First Edition Cycling News for September 1, 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 stage 3 wrap-upPozzato hoping for World's selection
Quick Step-Innergetic rider Filippo Pozzato won the third stage of the Tour of Britain and in doing so put his name in front of the Italian selectors for the World Championship team Tour of Britain. The winner of Milan-Sanremo 2006 launched his decisive attack around 15 kilometres from the finish. Pozzato managed to keep his lead ahead of the peloton that was been lead by the T-Mobile and CSC riders that finshed 32 seconds behind him. "I am happy about my race," said Pozzato. "I'm in a good shape, after a good performance in Plouay last Sunday I was really out looking for a win today. After the Tour, I have worked a lot to prepare in the best ways for the final part of season. "I would like to be chosen for the Italian National Team for Salzburg. I was asked to prove myself and I think today is an excellent example of my condition. I've done my best not only with the victory but also with an impressive race. If the National Team want me I will be ready at 100 percent." Full results, report & photos. Rogers happy with second spotAfter a dramatic rain-sodden stage through Yorkshire, T-Mobile Team's Michael Rogers came second behind solo winner Filippo Pozzato (QuickStep) in Sheffield yesterday. The third leg of the Tour of Britain was marked by an aggressive day of attacks and breakaways with the Italian eventually jumping clear of the lead group of twenty riders on the day's final climb. Rogers said afterwards, "It was a very hard and aggressive day of racing. As we started today's longer stage with just four riders we were at a disadvantage, however everybody performed well despite the tough conditions. I had the legs to sprint for second in the finale but unfortunately Pozzato had already grabbed the stage win." Australian Rogers now moves up to fourth in the overall classification after his ride on the wet and treacherous roads of the Yorkshire Dales. T-Mobile stagiaire Mark Cavendish also featured in the break of the day but dropped back on the penultimate climb. Boonen not badly injured after crashWorld champion Tom Boonen (Quick Step-Innergetic) fell on a descent on yesterday's stage of the Tour of Britain, but will take the start today. Boonen fell around 40 kilometres from the finish. "I crashed because of a stain of oil," explained Boonen after the finish in Sheffield. "Cyclists and the oil are not a good combination, but I'm well however." Il Falco linked to AstanaDiscovery rider Paolo Savoldelli has been linked to a move to team Astana for 2007 according to Wielermagazine.nl. The Italian, who won the Giro d'Italia in 2002 and 2005 would be the third boutique signing for the team in recent days, after Matthias Kessler and Andreas Klöden signed from T-Mobile. The riders would join Alexander Vinokourov, who placed fifth in the 2005 Tour. Astana will also conduct operations under a Swiss licence and will be led by Marc Biver, the former organiser of the tours of Romandie and Switzerland. Biver has also managed various teams. Perdiguero reconsiders retirementBy Antonio J. Salmerón Phonak rider Miguel Angel Martin Perdiguero has reconsidered his plan to retire at the end of the season and now intends to continue for another two years. The rider made the announcement after he abandoned the Vuelta after stage 5. "I have two more years left of my contract with Phonak, I will continue training," said Perdiguero. Perdiguero stood by his earlier comments on the stress and persecution that riders face with relation to doping in the aftermath of the Floyd Landis and Operacion Puerto drug scandals. "We underwent authentic attacks against our dignity, things that any person should not have to put up with. Cyclists have to support each other." Gibo ends season on a mountain bikeThe Trofeo Melinda was the last road race of the season for Gilberto Simoni, who will round off his season with various mountain bike races. Simoni's team, Saunier Duval-Prodir said that the rider has been looking for new motivations to finish his season and has given him permission to finish his road season early, stating that he has done a great job so far Gibo will participate in the following races: Rampilonga (10 September), Adamello Bike (16 September), Italian MTB Championship (25 September), Gimondi Bike (1 October), and Roc d´Azur (6 October). Quick Step-Innergetic for upcoming racesQuick Step-Innergetic today announced its teams for the end-of-season races. For the Tour De Rijke starting in Belgium tomorrow the team will be: Serge Baguet, Steven De Jongh, Servais Knaven, Bram Tankink and Remmert Wielinga. Maxim Vantomme will ride for the team as a stagiaire. The directeur sportif for the race is Rik Van Slycke. Wouter Weylandt and Geert Verheyen make up the two-man squad for the G.P. Meulebeke in Belgium. For the Tour of Poland, which runs from October 4-10, the riders will be Josč Rujano, Ivan Santaromita, Leonardo Scarselli. Bram Tankink, Guido Trenti, Jurgen Van De Walle, Cedric Vasseur, Wouter Weylandt. The directeur sportif for the race is Luca Guercilena. Top teams to Univest Grand PrixTwenty-eight international teams have been announced for the Univest Grand Prix on September 9-10, which is one of only six internationally sanctioned races in the US. The team for the UCI 1.2 Grand Prix includes Navigators and Toyota-United Pro, which are the teams that are ranked second and third, respectively, in the USA Cycling National Race Calendar standings. Other teams include Team TIAA-CREF (TIA), recent winners of the USPRO National Criterium Championships. "The field for the 2006 Univest Grand Prix builds on the foundation laid in the eight previous editions of the race and cements its reputation as the top event of its kind in North America," said John Eustice, president of Sparta Cycling, Inc. and promoter of the Univest Grand Prix. "Over time, we have built this event from the top developmental races in the United States to an event that hosts some of the top teams in the world. Our status this year as the only professional "Classics" style race on the North American calendar is a natural evolution for an event that has deep roots in the cycling community." Russian Vassili Davidenko (NIC), now a resident of Mt. Arlington in New Jersey, will face tough Challengers' Argentinian sprinter Juan-Jose Haedo (TUP) and his teammate Ivan Dominguez. New Jersey based Colavita Olive Oil Professional Cycling Team will also be sending a powerful team featuring former USPRO Champion Mark McCormack and Italian Davide Frattini. Strong international professional squads from Mexico, Germany, Poland and Canada will look to take advantage of the in-fighting between the U.S. teams and take the win in Souderton on Saturday and the lion's share of the $20,000 prize list. Last year's second-place finisher Amos Brumble, an Elite with CCB-Volkswagon, will return to the roads of Montgomery and Bucks counties to challenge the professional class of riders. Sunday's Doylestown Criterium will feature the sprinters. Team TIAA-CREF will arrive in Doylestown with the past two winners of the 50-lap circuit race, Chad Hartley (2004) and Mike Friedman (2005). They will be looking to capitalise on their recent strong showing at the USPRO National Criterium Championships. As average speeds exceed 30 miles-per-hour spectators can expect Haedo, Oleg Griskine (NIC) and former US Criterium Champion Frank Pipp of TargeTraining to also figure prominently in the flat, fast race. Junior Track World Champions Hit The Road
The stars of Australia's recent multiple World Championship winning junior track team will hit the roads of Queensland's Sunshine Coast this weekend, when the Sunshine State plays host to the 2006 National Junior & Teams Road Cycling Championships and the Women's National Grand Prix Series. The headline act in the week long carnival of cycling won't come from the senior ranks, with the field in tomorrow's Under 19 men's road race containing national and world champions. "Fantastic quality," was how Cycling Australia's Tom Skulander described the field during the official event launch at picturesque Peregian Springs. Skulander was referring to the recent performances of Western Australia's magnificent Meyer brothers, Victoria's Leigh Howard, South Australia's Jack Bobridge and Queensland's Hayden Josefski, who together brought home a bagful of gold medals at the recent World Junior Track Championships in Ghent, Belgium. (All rights reserved/Copyright Knapp Communications Pty Limited 2006) |
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