First Edition Cycling News, Tuesday, December 7, 2010

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Date published:

December 7, 2010, 05:00

• Ackermann explains reasons of retirement

  

  Article published:

  December 6, 2010, 12:20

  By:

  Hedwig Kröner

  25-year-old questions competition and its link to doping

  Silvère Ackermann, who used to ride for the Austrian Vorarlberg-Corratec team, put an end to his career in a highly symbolic and spectacular fashion during the Swiss championship road race, in June. He was part of a race-leading breakaway and could have battled for the national title, but he stopped at the road side and called it quits. At 25 years of age, he was just starting a promising career but decided to hang up the bike for quite radical reasons.

  Speaking to French Cyclismag, Ackermann explained that he had been questioning his profession for a while.

  "My decision was made at a training camp before the Tour de Suisse more than a year ago. I said to myself that if I was in a solo break, I would step off the bike and retire. It would have shocked more than one spectator, even more so if I had done it five metres before the finish line, almost winning a race. I would have done it like that, I'm crazy enough for that," said Ackermann, who waited until June 2010 to make his exit.

  Ackermann turned pro with Vorarlberg-Corratec in 2009 after having raced with various amateur teams since 2005. But he soon started to question the world of professional cycling, and even the idea of competition itself which he finds intrinsically linked to doping.

  "I'm tired of cyclists being morally held up as something they're not. The media, politicians, sponsors, the heads of the UCI - often these are people without any morals, they use double language all the time. They ask the athletes to be highly competitive and to respect so-called moral values at the same time. Those who advocate these sort of ideas must be joking, because they would be unable to apply them to their own activities."

  Ackermann, whose good results in races helped him find self-confidence, finally found that the life of a pro rider didn't suit him. "I've seen too many people, particularly riders, to be eternally unsatisfied, running after a better team, a higher salary... without taking a single break to realize that they were already part of a very small minority of privileged people on this planet, without ever asking themselves what they could do for others. Now that I have experienced performance and have become disinterested with it, I'm slowing down to be a leisure cyclist again. On my bike, I cherish the present moment instead of fleeing it."

  He is now searching for, "a job that will be more in tune with my values and useful to others. I hope I can travel at an easier pace, see the ocean and high mountains."
   

• Contador attends first Saxo Bank-SunGard camp

  

  Article published:

  December 6, 2010, 12:27

  By:

  Stephen Farrand

  A photo gallery from the team bonding week in Fuerteventura

  Alberto Contador put his doping problems aside for a few days to spend time with his new Saxo Bank-SunGard teammates in the Canary Islands.

  The Spaniard does not know if he will be able to race with Bjarne Riis’ team in 2011 after testing positive for Clenbuterol during the Tour de France. However he seemed to enjoy the get-together in Fuerteventura as he got to know new teammates including Richie Porte, Baden Cooke, Nick Nuyens and Jonny Bellis.

  Team owner Bjarne Riis is known for his tough boot camps, that push the riders and staff to their limits. In the past he has taken his team to the wilds of Northern Denmark and even South Africa, forcing everyone to overcome their fears of water and even dangerous animals, to prepare them for the problems of the season ahead. With budgets tight for 2011, the Danish team held a more traditional camp at the resort of sponsor Playitas in Fuerteventura. The riders spent a week together, riding their new Specialized 2011 bikes and competing in teams as they learnt to wind- and kite-surf, and perform as a group of acrobats.

  Because most riders are still under contract with their 2010 teams, they rode in their old kit. Contador rode in his Astana clothing and Nuyens was in his Rabobank kit. They will be able to wear their new kit from January 1.

  The atmosphere was relaxed but Riis kept an eye on everyone in the team.

  “To me, the most important issue during this year's team building has been to integrate all the new riders and staff and to establish a team spirit based upon good and memorable experiences which will be remembered and talked about throughout the whole year,” Riis said.

  “And I can already see that it is paying off. The atmosphere is relaxed. People are laughing, having a great time and it's important for me to know that everyone gets the feeling of being part of the well-known Saxo Bank-SunGard team spirit.”

  The riders are set to return to the Playitas resort in Fuerteventura for further training before the start of the 2011 season.

• Luxembourg Pro Cycling Project to wear Craft Performance Apparel

  

  Article published:

  December 6, 2010, 14:40

  By:

  Cycling News

  Swedish company to provide kit and casual clothing

  The Luxembourg Pro Cycling Project will be clad by Craft Performance Apparel for the next few years. The Swedish company will provide both racing kit and casual clothing for the new ProTeam formed around Andy and Fränk Schleck.

  Craft has a history of creating "the most innovative performance clothing in multiple areas of Nordic sports," according to a team press release, and will now work with the team "to develop the most advance cycling clothing in the industry."

  "We couldn't be happier to have joined forces with Craft since they continually show the same passion and ambition we have for the sport," team manager Brian Nygaard said. "We see this as a key component in the successful development of our project."

  Craft Brand Manager Erik Abrahamsson was equally pleased. "Everyone from the CEO to the designers to the seamstresses is extremely excited about the partnership. Our brand has based its core endeavours to develop products in conjunction with world class athletes; there is no question in our mind that we are joining the top team in cycling."

  The company will look to adapt its ski and speed-skating skin suits to cycling. "Our ski developments have worked well," Abrahamsson said. "But now that we have invested a lot of time, money and people, we are ready to tackle the cycling industry full throttle."

  "From the first moment we started talking with Craft about the possibility of working together, I knew that we would have a strong partner with whom we could move forward and fulfil our ambitions as a top flight professional cycling team," Nygaard said.

  The team kit will be tailored to each individual rider, Craft Product Manager Mattias Carlsson explained. "Everything will be customised to the needs and preferences of each rider, and their eventual feedback will play a huge role in our future product development.

  "It's a big task to have each rider with his own tailored kit, but at the end of the day, what we want is for every rider to be comfortable in his apparel, which will enhance everyone's performances and focus any feedback we will receive from them," Carlsson said.

  Craft currently offers chamois, jerseys, shorts, tights, jackets, rain gear, accessories and casual wear for cyclists.

• Duggan impressed by Liquigas-Cannondale camp

  

  Article published:

  December 6, 2010, 17:10

  By:

  Daniel Benson

  American set to race Classics and Amgen Tour of California in 2011

  Fresh from his first training camp with Liqugias-Cannondale, Timmy Duggan is raring to go after a number of injury-hit years with Garmin-Transitions. The American is currently back in his home in Spain, but will hook up with his Italian teammates next week in Sardinia for another two-week long training camp.

  “It was a nice get off on the right foot with all the team and staff. We were on a mountain pass with nothing but a couple of hotels and a few mountain passes. We didn’t have any distractions from the media or lots of other things. We could just start off on the right foot which was really important the for the team as we have around eight or nine new faces,” Duggan told Cyclingnews.

  In fact Liquigas have gone through one of the biggest exoduses in their history with Francesco Chicchi (Quick Step), Robert Kiserlovski (Astana), Roman Kreuziger (Astana), Manuel Quinziato (BMC), Ivan Santaromita (BMC), Oliver Zaugg and Daniele Benatti (Luxembourg Pro Cycling Project) all leaving. Twelve new faces, including Duggan have come in.

  Duggan himself has had a difficult few years. He sustained serious head injuries in a crash at the Tour de Georgia in 2008 and despite a few flashes of success in 2009, had another tough season this year.

  In February he crashed in the Tour Méditerranéen and broke his shoulder. Following time off the bike he crashed again at Amstel Gold, this time breaking his collar bone. That wasn’t the end of his bad luck and in July he broke his elbow.

  However, having signed from Garmin-Transitions and with a new team and a fresh outlook on racing under a different culture, Duggan feels he is moving in the right direction. It hasn’t been without sacrifice though, and with two almost back-to-back camps the American has been forced to spend just a short period at home in the US with his wife.

  “We’ll finalise all the race programme next week at our training camp in Sardinia but for now it’s looking like a busy April with Pais Vasco and a couple of the hilly classics with the lead-up to racing well at the Tour of California and my national championships,” Duggan added.

  Liquigas’s next camp will give Duggan more time to settle in with his new team.

  “It’s a totally different culture [to Garmin]. That’s not good or bad, it’s just different and takes a bit of getting used to whether you’re planning things or talking at the dinner table. It’s definitely one big family though and everyone is watching each others' backs.

  “The team are super motivated and we’re there to race at every event and there’s a goal all the time. Of course, like everyone else on the team, I’ll be given my chance and being an American rider at the American races I’ll be given a little more responsibility to go for results. We’ll finalise my goals next week in Sardinia.”

• Zomegnan clarifies team selection for 2011 races

  

  Article published:

  December 6, 2010, 19:18

  By:

  Stephen Farrand

  Race organisers and the UCI reach 15+3 agreement

  Angelo Zomegnan, the director of the Giro d’Italia, has confirmed to Cyclingnews that the major race organisers and the UCI have reached an agreement that means the 18 teams awarded a ProTeam licence for 2011 will ride all the races on the World Tour calendar.

  However he insisted that the still to be signed agreement is based on a 15+3 system to allow for any future reductions in the number of ProTeams in the sport. Under the bilateral agreement, the top 15 teams in the UCI sporting hierarchy automatically secure invitations to all the World Tour races, with up to three others teams decided by the UCI..

  The race organisers are allowed to decide who to invite for the remaining places in races and are expected to award four wild card places in major stage races and up to seven in other races.

  “I haven’t signed and returned the deal yet but we’ve reached an outline agreement and there are only a few bureaucratic details to sort out. The agreement is for a 15+3 system,” Zomegnan told Cyclingnews.

  “The agreement means that in 2011 the AG2R, Quick Step and Euskaltel-Euskadi teams will ride all the WorldTour races along with the other teams. However the agreement does not mean that 18 teams will automatically have the right to compete in the all the races. The top 15 teams will have an automatic invitation but the other three will be based on sporting, ethical, financial and administrative criteria. Nobody will be able to let all their riders go after a successful season and still be sure of a place in the biggest races anymore.”

  Long running dispute

  The long running dispute between the major race organisers and the UCI has always been centred on the control of which teams and riders are invited to ride the biggest races, especially the Tour de France.

  The teams and the UCI want to be able to guarantee major teams and sponsors a place in the Tour de France. However the Tour organisers ASO always tries to secure a minimum number of French riders in the Tour de France and tries to protect French teams. RCS Sport in Italy and Unipublic in Spain try to force teams to send their best riders to the Giro d’Italia and Vuelta, while also wanting the power to invite teams and secure advertising from their respective countries.

  Both the race organisers and the UCI have refused to publish details of the agreement, but it seems the organisers have lost the final word on which teams are invited to their races. However, they could be protected by a clause that forces teams to field squads that include 50% of their total sporting hierarchy score.

  Race organisers have to announce the teams invited to races no later than 60 days before the start. Zomegnan said he will confirm the 22 teams that will line up in Turin for the start of the 2011 Giro on March 6.

• Honda Insight Women's International GP Series starts tomorrow

  

  Article published:

  December 7, 2010, 00:09

  By:

  Cycling News

  Gilmore & co begin criterium series as favourites

  Commonwealth Games gold medallist, reigning Cronulla Grand Prix champion and Honda Dream Team leader Rochelle Gilmore will join 60 other riders competing in the Honda Insight Women's International Grand Prix Series commencing in Bathurst, Australia, tomorrow.

  Gilmore is looking forward to the series and expects the Honda Dream Team to be competitive despite fierce international competition.

  "The Honda Insight Women's International Grand Prix will be tough; it's the start of the summer and we are taking it very seriously," said Gilmore. "After taking home first and second place at the Noosa Grand Prix last month, the Honda Dream Team is ready to take on what is sure to be a strong field of challengers."

  The five race series will be staged at Bathurst, Parramatta, Gosford, Coogee and Cronulla, with each event run over circuits of 20 to 24 kilometres. The Coogee and Cronulla races will be televised live around Australia on the Nine Network.

  Other members of the Honda Dream Team include Tiffany Cromwell, Peta Mullens, Melissa Hoskins and Josephine Tomic.

  They'll be up against high-profile riders such as Russian pro Evgenia Romanuta, New Zealand trio Emily Collins, Courtney Lowe and Kate Chilcott as well as 2008 Cronulla Grand Prix winner Kirsty Broun, plus Emma Mackie and track world champions Sarah Kent, Ashlee Ankudinoff and Megan Dunn.

  Mr. Stephen Collins, Honda Australia's General Manager Sales and Marketing, said Honda is delighted to be the naming rights sponsor of such a prestigious, dynamic and exciting new cycling event.

  "Sponsoring this exciting event is part of the increasing support Honda is providing to women's cycling both here and overseas," said Collins.

  "We're looking forward to the start of the series in Bathurst tomorrow. We are delighted to be supporting both the series and the Honda Dream Team led by Rochelle and we see this as an ideal opportunity to celebrate the launch of the all-new Insight hybrid vehicle."

• Wurf debuts for Liquigas-Cannondale at Tour Down Under

  

  Article published:

  December 7, 2010, 01:46

  By:

  Cycling News

  Australian hits the ProTour on home soil

  Australian rider Cameron Wurf will make his debut for Liquigas-Cannondale in the opening round of the UCI ProTour when he lines up for the Santos Tour Down Under next January.

  Having ridden for another Italian squad this season in Gianni Savio's Androni-Giocattoli team, Wurf impressed Liquigas-Cannondale management and was signed to the outfit earlier this year.

  Roberto Amadio's team - including Wurf - recently enjoyed a pre-season training camp amidst the snow in San Pellegrino, although conditions in Australia next January will be significantly different, with Tour Down Under temperatures regularly hitting 40 degrees Celsius.

  It's likely the 27-year-old Tasmanian will ride the Australian national championships in Ballarat, Victoria in the weeks preceeding the Tour Down Under, where he's expected to perform well in the individual time trial.

• Tech news: Team sponsorship round-up

  

  Article published:

  December 7, 2010, 03:10

  By:

  James Huang, technical editor

  A look at who's riding what in 2011

  Garmin-Transitions switches to Cervélo bikes, Rotor components, Castelli clothing

  Garmin-Transitions is undergoing one of the most comprehensive supplier changes among the top road teams, swapping bikes, components and clothing for the 2011 season.

  Cervélo will replace Felt as the team's bike supplier and also step in a co-title sponsor after the company decided to move away from its innovative manufacturer-backed TestTeam model of the past few years. The team - heretofore known as Garmin-Cervélo - will mostly be aboard the aero-profiled S3 carbon frames though some of the squad's smaller riders and climbing specialists may opt for the lighter R5/R3 models. Transitions is expected to sponsor the team but as the official lens supplier rather than a title sponsor.

  "As we have often mentioned, our primary goal has always been to have some control over the direction that cycling will take," said Cervélo co-founder Phil White. "In our eight years in pro cycling, we have seen the many possibilities cycling offers. The very positive response to a focus on more than just racing has been great. The emphasis we have had on product R&D since 2003 will be integrated into the new team's routine as well."

  In addition, SRAM replaces long-time component supplier Shimano and will supply its top-end Red transmission, DoubleTap levers and brakes. Rotor will step in as the crank supplier, though, providing its clever 3D hollow-milled aluminum cranks and an assortment of round and elliptical chainrings. The removable spider also allows for an apparent move to SRM power meters away from Powertap, too.

  Garmin-Cervélo will even change clothing sponsors for the next three years, trading out Colorado-based Pearl Izumi for Castelli. The Italian company is slated to provide apparel for the pro men's and women's teams along with the U23 and even the junior development squads.

  As was the case with Pearl Izumi, it's expected that Castelli will use the team to test new concepts and ideas for inline items before they're released to consumers.

  "This multi-year agreement to provide clothing to all levels gives us continued access to valued input from the world's top pros, both men and women," said Castelli racing performance director Andrea Peron in a press release.

  "We have created a joint research and development program working with Robby Ketchell, the team's sport science director, and we have outlined an innovation agenda focused on making the athletes as fast as possible in every racing condition."

  Movistar to run electronic Campagnolo groups, Catlike helmets

  The new Movistar team - formerly known as Caisse d'Epargne - will reportedly retain most of its previous equipment sponsors, including Pinarello, Campagnolo, Selle Italia and Elite. However, Campagnolo will equip the riders with a brand-new electronic group that was just briefly shown at the official team presentation back in October.

  Campagnolo is still elusive with details, though it has confirmed that Movistar will be the only team so equipped for next season. Certain aspects look to mirror those of Shimano's Dura-Ace Di2 version however, including shift actuator placement analogous to Campagnolo's mechanical levers, a giant front derailleur body (required to house the high-powered motor), and a down tube-mounted battery positioned just below the bottle cage. And of course, the system moves the chain across eleven rear cogs instead of the ten employed by Shimano and SRAM.

  Spanish company Catlike will also replace Giro as the official helmet supplier. Team riders will use the company's Whisper Plus model for road events along with the Chrono Aero Plus for time trials. Both models are mostly carryover for 2011, save for subtle improvements such as the new 'floating' rear retention system that's said to improve the fit and overall comfort.

  "It makes us very happy to join a team like Movistar," said Catlike CEO Pepe del Ramo. "A structure ruled by Eusebio Unzúe, who has been managing top teams for more than 30 years, gives us a lot of confidence and excitement. Catlike is used to dealing with top teams from all over the world, but it is always nice to collaborate with a Spanish team."

  Pegasus to fly on Scott bikes and Bont shoes for 2011

  Australian road team Pegasus Sports - formerly known as Fly V Australia - moves from De Rosa to Scott for the 2011 season. Though neither group has yet to make an official announcement, keen-eyed observers have already spotted the team's riders aboard brand new Scott F01 aero road bikes on training rides around Queensland.

  Scott has yet to officially unveil the F01 as a production model but its continued appearance in the pro ranks suggests that we're likely to see it added to consumer catalogues as a 2012 model. Claimed frame weight is tantalisingly close to that of the current Addict at just 840g plus the giant D-shaped tubes and tapered front end are said to also offer notable improvements in rigidity. Scott also goes on to say that the truncated airfoil cross-sections will even save a substantial 20W of power output at typical racing speeds (based on a 300W rider output).

  Those frames will be wrapped in SRAM Red groups, Selle Italia saddles, Vittoria tyres and Zipp wheels, bars, and stems.

  Bont will provide the Pegasus Sports team with footwear across the board with models to include the company's latest Vaypor, the ultralight Zero, and the aero Crono. All feature fully heat moldable uppers and lowers for a customizable fit and ultralight and rigid bathtub-style carbon fiber soles.

  "As an Australian company, we are immensely proud of the depth of Australian cycling talent and this Australian project by Pegasus," said Bont Cycling CEO Steven Nemeth. "Our objective is to develop the best possible cycling shoe through continual testing and technical innovation. We want to provide both the competitive and enthusiast cyclist with a cycling shoe that offers true anatomical fit and comfort combined with unparalleled performance."

  Felt to support Team Exergy through 2012

  After mutually agreeing with Garmin-Transitions to part ways after the 2010 season, Felt Bicycles is once again turning its attention towards emerging teams and talents. For 2011-2012, Felt will now sponsor the Idaho-based Team Exergy UCI Continental road squad whose roster will include 2001 and 2006 US amateur road champions Remi McManus and Matt Cooke.

  "Felt has a storied history of supporting emerging teams and new talent, and in Team Exergy we feel as though they have the blueprint to be very successful," said Felt marketing director Doug Martin. "After a competitive run at the NRC and select international events this year, Team Exergy has put together the pieces to take their program to the next level and we are excited to be a part of it."

  Felt will provide Team Exergy with both road and time trial bikes, including the all-new F-series road bike and B2 time trial framesets.

  Rotor Bike Components to outfit Saur-Sojasun team

  After years of struggling to get a foot in the door of pro team sponsorship, Rotor Bike Components now seems to be adding new teams and riders with an impressive pace, most recently adding the Saur Sojasun team to its list of sponsored outfits for 2011.

  According to Rotor, Saur Sojasun will use Rotor's 3D+ cranks, both round and elliptical chainrings, BB30 bottom bracket, chain catchers, and race number holders.

  "France is one of our leading markets, in which we have quite a number of fans and high customer fidelity, so we want to thank them for this support by sponsoring one of the country's leading teams," said Rotor CEO Ignacio Estellés. "A strong professional team, well placed in the 2010 UCI rankings - above some ProTour teams - is a new proving ground for our technologies, increasing the brand´s fame and customer's confidence in our products."

  Europcar team continues on Colnago bikes, switches to Louis Garneau helmets and clothing

  The recently announced UCI Pro Continental Europcar team - formerly known as BBox Bouygues Telecom - will carry on with Colnago bikes for both road and time trial applications but will make a move from Nalini clothing to Louis Garneau through the 2012 season.

  Louis Garneau will also supply the team with Diamond and X-Lite road helmets and the new Vorttice time trial helmet.

  "For years, Louis Garneau has been producing some of the most technical gear on the market," said Louis Garneau international marketing director Pierre Perron in a press release. "This sponsorship will strengthen our credibility as we test and prove our apparel and helmets through the collaboration of the world's best athletes."

  Key product models will include the Diamond, X-Lite, and Vorttice helmets plus the top-end Corsa range of clothing.

  "Our relationship with Louis Garneau and the past helmet sponsorship of the Bouygues Telecom Professional Cycling Team from 2005-2008 has always been a positive factor in the history of our team," said team manager Jean-Rene Bernaudeau.

  "This year, we strengthen our relationship and bring Louis Garneau helmets and apparel to the team. Louis Garneau is one of the few manufacturers outfitting teams with helmets and apparel, and also one of the few manufacturers producing helmets and apparel at that calibre of technology."