2011 Team Kit First Look: Omega Pharma-Lotto

Posted on November 19, 2010 by

Here’s a first look at Omega Pharma-Lotto’s 2011 kit.  So far it’s my favorite. What do you think?


2011 Omega Pharma-Lotto Team Kit

Photo Courtesy of Vermarc


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International Cyclocross Report & Power Ranking – Week #8

Posted on November 19, 2010 by


2010 Neerpelt CX - S. Nijs

Photo by Tim VanWichelen


This past weekend featured a pair of muddy–make that super muddy–courses in Belgium. Saturday’s race in the French-speaking region of Wallonia gave the riders a taste of the epic conditions they would face during Sunday’s Superprestige round in the Flemish town of Hamme-Zogge. Both races involved large amounts of running due to the extreme amounts of deep mud and water. In fact, racers spent almost 50% of the race on foot as large chunks of the courses were completely unrideable.

The 13th edition of the Grand Prix de la Région Wallonne proved to be a slow, grinding affair, one that saw French National Champion Francis Mourey take the victory in a two man sprint. Mourey, Martin Zlámalík and Gerben de Knegt ran and rode their way into a lead group early on in the race—and with laps times at nearly eight minutes, it was clear that the race was to be a battle of the strongest willed more than anything else. In the end, de Knegt fell-off the pace and Mourey turned on the jets in the finishing straight to beat Zlámalík for the win. American Jonathan Page finished with an impressive fourth-place finish ahead of Bart Wellens.

With a majority of the big names skipping Saturday’s race, it was no surprise that Round Three of the Superprestige on Sunday featured all the top stars. Sven Nys came out on top, seizing control of the Superpestige overall from World Champion Zdenek Stybar. And much like Saturday’s event, Nys and company spent the hour riding and running through ankle deep mud.

Niels Albert, and Klaas Vantornout set much of the early pace and finally established a gap with four laps to go. Nys was able to bridge though, making it a three-man battle at the front. The leaders traded blows throughout the final lap, with Vantornout taking a strong lead after an acceleration through one of the running sections. But Nys was not to be outdone: the Belgian National Champion closed the gap and kept right on going. Vantornout made one last dash for victory, but once the race hit the pavement, it was a done deal. Albert held-on for third while Bart Wellens put in yet another impressive ride to finish fourth. Rob Peeters held-off Zdenek Stybar for fifth.

It was a tough muddy weekend of Belgian cyclocross. Mourey’s win Saturday was great, but Nys’ ride Sunday was nothing but impressive. Is the Belgian champ back for good? Only time will tell, but for now he remains #1 on our list. Let’s see where everyone else falls:

International Power Ranking – Week #8

1. Sven Nys (1) – With his first Superprestige win of the season, Nys proved he’s here to stay. The win marks his fourth consecutive victory of the season and puts in him the driver’s seat for an unthinkable 10th Superprestige overall title. How long he can sustain this form remains to be seen, but with GVA Trophy and Superprestige events on tap this weekend, all eyes will be on the Belgian National Champion.

2. Niels Albert (3) – Albert continues to ride well this season. His third place on Sunday was well earned, but he still lacks the ability to really challenge for the victory. With Stybar fading, Albert could be the first to capitalize if Nys struggles. If anyone can find a way to beat Stybar and Nys, Albert may be that guy.

3. Bart Wellens (6) – With a pair of top-5 finishes last weekend, Wellens continues to impress. In fact, he was the only rider to finish inside the top-5 both days. I feel as if Wellens is on the verge of a breakout victory, but he’ll have to defeat some very strong competition in the process. One thing’s certain: with another World Cup round a few weeks away, the four-time World Champion looks to be a lock for the Belgian squad.

4. Klaas Vantornout (9) – Jumping-up five spots this week, Vantornout was quite impressive in his second-place finish in Hamme-Zogge. Vantornout’s acceleration through one of the long, muddy running sections looked as if he had the victory in the bag—even he admitted that he thought it was the winning move. Overall, Vantornout has come close to victories several times this season—perhaps he’ll another shot this weekend.

5. Zdenek Stybar (2) – With a sixth-place finish Sunday, Stybar slips to his lowest ranking of the year. However, if Stybar’s goal is a World Cup overall and another World Championship, he could be right on track. He’s coming back from a minor back injury as well—I’m sure that didn’t help in one of the toughest races of the year. This weekend is key if he wants to remain in the hunt for a GVA and Superprestige overall. If he fails, he may be forced to focus on other goals.

6. Kevin Pauwels (4) – Pauwels has historically struggled in the mud and is definitely not a runner. His recent success seemed to buck that trend, but the race in Hamme-Zooge showed that he still struggles. That said, his seventh-place was impressive in a race that saw pretty much everyone struggle. I think he’ll be back on the podium this weekend—unless it rains all week.

7. Francis Mourey (8) – After a surprising and impressive victory Saturday, Mourey skipped Sunday’s Superprestige. The Frenchman has spent the last few weeks at home, racing locally and grabbing some key UCI points. It will be interesting to see how he does this weekend when he steps back onto the big stage.

8. Bart Aernouts (5) – Aernouts finished tenth on Sunday, marking one of his worst results of the year. The young Belgian needs to be careful as everyone is fighting for those valuable World Cup team spots. Look for Aernouts to rebound nicely this weekend, perhaps even picking-up a pair of podium spots.

9. Rob Peeters (10) – Joining the rankings last week for the first time ever, Peeters is clearly enjoying the muddy Belgian conditions. He finished inside the top-10 both days this past weekend, with an excellent fifth-place result on Sunday. With another solid weekend, Peeters could grab a spot on his nation’s exclusive World Cup squad.

10. Gerben de Knegt (n/a) – The “new” elder statesmen of cyclocross, de Knegt was the third rider to finish inside the top-10 in both races this past weekend. I’m dying for him to win a big race this season and I think that he may have his best shot in the coming weeks. If not, a Superprestige or even World Cup podium would still be impressive.

Dropped this week: Tom Meeusen (7).

As I mentioned, there are GVA Trophy and Superprestige events this weekend. Obviously, all the big contenders will be there. are you ready for another great weekend.?

Share your comments below!



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Garmin-Cervélo Sponsorship Speculation

Posted on November 18, 2010 by

FOTOREPORTER SIROTTI

The latest news in the Garmin-Cervélo who’s coming who’s going saga was Castelli, who signed on as Garmin-Cervélo’s clothing sponsor over incumbent Pearl Izumi.  The Garmin/Pearl Izumi relationship made some noise over the last couple of years, with all sorts of technological advances, including the kinda-sorta ridiculous flying squirrel suits they used in 2010.  What other sponsors should we expect to see change?

The title sponsor fight is long since over and done.  Garmin and Cervélo are the title sponsors, and Transitions will transmogrify to being optics sponsor.

And since Cervélo is in, obviously Felt is out as frame supplier.

Both Garmin and Cervélo Test Team shared a number of sponsors – 3T, Fizik and Vittoria for bar/stem, saddles and tires, respectively.  Some of those may change, but it won’t be due to the merger.

Zipp was a CTT sponsor.  Zipp also sponsored Garmin through 2009, until they moved to Mavic in a 2 year deal.  Its probably safe to assume they’ll continue on Mavic.

Component-wise, we’re left with Shimano for Garmin, and SRAM with CTT – along with a cast of other manufacturers to fill in the holes, like Speedplay pedals, and Rotor cranks.  If Garmin-Cervélo goes Shimano, look for Speedplay and Rotor to be out.  My guess?  With so many teams shifting to SRAM in the last few years, Shimano won’t want to lose another, especially with the opportunity to sponsor the World Champ.

Beyond that, there are a slew of lesser sponsors.  For trainers, I’d expect to see LeMond over Cycleops – cause Greg is awesome.  Giro or Catlike.  Bont versus letting riders pick their own shoes?  I’m not sure anyone besides the company on the outs will care. With POM being charged with deceptive advertising practices by the FTC, there’s a good chance we could see them step aside, and focus on paying lawyers instead of cycling teams.

Most importantly, DZNuts will probably stay on Рin spite of a full array sponsors*, Cerv̩lo missed the opportunity to brand their riders perineums.

* some might have said “a fist full of sponsors”, or “a grab bag of sponsors”, but I wouldn’t want to taint my article with such sophmoric humor.

Posted in Featured, Teams | 6 Comments

Team Lux: It’s Not About the Sponsor

Posted on November 18, 2010 by
2010 Elite World Road Championship - F. Schleck

Fotoreporter Sirotti

Mattio’s one of several people we know who’s becoming fed-up with all the talk surrounding Team Lux’s (lack of) title sponsor(s).  Here’s his Point:

It’s Not About the Sponsor

Ladies and gentlemen, I understand: we’re getting close to winter. Where I live in Minneapolis, Minnesota, the ground is covered with an icy layer of early snow, which ended our cyclocross season with a cold, wet, slippery State Championship race. It’s only natural that from the warm haven of our desks, when the sport seems to be in hibernation until March (the beginning of Belgium’s rainy season, which lasts until February), we grasp for whatever pieces of news we can get our hands on. We use it as part of the anticipation process. As the strangely secretive Team Luxembourg keeps us speculating about title sponsors (what will their riders be wearing and riding next season?), opinions fly back and forth about how sponsors will or won’t determine the landscape of this new team.

It is important, however, to not let the offseason blog-based news-frenzy eclipse what is the most important part of bike racing: bike racing. At the end of the day – and, as we’ll come to remember soon enough, at the end of the winter too – the important part of our sport is the riders. They race the races – not the sponsors, not the equipment. It is their beautiful and absurd act of self-immolation—burning their bodies for fuel—that draws us to the sport. They ride the races and they make us fall in love. They are the sport – not the sponsors and the backdoor professional industry politicking.

Examples of teams where rider accomplishments have far and away eclipsed sponsor prestige are plentiful. In the past two years, Dutch team Vacansoleil has racked up impressive results. Bobby Traksel and Bjorn Leukemans have had impressive results in the classics and Borut Bozic has taken stage wins in Spain, Belgium, and Britain. That Vacansoleil rents mobile homes and campground tents matters little – the team has a bunch of scrappy riders who get the job done.

In 2008, American teams Slipstream and High Road burst onto the scene in a dramatic fashion. Mark Cavendish told just about every other sprinter, “Don’t quit your day job, unless your day job is sprinting, in which case, quit your day job,” and Christian Vandevelde managed an impressive 4th place at the Tour de France. In this short period, title sponsors for these teams have come and gone despite their success – Slipstream’s name has included Chipotle and Transitions, and is now Garmin-Cervelo. Team High Road got its start funded from Bob Stapleton’s pockets after Deutsche Telekom collapsed, but even with a decidedly un-cycling name like Team High Road, managed enough results to build a superstar team. A strong showing at the Giro and Kim Kirchen’s win in the Fleche Wallonne, it seems, is attractive to potential sponsors.

Teams with significantly more firepower and sponsorship theater have garnered significantly fewer results. Team Sky – seeking, perhaps, to perfect the SuperTeam model – made headlines with big acquisitions, big plans, and flashy kits, but its presence in the headlines diminished once the racing season began. Sure, they lined up some slick, skinsuit-clad leadout trains during the Tour Down Under, but if you take away Juan Antonio Flecha’s impressive Classics results (winning Het Nieuwsblad and taking 3rd at both E3 Prijs and Paris-Roubaix), their season seems notable only for Edvald Boasson Hagan starting sprints from 400 meters out, and for Bradley Wiggins’ 40th and 24th in the Giro and the Tour, respectively – disappointing only in light of his surprising 4th place at the Tour in 2009.

Even the greatest riders in the history of our sport have left little impression on us about their sponsors. Eddy Merckx rode for Molteni and Faema in the prime of his career – they make sausages and espresso machines, respectively. When Greg Lemond and Laurent Fignon went head-to-head in the time trial to the Champs Elysees, do you not remember Fignon’s ponytail and Lemond’s glasses much more so than the French supermarket chain that sponsored Fignon’s team (Systeme-U) or the children’s clothing manufacturer that sponsored Lemond’s (Team Z)? Cycling is an international sport – sponsorships by regional companies, even in today’s e-connected and increasingly borderless world, fail to register.

Let this not be a lack of gratitude for the sponsors at the highest level of cycling. They make possible something that is our entertainment, our motivation, and our odd religion. I certainly hope that many consider sponsoring a professional cycling team to be a worthwhile investment; indeed, I hope that investment pays off. But we will remember the riders. When Kim Kirchen won the Fleche Wallonne in 2008, I don’t remember what words were printed on his jersey. I remember his lean, haggard face, his rain-soaked jersey, and the fact that near the top of the dreadful Mur de Huy – as he accelerated up that brutal wall, passed Cadel Evans, and opened a gap that would prove decisive – he shifted into the big chainring, turning over a monster gear on his way to victory.

Look for Whit and Jeremy’s Counterpoint to follow tomorrow.

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2011 Team Kit First Look: Team Wallonie-Bruxelles

Posted on November 17, 2010 by

Here’s a first look at the 2011 team kit for the recently-announced Belgian Continental team under the direction of former Motorola rider Michel Dernies, Team Wallonie-Bruxelles.  Pretty nice, huh?


Photo Courtesy of Vermarc


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Domestic Cyclocross Report & Power Ranking – Week #9

Posted on November 16, 2010 by

Photo by Mia Sullivan, StudioMProductions.com

Fort Collins, Colorado hosted Rounds Five and Six of the USGP this past weekend. As a result, virtually all of North America’s best cross racers were in attendance. And while all odds were on another weekend of Cannondale-Cyclocrossworld.com domination, everyone quickly realized that this weekend would be different. In fact, this past weekend provided the biggest surprises and craziest action the US has seen all season.

On Saturday, USGP leader Jeremy Powers took the hole shot, only to be passed by Ryan Trebon. Then, things were quickly turned upside down when Geoff Kabush took-off. Cannondale-Cyclocrossworld.com’s Jamey Driscoll set-off in pursuit of the Canadian, but Kabush continued to extend his gap on Driscoll and the rest of the field before a dropped chain gave Driscoll to the lead.

But Kabush was not to be outdone–he caught and passed Driscoll, putting 22 seconds into the Vermonter by day’s end. Behind, Trebon and Todd Wells were able to pull away from Tim Johnson. Trebon crashed coming into the final lap, allowing Wells to take control of third–at least until he had an incident of his own. In the end, Trebon wound-up third, Wells fourth, and Johnson rounded-out the podium in fifth. Powers rolled across the line in seventh place, putting teammate Johnson into the USGP leader’s jersey.

Sunday’s race began much the same as Powers quickly took the hole shot. This time however, he was able to hold his effort, drawing-out a select group including Johnson, Kabush, Wells and Trebon. Trebon and Powers took turns attacking one another and the group, shedding Wells and Kabush in the process. Once Powers suffered a flat tire, the race became a two-man affair.

After trading multiple attacks, Trebon made a critical mistake sending him off-track, into the course tape, and over his bars–effectively ending his day. Johnson quickly stretched his newfound gap, distancing himself from a chase group containing Powers–who rebounded from a second flat tire–Wells, and Kabush–who soon came unhitched, leaving Powers and Wells to battle for second.

Both riders bunny-hopped the barriers each lap in an effort to keep the pressure on one another. This proved costly for Wells, who slammed into one of the barriers, injuring his leg and forcing him to abandon. Johnson’s lead was safe by this point and Kabush’s inability to close the gap to Powers gave the Cannondale-Cyclocrossworld.com team the top two spots on the podium. Kabush was able to hold off Jamey Driscoll though, preventing a potential podium sweep for the men in green and black. Adam Craig capped-off a strong ride to finish fifth.

While some riders chose not to make the trip to Colorado, some who did found a mix of bad legs and bad luck.  And while it was a challenging and treacherous weekend for many, how it will affect the rest of their seasons remains to be seen. Let’s see how it affects this week’s Power Rankings:

Domestic Power Rankings – Week #10

1. Tim Johnson (2) – Johnson’s victory Sunday is a major morale booster ahead of his next European campaign. He’s virtually maxed-out the available UCI points in the US, so his trip to Europe makes sense. More importantly, he’s now in full control of the USGP overall with two rounds remaining. His closest competition?  Teammate Jeremy Powers.

2. Jeremy Powers (1) – Saturday’s seventh-place was obviously a bit of a disappointment, but, a second-place Sunday after a flatting twice should make up for it. Powers is probably the only one capable of grabbing the leader’s jersey from Johnson, something he’s admitted is one of his season goals.

3. Geoff Kabush (6) – I’m still disappointed that Kabush skipped Canadian Nationals a week ago. However, he was the only rider to podium both days in Fort Collins, meaning his weekend off was definitely worth it. Despite his impressive haul, it’s impossible for him to take the USGP overall, even if Powers and Johnson don’t score another point. Regardless, Kabush picked-up his first USGP win since 2004, this past weekend; and looks poised for a solid last half of the season.

4. Todd Wells (3) – The good news is that Wells’ leg isn’t broken; the bad news is he’s pretty banged-up. Obviously he’ll take this weekend off; I hope he’s ready in time for the three days of Jinglecross racing in Iowa following Thanksgiving.  He has a lot to live up to after sweeping all three races last year.

5. Ryan Trebon (4) – Everything looked good for Trebon until he launched over his handlebars and landed on his back Sunday. He still managed to finish eleventh–very impressive. Trebon has been pretty beat-up over the past few weeks; I think he needs to take some time off if he really wants to take a run at a National Championship. Unfrotunately, he still needs those UCI points for a solid starting position.

6. Jamey Driscoll (8) – Driscoll should probably be inside the top-5 this week, but his inconsistency over the past few weeks leaves him six. Two top-5’s are definitely signs that his form is coming around though. Hopefully he can keep it up until Nationals.

7. Valentin Scherz (5) – Scherz drops a few spots, which really isn’t his fault. He stayed local and won Staten CX 3.0 in New York, beating Erik Tonkin and others. He’ll round out his US campaign in New York this weekend. He may not be a heavily marked rider when he heads back to Europe, but I’m sure that will quickly change.

8. Adam Craig (10) – After last weekend’s pair of UCI victories, Craig netted two top-10 finishes in Colorado. If Craig keeps this up, he may have an outside shot at a national title. For now though, he just needs to keep riding well against the best in the country.

9. Luca Damiani (7) – Damiani is still recovering from his deep leg gash suffered last weekend in Massachusetts. My guess is he’ll take another weekend off before the NACT and NECCS head to Massachusetts. He’s had a stellar season that has recently been marred by bad luck. Hopefully he can rebound and finish the year strong.

10. Zach McDonald (n/a) – McDonald’s pair of top-10’s netted him the top U23 spots in Colorado. McDonald is a Northwesterner, which means he’s gunning for the U23 national title in Bend. His biggest nemesis could be Luke Keough, who finished well behind this past weekend. Led by these two impressive youngsters, the U23 class is shaping up very nicely in the US.


Dropped this week: Davide Frattini (9).


This upcoming weekend is the last mini lull that the US will have a head of Nationals. It’s been one exciting weekend after another. I was knocked-out by a cold this past weekend and as a result missed my chance for previews and predictions column. But I promise it will be back this week–look for it on Friday.


For now, share your comments below.


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