News

19th April 2007

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Meersman wins his first professional race as Canada Garcia moves into the overall lead by Brian C. Grenier

One of the things I have always liked about cycling is the epic nature of some of the races. Everyone has their favorites for sure, Armstrong giving Ulrich the 'look', Floyd’s climb to victory in the 2006 Tour de France, or your local unknown lapping the field in the town Criterium. Everyday somewhere, athletic accomplishments of epic proportions happen in cycling! Today my friend, was no different!

The Tour de Georgia took off today from Rome, GA. in route to Chattanooga Tennessee, a challenging 190.2 kilometer route with 3 climbs before the riders were to get to Chattanooga and the finish. 

The riders rode off at about 12 noon Eastern time under clear sky’s and warming spring temps. Some of the riders had mentioned that they were feeling tired, maybe a symptom of the warming weather here, who knows? But judging from the reaction or lack there of something was adrift within the Peloton.

I think when teams and managers look back on today they will just shake their heads in a collective sigh of disbelief. The main group just didn’t seem to be able to find the accelerator. From the outset the attacks came and about 1 hour into the race a 16 man break took off from the front of the peloton. 

Initially Predictor-Lotto worked to reel in the break and almost accomplished the feat bringing the escapees down to 30 seconds. Working alone, Predictor-Lotto had no choice but to fall back on their pace and the break just started to build a lead that has to go into the record books! When the break came off the final climb they had a lead in excess of 28 minutes! After the break got into TN the remaining 13 riders split and came back together numerous times in a cat and mouse game that was electrifying!

American audiences were treated to the heart and soul of the sport of cycling today.  Without a doubt the performance put on by the riders in the break-away group has cemented a place in the heart of American sports enthusiasts! Fittingly, an American team won this epic battle today with Discovery’s Gianni Meersman coming in 1st for the stage victory and his first professional win while his teammate Janez Brajkovic hammered it home on the final sprint to take 3rd and a fantastic shot at the over all general classification! 

The remainder of the peloton is essentially out of the running. With a gap of over 25 minutes if you were not part of the break today you are effectively out of the running. The only thing that remains is the battle for personal dignity for the riders that held back. 

More tomorrow as we head into the heart land of Dalton GA and the daunting climb up Brasstown Bald on Friday.

Click here for the full results from stage three of the Tour de Georgia...

T-Mobile announce their roster for the Amstel Gold

Following a knee problem, Australia's Michael Rogers will return to competition at the Amstel Gold race this weekend, the next round of the UCI ProTour.

The T-Mobile team will be sending a strong team to the 42nd edition of the race, a team made up by an experienced roster of classics specialists and all-rounder's.

Sporting director Valerio Piva said, "We are bringing a well-balanced team with a lot of potential to be right up there at the business end of the race."

With Rogers and 26 year-old German Patrik Sinkewitz both competing, Piva believes the team will have options no matter what way the race unfolds, and with the addition of an in-form Kim Kirchen, the team should really be in the shake-up.

"Kim impressed with his performances and podium places at Tirreno-Adriatico and Brabantse Pijl. Michael also rode steadily at the Settimana Coppi e Bartali," continued Piva.

Sinkewitz said, "Though the race is relatively easy to read, it's a real leg-breaker. It doesn't matter if you've already raced here 100 times, it won't help you unless you've got really good legs."

Even though Rogers is only recovering from his injury he said, "It is still hurting me, but it won't hold me back. I am fit and ready."

The complete T-Mobile lineup for the 251 kilometer Amstel Gold race will be: Michael Barry (Can), Lorenzo Bernucci (Ita), Markus Burghardt (Ger), Kim Kirchen (Lux), Andreas Klier (Ger), Patrik Sinkewitz (Ger), Michael Rogers (Aus) and Thomas Ziegler (Ger)

The teams sporting directors for the event will be Dutchman Tristan Hoffman and Italian Piva who added, "There's hardly five kilometers of flat road on the whole route and that's what makes it so difficult.".

Astana, Lampre-Fondital and Predictor-Lotto also announce their lineup's for the weekend's Amstel Gold race
Astana and Lampre-Fondital are two other teams who have named their selections for the weekend's Amstel Gold race in Holland.

The Astana team that will be guided by sporting director Mario Kummer will be: Assan Bazayev (Kaz), Koen De Kort (Ned), René Haselbacher (Aut),Maxim Iglinskiy (Kaz), Sergueï Ivanov (Rus), Matthias Kessler (Ger), Gennady Mikhailov (Rus) and Gregory Rast (Swi).

Lampre-Fondital will be guided by sporting director Fabrizio Bontempi and will field: Fabio Baldato, Matteo Bono, Giampaolo Caruso, Claudio Corioni, Enrico Franzoi, David Loosli and Daniele Righi.

Bontempi said, "We lost the riders for whom we had planned the race - However we can obtain good performances thanks to Franzoi and Baldato, great in the first part of North classics, with Bono, Loosli, Corioni and Righi."

Directed by Herman Frison the Predictor-Lotto squad will be: Mario Aerts, Nic Ingels, Björn Leukemans, Matthew Lloyd, Pieter Mertens, Jurgen Vandenbroeck, Wim Vanhuffel and Johan Vansummeren.

Unibet's Arnaud Coyot crashes at the GP Denain

Frenchman Arnaud Coyot crashed earlier today at the GP Denain in France, a report of which we will have in tomorrow's daily news section.

The Unibet.com professional, winner of the Classic Haribo last season, sustained a broken wrist, broke in two places and will now be out of competition for approximately five weeks according to team reports.

ProCycleNews wish Arnaud all the best in his recovery over the coming weeks.

Young T-Mobile rider Mark Cavendish wins the Scheldeprijs

T-Mobile's young sprinter Mark Cavendish came out on top at yesterday's Scheldeprijs Vlaanderen in Belgium beating Aussie sprint king Robbie McEwen, the points competition at last years Tour de France. Third place went to Quick Step-Innergetic rider Gert Steegmans who stepped into the breach after the squad lost their star sprinter Tom Boonen due to intestinal problems.

Speaking after the race on t-mobile-team.com the young Manx rider said, "I am happy with the team roles this year, and this is the first time I had a free role. I grew up respecting Robbie, and I just hope I can be the next Robbie McEwen."

176 riders rolled away from the start to contest the 100th edition of the race, an event that covered a total distance of 197 kilometers.

Results - Top 10:

1 Mark Cavendish (GBr) T-Mobile 4.09.00 (47.469 km/h)

2 Robbie McEwen (Aus) Predictor-Lotto

3 Gert Steegmans (Bel) Quick Step-Innergetic

4 Wouter Weylandt (Bel) Quick Step-Innergetic

5 Graeme Brown (Aus) Rabobank

6 Claudio Cucinotta (Ita) Tenax-Menikini

7 Erik Zabel (Ger) Milram

8 Baden Cooke (Aus) Unibet.com

9 Daniel Musiol (Ger) Wiesenhof-Felt

10 Steven Caethoven (Bel) Chocolade Jacques-Topsport Vlaanderen

No Beloki for Astana

Despite the rumors that have been circulating, 34 year-old Spanish rider Joseba Beloki will not be joining the Astana team according to their teams website.

"This assertion is absurd and completely false," said the team who also state that they have no intention of hiring any other riders for the present.

Astana have said that they would only employ riders who fit in with the teams philosophy.

Beloki had been a member of Manolo Saiz's Liberty Seguros-Würth squad that later became Astana mid-way through last season when the squad was thrown into turmoil by the Spanish Operación Puerto drug investigation, an investigation that Beloki himself had been linked to.

So, Beloki remains without a team for the 2007 season and it looks increasingly likely he will be forced into retirement without any other options open to him.

Switzerland's Michael Schär crashed at last weekend's Paris-Roubaix classic, a crash that ended his race. The Astana rider suffered a deep wound on his left thigh but following further medical examinations it was revealed that he has also suffered a fracture of the left clavicle, an injury that will keep him out of competition over the coming weeks.

ProCycleNews.com would like to take this opportunity to wish Michael all the best for a rapid recovery and we will look forward to seeing him back in the peloton sometime in the near future.