Alexander Kristoff wins stage 2 of the Tour of Qatar

Alexander Kristoff has taken Katusha’s first win for the season, sprinting to victory on the second stage of the Tour of Qatar and moving into the overall lead.

Kristoff held off Andrea Guardini (Astana) and Greg Van Avermaet (BMC) at the end of the wind-swept stage.

“It was a very long sprint,” Kristoff said. “I bridged up to Terpstra and Guardini who had a little gap, and with 500 meters to go I went full gas. I felt I had it under control but Guardini is a fast guy, I was only sure when I crossed the finish line. I am really happy today with this victory.”

Strong winds saw the race split apart early before coming back together. The winds split the race again in the closing stages with only 15 riders coming to the finish with a chance at victory.

“This was maybe the hardest stage I have ever seen here in Qatar,” said Katusha sports director Torsten Schmidt. “A very strong wind, high pace, permanent echelons, and fighting for the position in the front made this stage a real struggle.”

Kristoff’s victory sees the Norwegian move into the overall lead, one second ahead of Tom Boonen (Etixx-Quick-Step) and three seconds ahead of Van Avermaet.

Today’s third stage of the six-stage race is a 10.9km ITT.

Stage 2: Al Wakra > Al Khor Corniche - Stage Result

Monday 9th February 2015

1. no
KRISTOFF Alexander
Team Katusha
03:49:51
2. it
GUARDINI Andrea
Astana Pro Team
 -
3. be
VAN AVERMAET Greg
BMC Racing Team
 -
Startlist
View full results

Click here to read more via AFP/VeloNews.

Oleg Tinkov brushes off concerns about Russia’s economic downturn

Despite saying in December that Russia’s economic woes could necessitate significant cuts to his team, if not its complete closure, Oleg Tinkov has said that the outlook isn’t quite as grim as he first said.

“It’s not affecting the team, it’s small money we are talking about, it’s just a fraction of our net income. Don’t forget my bank is making over $100 million, $200 million in 2013. The sponsorship [of Tinkoff-Saxo] is not big on our balance sheet,” Tinkov told VeloNews.

“Plus we have sponsors Saxo Bank and Specialized, so we have no issue with the budget. At least for the next 12 months, then we will see. If the price of oil drops to $20 [per barrel] then maybe there’d be no Tour of Qatar either! Ha ha!”

“This year, for sure, we won’t have a problem. It’s planned and done. For 2016, it’s hard for me to speculate,” Tinkov added.

Click here to read more at VeloNews.

Cameron Meyer’s power file analysis from his Jayco Herald Sun Tour win

The team at BikeRadar has put together an interesting analysis of Cameron Meyer’s powerfile from his win on stage 1 of the Jayco Herald Sun Tour last week — a victory that saw him win the race overall.

Jayco Herald Sun Tour Stage 4 Arthurs Seat 120km 0802 2015. Photo: Con Chronis

One of the most decisive moments of the whole race was when Meyer got in the 21-rider breakaway at the very start of stage 1, as the race hit the steep climb up Mount Macedon. Meyer reportedly averaged 370 watts (5.4W/kg) for more than 16 minutes to get in the break.

Later in the stage, as he and Joe Cooper broke clear of the lead group, Meyer average 383W (5.6W/kg) for the final 13 minutes to the finish. His sprint to win the stage: 792W for 29 seconds.

It’s interesting to note that on the final stage, where Meyer finished second behind Patrick Bevin (Avanti), Meyer had to average 448W (6.5W/kg) for the 8:43 it took him to climb Arthurs Seat.

Click here to read more at BikeRadar.

Why black is the new black - the rise of dark team kits in the peloton

If you’ve taken a look at the WorldTour and Pro Continental team kits in 2015 you would have noticed that there’s a whole lot of black going on. This shift has made things challenging for fans and commentators alike to discern which kit is which. Shane Stokes has delved a little deeper into the issue, considering the new phenomenon and speaking to a bunch of the teams to find out why black seems to be the new black.

Dark_jerseys_2015

Here’s an excerpt, in which Bora-Argon 18 general manager Ralph Denk is talking about the black kit worn by his team:

“
“We are very concerned about the confusion in the race. We just got the proof at the Mallorca Challenge where we barely recognised our riders and not even all black-wearing teams were at the start.

“Particularly the other black/red combinations give us a hard time. Unfortunately we don’t have a solution for this. As said, we stuck to the sponsors’ colours and didn’t have any other options than black and red.”

Click here to read more at CyclingTips.

A new year, a new outlook for IAM Cycling’s Heinrich Haussler

Here’s a good interview on Cyclingnews with Heinrich Haussler in which the Australian road champion talks about the challenging few seasons he’s been through, his renewed focus in 2015 and what’s ahead.

Here’s an excerpt:

“
“What people really have to understand is that in 2013 I was starting to show some level of my old self. I was really coming back in the Classics and I could attack and do things on the climbs. Then the Tour de Suisse came and I had that crash and I broke my hip and pelvis.

“It meant that I was starting from scratch all over again. Since 2009 it’s been like that. You just need one good year in your legs in order to have a strong following season but since 2009 I’ve just had constant problems with my knees, with crashes and pulling out. I hadn’t done a Grand Tour since 2011 but then I did the Tour last year and even though I had to pull out, I finished with a full season in my legs. That’s been so important when you look at where I am now.

Click here to read the full article.

The season starts: A conversation with Marcel Kittel and Koen de Kort

For Marcel Kittel and Koen de Kort of Team Giant-Alpecin, the mission is always clear: to win the race in the final kilometre. The team’s lead-out train is a well-orchestrated machine, and every rider has a specific role. Here’s an interview with the two riders at the recent Tour Down Under, about their bikes, their gear and how they prepared for the season.

Aberdeen driver filmed using phone, laptop and headphones

As cyclists we’re only too aware of the dangers posed by distracted drivers. So it’s more than a little concerning to see this video of a motorist in Aberdeen, Scotland, using not only his mobile phone while driving but also his laptop.

Click here to read more about this incident.

What You Missed

And finally this morning, here are a few things you might have missed at CyclingTips in the past few days:

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Today’s feature image comes from Jered Gruber and was shot somewhere in California.