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17.01.2007/ Renshaw won Down Under Classic, Team
Barloworld gets ready to start up the season "We rely on Hunter and Degano in Australian races", Lampre trains team time trail, Andrea Tonti with Knee problems, Hondo banned again, Alessandro Petacchi's premiere
on the track, Discovery signs three more riders, Caisse d'Epargne with almost
the same squad, T-Mobile trains Team Time Trail at Mallorca
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our readers to know to: letters@cyclingheroes.de . Some of the letters will be published on our website. We can only publish letters with your full name, hometown
and country.
The editor choose every month "The letter of the month". The writer of the best letter in January 2007
will receive a picture of Michael Boogerd in poster format (20X30 CM) with origial handwritten autograph of Michael.
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Milram: "we can be satisfied with the first season"
Swiss cyling: No case against Ullrich?
Hall of fame: Henk Lubberding about June 5, 1988
Looking back in anger
Renshaw won
Down Under Classic
The peloton kicked off the 2007-season Tuesday by riding the 50-kilometer criterium, Down Under Classic, in
Adelaide (Australia). And just as expected the race was decided in a bunch sprint.
Both debutant Matt Goss and Allan
Johansen showed the Team CSC-colors in different break away attempts throughout the race, but none of these were close to
getting away for real.
”We were off to a good start. It was nice to see both Matt and Allan at the front and
we were represented in all the attacks. Allan was at the front untill three laps from the finish, and the rest of the race
we were protecting Stuart and just trying to avoid any crashes. The real race begins tomorrow and usually a lot is decided
in the overall classifications in the first stage, so we need to be at the front for the whole day. The riders are on good
form and I expect us to do well”, said Sports Director Scott Sunderland after a hot day (40 Degrees Celcius) in Southern
Australia.
Mark Renshaw (Crédit Agricole) won the race, which had no impact on the Tour Down Under classifications.
Team Barloworld gets ready to start up the season
"We rely
on Hunter and Degano in Australian races"
"I'm receiving very positive feedbacks from Australia. Our riders have either good health and right spirit, the
weather is favourable too. We're really confident to impact the new season in a positive way".
Team Barloworld Manager Claudio Corti just concluded a telephone conference with Alberto Volpi , the sporting
director leading Team Barloworld's Australian mission to face Tour Down Under (January 17th-21st), introduced by Down Under
Classic yesterday(January 16th).
"The first competition is just a 50 km night-kermesse suitable for sprinters, and we hope Enrico Degano will be able
to show his good condition. The Down Under Tour is a four-days competition not too demanding, unless the fourth stage, as
usual at the season's very beginning", Corti explained.
New South African Robert Hunter is the rider Team Barloworld's expectations are mainly focused on. "We well knew
his skills - Corti stated - furthermore the enthusiasm he is showing in this new professional experience makes us confident.
We really hope to obtain satisfaction".
In the Tour Down Under Team Barloworld will line up the following riders: Diego Caccia, Gianpaolo Cheula, Enrico
Degano, Fabrizio Guidi, Robert Hunter, Paolo Longo Borghini, James Perry and Thomas Geraint.
During Australian competitions, the team will dress a new special jersey with "Barloworld Motor" brand. Barloworld
Motor is a large motor retail group operating in Australia, South Africa, Botswana and Namibia. The Australian representation
is in Melbourne and Sydney. These operations represent Holden, Volkswagen and Mercedes Benz, dealing in new and used motor
vehicles together with comprehensive parts and service facilities.
Lampre trains team time trail
Special training for the Lampre-Fondital’s 14 athletes in Terracina:
the riders have been collected in two teams that competed in a team time trial of 14,7 kms. The winner team was the one with
Damiano Cunego’s as captain, who pedaled on his new Wilier time trial bike.
“We asked the cyclists to approach the challenge with a good effort and I saw everybody ran in the best way
," sports director Martinelli explained. "Also toady we worked for almost three hours and tomorrow we’re going to have
another important training."
On Thursday, the athletes and the Lampre-Fondital’s staff will be visited by Renato Di Rocco, president
of Federazione Ciclistica Italiana, who expressed the will to give his best wishes for the incoming season.
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| Damiano Cunego works hard to improve his time trailling (picture: Cyclingheroes) |
Andrea Tonti with Knee problems
The Quickstep-Innergetic rider Andrea Tonti has forced today to stop
the training because of a problem on his left knee. Tonti will return in Italy tomorrow and he will observe a period of rest
of 2 weeks.
Hondo banned again
German Tinkoff rider Danilo Hondo is banned again after the Swiss
supreme court dismissed his appeal agianst his two years ban by the international sports court (CAS). Hondo will be banned
untill March 31, 2007.
Alessandro Petacchi's premiere on the track
The day after the team presentation in Bremen on 10 January 2007,
Team Milram pro Alessandro Petacchi met new challenges: the sprint star had a first go on the track. In the AWD-Dome in Bremen,
right before the beginning of the Bremen Sixdays for which he and Erik Zabel gave the starting signal, he dared a first glance
into the difficult discipline. At his side with a helping hand was team-mate and track expert Erik Zabel, showing the importance
of teamwork beyond the regular races.
All beginnings are difficult, and so Alessandro Petacchi cautiously approached
the new feeling in his first rounds on the track. Always at his side: Erik Zabel. During the first rounds Alessandro Petacchi
remained in the lower part of the track, always geared to his experienced team-mate. However, the Italian soon got more courageous,
venturing himself higher and higher, and finally even dared to give a try to the difficult handover.
After an hour’s
test, Alessandro Petacchi draw a first conclusion of his trial. „It was my first time on the track. Especially the first
rounds were pretty difficult. The feeling is completely different compared to the street. But thanks to Erik’s various
tips I think I did quite a good job. I had a lot of fun anyway.“
Meanwhile Erik Zabel and his partner Bruno Risi started last night
from the leading position on the final night of the Bremen Sixdays.
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| Zabel teaches Ale Jet how to fly on the track... (picture: Milram) |
Discovery signs three more riders
The Discovery Channel Pro Cycling Team announced the signing of three riders to round out the team’s
2007 roster with the addition of Alberto Contador, Steve Cummings and John Devine. Each rider brings a distinctive background
and skill set to an already diverse group of world-class cyclists.
Contador, a talent in the mountains, is expected to ride in support of team leaders, but will also be given
the opportunity to pursue solo wins. Sports Director Johan Bruyneel was happy with the signing of Contador, commenting, “I
was fortunate to have the space and the budget to sign a rider of Alberto’s caliber. He really impressed me last year
and I expect him to do well in this team and win some big races for us.”
As a complement to Contador’s climbing assets, Cummings arrives to the Discovery Channel Team with a
track background and a sprinters mentality. In a squad known for their Tour de France legacy, the signing of a true sprinter
marks an evolution of the team. “Steve’s track background will be an asset to this team and provide us the opportunity
to be competitive in races where we have not been in the past—those with a sprint finish. I am sure he will adapt to
the road style quickly and prove his worth immediately.”
The final edition to the roster will officially arrive in July of 2007, when 21 year-old John Devine joins
the Discovery Channel Team from the American Under-23 (U-23) squad, which spends their training and racing time in Belgium.
The mountain biker-turned-road racer will follow in the footsteps of other U-23 graduates like Dave Zabriskie. Bruyneel has
watched Devine for a few years and is confident in the youngster’s capabilities. “After watching John train and
interact with his teammates during the December training camp, I was even more convinced than before that I made a good choice,”
said Bruyneel. “He’s an unproven talent, but I will allow him time to adapt to racing at the Pro Tour level and
expect him to progress quickly.”
The 28-man roster boasts riders from 15 countries and the total Team will officially convene for the first
time in late January for a training camp in Southern California.
Meanwhile Slovenian rider Uros Murn was hit by a car while training in Slovenia and was badly injured. It
will take months for Murn to recover from his injuries.
Discovery Channel Pro Cycling Team 2007 Roster:
Ivan Basso (Italy) *
Fumiyuki Beppu (Japan)
Volodymyr
Bileka (Ukraine)
Jani Brajkovic (Slovenia)
Alberto Contador (Spain) *
Tony Cruz (USA) *
Steve Cummings (Great
Britain) *
Tom Danielson (USA)
John Devine (USA) *
Stijn Devolder (Belgium)
Vladimir Gusev (Russia)
George
Hincapie (USA)
Fuyu Li (China) *
Levi Leipheimer (USA) *
Trent Lowe (Australia)
Egoi Martinez (Spain)
Jason
McCartney (USA)
Gianni Meersman (Belgium) *
Uros Murn (Slovenia) *
Benjamin Noval (Spain)
Pavel Padrnos (Czech
Republic)
Sergio Paulinho (Portugal) *
Yaroslav Popovych (Ukraine)
Chechu Rubiera (Spain)
Tomas Vaitkus (Lithuania)
*
Brian Vandborg (Denmark) *
Jurgen Van Goolen (Belgium)
Matt White (Australia)
* = new to the team in 2007
Source: Discovery Channel
Caisse d'Epargne with almost the same squad
Caisse d'Epargne did not change a lot during the winter. Spanish talent Luis Leon Sanchez signed with the
Ecchevarri team but it was pretty quite on the transfer market. During the team presentation in Paris team manager José Luis
Echevarri said: "We showed that we are one of the best team of the world."
Echevarri build the team around its two captains, Alejandro Valverde and 2006 Tour de France runner-up Oscar
Pereiro. Valverde will peak at the Wallonne hill classics, the Tour de France and the world championships. He might
not start athe Vuelta Espana. Oscar Pereiro and Vladimir Karpets will concentrate on the Tour de France and the Vuelta Espana.
Echevarri said it could be a difficult season but he had some great news for the team: "It will be difficult
to be as good as we were in 2006. The best news is that our team leader, Alejandro Valverde renewed his contract until 2010."
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| Valverde during the 2006 world championships (picture: Cyclingheroes) |
T-Mobile trains Team Time Trail at Mallorca
It’s a sunny Sunday morning in Sa Rapita, but today is not like any other day in and around
the small fishing port on the southern side of Mallorca. Out of the blue a tightly huddled
formation of nine magenta-clad riders whiz past the locals standing at the road-side. Then as rapidly as they fly into view,
the formation of racing cyclists disappear again in a magenta blur. Shortly afterwards the next group blasts through the village.
Team
time trialling is on the program for Day Seven of the T-Mobile Team training camp on Mallorca.
Race conditions are simulated for the workout - to motivate the riders further, as well as serving as a timely test for the
first TTT event of the season at the Tour of Qatar (January 28 to February 2).
Testing
the new TT bikes
The pro riders were divided into three groups to go full throttle over the looping
17km looping course. „It is the first time that the riders will be going over their threshold in Training;“ says
team doctor Dr. Lothar Heinrich. „However, just for the short spells of between 30 and 60 seconds when they take pulls
at the front. The they drop back, ride the draft and recover before again moving to the front of the paceline.“
As well as the necessary physical workout, it’s a chance for the riders to road-test
their new Giant time trial bikes in simulated race conditions, and make sure they find the ideal position before leaving the
camp.
Heinrich: „On Mallorca all the riders and mechanics
are in one place – so the riders can get the best support on all aspects of setting-up and fine-tuning their bikes to
their specifications.“
As the three groups are racing each other as well as the clock, the exercise has a competitive
element as well as team building character. „It is a very different kind of training and it has a special social, as
well as physiological role to play in the program at this camp,“ confirms Heinrich. “A good TTT team is much more
than a bunch of strong riders in a paceline. Every rider must be acutely aware of how every other rider is doing.”
Narrow winning margin
From behind the steering wheels
of the team cars, the sporting directors encourage and motivate their groups in the unrelenting battle against the clock.
And successfully so, the three groups kept up the pressure on one another, working like chain gangs – at the finish
a scant two seconds separate the first and second groups.
Satisfied with a job well done, the riders then cruise back to the camp base at Club
Robinson, where they make a beeline for their assigned mechanics and pass on their feedback on the bike. Time and again words
like "responsive", "light" and “a different feel” keep popping up. Meanwhile, life has retuned to normal in the
sleepy village of Sa Rapita.
Source: T-Mobile
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