Team Columbia presents Tour squad, new jersey
For the second consecutive day, an American team kicked off its Tour de France by unveiling a fresh jersey design created for a new title sponsor.
Team Columbia, the former T-Mobile team referred to as Team High Road for the first half of the 2008 season, presented its new look and new sponsor in front of a packed press conference at the Penfeld Parc des Expositions in Brest, France, where the Tour will start Saturday morning.
The presentation began with television commentators Paul Sherwin and Phil Liggett praising American team owner Bob Stapleton's rescue of the squad after T-Mobile walked away from cycling last fall. Stapleton quickly turned the attention away from himself and towards the team's surprising tally of near 50 victories this season.
"I can't tell you how happy I am to be here with a wonderful group of athletes, a wonderful staff and a wonderful new sponsor in Columbia," Stapleton said. "I'm very proud of the success our team has had. What makes me the most happy about it is the way they've been successful - they've really worked well as a team."
Stapleton emphasized both the team's youth and international composition. Columbia's Tour team has nine riders from eight countries, with five riders under 25 years old, and two - Gerald Ciolek and Adam Hansen - making their Tour debuts.
Also making a Tour debut is Columbia Sportswear, which makes its first foray into sports sponsorship with the team backing.
Columbia's European manager Christan Fennell explained that the reasons prompting the sportswear company's to enter pro cycling were threefold - cyclists' tendencies to also participate in activities such as hiking, skiing and running; an opportunity to promote Columbia's patented Omni-Shade ultraviolet ray protection technology; and cycling's position as the third largest spectator sport behind only the Olympics and World Cup soccer.
With operations in more than 90 countries, Fennell said the team's youth and international flavor was a perfect fit.
"We will have good coverage in our main markets with this team," Fennell said. "The team is not only successful overall, but shows a strong potential for the future. Also, Bob Stapleton and the team have engaged into fair competition, and that is very important for us."
Columbia comes to the Tour with two objectives - sprint wins courtesy of Mark Cavendish, who will be supported by Ciolek, Bernard Eisel and Adam Hansen, and a top-10 GC ride from Kim Kirchen, who will be supported in the high mountains by time trial specialist Thomas Lovkvist and this year's Tour de Georgia champion Kanstantin Sivtsov.
Kirchen, winner of Fleche Wallone in April, finished seventh overall at the 2007 Tour and said he hopes to improve this year.
"I learned a lot last year about being consistent," Kirchen said. "It gives me confidence going into this Tour that I can be there for three weeks. I'm not worried about any one rider in particular, I'm just concerning myself with doing my own race being on a good level on the key stages."
In many ways Columbia's composition is similar to that of Davitamon-Lotto was in 2006 - a squad half devoted to a proven sprinter and half devoted to a GC contender looking to make the jump to the podium. However unlike that year's team of Robbie McEwen and Cadel Evans, Columbia's squad shows greater depth, with several sprinters capable of winning stages and wildcard riders like Lovkist, American George Hincapie and German Marcus Burghardt - men capable of contributing in both the sprints and mountains as well as winning out of breakaway groups.
"I'll do as well as I can in the time trials," Lovkvist said. "Then I'll ride as hard as I can in the mountains before I sit up and find a group to ride in with. I'm not going to be concerned with my own classification. It's all for Kirchen."
Columbia director Rolf Aldag said the team would treat each stage like 21 individual races, adding, "Kim [Kirchen] is going for the general classification. In an ideal world we will finish in Paris with a top five finish and two stage wins."
However if Cavendish has his way, he'll have a few stage wins banked by the end of the first week. The 23-year-old from the United Kingdom has emerged as one of the fastest sprinters in the sport over the past two seasons, winning two stages of his first Giro d'Italia in May. Cavendish said he doesn't feel any pressure about being a favorite to win stages.
"I have so much confidence in my team, so it takes the pressure away," Cavendish said. "You've seen how good our team is, you've seen how good I am at the finish. Why should I be scared of anyone else?"
Hincapie, who is entering his 13th Tour, will play a dual role, supporting both the team's sprint and GC efforts while acting as the team's road captain. The American veteran seems to be having the time of his life at Columbia, and said he looks forward to helping in the sprint lead-outs as well as looking for opportunities to take a stage win.
"I'm looking forward to starting the race and getting to business," Hincapie said. "I feel good. I'm ready to race."
(c) Competitor Group, et al. All Rights Reserved
Sella takes a second stage as Contador dons maglia rosa
Under normal conditions, Alberto Contador (Astana) claiming the maglia rosa might bring some certainty to the 91st Giro d'Italia. But there's nothing predictable about this explosive and unpredictable race with a week still to go.
The defending Tour de France champ faltered in Sunday's six-climb, 154km 15th stage, but had just enough spin in his legs to slink into the overall lead by 33 seconds - a lead that by his own admission might be only temporary.
"We are going to enjoy this moment because tomorrow at Plan de Corones is another hard day," said a resigned Contador, who becomes the first Spaniard since Juan Carlos Dominguez in 2002 to wear the maglia rosa. "(Riccardo) Ricco is very strong and I am not at my best level. Tomorrow we have another very hard day, so we'll see."
Sunday saw Emanuele Sella (CSF-Navigare) win his second straight summit finish with a solo attack out of a five-man group with 12km to go, but it was Ricco (Saunier Duval-Scott) who took the Giro by the horns, launching a searing attack with less than 3km to go up the grueling 13.35km Passo Fedaia.
The self-styled "Cobra" lived up to his hype, dropping an elite group that included Contador, defending champ Danilo Di Luca (LPR), two-time Vuelta a España champ Denis Menchov (Rabobank) and two-time Giro winner Gilberto Simoni (Diquigiovanni-Androni) to take an eight-second time bonus with third.
"The legs were better and I had no problems breathing like yesterday. There's still a lot of spectacle to come in this Giro and nothing is decided," Ricco said. "I came very close to the maglia rosa. I saw when my rivals attacked and later they were fatigued, so I tried my luck. I wanted to take as much time as possible on my rivals and take the pink jersey."
Ricco, 23, fell short of swapping his best young rider's white jersey for the pink one - he now sits second overall - but with a week to race and five riders within one minute of Contador going into Monday's decisive time trial, a 12.9km ascent of the packed gravel roads at Plan de Corones, everyone agrees this Giro is far from over.
"I don't have the same strength as last year, but we are still right there. There are six of us fighting for the win," said Di Luca, now third at 55 seconds back. "I absolutely do not I think this Giro is over. Nothing will be decided until the final time trial in Milan."
After Contador stepped off the podium, he had to reconsider his situation. If he can defend his lead in Monday's ITT, he could have several days in which to become accustomed to the pink jersey.
"I think it's the perfect moment to take the maglia rosa. I came close yesterday with 5 seconds, so today to have it is the best moment," Contador said.
"Tomorrow is a time trial, and I won't need my team. For them, it's more or less a rest day. The following days are more normal stages so that we can control the race. Without a doubt, the remaining two time trials should benefit me."
If Contador can end Monday in the pink jersey, maybe this Giro will seem more routine after all.
Up the Marmolada
A quintet of breakaway riders featuring three from CSF-Navigare hit the base of the final climb nursing a two-minute lead on about 20 riders that included most of the GC contenders. Sella bolted away with about 12.5km to go to try his luck for a second straight victory and opened up a 53-second gap with 9km to go.
"I couldn't imagine that I would be able to win again today," Sella said. "The legs felt good when we hit the base of the Fedaia. I told (teammate Fortunato) Baliani, 'I'm going to go for it.' I just poured my forces into the pedals."
Alessandro Spezialetti (LPR) set the pace for "The Killer" on the lower flanks among the front pack, while Sylvester Szmyd (Lampre) was there for Marzio Bruseghin. Contador struggled alone earlier in the stage up the Giau, but Maxim Iglinsky managed to latch back on to lend a hand in the final shootout.
Bruseghin was nearly knocked off his bike by the squeeze of over-zealous fans with about 5km to go. The Lampre captain bounced into Contador and had to re-clip into his pedals.
Ricco opened up the fun with about 3km to go, turning the screws to drop some remnants of the front pack. Following the Cobra's wheel were Contador, Domenico Pozzoviva (CSF Group), Menchov and Franco Pellizotti (Liquigas), with Vincenzo Nibali dropping back from the front group to help his teammate. Trailing just back were Simoni and Di Luca.
Baliani, meanwhile, dropped out of the front group and helped Pozzovivo make a run out of the Contador-Ricco group.
Ricco went again, drawing out Menchov and Contador, passing Rodriguez from the breakaway. Ricco kept turning the screws, distancing Contador and Menchov. Simoni was fighting back as the riders were strung out in a thin line of suffering.
"The head's good but the legs are tired. I saw a very high level today and it was hard to make a difference, but I expected more today," said Simoni. "We're all still close and nothing is decided. There's still a lot of fighting left in this Giro."
Ricco continued to methodically climb out of the saddle, but he couldn't shake the stubborn Contador. With 2km to go, Contador surged ahead again to drop Di Luca, Simoni and Menchov to close in on Ricco.
With 1200 meters to go, Ricco held a slender gap on Contador while Sella was up the road taking his second straight victory after yet another dramatic attack.
(c) Competitor Group, et al. All Rights Reserved
McGee back in the saddle
McGee had surgery on Monday and was released from hospital Wednesday. He began his training straight away. On the team's website, team-csc.com, the Australian said that "The operation went well, although it took a bit longer than I had expected. Before the operation we had talked about how important it was for the plate to placed exactly right, because of the way the bone had fractured, so it took a while for them to get it just right. But apparently they've done a really great job so I think it'll work out perfectly afterwards," said McGee, who's had a plate put in his other shoulder eight years ago, after having fractured his other collarbone.
McGee couldn't wait to be back in the saddle. "I'm starting my training program straight away, but I actually got some training in already before the surgery so I'm sure I'll come back even stronger," commented McGee, who will ride the Bayern Rundfahrt next.
Copyright Future Publishing (Overseas) Limited, a Future plc group company, 1995-2007. All rights reserved.
Cooke and Caccia return to racing
While part of Team Barloworld is racing in the Giro d'Italia, another arm will be leading the charge in Spain, for the Clasica a Alcobendas, May 10 to 11. Australia's Baden Cooke and Italy's Diego Caccia are making their race returns after forced stops during their Classics campaigns.
The three-stage Spanish race comprises 320.90 kilometres in two days.
Cooke will be rebuilding his racing strength follow his crash in the Paris-Roubaix, where he went on to finish 31st. Caccia, who was taken out of action with a crash in the Driedaagse De Panne-Koksijde, confirmed to Cyclingnews his desire to return to racing. The 26 year-old from Bergamo fractured a rib on his left side just over one month ago, but was in good spirits when contacted at home last night.
In addition to Cooke and Caccia, the team will field Robert Hunter, Giampaolo Cheula, Marco Corti, Chris Froome, Daryl Impey and Moises Duenas. (GB)
Copyrigth Future Publishing (Overseas) Limited, a Future plc group company, 1995-2007. All rights reserved.
Pro bike race set for downtown Spartanburg
Community - there are 70 officially designated communities in the United States.
Spartanburg became the first town in South Carolina to earn the designation in September.
"We really want to get people excited about cycling in Spartanburg," Crow said. "You can get a great view anywhere along the course. It really is a high-energy event. We've worked hard to get the message across."
North Carolina's Mark Hekman, the winner of last year's Speedweek series, agreed that the Steadman Hawkins Classic is one of the most unique and exciting races. He rode in the event in each of the past three years.
"It's a sweet race. That downtown area is so beautiful," said Hekman, who rides for the Toshiba-Santo pro cycling team. "The course is tight and fast, and it seems like all of it is downhill."
The men will ride 70 laps around the half-mile course for a total of 35 miles.
"The real short laps make it fun," Hekman said. "The (narrow) streets really make the race seem fast. It gives you more of an adrenaline rush."
With such a unique atmosphere and course, most of the cyclists either "look forward to it or hate it," Hekman said.
"You can never let off the gas on a course like that. You're sprinting the whole time," he said.
IF YOU'RE GOING
What: Steadman Hawkins Classic, a closed-circuit cycling race that will be a featured event in Spring Fling.
When: 4:30 to 9:30 p.m.; men's pro race at 8 p.m.
Where: Downtown, half-mile course loops from East Main Street to Converse to Broad to Church and back to East Main. The start/finish line will be located at the corner of Liberty and Main streets.
Events: Men's & women's professional (category 1&2), men's masters, men's and women's amateur (category 3&4) with more than $15,000 in cash prizes.
Admission: Free; food and drinks will be available. There will also be a tailgate tent.
All material (c)Spartanburg Herald-Journal and GoUpstate.com
NMBS finals relocate to Brian Head
The National Mountain Bike Series (NMBS) finals have moved to Brian Head, Utah. The organizers, Blue Wolf Events, had announced they were searching for a replacement venue after the Tamarack Resort in Idaho had to pull out from their roll as hosts. The dates of the finals, August 30-September 1, remain the same.
"I am really delighted that we have been able to resolve this crisis so quickly and cleanly. We've only crossed one state line, and we don't even have to change our date," said series director Jeff Frost. "And it is great to be returning to Brian Head. We were very impressed with this venue when holding a series round there two years ago."
"We are very excited to have the NMBS back, not only from the sporting side, but also it's so great to have America's top mountain bike pros come play in our back yard," said Traci Brown, the director of the mountain bike park at Brian Head. "What better opportunity to showcase the caliber of our venue?"
Brian Head Mountain Bike Park rises from a base elevation of 9,600 feet and rises to 11,000 feet, so altitude will play a role in the competition. The finals are conveniently scheduled one week after the American Mountain Classic stage race from August 21-24, also in Brian Head.
The finals will include cross country, short track, dual slalom, downhill, super D, and marathon competitions.
Copyright Future Publishing (Overseas) Limited, a Future plc group company, 1995-2007. All rights reserved.
'Washout,' 'time' lead to 6-feet-deep crevice; local bridge closed
By KENNY MAPLE/Index-Journal staff writer
Tuesday, April 29, 2008 12:43 AM EDT
HODGES -- A large hole was found on Monday in the bridge that leads into town.
Billy Lybrand, resident maintenance engineer with the S.C. Department of Transportation (SCDOT), the said S.C. Highway Patrol (SCHP) reported a problem about 5 p.m. on the Hwy. 178 bridge.
"I got a call from the highway patrol about it, and it was just a small hole in the asphalt, but when we got out here you could see there was a bigger void underneath," Lybrand said, calling the hole a "washout."
He said the hole, about six feet deep, was probably the product of "time."
"I think it's something that's been happening over time," he said. "It was in the subgrade in the road. There was no way to tell it was there, and then it finally poked through where we could see."
In the early evening hours Monday, SCDOT was on the bridge working to temporarily fill the opening until it could be fixed today.
"We're trying to stabilize it for the night so we can open traffic up throughout the night and people can get to work in the morning without going around," he said. "Then we'll come back (today) and fix it back."
To stabilize the hole, workers placed stone in it and secured plates on top of the stone. Today, the hole will be dug up and more than likely filled with concrete.
While SCDOT handled the cavity in the road, the bridge and portions leading up to the bridge on Hwy. 178 were closed, causing traffic to use alternative routes through Hodges.
Lance Cpl. Scot Edgeworth, of the SCHP, said no wrecks were caused by the hole.
Copyright Index Journal 2007
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