Cycling Evening News 28.04.12

Festival Luxembourgeois Elsy Jacobs - Tour de Romandie - Romandie judges rule against Meersman complaint - Tour of Turkey (video) - Gracia Orlova - Schleck to lead team at Giro? - CAS decision on British lifetime Olympic ban next week - Merckx disagrees with de Vlaeminck on Paris-Roubaix - Other News - Tweets - Cyclists mobilised on London streets - Berkeley hit-and-run suspect arrested - Newswire

Racing
Festival Luxembourgeois Elsy Jacobs 

Fourth road race victory for Vos this season

Stage 1 followed the famous 102.6km hilly parcours of the GP Elsy Jacobs (map), the one-day race named in honour of the world's first Women's Road Race World Champion and from which this festival grew. It headed north out of Garnich, Jacobs' hometown, then followed a 53.6km loop up to Mersch and back to Garnich again where riders completed five laps of a 9.8km circuit. Those in the know say that it's always impossible to predict how this race will end, and more than once the fates have conspired to allow a relative unknown to take the glory.

Linda Villumsen (GreenEDGE) split the bunch by escaping with Elisa Longo Borghini (Hitec Products-Mistral Home) and Amber Neben (Specialized-Lululemon), then Ashleigh Moolman (Lotto-Belisol) and Tiffany Cromwell (GreenEDGE) tried to bridge the gap with Vos and a few others giving chase and forming a lead group as the race entered the second-to-last lap. Last year, the Dutch superstar stormed the course to wrest victory from Emma Pooley and Judith Arndt, but since the illness that forced her to stay away from the Ronde van Vlaanderen her form has perhaps not been quite as good as it was at this time in 2011. However, even if she ran at 50% Marianne would remain a force more than capable of dominating a race - she was many people's favourite today and she's never been a rider to let her fans down, crossing the finish line at the front of an eleven-strong bunch and taking over the General Classification lead as she did so.

"Not much happened on the main parcours not much happened, but on the Garnish circuit we faced a lot of attacks," Vos explained after the race. "Our rivals aren't going to make us a gift of this race, so I'm afraid we have a lot of work to do tomorrow."

Top Ten
  1.  Marianne Vos Rabobank 2h42'49"
  2.  Adrie Visser Skil-Argos ST
  3.  Pauline Ferrand Prevot Rabobank ST
  4.  Megan Guarnier Team TIBCO ST
  5.  Linda Villumsen GreenEDGE ST
  6.  Emma Johansson Hitec Products-Mistral Home ST
  7.  Noemi Cantele Be Pink ST
  8.  Tiffany Cromwell GreenEDGE ST
  9.  Ashleigh Moolman Lotto Belisol ST
  10.  Joanna Van De Winkel Lotto Belisol ST
(Full results and GC)

Stage 3 begins with another lap of today's main route, but omits the five laps of Garnich in favour of five laps around Mamur - the village where Luxembourg's other most famous cyclist Nicolas Frantz was born, and where Vos again dominated last year. (More on the race) (Rabobank stage report)

Tour de Romandie
Penultimate Stage 4 (map, profile) covered 184km between Bulle  and Sion - the latter being one of the most important ancient sites in Europe, inhabited for around 8,200 years; its Valère Basilica fortified church and the Château de Tourbillon that faces the church on the opposite side of the valley making this the most spectacular stage town of the race by some way. The parcours took the riders over the highest mountains in this edition: the three Cat 1 climbs Col des Mosses (1,452m), Veysonnaz (1,473m) and St-Martin (1,423m), with Cat 2 Basse-Nendaz (1,018m) thrown in for good measure at the end of a 65.5km flat section in the middle of the stage - a section that offered the roleurs, sprinters and chancers a fine opportunity to grab a big lead and prevent the climbing specialists having everything their own way.

Luis León Sánchez

All eyes were on Sky today, and as expected Mark Cavendish and Geraint Thomas left the race once the stage was over to begin preparations for the Giro d'Italia. For birthday boy Bradley Wiggins, whose General Classification lead began to look precarious yesterday when it was reduced to one second, a very great deal depended on this stage. Get things right and he'd be the last man to go in tomorrow's time trial, possibly even extend his advantage. Get it wrong and his chances of overall victory rest entirely on riding the time trial of his life on Sunday.

Things looked as though they might go his way as he was expertly paced up the final climb by Richie Porte and the peloton wore down a five-man break consisting of Roman Kreuziger (Astana), Mikel Landa (Euskaltel-Euskadi), Jesus Hernandez (SaxoBank), John Gadret and Rinaldo Nocentini (AG2R-La Mondiale), but it was not to be as Luis León Sánchez rode cleverly on the last descent to get himself into a good position for the final sprint, taking the yellow jersey and a nine second lead. Looks like Bradley had better forget about the birthday beers tonight, because he's going to need to have his wits about him tomorrow.

Top Ten
  1.  Luis Leon Sanchez Gil Rabobank 4h56'13" 
  2.  Rinaldo Nocentini AG2R-La Mondiale  ST
  3.  Branislau Samoilau Movistar  ST
  4.  Gorka Verdugo Marcotegui Euskaltel-Euskadi   ST
  5.  Paolo Tiralongo Astana  ST
  6.  Pierre Rolland Europcar  ST
  7.  Andreas Klöden RadioShack-Nissan  ST
  8.  Cadel Evans BMC  ST
  9.  Roman Kreuziger Astana  ST
  10.  Fabrice Jeandesboz Saur-Sojasun  ST
Kenny Dehaes (Lotto-Belisol), Gianni Meersman (Lotto-Belisol,), Jonathan Hivert (Saur-Sojasun), Michal Kwiatkowski (Omega Pharma-Quickstep), Matthew Brammeier (Omega Pharma-Quickstep), Kristof Vandewalle (Omega Pharma-Quickstep), Mark Cavendish (Sky), Geraint Thomas (Sky), Tejay Van Garderen (BMC), Joan Horrach Rippoll (Katusha),  Allan Davis (GreenEDGE), Daryl Impey (GreenEDGE), Sergio Miguel Moreira Paulinho (SaxoBank) and David Tanner (SaxoBank) did not finish. (Full results and GC)

Tejay van Garderen (BMC) was forced to withdraw after strong winds blew a tree branch into his path where it hit him in the mouth. The team reported that he had suffered facial injuries, but it appears he wasn't seriously hurt. Gianni Meersman is reported to have abandoned. One of the official motorbikes crashed on a bend with 16km to go; fortunately no riders collided with it.

Stage 5 (map, profile) is a hilly 16.2km individual time trial beginning at 1.327m Montana village with a gentle rise to 1,302m in the first kilometre, then a 3km descent to the lowest point at 1,102m. Riders then face a Category 1 climb to Aminona, altitude 1,512m - very much the crux of the race, because a rider who can climb it fast and not expened too much energy in doing so will have an obvious advantage going into the final, flat 7.2km to the finish line at the Crans-Montana ski resort. With winds as high as 57kph expected, anything could happen.

Romandie judges rule in favour of Sanchez
Judges have declared that Luis Leon Sanchez did not deviate from his line in order to force Gianni Meersman into the barriers at the end of the Tour de Romandie's Stage 3. Meersman's Lotto-Belisol team launched an official complaint against the Rabobank rider after viewing video footage of the stage, which took place in Friday.


Tour of Turkey
This race too is drawing to its end, today's Stage 7 (map) being the penultimate. It began at Kusadasi before following the craggy coastline for 74km to Seferihisar, where it turned north and inland acros İzmir Province; arriving 21km later at the north-facing coastline by Güzelbahçe. After turning to the east, there were 28.6km remaining before arrival at the finish line in İzmir. One of the oldest cities in the Mediterranean region,  İzmir  remains better known in the West by its ancient name Smyrna, birthplace (possibly) of Homer; though many of the ancient buildings were destroyed in an enormous fire that killed as many as 2,000 people (it wasn't all bad, however - it brought an end to the Greco-Turkish War, which some estimates claim killed as many as 100,000).

Iljo Keisse

Iljo Keisse (Omega Pharma-QuickStep) looked to be the most likely stage winner when he entered the final 2km with a 14" advantage, having mounted a solo attack from a six-man breakaway at 6km after his attempts to increase their speed met with a lack of enthusiasm. Then - apparent disaster as his rear tyre lost traction and he crashed with less than a kilometre to go. The pack bore down upon him, but he was up in a flash, got his chain back on and pedaled hard towards the line. Somehow, he got up to speed and, thought they were snapping at his heels throughout the last 50m to the line, he held them off to take the stage for what just seconds later Twitterers were calling the most dramatic victory of the race.

Ivaïlo Gabrovski (Konya Torku Sekersport) remains General Classification leader

Top Ten
  1.  Iljo Keisse Omega Pharma-QuickStep 2h52'38"
  2.  Marcel Kittel Argos-Shimano ST
  3.  Alessandro Petacchi Lampre-ISD ST
  4.  Andrea Guardini Farnese Vini-Selle Italia ST
  5.  Mark Renshaw Rabobank ST
  6.  Robert Förster United Healthcare Presented By Maxxis ST
  7.  Jean-Pierre Drucker Accent Jobs-Willems Veranda's ST
  8.  Daniele Colli Team Type 1-Sanofi ST
  9.  Alexey Tsatevitch Katusha ST
  10.  Juan Jose Haedo SaxoBank ST
Cameron Meyer (GreenEDGE), Luke Roberts (SaxoBank) and Geoffroy Lequatre (Bretagne Schuller) did not start the stage. (Full results and GC)

On Sunday, Stage 8 (map) takes place on an urban parcours situated entirely in Istanbul. Starting out from Sultanahmet Square; fittingly the site of the Hippodrome of Constantinople and once the Byzantine Empire's version of Elis' Olympia or the Pythian Games at Delphi. It then passes out of the neutral zone on Kennedy Street, crosses the Galata Bridge and heads north-west along the shores of the Bosphoros, dipping briefly inland to get onto the Bosphorous Bridge which, at the time construction was completed in 1973, was the longest suspension bridge anywhere in the world other than the USA. When the riders reach the south-eastern bank, they have officially left Europe and are in Asia. When riders reach the Cadde Bostan Coastal Road, they will begin the first of eight laps of a 12.2km circuit.

Gracia Orlova
Stage 3 (map) began at Lichnov before heading south into the mountains where, after 30km, the riders face a climb to 1,000m - the highest point in the race. A fast descent led for 10km to the foot of an 800m climb lying just over 50km into the stage, then a third climb to 900m begans at around 70km. One last climb at 105km reached around 575m and, especially in the final part, looked horrendously steep; a real leg-breaker as the riders approached the last of the 122.4km on their way back to where they started.

Trixi Worrack

Specialized-Lululemon seem to have decided that the best way ahead is to win every stage in this race; today being the turn of Trixi Worrack.

Evelyn Stevens leads the General Classification with an advantage of 1'13".

Top Ten
  1.  Trixi Worrack Specialized-Lululemon 03h02'14"
  2.  Alena Amialyusik Be Pink +6"
  3.  Evelyn Stevens Specialized-Lululemon ST
  4.  Sharon Laws AA Drink-Leontien.nl +1'53"
  5.  Tatiana Antoshina Rabobank +2'13"
  6.  Olena Sharpa +4'08"
  7.  Olena Pavlukhina +5'19"
  8.  Paulina Bentkowska-Brzezna +6'14"
  9.  Andrea Graus Vienne Futuroscope ST
  10.  Ellen van Dijk Specialized-Lululemon ST
(Full results and GC)

Sunday brings Stage 4 (map), the last of this year's race - and it's an tough-looking 100.2km parcours consisting of six laps of a 16.7km circuit including an 11% 50m climb in the last half of each.

Schleck "should lead his team in the Giro d'Italia"
Frank Schleck is the most likely candidate to replace Jakob Fuglsang at the Giro d'Italia, says the French language, Luxembourg-based L'Essentiel website following yesterday's announcement that the 27-year-old Danish rider would be unable to take part due to inflammation of the articular capsule and ligament in his left knee. Italy's Gazzetta dello Sport also believes Schleck will take his place, but at present nothing has been confirmed nor denied by RadioShack-Nissan - though several sources are reporting it as fact. Twitter reveals that many fans think Linus Gerdemann is a more likely choice.

CAS decision on BOA lifetime ban policy this week
The Court for Arbitration in Sport will publish its decision on whether British athletes to have been subject to a doping-related suspension in the past will be permitted to compete in the Olympics on the 30th of April. The case began with an appeal to the CAS made by the British Olympic Association after the World Anti-Doping Agency had ruled that the lifetime ban policy violates existing rules.

Central to the case, though not directly involved due to his own decision to stay out of it, is David Millar - the cyclist who served a two-year suspension for EPO before returning to cycling as one of doping's more intelligent and outspoken opponents. Dave Brailsford, British Cycling's performance director, has said that if the appeal is unsuccessful (as is widely considered likely) he will invite Millar to join the Olympic team. Millar, however, is reluctant; saying that he does not wish to be seen as a black sheep but hopes the Court will favour WADA so that he can compete at the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.

Merckx won Paris-Roubaix in 1968, 1970
and 1973

Merckx on Paris-Roubaix and Philippe Gilbert
Roger de Vlaeminck might not have been very impressed with this year's Paris-Roubaix - "there wasn't much excitement," he said rather sniffily, going on to say he hoped Fabian Cancellara would be around to provide Tom Boonen with some competition in 2013 - but the race has received Eddy Merckx's seal of approval.

"I was enjoying it from my armchair," says the winner of 525 professional victories. "And I know what I'm talking about - in the 1969 Tour of Flanders and the 1970 Paris-Roubaix I undertook such raids. I rode into the the Velodrome with a lead of five or six minutes on de Vlaeminck and the rest of the peloton. Tom is extremely important for the Belgian cycling. I've been saying since January that he'd win." Many people are wondering if Philippe Gilbert's amazing 2011 season was a fluke, but Merckx he'll return to form - "Only he knows why he's not riding as expected. I refuse to write him off." (More from Het Nieuwesblad)

Other News
British star Ruth Winder (Vanderkitten-Focus) has had to abandon the Festival Luxembourgeois Elsy Jacobs as she's still suffering headaches after her crash at Borsele last week.

Europcar took a third stage victory at the La Tropicale Amissa Bongo when Yohann Gène won Stage 5 this morning. Gène also won the first stage with Thomas Voeckler taking Stage 3.

"British Cycling’s Olympic Mountain Bike Coach Phil Dixon has hailed Annie Last’s first ever World Cup win in the new UCI Cross Country Eliminator World Cup as an essential factor in qualifying for the Olympic Games – and a trend that will continue" (British Cycling)

Tweets
Look out, racing world - there's a new Voigt about to make his mark...

Jens Voigt ‏ @thejensieAnd tomorrow first race of my son with a real license!! And i amfraid i am more nervous than my son- hahahaha

Russell Hampton ‏ @RussellHamptonKeisse big respect today #coolasacucumber

Cycling
Cyclists mobilised on London streets
The London Big Ride - a mass participation event that seeks to put cyclist safety issues at the top of the capital's mayoral candidates agendas, attracted more then 5,000 riders despite torrential rain.


"The Big Ride is our best chance to show the next mayor we're serious about redesigning our streets to make them safer for everyone," says Ashok Sinha of the London Cycling Campaign, which organised the event. "Some of the mayoral manifestos show very weak commitments to cycling, so every person who comes to the Big Ride can help push safer cycling up the next mayoral agenda."



Man arrested after Berkeley hit-and-run
Police in Berkeley, California, have arrested a man wanted in connection with a hit-and-run incident in which two cyclists were "side-swiped" on Wednesday. Neither cyclist was seriously injured, but their clothing and bikes were damaged.

The car was reported as stolen on the same day, but it is not yet clear if the report was made before or after the accident - it's not unknown for drivers who have been in an accident to abandon their vehicle then claim it's been stolen in an attempt to escape charges and that he has subsequently been charged with "felony hit-and-run" suggests police believe this may have been the case. When arrested, he was found to be in possession of heroin and illegal ammunition, as well as being in breach of the terms of a probation order.

A video of the accident, caught on a helmet-mounted camera, has received more than 103,000 views on Youtube.


Newswire
Britain
Cycling campaigners in Swansea are winning widespread support for their manifesto from across the political divide" (This Is South Wales)

Worldwide
"National Women’s Cycling Championship from May 1" (Daily Times, Pakistan)

"I touched a nerve with my most recent column debating the issue of whether cyclists need to show more respect on the road" (Marin Independent Journal, USA)

"His wife Hasmah Ibrahim is ailing but former national cyclist Shaharudin Jaffar still finds time to get involved in organising cycling related events" (Star Online, Malaysia)

"Cycling races demand that competitors have a team spirit. The windbreak that lead riders give the group and opportunities to sprint ahead of the pack follow a code of fairness. To underline the importance of good sportsmanship in cycling, the Spy Optics Belgian Waffle Ride held in April gave a “Wawful Freddy” distinction to the three cyclists who demonstrated the worst in sportsmanship" (The Coast News, USA)

"Cycling may be new product to draw tourists" (Bernama, Malaysia)

Daily Cycling Facts 28.04.12

The 28th of April marks the earliest start date in the history of the Giro d'Italia, which began on this day in 1939. For once that year, the great Gino Bartali met his match in the shape of Giovanni Valetti, the winner for a second consecutive year. Bartali was the better man in the mountains, taking away the lead Valetti had built up in the early stages of the race, but was outclassed on subsequent flat stages and, despite attacking hard in the final stage, finished with an overall time 2'59" down on his rival.

The Vuelta a Espana began on this day in 1966, when the 18 stages (four split) covered a total of 2,949.5km. The race suffered from a lack of top international names that year and only 90 riders - of whom 40 were Spanish - started; a mere 55 finished. While this was not good for the Vuelta, it was an opportunity for the less-well-known riders including winner Francisco Gabica; whose palmares, with the exception of this one race, really are not those of a Grand Tour contender.

Today is also the anniversary of the 31st edition of La Flèche Wallonne, which took place on this day in 1967. It was raced on a 223km route between Liège and Marcinelle for a second consecutive year and the winner was a relatively unknown Belgian rider named Eddy Merckx, who was precisely one day away from completing his second year as a professional cyclist. He would go on to win two more editions, adding them to his eventual total of 525 victories. The race has not been held this late ever since.


Lucien Aimar

Lucien Aimar
(image credit: Foto43
CC BY 2.0)

1966 Tour de France winner Lucien Aimar was born in Hyères, France, on this day in 1941. His first major success was second place in the 1964 Tour de l'Avenir - which he would have won, hacing finished 42" behind Italian rider Felice Gimondi following an incident involving the Belgian rider Jos Spruyt that earned him a one minute penalty earlier in the race.

He turned professional with Ford-Gitane on 1965, and immediately made a sufficient impression on manager Raphael Géminiani and team leader Jacques Anquetil to be selected for the Tour that same season - an incredible achievement for any rider in his first professional year, through he abandoned on the Col de l'Aubisque during Stage 9. His success just one year later was, therefore, somewhat unexpected; but he wouldn't have managed it without the help of Anquetil who at that time was at the height of his war with Raymond Poulidor, a rivalry that split France into two equal and opposing sides. Realising that his fifth victory in 1964 was to be his last, he assisted Aimar instead to ensure Poulidor could not win and then retired. However, Aimar was not handed the victory on a plate and worked hard, pushing a high 55x13 gear ratio that was thought abnormal by most riders of the day.

Aimar has been called on of the forgettable Tour winners, but his career was not without controversy: just months before his Tour success he'd won second place at the Flèche Wallonne, then been stripped of his title after failing an anti-doping test (1966, incidentally, was the year the Tour was disrupted during Stage 9 when riders got off their bikes and pushed in protest at rumoured drugs tests. It was also, of course, the year before Tom Simpson died) and was then given his result back again due to a technicality arising from the arcane and messy anti-doping rules of the time. In 1967, he refused to wear the French National jersey during the Tour after being declared rightful winner of it when Désiré Letort was disqualified after he too failed a drugs test - for each day Amar refused, he was fined the equivalent of £50, but he stuck to his guns and insisted that Letort had beaten him fair and square (whether than is indication that he saw nothing wrong with doping, that he was also doping in the National Championships or both is anyone's guess). He retired in 1973, claiming that organiser Félix Lévitan had cooked up a nefarious scheme with the German rider Rudi Altig to ensure he would never win another Tour, then refused to have absolutely anything to do with the race for a quarter of a century.

In retirement, he became director of the Tour Méditerranéen and a very good example of what happens if a retired professional cyclist continues to eat like an active professional cyclist.

Bradley Wiggins

Bradley Wiggins
(image credit: Petit Brun CC BY-SA 2.0)

Born in Ghent, Belgium on this day in 1980, Bradley Wiggins is the son of Australian professional cyclist Gary Wiggins and his English ex-wife Linda - when the couple split, mother and son moved to London where Bradley grew up. He had no contact with his father, but apparently inherited racing genes and began to compete at the famous Herne Hill Velodrome when he was twelve years old.

After switching to road cycling, he showed early potential as a time trial rider and roleur which earned him a contract with the Linda McCartney team shortly before it folded in 2001. He then moved on to FDJ, staying with them for two years before he was offered a place with Crédit Agricole for 2004, the year in which he became the first British athlete in any sport to win three medals in a single edition of the Olympic Games for forty years. He rode his first Grand Tour, the Giro d'Italia, in 2005 and the Tour de France a year later; not making much of an impact in either race but proving he could survive the harsh rigours of major stage races.

Then, in 2007, he won the prologue at the Critérium du Dauphiné and was fourth in the prologue at the Tour - held that year in London. At this point, the world began to pay attention - Britain had produced another rider who just might have the potential to finish what Tom Simpson had started four decades earlier. Two years later, now 6kg lighter and at the age when cyclists are at their strongest, he rode the Giro and the Tour again; taking second place in Stages 1 and 21 in Italy then third in Stage 1, second in Stage 4 and top ten in four other stages at the Tour - enough to propel him into fourth place in the overall General Classification, becoming the joint most successful British Tour de France rider in history (he shared it with the legendary Scotsman Robert Millar who had finished fourth 23 years earlier).

Having already signed a contract with Garmin-Cervelo for 2010, Wiggins announced late in 2009 that he would in fact be going to the new British outfit Team Sky for the next four years and began the new season with them as team leader. British fans wondered if, at long last, the year would bring them their first winner; but it was not to be - the new hero suffered badly on the cobbles in the first stages that had been designed to pay homage to cycling's toughest one-day race Paris-Roubaix. He learned fast and made up time in Stage 3, but was ultimately and entirely out-classed by Andy Schleck who would be declared race winner after Alberto Contador was banned for two years and stripped of the victory in 2012 after a long and - in the opinions of many - highly questionable doping investigation.

In 2011, he concentrated on the Tour after deciding not to compete in the Giro, taking part in smaller events to gain fitness. When July arrived, he appeared on the start line looking like an entirely different rider: his body apparently carried not a single gram of fat, looking as though it consisted entirely of bone, sinew and hard muscle. If he was ever going to win a Tour, fans reasoned, he'd never been in better shape for it that he was now. Unfortunately, it was once again not to be - Stage 7 brought a huge pile-up in which numerous riders crashed. It was immediately obvious from the way that Wiggins clutched his shoulder as he lay in agony on the road that he would not be continuing, as was confirmed when doctors discovered he'd broken his collarbone.

In the leader's jersey at the Critérium du Dauphiné, 2011
(image credit: Matthieu Riegler CC BY 3.0)

Can Wiggins win a Tour? Almost certainly, yes; as is suggested by his 2011 Critérium du Dauphiné triumph. Contador, widely recognised as the finest stage racer in the world, will not be racing in 2012 after the doping investigation mentioned above. Schleck, once an apparent dead cert for a win, seemed to lose his edge over the last season (though his incredible stage win on the Galibier in 2011 leaves no doubt that, if he chooses to be, he's a very formidable opponent) and faces parcours not at all to his liking. Also, Wiggo will have the support of both Geraint Thomas, among the most effective domestiques in the sport and Mark Cavendish, World Champion and the fastest man in cycling. With luck on his side, 2012 could be the one.


Pino Cerami was born in Sicily on this day in 1922 but tookBelgian citizenship in 1956. In 1960, he won Paris-Roubaix and La Flèche Wallonne. Three years later, he won Stage 9 at the Tour de France - as he was 41 at the time, he is the oldest Tour stage winner ever

Steven Wong, born in Belgium on this day in 1988, is a professional BMX rider with the Hong Kong team who also rides in road races with China's Champion Racing System team. He was offered a place with the national BMX team in Belgium, where his father owns a restaurant, but decided to represent Hong Kong instead.

José Adrián Bonilla, born in Costa Rica on this day in 1978, became involved in the Operación Puerto scandal of 2006 when a bag of blood labelled "Bonilla Alfredo," found in the laboratory of the notorious Dr. Eufemiano Fuentes, was shown to be his. However, as the judge presiding over the case declined to share evidence with either the UCI or the World Anti-Doping Agency, he escaped athletic sanction.

Other births: Walter Richli (Switzerland, 1913, died 1944); Mikhail Kolyushev (USSR, 1943); Olga Slyusareva (USSR, 1969); Carlo Rancati (Italy, 1940); Czeslaw Lukaszewicz (Canada, 1964); Rubén Pegorín (Argentina, 1965); Óscar Aquino (Guatemala, 1966); August Prosenik (Yugoslavia, 1916, died 1975); Hege Stendahl (Norway, 1967); Donald Ferguson (USA, 1931); Bernard Kręczyński (Poland, 1953); Arthur Mannsbarth (Austria, 1930).

Cycling Evening News 27.04.12

Festival Luxembourgeois Elsy Jacobs - Tour de Romandie (video) - Tour of Turkey - Gracia Orlova - Fuglsang cannot ride Giro - Sky reveal Cav-led Giro squad - New sponsor for GreenEDGE - Contador hints at SaxoBank return - Tony Martin plans ultrafast comeback - Landis could face $1 million fine or 30 years imprisonment - Lampre announce Giro squad - Voeckler pays his respects to African riders - New Cleveland velodrome free for under-18s - Keep digging, Griffin - The War On Britain's Roads - Smirk helmet masks - Hit and run caught on helmetcam - Newswire

Racing
Festival Luxembourgeois Elsy Jacobs
For anybody who cares about women's cycling, it's very easy to feel miserable at the moment with races being cancelled all over the world. Be thankful, then, that this weekend brings us that celebration of all things good in women's cycling, the Festival Luxembourgeois Elsy Jacobs. Beginning on Friday evening with a lightning-fast 1.7km individual time trial prologue parcours in Luxembourg City, the race also features stages on Saturday and Sunday.

Top Ten
  1.  Annemiek Van Vleuten Rabobank 2'11"
  2.  Judith Arndt GreenEDE +1"
  3.  Hanka Kupfernagel RusVelo ST
  4.  Marianne Vos Rabobank +2"
  5.  Charlotte Becker Specialized-Lululemon ST
  6.  Linda Villumsen GreenEDGE +3"
  7.  Shara Gillow GreenEDGE ST
  8.  Leire Olaberria Dorronsoro ST
  9.  Emilia Fahlin Specialized-Lululemon +4"
  10.  Amber Neben Specialized-Lululemon ST
Full results (more details) (start list).

Tour de Romandie
Friday's Stage 3 (map) started at La Neuveville, a village that holds city status since it's still protected by well-preserved medieval defensive walls complete with towers (la Tour de Rive features on many a postcard). After a flat start, riders faced a short climb 20km into the stage at Mont Vully followed by a flattish 30km to Cat 3 Arrissoules (640m) - then it was mountains all the way. The first big ascent was the uncategorised climb up to Sarzens beginning after 77km, followed by 23km to Cat 2 Le Chatelard with the summit at 1,002m - with a fast descent that guaranteed exciting, high-speed racing and a big opportunity for a break to increase their lead. The last categorised mountain was the Cat 3 Treyvaux to 810m, but a final climb lurked at the end of the stage before the riders drew up to this finish line in Charmey.

Luis León Sánchez

Anders Lund (SaxoBank), Gatis Smukulis (Katusha), Leigh Howard (GreenEDGE), Matt Brammeier (Omega Pharma-QuickStep) and Tosh van der Sande (Lotto-Belisol) got away soon after the race began and succeeded in gaining a lead of as much as six minutes, then Smukulis put the wind up the peloton by launching an attack 17km from the finish line. His three comrades were soon caught and put back in their places, but he managed to keep going to within 5km of the line before being swept up by the pack as it began preparing itself for a final mass sprint at the top of the last climb. That's classic all-rounder territory, so it no surprise that victory went to a classic all-rounder - an apt description of Rabobank's Luis León Sánchez, who edged over the line with a miniscule lead over the bunch. Gianni Meersman was on his back wheel for second, with Paolo Tiralongo (Astana) right behind them for third. Sky's Bradley Wiggins retains his General Classification lead, but with Sánchez picking up a usefull 10 bonification seconds today the British rider's advantage is down just a second and anything could happen.

Crashes took down two  Lotto-Belisol riders. Adam Hansen was taken to hospital and is reported to be suffering concussion and extensive brusing, whereas Kenny Dehaes was able to get up and complete the stage - he later Tweeted to say that while he was in pain, nothing seemed to be broken.

Top Ten
  1.  Luis Leon Sanchez Gil Rabobank 3h58'29"
  2.  Gianni Meersman Lotto-Belisol ST
  3.  Paolo Tiralongo Astana ST
  4.  Andrew Talansky Garmin-Barracuda ST
  5.  Bauke Mollema Rabobank ST
  6.  Rinaldo Nocentini AG2R-La Mondiale ST
  7.  Maciej Paterski Liquigas-Cannondale ST
  8.  Giampaolo Caruso Katusha ST
  9.  Gorka Verdugo Marcotegui Euskaltel-Euskadi ST
  10.  Fabrice Jeandesboz Saur-Sojasun ST
(Full results and GC when available)

Stage 4, the penultimate, covers 184km between Bulle (don't miss the château, castle fans - it's a good 'un!) and Sion (one of the most important ancient sites in Europe, inhabited for around 8,200 years - the fortified church, which contains one of the world's oldest pipe organs, is even more impressive than Bulle's castle) and takes the riders over the highest mountains in this year's race: the three Cat 1 climbs Col des Mosses (1,452m), Veysonnaz (1,473m) and St-Martin (1,423m), with Cat 2 Basse-Nendaz (1,018m) thrown in for good measure at the end of a 65.5km flat section in the middle of the stage - a section upon which the roleurs, sprinters and chancers could grab a big lead and prevent the climbing specialists having everything their own way.

Tour of Turkey
Stage 6 (map), 180.3km long, began at Bodrum (site of an imposing 15th Century Crusader castle; those who worked on it during construction received a guaranteed reservation in Heaven courtesy of a papal decree dating from 1409) after which riders headed north-east to Beçin, then north-west to Didim - the Didyma of the Homeric Hymn to Apollo (which wasn't written by Homer), a ruined temple to the god mentioned in the Hymn still exists here (the temple in the Hymn was destroyed in the 5th Century BCE). The remainder of the parcours leds north to Kusadasi, a town that has lost much of its native charm due to unsympathetic development - however, tourists who are willing to venture away from the beach and shiny hotels can still find remnants of the ancient city including traces of the defensive walls, the 17th C. mosque and little shops that sell the things the locals need. Once again, there were no high mountains but a serious of steep climbs rose to between 140 and 300m; the three that fell between 40 and 70km looking especially daunting.


It's not really been Matthew Goss' race this year - the Australian GreenEDGE rider came off second-best in Stages 1, 2, 4 and then again today when he was out-sprinted by Sacha Modolo who took a second stage win for his Colnago-CSF team. Mark Renshaw (Rabobank) was right behind them for third, recording the same time. Maxim Belkov (Katusha) Philip Deignan (United Healthcare) and Michal Golas (Omega Pharma-QuickStep) were the day's biggest crowd-pleasers with a break from early on in the parcours that remained out on front for much of the stage before a counter-attack finished them off. Ivaïlo Gabrovski (Konya Torku Sekersport) remains General Classification leader with an advantage of 1'33".

Sacha Modolo

Top Ten
  1.   Sacha Modolo  Colnago-CSF  4h34"
  2.   Matthew Goss  GreenEDGE  ST
  3.   Mark Renshaw  Rabobank Cycling Team  ST
  4.   Lucas Sebastian Haedo  SaxoBank  ST
  5.   Alexey Tsatevitch  Katusha  ST
  6.   Rafael Andriato De Mattas  Farnese Vini-Selle Italia  ST
  7.   Daniele Colli  Team Type 1-Sanofi  ST
  8.   Davide Vigano  LampreISD  ST
  9.   Marco Coledan  Colnago-CSF  ST
  10.   Blaz Jarc  NetApp  ST
Jimmy Casper (AG2R-La Mondiale), Sylvain Georges (AG2R-La Mondiale), Boris Shpilevsky (AG2R-La Mondiale), Assan Bazayev (Astana), Adam Hansen (Lotto-Belisol), Johan Esteban Cháves Rubio (Colombia-Coldeportes), Thomas Bertolini (Farnese Vini-Selle Italia) and Leonardo Giordani (Farnese Vini-Selle Italia) did not finish. Full result and GC.

Stage 7 (map), the penultimate in this year's edition, begins at Kusadasi and follows the craggy coastline for 74km before turning inland at Seferihisar to cross İzmir Province and arrive at the north-facing coastline by Güzelbahçe approximately 21km away. After turning to the east, there are 28.6km remaining before arrival at the finish line in İzmir - one of the oldest cities in the Mediterranean region, it remains better known in the West by its ancient name Smyrna, birthplace (possibly) of Homer; though many of the ancient buildings were destroyed in an enormous fire that killed as many as 2,000 people (it wasn't all bad, however - it brought an end to the Greco-Turkish War, which some estimates claim killed as many as 100,000).

British rider Katie Colclough took fifth place

Gracia Orlova
The Gracia Orlova entered Stage 2 today, a 26km individual time trial from Havířov, past Senov, then back to  Havířov, beginning with a fast downhill before arriving at four 10m climbs along the way with a maximum gradient of around 6.3% (map).

Specialized-Lululemon's Ellen van Dijk, who also won the prologue TT made it her second stage victory when she beat team mate Evelyn Stevens by one hundredth of a second - a serious show of strength by the team, currently in its first season, as they beat third place Tatiana Antoshina (Rabobank) by one minute and three seconds. Lululemon riders filled the rest of the spaces in the top 5 too, with Trixi Worrack and Katie Colclough equalling Antoshina's time for fourth and fifth.

Top Ten
  1.  Ellen Van Dijk Specialized-Lululemon 35'27"
  2.  Evelyn Stevens Specialized-Lululemon ST
  3.  Tatiana Antoshina Rabobank +1'06"
  4.  Trixi Worrack Specialized-Lululemon +1'13"
  5.  Katie Colclough Specialized-Lululemon +1'31"
  6.  Sharon Laws AA Drink-Leontien.nl +1'32"
  7.  Alexandra Burchenkova S.C. Michela Fanini Rox +2'08"
  8.  Olena Sharpa +2'15"
  9.  Laura Trott Ibis +2'27"
  10.  Larisa Pankova +2'26"
Full results and GC

Saturday's Stage 3 (map) is a 122.4km road race starting at Lichnov before heading south into the mountains where, after 30km, the riders face a climb to 1,000m - the highest point in the race. A fast descent leads for 10km to the foot of the next climb just over 50km in and rising to 800m, then a third climb to 900m begins at around 70km. One last climb at 105km reaches around 575m and, especially in the final part, looks horrendously steep.

Fuglsang cannot ride Giro

Jakob Fuglsang

Jakob Fuglsang will not ride in this year's Giro d'Italia due to inflammation of the articular capsule and ligament in his left knee, RadioShack-Nissan have confirmed. The 27-year-old Dane had stayed away from the Tour de Romandie in the hope that the injury - which first made itself known at a training camp two weeks ago - would heal, but team doctors now say it will require at least ten days complete rest. The race starts on the 5th of May, eight days away.

I am very disappointed,” said Fuglsang, who had been hoping to perform well in the first three stages which are to be held in Denmark. “The Giro was my big objective for this year. Yesterday I had so much pain in the last 40K, I was just miserable. At that point I realized that it might be the end of my Giro dream."

Team doctor Andreas Gösele explained that, with intensive therapy, recovery might have been possible in time for the start; but he advised against it out of concern for the rider. "Jakob would possibly be able to start at the Giro, but with how much risk? A good result would be out of the question and if he would have to drop out after ten stages, what would we have accomplished? From a medical point of view, it is impossible to guarantee that he will be fine."

It's the latest disaster in what has been a very unfortunate season for the new team, formed by the merger of RadioShack and Leopard Trek late in 2011. Team leaders Andy and Frank Schleck have, so far, failed to perform well and Fabian Cancellara sustained a quadruple collarbone fracture at the Ronde van Vlaanderen.

Sky reveal Cav-led Giro squad
Team Sky will be led by Mark Cavendish at the Giro d'Italia, which ought to bring at least a couple of tage wins for the British outfit. Whether he will finish the race remains to be seen - there's some serious climbing to be done, and he'll have the Tour and the Olympics in mind. However, managers have a plan: let Cav do his stuff in the sprints, then hand responsibility over to the Columbian climbers Sergio Henao and Rigoberto Urán. Bernhard Eisel, Juan Antonio Flecha, Peter Kennaugh, Ian Stannard, Ben Swift and Geraint Thomas are also going.

New sponsor for GreenEDGE
GreenEDGE - Australia's first UCI Pro Tour team - are on the verge of announcing a new big-name sponsor. At present, the team's main sponsor is owner and businessman Gerry Ryan but a superb start to their first season - especially by the women's squad, which has won race after race - has evidently been enough to attract other backers, which will help ensure its long-term survival.


Contador - further indication of SaxoBank return
Alberto Contador - who has 100 days remaining until the end of his controversial ban - has told the Spanish Marca.com sports news website that he hopes to know "soon" if he'll return to SaxoBank and says that he "cannot imagine riding with any other team."

"Bjarne Riis and the team have given me such support, it's been great," he explains. "That's important to me, priceless, so SaxoBank is my priority. As of yet, there's no done deal but both parties are amenable and I think we'll have an agreement soon."

The main obstacle to date has been a UCI rule that results obtained by any rider returning from a doping ban cannot be counted towards a team's world ranking for a period of two years. Considered unfair by managers, riders and fans alike - "It's the same as if Lionel Messi was re-signed to play for Barcelona after a ban and scored goals, but his goals were not counted. It's grotesque," says Riis - SaxoBank lawyers are looking at the possibility of challenging the rule and having it repealed.

Contador is widely expected to use this year's Vuelta a Espana to make a triumphant return, pulling out all stops to dominate the race, and says he has been training for it - including watching videos of racing and the riders he's likely to face. Watching cycling is almost a part of my training," he says. "You can learn a lot by analysing the riders - how they'll react, how they descend, how rain or dry conditions effect them, little details that can give you the edge in a race."

Has he, in that case, got any tips for the Tour de France, which will be over by the time his ban expires? "A lot depends this year on Andy Schleck. If he's 100% and can break away from the five top riders, he could surprise a lot of people," says the rider, presumably with Andy's less-than-satisfactry form thus far this year in mind.
"
"However, he's going to need to do better in the time trials. Based on strength and experience, I'd have to say Cadel Evans."

Tony Martin plans comeback
Omega Pharma-QuickStep's Tony Martin does everything fast, which is why he's the current world time trial champion, but his planned comeback after sustaining numerous injuries when he was hit by a car during a training ride earlier this month is speedy even by his standards - he'll race at the Rund um den Finanz Platz on the 1st of May, three weeks since his accident (so no doubts that he's keeping well clear of anabolic steroids, then! - CP).

"I'm thrilled I can get back to the races," the 26-year-old German says on the team's website. "These last two weeks I've been concentrated exclusively on my recovery. In the last few days I've even managed to do some more intense training sessions. The pain due to the fractures and the fall are diminishing day by day and I'm feeling better. However, I still have to be careful and try to take as few risks as possible. Overall my return to the races will be useful for me to get my racing groove back and understand how my body will respond in competition. I really wanted my comeback to be in Frankfurt, in my country, and this is what I've been working towards. On a mental level it was important to have an objective like this one."

Landis faces mail and wire fraud charge

Floyd Landis

Floyd Landis probably felt glad it was all over by the time he announced his retirement from cycling, but in reality his problems were only just beginning. Having been stripped of his 2006 Tour de France victory after a sample tested positive for synthetic testosterone, the rider strenuously denied wrong-doing and started a "Floyd Fairness Fund" and asked fans to "donate anything they could" - it is believed that the Fund generated a total of around $1 million towards legal costs. However, his attempts to clear his name were unsuccessful and, in 2010, he finally admitted that he had in fact doped.

Although the Fairness Fund closed five years ago, it's come back to bite him. After last year receiving a suspended sentence for computer hacking, he is now under investigation for accepting money on a false premise; ie, requesting donations to prove his innocence despite knowing that he was guilty of the charge he then faced, which may constitute mail and wire fraud - a federal offence under US law since 1872, carrying a maximum penalty of a $1 million fine or 30 years imprisonment.

Lampre-ISD Giro squad
Lampre-ISD has revealed its provisional Giro d'Italia team roster. Damiano Cunego and Michele Scarponi are protected team leaders, supported by Przemyslaw Niemiec, Matteo Bono, Adriano Malori, Daniele Pietropolli, Daniele Righi, Alessandro Spezialetti and Diego Ulissi.

Thomas Voeckler

Voeckler pays his respects to African riders
Europcar's Thomas Voeckler won the third stage of the Tropicale Amissa Bongo à Akiéni yesterday and used his victory as an opportunity to praise the African riders he beat.

"Of course, I'm happy to win here - but we professional riders, we need to remember we're lucky to get the salaries we do, we're so well-paid compared to the African riders. I've kept that in mind during this race," says the 32-year-old Frenchman.

"Compared to these guys, I have no right to complain about anything," he explained, but was careful not to become patronising: "I'm here to do a job. Winning is my way of showing I respect them." (Stage results and GC)

New Cleveland velodrome will be free for under-18s
Any nation that wants to encourage more young people to take up cycling (and reap the rewards of their Olympic success a few years down the line) could learn a lot by following the example set by Cleveland, Ohio - after five years of planning, the city is about to open a $300,000 not-for-profit velodrome.

The idea is simple: build a world-class velodrome, using as much voluntary labour as possible to keep costs to a minimum, then charge adults to use it. Meanwhile, let riders aged less than 18 use it for free - including the provision of bikes for those who are new to the sport and haven't yet got machines of their own. "This velodrome is a welcome addition for cycling enthusiasts in the city of Cleveland," says city mayor Frank Jackson. "It will allow for people of all ages in the city to be exposed to the culture of the international sport of fast-track cycling and give them an additional form of physical activity to engage in."

"It is a great way to get kids into cycling," adds Brett David, president of management company FastTrack Cycling. "It is safer than driving on some of these roads, battling cars." (More from Cleveland.com)

Other racing news
New Zealand announces "strongest ever" Olympic team (NZHerald)

NZ talent causes headaches and heartaches (NZHerald)

Asian Cyclists to make U.S. debut at SRAM Tour of the Gila (Silver City Sun-News)

Bengaluru gets India’s first professional cycling team (Citizen Matters)

Cycling
Keep digging, Griffin

Lubricating the cogs of the Conservative Party to the tune of a quarter of a million quid wasn't enough to save Addison Lee's government contracts after the firm was handed an injunction due to chairman John Griffin's decision to encourage drivers to illegally use London's bus lanes. Now it seems he's also realised that his recent comments regarding the capital's cyclists were ill-advised too, and he's grabbing the brake levers like his business life depends on it.

If I have upset cyclists, I apologise. It was not my intention,” he told the Evening Standard newspaper, explaining that what he really meant was “car drivers need to be more aware of cyclists and cyclists need to be more aware of their vulnerability.”

However, he remains unrepentant regarding his "get trained and pay up" comment, though he apparently now realises that nobody pays road tax. "We need to look at the question of either insurance or tax. If you run into my car and it’s not my fault, I’ve got no redress against you," he says - and even the most militant cyclist has to admit that's a tricky point for those of us who prefer two wheels. But once again, Griffin hasn't done his homework: he says he wants to see the reintroduction of the cycling proficiency test, which he credits as being the reason that he "never had a single accident" while cycling seven miles to school and back during his childhood - he's obviously forgotten that the test was entirely voluntary (I never did it) and has now been replaced by the considerably more comprehensive Bikeability scheme, which is available for children and adults alike. He also says he doesn't support the introduction of Amsterdam-style bicycle lanes, offering as his reason the fact that "Amsterdam is a very flat town," though he's forced to agree that Central London "is pretty flat" when journalist Jasmine Gardner points it out to him.

BBC to show controversial documentary
The BBC is to broadcast an hour-long documentary entitled The War On Britain's Roads, featuring footage from cameras mounted on bikes and cars to illustrate the issues that arise between cyclists and drivers.


"As more and more people take up cycling as a way of beating the traffic or just keeping fit on their commute, the potential for conflict between cyclists and drivers has increased massively. Now cameras installed on bikes and in vehicles will use heart-stopping footage of interactions between road users to reveal a shocking picture of life on Britain’s roads. The film will follow current cases as they go through the courts and revisit the tragic stories of some of those who have lost their lives on Britain’s roads," goes the gumpf. CEO of Leopard Films, the company that produced the documentary, adds: "This timely documentary highlights a growing issue on Britain’s roads, from the viewpoint of both the motorist and the cyclist. BBC One is the perfect home for this insightful and at times shocking film."

It'll make good viewing, of course, but cyclists and drivers have raised concerns. To make Britain's roads safer for both groups (which, since the majority of adult cyclists also drive, are not really distinct groups at all), we need to increase awareness among a minority of cyclists and drivers that both have equal rights. Polarising them, either in reality or in the public mind, is not the way to do this; this film, and its ridiculously sensationalist title, helps nobody.

It's not yet known when the documentary will be screened.

Smirk's helmet masks

German company Smirk Masks has launched a range of what it calls "fixed gear helmet masks," which would seem - as the name suggests - to be aimed at fixie riders, though this is apparently not the case: "You can use all our masks to ride your fixie if you like, although that was just an idea we had to give the people the chance to look as cool as their bikes," says Smirk himself, also known as graphic artist Mirco Erbe.

Inspired by hockey masks and sci-fi headgear, the high price (around £600) will put most people off - as will the fact that, since they're not approved safety gear, they're not really suited to cycling at all. As for the aesthetics... personally, I like, even though they're not for me; though not everyone will like them - but hey, "denim effect" lycra shorts have been considered stylish within living memory, so there's every chance that Smirk's creations will make an appearance among the more trustafarian branches of fixie hipster society in a city near you soon.

Hit and run river side-swipes cyclists, caught on helmetcam

Newswire
Britain
Festival of cycling in Alford (Donside Piper and Herald)

Worldwide
Cycling your way to a healthier life (Hello!)

World Naked Bike Ride: the environmental protest with a difference (Ecologist)

Fatal bike trail wreck raises safety concerns (Mansfield News Journal, Ohio)

How to get urban dwellers cycling: make it normal (Globe and Mail, Vancouver)

Daily Cycling Facts 27.04.12

Emile Faingnaert

The Ronde van Vlaanderen was held on this day in 1947, when it was won by Emiel Faingnaert. After retiring from racing, Faingnaert ran a bike shop for many years in his hometown Sint-Martens-Lierde where there is now a monument dedicated to his memory.

The Vuelta a Espana began on this day in 1962, 1967, 1972, 1976 and 1992. Jacques Anquetil had already won two Tours de France and a Giro d'Italia by this point and he entered the 1962 edition, which included 17 stages and covered 2,806km, leaving nobody in any doubt that he was there to become the first man to have won all three Grand Tours - it was generally agreed that he stood a better chance than anyone else of doing so, too; but Fate, being what it is, saw to it that he did not and a gastric condition that kept him away from the General Classification leadership, prevented him from winning any stages and, eventually, caused him to abandon the race. However, the Saint Raphael-Helyett team remained all but invincibly strong with him out of action and then in his absence; team mates Rudi Altig and Seamus Elliot (the first Irish rider to make an impact on the European cycling circuit, who would tragically commit suicide four years after retiring in 1967) swapped the red jersey (which distinguished the race leader during that period) back and forth between themselves throughout the race. Elliot led for a total of nine stages, but then rode a disastrous Stage 15 time trial that saw him finish overall in third place with a disadvantage of 7'17" behind Altig - the first German to win a Vuelta (the Irish would have to wait more than a quarter of a century for their first win, courtesy of Sean Kelly in 1988).

Jan Janssen

1967 consisted of 18 stages, two split, covering 2,940.5km in total. Jan Janssen became the first Dutch rider to win and took the Points competition too. Stages 5 and 16 were won by Tom Simpson - his final Grand Tour victories before his death on Mont Ventoux during Stage 13 at the Tour de France later that year.

1972 once again consisted of 18 stages, two split, the total distance this time being 3,079km. José Manuel Fuente, one of the few riders of the day capable of doing battle and occasionally beating Eddy Merckx (who would not enter the Vuelta until the following year, when he won), won both the General Classification and the King of the Mountains.

In 1976 there were 19 stages, covering 3,340km. José Pesarrodona won, beating Luis Ocaña (who had been Merckx's other main rival) by 1'03", largely on account of a superb Stage 19b time trial where he finished just one second behind stage winner Dietrich Thurau. A Belgian rider, Eric Jacques - then virtually unknown and now virtually forgotten - took a surprise second place in Stage 8, sufficient to put him at the top of the General Classification leadership. Looking at the rest of his career, it comes as somewhat less of a surprise that he failed a doping control after the stage. In those pre-Festina, Puerto and Giro Blitz days the punishments for doping were considerably less than they are today and he received no penalty other than being docked ten minutes; it was, however, enough to ruin his chances and he finished the race in 16th place overall.

Tony Rominger

1992 included 20 stages and covered 3,395km. The race was open right from the start after favourites Stephen Roche, Robert Millar, Erik Breukink and Steven Rooks all showed up on noticeably less-than-first-rate form, leaving most people undecided between Tony Rominger and Pedro Delgado - but then Rominger crashed and was left with an injured knee and concussion which caused him to lose three minutes in the Stage 6 time trial. Meanwhile, Breukink had recovered somewhat and won the stage, though with only a slight advantage over surprise second place Jesús Montoya - hitherto known purely as a climber, Montoya's time was sufficient to put him into the overall lead. However, Rominger would also recover fast and, two stages later when the race ventured into France to climb 1,720m Luz Ardiden in the Pyrenees, he dropped all of his rivals one by one - while he would never catch a breakaway led by eventual stage winner Laudelino Cubino and put himself back into contention. Montoya, leading since Stage 6, began to worry after Pedro Delgado was fastest up Lagos de Covadonga to win Stage 13, and from that point on concentrated on beating him; managing to retain the leadership through to Stage 17. The big mistake they both made was in forgetting about Rominger who was working hard to claw his way back up and took a decisive win in the Stage 18 time trial, putting himself into the overall leadership. From that point onwards he was unstoppable and cemented his race victory when he also won the following stage. It would be the first time the Vuelta had ever been won by a Swiss rider and the first step along the way to becoming the first man to win in three consecutive years.

Obree's 1994 Hour Record

Obree aboard "Old Faithful"
(public domain image)

On this day in 1994, Nuneaton-born Scottish cyclist Graeme Obree set the second of his two Hour Records; both classified among the Human Effort records achieved on bikes with notable differences to that ridden by Eddy Merckx when he set his own record in 1972 and which was decided to be the approved "standard" bike by the UCI.

In fact, Obree's bike - "Old Faithful" - was very different to the one used by Merckx. For a start, he'd built it himself and it was ridden in an extremely unconventional style. Rather than the drip handlebars used on most track and road bikes, the bars were positioned further back, creating a much shorter distance between them and the saddle (known as "reach"). He would then rider with his upper torso over the bars which he gripped below his chest, thus achieving a streamlined profile similar to that of a skier. The custom bottom bracket was much narrower than standard and elevated chain stays allowed the use of straight cranks, thus permitting him to keep his knees in, and a single-sided streamlined fork reduced the frontal area of the bike. It also featured bearings taken from a washing machine - after noticing that parts in some machines rotate at speeds as high as 1,200rpm, he reasoned that the bearings must therefore be of better quality than those used in bikes. He later regretted telling people this, as the bearings story proved to be of especial appeal to journalists who would concentrate on them alone and ignore the innovation on show in the rest of the bike.

"Old Faithful" doesn't look fast at first glance. In fact, it looks a bit like a folding shopper bike and it wouldn't be unfair to say it's not the most aesthetically-pleasing steed ever to hit the velodrome. However, it's very fast indeed and aboard it Obree covered 52.713km in sixty minutes - almost half a kilometre more than previous record holder Chris Boardman. Shortly afterwards, the UCI banned the bike and Obree's riding position.


Today marks the anniversary of the 1979 birth of Scottish professional cyclist James McCallum, who was born in Glasgow and currently rides for Rapha-Condor-Sharp. A natural athlete, McCallum competed in several sports before deciding to concentrate on cycling and, in 2001, became Scottish National Kilo Champion, then British Circuit Race Champion in 2007. Nowadays, he runs Mach 10 - a sports coaching company he set up - and is involved with Champions in Schools, a charity that aims to educate schoolchildren in the benefits of a healthy lifestyle and provide them with access to sport.

Jayme Richardson-Paris is a Paralympian cyclist born in New South Wales on this day in 1989. She began her athletic career as a swimmer but instinctively felt that it was not the sport she would excel in and, after looking around, settled on cycling. This provided her with more difficulties than it does for most people: whilst Jayme was still in the womb, her mother suffered a uterine rupture. After performing an emergency caesarean birth, doctors believed she was dead. Fortunately, both mother and baby survived; but a part of Jayme's brain had been damaged, leaving her with cerebellar ataxia (a condition that makes coordinated movements difficult, leading to "chronic clumsiness"), gross motor retardation and epilepsy. With therapy, her condition improved sufficiently for her to be picked to compete in National events and she began winning races - a lot of races, including twelve in 2011 alone. Her ambition is now to win two gold medals at the 2012 Paralympics in London.

The Basque time trial expert Jonathan Castroviego was born in Getxo on this day in 1987 and joined Euskaltel-Euskadi in 2010 - an unusual choice for the team, as it's traditionally been made up of climbers and specialises in winning gruelling mountain races, but one that paid off the following year when he won the Tour de Romandie after beating Taylor Phinney by 0.27" in the individual time trial. Earlier that year at Tirreno-Adriatico, he had beaten Cadel Evans and David Zabriskie in a time trial - evidence that, as he enters his best years over the coming four seasons, he will emerge as a serious talent.

Other births: Petra Walczewski (Switzerland, 1968); Roel Paulissen (Belgium, 1976); Riho Suun (USSR, 1960); Santia Tri Kusuma (Indonesia, 1981); Rory Gonsalves (Antigua and Barbuda, 1979); Gianfranco Contri (Italy, 1970); Sergey Tereshchenkov (USSR, 1938, died 2006); Aleksey Kolesov (Kazakhstan, 1984); Harry Steevens (Netherlands, 1945); Gilson Alvaristo (Brazil, died 1956); José Luis Tellez (Mexico, 1938).