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Giro Tribute

Team Leopard Trek have announced their resignation from this year’s Giro d’Italia following the tragic accident that killed their team mate Wouter Weylandt on Monday May 9. Their team statement read simply: “The riders of Leopard Trek wish to communicate that they will leave the Giro d’Italia. This choice of the riders has the full support of the staff and management of Leopard Trek.”

 

The fourth stage – the last for Leopard Trek – was begun with Bersaglieri infantry soldiers sounding a bugle tribute as the peloton headed out before a deliberate slow-paced stage that saw many spectators holding placards with Weylandt’s 108 race number on. In the final few kilometres overall leader David Millar (Garmin-Cervélo) waved for Leopard Trek, who were wearing black armbands, to take the lead and cross the line first. As a mark of respect race director Angelo Zomegnan confirmed that the 216km stage would not count towards the Giro’s race results and in place of the usual award ceremony Leopard Trek took to the podium along with Millar and the other jersey holders in silent tribute.

 

A fund to help support Weylandt’s family has been set up via facebook and secure PayPal account at www.facebook.com

 

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Wouter Weylandt 1984–2011

The cycling world is in mourning following the news that Wouter Weylandt has died following a crash on Monday’s stage (May 9) of the Giro d’Italia. He was 26. The Belgian cyclist was a rising star at Leopard-Trek, having moved to the team at the start of the season just 5 years after turning professional in 2005 with Quick Step.

 

With around 20km left to go on the third stage of the Giro (Reggio Emilia to Rapallo) Weylandt fell during a descent and lay motionless at the side of the road. Despite being attended by paramedics within moments of the accident his head injuries were so extensive that he was declared dead at the scene. Although the race continued – few riders were aware of the events unfolding – organisers later cancelled the day’s prize ceremony which would have featured stage winner Angel Vicioso and seen Britain’s David Millar taking the over all leader’s pink jersey.

 

Weylandt is the first cyclist to die in a crash at a major event since Fabio Casartelli at the Tour de France in 1995, but the fourth to die at the Giro which has previously claimed the lives of Orfeo Ponsin (1952), Juan Manuel Santisteban (1976) and Emilio Ravasio (1986).

 

A statement, accompanied by a smiling picture of Weylandt, on the Leopard-Trek website reads: “The team is left in a state of shock and sadness and we send all our thoughts and deepest condolences to the family and friends of Wouter. This is a difficult day for cycling and for our team, and we should all seek support and strength in the people close to us.”

 

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All for One

HTC-Highroad’s Mark Cavendish has enjoyed a dream start to this year’s Giro d’Italia by helping team-mate Marco Pinotti take the jersey at the 19.3km Team Time Trial opening stage; later tweeting “I’m so proud of the guys today. Like a group of musketeers…” Pinotti, who finished ninth in last year’s race, concurred with the team spirit by commenting: “It’s a huge honour to be wearing the pink jersey but this is a victory that belongs to the whole team,” But today – Sunday May 8 – could really be Cavendish’s day with a chance for solo victory on the longest section heading Alba to Parma over a distance of 244 kilometres. In total the Giro covers a little over 3,500km across 21 stages, concluding on May 29 in Milan with the 31.5km Individual Time Trials – another potential for Cavendish to shine solo.

 

For full results see: www.uciworldtour.com

 

 

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Doubles All Round

Rachel Morris, Sarah Storey and David Stone have each scored double-Golds helping GB take a flying start at the first round of the 2011 UCI Para-cycling World Cup in Sydney, Australia (May 4-6). With a total tally of ten medals the British women dominated by bagging eight of them. The event, which this year saw more than 130 athletes from 18 countries battling it out, was only introduced last year by the UCI in order to bring the discipline in line with other cycling disciplines. But with the 2012 Games fast approaching far more than mere medals were at stake with everyone fighting for those valuable UCI Paralympic qualifying points. The World Cup’s next round will take place in Segovia, Spain (June 10-12) before moving on to Baie-Comeau, Canada from July 8-10.

 

GB’s First Round medal results were:

 

Gold
Rachel Morris – Women’s H3 Handbike Road Race
David Stone – Men’s T2 Trike Road Race
Sarah Storey – Women’s C5 Road Race
Rachel Morris – Women’s H3 Handbike Time Trial
Sarah Storey – Women’s C5 Time Trial
David Stone – Men’s T2 Trike Time Trial

Silver
Karen Darke – Women’s H2 Handbike Road Race
Lora Turnham (piloted by Fiona Duncan) – Women’s B/Vi Tandem Time Trial
Karen Darke – Women’s H2 Time Trial

Bronze
Lora Turnham (piloted by Fiona Duncan) – Women’s B/Vi Tandem Road Race

 

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Big Wheel, Little Wheel

London NocturneHere’s a date for your diary if you’re looking for something a little more out of the ordinary. The IG Markets London Nocturne (June 11) which takes place around London’s historic Smithfield Market area has added yet another twist to its usual mix of Elite Criterium and family friendly showmanship (folding bike race, longest skid…) in the form of their inaugural Penny Farthing race. The event, sponsored by heritage saddle and bag manufacturers Brooks England, will break down in to a 1mile sprint race and the Brooks Ordinary Trophy which will be decided over a period of 30minutes, plus 5laps. Nocturne founder James Pope is clearly enthusiastic about the addition, “We try to introduce a new feature race each so we jumped at the chance to include Penny racing in the programme. There is an established Penny Farthing community across the world and we will have competitors from USA, Europe and even Tasmania travelling to London to race.” Go on, you know you want to…

 

Full details and entry opportunities can be found at www.londonnocturne.com

 

Image © IG Markets London Nocturne

 

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Giro Gears Up

Giro d'ItaliaThe countdown to the Giro d’Italia 2011 is now in its final stages with events kicking off on Saturday May 7 with the 19.3km Venaria Reale to Torino Team Time Trials before what promises to be 21 stages of blistering action which will culminate on May 29 in Milan with the 31.5km Individual Time Trials. This year’s Giro also marks an historic milestone for the country and Giro d’Italia Director Angelo Zomegnan has promised an event that: “…celebrates 150 years since Italian unification, underlining all the specific things that are important for our country, not just sporting but also cultural, social, political, geographical, artistic, agricultural and gastronomic…” And with a boost to national pride and to help honour the occasion Italian National Champion Giovanni Visconti (team Farnese Vini-Neri Sottoli) has been awarded the number 150.

 

Zomegnan concluded his statement, when the course details were first announced, by saying: “More so than the Tour de France or the Vuelta, the Giro reflects the history of the country to which it belongs; Italy was not yet five decades old when the race was first held, and it played a key role in reuniting the country following the divisions caused by the Fascist era and World War II, providing the backdrop as Italy headed into the years of La Dolce Vita and the Miracolo Economico.”

 

Full starting team details can be found at: www.gazzetta.it

 

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BMC: Two Men Down for Giro

Both former World Champion Alessandro Ballan and his team mate Mauro Santambrogio have been suspended by BMC over on-going investigations into doping allegations stretching back to Ballan’s days with former team Lampre (with whom he turned professional back in2004). Ballan was initially suspended last year before being cleared by an internal team investigation, but in an official statement BMC now say that further details have come to light which will see both riders excluded from the 94th Giro d’Italia which begins with Time Trials on May 7. Both riders refute allegations of wrongdoing and are said to be cooperating fully with the investigation.

 

The BMC statement says: “BMC Racing Team President/General Manager Jim Ochowicz said new information received, along with consideration of the team’s anti-doping policy and the UCI’s Code of Conduct, means the two will be held out of competition pending further details. Both riders have been cooperating fully with the investigation, and, as we did last year, we will respect their presumption of innocence and we expect them to continue their full support to the authorities. Ochowicz said the team will monitor the investigation and both riders will have to personally address any accusations on their own.”

 

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The Final Word?

Yes, yes another news story about Alberto Contador, but as the controversy rumbles on for the troubled Spanish rider it seems an end, of sorts, could be in sight. Since testing positive for the banned drug clenbuterol, just days before his victory at the 2010 Tour de France, the Saxo Bank-SunGard star was cleared by The Spanish Cycling Federation (RFEC) before that decision was challenged by the International Cycling Union (UCI) and the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) and referred to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS). Clearly there are many, many acronyms involved…

 

CAS have now issued a brief missive stating that the case will be investigated by a panel of three –  Israel’s Efraim Barak, Switzerland’s Quentin Byrne-Sutton Germany’s Ulrich Haas. In terms of the time-scale for the hearings, the CAS statement concludes: “The written proceedings in this matter are likely to be concluded at the end of May and the CAS envisages to hold a hearing in June 2011, which would allow the settlement of the dispute before the end of June 2011. The hearing date will be published once it has been fixed.”

 

Whilst we are heartened to hear that a conclusion to the case may (or may not) be imminent, Cyclo can’t help feeling that such protracted procrastinations do little for the sport’s image and with the CAS announcement set to be so close to the start of the 2011 Tour de France (July 2) it can do nothing – assuming his innocence – for the preparedness of the defending champion.