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StephSTL, on 29 April 2013 - 10:03 AM, said:May 9th
Round One 5 Lap Scratch
Round Two Miss n Out (Devil Takes the Hindmost)
Round Three Tempo Up to 14 laps for all groupsIf there is some daylight left, 3 to 5 up Chariot Races (doesn’t count towards track cup)
Junior races to be inserted in between rounds if needed
This is the schedule for this coming Thursday NIght at Mr. Bumpy, that is if it does not rain again. There is still rain in the forecast but not as high of probability. Same procedure for rain as described in the post about it.
Even though the preseason practice helped a whole lot with the new riders there will still be some that need a little clinic instruction before riding. What I would like to do is have a small clinic before we race tomorrow. I am planning on having this instructional period before racing so for those that are still new and have not raced please be there ready to ride at 5 pm if possible.
Now if everybody can just think "NO Rain, No Rain, No Rain" we'll have some fun.
@swikles- I am parting out a tri set up, pictures to come.
Aluminum syntace base bars- $20
Aluminum C2 clip aero bars- $50
Shimano SL-BS64 ultegra 8 speed shifter set $50
Dia compe bar end brake levers.. price to come
Nitto 66 forward seatpost. 27.2mm $50 Three-time U.S. professional champion “Fast Freddie” Rodriguez has returned to the professional ranks after signing a contract with UCI Continental team Jelly Belly-Kenda for the remainder of 2013. Rodriguez began the season riding with the elite Predator Carbon Repair team, but made the jump back to the pro ranks with an eye for the major North American tours.
“We’re more than excited to obtain Fred Rodriguez and have him part of the team for the remainder of the season,” team boss Danny Van Haute said in a press release. “Fred’s experience and leadership will be a huge asset for Team Jelly Belly-Kenda, not to mention he’s a great bike rider who will no doubt garner great results.”
Rodriguez has bounced around over the last half-decade after leaving the European peloton a Giro d’Italia stage winner, a runner-up at the Milano-Sanremo classic, and a prolific leadout man for Robbie McEwen at Lotto. He rode with the men’s Exergy team in 2012, but was without a job when that team folded late in the year.
“After dialogue with several teams, I decided Jelly Belly was a good fit,” said Rodriguez in a press release. “There are a lot of things this team does both on and off the bike that makes sense for me at this stage of my career. The team has been a staple of American racing for more than a decade and I admire that stability. Plus, Jelly Belly Candy Company is a great company with great values to support.”
Van Haute expects Rodriguez, 39, to team up with Brad Huff to create a one-two punch in the bunch finishes. Rodriguez will make his Jelly Belly debut at the USA Cycling Professional Road National Championships in Chatanooga, Tennessee, later this month.
- 1. John DEGENKOLB, Argos-Shimano, in 4:37:48
- 2. Angel VICIOSO ARCOS, Katusha, at :00
- 3. Paul MARTENS, Blanco, at :00
- 4. Sergio Luis HENAO MONTOYA, Sky, at :00
- 5. Matteo TRENTIN, Omega Pharma-Quick Step, at :00
- 6. Jarlinson PANTANO, Colombia, at :00
- 7. Daniel OSS, BMC Racing, at :00
- 8. Jens KEUKELEIRE, Orica-GreenEdge, at :00
- 9. Grega BOLE, Vacansoleil-DCM, at :00
- 10. Tanel KANGERT, Astana, at :00
- 11. Michal GOLAS, Omega Pharma-Quick Step, at :00
- 12. Marco CANOLA, Bardiani Valvole-CSF Inox, at :00
- DNF Pablo URTASUN PEREZ, Euskaltel-Euskadi
Officials claim Bradley Wiggins was behind the front group when a crash delayed a portion of the peloton. Photo: Graham Watson | www.grahamwatson.com COSENZA, Italy (VN) — Sky leader Bradley Wiggins was philosophical on Wednesday about the Giro d’Italia race jury’s decision on Tuesday to score his finishing time 17 seconds behind the front group during a wet and dangerous stage 4 finish in Serra San Bruno.
Ordinarily, a rider is given the same time as the group with which he was riding if a crash inside the final three kilometers impedes his ability to finish. UCI officials ruled that Wiggins had been gapped off the front group prior to the final 3km marker, and that he had not been impeded by a crash inside the final 3km.
Given that Ryder Hesjedal (Garmin-Sharp) won last year’s Giro by just 15 seconds, it’s a decision that could ultimately have major consequences on the general classification when the race finishes in Breschia on May 26.
Wiggins said he believed he was inside 3km to go when the gap formed, but that he accepted the race jury’s decision.
“We were inside 3km, there was a crash, and it just caused a bit of a gap,” Wiggins told VeloNews at the start of stage 5 in Cosenza. “That was it, really. We came out of a roundabout at 3km to go and there were already gaps forming. It was wet, and when you are sprinting out of a roundabout, and guys are still coming into it, there are going to be actual gaps.
“It’s just an interpretation of the rule. It is what it is, now. There’s no point in moaning about it. It’s partly my own fault. I guess I could have been further in front. We came over that climb, and I just kind of slipped back a bit, because of the spray, and it was quite a fast downhill. I’d rather lose 17 seconds through slipping back than a mass pileup in one of the corners on a run-in like that. Sometimes you gamble and it pays off if you’re in the front, but fortunately we’re all still compact and together, and it’s not a lot of time in the grand scheme of things in Breschia. I think it’s difficult for the judges, because they take it as they see it. That’s just the way it is.”
Wiggins took 25 seconds over Hesjedal in the stage 2 team time trial, but has since seen that advantage erased. Hesjedal took back eight seconds with a third-place time bonus at the stage 3 finish in Marina di Ascea, and the remaining 17 seconds at the finish line in Serra San Bruno, making it a GC reset between the two; Astana’s Vincenzo Nibali holds a three-second lead over Wiggins and Hesjedal, with Cadel Evans (BMC Racing) another eight seconds down.
At the start line in Cosenza, Hesjedal said Wiggins’ time loss was part of racing.
“It was a tricky final, pretty sketchy at the end, and everyone decides their own risks,” Hesjedal said. “Maybe we can look back at it at the end of the race and have a more definitive opinion. Every stage is tricky. You could see it was pretty strung out. That’s what happens.”
Wiggins said he wasn’t surprised by Hesjedal’s aggressive riding in stage 3, which saw the Canadian attack twice on the Cat. 3 Sella di Catona. The two were teammates at Garmin in 2009, and know each other well.
“It was no surprise, really,” Wiggins said. “Ryder is here to win the race. That’s his style, he rides aggressively, and I think he showed everyone straight away that he’s in great shape.”
In general terms, Wiggins said he was feeling good after four days of racing — “really good.”
“It was a good couple of first days,” Wiggins said. “It was a relief we got that stage with the big downhill [stage 3] out of the way. I managed to stay in the front group without crashing. Physically, on the climbs, I’ve felt great. We’ve got a few days until that first time trial, which should produce the first real gaps on the GC, so I’m just really looking forward to Saturday.”
John Degenkolb fought back over a big gap in the finish straight to win at the Giro. Photo: Graham Watson | www.grahamwatson.com John Degenkolb (Argos-Shimano) won stage 5 of the Giro d’Italia Wednesday in Matera, Italy. A crash in the final kilometer interrupted the sprint, but Degenkolb was able to close a big gap in the final 100 meters for his first career Giro stage win.
Angel Vicioso (Katusha) was second on the stage, with Paul Martens (Blanco) third.
“I looked back and there was just [Elia] Viviani behind me,” said Degenkolb. “I went full-gas to make it to the finish and catch the guy from Bardiani back. In the end, I couldn’t see anything, I was so empty.”
Luca Paolini (Katusha) retained his overall lead head of Thursday’s 169km sixth stage from Mola di Bar to Margherita di Savoia.
Riding toward the rain
On a day that was likely headed for a reduced bunch sprint, five riders made the long escape: Brian Bulgaç (Lotto-Belisol), Thomas Gil (Androni Giocattoli-Venezuela), Alan Marangoni (Cannondale), Ricardo Mestre (Euskaltel-Euskadi), Rafael Andria (Vini Fantini-Selle Italia). The weather turned foul at the finish and organizers shut down television operations as the finish-line area flooded.
As the sun began to peak out, the riders pushed inside 50km to go, the breakaway carrying just north of a six-minute advantage. With 22km to go, however, the breakaway was disintegrating and the gap was just 19 seconds. Andria fell back to the peloton, but Bulgaç, Marangoni, and Mestre continued on. The pressure was on from behind, however, and the escapees were soon back in the bunch.
Reset for the final KOM
Pablo Lastras (Movistar) pushed the pace at the front to set up his KOM-leading teammate Giovanni Visconti. Tom Danielson and Ryder Hesjedal (Garmin-Sharp) followed. The pace distanced a number of sprinters, and even former Giro champion Stefano Garzelli (Fini Fantini-Selle Italia), but Mark Cavendish (Omega Pharma-Quick Step) held tight with at least one teammate.
“It was really, really on the limit. It was really hard in the end,” said Degenkolb. “I had to suffer a lot to come to the finish today.”
Stefano Pirazzi (Bardani Valvole-CSF Inox) made it even harder when he attacked high up on the climb. Ben Gastauer (Ag2r La Mondiale) soon joined him and Danielson led the chase in the peloton. Pirazzi surged again on the steep upper ramps and took top points at the KOM line. Visconti was third and defended his jersey.
Behind them, Cavendish battled the gradient at the top of the climb, with three teammates and roughly eight other riders with him. The former world champion weaved from gutter-to-gutter to the summit, 57 seconds behind the leaders.
Over the top of the climb, Pirazzi went back to the peloton, but Gastauer continued on. Robert Vrecer (Euskaltel) soon joined and the pair had 12 seconds at the bottom of the descent. Movistar’s GC captain, Juanjo Cobo, has had a Giro to forget and continued his bad fortune with a crash on the way down. He was back up quickly, but standing by his bike, waiting for the team car.
Bardiani’s work nearly pays off
Moderate roads lied ahead and Bardiani Valvole took up the pace-making in the bunch for Tour de San Luis stage winner Sacha Modolo. Lars Bak (Lotto) attacked up the left side of the road and quickly bridged across to the escape. He shot through the leading pair and the trio began pushing their advantage out.
Rigoberto Urán (Sky), second overall, punctured with 13km to go and took a wheel hand-up from teammate Danny Pate. Meanwhile, the Omega Pharma group was unable to drag Cavendish back onto terms with the peloton. It would not be a day for the pure sprinters.
The pressure from Bardiani was high and when the three escapees were nearly within arm’s reach of the bunch, a number of riders attacked across the gap. That move was short-lived, however, and a peloton of roughly 60 riders neared the top of the ramp leading into Matera, 6km from the line.
Blanco and BMC Racing each took up position at the front of the bunch. Hubert Dupont (Ag2r La Mondiale) attacked and carried a handful of seconds over the top, with 4.6km remaining. Blanco’s Robert Gesink and BMC Racing’s Cadel Evans were both inside the first five riders.
Up front, Dupont pushed on, but with 3km to go, he was back in the peloton.
BMC Racing continued to press at the front, seemingly eager to keep Evans out of trouble in the technical, wet run-in to the line. The red jerseys faded as soon as they rode through the 3km to go kite and Bardiani Valvole took up the point.
Marco Canola (Bardiani Valvole) led into a tight, left-hand corner with 1km to go. Argos’ final leadout man, in second wheel, crashed hard on the rain-slickened road, delaying the riders behind him. The crash sprung Canola and he entered the finish straight with a 100-meter gap. The Argos rider was still on the ground minutes later and his status is not known at this point.
The Italian pushed on, appearing nearly empty as he forced his way toward the line. Canola looked back to the left and saw Degenkolb, a five-stage winner at the 2012 Vuelta a España, coming. Still, he pushed on.
Sensing his chance, Degenkolb rose from the saddle and sprinted. He came onto the right hip of the Italian and then dropped him.
Vicioso nipped Martens at the line for second, just ahead of Sergio Henao (Sky).
Canola could not hold second, and plummeted to 12th on the stage, behind Michal Golas (Omega Pharma-Quick Step).
“The last kilometer was unbelievable, just incredible, really,” said Degenkolb.
Rory Sutherland of Saxo-Tinkoff is riding in support of teammate Rafal Majka at the Giro d'Italia. Photo: Graham Watson | www.grahamwatson.com Australian Rory Sutherland (Saxo-Tinkoff) has shared his data from the first three stages of the 2013 Giro d’Italia. Sutherland is riding in support of team leader Rafal Majka, who will be looking to climb the ranks once the race turns to the big mountains of the three-week grand tour.
Stage 1: Naples, 130km
Results
1. Mark Cavendish, Omega Pharma-Quick Step
2. Elia Viviani, Cannondale
3. Nacer Bouhanni, FDJ
117. Rory Sutherland, Saxo-TinkoffSee Sutherland’s full power data in TrainingPeaks.
The first few stages of a grand tour are always stressful, as nervous racers fight for position in a peloton of more than 200 riders, and the start to this year’s Giro d’Italia was no exception. For the first time in 10 years, the race started with a relatively flat road stage versus a prologue time trial, which resulted in a massive group contesting the sprint. That is, until a crash inside the final 3km shattered the field, leaving only about 12 riders in the lead group. Race favorite Mark Cavendish (Omega Pharma-Quick Step) lit the afterburners to take the win and don the pink jersey for stage 2.
Sutherland’s job during stage 1 was to stay safe and conserve energy for the long and demanding stages to come. He managed to stay tucked away in the bunch and avoided any mishaps, finishing with the main group. Despite it being an “easy” stage for Sutherland, he still averaged nearly 4 w/kg for the three-hour stage.
As is generally the case with a sprint finish, the last hour of the stage was the hardest and fastest. Sutherland hit his 60-minute peak power and speed during the final hour of racing.
60-minute Peak Power (also 60-minute Peak Speed)
320 Average Watts
4.2 w/kg
46.7 km
1151 KJ
67 Training Stress Score*
352 Normalized Power**
161 Average Heart Rate
89 Average Cadence*Training Stress Score (TSS) quantifies the workload performed by a rider based on the duration and intensity of the effort. A 1-hour, all-out time trial effort would result in 100 TSS points.
**Normalized Power provides a better measure of the true physiological demands of an effort. It is an estimate of the power you could have maintained for the same physiological “cost” if your power output had been perfectly constant rather than variable.
Stage summary
129.1 km
3210 KJ
43.1 km/h Average Speed
186 TSS
339 NP
298 Average Watts
3.9 w/kg
152 Average Heart Rate
89 Average CadenceStage 2: Ischia to Forio (TTT), 17.4km
Results
1. Sky
2. Movistar
3. Astana
15. Saxo-TinkoffStage summary (Speed/distance sensor malfunction)
428 Average Watts
5.6 w/kg
17.4 km
585 KJ
45.8 km/h Average Speed
44 TSS
467 NP
172 Average Heart Rate
95 Average Cadence
1.09 VIView Sutherland’s power data in TrainingPeaks.
The team time trial is a revered competition and one that seems to conjure either a love or hate sentiment from riders. Saxo-Tinkoff had its work cut out for itself and was up for the challenge, finishing the 17.4km course in 22:48 while averaging nearly 46 kph. The squad finished 43 seconds behind Team Sky, the fastest team of the day and arguably the best TTT squad in the world.
The challenging and technical course can been seen in Sutherland’s data. With a difference of 39 watts between his Normalized Power and Average Power, it is evident that the pace was anything but constant due to the climbs and tight corners. One way of looking at this is by assessing Sutherland’s Variability Index (VI), which is calculated by dividing Normalized Power by average power. The closer to 1 the VI is, the “smoother” the power output of the ride — professional time trial specialists will aim for a VI of less than 1.05, which indicates smooth and consistent pacing. Sutherland’s VI of 1.09 shows just how variable the effort was, making the team effort even more impressive.
Stage 3: Sorrento to Marina di Ascea, 222km
Results
1. Luca Paolini, Katusha
2. Cadel Evans, BMC Racing
3. Ryder Hesjedal, Garmin-Sharp
41. Rory Sutherland, Saxo-TinkoffView Sutherland’s power data in TrainingPeaks.
Stage summary (Speed/distance sensor malfunction)
295 Average Watts
3.9 w/kg
222 km
6123 KJ
383 TSS
350 NP
139 Average Heart Rate
86 Average CadenceSaxo-Tinkoff rider Manuele Boaro spent much of the day in a breakaway, therefore giving Sutherland a chance to stay hidden in the peloton to conserve energy until it was time to protect Majka and keep him out of trouble on the technical descents that were marred with crashes. Although Majka lost 50 seconds on the stage, team director Dan Frost said the team is not concerned, as Majka’s strength will show in the final week of the race.
Sutherland burned over 6,000 kilojoules in the stage — he could’ve eaten 16 cups of spaghetti with meatballs to replenish his calories burned.
His 30-minute Peak Power was set on the final climb of the day, about five hours into the stage. During this effort, Sutherland average 412 watts (5.4 w/kg) as he cranked the pedals at 90 rpm. This 30-minute effort alone cost 740 calories. Think about that — in the time it might take most people to enjoy a heaping plate of spaghetti and meatballs for dinner, a grand tour rider has already expended those calories on a single climb.
Editor’s note: Thanks to TrainingPeaks.com, we are looking at Saxo-Tinkoff rider Rory Sutherland’s power data from stages 1-3 of the Giro d’Italia. Today, Shawn Heidgen, a USA Cycling certified coach, former professional cyclist, and Education Specialist at TrainingPeaks, recaps Sutherland’s data from the one-day race. For more, follow Shawn on Twitter.
Top guns in the women's race ready to race in Germany this weekend
MATERA, Italy (AFP) — A violent storm made landfall Wednesday afternoon in Matera, the site of the stage 5 finish of the Giro d’Italia.
Streams of water were seen running down the finishing straight, and technicians had to turn off television feeds of the race to protect their equipment.
The peloton, however, had not encountered any rain along the 203-kilometer course from Cosenza to Matera.
Reports from the finish line indicated that the weather seemed to be improving. There was no word about moving the finish.
More than 20,000 people have signed an online petition pressuring Spanish courts not to destroy blood bags linked to the Operación Puerto doping scandal.
The Spanish wire service EFE reported Wednesday that Spanish figures such as former world cycling champion Oscar Freire, along with track and field athletes Rosa Morató, Pablo Villalobos, and Alvaro Rodríguez, are among those who have joined the push.
The effort began in the days following the April 30 ruling by a Spanish court to destroy more than 200 bags of blood and plasma that’s been stored in a Barcelona lab since the Puerto raids back in 2006.
Petition-backers are hoping to gain 25,000 signatures before forwarding it to Spanish government officials.
As part of the ruling that found ringleader Dr. Eufemiano Fuentes and former Kelme trainer José Ignacio Labarta guilty of “endangering public health,” the judge also ordered that the blood bags be destroyed.
That ruling has created an uproar in Spain, where officials and media are clamoring to use the bags as a means to help identify more of Fuentes’ clients.
Many of his clients have already been identified, either by confessions, confirmation from Fuentes, or judicial pressure, but many remain unknown.
According to a report in El País, the identity of 20 of the more than 200 blood bags remains unknown. Most were already matched by police to many of Fuentes’ former clients.
Francisco Mancebo, for example, had nearly 20 bags on ice while others, including Ivan Basso (Cannondale) and Jan Ullrich, each had 10 or more. Others, such as Alejandro Valverde (Movistar), who later served a two-year ban after Italian officials matched samples to a bag in police custody, had only one. See this link to a story in Spanish, with a graphic.
Spain’s anti-doping agency is also pushing to appeal the judge’s ruling concerning the custody of the blood bags.
The Puerto scandal has rocked the Spanish sports scene, and has cast a doubt over the country’s effort to secure the 2020 Summer Olympics.
Fuentes and Labarta were the only two found guilty in the two-month trial, with Fuentes condemned to one year in jail and fines and Labarta sentenced to four months in jail. As first-time offenders in a non-violent crime, however, neither will spend time behind bars.
Three others, Yolanda Fuentes, also a doctor, former Liberty Seguros manager Manolo Saiz, and former Kelme director Vicente Belda were acquitted.
There still could be appeals in the case. Labarta has already told Spanish media he could appeal the ruling, while Fuentes’ lawyers said they were considering an appeal as well.