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Team Sky to use Wahoo Fitness TICKR

wahoo tickr Team SkyWahoo Fitness, the world leader in smartphone-powered fitness hardware, has extended its successful partnership with Team Sky for a third year. The 2016 deal sees the expansion of Wahoo’s relationship to become the Official Supplier of bike trainers and heart rate monitors to Team Sky. Team Sky will now use the Wahoo TICKR to track their heart rate data, alongside the KICKR which has been used for the last two seasons for race-day warm up and cool down.

 

Carsten Jeppesen, Head of Technical Operations and Commercial for Team Sky, comments: ‘With heart rate data continuing to be of the utmost importance, the addition of the TICKR to our training will give us the reliability and accuracy to use that data in the most effective way.’

 

Chip Hawkins, CEO and Founder of Wahoo, adds: ‘Team Sky continues to be an excellent partner for us – from gathering rider feedback on our products, to working collaboratively on future innovations, the team shares our absolute passion for taking performance training hardware to the next level, and 2016 will be no different.’

 

Further information on the Wahoo Fitness TICKR and KICKR products at uk.wahoofitness.com

 

Picture credit Adam De Silva

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Record-Breaking Yellow for Froome

Chris FroomeTeam Sky’s Chris Froome has taken the TdF yellow jersey for a British record 15th time after moving into first place on a day of carnage on the tour.

 

Earlier an upping of pace ahead of the Cote de Bohissau had caused an extraordinary crash which saw a number of riders hitting the road hard – amongst them was leader Fabian Cancellara (Trek). Despite finishing the stage, Cancellara has now confirmed his withdrawal from this year’s edition with a CT scan shortly after he crossed the finish line confirming two vertebrae fractures of the lower back. ‘This is incredibly disappointing for me,’ said Cancellara, ‘The team was on a high with the yellow jersey and were very motivated to defend it. We have had a lot of crashes and injuries since the start of the season, and we finally had a great 24 hours but now it’s back to bad luck. One day you win, one day you lose.’

 

For his part Froome was never out of the front positions during the 159.5km leg – which saw the TdF move from Holland to Belgium – and he took the win (and jersey) by edging out Katusha’s Joaquim Rodriguez thanks to four bonus seconds. Commenting on the day Froome said, ‘It’s an amazing feeling to be back in yellow. If you’d have told me this morning I’d be in the jersey, I wouldn’t have believed you, but it’s amazing. Especially on a day like this which had a punchy climb in the final. That isn’t normally my kind of thing – I’m better on longer climbs – so I was really surprised to see the gaps open up like they did.’

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Team Sky Announce TdF Squad

sky_tdf_2015Team Sky has selected its squad for the 102nd edition of the Tour de France, which starts in Utrecht on Saturday July 4 and concludes on Sunday July 26 in Paris. Team Sky’s leader Chris Froome is one of five British riders in the nine-man team, which also includes: Richie Porte, Geraint Thomas, Peter Kennaugh, Ian Stannard, Luke Rowe, Nicolas Roche, Leopold König and Wout Poels.

 

Froome comments: ‘Last year’s disappointment is this year’s motivation for Team Sky. From the moment I crashed out in 2014 I’ve had the burning desire to get back to this year’s Tour in the best possible shape. I’m ready and I’m fortunate to have a strong team around me selected to meet the many different challenges of this year’s race – from the cobbles to the climbs. There’s a great spirit in the group and we’re ready to give our best for every kilometre of every day over the three weeks of the Tour. We’re counting down the days. We can’t wait to get started and we are up for the challenge ahead.’

 

Speaking about the Tour de France line-up Team Sky Principal, Sir Dave Brailsford, said: ‘The Tour is shaping up to be one of the most exciting in years and we’ve chosen a team of talented riders for the race. We’ve studied this year’s route carefully and have selected the riders who we believe will best deliver our race strategy. Inevitably it is always a difficult decision. We’re all looking forward to a great race and we have a strong team – led by Chris Froome – that’s hungry for success… I’m confident that Team Sky will be competitive but of course we can take nothing for granted. One thing we can say for certain is that it’s going to be a great contest and a great three weeks of racing for the fans. That is fantastic for the sport of cycling.”

 

The Team Sky squad for the 2015 Tour de France:

 

Chris Froome, Great Britain – The 2013 race winner will lead Team Sky’s challenge over the three weeks as he bids to recapture his Tour crown. After putting a crash in last year’s event behind him, Froome will look to continue his momentum following an impressive recent win at the Criterium du Dauphine. A gifted climber and powerful time trialist, he has all the skills to win the world’s biggest bike race.

 

Richie Porte, Australia – One of the finest and most feared climbers in the peloton, the Tasmanian began the year in scintillating form, winning Paris-Nice, Volta a Catalunya and the Giro del Trentino back to back. Disappointment followed in May at the Giro d’Italia, as he was forced to withdraw from the race due to injury. Now back to full fitness Porte will be raring to go heading into his fifth Tour de France.

 

Geraint Thomas, Great Britain – Following the best start to a season of his career to date, Thomas lines up for his sixth Tour de France full of confidence. Whether claiming wins in tough Belgian one-day classics like E3 Harelbeke or climbing at the sharp end of mountainous stage races, ‘G’ can do it all. With overall victory at the Volta ao Algarve and second place at the Tour de Suisse his all-round credentials are unquestioned.

 

 

Peter Kennaugh, Great Britain – Hailing from the Isle of Man, Kennaugh lines up for his second Tour de France appearance off the back of another strong season. After 12 eye-catching months in the British national champion’s jersey, which he successfully defended in Lincoln yesterday, Peter has various other victories on his palmares, and earned himself a stint in the leader’s jersey at this year’s Criterium du Dauphine.

 

Ian Stannard, Great Britain – Few riders possess the combination of horsepower and heart that characterise Ian Stannard. The Brit is a huge asset on the flat but is comfortable setting a fierce pace on the climbs. With a second victory at Omloop Het Nieuwsblad already in his pocket this season, Stannard will be hoping to repeat his Tour outing from 2013 where he helped Froome to victory.

 

Luke Rowe, Great Britain – After coming through the ranks as part of British Cycling’s Academy the talented Welshman has spent all of his four pro seasons with Team Sky. In that time he has developed into one of the finest and most respected young riders in the sport, and is rewarded with his Tour debut. This year Rowe has taken a top 10 at Paris-Roubaix and contributed to wins at both Paris-Nice and the Dauphine.

 

Nicolas Roche, Ireland – Strong, accomplished and experienced at the highest level, Roche has been part of a number of high-profile victories since joining Team Sky this season. Comfortable setting tempo on the climbs, the Irishman finished fifth in his own right at the Vuelta a Espana in 2013. Roche has 13 Grand Tours starts to his name and has completed each one, including the last six editions of the Tour de France.

 

Leopold König, Czech Republic – The Czech climbing star rode to a superb seventh place overall in the 2014 edition of the Tour as he made his debut in the event. He improved on that Grand Tour milestone in Team Sky colours this year with sixth place at the Giro d’Italia. Now rested ahead of the race start, König will significantly add to the team’s firepower in the mountains.

 

Wout Poels, Holland – The Dutchman has impressed greatly since joining the team at the start of 2015. Elite climbing prowess makes him invaluable in the high mountains, yet Poels has also shown he is capable of winning in his own right after a classy stage victory at Tirreno-Adriatico in March. After returning from shoulder surgery Poels was a key part of the team’s Dauphine success.

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Jupiter London Nocturne Update

Jupiter London NocturneThe Jupiter London Nocturne, which takes place on June 6, has announce the additions of Team Sky, Team Wiggins, JLT Condor, One Procycling, NFTO, Madison-Genesis and Raleigh-GAC, to the pro race card in what promises to be an electric day & night of racing at Smithfield Market.

 

2014 elite race winner Tobyn Horton heads up Team Madison-Genesis and will come up against stiff competition from Olympic star Ed Clancy, who will be saddling up for JLT Condor along with Kristian ‘the dude’ House. New entrants to the race field, Team Wiggins, are led by British Team Pursuit specialist Andy Tennant, whilst Team Sky brings Andy Fenn to the mix.

 

?Saturday night will see the largest ever elite field take to the cobbled streets for the Jupiter London ?Nocturne, for which Jupiter are sponsors for the second year running. There will be 14 teams ?represented in the Santini Men’s Elite Criterium with 80 riders confirmed to race in the Schwalbe Women’s Elite Criterium.

 

The London Nocturne has grown each year since the inaugural event in 2007, establishing a reputation for world-class city bike racing combined with fun elements like the Penny Farthing Race, F&F Folding Bike Race, great food and drink and a party atmosphere. For a full list exactly what the Jupiter London Nocturne has in store visit londonnocturne.com

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Porte Withdraws from Giro

Richie PorteTeam Sky’s Richie Porte has withdrawn from the Giro d’Italia to recuperate and focus on his support of Chris Froome in the Tour de France, which begins on July 4 in Utrecht.

 

The Australian rider had began the Giro with overall victory as the target, but was forced to withdraw following a crash towards the end of Friday’s 13th stage to Jesolo. Porte injured his knee and hip with the final week ahead.

 

Porte said on teamsky.com ‘I’m gutted it’s ended this way… The Giro has been my main goal this year and I’ve worked incredibly hard all season with this race in mind.’

 

Porte was well positioned in fourth place and his withdrawal, along with Rigoberto Uran’s (Etixx-Quick-Step) drop in form, leaves favourite Alberto Contador firmly in the driving seat. The race gets underway again today as it heads for next Sunday’s conclusion in Milan.

 

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Sky Announce Giro d’Italia Squad

Giro d'ItaliaTeam Sky have announced that Richie Porte will lead Team Sky for the first Grand Tour of the year, the 2015 Giro d’Italia. Porte, who has already won Paris-Nice, Volta a Catalunya and Giro del Trentino this season, will lead the nine-man team which features Italian riders Salvatore Puccio and sprinter Elia Viviani, alongside Bernhard Eisel, Sebastián Henao, Vasil Kiryienka, Leopold König, Mikel Nieve and Kanstantsin Siutsou.

 

On confirming the team line-up for the Giro d’Italia Team Principal, Sir Dave Brailsford, said: ‘Team Sky has had a great start to the year and we are going into the first Grand Tour of the season with a strong team, led by Richie… Richie is entering the race in good shape and with real focus and determination. He’s made a lot of small changes across a number of areas in his preparation and training this season after the illness that affected his performance in 2014. His results this season speak for themselves with excellent wins at Paris-Nice, Volta a Catalunya and Giro del Trentino. This is one of the biggest and toughest races to win in the calendar but we go to the Giro confident about the challenge ahead.’

 

Porte adds: ‘The Giro d’Italia has been my main goal of the season. I’ve worked very hard through the winter and am entering the race strong, healthy and up for the challenge. The competition will be tough, and obviously anything can happen in a Grand Tour, but we’ve got a great group of riders going into the race and we are ready for it.’

 

The 98th edition of Giro d’Italia starts on Saturday May 9 with a TTT in San Lorenzo al Mare and concludes on Sunday May 31 in Milan.

 

Full details of the Giro d’Italia at gazzetta.it and on Team Sky at teamsky.com

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Team Sky Sign Five New Riders

Team SkyTeam Sky has announced the signing of five new riders for the 2015 season – Andrew Fenn, Leopold König, Lars Petter Nordhaug, Wout Poels and Nicolas Roche.

 

Andrew Fenn (GB) – Fenn joins Team Sky after three years in the professional ranks. In 2012, his debut season as a pro, he won back-to-back victories at the Trofeo Palma and Trofeo Migjorn in Mallorca. Winner of the junior Paris-Roubaix in 2008, Fenn is a powerful rider with a fast finish and is well suited to the Classics.

 

Leopold König (Czech Rebublic) – One of the biggest up-and-coming talents in the sport, König recently securing a seventh-place finish at this year’s Tour de France. His climbing and time trial abilities make him an all-rounder, with stage victories at the Vuelta a Espana, Tour of California and Tour of Britain.

 

Lars Petter Nordhaug (Norway) – Nordhaug returns to Team Sky after two years away. A founding member of the team in 2010, the Norwegian is an accomplished climber and his attacking style invariably sees him battling it out for victory at the end of races.

 

Wout Poels (Holland) – Set to be the first Dutchman to ride for Team Sky, Poels is another accomplished climber with experience of all three Grand Tours. He has taken stage victories at high-profile races including the Vuelta al Pais Vasco, the Tour of Britain and Tour de Luxembourg during his six-year pro career.

 

Nicolas Roche (Republic of Ireland) – With 13 Grand Tour appearances to him name Roche has experience in abundance and will significantly add to Team Sky’s climbing powers. In 2013 he finished in fifth place at the Vuelta a Espana, this year he claimed victory in the Route du Sud and claimed a fifth place finish in the 2014 Tour of Britain.

 

Team Principal Sir Dave Brailsford says of the signings: ‘We’ve signed five quality riders for next season and each one of them will help strengthen and enhance the squad. We’ve always set our standards high and been very ambitious with our goals. We want to win the biggest races and constantly improve as a team and these new riders have the proven experience and developing talent to perform now and in the future… We have a strong nucleus of riders at Team Sky and these signings will be excellent additions to the squad. They all bring their own qualities and we’re looking forward to welcoming them to the team and seeing them in action next season.”

 

More on Team Sky at teamsky.com

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Wiggins Wins at Worlds

WigginsBradley Wiggins has won his first road world title at the World Championships in Ponferrada, beating three-time champion Tony Martin by just 26.23 seconds across the hilly 47.1k Spanish course. Wiggins finished second to Martin in 2011 and 2013 and commented afterwards, ‘Once I saw the course I realised if I was ever going to beat Tony again it was on a course like this.’

 

Overturning a deficit of four seconds at the opening intermediate split, a controlled ride saw Team Sky’s Wiggins gradually put time into his competition, extending his margin over a gruelling final climb to finish as a resounding winner. Holland’s Tom Dumoulin placed third.

 

In addition to his six world titles on the track, four Olympic golds, and a Tour de France victory, Wiggins is also a three-time national champion against the clock, as well as the national road race champion in 2011.
Commenting on a year that hasn’t always gone exactly to plan for him, Wiggins added: ‘It’s been an up-and-down year and I want to dedicate this to my family. My wife and children back home have always been there for me and had to put up with me. This was my last world time trial championships, so to finish it with a gold medal – I don’t know what to say.’