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

December 15, 2016

"Unless a WorldTour squad is blessed with a Chris Froome, a Nairo Quintana or an Alberto Contador, then leadership selections can be somewhat of a headache when it comes to the Grand Tours.

BMC Racing is no exception to the rule with Richie Porte and Tejay van Garderen both holding legitimate claims to lead the line." (cyclingnews.com) (Photo: Tim De Waele)

"You’ve got to love pro cycling for its beauty, scintillating tactics, and huge variety of races, riders and teams.

But really, cycling is so special because of its wacky unpredictability. The 2016 season had some wild, unbelievable moments" (velonews.com) (BBC)

"Boels Dolmans has unveiled their 2017 race kit with the leading women’s team linking up with Italian clothing manufacturer Santini.

The partnership is set to run for at least two years and came about after discussions over the Women’s WorldTour jersey that 2015 world champion Lizzie Deignan (née Armitstead) wore following her win at the 2016 Strade Bianche." (cyclingnews.com)

December 15, 2016

December 14, 2016

"Viatcheslav Ekimov will replace Igor Makarov as the president of the Russian Cycling Federation, after he unanimously won the voted in Moscow on Wednesday. Makarov stepped down as president earlier this year after taking up the post in 2010.

Makarov was an influential backer of Brian Cookson when he stood for the role of UCI president in 2013. " (cyclingnews.com) (Photo: Tim De Waele)

"The Chicago Tribune is such a reliable source of flat-earth rants about biking, that it’s truly a pleasure when they publish some sensible words about cycling.

Recently most of the paper’s intelligent coverage of bike issues has come from transportation reporter Mary Wisniewski, who commutes on two wheels herself. An example was this morning’s balanced article about a new DePaul study that calls for relaxing laws requiring bike riders to come to a complete stop at stop signs and always wait for a green before proceeding through a stoplight.

However, I did have to chuckle at the first line of the piece: “This won’t surprise anybody who has driven through a Chicago intersection, but not all cyclists obey stop signs and lights." (chi.streetsblog.org) Photo: John Greenfield

"Missing out on a world title can make a man lose all sense of himself.

When Floyd Patterson surrendered his world heavyweight boxing belt to Sonny Liston in 1962, having suffered a first-round knockout, he left Comiskey Park wearing a false beard and dark glasses, and set off by car from Chicago to New York City that same night. He then boarded a flight to Madrid under an assumed name and, still disguised, hid there for a week." (cyclingnews.com) (Photo: Tim De Waele)

"Women’s specific bikes are a fiercely debated topic in the cycling industry. Should women’s bike have different geometries and carbon layups than men’s bikes? Or should we just change the touch points - like the saddle and handlebar - to suit the female physiology?

While we haven’t landed on an answer yet, we do know that a new generation of exceptional women’s bikes has arrived." (velonews.com)

December 14, 2016

December 13, 2016

"There’s a different jersey and a new sponsor with Bora Hansgrohe, but things very much remain the same for Peter Sagan. The two-time defending world champion was introduced to the cycling media Tuesday, but it was the same old Sagan.

The hair is the same (though it was hard to tell with the man-bun he was sporting), the bike is the same (Specialized remains true to its marquee rider), and his goals are just as big." (velonews.com) (Photo: Tim De Waele)

"Bradley Wiggins‘s transformation from track pursuiter to Tour de France winner may be under scrutiny with the recent TUE controversy, but that hasn’t stopped younger, physically similar riders looking to the Brit for inspiration.

Such a rider is BMC Racing’s Rohan Dennis who was team pursuit world champion in 2010 and 2011." (cyclingweekly.co.uk)

"After a few weeks relaxing away from the bike, Richie Porte and Nicolas Roche seemed relaxed and positive at BMC Racing‘s pre-season training camp in Spain, unsurprisingly talking up the prospects of Porte challenging for the Tour de France title in 2017." (cyclingweekly.co.uk)

"I can’t remember the last time that I had a repair kit on my road bike. I don’t typically have time to spend rooting around the house looking for the tools on my way out the door.

This has yet to come back to bite me *knock on wood* but should the day come that I get a flat, the Air Lever by Bar Fly might be the one tool I wish I had." (bikerumor.com)

"It’s that time of year again! Yup, time to run with a few thousand other Santa’s as part of the 10K race, Corrida de Noël d’Issy les Moulineaux!

We’ve been doing this race every year we’ve lived in Paris. Albeit, last year the race was cancelled in the wake of the Paris attacks.

This year it’s back though – stronger than ever!" (dcrainmaker.com)

December 13, 2016

December 12, 2016

"Johan Vansummeren is a big guy, standing at nearly two meters tall, but he was also a man with a big engine and could be relied upon in his fifteen Grand Tour rides.

Then there was his crowning glory, winning the ‘Hell of the North’ in 2011. But on the 29th of June 2016, with his wife Jasmine by his side, Vansummeren had to announce his premature retirement from the sport due to a heart problem.

Johan Vansummeren, that big Belgian guy who was the ‘surprise’ winner of Paris Roubaix a year or two ago – whatever became of him?" (pezcyclingnews.com) (Photo: Cor Vos)

"BMC Racing has unveiled its team kit for the 2017 season at its training camp in Denia, Spain, announcing a new three-year partnership with Swiss company Assos.

The new design is similar to the 2016 kit, made by Pearl Izumi, but a few small changes have been made, including the prominent logos of new sponsor TAG Heuer on the sleeves." (cyclingnews.com)

"Orica BikeExchange and Orica AIS will both be known as Orica Scott next season after the bike manufacturer, the teams' supplier since their inception in 2012, stepped up as secondary sponsor.

It will be the first time that both the men’s and women’s squads will share the same name since they began racing." (cyclingnews.com)

"We found a number of interesting bikes and baubles when we dropped into the inaugural Vienna Bike Show several weeks back, and going through our photos there are still a few articles worth of goodies worth sharing.

We’ll start off this week with a broad range of accessories and a line of bikes that go from the tiny up to the extreme.

This bell crafted by Valentinitsch Design really caught our eyes just as we stepped into the shop." (bikerumor.com)

December 12, 2016

December 11, 2016

"The Cycliste Professionnels Associés (CPA) was formed in 1999, to better coordinate professional cycling’s pre-existing national rider associations, to “act as a reference point” in the case of issues which went beyond national borders, and more generally to protect the rights and interests of riders.

Among its important early accomplishments, the CPA developed a “Joint Agreement” with the teams’ organization – to help govern the relationship between teams and their riders; and a riders’ “Solidarity Fund” – to provide limited financial support to certain retiring riders." (pezcyclingnews.com) (Photo: Cor Vos)

"Chilly temperatures, but clear, blue skies greeted the field for the UCI Elite Women’s race in the Blue Ridge Mountain town of Hendersonville. It turned into a battle of New England riders in the Tar Heel state.

Rebecca Fahringer (Amy D. Foundation) scored her first win of the 2016-17 Pro CX season in the pack-happy women’s event. The New Hampshire native has scored 11 Top 10’s this season in C1 and C2 events, with six podium finishes.

Last week she was third at the C2 Ruts N’ Guts competition." (cxmagazine.com) Weldon Weaver

"On Sunday, December 11: Vlaamse Druivencross CX at Overijse, Belgium.

The Elite Women's race starts at 1:45pm CET (7:45am U.S. Eastern).  The Elite Men's race starts at 3:00pm CET (9:00am U.S. Eastern).

There will be live streams for both races." (cyclingfans.com) Mario Vanacker

December 11, 2016

December 11, 2016