BiciRace.com :: News :: October 2005

News :: October 2005

30 October 2005

Resting and Racing in Curaçao for Savoldelli

Il Falco In Pink, photo: Giro d'Italia

Paolo Savoldelli (Discovery Channel) is currently in his off-season, but he will take part in a race next Saturday. Il Falco (32) is a special invitee for the Amstel Curaçao. The race is a criterium held on the Dutch island located in the southern Caribbean Sea that has invited many big stars. In addition to the 2005 Giro d'Italia winner, there will be: Erik Dekker, Thomas Dekker, Michael Boogerd, Bart Brentjens and Tom Boonen. (It will be the first time for Boonen to race in his World Championship jersey.)

Il Falco will enjoy two weeks of sun and relaxing with one day of racing. The Disco rider said that he has started riding a little to get himself into form before the event, more on the mountain bike than the road. He will return to Italy on 11 November, the day before the 89th Giro presentation in Milano. Il Falco will get a good look at the race that will be his main objective in 2006. "... Then [after the Giro] I will think about the Tour de France, but it would be a very difficult objective."

This year Savoldelli won the Tour stage 17 to Revel by attacking and sprinting. That win, combined with his support of Lance Armstrong, made for a very successful Tour de France. "I would like to just point all of my energies to the Tour, but I am not able to leave behind the Giro," said Il Falco. "The captain in France will have to be Popovych, but if in July I am going strong then Bruyneel has assured me that I will be able to play my cards."

The Tour would be a big challenge for Il Falco Bergamasco because there is 115K of time trialing to contend with. His Disco teammate, Yaroslav Popovych, is proven against the clock but the Ukrainian lacks the race pedigree of Savoldelli. There are still eight months to think about this, for now Il Falco is on vacation and will enjoy a nice Saturday race.

Read:
2006 Tour de France Route Revealed, 27 October
Il Falco has Surgery, 10 August
Il Falco Continues Flight at Tour, 21 July

Calcio For Italian Cyclists

The Italian cyclists are enjoying some nice autumn weather: the leaves are changing color, the sun is shinning, and the air is fresh. This time of year is just right for having some fun competition. Tomorrow in Vicenza (home of Campagnolo) some of the best cyclists will compete against the local press and hospital workers in a game of soccer ("calcio" in Italian). The riders to compete are: Bettini, Simoni, Pozzato, Paolini, Sella, Velo, Bramati, Baldato, Ballan, Belli, Furlan, among others. It is a charity match, and the money raised will go to the local hospital.

Also, today in Milano (Magenta) there is a game of Calcio that will be part of the inaugural celebrations for a new sport's center. Some of the current and former riders to take part are: Colli, Marzano, Noè, Wegelius, Berzin, Bugno and Chiappucci. They riders will compete against the administrators of the new sport's center. The center, called "Soccer Five", consists of the fields for five-on-five soccer, two of which are covered.

Magnus Backstedt was 8K Short of Hour Record

Yesterday in Wales, Big Magnus Backstedt could not manage to break the derny paced hour record. Backstedt gave his all on the wooden banks of the Newport Velodrome in Wales, but could not overcome the record set by Matthé Pronk (66.114K). For one hour the Swede powered behind his derny pacer, Paul Spender, but at every time check he was coming up short.

Backstedt, rider for the Italian squadra Liquigas-Bianchi, changed his gearing in the final moments before the start from a 60x13 to a 60x12. He thinks that this decision may have cost him the record. Nonetheless, the Swede is determined to beat the record, and he will give it another try soon.

Distance Breakdown, Magnus Backstedt (Pronk):
5': 4.95K (5.12)
10': 9.97 (10.47)
15': 14.76 (15.86)
30': 29.37 (32.80)
45': 43.80 (48.22)
55': 53.65 (60.50)
60': 58.25 (66.114)

Read:
Magnus Backstedt Ready To Rock Hour Record, 29 October
Backstedt Goes For Hour Record, 1 October

29 October News ...