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First Edition Cycling News, Tuesday, October 20, 2009

Date published:
October 20, 2009, 14:00

  • Contador ends season as world number one

    Alberto Contador
    Article published:
    October 19, 2009, 16:05
    By:
    Richard Tyler

    Sánchez and Gilbert late movers, Spanish dominant in 2009

    Alberto Contador has spearheaded a dominant season for Spanish cycling after finishing on top of the International Cycling Union's (UCI) world rankings, announced on Monday. The Tour de France champion led a Spanish trio, with compatriots Alejandro Valverde (Caisse d'Epargne) and Samuel Sánchez (Euskaltel-Euskadi) taking second and third in the individual rankings, respectively. Contador's trade team Astana finished the season at the top of the team rankings, while Spain finished well clear of Italy as the top nation.

    Contador's success this season helped him become the inaugural champion in the UCI's world ranking system. The new system was implemented as a replacement for the ProTour rankings, which due to disputes between race organisers and the UCI had last year, failed to incorporate results from any of the three Grand Tours, Milan-San Remo, Tour of Flanders, Paris-Roubaix or Liège-Bastogne-Liège. The revised UCI World Calendar ensured that the rankings announced today include results from those seven events.

    Despite competing in just four of the 14 UCI World Calendar events in 2009, Contador's victories at the Tour de France and Vuelta Ciclista al Pais Vasco, and high finishes at Paris-Nice and the Dauphiné Libéré were enough to finish world number one. He finished with 527 points, 44 ahead of Vuelta a España winner Valverde (487 points) and 170 in front of Vuelta and Giro di Lombardia runner-up Sánchez (357 points).

    Sánchez was one of the most prominent movers in the final world rankings. The Euskaltel rider moved from eighth to replace Andy Schleck in third place. Sánchez secured his position in the rankings with a second place finish in the final event on the UCI World Calendar, Saturday's Giro di Lombardia. The results of the Italian race also saw winner, Philippe Gilbert (Silence-Lotto), catapulted into the world top-10, from 20th to ninth place.

    Grand Tour winning teams Astana and Caisse d'Epargne finished first and second in the team rankings, with Columbia-HTC finishing third. Silence-Lotto moved from eighth to sixth, by virtue of Cadel Evans' third place finish at the Vuelta and Gilbert's Lombardia win.

    The efforts of their riders throughout the season saw Spain finished almost 800 points clear of Italy in the team rankings. Australian and Germany retained their positions in third and fourth, respectively. Gilbert's Lombardia triumph was enough to see Belgium replace Russia in fifth place.

    The following are the final UCI World Rankings for 2009:
     

    UCI World Rankings - Individual
    1 Alberto Contador Velasco (Spa) Astana 527 pts
    2 Alejandro Valverde Belmonte (Spa) Caisse d'Epargne 483  
    3 Samuel Sanchez Gonzalez (Spa) Euskaltel - Euskadi 357  
    4 Andy Schleck (Lux) Team Saxo Bank 334  
    5 Cadel Evans (Aus) Silence-Lotto 333  
    6 Edvald Boasson Hagen (Nor) Team Columbia - HTC 322  
    7 Roman Kreuziger (Cze) Liquigas 319  
    8 Mark Cavendish (Gbr) Team Columbia - HTC 304  
    9 Philippe Gilbert (Bel) Silence-Lotto 295  
    10 Robert Gesink (Ned) Rabobank 266  
    11 Allan Davis (Aus) Quick Step 249  
    12 Damiano Cunego (Ita) Lampre - N.G.C 235  
    13 Andreas Klöden (Ger) Astana 232  
    14 Ivan Basso (Ita) Liquigas 229  
    15 Denis Menchov (Rus) Rabobank 218  
    16 Heinrich Haussler (Ger) Cervelo Test Team 217  
    17 Thor Hushovd (Nor) Cervelo Test Team 216  
    18 Tyler Farrar (Usa) Garmin - Slipstream 212  
    19 Frank Schleck (Lux) Team Saxo Bank 212  
    20 Luis Leon Sanchez Gil (Spa) Caisse d'Epargne 211  
    21 Davide Rebellin (Ita) Serramenti Pvc Diquigiovanni-Androni Giocattoli 194  
    22 Sylvain Chavanel (Fra) Quick Step 194  
    23 Fabian Cancellara (Swi) Team Saxo Bank 180  
    24 Rider currently serving suspension    
    25 Simon Gerrans (Aus) Cervelo Test Team 176  
    26 Stefano Garzelli (Ita) Acqua & Sapone - Caffe Mokambo 170  
    27 Serguei Ivanov (Rus) Team Katusha 164  
    28 Vladimir Karpets (Rus) Team Katusha 157  
    29 Franco Pellizotti (Ita) Liquigas 156  
    30 Filippo Pozzato (Ita) Team Katusha 154  
    31 Lance Armstrong (Usa) Astana 150  
    32 Joaquin Rodriguez Oliver (Spa) Caisse d'Epargne 147  
    33 Rider currently serving suspension    
    34 Michele Scarponi (Ita) Serramenti Pvc Diquigiovanni-Androni Giocattoli 139  
    35 Daniel Martin (Irl) Garmin - Slipstream 137  
    36 Vincenzo Nibali (Ita) Liquigas 135  
    37 Carlos Sastre Candil (Spa) Cervelo Test Team 134  
    38 Tom Boonen (Bel) Quick Step 133  
    39 Bradley Wiggins (Gbr) Garmin - Slipstream 131  
    40 Tony Martin (Ger) Team Columbia - HTC 125  
    41 Matti Breschel (Den) Team Saxo Bank 117  
    42 Daniel Moreno Fernandez (Spa) Caisse d'Epargne 117  
    43 Michael Rogers (Aus) Team Columbia - HTC 115  
    44 Haimar Zubeldia Agirre (Spa) Astana 112  
    45 Alessandro Ballan (Ita) Lampre - N.G.C 110  
    46 Stijn Devolder (Bel) Quick Step 104  
    47 Alexandr Kolobnev (Rus) Team Saxo Bank 103  
    48 Alessandro Petacchi (Ita) Lpr Brakes Farnese Vini 102  
    49 Rein Taaramae (Est) Cofidis, Le Credit En Ligne 98  
    50 Jakob Fuglsang (Den) Team Saxo Bank 98  
    51 Pierrick Fedrigo (Fra) Bbox Bouygues Telecom 92  
    52 Ezequiel Mosquera Miguez (Spa) Xacobeo Galicia 92  
    53 André Greipel (Ger) Team Columbia - HTC 91  
    54 Jose Joaquin Rojas Gil (Spa) Caisse d'Epargne 90  
    55 Thomas Lövkvist (Swe) Team Columbia - HTC 90  
    56 Gerald Ciolek (Ger) Team Milram 88  
    57 Stuart O'grady (Aus) Team Saxo Bank 87  
    58 Lars Ytting Bak (Den) Team Saxo Bank 87  
    59 Juan Antonio Flecha Giannoni (Spa) Rabobank 85  
    60 Daniele Bennati (Ita) Liquigas 84  
    61 Jurgen Van Den Broeck (Bel) Silence-Lotto 83  
    62 Carlos Barredo Llamazales (Spa) Quick Step 80  
    63 Levi Leipheimer (Usa) Astana 79  
    64 Christian Vandevelde (Usa) Garmin - Slipstream 78  
    65 Tadej Valjavec (Slo) Ag2R La Mondiale 77  
    66 Sebastian Langeveld (Ned) Rabobank 76  
    67 Johnny Hoogerland (Ned) Vacansoleil Pro Cycling Team 76  
    68 Martin Elmiger (Swi) Ag2R La Mondiale 74  
    69 Ryder Hesjedal (Can) Garmin - Slipstream 74  
    70 Luca Paolini (Ita) Acqua & Sapone - Caffe Mokambo 71  
    71 Martijn Maaskant (Ned) Garmin - Slipstream 64  
    72 Juan Jose Cobo Acebo (Spa) Fuji-Servetto 64  
    73 Pieter Weening (Ned) Rabobank 62  
    74 Aleksandr Kuschynski (Blr) Liquigas 61  
    75 Philip Deignan (Irl) Cervelo Test Team 61  
    76 Karsten Kroon (Ned) Team Saxo Bank 60  
    77 Leif Hoste (Bel) Silence-Lotto 60  
    78 Matthew Harley Goss (Aus) Team Saxo Bank 58  
    79 Christophe Le Mevel (Fra) Française Des Jeux 58  
    80 Anthony Roux (Fra) Française Des Jeux 56  
    81 Koldo Fernandez (Spa) Euskaltel - Euskadi 56  
    82 Maxime Monfort (Bel) Team Columbia - HTC 54  
    83 Sandy Casar (Fra) Française Des Jeux 54  
    84 Francesco Reda (Ita) Quick Step 52  
    85 Paolo Tiralongo (Ita) Lampre - N.G.C 52  
    86 Peter Velits (Svk) Team Milram 51  
    87 Paul Martens (Ger) Rabobank 50  
    88 Mickael Delage (Fra) Silence-Lotto 50  
    89 Johan Van Summeren (Bel) Silence-Lotto 50  
    90 Rigoberto Uran (Col) Caisse d'Epargne 50  
    91 José Angel Gomez Marchante (Spa) Cervelo Test Team 50  
    92 Wesley Sulzberger (Aus) Française Des Jeux 50  
    93 Kevin Seeldraeyers (Bel) Quick Step 49  
    94 Oscar Freire Gomez (Spa) Rabobank 48  
    95 Marcus Burghardt (Ger) Team Columbia - HTC 45  
    96 Sylvester Szmyd (Pol) Liquigas 44  
    97 Jens Voigt (Ger) Team Saxo Bank 42  
    98 Mathew Hayman (Aus) Rabobank 40  
    99 Kanstantsin Siutsou (Blr) Team Columbia - HTC 40  
    100 David Millar (Gbr) Garmin - Slipstream 39  
    101 Marzio Bruseghin (Ita) Lampre - N.G.C 39  
    102 Borut Bozic (Slo) Vacansoleil Pro Cycling Team 34  
    103 David Arroyo Duran (Spa) Caisse d'Epargne 33  
    104 Alexandre Vinokourov (Kaz) Astana 32  
    105 Thomas Voeckler (Fra) Bbox Bouygues Telecom 32  
    106 David Moncoutie (Fra) Cofidis, Le Credit En Ligne 31  
    107 Andreas Klier (Ger) Cervelo Test Team 30  
    108 Linus Gerdemann (Ger) Team Milram 30  
    109 Aitor Galdos Alonso (Spa) Euskaltel - Euskadi 30  
    110 Alexsandr Dyachenko (Kaz) Astana 30  
    111 Francesco Gavazzi (Ita) Lampre - N.G.C 29  
    112 Greg Henderson (Nzl) Team Columbia - HTC 28  
    113 Davide Vigano (Ita) Fuji-Servetto 26  
    114 Marco Marcato (Ita) Vacansoleil Pro Cycling Team 26  
    115 Fabio Sabatini (Ita) Liquigas 26  
    116 Rinaldo Nocentini (Ita) Ag2R La Mondiale 26  
    117 Brice Feillu (Fra) Agritubel 26  
    118 Jonathan Hivert (Fra) Skil-Shimano 25  
    119 Maarten Tjallingii (Ned) Rabobank 22  
    120 Enrico Rossi (Ita) Ceramica Flaminia - Bossini Docce 22  
    121 Daniel Navarro Garcia (Spa) Astana 22  
    122 Jose Rodolfo Serpa Perez (Col) Serramenti Pvc Diquigiovanni-Androni Giocattoli 22  
    123 Xavier Tondo Volpini (Spa) Andalucia Cajasur 21  
    124 Juan Manuel Garate (Spa) Rabobank 21  
    125 Benoît Vaugrenard (Fra) Française Des Jeux 20  
    126 Mauro Santambrogio (Ita) Lampre - N.G.C 20  
    127 Björn Leukemans (Bel) Vacansoleil Pro Cycling Team 20  
    128 Nicki Sörensen (Den) Team Saxo Bank 20  
    129 Michael Albasini (Swi) Team Columbia - HTC 19  
    130 Graeme Brown (Aus) Rabobank 19  
    131 Samuel Dumoulin (Fra) Cofidis, Le Credit En Ligne 18  
    132 Yury Trofimov (Rus) Bbox Bouygues Telecom 18  
    133 William Bonnet (Fra) Bbox Bouygues Telecom 18  
    134 Gustavo Cesar Veloso (Spa) Xacobeo Galicia 18  
    135 Kim Kirchen (Lux) Team Columbia - HTC 17  
    136 Mikhail Ignatiev (Rus) Team Katusha 17  
    137 Manuel Quinziato (Ita) Liquigas 16  
    138 Leonardo Bertagnolli (Ita) Serramenti Pvc Diquigiovanni-Androni Giocattoli 16  
    139 Yaroslav Popovych (Ukr) Astana 16  
    140 Manuel Vazquez Hueso (Spa) Contentpolis-Ampo 16  
    141 Lars Boom (Ned) Rabobank 16  
    142 Ignatas Konovalovas (Ltu) Cervelo Test Team 16  
    143 Maxim Iglinsky (Kaz) Astana 15  
    144 Nicolas Roche (Irl) Ag2R La Mondiale 15  
    145 Mark Renshaw (Aus) Team Columbia - HTC 15  
    146 Christophe Riblon (Fra) Ag2R La Mondiale 14  
    147 Stéphane Goubert (Fra) Ag2R La Mondiale 14  
    148 Bert Grabsch (Ger) Team Columbia - HTC 14  
    149 Yauheni Hutarovich (Blr) Française Des Jeux 13  
    150 Marco Pinotti (Ita) Team Columbia - HTC 12  
    151 Angelo Furlan (Ita) Lampre - N.G.C 12  
    152 Fredrik Kessiakoff (Swe) Fuji-Servetto 11  
    153 David De La Fuente Rasilla (Spa) Fuji-Servetto 11  
    154 Wouter Weylandt (Bel) Quick Step 11  
    155 Vasili Kiryienka (Blr) Caisse d'Epargne 11  
    156 Ben Swift (Gbr) Team Katusha 11  
    157 Frantisek Rabon (Cze) Team Columbia - HTC 11  
    158 Nick Nuyens (Bel) Rabobank 10  
    159 Tom Leezer (Ned) Rabobank 10  
    160 Jussi Veikkanen (Fin) Française Des Jeux 10  
    161 Pablo Lastras Garcia (Spa) Caisse d'Epargne 10  
    162 Jan Bakelandts (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen - Mercator 10  
    163 Jacopo Guarnieri (Ita) Liquigas 10  
    164 David Herrero Llorente (Spa) Xacobeo Galicia 10  
    165 Amets Txurruka (Spa) Euskaltel - Euskadi 10  
    166 Jurgen Roelandts (Bel) Silence-Lotto 10  
    167 Christophe Kern (Fra) Cofidis, Le Credit En Ligne 10  
    168 Laurent Lefevre (Fra) Bbox Bouygues Telecom 10  
    169 Robert Hunter (Rsa) Barloworld 10  
    170 George Hincapie (Usa) Team Columbia - HTC 9  
    171 Marco Marzano (Ita) Lampre - N.G.C 9  
    173 Francesco Chicchi (Ita) Liquigas 9  
    174 Jérôme Pineau (Fra) Quick Step 8  
    175 Francesco Masciarelli (Ita) Acqua & Sapone - Caffe Mokambo 8  
    176 Janez Brajkovic (Slo) Astana 8  
    177 Alexandre Botcharov (Rus) Team Katusha 8  
    178 David Garcia Da Pena (Spa) Xacobeo Galicia 8  
    179 Serge Pauwels (Bel) Cervelo Test Team 8  
    180 Rubens Bertogliati (Swi) Serramenti Pvc Diquigiovanni-Androni Giocattoli 8  
    181 Félix Rafael Cardenas Ravelo (Col) Barloworld 8  
    182 Marco Bandiera (Ita) Lampre - N.G.C 7  
    183 Jérémy Roy (Fra) Française Des Jeux 7  
    184 Johannes Fröhlinger (Ger) Team Milram 7  
    185 Frédéric Guesdon (Fra) Française Des Jeux 6  
    186 Rider currently serving suspension    
    187 Ruben Perez Moreno (Spa) Euskaltel - Euskadi 6  
    188 Cyril Lemoine (Fra) Skil-Shimano 6  
    189 Greg Van Avermaet (Bel) Silence-Lotto 6  
    190 Stef Clement (Ned) Rabobank 6  
    191 Julien El Fares (Fra) Cofidis, Le Credit En Ligne 6  
    192 Robbie Mcewen (Aus) Team Katusha 6  
    193 Niki Terpstra (Ned) Team Milram 6  
    194 Amaël Moinard (Fra) Cofidis, Le Credit En Ligne 6  
    195 Nikolay Trusov (Rus) Team Katusha 6  
    196 Bernhard Eisel (Aut) Team Columbia - HTC 6  
    197 Julian Sanchez Pimienta (Spa) Contentpolis-Ampo 6  
    198 Hayden Roulston (Nzl) Cervelo Test Team 6  
    199 Romain Feillu (Fra) Agritubel 6  
    200 Mikael Cherel (Fra) Française Des Jeux 4  
    201 Bert De Waele (Bel) Landbouwkrediet - Colnago 4  
    202 Lloyd Mondory (Fra) Ag2R La Mondiale 4  
    203 Christopher Sutton (Aus) Garmin - Slipstream 4  
    204 Roger Hammond (Gbr) Cervelo Test Team 4  
    205 Vladimir Efimkin (Rus) Ag2R La Mondiale 4  
    206 Egoi Martinez De Esteban (Spa) Euskaltel - Euskadi 4  
    207 Jesus Hernandez Blazquez (Spa) Astana 4  
    208 Gustav Larsson (Swe) Team Saxo Bank 4  
    209 Markus Fothen (Ger) Team Milram 4  
    210 Timothy Duggan (Usa) Garmin - Slipstream 4  
    211 Jurgen Van De Walle (Bel) Quick Step 4  
    212 Danny Pate (Usa) Garmin - Slipstream 4  
    213 Pavel Brutt (Rus) Team Katusha 4  
    214 Ludovic Turpin (Fra) Ag2R La Mondiale 4  
    215 Dominik Roels (Ger) Team Milram 4  
    216 Markus Zberg (Swi) Bmc Racing Team 4  
    217 Mirco Lorenzetto (Ita) Lampre - N.G.C 4  
    218 Vladimir Duma (Ukr) Ceramica Flaminia - Bossini Docce 4  
    219 Oliver Zaugg (Swi) Liquigas 3  
    220 Sébastien Hinault (Fra) Ag2R La Mondiale 3  
    221 Marcel Sieberg (Ger) Team Columbia - HTC 3  
    222 Danilo Napolitano (Ita) Team Katusha 3  
    223 Jeremy Hunt (Gbr) Cervelo Test Team 2  
    224 Jesus Del Nero Montes (Spa) Fuji-Servetto 2  
    225 Christian Knees (Ger) Team Milram 2  
    226 Christophe Moreau (Fra) Agritubel 2  
    227 Sébastien Minard (Fra) Cofidis, Le Credit En Ligne 2  
    228 Thomas Dekker (Ned) Silence-Lotto 2  
    229 Assan Bazayev (Kaz) Astana 2  
    230 Murilo Antonio Fischer (Bra) Liquigas 2  
    231 Kevin De Weert (Bel) Quick Step 2  
    232 Dario Cataldo (Ita) Quick Step 2  
    233 Evgeny Petrov (Rus) Team Katusha 2  
    234 Adam Hansen (Aus) Team Columbia - HTC 2  
    235 Xavier Florencio Cabre (Spa) Cervelo Test Team 2  
    236 Grégory Rast (Swi) Astana 2  
    237 Tom Veelers (Ned) Skil-Shimano 2  
    238 Inaki Isasi Flores (Spa) Euskaltel - Euskadi 2  
    239 Sébastien Joly (Fra) Française Des Jeux 2  
    240 Yukiya Arashiro (Jpn) Bbox Bouygues Telecom 2  
    241 Juan José Haedo (Arg) Team Saxo Bank 2  
    242 Baden Cooke (Aus) Vacansoleil Pro Cycling Team 2  
    243 Jens Mouris (Ned) Vacansoleil Pro Cycling Team 2  
    244 Pablo Urtasun Perez (Spa) Euskaltel - Euskadi 2  
    245 Francisco Jose Pacheco Torres (Spa) Contentpolis-Ampo 2  
    246 Igor Abakoumov (Bel) Isd - Neri 2  
    247 Juan Mauricio Soler Hernandez (Col) Barloworld 2  
    248 Joost Posthuma (Ned) Rabobank 1  
    249 Eros Capecchi (Ita) Fuji-Servetto 1  
    250 Igor Anton Hernandez (Spa) Euskaltel - Euskadi 1  
    251 Dominique Rollin (Can) Cervelo Test Team 1  
    252 Alexandre Usov (Blr) Cofidis, Le Credit En Ligne 1  
    253 Gilberto Simoni (Ita) Serramenti Pvc Diquigiovanni-Androni Giocattoli 1  
    254 Alessandro Bertolini (Ita) Serramenti Pvc Diquigiovanni-Androni Giocattoli 1  
    255 Rider currently serving suspension    
    256 Nico Sijmens (Bel) Cofidis, Le Credit En Ligne 1  
    257 Steve Chainel (Fra) Bbox Bouygues Telecom 1  
    258 Matthieu Ladagnous (Fra) Française Des Jeux 1  
    259 Rémi Pauriol (Fra) Cofidis, Le Credit En Ligne 1  
    260 Kristof Goddaert (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen - Mercator 1  
    261 Robert Forster (Ger) Team Milram 1  
    262 Alexei Markov (Rus) Team Katusha 1  
    263 Marco Velo (Ita) Quick Step 1  
    264 Dmytro Grabovskyy (Ukr) Isd - Neri 1  
    265 Stéphane Auge (Fra) Cofidis, Le Credit En Ligne 1  
    266 Matheus Pronk (Ned) Vacansoleil Pro Cycling Team 1  
    267 Sébastien Rosseler (Bel) Quick Step 1  
    UCI World Rankings - Teams
    1 Astana 1100 pts
    2 Caisse d'Epargne 1048  
    3 Team Columbia - HTC 957  
    4 Team Saxo Bank 946  
    5 Liquigas 923  
    6 Silence-Lotto 821  
    7 Cervelo Test Team 804  
    8 Quick Step 760  
    9 Rabobank 707  
    10 Team Katusha 637  
    11 Garmin - Slipstream 632  
    12 Euskaltel - Euskadi 631  
    13 Lampre - N.G.C 465  
    14 Serramenti PVC Diquigiovanni-Androni Giocattoli 379  
    15 Acqua & Sapone - Caffe Mokambo 249  
    16 Française Des Jeux 238  
    17 Ag2R La Mondiale 206  
    18 Team Milram 182  
    19 Bbox Bouygues Telecom 170  
    20 Cofidis, Le Credit En Ligne 166  
    21 Vacansoleil Pro Cycling Team 158  
    22 Xacobeo Galicia 128  
    23 Fuji-Servetto 114  
    24 Lpr Brakes Farnese Vini 102  
    25 Agritubel 34  
    26 Skil-Shimano 33  
    27 Ceramica Flaminia - Bossini Docce 26  
    28 Contentpolis-Ampo 24  
    29 Andalucia Cajasur 21  
    30 Barloworld 20  
    31 Topsport Vlaanderen - Mercator 11  
    32 Landbouwkrediet - Colnago 4  
    33 Bmc Racing Team 4  
    34 ISD - Neri 3  
    UCI World Rankings - Nations
    1 Spain 1756 pts
    2 Italy 984  
    3 Australia 960  
    4 Germany 753  
    5 Belgium 675  
    6 Russian Federation 660  
    7 Luxembourg 563  
    8 Netherlands 544  
    9 Norway 538  
    10 United States of America 528  
    11 Great Britain 489  
    12 France 454  
    13 Czech Republic 330  
    14 Denmark 322  
    15 Switzerland 285  
    16 Ireland 213  
    17 Belarus 126  
    18 Slovenia 119  
    19 Sweden 105  
    20 Estonia 98  
    21 Colombia 91  
    22 Kazakhstan 79  
    23 Canada 75  
    24 Slovakia 51  
    25 Poland 44  
    26 New Zealand 34  
    27 Ukraine 21  
    28 Lithuania 16  
    29 Austria 12  
    30 Finland 10  
    31 South Africa 10  
    32 Brazil 2  
    33 Japan 2  
    34 Argentina 2  

     

  • Gilbert named Belgian rider of the year

    Boonen and Gilbert enjoy the podium moment.
    Article published:
    October 19, 2009, 17:58
    By:
    Richard Tyler

    Wallonian edges out Boonen and Devolder, Cavendish picks up international award

    Philippe Gilbert's success this season has been acknowledged by his compatriots, after he was named Belgian cyclist of the year at the Flandrien 2009 award ceremony in Belgium on Saturday. A jury of Belgian team managers and media personalities elected the Silence-Lotto rider as the nation's top professional rider, ahead of Quick Step teammates Tom Boonen and Stijn Devolder. Mark Cavendish (Columbia-HTC) was also named the top international professional.

    Gilbert was awarded the accolade hours after he claimed the Giro di Lombardia, his fourth victory within a week and a half. Speaking via a video link from his team hotel in Italy, Gilbert expressed his satisfaction with his season.

    "This is such an important trophy," said Gilbert, according to Belgian newspaper Het Nieuwsblad. "This is a nice award for me to receive. I've worked hard this year for my results. That [my results are] appreciated by the rest of the pack is something I attach great importance to."

    Gilbert's has enjoyed his most successful season as a professional, with seven victories. Saturday's triumph in Lombardia had been preceded by victories in the Giro del'Piamonte, Paris-Tours, Coppa Sabatini. He claimed a stage and the overall at the Ster Elektroder and a stage win at the Giro d'Italia.

    It was the second year in a row that a Silence-Lotto rider has claimed the award. Gilbert's teammate Greg Van Avermaet had been the recipient 12 months previously.

    Mark Cavendish's success this season was also acknowledged as he accepted the award for the International Flandrien of the year.

    "It's a tremendous honour to get this award," Cavendish said afterwards, "something really important to me. You just look at the names of the people who've received this prize before, like Fabian Cancellara last year, and you can see how special it really is. As a kid I would watch Belgian bike races for hours on tv, and I love racing there now because the Belgians have a real appreciation for cycling and cyclists. But I could never have dreamed of getting an award like this one day, and it's a real honour to receive it."

    Follow Cyclingnews on Twitter for the very latest coverage of events taking place in the cycling world - twitter.com/cyclingnewsfeed
     

  • Astana sign Tiralongo on two-year contract

    Paolo Tiralongo (Lampre - N.G.C) on the attack.
    Article published:
    October 20, 2009, 11:12
    By:
    Peter Cossins

    Tiralongo leaves Lampre after four years, Pietropolli transfers in to Lampre from LPR

    Lampre-NGC rider Paolo Tiralongo has announced on his web page that he has signed a two-year deal with Astana. The 32-year-old Italian finished eighth in this year’s Vuelta a España in what turned out to be the last of his four seasons with Lampre.

    Among his new teammates is Tour de France champion Alberto Contador, and both riders will be keen to hear today’s decision by the International Cycling Union's (UCI) licensing commission over Astana’s application to continue in the ProTour.

    While Tiralongo heads out of Lampre, LPR’s Daniele Pietropolli will head in, after he signed a two-year contract with Beppe Saronni's team.

    Follow Cyclingnews on Twitter for the very latest coverage of events taking place in the cycling world - twitter.com/cyclingnewsfeed
     

  • Xacobeo hoping for Giro return

    Ezequiel Mosquera (Xacobeo Galicia)
    Article published:
    October 20, 2009, 11:40
    By:
    Peter Cossins

    Spanish team will send Mosquera to Milan for Saturday's Giro presentation

    Spanish pro continental team Xacobeo-Galicia are sending team leader Ezequiel Mosquera to Milan for this Saturday's presentation of the Giro d'Italia, in the hope that it might assist their efforts to get a wild card invitation to next year's corsa rosa.

    Alvaro Pino's team received an invite to this year's race, but their hopes of making an impact were hit when Mosquera suffered an injury at home just days before the race and could not start. Back-up team leader Gustavo César Veloso was then affected by allergies and failed to produce his best form. The misfortunes resulted in the team failing to make the impression that they and Giro organisers RCS had hoped for.

    "The organisation was pleased with us, but that might not be sufficient," Pino admitted to the Faro de Vigo. Competition for places in all of the Grand Tours is likely to be tougher than ever next year due to the emergence of squads such as RadioShack and Team Sky.

    But Pino is viewing Mosquera's invite to the Milan presentation as a positive omen. With 18 elite teams likely to be guaranteed entry, Pino is hoping that his team can take one of the four supplementary slots expected to be on offer. The possible recruitment of 2006 Tour winner Oscar Pereiro should help in this respect, although a move from Caisse d'Epargne has yet to be confirmed.

    Follow Cyclingnews on Twitter for the very latest coverage of events taking place in the cycling world - twitter.com/cyclingnewsfeed
     

  • Lövkvist motivated for new challenges at Team Sky

    Team Columbia - Highroad teammates Mark Cavendish and Thomas Lövkvist share a word after Cavendish's victory.
    Article published:
    October 20, 2009, 12:00
    By:
    Gregor Brown

    Swede ends two years with Columbia-HTC, looks ahead to 2010 Tour de France

    Swede Thomas Lövkvist ended two years with Columbia-HTC on Saturday at the Giro di Lombardia in Como, Italy. He leaves the USA-based team to ride for new British ProTour squad, Team Sky.

    At Sky "there are a lot of new ideas and new mentalities. There's a lot I am looking forward to," Lövkvist told Cyclingnews.

    Lövkvist said he wants to ride the 2010 Tour de France as one of Sky's general classification leaders. Tour organiser, Amaury Sports Organisation (ASO), presented the race's route last Wednesday in Paris. The Tour will feature three mountain top finishes, a stage over cobbled sectors also included in April's Paris-Roubaix and minimal time trialling.

    "It looks hard," said Lövkvist. "The cobblestones in northern France stand out.

    "It would have suited me to have more time trialling because I think we will have a really good time trial team. But, no matter how they create the route, it is always hard."

    Lövkvist led this year's Giro d'Italia for one day, thanks to Columbia's win in the team time trial and his seventh place to the first mountain top finish on stage four of the race. He finished 25th overall after three weeks at the Giro d'Italia.

    "He's exactly the type of guy cycling will be built around," said Columbia manager Bob Stapleton at the time. "He's extremely intelligent and focused. He's got a fantastic character. He doesn't tolerate weaknesses."

    He also won Monte Paschi Eroica and a stage of the Sachsen Tour. Last year, Lövkvist placed 38th at the Tour de France, third at Tirreno-Adriatico, fifth at the Tour de Suisse and second at the Deutschland Tour.

    "I have a lot of good memories and will miss some of it. I've enjoyed my time with my Columbia teammates and staff," Lövkvist continued.

    Lövkvist became professional with Team Bianchi Scandinavia in 2003. He rode for France's Française des Jeux for four years, before his move to Columbia.

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  • Garmin extend sponsorship through 2013

    Garmin-Slipstream pushing the pace on stage three of Franco-Belge.
    Article published:
    October 20, 2009, 12:55
    By:
    Richard Tyler

    Vaughters looks forward to the future

    Garmin announced on Tuesday that they have extended their sponsorship of Garmin-Slipstream, for a further three years. The American team's manager Jonathan Vaughters said the deal, which will see Garmin remain as title sponsor until at least 2013, will allow the team to reach its long term goals.

    "When Garmin first decided to partner with us, we said we believed that a new era of cycling was upon us. Today, with this significant extension, we can now say – the era is here," said Vaughters.

    "Garmin’s commitment to innovation and integrity mirrors our own, and knowing that we have their partnership for the next four years means that we can continue to develop the next generation of cycling champions."

    Garmin, who produce global positioning systems (GPS), said that they had been pleased with the global exposure the team had provided the company since joining as principal sponsor prior to the 2008 Tour de France.

    "The success of the team spans the globe and surpassed our expectations for the first year and a half of our title sponsorship, bringing Garmin’s reputation for quality, commitment, performance and productivity into countless households in Europe, North America, Asia and Australia," said Jon Cassat, Garmin’s vice president of communications.

    "Our objectives were – and continue to be – to integrate our products on sports’ biggest stages and to build global brand awareness. Whether capturing victories around the world, winning national championships or working to develop future generations of talent, Garmin-Slipstream has helped us achieve those objectives and has made an impression on billions of potential customers."

    Since their formation in 2007, Garmin-Slipstream has become one of the Worlds most successful teams. The squad underlined their strength this year with 29 victories. Their success included three stage wins at last month's Vuelta a España and Bradley Wiggins' fourth place finish at the Tour de France.

    For the team, the deal is firm endorsement of their approach to clean cycling. They work closely with Anti-Doping Research, Inc. (ADR) and ADSI (the Anti-Doping Sciences Institute) as part of their ongoing anti-doping mission.

    "[With this sponsorship extension] we can continue to make technological innovations that will give our riders a competitive advantage on the road," said Vaughters. "And off the road, we can continue to help better the sport."

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  • New summit finish for 2010 Vuelta?

    The Vuelta peloton
    Article published:
    October 20, 2009, 13:21
    By:
    Peter Cossins

    Unipublic enthusiastic about potential stage to Bola del Mundo

    The presentation of the 2010 Vuelta a España is still almost two months away, but details of a likely new summit finish in the mountains north of Madrid have leaked out in the Spanish press. According to well-placed sources, race organisers Unipublic are investigating the possibility of taking a stage to the 2265-metre summit of the Bola del Mundo in the Sierra de Guadarrama.

    Fans of the Vuelta will recognise the summit from stages that run over the Alto de Navacerrada, which featured twice on this year's race route. From the summit of that key road pass, a road winds up through forests, climbing another 400 metres to the telecommunications masts on the windswept Bola del Mundo.

    The news about the possible new climb was inadvertently released by a local mayor and was picked up in Spanish daily AS. Initially thought to be little more than a subject under discussion, the project is now reported to have the backing of Unipublic director-general Javier Guillén, who commented: "We would like the stage on the Bola del Mundo to coincide with [next year's] 75th anniversary of the race. The red [leader's] jersey, which will be one of the other innovations in that edition, could even be decided on that summit. I am sure that if this is the case it will be a spectacular stage."

    The project is also being vigorously backed by former Spanish cycling star Pedro Delgado, who comes from the nearby city of Segovia. Delgado and Guillén have inspected the summit to assess its viability for hosting the race. A meeting is set to take place on November 4 between the Vuelta's organisers and local mayors to discuss any final issues before a decision is made.

    If all goes well, the Bola del Mundo could feature on the Vuelta's route when it is announced in Sevilla on December 16.

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  • Rodríguez closes four years with Caisse in Japan

    Spaniard Joaquím Rodríguez (Caisse d'Epargne)
    Article published:
    October 20, 2009, 14:01
    By:
    Gregor Brown

    Spaniard seeks revenge for Lombardia at Japan Cup

    Spaniard Joaquím Rodríguez will close four years with team Caisse d'Epargne at the Japan Cup on Sunday. Rodríguez, who will race with Katusha in 2010, is a favourite for the Japanese race after his third in the World Championships and will be out for revenge after a disappointing Giro di Lombardia last Saturday.

    "It is the last race of the year and I'm not ruling anything out," he said. "I want to say good-bye to the team properly."

    Rodríguez was a favourite for the Giro di Lombardia on Saturday, but suffered with stomach aches after he ate on the eve of the race. He spent the night in pain and woke up the next morning feeling ill.

    He achieved his best result, 20th, in the Giro di Lombardia in 2004. Last year he placed 28th, but on Saturday he abandoned the 242-kilometre race before its finish in Como, Italy.

    "I won't close my career at Caisse d'Epargne with an abandon. It is not my style."

    The Japan Cup is in its 18th year and past winners have included Damiano Cunego, Gilberto Simoni and Claudio Chiappucci. It is a challenging race that often decided on the Tsuru climb near the finish.

    This season, Rodríguez won a stages at the Tirreno-Adriatico and Vuelta a Burgos, and finished second in Liège-Bastogne-Liège.

    He signed a contract earlier this year to join Russian team Katusha for 2010.

    Rodríguez will be joined at the Japan Cup by Caisse d'Epargne teammates: Imanol Erviti, Pablo Lastras, David López and Dani Moreno.

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