BiciRace.com :: News :: January 2006

News :: January 2006

21 January 2006

Phonak to Giro with Merckx, Peña and Landis

Merckx and Crew, photo: Phonak

Yesterday was the presentation of the green hearing team, Phonak. The Swiss squadra has been strengthened over the winter by the addition of Axel Merckx. The Belgian, along with Floyd Landis and Victor Hugo Peña revealed that they will be showing the team's green colors in the Giro d'Italia.

Merckx is hoping for good form at classics, such as Liège-Bastogne-Liège, and then he intends to take that form into the Giro d'Italia two weeks later. "The Giro will start off in Belgium, it's especially important for me to make a good showing," said the Belgian.

The son of Eddy could find himself riding in support of a Colombian or an American. Both Peña and Landis have stated their desires take part in the Corsa Rosa. "I want to win in Italy," said Peña. The Colombian also has yellow in his eyes ... "This year I want to wear the Maillot Jaune again, like I was able to slip it on for three days in 2003."

Landis has scaled down ambitions compared to his Colombian mate: "Riding in it [Giro] will be like training under racing conditions. I don't think it makes sense to go for both the Giro and the Tour de France." Nevertheless, Phonak will have a strong showing at the start line of the Giro on 6 May. Names like Merckx, Peña and Landis are good for the race and for the tifosi. Bravo Phonak.

Gerrans Keeps an Eye on Sánchez

Simon Gerrans (Ag2R Prévoyance) has held on to his seven second race lead after a grueling stage 4 of the Tour Down Under. Since winning stage 1 the Aussie has been in the leader's orange jersey and is now on the verge of winning the 8th edition of his home tour.

The Aussie (26) will have to keep a clean pair of wheels in tomorrow's final stage, a circuit race, to maintain his advantage over second placed Luis León Sánchez (Liberty Seguros-Würth). "It's going to be fantastic wearing the jersey tomorrow and I've got to get through the final 90 kilometers yet. It's not often a race is lost on the last day but I guess theoretically it's possible," said Gerrans. He then took a quick look around for the whereabouts of Sánchez... "But again I'll be watching Sánchez pretty closely."

In stage 4 Sánchez gave it his all and launched offensives on the AG2r crew on the Willunga Hill. "When he first dropped me about 400m from the top of the climb, I panicked a little bit and I sort of blew up, but I had Sylvain Calzati waiting there for me and he kept his cool," said Gerrans. "He rode an early tempo so I could hang onto his wheel and then we caught José [Luis] Arrieta and he started working as well ... the two of them just towed me back up to Sánchez."

Barredo Aims for Classics from Down Under

Yesterday Carlos Barredo (24) zapped his escape companions in stage 3 of the Tour Down Under to give Liberty Seguros-Würth their second consecutive victory. The Spaniard's win was one the heels of the stage 2 win by Allan Davis, showing Liberty muscle even though the race lead was not theirs. "The reason we are going so well is because it is well known our director, Manolo Saiz, gets his guys training very hard throughout the off-season," said Barredo.

"I was disappointed after the first day when I was out of the general classification because I came here with that in mind as well as to help Luis [León Sánchez] defend his title," Barredo said after the stage 3 victory. "So besides looking at overall with Luis we've been taking it stage by stage and trying to get in the winning move each day, which I did today so I am very happy to win.

"The victory of today's stage [stage 3] is compensation for all the hard work I have done during the off-season," said the Spaniard. "I made a lot of sacrifices through training and watching my diet to get myself into shape, so this victory compensates for those sacrifices."

After the Australian race the Spaniard will pack his bags and head towards Euro-land. On tap for Barredo is a build up to the Northern Classics where last year he was active in the breaks of the Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix. "I hope this form will continue from here so I can have a good Classics campaign which is my main objective for 2006."

Tour Down Under, 17 - 22 January
Main, Startlist, Overall Map, Photos

33rd Tour Méditerranéen Finishes in Sanremo

Tour Méditerranéen Overall map

The 33rd Tour Méditerranéen once again has an exciting route, with six stages over five days of racing (8 - 12 February). Race Director, Lucien Aimar, will take the riders from the start in France to the finale on the Via Roma in Sanremo. The longest stage is only 125K, so the action will heat up fast from the partenza.

Day one, from Marseille to Marignane, covers the Roquefort and Col de l'Ange climbs but a flat second half should see a bunch sprint. Stage 2 is a common fixture of the tour, finishing on the famed slopes of Mont Faron after 116 of racing. Day three contains a morning stage to Hyères, and an afternoon team time trial of 18K. Stage 5 should offer some explosions with a short 107K stage that features the Col de la Madone (926m) en route to Menton. The final stage, sprinters take note, uses the last 70K of the Milano-Sanremo. Just like La Classicissima the peloton will cover the Cipressa and Poggio before dropping 6K into Sanremo.

Stages:
Feb 8, Stage 1, Marseille - Marignane, 110K
Feb 9, Stage 2, Berre L'Etang - Mont Faron, 116K
Feb 10, Stage 3, La Londe les Maures - Hyères, 125K
Feb 10, Stage 4, La Garde - La Garde, 18K team time trial
Feb 11, Stage 5, Saint Laurent du Var - Menton, 107K
Feb 12, Stage 6, Sanremo - Sanremo, 120K

20 January News ...