At long last, we can call the 2009 season over. Lombardia proved herself a grand dame amongst the best once again on Saturday, and we can now take a deep breath and ready ourselves for the long winter months ahead. Fear not, the news keeps piling up, perhaps faster than ever. Let's get down to business.
Gilbert Gets His First Monument
By winning the Giro di Lombardia, Philippe Gilbert managed a rather rare feat: the Autumn Double. Gilbert is the first rider since Jo de Roo in 1963 (!!!) to net the two big wins in one season. Of course, as Chris on PodiumCafe.com notes, this is all the more impressive considering the 'age of specialization.'
We might have seen the birth of a new superstar this past week though. If Gilbert can take this newfound dominance into next season, we will surely have a one-day hero who's capable over nearly everything.
Just how capable? How about 3rd in Flanders, 4th at Amstel Gold, 4th at LBL, the overall win a the Ster Elektrotoer, a Giro stage win, and then his torrid five race run: 6th at Worlds, 1st at the Coppa Sabatini, 1st at the GP Beghelli, 1st at the Giro Piemonte, 1st at the Giro di Lombardia.
As for Saturday? Gilbert was justifiably chuffed with both his own performance and his team's: "Matthew Lloyd rode a good rhythm up the Civiglio, so that it was easy for me behind him. I attacked first, then Evans, so that we could control Cunego."
Gilbert also points to his weight as one of the factors in his current streak: "I am also pretty thin right now, which also helps me. Outside of that, I have a really strong team that worked hard for me, especially Evans."
Gilbert made the decisive attack near the top of the San Fermo - only Olympic champion, Sammy Sanchez, could follow.
"I was confident. We went into the final kilometer with enough of a gap. It is always simpler to sprint against one other person than it is in a group of 8 or 10 riders."
Gilbert isn't unaware of the expectations he'll have for 2010, especially at his home race: Liege-Bastogne-Liege. "Sure, the pressure from the media and fans will be a lot greater, but that's no problem for me, because I know the quality of my work and that will bring wins."
2010 can't come soon enough for Gilbert.
Cunego Not Too Pleased
Damiano Cunego was not too terribly pleased following his disappointing finish at the Giro di Lombardia on Saturday. His irritation did not rest long on his own shoulders though, and he immediately looked to one of the riders of the day: Mauro Santambrogio.
"I needed someone there to help me. I practically did it all on my own," complained Cunego to La Gazzetta.
"The plan was that Santambrogio was to only ride for me, instead, another group formed, and he continued in the escape. It seemed fine, the other teams had to chase, but then he was the first to be dropped on the San Fermo when my rivals all had teammates.
That last paragraph is the telling one - it's all good until you get dropped. If you're going to push the envelope, perhaps not quite do what you're supposed to do - make sure not to get dropped. Santambrogio didn't do that. As a result, Cunego got himself a scapegoat, even though the burden of that result is firmly with him: Gilbert and Sanchez went, he couldn't follow. End of story.
Good News For Lhottellerie
French climbing hope, Clement Lhotellerie, will not be spending the next two years on suspension vacation. In fact, after only a five month suspension, he will be returning in 2010 with the French Roubaix-Lille-Metropole team.
Lhotellerie tested positive on April 26th at Liege-Bastogne-Liege for the forbidden substance, Methylhexanamine. Afterwards, Lhotellerie was dropped from his Vacansoleil team, then suspended for two years.
However, the story does not end there, and for once, there seems to have been a legitimate appeal.
Lhotellerie personally presented the culprit to the disciplinary committee: geranium oil. Lhotellerie had hoped to fight a cold with a natural product. "Geranium oil is a synonym for Methylhexanamine, but one must also note that there are 29 synonyms for Methylhexanamine...After my evidence was presented, my suspension was reduced to five months."
I, for one, am happy to see reasonable justice done in this case. As an athlete, you're still responsible for what you put in your body, but a longer suspension, in this case, would be unnecessary. He got a suspension and a significant downgrade in racing level when he returns. Still pretty heavy stuff.
Kolobnev Finishes Strong
It's hard to stand out much when one rider is winning everything he can get his hands on in the final week, but Alexander Kolobnev still managed to show impressive form in the waning days of the season.
One of the sport's true mystery men, Kolobnev seems to only really get it going for a race like, oh, the World Championship Road Race or the Olympics. If it's 250+ kilometers and has something to do with world domination, Kolobnev will be there - you can bet on it.
Kolobnev actually managed to show beyond a worlds associated race over the past week though with 7th at Emilia and 3rd at Lombardia. Perhaps there's hope he can turn his super bad ass September form into, say, super bad ass April form in 2010. Maybe?
"I felt really strong today, but when Gilbert attacked, I couldn't follow. In the finale, Jakob Fuglsang did everything he could to get me in the right position. I am happy about the result, naturally it's good to end the season in this way."
SaxoBank DS, Kim Anderson, was pleased with his boys: "I believe we got the best out of today that we could. Jakob did exactly what he should have and sacrificed himself for Alexander, who in turn, convincingly took the sprint for 3rd."
Vandenbroucke's Cause Of Death
Details of Frank Vandenbroucke's final evening are starting to become more clear. First, the autopsy results show that VDB died of a "double pulmonary embolism as well as having an existing heart problem." The cause of death appears to be a natural one.
The prostitute, Seynabou Diop, with whom Frank spent part of his final evening, recently spoke with Het Laatste Nieuws:
"On Monday, I returned to the room with the hotel manager. Frank was lying on the bed. He was bed. I panicked completely, but the manager calmed me down. Next to Frank, was a small bag with some personal effects, drugs, a needle, and a teaspoon. I didn't see how Frank took the drugs though.
She also comments on how much he drank that final evening, Sunday, putting the quantity at: "one bottle of champagne and a bottle of whiskey."
After meeting Frank at a bar, she accompanied him back to the hotel, but not much transpired - he told her to wait by the pool, because he didn't feel well. A little later, she went back to Frank's room: "He was lying half out of bed with his head between his legs." According to Diop, she left the room at that moment and didn't return until the next morning. Of course, there's the allegation (along with two other people) of two stolen cell phones and cash from Vandenbroucke's wallet, but that's a different story.
Cross Compote
Niels Albert's imperious season continued on Sunday with another win, this time, it was the second World Cup in Tabor. The course in Plzen, Czech Republic will be revisited in January for the World Championships. The riders can most likely be assured that they won't be treated to a rainy, wet, muddy course in January. Can you say, snow and ice?
Anyhow, when it comes to THIS race, and not the one a few months down the road, Albert was once again sovereign, but Nys was once again revitalized. Nys is still struggling with a horrendous start position after his early woes, but with each race and each solid result, he moves up further on the grid. It won't be long before the two are dueling side by side from the start.
1. Niels Albert
2. Sven Nys +19
3. Zdenek Stybar +21
4. Kevin Pauwels +24
5. Francis Mourey +38
6. Klaas Vantornout +56
7. Radomir Simunek +1.03
8. Christian Heule +1.06
13. Jonathan Page +1.37
Ullrich Visited Fuentes 26 Times!
The German Bundeskriminalamt (Federal Office of Criminal Investigation) apparently found some interesting information on the long retired Jan Ullrich. Der Spiegel apparently got hold of some of the information from their investigation and dropped the whopping big number of TWENTY SIX visits to Dr. Eufemiano Fuentes from 2003 to 2006.
Between February 2005 and May 2006, Jan Ullrich is alleged to have flown eight times to Fuentes' office in Madrid. According to Der Spiegel, it was Ullrich's long-time trainer, Rudy Pevenage, that organized the trips to Madrid.
How'd the find out about all of this? Oh nothing too crazy - the evidence was pulled from Pevenage's computer after it had been deleted. Experts managed to reconstruct the deleted data.
Of course, this doesn't prove anything. Pevenage claims that Ullrich visited Fuentes between five and six times a year, mainly due to Ullrich's weight problems.
Either way, the case is settled: Ullrich paid his 250,000 euro fine in March of 2008. It sure would be nice to get a come clean on this one. I'm guessing Bernhard Kohl's confession would be a tenth as interesting as Ullrich's...if there is in fact anything to confess to.
ProTour Wrap For 2009
Alberto Contador quietly netted his first ever ProTour overall victory after Saturday's Giro di Lombardia. The Spaniard sits atop a Spanish trio: Contador, Valverde, Sanchez. Andy Schleck followed in 4th.
Can we just do away with the ProTour overall and return to the World Cup? People actually cared about the illustrious series of one-day races. The top two on the ProTour didn't even bother to race Lombardia. With this in mind, I'd like to congratulate Philippe Gilbert on what would surely have been a World Cup overall victory back in the day.
Speaking Of ProTour: Radio Shack
Yep, Radio Shack got their ProTour license. The UCI licensing committee handed over a four-year license to Radio Shack making The Shack the third ProTour registered team in America along with Garmin and Columbia-HTC.
Of course, Lance Armstrong will headline the team along with Levi Leipheimer. The two evergreen threats will be looking to dethrone Alberto Contador in July. Outside of July, the team looks to have put together a solid roster, one capable of contending throughout the season.
I can't help but wonder, why? What's the point of being ProTour at this point? It seems like a huge money suck without any of the guarantees the teams were supposed to originally get, right? Cervelo didn't have any problems as a ProContinental team, just like BMC won't in 2010.
That's just less money in the pockets of the riders and staff and more money in the UCI's.
Visconti On Top To Finish 2009
Giovanni Visconti took the UCI Europe Tour overall classification in the waning moments of the 2009 season. On the strength of a solid season and particularly a fire hot final week, Visconti managed to overtake Skil-Shimano's Kenny Van Hummel, who had been leading the UCI Europe Tour since May. Van Hummel and Jimmy Casper had been dueling atop the leaderboard for most of the season, but it was Visconti's end of season run with two second places at the Coppa Sabatini and GP Beghelli that saw him rocket past the two with 638 points to Van Hummel's 601 and Casper's 575.
The team classification goes to the team on its way out: Agritubel. Agritubel had a good go of it in their final season to take the team title by a long measure over Vacansoleil: 2088 points to 1499.
Vino Gets His First Win Since Returning
True, it was only the Chrono des Herbiers, a once noble time trial honor, now relegated to that last day of racing on the road calendar, but it's still a win nonetheless for Mr. Vinokourov.
The Astana release: Team Astana’s Alexandr Vinokourov was the fastest rider in the 28th Chrono des Herbiers – Chrono des Nations in France. Vinokourov finished in Les Herbiers 1:07 ahead of French time trial champion Jean-Christophe Péraud (Creusot Cyclisme). Yuriy Krivtsov (Ag2R) finished third and Belgian TT Champion Maxime Montfort (Team Columbia) fourth. Tour of Lombardy winner Philippe Gilbert (Silence-Lotto) was 7th . It was Alexandr Vinokourov’s second win of the season since his comeback and his first for Astana Cycling Team. Earlier he was the best in the time trial of the Tour de l’Ain where he started for a Kazakh national team.
“When I passed Philippe Gilbert, who started two minutes earlier than me, I knew that I would have a superb finish time," explained Vinokourov. “I really wanted to end the season with a victory for Astana to show my gratitude to the sponsors of the team who made my comeback possible. I was in the front in the Tour of Emilia, in the GP Beghelli and in yesterday’s Tour of Lombardy. I knew I would be good today. Now I have the shape to start in a Grand Tour. Unfortunately the season is over so I will take some holiday. On Tuesday I will leave for Kazakhstan to visit my family and to talk with some sponsors. I can start thinking about next season.”
Result Chrono des Nations, Les Herbiers, 48.5 K
1 Alexandr Vinokourov (Astana) 1:00:09, average speed 47.9 K/h; 2 Jean-Christophe Péraud 1:07; 3 Yuriy Krivtsov 1:12; 4 Maxime Monfort 1:42; 5 Florian Morizot 2:13; 6 David Le Lay 2:23; 7 Philippe Gilbert 2:34; 8 Andriy Grivko 3:01; 9 Julien Fouchard 3:12; 10 Thomas Voeckler 3:14
Columbia Wants Green In 2010
Columbia-HTC will be fighting for the green jersey with Mark Cavendish in next year's Tour de France. Speaking after the 2010 Tour presentation in Paris, France, Columbia-HTC manager Rolf Aldag said "our goal is to be competitive for the green jersey next July. It's the next logical step after Mark [Cavendish] won six stages this year and finished in Paris. Even more logical if you think about how he won that last stage on the Champs-Elysées."
Speaking of the 2010 route, Aldag added, "It's true there are fewer flat stages, so when it comes to the green jersey, the question will be which sprinters can get over the climbs at the end of the hillier stages. Mark managed to win his fifth stage in the Tour this year after a really tough final climb."
Aldag says Columbia-HTC's other big objective will be to see what German Tony Martin is capable of achieving in the overall classification, "but without putting him under any pressure. This year he did really well considering it was his first Tour de France. Next July our target is that if he manages to avoid the two bad days he had, we'll be able to see where that gets him. If he finishes somewhere between eighth and twelfth in Paris, we'd be absolutely delighted."
As for the route overall, Aldag describes it as "a little different. Those cobbled sections in one early stage and the Ardennes climbs in another will make it special. If it wasn't for those two stages, I'd say the overall contenders should maybe try to ride themselves into top shape for the Pyrenees, where the race will be decided. But with such a tough first week, anything could happen. It'll be an exciting Tour for sure."
De Jongh Named DS For Team Sky
Steven De Jongh will join Team Sky in the New Year as Sports Director. The highly-experienced 35-year old Dutch rider ended his active career as a professional bike rider at the recent Giro del Piemonte.
De Jongh has been with the Belgian Quick-Step team for the last four seasons and is known for his wins and consistent results in the cobbled races in Northern Europe.
David Brailsford, Team Principal for Team Sky, said; “Steven brings a lot of knowledge about the classics and the tough one-day races and will be a real asset to Team Sky as a Sports Director. He has the right character and personality to be an excellent sports director and with him we have another great addition to our management.”
He continued; “He's a good communicator and has always been a highly-respected rider. I'm convinced that his hands-on knowledge will fit in perfectly with the technical staff we have for the classics and the other important races in our program. We want to build up our management with people with a broad spectrum of qualifications combined with the right attitude about working together. I'm convinced that Steven is the right person for the job.”
Steven De Jongh said; “I feel perfectly at ease about retiring now as a rider, because I'm really exited about joining Team Sky. It's a fantastic project and I think that they have given me the chance of a lifetime to become a part of it. I have a lot of ambitions about the sport and I'm looking forward to being a part of a team that is starting up and will bring something new and different in cycling. It's totally new for me to take on this role but I'm confident that I bring some experience and that I'll be working with great riders and fantastic colleagues at Team Sky.”
Team Sky will compete from the start of 2010, beginning with the Tour Down Under, and hopes to gain an invitation to next year’s Tour de France. The initial squad of around 25 riders will be supported by a team of coaches, technicians and support staff drawn from across the cycling world, many of whom work throughout the year with British elite and developing riders.
To date, Team Sky has revealed 16 riders for the new team with more to be announced. Six British riders - Geraint Thomas, Steve Cummings, Pete Kennaugh, Chris Froome, Ian Stannard and Russell Downing – line up with ten international riders; Edvald Boasson Hagen, Thomas Lovkvist, Kurt Arvesen, Simon Gerrans, Juan Antonio Flecha, Kjell Carlstrom, John Lee Augustyn, Greg Henderson, Lars Petter Nordhaug and Morris Possoni.
Arvesen Moves On To Sky
SaxoBank Press Release: [18.10 16:15] It is an image of Norwegian ethnography at its very best. However, it is the end of a happy divorce when Kurt-Asle Arvesen from January 1st takes off his Team Saxo Bank jersey and replaces it with the newly formed British cycling team, Team Sky.
If anyone, Kurt-Asle Arvesen has been a vivid picture of the special will power and team spirit Team Saxo Bank stands for. It took, however, a broken leg in 1993 before the Norwegian cross-country skier truly opened his eyes and took up the sport. In return, he has since he resumed rehabilitation hardly been off his bike. Four years later, it resulted in a gold medal when he won the World Cup for U23-riders in San Sebastian in Spain and thereby kick-started his career.
The victory secured Kurt-Asle a contract with the Italian cycling team Asics where he stayed the following two years of his career with changing sponsors. However, he didn't get the greatest achievements on the Italian team:
"The first period of time in Italy was difficult. I didn't really know anyone and haven't learned to speak the language so the difficulties outside the road were allowed to darken everyday life and it had too much influence on my motivation to go the extra mile on the road. It is not meant as a criticism of the country that I now love and I have made many friends here now, but it was like coming home when Kim Andersen offered me a contract on Team Fakta in the year of 2001. The atmosphere was good, communication was easy and the spirit was lighter and Kim Andersen was and is still a great support and adviser”, says the Norwegian rider.
Kurt-Asle was from Kim Andersen's point of view an obvious investment for the Danish Team Fakta. The Norwegian put the team on the European cycling map by winning the tenth stage of the Giro d'Italia in 2003. Late summer the same year he participated in the Tour of Denmark after which he met Bjarne Riis:
"It took a lot of courage to approach Bjarne. I considered him a star and he was because of his achievements on the road a role model for me. We realized we had a good chemistry and I signed a contract with the now former Team CSC where I've had my best years as a professional. The greatest personal triumph is undoubtedly the victory on stage 11 of the Tour de France 2008 after being in a breakaway most of the day”, says the 34-year old Norwegian rider.
But Kurt-Asle Arvesen has been a rider with multiple tasks. He has seized his opportunities by winning great victories but he also had a memorable status and role for the whole team:
"Kurt has been a very central figure on the team and the other riders have felt comfortable in his company and he is been the go-to-guy in both good times and bad. He has been the riders' spokesman and often played a key figure between the riders and sports director on the road. A role and a status not visible on the TV-screen but it has had an inestimable impact on the team spirit and the general communication on the team. I wish him good luck and all the best in the future where he undoubtedly will be missed”, concludes Kim Andersen.
The decision of changing teams has not been the easiest to make for the likable Norwegian.
"I've had my best years on the world's best cycling team, Team Saxo Bank and I now have to say goodbye to some of my best friends which I hope they will continue to be. This is a challenge I give to myself and I just hope that there is something good in store for me on Team sky where I probably would have a similar role to what I had on Team Saxo Bank. I have enjoyed many memorable moments with good colleagues, sports directors and faithful Team Saxo Bank-fans and I hope they will still have a place in their hearts for me, although I am no longer in the Team Saxo Bank jersey. A big thank you goes out to all who have supported me through my career and especially thanks to Kim and Bjarne" ends Kurt-Asle Arvesen.
Kurt-Asle Arvesens greatest results:
World Cup gold U-23 (1997).
1 stage victory in the Tour de France (2008).
2 stage victories in the Giro de Italia (2003 and 2007).
2 overall victories in Tour of Denmark (2004 and 2007).
1 overall victory in Ster Elektrotoer (2006).
Victory in CSC Classic (2004).
Victory in E3 Prijs Vlaandern (2008).
In addition, six gold medals in Norwegian national championships in both road race and time trial along with four Nordic championships.
Team Saxo Bank is thankful for the great job Kurt-Asle Arvesen has done for the team and wishes him all the best for the future.
Inferno Adds Frankie Andreu As DS
CLEVELAND, Ohio (October 16, 2009) – After its first season as a UCI Continental (Pro) Team, Kenda Pro Cycling continues to grow and expand, welcoming Frankie Andreu on board next season as director sportif, and Gear Grinder, a cyclist-specific casual clothing company as the new presenting sponsor.
After twelve years as a professional cyclist (1989-2000) for America’s top teams – 7-Eleven, Motorola, and USPS - Andreu has worked as a director for top American teams (e.g., Toyota-United and Rock Racing) in addition to commentating for Universal Sports and Versus. He also has an elite coaching program and engages in motivational speaking all across America.
“Frankie’s professionalism and experiences are certain to elevate our team to the next level,” said team GM, Chad Thompson. “After years of working to take our team to new heights, adding the depth of knowledge that Andreu brings will challenge the riders to excel and surpass expectations. It is surreal to know that a long-time cycling idol is now actually a part of our vision and a part of our team!”
“Success through teamWORK” is the basis of Andreu’s cycling management philosophy. His enthusiasm for the sport in addition to principles aimed at creating and sustaining in-depth team dynamics are welcomed assets for Kenda Pro Cycling p/b Gear Grinder, as it prepares to embark on its next successful season.
Another boost to the program is the addition of new presenting sponsor, Gear Grinder. Along with the partnership with Paul Weaver, co-founder of Gear Grinder apparel, came the recruitment of Chad Hartley, James Stemper, and Rob White from Weaver’s Gear Grinder Elite Team, a dominant presence in the Mid-West last season. Hartley, who came back from a successful surgery to repair his iliac endofibrosis to dominate the Tour of America’s Dairyland, and Stemper, who won Superweek’s Best Amateur prize, will be added to the pro roster, while White will join the elite ranks for 2010.
The hiring of Gear Grinder’s top riders initiated conversations that resulted in successful negotiations between Inferno Racing LLC (Kenda Pro Cycling’s management company) and Gear Grinder. “The support Gear Grinder is lending to the team is amazing,” states Thompson. “It ended up being a perfect fit with Paul Weaver’s riders becoming our riders and us choosing his clothing over any other. Gear Grinder shares our passion and beliefs, and we see this partnership lasting for a long while.” More team 2010 news, roster announcements and sponsors will be released in the coming week(s). Team updates are available at www.kendaprocycling.com.
USA Cycling Announces 2010 National Racing Calendar Schedule
Colorado Springs, Colo. (October 16, 2009)—Featuring 27 events and nearly one million dollars in overall prize payouts, the 2010 National Racing Calendar (NRC) was announced today by USA Cycling. The NRC enters its 14th season as the nation’s premier Pro-Am men’s and women’s road cycling circuit and will visit 22 states from March through September, highlighting the United States’ best domestic teams and athletes.
Down seven races from last year’s initial calendar, the 2010 NRC will feature eight men’s-only and two women’s-only events. The remaining 17 races will include both men’s and women’s divisions.
The calendar kicks off with the long-running Redlands Bicycle Classic, March 25-28. This year’s Redlands Bicycle Classic features $45,000 in total prize money and is poised to once again mark the unofficial start of the bike racing season in North America.
After Redlands the calendar will head down the Pacific coast to scenic Dana Point, California for the men’s-only Dana Point Grand Prix on April 11. The calendar’s first stand-alone criterium, Dana Point is also the first of 14 consecutive weeks of NRC racing.
The calendar will head south and east on April 17 as many of the nation’s sprint specialists contest the Sunny King Criterium in Anniston, Ala. April 28 – May 2, one of the peloton’s favorite stage races, the Tour of the Gila in Silver City, N.M., will return. Another popular stage race, the Joe Martin Stage Race in Arkansas, will follow on May 6-10.
The NRC will head to the northeast for the next couple of weeks; first to the Wilmington Grand Prix and the Kelly Cup, May 22nd and 23rd, then on to the new Basking Ridge Twilight Grand Prix (May 26) in New Jersey before moving over to Somerville for the nation’s oldest bicycle race, the Tour of Somerville on May 31. One of 15 criteriums on the calendar, the Richmond Twilight Grand Prix will take place just to the south in Virginia on June 3.
With the second-biggest prize list on offer at nearly $115,000, the three-day omnium of criteriums, Tulsa Tough will take place June 4-6 in Oklahoma.
Next up will be the richest one-day women’s race on the calendar and arguably the most prestigious single-day event for women in the U.S., the Liberty Classic will take over the streets of Philadelphia on June 6. The Clarendon Cup, a road race, will go off June 12 in Arlington, Va., just ahead of the Tour de Winghaven, now both a men’s and women’s NRC event, in St. Louis on June 13.
The peloton will next move to the Midwest for the Nature Valley Grand Prix in Minnesota, June 16-20.
After a brief break from racing another fan-favorite, the Manhattan Beach Grand Prix will return in California on June 27.
Running over its traditional spot during the Fourth of July weekend, the Fitchburg-Longsjo Classic in Massachusetts is scheduled for July 2-5. The Two Bridges Criterium, formerly known as the Marion Classic, will also take place over the holiday weekend followed by the Meijer Grand Cycling Classic on July 10, both in the mid-west.
After a little rest, the peloton will head west for the infamous Boise Twilight Criterium on July 17 and the Cascade Cycling Classic, a six-day stage race in Bend, Ore. July 20-25.
Attention will then shift to Illinois for the men’s-only Chicago Criterium on July 25 and the three-day Tour of Elk Grove, July 30-August 1. Slightly up from last year’s $150,000 mark, the Tour of Elk Grove’s $155,000 purse is the calendar’s richest.
Racing next heads to North Carolina for the Presbyterian Hospital Invitational on Aug. 7 in downtown Charlotte.
After an open weekend, the men’s-only stage race, the Tour of Utah will take place Aug. 17-22. The following weekend the peloton heads to Upstate New York for the Chris Thater Memorial in Binghamton, Aug. 28-29.
The calendar then concludes with the women’s portion only of the U.S. 10K Classic in Atlanta on Sept. 6.
At the conclusion of the 2009 NRC, Tom Zirbel (Boulder, Colo./Bissell) and Alison Powers (Boulder, Colo./Team Type I) earned their first NRC crowns. Team titles went to the Colavita-Sutter Home presented by Cooking-Light Pro Cycling Team on the men’s side and Team TIBCO on the women’s.
In conjunction with the 2010 NRC, every race promoter whose bid was accepted will be invited to the second-annual NRC Promoters Summit in Colorado Springs. The summit will be held in conjunction with a mountain bike promoters summit on November 13-15, 2009.
Additional 2010 NRC Notes & Observations:
Of the 27 events on the 2010 NRC, 15 are criteriums and eight are multi-day stage rages. The calendar also features two road races, one circuit race and one omnium.
The calendar features three newly added events compared to the eight new races on last year’s initial 2009 NRC. The Basking Ridge Twilight Grand Prix, the Richmond Twilight Grand Prix and the Meijer Grand Cycling Classic are all first time NRC events for 2010.
The 2010 NRC features 17 events that will offer both men’s and women’s racing. The calendar also features two women’s-only events (the Liberty Classic and the U.S. 10K Classic) and eight men’s-only events (the Dana Point Grand Prix, the Kelly Cup, the Basking Ridge Twilight Grand Prix, the Manhattan Beach Grand Prix, the Boise Twilight Criterium, the Chicago Criterium, the Tour of Elk Grove and the Tour of Utah).
The overall prize list for the 2010 NRC is $981,310.00, down nearly $400,000 from last year’s initial NRC which included seven more events. The 2009 NRC however lost seven events and a total of nearly $250,000 of that prize money. Of the 2010 total, $719,000.00 is up for grabs to the men, while the overall women’s purse is $262,310.00.
With $155,000 in prize money on the line, the men’s-only Tour of Elk Grove is not only the richest men’s race on the 2010 NRC, but also the richest race overall.
With $39,000 up for grabs, Tulsa Tough offers the largest women’s prize purse.
One women’s race on the 2010 NRC is also on the UCI international calendar - the Liberty Classic. Its male counterpart, the Philadelphia International Championship, is also on the UCI international calendar and is slated to be a part of the 2010 USA Cycling Professional Tour to be announced shortly.
The NRC includes four Category-1 events – Tulsa Tough, the Liberty Classic, the Tour de Leelanau, the Nature Valley Grand Prix and the Presbyterian Hospital Invitational.
For more information on the USA Cycling National Racing Calendar visit usacycling.org/nrc.
2010 USA Cycling National Racing Calendar
March 25-28: Redlands Bicycle Classic - Redlands, CA www.redlandsclassic.com
April 11: Dana Point Grand Prix - Dana Point, CA www.danapointgrandprix.com
April 17: Sunny King Criterium - Anniston, AL www.sunnykingcriterium.com
April 28-May 5: SRAM Tour of the Gila - Silver City, NM www.tourofthegila.com
May 6-10: Joe Martin Stage Race - Fayetteville, AR www.joemartinstagerace.com
May 22: Wilmington Grand Prix - Wilmington, DE www.wilmgrandprix.com
May 23: Kelly Cup - Baltimore, MD www.bikejam.org
May 26: Basking Ridge Twilight Grand Prix - Basking Ridge, NJ www.libertycycleinc.com
May 31: Tour of Somerville - Somerville, NJ www.tourofsomerville.org
June 3: Richmond Twilight Grand Prix - Richmond, VA www.288sportsgroup.com
June 4-6: Tulsa Tough - Tulsa, OK www.tulsatough.com
June 6: Liberty Classic - Philadelphia, PA www.procyclingtour.comJune 12: Clarendon Cup - Arlington, VA www.arlingtonsports.org
June 13: Tour de Winghaven - St. Louis, MO www.tourdewinghaven.com
June 16-20: Nature Valley Grand Prix - Minneapolis/St. Paul, MN www.naturevalleygrandprix.com
June 27: Manhattan Beach Grand Prix - Manhattan Beach, CA www.mbgp.com
July 2-5: Fitchburg Longsjo Classic - Fitchburg, MA www.longsjo.com
July 3: Two Bridges Criterium (Marion Classic) - Marion, IN www.marionclassic.com
July 10: Meijer Grand Cycling Classic - Grand Rapids, MI www.grcyclingclassic.com
July 17: Boise Twilight Criterium - Boise, ID www.boisetwilightcriterium.com
July 20-25: Cascade Classic - Bend, OR www.breakawaypromotions.com
July 25: Chicago Criterium - Chicago, IL www.chicagocriterium.us
July 30-Aug. 1: Tour of Elk Grove - Elk Grove, IL www.tourofelkgrove.com
Aug. 7: Presbyterian Hospital Invitational Criterium - Charlotte, NC www.charlottecriterium.org
Aug. 18-22: Tour of Utah - Salt Lake City, UT www.breakawaypromotions.com
Aug. 28-29: 1.2 Chris Thater Memorial - Binghamton, NY www.bcstopdwi.com
Sept. 6: US 10K - Atlanta, GA www.us10k.org
Questions? Comments? Happy? Sad? Send me an email.
There's always the trusty JeredGruber.com if you ever get really bored.
I’m just digging out from a few days at the BMC training camp, and while I won’t be reporting on doing Jaeger-bombs and Redbulls with Cadel & George, ... More....
When the now defunct Belgian newspaper Het Volk first organized Omloop Het Volk in 1945 to capitalize on the growing popularity of bicycling racing ... More....
When you get an invite from the nation’s premier component maker to join a metric century in wine country that is fully catered, you grab the clean ... More....
Six Day racing comes to Berlin for the 99th time on Thursday, 28th January, 2010 with the great tradition of winter track racing in Germany in a ... More....
One more day, one more sprint! Sky had the goods to finish the week Down Under the same way they started: 1-2. The rest of the favorites were hot on ... More....
American Classic spent the last couple of years reworking their line up and the 420 Aeros are the latest to leave the bench. Take a look at the new ... More....
A couple years in the making, Pez head up to see arguably the top custom builder on the planet. We hit Serotta's NY shop, take a peek at their ... More....
You’ve still got today and all of tomorrow to ‘git ‘er done! Your holiday shopping that is… and armed with the complete set of 4 gift guides ... More....
If the stocking's not full - somebody's not doing their job. Good thing we're here to help with a big ol' bag full of the kind of stuff we'd love to ... More....
Winter riding is almost upon us - except for you lucky Aussies - and that means less riding outdoors. But with an indoor trainer and a Netflix ... More....
Many ergogenic aids, both legal and illegal, have been touted as the magic bullet that will improve cycling performance. What about something that ... More....
Having goals is one of the important first steps in achieving your dreams. They can be small goals or they can be big goals, but without them you’ll ... More....
Is cycling your religion, or at least one of them? If so, you’re not alone. Many people define themselves as “spiritual,” even if they don’t practice ... More....
Post-Giro Roadside: I love Scotland; but there’s no Gazzetta in the morning, most of the coffee tastes like John Wayne brewed it beside the ... More....
Sunday July 20th 1969; that’s 40 years ago now but I remember it clearly as the day that I first became aware of professional bicycle racing – I was ... More....
Roadside Recap: As we make our merry way through the rounds of the PEZ Looks Back, Ed is up for his retrospective on the Tour that was. As the ... More....
Coming on four years ago, Saul Raisin was one of THE big things in US pro cycling. Top 40 in a hard Tour de Suisse and mountain king at the Tour de ... More....
The last time we spoke to Garmin's Steve Cozza was after the 2008 Paris - Tours; where he produced another solid performance from a consistent and ... More....
Just about to start his second season with Cervélo - thanks to strong Classic rides and his first Grand Tour finish, in the Giro - Englishman, Dan ... More....
In October, nine-time Tour de France rider Frankie Andreu announced that he would be Director Sportif of the Ohio-based KENDA Pro Cycling p/b ... More....
With so many (too many?) others looking back to best-of-2009 or decade highlights, why not look ahead? A new decade beckons, after all, so who better ... More....
We first talked with Lostende Bike Tours owner and avid cyclist Allan Reeves about his Pyrenees Cycling Challenge, from the Atlantic to the ... More....
So, riding in Texas is mostly flat, with only tumbleweeds and armadillos to avoid right? Well, not exactly. You see, Austin is situated in what’s ... More....
I’m just digging out from a few days at the BMC training camp, and while I won’t be reporting on doing Jaeger-bombs and Redbulls with Cadel & George, ... More....
When the now defunct Belgian newspaper Het Volk first organized Omloop Het Volk in 1945 to capitalize on the growing popularity of bicycling racing ... More....
When you get an invite from the nation’s premier component maker to join a metric century in wine country that is fully catered, you grab the clean ... More....
Race report: Alejandro Valverde stayed upright to seal his Vuelta victory – the first Grand Tour win of his career. On such a short stage, ... More....
Race Report: Today David Millar won his 5th stage in all his Vuelta’s, he was given one of the swords that Toledo is famous for along with the ... More....
Updated! Hallelujah, they're racing in Qatar, and I just got back from celebrating with every other New Orleanian on Bourbon Street. There's ... More....
It was a dark Sunday morning in Italy when the news services announced that Franco Ballerini, ex-professional, former dual Paris-Roubaix winner and ... More....
The maracas shake, 'Cara mia, mine !' blasts from the PA. Bang! The little cannon fires and the hall fills with smoke. Yes, this is the right place, ... More....
When the K-Mart Classic of West Virginia stormed through the state in the mid-90s, it opened awareness as to just how great the bike riding is in ... More....
Roadside St. 14 When you start each new Giro you understand you’re a year older. You feel a stranger to the village approach and for a moment ... More....
As the final Madison got underway the arena was packed to the rafters, all the talk of Six Days in crisis forgotten for now. The finale was ... More....
Professional cycling has, over the years, attracted only a few documentary film makers. A few, such as Jorgen Leth’s “A Sunday in Hell,” have even ... More....
![](javascript:showpic("http://www.pezcyclingnews.com/photos/tech/amclass/amc420alarge.jpg",900,698);)
![](javascript:showpic("http://www.pezcyclingnews.com/photos/tech/serotta/meilarge.jpg",2000,1244);)
