First Edition Cycling News for August 31, 2006
Cyclingnews will cover the 60th edition of
the Dauphiné Libéré live
as of stage 4 on Wednesday, June 10, at approximately 15:00 local Europe
time (CEST)/ 23:00 Australian time (CDT)/ 9:00 (USA East). Tour of Britain wrap-upCanny Goss lands lead
Young Australian Matt Goss (South Australia.com-AIS) took the lead in the Tour of Britain during stage two yesterday. Goss, who is just 19, went into the stage trailing the overnight leader, Denmark's Martin Pedersen (Team CSC), by two seconds but picked up time bonuses along the route by winning the third intermediate sprint and placing third in the first two sprints of the day. Goss finished the stage with the main bunch and now has a two second lead over Pedersen. He also increased his lead in the sprint competition and now sits on 24 points double the tally of Pedersen, his nearest rival for the jersey. "The team faces a huge task to defend Matt's lead against some of the world's strongest professional teams," said team director, Brian Stephens. "But the boys are enthusiastic and they're not intimidated by the quality of the opposition." A product of the Tasmanian Institute of Sport's development program, Goss has been considered a rider to watch in the Australian scene for the last few years. He hails from Tasmania where his palmares includes the prestigious Latrobe and Launceston Wheelraces on the track and the 2004 Launceston International Classic. Tour of Britain stage 2 full results, report & photos. Americans (only) ready to roll in GreenvilleBy Mark Zalewski, North American Editor
After years of talk about whether the USA should follow the rest of the world and have a national championships restricted just to US riders, the USA Cycling professional championships in Greenville, SC this weekend is an opportunity to see the strength in depth of the US peloton . Riders like George Hincapie (Discovery Channel), Levi Leipheimer (Gerolsteiner) and David Zabriskie (Team CSC) will join domestic-based American professionals like defending road champion Chris Wherry (Toyota-United), former road champion Mark McCormack (Colavita-Sutter Home) and 2005 runner-up Danny Pate (TIAA-CREF) to vie for the stars and stripes, which will go to the first racer across the line, period. Many in the cycling world point to having a closed national championship race as a turning point -- illustrating that American cycling has finally arrived, and that the depth of professional Americans can sustain its own race. Previous to this, the championship was an open race, allowing professionals from any country to participate, with the first American winning the title. And this was fine years ago when the amount of true American professionals were much fewer. However, the absence of foreigners in the race has some possible negative implications as well. First among these is that some European-based American professionals will not be able to participate. Multiple winner Fred Rodriguez (Davitamon-Lotto) and teammate Chris Horner are racing the Vuelta for their team. Prior to this, the team would have sent a handful of riders to support Rodriguez and Horner but is no longer able to. Click here for the full preview and start lists Milram wants SinkewitzTeam Milram wants to sign Patrik Sinkewitz according to Wielrensite.nl. The 25-year-old German is under contract at T-Mobile until the end of 2007. Sinkewitz has had an excellent first season with T-Mobile after previously riding for Mapei and Quick-Step. Sinkewitz would become the team leader at Milram in the Grand Tours after finishing 23rd in the Tour de France. Roulston retires for health reasonsHealth Net rider Hayden Roulston is quitting cycling because of a heart condition, according to reports in the New Zealand media. The 25-year-old has arrhythmogenic right ventricular dysplasia (ARVD), which leaves him sometimes short of breath when resting, according to the New Zealand Herald. The condition can be fatal for sufferers under stress. "This is the worst news anyone could ever get," Roulston told One News. "Being told they can't do what they love, especially for me. It's all I know." Roulston said he hoped to stay in cycling, and was considering a career in coaching, but his dream or representing New Zealand at the 2008 Olympics was shattered. "All I wanted to do was go through to Beijing, 100 per cent, and now I can't do it. It's a huge shock," he said. Christophe Brandt condition stableDavitamon-Lotto manager Marc Sergeant has contacted Christophe Brandt's doctor in the Jan Palfijn Hospital at Antwerp to discuss the rider's condition after his life, who punctured a lung, broke four ribs and later had to have his kidney removed in a fall at the Schaal Sels race in Belgium. Dr Berghmans, who operated on Brandt, said that his condition is now stable, and that he will allowed to wake up spontaneously after being kept in induced coma for two more days. The surgeon also stated that the cerebral functions are normal but repeated that Brandt is facing a long rehabilitation. He also insisted that the loss of one kidney would not impede his return to the top level of the sport. "Our team is fully confident, and will help Christophe with all possible means during his rehabilitation," said Sargeant. Junga begins recoveryQueensland cyclist, Renee Junga, has thanked all those who have sent her messages of support and encouragement as she recovers from spinal surgery in Auckland City Hospital. "It's really nice to read the messages and it definitely makes me feel a bit better," said Junga from her hospital bed. "The emails have been really supportive and it helps to know so many people out there are thinking about me and wishing me well." The 20 year old, who won the silver medal at last year's BMX World Championships in France and was the 2005 Australian Female BMX Cyclist of the Year, crashed eight days ago on the 4X (four cross) course while training for the Mountain Bike World Championships in Rotorua, New Zealand. She broke the C1 and C2 bones in her neck and suffered spinal trauma at the T6 vertebrae. She has also suffered two broken ribs and a fractured sternum. Surgeons operated last Friday to fuse together the bones in her neck and to insert a surgical rod and screws to stabilise her spine. "My day is pretty much wake up and take a whole heap of medication then the [physiotherapists] come in and stretch out my legs and we work on my breathing," said Junga. "Then it's a case of waiting around." Yesterday nurses began working with Junga to get her sitting up. "It does hurt my back a little bit where they operated but I've been getting up to around 45 degrees," said Junga. "It's a case of me being comfortable enough in the brace to sit up and they want to get me up further because as soon as I can sit up I'll be close to coming home. "I'm still being fed via a nasal tube because my throat has been a bit sore but that should come out soon," said Junga who is no longer on a morphine drip but has control of a pump to administer pain killing medication as she needs it. "The pain is now not too bad but it's frustrating being stuck in bed all day," she said. "But that's what comes with a broken back." Doctors believe it will be at least another two weeks before she can return to Queensland where, initially, she will be admitted to the Princess Alexandra Hospital spinal unit. "I'm just focussing on getting out of here and back to Brisbane," Junga said. $7000 double-header weekend at Lehigh velodromeThe Lehigh Valley Velodrome will host a double-header weekend of international racing beginning with the International Women's Challenge on Friday September 1 followed by the rescheduled Red Robin Keirin Cup on Saturday. Competitors from around the world will ride one of the most prestigious women's track races in the US. Several world medallists, national champions, and Olympic team riders will be participating in the events. Among the field of riders will be Norway's May Britt Hartwell, Argentina's Veronica Martinez, and USA's own national team rider, Becky Quinn. Germany's current World Keirin Champion, Christin Muche, will return to Lehigh after five years race to race against the 2001 Junior Worlds Sprint Champion, Sarah Uhl. Also going head to head this week is Erica Allar and Ashley Kimmet. With a four point advantage over Kimmet, Allar is going for the women's Rider of the Year award that will be determined in the Women's Five Mile on Friday night. Joining the women this weekend is USA's Spike Pro Team members Andy Lakatosh, world champion Keirin medallist, and Giddeon Massie, Quakertown's 2004 Olympian. Lakatosh and Massie are sure to give the other local riders a run for their money.
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