Eurobike 2009 is as big as ever. Occupying more than ten huge halls, the show dwarfs almost anything in the industry for size, scope, and attendance. Many European brands produce goods not even distributed in the United States, so for now we’ll focus on what looks good, what’s new, and what could be hot for 2010.
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Singletrack.com's Zack Vestal made the long journey to Friedrichshafen, Germany to report from Eurobike. This is his first dispatch from Euro-Land. Take a look at what's hot. And keep coming back, because Zack is working overtime over there.
Mavic's parent company is exploring selling off the bike component brand as it struggles with manufacturing capacity and a 15 percent sales decline in the first half of this year. Amer Sports, which also owns the sports brands Salomon, Wilson, Precor, Atomic, Suunto, and Arc'teryx, said this week it is looking at ways to refocus its attention, and that may include selling off the wheel and component maker.
Last year's women's criterium held prior to the start of the Tour of Missouri has expanded this year to a four-race women's criterium series in the days leading up the men's stage race. The final event in the series, in fact, finishes on the start line of the Tour of Missouri's first stage.
Georgia Gould burst onto the U.S. mountain bike scene in 2006 and immediately dominated the sport. Three years and an Olympiad later, Gould is a legitimate contender at this weekend's World Championships in Australia.
Reigning Olympic champion Samuel Sánchez says he doesn’t expect to, but still believes he can win the Vuelta a España. That’s how Sánchez assesses things after nearly a week of racing in the Vuelta, sitting 65th at 1:09 back. “Right now I don’t see myself winning, but I know that I am capable of doing it,” Sánchez said. “It’s the same thing as trying to finish in the top 10 at the Tour; it’s one thing to think but it’s altogether something else to actually do it.”
André Greipel (Columbia-HTC) made it look easy in Thursday’s 174km fifth stage at the Vuelta a España, winning his second consecutive stage and bouncing into the race leader’s golden jersey thanks to finish-line bonuses. Wearing the green points jersey, “André the Giant” came off Tom Boonen’s wheel with 100 meters to go at the end of frenetic final 10km to catapult into the double, with the stage win and leader’s jersey to assure plenty of podium time.
In terms of roadside spectators, the opening four stages of the 64th Vuelta a España through The Netherlands and Belgium were a huge success.. “Just like the Tour de France,” some of the riders said. But the interest in North America has been minimal, at best, even though the top U.S teams Columbia-HTC and Garmin-Slipstream are taking part.
Eurobike 2009 is as big as ever. Occupying more than ten huge halls, the show dwarfs almost anything in the industry for size, scope and attendance.
Many European brands produce goods not even distributed in the United States, so for now we’ll focus on what looks good, what’s new, and what could be hot for 2010.
Assos
Swiss clothing company Assos is well known for high quality, form fit, and function. With a new product range called Mille, Assos aims to fill a niche in its line for riders who want the function with a more forgiving fit. [nid:97355]
Alberto Contador has pulled out of the upcoming world championships in Mendrisio, Switzerland, because he does not feel he can do justice to his place in the team. Contador was crowned the yellow jersey champion in Paris on July 26 after beating a host of big rivals during the three-week cycling epic, including Luxembourg's runner-up Andy Schleck and American seven-time champion Lance Armstrong. But Contador, who pulled decided to skip the Vuelta a España as well, has now decided he is not 100 percent race fit.
VeloNews is available by subscription or at hundreds of locations in North America. Putting together an issue in the days following the Tour de France, the question put before the VeloNews editorial staff wasn’t which rider or event would grace the cover of our October issue, but rather which Tour image it might be.
Three Sisters mountains, which are some of Oregon's highest peaks, are just some of the eye-candy when riding around Bend.
Find out if you can dial in delayed broadcasts of the UCI Mountain World Championships from Canberra, Australia.