First Edition Cycling News, Saturday, January 2, 2010

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January 3, 2010, 00:00

• Omega Pharma-Lotto starts New Year with new name

  

  Article published:

  January 1, 2010, 12:26

  By:

  Cycling News

  Belgian ProTour Team looks forward and back at start of 2010

  Team Omega Pharma-Lotto has greeted the New Year with a new name and a new website, as well as its wish list for 2010 and a look back at 2009.

  The team has taken on the full name of co-sponsor Omega Pharma, publicising the company itself rather than individual products as it has in the past.

  Looking back to the past year, general manager Geert Coeman noted that the team got off to “a (rather too) slow start” on the season, but things developed well over the season. The year was capped off not only by Philippe Gilbert's string of victories the end of the year but also by Cadel Evans' victory in the World Championships.

  The team's top priority this year will be winning a Spring Classic. Gilbert will aim for Milano-Sanremo “and, why not,” at the Ronde van Vlaanderen. Leif Hoste “will forget his last unhappy year and look forward to the Ronde and Paris-Roubaix."

  With Evans having left the team, Jurgen Van den Broeck will be the man for the Grand Tours, helped by newcomer Daniel Moreno.

  Sports Manager Marc Sergeant also shared his thoughts, noting that 2009 “ brought us all sorts of miseries and problems as well as disillusions by results and by men, but I prefer to remember the fantastic moments we lived through our riders.”

• Contador, Astana to ride Specialized

  

  Article published:

  January 1, 2010, 18:15

  By:

  Cycling News

  Tour champion to start season in Algarve

  Bicycle manufacturer Specialized announced today that it will supply the Astana team in 2010, something it admits is the "worst kept secret of all time". The company ended its relationship with the Quick Step team in favour of the squad of two-time Tour de France winner Alberto Contador.

  Contador said in a statement that he has already been training on his new equipment, and said he has been happy with the change.

  "The bike meets all my requirements, it is rigid, lightweight and above all, Specialized are open to all suggestions, which is important, because winning often depends on small details. It's the same for everything, I am very pleased with all the team equipment. We have chosen what we felt was the best in every case, groups, wheels, tires and clothing. For me it's fundamental."

  Contador has completed his first block of training, and is looking forward to beginning the 2010 season at the Volta ao Algarve in Portugal on February 17.

  "Last year, I really liked the race and I think it is an ideal way to start the season. In 2009 I won, but this year I'm going to take it relatively easy, although I always like to show up in good form for races, and I am eager to start racing."

  Next on the agenda is Paris-Nice, a race which Contador looked to win before he had one bad day and lost the overall lead to his fellow Spaniard Luis Leon Sanchez. This year, Contador said he aims to focus on getting his Astana team well coordinated and to use tactics to control the race.

  After the RadioShack team of Lance Armstrong gutted the Astana roster, taking most of the team's strongest riders, Contador says the team is starting from zero, with almost everything being new. However, he has faith that the team will come through.

  "I am confident about my teammates and I think we'll have a strong and competitive team this year. Everyone is very motivated because we know we will always have a lot of responsibility and cannot just stroll through the races. The team will be at a maximum level".

  Following Paris-Nice, Contador plans to race the Volta a Catalunya and probably the Tour of the Basque Country, "but I have also left open the option of doing the Classics, but that will be examined later."

• Energizer Asia Pacific bolsters Kelly Benefit Strategies team

  

  Article published:

  January 1, 2010, 21:08

  By:

  Cycling News

  Schick, Banana Boat and Energizer brands sign on as sponsors

  US-based Continental team Kelly Benefit Strategies has bolstered its green-clad jersey with three new sponsors Schick, Banana Boat and Energizer - all brands of the Energizer Asia Pacific Division.

  "I met with Schick about two and half years ago," said the team's Managing Director, Charles Aaron. "We originally wanted to elaborate and use them as a role for a potential women's side of the team. An opportunity came together for 2010. I'm fond of the people at Schick, they have a vision and they want to stay to it."

  "It was something we worked hard at over late night conversations and we are happy to have these people on board," he continued. "To be the platform they want to use in the south-east Asia and Asia market place."

  Schick, a widely known razor blade brand first sponsored the Target Training Women's Professional Cycling Team in 2007. The east-coast women's team disbanded one year later and owner Greg Wolf put the company's brand manager in contact with Aaron for a potential sponsorship.

  "During economic struggle, companies look at strategic ways to save money," Aaron said. "This brings us a strategic sponsor and a brand presence to a level we can grow our program in the toughest economy since the great depression. We have goals and objectives for our sponsors in KBS and Schick. We like to call them partners. We want to meet their goals and they see us as a good platform for their brands."

  Kelly Benefit Strategies will return to defend its title in this year's Tour of Thailand. It will continue to have a strong presence in the Asian market at races in Singapore and China. The team will also target the Vuelta Ciclista del Uruguay.

  Races in the US will include the US Pro Championships, the Philadelphia International Cycling Championships and the Tour of California, should it receive an invitation. The team will also focus on east coast races where title sponsor Kelly Benefit Strategies has a strong market.

  Kelly Benefit Strategies, the direct sales and consulting division of Kelly & Associates Insurance Group, Inc. will continue to hold the title position on the team jersey. "We are fortunate that people saw value in what we do," Aaron said. "They keep the sport going and get the return on investment they were expecting."

  The 2010 team roster includes Ryan Anderson, Jesse Anthony, Andrew Bajadali, Zach Bell, Dan Bowman, Alex Boyd, Alex Candelario, Guy East, Mark Hinnen, Cheyne Hoag, Ian Macgregor, Reid Mumford, Neil Shirley, David Veilleux and Scott Zwizanski.

• McEwen satisfied as return begins in Geelong

  

  Article published:

  January 2, 2010, 09:44

  By:

  Greg Johnson

  Third place in first race after injury plagued season

  It’s not often a super competitive sprinter like Robbie McEwen is happy with finishing runner up, but that’s exactly how the Queenslander felt after finishing third at the opening Jayco Bay Cycling Classic stage. The race marked McEwen’s return to racing after an injury plagued 2009 season that saw him recovering more often than racing.

  "It’s great to be back out there and amongst it," said McEwen. "In other years I might have been disappointed to run third, but the result is probably the least of my worries at the moment. Just getting through it unscathed and getting back amongst it, I’ll build on top of that.

  "I’m here to get race fit," he added. "If I happen to win a round along the way, that’d be great, but I’m happy just to be out there. My knee’s not sore riding around at the front of the bunch. I’ve started off with a third, I’ll try and I’ll try to build it up as we go through the series."

  McEwen hit a street sign with his left knee at the Tour of Belgium in May last year, fracturing his shinbone and slicing through ligaments in his leg. McEwen admitted barely a moment goes by when he’s not thinking about his knee and its recovery.

  "It’s on my mind 24/7," he said. "Every time I do something with it, whether I’m getting out of bed, sitting on the ergo or out on the road doing a sprint, I’m constantly thinking about how my knee is feeling. It’s the same today; I’m seeing how it feels using big gears, small gears. It’s just something that’s unavoidable.

  "It felt good, no pain, no stiffness, so I think with a few more races in it, it will just get better and better," he said.

  McEwen is the most successful sprinter in Australian cycling history, having amassed 12 Tour de France stage victories during a career spanning back to 1996. While McEwen is also a former Australian Road Champion, his goals for next week’s race are modest.

  "It’s nice to be back in the bunch, certainly," said McEwen. "I’ve been looking forward to getting back into racing since the accident basically. This is the first little baby step in getting back into it, and this was only a 40 kilometre race. Over the next week I’ve got nationals on a very difficult course so that will be a bit of a test, not only for the knee but the fitness too. I’m not going in with huge expectations at nationals."

  McEwen again brushed off speculation that this season could be his last as a professional cyclist. Instead McEwen said he expects to get a feel as the year progresses as to whether he’s ready to continue riding or will hang up the helmet in 2011.
   

• Quick Step confirm 27-man squad for 2010

  

  Article published:

  January 2, 2010, 13:37

  By:

  Richard Tyler

  Belgian team reveal retro kit for new season

  Quick Step has settled their full 27-man roster for 2010, with three new riders signed to the coming season. The Belgian team has also revealed the first official images of the squad's 2010 kit.

  Belgians Iljo Keisse, 27, and Nikolas Maes, 23, are joined by German sprinter Andreas Stauff, 22, as the new additions to the team, which will be built around established riders Tom Boonen, Stijn Devolder, Sylvain Chavanel and Carlos Barredo.

  Despite the relative youth of Maes and Stauff, the team does not include any neo-pros. Both riders have competed as professionals for a number of years, albeit at the tiers beneath the ProTour level. Keisse, too, will make his ProTour debut with the team

  In 2009, Quick Step took a number of significant victories, including Boonen and Devolder's respective Spring Classic wins at Paris-Roubaix and Ronde van Vlaanderen, and Barredo's triumph at the Clásica San Sebastián.

  Tom Boonen has already indicated that a fourth Paris-Roubaix title will be an early season priority for 2010.

  Despite the team's continued focus on their established Classic stars, team manager Patrick Lefevere recently showed his interest in high general classification results at Grand Tours with his ultimately unsuccessful attempt to recruit Alberto Contador to the team.

  The burden of responsibility for those high results looks likely to fall on the younger members of the team. Quick Step said they will look to riders such as Kevin Seeldraeyers - winner of the Giro d'Italia's young rider classification - to step up a level in the new season. Seeldraeyers, 23, is therefore likely to be given the opportunity to improve on what was a 14th place overall finish in his second Grand Tour start.

  The team has also revealed their 2010 kit, based closely on the retro design the squad was banned from using during the 2009 spring classics season. The predominantly blue jersey includes the logo of new bike sponsor Eddy Merckx and has been matched with black shorts.

  Quick Step 2010 roster:

  1	Carlos Barredo (Spa)
  2	Tom Boonen (Bel)
  3	Dario Cataldo (Ita)
  4	Sylvain Chavanel (Fra)
  5	Kevin de Weert (Bel)
  6	Dries Devenyns (Bel)
  7	Stijn Devolder (Bel)
  8	Addy Engels (Ned)
  9	Mauro Facci (Ita)
  10	Kurt Hovelynck (Bel)
  11	Kevin Hulsmans (Bel)
  12	Iljo Keisse (Bel)
  13	Andrei Kunitski (Blr)
  14	Nikolas Maes (Bel)
  15	Davide Malacarne (Ita)
  16	Jerome Pineau (Fra)
  17	Francesco Reda (Ita)
  18	Branislau Samoilau (Blr)
  19	Kevin Seeldraeyers (Bel)
  20	Andreas Stauff (Ger)
  21	Matteo Tosatto (Ita)
  22	Jurgen van de Walle (Bel)
  23	Kevin van Impe (Bel)
  24	Thomas Vedel Kvist (Den)
  25	Marco Velo (Ita)
  26	Wouter Weylandt (Bel)
  27	Maarten Wynants (Bel)

• Sebastian Lang expects more in 2010

  

  Article published:

  January 2, 2010, 16:57

  By:

  Richard Tyler

  German dissatisfied with his performance in first year with Silence-Lotto

  Sebastian Lang has expressed dissatisfaction with his performance in his debut season with Belgian team Silence-Lotto. The 30-year-old German's frank assessment of his 2009 season came after he joined his teammates for a 10-day training camp in Benicassim, Spain in mid-December.

  Lang's move to Silence-Lotto at the end of 2008 was the first of his now eight-year career. While pleased with the change of scenery from former squad Gerolsteiner, he was nonetheless disappointed with his results in the first 12 months of service for his current employer.

  "After seven years with Gerolsteiner the change to the Belgian team was good for my motivation. Despite illness and a number of falls, I repeatedly had the inner drive to get me to work my way out of any lows," wrote Lang on his personal website.

  "Yet, the disruptions have greatly influenced the entire year. Even if, as a new rider, I was able to go to the team's most important races of the year, the Tour of Flanders and the Tour de France, I am not happy with my season. I did not manage to demonstrate my time trial ability or produce a particularly good result [during the year]."

  Lang joined his teammates at pre-Christmas camp in Benicassim, Spain where the riders underwent a range of tests between training rides. The camp was also the first chance for the team, now Omega Pharma-Lotto, to come together prior to the New Year.

  A veteran of five Tours de France, the 2006 German time trial champion said his hope for the new season will be to repay his team's faith with podium appearances.

  "In the Tour de France, I was able to support the team very well and generally I was always there when I was needed," he said. "The great motivation now is to produce a convincing second year with my Belgian team; with results."

  Omega Pharma-Lotto will come together for a final pre-season training camp in Majorca, Spain on January 13.
   

• Katusha's newcomers show off team kit

  

  Article published:

  January 2, 2010, 17:01

  By:

  Richard Tyler

  Kolobnev, Rodriguez and Kirchen ready for Katusha debuts

  Team Katusha has unveiled their new kit as they released images of the latest additions to their 27-man roster for the 2010 season.

  Alexander Kolobnev (from Saxo Bank), Joaquin Rodriguez (Caisse d'Epargne) and Kim Kirchen (Columbia-HTC) form three of the nine new faces in the Katusha line-up. The trio joined fellow recruits Marco Bandiera (Lampre-NGC), Timofey Kritskiy (Katusha Continental), Artem Ovechkin (neo-pro), Alexandre Pliuschin (Ag2r-La Mondiale), Egor Silin (neo-pro) and Eduard Vorganov (Xacobeo-Galicia) for the team's promotional shots, which show off the latest tweaks to the squad's kit for 2010.

  Katusha completed their first training camp together last month and the majority of the team roster will again come together for another 12-day camp from January 9 to 21, with the remainder of the squad to kick off the season at the Tour Down Under on January 19.
   

  Team Katusha for 2010:

  	Marco Bandiera (Ita)
  	Laszlo Bodrogi (Fra)
  	Alexander Botcharov (Rus)
  	Pavel Brutt (Rus)
  	Nikita Eskov (Rus)
  	Denis Galimzyanov (Rus)
  	Joan Horrach Ripoll (Spa)
  	Mikhail Ignatiev (Rus)
  	Sergey Ivanov (Rus)
  	Vladimir Karpets (Rus)
  	Kim Kirchen (Lux)
  	Sergey Klimov (Rus)
  	Alexander Kolobnev (Rus)
  	Timofey Kritskiy (Rus)
  	Luca Mazzanti (Ita)
  	Robbie McEwen (Aus)
  	Danilo Napolitano (Ita)
  	Artem Ovechkin (Rus)
  	Evgueni Petrov (Rus)
  	Alexandr Pliuschin (Mda)
  	Filippo Pozzato (Ita)
  	Joaquim Rodriguez Olivier (Spa)
  	Egor Silin (Rus)
  	Nikolay Trusov (Rus)
  	Stijn Vandenbergh (Bel)
  	Maxime Vantomme (Bel)
  	Eduard Vorganov (Rus)

• Swindlehurst takes on a new adventure in 2010

  

  Article published:

  January 2, 2010, 20:54

  By:

  Kirsten Frattini

  Mixing it up on the road and trails

  After 12 years as a professional road cyclist, Burke Swindlehurst has announced a career change to a revitalizing multi-discipline cycling adventure in 2010. The Salt Lake City, Utah native has rallied together over a decade's worth of past, present and future support networks to build Team Give/Blackbottoms fueled by First Endurance.

  "I've been doing this for 12 years and I'm ready for a change," Swindlehurst told Cyclingnews. "I need to keep things fresh and as I get older it's not a physical decline because I actually feel better physically but maintaining motivation is the rub. You have to do things that keep you fresh and that keep the motivation strong."

  Swindlehurst, 36, is recognized as one of the most successful climbers in the United States of America. Few people know that his passion for cycling extends beyond the road scene to include mountain biking. This year, the decorated professional will combine his expertise in road cycling with his passion for mountain biking in to a one-man team dedicated to raising awareness for the not-for-profit organization Team Give.

  "In the traditional way that things are set up on a pro team, managers aren't so partial to having their riders out racing on mountain bikes on the weekend, understandably, because of potential injury and sponsor conflicts," Swindlehurst said. "I've done mountain biking because I have enjoyed it. I have other road riding friends that have the same passion for mountain biking. I was thinking about why I couldn't do both in one season. Why I couldn't find sponsors that have interests in both disciplines and to have all my sponsors be behind it and not care either way about what sport I'm dong so long as I was getting their names out there and that spurred me into action this year."

  Team Give is a not-for-profit organization founded by cycling enthusiast Callahan Williams. It is remembered for being the title sponsor of the yellow leader's jersey at the 2009 Tour of Utah. It is recognized nationwide for its efforts to find a cure rare neurological diseases like Metachromatic leukodystrophy (MLD), a genetic disorder that affects nerves, muscles, other organs, and behavior. MLD is thought to play a role in other forms of neurological disorders.

  Team Give does not offer Swindlehurst financial support directly. However, Williams brought together the partners of Team Give whereby each collectively contributed to the funding of Team Give/Blackbottoms fueled by First Endurance. Other financial sponsors include Blackbottoms Cyclewear and First Endurance supplement company.

  "They are unique and forward thinking people that think outside the box and it was fun to sit down with them and put together this program," Swindlehurst said. "Traditional sponsorship stuff was thrown out the window and we thought why can't we do it this way instead. Also, this addresses an issue that I always felt about being a bike racer, that it can be a selfish pursuit. This way I can address contributing to the greater good. It feels good to know that I'm doing something bigger than myself."

  Swindlehurst is close to signing with a bike sponsor to be announced at a later date. "I'm gong to be riding some unique and innovative bikes," he added.

  A one-man show

  The concept of a one-man, multi-discipline cycling team begs the question, how is it possible? The professional cycling teams that Swindlehurst has been accustomed to are founded upon multiple staffed organizations carrying the responsibility of managing financial and equipment sponsors, public relations, travel logistics and budget along with a fleet of 10 to 20 athletes. Not to mention the intricate strategic element of road racing or the technical skill involved in participating in professional mountain biking, all of which Swindlehurst has considered.

  "I'm under no illusions about this and I'm wearing many hats right now but I'm learning," Swindlehurst said. "Also, the chances of winning the overall at a stage race without a team is pretty small, I recognize that. But, I can take advantage of other opportunities. What I envision is that I'll be racing opportunistically going after stages and classification jerseys like the King of the Mountain classification. You don't have to be on a team to enter some of the events that I have selected on the road or the mountain bike races."

  "I have no illusions that I'm going to take the mountain bike scene by storm either," he added. "They have skills that I don't have and it's going to be a challenge, but that's why I'm doing this. These new challenges give me motivation and that's why I'm wanting to do this. I might try cyclo-cross, too, but I recognize that these riders in mountain biking and cyclo-cross take their sport very seriously and they have an incredible amount of technical ability."

  Swindlehurst has put together a mixed calendar of approximately 60 competition days that include between 35 and 40 road races and 20 mountain bike races. He will target road races like the Sea Otter Classic and the Tour of the Gila in April, the Cascade Classic in July, the Tour of Utah in August and license permitting, the US Pro Championships in September. On the mountain bike side, he will enter events that cater to his endurance ability such as Colorado's Leadville 100 on August 14 and the Fire Cracker 50, hosts of the USA Cycling Marathon Mountain Bike National Championships on July 4th.

  "I'm working with my sponsors on races and charity events and my schedule is 95 percent complete," Swindlehurst said. "I still love road racing and there are races that I'm really excited about. If I do Gila it will be my 16th time racing. I'm picking races that I've done well at in the past, enjoyed and had a connection with. Many of them don't have hard-set rules for being on a team and you can enter as a private individual."

  Swindlehurst's professional cycling career included racing for teams Bissell Pro Cycling, the former Toyota-United Pro Cycling Team and a six-year term with the former Navigators Insurance Cycling Team. During his career he became known as one of America's prominent climbers for his success in top-notch stage races and one-day races of attrition. His achievements include an overall victory at the Tour of the Gila along with stage wins and podium finishes at the International Tour de Toona, Tour of Utah, Mt. Hood Cycling Classic, Cascade Cycling Classic and the Redlands Bicycle Classic .

  When asked if his new endeavor feels like a form of retirement from the traditional pro road racing, he said. "It doesn't feel like a retirement at all. I will still use bike racing as a means to earn a professional living. It will be different. I've made so many friends over the years. It kind of feels like I will go back to doing what I've been doing. I'll never have to do a cookie cutter crit again unless I want to, although I was lucky to have good relationships with my former directeurs who understood my ability.

  "This year, I won't do a single race that I don't want to do and that's really exciting," he continued. "It will be a whole new sense of what I've been doing but on a new set of terms. I'm 36 and I see myself doing this for another four years, to race as a professional until the end of my 40th year. I've seen a lot of guys like [Scott] Moninger, [Michael] Engleman and [Ned] Overend doing well in their late 30s and well into their 40s. Based on what I've been seeing in myself the last few years, I'd say that is the way it's going to be for me, too."