Treasure Valley Cycling Club

Claudia Häusler took over the lead in the National Racing Calendar standings with her Nature Valley Grand Prix performance. Photo: Casey B. Gibson | www.cbgphoto.com

USA Pro Challenge expands to amateur events

USA Pro Challenge organizers announced Wednesday that the Colorado stage race would expand in 2013 to include two ancillary amateur events. A mass-participation ride, the Pro Challenge Experience will take place in stage 7 host city Fort Collins on Sunday, August 11. A running race, the 9K Sprint Challenge will take place in Downtown Denver on Sunday, August 25.

“By growing the Pro Challenge to include these amateur events the whole family can get involved,” CEO Shawn Hunter said in a release. “The 9K Sprint Challenge and the Pro Challenge Experience give fans the opportunity to get in on the action and race on part of the course the professional athletes will utilize just days or hours later during the Pro Challenge.”

With 30-, 52-, and 108-mile options, the Pro Challenge Experience will take in a number of northern Colorado climbs and dirt roads, including a run into the remote Cache la Poudre Canyon. Registration for the ride is available at the Pro Challenge Experience website.

The 9k Spring Challenge will precede the final-stage circuit race in Denver and will award not only prizes for fastest times, but also for best costumes. The route will start at Civic Center Park and take in Capitol Hill and a lap of City Park, near the Museum of Nature and Science. Registration is available at the 9K Spring Challenge website.

“We’re investing in the future of the sport and we want people to not only have the opportunity to witness the action of the USA Pro Challenge, but also experience it for themselves,” said Hunter. “We’re looking forward to bringing these and other events, in association with the Pro Challenge, to our fans for years to come.”

Mancebo, Hausler lead NRC standings

Claudia Häusler (Tibco-To the Top) took over the lead in the USA Cycling National Racing Calendar standings this week on the strength of her fourth-place finish at the Nature Valley Grand Prix on Sunday. Häusler displaced Alison Powers (NOW-Novartis for MS), who trails by 52 points and was not present in Minnesota.

Francisco Mancebo (5-hour Energy-Kenda) lost Canada’s Tour de Beauce over the weekend, but continues to lead the men’s NRC standings, 254 points ahead of Chad Haga (Optum-Kelly Benefit Strategies).

Tibco leads Optum by 352 points in the women’s team standings. Optum leads 5-hour Energy by 538 points in the men’s team standings with three events remaining in the series.

Men’s Individual Standings
1. Francisco Mancebo, 5-Hour Energy-Kenda), 674 points
2. Chad Haga, Optum-Kelly Benefit Strategies, 420
3. J.J. Haedo, Jamis-Hagens Berman, 336
4. Joseph Rosskopf, Hincapie Sportswear Development, 328
4. Tom Zirbel, Optum-Kelly Benefit Strategies, 328

Women’s Individual Standings
1. Claudia Häusler, Tibco-To the Top, 822 points
2. Alison Powers, NOW-Novartis for MS, 730
3. Shelley Olds, Tibco-To the Top, 688
4. Joelle Numainville, Optum-Kelly Benefit Strategies, 648
5. Mara Abbott, Exergy Twenty16, 490

Men’s Team Standings
1. Optum-Kelly Benefit Strategies, 1,506 points
2. 5-Hour Energy-Kenda, 968
3. Jamis-Hagens Berman, 966
4. UnitedHealthcare, 628
5. Hincapie Sportswear Development, 598

Women’s Team Standings
1. Tibco-To the Top, 1,918 points
2. Optum-Kelly Benefit Strategies, 1,566
2. NOW-Novartis for MS, 1,182
4. Exergy Twenty16, 778
5. Specialized-lululemon, 738

Christoph Strasser won the men’s individual category in the Race Across American Wednesday in Annapolis, Maryland. Strasser, now a two-time winner, finished in record time, logging an unofficial result of 7 days, 22 hours, and 11 minutes, with an overall average speed of 15.56 mph.

Strasser’s record ride bested the 15.4-mph speed mark set by Pete Penseyes in 1986 and Rob Kish’s record time of 8 days, 3 hours (set on a different course).

Dani Wyss was second on the road on Wednesday, trailed closely by Swiss countryman Reto Schoch.

The American Allied Forces team was setting a record pace in the eight-person team category on Wednesday, ahead of CEO Challenges and Team O’Side.

Fabian Cancellara (RadioShack-Leopard) won the Swiss time trial championship on Wednesday. The former Olympic and world champion topped Martin Elmiger (IAM Cycling) to secure his eighth professional national TT title.

Elmiger finished 59 seconds off the pace for silver. Reto Hollenstein (IAM Cycling) was third, at 1:57.

Also on Wednesday, Lieuwe Westra (Vacansoleil-DCM) and Ellen Van Dijk (Specialized-lululemon) won the Dutch TT titles for men and women, respectively.

Westra bested defending champion Niki Terpstra (Omega Pharma-Quick Step) by four seconds. Tom Domoulin (Argos-Shimano) was third, at 40 seconds.

Loes Gunnewijk (GreenEdge-AIS) was second in the women’s tilt, trailing Van Dijk by 40 seconds. Annemiek Van Vleuten (Rabobank) was third, at 1:01.

Emma Johansson (GreenEdge-AIS) won her fifth Swedish women’s TT title.

“It doesn’t matter if the whole world is here or just the Swedish world,” Johansson said in a team press release. “Every race is important to me, and wearing the champion’s jersey is a big thing. I had to dig deep to pull off the win. I couldn’t show up and be totally relaxed about it.”

The European road national championships continue throughout the week, with the major road races taking place Sunday, June 23.

The new Mavic Crossmax Enduro is a purpose-built wheel/tire set with enduro mountain bike racers in mind. Photo: Mavic

What do you get when a distinctly European style of racing crosses paths with a competition-oriented French company? It seemed inevitable that Mavic would go full-bore into the world of enduro mountain bike racing. With contributions from notable racers Anne-Caroline Chausson and Fabien Barel, Mavic has developed what it claims to be the first enduro racing-specific wheel/tire system.

Crossmax Enduro

Mavic’s Crossmax has long been a lodestar among race wheels, combining minimal weight, durability, and out-of-the-box convenience. Although the new enduro model barely resembles its XC predecessors, it appears to blend those characteristics to approach a different challenge.

Riders will have UST-compatible options in both the 26-inch and 27.5-inch wheel standards, as well as axle choices for 9mm QR, 15mm, and 20mm forks. The rear wheel also covers the range of 9x135mm, 12x135mm, and 12x142mm axle sizes. The pair clocks in at 1,660 grams for the 26-inch wheelset (1,710g for 27.5-inch wheelset).

Notably, the rim width differs between front and rear wheels. The front sports a 21c width, while the rear is a mere 19c wide. Mavic claims that this difference gives the front better handling grip, while the rear is more “responsive” — which is perhaps a French way of saying acceleration.

Different spokes

Additionally, the front wheel is laced with 24 spokes, while the rear is built with 20. Both employ the bladed, straight-pull, Zircal aluminum variety found on many Mavic wheels. The lower spoke count and narrower rim on the rear Crossmax Enduro have us wondering about durability. We can imagine ourselves charging blindly through a rock garden, gassed at the end of a 30-minute enduro and perhaps not riding as precisely as Chausson or Barel. Hopefully we’ll test a pair this summer and let you know if these concerns have merit.

Crossmax Charge and Roam tires

Clearly, Mavic’s engineers were all sitting in the same room when they designed the wheels and tires. Here too, we find designs made specific for front and rear use. The Charge is a 2.4-inch front tire, and the Roam is a lower-profile, 2.3-inch rear tire (2.2-inch on the 27.5-inch model).

Out front, the Charge looks a lot like a Maxxis High Roller with a similarly meaty, blocky tread pattern and generous side knobs. The Roam also has prominent cornering knobs, but most of its tread is low-profile ramped chevron knobs, intended to roll quickly. We’ve found lower profile rear tires to be in short supply and are looking forward to having a good option for rides that include smooth dirt roads and even pavement.

Front and rear tires share the same dual-ply UST casing and weigh 950g and 850g, respectively, in the 26-inch size. Clearly, durability was top priority when Mavic designed the Charge and Roam, as the tires alone are roughly the same weight as the accompanying Crossmax Enduro wheelset.

The combined wheel/tire system is priced at $1,000, with replacement tires retailing between $75 and $80.

Enduro: Headed towards specialization?

Once heralded as a discipline that could be raced on nearly any type of mountain bike, enduro may be crossing the Rubicon. Not surprisingly, Mavic is guided by its racing heritage to push the limits and provide athletes with every imaginable advantage.

Who can blame Mavic when it has former world champions on their roster? Hopefully, what’s good for the enduro racer is good for the everyday ripper. If that means stronger, lighter wheels and grippier tires, perhaps mountain bikers will come around to that bright yellow color.

Alberto Contador will attempt to win his third Tour de France title this year. Photo: Graham Watson | www.grahamwatson.com

PARIS (AFP) — Two-time champion Alberto Contador of Spain will headline Saxo-Tinkoff at the Tour de France, which starts on June 29, the squad announced on Wednesday.

The Spaniard won the three-week grand tour in 2007 and 2009, but was stripped of a third victory (2010) for doping.

Sky’s Chris Froome, the runner-up behind teammate Bradley Wiggins last year and one of the favorites this time around, said on Tuesday that he viewed Contador as his biggest threat.

“We enter this year’s Tour de France with the objective to win the race with Alberto,” Saxo’s sports director Philippe Mauduit said.

“So obviously we’ve tried to pick the riders that fit the best to our overall goal, and we’ve tried to identify and bring together the competencies needed in the team to give Alberto the best possible support and protection over the three weeks on both flat roads and hectic finals, the hilly terrain, the mountains and the time trials.”

Mauduit added: “We believe we have come up with a really strong lineup, a great all-round team with a lot of valuable grand tour experience.”

Saxo-Tinkoff for the 2013 Tour de France

Michael Rogers (AUS)
Roman Kreuziger (CZE)
Nicolas Roche (IRL)
Matteo Tosatto (ITA)
Daniele Bennati (ITA)
Sergio Paulinho (POR)
Alberto Contador (ESP)
Jesus Hernandez (ESP)
Benjamin Noval (ESP)

Cannondale's Ted King will make his Tour de France debut next week and will ride in support of Peter Sagan. Photo: Graham Watson | www.grahamwatson.com

Ted King’s Tour de France debut comes thanks to putting in the miles for Cannondale’s star, Peter Sagan. After a successful run in the classics and years of domestique duties, the 30-year-old American will line up for cycling’s biggest event on June 29.

“I wouldn’t register it as giddy, but it’s something I’ve been striving for for a long time,” King told VeloNews in a telephone interview Wednesday morning. “The crux of my 2013 season has been to make the Tour team — I’m absolutely thrilled. And it’s still almost two weeks before the race starts, still plenty of time to absorb this and get ready for the race.”

King trains at altitude this week in La Molina, a ski resort high up in the Pyrenees and a one- or two-hour drive from his base in Girona, Spain. It is a just setting for him to reflect on his accomplishments this season and what is in store at the Tour de France.

Sagan, a 23-year-old from Slovakia, was strong from start of the year through the classics. Though he failed to win any of the Monuments, he was near the bull’s eye throughout. King assisted Sagan each time, helping him place second in Milano-Sanremo, second in E3 Harelbeke, first in Ghent-Wevelgem, second in Ronde van Vlaanderen, and first in Brabantse Pijl.

The Italian team wants that same support for its star in the Tour de France, where Sagan won three stages and the green jersey in his debut last year.

“You look at the roster we’re sending and it’s heavy on supporting Peter, almost exclusively. He’s calling it the perfect team for him,” King said. “He has huge aspirations to go for a second green jersey and, absolutely, the goal is to be working for him. That’s most likely where I punch my ticket.”

King said that with Sagan, the pressure is minimized.

“Peter is such a trust-worthy captain. He knows his job, handles the pressure exceptionally well for someone in his position and for someone as talented and proven as he is,” King said.

“The short answer is no, we don’t feel any undo pressure, we know the job at hand, to be racing for Peter. If you look at the season he’s having, the career he’s having, at a young age, I’m not concerned at tackling any bullet points: whether it’s one win, three wins or five wins, whatever.”

First timers

Garmin-Sharp has yet to announce its team, but Andrew Talansky is expected to help lead it. Out of the Americans due to start, he and King will be Tour first-timers.

King, who raced the Giro d’Italia, says the Tour checks another box on his list.

“It’s been a goal. I got a late start in the sport, I started in college when I was 18-19 years old, it wasn’t the aspiration when I was eight to nine years old like a lot of typical cyclists,” he said. “To find myself at Liège-Bastogne-Liège, the Giro or Paris-Roubaix, they have all been phenomenal and exciting, but you race them for what they are. The Tour is a similar one. It’s definitely sort of the last big check mark on the races I’ve wanted to do.”

Besides Sagan, King will race with Maciej Bodnar, Alessandro De Marchi, Kristjan Koren, Alan Marangoni, Moreno Moser, Fabio Sabatini, and Brian Vandborg.

Andy Schleck will return to the 2013 Tour de France as RadioShack-Leopard's main GC hope. Photo: Graham Watson | www.grahamwatson.com

RadioShack-Leopard will ride for Andy Schleck at the upcoming Tour de France, the team announced in a press release on Wednesday.

Schleck, who has struggled since a hard crash at the Critérium du Dauphiné last summer left him with a fractured pelvis, said in April that he would not be the team’s No. 1 rider at the Tour. But an improved performance at the recent Tour de Suisse, in which he placed 40th, showed team bosses that he was in good enough form for the three-week race.

Schleck finished second in the 2010 Tour but was declared the victor after Alberto Contador was stripped of his victory because of a doping positive. He missed the 2012 Tour because of his injury.

“We are happy to see that Andy is back,” general manager Luca Guercilena said. “Nobody in the team ever had doubts about the talent of Andy. Little by little he has come back to the level where we expect him. The Tour de Suisse encouraged and convinced us to give him the role he deserves and to give him the opportunity to have dedicated riders surrounding and supporting him.”

The squad has two other GC contenders in Andreas Klöden and Spaniard Haimar Zubeldia. Klöden has finished second two times, while Zubeldia has four top-10 results.

“You can consider Haimar as our second weapon,” Guercilena said. “Haimar, sixth last year, is always consistent and delivers his best.”

RadioShack for the 2013 Tour de France

Jan Bakelants
Laurent Didier
Tony Gallopin
Markel Irizar
Andreas Klöden
Maxime Monfort
Andy Schleck
Jens Voigt
Haimar Zubeldia

Enduro is the latest trend in mountain bike racing. Is it here to stay? Photo: Allen Krughoff | HardcastlePhotography.com

In case you’ve been off the grid at a sweat lodge on the Mexican border, enduro mountain bike racing has arrived. On one hand, the excitement is palpable. On the other, it rings of the sport’s faded glory days, when NORBA cross-country could be found on national TV, or those few years that thousands flocked to rural backwaters for 24-hour races.

If road and mountain biking are siblings, the former is an even-keeled professional with a suburban home, maybe kids. Mountain biking, however, has bounced around between an unfinished Ph.D., a sojourn in South America, multiple minor arrests, and annual trips to Burning Man. While road relishes consistent events and formats borne out of years of tradition, mountain biking frequently reinvents itself, usually based on the most current racing trend.

What is enduro?

Enduro is that latest trend. But perhaps, this time, it can enrich the sport in the long-term. For the benefit of the sweat lodge set, enduro is a race on a long (10- to 30-minute), technical, undulating downhill. Usually, multiple stages are combined to determine overall standings. As with most mountain bike races, the format and courses vary based on the venue and whim of the organizers.

In its purest form, enduro is a grassroots, accessible way for average mountain bikers to race. Neither eight-inch travel bikes nor endless base miles are necessary to hop in and have a fun time. The trail bikes people already own are well suited to the courses. If mountain biking wants to settle down a little, a steady influx of grassroots participation will go a long way, but there are pitfalls looming:

To the race organizers: Many race series have been doomed by inattention to the racers’ needs — your customers. Do you think they are going to gush about how much they love corporate sponsorship over post-race beers? Race promotion should be less like selling tickets to a Miley Cyrus concert and more like putting together an elaborate pig roast for your 200 closest friends.

To the bike companies: Don’t make enduro-specific products. Make mountain bike gear that works well for hard-charging riders that pedal. You shouldn’t need specialized gear to hop in a race. The average mountain bike will do just fine. Thanks to many companies, these bikes are better than ever, but don’t let fashion drive product development into the hinterlands of specificity. If I see an enduro skinsuit next year, I will dropkick my POC helmet with the rage of an ejected NCAA basketball coach.

To the riders: Don’t believe the hype. This isn’t new. Enduro is just a race format. Enduro “riding” or “training”? That’s what we call “mountain biking,” my friend, and we’ve been doing it for years. Keep it fun, get new riders involved, and don’t take it too seriously. Honestly, the fellas riding Repack back in the ’70s were living the enduro lifestyle harder than the majority of people buying dropper posts today, so keep it in perspective.

Power to the people

Like any half-crazy, free spirited sibling, mountain biking always manages to inspire. Does it need to find a career path? Does it need a racing format with staying power? Maybe. People race regardless, so why not cultivate enduro, which is coherent with the average rider’s experience; ride up to ride down. Give them great events and versatile technology.

Yes, it’s fun to marvel at Olympic XC racing or downhill forks that rival moto componentry, but how far can that inspiration take us? Mountain biking isn’t likely to find its own Tour de France to attract millions of spectators. Don’t force it to wear that monkey suit. Embrace the grassroots. Go try an enduro race, and maybe you’ll see what I mean.

Editor’s note: The Dirt Dispatch is an opinion column periodically penned by VeloNews tech writer Spencer Powlison. He draws on his New England-born pragmatism and over 18 years of riding and racing experience to contemplate the state of mountain biking and more.

Enduro racing could be a long-term mountain bike craze, or a here today, gone tomorrow discipline. Photo: Allen Krughoff | HardcastlePhotography.com

In case you’ve been off the grid at a sweat lodge on the Mexican border, enduro mountain bike racing has arrived. On one hand, the excitement is palpable. On the other, it rings of the sport’s faded glory days, when NORBA cross-country could be found on national TV, or those few years that thousands flocked to rural backwaters for 24-hour races.

If road and mountain biking are siblings, the former is an even-keeled professional with a suburban home, maybe kids. Mountain biking, however, has bounced around between an unfinished Ph.D., a sojourn in South America, multiple minor arrests, and annual trips to Burning Man. While road relishes consistent events and formats borne out of years of tradition, mountain biking frequently reinvents itself, usually based on the most current racing trend.

What is enduro?

Enduro is that latest trend. But perhaps, this time, it can enrich the sport in the long-term. For the benefit of the sweat lodge set, enduro is a race on a long (10- to 30-minute), technical, undulating downhill. Usually, multiple stages are combined to determine overall standings. As with most mountain bike races, the format and courses vary based on the venue and whim of the organizers.

In its purest form, enduro is a grassroots, accessible way for average mountain bikers to race. Neither eight-inch travel bikes nor endless base miles are necessary to hop in and have a fun time. The trail bikes people already own are well suited to the courses. If mountain biking wants to settle down a little, a steady influx of grassroots participation will go a long way, but there are pitfalls looming:

To the race organizers: Many race series have been doomed by inattention to the racers’ needs — your customers. Do you think they are going to gush about how much they love corporate sponsorship over post-race beers? Race promotion should be less like selling tickets to a Miley Cyrus concert and more like putting together an elaborate pig roast for your 200 closest friends.

To the bike companies: Don’t make enduro-specific products. Make mountain bike gear that works well for hard-charging riders that pedal. You shouldn’t need specialized gear to hop in a race. The average mountain bike will do just fine. Thanks to many companies, these bikes are better than ever, but don’t let fashion drive product development into the hinterlands of specificity. If I see an enduro skinsuit next year, I will dropkick my POC helmet with the rage of an ejected NCAA basketball coach.

To the riders: Don’t believe the hype. This isn’t new. Enduro is just a race format. Enduro “riding” or “training”? That’s what we call “mountain biking,” my friend, and we’ve been doing it for years. Keep it fun, get new riders involved, and don’t take it too seriously. Honestly, the fellas riding Repack back in the ’70s were living the enduro lifestyle harder than the majority of people buying dropper posts today, so keep it in perspective.

Power to the people

Like any half-crazy, free spirited sibling, mountain biking always manages to inspire. Does it need to find a career path? Does it need a racing format with staying power? Maybe. People race regardless, so why not cultivate enduro, which is coherent with the average rider’s experience; ride up to ride down. Give them great events and versatile technology.

Yes, it’s fun to marvel at Olympic XC racing or downhill forks that rival moto componentry, but how far can that inspiration take us? Mountain biking isn’t likely to find its own Tour de France to attract millions of spectators. Don’t force it to wear that monkey suit. Embrace the grassroots. Go try an enduro race, and maybe you’ll see what I mean.

Editor’s note: The Dirt Dispatch is an opinion column periodically penned by VeloNews tech writer Spencer Powlison. He draws on his New England-born pragmatism and over 18 years of riding and racing experience to contemplate the state of mountain biking and more.

Andrew Talansky is expected to make his Tour de France debut in Corsica next week. Photo: Graham Watson | www.grahamwatson.com

Andrew Talansky (Garmin-Sharp) won’t be on many bookies’ favorites lists for this year’s Tour de France, but the odds are sure to rise in the coming years.

Talansky’s first Tour is now on the horizon, and it’s the Tour that he hopes will be playing the central focus of his career over the next decade.

Just getting to the start line in Corsica later this month is a major accomplishment for the third-year pro. Though Garmin’s official Tour lineup has yet to be released, Talansky has every expectation to be there.

“The morning after the Dauphiné, I was reflecting on that. Just four years ago, I was racing some U23 races, no one knew who I was. Now I am about to start my first Tour,” Talansky told VeloNews via telephone. “It’s easy to get caught up, but when you step back, it’s big. It’s the culmination of a childhood dream. First I dreamed of becoming a professional cyclist, then going to the Tour. Now it’s coming true. It’s pretty special.”

Talansky has quietly been working his way up the ladder. After capturing the attention of Garmin boss Jonathan Vaughters at the Tour of the Gila in 2010, Talansky joined the team as a neo-pro the following year.

Some encouraging results and strong rides over the past few seasons in the pro ranks confirmed his talent, including the overall at the 2012 Tour de l’Ain, seventh overall in last year’s Vuelta a España, and a stage win, the leader’s jersey and second overall at Paris-Nice in March.

After battling through illness at the Critérium du Dauphiné earlier this month, Talansky finished off the race with a promising third in the mountaintop stage at Risoul, matching pedal strokes with the Sky duo of Chris Froome and Richie Porte.

After cooling his jets at altitude in Spain’s Sierra Nevada, Talansky will travel to Corsica next week to start the Tour with realistic goals and ambitions.

“The Tour is the Tour. You have to be respectful of that. Being my first one, even more so. You have to learn a race before you can win a race,” he said. “I want to be as consistent as I can over three weeks. We have to see how Ryder [Hesjedal] is feeling, but we have guys who can climb.

“I will take whatever I get when it ends up in Paris. In the future, I will lay out more specific goals. First, I want to ride the race, learn about the madness of the first week, help the team, and make it to Paris.”

Talansky and Tejay van Garderen (BMC Racing) represent the future of grand tour racing for American fans. Van Garderen has already proven his ability, riding to a superb fifth overall last year and the best young rider’s jersey.

Van Garderen will be riding as a protected rider, lining up with BMC teammate Cadel Evans with co-captain status.

Talansky, meanwhile, will be part of Garmin’s multi-pronged attack that will include 2012 Giro d’Italia winner Hesjedal, along with other likely starters, such as Christian Vande Velde, Tom Danielson, and Liège-Bastogne-Liège winner Daniel Martin.

For Talansky, it’s about learning the Tour, arriving to Paris, and soaking up cycling’s most important stage race.

“I feel excited. Even lining up in the Vuelta last year, there wasn’t that huge sense of excitement. With the Tour, as it gets closer, I will be actually excited,” he said. “The goal has always been to show up as physically fit as I can be. That looks to be on track. It’s my first Tour. I want to get to the finish line in Paris. I am very excited to be lining up.”

‘No one close to Froome’

After witnessing many of the top Tour contenders face off during the Dauphiné, Talansky has no doubt about who the man to beat is in July.

“To be honest, I don’t see anybody who can touch Chris Froome,” he said. “At the Dauphiné, we saw what will probably be Sky’s Tour team. Every single rider looked incredible. And Richie is a podium contender. I respect what they’ve done as a team.”

Talansky also watched as Alberto Contador (Saxo-Tinkoff) could do little to rattle Froome and Team Sky. Although Contador said he was suffering from allergies and later rode to support teammate’s Michael Rogers’ failed bid for the podium, Contador seemed a step off Froome’s form.

“[Contador] rode a smart race. He knows he cannot beat Froome in a straight up drag race. He cannot just ride harder and harder and drop those guys. He has to attack. That’s what he tried to do at the Dauphiné,” Talansky said. “I would say that Contador is Froome’s most dangerous rival. We saw him in last year’s Vuelta. He can make intelligent tactical decisions on the fly that can win an entire race. Physically, Froome has nothing to worry about from Contador.”

Other top challengers were there as well, including Alejandro Valverde (Movistar), Joaquim Rodríguez (Katusha), and Jurgen Van Den Broeck (Lotto-Belisol).

Talansky walked away with one clear impression.

“Froome’s just better,” he said. “Everyone looked similar; Contador, Valverde, [Dani] Moreno, Purito, Rogers, they were all there. When Froome goes, Richie is there. They are just one notch above the others.”

The bookmakers seem to agree. Froome is the heavy favorite, with 8-to-11 odds, meaning you have to bet 11 to win eight.

Talansky’s odds? 100-to-1.

Ted King has trimmed down and done a load of work for Peter Sagan in 2013. It paid off on Tuesday with his first Tour nod. Photo: Casey B. Gibson | www.cbgphoto.com

PARIS (AFP) — Peter Sagan was chosen Tuesday as the man to lead the Cannondale team at this year’s Tour de France as he seeks
to retain the green points jersey he won in last year’s edition of the race. American Ted King will make his debut Tour start in support of the Slovakian champion.

The Italian outfit will build its team around Sagan, 23, who won three stages in his Tour debut a year ago en route to the green jersey.

“This team is the ideal one to target our goals at the Tour,” said the team’s sporting director Stefano Zanatta. “A talented rider such as Sagan deserves to be supported in the best way. He prepared for this event with great commitment and accuracy. His wish to win the green jersey is our wish.”

Italian youngster Moreno Moser, 22, who’s making his first appearance in the Grand Boucle, along with Tour rookie teammates Alessandro De Marchi, Alan Marangoni, and King, is likely to get a shot at a stage win in the mountains.

Cannondale for the 2013 Tour de France
Maciej Bodnar (POL)
Alessandro De Marchi (ITA)
Kristijan Koren (SLO)
Alan Marangoni (ITA)
Moreno Moser (ITA)
Fabio Sabatini (ITA)
Peter Sagan (SVK)
Ted King (USA)
Brian Vandborg (DEN)
jm/jr/mw/pi

Chris Froome believes his friend and top domestique, Richie Porte, is capable of winning the Tour — maybe even this year. Photo: Graham Watson | www.grahamwatson.com

NICE, France (VN) — Chris Froome, one year on from helping Bradley Wiggins take Great Britain’s first Tour de France victory, heads the Sky squad in France. Over the next month, he will have a clear and out-right leadership role without the defending champion at his side.

“Unfortunately, we lose out on another big engine for the team time trial and also someone who can be there in the mountains, and also, he would’ve been a great support for me,” Froome said in a press conference on Tuesday.

“But the one thing that I don’t think either of us would miss is, from the media perspective, all the questions that are being asked about the leadership of the team. Obviously that’s a lot more clear-cut now.”

Wiggins dominated last year’s race. The Brit took massive gains in the two time trials and added to it in the mountains. Standing on the podium on the Champs-Élysées, he had just over three minutes on Froome and some six minutes on Italian Vincenzo Nibali (Astana).

After a dominant year, including the gold medal in the Olympic time trial, Wiggins changed tracks and headed for the 2013 Giro d’Italia. Instead of winning, he has struggled. A chest infection saw him abandon the Italian race midway in and a knee problem is keeping him from starting the Tour de France.

With Wiggins set to roll into Italy, Sky management had already given Froome the green light to lead the team.

Froome has won all but one stage race, Tirreno-Adriatico, that he participated in this year. He starts the Tour with victories in the Tour of Oman, Critérium International, Tour de Romandie, and Critérium du Dauphiné.

He also has Sky’s faith. During the Giro, the British super team silenced questions over leadership by naming Froome as captain. Wiggins would continue to try for the Giro win and go on to help Froome in the Tour, according to the plan at the time.

Wiggins preferred not to even discuss the matter. He said, “My mind’s just here at the Giro.”

The British duo appeared at odds at times during last year’s Tour. Froome briefly rode away from his captain on the La Toussuire climb and appeared to be waiting for him again on the Peyragudes stage in the Pyrénées. With Wiggins at home, Froome’s leadership is clear.

Porte Plan B

Australian Richie Porte will likely be Froome’s main mountain helper as he was in races like the Critérium du Dauphiné. The two get along well and train together anytime they are both at their base in Monaco.

“He’s my best friend in the peloton,” Froome said. “We both have similar backgrounds, in the way that we enjoy outdoor lifestyles, him in Tasmania and me back in Kenya and South Africa.”

He explained that he might even help Porte win the Tour in the coming years, or this year.

“Definitely, I think we can bounce off each other a lot. He knows that he’s definitely has my support if he’s there to target a race and the other way around also, as is the case this year,” Froome said. “Richie’s definitely capable of winning the Tour [this year]; he’s our likely plan B.”

Even with the team yet announced, the 28-year-old should have Porte and other top domestiques backing him for an eventual overall win. With their support and Wiggins at home, Froome has his golden opportunity to claim a Tour title.

This Smart Bar's pads are mounted on the bar, without spacers, so that the hoods slope down from the stem clamp. The extensions are uncut and mounted underneath the base bar, offering one of the lowest setups of the SES bar. Photo: Logan VonBokel | VeloNews.com

PARK CITY, Utah (VN) — Utah-based Enve Composites announced on Tuesday that it will be adding a time trial bar system to its component range. Similar to its SES wheel line, the new bar is the product of a collaboration with aerodynamicist Simon Smart.

The SES TT Bar will be available late this summer, coming in at an estimated $1,300 for the full kit.

Part of what sets the SES TT Bar apart from other offerings is that the included carbon extensions can be left at the J-bend, or trimmed to an S-bend, or a straight extension. Buyers don’t have to purchase additional extensions to achieve the proper fit. Each bend’s cut point is marked on the extension and length markings are etched at the rear of the extension for those wishing to shorten up the reach to the shifter.

The SES TT Bar’s pricing is in line with the Zipp Vuka Stealth system, though Vuka Stealth buyers have to purchase aero extensions on top of the $1,070 stem and base bar combo.

“The aim of our TT bar was to fulfill a laundry list of rider needs, aerodynamics and adjustability being the two of most importance,” said Enve design engineer Kevin Nelson. “The market has a lot of aerodynamic or adjustable bars, but few that are both.”

To that point, the SES TT Bar has its airfoil shape shifted a bit further forward, which results in a more robust look in line with the brake hoods, which are coated in an anti-slip material. The airfoil shape is reminiscent of the blunt nose on Enve’s SES wheels.

The Smart Bar system will include a range of armrest spacers so that riders can reach the proper saddle-to-pad drop. The extensions can be mounted on the top or bottom of the base bar, as well as inside or outside of the arm rests. Additionally, the base bar itself is completely symmetrical on the top and bottom so it can be mounted with the hoods sloping upward or downward from the stem clamp.

Besides its hefty price tag, the other downfall of the SES TT Bar is that is available in only one width, 38cm center-to-center. The amount of adjustability in pad width and extension options could still make the SES TT Bar attractive to those of us with broad shoulders. For riders willing to spend the money on a set of Enve Smart or other high-end wheels, the SES TT Bar will likely become a staple, even with a high price tag.

Joaquim Rodriguez said in order for him to win the Tour de France, he needs to be "perfect." Photo: Graham Watson | www.grahamwatson.com

Joaquim Rodríguez says he is not taking anything off the table when it comes to talking possibilities in this year’s Tour de France.

Speaking to the Spanish sports daily AS, Katusha’s “Purito” said he’s not discounting his own chances to win, but tipped Chris Froome (Sky) and Alberto Contador (Saxo-Tinkoff) as the pre-race favorites.

“My intention is to do the best possible result in GC and win a stage. I want to leave having the peace of mind knowing it was the result I deserved, be it eighth or first,” he told AS. “Last year, I was second in the Giro, and third in the Vuelta, and I could have won both. I am more mature. I know it’s complicated, but if I am going to discount my chances to win, it will be on the road, not at the start.”

For a rider as prolific as Rodríguez, it’s somewhat surprising he’s only raced one Tour. That was in 2010, when he won a stage and finished seventh overall.

Since 2008, Rodríguez has finished in the top 7 of the past seven of eight grand tours he’s started, a run that included two Vuelta podiums and last year’s 16-second loss to Ryder Hesjedal in the Giro.

Bolstered by his results last year and this year’s hilly course, Rodríguez skipped the Giro to put everything into the Tour.

Rodríguez is especially hopeful by two shorter, technically challenging time trials that will bolster his chances. The Critérium du Dauphiné proved a disaster for Rodríguez, who lost three minutes to Froome on a flat, power course.

So much so, that he’s ditched a new, wind-tunnel tested time trial position to return to his older, at least more familiar position ahead of the Tour.

“I was terrible. There is no excuse. It was back to the terrible Purito in the time trials,” said Rodríguez, referring to the Dauphiné. “My only consolation is that it won’t be so flat in the Tour. … I couldn’t adapt to the new position. My body was too far forward. For the Tour, I will return to my old position with a few tweaks.”

Beyond the TTs, which have always been a hurdle for him, Rodríguez likes what he sees in this year’s Tour.

“Hard, very hard. Maybe the Pyrénées are not so much this year, but the last week in the Alps is spectacular. The opening days are dangerous. Something will happen before we get to the Alps, but it’s there the winner will be decided,” he said. “For me to win? Everything goes perfect for me, and that the others have some troubles.”

Editor’s Note: This video is courtesy of Global Cycling Network. The opinions expressed in this video do not necessarily represent the opinions of VeloNews.com, Velo magazine or the editors and staff of Competitor Group, Inc.

Teams are starting to release their rosters for the 100th Tour de France, which begins June 29 in Corsica. Stay tuned to VeloNews as we update this list with confirmed riders.

Ag2r La Mondiale

Astana

Blanco
Lars Boom (NED)
Laurens ten Dam (NED)
Robert Gesink (NED)
Tom Leezer (NED)
Bauke Mollema (NED)
Lars Petter Nordhaug (NOR)
Bram Tankink (NED)
Sep Vanmarcke (BEL)
Maarten Wynants (BEL)

BMC Racing

Cannondale
Maciej Bodnar (POL)
Alessandro De Marchi (ITA)
Kristijan Koren (SLO)
Alan Marangoni (ITA)
Moreno Moser (ITA)
Fabio Sabatini (ITA)
Peter Sagan (SVK)
Ted King (USA)
Brian Vandborg (DEN)

Cofidis

Euskaltel-Euskadi

FDJ

Garmin-Sharp

Katusha

Lampre-Merida

Lotto-Belisol

Movistar

Omega Pharma-Quick Step
Mark Cavendish (GBR)
Sylvain Chavanel (FRA)
Michal Kwiatkowski (POL)
Tony Martin (GER)
Jerome Pineau (FRA)
Gert Steegmans (BEL)
Niki Terpstra (NED)
Matteo Trentin (ITA)
Peter Velits (SVK)

Orica-GreenEdge
Michael Albasini (SUI)
Simon Clarke (AUS)
Simon Gerrans (AUS)
Matt Goss (AUS)
Daryl Impey (RSA)
Brett Lancaster (AUS)
Cameron Meyer (AUS)
Stuart O’Grady (AUS)
Svein Tuft (CAN)

RadioShack-Leopard
Jan Bakelants (BEL)
Laurent Didier (LUX)
Tony Gallopin (FRA)
Markel Irizar (ESP)
Andreas Kloeden (GER)
Maxime Monfort (BEL)
Andy Schleck (LUX)
Jens Voigt (GER)
Haimar Zubeldia (ESP)

Sky

Sojasun

Argos-Shimano
Roy Curvers (NED)
John Degenkolb (GER)
Tom Dumoulin (NED)
Johannes Fröhlinger (GER)
Simon Geschke (GER)
Marcel Kittel (GER)
Koen de Kort (NED)
Albert Timmer (NED)
Tom Veelers (NED)

Europcar

Saxo-Tinkoff
Daniele Bennati (ITA)
Alberto Contador (ESP)
Jesus Hernandez (ESP)
Roman Kreuziger (CZE)
Benjamin Noval (ESP)
Sergio Paulinho (POR)
Nicolas Roche (IRL)
Michael Rogers (AUS)
Matteo Tosatto (ITA)

Vacansoleil-DCM

ROTTERDAM, Netherlands (AFP) — French rider Matthieu Sprick (Argos-Shimano) is undergoing rehabilitation after suffering from a stroke last month.

Argos said he is having “mobility problems of the left arm” as a result of the incident.

“What happened to Matthew is a shock to the whole team,” Argos manager Iwan Spekenbrink said. “It is currently difficult to establish a prognosis concerning his health.”

Argos announced on May 23 that Sprick had been hospitalized in the south of France because of a “small stroke.”

The 31-year-old “is conscious, talking, but has some symptoms of paralysis,” said the team.

Sprick had resumed training prior to the stroke after recovering from a broken foot.

Lauren Stephens soloed to victory in the Menomonie Road Race at the Nature Valley Grand Prix. Photo: Casey B. Gibson | www.cbgphoto.com

STILLWATER, Minn. (VN) — As the sun set on the Nature Valley Grand Prix Sunday and the professional peloton got ready for races like Cascade, the USA Pro Challenge, and the Giro Rosa, some of the participants woke up early Monday morning and headed to work.

One such working stiff is Eric Marcotte (Elbowz Racing-Boneshaker Project). Marcotte won the Best Amateur jersey and placed third in the general classification at Nature Valley. During the week, the 33-year-old is a full-time chiropractor in Scottsdale, Arizona.

“I’ve got patients in the afternoon starting at noon or 1,” said Marcotte as he enthusiastically described his job and clientele. “I fly out a little later [Sunday night]. I’ll sleep in, recover, and see them tomorrow. You know what? They probably had an awesome week or two since I’ve seen them. I’ll get to hear really cool stories, like this, and try to keep them on track so they can keep doing it.”

At 42, Scott Giles (Nature Valley Pro Chase) was one of the oldest riders to compete in this year’s race. Giles is a 20-year Navy veteran and spent most of his career as an S-3 Viking jet pilot landing planes on aircraft carriers. The skills he learned in the military have helped him excel as a cyclist at a relatively late stage of his athletic career.

“The dynamic and fast-paced environment of flying around aircraft carriers translates very well to the relative motion, and sometimes the combative nature, that goes on in the peloton out there,” Giles said. “It’s very dynamic, very intense, you need to be very focused, you need to have your wits about you, and have good situational awareness. That’s a skill.”

Last Tuesday, math teacher Lauren Stephens (Tibco-To The Top) flew into Minneapolis from Dallas immediately after her last day of teaching for the year. Stephens only recently joined Tibco after big results at the Redlands Bicycle Classic and Joe Martin Stage Race. She won the Nature Valley Grand Prix Menomonie Road Race on Saturday, and will be going to the Giro Rosa with Team Tibco at the end of June.

Stephens benefits from the coaching and support that her husband, Mat Stephens of Speedy Ace Training, provides throughout the year. Her ability to multitask, combined with strong family support, has helped her break into one of the best cycling programs for women in the U.S.

“I manage my time very well. I ride my bike to work in the mornings, so I get some workouts done on the way to work, and then the rest of my training is done in the evenings,” Stephens said. “It’s a family affair.”

Even for the most talented working athletes, there are a multitude of sacrifices required to climb the ranks of the peloton. Giles wasn’t able to focus on riding until he took a desk job, and Mat and Lauren Stephens, who use up their vacation time for training camps, and have put off having a family to pursue their passion.

Even Marcotte, who makes racing against the pro peloton look effortless, needs to drag himself out of bed at 4 a.m. each morning to avoid training in the 110-degree Arizona heat.

“This is not something I think is completely sustainable socially,” Marcotte said. “You are training 20 plus hours a week, you are trying to run a business 30-40 hours, so there is not much downtime. You have to be really on point.”

In the current sponsorship environment, the working cyclist might be the new paradigm for the professional peloton.

Simon Gerrans (left) and Matt Goss hope to find themselves near the front of the peloton as they seek out stage wins at the Tour. Photo: Graham Watson | www.grahamwatson.com

There was only one jewel missing in the crown of last year’s phenomenal debut season at Orica-GreenEdge, and that was a stage victory at the Tour de France.

The first-year, Aussie-backed team won plenty of races (32 to be exact), including a monument with Simon Gerrans at Milano-San Remo, and stage victories in both the Giro d’Italia and Vuelta a España, with Matt Goss and Simon Clarke, respectively.

Throw in a few national titles, wins at UCI WorldTour events such as the Volta a Catalunya, the Tour de Suisse, the Vuelta al País Vasco, and the GP de Québec, and Orica couldn’t have hoped for a better debut season.

The Tour, however, proved a harder nut to crack. The squad came loaded with sprinters and stage-hunters, yet fell short of taking home a victory. Goss was the main man, knocking on the door with two second places and three third places in bunch sprints.

This year, the Aussies hope to break through to a Tour stage win.

Orica captain Simon Gerrans said the team will enter his year’s Tour intent on challenging in breakaways and sprint finishes.

“That’s the big goal,” Gerrans told VeloNews via telephone. “That’s the one thing missing out on our season last year.”

Although Orica’s official Tour lineup has yet to be announced, the team’s hope will be pinned Goss in the bunch sprints, with riders such as Gerrans, Daryl Impey, and Michael Albasini having freedom to attack for stage victories.

Goss is hoping to hit the Tour firing on all cylinders. He snagged his lone win on the 2013 season at Tirreno-Adriatico, and since then, he struggled with illness through the spring classics, and notched a handful of promising results, but no more victories

A second place in stage 4 at the Tour de Suisse last week seems to indicate things are moving in the right direction.

“He was right up there at Tour de Suisse,” Gerrans said of Goss. “The team is pretty happy with that result. To be right there shows he’s on good nick right before the Tour.”

Gerrans said while Orica will bring a strong train to support Goss, it’s likely the team will not try to dominate the sprint finishes unless it’s a finale ideal for Goss’s qualities.

“There are a lot of big sprint trains out there right now,” he said. “The most important thing is protecting Gossie and putting him on a good wheel for the sprint. He can get around most people on a good day.”

The sprints should be especially competitive this year, so Goss could find choppy waters in the mass gallops. Not only will Goss and Orica be searching for its first Tour win, so will Marcel Kittel, the big German engine on Argos-Shimano who pulled out sick of last year’s Tour.

Ahead of them are André Greipel (Lotto-Belisol), Mark Cavendish (Omega Pharma-Quick Step), and Peter Sagan (Cannondale), all of whom won three stages each in last year’s Tour.

This year’s lumpy course should see more opportunities for stage hunters, which is just fine for Gerrans.

The punchy, two-time national Australian champion can win sprints out of small groups and can make it up and over heavy climbs yet still pack a punch up short, steep finales.

Gerrans will be looking for his chances in the transition stages that fit neither the sprinters, the time trial specialists nor the climbers.

“You know there are a limited number of possibilities for a guy of my characteristics, but that sort of takes the pressure off on other stages,” he said. “The Tour breakaways are harder and harder to get into. There are more guys trying to do that. You have to pick and chose your day, and give those days 100 percent.”

Gerrans knows what it feels like to win a Tour stage. His win came in 2008 out of a four-man breakaway across the Alps into Italy at Prato Nevoso while riding on Crédit Agricole.

Spaniards José Luis Arrieta and Egoi Martínez were dropping Gerrans, but he hung on, countered, and won ahead of Martínez, with American Danny Pate crossing the line third.

“It was the biggest win at that time of my career. It still ranks right up there of the biggest wins that I hold close to my heart,” Gerrans said. “To win a stage at the Tour, especially the way that I did it, it’s a real achievement to get that win.”

Gerrans, of course, went on to win the 2012 Milano-San Remo and came close to winning the Clásica San Sebastián last year, riding to second in the popular post-Tour Spanish classic.

So far in 2013, he’s been quietly picking up victories throughout the season, including a win at the Santos Tour Down Under, the Volta a Catalunya, and the Basque tour.

“My season’s been solid so far. I’ve been pretty consistently right up there around the mark,” he said. “I am missing that big win. I’ve been up there, I’ve been competitive, but I didn’t get that classic I was gunning for this year.”

At this point of Gerrans’ career, it’s hard to top what he’s already accomplished. After winning stages in all three grand tours as well as a monument, there’s not much he hasn’t done. The only thing bigger would be another spring classic, ideally in the Ardennes, or the world title.

Another Tour stage win would come nicely as well.

“I’d love to win another Tour stage. It’s a question of just keep plugging away at it,” he said. “That’s what we’re all working toward.”