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Doug Report Daily Cycling News Archive

Cyclocross LIVE stream - 2014 UCI Cyclocross World Cup at Namur.

Sunday: UCI Cyclocross World Cup at Namur, Belgium.  Live coverage for the elite women race gets underway at 1:25pm CET (7:25am U.S. Eastern).  Live coverage for the elite men race gets underway at 2:45pm CET (8:45am U.S. Eastern).

Sven Nys withdraws from Sunday's Namur World Cup.

Sven Nys has opted to withdraw from Sunday’s fourth round of the cyclo-cross World Cup in Namur following a lacklustre showing at the Bpost Bank Trofee in Essen on Saturday.

Nys lost his lead at the top of the overall standings of the Bpost Bank Trofee when he could only manage 13th place on Saturday, over three minutes down on Wout Van Aert. Van Aert has now moved into the overall lead in the standings, and holds an advantage of 1:50 over Nys.

GP Rouwmoer Essen... LIVE.

20 December - GP Rouwmoer Essen (bpost).

It's called GP Rouwmoer, but they should really consider changing that name to GP Zdenek Stybar. If Nys can have his own race, then why can't Stybs? He lives in Essen with his - I'm sorry Albertina - wife. Tom Meeusen and Bart Aernouts also live in Essen, but neither have a rainbow jersey, so Stybar gets dibs on the racename for now (even though it isn't known yet if he'll shown up for this race). The funnest bits of GP Rouwmoer are swooping turns in the forest, and then that one corner where they have steps right at the end of a U-turn. Cruel. Lovely.

Andy Schleck: Yes I miss cycling.

Andy Schleck, who walked away from cycling at the end of the season after permanently damaging his knee, has admitted in an interview with Luxembourg newspaper Le Quotidien that he already misses cycling.

“The doctors told me that I would need a new knee by the time I was 35,” Schleck told Le Quotidien during an interview at his home in Mondorf. “It all scared me. That's what I said in my press conference to announce the end of my career. But now I miss it.”

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 ...

 (cyclingnews.com)

Talks ongoing for 2016 Tour of Ireland return.

Although the Tour of Ireland will not take place next season, talks are still ongoing for the race to return to the international calendar as soon as 2016. Plans for the revival of the race were announced during the Giro d’Italia’s visit to Ireland in May.

The most recent iteration of the Tour of Ireland last took place in 2009 but was discontinued following cuts in the sponsorship provided by the Irish tourism board, Fàilte Ireland. Organizer Darach McQuaid of Shadetree Sports said that he has held talks with potential backers from the private sector in the wake of the Giro start, as well as with television partners.

Jens Voigt: Last Action Hero.

Inaugural Tour of Montana offers multi-day pro race in 2015.

Scheduling conflict could torpedo Vuelta’s women’s ‘La Course’.

What Can’t Sanne Cant Do? The Strong Challenger Will Be Tested Against Vos This Weekend.

Nys' coach: He is on the right path.

Dowsett to attempt hour record in 2015.

Pantani biographer sees little to celebrate on anniversary of Italian’s death.

Matt Rendell, the English journalist who wrote the definitive biography on Marco Pantani, has watched with a mix of bemusement and disgust as the media has tried to outdo itself to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the death of the Italian cyclist.

“I am not enjoying the spectacle of the media today,” Rendell told VeloNews on Friday. “All of this so-called commentary, it feels so self-indulgent and profit-oriented, and not entirely honest. The media itself are often times doped.”

Five riders to watch out for in 2015.

The big stars and races draw the most attention ahead of 2015, but some pro cyclists should be noted for their 2014 season and what they could accomplish in 2015.

The five listed here are ear-marked by their teams. They often help other riders, but will have their chance to gain experience and win. The best example, and the oldest at 26 of our riders to watch for 2015, is Andrew Talansky. Garmin took him to the Critérium du Dauphiné and Tour de France, and got plenty in return.

These riders have already showed promise, so it should come as no surprise at all to see them listed, but more result should follow in 2015.

Allan Peiper analyzes 2015 BMC roster.

BMC Racing Team has undergone a huge change this offseason. Gone are old heads like Cadel Evans and Thor Hushovd, replaced with younger men like Jempy Drucker and Damiano Caruso. Sporting Director Allan Peiper discussed the 2015 team.

"I think losing Cadel is a void that we can’t fill up overnight," Peiper said during the team’s training camp this week. "There is a danger of having too much youth. While you’re waiting for them to develop in the appropriate time that they need, you need to heal a void where you might have to sacrifice some results."

Evans hasn’t retired yet, but will do so after riding the Tour Down Under and the Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race, meaning he will be out of the team by February and someone else will need to lead at the Giro d’Italia. Hishovd has retired and leaves gap in the Classics roster. Samuel Sanchez has also left the team, meaning there is an Ardennes spot and a GC leadership at a Grand Tour up for grabs. But BMC has brought in some great young riders to fill these gaps

Cyclists are… How others see us (according to Google).

"Cyclists are a “hazard,” “untrustworthy,” a “nuisance” and “idiots.” That at least is the impression given by users of the search engine Google.co.uk, with its autocomplete feature adding those words, in that order, to any search beginning “cyclists are … “

After seeing a post on Facebook from Peloton Magazine that flagged up the most common autocomplete phrases for “Cyclists are …" on Google.com, we decided to conduct our own research."

Insider Course Details and Tune-Up Workouts for the 2015 US Cyclocross National Championships in Austin, Texas-Carmichael Training Systems.

While speaking with famed course designer Pete Webber, Carmichael Training Systems Coach Josh Whitmore examined the features and nuances of Zilker Park, host site of the 2015 Cyclocross National Championship. While there will always be beneficial mainstays of training for cyclocross, including group Wednesday Night Worlds practice, as well as threshold and VO2 Max intervals, riders looking for an extra edge can tailor a training plan that matches the conditions they will face come the second week in January.

Ritchey WCS Zeta II road wheelset - long-term.

BikeRadar verdict: 4.5 out of 5 stars. "Great everyday road wheels - reasonably fast and light but also fantastically tough and durable "

Kangert: It is unfair to call us all dopers.

PEZ: Daily Distractions.

(pezcyclingnews.com)

Cookson 'still determined to act' on Astana WorldTour license.

Brian Cookson has said that he will take action on Astana’s WorldTour license if evidence compromising the team emerges from the Padova-based doping investigation, warning that “the game isn’t over.”

Despite a recent run of positive tests, Astana’s 2015 WorldTour registration was ratified ten days ago, pending an audit of their practices by the University of Lausanne. The UCI is also awaiting receipt of a 550-page dossier from the Padova investigation, which is centred on the activities of the banned Dr. Michele Ferrari. Reports in the Italian press earlier this month claimed that the Astana team was implicated in the inquiry.

BMC: We wanted to keep Sanchez.

Sports manager of the BMC racing team Allan Peiper has admitted that the American team had wished to keep Samuel Sanchez in its ranks in 2015 but failed to reach a financial agreement.

The Australian coach regrets being unable to retain the Spaniard but neither wanted to do it at any price. "We could not find a common ground. The team wanted to keep him and Samu wanted to stay with the team, but the proposals we made ​​earlier in the season were not accepted," Peiper told Velonews. "So we found other riders to sign. Sometimes that's the game you have to play with the managers."

Santambrogio receives support from new team.

Mauro Santambrogio receives the full backing from his new employer which believes that his human rights may have been violated. 

This afternoon Amore & Vita - Selle SMP have finally responded to the fact that their new signing Mauro Santambrogio has tested positive for testosterone. The continental team has issued a press release with statements from Ivano and Christian Fanini who want to express their solidarity with the rider while also underlining that they will pursue the matter. (cyclingquotes.com)

Top Rides: Paris?

Paris, France – the city of love, the Eiffel Tower, le Louvre and… traffic jams. Could Paris really be a destination for a ‘Top Ride’? Well, yes as just 35km South-West of the capital is the gorgeous Vallée de Chevreuse where the cows, sheep and forest replace the hustle and bustle of the big city making it an ideal playground for cyclists.

12 Days of Dig: Day 7.

"Yesterday it was casual style on and off the bike, today it’s all about raising your game on the club ride. Toss out last year’s team kit, leave your ‘Everest Challenge’ finisher’s jersey in the drawer. Pour on the style and the watts with these items from Day 7 of Dig."

Brailsford starting over again with Sky in 2015.

After a disappointing 2014 season, the brains behind the Team Sky operation, Dave Brailsford, is going back to the drawing board for his team’s tactics for 2015.

“Rather than talking about tweaking things it’s more of a belt and braces, blank sheet of paper, let’s start again way of thinking,” he enthusiastically tells Cyclingnews as he navigates through Palma airport on route to Monaco.

“We’re going into our sixth season and at certain points we’ve evolved during that time but every now and then you have to look at it with a fresh pair of eyes. That’s what I’ve tried to do in terms of looking at what we do, how we do it and there’s been a lot of analysis. Then it’s a case of putting it all together for the start of the new season,” he explains.

Video: Caterham Duo Cali details and first-ride impressions.

Armstrong associates Stapleton and Knaggs try to negotiate settlement in Department of Justice legal case.

North American Cyclocross Man of the Year: Jeremy Powers.