Euro Peloton - Pro Cycling News

Well put.

2008-11-21T06:15:00.000-08:00

Well put.

Hello, and thank you for this post. What better wa...

2008-11-20T19:39:00.000-08:00

Hello, and thank you for this post. What better way for invest in sponsoring cycling now ?

Well, there ain't no Contador, Evans, Schleckets, ...

2008-11-20T08:05:00.000-08:00

Well, there ain't no Contador, Evans, Schleckets, CVV nor Valverde, so I wouldn't call the Giro overshadowing the Tour after all...
I also highly doubt that Levi will ride the Giro, Klöden most likely will.
But anyway it looks very good, I'm hoping to see a great race, GO LANCE!!!

Popo signed 2 years with Astana btw.This year (-08...

2008-11-20T07:34:00.000-08:00

Popo signed 2 years with Astana btw.

This year (-08) was Cadel's best shot for the victory since Astana were banned. I doubt he'll even podium next year, we might very well see Astana sweep the podium.

There's a chance CSC and Astana will go toe to toe...

2008-11-20T03:03:00.000-08:00

There's a chance CSC and Astana will go toe to toe and forget about Cadel.

His strategy could be to go under the radar all the way to Ventoux, and roll the dice for a big win.

The key is Cadel was defending for 2 weeks, plus the crash, the mental and physical fatigue killed him. In 2009 Cadel will not have the big target on his back like 2008 - that honour goes to Contador.

I agree. I thought last year's Giro was the best ...

2008-11-19T07:46:00.000-08:00

I agree. I thought last year's Giro was the best because of Contador and the surprise last minute invite. Quite the drama. But this year will be equally as dramatic with the greatest cycling comeback since LA's first comeback from cancer.

Should either Alejandro Valverde, Denis Menchov, o...

2008-11-19T05:10:00.000-08:00

Should either Alejandro Valverde, Denis Menchov, or Christian Vande Velde decide to contest the Giro, the July Tour de France could find itself overshadowed by its Italian counterpart.

Menchov is in. You're right - this should be an awesome Giro.

http://www.velonews.com/article/85228/menchov-announces-plans-to-race-giro

FYI, I added you to my blogroll. Love the site.

I really hope the earlier post is not correct... V...

2008-11-18T00:19:00.000-08:00

I really hope the earlier post is not correct... Vs. is the only place I can see cycling at all! And plus, this is Columbia's year to shine and I don't want to miss a minute of it.

If anyone can follow wheels and hang on like grim ...

2008-11-17T13:55:00.000-08:00

If anyone can follow wheels and hang on like grim death, it's Cadel. But he can't wear the yellow jersey early on and hope to defend it against Caisse d'Epargne, Saxo-Bank, and Astana. He doesn't have a strong enough team for that. It's better for Cadel to be the underdog than the favorite, I think.

Whilst there is a fair degree of veracity in the o...

2008-11-16T19:52:00.000-08:00

Whilst there is a fair degree of veracity in the original post, the situation is not quite as bleak as painted. The loss of Kohl (an obvious major player in the mountains) is a major blow but Silence DID also sign Sebastian Lang from the Gerolsteiner stable. If my recollection is correct, he was 6th in the KOM standings from 08 Tour. Wegelius, I expect, will at minimum deliver more value than Cioni.

Whilst he certainly hasn't an Astana outfit around him, methinks he will be considerably better supported than in 08. Lang, potentially Dekker & Wegelius should deal him a somewhat stronger hand in at least some of the "clinches". I DO think that his best chances to win may have passed but neither can he be regarded as a "non-factor".

Silence-Lotto also signed Charlie Wegelius, one of...

2008-11-16T13:43:00.000-08:00

Silence-Lotto also signed Charlie Wegelius, one of the best mountain domestiques in the business. Witness his awesome work at the Giro and elsewhere in the last few seasons for Liquigas. Much under-rated as a reliable guy to have around and never shirks doing what's asked. Also this is a guy who finished 45th as a domestique in 2007 at his first attempt. Expect to see him in front of Cadel a lot. The sort of rider I'd want protecting my team leader

dumb comment, but I read in my Velonews that Boom ...

2008-11-15T07:41:00.000-08:00

dumb comment, but I read in my Velonews that Boom was at the Tour of Missouri, working behind the scenes with the crew and just hanging out. Maybe next year he'll be signing autographs, eh?

Oh, and Cavendish has to come back. The crowds we...

2008-11-15T07:36:00.000-08:00

Oh, and Cavendish has to come back. The crowds were crazy for him.

The thing about Missouri is that it is supported b...

2008-11-15T07:32:00.000-08:00

The thing about Missouri is that it is supported by the Governor and Lieutenant Governor and paid for by the Department of Tourism. Missouri is a great race, because of their enthusiasm and committment. The Lieutenant Governor, who orchestrated the event, is leaving office. Who knows what will happen when the political powers change. '09 may be the last year for the ToM if they do not find a title sponsor this year.

Anyway, I hope this year's Rabobank and Liquigas riders convince Friere and Benni that they need to be at the ToM in '09.

I have been wondering which teams will be at the T...

2008-11-12T15:03:00.000-08:00

I have been wondering which teams will be at the ToC this year since Toyota-United, Gerolsteiner, Saunier-Duval, and Credit-Agricole are now disbanded.

Cervelo TT, Silence-Lotto, Liquigas, Barloworld, maybe Katusha ?? I can hardly wait for the list to come out.

I would love to see the ToC as a 3 week event. Wh...

2008-11-12T13:38:00.000-08:00

I would love to see the ToC as a 3 week event. What I don't want to see is it turning into a three week event that has to fold after a year or two due to lack of sponsorship. If the jump is made, whoever is in charge (AEG?, medalist?) needs to make sure they have enough long term support ($$$) to be able to run the event for several years in order to build up its reputation among the european teams/fans.

John, great comment, duly noted. Race radios for s...

2008-11-11T18:36:00.000-08:00

John, great comment, duly noted. Race radios for safety, not tactics.

For anyone who wants to eliminate all radio usage,...

2008-11-11T17:45:00.000-08:00

For anyone who wants to eliminate all radio usage, I simply have these words for you "health and safety". I believe if we want to eliminate the tactics of the race being dictated by the managers using the race radios, we would centralise the system so that only the race organisation can transmit to the race radios. That way any obstacles, hazards, accidents can be communicated to the peloton.

Dominique is the greatest. he's goind to dominate...

2008-11-11T08:13:00.000-08:00

Dominique is the greatest. he's goind to dominate the european circuit next year. Hopefully he'll still do a little racing in the US.

It makes sense for Cervelo Test Team to sign the C...

2008-11-11T07:14:00.000-08:00

It makes sense for Cervelo Test Team to sign the Canadian, too. Cervelo is based in Canada. Cervelo TT is getting a great rider and Rollin is a Canadian star who will represent the team well. (I will send you pictures that I took of Dominic at the ToM.)

The cuban missile has landed on his feet too, with Rock Racing :)

Yep, I think Garmin really needs another time tria...

2008-11-08T16:50:00.000-08:00

Yep, I think Garmin really needs another time trialist, too. That TTT is going to be something else next year.

I really like your blog. It's fun to read. I liked your description of LA, FL, IB in your last post. You should consider doing your top ten favorite moments of 2008. I still replay in my mind David Millar throwing his bike and Frank Schlek going over the barrier.

Floyd could have been found guilty 50 times, but w...

2008-11-08T05:24:00.000-08:00

Floyd could have been found guilty 50 times, but what kind of meaning does "guilty"? have when the deck is stacked against someone and the process is so flawed that the evidence means nothing? Fair to Jenny? Someone should have been fair to Floyd!!!

In fairness to Jenny, Landis was found guilty twic...

2008-11-06T16:59:00.000-08:00

In fairness to Jenny, Landis was found guilty twice of doping . . .

Hey Jenni, how do YOU know Floyd cheated? Who are ...

2008-11-06T15:57:00.000-08:00

Hey Jenni, how do YOU know Floyd cheated? Who are YOU?

Yes, Canondale! Liquigas!Nathan O'Neill should get...

2008-11-05T18:36:00.000-08:00

Yes, Canondale! Liquigas!

Nathan O'Neill should get a place on the Maxxis team before Landis. O'Neill admitted to using the appetite suppressant in the off season, his intent wasn't to cheat, and he served his time.

I just can't get excited about Landis coming back, because he cheated in the biggest race in the world and stood on the top step of the podium. I will feel the same way about Rasmussen when he comes back because he wore the yellow jersey.