22 - June - 2012 - Daily News

Not too much interesting going on today, so this post is relatively short and sweet. Hope everyone has a great weekend!

I don't stray from Road Cycling very often, but I wanted to share this with you:

First inductees announced for UK Mountain Biking Hall of Fame

(http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/first-inductees-announced-for-uk-mountain-biking-hall-of-fame)

The new United Kingdom MTB Hall of Fame has announced its first inductees on Friday. Although in future years, inductees will be voted by the public from a list created by members of the bike industry, this inaugural group of inductees was chosen by the organisers and some of the founder supporters of the UK MTB Hall of Fame.

Patrick Adams and Jill Greenfield of Pacific Edge Events, who came up with the whole idea explained, "These guys are all at the top of the tree in the UK mountain biking world. They are legends, not only here, but in some cases around the world. We felt it was time they were recognised for everything they have done that has shaped UK mountain biking into what it is today. They have built a sport on which an entire industry has grown. We are proud of each and every one of them."

The 12 first inductees are Jason McRoy; Barrie Clarke; Caroline Alexander; David Baker; Martyn Salt; Helen Mortimer; Tim Flooks; Steve Peat; Tracy Moseley; Rob Warner; Tim Gould; Nick Craig.

The induction ceremony will take place this Friday evening at the Mountain Mayhem event at Eastnor Castle Deer Park in Herefordshire.

Now getting back to the road, SaxoBank has explained their team for the Tour de France, and what makes it different from previous years:

Different approach for Saxo Bank at Tour de France

(http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/different-approach-for-saxo-bank-at-tour-de-france)

In the absence of the suspended Alberto Contador, Saxo Bank has named a team designed to chase stage victories at the upcoming Tour de France. Bjarne Riis’ nine-man selection features sprinter Juan José Haedo, former Tour of Flanders winner Nick Nuyens and Chris Anker Sørsensen, who will look to make an impact in the mountains.

"We will bring JJ for the sprints, and we have some trusted helpers around him,” said Riis. “In Chris we have a rider with the potential to really influence the mountain stages and maybe he is even a guy to watch for the mountain jersey.”
The Saxo Bank selection also features three former stage winners at the Tour – Sergio Paulinho, who triumphed in Gap in 2010, Nicki Sørensen, who won in Vittel in 2009 and Karsten Kroon, victor in Plouay in 2002.

“We are entering this year's Tour de France with our eyes set on stage wins and with the aim to make an impact on the race, and I'm convinced that this is possible,” Riis said. “We have tried to put together a group of riders that will enable us to open up possibilities, and I believe we have found a great mix of experience, aggressiveness and different competencies.”

The Saxo Bank squad is completed by Michael Mørkøv, Anders Lund and Tour de France debutant Jonathan Cantwell of Australia.

It was a very different Saxo Bank squad twelve months ago, as Alberto Contador lined up for the Tour as the favourite for overall honours. In the meantime, Contador was suspended for his positive test for clenbuterol at the 2010 Tour, and he will not return to action until August, in time for the Vuelta a España.

“Of course this is a very different job waiting for us this year without a designated GC rider,” Riis said. “But I see this as an exiting challenge and a possibility to take some risks that would have been practically impossible under other circumstances. I actually have a really good feeling about the Tour, and I don't think it would be wise to underestimate our team."

Saxo Bank team for the Tour de France: Juan José Haedo (Arg), Jonathan Cantwell (Aus), Nick Nuyens (Bel), Chris Anker Sørensen (Den), Nicki Sørensen (Den), Michael Mørkøv (Den), Anders Lund (Den), Karsten Kroon (Ned) and Sergio Paulinho (Por).

And here is our daily RadioShack Nissan Trek news column:

Bruyneel to skip Tour de France

(http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/bruyneel-to-skip-tour-de-france)

RadioShack-Nissan will be without its general manager in this year's Tour de France, as Johan Bruyneel has decided to stay away from the race after being embroiled in a possible doping case with the US Anti Doping Agency (USADA).

Bruyneel was named along with other former staff of the US Postal Service team and Lance Armstrong in charges of widespread, organised doping within his former team. USADA is currently considering whether to issue an anti-doping rule violation after it collected evidence in the form of multiple witness testimonies corroborating the doping allegations. Bruyneel has repeatedly asserted his innocence of the charges.

USADA's investigation is separate from a now-closed US federal probe into the same topic.

"I’m sad to say that I’ve decided that for the first time in many years I will not be attending this year’s Tour de France," Bruyneel stated on his personal web site. "The story of the Tour should be the achievements of its riders and the thrill of our great sport. I dearly wish to be there but my attendance in light of the recent USADA allegations against me would be an unwelcome distraction to my team, and to all those participating in and supporting the Tour.

"This is why I’ve decided - after consulting with the Team’s main sponsors and in agreement with the Senior Management of Leopard - not to attend the race. It is unfortunate that these latest, unfounded accusations have resulted in my withdrawal from the Tour, although I hope to prove my innocence and resolve this matter soon and once and for all."

Bruyneel is the most successful team director in Tour history, and has Armstrong's seven titles and Alberto Contador's 2007 and 2009 victories to his name.

Last week, Leopard SA, the owners of the team, issued a statement clarifying that none of the alleged activities took place in the current team's structure, and vowed to "take all appropriate measures, in order to guarantee its sporting integrity and the general interest of cycling".

Cycling Avengers

I'vebeen playing with this in my head for a while, and I want to publish it now, so I can get feedback. Now that The Avengers has become a huge summer blockbuster, and an amazing movie too, I want to re-cast the superheroes with cyclists. Here's what I came up with, let me know what you would change:

Thor, God of Thunder

Thor's abilities include: "Superhuman strength, speed, agility, and endurance, healing factor, and longevity (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thor_(Marvel_Comics)).

There is only one man known as The God of Thunder in the peloton:

Thor Hushovd:

This one was the easiest for me. As much as I don't think any explanation is needed, I will give you one anyway. Hushovd "...is known for sprinting and time trialing and is the 2010 Norwegian and world road champion. He is the first Norwegian to lead the Tour de France, and first Scandinavian to win the road race in cycling world road championship. He is also the Scandinavian with the most stage wins in Grand Tours." (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thor_Hushovd)

The Incredible Hulk

The Hulk's abilities include: "Superhuman strength, speed, stamina, durability, immunity to diseases & viruses, involuntary transformation, regenerative healing factor, resistance to mind control, underwater breathing, and vast leaping" (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hulk_(comics))

I was looking for a current rider to cast as The Hulk, but I couldn't think of anyone. So, thinking back a few years, I thought of the perfect cyclist:

Jan Ullrich:



Okay, so I had to go back quite a few years to find the perfect cyclist to be cast as The Hulk, but Ullrich really fits the role. Ullrich "...was the first German to win the Tour de France. He went on to take five second places and a fourth in 2004...He is considered the best time-trialist in the history of the sport...Ullrich won a gold and a silver in the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney. He also won the 1999 Vuelta a España." (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jan_Ullrich)

Captain America

Captain America's abilities include: "peak physical & mental conditioning, expert acrobat, tactician, marksman, master martial artist, excellent field commander, wields his vibranium-steel alloy shield with hyperkinectic-senses." (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Captain_America)

Captain America has to be cast as an American (duh!), and although I don't pay too much attention to American cyclists, one man stands out in my head:

David Zabriskie:

Zabriskie's "...main strength is individual time trials and his career highlights include stage wins in all three Grand Tour stage races and winning the US National Time Trial Championship seven times" including this year! (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Zabriskie) Heck, he even had a Captain America bike:

Ironman



Ironman's abilities include: "genius-level intellect, cyberpathic link with a prior version of his powered armored suit, superhuman strength, supersonic flight at Mach 3, energy repulsors, missiles, durability and regenerative life support" (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iron_Man)

I was trying to stay with the current peloton in choosing the Avengers, so I picked the overall best rider I could think of:

Fabian Cancellara:

Cancellara is "a time trial specialist...a four-time World Time Trial Champion and is the current Olympic gold medalist. He is also a winner of Tour of Flanders, Paris–Roubaix (twice), Milan – San Remo, Tirreno–Adriatico, Tour de Suisse, Strade Bianche (twice), and four prologues of the Tour de France." (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fabian_Cancellara)

However, since I went back a few years with Jan Ullrich as The Incredible Hulk, if I were to do that again, then there is another man who I would cast as Ironman - hands down!

Lance Armstrong:

With SEVEN Tour de France titles, Armstrong is the true Ironman, especially after winning a fight with testicular cancer! I may not be a big American cyclist fan, but Armstrong wins the overall Ironman title in my opinion. (I don't need Wikipedia for those facts!)

Hawkeye

Hawkeye's abilities include: "Master archer, uses a variety of trick arrows, superb athlete, martial artist, and acrobat." (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hawkeye_(comics))

There is are quite a few cyclists that always hit their target when ever they aim, but there is only one I think of right away:

Mark Cavendish:

Cavendish was "originally a track cyclist specialising in the madison, points race, and scratch race disciplines...competed on the road since 2006, rising to prominence as a sprinter. He is the 2011 Road World Champion and winner of the 2011 BBC Sports Personality of the Year Award. On the track Cavendish won gold in the madison at the 2005 and 2008 World Championshps, with Rob Hayles and Bradley Wiggins respectively and in the scratch race at the 2006 Commonwealth Games riding for Isle of Man. As a road cyclist he achieved eleven wins in his first professional season, equalling the record held by Alessandro Petacchi. Cavendish has won a total 20 Tour de France stages putting him joint 6th on the all-time list with Nicolas Frantz and 10th on the all-time list of Grand Tour stage winners with 33 victories. Other notable wins include the 2009 Milan – San Remo classic and the points classification in both the 2010 Vuelta a España and the 2011 Tour de France." (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mark_Cavendish)

I'm going to skip Black Widow since I don't follow Female Cycling.

Loki

Loki's abilities include: "superhuman strength & durability, genius-level intelligence, mystical powers, telepathy, flight, shapeshifting, teleportation, longevity" (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Loki_(comics))

I know Loki isn't in fact one of the Avengers, but every good guy (or guys in this case) needs an arch nemesis, so I choose to include Loki. Villians never win, they always come in second, no matter how hard they try. So, who is the best choice for Loki?

Andy Schleck:

Schleck has "been the runner-up at the Tour de France three times - in 2009, 2010 and 2011." (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andy_Schleck) Need I say more?



Paris-Roubaix 2012

I know I've been gone awhile, missed a few races. Between work and my personal life, I haven't had much time. So much has gone on these past few weeks, but hopefully I'll be around more.

Anyway, here is the results for the 2012 Paris-Roubaix:

Boonen triumphs at Paris-Roubaix

(http://www.cyclingnews.com/paris-roubaix/results)

Tom Boonen (Omega Pharma-QuickStep) rode into the record books with a dominant solo victory at Paris-Roubaix. The 31-year-old Belgian rode the final 52km alone to win by 1:39 over a five-man chase group led across the finish line in the Roubaix velodrome by Sébastien Turgot (Europcar). Alessandro Ballan (BMC) rounded out the podium for third place in a photo-finish with the Frenchman.

With the victory Boonen equals Roger De Vlaeminck's all-time win record of four victories in the Hell of the North, and for the second time in Boonen's career he's claimed the Tour of Flanders/Paris-Roubaix double in the same season.

"I was not really thinking about the winning race or doing a record," Boonen said. "I was just fighting myself. I was taking it step by step, cobblestone by cobblestone, kilometer by kilometer. I think if you start thinking about the 60 or 57 km, which is when I left, it's nearly impossible. It is all in your mind. I was really thinking about my lead. With the gap at 30 seconds I was trying to take it second by second. I was trying not to push it right away to one minute, tried not to force myself. It was the best way to save my strength and put all my strength into the 50km in front of me. I think it was the best option.

"The velodrome finish line, it's the only one where you can do two laps where all the people are," continued Boonen. "It's the only finish line where you have one kilometre where you can bond with the people that are there. It's just just such a special race. Paris-Roubaix, only one race like it in the world. A race like this needs a special finish. I think changing this finish line would be very stupid. It's almost more Paris-Roubaix — finishing here — than the cobblestones. I was really enjoying my two laps."

Runner-up Turgot was delighted with the result as he realised that Boonen was out of reach on Easter Sunday. "I don't realise yet how huge the performance is that I achieved," Turgot said. "I did some track and that certainly helped me in the sprint. Boonen was too strong. It was almost a miracle what he did, it was super nice," Turgot said.

A sunny, dry day for Paris-Roubaix

Right after rolling out of sunny Compiègne the attacks came thick and fast as riders sought to make the early escape. A huge group of 25 rider wasn’t allowed much distance as the peloton kept riding at high speed. Finally, after 70km of fast-paced, aggressive racing, a group of 12 riders rolled off the front and the peloton let them go. The group consisted of Guillaume Van Keirsbulck (Omega Pharma-QuickStep), Yaroslav Popovych (RadioShack-Nissan), Kenny De Haes (Lotto-Belisol), Frederik Veuchelen and Bert Jan Lindeman (Vacansoleil-DCM). David Boucher (FDJ-Big Mat). Michael Morkov (Team Saxo Bank), David Veilleux (Team Europcar), Dominic Klemme (Argos-Shimano), Laurent Mangel (Saur-Sojasun), Aleksejs Saramotins (Cofidis) and Grischa Janorschke (Team NetApp).

The pace in the peloton dropped off after covering the first two hours at a rapid 48km/h clip and as a result the 12 escapees gained a lead of four minutes in no time. Sky and BMC worked in the peloton to keep the gap under five minutes as they didn’t have a man in the lead group.

The break's advantage over the peloton remained the same until the riders hit pavé section 21, Aulny-lez-Valenciennes – Famars. In front Saramotins flatted but near the front of the peloton there was a crash. Many riders were held up by those who hit the deck and blocked the road. The biggest casualties were Dutchmen Tom Stamsnijder and Tom Leezer. French veteran Fréderic Guesdon (FDJ-Big Mat) and young prospect Tony Gallopin (RadioShack-Nissan) were also hindered by the crash and they failed to come back to the peloton.

Arenberg forest looms large

The Sky team led the peloton at high speed towards the Arenberg forest with its notorious, grueling pavé sector. The passage started dramatically as in front Janorschke crashed hard, taking Popovych and Van Keirsbulck down with him. In the peloton top favorite Tom Boonen set the pace, soon to be helped by teammate and French champion Sylvain Chavanel.

At the back of the peloton outsiders like Grégory Rast (RadioShack-Nissan) and George Hincapie (BMC) suffered flats. Once out of the forest eight riders remained in the lead with less than two minutes on the peloton. The eight surviving riders from the early break included Boucher, Veuchelen, Lindemann, Morkov, Veilleux, Klemme, Mangel and Saramotins.

After the Arenberg forest several attacks were launched from the peloton and suddenly Juan Antonio Flecha (Sky) was up the road together with Alessandro Ballan (BMC), Jimmy Casper (AG2R-La Mondiale), Mathieu Ladagnous (FDJ-Big Mat), Sébastien Turgot (Europcar) and Maarten Wynants (Rabobank). The six collected half a minute on the peloton but on pavé section 14 Gert Steegmans (Omega Pharma-QuickStep) took a strong pull to lead the peloton back to the six in the chase group. With such aggressive racing from the peloton the breakaway group didn’t stand a chance and at the feed zone, with 68km to go, there was a complete regrouping in front.

Omega Pharma-QuickStep goes long

During this tactical moment in the race Sylvain Chavanel (Omega Pharma-QuickStep) profited to sneak away with fellow French riders Mangel, Ladagnous, Turgot plus Switzerland's Michael Schär (BMC) ahead of pavé section 12 in Orchies. Turgot blasted away on the cobbles from the lead group when Chavanel flatted. Meanwhile, in the peloton Boonen accelerated and only Filippo Pozzato (Farnese Vini-Selle Italia) was able to keep up. The duo caught up with Turgot at the end of pavé section 12. Soon afterwards Terpstra and Ballan bridged up as well, creating a five-man leader’s group.

Once back on asphalted roads there was no cooperation in this group and then the Omega Pharma-Quick Step team staged a coup as Boonen went up the road together with his lieutenant Terpstra. The situation initially looked awkward, though, as Terpstra was unable to keep up with his team leader on the 5-star pavé section 11 of Auchy-les-Orchies – Bersée. With approximately 52km to go Boonen was up the road on his own.

Behind him in the chase group co-favorite Pozzato misjudged a corner on the cobbles. The Italian star crashed into Stijn Devolder (Vacansoleil-DCM) and both riders lost valuable time while Boonen collected half a minute on the first chase group.

Can Boonen do it?

The gap remained at nearly half a minute when reaching pavé section 10. Boonen made it through the unforgiving 3km-long stretch at Mons-en-Pévèle while the peloton split apart behind him. The Sky team had the numbers in this seven-man group, featuring Flecha, Boasson Hagen andHayman. The other riders in the group were Ballan, Ladagnous, Boom and Terpstra. They were caught by seven more riders with 40km to go while Boonen's lead had grown slightly to 40 seconds. The seven riders who bridged up were Ian Stannard (Sky), Johan Vansummeren (Garmin-Barracuda), Luca Paolini (Katusha), Jacopo Guarnieri (Astana), Matteo Tosatto (Saxo Bank), Wynants and Turgot. Stannard did all he could to bring the gap down but instead Boonen hit pavé section 7 with a gap of 50 seconds on the chase group of 14 riders.

The Belgian struggled to get the gap over one minute but he eventually got it on the cobbles of Cysoing à Bourghelles (pavé section 6), with 27 km to go. At the same section there were a couple of accelerations in the chase group featuring Flecha, Boom, Ballan and Vansummeren but these were all neutralized by Terpstra.

Boom switched bikes on the asphalted roads towards the last important pavé sections of Camphin-en-Pévèle and Carrefour de l’Arbre where Boonen's lead had grown to 1:20 on the chase group. Boom bounced back from his mechanical and steamed passed the group to launch a solo counter-attack. Flecha, Ballan and Ladagnous followed the Dutchman a little further back. For the first time the gap dropped but once Boonen finished the cobbles of the Carrefour de l’Arbre he still had 1:10 on Boom.

The Flecha, Ballan and Ladagnous group regained contact with Boom to form a four-rider chase, but they now seemed resigned to racing for second. The group lost horsepower at 13km remaining as Ladagnous flatted, while in front Boonen looked as smooth as ever across the pave as the distance to the Roubaix velodrome grew ever shorter.

Boonen kept his three chasers at bay and with 4km to go his lead stood at 1:32. The Belgian powerhouse soon cracked a smile for the cameras inside of 3km to go and he soon had the velodrome in Roubaix all to himself as he soaked up the adulation from the crowd and savoured every second of his triumphant 1.5 laps of the track for his fourth Paris-Roubaix victory.

Full Results

1	Tom Boonen (Bel) Omega Pharma-Quickstep	5:55:22
2	Sébastien Turgot (Fra) Team Europcar	0:01:39
3	Alessandro Ballan (Ita) BMC Racing Team
4	Juan Antonio Flecha Giannoni (Spa) Sky Procycling
5	Niki Terpstra (Ned) Omega Pharma-Quickstep
6	Lars Boom (Ned) Rabobank Cycling Team	0:01:43
7	Matteo Tosatto (Ita) Team Saxo Bank	0:03:31
8	Mathew Hayman (Aus) Sky Procycling
9	Johan Vansummeren (Bel) Garmin - Barracuda
10	Maarten Wynants (Bel) Rabobank Cycling Team

To Sum Up Milan-San Remo

10 conclusions from Milan-San Remo

(http://www.cyclingnews.com/features/10-conclusions-from-milan-san-remo)

1. Fabian Cancellara's (RadioShack-Nissan) racing style has skirted the thin line between bravery and folly in the big classics over the past two seasons, and Milan-San Remo was no exception. Once again, he won hearts and minds with his wholehearted attacking, and once again, he found himself thwarted by a cannier rider at the death.

There was something Sisyphean about Cancellara's plunge into San Remo, with Simon Gerrans and Vincenzo Nibali scrambling for his back wheel. Even though he surely knew that his weakness in the sprint would be exposed, he persisted in his labours nonetheless. But was simply attempting to blast riders of the caliber of Gerrans and Nibali off his wheel a glorious failure or an act of arrogance?

Cancellara triumphed at San Remo in 2008 by patiently biding his time before making one decisive attack inside the final 2km. In contrast to that clinical display, on Saturday he seemed to try and bludgeon his way to victory with repeated blows, and the result was rather less tidy.

That said, one can never step in the same river twice, and the circumstances of this year's race were different to four years ago. Once Cancellara made the decision to bridge to Gerrans and Nibali, and once it was apparent that they would not collaborate, he perhaps had little option but to attempt to burn them off his wheel. Besides, had Cancellara held his fire on the Poggio, he may well have been forced to take up the reins of the pursuit behind in any case, such is his lofty reputation.

At the Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix, the Swiss rider will have tougher terrain at his disposal to make the difference in the finale, although it remains to be seen if he will show his hand as early and as often as he did in 2011.

2. Simon Gerrans (GreenEdge) didn't bat an eyelid when it was put to him in the winner's press conference that his had been a stolen victory, and with good reason. He had a cast-iron alibi in the chase group in the shape of last year's winner Matt Goss, and instead the Australian cleverly maintained the lead group's momentum with a fleeting turn on the front approaching the final kilometre.

Laudable though Cancellara's strength was, cycling would be an altogether poorer spectacle if victories were decided simply by watts produced. Tactical cunning and sheer sangfroid are just as important a part of a classic winner's make up as raw power, as Gerrans demonstrated on Saturday.

3. With Vincenzo Nibali and Peter Sagan in its ranks, Liquigas-Cannondale had two potential race-winners with contrasting styles at its disposal on Saturday, and the team set out its stall in three phases. Their first aim was to shed the peloton of the pure sprinters, and then Nibali was to go on the attack on the Poggio, while Sagan kept his powder dry for the sprint from a reduced group behind.

In the event, Liquigas succeeded in following the playbook but failed to come away with the win. Cavendish was duly shed on Le Manie, and Nibali forced the winning move on the Poggio, while Sagan took the sprint behind for fourth.
Given the ease with which Sagan held off John Degenkolb, it's tempting to suggest that Nibali should not have attacked and Liquigas should simply have ridden to set up Sagan for the sprint. However, after Valerio Agnoli swung off midway up the Poggio, Daniel Oss was the only other Liquigas rider in the front group. Would that have been enough to pull back a rampant Cancallara?

4. Marcel Kittel may be the marquee young German sprint talent at Project 1t4i, but he has some high quality company in the shape of John Degenkolb. The former HTC-Highroad rider enjoyed a fine Milan-San Remo debut. Just 23 years of age and in only his second season at the top level, Degenkolb dealt admirably with the 300km of racing and finished second in the group sprint just behind the winning break. His victor, of course, was the even more precocious Peter Sagan. Expect to see both men back at the business end of La Primavera in the years to come.

5. While the likes of Liquigas-Cannondale were always going to try and make life difficult for Mark Cavendish (Sky), it was a surprise to see the world champion eliminated from contention on Le Manie with over 90km still to race. As ever, there will be much conjecture over the true state of Cavendish's early-season fitness, but given his solid start to life in the rainbow jersey, it may simply be that he endured an off day at the most inopportune time. Certainly, it would be no surprise if he were to make a forceful response at Gent-Wevelgem next weekend – Cavendish is rarely more dangerous than when stung by perceived slights.

6. Bubbling under in the lead-up to Milan-San Remo after early season wins in Australia and Spain, Oscar Freire was quietly fancied by a number of observers to take his fourth win at La Classicissima, and when Katusha led the charge behind Cancellara, it looked as though he would conjure up a big win from nothing all over again. Instead, the chasers fell just shy of making the juncture, while Freire himself had to give best to Sagan, Degenkolb and Pippo Pozzato in the sprint for fourth. In what may be his final season as a professional, one wonders if Freire will manage to work the oracle one more time before his exits the stage.

7. Filippo Pozzato brooked his share of criticism during his final season at Katusha, but the man from Vicenza has carried himself with a renewed verve since he signed with Farnese Vini-Selle Italia ahead of the 2012 season. Training under the watchful gaze of Luca Scinto all winter, Pozzato set himself the target of slugging it out with the big hitters at San Remo, Flanders and Roubaix.

A broken collarbone at the Tour of Qatar threatened to derail his campaign, but remarkably he was back racing within a week of his operation, so desperate was he not to miss out on racing miles ahead of the classics. The gamble looked to have paid dividends on Saturday as he rode to a solid 6th place in San Remo. While it's worth noting that he finished 5th last year before the wheels came off his Katusha career in Belgium, Pozzato seems altogether more assured under Scinto's guidance, and it will be fascinating to see if he can recover his form of 2009 on the cobbles this April.

8. BMC's travails continued at Milan-San Remo, and remarkably the expensively-assembled outfit has yet to pick up a single win in 2012. Their Classicissima challenge was dented early in the week when Thor Hushovd was forced out of the race with illness, and the Norwegian was perhaps always likely to be their best chance of success. Philippe Gilbert, too, was stricken by fever and dental problems in the week before the race, and a crash over the top of the Cipressa ended his challenge before it was possible to draw any real conclusions as to his actual state of form.

Greg Van Avermaet was also a faller and it was left to Alessandro Ballan to keep their end up with an 8th place finish. While there were mitigating circumstances aplenty for their low-key showing on the road to San Remo, the galacticos will be expected to start making a telling impact on races at the very least as the focus switches to the cobbles.

9. Given his twin talents of endurance and speed, it seems almost an aberration that Tom Boonen (Omega Pharma-QuickStep) has never triumphed at Milan-San Remo. In fine form at Paris-Nice last week, no less a figure than Michele Bartoli had tipped Boonen for the win on Saturday and the Belgian appeared comfortable throughout. Caught behind a crash on the descent of the Poggio, however, Boonen lost sight of the leaders and his challenge ended. Still, his season is as ever defined by the Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix, where the signs are he will renew his rivalry with Fabian Cancellara.

10. A 300km classic from Milan to San Remo is perhaps something of an anachronism, a throwback to the early years of organised racing. Certainly, one does not envisage that any new additions to the WorldTour calendar would ever feature such a lengthy point-to-point race. That said, throughout its history, the organisers have often updated the race by tweaking its format slightly, adding the Poggio (1960), Cipressa (1982) and Le Manie (2009).

Change may be afoot again as soon as next year, with rumours of a steeper route to the top of the Cipressa and a finish line closer to the Poggio. The idea to give attackers more of a chance to finish alone, but as has been the case since 1907, it's the riders rather than the route that will be the making of the race.

Milan - San Remo: Gerrans vs. Cancellara

Cancellara pipped at Milan-San Remo

(http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/cancellara-pipped-at-milan-san-remo)

Another classic, another pyrrhic victory for Fabian Cancellara. The RadioShack-Nissan rider made all the running in the final, frantic kilometres of Milan-San Remo on Saturday, but he comes away from the Riviera laden with compliments rather than prizes after he finished second behind Simon Gerrans (GreenEdge).

Second in Milan-San Remo last year, third in the Tour of Flanders, second in Paris-Roubaix and now second again in La Classicissima, Cancellara’s recent run of classics results has been as frustrating as it has been remarkable. From monument to monument, the sequence of events has seemed to follow a set formula: Cancellara wins the strongest man contest but somebody else rides off with the race itself.

On this occasion it was Vincenzo Nibali (Liquigas-Cannondale) who sparked the winning move when he forged clear on the Poggio with Gerrans for company, but approaching the summit, it was Cancellara who muscled his way to the front and powered the trio down into San Remo.

Such was the intensity of his effort that Gerrans later admitted that he was struggling to keep up as Cancellara accelerated out of the corners that litter the famous descent of the Poggio. Indeed, at times Cancellara seemed to ride as though he were utterly unaware that he had two such high-quality rivals sitting (albeit not always comfortably) on his back wheel.

He eventually waved Gerrans through to take a rather cursory turn on the front in the streets of San Remo, but Cancellara again took up sole responsibility in the final kilometre, fearful of the chase group behind. A Milan-San Remo victor must know how to gamble; perhaps mindful of his weakness in the sprint, Cancellara opted to play the percentages and ensure at least a podium place for his troubles.

“In the end I took the risk,” he said afterwards. “I don’t have eyes in the back of my head. I felt that they were coming behind quickly, so for that reason I said to myself: ‘all in.’

“In the end, I risked it, but I still took a second place at Milan-San Remo, which is of great value. It’s a great race. I wanted to do well today, I had it in mind to try something on the Poggio today and make the difference. In the end I did what I could. The others were on my wheel.

Gerrans gave me two turns. I had to launch the sprint too as they were coming up behind us.”

The chasers included the precocious Peter Sagan, who comfortably took the sprint for fourth place. His presence behind meant that Cancellara could understood why Sagan’s teammate Nibali did not contribute to the lead group’s efforts.

“I spoke with Vincenzo. He said it was clear that he couldn’t pull as he had Sagan behind. I knew that in theory Vincenzo and Gerrans are quicker than me, but after 300km things can be different, so I gave my all.”

Ultimately, however, there was an almost disarming familiarity about the way Gerrans came around Cancellara, and one was reminded of his defeat in Flanders last season. Cancellara admitted that he was running close to empty by the time he reached the Lungomare Italo Calvino.

“I had lactic acid coming out my ears too,” he said with a rueful smile. “If you go from the top of the Poggio to the finish full on, it’s clear that at the end the gas runs out.”

Turning to the cobbles

Cancellara has had more practice in the role of gracious classics runner-up than he could ever have wished for in recent times, and he did his best to put a positive spin on what must have been a bitterly disappointing afternoon. Moral victors have been the subject of some of the richest chapters of cycling lore, but the record books do not note their achievements.

“In the end I’m still going home from Italy with some nice things in my pocket. I won Strade Bianche and the time trial at Tirreno,” Cancellara pointed out, and he now turns his attentions to the northern classics, where his rear wheel will be both a precious commodity and feared sight.

“The second place today will give me a lot of satisfaction and morale and the certainty that I’m going well. That gives me confidence for what is to come.”

Throughout its history, the vanquished at Milan-San Remo have called for additional climbs to be added to the route, and Cancellara wryly joined the chorus as he pondered what might have been.

“It would have been better if there had been another climb,” he said. “The race was fast but in the end it wasn’t hard as there wasn’t a lot of intensity. Everybody knew 300km was a lot, and everybody wanted their legs for the end. I hope that the northern classics will be a little bit more intense so I can make the difference a little bit more.”

Gerrans: I can’t deny Cancellara was the strongest

(http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/gerrans-i-cant-deny-cancellara-was-the-strongest)

It takes the head and the legs to win bike races, and never was the old adage more pertinent than on the Lungomare Italo Calvino on Saturday afternoon, as Simon Gerrans (GreenEdge) zipped past Fabian Cancellara (RadioShack-Nissan) to win Milan-San Remo.

It was Vincenzo Nibali (Liquigas-Cannondale) who sparked the winning break with an attack on the Poggio, but it was Cancellara who grabbed a firm hold of the reins on the descent, and his efforts on the sinuous plunge down into San Remo ensured that the trio stayed just clear of the chasers to divide the spoils among them.

But in an echo of last spring’s monuments, while Cancellara’s show of force produced plenty of shock and awe, the winner’s bouquet went to the rider who best engaged his grey matter in the finale.

Gerrans took two turns on the front. The first, before the top of the Poggio, added momentum to Nibali’s attack. The second, in the streets of San Remo, seemed merely a token effort to appease Cancellara’s signal for help.

“Without question Fabian was the strongest, I can’t deny him that. He was going like a motorbike,” Gerrans admitted in the post-race press conference. “Really, he followed Nibali and myself on the Poggio and then he drove it across the top. He’s one of the best descenders in the peloton and he drove it down the descent. I was losing the wheel coming out of the corners each time.”

Last year, Cancellara famously warned his classics rivals that they would have to fasten their seatbelts such was the ferocity of his attacking. Gerrans and Nibali duly buckled up as the road flattened out over the top of the Poggio, but the Australian already had designs on nudging Cancellara out of the driving seat at the last.

“He was really committed to driving the break to the finish line. I was able to give him one short turn with a little over a kilometre to go and then he came past me again like a motorbike,” Gerrans said. “I was confident the break was going to go but to the finish and I knew what I had to do to finish the hard work off and just come past him in the final.”

A stolen win?

One journalist wondered aloud if Gerrans had stolen Cancellara’s victory, but the frenetic finale of a La Classicissima was hardly the place to ponder such moral dilemmas. In any case, with teammate and defending champion Matt Goss sitting in the chase group behind, Gerrans had a strong alibi, as did Nibali, whose teammate Sagan won the sprint for fourth.

“That was my role in the team. We had the defending champion in Matt Goss and if it came back for a sprint, Goss was going to be the main guy. My position was to follow the breakaways,” Gerrans said. “Obviously I wasn’t as strong as Fabian, I’d be the first to admit that. But it’s not always the strongest guy who wins the race. You have to play a little smart and be there.”

Gerrans explained that he and Goss had scarcely spoken during the race, but such was the simplicity of the GreenEdge tactic that there was no need. While Goss kept his powder dry behind, Gerrans was assigned to follow the moves on the Cipressa and Poggio.

“I was quite surprised because we didn’t race the Cipressa or the beginning of the Poggio at a fast pace. So I thought there was a good chance the group would come back together if there were attacks. I was surprised we were able to go to the finish line, but that was courtesy of Fabian.”

Gerrans may not be the most prolific of winners, but there is little argument about the quality of a palmares that includes stage victories in each of the three grand tours.

“I’m pretty good at analysing the situation and making the most of what I have,” Gerrans said by way of explanation. “I know I’m not the biggest engine in the peloton, but I have some all round abilities and every now and then I get to race for the win and I try and make the most of that situation.”

And what of Cancellara? Did the Swiss locomotive overestimate its own capacity?

“He was very much racing for the victory, but maybe he underestimated me a bit in the final,” Gerrans said. “By driving and doing so much work on the front of the group, he was committed to get the break to the final but he also thought he had enough to get the win.”

This just isn't a good week for Team Sky

Flecha breaks hand in training accident

(http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/flecha-breaks-hand-in-training-accident)

Juan Antonio Flecha (Team Sky) has revealed that he had minor surgery on his hand last week after breaking it in a training accident near his home. The 34-year-old Spaniard, who has enjoyed a consistent start to 2012 after securing third place finishes at the Tour of Qatar and at Omloop Het Nieuwsblad, is already looking ahead to getting back in the saddle and to making it to the start line of his favourite race – Paris-Roubaix on April 8.

“I broke a metacarpal in my hand while out training last week,” he told Team Sky’s official website. “The fracture was smooth and I was even able to ride home after I’d done it. I went into surgery on Thursday and they re-aligned the bone before fixing it with a couple of screws.

“In the time between picking up the injury and surgery I was able to keep working on the turbo and do core work in the gym, but since then I’ve not been able to do that as we didn’t want to risk stretching the wound, or getting it infected with sweat under the bandage. My bandage is coming off on Tuesday and I’ll be able to start my rehabilitation again straight after that.”

Flecha stated that his immediate race plans are up in the air and much will rest on his rehabilitation over the coming days. But in his own mind everything is still pointing towards Paris-Roubaix, where he has enjoyed consistent success over the years despite never actually winning the race. Flecha was a runner-up there in 2007, and has two third places to his name along with several other top ten finishes. Back in January he told Cyclingnews that it is the classic that he most wants to win before he hangs up his wheels.

"If everything goes well I should be able to make my return at Waregem [March 21], but obviously that’s dependent on what the doctor says," he said.

“I want to return there but it’s obviously dependent on my recovery. If things are not going well, riding the cobbles might not be the best idea right away, so we could even look at doing a race like the Criterium International [March 24-25] instead. I don’t think I will be at my peak condition at Flanders [April 1], but I will still give it my all, and then by the time Roubaix comes around I’ll be back to my best and able to give it a really good go.”

Froome hits pedestrian in Italian training accident

(http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/froome-hits-pedestrian-in-italian-training-accident)

Chris Froome of Team Sky has hit and seriously injured a 72-year-old pedestrian in a training accident in Italy, according to the Italian media. Both were taken to hospital, with Froome found only to have scrapes and bruises.

The elderly man is said to have suffered head injuries as well as facial contusions and abrasions.  While his life is not endangered, he is expected to be helicopered to another hospital for further treatment.

Police are looking into the accident to determine what happened and whether either party is at fault. Froome was training alone on Sunday morning when he hit the man, accoridng to sanremonews.it. He immediately called emergency services, and both were taken to hospital.

Froome, 26, opened his season at the Volta ao Algarve but had to abandon with a chest infection after the third stage.  He had been scheduled to start Paris-Nice, but had to miss it due to continued illness. He is not scheduled to ride in Saturday's Milan-San Remo.



Boonen's 100th Win

Congrats to Tom Boonen on 100th career win!!!

100th career win for Boonen at Paris-Nice

(http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/100th-career-win-for-boonen-at-paris-nice)

The second stage of Paris-Nice yielded several triumphs for the Omega Pharma-Quickstep team: not only was it Tom Boonen's 100th career victory, excluding criteriums and team time trials, but also the first WorldTour win for the revamped Belgian squad. In addition, American Levi Leipheimer is now poised for a top result overall, sitting just six seconds behind race leader Bradley Wiggins (Sky Procycling).

Boonen's other victories include a world road race title from 2005, three wins in Paris-Nice, two in Tour of Flanders, two in Gent-Wevelgem, six stages of the Tour de France and one green jersey (2007) and two stages of the Vuelta a España.

"I'm really not interested in stats. But on the other hand I'm happy," Boonen said in a team press release. "Not a lot of riders can reach this goal. The race was also important for the GC. Levi and Sylvain [Chavanel] made a good step ahead and we are really motivated for the next stages."

The team had to go on the defensive when the peloton split in the crosswinds at the feed zone just halfway through the stage, and worked to successfully regain the front of the race as other contenders like Andy Schleck (Radioshack-Nissan), Richie Porte (Sky) and Rein Taaramae (Cofidis) all missed the split. They then had the numbers in the front group, and drove the pace to the finish, putting 2:29 into the next group on the road.

"To be honest we had to suffer to enter in the breakaway. We were a little bit behind because of a roundabout," Boonen said. "I had to pass two groups before entering in the first group. Then the race was really hard. Everybody was interested in riding and taking some time from the GC. It was also cold and windy and in the last kilometers it began raining. I really couldn't feel my hands."

The only downside for the team was the absence of defending Paris-Nice champion Tony Martin from the lead group, but directeur sportif Brian Holm said it won't change the team's tactics.

"It's still a bit of the same," Holm said. "It will be a bit more hilly tomorrow at the finish, but Tom is still pretty good there. Chavanel will be close in the GC without an accident or crash, and Leipheimer is looking pretty confident also. We are a strong team, everybody knows that."

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."