Cycling 2009

[Real ale Madrid]

I hear from the one of the locals over here that Tom Boonen is riding the Dauphine Libere as well - i thought he was banned no?

[Bluebeard]

Boonen was "Suspended by his team" as it was an out of competition test and cocaine is not considered a performance enhancing drug - it would be a different matter if it were during competition though. ASO, who run the TDF, have announced that he would not be welcomed at the Tour, but he is not actually specifically banned.

Bonnen himself has said that he has a problem. However, despite this announcement, his team, Quickstep, have decided that they need him at the races the Dauphine Libére and the Tour, as he is the public darling and particularly good for the sponsors. The team manager has declared that he will fight the ASO to ensure that he races. Dunno who runs the Dauphine, but they don't really have much clout it seems as no-one has gone for a comment from them on the matter.

[Macy]

i thought he was banned no?
Cocaine is only considered performance enhancing in competition, as there's no long term effects. This years Tour is back under UCI rules, so Quick Step can make the case for him to ride.

[Dodge]

Rankings have been updated now with results from Giro (and the rest)

Dan Martin at 33rd. Phil Deignan at 156th. Nicolas Roche at 160th

Ireland 18th in nations ranking.

[pete]

Any one know anything about the Tour of Luxembourg? I believe it is not in top ranked category but do any big names part? Might take in some of the prologue tonight but fairly clueless about riders...

[Dodge]

Any one know anything about the Tour of Luxembourg? I believe it is not in top ranked category but do any big names part? Might take in some of the prologue tonight but fairly clueless about riders...

Some great riders in it Pete.

Andreas Kloden and the Schleck Brothers are properly the best known. Schlecks are fropm Luxembourg too

http://www.aotdl.com/skoda-tour-de-luxembourg-2009/téléchargements/

[pete]

Click (http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/03062009/58/rast-wins-luxembourg-prologue.html)

Some guy by the name of Gregory Rast won it. Kolden sixth.

Not a bad small course although I got the direction incorrect when looked at map. Funny to see some guy leave the starting ram at least a second ahead of time - didn't look like he would be penalised. The finishing stretch was like the top section of Patricks Hill in Cork but a bit narrower & on cobble stones.

[Dodge]

Roche not in Dauphine. Dan Martin the only Irishman

[Bluebeard]

Roche IS in the Dauphine, and finished 6th yesterday. Was best of the Irish in the ITT on Sunday at about 1m19 down. Up to 68th on GC.

[Dodge]

Roche IS in the Dauphine, and finished 6th yesterday. Was best of the Irish in the ITT on Sunday at about 1m19 down. Up to 68th on GC.

yeah he wasn't listed on the AGR team as of Friday (and they didn't have any spaces)

Its an ideal race for him (going on his Vuelta form)

[Bluebeard]

I was done on the same premise when making my predictions on a cycling website.

He finished 23rd yesterday, Dan Martin 106th, all 1m32 behind Terpstra and the leading bunch of five. Roche is now 1m59 down in 41st, while Martin is 2m20 behind the Yellow jersey at 85th. The Queen stage is on Thursday and that should shake everything up.

[Dodge]

http://www.irishcycling.com/publish/news/art_4021.shtml

No Deignan in le Tour. Disappointing for him

[Dodge]

Roche not in initial 5 selected for Ag2R

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/ag2r-la-mondiale-five-riders-confirmed-for-tour

He is, however, one of 6 riders vying for 4 spots

[Dodge]

Slight hint that Dan martin is off to the tour. Garmin released a list of riders vying for their national championship this Sunday and Martin (our defending champion) wasn't among them

[Dodge]

Irishcycling.com (http://www.irishcycling.com/publish/news/art_4065.shtml) reckons Martin has been selected for Le Tour.

Nothing official from Garmin yet

[Bluebeard]

According to Cycling News (http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/tour-de-france-team-roster-summary), both Roche and Martin are still in contention. AG2R are waiting until after the weekend's French Road Race Championships this weekend (that does not sound good for Roche).

Vaughters has continually hinted that he dreams of Dan Martin in the white jersey. And it is now on the Slipstream website (http://www.slipstreamsports.com/)!

[Dodge]

Great news. I checked before I posted too

Delighted its been confirmed

[Stuttgart88]

I think I read that Boonen is definitely out. A pity as I'd like to see he & Cavendish face to face in the sprints, though I think Cavendish would wipe the floor with anyone at the moment.

[Bluebeard]

I think the team that Columbia will pick will be designed with sprint glory largely in mind, and it is hard to see a challenger on the sprints with Boonen out. The Italian teams are not really out in force either - no Petacchi as Ireland's LPR Brakes are not invited, and I don't see Benatti being as fired up for it.

What could be a significant issue is Cavendish targetting the Green Jersey - for his four wins, Cavendish wasn't near the Green Jersey. Cavendish will be targetting it this year, so he may sacrifice a win or two to save his strength. There are eight flat stages this year, four consecutively at the start of the first week with only the team time trial separating them, three more wedged together at the beginning of the second, and the Champs Elysées. If he wants to make it all the way to Paris,

There are a couple of challengers, though, on the individual sprints, and one genuine contender for the Green Jersey:

If Oscar Freire can pull his form back after his injuries, he'd be a good bet for the Green jersey again - he can do well on the flat straights that Cavendish generally prefers, after a long and hill day that takes it out of the legs, or even the uphill sprint, and he is dogged enough to fight out every intermediate sprint, which all points to a possibilty of Green. Last year he took it by picking up a lot of places on all kinds of sprint finish stages. What could derail him is that the focus at Rabobank could be on the Yellow with Menchov, or the KOM, which seems to be an amazingly open race, presuming that the likes of Sastre, Contador, Evans and Andy Schleck are all going to be concentrating more on the Yellow. Not likely to trouble Cavendish on the flat fast sprints, but could be the man in Green.

I fancy Tyler Farrar to put at least one over on Cavendish. With no lead-out train of any note, he was the eternal second in the Giro, but if Pate, Millar, Wiggins, Zabriskie, Dean and Hesjedal do the job, he'll be in with a fighting chance. If Cavendish has a wobble on any of the sprints, it will most likely be Farrar to profit, and after his comments about the team time trial in the Giro, Garmin would treasure this most of all - it could infact completely redeem their season. In my mind, Farrar could be the greatest of Cavendish's problems, but don't expect this before the team time trial.

Heinrich Haussler and Thor Hushovd have had great seasons already. Two men who do not ordinarily need a lead out to triumph, they could really benefit one another, and muscle a win or two between them. I cannot see Hushovd beating Cavendish in a straight sprint between them, but he's a lot like Freire, and will probably contend almost every sprint, and place regularly, maybe even challenging for, or winning for a day or two, the Green. Haussler could feasibly beat Cavendish in a bunch sprint, but will likely save his powder for a more clear cut sprint chance where Cavendish has missed a break and Columbia are leading Boassen-Hagen or someone. Cervélo will be focussing more towards yellow, but a stage win is probably seen as a must for the Tour, wherever it may come from.

Gerald Ciolek of Milram is the man with most to gain from beating Cavendish - he played lead out man for a season or two to him when there was very little to separate them. Last season he was second on the Champs Elysées, and second to Cavendish on stage 8, having lead him out. He does seem to have gone backwards though this season, but this is the strongest Milram team I have seen picked this season - if they gel, they could potentially give Columbia a run for their money, leaving it up the lead out man and his former master.

Pozzato is the last of the men I am tipping to challenge Cavendish, and unfortunately, I do so with a heavy and unexpectant heart. His season was focussed on the cobbled classics and to come so close will have been disappointing. Katusha are in the mire though - Steegmans was to have been their chief sprinter for the Tour, probably Robbie McEwen his lead out, and that has gone sour, so it falls to Pozzato, more liekly than Napolitano. They will be looking for a good GC campaign from Karpets, stage wins, either from a break away (send for Ignatiev) or a sprint. Pozzato could win one - he is due a stage win at the tour, probably after a fairly undulating day, but I cannot see him contending more than that.

[Dodge]

Cervélo will be focussing more towards yellow, but a stage win is probably seen as a must for the Tour, wherever it may come from

Which is why the omission of Simon Gearrans is so shocking. A real tough rider who can win small breakaway sized bunch sprints.

Won a stage in the giro, and a stage in the tour last year.

I agree about Friere. When you think about the success he's had with absolutely no support, its astonishing. Doens't quite have the speed of the big sprinters but like Jalabert (before the crash) his strength and know how is second to none.

[Bluebeard]

Which is why the omission of Simon Gearrans is so shocking. A real tough rider who can win small breakaway sized bunch sprints.

Won a stage in the giro, and a stage in the tour last year.

I agree about Friere. When you think about the success he's had with absolutely no support, its astonishing. Doens't quite have the speed of the big sprinters but like Jalabert (before the crash) his strength and know how is second to none.

The Gerrans thing threw me alright. I didn't expect Deignan to make it, but I thought that Gerrans would for sure. I wonder is he injured or something - the last entry in his website (11-06) suggests that he was training hard and on the short list. Him missing out leaves Australia's chances glory in the hands of Cadel Evans and Alan Davis: Quickstep will prolly focus on putting Chavanel, or perhaps Pineau in breaks during the second week, so Davis will have to hope for a little luck in the first week, supposing he is picked. Evans is of course a different matter entirely - it is either this year or next year, or never, I fear.

[Dodge]

I follow Gerrans via twtter

He was training with Armstrong, Leipheimir and a couple of others in Colorado. He "broke" the news that he didn't make the other day saying something like "coming to terms with not making the tour" (paraphrasing) so he wasn't injured. For some reason I find myself rooting for the English speaking members of the peleton so I'd be happy with an Evans win. He seems a top bloke too

[Bluebeard]

+ 1 on Evans - he's worked his nuts off without a team to assist, and has been so close too often now, a little like Phil Andersen in the 80s. Of the main / realistic contenders, he and Sastre are the ones I'd most like to see on the top of the podium at the end of next month.

Evans is very unpopular on the various British cycling fora, strangely enough.

[Dodge]

Nicolas Roche won the National Championship. Hopefully we get to see the national Champion jersey in le Tour.

In the French title race, Ag2R riders placed 5th, 6th and 7th. Only the 5th finisher was on the shotlist for the tour. IrishCycling.com interviewed him last week and he didn't seem confident

[Dodge]

Roche selected! :)

[Bluebeard]

Roche selected! :)

Brilliant news. Nothing up on Cyclingnews yet, but a single line on it on irishcycling.com - first time since the early 1990s that there are two Irishers at the Grand Depart. And two who could be hoping to do very well, what's more!

[Dodge]

its all on twitter bluebeard ;) http://www.irishcycling.com/publish/news/art_4087.shtml

the Ag2R site had him winning the nationals as their top story last night. Since the 1992 race (with Roche, Kelly and earley) we've only had Scanlon in 2004

[Bluebeard]

Great weekend for Roche - finally becomes national champion and gets a Tour ticket, knowing that he will not have to wear this rather natty outfit (http://www.lequipe.fr/Portfolio/Cyclisme/bloc_photo.html?ID=9004).

All that remains now is to get the default design of the National Champions Jersey sorted out. I'd rather see something along the lines of the Italian or French jerseys, Green, White and Orange; the current effort looks rather twee. Does anyone know the history of how we came to the shamrocks - is it a 32 county, cath/prod dissenter thing? Presumably Dan Martin will have the tricolour trim for the Tour.

What makes it even more special is that there will be comparatively few os the big national jerseys on display this year on road days. No Belgium, France, Spain, Britain, Germany, Denmark, Netherlands or the US. As far as I can tell, it will be Ireland, Norway (Arvesen - Saxo Bank), Switzerland (Cancellara - Saxo Bank), Luxembourg (Andy Schleck - Saxo Bank AGAIN) and Italy (Pozzato - Katusha). Apparently Columbia won nearly all the national TTs.


its all on twitter bluebeard ;) http://www.irishcycling.com/publish/news/art_4087.shtml

Oh, you kids with your intertubes!:D

[Dodge]

Was just looking through the lists for national champions alright. Think its the first time the Irish jersey will be there, and even better that it'll stand out so much

I've no idea on the shamrock thingy and tbh Martin's jersey is the first time I've ever seen any version of the national champion jersey.

Maybe it was done to stand out from the Maillot vert or the jersey worn by the national teams? Have to say I don't mind it so much

[Bluebeard]

I think Scanlon won it one of the years he was pro, but I don't recall him wearing it at the Tour. As far as I can recall it either wasn't held in the Kelly / Roche /Earley era, or wasn't contested by them. Certainly, I never recall them wearing a jersey other than the team one or the category leader jerseys.

[Bluebeard]

Looks bad for Boonen. He was meant to be hearing from the court today whether he'd be allowed ride the Tour or not. The judge announced that he was not competent to rule on the case, according to cycling news (http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/french-judge-not-competent-in-boonen-affair). He'll do well to get a court together between now and Friday.

[Bluebeard]

Anyone know the rout of the Tour of Ireland this year? There is nothing on the official website or on Irishcycling, other than it is on from the 19th to the 23rd of August, and that Lance Armstrong has said he'd be in it - not updated since February. I read today on Cyclingnews that Kristian House will be at it with Rapha-Condor; I would imagine there'll be the national team, the Kelly team, probably Candi-Pinarello, and repsumably an Astana / Armstrong vehicle team. With the conference in Dublin, it suggests that the finish might be in Dublin, but still nothing. I'm due to come back to the South East the weekend, but I'd shift it by a day if that meant catching it on local streets.

[Macy]

I've been keeping an eye out myself, but there's been nothing - well there was a release saying the route would be released "soon". Garmin and Columbia will also be there I'd imagine, although hopefully Dan Martin will last a bit longer (he barely made Roundwood last year).

[Dodge]

I think I read that with LA in it, they'd have "consider the route carefully" or something like that.

IrishCycling.com will be the place with most updates. Phil Deignan said its in his schedule recently. Whether thats with Cervelo or with the national team i've no idea.

[Bluebeard]

Cervélo's team website says nothing about racing after July, so it is possible they could be there - I'd quite like to see that.

While on the subject, Garmin has nothing listed beyond the TDF either, but I would suspect that they'll be back too, with Dan Martin being an important figure within the squad. AG2R doesn't list the Tour of Ireland either, though I'd imagine they'll be prioritising the GP Ouest France Plouay at the weekend, the Tour du Limonsin, and probably even the ENECO Tour, so I'd say Roche is going to be part of a National Team if there.

The "caution" being practiced by the Tour is understandable if infuriating. LA will be the biggest draw they'll h ave had since Kelly and Roche were racing. If he turns up (a large if, I fear), there'll be huge crowds. I'd say there are a number of demands that will have to be fulfilled first. I can tell you this for nothing, Ceramica Flamina and Fillippo Simeoni, will not be invited...

[Shilts]

Anyone know when the Tour of Ireland stages will be announced?
Not listed on their site.
I'm not a big cycling fan but I want to go and see Armstrong.

[Dodge]

He he. Bluebeard just asked. Its not announced yet and probably won't be for a little while (after TdF)

Just had a quick check there and most teams weren't confirmed until July last year so I'd imagine it'l be the same this year

EDIT; found the article talking about Lance and the route on the Irish times website (http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/sport/2009/0529/1224247669166.html)

[Bluebeard]

Apparently Thomas Dekker has been kicked off the Silence Lotto team for the Tour - testing of blood from 2007 B sample showed up EPO. Wegelius in instead. From cycling news (http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/news-flash-lotto-throws-dekker-off-tour-team).

Seeing as Dekker left Rabobank half way through the season last year under mysterious circumstances, one is inclined to leap to conclusions...

[Dodge]

Yeah I think I lept to that conclusion last year when he was announced on the team for the tour, and then dropped

He protested his innocence of course.

[Macy]

It'll be interesting how they handle this case though - normally they'd only test the "b" sample if the "a" is positive. Hard to see how he can get another sample to test in a lab of his choice...

[Stuttgart88]

R5 Live had a good 45 chat about cycling last night, though I had to turn off after the Magnus Backstedt interview.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b00lf4q3/5_live_Sport_Tour_de_France_Special/

[Bluebeard]

Dan Martin out of the Tour (http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/garmins-martin-out-of-tour-with-knee-problems) - tendonitis hasn't cleared up and he is replaced in the Garmin team by by Martijn Maaskant.

Roche's comments are probably on the mark about it being a bug jump for him, and that the Vuelta is a better stepping stone. @rse all the same.

[Dodge]

Martin out of the tour with Tendonitis!!

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/garmins-martin-out-of-tour-with-knee-problems

[Bluebeard]

Boonen is in. CAS decided in his favour, ASO are gracious about the matter.

Read all about it at Cycling news (http://www.cyclingweekly.co.uk/news/latest/381249/boonen-free-to-ride-in-tour-de-france.html).

[Bluebeard]

Nicolas Roche is off! Great to see the Tricolour trim on the sleeves of the skinsuit. Looking forward to seeing the national champion's jersey tomorrow!

EDIT: Roche twenty seconds down at half way mark. Not bad going, though this is long before most of the big names start

[passinginterest]

In 28th a the moment with a good amount finished. That's if I'm looking at the Tour website correctly. That seems good to me, where would you more knowledgeable cycling folk expect him to place?

[Dodge]

In 28th a the moment with a good amount finished. That's if I'm looking at the Tour website correctly. That seems good to me, where would you more knowledgeable cycling folk expect him to place?

I'll let Blue beard answer the more nowledgeable but I'd have placed him in the top 50 and he eventually finished 43th so I guess he'd be happy enough

Cancellara had another great ride and won by 18 seconds from Contador. Interesting to note that Sean kelly piced Cancellara for overall GC winner

Contador should have done enough to claim leadership of the team, if there was any lingering doubt. Astana had 4 of top ten with LA in 10th

[Bluebeard]

I'd hardly claim to be more knowledgeable, but who am I to disagree with others;)

I'd have been satisfied for Roche to be top fifty or 60 at the end of the day. He isn't really a time trialist, and the world's best are on display, plus a couple of guys who are stoked up to the max for it. I'd rather he saves his powder for the stages he could feasibly win. Stages 6, 13, 14 and 19 look best for him, unless he really turns on his sprinting pedals, where he could take on something in the second week.

[Dodge]

Roche finished 8th today. Not enough for any world ranking points but a decent result considering he isn't a top tier sprinter

Cavendish and Columbia won easily

[Dodge]

Caught a bit of the TTT and every team so far has had a crash. Menchov being the biggest casualty

I had though the TT wouldn't really effect the GC but Menchov could lose several minutes today.

Astana, Saxo and Columbia will need to be at their best on this course