<br>
      <br>
      <br>
Doug Report Daily Cycling News Archive

Ferrand-Prévot hints at rivalry with Vos.

Pauline Ferrand-Prévot has been named France’s champion of champions for 2014 by L’Équipe at the end of an incredible season in which she won the world road title and the French road, time trial, cyclo-cross and MTB cross-country titles.

Speaking to the sports daily, the 22-year-old Frenchwoman, who shares the cover of L’Équipe’s final edition of the year with world champion of champions, American swimmer Katie Ledecky, reflects on her career and hints at an intriguing rivalry with team-mate and former world champion Marianne Vos, who lost her crown to Ferrand-Prévot in Ponferrada last September.

Nibali: I’m determined not to repeat the mistakes of last winter.

Vincenzo Nibali has said that he is eager to start the new campaign on a sounder footing than he did 2014 and while the Tour de France is the centrepiece of his season, the Italian noted that the door is not yet fully closed on a return to the Giro d’Italia.

Nibali won the Giro in 2013 but skipped the corsa rosa this year in order to focus on the Tour. His Astana team has intimated that Fabio Aru will lead the line at the Giro in 2015 while Nibali again targets Tour victory.

Offseason Capsule: Team Ehrfürchtige.

I suppose every team has a unique story to tell, and Giant-Alpecin is no exception. They came up the ranks as Skil-Shimano, riding in kits that hearkened back to the French Skil-Sem teams of the mid-80s featuring Sean Kelly and Eric Caritoux, and managed by Le Vicomte, Jean de Gribaldy, an ex-pro who helped modernize the sport during Kelly's time. That part was mostly nostalgia (as opposed to a more tangible cycling connection) on the part of sponsor Skil; in reality the new team had its roots in the Shimano Memory Corp development squad based (like Skil Corp) in the Netherlands.

To outgrow the development ranks, Skil came aboard with Shimano in 2006, creating a Pro-Conti team which enjoyed a single Tour de France invitation in 2009. But little else was going on until Skil disappeared, briefly replaced by the philosophical name 1t4i, representing a single T (team) and four I's (Inspiration, Integrity, Improvement and Innovation).

Manager Iwan Spekenbrink eventually replaced Skil (and the 1t4i thing) with Argos, an oil company, and moved the team's base to southern France, marking the transition to an international squad. Things really got interesting when, in 2012, John Degenkolb joined Marcel Kittel, the team's flashy 2011 recruit, to set a course for the team involving actual race wins. The victory totals went from 15 in 2010 to a very healthy 30 the next two seasons and a high of 41 in 2014.

Liam Earl: Recovering from competing with the best.

"Today marks the 12th day of my USA Cycling Cyclocross Development Program experience. I have had many great experiences and with four days left there will be many more to come.

Today was a very valuable rest day in between the legendary races of Diegem and Loenhout. For me, today's rest day consisted of sleeping in to the late hour of 8:30 while going to bed the previous night at 9:30. The valuable 11 hours sleep is vital for your body to recover from racing the best in the world. After having a hardy breakfast of oatmeal mixed with dates and banana, I went out with two other US teammates on what turned out to be an adventurous and cold ride in the Belgium countryside. The ride was an easy hour to get the muscles relaxed and the blood flowing once again."

Adam Myerson's Inside Dirt: Cross of the Aces.

"If the Kerstperiode in Belgium is, in effect, a cyclo-cross stage race with races nearly every day from December 26th through January 6th, the Azencross in Loehhout is the queen stage. The Cross of the Aces is normally a fast race, often frozen, and was one of the first races to introduce things like a lighting system for the start and man-made features like their series of BMX style whoop-de-dos. When it’s muddy it’s often still fast, though this year was somewhat of an exception.

A blanket of snow over ground that hadn’t quite frozen and temperatures just over freezing meant the water-logged course was also ice cold, slower, and more treacherous than typical."

New year’s resolutions and goal setting – approaches that work.

"There are hundreds of experiments, involving thousands of participants from continents and countries spanning most of the world pointing to one clear finding: compared to vague, easy goals such as “Do your best”, specific, and aspirational goals improve performance. The goal ‘gurus’, Locke and Latham reviewed over 40 years of research to state: “So long as a person is committed to the goal, has the requisite ability to attain it, and does not have conflicting goals, there is a positive, linear relationship between goal difficulty and task performance.”

In other words, if you really want it, set it hard and work for it and you’ll achieve it."

Quotes of the year 2014.

"If Quintana, Froome, Nibali and Contador all agree to ride all three Grand Tours, I'll get Tinkoff Bank to put up €1 million. They can have €250,000 each as an extra incentive. I think it's a good idea." - Tinkoff-Saxo team owner Oleg Tinkov tries to entice riders to go for the Giro-Tour-Vuelta triple in 2015.

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)

Van Aert solos to victory at Bpost Bank Trofee Azencross.

Nash wins elite women's race at Azencross.

Katusha ‘guaranteed’ despite growing troubles in Russia.

Katusha officials say the team’s 2015 budget is “guaranteed” despite a growing crisis in Russia that’s threatening to engulf its economy.

Recent comments from Tinkoff-Saxo owner Oleg Tinkov, suggesting that the worsening economic situation could torpedo his team, raised questions about Katusha, Russia’s other major World Tour team.

Katusha officials, however, say the team’s budget is secure going into the 2015 season.

“Of course, the ruble crisis affects all Russian companies and citizens, but the team [received] the signal from the sponsors that the budget and future of the team are guaranteed,” a team official told VeloNews, via email, Wednesday.

The Moments That Stood Out Most.

"Instead of giving you our take on the year that was, we decided to ask some pros what they thought were the most standout moments.

Here’s what they told us."

Phil Gaimon

“For me, that Cannondale merger [with Garmin] was a doozy..."

“I’d say for the sport overall … Froome leaving the Tour.”

Why the Australian commercial networks’ interest in cycling is a good thing.

The new year will be just two days old when many of Australia’s best riders line up in Geelong for the first of the four Bay Crits (officially the Mitchelton Bay Cycling Classic). Unlike in previous years though, it will be Channel Nine and Fox Sports that have the opportunity to broadcast highlights of the Bay Crits, not SBS.

The Bay Crits are just one part of a new broadcast rights deal between Cycling Australia and Channel Nine/Fox Sports which also includes the Road Nationals and the Jayco Herald Sun Tour. For Channel Nine, these new acquisitions will sit alongside the network’s coverage of the Santos Tour Down Under, a race Nine has covered since 2012.

Meanwhile Channel Seven has also thrown its hat in the ring, securing live broadcast rights to the inaugural Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race — the final race in the distinguished career of the 2011 Tour de France winner.

2014 International Cyclist of the Year: Pauline Ferrand-Prevot.

Pauline Ferrand-Prévot recently won an award in her native France. “The cycling star of tomorrow,” they called her.

Perhaps the French meant to award her the cycling star of today. In 2014, she was transcendent in a way no cyclist before her has been. “PFP,” as the dynamic, slight 22-year-old is known, put together a dream season. On three different types of bikes.

The obvious high point came in Ponferrada, Spain, where she rode a masterful final three kilometers in the women’s world road championships. A group of favorites had ridden clear on the final climb and held a paper-thin advantage over the fleet-finishing pursuers. The Dutch master, Marianne Vos, was among the leaders, and it all seemed signed-sealed-and-delivered that she’d win yet again. But instead of pressing on, the leaders sat up and waited for the peloton, setting the world championship race up for a sprint.

On the far right side, the lithe Ferrand-Prévot emerged, and her sprint was timed to the inch. She’d saved just enough, hitching a ride behind the German national team as it chased in the waning moments.

Lizzie Armitstead reflects on her brilliant year.

For Lizzie Armitstead, 2014 was the year she cemented her place at the very top of women’s cycling. The just-turned 26-year-old won the Commonwealth Games road race, the season-long women’s road World Cup and finished in the top 10 of a remarkable 38 of her 47 UCI level races. Despite this success, the one title she coveted was that of world champion.

The Olympic silver medallist finished seventh in Ponferrada, after being part of a four-strong escape which couldn’t work together and was caught 500 meters from the line. Those that watched her post-race TV interview saw a forlorn expression which told the story of a frustrating race.

The Biomechanics of Planing.

"We discussed “planing” in a recent post by looking at power data from a double-blind test of two different bikes. The data showed that the same rider’s power output was consistently higher on a bike with a more flexible frame than on a stiffer one.

On a bike with optimized frame flex characteristics, the rider can put out more power with less fatigue. We named this phenomenon “planing”. How does it work?"

News shorts: Team Sky and Orica GreenEdge set to clash at Revolution.

Porte to start season at nationals, Androni threatens Hoogerland with lawsuit.

Park Tool Dial Adjust.

BikeRadar verdict: 4 out of 5 stars. "Maxi-mini that makes its extra size and weight count."

Scinto steps down as directeur sportif at troubled Neri Sottoli.

PEZ: Daily Distractions.

(pezcyclingnews.com)

Video: There Will Be Mud. 2014 Azencross Loenhout Men’s Highlights – Bpost Bank Trophy #6.

Adios 2014!

"2014 will not be a forgettable turn of the calendar. Some years go by in a blur, others stick with you a bit longer. In all cases, it's hard to know what to think, and that remains true, but I can think this about the year that's about to end: you kept us interested.

We sat on the edge of our seats in races of all magnitudes."

Top 14 stories of 2014: Eternal flame.

There is a cemetery at the top of the Ghisallo climb. It’s on the right-hand side of the road, if you’re climbing from the north, the way Il Lombardia climbs the twisting 8.6 kilometers from where the town of Bellagio cleaves the southern waters of Lago di Como. Behind the stonewall and iron gate are graves and mausoleums brightened with fresh flowers, each marker lit with a round, red electric light the size of a coat button. These are a nod to modernity, a replacement for dripping candles with their vulnerability to wind and rain. Eternal flame, without the hassle.

For cyclists, the cemetery is easy to miss, because on the opposite side of the Via Adua lies the Santuario del Ghisallo, the little church where the bells will ring out as the racers pass on the Sunday of Il Lombardia. Here, too, is an eternal flame, also electric, but more grand in scale.

Carmen Small aims at 2016 Olympic team pursuit.

In a week, eight women will suit up, clip in, and roll out onto the curved wooden banks of the Los Angeles velodrome. Only four will walk out into the warm LA sun with tickets to Cali, Colombia, host of the final track World Cup event of the season.

Carmen Small wants one of those tickets.

The plan was hatched with USA Cycling late last summer when her Specialized-Lululemon team appeared to be headed for collapse: Use Small’s time trial ability at the 2016 Olympics in the team pursuit. On the road to Rio, the first stop is Colombia.

And if she doesn’t make the squad?

“I’m not quite sure where that leaves me,” Small said.

Talk: Philippe Gilbert.

"World and National champion, Classics winner, Grand Tour stage winner and always a man to watch in just about any race. Our man in Spain, Alastair Hamilton, caught up with Philippe Gilbert at BMC’s pre-Christmas training camp to get his opinions on many subjects.

At this time of year Gilbert will be found in the hotel La Sella golf resort in Denia, Spain. The BMC team have been taking over this rather nice hotel complex for a few years now and it’s always a pleasure to receive an invitation to their media days. The team members have changed over the years, but the hotel and Philippe’s openness and sense of humor is always the same."

Luis León Sánchez to lead Astana at Tour Down Under.

The Astana team for the 2015 Tour Down Under will feature several new recruits including a previous winner of the race in Luis León Sánchez. Of the seven riders selected for the first WorldTour race of 2015, five will make their debuts for the team in Australia.

Sanchez, who last rode the Tour Down Under in 2012 finishing in 26th place overall, also has two second places to him name alongside overall victory in 2005 and will lead the team at the race.

"Sanchez has a good history with our event," said race director Mike Turtur. "As well as taking the overall victory in 2005, he also claimed the Young Rider Classification that same year.

Rapha’s exclusive new cycling club.

Rapha, the luxury cycling clothing brand and kit supplier to Team Sky, will in January launch its most ambitious project — a global cycling club with an annual membership fee.

But in a style more befitting an exclusive golf club than the traditionally egalitarian spirit of cycling, those applying for membership are warned: “In order to maintain the very highest levels of service, membership is limited. We regret that not all applications will be successful.”

The final question on the application form appears to be the deal-breaker, asking would-be members to define ‘the perfect ride’ in fewer than 100 words.

2014 Men’s Domestic Rider of the Year: Sergey Tsvetkov.

Tejay, Tom … Tsvetkov?

While Tejay van Garderen comfortably defended his title at the 2014 USA Pro Challenge, and Tom Danielson put in a valiant effort to come second in his beloved home race, Sergey Tsvetkov, of the comparatively minuscule Jelly Belly-Maxxis team, took the third step on the podium, an impressive result against a truly world-class crop of riders and teams.

It was all in a day’s riding for the soft-spoken Moldovan who races with Romanian citizenship.

“I try to race everyday like it’s another day; I don’t think about the GC and that’s probably how I get to be third now.”

Selene Yeager: Data Junkies.

inCycle: Top 10 videos of 2014.

Van Aert solos to victory at Bpost Bank Trofee Azencross.

Wout Van Aert won the muddy sixth round of the Bpost Bank Trophy cyclo-cross series on Tuesday afternoon. The 20-year-old Belgian won the Azencross in snow covered Loenhout, Belgium ahead of fellow youngster Mathieu van der Poel. On an unforgiving course with snow, mud and ice water, Van Aert profited from a small mistake from Van der Poel to ride away and take his fourth win in five of the series' rounds. It’s Van Aert's eighth win among the pro ranks this season.

“The victory and an improved classification, it was a fantastic day,” Van Aert told Sporza.

Nash wins elite women's race at Azencross.

Katerina Nash won a tough edition of the Azencross, sixth round of the Bpost Bank Trophy cyclo-cross series in Loenhout on Tuesday afternoon. The Czech Champion and US-resident held off World Champion Marianne Vos in a true mudder. Ellen Van Loy finished third at 50 seconds from Nash and moves back to 1:01 minutes from series leader Sophie de Boer in the general classification.

De Boer finished ninth at 2:32 from winner Nash in Loenhout. Road World Champion Pauline Ferrand-Prévot abandoned the race in the second of four laps, while riding in sixth place.

American Gage Hecht Takes Second at 2014 Azencross with an Overall Impressive Showing by the USA Junior Squad.

With tough, muddy conditions today in Europe, an American Junior soared to the podium. Gage Hecht, who has had a stellar run late in the season abroad, took second place today behind Dutch Junior Roel Van Der Stegen. He was 40 seconds back on the leader, and came in 15 seconds ahead of Belgian Lander Loockx.

American Lance Haidet had an impressive showing, taking eighth, Cooper Willsey just made it into the top 10, Brannan Fix crossed the line in 16th, Spencer Petrov took 20th, Cameron Beard got 28th, Liam Dunn followed in 44th, and Jerry Dufour took 46th. Lapped riders included Cormac Dunn at 53rd and Adin Baird in 57th.

Time For Nys' Race! It's Baal!

I doubt that any cyclocross enthusiast would disagree with me when I say that Sven Nys is a legend of the sport. He has won two world titles, nine BPost Bank Trofees, and two World Cups. He has also won one hundred and forty-three individual series races. It's only fair he can call one race his own. This race is Baal, which always takes place on New Year's Day. There's something about races that are always on a certain day that just makes them better. Think Koppenbergcross.

Best Tactical Play of the Year: Talansky picks Contador’s pocket.

After the grand tours, the Critérium du Dauphiné is about as big as it gets. Many of the top names in the history of cycling boast the title on their palmarés: Indurain, Hinault, LeMond, Wiggins.

In 2014, the Dauphiné started as a thrilling battle between defending champion Chris Froome and the resurgent Alberto Contador. But something magical and thrilling happened in the closing days of the race, proving yet again that anything can happen in cycling.

Froome won the opening prologue and first road stage to claim the leader’s jersey, and looked to be in control, defending a 12-second lead over Contador. Then things began to unwind. Froome crashed heavily on a descent in stage 6, and couldn’t hold on during the mountaintop finale the following day; Contador nudged into the leader’s jersey, taking the lead by eight seconds with just one stage to go, a short, four-climb stage ending atop Courchevel. Contador looked to have things under control.

Instead, things quickly unraveled for the “Pistolero del Pinto,” who was outgunned by Andrew Talansky and the Garmin-Sharp crew in the biggest tactical coup of 2014.

In the News: Look Keo Power pedals found wanting.

In the latest issue of the International Journal of Sports Physiology and Performance, Look Keo Power pedals were tested for their validity and reliability.

The test, performed on 10 males familiar with laboratory performance tests, used Look’s Keo Power pedals mounted to a stationary SRM ergometer, which is regarded as the most precise power meter on the market. Each of the 10 subjects performed two tests on the Ergometer with Keo Power pedals. The tests used a gradual increase in power, until exhaustion was reached, like a VO2 max step test, followed by 10 minutes of easy spinning. Then, the riders did three 10-second sprints, separated by three minutes of spinning at 100 watts.

The results were not flattering for the Look Keo Power system. “Power data from the Keo Power pedals should be treated with some caution,” read the study.

Lee Waldman, Member of the Cyclocross Family, Among Holiday Weekend Accidents.

“Now go ride your bike.” This is the perennial phrase Lee Waldman, Colorado race organizer and Cyclocross Magazine contributor, uses to sign off from his articles to the cyclocross community.

On Christmas morning, Waldman was one of just a handful of cycling tragedies over the holiday period noted in a somber article by Velo News.

According to the Bike Racing Association of Colorado: “Lee Waldman was struck in a car v. cyclist hit and run on Christmas morning. Fractures of C1 and C6, a concussion and broken ribs were some of the injuries he sustained. Your prayers and healing thoughts for him and Caren are much appreciated.  While his life is not in imminent danger and thankfully there are no signs of paralysis now, he remains at St. Anthony’s North ICU and is unable to take visitors or receive calls/texts. If you’d like to reach out to Lee, please communicate through Caren, or send him a card at St. Anthony’s North, 2551 W. 84th Ave., Westminster, CO 80031.”

Gesink targeting Tirreno-Adriatico, Ardennes and Tour de France.

Robert Gesink will target Tirreno-Adriatico, the Ardennes Classics and the Tour de France in 2015, as he looks to get his career back on track after heart surgery in 2015.

Gesink will head to Tenerife for a three-week altitude training camp before starting his 2015 season at the Volta ao Algarve. His first big goal of the year will be Tirreno-Adriactico, which he was forced to abandon on stage four this season. His best performance at the race is his second place in 2011. Gesink will ride the Vuelta al País Vasco before returning to the Ardennes Classics for the first time since 2012. He has taken one podium at the Belgian trio of races with third place at Amstel Gold in 2009. After the Ardennes, he will take part in another altitude camp before riding the Tour de Suisse and then the Tour de France.

Cameron Beard: Racing in Diegem.

"The one cyclo-cross race that is through city streets, through soccer fields, and is part of the historic Kersteperiod, is Diegem.

The first time I set eyes on this track was four years ago, in a Bend Endurance Academy van. My role model at the time, Colin Dunlap, showed me Sven Nys rip through the streets and mud at amazing speeds. I remember this so well because it was my first time ever seeing European cyclo-cross. It was incredible, I had seen the American pros, but I was used to watching the local pros thinking that was top level skill. Watching this made me realize how great one truly has to become to be the best."

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)

Last Chance to Win - Azencross Loenhout!

Van der Haar to skip Bpost Bank Trofee in Loenhout.

Top 10 pro rider transfers of 2015.

Scinto steps down as directeur sportif at troubled Neri Sottoli.

Luca Scinto has confirmed he has stepped down from his role of senior directeur sportif at the troubled Neri Sottoli team after a series of doping scandals have rocked the Professional Continental team.

The Tuscan was not listed as a directeur sportif on the UCI website, sparking questions by the Italian media. Scinto then confirmed his decision to step back when speaking to the Tuttobici website.

In the last 18 months the Neri Sottoli team has been rocked by three EPO doping cases, casting a long shadow over their bright fluorescent yellow colours. Danilo Di Luca and Mauro Santambrogio were caught during the Giro d'Italia, while former Giro d'Italia stage winner Matteo Rabottini tested positive for EPO during the summer of 2014. The team was recently suspended by the MPCC after their members voted against the team.

Craddock seeking consistentcy in second year with Giant.

Giant-Alpecin's Lawson Craddock will be looking for more consistency in 2015 as he targets the Tour of California, another shot at the Vuelta a Espana and a spot on the US team for Worlds.

Craddock, who will turn 23 in February, logged 67 race days during his neo-pro season with the Dutch WorldTour squad, finishing third overall in California and placing sixth in the individual time trial at the Tour de Suisse. He started his first Grand Tour at the Vuelta, where he played a part in three stage wins for Giant before abandoning on stage 14. The Vuelta result started a string of six DNFs that carried through to the end of his season at Sluitingprijs-Putte-Kapellen in October.

“There were definitely some good times, but also some bad times,” Craddock told Cyclingnews from Houston, Texas, where he was visiting family over the Christmas holiday.

Bookwalter looking for more prominent role at BMC.

Brent Bookwalter has been with the BMC Racing Team ever since he turned professional in 2008. He has seen the team go from underdogs to Tour de France champions. Now heading into his eighth professional season, the 30-year-old hopes that he can play a bigger role in the American squad.

“I’m a little bit older now but I’m still getting better every year and I’m excited to show that to the team and give it all I’ve got,” said Bookwalter. “I’d like to think I have ambitions to grow into a more prominent role within the team. I’ve done six Grand Tours, I’ve been through a lot with this team and I think they know that they can count on me.”

Reijnen aiming higher after successful 2014 season.

After having a bit of a breakthrough season this year UnitedHealthcare's Kiel Reijnen is hoping to improve upon his success, and aims to show himself in the European races in 2015 - the Giro d'Italia in particular if his team is selected - and make the US selection for Worlds in Richmond. While his aims might be common in the American peloton, what sets Reijnen apart is his devotion to the team ethos - the "one for all, all for one" mentality that allows the underdogs to prevail over the more powerful riders, as he and UnitedHealthcare did in the USA Pro Challenge.

Speaking to Cyclingnews at the UnitedHealthcare camp in Asheville, North Carolina earlier this month, Reijnen recalled the success of the season and the respect it earned him in the peloton with bittersweet satisfaction. "You put a lot of time and work into those types of results, and they don't come overnight. By the time you get there, it's not a surprise," Reijnen said. Yet his last result in Colorado was one which will fade from the memory of the cycling public long before the narrow loss in the final USA Pro Challenge stage to Alex Howes loses its impact in Reijnen's mind.

Nys guaranteed spot on Belgian Worlds roster.

Last Sunday Sven Nys was unable to be in contention for the win in his comeback race in Diegem. He finished 16th, 2.20 behind winner Mathieu van der Poel. Is that enough to be selected for the World Championships in the Czech Republic?

For national coach Rudy De Bie, Nys has a guaranteed spot. "First of all because he is... Nys. A classy rider with an impressive palmares who has had a huge impact on Belgian cyclo-cross. There is no way around the fact that he deserves respect," he told Het Laatste Nieuws.

Ekimov: Kristoff saved Katusha in 2014.

Katusha general manager Viatcheslav Ekimov has admitted that Alexander Kristoff's breakthrough season saved the team’s blushes in 2014. The Norwegian won 14 of the team’s 22 victories in 2014 including the rain-swept Milan-San Remo and two stages of the Tour de France.

“Kristoff saved the situation, the big picture and the visibility of the team. We all thank Alex for that, he gave us a chance to manage the damage.”

Porte has road national championship is sight.

Porte is also determined to feature at the Giro d'Italia in May, despite a sub-par season cruelled by poor health.

With 2014 behind him, the 29-year-old Tasmanian is aiming for a fast start to 2015 by winning the 11 January Mars Cycling Australia Road National Championships title at Buninyong, near Ballarat.

His main targets  next year will be to lead the powerful Sky team at the Giro and then support Chris Froome in July at the Tour de France.

"I'd love to compete in the Giro as the new Australian champion," said Porte. "My health is back where it needs to be and I want to lead in a grand tour and the Giro is the target for me."

Five top rides of 2014.

Alex Dowsett in the Tour of Britain, Peter Sagan in the Tour de Suisse or Andrew Talansky in the Critérium du Dauphiné – there were many brave rides in 2014. Cycling Weekly selected and highlighted five of the ones that marked out the season.

Best of Toolbox 2014: The Power of a Bike Fit.

"There are many reasons to go for a bike fit, from an unusual body shape, fixing aches and pains, through to optimizing power output. Regardless of what technology is used or reason for going, a good bike fit by a fitter with a sharp eye and a collaborative approach can be one of the best investments you make in your cycling. Let’s explore with a data-driven case study."

Sunweb signs two-year deal with Giant-Alpecin.

Dutch-owned tour operator Sunweb has joined Giant-Alpecin as a major sponsor for two years the team has announced. The online travel company have signed a deal that keeps them with the team until the end of 2016 but have hopes to continue beyond that. Sunweb already sponsor the Sunweb-Napoleon Games cyclo-cross team of Kevin Pauwels.

“It needs no explanation how excited we are about this partnership with Sunweb,” team manager Iwan Spekenbrink said in a press release. “We are extremely thrilled that cycling in a broad sense and our elite sports team in particular are amongst the driving forces of the international marketing strategy of such an absolute first class brand, Sunweb.”

2014 North American Man on the Year: Tejay van Garderen .

PEZ: Daily Distractions.

(pezcyclingnews.com)

Selene Yeager: Data Junkies.

inCycle: Top 10 videos of 2014.

Oleg Tinkov: Tinkoff-Saxo owner cycling's cheerleader for change.

"The problem with continental Europeans is they are stuck with their old paradigms. They do it because their fathers did it, and their grandfathers did it. They don't want to change."

"We have been chatting for 15 minutes and I have asked Oleg Tinkov four questions, five if you include the ice-breaker about his journey to Gran Canaria (he came by private jet).

But Tinkov, the "serial entrepreneur" whose career has seen him go from bike racing, to importing electronics, flogging frozen food, brewing beer, issuing credit cards and then back to bike racing - this time as the owner of cycling's Galacticos  , Tinkoff-Saxo - is just warming up."

Rider agent De Geyter calls for UCI clarification on future reforms.

The UCI’s planned restructuring of pro cycling has led to considerable uncertainty in relation to how it will affect the pro peloton, with talk of a reduction in WorldTour team sizes to just 22 riders provoking concerns about how this will impact upon the professional peloton.

Rider agent Paul De Geyter has called for clarification from the UCI as to what those plans are.

According to the Belgian, who represents clients including Tom Boonen, Tejay Van Garderen, Jan Bakelants, Greg Van Avermaet, Maxime Bouet, Matt Goss and Luke Durbridge, rider agents have not been included in discussions thus far. Because of this, he says there is a scarcity of information being made available to them.

Mollema favors tougher doping sanctions.

Last week Mollema raged against Mauro Santambrogio on Twitter after the Italian had tested positive for testosterone. The Trek rider finds it unbelievable that the Italian has again broken the rules. "For me, he should be happy that he even has a chance to return to the peloton because I believe that the use of EPO, blood doping and testosterone should automatically lead to a lifetime suspension. Then he does the same again. How stupid can you be? I don't understand why an Italian team had already offered him a contract for 2015. Give that place to a young rider or someone who practices his sport in a clean way."

2014 International Male Cyclist of the Year: Alejandro Valverde.

Has Alejandro Valverde become the Rodney Dangerfield of the international peloton? It seems the veteran Spaniard just can’t get any respect.

In Spain, Alberto Contador is lauded as the rider of reference. Even at his Movistar team, Valverde is being passed over in favor of Nairo Quintana, who will be starting as the outright captain in the 2015 Tour de France. Many critics blast Valverde for never coming clean about his involvement in Operación Puerto, for which he was handed down a two-year racing ban.

Inside the peloton, however, he generates the respect he deserves. Everyone knows that if Valverde is at the start line, he has a very good chance of being on the final podium.

10 Riders to Watch for 2015.

Here’s a selection of ten established riders to watch for 2015. Some stand on the cusp of a big win, others face challenges on the road, some have other struggles.

How Condor made the bikes for the new Lance Armstrong film.

In its 64-year history, Condor Cycles has made bikes not only for top pros but also for rock musicians, fashion designers, soap stars and TV chefs. Last year, the London firm received its biggest showbiz order to date: to recreate the bikes of the 1990s professional peloton for Working Title’s forthcoming Lance Armstrong biopic.

With shooting now finished and the film, which is based on Sunday Times journalist David Walsh’s book Seven Deadly Sins: My Pursuit of Lance Armstrong, in post-production, most of the replica bikes — minus their decals — have just gone on sale via UK bike shop Ultimate Cycles.

1,000 hours, 32,000km and 1,100 chicken breasts - Vincenzo Nibali's 2014 in numbers.

Nearly 1,000 hours in the saddle, more than 32,000 kilometres ridden, the equivalent of 1,400 chicken breasts consumed – and one Tour de France victory. Those are some of the key numbers of Vincenzo Nibali’s 2014, according to Italian daily La Gazzetta dello Sport.

They come at the end of a year in which the Sicilian became just the sixth cyclist ever to have won all three Grand Tours, but he already has his eyes on something no Tour de France winner has ever achieved – becoming Olympic road race champion, saying the course at Rio 2016 suits him.

Bennati ready to work for Sagan and Contador in 2015.

Daniele Bennati faces a huge workload at Tinkoff-Saxo in 2015 after accepting the role of road captain for both Peter Sagan and Alberto Contador.

The 34-year-old Italian has been a professional since 2001, switching from a sprinter and Classics rider to the role of road captain and domestique in the last two seasons. He has won 50 races during his career but his last was a stage victory at the Vuelta a España back in 2012.

“I'm happy and proud to be considered a road captain, I don't see it as a step down in my career."

Stopping progress? The debate over hydraulic disc brakes in the pro peloton.

It’s misting in Belfast; it’s wet everywhere, but not quite raining. Water oozes out of the air and condenses on Garmin-Sharp’s boxy mechanic truck, on the bikes leaned against it, on the tools, and on the broad shoulders and black and blue Park Tool apron of the team’s head mechanic, Geoff Brown. He is poking and prodding at one of the team’s Cervélo time trial bikes, bleeding a hydraulic rim brake.

His team is about to set off on three days of wet racing through Northern Ireland and Ireland, the first stages of the Giro d’Italia. The conditions are, and will be for much of the first week of the race, ideal for disc brakes: wet, cold, and hilly.

But Brown doesn’t want discs in the pro peloton, not now, and maybe not ever.

Best of 2014: Montefranco Museum Of Lost Time.

"The 2014 Giro d’Italia passes through countless towns from start to finish each year, most of them just a blur as we speed ahead of the race. But a few hours spent in one place can turn up people, lives, and memories that stick in our minds far longer than the few hours it takes to chase the stage.

The life at Giro starts early and finishes very late: it was night when yesterday I finished my job and moved to my room and was earlier than 7am when I started to watch the “Garibaldi” (the official book of the race) and plan today. Giro d’Italia means great cycling action and top riders fighting for one of the most ambitious races, but it means also a very long trip with long waits in new places. Today was one of those – I love to take a long time for myself while waiting the action."

PEZ: The Last 2014 EuroTrash!

Last Chance to Win - Azencross Loenhout!

Loenhout is situated right in the North of Belgium, not a place known for it's great weather. It is also the last chance for a CX victory in 2014, and many will be gunning for victory.

There is a bit of everything in the Azencross course. There's a bridge, which at the moment is very icy, and a section through the woods, but also the unique washboards. However, there are also a lot of long straights which should certainly play to the strengths of riders with a strong finish if the weather is dry. Icy and snowy conditions are prevailing at the minute however!

Van der Haar to skip Bpost Bank Trofee in Loenhout.

Giant-Shimano’s Lars van der Haar will not participate in the upcoming Bpost Bank Trofee event held on Tuesday in Loenhout, Belgium, in order to recover from a head cold. The Dutch champion is scheduled to compete next at the series’ GP Sven Nys in Baal on January 1.

Van der Haar placed fourth at the Superprestige Diegem on Sunday behind winner Mathieu van der Poel from the BCKP-Powerplus team, Tom Meeusen in second and Kevin Pauwels in third. The race was held at twilight and in cold temperatures.

Cyclocross LIVE stream - 2014 BPost Bank Trophy Cyclocross at Loenhout.

LIVE Tuesday: BPost Bank Trophy Cyclocross - Azencross Loenhout.  Live coverage gets underway at 2:45pm CET (8:45am U.S. Eastern) with the Elite Men race beginning at 3:00pm CET (9:00am U.S. Eastern).

Top 10 pro rider transfers of 2015.

Peter Sagan won the Tour de France‘s green jersey in 2014 and also led the way in off-season transfers with a reported £3million move.

The Slovak Champion may have suffered an off-year – which still included six wins and the Tour de France’s green jersey – but made the biggest transfer ahead of 2015. He signed for a reported €4m (£3.15m).

After maturing at Cannondale for five years, he could become a classics star in the hands of Bjarne Riis at Tinkoff-Saxo. Riis and directors like Sean Yates and Steven De Jongh will help the 24-year-old aim at wins in Milan-San Remo, the Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix.

Quintana announces race schedule.

Nairo Quintana will be one of the major contenders at the Tour de France in July but before he goes up against Alberto Contador, Chris Froome and Vincenzo Nibali, he will prepare for La Grande Boucle by riding the Vuelta a Andalucía and Tirreno-Adriatico. The Colombian will also return to the Vuelta al Pais Vasco.

Quintana has confirmed the first part of his schedule: Tour de San Luis (January 19-25), Vuelta a Andalucía (February 18-22), Tirreno-Adriatico (March 11-17) and Vuelta al Pais Vasco (April 6-11). His intention is to do some of the Ardennes classics, Amstel Gold Race, Fleche Wallonne and Liege-Bastogne-Liege, before he turns his full focus to the Tour de France. At the moment, the plan is to finalize the preparations at the Tour de Suisse. "It is a well-planned schedule that is focused on the Tour. This is the first part. The second half will be based on what is going to happen in France," Quintana told El Tiempo.

Ksenia Lepikhina: The mental game in Diegem.

"The day started off like any other race day. Well, perhaps not like any other race day. We didn’t have an early wake up call and we had plenty of leisure time in the morning to pack and prepare to leave. The drive to the course in Diegem was quiet and focused. Once we arrived and were registering for the race in a nearby mini castle, I had the shocking realization that I had forgotten my warmup pants as well as pins. That was the beginning of my mental struggle of the day."

Pre-season testing and bike-fitting - Avanti Racing Team.

Avanti, known for much of its history as Praties after its Tasmanian restaurant chain sponsor, is regarded as having been Australia's best Continental team (it moved to its New Zealand base for 2015) and as one of the best development teams in the world.

Its list of graduates includes WorldTour riders Richie Porte (Sky), Nathan Haas (Garmin-Cervelo), Nathan Earle (Sky), Jack Haig (Orica-GreenEdge) and Campbell Flakemore (BMC).

Getting together in small coastal town of Nowra, New South Wales, Australia, members of the recently expanded team were meeting their official coaching partner FTP Training, at their coaches' local business – The Watts Factory – to be fitted with new bikes, to establish baseline fitness and to get to know each other. This was particularly important given the large number of fresh New Zealand signings, including U23 New Zealand national TT champion Fraser Gough, 2014 Tour of Tasmania winner Patrick Bevin and U19 Madison World Champions Luke Mudgway and Regan Gough.

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)

2014 North American Man on the Year: Tejay van Garderen .

Ask Tejay van Garderen about the best singular moment of his 2014 season, and he may give you a different answer, depending on the day.

Over a one-week span in late October, van Garderen provided two VeloNews editors with two different answers, first citing his mountaintop stage win at Vallter during the Volta a Catalunya, and later citing his mountaintop stage win at Monarch Mountain in Colorado during the USA Pro Challenge.

At Catalunya, in March, van Garderen beat the best GC riders in the sport — Nairo Quintana, Chris Froome, and Alberto Contador — on a day marked by rain and snow, and 20km of climbing.

2015 Wildcards.

One of the best stories in sport is seeing the underdog triumph. Enrico Battaglin’s stage win at the Giro was one example, the conclusion to a thrilling stage with two riders from wildcard teams sprinting for the stage win against Sky’s Dario Cataldo. It took plenty but started with a wildcard invitation, the modest Bardian-CSF team isn’t guaranteed a start in any race.

Europcar’s ejection from the World Tour and the merger of Cannondale and Garmin means only 17 teams have guaranteed entry to the top races. The other places can be given on an invitational basis. For the second division teams, officially labelled “UCI Pro Continental” teams, there’s no bigger prize than an invite to the Tour de France. Here’s a look at the candidates for an invite and the system as a whole. Decisions for an invite are due next month.

Top 14 stories of 2014: Shades of gray.

That guy’s a doper. A cheater. A liar. Can’t stand him.

That guy seems all right. Yeah, he used to dope, but so did everyone else.

The conventional definition of the word “perception” pertains to the inexact and shifting merger of action and reaction that is constantly calibrating itself, given the context. Perception is both impermeable and porous. Judgments are formed unconsciously. We like or loathe, often before we’ve had a chance to think why.

During July, millions of people heard Christian Vande Velde’s voice commentating on the Tour de France for NBC Sports. If confessing to past use of PEDs ever hurt the former rider, he was certainly able to recover.

Also during July, hardly anyone saw Dave Zabriskie or Levi Leipheimer. Perhaps the riders chose to keep it that way, or perhaps they didn’t have such an option as Vande Velde. It’s hard to know.

Liège-Bastogne-Liège 'almost an obsession' for Nibali.

Tour de France winner Vincenzo Nibali still has designs on competing in the Spring Classics, and particularly to win Liège-Bastogne-Liège, where he narrowly missed out on victory in 2012.

Nibali has won the overall titles at the Vuelta a España in 2010, Giro d'Italia in 2013 and the Tour de France in 2014, and while his Grand Tour ambitions remain intact, he is aiming to hit an early peak in late April for the Ardennes Classics.

Cycling resolutions: 5 things to do in 2015.

"It’s nearly that time of year when we make a host of wild comments about eating and drinking less in the coming year, losing that Christmas paunch by doing more exercise or cutting out the cigarette you have with your coffee.

Come New Year’s Day, however, such assertions are soon forgotten as you reach for that extra chocolate from the tub while sipping on your third glass of wine.

But if you want to set yourself some targets without giving up too much of the good stuff then set yourself some cycling-based resolutions."

Gibraltar Road.

When someone like Caleb Fairly of Team Garmin-Sharp calls a ride "long and hard," you know it's a doozy. It's also quintessential SoCal: Gibraltar's 12 miles of narrow blacktop rise from the Pacific to the summit of 4,000-foot La Cumbre Peak with hairpin turns, ghostly burn areas, patchwork asphalt, sandstone cliffs, manzanita trees, expansive views of the Santa Ynez mountains—and more-than-occasional 15 percent grades.

BMC TeamMachine SLR03 105.

BikeRadar verdict: 4 out of 5 stars. "An immensely rewarding ride that's worth upgrading down the line."

Race Radios Banned.

PEZ: Daily Distractions.

(pezcyclingnews.com)

PEZ: The Last 2014 EuroTrash!

Tinkoff-Saxo CEO: ‘Team is fine for 2015’ .

Tinkoff-Saxo is in solid financial footing — at least through the 2015 season.

That’s what team CEO Stefano Feltrin told VeloNews following comments from Tinkoff-Saxo owner Oleg Tinkov, which went viral over the weekend,  raising doubts about the squad’s financial stability.

Tinkov told Bloomberg TV that sanctions against Russia, coupled with plummeting oil prices and a beleaguered ruble, could spell trouble for the team’s future.

When contacted by VeloNews, Feltrin countered that Tinkov’s comments were in the context of a worst-case scenario, and said the team’s finances are in order, despite worsening economic conditions in Russia.

2014 The Season in photos.

"We flounder with short attention spans through the buzz of viral content and modern culture, but with one instant captured in 1/1000th of a second you sometimes need to stop, drown in the image and absorb the moment.

With so many of these moments in 2014 captured by our talented and dedicated photographers, we can look back at the pro cycling season and tumble into its most significant and pure events and see them as one, or as a whole.

For all of its elation, suffering, disappointment, scandal and magnificence that the summation of these moments depict, this is what “the beauty of cycling” means to me."

Basso focused on being Contador's super domestique in Giro-Tour double.

Ivan Basso has put aside any talk of retirement and told Cyclingnews that he can be Alberto Contador’s super domestique in the Spaniard’s quest to win the Giro d’Italia and Tour de France double.

Basso, 37, moved to Contador’s Tinkoff-Saxo squad at the end of the season and has enjoyed two training camps with the team in recent months. After seven years within the Cannondale Liquigas set up, the move also sees him return to Bjarne Riis, for whom he rode for between 2004 and 2006.

“There was no real talk of retirement because I had another few possibilities and I wasn’t ready to really stop.”

Longo Borghini confirms retirement.

Paolo Longo Borghini has decided to leave professional cycling. The 34-year-old now former Cannondale Pro Cycling rider, brother of Elisa Longo Borghini, announced his decision during a ceremony organized to celebrate the two samples of Ornavasso, his city.

His adventure in professional cycling, which began in 2004 with the Vini Caldirola and continued with Barloworld, Flaminia, ISD and Liquigas, lasted eleven seasons, in which he had the opportunity to race alongside great champions like Ivan Basso, Vincenzo Nibali and Peter Sagan, in addition to have the satisfaction of winning the GP Nobili Rubinetterie in 2006.

U.S. cycling community stricken by multiple tragedies over Christmas weekend.

The American cycling community was rocked by a spate of tragedies over the Christmas holiday weekend.

Two riders were killed on the road in incidents involving motor vehicles — one a hit-and-run in Baltimore, and the other a head-on collision during a group ride in the Bay Area — while a third cyclist was seriously injured in a hit-and-run incident on Christmas morning in Colorado.

A fourth tragedy struck the Kansas cycling community with the death of Joel Dyke, one of the co-creators of the Dirty Kanza 200; his death was not cycling-related.

All four occurrences happened over the span of three days — between Thursday, December 25, and Saturday, December 27.

Virtual Cycling Platform Zwift Lines Up Competition.

New virtual training platform Zwift has popped up in the news several times in the past few weeks, in outlets ranging from cycling-specific media to papers like The Telegraph. Not only has Zwift started competitions rumored to help UCI teams sniff out new talent, but it also brought in legendary racer Jens Voigt for a promotional race and made a deal with Pinarello to make its Dogma F8 road and Il Bolide time-trial frames available as options for riders on the Zwift platform.

"But what is the Zwift platform, you ask? For those of you who shun sites like Strava and prefer adventure touring to sweaty trainer sessions, Zwift may be completely unheard of. The company is focused on “fitness entertainment,” and is essentially an interactive video game played with participants from around the world. It describes the experience as "massive, multiplayer video-game technology meets the indoor cycling community.” (Let’s admit that the description reads as "regular nerds meet cycling nerds.”)."

Zefal Air Profil LL Mini pump.

BikeRadar verdict: 4 out of 5 stars. "A little extra size and weight reaps considerable in-use benefits."

David Rome: Best of Home Wrench 2014.

Another twist in the Neri Sottoli tale.

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.

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.

Sweeck Takes First Win at U23 Heusden-Zolder World Cup, Iserbyt Wins Junior Race.

As the leaders crossed the line for the third time, Laurens Sweeck decided it would be the perfect time to launch an attack  at the Heusden-Zolder World Cup.

Apparently, no one agreed with him.

Michael Vanthourenhout, Mathieu van der Poel and Wout Van Aert took turns at the front of the chase group, but they were more playing off each other rather than hunting down Sweeck, who would eventually go on and take his first World Cup win. World Cup U23 series leader Van Aert would follow behind 24 seconds later, and Van der Poel finished third over a half-minute behind second.

2014 International Breakthrough Rider of the Year: Fabio Aru.

Che grinta!

It’s an Italian phrase for “what grit!” It’s reserved for those with guts, those like Fabio Aru. When he attacked, gritted his teeth, and grimaced as he churned up the mountains of Italy and Spain, the tifosi yelled, “Che grinta!” At both the Giro d’Italia and Vuelta a España, there was plenty of teeth-gnashing, pedal-smashing grit from the wide-mouthed Sardinian.

If you’ve been following the career of Joe Dombrowski, the talented American climber from Team Sky, you may have been familiar with Aru years before he exploded onto the scene in 2014.

That’s because it was Aru who pushed the Virginian, then racing for the U.S. national team, all the way to the top of the Passo Gavia summit finish during the 2012 GiroBio, affectionately known as the Baby Giro. Back then, Dombrowski walked away with the title.

Cyclocross LIVE stream - 2014 Superprestige Cyclocross at Diegem.

Coming up Sunday: Superprestige Cyclocross at Diegem LIVE online.  Live coverage begins at 4:45pm CET (10:45am U.S. Eastern) with the Elite Men race beginning at 5:30pm CET (11:30am U.S. Eastern).

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)

Biggest road cycling gear stories 2014.

"It’s just days until we roll into 2015, so today we’re looking back at some of the most significant, gorgeous, weird and interesting cycling gear stories of 2014."

Giro’s updated Empire SLX road shoes.

"Giro surprised a lot of people when they first released their lace-up Empire ACC shoes, which stood out in a cycling shoe market largely dominated by velcro straps and ratcheting buckles. This year the US company have released the updated and lighter Empire SLX, which have a claimed weight of 175g for a size 42.5, so 350g for a pair - our size 45 test shoes actually weigh 408g for the pair.

That's a whopping 200g lighter than the previous same size shoes we tested last year."

CONI head believes Nibali is always clean.

With Vincenzo Nibali’s victory in the Tour de France this year, he cemented his place as one of the greats of Italian Sport. Now, one of the men who's job it is to sentence dopers, has claimed he thiks Nibali is a clean rider for fans to believe in.

In an interview with Sky Italia, Giovanni Malago, head of CONI (The Italian Olympic Committee), reiterated his personal belief that despite Italy’s doping problems, he thinks Nibali is 100% clean.

"Someone like him is subjected almost daily to doping control and there was never a change in his values, and those who understand the subject know that Vincenzo Nibali has proven to be a serious person and above all healthy and clean," Malago said.

Nibali hopes to lead Italy at 2016 Olympic Games.

Vincenzo Nibali has said that he would like to lead Italy at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio. The hilly course for the Olympic road race - which will take place on August 6, the opening day of competition - was announced earlier this month.

“I’ve had a look and it seems to be a tough course, difficult and suitable to my characteristics,” Nibali said according to Gazzetta dello Sport. “We will see, there is still a year and a half but I’d like to be a leader.”

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

In modern cyclo-cross, there are fewer and fewer two-season athletes competing at the top level of the sport. The road season is almost year-round now, mountain bike pros mostly dabble in 'cross, and 'cross pros use road or mountain bike racing only to complement 'cross, but not as a focus.

Adri van der Poel was probably the last pro to successfully win road classics, Tour stages, the cyclo-cross World Championships, and the Superprestige series. After becoming 'cross world champion, Pascal Richard mostly abandoned the field for the road.

For Vos, to compete at a World Championship-winning level in road, track, mountain bike and cyclo-cross is absolutely unprecedented. She is not only the best road cyclist in the history of the sport, man or woman, she's also the best cyclist, period. The remarkability of what she does across four sports can't be exaggerated. It's superlative.

2014 Cyclingnews Reader Poll: Vos named best female rider.

Marianne Vos has won the vote for female rider of the year in the Cyclingnews Reader Poll for the fourth year running, beating Lizzie Armitstead and teammate Pauline Ferrand-Prévot. It was yet another commanding performance from Vos, who took a whopping 60 per cent of the vote.

Vos endured much more competition from her rivals this season but she still ended the year with some 30 victories including her seventh world cyclo-cross title. Vos led a Rabo Liv 1-2-3-4 at the Giro Rosa, claiming four stage wins along the way, and won the inaugural La Course by Le Tour de France and The Women’s Tour. There were some struggles for Vos as she finished off the podium for the first time at the World Championships.

20 things for cyclists to do in 2015.

This is the time of year when cyclists make plans, Chris Sidwells comes up with 20 things you might want to do in your 2015 cycling year.

Top Ride: South of France.

The South of France’s Languedoc region is a beautiful place to visit with its spectacular scenery, history, food and wine but it’s also one of the best places in the world to ride a bike. Small roads through tiny, historic villages, vineyards, forests and a good collection of medium mountains, make it as amazing as the tourist guides promised as Chris Selden recently found out.

"Ok, I’ll admit it – I’m spoiled. I’m lucky enough to live in one of the best regions in the world for bike riding – hands down, no questions about it, the South of France is just a great place to ride a bike. I’ve previously written a little about my spot of paradise in the Herault Valley but upon meeting Steve ‘Veloroo’ Prokop I’ve been encouraged to leave my little corner of the world and see some more spectacular roads just a bit further south but still in the gorgeous Languedoc region."

2014 International Ride of the Year: Vincenzo Nibali, Stage 5, Tour de France.

PEZ: Daily Distractions.

(pezcyclingnews.com)

Steve Tilford: Double Birkie Day.

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

Commenting after international sanctions against Russia have seen the value of the rouble plummet and made things difficult for his Tinkoff banks, Oleg Tinkov has said that there is a possibility that the pressure put on the country could have a knock-on effect and cause his cycling team to stop.

“If the sanctions will deteriorate the Russian economy and share prices decline even more – there is no room to decline, but let’s assume there is – and then the Tinkoff bank starts to suffer, then I will stop my sponsorship,” he said in a video interview with Bloomberg.

If that happens he expressed pessimism about his chances of getting alternative backing.

“I don’t know as owner of the team if I will be able to find a substitution sponsor in Europe,” he continued. “Most likely I will not, and I will have to shut down to the team."

Lifetime Achievement Award: Jens Voigt.

Not long after he had finished his time trial on stage 9 of the 2012 Tour de France, his 15th appearance in the grand tour, Jens Voigt walked over to a shady spot of lush green grass, plunked down in a camping chair near the team van, and began eating a sandwich and chatting with teammate Yaroslav Popovych.

Fans strolled past, a few chatting with him, others snapping casual photos of the affable, articulate German in his RadioShack team wear. French. English. German. Fluently flipping back and forth to cater to the needs of the fans.

It was hard to believe that this regular guy was one of the most popular cyclists of his generation.

Berhane dreaming of Tour de France start.

Tour of Turkey victory Natnael Berhane says that it would be a dream come true if he were to become the first Eritrean cyclist to ride the Tour de France in 2015 with his new team MTN-Qhubeka. The South African-based team are looking to become the first African registered team to make it to the Grand Boucle and Berhane hopes to be one of the luck nine selected if they earn a wildcard.

“I have been dreaming about that. I hope that I will be able to be part of the team and that I can be in good shape,” Berhane told Cyclingnews. “This year I wasn’t able to but next year it is a big goal for me to ride the Tour de France.

Cooper Willsey: Tearing it up in Zolder.

"December 26, where many are sleeping in and relaxing after celebrating Christmas. For those of us staying in Vorselaar, Belgium, with the USAC Cx Devo Block #3, there is no sleeping in or relaxing today.

Cameron, Lance, Spencer, Gage and I woke up at 5:30 to begin our race day for World Cup Zolder. We ate, gathered our bags and departed at 6:30 in a Team USA Sprinter bus filled with bikes, gear and droopy-eyed juniors. After a quick 40-minute drive we arrived at the venue – an F1 track. This is a very special track in itself. With a good mix of climbs, drops, pavement, mud and sand, this track has a little bit of everything. Along with a World Cup for cyclo-cross, the venue will be hosting the 2015 BMX World Championships in July."

Supporting the Classics.

"We like these bikes so much, and we couldn’t stand the thought that someone might exploit the name, logo and designs without respect for the heritage – with only an 80-year-old lady trying to protect her family’s life work. So we suggested to Lyli Desbois, née Herse, that we buy the rights to the name, designs, tool, etc., and take over the custodianship of the René Herse name and heritage.

A big step happened a few weeks ago, when our registration of the René Herse trademark was approved by the U.S. Patent Office. While the trademark and designs were protected as soon as we bought the company from Lyli Desbois and started using them again, now nobody can claim that they didn’t know the trademarks were protected. There is no risk of the René Herse logo showing up on budget frames or cheap knock-off components."

Raleigh Militis Comp.

 (bikeradar.com)

Van der Haar repeats with Zolder World Cup win.

Dutch champion Lars van der Haar claimed a solo victory in the UCI Cyclo-cross World Cup round in Zolder, riding away from the bunch containing World Cup leader Kevin Pauwels mid-way through the race, and holding his lead through to the finish.

Pauwels extended his lead in the World Cup after Corné van Kessel took third and his Telenet-Fidea teammate and World Cup challenger Tom Meeusen finished well outside the points in 17th, one spot ahead of US champion Jeremy Powers.

Vos back to winning in Zolder World Cup.

Marianne Vos sprinted to victory in the Heusden-Zolder women’s World Cup race. The reigning world champion held off a chase by Katerina Nash and teammate Pauline Ferrand-Prévot to win.

Albert: Stybar will ride and win World Championship.

Leading up to the world cup cross in Heusden-Zolder today, Niels Albert spoke with Belgium newspaper Het Nieuwsblad. The 28-year old two-time world champion cyclocross made a surprising prediction.

When asked whether he sees Kevin Pauwels, the leader in the world cup this season, as the big favorite to become world champion next month, he decisively said no.

“No. Zdenek Stybar will be world champion.”

Ryan calls time on road career.

Former Australian road and time trial champion Carla Ryan is calling time on her almost decade long career.

Ryan was a dual national champion in 2009, winning both the road race and time trial. She also finished second in the road race in 2011 and third in 2013.

“It’s been immensely challenging and I’ve fought many physical and mental battles along the way. But I’m extremely proud of my achievements, both in personal successes and as a domestic to some of the worlds best female cyclists. I’ll especially remember becoming dual national champion in 2009 and carrying the national colors on my back during that season in Europe,” she wrote on her website.

News Shorts: Rojas Villegas tops final America Tour standings.

Oregon woman sues MTB race after crash, Stan's No Tubes announces 2015 roster.

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)

Ready to Rumble.

Everything you need to know to head off the pavement and glide over gravel.

Cyclocross LIVE stream - 2014 Superprestige Cyclocross at Diegem.

Coming up LIVE Sunday: Superprestige Cyclocross at Diegem LIVE online.  Details to come.

Men’s Stage Racer of the Year: Alberto Contador.

It’s been a long road back to the top for Alberto Contador. The Spanish superstar ruled the roads in 2014, winning or finishing second in every stage race he completed. The season started off promising enough, with second places at Volta ao Algarve and the Volta a Catalunya, and victories at Tirreno-Adriatico and the Vuelta al País Vasco, two of the hardest and most prestigious one-week stage races on the calendar.

Despite being pick-pocketed by Andrew Talansky at Critérium du Dauphiné, Contador roared into the Tour de France looking very much like a winner.

Tour of Ireland may return in 2016.

Talks are being held just now that could see a return of the Tour of Ireland as early as 2016 on the UCI Calendar. The last time the race was held was 2009 and the race was finished following cuts in the sponsorship provided by the Irish tourism board, Fàilte Ireland.

Dumoulin: It's difficult to say where my capabilities stop.

Machado returns to the WorldTour with Katusha.

2014 International Ride of the Year: Vincenzo Nibali, Stage 5, Tour de France.

It was the stuff of legend. Rain. Mud. Gloom. And a streak of turquoise and yellow Lycra ripping the legs off of an entire battalion of mud-caked riders, suffering in the trenches of northern France.

Sure, Vincenzo Nibali had won grand tours before, had battled for Monument wins on multiple occasions, and had an intimidating nickname — the Shark of Messina — but he became nothing short of a mythical beast on stage 5 of the Tour de France when he rode away from his GC rivals, then past classics specialists Fabian Cancellara and Peter Sagan, on the precarious rounded granite slabs leading toward Roubaix.

By the time Nibali barnstormed into Paris with four stage victories and more than a seven-minute winning margin, there was no question about who deserved to win the 2014 Tour de France.

Vegni: Four Italian and one international team set for Giro d'Italia wild cards.

Mauro Vegni, the director of the Giro d'Italia, has told Cyclingnews that Italian teams will again be given precedence for wild card invitations to the Corsa Rosa but revealed that at least one international team will be at the start in San Remo on Saturday May 9.

With only 17 WorldTour teams in the peloton in 2015, Vegni confirmed that RCS Sport will offer five wild card places to Professional Continental teams for the Giro d'Italia and Tirreno-Adriatico, with a total of 25 teams invited to the one-day Strade Bianche, Milan-San Remo and the Tour of Lombardy.

American Tom Peterson confirms retirement.

American Tom Peterson, an eight-year veteran of the European peloton, confirmed his retirement as a professional racer at the end of this season.

Peterson, who turned 28 this week, will return to his studies and work as a coach after deciding not to continue racing.

“I’m retiring from racing next year,” Peterson wrote on the coaching site, Tête de la Course. “I just can’t do it. Too much time in Europe, too much time training. … I had a good run for a few years, but it’s been hard the last couple of years to get into it.”

Cycling still seen as suspicious, says Kittel.

The continued presence in pro cycling of individuals with doping pasts in team management positions does not help the sport, according to Marcel Kittel. "People like Vinokourov and Riis have this very obvious history and especially in Germany, pull the attention towards doping," he said.

"People like this contribute to the fact that to this day, cycling is permanently seen as suspicious," he told FAZ.net.

UCI to tighten up WorldTour team management structures.

The International Cycling Union (UCI) announced the day before Christmas a preview of a new management rules to be tested during the 2015/16 seasons by several WorldTour teams before a full implementation in 2017.

The new ‘Operational Guide’, produced by the Institute of Sports Science at the University of Lausanne (ISSUL) for the UCI, is designed to improve the professionalism of teams in order to combat institutional and organized doping.

Armitstead: The 2016 Olympics are my biggest goal.

After closing what has to be the biggest season of her career to date, Lizzie Armitstead has even bigger dreams for the coming years. Along with putting the disappointment of Ponferrada behind her by earning at least one gold at the next World Championships in Richmond, Armitstead is consumed by winning her first Olympic title in 2016.

“I think about it all the time. It’s ultimately the biggest goal of my career,” Armistead told Cyclingnews.

Michael Owens: A very Belgian Christmas.

“Chestnuts roasting on an open fire. Jack Frost nipping at your nose...”

"With these two simple sections of his song, Nat King Cole paints a perfect mental picture on the stereotypical American Christmas that I myself have become accustomed to. Having spent this holiday season in the beautiful land of Belgium, this year's Christmas was definitely far from the norm. Replacing chestnuts with Belgian chocolate and waffles, and Jack Frost being far more of a Jack Rainy, my first Christmas in Belgium was one I will never forget."

PEZ: Daily Distractions.

(pezcyclingnews.com)

Video: Q&A with Gerald Ciolek.

The Christmas Quiz Answers.

He’s dressed in red and makes his way through the snow but it’s not Santa. Can you name the rider pictured above?

Andy Hampsten of the 7-Eleven team in the 1998 Giro. The American won the race outright. Among other things today he runs a successful travel company in Italy. The after-dinner tales must be good.

The 2014 pro cycling season in numbers.

With the 2015 pro cycling season on the immediate horizon, 2014 can be easily summarized, quantified and analyzed.

Spain’s Alberto Contador – who rebounded with the Vuelta a España win and earned the prestigious Velo d’Or trophy from France’s Velo magazine – leads the way, but there were others with stats and achievements.

Evans’ farewell highlights field Down Under.

Cadel Evans and his farewell professional race will be the primary focus of the 2015 Santos Tour Down Under, held January 20-25 in Adelaide.

The 37-year-old Evans will put an end to his career on home roads. He’ll race the Tour Down Under, and then the Great Ocean Road Race on February 1 to conclude his career, which was historic as became the first Australian to win the Tour de France, in 2011.

“The team will be working hard for Cadel to support him to do his best,” said BMC sport director Fabio Baldato in a release. “The course will be challenging, but I think he can perform well just one more time.”

Top 14 stories of 2014: Giro’s Stelvio controversy.

"The Giro d’Italia peloton struggled to come to grips with the fallout of the Stelvio descent controversy that cast a pall over the fight for the pink jersey.

Sunny skies in the morning were in sharp contrast to the snow and confusion that engulfed the Giro on the Stelvio less than 24 hours before.

Sport directors and team managers huddled in a pre-race meeting ahead of stage 17 to try to reach a consensus on a brewing controversy that revealed deep fractures within the peloton. Tempers flared, but there was no clear compromise."

Antón looking to recover winning form in 2015.

Igor Antón is hoping to return to his winning form during his second year with the Movistar team. The 31-year-old basque rider, whose last win came during the Vuelta a Espana in 2011, told Biciclismo that he has recharged his batteries with two weeks of training before Christmas in an effort to start the season well next month at the Tour de San Luis.

Five-a-side: this week's new bike gear.

"It might have been Christmas this week, but that doesn't mean we've swapped our bike geek hats for Santa hats. Here, in this Boxing Day edition of Friday Five-a-side, are some of the most interesting bits and pieces of road cycling and mountain biking gear to have landed at BikeRadar's US headquarters in Boulder, Colorado, this week."

Reviewed: CycleOps PowerSync Trainer.

"I like riding, and I love racing, but I’ll admit I am not really a fan of training. Especially when it’s cold, and I’m alone, and in a basement. I’ve tried a lot of different trainers and rollers, but riding indoors is a necessary evil at best.

I was hopeful when I saw CycleOps’ electronic PowerSync trainer coupled with their VirtualTraining Program, an online catalogue of courses and workouts that control the trainer through ANT+ or Bluetooth to change resistance and keep indoor riding interesting. The PowerSync is $900, and the VirtualTraining Program is $6 a month. It is a splurge, but it's still significantly less than a CompuTrainer at $1,600, and the benefit of staying fit through the winter may be worth it."

Steve Tilford: Merry Christmas.

UCI announces 2017 Teams' Operational Guide.

The UCI this week announced the criteria for the organization of WorldTour teams which are due to become official in 2017. The Teams' Operational Guide will be tested voluntarily by eight teams in 2015 as well as Astana, who were required to adopt the guidelines after a re-examination of its license after a string of doping positives.

The UCI's criteria for a WorldTour license already covered sporting, ethical, financial and administrative areas, but in 2017 they must also meet the new organizational requirements, which will be put into place to "combat factors which may lead to doping", the UCI said in a statement.

Evans confirmed as BMC leader for TDU.

Two talented Australians, three Swiss and one American will ride alongside the 2011 Tour de France winner as he says his WorldTour goodbye from professional cycling.

Evans will be joined by fellow Australians Rohan Dennis and newly signed world under 23 time trial champion, Campbell Flakemore.

Dennis, who will make an attempt at the UCI world hour record in February, will take to the start line for the fourth time in his Adelaide hometown.

Men’s Stage Racer of the Year: Alberto Contador.

It’s been a long road back to the top for Alberto Contador. The Spanish superstar ruled the roads in 2014, winning or finishing second in every stage race he completed. The season started off promising enough, with second places at Volta ao Algarve and the Volta a Catalunya, and victories at Tirreno-Adriatico and the Vuelta al País Vasco, two of the hardest and most prestigious one-week stage races on the calendar.

Despite being pick-pocketed by Andrew Talansky at Critérium du Dauphiné, Contador roared into the Tour de France looking very much like a winner.

Tour of Ireland may return in 2016.

Talks are being held just now that could see a return of the Tour of Ireland as early as 2016 on the UCI Calendar. The last time the race was held was 2009 and the race was finished 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.

Dumoulin: It's difficult to say where my capabilities stop.

When Niki Terpstra was beaten to the title of Dutch rider of the year by Tom Dumoulin last month, he didn’t exactly stifle his disappointment in the manner of an overlooked Oscar nominee. Asked for his thoughts, he opted for frankness rather than diplomacy. “I’m surprised,” Terpstra said at the ceremony. “I thought I’d shown enough this year.” As soon as the lights went up, Algemeen Dagblad reported, the Paris-Roubaix winner “won the sprint for the cloakroom” by a handsome margin and promptly left.

The Netherlands, of course, is a country where plain-speaking is often the lingua franca on the sporting scene – witness the forthright exchanges over the years between football coach Louis van Gaal and the press for instance – and the debate over the rights and wrongs of the jury’s decision rumbled on deep into December.

Cyclocross LIVE stream - 2014 UCI Cyclocross World Cup at Heusden-Zolder.

Coming up LIVE Friday: UCI Cyclocross World Cup at Heusden-Zolder LIVE online.  Details to come.

Coming up LIVE Sunday: Superprestige Cyclocross at Diegem LIVE online.  Details to come.

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)

Machado returns to the WorldTour with Katusha.

After three seasons with the WorldTour’s RadioShack RadioShack Nissan formation, Machado took a step back in 2014 to ride with the ProContinental NetApp-Endura team.

Though he did ride with NetApp-Endura at the Tour de France, finishing 72nd overall and three hours behind race winner Vincenzo Nibali, the high quality journeyman has now landed back in the WorldTour full-time after he was picked up by Katusha for the next two seasons.

Thomas: The road is where I want to go at the moment.

While many of former track riders currently trying to prove themselves on the road are seriously considering returning to a velodrome as their best chance to excel in the upcoming Olympic Games in Rio, Geraint Thomas presents entirely different approach. Despite winning gold two years ago in London along with Bradley Wiggins, the 28-year old Welshman refuses to follow paths of his older compatriot and team-mate, aiming to strengthen the British squad in the road race instead.

Kiserlovski ready for take-off at Tinkoff Saxo.

Robert Kiserlovski believes that his transfer from Trek Factory Racing to Tinkoff Saxo will give him the springboard to improve as a GC rider in major races.

The 28-year-old climber was primarily signed as a super domestique for Alberto Contador and Rafal Majka but the former Trek rider has notched up his own impressive GC results in the Giro d’Italia, with two top-tens in the overall.

British Riders of the Year 2014 number 4: Laura Trott.

What can be said about Laura Trott that hasn’t already been said? Whenever she steps onto the track there’s a buzz, and she’s been described as the beating heart of the Great Britaåin track squad.

Trott is one of the most charismatic riders to watch, never more so than in the omnium elimination race, where she sometimes seems to toy with the rest of the field, ducking and diving and picking riders off one by one.

2014 Cyclingnews Reader Poll: Shimano XTR Di2 electronic transmission best new product.

Skeptics decried electronic transmissions on road bikes are unnecessarily complicated and an assault on tradition. However, it turns out that they do actually offer plenty of tangible benefits and have now been widely adopted. Now, the technology is coming to the off-road side with the release of Shimano's groundbreaking XTR Di2 group – and you've voted it the best new product of 2014.

XTR Di2 promises the same appealing features as with Shimano's Dura-Ace and Ultegra Di2 groups: the prospect of robotically perfect and ultra-quick shifting mile after mile with no maintenance required aside from the occasional recharging of the on-board battery.

Shimano has upped the ante with XTR Di2, however, with a slick sequential-shift function that lets riders enjoy the range of a two-chainring system but with just one shifter that does all the thinking for you.

Let's Go the Fun Way.

"All I could see was bright blue Utah sky and a bit of dust swirling in the air. I felt alive—really alive. I lay on my back with GT's new Grade carbon Ultegra adventure bike on the ground beside me, and just laughed. I had been aggressively carving my way down a serpentine, paved descent like I was on a motorcycle. The bike's fat, 28mm Continental tires (which really measure 30.5mm thanks to the Stan's NoTubes wide, 24mm Grail rims) put a lot of rubber on the ground—and combined with Shimano's stellar hydraulic disc brakes, I was able to lean way over and drive ridiculously hard through turns with complete control and confidence."

Cancellara has big hopes for 2015.

News shorts: Solovey signs for Astana-Acca Due O, Roompot secure Classics invitations.

PEZ: Daily Distractions.

(pezcyclingnews.com)

Steve Tilford: Merry Christmas.

UCI announces 2017 Teams' Operational Guide.

The UCI this week announced the criteria for the organization of WorldTour teams which are due to become official in 2017. The Teams' Operational Guide will be tested voluntarily by eight teams in 2015 as well as Astana, who were required to adopt the guidelines after a re-examination of its license after a string of doping positives.

The UCI's criteria for a WorldTour license already covered sporting, ethical, financial and administrative areas, but in 2017 they must also meet the new organizational requirements, which will be put into place to "combat factors which may lead to doping", the UCI said in a statement.

Evans confirmed as BMC leader for TDU.

Two talented Australians, three Swiss and one American will ride alongside the 2011 Tour de France winner as he says his WorldTour goodbye from professional cycling.

Evans will be joined by fellow Australians Rohan Dennis and newly signed world under 23 time trial champion, Campbell Flakemore.

Dennis, who will make an attempt at the UCI world hour record in February, will take to the start line for the fourth time in his Adelaide hometown.

“I am fortunate to be racing alongside Cadel, working for him and the team as well as learning from him how he handles the pressure both on and off the bike before he hangs up the bike from WorldTour racing,” said Dennis.

Lars Boom: "It was time to sign a new contract."

One of the big transfers of this season was the Lars Boom’s move from Belkin Pro Cycling to Astana Pro Team. The Dutch rider will be the leader on classic races. According to Biciciclismo, he hopes to shine during his first season with the Kazakh team :

“For me it was time to sign a new contract after 11 years on the same team. I was ready for something new and different to Team Belkin. My mind needed this, new people, new coaches, new directors, new people around me, new challenges“, he told the Spanish website.

He thinks that he is not in a “ideal situation“ because Astana is in a controversy situation with doping cases. “The positives of the Iglinsky brothers is something stupid, like the other guys,” he said. “I have always been and will be a clean rider, and it is not a problem for me to be on Astana. I'm happy to be able begin a normal year that I hope is very good.”

International Teams of the Year: Omega Pharma-Quick Step and Rabo-Liv.

Pro cycling has several big-budget “super teams” — Astana, BMC Racing, Katusha, Tinkoff-Saxo, and Sky among them — but in terms of depth, none came close to Omega Pharma-Quick Step in 2014.

The honor roll of OPQS victories is far too long to list here in its entirety, but among the team’s highlights: Niki Terpstra’s wins at Paris-Roubaix, Dwars door Vlaanderen, and the Tour of Qatar; Mark Cavendish’s 11 sprint wins; Tony Martin’s 10 victories, including time trial and stage wins; and Michal Kwiatkowski’s wins at Volta ao Algarve, Strade Bianche, and the world road championship. In all, 18 of 30 Omega riders won a total of 62 races in 2014.

Given that two of the brightest stars of the 2014 women’s peloton ride for Rabo-Liv, it should come as no surprise that the Dutch squad is our Women’s Team of the Year. Both Marianne Vos (our Women’s Stage Racer of the Year) and Pauline Ferrand-Prévot (our International Cyclist of the Year) call the squad home. But there is more to this team than just its outright stars. Lucinda Brand won the overall at the Energiewacht Tour. Anna van der Breggen won Dwars door de Westhoek and the overall at Festival Luxembourgeois du cyclisme féminin Elsy Jacobs. Vos started her road season later than normal, but still won the first edition of the Women’s Tour, and won the women’s Giro d’Italia, thanks in large part to the strength of her team. She also won on the Champs in the inaugural La Course by Le Tour de France. All in all, the team staked its claim as the squad of reference across the entirety of the calendar.

Cannondale Supersix Evo 105 5.

BikeRadar verdict: 3.5 out of 5 stars. "SuperSix Evo DNA in a super-affordable package."

Cyclocross LIVE stream - 2014 UCI Cyclocross World Cup at Heusden-Zolder.

Coming up LIVE Friday: UCI Cyclocross World Cup at Heusden-Zolder LIVE online.  Details to come.

Coming up LIVE Sunday: Superprestige Cyclocross at Diegem LIVE online.  Details to come.

Moser: Wiggins can set close to 56km for the Hour Record.

Francesco Moser thinks Bradley Wiggins is capable of setting a new Hour Record close to 56km, far beyond the current record of 51.852km set by Matthias Brändle.

Moser used disc wheels and aero bars, combined with the benefits of altitude and reported (then-legal) blood doping to beat Eddy Merckx's Hour Record in 1984. He set a distance of 51.151km, which went untouched until Graeme Obree used his innovative aero position to set 51.596 in 1993.

The Christmas Quiz.

"Here’s a selection of questions to test your memory and knowledge of pro cycling, ranging from geography to history, family to money, tech to trivia.

Some are easy, some just can’t be googled and for one or two maybe there’s just no correct answer. "

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)

"The perfect test": Alex Dowsett's coach talks about his hour record attempt.

“Alex has got a very good attitude and it’s a cliché but he has the passion for it. He’s a time triallist through and through. It’s the perfect test for him.”

Alex Dowsett could, in February next year, become the first Brit to break the hour record since Chris Boardman in 2000 and Mark Walker at least is in little doubt as to whether the man he coaches can do just that.

Walker combines his role as course manager for Writtle College’s foundation degree in cycling performance with work as Dowsett’s one-to-one coach – as well as working with the likes of British cyclo-cross champion Helen Wyman.

2014 Women’s Stage Racer of the Year: Marianne Vos.

A look at Marianne Vos’ results from her 2014 campaign can’t be done quickly. Though she didn’t win the world road championship, her results throughout the season were incredibly consistent. In what could be characterized as a slightly off year for the undisputed star of the women’s peloton, she still remained nearly unbeatable at stage races.

Vos won the Women’s Tour overall while taking three stages of the British race. She finished second in Emakumeen Euskal Bira and won three stages there, too. Vos won the women’s Giro d’Italia, along with four stages at the most prestigious women’s stage race on the calendar. It marked her third overall win at the event.

British Riders of the Year 2014 number 5: Chris Froome.

Everyone expected Chris Froome and Alberto Contador to go head-to-head in this year’s Tour de France. Froome’s crash the day the Tour returned to France after the three-day Grand Départ in England meant that the showdown was postponed until the Vuelta a España.

It could be argued that neither rider was at 100 per cent in Spain — after Contador crashed out of the Tour with a fractured tibia — but it was nevertheless an intriguing battle as both riders sought to squeeze as much as they could out of their recovering bodies.

Five Ways Cycling Makes You Happier, Smarter, and Sexier.

"You already know cycling is great for your physical fitness. But did you know it also has profound effects on your brain? We did some digging and chatted with experts to find out exactly how."

Taylor Phinney Interview.

Nibali reveals contents of Vinokourov's letter.

Cancellara has big hopes for 2015.

Fabian Cancellara is tanned, rested, and ready. After what he described as a season full of “ups and downs,” the veteran Swiss star is already thinking ahead.

Cancellara is home for the holidays, but a busy team training camp along the Spanish coast earlier this month left him eager and motivated for the season ahead.

“My batteries are charged,” he said in an interview on the team’s website. “Everything is on schedule.”

Cancellara, 33, was once again a force to be reckoned with in the classics this year, winning Ronde van Vlaanderen (Tour of Flanders) and notching podiums at Milano-Sanremo (second) and Paris-Roubaix (third). But the rest of the season, by his own admission, was less than expected, especially without a stage win at the Tour de France or a rainbow jersey in the UCI Road World Championships, where he was 11th.

News shorts: Solovey signs for Astana-Acca Due O, Roompot secure Classics invitations.

Katusha names Tour Down Under team, Guimiard quits role at French Federation.

You know you’re a cyclist when…

"What marks you out as part of the cycling fraternity? We suggest 75 qualifying criteria. Which apply to you?

The rituals, foibles, opinions and general peculiarities of the cyclist might seem outlandish — or just downright weird — to the casual observer. But these are the things that unite us. Who hasn’t absent-mindedly nodded at a fellow rider while driving their car? And who among us can honestly claim they’ve never been caught checking their tanlines in the mirror?

Yes, we’re a bit strange, but we wouldn’t have it any other way. Cycling Weekly presents a celebration of our collective idiosyncrasies, with invaluable input from both readers and pro cyclists on what it is that make us uniquely, well, similar."

2014 Time Trialists of the Year: Martin and Brennauer.

Tony Martin doesn’t want to be known only as a time trial specialist. But that’s just what he is. He’s the most successful modern time trialist since Fabian Cancellara, having eclipsed the Swiss time machine in 2011, when he won his first of three consecutive world time trial titles.

In 2014, Martin was all but untouchable against the clock. After a slow start in the spring, he won nearly every major time trial he started, from the Vuelta al País Vasco in April through the Vuelta a España in September. Chris Froome nipped him by less than one second at the Tour de Romandie, but otherwise, Martin ruled with an iron fist.

There’s another German powerhouse against the clock, and her name is Lisa Brennauer. In a breakout 2014 season with Specialized-lululemon, the 26-year-old won every time trial she started.

Unfortunately for women’s cycling, there are simply not that many time trials across the calendar. Most stage races last a week, and many do not feature races against the clock. But when there were, Brennauer was without rival in 2014.

How do top riders celebrate Christmas?

Marianne Vos: "My first cyclo-cross race this season is on Boxing Day in Zolder, Belgium, so on Christmas Day I will go and see the venue, which is near my home in the south of Holland. The next day, I’ll be racing, so my Christmas meal will be pasta, for sure. There will be no Christmas cake but I will be with my family, so we can enjoy Christmas together and have a relaxing time."

The Better BMC.

"We like the $12,000 BMC teammachine SLR01—but we love the $2,300 SLR03 version.

By any of the standards I typically use to evaluate a bike, the $12,000 SLR01, equipped with Dura-Ace Di2, was excellent. It did everything right and nothing wrong. Yet I couldn't pinpoint any standout traits. So when the time came to review BMC's less-expensive Teammachine SLR03 105, I expected a similarly uninspring ride.

Happily, I was wrong. Even as a gear snob who loves superlight bikes, I find the SLR03105 to be far more entertaining than its pro-team predecessor. And, it's $9,700 cheaper."

2014 Cyclingnews Reader Poll: Nys voted best cyclo-cross rider.

Although his recent string of race results may not show his true abilities, our readers still think he's the best: Belgian Sven Nys has claimed the title of Best Cyclo-cross Racer of the Year for the 13th time in the history of the Cyclingnews Reader Poll.

Nys, twice the UCI Cyclo-cross World Champion, and with 285 victories next to his name has been the undisputed best 'cross racer for more than a decade, and although he is now 38 years old, he still manages to contend for the win on a regular basis.

PEZ: Daily Distractions.

(pezcyclingnews.com)

Ask a Mechanic: Using grease vs. thread locker.

Offseason Capsule: Cannondale-Slipstream's Evolution Continues.

With a new name and a host of new riders for 2015, change is in the air for Jonathan Vaughter's venerable Slipstream franchise. For the most part, though, new additions should only further his master plan.

From its beginnings in 2007 the Garmin franchise's identity has been almost indistinguishable from its founder and director's mission. After a professional career, during which he used performance enhancing drugs occasionally and with public regret, Jonathan Vaughters sought to prove that cycling could be cleanly competed at the highest levels.

Beginning as a junior development team in Colorado in 2003, the organization became a Professional Continental level team in 2007 and immediately began making its name as an unusually vocal proponent of a new approach to racing. The team was among the first to have stricter internal testing protocols than the governing bodies of the sport applied to the sport writ large and Vaughters has been a leading voice in the call for reform of both testing and sanctioning of doping offenses. Garmin has been a second chance home for repentant dopers, most vocally David Miller but also including Thomas Dekker for the past two seasons.

For love or for data?

Used to be, guys had to fix their own forks with a hammer and forge, and those riders later drank beers stolen from cafes along the way, passing a church key and bottles among themselves.

Used to be, guys would ride two stages in one day, punch striking railroad workers in their screaming faces, then drink wine. And then attack. While wearing wool shirts.

The Tourmalet was included in the Tour de France in 1910 after the man who went to scout it got lost in the snow, fell into a stream, was rescued, and eventually made it down (with help). The telegram he sent out afterward read: “Crossed Tourmalet stop. Very good road stop. Perfectly feasible.”

Perfectly feasible!

On The Road With BMC.

"The pre-Christmas training camp/team presentation/media day in Spain is getting very popular. This will be my third in a couple of weeks. BMC know how to look after you though, top hotel, top food and top riders to interview. An all-round top day on the road.

I know I’ve said it before, but it’s always a pleasure to receive an invite to spend the day with a ProTour team. This time it was from BMC, they always take over the Marriott La Sella Golf Resort near the coastal town of Denia. To say it’s a nice hotel would be doing it a big disservice; the added bonus was the lunch invite."

12 Days of Dig: Day 11.

"Today we bring you three jerseys a bit off the beaten path. You won’t see these on the World Tour, but chances are you’ll find plenty of features, style and quality those of us that pay retail for our gear can get behind. This is Day 11 of the 12 Days of Dig. Enjoy."

Your heroes and villains of 2014: Cycling Weekly reader poll results.

"The 2014 Cycling Weekly Reader Poll is our biggest yet, with the highest number of votes of any we’ve run so far. We’ve painstakingly sifted through the results, analysed the data and can report that there are several major surprises and a few upsets.

For a start, there’s a new name at the top of the Villain of the Year leaderboard for the first time since we started running our annual poll…"

Canyon Aeroad CF SLX 9.0 SL.

Canyon designed its original Aeroad aero road bike with the primary goal of minimising frontal area, but has now thrown the full gamut of tech R&D tools at the wholly revamped second-generation Aeroad CF SLX.

The German consumer-direct outfit says this new version is considerably faster over a wider range of conditions, and also lighter. And now we've taken delivery of the Shimano Dura-Ace Di2-equipped Aeroad CF SLX 9.0 SL model, we can confirm that it looks fantastic too.

Video: Jumps, flips and more on a road bike.

Taylor Phinney Interview.

"Most of the top U.S. riders are here for a two-day affair—part media event, part Team USA course recon—for next September’s UCI world road championships, a.k.a. Richmond 2015. Earlier today, I got to ride the road course with the team, an offer I couldn’t accept quickly enough. The highlight of the hour-long ride, pedaled at a mostly conversational pace, was seeing Phinney sprint ahead of the group and solo up a spectacular section of the course: the climb of Libby Hill. As I watched him hammer up the narrow, cobbled road, he had his tongue stuck out just like Michael Jordan used to in his prime. I wondered, was this the return of Taylor Phinney?

The man handling interviews for USA Cycling tells me I’ll have just 20 minutes with the 24-year-old Boulder, Colorado, native and Team BMC standout. On my mind, of course, is Phinney’s horrific season-ending crash at U.S. road nationals last May in which he broke the tibia and fibula in his left leg. He looked good out on the bike today, so I’m curious how well his recovery has gone."

Nibali reveals contents of Vinokourov's letter.

In an interview with Tuttobici, Vincenzo Nibali has revealed what was included in the letter sent by Astana manager Alexandre Vinkourov to the whole team.

"It was an email sent to the whole team. I never deleted it. Some things you never delete," Nibali said.

When La Gazzetta dello Sport broke the story in June, it was initially believed that the letter was addressed solely to Nibali for his poor performance in the opening half of the season.

2014 International Sprinters of the Year: Kittel and Wild.

Like most of the sprints Marcel Kittel won this season, our award for Best Sprinter of the Year was never in doubt.

Kittel was show stopping in 2014, snagging 13 wins in all, including four stages at the Tour de France and two at the Giro d’Italia. His win total isn’t staggering —André Greipel won 16 times — but the venues in which he performed flawlessly are at the apex of the sport. If you can win at the Tour, you can win anywhere.

Giant-Shimano’s Kirsten Wild is, without a doubt, one of the purest sprinters in the women’s peloton. With years of experience racing on the track, the Dutch sprinting ace has been, and continues to be, the most powerful closer in the sport.

Classics Riders of the Year: Cancellara and Armitstead.

When it comes to the spring classics, Fabian Cancellara remains in a league of his own. Though 2014 wasn’t his best classics season ever — he’s won the Flanders-Roubiax double on two occasions, in 2010 and 2013 — Cancellara was without question the most consistent performer at the monuments, the sport’s biggest one-day races. With his second-place at Milano-Sanremo behind Alexander Kristoff, his win at the Tour of Flanders, and his third-place finish at Paris-Roubaix behind Niki Terpstra and John Degenkolb, Cancellara kept an impressive streak alive — he’s finished on the podium of the last 12 monuments he’s finished, dating back to the 2010 Tour of Flanders, interrupted only by a race-ending crash at the 2012 Tour of Flanders.

When it came to one-day racing in 2014, no woman could boast the results of British rider Lizzie Armitstead. The Boels-Dolmans rider won the opening World Cup event, the Ronde van Drenthe in March and followed up with three successive second-place finishes at Trofeo Alfredo Binda, the Tour of Flanders, and La Flèche Wallonne Féminine. In early March, Armitstead also won the Omloop van het Hageland and finished third at the Omloop Het Nieuwsblad, a pair of difficult Belgian semi-classics that are not part of the World Cup series; she also placed third at the March 13 Drentse 8, in the Netherlands.

First Contador-Froome duel of 2015 to feature two summit finishes.

The Vuelta a Andalucia, where Alberto Contador and Chris Froome will first cross swords next season, has released its route, which combines a short time trial challenge and two difficult summit finishes.

Unusually for so early in the season, the five-day Spanish race will feature an extremely tough mountain-top finish, at the Alto de Hazallanas in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada mountain range. Last used in the 2013 Vuelta a España, Hazallanas was where Chris Horner took a key step towards outright victory.

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)

Offseason Capsule: Dutch Cycling's Ninth Life.

The identity of Dutch cycling has been perhaps the most entertaining such subject of any nation's collective efforts at the top level of road cycling, over the last decade or so. The "identity" of Italian and French cycling is always spread over a few top teams. American cycling even more so, despite our relatively small contributions to the sport. Belgium is forever a two-team blood feud. The Spanish? Project Unzue has taken full control, so much so that "interesting" doesn't describe matters.

The Netherlands has sported one flagship project, Rabobank (nee Kwantum), with only the rare challenge from a second top-flite team in the new millennium. Kwantum began as half of the remainders from Ti-Raleigh, the other half forming the powerful Panasonic team of Peter Post and co. After Panasonic disbanded in 1993 and Kwantum evolved into Rabobank, the Oranje had their quasi-national team, orange kit and all. There were others, like the nearly unpronounceable Bankgiroloterij, but nothing much, even when the iconic 80s cycling brand Skil-Shimano revived itself in 2005.

Thomas: Britain will be stronger than ever at Olympic Games.

After winning gold on the track at the 2012 Olympic Games, Geraint Thomas has set his sights on the road for 2016. Thomas believes that the Great Britain team is in the best position yet to bring home their first gold medal in the men’s road race.

“As a country, we’re the strongest we’ve ever been,” he told Cyclingnews. “I’m really looking forward to racing the Olympics. They’re a massive global event and I’m really looking forward to it.”

The road race and time trial courses for the Rio Olympics were revealed by the UCI at the beginning of December. The 256.4 kilometer road race course contains two circuits with two climbs a piece, including the 13 per cent average Gumari ascent. The route should favor the strong climbers with a fast kick something Thomas believes suits the British team.

News shorts: Greg LeMond for Tour Down Under.

Abu Dhabi to host new big-budget stage race in October 2015.

Nys to return to cyclo-cross racing at Superprestige in Diegem.

Kittel keeping Tour targets under wraps.

Kelderman breaks collarbone in training crash.

Wilco Kelderman has become the latest rider to suffer a setback ahead of the 2015 season after breaking his collarbone during training in Spain. The team confirmed on Twitter that he had undergone surgery but didn’t elaborate on how the accident occurred.

“@W1lcokelderman broke his right collarbone. The medical staff operated him yesterday, expected recovery is 3 weeks. Get well soon!” the team wrote on Twitter.

Ruling in Ulissi case postponed until January.

Diego Ulissi will have to wait until next year to know more about his future in the professional peloton. Today the 25-year-old Italian attended a hearing in Switzerland but La Gazzetta dello Sport reports that the decision has been postponed to January.

The Tuscan tested positive for salbutamol after the eleventh stage of the Giro d'Italia positive for the drug salbutamol. As he suffers from asthma, he has a therapeutic use exemption but the amount was above the limit. Earlier in the race Ulissi had won two stages in the race.

World champion Kwiatkowski to begin his season in the Tour de San Luis.

A piece of history will be made in January when, for the first time ever, the world road race champion will line out in the Tour de San Luis. Michal Kwiatkowski has confirmed that he will take part, with the Polish rider getting his season underway in the south American event.

Kwiatkowski has previous knowledge of the race, having competed there as part of the Omega Pharma QuickStep team in 2013. He impressed then and will try to do the same again, even if his off-season was likely packed with engagements due to the rainbow bands encircling his chest.

Mark McConnell: Racing with Wolves in the Heartland of Cyclocross.

"I first met with Mark McConnell at the Canadian National Championships in Winnipeg. He was currently getting set for his travels to Belgium, where he was going to live in Mechelen, using it as a springboard to participate in the big races such as Milton Keynes and Namur. He told us the latter course  was “incomparable to any beast I’ve ever raced, long and punchy climbs with intimidating mudslide descents atop a castle mountainside.”

His nickname in the cyclocross community is Hot Sauce, a well-earned name considering that he sells his distinctive Hot Sauce Cycling BioRacer cycling caps in order to fund his travels abroad. He recently reached out to us to share his story, and the following is McConnell’s own words."

No pave in 2015: Gilbert sticking to what he knows best.

Philippe Gilbert is sticking to what he knows best, and will steer clear of the cobblestones in 2015.

Despite rumors that the former world champion was poised to tackle the northern classics again next season, Gilbert instead is returning to his roots, and aims to shine where he will start with a higher chance of success. That means the Ardennes, and some unsettled business with Milano-Sanremo. The cobbles can wait.

“I said I would like to go back to the pavé before I retire, but not in 2015. I am not finishing my career next year,” Gilbert said at a team camp in Spain. “My best choices now are doing the explosive races, like Lombardia, Sanremo, and Liège. When I start losing that, then I go to the northern classics. It’s impossible to do both. If you go hard in those races on the cobbles, I don’t know if you can be at the top for the Ardennes the next week.”

Durbridge chasing third national time trial title.

The 2014 season was a first for Luke Durbridge since turning professional in 2012 with Orica-GreenEdge. The 23-year-old spent the whole year racing in his normal trade team kit. In his neo-pro season of 2012, Durbridge was the national time trial champion but then went one better in 2013 as he became a double national champion in the road race and time trial, wearing the green and gold national champions jersey in every race bar team time trials.

Best of AngryAsian 2014.

Tech editor James Huang has a satisfyingly nerdy eye for detail when it comes to bikes and never pulls punches in his AngryAsian columns.

This AngryAsian’s penned some greats – investigating the high cost of power meters, demystifying tubeless tyres and cracking open carbon clincher standards – but it was his comparison of road and aero gear that garnered the most reader attention.

Paul Kimmage to lead Spanish cycling holidays; training & stories.

For those who have admired Paul Kimmage’s work down the years and would like to spend a week cycling in sun with him comes good news.

The former professional rider turned journalist and author will lead a week-long cycling holiday in Spain next year.

The trip will be based in the Andalusian village of Velez de Benaudalla on the slopes of the Sierra Nevada Mountains.

Kimmage will go on bike rides with the group each day. And there is also a strong social dimension with the holiday.

USAC Cyclo-cross Development Program: Hecht gives highlights from Namur.

"The UCI World Cup in Namur, Belgium takes place around the Citadel that sits above the town. The Citadel is one of the largest in Europe and has influenced much of its history. Because of its location, the course holds a challenge for all of the competitors. The circuit in Namur is like no other circuit of racing I have seen before. A combination of the large elevation difference, the difficulties of the tough terrain, and the mud all played huge roles in making this course one of my favorites and one that I will not forget."

PEZ: Daily Distractions.

(pezcyclingnews.com)

Video: Jumps, flips and more on a road bike.

Jens Voigt’s ‘Ambassador of Awesome’ job description is pretty…awesome.

Earlier this month it was reported that Jens Voigt is to take up a coaching role at Trek Factory Racing, and now the bike manufacturers have released details of his job description, designed to ease him into retirement.

As Trek’s ‘Ambassador of Awesome’ the 43-year-old is responsible for ‘a variety of diverse objectives including crushing the field on the daily lunch ride, yelling motivational catch phrases at staff members, and increasing worker productivity’.

Road Rights: Hit and Runs On The Rise in California.

Do you know why there’s an epidemic of hit-and-runs on cyclists?

According to some people, it’s because cyclists break the law.

On Thanksgiving weekend this past November, the Los Angeles Times ran a sobering article about hit-and-runs on Los Angeles cyclists. Among the findings: Between 2002 and 2012, more than 5,600 cyclists were injured in hit-and-runs, and at least 36 were killed—a 42 percent increase in hit-and-runs on cyclists in Los Angeles alone. And this surge in hit-and-runs on cyclists occurred against a backdrop of a 30 percent overall drop in hit-and-runs. In plain terms, hit-and-runs have been dropping dramatically overall, while at the same time, hit-and-runs on cyclists have been skyrocketing.

Cancellara: Flanders is not enough.

Trek Factory Racing's Fabian Cancellara has said that his lone WorldTour win in 2014 at the Tour of Flanders is not enough to keep him satisfied. In an interview released this week by his team, the 33-year-old Swiss champion says he has closed the book on 2014 and is already looking ahead to next season.

"The highlight was Flanders, of course, and also my pretty strong 10-day ride in the Tour de France was also memorable," Cancellara said. "There were ups and downs, and I was not so consistent, maybe. You can say that 2011-2014 is maybe one big book. Twenty-fourteen had a lot of the previous years in it, in a way. It's hard to explain.

"Flanders is not enough. I am not satisfied."

Book Review: Nouveau Cycle.

"How was last summer’s Tour de France for you? Chances are the response varies by nationality. It was supreme for many Italians and fantastique for the French with successes, drama and the crowning triumph of two compatriots on the podium of the Champs Elysées.

This book uses the Tour de France’s summer limelight as means to profile Jean-Christophe Péraud, Romain Bardet and Thibaut Pinot. It’s not the story of their race but a fuller biography where at times the Tour is almost forgotten. It’s in French but worth sharing with readers of this blog for the insights."

Six reasons why Felt is making some of the world’s best bikes.

"If I had a dollar for every time I’ve been told, “We’re a small company, and the only way we can compete with the big companies is to make a better product,” I’d be a very rich man. Given the engineering budgets of companies like Trek, Specialized, Giant, and Cannondale, it’s hard to make a bike better than they make. But Felt Bicycles is a small company that surpasses them in some areas.

Just the fact that you most likely hear very little about Felt, especially now that its bikes are no longer being ridden by UCI WorldTour teams, may indicate that it’s not a marketing-driven company. Rather, it is a product-driven company, and has been ever since Jim Felt started making custom aluminum bikes with his name on them decades ago. Felt employs a small team of talented engineers, and the company and its product line are too small for them to be dedicated to single categories. Instead, ideas that work on road bikes rapidly cross-pollinate to mountain, cyclocross, and track bikes, and vice versa."

Astana’s Andrei Grivko.

Andrei has been a pro since 2005 when he joined the Domina Vacanze team where he rode the Tour de France in his first year. Three years with Milram were followed by one season with ISD before teaming up with Astana in 2010. Ten Grand Tour finishes, a Vuelta stage in the team time trial and a handful of National titles.

12 Days of Dig: Day 10.

"Day 10 of Dig features four items that have become fast-favorites around the peloton offices. Each of them brings simplicity and quality to a new take on common products and is sure to please anyone of your ‘nice’ list this season."

Lifeline Carbon Mini pump.

BikeRadar verdict: 3 out of 5 stars. "This is a very small pump by any standards – just 87g in weight and, at 24.5cm long, small enough for a jersey pocket. And it was surprisingly decent to use, too."

PEZ: Pre-Xmas EuroTrash Monday!

Unzúe: Quintana is the best climber I've worked with.

What factors determine pro cyclist salaries?

News shorts: Greg LeMond for Tour Down Under.

WorldTour teams for Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race, Australian track titles decided.

Abu Dhabi to host new big-budget stage race in October 2015.

The 2015 men's professional season will end with a new big-budget stage race in Abu Dhabi, with the four-day race expected to attract some of the biggest riders and teams in the peloton.

The race will be held between Thursday October 8 and Sunday October 11, starting four days after Il Lombardia in Italy. It will be organised by the Abu Dhabi Sports Council and Giro d'Italia organiser RCS Sport. In many ways the Abu Dhabi Tour will replace the now defunct Tour of Beijing but it will not initially be part of the UCI WorldTour calendar. For the 2015 season, the race has a 2.1 status.

Nys to return to cyclo-cross racing at Superprestige in Diegem.

Sven Nys will return to racing at the Superprestige race in Diegem on Sunday, December 28, it was announced on Monday. The Belgian national champion, who has been performing unexpectedly poorly this season, skipped Sunday’s World Cup race in Namur. He decided to take a break after finishing nearly three minutes down at the Bpost Bank Trofee in Essen on Saturday.

His Crelan-AA Drink Team announced the new racing schedule after consultations between Nys, his manager Paul van den Bosch and team manager Jan Verstraeten. He may skip Friday’s World Cup race in Heusden-Zolder.

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)

Kittel keeping Tour targets under wraps.

Following 10 days of training with Giant-Alpecin in Cambril, Spain, Marcel Kittel told Cyclingnews that he and his team are still working out whether he will target the green points jersey in next year's Tour de France, but a shot at another yellow jersey in the first week is definitely on the radar.

The 26-year-old German sprinter, who has eight Tour stage wins to his credit over the past two years, wore the first maillot jaunes of the 2013 and 2014 Tours after consecutive opening-day wins. Next year's stage 1 time trial in Utrecht, the Netherlands, makes a repeat performance unlikely, but he wouldn't rule out the possibility of wearing yellow during the first week.

USA Pro Challenge announces stage 6 start, finish towns for 2015 race.

Stage 6 of the 2015 USA Pro Challenge will start in Loveland and end in Fort Collins, Colorado, locations that were determined by a fan vote. All of the host cities for the August 17-23 race have now been announced.

Earlier in December, the race unveiled the host cities for stages 1-5 and 7. A circuit race in Steamboat Springs will kick things off, while the race will conclude with a stage from Golden to Denver.

Fans provided more than 20 start and finish options for the sixth stage before Loveland and Fort Collins were chosen, race organizers said.

Cannondale Teramo bike helmet fails Consumer Reports’ safety test.

The buckle on the chinstrap of the Cannondale Teramo helmet ($120) snapped off or broke into pieces with four out of the five samples we evaluated during one of our routine bike helmet tests. The Cannondale Teramo was the only one helmet that failed out of the 14 helmets that we put through the same test. We’ve rated the Cannondale Teramo a Don’t Buy: Safety Risk.

News shorts: Sebastian Henao will target Giro's young rider jersey in 2015.

New US Continental team announces 2015 roster.

12 Days of Dig: Day 9.

"It’s Day 9 of Dig and we bring you two pairings – one for the high-end, style-hound commuter and one for anyone looking for a little bit of two-wheel fun with the significant other."

Compton satisfied with podium finish after asthma issues at Namur.

Pauwels wins World Cup in Namur.

Nash claims convincing win at Namur World Cup.

Gerrans breaks collarbone, will miss Tour Down Under.

It’s hardly the Christmas present 2014 Liège–Bastogne–Liège champion Simon Gerrans for.

Gerrans snapped his collarbone while mountain biking over the weekend, and will miss the chance to defend his titles at the Australian national championship and at the Santos Tour Down Under next month.

Gerrans, 34, was scheduled to undergo surgery on his left shoulder Monday, and admitted he will not be at a top level to race in January.

“Unfortunately, it doesn’t matter how well the recovery goes from here, I don’t think I am going to be in any condition to be racing at a high level in January,” Gerrans said in a team release. “With that in mind I think it is better to take my time, make sure the recovery goes well and get all the rehab done so I don’t have any ongoing issues.

Former winner Rogers treating Santos Tour Down Under as important goal, will lead Tinkoff Saxo team in race.

Following on from a season where he gathered two stage wins in the Giro d’Italia, one in the Tour de France and also third overall in the Route du Sud, Michael Rogers has set his sights on hitting the ground running in 2015 and notching up a high overall finish in the Santos Tour Down Under.

Rogers was confirmed Monday as leading the team in the WorldTour event, which will take place in his home country of Australia.

Monday Shorts.

Forget Tinkoff-Saxo’s temporary training kit, here’s the real deal on camouflage cycle clothing: the French army cycling team. They’ve been an amateur squad but now turn pro for 2015.

The Armée de Terre team has been one of the strongest outfits on the French amateur circuit and well-supported too with the trappings of a pro team like a fleet of vehicles. Now the whole squad is moving up a level and they will ride at UCI Continental level in 2015. But it’s not been easy because to have a pro team you need riders on pro contracts. Only the Armée de Terre team have soldiers and all the riders have signed the standard three year military engagement contract meaning they’re soldiers, not cyclists. Now they’ll ride their bikes all the time but in the eyes of the law they’re military first.

Kerstperiode Battles Begin in Earnest.

"Two days ago on the muddy tracks through the woods of Essen, Belgium, the Kerstperiode began. From now until January 1, cross races pepper the calendar with unheard of frequency, a gift from the cycling gods to those of us at home for the holidays or dealing with the throes of last-minute Christmas shoppers.

Today's stop on the advent calendar of crossmas was the World Cup event held at Namur, whose steep climbs and even steeper drop-offs are often coated in deep, rutted mud. Next up is the World Cup at Heusdon-Zolder on Thursday. Following that, we return to Diegem (Superprestige) on the 28th, Azencross Loenhout (BPost Bank) on the 30th, and finally slow down a touch late on New Year's Day after the GP Sven Nys (BPost Bank) finishes. If you're counting, that's six races in 13 days."

2014 Comeback of the Year: Lea Davison.

In January, she was unconscious, lying on a table in Vermont, a labrum tear to her right hip being surgically repaired. In September she was overjoyed, standing on a podium in Hafjell, Norway, a bronze medalist at the world cross-country championship.

For Lea Davison, the 2014 season didn’t just deliver the best result of her career — it was a glimpse into the realm of what is possible, a test of the mental as much as the physical.

Following surgery, Davison had to first learn how to walk correctly again, before thinking about pedaling a bike. Exercise amounted to crutching around her house, or range-of-motion exercises in a local pool. Her first ride back was in Santa Barbara, at a USA Cycling women’s mountain-bike skills camp in early March, where she pedaled the granny gear for 30 minutes. Increased pain in April forced her to take a week completely off the bike, missing the Sea Otter Classic. She didn’t truly begin training until late May.

Garate has regrets as he announces retirement.

As 2014 draws to a close, Spain’s Juan Manuel Garate is probably one of the very last riders this year to confirm his retirement from the peloton - an announcement he made official in a press conference on Monday in San Sebastian. The Spaniard touched on some of the highlights of his career; stage wins in all three Grand Tours, including the toughest mountain stages of both the 2009 Tour de France and 2006 Giro d’Italia, however, he also noted some of the regrets that he has as his career comes to an end.

“Winning on the Ventoux in the 2009 Tour de France will remain my most special victory,” Garate, 38, told Cyclingnews. “My team at the time hadn’t had a good Tour, even though we had had a great line-up but it had all gone awry from day one. So that stage was the last chance we had to do something before the race got to Paris the next day, and that made it even more special.”

Tour de Yorkshire will debut in 2015.

Tour de France organizer Amaury Sport Organisation (ASO) announced the inaugural Tour de Yorkshire, to be held in Northern England, May 1-3, 2015.

On Monday, ASO named Bridlington, Leeds, Scarborough, Selby, Wakefield, and York as host cities for the UCI 2.1-category race.

The full route details will be revealed on January 21, 100 days prior to the race.

Best mini pumps for road cyclists.

Every cyclist’s home workshop should include a track pump – but there’s no way you’re going to be carrying one of these huge and heavy metal constructions whenever you’re out on a bike ride.

Not too long ago, roadies carried frame pumps strapped to their frames, usually right underneath the top tube. But the change in frame shapes and the rise of CO2 inflators have seen those largely vanish. Enter their miniature cousins come into play: the mini pump.

PEZ: Daily Distractions.

(pezcyclingnews.com)

PEZ: Pre-Xmas EuroTrash Monday!

Unzúe: Quintana is the best climber I've worked with.

Eusebio Unzúe has confirmed Nairo Quintana’s early 2015 race program and called the Colombian the best climbing talent he has ever worked with.

Quintana, who finished second at the 2013 Tour de France and won this year’s Giro d’Italia, will target the Tour in 2015 and with a climber-friendly parcours, will start as one of the leading favorites.

The Colombian’s entire race plan leading up to the start in Utrecht has not been finalized, with some questions over his final preparation race but Movistar team boss Unzúe told Cyclingnews that a number of short stage races would form part of the rider’s preparation.

What factors determine pro cyclist salaries?

Three-week Grand Tours, week-long stage races, gruelling Classics and perhaps over 10,000 kilometres of racing per year. Professional cycling is undoubtedly one of the toughest sports around, if not the most difficult, but how much do riders earn for all that hardship?

CyclingTips spoke to two rider agents about this topic, Paul de Geyter and Ken Sommer. De Geyter manages a wide range of riders including Tom Boonen, Tejay Van Garderen, Jan Bakelants, Greg Van Avermaet, Maxime Bouet, Matt Goss and Luke Durbridge.

Sommer works alongside former Cervélo Test Team pro Joao Correia at the Corso agency and represents competitors such as Gerald Ciolek, Laurens ten Dam, Linus Gerdemann, Ted King and Evelyn Stevens.

Top 14 stories of 2014: Riding with Eddy.

"After three days in Belgium, the Visit Flanders tourism board laid out the following day’s agenda. Our group of American journalists would be going for a bike ride through the hallowed lands of the spring classics. While on much tamer roads than the previous day’s ride, which took us over various parts of the Ronde van Vlaanderen course, today we would be riding with a local cyclist, and a dozen or so of his friends.

The local was Eddy Merckx, and many of his friends were also his former teammates.

I found myself struggling to speak for much of the ride; the cumulative palmares of the group would rival that of a Tour de France peloton and, yes, I was a bit gun shy. The other five journalists and I stayed at the back of the two lines of friends. We stood out like sore thumbs."

World champ Kwiatkowski aims for 2015 Sanremo and Ardennes.

Michal Kwiatkowski can aim high since he has already reached big goals, including becoming World Champion at 24 years old. For 2015, his target is a classic: Milano-Sanremo or one of the three Ardennes races.

“That’s the plan,” Omega Pharma-Quick Step sports director, Davide Bramati told VeloNews.

“We are waiting to finalize his schedule, but he will race Milano-Sanremo and return for the Ardennes classics, where he was already on the podium in two of them this spring.”

The Polish cyclist begins his season in Argentina at the Tour of San Luis, January 19. He will use the Tirreno-Adriatico or Paris-Nice stage race as a build-up to Milano-Sanremo on March 23 and of course, return to the three Ardennes races, April 20 to 27.

Proctor leads USA Cycling Cyclo-cross Development Program to success in Europe.

After 11 seasons of running EuroCrossCamp, Geoff Proctor’s long-term goal of working directly with USA Cycling on a national cyclo-cross development program came to fruition when the sport governing body offered him a position as head coach of the junior and under-23 cyclo-cross team this year. The members of the USA Cycling Cyclo-cross Development Program are part way through their third block of racing overseas and so far it has been a big success.

“Inevitably, the transition included the absorbing of EuroCrossCamp by the new program, USAC Cx Devo,” Proctor told Cyclingnews. “To me, this was a natural evolution and achieves the aims of both programs.”

Cycling Weekly reader poll results: Favorite riders of 2014.

"The 2014 Cycling Weekly Reader Poll is our biggest yet, with the highest number of votes of any we’ve run so far. We’ve painstakingly sifted through the results, analyzed the data and can report that there are several major surprises and a few upsets.

Here’s how you voted for your favorite riders, team and performance of 2014. We will be publishing more poll results tomorrow."

PEZ Holiday Gift Guide #6.

"Our last Gift Guide of 2014 is packed full of great last minute gift ideas for you or the cyclist in your life including an ultimate cycling holiday from DuVine, a Cancer Charity ride in Canada along with products from Saris, Castelli, Giro, BMC, Salsa, Clément, De Marchi, Campagnolo, Endura and more."

2014 Holiday Gift Guide: Wheels for every type of cyclist.

Op-Ed: Cycling’s review commission is a step forward, but it isn’t enough.

Strong line-up for Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race.

Jonathan Vaughters reveals how close Garmin-Sharp came to folding.

Rides to Remember.

Compton satisfied with podium finish after asthma issues at Namur.

American cyclocross champion Katie Compton said she was content with her third-place finish at Sunday’s World Cup race in Namur, Belgium, after breathing issues nearly ended her race early.

The threat of an asthma attack, combined with a missed pedal at the start, forced Compton to stay within herself over the muddy, hilly course at Namur. The Trek Factory Racing rider, who has been crowned World Cup series champion the past two seasons, never saw the front of the race, where world champion Marianne Vos and Katerina Nash battled for the victory.

Pauwels wins World Cup in Namur.

The challenging course had turned to thick, nearly unrideable mud in some sections by the time the elite men started the final race of the day in Namur.

Tom Meeusen led the race up the opening climb, a challenging and muddy ascent that forced riders off their bikes from the start. The German rider Sascha Weber was followed by Swiss rider Marcel Wildhaber, along with Rob Peeters, Pauwels, Walsleben, van der Haar, and Francis Mourey, Corné Van Kessel and Fabien Canal.

Pauwels rode flawlessly along the thick mud stretch and gained the few seconds that he needed to take the win ahead of van der Haar, who was left behind and forced to settle for second place.

Nash claims convincing win at Namur World Cup.

Vos takes second on return to cyclo-cross action.

Nash fell behind on the early laps of the race but recovered to catch and pass Vos. The Czech went on to win by 34 seconds, while Vos, in her first outing of the cyclo-cross season, took second place.

Katie Compton finished in third place, while Sanne Cant’s sixth place finish was enough for her to retain the overall lead in the World Cup standings, although her advantage has been slashed to just a single point. Compton lies in second place, while Ellen Van Loy is in third, 32 points off Cant.

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)

Sven Nys withdraws from Sunday's Namur World Cup.

GP Rouwmoer Essen... LIVE.

Andy Schleck: Yes I miss cycling.

Talks ongoing for 2016 Tour of Ireland return.

Jens Voigt: Last Action Hero.

North American Woman of the Year: Katie Compton.

Katie Compton has been winning international cyclocross races so consistently, and for so long, it’s sometimes easy to overlook her world-class caliber.

It’s not accurate to say that Compton is without peer — Marianne Vos has proven a formidable opponent, particularly at the world championships — but in the context of an award that acknowledges consistent performances across the calendar, Compton has proven to be the most dominant rider in women’s cyclocross, and the most impressive North American woman in pro cycling across all disciplines.

Sanchez not willing to sign at any price.

After 13 years at Euskaltel-Euskadi, Sanchez signed with the BMC team for 2014 but the parties failed to reach an agreement to renew the contract despite the desire from both to continue the collaboration.

LCManagement, the agency that is led by Michel Gros and Joona Laukka, told L'Equipe about the current situation for Sanchez. "Samuel has always been willing to make financial sacrifices. But he was not willing to sign at any price," they said about the offer from BMC. "The chances are dwindling and his future in the bunch is uncertain."

Meanwhile, Sanchez is registered to compete today in the Memorial Justo Rebollar-Ismael Parajón, a ciclocross race in Vega de Sariego which is part of the Copa de Asturias. He already did his first cyclocross race on December 1.

Caleb Fairly.

Judged on the results he achieved at the end of 2010, it looked as if 27 year-old Texan, Caleb Fairly was headed straight for the top. Riding for Holowesko Partners/Felt, the Garmin U23 ‘feeder’ team, at the start of the year Fairly won the Tour of the Bahamas, the Tour of the Battenkill and then rode a strong Tour de Beauce. The previous year had seen him in the US U23 team and a strong showing in the super fast Olympia Tour in The Netherlands had marked him down as ‘one to watch.’ Moving up to the Garmin Pro Tour team as a stagiaire at the end of the 2010 season, his debut was straight from the top drawer.

He took 12th in his first race, the Memorial Pantani and followed that up with third in the Giro della Toscana. It was expected that Fairly would join Garmin for 2011.

Focus Izalco Max 5.0.

BikeRadar verdict: 4.5 out of 5 stars. "A phenomenal lightweight frame, excellent components and a rich riding experience make this as good as any race rig we’re tried."

12 Day of Dig: Day 8.

"If you follow our Instagram feed you know we have a hard time sticking to just bike stuff, but some of the more off-beat posts are the music updates of our Creative Director as he works his magic during the final lay-out of the magazine. Ranging from folky to ear-bleeding metal the notes that keep his creative muse happy are eclectic to say the least. During our ‘East’ themed issue in 2014 he discovered some Asian rock that has become classic ‘Dig’."

PEZ: Daily Distractions.

(pezcyclingnews.com)

Op-Ed: Cycling’s review commission is a step forward, but it isn’t enough.

Brian Cookson, president of cycling’s world governing body, the UCI, deserves commendation for following through on his 2013 pre-election manifesto to convene an “independent commission” to investigate pro cycling. From all appearances, this Cycling Independent Reform Commission (CIRC) will be overseen by a very strong and experienced staff, and will operate independently of the UCI, as it looks into the history of doping and corruption in the sport.

As stated in its “Terms of Reference,” or charter, dated February 11, 2014, the CIRC proclaims that its priorities will be focused on “understanding and learning from the past to improve the future of the sport by eliminating undesirable practices and procedures as well as understanding the roots and mechanisms of the endemic problem of doping in cycling.”

Strong line-up for Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race.

Six of the world’s top ProTour teams are confirmed, with IAM Cycling, Trek Factory Racing, Etixx – Quick-Step and Team Katusha joining BMC Racing Team and Orica GreenEDGE in the race, promising a thrilling weekend for cycling fans.

“I am delighted with the news that some of the world’s best cycling teams are set to ride in the inaugural Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race,” said Victorian Minister for Tourism and Major Events,  John Eren.

“These teams are the cream of the crop, competing in prestigious events such as the Tour de France and Paris-Roubaix. It will be a great honor to see them ride against Australia’s best in our own beautiful backyard – Geelong and the Surf Coast region.”

Jonathan Vaughters reveals how close Garmin-Sharp came to folding.

“I don’t think either us or Cannodale would have been able to run a WorldTour team if there hadn’t been a deal,” Vaughter said.

“We, us and Cannondale I mean, basically became friends because we were discussing how hard it had become to run teams in this environment. People might not realize this but when we got our UCI report back a couple of weeks ago – and our budget is a little under 20 million USD – the report showed us where we were on the spectrum and we were way below average, which is around 26 to 27 million USD. That reality is hard to sustain and so as we got talking Cannondale, they told us that they’d tried to do a couple of deals, one with Tinkoff, but each time they were afraid of losing control of the brand image and not having input into the team.”

It was a tough deal to make, but Cannondale became part of the Garmin team, brining over their green livery, their bikes and eight of their riders.

Rides to Remember.

"As the year draws to a close, it’s fun to look back at the memorable rides we’ve done this year. And what a year it’s been! We’ve discovered new roads and enjoyed new adventures. The links in the text lead to posts that talk more about individual rides.

And just when it seemed like the cycling season was finally over, a sudden snowfall provided a unique opportunity to test a bike with a 2-day bikepacking trip to the Olympic Mountains. Who could stay home when roads like these beckoned?

Looking back over all these wonderful memories, I am glad that bicycles are able to provide us with these incredible experiences. What were your favorite rides this year?"

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

BMC: We wanted to keep Sanchez.

Santambrogio receives support from new team.

Top Rides: Paris?

12 Days of Dig: Day 7.

Brailsford starting over again with Sky in 2015.

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.