Cav to be a dad!

World Road Champion Mark Cavendish announced via Twitter on Saturday morning (22/10/11) that partner Peta Todd is pregnant.

Peta, who has become a spokesperson for cycling in her own right and has completed charity rides for Help for Heroes, has a son born in 2006 named Finnbar. Her second child will be Mark's first.

"I'm happy to announce, beyond doubt, my proudest moment of this year.... @petatodd is pregnant. I'm going to be a daddy." (@MarkCavendish) 

"Can now confirm that whether or not the world is ready for it... there is a baby @MarkCavendish on the way. A very happy family this end." (@petatodd)

Peta told The Sun newspaper that she's "four months gone, which means it was conceived in July, during the Tour de France. It's a Tour baby." We'll therefore be eagerly anticipating the baby's appearance on the start line of either the Tour de France or the Giro Donne in about 22 years' time.


Congratulations to Peta, Mark and family!

Geox pull out of cycling

Uncertain future for Vuelta champ Cobo's Geox-TMC team and Diadora-Pasta Zara women

Geox-TMC may be unable to continue racing in the new season, according to blogger Inrng who reports that sponsors Geox refused to put up the required finances for team managers to deposit the bank guarantee - one of the most important of the various requirements imposed by the UCI. The funds are then held in escrow by the bank as a form of insurance ensuring riders can be paid/costs met in the case of an unforeseen event such as a sponsor pulling out mid-season.

The team is home to, among others, this year's Vuelta a Espana winner Juan Jose Cobo; Denis Menchov, winner of the same race in 2005 and 2007, and 2008 Tour de France winner Carlos Sastre.

Team officials have stated that, if the Montebelluna-based shoe and outdoor clothing manufacturer does not provide funds as contracted, they will go to the Court of Arbitration in Sport in order to seek payment.

Geox has since confirmed that it will end its "sponsorship agreement with the professional cycling team led by Mauro Gianetti at the end of the current season," leaving the team in dire straits. Riders who had signed with the team for 2012 will also now face problems if a new sponsor willing to take up where Geox left off cannot be found as the end of the transfer period - in which professional riders need to either renew contracts or take up new ones with other teams - is now over.

Geox was also a technical sponsor for the Diadora-Pasta Zara women's team, home to such illustrious names as Shelley Olds,  Claudia Hausler and, returning for 2012, Giorgia Bronzini. Geox own Diadora, having purchased the company along with 70 million euros debt in June 2009. This led to worries that the team might also lose a large part of its sponsorship and be forced to search for a new partner or face closure - however, they are continuing to sign new riders including Rossella Callovi, Alessandra D’Ettorre and Giada Borgato, suggesting that all is well.

Danny Horton RIP

Falcon in 1970, the year that Danny Horton (in orange)
joined the team.

Few people today will be aware of Danny Horton, who has died at the age of just 66. However, during the late 1960s and throughout the 1970s he enjoyed a nine-year period in which he achieved notable cycling success, racking up a very respectable palmares that included good results in several British races and became National Road Race Champion; ensuring his status as a household name among cyclists and cycling fans of the day.

Danny was born in Yeadon, West Yorkshire, in 1946 and began to make his presence felt in the sport in 1968 when he won the Tour of the East Midlands. He went on to take third place in Stage 12 of the Milk Race the following year and was offered a place on the Falcon team by manager Ernie Clements in 1970, remaining with the team through 1971 when he won his National title and scored podium places in several other events. More success came over the following years, including a stage win in 1978's Cherry Blossom Tour in the USA.

He didn't ride as much in later life as he had in his youth and instead took up golf, moving to Spain to enjoy the excellent courses and weather found there, but those who knew him in the last years of his life say that he had redeveloped an enthusiasm for the sport and had been riding more often than he had done for some years.

2012 Tour de France revealed!

The route of the 2012 Tour de France has been unveiled at a lavish presentation ceremony, a joking Christian Prudhomme confirming that the leaked details last week were in fact correct and genuine. Course details reveal that although there will be less of a focus on the high altitude brutality of the last few years, a larger number of short, steep climbs have been introduced and 25 mountain tops is actually more than in 2011.

Nine flat stages are very much to Mark Cavendish's liking, as he told the BBC after the route was announced. However, it appears to be a parcours very much suited to Alberto Contador who says that if he is able to compete in the race following his upcoming doping trial, he'll miss the Giro to concentrate on the Tour. Andy Schleck must also be feeling cheerful now that it's apparent the sprinters and time trialists won't be having everything all their own way. Bradley Wiggins may like the look of things, too.

No major changes to the rules after 2011's radical overhaul of the climbing and intermediate sprint systems, though available points will be shared among more riders at the Hors Categorie mountains; apparently an attempt  to prevent the race being won on the climbs, making the final General Classification more evenly matched between grimpeurs and others. The jerseys also change little with the yellow, white and green closely resembling last year's garments while the King of the Mountains polka dots have been altered slightly to provide a more modern look.

La Planche des Belles Filles in the Vosges is making its
first appearance in the Tour, but its no stranger to cycling
having been used in the Les Trois Ballons sportive many
times. Parts of the climb have a gradient of 14%.
(© Anthospace CC BY-SA 3.0)

In total, the race will feature:

9 flat stages
9 new stage towns
1 prologue and 20 stages
4 medium mountain stages - one with a summit finish
5 mountain stages - two with a summit finish
2 individual time-trial stages
2 rest days
3479km

Mountains:

1 in the Vosges
3 in the Jura
4 in the Swiss Jura
6 in the Alps
11 in the Pyrenees

Stages:

P Prologue Saturday 30 June Liège > Liège 6.1 km

1 Plain Sunday 1 July Liège > Seraing 198 km

2 Plain Monday 2 July Visé > Tournai 207 km

3 Medium mountains Tuesday 3 July Orchies > Boulogne-sur-Mer 197 km

4 Plain Wednesday 4 July Abbeville > Rouen 214 km

5 Plain Thursday 5 July Rouen > Saint-Quentin 197 km

6 Plain Friday 6 July Épernay > Metz 210 km

7 Medium mountains Saturday 7 July Tomblaine > La Planche des Belles Filles 199 km

8 Medium mountains Sunday 8 July Belfort > Porrentruy 154 km

9 Individual time-trial Monday 9 July Arc-et-Senans > Besançon 38 km

10 High Mountains Wednesday 11 July Mâcon > Bellegarde-sur-Valserine 194 km

11 High Mountains Thursday 12 July Albertville > La Toussuire - Les Sybelles 140 km

12 Medium mountains Friday 13 July Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne > Annonay Davézieux 220 km

13 Plain Saturday 14 July Saint-Paul-Trois-Châteaux > Le Cap d’Agde 215 km

14 High Mountains Sunday 15 July Limoux > Foix 192 km

15 Plain Monday 16 July Samatan > Pau 160 km

16 High Mountains Wednesday 18 July Pau > Bagnères-de-Luchon 197 km

17 High Mountains Thursday 19 July Bagnères-de-Luchon > Peyragudes 144 km

18 Plain Friday 20 July Blagnac > Brive-la-Gaillarde 215 km

19 Individual time-trial Saturday 21 July Bonneval > Chartres 52 km

20 Plain Sunday 22 July Rambouillet > Paris Champs-Élysées 130 km

Team GB Track cyclists announced

Team GB has announced the fifteen riders who will represent the nation at the European Track Cycling Championships which begin this coming Friday, with no surprises among the names.

The Women's Sprint may be one of the last in which Victoria Pendleton competes as a professional, having stopped just short on a number of occasions from stating that she will retire after the London Olympic Games. Chris Hoy will be looking to get his international reputation back up to the same standard as that among British cycling fans following an embarrassing race during last year's Championships when he was soundly beaten by Irishman Felix English, an amateur rider - a selection of good results earned since, including three golds at the Nationals this summer, suggests he's been working to prevent it happening again. Other riders, keen to demonstrate excellent form now we're well into the final year before the Olympics, will also be striving to perform at high level at the event to be held in Apeldoorn, Netherlands.

Women’s Sprint: Victoria Pendleton, Jess Varnish.
Women’s Endurance: Laura Trott, Joanna Rowsell, Dani King, Sarah Storey.
Men’s Sprint: Sir Chris Hoy, Jason Queally, Matt Crampton, Jason Kenny.
Men’s Endurance: Geraint Thomas, Peter Kennaugh, Steven Burke, Ed Clancy, Andy Tennant.

Victoria Pendleton and Chris Hoy will pull out all the stops in an attempt to repeat their 2008 success - in Pendleton's case so as to end her career at a highpoint and in Hoy's to leave the world in no doubt that his is not yet over.
(both images © johnthescone CC-BY-2.0)

Cadel donates Maillot Jaune to cyclist's chapel

The high mountain passes of Italy are dotted with numerous chapels dedicated to Catholic saints. Some are small, rustic and almost forgotten; others are grand affairs visited and financially supported by many.

Moser's 1984 record-beating bike (public domain image)

None are as famous among cyclists as that 754m up on the Colle del Ghisallo where legend has it a travelling count was attacked by bandits in medieval times. Whilst fleeing, he passed a tiny shrine where he saw an apparition of the Virgin Mary and being a good Catholic, he ran to it knowing that he would find protection. Sure enough, the bandits couldn't find him and he was saved - to show his gratitude, he vowed to build a church on the spot (45°55'25.01"N 9°16'2.78"E).

In time, Madonna del Ghisallo became the patron saint of all travellers passing through the area. Later, she became the patron of a specific type of traveller, cyclists, when the pass became a regular feature of the Giro d'Italia and especially the Giro di Lombardia; and she was officially declared such by papal decree in 1948 when a votive flame was carried all the way from Rome, for the final stretch by Italian heroes Coppi and Bertali.

Cadel in yellow, 2011
(© HTO3 CC BY-ND 2.0)

Famous cyclists - at first Italians, but soon others too - began to donate mementos of their successes to the little church. Among a collection that grew so large that much of it is now housed in a purpose-built museum next door are Grand Tour-winning bikes owned by Coppi, Bartali and Eddy Merckx and the bike upon which Francisco Moser smashed the Hour Record (distance ridden in one hour) in 1984, its curving silver lines and strange lenticular wheels still looking futuristic nearly three decades later. The most poignant is the smashed, twisted remains of the bike upon which local lad Fabio Casartelli met a premature and terrible end on the Col de Portet-Aspet during Stage 15 of the 1995 Tour de France.

While this year's Tour winner Cadel Evans is neither a religious man nor prey to the sometimes peculiar superstitions that many riders insist they must observe in order to avoid injury, death or - worst of all - bad form; he, like all cyclists, is keen to observe the traditions and customs of the sport, honouring the memory of those who came before him and those who have fallen. So, in the area as part of il Lombardia on Saturday the 15th of October, he took the opportunity to make a pilgrimage and added one of the yellow jerseys he won in this year's Tour to his rainbow jersey from 2009. During a service conducted by local priest Father Farina, the jersey was blessed and then left before a holy mural of the saint, ready to be placed within a protective frame and added to the vast collection of cycling relics within the building.

Giro d'Italia 2012 Stages revealed

Following widespread complaints that last year's race was excessively difficult - and, of course, the terrible and tragic death of Wouter Weylandt, to whom Stage 3 will be dedicated - the 2012 course reveals a considerably more human route; not necessarily easier, but one that will encourage skillful cycling and competition rather than a gritty battle for survival among the hardcore mountain specialists.

Early reports based on leaked maps suggested that this was a parcours ideally suited to new World Champion Mark Cavendish who will be riding with Team Sky for the first time next season. That may be partially true - there are a number of stages upon which barring accident or illness, it's very difficult to imagine anyone other than Cav managing to get themselves across the line first. However, it's categorically not a flat race with many of the Giro' - and cycling's - most hallowed mountains putting in an appearance. Stages 17 and 20 are perhaps the most challenging, with ascents of the Passo Giau and an Alpe di Pampeago finishline in the case of the former and the infamous Passo de Stelvio at the end of the former, an arrangement seemingly intended to keep the final General Classification nicely uncertain right up until the last minute and thus avoid a repeat of 2011 when it became apparent early on in the race that Alberto Contador was going to win.

Large map: click here

Stage 1 (Herning - Herning ITT, 8.7 km)

Herning - Herning (Denmark), 206 km

Horsens - Horsens (Denmark), 190 km

8th MAY - REST DAY

Verona - Verona TTT, 32.2 km

Modena - Fano, 199 km

Urbino - Porto Sant'Elpidio, 207 km

Recanati - Rocca di Cambio, 202 km

Sulmona - Lago Laceno, 229 km

San Giorgio nel Sannio - Frosinone, 171 km

Civitavecchia - Assisi, 187 km

Assisi - Montecatini Terme, 243 km

Seravezza - Sestri Levante, 157 km

Savona - Cervere, 121 km

Cherasco - Cervinia, 205 km

Busto Arsizio - Lecco/Pian dei Resinelli, 172 km

21st MAY - REST DAY

Limone sul Garda - Falzes/Pfalzen, 174 km

Falzes/Pfalzen - Cortina d'Ampezzo, 187 km

San Vito di Cadore - Vedelago, 139 km

Treviso - Alpe di Pampeago, 197km

Caldes/Val di Sole - Passo dello Stelvio, 218 km

Milan - Milan ITT, 31.5 km

Total: 3476.4km

Olympic velodrome gets award but designer can't get tickets

(© Carlbob CC2.0)

Just days after it was announced that the £80 million London Olympic Games velodrome had beaten a host of rivals - including the main Olympic stadium which cost £406 million more - to recognition in a prestigious architecture award, track and interior designer Ron Webb has revealed that he's been unable to secure tickets to attend races at the facility.

The velodrome, a stunning hyperbolic paraboloid mimicking the shape of the track within, finished runner-up to the Evelyn Grace Gallery, also in London, but was chosen as popular favourite with a 63% share of the vote in a public poll - the remaining 37% being shared between the Gallery, The Angel Building (London), An Gaelaras (Derry), the Royal Shakespeare Theatre (Stratford) and the Folkwang Museum (Essen). Once the Games are over, it will continue in use as a velodrome hosting national and international events and housing a bike hire centre and cafe. The track is one of 62 created by the designer and forms the centrepiece of the 2012 Games' velopark in Leyton, East London.

Though Games organisers reserved 90,000 tickets to be given to corporate sponsors (who will also enjoy a four-course champagne lunch), Webb had to apply through the lottery and was afforded no special treatment despite his creation being widely lauded as the finest in the world - not only has it proved a hit with the British public, who are not traditionally known for their appreciation of modern architecture, it was the first Olympic structure to be completed and cost less than its estimated budget. While he accepts that he probably won't be able to see his track being used for the purpose for which it was designed, he says he is "disappointed the application system wasn’t run very well."

Any of those corporate sponsors like to show their appreciation by donating a ticket to him?