Second Edition Cycling News, Thursday, August 6, 2009

• Previous Edition
• Next Edition

Date published:

August 6, 2009, 23:00

• O'Grady, Fuglsang to lead Saxo Bank at Tour of Ireland

  

  Article published:

  August 6, 2009, 20:46

  By:

  Cycling News

  Deignan in for Cervelo

  Stuart O'Grady will lead a strong Saxo Bank team for this year's Tour of Ireland, which commences on August 21. He will be joined by Tour of Denmark and Tour of Slovenia winner Jakob Fugslang as well as Denmark stage winner Matti Breschel, Briton Jonny Bellis, Karsten Kroon, Kurth Asle Arvesen and Alexander Kolobnev.

  The 35-year-old O'Grady was winner of the 2007 Paris-Roubaix, won the Olympic gold medal in the men's Madison in 2004 and has spent nine days in the yellow jersey in the Tour de France (three days in 1998 and six in 2001).

  The Cervélo TestTeam has confirmed Irishman Philip Deignan as part of its seven man team. The 25-year-old from Letterkenny is a talented climber with two top 10 finishes in stages of the Vuelta España. He rode the Giro d'Italia for the second time this year. Deignan is joined by Dan Fleeman, Daniel Lloyd, Roger Hammond, Martin Reimer, Jeremy Hunt and Davide Appollonio.

  Hunt showed his form last week when he took his first win of the season in stage four of the Tour of Denmark with Hammond finishing on the podium in third place overall.

• Van Hummel returns at Profronde van Oostvoorne

  

  Article published:

  August 6, 2009, 11:40

  By:

  Richard Tyler

  Tour de France experience a boost for Dutchman's career

  Kenny van Hummel is looking forward to making his return to the peloton on Thursday for the first time since being forced to abandon his debut Tour de France last month. The Skil-Shimano sprinter told Cyclingnews that his recovery from the crash has been slow, but he expects the experience gained at the Grand Tour will provide the next big step in his career.

  "Normally I recover from injuries really fast, but at the moment it's going slow," said van Hummel. "But now I can start my training again and today I will do my first criterium since the Tour."

  Van Hummel suffered a severe laceration to his knee on July 22 after a crash on the Col de Saises that required nine stitches. He said he expects to race in the Profronde van Oostvoorne, a Dutch criterium, on Thursday afternoon.

  During the Tour de France van Hummel became a hero for spectators. In particular, it was the traditionally Rabobank-oriented Dutch fans getting behind the 26-year-old. While he hasn't raced since the Tour, his new found celebrity status has seen van Hummel involved with the traditional post-Tour criteriums.

  "I did fire the gun for the guys at some criteriums," he said. "A lot of people know me now in Holland. So when I came back to the airport in Amsterdam after the Tour there were a lot of cameras, journalists and fans. That was all new for me. That all changed [during the Tour]."

  Van Hummel's daily battles with the Tour's daily time cuts in the mountain stages were one of the most endearing images of the race. He says climbing at the Tour was a completely new experience for him, but one that he was grateful for.

  "I missed some horsepower this year. I know what I have to do for next year. It was the first time for me that I was riding in the real hills so it was a new experience, it was heavy, but I was fighting every day and made it to the finish inside the time limit every time. I know that I have to do some more climbing on the hills. I think with this experience I will be stronger."

  Van Hummel, who has won five races this season, said Skil-Shimano had taken him to the Tour in order to build experience and did not place too much pressure on him to achieve results. He finished seventh on stage 10 to Issoudun, but with his teammates often exhausted in their efforts to make breakaways he was often left to his own devices in the sprints.

  "I didn't do a lot of sprints in the Tour, I think only three or four; the level was high," he said. "You need a really strong team in the Tour otherwise you don't race for first place. The team took me to the Tour to get some experience so that was the most important thing. It was not important to get a result. The tactic of the team was to go on the attack so they took a lot of guys who were good to get in breakaways. It was not a team for leading out a sprinter.

  "Of course whenever I sprint I want to have a good result but I didn't have the team [at the Tour]. Normally this year I have ridden for the victory. I've won five sprints this year and every time I had the same teammates to do the lead out for me, but they weren't at the Tour."

  Having recently extended his contract and with the Tour de France starting in The Netherlands next year van Hummel hopes to be part of a Skil-Shimano Tour team better suited to his strengths. He feels the Team performed strongly at this year's race and looks forward to racing again next year.

  "Next year will be different. Next year we have the start in Rotterdam so I've got the experience now and I will be one year stronger. I hope the team will be confident to take two or three riders to help lead me out.

  We were in the breakaways the whole race and showed ourselves. I think we did a good performance this year so I hope they will give us a wildcard invitation to the Tour next year."

  Looking ahead

  Skil-Shimano's chances of starting next year's Tour de France will get a significant boost if they are successful in their current bid to attain ProTour status. Even if the team does join the the ProTour Van Hummel says he doesn't expect too much change for him as a rider.

  "First I heard of it [the application for ProTour licence] was from the media and then I called the manager and he told me he'd been in Switzerland to meet with the UCI. They are still talking, so next year we may be a ProTour team, but it's not decided yet," he said.

  "I think it will be the same team, maybe a little bit bigger with some more riders but I think it won't change much more than that."

  Van Hummel's immediate priority will be to defend his lead in the International Cycling Union's (UCI) Europe Tour. He wears the white leader's jersey and is 137 points ahead of Italian Alessandro Petacchi (LPR Brakes).

  "I will start in ENECO Tour of Benelux. I am the leader in the UCI Europe Tour so I would like to go for all the Belgian races and I can get a lot of points in those sorts of races. I will go for the Europe Tour jersey, I think it is important to win for both [me and the team].

  "I want to show myself in the last races of the season. After the ENECO Tour I want to be in good shape for the smaller Belgian races so maybe I can win a few of them."
   

• Steegmans to BBox Bouygues Telecom?

  

  Article published:

  August 6, 2009, 12:34

  By:

  Richard Tyler

  Move to French team possible as Bernaudeau builds

  Gert Steegmans looks set to find a new team quickly following the dissolution of his contract with Russian ProTour team, Katusha, on Wednesday. Belgian media sources have reported that Steegmans is in talks with a number of teams, with French squad BBox Bouygues Telecom being suggested as a likely destination.

  Belgian newspaper De Standaard reported on Thursday that Steegmans may sign with Bouygues Telecom as team manager Jean-René Bernaudeau looks to improve the squad's chances for next year's Spring Classics.

  Bouygues Telecom has traditionally taken a back seat to Belgian and Dutch squads in the first part of the season, but the addition of Steegmans would provide valuable experience for the northern Classics. Currently, there are no Belgian riders on the team's predominantly French 27-man roster

  Despite a strong performance at last month's Tour de France, where the team won two stages, Bernaudeau will be looking to secure his team's future over the next twelve months.

  The French telecommunications company, Bouygues Telecom, announced on July 15 that it would support the team until the end of next year. The ProTour squad announced at the same time that it would look for a co-sponsor for next season, capable of assuming full sponsorship in 2011.
   

• Cavendish headlines Columbia's Tour of Missouri squad

  

  Article published:

  August 6, 2009, 15:15

  By:

  Richard Tyler

  Hincapie uncertain for Midwest Tour

  Team Columbia-HTC is planning to bring its prolific champion Mark Cavendish to lead the squad at the Tour of Missouri next month. The winner of six stages at this year's Tour de France will bring his top lead-out men to the American race, but it is uncertain whether George Hincapie will be included in the team's line-up. Still recovering from a broken collarbone, Hincapie is expected to confirm his participation within the next three weeks.

  If Hincapie is able to start in Missouri, Cavendish will be joined by three teammates from this year's Tour de France. Australians Michael Rogers and Mark Renshaw are both scheduled to race. Michael Barry and Marco Pinotti complete the six-man line up.

  "We're pleased to be able to bring a top roster to the Missouri in the hope of repeating our success of last year and to be a part of a great spectacle for the fans of cycling in America," said Columbia manager Bob Stapleton.

  Columbia performed strongly at last year's race with Rogers claiming second in the general classification behind Christian Vande Velde (Garmin-Slipstream), while Cavendish won three stages and the points classification. The latter has been racing extensively in the European post-Tour criterium circuit and should be in good form when the race starts on September 7.

  "It is a very important part of our mission to contribute to the growth of racing in the US. The Tour of Missouri is a very well-run and promoted race that is attracting top teams from around the globe and is increasingly recognized as a top international event," said Stapleton.

  The announcement of the Columbia team was welcome news for race organisers. Threats of budget cuts by the Missouri state government had put the race's future into question in July. The matter was resolved the same month and the race continues this year with its third edition.

  "To have the world's top sprinter, second place overall finisher from last year's race, and the 2007 race champion all on the same roster coming, it's a beautiful thing," said race director Jim Birrell. "Like last year, they certainly should be a team to contend with for both the overall classification title and individual stage wins."
   

• Cervélo's women lead team World rankings

  

  Article published:

  August 6, 2009, 16:19

  By:

  Richard Tyler

  Vos extends her lead in individual standings

  The women's Cervélo TestTeam squad has topped the latest International Cycling Union's (UCI) World rankings, published by cycling's governing body this week. Dutchwoman Marianne Vos continues to lead the individual standings by a considerable margin.

  Claudia Häusler's recent win in the Giro Donne helped the German registered Cervélo squad move to the top of the rankings. Cervélo now holds a six point lead over Team Columbia-HTC. Equipe Nürnberger Versicherung is in third, 423 points further back.

  Despite trailing Emma Johansson in the Women's World Cup standings, Marianne Vos has extended her lead over the Swede in the World rankings. Vos won her third World Cup round of the season on Sunday at the Open de Suède Vargarda. She has 1336 points to Johansson's 1022. Olympic, World and Great Britain Champion Nicole Cooke is in third place with 777 points.

  The lists below detail the full team and individual UCI World rankings for women:

  Team Rankings

  1	Cervélo TestTeam (Ger)	2131	pts
  2	Team Columbia-HTC Women (Ger)	2125
  3	Equipe Nürnberger Versicherung (Ger)	1702
  4	Dsb Bank - Lto (Ned)	1552
  5	Red Sun Cycling Team (Ned)	1217
  6	Vision 1 Racing (Gbr)	963
  7	Bigla Cycling Team (Sui)	827
  8	Lotto-Belisol Ladiesteam (Bel)	826
  9	Safi (Ltu)	784
  10	Team Flexpoint (Ned)	743
  11	Gauss Rdz Ormu - Colnago (Ita)	570
  12	Selle Italia Ghezzi (Ita)	524
  13	S.C. Michela Fanini Record Rox (Ita)	519
  14	Leontien.Nl (Ned)	438
  15	Fenixs (Ita)	374
  16	Mtn Ladies (Rsa)	232
  17	Petrogradets (Rus)	228
  18	Giant Pro Cycling (Hkg)	164
  19	Vienne Futuroscope (Fra)	156
  20	Esgl 93-Gsd Gestion (Fra)	146
  21	Usc Chirio Forno D'asolo (Ita)	122
  22	Team Cmax Dila' (Ita)	118
  23	Team Hitec Products Uck (Nor)	111
  24	Top Girls Fassa Bortolo Raxy Line (Ita)	70
  25	Team Uniqa - Elk (Aut)	65
  26	Topsport Vlaanderen Thompson Ladies Team (Bel)	63
  27	Lointek (Esp)	22
  28	Bizkaia (Esp)	7

  Individual Rankings

  1	Marianne Vos (Ned)	1336	pts
  2	Emma Johansson (Swe)	1022
  3	Nicole Cooke (Gbr)	777
  4	Trixi Worrack (Ger)	776
  5	Judith Arndt (Ger)	770
  6	Kirsten Wild (Ned)	747
  7	Ina Teutenberg (Ger)	651
  8	Linda Melanie Villumsen (Den)	484
  9	Claudia Häusler (Ger)	484
  10	Giorgia Bronzini (Ita)	479
  11	Emma Pooley (Gbr)	463
  12	Rochelle Gilmore (Aus)	459
  13	Christiane Soeder (Aut)	438
  14	Kristin Armstrong (Usa)	417
  15	Noemi Cantele (Ita)	371
  16	Amber Neben (Usa)	361
  17	Suzanne De Goede (Ned)	345
  18	Chloe Hosking (Aus)	316
  19	Susanne Ljungskog (Swe)	312
  20	Loes Gunnewijk (Ned)	290
  21	Grace Verbeke (Bel)	287
  22	Tatiana Guderzo (Ita)	266
  23	Fabiana Luperini (Ita)	265
  24	Julia Martisova (Rus)	235
  25	Chantal Blaak (Ned)	226
  26	Charlotte Becker (Ger)	220
  27	Luise Keller (Ger)	220
  28	Mara Abbott (Usa)	215
  29	Svetlana Bubnenkova (Rus)	209
  30	Regina Bruins (Ned)	201
  31	Karin Thürig (Swi)	197
  32	Jeannie Longo-Ciprelli (Fra)	195
  33	Diana Ziliute (Ltu)	191
  34	Martine Bras (Ned)	187
  35	Sarah Düster (Ger)	181
  36	Edita Pucinskaite (Ltu)	175
  37	Monia Baccaille (Ita)	172
  38	Joanne Kiesanowski (Nzl)	172
  39	Andrea Bosman (Ned)	172
  40	Carla Ryan (Aus)	170
  41	Ruth Corset (Aus)	162
  42	Edwige Pitel (Fra)	160
  43	Bridie O'donnell (Aus)	151
  44	Monica Holler (Swe)	148
  45	Alexandra Burchenkova (Rus)	133
  46	Marta Vila Josana Andreu (Esp)	118
  47	Nicole Brändli (Swi)	110
  48	Priska Doppmann (Swi)	110
  49	Liesbeth De Vocht (Bel)	109
  50	Chantal Beltman (Ned)	107
  51	Tatiana Antoshina (Rus)	104
  52	Eva Lutz (Ger)	103
  53	Marlen Johrend (Ger)	102
  54	Paulina Brzezna (Pol)	101
  55	Vicki Whitelaw (Aus)	100
  56	Cashandra Slingerland (Rsa)	99
  57	Evelyn Garcia (Esa)	93
  58	Alexandra Wrubleski (Can)	92
  59	Eleonora Van Dijk (Ned)	91
  60	Regina Schleicher (Ger)	90
  61	Kimberly Anderson (Usa)	89
  62	Sara Mustonen (Swe)	88
  63	Tara Whitten (Can)	86
  64	Rasa Leleivyte (Ltu)	86
  65	Christel Ferrier-Bruneau (Fra)	83
  66	Joelle Numainville (Can)	83
  67	Mirjam Melchers-Van Poppel (Ned)	82
  68	Zulfiya Zabirova (Kaz)	79
  69	Ludivine Henrion (Bel)	75
  70	Alexis Rhodes (Aus)	72
  71	Amber Halliday (Aus)	70
  72	Rosane Kirch (Bra)	69
  73	Marissa Van Der Merwe (Rsa)	67
  74	Katie Colclough (Gbr)	66
  75	Modesta Vzesniauskaite (Ltu)	66
  76	Emilia Fahlin (Swe)	63
  77	Svitlana Galyuk (Ukr)	63
  78	Kirsty Broun (Aus)	63
  79	Min Gao (Chi)	62
  80	Jolanta Polikeviciute (Ltu)	60
  81	Nikki Egyed (Aus)	59
  82	Iris Slappendel (Ned)	59
  83	Marie Lindberg (Swe)	58
  84	Denise Zuckermandel (Ger)	58
  85	Karine Gautard (Fra)	57
  86	Tania Belvederesi (Ita)	57
  87	Paola Munoz (Chi)	56
  88	Angela Hennig (Ger)	56
  89	Larissa Kleinmann (Ger)	53
  90	Loes Markerink (Ned)	53
  91	Adrie Visser (Ned)	52
  92	Lauren Franges (Usa)	52
  93	Na Zhao (Chi)	52
  94	Kelly Druyts (Bel)	50
  95	Karin Aune (Swe)	48
  96	Elena Novikova (Rus)	47
  97	Elizabeth Armitstead (Gbr)	46
  98	Hanka Kupfernagel (Ger)	45
  99	Madeleine Sandig (Ger)	45
  100	Alessandra D'ettorre (Ita)	44
  101	Jennifer Hohl (Swi)	43
  102	Yulia Iliynikh (Rus)	43
  103	Trine Schmidt (Den)	43
  104	Shelley Olds (Usa)	43
  105	Martina Corazza (Ita)	43
  106	Jennie Stenerhag (Swe)	42
  107	Lesya Kalitovska (Ukr)	42
  108	Gina Grain (Can)	41
  109	Catherine Cheatley (Nzl)	40
  110	Grete Treier (Est)	40
  111	Giuseppina Grassi Herrera (Mex)	39
  112	Sophie Creux (Fra)	39
  113	Peta Mullens (Aus)	39
  114	Aurelie Halbwachs (Mri	38
  115	Lang Meng (Chi)	38
  116	Marina Jaunatre (Fra)	37
  117	Verónica Leal Balderas (Mex)	37
  118	Tiffany Cromwell (Aus)	37
  119	Bettina Kuhn (Swi)	36
  120	Martina Ruzickova (Cze)	35
  121	Iryna Shpylyova (Ukr)	35
  122	Janildes Fernandes Silva (Bra)	34
  123	Vera Koedooder (Ned)	34
  124	Gloria Presti (Ita)	33
  125	Maryline Salvetat (Fra)	33
  126	Pascale Jeuland (Fra)	32
  127	Laura Bozzolo (Ita)	31
  128	Christine Thorburn (Usa)	31
  129	Anna Evseeva (Rus)	30
  130	Claudia Witteveen (Ned)	30
  131	Magali Mocquery (Fra)	30
  132	Elisabeth Braam (Ned)	30
  133	Adriana Rojas (Crc)	29
  134	Anke Wichmann (Ger)	29
  135	Lorena Foresi (Ita)	28
  136	Oxana Kozonchuk (Rus)	28
  137	Marina Romoli (Ita)	28
  138	Irene Van Den Broek (Ned)	27
  139	Sharon Laws (Gbr)	25
  140	Saskia Elemans (Ned)	25
  141	Davina Summers (Aus)	24
  142	Ibtisam Zbara (Mar)	24
  143	Nadia Amhaouch (Mar)	24
  144	Urte Juodvalkyte (Ltu)	24
  145	Luisa Tamanini (Ita)	23
  146	Karen Fulton (Nzl)	22
  147	Moriah Macgregor (Can)	22
  148	Andrea Thürig (Swi)	21
  149	Patricia Schwager (Swi)	21
  150	Kathryn Watt (Aus)	21
  151	Andrea Wolfer (Swi)	21
  152	Nikki Harris (Gbr)	21
  153	Brooke Miller (Usa)	21
  154	Nathalie Lamborelle (Lux)	20
  155	Yuzhuo Zhang (Chi)	20
  156	Julie Krasniak (Fra)	20
  157	Petra Dijkman (Ned)	20
  158	Tina Liebig (Ger)	20
  159	Mounia Aitbaghanem (Mar)	17
  160	Annemiek Van Vleuten (Ned)	16
  161	Liesbeth Bakker (Ned)	16
  162	Tatiana Panina Shishkova (Rus)	16
  163	Edita Janeliunaite (Ltu)	16
  164	Isabelle Söderberg (Swe)	16
  165	Alexandra Greenfield (Gbr)	16
  166	Jessica Schneeberger (Swi)	16
  167	Lucy Martin (Gbr)	16
  168	Emma Trott (Gbr)	16
  169	Alison Powers (Usa)	16
  170	Fatima Chabouk (Mar)	16
  171	Marcela Rubiano (Crc)	16
  172	Elodie Touffet (Fra)	15
  173	Edith Guillen (Crc)	15
  174	Anne Arnouts (Bel)	14
  175	Béatrice Thomas (Fra)	14
  176	Katharine Carroll (Usa)	14
  177	Lucinda Brand (Ned)	14
  178	Sereina Trachsel (Swi)	13
  179	Elissavet Chantzi (Gre)	13
  180	Tatsiana Sharakova (Blr)	13
  181	Evgeniya Vysotskaya (Ukr)	13
  182	Jovana Krtinic (Srb)	13
  183	Pong Sim Pak (Nko)	13
  184	Melissa Holt (Nzl)	13
  185	Cherise Taylor (Rsa)	13
  186	Maaris Meier (Est)	12
  187	Monika Kadlecová (Svk)	12
  188	Lynette Burger (Rsa)	12
  189	Flavia Oliveira (Usa)	12
  190	Birgit Söllner (Ger)	12
  191	Fabienne Sommer (Swi)	12
  192	Catherine Williamson (Gbr)	12
  193	Inna Panina (Rus)	12
  194	Inga Cilvinaite (Ltu)	12
  195	Jessie Maclean (Aus)	12
  196	Cindy Morales (Gua)	12
  197	Monique Van De Ree (Ned)	12
  198	Martina Zwick (Ger)	12
  199	Laura Lorenza Morfin Macouzet (Mex)	12
  200	Alena Amialyusik (Blr)	12
  201	Xin Liu (Chi)	12
  202	Daiva Tuslaite (Ltu)	12
  203	Jarmila Machacova (Cze)	11
  204	Mirjam Hauser-Senn (Swi)	11
  205	Elke Gebhardt (Ger)	11
  206	Veronica Andreasson (Swe)	11
  207	Mascha Pijnenborg (Ned)	11
  208	Liisa Ehrberg (Est)	10
  209	Christine Majerus (Lux)	10
  210	Mia Radotic (Cro)	10
  211	Tereza Hurikova (Cze)	10
  212	Alzbeta Pavlendova (Svk)	10
  213	Monika Kiraly (Hun)	10
  214	Kanako Nishi (Jpn)	10
  215	Eniko Nagy (Rou)	10
  216	Narcia Dick (Guy	10
  217	Linn Torp (Nor)	10
  218	Carina Ketonen (Fin)	10
  219	Alison Testroete (Can)	10
  220	Heather Wilson (Irl	10
  221	Marina Bodulak (Cro)	10
  222	Malgorzta Jasinska (Pol)	10
  223	Nor Azian Alias (Mas	10
  224	Julie Beveridge (Can)	10
  225	Oxana Kashchyshyna (Ukr)	10
  226	Diana Elmentaite (Ltu)	10
  227	Maja Wloszczowska (Pol)	10
  228	Carlee Taylor (Aus)	10
  229	Jenny Macpherson (Aus)	10
  230	Fine Azogoua Akendengue (Gab)	10
  231	Catherine Delfosse (Bel)	10
  232	Erinne Willock (Can)	10
  233	Leigh Hobson (Can)	10
  234	Sigrid Corneo (Slo)	10
  235	Alona Andruk (Ukr)	10
  236	Valentina Carretta (Ita)	10
  237	Athina Chatzistyli (Gre)	9
  238	Dragana Kovacevic (Srb)	9
  239	Nina Ovcharenko (Ukr)	9
  240	Pascale Schnider (Swi)	9
  241	Romy Kasper (Ger)	9
  242	Elin S. Fylkesnes (Nor)	9
  243	Marta Tagliaferro (Ita)	9
  244	Lotta Lepistö (Fin)	8
  245	Valerie Hofstetter (Swi)	8
  246	Julia Shaw (Gbr)	8
  247	Aleksandra Dawidowicz (Pol)	8
  248	Carla Swart (Rsa)	8
  249	Yuliana Arroyo (Crc)	8
  250	Lianne Wagtho (Ned)	8
  251	Barbara Guarischi (Ita)	8
  252	Fiona Spargo (Aus)	8
  253	Anna Zugno (Ita)	8
  254	Alice Marmorini (Ita)	8
  255	Kate Cullen (Gbr)	8
  256	Laura Camila Lozano Ramirez (Col)	8
  257	Chrissy Ruiter (Usa)	8
  258	An Van Rie (Bel)	8
  259	Eneritz Iturriagaechevarria Mazaga (Esp)	8
  260	Janneke Kanis (Ned)	8
  261	Sjoukje Dufoer (Bel)	8
  262	Jenny Trew (Can)	8
  263	Bianca Knoepfle (Ger)	8
  264	Veronika Katonane Simon (Hun)	7
  265	Anne-Marie Schmitt (Lux)	7
  266	Daniela Pintarelli (Aut)	7
  267	Anita Rita Kenyo (Hun)	7
  268	Clemilda Fernandes Silva (Bra)	7
  269	Akemi Morimoto (Jpn)	7
  270	Ana Condurache (Rou)	7
  271	Naoimi Singh (Guy	7
  272	Oksana Popko (Blr)	7
  273	Belén López (Esp)	7
  274	Merja Kiviranta (Fin))	7
  275	Olivia Dillon (Irl)	7
  276	Edyta Jasinska (Pol)	7
  277	Nurul Ahmar Badeuzzaman (Mas	7
  278	Jing Ok Ri (Nko)	7
  279	Ashleigh Moolman (Rsa)	7
  280	Kristen Lasasso (Usa)	7
  281	Anne Samplonius (Can)	7
  282	Natalia Boyarskaya (Rus)	7
  283	Kori Kelley Seehafer (Usa)	7
  284	Paola Maria Salazar Rabbe (Gua)	7
  285	Natalya Stefanskaya (Kaz)	7
  286	Valeria Muller (Arg	6
  287	Devon Haskell (Usa)	6
  288	Viktoriya Vologdina (Ukr)	6
  289	Diana Rast (Swi)	6
  290	Elena Berlato (Ita)	6
  291	Donata Urzaite (Ltu)	6
  292	Paula Gorycka (Pol)	6
  293	Nathalie Jeuland (Fra)	6
  294	Yeima Torres Beltran (Cub)	6
  295	Marina Duvnjak (Nzl)	6
  296	Clare Vlahopoulos (Aus)	6
  297	Julie Augizeau (Fra)	6
  298	Tanja Hennes (Ger)	6
  299	Tina Mayolo Pic (Usa)	6
  300	Eva Lechner (Ita)	6
  301	Audrey Cordon (Fra)	6
  302	Cristiane Silva (Bra)	5
  303	Vilija Sereikaite (Ltu)	5
  304	Silvia Valsecchi (Ita)	5
  305	Debora Gerhard (Bra)	5
  306	Rie Enomoto (Jpn)	5
  307	Lavinia Rolea (Rou))	5
  308	Dimitra Plesioti (Gre)	5
  309	Alena Sitsko (Blr)	5
  310	Marie Voreland (Nor)	5
  311	Leticia Gil Parra (Esp)	5
  312	Ann-Mary Ähtävä (Fin))	5
  313	Vanesa Durman (Srb)	5
  314	Merrill Collins (Can)	5
  315	Jelena Gracin (Cro)	5
  316	Veronika Vilimova (Svk)	5
  317	Masiyaton Mohd Radzi (Mas)	5
  318	Yong Ok Ri (Nko)	5
  319	Tracy Clark (Nzl)	5
  320	Nina Koehn (Ger)	5
  321	Lorena Vargas (Col))	5
  322	Loes Sels (Bel)	5
  323	Christina Becker (Ger)	5
  324	Nataliya Yelisseyeva (Kaz)	5
  325	Lieselot Decroix (Bel)	5
  326	Jemma O'brien (Aus)	5
  327	Jaccolien Wallaard (Ned)	5
  328	Anna Sanchis Chafer (Esp)	5
  329	Eleonora Soldo (Ita)	5
  330	Yulia Blindyuk (Rus)	5
  331	Agne Bagdonaviciute (Ltu)	5
  332	Marit Huisman (Ned)	5
  333	Eleonora Patuzzo (Ita)	5
  334	Irina Molicheva (Rus)	5
  335	Semra Yetis (Tur	5
  336	Lauren Kitchen (Aus)	5
  337	Rachel Mercer (Nzl)	4
  338	Magali Le Floch (Fra)	4
  339	Latoya Brulee (Bel)	4
  340	Aline Paroliz (Bra)	3
  341	Helja Korhonen (Fin))	3
  342	Mariya Slokotovich (Kaz)	3
  343	Debora Galvez Lopez (Esp)	3
  344	Anikó Révész (Hun)	3
  345	Gunn Hilleren (Nor)	3
  346	Bogumila Matusiak (Pol)	3
  347	Bernadette Schober (Aut)	3
  348	Barbara Benko (Hun)	3
  349	Laura Lepasalu (Est)	3
  350	Ayako Toyooka (Jpn)	3
  351	Estera Tirziman (Rou))	3
  352	Eleni Klapanara (Gre)	3
  353	Katsiaryna Barazna (Blr)	3
  354	Monique Ludovicy (Lux)	3
  355	Tone Hatteland (Nor)	3
  356	Ana Garcia Antequera (Esp)	3
  357	Nikoleta Mitrovic (Srb)	3
  358	Michelle Geoghegan (Irl	3
  359	Pavla Havlikova (Cze)	3
  360	Zuzana Vojtasova (Svk)	3
  361	Katarzyna Pawlowska (Pol)	3
  362	Mariana Mohammad (Mas	3
  363	Robyn De Groot (Rsa)	3
  364	Emma Petersen (Nzl)	3
  365	Tetyana Mykhaylova (Ukr)	3
  366	Jasmin Achermann (Swi)	3
  367	Dani King (Gbr)	3
  368	Roberta Pilkauskaite (Ltu)	3
  369	Yulissa Rios (Pan)	3
  370	Simona Frapporti (Ita)	3
  371	Shara Gillow (Aus)	3
  372	Sarah Kent (Aus)	3
  373	Sylvie Gaillon (Fra)	3
  374	Jessica Fernanda Jurado (Mex)	3
  375	Liping Zhang (Chi)	3
  376	Catherine Lohri (Swi)	3
  377	Monika Schachl (Aut)	3
  378	Claudia Meyer (Ger)	3
  379	Catrine Josefsson (Swe)	2
  380	Madeleine Olsson (Swe)	2
  381	Maja Marukic (Cro)	2
  382	Hanna Taukanitsa (Blr)	2
  383	Marina Andreichenko (Kaz)	2
  384	Gema Pascual Torrecilla (Esp)	2
  385	Bjørg Eva Jensen (Nor)	2
  386	Ye Song O (Nko)	2
  387	Sonia Waddell (Nzl)	2
  388	Ausrine Trebaite (Ltu)	2
  389	Mélodie Lesueur (Fra)	2
  390	Valeriya Kononenko (Ukr)	2
  391	Kirsten Peetoom (Ned)	2
  392	Emma Silversides (Gbr)	2
  393	Eleonora Suelotto (Ita)	2
  394	Alessandra Borchi (Ita)	2
  395	Emma Mackie (Aus)	2
  396	Rebeca Gonzalez (Crc)	2
  397	Kristine Saastad (Nor)	2
  398	Emma Skjerstad (Nor)	2
  399	Cecilie Johansen (Nor)	2
  400	Valentina Bastianelli (Ita)	2
  401	Jennifer Fiori (Ita)	2
  402	Laura Pisaneschi (Ita)	2
  403	Noortje Tabak (Ned)	1
  404	Maria Kazachenko (Rus)	1
  405	Amber Rais (Usa)	1
  406	Kristin Mcgrath (Usa)	1
  407	Katheryn Curi Mattis (Usa)	1
  408	Emmanuelle Merlot (Fra)	1
  409	Florence Girardet (Fra)	1

   

   

• Veelers, Curvers and Wagner extend contracts with Skil-Shimano

  

  Article published:

  August 6, 2009, 17:32

  By:

  Richard Tyler

  Skil-Shimano bolster squad ahead of ProTour application

  Skil-Shimano announced on Thursday that they have secured contract extensions with three of its current riders. Dutchmen Tom Veelers and Roy Curvers will stay with the team until 2011, while German Robert Wagner has agreed to an option in his current contract to stay until the end of 2010. 

  Both Veelers, 24, and Wagner, 26, have claimed victories for the team this season. Veelers won the final stage of the Tour of Qinghai Lake last month and Wagner won stage two of the Delta Tour Zeeland in June.

  In his second season with the team Curvers, 29, has been a key lead-out man for both Veelers and Kenny van Hummel, who currently leads the International Cycling Union's (UCI) Europe Tour.

  The announcement of the latest contract extensions comes as Skil-Shimano prepares to secure ProTour status for 2010. Team management have met with the UCI to begin the process of applying for the licence.

  Last month the team announced that six members of their Tour de France team had agreed to continue with the squad.

• Ballan wins first in Worlds' rainbow jersey

  

  Article published:

  August 6, 2009, 18:22

  By:

  Cyclingnews

  Alessandro Ballan finally gets a win as World Champion by winning stage in Tour de Pologne

  It takes rain to make a rainbow, and it took a torrential downpour to lift the curse of the rainbow bands from the shoulders of World Champion Alessandro Ballan.

  The Tour of Poland had been enjoying unusually nice weather and a series of bunch sprints in the first four stages this week. But that all changed Thursday as race punished the riders with eight relatively short but sharp climbs in the second half of the 163km fifth stage, and rain pounded down as they neared the finish.

  As the riders headed to the penultimate summit with 10km to go, Ballan rocketed out of the peloton and powered over the top. Only a few attentive riders were quick enough to catch the flying Italian, but none were a match the power of the winner of the 2007 Tour of Flanders in a sprint.

  For Ballan, the win helped rescue a season that has been hampered by illness. He began to show some form in the Tour de France, where he went on the attack on stage 19 only to be hunted down by the Columbia-HTC team who set up the win for its sprinter Mark Cavendish.

  "I knew my form was good after the Tour de France and I said my aim was to win in Poland," said Ballan, thanking his teammates who set up his winning move with a succession of attacks.

  The victory will also help in Ballan's job search after he announced his departure from the Lampre team, which was only offering him a one-year contract.

• Pellizotti and Nibali deny working with Ferrari

  

  Article published:

  August 6, 2009, 18:44

  By:

  Richard Tyler

  Liquigas riders launch anti-defamation action

  Franco Pellizotti and Vincenzo Nibali commenced anti-defamation action on Thursday after the publication of an article by Italian newspaper La Repubblica accusing the two riders of training with controversial Italian physician, Michele Ferrari prior to this year's Tour de France.

  Italian website Tuttobiciweb reported on Thursday that both Pellizotti and Nibali denied having worked with Ferrari, with Nibali denying having ever met Ferrari. According to Tuttobiciweb, Pellizotti has asked lawyer Alessandra Rech to commence anti-defamation proceedings, while Nibali was reported to have engaged law firm Maluccio & Baldi in action against the authors of the alleged defamatory article.

  The article, published in La Repubblica on Wednesday, featured quotes from Ivano Fanini, president of Continental squad Amore & Vita-McDonald. Fanini alleged that Pellizotti and Nibali had been training with Ferrari in Livigno before this year's Tour de France.

  "There is evidence that Dr. Ferrari, in the weeks preceding the Tour de France, rode on a scooter between Livigno and Saint Morritz following a number of riders, including Nibali and Pellizotti, with a stopwatch in hand," said Fanini, according to La Repubblica.

  Pellizotti won the mountains classification and the overall combativity prize at the French Grand Tour, while Nibali finished seventh in the general classification.

  The La Repubblica article also alleged that two riders had worked with Ferrari in Livigno in 2007. Fanini said that, at the time, he had advised Liquigas manager, Robert Amadio, who confirmed to him that Nibali and Pellizotti were in Livigno. However, he said Amadio denied that the riders were training with Ferrari.

  In 2004, Ferrari was convicted of sporting fraud and abusing his medical license to write prescriptions. He was sentenced by Judge Maurizio Passarini to suspend his medical license for one year and a fine of €900. However, in 2006 Passarini's judgment was overturned on appeal after the court ruled that the statute of limitations had expired on evidence presented in the original case.

  It is not the first time Fanini has made allegations of a rider training with Michele Ferrari. In 2008, Fanini alleged that Leonardo Bertagnolli, who was riding for Liquigas at the time, had trained with Ferrari in Saint Moritz prior to his victory at the GP Città di Camaiore. Bertagnolli, who now rides for Italian pro continental team Amica Chips-Knauf denied any involvement with Ferrari.