Second Edition Cycling News, Wednesday, November 16, 2011

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Date published:

November 16, 2011, 19:00

• Specialized announce carbon recycling kickoff

  

  Article published:

  November 16, 2011, 01:30

  By:

  BikeRadar

  Starts in spring 2012

  It’s an unfortunate fact there is no clear way to recycle the cycling industry’s carbon fiber, and every year broken carbon fiber simply ends up in landfills. Specialized have already announced their intent to recycle carbon frames; now they’ve come up with a plan to do it.

  Starting in February 2012, riders will be able to take broken frames and components, regardless of brand, to participating Specialized dealers. After which, Specialized will collect the carbon and transport them to Materials Innovation Technology for recycling, the same material handling company Trek currently use. “Specialized is committed to addressing what happens to our bikes at end of life because it’s the right thing to do, but this program isn’t about being brand exclusive,” said Bryant Bainbridge, Specialized’s sustainability strategist via press release. “Trek is also doing good work here and every company in the industry that produces carbon products is encouraged to join in the effort.”

  Specialized plan to report back to the industry at the 2012 Eurobike and Interbike shows, regarding: number of frames recycled, the amount of carbon fiber recovered, and what has been learned. “At that time we will make a formal call for an industry coalition to recycle carbon fiber,” Bainbridge said. “This is a shared industry problem and one we all need to address. We are going to pick up the tab now, but we want everyone on board. This is about collaboration, not egos. Come Eurobike, we’ll share everything we’ve learned.”


  Trek, who produce their top tier carbon frames and components in the US, claim to recycle between 3,500 and 4,500lb (1,590-2,040kg) of scrap each month, which include warranty frames, frames and parts that have been tested or broken in testing, uncured trimmings, and out-of-spec molded parts.

  Materials Innovation Technology’s carbon fiber recycling process is a product of their composite manufacturing business, where they use chopped carbon to make complex composite preforms for the aerospace and automotive industries.

  The recycling program came about as a way to source chopped carbon through a successful carbon recycling experiment with Boeing. “I went looking for that [waste composites], but nobody reclaims composites right now,” Jim Stike, MIT’s founder and CEO told BikeRadar. “With fiberglass there’s no economic viability to doing it. Fiberglass is so cheap, it’s worth more to throw away and start over with new, but carbon fibers are not cheap and if they are properly reclaimed, they can be reused.”

  The result is shorter fibers with the similar properties as the original material. “You’re probably not going to make a bike from recycled carbon, but you can make a range of products with the shorter fibers,” Bainbridge. “Besides keeping these frames out of the landfill, you’re recovering [useable] carbon with significantly less energy than it took to make virgin material.”

• Gallery: A year through the lens of Shane Goss

  

  Article published:

  November 16, 2011, 03:15

  By:

  Cycling News

  A highlights reel from Buninyong to Hainan

  In part two of our photographic series presented this week on Cyclingnews, Shane Goss's 2011 top pictures have been put together for your viewing pleasure.

  Goss, no relation to the Milan-San Remo winner Matt, has worked with Cyclingnews for many years, as a photographer and reporter, providing top quality content from races throughout the Asia Pacific.

  Goss' gallery runs from the Australian Open Road Championships to the recent Tour of Hainan. Enjoy!

  You can also see a full selection of Goss' work at the Licorice Gallery.

• Cavendish unveils Right to Play charity ride

  

  Article published:

  November 16, 2011, 09:29

  By:

  Daniel Benson

  Ride from Liege to London to benefit children around the world

  Mark Cavendish was on hand to unveil Right to Play’s next charity ride last night at an event held by Specialized in London. The ride will take participants from Belgium to London, cycling 300 miles from the Tour de France start in Liege to the Olympic Park in London.

  Cavendish will of course be lining up at the Tour to defend his green jersey but participants in the ride will be able to watch the start of the Tour before their own challenge begins. For Cavendish, the charity is close to his heart and is one he has represented and supported since the early stages of his career.

  “Everything I say is from the heart, and everything I do is from the heart and I don’t just do things for commercial gain. I first met Right to Play when T-Mobile changed to Highroad and Right to Play came along,” he said.

  “I bought into it straight away and everything they do and I’ve always been a massive supporter since. It’s so easy to look at a charity and you can’t really relate to it. I can relate and understand what Right to Play do because it helps underprivileged children through sport.”

  The event will be Right to Play’s fourth annual bike ride and includes all accommodation over the three day event, as well as full support.

  Sports Development Manager Leo Matlock told Cyclingnews that the charity’s desire to work within cycling had increased with a number of ambassadors, such as Cavendish, coming on board.

  “Firstly, cycling is a sport and we’re the world’s biggest sports and development charity with partners all around the world and one of these, first and foremost, was HTC-Highroad, which was to begin with Team Columbia. We became their official charity partner and had our logo on the jersey and had access to the team,” Matlock told Cyclingnews.

  “We then began with a number of ambassadors, Mark Cavendish, Matt Brammeier, Mark Renshaw, and Bernhard Eisel. We recently recruited Specialized as a global partner in a global deal for three years. We then use cycling as  way to fund raise, with bike rides.”

  To find out more and to register for the event click here.

• SunGard leaving Saxo Bank

  

  Article published:

  November 16, 2011, 10:24

  By:

  Cycling News

  Team to be known as Team Saxo Bank Professional Cycling Team as of 2012

  Team Saxo Bank-SunGard will become Team Saxo Bank next season. SunGard is discontinuing its sponsorship and the bank will take over as sole name sponsor again. Owner Bjarne Riis said the change will not affect the team's budget.

  Saxo Bank has sponsored Riis' team since 2008. Last season they were joined by SunGard, one of the world's leading software and technology services companies. According to the team statement, “Saxo Bank has now decided to exercise an option to step up and become the sole title sponsor. All three parties have agreed that the timing is now right for a smooth transition, where SunGard will discontinue its sponsorship.”

  Team owner Bjarne Riis stated: “I am proud that a truly professional company such as Saxo Bank not only continues to see the commercial benefits in sponsoring our teams, but also shows its commitment and faith in our work by stepping up to become the sole title sponsor.”

  Kim Fournais and Lars Seier Christensen, co-CEOs and co-founders of Saxo Bank, said, “Saxo Bank was offered an option to become the sole title sponsor of Riis Cycling, which was an offer we could not turn down. From the outset, we have sincerely wanted to support Bjarne Riis and his team, and with our continued geographical expansion the sponsorship also makes good sense commercially.”

  SunGard first became a sponsor of the team in 2010, moving up to a name sponsor for 2011 and 2012. However, all parties involved have agreed to terminate that agreement early.

  “We have had a successful partnership with Riis Cycling over the past two years and we are pleased that we were part of the team's success. The decision to end our sponsorship was a business decision and not related to the team,” said the company's vice president of communications, George Thomas.

  Riis thanked the company for its support, saying, “I'm forever grateful for SunGard believing in us and stepping up to sponsoring the team at title level at what was a very difficult moment for the team, but SunGard never hid that this wasn't part of their long-term strategy.”

• Hushovd critical of UCI points system

  

  Article published:

  November 16, 2011, 13:35

  By:

  Cycling News

  Makes transfers and team licences tricky, Norwegian says

  Thor Hushovd has criticised the International Cycling Union's points systems, saying it is confusing for riders, teams and nations alike. He appreciated that it makes it easier for new teams to form and non-European riders to join the peloton, but overall it causes too many problems.

  “It is absolutely wrong that the UCI suddenly gives a race like the Tour of Beijing WorldTour status,” he told procycling.no. “You get as many points there as the big, traditional and hard races in Europe. It is a completely wrong program.”

  While points are awarded in most races, the WorldTour races are the ones with the most points. “I think in general the system is completely wrong.  There should have been points in many more races.

  “Teams should have known by now at what level they are going to ride next year. It goes beyond the riders as it is now. There are many people waiting and waiting, but they don't get a contract anywhere.”

  The system could work against some riders in the long run. For example, Iranian riders who have done well in the Asia Tour have been hot on the transfer market, with, for example, Mahdi Sohrabi joining Lotto-Belisol for the coming season. The Belgian team has said it signed him because of his points.

  “It could go both ways. It's exciting that they can get a chance, but it is also completely wrong that they can only be purchased with credits. It's not certain they are good,” the former world champion said.  “They may have the opportunity for one or two years until they lose points. The teams are buying a value there and then, after you have no use for the rider buying. I think it is good that these riders can get a chance, but it is on the wrong basis.”

• Eisel: "It was the right time to end HTC-Highroad"

  

  Article published:

  November 16, 2011, 14:32

  By:

  Cycling News

  Austrian on Cav's Classics options

  In an upcoming interview with Procycling Magazine, Bernhard Eisel says that it was the right time for HTC-Highroad to call it a day. The team announced in August that they were unable to find a new title sponsor and would leave cycling at the end of the current year. Eisel, along with sprinter Mark Cavendish, moved to Team Sky for 2012.

  “I think that [team owner] Bob [Stapleton] was probably right in the end to call it quits. They could probably have kept it going for one more year but it didn’t make sense, as a WorldTour team, to be on the financial limit like that,” Eisel said.

  The Austrian, 30, signed for T-Mobile in 2007 at the same time as Cavendish and the pair struck up a bond that has seen them ride together and become roommates at races.

  Having seen Cavendish develop into the world’s leading sprinter, Eisel is perhaps one of the most knowledgeable when it comes to advising Cavendish on his future. And in the Procycling interview, Eisel says that Cavendish should avoid challenging for races like the Tour of Flanders.

  “I don’t think there’s much point,” he said

  “I mean, now we’re going to Sky and it’s not going to be a one-man show any more: he’ll be the number one sprinter, no question, but at HTC he wanted to ride the Classics partly so that he could help out early in the race, whereas at Sky there are better people to do that. Cav’s a leader: he doesn’t have to help in other races. Also, if he tries to change too much for the Classics he’ll just lose his speed. As for me, it’ll take a bit of time to figure out what my role will be in the Classics, but I think I’ll be a protected rider. Whatever happens, it’s simple for me – I know I’ll have to be in top condition for those races.”

  
  The January issue of Procycling goes on sale on December 1. You can subscribe here.
   

• Armitstead to focus on road at London 2012 Olympics

  

  Article published:

  November 16, 2011, 17:15

  By:

  Cycling News

  Track world champion faced difficult choice

  British rider Lizzie Armitstead has revealed that she will be focussing solely on the road race at the London 2012 Olympics despite being a world champion (2009 team pursuit) and multiple medal winner on the track.

  The 22-year-old’s hand has been forced by the new Olympic regulations, which mean that a nation’s omnium rider must come from the cyclists who take part in the team pursuit. The commitment required to do the latter event would make it almost impossible for any athlete to take on the road race too.

  “Having seen the road course and the way in which the women’s endurance programme is progressing on the track, I don’t think it’s possible to do both,” she said. “Choosing has been difficult. You have to be completely committed to the team pursuit and in order to do that I’d have to give up the road. I had to choose between the two of them and I can’t commit to the team pursuit girls as much as I can commit to the road race because that’s what I am passionate about.”

  Next summer Armitstead will be looking to put the huge disappointment of the 2011 World Road Race Championships behind her. She was part of the British team that was involved in a crash late on in Copenhagen and could only finish in seventh place. She will be hopeful that she and her teammates, including Nicole Cooke, can improve on their showing in Denmark and challenge for an Olympic medal.
   

• Gallery: A year through the lens of Jered Gruber

  

  Article published:

  November 16, 2011, 18:05

  By:

  Cycling News

  A highlight reel from the Classics to Lombardia

  Jered Gruber is a US photographer we at Cyclingnews have been eager to work with all year. This season Gruber, and his wife Ashley, spent the majority of the season in Europe, first at the Spring Classics before a whirlwind Giro d'Italia and then a finale at Lombardia.
  
  In part three of our photographic series presented on Cyclingnews, Gruber's gallery takes us through his highlights, and showcases some of the most striking and detailed images you're likely to see all year.

  You can also see a full selection of Gruber's work here.