BiciRace.com :: News :: January 2006

News :: January 2006

11 January 2006

Danilo Di Luca to Peschici

In Pink, photo: Liquigas-Bianchi

Today Danilo Di Luca (Liquigas) will be at the presentation for the 10th stage of the 2006 Giro d'Italia. The Killer, winner of four stages of the Giro, will be a special guest at the Peschici city hall when the official route from Termoli to Peschici is unveiled.

Di Luca has a special connection with the Pugliese city (in the heel of Italy), it is where he won the 5th stage of the 2000 Giro. That stage, in the team colors of Cantina Tollo, marked the beginning of Corsa Rosa success for the Killer. This year, in the colors of Liquigas, he is hoping to turn last year's fourth place into an overall race win.

Read:
Fine Tuning of the TT Machine for Di Luca, 2 December
2006 Giro d'Italia Route Unfolded, 12 November
Mexico and Training for Danilo Di Luca, 3 November
Danilo Di Luca Interview, 5 July

Milram to Conquer Every Race

Yesterday the Italian-German squadra of Milram was presented in Bremen, location of the sponsor's headquarters. Thirty riders were presented by the Team Manager, Gianluigi Stanga (15 Italians, 10 German, 2 Ukrainians, 1 Kazakh, 1 Dutch and 1 Slovak).

The team's main sprint gun, Alessandro Petacchi, officially announced that he will partake in the 2006 Giro d'Italia. "I actually decided yesterday with Stanga to do the Giro d'Italia. I will also take part in the Tour de France, and maybe the even the Vuelta," said Ale-Jet at Tuesday's presentation. "I will confront this new adventure with great enthusiasm. My first objectives will be Milano-Sanremo, the Tour of Flanders, Gent-Wevelgem, concluding with Paris-Tours."

"I am very content with the birth of this new team Milram," said the team's experienced sprinter, Erik Zabel. "I will be certain to go to the Tour [de France] where I will aim to conquer the green jersey. Between me and Alessandro there are not problems, we are two professionals and two honest me."

Gianluigi Stanga plans to conquer every race that finishes in a sprint with the two Milram men of speed. It will be an interesting year to see just how the blue train functions up against the likes of Tom Boonen and Robbie McEwen. If Stanga can hone their power then his boys will be able to rack up the sprint victories.

Read:
Ale-Jet Locks Giro into Radar, 10 January
Milram Presents in Bremen, 9 January
Petacchi Might Skip Giro, 14 November

2006 Tour de Langkawi

Overall Map, photo: First Cartel Sdn Bhd

The race organizers of the Tour de Langkawi are back at it again for well designed 10 day stage race in Malaysia. There is not too much you can complain about with the 11th Tour de Langkawi: hot weather, exotic location, UCI points and the beast of the east, the Genting Highlands.

The race sticks in the southern end of the peninsula, offering stages for the sprint guns, climbing aces, and the TT men. The first stages will be blood thirsty sprints, offering the possibility of the race leader's jersey along with stage glory. Then affairs will get dicey, really dicey, with the Cameron Highlands (stage 3) and Genting Highlands (stage 5). The two stages are split by a flat sprint stage, but that won't leave much time for the legs to recover.

Just like in year's past the Genting Highlands will be a battle for the GC and for bragging rights. It does not rank up with Alpe d'Huez or the Passo dello Stelvio, but it is an important climb. The climbers will get freaky on this 36K climb that tops out at 1699 meters. BiciRace.com will be pulling for the climbing stallion, Saul Raisin (Crédit Agricole). His climbing speed, and team colors, will enable him to sneak away and take victory at the peak's posh resort.

Stage 6 (to Tampin) and stage 7 (to Kola Tinggi) will be long and steamy runs. Expect attacks on the overall leader over the undulating stages, but bunch gallops are the most likely end result. The GC men will want to keep a clean pair of wheels for the final overall test, the TT around Melaka. Over the 16.2 kilometers the 11th Tour de Langkawi leader's jersey should be sealed. The final day, a day for sprinters and Malaysian spectators, is a 3K circuit on the streets of the country's capital, Kuala Lumpur.

Complete 2006 Tour de Langkawi Preview and Stages (3 - 12 February)

10 January News ...