Team Talk 9 - updates

The Tour of Flanders is now a memory- Team CSC suffered big time and the riders had a few things to say about the race.

Now teams look ahead to Gent-Wevelgem on April 9 , whilst others ride the Tour of the Basque Country. Also news from the Plowman Craven team in the USA, Halfords in the Women's Tour of Flanders and Jan Ullrich could face jail.

Team leader Alberto Contador won in Legazpi the first stage in the Tour of the Basque Country. In a short (137 K) but hard stage over seven climbs, Contador attacked on the final climb of Deskarga, joined the escaped rider Mozquera, took risks in the descent and beat Mosquera to the line in a sprint finish. Contador will start tomorrow in the yellow leader’s jersey. This is Alberto Contador’s fourth victory of the season.

So, who is the fashion victim?

“My team worked again so hard”, stated last year’s Tour de France winner. “My overall victory in the Tour of Castilla y Leon gave the team extra motivation and confidence. We really made an intelligent race. Rain or sunshine, it doesn't’t matter for me. When you have the right condition, you support every type of weather. The next days, all other teams will look at us, but we are used to it. I did not gain so many seconds on the other riders, but we showed again that our team is one of the strongest teams in the world.”

Team in France and Belgium
Vladimir Gusev, who had to be taken to the hospital after a crash in the Tour of Flanders, will be able to participate in the Circuit de la Sarthe.

Riders are: Thomas Frei, Vladimir Gusev, Berik Kupeshov, Julien Mazet, Andrey Mizurov and Steve Morabito D.S.: Alain Gallopin

In Gent-Wevelgem, Astana Cycling Team can count on almost the same riders who performed so strong in Tour of Flanders. Tomas Vaitkus (flatted on a bad moment after his attack on the Oude Kwaremont) is highly motivated and Flanders revelation Gregory Rast will try to confirm.

Riders: Koen de Kort, René Haselbacher, Sergey Ivanov, Aaron Kemps, Dmitriy Muravyev, Gregory Rast, Michael Schär and Tomas Vaitkus D.S.: Viatcheslav Ekimov

Erik Zabel leads team in Gent-Wevelgem and a last-minute line-up change after poor showing in Hel van Het Mergelland

The team management has made a last-minute change in the line-up of the German ProTour team for the 70th running of Gent-Wevelgem taking place through West Flanders. After a poor showing by the team last Saturday in Hel van Het Mergelland, Directeurs Sportif Antonio Bevilaqua and Raoul Liebregts have decided to go with their Flanders-experienced riders around captain Erik Zabel.

"When riders present themselves in a race as part of our team did Saturday in the Netherlands, then they need to re-think not only their own performance but also their whole attitude toward their profession,“ said Gerry van Gerwen, Team general manager."We are happy to give one or the other of them time now to do that. After all, Gent-Wevelgem is a big race in which we want to present ourselves in the best way.“

Team is: Artur Gajek (GER/Bergisch Gladbach), Christian Knees (GER/Euskirchen), Enrico Poitschke (GER/Gera), Erik Zabel (GER/Unna), Fabio Sabatini (ITA/(ITA/Monsummano Terme), Luca Barla (ITA/Imperia), Markus Eichler (GER/Mönchengladbach) and Martin Müller (GER/Berlin). Directeurs Sportif: Antonio Bevilaqua (ITA), Raoul Liebregts (NED)

Young rider Peter Velits proved his climbing ability in the opening stage of the six-day long Vuelta a Pais Vasco. The U-23 World Champion rode side by side with cycling's elite on the challenging stage and finished a strong seventh on the day. Winner of the first stage in northern Spain was Alberto Contador (Astana). He beat out his landsman Ezequiel Mosquera (Karpin-Galicia) in the pouring rain. Third was David Herrero (Karpin-Galicia) who led the following group, which included Peter Velits, across the finish line eight seconds later.

Velits can look forward to a good overall placement. The U-23 World Champion was always involved, especially in the last half of the stage, when the peloton picked up the tempo and caught escapees Iban Mayoz (Karpin Galicia) and Egoi Martinez (Euskatel) with 14 km to go.

The yeam for Pais Vasco are; Andrey Grivko (UKR/Wohnort:Poggio a Caiano;ITA), Björn Schröder (GER/Berlin), Dominik Roels (GER/Köln), Igor Astarloa (ESP/Monte-Carlo;MON), Matej Jurco (SVK/Liptovsky Hradok), Peter Velits (SVK/Riemst;BEL), Sebastian Schwager (GER/Neusass), Sergio Ghisalberti (ITA/Bergamo)

Because of untimely mechanical breakdowns, Silence-Lotto's results at Tour of Flanders have been far from their hopes.

However, the races continue, and we have to look toward the future and the team line up for Gent-Wevelgem with: De Vocht Wim, Jacobs Pieter, Kaisen Olivier, McEwen Robbie (Aus), Roesems Bert, Roelandts Jürgen, Steurs Geert, Van Avermaet Greg and Coach Herman Frison

Stijn Devolder, the winner of the Tour of Flanders will be taking part in the Gent-Wevelgem. This news was confirmed today by team manager Patrick Lefevere during a press conference held at the Quickstep headquarters in Wielsbeke, dedicated to the recent winner of the “Ronde”.

“Yesterday was fantastic – Devolder said during the press conference – my fans organised a special party for me last night in my hometown of Sint Lodewijk Deerlijk. I got back to my house at about 11pm but I couldn’t sleep as I was so pleased and on a high. I could feel the adrenalin running through me, actually, if I think about my win a huge smile comes across my face. I’ll be taking part in the Gent-Wevelgem on Wednesday. This will be an important step towards the Paris Roubaix. It really would be fantastic if our team managed to gain two wins in a row. The team is going really well and Boonen has proved to be in brilliant form”.

The team for Gent-Wevelgem are: Tom Boonen, Wilfried Cretskens, Stijn Devolder, Steven De Jongh, Kevin Hulsmans, Gert Steegmans, Matteo Tosatto and Wouter Weylandt. DS: Wilfried Peeters.

The team also ride the GP Pini Cerami with Matteo Carrara, Mauro Facci, Dmytro Grabovskyy, Leonardo Scarselli, Kevin Seeldraeyers, Kevin Van Impe, Davide Viganò, Giovanni Visconti, Maarten Wynants.

Injury list
Good news regarding Steven De Jongh after a bad fall in the Tour of Flanders. The x-rays have excluded any fractures thankfully. “For about 30 seconds after falling yesterday I couldn’t feel my legs – De Jongh explains - then thankfully the feeling started to come back in them. I was really worried for a moment and I am so happy to be able to take part in the race on Wednesday”.

Sebastien Rosseler is still having problems with his right knee and for this reason will not be taking part in the Gent-Wevelgem. The same thing goes for Alessandro Proni who is still having problems with his left Achilles’ tendon.

Maarten Wynants also has a few aches and pains after yesterday’s fall. “I’ve got a few aches and pains especially in my neck and left knee but they aren’t serious thankfully. I rode today for about and hour and a half without any problems” – Wynants said.

AFP report that a decision on Ullrich fraud case expected soon

A decision on the fraud case against disgraced former Tour de France winner Jan Ullrich is expected in the next week, it was revealed on Monday. Prosecutors in Bonn have been investigating the 1997 Tour de France winner since July 2006 after it was alleged that he was involved in taking performance-enhancing drugs.

The 34-year-old faces fraud charges, alleging that by using banned substances, he deceived the public, sponsors and his team. "I think we are going to make a statement on this case in the course of the next week," Friedrich Apostle, the spokeswoman for the Office of Public Prosecution in Bonn, told AFP.

Under German law, Ullrich could settle the matter out of court and could face a fine of up to a million euros. "It is a possibility, but it is something I can't confirm," added Apostle.

Ullrich retired in early 2007.

Team Barloworld will be aiming for overall success in the 26th edition of the Portuguese Volta ao Alentejo stage race that ends in Evora on April 13. It is a key race for the team as it prepares for the Giro d’Italia and Tour de France.

Mauricio Soler will not ride (he is currently in Colombia and will be back for the Giro del Trentino at the end of April) but directeur sportif Alberto Volpi has a strong team that is capable of doing well. Spain’s Moises Duenas will be team leader after impressing at the recent Vuelta Castilla y Leon, while South Africa’s John Lee Augustyn often performs well in tough stage races.

Also in the team are Felix Cardenas and the two British riders Steve Cummings and Geraint Thomas. Cummings has already won a stage at the Giro di Calabria, while Thomas was recently part of the Great Britain team pursuit quartet that won the world title in Manchester and set a new world record. Completing the Team Barloworld line-up are Portugal’s Hugo Sabido and Italians Francesco Bellotti and Gianpaolo Cheula.

1st stage – April 9: Ferreira do Alentejo - Odemira km 195,6
2nd stage – April 10: Zambujeira do Mar - Ourique km 173
3rd stage – April 11: Nª Sr.ª das Neves - Beja (CRI) c.i. km 31
4th stage – April 12: Fluviário de Mora - Serra S. Mamede km 183,3
5th stage – April 13: É vora - Évora km 186,2

After the Tour of Flanders and Wednesday's Ghent-Wevelgem, Claudio Corti's riders will also start the 42nd edition of the GP Pino Cerami on Thursday.

The race is named after former Belgian professional Pino Cerami, who like many people in southern Belgium, has Italian roots. In the past the race has been won by Merckx, Zoetemelk and Hinault. It covers a technical course over a distance of 175.9 km from St. Ghislain to Boussu.

Team Barloworld directeur sportif Valerio Tebaldi will field the same line-up as in Ghent-Wevelgem, with just Chris Froome replacing Enrico Gasparotto. The other riders are: Patrick Calcagni, Baden Cooke, Marco Corti, Robert Hunter, Daryl Impey, Paolo Longo Borghini and Carlo Scognamiglio.

Plowman Craven

The UK's Plowman Craven Team are racing in the USA (See Team Talk 8)

Gary Beckett tells us that; The final stage of the Redlands Classic didn't quiet end up as planned for Plowman Craven RT, despite Simon Richardson sitting comfortably on GC, and with a course profile in front of him that was going to suit his style of climbing, and the possibility of moving much higher up on GC.

Unfortunately in the first few miles there were two big crashes, and in one of them no less than 5 of the 6 Plowman Craven Riders hit the deck (Alex Higham, Tom Barras, Simon Richardson, Neil Coleman, & Simon Gaywod) Only Evan Oliphant escaped the carnage, and stayed sitting in the lead group of aprox 20 riders, who had a comfortable lead over the chasers. Barring incidents looked set to get a top 20 finish at worst.

Alas this was not to be, as in the dying laps of the demanding Sunset circuit, Oliphant punctured at the top of an 80kph plus descent. With no following convoy of team service vehicles allowed, Oliphant received a quick wheel change from the Mavic motorbike, and then nailed himself to try and get back to the lead group. But at those speeds, and as the hammer went down with the leaders on the technical and demanding descent, he had no chance of regaining his position, he had to settle for place in the low 70's on GC.

As a testament to the speed, and challenges of the Redlands Classic, only 80 something riders finished out of 206 starters. So although it was disappointing for the Plowman Craven riders not to be up on GC in the end, they can take solace that the Redlands Organisers were very impressed with their performance, an aggressive style of racing, and the fact that they 'almost' made it.

On the plus side of yesterday, there were no serious injuries to any of the lads (I wish the same could be said of some of our equipment) And Tony Gibb, and James Millard, really set the crowds alight, with some aggressive riding in the Pro Elite mens crit that was being held in Redlands Town as a 'sideshow attraction', whilst the road race was out doing 12 laps of the sunset circuit before looping back to finish in Redlands also. Gibb managed to take several primes, after perfect leadouts from Millard, much to the disdain of some of the more local stars and Big boys!!! and Dan Rendler, the organiser of the Redlands Classic, later commented that "You Plowman Craven boys, sure don't mess around when it comes to taking the honey" and that he was really pleased to see so much pink and blue activity during the racing.

We now move North, to spend a week licking some wounds, repairing some equipment, and generally getting some quality training miles in preparation for The Garret Limere Crit, which is in Ojai, California next weekend.

Website - www.teamplowmancraven.com

Nicole Cooke showed that her Olympic preparations are well on track with another strong ride in the Women’s World Cup at the weekend (6 April). The Halfords Bikehut rider launched a late attack to catch the leaders during the Women’s Tour of Flanders in Belgium, but was caught with 150m to go. The race was won by German former World Champion Judith Arndt of High Road, who outsprinted American Kristin Armstrong of Cervelo Lifeforce after the pair broke away in the final kilometres of the race. Cooke finished in the leading group.

By the climb of the Muur-Kapelmuur the chasers had caught the front group with the remainder of the peloton out of contention. The leaders stayed together until after the final climb, the cobbled Bosberg, but on the fast, rolling run-in to the finish at Meerbeke, Armstrong put in a powerful attack that only Arndt managed to follow, and the pair quickly pulled away, opening a gap of around 20 seconds which they maintained to the line. With no-one in the chase group particularly attempting to respond, Cooke attacked with a kilometre and a half to go but was swallowed up in the final 150m as Het Wolk winner Kirsten Wild of AA Drink won the sprint for third.

Cooke eventually finished in 16th place, while team mates Catherine Hare and Jessica Allen finished 52nd and 62nd respectively.

Despite being caught in the final metres, Cooke was upbeat about her performance: “I’ve finished in the leading group for two World Cup races in succession and launched late attacks in both. At Flanders I stayed away longer than in the Binda, so my form is coming.

“This season is all about Beijing for me, and I’m looking to preserve as much form as I can while at the same time getting race fit.”

Cooke, who turns 25 this week, has already won the overall Women’s World Cup series twice, in 2006 and 2003, and lined up as defending champion of the Tour of Flanders. But the World Cup is not her main focus for the season, and her measured start is designed to get to her to Beijing in the best possible shape for the Olympic road race. Despite looking to preserve her form for August, both of Cooke’s World Cup outings this season – at the Trofeo Alfredo Binda in Italy and the Tour of Flanders - have demonstrated that preparations are going to plan: in both races Cooke found herself in the leading group and in both she found the legs to attack and open a gap in the final kilometres of the race.