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11 April 2006

12 April News ...

Benvenuti Ardennes: Amstel, Flèche and Liège

It is time to welcome the Ardennes Classics and say farewell to the hellish pavé. This Sunday starts a week of racing, where the Muurs will be replaced with Côtes, and the short and steep climbs will be make way for longer efforts. The main races are the Amstel Gold Race (16 April, Holland), la Flèche Wallonne (19, Belgium) and Liège-Bastogne-Liège (23, Belgium).

In the past few years the Italians have dominated le Ardenne: Davide Rebellin with an all most unbelievable feat, when he won all three races in 2004; The Killer, Danilo Di Luca, winning both Amstel and Flèche in 2005; and of course il Grillo, Paolo Bettini, who won Liège in 2000 and 2002.

For Amstel the tifosi will see Filippo Pozzato (Quick-Step) and Alessandro Ballan (Lampre-Fondital) continue their spring campaigns, and then there will be an incoming transition of the Grand Tour men. Ivan Basso (Team CSC) will appear for Flèche and Liège, while Gilberto Simoni (Saunier Duval-Prodir) and Damiano Cunego (Lampre-Fondital) will start in Liège: all three men gunning for the Giro d'Italia, which starts one week after La Doyenne.

"I have found here roads very similar to the Ardennes, which are helping me prepare well," said Bettini from his team's training base in Salsomaggiore Terme (Emilia-Romagna). "I am working with Davide Bramati, and we are taking in some of the long climbs here... also we are motor-pacing with Luca Guercilena to work on speed. I hope arrive at top form for Amstel, Flèche and Liège."

Astarloa for Ardennes Week

Igor Astarloa (Barloworld) is heading to Holland's Amstel Gold Race to start the Ardennes week. The 30 year-old Spaniard has made his name in the hilly classics: winning la Flèche Wallonne in 2003, before going on to win the World Championships in Hamilton, Canada later that fall.

"Going back to Belgium is always nice because the roads and race routes really suit my style of racing, and it is where I can definitely do well. I hope that, like in 2003, the spring classics will give good fortune for the rest of the season," said the Spaniard.

"When you're really motivated all three races are special," continued the former World Champion. "I've got special memories of Flèche-Wallonne, but I also really love Liege-Bastogne-Liege. Amstel Gold is also special because I know the organizer, Leo van Vliet, very well. Leo helped me a lot when I had some problems, for example during last season, and for that reason I really want to do well in Holland."

Igor Astarloa has not had a completely easy spring, which includes a victory in Milano-Torino, but he is happy with his non-ProTour squadra. "To tell the truth I haven't got rid of all my bad luck. At both Tirreno-Adriatico and Critérium International I could have done better ... Team Barloworld is as well organized, and as professional, as any of the big teams, and my teammates are good riders who know when and how to help me. After that it's up to me to make the difference..."

Read:
Amstel Gold Race Confirms Barloworld and Astarloa, 8 March

Cycling's New Generation Winning Big

Filippo Pozzato (24) in Milano-Sanremo, Tom Boonen (25) in Tour of Flanders, and Fabian Cancellara (25) in Paris-Roubaix... It is time to welcome the new generation of riders. These young riders are leading cycling's new generation, ending the era of riders like Armstrong, Museeuw, Jalabert and Tafi.

Both Pozzato (Quick-Step) and Cancellara (Team CSC) share the same Mapei roots: the Italian rode for the squadra from 2000 to 2002, and the Swiss in 2001 and 2002. The squadra was one of the strongest of its time, producing many of the great riders of today, but also instilling team ethics, some of which Bjarne Riis has copied in his CSC philosophy.

It is amazing to look at the current crop of riders that are performing so well, all in the age range of 24 to 26: Pozzato, Cancellara, Tom Boonen (Quick-Step), Damiano Cunego (Lampre-Fondital), Alejandro Valverde (Caisse d'Epargne-Illes Balears) and Michael Rogers (T-Mobile) are some of the most well known names. Then there are the others who are right near the top: Allan Davis (Liberty Seguros-Würth), Luca Paolini (Liquigas), Laszlo Bodrogi (Crédit Agricole) and Bernhard Eisel (Française Des Jeux).

These names will be the names to watch. The young guns will make the headlines and history of cycling for the next ten years.

Giro for Rujano

José Rujano (Selle Italia-Serramenti Diquigiovanni), third in the 2005 Giro d'Italia, may be back to test this year's event. The Venezuelan climber had fallen out with Team Manager, Gianni Savio, but now the two have seemed to work out an agreement.

The 24 year-old, along with Team DS Marco Bellini, have planned a schedule to prepare for this year's mountainous Corsa Rosa. This Saturday he will start in the Giro d’Oro, then the Giro del Trentino (18 - 21 April), GP Larciano (29 April) and Giro di Toscana (30 April). If team rider-management dynamics stay above 'rocky' then we could see the Venezuelan vying for overall honors in a Giro that is very adapted to his style.

Read:
Rujano Back in Italia, 4 April

Ballan on Train Crossing

Alessandro Ballan (Lampre-Fondital) benefited from following the rules in Sunday's Paris-Roubaix, when the others didn't. Ballan was part of a trio (Boonen and Flecha) that stopped at a closed train track crossing with nine kilometers left of racing, even though the trio before the Italian (Hoste, Gusev and Van Petegem) blew through the gates.

"I wanted to pass but I saw the train was coming," recalled Ballan, who was moved from sixth to third after the disqualification of the first trio. "Who would have ever thought this would have happened? It happens in races, but not often does train pass on such an important race, like Roubaix. I benefited from the sanctions of the others, but it is an important placing. It is clearly bad situation that they were disqualified after the podium, but the rules are clear on train crossings."

Read:
Strong Roubaix for Ballan, 10 April

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From 16 to 24 July, SportsTrails will guide you around France, led by, amongst others, ex-Tour de France professional Marco Vermeij. You'll see all the action in the crucial Alpine stages, including the finish to l'Alpe d'Huez, along with the final time trial and the battle on the Champs-Élysées during the final road stage into Paris.

The Birth of a new Tour Champion! Check out the full details and itinerary on www.SportsTrails.com, and make sure to mention BiciRace.com when booking. Buon Viaggio!

Read:
Belgian Giro d'Italia with SportsTrails, 14 March
2006 Tour de France Route Revealed, 27 October

10 April News ...