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Doug Report Daily Cycling News Archive

Mathieu van der Poel wheelied across the finish line in celebration of his victory in the elite men's race at the Superprestige Diegem on Sunday. The young Dutchman won the race solo by a few second ahead of Tom Meeusen and Kevin Pauwels.

Rabo-Liv goes 1-2 as Marianne Vos wins Diegem Superprestige .

World cyclocross champion Marianne Vos continued her winning ways Sunday in Diegem, Belgium, taking the sixth round of the Superprestige series, four seconds ahead of teammate Pauline Ferrand-Prévot.

As it was at the World Cup event in Zolder on Friday, where U.S. national champion Katie Compton withdrew to asthma, the race in Diegem was a three-woman battle for supremacy between Vos, Czech national champion Katerina Nash, and Ferrand-Prévot, the French national champion.

Curtis White: Recovering between Zolder and Diegem.

"The 16 racers here for the USA Cycling Cyclo-cross Development Program's third block of racing take on a schedule unlike anything they’ve seen in the US. Today was the day after the World Cup in Zolder, and also the day before the Diegem Superprestige.

Days like today share equal importance with paying attention to details when recovering from the previous day’s effort, as well as preparing for the next day. That is the reality of racing in Belgium during the Kerstperiode - the time around Christmas and the New Year when there are races almost every day."

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)

Nys: I don't expect to be good in Diegem.

Last week Sven Nys decided to take a mental and physical rest to prepare for his comeback. "I don't want to be trapped in my own body anymore. If the feeling is bad, it will be hard to get back on track this season."

Nys has described the last week in his column in the Gazet van Antwerpen. "During the last week, I have barely been on the bike for a few hourse. On Friday morning, I rode for two hours and that was the longest workout of the week. In the first half, I was never on the bike.

He could not avoid to comment on the speculation that his poor performances have been caused by his divorce. "Does it bother me? Not really. It is not a pleasure but it is part of the game. However, there must be certain limits I think."

Van Aert wins in Bredene.

Young Wout Van Aert won the Versluys cyclo-cross race in Bredene, Belgium on a cold, wet and windy Saturday afternoon.

The 20-year-old Belgian rider was much stronger than the rest of the field on the muddy course through the dunes at the North Sea coast. Fellow youngsters Gianni Vermeersch and Tim Merlier – both 22 years old and riding for Sunweb-Napoleon Games – joined Van Aert on the podium. It's the eighth victory for Van Aert at the elite men's level this season. He also won six races in the men's under-23 category.

Race Radios Banned.

In recent years race radios have been a key part of team tactics in the big races, many times we’ve seen riders cup their ears to better hear a message relayed from the team car. Now in-race communications will be banned for all road races in 2015 according to a new UCI rule.

All change? Or just a new round of protest between the teams and the UCI and a test of authority for President Brian Cookson?

2015 Vuelta a Espana route taking shape.

The final route of the 2015 Vuelta a España will be officially announced in just under two weeks’ time on in Torremolinos, Málaga but the parcours is already taking shape. Details have been leaking out for the past few months and Spanish daily newspaper Marca has brought together these reports, which paints yet another tough, mountainous route punctuated by a long, flat time trial. There could be as many as 10 summit finishes over the three weeks

Race director Javier Guillén announced at the end of October that the Vuelta would start in the Costa del Sol in Puerto Banús, Marbella on August 22.

Nibali: Who did Froome have to beat? No one!

For Vincenzo Nibali, 2014 was a fruitful year as he added the Tour de France to his impressive palmares. In Sport/Voetbal magazine, the Italian looks back at his season with satisfaction even though he can't hide his frustration that he always has to defend his position as the deserved winner of the race.

Nibali may have won the Tour de France in commanding fashion but many fans are still not convined that he was the strongest rider in the race. Many claim that he would have been unable to beat Alberto Contador and Chris Froome if the two pre-race favorites hadn't crashed out of the race.

However, Nibali is frustrated that he always has to justity his win.

Metamorphosis: An exclusive interview with Bradley Wiggins.

It was the moment Bradley Wiggins dreaded most. Lights, camera, questions.

Over the past two years, “Sir Wiggo” — seven-time Olympic medalist, Britain’s first Tour de France champion, a knight of the British Empire — has become something much bigger than an athlete: A celebrity. A reluctant celebrity, never more under the microscope than at a press conference, a hostage under bright lights, where a row of cameras and a room full of journalists scrutinize his every word, his every facial expression, his every exhalation.

For someone like Wiggins, a self-proclaimed introvert, a press conference might as well be an interrogation; the primary difference being that the questions are often either more banal, or more accusatory. It’s a part of the job, a necessary evil.

CONI head believes Nibali is always clean.

Nibali hopes to lead Italy at 2016 Olympic Games.

Adam Myerson's Inside Dirt: How Vos won the Zolder World Cup.

PEZ: Daily Distractions.

(pezcyclingnews.com)

David Rome: Best of Home Wrench 2014.

Another twist in the Neri Sottoli tale.

There is another twist in the case against Neri-Sottoli getting a Pro Continental license. This time, the prpblem are riders who race for the team, but are not from Italy. They have believed to be using illegal licenses. One such rider is Rafael Andriato.

The federal prosecutor Giovanni Grauso has appealed to the Federal Court of Appeal with respect to the decision of the Disciplinary Committee.

"On December 15 we filed the written judgment”- Attorney Grauso explained to Tuttiobici - “in which the Commission declared itself "not competent" to rule on this case, entering the field of labor law, as regards to contracts for foreign athletes who perform their activities in Italy and an Italian team."

UnitedHealthcare earns Dubai Tour invite, with eyes on Giro wildcard.

UnitedHealthcare is heading to the 2nd Dubai Tour, set for February 4-7 in the United Arab Emirates.

The U.S. team is among 16 teams invited to the second edition of the race backed by Giro d’Italia organizers RCS Sport, which could indicate the squad is on the short list to earn a wildcard bid to the 2015 Giro.

Now rated as 2.HC, the Dubai Tour is attracting 10 WorldTour teams what will be among the field for the race as the United Arab Emirates continues its big push into cycling. Earlier this month, officials announced that a new race will be held in Abu Dhabi in October.

Most Dramatic Day of International Racing: Stage 16, Giro d’Italia.

The peloton hesitantly took a rest day at the Giro d’Italia before it tackled the Alps. Riders looked out their hotel window wondering what the following day would haul in. The climbs over the Gavia and Stelvio loomed. The rain came the day before, and then snowflakes fell up high.

The sun shone the next morning, however briefly. The race was on. Great for fans of racing. Great for spectacle. Brutal for the peloton. Riders froze once on the Gavia in the rain and wet. They barreled down the one-lane descent and hit the Stelvio in a thick, wet snow.

Up the Stelvio they climbed, one at a time, solitary figures of black, afloat in a sea of white. The road cut an artery through snow banks six-feet tall, and through it all coursed a bike race, however inhumane riders found it.

Wanty-Groupe Gobert targeting grand tour invite in 2015.

Belgian-based Wanty-Groupe Gobert is placing a grand tour invite front and center for its top priorities going into 2015.

After signing three high-profile Italians, the Professional Continental team is hoping to earn its first grand tour bid, ideally the Giro d’Italia. Going into 2015, the team brings on Enrico Gasparotto, Marco Marcato, and Simone Antonini.

“We have signed strong riders for next season, including three new Italians,” said team manager Jean-Francois Bourlart in a press release. “We have strengthened the Italian part of our team significantly. We would therefore like to receive a wildcard for the Giro d’Italia, and other RCS races, such as Milano-Sanremo, Strade Bianche, Tirreno-Adriatico, and Lombardia.”

Bystrøm looking for strong debut professional season.

Quality over quantity was how 2014 played out for under 23 world champion Sven Erik Bystrøm and he is hoping for more of the same as he embarks on his debut professional season with Katusha. Bystrøm road as a stagiaire for the Russian team at the Arctic Race of Norway but will get his first full taste of professional racing at the Tour of Qatar before turning to the Belgian classics.

The 22-year-old hopes to be able to balance his team responsibilities earlier in the season with his own ambitions. “I think it is possible to show myself and that I am a good neo-pro. Last year there were some neo-pros who put in some good results.

Steve Tilford: Double Birkie Day.

Tinkov: International sanctions against Russia could cause end of Tinkoff Saxo team.

Lifetime Achievement Award: Jens Voigt.