Cycling News now on IPad

Download your free copy of Cyclingnews HD

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Cyclingnews has today launched its brand new weekly digital magazine for iPad users, and you can download your free copy of issue one from the App Store now.

Cyclingnews HD offers a brand new user experience, with aggregated news and features from Cyclingnews and Procycling magazine running alongside original content and stunning photography.

Released every Wednesday, each digital issue will review the major races and talking points from the previous week and will look ahead to what is coming up in the world of professional cycling. There will be detailed guides to major events and regular interviews with the sport's biggest names.

Issue one previews the first three stages of the 2012 Giro d'Italia, which starts this weekend, and looks back on the Tour of Turkey and the Tour de Romandie. The latter was won by Team Sky's Bradley Wiggins, who enhanced his Tour de France credentials, and in issue one you'll also find an interview with the British star.

Liquigas and New RSNT Giro Leaders

Two of my favorites have just been announced that they will lead their teams in the 2012 Giro d'Italia:

Basso to lead Liquigas-Cannondale at Giro d'Italia

(http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/basso-to-lead-liquigas-cannondale-at-giro-ditalia)

While Ivan Basso had previously stated he'd wait until the conclusion of the Tour de Romandie to decide if he'd contest the Giro d'Italia, his Liquigas-Cannondale team announced today that Basso will indeed captain the Italian ProTeam at its home Grand Tour, beginning May 5 in Herning, Denmark.

"I wanted to dispel any doubts a day early because my hope and desire to do the Giro are great," Basso said. "I worked so hard to prepare for this event, doing extra work that has kept me anxious to the last. But now I have the confidence to fight for the pink jersey: I'm delighted to say that I'll be there."

Basso's preparation for the Giro has been hampered this spring by a knee injury suffered at Paris-Nice, followed by a crash at Volta a Catalunya which aggravated the injury. Basso is currently in 30th overall at the Tour de Romandie, 35 seconds behind leader Luis Leon Sanchez (Rabobank) in advance of tomorrow's concluding stage - a 16.5km individual time trial.

Basso will be supported at the Giro by a strong cadre of five climbers - Valerio Agnoli, Eros Capecchi, Damiano Caruso, Cristiano Salerno and Sylvester Szmyd - while Maciej Bodnar, Paolo Longo Borghini and Fabio Sabatini will round out the nine-man roster.

"All the boys are in great condition and above all motivated to take a leading role," said Liquigas-Cannondale directeur sportif Stefano Zanatta. "In recent weeks I have felt a great desire [for the Giro] and today we've got confirmation that Ivan will do it. At his side is a team that can support him in the best way.

"The Giro has always been the most important event of our season, we know the pressures and expectations," continued Zanatta. "Riders like Szmyd, Capecchi, Agnoli, Bodnar, Longo Borghini and Sabatini assure us experience both uphill and on flat terrain. Salerno has demonstrated reliability in the mountain stages while Caruso will provide valuable support for the captain and will have the opportunity to and grow and make a quantum leap.

"For the sprints we'll play the Sabatini card: the absence of [Elia] Viviani, unfortunately, is a great loss."

Liguigas-Cannondale roster for the 2012 Giro d'Italia:

Valerio Agnoli (Ita), Ivan Basso (Ita), Maciej Bodnar (Pol), Eros Capecchi (Ita), Damiano Caruso (Ita), Paolo Longo Borghini (Ita), Fabio Sabatini (Ita), Cristiano Salerno (Ita) and Sylvester Szmyd (Pol)

Fränk Schleck to head up RadioShack-Nissan at 2012 Giro d'Italia

(http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/frank-schleck-to-head-up-radioshack-nissan-at-2012-giro-ditalia)

Team RadioShack-Nissan has confirmed that Fränk Schleck will ride the 2012 Giro d'Italia. He replaces Jakob Fuglsang, who was to have been the team's captain but had to withdraw due to a knee injury.

On Saturday evening the team confirmed Schleck's nomination, which had earlier been rumoured. He finished third last year in the Tour de France and is expected to go for the podium in Paris again this summer along with his younger brother Andy.

Schleck has ridden the Giro once before, finishing 42nd overall in 2005.

“My season was directed at peaking in the Tour,” Schleck said, "but when you think about it, this situation creates opportunities. For sure, I will come to the start with a different preparation than the other GC riders, but that is not necessarily a bad thing. My condition is not so bad and it can only grow the coming weeks.

“The Tour of Italy is one of the big monuments of cycling as well, so it is at least a big challenge for me.”

“I see a lot of opportunities for Fränk as well as for the team,” commented Team Manager Johan Bruyneel. "Fränk is a born leader and a team needs a leader. Moreover – though bad luck and circumstances did not provide the right results - he has shown in the last few weeks that his condition has already reached a high level. I am confident he can surprise us in the coming weeks.

“It all reminds me of the 2008 Tour of Italy when, one week before the start, we got an invitation for the race. In the end we won the overall.”



New RSNT Leader Needed for Giro

Fuglsang out of Giro d'Italia with knee problems

(http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/fuglsang-out-of-giro-ditalia-with-knee-problems)

Jakob Fuglsang will not be able to ride the Giro d'Italia 2012 due to knee problems. The RadioShack-Nissan rider did not start Friday's third stage of the Tour de Romandie because of the knee pain.

He has been diagnosed with an inflammation of the articular capsule and ligament of the left knee. He first noticed it two weeks ago at an altitude camp in Sierra Nevada, Spain.

"I am very disappointed," Fuglsang said. "The Giro was my big objective for this year. Yesterday I had so much pain in the last 40K, I was just miserable. At that point I realized that it might be the end of my Giro dream. Moreover I was already running behind my schedule after the scaphoid bone fracture in the Tour of Catalunya."

There is simply not enough time to clear up the problem before the start of the Giro on May 5, and the risks were too great, team doctor Andreas Gösele said. “With a quick and intensive therapy, Jakob would possibly be able to start at the Giro, but with how much risk? A good result would be out of the question and if he would have to drop out after ten stages, what would we have accomplished?"

“From a medical point of view, it is impossible to guarantee that he will be fine. It's never good to take an injured rider to the start of a Grand Tour, and neither is it good to take out the leader of a team during such an important race. We don't want to jeopardize his season and his career.”

Fuglsang was set to be RadioShack's captain in the Giro, which starts in his homeland of Denmark. "We would even have stayed in a hotel in the city where I grew up. My hand injury was already a setback. Now, with this on top, I can only agree with the doctors and not take any risk. I will look ahead. I am young and there will be other Grand Tours for me in the future."

Team manager Johan Bruyneel regretted the injury on behalf of both his rider and his team. “He invested a lot of time and even personal funds for altitude camps to be in his best shape at the start of the race. I'm really sorry for him, but it's unrealistic to bring him to the start and believe in a miracle. The Giro is a very important race for our team and now we need to study how we can alter our strategy for those three weeks."