Cycling News Roundup - 15 December 2009 
Geraint Thomas MBE, Lars Bak to Columbia, Garmin, Fly VAustralia on De Rosa, Cycling in the News: Mark Gorski, Giro in D.C.,  Bike Biz News: Belt-Up High Vis, Cane Creek 100 1" Classic, Nick Ramsey Moving up with Carmichael and more...

Geraint Thomas awarded MBE
Former Barloworld cyclist and new Sky team signing and Olmpic gold medalist Geraint Thomas was awarded his MBE by the Prince of Wales this weekend. The 23-year old Welshman was part of Britain’s Gold Medal winning Olympic Pursuit team along with: Bradley Wiggins, Ed Clancy and Paul Manning. The team set a new world record twice on their way to winning gold at the games.

Geraint also won gold in  the men’s individual pursuit title at the World Cup in October with the fastest qulifying time in history at 4minutes 18.418secs, only 7 seconds short of the world record of Chris Boardman's time of 4:11:114secs set in 1996.

After receiving his MBE  Thomas commented, “This is just the icing on the cake for what we do. We usually get medals and recognition just for crossing the line first so this is something special.”

Geraint's efforts will be focused on the tour de France in support of Team Sky's new hire Bradley Wiggins in a run for a tour podium.

The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order includes five classes in civil and military divisions. In decreasing order of seniority, these are:

Knight Grand Cross (GBE) or Dame Grand Cross (GBE)
Knight Commander (KBE) or Dame Commander (DBE)
Commander (CBE)
Officer (OBE)
Member (MBE)
Only the two highest ranks admit an individual into knighthood automatically, an honor allowing the recipient to use the title "Sir" (male) or "Dame" (female) before his or her first name.

Columbia/HTC
Team Signs Three time Danish Time Trial Champion
the Columbia-HTC's men's team earned victories by 15 different riders, and it's fair to say new Columbia-HTC rider Lars Bak of Denmark has already taken some major successes of his own. As Bak puts it, "One thing I've always liked about Columbia-HTC is you can see everybody gets a chance to win. Signing with Columbia-HTC was one opportunity I just didn't want to let go by."

In his early days as a pro, Bak clinched the prestigious Tour de L'Avenir stage race, and since then he's earned Danish National Time Trial Champion three times in a row.

    "The best of the three victories was in 2009," Bak says. "I didn't know until 100 metres from the line that I had won. It was a very close, dramatic race, pure suffering, and then at the end I could start celebrating even before I crossed the line." For Bak, the key to good time trialing is "not to panic early on and overcook it. If you keep a steady, strong pace, and you don't go in too deep, then you're on the right track. I've got the right kind of motor for it, too: I can't accelerate fast, so don't ask me to win a sprint. I'm more a diesel engine, and once I get going I can keep going steady for miles and miles."

But Bak's talents aren't limited to time-trialing. He's won top Classics like Paris-Bourges, and in 2009's Eneco Tour he pulled away in spectacular style from a day-long break to win the race's toughest stage. True to his word, he didn't want to wait for a sprint.

     "Lars is the kind of rider who won't win 10 races a year, but he's always there in the mix," comments Columbia-HTC's Danish sports director, Brian Holm. "Lars is a great team player. He really gets stuck into helping his teammates if he feels they've a better chance to win, and that's something we appreciate a lot in our team."

Team Garmin-Transitions
Statement on Bradley Wiggins Departure
Bradley Wiggins will not be racing for Team Garmin-Transitions in 2010. Although we understand his strong desire to be a part of the UK’s first-ever Pro Tour team, we would have loved to continue with him through 2010. His departure is not the outcome we hoped for. That said, Team Garmin-Transitions has an incredible group of riders assembled for the season.

As always, we have worked hard to build a team that will be competitive throughout the year. The team features Christian Vande Velde who was 8th overall in the 2009 Tour after significant injuries; including five broken vertebrae; sprint sensation Tyler Farrar, David Zabriskie, David Millar, Dan Martin and other outstanding athletes that we’re fortunate to work with.

In addition to the great new talent we have signed including Johan Van Summeren and Jack Bobridge, we have renewed our partnership with Garmin and added Transitions and POM Wonderful to our family of sponsors. And we’ve expanded our sports science program to include some of the best sports scientists in the world. We will continue to give our fans many reasons to cheer in 2010 and we look forward to exciting racing in the months to come.

Fly VAustralia
Pan Pacific Team to Soar on De Rosa Bikes in 2010
The famed Italian frame builder De Rosa is to be the official bicycle sponsor of the Fly V Australia professional cycling team in 2010. De Rosa is one of the oldest and most revered names in Italian bicycle manufacturing and continues to manufacture elegant and revolutionary frames in Italy where the highest standards of design and production are maintained. De Rosa believes that it has aligned with a racing program that mirrors its philosophy andpassion for quality, performance, innovation and excellence.

De Rosa will supply a selection of its race proven models to Fly V Australia. The team will race and train on a combination of De Rosa’s finest bikes including the new King 3RS and Merak frames as well as the classic Neo Pro and super sleek Formula Crono. The bikes will be elegantly dressed with Sram group sets combining classic Italian design heritage with cutting edge American technology.

Fly V Australia’s title sponsor is the international wing of Sir Richard Branson’s Virgin Blue airlines, and will be entering its second year as a UCI Continental team racing the North American calendar. In 2009, the team has won over 90 races including over 60 in USA, and has finished the season strongly with international success at the Tour of Tasmania & the Jayco Herald Sun Tour. The Team’s 2010 objectives include not only improving on the 2009 total wins but also racing to win the NRC.

“We had a great inaugural season and I think we have made some strong moves to strengthen and balance the team’s roster for 2010. We will be announcing the full roster shortly and I think you will see that the strength of our lineup may only be eclipsed by the quality of the cycling industry support we have assembled. Certainly De Rosa and SRAM are two of the most sought after brands in the industry and we are proud to have them as part of our family.” Commented Team owner Chris White Trialtir USA, the exclusive distributor of De Rosa in the USA and company CEO Massimo Bartolini is excited
about the new relationship saying.

“I think 2010 is going to be a great year for the cycling industry and especially for De Rosa and the Trialtir brands, I am happy to announce the sponsorship of what I believe will be among the most competitive teams in North America. I am especially happy to be working with some riders and management that we have had success with in the past. The Fly V program represents more than just a sponsorship opportunity for De Rosa, but a great opportunity to gain valuable R&D information for all of our brands. The Fly V organization has Great Spirit and camaraderie, and we want to bring that culture, enthusiasm, and performance experience to our dealers around America.” Other Triatir USA brands that will be sponsoring the team include Diadora shoes, Santini clothing, Stella Azzurra bar, stems & tape, and LAShelmets.
www.pegasusracing.com.au 

Cycling In the News
Mark Gorski - Where is he now?
1984 Olympic Gold medalist and founder of Tailwind Sports led the companyb as CEO from 1995 to 2003. Under Gorski's stewardship Tailwind Sports developed the the US Postal team as that won 5 Tours de France with Lance Armstrong. Mark is currently the business development officer with BRDG (Bio Research & Development Growth) Park at the Danforth Plant Science Center.
Read the article in Saint Lewis Today

Washington Seeks 2012 Giro Start
Organizers of the Giro d’Italia, one of the world’s most prestigious cycling events, on Thursday took one more step to bring the first few stages of the race to the city streets here in 2012. Washington's mayor, Adrian M. Fenty, an avid cyclist, took a lunchtime bike ride Thursday.

Angelo Zomegnan, the Giro’s race director, and members of a working group met with Mayor Adrian M. Fenty on Thursday morning to discuss plans for Washington to host the start of the 2012 Giro, a storied race that is 100 years old.

“We can’t say it will 100 percent start here, but we think that it is very, very possible and we’re moving forward to work together,” said Zomegnan, who was pleased with the results of the meeting with the mayor. “There are a lot of things that must happen in the next few weeks before we can say it’s 100 percent. But I think it looks good.”

Mark Sommers, a lawyer who is the head of the working group to bring the race to Washington, called the meeting with the mayor successful, saying the two parties came to a tentative agreement to start the Giro here.
Read the New York Times Article

Constance Ramsey: Avid cyclist spread love of sport
If you've spent any time biking around metro Detroit, you've probably come across the smiling face of Constance Ramsey of Detroit. An avid cyclist, she and her husband of 51 years, Vernell, were widely known as the the Honeys, because that's what they called each other: honey.

A former novice bicycle racer, Mrs. Ramsey, known as Connie, spread her affection for the sport to others, encouraging cycling for fitness and fun, especially among blacks and women.
Read the Detroit Free Press Article

To Pedal or Not?
40 Million Electric Bikes Spark Dilemma in China
As a Ph.D. student in Civil and Environmental Engineering at the University of California, Berkeley, I began conducting research, which led to a dissertation, on quantifying the impacts of electric bikes in China. I participated in the National Science Foundation’s inaugural East Asia and Pacific Summer Institute in China during the summer of 2005, and with support from the Volvo Foundation, I used this experience to examine several of the contentious issues surrounding electric bikes, including their seemingly negative impacts on the environment and safety, countered by their mobility benefits that allow access to jobs, shopping, and health care opportunities.

Chinese cities are expanding and becoming more congested as new personal automobiles fill the scarce roadway capacity. With a long legacy of bicycle use, Chinese commuters are accustomed to personal mobility and short trips. Trips are getting too long for bicycles and public transit services are often incapable of serving populations in cities with disorganized urban development patterns while competing with cars for road space.

Electric bikes have filled the niche, providing high levels of personal mobility at a fraction of the cost of a car or even public transit. I found that electric bikes travel about 35 percent faster than bicycles and have a much larger range. In the city of Kunming, an electric bike can access 60 percent more jobs within 20 minutes than a traditional bicycle. Compared to a 30-40 minute bus ride, an electric bike rider can access three to six times the number of jobs.

While this increase in mobility is remarkable, this mobility does come at a cost, namely increased lead pollution from battery use.
Read the  article on Live Science.com by By Christopher Cherry

Amy Gillett Foundation
Any's Ride Victoria, Australia
Sunday 3rd of January, 2010, join the Amy Gillett Foundation in a great days riding around the picturesque Bellarine Peninsula. With ride distances to suit beginners through to accomplished riders this will be a great day out for all riders and you will also support the worthy road safety initiatives of the Amy Gillett Foundation.

By participating in this ride you will:
Receive the fabulous AGF / a metre matters jersey supporting road safety
Have the opportunity to meet and ride with all your favorite Australian cycling stars, include new World Champion Cadel Evans, Stuart O’Grady, Robbie McEwen, and many more
Ride the picturesque Bellarine with sweeping Bay and Ocean views
Ride the first 15km of Portarlington Road in a lane closed for traffic.
Stay after the ride for great entertainment and to see the professionals ride in the Jayco Bay Classic.
Registrations Now Open

The first 2,300* riders registered for the 120km or 60km rides will all receive the new Amy Gillett Foundation / a metre matters jersey proudly sponsored by the Transport Accident Commission. This jersey is part of a great new program to encourage motorists to provide additional space for cyclists on the road, including a new television commercial being screened on Channel Ten, Foxtel and in cinemas.The first 200* riders registered in the 27km will receive the Amy Gillett Foundation / a metre matters T-Shirt
http://www.amygillett.org.au/amys-ride-victoria

Bike Biz News - New Products
New Product for Safer Twilight Riding
Belt-Up High Vis Sports Equipment
Belt-Up, the number one supplier of High Visibility Sporting Equipment in Australia. Our primary aim is to improve Road Safety for cyclists, runners and walkers. The state of the art High Visibility Belts and Anklets will help ensure you are seen by motorists from far away.

They are made of high visibility reflective material which stands out when illuminated by headlights, street lights, or bicycle lights. They are light weight, comfortable, and waterproof. Best of all it increases your chance of being seen when out on the road!
You got to take the time to see these videos. Stay safe out there over the winter guys - Belt-Up Website with Videos

Technical Information
Your Belt-Up High Vis Sports Belt is designed with the ultimate in comfort and safety in mind. The High Visibility panels use microprismatic reflective technology. This means there are thousands of tiny prisms which use the property of refraction to reflect the maximum amount of light towards the source.

The benefits of this technology over other technologies such as glass bead reflective material are:
    1.Microprismatic Material is fully sealed by a thin vinyl layer, meaning water dirt and other materials will not contaminate the reflective material and reduce the reflectivity
    2.Different colour reflective materials are possible by using different vinyl layers
    3.Microprismatic Material meets all Australian Standards for Reflectivity
    4.Microprismatic Material will not deteriorate over time due to exposure to water or other contaminates.
    Your Belt-Up High Vis Sports Belt is also designed for comfort and convenience. Long hours on the road and on the bike require that your equipment performs as well as you do!

The elastic is high density industrial strength, designed to make the belt fit snugly to your waist or hips.
The Velcro allows for quick and easy fitting or removal.

Cane Creek 100 1" Classic
Italian Homage
The 100 1" Classic pays respect to the rich history of cycling with it's Italian inspired styling and flawless function. With the resurgence of fixed-gear bicycles and the growing numbers of classic inspired bicycle designs available today, this is the perfect headset for anyone looking for a beautifully styled masterpiece with all the modern ammenities built inside.

Technical Specs:
size 1 in. (25.4 mm)
stack height 38.75 mm
top stack height 27.10 mm
bottom stack height 11.65 mm
material Premium Headset Alloy 7075 T-6
weight 93 g (excl. spacers and preload assembly)
top bearing Split-Lip Black Oxide ACB
bottom bearing Split-Lip Black Oxide ACB
finish/color: Black & Silver
msrp $125
More info or to purchase online

Nick Ramey Joins Carmichael Training Systems
Director of Sales and Marketing
Carmichael Training Systems, Inc. (CTS) announced today that Nick Ramey has joined the company's leadership team as Director of Sales and Marketing.

Nick comes to CTS on the eve of the company's 10th Anniversary, with a great deal of experience in the endurance sports and media industries. Company founder and CEO, Chris Carmichael, is looking to Nick to bolster CTS's leadership position in the endurance coaching industry, strengthen relationships with industry partners, and enhance the company's Sales and Athlete Services departments. As Director of Sales and Marketing, Nick will also increase CTS's reach into the endurance sports community through the establishment of an outside sales force.

Chris Carmichael commented, “I am very happy to welcome Nick to Carmichael Training Systems. He brings a combination of experience and energy to the leadership team of the company, and I think those are qualities that lead to innovation and the emergence of fresh ideas.”

Nick Ramey, who comes to CTS from Future Publishing, publisher of Cyclingnews.com, said of his transition, “This is an exciting opportunity for me to move from being on the media side of the endurance sports industry to representing one of its strongest brands.”

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