First Edition Cycling News, Friday, September 11, 2009

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September 11, 2009, 12:00

• Cavendish takes early exit from Missouri

  

  Article published:

  September 10, 2009, 19:38

  By:

  Kirsten Frattini

  Respiratory illness sidelines Columbia-HTC sprinter

  Double stage winner Mark Cavendish dropped out of the Tour of Missouri on Thursday morning after his team doctor advised him to stop racing after a respiratory infection worsened, the Columbia-HTC team announced before the start of the Tour's fourth stage.

  After wearing the leader's jersey for two days and winning the first two stages, Cavendish lost the overall race lead to Cervelo's Thor Hushovd following a fifth place finish on the stage.

  "He has some sort of lung infection," explained team director Tristan Hoffman. "He started to get sick before he came [to Missouri], but it's gotten worse as the days have gone on."

  The team doctor advised Cavendish to stop racing, but cautioned against flying home right away. He instead was taken to Kansas City to rest. He will wait there until the team gets at the conclusion of the Tour on Sunday and then there then fly out with the team.

• Förster extends with Milram

  

  Article published:

  September 10, 2009, 21:54

  By:

  Sue George

  German rider signs one-year deal

  Robert Förster will stay with Team Milram for another year after the two negotiated a one-year contract extension through 2010. The 31-year-old is the second Milram rider after Dutchman Servais Knaven to extend his contract.

  "In Robert Förster we have an experienced and reliable rider, who helps to strengthen the team," is how Gerry van Gerwen, Team Milram's General Manger, explained his decision. "Of course, the 2009 season so far hasn't been optimal, but we know what we have in Robert Förster. It is just a matter of time until we can celebrate more successes with him."

  Förster was also satisfied. "It is important for me to ride for a German team. So I am happy to be part of the only remaining German ProTour team again in the coming season. Here I have the opportunity to take part in a three-week Grand Tour. My first year on the team wasn't the best, but I have a lot of plans for the coming year and will go all out in 2010."

  Förster has ridden for Milram since the start of the 2009 season. Previously, he rode for Gerolsteiner. He won a stage in the Tour of Turkey in April and was second in a stage of the Tour of Qatar. He has a total of 18 top-ten finishes so far this season. Previously in his career, the sprinter has brought in stage wins at the Giro d'Italia, the Vuelta a Espana and the Deutschland Tour.

  Förster's next assignment is the Rund um die Nürnberger Altstadt on Sunday, September 13. In 2003 he finished second in the race.

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• Valverde motivated to chase Vuelta win

  

  Article published:

  September 11, 2009, 07:40

  By:

  Shane Stokes

  Spaniard says next three days will be crucial in determining outcome

  As a second year professional Alejandro Valverde won two stages and finished third overall in the Vuelta a España. Then aged just 23 years of age, his 2003 performance led many to predict he’d soon win Spain’s biggest event, as well as many other races.

  His career hasn’t quite progressed along those lines; since then his best performance was third again in 2004, and second to Alexandre Vinokourov two years later. This time round, Valverde is once again in the maillot oro of race leader and, appearing more relaxed, he will fight to keep it all the way to Madrid.

  “I learned a lot in recent years,” he told journalists at the press conference held on Thursday at the team hotel near the Almeria sea front. “I am quieter than I was before, when I was trying to win stages at any cost at the beginning of the race and then always ending up having a bad day towards the end. It is important to keep my strength. I am also more attentive than I was in the past, and my team helps me a lot too.”

  Valverde has been known for starting strong and then fading slightly; he did that in the 2006 Vuelta, and also in last year’s Tour de France, where he won stages one and six but had to settle for an eventual ninth overall. His pacing is different this time round; he placed ninth in the opening time trial, then 13th in the next race against the clock in Valencia. Fifth on the stage to Alto de Aitana moved him from seventh to second overall, and then third at Xorret del Cati saw him slot into the race lead.

  He’s saved energy where possible, even if he said that the opening eleven stages have been stressful for all. “Until today the Vuelta has been very fast with a lot of tension in the bunch,” he stated. “We had to race under the rain in the Netherlands and Belgium and later in very hot weather in Spain. Many riders are already very tired because of that.

  “Now we have the three most anticipated stages of the Vuelta and, of course, the most difficult. Velefique, Sierra Nevada and Pandera. I know them all very well and for sure there will be significant gaps between the best riders in the classification. Finishing at altitude is not the only reason why these stages will be difficult, but also because the entire route [on those days] is very hard.”

  Friday, Saturday and Sunday will see a cluster of summit finishes and, he thinks, will have a very significant effect on the final classification of the race. He knows that his campaign will depend on how he rides over that period; getting more time on his rivals will greatly boost his chances. The fact that he has won twice before on the Pandera will give him additional motivation

  “I believe it will be difficult to take the yellow jersey off the shoulders of the rider who is wearing it on Sunday evening,” he said. “Even if a tough final week will remain and include some tricky stages plus the Toledo time trial.”

  Right now, heading out of the rest day, the classification is still tight at the top. Twelve riders are within four minutes of his race lead, with seven of those less than two and a half minutes adrift. Cadel Evans (Silence Lotto), Robert Gesink (Rabobank), Tom Danielson (Garmin Slipstream), Ivan Basso (Liquigas) and Samuel Sánchez (Euskaltel-Euskadi) are particularly dangerous, given that they are between seven seconds and one minute three seconds back. A moment’s weakness or a tactical error, and any one of those could take over at the top.

  “Iván Basso is still the most dangerous rival but now we also have to take Cadel Evans into account,” he said, when asked to name his biggest threats. “In Assen we did not know how he really was [in terms of form] but he showed that he is very strong. And of course, Samuel Sánchez, Robert Gesink and any other rider who is at less than one minute behind is also very dangerous.”

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• Leipheimer a dark horse for Missouri time trial

  

  Article published:

  September 11, 2009, 07:47

  By:

  Kirsten Frattini

  Today's stage to impact worlds participation decision

  Levi Leipheimer has not competed since breaking his wrist eight weeks ago at the Tour de France, yet he believes that he can capture the Tour for Missouri’s yellow jersey in Kansas City on Sunday. The time trial specialist describes himself as a dark horse to win the stage 5 time trial held in Sedalia today.

  “Of course I’d like to win the overall here,” Leipheimer told Cyclingnews. “But, mainly I’d have to say that it was just about getting back to race condition before the year’s end.”

  The event’s time trial has undergone drastic change from the traditionally hilly Branson one that he competed on two years ago to the new 30-kilometre time trial course. “I was here two years ago and now it looks like it’s dead flat this time, which is fine,” Leipheimer said. “Sometimes they are dead flat. I’ve won flat, hilly and uphill time trials so I think I can compete. I’m definitely not an outright favourite and a dark horse is a good way to put it.”

  Leipheimer is up against some very stiff competition in riders like Michael Rogers (Columbia-HTC), three-time world time trial champion, and his teammate Marco Pinotti, four-time Italian national time trial champion. Other notable specialist include the current USPro time trial champion Dave Zabriskie (Garmin-Slipstream) and Gustav Larsson (Saxo Bank), who won the silver medal at the Beijing Olympics last summer, one place ahead of Leipheimer.

  “You see a lot of the best time triallists in the world are here, a big number,” said Leipheimer. “There’s a lot of wins amongst the best here and people who can compete in the best time trials at the worlds. The one who wins tomorrow has to be a really good time triallist.”

  So far the race has seen four sprint finishes from as many stages, meaning the time trial will likely be the deciding factor in who wins the overall title.

  How well Leipheimer rides on today’s stage will be the deciding factor as to whether or not he participates with the US National Team at the International Cycling Union (UCI) World Time Trial Championships held in Mendrisio, Switzerland on September 24.

  “Yes, I’m going to wait to see how I do and decide about worlds later,” he said. “I think I would have to have a very good time trial to decide to go over to Europe. It has to fit into the season. The problem, like last year for example, is it was so close to the Vuelta that I didn’t have time to recover. The circumstances have to play out correctly.”

  Leipheimer withdrew from a fourth place position at the Tour de France following a crash during stage 12, where he broke his wrist. He was hoping the bone would heal in time for the USPro time trial championships held in Greenville, South Carolina last week but the injury was still tender.

  “It’s gotten better. The first day [in Missouri] my arm muscles, not just my wrist, were very tight,” he said. “The guys here that are with the medical staff have been great and they’ve been helping me with this stuff called SpiderTech, a pre-cut medical tape. I feel like it’s really helping through my arm and shoulder.”

  Doctors gave Leipheimer six weeks as a minimum required healing time for the bone to withstand activity. However Leipheimer chose to err on the side of caution, allowing the healing process a further two weeks just in time for the Tour of Missouri.

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• Carlström thanks Liquigas, says Sky’s the limit

  Article published:

  September 11, 2009, 09:28

  By:

  Cycling News

  Finn looking forward to developing with British team

  Kjell Carlström wants to develop his skills as a professional bike rider when he joins Dave Brailsford’s Team Sky in 2010. The former Finnish national champion is amongst the international signings announced yesterday for the British squad.

  "I had a great time during my five years at Team Liquigas but I felt that it was time for me to move on to new adventures and improve my skills as a bike rider,” he said. “I think Team Sky will offer an excellent environment for working together as a team and especially their team philosophy attracted me. I think there is a lot of potential in this new team and it will be visible when we will be working towards our goals.”

  Carlström, whose top finish is a second place on stage eight of the 2006 Tour de France, has his sights firmly set on the 2012 Olympic Games in London, England. He hopes the move to Sky, which is aimed at fostering Briton’s talent in the lead up to their home games, will help him build towards this personal goal.

  “I believe we will be a team with many riders thinking along the same lines and I think we can build up a great spirit in the team,” he said. “On a personal level I would still like to improve my own abilities and one of my personal goals is to win a stage on a grand tour but being part of a team that performs well in both one day races and in grand tours is also gratifying for me. Working as a domestique on a team that wins does it for me, knowing that I have done my best job possible. Longer term goals are for instance the 2012 Olympic Games.”

  "I think I can be a valuable asset working for the the team in all sorts of races, but also in some races get my own good results when the moment presents itself,” he added. “As a fairly experienced rider I also hope to be able to share my knowledge with the younger riders."

  Respected sport director Scott Sunderland was full of praise for the Finn. "Kjell Carlström is foremost a reliable rider, he's a very strong climber and you can count on him to be there for his team leader during the big mountain stages in the demanding three week tours,” he said. “Besides that Kjell is a rider who I personally will like to give more freedom with Team sky and let him go for victory himself whenever the situation and/or parcours is suits him.

  "I feel that Kjell hasn't reached his highest level as yet, there is still room for improvement and we hope he will blossom with Team sky and that he will be motivated to push his limits further,” he added. “Kjell will certainly prove to be a deluxe domestique in the big stages and we'd like to see him win a few races next season as well."

  Sky’s international signings are Edvald Boasson Hagen, Thomas Lövkvist, Kurt Asle Arvesen, Simon Gerrans, Juan Antonio, Flecha, Calström, John Lee Augustyn, Greg Henderson, Las Petter Nordhaug and Morris Possoni. These riders joined previously announced British signings Geraint Thomas, Steve Cummings, Pete Kennaugh, Chris Froome, Ian Stannard and Russell Downing.

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• Martin ready for mountain duty

  

  Article published:

  September 11, 2009, 10:34

  By:

  Shane Stokes

  Young Irishman aiming to help Danielson

  Dan Martin has spent the last few days in the Vuelta a España riding for team-mate Tom Danielson, who currently sits fourth overall in the race. It is the first Grand Tour for the Irishman and while he’s tired, he’s also been riding solidly. The riders face three hard days in the mountains between now and Sunday evening, and he’s continuing to learn from the experience.

  “Things are going as well as can be expected,” Martin told Cyclingnews on Thursday evening. “It has been a hard race so far, as regards the lack of recovery. It is a new experience for me, doing so many 200-kilometre, six-hour stages in a row. I’ve never done that before. It is all unknown territory…In fact, I’ve pretty much never had a rest day before, so it is all new.

  “I am just enjoying the experience and it is great having Tom to ride for as well, as it gives me focus in the race - something to aim for, something to do.”

  Martin, as one of the best climbers in the Garmin Slipstream line-up, is doing everything he can to help Danielson maintain – or improve on – his fourth place overall. “At the moment, everything is completely for him,” he said, ruling out any thoughts of getting into a break and chasing a stage. “Obviously that could change, depending on how things go for him, but at the moment my goal is just to stay with Tom as long as possible, giving him whatever he needs, be it bottles or just helping him out.”

  “It is a really good experience for me, the way I look at it. I am very young, I don’t need to chase stage wins. I’m in my first Grand Tour, there are so many older guys here and it is a great opportunity for me to work for a leader, to practice doing that.”

  Martin is known as an ambitious rider, and is one who has already highlighted his talent with a debut season victory in the Route du Sud, as well as a second placing on a mountain stage and second overall in this year’s Vuelta a Burgos. He said that he still has high expectations of himself, but that in this race those goals are to ride as well as possible in a supporting role for his elder team-mate.

  “There was never really any pressure,” the Garmin-Slipstream rider said of his mental approach leading into the Vuelta. “It really was a wait and see attitude. That is the great thing about this team at the moment. We came here saying [simply] that we were going to win a stage and we pulled that off.”

  Tyler Farrar’s win immediately prior to the second rest day has boosted the mood on the team, particularly as it came on a stage where they didn’t expect him to be in the running for success. “The guys worked so hard to lead him out on the flat stages, and nothing quite clicked. And then on a stage we didn’t really expect, it just kind of happened. Tyler had to work so hard to get over that last climb and then to get back the way he did and still have the legs to sprint was an incredible ride, and a great way to finish the first half of the tour.

  “ Now we have got the stage win we were looking for, and everything now is a bonus. Obviously it would be a massive bonus with Tom maybe getting to the podium.”

  A top Vuelta placing for Danielson?

  Team-mate Danielson finished sixth in the 2006 Vuelta, also taking a stage win that year. He’s had some difficult years since, with injury and illness hampering his form. However he’s clearly back in business, and both he and Martin hope that he can hold onto high placing for the rest of the race.

  According to the latter, the team was not sure what to expect from him heading into the race. “We knew he was going well after Burgos, but obviously the Tour of Spain is at a totally different level. All of the best guys try to be at their best form for this race, with riders like Basso and Valverde coming into it aiming to win.

  “We didn’t really know what to expect from Tom. He definitely came here as the leader and from day one we have been working to protect him as much as possible before the mountains. Once into them, he’s been able to stay with the best guys so far. So hopefully he can build on that and finish off the job, carrying on keeping a high overall position.

  “The days ahead are going to be very difficult, but it is the same for everybody. Tom has shown over eleven days that he is the fourth-best rider in the race. There is no reason why he can’t continue that. Obviously we are hoping to get him through to the end, but if it doesn’t happen, it is not the end of the world. We will have done our best, we will have no regrets because we will have done everything possible to help him out.”

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• Cunego's confidence high ahead of Worlds

  

  Article published:

  September 11, 2009, 11:10

  By:

  Gregor Brown

  Vuelta win raises confidence, gives Italian team clear leader in Mendrisio

  Damiano Cunego is ready to lead team Italy at the World Championships in Mendrisio, Switzerland. His win in the Vuelta a España's stage to Alto de Aitana Sunday boosted his confidence and reassured his role as the team leader.

  "It came at the right time. More so for me, my confidence, but also for the Italian team ahead of the World Championships. It gives 100 percent security that I will be one of the Italian leaders," Cunego (Team Lampre-NGC) told Cyclingnews.

  Italy's national director Franco Ballerini had Cunego marked as team leader since his second place in last year's Worlds. This year's course is suited to his style, more climbing and a shorter circuit of 13.8 kilometres.

  Prior to the Vuelta, Cunego only won a stage and the overall of the Coppi e Bartali stage race this year. He placed in the top ten of all three Ardennes Classics, but failed to win.

  His victory Sunday at the Vuelta came in front of some dangerous rivals, such as Alejandro Valverde, Cadel Evans, Samuel Sánchez and Ivan Basso. Moreover, it was his first win in five years at a Grand Tour, since he succeded in Bormio and eventually took the overall 2004 Giro d'Italia.

  "It was very important because it was a long time since I had won in a Grand Tour," he continued. "It gives me a lot more confidence. To go to the Worlds with a win is good for the confidence. I would have gone the same, but this changes it all."

  The World road race is in two weeks, September 27. The circuit travels south of Mendrisio and features two climbs, Acqua Fresca and Novazzano. It's repeated 19 times for 262.2 kilometres and 4655 metres of climbing.

  Cunego is following some of his potential rivals at the Vuelta a España. He noted Spaniards Valverde and Sánchez, Australia's Simon Gerrans, but also the absence of the Luxembourg's Schleck brothers, Fränk and Andy.

  "The Schlecks have both gone home and that's too bad. I hope Andy is back and training well for the Worlds, I don't wish bad luck on him even if he is a favourite to win."

  Andy left the Vuelta with stomach cramps and Fränk abandoned to have knee surgery, scheduled for today. Fränk will miss the World Championships and has ended his season.

  Cunego's goal at the Vuelta was to prepare for the Worlds and win a stage. He is relaxed heading into the next three mountain stages since he's already achieved his goal, he said. He will decide after Sunday's stage to La Pandera when he will leave the Spanish Grand Tour.

  Ballerini will select Italy's nine-man team (and two reserves) Monday. He should nominate Basso, defending champion Alessandro Ballan and Filippo Pozzato as team leaders along with Cunego.

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• Frenchman Sicard takes lead in L'Avenir

  Article published:

  September 11, 2009, 12:00

  By:

  Hedwig Kröner

  Three Avenir stages to go for race leader and future professional Romain Sicard

  Frenchman Romain Sicard took the race leader's jersey at the Tour de l'Avenir with three stages to race before the finish in Besançon, France, on Sunday. Team Orbea's Sicard broke free on the final climb towards the finish in Gérardmer in yesterday's "queen" stage of the Under 23 Avenir stage race. Russian Timofey Kritskiy joined him and won the stage from a two-man sprint.

  Sicard has a comfortable advantage of 1:26 on Kritskiy, with American Tejay Van Gaderen in third position at 1:58.

  "It was a difficult stage, considering the accumulated efforts since the start of the race," said Sicard "But I knew I had my card to play. After the second climb, the Colombians started chasing. I felt good, so I followed them and now I'm wearing yellow."

  Sicard is especially concerned for the 27-kilometre time trial around Ornans on Saturday. "I have to be opportunistic and hold on to every second because the Russian is very strong in the race against the clock," said Sicard.

  "I'm very satisfied with Romain's performance. To take the leader's jersey in a prestigious race as the Tour de l'Avenir, which is the Tour de France for young hopefuls, confirms that the Fundación Euskadi has done a good job," said Álvaro González de Galdeano, directeur sportif of Basque team Orbea Continental.

  Sicard will become professional with team Euskaltel-Euskadi next season.

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