Boonen's Charity Event

Boonen returns for charity cyclo-cross race

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Cavendish: BBC Sports Personality of the Year?

Cavendish on shortlist for BBC Sports Personality of the Year

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

First sub-Saharan cycling team

Rwanda targets a Continental team in 2012

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Vino Involved in Kazakhstan's Election

Vinokourov a candidate in Kazakh elections

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

BMX Death: RIP Dane Searls

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

Australian BMX star Dane Searls dies after hotel accident

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

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

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

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

Happy Thanksgiving

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