News

20th March 2007

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Gerolsteiner's Schumacher loses control as Astana's Klöden rides into the lead behind stage winner Bono from Lampre-Fondital

23 year-old second year professional Matteo Bono raced all the way to the line to claim the first professional win of his career, the toughest stage of this years Tirreno-Adriatico. The Lampre-Fondital rider rode solo, crossing the line 0'32" ahead of Enrico Gasparotto (Liquigas) and 0'41" ahead of Giovanni Visconti (Quick Step-Innergetic), both of whom are only 24 years-old.

Soon after the start of the stage a break had formed which soon swelled to 10 riders, namely: ex-triple world champion Oscar Freire (Rabobank), Daniele Contrini and Vasil Kiryienka (both Tonkoff Credit Systems), Marco Pinotti (T-Mobile), Lars Bak (CSC), Stéphane Goubert (AG2R Prévoyance), Christian Knees (Milram), Bono, Gasparotto and Visconti.

Together the 10 man break worked together building their lead over the Gerolsteiner led peloton, looking to defend the lead of their race leader, Stefan Schumacher. Before long the break's advantage was growing, eventually peaking at just over 5 minutes.

As the finish line approached though the break started attacking each other as each of the riders started testing each other. Bono proved the strongest though and was soon riding towards the finish line on the final climb of the day alone. Extending his lead over over his pursuers with every turn of his pedals Bono never looked like being caught.

Behind though the race was being fought out for the overall lead. A fresh looking Klöden bridged to his teammate Vinokourov as the Astana pair powered to the line in the company of a strong Kim Kirchen from T-Mobile, Saunier Duval-Prodir's deposed race leader Riccardo Riccò and Acqua e Sapone-Caffè Mokambo rider Michele Scarponi. The notable absentee was Gerolsteiner's race leader Stefan Schumacher who at the beginning of the climb was the one forcing the pace!

For Klöden, he had done enough to claim the leaders jersey, wrestling it from the shoulders of Schumacher but it may well have been a different situation if the climb was just a little longer. T-Mobile's Kirchen finished 7th on the stage, two places and 0'06" ahead of the two time Tour de France podium finisher Klöden. Overall now he is second on the general classification at 0'03"...

Speaking after the stage Lampre-Fondital's stage winner Matteo Bono said, "I still can't believe I won, but luckily it's all true and it's all so beautiful. I knew I was in a good form, but I didn't imagine that I could be so strong: in the breakaway there were very strong riders, such as Freire, and I thought that I could get a good place. I tried to attack on the climb: I immediately looked for somebody to help me, but I noticed that no one could follow me, so I began to think only to pedaling. I would like to dedicate this victory to my family, to all the people that support me in my activity, to Lampre-Fondital's management that allowed me to become a professional cyclist, to the team sponsors, to Bruno Leali that guided me in amateurs and to Polisportiva Camignone where I began to cycle."

Today's final stage will see the riders compete over a 177 kilometer course from Civitella del Tronto to San Benedetto del Tronto that looks likely to come down to a bunch sprint in the end. Will Kirchen fight all the way to the line and if so who will run out as the overall winner, Klöden or Kirchen?

Click here for the full results from stage six of the Tirreno-Adriatico...

2007 Tour de Georgia Announces the International Field for America's Premier Cycling Event by Press Release

ATLANTA, Ga. (March 20, 2007) – With seven full stages, a mountain-top time trial finish and 667 total miles, this year’s Tour de Georgia will test the world’s best cyclists. The entire field of invited professional teams for the fifth edition of the Tour de Georgia was announced today by Medalist Sports, the sports management agency licensed to operate the Tour.

A total of 15 teams have accepted invitations to compete in the Tour de Georgia, the longest stage race (distance) scheduled in the United States this year. The 2007 Tour de Georgia, one of the highest ranked events outside of Europe (UCI 2.HC), will feature a total field of 15 teams (120 cyclists, 8 riders per team), including five ProTour teams. Of these ProTour teams, three finished in the ProTour Top 10 in 2006, including the top team in the world, Team CSC from Denmark. The other ProTour teams who will compete are Discovery Channel Pro Cycling team (USA), Saunier Duval-Prodir (Spa), Quick Step-Innergetic (Bel) and Predictor-Lotto (Bel).

Four UCI Professional Continental teams have accepted invitations, including Tinkoff Credit System, a new team registered in Italy, and U.S.-based teams, Health Net presented by Maxxis, Team Slipstream presented by Chipotle and the Navigators Insurance Professional Cycling Team. Five UCI Continental (USA) teams accepting invitations include Jittery Joe’s Professional Cycling Team, Priority Health Cycling Team presented by Bissell, Toyota-United Pro Cycling Team, BMC Professional Cycling Team and Colavita/Sutter Home Presented by Cooking Light Team. Also confirmed is the USA Cycling National Development Team.
“The stature of the Tour de Georgia field continues to grow year after year,” states Jim Birrell, Race Director and Managing Partner of Medalist Sports. “We are very proud that two of our four overall winners (Lance Armstrong 2004, Floyd Landis 2006) have gone on to win the Tour de France in the same year of their victory here in Georgia. That says something as to the quality of the event and the field that is invited every year to compete. Kevin Livingston, the Tour de Georgia’s Competition Director, has again assembled an outstanding and world-class field for our spectators and viewers to enjoy.”
Discovery Channel Professional Cycling team, the No. 4 ProTour team at the conclusion of the 2006 season, is considered among the top contenders in this year’s Tour de Georgia. Discovery Channel has a reputation for bringing a team loaded with talent. Tom Danielson, Levi Leipheimer, and George Hincapie are among their top riders expected to compete in Georgia. Danielson won the Tour de Georgia in 2005 and placed second in 2006, just four seconds behind winner Floyd Landis. The 29-year-old American also won the infamous stage up Brasstown Bald Mountain, along side teammate Lance Armstrong, in 2005.

Leipheimer, winner of February’s Amgen Tour of California, was the former leader for the German-based Team Gerolsteiner. He competed in Georgia in 2005, finishing second. "After just missing out on the win in 2005, I am really looking forward to coming back to race at the Tour de Georgia this year. I was bummed that it didn't work out to return last year as the race is perfectly placed in the calendar for me to test my fitness,” said Leipheimer, who returns to Georgia this year with his new team. “It is going to be exciting to come back and race with Discovery Channel, an American team, this year and try to get Johan (Bruyneel, director sportif) another win in Georgia."

Hincapie, who resides in Greenville, S.C., is the reigning USA Cycling Professional Road Race Champion. He last competed in the Tour de Georgia in 2004. "The wrist fracture I suffered in California was very unfortunate as it meant I would miss racing Paris-Roubaix, one of my big objectives. However, I had to move on and the first thing I considered was using the Tour de Georgia as the beginning of my Tour de France preparation. I have always thought it was a great race and with the team going for the win, it was an easy sell to Johan,” stated George Hincapie.

Quick Step-Innergetic and Unibet.com announce their riders for the Nokere Koerse

Quick Step-Innergetic and Unibet.com have both announced their starting lineup's for the Nokere Koerse race, tomorrow in Belgium, the 62nd edition of the event.

Directed by Rik Van Slycke the Belgian Quick Step-Innergetic team will be: Wilfried Cretskens (Bel), Steven De Jongh (Ned), Ad Engels (Ned), Kevin Seeldraeyers (Bel), Wouter Weylandt (Bel),  Cedric Vasseur (Fra), Gert Verheyen (Bel) and Davide Viganò (Ita).

Lining up in the colors of the Unibet.com team from Sweden will be: Jimmy Casper (Fra), Markus Eichler (Ger), Pieter Jacobs (Bel), Jonas Ljungblad (Swe), Matthe Pronk (Ned), Gil Suray (Bel), Erwin Thys (Bel) and Stijn Vandenbergh (Bel) who will be guided by sporting director Hilaire Van Der Schueren.

Crédit Agricole name their team for the weekend's Milan-Sanremo