Letters from Abroad – Looking Forward to La Manche

Editor’s Note: Peter Horn is an American racing with the Geox-Fuji Test Team, the amateur development team of Geox-TMC. As Geox-Fuji Test Team’s captain, he’s looking to lead the team to victories in Belgium and around Europe, and help break the team’s riders into the Professional ranks.

May, 2011 – Beauchamps, France

This week the team is in France – first in Picardie and then in Normandy over the weekend. This past weekend, we had a race in Beauchamp, where Paavo was 5th and I was 31st. Ok resuls for the team, but if I know myself after racing a few years here,...Continue Reading

The French Shall Rise Again

If you started to follow professional cycling in the post-Festina era, there are a few truthisms that are universally-accepted:

1. Cipo is the manliest man alive.  His caveman-like exterior hides only a caveman-like mind and intelligence.
2. Ullrich shall always be out of shape up to and including the first lumpy stage of le Tour.
3. French cyclists can only win either regional French races or following a suicidal solo break (see Jackie Durand, Richard Virenque, et al.).

For years we laughed about Christophe Moreau’s pitiful goal of being the highest-ranked French GC rider in the TdF.  That is, until the Andreu-Vaughters chat transcript revealed that he...Continue Reading

Weekend Preview – Emilia, Borghelli, & Paris-Tours

This weekend’s racing begins Saturday, with the 93rd edition of Italy’s Giro dell’Emilia, a prestigious semi-classic in and around Bologna.  A difficult race with an impressive list of winners, Emilia attracts riders hoping to test their form for next Saturday’s Monument, the Tour of Lombardy.

Last year’s winner, Robert Gesink, returns backed by a strong Rabobank squad including Paul Martens and Bauke Mollema.  Martens is one to watch should Gesink give him the go-ahead to ride for himself.

Several home favorites take the start, some of whom come “fresh” from their unsuccessful bid to bring home a rainbow jersey for the tifosi:...Continue Reading

Weekend Preview – The Vuelta, Italy, Isbergues, and US Pro

The 2010 Vuelta a Espana, wraps-up this weekend with its final two stages.  Tomorrow’s Stage 20 looks to be arguably one of the toughest of the race, and with much still up for grabs—including the race’s overall title—expect fireworks.

The battle for the Vuelta’s final red jersey has narrowed to two men following Wednesday’s Stage 17 time trial: Vicenzo Nibali and Ezequiel Mosquera.  Nibali used his superior skills against the clock to effectively eliminate Joaquin Rodriguez from contention, and stole another 12-seconds from Mosquera with an attentive finish in today’s stage in Toledo.  With 50-seconds in hand, Nibali—and his Liquigas team—will...Continue Reading

2010 Tour de France – Stage 16 Wrap-Up

It looks like Thomas Voeckler and Pierrick Fedrigo are continuing their version of “Anything You Can Do I Can Do Better” from last year’s Tour de France.  As they did in 2009, Voeckler and Fedrigo have now both scored stage wins for their BBox Bouygues Telecom squad—a welcome occurrence considering the team’s hoping to seal the deal with a new title sponsor.  Fedrigo’s third career Tour de France stage victory is also the third French stage victory in a row and sixth overall; this is without a doubt the nation’s best Tour in quite some time.  Now if only they...Continue Reading