Why Am I Not Surprised???

Although I can not take credit for the phrase, but I do believe that Andy Schleck had once again "deployed his Schleckchute"...

"Schleckchute" was a term coined last year on Twitter, with all the races that the Schleck Brothers pulled out of. There was even a shirt created for just the occasion: Pulling the SchleckChute T-shirt!

I now use this image as the background of my phone...

Anyway, the Schleckchute was pulled again today. I'm starting to wonder how many times it can be deployed before it needs to be replaced??

Andy Schleck quits the Tour Méditerranéen

Andy Schleck failed to finish stage one of the Tour Méditerranéen after being dropped after 104km of the stage won by Andre Greipel (Lotto Belisol).

The troubled Luxembourger is suffering with a respiratory problem according to his RadioShack Leopard team but hopes to recover and race again in time for the Tour du Haut-Var (February 16-17).

"This morning I already had breathing problems. Instead of getting better, it just got worse during the race because of the cold and the wind," Schleck said in a press release.

"I didn't want to abandon out of respect for the fans and the organization, but also because I need this competition. After the Tour Down Under I felt I was in a good way and I was really looking forward to this race. I am now sicker than I was before. I need to let my body recover and I hope I can resume training as soon as possible. In theory my race program will not change."

Schleck fractured his pelvis during the time trial stage of the Criterium du Dauphine in early June. He missed the Tour de France and hardly raced for the rest of the 2012 season, completing only 28 days of racing in the whole season. He is determined to bounce back and be a contender at the Tour de France in July but has not finished a race since last year's Liege-Bastogne-Liege after also quitting the Tour of Beijing last October and the Tour Down Under in January.

RSLT is full of young talent, as well as some veteran riders. Fabian Cancellara, Chris Horner, Yaroslav Popovych, and Jens Voigt are in the position to teach the younger riders like George Bennett, Matthew Busche, Ben Hermans, Hayden Roulston, and Jesse Sergent, just to name a few. Roulston and Bennett took 1st and 2nd place respectively in the 2013 New Zealand Road Race Championships. Today, Giacomo Nizzolo had an amazing sprint finish in Stage 4 of the Tour of Qatar. With these recent results, among many otherts, it is easy to see that the young riders are quite talented on RSLT.

Andy Out, Giacomo Strong in Tour Méditerranéen

 

Due to an infection of the respiratory tract, Andy Schleck will not take the start of Stage 2 of the Tour Méditerraneen. Schleck, already suffering before the start, abandoned in the finale of Stage 1, unable to finish the race in good health.

 

“This morning I already had breathing problems," explained Andy Schleck. “Instead of getting better, it just got worse during the race because of the cold and the wind. I didn’t want to abandon out of respect for the fans and the organization, but also because I need this competition. After the Tour Down Under I felt I was in a good way and I was really looking forward to this race. I am now sicker than I was before. I need to let my body recover and I hope I can resume training as soon as possible. In theory my race program will not change.” Andy Schleck is expected to resume competition in the Tour du Haut-Var (February 16-17).

On the other hand, it was a nice performance from the rest of the team with Giacomo Nizzolo taking 4-th in a group sprint behind stage winner Andre Greipel (Lotto Belisol).

Team director Jose Azevedo explained the racing action after three riders who formed a day-long break (Will Routley of Accent Jobs – Wanty, Théo Vimpère of BigMat - Auber93, and Thomas Vaubourzeix of La Pomme Marseille) were finally caught: “It was a nervous race with lots of wind. They were caught at 10K finish and Lotto-Belisol did everything for Greipel. But our team did too. We believed in Nizzolo and all worked to bring him to the front. Danilo Hondo did the last finishing touch."

Nizzolo: "When Greipel started his sprint, I did exactly the same on the other side of the road. In the end Greipel was better than me, I can live with that, but two other guys just came over me in the last meters as they were protected from the wind behind me." Second and third places went to Matteo Pelucchi and Maxime Daniel.

Azevedo: “Just a beginner's mistake but it’s nice to see that Giacomo dares to sprint against Greipel. This is his first race of the season and promises a lot... 4th is a good sign."

 

(above article and picture from RadioshackLeopardTrek.com)

 

2012 US Professional Time Trial and Road Championships

May 26, Time Trial: Greenville 33.3km

Zabriskie wins US time trial title

(http://www.cyclingnews.com/races/usa-cycling-professional-road-championships-2012/time-trial/results)

A typical hot, humid day greeted the 35 racers contesting the US Professional Time Trial Championships in Greenville, South Carolina. Held on a clover shaped loop ridden three times, the field faced 33 kilometers under the sun.

Setting the fastest time through all three loops on the CU-ICAR campus, David Zabriskie (Garmin-Barracuda) took his seventh professional time trial championship with a time of 40:41:44. In second place was Tejay van Garderen (BMC Racing Team) at 40:47:90 and in third was teammate Brent Bookwalter at 41:08:06.

The field was divided into three waves of riders with the favorites seated in the last group. In the first group, Scott Zwizanski (Team Optum p/b Kelly Benefit Strategies) set the fastest time.

"It's a good course for me but my splits dropped off after the first lap," said Zwizanski. "I'm semi-happy. But it only counts if it is the fastest out of the three groups."

The second wave of riders were about to roll down the starting ramp and this group contained a couple of the favorites: van Garderen and Andrew Talansky (Garmin-Barracuda).

Crossing the line with a time of 40:47 van Garderen was now in the hot seat with the fastest time.

The final wave of riders were beginning to gather at the starting ramp. Employing every trick in the book to keep their body temperature stable, cooling vests and stockings filled with ice were standard equipment for the riders as they waited their turn.

Brent Bookwalter (BMC Racing Team) set a strong time with a 41:08, but not quite eclipsing van Garderen's time.
All eyes were then on Tom Zirbel (Team Optum p/b Kelly Benefit Strategies). In 2011 Zirbel was second, but had he recovered from a tough Amgen Tour of California?

"I think I've recovered from the Tour of California," said Zirbel just before taking to the start house. "I feel good today and I'm hopeful. I haven't had a good result this year due to sickness and bad fitness. I'm ready for a result and to ride to my potential."

However, Zirbel would have to wait for that podium place as he clocked a 41:23, good enough for third provisionally. However, starting directly behind him was the Amgen Tour of California time trial stage winner Zabriskie.

The defending champion had warmed up in the shade of a building with his wind trainer pointed toward the wall to eliminate any distractions. Zabriskie was all concentration.

Through the first time check Zabriskie set the fastest time. He continued to set the fastest time through the second check and it became clear the stars and stripes jersey was staying on his back.

Hammering through the final stretch Zabriskie stopped the clock with a time of 40:41, six seconds faster than van Garderen.

"I was too confident in the beginning," said the new time trial champion. "But I know with experience to never be too over confident. I know I came through with a good first lap. The second lap, it's not like I didn't try, but in my head (I thought) I was winning and I got complacent. On the last lap I realized I didn't really know what was going on out here (no race radios for time splits) so I'd better dig deep just in case. I could tell by the cheers that I had won but didn't know it was that close."

For van Garderen it was another close call with the top step of the podium.

"It was a good ride and I left everything on the course, so I can't say I have any regrets. But six seconds is a tough pill to swallow. It would have been easier to be second place at 40 seconds back because you know there was nothing else you could have done. But six seconds you look back and wonder if you could have taken a corner different or whatever. What's done is done."

Full Results

#	Rider Name (Country) Team	Result
1	David Zabriskie (Garmin-Barracuda)	0:40:41
2	Tejay Van Garderen (BMC Racing Team)	0:00:06
3	Brent Bookwalter (BMC Racing Team)	0:00:27
4	Thomas Zirbel (Team Optum p/b Kelly Benefit Strategies)	0:00:42
5	Nathaniel English (Kenda 5-Hour Energy Cycling Team)	0:00:57
6	Timothy (Timmy) Duggan (Liquigas-Cannondale)	0:01:16
7	James Stemper (Kenda 5-Hour Energy Cycling Team)	0:01:25
8	Andrew Talansky (Garmin-Barracuda)	0:01:30
9	Benjamin King (RadioShack-Nissan)	0:01:52
10	Andy Jacques-Maynes (Kenda 5-Hour Energy Cycling Team)	0:01:54

May 28, Road Race: Greenville 185km

Duggan wins US professional road championship

(http://www.cyclingnews.com/races/usa-cycling-professional-road-championships-2012/road-race/results)

Liquigas-Cannondale rider Timmy Duggan stepped out of the shadows of his domestique role to claim his first major career victory by becoming the USA professional national champion.

The 29-year-old soloed away from an elite leading group that emerged over the top of Paris Mountain on the final lap, leaving behind defending champion Matthew Busche (RadioShack-Nissan), Tom Danielson (Garmin-Barracuda), Tejay Van Garderen (BMC) and Ben Jacques-Maynes (Bissell) to don the stars and stripes.

Suffering a lack of cooperation, the group of Busche was eventually caught by a large chase group, from which Frank Pipp (Bissell) sprinted to second, while Kiel Reijnen (Team Type 1-Sanofi) claimed the final podium spot.

Results

1	Timothy Duggan (Liquigas-Cannondale)
2	Frank Pipp (Bissell Pro Cycling Team)
3	Kiel Reijnen (Team Type 1 - Sanofi)
4	Kenneth Hanson (Team Optum p/b Kelly Benefit Strategies)
5	James Stemper (Kenda 5-Hour Energy Cycling Team)
6	Tyler Wren (Jamis - Sutter Home)
7	Chad Beyer (Competitive Cyclist Racing Team)
8	Benjamin Jacques-Maynes (Bissell Pro Cycling Team)
9	Bradley White (UnitedHealthcare)
10	Matthew Busche (RadioShack-Nissan)

Bruyneel vs. Schlecks / 'Angry' Cavendish

Johan Bruyneel has pretty much just said that the Schleck brothers look like they won't make his Tour de France team this year. I'm honestly not surprised considering how poor their results have been this year. I mean even if we combine Frandy's results (Frank and Andy, for those of you not up on the Twitter lingo), they still suck this year! Poor Bruyneel; he's used to working with first class cyclists like Lance Armstrong and Alberto Contador.

So Bruyneel needs to figure out which cyclists will be riding on the Radioshack Nissan Trek Tour de France team. So far, he's only promised Fabian Cancellara a spot. I figured I'd help him out. Here is my 'Dream RSNT TdF Team' (minus the Schleck brothers, of course):

Chris Horner (GC), Jan Bakelants (KM), Matthew Busche (DS), Fabian Cancellara (AR), Jakob Fuglsang (AR), Linus Gerdemann (DS), Yaroslav Popovych (DS), Joost Posthuma (DS), Jens Voigt (DS)

Hope this team works out for Bruyneel! :)

Bruyneel: Only Cancellara is assured of Tour de France spot

(http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/bruyneel-only-cancellara-is-assured-of-tour-de-france-spot)

RadioShack-Nissan team principal Johan Bruyneel has used his regular Telesport column to slam what he sees as his team's poor overall form in 2012 and warned his star riders that complacency won't be tolerated ahead of the Tour de France in a month's time. And despite insisting earlier this week that he understood Frank Schleck's reasons for withdrawing from the Giro d'Italia last weekend, Bruyneel couldn't resist having another veiled dig at the man from Luxembourg.

"It is unacceptable," Bruyneel said of his team's overall progress this season. "Results this season have been very, very thin and with only two wins my team scores far below expectations. Only in the first months of the season, when I had Fabian Cancellara, did I see a good team.

"Frank and Andy Schleck have so far not lived up to the status of leaders. I was very disappointed last week that Frank left the Giro d'Italia. Hindsight is that his injury was more serious than at first sight appeared. Yet in recent years I have seen many more great riders seem more dead than alive and still pick themselves up and absolutely have to have the will to continue. I sometimes miss that a bit.

"There is Fabian Cancellara, and after him nobody is sure of a place in the squad for the Tour de France. Both Schleck brothers know that. They have no license. So far I still have no vision of my Tour cycling team with both Schleck brothers in it."

In other news...did you hear that World Champion and amazing sprinter Mark Cavendish got beat by a first year Giro d'Italia rider??? WTH??? At least, he acknowledged that his team set him up well, and he just couldn't do it. :(

Cavendish "angry" at defeat in Giro D'Italia stage 18

(http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/cavendish-angry-at-defeat-in-giro-ditalia-stage-18)

A dramatic finish to stage 18 of the 2012 Giro d'Italia produced a moment that has become all too rare in the sport of road cycling over the last few years - a defeat for Mark Cavendish in bunched sprint to the line when he has been set up perfectly by his team. The Team Sky rider was beaten into second place and denied a fourth stage win in the race by an astonishing display from Farnese Vini-Selle Italia's Andrea Guardini.

The 22-year-old Italian produced a devastating burst of speed in the closing stages, sweeping round the outside and taking Cavendish by complete surprise. The British world champion grimaced and punched his handlebars as he crossed the line in second place despite enjoying more help from his teammates than Guardini was afforded and despite having a clearer run.

"I wasn't angry with him [Guardini], I just don't like losing to anyone," Cavendish, who leads the overall points classification, said afterwards.

"He had more energy than me and was simply the fastest rider out there today. In the middle section of the sprint I lost some of my strength. If I hadn't been knocked over by Roberto Ferrari at the end of stage three I'd be in a better position than I am and now I need to fight to hang on to the [red] jersey."

A few hours later after the dust he wrote on his Twitter account: "Pretty angry to be beaten when my team set me up like today. I was lazy and left the sprint 50 metres too late. Andrea Guardini was fast!"

13 Years in the Making

Busche, Bausch featured on cereal box

(http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/busche-bausch-featured-on-cereal-box)

For the first time since Lance Armstrong appeared a Wheaties box in 1999, the Post brand breakfast cereal has a cycling-themed box, thanks to USA Cycling. Appearing on the front cover of upcoming Grape-Nuts boxes is a small image of US Pro champion Matthew Busche, and on the back is Dotsie Bausch of the women's team pursuit squad and the elite men's sprint finish of the 2011 UCI world championships.

More than 7.5 million boxes will be produced and will appear on store shelves at the end of April ahead of the USA's National Bike Month in May.

USA Cycling partnered with Post to create the design, which offers tips for the general public on getting started in cycling, training and how to find a club.

Grape-Nuts is a sponsor of USA Cycling for 2012, and had a presence at the national championship events in the past year. The box was another aspect of the marketing, according to USA Cycling President and CEO Steve Johnson. "This will add to the ever increasing high profile of cycling in the US and sends a message of health and wellness that is associated with both Grape-Nuts and cycling."

Busche said he was happy to be a part of the campaign. "I hope that together we can promote USA Cycling and increase interest in the sport of cycling throughout the U.S. and the world," he said.

Vuelta a Espana: Stage 4

(http://www.cyclingnews.com/vuelta-a-espana/stage-4/results)

Daniel Moreno (Katusha) took advantage of a degree of status quo between the Vuelta’s main favourites to claim victory at the race’s first summit finish on the Sierra Nevada. The Katusha rider came up towards the line on the wheel of Saxo Bank’s Chris Anker Sorensen. Then with 400 metres remaining, the Spaniard flashed by on the Dane’s left and had plenty of time to zip up his jersey and celebrate his first grand tour stage win.

The pair had come together just four kilometres from the summit. Sorensen had already jumped across from the main group to three riders who remained from the break of the day. Sorensen pushed on past them and worked hard but had no answer when Moreno jumped hard.

“I’m so happy with this beautiful win,” said Moreno. “I felt in great shape this morning. I knew I could produce a great performance because the course suited my characteristics. Before going after Sorensen, I talked with my team leader, Joaquim Rodríguez. He thought I had good chance of winning today because I’m faster than the Danish rider and told me to go for it.”

Moreno’s win lifted him up to second place overall, 43 seconds down on new race leader Sylvain Chavanel (Quick Step) but he was quick to downplay his own prospects.

“Despite my move up general classification, my job is still to help our leader to win the general classification,” said the 29-year-old from Madrid. “I think ‘Purito’ and me form a great partnership, I’m sure we can gain some more brilliant results in this Vuelta.”

After the red jersey of Pablo Lastras dropped away from the main group on the early slopes of the Sierra Nevada, Chavanel knew that if he could stick with or close to that group he would take over the lead.

Although he did fall back from the front group, which was eventually led home by Garmin’s Dan Martin 11 seconds behind Moreno, the French champion did enough to attain his objective for the day.

Antón cracks, Cavendish retires

While Moreno and Chavanel took the plaudits, the big loser on the day was Euskaltel’s Igor Antón. The Basque rider struggled all of the way up the final climb to the finish and in the end may not have been too disappointed to lose 1:36.

But Antón was far from the only rider to suffer on another blisteringly hot Vuelta day. Winner of the points title last year, Mark Cavendish (HTC-Highroad) abandoned on the second of the day’s three climbs, while 2008 Tour de France champion Carlos Sastre saw his hopes of a high overall finish disappear as the race climbed to the 2112-metre summit.

Seven riders for the break of the day

After a number of attacks had been neutralised in the opening few kilometres, the break of the day formed at the 10km mark as the riders started up the slopes of the first-category climb of Alto de Filabres.

Seven riders got into it: Guillaume Bonnafond (Ag2r-La Mondiale), Matthew Busche (RadioShack), Yohan Bagot (Cofidis), Thomas Rohregger (Leopard-Trek), Eduard Vorganov (Katusha), José Vicente Toribio (Andalucía-Caja Granada) and Koen de Kort (Skil-Shimano).

By the time De Kort led the seven over the Filabres ahead of Vorganov and Rohregger, their advantage was seven minutes on the peloton. Lastras’ Movistar team tried to keep it under control but it did edge out to more than eight minutes with less than 60km remaining.

After the third-category Blancares climb, where Cavendish became the second rider to abandon the race after HTC team-mate Matt Goss on stage two, Rabobank began to push the pursuit of the seven breakaways with a little more purpose.

Sierra Nevada’s long and winding road

Soon after the escape reached the first slopes of the 23km ascent of the Sierra Nevada, riders began to drop away as the heat hurt as much as the gradient. Bagot was the first to go, followed by De Kort and Torobio, although the Spaniard did battle back up to the four leaders at one point, only to blow apart in visibly painful fashion once he got up to them.

Rabobank were still leading the peloton as it started up the final climb, by now less than four minutes down on the break. Their pace soon saw Lastras fall out of the back. RadioShack’s Andreas Klöden was another early casualty of the Dutch team’s pace. This front group thinned down to 50-odd riders, with Antón struggling right at the back.

Up front, Bonnafond and Rohregger were doing most of the pace-making, although with 10km remaining the four leaders had little more than a minute in hand on the peloton as defending champion Vincenzo Nibali’s Liquigas team went to the front. Their efforts saw Antón finally fall away from the back of the group containing the main contenders.

Perhaps sensing that some of his other rivals might be in difficulty as the race headed towards 2000 metres, a very comfortable-looking Nibali launched a brief foray with 7.5km left. The Italian got a decent gap before easing off as the chase began behind.

As Nibali was brought back, Sorensen made his move off the front of this group, and got across to the four leaders inside the 5km mark. The Dane pressed on through the tiring escapees, with Moreno by now chasing hard behind, perhaps with a view to setting up a late attack by his team leader, Joaquim Rodríguez.

But over the closing couple of kilometres the Katusha leader and his main rivals were content to sit in behind Sky’s Chris Froome as he set the pace for Bradley Wiggins, allowing Moreno and Sorensen the chance to battle over the day’s spoils and Chavanel the chance to lead the Vuelta for the first time in his illustrious career.

This was just an early skirmish for overall victory in the Vuelta, with Antón the big loser and Moreno and Chavanel the day’s victors.

Result
1	Daniel Moreno Fernandez (Spa) Katusha Team	4:51:53
2	Chris Anker Sörensen (Den) Saxo Bank Sungard	0:00:03
3	Daniel Martin (Irl) Team Garmin-Cervelo	0:00:11
4	Joaquin Rodriguez Oliver (Spa) Katusha Team
5	Przemyslaw Niemiec (Pol) Lampre - ISD
6	Sergey Lagutin (Uzb) Vacansoleil-DCM Pro Cycling Team
7	Jurgen Van Den Broeck (Bel) Omega Pharma-Lotto
8	Wout Poels (Ned) Vacansoleil-DCM Pro Cycling Team
9	Michele Scarponi (Ita) Lampre - ISD
10	Bauke Mollema (Ned) Rabobank Cycling Team

Overall Standings:

Result
1	Sylvain Chavanel (Fra) Quickstep Cycling Team	13:19:09
2	Daniel Moreno Fernandez (Spa) Katusha Team	0:00:43
3	Jakob Fuglsang (Den) Leopard Trek	0:00:49
4	Maxime Monfort (Bel) Leopard Trek
5	Vincenzo Nibali (Ita) Liquigas-Cannondale	0:00:53
6	Kanstantsin Sivtsov (Blr) HTC-Highroad	0:00:58
7	Fredrik Kessiakoff (Swe) Pro Team Astana	0:00:59
8	Sergio Pardilla Belllón (Spa) Movistar Team	0:01:03
9	Marzio Bruseghin (Ita) Movistar Team
10	Kevin Seeldraeyers (Bel) Quickstep Cycling Team	0:01:04