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LATEST NEWS: GIRO RESULT 'PROMISING' FOR ARMSTRONG
Road Bike Action & AFP
May 31, 2009
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Armstrong will now turn his focus to the Tour de France
(Photo: Roberto Bettini)
Seven-time Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong said his 12th-placed finish in the Giro d'Italia, which ended on Sunday, was "promising" ahead of this year's French test. The 37-year-old American, who broke a collarbone in a crash on the Tour of Castilla and Leon in March, and his Astana team had insisted that he had not come into his first ever Tour of Italy looking for victory. "I came in open-minded. I did not know what to expect, obviously because of the crash in Castilla and Leon, the time off the bike and the trip over here," Armstrong said. "In my view it has been a hard three weeks. In the second half of the race I showed that I was certainly getting better and I think we can take that away from here. It is promising for June and July."
Armstrong dismissed expectations that he would have returned to the cycling world with victories in the biggest events. "I may have disappointed some fans and people in the press room expecting that I immediately should start winning big races," he said. "That is crazy. I am almost 38 years old. Both of my feet are firmly on the ground. It's taken a lot of work up to this point but we might ride strong and be in the front in July." Armstrong added: "The style of racing in Italy is different, but I liked it. "Despite some dangerous stages, it was a great race. The Giro del Centenario brought us to the most beautiful places of the country. The people here are enthusiastic."
Astana team manager Johan Bruyneel said he hoped the matter of some unpaid salaries would be resolved so the team could go on and compete in the Tour of Luxembourg, the Dauphine Libere, the Tour of Switzerland and the Tour de France. "I am hopeful and confident that we can ride those races," said Bruyneel. The financial woes that left salaries unpaid are not completely resolved yet. "I hope that the team sponsors will meet the deadline for the bank guarantee and the payments.” Moreover the UCI (International Cycling Union) now wants more guarantees about the team for the rest of the year.
"The UCI will decide soon about the near future of the team. We hope to know more in the coming days. The best solution is that we can continue with our current structure. I expect that we will have a team at the start of the Tour de France."
 The Astana team showed their strength by taking the team classification (Photo: Ken Conley)
Armstrong and Astana Take Giro Team Classification
The Astana Cycling Team won the Team’s classification in the Tour of Italy. The team under the guidance of Johan Bruyneel, Alain Gallopin and Viatcheslav Ekimov had an advantage of 24 minutes and 15 seconds over Team Columbia-High Road and 27 minutes and 17 seconds over Serramenti PVC Diquigiovanni – Androni.
Yaroslav Popovych finished 4th in the last stage, a 14.4 kilometer individual time trial in the historic center of Rome, eleven seconds behind winner Ignatas Konovalovas. In the final General Classification Levi Leipheimer finished 6th, 5.28 behind overall winner Denis Menchov. Lance Armstrong was 12th. The Team had another solid performance with four riders finishing in the top 20. Chris Horner was the only Team Astana rider who abandoned due to a fracture in the lateral tibia plateau of the left leg during a crash in stage 10. At that moment he was 11th in GC.
“I am not disappointed”, said Levi Leipheimer in Rome. “Over the three weeks, there were five guys a bit stronger than me. Basically I decided to do the Giro more out of preparation for the Tour de France. I raced here against riders that were really targeting this race. What makes me happy is that I finished the Giro a lot stronger than last year and that we rode as a real team. Lance Armstrong proved to be a good domestique, but also Steve Morabito, Andrey Zeits, Jani Brajkovic, Chris Horner, Dani Navarro , Yaroslav Popovych and Chehu Rubiera gave me a ton of support. Of course I would have preferred to win a stage. In the historic time trial of Cinque Terre I was very close to it, but already there Denis Menchov was better. Today, I preferred not to take any risk.”
“Up to the Giro, Levi was undefeated this year”, said Team Manager Johan Bruyneel. “He has to be pleased with this race and the season he has had so far. A three week Tour is very exhausting, especially on the mind”
“The style of racing in Italy is different, but I liked it,” said Lance Armstrong. “Despite some dangerous stages, it was a great race. The Giro del Centenario brought us to the most beautiful places of the country. The people here are enthusiastic. In the Giro I spent more time with the fans than with the media. It was cool and fun hanging around with the tifosi.”
The next races for the Team are the Tour of Luxemburg, Dauphiné Libéré, Tour de Suisse and Tour de France. “I am hopeful and confident that we can ride those races”, tells Team Manager Johan Bruyneel. “The financial woes that left salaries unpaid are not completely resolved yet. I hope that the team sponsors will meet the deadline for the bank guarantee and the payments. Moreover the UCI now wants more guarantees about the team for the rest of the year. The UCI will decide soon about the near future of the Team. We hope to know more in the coming days. The best solution is that we can continue with our current structure. I expect that we will have a team at the start of the Tour de France.“
 2007 U-23 World Time Trial Champion Lars Boom captured the Tour of Belgium (Photo: Yuzuru Sunada)
Boom Bags Tour of Belgium Crown
Dutchman Lars Boom won the Tour of Belgium cycling race here on Sunday following the fifth and final stage, a 16.7km individual time-trial won by Belgium's Sebastien Rosseler. Boom, who rides for the Rabobank team, took over the race leader's black jersey in the penultimate stage in Fleron on Saturday and finished second in the time-trial, six seconds behind Rosseler of Quick Step.
Another Dutchman, Stef Clement, took third place, nine seconds behind the winner. Boom, 23, finished 18 seconds clear of his compatriot Koos Moerenhout in the general standings, with Belgium's Dominique Cornu third, 28 seconds back. "I'm very happy as the Tour of Belgium was a real objective for me," said Boom. "I wasn't sure of anything because I've not raced much on the road since the start of the season, not more than eight or nine days."
Borrajo Takes Air Force Classic, Gerlach Makes His Mark
In a mad dash for the line, Ken Hanson of Team Type 1 nearly spoiled the victory celebration by Alejandro Borrajo (Colavita-Sutter Home presented by Cooking Light) Saturday at the U.S. Air Force Cycling Classic Clarendon Cup. Hanson overcame poor positioning out of the final turn to come within inches of overtaking Borrajo at the finish of the 100-lap race in Arlington, Va. Karl Menzies (OUCH presented by Maxxis) finished third.
“It was a total fight to get on Barrajo’s wheel because he had a teammate leading him out,” Hanson said. “I planned to sprint back onto his wheel before the second-to-last corner, but I got pushed out and had to slow down to avoid a crash. It was frustrating to lose by an inch or two, especially since I came out of the last corner behind so many people.”
Borrajo and Hanson was part of an eight-man breakaway that absorbed Chad Gerlach (Amore & Vita McDonald’s) with about 35 laps to go and held off the field to the finish. Up until that point, it appeared Gerlach was going to be the spoiler, soloing off the front early on and coming within 14 seconds of lapping the field near the halfway point.
“Guys started attacking and we brought the gap down, but then a few laps later, he (Gerlach) was about to lap us again,” Hanson said. “Shawn (Milne) did a great job to get me up there and look after me,” Hanson said. “I think tomorrow we have a good chance and I’m definitely motivated to take a win home for the team.”
Team Type 1’s Hanley Seriously Injured In Tulsa Pile-Up
Monique Hanley fractured three vertebrae and dislocated her shoulder Saturday during the Brady Village Criterium on the second day of the Tulsa Tough cycling series in Tulsa, Okla. The Team Type 1 rider was one of at least three-dozen riders who were involved a crash early on in the women’s professional race. “I had nowhere to go but to be catapulted,” Hanley said. The Australian has full range of movement in her arms and legs, Team Type 1 Team Director Jack Seehafer said. “That’s the good news,” he said. “But her dislocated shoulder will require surgery,”
In addition to her broken bones, Hanley also has scrapes on her back, a bloody knee, swollen wrist and sore neck. Even eventual race winner Shelley Olds (PROMAN Women's Cycling Team) was caught up in the crash. “I’ve never been in that big of a pile up,” Olds told the Tulsa World newspaper.
Hanley is one of two women with Type 1 diabetes on the Team Type 1 professional women’s squad. The 31-year-old was diagnosed with the disease at the age of 19 but quickly took up cycling as a way to stay active. She twice was a part of Team Type 1’s eight-rider squad for the Race Across America and last year won a bronze medal at the Australian National Track Championships.
Chris King Gourmet Century Announced
Chris King will host his first Gourmet Century in Oregon on October 17th of this year. Registration for the event opens Monday June 1st and is limited to 350 participants. In previous years, The Gourmet Century has hosted riders with themes such as Italian Cucina, Salsa!, Greek, Country French and Pacific Rim. This year's theme, has to be revealed, celebrates the cuisine and culture of Spain. The event also benefits the Livestrong Foundation.
For more information visit: http://chrisking.com/events/events_gc_mmddyy
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