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Giro d’Italia 2013: The Sky Squad

Giro d’Italia 2013: The Sky SquadTeam Sky have confirmed their nine-man line-up for the Giro d’Italia 2013, which runs Saturday May 4 to Sunday May 26. The Sky squad for the 96th edition of the race will be lead out by Bradley Wiggins (a real contender for overall victory?) with strong support from Dario Cataldo, Sergio Henao, Christian Knees, Danny Pate, Salvatore Puccio, Kanstantsin Siutsou, Rigoberto Urán and Xabier Zandio.

 

Sir Dave Brailsford, Team Principal of Sky, commented on the 2013 line-up: ‘We’ve had a good run into the Giro, have a strong squad and the preparation has gone well. The final touches have been put in place after the Giro del Trentino and we’re all set to go… It’s well-documented that the Giro has been a season goal for Bradley. With that in mind we want to get the best performance possible and try to win the race. If you work back from there you need support in the mountains and a strong nucleus of the team who can work hard.’

 

For his part Wiggins added, ‘Alongside the Tour de France and Paris-Roubaix the Giro d’Italia is one of the biggest bike races in the world and one I’d love to win.  I’ve watched the Giro since I was a kid and have seen my idols win it, which makes it even more special.  It has always been a race that I’ve wanted to ride well in and I just can’t wait to get started… I believe the Giro team this year is just as strong as the Tour de France team last year and the results prove that everyone is ready to go.’

 

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Team Sky Flanders and Paris-Roubaix Video

Team Sky Flanders and Paris-Roubaix VideoWith two of the most spectacular one-day races of the season – the Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix – taking place in the next 10 days, Team Sky have produced their latest YouTube video to give new fans of cycling an introduction to these historic ‘Monument Classics’ – with insights from the staff and riders who are set to tackle them.

 

Whilst Flanders on March 31 – and celebrating its 100th anniversary – is famous for its steep ‘hellingen’ climbs, the slightly older (at 117 years) Paris-Roubaix on Sunday, April 7, is, by contrast, a pan-flat test of endurance over bone-jarring sectors of pavé, each graded on their length and severity. Take a look at the Team Sky video below and ask yourself if you wouldn’t love to be amongst the 500,000 fans expected to line the roads of Belgium and northern France…

 

 

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Richie Porte: Aussie Rules at Paris-Nice

Richie Porte wins Paris-NiceRichie Porte of Team Sky has become the first Australian to win Paris-Nice following a stunning climb of the Col d’Eze at the end of the final stage, 9.6km Individual Time Trial. The 28-year-old Tasmanian rider went into today’s stage in yellow as a firm favourite, not least because as a resident of nearby Monaco he knows the terrain intimately and had even told reporters earlier that he tackles the intimidatingly steep Col d’Eze, ‘…every other day.’ Regardless of any ‘home turf’ advantage, Porte’s performance over the last week of riding at the Paris-Nice has been exceptional (and exceptionally well supported by the wider team); as a domestique who served as one of Wiggin’s most reliable lieutenants through 2012 he never waivered and now, seemingly unshackled, looks certainly to be one to follow.

 

Today’s ITT stage time for Porte was set at 19minutes 1second, just four seconds slower than the fastest time ever up the climb, which was set by Wiggins in 2012. Garmin Sharp’s Andrew Talansky landed 23seconds adrift for second place on the ITT Stage – and second overall to boot (+55seconds), whilst Movistar’s Nairo Quintana took third on the stage and Jean-Christophe Peraud (AG2R) was third overall. Speaking afterwards, Porte said, ‘I can’t believe it. The first Aussie to win such a big race and it’s just an honour to have my name up there with Bradley Wiggins, Tony Martin and all the big champions.’

 

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Team Sky Extend Deal with Retül

Team Sky Extend Deal with RetülIt has been announced that Team Sky are to extend their relationship with Retül as their official bike fit technology supplier through the 2013 season. Retül, which launched its signature 3D motion capture bicycle fitting system back in 2007, has worked with Sky since their inception in 2009 and earlier this month their Director of Fit Services and Education, Todd Carver, visited riders at their training camp in Mallorca to work with the team’s performance staff and mechanics to ensure optimum fit on both road and time trial machines. Team riders underwent a comprehensive 3D analyses of their positions using the new Vantage system and detailed changes were made to improve their performance.

 

Team Sky have conformed that the full Retül suite of bike fit products – which also includes the Levül adjustable wheel block and Müve Dynamic Fitting bike – will be used throughout the 2013 campaign. For further details on Retül see retul.com or take a look at the video below to see just what lengths are needed to get man and machine working in perfect harmony.

 

 

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Wiggins and Froome: 2013 Schedule

Bradley Wiggins and Chris Froome announce 2013 schedule - team skyIt has been announced that Sir Bradley Wiggins and Chris Froome, who finished first and second for Team Sky at the 2012 Tour de France, will begin the 2013 seasons at the Mallorca Challenge and Tour of Oman respectively. Wiggins will surely be hoping for better weather than last year when the final day of Mallorca was cancelled due to snow, whilst Froome, who begins his campaign a week later in Oman, is expecting his teammate to join him, although this has yet to be confirmed. The likely race programmes, announced by Team Sky’s Head of Performance Support Tim Kerrison yesterday, are subject to change but should see Froome head off to tackle Tirreno-Adriatico (March 6-12), while Wiggins returns to the Volta a Catalunya, which runs March 18-24. With the details of each rider’s schedule still being refined, Froome will take advantage of further training camps before competing at the Criterium du Dauphine (June 2-9) – a race the team has won for the last two years. Both riders will line-up at the Tour de France, which begins on June 29.

 

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Thomas Takes the Lead Down Under

Geraint Thomas wins stage 2 Santos Tour Down UnderThe 116.5km, second stage of the Santos Tour Down Under has been won by Team Sky’s Geraint Thomas. The stage, technically known as the ‘Hahn Superdry Stage’, which runs from Mount Barker to Rostrevor and is the shortest in the event’s history, saw Thomas make an impressively powerful climb up the closing stage drag of Corkscrew Road before a blistering sprint to the finish that saw a victory comfortable enough for the Welshman to celebrate ahead of the line despite the chasing pack. The win puts the Olympic Gold Medallist (Team Pursuit) in overall lead ahead of Stage Three –139km, Unley to Stirling.

 

Speaking after the day’s drama a clearly ecstatic Thomas said, ‘I’m really happy with that. I’ve worked hard since the Olympics trying to lose the track weight and I’ve got some good kilometres in over the winter. I wanted to start this year strong. I knew I had decent form but you never know how well everyone else is going… To get the win is a massive bonus for all the hard work over the winter.’

 

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Team Sky Ride Out in Rapha

Team Sky Rapha kit launchesMark Cavendish with his fancy new Omega Pharma-Quick-Step togs isn’t the only one riding out with new kit this year as Team Sky launch their new partnership with official clothing provider Rapha Performance Roadwear. As part of a four-year agreement, Rapha have developed a full collection of top-end, high-performance racing and training kit and off-bike dress for both riders and staff. Team Principal Dave Brailsford said of the partnership, ‘Team Sky’s successes over the last three years have been achieved because of a strong and steady vision to find improvement at every level to help our riders win… I see Rapha joining us as another step in that direction. They share our ambition and vision for cycling.’

 

The sentiment was shared by Rapha Founder and Chief Executive, Simon Mottram who added: ‘We are delighted that, after only eight years as a business, we have been chosen by Team Sky, the world’s number one team, as their partner.’

 

Naturally the Rapha range will extend to ‘fan wear’ with supporters of Team Sky able to buy their own kit range which will officially launch on January 4 at the online store www.rapha.cc. Until you get the chance to get your hands on it, take a little inspiration from some of the key riders in Sky’s latest promotional video.

 

 

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Wiggins 2013 Schedule

Bradley Wiggins 2013 race scheuleWith such an incredible year drawing to an end for Bradley Wiggins, there has of course been huge speculation as to his likely schedule for 2013. A month back Sky boss Dave Brailsford gave the first hint, commenting to reporters at UK Sport’s World Class Performance conference in Leeds, ‘It does look as though the plan going into next year… is that the Tour of Italy would be a very good target for Bradley and leave Froomey then to focus on the Tour de France,’ although he has since suggested that plans are rather more flexible than that and that Wiggins may still be in contention at the TdF. With rather more certainty we do know that Wiggins won’t feature in the traditional season opener, the Santos Tour Down Under (Australia, January 22-27), where Sky have already announced that Edvald Boasson Hagen, who finished seventh at this year’s event, will lead out with former stage winner Chris Sutton going for sprint glory.

 

However, according to Spanish website BiciCiclismo.com (with no indication as to why they should know when no one else does) Wiggins 2013 will open with the Tour of Algarve (February 13-17), which he will follow with Tirreno-Adriatico (March 6-12), the Tour of Catalonia (March 18-24) and then either the Giro del Trentino or Tour of Romandy. Likely pure speculation, but it looks to Cyclo like a reasonable run up to the Giro d’Italia which begins in Naples on May 4.