The training camps are on, the crossers are hard at it and now the road season is warming up in Australia, providing an insight into early form for the Tour Down Under. We also have the latest on who’s riding what and unfortunately a variety of ‘testing’ issues from Europe. It’s too cold to stand around so let’s bring in the Trash.
Rogers Rocks To TT Gold
Former triple world time trial champion Michael Rogers has added another important trophy to both his wardrobe and living room, by winning his national championship time trial and with it, the right to wear the green and gold on his skin suit every time he races the clock this year.
The Team Columbia rider has had a less then ideal past two season with a crash forcing him out of the Tour de France in 2007 - while in a break challenging for the overall lead - and then last season he was struck down with the Epstein Barr virus. The 29 year old from Canberra did show he was on the return to his best at the end of 2008, however, by taking sixth and eighth in the Olympic Games road race and time trial respectively.
“By winning today I think I have confirmed I have condition at a top level,” Rogers said after his ride.
Unusually, instead of returning to Australia at the conclusion of the 2008 season to prepare in the warmer weather, Rogers has stayed in Italy with his wife and their twin daughters. I guess it shows that doing your pre-season preparation in colder weather is not such a big deal if your motivation is strong to have a great year after two problem-plagued ones.
Second place in the men’s TT went to 20-year-old West Australian Cameron Meyer (Garmin-Chipotle) with Richie Porte of Tasmania taking third. Porte was the surprise packet of last year’s championships, taking fifth in the TT and fourth in the open road race, which scored him a place in the Tour Down Under Pro Tour event where he finished ninth overall.
Brown Bags Bay Series
With the Tour Down Under only a few short weeks away, more than a few big name Aussie pros have skipped the first team training camp of the year in favour of stretching the legs at home.
Last week, the 20th edition of the Bay Criterium Series was held in various coastal towns in the southern Australian state of Victoria and after five days of racing it was Rabobank’s Graeme Brown who came out on top with a slender two point margin over former six times series winner, Robbie McEwen. Third place went to recently crowned Australian criterium champion, Bernard Sulzberger .
The 80 strong field for the five day series included top local riders of the calibre of McEwen, Brown, Stuart O’Grady, Baden Cooke, Simon Gerrans, Mark Renshaw, Matt Goss, Aaron Kemps, Rory Sutherland, Will Walker and Sydney Olympic madison gold medallist, Brett Aitken.
The individual race winners were: Williamstown: Simon Gerrans (Cervélo) Geelong: Graeme Brown (Rabobank) Geelong - Eastern Park: Will Walker (Fuji-Servetto) Portarlington: Bernie Sulzberger (Virgin Blue/V Australia) Geelong - Ritchie Boulevard: Brett Aitken (Savings & Loans)
20th Bay Criterium Series Final Overall Standings
1. Graeme Brown (Rabobank) 33points
2. Robbie McEwen (Katyusha) 31
3. Bernie Sulzberger (Virgin Blue/V Australia) 26
4. Joel Pearson (Savings & Loans) 24
5. Dean Windsor (Mazda) 23
6. Simon Gerrans (Cervélo) 22
7. Baden Cooke (Vacansoleil) 20
8. Will Walker (Fuji-Servetto) 17
9. Daniel Braunsteins (Degani/CBD) 16
10. Jono Cantwell (Virgin Blue/V Australia) 15
Next stop for the majority of the riders taking part will be the Australian Open Road Championships. The Time trial events for men were contested on Wednesday and today, with the road champion’s jersey up for grabs this Sunday.
Ballan Looking To Northern Classics
World Champ and former Tour of Flanders winner, Alessandro Ballan, has cast doubt on his participation in the Centenary Giro while at the same time confirming that the Ronde van Vlaanderen and Paris-Roubaix are both firmly in his sites.
“Re-winning the Ronde in the world champion’s jersey in April, two years after my first success, represents, along with Paris Roubaix, my primary objective for next season,” he told the AGR news agency.
Ballan said that he would only participate in the 2009 Giro d’Italia if his condition was right, but that Milan-San Remo was definitely on the program for the spring.
Page Catches a Break
There’s nothing like a kick in the teeth (or maybe the ribs) to make a bad season that little bit worse. A while back, Jered brought you the latest on US cyclo-crosser Jonathan Page being potentially neck deep in the dark sticky stuff (and we ain’t talking mud here) for missing a post race drug test at the Koksijde, Belgium World Cup on the 29th of November.
The short version (or long version if you like) is Page crashed, left the course before the end of the race, was named for a post race doping control but was not aware that he had been selected. Result: Missed test and now an investigation to look at possible sanctions.
Anyway, despite all of the ‘goings on’ off the bike, Page has kept racing, but was unlucky enough to crash into a pole at Superprestige 6 in Diegem on December 28. Well despite that set back, Page continued to pin a number on until this week when he was told by doctors that he had actually broken three ribs and according to .thejonathanpage.com, “if he falls again, he could puncture a lung.”
No firm decision as yet on whether he will stop, but the general feeling being given by his web-master is that he won’t.
Keisse’s Positive Confirmed
The Results from Iljo Keisse’s “B Sample” are in (officially) and it has been confirmed that the so-far-unnamed second product that appeared in the urine sample, along with cathine, was Hydrochlorothiazide (HCT or HCZT) which as well as being a diuretic, is also know to be used as a masking agent for anabolic steroids.
The announcement confirmed the earlier report in De Morgen which was then widely circulated on other national Belgian news websites, and seems to further back up the notion that some (dare I say many???) European anti-doping laboratories, leak like sieves when it comes to test results.
It had been suggested that the cathine was present in the sample due to Keisse taking a permitted medication containing pseudo-ephedrine, however this latest revelation, of HCZT will put any leniency in doubt when the case is considered by the Belgian federation.
He previously indicated that he would retire if found guilty of a doping infraction, but at 26 years of age now, even with a maximum two year ban for a first offence, Keisse would still be relatively young in comparison to some of the riders currently plying the European boards each winter.
Kellogg Joins BISSELL
The Kellogg Company, the world's leading producer of cereal and a leading producer of convenience foods, joins the BISSELL Pro Cycling Team as a key sponsor for the 2009 season. Kellogg's commitment to nutrition and physical fitness is well aligned with the team and the sport of cycling. Alongside Kellogg, the team continues to be supported by long-time key sponsor, Advantage Benefits Group.
"For five years, we have been proud sponsors of West Michigan's most successful pro sports team, a team that emphasizes hard work and healthy living," says Robert Hughes of Advantage Benefits. BISSELL Pro Cycling also welcomes EmploymentGroup, Emerald Spa, and Wynalda Litho to the 2009 Team.
Amongst the top talent signed to the BISSELL roster in 2009 are Ben Jacques-Maynes, Tom Zirbel , Kirk O’bee, Peter Latham, Andy Jacques-Maynes, Jeremy Vennell, Omer Kem, Joao Correia, Graham Howard and Burke Swindlehurst.
BISSELL riders will be kitted out with Campagnolo Record equipped Pinarello Prince frames rolling on Easton's EC and EA range of wheels with Vredestein tyres as well as using Speedplay Zero pedals, MOst and Blackburn computers.
Riding For A Good Cause
Leading road and mountain bike components manufacturer, Ritchey Design, today announced it is working with Plus 3 Network, a beta social networking Web site, to increase awareness and fundraising efforts for the non-profit organisation, Project Rwanda.
By selecting Ritchey Design as a sponsor, Plus 3 members can choose to raise money for Project Rwanda with every mile they ride, walk, run or swim. The relationship between Ritchey and Project Rwanda went live on www.plus3network.com on January 7, 2009.
"Project Rwanda, while near and dear to the hearts of many cyclists in the industry, is also gaining support from thousands of individuals who simply recognize the power of a bicycle," said Steve Parke, general manager and vice president of marketing for Ritchey Design. "We are confident our partnership with Plus 3 Network will help connect active individuals everywhere with a very worthwhile cause."
Founded by Tom Ritchey after a compelling personal visit to Rwanda in 2005, Project Rwanda is committed to the concept that the bicycle can be an important tool in rebuilding a country, fostering national pride and addressing local issues facing Rwanda and other African nations.
"In the last two years, Project Rwanda has specifically helped Rwandan coffee farmers through our coffee bike program by providing a tool - our bike - that allows them to change the structure of their work day in a way that benefits their lives and the lives of their families and communities," said Susan Brown, executive director for Project Rwanda. "The contributions and awareness we gain from the partnership with Ritchey and Plus 3 Networks will help us continue this mission."
Individuals who would like to turn their regular (or irregular) fitness routines into a contribution to Project Rwanda can sign up to become a member of the Plus 3 Network at http://plus3network.com/user/signup
For questions about how the relationship between sponsors like Ritchey and Plus 3 Network is helping dozens of nonprofit organizations garner more attention and funding, please visit http://plus3network.com/home/faq.
Saxo Bank Confident For TDU
Sports director Kim Andersen regards the chances of a good result in Team Saxo Bank's season debut in the ProTour race Tour Down Under as very promising.
“I'd say we have every reason to be optimistic regarding our chances in Australia. The riders we've chosen for the line-up have all been training specifically for this race and several of them are at a level, where they could easily be contenders for the victory,” said Kim Andersen via the team website.
“Of course Stuart O'Grady and Matt Goss have an obvious advantage because they've been able to train down here, but I know that Jens Voigt has worked really hard as well and that means anything can happen really,” added Andersen referring to the experienced German's aggressive style which has resulted in many a victory.
“This particular race often gets decided via bonus seconds or because a break is allowed off on one of the tougher stages. Regardless the recipe is the same for us: We need to be where the action is!”
Piepoli Preaches Anti Drugs Message La Gazzetta dello Sport has carried an interview with disgraced doper Leonardo Piepoli, whose actions (along with team mate Riccardo Riccò) cost the rest of their Saunier Duval team their ride at the Tour de France last year (and maybe this year too) and almost their livelihood when the sponsors started pulling out left, right and centre.
Piepoli apparently admitted to himself that he stole his win on Hautacam due to his use of CERA, but because he had only ever doped the once in his life (which, of course we believe), he could live with the shame. What happened next? His mate Riccò got caught and the two were exposed.
Maybe I’m a bit cynical but if he hadn’t been caught, I’m pretty sure Piepoli wouldn’t have telephoned the Italian Olympic Committee’s anti doping division and offered up a confession due to his heavy conscience. He was happy to dope at the time, happy to stand on the podium as a cheating winner and now we are supposed to feel that he is a good guy for telling everyone not to dope because of how it affects your conscience.
Guess what? There are lots of guys out there who have never doped and you may just have stopped one of them from a Tour stage win that might have changed their career forever. Get that one off your conscience.
USA Cycling Hands Out $20K
USA Cycling recently recognized 13 regional athlete development programs with $20,000 worth of cash grants through its ‘Centers of Excellence’ program, which has distributed over $120,000 to grass roots development programs in the last six years.
Rad Racing of Olympia, Wash. and the Young Medalists of the Lehigh Valley Cycling Club (Pa.) received top honours with award-winners chosen based on organizational criteria and performance results in developing junior and U23 cycling athletes.
To be eligible for the grants, the programs must meet specific structural requirements as non-profit organizations governed by a board of directors with the potential and ability to develop athletes into international-level competitors.
The Young Medalists Cycling Team, operating under the Lehigh Valley Cycling Club (LVCC) features 20 junior riders and produced 11 medals in National Championship events, six medals in Regional Championships and 21 medals in State Championship events. The team also racked up an impressive 37 wins in local, regional and national level road races.
Rad Racing boasts a roster of over 35 junior and U23 athletes who compete in road, track, mountain bike and cyclo-cross events. These riders produced 59 victories during the 2008 season, including 137 podiums, two National Champions and three riders selected for World Championship teams.
Additional teams receiving grants in 2008 include: Tri-Star Cycling Team (Tenn.), Fulton Flyers Cycling Club (Ga.), Foundation for the Cultivation of Sport (Texas), Team Specialized Junior Program (Calif.), Team Swift (Calif.), Lehigh Wheelman Future Champions (Pa.), Boulder Valley Cycling Alliance (Colo.), Orlando Road Club (Fla.), Team Bliss (Vt.), Des Moines Cycling Club (Iowa) and Track Kats (Ill.).
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