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Doug Report Daily Cycling News Archive

Bradley Wiggins will set unbeatable Hour Record, says former holder.

Former Hour Record holder Ole Ritter has said that Bradley Wiggins will set a distance in the iconic track challenge that will be virtually impossible for his rivals to beat.
Ritter was a great time triallist who set a number of world records on the track, including the Hour Record in 1968. It was the Danish rider’s Hour Record that Eddy Merckx broke in 1972, which in turn became the mark for the Athlete’s Hour passed by Chris Boardman in 2000. (cyclingweekly.co.uk)

This Week in Cross: Niel, Asper-Gavere... One of Which Is Awesome.

After winning this weekend's U23 European Championship, Van Aert took a barb at van der Poel for skipping the event Saturday, saying "the absent are always in the wrong" about his Dutch rival, whatever that means. But van der Poel had saved himself for Ruddervoorde the following day, where he took second, and remarked that he's not doing very many U23 events where he could show his European jersey off anyway, had he shown up and won.
In their minds they are they truly rivals or two teenagers who dislike each other? (podiumcafe.com)

Meeusen unsurprised by Ruddervoorde victory.

By winning the third round of the Superprestige cyclo-cross series on the redesigned technical course in Ruddervoorde, Tom Meeusen reminded everybody that he's a rider to take into account. The Belgian rider knew a big win was coming up sooner rather than later, and warm, dry weather created course conditions that suited his speed.
"Last week I already knew I would be in the mix for the win today. Also because I know the course suits me perfectly. I preferred the old course but over here I could even win when I'm not in top form," Meeusen said in Ruddervoorde. (cyclingnews.com)

Cross Crusade Seven: Cameron and Bishop Fly at Portland International Raceway – Race Reports.

Molly Cameron and Serena Bishop finessed their way over a challenging and fast circuit Sunday at Portland International Raceway to win the penultimate race of the 2014 Cross Crusade series. (cxmagazine.com)

Wells wins final day at Ruta; Parra and Leao claim overall.

Luis Leao Pinto was crowned the winner of La Ruta de los Conquistadores Saturday after crossing the finish line in sixth place in Playa Bonita, Limón. Thanks to a strong first-day performance, he won by more than six minutes over second place Luis Mejía.
After a dismal first day, Todd Wells, the race’s 2011 winner, got a bit of redemption, winning the final stage. (velonews.com)

Summerhill continues Derby City Cup winning streak.

Danny Summerhill repeated as winner in the Derby City Cup, taking out the second day of racing in Louisville by out-sprinting Ben Berden. Cameron Dodge was third.
Runner-up from the previous day, Jeremy Powers, did not take part in the event as he continues to focus his efforts on C1 races. (cyclingnews.com)

Dubai Tour toughens up for 2015.

The 2015 edition of the Dubai Tour will include a 17 per cent uphill finish overlooking the Hatta Dam and a 60 per cent increase in total race distance, with Vincenzo Nibali confirming during the official presentation that he will make his season debut at the race.
The second edition of the Dubai Tour will be held from February 4-7, with four road stages totalling 663 kilometres. The race, organized by the Dubai Sports Council in partnership with Giro d'Italia organizer RCS Sport, has been upgraded to 2.HC status and so 11 WorldTour squads and four other teams will make up the 128-rider start list. (cyclingnews.com)

2014-15 Races & Results.

Santos Tour Down Under 2015 - Jan 18-25 (Stages),

Dubai Tour 2015 - Feb 4-7 (Stages),

Giro d'Italia 2015 - May 9-31 (Stages),

Tour de France 2015 - July 4-26 (Stages),

UCI Road World Championship 2014 - Sept 20-27 (Results),

Vuelta a España 2014 - Aug 23-Sept 14 (Results),

Tour de France 2014  - July 5-27 (Results),

Giro d'Italia 2014 - May 9 - June 1 (Results),

More...

Come! Bike Day in Taiwan: The mad, the wet, and the beautiful.

"The first ever event of its kind to be held in Taiwan, it brought together roadies. MTB guys, trick bike dudes and a whole bunch of antique and classic bike fans for rides of varying distances around Sun Moon Lake, which sits just about in the middle of this beautiful country I’ve called home the past 4 years."

Cycling Monuments and the 2015 Tour / Giro.

'The Giro d'Italia and Tour de France recently announced their 2015 routes, and it struck me that both races would be visiting quite a few cycling monuments.
Now when I say monument, I mean statue, not the Classic races that are often called Monuments.  Although the Museo del Ghisallo along the route of the last Monument of the season - Giro del Lombardia - has some great cycling statues." (podiumcafe.com)

Shimano XTR Di2 Groupset Review.

"I would argue that mountain bike technology is more advanced and progressive than what we typically see on road bikes. The many variations of disciplines, relaxed UCI technical rules, and perhaps a tendency for riders to let go of traditions make the mountain bike an open slate for innovation and experimentation. However, the first bit of technology we’ve seen make the leap from road bikes to mountain biking in a long time is electronic shifting. I attended a media camp held by Shimano in the Margaret River area of Western Australia during the Cape to Cape mountain bike race and I got to experience for myself what XTR Di2 shifting was all about." (cyclingtips.com.au)

Buying Guide of Wheelsets.

"With their impossibly thin spokes, light and often skinny rims, and minimal hubs, bicycle wheels appear spider-web delicate, yet they're actually a marvel of engineering, remarkably strong and exceptionally well suited to cycling.
Here at the shop we like to think of wheels as your bicycle's wings. When they're old or heavy, or beat-up and knocked out of true, you wobble along and can barely enjoy riding. Meanwhile, nicely engineered hoops, built light and strong, let you soar over the road and trail with speed and precision " (mostsport.com)

Meeusen wins Superprestige in Ruddervoorde.

Pat Shaw to extend career with Avanti.

Cant takes over European crown from Wyman.

Dan Martin Interview: Lessons in success.

When Dan Martin shot away in the final kilometer of the Tour of Lombardy, comparisons were instantly drawn with Ireland's last winner of the Race of the Falling Leaves. Like Sean Kelly in 1991, we were told, he had salvaged his season by landing a classic victory at the death.
It's a funny thing, perspective, because the thought was not exactly weighing on Martin's mind when he lined up in Como that morning. (cyclingnews.com)

Utrecht paid €4 million to host 2015 Tour de France.

The Dutch city of Utrech will pay the organizers of the Tour de France Amaury Sport Organisation (ASO) a sum of four million euros to host the Grand Départ of the 2015 race. The purported amount was revealed in the Dutch media last week, but an official document - which details everything from the costs to the number of barriers needed – has now been made public on Utrecht.nl.
“The community agrees to pay a financial contribution to ASO of 4,000,000 € (four million euros) from tax in the terms and schedule,” the document, which is written in French, stated. (cyclingnews.com)

All about the bike: What happens when cycling becomes an ‘obsessive passion’.

If you're reading this there's every chance you love riding your bike. You might even be a little bit obsessed with cycling. But at what point does a passion for cycling become a problem? Psychologist Dr Justin Coulson ponders this question and considers what new psychology research suggests about the internal conflicts we can feel when cycling starts to take over our lives. (cyclingtips.com.au)

Julich: Return to Tinkoff Saxo feels like home.

Bobby Julich has described his move to Tinkoff-Saxo as ‘a bit like coming home’ after he re-joined the team he rode and coached for.
Julich joined Oleg Tinkov’s team earlier this month as Head Coach, and spent last week climbing Mount Kilimanjaro with his new colleagues. He knows the spine of the management at the team having ridden for Bjarne Riis for several years before then stepping up to coach the team after his retirement from racing in 2008. (cyclingnews.com)

The best attacks of the 2014 road season.

It’s difficult to pick out singular moments in a season packed full of race-defining tactics and attacks. No race is ever easy to win at the top of the elite men’s peloton, and 2014 seemed overflowing with thrills from January through October.
Every race has its drama, but a few electrifying flashes stand out. The elements magically aligned a few times in 2014, with the most important riders stamping their authority in the decisive moments of cycling’s most prestigious races. Be it in Paris-Roubaix, the world championships, or the Tour de France, this season was replete with great moments. It’s what makes bike racing so alluring, so maddening, and so compelling. (velonews.com)

Dani King on the road to recovery after Wiggle-Honda rider breaks five ribs and sustains collapsed lung in crash.

King, part of Great Britain's all-conquering women's pursuit team who also won gold at the London 2012 Olympics, broke five ribs and suffered a collapsed lung after crash during a training in South Wales last Thursday.
Stephen Fry, King's agent, confirmed to Telegraph Sport last week that the crash was caused by a pothole which later led to British Cycling demanding that local authorities increase their spend-per-head on the upkeep of roads. (telegraph.co.uk)

Ally Stacher eyes big results and business growth in 2015.

Valued for her work as a selfless teammate and domestique, Ally Stacher has big plans for 2015, both on and off the bike. Making the move to Optum-Kelly Benefit Strategies for next year, Stacher will bring years of high-caliber race experience from her tenure with both HTC-Highroad and Specialized-Lululemon.
Over her seven-year career, she’s competed in some of the world’s biggest races, including the Giro Rosa (formerly the Giro d’Italia Femminile), which she finished four times. (velonews.com)

Vuelta a Espana 2015 route ‘designed for Chris Froome’.

The Vuelta a España stage race, following the race director’s promise to Chris Froome, will include a flat time trial for its 2015 edition.
“Froome said after this year’s defeat, ‘Thank you, Javier, but could these time trials in the Vuelta be flatter?’,” Vuelta Director Javier Guillén told Spain’s El País newspaper.
“And I said to him then, ‘Next year, for the 2015 edition, the time trial will be planned in a flat region.’ And that began our conversation…” (cyclingweekly.co.uk)

No Sagan at the Tour de San Luis.

According to Ciclismo Internacional, Peter Sagan won't be at the start of the Tour de San Luis in 2015. Instead, the race may attract Mark Cavendish and Michal Kwiatkowski who have both been at the event in the past.
On Thursday, director of the San Luis Giovanni Lombardi will hold a press conference to announce the major teams and riders participating in the 9th edition of the race that will take place in January. (cyclingquotes.com)

News shorts: Cavendish to ride Zurich Six Days.

2015 Vuelta al Pais Vasco, Van Winden to Baku and Bronzini extends. (cyclingnews.com)

Half-baked ideas: KOM of the Day, ’Cross Fondos and more.

We run some crazy cycling ideas by experts. Their answers may surprise you. (bikeradar.com)

UCI Track World Cup Day 3: Australia tops medal tally.

At the conclusion of the first Track World Cup round of the 2014-15 season it was Australia who emerged on top of the medal table with three gold medals, two silver and one bronze.
Matthew Glaetzer was on the right side of two photo finishes in the men's sprint to claim the gold over former world champion Jason Kenny who beat the Australian when they last went head-to-head at the Commonwealth Games in August.
"I knew it was going to be super tough to beat Kenny because he seems to keep improving through a sprint competition," said Glaetzer. "So to beat him after he knocked me out of the Sprint in Glasgow was great, although I wasn't thinking about that aspect at the time." (cyclingnews.com)

PEZ: EuroTrash Curaçao Monday!

The Pantani investigations going nowhere, says biographer Rendell.

Marco Pantani’s death and 1999 Giro d’Italia legal inquiries are baseless and creating mistrust in Italy’s institutions, according to biographer Matt Rendell.
“The 1999 Giro case is based on one rumor after another, voices going around prison cells,” the English journalist told VeloNews.
“The murder case? All they have to do is to get people to talk about it, and it achieves its end. There won’t be another end because Pantani was clearly not murdered.”
The bald Italian climber won the 1998 Giro d’Italia and Tour de France, the last cyclist to win the double. From that high, his life quickly unravelled. (velonews.com)

Matt Cooke Interview: ‘You would never know their names if they had never taken drugs’.

"American former professional rider (he has just retired at 35) Matt Cooke came on the radar screens at crankpunk HQ when he commented on an article I wrote about dopers having those wonderful gran fraudos, as they do. we then chatted a little about doing an interview but never got round to it.
Then i saw a comment from Matt on a photo of Zabriskie, attending some awards dinner or something recently, where Matt basically said ‘dude you robbed me’, and I knew we had to get that interview done.
So here it is, unedited, unabridged. one thing i am sure of is that he means every word." (crankpunk.com)

Amgen: A sponsor we need for a sport in need?

"They’ve sponsored the Tour of California since its inception in 2006, and that must be a good thing, right? the sport needs sponsors and here is one willing to provide financial support for an entire race for several years, one that, briefly, looked to be on the edge of challenging the Giro d’Italia as a destination for the world’s top bike road racers.
But exactly what does Amgen do?" (crankpunk.com)

The Devil: A Photo Retrospective.

Pro cycling seems to be losing a lot of big names this year to retirement and to that long list we can add Didi Senft – better known as the “Devil”, the man who almost single-handedly created the roadside craze of dressing up in costume to cheer on the race. Here’s a look back at encounters with the man who started it all. (pezcyclingnews.com)

The UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling Team Announces 2015 Men’s Roster.

“We have a well-rounded and immensely capable squad assembled for 2015. When you have a sponsorship commitment into the future, like that of UnitedHealthcare, we have to think beyond results of today. We have hired some impressive talents for 2015 but also hired some young up-and-coming riders for the future. We’re excited to hit the road and start racing.” (uhcprocycling.com)

Mullen extends, Kruopis joins An Post Chainreaction Sean Kelly team.

Second in the world under 23 time trial championships, where he finished just .48 seconds behind Campbell Flakemore’s gold medal, Ryan Mullen has passed over offers from other teams and decided to spent another season with the An Post Chainreaction Sean Kelly squad.
The 20 year old rider was one of several names confirmed by the Irish-registered, Belgian-based Continental squad on Monday. Rather than moving elsewhere, the Irish Elite road race and under 23 time trial champion believes another year at his current team is the best option for his long-term development. .

Sufferfest indoor training videos now available through subscription-based app.

Sufferfest videos were previously available for individual download, with a limited number also on offer to premium Strava members, but the app provides access to more than 20 videos in an ‘all-you-can-suffer buffet’.
Each video works on a specific area of training, including speed, endurance, climbing, racing and style, with footage from a number of races, including the Tour de France, Tour of Flanders, Paris-Roubaix and Road World Championships, as well as on-screen instructions and music to provide motivation. (roadcyclinguk.com)

Bobridge on the road to Rio with Budget Forklifts.

Jack Bobridge and other members of the Australian team pursuit will join Budget Forklifts on the road next year in preparation for the 2016 Rio Olympic Games.
The partnership with Cycling Australia’s High Performance Unit will see team pursuit world champions Bobridge, Luke Davison, Glenn O’Shea and Mitchell Mulhern, and 2010 Commonwealth Games gold medalist, Scott Sunderland, bolster the team’s stocks. (sbs.com.au)

News shorts: Froome ties the knot in South Africa.

Belgian Sportsman of the Year nominees announced, USA win first World Cup omnium medal, Avanti sign former triathlete Davison. (cyclingnews.com)

Pedro’s Apprentice Tool Kit.

BikeRadar verdict: 2.5 out of 5 stars. "Solid, but a small and disappointing selection for the price." (bikeradar.com)

Cyclocross Race Bike Shootout: Jamis Supernova Team Review.

The new Jamis Supernova Team is a lot of things. Forgettable is not one of them. Between the Halloween’esqu color scheme and large and frequent logo placement, this bike looks like the cyclocross version of a NASCAR racer. And it’s a comparison that works beyond aesthetics. Indeed, this race-ready rig is built for ’cross competition. If you’re looking for a bike suitable for double duty as a gravel grinder or back-up roadster, we’d recommend looking elsewhere. (roadbikereview.com)

Cycling Australia to reveal Tour de France 'team of the century'.

In recognition and celebration of the 100th anniversary of Don Kirkham and Iddo 'Snowy' Munro becoming the first Australians to ride the Tour de France, Cycling Australia will name a nine-rider 'team of the century' later this month at the Jayco Australian Cyclist of the Year Awards. (cyclingnews.com)

Lance Armstrong pulls out of planned ride in Texas's Tour de Gruene time trial.

Gilbert enjoys one day of cyclo-cross.