Boonen's Charity Event

Boonen returns for charity cyclo-cross race

(http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/boonen-returns-for-charity-cyclo-cross-race)

Tom Boonen will once again host the charity cyclo-cross race "Boonen & Friends" at the Zilvermeer in Mol, Belgium this Saturday. The event benefits "Move to Improve", a charity for children with movement disorders. Joining the Quick Step sprinter will be former cyclo-cross world champion Lars Boom who will be given a one-minute handicap to the star-studded field of road professionals.

Boom will be up against a field of 48 riders which includes, among others, former winners Maarten Wynants and Pieter Vanspeybrouck as well as current professionals André Greipel, Jelle Vanendert, Giovanni Visconti, Carlos Barredo, Björn Leukemans, Marco Bandiera and Christian Knees.

In the race for retired pros, another former world champion, Erwin Vervecken, will try to defend his title of last year against the likes of Johan Museeuw, Davide Bramati, Eric Vanderaerden, Jo Planckaert and Marc Wauters.

The race is sure to provide even Boom and Vervecken with challenges on a course which Boonen called one of the hardest yet. "Even for a cyclo-crosser the circuit is technically challenging."

Boonen is looking forward to racing for the first time since he crashed out of the Vuelta a España with a broken wrist.
""My wrist is almost healed. I only suffer when I have to ride a long descent."

After a series of community races, the ex-professionals will take to the start at 2pm, with Boonen and friends going off at 3:15.

Cavendish: BBC Sports Personality of the Year?

Cavendish on shortlist for BBC Sports Personality of the Year

(http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/cavendish-on-shortlist-for-bbc-sports-personality-of-the-year)

British cycling star Mark Cavendish has been put on a shortlist of ten sportsmen for the 2011 BBC Sports Personality of the Year Award, which will be given out during a glitzy ceremony at BBC Sport's new home in Salford, Greater Manchester, on Thursday 22nd December.

The Sports Review of the Year ceremony, which is now in its 58th year, will be broadcast live on BBC One. The shortlist of ten has been decided by members of the British local, national and magazine press, and, in a break from the norm, this year's final list contains no women, no footballers and no rugby players. The winner of the award - received last year by jockey Tony McCoy - is decided by a public vote during the broadcast, so if you think he deserves to win then vote for Cavendish and give British cycling a further boost ahead of what is sure to be a massive year next year. With cycling rapidly on the rise in the UK as both a spectator and participation sport, victory by a cyclist in a non-Olympic year would offer further evidence that it deserves its place in the mainstream.

Cavendish is aiming to become the first British road cyclist to win the coveted gong since Tom Simpson in 1965, who, like Cavendish, won the World Road Championships. As well as lifting that title in Copenhagen in September, Cavendish also won the green jersey at this year's Tour de France, successes that catapulted him into the general public consciousness and raised both his own profile and that of British cycling at the same time. The only other cyclist to win it is Sir Chris Hoy, who took the honour in 2008 after his exploits on the track at the Beijing Olympics.

Bookmakers have reported a steady stream of money for Cavendish to win the award in recent days and as a result they have trimmed his odds into even money favourite to see off the challenge of his main market rivals: golfers Darren Clarke and Rory McIlroy, who both won Majors in 2011; and runner Mo Farah, who became the first British male to win a long distance gold medal at a global championships with victory in the 5,000m at the World Athletics Championships in Daegu, South Korea.

As well as enjoying an phenomenal year in the saddle and a big money transfer to Team Sky, Cavendish is also celebrating the impending arrival of his first child, which is due in April. He spoke to Cyclingnews about his joy at the prospect of becoming a father earlier this month at the Action Medical Research Champions of Cyclesport charity dinner.

2011 BBC Sports Personality of the Year - final shortlist (alphabetical order)
Mark Cavendish (cycling)
Darren Clarke (golf)
Alastair Cook (cricket)
Luke Donald (golf)
Mo Farah (athletics)
Dai Greene (athletics)
Amir Khan (boxing)
Rory McIlroy (golf)
Andy Murray (tennis)
Andrew Strauss (cricket)

First sub-Saharan cycling team

Rwanda targets a Continental team in 2012

(http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/rwanda-targets-a-continental-team-in-2012)

The Ferwacy, the Rwandan cycling federation, expects to launch a Continental team in 2012. "We have a meeting next month with the Minister for Sport and we will speak about the project," Aimable Bayingana, Ferwacy's president, told Cyclingnews on Saturday. "Ideally we would like to register our team for the 2012 season."

Cycling in Rwanda is becoming more and more successful through its national team, which has been managed by former US pro rider Jock Boyer since 2007, and the Tour of Rwanda, which moved up to 2.2 level on the UCI calendar in 2009. A new 2.2 event has also been created this year, the Kwita Izina Cycling Tour.

The country also has a number of competitive athletes, such as Adrian Niyunshuti, professional at MTN Qhubeka and a qualifier for the 2012 Olympics in mountain bike. Nathan Byukusenge was also part of the same team, while two young riders, Nicodem Habiyambere and Gasore Hategeka, trained at the UCI World Centre in Switzerland this season.

"A Continental team is an interesting project as we would be automatically invited by the UCI to African races and could, one day, compete in Europe," Bayingana explained.

Cyclingnews understands that half of the team’s roster would be made up of Rwandan riders and the other half would come from foreign countries, depending on their cycling federations' agreement. The Continental Rwandan squad might be particularly open to East African countries such as Kenya, Ethiopia, Eritrea, where riders have shown solid abilities in the last three years, notably in the mountains.

The Rwandan technical director Boyer told Cyclingnews that their project could "help Rwanda to have a stronger squad and help the East African countries to develop in cycling." Team of Rwanda has a base in Ruhengeri town, where the athletes train under Boyer five days a week. Boyer’s only concern about the project’s success is its current lack of staff.

If successful, it would be the first Continental team based in a sub-Saharan country. Africa had four teams at this level in 2011: South African squads MTN-Qhubeka and Team Bonitas, and the Algerian Geofco-Ville d’Alger and GS Petrolier Algerie outfits.

Vino Involved in Kazakhstan's Election

Vinokourov a candidate in Kazakh elections

(http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/vinokourov-a-candidate-in-kazakh-elections)

Kazakhstan’s ruling Nur Otan party has named Alexandre Vinokourov among its list of candidates for the country’s forthcoming general election, which takes place on January 15.

Vinokourov’s name was greeted with generous applause when it was announced before delegates on Friday during the unveiling of the party's 127 candidates. Nur Otan is currently the only party represented in the Mazhilis, the lower chamber of the Kazakh parliament.

“It’s an honour for me to participate in the election as a candidate for a position as a deputy,” Vinokourov said, according to dhnet.be.

Kazakhstan uses a list system to elect its members of parliament, meaning that if elected, Vinokourov would not have to take up his seat immediately and could replace a sitting Nur Otan deputy at a later date.

The Astana rider, who had previously announced that he would retire in 2011, is now expected to take part in the London 2012 Olympics and he hinted that he would not enter parliament until after he calls time on his controversial career.

“I want to finish this year in the saddle, and maybe next year participate in the Olympic Games, concentrate on them and afterwards help Kazakhstan as I can,” Vinokourov said.

Vinokourov took silver in the road race in Sydney in 2000, but missed the Beijing Olympics as he was serving a two-year suspension for blood doping. He is joined on the Nur Otan electoral list by two of Kazakhstan's gold medallists from Sydney, Olga Shishigina (100 metres hurdles) and Yermakhan Ibraimov (boxing).

Nur Otan is widely expected to dominate the election and consolidate the rule of president Nursultan Nazarbayev. However, changes to the electoral system are set to guarantee the second-placed party a presence in parliament even if it fails to gain the 7% of the popular vote previously necessary to secure representation.

BMX Death: RIP Dane Searls

Its always sad to hear of a death, no matter the sport. RIP Dane Searls.

Australian BMX star Dane Searls dies after hotel accident

(http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/australian-bmx-star-dane-searls-dies-after-hotel-accident)

Australian BMX star Dane Searls has died in hospital this morning from injuries sustained in a fall from a hotel balcony last weekend.

Searls, 23, fell from the first floor of Billy’s Beach House in Queensland’s Gold Coast last Sunday night and had been in a coma ever since. Sydney Morning Herald reported that he’d been attempting to jump into the hotel pool below but missed, landing on the concrete and suffering critical head and back injuries. He was rushed to hospital at around 8.30pm on Sunday evening but succumbed to his injuries this morning.

Just two days earlier he had set a new world record during a series of dirt jumps near Boonah, successfully landing an 18-metre gap jump.

Happy Thanksgiving

From my family to yours...I hope each and every one of you have a Happy Thanksgiving.

2011 Trophée AIJC

Hushvod wins AIJC award for 2011

(http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/hushvod-wins-aijc-award-for-2011)

Thor Hushovd is the 2011 recipient of the Trophée AIJC, the annual prize awarded by the Association of International Cycling Journalists to a rider or cycling personality deemed to be particularly open to the press. He was presented with the award at a luncheon in Erps-Kwerps, Belgium on Monday.

“Humanly speaking, this prize has a great value, I’m very proud of it,” Hushovd told dhnet.be.

Hushovd wore the rainbow jersey with distinction throughout the season, especially at the Tour de France, where he took two stage victories and enjoyed a week-long spell as overall leader. After riding for Garmin-Cervelo in 2011, Hushovd will join Cadel Evans and Philippe Gilbert at BMC next year.

The Norwegian secured 147 votes, just one more than second-placed Thomas Voeckler. The other nominees were Mark Cavendish, Alberto Contador, Tom Boonen, Bradley Wiggins and Fränk and Andy Schleck.

“We’re honouring a champion who, in spite of an extremely busy schedule and numerous obligations, honours his profession by being particularly accessible to journalists,” AIJC president Gilles Le Roc’h said.

The AIJC award was inaugurated in 2008, and a rider can only be honoured once during his career. Preceding Hushovd on the role of honour are Paolo Bettini (2008), Philippe Gilbert (2009) and Fabian Cancellara (2010).

Miracles Do Happen

Rabobank Women's team signs miracle athlete Monique van der Vorst

(http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/rabobank-womens-team-signs-miracle-athlete-monique-van-der-vorst)

One of the most amazing stories in the world of cycling has taken another remarkable turn this week as the Rabobank Women's Cycling team has announced the signing of Monique van der Vorst, a former handcycling athlete who was competing in a wheelchair until 2010. Van der Vorst had been disabled since she was 13 years old, and after a very successful career in handcycling, which saw her take the world championship title three times, she recovered the use of her legs and will now start a career in the pro peloton.

The Dutchwoman was on track in her preparation towards the 2012 Paralympic Games when she was hit by a bicycle while training in her wheelchair in the spring of last year. This third roadside accident of her career saw the now 27-year-old enter a lenghty rehab period, during which she gradually recovered the use of her legs. On November 20, 2010, she started walking again.

"Monique still has a lot to learn, but I'm sure that the rest of the girls will also learn a lot from Monique," said Rabobank Women Team director Jeroen Blijlevens. "She has the right mentality and willpower, she has proved that during her sports career. She would like to race on the road and we will support her to do it."

Van der Vorst herself was also happy to have signed with the Rabobank squad. "I am very honoured to be able to develop into a road rider with Rabobank. This team provides the best surroundings with a lot of experience and expertise. On top of that, I will be able to learn a lot from Marianne Vos," she said.

Popovych and Cancellara

Popovych to help Cancellara at Flanders and Roubaix

(http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/popovych-to-help-cancellara-at-flanders-and-roubaix)

Yaroslav Popovych has announced that the Spring Classics will be his first goals for the 2012 season. The Ukraninian, a member of the new RadioShack-Nissan team, will be putting his talents to the service of Fabian Cancellara, joining the team from the merging Leopard-Trek squad.

"In 2012, I will focus on the Spring Classics with Cancellara, including Flanders and Roubaix," the 2001 U23 Paris-Roubaix winner told Bicicilismo. "I want to do a good showing in Roubaix because I have always liked these races and I felt at ease with them, despite the crashes and the punctures. I think I can achieve a good result there and help Cancellara."

Eleven years after his U23 Paris-Roubaix victory, the now 31-year-old is excited at the prospect of helping two-time winner Fabian Cancellara to equal triple champion and Classics rival Tom Boonen. "I started to train again in November - when normally I commence only in December - to do a good job in the first part of the year," he added.

The second part of the season will then be dedicated entirely on the Tour de France, where Popovych hopes to be of similar support to the Schleck brothers as he used to be when he was still part of Lance Armstrong's victories. "After the Classics I will be able to focus on the Tour de France without problems," the two-time Tour de France stage winner concluded.

Change of Plans....

So 5 days after Eddy Merckx said Andy Schleck should ride the Giro d'Italia, the brothers who placed 2nd and 3rd in this year's Tour de France have decided not to:

No Giro d'Italia for the Schleck brothers

(http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/no-giro-ditalia-for-the-schleck-brothers)

The Schleck brothers will not ride the Giro d'Italia in 2012 but will continue to concentrate on the Tour de France. Fränk Schleck called the Tour “the number one goal,” but said the World  Championships in Valkenburg also interest them, especially Andy.

In an interview with velochrono.fr, Fränk Schleck said that he and his brother “will not do the Giro. What matters is the Tour. We love the Tour. We have already had very, very good results in the Tour. It's a race that makes us dream. This is the number one goal.”

The brothers stood on the second and third steps of the podium, missing out on the victory which went to Cadel Evans. But, Schleck said, “We can't be disappointed. We could not have done better. We end the year with a lot of points, without having the Giro.”

In 2012 the Schlecks will have strong riders as Andreas Klöden and Chris Horner on the RadioShack-Nissan team. As to who will support who in the Tour, he said that, “Yes, on paper there is hierarchy. But once we are at the race, it can evolve. The hierarchy can be thrown out if they have a chance to win the Tour de France.

“The goal is to win the Tour de France,” he emphasised. “This is important.”

The exact plans for the Tour preparation have not yet been made. One option, proposed by Andy, is more altitude training, but Fränk sees problems with that. “The problem is that we race a lot ... If we do a training at altitude, we must remove some races from our program, such as the Tour of the Basque Country.

“In that case, we would not be ready for the classics. In addition, for this to be beneficial, the internship should last three to four weeks.”

Fränk Schleck was very much looking forward to being guided by Johan Bruyneel. “Johan is an extraordinary person. He's a real leader who can lead a team. He wil bring us a lot, especially in the time trial....”

Time trialling is the brothers' weakness, but are working on it. “We work on fitness indoors for  stronger back muscles and thighs that you need in a time trial.We will also do wind tunnel tests and work on a velodrome with Trek. To win the Tour, it is essential to progress in this area, although we will never be specialists like Fabian Cancellara.”

The other goal this coming year is the World Championships “at which with Andy we could be competitive. This will be one of the goals of the season.”

Doping in Football (Soccer) vs. Cycling

Pereiro blasts different perceptions of cycling and football doping

(http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/pereiro-blasts-different-perceptions-of-cycling-and-football-doping)

Football players are applauded for doping, while cyclists are censured for it, Tour de France winner Oscar Pereiro claimed on Spanish television. The discussion grew heated as Pereiro named names of football players he claimed have doped.

Appearing on the show “Punto Pelota”, Pereiro said, “Giovanella tested positive, Gurpegui, Guardiola ... And all are because they take an energy complex. If a cyclist takes it, he has doped. Everyone at  San Mamés, Balaidos, Barcelona shouts 'innocent' and I have to put on a mask to walk down the street. "

When asked about Operación Puerto, he answered that "Zidane has admitted that he had a blood transfusion in Switzerland to regenerate his body. In cycling that is [a doping] positive."

The problem, he summarized, is that it is often seen that the cyclist is done but the football player “is fighting for his club colors".

Pereiro said that he hopes that one day Eufemiano Fuentes, the point man of Operación Puerto will “hopefully one day have the courage to tell everything he knows. In Operación Puerto there were a lot of blood bags labelled European Championships, which doesn't exist in [pro men's] cycling.”

Cycling is not perfect, he conceded. "In my sport we have made fifty thousand mistakes, we are fools. That cannot be hidden". Still, at least cycling is active in the anti-doping fight, as the riders cyclists spend "10% of their salary to the fight against doping, but athletes in other sports do not."

Much needed Soler update...

Soler to return to Colombia

(http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/soler-to-return-to-colombia)

Mauricio Soler will return home to Colombia the middle of next month. He will continue his recovery and rehabilitation in his home land.

His wife Patricia Florez “has been making the necessary arrangements for the winner of the 2007 Tour de France King of the Mountains to continue his recovery at home,” according to a statement issued by the Colombian cycling federation.

Soler, 28, suffered severe head injuries in a crash during this year's Tour de Suisse. He was placed in an induced coma, before being moved to a hospital in Spain in July. He left the hospital in mid-October.

No prognosis on the extent of his recovery has been given.

Gesink Update

Gesink: All I need is time

(http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/gesink-all-i-need-is-time)

Robert Gesink (Rabobank) is confident that he can return to his best after a speedy recover from a broken leg. The Dutch climber crashed in training in September and broke his right femur, but with just under two months of rehabilitation he’s already back on the bike and talking up his chances of a successful Tour de France in 2012.

“I’ve been back on the bike for a month now. Everything has been fine so far. I’ve been on the rollers for a while but the weather has been nice so I’ve been out and getting some fresh air too,” he told Cyclingnews.

Since a successful surgery in the days following his crash, Gesink has had time to reflect on what has been a turbulent last twelve months. Away from the bike he had to come to terms with the loss of his father who passed away after a cycling accident. The bond between the two was of course strong, with Gesink senior Robert’s biggest fan. Despite the tremendous loss the climber used his profession to focus during the most difficult moments.

“The first year of losing a father is really tough and difficult,” he said.

“Now I’m more at ease and I’m looking back at all the good times we had together and not how much I miss him. That’s a positive development. And when I see my mum I see that’s she’s doing better and better. She’s getting on with her life and that’s a good thing to see. Of course we all really miss him a lot but it’s never going to change.

“My dad was my biggest supporter and a huge fan of cycling. He read every story in the press so the one thing I can do for him is continue cycling. It’s all easier said than done because sometimes you’re head isn’t right but now I feel more and more accepting of the situation. When I think about my dad now it’s always tough but it’s getting better.”

Gesink’s ability to train through the difficult winter saw him reap the benefits in the first part of the season. Taking two stage wins in the Tour of Oman, as well as the overall, were followed by a stage win and second overall in Tirreno. Ninth in Amstel was hardly a shabby result but from there on his season began to unravel. A mediocre Dauphine was followed by a disastrous Tour de France. Heading into the race he was expected to lead a Dutch charge and there was talk of him splitting the Contador-Schleck dominance. The stage was perfect for him too - sixth the year before, and with Denis Menchov having moved into semi-retirement at Geox, Gesink had a team totally at his disposal.

Tour troubles
 However a series of crashes and heavy time losses ruined his race. With no chance of GC success, he suffered through - hoping to find his legs in the Alps. He eventually finished 33rd overall, and more than one hour back on winner, Cadel Evans.

“Looking back, abandoning after those crashes would have made more sense,” he told Cyclingnews.

“But at that moment I felt I could do something still in the Alps and try and win a stage but I ended up underestimating the damage that the crashes did. I tried in the Alps but in the end I wasn’t good enough. It was a more difficult Tour than the one before because I had to suffer so much just to stay in the peloton. Looking back at it, for sure it would have been easy to go home and focus on the Vuelta but we made a decision at the time. Maybe I’ll learn from that in the future but looking at it now it was just three tough weeks with no good feelings.”

Despite regrouping after the Tour with a number of decent results, Gesink admits that the year was a disappointment on the bike.

“In some ways it was a lost year. If I’m honest the main goal was the Tour and I didn’t go as well as I hoped for. That was disappointing. On a private level, I lost my dad last year. I started really well because I wanted to throw myself into my cycling. It got me away from all the bad thoughts in my head. I trained well over the winter and the start of the season I was flying and riding with the best of the best. But it was all about the Tour last year and crashing there was the biggest disappointing.”

As he recovers from his broken leg in double time all attention has already turned to next year’s Tour de France, showing at the very least that he’s not afraid of the battle. Due to his injuries it’s unlikely that we’ll see him dominate races like Oman in the first part of the year, with a gentler ramp up to July. The parcours certainly does him little favours but he’s confident that his time trialling can improve over the coming months.

“It’s more for the time triallers and I’ll have to focus on that. Last year I did that and I think I improved a lot. This winter I’ll have to spend more time on that and look for more improvements in my time trialling.”

Mental toughness

Gesink has faced question marks over his fragility and frequency of crashes – even from quarters in his own team – but the 25-year-old is resolute in the sense that he has the mental pedigree to shine. With three top ten placings in grand tours it’s perhaps easy to forget how young he is, and he believes that with time he can reach even higher.

“In all the races I’ve done I’ve always been the guy that’s had to do it for the team, in more or less every race I’ve done I’ve been there to get results and I’m used to it. Of course, when you go to the Tour, the pressure is higher but I’ve shown, like when I was 6th two years ago, that I can deal with it,” he said.

“I’m pretty young so if people give me time who knows where I can be at my peak. I’ve finished two Tours but that’s still not that many. So I don’t have the experience of guys like Contador. Schleck is a little different but those two guys are the best in the world but I know that when I’m at my best I’m close to them.”

Giro or Tour de France...what's better?

Merckx: Andy Schleck should race Giro d'Italia

(http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/merckx-andy-schleck-should-race-giro-ditalia)

Eddy Merckx has advised Andy Schleck to race the Giro d'Italia, where a victory would be more important than a second place at the Tour de France. Speaking to Gazzetta dello Sport, the greatest cyclist of all time also criticised Schleck's tactics in this year's Tour and said he believed that with the new super team RadioShack-Nissan-Trek and its boss Johan Bruyneel, no errors of strategy will happen next year.

Asked whether a first place in the Giro mattered more than a second place at the Tour, Merckx said, "First in the Giro. But he has to race it, too, and win it, which you can't take for granted."

Schleck has not participated in the Italian Grand Tour since 2007, when he got second and won the race best young rider jersey. Instead, he turned to the Tour de France, finishing in second place three times since 2009.

The 26-year-old and his new RadioShack-Nissan-Trek team have not established a race programme for 2012 yet, and with the Tour de France route including almost 100 kilometres of time trialling, the Giro d'Italia may also be an option. Merckx also said that Schleck's chances were slim should Alberto Contador appear at next year's Tour - but that there was also hope.

"Contador is more complete, Schleck always misses something," he said. "But Andy also has to race the Tour not aiming at second place. With Johan Bruyneel, he won't commit the tactical errors that cost him the Tour this year. Like when he went to chase Contador on the Galibier instead of putting all his chances on Alpe d'Huez."

In any case, even this would not have prevented Cadel Evans of winning the 2011 Tour. The Australian is an excellent time triallist and will be next year's biggest favourite if Contador has to serve a suspension for his clenbuterol positive at the 2010 Tour de France.

Happy 57th Birthday to Bernard Hinault

Bernard Hinault: The greatest of them all?

(http://www.cyclingnews.com/features/bernard-hinault-the-greatest-of-them-all)

There are two figures who transcend the sport of cycling - giants of the road whose names are known all over the world and whose fame isn’t limited to dedicated followers of the sport. Household names, if you will. But some will argue that the greatest cyclist of all time isn’t Eddy Merckx or Lance Armstrong. Instead they’ll tell you that it’s a man who celebrates his 57th birthday today; a man who dominated cycling in the late 1970s and early 1980s; a man who remains the last Frenchman to win the Tour de France - Bernard ‘The Badger’ Hinault.

Comparing the relative merits of sporting figures from differing eras is the most inexact of sciences. The big picture becomes blurred by personal sentiment, partisanship and, in most cases, a lack of objectivity. We all have our own heroes and we all have images indelibly burned into our psyche that have come about through following professional sport. Facts and statistics can never tell the full story. Numbers and figures are unable to stir emotions and quicken the pulse in the same way that a dramatic victory or an unlikely, glorious comeback can.

Hinault’s career had all of the ingredients required to make his case of being the greatest rider of all time a strong one. He was a history maker. His towering personality and brusque charisma bestrode the sport for almost a decade. And some of his victories are etched into the annals of sporting legend, stories that will be passed down through generations of cycling fans not simply confined to his native France. Richard Moore, author of Slaying The Badger - his account of Hinault’s epic battle with Greg LeMond at the 1986 Tour de France - found that endorsement of Hinault’s greatness was easy to find when he was researching his book.

"One of the things that [legendary directeur sportif] Cyrille Guimard told me when I was doing my research was that Hinault was the most talented rider ever," says Moore. "Even more so, he said, than Merckx. I think there’s some truth to that. He didn’t want to win everything like Merckx did. But when he did want to win something he usually did. And he usually did so in emphatic style."

Hinault turned professional aged 19 in 1974, which was, symbolically, the final year of domination by the man whose Hinault’s achievements are most often compared to. As Hinault’s career was just getting started, Merckx enjoyed one of the best years of his own career in that season - winning his fifth Tour de France, fifth Giro d’Italia and his third world championship. But he would never reach such heights again and cycling would soon be looking for a new superstar.

It didn’t have to wait long to find one. Four years later, in 1978, Hinault won the French national championships before clinching a Tour/Vuelta double later in the season, all before his 24th birthday. He would go on to win the Tour four more times (1979, 1981, 1982 and 1985), one more Vuelta (1983) and three Giri (1980, 1982 and 1985). His ten Grand Tour victories are second only to Merckx’s total of eleven, and his second-placed finishes in 1984 and 1986 mean that he is the only rider in history to finish in the top two at every Tour de France that he completed. There is every chance that Hinault could have surpassed Mercx’s achievements in the Grand Tours if large parts of his career hadn’t been disrupted by persistent knee trouble. His all round ability in the saddle was reflected by the fact that he won all classifications at the Tour. He could do everything - sprint, time trial and climb.

"It was a blend of things that made Hinault stand out," says Moore. "The thing that most people think of first when they think of him is his character and personality. He was a real leader of men and was so even very early on in his career. Back then, he was completely undaunted by the big names of the time. But because we think of his character it’s easy to overlook his talent. He wouldn’t have been able to be such a leader without it."

Hinault was as famed for his aggression and his single-mindedness as much as he was for his glittering palmares. While he was busy sweeping up titles and medals, his drive and his outspokenness often put him at odds with the authorities, the media and his rivals. As the last Frenchman to win the Tour de France, one might assume that his reputation in his homeland stands somewhere between that of Joan of Arc and Napoleon. But it’s not the case.

"One journalist I spoke to in France said that Hinault’s reputation is mixed over there," says Moore. "He was very popular at the beginning of his career and towards the end, but his public image suffered in the middle years. He had a difficult relationship with the press, and that relationship reached its nadir when he pulled out of the 1980 Tour while leading the race and didn’t tell them. This made them look foolish, and as a result their reporting on him became less sympathetic.

"His reputation has improved as the French Famine, in terms of Tour winners, has gone on, but his accessibility in recent years has possibly stripped back some of the aura and mystique surrounding him. You can’t imagine Merckx or Armstrong greeting stage winners and handing out medals on the podium at the Tour. It’s a role that some people say is beneath him and his achievements, and I am inclined to agree."

But it’s better to remember Hinault on the road, back in the prime of his career. There were so many highlights, but three really stand out: his imperious win in the snow at the 1980 Liege-Bastogne-Liege; his commanding wire-to-wire victory on one of the toughest courses ever devised at the 1980 World Championships in Sallanches, where hardly any riders finished; and his final Tour win in 1985, where victory was achieved despite a bad crash.

"For me that final Tour win in 1985 sums Hinault up, really," says Moore. "He got a lot of help from Greg LeMond but seeing him battling and fighting during that final week with two black eyes and a broken nose was heroic stuff. It was Hinault through and through - courage, talent and stubbornness."

A year later Hinault kept his promise by helping LeMond to win the Tour, though his exact role in delivering LeMond to the finish line, and his perceived reticence in fulfilling that promise, has been the subject of much scrutiny and controversy. Bernard Hinault retired shortly afterwards, at the very top of his profession and at the relatively young age of 32. Secure in his position as one of the best ever. Or maybe the best.

Come on....who hasn't done this?

Sicard apologises for drunken prank

(http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/sicard-apologises-for-drunken-prank)

Romain Sicard of Euskaltel-Euskadi has apologised for a drunken prank incident earlier this week, saying he has learned his lesson. He is now aware “of the need for impeccable behaviour,” he said.

Sicard was taken into custody early Thursday morning when police in Toulouse spotted him putting a traffic sign into his car, in which they also found a traffic cone.  A breathalyzer test showed him to be intoxicated. Sicard said in a statement on his team's website that the incident happened “after a dinner with friends, I was showed immature and irresponsible behaviour”. 

“I want to apologize to all who trust in me and who have shown their support during this time: my family, fans, in addition to the young fans for the bad example that I gave them. Finally, I apologize especially to my team, sponsors, the staff and my colleagues for the damage I've done to our image,  so bad and so far from the principles advocated by the Euskadi Euskaltel team.

“I have taken harsh awareness of the need for impeccable behavior, I look towards the future and hope, focusing on sports performance, to forget this episode,” he concluded.

Its been a "Long Road to Paris"

Cadel Evans' "Long Road to Paris"

(http://www.cyclingnews.com/features/cadel-evans-long-road-to-paris)

Cadel Evans (BMC) has launched his autobiography, "The Long Road to Paris", detailing the Tour de France winners beginnings as an amateur riding on the mountain bike world cup circuit, to standing on the Champs-Élysées in yellow.

Offering a rare insight as to what it takes to conquer the world's toughest bike race, Evans goes through his career with a combination of short quotes, reflections, and race analysis taken from throughout his years as a professional cyclist.

Beautifully presented, the book also features spectacular images from photographers Graham Watson, Tom Moran and Malcolm Fearon.

Click here for a look at some of the superb gallery.
Preview: The story and extracts

The early years

Evans got into cycling as a youngster and was quickly attracted to "the solace of being in nature". He credits those formative years in dirt and mountain biking, where he picked up the technical skills that make him such a good bike handler today as crucial to his development as a bike rider.

"I just rode more and more because I could, for a start but also because I liked it. I didn't mean to be a bike rider; it was like, 'Oh, this is good; I like this. You can make a profession out of this?" (extract from Long Road to Paris)

As the results built Evans thought more about making a career of riding his bike. After a number of years of success on the elite mountain bike circuit Evans made the switch to the road where he debuted initially with the Saeco-Cannondale squad in 1999. That would launch the start of bigger and better things, and by 2002 while riding for Mapei, Evans gave a glimpse of his future talent when he briefly wore the Maglia Rosa at the Giro d'Italia.

Mendrisio

While the book scoots through the period from the early 2000s to 2009, Evans gives a great recount of his success at the 2009 World Championships in Medrisio.

On a day that Cancellara was on a mission to complete a rare worlds double, Evans made an opportunistic move late in the race, and with the other favourites for the rainbow crisis caught watching each other, Evans stormed up the final climb for what would be a fairytale victory on his 'home roads.'

"If we go back to 1994, my first Junior World Championships, when I came second in Vail, and the feeling... you can't understand the sickening feeling when you're standing on the podium and the guy next to you is pulling on the rainbow jersey. But Chiara was always telling me how she saw it: 'One day your honesty will be repaid.' And all of a sudden it was." (extract from Long Road to Paris)


Wearing the rainbow jersey at the Giro, and the disappointment of injury scuttling his 2010 Tour

Few Evans fans will forget his win on the day the Giro d'Italia passed over the strada bianca in 2010. Evans showed a masterclass of technical skill on the descents, while other riders struggled, was unperturbed by the tempestuous weather, and scored himself a 'beautiful' victory in Montalcino. Though he would end up falling off the podium late in the race, the stage win will go down as among the most well remembered victories in his road career.

Evans' fifth overall at the Giro was meant to be the prelude to his 2010 bid for Tour success. Having failed to fire in 2009, Evans looked strong leading into the French race and by the first rest day had taken yellow. Alas, few knew at the time but the Australian had fractured his elbow.

An early sign of his injury, Evans uncharacteristically cracked on the Col du Madeleine while the lead group was still healthy in numbers and was a clearly shattered man at the finish in Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne.

"[The positive that I took from 2010] was that I was able to appreciate just being at the Tour, feeling the atmosphere, being encouraged in almost every accent imaginable. It sure hurt riding on the cobbles of the Champs-Élysées though." (extract from Long Road to Paris)

The 2011 Tour de France
If you looked at the betting markets before this years' Tour de France, Evans was considered an outsider. His 'failures' in 2009 and 2010 had many pundits suggesting the Australian was past it. That would change quickly however with Contador, Sanchez among others conceding serious time in the Tour's opening week.

A strong performance in the team time trial, followed by a show of force in the following week by the red and black BMC squad, were signs Evans and his team meaned business.

As the Tour went on, his critics however continued to forsee the Australian crumbling against the 'more favoured' Schlecks.

But each day Evans would rise to the challenge. Perhaps the day that marked the changing of the tide was on the stage to Gap, where Evans showed plenty of guile and experience to follow a speculative move by Contador and Sanchez. Despite the two Spaniards seemingly working together against the Australian, it was Evans who would dislodge the duo in the run-in to the finish.

Post stage, Evans summarised the difference a year had made to his confidence and mentality.

"This year I was up front, alone, following the moves. The guys – George [Hincapie] and Burghy [Marcus Burghardt] got me in the right position at the bottom of the second last climb. From there I just had to play my cards right. It's all a bit of a blur right now but I think it was a good move and a good day."

For Evans that day, like the team time trial in Les Essarts, like the stage win on Mûr-de-Bretagne was symbolic of his Tour de France.

"Every day the team delivered me to where I really needed to be, and that left me fresh and ready to finish off the job. A large part of Lance Armstrong's success in Tour de France was his strong team. Ours came off the back of a strong team bond." (extract from Long Road to Paris)

Evans would finally take the yellow jersey on the penultimate day time trial, but for many it was his determined defensive performance on the day to Galibier Serre-Chevalier that won him the Tour.

It was the one day Evans rode the stage on his own, without his team. The Australian rode out of his skin, with at one point some 16 other riders in tow to claw back an 'on a mission' Andy Schleck. Despite starting the final climb with a seemingly insurmountable four minute deficit to the Luxembourger, Evans put his head down and by the peak had turned a lost cause into a defining performance.

"That day began as an effort to not lose the Tour, but it ended up as the key effort to win the 2011 Tour." (extract from Long Road to Paris)

Hushovd and Garmin-Cervelo

Hushovd was never close to staying with Garmin

(http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/hushovd-was-never-close-to-staying-with-garmin)

Thor Hushovd doesn't seem to regret leaving Garmin-Cervelo. Despite a highly-successful Tour de France, the former World Champion wasn't entirely satisfied with his time at the team, and will ride for rival American team BMC Racing Team as of 2012.

He only ended up there, he told Procycling.no, because of the merger of the Garmin and Cervelo teams. “I had my contract with Cervelo. They dragged me along in the package to Garmin.”

Hushovd was unable to meet his major goal of the year, winning one of the Spring Classics. “It was arranged for me to win a Classic.  The conditions and luck were such that it did not work out.”

He made up for the lack of success in the early part of the year at the Tour. He pulled on the leader's yellow jersey after his team won the second-stage team time trial, holding on to it for seven stages. The Norwegian then went on to win two individual stages.

There have been rumours all season that Hushovd was not happy at the team or with team manager Jonathan Vaughters, although both publicly denied any problems. 

Now, though, Hushovd says, “I was not very close to staying. They came to me very late to say they wanted me. So I moved my focus, and a change was something I wanted.

“There were several offers throughout the season. I reckoned up all the pluses and minuses. BMC ended up with many pluses, so I chose to go with them.”

There is no enmity between Hushovd and Vaughters, though. “We are on speaking terms,” the Norwegian said.

Hushovd acknowledged that one problem was actually his own fault. He did not receive a bonus for winning the 2010 World Championship. “I signed a contract with Cervelo without a World Championship bonus and it's my fault. It's something I've said all along.”

Are you as tired of Landis as I am?

Shaking my head...

Landis convicted in hacking case

(http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/landis-convicted-in-hacking-case)

Floyd Landis has been convicted in a French court on charges he obtained documents that had been hacked from the computers of a French laboratory and given a suspended jail sentence.

The once 2006 Tour de France champion was charged with ordering the hacking into computers of  a WADA-accredited lab, but was found guilty only of receiving the hacked documents after prosecutors could establish no link between the cyclist and the confessed hackers. He could have been handed an 18 month sentence but was given 12 months.

AFP reported that, “prosecutors say Landis and coach Arnie Baker masterminded a plot to hack into the lab’s computer system to obtain documents as they sought to defend the cyclist’s name.”

Last year Landis was issued with an arrest warrant but remained in the US.

Landis tested positive for testosterone during the 2006 Tour de France. His doping controls were handled by the Chatenay-Malabry laboratory. In November 2006, the lab reported that its computer systems had been infected with a "Trojan Horse" virus, which was used by someone to access the lab's confidential documents. The lab said that data had been removed or changed, allegedly in an attempt to discredit the work of the organisation.

An email carrying the virus was alleged to have been sent from a computer with the same IP address as that of Landis' coach Arnie Baker. Both Landis and Baker denied any involvement in the hacking, but authorities maintain that the pair made use of pilfered documents in Landis' defense argument.

The investigation by the French Interior Ministry in 2009 led to the arrest of a French national living in Morocco named Alain Quiros, who confessed to hacking into the lab, according to the New York Times. He said he'd been paid several thousand euros to hack into the AFLD computer as well as several other European corporations including Greenpeace France - the hacking scheme was instigated by a former French intelligence agent Thierry Lorho, head of Kargus Consultants.

Lorho reportedly handed off the data lifted from the lab computer to a man named Jean-François Dominguez, who then delivered it to another person who has not yet been identified. The confidential data then made its way to the news media and was used by Landis and Baker to form the basis of his defense against charges of doping.

Last spring, the French subpoenaed Landis and his coach Arnie Baker to travel to France and testify on this matter. Neither of them went to France.

C. Sorensen's Great Year

Sørensen says 2011 was best season ever

(http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/sorensen-says-2011-was-best-season-ever)

Chris Anker Sørensen didn't have any victories this season, but he still considered it his “best season ever”.

The Saxo Bank-SunGard rider was pleased with his performances not only in supporting captain Alberto Contador but also when he was able to ride for himself.

“I have kept my basic level high throughout the season without having experienced a big decline, and I am really happy and really satisfied with that,” he told the Ekstra Bladet newspaper.

“In other years I have had good victories, but in strength, this is my best season so far. I've never before been able to stay with the favorites up the climbs. You can also see on the world rankings that I have had a good season. I've never been so high up.”  He finished 59th on the UCI's WorldTour ranking.

In 2012, he is especially looking to help Alberto Contador win the Tour de France. “I have ridden the Tour three times and now I would like to ride on to the Champs Elysees on the same team as the man in the yellow jersey.”

He dismissed criticism that this year's Saxo Bank-SunGard team wasn't strong enough to adequately support Contador, who finished fifth overall.  “I think we had a really good team. The plan was that we should be strong in the mountains, and we were.”

Sørensen's sporting highlights of the season included his sixth place at Liège - Bastogne - Liège, the mountains jersey at the Tour de Romandie, and his twelfth place overall at the Vuelta a España.

But without doubt his ultimate highlight came during the Tour of Denmark, with the birth of his daughter, Lark.  After one stage he rushed back to Copenhagen for the birth.

“Becoming a father is the biggest event in my life.  It's a great experience and it is purely idyllic to play with the little one, or just lie there and look at her.”

The Journey of the Olympic Torch

London 2012: Olympic torch route finalised

(http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/london-2012-olympic-torch-route-finalised)

The London 2012 Olympic torch will pass through 1,018 places throughout Great Britain during its 70-day relay, the London Organisation Committee of the Olympic Games (LOCOG) have confirmed.

The torch’s tour will run between May 19 and July 27 and will cover around 8,000 miles. A total of 8,000 lucky torchbearers will be involved in the relay, which will stretch the length and breadth of the UK from the Shetland Islands to the Channel Islands, and from the Suffolk coast to Enniskillen, Northern Island.

Highlights of the torch’s journey include: taking an inflatable boat across Loch Ness, Paralympic cycling at Brand’s Hatch, a trip on the Flying Scotsman, trips to the summit of Mount Snowden and to Stonehenge and flying down from the Tyne Bridge on a zip wire.

The flame will be lit in Olympia, Greece, in May and will then be flown to the UK on May 18. Its odyssey begins at Land’s End the following day and finishes with a trip from Hampton Court in London to Olympic Park on July 27 for the opening ceremony.

“Now everyone is invited to plan their welcome and find out where they can go to be part of this historic occasion,” said LOCOG chairman Lord Coe.

“We originally started out by saying that 95 percent of the population would be within an hour’s journey of the route – we now have that within 10 miles. We’ve got to get the torch into as many communities as possible. 50 percent of the torchbearers will be aged between 12 and 24. We’re going to focus on young people – it’s a young people’s torch,” he told the BBC.

For more information about the London 2012 Olympic Torch Relay, click here.

Finest Moments for Sastre

Carlos Sastre: Top 10 Career Moments

(http://www.cyclingnews.com/features/carlos-sastre-top-10-career-moments)

Carlos Sastre's career wasn't littered with victories. In fact, the Spaniard had less than a dozen during his 15-year pro career. However, especially during the latter part of that career, Sastre was often centre stage in the major tours at key moments, racking up no fewer than 6 podiums and 15 top 10 finishes in the three-week events that were his forte.

He will, of course, be best remembered for his Tour de France victory in 2008, the one occasion when he topped the podium in a major tour, but he had plenty of other high points during in long stint in the pro peloton, as Peter Cossins recalls...

Alpe d’Huez, Tour de France 2008: The crowning moment of Sastre’s career came after he seized the initiative at the foot of the Tour’s most iconic climb. With team-mate Fränk Schleck holding a narrow lead over Cadel Evans and a long time trial to come, CSC boss Bjarne Riis knew it was imperative to gain more time on the Australian. CSC kept the pace high approaching the Alpe, and Sastre seized his opportunity by making the first attack, with the Schleck brothers ready to counter if their Spanish team-mate was chased down. But no concerted response came and Sastre edged inexorably away to finish the stage more than two minutes clear and take the yellow jersey. His 94-second advantage over Evans proved more than enough to enable him to maintain his grip on the maillot jaune all the way into Paris to secure him his sole grand tour title, but in the biggest race of them all.

Plateau de Bonascre (Ax 3 Domaines), Tour de France 2003: Riding in support of CSC leader Tyler Hamilton, Sastre was given a freer rein by Riis after the American cracked his collar-bone, and the Spaniard repaid his team boss’s faith with what is arguably the best-remembered victory of his career. Although memories of Sastre’s attack on the final climb may have dimmed, few will have forgotten his unique celebration as the crossed the line at the summit, pulling his daughter’s dummy out of his back pocket and popping it into his mouth as he claimed what was only the second victory of his career.

Vuelta a España 2000: Sastre got very few opportunities on a ONCE squad that featured so many big-name riders, but took one of those that did come his way when team leader Abraham Olano fell out of contention on Sastre’s first appearance in his national tour. Although he missed out on a stage win, victory in the King of the Mountains competition ahead of Roberto Heras, Roberto Laiseka, Felix Cardenas and Gilberto Simoni demonstrated he could climb with, and often better, than the best. Eighth place overall showed he was consistent too and was the first of 13 top 10 finishes in the major tours.

Tour de France 2006: Sastre was all set to repeat the role of first lieutenant to Ivan Basso that he’d played so impressively at the Giro d’Italia just weeks before when Basso was sidelined from the Tour when the Puerto affair erupted. Suddenly elevated to a role as team leader at CSC, Sastre went on to finish third – following Floyd Landis’s disqualification – and emerged as the race’s strongest rider in the mountains. He went into the final time trial just 12 seconds down on surprise leader Oscar Pereiro, but finished almost five minutes down in 20th place to tumble to fourth overall until the Landis’s positive test boosted him back up to a podium finish.

St Amand Montrond time trial, Tour de France 2008: Although generally classed as a specialist climber, Sastre showed on more than one occasion that he’s no mug as a time triallist, not least when he confirmed his victory on the penultimate day of the 2008 Tour. Going into the 53km test with an advantage of 1-34 on Cadel Evans, the Spaniard only yielded 29 seconds to the Australian, who was still feeling the effects of a crash earlier in the race. Underlining the fact that his strength tended to hold up in the latter part of the three-week stage races, Sastre caught and passed team-mate Fränk Schleck, confirming that the right CSC rider had taken control of the Tour on Alpe d’Huez.

Monte Petrano, Giro d’Italia 2009: Leader of the newly established Cervélo TestTeam, Sastre went into the 2009 Giro aiming for victory. Although he eventually lost out to Denis Menchov, Sastre spiced up the final week of the race with two storming stage wins, the first of them on Monte Petrano. It came at the end of mammoth 230km stage in brutally hot conditions, the kind of day where Sastre’s grittiness was guaranteed to keep him in contention. He made his winning move 6km from the line, quickly dropping the maglia rosa group, and then overhauling Damiano Cunego and Yarslav Popovych as he went clear to win. The victory pushed him up to third overall and back within striking distance of race leader Menchov.

Mount Vesuvius, Giro d’Italia 2009: As quickly as Sastre had ridden himself into contention for the maglia rosa on Monte Petrano, he fell out again with a below-par ride on the Blockhaus. Although disappointed that his GC challenge had fizzled out, the Spaniard reasserted himself with a well-judged victory on the slopes of the volcano that stands above the city of Naples. Sastre’s attack from the maglia rosa group from 9km from home took him across to lone leader Ivan Basso. The two former team-mates stuck together until 5km out, when Sastre pressed again. He later admitted he’d suffered like never before when winning a stage and that at no time did he feel he was the strongest of those in contention for the win. But the dogged Spaniard was not to be denied. The victory moved him up to fourth on GC. He was subsequently promoted to second following the disqualifications of Danilo Di Luca and Franco Pellizotti for doping offences, completing a full set of podium finishes at the grand tours.

Alto del Angliru, Vuelta a España 2011: Sastre’s final season didn’t go as he or his Geox team would have hoped, their failure to secure WorldTour status denying him a farewell appearance at the Tour de France. There was some consolation, though, when he produced a strong ride in support of team-mate Juan José Cobo. In what turned out to be the final race of his career, Sastre’s best moments came late on in typical fashion. The first of them came on the Vuelta’s most devilish ascent, the Angliru. Away in a small group at the foot of the climb, Sastre attacked on the early ramps to get clear on his own. Coming into the steepest sections of the climb, Cobo jumped across to join his veteran team-mate, allowing Sastre to set the pace before Cobo made what proved to be both the stage- and race-winning move.

Andorra Arcalis, Vuelta a España 2000: Sastre rode the Giro in his second season with ONCE, but it was a year later that he first came to prominence with that mountains win at the Vuelta. It was no coincidence that his best day was ONCE’s worst. They started it with Santos González in the leader’s jersey, but the team was primed to defend the interests of Mikel Zarrabeitia and Abraham Olano. Sastre was sent up the road late in the stage to assist his leaders on the final climb, but Zarrabeitia crashed out of the race, while Olano and González lost more than six minutes. That left 24-year-old Sastre with a rare opportunity to ride for himself, and he didn’t disappoint on the final climb. Roberto Laiseka denied him victory, but Sastre took second place ahead of a number of established names, including Santi Blanco, Roberto Heras and Fernando Escartín.

Klasika Primavera 2006: While he was always likely to contend at any grand tour thanks to his strength and durability, Sastre had much less of an impact in one-day races, where his comparative lack of acceleration and almost total absence of a finishing kick left him without an obvious race-winning weapon. His sole one-day victory showed, though, that guile can get you a long way. Up against Damiano Cunego, Joaquim Rodríguez and Alberto Contador coming up to the finish of the Klasika Primavera in the Basque Country, Sastre managed to outwit all three, guessing that none of them would want to chase down his late attack knowing that the other two were likely to come past in the final sprint.