Archived posts for March 2012

Dowsett 2012 hopes hit by injury

Alex Dowsett has admitted that an ongoing infection following an elbow injury has put a major dent in his Olympic qualification hopes.

The National Time Trial champion broke the joint in three places following a fall in Belgium earlier in the month.

“I am going to be up against it but it’s not over until it’s over,” the 23-year-old from Maldon told BBC Essex.

“It’s very frustrating. In another year I’d be enjoying the down time, but in an Olympic year the timing is bad.”

Continue reading the main story

“My elbow was kind of in three pieces, which wasn’t brilliant”

Alex Dowsett

Dowsett expects to be sidelined for a further five weeks and will face a race against time to produce performances before the selection period for the Great Britain cycling team closes on the 27 May.

As well as having designs on competing in the time trial, Dowsett hopes his role as the training partner of road race team leader Mark Cavendish will bolster his chances.

“I’ve had a good start to the season and proved my worth as a team-mate to Mark Cavendish. Hopefully the selection committee will take that into consideration,” he said.

“While I know I can be fit for race day in terms of the Olympics, I’ll be missing out on a lot of the selection races. I’m taking a positive attitude as always.”

Dowsett suffered the initial injury during a collision in stage three of the 3-Daagse van West-Vlaanderen race, but afterwards drove back to England before realising the extent of the problem.

“My elbow was kind of in three pieces, which wasn’t brilliant,” he explained.

“I had a plate and six screws put in. During the operation I was unlucky and picked up an infection.

“Things are improving. In five weeks’ time I’m having the plate out and we can get rid of the infection for good – and I should be back going again.”

Article source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/sport/0/cycling/17564654

Posted by: keith on Saturday, March 31st, 2012 posted in: News

Armitstead targets Flanders win

Lizzie Armitstead believes victory at this weekend’s Tour of Flanders could help her make sure of a place in the British Olympic road cycling team.

Armitstead, 23, faces Nicole Cooke – her GB team-mate but fierce rival for lead rider in the squad – as they ride for separate teams in Sunday’s race.

“I’m hoping to peak this weekend. The Tour of Flanders is the main goal of the spring,” Armitstead told the BBC.

Four women will compete for Team GB in the London 2012 road race.

Continue reading the main story

“I’m trying to peak now in order to have some results for them to select me on”

Lizzie Armitstead

Those four places will not be filled by the selectors until 7 June, later than many other Olympic sports.

But while four will ride, only one can win the gold medal. Both Armitstead and Cooke believe they can put forward strong cases to be chosen as the focus of the team.

Armitstead was set up as the leader for last year’s World Championships in Copenhagen, but chaos following a crash saw Cooke – who is the defending Olympic champion – strike out for the finish alone,

creating acrimony between the two.

Last week Cooke, who rides for Faren Honda when not in GB colours, said the row with Armitstead had simmered down.

“I have forgiven her and we have moved on,”

said the 28-year-old.

But Armitstead’s impressive form so far this year, including victory in the first-ever women’s Gent-Wevelgem road race earlier in March, may add pressure on Cooke to respond in kind.

This summer’s road race course is considered likely to encourage a bunch sprint finish. Armitstead, who rides for Dutch team AA Drink/leontien.nl this year alongside British team-mates Sharon Laws, Emma Pooley and Lucy Martin, thinks that will suit her.

“London is potentially a sprinter’s course so they’ll select riders who are good at sprinting, and not necessarily riders that would suit a more mountainous kind of course,” Armitstead told BBC Radio 5 live’s London Calling programme.

“Selection is on 7 June and that’s pretty late. That’s why I’m trying to peak now, in order to have some results for them to select me on something.

“I’ll take a break in May, then build up again in the hope I’m selected for July.”

Article source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/sport/0/cycling/17558015

Posted by: keith on Friday, March 30th, 2012 posted in: News

Cavendish backs Yorkshire Tour

Mark Cavendish and Ben Swift are backing Yorkshire’s bid to bring the Tour de France to the county in 2016.

Cavendish, who

won the green jersey last year for being the Tour’s best sprinter,

said: “My mum is from Yorkshire so I’m proud to be backing the Yorkshire 2016 bid.”

Team Sky team-mate Ben Swift said he would love to see a stage of the race run in his home county.

The Yorkshire Grand Depart

Welcome to Yorkshire say that the route would take in Leeds, Scarborough, York, Hull, Sheffield and the Yorkshire Dales.

“It would be amazing to be part of the peloton through the Dales,” he said.

The first two days of racing, the Grand Depart, are held in a new location outside France every two years.

Yorkshire is competing against Barcelona, Venice, Berlin and Scotland

for the right to host the 2016 stages.

Stages were last held in the UK in 2007 when London and Kent played host.

Cavendish, who has won 20 Tour de France stages, believes the county’s natural beauty will prove attractive to the race’s organisers.

“The county would provide a stunning backdrop to the Tour as well as a real test for the competitors,” he said.

“I have fond memories of holidaying in Yorkshire, a lot of my family still live there and it would be fantastic if the world’s greatest cycle race could come to Yorkshire.”

Swift added: “It’s special to say you’ve raced the Tour de France, I’m proud to be able to say I have. I would love to see the Tour come to my home county, and I hope [tourism agency] Welcome to Yorkshire can make it happen in 2016.”

More than 185 countries around the world show the Tour de France every year on 92 different television channels with the last hour of every stage broadcast live across western Europe.

Gary Verity, chief executive of Welcome to Yorkshire, wants the public to back the bid by signing a petition on their

Back le Bid website.

“Some may see us as outsiders but we think Yorkshire has a lot to offer, not just our stunning scenery but the passion of our people and the expertise we have in hosting world class sporting events,” he said.

Article source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/sport/0/cycling/17552449

Posted by: keith on Thursday, March 29th, 2012 posted in: News

Creme of the Crop-Arrive at Herberts!

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Posted by: simon on Thursday, March 29th, 2012 posted in: News > Shop

Mario Cipollini Gran Fondo

Event Details

The Cipollini Gran Fondo is a sportive of a special kind. 115km of the most iconic climbs and roads of the south west are waiting for the exclusive group of rider, paired with an un-presidented back-up structure and last but not least the man himself – Mario Cipollini.

On the weekend of the 21-22nd April 2012 Mario Cipollini will come to Bristol to ride the Cipollini Gran Fondo as well as welcome the riders to an exclusive pre-ride dinner at The Redwood Lodge Country Club.

Event concept:
The Cipollini Gran Fondo is a non-competitive road sportive with a twist. Contrary to ‘normal’ sportives where riders turn up grab their number board and rush to the start line the Cipollini Gran Fondo offers the riders an exclusive and relaxed ambience as well as a prolonged experience.

The Cipollini Gran Fondo opens its doors at 5pm on Saturday the 21st April at Redwood Lodge Country Club with the opening of the registration and a welcome drink. The registration will stay open till the start of the exclusive 3 course gala dinner.

During and after the dinner we will have interviews with Mario Cipollini as well as a surprise after dinner speaker.

See further details on the hotel and the area here (LINK). The facilities at the hotel and the 1st class leisure facilities including pool, tennis courts and gym are obviously open to the event participants and their partners.

The next morning (Sunday 22nd April) will then see the start of the Cipollini Gran Fondo from 9am onwards. Prior to the start we will have coffee, tea and pastries available for the riders before they make their way to the start line. Registration for the Sunday only riders will be open from 8am – 10am at the Redwood Lodge Country Club.

Support structure:
The Mario Cipollini Gran Fondo is designed for all levels of ability and fitness and offers detailed route marking (optional shortcuts available), well stocked feed stations, mobile mechanics and Mercedes-Benz broom wagons.

The course:
The 115km long course will be primarily run on quiet road away from the main flow of traffic and will showcase some of the less obvious climbs and sections the area has to offer. That doesn’t mean that you will not be tested on iconic climbs like the Cheddar George or Burrington Combe but on top of that there will be a few surprises thrown into the mix which will make the ride a real experience even for local sportive riders.

NOTE: There will be a shortcut avoiding Cheddar Gorge available if you should not feel up to it on the day. This reduced the course by approx. 15km and 300m of climbing.

Mario out on course:
Even with Mario’s active racing career being over he still carries a hefty punch on the bike. Mario will obviously be out on course all day and will jump from group to group, therefore giving as many riders as possible the chance to rub shoulders with the former World Champion.

Marking:
The course is fully marked but every rider will get a small ‘backup map’ given in case that marking is not 100% clear or gets damaged or removed. We will also have marshals at important points of the course as well as roaming marshals during the day who will look after the riders in the best way possible. Further to that we will have a group of out-riders that will inspect the course and the marking prior to the start and feed back any important updates for the pre-ride briefing.

Feed stations:
Around the 115km long course the riders will find two amazing feed stations. Here they can expect not just the latest in energy food and drinks but hand-cut sandwiches, homemade cakes, fresh ground coffee and freshly brewed tea and lots more. The 2nd feed station will even go one step further and offer the riders a buffet style lunch sampling local dishes which are perfectly adjusted to the needs of the riders.

Mechanics:
At the Cipollini Gran Fondo we will not just have mechanics at the registration to give the bikes the last few tweaks before the off but we will also have a mechanic on every feed station. On top of that we will have two motorbike mechanics equipped with spare wheels who will patrol the peloton throughout the day.

Broom wagon:
And should you have more severe problems with either your bike or your body we will have three broom wagons at various points on the course who will be able to take and your bike back to the start.

Team car:
On top of that – and to give the real tour feeling – we will also have Cipollini team car patrolling the course which is equipped with a selection of the latest Cipollini bikes in case your bike is not repairable on the side of the road.

Chip timing:
We will use timing chips which will be fitted either to your bike or to the number board. These will give riders an idea how long it took them to complete the entire course (please keep in mind that the event is non-competitive and we don’t reward fastest times or such like). We will also have 1-2 further timing points along the course so that the riders get a better idea how long it took them to get to those selected points.

Before the ride – Sunday:
Before the start of the Cipollini Gran Fondo on Sunday morning we will offer the riders some refreshments like coffee, teas and pastries and hold a short riders briefing (including the latest update on the course and road conditions). The start of the event is open from 9am and stays open for one hour. There is also a massage team in place that will be happy to assist with any pre-ride rub downs. As there are only limited slots available – please make sure that you pre-book your appointment to avoid disappointment when you arrive at the event.

After the ride – Sunday:
The Cipollini Gran Fondo is not over when you come over the finish line back at the Redwood Lodge Country Park. Once you have finished your ride you will be given your unique Cipollini finisher jersey as well as some well deserved après-ride coffee, tea and cake. On top of that you will get the chance to share your experiences from the day with your fellow riders as well as with Mario himself. Once the active and social part of the day comes to an end you are welcome to use the Red Wood Lodge gym facilities to get changed and showered. We will also have the massage team back in action for any pre-ride massages. As there are only limited slots available – please make sure that you pre-book your appointment to avoid disappointment when you arrive at the event.

Mario Cipollini Gran Fondo.

Posted by: simon on Thursday, March 29th, 2012 posted in: News > Shop

BMX star Shanaze Reade: I wanted to quit

By Steve Parry
Olympic bronze medallist and BBC Radio 5 live presenter

At Beijing 2008, Britain’s gold-medal favourite Shanaze Reade

crashed out

of her Olympic BMX final.

“In a matter of seconds my Olympic dream was over,” she told me. She even thought of quitting the sport afterwards.

“I didn’t want to do BMX. But then I saw my grandad come home from work miserable and realised I never felt that from BMX.

“But if I was to say I got over it quickly, then I’d be lying.”

There are plenty of other Olympic sports where, if you don’t win the gold, you at least don’t end up literally lying in the dirt with everyone else flying past you.

In those other sports, you might simply reach the finish a little later, having not had quite the speed you needed to win. Shanaze? She was on the dirt, battered and bruised having injured herself in the process, and that’s nothing to how she must have been feeling emotionally.

She learned some lessons in the most public of arenas.

“It was one of the hardest things I’ve faced in my career,” she recalled. “I was in complete shock because I’d won the world title just three months previously.”

Three times Reade, from Crewe, has won BMX world titles – she also has two world team sprint golds on the track to her name. This year, she gets two bites at a home event: the forthcoming

BMX World Championships

in Birmingham and then the London Olympics.

“Not every athlete from other countries get to have a dry run [in their own country] before the Olympics.

“I get to have my family and friends there and test out the atmosphere. Because it’s indoors there’ll be a roar around the arena.”

London Calling

Listen from 1930 BST on Thursday, 29 March on BBC Radio 5 live
Katharine Merry and Steve Parry bring you exclusive interviews and updates from a range of Olympic sports
This week: Liam Tancock, Shanaze Reade, Chantal Petitclerc, Luol Deng and more
Follow the best Olympic sports reporting from the BBC online each Thursday – search for #olympicthursday on Twitter

Reade is aware that she is the best in the world at what she does, but she is no longer taking anything for granted. Elements of naivety crept in during 2008 – she was clearly expected by everyone else to win the gold medal and looked like she went in too aggressively with her ride.

I don’t think she’s going to make any of those mistakes again this year.

“Even in the week leading up [to a big race], I don’t think about winning,” she said. “I think of the process, each part of the track. If I get through that then the results take care of themselves. I don’t go in wanting to win, but to do the best I can.”

In spite of that, it is obvious to see how keen she is to win at the Olympics. But she also comes across as a warm, intriguing person who has developed her focus and learned a lot.

We spoke at the National Cycling Centre in Manchester. The velodrome there has always had an aura, since track cycling has been so successful, and one of the most important things they have recently added is this shed – a huge shed, a very expensive shed, but a shed all the same – in which there is a new BMX track.

It really is quite daunting when you walk in and the first thing you realise is, if you thought a BMX track was just a few little mounds and a ramp, the sheer size is absolutely unbelievable.

I had a go while I was there. As a swimmer, I was an aerobic athlete – I’ve put on a bit of weight, granted, but you have got to permanently put pressure on your arms and legs in order to stay on. I couldn’t believe how physical it was.

And that was without going down the massive start ramp to pick up ridiculous amounts of speed. I got really excited about BMX while I was there. Track cycling is great, road cycling is fantastic, but I think BMX will be one of the big winners at London 2012.

It has all the music (who’s allowed to pick their own tune to race to in any other event?), two British contenders in Reade and Liam Phillips, and a lot of kids are going to get on to that this summer.

When I had the right mindset going into a big event, I always achieved. When I had doubts and fears, I fell short. I think a lot of British athletes will experience that for themselves at their home Olympics.

But if I could be so bold, from what I picked up from Shanaze, she is in exactly the right headspace. I back her to get the medal.

You can hear Steve Parry’s full interview with Shanaze Reade from 1930 BST on Thursday, 29 March as part of BBC Radio 5 live’s

London Calling.

Steve Parry was speaking to BBC Sport’s Ollie Williams.

Article source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/sport/0/cycling/17527040

Posted by: keith on Thursday, March 29th, 2012 posted in: News

Hoy ready to repeat Beijing feat

Sir Chris Hoy believes “it is not impossible” for him to repeat his performance at the Beijing Olympics this summer in London.

The 36-year-old won

three gold medals in 2008

which saw him

knighted for his services to cycling.

“If I could win two or three that would be amazing but really my aim is to be Olympic champion in London,” he said.

“And if I can repeat (what I did) in Beijing, then that’s the dream scenario.”

Hoy was speaking in Melbourne ahead of the Track Cycling World Championships as he prepares to compete in the sprint, team sprint and Keirin at the Hisense Arena.

“I would love to repeat my performances at Beijing in London but to be honest, for me I’m just going to go out there and do my best and just hope to win a gold medal,” he said.

“I don’t think it’s impossible and I think that I would only enter an event if I believed I could win it,” he added.

The 10-time world champion goes head to head with Jason Kenny, who was second in Beijing and is reigning world champion, for the one available British spot in the sprint in London.

But he is optimistic he can win to secure the final place and add to his tally of four Olympic golds.

“I’m pleased I’ve done pretty well this year so far and if I can have another good performance here then hopefully it’ll be enough,” Hoy added.

“The ideal swansong would be to have a successful Games in London and then to go on to the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow because I’ve never actually raced internationally in my home country in Scotland.”

Article source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/sport/0/cycling/17531893

Posted by: keith on Wednesday, March 28th, 2012 posted in: News

Armitstead claims second 2012 win

British cyclist Lizzie Armitstead won the Gent-Wevelgem road race with a strong solo ride on the first occasion the event has been staged for women.

Sunday’s win formed Armitstead’s second victory of the year after she claimed glory in the Omloop van het Hageland – Tielt-Winge in Belgium on 4 March.

Armitstead rides for Dutch outfit Team AA Drink/leontien.nl.

The British cyclist, 23, is a big hope for Olympic gold at this summer’s road race in London.

However, Armitstead faces a battle with reigning Olympic champion Nicole Cooke for the position of leader in the GB team.

The pair had a public spat at the 2011 Road World Championships in Copenhagen, when leader Armitstead was held up by a crash and Cooke went on to try to win alone.

Meanwhile, Team Sky rider Mark Cavendish had a disappointing race in the men’s edition of the Gent-Wevelgem as he finished off the pace.

Cavendish, 26, fell into the chasing pack as the group split with 35km to go.

A late surge from the Isle of Man cyclist in an attempt to bridge the gap proved futile and he was one minute and 30 seconds behind the leaders with 7km to go.

Belgium’s Tom Boonen, who rides for the Omega Pharma-Quickstep team, was the eventual victor, claiming his second win in as many years at the Gent-Wevelgem.

Boonen held off the challenges from Peter Sagan of Slovakia and Matti Breschel of Denmark to claim victory.

Article source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/sport/0/cycling/17506154

Posted by: keith on Sunday, March 25th, 2012 posted in: News

Millar set for collarbone surgery

British cyclist David Millar will undergo surgery on Saturday after fracturing his right collarbone in a crash while competing in Belgium.

The 35-year-old,

who is waiting to hear if can appear at the London Olympics after being banned for doping,

was taking part in the E3 Harelbeke race for his team Garmin-Barracuda.

“I’m obviously terribly disappointed,” said Millar.

“The beginning of my season was based around the next three weeks of racing.”

A team spokesman said it was not known how long Millar would be sidelined for.

Team doctor Kevin Sprouse said: “This is the same [collarbone] he has broken before. His health is our top priority and we’ll continue to evaluate him to determine the best next steps. David is doing well and in good spirits.”

Millar added: “It’s a big blow to have to bow out in this way, but I’ll have surgery and after that, focus on my recovery and take it day by day.

“I still have a lot of goals for the season and at this point, just have to look ahead.”

Millar, who

admitted taking the blood-boosting drug EPO in 2004,

is currently banned from competing at this summer’s 2012 Olympics because of a British Olympic Association (BOA) by-law which prevents drug cheats from competing at the Games.

However, the by-law has been challenged by the World Anti-Doping Agency (Wada), who say it is not compliant with the Wada code and is therefore unenforceable.

A special hearing by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (Cas) began earlier this month, with a decision on the matter due in April.

Friday’s 203km E3 Harelbeke, a one-day World Tour race, was won by Belgian Tom Boonen. The Omega Pharma-Quickstep rider edged out three-time world champion Oscar Freire in a sprint finish.

Article source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/sport/0/cycling/17495596

Posted by: keith on Saturday, March 24th, 2012 posted in: News

Millar suffers broken collarbone

British cyclist David Millar has fractured his right collarbone in a crash while competing in Belgium.