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Doug Report Daily Cycling News Archive

Froome confirms he’ll race 2015 Tour de France.

Sky’s Chris Froome will attempt a repeat of his 2013 win at the 2015 Tour de France in July instead of focusing on the other two grand tours.

“The concept of doing all three grand tours in a season has got appeal but having said that, I know how hard it is to do two grand tours while targeting the overall win,” Froome said Tuesday on Sky’s website.

“At this point in my career I feel that the Tour takes priority. There may come a time at some point down the line where other races may take preference, but for 2015, it’s the Tour.”
(velonews.com)

Powers Rocks the Stairs at Milton Keynes, Reflects on His Race Afterwards.

After the astonishing top ten finish in the Valkenburg World Cup this year, everyone had high expectations for Jeremy Powers at the first World Cup event outside Continental Europe. No one had higher expectations than Powers himself, however, and at the end of the day, you couldn’t help but feel that he didn’t want to walk away with a top-25. Still, the crowd was set fully behind him. Especially as he was one of the few riders able to take on the massive steps.
(cxmagazine.com)

World’s top sprinters to tackle the 14th Tour of Qatar 

The Tour of Qatar is again shaping up to be a sprinter’s showcase. The February race is set to attract Marcel Kittel, who won four stages of the 2014 Tour de France, Alexander Kristoff, who claimed two Tour stages last year, as well as Milano-Sanremo, and the Tour’s green jersey champion, Peter Sagan.

French cycling fans will have an eye on national champion Arnaud Démare and his soon-to-be former teammate Nacer Bouhanni, who won the points competition in the Giro d’Italia, and will ride for Cofidis in 2015. Démare claimed 15 victories in 2014, and Bouhanni is a five-time stage winner at the grand tours (Giro and Vuelta)
(velonews.com)

Farrar: It’s a challenge to step out of your comfort zone.

"After seven years, you kind of slide into a role with a team and it's very easy to stay within your boundaries," Farrar said. "It is a bit of a challenge to step out of your comfort zone but I think that it is really good."
(cyclingquotes.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 ...

Horner Interview: ‘I’m Back For Round 3 In The US’.

On Monday, US continental team Airgas-Safeway announced that it had signed veteran American rider Chris Horner for 2015.

That news brought to an end lots of speculation as to whether Horner, the winner of the Vuelta a España in 2013, would even be racing again next year.

Having turned 43 in October, he’d had a tricky season with UCI World Tour team Lampre-Merida in 2014.
(pelotonmagazine.com)

2015 Campagnolo Super Record groupset.

While the brake calipers, chain, and cassette are unchanged (save for a new wide-range 11-29T option on the cassette), the rest of the group has undergone a rather massive transformation – and nowhere is that more evident than in the new four-arm crankset. The more modern aesthetic is undoubtedly more polarising than its predecessor's more classic lines but it truthfully does look better in person than pictures might otherwise suggest.

More importantly, the new (and truly massive) spider now allows for compact, semi-compact, and standard chainrings to all fit on the same crankarm, plus each ring now bolts directly to the arm for reduced flex, which bodes well for shift performance under load. Meanwhile, a titanium axle and hollow carbon fibre arms keep the actual weight of our 170mm-long, compact setup to just 606g, plus another 76g for the matching PF86 press-fit bottom bracket cups.
(bikeradar.com)

News shorts: Europcar WorldTour license delayed, Sanchez races Spanish cyclo-cross.

Teunissen breaks collarbone, Julien Antomarchi to Roubaix Lille Metropole.
(cyclingnews.com)

AngryAsian: Don't let bad drivers break your spirit.

My wife was nearly taken out the other day by a driver who saw her but still buzzed her at speed. She was visible, she was in the bike lane, she was well within the speed limit – basically doing everything she should have been doing. This was a sad reminder that what happens out on the open road isn't always in our hands – but damn it, that still isn't going to keep me from riding.

All sorts of emotions went through my head when she recounted the story upon arriving back home, still visible shaken. At first, I was mostly relieved that while she almost got hit, she didn't actually get hit. But the more I thought about it, that sense of relief was wholly replaced by anger – rage, even.
(bikeradar.com)

Storck Bicycle celebrates 20th anniversary with special frames.

Founded in Germany by Markus Storck in 1995, Storck Bicycle is now celebrating its 20th anniversary with limited-edition framesets and accesories.

Selected Storck frame models such as Aernario, Aerfast, Visioner CSL, Scenero, Rebel Nine and Rebel Seven will be available with the special 20th Anni paint and featuring special 20th Anni accessories.
(bicycleretailer.com)

Chris Horner signs with Airgas-Safeway.

Compton, Wildhaber Win Milton Keynes Sunday C2 Race.

Uran: “It's time to win something big.”

Bradley Wiggins to ride the Giro d’Italia?

2014 Report Card: Orica-GreenEdge.

Nobeyama Cyclocross Day 2 Results & Video: Italians Dominate Again, Zach McDonald Second.

Why we race: The psychology of winning and learning.

For any given bike race there can only be one winner. For many of us, a win may come only once in a season and that one fleeting moment is what makes it so highly addictive. Some of us will even never get experienced that indescribable feeling. We're all competitive for different reasons and in this article Justin Coulson takes a look at the motivations behind the desire to race and to win.
(cyclingtips.com.au)

Julich to train Sagan, with major classic as target.

Peter Sagan begins a new chapter of his career in 2015 when he will suit up in a different jersey for the first time since turning pro in 2010 with Liquigas/Cannondale.

For the coming season, Sagan has clearly stated that a “big win” is the top priority in his move to Tinkoff-Saxo in a high-profile, three-year deal. In an interview with the Spanish daily MARCA, Sagan confirmed he will be working with Bobby Julich as his primary coach and trainer.

“I only know that from now on, my trainer will be Bobby Julich,” Sagan told MARCA. “He will be my third trainer of my career, after Paolo Slongo and, this year, Sebastian Weber.”
(velonews.com)

Albert: Until last week I still believed in a comeback.

In May, Niels Albert created a shock in the cyclo-cross scene: he announced his retirement due to serious heart problems. He has stayed in the cycling world as sports director of the Vastgoestservice team where he has been successful with Wout van Aert. But apparently he was making comeback plans until last week. He reveals his secrets in his column in Het Laatste Nieuws.

"It's final: I will never ride again," Albert makes clear right from the beginning. "I have known that for a week, after a long chat with Professor Marc Willing, an authority in pediatric cardiology."

"Only now - six months later - I fully understand how serious my problem, and here I will confess: until last Monday, I still believed in a comeback.
(cyclingquotes.com)

Cycling Australia's Italian road base hit by thieves.

The Cycling Australia road service course centre in Italy has become the latest target of bicycle thieves in Italy with the national federation losing "significant" amounts of equipment ahead of the 2015 season.

Professional bicycle theft in Europe has become an unwanted feature on the cycling calendar with Team Sky, Europcar, RadioShack, Cannondale and the Russian national team all victims of theft in recent years. This week, thieves successfully broke into the Cycling Australia base in Varese as Cycling Australia's National Performance Director Kevin Tabotta explained.
(cyclingnews.com)

No Wiggins in London Track World Cup.

Great Britain team director Shane Sutton confirmed today that Bradley Wiggins will not race in the upcoming UCI Track World Cup in London.

Sutton also cast doubts on reports that Wiggins is considering racing the Giro d'Italia in 2015. The plans of the former Tour de France champion have been the subject of great speculation in recent weeks. Wiggins has made it clear he aims to target the track events at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio and will attempt to break the Hour Record in June, but also said he intends to race Paris-Roubaix.
(cyclingnews.com)

An inspirational letter from Helen Wyman to future cyclocross stars.

Eight-time British Cyclocross champion Helen Wyman has urged budding CX riders to stick with the sport, despite its lack of Olympic status.

In an open letter posted on her website, Wyman insists that riders can make a successful and lucrative career in CX, a career which opens up opportunities to travel the world and compete in televized races in front of 10,000 fans.

“I want you all to know that cyclocross is a good career path as a cyclist,” she said in the letter. “You don’t have to be an MTB rider, or a track rider.
(cyclingweekly.co.uk)

Preventing dropped chains: No ’cross drivetrain is fool-proof.

Days spent stretching, prepping, and gluing tubulars. More time each week washing and tuning bikes than actually training on them. Seeking, always seeking, that perfect, mechanical-free race. Then, on race day, the chain drops. Seconds and places flood past.

You’re not alone.

Sven Nys dropped his chain at the Milton Keynes World Cup, and based on how he rode the rest of the race, from last to eighth place, it may have cost him the win.
(velonews.com)

Nauman, Bourdevaire Give Thanks at Turkey Trot in SoCalCross Prestige Series.

The legend of the Turkey Trot ‘Cross grew wings in 2014, as an already engaging course was made even more rousing with the arrival of the region’s first significant rain event in, oh, forever. Turkey Trot presented by Montrose Bike shop has been taking place at Glendale’s Verdugo Park for nine years now, making it the longest-running CX race in SoCal. There are numerous compelling reasons for this.
(cxmagazine.com)

How to clean your bike quickly.

Washing your road or mountain bike after riding can be a pain, but giving it a quick clean can help to keep it in good working order, make components last longer and save you money.

Cleaning your bike regularly helps prevent build-up of dirt and grease that would otherwise chew through your moving mechanical parts – especially your drive train. Washing your bike after riding in muddy or wet conditions is even more important.
(bikeradar.com)

Felt Bicycles Recalls 2015 F65X and F85X Cyclocross Bikes.

The CPSC announced today that Felt Bicycles is recalling two 2015 aluminum cyclocross models, the F65X and F85X. The recall is constrained to the 2015 models and impacts approximately 150 units. See the recall details from the CPSC.

If you know owners of these bikes, please spread the word.
(cxmagazine.com)

Toolbox: The Confidence Game.

Analysis: Cycling remains a faith game.

As the 2014 racing campaign fades into memory, by any measure, it was a firecracker of a season.

There was absolutely fantastic racing from start to finish, across the classics, the stage races, and the grand tours. From the Santos Tour Down Under to the Giro di Lombardia, every race was competitive, fraught with tension, and all but impossible to predict the winner.

Who would have tapped 24-year-old Michal Kwiatkowski as world champion? Or forecasted Chris Froome would not have made it out of the first week of the Tour de France?
(velonews.com)

What to do about Astana and Nibali?

What message does the sport and, critically, the UCI want to convey – and never mind to the fans, the TV companies, the sponsors or anyone else – to the teams? That even this is acceptable? No, they have to be turfed out.

We need regulations in place for this very scenario – multiple positives from a single team. Indeed, we need serious and enforceable penalties in place for a single positive on a given team. A fine and a reduction of UCI points perhaps, as well as maybe a ‘strike’ against the team that could be cancelled after say 3 years, unless the number of strikes increase. Three in three years and you’re out? Maybe.

But five in three months? It’s mind-numbingly negligent at very best.
(crankpunk.com)

Crunch time for Astana’s WorldTour license.

Team Astana, after five doping cases, will know its fate in the coming week as the UCI is set to announce which teams will receive WorldTour licenses for 2015.

Cycling’s governing body told VeloNews that it will confirm a possible 18 teams for its WorldTour series next week, Wednesday at the latest, one week later than originally planned. Astana already has a license for 2015, but the body asked its license committee to review it due to “serious concerns” stemming from the doping positives.
 (velonews.com)

Kreuziger’s public defense raises further questions about doping case.

The denial had echoes of another rider who also previously worked with Michele Ferrari: Lance Armstrong.

On Saturday Roman Kreuziger released a statement, which began with these words.

“My name is Roman Kreuziger. I am a professional cyclist. I have never tested positive for doping.”

The statement went on to proclaim his innocence of the biological passport manipulations he is accused of by the UCI, but that opening section was redflagged by many on Twitter.

They wanted to know why Kreuziger had used the ‘never tested positive’ line oft quoted by Armstrong and other doping riders, rather than a clear statement that he had never used performance enhancing drugs.
(cyclingtips.com.au)

Lennard Zinn: A personal rememberence of Steve Hed.

Last week, we lost Steve Hed, one of cycling’s greatest innovators. I lost a good friend whose constant, selfless generosity I could never reciprocate. And perhaps most shocking is that a man my age, with seemingly many productive years ahead of him and with so much to live for, could just walk out of the door of the business he had built over three decades, fall, and never wake up. It leaves such a sudden and gaping hole — in his family, in the cycling community, and in the huge number of friendships he forged over the years through his caring ways.

I feel fortunate to have been friends with Steve Hed for almost 30 years. During that time, he was very generous with his time and expertise with me, and I know I was merely one of thousands that he assisted this way.
(velonews.com)

Bouhanni to turn to boxing after his cycling career.

Nacer Bouhanni has expressed his wish to try his hand as a professional boxer when his cycling career comes to an end. The French sprinter was a competitive fighter in his youth before switching to cycling and each year, he incorporates boxing into his winter training regimen.

“I’ll stop cycling around 32 years of age and that will leave me at least two years to go as high as I can in boxing,” Bouhanni told L’Équipe. “Just like as a cyclist, I’ll be 100 percent invested in it.”
(cyclingnews.com)

News shorts: Tour Mediterranean at risk, Paris-Nice starts in Yvelines.

2015 Giro Rosa to start in Slovenia, Moolman Pasio awarded.
(cyclingnews.com)

The best cheap road bikes: ridden and rated.

One of the great strengths of the bike trade is the idea of ‘trickle down’ technology: the idea that what might be currently found on only premium products will one day be available on even entry-level bikes in years to come. History has proven this idea again and again — relatively low-cost road bikes today include technology that would have been unthinkable in that price range even a few years ago.

Component brands are particularly adept at passing down the innovations of higher model ranges to its cheap road bikes range in following seasons. Take Shimano, for example. Whenever the Japanese giant brings out a new version of the Tiagra groupset it tends to bear an uncanny likeness to the older version of the higher-end 105 groupset.
(cyclingweekly.co.uk)

New product roundup featuring Fizik, Brooks, Topeak and Walz.

Check out new shoes, saddles, helmets and caps, plus glow-in-the-dark components.
(road.cc)

PEZ: EuroTrash Andy Monday!