First Edition Cycling News, Sunday, October 25, 2009

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Date published:

October 25, 18:26

• Hincapie embraces Tour of California route change

  

  Article published:

  October 25, 17:45

  By:

  Kirsten Robbins

  US Champion to head to California after Spring Classic goals

  George Hincapie hopes to bring his new BMC Racing team success next year in North America's marquee cycling event, the Tour of California. The US National Road Champion pointed to several stages where he envisions a personal victory after checking out the organizer's new plans to move the route inland toward the mountains.

  Last week the Tour of California owners, AEG Sports, released the start and finish cities for each of the eight stages in the fifth edition of the race, which is expected to cover nearly 800 miles. Although the specifics of each stage are yet to be confirmed, based on his general knowledge of the state's hilly inland terrain, the addition of a mountaintop finish at Big Bear Lake and an expected flat time trial in Los Angeles Hincapie has a good idea of places to make his mark.

  "I think it will be interesting to go up Big Bear for the climbers," Hincapie told Cyclingnews. "I think the circuit they want to do in Santa Monica up 'Rock Store' climb is similar to Paris Mountain and that will be good for me."

  "The time trial will probably be flat in LA, which is also good for me," he continued. "Overall I think the route is interesting and leaves the race wide open."

  The flat Los Angeles time trial has taken the place of the iconic, hilly test, held in the quaint Danish town of Solvang for the last four editions.

  "I think it will be interesting to do a time trial in downtown LA; it will be an experience," Hincapie said. "The Solvang time trial was probably a great combination of hilly and technical, it made it exciting for the spectators and for us. I don't know what the course is in LA yet, but I think it is good to change up the course to keep the fans exited and [travelling] all over to different cities around the State to watch the race."

  Tour de France prep?

  It is widely known that AEG requested a spot in May on the International Cycling Union's (UCI) 2010 calendar for two reasons. First, the typically warmer climate in May will allow the race to showcase parts of California such as the eastern Sierra Mountains, which February had prohibited because of cold temperatures and snow.

  The second reason was to make the race more attractive for riders and teams who are serious about a strong performance at July's Tour de France. Hincapie, a 14-time Tour de France contender, agrees with the organiser's strategy. "In May people will be in better shape and also for the Americans it will be just as big. Maybe the Tour competitors will be preparing for July. It's good preparation for the Tour and might even be more competitive than the previous years."

  Several top American Tour de France contenders have already confirmed that they will participate in the Tour of California, including the defending champion and three-time winner Levi Leipheimer. There is also a chance that his seven-time Tour winning teammate Lance Armstrong will join him as both commence racing next year under the Team RadioShack banner. Garmin's Dave Zabriskie is another rider to have confirmed his participation and he is likely to be joined by teammate Tyler Farrar. Columbia-HTC will showcase a dominant sprinter with either Mark Cavendish or Andre Greipel.

  Asked whether he believed the Tour of California's new route would prove to be a suitable platform to train and test the legs prior to the Tour de France, Hincapie was confident that necessary elements would be in place. "Yes, I think so definitely. I think it's the mountains, the time trial and the competitors [that will provide good preparation for the Tour]. I think that it's an important race for Americans and America. It's a world class event."

  A focus on the Classics

  This year saw Hincapie enter February in top condition for the Tour of California, his earliest preparation in a 17 year career. The winter form was then carried on through the Classics. However, the shift from February to May means that Hincapie can enjoy a longer off-season and begin preparations for 2010 a little later, with the journey to California now coming at the end of the Classics season.

  "I will start the year of slower," Hincapie said. "I won't have to be in great shape in February. I will be ready to go for the Classics then have a chance to recover for the Tour of California."

  The UCI recently released the 2010 calendar with the Spring Classics scheduled to begin in March at Italy's Milan-Sanremo. The peloton will then head to Belgium for the Tour of Flanders and Gent-Wevelgem, France for Paris - Roubaix, The Netherlands for Amstel Gold Race and back to Belgium in April for La Flèche Wallonne and Liège-Bastogne-Liège.

  Hincapie shared his two main goals for next year, despite it being too early to tell what the Team BMC Racing schedule will be in 2010. "Roubaix and Flanders are definitely my biggest goals for the season."

  BMC Racing team was one of thirteen teams granted wildcard status by the UCI this season. It allowed the team to take part in events such as Paris-Roubaix and the Dauphiné Libéré. The squad will maintain their current UCI pro continental status in 2010 and are banking on a series of big-name signings - including Hincapie - to help them meet the UCI standard for wildcard status once again.

  Joining Hincapie among the new riders for 2010 include Classic specialists Alessandro Ballan (2007 Tour of Flanders winner and 2008 World Champion) and Amstel Gold runner-up Karsten Kroon. Tour de France stage winner Marcus Burghardt has also been recruited along with Steve Moribito, Mauro Santambrogio and Alexander Kristoff, a neo-pro widely tipped for success in the professional ranks.

  Hincapie's TOC ambitions

  The BMC Racing squad have shown their clear intent to reach the goal of ProTour status, particularly through their acquisition of riders with experience at the sports highest level. The new signings could bring the team closer to their biggest goal, the Tour de France, perhaps even as early as this year.

  In the meantime, Hincapie's focus extends from the Classics through the Tour of California. Asked if the increased strength on the roster also increases the pressure for BMC Racing to perform well in the Tour of California, Hincapie said, "Yes, but that was their goal to make the team bigger and have a stronger roster. More riders mean more pressure, but I think that every one expected that."

  The full 2010 BMC Racing team roster has yet to be released and Hincapie says it is too early to tell what teammates will ride along side him at the Tour of California. However, he clearly hopes to bring his new squad as much success as he did for Columbia-HTC in the past.

  "I'd love to win a stage," he said. "I've one three stages there already. I'd love to win another stage or maybe two."

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• Sunderland says Giro's Dutch start will suit strong men

  

  Article published:

  October 25, 15:55

  By:

  Richard Tyler

  Sky sports director believes Giro's opening days could prove critical in race for overall

  Team Sky sports director Scott Sunderland believes the 2010 Giro d'Italia route will force teams to re-evaluate their selection for the Italian Grand Tour. Sunderland told Cyclingnews on Sunday that he expects the race's opening days in The Netherlands to see traditionally climber-based teams tempered with more robust squads, capable of seeing off the challenge of the first three stages.

  "It's a well thought out course, I think it's well balanced, but it's one where you'll have to be on your toes right from the start," he said. "With that prologue [in Amsterdam], you'll have to be a good technical rider. There are some narrow streets and the 'klinckers' [Dutch paving stones] could cause problems."

  With the first two road stages to be held within Dutch borders, Sunderland said the region's weather will have the potential to present conditions atypical of the Giro d'Italia.

  "Those couple of days in Holland throw up a whole bag of surprises," he said. "You'll go over the dyke, you'll have bridges and a lot of wind. The peloton might get really lucky and have no wind, but they could have wind and storms; everything thrown at them in the first three days of the race.

  "Typically in Italy you don’t have those strong winds, whereas we have seen those sorts of conditions in the Tour of Spain and the Tour de France, so it could add a different dimension to the Giro, which I think is quite good."

  Although Sunderland expects a level of status quo to return to the Giro once on Italian soil, he indicated that the stage four team time trial from Savigliano to Cuneo will be another factor in teams possibly starting the race with a little more bulk that usual.

  "Teams will have to be well thought out and well balanced. We'll go from three days in Holland to a rest day and then straight into a flat, very fast team time trial, that will suit the big drivers and sprinters teams," he said.

  Sunderland said the course revealed in Milan yesterday would force Sky, too, to re-evaluate the team that they will eventually take to their debut Grand Tour. He said that although it was too soon to make a firm decision on the Giro line-up, it would be a topic of discussion when Team Sky management sit down next week to discuss their plans for next season.

  "Normally, you head to the Giro with a climber-based team, but with three days in Holland and the team time trial you need to take a second look at the course and how you design your team," he said.

  "The ideas I had when I discussed the make-up of the team with the other [Sky] sports directors will have to be tweaked again. We'll be meeting next week to finalise our race program [for 2010], so that will be one of the discussions I will be having with the team management.

  "We have a couple of Italian riders. I think [Morris] Possoni will definitely want to go for general classification and we'd like to give him the opportunity to step up and have that chance, but it's too early to make calls about Sky's Giro selection."

  While Sunderland expects the opening days of the Giro to prove treacherous, he has little doubt that the final week of the race will decide the overall winner. With a mountain time trial and stages that will include the brutal climbs of the Zoncolan, Mortirolo and Passo di Gavia, the race looks to suit the lighter members of the peloton.

  "That mountain time trial to Plan de Corones, with the Zoncolan just two days before, will mean you'll need to be a really good, lightweight climber. The final week is really meant for the true, Pantani-type climbers."

  "It could really suit riders like [Stefano] Garzelli and [Ivan] Basso – if he's on good form. I also think a rider like [Vincenzo] Nibali could go really well, if he chose to go 100 percent for the Giro, the course could really suit him. Even guys like Dan Martin, lighter riders, who have a strong team to look after them for the first two weeks will have a shot. I don't know what Contador's plans are and whether he will want to go so deep at the Giro, but the course certainly suits him down to the ground."

  "You will win the Giro in the mountains, but you will lose the Giro in the first three days of the race and the team time trial."

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• Rund um die Nürnberger Altstadt loses main sponsor

  

  Article published:

  October 25, 10:33

  By:

  Susan Westemeyer

  Nürnberger Versicherung withdraws from all cycling sponsorship

  The future of Germany's Rund um die Nürnberger Altstadt races may be be in doubt, after its principal sponsor Nürnberger Versicherung announced that it would cease its sponsorship of the event. The German insurance company, which has sponsored the races for 19 years, had earlier this year announced that it will also stop sponsoring the Equipe Nürnberger Versicherung women's team.

  The company indicated that cycling's reputation for doping problems was partially responsible, and that it was not receiving the hoped-for returns for its long-time sponsorship. In the future it intends to concentrate its sponsorship involvement in other sports.

  Rund um die Nürnberger Altstadt, held in September, features not only a race for the men, but is also the final race in the Women's World Cup. The insurance company was the largest financial contributor to the races, contributing an estimated 180,000 Euro this year. The city of Altstadt said will try to find a new sponsor for the day of races

  The men's event at this year's event was won by Francesco Gavazzi (Lampre - NGC), while the women's World Cup race was won by Kirsten Wild (Cervélo).

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• Cunego's 2010 Giro d'Italia: stage wins

  

  Article published:

  October 24, 18:52

  By:

  Gregor Brown

  Classification "too stressful" for 2004 winner

  Italian Damiano Cunego (Lampre) saw potential in the 2010 Giro d'Italia route unveiled in Milano on Saturday. He counted three or four stages he could win instead of thinking of how to win the overall classification.
  
  "It is too stressful," Cunego said to Cyclingnews about racing for the overall classification. "It is easier to aim for a particular stage. You can show yourself better this way."
  
  Cunego won the 2004 Giro d'Italia, but in recent years has performed better in one-day races and stages of multi-day races. He went to the Vuelta a España last month to win stages and came home with two: Alto de Aitana and La Pandera.
  
  "I had a good test at the Vuelta. If I concentrate on particular stages I can go very well, whether in the Giro, the Tour or the Vuelta."
  
  Giro organiser RCS Sport presented a traditional route, one with high mountain climbs in the third week. The race, from May 8 to 30, will take the riders up the Zoncolan, Plan de Corones, Mortirolo and Gavia climbs in the final week.
  
  Cunego counted three or four stages that suit his strengths. "Not more," he said. "Maybe Terminillo in the first week and then there are lot of nervous stages in the second week. In the third week: Mortirolo or Plan de Corones, even if it is a time trial, it is a hard one."
  
  The Italian will decide over the winter if he will race the Giro d'Italia or Tour de France.

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• A repeat Giro victory for Menchov?

  

  Article published:

  October 24, 18:24

  By:

  Gregor Brown

  2009 Giro d'Italia believes he can beat Contador in a mountainous edition

  Russian Denis Menchov (Rabobank) believes the he has a chance of repeating his 2009 Giro d'Italia victory, beating favourites like Astana's Alberto Contador. At the race presentation Saturday in Milano, Menchov saw a mountainous 2010 route, similar to the one Spain's Contador won in 2008.
  
  "I am also a good climber," Menchov said to Cyclingnews. "I can do well in the climbs when my form is at its best. I finished fifth in 2008, which is not too bad. If I really want to go for the Giro win again, I will just modify my preparation to be in a position to win."
  
  The 2010 Giro d'Italia ends with an explosive week of climbing. Organiser RCS Sport unveiled a route that will take the riders up the Zoncolan, Plan de Corones, Mortirolo and Gavia climbs.
  
  "I like the stages in the last week, the mythical ones, like Mortirolo and Gavia."
  
  Menchov won this year's Giro d'Italia, but its route was a non-classical one criticised by some journalists and cyclists. It ended in Roma, far from the Giro's famous climbs in the Alps and Dolomites.
  
  Menchov finished third in the 2008 Tour de France and he may return to win it next year. He will decide in the next month if he will race both the Giro d'Italia and Tour de France, or the Giro d'Italia and Vuelta a España.
  
  "I don't know which one suits me better, it's hard to say. I like the Giro, the mountains, but also the Tour's route. I think the two races are similar this year. They are both going to be hard races."
  
  Menchov placed fifth in 2006 Tour de France. His other Grand Tour victory was the Vuelta a España in 2007.

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