It’s still the off season, but BMC are gradually plugging the holes in their 2010 race roster, while Lotto are trying to do the same for their 2010 team roster. We finally have an “official” result in the Men’s Olympic road race as well as plenty of other snippets to keep us busy this fine Thursday morning.
Contador Sticks With Astana 1 More Year?
Hot outta the inbox comes news that Alberto Contador and Astana have reached a preliminary agreement for 2010. Here's what it says:
Press Release- Alberto Contador and his current team, Astana, have reached a preliminary agreement to fulfill the remainder of the contract that binds them to the end of 2010. The agreement reached by both sides includes a number of prerequisites for that Contador continue in Astana during the 2010 season, essentially, that the team retains its ProTour license and strict compliance with the code of ethics and internal doping control system that implements the new leadership team.
Contador took the decision to fulfill this agreementt with Astana once he found that both, Yvon Sanquer, as the new manager team, such as Giuseppe Martinelli, first sport director, ensuring the reliability and competitiveness of the new Astana’s project, as they have managed to gather, despite the short time span, a group of high-quality riders who deal with guarantees of success sporting goals next season.
The contract that will be signed will be only one year long, as well as it is a new project for Astana, Alberto Contador wants not to abandon the possibility of making a decision on its longer term future, fully capable of choosing at the end of 2010. - end -
BMC Schedule Coming Together Nicely
Team BMC is gradually ticking off the invitations to the events of next year’s road season. While the signing of Cadel Evans to ride alongside Alessandro Ballan and George Hincapie is going part way towards ensuring that the squad are asked along to complete, there is also a domino effect in place which will play very well with John Lelangue’s squad. Put simply, as race organisers see the team invited to other events, they will be keen not to miss out on having the squad at their race.
If BMC do the Giro/Tour double, there will be plenty of other organisers keen to see their event promoted in the press as “BMC’s Giro/Tour lead-up race” or even mentioned during the Giro/Tour coverage as having been a vital part of the preparation process. This kind of reflected glory will be even greater should Evans fulfil his ambition and claim the top step on a GT podium in 2010.
So, where are they off to next? The start at the Tour Down Under has been formalised and now the Tours of Qatar (Feb 7 to 12) and Oman (Feb 14 to 19) have asked the Swiss registered, US flavoured, international squad to come along and play.
The invite to Qatar is the third time BMC will race the ASO event and they will be showing the requisite amount of respect to the group that also organises the Tour de France, by sending a strong team.
“The team for Qatar will most likely be led by riders Alessandro Ballan and Marcus Burghardt. And with John Murphy, we will have an excellent sprinter present,” Lelangue said in a team press release.
“The Oman parcours is substantially more selective than Qatar, and the final time trial is particularly suited for Brent [Bookwalter],” explained Lelangue, who looks on the start to the new season with confidence and has every expectation that it will be an exciting and very international one for the BMC Racing team.
“Within six weeks our team will be present on four continents. The January training camp takes place in California. In the same month we will participate at the Tour Down Under in Australia. In February we will find ourselves on the Asian continent for Qatar and Oman, as well as start our first races in Europe.”
Omega Pharma-Lotto Signing
2009 might not have been the best of years for relations between Silence Lotto and their mountain biker-turned stage race rider (World Championship gold medal not withstanding), but it shouldn’t really come as a surprise to see the squad dip back into the off-road talent pool for their latest signing.
2008 MTB Olympic silver medallist Jean-Christophe Péraud, will be joining the Belgian team for 2010 and while the Frenchman has a host of off road results, he is no slouch on a road bike either. Péraud is the current French TT champion, was 2nd at Chrono des Nations, 12th at the Mendrisio World Championships won by Fabian Cancellara and also won the French amateur road race title.
Rebellin Told To Return Medal
Break out the bubble-wrap, there are some Olympic medals heading to the post office. Italian cyclist Davide Rebellin has been instructed to return his medal, following the confirmation of his positive doping test from last year’s Beijing games.
There were six athletes from the Games who appeared before the IOC’s Disciplinary Commission, and their recommendations to the IOC executive board for the two cyclists, Road Race silver medallist Rebellin and Stefan “Oh it was too hot to perform (I mean, I had better not finish on the podium and get tested)” Schumacher, were:
Rebellin: - shall be disqualified from the Men's Cycling Road event of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games, where he had placed 2nd. - shall have his medal and diploma in the above-mentioned event withdrawn. - The Union Cycliste Internationale is requested to modify the results of the above-mentioned event accordingly and to consider any further action within its own competence. - The NOC of Italy is ordered to return to the IOC, as soon as possible, the medal and diploma awarded to the Athlete in relation to the above-mentioned event. - The NOC of Italy shall ensure full implementation of this decision. - This decision shall enter into force immediately.
Schumacher: - is disqualified from the Men's individual Time Trial event of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games where he placed 13th; - The Union Cycliste Internationale is requested to modify the results of the above-mentioned event accordingly and to consider any further action within its own competence. - This decision shall enter into force immediately
In its press release, the IOC detailed part of its fight against doping in sport, including the fact that samples collected at Olympic Games would be kept for eight years, to allow retrospective testing (and hopefully discourage the use of banned substances) as testing technology improved and cught up with doping practices.
With Rebellin DQ’d from second place in the road race, Mr Podium 2009, Alexandr Kolobnev will step up into the bronze medal position, while Fabian Cancellara will become the new silver medallist.
US Giro Plans Pushing Ahead
Bidding for a stage start or Tour start is a whole different thing to actually being awarded one, even here in Europe, but the bid to get the 2010 Giro to Washington, D.C. is starting to get her some momentum.
According to the working group looking into the feasibility of bringing the Corsa Rosa stateside, two US stages are being considered. The prologue will be set in tourist-centric Washington, with the proposed course featuring the Lincoln, Jefferson, and Washington monuments, the picturesque tidal basin of cherry blossom fame, the National Mall bordered by the Smithsonian’s Air and Space Museum, Hirshhorn, National Gallery, the National Archives, the US Capitol, the Presidential Inauguration route (Pennsylvania Avenue), Freedom Plaza, the White House Ellipse, the WWII memorial, and the Reflecting Pool. The route, according to Mark Sommers, the Race Director of DCs Capital Criterium, was designed so that every moment a rider is on the course, at least one of Washington's many iconic landmarks appears in the background.
Stage one will stay in Washington DC for a circuit race and will likely see a long, wide-open sprint finish down Pennsylvania Avenue (America's Main Street), offering spectacular views of the US Capitol in the background. Possible inclusions for the route, include Luigi Morettis Watergate Complex, Congress and the National Library (which feature Constantino Brumidis frescoes), and the Italian Embassy, in a fitting tribute to the event’s Italian heritage and Italy’s influence on DC.
The big question of travel and the potential problem of jet-lag, caused by the difference in time zones between the US and Europe, has still not been addressed. While Olympic Games schedules are regularly moved about to suit the needs of the (big paying) US broadcasters wishing to show finals in their prime time, it’s the viewing public in Europe and the riders themselves that need to be considered this time around. One potential solution might be for the Washington Giro stages to be held at a time that mirrors the normal racing times of Europe. Then, at least, riders could keep their ‘body clocks’ on Euro Time for their short trip to the States. Sounds like a great idea, except that 2pm in the afternoon in Italy would equate to 8.00am in Washington.
I guess time will tell how big of a consideration the needs of the riders will be, when it comes to the Giro organisers making a decision about the US bid.
Landis Looking To Europe
Floyd Landis and Momentum Sports Group (MSG) – the management group behind Team OUCH – have mutually agreed to part ways, with Landis apparently looking at a move back to Europe to further his career.
Following his two year suspension after being found positive for synthetic testosterone at the 2006 Tour de France, Landis made a modest comeback to the US domestic professional circuit with Team OUCH.
In statement released this week, MSG said that “Landis expressed to MSG that he desires to ride the longer, tougher stage races offered in Europe and internationally that better suit his strengths. Accordingly, given that MSG will be focusing its 2010 racing season primarily in the United States, MSG and Landis mutually agreed that it would be best for both parties to part ways at this time and allow Landis to seek a position with a team that could better accommodate his desires”.
So, all of that begs the question, “Where does Floyd see his future at?” The current Internet rumour is that the man who temporarily looked after Oscar Pereiro ’s yellow jersey back in 2006, might be headed to Rock Racing. The RockRacing name has appeared on more than a few sites, but I’m not sure if it is actually someone with the inside track, or another one of those “Hey, he’d fit right in at RR” type statements that then gets re-reported and re-reported and eventually becomes “He’s going to RR”. Time will tell, I guess, but the RR program doesn’t exactly call out “Europe” to me.
The past year hasn’t exactly seen Landis set the world on fire with results. This lack of results, the “true believers” (that is, the people who trust and believe the scientists at the anti-doping Labs), are happy to point out, supports their belief that when racing without ‘extra assistance’ he is just another rider of average ability. The other side of the argument (from the Floyd Fans) is that the lack of results are based upon his, a) slow recovery from his hip surgery, and/or b) his inability to get over the fact that he was set-up and wrongly convicted of doping.
Maybe a return to the big time of Europe is just what Landis needs to get back to the top of the sport. Maybe his body responds better to the “longer, tougher stage races offered in Europe” than it does to the shorter ones on the domestic scene in the US. I guess we will see.
ProConti Contenders Updated
While the world waits on the final word on Astana’s ProTour licence application, the UCI has updated the status of licence applications for the aspiring Professional Continental squads for 2010.
Teams intending to compete at this level in 2010 were required to submit to the UCI, documents regarding: budget, sponsorship contracts duly signed with the main partners, their bank guarantee, at least 10 contracts with riders duly signed by the two parties, and for new teams only, a description of the structure of the team together with a copy of the deed of incorporation of the paying agent.
The teams that met this deadline were:
• ACQUA & SAPONE (ITA)
• ANDALUCIA CAJASUR (ESP)
• ANDRONI GIOCATTOLI (VEN)
• BBOX BOUYGUES TELECOM (FRA)
• BMC RACING TEAM (USA)
• CARMIOORO NGC (GBR)
• CERAMICA FLAMINIA (IRL)
• CERVELO TEST TEAM (SUI)
• COFIDIS (FRA)
• COLNAGO – CSF INOX (IRL)
• DE ROSA – STAC PLASTIC (IRL)
• ISD – NERI (ITA)
• LANDBOUWKREDIET (BEL)
• SAUR – SOJASUN (FRA)
• SKIL – SHIMANO (NED)
• TOPSPORT VLAANDEREN – MERCATOR (BEL)
• VACANSOLEIL PRO CYCLING TEAM (NED)
• VORARLBERG CORRATEC (AUT)
• XACOBEO GALICIA (ESP)
While none of the above teams is necessarily guaranteed to receive ‘ProConti’ status in 2010, their applications (together with those of teams who did not meet the Nov 15 deadline) will be considered once the final deadline for applications passes, on December 1.
Still Remembering Mark Pendleton
Four days before Thanksgiving last year, The San Francisco Bay Area cycling and broader communities lost a model citizen when Mark Pendleton, a loving husband and father to two sons, was struck by a vehicle late in the day.
Mark Pendleton’s family, friends and teammates would like to once again honour him by inviting all who knew Mark or would like to celebrate his life to join his team at the Danville Peet’s Coffee & Tea at 9am for a moment of reflection before setting off on a three-hour memorial ride. Information will be posted to the team’s home page www.c4racing.org , to the team Facebook page (Wells Fargo Racing Team / C4) and will be sent out via the team’s Twitter account, @WellsFargoC4 .
When Pendleton was struck, the driver of the vehicle did not stop and Pendleton died along the side of a road in rural Contra Costa County. Bay Area cyclists and local law enforcement rallied behind the cause led by Pendleton’s widow to find and prosecute the motorist responsible, with a substantial reward of $30,000 offered for information leading to arrest and conviction of the driver.
Just over six months later, on June 2nd of this year, the driver of the vehicle, Harold Brown, was arrested by the CHP as the primary suspect. He was booked on charges of felony hit-and-run as well as vehicular manslaughter. The CHP is working closely with the Contra Costa District Attorney. The arraignment is scheduled to take place within the month. Mark Pendleton’s family, friends and cycling teammates are looking for support from the cycling and greater community in the hope that attendance at the arraignment will be as numerous as possible. Details will be posted on a designated website created soon after the incident last year: www.findmarkskiller.com .
Bergamo Worlds Bid For 2015
Italy loves a World Road title and when they aren’t winning them, they are vying for the right to host them. The bid from the northern Italian city of Bergamo is taking shape with next week seeing the official formation of a committee to take on the role of promoting the area’s interests.
With Bergamo in the vicinity of Milan, the committee hopes to take advantage of the fact that they can build close ties with the annual bike Expo held in the world’s fashion capital.
The official launch will be attended by Italian Cycling Federation (FCI) president, Renato Di Rocco.
SCOTT Making a Difference in Wood River Community
SCOTT Bicycles today announced its burgeoning commitment as a Founding Member of the Wood River Bicycle Coalition (WRBC). The WRBC advocates and promotes bicycle and pedestrian access, education, and safety while encouraging policy makers, developers, residents, and visitors to further incorporate and utilize human power for transportation and recreation throughout Idaho's Wood River Valley. Current PR campaigns include slogans like, “Complete the Streets”, and “Two Wheels, Two Feet”.
The League of American Bicyclists recently awarded the Wood River Valley its Silver Level Bicycle Friendly Community status. While WRBC is pleased with this achievement, the Coalition now aspires to guide the Valley toward attaining Gold status in the coming years. “It’s such a pleasure to be involved in the cycling culture of your own community,” said Scott Montgomery. “We helped form this Coalition to address the growing attraction of cycling in our Valley, because we feel the obligation as a bicycle manufacturer to nurture cycling culture. The rating by the League was exciting, but it presents us with some challenges in order to improve our status. Having connectivity for many forms of human powered mobility is good for the health and well being of our citizens.”
Since the rating, the WRBC has been involved in completing two community bike parks, both milestone achievements for the level of cooperation required between government, community and advocates. The parks were designed and built by Alpine Bike Parks, and embody the vision of user-friendly park facilities that serve multiple levels of enthusiasts while maintaining a community park appearance. The Blaine County Recreation District (BCRD) Pump Park, located in Hailey, opened on October 9th, 2009 with over 250 in attendance. Riders of all ages enjoyed the many “Pump Track” features and berms constructed adjacent the BCRD Aquatic Center and Wood River High School campus. On Nov 4th, 2009 the Ketchum Bike Park located by Hemingway Elementary School, likewise saw its grand opening, further adding to the pump park offerings in the Valley. The WRBC aims to expose a broad range of users to this increasingly popular form of bicycling, and embed a sense of health, fitness, and bicycle mindedness in the community.
“For us, this was a chance to make a difference in our community,” said Adrian Montgomery. “Many of the plans we implement here in the Wood River Valley can be applied to National programs in the future. Becoming a Founding Member in the WRBC allows us to be advocates for cycling and to develop unique approaches to our social responsibilities.”
Dealer Camp To Target Retailers in 2010
Lifeboat Events will host an exciting new event called DealerCamp™ July 29-31, 2010, in Deer Valley, Utah, to bring together bicycle industry suppliers and retailers for an outdoor expo and demo. The event will provide a key mid-summer launch opportunity that is well-timed with today's changing product and buying cycles.
DealerCamp will offer manufacturers and suppliers a variety of exhibiting options and will work with the participating companies to create a list of targeted retailers they would like to attend the new event. This select group of retailers will receive subsidized travel expenses and free lodging, but all qualified retailers are welcome to attend.
In today's tough economic climate, this highly focused and cost-effective format will efficiently connect buyers and sellers, offering a strategic boost for new products.
DealerCamp is the brainchild of industry veteran Lance Camisasca. "The largest industry players have been hosting their own private summer dealer events for years," said Camisasca. "DealerCamp will provide smaller--but equally important companies--a concentrated retailer audience at a critical time in advance of fall industry events. It's an efficient model for everyone."
Retailers will benefit from the event's focus and timing. It will give them an opportunity to preview products earlier in the year, and help them get the attention they need to make informed decisions about ordering
Bicycle Retailer & Industry News plans to cover the event in its September issue. Lifeboat Events will provide free advertising for most DealerCamp 2010 participating manufacturers and suppliers in this issue, which will drop just before the fall shows. This will further enhance the product-launch momentum for participating companies.
DealerCamp will be held at the Snow Park Lodge in legendary Deer Valley, Utah, just outside of Park City. With outstanding trails and roads in a spectacular setting, this is a world-class test lab for premier cross-country, downhill, and road product evaluation and is only 45 minutes from Salt Lake City International Airport.
Retailer lodging will be at the luxurious Park City Marriott, three miles from the resort by a Rails-to-Trails path. To provide transportation to and from the expo, DealerCamp is working with exhibitors to supply loaner bikes, and is arranging for free shuttles from Park City Transportation. This is just one of many green initiatives DealerCamp will employ.
Lifeboat Events, which was established by longtime industry members and experienced event producers, debuted in 2009 with PressCamp™, an innovative bicycle industry media gathering. Building on the success of the event, Lifeboat Events will repeat PressCamp in 2010, while also offering DealerCamp to provide the same high level of value to a different audience.
"The Lifeboat Events team is awesome," said Scott Montgomery, general manager of SCOTT USA. "They're professional, responsive, and a lot of fun, too. It's obvious they take pride in delivering outstanding customer service and creating events that anticipate and fulfill everyone's needs."
"The industry has wanted something more intimate, casual and without the hassles of big third-party vendors for a while, so we're really excited to offer DealerCamp," said Camisasca. "As with all our efforts, our aim is to provide a solid return on investment for manufacturers, suppliers, and retailers alike and to better prepare the industry for the fall's big shows. And, of course, it will be a great opportunity to build relationships."
In keeping with Lifeboat Event's commitment to advocacy, a portion of the event's proceeds will support retailers as well as the industry's leading nonprofit bicycle groups.
Learn more about DealerCamp at BikeDealerCamp.com or contact Lance Camisasca at lance@lifeboatsolutions.com.
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