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LATEST NEWS: ROAD BIKE ACTION NEWS FEBRUARY 23, 2009
Road Bike Action & AFP
February 23, 2009
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Tirreno-Adriatico 2009 Presented Today In Tuscany
Today the 44th edition of Tirreno-Adriatico was presented by organizer
RCS Sport in Firenze. It's Italy's key early season stage race that
runs just before the Milano-Sanremo classic on March 22nd and in 2009,
Tirreno-Adriatico starts for the first time ever in Tuscany, and will
feature 21 teams and 192 riders. 2008 Tirreno-Adriatico winner Fabian
Cancellara (Team Saxo Bank) is confirmed as well as Filippo Pozzato
(Katuscha), Andreas Kloden (Astana) and probably Ivan Basso (Liquigas)
and World Champion Alessandro Ballan (Lampre). Tirreno-Adriatico
number 44 will start in Cecina on the Tirrenan coast and as always,
wrap up in San Benedetto del Tronto on the Adriatic shore after seven
stages & 1,095 kilometers.
44th Tirreno-Adriatico Stages
Wednesday, March 11 Stage 1: Cecina-Capannori
Thursday, March 12 Stage 2: Volterra-Marina di Carrara
Friday, March 13 Stage 3: Fucecchio-S. Croce sull'Arno
Saturday, March 14 Stage 4: Foligno-Montelupone
Sunday, March 15 Stage 5: Loreto-Macerata
Monday, March 16 Stage 6: Civitanova Marche-Camerino
Tuesday, March 17 Stage 7: S. Benedetto-S.Benedetto
Major man-hug from Levi for Lance on Tour of Cali's final podium
(Photo: Roberto Bettini)
Armstrong Confirms 09 Tour Of Ireland Ride & LiveStrong Cancer Summit
Lance Armstrong has confirmed he will ride this year's Tour of Ireland
(August 19-23) and then hold the LiveStrong Global Summit in Dublin
immediately after the race between August 24-26. Armstrong made the
announcement on his Twitter feed after finishing the Tour of
California. Further details were issued in a press release by his
Livestrong foundation
Armstrong explained "Unless we act on a global level, cancer will be
the leading cause of death by 2010. Our goal is to be the catalyst that
brings everyone together to fight cancer -from survivors, like me, to
world leaders and policymakers who must commit completely to the effort
to avoid a public health catastrophe. The Summit provides an invaluable
opportunity to stand up for the 28 million cancer survivors worldwide
and to create a unified effort to control cancer through new
commitments to action."
Darach McQuaid, Race Director for the Tour of Ireland, said: “Lance
Armstrong last raced in Ireland in the Tour of Ireland in 1992. This
August 19-23 the Tour of Ireland could not be more proud than to have
Lance Armstrong, truly a global sports icon riding once again on Irish
roads in the lead up to his Global Cancer Summit in Dublin. By the time
Lance arrives in Ireland next August, the interest levels will be at
fever pitch. I am confident that we can provide Lance with a
challenging course and via our global broadcast, promote his cancer
message in over 140 television markets around the world.”
De Jongh Kisses famous donkey trophy after '08 Kuurne win (Photo: Roberto Bettini)
Quick.Step's De Jongh Out Of First Belgian Classics
Tour start in London
(Photo: Roberto Bettini)
UK Bike Racing Has Road Closure Issues
Despite their superb performance at last years Beijing Olympics on the
track the winning ways of Columbia's Mark Cavendish, and the huge
success of the Tour De France’s London start, British road racing can
not catch a break. After the iconic Archer Grand Prix was cancelled and
the Chas Messenger two-day was cut to a single day because of a lack of
sponsorship, now the Tour of Wessex Premier Calendar race, originally
planned a 3-day stage race from May 23-25 to run ahead of the
well-established Tour of Wessex cyclo-sportive event is kaput. Race
organiser Pendragon Sports had cut back to a 93 mile one-day race of
three circuits in Somerton, with a police bill for road closures of
$200,000! However, Trafeco, the traffic management company, Somerset
Highways and local Avon and Somerset police say that now there is
simply not enough time to organise the road closures. Now the UK
Premier Calendar series will consist of just 11 races in 2009, starting
with the Bikeline Two-Day (March 14-15).
NYPD Tickets Critical Mass riders in July 2008
NY Cop Fired For Critical Mass Cyclist Assault
Last year, NY Police Officer Patrick Pogan, who was caught on video
slamming cyclist Christopher Long at a NY Critical Mass cyclist rally
last July, was fired by NYPD earlier this month. The video became a
major hit on YouTube, and subsequently, Pogan was brought up on
criminal charges in December 2008 for assault, harassment and filing a
bogus police report. Manhattan District Attorney Robert Morgenthau said
the YouTube video and witness accounts contradict Pogan's written
report accusing Long of resisting arrest, disorderly conduct and
obstructing government administration. 23 year old rookie cop Pogan is
a former high school football offensive lineman and the son of a
retired NYPD detective, and he pleaded not guilty to the criminal
charges. Pogan faces up to four years in prison if convicted. NYPD
claims Pogan was fired but Pogan's attorney say that he resigned to
concentrate on clearing his name.
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