Displaying 18081 - 18160 of approximately 22681 results
Geslin wins Brabantse Pijl
French rider Anthony Geslin delivered FDJeux a big victory Sunday at the Brabantse Pijl in Belgium. Geslin won out of an eight-man group that pulled clear in the closing 30km of the 193.5km circuit course. Fabian Wegmann (Milram) tried to surprise the group and sprang off the final wheel with 250 meters to go with an explosive sprint. The German opened a promising gap, but Geslin was able to recover and catch him at the line to secure victory.
Connie Carpenter offers a primer on the Omnium in time for Sunday’s world championship in that event
Editor's Note: Connie Carpenter is in Pruszkow, Poland, covering the Track World Championships for VeloNews.com while supporting her son, Taylor Phinney. Carpenter is a former world champion on the track and an avid fan of track cycling.
Redlands Crit: BMC’s Jackson Stewart and Columbia’s Ina Yoko Teutenberg win at Redlands
Jeff Louder (BMC) and Amber Neben (Nurnberger Shoair) retained their yellow jerseys after the dust settled in bunch sprints for both the men’s and women’s Redlands Downtown Criteriums in Saturday’s stage 2 at the Redlands Cycling Classic. The top five in the men’s GC remained virtually unchanged, while Neben’s advantage over second placed Ina-Yoko Teutenberg (Columbia-High Road) narrowed from 14 seconds to just 2 seconds due to time bonuses.
Denmark takes Madison gold
Denmark relieved Britain of yet another world crown when they won the men's Madison gold at the world track cycling championships in Pruszkow, Poland, Saturday. Australia took the silver with the Czech Republic claiming the bronze. Defending champions Britain, featuring the two-man team of Mark Cavendish and fellow Manxman Peter Kennaugh, finished sixth at a lap down. Kennaugh suffered a crash before the seventh of the 10 sprints where points can be picked up for the first four riders over the line during the 200-lap race.
The Coach(ed) Corner: The importance of being humbled
There’s a commonly held sports adage that says the best way to get better at your chosen activity is to play with people who are better than you. I certainly don’t agree with this in all cases. Hoops with LeBron would only equal thunder dunks in face. I’d probably drown in Michael Phelps’ wake. And clearly Troy Polamalu could rip all our heads off.
Cunego takes Coppi e Bartali
Lampre’s Damiano Cunego wrapped up his second Coppi e Bartali title on Saturday despite being beaten in a sprint finish by Cadel Evans (Silence-Lotto) on the fifth and final stage. Evans, the reigning champion, edged out Cunego, also the 2006 winner, and Italian Giovanni Visconti at the end of a 178.5km trek from Scandiano to Sassuolo. The Australian, who finished second overall, had begun the day 28 seconds behind Cunego with Massimo Giunti a further four seconds back.
Casper sprints to win at Critérium International
Besson Chaussures-Sojasun’s Jimmy Casper showed off his strong early season form Saturday, winning the opening stage of France’s Critérium International , a 190km ride from Monthois to Charleville-Mézières. The 30-year-old Casper had already won two stages in Etoile de Bessèges in February. Casper said he was especially pleased to be a member of a small continental squad making a mark on a prestigious race . Casper was quick to praise Christian Prudhomme, the director of cycling at ASO, for having "invited a small team to the Critérium International.”
Louder, Teutenberg win stage 1 at Redlands
Jeff Louder (BMC) and Amber Neben (Nurnberger Shoair) emerged as the overall race leaders after a tough and windy Beaumont Circuit Race, the first stage of the 2008 Redlands Bicycle Classic on Friday. Louder followed a daring attack by Peter Stetina (Felt-Holoweko-Slipstream) over the day’s final climb, then put enough distance between himself and GC leader Ben Day (Fly V Australia) to snatch the yellow jersey, thanks to the 10-second bonus he snatched for the stage victory.
A day after winning gold in the 4k pursuit, Taylor Phinney is second in the kilo time trial
After winning gold in the 4k individual pursuit, American Taylor Phinney was second in the 1 kilometer time trial at the world track championships in Poland. Phinney rode a 1 01.611, Connie Carpenter told VeloNews in an email. That's about the same time as he did at the Copenhagen world cup last month, but a full second slower than the gold medalist, German Stefan Nimke. Mohd Rizal Tisin made history to hand Malaysia their first ever world championships medal with bronze in a time of 1:01.658.
Metlushenko takes sprint at Coppi e Bartali, Cunego holds lead
Ukraine's Yury Metlushenko (Amore e Vita-McDonald's) won a mass sprint finish to claim the fourth stage of the Coppi e Bartali over 162.8km from Massa Finalese to Finale Emilia on Friday. Metlushenko edged out Italian pair Danilo Napolitano (Katusha) and Francesco Chicchi (Liquigas) in the bunch sprint. Former Giro d'Italia winner Damiano Cunego (Lampre-NGC) maintained his grip on the leader's pink jersey ahead of Australian Cadel Evans, who is 28 seconds back, and Italian Massimo Giunti, at 32 seconds.
Day 2 at the UCI World Track Championships in Pruszkow, Poland
While American readers saw the big news from this week's UCI world track championships to be Taylor Phinney's victory in the men's individual pursuit, there was plenty of other racing at the velodrome in Pruszkow, Poland, on Thursday, including a return to the boards for recent Milan-San Remo winner, Mark Cavendish.
Men’s Scratch
Frenchman Morgan Kneisky upset the field in a chaotic men's scratch final to win gold Thursday. Dario Colla of Argentina took the silver with Austrian Andreas Müller taking the bronze.Cobo wins, Leipheimer defends lead
Juan José Cobo (Fuji-Servetto) attacked with just under 2km to go to win Thursday’s 145.4km “queen stage” over two first-category climbs at the 24th Vuelta a Castilla y León. Cobo, who started nearly three minutes out of the GC fight, timed it just right to bolt clear of a reduced pack of leaders to win for the first time this season.
After yesterday’s setback at the Cape Epic, Sauser and Stander win stage 5 and up a spot to third.
The Songo.info team of Burry Stander and Christoph Sauser partially made up for stage 4's penalty and mechanicals to win stage 5 and move back into contention for the overall. Songo.info finished 1:14 seconds ahead of the second team of Trek-Brentjens on the stage. It was Songo.info's fourth stage win.
Women’s Prestige Cycling Series Kicks Off at Redlands
(March 24, 2009 - Minneapolis) The 2009 Women’s Prestige Cycling Series gets underway this week with the Redlands Bicycle Classic, the traditional opener for this women-only national series. Roster changes and changes in the Series schedule will add to the drama in this Series as it enters its sixth year. “Women’s racing is alive and well”, said Redlands Race Director Dan Rendler. “Our women’s field is the largest we have had in years with the who's who of women's cycling.”
Brit’s hunt for track gold
The British team that has dominated track cycling at the Olympics and worlds competition in past years is set to redress the gold medals balance Thursday after missing out on victory four times on the opening day of the world championships in Pruszkow, Poland. Great Britain, which won seven of ten titles on offer at the Beijing Olympics last year, have so far lived up to claims of taking a relaxed approach to a gradual build-up to the London Olympics in 2012.
Connie Carpenter reports on Day 1 at track worlds, where it was the World vs. Britain — and the world won
Editor's Note: Connie Carpenter is in Pruszkow, Poland, covering the Track World Championships for VeloNews.com while supporting her son, Taylor Phinney. Carpenter is a former world champion on the track and an avid fan of track cycling. Big surprises on the opening night! Yes!
Krupeckaite sets record in 500m time trial
Lithuanian Simona Krupeckaite won the women's 500 meter time trial in a record time of 33.296 at the world track cycling championships on Wednesday in Pruszkow, Poland Krupeckaite started second from last in the 23-strong field and powered over the two-lap event to beat the early pacesetter, Australian Anna Meares, into second place for the silver medal. In doing so Krupeckaite beat Meares' world record of 33.588, set at the 2007 world championships in Palma de Mallorca. Britain's reigning Olympic sprint champion, Victoria Pendleton, took the bronze medal in 34.102.
Cunego takes stage, Visconti leads at Coppi e Bartali
Former Giro d'Italia winner Damiano Cunego (Lampre) won the second stage of the Settimana Internazionale di Coppi e Bartali–Trofeo UniCredit Banca on Wednesday. Cunego edged out Colombian Jose Serpa (Serramenti PVC Diquigiovanni) in the 182.1km leg from San Lazzaro to Faenza, with third place going to Giovanni Visconti (ISD), the new overall leader. A group of nine riders broke clear on the Monte Trebbo before Cunego and Serpa separated themselves from the rest and the Italian easily took the sprint finish.
Valverde nails the stage, Leipheimer keeps the lead
Alejandro Valverde (Caisse d’Epargne) sprinted to his first victory of the 2009 season in Wednesday’s third stage at the Vuelta a Castilla y León. Levi Leipheimer (Astana) crossed safely with the pack in the second-category summit finish at the San Isidro ski area to retain the overall leader’s jersey he claimed after winning Tuesday’s individual time trial.
Gatto leads Coppi e Bartali after double-stage kickoff
Danilo Napolitano (Team Katusha) took a bunch sprint to win Tuesday’s kickoff to the 2009 Settimana Internazionale di Coppi e Bartali–Trofeo UniCredit Banca. Napolitano took the 81.2km stage 1a in Riccione in 1:58, trailed by Marko Kump (Adria Mobile) and Enrico Rossi (Ceramica Flaminia), who finished in the same time. In the afternoon’s stage 1b, a team time trial, ISD emerged triumphant, covering the 14.3km course in 17:17. Miche-Silver Cross-Selle Italia was second at 17 seconds with CSF Group Navigare third at 19 seconds.
Britain arrives at track worlds without key riders
Track powerhouses Britain will be without a host of big names as the four-year cycle towards the London Olympics in 2012 clicks into gear at the world championships in Poland this week. Britain claimed an astonishing seven of the ten track gold medals on offer at the Beijing Olympics last year but will be without three of the stars who, in Beijing, won six golds between them.
No classics for Farrar this year
It’s official: Tyler Farrar will miss this year’s northern classics. The bad news was confirmed by doctors Sunday, who diagnosed an acromioclavicular (AC) separation in Farrar’s right shoulder resulting from his crash in the 100th Milan-San Remo. “It’s not severe enough to require surgery, nothing is broken,” Farrar told VeloNews by telephone. “It’s not that bad of an injury, it’s just bad enough that you couldn’t race a cobblestone classic. It’s just an inconvenient timing.”
Michael Barry’s diary – The road to San Remo
Monumental. The night before a race, the last thing I do before I climb into bed is to prepare my bag for the next day. Each rider has a suitcase and a race bag. The suitcase travels to the finish in the team truck and we carry the race bag, which holds everything we’ll need for the day, in the bus on the way to the start. With everything ready to go, tucked in bed, I look over the race book one last time before closing my eyes.
Sobrino takes Castilla y León opener
Very few people will be talking about the biggest win of Joaquín Sobrino’s career. The Burgos Monumental rider sped to victory in the opening stage of the Vuelta a Castilla y León, but the world’s media were focused on the crash involving Lance Armstrong (Astana) with about 15km to go. The seven-time Tour de France winner went down in a nasty pileup as the peloton was completing its chase of a four-man breakaway and left the race in an ambulance (see main story).
European correspondent Andrew Hood is preparing for a busy week following the races.
After a relative lull in mid-March, with the European racing schedule dominated by two big races (Paris-Nice and Tirreno-Adriatico) and the first classic of the season with Milan-San Remo, the peloton is making up for lost time. There are major races this week in Spain, Belgium and Italy and the women’s World Cup begins in Switzerland. There’s a lot to cover, so let’s jump right in:
Monday to Friday, March 23-27
24th Vuelta a Castilla y León (Spa, 2.1)Day, Teutenberg win San Dimas
Fly V Australia's Ben Day turned a blistering opening time trial performance into an overall victory at the three-day San Dimas Stage Race in California this weekend. Day's teammate Jonathan Cantwell won the final stage criterium, ahead of Colavita's Lucas Haedo and OUCH-Maxxis' John Murphy. Team Type 1's Shawn Milne added to Team Type 1’s polka dot jersey collection by winning the King of the Mountains classification.
Cavendish wins 2009 Milano-Sanremo
If there was any doubt about who is cycling’s most exciting sprinter, Mark Cavendish erased it Saturday with an explosive victory in the 100th Milan-San Remo. Judges had to break out the zoom lens to determine Cavendish the winner in a photo-finish to a devastated Heinrich Haussler as Cervélo TestTeam went two-three with Thor Hushovd rounding out the podium. Haussler pounced out of the left side of the pack with 350 meters to go —he said to set up Hushovd — only to look back and see that Hushovd wasn’t on his wheel and a surging Cavendish was closing in fast.
Farrar crashes out of San Remo
Milan-San Remo didn’t end the way Tyler Farrar would have liked. The Garmin-Slipstream rider -- fresh off beating eventual winner Mark Cavendish in a bunch sprint this week at Tirreno-Adriatico – crashed out with a possible broken clavicle. Farrar flew back to his home base in Belgium on Saturday night and will be treated by doctors there, but team officials are worried that the injury could take Farrar out of the upcoming northern classics.
Cavendish: ‘I wanted to prove I am a great rider’
Mark Cavendish proved the skeptics wrong yet again. After most experts believed he couldn’t get over the late-race climbs, the Columbia-Highroad rider sprinted to a dramatic victory to win the 100th Milan-San Remo. Here are excerpts from his post-race press conference: Question: What does it mean to you to win a classic?
Milan-San Remo: Can Cavendish get over the Poggio?
Mark Cavendish isn’t expecting to win his first crack at Milan-San Remo, but he’s getting some advice from someone who has. Four-time winner Erik Zabel has been quietly working and training with the British sprinter since retiring. Cavendish is expecting that expert advice to pay dividends sooner than later. “He knows every race by the back of his hand, so it’s perfect for me,” Cavendish told VeloNews. “It takes away at least one year for experience. We’re talking and training together all the time, at the races or after.”
Henk Vogels talks about his new team, the North American peloton, and life as a director.
Henk Vogels is back. Well, sort of. After a career that included a pair of top-10 finishes in Paris-Roubaix, second at the 2003 Gent-Wevelgem, wins at the USPRO road and criterium championships, an overall victory at the Tour de Beauce and an Australian national road title, Vogels quietly retired at the end of the 2008 season. There was no announcement, no send-off race or ceremony — just a shift, from the bike to the driver’s seat in a new role as team director.
Columbia-Highroad for Milan-San Remo
San Luis Obispo, California, 18th March 2009 - Columbia-Highroad tackles Milan-San Remo this weekend with high hopes for Mark Cavendish, the recent winner of the last stage of Tirreno-Adriatico. However, the squad has no intention of placing their top sprinter under any pressure to come up with a specific result.
Mark Cavendish says he needs a few years before he can be competitive at Milan-San Remo
Add Mark Cavendish to the growing list of people who think Daniele Bennati is one of the big favorites for Milan-San Remo. The British sprinter easily handed Bennati defeat in Tuesday’s final stage at Tirreno-Adriatico, but when pressed to give one name who would win Saturday, Cavendish thought long and hard before saying, “Bennati.” “Three hundred kilometers at 23 is a long way,” said Cavendish, discounting his own chances for his San Remo debut. “I will be ready to win San Remo in a few years. Bennati looks strong. He can get over the climbs and he has the sprint.”
Milan-San Remo: Is it finally Boonen’s turn?
Tom Boonen leaned back on the hood of the Quick Step team car on a sunny morning in San Benedetto del Tronto before the final stage of Tirreno-Adriatico. Life was good. The sun was out, his form was closing in on its annual spring peak and, most importantly, his left knee wasn’t giving him any problems.
Cavendish wins final T-A stage as Scarponi wraps up the overall win.
Mark Cavendish wasn’t going to let anyone pass him this time. Just days after Tyler Farrar (Garmin-Slipstream) relegated Cavendish to a rare second place in Friday’s third stage, Cavendish evened the score in Tuesday’s 169km finale at the 44th Tirreno-Adriatico. Daniele Bennati (Liquigas) tried in vain to sprint early, but Cavendish darted past him in easy work to win for the fifth time in 2009. Farrar trailed through second in another strong performance for the American while Baden Cooke (Vacansoleil) took third.
Racing This Week: Milan-San Remo highlights the action
There are a few races around Europe this weekend, but it is Saturday’s Milan-San Remo that will be the center of attention. The race is celebrating its 100th edition this year and the Italians are expected to pull out all the stops. The presence of Lance Armstrong in his first European race since his comeback will only heighten the media attention and anticipation for the 100th edition of the Italian spring classic.
Ongoing through Tuesday
44th Tirreno-Adriatico (Ita, HIS)Michele Scarponi takes the lead at Tirreno-Adriatico as Klöden gets dropped
It was another day of epic racing at Tirreno-Adriatico, this time with Michele Scarponi (Diquigiovanni) snatching the stage victory and the leader’s jersey in Monday’s 235km climbing stage to Camerino. Scarponi, back to the winner’s circle after serving a racing ban after being implicated in the Operación Puerto doping scandal, darted ahead of Stefano Garzelli (Acqua e Sapone) to win the stage. Ivan Basso (Liquigas), riding with strength in grand tour-like conditions, crossed third.
Team Type 1’s Jesse Anthony wins the climber’s title at the Tour de Taiwan
Team Type 1's Jesse Anthony won the King of the Mountain title at the seven-stage Tour de Taiwan, which ended Saturday in Taipei. Poland's Je?owski Krzysztof of the Merida Europe team won the overall title, followed by Australia's Peter McDonald (Drapac Porsche) and Roman Zhiyentayev (Kazakhstan National Team). Anthony was 17th on the GC. His teammate Ken Hanson, the only other American to finish the race, was 29th on GC and was sixth in the final stage.
Mark Cavendish to return to the boards at the track world championships in Poland
Four-time Tour de France stage winner MarkCavendish has been included in a largely experimental 19-man British track cycling squad that will head to the World Championships in Pruszkow, Poland next week. Cavendish, who normally plies his trade with the Columbia-High Road team, is a surprise inclusion in a squad that will be shorn of many of its big names. At last year's Olympic Games Britain won seven of the ten golds on offer at the Laoshan velodrome in Beijing, with Scotland's Chris Hoy claiming three and Bradley Wiggins winning two from both pursuit events.
Sanchez wraps up Paris Nice, Colom wins final stage
Luis Leon Sanchez (Caisse d’Epargne) trumped compatriot Alberto Contador of Astana to win the 67th Paris-Nice cycling race after the eighth and final stage here on Sunday. Sanchez finished the race one minute ahead of Luxembourg's Frank Schleck in the overall standings, with French rider Sylvain Chavanal a further 9 seconds adrift in third.
Farrar: ‘Biggest win of my career’
Tyler Farrar did what many haven’t been able to manage lately – come around Mark Cavendish to win a bunch sprint. That’s just what the 24-year-old Garmin-Slipstream did on what was a very lucky Friday the 13th. He timed his final punch to the line perfectly to win the 166km third stage from Fuchecchio to Santa Croce Sull’Arno at the 44th Tirreno-Adriatico on Friday. Farrar bolted past Cavendish’s left shoulder, taking a prestigious bunch sprint ahead of the likes of Tom Boonen (fourth) and Robbie McEwen (fifth).
Farrar outkicks Cav’ at Tirreno-Adriatico
Tyler Farrar (Garmin-Slipstream) bolted past Mark Cavendish (Columbia-Highroad) to win Friday’s third stage at Tirreno-Adriatico. Cavendish looked to have the sprint in the bag when Farrar came off Cavendish’s wheel and surged past his left shoulder to take the biggest win of his European career.
TIPS From Paris – Nice
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Petacchi scores at Tirreno-Adriatico, El Fares keeps lead
Alessandro Petacchi (LPR Brakes) won the second stage of the Tirreno-Adriatico over 177km from Volterra to Marina di Carrara on Thursday. Petacchi edged out compatriot Daniele Bennati of Liquigas and Spaniard Koldo Fernandez in a sprint finish. Frenchman Julien El Fares of Cofidis, who won the first stage on Wednesday, held onto the leader's jersey with Bennati in second 15 seconds behind.
Roy takes stage at Paris-Nice, Chavanel still in yellow
Jeremy Roy (Française des Jeux) won the fifth stage of Paris-Nice on Thursday. Roy won the 204km stage from Annonay to Vallon Pont d'Arc, crossing the line in 4hr 58min 47sec. Sylvain Chavanel (Quick Step), retained the overall lead.
The Coach(ed) Corner: Finding the time
Of all the lessons I learned during this past year of getting coached, No. 1 by a long shot is this basic tenet: More time on the bike does not necessarily translate to increased fitness. Instead, the key is finding that critical balance between high intensity and adequate rest. Better to crush yourself a couple times a week, and then have several short truly easy days, than to noodle around whenever you can and rarely take time off.
Wrenched & Ridden bike reviews: Hutchinson RT1 tubeless carbon clincher wheels
If you’re an early adapter and have been aching to try out a tubeless road system, you now have a new option, the Hutchinson RT1 carbon wheelset. The wheels are Hutchinson-branded, but are made by Corima and are exactly the same as Corima’s Aero + Tubeless wheelset (which is not available in the United States).
El Fares takes Tirreno-Adriatico opener
French rider Julien El Fares (Cofidis) held off the chasing peloton to win the first stage of Tirreno-Adriatico. Led by Liquigas and Columbia-Highroad, the chasing pack fell 11 seconds short of ending the Frenchman’s adventure in the 147km stage to Capannori on Wednesday. El Fares dropped his fellow escapee, Vladimir Duma (Flaminia), with about 20km to go but Duma chased back with 9km to go. They held a slender lead of 1:34 to hungry sprinters.
Compression Garments For Cycling?
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Quick Step’s Sylvain Chavanel takes stage 3 and the Paris-Nice lead from Contador
Alberto Contador gave up his yellow jersey — at least temporarily — to Quick Step's Sylvain Chavanel Tuesday after losing 1:10 in the third stage to a breakaway group containing Chavanel.
Haussler wins stage 2, Contador leads P-N
Heinrich Haussler slammed home his third victory of the 2009 season on Monday in the second stage at the 67th Paris-Nice. The Cervélo TestTeam rider cranked up his sprint with 250m to go in the 195.5km stage and had plenty of time to thump his chest as he crossed the line clear by three bike lengths. Coming through second was Mark Renshaw (Columbia-Highroad) with Mirco Lorenzetto (Lampre) slotting into third. "The sprint wasn't easy. We were racing into a headwind so I tucked my bike in behind Renshaw and the Columbia team,” said the 25-year-old Haussler.
Grabinger, Holcomb win Tucson Bicycle Classic
J.R. Grabinger (Fly V Australia p/b Successful Living) and Janel Holcomb (Webcor Builders) collected the overall titles at the 23rd annual Tucson Bicycle Classic on Sunday. Nick Clayville (Hagens Berman LLP) won the final stage, the Speedway/Anklam Circuit Race, crossing five seconds ahead of Sean Mazich (Team Waste Management) and Chad Beyer (BMC). But Grabinger finished with the bunch at 1:48 to claim the overall after three days of racing. Michael Mathis (CRCA-Empire Cycling Team) took the runner-up spot at 17 seconds back with Waste Management’s Scott Stewart third at 0:24.
OUCH-Maxxis’ Andrew Pinfold wins the final stage of the Vuelta Mexico
Canadian Andrew Pinfold (OUCH-Maxxis) won the final stage of the 2009 Vuelta Mexico Telmex on Sunday, wrapping up the eight-stage race by winning a massive field sprint at the finale of the Hospedaje circuit race.
Menchov wins Murcia
Denis Menchov wrapped up the overall title at the Vuelta a Murcia in Spain on Sunday to claim his first victory since winning the 2007 Vuelta a España. There was no major shakeup in the overall standings as a busted-up peloton came in for a mass sprint for the fifth and final stage.
Stage 5:
Hoogerland wins West Flanders
Dutch rider Johnny Hoogerland (Vacansoleil) won the overall crown at the Three Days of West Flanders in Belgium on Sunday. The Dutch sprinter, winner of the first stage on Friday, finished safely in the pack in the 185.7km final stage starting and finishing in Ichtegem to wrap up the overall title. Belgian rider Wouter Weylandt (Quick Step) claimed the finale in a bunch sprint, finishing ahead of Danilo Napolitano (Katusha), winner of Saturday’s second stage. Coming through third was Roy Sentjens (Silence-Lotto).
Contador wins Paris-Nice opener
Alberto Contador likes to say he doesn’t feel obliged to win, so perhaps it's just that he can’t help himself. The 25-year-old Spaniard is turning into a modern-day cannibal, seemingly winning at will as he continues his superb start of the 2009 season.
Florencio Ramos wins stage 7
Tecos' Florencio Ramos won stage of la Vuelta Mexico on Saturday, while Team Type 1's Shawn Milne was second and Jackson Rodriguez (Serramenti PVC) continued to lead the general classification. Americans featured in the day's key breakaway and remain atop the sprint and U23 competition leader boards.
Napolitano wins in Belgium
Italian sprinter Danilo Napolitano shot to another victory for his Katusha team after taking the flowers Saturday in the second stage at the Three Days of West Flanders in Belgium. The stocky Italian won ahead of last year’s winner Bobby Traksel (Vacansoleil) while French rider Denis Flahaut (Landbouwkrediet) came through third in the 179.3km stage from Torhout to Handzame. “My teammates did a very good job today,” said Napolitano. “We always ride in the first position and in the final 5km, we took control of the head of the group. I won the sprint even for a little.”
Evans takes stage in Mexico tour
Cameron Evans (OUCH Pro Cycling Team Presented by Maxxis) won a three-up sprint to take the victory at the end of Stage 6 of la Vuelta Mexico. The rolling, 190 km stage saw a break succeed for the third consecutive day. And for the third consecutive day, an OUCH rider made the most of it. “We knew a break had a good shot to stay away to the finish,” Evans said. “We wanted to make sure we had a guy in every move.”
Columbia’s Frantisek Rabon takes a surprise victory in Murcia’s time trial, and takes the overall lead.
Columbia-Highroad’s romp through the opening weeks of 2009 continues. This time with Frantisek Rabon, who took a surprise victory in Friday’s 16km time trial at the third stage of the Vuelta a Murcia in Spain.
Rock Racing’s David Vitoria wins his second stage in Mexico, while Jackson Rodriguez displaces teammate Simoni atop the GC.
Rock Racing’s David Vitoria rode to his second straight stage win and donned the King of the Mountains jersey Thursday following the fifth stage of the Vuelta Mexico Telmex. Meanwhile Jackson Rodriguez (Serramenti PVC Diquigiovanni) took over the overall leadership of the race, displacing his teammate Gilberto Simoni.
Contador favorite in hilly Paris-Nice
Most observers expect Alberto Contador to ride away with the victory at the 67th Paris-Nice, which begins Sunday with a time trial in Amilly. The Spanish climber, who won Paris-Nice as part of his breakout 2007 season, is the five-star favorite following his victory at the Volta ao Algarve to start his season last month. But expectations aside, the eight-day “Race to the Sun” is known to deliver a surprise or two in what’s the season’s first major stage race. There will be plenty of challengers nipping at Astana’s heels among the 20-team field.
Henderson takes weather-shortened stage at Murcia
Heavy winds wreaked havoc in Thursday’s second stage at the Vuelta a Murcia in Spain, prompting officials to cut the distance and then halt the race due to blustery weather. Dangerous winds topping 80kph before the race started prompted race organizers to trim the distance by nearly 75km and eliminate the day’s main obstacle at the Cat. 1 Alto de San Juan.
Stage 2: Las Torres de Cotillas to Caravaca
Rock Racing’s David Vitoria wins Mexico’s stage 4 as Simoni retains the overall lead
Rock Racing's David Vitoria won the Vuelta Mexico Telmex's fourth stage in a solo breakaway, while Italian Gilberto Simoni retains the overall lead in the race. Vitoria, a fourth-year Swiss pro, escaped from three others — Arquimedes Lam (Tecos), Francesco Rivera (Amica Chips-Knauf) and Andrew Pinfold (OUCH-Maxxis) — on a steep climb in the closing miles to beat Lam by 20 seconds. Pinfold was third, 1:53 behind.
Ted King: ‘Champing at the bit to get back out there’
Ted King’s debut with his Cervélo TestTeam didn’t quite go according to plan, but he’s already recovering from a crash that short-circuited his season debut at the Amgen Tour of California. His teammate Thor Hushovd won stage 3, but King was forced out of the race earlier in the stage after a freak spill left him with a busted up arm. Luckily, surgery wasn’t necessary and the 6-foot-3 King is anticipating a fairly quick return to the peloton.
Boycott The Hell Ride?
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Brown pips Henderson in Vuelta a Murcia opener
Graeme Brown (Rabobank) took vengeance on Greg Henderson (Columbia-Highroad) on Wednesday by winning the opening stage of the Vuelta a Murcia in Spain.
Stage 1: San Pedro del Pinatar to Lorca Miercoles
Former Giro winner Gilberto Simoni leads the Vuelta Mexico after a stage 3 attack.
Italian Gilberto Simoni (Serramenti PVC Disquigiovanni) attacked on the last climb to win stage 3 of the Vuelta Mexico on Tuesday and take over the yellow jersey.
Tips On Motorpacing
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Vuelta Mexico: Serramenti PVC’s Jackson Rodriguez takes stage 2 as OUCH’s James Pinfold is second.
Jackson Rodriguez (Serramenti PVC Diquigiovanni) won Monday's second stage of the Vuelta Mexico, a 205km route from De Huajuapan to León-Puebla. Canadian Andrew Pinfold (OUCH-Maxxis) finished second while young American Peter Stetina of a composite U25 American team leads the Most Aggressive category of the eight-stage event.
Injury will keep Chris Hoy from world track championships
Chris Hoy, Britain's four-time Olympic track-cycling gold medalist, announced on Tuesday he was withdrawing from this month's World Championships in Poland because of injury. Hoy, who has suffered complications following a hip injury sustained when falling off his bike in the keirin final of the Copenhagen leg of the World Cup in February, said: "I'm hugely disappointed that I'm not going to be riding in the Worlds."