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| Sastre wins Professional Cyclists’s Association race |
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11-Nov-2009: Cervélo TestTeam's Carlos Sastre is not known for his single-day race success. However on Monday Sastre beat known Classic riders to win the ACP championship, held each year by the Spanish Professional Cyclists’ Association, according to Cyclingnews.com.
At the end of a day’s racing, the 2008 Tour de France champion came out best ahead of riders such as Olympic champ Samuel Sánchez (Euskaltel-Euskadi), Alejandro Valverde (Caisse d'Epargne) and Luis León Sánchez (Caisse d'Epargne), who were second through to fourth.
The points contest got underway with a team time trial. The Xacobeo-Galicia trio of Gustavo Veloso, Carlos Castaño and David Herrero were quicker than Caisse d'Epargne (Valverde, Luis León Sanchez and Iván Gutiérrez) and Fuji-Servetto (Cobo, De la Fuente and Jufré).
Sánchez then won the points race ahead of Sastre and Valverde, but Cervélo TestTeam rider Sastre made his big move in the elimination event. Biding his time and letting the others use up their strength early on, he chose his moment perfectly and rocketed clear.
The others were focussed on not being eliminated and, watching each other for those crucial sprints, Sastre could continue to build his lead. He hit the line well clear of Valverde and Sanchez, who finished third and second respectively behind him in the final overall standings.
Sastre won two stages and finished fourth overall in the Giro d’Italia earlier this season, but fatigue saw him perform below his usual level in the Tour de France. He took a long break after that race but is now building form prior to what he expects will be a strong 2010. Yesterday’s result will boost his morale as he continues to rack up the kilometres.
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| Hushovd 2nd in Amstel Curaçao Race |
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08-Nov-2009: Cervélo TestTeam rider Thor Hushovd finished second today in the 80 km Amstel Curaçao Race (Curaçao is part of the Dutch Antilles). Tour de France winner Alberto Contador won the race and Koos Moerenhout (Rabobank) finished in third. Moerenhout initiated the winning attack and was joined by Contador and Hushovd. Contador attacked Hushovd and Moerenhout and won the race solo. Hushovd outsprinted Dutch road champion Moerenhout for second place.
1 Alberto Contador (Spa) Astana
2 Thor Hushovd (Nor) Cervélo TestTeam
3 Koos Moerenhout (Ned) Rabobank
4 Mark Cavendish (GBr) Columbia-HTC
5 Kenny Van Hummel (Ned) Skil-Shimano
6 Edvald Boasson Hagen (Nor) Columbia-HTC |
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| Marchante 3rd in Criterium de Alcobendas |
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| 26-Oct-2009: The Criterium de Alcobendas was held yesterday near the Spanish capital of Madrid. The race is a combination of a time trial, an elimination race and a points race. The winner was Alejandro Valverde who claimed victory ahead of Alberto Contador and Cervélo TestTeam's Jose Angel Gomez Marchante.
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| Fleeman wins national hill-climb |
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26-Oct-2009: Daniel Fleeman has claimed victory in the 2009 British Hill-climb Championships on Sunday afternoon in Sheffield, Great Britain. The Cervélo TestTeam rider finished 14 seconds ahead of Matt Clinton and 22 seconds clear of Jim Henderson.
Fleeman covered the short and tough 1.1 kilometre climb of Pea Royd Lane in the Sheffield suburb of Stocksbridge in three minutes and 18 seconds. He averaged a shade under 20km/h on the infamous street, which features pitches of up to 20 percent gradient.
"I didn't know anything about the climb beforehand," said Fleeman. "I had only seen a clip of the climb on YouTube. Before the start I was going to pace it evenly, but at the line I shot off like a mad man, and at the end I felt like I was dying."
Results
National Hill-Climb Championships 2009: Pea Royd Lane, Stocksbridge, near Sheffield, 1200 yards
1. Dan Fleeman (Cervélo Test Team) 3-17.8
2. Matt Clinton (Mike Vaughan Cycles) 3-31.6
3. Jim Henderson (Southport CC) 3-39.4
4. Michael Smith (Team Milton Keynes) 3-39.9
5. Adam Pinder (Blackburn & District CTC) 3-43.1
6. David Clarke (Pendragon Kalas RT) 3-43.4
7. David Griffiths (Paramount CRT) 3-44.0
8. Charles Taylor (South Pennine RC) 3-46.0
9. Robert Gough (Chippenham & Dist Wh) 3-47.4
10. Mike Cuming (Raleigh Avanti) 3-47.5
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| Wild wins 6-days race in Amsterdam |
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25-Oct-2009: Cervélo TestTeam's Kirsten Wild took the victory together with Vera Koedooder in the 6-days race of Amsterdam. The strong team from the Netherlands were in the lead from the first day on and never gave their competitors a chance. Roxane Knetemann and Amy Pieters finished second and Eva Heijmans and Cari Higgins took the third spot.
On the men’s side the victory went to the German duo Robert Bartko and Roger Kluge while Theo Bos, one of Cervélo TestTeam's new riders for 2010, and his colleague Peter Schep took fifth spot.
Ladies:
1. Koedooder – Wild 0 rnd 215 pnt
2. Knetemann – Pieters 4 rnd 128 pnt
3. Heijmans – Higgens 5 rnd 81 pnt
4. Trott – Colclough 6 rnd 59 pnt
5. Kessler – Wolfer 8 rnd 93 pnt
6. De Vroome – Van Wesdonk 8 rnd 28 pnt
7. Van Steenis – Cizgin 9 rnd 27 pnt
8. Booth – Miller 13 rnd 13 pnt
9. Markus – Van Hoek 12 rnd 43 pnt
10. Boskamp – Van Dijk 14 rnd 6 pnt
11. Van Nek – Meiering 17 rnd 0 pnt
Men
1. Bartko – Kluge 1 rnd 264 pnt
2. Risi – Marvulli 1 rnd 250 pnt
3. Stam – Lampater 1 rnd 235 pnt
4. De Ketele – Keisse 1 rnd 216 pnt
5. Bos – Schep 11 rnd 226 pnt
6. Van Bon – Stroetinga 11 rnd 138 pnt
7. Pronk – Pronk 13 rnd 79 pnt
8. Ligthart – Vermeulen 15 rnd 107 pnt
9. Vierhouten – Mouris 16 rnd 66 pnt
10. Jonkman – Van der Zwet 23 rnd 36 pnt
11. Donadio – Viviani 27 rnd 107 pnt
12. Traksel – Veldt 29 rnd 130 pnt
13. Van Hummel – Hester 30 rnd 72 pnt
14. Vingerling – Stöpler 32 rnd 36 pnt
15. Kip – Pieters 34 rnd 53 pnt
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| Giro d’Italia 2010 |
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| 25-Oct-2009: Today, the official presentation of the Giro d’Italia 2010 took place in Milano under the lead of Giro director Angelo Zomegnan.The first Grand Tour in 2010, the Giro d’Italia will kick off on May 8th in Amsterdam (NED) and includes all team and mountain time trial, gravel roads, legendary passes until the end on 30th of May in Verona, Italy.
The 2010 Giro will consist of six mountain stages – taking in the climbs of the Terminillo, Zoncolan, Plan de Corones, Pejo Terme, Mortirolo and Gavia – and seven sprinters' stage. There will be at the beginning and at the end an individual time trial. It also includes a team time trial in Cuneo and a mountain time trial (Plan de Corones).
“We start the Giro like the Tour de France in the Netherland. Three stages will take place there. The stages could be challenging and for sure, the competitors have to take care. After that, a Team Time Trial will take place in Savigliano, in the province Cuneo in the north-west part of Italy before the sprinters are on the row. On stage seven and stage eight will be then give the first split. The last week which will take place in the Alps and in the Dolomites is really tough and I guess here the overall victory will be decided here. There are some stage with a total climb of over 4000 meter and some challenging passes are included like the Passo Gavia . For sure, the weather could play there a decisive role and definitivly the winner needs some good climbers skills,” summarized Marcello Albasini, Sports Director of the Cervélo TestTeam.
Detailed information about the stages:
Stage 1 - Saturday, May 8, Amsterdam TT, 8.4km
Stage 2 - Sunday, May 9, Amsterdam - Utrecht, 209km
Stage 3 - Monday, May 10, Amsterdam - Middelburg, 209km
Rest day, Tuesday, May 11, Savigliano
Stage 4 - Wednesday, May 12, Savigliano - Cuneo TTT, 32.5km
Stage 5 - Thursday, May 13, Novara - Novi Ligure, 168km
Stage 6 - Friday, May 14, Fidenza - Marina di Carrara, 166km
Stage 7 - Saturday, May 15, Carrara - Montalcino, 215km
Stage 8 - Sunday, May 16, Chianciano - Monte Terminillo, 189km
Stage 9 - Monday, May 17, Frosinone - Cava de' Tirreni, 188km
Stage 10 - Tuesday, May 18, Avellino - Bitonto, 220km
Stage 11 - Wednesday, May 19, Lucera - L’Aquila, 256km
Stage 12 - Thursday, May 20, Città Sant'Angelo - Porto Recanati, 191km
Stage 13 - Friday, May 21, Porto Recanati - Cesenatico, 222km
Stage 14 - Saturday, May 22, Ferrara - Asolo (Monte Grappa), 201km
Stage 15 - Sunday, May 23, Mestre - Zoncolan, 218km
Rest day, Monday, May 24, Friuli
Stage 16 - Tuesday, May 25, San Vigilio di Marebbe - Plan de Corones TT, 12.9km
Stage 17 - Wednesdday, May 26, Brunico - Pejo Terme, 173km
Stage 18 - Thursday, May 27, Levico Terme - Brescia, 151km
Stage 19 - Friday, May 28, Brescia - Aprica, 195km
Stage 20 - Saturday, May 29, Bormio - Passo del Tonale, 178km
Stage 21 - Sunday, May 30, Verona - Verona TT, 15.3km
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| Schnider Top Ten in UCI Scratch ranking |
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24-Oct-2009: Cervélo TestTeam rider Pascale Schnider has been competing the last couple of weeks in track events. At the GP Vienna (October 22 and 23), the biggest track meeting in Austria, she finished 2nd in the scratch race, 4th in the point race and 5th in the pursuit.
At the beginning of October (1 to 3) Schnider took part in the three days of Aigle (Switzerland), where a great number of international riders were at the start. Schnider won the scratch race in Aigle with a victory that earned her first UCI World Cup points this season.
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| Cervélo TestTeam Women first in UCI Team Ranking |
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23-Oct-2009: Cervélo TestTeam ended the season as the best team in the world. The women's team finished first in the UCI team ranking with 2321 points. Team Columbia High Road followed (1580) and DSB Bank (1528) placed third. In the 2009 season the Team achieved 43 UCI wins, including 5 World Cup races and the most important stage races on the calendar, the Grande Boucle, the Tour de l'Aude and the Giro d'Italia Femminile.
In terms of individual ranking the Team had three riders in the top ten: Kirsten Wild was second behind Marianne Vos (DSB Bank) and in front of Emma Johansson (Red Sun Cycling Team). Kirstin Armstrong finished fourth with Emma Pooley in ninth. Claudia Häusler in eleventh position and Christiane Soeder in nineteenth gave the team five riders in total, in the UCI ranked top 20.
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| Pujol best result for team at Giro di Lombardia |
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17-Oct-2009: Philippe Gilbert (Silence-Lotto) rode the 242-kilometer route along Italy’s Lake Como today to win his fourth consecutive race this month defeating Samuel Sanchez (Sp - Euskaltel-Euskadi) to take the Giro di Lombardia, the final classic of the European road season. Alexandr Kolobnev (Saxo Bank) placed third. Best result today for Cervélo TestTeam was Oscar Pujol in 30th place.
"At the start we tried to save Philip Deignan. Serge Pauwels, Marcel Wyss, Oscar Pujol and Dan Fleeman had to cover the breaks because we know every year there is a breakaway," said Alex Sans Vega, Sports Director. "They tried hard, especially Serge because Marcel had a bad crash after 25 km and had to stop. It was very difficult to make the break so once that was done, we tried to save our guys as much as we could for the final. Novoa is sick and we knew from the start he was going to stop at the feed zone. Simon did a good job, he doesn't have the same legs as a month ago but he did a very good job for the team going for bottles and bringing riders to the front. When we came to the last 20 km at the foot of the Madonna climb we still had four riders there Fleeman, Pujol, Philip and Gustov. Pujol made an attack, certainly not the best moment that's for sure. Then at the foot of the Civiglio when the big names started to make their attacks like Gilbert, they were not able to follow. It was pretty well selected then who would be the riders for the win and then they just had to make it to the finish in the best position they could."
"I felt good today," explained Oscar Pujol, "but on the Madonna I attacked and I was a bit crazy, I didn't relax and my legs cramped. And while I did well for myself, the important thing is the team."
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Results:
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| Gustov best for Cervélo today |
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15-Oct-2009: Philippe Gilbert (Silence-Lotto) won his third race in a row today, the 184 km Giro del Piemonte, from Novi Ligure to Lagnasco in Fossano, Italy. He bettered Spaniard Daniel Moreno (Caisse d'Epargne) and Italian Francesco Gavazzi (Lampre-NGC), adding to his Coppa Sabatini and Paris-Tours wins. Top result for Cervélo TestTeam today was Volodymir Gustov in 29th position.
"There was a break away of one rider from Acqua & Sapone today. Every team was fighting to be part of the breakaway today but in the end no team wanted to let a big group go, so there was just one rider," said Alex Sans Vega Sports Director. "At the maximum the rider from Acqua & Sapone had almost 10 minutes on the peloton. Then a rider from ISD closed the gap but the two were not able to stay ahead because Serramenti PVC Diquigiovanni was controlling the race and brought the group back with 16 km to go. Then on the last climb Philippe Gilbert from Silence – Lotto attacked with 1.5 km to go and made it to the finish. From our team Volodymir Gustov and Oscar Pujol were part of the main bunch. This was the perfect preparation for Lombardy were we hope to show our strengths for the last time this season."
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Results:
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| 2010 Tour de France presents plenty of opportunities for Cervélo |
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14-Oct-2009: Cervélo TestTeam will have plenty of opportunities to shine in what’s a varied and challenging route for the 2010 Tour de France, unveiled Wednesday in a lavish ceremony in Paris.
The 20-stage, 3,596km route for the 97th Tour starts in Rotterdam, Holland, on July 3 and ends on the Champs-Élysées on July 23 in the heart of Paris. In between, the season’s most important and prestigious race offers ample ground for Cervélo TestTeam to perform.
“It’s an interesting Tour, above all for us, a very interesting first week,” said Cervélo TestTeam sport director Jean-Paul Van Poppel. “The weather conditions will mark the race and there will be some opportunities for us to do something when we are up in the north. Especially the third stage, with some cobblestones, we have a lot of riders who can do something on the cobblestones.”
The route offers something for everyone. With an opening week across Holland, Belgium and northern France, Cervélo star sprinter and defending green jersey-winner Thor Hushovd will have chances to go on the hunt for sprint victories and make a run for the yellow jersey.
“I like the parcours. It’s very difficult, especially the final week, which is good for me. A lot of the sprinters won’t be able to make it through the Pyrénées,” said Hushovd after watching the 45-minute Tour presentation in Paris. “My goals are the same as always, to win stages and try to win the green jersey again. It’s never easy, but the Tour is always hard. Last year was good for our team and I think next year, we’ll be even better. I like the return of the prologue. We haven’t had one in a few years and I always do pretty well. It’s a chance to take the yellow jersey.”
Week two, which enters the Jura Mountains and the Alps, opens things up for stage-hunters and breakaway artists, like Cervélo’s Heinrich Haussler, who won a breakthrough stage victory across the Vosges Mountains this year.
“It’s definitely harder than last year’s Tour. That last week won’t be easy for anyone. Carlos should be able to really do well in the Pyrénées and we’ll be working for him,” said Haussler, who also attended the presentation. “There are some very interesting stages, especially in the first half of the Tour. I’m not a pure sprinter, but with the stages that go over the cobblestones and later in the second week will present a good chance to try to win a stage. After winning a stage this year, I will only have more confidence and motivation going into 2010.”
Week three sees the GC favorites stepping forward, with a demanding and decisive string of stages across the towering peaks of the Pyrénées.
This year’s route underscores the historical importance of the rugged Pyrénées by setting them up as the Tour’s centerpiece in what’s the 100th anniversary of the first true mountain stages, introduced a century ago in 1910.
That’s music to the ears of Cervélo’s GC captain and 2008 Tour de France champion Carlos Sastre, who won a breakout stage victory in 2003 at Aix-3 Domaines, which is the setting of the finish for stage 14.
A summit finish up the Tourmalet in stage 17 will prove decisive to anyone hoping to win the Tour. The stage is ideally situated for Sastre, who rises to the occasion in the third and final week of a grand tour.
Close proximity to Spain will allow thousands of Sastre’s fans to pour over the border to cheer on the Spanish climber as he takes on the Tour after not quite having the legs to successfully defend his Tour crown in 2009.
A penultimate-day time trial, held on a 51km flat course in Bordeaux, will keep fans and riders alike sitting on the edge of their seats until the final moments of the race.
“I think the most important stages are the climbing stages to Aix-3 Domaines and the Tourmalet, but there are a lot of other stages in between where we can do something,” JP Van Poppel said. “The time trial is long and going north, so perhaps it will be against the wind. It’s long, but we only have to do it once. It’s an interesting Tour, but from what I see now, it’s a very interesting first week. A lot will depend on the weather conditions.”
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| Team Race Preview – October 15–17 |
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14-Oct-2009: The last week of racing for Cervélo TestTeam’s debut season has begun. On October 15 the Giro del Piemonte, a semi-classic held in the Apennine Mountains in Italy, will take place, with a strong team on the start line. In the race, which was first run in 1906, Cervélo TestTeam squad, including Vuelta a España stage winners Simon Gerrans (AUS) and Philip Deignan (IRL), are ready to put in a great performance over the 190 km from Alba to Cuneo.
Just two days later, one of the monuments of the European cycling calendar and the last event in the UCI World Ranking calendar is on the schedule – the Giro di Lombardia (the “race of the falling leaves”). The first edition was held in 1905 under the name Milan-Milan. It gained its current name in 1907, and this year’s edition will start in Varese and finish in Como.
The team will have the same crew as in the Giro del Piemonte. Beside Simon Gerrans, who was also successful with a stage win at the Giro d’Italia and Philip Deignan, Cervélo TestTeam’s Serge Pauwels (BEL) is another iron in the fire.
This is our last weekly race preview for this season. All the Cervélo TestTeam riders and staff would like to say “Thank you” for your great support this season. The weekly preview will return with the start of the 2010 race season. Meanwhile, we will regularly update our website, www.cervelo.com/team, during the off season.
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| Klier and Lloyd extend their contracts |
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12-Oct-2009: Cervélo TestTeam is pleased to announce that Andreas Klier (GER) has extended his contract with the team for another two years, until December 2011. Klier, a likable all-rounder, is a very experienced rider, especially in the spring classics. The 33-year-old German was one of the key riders on the team in its first year. Klier had an excellent classics season and has played a significant role in the success of Cervélo TestTeam to date.
“I feel very confident as part of Cervélo TestTeam,” said Klier. “Besides riding, we also have the possibility of working together with our partners to help develop our equipment, as well as interacting closely with the public. It is fun to be focused not only on race performances and results, but also on testing new equipment. It is also great to have the chance to work together with such outstanding riders as we have on this team. It is really a pleasure to ride with them.”
“We are very pleased that Andreas will be with us at least until 2011. He is a rider who plays an important role on the team. Besides being a terrific person, he brings a lot of experience and cycling skills to our organization. A rider of his caliber can provide expert support for our leaders and serve as a strong mentor to the younger riders,” said Thomas Campana, Team Manager.
Daniel Lloyd (GBR) has also extended his contract with the team until 2011. The British rider had an auspicious start to the 2009 season, taking 4th place in the GC at the Tour of Qatar. Lloyd also provided strong support and was an integral part of the team’s remarkable success at the Giro d’Italia.
"I am delighted to have signed a contract extension with Cervélo TestTeam. This year they gave me my first opportunity to compete at the top level of the sport,” said Daniel Lloyd. “Despite the fact that the team is less than a year old, we already have a great ethos and atmosphere, and I'm really looking forward to continuing with that over the next two seasons. I am already thinking about next year’s race goals, and continuing with product development and supporting fan access."
“Daniel is a really strong support rider for the classics group, and he proved at this year’s Giro d’Italia that he can also perform the same role in stage races,” said Campana. “Daniel is very focused on the success of the team, and that is exactly the kind of rider with whom we want to work.”
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| Reimer finishes 9th in Paris-Tours |
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11-Oct-2009: Cervélo TestTeam’s completed their racing season today with the Paris-Tours race. It was a day of mixed results for the team today, as 22-year old Martin Reimer finished 9th overall, but Roger Hammond suffered a crash that put him out of contention for the finish.
“Of course, Paris-Tours is a sprinter’s race and it all comes up to the last 25-30 km,” said Sports Director Jean-Paul Van Poppel. “From the start we had a lot of action; the bunch was completely stretched out for a long time. There was a breakaway, 10 riders, strong riders, for sure 5 riders who could make it to the finish line. We tried to put a few riders in, but we missed out. Dominique Rollin was just behind with 2 other riders and he was back around 30 m, but he just couldn’t get in, so it was a pity. Then, in the feed zone, there was a big crash and Roger Hammond was in that. We were concerned because it looked like he broke his arm or his hand. It was tough. Jez (Jeremy Hunt) stayed with him; I was not sure he broke his arm so we let him go for a while with Jez, and after a couple of minutes Roger really showed his character and he fought his way back. He’s super angry that it happened because he was in a good chase and after that he was never really back in the race; he came back to the bunch but he didn’t have the power. It was a shame for us because he was the best man for us today.
“And then we had Martin – he had a free role today to do whatever he could. He did well. It’s a fantastic result to get 9th at just 22 years old. It is really promising for the future.
“The team did well; they provided good support. I’m really surprised about Oscar (Pujol). He’s a climber and we brought him in because we had some riders who were sick or injured and weren’t able to race. He raced to the finish line and was able to do good work for the team.
“So I have big compliments for the whole team, especially for Oscar because it was not a race for his specialty but he showed that he has more than climbing skill today. The last race of the season, and I have mixed feelings. Good for Martin. It is a bit of a shame for Roger – he was really in good shape to do something special today, and it didn’t happen for him.”
“I went back to get a feed bag and then there was a crash and then for some reason some guys just took ridiculous evasive action and took my front wheel,” said Roger Hammond. “As I went over the handlebars, I caught my wrist and damaged something in my wrist and I couldn’t put all my weight on the bars which restricted the way I could race.
“I got back into it and then with 6 km to go there was a another big crash which just stopped most of the peloton. It was just one of those days where the race was decided by the crashes rather than how good you are.
“I’m disappointed because I had great legs – I felt really strong. The last few races since the Vuelta have been going really well. I had high hopes for today really. When you have good legs, you’re motivated. To have it decided by a crash that’s not even your own fault is really frustrating. If you crash yourself – you take risks and crash, well okay. But when you’re riding in a straight line on a straight road, well, I don’t understand how people can crash like that.”
Martin Reimer, whose impressive 9th place was the best finish for the team said: “It was my first big Classic as a professional and I’m really, really happy.”
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Results:
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| Kirsten Wild wins 2 Gold in Dutch National Track Championships |
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| 11-Oct-2009: Cervélo TestTeam rider Kirsten Wild won two gold medals on Saturday, the second day of the Dutch National Track Championships. Wild placed first in the individual pursuit, ahead of Vera Koedooder and Amy Pieters, and then teamed up with Koedooder to win gold in the Madison. On Friday, Wild placed third in the points race.
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| Armstrong named USOC athlete of the month |
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09-Oct-2009: Cervélo TestTeam's Kristin Armstrong has been voted the U.S. Olympic Committee’s top athlete of September over tennis player Melanie Oudin and track and field’s Sanya Richards.
Armstrong won the vote, cast by U.S. Olympic ‘family members’, with the final 10 percent decided by more than 1500 people voting on the committee’s Twitter site.
Armstrong, due to retire from riding at the end of this season, won the International Cycling Union Road World Time Trial Championship in September. Four days later she narrowly missed a podium place in the women’s road race at the Mendrisio, Switzerland event.
During her exceptional career Armstrong has claimed an Olympic gold medal and multiple UCI Time Trial World Championships. In addition she has a long list of domestic and international victories, as well as national road race and time trial championships.
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| Hammond 4th at Paris-Bourges |
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08-Oct-2009: Continuing his strong late season showing, Roger Hammond finished fourth today at the 193.5 km Paris-Bourges. André Greipel (Team Columbia), won the race with Juan José Haedo (Saxo Bank) taking second and Alexandre Usov (Cofidis) placing third.
Cervélo TestTeam was active throughout today's race. After 40 km Dominique Rollin was in a breakaway that stayed ahead for almost 120 km. The group had a maximum gap of 2 minutes but the peloton chased the group back with 11 km to go. In the finale the team prepared to set up the sprint for Martin Reimer. Roger Hammond tried to bring him into the right position but Martin lost Roger's wheel and so Roger ended up in the sprint on his own, finishing fourth. Martin Reimer ended in 8th position.
"We were a little bit unhappy that Martin lost the wheel, but I think we can be happy that we came in fourth," commented Jens Zemke, Sports Director.
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Results:
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| Team Race Preview – October 8–11 |
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07-Oct-2009: The season is nearly at an end. This week several riders will participate in their last races in France. On the schedule are the traditional races Paris-Bourges and Paris-Tours. On Thursday, October 8th, Cervélo TestTeam, led by Sports Director Jean-Paul van Poppel, will be at the start of the 193.3 km Paris-Bourges, which runs from Gien to Bourges through the heart of France. On the following Sunday, October 11th, nearly the same roster will tackle the challenge of the famous classic, the 230 km Paris-Tours.
“In these last classic races our guys can again show their strength,” said Sports Director Jean-Paul van Poppel. “Our team will be without Thor Hushovd and Heinrich Haussler, who have already finished their season. But that provides an opportunity for our young riders like German champion Martin Reimer. It is also a great chance for Jeremy Hunt (GBR) and Brett Lancaster (AUS), as well as Roger Hammond (GBR), who is in excellent form at the moment. We are also prepared with our team for a breakaway, which is often successful in this race.”
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| Sharon Laws joins Cervélo TestTeam |
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06-Oct-2009: Cervélo TestTeam is pleased to announce the signing of a one-year contract with Sharon Laws from Great Britain.
Sharon Laws holds a degree in biology and a master’s in conservation and has worked with the British government, the United Nations and nongovernmental organizations. In 2002 she began participating in multisport events and over the next few years, while still working full-time, she took part in multiday mountain bike stage races, including the TransAlp and Cape Epic, which she won in 2004. For training she started riding on the road, and in 2008, having moved to Australia for work, she participated in the Australian national road race championships and finished 2nd. Laws moved back to the UK in 2008 to become a full-time cyclist, riding on Team Halfords. During the 2008 season, Laws finished 6th in the Tour de l’Aude and 5th in the Tour of Ardeche. She also represented Great Britain in the Olympic road race and in the World Championship road race and time trial.
In 2009 she turned her focus to mountain biking, winning the female pairs category of the Cape Epic again and representing Britain in the European Championships, but after a bad shoulder injury she returned to the road in August and finished 7th in the Tour of Ardeche. She represented Britain at the World Championships in Mendrisio, Switzerland, last month.
“I signed with Cervélo TestTeam because the team is run very professionally and has some of the best equipment in the industry. In addition the riders are committed to racing aggressively with a strong emphasis on teamwork. Participating on this team will provide me with an incredible opportunity to develop and improve significantly as a rider,” stated Laws.
“Sharon is one of the strongest climbers in the peloton, having come from a different sport into cycling and made great progress in a short time. She still needs to develop some technical skills, but she is extremely strong and will be a valuable support rider for our climbing team, especially for our GC riders Claudia Häusler (winner of the Giro d’Italia and the Tour de l’Aude), Emma Pooley (winner of the Grande Boucle) and Christiane Soeder,” said Thomas Campana, Team Manager.
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| Roger Hammond third in the GC |
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04-Oct-2009: Roger Hammond finished on the podium today in third spot at the close of the Circuit Franco-Belge. The race also saw Cervélo TestTeam finish first in the team classification. Today's final stage from Grand Place de Mons to Tournai (147.1 km) was won by Juan José Haedo (Team Saxo Bank) with Yauheni Hutarovich (Française Des Jeux) finishing second.
"It was a similar stage to yesterday's, flat on good roads but with much less wind today" said Marcello Albasini, Sports Director. "Actually, it was a pretty easy stage. The first breakaway with two riders came after 35 km, but nothing dangerous. There were 5 final laps and when we arrived for the first one, the peloton chased the group back and then then there was another group of four riders, they got chased back and then another group of 8 left so it was a pretty active finale. At the end everything came together, Daniel Lloyd worked for Roger in the final giving him a good lead out. Roger finished third today in the stage behind winner Juan Jose Haedo and also third in the GC with Tyler Farrar (Garmin) winning the GC. The team worked very well for him this week and we are satisfied with the results."
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Stage 4 Results:
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General Classification after Stage 4: |
Circuit Franco-Belge Full Results |
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| Reimer's 17th is best result at Sparkassen Münsterland Giro |
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03-Oct-2009: The Sparkassen Münsterland Giro was won today by Aleksej Saramontins (Team Designa Kokka). The 27-year Latvian rider was part of a break away group of 5 riders that attacked after 22 km of the 198 km stage. The five leaders were Wouter Mol (Vacansoleil Pro Cycling Team), Thierry Hupond (Skil-Shimano) and Jean Zen (Palmans Cras) and Dirk Mller (Team Nutrixxion-Sparkasse).
The breakaway held until the end of the stage when Saramotins went off alone in the finale keeping just enough ahead to win the race. Mol beat Hupond in the sprint for the second place. Andre Greipel (HTC-Columbia) won the sprint of the peloton, Cervélo TestTeam's Martin Reimer had the best result today for the team in 17th position.
"Columbia and Milram were chasing the group for the mass sprint but the group had a big gap and they were not able to chase the group back," explained Philippe Mauduit, making his first appearance as a new Sports Director for the team. "We helped them but we realised that it was not possible so we tried to bring Martin in a good position but Martin made a mistake in the last corner and was not able to sprint for the fifth place.
"The guys worked well, Joaquin, Martin and Ignatas helped to chase the group back and Serge stayed the whole day with Martin."
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Results:
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| Hammond 2nd in stage, 3rd in GC |
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03-Oct-2009: Roger Hammond sprinted to a 2nd place finish today in the third stage of the Circuit Franco Belge. The 178 km stage, from Antoing to Ichtegem was won by Tom Boonen. Race leader Tyler Farrar finished third and remains the race leader 10 seconds up on Boonen and 18 seconds up on Hammond.
The stormy weather and strong winds played an important role in today's stage. The pace was fast from the beginning of the stage. Seven riders were disqualified at the 60 km mark for being 11 minutes behind the Peloton.
There were also a number of breakaways throughout the race, none that stuck until the last 8 km. The pace is really fast in the final circuit very twisty with lots of traffic islands. A group of 6 riders nevertheless manages to come out of the bunch including Roger Hammond and Tyler Farrar. They are joined by 3 other riders among them Tom Boonen, Mathew Hayman and Stefan van Dijk.
They continue to widen the gap and several skirmishes take place in the last 3 kilometers. Boonen shows he still has a good legs and takes the stage with a burst of speed. Roger Hammond takes second and Tyler Farrar third who retains the yellow jersey, despite a very turbulent finale.
The weather also caused a lot of falls today notably from Cervélo TestTeam both Jeremy Hunt and Brett Lancaster dropped out of the race due to crashes and injury, more on that later. For tomorrow’s stage Cervélo TestTeam will ride with only 5 riders.
Tomorrow's final stage is 141 km and travels from Grand Place de Mons to Tournai.
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Stage 3 Results:
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General Classification after Stage 3: |
Circuit Franco-Belge Full Results |
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| Lloyd has best result, Hammond crashes |
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02-Oct-2009: Stage two of Circuit Franco Belge was another long ride today at 225.7 km. The race from Maubeuge in France to Poperinge in West Flanders, Belgium had good weather conditions (though overcast) and was won again by Tyler Farrar (Garmin Slipstream) in a bunch sprint that saw him beat Alexandre Usov (Cofidis) and Jimmy Casper (Besson Caussures). The best result today for Cervélo TestTeam was Daniel Lloyd in 45th position.
"The breaks started today at the 16 km mark with four riders that included Lloyd Mondory, Romain Mathéou, Kris van Melsen and Kevin Boeckmans," said Marcello Albasini, Sports Director. "It went for a long time but was eventually pulled back at around the 65 km mark.
"With 25 km to go the bunch did three laps and at the 15 km mark there was another breakaway of 4 riders that included Jeremy Hunt, but it also did not last for long. Then another breakaway took shape, this time with 2 riders including Roger Hammond and it too didn't last a long time. With about 3 km to go Roger crashed and changed his bike and he seemed to be okay. Then the bunch sprint started and Tyler Farrar won his second stage. Today's race was long and kind of boring; tomorrow we will try again."
The 178 km third stage tomorrow of the Circuit Franco Belge begins in Antoing and ends in Ichtegm, part of the Wallon region in Belgium.
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Stage 2 Results:
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General Classification after Stage 2: |
Circuit Franco-Belge Full Results |
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| Hammond finishes 8th in Stage 1 Circuit Franco-Belge |
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01-Oct-2009: The first stage of the four stage Circuit Franco-Belge was a long one at 213.6 km. Today's stage began in Templeuve, just over the French border and finished in Belgium in Mouscron.
"Early in today's stage there was a breakaway of 3 riders. The group managed a gap of more than 5 minutes after 25 km," said Sports Director Marcello Albasini. "The maximum gap finally reached almost ten minutes but around the 150 km mark, the group came together. What followed then were a number of attacks though non of our riders were involved. The finale saw a bunch sprint with the stage victory going today to Tyler Farrar (Garmin) in front of Juan José Haedo (Saxobank) and Tom Boonen (Quickstep). We tried set up a sprint for Roger Hammond and he ended up in 8th position. Our goal is to win a stage during this race and to prepare our riders for the important upcoming races - the Paris Tours and the Giro di Lombardia."
Tomorrow's stage, also long at 225.7 km, begins in France in Maubeuge and ends in Poperinge in West Flanders, in the Flemish region of Belgium.
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Stage 1 Results:
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General Classification after Stage 1: |
Circuit Franco-Belge Full Results |
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| Hushovd intends to defend his green jersey |
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01-Oct-2009: Cervélo TestTeam rider Thor Hushovd (NOR) is planning to return to the Tour de France next year to defend the green jersey he won in this year’s race. In the past few days some misunderstandings have arisen regarding Thor Hushovd’s goals for 2010, but the Norwegian rider intends to participate. Hushovd and Cervélo TestTeam consider defending that jersey one of their major goals for 2010.
“Winning the green jersey was my major objective for 2009, and 2010 will be no different," said Hushovd. "I love the Tour de France. Given the level of competition for the green, it will no doubt be a great fight in 2010 and I am looking forward to it. I am going to change some things in my program next year, to be in top form at the Worlds, since next year’s race suits me better than this year’s course in Mendrisio.”
Hushovd will be present on October 14 at the presentation of the 2010 Tour de France.
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| Team Race Preview – October 1 – October 4, 2009 |
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30-Sep-2009: The last highlight of the season, the World Championships, took place last week and Cervélo TestTeam riders performed very well for their respective countries with 5 top ten spots including one championship title for Kristin Armstrong (Women’s Elite Time Trial). However, as the season heads towards a close, there are still some competitions left to participate in this autumn.
On October 1, seven of our riders will take part in the Circuit Franco Belge. The race is a UCI category 2.1, and this is its 69th edition. It covers, over the course of four stages, regions of France and Belgium. We will be there to ride hard and hopefully win a stage.
Headed by German Champion Martin Reimer (GER) and the Vuelta stage winner Philip Deignan (IRL) the team will be competing in Sparkasse Giro Münsterland, one of the most famous one day stage races in Germany. Located in the Warendorf and Müster regions, the race takes place on October 3, which is also German National Day.
In addition to our racing activities, Ted King (USA) is participating in the Dempsey Challenge Charity Bike Ride this weekend. Other American professional cyclists also taking part include George Hincapie and Dave Zabriskie.
“The Dempsey Challenge is a fundraising experience for The Patrick Dempsey Center for Cancer Hope & Healing at Central Maine Medical Center in Lewiston, Maine,” explained Ted King. ”Comprised of various cycling distances (10, 25, 50 and 100 miles), and a 5K (3.1 mile) run/walk, participants are encouraged to raise funds as they prepare for The Dempsey Challenge. The Dempsey Center provides high-quality education, support and wellness services to patients, survivors and caregivers. It is an honour for me to support this Center by participating in this bike ride.”
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| Armitstead and Slappendel join Cervélo TestTeam |
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29-Sep-2009: Cervélo TestTeam is pleased to announce the signing of Iris Slappendel (NED) to a one-year contract and Elizabeth Armitstead (GBR) to a two-year contract.
Iris Slappendel is a native of Ouderkerk aan de IJssel. Her strengths as a time trialist and her expertise in the classics will fit very well and provide great support for the women’s team. The 24-year-old rider was the 2008 University World Champion in the time trial, won a stage in the 2006 Giro della Toscana, and was third overall in the GP Elsy Jacobs this year.
“This is a new step in my career,” said Slappendel. “I am honored that the best team in the world offered me a contract for 2010. That provides me with a lot of motivation. I have some goals planned as a cyclist and I think that this team suits me the best. My goal for 2010 is to be of value to the team, and if I get the chance I will also go for my own success.”
“Iris is on the team because she is a strong time trialist and team time trial specialist. We also needed a strong support rider, especially for the spring classics and to support our sprinter Kirsten Wild. Iris has a lot of potential and we believe we can help her reach her goals,” said Team Manager Thomas Campana.
With the signing of Elizabeth Armitstead, another very talented young rider joins the team next year. The 20-year-old British athlete won the white jersey as the best young rider in this year’s Giro d’Italia and also had a stage win in the 2009 Tour de Ardeche. She comes from the track world, where she placed first (in the team pursuit), second, and third at the 2009 World Championships. She also won the scratch race this year at the World Cup in Copenhagen.
“I wanted to be part of the best women’s team in the world,” said Armitstead. “When the opportunity to join the team came along, I couldn’t turn it down. I am excited to race with the riders on the team and also to be able to use the team equipment. My goal for 2010 is to continue my development and learn from the more experienced riders on the team. I would like to be a key member of a winning team.”
“Elizabeth is just 20 years old and already is a world champion track rider. She had an incredible track and road season this year,” said Team Manager Thomas Campana. “We saw her for the first time in the Giro d’Italia, where she won the jersey for best overall young rider, and usually the winners of these jerseys are the future champions. She has impressed us with her excellent climbing and sprinting abilities and her good race instincts. We are really delighted to have her on board for next year.”
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| Five top tens for Cervélo in the Worlds |
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27-Sep-2009: Cervélo's Simon Gerrans (AUS) finished 10th today in the Men's Elite Road Race in Mendrisio, bringing the total to five Cervélo riders who finished in the top ten in their respective races at the 2009 Worlds Competition.
The other four Cervélo riders are: 1st - Kristin Armstrong, TT Womens, 4th - Kristin Armstrong, Road Race Womens, 5th - Christiane Soeder, TT Womens, and 9th - Ignatus Konovalovas, TT Mens.
The title for today's 262.2km race went to Gerrans team mate Cadel Evans (AUS) who finished 27 seconds ahead of breakaway partners Alexandr Kolobnev (RUS) who finished second and Joaquím Rodríguez (SPA), in third.
"I felt good today but was not able to follow the best riders on the last climb," said Simon Gerrans. "My team mate Cadel Evans won the race."
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Results:
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| Armstrong fourth at Women's Elite Road Race Championships |
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26-Sep-2009: Cervélo TestTeam's Kristin Armstrong finished fourth today in the Women's Elite Road Race at the UCI World Championships in Menderisio Switzerland.
Italy's Tatiana Guderzo claimed the victory attacking solo from a four-woman group that also included Marianne Vos (NED), Noemi Cantele (ITA) and Kristin Armstrong (USA) on the final lap to win by 19 seconds.
The Mendrisio circuit featured two climbs, Acqua Fresca and Novazzano, in a short 13.8-kilometre circuit that was repeated nine times, for a total of 124.2 kilometres. Overnight rain made the streets wet and caused a number of crashes. More then half of today's participants did not finish the race, according to Cyclingnews.com.
On Wednesday Kristin won the gold medal at the Women's Time Trial event. Today was her last professional race. She plans to retire after this season.
"I think that with a road race and any kind of race you have to have a little bit of luck on your side," commented Kristin Armstrong after the race today. "This is what I had two days ago at the time trial. I had a perfect day and I had a little bit of luck and today the Americans' goal was to win the gold medal."
"You have to try and you have to take chances and my team mates worked perfectly for me and we made a really hard race. Unfortunately my team mate Amber (Neben) had really bad luck today she crashed and went to the hospital and so I had a lot of responsibility on my shoulders."
"But my team did everything they possibly could to get me to the finish line and I was up against Vos and Cantele for the sprint and they are very good sprinters. Like I said today I think it was a good race but fourth place is a little bit difficult."
Responding to how she felt about this being her last race, "I don't really have much feeling, everywhere I go people say one more year, one more year and I just want to enjoy the moment and the day with my team and tonight and think about all this stuff later."
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Results:
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| Theo Bos signs with Cervélo TestTeam |
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25-Sep-2009: Cervélo TestTeam is pleased to announce the signing of the talented Dutch Sprinter Theo Bos who has signed with the team through 2011.
The 26-year-old Bos lives in Harderwijk in the Netherlands and comes to the Team with a distinguished track cycling background. He won an Olympic silver medal on the Sprint in 2004 and is a five-time World Champion. He is currently the most successful track cyclist of all time from the Netherlands. In 2009 he sought a new challenge and moved to road cycling. Earlier this season he rode for the Continental Team from Rabobank and achieved his first road victories in races like the Ronde van Noord-Holland and the Omloop der Kempen.
“Theo Bos is an interesting rider and an important person for our team,” said Team Manager Thomas Campana. “We will help Theo take his award winning track process and hone those skills for the road. Our goal was to find another sprinter and in Theo we have found the right rider. As we’ve gotten to know Theo we’ve realized that the mentality of the team and Theo’s are very closely aligned. He likes the way we think and where we want to go, so now Theo is the newest member of Cervélo TestTeam. We are look forward to having one of the fastest riders in the world in our team next year and will help him to reach the same level of excellence on the road that he has achieved on the track.”
“Cervélo TestTeam has proven to be a successful team and with riders like Carlos Sastre, Thor Hushovd and Heinrich Haussler they have also developed a strong base,” said Theo Bos. “On this team I can use the best equipment and they have presented me with a plan where I can develop myself to the level I want to achieve. In the shadow of the big stars on this team they want to build a team around me for the sprints in the Grand Tours.”
“I am looking forward to learning something from Thor Hushovd and Sports Director Jean-Paul van Poppel. I was really impressed with this team’s set-up when I visited their base in Switzerland. In speaking with with Thomas Campana, Team Manager and Cervélo co-owner Gerard Vroomen I now see this really as a life project. It is great that the Cervélo team has that kind of faith and wants to invest in me. It is now up to me to make it happen and to improve myself, step by step.”
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