Saving Owen Wilson

"Keep your friends close and your enemies even closer." - Sun-tzu

"With friends like these, who needs enemies." - Unknown

Its incredibly hard keeping up with Lance Armstrong. One day Our Boy Lance (OBL) is opening up his new Austin bike shop, Mellow Johnny's, the next he's speaking at the Ohio State University Medical Center for a LiveStrong Day event, and then he's having dinner with Kate Hudson.

Wha?

Yes, there were many reports that had the two having a jovial and intimate dinner together, while others debunked the idea that the two were even an item.

Rather than jump into the tawdry foray with both Olsens, I thought it was best to wait for more substantive evidence.

Hello Cannes!

According to the Daily Mail,

In a move which is bound to cause ex-boyfriend Owen Wilson further heartbreak, actress Kate Hudson stepped out with her new love - and Wilson's friend - cycle legend Lance Armstrong.

The pair were seen leaving their hotel in Monaco together to take a boat trip.

They arrived in Monaco after partying at designer Dolce and Gabbana's party in Cannes where they were seen kissing and cuddling.

The most surprising thing in the recent Cannes report is that this isn't the first of Wilson's former flames that OBL has honed in on.

It is the second time Armstrong, 36, has moved in one of Wilson’s exe’s.

He previously had a three-year romance with singer Sheryl Crow only to see Armstrong move in after they split and get engaged to the pop star.

A source said: "Kate and Lance have been dating for a couple of weeks. She thought it was funny when people were writing recently that she was engaged to Owen because the reality was that they had split again and she was secretly seeing Lance.

I don't know if this is a new trend for OBL, like going after 7 Tour victories, but if I'm Owen Wilson I'm not going to stick around to find out.

On Tap...

Our lack of coverage or reaction to the 2008 Giro d'Italia aside, the first of the three week races will conclude this weekend in grand fashion.

Going into Friday's Stage 19, defending champion, Danilo DiLuca (LPR Brakes) seemed all but out of contention for the overall; 2.18 in arrears of the maglia rosa held by Alberto Contador (Astana).

But, DiLuca's proclamation Wednesday evening,

"We are all there, within two minutes. There are still two very important stages...It is still open, two minutes is not a lot and there are two important stages."

would indeed prove prophetic on the slopes of the Presolana Monte Pora as his teammates, including former Giro champion, Paolo Salvodelli, buried themselves to lift their captain from 5th to 3rd.

General Classification After Stage 19
1 Alberto Contador Velasco - 82.29.10
2 Riccardo Riccò - 0.04
3 Danilo Di Luca - 0.21
4 Marzio Bruseghin - 2.00
5 Franco Pellizotti - 2.05
6 Denis Menchov - 2.47


With the peloton taking on the slopes of the famed Passo Gavia and Mortirolo on Saturday, and an ITT into Milan on Sunday, the maglia rosa is still very much up for grabs.

On The Homefront
With our own Tour of '03 covering the CSC Invitational in Arlington, VA this Sunday, our eyes turn toward the other race on the NRC, the 2008 Tulsa Tough.

The Tulsa Tough is actually a "three day cycling festival designed to promote fitness and healthy lifestyles while showcasing the beautiful city of Tulsa, Oklahoma. Tulsa Tough offers events and spectating opportunities for everyone with professional-level races, recreational and tour rides, kids and youth activities, live music and vendors in one action packed weekend."

How tough is the Tulsa Tough?

Tough enough to be added to the USA Crit Series of races. It kicked-off on Friday night with the QuikTrip Friday Night Crits.

Schedule

If you're inclined to take to the streets yourself, check out some of the races below in select areas of the country.

05/31/2008
NJBA SpringTrack Series
Trexlertown, PA
Wisconsin State TT Championship
Kansasville, WI
O'Fallon Grand Prix
O'Fallon, IL
Wheels of Thunder Dash for Cash
Pleasanton, CA
Millport Road Race
Lititz, Lancaster County, PA
The Garrett Wonders Memorial Criterium
Westerville, OH
SoCal Track Cup #4- Sprint and Keirin Tournament
Carson, CA

06/01/2008
Jr Championships/Elite Racing
Ontario, CA
Habitat for Humanity Circuit Race
Norristown, PA
Race for Alex
Columbia, OH
Thunder Road time Trial
Sahuarita, AZ
CSC Invitational
Arlington, VA
Apricot Fiesta Criterium
Patterson, CA
Dana Point Grand Prix
Dana Point, CA
Koehlinger / Kelley 40K TT and TTT Challenge
New Haven, IN
Sussex Criterium
Sussex, WI
Dunlap Memorial Time Trial
Davis, CA

For results and photos of some of the races above, click through to Truesport.com .

Commerce Bank Triple Crown of Cycling Men's Field Announced

Philadelphia - With less than a week to go before the Commerce Bank Triple Crown of Cycling commences, organizers have announced a star-studded start list for the men’s three-race series. Among the big names that will be toeing the line are former Paris-Roubaix champ Magnus Backstedt, last year’s Triple Crown series victor Bernard Eisel, multi-time Tour de France stage winner Daniele Bennati, and Cuban sensation Ivan Dominguez, arguably the No. 1 sprinter in the domestic peloton.

This fearsome foursome are part of a 25-team, 200-rider field that will begin battle on June 3rd at the Lehigh Valley Classic, an 85-mile, 12-lap circuit race that traces a twisting path through Allentown and Salisbury Township. Two days later, the Triple Crown race caravan relocates to Reading for a 75-mile, 10-lap affair that darts back and forth between the city’s downtown and the summit of nearby Mt. Penn.

Finally comes the titan of North American one-day races, the Philadelphia International Championship. Celebrating its 24th running, this epic 156-mile test of mettle begins and ends on Philadelphia’s famed Benjamin Franklin Parkway. In between, the world’s best cyclists will blaze their way around 10 laps of the 14.4-mile primary circuit that includes the infamous Manayunk Wall, with its always-raucous fans and precipitous 17-percent grades. The 10 long laps are followed by three testing finishing circuits up and over Lemon Hill before the 2008 champion is crowned. To the victors will go the lion’s share of a $93,500 prize purse that includes a $10,000 bonus for the overall series winner.

Backstedt, the reigning Swedish national champion, comes to Pennsylvania with his new Slipstream-Chipotle team that also includes Olympic track cycling hopeful Mike Friedman, rising Dutch star Martijn Maaskant, Aussie Chris Sutton, and Americans Will Frischkorn, Steven Cozza, Jason Donald and Tyler Farrar. Backstedt, Maaskant and Farrar are all on the short list of riders the Boulder, Colorado-based team may take to July’s Tour de France.

“We’re an American team so these are very important races for us,” explained Slipstream team director Jonathan Vaughters, adding that he was especially excited about Maaskant’s prospects at the Triple Crown series. “We feel like he could win any of those races.”

California-based Team High Road also comes in with high expectations, bolstered by a roster that includes 2007 series champ Eisel, multi-time Triple Crown race winner Greg Henderson, 2001 Paris-Roubaix winner Servais Knaven, multi-time Olympic medalist Bradley Wiggins, and key support riders Edvald Boasson Hagen, Roger Hammond, Tony Martin and Vincente Reynes Mimo.

Expect Eisel and Henderson to be the team’s lethal one-two punch. A year ago Eisel won the opening two legs of the Triple Crown on his way to overall victory. Henderson pulled his own double in 2006, taking the Reading Classic and the Philadelphia International Championship. A year earlier the Kiwi won in Lancaster, predecessor to the new-for-2008 Lehigh Valley Classic.

Look for the Lehigh race to be a battle among the sprinters, and right now there is none better in the world than Italian Daniele Bennati, leader of the powerful Liquigas squad that’s headed to Pennsylvania next week. Already this year, Bennati has scored three grand tour stage wins at the famous Giro d’Italia, and another victory at Switzerland’s Tour of Romandie. In 2007, Bennati grabbed a win for the ages, taking the final stage of the Tour de France on the famed Champs d’Élysées in downtown Paris. Come July, Bennati will be back at the Tour, but first he’ll be looking to make a little history in Philadelphia.

Barring a last-minute change in plans, history will not repeat itself due to Team CSC’s decision to not bring defending Philadelphia champion J.J. Haedo to this year’s Triple Crown. Danish-based CSC, the fourth Tour de France team in this year’s Triple Crown field, has been battered by injuries of late (two riders broke collarbones on the same day at the Giro d’Italia) and needed the talented Argentine to stay in Europe. In his place, team leadership duties fall to Aussie Matthew Goss, who was second behind Haedo in Philadelphia in 2007. Goss will be supported by Danes Kasper Klostergaard, Lasse Bochman, André Steensen, Lars Bak and Matti Breschel.

Battling these four Tour de France teams will be a full compliment of U.S.-based teams, plus professional squads from Poland, Ireland, Canada, Germany and Mexico.

The likely top threat to the big boys will be Dominguez and his Toyota-United team, whose roster includes former Philadelphia winners Henk Vogels and Chris Wherry, Aussies Caleb Manion and brothers Hilton and Johnny Clarke, Serbian Ivan Stevic and Canadian Dominique Rollin.

“We feel like we have a really good line-up for this series,” predicted Toyota-United team director Scott Moninger. “We’re probably a little better suited for these races than the other domestic teams because we have so much speed and one-day racing talent.”

Indeed, besides the lightning-quick Dominguez, Toyota-United can also look to Rollin who has the coveted combination of sprinting speed and breakaway horsepower.

“We feel like either one of those guys could be there,” added Moninger. “Our strategy will just depend on who has the best legs.”

Another top U.S.-based threat is Health Net-Maxxis and its all-purpose star Rory Sutherland. The Aussie has been on a tear this year, already taking overall wins at the Joe Martin and Mt. Hood Cycling Classic stage races. He’ll be supported by a veteran team that includes fellow Australian Karl Menzies and Americans Tim Johnson, Frank Pipp, Kyle Gritters, John Murphy, Kirk O’Bee and Phil Zajicek.

“I think Reading could be perfect for Rory,” said Zajicek. “He’s got enough strength to get over the climb and then get across the line.”

The wildcard of the Triple Crown field will be the new bad boys of cycling, Rock Racing. The California team is fresh off an inspired performance at the Tour of Colombia and will be looking for its first major victory of 2008.

“We are definitely going to be ready for Philly week,” said Rock Racing team leader Fred Rodriguez, a multi-time U.S. national champion. “It’s really important for me and the team.”

That team will include Colombians Victor Hugo Peña, Santiago Botero, Spaniard Oscar Sevilla, and Americans Michael Creed, Tyler Hamilton, Doug Ollerenshaw and Kayle Leogrande.

“At the Tour de Georgia we were riding on our last bit of energy,” explained Rodriguez of his team’s sub-par performance at the April stage race. “But now we are on our way back up.”

Consider that a warning shot to all the competitors of the 2008 Commerce Bank Triple Crown of Cycling. You can be sure it won’t be the last bullet fired.

For a look at the complete start list, go to www.procyclingtour.com and click on any of the Triple Crown races. You’ll find men’s and women’s start lists for the individual events posted on the left under Team Race Information.

Tipping Point

If you have read Malcolm Gladwell's book, The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference, or have studied epidemiology, then you are well acquainted with the term, "Tipping Point."

According to Gladwell,

"It's the name given to that moment in an epidemic when a virus reaches critical mass. It's the boiling point. It's the moment on the graph when the line starts to shoot straight upwards."

In his book, Gladwell examines if "tipping points" exists in business, in social policy, in advertising and in any number of other nonmedical areas.

With the price of gasoline continuing to shoot straight upwards across the United States, I wondered what the "tipping point" would be to convert America into a cycling culture. $5.00/gallon, maybe $6.00? Given that the average gas tank holds 15-18 gallons of gas, it would take $100.00 to fill an 18 gallon tank if the price ever reached $5.55/gallon.


Though Bicycling's editor-in-chief, Bill Strickland, didn't see the value of participating in Bike-To-Work Week this year because he participates everyday, he may have seen far more people at his local coffee shop than in years past because for some families, and in some areas they may have already reached their "tipping point."

If you have already gone the way of the commuter, here are some tips for locking up/keeping your bike.

Go Climb A Tree!

That's exactly what industrial designer, Abhinav Dapke, wants your bike to do, climb a tree.

"This is parking stand design for congested bicycle parking. The control panel includes finger print recognition sensor with some controls for locking/unlocking the bicycle onto the stand. The panel branches out of the trunk at user friendly height."
For locking your bicycle:
1. Place your bicycle in the vertical slots
2. Manually lock the rim
3. Press start
4. Finger print
5. OK/ CANCEL

For releasing the bicycle, follow the reverse path.

Patton, Hanley Make History For Team Type 1

Baltimore City, Md. – Morgan Patton and Monique Hanley didn’t win Saturday’s Kelly Cup Criterium. But the two Team Type 1 racers did make history.

Patton and Hanley finished second and third, respectively, in what is believed to be the first time two female athletes with Type 1 diabetes have finished on the podium of a national-level women’s bicycle race.

Patton has lived with Type 1 the past 13 years while Hanley was diagnosed with Type 1 11 years ago.

“From a diabetes standpoint, this is pretty inspiring,” Team Type 1 Sport Director Ed Beamon said. “They rode a great race, staying up near the front and keeping an eye on things. I’m so proud of them.”

Patton and Hanley charged up the finishing straight in Patterson Park, finishing just a few bike lengths behind the winner, Shontell Gauthier (Colavita-Sutter Home Cycling Team presented by Cooking Light). The Kelly Cup is part of the 10th Annual BikeJam Cycling Festival in Baltimore City, Md.

“Monique and I just jumped onto the back of the Colavita train on the last lap,” Patton said. “There was a really tight chicane in the final 500 meters and we were in perfect position coming into that. Then it was just uphill to the finish.”

Patton said she felt strong in the first part of the flat and fast 20-lap race around a one-mile (1.2 km) course. But then her blood sugar began to drop.

“I knew I had to eat something, so while I was recovering, Monique was really aggressive, attacking off the front,” Patton said. “Unfortunately, nothing was going to get away today. Everyone was chasing everything down.”

Hanley said she felt a lot stronger than during the Bank of America Wilmington Grand Prix last weekend, thanks in part to some unscheduled rest days.

“I don’t think I backed off well enough on my intensity (training) last week,” she said. “This week, I had a bit of travel, so I was almost forced to back off.”

With six laps remaining, Patton and Hanley pulled alongside each other to strategize – aided by over-the-radio communication with Beamon and Assistant Sport Director Vaselli Davidenko.

“Monique said she’d get me to the line and she towed me the next five laps,” Patton said.

Beamon said he preached patience against a talented 78-rider field that included four riders from Colavita, five from Team Advil-Chapstick and five from Team Kenda Tire. Patton and Hanley were Team Type 1’s only entries.

“This is a hard sprint, uphill into the wind about 300 meters,” Beamon said. “It was not a pure sprinters sprint. It was about good position and using your power and basically they rode in perfect position on the last lap.”

Next month, Hanley will be a part of Team Type 1's eight-person corporate team that will defend the Race Across America (RAAM) title it has won the past two years. Team Type 1 was created in 2004 by Type 1 diabetes racers Phil Southerland and Joe Eldridge to inspire people living with diabetes to take a proactive approach to managing their health and overcoming the obstacles often associated with the condition.

Photo: Kurt Jambretz (www.actionimages.cc)

Kobzarenko Scores His First Win For Team Type 1

Somerville, N.J. – It wasn’t enough for Team Type 1’s Valeriy Kobzarenko to simply solo the final 40 miles on his way to winning Saturday’s Frank “Nap” Torpey Memorial Hills of Somerset County Road Race.

After earning his first road race victory in the United States this year, Kobzarenko went out for more.

“I rode 50 kilometers (31 miles) to train after the race,” Kobzarenko said.

Kobzarenko’s victory in the 80-mile (128.7 km) race that benefits the U.S. Bicycling Hall of Fame led a 1-2-4 finish by Team Type 1. Glen Chadwick, the winner of the Tour of Arkansas last week, soloed in for runner-up while teammate Chris Jones won the field sprint behind Jake Hollenbach (CCB/Volkswagon).

Had race officials not led Jones and another rider off course late in the race, Jones might have actually secured third for a first-ever podium “sweep” by Team Type 1.

“They took us onto the freeway and as soon as we got onto it, we knew it was the wrong way,” Jones said. “By the time we got back on course, a group of about 15 others had caught up to us.”

Fitness gained by Team Type 1 in the past two weeks of racing at the Joe Martin Stage Race and Tour of Arkansas was apparent early on in Saturday’s race. Kobzarenko bridged to a breakaway group of four 12 miles into the race.

“And we never saw him again,” Jones said.

While Kobzarenko was working over his breakaway companions – and eventually left them to ride alone for the final half of the race – Chadwick attacked the field and rode through the remnants of the break to solo in for his fourth podium finish of the season.

Behind, Jones did the same, attacking the field to hopscotch his way up to the front.

“We were tired the first couple of days after Tour of Arkansas but now the fitness is starting to come,” Jones said.

Kobzarenko’s victory is Team Type 1’s 10th of the season and his first podium placing since a runner-up finish on Stage 6 of the Tour de Taiwan.

Heaven Is...

An urban environment with endless miles of designated bike lanes...an epic singletrack loop whose dusty and gritty remnants are soothingly washed from your teeth by a cold beer...an outdoor velodrome underneath lights.


Its often been said that in any dispute, the truth lies somewhere in the middle. In the battle between cars and cyclists neither side is truly immune to criticism. Many cyclists are still uneducated about the rules of the road, blatantly disobey those rules, or participate in unsafe practices (such as not wearing a helmet). I have been guilty of all of the above at some point in my life.

At the other end of the spectrum, many drivers are still uneducated about the rules of the road, embody a sense of entitlement about the roads they travel, or are completely unaware of anything other than automobiles on the roadways. I have also been guilty of all of the above at some point in my life.

That said, I am a cyclist. My loyalties reside with that community because in the ultimate argument between cars and cyclists, when steel meets flesh, the outcome often results in the loss of a cyclist's life or in a serious injury.

On Wednesday, May 21st, cyclists across the United States and around the world took to the streets in a Ride of Silence to honor those who have been killed or injured while cycling on public roadways.

By most accounts, these silent processionals, which moved along at a pedestrian pace, were well attended and not only offered homage to fallen cycling compatriots, but it also raised an awareness about the plight of cyclists that, frankly, many Critical Mass rides have lost sight of doing.

Although there are numerous accounts of cycling deaths and injuries that have taken place since we turned the page on 2007, below are a few that have taken place in only the past two months.

- David Krohn, 64, was left with a broken jaw and a gash in his head after a run-in with an angry group in a car on April 18th.

- Tyler Fabeck, 22, was killed in April 20th when, according to police, he turned in front of an oncoming car in Chicago's Logan Square area.

"He was the nicest person you would ever want to meet," said Dettmar, 22, of Lincoln Park. "He was full of life and willing to be the brunt of a joke."

- Amanda "Mandy" Annis, 24, a 5th-grade teacher at a Chicago West Side school, was killed on April 30th when her bicycle and a car collided in the Logan Square area.

According to her brother, "she loved biking. She had a car at one time but sold it when she decided she could bike everywhere."

- Twenty cyclists, including one Olympic hopeful, hurt after conflict with irate driver in Australia.

- William Crowley, MD, 57, was participating in the annual Tour of the Scioto River Valley when he was struck from behind by a sport-utility vehicle along Rt. 23 on May 11th. He was thrown from his bicycle and died at the scene.

Bill was an annual staple at TOSRV, having participated for many years, rain or shine. He was a physician, dedicated to helping people, he was a family man and a long-time Wolverine Sports Club member.

With the 2008 summer winds yet to blow, the toll of cycling deaths and injuries is still certain to rise. Statistics from 2005, where the number of deaths in single states are more than number of deaths reported in the entirety of some European countries, bear this fact out.

The truth, and therefore the answer, to any dispute lies somewhere in the middle. Isn't it about time that this great country of ours seeks that common ground to become the change we've only spoken about.

On Tap...

As the Giro d'Italia makes the turn to head into its final week, the US Cycling National Racing Calendar has three events scheduled this weekend.

On Saturday, May 24th, the Priority Health Tour de Leelanau will take place in Traverse City, MI while the Kelly Cup will be run in Baltimore, MD. A high profile women's field will be in the "thumb" of Michigan as the women's race is classified as a UCI event.

Colavita Olive Oil/Sutter Home presented by Cooking Light looks to send its top tier team of Tina Pic, Dotsie Bausch, Iona Wynter-Parks, Tiffany Cromwell, and Mackenzie Woodring.

Others notables contesting for the victory are Brooke Miller (Team TIBCO) and Laura Van Gilder (Cheerwine).

On the Memorial Day holiday, the Tour of Somerville (Somerville, NJ) takes its turn on the NRC. Known as the "Kentucky Derby of Cycling," the 50-mile Kugler-Anderson Memorial Tour of Somerville on Monday is the culmination of an exciting four-day event of competitive cycling for professionals and amateurs alike. The Tour is the oldest bicycle race in the United States and a legend in the lore of bicycle racing.

For other races in select areas of the country please see below.

05/24/2008
2008 SCNCA Elite and Masters Time Trial Championship
Lake Los Angeles, CA
Tour De Frankenmuth
Frankenmuth, MI
Golden State Criterium
Rancho Cordova, CA
USA Cycling Jr World Track Finals-2008
Carson, CA

05/25/2008
SugarCRM Mt. Hamilton Classic
San Jose, CA
City Bikes RFK Criterium
Washington, DC
Barry Wolfe Grand Prix
Woodland Hills, CA
Tour de Leelanau
Leland, MI

05/26/2008
SugarCRM Memorial Day Criterium
Morgan Hill, CA
PSU Harrisburg Criterium
Middletown, PA
Tour De Gaslight
East Grand Rapids, MI
Patriots Criterium (NC Criterium Championship)
Fayetteville, NC

Click through to Truesport.com for results and photos of some of the races above.


Up The Road
05/31/2008
NJBA SpringTrack Series
Trexlertown, PA
Wisconsin State TT Championship
Kansasville, WI
O'Fallon Grand Prix
O'Fallon, IL
Wheels of Thunder Dash for Cash
Pleasanton, CA
Millport Road Race
Lititz, Lancaster County, PA
The Garrett Wonders Memorial Criterium
Westerville, OH
SoCal Track Cup #4- Sprint and Keirin Tournament
Carson, CA

06/01/2008
Jr Championships/Elite Racing
Ontario, CA
Habitat for Humanity Circuit Race
Norristown, PA
Race for Alex
Columbia, OH
Thunder Road time Trial
Sahuarita, AZ
CSC Invitational
Arlington, VA
Apricot Fiesta Criterium
Patterson, CA
Dana Point Grand Prix
Dana Point, CA
Koehlinger / Kelley 40K TT and TTT Challenge
New Haven, IN
Sussex Criterium
Sussex, WI
Dunlap Memorial Time Trial
Davis, CA

A Look Ahead - 2008 Giro Mountains

Once again our friend, Dan McCormack, who was at our sides as we traversed over the Pyrenees and rode into Paris in 2003, checks in to provide a firsthand perspective of the challenges that the peloton will be faced with as the Giro route turns upward.

Hey Cranks and cycling fans, we’ve got a great 10 days ahead in the ’08 Giro and thought I’d add a little personal perspective. After riding the ’03 TdF with all three Cranksets, I moved on to the Giro in ’06 to satisfy my yearning to ride in the Italian Dolomites (and guess that means I need to do the Vuelta in ’09).

By any standard, it will be a climbers Giro with mountain finishes on Stages 14, 15 and 19; a STEEP mountain ITT on Stage 16 with some gravel at the end (snow permitting); and the classic Passo Gavia in the middle of the Giro’s penultimate Stage 20.

Any of these stages could reveal our ’08 Maglia Rosa winner, but I’ve got my eyes on the Dolomites Stars Stage 15 next Sunday (May 25th). The stage includes six serious climbs, four of which I rode during the ’06 Giro, and finishes on Passo Fedaia (the most brutal climb I’ve ever ridden!!).

We’re use to seeing these daunting profiles and I can attest first hand that this will be an incredible day of suffering! Below is the Stage 15 profile showing the climbs and direction I rode in ’06 (in blue) during three days of riding in the region out of Alleghe.


The first climb is the Passo Pordoi, which is part of the Sella Loop. This is the most enjoyable day of climbing I’ve ever experienced with 4 climbs totaling about 27 km in a 60-70 km loop. Enjoyable (as climbing goes that is) because all are true mountain climbs but they are short enough to survive and then recover while descending to the next one. I was 51 when I rode the loop, and what an incredible feeling to ride 4 climbs in one day (like the pros do so often).


The riders will then move on to Passo San Pellegrino, and lucky for them, they’ll be climbing from the west (which is definitely easier). Due to a severe rain storm, I didn’t get to ride the route they’ll take, but I later rode the climb from the opposite direction and was totally cooked! (this climb is so steep & winding that it was even scary driving down it in our bus going out to Alleghe during the rain storm).

The Giro will then cruise over the San Tamaso Agordino and take a detour away from the finish just to wear out the riders’ legs on Passo Giau and Passo Falzarego (I rode in this area but not over either of these climbs).

This stage has the potential to determine the Giro winner because of the incredible finish up Passo Fedaia. When I looked at the profile before riding it, I didn’t think it would be too bad as it’s only about 13.5 km long and the first 10 km of the route is a straight road (as opposed to switchbacks indicating steepness). Boy was I wrong!!

The road was straight alright, basically going up the valley towards the summit, but the pitch was pretty much 8% to 12% and without any turns to level off and rest, it was psychologically and physically brutal. The reward for surviving that was the last 3 km which was incredibly beautiful (not that I noticed going up), but steep and then steeper!

The first picture below shows the end of the valley road, about 3 km from the finish, as the climb finally has to switchback to handle the steepness … and the next picture is one of the last sections before the summit finish (and no trick camera angle – it is absolutely that steep).



…and on my way partially down to watch the Giro come through, I was able to enjoy some local fans (Pez-style) ~ rideonrider

Photos: Dan McCormack (third through fifth)

Commerce Bank Triple Crown of Cycling - Riders Ready to Roll

PHILADELPHIA - Olympians from then and now, current and former world champions, and a host of Tour de France talent will descend on southeastern Pennsylvania in early June, all there to contest the prestigious Commerce Bank Triple Crown of Cycling.

Besides lifelong bragging rights, this talented cast of two-wheeled stars will vie for their share of a $142,300 prize purse that includes a $10,000 bonus for the top man and $5,000 for the No. 1 woman.

Battling for all that cash will be a deep field that includes four teams slated to start July’s Tour de France, the Danish-based Team CSC formation, Italian stalwart Liquigas, and American powerhouses Team High Road and Slipstream-Chipotle.

Team CSC will likely be led by Argentine sprinting sensation and 2007 Philadelphia International Championship winner, Juan Jose Haedo. Known to friends and teammates as J.J., this rising ProTour star has already stamped his authority on the 2008 season, taking commanding sprint stage wins at the Tours of California and Georgia. The CSC roster will also include Iowan Jason McCartney, former Vuelta a España stage winner, and a 2004 Olympian.

The Liquigas team is led by sprinter-extraordinaire Daniele Bennati, who in 2007 scored 11 wins at the grand tours and classics. This year Bennati has kept right on rolling, grabbing a pair of stage wins at the prestigious Giro d’Italia in May.

Team High Road will likely pin its hopes on the two-headed terror that is 2007 Triple Crown overall series winner Bernard Eisel of Austria and Kiwi Greg Henderson. Eisel won the opening two legs of last year’s Triple Crown series, easily taking the overall series title. Henderson is a veritable Triple Crown legend, having previously won in Lancaster (2005), Reading (2006) and most impressively Philadelphia (2006).

Meanwhile, upstart Slipstream will feature a roster with no top-tier sprinters, but plenty of horsepower, guile and determination. Be especially on the look out for Dutchman Martijn Maaskant. The rising young star was fourth at this year’s Paris-Roubaix, putting the cycling world on notice that he will be a force to be reckoned with.

All this top-tier firepower is not necessarily a harbinger of a one-sided Triple Crown affair. Home-grown teams such at Toyota-United, Health Net-Maxxis and Pennsylvania’s own Rite Aid squad will all do their best to topple the big boys. Unlike America’s three major stage races -- California, Georgia and Missouri -- the one-day, more wide open Triple Crown events present real opportunity for the domestic based teams. In the previous six years, the domestics are 8-for-18 in their heads-up battle with the big budget ProTour outfits.

California-based Toyota-United boasts an especially large threat to the big boys, spear-headed by sprinter extraordinaire Ivan Dominguez. Despite the presence of four ProTour teams, the Cuban Missile, as he’s better known, won the opening stage of this year’s Tour de Georgia. The Toyota-United roster also includes Boulder, Colorado-native Chris Wherry, the last American to win on the mean streets of Philadelphia.

Also be on the watch for cycling’s new bad boys, Rock Racing, which boasts a marquee team roster that includes the likes of ProTour veterans Freddie Rodriguez, Tyler Hamilton, Victor Hugo Peña and recent Redlands Classic winner Santiago Botero. The team captured the first four places at May’s Tour of Colombia prologue, and Rodriguez remains one of America’s fastest finishers. Through the years, he’s won almost every Tripe Crown race at least once.

All told, this year’s men’s field includes 25 international and domestic professional teams that will wage a three-race battle that commences June 3rd with the Lehigh Valley Classic, an 85-mile, 12-lap circuit race that traces a twisting path through Allentown and Salisbury Township. Two days later, the Triple Crown race caravan will relocate to Reading for a 75-mile, 10-lap affair that darts back and forth between the city’s downtown and nearby Mt. Penn.

Finally comes the mother of all North American one-day races, the Philadelphia International Championship. Celebrating its 24th running, this epic 156-mile test of mettle begins and ends on Philadelphia’s famed Benjamin Franklin Parkway. In between, a fast field of the world’s 200 best cyclists will hurtle their way around 10 laps of the 14.4-mile primary circuit that includes the infamous Manayunk Wall, with its always-raucous fans and precipitous grades that exceed 17 percent. Ten long laps are followed by three testing finishing circuits up and over Lemon Hill before the 2008 champion is crowned.

The women’s three-race event begins with criteriums in the Lehigh Valley and Reading, before concluding with the 56.7-mile Liberty Classic, held the same day and on the same course as the men’s finale.

This approximately 120-rider field will also be overflowing with international talent, including Team High Road and its star-studded line-up that includes 2007 Liberty Classic winner Ina-Yoko Teutenberg of Germany, and American star Kim Anderson.

Looking to pull off the upset of powerful Team High Road will be the likes of Webcor Builders, Colavita and Team TIBCO, which scored the top podium step at the inaugural Tour of California criterium earlier in the year when Brooke Miller out-kicked Cheerwine speedster Laura Van Gilder. Other potential hurdles for Team High Road include Kristin Armstrong of Cervelo-Lifeforce, and German Regina Schleicher (Equipe Nurnberger Versicherung) who won the Liberty Classic in 2006.

Also looking to make their mark in the women's field will be a pair from the NorCal Cycling scene, Shelley Olds (PROMAN Racing) who provided the women's peloton a glimpse of her talent at the 2007 Nature Valley Grand Prix, and Liz Hatch (Vanderkitten) who will lead her first-year squad in this targeted race.

Add up all this talent, and the six-race Triple Crown slate is guaranteed to be among this year’s most exciting week of professional cycling.

Mt. Hood Cycling Classic Men's Title and Half of the Women's Top Ten Finishers Clinch Victories on Ritchey Product

With the ubiquity of Tom Ritchey's products on winning riders throughtout the professional peloton, both in the United States and abroad, the ongoing debate over the proverbial question of what begat what may just have tilted to one side.

On the International level, Ritchey partners with teams Saunier Duval, Lampre and Symmetrics. In the US Professional circuit, Ritchey partners with Health Net Presented by Maxxis and Jelly Belly. In the women's professional field, Ritchey partners with teams TIBCO, ValueAct Capital, PROMAN Paradigm (inset; with a sweet looking white stem that the team will be riding with later this year) Advil-ChapStick and Cheerwine. On the Grassroots level, Ritchey supports over 160 teams across the United States and Canada.

San Carlos, Calif. - During the recent Mt. Hood Cycling Classic (May 13-18), Ritchey WCS handlebars, WCS 4-Axis stems, WCS carbon 1 bolt and alloy 2 bolt seat posts, could be seen on all the top contender's bikes. Health Net Pro Cycling Team Presented by Maxxis rider Rory Sutherland clinched the men's title, while in the women's race, Team ValueAct Capital's Leah Goldstein took 3rd overall, and both Team TIBCO and Team Cheerwine each came away with two top ten finishes.

The lightweight and durability of Ritchey's WCS level components as well as the broad spectrum of cockpit fitting options have been fundamental in serving Health Net Presented by Maxxis with countless titles and podium wins. Health Net Presented by Maxxis has now earned three consecutive Mt. Hood titles - all decked out with Ritchey components.

During a route that required more than 35,000 feet of climbing, ValueAct Capital, Team TIBCO and Cheerwine used WCS Logic II handlebars for the custom reach and drop proportional to bar width. The Logic II bar allows for the optimal rider position on the bike with the greatest ergonomic comfort. Female riders with smaller hands have increased handling capabilities and performance with Logic II, as the bar provides solid power in the drops and ideal accessibility to brakes and shifters.

Health Net Presented by Maxxis will race next at the June 1st CSC Invitation in Arlington, Va., and the next major race on the women's circuit is the Kelly Cup, May 24th in Baltimore, Md.

To see complete team schedules please visit Health Net Presented by Maxxis (www.teamhealthnet.com), Team Value Act Capital (www.teamvalueactcapital.com), Team TIBCO (www.teamtibco.com) and Team Cheerwine
(www.cheerwinecycling.com).

On the International level, Ritchey partners with teams Saunier Duval, Lampre and Symmetrics. In the US Professional circuit, Ritchey partners with Health Net Presented by Maxxis and Jelly Belly. In the women's professional field, Ritchey partners with teams TIBCO, ValueAct Capital, PROMAN Paradigm, Advil-ChapStick and Cheerwine. On the Grassroots level, Ritchey supports over 160 teams across the United States and Canada.

Photo: Courtesy PROMAN Racing newsletter

Sevilla Delivers Rock Racing Another Win

Manizales, Colombia — Oscar Sevilla had the fastest finish among a shattered peloton that was reduced to 12 riders Tuesday to win the ninth stage of the Vuelta a Colombia and secure Rock Racing’s third victory of the 15-day, 14-stage race.

Due to landslides in the area, more than 30 miles had to be trimmed off the original race route, reducing the race to 86 miles (138.9 km).

Rock Racing Team Director Mariano Friedrick said Sevilla was motivated to get in an early move. But Freidrick preached patience.

“I told Oscar they were not going to let him go since these guys know they can lose five-and-a-half minutes in a single stage," Friedrick said. "So he decided to play it safe and wait until the last climb.”

The Spainard becomes the third different rider from Rock Racing to win a stage in this year’s Vuelta a Colombia, joining Santiago Botero (prologue time trial) and Victor Hugo Peña (Stage 7).

The victory is Rock Racing’s 14th of the season and it came on the 37th birthday of Haldane Morris, Rock Racing’s general manager.

Friedrick also noted the aggressiveness of Rock Racing’s Tyler Hamilton, who was off the front in a breakaway nearly the entire stage – a feat that earned him the white “excellence” jersey.

“As I said before, Victor (Hugo Peña), Tyler and Sergio (Hernandez) are the ones to get in breakaways and go for stage wins,” Friedrick said. “So for Tyler it was an excellent day. He was the aggressor and the one who created the breakaway. He's been persistent enough and, who knows, he might get one.”

Sevilla continues his reign as the current wearer of the points jersey, signifying him as the race’s most consistent finisher. In addition to a number of top 10 finishes, he placed third in the prologue behind Botero and Peña and was a close second on Stage 2 to Jhon Freddy García (UNE). His result Tuesday also climbed him two places to 11th overall, 5:44 behind red jersey wearer Giovanny Baez (UNE).

Wednesday’s stage is 77.6 miles (125 km) and features one climb between the start city of Manizales and the downhill run into Mariquita. Only two more climbing stages and a flat road stage remain before the tour concludes with a flat circuit race Sunday.

Photos: Courtesy Hector L. Urrego (www.revistamundociclsitico.com)

Bikes for Kids Utah Recieves $40,000 Donation from the Sorenson Legacy Foundation

Donation will help provide new bicycles for 1,000 underprivileged Utah children during May 31 Bikes for Kids Utah Event-making it possible for the schoolchildren to experience one of the joys of childhood: riding their very own bike

SALT LAKE CITY - Bikes for Kids Utah, today announced that the Sorenson Legacy Foundation has donated $40,000 to help provide new bicycles for 1,000 underprivileged third graders during Bikes for Kids Utah's annual bicycle giveaway.

"Bicycles give children the chance to exercise, learn about safety, develop great skills and just have fun," said Joe Sorenson, trustee of the Sorenson Legacy Foundation. "We are delighted with this unique opportunity to enrich the lives of kids in our community."

On Saturday, May 31, Bikes for Kids Utah will give new bicycles and helmets to 1,000 pre-qualified third graders from the Boys & Girls Clubs in Salt Lake, South Valley and Weber Counties. Also receiving bikes will be third graders from Bennion, Franklin, Heartland, Lincoln, Majestic, Moss, Plymouth, Riley, Sandy, McMillan, Liberty, Grant, Guadalupe and Washington elementary schools.

"We are very grateful to the Sorenson Legacy Foundation for its generous contribution, which will help bring smiles to a thousand Utah children," said Debbie Reid, founder and director of Bikes for Kids Utah. "Summer is just around the corner, and with a brand-new bike, these children will have a new reason to spend time outdoors engaged in healthy physical activity."

Each year, Bikes for Kids Utah relies on contributions from individuals, organizations and businesses to purchase bikes and necessary safety equipment for children. The organization holds fundraising events throughout the year, including fundraising bicycle rides on the day of the bike giveaway. Every contribution goes a long way: a donation of $50 can buy a bicycle, helmet, lock and Bikes for Kids Utah shirt for one child, while a $5 donation can buy one bike helmet for a child.

To donate or volunteer with Bikes for Kids Utah, or for more information about the May 31 bicycle giveaway and associated fundraising bicycle events, visit www.bikesforkidsutah.org or call (801) 523-3730.

Chadwick Delivers Tour of Arkansas Title For Team Type 1

Van Buren, Ark. — Glen Chadwick will go into the history books as Team Type 1's first overall winner of a professional stage race.

The New Zealander wrapped up the Tour of Arkansas on Sunday by finishing eighth in the 75-minute Celebrity Classic Criterium in Historic Downtown Van Buren. Chadwick enjoyed a 25-second margin of victory in the final standings ahead of runner-up Predrag Prokic (Toshiba-Santo Professional Cycling Team presented by Herbalife) and third-place finisher Michael Lange (Jelly Belly Pro Cycling).

Team Type 1 also placed two riders in the top 10 with Moises Aldape (fifth) and Chris Jones (ninth) while Valeriy Kobzarenko was 31st, Fabio Calabria was 35th and Ian MacGregor was 48th. Timothy Hargrave, who made his stage race debut for Team Type 1, also finished the race but his final position was not immediately made available.

Chadwick – who had not won a stage race since the Tour of Korea in 2003 – dedicated the victory to his wife, Isabelle, and their two-year-old daughter, Jade.

"It has been a strange season with a pretty bad six months off because my family and I were very sick," Chadwick told Cyclingnews’ Kirsten Robbins. "To actually pull off a result like this is amazing for myself.”

A bout with Epstein-Barr Virus sidelined Chadwick in February following the Tour of Langkawi in Malaysia. The life-threatening spinal virus even infected his daughter, forcing her to be hospitalized as well.

“It was very tough for us to see our daughter hooked up to an I.V. all the time and her veins collapsing,” he said. “It’s hard to explain to a two-year-old why the doctors were always sticking her with needles."

Chadwick, 31, won his first stage race in the United States by soloing to victory in the first two stages of the 350-mile race that featured a pair of mountain top finishes and more than 23,000 feet of climbing. Team Type 1 Sport Director Ed Beamon said teamwork solidified the victory from there.

“The guys were awesome,” Beamon said. “It was pretty much textbook on the last two stages. Today, the guys took the lead on the first lap and held it to the finish, pretty much destroying the field in the process.”

Brad Huff (Jelly Belly) won Sunday’s six-corner criterium ahead of Karl Menzies (Health Net presented by Maxxis) and Mark Walters (Team R.A.C.E. Pro), while Aldape took the small field sprint for fifth.

Chadwick’s accomplishment follows a 20th place finish at the Tour de Georgia presented by AT&T and improves his chances of becoming one of New Zealand’s three representatives for the Olympic road race in Beijing in August.

Team Type 1 was created to inspire people living with diabetes to take a proactive approach to managing their health and overcoming obstacles often associated with the condition. This is the first year Team Type 1 has fielded a professional squad, after winning the corporate team division of the Race Across America the past two years. Calabria and Hargrave are two of four athletes on the pro team who have Type 1 diabetes.

Photo: Courtesy Team Type 1

Peña Delivers Rock Racing Another Victory

La Union, Colombia — Victor Hugo Peña scored Rock Racing’s second victory at the Vuelta a Colombia by attacking out of a 12-man breakaway three miles from the finish of a cold and rain-soaked Stage 7 on Saturday.

Peña, a former yellow jersey wearer at the Tour de France, freewheeled across the line 18 seconds ahead of Edwin Orozco (Orgullo Paisa) to win the 101.6-mile (163.6 km) race. Wilson Marentes (Colombia es Pasión-Coldeportes-Alpina) was third, 32 seconds behind.

Peña’s win comes 10 years after he last won a stage in his national tour.

“I’m very happy for this win because it has been several years and I haven’t had a win,” Pena told Luis Barbosa of Ciclismohoy.com. “I was amazed that I could take such a hard stage of the race in such difficult conditions. I dedicate this victory to my wife, Erika, and my sons, Mateo, Sofia and Paolo.”

The victory is the 13th by Rock Racing this season and Peña’s first win in four years in his 12th season as a professional.

Rock Racing Team Director Mariano Friedrick said the pre-race strategy was to get either Peña or teammate Tyler Hamilton in a breakaway. Peña bridged a 45-second gap to join the decisive group.

“With such powerful climbers in the break, we came up with the idea of attacking in the flats to get them into oxygen debt before the last climb,” Friedrick said. “We also agreed that Victor needed to keep his own rhythm rather than following attacks because it was going to kill his legs.”

Peña survived a flurry of action at the base of the final climb, then threw down his own attack to shed everyone but Orozco and Marentes.

“He kept a time trial effort up the climb and then hit it again and dropped the rest. It was fantastic,” Friedrick said.

Sunday’s stage is a 19.2-mile (31 km) uphill time trial from Cri Medellin to Santa Elena. Rock Racing’s Oscar Sevilla lies 13th overall, 3:57 off the overall lead of Wilson Cepeda (UNE).

Photo: Courtesy revistamundociclistico.com

Team Type 1’s Chadwick Makes It 2-For-2 At Tour of Arkansas

Mount Nebo State Park, Ark. — Glen Chadwick of Team Type 1 won his second consecutive stage of the inaugural Tour of Arkansas Friday to retain his overall lead.

Chadwick conquered the mountain top finish at Mount Nebo State Park by out-sprinting Predrag Prokic (Toshiba-Santo Professional Cycling Team presented by Herbalife) to finish the 98-mile (157.7 km) race in three hours, 59 minutes and 47 seconds.

Chadwick and Prokic left Team Type 1 teammate Moises Aldape and Michael Lange (Jelly Belly Pro Cycling) on the decisive climb, with the New Zealander winning the race by five seconds. Lange was third and Aldape fourth.

“Our guys put in a really good effort today and I didn’t want to let them down,” Chadwick said.

Chadwick’s back-to-back stage wins – a feat he also achieved in the Canadian Tour de Beauce stage race last year – puts him 25 seconds ahead of Prokic with two stages remaining. Team Type 1 also has two others in the top 10 overall: Aldape is fourth, 58 seconds behind, and Chris Jones is eighth, 1:28 behind.

“For sure I’m thinking about winning the race overall now,” Chadwick said. “We still have Moises and Chris a handful of seconds behind so they can always tag a good move and the lead could change. But I’m pretty keen to go all the way to the finish.”

Saturday’s 97-mile (156 km) race starts and finishes atop Arkansas’ tallest peak, Mount Magazine (2,753 feet) and features 6,600 feet of climbing. The 10-mile ascent of Mount Magazine features a continuous grade of six to eight percent.

Team Type 1 Sport Director Ed Beamon said the squad will be a little more protective of Chadwick’s lead than it was during Friday’s stage.

“There’s only a handful of guys we have to be worried about, but at some point, we’ll have to take responsibility for the stage,” Beamon said. “Hopefully, we can get another good effort out of Timothy (Hargrave) and Fabio (Calabria) again and take control of the race.”

Hargrave and Calabria, Team Type 1’s competitors with Type 1 diabetes in the race, played integral roles in both of Chadwick’s victories. On Friday, the pair combined with teammates Valeriy Kobzarenko and Ian MacGregor to successfully chase down Aaron Tuckerman (Jelly Belly), who gained a nearly three-minute advantage after attacking on the descent of the second climb.

Sunday’s final stage is the Celebrity Classic Criterium in historic Downtown Van Buren, Ark. The event begins at 8:30 a.m.

Photo: Courtesy Team Type 1 (Team Type 1's Glen Chadwick celebrates his victory atop Mount Nebo with runner-up Predrag Prokic (left) and Michael Lange (right)).

On Tap...

Columbus, OH was not exactly the bastion of cycling when I was growing up. I was the lone cyclophile in my neighbor; the strange kid on the ten speed with my Le Coq Sportif cycling shoes that were a size too big because the relative who bought them overseas miscalculated the conversion. But, I digress.

As the popularity of cycling grew throughout the United States in the '90s and the early 2000s, Central Ohio basically mirrored it. Today, the area has a diverse mixture of commuters, triathletes, roadies, off-road types [mountain and bmx], and an urban messenger/fixie crowd.

To celebrate the Central Ohio cycling community, a local bicycle advocacy group, Consider Biking, has gathered together artists throughout the area for an art show, Bike Art.

If you are in the area, the show takes place from 1-7pm this Saturday, May 17th at the Junctionview Studios.

Click HERE to see a list of the artists and to preview some of their works.


I Want To Ride My Bicycle...
For those in the racing [watching] mode, please check out some of these local races in specific regions of the country.

05/16/2008
Kern County Womens Stage Race
Bakersfield, CA

05/17/2008
Nebraska State Time Trial Championships
Norfolk, NE
2008 Tour of Kensington Valley Road Race
Milford, MI
Le Tour de West Lafayette
West Lafayette, IN
Union Grove Road Race
East Earl, PA
Denzer Delight
Denzer, WI
Modesto Criterium
Modesto, CA
Xzude Bear Lake Classic and Team TT
Garden City, UT
SoCal Track Cup Event #3
San Diego, CA

05/18/2008
Mid Season Criterium #3 -10th Annual
Ontario, CA
Panoche Valley Road Race
Hollister, CA
Go Fast, Turn Left
Richmond, VA
Go Fast, Turn Left-Kids Race
Richmond, VA
Wheels on Willy Criterium
Madison, WI
Redding Velo Time Trial Training Series Clinic
Palo Cedro, CA
Modesto Road Race
Modesto, CA

As usual, click through to Truesport.com for results and photos of some of the races above.



Up The Road
05/24/2008
2008 SCNCA Elite and Masters Time Trial Championship
Lake Los Angeles, CA
Tour De Frankenmuth
Frankenmuth, MI
Golden State Criterium
Rancho Cordova, CA
USA Cycling Jr World Track Finals-2008
Carson, CA

05/25/2008
SugarCRM Mt. Hamilton Classic
San Jose, CA
City Bikes RFK Criterium
Washington, DC
Barry Wolfe Grand Prix
Woodland Hills, CA
Tour de Leelanau
Leland, MI

05/26/2008
SugarCRM Memorial Day Criterium
Morgan Hill, CA
PSU Harrisburg Criterium
Middletown, PA
Tour De Gaslight
East Grand Rapids, MI
Patriots Criterium (NC Criterium Championship)
Fayetteville, NC

L'Aude de Feminin - Prologue

Katie Mactier (Value Act Capital), riding for Australian National Team, won today’s 3.9km Prologue at the 24th Tour de l’Aude. The 33-year old former World Champion in the 3k Pursuit (2005) found the flat profile of the course ideal for her talents.

Mactier, who is making her first appearance on the roads of the Tour de l‘Aude, covered the distance in 5:02:78.

On a day where swirling winds at the seaside resort Gruissan [on the Mediterranean coast near Narbonne] made it extremely difficult for the 106 participants, Mactier victory was as much a product of her time trialing skills as it was the decision by Australia’s director sportif to slot his best rider in early before the winds became extremely precarious.

Ellen Van Dijk came in second, while defending champion, Susanne Ljungskog, rounded out the podium. American Alison Powers finished just off the podium in 4th.

Top Ten
1 MACTIER Katie
2 VAN DIJK Ellen
3 LJUNGSKOG Susanne
4 POWERS Alison
5 MELCHERG Mirjam
6 TEUTENBERG Ina
7 NEBEN Amber
8 RHODES Alexis
9 THORBURN Christine
10 ZILIUTE Diana

Other Notables
11 ARNDT Judith
14 COOKE Nicole

Other US Riders
15 CARROLL Katherine
24 MUCH Rebecca
28 MILLER Brooke
29 RAIS Amber
35 RUITTER Chrissy
40 WICHMANN Anke
100 DOMBROSKI Amy

Rock Racing’s Sevilla Dons Green Jersey

La Dorada, Colombia — Rock Racing’s Oscar Sevilla was awarded for his consistency Thursday at the Vuelta a Colombia.

The Spaniard pulled on the green jersey of points classification leader after finishing third in the 83.8-mile (135 km) race from San Francisco to La Dorada. The podium finish – his fourth Top 10 finish of the event – put him three points ahead of John Fredy Garcia (UNE).

Sevilla’s hopes for overall victory suffered a slight setback on Stage 4 Wednesday when he finished in the pack, five-and-a-half minutes behind two breakaway groups that escaped during the 119.3-mile (192 km) race from Tunja to La Vega.

“My strategy is to take this race one day at a time,” Sevilla said. “This race is like a lottery – anyone can still win it. Unfortunately, we are competing against some really strong teams who are surely going to make it hard for us.”

Sevilla said Colombian teammate Victor Hugo Peña has been a faithful lieutenant, along with Tyler Hamilton and Sergio Hernandez, the only other Rock Racing riders remaining in the race.

Friday’s Stage 6 is a short 71.4-mile (115 km) race that features a mountain-top finish at Santuario. The stage is expected to go a long ways toward deciding the final contenders for the overall crown of the 14-stage, 15-day race.

L'Aude de Feminin

The 24th edition of the Tour de l'Aude Feminin begins today. The race began because of the passion and audacity of one man, Jean Thomas.

Today, his legacy is carried on by his daughter Anne-Marie, who with the assistance of a team of more than 50 enthusiastic people and volunteers, and with the support of the General Council, [successive presidents, Robert Capdeville, Raymond Courrière, and since 1998, Marcel Rainaud] make this one of the signature races on the women's international calendar.

As Ben Atkins of Cyclingnews previewed,

"the race - one of the three toughest of the season with the Giro d'Italia and the Thüringen-Rundfahrt - will, as usual, consist of stages over a variety of terrains almost entirely inside the Aude department that gives the race its name.

The stages can be divided into three distinct phases: the first in the mostly flat coastal region close to Narbonne, the second more mountainous section to the south close to Andorra, and the third in the rolling country around the medieval city of Carcassonne."

According to American and two-time winner of the event, Amber Neben (Flexpoint) the Tour de l'Aude is "THE hardest race for women." Strangely, after Flexpoint won the race the past three years (Neben in 2005 and 2006, and Sweden's Susanne Ljungskog in 2007) the team was not invited to participate in the 2008 edition.

Nonetheless, both Ljungskog and Neben will be at the start line today. Ljungskog with her new team Menikini-Selle Italia, which also boast Aussie Rochelle Gilmore, and Neben who found an opening with the USA National Team.

The USA National Team also features Kat Carroll, Alison Powers, Christina Ruitter, Brooke Miller, and our friend Amber Rais, who is ready [and excited] about the "sufferfest."

Three other Americans, Amy Dombroski, Rebecca Much, and Christine Thorburn, all of Webcor Builder's, will also be taking part. Unfortunately, teammate and winner of the season's first World Cup race, Katheryn Curi Mattis, was slated to participate but is currently sidelined with an injury.

Start List

Schedule
Friday, May 16 - Prologue / Individual Time Trial: 3900 m
GRUISSAN - GRUISSAN

Saturday, May 17 - 1st stage: 107 km
RIEUX Minervois - RIEUX Minervois

Sunday, May 18 - 2nd stage: / Against Trial Team: 27 km
NEW PORT - The NEW PORT

Monday, May 19 - 3rd stage: 111 km
LEZIGNAN Corbières - LEZIGNAN Corbières

Tuesday, May 20 - 4th stage: 101 km
OSSEJA - OSSEJA

Wednesday, May 21 - 5th stage: 112 km
TOULOUGES - TOULOUGES

Thursday, May 22 - 6th stage: 117 km
RENNES the BAINS - AXAT

Friday, May 23 - 7th stage: 108 km
CASTELNAUDARY - CASTELNAUDARY

Saturday, May 24 - 8th stage: 116km
BRAM - BRAM

Sunday, May 25 - 9th stage: 71 km
LIMOUX - LIMOUX

Team Type 1's Chadwick Wins Tour of Arkansas Opener

Russellville, Ark. — Team Type 1’s Glen Chadwick soloed to victory on the opening stage of the inaugural Tour of Arkansas Thursday while his teammate, Moises Aldape, finished third.

Chadwick won the “Epic Road Race,” a 110-mile (177 km) race that featured 10,592 feet of climbing. In doing so, he scored his first victory of the season and the seventh win of the year for Team Type 1.

“Chaddy really wanted this one,” Team Type 1 Sport Director Ed Beamon said of the sixth-year pro from New Zealand. “We rode the climb for him so he was really the only guy who wasn’t on the front today.”

Chadwick capped an extraordinary display of teamwork by Team Type 1 by attacking just as a three-rider breakaway that included teammate Valeriy Kobzarenko was being caught in the final mile. At that point, fewer than 30 riders remained in the pack, including six from Team Type 1.

“With a kilometer to go, everyone was focused on the three guys in the lead who were only about four or five seconds ahead of us,” Chadwick said. “The field was riding on the right, so I punched it as hard as I could on the left.”

Chadwick’s successful attack led to a one-armed salute as he crossed the finish line five seconds ahead of Karl Menzies (Health Net presented by Maxxis). Aldape finished another five seconds later for his first top three placing of the year and Team Type 1's 23rd podium finish of 2008.

Team Type 1, which was created to inspire people living with diabetes to take a proactive approach to managing their health and overcoming the obstacles often associated with the condition, now has six riders in the top 25: Fabio Calabria is eighth, Ian MacGregor is 14th, Chris Jones is 16th and Kobzarenko is 23rd.

Calabria and Timothy Hargrave, two of four professional on the squad who have Type 1 diabetes, each played pivotal roles. Hargrave set a blistering pace as the race reached the first decisive climb, while Calabria launched the first attack to spring a breakaway that further decimated the field.

“It was a great ride for our two Type 1 riders,” Beamon said.

With three stages to go – including Friday’s 98-mile (157.7 km) Mount Nebo Road Race, Chadwick is leading a stage race for the first time since 2003, when he won the Tour of Beijing.

“I’ve always been racing for the GC (general classification) but never really been the guy in the first spot,” he said. “Hopefully we can pull another maneuver like we did at the Tour de Georgia (when Team Type 1 put four riders in the top 20 on the stage at Brasstown Bald) and have plenty of options. I’m always happy to hand the lead over to a teammate.”

Photo: Courtesy Team Type 1