Cycling Juggernaut Forming in Germany as Katuysha Team Begins to Take Form

Oleg Tinkoff has big plans for cycling in Russia. He has decided to drastically overhaul his team, and has found three big Russian companies to come aboard as sponsors: Gazprom, Itera and Ros Technologie. With a fresh budget in the tens of millions, the Katuysha cycling team should be a force to be reckoned with in 2009, like the Russian-made missiles the team is named after.

Already Oleg Tinkoff has managed to find a few high profile athletes to headline his team. For the classics, he has secured Belgian Gert Steegmans and Italian Filippo Pozzato. The two powerful one day specialists will provide a vicious one-two punch in the early season classics, and they'll be invaluable in the grand tours as support riders.

For other high profile signings, a slew of big names have been mentioned, among them Cadel Evans, Carlos Sastre, Fabian Cancellara, and Robbie McEwen. Take a moment to consider the prospect of Cadel Evans and Carlos Sastre on the same team, not to mention the extra fire power of three time world time trial champion Fabian Cancellara. And Katuysha also will have Pavel Brutt, Mikhail Ignatiev and Vasil Kiryienka returning for 2009.

Katuysha, at least in the early going, is looking alot like the old T-Mobile squads from several years ago. They'll be able to contend from the beginning of the year until the end, providing that Pozzato and Steegmans can co-exist in their pursuit of classics victories.

Vincenzo Nibali Showing His Class as Rider to Watch for Future

Vincenzo Nibali has the best young rider's white jersey, and the Liquigas pro is looking like a virtual lock to take the jersey all the way to Paris. Nibali has impressed throughout the year, and seems poised to become one of the world's top riders over the next few years.

With top stage race threat Ivan Basso coming back from suspension to join the Italian squad of Nibali, the youngster will have a golden opportunity to gain valuable knowledge from Basso as he grows into the role of team leader.

Nibali suffered through the Prato Nevoso stage of the Tour after a crash, but will hope to maintain his lead in the young rider classification all the way to Paris. Either way though, Nibali will be heard from again in the coming years as he gains experience and

strength as a pro cyclist.

Tyler Hamilton Wins First Race Since 2004

Tyler Hamilton's long comeback attempt came full circle today as the Massachusetts native took stage eight of the Tour of Quinghai Lake in China. The victory, on the decisive climbing stage of the tour, also placed Hamilton in the race leader's yellow jersey. Hamilton will surely savor the win, his first in several years.

As a former fan of Hamilton, I must admit that I am very happy for the veteran. He has really been put through the wringer these past few years, and seems to have made it through despite multiple roadblocks and challenges. It is still very sad to think however about how many wins he would have collected in his years away from the sport.

Hamilton was, in many ways, made a scapegoat in the war against doping. Once a prominent member of the US Postal team, he was known early in his career as a selfless teammate willing to do whatever it took to help his leader win. When he broke away from Lance Armstrong and the US Postal dynasty in 2003, he alienated himself from many of America's biggest cycling players. In the end, it would cost him dearly.

By the time he was banned from the sport for two years for homologous blood doping, Hamilton had very few friends left. Armstrong was nowhere to be found, and even his former teammates at Phonak wanted nothing to do with him. His fans, for the most part, completely abondoned him, wanting nothing to do with a cheat. I took down his posters and threw them away, thinking I would never hear about him again.

But Hamilton would not be beaten down. He soldiered on in his comback attempt, first with the Italian Tinkoff team and then this year with Rock Racing. Often off the back in races this year, many, including yours truly, thought Hamilton was done as a pro. But now, with his stage win and probable overall win at Quinghai, Hamilton has shown that maybe, just maybe, he has a few more kilometers left in his legs. A long season of racing competitively has helped him progress, and while he'll never again be a truly elite cyclist, he can still hope to contend for a few more years at the top level of domestic racing in America.

For a long time, I was very angry at Tyler Hamilton. He was my favorite rider, seemingly capable of enduring pain levels that others would never be able to. Not only that, he had the guts to break away from the death grip of Armstrong to be a team leader in his own right. For a few years there, it even looked possible that he would be able to dethrone the American juggernaut. Once he got caught, my heart broken, I was happy to see all the bad things happen to him that did.

Today though, my anger is gone, and is slowly being replaced again by admiration for Hamilton's fighting spirit. I will never doubt that he doped, lied about it then, and continues to lie about it to this day. However, I also believe that he has paid his dues and then some. The man deserves another chance to do what he loves, and without a doubt he loves cycling. I know he'll never again contend in big time races, but I'll still be rooting for him as he hangs on as long as possible as a pro bike racer.

The Dog Days of the Tour: Frenchies Off the Front, GC Contenders Cautious

The first portion of the Tour de France is over. The field has been through a time trial, several flat stages, and several tense mountain stages and now sit at just past the halfway point in the Tour. Now are the days that each GC rider must be carful, as the next big stage doesn't come until Friday, when the riders confront a mountian top finish at Prato Nevoso.

Each GC threat must take care not to crash or ride inefficiently between now and Friday. Each must save his energy for what promises to be an explosive final week of racing at the Tour. After stage 15, stage 16 features two Hors Catagorie climbs, and then the mythical Alpe d'Huez awaits on stage 17. The true fireworks will start on stage 15, and the Tour will be won (and lost) over the course of those three stages.

Between now and then though, it is a race for the breakaway artists, and no one is as good at long attacks than the French. Look for either of the Chavanel brothers, French champ Nic Vogondy or little Tommy Voeckler off the front often. The Columbia and Gerolsteiner teams, also filled with attackers, will factor as well.

A crash or sickness to any of the GC contenders would be a huge blow to the 2008 Tour experience, as there are so many riders close on the GC. Hopefully each contender will be able to stay upright and out of the wind until Friday. After that, the strong will win, the weak will lose, and the 2008 Tour de France will be stamped into history.

Tour de France: Stage 6 to Super Besse Shuffles Classification, New Yellow Jersey Again

The Tour's first climbing stage to the Super Besse ski station (pictured) provided a glimpse of what the battle for the overall title will look like when the bigger mountain stages show themselves in a few days time. Most of the GC contenders were able to stay in the front group, with exception to "il piccolo principe," Damiano Cunego. The former Giro winner was dropped by the lead group, and conceded 32 valuable seconds in the fight for the yellow jersey.

In winning the stage with a blistering attack in the final few hundered meters, Riccardo Ricco showed himself as an enormous talent of the future. Similar to Alberto Contedor, Ricco possesses an amazing turn of speed on extremely steep slopes, and his fearless attacking style usually pays off. He is fairly far down on the classification, but Ricco nevertheless remains one of the most intriguing riders in the Tour.

Of the other GC favorites, it was Kirchin, Valverde and Evans who looked the strongest. Rabobank's Denis Menchov and CSC's Carlos Sastre and Frank Schleck put in good rides as well, showing that the battle for the overall has only just begun. Stijn Devolder of Quick Step lost 19 seconds on the day, but is still well within striking distance in 9th place at 1:21.

The surprises from the Super Besse stage must be Kirchin and Cunego. Kirchin is on incredible form and should no longer be discounted as a possible winner for this year. Cunego meanwhile took a noticable step back, despite his claims to the contrary. If the Italian can't survive on a stage like Super Besse, he'll probably have a much harder time in the huge mountains to come.

Looking ahead, after two more up and down stages the next two days, the Tour heads into the high mountains on Sunday for stage 9. Although not a mountain top finish, stage 9 will again soften the bunch, as the less-fit riders find themselves off the back once again. The field will face two huge climbs, the Col de Peyresourde and Aspin over the last 50 kilomteres, and it will be possible for a strong climber to possibly get away. The contenders will need to make sure that if they let a break go up the road, it doesn't contain a GC threat.

The Millenial Sportif: Riis, Vaughters, Stapleton Redefine the Director Sportif Ideal

It's the new illusion. While past team directors have frantically pushed their riders on with everything from megaphones (Saiz) to blatent intimidation (Cyrile Guimard), today's DS is decidedly more composed. Increasingly, the DS persona is one of stately control rather than impassioned fury. Three of today's most successful DS's, namely CSC-Saxo's Bjarne Riis, Columbia's Bob Stapleton, and Garmin-Chipotle's Jonathan Vaughters, exhibit similiar public personas. Each is calm, understated and reclusive while in front of the public, and each seems well versed in dealing with a sometimes hostile press corps and rabid fan base.

The way the DS and rider interact has changed in the last several years, as the DS today is considered more of a colleague than a coach. Many directors are only a few years from having been a pro racer themselves, so they are able to go on training rides with their team, and build trust and rapport out on the road. When things turn serious during a race, many of the new age directors can draw on past training rides with their riders for motivation, and relate on a personal level with each rider.

Increasingly, it is looking as though this new DS is the way of the future. Patrick Lefevre, thought of as an old schooler, nevertheless has adapted to today's style, and is decidedly more dialed down than he was as recently as 1995. And this method works. Today's most successful directors are those most able to relate to their riders on a collegial level. No longer is the director a far-off, brooding presence, but instead he is one that is omnipresent, always attentive, and forever looking out for the well-being of his rider. Like in many aspects of today's society, TLC takes precidence over harsh words and impulsive decision making.

Riis, Stapleton and Vaughters will lead tomorrow's young cyclists into the next decade, along with a few others. Erik Breukink of the Rabobank team, Johan Bruyneel of Astana and even BMC's John Lelangue will help redefine the role of the director sportif, lending a supportive instead of oppressive hand to their young charges. Years from now, the yelling maniacs of yesterday will be all but forgotton, replaced instead by stoic chess masters plotting their every move behind the scenes.

The New Patron: Cadel Comes of Age

Cadel Evans has long been villified by both the press and cycling fans for his perceived lack of panache as a rider. Often labeled a wheelsucker over the years, Evans has always been successful as a cyclist, but has not exhibited the killer instict to attack during races. His detractors have said that Evans can never win a grand tour because he isn't willing to attack for victories.

But perhaps the press and fans had it wrong all these years. Perhaps Cadel knew something we didn't, and had a plan that he didn't want to share with the public. Perhaps way back in 2002, when Evans briefly took the maglia rosa in the Giro, an idea was hatched. A former mountain bike champion, Evans realized in the 2002 Giro that he could compete on the road, at the highest level of the sport. And so over the next few years, he studied other riders past, present, and future, and modeled himself after a Spaniard who was sometimes criticized for his lack of panache: Miguel Indurain.

"Big Mig" was the first ever to win five straight Tours de France. Not only that, he took two Paris Nice's and Giro d'Italia's, and one each of the Dauphine Libere, Criterium International, Classica de San Sebastian, and Tour de l'Avenir. He won his stage races methodically, and with great patience. An excellent time trialist, Indurain was able to take significant time from his rivals in the time trial discipline, and then defend in the high mountains, often following wheels and purposfully marking his rivals. Indeed, Indurain was known as an exceedingly generous patron, willing to concede victories to rivals so they could bask in the glory of winning stages while he took the overall.

Evans is strickingly similar to Indurain. A good time trialist and capable climber, Evans too exhibits an easy going personality and pragmatic approach on the bike. He weighs each decision carefully, and is always careful not to go too deep into the red zone, hence preventing himself from losing spectacularly. Unfortunately, it is this pragmatic approach that keeps Evans from going on wild attacks to the delight of the crowd. Perhaps like former 5-time Tour winner Bernard Hinault, Evans is riding to win, not please the fans.

One thing is for sure thus far in the 2008 edition of the Tour: Cadel Evans hasn't made any mistakes, and is in the cat bird's seat heading into the meat of the Tour. The time he gained in yesterday's time trial will give him a buffer in the high mountains as he looks to limit his losses ahead of stage 20, the 53 kilometer time trial that may well decide the Tour. Cadel Evans is looking more and more each day like a patron, despite his alleged lack of panache. Somewhere, Indurain is smiling, as he admires his multiple grand tour trophies.

The Other July Tour: Tour of Austria, July 6-13, 2008

Tour of Austria 2008: Who needs France?

The Tour de France is without a doubt the biggest race in the month of July each year. For that matter, it is the undisputed leader in terms of big time bicycle racing. But over the past few seasons, the Tour of Austria has distinguished itself as an alternative for top pros not riding the Tour to compete at the highest level. The eight day event features all the properties of a grand tour, but with fewer stages.

The 2008 edition will have some heavy hitters arriving to contest the event, as Quick Step's two superstars, world champion Paolo Betini and Paris Roubaix champ Tom Boonen, will be on hand as they prepare for the second half of the season. Astana will lead with newly crowned Russian time trial champion Vladimir Gusev and former Tour of Georgia winner Janez Brajkovic as they look to garner some successful results for Astana in the month of July.

Other solid riders include Rabobank's Robert Gesink, Gerolsteiner's Davide Rebellin, and LPR's Paolo Salvodelli. "Il Falco," about a month removed from the Giro, should be recharged and could make an impression in the overall standings. While last year's winner Stijn Devolder won't be at the race to defend his title, the racing should still be solid as the 18 teams entered will look to make their mark in the month of July, far removed from the clamor of the Tour de France.

US Olympic Squad Named: Hincapie First American 5-Time Cycling Olympian

Sean Petty and the good folks over at USA Cycling have submitted the US roster for the 2008 Olympic men's time trial and road race, and once again have managed to completely mishandle the selection process. Levi Leipheimer and David Zabriskie will ride both the time trial and road races, while George Hincapie, Jason McCartney, and Christian Vande Velde will round out the men's team.

Hincapie, in participating in the road race, will become the only 5-time Olympian cyclist in American history. "Big George" still has some punch left in his legs, and could be a dark horse contender for the title if he can come to Beijing in top form.

When looking at the rest of the road roster, the first question that comes to mind probably is: "Where the hell is Chris Horner???!!?!?!?" It is a complete travesty that the fiesty one day specialist won't be included on the road squad. Horner riders for one of the top outfits in all of cycling, has demonstrated an ability to win tough, one day races, and has the experience that could make the difference when the final selection is made in this year's Olympic road race. Leaving Horner off of this year's Olympic squad will cost the stars and stripes team dearly.

Sure, McCartney and Vande Velde are proven Euro veterans, and Levi an excellent time trialist and stage racer, but none of them can compare to Horner when it comes to being ready for a one day hilly shoot out. Zabriskie meanwhile is utterly useless in a road race, as he has no real climbing or sprinting ability. Only Hincapie seems to be a good fit for the road race, as he is a one day type rider.

And Chris Horner wasn't the only one who got the shaft. How about Danny Pate? Pate is a much better one day rider than Z, VV or Mc, but won't get the chance to prepare for the prestigious race. Even Tom Danielson would have been an upgrade over Zabriskie, In the end, the American team will probably ride an emotionless race while the Italians and Spanish once again battle for the title. Too bad that the home of the brave is devoid of courage when it counts the most: choosing a contingent to represent your country.

Landis Verdict: Who Cares, It's Tour Time!!!

It's Tour time!!!

Now that Floyd Landis has been convicted for the 700th time, the sport can move on to what is important: now and the future. With the Tour right arouind the corner, who has time to rehash old doping allegations? Can't we just let Vino, and Heras, and yes, Landis go once and for all? Let's focus on what's important, the field for this year's Tour de France.

Team rosters are finalized at this point as each rider now anxiously awaits the start in Brest in four days time. The overall contenders are tucked away in the high mountains, taking it easy ahead of the year's biggest test while most of the sprinters and domestiques go about business as usual.

In what will be a whirlwind week for the first timers of this year's Tour, endless interviews and daily distractions will challenge the uninitiated, while veterans like Eric Zabel and Christophe Moreau will smirk with knowing smiles, remembering their first Tour.

Still other riders will be watching from home, as they have not been invited to the 2008 edition. Among them the entire Astana team, winners of the Giro and the best stage racing team in the world. Alberto Contador and his teammates will watch the race unfold, knowing that if they were a part of it, things would probably be different. Ivan Basso, on suspension until September, will lick his chops thinking of 2009. Others like Tom Danielson and Rabobank's Thomas Dekker will bite their lips in frustration after having been left off their team's Tour rosters due to managerial decisions.

Things are starting to come together now, as we lie only four days from the start line in France. All riders are ready, now or never, to contest the most important bike race in the world. Equipment has been prepared, schedules and procedures have been agreed upon and finalized. The only thing left is the racing, which can't come soon enough for the riders, their coaches or the fans themselves.

2008 Cycling National Championships Update

Most of the national road and time trail championships have now been contested. Below, the significant results.

1. Spain: Alejandro Valverde, i.e. valv piti takes his country's championship. He'll look to win the Tour de France in his home country's jersey. It should give him confidence.

2. Italy: Filippo Simeoni!!! Are you kidding me?!??!?? Best known for his spat with Sir Lance-a-lie, Simeoni takes the tri-color jersey, and in doing so ensures himself another season in the pro peloton. Bravo!

3. France: Nic Vogondy!!! Like Simeoni, Vogondy buys himself another year in the peloton in taking his country's title. What a win for the Frenchman, who shows his class even late in his career.

4. Wegmann again for Germany. Fabian has done it again, taking the coveted three stripe german colors combo for the second year in a row. He hasn't been able to jump to the next level in other races, but back to back victories in his home championship race should boost Wegmann's confidence ahead of the Tour de France.

Now that most of the national championships are over, the teams will be able to focus as a group in preparation for the Tour. With less than a week to go, it is more about staying out of trouble than improving at this point in the calendar. If all the contenders can avoid sickness or crashing, the Tour de Fance should be one to remember.

Tour de France Countdown: 7 Days

It's Valverde . . . er no . . . it's Evans . . . uh nooooo . . . . it's . . . it's . . . Sastre?

We are now seven days from the Tour de France. Most of the top contenders are at elevation, finishing their preparation for the grande boucle, and anxiously awaiting the start line in Brest on July 5th. Below are four random pre-race observations with only one week to go.

1. The main favorites will have no excuses for their form

Evans, Valverde, Menchov, Cunego, Zubeldia, and Sastre all have managed to stay upright and out of harm for their preparations, and so each should come to the line in Breast in their best possible form. Look for very nervous racing over the first few stages, as each team leader attempts to assert their team's dominance on the race.

2. The second tier of contenders are still extremely talented

From the two Schlecks at CSC to Stijn Devolder of Quick Step, Vladamir Efimkin of the French AG2R team, and Kim Kirchin of team Columbia, the second level GC contenders are still serious threats if they come into the Tour on top form. Look for Devolder and Efimkin to surprise in the high mountains, and for Schleck as a key player amongst the big players as he looks to launch team leader Sastre. Kirchin is always steady in the Tour, and his recent victory at the Fleche Wallonne in April and the time trial championhip in Luxembourge this past week will have him arriving at the Tour with supreme confidence. EuroPeloton predicts a gritty ride from Kirchin, and a top ten placing overall.

3. The young rider competition should be exciting

Andy Schleck. Mauricio Soler of Barloworld. Roman Kreuzinger, recent winner of the Tour de Swiss. Thomas Lovkwist. Gerolsteiner's Markus Fothen. Liquigas's Vincenco Nibali. All will be on hand to contend for the mallot blanc, but some in the group will be contending for other jerseys as well. Andy Schleck and Soler likely will be involved in the KOM title as well, along with one other young rider, Riccardo Ricco. "The Cobra" came up just short of his goal of the overall title at the Giro, but he rode well (despite an enormous ego) and showed that he is a legit stage race threat for the future. It's looking like Ricco is primed for a run at the KOM title, and probably won't look to ride high on the GC or young rider competition.

4. The green jersey conpetition is wide open too

With Petacchi out of this year's Tour, the veteran Erik Zabel will enjoy team leadership duties once again. Ands why can't the old German win the green jersey again? Other veterans will be there to contest the green jersey, amongst them Thor Hushovd, Robbie McEwen and Oscar Freire, but none of them seem that much better than Zabel when considering their chances for the points title. Each would love a green jersey in Tom Boonen's absence, and only Freire seems questionable to finish the grand tour, as he prepares for another run at the world championship. It should be an exciting competition, with a surprise winner. Stuey O'Grady has been quiet thus far, but is a capable, sturdy rider who has won a green jersey in the past. Watch out for the understimated Aussie to take the title.

All Tour d eFrance, all the time over the next week as we inch ever closer to the biggest bicycle race in the world.

Moreau, Piepoli, Zabel: Their Final Tour de France?

Christophe Moreau, Leonardo Piepoli, and Erik Zabel approach the 2008 Tour de France at the very end of their cycling careers. Each may well continue riding into 2009, but it is unlikely that each will be able to make the cut for the Grande Boucle again.

Few people associate or remember Moreau as part of the tainted Festina team of 1998

At 37, Moreau has gone from a yearly top French contender in the Tour to a wild card candidate over the past few seasons. A strong, sturdy pro, Moreau may have not been the strongest rider most of the time, but when he was on, he was as good an elite stage racer as any other rider. The defending French National champ will try to win his national championship again ahead of the Tour so that he can wear French colors in his final year as a Tour de France participant.

Piepoli is a pure climber and a huge asset to a GC hope

Piepoli probably has one or two more Giro's in him, but it is unlikely that we'll see him at the Tour de France after this year. He's an aging mountain goat who can still be an asset once a year in a grand tour, and he'll end up finishing his career in the Giro d'Italia in one or two more seasons. The only reason he's even riding this year's Tour is due to his crashing out of the Giro. He is still relatively fresh, and the 36year old should be able to go top three or better in at least one of the mountian stages.

While at Telecom, Zabel was able to coexist with perrenial runner-up and grand tour contender Jan Ullrich

Erik Zabel has done pretty much everything there was to do in his career. For a pure spinter, he was miraculously durable and scrappy when he needed to be. He's an accomplished track rider, and has an affinity for the bike that few others can match. Despite his doping confession, the 37 year old remains one of the most talented sprinters of his generation. Taking all that into consideration, it seems that of the three riders mentioned here, Zabel is the best hope for a stage win.

Even if each rider fails in his quest for one more big time win in a Tour de France, it won't matter. Their legacies have been cemented into cycling's history books regardless of whether they succeed in this year's Tour or not. Hopefully though one of them will catch lightning, and wow their tifosi one more time.

Tom Danielson Left Off Garmin-Chipotle Tour Squad

The last time most of us saw Danielsen was at the Tour of California

Once again, Tom Danielson will miss the Tour de France. A promising rider on paper, Danielson has yet to even attempt the Tour de France, an astonishing fact considering that he has been riding with Tour eligible teams since 2004. Whether he'll ever get a chance to contest the world's biggest cycling race remains unknown. Suffereing from multiple injuries, Garmin team director Jonathan Vaughters puts his stage race hope at only 80%.

What a shame for Vaughters and the Garmin-Chipotle squad. After a decent spring campaign and a nice Giro d'Italia, the American team will head into the tour without a leader. And without clear team leadership, the "Argyle Gang" will have to be careful not to become anonymous in the year's second grand tour.

Another American left out of the Tour line up is Tyler Farrar, one of the faster finishers on the team. The New Zealander Julian Dean will be expected to contend in the bunch finishes, but he remains untested in big time sprinting. Hopefully Magnus Backstedt will be able to lend some of his race wisdom, and some solid lead outs for Dean.

Going back to Danielson, what next for the mercurial ex-phenom? Can he regroup in time for the Vuelta, a race he has had modest success in before? Or will he instead shut it down for the rest of the year and attempt a big time comeback next year? Hopefully the Durango resident will find his form before it's too late. There is very little room on a top ranked team for riders that don't ride. Danielson will need a solid second half of the year or an explosive early 2009 if he is to remain a rider of the Garmin-Chipotle team. One thing that can be counted on: his his fans will cheer him to the end, Tour de Fance rider or not.

National Championships Week Approaches

Over the next few weeks, the majority of national championships will take place, and wearing one's own distinctive national kit tends to bring out the best in many different types of riders each summer. With the exception of Australia and the USA, almost every other cycling nation will run it's national championship just ahead of the Tour de France. Many current national champs are scheduled to take place in the Grande Boucle, and they'll likely look different once the Tour arrives.

Stijn Devolder will defend his chamionship for Belgium, but will be up against some stiff competition in Tom Boonen and Leif Hoste. Philippe Gilbert too will be a threat. Finally, Greg Van Avermet could impress with a touch of luck. For the Dutch, Thomas Dekker will be a heavy favorite, with Robert Gesink and Bauke Molleme dark horses.

Joaquím Rodríguez will have to contend both with Oscar Freire and Alejandro Valverde. In all liklihood, he won't make it to the tour in his country's colors. And in France, Christophe Moreau will have a chance to defend his national jersey, and show it off on homke soil providing he can thwart the efforts of Sylvain and Sebastian Chavanel, Thomas Voekler and Remy Di Gregario. Finally, Giovanni Visconti will try to keep the tricolor Italian kit, having to watch out for Enrico Gasparotto, Filippo Pozzato, Daniele Bennati, and Danilo Napolitano.

For America, Levi Leipheimer gets to keep the jersey until the end of August, when the US Pro Championships occur. He'll face tough competition again no doubt, with Christian Vande Velde, Chris Horner, Dave Zabriskie, Fred Rodriguex, Andy Bajadali, Steven Cozza, and George Hincapie on hand to battle it out for the stars and stripes.

Tour de Nez Stage One: Bissell Foils Candelario

Under clear skies and breezy summer conditions in Reno, Nevada, seventy five top professional cyclists embarked on a five stage, four day journey, starting at the Grand Sierra Resort in Reno, Nevada, with a seventy five minute timed criterium race around the parking lot of the casino resort. Unlike in previous years when the race was an omnium, based on individual points earned in each stage, this season’s race is a true stage race, where the overall winner is the rider with the lowest total time combined for the five stages.

The criterium course was contested over a 1.04 mile loop around the parking lot of the Grand Sierra resort, with a slightly uphill finish to complete the first leg of the “Coolest Race in America.” And from the opening gun, the action was fast and furious as the BMC team attacked, first with Jackson Stewart and then with Mike Sayers, looking to push the pace and stretch the field. They were never able to gain a significant gap, as the Bissell team made sure to contain any breakaways. Riding at the front, sometimes as many as five strong, Bissell put both the peloton and the audience on notice that they would be a force to be reckoned with throughout the five stage race.

The field remained largely together for the first sixty minutes of the race, but as the time continued to tick down, multiple attacks went off the front. Steven Cozza of the Slipstream-Chipotle team went away with Aaron Olson of Bissell, but was pulled back by BMC, who were trying to set up the sprint for their designated rider Taylor Tolleson. Finally, in a surprise move with five laps to go in the race, local favorite Alex Candelario went off on his own in an attempt at a solo victory.

Candelario explained his attack to the media after the race. “I probably went a little bit too early, but we were just trying to mix it up and make it a fun race. Next thing I knew, I had a pretty big gap and decided to keep it going. Bissell had twice as many guys as everyone else though so they brought it back pretty easily.” Candelario still has a lot of fight left in him, and will target the downtown Truckee criterium, a race he won last year, tomorrow. With confidence typical of a top-flight sprinter, Candelario stated about tomorrow’s race, “I’m gonna win tomorrow. Yeah, I got it.”

As Candelario powered away from the field, the Bissell team once again came to the front and began the chase. The Reno resident was able to hold the field at bay for four laps, but he was caught on the back stretch of the final lap, setting up the bunch sprint.
Bissell continued to keep the pace high, discouraging any attacks, as a large crowd gathered around the finish line area to see the finish.

As they approached the finish line, the field was spread out ten wide on the finishing straight. Bissell began their lead out at about three hundred meters for young Steven Howard. Rocketing away from the field, the American completed the perfect day for his Bissell team, taking the win by more than a bike length ahead of Riccardo Escuela of the Successful Living squad and Eric Wohlberg of the Canadian Symmetrics team.

In the fight for the overall, Howard takes the race’s first overall leader’s jersey, as well as the best sprinter title. The best young rider jersey went to Roman Van Uden of Team Rubicon-Orbea. Racing for Lance Armstrong’s cancer foundation, the jersey will make a good prize for the small team as they look to raise awareness and money for cancer research.

Racing continues tomorrow with a 2.75 mile mountain time trial to the Village at Northstar resort in north Lake Tahoe, and then a timed seventy five minute evening criterium in downtown Truckee. The morning time trial should provide for a major shift in the GC standings, while the evening criterium will provide another chance for the fast finishers to shine.

Sponsor News: Slipstream Partners with Garmin

Following on the heels of both the CSC and High Road teams, Slipstream-Chipotle announced today the forming of a partnership with Garmin International, makers of GPS navigation tools. In what is great news for cycling, three of the cleanest teams in cycling have now secured powerful new sponsors that will carry them through the next few years. The new official name of the team will be Garmin-Chipotle p/b H30.

CEO Jonathan Vaughters had a vision when he started the Slipstream squad: clean cycling and integrity. His belief was that if you build it, they will come, and he was emphatically correct. Garmin, like Saxo Bank and Columbia sportswear, realized that a partnership with Slipstream will give them positive exposure in a variety of locations and demographics.

According to an official press release, the team will be overhauled from a visual perspective, from kits all the way up to the team bus. For the faithful Slipstream fan base, the question must be whether the signature argyle design will remain, or will it be replaced by an entirely different motif?

Asked about the general argyle design in a virtual press conference today and whether it will stay a part of the uniform, Vaughters explained that the trademark argyle will stay, as it has become a description for "where we came from. It identifies where we're from, where we came from and where we started. I symbolizes what we're all about, our personality." A Garmen rep also claimed that it "will be one of the finest looking kits in the Tour."

Garmin also announced that they will be debuting their new cycling computer, the Edge® 705, an all in one navigation/personal monitoring system that has built in maps and tracks all individual performace on the bike, all in a wireless device. Further, the 705 allows data to be downloaded and shared, which will be a plus for any average club rider looking to one-up his teammates.

Team expectations in the Tour will be very simple according to Garmin representative Steve Garmin. "We'll look to bring the most competitive squad possible, and ride it (the Tour) with as much commitment as possible every single day. There are individual stages that we have in mind for possible wins, but expect to see us at the front in every stage as we look to make our mark on the race." Expect the new Garmin-Chipotle outfit to continue to impress as the months and years go on, as one of the most progressive cycling minds, Jonathan Vaughters, refines his master plan.

2008 Dauphine Libere: What We Learned

The Dauphine Libere stage race concluded today, as Alejandro Valverde defended his overall lead and took top honors in the Tour de France tune up race. The Spaniard looks to be headed for a great performance in July at the Tour, as he showed off his much improved time trialing skills in winning the 31 kilometer time trial. In addition to Valverde though, other info can be extracted from the Dauphine as an indicator of what will happen in a few weeks time when the Tour kicks off in Brest.

1. Cadel Evans will be ready to battle come Tour time. The Aussie put in a good performance at the Dauphine, and showed that his form is coming along nicely ahead of his biggest target of the season. Evans has been tweaking his pre-Tour prep for a few years now and the former mountain biker seems to have it down to a science these days. He'll come to the Tour highly motivated, with a decent team behind him, hoping to improve on his second place from last year.

2. Robert Gesink will not ride the Tour, and he will be missed. Gesink is very young, and Rabobank team management wants to bring him along slowly, so he'll not ride the Tour this year. It is a shame for a couple of reasons. For one, his prowess in the high mountains could have dramatically affected the tactics on each hilly stage. Second, he would have been a very realistic contender for the polka dot jersey. He'll ride the Tour in 2009, but his absence in 2008 should be noted as a shame.

3. Astana will be missed dearly at the Tour. This has been discussed in detail already. Enough said.

4. CSC-Saxo won't know who its leader is until the first tough mountain stage. Carlos Sastre is usually on good form when the Tour rolls around, but he did very little to exhibit that fact at the Dauphine. In fact, the Spaniard has been invisible in 2008, and has not shown that he is riding especially well at any point this year. The other GC guys on CSC-Saxo, the Schleck brothers, also have not accomplished a whole lot in 2008. Frank was in contention in some of the hillier classics, but his brother Andy has had zero results. Add the fact that Andy is tackling his first Tour, and that Frank is unproven in stage races, and you have a very muddled team leadership picture for Bjarne Riis and CSC-Saxo. Which is probably just how Riis likes it.

5. Sammy Sanchez mirrors Sastre in terms of how he looks ahead of the Tour. Eskaltel-Euskadi management is saying that he is putting everything into having a good Tour, but he did not do well in the Dauphine. Expect teammate Haimer Zubeldia to have a better Tour, and to have team leadership from the first mountain stage on.

Racing now screeches to a halt in France, as the run up to the world's bigest cycling race ensues. Most of the GC favorites will go away to put the finishing touches on their preparation, while some of the one day specialists will compete in their national championships for the right to wear their country's colors over the next year.

Tour de France Dark Horse Haimar Zubeldia Looking Good for July

A great climber, Zubeldia also posesses excellent time trialing skills, which make him a top grand tour rider

Haimar Zubeldia is not a name that is usually mentioned when speaking about the favorites for the Tour de France. A lesser known Spaniard who rides for the Basque Euskaltel-Euskadi team, Zubeldia hasn't won a race since 2000, but has finished in the top ten in three of the last five TdF editions, including 5th in both last year's and 2003's edition.

Zubeldia is riding very well ahead of this year's Tour, and is sitting in 8th place overall at the Dauphine Libere. He has ridden a controlled race, and showed that his form is on track ahead of the French grand tour. The wild card for Zubeldia in determining his success in the Tour will be, as always, his undermanned Basque team. Although goo in the mountains, Euskaltel will have trouble controlling the peloton should Zubeldia find himself in the leader's jersey early on in the Tour.

Euskaltel-Euskadi is a special team in that every single rider on the squad must be Basque. That is, they must be from a small region in northern Spain in the western Pyranees. The region is known for its passion for cycling, and has produced several high profile cyclists, including Zubeldia, Iban Mayo, Joseba Beloki, Abraham Olano, and "Big Mig," Miguel Indurain, winner of five editions of the Tour de France.

Zubeldia knows how to suffer in the long climbs, and will be a rider to watch in the high mountains of this years Tour

Zubeldia will have outright leadership of his team in 2008, and should be expected to go at least top ten in this year's edition. At 31 years old, he is in the prime of his cycling career and must envision 2008 as one of his best chances at the overall title. With a bit of luck and some chutzpah though, Zubeldia could find himself on the podium of the biggest bicycle race in the world. Some will be surprised if that happens, but they should't be. Zubeldia, although not as well known as Alejandro Valverde or Cadel Evans, possesses just as much fire power and experience as his advesaries, and is a worthy candidate for the yellow jersey in the 2008 Tour.

Tour de Nez 2008: Bigger, Better, Badder

The Tour de Nez gets it's name from the Deux Gros Nez coffee shop that race director Tim Healion owned for years in Reno

The Tour de Nez stage race storms into the Reno/Tahoe area beginning this Wednesday, June 18, and a top-flight field is expected on hand to battle for the overall title of the "coolest stage race in cycling." Comprised of five total stages, the race features a 4 mile climbing time trial, two action-packed criteriums (one in Reno, one in Truckee), a climb-heavy 60 mile road race, and a final hilly circuit race through the Village at Northstar recreational resort

Some of the bigger names confirmed include Bissell's Burke Swindlehurst, 4th in the 2006 US Pro Road Championship, and Aaron Olson, the ex Pro-Tour rouler who rode with stars like Gilberto Simoni at Saunier Duval and Mick Rogers at T-Mobile.

Jittery Joe's will start Neil Shirley, who is suffering from a broken wrist suffered during Philly Week. He'll do his best to nurse the good form he still has from the last few weeks. An elite climber, even though he has a broken bone, expect Shirley to have a good race, and be in the hunt for the overall title.

Toyota United meanwhile is only represented by one rider, Justin England, but that doesn't mean you won't see their jersey at the front in many stages at the Nez. England is a former winner of the Mt. Washington hill climb event, and so should excell in the circuit and road race at the Nez. Also, don't be surprised to see a few more United kits in the peloton, as the Tour de Nez is a race many riders ride because they WANT to, not because they have to.

Candelario takes the downtown Truckee crit last year. He'll be a favorite again after his 5th place at the Philadelphia International Championship last weekend

One such rider who shows up year after year to compete is Alex Candelario of the Kelly Benefit Strategies/Medifast cycling team. Jonas Carney's team will bring a full contingent to battle for stage wins and the overall. "Candy" will handle the flatter stages, while Andrew Bajadali will aim for the overall title. Watch out for "The Bahj", who is an accomplished stage racer and climber. He'll be one of the prohibited favorites for the overall win.

The most dominant team at the 2008 Tour de Nez however must be the Swiss BMC squad. They bring a trio of climbers and a top flight sprinter to the race, with 2008 Tour of California Mountains classification winner Scott Nydam, 2006 Commerce Bank Lancaster Invitational winner Jackson Stewart, and 2007 stage winner and 2nd overall at the Tour de Nez Mike Sayers. Add sprinter Taylor Tolleson to the mix, and you have a BMC team that should be able to make it's presence felt in every Tour de Nez stage.

Finally, there is one more rider who will light up the crowd and the race on each and every stage. The "Mustached Maurader," Steven Cozza, will be on hand to give it a go, as the "Argyle Gang" Slipstream Chipotle will be represented at the Nez for the first time. Expect to see Cozza off the front, attacking with abandon, as he continues to rebuild his form after an early season collar bone injury. He rode well at the Triple Crown in support of teammate Tyler Farrar, and should be primed to race in his home state.

The old Deux Gros Nez coffee shop, before it closed in 2007

The Tour de Nez, as it does every year, promises non-stop cycling action with a local flair. From the race launch at the Grand Sierra casino in Reno to it's finish in the Village at Northstar at Tahoe to post race block parties after each stage, the Nez really is the "coolest race in cycling!"