Fotoreporter Sirotti
Interesting cycling items from across the Internet, October 17, 2011
Seen any cool links we missed? Share ’em in a comment below!
Fotoreporter Sirotti
I have a confession to make: I was unable to watch Saturday’s Il Lombardia as my wife and I picked this weekend to move into our new home. Luckily, I know there are many of you who enjoyed the race as it unfolded.
So rather than write a report based upon a race I didn’t actually see, here’s what I’m going to do:
Below, I’ve compiled lists of riders, teams, and adjectives/adverbs. Your job is to write a report of Saturday’s race using the specified number of terms from each group, making an effort to be as insightful, accurate, informative, and creative as possible. Tone, perspective, and format are entirely up to you.
Submit your reports as comments to this post—or send them as a Word document via email to wyost@pavepavepave.com. Please be sure to type all terms in bold. And of course, if a rider, team, or adjective/adverb isn’t on the list, you can’t use it.
Submissions are due by 7pm EST Tuesday. My colleagues and I will pick three finalists to be posted on the site Wednesday, at which point you will all vote for the best. The winner will be announced Friday and will receive a Pavé cap and matching set of socks.
So have at it—it’s been a wonderful season of racing and through it all I’ve come to realize that our readers are our greatest resource. Let’s see if I’m correct in making that assumption.
Have fun and good luck!
Riders (Pick 7)
Oliver Zaugg
Daniel Martin
Joaquin Rodriguez
Philippe Gilbert
Greg Van Avermaet
Giovanni Visconti
Michele Bartloi
Damiano Cunego
Ivan Basso
Paolo Bettini
Jakob Fuglsang
Bauke Mollema
Teams (Pick 4)
Leopard-Trek
Liquigas-Cannondale
Omega Pharma-Lotto
BMC
Garmin-Cervelo
Lampre-ISD
HTC-HighRoad
Adjectives/Adverbs (Pick 7)
Boring
Lackluster
Spectacular
Disappointing
Anti-Climatic
Surprising
Unexpected
Rapid
Treacherous
Beautiful
Photo: Natalia Boltukhova | Pedal Power Photography | 2011
Justine Lindine came out victorious on both days of action at the beautiful DuPone estate in Granouge, DE, at a race that many consider to be the best cyclocross course on the East Coast. On Saturday, Lindine simply dominated the competition, beating Canadian Mark Batty by 40 seconds and Mitchell Hoke by over a minute. On Sunday, Lindine got away early with Troy Wells and beat him in a two-up sprint. That Lindine won was particularly impressive considering a crash in the closing laps, on a steep downhill that led right into a sharp turn. He recovered, caught Wells, and beat him in the sprint. Travis Livermon came across the line in third, 30 seconds later.
With many of North American cyclocross’s top pros overseas, Granogue was clearly the Lindine Show. With another pair of UCI victories, Lindine now finds himself with a front row starting spot at nearly every race in the US. It’s definitely a major development for him, but it doesn’t come out of nowhere – last year, he nearly won New England’s Verge Series, only to be beaten on the final day of racing by a blistering Adam Myerson (after Lindine led the series for most of the season). The real question for Lindine is: when is he going to turn pro, rather then just beating up on the pros? Speculation ran wild about where he may go, even if it’s not until the 2012/2013 season. The two teams mentioned were Rapha/Focus and Cannondale p/b Cyclocrossworld, both of whom may be losing riders at the end of the season, although there are plenty of smaller teams that would love to gobble up the 28 year-old. One thing we know for sure is that it’s not a question of If he’ll go pro, but When.
Spooky Cross (C2/C2)
Ryan Trebon picked up a pair of UCI C2 victories in Irvine, CA ahead of Ben Berden and Todd Wells. Wells and Berden swapped podium spots, with Berden finishing a head of Wells on Saturday. It was another pair of solid races by the Belgian and a strong return to racing from the National Champion, who struggled in some earlier races. Saturday’s victory in the final round of the Cross After Dark Series, gave Trebon his first victory in the series and the overall ahead of Berden.
The real story on Saturday was the return of multi-time gravity World Champion Brain Lopes. Lopes lives in the area and decided to show up for some cross action. Lopes grabbed the hole shot and was able to hang on to seventh place. The other news coming out of SoCal, which really isn’t a surprise to anyone, is that Wells will hang up his cleats at the end of November in order to prepare for the 2012 Olympics. He won’t defend his National Championship title, which is too bad. However, by removing a potent wild card from the National Championship, it may tilt the advantage toward people building and peaking more predictably for the race. The unfortunate part is that we’ll have to wait several more months to find out who that will be.
Photo: Natalia Boltukhova | Pedal Power Photography | 2011
Cross After Dark Round #4 – Spooky Cross (C2/C2)
The inagural Cross After Dark series winds down this weekend in Irvine, CA. The four race series (CrossVegas,StarCrossed, Gateway Cross Cup) has seen a different winner at each of its previous three races. Nearly all of the current top-ten are in Europe for the first round of the World Cup. As a result, Ben Berden, who is currently second overall, looks to be in the driver’s seat for the overall.
The two day UCI event should provide some great action in Southern California. Ryan Trebon should be the heavy favorite, but surprises are usually the name of the game in SoCal. Last year, Chris Horner made an appearance, but right now there is no word on whether on not he’ll be there this year.
Granouge (C2/C2)
Often considered the “Queen of the Mid Atlantic,†Granouge delivers two days of UCI action in northern Delaware on the beautiful DuPont estate. Despite it being a virtual who’s-who of mid Atlantic talent, the winner will most likely come from outside of the region. The heavy favorite is Justin Lindine, who is fresh off of a pair of back-to-back UCI victories. Canadians Mike Garrigan and Derrick St. John have been racing well over the past few weeks and a win for either rider is not out of the question. Troy Wells will make the trip to Delaware and, after his success last weekend, could prove to be the spoiler.
The Philadelphia Cyclocross School is bringing a full squad to Granouge and, despite their Swiss nationality, they could be the mid Atlantic’s best hope for a victory. Local rider Jeff Bahnson will be making his long awaited debut as a U23 rider. All eyes will be on the youngster to see how he fairs against this strong field. Finally, the battle of the Keough brothers will be in full swing with Jesse, Luke and Nick all making the trip.
Europe
IX Cyclocross de Villarcayo (C2)
Villarcayo, Spain hosts the only European UCI race this weekend (except for World Cup Round 1). Last year the race was dominated by a couple of Belgians who made the trip to pick up UCI points. Odds are that the predominately Spanish race will once again see a few foreign riders making the trip. If Sven Beelen makes the trip, he will be the odds on favorite. The top Spanish rider should be Isaac Fernandez, but my pick for would be Spanish National Champion Javier Ibanez.
The big deal over in Europe is, of course, the World Cup race in Plzen. You can check out our full preview of the World Cup published separately this morning.Â
Photo courtesy of Tim Van Wichelen
Defending World Cup champion Niels Albert will be looking to continue his string of success and start of the World Cup season with a bang. The home crowd will beer cheering for World Champion Zdenek Stybar who will bear the weight of his home country and is their best hopes for a podium position.
The real battle should come from the cross crazy nation of Belgium, as they bring a stacked field to Plzen. Last year, Kevin Pauwels rode extremely well, finishing just behind Stybar. However, Pauwels finished outside the top-ten last weekend in Ruddervoorde. Should he be able to get back on track, he could put a lot of pressure on Albert. Bart Aernouts will have a lot of pressure on his sholders to backup his runner-up performance last weekend in Ruddervoorde.
Cross veterans Sven Nys and Bart Wellens seem capable of win right now and either man would love to pick up a World Cup victory. Nys seems to be struggling from the bad luck that marred his season last year. Meanwhile, Wellens is looking to pick up a European victory after dominating the US competition in September. With the palmares that these two riders bring to the table, either one could pick up the victory over their younger counterparts.
The United States brings one of its strongest fields ever to Plzen. In the past, Jonathan Page was the lone American at the early rounds of the World Cup. However, with valuable UCI points on the line, and the 2013 Worlds in Louisville looming, Jeremy Powers, Tim Johnson and Jamey Driscoll are slated to join Page. Powers looks to be the top American and should be able to finish inside the top-15. The real question for the Americans is how will Johnson do. Johnson hasn’t shown great form yet and this race will be a big litmus test for him.
While the Belgians appear too strong to beat right now, there are a few riders who could surprise the cross contingent in Plzen. The Czech’s own Martin Zlamalik has rides extremely well on home soil and a top-ten is not out of the question. Francis Mourey had the most impressive streak of fourth place finishes ever seen last year, including his podium near-miss at the World Championships. Clearly, the French National Champion is capable of riding with the best, but the question is can he beat them? Finally, watch out for German National Champ Philipp Walsleben. He stormed onto the scene last year and could really break through this year.
Fotoreporter Sirotti
Unlike last week’s Paris-Tours, the Giro di Lombardia relishes in continually re-branding itself and challenging its participants (and bloggers) with route changes. Other than its current position on the race calendar—hence its nickname “the Race of the Falling Leavesâ€â€”and its usual ride around Lake Como, Lombardy is a classic with no predetermined starting or finishing point.
With a challenging parcours including the traditional climb to the Madonna del Ghisallo and the short but tough San Fermo della Battaglia, riders hoping to win the season’s final Monument need to bring their climbing legs. Calm riding and a strong tactical nous play a role as well as evidenced by Damiano Cunego’s three distinct wins: in 2004 he won from a small group sprint, in 2007 from a two-up break, and in 2008 from a downhill solo attack down the Civiglio.
This year’s route change could suit pure classics specialists even more. The finale consists of the Madonna del Ghisallo with 46 kilometers left to race followed by the Villa Vergano at nine kilometers from the line. If the weather holds, look for a small group to stay together until the bottom of the final climb where some serious attacks will likely determine the race’s final outcome.
Thursday’s Gran Piemonte traditionally serves as a predictor of who’s ready for Lombardia as Philippe Gilbert and Damiano Cunego have proven in recent years. However, this year’s race was won by the relatively unheralded Daniel Moreno of Team Katusha, who defeated BMC’s Greg Van Avermaet (fresh from his victory in Paris-Tours) and Moreno’s teammate Luca Paolini. Does one of the these men have the legs to contend Saturday? Could Van Avermaet be the second Belgian in three years to complete the “Autumn Double� Here’s a run-down of the men to watch this weekend:
Riders to watch
1. Philippe Gilbert (OmegaPharma-Lotto)
If nothing else, Gilbert’s failure to deliver in Sunday’s Paris-Tours illustrated just how much teamwork matters. The late break dangled enticingly just ahead of the peloton, but with no team willing to bear the full responsibility to chase, they were let go. And despite his seemingly super-human season, a single Gilbert is not enough to bring back a large breakaway of men who believe in their chances to make it to the line first. Will the Belgian Champion have better luck in Lombardia? If so, he’ll need to be at his best: his team seems tired as it is, and with the last-minute departures of Jelle Vanendert and Jan Bakelants, he has only five men left to support him.
2. Giovanni Visconti (Farnese Vini – Neri Sottoli)
Sticking around with the Professional Continental Farnese Vini squad has meant that Visconti’s opportunities in big races are limited. The Giro di Lombardia is as big as it gets at this point in the season. He always seems to figure well on the Ghisallo climb, and given its position this year the Italian Champion might make the final selection. He has had a spate of decent results recently, including high finishes at the Marco Pantani Memorial and Coppa Sabatini, where the misjudgment of following Pippo Pozzato’s wheel arguably cost him the race. He may be leaving for Movistar, but count on Visconti to animate the race.
3. Ivan Basso and Vicenzo Nibali (Liquigas-Cannondale)
Despite “off†seasons by their 2010 standards, Basso and Nibali and come to Lombardy as contenders for the last big event of the Italian calendar. Basso has had a quiet but steady build-up, the highlight of which was a stage win and the overall title at the Giro di Padania (ahead of Visconti). On the other hand, Nibali has not ridden much since finishing seventh at the Vuelta a Espana (a race he won last year before finishing fifth in Lombardy). Of the two, Basso’s appears to be the stronger, fresher rider, but Nibali, the strong descender, should benefit from the Vergano’s descent to the finish line.Â
4. Lampre-ISD
Arguably the second strongest Italian squad in the race, Lampre-ISD has both Damiano Cunego (a 3-time Lombardy winner) and Michele Scarponi (last year’s runner-up). Despite such talent, the squad finds itself unable to finish the job in high profile races. Scarponi deserves kudos for his brave attacks in May’s Giro d’Italia, but other than Cunego’s near-win at the Tour de Suisse and a wheel-following top-10 ride at the Tour de France, there hasn’t been too much to say about the two leaders. Will Giro di Lombardia see them break through? If both men make it to the finale, they could play off one another quite well—but who will ride for whom?
5. Greg Van Avermaet (BMC)
Fresh off his win in Paris-Tours, Van Avermaet continued his fine run of fitness with a near-win in Thursday’s Gran Piemonte. Given his proven staying power in long races (remember his late-race attack in Milan-San Remo?), and the strong, motivated team supporting him, this could be Van Avermaet’s chance to pull a “Gilbertâ€â€”just in time for Phil to rejoin him next year at BMC.
6. Team Katusha
After a largely lackluster season, it appears as if Team Katusha has awakened. Critics weren’t so convinced by Pippo Pozzato’s win in the GP Beghelli, but it’s hard to argue with Moreno’s win in Gran Piemonte, especially with teammate Luca Paolini rounding off the podium. Factor Joachin Rodriguez’ seemingly inexhaustible reserve of late-season fitness—and former Lombardy winner Danilo Di Luca—and there’s little stopping Katusha from playing a prominent role in the finale. Then again, we’ve said that about them before.
7. Bauke Mollema (Rabobank)
Mollema is one of the latest of Rabobank’s homegrown talent. Last year he was slightly off the pace in Lombardia, finishing 13th. His form is clearly there though: he was 2nd in the Giro dell’Emilia last Saturday and won the Points Jersey at the Vuelta. Don’t discount the Dutchman’s chances Sunday.
8. Â Samuel Sanchez (Euskaltel-Euskadi)
The Olympic Champion has been a consistent high-finisher in the Giro di Lombardia—most notably his 3rd place in 2007 and 2nd place in 2009. But this year, it is unclear if he still has some fighting power left after a long season. He didn’t ride the Vuelta after winning a stage and the polka dot jersey at the Tour de France. A good showing at the Vuelta a Burgos, a few Dutch criteriums, and a moment of aggression in the GP Montreal are not the most convincing indicators of the form or the desire it takes to win a Monument. Should Sanchez fail to deliver, Mikel Nieve might be the one to answer the call; he finished seventh last year.Â
9. Dark Horses
Pablo Lastras has had an interesting career so far. A consummate team player, he broke through last year to finish third in Lombardia. This year has seen him win a stage of the Vuelta. This year also saw a much busier schedule spanning the entire season. Lastras is no spring chicken, but we think that he might just be breaking into the big leagues.Â
There are a few other men whose form suggest they may finish well Saturday, including Nicolas Roche, who won a stage at the Tour of Beijing and made the big break at Piemonte, and last year’s third-place finisher in Lombardy, Pablo Lastras. And don’t forget Quick Step’s duo of Dries Devenyns and Sylvain Chavanel.
So after a 2011 season full of exciting races and what seems like an avalanche of injuries, who will triumph in Lecco? Share your comments and picks below.