Monday Musette – Sponsors New & Old, Transfers, Dopes, & Cross

Posted on November 15, 2010 by
2010 Paris-Nice - Contador Wins Stage 4

Fotoreporter Sirotti

Here’s what’s on our minds this Monday:

1. While the pre-season training camps begin to pop-up all over the calendar, details continue to trickle in regarding Team Lux.  The latest news has Belgian telecom giant Belgacom and Danish earpiece manufacturer Jabra becoming the main backers of the team, with an announcement possibly to coincide with the arrival of Fabian Cancellara.  But we’ve heard this before, haven’t we?

2. It’s likely that something will be determined soon as the new squad has it’s first pre-season get together scheduled from December 6th-12th in the Swiss Alps.  Whoever the new team’s clothing supplier is, they better be able to accommodate quick turnarounds.

3. Speaking of transfers, Irish legend Sean Kelly has an idea for the UCI regarding transfers.  Is the UCI principled enough to not skim an unreasonable amount of money off the top should they take Kelly’s comments to heart?  Given the governing body’s recent track record, we think not.

4. I was excited to read that Palmans will be returning to the sport’s upper echelon after signing-on to support Team Vacansoleil, while Dutch firm TVM will be returning to co-sponsor the Rijke amateur team from Holland.  Time for me to find someone to trade kit with.

5. And speaking of Palmans, maybe you can help me end a 5-year hunt for a needle in a haystack.  One of the first copies of Winning Magazine I ever purchased had a fantastic picture of a lone Palmans rider climbing what I believe was the Molenberg in Het Volk.  He’s wearing the old maroon and gold kit, a hairnet, and the traditional white house sits in the background.  I believe it was 1996, the year Tom Steels took his first big win for Mapei.  Can anyone help me find a copy?  That said, we’d settle for any copies of Winning covering the classics from the late 1990’s.  You know, for the archives.

6. In doping news, the UCI has asked the RFEC to open disciplinary hearings against Contador. RFEC says that’ll take months.  Are we to assume the provisional suspension will remain in place until they come to a conclusion?

7. Team Sky wants a Tour of California invite and might send a superstar team in order to get one. Will the Giro vs. ATOC showdown intensify next season?  And will the ATOC’s organizers remember the way in which Sky shunned the event last year?

8. This just in: Pegasus has named Henrik Redant as one its new sport directors for 2011.  Redant’s one of the classiest guys in the sport, and will certainly prove to be a valuable resource as the team moves forward.  Now for that title sponsor…

9. On the domestic cyclocross front, Ryan Trebon is leaving Kona (on good terms) to start his own team with the goal of taking on the world in Louisville in 2013.

10. In Europe, Sven Nys took a big win at the Superprestige in Hamme-Zogge, while Zdenek Stybar suffers from knee pain—which may put a damper on his bid to prevent Nys from winning SP for the 10th consecutive time.

11. If you haven’t done so already, please complete this survey regarding our 2011 clothing order. Your responses will help us get an accurate cost as we finalize details with Vermarc.

12. And last but not least, hopefully you’ve noticed (and enjoy) our new layout and design.  Erik and Jeremy deserve kudos for their time and effort on the last two versions of the site—thanks guys!  It’s incredible how far we’ve come from a design standpoint.

That’s it for today—enjoy your week, and share your comments below.



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International Cyclocross Report & Power Ranking – Week #7

Posted on November 12, 2010 by
2010 Koppenberg CX - S. Nijs

Tim Van Wichelen Photo

With no major races this past week, many European riders used this past weekend to rest, relax, recover and train. However, some of Belgium’s best went to a national event in Ronse, the GP Mario DeClerq. Being a national level event, the race offered no UCI points and was only open to Belgian riders. Due to this, there was a wide discrepancy in the level of the field—the event was dominated by Sven Nys, who won by nearly a minute. In fact, only nine riders finished on the lead lap and many of Belgium’s top riders dropped out early in the race.

The course and conditions resembled last Monday’s Koppenburg race, which was obviously right up Nys’ alley (he won it). Behind the Belgian champion, Niels Albert outsprinted a five-man chase group to finish second, with Tom Meeusen finishing third. The relatively unknown Jan Denuwelaere took fourth, and Rob Peeters fifth. Bart Wellens, Sven Vanthourenhout and Klaas Vantornout all abandoned midway through as rain turned to hail and Nys turned-up the pace to take another dominant win.

Thursday’s Jaarmarktcross in Niel, Belgium isn’t part of any series, but remains a marquee race nonetheless, where heavy rains and cooler temperatures turned the course into a mud-fest. With Zdenek Stybar absent due to a minor training accident, all eyes were on Nys. Bart Wellens grabbed the early lead, but was passed by Nys when he accelerated at the start of the second lap and was then joined by Niels Albert and Kevin Pauwels. Halfway through the race, Nys accelerated again, destroying everyone in the process. The attack left Albert trailing Nys by almost twenty seconds, Pauwels by thirty, and Wellens by nearly a minute.

Then the unthinkable happened. In one of the most unusual spectacles ever seen at a cyclocross race, Nys entered the pit and found that none of his mechanics were there. Nys remained impressively calm while his lead evaporated as he stood in the pits waiting for a bike. Finally, after about fifteen seconds, he received a clean bike from an opponent’s mechanic and took off, shedding Albert once again en route to his third straight victory. Albert finished second, while Wellens used the final few laps to pass Pauwels and take third place, 1:33 down. Behind Pauwels, Rob Peeters rounded out the podium in fifth.

It goes without saying that it’s been a phenomenal two weeks for the Belgian National Champion. Combine Nys’ three wins with the fact that Stybar is dealing with an injury and the face of cyclocross in Europe may drastically change. Was Nys’ performance this week good enough for #1 in the Power Ranking? And where will everyone else fall? Time to find out:

International Power Rankings – Week #7

1. Sven Nys (3) – Three consecutive victories, including two this past week, net the Belgian Champ the #1 spot, marking the first time this year that Stybar isn’t on top. Nys has the whole of Belgium wrapped around his finger right now. Has the god of cyclocross returned? Only time will tell, but right now, he’s the best rider in Europe.

2. Zdenek Stybar (1) – After losing his first race on the slopes of the Koppenberg, I was looking forward to seeing how Stybar would rebound in Niel. Stybar spent the past 10 days in Spain training with a group of non-Belgian pros and his teammate Kevin Pauwels. Unfortunately, a locked-up back and some knee pain forced Stybar to skip the Jaarmarktcross. Hopefully he races this weekend, so we can see him and Nys battle it out once again.

3. Niels Albert (4) – It’s clear that Albert is back and enjoying a solid season. However, he appears to be the perennial second-place. When Stybar dominates, Albert is usually the lone rider trying to chase him down. Now that Stybar isn’t dominating though, Albert still remains a step behind. The former World Champion is still young and definitely knows how to win though; it’s just a matter of time before he puts everything together.

4. Kevin Pauwels (2) – Pauwels dropped two spots this week despite the fact that he continues to ride well. It was frustrating to see him lose a place during the final few laps yesterday, but finishing fourth in that race and in those conditions is very respectable. As I said in last week’s column, Pauwels usually struggles in the slop, so to see him perform so well means he’s having a superb season. Now, where’s that big win?

5. Bart Aernouts (5) – Aernouts was one of a few Belgians who elected to use this past week to rest and recuperate before returning to action this weekend for Superprestige #3. Then we’ll get a true idea of if his mini-rest will pay off.

6. Bart Wellens (8) – My favorite part of Wellens’ races are his post race comments. After Niel, Wellens admitted that he was so excited to lead the race that he went out too hard—it’s awesome to hear that a four-time World Champion still gets excited to lead a race. Hopefully he can lead the race across a finish line sometime soon.

7. Tom Meeusen (9) – Since being denied a spot on the Belgian World Cup team, Meeusen has had some impressive results. His sixth-place in Niel coupled with his third in Ronse amplifies his good form. With the next round of the World Cup still a few weeks away though, Meeusen needs to continue these great results. If he does, he should make the squad.

8. Francis Mourey (6) – Mourey skipped yesterday’s race in Niel to do a Cat. 1 race in Nommay, France where despite being the heavy favorite, he ended-up sixth. While it’s not a terrible result, Mourey is usually unbeatable on French soil. The French National Champion should be on the start line for Superprestige #3 where he’ll look to rebound against Europe’s elite cross racers.

9. Klaas Vantornout (7)  – Vantornout seems to be slipping as the courses get muddier. I really thought he had something special going this year, and maybe he still does. His #9 spot here leaves him plenty of room to move up.

10. Rob Peeters (n/a) – This young rider is one of many who suffer from the fact that he was born in Belgium. As a result, he missed-out on the first two rounds of the World Cup, but has posted some solid results since. With a pair of top-5’s this week and a lot of momentum going into Round 3 of the Superprestige, he has an outside chance of making the Belgian squad.

Dropped this week: Gerben de Knegt (10).

After a minor lull in the schedule, Europe’s best cross racers will be back in action this weekend. I’ll have a full preview and predictions later today, along with a quick run-down of how I fared last week. Also, with all of this talk about making/not making the World Cup team, I’ll being doing a full breakdown of how the World Cup works in the coming weeks. Hopefully it makes things a bit clearer to those feeling a bit confused.

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Domestic Cyclocross Report & Power Ranking – Week #8

Posted on November 10, 2010 by
2010 NECCS - Round 6 - L. Damiani

Photo by Natalia Boltukhova, Pedal Power Photography, 2010


This past weekend we were treated to exciting domestic action on both coasts. The 20th edition of the Cycle-Smart International saw New England’s best battling it out for UCI points in Massachusetts, while Los Angeles hosted a pair of UCI races under sunny skies and warm weather. Although several riders, including Tim Johnson and Jeremy Powers, took the weekend off, both events enjoyed quality fields and exciting racing from start to finish.

The Cycle-Smart International celebrated its 20th Anniversary with a pair of UCI Cat. 2 races at Look Park in Northampton, Massachusetts. With the Verge NECCS overall still far from decided, both days promised exciting action—and a very tense atmosphere. Surprising pretty much everyone, Luke Keough, swept both races, going toe-to-toe with Luca Damiani on Day 1. Keough was able to stay with Damiani despite several attacks and accelerations, and the youngster has just enough kick left to out-sprint Damiani at the end. Luke’s brother Nick finished third, while Adam Myerson and Wes Schempf held-on for fourth and fifth, respectively.

Day 2 featured a fast, technical course that saw a large group of riders emerge after the first few laps containing Luke Keough, Damiani, Myerson, NECCS leader Justin Lindine, and Dylan McNicholas. By the midway point of the race, Myerson and McNicholas had dropped-off the pace and a repeat of Saturday’s dramatic action seemed imminent. Then suddenly, Lindine crashed in a corner, taking-out Damiani and handing Keough the lead. As a result, Damiani was forced to bandon due to a badly cut leg while Lindine was quickly caught by Myerson and McNicholas.  But the trio couldn’t reel-in Keough; Myerson won the sprint for second ahead of Lindine while McNicholas held-on for fourth. Nick Keough rounded-out the podium in fifth.

While most fans focused on the UCI races in the heart of cross-crazy New England, Griffith Park in Los Angeles hosted its first ever Dam Cross UCI weekend in sunny Southern California. With the warm temperatures and blue skies, some of America’s best headed for the Hollywood Hills to pick-up valuable UCI points. Adam Craig was the surprise on Day 1, finishing 27-seconds ahead of heavily-favored Ryan Trebon. Trebon set the early pace ahead of mountain bike superstar Sid Tiberlay, Adam Craig and Chris Jones. Chris Horner, the crowd favorite, was involved in an early crash that saw him chase the entire race.

After dropping Tiberlay, Trebon took off on a solo effort that looked promising. Jones rode into second until a bobble in a corner gave Craig the room he needed to make his move. Quickly catching and passing Trebon, Craig put time into Trebon lap after lap, gaining nearly 30-seconds by day’s end. Jones finished third, almost a minute behind Craig; while Tiberlay got by Zach McDonald to finish fourth.

Day 2 at Dam Cross weekend was a virtual repeat of Day 1. Trebon tried to jump out early, but was slowly reeled-in and passed by Craig. Once again, Jones came in nearly a minute later to finish third. Tiberlay put in an identical performance en route to another fourth place, while McDonald came across the line in fifth position. Talk about déjà vu.

With all the action in the US, it was easy to forget that the Great White North crowned its National Champion in Toronto. Geoff Kabush decided not the make the trip, leaving the door wide open for a new champ. After a poor start, heavy favorite Derrick St. John saw his hopes evaporate, leaving him in tenth position by the end of the first lap. Aaron Schooler did the bulk of the pace making up front, shredding the field almost immediately. Clinging to his wheel were Chris Sheppard and 2007 National Champion, Mike Garrigan. However, Schooler soon tired and dropped off the pace, leaving Sheppard and Garrigan.

Garrigan and Sheppard decided not to cooperate and spent much of the last half of the race attacking one another—to no avail. The duo came into the final half lap together, but what could have been an all-out brawl to the finish was cut short when Garrigan rolled a tire, leaving Sheppard all alone to solo to his first national title. Garrigan held-on for second ahead of Schooler, while St. John rebounded from his poor start to finish fourth, just ahead of Craig Richey.

All in all, there was plenty of great action all over North America this past weekend, even with most of the sport’s biggest names taking a breather before of the last half of the season. How did the affect the Power Rankings? Time to find out:

US Power Rankings – Week 9

1. Jeremy Powers (1) – All eyes will be on Powers this weekend as the USGP heads to Colorado for a pair of UCI races. Powers’ win on Day 2 in Kentucky netted him the series leader’s jersey; with only four rounds left, now is the time for him to cement his advantage.

2. Tim Johnson (2) – Johnson will spend the rest of the season splitting time between Europe and the US. After finishing 14th at World’s last year, it appears he has the desire to shoot for a top-10 finish. As a result, he’ll miss some key US races, including the final round of the USGG. But European success is key to a run at Worlds, which is where he seems to be focused.

3. Todd Wells (3) – After taking a big break near the end of October, Wells took a weekend off before he begins the last half of his season. Last year, Wells stormed through November and early-December before putting in a solid ride at Nationals. He’s still missing a big win this year, but I think it will only be a couple of weeks before he reaches the top step of the podium somewhere.

4. Ryan Trebon (5) – After dropping-out of last weekend’s NACT rounds with a groin injury, Trebon is forced to chase UCI points. However, his pair of second-place finishes in Los Angeles were a bit disappointing. I understand that he’s battling an injury, but this was his chance to prove that he can still win. It will be interesting to see how he does when all the big boys line-up in Colorado this weekend.

5. Valentin Scherz (4) – Scherz will head back to Europe in a few weeks after an excellent season in the US. He’s a lock for the MAC title again and has made a name for himself among America’s best cross racers. I expect him to end his US season with a bang before embarking on what he hopes will be an equally impressive European campaign.

6. Geoff Kabush (6) – The biggest name missing from this weekend’s Canadian National Championships was Kabush who elected not to travel to Toronto to defend his title. Instead, he used the weekend to rest before heading to Colorado for the next two rounds of the USGP. He’s continued to improve over the past few weeks; we will soon see how the time off affects his racing.

7. Luca Damiani (8) – The past few weeks have brought nothing but bad luck for Damiani. He suffered mechanicals in New Jersey, costing him at least one UCI win. Then this past weekend, after a solid second place Saturday, he was taken down in a crash and forced to abandon Sunday. If he can overcome this rough patch, look for the Italian to take at least one well-deserved UCI victory this year.

8. Jamey Driscoll (7) – Surprisingly, Driscoll is steadily sliding down the rankings. He started-off super strong, but keeps slipping further and further down the top-10 after inconsistent results. I’d really like to see him land on the podium over the next few weeks at one or two major events. Only then will he start moving back up.

9. Davide Frattini (10) – Like virtually many this past weekend, Frattini took some time off. He’s had an impressive season thus far, racking-up four UCI Cat. 2 victories, and he will surely make the Italian Worlds squad—should he choose to accept the invitation. If he decides to extend his season beyond December, it will be interesting to see how he fairs in Europe.

10. Adam Craig (n/a) – Craig hasn’t raced much this year, but has finished in the top-10 in every race he’s entered. His pair of UCI wins this past weekend has put him on the map once again though. Much like Todd Wells, Craig races a full mountain bike season and usually makes a late charge at a national title. Was this weekend the start of something special for Craig?

Dropped this week: Tristan Schouten (9)

So that’s it for this week’s Domestic Report and Power Ranking.  All the big boys will be back in action this weekend at the USGP in Colorado. For a full preview and predictions, come back Friday.

Share your comments below.

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2011 Skil-Shimano Jersey Design

Posted on November 10, 2010 by

The new 2011 team kit from the Skil-Shimano team on Twitpic

We still don’t know the sponsors of some teams, but the folks over at Skil-Shimano are ahead of the game, having just released their 2011 jersey design. Sorry to say it, but I preferred the old jersey, which paid homage to the Skil-Sem team of the mid-80’s.

For teams currently in the midst of designing their 2011 kit: please, no white shorts.

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Monday Musette – Spartacus, El Pistolero, Mud, & Boards

Posted on November 8, 2010 by
2010 Tirreno Adriatico - Cancellara Press Conference

Fotoreporter Sirotti

Here’s some stuff for you to chew on while you ride through the week.


1. Fabian Cancellara has not yet announced what team he’ll ride for in

2011, despite plenty of rumors that he’ll sign with the Luxembourg Pro Cycling Team. Meanwhile, the Luxembourg project has yet to announce much in the way of management, title sponsor, or further signings, despite regular promises that everything will be revealed shortly. Are they struggling with the SuperTeam model? As smaller Continental and ProTour teams fold, are SuperTeams like HTC, Garmin/Slipstream, and Team Sky the wave of the future, or are they damaging to the top tier?


2. One of the cornerstones of the Luxembourg project, Frank Schleck, raced one final time in his Saxo Bank jersey, winning a criterium in Curacao after heavy storms forced the cancellation of the planned road race. Curacao is a small island off the coast of Venezuela with historical, economic, and political ties to the Netherlands (now you know!).


3. Speaking of things absent from the news, Alberto Contador has been out of the headlines for a while after a month of high profile speculation about what will happen as a result of his “adverse analytical finding” – also known as testing positive.  The Inner Ring wonders whether or not the UCI can afford to prosecute

Contador, and though Cyclocosm makes a strong argument for the progress that the UCI has made on anti-doping initiatives, its inaction in the Contador case is curious.


4. And now, to turn off the road and into the mud—and, thankfully, away from politicking and speculating and back to actual racing. Sven Nys looks to be coming into form after a lackluster start to his season with two wins in atrocious conditions at the Koppenbergcross and the GP Mario de Clercq in Ronse—the former while maintaining his minute-plus advantage despite having to climb the Koppenberg on a flat rear tire with one lap to go.  Erik will have more to say I’m sure in his International CX Report & Power Rankings to come later this week.


5. It recently came to my attention that Francis Mourey (the French National Cyclocross Champion who came to the United States for a few weeks this fall to win CrossVegas and beat up on some domestic pros for a little while) raced on clincher tires. Many tout the cyclocross-specific advantages of tubulars, but in these days of top-of-the-shelf sponsorships, it’s nice to see people winning big races on more modest equipment.


6. And from the mud to the boards: Sir Chris Hoy—otherwise known as the man who can kill you just by flexing his thighs—has dominated the match sprint for several years.  That is until he was bumped from the 1/16th round of eliminations in the match sprint event at the European Track Championships. An unknown, 18-year-old Irishman, Felix English, raced all the way to the line against Hoy, who had opened a large gap and expected it to hold to the finish line. A common top-seed tactic in a match sprint qualifying round is to win by as little as necessary, conserving energy for later rounds, but Hoy obviously goofed.


7. And don’t forget to shoot us an email if you’re interested in being added to the list for our upcoming 2011 Pavé kit order.  We’re looking to switch from Champion Systems to Vermarc—a move well worth the extra time and effort.


Has anything else of interest come to your attention this week? Chime-in with your thoughts below.


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Cyclocross Weekend Preview

Posted on November 5, 2010 by


2010 Koppenberg CX - Muddy Legs

Tim Van Wichelen Photo


As promised, here’s a preview–with predictions–of every major cyclocross event between now and next Thursday.  Feel free to share your picks below.


International


Internationales Radquer Frenkendorf – Sunday


With nothing going on for the Elite Men this weekend, the race in Frenkendorf, Switzerland could produce a strong field. The odds are that riders like Sven Nys and Niels Albert will take this weekend off to rest and recover, but you never know what the promoters may have up their sleeves. The published start list doesn’t show any big names, even Swiss National Champion Christian Heule isn’t on the list. However, it’s an opportunity for some of Europe’s lesser-known riders to pick up a big win.


My Prediction:


1. Mariusz Gil

2. Marcel Wildhaber

3. Lukas Flückiger




European Championships – Sunday


The European Championships will be the main focus this weekend, for everyone except the Elite Men. Their European Championship isn’t until later in the season. Obviously, the continental wide race is a unique event, one that many riders in North America would love to emulate. The race offers more points then a National Championship, but less then a World Championship. Thus, it promises to offer the best Elite Women, Junior Men and U23 Men fields in Europe.


My Predictions:



Junior Men


1. Michael Vanthourenhout (Bel)

2. Lars Forester (Sui)

3. Yorbe van Tichelt (Bel)




U23 Men


1. Jiri Polnicky (Cze)

2. Sven Beelen (Bel)

3. Vincent Baestanes (Bel)




Elite Women


1. Daphny Van Den Brand (Ned)

2. Sanne Van Paassen (Ned)

3. Katerina Nash (Cze)




Cyclocross Nommay – Thursday


There’s no World Cup in Nommay this season, but the organizers are still putting on a race in the heart of France. Despite the C1 ranking, the money and prestige of the Fidea race in Belgium will draw a stronger field. French National Champion, Francis Mourey headlines the decidedly French field which alos includes Steve Chaniel, John Gradet and Nicholas Bazin.Swiss National Champion Christian Heule has also commited to the race as has mountain bike superstar Julien Absalon.


My Prediction:


1. Francis Mourey

2. Steve Chaniel

3. Christian Heule




Fidea Jaarmarktcross Niel – Thursday


The four-race Fidea series continues with Jaarmarktcross in Niel, Belgium. After a weekend off for a majority of Europe’s best riders, they will square off in another exciting battle. Zdenek Stybar, who’s training in Majorca right now will be looking to rebound from his disappointing fourth place finish in the Koppenburg cross race. Belgian National Champion, Sven Nys, will be looking to capitalize on the momentum following his Koppenburg victory. Behind those two, there are nearly half a dozen riders who could contend for the win. Former World Champion Niels Albert continues to show good form as does Kevin Pauwels, Klaas Vantornout and Bart Aernouts.


My Prediction:


1. Zdenek Stybar

2. Kevin Pauwels

3. Sven Nys




North America


The Cycle-Smart International – Saturday & Sunday


The 20th annual Cycle-Smart International marks the fifth and sixth stops on the VERGE NECCS series schedule. Justin Lindine leads the series headed into the weekend and will face off with Adam Myerson, as well as Luca Damiani and Jonny Sundt. The Keough brothers (Jesse, Luke and Nick) will also be in action and everyone will have to keep an eye on them. Dylan McNicholas picked up his first career UCI win during round three of the series in Maine. After following that performance up with a second place finish to Myerson, the New Englander moved into second overall.


Saturday’s Prediction:


1. Luca Damiani

2. Justin Lindine

3. Adam Myerson




Sunday’s Prediction:


1. Justin Lindine

2. Adam Myerson

3. Luca Damiani




Dam Cross Weekend – Saturday & Sunday


Griffith Park welcomes the Southern California Prestige Series for the first time ever. Los Angeles’ largest – and most popular – park will see a number of national pros mix it up for points and purses in a pair of UCI C2 races. Chris Horner has been dominating the series as of late, but will face stiff competition as a handful of riders go after UCI points. Ryan Trebon, who is chasing points after suffering an injury last weekend, leads the charge as well as Chris Jones and Adam Craig. Other riders likely to be in the hunt for the podium include mountain biker Sid Taberlay and Troy Wells.


Saturday’s Prediction:


1. Ryan Trebon

2. Chris Jones

3. Chris Horner




Sunday’s Prediction:


1. Ryan Trebon

2. Adam Craig

3. Sid Taberlay




Canadian National Championships – Sunday


The Canadian National Championships return to Toronto, Ontario for what promises to be a very interesting race. Defending Champion Geoff Kabush is not scheduled to start the race, leaving the door wide open for some of Canada’s best. Mike Garrigan, the 2007 National Champion, raced the first two rounds of the World Cup and has to be considered the favorite. Other riders to watch include Evan McNeely, Derrick St. John and Aaron Schooler.


My Prediction:


1. Derrick St. John

2. Mike Garrigan

3. Aaron Schooler

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