Cycling News Roundup - 25 June 2008
Team News National Champs, Columbia Jersey, George Hincapie a Son! Thurig Defends TT Championship, World Bicycle Relief and more...

The new Columbia Team Jersey (High Road) revealed.

George and Melanie Hincapie Birth
Welcome to the peloton Enzo Hincapie!
"Melanie and I are proud to announce the arrival of Enzo Hincapie on June 20, 2008 in Girona, Spain. Mel and Enzo are both healthy and resting comfortably. I'll send more news when I can."
Congratulations to George, Melanie and to all the growing Hincapie family.

Swiss National Time Trial Championshiips
Thürig defends her title
 Today, the Swiss Time Trial Championships took place in Messen (SUI). The 35-year-old Karin Thürig from the Cervélo-Lifeforce Pro Cycling Team defended her National Time Trial Champion title on the 22,7 km course in a time of 30:49 min and an average of 44,182 km/h.

On second place finished Sereina Trachsel (1:36min behind), while Priska Doppmann, who started with an injury, took third rank with a great performance today. The both Cervélo-Lifeforce Pro Cycling Team riders Thürig and Doppmann are definitively on a good way to Beijing 2008! Patricia Schwager, another rider of the team made a good today’s race. She finished fifth in a strong time trial specialist starter field.

Karin Thürig Photo © 2008 CJ Farquharson   

Results Swiss National Time Trial Championships:
1 Karin Thürig (Retschwil) Cervélo-Lifeforce Pro Cycling Team 30:49 min
2. Sereina Trachsel (Weiach) Bigla Cycling Team 1:36
3. Priska Doppmann (Immensee) Cervélo-Lifeforce Pro Cycling Team 1:53
4. Andrea Thürig (Luzern) Bigla Cycling Team 2:39
5. Patricia Schwager (Balterswil) Cervélo-Lifeforce Pro Cycling Team 2:44

Cancellara Swiss Champion Again
For the fifth year in a row and for the sixth time in the last seven years Fabian Cancellara won the Swiss time trial championship Wednesday.

Cancellara has felt tired after the gigantic effort in the two Tour de Suisse stages that he won so he would have probably preferred to wait a few more days to race again, but he also wanted to give back to Swiss cycling, what they give to him.

"I am so tired, man! I gave all today. My club is arranging the race and I enjoy to go "back to basics" and race this race without any sports directors, mechanics, soigneurs and all that. I think it's good for us pros to try go back and do this now and then to appreciate what we have," said Cancellara after the race.

"Now it's all about resting for the Tour. My shape is where I want it to be, but I need a little rest before the Tour start, so I'm not sure yet if I will do the road race Sunday. I will decide Saturday," said Cancellara.

Cancellara won by one minute and 37 seconds ahead of Rubens Bertogliati (Saunier Duval) in the 45 kilometer route. In Team CSC Saxo Bank Official Fan Club you can hear interviews with Fabian Cancellara from after the time trial championship and you can hear Cancellara talk about his victories in Tour de Suisse and his expectations for the Tour de France.

In Sweden Gustav Larsson was knocked of the crown by young talent Fredrik Ericsson (Team Cykelcity) who beat Larsson by 25 seconds, while Thomas Lövkvist (High Road) took the bronze. Ericsson was actually riding the time trial on a frame from Cervélo on a sponsorship Team CSC Saxo Bank has helped Team Cykelcity get through Riis Distribution.

Lampre - National Championships
On Sunday ten Lampre riders will run in national championships.
In Bergamo there will be nine blue-fucsia athletes: Cunego will be the captain, Ballan and Bossoni will be very important tactical elements, supported by Bono, Gavazzi, Marzano, Mori, Righi and Tiralongo. Piovani and Vicino will be the sport directors, supported by doctor Guardascione, mechanics Biron, Bozzolo, Cambiè and Carminati and by masseurs Della Torre, Inselvini, Napolitano and Rubino.

"The route of the national championship is good for Cunego's characteristics." Piovani explained, "Damiano is working in order to have his fitness at the top: the national title is an important target, but he could not spend too many energies, because the departure of Tour is near. Ballan and Bossoni's tactical roles will be important, while we'll have the usual support by the other reliable riders".
Lampre's colours will be in Czech Republic too: Jindrichuv Hradec, Lubos Pelanek will try to hit the target of the national title.

Team Barloworld - National Championships
Team Barloworld rely on Gasparotto in Italy
Claudio Corti’ team is ready to face next Sunday’s National Championships. Team Barloworld, being such a very international squad, can rely on many riders in order to achieve good results. But it is on Ster Elektrotoer’s fresh winner Enrico Gasparotto that Barloworld count on. It will be the Bergamo-Bergamo’s demanding circuit (13 laps) over 254,8 km that will host the much anticipated event on June 29.

Gasparotto won  the 2005 Italian Road Championship as a first year professional, out sprinting Filippo Pozzato and came out like as strong rider for one-day races. Now Enrico, is living a very good moment after his stage and over-all classification’s victory at the Ster Elektro Toer in Holland, ending last Saturday, where he was able to dominate the first stage-race of his career. That’s why Gasparotto, more skilled this year, presents himself as a sure protagonist at the Italian championship, as his team manager Corti counts on.

So Enrico Gasparotto, after an impressive first part of the season – marked by the 2nd place in the Tirreno-Adriatico’s overall standing and the victory in De Panne’s first stage – will fight to double his 2005’ success with the right shape, but of course with a strong winning mentality, as stated Claudio Corti team manager.

As regards the Italian Champs, yesterday afternoon the good rouleur Diego Caccia caught a convincing 6th place in the time-trial won by two-time’s winner Marco Pinotti - High Road’s TT specialist - in Montechiari (Brescia), finishing his performance with a gap of 2’17” over 33,100 km.

With Gasparotto and Caccia, the Team Barloworld will line up in Bergamo on Sunday with: Gianpaolo Cheula, Marco Corti, Paolo Longo Borghini and Carlo Scognamiglio.

Team Barloworld will also present Moises Duenas for the Spanish Championships, Hugo Sabido for the Portuguese’s and Austrian Christian Pfannberger, whose mission will be to defend his last’s year success.

Team Caisse d'Epargne
National Championships:
The riders of Caisse d'Epargne will be be contesting the championships in Spain and France this week.

Spain
Individual Time Trial: Iván Gutiérrez and Luis León Sánchez.
Road: Alejandro Valverde, David Arroyo, Vicente García Acosta, Iván Gutiérrez, Joan Horrach, Pablo Lastras, David López, Alberto Losada, Dani Moreno, Fran Pérez, Oscar Pereiro, José Joaquín Rojas, Luis León Sánchez and Xabier Zandio.

Road French Championship: Anthony Charteau, Arnaud Coyot, Mathieu Drujon, Fabien Patanchon, Mathieu Perget y Nicolas Portal.

Carla Ryan in her Australian champions jersey joined the Cervélo-Lifeforce women's team in June.

Carla Ryan joins Cervélo-Lifeforce
The Australian time trial champion from the year 2007, Carla Ryan, joins the Cervélo-Lifeforce Pro Cycling Team. The pleasant 22-year-old cyclist from Brisbane (AUS) started for the Australian National Team and will race now for the first time at the “Grande Boucle Féminine International” for the Cervélo-Lifeforce Pro Cycling Team. The strengths of Ryan are longer time trial and hill climbing.

Carla Ryan in action.

"We are happy that Carla is joining our team. I’m convinced that she is a great enrichment for all of us and that she can make also a good personal development in the professional business together with us”, said Thomas Campana, Team Manager of the Cervélo-Lifeforce Pro Cycling Team.
More about Carla Ryan here

USA NRC Standings
After five stages, including two criteriums, an individual time trial, a road race and a circuit race, Aaron Olson (Santa Barbara, Calif.) road to the overall win in the National Racing Calendar's 20th contest, the Tour de Nez.  The 21st race on the NRC took place on June 21 in Austin, Texas. The 1.5-rated men's and women's NRC event saw Alejandro Borrajo (ARG) earn the victory in downtown Austin while Kelly Benjamin (Overland Park, Kan.) took home the win the women's criterium contest. For complete results from the AT&T Austin Downtown Crit.

With 15 men's races and 18 women's events on the 2008 NRC now complete, Rory Sutherland (AUS) continues to hold a commanding lead in the overall individual standings on the men's side while Anne Samplonius (CAN) is the current women's leader. The teams currently atop the standings include the Health Net Pro Cycling Team presented by Maxxis in the men's rankings and the Cheerwine Professional Cycling Team in the women's. The latest version of the USA Cycling National Racing Calendar

Men's Individual Standings
1. Rory Sutherland (AUS/Health Net-Maxxis) 1396
2. Ben Jacques-Maynes (Watsonville, Calif./Bissell) 643
3. Ted King (Brentwood, N.H./Bissell) 622
4. Anthony Colby (Durango, Colo./Colavita-Sutter Home) 501
5. John Murphy (Athens, Ga./Healthnet-Maxxis) 499

Men's Team Standings
1. Health Net Pro Cycling Team presented by Maxxis 2596
2. Bissell Pro Cycling Team 1984
3. Colavita/Sutter Home Men's Cycling Team presented by Cooking Light 1732
4. Toyota-United Pro Cycling Team 1482
5. Successfulliving.com presented by Parkpre 1196

Women's Individual Standings
1. Anne Samplonius (CAN/Cheerwine) 805
2. Joanne Kiesanowski (NZL/Team Tibco) 770
3. Leigh Hobson (CAN/Cheerwine) 765
4. Tina Pic (Dahlonega, Ga./Colavita-Sutter Home) 747
5. Felicia Gomez (CAN/Aaron's) 736

Women's Team Standings
1. Cheerwine Professional Cycling Team 3256
2. Aaron's Cycling Team 2316
3. Colavita/Sutter Home Women's Cycling Team presented by Cooking Light 1954
4. Team Tibco 1820
5. ValueAct Capitol Cycling Team 1063

Cycling - Good Works
World Bicycle Relief passes 15,000 bicycles in Zambia
Approaches 50,000 total bicycles distributed
World Bicycle Relief has announced the passing of a major milestone in its “Project Zambia” healthcare initiative: More than 15,000 new, locally assembled bicycles have been distributed to volunteer health caregivers in a work-to-own partnership.

This represents two-thirds of the total 23,000 bicycles planned for the program, and means that in the three years since its inception, the organization has distributed nearly 50,000 new bicycles in support of healthcare, education and economic development opportunities in poverty relief and disaster assistance situations.

“A bicycle multiplies a person’s productivity when you compare it to walking,” according to Dave Neiswander, head of Africa operations for World Bicycle Relief. “We’ve already seen the enormous impact of the bicycles in the day-to-day lives of the caregivers, and we’re excited to get the next round of bicycles into the field.”

The “Project Zambia” initiative is focused on providing culturally appropriate bicycles to volunteer, community-based HIV/AIDS caregivers, disease prevention educators and vulnerable households in the African nation. In addition, the program includes training for field mechanics throughout the country, with more than 375 trained so far.

Each bicycle is granted to a caregiver on a two-year, work-to-own basis. The new bicycles, which cost US$109, are funded through contributions from around the world. The organization utilizes its ties to the industry to improve the bicycles while ensuring they are compatible with the existing base of spare parts.

In order to measure the effectiveness of the program, and apply its learnings to new opportunities, World Bicycle Relief has engaged Boston University’s Center for International Health and Development to design and execute a measurement and evaluation study of Project Zambia. The study is currently in its baseline phase, with initial results expected in early 2009.

World Bicycle Relief was founded by SRAM Corporation in 2005 and is supported by many leaders in the bicycle industry. The organization specializes in large-scale, comprehensive bicycle programs by providing supply chain management, technical knowledge and logistics expertise to poverty relief and disaster assistance initiatives. More information is available at www.worldbicyclerelief.org.

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