Tour of Cali to Feature Strongest Field Ever Assembled in the US

The 2009 Amgen Tour of California will assemble the best-ever collection of the world’s top cyclists when America’s most important road race begins February 14, in Sacramento. Featuring a field that includes seven-time Tour de France Champion Lance Armstrong and two-time defending Amgen Tour of California Champion Levi Leipheimer (both racing for Astana), the 136 rider peloton also is expected to include 2006 Giro d’Italia Champion Ivan Basso (leader of team Liquigas); 2008 Olympic Champion in the time trial Fabian Cancellara (Saxo Bank); 2006 Amgen Tour of California Champion Floyd Landis (Ouch presented by Maxxis); 2005 World Champion Tom Boonen (Quick Step); three-time World Champion Oscar Freire (Rabobank); two-time United States National Champion George Hincapie (Team Columbia); and the top American performer in the 2008 Tour de France Christian Vande Velde (Garmin-Slipstream). Other anticipated participants include, 2008 Tour de France Champion Carlos Sastre (Cervélo TestTeam); four-time Norwegian National Champion Thor Hushovd (Cervélo TestTeam); 2008 U.S. Professional Champion and Olympic Gold Medal Winner Tyler Hamilton (Rock Racing); Mark Cavendish (Team Columbia), widely considered to be the world’s best sprinter; 2008 Best Young Rider in the Amgen Tour of California Robert Gesink (Rabobank); and 2008 Tour de France Best Young Rider Andy Schleck (Saxo Bank).

Read the entire article at www.velonews.com

Fantastic!!


Norwegain National Champion, Tour de France Stage Winner and wearer of the Maillot Jaune - Thor Hushovd. And my favorite rider.


US National Road Race Champion, Tour de France Stage Winner, Tour de France podium finisher, Giro d'Italia podium finisher - Levi Leipheimer; US Time Trial Champion, Stage Winner of Tour de France, Giro d'Italia and Vuelta a Espana, Maillout Jaune wearer - Dave "DZ" Zabriskie. Funniest man on the planet.


World Time-Trial Champion, Olympic Time-Trial Champion, Swiss Time-Trial Champion, Tour de France Stage Winner, Maillout Jaune wearer, Maillot Vert wearer - Fabian "Spartacus" Cancellara; World Cycling Champion, 2X Paris-Roubaix Winner, 2X Tour of Flanders Winner, Gent-Wevelgem Winner, Tour de France Stage Winner, Maillot Jaune wearer, Maillot Vert Winner - Tom Boonen. Nicest butt in the peloton.

2009 Tour of California Teams Announced

I am very pleased with this list. The Tour of California should be fantastic! Ouch and Rock Racing are coming. AND CERVELO TEST TEAM, too!!! Maybe Thor?

The complete 2009 Amgen Tour of California roster will feature the following 17 professional cycling teams:
· Ag2r-La Mondiale (FRA)

· Astana (KAZ)

· Bissell Pro Cycling Team (USA)*

· BMC Racing Team (USA)*

· Cervelo Test Team (SUI)*

· Colavita/Sutter Home Presented by Cooking Light (USA)*

· Fly V Australia presented by Successful Living Foundation Team (AUS)*

· Garmin-Chipotle (USA)

· Jelly Belly Cycling Team (USA)*

· Liquigas (ITA)

· Ouch Presented by Maxxis (USA)*

· Quick Step (BEL)

· Rabobank (Netherlands)

· Rock Racing (USA)*

· Saxo Bank (DEN)

· Team Columbia (USA)

· Team Type 1 (USA)*

*Newly announced

Rock Racing is on it's way back to the tour of California, sans Super Mario.

The Tour Down Under is Under Way!!

And with that, so is the 2009 Professional Road Cycling Season!!

Robbie "The Rocket" McKewen started the season out with a win in the '09 Cancer Classic. The Cancer Classic is kind of like the prologue to a Grand Tour, except is does not count in the final time or final general Classification (GC). It is more to 'place' riders for the official start, stage 1 of the Tour Down Under. With the win today (or tomorrow if you're an Aussie), McKewen will ride in the ochre jersey tomorrow during stage 1.


"Big George" Hincapie could be seen on the front of the peloton, keeping Columbia in contention for a stage win. Still weird to see him in "Columbia Yellow". I was just getting used to "Columbia Blue".

Lance Armstrong stayed safely in the back of the pack. This is not his kind of race. Best to stay out of the sprinters way lest you get run down!

Here are the results (as posted on www.cyclingnews.com):

1 Robbie McEwen (Aus) Team Katusha 1.04.32
2 Wim Stroetinga (Ned) Team Milram
3 Graeme Brown (Aus) Rabobank
4 Andre Greipel (Ger) Team Columbia-High Road
5 Jose Rojas (Spa) Caisse D'Epargne
6 Allan Davis (Aus) Quick Step
7 Baden Cooke (Aus) UniSA
8 Francesco Chicchi (Ita) Liquigas
9 Hilton Clarke (Aus) Fuji-Servetto 0.01
10 Chris Sutton (Aus) Garmin-Slipstream

Other Noteables:
55 Oscar Pereiro (Spa) Caisse D'Epargne
56 Stuart O'Grady (Aus) Team Saxobank
57 George Hincapie (USA) Team Columbia-High Road
63 Luis Leon Sanchez (Spa) Caisse D'Epargne
64 Lance Armstrong (USA) Astana
94 Ivan Dominquez (USA) Fuji-Servetto
131 Julian Dean (NZl) Garmin-Slipstream
DNF Michael Rogers (Aus) Team Columbia-High Road (have no idea what happened here).

The Latest Cycling News...

From www.pezcyclingnews.com
US Pro Title Stays In Greenville
The USA Cycling Professional Championships will return to Greenville, S.C. for a fourth consecutive year in 2009, with race weekend set for August 29-30. The dual championship will consist of the USA Cycling Professional Time Trial Championship on Saturday and the USA Cycling Professional Road Race Championship on Sunday.

Fun Picture of the Week:



Here is a Fun Fact: Rabobank - the team management - are imposing fines on riders who do not follow some 28 new team rules.

According to www.pezcyclingnews.com
Rabo-Banking Those Euros
A grand is a fair slice of cash when you are counting in Euros, even if you are pulling in upwards of 350,000 per year, so spare a thought for Nick Nuyens who is 1000 Euro worse off for not wearing his helmet on a training ride. Nope, not some over zealous local cop writing out a ticket, but his own employer levelling one of their new ‘fines’ which is supposed to be bringing some more professionalism to the team.

Some of the 28 different infractions that riders can be fined for were published by Sporza with the level of financial penalty depending upon the salary of the offending rider.

So, what do you have to do to fall foul of the Rabo team and how much is it going to cost you?

Bike/material not clean: 1st offence: Warning. 2nd Offence: 500€. 3rd Offence: 2,000€. 4th Offence: 5,000€.
Arriving late to meeting or training: As above.
Missing a flight: As above plus the cost of the flight.
Not wearing a helmet: 1st Offence: 1,000€. 2nd: 4,000€. 3rd: 10,000€. 4th:10,000€.
Having guests in Hotel room without permission: As above.
Saying damaging things about the team: 1st Offence: 2,500€. 2nd: 7,500€. 3rd: 15,000. 4th: Dismissal.
Receiving an official UCI warning: 1st Offence: 10,000€. 2nd: 30,000€. 3rd: Dismissal.
Testing positive (including party drugs): Instant dismissal.

Ladies and Gentleman...

Presenting the 2009 Trek-LiveStrong U23 National Cycling Team...



That would be Mr. Axel Merckx, one year out of retirement from Professional cycling - of the Eddie Merckx lineage - directing the team that is managed by Bart Knaggs of Capital Sports & Entertainment. Yes, the same management company of the former Discovery Channel Pro Cycling team (2 Tour de France wins, among other distinguished wins)

This is the team to watch. Here's hoping we see each of these young men in the Pro Peloton one day.


Read the whole article from www.velonews.com