Norway's Hushovd wins 2nd stage of Tour de France
Thor Hushovd of Norway won the second stage of the Tour de France on Sunday after leading a group sprint.
Hushovd, a sprint specialist, has won six Tour stages in his career. The Credit Agricole team member bolted from the pack with 50 yards remaining to finish in a time of 3 hours, 45 minutes, 13 seconds.
Stage 2 of the race was from Auray to Saint-Brieuc, over a distance of 164.5 kilometres. Conditions were rainy for the ride over the mostly flat route.
Team Columbia riders Kim Kirchen of Luxembourg and Gerald Ciolek of Germany finished second and third.
The winner of the first stage, Alejandro Valverde of Spain, finished stage 2 in the trailing pack, but kept the overall lead. He finished a second in front of Spanish sprint star Oscar Freire.
Blood testing was done on 36 riders from four teams before the second stage of the Tour. All riders passed the tests administered by the French Anti-Doping Agency. Riders from Lampre, Team CSC, Columbia and Saunier Duval were tested
Tour owner Amaury Sports Organization (ASO), decided to ignore the rules of the International Cycling Union and stage this year's Tour under the authority of the French national federation and anti-doping agency instead.
The two agencies have had a very public split after the launch of the new biological passport scheme for cyclists, designed to improve the image of the sport.
The Tour de France has 21 stages, and covers more than 3,500 kilometres over three weeks.
Copyright (c) CBC 2008
Gippsland to challenge cycling elite
The course for Australia's oldest stage race, to be formally announced today by Sport and Recreation Minister James Merlino, will for the first time begin in Traralgon.
After an opening prologue based around Kay St on October 12, the race heads to the coast at Inverloch.
From there, it's onwards and upwards - all the way to Mt Buller after stops in Warragul and Marysville.
The race breaks tradition for a time-trial around the TarraWarra Estate winery in the Yarra Valley for stage five, then closes with a return to an old favourite, the criterium around Lygon St, Carlton, on Saturday, October 18.
The finish will again coincide with the Melbourne Cycling Festival, with the Around the Bay in a Day ride to be held the next day.
The format, refined in recent years under tour director Michael Hands, continues to attract rave reviews from world-class riders.
Hands, in Europe for the Giro d'Italia, hopes a swag of big names will commit to the race after July's Tour de France.
It is understood champions Stuart O'Grady and Baden Cooke have spread the good word on the race in Europe, particularly among respective CSC and Barloworld teammates, with hopes high both ProTour teams will race.
Melbourne's Matt Wilson, who beat Hodgkin's disease to seal an emotional win last year, is keen to defend his title, while a host of young Australian riders shining around the world will ensure the race is hotly contested.
Merlino said the 57th edition of the race was designed to showcase Victoria's highlights to an increasing global audience.
Hands said the course would test the riders' resolve without a "torture test" at the end of their season.
"They still want a challenge and this year they will face a tough climb to Mt Buller and then a spectacular individual time-trial in the Yarra Valley," Hands said.
"We also return to Lygon St for the final stage. The finish there in 2006 was nothing short of sensational, with Robbie McEwen winning the stage and Simon Gerrans claiming his second consecutive Tour win.
"We can only hope for such a finale this year."
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Esparza to be released from hospital soon
Fausto Esparza, who was seriously injured more than three weeks ago in a descending crash during the final stage of the Tour of the Gila, will be released from the hospital in a few days. The former Mexican national champion was air lifted to Thompson Hospital in El Paso, Texas where doctors diagnosed him as paralyzed from the waist down.
The 33 year-old from Guadalajara, Mexico, had travelled north to Silver City, New Mexico where his team Tecos-Trek registered to compete in the seven-day stage race. He, along with twelve other riders, crashed on the last stage's high speed and technical descent.
Esparza's wife Paty and sister Monica Plascencia gathered at the Thompson hospital in El Paso shortly after doctors notified his family of the accident. Family members remained with him for three weeks before travelling home to Guadalajara.
According to Plascencia, Esparza is still in the hospital but in much better condition and was removed from the ICU into a regular hospital bed where he is expected to stay for a few days longer. "He is in much better condition," said Plascencia who recently flew back to her California home. "I spoke with Fausto this morning and he will be leaving for Mexico City soon where he will work on his recovery. He is in a wheel chair but he's working on his health and happiness right now."
Esparza will be taken to CONADE Hospital, a national physical and athletic rehabilitation centre located in Mexico City. "It's going to take a long time for him to be rehabilitated and the doctors did not say that it would be possible," said Plascencia. "He has no movement from the waist down. His spirit is very high and positive so believe me, that high spirit has him wanting to go back to his bike, and that is his goal. He is up and down since the first day. As he continues healing and putting strain on his arm muscles he gets more motivated each day."
According to Plascencia, the family's priority concerns are with the wellbeing of Esparza; however they will soon need to consider the financial strain from the accrued hospital expenses that will inevitably need to be paid. "Fausto's wife Paty and I are not concerned with finances right now," said Plascencia. "Day by day Fausto will have support from all of us at home. But it is something we will need to think about in the near future. As of today he is no longer on ICU and that is good news for us."
The Tour of the Gila organization set up a donation fund for Esparza immediately following the accident at the Wells Fargo Bank in Silver City, New Mexico. According Tour of the Gila race director, Jack Brennan, the Fausto Munoz Esparza Donation Fund has raised under ten thousand dollars to support Esparza in his recovery, an amount that covers approximately one tenth of the accumulated hospital bills, not including his need for long term rehabilitation and care expenses.
Brennan encourages people to continue to donate funds to the Wells Fargo Bank in Silver City, New Mexico. "He is determined to ride again," said Brennan. "He seems very focused and he told me that he has a goal and now wants to obtain."
Many have donated to Esparaza's recovery fund, including Team Toyota-United which contributed five thousand dollars. Furthermore, letters and cards have been streaming in to Esparza's hospital room. According to Brennan, The Silver City High School Spanish classes sent over sixty handwritten and painted get well cards.
"We want to make sure that people know that they can still donate the much needed funds to Fausto," said Brennan. "My feeling is that Fausto is a very strong guy, very determined and focused, probably coming from his bike racing background. His family seems very supportive, a really great family and I think they are going to be very helpful with his recovery.
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Three in a row for Absalon
In Madrid last weekend, Julien Absalon captured his third World Cup in succession - all in three consecutive weeks. The Frenchman finished in 2:12:30 and beat Spaniard Jose Antonio Hermida by 12 seconds and compatriot Jean-Christophe Peraud by 52 seconds.
His win was far more of a challenge than in either Houffalize, Belgium, or Offenburg, Germany, thanks to a fast course. A lead group split and reformed during the early laps. In the initial stages, American Todd Wells even led it out - his first experience and one he will not forget.
At one point, the lead group consisted of 20-30 riders, but as some made attempts at getting away, Absalon was aware that this move would not be successful. "With groups so big, never would one man or even a pair be able to ride to the win. It would be impossible," the savvy winner said after the race.
Absalon ended up duelling with Jose Antonio Hermida by the end. The latter s wheel washed out on the descent just as Absalon made a decisive attack that would stick until the end of the race. On the steep climb, I knew I had the speed over Jose, so I entered the descent first and attacked hard in the final two kilometres, said Absalon. Once you had a small gap, there was not enough time in the closing stages to make it back.
Commenting on the race after brief stint at the front, Wells said, "The course in Madrid hasn't changed much since the first time I raced here back in 2002. It's fast with short one-minute climbs, super hard pack with ball bearing type pebbles on top which make for slick corners. There are also tons of spectators packed on the course's six main climbs. Last weekend in Offenburg the race was only 35kms this weekend we did about 56kms, so that gives you an idea of how fast this course is."
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Veteran Olympic cycling hopeful Longo wins Climbers' Trophy
1 day ago
SANNOIS, France (AFP) - Veteran French cyclist Jeannie Longo, who is hoping to qualify for the Beijing Olympics this summer, won the Trophee des Grimpeurs (Climbers' Trophy) for the fourth time on Sunday.
Longo, who turns 50 years in October, had already won the event which counts towards the French Cup of womens' cycling, in 2001, 2004 and 2007.
She covered the 62.6km course in 1hr 40min 30sec to finish more than three minutes ahead of leading rivals Christel Ferrier-Bruneau and Magali Le Floc'h as she notched up the 1,020 success of her long career.
"I didn't have much in the tank today," said Longo, who explained how she had warmed up for the event by competing in the Tour of Romandie time-trial two days ago where she clocked the seventh fastest time.
Longo has competed in every Olympics since women's cycling was introduced to the programme in 1984, and is hoping to make the French team for Beijing.
She won the Olympic road race title in 1996 after taking the silver four years earlier in Barcelona. She also won silver in the road time-time in Atlanta and bronze in the same event in Sydney.
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Recovered Korff back for Volksbank
Andre Korff was out of the action for three months. "I had a herniated disk and I have only been training for three weeks." So the sprinter is unlikely to mix it up in the sprint at the Henninger Turm race. But that doesn't mean Volksbank is without chances if a bigger group comes back to the Darmstadter Landstrasse for the third and final time, on the uphill finish. "We have two good sprinters, with Olaf Pollack and Daniel Musiol. Daniel also can get over the climbs well."
Korff acknowledged that signing the Movement for a Credible Cycling (MPCC) agreement was very important "not only for the Henninger Turm, but there are other races in Germany, like the Hamburg Cyclassics and the Deutschlandrundfahrt." Korff is looking forward to those races that he would like to do another time.
The 35 year-old is currently evaluating his career. "I realised this spring that at my age, recovery takes longer, so yes, you think a bit about the end of the career."
However, the sprinters will not be the only option for the Austrian team. Team Manager Thomas Kofler is especially looking towards Swiss Florian Stalder. "He has had a good program so far. He needs a lot of races." And that is exactly the program he followed. "Florian will bring a lot of activity to the race," Kofler was certain that Volksbank will likely to be in the breakaways.
With a few options available, the squad will be looking to make use of their outsider chance. And Stalder has some experience with a high finish. The Swiss finished eighth last year.
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Barred from Tour of France and Giro d'Italia, Astana invited to race at Vuelta
The Associated Press
Published: April 29, 2008
MADRID, Spain: The Astana cycling team will take part in the Spanish Vuelta despite being barred from the Tour de France and Giro d'Italia because of doping violations.
Astana was among 20 teams invited to Spain's premier cycling race. Organizers said Tuesday all met the "maximum requirements in terms of ethics, image and administration."
Last year, Astana rider Alexandre Vinokourov was caught blood doping during the Tour. Teammate Andrej Kashechkin committed the same offense one month later in Turkey after an out-of-competition test.
In 2006, several cyclists on the Astana team, then known as Liberty Seguros, were kicked out on the eve of the Tour after being linked to the Operation Puerto blood-doping scandal in Spain.
The Amaury Sport Organization, which owns the Tour, banned the team from all it races in 2008. That means Astana rider Alberto Contador won't be able to defend his Tour title.
Copyright (c) 2008 the International Herald Tribune All rights reserved
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