Cadel Evans world champion Photo BMC Racing Team

Fresh off the BMC Racing Team’s training camp in California, Cadel Evans looks back on the start of his season and ahead to a year of racing alongside new teammates in the rainbow jersey.

How did you feel about your performance at the Santos Tour Down Under?
We didn’t win anything but that wasn’t our objective. The BMC Racing Team’s objectives were to go there and start working together as a unit in a race situation. I’m real happy with how we functioned both as a team and also getting to know the guys in a race situation. It was a good way to get to know (Director Sportif) John Lelangue and guys like George (Hincapie) and (Mauro) Santambrogio and everyone else.

After the Tour Down Under, you traveled to the United States for the last five days of the team’s training camp. How did that go?
It was a really productive time. Certainly there were a lot of people to get to know. In fact, nearly everyone on the team was new ..Continue reading..

quick step team © TDWSport.com

Feverish preparations are underway for team QUICK STEP’s departure for the Tour of Qatar. The eight riders under the command of Sports Director Wilfried Peeters will fly from Paris to Doha tomorrow,4th February 2010, to take part in the race that in the last few seasons has become the team’s victory field.

“We’ve won this race in the last 4 years, so it’s really hard to do any better than we have – analyzed Wilfried Peeters – The initial goal is to win at least one stage and to try to be major players every day. Furthermore this year we will participate in the Tour of Oman as well, immediately after Qatar. These two races will represent a good preparation as we look forward to the first weekend of races in Belgium at the end of February (Omloop Het Nieuwsblad/Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne).”

“I can’t wait to compete – commented Belgian champion Tom Boonen – This type of race represents an important test to measure your level of preparation and the work undertaken throughout the winter. As always we’re going to have to be very attentive to the unexpected changes in the direction of the wind. It will be important to always stay in the first positions of the group in order to avoid any surprises. Our team is competitive and motivated. We’re ready.”

Following is a list of the two team QUICK STEP formations that will take part in the Tour of Qatar and the Tour of Oman.

TOUR OF QATAR

7-12/02/2010

Riders: Tom Boonen, Kevin De Weert, Kevin Huslmans, Andreas Stauff, Matteo Tosatto, Kevin Van Impe, Marco Velo, Maarten Wynants

D.S.: Wilfried Peeters

TOUR OF OMAN

14-19/02/2010

Riders: Tom Boonen, Kevin De Weert, Kevin Hulsmans, Andreas Stauff, Matteo Tosatto, Jurgen Van De Walle, Marco Velo, Maarten Wynants

D.S.: Wilfried Peeters

Petacchi of Team Lampre

Alessandro Petacchi performed an outstanding sprint that allowed him to add another victory in his palmares after Sunday success in Crotone and yesterday second place in Catanzaro.

The Italian sprinter, well supported by the whole team Lampre-Farnese Vini, realized a perfect sprint in the 4th stage (Soverato-Reggio Calabria, 165,7 km) preceding Gatto and Gavazzi.
On the podium of the overall standing there’s Daniele Pietropolli, 3rd at 29″ to the winner Montaguti; a place in the top ten for Bernucci too, 9th at 1′07″, and for Petacchi, 10th at 1′43″.

Fabrizio Bontempi, blue-fucsia sport director, explained how the victory was obtained: “The stage had been characterized by a three men breakaway that, after having reached a top advantage of 4′, was neutralized at 12 km to go. Then our team and the other ones that wanted to support their sprinters took the head of the bunch in order to prepare the sprint: our cyclists performed a perfect work and avoid dangerous such the wet road, two bends at 1500 mt to the arrival and an attempt by Liquigas to anticipate Petacchi sprint. Hondo was great in neutralized this attempt and in launching Petacchi in the last 180 mt”.

Ale Jet was very satisfied: “I’m happy for the win and for what the team showed: all my team mates performed a perfect race. I thought I was more tired after three days of race, instead I had a lot of energies during the sprint. Calabria Challenge gave me some important info, the most important is about Bernucci: he has been my precious guardian angel, being on my side during the race, being my contact with the sport directors and performing important work during the sprint”.

BMC racing team photo

BMC Racing Team Leaves Camp As Solid Group

The BMC Racing Team’s training camp in California produced something even more important than two solid weeks of riding to prepare the squad for the next nine months of racing.

BMC Racing Team Director Sportif John Lelangue said the camaraderie that was fostered among 20 riders and more than two dozen staff and managers will be just as worthwhile as the miles the riders put in from Jan. 16th to the 31st. “The most important thing we got out of camp was that this team became one block: the BMC Racing Team,” he said. “Everyone knows the objectives, everyone is working well together and everyone became friends like they had known each other for years.”

Trying Out New Equipment
Often spending up to six hours on their BMC bicycles each day, the riders practiced sprints, lead-outs and team time trialing during training rides along the California coastline. The camp also provided them the opportunity to learn about the team’s sponsors and try out new equipment from Easton, new helmets from Bell and sunglasses from Oakley, and new nutritional products from First Endurance. The team’s new racing apparel from Hincapie Sportswear was also successfully put to the test in the first week due to extremely rainy weather in the Santa Rosa area.

Objectives Achieved
BMC Racing Team President Jim Ochowicz personally oversaw the camp and even joined the team several times on training rides. He said he was encouraged by what he saw during the two weeks. “Seeing all the guys working together and watching the chemistry develop on and off ..Continue reading..

Cyclocross worlds

Marianne Vos rode an overwhelmingly superior race to take her third world champion title (and second in a row) on ROTOR Q-Rings this past Saturday.

The race, held in Tabor, Czech Republic, saw Marianne power out of sight of her competitors in a signature Q-Ring assisted attack on just the second lap, with the chainrings’ endurance benefits supporting the phenomenal athlete as she built up an ever-increasing lead. Marianne said “It’s really never too soon to attack here, and if you take the lead you get to ride the lines you want”. “The course suited me, I was very aware of that this morning. I attacked in a technical section, rode away from Hanka and never dropped the tempo. It went perfectly!”

Marianne crossed the finish line 45 seconds ahead of Hanka Kupfernagel, who took second place. Another Q-Ring athlete, Daphny vd Brand, who took the World Cyclocross Series Champion title this year, confirmed her talent and drive by coming in third despite a recent injury.

Having won last year’s title in the final sprint and this ..Continue reading..

Photo: Team MILRAM

ProTour squad Team Milram was left off the list of starting squads posted Thursday for the 2010 Paris-Nice race organised by Amaury Sport Organisation (ASO). The team has been assured it will be invited to ASO’s other races, according to team general manager Gerry van Gerwen.

ASO informed the German ProTour team of the news on Thursday, but at the same time ASO assured the team it would be invited to its other races which include Paris-Roubaix, Liège-Bastogen-Liège, Dauphiné Libéré and the Tour de France.

“Jean-François Pescheux of the ASO informed me of the decision over the phone. But he also guaranteed us a starting permission for all other ASO races,” said van Gerwen.

“In all the ASO races, different teams shall get a chance to prove themselves worthy of getting one of the much sought-after wild cards for the Tour de France,” he said. “This year, there are more high-class teams vying for a place at the Tour than ever before.”

“Naturally, it’s disappointing for us, but of course we have to respect the ASO’s decision. But it also means that we have to find an alternative racing program to Paris-Nice and revise the riders’ schedules for the next races.”

The first 17 teams of the 2009 season’s International Cycling Union (UCI) rankings will start Paris-Nice this year along with three additional French teams and two wild card teams.

Team Milram will next head to the Tour of Qatar from February 7-12 and the Tour of Oman from February 14-19, both organised by ASO. Other races currently on the squad’s planned program are the three Grand Tours, the traditional Classics and the five ‘monuments of cycling’.

Lucky escape: Mathias Frank is able to manage a smile after his crash in the Malibu Hills. (Photo by Georges Luechinger BMC Racing Team)

Agoura Hills , 2010-01-29

Gone with the Wind above Hollywood

For Mathias Frank, the training ride on Thursday into the Malibu Hills ended unexpectedly painfully.

A little past the half way mark on the five hour ride the young Swiss rider crashed and suffered a severe case of road rash on both legs, his right  hand and a laceration on his left elbow. “I wanted to put on my vest on the descent when a gust of wind blew me off balance and I crashed. At the moment everything hurts but these things happen“, Frank summed up his unfortunate fall. From a medical point of view one thing is noteworthy according to team doctor Max Testa: “Even though Mathias wore a Bell helmet, he still hit the ground very hard.  Nevertheless, he was able to remember everything that happened before and after the crash. This is a very good sign and eliminates the possibility of a concussion.”  Sufficient rest is now the top priority for Mathias Frank. “He will be under surveillance for the next 24 hours and then we will decide if further examinations may be necessary”, Testa explains.

lampre Training

The first seasonal training camp of Lampre-Farnese Vini ended and blue-fucsia sport directors outlined the balance of the 11 days spent in Residence Riva degli Etruschi in San Vincenzo (Leghorn).

The 25 cyclists often trained split in two groups, one directed by Maurizio Piovani, the other one by Brent Copeland.

Sport director Piovani took care of the group of riders including Petacchi, the sprinters (in photo, Furlan in action) and the young athlests: “Thanks to the perfect weather condition, we performed very good trainings and specific works that cyclists hadn’t perform at home because of bad weather: we alternated distance and rythm works and we performed some sprint simulation for Petacchi with the support of Da Dalto, Bernucci, Lorenzetto and Hondo. Good performances by the young riders too, who didn’t have difficulties in get into the team group and in working with efficiency”.

Copeland too was satisfied: “I directed the group in which pedalled Cunego and Gavazzi too and the other riders that will aspire to compete for the victory in targets scheduled later in the season. The average fit of the cyclists was good for the period and the harmony in the team is very interesting.

During training we performed specific works on strenght and stamina. Twice Cunego pedalled on fixed gear bike and often performed behind motor trainings”.

Lampre-Farnese Vini will be back in San Vincenzo for a second training camp from 1 to 9 February.

BMC racing team photo

Though part of the BMC Racing Team has already kicked off the season at the Tour Down Under, the majority of the crew is preparing for the new season at their training camp in California.  The next two races on the schedule for the team will be the Tour of Qatar and the Tour of Oman.

This is the third year in a row that the BMC Racing Team has been invited to the Tour of Qatar by race organizers Eddy Merckx and the ASO, organizer for the Tour de France.  However, the Pro Continental team will be making its debut appearance at the Tour of Oman.  Directeur Sportif John Lelangue will be present with a strong squad at both those events.  “We owe it to the ASO and Eddy Merckx to arrive at the Tour of Qatar with a strong and attractive team.  This is our way of showing our respect and appreciation for the confidence they have in us.  In addition, this is an excellent opportunity to show off our ideas about professional cycling to another international audience.”   The BMC Racing Team will be lead by former World Champion Alessandro Ballan and Gent-Wevelgem winner, Marcus Burghardt.   With current US National Criterium Champion John Murphy and Norwegian neo-pro Alexander Kristoff, BMC will have two supremely talented sprinters to fight for victory.  The team will be
completed by Jackson Stewart, Simon Zahner, Michael Schär and Martin Kohler who is currently showing good form at the Tour Down Under.  Racing in Oman will add yet another new country to the expanding starting list of the BMC Racing Team.  “It is fantastic that we have the chance to show ourselves in a new country.  We will see Oman as a chance to share our love of cycling with even more friends and also use all our chances for success,” Lelangue is convinced.

BMC Racing Team Roster „Tour of Qatar & Tour of Oman“ 2010

Riders
Alessandro Ballan (ITA), Marcus Burghardt (GER), John Murphy (USA), Alexander Kristoff (NOR), Jackson Stewart (USA), Simon Zahner (SWI), Michael Schär (SWI), Martin Kohler (SWI)

Sports Director
John Lelangue (BEL)