Being sick sucks...

As Dan Wouri (@dwouri) tweeted: "Boy, when DZ cracks he does it with style. 1st to 118th in one stage," I guess being sick does suck...

Fever fells Zabriskie in Malaysia

(http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/fever-fells-zabriskie-in-malaysia)

Dave Zabriskie (Garmin-Barracuda) was the big loser of yesterday’s 187.2 km run to Pandan Indah, conceding more than 19 minutes to stage winner Jose Serpa (Androni Giocattoli), his yellow jersey, and any hope of overall honours.

The American dropped off the back of the bunch at the same point as an injured Adam Phelan (Drapac), with the Australian barely able to use his right knee since a crash on Saturday.

Initially several teammates were sent back to help Zabriskie, but when it became clear that he was not going to be able to recover, only Raymond Kreder remained to escort him to the finish.

Competition Director Allan Peiper said the team was still trying to figure out exactly what had gone wrong with the American.

"We are really not sure what happened to Dave Zabriskie," said Peiper to Cyclingnews. "He had a little fever two nights ago but before yesterday’s stage he seemed okay health-wise. The only other explanation could be some heat stroke or severe dehydration from the really hot days just before. We’re still unsure though. "

The team is now hoping that Tom Danielson, who has won the race once before back in 2003, will be able to retake yellow after yesterday's disappointment.

"We will see what happens on Genting, but we’re banking on him," concluded Peiper.

I think his priorities are backwards...

Wait....what?!?!?!

New baby won't clash with Mollema's Tour plans
(http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/new-baby-wont-clash-with-mollemas-tour-plans)

Bauke Mollema has revealed that his girlfriend is expecting their first child in August of this year, but the Rabobank rider is still very much planning to ride in the Tour de France. The 25-year-old Dutchman, famed for his climbing prowess, has stated that the impending arrival will not jeopardise his position at the start line.

Mollema served notice last year that he can be a major force in Grand Tours after winning the points classification and finishing fourth overall at the Vuelta a Espana. He is seen as a key part in Rabobank's assault on this year's Tour de France.

"For the Tour, there is nothing wrong. That is still the main goal of my season," Mollema told telegraaf.nl.

Rabobank's sporting director Erik Breukink stated on his Twitter account that Mollema would not be distracted by the birth: "Missing the birth of your child is not the end of the world. That's part of life as a professional cyclist," he said.

Oh! So this is how teams are decided...

Ok, I've heard of various animals predicting the Super Bowl Champions...or even groundhogs predicting when winter will end. But I think this may go too far:

German national team selected by horoscope?

(http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/german-national-team-selected-by-horoscope)

The German national team from was written in the stars under former national trainer Peter Weibel. Weibel consulted an astrologer to help pick the team, he said.

Michael Waidmann of Bremen was the one who read horoscopes for Weibel from 1998 to 2005. “This man was a phenomena,” Weibel told Focus magazine, according to the SID news agency. “At first I was doubtful, but he helped me to sort riders according to their ability and character.”

The astrologist “predicted everything exactly: health problems, the chances of crashes, performance breakdowns, the probability of using addictive drugs, rider's possibilities.”

Few of the riders involved over the years - and they included the likes of Jan UIlrich - knew about the astrological help, but some who did also consulted him personally, Weibel said.

Weibel had worked for the Bund Deutsche Radfahrer from 1972 until he was suspended in 2007, under suspicion of having supplied doping products to amateur riders in the 1980s and 1990s.

Kuurne-Brussel-Kuurne 2012

Cavendish wins in Kuurne-Brussel-Kuurne

(http://www.cyclingnews.com/races/kuurne-brussel-kuurne-2012/results)
Mark Cavendish claimed a straightforward victory in Kuurne-Brussel-Kuurne, delivered to the line perfectly by his Sky teammates.

Resplendent in his world champion's jersey, the Manxman took victory by a decisive margin over FDJ-BigMat rider Yauheni Hutarovich. Vacansoleil-DCM's Kenny Van Hummel was two lengths back in third, while world under 23 champion Arnaud Démare (FDJ-BigMat) was a fine fourth.

Cavendish had suffered with illness earlier in the race, but his Sky team set about bringing the race back together for a bunch finish on the flat run-in to the finish in Kuurne. In the finishing straight, CJ Sutton piloted Cavendish to victory.

“After the cobbles I told CJ that I didn’t feel so good,” Cavendish said afterwards. “Once we took control it got better although I was still vomiting. It’s incredible. I don’t know if I can take any credit for this win. The whole day they looked after me. I was never in the win and always in the front of the peloton. It’s a great win.”

Coming into the final kilometre, the stage appeared set for a duel between Cavendish and his great rival André Greipel (Lotto Belisol) but the German found himself boxed in and faded in the final meters, finishing tenth.

“At 300m from the finish line I was confident that I could not lose the sprint. Then Van Hummel swerved from right to left and there was no more space for me. I should’ve gone earlier,” a clearly disappointed Greipel said.

A fast start

In a quick and nervous first hour at 50km/h no attacks proved successful. After a collective stop at a railway crossing a group powered away.

Seven riders made the day's early breakaway: Greg Van Avermaet (BMC), Niko Eeckhout (An Post-Sean Kelly), Jérôme Baugnies (Team Netapp), Koen Barbé (Landbouwkrediet-Euphony), Gilles Devillers (Landbouwkrediet-Euphony), Justin Van Hoecke (Wallonie Bruxelles-Credit Agricole) and Julien Fouchard (Cofidis, le credit en ligne).

At the fourth climb of the day the seven had a gap of four minutes on a peloton led by the Sky team. By the time they reached the Oude Kwaremont, the gap was down to three minutes. Van Avermaet set the pace up front, dropping all his companions except for 41 year-old Eeckhout. At the top of the long cobbled helling another half a minute was whittled off the gap thanks to the efforts from Maarten Wynants (Rabobank) at the front of the peloton.

The selective climb caused some damage and the peloton split in several groups. A first group of about twenty-five riders including fast men Tom Boonen (Omega Pharma-Quickstep), Tyler Farrar (Garmin-Barracuda) and John Degenkolb (Project 1t4i) quickly picked up half a minute on a sprinter-studded peloton where Lotto-Belisol did the work.

With seventy kilometers to go Eeckhout and Van Avermaet were re-joined by Barbé, Fouchard and Baugnies. They had 1:30 on the Boonen group, with the peloton trailing by fifty more seconds, but efforts from the Vancansoleil-DCM team, Lotto-Belisol and Europcar closed first the gap to the Boonen group, and then the fate of the seven up front was sealed.

Eeckhout’s effort

As his group was being brought back, Eeckhout attacked and was followed by Wouter Mol (Vacancoleil-DCM), and was later joined by Aliaksandr Kuchynski (Katusha), Sylvain Chavanel (Omega Pharma-Quickstep), Jimmy Engoulvent (Saur-Sojasun), Jan Ghyselinck (Cofidis) and Sébastien Delfosse (Landbouwkrediet-Euphony).

With Sky content to let a group dangle just within their reach, the new escape quickly picked up half a minute at 40km from the finish line. When approaching the finish line a first time, having two more local circuits of 16km ahead of them, the gap ran up to a minute.

The Sky train was in full control, however, and one lap later half a minute was gone from that gap. At 10km from the finish line there were only 10 seconds left and a bunch sprint seemed unavoidable.

Once more it was Eeckhout who was the last man standing, having attacked his companions as the peloton was nipping on their heels, and had a brief foray with a Engoulvent before the high pace of the Sky-led group sped past.

With four men ahead of Cavendish, Sky hurtled into the finishing chute at such a pace that no rider stood a chance at coming around the world champion. Only Hutarovich could get close to his wheel, while Van Hummel looked glued to the tarmac as he struggled over the final meters to claim third.

Full Results

#	Rider Name (Country) Team	Result
1	Mark Cavendish (GBr) Sky Procycling	4:27:30
2	Yauheni Hutarovich (Blr) FDJ-Big Mat
3	Kenny Robert Van Hummel (Ned) Vacansoleil-DCM Pro Cycling Team
4	Arnaud Demare (Fra) FDJ-Big Mat
5	Alexander Serebryakov (Rus) Team Type 1 - Sanofi
6	Tom Veelers (Ned) Project 1t4i
7	Sébastien Chavanel (Fra) Team Europcar
8	Stefan Van Dijk (Ned) Accent Jobs - Willems Veranda's
9	Alexander Kristoff (Nor) Katusha Team
10	André Greipel (Ger) Lotto Belisol Team

Where were Thor and Gilbert?

With two great sprinters added to their team this year, you'd think BMC would have been able to pull off a win, or at least a podium spot...wrong!! Even with Philipe Gilbert and Thor Hushovd riding in the Omloop Het Nieuwsblad, BMC's best placed position was Greg Van Avermaet in 5th. What happened???

BMC falls short at Omloop Het Nieuwblad

(http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/bmc-falls-short-at-omloop-het-nieuwblad)

They may have one of the biggest budgets and the some of the sport's most decorated and accomplished Classics riders but BMC proved that racing doesn't always go to plan after their performance in Omloop Het Nieuwsblad fizzled out following a promising start.

The team lined up with arguably their strongest Classics line-up - only George Hincapie was missing - as Philippe Gilbert, Thor Hushovd, Greg Van Avermaet and Alessandro Ballan took to the start in Ghent.

The opening half of the race went to plan. The team's leaders were kept out of trouble by able domestiques, while rival squad, Omega-Pharma, did the majority of the work on the front of the bunch.

However, the team's race began to unravel on the Taaienberg. Gilbert lacked form and positioning, finding himself isolated before a puncture effectively ended his chances of wining a third title in the race.

At the front of the race, Thor Hushovd made the split and looked set to contest the win but the 2010 world champion cracked along with Matti Breschel (Rabobank) on the Paddestraat with 30 kilometres to go.

"I was happy that I was there with the best riders when we went fast. I just had a bad moment on the Paddestraat but I don't know what happened. Suddenly I was dropped but I felt strong and that's important," Hushovd told Cyclingnews.

"I had confidence that I was strong enough to be there in the final. Like I said I had that bad moment and suddenly I lost the power. When things like that happen it's just over for such a hard race."

BMC did eventually rally, leading the chase from behind and Van Avermaet secured 5th place in the bunch sprint for 4th.

For the likes of Hushovd and Gilbert, bigger tests are on the horizon and the team will surely chalk up today's race as a learning experience. For second year professional Taylor Phinney it was exactly that. The American rode on the front for the first 70 kilometres and finished his first semi-classic in 44th place.

"It didn't work out 100 per cent," added Hushovd. It's the first race together and I think today the Taaienberg was the main place to be in the front and we missed a couple of guys to really be in the final with two or three but we'll work on that for future races."

Hushovd will skip Sunday's Kuurne-Brussel-Kuurne and venture home before starting next month's Paris-Nice.

Gilbert: I didn't have the legs

(http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/gilbert-i-didnt-have-the-legs)

Philippe Gilbert’s first appearance on Belgian roads as a BMC rider ended in disappointment as he was unable to make an impact at Omloop Het Nieuwsblad on Saturday.

While he admitted that he didn’t have the legs to compete for the win, Gilbert believed that a lack of information about the gap to the winning break frustrated BMC’s efforts to bring the race back together in the finale.

Twice a winner of the Omloop, Gilbert’s hopes of adding a third triumph disappeared at the foot of the Taaienberg. When winner Sep Vanmarcke (Garmin-Barracuda) and Tom Boonen (Omega Pharma-QuickStep) hit the front, Gilbert was poorly placed in the heart of the peloton, and a subsequent puncture on the Eikenberg definitively ended his challenge. He went on to finish 41 seconds down in 31st.

“I wasn’t in the race,” Gilbert told dhnet.be. “I was there without being there. I didn’t have good legs. I was always fifteen or twenty places too far back and in these conditions, you can get caught up in a crash or puncture…”

While his teammate Thor Hushovd had initially succeeded in following the winning move sparked by Vanmarcke and Boonen, Gilbert complained that information was hard to come by in the absence of radio earpieces.

The BMC riders in the peloton were unaware that Hushovd had been dropped from the lead group, and they only began to organise their pursuit inside the final 15 kilometres.

“Racing without earpieces doesn’t bother me, but it’s not normal not to have any information,” he said. “I only saw the chalkboard once and it was only with 15km to go that John Lelangue was able to fill us in and tell us that Thor had been dropped.

“At that moment we started to ride, but it was too late, we knew that it was only for 4th place. In the end, Greg [Van Avermaet] was 5th, which isn’t bad, like the fact that there were five of us in that group.”

Omloop Het Nieuwsblad Elite 2012

Vanmarcke wins Omloop Het Nieuwsblad

(http://www.cyclingnews.com/races/omloop-het-nieuwsblad-elite-2012/results)

Sep Vanmarcke (Garmin-Barracuda) staged his break-out performance at the Omloop Het Nieuwsblad, taking the race by the reins by forcing the final three-man breakaway and then stunning favourite Tom Boonen (Omega Pharma-Quickstep) in the sprint to take the victory.

Sky's Juan Antonio Flecha was third.

“I couldn’t believe my eyes. I beat Tom Boonen, my big hero,” an emotional Vanmarcke said during the post-race interview with Sporza. He knew that in a sprint against Boonen, his chances were slim and tried to shake him off with a few attacks, but said, "I know if I have a really great day, I can sprint pretty well."

Boonen came in with generous and genuine congratulations for his young compatriot, and admitted to the press that he misjudged the approach to the line. "I saw the finish this morning and still I get caught. I thought I went at the right moment, but ... the race was 50 meters too long."

Flecha, standing on the podium for the fifth time in six years, was happy to return to the stage, but said that while this is clearly his kind of course, only the win matters.

However, the Spaniard was impressed by Vanmarcke. "You can see that the guy has tremendous talent in these races. He is impressive. That he beat Boonen in the sprint surprised me. It just goes to show, the race goes to the finish line."

Vanmarcke, 23, previously showed his Classics promise by taking second in the 2010 Gent-Wevelgem while riding with Topsport Vlaanderen, and before as a podium finisher in the U23 version of the Tour of Flanders, but today's victory showed a never-before seen brilliance, both in fitness and in tactical prowess.

The decisive breakaway was formed on the Taaienberg, 59km from the finish in sunny Ghent. Behind a break of three, Boonen tested his legs on the climb, and Vanmarcke swiftly followed. Matthew Hayman (Sky), Matti Breschel (Rabobank), Thor Hushovd (BMC), Juan Antonio Flecha (Sky) and Dries Devenyns (Omega Pharma-Quickstep) were able to catch on. Behind them double winner Philippe Gilbert flatted and lost a lot of time.

With 39km to go the Boonen group caught the two remaining leaders, Sven Vandousselaere and Lieuwe Westra. It was on the Molenberg with 37km to go that Vanmarcke gave the first indication of his intentions - he attacked at the base of this final climb, and Boonen fought to catch on. Hushovd, Breschel, Hayman, Flecha and Devenyns eventually re-joined, but the early leaders were dropped for good.

On the cobbles of the Paddestraat with 31km to go Vanmarcke unleashed his devils once again, the acceleration ridding him of Breschel and Hushovd. With a seemingly dire tactical disadvantage, in a group with two proven classics men: Boonen and Flecha, each with a teammate, Vanmarcke was not intimidated.

Vanmarcke put in another acceleration to dislodge Devenyns and Hayman, and still had enough energy to contribute to the work in the final 20km to keep the trio clear.

The young star-to-be put in one last dig with 1km to go, trying to get away, but when Boonen shut down the maneuver, the Garmin rider sat on the back while Flecha set the pace, the Spaniard keeping a careful eye on his companions with frequent looks over his shoulder.

Boonen opened up the sprint ahead of the 200m to go mark, but Vanmarcke was able to get in behind and then put in a stinging acceleration to jump past and grab his first Classic victory.

Full Results

#	Rider Name (Country) Team	Result
1	Sep Vanmarcke (Bel) Garmin-Barracuda	4:52:34
2	Tom Boonen (Bel) Omega Pharma-Quickstep
3	Juan Antonio Flecha Giannoni (Spa) Sky Procycling
4	Heinrich Haussler (Aus) Garmin-Barracuda	0:00:25
5	Greg Van Avermaet (Bel) BMC Racing Team
6	Marco Marcato (Ita) Vacansoleil-DCM Pro Cycling Team
7	Lloyd Mondory (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale
8	Matthieu Ladagnous (Fra) Fdj-Big Mat
9	Alexandre Pichot (Fra) Team Europcar
10	Staf Scheirlinckx (Bel) Accent Jobs - Willems Veranda's

Spring Classics...Opening this Weekend!!!

Boonen eager to perform well in Omloop

(http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/boonen-eager-to-perform-well-in-omloop)
Saturday's Omloop Het Nieuwsblad - formerly Omloop Het Volk and Ghent-Ghent - marks the traditional opening race of the Spring Classics season. After building up their form in the Middle East a part of the peloton now hits the cobbles and hellingen for the first time this season.

At the Omega Pharma-QuickStep press conference in Kortrijk, Belgium the team's leader Tom Boonen showed up an hour late due to a traffic jam. Meanwhile co-leader Sylvain Chavanel entertained the press with his view on the opening weekend but when tv-crews suddenly entered the hotel he realized it was time to leave the room.

"I'll make some space for le grand," Chavanel smiled. Boonen entered, apologizing for the delay. "Sorry everybody... my apologies," Boonen said, taking a seat and started talking about the season so far and his view on the Omloop.

"I've done three stage races already and this doesn't really feel like the first day at school. It's a new start for our team. Two important days are coming up and we'll see how we fare on these roads. I feel some nerves but in a positive way. There's no need to worry. The birds start to sing, the spring is in the country so the most beautiful time of the year is coming up," Boonen said.

Being a local hero Boonen once again is among the top favorites for the win at the Omloop Het Nieuwsblad even though he somehow never won the race. "It's the only Spring Classic that I didn't win even though I can win it. Why? Because if you peak to this one then it's harder to be good at the other Classics. I've always been the top favorite and other riders were able to exploit that in their favor," Boonen said.

Boonen didn't want to talk about the other favorites. "Some riders who I expect for the Spring Classics aren't here yet. I usually wait after this weekend before I talk about other riders and I'll stick to that," Boonen said.

After going through a rough year in 2011 the now 31-year-old "Tornado Tom" has already claimed four victories this season and seemed more motivated than ever to finally claim a win in the Omloop Het Nieuwsblad. "It's easier to be eager when you're good. Compared to other years I'm without physical sores which helps on the mental front. I have no excuses if I'm not good," Boonen said.

"This race is important in Flanders. I've only returned recently to Belgium but when we're arriving in Ghent with the bus it'll be exciting; the first race in Belgium. Of course I go for the win because otherwise I'd be better doing a training camp this week. I hope that I can win. I worked hard for it. If I can prepare without problems then I'm always a candidate in these races."

The years are flying by and some new names have popped up in recent years which means Boonen no longer seems the strongest man on the cobbles. "You don't always have to be the best to win a race but if all goes according to plan then I'll be as good as in my best years," Boonen said.

The newly-formed Omega Pharma-QuickStep team has been flying high so far this season. The Belgian team has collected the most victory flowers of all teams, topping the list of team victories with 12 wins. For the first time in a few years the team doesn't seem to count on Boonen alone to deliver the goods.

"Last year we came into a downward spiral. I'm used to being at the start with a lot of pressure on my shoulder but last year Sylvain [Chavanel] had back sores while I struggled with my knee. Now everything has been fallen into its place. There are no worries and that makes it easier. This year there was a schwung from day 1.

"We've kept the right people from the three teams. The biggest change is that some new guys joined the team who can work hard," Boonen said. "The team has been flying so far and I know that all the guys who're here for the Omloop are ready for it. We've got some guys who can pull off some work so we can handle some battles."

One day after the Omloop Het Nieuwsblad there's always the re-match at Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne for those who disappointed on Saturday. "I've done it about 11 times so... I've won it three or four times [two times: 2007 & 2009]. I'm always motivated although it's a bit harder if you went flat out in the Omloop and if there's foul weather in Kuurne."

So 'free' doesn't mean free???

Plans to charge fans to watch Olympic road races criticised

(http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/plans-to-charge-fans-to-watch-olympic-road-races-criticised)

Having initially promised that the road races at the London 2012 Olympics would be one of the few events that the general public would be able to watch free of charge and without tickets, the organisers have announced plans to charge fans who want to watch on the key vantage point of Box Hill, provoking widespread criticism.

Anyone now wanting to watch on Box Hill, which the riders will race past numerous times, will need a ticket. The London Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games (LOCOG) have stated that the decision has been made in order to protect the stretch of land, which is a designated area of outstanding natural beauty, from overcrowding. But Baroness Doocey, who is the Chair of the Olympic Committee at the London Assembly, told British radio station LBC 97.3 that she would be questioning LOCOG and the government about it.

"I'm very unhappy about it,” she said. “We were promised cycling was going to be free - and I think for them to go back on that promise now is totally wrong. I'm going to ask them to seriously reconsider that decision. I think it’s completely and utterly wrong.

"They are saying they need to restrict access, but there are many ways to do that. They don't need to charge people for it. I can't think of any reason that would justify charging for something that was promised to the public as: ‘Don't worry, if you haven't got a ticket there are lots of events you can see free like the marathon and cycling’. You can't then go back and say ‘well actually, some of it is free and some you'll have to pay for’.”

Tour de Langkawi: First All-African Team & Vino Comes Full Circle

Two interesting articles caught my eye regarding the upcoming Tour de Langkawi:

First of all, the first African team will be competing in it. Its really good to see that cycling is becoming more of a world-wide sport than just a European sport. With the Santos Tour Down Under, as well as a handful of major races in the States, it nice to see that it is beginning to appeal to other countries.

First ‘truly African team’ set for Tour de Langkawi

(http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/first-truly-african-team-set-for-tour-de-langkawi)

With the Tour de Langkawi boasting one of its strongest line-ups in recent years one might be forgiven in glossing over some of the so-called smaller teams, but the MTN-Qhubeka team posses some of the most exciting talents in the race, and have been dubbed the first ‘truly African team’ by their team manager.

The race squad comprises of athletes from around the African continent, including four black African riders (Adrien Niyonshuti from Rwanda, and Jani Tewelde, Meron Russom and Tesfai Habtariam from Eritrea) and two South African riders (Jacques Janse van Rensburg and Dennis van Niekerk).

Van Niekerk and Janse van Rensburg are no strangers to the race, with Van Niekerk finishing fourth overall in 2011 and Janse van Rensburg finishing sixth in 2009.

Douglas Ryder, MTN-Qhubeka Team Principal, rode the Tour de Langkawi seven times as a member of the South African National Team, finishing fifth overall in 1996 and winning the KOM competition in 1998.

“I have always enjoyed the people and the hardness of the event in which South African riders have always done well,” said Ryder. “2012 sees the first truly African team participate, and with this event favouring the climbers, it will be great to see how our team will perform against one of the best fields ever assembled.”

The team will be looking for a strong performance in the GC, and will also be targeting the key mountain stage to Genting Genting Highlands.

"Janse van Rensberg, Niyonshuti and Van Niekerk are amongst Africa's best climbing talents,” she the team coach.

“They have been training hard over the past two months, and their SRM power data confirms their current form. Eritrian neo-pros Russom, Tewelde and Habetarium joined our team mid-January. They have rapidly adopted our team's high-tech training methods and their performances in hard, specific interval training sessions confirm their depth in conditioning. The Tour de Langkawi will be their first major international stage race outside of Africa. They're aggressive, fearless competitors and will be eager to earn the respect of their global competition."

Team for Tour de Langkawi:Adrien Niyonshuti (Rwa), Jani Tewelde Weldegaber (Eri), Jacques Janse Van Rensburg (RSA), Meron Russom (Eri), Tesfai Habtariam (Eri), Dennis Van Niekerk (RSA)

The second article that I found interesting was about Alexandre Vinokourov and how he will be racing in the Tour de Langkawi, which 15 years ago essentially began his professional career:

Vinokourov back in Langkawi after 15 years

(http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/vinokourov-back-in-langkawi-after-15-years)

It's been 15 years but Alexander Vinokourov still remembers the first and last time he raced the Tour de Langkawi in 1997, as a member of the Kazakh national team. This week, the leader of the Astana squad is back in Kuala Lumpur to start his final season in the pro-ranks.

Le Tour de Langkawi triggered Vinokourov's career as a professional bike rider, as it was during the 1997 event that the Kazakhstan caught the eye of Gilles Mas, directeur sportif at Casino, who brought him to the French team as a stagiaire in August that year. Vinokourov signed his first professional contract in 1998 with the squad directed by Vincent Lavenu.

"It's fantastic to be here once again in my final year as a professional," Vinokourov told Biciciclismo. "I've always remembered my first time here in 1997 and I've always wanted to come back. But it was never included in my team's calendar, or suited to my race programme."

The 38-year-old returns to racing after fracturing his femur in a crash at the 2011 Tour de France. He competed in the Chrono des Nations last October but to him, "This is the first big race since I crashed in the Tour de France last year and it will be a good start into the new season for me, to get back to full fitness before travelling to Europe for the Classics."

Vinokourov is set to leave his mark on the race, together with his teammates Valentín Iglinskiy, Aleksandr Dyachenko, Assan Bazayev, Andrey Zeits and Dmitriy Gruzdev. "We have a strong team with the potential to win the general classification. My work here will be to help my teammates achieve the victory," he said.

After Le Tour de Langkawi, Vinokourov is scheduled to compete in Italy at the Settimana Internazionale di Coppi e Bartali at the end of March.

This made my day...

Its always wonderful to see a crash victim get back on the bike and ride. However, what's more amazing is when it was unknown if the victim would make it through the injuries. This article really brightened my day:

Soler takes first ride since Tour de Suisse accident

(http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/soler-takes-first-ride-since-tour-de-suisse-accident)

Nearly eight months after suffering severe head trauma and a fractured skull due to a crash in the Tour de Suisse, Mauricio Soler has made a major milestone in his recovery, by finally taking back to the bike.

According to reports from website Mundo Ciclistico, Soler took a short ride around his parent's house in the Colombian countryside not far from his own home in Ramiriqui, and looked generally comfortable. It's a significant moment for Soler, who struggled with simple cognitive functions such as breathing, swallowing and talking in the wake of the accident.

He has followed a strict rehabilitation regime since his return to Colombia in December, which has included a variety of physical and mental therapies. Though with still a significant amount of work ahead of him the former Tour de France King of the Mountains said that he was "really happy just to have been able to ride a bike again".

"It was one of my big goals, alongside seeing my son again," said Soler. "Cycling is something I really love. Mentally I feel better than ever, and I'm improving further day by day."

Soler, 28, was placed in an induced coma shortly after the Tour de Suisse accident, with doctor's initially unsure whether he was going to live. He underwent surgery in hospital in St. Gallen, Switerzerland, where he began basic rehabilitation, before he was moved to a private hospital in Spain in July.

The Colombian told the assembled media upon his return to Colombia that he was unsure whether he would ever ride professionally again, citing the importance of recovery the most critical thing above all else.

"We will we see what will come after that."

Can Schleck pull off a TdF win?

I am a huge fan of Andy Schleck, but I am not yet sold on the fact that he can win this year's Tour de France. With more time trial kilometers, I really don't think he has what it takes to win, even under the direction of Bruyneel. Everytime I think about Andy in a time trial, I think of how non-aerodynamic he was in the 2011 Tour de France, when he lost the Yellow Jersey:

However, Andy believes that being on Bruyneel's team, he can win the 2012 Tour de France, and I seriously hope he is right.

Schleck confident of success at 2012 Tour de France

(http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/schleck-confident-of-success-at-2012-tour-de-france)

Having been awarded the 2010 Tour de France title in a courtroom earlier this month following the CAS ruling on Alberto Contador, Andy Schleck (RadioShack-Nissan) is confident that he can win it on the road in 2012. Much has been made of the fact that Schleck's chances this year will be increased by Contador's absence, but the 26-year-old from Luxembourg reckons he is well placed to win regardless of what anyone else does or doesn't do.

Despite having more time trial kilometres than last year - a discipline that is seen as one of his major weaknesses - Schleck insists that the other stages will suit him even more than in recent years. He also predicted that new team boss Johan Bruyneel, who has masterminded nine wins in the Tour de France in his managerial career, would extract an extra one or two percent from him, which could prove crucial.

"Compared with 2011, we anticipate more stages where I can where I can try something. I am a runner that can resist for 40 to 50 kilometers ahead as I proved when I won Liege-Bastogne-Liege 2009. In this sense, the Tour is perfect for me this year. It will be like running a classic every day," he told Luxembourgish newspaper Wort.

"If Bruyneel helps me progress a little against the clock and some also in the mountains, then I'll be better. But be realistic, this change of director will not improve my performance by 10%. If I gain 1% or 2%, that would be enough to be happy. I have to keep my qualities of climber. If you want to win the Tour, it is in the mountains where I'll make it."

Armstrong vs. Evans

Haven't posted much about George Hincapie because as a domestique, he doesn't make it in the news much. And even when he does, as the article below points out, he's talking about two of the team leaders he's been with, Lance Armstrong and Cadel Evans.

"Calm" Evans is the perfect teammate, says Hincapie

(http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/calm-evans-is-the-perfect-teammate-says-hincapie)

Having been part of a winning team nine times, George Hincapie is ideally placed to identify what is required from a Tour de France winner. Hincapie was side by side with his compatriot Lance Armstrong for all seven of his victories in the race and he also assisted Alberto Contador in 2007 and Cadel Evans last year in the colours of BMC.

Hincapie knows Armstrong and Evans extremely well, and stated that the two men are very different on and off the bike. Hincapie will be looking to be part of a winning team for a record tenth time this summer, when Evans will look to successfully defend the title he won in 2011. If he gets to the start line in one piece it will be the 38-year-old Hincapie's 17th Tour - a statistic that offers proof of his longevity and his durability.

"Cadel is certainly more relaxed than Lance and doesn't interfere so much in team tactics - at least not in the other riders' presence," Hincapie told Danish website feltet.dk. "He does with [sporting director] John Lelangue, but he relies a lot on my input, and what John believes, especially when we are out on the road.

"In my eyes he seems more pleased with the people that surround him both on and around the team. He is calm when Lance was usually quite tense, and out on the route is always ready to attack the race. And when you think to yourself that he might be in trouble, you discover that he actually is calm and quite okay."

After a 17 month drought...

Nibali back to winning ways in Oman

(http://www.cyclingnews.com/races/tour-of-oman-2012/stage-5/results)

Vincenzo Nibali (Liquigas-Cannondale) took his first win in almost seventeen months after punching his way clear at the foot of the climb to Jabal Al Akhdhar on stage 5 of the Tour of Oman.

On the sharp slopes of Green Mountain, he succeeded in staving off the dogged pursuit of Peter Velits (Omega Pharma-QuickStep), but the Slovak did manage to limit his losses sufficiently to gain control of the overall lead, one second clear of Nibali.“I didn’t want to look around once on the climb,” Nibali admitted after crossing the finish line.

“A year without wins wasn’t easy to take. My performances in that time show that I was giving it my all, but without a win I couldn’t say I was totally satisfied.”

The haul to Green Mountain was always going to prove decisive, but the real selection was expected to be made on the final 13.5% ramps near the summit. Instead, Nibali threw the cat amongst the pigeons by attacking twice at the foot of the climb.

The first move tested the waters, then the second opened the floodgates. While Velits and the French trio of Sandy Casar, Arnold Jeannesson (FDJ-BigMat) and Tony Gallopin (RadioShack-Nissan) treaded water, overnight favourites such as Joaquim Rodriguez (Katusha) and Jakob Fuglsang (RadioShack-Nissan) were among those left floundering.

“I knew that in the middle section of the climb it became a little easier, so I tried like that,” he explained afterwards. “Velits followed me first, and then I went again, this time alone.”

Velits proved to be a resilient chaser, however, and he stalked Nibali all the way up the climb. As the road sneaked its way around the mountainside, he could see Nibali flitting in and out of view all the way, but to his frustration, the gap between them would never diminish, and Nibali crossed the line victorious.

On the final kick to the finish, Velits realised that while the stage victory was beyond him, he might just be able to do enough to deny Nibali the overall lead. “I knew I couldn’t go too early, as I would have lost even more seconds. So I waited as long as possible and then went with 150 metres to go,” he said.

Velits duly reached the finish 12 seconds down on Nibali, and when the time bonuses were tallied, that was sufficient to keep him one second clear ahead of Sunday’s final stage to Matrah Corniche.

 A slow start

 A block headwind on the road out of Muscat on Saturday morning meant that the peloton was happy to stay together for much of the slow-burning build-up to Green Mountain. Only a brief six-man break headlined by Bernhard Eisel (Sky) and Oscar Gatto (Farnese Vini-Selle Italia) broke the calm as the Katusha patrolled the front of the bunch in the service of Rodriguez.

On the 5.7km-long final climb, Nibali was instantly dancing from side to side, looking to land the early blows. His first exploratory jab came almost as soon as the road pitched upwards, and it was a presage of what was to come – the alert Velits was promptly on his wheel, while the rest of the contenders slowly edged their way back towards him.

With 4km to go, Nibali put in his next dig, and only in hindsight did anyone realise that it was in fact the knock-out punch. His steady acceleration took him decisively clear of the hesitant lead group, and sensing his opportunity, he put his head down all the way to the top.

Velits admitted afterwards that he regretted not trying to shut down Nibali’s second attack immediately. “It was not a really hard attack, he just went a little bit faster, but nobody reacted,” he said. “I didn’t react and maybe I underestimated him a little bit, but he got the gap and he held it to the finish.”

Sandy Casar was of a similar opinion, although he was expecting Tom Jelte Slagter (Rabobank) to be more active in the defence of his red jersey chances. “I thought that others like Slagter would go after him first, but in the end he was a bit switched off and went too late,” Casar said afterwards.

The steepest section of the climb came in the final kilometre and a half, but by the time the leaders had reached this section, they were already eking their way up in ones and twos, the constant changes in rhythm making it impossible to form any cohesive chasing groups.

Among those to suffer was Joaquim Rodriguez (Katusha), who ultimately crossed the line in 7th place, 55 seconds down. Given that his Katusha team had been so active on the front of the peloton early on, it was a disappointing day for the Spaniard.

“I didn’t feel good, I just didn’t have good sensations on the climb, but even so, my rivals weren’t too far ahead,” Rodriguez said. “I didn’t expect Nibali to go so early, at the time I thought it was a mistake, but he was the strongest.”

Casar came home third, 25 seconds down, while his young teammate Jeannesson held off the surprising Tony Gallopin for fourth. Gallopin’s efforts were enough to move him up to third overall.

After the finish, Nibali admitted that it would be difficult to overhaul Velits on the final stage, even with two intermediate sprints up for grabs. For his part, the new red jersey knows that he will have to be attentive to ensure he continues Omega Pharma-QuickStep’s run of stage race success this year.

“There are two sprints and my lead is only one second so anything can happen,” Velits warned. “It’s still going to be quite tight, but we have big strong guys on the team and hopefully we’ll be able to manage it.”

For now, Nibali seems content simply to have secured his first victory since the 2010 Vuelta a España. Of course, he didn’t win a stage during that Spanish campaign, and he explained that the last time he had raised his arms in triumph was at the Trofeo Melinda that August. It had been a long time coming.

“A win is always beautiful and crossing the line first is something you can’t explain,” Nibali said. “It’s like in football for a striker who hasn’t scored for a long time; when he does, it’s a bit of a liberation.”

Armstrong, KRISTIN Armstrong

Armstrong confirmed for US national team at Women's Tour of New Zealand

(http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/armstrong-confirmed-for-us-national-team-at-womens-tour-of-new-zealand)

2008 Olympic time trial gold medalist and two-time world time trial champion Kristin Armstrong will compete in the NZCT Women's Tour of New Zealand as part of the US national team. The 38-year-old American will be joined in New Zealand by compatriots Evelyn Stevens, Theresa Cliff-Ryan, Kristin McGrath and Ally Stacher.

Armstrong, the 2008 Women's Tour of New Zealand champion, along with Stevens, the current US time trial champion, McGrath and Cliff-Ryan had already been named to the 13-rider strong US Olympic Games long team vying for positions for the London Games. The final women's selection will be determined by results of UCI races between January 1-May 31.

The UCI 2.2-rated stage race takes place February 22-26 in the city of Palmerston North, New Zealand and is one of 12 UCI-sanctioned stage races occurring within the qualification window.

Race organiser Jorge Sandoval is pleased about the powerhouse line-up his race has attracted in an Olympic year, with reigning time trial world champion Judith Arndt confirmed to compete with the GreenEdge-AIS squad, while 2010 road world champion Tatiana Guderzo will lead the Italian national team.

"We are so far away from the rest of the world, and top overseas teams are reluctant to come all the way to New Zealand for a five-day race," Sandoval said. "However, those coming know the importance of winning the tour, and picking up international ranking points which will help qualify riders and teams for the London Olympic Games later in the year."

Sky duo debuts...

Wiggins and Froome make season debuts in Algarve

(http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/wiggins-and-froome-make-season-debuts-in-algarve)

Bradley Wiggins and Chris Froome began their racing seasons on Wednesday with the start of the Volta ao Algarve in Portugal. The Sky pairing are using the race to gauge their form after a break from racing stretching back to the Worlds last year.

On yesterday’s first stage Froome kept pace with the leaders while Wiggins lost a handful of seconds. However Sky’s Bobby Julich believes that the greater goal is to assess form as the team’s major goals come later in the season.

“It was the first race for a lot of guys,” Julich told Cyclingnews.

“It was a pretty brutal stage, difficult rolling course but a beautiful day in terms of conditions. Obviously not everyone can be in the finish on a stage like that but I’m really happy with how the guys rode. “

Wiggins’s race programme will mirror that to a number of his grand tour rivals with the British star aiming to peak at the Tour de France this year. Last year he arrived at the race in high form having won the Dauphine Libere, but crashed out of the race with a broken collar bone. He returned to fitness at the end of the year to podium in both Vuelta and Worlds.

“He’s been doing training blocks over the winter so it was his first race, as it was for Froome too. Everyone here is just looking to gauge their form and fitness. It’s not a WorldTour event but obviously everyone has worked really hard over the winter but they’re looking to see where they are against the other guys.”

Julich said that the team will target stage wins if the opportunities present themselves. With one uphill stage and a time trial set to decide the race, Sky has the weapons to potentially win two stages and the overall.

“If there’s an opportunity for us we’ll take it but it’s more about a form finding mission. We got one uphill finish and then the time trial which will be a test even though it’s longest one a lot of them will do for the next few months. They’ll try and make sure they have their position dialled in.”

“You don’t go to a race without trying to lave your mark, so we’re looking to the uphill finish and the time trial and we’ve got a really strong team here.”

Hushovd: Racing in Giro and Tour!!!

YES!!!! Even though his child is due at the end of July, Thor Hushovd has been confirmed for both Giro and Tour! So happy!!!! Just hope he can prove the sprinter/all-rounder he is instead of working for Gilbert and Evans.

Hushovd confirmed for both Giro d'Italia and Tour de France

(http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/hushovd-confirmed-for-both-giro-ditalia-and-tour-de-france)

Thor Hushovd's participation in the Giro d'Italia this year does not mean he will skip the Tour de France. BMC Racing Team sporting director John Lelangue has confirmed that the Norwegian is part of the team's plans for both races.

“Of course. He is one of our main pieces for the Tour,” Lelangue told tv2.no.

It will be a busy year for the former world champion, with many highlights. “He wants to rest after Paris-Roubaix before the Giro. After the Giro he will prepare for the Tour,” Lelangue said. The Tour is followed almost immediately by the 2012 London Olympic Games and after that Lelangue says that BMC “must ensure that Thor is in shape for the world championships.”

Hushovd last rode the Giro in 2007. “He does not go to the Giro to win overall. For Thor, it is the perfect start in Denmark and a prologue that he is good at, and the opening stages suit him. So we'll see, but we will make sure he gets a few days of rest to recover,” Lelangue said.

The Norwegian made his BMC debut this month in Qatar, where “he was unlucky with crashes, punctures and bike trouble,” but Lelangue is satisfied and thinks he will be well prepared for the spring classics.

“We know that Thor is most focused on Flanders, Milan-San Remo and Paris-Roubaix. These are three of his main goals for the season. Gilbert, for example, is more focused on the Liege-Baston-Liege and Amstel Gold Race. There will be opportunities for everyone,” said Lelangue.

Contador's New Gig...

I'm glad that SaxoBank is still supporting Contador. My favorite line in this is: “We support clients in their moments of success and also of difficulty, and this is equally valid for our riders.”

Saxo Bank show support for Contador

(http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/saxo-bank-show-support-for-contador)

Saxo Bank have shown their support for Alberto Contador by using the Spaniard to promote their online banking services in an advert that appeared in Sunday’s edition of L’Equipe. The full-page ad featured Contador on the verge of taking a stage win with a huge smile on his face and framing the Saxo Bank name on his jersey. The slogan across the image reads: “Opportunities often present themselves in times of crisis.”

Further down the page, the Danish bank’s ad reads: “We support clients in their moments of success and also of difficulty, and this is equally valid for our riders.”

There was also support for Contador closer to home. More than 2,000 people joined a demonstration in his hometown of Pinto, south of Madrid. Many wore masks and took up the chant, “We’re all Alberto Contador!” Early in the afternoon, the man himself made an appearance after returning from his training ride. He thanked the demonstrators for their support.

There was also a much smaller demonstration in Valladolid. Around a 100 cyclists carried banners showing their support for Contador, including Vuelta a Castilla y León organiser José Luis López Cerrón, who bought the much-debated steak that Contador ate the night before his positive test.

Many others have also expressed their support for Contador in a variety of ways. Pinto’s football team has changed its team strip to pink and yellow colours to honour the Spaniard’s 2011 Giro and 2010 Tour victories, which have been stripped as a result of his ban. Pinto’s council has passed a resolution declaring the town’s support for its most famous son.

Always sad to hear this...

We all need to learn to share the road!!!

Two Christina Watches riders hit by cars in training

(http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/two-christina-watches-riders-hit-by-cars-in-training)

The season has taken a bad turn for Christina Watches-Onfone, as two riders have been hit by cars in training in the last few days.  Martin Pedersen has already had surgery following his crash in Italy, but Frederick Wilmann's injuries appear to be less serious.

Pedersen was training in Italy with fellow Danes Brian Vandborg (also with Christina Watches)  and Nicki Sorensen (Saxo Bank) when he was hit by a car at a roundabout.  At first it was feared that he had broken his hip, but it turned out to be a lesser fracture.

“The status is that it is a broken bone up around the hip and femur. Basically we can say that it is a pretty clean break, so it's definitely not something that keeps him out the rest of the season in any way," sport director Michael Blaudzun told sporten.tv2.dk.

Pedersen has already undergone surgery and is expected to be returned to Denmark soon for further recuperation.

Wilmann was training near Trondheim, Norway, when he was hit by the trailer being towed by a car going too fast.  “A car came up at between 60 and 70 km  per hour. We realized that it had too high speed, and one to two seconds later we saw that it had a trailer. The trailer swerved out from behind the car and took all of our lane. It hit me right in the thigh,” he told procycling.no.

Miraculously, he was not seriously injured.  “Thankfully nothing is broken. But I am really bruised and stitched in several places.” He is still in hospital for observation. 

“I am truly appalled that today I have to announce that another one of my riders has been run down,” said team owner Christina Hembo in a statement. “Frederick Wilmann is one of the team's absolute profiles and recently in Argentina rode a fantastic race.”

“It is still a big loss for the team and without Wilmann and Pedersen on the bike again soon, it looks serious. The main concern is Frederiks health and I am very sorry on Frederick's behalf and sincerely hope that he recovers from road traffic accident as soon as possible.”

Just when you thought the season was over...

...a new race has been added. This will be the 2nd race that China will host:

Season-ending Tour of Hangzhou added to WorldTour calendar

(http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/season-ending-tour-of-hangzhou-added-to-worldtour-calendar)

The UCI has opened the door for an additional Chinese stage race to the WorldTour calendar at a meeting of the Professional Cycling Council (PCC) in Geneva on Friday, after the Tour of Hanghzou was pencilled in to take place on October 17-21 of this year.

The new race would take place immediately after the Tour of Beijing, which is already fixed for October 10-14. It would thus become the final event on the WorldTour calendar, as the Tour of Lombardy has already been shifted from its traditional October date to September 29.

The Tour of Hanghzhou will be confirmed on the calendar once the Licence Commission approves its application for a UCI WorldTour licence. While that process should prove a formality, it remains to be seen how the 18 WorldTour teams and their riders will respond to the addition of another five days of racing in China at the tail end of the season.

“It is a natural step for cycling which is currently enjoying a period of huge growth worldwide,” UCI president Pat McQuaid said in a statement issued by the governing body late on Friday afternoon. “This will generate great visibility for teams and riders and can be expected to give a big boost to cycling. The injection of funding directly benefits the sport with financial returns from the new races re-invested into cycling and also profiting teams and other stakeholders down the line.

“It is no secret that success breeds success and the current boom in cycling is good news for cyclists and cycling lovers across the board. We are very pleased with today’s decision which comes as part of UCI’s ongoing sustainable development of the sport.”

The UCI did not name the race organiser in the press release, but its own organising entity GCP (Global Cycling Promotion) is already responsible for the Tour of Beijing.

The addition of the Tour of Hanghzou brings to 28 the number of events on the WorldTour calendar, and is the fifth to be held outside of Europe, alongside the Tour Down Under, GP de Montréal, GP de Québec and Tour of Beijing.

Saxo Bank to lose WorldTour slot?

During its two-day gathering in Geneva, the UCI also confirmed that it will ask the Licence Commission to rule on whether Saxo Bank should retain its place in the WorldTour following the suspension of Alberto Contador. “If the points obtained by Alberto Contador, representing approximately 68 percent of the Saxo Bank-Sungard team's total points, are disregarded, his team would no longer be considered to fulfil the sporting criterion required for the UCI WorldTour,” read the UCI statement.