Fernando Gaviria outsprints Cavendish and Modolo to win stage 1 at the Tour de San Luis
by Shane Stokes
Mark Cavendish went close to notching up his first win of the season on stage 1 of the Tour de San Luis but had to make do with the runner-up slot behind Colombian national team rider Fernando Gaviria.
¡Espectacular victoria de Fernando Gaviria en el #TourSanLuis por delante de Mark Cavendish! (©@SprintCycling) pic.twitter.com/GkrXtumrdY
— Pasión Ciclista (@cycling_passion) January 19, 2015
Gaviria, who raced with the Colombia Coldeportes team in 2014, bested Cavendish and another very rapid sprinter, Sacha Modolo (Lampre-Merida) into the finish in Villa Mercedes.
The 20-year-old became under 23 Pan-American road race champion last season and also took second in the points classification in the Tour de l’Avenir, showcasing his talent. However grabbing stage 1 plus the leader’s jersey in the Argentinean season-opener is far bigger, and may prove to be the first clear sign of an future sprinting star.
The 186.8 kilomere stage featured a long distance three man break, with Ignacio Pérez (Team San Juan), David Williams (Jamis-Hagens Berman) and Leandro Messineo (San Luis Somos Todos) putting daylight between themselves and the bunch and building a solid lead.
They rode hard to try to fend off the inevitable chase but with a sprint on offer, the teams behind showed little mercy.
The 2.1-ranked event continues Tuesday with a 185.3 kilometre stage from La Punta to the summit of the Mirador de Potrero.
Gaviria
GaviriaGiorgia Bronzini survives Checker Hill to win in Campbelltown
by Jessi Braverman
Italian Giorgia Bronzini (Wiggle Down Under) made the elite selection over Checker Hill to take a convincing win on the third stage of the Santos Women’s Tour yesterday.
The two-time former world champion easily outsprinted Orica-AIS pair Melissa Hoskins and Valentina Scandolara to the finish line in Campbelltown on what was expected to be the most decisive stage of the four day race.
As predicted, Checker Hill split the peloton to pieces. An 11 rider front group formed just over the top, including Bronzini.
Scandolara remains in the blue leader’s jersey she pulled on following her spectacular solo win on stage one. Hoskins holds tight to second overall, six seconds behind her teammate. Ruth Corset (Total Rush) jumps up to third on the general classification.
The final stage of the Santos Women’s Tour is a 70 minute criterium in Adelaide’s Victoria Park this evening. The course favours the sprinters, and it is unlikely we will see any major changes to the general classification.
Click here to read more at CyclingTips.
Giro d’Italia wildcards announced: emphasis on Italian teams for Grand Tour
by Shane Stokes
Giro d’Italia race organiser RCS Sport has announced the Pro Continental teams it will invite to the Giro d’Italia in 2015, as well as to three of its other events.
With the latter trio – Tirreno-Adriatico, Milan-San Remo and Il Lombardia – each being WorldTour events, the 17 teams in that category have automatic invites. In addition to that, four Italian teams have been listed for the Giro: Androni Giocattoli, Bardiani CSF, Nippo – Vini Fantini and Southeast Pro Cycling Team.
A fifth team was also confirmed: Polish outfit CCC Sprandi Polkowice. It includes the Italian former Classics winner Davide Rebellin.
Click here to read the full story on CyclingTips.
Cunego’s gamble pays off as Nippo-Vini Fantini get green light to pink race
by Shane Stokes
Signing with a previously-small team after many years with Lampre-Merida, 2004 Giro d’Italia champion Damiano Cunego knew that he was far from certain of getting a start in this year’s Giro. However the 33 year old and his Nippo Vini Fantini teammates were able to breathe a collective sigh of relief on Monday when they were given a place in the event.
The squad also secured an invite to Il Lombardia, and Cunego said that he will ensure he is in strong form for the events.
“Thanks to RCS for the trust put in us,” he stated. “The Giro d’Italia is The Race, where I was born, grew and was discovered. I will do my best and I want to give something to remember to all the fans of the Pink Race, without forgetting Lombardia, where I will return motivated and determined to win.”
Cunego won the latter three times, namely in 2004, 2007 and 2008.
CCC Sprandi Polkowice jubilant about wildcards to Giro, Milan-San Remo and Il Lombardia
by Shane Stokes
Returning to the Giro d’Italia after a dozen-year absence, the directeur sportif of CCC Sprandi Polkowice has said that the significance of riding the event is massive for the Polish team.
“Invitation to those races is by far the biggest highlight in the team’s history since I’ve become the directeur sportif,” Piotr Wadecki said, reacting to the wildcard invitation announced on Monday by organisers RCS Sport.
“It has been a long process and we are very proud that RCS Sport has put trust in us. What’s special about the invitation to the Giro is the fact that we are the only non-Italian team, which received the wildcard.”
Ulissi handed nine month ban over positive test but expresses relief
by Shane Stokes
Double Giro d’Italia stage winner Diego Ulissi has said that he is pleased despite being handed a nine-month ban after testing positive for excessive levels of salbutamol, saying that the findings have shown he didn’t deliberately try to cheat.
Under the ruling, the Swiss Olympic Association has handed him a ban stretching from June 25 last year until March 28.
His anti-doping control sample had been taken at the end of the 11th stage of the Giro, one day before he bounced back to take second in the Barolo time trial. He later withdrew from the race prior to stage 18 after becoming ill.
Ulissi’s Lampre-Merida team issued a statement Monday, saying that it took note of the decision and ‘would like to stress the fact that it has been confirmed by the Swiss anti doping that the athlete acted negligently without having any intentions of improving his athletic performance.’
Click here to read the full story on CyclingTips.
Sprint focus for Drapac in the 2015 Santos Tour Down Under
A year after its first appearance at the Santos Tour Down Under, Australian ProContinental team Drapac Pro Cycling goes into this year’s race with a focus on sprint finishes, rather than breakaway opportunities.
Will Clarke riding for Drapac charges to the finish line of the 2014 Herald Sun Tour Prologue.
This renewed focus is thanks largely to the form of the team’s Dutch sprinter Wouter Wippert. Wippert was Drapac’s most successful rider in 2014, taking eight of the team’s 11 UCI-classified victories for the season. He’s started 2015 in similarly promising fashion, finishing third in the People’s Choice Classic criterium ahead of the Tour Down Under.
“After this [third place] it gave me some faith for the rest of the week”, Wippert told CyclingTips after the People’s Choice Classic. “The boys worked really hard and they were all there when they had to be.
“We’re going to give it another try on Tuesday.”
Click here to read the full article on CyclingTips.
Peter Sagan to target the monuments and Tour de France in 2015
Tinkoff-Saxo’s high-profile recruit Peter Sagan has revealed his race programme for the first half of 2015, with the Slovakian set to target the Monuments in Spring before the Tour of California, Tour de Suisse and then the Tour de France.
For the first time since 2012 Sagan is skipping the Tour de San Luis and will instead start his year at the Tour of Qatar next month. He will then head to the Tour of Oman.
Click here to see Sagan’s full race schedule at his Facebook page.
Sarah Storey on her hour-record attempt
While there has been much talk in recent months about the big-name male riders aiming to break Matthias Brandle’s world hour record, the women’s hour record is under threat as well with Dame Sarah Storey set to attempt the record on February 28.
The current mark of 46.065km was set by Dutch rider Leontien Zijlaard-Van Moorsel in 2003. No-one has attempted the record since.
In a long interview with The Guardian, Storey talks about her approach to the record attempt and what she’s expecting. Here’s an excerpt:
“How many laps of the Lea Valley Velodrome will Storey have to ride to break that landmark? “184 and a quarter,” she says instantly, knowing she will have to complete 3.07 laps every minute, for 60 minutes.“I wonder if women haven’t attempted the Hour record much because our events are shorter than the men’s,” Storey suggests. “There’s an element of doubt in our minds when thinking about a whole hour. Men are more used to it because their time-trials and stage races are longer. In the national road race last year the men did twice the length. That’s why there is more doubt for women.”
Click here to read the full article at The Guardian.
Cycling fourth-worst sport for doping in 2014
Cycling has a reputation in the wider community for being one of, if not the “dirtiest” sport around, but according to the MPCC, cycling is only fourth on the list.
Collating all of the proven positives in the various sports, “according to official communications federations and anti-doping agencies”, the MPCC has found that there were “only” 16 positive tests in cycling, compared with athletics which topped the chart with 95 positives.
Click here to see a larger version of this infographic.
Ride suggestions at the Santos Tour Down Under
If you’re at the Santos Tour Down Under in Adelaide this year and looking to watch the racing up close and personal, be sure to check out our daily ride suggestions. For each stage of the race (apart from the final-stage crit in Adelaide) we offer a suggestion for the best viewing point for the stage, and how to get there.
Check it out here.
Cavendish lets fly after doping-related question
Known as being very blunt at times, Mark Cavendish didn’t mince words when asked by a journalist at the Tour de San Luis pre-race conference if he was 100% sure other riders in the peloton weren’t doping.
“Can you tell me 100% that one of these journalists isn’t f**king your wife?” he retorted, before continuing on with a slightly more measured response.
As can be seen in the video below, team-mate Michal Kwiatkowski appeared to initially not believe what was said, and then to be holding back laughter. Fortunately things settled down, but it’s another example that Cavendish’s tongue can be as sharp as his sprint is quick.
The Rocacorba Recap
And finally this morning, here are a few things you might have missed at CyclingTips:
- Best of Adelaide: helpful hints from the local pros
- Team kits of the 2015 WorldTour
- Tour Down Under preview and favourites
- Rocacorba Daily: Monday January 19