Ridin' the High Road: Gorilla and Ciolek Win on the Same Day

The American based High Road team is on fire. In two seperate races on Wednesday, the team netted two wins, behind exemplary riding from their younger riders.

In the Bayerne Rundfhart, it was the 21 year old Gerald Ciolek notching his first win of the year ahead of an on form Fabian Wegmann, while over at the Giro it was Andre "The Gorilla" Greiple who won after a big assist from teammate Mark Cavendish. Cav it seems is going the best of the High Roaders these days, and there should be no question that he gifted the stage to his teammate as a thank you for hard work in previous days.

The High Road squad is riding a CSC-like streak of recent victories as they fly the flag for clean cycling. And with the prestigious Commerce Bank Triple Crown of cycling just around the corner and the Dauphine Libere and Tour de Swiss stage races not long after that, the High Road squad is looking primed for a banner summer.

Congratulations to team owner Bob Stapleton, as he continues to field a competitive team without having to resort to doping for wins. High Road is a young, talented, aggressive outfit that is a handful in any race they enter. Look for them at the front for the rest of season, as they threaten to be the world's #1 team.

Giro Off and Running with TTT in Palermo

Liquigas took the stage one TTT in 2007, and team leader Danilo Di Luca went on to win the overall

The Giro d'Italia, the season's first grand tour, will begin like it did last year: with a team time trial that will establish the initial GC. There are several favorites for the win, and the day should be action packed and exciting. So which teams are most likely to contend? See below for Euro Peloton's views . . .

Slipstream

The Slipstream team will not contend for the overall in the Giro d'Italia, but that doesn't mean they can't take the maglia rosa for a few stages. They bring a powerful line up to the time trial, full of big engines and experience. Two national champions (Millar, Zabriskie) will be on hand to take the time trial reins, along with two big roulers (Backstedt, Dean), an experienced top American time trialist (Vande Velde), and a former junior time trial champion (Pate). They have a very good shot at the win, providing they can perform as well mentally as they do physically. Considering the performance they put in recently at the Tour de Georgia, the 'Argyle Gang' should be considered the most dangeous team in the fight for the TTT title.

Former maglia rosa Pinotti is a respected rider recognized for his integrity and fair play

High Road

Like Slipstream, High Road probably won't be in the picture for the overall Giro title, but they have some excellent time trialists attending the Giro, and if they can send one of the top sprinters over the finish line first, they may be able to keep the jersey for a few stages. Look for Bradley Wiggins to lead the American registered team, as they attempt to put Italian veteran Marco Pinotti into the pink again, like they did in .

Astana

Why can't they? Everyone seem to want to put Astana at a disadvantage because they weren't notified ahead of time for the Giro. What's the big deal? Kloden is on great form, Levi was decent in Georgia, and Gusev is on the upswing following a broken clavicle at the Tour of California. Contado is Contador, the defending Tour de France champ. The four above mentioned riders are all excellent time trialists, and together are more than capable of putting in a great time against the clock. They'll go top five, minimum.

CSC

Bjarne Riis' Danish squad is young and inexperienced, but also very talented. The 1996 TDF winner (no matter what Prudhomme says) Riis always has his troops ready for battle, so expect CSC to put in an excellent ride in the TTT. They may not win it, but they'll knock on the door, as they do in every race they enter.

While the above four teams all have an excellent chance at victory, don't count out Danilo Di Luca and his LPR Brakes team. His teammate, "il falco," Paolo Salvodelli, is a better than average time trialist capable of long pulls at the front. Di Luca realizes the importance of the opening time trial, and will be urging his team on throughout. They may not win, but they won't lose by a ton either. The Giro d'Italia is on tap, the most beautiful stage race in the world!

Weylandt takes Nokere-Koerse; Introducing Euro Peloton

Wauter Weylandt did what many in the cyling world thought he would do yesterday in the Nokere-Koerse Belgian semi-classic, taking a bunch sprint victory for his Quick Step team. Weylandt bested the youngster Jürgen Roelandts of the Silence Lotto team, and Andre "Gorrilla" Greipel of team High Road. It was a great but expected win for the Belgian, who is making a name for himself early in his career as a man to watch in one day races.

Weylandt added to his palmares Tuesday with the Nokere-Koerse win

Roelandts meanwhile showed his class in finishing second to his fellow Belgian Weylandt, giving the cycling public a peek into the future of Belgian cycling. Roelandts is only 22 and should improve greatly in 2008 riding for his first Pro Tour team. He netted the overall victory in last year's U-23 Paris-Tours race, and also won a stage in 2006 at the Tour de Normandy. He'll be a rider to keep an eye on in the future, as he gains experience racing against the world's best bike riders.

Roelandts winning the overall in the U-23 Paris-Tours race

Greipel, although not a winner, flew the flag high for the High Road team, and finished a respectable third. It was a Pro Tour podium sweep as all three spots were occupied by squads belonging to the highest coalition in cycling. It was a good day for cycling and for Belgian fans, as we inch ever closer to the legendary Tour of Flanders.

The "Gorrilla" winning in the Tour Down Under en route to taking the Pro Tour leader's white jersey (better than that horrible High Road black!

Introducing Euro Peloton

For those of you new to the site, welcome to Euro Peloton. Here, every day, you can read up on hot topics in the world of cycling, rider and staff interviews, race previews, recaps and commentaries, and the examination of general happenings in the pro peloton. Written by cycling fans for cycling fans, Euro Peloton strives every day to bring the European cycling world home to American cycling fans. It's like our tag line says: "Unfiltered Perspectives on Professional Cycling."

Tour of California Grades: Pro Tour Teams

With the Tour of California gone for another year, Euro Peloton takes a two part look back at each team to see who had the best and worst performances during the eight day event. Below are our TOC grades for the nine Pro Tour teams. Tomorrow will follow the remaining continental teams from the 2008 edition.

Astana: A

The Astana team came to the Tour of California with one goal: Bring Levi Leipheimer to Pasadena with the leader's yellow jersey on his back. And the Kazak team delivered in spades. Levi won the TOC with an almost preternatural ease. He was never really in trouble at any point in the race, and dominated an extremely talented field on the flats in the time trial and in the mountains on the steep climbs. His team was sublime, controlling breakaways throughout the Tour, and neutralizing dangerous attacks on each stage. They'll take momentum into their other objectives for the season, whatever those may be.

Levi shrewdly managed the race and made it his throughout, thanks in large part to the excellent team supporting him

Bouygues Telecom: D

With exception to a late Thomas Voeckler attack in stage five, the Bouyges team was nowhere to be found for almost the entire Tour. Although they were a part of a few select breakaways here and there, they were consistently dropped when the pace racheted up, and failed to even contend for a win the duration of the Tour. Even so, they were a fan favorite amongst true cycling fans, so you can't give em' and F.

Little Tommy Voeckler was a fan favorite throughout the Tour

Credit Agricole: D

Like their French counterpart, the Credit Agricole team was seldom seen throughout the Tour. Thier top rider on the GC was Chritophe Le Mevel, who distinguished himself in a few breakaways, but like Bouyges they didn't really contend on any of the stages. Even their team leader, Patrice Halgand, dropped out after stage five. Maybe they'll have better luck in Georgia in a few months.

CSC: A

Unlike last year, CSC didn't have any of their riders on the final podium. But they did manage to have one of their riders in the yellow jersey, as Fabian Cancellera won the opening time trial prologue and wore the jersey for stage one. Sprinter JJ Haedo went good again the the TOC, scoring a win in stage one, and a second on stage six. Jason McCartney's third place in stage seven capped a great week for the CSC team, who delivered two of their riders into the top five on the final GC.

Cancellera gave his team their first ever yellow jersey in the TOC

Gerolsteiner: C

Gerolsteiner had the most difficulty with the virus that swept through the peloton for the duration of the week, as the team finished with only three of it's riders. However, young German sprinter Heinrich Haussler showed himself at the front of the bunch in stages one and two, before he took sick and had to abandon while the leader of the sprint jersey competition. They garner a C grade due to the fact that the virus really neutralized any chance they may have had to affect the race in it's second half. Hopefully the mineral water sponsor will extend for 2009, and the team will return stronger for next year's edition.


High Road: B+

Bob Stapleton's team had to struggle to get their win, as George Hincapie outsprinted three of his fellow Americans for the stage seven win. They thought they had the win in stage six, but their young sprinter Mark Cavendish was relegated due to an illegal car draft that he received from his team director Rolf Aldag after crashing on the way to the finish in stage five. Bradley Wiggins, Hincapie, and Gerald Ciolek each had second place finishes, suggesting that with a bit more luck, this Tour could have been an A+ for the young team. Stay tuned until next year, when the High Road team will return to the TOC a year older, and a year wiser.

Hincapie won stage seven, saving High Road's 2008 TOC

Quick Step: B+

Quick Step had an excellent Tour, putting Tom Boonen on the top step of the podium in stage two into the Capitol, and Jurgen Vandewalle and "il grillo" Paolo Bettini into third on separate stages. Additionally, Boonen and Bettini promised to return to the race in 2009. It was hard for us not to give them an A based on their promises for next year alone.

Bettini, Boonen and the Quick Step team stop in for some coffee ahead of the rainy Queen stage from Seaside to San Luis Obispo

Rabobank: A

Rabobank got a stage win the the 2008 Tour, and they came away with a jersey. Robert Gesink took the young rider jersey for the second straight year, and was the only rider who could stay with Levi Leipheimer on the steep ramps of the Sierra Road climb. Super sprinter Oscar Friere Gomez couldn't quite get a victory, but did show himself toward the front of the group well in a few stages. This team clearly has bigger objectives, as Friere will hope to take Milan-San Remo and Dennis Menchov will try his hand at the Tour de France overall.

Saunier Duval-Scott: B

Saunier Duval-Scott' TOC was made in stage six when Mark Cavendish was relegated and Luciano Pagliarini was handed the stage win. It must have been a bitter-sweet moment for the Spanish team, but a win is a win. They did what many other teams would have hoped to, and for that their Tour was a success.

Big Gears and No Fear: The TOC Prologue

The prologue podium: From left to right, Wiggins, Cancellera, Farrar

Palo Alto was the scene of the prologue stage of the Tour of California today as 132 riders embarked on the eight stage event, in a race of truth against the clock. And as the dust settled on day one of the Tour, the race revealed a few surprises and a familiar face on the top step of the podium: World time trial champion Fabian Cancellera.

British time trial champ David Millar had a solid ride, but was outdone by teammate Steven Cozza

As mentioned earlier on Euro Peloton, the quality of this year's TOC field is among the best in the sport, so the competition in the prologue was sure to be fierce. The first rider off, Iker Camano of the Saunier Duval team, streaked down University Boulevard, as eager fans lined each side of the wide road leading to the Stanford University campus. Australian national time trial champion Adam Hansen, the 17th rider out of the start gate, set the day's initial best time with a solid ride of four minutes and one second, only 14 seconds off the eventual winning time.

Adam Hansen, the Australian national time trial champion, set the early benchmark for the stage

American time trial champion David Zabriskie, sporting a Don Quixote-like mustache, was next to set a best time, stopping the clock with an excellent three minute and fifty-nine second ride over the pancake flat course. Another Slipstream rider, Tyler Farrar, formerly of the French Cofidis squad, bested his teammate by going three seconds faster than the mercurial Zabriskie. His time would hold until the last few elite riders took to the start house.

Leipheimer couldn't repeat his 2006 and 2007 TOC prologue victories

Bradley Wiggins, the track specialist of team High Road, set a blistering early pace that paid off with a new best time of three minutes and fifty-five seconds, just one second faster than the young Slipstream charge Farrar. The crowd roared as the lanky brit crossed the line, and many thought the race was won. And it was, until Fabian Cancellera, resplendant in his world time trial champion kit, set out on the course. Turning a massive gear, Cancellera looked more like a rocket than a bicycle rider as he flew by the announcing stage on his way towards the huge round about that brought the big Swiss rider back to the finish line. Rising out of the saddle, with pain etched on his face, Cancellera crossed the line a full four seconds clear of Wiggins, ensuring the victory for team CSC. For Tour of California race organizers, the CSC/High Road/Slipstream podium was a best case scenario finish as the three most tested teams in the peloton finished at the top of the classification for the day.

Cancellera was dominant, flashing the form that won him a world championship the last two years

In a compelling surprise, young American rider Steven Cozza placed an amazing 10th, only a scant nine seconds off Cancellera's winning pace. Cozza bested time trial stalwarts Vladimir Gusev, the Russian national time trial champ, Australian national champ Adam Hansen, Swedish national time trial champion Thomas Lövkvist, and even British national champion David Millar. Contacted by Euro Peloton after the race, Cozza was extremely pleased with his and his team's success, and had a lot to say about this, his season debut.

Cozza put in an excellent ride to finish 10th

As he lined up in the start house, Cozza said "I was trying to think only about going fast, but I was nervous. It's the first race of the season for me, so I wanted to go as hard as I could and not have second thoughts later on. It's hard to stay focused in such a short race." As for Slipstream's morale, Cozza stated "we had five guys in the top fifteen so we've gotten off to a good start. Every day we want to get better, and I'm ready to do my part to help the team, getting into breakaways, and help out the older riders to succeed."

Another possibility for Cozza is the young rider competition. He trails Edvald Boasson Hagen, the 20 year old Norwegian time trial champion, by only three seconds in the classification. Speaking of his chances, Cozza had a wait and see approach. "I don’t know, I'll play it by ear up until the Sierra sage. Depending on how fast the pace is there, I might be able to respond." During the race, the announcers for the prologue, Dave Towle and his grey-bearded partner opined that some riders would "soft-pedal," or take it easy in the prologue to save themselves for stage one. Cozza refuted this thinking, explaining that the effects of the prologue are "not much, if anything. It helps you open up in the next day. We're used to long distances on the bike, so a short ride like this is good for the body to get it race-ready for the next day." With the first climbs of the Tour on the horizon tomorrow, perhaps Cozza will try to get away early to put Edald Boasson Hagen on the defensive. Please see my other articles at bicycle.net for continued coverage of the Tour of California.

All photos by Ralph Thompson at www.anysportphoto.com

Pro Tour Teams Worst Fears Realized As Astana, Credit Agricole, Others Left Off 2008 Giro Start List

2008

The organizers of the 2008 Giro d'Italia, RCS Sport, announced on Friday that Pro Tour teams Astana, Credit Agricole, Bouygues Telecom and High Road would not be tendered invites to the 2008 Giro d'Italia. This is in stark contrast to last year, when all three Grand Tours were required to invite all Pro Tour teams. Also absent in 2008 will be Stefano Garzelli, the 2000 winner, as his Aqua & Sapone squad was passed over in favor of Barloworld, Tinkoff, Slipstream, and LPR, among others.

"The Killer" will have his chance to spray the champaign again in 2008, as his LPR team gets the Giro nod

Astana seemed shell shocked, as spokesperson Philippe Maertens expressed. "We are extremely surprised," he said, as the Astana team boarded a flight out of Alburqueque following their training camp and team presentation. "Our team management is currently trying to contact Zomegnan ..."

Alberto Contador and the Astana team got a chilly reception from Italy that followed them all the way to Alberqueque. Could the Tour de France be the next Grand Tour to dis the champ?

The French teams, however, were seeing things in a different light. Bouygues Telecom and Credit Agricole explained that without having to send a team to Italy in May, they would instead be able to focus on getting good results in other races, such as the Clásica Internacional a Alcobendas, the Volta a Catalunya, the Bayern-Rundfahrt and the Four Days of Dunkirk events, all which coincide with the Giro.

Little Tommy Veokler and the Bouygues Telecom team will have to find other races to hone their form ahead of the July Tour de France after being left out of the 2008 Giro

For Aqua & Sapone, there is no such optimism. An Italian sponsored team, missing the Giro will be a huge dissapointment for Garzelli and the rest of the team. At 34, his years of turning the pedals in anger are coming to an end. He'll instead have to hope for a wild card at the Tour, which is unlikely.

Glory Days: At 34, the chances for victory for Garzelli are running out. Here he takes a stage win ahead of Bettini and Mazzolini at last years Giro

The precedence set by the Giro organizers could lead to a similar situation in France. Perhaps Christian Prudhomme will feel that teams with questionable pasts should be punished for positives in previous years. This is a controversial perspective, as both High Road and Astana are under new management, and are among the most tested teams in the professional peloton. But if this proves to be Prudhomme's view, expect him to invite the lone French continental team Agritubel (Christophe Moreau, Romain Feillu), as well as the Italian LPR team (Danilo Di Luca, Paolo Salvodelli) and the British Barloworld (Mauricio Soler, Robbie Hunter, Geraint Thomas, Baden Cooke) squads. Slipstream, providing that they shine in the early season, should also expect to secure an invite as well.

The young neo-pro and next great French hope Romain Feillu (23 yrs old) likely will fly the flag for team Agritubel in the 2008 Tour de France, along with new teammate Christoph Moreau

In the end, this could end up sending a strong message to all teams that not only will individual riders be sanctioned and punished, but the teams themselves will be penalized as well. Team management will have to think long and hard about the riders they contract each year, taking into account that a positive test could affect them into the next season. And those teams that manage to avoid doping positives will be rewarded with the invites to the biggest events. Drastic measures are required for drastic times, and RCS sport has launched the first silo in the new war against doping.

No mercy: Giro race director Angelo Zomegnan made no apologies for leaving four Pro Tour teams and a former overall winner (Garzelli) out of the 2008 edition

Five Arriving Superstars of Pro Cycling for 2008

Each year there are several young riders that break through and become dominant, true contenders in pro cycling. So who is poised to take over in 2008? Here are my thoughts as the new season gets underway. I'll give you one rider to watch in each major cycling discipline: a one-day stylist, short stage racer, classics contender, grand tour hope, and time trialist. The only requirement for all choices is they must be 25 or younger.

One Day Stylist: Giovanni Visconti, 24, Quick Step, Reigning Italian National Champion

Visconti wins last year's Coppa Sabbatini, his second straight victory at the Italian fall semi-classic. Frank Schleck of CSC takes second.

Giovanni Visconti has steadily improved year over year, especially in 2007 as he rode under the close tutelage of Quick Step boss Patrick Lefevre and "il grillo," Paolo Bettini. "The Cricket," as Bettini is nicknamed, has long spoke highly of Visconti, touting him as his likely successor. And as Bettini zeroes in on a possible 3rd straight World Championship (never before accomplished, not even by Merckx) and 2nd straight Olympic road racing gold medal, the early and middle portions of the cycling season will belong to Visconti.

Sure, Tom Boonen is still around, but he'll not contend in the hilly Wallonnian classics like the Fleche Wallonne, Amstel Gold and Liege-Bastogne-Liege races. Assuming that he arrives to those races injury free, Visconti should be right in the thick of the action leading up to the grand tours, where he'll ride in support of both Bettini and Boonen, probably for the last time.

Visconti (far right) Preparing for the 2007 Tour of California prologue with Bettini.

Short Stage Racer: Riccardo Ricco, 24, Saunier Duvall

The "Cobra" attacked with teammate Leonardo Piepoli (in green) to win stage 15 of the 2007 Giro'dItalia to Tre Cime Di Laveredo. A beautiful win, and at such a young age!

Riccardo Ricco could well be placed in the "Grand Tour Hope" or "Classics Specialist" catagories instead of this one, the short stage racer. A small yet explosive climber in the mold of Alberto Contador, Ricco has impressed many with his ability to stay with the world's best on the steepest climbs of cycling. His exploits in the Giro in 2007 earned have him an early favorite moniker for 2008, after the departure of Gilberto Simoni to the Italian continental team Serramenti PVC Diquigiovanni-Androni Giocattoli.

It seems the only thing that could hold Ricco back in the longer tours is his team, which is not well suited to defend a GC leader on the flats or in the team trial discipline. However, for the shorter stage races like Tirreno-Adriatico or even the Tour of California, Ricco could impress. Similiar to Contador last year in Paris-Nice, Ricco could aim to put an early season stage race under his belt ahead of his showdown with Simoni, Salvodelli, Di Luca and Schleck in this years Giro. No matter what though, Ricco should be very fun to watch in 08 as he is constantly on the attack.

As a youngster riding for Saunier Duvall, 2006.

Classics Contender: Mark Cavendish, 22, Team High Road

Winning ahead of McEwin and Boonen lead out man Steegmans in the 2007 Grote Scheldeprijs.

Mark Cavendish, at only 22, has perhaps the most over all upside in this prestigious line up of future stars. With 11 wins last year, including one in the prestigious Volta a Catalunya, Cavendish announced himself as a new force on the sprinting scene. Riding for the newly formed Team High Road (formerly T-Mobile) in 2008, Cavendish should have plenty of chances at glory. First up will in all liklihood be "La Primivera," Milan-San Remo, where he will face veterans Petacchi, McEwin and Friere.

But it is the Belgian classics where Cavendish should perform best in the early season. Het Volk could be added to his palmares in 2008, as could Ghent-Wevelgem. Team High Road will enter the Tour de France with only Michael Rogers as it's real GC hope, so Mark should get a few shots at a bunch sprint stage victories there as well. 11 wins from 2007 should turn into around 20 in 2008.

Cavendish is more well known for his exploits on the track than on the road. But that could well change in 08.

Grand Tour Hope: Andy Schleck, 22, CSC

Riding in the "Maglia Blanca" as best young rider in the 2007 Giro. He would go on to finish 2nd overall behind Danilo Di Luca.

Andy Schleck comes from a cycling family in the most classic sense of the word. Not only was his father a pro racer, but so was his grandfather! Also, he rides with his brother, Frank, at CSC. Andy announced his arrival during the Giro d'Italia last year when he battled both Eddy Mazzolini (now facing a doping ban) and Danilo Di Luca (currently serving three month doping related suspension) for the Giro's overall title. In the end, he finished an amazing second and was the revelation of the Tour.

This year CSC boss Bjarne Riis will start both Andy and his brother Frank (27 yrs old) as probable co-captains in this year's Grande Boucle, the Tour de France. The two-pronged attack of the Schlecks should give the rest of the peloton fits as the brothers play off each other's talents. While Andy will be contesting his first ever Tour de France, a top placing seems a very realistic objective for him as long as he arrives on top form. Whether this year or next though, the youngest Schleck will soon be considered among the world's truly elite.

Andy time trialing in the Tour of Romandie 2007 stage race, an event won by Tyler Hamilton before his suspension for homologous blood doping. Andy's skill against the clock will serve him well over the years in the Grand Tours.

Time Trialist: Thomas Dekker, 23, Rabobank

Dekker has long been known as an excellent time trialist, as he won his national championship in 2004 and 2005. Bigger time trial successes can't be far off

Thomas Dekker, like many of the rider's in this post, burst onto the scene in 2007. The lanky Dutchman showed off his skills in some huge races, winning the overall at the Tour of Romandy as well as the time trial there, and took the win in stage six of the Tour de Swiss, arguably one of the biggest races in cycling, behind the Grand Tours and the huge one day classic monuments.

This year, Dekker will be the unquestioned second in command on the Rabobank team as Michael Boogerd has retired and Michael Rasmussen is gone from being suspected of doping during last year's Tour de France. While Dekker will no doubt ride in support of teammate Dennis Menchov in this year's Tour, he'll also be given a free hand if Menchov falters. With his amazing time trialing skills, Dekker needs only to hone his technique in the steep mountains to go top ten in a Grand Tour in 2008.

Enjoying the podium overall at the 2007 Tour de Romandy with Italian Paolo Salvodelli (left, three time Giro d'Italia winner) and Andre Kashechkin (right, since susended for blood doping)

So there are your young riders to watch in 2008. Look out over the next few days for a "Last Chance Saloon" update on riders clutching at one last chance for glory before retirement. Until then, Allez!

Briggs Heaney