First Edition Cycling News, Tuesday, September 22, 2009

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Date published:

September 22, 2009, 11:00

• Bellis improves after scooter crash, in stable condition

  

  Article published:

  September 21, 2009, 17:54

  By:

  Gregor Brown

  Jonathan Bellis' status improves to stable two days after scooter crash

  Manx cyclist Jonathan Bellis' condition has improved to stable from critical. The 21-year-old Bellis suffered head injuries in a motor scooter accident early Saturday morning in Quarrata, Italy.

  The accident occurred at 3:30 in Quarrata, where fellow Manx cyclist Mark Cavendish lives. Bellis was wearing a helmet and travelling along Via IV Novembre, according to Il Tirreno. Medics took Bellis to a hospital in Careggi, north of Firenze.

  Police are determining the cause of the accident.

  National British Under 23 director Max Sciandri immediately joined Bellis at the hospital. Bellis' parents flew to Italy Saturday after they heard of the accident, according to isleofman.com.

  Bellis is in Quarrata to train with other British riders and Sciandri. British Cycling had him listed him on the preliminary list of riders for elite World Championships Sunday in Mendrisio, Switzerland.

  He finished third in the 2007 Under 23 World Championships in Stuttgart, Germany. After a trainee period with ProTour team Saxo Bank last fall, he turned professional with the team this season.

  "We are saddened by the news of Jonathan's accident, but we know that he is in good hands at the hospital in Florence. Our thoughts and hopes go out to Jonathan, his family and friends," said Saxo Bank team owner, Bjarne Riis.

• Hesjedal leads Canadian Worlds team

  

  Article published:

  September 21, 2009, 18:50

  By:

  Gregor Brown

  Vuelta stage winner Hesjedal heads Canadian Worlds team with Barry, Tuft

  Ryder Hesjedal will lead team Canada with Michael Barry and Svein Tuft at the World Championships Sunday in Mendrisio, Switzerland.

  Hesjedal is in top form following his stage win in Vuelta a España's stage to Alto de Velefique last Friday, September 11. Barry and Tuft complete the three-man team.

  Tuft finished second in the time trial last year in Varese, Italy. He will also represent Canada this year in the time trial with Christian Meier.

  Elite team:
  • Michael Barry (RR)
  • Ryder Hesjedal (RR)
  • Svein Tuft (RR/TT)
  • Christian Meier (TT)

  Under 23 Men
  • Ryan Anderson (RR/TT)
  • Guillaume Boivin (RR)
  • David Boily (RR)
  • David Veilleux (RR/TT)

  Canada only once finished on the podium in the World Championships road race. Steve Bauer placed third at the 1984 edition in Barcelona, Spain, behind Belgian Claude Criquielion and Italian Claudio Corti. Tuft was the first Canadian to finish on the time trial podium.

  Canada hosted the Worlds twice: 2003 in Hamilton and 1974 in Montréal.

  The International Cycling Union (UCI) confirmed last month the number of riders allowed for each nation. Ten nations may have the maximum number of nine riders based on team rankings as of August 15.
   

• Fuglsang pleased with Grand Tour debut

  

  Article published:

  September 21, 2009, 18:52

  By:

  Shane Stokes

  Dane feeling good about Worlds form

  While his debut in the Vuelta a España didn't approach the sixth place overall he achieved in both the Volta a Catalunya and the Dauphiné Libéré, Saxo Bank's Jakob Fuglsang is satisfied with his Grand Tour debut.

  "I am happy, it was well done. I don't think I can be disappointed with my Tour," the friendly Dane told Cyclingnews at the race's finish in Madrid. "Three times I was in a breakaway, and three times I had the possibility to win a stage. I didn't succeed, but still to be three times in the top three in my first Grand Tour - I am really happy with that."

  The 24-year-old took the first of those placings when he was third on stage 10 to Murcia, then went on to net a fine second behind Damiano Cunego (Lampre) at La Pandera and then third in Avila last Thursday. He ended the three week Vuelta 56th overall.

  Importantly, he came to the finish feeling like his form was on the up. "I felt a lot better this week. After stage 11 and 12 I was dead. If somebody said ‘okay, you can go home now,' I would have taken the offer and done it. But I am really happy that I continued until the end. I was feeling better and better the last days. It has been really good.

  "Everybody tells me doing a Grand Tour makes a difference to you as a rider. I hope they are right because it would be nice to have that little bit extra. If so, I think it is worth it. I think it really helps."

  For the riders in the Vuelta, a big question centres around how they will recover from the race, and if they will be fatigued or at their top form for the world championships. Many contenders pulled out before the finish in order to ensure they are fresh, while others such as Fuglsang, Cadel Evans (Silence-Lotto), Samuel Sánchez (Euskaltel-Euskadi) and, of course, race winner Alejandro Valverde (Caisse d'Epargne) were fully committed until the end.

  Fuglsang's good sensations in the final week make him believe that he will be fine. "I think I should be okay," he said. "There is still a week. If you were getting more and more tired in the last few days, if you were really exhausted now, then you probably would have a problem. But the way I am feeling now, I am confident."

  He will line up in the road race alongside several other Danish riders, including last year's bronze medallist Matti Breschel. He said that leadership will be shared between the two of them, with whoever is strongest on the day likely to get the support of the other riders.

  Fuglsang is seen by Saxo Bank as one of their best young riders on the team. This year he won both the Tour of Denmark and the Tour of Slovenia.

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

• Vuelta win moves Valverde to second in world ranking

  

  Article published:

  September 22, 2009, 00:38

  By:

  Peter Hymas

  Other Vuelta a España protagonists rise up the rankings

  Alejandro Valverde's win in the Vuelta a España moved the Spaniard into second place on the International Cycling Union's (UCI) Individual World Rankings, released on Monday.

  The Caisse d'Epargne rider had previously been in sixth position prior to his victory in the Spanish Grand Tour.

  Valverde's ascension in the UCI Individual World Rankings was also duplicated by the other nine riders who finished in the top 10 at the Vuelta a España. Vuelta runner-up Samuel Sánchez (Euskatlet-Euskadi) leapt from 35th to eighth position while third place finisher Cadel Evans (Silence-Lotto) moved from ninth to fourth position.

  Vuelta fourth place finisher Ivan Basso rose 20 positions in the UCI ranking, jumping from 32nd to 12th. Spain's Ezequiel Mosquera (Xacobeo Galicia), fifth overall in the Vuelta, made his first appearance of the year in the rankings at 51st due to his Vuelta performance.

  The rider who made the largest leap on the UCI rankings was Philip Deignan (Cervelo TestTeam), a stage winner and ninth overall finisher in the Vuelta a España. The Irishman soared 172 positions on the individual ranking, jumping from 243rd to 71st.

  Vuelta points jersey winner and multi-stage winner André Greipel (Team Columbia-HTC) also made a significant jump from 120th position to 52nd as did Slovenian sprinter and Vuelta stage winner Borut Bozic (Vacansoleil), rising to 99th from 173rd.

  Alberto Contador (Astana) continues to lead the rankings while Andy Schleck (Team Saxo Bank), previously in second, dropped one position to third.

  The team rankings underwent a minor re-shuffling of the top 10, most notably Caisse d'Epargne's rise from sixth to second. Silence-Lotto and Rabobank each moved up one position respectively. Spain's Xacobeo Galicia made its first appearance of the year in the team rankings at 21st position. Astana remains the top ranked team.

  Spain remains atop the nations ranking and there were no changes in the top 10. The Netherlands moved up to 11th position from 12th, switching positions with France. Slovenia moved from 20th to 18th position.

  Below is the complete list of the latest UCI World individual, team and nation rankings.

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

  UCI World Rankings - Individual

  1	Alberto Contador Velasco (Spa) Astana	527	pts
  2	Alejandro Valverde Belmonte (Spa) Caisse d'Epargne	483
  3	Andy Schleck (Lux) Team Saxo Bank	334
  4	Cadel Evans (Aus) Silence-Lotto	329
  5	Edvald Boasson Hagen (Nor) Team Columbia-HTC	322
  6	Roman Kreuziger (Cze) Liquigas	319
  7	Mark Cavendish (GBr) Team Columbia-HTC	304
  8	Samuel Sanchez Gonzalez (Spa) Euskaltel - Euskadi	277
  9	Allan Davis (Aus) Quick Step	249
  10	Damiano Cunego (Ita) Lampre - N.G.C	235
  11	Andreas Klöden (Ger) Astana	232
  12	Ivan Basso (Ita) Liquigas	229
  13	Robert Gesink (Ned) Rabobank	226
  14	Denis Menchov (Rus) Rabobank	218
  15	Heinrich Haussler (Ger) Cervelo TestTeam	217
  16	Thor Hushovd (Nor) Cervelo TestTeam	216
  17	Tyler Farrar (USA) Garmin - Slipstream	212
  18	Frank Schleck (Lux) Team Saxo Bank	212
  19	Luis Leon Sanchez Gil (Spa) Caisse d'Epargne	211
  20	Philippe Gilbert (Bel) Silence-Lotto	195
  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 Removed From Rankings Due To Ongoing Doping Investigation
  25	Simon Gerrans (Aus) Cervelo TestTeam	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 Removed From Rankings Due To Ongoing Doping Investigation
  34	Michele Scarponi (Ita) Serramenti Pvc Diquigiovanni-Androni Giocattoli	139
  35	Vincenzo Nibali (Ita) Liquigas	135
  36	Carlos Sastre Candil (Spa) Cervelo TestTeam	134
  37	Tom Boonen (Bel) Quick Step	133
  38	Bradley Wiggins (GBr) Garmin - Slipstream	131
  39	Tony Martin (Ger) Team Columbia-HTC	125
  40	Daniel Martin (Irl) Garmin - Slipstream	117
  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	Alessandro Petacchi (Ita) LPR Brakes Farnese Vini	102
  48	Rein Taaramae (Est) Cofidis, Le Credit En Ligne	98
  49	Jakob Fuglsang (Den) Team Saxo Bank	98
  50	Pierrick Fedrigo (Fra) Bbox Bouygues Telecom	92
  51	Ezequiel Mosquera Miguez (Spa) Xacobeo Galicia	92
  52	André Greipel (Ger) Team Columbia-HTC	91
  53	Jose Joaquin Rojas Gil (Spa) Caisse d'Epargne	90
  54	Thomas Lövkvist (Swe) Team Columbia-HTC	90
  55	Gerald Ciolek (Ger) Team Milram	88
  56	Stuart O'Grady (Aus) Team Saxo Bank	87
  57	Lars Ytting Bak (Den) Team Saxo Bank	87
  58	Juan Antonio Flecha Giannoni (Spa) Rabobank	85
  59	Daniele Bennati (Ita) Liquigas	84
  60	Jurgen Van Den Broeck (Bel) Silence-Lotto	83
  61	Carlos Barredo Llamazales (Spa) Quick Step	80
  62	Levi Leipheimer (USA) Astana	79
  63	Christian Vandevelde (USA) Garmin - Slipstream	78
  64	Tadej Valjavec (Slo) Ag2R La Mondiale	77
  65	Sebastian Langeveld (Ned) Rabobank	76
  66	Martin Elmiger (Swi) Ag2R La Mondiale	74
  67	Ryder Hesjedal (Can) Garmin - Slipstream	74
  68	Martijn Maaskant (Ned) Garmin - Slipstream	64
  69	Pieter Weening (Ned) Rabobank	62
  70	Aleksandr Kuschynski (Blr) Liquigas	61
  71	Philip Deignan (Irl) Cervelo TestTeam	61
  72	Karsten Kroon (Ned) Team Saxo Bank	60
  73	Leif Hoste (Bel) Silence-Lotto	60
  74	Matthew Harley Goss (Aus) Team Saxo Bank	58
  75	Christophe Le Mevel (Fra) Française Des Jeux	58
  76	Anthony Roux (Fra) Française Des Jeux	56
  77	Koldo Fernandez (Spa) Euskaltel - Euskadi	56
  78	Maxime Monfort (Bel) Team Columbia-HTC	54
  79	Juan Jose Cobo Acebo (Spa) Fuji-Servetto	54
  80	Sandy Casar (Fra) Française Des Jeux	54
  81	Francesco Reda (Ita) Quick Step	52
  82	Paolo Tiralongo (Ita) Lampre - N.G.C	52
  83	Peter Velits (Svk) Team Milram	51
  84	Mickael Delage (Fra) Silence-Lotto	50
  85	Paul Martens (Ger) Rabobank	50
  86	José Angel Gomez Marchante (Spa) Cervelo TestTeam	50
  87	Wesley Sulzberger (Aus) Française Des Jeux	50
  88	Johan Van Summeren (Bel) Silence-Lotto	50
  89	Rigoberto Uran (Col) Caisse d'Epargne	50
  90	Kevin Seeldraeyers (Bel) Quick Step	49
  91	Oscar Freire Gomez (Spa) Rabobank	48
  92	Marcus Burghardt (Ger) Team Columbia-HTC	45
  93	Sylvester Szmyd (Pol) Liquigas	44
  94	Jens Voigt (Ger) Team Saxo Bank	42
  95	Mathew Hayman (Aus) Rabobank	40
  96	Kanstantsin Siutsou (Blr) Team Columbia-HTC	40
  97	David Millar (GBr) Garmin - Slipstream	39
  98	Marzio Bruseghin (Ita) Lampre - N.G.C	39
  99	Borut Bozic (Slo) Vacansoleil Pro Cycling Team	34
  100	Alexandr Kolobnev (Rus) Team Saxo Bank	33
  101	David Arroyo Duran (Spa) Caisse d'Epargne	33
  102	Thomas Voeckler (Fra) Bbox Bouygues Telecom	32
  103	David Moncoutie (Fra) Cofidis, Le Credit En Ligne	31
  104	Andreas Klier (Ger) Cervelo TestTeam	30
  105	Aitor Galdos Alonso (Spa) Euskaltel - Euskadi	30
  106	Alexsandr Dyachenko (Kaz) Astana	30
  107	Linus Gerdemann (Ger) Team Milram	30
  108	Francesco Gavazzi (Ita) Lampre - N.G.C	29
  109	Greg Henderson (NZl) Team Columbia-HTC	28
  110	Davide Vigano (Ita) Fuji-Servetto	26
  111	Fabio Sabatini (Ita) Liquigas	26
  112	Marco Marcato (Ita) Vacansoleil Pro Cycling Team	26
  113	Rinaldo Nocentini (Ita) Ag2R La Mondiale	26
  114	Johnny Hoogerland (Ned) Vacansoleil Pro Cycling Team	26
  115	Brice Feillu (Fra) Agritubel	26
  116	Jonathan Hivert (Fra) Skil-Shimano	25
  117	Maarten Tjallingii (Ned) Rabobank	22
  118	Enrico Rossi (Ita) Ceramica Flaminia - Bossini Docce	22
  119	Daniel Navarro Garcia (Spa) Astana	22
  120	Jose Rodolfo Serpa Perez (Col) Serramenti Pvc Diquigiovanni-Androni Giocattoli	22
  121	Xavier Tondo Volpini (Spa) Andalucia Cajasur	21
  122	Juan Manuel Garate (Spa) Rabobank	21
  123	Mauro Santambrogio (Ita) Lampre - N.G.C	20
  124	Benoît Vaugrenard (Fra) Française Des Jeux	20
  125	Björn Leukemans (Bel) Vacansoleil Pro Cycling Team	20
  126	Nicki Sörensen (Den) Team Saxo Bank	20
  127	Michael Albasini (Swi) Team Columbia-HTC	19
  128	Graeme Brown (Aus) Rabobank	19
  129	Samuel Dumoulin (Fra) Cofidis, Le Credit En Ligne	18
  130	Yury Trofimov (Rus) Bbox Bouygues Telecom	18
  131	Gustavo Cesar Veloso (Spa) Xacobeo Galicia	18
  132	William Bonnet (Fra) Bbox Bouygues Telecom	18
  133	Kim Kirchen (Lux) Team Columbia-HTC	17
  134	Mikhail Ignatiev (Rus) Team Katusha	17
  135	Manuel Quinziato (Ita) Liquigas	16
  136	Manuel Vazquez Hueso (Spa) Contentpolis-Ampo	16
  137	Yaroslav Popovych (Ukr) Astana	16
  138	Lars Boom (Ned) Rabobank	16
  139	Ignatas Konovalovas (Ltu) Cervelo TestTeam	16
  140	Leonardo Bertagnolli (Ita) Serramenti Pvc Diquigiovanni-Androni Giocattoli	16
  141	Maxim Iglinsky (Kaz) Astana	15
  142	Mark Renshaw (Aus) Team Columbia-HTC	15
  143	Nicolas Roche (Irl) Ag2R La Mondiale	15
  144	Christophe Riblon (Fra) Ag2R La Mondiale	14
  145	Stéphane Goubert (Fra) Ag2R La Mondiale	14
  146	Bert Grabsch (Ger) Team Columbia-HTC	14
  147	Yauheni Hutarovich (Blr) Française Des Jeux	13
  148	Marco Pinotti (Ita) Team Columbia-HTC	12
  149	Angelo Furlan (Ita) Lampre - N.G.C	12
  150	Fredrik Kessiakoff (Swe) Fuji-Servetto	11
  151	Luca Paolini (Ita) Acqua & Sapone - Caffe Mokambo	11
  152	David De La Fuente Rasilla (Spa) Fuji-Servetto	11
  153	Vasili Kiryienka (Blr) Caisse d'Epargne	11
  154	Frantisek Rabon (Cze) Team Columbia-HTC	11
  155	Wouter Weylandt (Bel) Quick Step	11
  156	Ben Swift (GBr) Team Katusha	11
  157	Tom Leezer (Ned) Rabobank	10
  158	Nick Nuyens (Bel) Rabobank	10
  159	Jan Bakelandts (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen - Mercator	10
  160	Pablo Lastras Garcia (Spa) Caisse d'Epargne	10
  161	Jussi Veikkanen (Fin) Française Des Jeux	10
  162	Jacopo Guarnieri (Ita) Liquigas	10
  163	David Herrero Llorente (Spa) Xacobeo Galicia	10
  164	Amets Txurruka (Spa) Euskaltel - Euskadi	10
  165	Jurgen Roelandts (Bel) Silence-Lotto	10
  166	Laurent Lefevre (Fra) Bbox Bouygues Telecom	10
  167	Christophe Kern (Fra) Cofidis, Le Credit En Ligne	10
  168	Robert Hunter (RSA) Barloworld	10
  169	George Hincapie (USA) Team Columbia-HTC	9
  170	Leonardo Duque (Col) Cofidis, Le Credit En Ligne	9
  171	Francesco Chicchi (Ita) Liquigas	9
  172	Marco Marzano (Ita) Lampre - N.G.C	9
  173	Francesco Masciarelli (Ita) Acqua & Sapone - Caffe Mokambo	8
  174	Alexandre Botcharov (Rus) Team Katusha	8
  175	Janez Brajkovic (Slo) Astana	8
  176	David Garcia Da Pena (Spa) Xacobeo Galicia	8
  177	Jérôme Pineau (Fra) Quick Step	8
  178	Serge Pauwels (Bel) Cervelo TestTeam	8
  179	Félix Rafael Cardenas Ravelo (Col) Barloworld	8
  180	Rubens Bertogliati (Swi) Serramenti Pvc Diquigiovanni-Androni Giocattoli	8
  181	Marco Bandiera (Ita) Lampre - N.G.C	7
  182	Jérémy Roy (Fra) Française Des Jeux	7
  183	Johannes Fröhlinger (Ger) Team Milram	7
  184	Ruben Perez Moreno (Spa) Euskaltel - Euskadi	6
  185	Frédéric Guesdon (Fra) Française Des Jeux	6
  186	Rider Removed From Rankings Due To Ongoing Doping Investigation
  187	Amaël Moinard (Fra) Cofidis, Le Credit En Ligne	6
  188	Julien El Fares (Fra) Cofidis, Le Credit En Ligne	6
  189	Julian Sanchez Pimienta (Spa) Contentpolis-Ampo	6
  190	Greg Van Avermaet (Bel) Silence-Lotto	6
  191	Nikolay Trusov (Rus) Team Katusha	6
  192	Niki Terpstra (Ned) Team Milram	6
  193	Hayden Roulston (NZl) Cervelo TestTeam	6
  194	Stef Clement (Ned) Rabobank	6
  195	Cyril Lemoine (Fra) Skil-Shimano	6
  196	Bernhard Eisel (Aut) Team Columbia-HTC	6
  197	Robbie Mcewen (Aus) Team Katusha	6
  198	Romain Feillu (Fra) Agritubel	6
  199	Mikael Cherel (Fra) Française Des Jeux	4
  200	Bert De Waele (Bel) Landbouwkrediet - Colnago	4
  201	Jesus Hernandez Blazquez (Spa) Astana	4
  202	Egoi Martinez De Esteban (Spa) Euskaltel - Euskadi	4
  203	Ludovic Turpin (Fra) Ag2R La Mondiale	4
  204	Dominik Roels (Ger) Team Milram	4
  205	Roger Hammond (GBr) Cervelo TestTeam	4
  206	Jurgen Van De Walle (Bel) Quick Step	4
  207	Christopher Sutton (Aus) Garmin - Slipstream	4
  208	Mirco Lorenzetto (Ita) Lampre - N.G.C	4
  209	Gustav Larsson (Swe) Team Saxo Bank	4
  210	Pavel Brutt (Rus) Team Katusha	4
  211	Timothy Duggan (USA) Garmin - Slipstream	4
  212	Markus Fothen (Ger) Team Milram	4
  213	Danny Pate (USA) Garmin - Slipstream	4
  214	Lloyd Mondory (Fra) Ag2R La Mondiale	4
  215	Vladimir Efimkin (Rus) Ag2R La Mondiale	4
  216	Markus Zberg (Swi) Bmc Racing Team	4
  217	Vladimir Duma (Ukr) Ceramica Flaminia - Bossini Docce	4
  218	Sébastien Hinault (Fra) Ag2R La Mondiale	3
  219	Oliver Zaugg (Swi) Liquigas	3
  220	Marcel Sieberg (Ger) Team Columbia-HTC	3
  221	Danilo Napolitano (Ita) Team Katusha	3
  222	Jesus Del Nero Montes (Spa) Fuji-Servetto	2
  223	Jeremy Hunt (GBr) Cervelo TestTeam	2
  224	Kevin De Weert (Bel) Quick Step	2
  225	Christian Knees (Ger) Team Milram	2
  226	Xavier Florencio Cabre (Spa) Cervelo TestTeam	2
  227	Inaki Isasi Flores (Spa) Euskaltel - Euskadi	2
  228	Adam Hansen (Aus) Team Columbia-HTC	2
  229	Francisco Jose Pacheco Torres (Spa) Contentpolis-Ampo	2
  230	Assan Bazayev (Kaz) Astana	2
  231	Jens Mouris (Ned) Vacansoleil Pro Cycling Team	2
  232	Murilo Antonio Fischer (Bra) Liquigas	2
  233	Yukiya Arashiro (Jpn) Bbox Bouygues Telecom	2
  234	Tom Veelers (Ned) Skil-Shimano	2
  235	Pablo Urtasun Perez (Spa) Euskaltel - Euskadi	2
  236	Sébastien Minard (Fra) Cofidis, Le Credit En Ligne	2
  237	Dario Cataldo (Ita) Quick Step	2
  238	Evgeny Petrov (Rus) Team Katusha	2
  239	Grégory Rast (Swi) Astana	2
  240	Juan José Haedo (Arg) Team Saxo Bank	2
  241	Christophe Moreau (Fra) Agritubel	2
  242	Thomas Dekker (Ned) Silence-Lotto	2
  243	Sébastien Joly (Fra) Française Des Jeux	2
  244	Baden Cooke (Aus) Vacansoleil Pro Cycling Team	2
  245	Igor Abakoumov (Bel) ISD - Neri	2
  246	Juan Mauricio Soler Hernandez (Col) Barloworld	2
  247	Alexandre Vinokourov (Kaz) Astana	2
  248	Igor Anton Hernandez (Spa) Euskaltel - Euskadi	1
  249	Matthieu Ladagnous (Fra) Française Des Jeux	1
  250	Marco Velo (Ita) Quick Step	1
  251	Matheus Pronk (Ned) Vacansoleil Pro Cycling Team	1
  252	Joost Posthuma (Ned) Rabobank	1
  253	Nico Sijmens (Bel) Cofidis, Le Credit En Ligne	1
  254	Alexandre Usov (Blr) Cofidis, Le Credit En Ligne	1
  255	Robert Forster (Ger) Team Milram	1
  256	Kristof Goddaert (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen - Mercator	1
  257	Alexei Markov (Rus) Team Katusha	1
  258	Alessandro Bertolini (Ita) Serramenti Pvc Diquigiovanni-Androni Giocattoli	1
  259	Dominique Rollin (Can) Cervelo TestTeam	1
  260	Steve Chainel (Fra) Bbox Bouygues Telecom	1
  261	Rémi Pauriol (Fra) Cofidis, Le Credit En Ligne	1
  262	Sébastien Rosseler (Bel) Quick Step	1
  263	Stéphane Auge (Fra) Cofidis, Le Credit En Ligne	1
  264	Eros Capecchi (Ita) Fuji-Servetto	1
  265	Rider Removed From Rankings Due To Ongoing Doping Investigation
  266	Gilberto Simoni (Ita) Serramenti Pvc Diquigiovanni-Androni Giocattoli	1
  267	Dmytro Grabovskyy (Ukr) ISD - Neri	1

  UCI World Ranking - Teams

  1	Astana	1100	pts
  2	Caisse d'Epargne	1048
  3	Team Columbia - HTC	957
  4	Team Saxo Bank	941
  5	Liquigas	923
  6	Cervelo TestTeam	804
  7	Quick Step	760
  8	Silence-Lotto	717
  9	Rabobank	667
  10	Team Katusha	637
  11	Garmin - Slipstream	612
  12	Euskaltel - Euskadi	551
  13	Lampre - N.G.C	465
  14	Serramenti Pvc Diquigiovanni-Androni Giocattoli	379
  15	Française Des Jeux	238
  16	AG2R La Mondiale	206
  17	Acqua & Sapone - Caffe Mokambo	189
  18	Team Milram	182
  19	Bbox Bouygues Telecom	170
  20	Cofidis, Le Credit En Ligne	166
  21	Xacobeo Galicia	128
  22	Vacansoleil Pro Cycling Team	108
  23	Fuji-Servetto	104
  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	1676	pts
  2	Italy	984
  3	Australia	956
  4	Germany	753
  5	Russian Federation	590
  6	Belgium	575
  7	Luxembourg	563
  8	Norway	538
  9	United States of America	528
  10	Great Britain	489
  11	Netherlands	488
  12	France	454
  13	Czech Republic	330
  14	Denmark	322
  15	Switzerland	285
  16	Ireland	193
  17	Belarus	126
  18	Slovenia	119
  19	Sweden	105
  20	Estonia	98
  21	Colombia	91
  22	Canada	75
  23	Slovakia	51
  24	Kazakhstan	49
  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

• No Giro del Lazio in 2009

  

  Article published:

  September 22, 2009, 01:30

  By:

  Cycling News

  Date clash seals fate of 75th edition

  Giro del Lazio organiser RCS Sport has announced that this year's edition of the race - the 75th - has been cancelled.

  Citing organisation difficulties encountered due to the proximity of the event to the Memorial Cimurri, the name behind races such as the Giro d'Italia and Milan-Sanremo decided to cancel the 2009 edition.

  The Memorial Cimurri will take place on October 3 whilst the Giro del Lazio was slated for the next day. The dates have prompted RCS Sport to declare it's looking for an alternative slot on the calendar for next season, according to tuttobiciweb.it.

  "The spatial distance of the two commitments - according to RCS Sport - means each of the two races can't be run with the best possible teams. So for the Giro del Lazio we are looking at a different place on the international calendar," explained the organiser.

  Won last year by Francesco Masciarelli, the semi-classic's palmares boasts Italian greats such as Michele Bartoli, Paolo Bettini, Andrea Tafi, Gianni Bugno, Maurizio Fondriest and Francesco Moser.

• Xacobeo Galicia delighted with Vuelta dividend

  

  Article published:

  September 22, 2009, 01:46

  By:

  Les Clarke

  Professional Continental squad shows how it's done

  Spanish Professional Continental squad Xacobeo Galicia provided arguably the biggest surprise of this year's Vuelta a España by taking out the teams classification ahead of the best of the ProTour.

  While most of the big teams lost members due to preparations for the upcoming road world championships in Mendrisio, Switzerland, the focus of the Xacobeo Galicia team remained firmly on the Vuelta and the regional squad made good on its efforts to take home the teams prize.

  Álvaro Pino's outfit boasted fifth-placed rider Ezequiel Mosquera and Serafin Martinez, who won the Solidario sprint classification, but the sum of its efforts equalled more than a top five overall or an individual classification. The directeur sportif admitted that "from day one [we aimed for] the team standings," according to Europa Press.

  "We knew that it was [going to be] difficult and eventually we made it. It is one of the podiums that always made me dream so much as a rider or as a directeur... it reflects the work of everyone," he added.

  As is the case for many smaller squads, funding is a constant issue that hangs over the heads of team management and riders. The performance of the Xacobeo Galicia outfit at this year's Vuelta should go a long way in securing its future, something Pino says is not completely certain but at least stable for the time being.

  "So far, as some newspaper say, I have had no communication [about sponsorship]; we have a contract until the end of 2010," he explained. "Those who decide are the bosses, but I hope there are no problems and [we can] formalise the [team's] continuity for more than two years."

• Consistency, maturity key to Valverde's title

  

  Article published:

  September 22, 2009, 02:23

  By:

  Les Clarke

  Rivals and manager agree on Spaniard's grand tour pedigree

  While Alejandro Valverde has received praise from all quarters for his winning performance in this year's Vuelta a España, fellow contender Samuel Sanchez and Caisse d'Epargne manager Eusebio Unzué have explained why the Spaniard managed to make the title his after years of trying.

  "At the end he was the best of La Vuelta. There were 21 days of competition - what is at a premium is consistency, and Valverde struggled the least. I had few delays over the 3000 kilometres and didn't win because Valverde was better than me and took advantage of my mistakes," said Samuel Sanchez, who finished second overall to Valverde.

  The consistency the Olympic road race champion speaks of could be seen when Valverde remained solid as rivals such as Robert Gesink, Cadel Evans, Sanchez and Ezequiel Mosquera experienced bad fortune in the form of crashes, poorly-timed mechanical problems or minor form slumps in the mountains.

  Caisse d'Epargne general manager Eusebio Unzué explained that this stoicism is due in a large part to Valverde's increased maturity. In previous editions of the Vuelta, Valverde has stumbled at crucial times whilst in contention for overall honours, resulting in a dramatic drop in the standings or a podium near-miss as the race reached Madrid. In 2009 none of the old scenarios resurfaced and he displayed what many had predicted up to five years ago.

  "In recent years he had created around him a 'fatal' image because he could not stay focused for three weeks but we showed that this was not the case this year. At 29, now he's more mature," Unzué told Europa Press.

  "This tour was very difficult for our team," he continued. "We harnessed the strength of the team, which did a great job, and Alejandro Valverde, who was perfect. All they saw was that he had the threat of his rivals under control. He is a great rider," said Unzué.

  Foe now turns friend as Sanchez is anticipating joining forces with Valverde to take on the Italian juggernaut at the world championships in Mendrisio, Switzerland. "At worlds, [Spanish] coach José Luis de Santos told me that we're free to ride but we must be feeling good; Valverde and I must join forces and face Italy, which is the main rival, since it is a selective worlds," he explained.

• WADA approves 2010 List of Prohibited Substances

  

  Article published:

  September 22, 2009, 09:56

  By:

  Hedwig Kröner

  Salbutamol permitted below threshold, pseudoephedrine banned

  The Executive Committee of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) has approved its new list of Prohibited Substances and Methods for 2010. While the new list will be published on October 1, WADA has already released two major changes, both taking effect on January 1, 2010.

  In a significant change to the WADA list, asthma medication salbutamol will no longer require a Therapeutic Use Exemption (TUE), but rather a simplified declaration of use. The use of the substance, which remains prohibited if its concentration is found to be above 1,000 nanograms per millilitre of urine, will be permitted below this threshold without a TUE. According to WADA, "this measure will allow the handling of salbutamol by anti-doping organizations in a more cost-efficient way."

  But this step has already led to some controversy within anti-doping institutions. According to Michel Rieu, scientist at the French Anti-Doping Agency, salbutamol should remain banned in any concentration. Rieu said to L'Equipe that in order to reach the 1000 ng/ml threshold, "you really have to mess things up and not follow classic doping protocol. Those who cheat use salbutamol as a cure, out of competition, and are careful not to reach these kind of concentrations during competition."

  The use of salbutamol in cycling is wide-spread and many pro cyclists justify their intake of the substance by citing breathing problems due to asthma. Alessandro Petacchi, for example, tested positive for the drug in 2007. The Italian's urine values exceeded the 1000 ng/ml threshold, and the athlete was forced to prove that this high finding was a consequence of his therapeutic use of the asthma medication.

  Pseudoephedrine banned

  Pseudoephedrine will be reintroduced to the WADA list as a stimulant. Pseudoephedrine had been banned until 2004, when it was included in the WADA's monitoring program in order to detect patterns of misuse. Subsequently, the program detected clear abuse of the substance and it will therefore be prohibited again as of next year.

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