Bike World News

The Dow creeps above 10000, Bruyneel secures his release, the Tour route is announced. Life is good. Here’s today’s cycling news:

• Many of the stars of the 2009 Tour de France are reacting to the course for the 2010 race:
  • Alberto Contador thinks that the climbing will suit him, but that the cobblestones will be a challenge. He says that he is much more concerned about Andy Schleck than Lance Armstrong in the contest.
  • Andy Schleck says that he will be going to the race to win, and that much will be determined in the first week of the race. He feels that the roads are difficult and that riders will have to be vigilant about not losing time.
  • Lance Armstrong says that the course is exciting and thinks that the Tourmalet will be decisive to the outcome of the race. He too thinks that it will be important to keep at the front in the first week. He thinks that the complexity of the course may open up a chance at a win to up to a dozen riders.
  • For his part, Mark Cavendish says that he expects to eclipse last year’s six stage wins and that he’ll be once again gunning for the green jersey.

• SRAM has signed a four year agreement with the organizers of the Sea Otter Classic to be a presenting sponsor of the increasingly important event.
• The AIGCP has asked for a meeting with the UCI to discuss the coming ban on race radios, saying that they should be a part of the decision. An attempt to impose a radio ban on two stages of this year’s Tour de France encountered opposition from several riders and teams and the experiment was scrapped after one stage.
• Professor Bert De Cuyper, sports psychologist at KU Leuven says about the popularity of Frank Vandenbrouke, “Exceptional people are popular, but exceptional people with faults are even more so.” He attributes the same qualities to Marco Pantani, James Dean, Kurt Cobain and Jimi Hendrix.
• Two new UK road racing teams are set to hit the circuit in 2010: Orbea-For Goodness Shakes! and ProBikeKit. The rider roster has yet to be confirmed for Orbea-For Goodness Shakes!, but the squad are aiming high. Meanwhile, online retailer ProBikeKit has teamed up with James Smith of www.rutrainingtoday.co.uk to put together their South West-based 2010 team, which will compete in local and national events.
• Skil-Shimano has signed French rider Yann Huguet for next season. The 25-year-old joins the team from Agritubel, which is set to fold at the end of the season.
• Skil-Shimano’s Kenny Van Hummel will start hitting the six day circuit. His first race will be the Six Days of Amsterdam with partner Mark Hester.

Results:

• Chris Sutton (Garmin) won the 164km third stage of the Jayco Tour over Jonathan Cantwell (Fly V Australia) and David Tanner (Rock Racing). Sutton takes over the leaders jersey.

Related Posts:

• 2009 Tour de France – Stage 15 News, Notes and Quotes (0)
• Lance Armstrong and Alberto Contador to new teams? – Rest Day News and Notes (1)
• 2009 Tour de France – Stage 5 News and Notes (0)
• 2009 Tour de France – Stage 19 Results (1)
• 2009 Tour de France – Stage 13 News, Notes and Quotes (0)