Cycling News Roundup - 20 June 2008
Team News, Grand Boucle Feminin, Kelly Benefits Roster Tour of Pennsylvania, Austin Crit, Tour de Nez Kelly Benefits, Lance Armstrong Foundation Livestrong Jerseys.

Tour de Switzerland Team Comments
Lampre - "The same old Cancellara"
Fabian Cancellara attacked in the last kilometer with an impressive pace and arrived alone at the finish. Behind Cancellara, the bunch sprint was won by Zabel on McEwen, Forster and a good Napolitano (5th).
In the overall standing, Cunego is 11th at 1'44" from Kirchen.

"When Cancellara attacks in that way, you can do your best but there are few things you can do - Piovani, Lampre's sport director, said - Today Napolitano has obtained a good result, after tough stages".

Team CSC Saxo Bank
Fabian Cancellara did one of his fantastic solo stunts on Friday, when he won the 171-kilometer seventh stage of Tour de Suisse from Gruyères to Lyss. Team CSC Saxo Bank's Swiss time trial champion was in a break with 10 kilometer left of the stage and managed to close the gap to Leif Hoste (Silence-Lotto), who had escaped earlier.

Markus Fothen (Gerolsteiner) was also in the break and to everyone's big surprise the overall leader of the race Kim Kirchen (High Road) also went along, but the peloton was never further away than 10 seconds and with six kilometers left Cancellara decided to go solo.

He managed to maintain a lead so for the final 100 meters he could put his arms up and enjoy the home victory, which was his seventh this season. "I'd said beforehand that I'd try for the victory today but that doesn't always mean it's gonna work out that way. It was a fantastic feeling and I only really started to believe it was true for the last kilometer or so," said Cancellara.

For Saturday's time trial there might be also be certain expectations on behalf of Cancellara, but the Swiss talent does not feel any pressure.

"It's a mountain time trial and it's too tough for me to beat the best GC riders here so I'm just gonna go out there and enjoy showing off my World Champion Jersey to my home audience," said the Team CSC Saxo Bank rider with a smile.

"This was a well deserved climax for our team as far as this race goes. I think it's safe to say we've dominated the larger part of it. Today we made attempts early in the stage as well, where both Stuart O'Grady and Andy Schleck were in breaks. And I also have to say that the whole team did a great job to support Fabian at the end, where both Stuart, Kurt Asle Arvesen and Jens Voigt were up front working hard. You have to remember that sometimes its narrow margins with a finish like this so the team definitely deserves credit for today's effort," determined sports director Kim Andersen.

There were no major changes to the overall classifications so Andy Schleck is still in seventh place.

Kelly Benefit Strategies/Medifast Snatch Two Jerseys at Tour de Nez
Bajadali Takes GC Lead; Bowman Sets Him Up and Takes KOM
 It’s not just defending champion Alex Candelario who came back to Nevada to lay it all down at the Tour de Nez. Teammates Dan Bowman and Andrew Bajadali of Kelly Benefit Strategies/Medifast pulled off a huge day between them yesterday, Stage 4, when Bowman secured the King of the Mountains jersey and Bajadali took second place and the overall GC lead.

Climbing hard during Stage 4, which snaked through the Northstar resort near Lake Tahoe, California, Bowman was among an early breakaway that lasted most of the race. He locked up the King of the Mountain jersey and set up Bajadali for an attempt at the win. Bajadali’s move came late in the race when he bridged alone to the break, chasing Eric Wohlberg of Symmetrics in front and holding off Scott Nydam of BMC to take second place. The time bonus for second and the lead on the rest of the field gave Bajadali the overall GC lead.

“Today was a great day for our team,” says performance director, Jonas Carney. “Bowman did an awesome job of setting up Baj and in the process came away with the King of the Mountains jersey. Nobody is celebrating yet though. The Tour de Nez is a hard race with a lot of competition. Tomorrow will be tough to defend.”

Going into Saturday’s 44-mile Northstar circuit race, the Kelly Benefit Strategies/Medifast team holds both the GC lead and King of the Mountains jerseys.

Team CSC Saxo Bank - Ster Electro Toer
Matti Breschel in Point's Jersey
Tom Boonen (Quick Step) took the victory in the third stage of Ster Elektrotoer and with a result just short of a podium spot Team CSC Saxo Bank's Matti Breschel managed to grab the Green Point's Jersey.

Breschel actually wore the jersey during Friday's stage, but at the time he was second in the Point's Competition behind Enrico Gasparotto (Barloworld), but as Gasparotto was leading the race, Breschel got to wear the jersey. After Friday's 170 kilometer route with start and finish in Nuth however it is the Danish talent who is leading this particular competition.

"Matti himself thought he finished fourth today but we don't actually know yet. He's up on the podium right now getting the jersey," said Team CSC Saxo Bank's sports director Dan Frost right after third stage.

About the stage itself he had the following comments:
"We did well today. I definitely think we dominated today's stage. At first we tried to create as much separation as possible in the side winds but we didn't succeed. With 20 kilometers to go the two final riders from a break had to be caught and the peloton was taking it a bit too easy, so we stepped up and took the lead. But we were powerless in the sprint against Boonen. We deserved a better result for our efforts today, I guess but it doesn't always work that way in cycling," said Frost. The Danish sports director was still happy with the outcome of the day though.

"Three or four kilometers from the finish line Michael Blaudzun tore loose from the peloton but Gasparotto followed suit and there was no point in sitting there with him so it didn't pan out. But we're very satisfied with our guys' efforts today for sure," concluded Frost.

Grande Boucle Féminine Internationale
Thürig claims victory ahead Soeder
 The former time trial champion Karin Thürig won the time trial of the Grande Boucle Féminine Internationale, the counterpart of the Tour de France in women’s cycling, from Domaine de Chalaine to Clairvaux les Lacs over 43,3 km. She finished in a time of 55.39min, what was 36 seconds faster than her team-mate and the second ranked rider Christiane Soeder (AUT). The third place took Nicole Cooke (GBR, Swift Racing), 2.40min behind the winner.

The great team result was made complete by the 7th place of Priska Doppmann (SUI, 3.41min back) and the 11th position of Sarah Düster (GER, 4.39min back).

Karin Thürig took over the leader position from Diane Ziliute and is in the lead in the overall ranking with 39 sec. ahead of Christiane Soeder. The lead in the overall team ranking increased to 7.14 min ahead of Team Flexpoint.

The Grande Boucle Féminine Internationale will continue tomorrow in the French Alps. The riders have to compete on a 102,8 km course from Lac D'Aiguebelette to Villard-de-Lans, which is situated in the region Vercors.

Kelly Benefit Strategies/Medifast
Team adds New Young Talent to the Roster
 Jake Keough to Race Tour of Pennsylvania
Fast on the heels of seeing 20 year old David Veilleux snatch both best young rider and the final stage of the Nature Valley Grand Prix last week, the Kelly Benefit Strategies/Medifast team today adds another U25 rising star athlete to the roster. Jake Keough officially joins the squad and will race with the team at the American Eagle Outfitters Tour of Pennsylvania this week and for the remainder of the 2008 season.

Keough who just turned 20 this week comes off a terrific year of racing and turns pro with first place finishes at Grant’s Tomb Criterium, in the overall U25 Speedweek Rankings plus 10th place in the Kelly Cup Criterium, part of the Baltimore Bike Jam, which team mate David Veilluex won just a month ago. Starting out racing BMX bikes at the age of seven, Keogh brings that BMX handling skill and years of amateur racing to the team, specializing in technical, tight Criteriums and fast finish road races.

"It has always been a priority for the Kelly Benefit Strategies/Medifast team to bring the most talented young racers into our program,” says Jonas Carney, performance director. “As a result, we are fielding a very strong team for the Tour of Pennsylvania. David Veilleux, Keven Lacombe, and Jake Keough should be extremely dangerous in the bunch sprints and we are hoping for some stage wins."

Keogh joins Mark Hinnen (CAN) back from injury, Ben King, the US 2007 Junior Road Race Champion, Keven Lacombe (CAN), one of the team’s acclaimed sprinters and Veilleux along with Clay Murfet advancing for the Kelly elite team.

"We are fortunate to have such a great U25 event for our young athletes,” adds Carney. “Over the years, pro racing in the US has become very fast and it is difficult for young racers to make the leap from amateur to pro. The Tour of PA is a great opportunity for our best young racers to test themselves against their peers in a true stage race."

Kelly Benefit Strategies/Medifast
Tour of Pennsylvania Roster:
Mark Hinnen (CAN)
Jake Keough (USA)
Ben King (USA)
Keven Lacombe (CAN)
Clay Murfet (USA)
David Veilleux (CAN)

The Kelly Benefit Strategies/Medifast pro cycling team is managed out of Minneapolis by Circuit Global Sport Management.

AT&T Downtown Austin Criterium a must-see event
A veritable Who’s Who of professional cyclists is heading to Austin, Texas on Saturday for the 4th leg of the USA CRITS Series. The racers are ready to do battle for themselves and their teams in the second annual AT&T Downtown Austin Criterium presented by AMLI.

In the men’s competition, cyclists such as Italy’s Luca Damiani (Colavita Sutter Home presented by Cooking Light), who won the CSC Invitational, and the USA’s Rahsaan Bahati (Rock Racing), who missed winning his second, 2008 USA CRITS race by a whisker last Sunday at the Harlem Skyscraper Classic, will be going wheel-to-wheel against the likes of Cubans Yosvany Falcon and Frank Travieso (TOSHIBA-Santo presented by Herbalife), Australia’s Hilton Clarke (Toyota-United), his brother Jonny, and teammates Cuba’s Ivan Dominguez and Australia’s Henk Vogels. Vogels has a few wins under his belt already this year, including the Scott Kornfield Coal Miners Classic and Stage #4 at Tour of the Gila.

Even though the field is full of Texas-size rivalries, hometown favorites Texas Tough/Hotel San Jose are not just going to sit back and allow teams like Rock Racing, TOSHIBA-Santo, and Toyota-United to steal the limelight unchallenged. Led by Columbia’s Carlos Vargas, the Lone Star state’s 2007 rider of the year, Texas Tough/Hotel San Jose is ready to press their home court advantage.

In the women’s competition, the formidable Tina Pic (Colavita Sutter Home presented by Cooking Light) will continue her rivalries with USA CRITS stalwarts, Kelly Benjamin, Laura Van Gilder, and Allyson Brandt (Cheerwine), Erica Allar and Rebecca Larson (Aaron’s), and Jen McRae (Team Advil-ChapStick). Pic, the US National Criterium Champion, is also the current USA CRITS 2008 Speed Week Champion. She will arrive in Austin fresh from winning the Cannon Falls Road Race and taking second place in the Minneapolis Downtown Classic. Also grabbing headlines is Pic’s Colavita teammate Kristin McGrath, who is also heading to Austin after just being named BOOST Best Rider at the six-stage Nature Valley Grand Prix in Minnesota.

Altogether, $30,000 is up for grabs at the AT&T Downtown Austin Criterium presented by AMLI.
For more information visit, www.attcrit.com

Gita Teams with the Lance Armstrong Foundation &
 Nike on LIVESTRONG™ Cycling Apparel
Gita Sporting Goods is teaming up with the Lance Armstrong Foundation (LAF) and Nike to market and distribute Nike’s new line of LIVESTRONG cycling apparel. 100 percent of Nike’s profits from the entire LIVESTRONG Collection goes to the LAF to help fight cancer.

The unique cycling garments are manufactured in Italy to the same high standards Armstrong demanded of his own apparel throughout his stellar career. The designs commemorate his successful battle against testicular cancer and encourage all to unite in the fight to cure cancer. The line will feature men’s and women’s jerseys and shorts as well as bib shorts for men.

These new LIVESTRONG cycling pieces will be available through Gita’s normal distribution channel of Independent Bicycle Dealers and through LAF at www.livestrong.org They are scheduled to be in bike shops across the country beginning July 5 to coincide with the start of the Tour de France.

Speaking for Gita, Giorgio Andretta, President said, “to be aligned with brands such as the LAF and Nike is fantastic. Plus the fact that it benefits such a great cause is an added bonus. We are very proud to be involved in this.”

Proceeds from the sales of LIVESTRONG cycling apparel will benefit the seven time Tour de France winner’s charitable foundation, the LAF. It has already raised millions of dollars to increase awareness and fund research in the fight against cancer.

Gita Sporting Goods, Ltd. is a privately held corporation based in Charlotte, NC. An importer and wholesaler of high quality equipment and soft goods it has serviced the U.S. bicycle industry for over 30 years. Gita currently represents the following brands: Giordana, Pinarello, Eddy Merckx, Pegoretti, MOst, DMT, Campagnolo, Cinelli, FSA, Deda Elementi, and Gommitalia.

The Lance Armstrong Foundation (LAF) unites people to fight cancer, believing that unity is strength, knowledge is power and attitude is everything. We provide the practical information and tools people battling cancer need to live life on their own terms. We take aim at the gap between what is known and what is done to prevent death and suffering due to cancer. We engage the public at large to pursue an agenda focused on preventing cancer, ensuring access to screening and care, improving the quality of life for people affected by cancer and investing in needed research. Founded in 1997 by cancer survivor and champion cyclist Lance Armstrong, the LAF is located in Austin, Texas. LIVESTRONG is a registered trademark of the Lance Armstrong Foundation.

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