|
29.05.2007/ Giro restday: Danilo Di Luca is not affraid of Riccò, Riis: Thanks for the support, Brand new
Klostergaard in 2007, Klöden and Kessler start at Tour of Bavaria, Toyota-United ready for challenge at Mt. Hood, Circuit
de Lorraine: Jaksche takes the jackpot!
Mailbox - win a picture in poster format with Original Autograph of Michael Boogerd
Letterbox: You can send your letters with ideas, comments and other things you would like to let us and
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.
Please note: your letter should not be longer than 350 words. The editor choose every month "The letter of the month".
The writer of the best letter in May 2007 will receive a picture in 20 X 30 CM format with original handwritten autograph
of Michael Boogerd.
|
Gonchar suspended by T-Mobile
Doping: Wave of confessions of former Telekom riders
Bjarne Riis admits epo use from 1993 untill 1998
Former T-Mobile doctor Schmid did blood doping research for WADA
Doping: More riders speak out
New: Special coverage Giro d'Italia 2007
Breaking news: Zabel is allowed to continue riding for Team Milram
Giro restday: Danilo Di Luca is not affraid of Riccò
On the second restday of this years Giro d'Italia overall leader Danilo Di Luca spoke with Italian daily sports Gazzetta
dello Sport. Di Luca said: "At this point, Mazzoleni is my most dangerous rival, because he’s strong on time trials.
In Wednesday’s stage I’ll have to try to gain a few seconds on him, because with 1:51 I’m not really calm."
This years winner of Liège Bastogne Liège continued by saying: "I don’t think that there’ll be ambushes in tomorrow’s
stage in Lienz because my Liquigas team will be able to fight back. But Friday, in the stage ending at Terme di Comano, I’ll
have to be careful."
"On the Saunier team, only Simoni can rival me, and the other day I didn’t care that Piepoli and Riccò were ahead
of me. Cunego rode a good race, I don’t agree with the people that criticised him. In the next few years, he’s
going to win a lot. He and Riccò are the future, but Riccò won’t win the Giro next year. To win, it takes physical maturity
and experience," Di Luca concluded.
Read also Special coverage Giro d'Italia 2007
|
| Danilo Di Luca won this years edition of Liège Bastogne Liège (picture: Cyclingheroes) |
Riis: Thanks for the support
For the Fan Club and all those, who have written since the press meeting on Friday:
Thank you so
much for all your support both for me personally and for the team. I'm happy that our fans come together in support of our
team in a tough time such as this. All your e-mails (and there's a lot) have been forwarded to me and I've read each one.
Unfortunately it's not possible for me to write all of you personally, but I want you to know that your kind words and support
mean the world to me.
Yours sincerely,
Bjarne Riis
Brand new Klostergaard in 2007
One of the riders, who has shown a lot of progress this season is young Dane Kasper Klostergaard of CSC,
who has experienced for himself the difference it makes to be fully committed to his sport.
The young rider has received
credit from all over during this spring and in mid May came the best result so far for Klostergaard, who has been faithfully
sticking to his role as a helper during the first season and a half as a professional.
"It was very exciting to be
up front like that in 4 jours de Dunkerque. Actually there was only one of the six stages, where I wasn't in the front group
suffering the tough winds, so it was a great experience and I think I finished 19th."
In Dunkerque Klostergaard took
on the role as a helper again, when he fought to get Lars Bak the overall victory, which nearly happened, and it is exactly
the role as a helper, which has been taken to a higher level by Klostergaard, who has been sitting up front till the very
end several times to help his teammates even in the major races.
"I've been very committed this year, and from my
first season as a pro I've learnt, that you have to be a rider 24 hours a day in order to do well. I like a night out on the
town a couple of times after the end of the season in October, but starting this January I've been a lot more committed and
I've been watching my weight much better than before, and I've really felt the difference it's made," says Klostergaard and
continues:
"It was my luck that I got to do Paris-Nice, because it's meant a major difference to my form. It made me
able to race at a higher level and then when I suddenly got a chance to participate in some of the other big races this spring,
I realized that my progress had been noted. The culmination came, when I was in the line-up for Paris-Roubaix. Just being
there was a great honor for me. Even though it might sound strange, just the experience of standing there in the Arenberg
Forrest passing my wheel to an amazing rider like Fabian Cancellara is a huge experience and a great honor."
Sports
director Kim Andersen does not make a secret of the fact that Klostergaard is something resembling reborn this season.
"To
be honest we didn't think he could be bothered last year, but we sat him down and had a serious chat during the autumn and
I've gotta say things have changed! The Kasper Klostergaard I saw at 4 jours de Dunkerque recently is an entirely different
person to the Kasper I saw last year. It's great to see someone evolving like that and I'm sure he's also pleased to have
given himself the chance, which is exactly what he's done really," says Kim Andersen and continues:
"Kasper has grown
into a great helper and if he continues to work as hard as he's done so far this season, he'll definitely get his moments
of glory later on."
Paris-Roubaix was one of the races, where everyone started noticing the young Danish talent. After
the Arenberg Forrest he and Marcus Ljungqvist fought their way back to the group containing major favorites like Stuart O'Grady,
Fabian Cancellara and Tom Boonen, when about 40 riders were split into two front groups – among them were Klostergaard
and five other Team CSC riders.
"It was a fantastic feeling to be there for the team for so long, because I knew that
the purpose of me being there was to be ready to hand over my wheel again as soon as I could."
When asked what type
of rider he is, the young Dane is still not quite sure.
"Well, maybe I'm a classics specialist – judging from
this spring anyway. But honestly I don't really know yet. This is only my second season as a pro and I'm still learning. But
I'd very much like to do Paris-Roubaix again, because I think it's a cool race to be in, but for now my main objective is
to get a contract for next year. I was always on the Danish National Team and was up front in the big races as an amateur
and a junior, but at the time I wasn't winning much," is the humble comment from the young rider, who currently lives in Luxembourg.
"This
season I've learnt so much more about, what it takes, but I also know that I'll still have to prove that I'm consistent this
fall as well," explains Klostergaard, who knows more or less, which races he will be doing for the remainder of the season,
even though things have been known to change from time to time.
"I'm going to the States at the beginning of June and
after that I'm doing Ster Elektrotoer, where Jens won last year, but on this side of Tour de France, I've gotta admit that
I'm really hoping to do well at the Danish National Championships – maybe even win, but there's eight other riders on
the team saying the exact same thing, I guess. And the most important thing is that we're a team."
Klöden and Kessler start at Tour of Bavaria
Not less than 126 cyclists, from 18 teams, will participate in the Tour of Bavaria
from May 30 until June 3, 2007. They will have to accomplish some 765 km over five stages. One of them will be a hilly individual
time-trial, contested on the penultimate day of the tour.
The Astana Cycling Team will be at the start with seven cyclists, among them the Germans Andreas Klöden and
Matthias Kessler, who will take the occasion of this circuit to test their form before the big showdown in July. They will
be accompanied, amongst others, by the two young Swiss cyclists Thomas Frei and Michael Schär.
Astana for Tour of Bavaria: Thomas Frei (SUI), Alexey
Kolessov (KAZ), Matthias Kessler (GER), Andreas Klöden (GER), Daniele Navarro (ESP), Michael Schär (SUI)
and Yevgeny Sladkov (KAZ). Sport Manager: Mario Kummer.
|
| Matthias Kessler after Fleche Wallonne 2007 (picture: Cyclingheroes) |
Toyota-United ready for challenge at Mt. Hood
The Toyota-United Pro Cycling Team will put its best climbers on the start line Tuesday night for the start
of the Mt. Hood Cycling Classic.
Leading the way will be Chris Baldwin, who has finished on the podium in four of
the five National Race Calendar stage races he has competed in this season.
“It’s quite an achievement
to do as much racing as Chris has done and be as consistent as he has been,” said Toyota-United Team Director Kirk Willett.
Joining Baldwin will be climbing specialists Burke Swindlehurst, Justin England, Stefano Barberi, Heath Blackgrove
and Bobby Lea.
“You can’t do well at Mt. Hood unless you’re a good climber,” Willett said.
Need proof?
There’s the 110-mile Columbia Hills Road Race on Wednesday, featuring 6,000 feet of climbing,
followed by the 87-mile Cooper Spur Circuit Race (9,000 feet of climbing), the Scenic Gorge Time Trial (with a two-mile climb
within an 18.5-mile course) and the 89-mile Wy’East Road Race (9,200 feet of climbing).
And did we mention the
time trial course finishes on a narrow trail that isn’t even open to vehicles?
“That’s going to
be really interesting,” Willett said. “Not only is it point-to-point, but it typically features a head wind the
entire way.”
The six-day, six-stage race will also mark the return to stage racing for Lea, who underwent surgery
in March to repair arteries in his legs.
“It will be an interesting adventure for him,” Willett said,
“if only to find out what he’s capable of now that he’s coming back to form.”
Toyota-United
did not participate in the 2006 edition of Mt. Hood. However, Swindlehurst and England both have experience racing at Mt.
Hood.
Swindlehurst finished 28th overall last year and was off the front in a long breakaway in the final stage. England
won the final stage in 2005 on the way to a fourth place finish overall.
Busy Week
Of Racing
In addition to the Mt. Hood Cycling Classic, the Toyota-United Pro Cycling Team will also field a full
squad for a pair of important races on the East Coast.
Saturday’s CSC Invitational is a 100-lap, 62-mile (100
km) National Race Calendar criterium in Arlington, Va.
Sunday is the Commerce Bank Tom Bamford Lancaster (Penn.) Classic,
the first race of the Commerce Bank Triple Crown of Cycling.
“The Lancaster race is like a Belgian-style kermesse,
with rough streets, a lot of up and down riding, tight corners and narrow roads,” Toyota-United Team Director Harm Jansen
said. “It is a very tough one-day race.”
The two other races in the Commerce Bank series are June 7 in
Reading, Penn., and June 10 in Philadelphia.
Toyota-United's Wherry
Freewheels To Iron Horse Criterium Win
Chris Wherry earned his first victory of 2007 for the Toyota-United Pro
Cycling Team Sunday when he freewheeled to victory at the Iron Horse Bicycle Classic Criterium.
Wherry showed no effects
of an ailment that has kept him from participating in stage races with the team the past two weeks.
The 34-year-old
former USPRO road champion broke away with 20 laps remaining and held on to win in front of a large crowd on Durango’s
Main Avenue.
“He’s had a pretty mysterious health issue, and he just hasn’t been himself,”
Wherry’s personal coach, Rick Crawford, told the Durango Herald newspaper. “But his form looked really good today.
He was definitely feeling it out there.”
Wherry finished 20 seconds ahead of the field, which was led to the
line by Bill Jacobus (Nob Hill Velo). Anthony Colby (Colavita/Sutter Home presented by Cooking Light) was third.
“I
did the Tour de Georgia this year and really suffered, but about a month ago I got hooked up with some really good (medical)
people here in town, and obviously, it’s been good,” Wherry said. “I was still suffering a bit out there,
but this is just a huge boost for my morale.”
Wherry finished second behind Colby in the Iron Horse Bicycle
Classic omnium competition. Colby finished second in Saturday’s 50-mile road race from Durango to Silverton while Wherry
was ninth.
Wherry’s victory is the 19th of the season by Toyota-United and the team’s 74th overall in
its two-year history.
Toyota-United leads the National Race Calendar team standings after 16 events.
Lea Wins Leonardtown Criterium
Bobby Lea earned his second
win of the year – and his first following surgery in March to repair arteries in his legs.
Lea won the 43-lap,
30-mile Leonardtown Criterium May 20 by bridging across to a small breakaway group with 15 laps remaining and winning a seven-up
sprint to the line.
“I feel I’m back to where I was before the surgery,” Lea said.
Vogels Victorious At Wheels of Thunder
Henk Vogels raced to
his second victory of the season May 12, winning the 42-mile Wheels of Thunder Classic Criterium.
Vogels beat Taylor
Phinney (TIAA-CREF/5280) and Dirk Friel (Vitamin Cottage Cycling Team) in the race that was run on the Colorado State Patrol
Driving Facility in Golden, Colo.
Phinney is the son of former 7-Eleven sprinter Davis Phinney and 1984 Olympic road
race gold medalist Connie Carpenter-Phinney
As Seen on the ‘Net
Toyota-United
Team Director Kirk Willett made quite a favorable impression on some cycling fans at the Tri-Peaks Challenge in Russellville,
Ark. From the “Geo’s Big Adventure” blog:
"When we pulled up it was a strange sight because only
Toyota- United was in the corner on the lot.
"We walked over to the Toyota-United car and talked with the chase car
guy a bit. He was super fan friendly.
"We were joking about where he parked the team car. It was right under a school
sign that said, "Congrats Lady Lizards!" If I could have gotten a good angle for a photo it would have been a hoot!"
Circuit de Lorraine: Jaksche takes the jackpot!
Tinkoff Credit Systems German rider Jörg Jaksche won the 5th and final stage of Circuit de Lorraine, that
brought him the general classification winner’s jersey as well. The peloton traveled at a very high speed but it didn’t
stop the 30 years-old from going on a breakaway with two other riders. On a steep hill Jaksche attacked again, and came to
the finish line all by himself almost 1 minute clear of the chasing pack.
|
