While the guys at the Vuelta are taking a well earned rest, the Tour of Missouri is off and running with a re-run battle between the Tour de France sprint stars. We have some confirmation on the big names riding at Team Sky and Columbia HTC next year, but without the full lists, the rumours will continue. Let’s take a look through The Trash!
Rest Up In Spain
The Vuelta is on a rest day today, but just before the boys had the chance to put up their feet and think about the 10 day run to the finish, Garmin’s Tyler Farrar showed that his run of top form was by no means on a decline as he joined the list of “first time Grand Tour stage winners” with his sprint victory yesterday, ahead of Belgium’s Philippe Gilbert and Italian Marco Marcato.
Team Garmin sports director, Johnny Weltz described how Farrar rode back to the front of the race after the final climb, to take the win.
“For us it was a good situation as Tyler is climbing better than ever and the tempo on the climbs suited him well. With several teams riding on the front towards the last climb, a second category, it worked out as we wanted with Tyler getting over it not to far back. He chased back on the decent and with 25km to go Tyler was well placed in the front group. He had a big boost from David Millar to help him in the finale, so after a very fast run in to the finish Dave showed up on the last meters with Tyler on his wheel!”
In the GC standings, “is he / isn’t he” banned rider Alejandro Valverde is sitting on top of the leader board with Australian Cadel Evans looking to make his move in the race’s mountainous finale.
"Up to now there's just little pieces, the leader's jersey has been decided by time bonuses so it's not been the Tour of Spain we've been used to,” Evans told Reuters reporters from Spain. “I know (Saturday's final 17km climb) of Sierra Nevada. It's windy and there's good roads to the summit, so there's a good chance of a small group finishing.”
The Silence Lotto rider who had what can only be described as a disastrous Tour de France this year, said that the three Andalusian mountain stages will likely decide the race.
Evans is sitting just seven seconds behind the Spanish all-rounder and is once again within striking distance of his first ever Grand Tour victory.
2009 Vuelta a España Stages Stage 1: Sat 29 Aug, Assen – Assen , ITT, 4.8km: Fabian Cancellara. Stage 2: Sun 30 Aug, Assen – Emmen , 203.7km: Gerald Ciolek. Stage 3: Mon 31 Aug, Zutphen – Venlo , 189.7km: Greg Henderson (Columbia HTC). Stage 4: Tue 1 Sep, Venlo – Liège , 225.5km: Andre Greipel (Columbia HTC). Rest Day 1: Wed 2 Sep Stage 5: Thu 3 Sep, Tarragona – Vinaros , 174km: Andre Greipel (Columbia HTC). Stage 6: Fri 4 Sep, Xativa – Xativa , 176.8km: Borut Bozic (Vacansoleil). Stage 7: Sat 5 Sep, Valencia – Valencia , ITT, 30km: Fabian Cancellara (Team SaxoBank). Stage 8: Sun 6 Sep, Alzira - Alto de Aitana , 204.7km: Damiano Cunego (Lampre). Stage 9: Mon 7 Sep, Alcoy - Xorret del Cati , 188.8km: Gustavo Cesar Veloso (Xacobeo Galicia). Stage 10: Tue 8 Sep, Alicante – Murcia , 171.2km: Simon Gerrans (Cervélo Test Team). Stage 11: Wed 9 Sep, Murcia - Caravaca de la Cruz , 200km: Tyler Farrar (Team Garmin).
Rest Day 2, Thu 10 Sep. Stage 12: Fri 11 Sep, Almería - Alto de Velefique, 179.3km Stage 13: Sat 12 Sep, Berja - Alto de Sierra Nevada, 172.4km Stage 14: Sun 13 Sep, Granada - La Pandera, 157km Stage 15: Mon 14 Sep, Jaén – Córdoba, 167.7km Stage 16: Tue 15 Sep, Córdoba – Puertollano, 170.3km Stage 17: Wed 16 Sep, Ciudad Real - Talavera de la Reina, 193.6km Stage 18: Thu 17 Sep, Talavera de la Reina – Ávila, 165km Stage 19: Fri 18 Sep, Ávila - La Granja. Real Fábrica de Cristales, 179.8km Stage 20: Sat 19 Sep, Toledo – Toledo, ITT, 27.8km Stage 21: Sun 20 Sep, Rivas-Vaciamadrid – Madrid, 110.2km
Current GC After Stage
1. Alejandro Valverde ESP GCE 45h37m51s
2. Cadel Evans AUS SIL at 7s
3. Robert Gesink, NED RAB at 36s
4. Thomas Danielson, USA GRM at 51s
5. Ivan Basso, ITA LIQ at 53s
6. Samuel Sánchez, ESP EUS at 1:03s
7. Damiano Cunego, ITA LAM at 2:13s
8. Ezequiel Mosquera, ESP XAC at 2:24s
9. Haimar Zubeldia, ESP AST at 3:10s
10. Tadej Valjavec, SLO ALM at 3:13s
Sprinters Battle at Missouri
Cervélo sprinter Thor Hushovd has claimed the third stage of the Tour of Missouri as well as the leaders’ jersey, after a count-back of stage placings gave the Norwegian the nod ahead of stage 1 and 2 winner Mark Cavendish of Columbia HTC.
Even though Cavendish had dominated the opening two days of racing, his fifth place on the third stage meant that Hushovd was awarded both the sprinter’s points jersey and the leader’s yellow jersey at the presentations in Rolla.
After Cavendish was seemingly unbeatable in a straight drag race to the finish, Cervelo’s Jean-Paul Van Poppel explained the team’s new tactic that eventually led to their success:
“We discussed this last night and again this morning and we knew we had to do something different then we did before. So, no more lead outs and we also wanted try to get the train out of balance. The boys did a great job today starting to ride at full speed in the last 2 km. Then with 1.2 km to go Brett Lancaster launched an attack and the train from Columbia and Cavendish had to react to that and that killed them completely, to have to come back it took 700 metres and then they were only 500 metres to the finish line. They came back on his wheel and from then on they were exhausted. Then other teams came in and Thor was still there in a good position and he was able to sprint to the win.”
The race continues today with a 175km leg from St. James to Jefferson City.
2009 Tour of Missouri Stages Stage 1: St. Louis circuit race (75 miles/120.7km) Stage 2: Ste. Genevieve to Cape Girardeau (112.4mi./180.9km) Stage 3: Farmington to Rolla (114.3mi./183.9km) Stage 4: St. James to Jefferson City ( 109.2mi./175.7Km) Stage 5: Sedalia, Time Trial (19mi./30.5km) Stage 6: Chillicothe to St. Joseph (110.3mi./177.4km) Stage7: Kansas City, circuit race (72.3 mi./116.4km)
Columbia HTC Looks To Youth
While the much talked about “Cavendish to Sky” story was quashed quite some time ago, there is still no denying that Bob Stapleton’s team has lost some top talent ahead of the 2010 season. What the squad intends on doing about it, is bringing in a whole host of talented young riders who they can help develop into an integral part of what is cycling’s ‘winningest’ team of 2009.
“We believe the 12 young men and women that have joined our teams for 2010 will grow rapidly as a part of our program and continue the success we have been able to achieve over the last two years,” said Stapleton. “It starts with motivated, capable people. When you combine talent with teamwork and the best technology and methods, we can accelerate athletic growth and success for all athletes.”
The full Team Columbia HTC roster for 2010 is: Michael Albasini - 28 - Switzerland, Lars Bak, Mark Cavendish, Gert Dockx, Bernhard Eisel, Jan Ghyselinck, Matt Goss, Bert Grabsch, André Greipel, Rasmus Guldhammer, Patrick Gretsch, Leigh Howard, Adam Hansen, Craig Lewis, Tony Martin, Maxime Monfort , Marco Pinotti, Frantisek Rabon, Mark Renshaw, Vicente Reynes, Hayden Roulston, Michael Rogers, Marcel Sieberg, Kanstantsin Sivtsov, Tejay Van Garderen, Martin Velits, Peter Velits.
Team Sky: The Next 10
Announcing the new international riders, Team Principal Dave Brailsford said: “Today we’ve brought ten more riders into our team. It’s another big step in building Team Sky, and it’s very exciting to see the team take shape.”
The ten men, Edvald Boasson Hagen (NOR), Thomas Lövkvist (SWE), Kurt-Asle Arvesen (Nor), Simon Gerrans (AUS), Juan Antonio Flecha (SPA), Kjell Carlstrom (FIN), John Lee Augustyn (SAF), Greg Henderson (NZL), Lars Petter Nordhaug (NOR) and Morris Possoni (ITA), join yesterday’s announced British contingent of Chris Froome, Stephen Cummings, Geraint Thomas, Russell Downing, Peter Kennaugh and Ian Stannard.
“We had a blank canvas when we started out. The aim is to get the right components – the right riders at the right time - to build a great team. All of these riders fit the ethos and performance principles at the heart of Team Sky and have the style and approach to racing that we want,” said Brailsford.
PEZ had a chat today with Sports Director Scott Sunderland about the team’s new signings and in a later press release, the former pro added to his comments about both Simon Gerrans and Greg Henderson.
“Simon will be a big asset to the team for the stage races and even more so in one-day hilly classics. He will undoubtedly be one of the protected riders for these races. I'm really looking forward to working with him over the coming seasons. With his qualities and the structure and support at Team Sky Simon definitely will get the opportunity over the coming seasons to add more impressive results to his palmares," Sunderland wrote.
With regard to Henderson: “There will be no hiding the fact that Greg is on board to win bike races for Team sky in the sprints. Greg has been leading out the best sprinters in the world in Columbia-HTC , had a terrific sprint victory himself in the Vuelta just recently and is now totally ready to finish off the sprints for himself.”
Team BMC Adds Two
Having already secured the services of George Hincapie, Karsten Kroon, Alessandro Ballan, Marcus Burghardt and Steve Moribito, Team BMC has announced this week the signing of two future stars in 25 year old Mauro Santambrogio from Italy and Alexander Kristoff, 22, from Norway.
Mauro Santambrogio has been a professional since 2004, having joined the paid ranks with his current squad, team Lampre. “Santambrogio will be a good addition to our stage race team since he is young, but he has already found a good deal of success racing in Italy. And to win in Italy is already quite an accomplishment he can be proud of,” said Directeur Sportif John Lelangue.
Meanwhile, neo-pro Alexander Kristoff will be among the new crop of riders who will be building up the BMC program for 2010 and years to come. “Kristoff has a really good classics résumé. I saw him racing in Ireland and was hugely impressed,” Lelangue explained. “He is already a good sprinter so we will be looking for him to help build up our lead-outs while also making strong contributions to our Classics program.”
Lotto Tapping UK Talent Too
Silence Lotto are promoting 19 year old Adam Blythe from their development squad up into their ProTour outfit next season.
The British rider is currently racing for the Davo - Lotto – Davitamon Continental and has signed with the ProTour outfit for the next two seasons. This year, Blythe has won one stage at Thüringen Rundfahr, finished 2nd of 1-mei Prijs at Hoboken, and won one stage of Triptyque des Monts et Châteaux as well as two stage of Ronde van Antwerpen.
Blythe is currently getting a taste of cycling in the big time as he is racing as a stagiaire with Silence Lotto for the remainder of the 2009 season.
Nibali Closes Season
Team Liquigas’ Vincenzo Nibali has hung up his wheels for the 2009 season to allow his broken collarbone enough time to heal and ensure that he is as strong as possible for 2010.
Nibali had been targeting the Worlds in Mendrisio and the Tour of Lombardy, but said that, “trying to quicken the recovery could involve certain risks and I prefer to come to terms with it and look ahead. I’m happy for my season, I grew up and I can aspire to new important goals.”
Roberto Amadio, manager of team Liquigas-Doimo, appreciates the determination of his rider, saying, “Vincenzo, without any doubts, is a talent that has shown big improvements. Nibali showed that he can compete with the best of the world. I’m sure that next season he will give us new satisfactions: recovering as well as possible from his injury is the first and fundamental step to do it.”
Barloworld Ready For Tour of Britain
Team Barloworld begin a busy end of season racing programme with the Tour of Britain that starts on Saturday September 12. Team Barloworld is registered in Britain and will be looking for overall success and individual stage victories during the eight days and 1.200km of racing. For several riders the race will also be key preparation for the world championships in Mendrisio, Switzerland, at the end of the month.
The Team Barloworld squad for the Tour of Britain will be directed by Valerio Tebaldi with the hope that British riders Geraint Thomas, Chris Froome and Steve Cummings can do well in their national Tour. Thomas' form has been improving constantly in recent weeks, while Cummings finished a close second overall last year.
The 2009 edition of the Tour of Britain kicks off in Scunthorpe on Saturday September 12 and ends in London on Saturday September 19. Also in the team are Colombian climber Mauricio Soler, who could shine in the hills, on-form Italian sprinter Michele Merlo and Carlo Scognamiglio.
Tour of Britain – The stages
September 12 – 1st stage: Scunthorpe-York 172.6km
September 13 – 2nd stage: Darlington-NewcastleGateshead 153.3km
September 14 – 3rd stage: Peebles-Gretna Green 153.8km
September 15 – 4th stage: Blackpool-Blackpool 148km
September 16 – 5th stage: Stoke on Trent-Stoke on Trent 134km
September 17 – 6th stage: Frome-Bideford 183.7km
September 18 – 7th stage: Hatherleigh-Yeovil 159.7km
September 19 – 8th stage: London circuit 92.50km
Young Gun Howard Wins Again
Since the announcement that he will be joining Team Columbia HCT in 2010, Australian teenager Leigh Howard has certainly not sat back to take it easy for the rest of the season.
Currently racing for the Jayco-AIS team, Howard pulled on the national colours to race the Classic Astico - Brenta in Italy, where he won the race ina sprint finish from a group of eight.
Last week, the rider from Geelong – home of the 2010 world cycling championships – won the overall classification of the five-day Tour of Slovakia and was set up for the win in the Italian race by team mate Jack Bobridge, who will himself be turning pro in 2010 with Team Garmin.
Erwin Vervecken Headed To Planet Bike Cup
Organizers of the US Gran Prix of Cyclocross, (USGP) announced this week that three-time World Champion Erwin Vervecken will compete at the 2009 USGP Planet Bike Cup on September 26th and 27th at Angell Park Speedway in Sun Prairie, WI.
Series Director, Joan Hanscom, says "We are thrilled to have Erwin compete at the USGP Planet Bike Cup. He is a superstar of unparalleled talent and is sure to animate every moment of racing. For him to be so enthusiastic about competing in the US and at the USGP speaks to the growing importance of the US cross scene. We are excited to see how US riders stack up against him early in the season -especially with the depth of the fields racing here." Hanscom continued, "We're certain having Vervecken racing at the Planet Bike Cup will raise everybody's game - from fellow racers and staff right down to the spectators. Madison and the surrounding areas are so passionate about cycling and sports in general that we know the crowds will appreciate the level of competition lining up to race in their hometown - so come out and bring your cowbells!"
Racing for the Belgian squad Team Revor-Baboco-Champion System, Vervecken will headline the strongest field of racers ever assembled for the USGP. He will face off against the likes of Planet Bike super power and World Championship Silver Medalist Jonathan Page; the rising european duo of Christian Heule and Tim Van Nuffel; and a field rich with domestic superstars including former and reigning USGP and National Champions like Cannondale/ CyclocrossWorld.com rider Tim Johnson and teammates Jeremy Powers and Jamey Driscoll; Kona's Ryan Trebon and Barry Wicks, Todd and Troy Wells, and Geoff Kabush.
Champion System's US President of Sales and Marketing, Charlie Issendorf was key to Vervecken's participation, "Through our sponsorship of one of Belgium's leading cyclocross squads, Team Revor-Baboco-Champion System, we're incredibly excited to have Erwin racing at USGP The Planet Cup. Erwin decided to extend his stay in the U.S. so he could compete in this prestigious U.S. 'cross race. We wish him the best of luck"
The women's fields for the Planet Bike Cup are no less stacked with talent. Planet Bike's Katie Compton - herself five-time National Champion and World Championship Bronze medalist -will make one of her few US appearances before heading off to Europe to focus on the World Cup circuit. Compton will face off against the LUNA Chix juggernaut of USGP Champions Katerina Nash and Georgia Gould - alongside their newly un-retired LUNA teammate Alison Dunlap, and the likes of Alison Sydor, and Sue Butler. Women's cross has never looked so powerful.
The 2009 USGP Planet Bike Cup takes place on September 26th and 27th and Angell Park Speedway in Sun Prairie, WI and features two full days of amateur and professional racing. For more information about the Planet Bike Cup and the USGP Series visit www.usgpcyclocross.com. Registration for all races is available on BikeReg.com
The USGP is the nation's premiere cyclocross series and has, since 2004, featured the deepest, strongest and fastest professional fields racing on this side of the Atlantic. In 2009 the USGP will race across the country, featuring: The Planet Bike Cup, September 26-27 in Sun Prairie, WI; the Derby City Cup presented by Papa John's, October 24-25 in Louisville, KY; the Mercer Cup presented by Knapp's Cyclery, November 14-15 in West Windsor, NJ; and the Stanley Portland Cup, December 5-6 in Portland, OR.
PEZ Does The Worlds
There are two PEZ appointments at World Cycling Championships this month. The “real” Worlds are of course being held in Mendrisio in Switzerland on Sunday September 27 and we’ll be there to bring you all of the action.
The “other Worlds” are being held this weekend in Kranj, in Slovenia and while PEZ will also be there, this time around we will be in the thick of the action instead of rustling on the roadside reporting it.
The 10th Press Cycling World Championships are as much an excuse for a get together for journos, team press officials and PR types to have a bit of fun and have a race as it is about a Cycling World Championships but you can be assured that once the flag falls and the pedals start turning, there will be plenty of people taking it very seriously.
Come Sunday, I’ll be pulling on the PEZ kit for the arduous distance of 50km (10laps of 5km) against a competition that I have absolutely no idea about for the first race I have actually ridden in a couple of years.
My pre-race program makes Jered’s brief USPRO preparations look like something a Grand Tour winner might get up to in a big year, so I’m not exactly leaving room in my suitcase for bringing home the jersey. For once in your life when a bike rider tells you that they haven’t done much training and aren’t feeling too good, you can actually believe them.
With a bit of luck (and some cunning in place of condition) hopefully the PEZ kit will be in amongst the action.
Keep an eye out for the report next week, but most importantly, wish me luck. I don’t mind if I don’t win, I just don’t want to get dropped too early!
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