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Dauphiné Libéré
Photo ©: Sirotti

First Edition Cycling News for January 24, 2006

Edited by Jeff Jones & John Stevenson

T-Mobile announces Tour squad candidates

The T-Mobile men's team lines up at the squad's recent launch
Photo ©: Shane Stokes
Click for larger image

T-Mobile captain Jan Ullrich can expect to be supported by Serhiy Honchar, Andreas Klöden, Eddy Mazzoleni and Michael Rogers at the Tour this July, the team announced on Monday. Four spots remain vacant, and the choice will be made from Lorenzo Bernucci, Giuseppe Guerini, Sergei Ivanov, Oscar Sevilla, Matthias Kessler, Stephan Schreck and Patrik Sinkewitz.

Directeur sportif Rudy Pevenage said this team is, "perfectly equipped to control things," and to, "support and protect Jan Ullrich in every situation." Team manager Olaf Ludwig noted, however, that this early pre-selection doesn't mean that "the door is closed to all the others. We will closely monitor all developments."

The team also announced that it will open its season with the Grand Prix Marseillaise on January 31 and the Etoile de Besseges on February 2, with sprinters Eric Baumann, Andre Greipel and Andre Korff to be joined by Frantisek Rabon and Jörg Ludewig. The team will also participate in the Tour of California, with time trial world champion Rogers making his T-Mobile debut.

Tour 2007 to start in London

The 2007 Tour de France will start in the British capital London, French business magazine La Lettre de l'Expansion claimed on Monday, January 23. The magazine reports that London has gone from a serious candidate for next year's prologue and grand depart to confirmed venue after an agreement was reached between ASO and London Mayor Ken Livingstone.

ASO has refused to comment on the report, telling the Associated Press it would not be able to confirm or deny the claim until Tuesday.

A London prologue would be the third time the Tour de France has visited the UK, but the first in the capital. In 1974 the Tour made a rather lackluster visit to the UK for a stage near Plymouth. After a long and unpleasant transfer an unhappy peloton paraded up and down an unopened bypass road. Very few spectators bothered to turn up and the UK's Daily Mirror covered the event with the headline "Tour de France: can 40 million Frenchmen be wrong."

The Tour's next visit, in 1994 to mark the 50th anniversary of D-Day, was a much happier affair. British rider Chris Boardman took the yellow jersey in the prologue at Lille and large crowds turned out to see him and the Tour race two stages from Dover to Brighton and Brighton to Portsmouth.

A Tour prologue in London is expected to take in the city's major landmarks, many of which are conveniently packed into the center. It would be followed by a stage heading for the east coast from where the race would transfer back to France.

Bank on Caisse d'Epargne-Illes Balears to ride big in 2006

The Caisse d'Epargne-Illes Balears team
Photo ©: Tim Maloney
(Click for larger image) The Caisse d'Epargne-Illes Balears team for 2006

Bigger and better in 2006 - and with a very different jersey - Caisse d'Epargne-Illes Balears is shaping up to be a solid contender for the grand tours this season. Tim Maloney reports from Paris, France.

At a deluxe Parisian hotel just a stone's throw from ground zero for luxury and chic, le Place Vendome, the 2006 edition of Team Caisse d'Epargne-Illes Balears was presented formally to the media on Monday, January 23. Formerly known as Illes Balears, now second sponsor Caisse d'Epargne has stepped up its commitment to the squad directed by team general manager José Miguel Echavarri and thus Caisse d'Epargne will be a title sponsor for five seasons through 2010, currently the longest term contract in pro cycling.

Mr. Charles Milhaud, a member of the board of directors of the giant French savings bank, explained that his organization had been involved with many different sponsoring activities, including the Coupe de France football series, but were attracted to cycling because "the teams are identified themselves by the name of the title sponsor, something that we find is a very efficient way to communicate."

Starting his 26th year of team management, José Miguel Echavarri is clearly pleased to once again have a large, powerful sponsor behind his organization for the future, as he did for many years with the Banesto team. Echavarri and his right hand man Francis Lafargue understand how to work with a major sponsor like Caisse d'Epargne as well as his mission of winning bike races. "I am happy to say that we have the pleasure and honour to have a team for our riders once again. But it's not important which riders win, but how they win. And we are happy to work with Caisse d'Epargne because they are a sponsor that respects this sense of sporting ethics." And clearly Caisse d'Epargne wants a winning team, as they have opened up their wallet for 2006, hiring not only some good young French riders, but bringing on board top guns like Oscar Pereiro, Tino Zaballa and making sure superstar Alejandro Valverde is surrounded by the right mix of riders on the 28 rider team.

Click here for the full story

Thor Hushovd wants to ride Down Under every year

By Jean-François Quénet in Adelaide

"I'll be back."
Photo: © Jean-François Quénet
Click for larger image

Thor Hushovd was perfectly positioned to win his first race of the year in the final stage of the Jacob's Creek Tour Down Under. With 200 metres to go into the last stage, his Crédit Agricole team had helped put him right where he needed to be for the finale, but Allan Davis, Robbie McEwen and Simone Cadamuro passed him before the line. "I was given a fantastic lead out by my team-mates," said Hushovd. "But at this time of the year, I don't have the speed yet."

Crédit Agricole had tried to do the same for their new signing Mark Renshaw at the inaugural criterium, but none of the team's sprinters was actually ready to take on the fast Australians fastest men although Jaan Kirsipuu and Julian Dean also lined up. However, they looked happy with the work they did in Australia, especially Hushovd who took part in the Jacob's Creek Tour Down Under for the first time. "I've done 1500 kilometres here in Adelaide," the Norwegian said. "I don't have the speed yet but I'm in good shape before heading back to Europe. For two days, I've suffered the heat badly, I'm still happy with my week of racing though. I was told this was the friendliest race in the world for professionals, now I can say it's true. With everyone staying at the Hilton in Adelaide, we get to know each other, something that just doesn't happen in Europe."

Hushovd's 2005 victory in the Tour de France green jersey contest put an end to three years of Australian domination (Robbie McEwen in 2002 and 2004, Baden Cooke in 2003), but the 'God of thunder' was nevertheless warmly welcomed by the local cycling community.

"I'll be back," he promised before leaving Adelaide. "I think I'll ride the Jacob's Creek Tour Down Under every year until the end of my career."

Hushovd turned 28 during the race, so he still has a few trips to South Australia ahead of him, and there's no reason for his Crédit Agricole team not to come back; they've been one of the races landmark since it was created in 1999.

Sean Kelly Racing Team launched

By Shane Stokes

Sean Kelly
Photo ©: Shane Stokes
(Click for larger image) Sean Kelly at the launch of the new Irish team today

Former world number one, multiple Classics winner and 1988 Vuelta a Espana champion Sean Kelly has put his name and full backing behind a new Continental team, which was launched on Monday in the Old Jameson Distillery in Dublin.

The Sean Kelly Racing Team has been set up through the efforts of the Irish champion, the Belgian Kurt Bogaerts of the Sean Kelly Cycling Academy, Cycling Ireland, plus several others. The goal of the team is to act as a development squad, taking the best Irish unsigned talent, exposing them to a good range of racing - including UCI ranked events - throughout Belgium, Europe and further afield and, in doing so, boost the chances of the country's riders making it as successful professionals.

Encouraged no doubt by Kelly's endorsement of the squad, a considerable number of backers have thrown their weight behind the new project, which is the first ever Irish Continental level team. Irish-registered but based at the Sean Kelly Cycling Academy in Merchtem, Belgium, the squad hopes to compete alongside some of the world's top professional outfits in 2006. The team is the next step in the Academy project started several years ago by Cycling Ireland in Belgium, and Kelly feels it is an important development.

Sean Kelly with team members
Photo ©: Shane Stokes
(Click for larger image) Sean Kelly with team members Eoin and Miceal Concannon
The Sean Kelly Racing Team
Photo ©: Shane Stokes
(Click for larger image) The Sean Kelly Racing Team  with (l) General Manager Kurt Bogaerts and (r) team directeur Sean Kelly

"I think it is going to play a very important role," Kelly said. "It takes a number of years to get riders up to a high standard. We started off with the Cycling Academy in Belgium and, after three years of that, we decided to take things a step further and set up a team. We have been working hard at it for the past four months and it has come together well in that time.

"It will have an important part to play for Irish cycling. The goal is to take on some lads, look after them well and ultimately help them on to what will hopefully be careers with the very top pro squads."

Kelly and Bogaert's plan is that the squad will feature up to ten Irish riders in 2006, plus several Belgians. Eight of the former have been selected thus far, this number including such riders as Irish under 23 champion Paídi O'Brien, promising first-year senior Ciaran Kelly and the talented 22 year old Tim Cassidy, who has taken several important results over the years but who has also been unlucky with injury.

FBD Insurance Rás stage winner Roger Aiken, Mark Cassidy, Andrew McQuaid and the Concannon brothers Eoin and Miceal complete the Irish contingent.

On the Belgian side, former Chocolade Jacques rider Jehudi Schoonacker, ex QuickStep youth team members Dwight Desaever and Stijn Minne, GP Etienne de Wilde and GP Roger de Vlaeminck winner Peter Schoonjans, sprinter Rieno Stofferis, Bart Cosyn, Harm Van de Kerckhove and Bogaerts have all been confirmed.

Irish hope Tim Cassidy said on Monday that he is excited about the setup. "It is great for Irish cycling, it is a real opportunity for us all," he said. "I am looking forward to getting started. My form is very good at the moment, I have got in a very good winter. I'm pretty excited by that as I got some nice results at the start of last season on very little training. So hopefully a strong year is in store."

Of course, having Kelly's name so prominently attached to the team brings benefits. "It made it easier when we were looking for sponsors, and also has led to some interest from race organisers," said Bogaerts. Kelly's position as team director is also a big plus. "Sean will be helping out by giving advice to the riders and providing guidance to the team. His input will be very important."

Barloworld sets out for 2006

The Barloworld Continental Professional team convened in the Italian spa resort of Montecatini, Tuscany yesterday for its first team camp of the year. The squad will remain in Montecatini until February 2 for training and technical meetings and will make its European racing debut for the year at the GP Costa degli Etruschi on February 4, while three riders - Ryan Cox, Rodney Green and Jeremy Maartens - will join a South African team for the Telekom Malaysia Tour de Langkawi, February 3-12.

Barloworld has a new management structure for 2006, with Claudio Corti as team manager and Alberto Volpi, Christian Andersen and Giovanni Fidanza as directeurs sportifs. A long-term aim of the new management is for the team to "to find a place in cycling's elite within the next three years."

Igor Astarloa, the 2003 world champion in Hamilton, is the most prominent rider of a team that includes 17 riders from eight different countries.

"We're very enthusiastic about this new set-up", manager Claudio Corti said in a statement. "The work we're doing during the stay at Montecatini will be important so that we find the right motivation to focus on the objectives of the season.

"Team Barloworld is a team that has to grow but also includes several interesting riders. I know Astarloa well and I'm sure he wants to show what he can do and I'm convinced of the potential of all the riders starting with Arreitunandia, Cardenas, Cox, Efimkin and our sprinter Degano."

Voskamp joins Eneco Tour

Former pro rider Bart Voskamp has joined the Eneco Tour (Belgium and the Netherlands, August 16-23) as one of the race's assistant directors. Voskamp, who retired from racing at the end of 2005, is expected to succeed Henk van Mulukom as race director in 2007.

Team Cadence/VeloEuropa

Team Cadence/VeloEuropa has announced its rider line up for 2006. Focused on mid-Atlantic and north-eastern regional road racing, Team Cadence/VeloEuropa is a newly formed group of accomplished category 1/2/3 and elite masters riders. The organization includes a number of current and former race winners, state champions and nationally ranked riders. The team will compete in the more prominent road races, time trials and stage races in the region.

After many individual team member successes in 2005, The Team Cadence/VeloEuropa squad is looking for high placement in the Pennsylvania "Best All-round Rider" (PA BAR) competition, Fitchburg Longsjo Classic, US Nationals and Tour de Christiana among other regional road events.

Click here for the full announcement and roster

Eclipse Racing Presented by Easy Care/Dunafon Development

The Eclipse Racing Team Presented by Easy Care Inc./Dunafon Development, LLC returns this year with a mixture of young aggressive and talented veteran racers. The team will kick off its season at this year's Valley of the Sun Stage Race (Phoenix, AZ) which will serve as the team's first official race outing.

For 2006, Eclipse Racing has strengthened its team by adding seven new faces to the roster while retaining 11 of last year's team-mates, including Tour of the Gila category 2 winner, Kyle Colavito and Arizona State Points Champion Scott Blanchard. Blanchard and Colavito will head Eclipse Racing's cat. 1 team with Shane Peltonen returning after being off a year due to an injury. Team captain Scott Blanchard said, "We're very excited to have Kyle and Shane returning for 2006. We're looking at two other specific riders to be added by the end of January to complete our five man cat. 1 team."

Click here for the full announcement and roster

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