Latest Cycling News for December 16, 2005Edited by Jeff Jones An interview with Oscar SevillaThe rebirth of OscarAlthough results have been a little on the lean side the past few seasons, Oscar Sevilla is still one of the top Spanish riders in the pro peloton. His performances are always followed by plenty of fans eager to watch him climb the hardest stages, but after a serious back problem following the 2003 world's road race in Hamilton, Sevilla has spent much of the last two years on the mend. His training and racing has been disrupted, but he's confident he'll make a full recovery. In 2006, it's time for new beginnings; now a married man and with a new season on the horizon, Cyclingnews' Hernan Alvarez caught up with Sevilla at home after some demanding training in the Austrian Alps.
Cyclingnews: How was the 2005 season for you? Oscar Sevilla: I've improved a lot from 2004 - after the crash at Hamilton world's [in 2003], 2004 wasn't as I would've liked it to be. 2005 has been better; this year I finished seventh in the Vuelta a España, I rode a good Tour de France for my team, but personally I think I can go for more. I believe I can return to 100 per cent fitness and become the type of rider I was. CN: We saw you were there up the front with some big names on the mountainous stages of the Vuelta. You were seventh - you would've enjoyed a stage win, right? OS: Yes, I lacked that win to finish the race as I'd have liked. But, as I tell you, I'm taking it little by little. I especially need to improve my pedaling. My left leg is weaker and I lacked that final sprint. In the Vuelta I found that motivation I needed to put myself up with the leaders in the mountains, but maybe I lacked a victory. I could have had a little more confidence too - like it or not, you lose confidence [when you're injured] and the Vuelta helped me to see that I am at the front and that I'm able to stay there. I know what I've been through, and I believe and hope when I'm fully recovered I can fight for the top places. Click here for the full interview Saunier Duval happy with Vuelta routeAfter the official presentation of the 2006 Vuelta España, Saunier Duval-Prodir's sports director Joxean Fernández Matxin said that he was very happy with the course. "I like this race's parcours very much, especially when I think of Koldo Gil and José Ángel Gómez Marchante," he said. "With a short time trial, there is every indication that the winner will be a climber. "It's also a big opportunity for Mancebo and Sastre," said Matxin, pointing to two of the biggest favourites for the Vuelta. "In the case of foreign riders, predictions are much more difficult. Millar? I don't think this route is completely optimal for him. My bets are on Koldo and Marchante!" Rasmussen Danish rider of the year
Michael Rasmussen (Rabobank) was awarded rider of the year 2005 in Denmark on Thursday. The Rabobank rider was the king of the mountains in the Tour de France and won stage 9. Five riders were nominated for the award: Alex Rasmussen: World Champion in the scratch race Rasmussen was also the rider of the year in Denmark in 1999 and 2003. Courtesy of CyclingWorld.dk Dean unavailable for Commonwealth GamesNew Zealand's top road cyclist Julian Dean has confirmed he is unavailable for selection for the Melbourne Commonwealth Games. Dean, who came 9th in this year's Road World Championships in Madrid, said that his team, Credit Agricole, told him he is unable to compete. According to Dean, the timing of the Commonwealth Games is almost as bad as it could be for pro riders, coming between the Milan - San Remo and the Tour of Flanders, which are two of the biggest races in Europe. Dean, while disappointed at not being able to compete for New Zealand is philosophical about his unavailability. "It is always good to ride for New Zealand, especially as it means so much to New Zealanders, and the Commonwealth Games is so good for the profile of the sport and the athlete," he said. "But my goal is to achieve at the very top level and in road cycling that is the ProTour in Europe, and the Olympics." BikeNZ High Performance Director Michael Flynn commented, "The loss of a rider like Julian Dean, who would have been one of the leaders, is a major setback to the New Zealand cycling team, but I do understand the responsibility of Julian to his professional team. He has a responsibility to his team and has always given New Zealand cycling 100 percent. "He has maintained contact with me during this period and has offered to help New Zealand athletes in other ways. In one way it means that another athlete or athletes will have to step up and take on the responsibility of leadership, and I am sure we have athletes who are very keen to show New Zealand that they are the one," said Flynn. Dean, who is based in Spain for the majority of the year, will compete in the Jacob's Creek Tour Down Under in mid-January in Australia, before heading back to Europe for the season, where he will be until after the Road World Championships in Austria in September. Scotland for Trust House Cycle ClassicScotland has confirmed a strong team for next year's international Trust House Men's Cycle Classic in Wellington, New Zealand. The Scottish national cycling team will be making its tour debut in January, and race director Jorge Sandoval says after seeing their line-up, he expects them to be extremely competitive. "The Scottish team will provide a bit of a mystery element as they haven't raced in the event before," he said. "Just like us, they're getting ready for the Commonwealth Games in Melbourne in March. They have plenty of experience behind them and they're sure to be dangerous opposition." The Scottish team includes 24 year old Evan Oliphant, their current national champion, who races for the Recycling.co.uk professional team. He is a previous winner of the British Under-23 road race series. The team will be led by 33 year-old Duncan Urquhart, a tank commander in the British army who won two legs of the British road racing series last year. Other team members are: Alex Coutts: professional cyclist (DFL/Cyclingnews.com), 22 years old, second place in the British U23 road race champs and 17th overall Tour of Britain James McCallum, nurse. 25 years old. Member of the track endurance squad, current Scottish scratch race champion, Scottish pursuit champion and Scottish circuit race champion. Gareth Montgomerie, bicycle mechanic, 23 years old. Elite mountain bike squad member. Scottish MTB series winner, 6th British Elite MTB champs Robert Wardell, student, 20 years old. Elite mountain bike squad member. Winner U23 Tour of Northern Ireland, 5th British U23 MTB champs. The Trust House Cycle Classic runs from 25 to 29 January, 2006. Canadian cycling achievementsCanadianCyclist.com has announced the results of the first-ever poll on Canadian cycling achievements. After two weeks of voting, thousands of readers chose the top-10 individual achievements of Canadian cyclists, from a list of 25 significant athletic accomplishments. "We began this project after Forbes.com released a list of the top-20 athletic achievements," explained CanadianCyclist.com editor Rob Jones. "After compiling a list of nearly 50 significant achievements by Canadian cyclists, we pared it down to 25 and let our readers decide. When you read through the list, there are some incredible accomplishments for a so-called 'non-cycling' nation." Leading the list were Alison Sydor and Steve Bauer, who took four of the top five spots between them, and seven of the top-10. Also on the top-10 list were Lori-Ann Muenzer (4th) for her Olympic gold medal in Athens (the first Canadian cyclist to win an Olympic gold medal), Roland Green (tied for 7th) for his incredible 2001 season, and Curt Harnett (9th), for his world record in the flying 200 metre time trial, a record that has not been broken after more than 10 years. The full top-10 list is: 1. Alison Sydor's three consecutive world titles (1994-96) A full list of the achievements that were voted on can be found in the Daily News section of CanadianCyclist.com New Zealand criterium championshipsNew Zealand's Lion Foundation National Criterium Championships will take place tomorrow evening (Saturday December 19) in Takapuna, on a circuit along Hurstmere Road and The Strand. The programme is: 5:15: Under 17 Girls
(All rights reserved/Copyright Knapp Communications Pty Limited 2005) |
|
January 2009 |
Recently on Cyclingnews.com |
 Dauphiné Libéré Photo ©: Sirotti |
