Igor Anton (Euskaltel-Euskadi) took victory in Valdepeñas de Jaén

Igor Anton (Euskaltel-Euskadi) after the finish

Igor-Antón-Euskaltel-Euskadi-on-the-attack-with-Ezequiel-Mosquera-Xacobeo-Galicia-Juan-Maurizio-Soler-Caisse-dEpargne-and-Alberto-Contador-Astana

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Spanish stage victor anticipates rest of Vuelta

Having finished fourth in this year’s edition of La Fléche Wallonne – behind no less than Cadel Evans, Joaquin Rodriguez and Alberto Contador – Igor Antón proved that he’s a rider to watch at this year’s Vuelta a España with victory in Valdepeñas de Jaén yesterday.

The Spanish rider was too strong for Liquigas-Doimo’s Vincenzo Nibali, HTC-Columbia rider Peter Velits and countryman Joaquin Rodriguez (Katusha), in the process putting himself in second overall and attributing his performance to thorough preparation and the experience gained in ‘La Fléche’.

“It was a finish that suited me well. We came here to see it [before the race] and we knew it had ramps up to 23 percent,” Antón told Spanish news agency Europa Press. “I had in mind to try, but seeing as they was Joaquín Rodríguez and Philippe Gilbert it wasn’t all me. Learning the course helped me as did the experience gained in the Fleche Wallonne,” he added.

There was another factor in Antón’s performance he was quick to mention – the role of Mikel Nieve. His Euskaltel-Euskadi teammate fought off attacks from Caisse d’Epargne to ensure his man would have a safe run to the finale and the best shot at victory.

“If not for him [Nieve] I would not have won. He was key to negating the attacks of both [Rigoberto] Urán and Luis León Sánchez – both from the Caisse d’Epargne,” said Antón. “It was a lucky win here at the Vuelta, I did it at Calar Alto in 2006,” he explained before adding that now he “aspires to everything”.

And at 10 seconds behind overall leader Philippe Gilbert, may well Antón dare to dream of what’s possible in this Vuelta. Omega Pharma-Lotto’s man in red paid tribute to the strength of his rivals after what was another tough day in the saddle.

“From now on I’m not ruling anything out. My participation at the moment leaves me feeling that I’ve done the homework,” said Gilbert. “The stage was very fast. In the final climb I escaped the group and I became a bit isolated. But after his strength [in the finale] Antón was exultant,” he added.

Source: cyclingnews.com

Intro:

In 2002, cycling for riders with a disability was fully integrated into the disciplines governed by the International Cycling Union. Cycling races for handicapped riders are now listed on its calendar, governed by its regulations and verified by its commissaires.

Two disciplines are open to this category of riders at present:

Track events:

- Tandem sprint race (men and women)

- Team sprint race (men) – 500 metre time trial (women)

- 1,000 metre time trial (men)

- Individual pursuit (men and women).

Road events:

- Individual time trials (men and women)

- In-line events (men and women)

The competitions comprise four groups of handicaps (blind and partially sighted riders, cerebral palsy sufferers, locomotor handicaps and hand cycle riders) and a total of 14 functional categories for men and women in all the age categories defined by the UCI. Riders are placed in the appropriate category in the light of their functional capacity which is assessed during a medical examination.

The main events are the World’s Championships (since 1994), the Paralympic Games, the Regional Championships, the Regional Cups and the National Championships.

Event:

Source: UCI.ch

Tom Boonen (Quick Step)

Tom Boonen (Quick Step) gets interviewed.

Tom Boonen (Quick Step)

Belgian will miss Vuelta and Worlds

Tom Boonen (Quick Step) has returned to training on the road and is aiming to make his comeback to racing at the end of September, according to Quick Step team doctor Yvan Van Mol. The Belgian underwent knee surgery on July 15 after knee ligament trouble prevented him from riding the Tour de France.

“He can now train daily and is doing rides in Monaco of two hours without pain or irritation,” Van Mol told Gazet van Antwerpen. “I had him on the phone on Tuesday and he sounded happy.” Boonen first returned to training in early August with a thirty-minute session on a stationary bike and has made steady progress since.

Boonen will miss both the Vuelta a España and the World Championships, but Van Mol anticipates that the former rainbow jersey wearer will be back in action before the end of the season. “We hope he’ll be able to ride the Circuit Franco-Belge (which starts on September 30) and Paris-Tour. If he can get back sooner, that would be a complete bonus,” said Van Mol.

It has been a difficult 2010 campaign for Boonen. He has suffered throughout the year from knee trouble and was powerless to stop Fabian Cancellara’s domination of the cobbled classics in April. His problems were compounded by crashes at the Tour of California and the Tour de Suisse.

Meanwhile, Quick Step has looked to strengthen their line-up for next season. The team was heavily linked to Riccardo Riccò before he went to Vacansoleil, and has already confirmed the signings of Marc de Maar and Francesco Chicchi for 2011. Double Tour de France stage winner Sylvain Chavanel has also re-signed with Patrick Lefevere’s outfit for next year.

Source: cyclingnews.com

Intro:

UCI Golden Bike series: the ‘World Cup’ of Cycling for All

Numbering 8 at present, and perhaps growing in number in the future, the events that have gained the UCI Golden Bike label represent the world’s best-organised Cycling for All events. They meet strict criteria regarding the quality of organisation, specified in advance by the UCI, whose observance ensures that the participants benefit from a superior level of provisions. They must, however, be accessible to all types of cyclists.

Cycle-sport events: races to cater for every taste

Very varied in terms of the number of kilometres, the type of route or the level of difficulty, the cycle-sport races included on the international calendar of ‘Cycling for All’ – which can be accessed on the UCI Internet site – are all fully-fledged races, that is they are timed and made official by the publication of a final classification.

Bike rides : discovering new regions, on bicycle and in groups

There is no time-keeping at these events, and they are intended to appeal to a wider public without a competitive spirit. Their marked route provides an opportunity to discover the joys of exploration by bicycle, either alone or as a family, without too many constraints. It is seen less as tourism – the terms cycle-touring or cycle-tourism are disappearing – than as gatherings of those who love the bicycle.

Event:

Source: UCI.ch

Alberto Contador was easy to spot in his yellow kit.

Team CSC owner and director Bjarne Riis

Fran Contador denies reported goal of winning three Grand Tours in one year

The brother and agent of Alberto Contador has poured cold water on Saxo Bank team boss Bjarne Riis’ intentions to try for a Grand Tour Grand Slam with the triple Tour de France winner in the next two years.

Speaking to Spanish Eurosport on Wednesday, Fran Contador downplayed the Danish team manager’s announcement. “I think this must have been a translation mistake,” said Fran Contador when asked about the immensely ambitious plan to win all three Grand Tours in a single season. “To win the Giro, the Tour and the Vuelta in one year is quite simply impossible. We have always been clear: the Tour de France is the main objective and we will work towards this in the two coming years.”

In the history of cycling, a clean sweep of the three major tours has never been done, not even by Eddy Merckx who used to win many races in a season alongside his five Tour de France victories. With two more Tour victories, Contador could join the prestigious ranks of five-time winners Bernard Hinault, Jacques Anquetil, Merckx and Miguel Indurain, but it seems that he and his new team manager have yet to finalise the exact objectives of their collaboration.

Contador himself has not yet reacted to Riis’ statements. The Spaniard has raced his last event wearing Astana kit, a post-Tour criterium in Castillon-la-Bataille on Tuesday, and is now taking a holiday before preparing for next season with Saxo Bank-SunGard.

Source: cyclingnews.com

Event: 2009-2013 World Championships

Source: UCI.ch

Post-race interview with stage 5 winner Marc de Maar (UnitedHealthcare).

Dutchman moves on from UnitedHealthcare after successful season in the USA

Marc de Maar has signed a contract with Quick Step for 2011, ending his one-year stint in America with the UnitedHealthcare team.

The 26-year-old Dutchman had been on Patrick Lefevere’s radar since the Amgen Tour of California in May. A string of impressive performances in the US had sparked attention from a number of other teams but it was Lefevere’s persistence, coupled with the promise of a programme of high calibre races that attracted de Maar to the Belgian team.

“We had a meeting last Thursday but I officially signed the contract today,” he told Cyclingnews.

“I wanted to go back to Europe and I was waiting for answer from UnitedHealthcare. They have plans to go to Europe but it wasn’t sure what races they would do and I wanted to go back to the highest level.”

De Maar spent six years with the Rabobank team, four of which at ProTour level, but moved to the US after two injury-plagued seasons. He regained full fitness and brought home some impressive results, including the Mount Hood Classic and stages in Cascade and the Tour de Beauce.

Next year De Maar will be back on the European ProTour circuit, racing in week-long stage races like the Tour of Romandie and the hillier Classics.

“The programme was more important than the contract if I’m to honest. I’d love to do a big Tour again but I need some decent results first.”

De Maar still has a full race schedule in the US for the remainder of the season and will take part in both the Tour of Utah and the Tour of China before moving to either Italy or Spain later in the year.

“UnitedHealthcare had faith in me. They sent me to the Tour of California without any results and it was a real battle but because I only just took the final spot on the team. My good results all started from that race. The team always had faith in me.”

Source: cyclingnews.com

The enthusiasm for Road cycling competitions began at the end of the XIX century and has not stopped growing since. Some big races attract around tens of million spectators and are watched by TV viewers all over the world.

The first race officially recorded dates back to 31 May 1868 at the ‘Parc de Saint-Cloud’, in Paris, and was won by the British rider, James Moore.

The first city to city race took place on 7 November 1869: Paris-Rouen. James Moore, once again the winner, rode 123 kilometres in 10h. 25 min. The organisers’ intention was to promote cycling and to demonstrate that the bicycle enabled considerable distances to be covered.

Road cycling has been part of the Olympic Games programme since its first edition in 1896. Today, Track, Mountain Bike and from 2008, BMX are also Olympic disciplines.

The first UCI Road World Championships were organised in 1927. Nowadays, they are usually raced on a circuit of between 12 to 17 km, with a group start, over a total distance of approximately 260 km. The individual time-trial discipline was introduced on the World Championships programme in 1994. It is raced over a distance of 40 to 50 km for professionals. Riders start individually, at regular intervals (1 to 2 minutes). The competitor with the best time is declared the winner.

Event:

Source: UCI.ch

Astarloa, Caucchioli, De Bonis, Serrano and Lobato Elvira were the riders named by the UCI

Ruben Lobato Elvira (Saunier Duval - Scott) was glad the previous day's rain had cleared for the time trial.

Former Saunier Duval rider sanctioned for Biological Passport violation

The International Cycling Union has announced that Spanish rider Ruben Lobato Elvira has been suspended by the Spanish Cycling Federation for two years because of a violation of the UCI’s biological Passport programme.

Lobato Elvira was part of the first group of five riders named by the UCI for violating the blood value monitoring system in June 2009. Also named at the time were Italy’s Francesco De Bonis and Pietro Caucchioli, and Spain’s Ricardo Serrano and Igor Astarloa, who was world road race champion in 2003. All the riders, except Astarloa have been given two year suspensions in recent months.

The UCI did not specify the dates of Lobato Elvira’s suspension. However other riders were banned from June 18, 2009 until June 17, 2011.

Lobato Elvira raced with Acqua & Sapone, Domina Vacanze and Saunier Duval before being named by the UCI. He officially announced his retirement in December 2008. Since then, he has been working as a directeur sportif for the amateur Sansi-Spiuk team in his town of San Sebastian de los Reyes near Madrid.

Source: cyclingnews.com

Track racing dates back to the end of the nineteenth century. The first World Championships were held in 1895. Track cyclists are powerful athletes, generally with far more muscle bulk than “road racers”.

“Sprint” events

Keirin

The Keirin is based on the famous Keirin cycle racing which is one of the biggest betting sports in Japan. Contested over eight laps, the field of three to seven riders follows the Derny motor bike at an increasing pace until two and a half laps to go. The riders jostle for position behind the motorbike to gain the desired position, depending on where their biggest rivals are.

As the motor bike pulls off the track with two and a half laps to go, the battle begins to win the sprint. The stronger riders will launch their effort early whilst others will follow well into the last lap hoping that they are behind the right wheel allowing them to propel themselves to the line and victory at the last possible moment. The riders will be flat out at speeds around 70 km/h.

Kilometre & 500m time trials

These can be easily described as time trials for sprinters. Contested over a kilometre for men and 500 metres for women, the riders start from a special gate and take to the track one at a time to cover the distance as swiftly as possible.

After an all out effort to get the speed high and gain momentum, the skilful riders will measure their efforts so that they do not “die” in the last lap of the lung bursting effort.

Sprint

This classic track event involves a great deal of movement and tactics. The two or three riders in each race seek to out -manoeuvre their opponents over the three lap race. Watch the leader slow the race to walking pace on the first lap so that the riders behind him/her do not have an advantage. Sometimes the riders will stand still on the track as the leading rider tries to force his/her rival to take over the lead so he can gain a slipstream advantage when riders finally go flat out.

After the slow preliminaries the pace picks up, the rider following has the benefit off surprise if he/she can time his/her acceleration from 35 km/h to 70 km/h to gain a few lengths on the opponent. The times for the sprint are given over the last 200 metres which the best sprinters will cover in just over 10 seconds.

From the quarter final stage all matches are on a ‘best of three’ heats basis.

Team Sprint

This is the most hectic discipline where teams of three riders start on each side of the track. As each leading rider completes one lap of the track he drops out leaving the next rider to complete a further lap before the last riders takes over to complete the three lap race. The first round is staged on a time trial basis to find the fastest four teams to contest the final.

The women’s team sprint event is a recent addition to the Championships. The rules are the same as the men’s race except that teams of two riders complete two laps of the 250m track.

“Endurance” events

Individual Pursuit

The men’s event is held over four kilometres whilst the women compete over three kilometres. The first round will be held on a time trial basis with the best four riders progressing to the finals. In the final stages, two riders start on opposite sides of the track and ride against each other until one rider catches the other or the distance is completed. The finals feature a ride-off for the bronze medal / fourth place followed by the nail biting final race for the gold and silver medals.

Madison

This race is contested by teams of two riders showing bike handling skills at their best. One rider has to be in the race at all times. The other team member takes a short rest circling at the top of the track before he rejoins the race with his team mate throwing him into the action with a hand sling. As with the points race there are sprints, in this case every 20 laps and the teams will also be trying to gain a lap on their opponents in this high speed race. The final is over the distance of 50km.

The skills of the riders are vitally important as the bunch reach speeds well over 50 km/h with riders throwing their partners into the fray at key times of the race aiming to win the sprint points or gain a decisive lap on their competitors.

Points Race

The points race is contested over a distance of 25km for women and 40km for men superbly demonstrating the glittering spectacle and tactics of track racing.

With sprints every ten laps, the pace of the race varies as each sprint approaches. The complete points race rider must have the flexibility to adapt to the increases in speed and changes of tactic as the race develops. With 5, 3, 2 and 1 point/s awarded to the first four riders in each sprint, the last two laps before each sprint are highly animated as each rider tries to find the best position to make his effort.

Despite the points amassed in the sprints, a rider can win 20 points if he manages to lap the field. Riders will attack individually or in small groups to try to gain the decisive lap. Watch the main field battle to resist a small group gaining a lap. The final result will be decided by total points gained.

Scratch Race

This is the simplest race in the championships. It’s a bunched race event over a distance of 10km for women and 15km for men and the first across the finish line wins the gold medal. The action is non stop with riders trying to break away from the main field and their adversaries organising the chase behind. There’s no room for hesitation in this high speed cat and mouse race.

Team Pursuit

For men, this event is contested by teams of four riders each pursuing the other over 4000 metres. Watch the precision of the four riders as the rider in front leads for a half lap before winging up the banking to resume his contribution to the effort at the rear of the string whilst his colleagues maintain the high pace. The skilful teams will be following each other only millimetres apart to ensure they maximise the slipstream shelter for the riders following the leader before making their own effort.

The women’s event is for three riders over 3000 metres.

“Combined” events

Omnium

The men’s Omnium is the pentathlon of track cycling. Each competitor must ride in five events – 200m flying time trial; 7.5km scratch race; 3km individual pursuit; 15km points race and 1km time trial. In this competition, points are awarded in reverse order. The winning rider of each event gets one point and the rider with the lowest number of points overall is the winner. If there is a tie on points, the judges look back at the timed events to determine who wins. You’ve got to be good at sprinting, time-trialing and bunched racing in this tough race series.

The women’s Omnium is a new event to the World Championships using the same rules as the men’s Omnium with different distances except for the 200m flying time trial – a 5km scratch race; a 2km individual pursuit; a 10km points race and a 500m time trial.

Event:

Source: UCI.ch