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Latest Cycling News for May 5, 2005

Edited by Anthony Tan

An interview with Mark Renshaw

The Graduate steps up to the Giro

Photo ©: Mark Gunter

Mark Renshaw is another Aussie young gun quickly establishing himself as a quality rider capable of mixing it with the best of the pros after recent strong performances. This weekend the 22-year-old from Bathurst, in country New South Wales, lines up in Reggio Calabria for the Giro d'Italia. Cyclingnews' Les Clarke caught up with Renshaw on the eve of his first Grand Tour.

2005 is the year for the graduate to step up, and his ninth place finish in this year's Tour Down Under, plus a host of strong results in Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne, the Three Days of De Panne and Tirreno-Adriatico have led to Renshaw riding as part of Francaise des Jeux's Giro d'Italia squad.

After a strong ride in South Australia in January, it became clear that Renshaw would most likely be a part of Marc Madiot's plans for an assault on the Giro d'Italia in May. Just what role the young New South Welshman would play depended on his fitness and form leading into the event. Both of these have been great, and as a result Renshaw told us "My role with the team for the Giro will be to give it 100% during the short prologue; after this I'll just try my hand at a stage finish whilst helping Baden out in the finish of most stages." This indicates that he's ready to go the distance, and with Cooke due for some big results, Renshaw's got a fair bit of responsibility resting on his shoulders.

In terms of personal goals, he believes a "top ten in the Prologue and top three in a road stage would be great." As it's his first Grand Tour, he says "Just to get the three weeks of racing finished would be excellent!" This is similar to the approach taken by fellow Aussie pro Brad McGee - both have come from an endurance track racing background, and as such make strong prologue riders. Renshaw has developed very quickly into a rider able to mix it up over one day or a week, but he's not yet been tested over three weeks. So we asked him whether he believes he has the legs to get through this - "I'm hoping I have the base to get through and try in a few stages for a place; I'm sure it'll be hard but I believe I can finish."

Click here for the full interview

Giro prologue is second shortest in grand tour history

The 1.15 km prologue that marks the start of the 88th Giro d'Italia in Reggio Calabria is the second shortest stage in grand tour history, according to Infostradasports.com. In fact, the Giro boasts the five shortest stages, with a 1 km prologue to open the 1986 Giro, won by Urs Freuler, being the shortest. The others are 2 km (1978 Giro prologue), 2.2 km (1960 Giro stage 9b), 2.45 km (1962 Giro stage 13), 2.65 km (1971 Vuelta stage 11b), 3.2 km (1976 Vuelta prologue), 3.5 km (1966 Vuelta stage 1b), 3.5 km (1978 Vuelta stage 11b), and 3.79 km (1958 Vuelta stage 5a).

Tomorrow's prologue is designed to be fast, as it will be ridden in a straight line along the sea front of Reggio Calabria, with the wind the only potential obstacle. The first rider will start at 18:45 CEST, and Cyclingnews will be covering the stage live from start to finish (12:45 EDT (USA East)/09:45 PDT (USA West)/02:45 Sunday AEST (Australia East)).

Giro prizemoney falls while Tour increases

The drop in prizemoney in this year's Giro d'Italia is nearly €200,000, or nearly 15% of the 2004 total of €1.35 million, reports Sportwereld.be. It has outraged the Professional Riders Association (CPA), which has raised its collective voice in protest against organisers RCS Sport. The reduction stems from the fact that broadcaster RAI is not earning enough from the sale of TV rights: the €1.35 million prizemoney had been in place since 2001, but this is the first year that it has dropped. RCS first tried to compensate by trying to reduce the start money for the teams, and that was also unacceptable. Now it seems that RCS is looking for an alternative means to save money.

In contrast, the Tour de France has increased its prizemoney by a whopping 66% since 2001, when it was €1.8 million. This year's Tour will have around €3 million on offer.

Lincoln City set for epic battle

By Gerry McManus

The historic city of Lincoln will again be the battleground for one of Britain's toughest cycle races when it hosts the 50th edition of the Lincoln Grand Prix on Sunday 8th May. 140 riders compete in the 102 mile UCI Europe Tour Category 1.2 event, which climbs the tortuous city centre cobbled climb of Michaelgate thirteen times.

The Planet X team of John Tanner, Kevin Dawson and Mark Lovatt will be among the pre-race favourites, having shared four victories between them over the years, and the team continues to show good form. Tanner has already won round one on the British Cycling Premier Series calendar and will seek victory here in round two to consolidate his lead. Dawson secured a victory in the prestigious Shay Elliott memorial race in Ireland at the end of April. The trio play the team game extremely well and will be expected to be featured in the break that matters.

The recycling.co.uk squad is also expected to challenge for podium positions with the squad containing three world track championship medallists in Rob Hayles, Chris Newton and Paul Manning. Russell Downing may again be able dig deep into his rich resource of athletic ability and race know-how to follow up his recent success in the Ruban Granitier-Breton stage race in France, if he appears on the team roster.

UK cycling is still waiting for the young guns to make their mark against the old guard with the 40-something Malcolm Elliott's Pinarello team confirming the strength of the more experienced ranks. Mathematicians will inevitably be looking at the average age on the podium and the top ten after four hours of racing.

The initial entry for the DFL team includes promising young stars Mark Cassidy, Ryan Connor and Yanto Barker, and many are hoping that the team has come through its recent difficulties and will use the Lincoln to show that it is back and stronger than before.

Teams from Holland and one from Ireland make the short trip to England hoping to cause a major upset and Irishman Eugene Moriarty could be a surprise package. Riding for the Cycleways team, Moriarty has produced a number of key victories in the past combining excellent race temperament with the right legs on the day.

If you're looking for a long-shot to back for a top position then look no further than Roy Chamberlain (Team Milton Keynes). His followed up an epic ride in the Archer GP to secure good results in the following weeks and will be anxious to improve on his 18th place in 2003.

Who ever sprints into Castle Square first will watched closely by previous winners who have accepted to attend the 50th event including John Clarey who won in 1966.

Irish active on several fronts

By Tommy Campbell, Irish Independent, Evening Herald, Sunday Independent

The Cycleways.Com outfit is certainly keeping Irish cycling to the fore in Britain of late. On Sunday, the team will be in Lincoln for the Grand Prix against top class opposition, not only from British teams, but there will also be representative teams from the European Union.

Meanwhile on the Irish domestic front, the provinces of Munster and Leinster go head to head this Sunday. Heading the bill in Leinster is the Coombes Conor Memorial, whilst in Munster it is headlined by the Tommy Sheehan Memorial. Both races are inexplicably linked as they commemorate the unselfish support of two renowned cycling personnel who gave of their all to the sport of cycling.

The Coombes Conor race in Drogheda will certainly get the bulk of wannabe winners from the north of the border and those inside the Pale.In the Tommy Sheehan race which will be held in Carrick-on-Suir, they will have an added bonus of round four of the Women's Classic League.

The League to date is being led by Julie O'Hagan of the All System/Dublin Wheelers club. Julie was in Belgium recently for the launch of the Sean Kelly Academy in Merchtem, Belgium, where budding male and female cyclists who want to taste the racing in that country and the neighbouring countries will base themselves. "I have to say that this facility which will cater for both sexes is a welcome development on behalf of Cycling Ireland and particular thanks must go to the 'man himself' Sean Kelly, who along with Kurt Bogerts, is fronting this unique operation," said Julie.

Heading up the modus operandi in Carrick will be Paul Lonergan. "Unfortunately, we will be thin on the ground this Sunday as a number of our top cyclists are racing abroad in the Tour of Turkey, and Rory Wyley, the leading competitor in Cycling Ireland's rankings, will be at a family function. Still I feel that Brian Truman, Martin O'Loughlin and find of the season, John Dempsey, are quite capable of doing the club proud.

"John Dempsey had a good Tour of Ulster last weekend with a stage win, but unfortunately he just did not have the legs to be able to suppress the fitness of David McCann who went on to win the event overall.

"Still, John triumphed over David in the Credit Union Ras Mumhan at Easter. So, now it is equal pegging as far as stage races are concerned. Unfortunately McCann will be an absentee for the FBD Insurance event in two weeks time, but who knows he may do a U turn and make himself available to compete, like he did last weekend. The word was McCann would be away with his team Giant Asia on the other side of the globe last weekend," said Paul.

The Coombes Connor event is scheduled for midday whilst the Tommy Sheehan is out of the blocks at one o'clock.

Melbourne Wheels of Justice rolling on Saturday

This Saturday, May 7, Melbourne's cycling community will gather at Federation Square and ride to Parliament House to show support for the Australian national Wheels of Justice rides protesting the lenient sentencing handed to Adelaide lawyer Eugene McGee. The start will be at 9.30am at Federation Square, along Swanston Street, and protesters will cycle or walk up Bourke St to Parliament. Protesters are asked to leave water bottles with messages for justice written on them upon the steps of Parliament, Spring Street.

McGee, a lawyer and a former police officer, was convicted of traffic offences surrounding the death of cyclist Ian Humphrey, a married man and a father of two. He received a relatively lenient $3100 fine and 12 months suspended driver's licence.

Around Australia, this travesty of justice has infuriated cyclists and the greater community to take action, and has led to Wheels of Justice rides in Adelaide, Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane.

More information: www.wheelsofjustice.com.au and bicyclejustice.blogspot.com.

Aussies in Thailand

Brisbane riders Chris Carson, Stuart Cowin and Ben Vanderkamp will join Sydney rider Peter Spencer to contest the Heritage Tour of Thailand this Saturday. The tour covers 750km over five days taking in spectacular scenery to the north of Bangkok.

Carson and Vanderkamp competed in last year's national Tour of Thailand, where Vanderkamp finished sixth and Spencer finished second overall in the junior category. Last year's Tour of Thailand race winner, Hilton McMurdo, is also reputed to be attending with a Perth based team.

The tour has been organised by the Thailand Cycling Association and is being used as a fund raiser for the Tsunami relief efforts from the Boxing Day disaster last year.

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