbert must be wishing he had this ripping form a few weeks ago at the world championships in Mendrisio. Just days after taking scalps at Paris-Tours and Coppa Sabatini, the Belgian bomber rounded out his October treble with victory Thursday at Giro del Piemonte in the season’s penultimate race. Sixth at the road worlds in Switzerland, Gilbert has been laying it on thick during the final races of the 2009 European racing calendar, taking three consecutive victories this week.
While Garmin-Slipstream’s Chris Sutton made it a hat trick at Australia’s Jayco Herald Sun Tour Thursday, beating out Fly V Australia’s Jonathan Cantwell in a bunch kick for a third consecutive stage, what was more interesting was how the general classification now sets up for Thursday’s 10km time trial. The fourth stage of this tour, a 139km roundabout route from Anglesea to Barwon Heads, played out in nearly identical fashion to the previous day: two riders escaped, were caught close to the finish, and Sutton, led out by teammate Bradley Wiggins, beat Cantwell in a sprint.
Carlos Sastre, the 2008 Tour de France champion, says he won’t commit to racing the 2010 Tour until he’s studied the routes of all three grand tours. After getting a glimpse of what’s a harder, more climber-friendly Tour in Wednesday’s roll-out of the 2010 route, Sastre’s comments over doubts of a possible Tour start come as a surprise.
In the cutthroat pro peloton, Garmin-Slipstream rider Bradley Wiggins is the exception — a non-stop joker with outside interests in music, fashion, Mod-era scooters and when he’s not preparing for a race, a pint or two of beer. Take, for example, this exchange between the British rider and a TV reporter prior to the start of Thursday’s fourth stage of the Jayco Herald Sun Tour. (Background info: British Sky Broadcasting, the sponsor of the new-for-2010 British cycling team Sky, is the United Kingdom’s largest pay-TV provider.)
Nearly 700 racers and as many spectators braved crisp fall temperatures at the season finale of the 2009 Wisconsin Off Road Series, held Oct. 10-11 in Sheboygan, Wisconsin.
The debut of "Race Across the Sky" will be a one-night, in-theater event featuring a taped roundtable discussion with Lance Armstrong, Dave Wiens, Chris Carmichael, Leadville Trail100 founder Ken Chlouber and other elite cyclists.
Dear Readers, I have to admit that I unknowingly opened a can of worms when I picked Mike Tsai’s letter to answer in last week’s column,”Whose bike path is it anyway?”
American Council on Exercise (ACE)
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Related: Interactive Google Map of the 2010 Tour route
Here are some reactions from the main players during Wednesday’s Tour de France presentation: Alberto Contador – 1st overall: “My authentic rival is Andy Schleck. Looking at the time trial, it’s better for me than last year. This Tour is better for me than last year, especially with a stage finish atop a climb so difficult as the Tourmalet.
When the lights dimmed in the Congrés de Palais in Paris for the presentation of the 2010 Tour de France, the unexpected was the plat du jour. Surprises are always part of the Tour presentation, and 2010 certainly didn’t disappoint. Hard days in the Pyrénées and a long, penultimate-day time trial in Bordeaux set the stage for a final week clash that should keep fans on the edge of their seats.
As a physician and not an attorney, I would argue that this physician (see “California road-rage case heads for court”) should be charged with attempted manslaughter.
The scenario was different but the outcome the same for Garmin-Slipstream sprinter Chris Sutton, who took his second consecutive stage win at Australia’s Jayco Herald Sun Tour Wednesday. Unlike his win Tuesday, which came from a group whittled down through attrition in the wind, Sutton took the victory and subsequent race lead Wednesday out a hard-charging lead group established over a cat. 2 climb just 15km from the finish line.
Reigning Tour de France champion Alberto Contador played down the threat of a doping probe that was launched a day before the presentation of next year's race. Paris prosecutors on Tuesday revealed they had launched an investigation after the discovery of suspicious medical equipment including "syringes and drips" during the Tour de France in July.
American Ben Jacques-Maynes is quietly having a strong Jayco Herald Sun Tour. Riding in his second Sun Tour, the Bissell rider finished 10th on stage 2, making the crucial 13-man split with 30km remaining before he lost contact with the leaders and ceded one minute. On stage 3 he finished 14th, two seconds behind the winner, and sits ninth overall. A strong time trialist, BJM could vault himself into the top five, or even on to the podium, following the 10km stage 5 time trial Friday.
Neko Mulally wins DH and dual Slalom crown while Dawn Bourque takes home DH title following Gravity East Finals at Plattekill Mountain in New York.
The organization representing the world’s top professional cycling teams has asked to meet with the UCI to review a recent decision to phase out the use of two-way radios in the sport. Meeting in advance of Wednesday’s 2010 Tour de France presentation, the Association International des Groupes Cyclistes Professionels (AIGCP) requested a meeting with the UCI in order to voice concerns over a ban imposed by the governing body’s management committee last month.
Beverly Park Elementary in Burien, Washington, hosted the second stop on the 2009 Seattle cyclocross (SCX) series. The day broke chilly but sunny and with the sun, the temp came up nicely for most races. Still no traditional 'cross weather for SCX. The course was very compact, consisting of an old cintrex running track and associated field on one terrace and then a back section of thicker grass and pavement on an upper section, separated by about 30 vertical feet.
24 Hours of Moab was to be Chris Eatough's last race while Pua Sawicki was aiming at a world record, but both riders were taken out by illness.