Cycling News Roundup 28 November 2009
Pro Cycling Team News: Lampre/Farnese Signs Spezialetti, Ghent 6 Day, O'Grady & McGee Cycling Ambassadors for Peace, An Post/Sean Kelly Cycling Team Roster - Nico Eckhout Rides On, TIBCO, 2010 Tour of America’s Dairyland, Cycling in the News - Lance Armstrong and Sean Kelly, GetAcross & Electric Bra Rocks New Zealand, Trips for Kids, Bike Biz News

 Lampre/Farnese Vini Addition 
Alessandro Spezialetti Signs
"An expert cyclist characterized by never ending energy and generosity, just what Lampre-Farnese Vini needs for 2010 season": commented general manager Giuseppe Saronni about the signing of Alessandro Spezialetti in blue-fucsia team.

Spezialetti, born in Lachen (Switzerland) but in every respect an Italian citizen, became pro cyclist in 1997. During his career he has won one race, s stage in the Giro d'Abruzzo in 2001.

2008 Giro d'Italia stage 8: Attack of the day: Alessandro Spezialetti (Ita - Team LPR), Daniele Nardello (Ita - Serramenti Diquigiovanni-Androni) lead Mathieu Perget (Fra - Caisse d'Epargne), Fortunato Baliani (Ita - CSF Group-Navigare) and Adam Hansen (Aus - Team High Road). Photo © 2009 Fotoreporter Sirotti

The stature of the rider isn't easily evaluated by looking at his results; a better idea of his talents can be made by looking at his history of riding in support of his captains in 9 Giro d'Italia, 2 Tours de France and 1 Vuelta a Espana.
"Spezialetti will play an important role in the team." explained Saronni, "His experience gained in these years as a professional will be vital during races, especially when Cunego will fight for important wins. In addition, no doubt about Alessandro's skill to give his best for the team."

Ghent Six Day
Saxo Bank's Michael Mørkøv And Alex Rasmussen Second In Ghent
On the fourth day of six-day race in Ghent, Team Saxo Bank's Alex Rasmussen and Michael Mørkøv succeeded in winning back yesterday's lost lap. The pair is now in second place nine points after Keisse/Kluge.

"Already in tonight's first hunt we got the chance to bring us back in the classification. We took advantage by winning the chase. We have been racing four days, and distance has taken its toll. Every race has been hard, from Derny to sprint series. I still feel we are doing well and we might be the strongest. But while Keisse has the crowd on his side, Risi/Marvulli has the experience, the last two days are certainly not going to be a walk in the park.

The situation is still favorable with Keisse/Kluge slightly in front and with a nice lead on points to the Swiss. Now we are to keep a cool head and the legs warm”, concludes Michael Mørkøv.

Ghent 6 Day - Current Standings
1 Keisse & Kluge 0 - 298
2 Rasmussen & Mørkøv 0 - 289
3 Risi & Marvulli 0 - 260
4 De Ketele & Bartko 0 - 178
5 Stam & Lampater 1 - 191
6 Vermeulen & Schep 3 - 112
7 Aeschbach& Marguet 12 - 107
8 Van Bon & Muller 12 - 98
9 O'shea & Howard 13 - 140
10 Jonkman & Hester 26 - 83
11 Depoortere & Cocquyt 33 - 52
12 Deneef & Schets 40 - 78

'Champions for Peace' Club
Stuart O'Grady and Bradley McGee
Last Wednesday on the 25th of November Brad McGee and Stuart O'Grady represented Cycling at the opening ceremony of the 3rd Peace and Sport International Forum was distinguished by the launch of the ‘Champions for Peace’ club, a group of 37 famous sportspeople committed to serving peace in the world through sport.

The launch took place at the Oceanographic Museum in Monaco in the presence of HSH Prince Albert II of Monaco and over 400 international decision-makers from sport, politics, and the private sector including S.E. Dr. Danilo Turk, President of the Republic of Slovenia, Dmitry Kosak, Vice Prime Minister of the Russian Federation, Rama Yade, French Secretary of State for Sport, HRH Prince Nawaf Faisal Fahd Abdulaziz , IOC member, Wilfried Lemke  Special Advisor to the UN Secretary General for Sport at the Service of Development and Peace, and many others.

Champions for Peace represent 23 nationalities from all 5 continents in the world, comprising 24 Olympic and non-Olympic sports disciplines. Collectively, these heroes of podium between them have no less than 47 world championship titles, 20 Olympic titles and nearly 100 national and regional titles. An unequalled success record to promote sport as a vector for peace to the general public and decision-makers from all over the world! Champions for Peace share a common desire: to contribute, actively or symbolically, to a culture of peace throughout the world using sport.

The Champions’ club is an initiative from “Peace and Sport, (l’Organisation pour la Paix par le Sport”), founded by World Champion and Olympic Medallist in Modern Pentathlon, Joël Bouzou.

As part of their commitment as Champions for Peace, these great sportspeople will support Peace and Sport’s actions as well as members of the Peace and Sport networking platform. They will speak at official events to defend the cause of peace through sport and get involved in field actions for peace-building.

They will meet youngsters who live in extremely disadvantaged circumstances, for whom they are role models and provide a source of inspiration; they will help to train coaches in the field; they will actively raise awareness amongst decision-makers and potential investors.

At the launch, Joel Bouzou declared: “Over and above success in sport, these athletes share a common conviction: that sport can bring about a culture of peace by encouraging education, dialogue social integration and stability within vulnerable communities. Through sport, they can achieve more than sport. They can help to transform people’s mentalities.

About Peace and Sport
Going Beyond Appearances and Overcoming Differences
•Peace and Sport puts the values of sport at the service of peace everywhere where there is need Peace is taught, learnt and passed on. Through sport we aim at teaching communities and individuals in crisis how to live in peace, defend peace and respect peace.

• Sport is unique in its capacity to federate and unite for sustainable peace.
• Through its values and rules, sport goes beyond social, political, cultural, racial or religious differences that are often at the core of conflicts in the world.
• Taught in a structured way, with tangible activities aimed at youth, sport transmits the values of universal peace by promoting dialogue and meetings between communities.
• It encourages understanding, mutual respect and brings human beings together.

Sport thus becomes a source of personal balance and social stability in a world where people can live together more harmoniously.

An Post/Sean Kelly Cycling Team
Irish Continental Team
The team has confirmed that all 4 Irish team members have resigned for the 2010 season. Páidi O'Brien, Mark Cassidy, Ronan McLaughlin and David O'Loughlin, will be joined by newly declared riding for Ireland Matt Brammeier who formerly raced for Britain.  

Niko Eeckhout, who who turns 39 in a few weeks, won five races in 2009, (2 stages of Vuelta a Extremadura, a stage at the FDB Insurance Ras, the GP Stad Zottegem, and the Memorial Rik Van Steenbergen. The 17 year veteran has decided to race for at least one more season and renewed his contract for two years in the capacity as a rider or manager.

“In 2010 Niko is riding in any event,” said team manager Kurt Bogearts to Sporza.be. “After the season we will continue to evaluate matters and Niko may ride again in 2011, but he will decide that himself.”  If Eeckhout decides to stop riding, “then he moves from the bike to the team car and becomes a team manager with us,” according to Bogaerts.

Oher new riders joining the Sean Kelly outfit for 2010 are: Kim Borry, Pieter Ghyllebert, Gil Suray, Bjorn Brems, Maxim Debusschere, Mark McNally and Stijn Minne.

Talented Young Gun, Mark McNally who will turn 21 years old  in July next year is one to put on your list of riders to watch. Mark had a very good 2009 season winning the best young riders Jersey at the FBD Insurance Ras in May 2009, Lincoln GP, Rydale GP, and Beaumont Trophy. He also was the overall winner in the Tour Series Criteriums in July winning three of the events.

The  team will have their first meeting and training camp from December 14th to 21st in Calpe, Spain where manager Kurt Bogaerts will confirm the full team for 2010.

An Post/Sean Kelly 2010 Roster

Team Website
FaceBook

Team TIBCO
Kiesanowski, Meredith Miller finding success off road during the “off season.”
Team TIBCO’s Joanne Kiesanowski, who finished third in the USA Cycling NRC individual points competition, and 2009 U.S. National Road Race Champion Meredith Miller have used their off seasons to find success off road.

Kiesanowski returned to the boards this fall and has continued her winning ways on the track. Despite an eight-year period away from regular track training and racing, she took out two gold medals at the recent Oceana Games. She used her strength and experience to win the Scratch and Points Races. Her stellar performances earned Kiesanowski a spot on her native New Zealand’s team the Melbourne track world cup races earlier this month, where she narrowly missed out on a medal with a 4th place finish in the Scratch Race.

“I’ve really enjoyed my return to the track,” Kiesanowski said. “My first goal was to make the Melbourne World Cup team, and I was so close to a medal there. We have another training camp to set teams for the Los Angeles and Beijing World Cups. I’m hoping to make those squads and do well enough to make the New Zealand team for the World Championships in Copenhagen in late March.”

Once her track campaign ends, she’ll return to the road full time with Team TIBCO.

Miller Gets ‘Crossed Up
Meredith Miller went straight from her stellar road campaign into cyclocross this fall and has rarely found herself outside the top five in races against some of the top female cross racers in the world, including U.S. National Cross Champion Katie Compton. She earned podium spots with two 3rd places at the Mercer Cup races in New Jersey in mid-November.

“This is only my second full season racing cross,” the U.S. National Road Champion said. “Last year I didn’t really do a full season, either. A lot of doing well is just a matter of improving your technical skills and doing the right training. (Former U.S. National Champion) Tim Johnson has helped me a lot with a high-intensity training program.”

She’s looking ahead to Nationals in Bend in December. “I’m hoping to earn enough points to get a good start position,” she said. “That can be pretty key to getting a good result.” Miller heads to Iowa this weekend for a pair of UCI-rated cross races this weekend.
teamTIBCO

Tour of Oman
The Tour of Oman, a new race scheduled to take place two days after the end of the Tour of Qatar, will be held from February 14 to 19. The Amaury Sport Organisation, which also runs the Tour de France, will announce the route in Paris in January.  Eddy Merckx, also the promoter of the Tour of Qatar, has inked an agreement with the municipality of Musqat the capital of the Sultanate of Oman to host the race.

Oman is located on the southeastern corner of the Arabian peninsula, bordering the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman. While the Tour of Qatar is flat and windy, the terrain in Oman will provide more climbing thanks to the proximity of the Al Hajar mountains to the coastal town of Musqat.  Teams Milram and  BMC have already committed to the UCI 2.1 ranked race.

2010 Tour of America’s Dairyland
Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board Returns as Presenting Sponsor
Promoter Midwest Cycling Series has announced that Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board will return as the presenting sponsor of the Tour of America’s Dairyland in 2010. Tentative dates of June 17-27, 2010, for the encore year of the Tour of America’s Dairyland have also been announced.

“We are thrilled to have Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board back with us for a second year as we collectively promote the healthy benefits of cycling and dairy products,” said Tour of America’s Dairyland co-founder Bill Koch. “From the milk bottle presentations on the podium to the chocolate milk sampling from the Kemp's Moo Mobile to the gigantic cheese wheel prizing, Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board represented the dairy farm families of Wisconsin in a highly professional manner while creating a lot of fun and memorable moments throughout the Tour for racers and spectators alike.”

“Positioning an active healthy lifestyle with dairy products just makes sense", says James Robson, CEO of the Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board. "The protein and nutrition packed into Wisconsin's vast array of dairy products are essential for peak athletic performance.”

In its inaugural year, the 2009 Tour of America’s Dairyland paid out over $85,000 in cash and primes (rider incentives) to racers of multiple categories across nine Wisconsin cities in 10 days. The Tour hosted three road races and seven criteriums, including the Downer Classic featuring the Ben’s Cyclery Ultra Prime Party and the Waterloo Classic in downtown Waterloo, home of Trek Bicycles.

Continued Robson, "It all begins on the 13,000 dairy farms located across Wisconsin, which produce the highest quality milk necessary for our world famous cheeses and other dairy products that together truly make Wisconsin, America's Dairyland."

Chad Hartley (Team Geargrinder) took home the coveted yellow and white cowprint Overall Jersey in the Men’s Pro 1/2 category, with Australian Jessie MacLean (Verducci/Breakaway) emerging as the Overall Pro Women’s winner. In addition to the Overall jerseys and the coveted commemorative milk bottles, Overall winners in all categories received a 30-pound cheese wheel from either Sartori or Belgioioso and the Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board.

“Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board continues to demonstrate its support of an active, healthy lifestyle just as they did when they sponsored a women’s elite pro team,” continued Koch. “Every stop on the 2009 Tour of America’s Dairyland included a women’s Pro race, and the Tour will feature even more racing opportunities for women riders in 2010.”

The Wisconsin cities of Blue Mounds, Grafton, Manitowoc, Fond du Lac, Sheboygan, Greenbush and Waukesha rounded out the 2009 Tour of America’s Dairyland, which also featured live entertainment, family activities, and a sports expo. The 2010 Tour of America’s Dairyland venue line-up will be announced soon.

Endorsed and supported by the Wisconsin Cycling Association and United States Cycling Federation, Tour of America’s Dairyland updates will be posted on www.tourofamericasdairyland.com

About Midwest Cycling Series, LLC - Midwest Cycling Series, LLC, organizers of the Tour of America’s Dairyland, June 17-27, 2010, comprises five avid cyclists and successful entrepreneurs including U.S. Cycling Team Olympian and Team Sports, Inc. President Tom Schuler, Olympic Road Race Trials qualifier and former Nova Cycle Sports Foundation President Bill Ochowicz, Milwaukee Junior Cycling Team co-Executive Director Bill Koch, National Senior Olympics competitor Jim Michler, and Paul Weaver, founder of one of Wisconsin's longest running multi-sport teams, Team Geargrinder. Executive Director Jack Hirt, former executive director of the Bike Federation of Wisconsin, leads day-to-day operations.

About Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board - Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board, a nonprofit organization funded by the Wisconsin dairy producers, promotes the awareness and consumption of milk, cheese and other dairy products made in America’s Dairyland.

Cycling in the News
Visit by Lance Armstrong was about more than cycling
Much was made about seven-time Tour de France champion Lance Armstrong's visit to Durango on Oct. 20, the premiere of the film “Race Across the Sky" about his training and victory at the 2009 Leadville 100 and Durango's first-ever $500-a-plate fundraising dinner. Not as much was made of Armstrong's generous spirit while he was here.

First of all, the money raised (17,500) at the dinner went to two major local causes, the Fort Lewis College Cycling Team and Trails 2000, which will touch the lives of all of us who enjoy our trail systems and root for our local cycling competitors.

Armstrong's appearance came about because of connections. Armstrong raced on the Trek team for 15 years. Durango's Travis Brown, who competed in the 2000 Olympics, also raced for Trek on the mountain-biking circuit and now heads up the company's research and development efforts. After Armstrong recruited Brown to help him train, Brown recruited FLC cycling Coach Matt Shriver, and the race was on.
Read the article from the Durango Herald

Cycling: The long and grinding road
Sean Kelly Retrospective
It was those legs; slabs of thickly-veined muscle, corded -- and no doubt knotted - to the max by the hard yards of hundreds of thousands of miles. And nobody was harder than John 'Sean' James Kelly, from his gaunt features - think granite crags (with carbon tips) - to his tank-taped cycling shoes.

Tougher than old boots, he pedalled bicycles like the bricklaying son-of-an-Irish-hardscrabble-farmer he is. (He runs the farm in Curraghduff to this day). Expressionless, verging on mute (when it suited him), this wasn't some long-held distant dream. His pro cycling was prosaic, not poetic, an escape, not escapism, and the demands it entailed - a monastic lifestyle and unremitting slog, both already so familiar and well attuned to - were small prices to pay.

"Being reared on a farm, having to do farm work from the age of seven or eight, hardens you up. And you think about your upbringing when you're out there biking: 'Well, cycling is certainly better than farming because farming is never-ending'. You've got to hang in here, because that's what it's all about."

He did much more than hang in. No event is tougher than the cobble-hard, 160-mile Paris-Roubaix. Called the 'Hell of the North', its path to glory is pavé, a jarring judder of a surface that breaks spokes, frames and spirits. Its 1984 iteration was more hellish than most, a mudbath past Flanders fields. Kelly dug in, then attacked with 47km to go, relentlessly and powerfully hauling in the two breakaway riders. He dropped one, who slithered off, and nailed the other with a devastating burst around Roubaix's iconic velodrome. The normally fastidious Kelly, hardly the most sentimental of men, didn't wash his bike for days.
A must read article about one of the great riders to join the pantheon of cycling gods.
 Read the article on the Independent.

Steeplechase of Cycling’ event set for Yellow Springs
Cyclocross bicycle racing appears “absurd at first look,” admitted Ken Getchell, spokesman for the Zipp OVCX Tour that comes to John Bryan State Park on Sunday, Nov. 29. Dubbed the “Steeplechase of Cycling,” cyclocross is a hybrid between high-speed bicycle road racing and technical mountain bike racing.

“It’s faster than mountain biking, more technical than road racing. More tactical, too,” Getchell said on Friday. About 300 competitors are expected Sunday for the 2009 Buckingham Financial Ohio State Championships at the park.

Yellow Springs has hosted the cyclocross tour for several years, but this its first state championship event, Getchell said from Conshohocken, Pa. Riders will compete for jerseys, medals and nearly $2,000 in cash prizes. The cyclocross series has grown about 50 percent each year in terms of entries, Getchell said.
Read the article on Dayton Daily News

New Zealand - GetAcross
Pathway on the Bridge at no cost to Transport Agency
Months of technical work and investigation have revealed a potential solution to enable walking and cycling access on the Auckland Harbour Bridge.

GetAcross spokesman Bevan Woodward says, “Having talked to the Transport Agency and received independent expert advice, we have identified a safe and robust technical solution. It’s a shared pathway on the city-side clip-on of the Bridge. It will be funded by tolling walkers and cyclists $1 each way, along with a small initial investment from the National Cycleway fund. There would be no cost to the Transport Agency to construct or operate it.”

To check that Aucklanders are willing to pay to use the pathway, GetAcross surveyed its 11,000 supporters. The response was an overwhelming 95.5% in favour.

Proposed bike path/walkway for Aukland Harbour Bridge.

Heart of the City’s CEO Alex Swney says, “The pathway would be a tourist attraction that would encourage visitors to stay longer in Auckland. This will have massive economic benefits for the region. The fact that it’s self-funded makes it a no brainer!”

Bevan Woodward says, “We’ve had strong interest from potential investors who wish to be involved. The Transport Agency’s Tommy Parker has indicated that when a reliable potential funder is found then they would consider the proposal further. Their response to date has been positive and we are grateful for their on-going assistance.”

Walk Auckland’s Andy Smith says, “This is an iconic project whose time has come. It’s exciting to think we’ve got both a technical and a funding solution. We don’t see any reason why the pathway can’t proceed. Let’s get it done in time for the 2011 Rugby World Cup.”
More info: www.GetAcross.gen.nz

Auckland band The Electric Era
Musicians demand cycling on the Harbour Bridge
“Let us cycle on the Harbour Bridge” is the catchy chorus to an Auckland band’s music video being released today. Inspired by the GetAcross bridge protest six months ago, the music video asks for access across the Bridge as part of the National Cycleway.

Musician Karsten Schwardt lives on Auckland's North Shore and usually cycles to work in Parnell via the Birkenhead ferry. After taking part in the bridge protest in May 2009, he wrote the song 'Cycling On The Harbour Bridge' and recorded it with the help of The Electric Era band members Brignall Wood, Taneth Peel and David Chechelashvili.

A music video in support of the GetAcross campaign featuring the song and original footage of the bridge walk followed soon after. The video was produced by Karsten; camera work by Karsten, Sam Kiwan and Andy Smith.

GetAcross spokesman Bevan Woodward says, “This song is fantastic and the music video is great fun. The GetAcross campaign is entirely run by Auckland volunteers. Here’s another great example of that generous support. It reinforces how important the Bridge walk/cycleway is. Now that we have a technical and funding solution, we’ll be working hard to see it built.”

The music video can be viewed online on YouTube. 
A DVD with a high-quality recording is available from Karsten.
Karsten Schwardt, Lead singer and guitarist, The Electric Era

Trips for Kids
Ellsworth Bicycles Gives Customers Holiday Discount for Donating Bikes to TFK
For the second year, Ellsworth Handcrafted Bicycles Inc. of Ramona, California, is sponsoring a Trade-In Program to help Trips for Kids (TFK) fund more mountain bike rides for disadvantaged youth around the world. Ellsworth customers who donate complete bicycles to TFK by December 31, 2009 are eligible for a $500 discount on an Ellsworth full-suspension bike or frame.

"The bikes Ellsworth customers donate to Trips for Kids will be sold through our Re-Cyclery Bike Thrift Shop, giving them another life," said Marilyn Price, founding director of TFK. "The proceeds from the Thrift Shop sales help fund the Trips for Kids chapters around the world, helping them serve more young people in their communities. We are very grateful that Ellsworth has joined with us to make the most of this season of giving."

Trips for Kids Shop
Those interested in participating in the trade-in program can donate any fully-built bikes to TFK through any authorized Ellsworth Bicycles dealer. They can redeem their trade-in credit at the dealer location to use towards the purchase of an Ellsworth Bicycles full-suspension bike or frame, including the Truth, Epiphany, Glimpse, Evolve, Moment, Rogue and Dare. Visit www.ellsworthbikes.com for product details. Authorized dealers will receive credit for the traded-in bikes once TFK receives them.

TFK will sell the trade-in bikes at its Re-Cyclery Bike Thrift Shop in San Rafael, Calif. The proceeds from these sales will help fund future youth mountain bike rides through TFK's 66 chapters across the United States, Canada and Israel.

"Ellsworth's trade-in program was a huge success last year and drew a lot of support for Trips for Kids," said John McPartlan, Ellsworth Bicycles sales and marketing manager. "We're excited that in the first few weeks of this year's Trips for Kids holiday promotion we are experiencing such an overwhelming response from our customers. They are as eager to support Trips for Kids as we are!"

More than 65,000 disadvantaged young people have participated in TFK's day-long cycling adventures that take them through nearby parks and outdoor recreation areas. In addition to vigorous outdoor activity, they also enjoy the encouragement of caring adults who teach them about the environment, the importance of healthy choices and satisfaction of accomplishing their goals.
http://www.tripsforkids.org/

Bike Biz News
Cervélo TestTeam
Rotor Renews Sponsorship
ROTOR Bike Components took part in the Cervélo TestTeam’s first official meeting in Basel, Switzerland last weekend, kicking off it’s second year as a Team Partner and carrying its original sponsorship agreement with Cervélo TestTeam through 2010.

ROTOR’s first year in the ProTour cycling world was nothing less than a runaway success, bringing the brand 25 victories in the men’s team (including 4 stages at the Giro d’Italia, 2 stages at the Tour de France, the Tour de France’s Green Jersey and 2 stages at La Vuelta) and a substantial 43 victories in the women’s team (making them the Best UCI women’s Team).

The team’s new riders, amongst which Theo Bos, are all eager to start riding on 3D cranks and Q-Ring oval chainrings. 3D crank was developed with the feed-back of the whole team in last years’ season as a part of our R&D commitment to the team. Along with the 3D crank, ROTOR developed a new extra-smooth rolling bottom bracket during last years season and will continue working on new, exciting products this season, for the benefit of its team riders and faithful customers.

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