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Con uno sprint da manuale il sardo di Capoterra Alberto Loddo ha vinto la quinta ed ultima tappa del Giro di Sardegna che si è corsa oggi con partenza da Sant'Antioco ed arrivo nel centro di Cagliari. Il portacolori dell' Androni - Diquigiovanni si è imposto sulle strade di casa al termine di una volata ...continua
Saturday, February 27, 2010

Team HTC-Columbia starts its Belgian Classics season this weekend with a double dose of racing action, first tackling Het Nieuwsblad on Saturday February 27th, then Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne on Sunday February 28th.  

"There's some windy, wet weather forecast, so it's going to be a tough two days," commented HTC-Columbia's sports director Allan Peiper.  "The courses are pretty much the same, but the roads are in a poor state because of the freezing weather we've had all winter, and that'll make it even harder.  Bernie [Bernhard Eisel] has had a good block of racing, from the Tour Down Under through to Qatar and Oman, so he's very ready for this weekend. And Marcel Sieberg and Martin Velits are both good for this kind of racing."

"We've checked out the courses both for Het Nieuwsblad and for the Tour of Flanders this week, so the riders have had enough time to adapt to the conditions and know what they're going to face.  Kuurne is more suited to the sprinters, but you have to make a choice between one race or the other, it's not possible to go all out in both. So we'll see who's good on which day and take it from there."

HTC-Columbia are also racing on Sunday in Spain, in the one-day Clásica de Almeria.
"They've changed the course a bit compared to last year but we're expecting a bunch sprint," says sports director Brian Holm. "It should be a very fast race."

HTC-Columbia for Het Nieuwsblad: Lars Bak (Den); Gert Dockx (Bel); Bernhard Eisel (Aut); Matt Goss (Aus); Vicente Reynes (Spa); Marcel Sieberg (Ger); Tejay Van Garderen (USA); Martin Velits (Svk).

HTC-Columbia for Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne: Lars Bak (Den); Gert Dockx (Bel); Jan Ghyselinck (Bel); Adam Hansen (Aus); Vicente Reynes (Spa); Hayden Roulston (NZ); Marcel Sieberg (Ger); Martin Velits (Svk).

HTC-Columbia for Clásica Almeria: Mark Cavendish (GB), Patrick Gretsch (Ger); Rasmus Guldhammer (Den); Maxime Monfort (Bel); Marco Pinotti (Ita); Frantisek Rabon (Cze).

Team HTC-Columbia starts its Belgian Classics season this weekend with a double dose of racing action, first tackling Het Nieuwsblad on Saturday February 27th, then Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne on Sunday February 28th.  

"There's some windy, wet weather forecast, so it's going to be a tough two days," commented HTC-Columbia's sports director Allan Peiper.  "The courses are pretty much the same, but the roads are in a poor state because of the freezing weather we've had all winter, and that'll make it even harder.  Bernie [Bernhard Eisel] has had a good block of racing, from the Tour Down Under through to Qatar and Oman, so he's very ready for this weekend. And Marcel Sieberg and Martin Velits are both good for this kind of racing."

"We've checked out the courses both for Het Nieuwsblad and for the Tour of Flanders this week, so the riders have had enough time to adapt to the conditions and know what they're going to face.  Kuurne is more suited to the sprinters, but you have to make a choice between one race or the other, it's not possible to go all out in both. So we'll see who's good on which day and take it from there."

HTC-Columbia are also racing on Sunday in Spain, in the one-day Clásica de Almeria.
"They've changed the course a bit compared to last year but we're expecting a bunch sprint," says sports director Brian Holm. "It should be a very fast race."

HTC-Columbia for Het Nieuwsblad: Lars Bak (Den); Gert Dockx (Bel); Bernhard Eisel (Aut); Matt Goss (Aus); Vicente Reynes (Spa); Marcel Sieberg (Ger); Tejay Van Garderen (USA); Martin Velits (Svk).

HTC-Columbia for Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne: Lars Bak (Den); Gert Dockx (Bel); Jan Ghyselinck (Bel); Adam Hansen (Aus); Vicente Reynes (Spa); Hayden Roulston (NZ); Marcel Sieberg (Ger); Martin Velits (Svk).

HTC-Columbia for Clásica Almeria: Mark Cavendish (GB), Patrick Gretsch (Ger); Rasmus Guldhammer (Den); Maxime Monfort (Bel); Marco Pinotti (Ita); Frantisek Rabon (Cze).

Especially for me: with 38.5°C, no reconnaissance of Omloop Het Nieuwsblad for me today.

The winter has been hard, and I am really pleased that four training stages could be organized, giving the riders the possibility to train in somewhat milder conditions.

The preparation itself went according to plan under the professional control of Energylab (Paul Van Den Bosch and Bert Ackaert), and we have seen the riders progressing regularly.

The team, and especially Jürgen Roelandts, has made a good Tour Down Under. Qatar and Oman were mainly sprint festival, we came back with good results. At Majorca, the team has shown a very high level, and to continue in Andalusia.

Jurgen Van Den Broeck has shown that he is ready for Paris - Nice, he is well out of Evans's shadow. In Algarve, we nearly made it, and again, we came back with good results. And i am really pleased to see that these results were each time due to another name.

As I see it, our present level is high.

In my opinion, we present a very strong team for the opening W-E in Belgium, with, for the Omloop, Philippe Gilbert leading, assisted by Greg Van Avermaet (not too well, but the medic say he will be all right)) Leif Hoste and Jürgen Roelandts, backed by Michiel Elijzen, Sebastian Lang, Michael Delage and Staf Scheirlinckx. I have no doubt that they are ready.

Same team for Kuurne - Brussels - Kuurne is het, except that Gilbert will be replaced by Gerben Löwik. As Philippe, repeating last year's early season,, will stay for long at a high level, up to tot L-B-L, we shall keep him from riding on Sunday, just to avoid his reaching his peak too early.

Greg, Jürgen and Leif can thus take their chance, even if they cannot do it on Saturday. A man has to be optimistic, doesn't he?

I wish all cycling sport fans a superb opening week-end, may the best win !

Marc Sergeant

De Australische wielerbond heeft zijn goedkeuring gehecht aan een wijziging van de datum van de Jayco Herald Sun Tour van oktober naar 8 tot 13 februari 2011. Als de UCI er ook mee akkoord gaat, zal de Jayco Herald Sun Tour beter aansluiten op de Santos Tour Down Under (ProTour), die eind januari plaats vindt. Daarmee hopen de organisatoren van de Sun Tour meer Europese en Amerikaanse teams naar hun wedstrijd te trekken. Daarnaast heb je dan ook nog de Ronden van Qatar en Oman, hetgeen ten koste zou kunnen gaan van Europese koersen als de GP Etruschi (Donoratico), de Trofeo Laigueglia, de Challenge Mallorca, de Volta ao Algarve en de Ronde van de Middellandse Zee, die uitgerekend dit jaar met barre weersomstandigheden kregen af te rekenen. (Bron: Tuttobiciweb)