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16 December 2005

Saunier Duval-Prodir Signs David Millar, 15 December ...
17 December News ...

Klöden and Ullrich add Kilometers in Africa

A select group of T-Mobile boys are ripping up the South African roads. 1997 Tour de France King, Jan Ullrich, is stationed in Cape Horn along with Andreas Klöden, Matthias Kessler, Steffen Wesemann, André Korff, Olaf Pollack, Eric Baumann, Patrik Sinkewitz and Thomas Ziegler. The crew is laying the foundation for the season where Ulle hopes to once again become king of the Tour.

"I find it really nice here: the mood is great, the weather couldn't be better," said Ulle. "Already there are some hundreds of kilometers in my legs. ... Everything is going according to the training plan, even a bit better than it did at the same time last year."

Andreas Klöden is going strong and has found his injury to be almost gone. "My hand has recovered well and is hardly causing any problems now," said Hilde. The German had crashed out of this year's Tour broken navicular bone and keeps building for his comeback which is scheduled to be the Vuelta Comunidad Valenciana (21 - 25 February).

Read:
Andreas Klöden Starts in February, 13 December
Ulle to Race Giro with Eye on Tour, 25 November
Klöden Out of Action, 4 August
The Coming and Goings of T-Mobile, 5 October

Second Annual Cunego Fan Club Day

This Sunday in Noventa Vicentina (Vicenza) will be the second annual Cunego Fan Club Day. There is expected to be 350 tifosi in attendance, representing 18 different Cunego fan clubs. Yes, 18! Il Piccolo Principe has 18 fan clubs that have soared in popularity after his 2004 Giro d'Italia win.

Last year the event, held in Verona's famous Piazza Bra, was a huge success. This year if you are in the vicinity then stop by Hotel alla Busa and join the festivities. The following Monday you can wake up and head over to the presentation of the 1st Granfondo Damiano Cunego.

Read:
Time Trial Work for Cunego, 3 December
Wilier have Two-Year Deal with Lampre and Cunego, 2 December
Terme Time for Lampre-Fondital, 1 December
Lampre-Fondital Official, 12 November
Damiano Cunego and Lampre Schedules, 2 November

70th Tour de Suisse Presented

2006 will bring about the 70th running of the Tour de Suisse. From Baden to Berne the riders will cover 1,470K in nine days. There are eight stages through Switzerland that will be capped off with a race against the clock.

The Swiss tour will come down to the final half of the race. Stages six through eight are packed with mountain passes that will shred the peloton. The mountain goats will have to lock in an advantage because the final day offers a 30K time trial finale to Berne. This could be the place where Jan Ullrich makes his GC winning move, or perhaps we will see 2005 winner, Aitor González deliver the goods for a second straight year.

Stages
June 10, Stage 1, Baden – Baden, 154K
June 11, Stage 2, Bremgarten - Einsiedeln, 165K
June 12, Stage 3, Einsiedeln - Arlesheim, 160K
June 13, Stage 4, Niederbipp - La Chaux-de-Fonds, 151K
June 14, Stage 5, La Chaux-de-Fonds - Loèche-les-Bains, 210K
June 15, Stage 6, Fiesch - La Punt, 210K
June 16, Stage 7, St Moritz - Ascona, 233K
June 17, Stage 8, Ambri - Ambri, 155K
June 18, Stage 9, Chiètres - Berne TT, 30K
Total 1,470K

Read:
Tour de Suisse: Aitor Gonzalez Wins Final Stage and GC, 20 June
2005 Tour de Suisse

La Gazzetta Celebrates with Granfondo

The Italian leading sports paper, La Gazzetta dello Sport, will celebrate its 110th year in 2006. The pink paper will mark the occasion by offering three challenging 110K rides for cycling amateurs, called "Challenge Gazzetta 110".

The routes will celebrate the biggest races that La Gazzetta organizes: Milano-Sanremo, Giro d'Italia and Giro di Lombardia. The day after the professionals race the Milano-Sanremo will be the first offering. On 19 March there will be a "Medio Fondo" of 110K that goes from San Remo to San Remo, covering the famous Capi ("climbs") that dot the finish of the professional event.

The spring event is followed by the Granfondo Giro d'Italia (28 May). This will be the most challenging of the three, covering the Passo di San Pellegrino and the Passo Duran in 170K. For those who drank too much grappa the night before there is also a shorter Medio Fondo on offer of 110K.

The final event of the three is the fall running of the Medio Fondo Giro di Lombardia. This is another challenging 110K event that will take place 15 October, the day after the professional version. The route starts and finishes in Como, and includes the famed climbs of the Madonna del Ghisallo, Civiglio and San Fermo della Battaglia. It will be smart to attack your gruppo while they are stopped at the pizzeria, i.e.: Attack in the feed-zone!

15 December News ...