Latest Cycling News for December 7, 2005Edited by John Stevenson & Les Clarke Philly Week becomes Pennsylvania 'Triple Crown'
With the USPRO road championship no longer decided on the Manayunk Wall, organizer Threshold Sports has announced that the Sunday race in Philadelphia will now be the culmination of a three-race series in and around south-eastern Pennsylvania. The other two legs of the series will likely be the Lancaster circuit race on Sunday, June 4 and another mid-week race to be determined. The last time a series involving the Philly race, now known as the Philadelphia International, occurred in 1993, when a young Lance Armstrong knocked off all three races to claim the $1 million bonus. “The second race needs to be on a very hilly, tough circuit”, said Threshold's Jerry Casale, who indicated that Mt. Penn in Reading or a course over some of the tough hills found near Allentown, Bethlehem or Easton, are frontrunners. According to a statement by Threshold, "While each of the three races will have its own winner and prize list, the emphasis will be on what rider and team can win the overall series, determined by adding up points scored in each race." However, with Wachovia not renewing it's title sponsorship, it is unclear whether a prize like the $1 million for winning all three races will be on the table. An interview with Barry Wicks: Indie sensibilities
By his own admission, 2005 has been Barry Wicks' year to step it up, and he's done just that, taking overall honours in the US Gran Prix of Cyclocross series and becoming a serious force within the North American 'cross scene. A relaxed attitude underlies a real desire to be among the best both on and off the bike. He told Cyclingnews' Les Clarke that a winner for this weekend's US national cyclocross championships may just be one of his Kona stablemates. Going into the 2005-06 cyclocross season, Barry Wicks wasn't seen as one of the big hitters in the field; an inconsistent mountain bike season coupled with the fact that riders such as Ryan Trebon and Tim Johnson were catching people's attention meant Wicks wasn't rated as a favourite for many of the USGP of Cyclocross series races, let alone the series win. But consistent results throughout the six-race series saw Wicks effectively wrap up the overall title after race five in Watsonville. Wicks had been quietly confident of his abilities come crunch time, and it paid off. "I wouldn't say I was surprised...I kind of knew I could ride as well as I did; it was a bit overwhelming I guess," he says. The key is consistencyAt the beginning of the 'cross season Wicks was aiming for more consistency - he'd demonstrated glimpses of his potential during the mountain bike season and was determined to step it up a notch for 'cross. "One of my main goals was just being more consistent - when I was riding mountain bike this year I'd have a really good race and the next race I wouldn't go so good. I was just trying to ride it so I'd finish consistently in the top three or the top five," he says. He knew what it was going to take, and wasn't feeling the effects of a mountain bike campaign with Kona, saying, "I was pretty fresh. I didn't feel like I was rundown from that [the season] or needed a break - I felt pretty good." Click here for the full interview. Health Net to ride Cannondale for three yearsThe most successful team on the NRC circuit in 2005, Health Net presented by Maxxis, will ride Cannondale bikes for the next three seasons, the deal announced at Helen’s Bikes in Santa Monica, CA. The Cannondale Bicycle Corporation announced the three-year sponsorship agreement with Momentum Sports Group, owner and operator of the Health Net squad with team riders Gord Fraser, Mike Sayers, Scott Moninger, Nathan O’Neill and Kirk O’Bee all present at the event. The new sponsorship came about in part through a long-standing relationship between directeur sportif Jeff Corbett and Cannondale, which was the bike sponsor for Corbett’s 7Up-Maxxis teams of the late 1990's and early 2000's. “I’m really excited to be back in the Cannondale family. They have always been responsive to team input and I’m confident our rides are going to be more dialed than ever for ‘06,” said Corbett. “This team is going to play a major role in helping us launch several key products in 2006,” said Cannondale CEO Matt Mannelly. Cannondale will use the partnership to help test and refine new product, both in training and race conditions. “Starting in January we’re getting these guys out to our factory and into a wind tunnel. We’re going to do everything we can to keep them on top,” he added. In addition to Six13 frames and forks, Cannondale will provide CAAD 8 Optimo frames and forks, as well as new time trial frames and forks. The agreement also calls for Cannondale and sister company Diadora to provide kit, shoes and casual apparel for the team. Davies-Jones launches websiteBritain’s most successful track endurance rider Emma Davies Jones will launch her new web site on December 8. Her site www.emmadaviesjones.co.uk will be launched the day before the start of the Manchester round of the track world cup - an event in which Emma has the best record of any British female endurance rider, securing seven medals over recent years. It's been a bittersweet season for Davies-Jones, to say the least, enjoying a successful year on the road before a hit and run accident almost left her paralysed. "After my best ever road season with a win in the GP Hougestrat in Belgium and holding the green jersey and combined jersey in the Grand Boucle Feminin I was very optimistic for this track season. Having said all that my recovery has been going well and I shall be keeping everyone informed of my progress via the new web site," said Davies. Davies-Jones recently launched her new charity, Emma’s Spinal - Hope, which aims to raise money for acute spinal injury research. "The launch at Revolution 10 went really well and we sold out of the first 100 red, white and blue wrist bands inside two hours," she said. Cycling champions blitz the ski slopes
Moreno Argentin has repeated his performance of last year and won this year's edition of the Cycling-Ski Challenge, an event which pits former cycling champions against each other on the slopes of the Dolomiti Stars. The former world champion won at night on the Zoldo Alto and San Pellegrino passes, with Rolf Sorensen taking second and and Francesco Moser third. It was a mix of fun and competition as former champions such as Mario Cipollini, Silvio Martinello, Gianni Motta, Mario Scirea and president of the Italian Cycling Federation, Renato di Rocco, all displaying their prowess on skis. Cycling-Ski Challenge 2005 top ten1 Moreno Argentin 2 Rolf Sorensen 3 Francesco Moser 4 Mario Vicino 5 Guido Bontempi 6 Silvio Martinello 7 Attilio Rota 8 Mario Cipollini 9 Sabino Cannone 10 Renato Di Rocco
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