BiciRace.com :: News :: November 2005

News :: November 2005

30 November 2005

Gilberto Simoni to California

Simoni Talks Cali, photo: BiciRace.com

2X Giro d'Italia champion, Gilberto Simoni, is scheduled to ride the Tour of California. Gibo (34) will take part in the eight day stage race in late February with his new team, Saunier Duval-Prodir. The team has large interests in the United States due to their bicycle supplier, Scott USA.

Simoni met with the entire Saunier Duval-Prodir squadra yesterday in Spain for their first camp (29 November to 1 December). The team's hotel is in Torrelavega, the city of Oscar Freire and Manolo Saiz. Gibo talked at length with his former DS, Pietro Algeri, and his old rival, Leonardo Piepoli.

The 2006 season goal for Simoni will be the corsa rosa, il Giro d'Italia. Together with the team the 2X winner planned the races that will deliver him to the start line in Seraing on 6 May. The Italian will make his debut in the Vuelta a Mallorca (5 - 7 February), then pass over to the USA for the Tour of California (19 - 26 February). During his time in the Wild West Simoni will meet with Scott USA to test their new TT bike in the wind tunnel.

Simoni, after his return from the USA, will take part in his first ProTour race of 2006, the Milano-Sanremo (18 March). After the spring Classic, Gibo has penciled in the Giro del Trentino (18 - 21 April) and Liège-Bastogne-Liège (23 April). This will leave him with just two weeks until the start of the 89th Giro d'Italia.

Read:
Simoni Scouts Plan de Corones, 19 November
Camps: Simoni, Basso and Savoldelli, 17 November
2006 Giro d'Italia Route Unfolded, 12 November
The Details of Simoni's Saunier Decision, 22 October
Tour of California News, 20 May

Velo d'Or for Tom Boonen

Tom Boonen was awarded the 2005 Velo d'Or award by France's monthly publication, Vélo magazine. The award honors the Belgium as the best cyclist of the year. The decision was made by a panel of journalists appointed by the French magazine.

The 25 year-old beat 7X Tour de France winner, Lance Armstrong, and the ProTour Champion, Danilo Di Luca. Il Americano had won the award in the last five of six years, but this year he fell short to the Belgium. It was a justifiable recognition for the tall Quick-Step rider, who in 2005 won three huge monuments: the Tour de Flanders, Paris-Roubaix and the World Championships. Bravo Boonen!

Other winners, besides Armstrong, over the past years have included the Italians, Marco Pantani in 1998 and Mario Cipollini in 2002. Pantani was awarded after a year of the Giro-Tour double, while Cipo was awarded for winning the Milano-Sanremo and the World Championships.

Read:
Sports Merit Award for Tom Boonen, 18 November
First Race Win for New World Champion, 7 November

Popovych Plans Tour Build-up

Popovych Looks to 2006, photo: Discovery Channel

Yaroslav Popovych (Discovery Channel) is a man for the Tour de France. While growing up the Ukrainian (25) never knew of the professional greats, such as Eddy Merckx, Fausto Coppi and Bernard Hinault. Instead, it was 5X Tour winner, Miguel Indurain, who was the first mythical cyclist to be known by Popo. The appreciation of Indurain was thanks to a Tour video cassette that made its way across the Eastern boarders.

In 2006 Popovych is ready to take up the role as Tour captain after the retirement of his former leader, Lance Armstrong. In his first year with Disco he advanced his professional stature by winning the overall of the Volta Ciclista a Catalunya and placing 12th in the Tour, taking the young rider classification along the way. Then in the early off-season he fortified his private life by marring his long time Italian girlfriend, Cindy (19).

Popo will tailor his preseason with the goal of winning the 93rd Grand Boucle. His season will start in California with the team camp, and then possibly riding in the Tour of California (19 - 26 February). Then the Ukrainian will return to Europe with some Spanish racing, followed by the Paris-Nice (5 - 12 March), Critérium du Dauphiné Libéré (4 - 11 June) and then the Tour de France (1 - 23 July).

Read:
Discovery Channel Builds After Armstrong, 4 November
Popo is a Married Man, 10 August

29 November News ...