BiciRace.com :: News :: January 2006

News :: January 2006

28 January 2006

World Champion Rocks Middle East

Boonen Cleaning House in White Jersey, photo: Quick-Step

Yesterday Tom Boonen started the season off right by winning the Doha International GP. "Today it has been the work of a great team," explained the World Champion. "The team was really strong and united. This means that during the winter, and the team camp in Calpe [Spain], went well for us".

Boonen relied on Matteo Tosatto and then Steven De Jongh in the final kilometer to deliver his sprint. "To win on the first race does well for the morale, even if we are conscious that it is only the beginning of the season and the important tests I am still far off".

Read:
Better Condition for Boonen in Qatar, 27 January
Boonen Builds Il Treno Quick-Step, 20 January
Quick-Step Practice Boonen Train, 16 January
Boonen Kicks Off with Qatar, 21 December

O'Grady Unchained in Doha

The Team CSC season opener went haywire for their new team sprinter, Stuart O'Grady. Yesterday, while sprinting for the victory in the Doha International GP, the Aussie broke his chain. O'Grady kept control of the situation and avoided crashing his team issue Cervélo.

"The whole team was up front during the final lap and Stuart was in a perfect position, right on Tom Boonen's wheel, when the sprint started. So it could have been a really good result, but then his chain broke. On the other hand, Stuart was lucky not to crash," said Alain Gallopin, Team DS. If Team CSC continues in this fashion they will only win 98% of the spring races versus 99%, like in 2005.

"We went directly from a hard training camp, but we have noticed, that some of the riders are already in great shape. We obviously need a bit of luck to repeat last year's huge success in the Tour of Qatar, but I wouldn't be surprised if we got one or two big results down here again this year," finished Gallopin.

Read:
Team CSC Returns for Qatar and GP d'Ouverture, 3 January
Team CSC and Stuart O'Grady, 28 October

The Capo of Disco is Unknown

Armstrong and Bruyneel Decide Capo, photo: Makoto Ayano

This week Discovery Channel was presented in California and for the first time in years the formation did not present Lance Armstrong as one of the riders. The squadra is changing and there will be a new capo going into this year's Tour de France. But who?

Il Texano was on hand in Los Angeles but he did not give any indication of who could be the next lead Disco dancer. The candidates for the role are the American George Hincapie, his compatriot (and BiciRace.com pick) Tom Danielson, the Ukrainian Yaroslav Popovych and the Italian Paolo Savoldelli.

BiciRace.com says Danielson, photo: Makoto Ayano

"I am retired, it is true, but the love that I have for this sport and the bond to this team, that helped me achieve so much, are fundamental in the desire to evolve my career to the next level," said Armstrong at the presentation. "There is hardly a day that passes where I don't ring up Johan Bruyneel to talk about the team, about the sport and how to continue to win."

The team, with 27 riders spanning 15 nations, is targeting the big races for 2006. The objects are the Tour of California, Tour of Flanders, Paris-Roubaix and the three Grand Tours (Giro, Tour and Vuelta). These are some large ambitions and Disco is quite capable of the task, but Armstrong and Bruyneel just have to decide "Who's the capo?"

More Photos:
Armstrong Talks, photo: Makoto Ayano
Hincapie the Man?, photo: Makoto Ayano
Il Falco il Capo?, photo: Makoto Ayano

Read:
Disco Beltrán for Vuelta and Giro, 24 December
Discovery Channel Builds After Armstrong, 4 November

Rogers for Giro TTT and Preparation

Soon Michael Rogers will debut in the Tour of California but his eyes are focused on the Tour de France. The 3X time trial World Champion made the switch over the winter to join T-Mobile and help Jan Ullrich achieve his second Tour success.

The Aussie can climb as well as TT, and he was a little disappointed that the organizers dropped the team TT from the Tour's menu. "Yeah, sure. With the riders we have in the team, I believe we could have given that a good shake," said Rogers in a T-Mobile interview. "But we will still have a chance at the Giro. I am looking forward to that."

The TT man is based in Varese and married to an Italian, so the Giro d'Italia will be a home race. "I will probably ride the Giro with Jan. For me it is the right way to prepare for the Tour because I need a lot of races to perform well. I can train hard but need racing to hit peak."

Rogers, just like Ullrich, will use the Giro to build up his number of racing days and maybe go for a stage win. "This year I am aiming for 35 to 40 racing days in the build-up to the Tour. So maybe I will even ride another smaller stage race after the Giro, but it depends on what shape I'm in going in and out of the Giro. I may of course not finish the Giro. Anyway, I start my season at the Tour of California, and I'll also take in Liège-Bastogne-Liège, which will be the only classic on my program."

Read:
T-Mobile to California with Rogers, 24 January
Il Varesino Michael Rogers al Giro d'Italia, 17 January
Team CSC Train and Race in California, 12 January

27 January News ...