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LATEST NEWS: NEW AUSTRALIA TEAM BULKS UP WITH MCEWEN
Road Bike Action and AFP
September 10, 2010
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(Photo: Yuzuru Sunada)
Robbie McEwen signs with Pegasus Sports
Robbie McEwen, twelve-time Tour de France stage winner and three-time green jersey holder, will ride for the Australian Pegasus Sports professional cycling team in 2011.
Pegasus Sports CEO Chris White confirmed McEwen as the headline act for the aspiring Australian ProTour team. McEwen, the winningest cyclist in the professional peloton with over 200 victories, is delighted to be joining the team and renewing acquaintances with White.
“I’m proud to be joining Pegasus Sports in 2011. I've known Chris White for 20 years and know many of the current staff and riders. The team has built an impressive record in North America over the past two years, and with their move into Europe in 2011, the timing and the vibe could not be better,” said McEwen.“I chose to make this move because I have a lot of respect for Chris White, his drive and vision, and what he is doing for Australian cycling. I know with the riders coming on board that we’ll have a very strong, competitive team. I’m really looking forward to next year – my 17th season as a professional.”
In announcing the move, McEwen also thanked his current team for their support. "Katusha has been great over the past two seasons and I'll be giving 100% right up to my last race of 2010."
McEwen, White and the Pegasus organisation all hail from Brisbane, Australia. Reflecting on the signing, White said “We are incredibly excited that Robbie has decided to join the team in 2011. He is one of the world’s best known and most accomplished cyclists, and a true professional. He brings so much experience and credibility to our team and to our organisation.”
“It’s quite ironic that Robbie and I used to train and race together when Robbie first started road racing back in the early 1990s – in fact the lineage of the Pegasus Sports team can be traced to a team I started in 1993 that Robbie and I both raced on. Just as he was back then, Robbie will be a great fit and a tremendous asset for our team.”
“I’m still to map out a program for my 2011 season,” said McEwen. “However at this stage, Chris and I have discussed a number of goals and you can rest assured that I will leave no stone unturned to stand on the podium with my new team.”
The creation of the new team is still under development. More information, including official team rosters, will become available throughout September and October.
Team RadioShack’s Upcoming Races
Paris-Brussels (Bel), 11/09/10
Riders: Clinton Avery, Fumiyuki Beppu, Ben Hermans, Daryl Impey, Dmitriy Muravyev, Gregory Rast, Ivan Rovny & Gert Steegmans
Director: Dirk Demol
Grand Prix de Fourmies (Fra), 12/09/10
Riders: Ben Hermans, Daryl Impey, Andreas Klöden, Geoffroy Lequatre, Dmitriy Muravyev, Gregory Rast, José Luis Rubiera & Gert Steegmans,
Director: Dirk Demol
UCI Announces Positive Test For Belgian Sentjens
Cycling's world ruling body announced Wednesday that Belgian Roy Sentjens, of the Milram team, has been provisionally suspended following a positive test for the banned blood booster EPO.
"The decision to provisionally suspend Mr Sentjens was made in response to a report from the WADA-accredited laboratory in Cologne indicating an Adverse Analytical Finding of Recombinant EPO in a urine sample collected from him at an out-of-competition test on 16 August 2010," said the statement from the UCI.
Sentjens will remain provisionally suspended "until a hearing panel convened by the Belgium Cycling Federation (RLVB) determines whether Mr Sentjens has committed an anti-doping rule violation under Article 21 of the UCI Anti-Doping Rules".The statement added: "Mr Sentjens has the right to request and attend the analysis of his B sample".
HTC-Columbia Headed to Canada This Weekend
HTC-Columbia expect their hilly Classics specialists to shine in both the Grand Prix Cycliste de Québec and the Grand Prix Cycliste de Montréal in Canada this weekend. "They're both going to be really tough races, although Québec is slightly harder," says Valerio Piva, the HTC-Columbia sports director for both events. "We've checked out the Québec course today. There's a climb the riders have to tackle on each lap and an uphill finish. That's going to make it a very selective course, which will steadily wear down the pack until the final attacks go clear. The most similar races in Europe would the Ardennes Classics, even if the Canadian climbs aren't as bad as the Mur de Huy in Fleche Wallone."
Piva says he expects HTC-Columbia's Maxime Monfort, Adam Hansen and Michael Rogers to be in the thick of the action on Friday and Sunday. "The end of the season is approaching, and a lot of riders are tired, so racing becomes much more unpredictable. But these three are all very motivated and have already proven that they can ride well in this sort of terrain. If they think they've got a chance, they'll be ready to take it."
HTC-Columbia for Grand Prix Cycliste de Québec/Grand Prix Cyclist de Montréal: Gert Dockx (Bel); Patrick Gretsch (Ger); Adam Hansen (Aus); Craig Lewis (USA); Maxime Monfort (Bel); Frantisek Rabon (Cze); Michael Rogers (Aus); Vicente Reynes (Spa).
For more information about Team HTC-Columbia and High Road Sports visit www.highroadsports.com
The Tour of Britain Pedals back into Scotland for 2011
EventScotland today announced that the Grand Depart of The Tour of Britain will return to Scotland in 2011, riding the through the regions of the Scottish Borders and Dumfries and Galloway.
“The Tour of Britain is a highlight on the cycling calendar for top international cyclists and enthusiasts from around the world. EventScotland are delighted to announce that this world class event will return to Scotland next year and we are already in the planning stages to ensure that our stage will one of the best of The Tour for everyone involved,” said Paul Bush OBE, Chief Operating Officer for EventScotland.
Stage Three of the 2009 Tour began in the Scottish Borders town of Peebles which saw spectators line the streets, strong local and national media coverage and local business getting into the cycling spirit with window dressing and other community activities. In 2011 the region will host the ‘Grand Depart’ with details of the route to be announced early next year.
Vicky Davidson, Scottish Borders Council Executive Member for Economic Development said, “This is excellent news for Scotland. When the Tour was here in 2009 it had a considerable impact on the Scottish Borders and to secure the Grand Depart and the Tour Ride really will keep the Scottish Borders on the map as a world class cycling destination. Businesses got right behind the event in Peebles last year and thousands of spectators turned out to watch the event, so I anticipate a great response next year.”
Councillor Ian Carruthers from Dumfries and Galloway Council added, “Dumfries and Galloway is proud to have been at the heart of the Tour of Britain since 2005, and we have witnessed many dramatic incidents and memorable Stage finishes over the past few years that have helped to define previous Tours. Dumfries and Galloway Council is serious about supporting cycling and we anticipate many thousands of fans turning out for the first day and sole Scottish Stage of the 2011 Tour of Britain.”
Event organiser, SweetSpot will work with the supporting Scottish agencies over the next 12 months to deliver the opening stage of the 2011 Tour and are looking forward to a Scottish element once again. Hugh Roberts, Chief Executive of SweetSpot, said, “We are delighted to be bringing The Tour of Britain back to Scotland for Stage One of the 2011 race, and we look forward to an exciting stage showcasing the world-class scenery that the Scottish Borders and Dumfries and Galloway offer.
“Scotland has twice before hosted the Grand Depart of The Tour to much acclaim, so I’m sure we can once again look forward to a fantastic reception when we return next September.”
In a bid to make the 2011 event bigger and better, a Tour Ride mass participation event will be encompassed into the Scottish plan, potentially attracting around 1,500 riders. The weekend timing of the opening stage will attract large numbers of spectators to Scotland and local tourism will be set to receive a boost from the influx of visitors over the few days before and after the riders take to their saddles.
Economic impact and global media coverage are key factors of consideration when supporting events in Scotland and the positive figures from 2009 certainly justify The Tour of Britain’s return. With an estimated economic impact of just under one million pounds from outside Scotland and a £1.3million media value in 2009, the increased stay of the riders and their teams prior to the depart looks likely to increase these figures for the next staging.
Paul Bush continues, “EventScotland works to generate, bid for, attract and sustain events which will drive tourism and create international profile for Scotland. We’re dedicated to strengthening the nation’s position as a world class events destination and The Tour of Britain is a stand-out event for us across all our aims.”
The 2010 event runs from 11-18 September with the eight stages beginning in Rochdale and ending in the heart of London. Scotland has hosted a stage of the race since 2005 but the logistics of this year’s route meant that coming north of the border was not feasible this time.
The 2010 event is set to spin off this Saturday and boasts a strong line-up of 100 riders from 17 teams coming from 19 countries. The stage is set for an exciting week of action to whet the appetite of Scottish cycling fans before they change gear and return to Scotland in 2011, the Year of Active Nation.
UnitedHealthcare Heads to Univest
The UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling Team Presented by Maxxis will contest the Univest UCI 1.2 races this weekend, the final installments of the USA Cycling Pro Tour for 2010. The Team will field a six-rider squad well-suited both for Saturday’s tough circuit race and Sunday’s criterium.
Saturday’s Univest Grand Prix around Souderton, PA, serves up a hilly 9.3 km circuit that the peloton will circumnavigate 11 times before switching to a shorter, 6.2 km finishing circuit that they’ll cover five times before the end.
For Saturday, UnitedHealthcare Presented by Maxxis will look to the duo of Rory Sutherland and Marc de Maar to be up front, with help from Team captain Tim Johnson, who comes into the race after a strong 2nd overall at the Green Mountain Stage Race.
Sunday’s 2.2 km criterium course around historic Doylestown will favor sprinters Karl Menzies and Jake Keough, who comes in off a win in the final stage of the Green Mountain Stage Race. Jonny Clarke will be on hand to provide lead-out duties, along with Sutherland, if Sunday comes down to a sprint finish.
“The Univest races are always challenging,” said Team Director Mike Tamayo. “Saturday’s circuit usually proves very selective. We expect the race to be hard and to break apart well before the end. Sunday should be a fast and aggressive race. With the season coming to a close, a lot of guys will be looking to get one more good result before the end.”
Quebec will host one-day Pro Tour races Friday and Sunday, and while UnitedHealthcare Presented by Maxxis won’t be racing them, the Team will have representation at both races in the form of Directeur Sportif Gord Fraser, who will be providing color commentary for TV network Versus. The races will be broadcast in the next couple weeks.
UnitedHealthcare Presented by Maxxis for the Univest Grand Prix weekend, September 11-12:
Jonny Clarke
Marc de Maar
Tim Johnson
Jake Keough
Karl Menzies
Rory Sutherland
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