Fotoreporter Sirotti
Interesting cycling items from across the Internet, February 16, 2011
Each year, Pavé previews the upcoming road season with a countdown of the top-20 teams in the sport. Here’s #8.
Fotoreporter Sirotti
#8 – BMC Racing Team
Like many of the teams new to the sport’s upper echelon, BMC underwhelmed in 2010. That said, while the team’s 2010 results didn’t necessarily indicate it, BMC is building its program the right way, by signing young talented riders and giving them with the veteran support and tutelage they need to develop into successful professionals.
Cadel Evans leads the way for BMC in 2011, placing all of his eggs in the Tour de France’s basket. In 2010, Evans won Fleche Wallonne and a stage at the Giro before wearing the yellow jersey for a day at the Tour. An unfortunate crash and subsequent injury derailed his overall aspirations, but the experience has clearly motivated the Australian to try and win the event this year. On one hand, one can’t blame Evans for trying—especially with a chance that Alberto Contador won’t start. But on the other hand, Evans has been down the Grand Tour road before and has come up short on every occasion. In short, there’s little reason to believe Evans is capable of anything more than a place just inside the Tour’s top-5—but that and a stage win would be a fantastic result for the team.
Evans’ renewed Tour-focus means he has pared down his schedule this spring in attempt to arrive at the Tour rested and fresh. Among the races Evans plans to skip is Liege-Bastogne-Liege, a head-scratching decision considering his affinity for the Ardennes. As it stands now, Tirreno, Catalunya, Amstel, Fleche Wallonne, Romandie, and other week-long stage races will form the bulk of the Australian’s pre-Tour program, with the Vuelta bringing his season to a close. The best-case scenario has Evans winning Romandie, a stage and a top-5 finish at the Tour, and a stage and spot on the podium at the Vuelta. Anything less might send the Australian back to classics and shorter stage races for 2012, a decision that’s probably better for him.
As for the rest of the squad, BMC’s contingent for the Spring Classics is once again one of the most impressive in the sport, with George Hincapie, Alessandro Ballan, Marcus Burghardt, and Karsten Kroon being joined by the talented Italian, Manuel Quinziato, the rejuvenated Belgian, Greg Van Avermaet, and 2-time U23 Roubaix-winner, Taylor Phinney. That said, while on paper BMC has the makings of one of the deepest squads of the spring, if Ballan, Hincapie, and co. don’t perform, they risk being forever known as one of the finest groups of classic also-rans ever assembled. Burghardt (27) and Van Avermaet (25) might be the team’s best bets at this point; look to see them contend as early next weekend’s Omloop.
Aside from the Classics and the Tour 2011 will be a case of catch-as-catch-can for BMC, as the team attempts to surpass last year’s 4-win season. But with another year under their belts, a deep roster, and several intriguing additions, that should be easy.
Man of the Hour: I don’t think it’s the best decision for him and the team, but Cadel Evans is targeting the 2011 Tour de France. That said, I see the 2011 event shaping-up to be as wide open as 2008, when a 30+, long-time bridesmaid named Carlos Sastre won the race with a daring attack on Alpe d’Huez. In other words: anything can happen.
On the Hot Seat: Alessandro Ballan was one of the most disappointing riders of 2010, forcing many to wonder if the rumors of his drug use might have been true (in that he used them earlier in his career when he was actually winning races). Ballan’s not even the best classics rider in Italy anymore—a title he seemed certain to hold for several years after winning Flanders in 2007 and Worlds in 2008. He needs a turnaround—and fast.
Up-and-Comer: BMC nabbed two of the five best U23 riders of that past two seasons when they signed Belgian Yannick Eijssen. A talented climber, Eijssen won a stage and the overall at the prestigious Ronde de l’Isard and a mountain stage at the Tour de l’Avenir in addition to several strong rides in Belgium and abroad. In 2009, he rode as a stagiare with Lotto—I wonder if they regret not signing him then.
Best Pick-Up: Taylor Phinney’s destination was one of the most talked-about stories this past summer—especially after it became clear that a contract with Radio Shack was not a forgone conclusion. While there’s an urge to rush him into the world’s best races, I think the first goal has to be getting his knee fixed.
Biggest Loss: BMC lost only four riders this off-season (two to retirement and two to destinations unknown)—so none!
Share your comments below!
Photo courtesy of Tim Van Wichelen
The Power Rankings for the 21st week of the European cyclocross season get shaken up a bit – riders coming off of World Championship peaks are slipping, opportunists are hunting some late-season results, and some are phoning it in, ready for the end of the season. With three races this past weekend, including two splitting the field on Sunday, things got quite a bit stirred up.
1. Kevin Pauwels (3) hasn’t slowed down since his 3rd place at the World Championships. If he continues his hot streak, this weekend’s final GvA Trofee race in Oostmalle will be exciting.
2. Sven Nys (2) hasn’t slowed down, either, having won twice since the World Championships; Mister Consistent is still riding at a high level. Is it enough to shake off Pauwels in Oostmalle?
3. Zdenek Stybar (1) can’t be counted out, and even if he hasn’t returned to his dominating ways (see, for example, his seven consecutive wins early in the season) it would be foolish to consider him anything but a constant threat.
4. Klaas Vantornout (5) finally got the win he’s been looking for, and at Pavé, we reward him with a bump up in the Power Rankings. Congrats, Klaas!
5. Philip Walsleben (8) has also taken advantage of the post-WC aimlessness to net an impressive second place behind Pauwels in Heerlen this weekend.
6. Bart Wellens (6) is a constant threat, as Pavé regularly reminds its audience of cyclocross coverage. One always wonders if he’s going to pull out a brilliant and powerful ride, especially if he teases with performances like his 2nd at Belgian Nationals. He looked good this weekend, netting third in Middelkerke.
7. Niels Albert (4) has slowed down, unlike some of his rivals. With the Belgian Championship and victory in the UCI World Cup series under his belt this year, can you blame him for phoning in a few weeks at the tail end of the season?
8. Tom Meeusen (7) may be replacing Klaas Vantornout as Mister Just Off The Podium. He’s had a strong break-out season with two major wins earlier in the winter, but his fourth place at Middelkerke is his best in a while. I’d hoped to see him surge and win another, but I think the strong part of his season is behind him.
9. Sven Vantorenhout (9) nailed a couple decent results, for another week running.
10. Gerben De Knegt (10) can be counted on for a top-ten ride. With one weekend left in the season, can we expect something better from him?
Honorable Mention: Jonathan Page, who picked up fourth place in Heerlen just seven seconds behind Pauwels, Walsleben, and Stybar. It would take some remarkable results indeed for him to get solid footing on the Power Rankings, but I’m sure he’s quite happy with this late-season performance.
Those are this week’s Power Rankings. Stay tuned for the final Weekend Preview of the 2010/2011 Cyclocross Season!
Fotoreporter Sirotti
Interesting cycling items from across the Internet, February 15, 2011
Each year, Pavé previews the upcoming road season with a countdown of the top-20 teams in the sport. Yesterday we took at the first team in this year’s top-10. Here’s #9.
Fotoreporter Sirotti
#9 – Astana
Like Euskaltel, Astana has the potential to put someone on the podium in all three Grand Tours while winning several important one-day races along the way. With a talented core of captains and a group of underrated, but dedicated domestiques, there’s reason to believe the squad can and will bounce back after the loss of Alberto Contador.
In the spring classics last year, Maxim Iglinsky blossomed into a dark horse candidate for this year’s Classics, taking the win in the Montepaschi Strade Bianche before embarking on a terrific 4-week run. Iglinksy, Enrico Gasparotto, Andriy Grivko, and new addition Tomas Vaitkus give Astana a seasoned group of men ready to compete throughout March and April. While a Monument win might be too tall of an order (unless Aussie Allan Davis can finally breakthrough in Milan-San Remo), there will be several chances for the team to stand on the podium’s top step. An aggressive group unafraid to animate, look to see at least one rider tucked into the back of most of the spring’s important breakaways.
In the Ardennes, Roman Kreuziger and Alexandre Vinokourov will give Astana two top favorites, especially if they prove able to complement one another’s talents (they both have a penchant for over-attacking and will need to coordinate their moves lest they nullify their collective efforts). From there, the Giro beckons, where Kreuziger will have the team at his disposal in an attempt to win his first Grand Tour. A talented climber and time trialist with two Tour de France top-10’s on his resume, Kreuziger has to be considered a favorite for at least the top-5. Even better, he’s competing against his friend and former teammate, Vincenzo Nibali; their pending battle will be one of the race’s more interesting storylines.
At the Tour de France, Vino will lead to the squad. At 37, many say the Kazakh’s best days are behind him, but let’s remember that he missed almost two years of racing, in a sense making his “effective†age 35. In a Tour that could be a bit more wide-open, consider Vino an outside contender for a spot on the podium in Paris. With a full season of dedicated preparation in his legs—and a nice long rest after last season’s Tour de France—I expect him to be a bit more competitive than many seem to think.
From there, all signs point to the summer classics and the Vuelta, races in which both Kreuziger and Vinokourov could excel if they participate. And last but not least, don’t rule out Allan Davis on a relatively flat course at Worlds in Copenhagen—he finished third last year in Melbourne and is one of the peloton’s best sprinters never to have won a big race.
Man of the Hour: Roman Kreuziger is finally free from the shadow of his former co-captains at Liquigas, but is that a good thing? Many have struggled without someone to share the limelight and one has to wonder if Liquigas knew what they were doing when they let him depart this past off-season. That said, Kreuziger’s still only 24 and has plenty of time to develop. I’m eager to see what a change of scenery does for the Czech.
On the Hot Seat: Remi Digregorio’s such an easy target, but after a terribly disappointing time with FDJ and only a one-year contract with Astana, you’ve got to wonder if this might be the Frenchman’s last chance.
Up-and-Comer: Maxim Iglinsky enjoyed quite a productive spring last season, winning L’Eroica, taking fourth in Tirreno-Adriatico, eighth in Milan-San Remo, seventh in Ghent-Wevelgem, and eighth in the Tour of Flanders—quite an impressive string of results! At 29, he’s riding in the prime of his career and should benefit from the addition of the powerful and experienced Tomas Vaitkus.
Best Pick-Up: Lost in the hubbub after Liquigas took first and third in last year’s Giro was Robert Kiserlovski’s tenth-place overall. Yes, he gained most of his time after making the mega-break on Stage 11, but he more than held his own throughout the final half of the event—and he did it while riding for Basso and Nibali.
Biggest Loss: I’ll never forget the sight of Daniel Navarro dragging a diminishing peloton up the lower slopes of the Alps and Pyrenees during last year’s Tour de France. Vinokourov will miss him this July.
And that’s it for #9. Share your comments below.
Photo by Tim Van Wichelen
With the Superprestige Series victory already determined – clinched by Sven Nys last weekend in Hoogstraten – not much was on the line for European veldrijders this weekend. However, the weekend’s two major races – the final Superprestige race in Middelkerke, and the Grote Prijs Heus in Heerlen – still saw enough fireworks to keep things interesting.
In Middelkerke, Klaas Vantornout finally secured a win this season, taking the lead on a twisting course that spread the riders out well by the end of the race. It was a big win for Vantornout – his first of the season, an “at long last” victory toward the end of a season that started with his Sunweb-Revor team having high hopes in his success (with a bit of occasional bombast thrown in for good measure). Vantornout didn’t rise to the occasion or the pressure, spending much time just off the podium, but his win in Middelkerke is a nice highlight to the tail end of the season. It’s also a decent feather in my cap – last week, my Weekend Preview included the hope to see a big, late-season win from a rider who rides in the long shadows of the biggest names in the sport.
Vantornout’s victory was just that. Behind was an array of the usual suspects, with Kevin Pauwels and Bart Wellens rounding out the podium ahead of Zdenek Stybar, Tom Meeusen, Sven Nys, and Niels Albert.
Pauwels put in another strong showing on Sunday in Heerlen, taking the win in a three-up sprint with Philip Walsleben and Zdenek Stybar, with American Jonathan Page riding to a strong 4th place (though, against an admittedly slimmed field). Kevin Pauwels winning in a sprint – sound familiar? Pauwels is the only one of the podium regulars since late December who hasn’t slowed down after the World Championships. He’s still hunting results that will complement his five victories this year (including two World Cup and two GvA Trofee wins), and his performance of late bodes well for his chances of snatching the overall GvA Trofee win from the hands of Sven Nys.
Nys, however, isn’t done, as he demonstrated quite succinctly with wins at Hoogstraten last weekend and on Sunday in Lebbeke. At Lebbeke, according to Het Nieuwsblad, Nys missed the start, but caught the group and on the second lap, launched a powerful attack. Despite the presence of Belgian Champion Niels Albert in the field (like Heerlen, slimmed due to both races being scheduled on the same day), Nys wound up winning by over a minute.
Stay tuned for this week’s Power Rankings on Wednesday, and Thursday’s Cyclocross Weekend Preview!