EuroTrash Thursday!

The Katusha/UCI debacle rolls on and everyone has their own opinions and La Gazzetta dello Sport wade in from the ethics point of view. ProConti teams get their licenses and the teams start to list the riders for the first races of the season. More awards for Tom and Bradley and lots of other bits and pieces in a full Thursday EuroTrash. Let’s hope the World doesn’t end tomorrow and I’ll see you on Monday for Coffee!

“Top Story”

Why No WorldTour License for Katusha?
The easy answer is that the UCI are the only people who really know why the Russian squad did not receive a license to race in the top league of cycling. Originally it was thought that there had been a financial problem with the Katusha application, but according to the team, that had all been sorted and that the UCI’s firm of accountants was happy all “information provided were unconditionally accepted and sufficient.”

OK, we knew all that last week, so what’s new? Italian sports paper La Gazzetta dello Sport suspects that the real reason is ethical, not financial. The team has received “the reasoned decision” from the UCI, but neither the Katusha team nor the UCI have, as yet, commented.

La Gazzetta surmises that the team has too many ethical problems concerning some of its riders. Denis Menchov, Mikhail Ignatiev, Vladimir Gusev and Alexandr Kolobnev are all suspects in the Padua case and to have links to Doctor Michele Ferrari, add to that the three positives for EPO with Antonio Colom, Christian Pfannberger and Denis Galimzyanov. Then there are the accusations of Kolobnev selling the 2010 Liиge-Bastogne-Liиge to Alexander Vinokourov. The main problem could be the teams new manager; Viatcheslav Ekimov who was a team mate and team manager of Lance Armstrong.

The Russian has been quite outspoken against the allegations aimed at Armstrong by Tyler Hamilton, and has said: “Maybe it’s his sick sense of humour.”

Adding: “Behind his story is something. First of all it’s untrue. And behind his story is some money or some stimulation. Because why did this guy just crack now? Why didn’t he do it in 2005? I call these guys liars. First they lie about the innocence, now they lie about something else. I think it’s just money. It seems to me like somebody really wants to kill Lance and put him down. There’s all this interest to find people who will say something.”
Ekimov did inherit Hamilton’s 2004 Athens Olympic time trial gold medal after his self admitted blood doping. Ekimov has never been mentioned in any doping investigation.

At the moment Katusha is free to apply for a ProConti license, but has not yet done so.

More should come out on the subject as Katusha has lodged an action with the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

Katusha at Liиge by Focus Bikes:

UCI ProConti Teams for 2013
The UCI have named all the Professional Continental teams for 2013, the unlucky Andalucнa team has been rejected and RusVelo has been asked to supply more information and could qualify in January. As mentioned above, Katusha are taking their case to CAS and have as yet not applied.

UCI Professional Continental Teams (confirmed November 2nd):
Accent Jobs – Wanty (Bel),
Androni Giocattoli (Ita),
Caja Rural (Spa),
CCC Polsat Polkowice (Pol),
Cofidis, Solutions Crйdits (Fra),
IAM Cycling (Swi),
Landbouwkrediet-Euphony (Bel),
Sojasun (Fra),
Team Europcar (Fra),
Team Netapp-Endura (Ger),
Topsport Vlaanderen-Baloise (Bel),
UnitedHealthCare Professional Cycling Team (USA),
Vini Fantini (Ita).

UCI Professional Continental Teams (confirmed November 28th):
Colombia (Col),
MTN-Qhubeka (RSA),
Team Novo Nordisk (USA).

UCI Professional Continental Teams (confirmed December 19th):
Bardiani Valvolve-CSF Inox (Ita),
Bretagne-Sйchй Environnement (Fra),
Champion System (Chn).

Back in 2008 when the Andalucнa team had money:

New Team IAM Gets Wildcards
The new Swiss based ProConti Team IAM has received two “Wildcard” invitations to the Belgian season openers; Omloop Het Nieuwsblad and Kuurne-Brussel-Kuurne in February. Team IAM will kick off the 2013 season in the Tour of Qatar, then Oman followed by the Tour of the Mediterranean.

Kuurne-Brussel-Kuurne 2008:

Iсaki Lajarreta Killed
Ex junior World MTB champion Iсaki Lajarreta was hit by a car when training on Sunday morning near the town of Iuretta in the Basque Country. The son of Ismael and nephew of Vuelta a Espaсa winner Marino, was attended too by two ambulances, but didn’t survive his injuries. His wife Naiara Telletxea is pregnant with their first child, which is expected in January.

At home with Iсaki Lejarreta:

Cavendish & Boonen in Qatar
Omega Pharma – Quick-Step are sending two ex-World champions to the 2013 Tour of Qatar, running from the 3rd to the 8th of February. Mark Cavendish and Tom Boonen will make their first appearance together in Omega Pharma – Quick-Step colours in Qatar, but Boonen will start his season in Argentina at the Tour of San Luis and will ride the Tour of Oman after Qatar.

GreenEdge at the 2012 Tour of Qatar:

Fairly Returns To Team Where He Got His Start
Press Release: Team Garmin-Sharp-Barracuda today announced that it has signed American Caleb Fairly, who originally got his start with Slipstream’s development squad. Fairly is thrilled to return to Slipstream: “I’m very excited to be joining Garmin-Sharp-Barracuda. I feel like I’m ‘re-joining’ them, as I grew up in their development team. I was excited when Jonathan offered me the opportunity to come back.”

Originally from Texas, Fairly learned to race from his father. In 2009 he joined the Slipstream development squad which became the launching pad for his professional career.

“I had some of my best racing results in 2010 while riding for the development team and staigiering for the pro team. I want to build on that and become a valuable asset to the team. Having now spent time at other places, there is definitely something different about this team – I’ve missed it. I’m really happy to be back.”

Jonathan Vaughters, CEO of Slipstream Sports, agreed: “Caleb is a huge talent and we are thrilled to have him back on the team. He was the most winning rider on our development squad in 2010, a year when he was also a stagarie for the pro team. We lost him in 2011 but we are incredibly happy to have him in our ranks again.”

Farily’s palmares include 2nd at the Giro della Toscana (2010), 1st at the Tour of the Battenkill (2010), and 5th, Stage 3 at the Tour of Utah (2012).

Caleb Fairly gets his bike fixed:

New Dutch National Coach
Johan Lammerts will replace Leo van Vliet as the men and women’s National coach, stepping up from his previous job looking after the cyclo-cross and women’s teams. “I am pleased with the confidence of the federation and find it an honor and a challenge to work with this group.” He said to the Dutch Federation web-site. Lammerts rode as a Pro from 1982 to 92 for Raleigh, Panasonic, Vini Ricordi, Toshiba, ADR and Z, with a Tour de France stage win, the ’84 Ronde van Vlaanderen and the Ronde van Nederland. He finished off his riding career in ’93 riding for Scott – BiKyle Flyers in the US.

1988 Tour de France Stage 3 Nantes to Le Mans, when Johan Lammerts was a rider:

Boonen Belgian Sportsman of the Year
For the third year Tom Boonen (Omega Pharma – Quick-Step) was voted as 2012 Belgian Sportsman of the Year, beating decathlete Hans Van Alphen and World champion Philippe Gilbert (BMC). Boonen was not at the ceremony as he was training in Mallorca with the team and also recovering from his recent stomach problems. The Belgian champion had a great season with wins in; E3 Prijs Vlaanderen, Gent-Wevelgem, the Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix, plus stages in Paris-Nice, San Luis and two stages and overall in the Tour of Oman.

Tom Boonen 2002 – 2012:

Wiggins Voted BBC Sports Personality
Tour de France winner Bradley Wiggins was awarded the 2012 BBC Sports Personality of the year ahead of Olympic heptathlon champion Jessica Ennis and US Open tennis winner Andy Murray. He follows World champion Mark Cavendish (2011), track multi-champion Sir Chris Hoy (2008) and Tom Simpson in 1965.

Bradley Wiggins plays guitar to Oasis at SPOTY after-party, that’s entertainment:

Wiggins For Giro And Tour Wins?
Bradley Wiggins has suggested in an interview with The Guardian newspaper that he might attempt to win both the Giro d’Italia and the Tour de France in 2013. The original plan was for Wiggins to concentrate on the Giro and then to help team mate Chris Froome at the Tour de France. He said: “I’ve always wanted to win a second Tour. I’m the defending champion. I want to try and win the Giro d’Italia and win the Tour de France behind it. People say it can’t be done, winning two Tours. So let’s have a go at it.” So it looks like there might be conflict in the Sky team again this summer.

Another chance to see “Bradley Wiggins – A Very British Champion”:

Edmondson For Sky
Young Yorkshire rider Josh Edmondson has signed a two year contract with WorldTour team Sky. The talented 20 year old has been racing in Italy with Colpack and the GB Under 23 Academy. He has come up through the British Cycling system, gaining fourth place as a junior in the 2010 World championships.

Stybar and The Cyclo-Cross Season
Press Release:After the on-road training camp in Mallorca with the rest of the OPQS Cycling Team, Zdenek Stybar will return to his first love, cyclo-cross, for a brief period of time. It will be a short but very intense interlude for the Czech champion.

Stybar will be racing in Essen on December 22nd. After the Christmas break, his schedule will get intense. On December 26th he will race at World Cup in Zolder, on the 28th at Loenhout, the 29th at Bredene and the 30th at Diegem.

Stybar will toast the new year on January 1st at the cross event in Baal. His last competitive challenge will be at the Czech National Championship on January 12th, in his native city, Stribro.

“It’s in my nature to take these events very seriously. It won’t be easy because I will have to measure up against the best specialists in the world but I’m going to try to do my best for me and my fans, to whom I promise to give it my all in hopes of obtaining worthy results. I’m convinced that re-embracing the world of cyclo-cross and its supporters, if only for a few races, will be magical. Normally, considering my current UCI ranking in Cyclo-cross, I should manage to stay on the front lines for the starts, and this is without a doubt an advantage.”

Stybar will return from Mallorca on December 19th and as of the following day he will be undergoing specific training in the area of Essen, where the Omega Pharma – Quick-Step champion usually lives.

“My detour into cyclo cross this year will be shorter than usual, but this doesn’t make it any less interesting,” continues Stybar. “For example, for the first time in my career I will take on three races in a row, a new experience for me. I want to try to do as many races as possible to test myself, even in the framework of a national championship. After the championships I will concentrate exclusively on road racing. So I will sacrifice the cyclo-cross World Championships. It was a tough choice, but one I had to make. To prepare for the worlds I would have to focus wholeheartedly on cyclo-cross, at the risk of not obtaining satisfactory results anyway. As I’ve said before on various occasions, in 2013 I’m going to concentrate exclusively on road racing. My debut? Most probably it will be in Mallorca in the beginning of February. With the team we are still working out the details of my schedule.”

To watch a video of Zdenek Stybar discussing his upcoming cyclo-cross season, click on this link: https://www.omegapharma-quickstep.com/en/news/show/stybar-and-the-cyclo-cross-season/977.

Zdenek Stybar, 2012 UCI Cyclo-Cross World Championship:

Team Lampre go to Australia
The Italian team will officially start the 2013 activity in Down Under Classic (20 January) and in Tour Down Under (22-27 January).

The technical staff from the team of general manager Saronni selected a group of riders that can ensure to be competitive in sprints and on mixed courses.

Sport director Bruno Vicino will guide seven athletes: Davide Cimolai, Elia Favilli, Roberto Ferrari, Matthew Lloyd, Manuele Mori, Daniele Pietropolli and Simone Stortoni. The team staff will be; masseurs: Capelli and Napolitano, mechanic: Romanт and doctor Beltemacchi.

Roberto Ferrari will be the key athlete for the sprints and he’ll be able to rely on the support by Cimolai, Pietropolli, Favilli and Mori; Mori, Favilli and Pietropolli will also join Lloyd and Stortoni as resources for the mixed courses.

In Australia, Elia Favilli and Roberto Ferrari will live their first experience in Team Lampre. “I’m motivated to deliver a strong performance as this is my debut with Lampre-Merida and I am looking forward to competing against the world’s tops sprinters” said Roberto Ferrari. “I am also keen to add to my collection of victories. Since starting my career I have won in Europe, America, Asia, Africa and I now have my sights set on Oceania!”

Matthew Lloyd will be the idol for the Australian fans: “I’ve been performing well throughout my training program over the last weeks, so will be aiming to be competitive in the stages suited to me. It is important for me to start the new season well, even possibly with a result to give something back to the team and the many Australian fans that support me whilst on home soil,” says Matthew Lloyd.

Interview with Matt Lloyd at the 2012 Tour de France:

Rapha Condor JLT head to Australia
Press Release: Rapha Condor JLT will begin their 2013 racing season on the very first day of the New Year, when the British team lines up at the Bay Crit Series and Jayco Herald Sun Tour in Melbourne, Australia.

Nine of the teams riders, including former National Champion and Sun Tour stage winner Kristian House, will make the journey to the Southern hemisphere on boxing day to take part the six-week camp before the 2013 season gets underway in the UK.

John Herety who has previously taken teams to Australia as national team manager, devised the idea of the warm weather camp not simply due to the opportunity to train in good weather, but for the numerous opportunities his young riders will have to experience high level racing away from the pressures they experience in races in the UK and Europe.

“Going over to Australia is something I really wanted to do with these young riders, because for them the racing experience is so crucial. Last year we stayed in Europe for our camps and we did some great work, but as the core of this team has improved I feel that the most important experience they can get now is in actual race situations. This camp will be focused on skills acquisition in those race situations.”

“Australia in January is ideal for these guys in this respect. They will be racing at a very high level at the Bay Crits and the Sun Tour, where they will be up against some very strong and motivated World Tour competition. After that there is a constant stream of smaller events that the riders can use to develop the skills to win, without the pressures that they would be under in a Premier Calendar, say. It is important for young riders at this stage in their development to build on their confidence and experience. I want the riders who come through this team not just to be ‘good strong riders’, but winners- that is what will see them taking the step to the next level.”

The team will arrive in Melbourne in the 27th of December and will be based in the city before starting the Bay Series on the 1st of January. The three-day series – billed as the fastest criterium racing in the world – will conclude in the morning of January the 3rd, before the four-day Herald Sun Tour gets underway that same evening with a prologue time trial.

“The schedule will be busy when we arrive, all 9 of the riders will be racing the Bay Crits. We are taking into account the time of year, and how young the majority of this team is, so we’ll be putting the youngest guys into the support race (at the Bay Crits) and those young guys will be rested while a 6-man team does the Sun Tour. I am confident that the riders will be competitive throughout, but we are being realistic, this is a training camp and I want the riders to come out of it fresh and confident for the new season. I am sure that this is an achievable goal for this team.”

After the final stage of the Sun Tour, which finishes at the summit of the climb of Arthur’s Seat a few kilometres from Melbourne, the entire team will travel 150km North of Melbourne to Bendigo where they will be based for the following five weeks. There the riders will take part in various races including the Victorian State Championships that will take place between the 18th -20th of January.

As the centre of cycling in country Victoria, Bendigo has a strong cycling community, and there the riders will be able to take part in various club level races and organized training sessions, along with the likes of former Rapha Condor Sharp riders Darren Lapthorne and Zak Dempster.

The team will return to the UK on the 13th of February where they will look to hit the ground running in the first races of the UK calendar.

The 2012 Scottish Crit Racing Championships won by Rapha Condor’s James McCallum, by Dustandpeebles:

Jayco Funds Cycling Australia
The Jayco company has guaranteed funding for the Australian cycling programme up to the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janiero. Gerry Ryan, the Jayco owner, announced the multi-million dollar funding at a press conference on Wednesday.

Rio 2016 – Olympic Games – Passion United Us:

British Cycling gets Big Funding
Sport England has awarded British Cycling Ј32 million to grow grassroots cycling over the next four years and UK Sport has awarded the sport’s governing body over Ј37 million for elite cycling through to Rio 2016.

British Cycling’s Chief Executive Ian Drake said: “Today’s Sport England funding announcement is recognition of the good work done by British Cycling members and volunteers in driving grassroots participation and a challenge for us to do even better in the next four years.”

“Whether it is for winning medals or for getting people active, we are proud of our record of delivering value for lottery funding and we take the responsibility very seriously. There is still a great deal of work to do in making cycling in this country better. We’re looking forward to getting stuck in.”

And on the UK Sport funding, Drake added: “At British Cycling, we take seriously the responsibility to deliver good value which comes with lottery funding. We believe that winning medals is not an end in itself but a means to growing the sport as whole.”

“Today’s announcement from UK Sport is recognition of the success of our riders, our coaches and the work we put into identifying new talent. It is also a challenge for us to do better over the next four years – particularly in para-cycling where we have received substantially increased funding. In 2012 we have seen unprecedented results for British cyclists but there is still work to be done to improve the sport in this country.”

British Cycling: Road To Glory:

RENSON® and Omega Pharma – Quick-Step Cycling Team reach partnership deal for next two seasons
Press Release: RENSON® and Omega Pharma – Quick-Step Cycling Team are pleased to announce that they’ve reached a partnership deal for the seasons 2013 and 2014. As a new partner for the topteam of Patrick Lefevere, the specialist in ventilation and sun protection from Belgium sets its first steps in cycling.

For the next two seasons the RENSON® brand will appear in World Tour cycling as a partner of the Omega Pharma – Quick-Step Cycling Team of Boonen, Cavendish, Chavanel and Martin. The RENSON® logo will appear on the back of the racing shorts. The logo will also be visible on the team vehicles and marketing material.

Thanks to this sponsoring, RENSON® wants to strengthen its brand recognition in Belgium and abroad. “Our company is well-known by the professionals in the construction sector, but now we also want to invest more in getting a better name recognition with the consumers. And cycling remains a very popular sport, in Belgium as well as internationally,” stressed CEO Paul Renson. “With the Omega Pharma – Quick-Step Cycling Team we have found a strong and ambitious partner with the drive to be protagonist in every race. Moreover, cycling can be compared to business: the efforts of and the cooperation between the members in the chain determine the real strength of the team.”

“I’m very pleased with this important partnership,” said team manager Patrick Lefevere. “RENSON® is an important European company with headquarters in Belgium, in the same area where our other sponsors, Omega Pharma, Quick-Step and Innergetic come from. Our aim is to provide RENSON® – as we do for all our partners – with the possibility to further expand their brand and business through the team’s activities and the visibility the team enjoys in competitions.”

OPQS Cycling Team: New Jersey for 2013
“The design is really attractive,” said Chavanel. “The choice of black dots on the upper part of the jersey make it quite aggressive but at the same time it’s also very “classy”. The logo symbolizing our victory in the TTT World Championship is located on the chest of the jersey. It is a source of pride for the entire team. I can’t wait to wear the jersey during the races!”

Tom Boonen is also happy. “My Belgian champion’s jersey is the same as last year’s but the return to entirely black pants is a nice new twist. I like them a lot. They are classic but modern at the same time. I think this jersey stands out even more than last year’s. Now it’s up to us to make it a winner like the one in 2012.”

“In this jersey it’s the details that make the difference,” said Martin. “The personalization with our Twitter account on the back of the jersey is a great idea, as is the personalized label on the back of the collar. When it comes to design and material, our partner Vermarc has really done a great job!”

The new jersey:

HotChillee’s newest event in South Africa – the Cape Rouleur – announces its official local charity partners
Press Release: HotChillee today announces its three local charity partners for the Cape Rouleur, 3rd to 7th March 2013. Christel House South Africa, a charity working to take children out of the throes of poverty through education, is one of the official charities. JAG Foundation, which offers mentoring, coaching and physical activities to expel drug and alcohol abuse in South Africa will also be an official charity partner, as will The LumoHawk Foundation, the charity started by ex-professional Rugby player Joel Stransky. The LumoHawk Foundation supports educational efforts in South Africa by assisting a number of orphanages and previously disadvantaged individuals with the costs and resources required to provide the children with the education they deserve.

Over the last ten years, HotChillee has forged hugely successful charity partnerships, raising hundreds of thousands of pounds each year. The HotChillee Global Events Series, which includes The London-Paris, the Alpine Challenge and the Cape Rouleur, has been used as a fundraising and awareness platform for many charities. Not only does it give teams and individuals the opportunity to raise money for their chosen charities, but with TV programmes dedicated to the events, it is a great place to generate additional awareness.

With high-calibre cyclists and celebrities – such as Triple Crown Winner Stephen Roche, actress Vanessa Hayward and Joel Stransky – participating in HotChillee’s events, they attract a great deal of attention. The Cape Rouleur 2012 gained the backing of the Premier of the Western Cape, Helen Zille and the Western Cape Minister of Finance, Economic Development and Tourism, Alan Winde, who will ride the multi-stage, 525km Cape Rouleur in 2013.

Joel Stransky, The LumoHawk Foundation says: “We are delighted to be one of the official charities of this international event, the Cape Rouleur. The inaugural Cape Rouleur in 2012 was a huge success and HotChillee’s events are a great place to gain additional momentum and raise vital funds to assist us in achieving our goals. I rode the event in 2012 and it was an incredible experience. The nature of the event, the support cars and crew made it feel like I was riding one of the Grand Tours.”

Sven Thiele, Founder of HotChillee says: “HotChillee is incredibly passionate about cycling and about helping our charity partners create better lives for the children they are helping. Our cyclists have helped charities across the world and we are working with some of the best charities in South Africa. Their desire to work for a better world strikes a chord with us and knowing that everything we raise goes directly to the beneficiaries is truly refreshing.”

An old favourite of mine, Johnny Clegg & Savuka: Scatterlings of Africa:

Lotto Belisol Hard at Work!
From 8th till 18th of December Lotto Belisol went on training camp to Mojacar, Spain to prepare for the 2013 season in agreeable weather conditions and sharpen the team spirit. Adam Hansen posted a photo of himself on Twitter every day during the training camp and you can see that it was very tiring work in Mojacar. The funniest photos from a rider, check-out the pictures here on the teams Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/LottoBelisolCyclingTeam.

Any comments drop me a line, email address: [email protected] or Twitter. And there is the PezCyclingNews Twitter and Facebook Fan Page.