VeloResults

Skil Shimano Team Launch (0)

Rotterdam is readying itself for the Tour de France start this summer, and the Skil – Shimano team used it’s 2010 presentation last weekend in the city to recce the route which will be used for Stage 1.

The team is largely the same as last season, but has been bolstered by the addition of six riders; Dutchmen Job Vissers and Robin Chaigneau, Frenchmen Alexandre Geniez and Yann Huguet, Belgian Dominique Cornu, and Norwegian Frederik Wilmann.

Team Sky’s ‘Marginal Gains’ – Worthwhile, or Simply Hype? (1)

It’s great to see cycling breaking main stream – a double page colour spread in the Times.

It’s almost as if the guys that bank rolls the team, owns the newspaper.

He does? Oh!

We’re treated to nine examples of marginal gains…

What’s With the Lack of Humanity? (11)

We’ve all had them. Moments when you’re out enjoying your bike for the sake of it, or training, or simply commuting to work, when suddenly you’re reminded of just how vulnerable you are: someone driving a car – or bigger – either accidentally or deliberately gets you reaching for the brake levers.

What a Waste of a Great Career (1)

Fourth in the Worlds Elite TT, second only to Zabriskie in the US TT champs and with a Garmin contract neatly signed.

But scratch all of the above and file under, “Another one bites the dust!” albeit the ‘B’ sample might just be ‘clean.’

We asked Paul Coats, who’s a lecturer at Strathclyde Institute of Pharmacy & Biomedical Sciences, for an expert view.

Raleigh – Back in the Game (0)

The all-new British-based Team Raleigh was launched recently. Our pal Dan Fleeman – who together with Tom Barras will lead the squad – kindly sent us some pics from the team’s presentation which took place at the Eastwood Hall Conference Centre and Hotel in Nottingham, home of the legendary marque.

Earlier in the day, the riders had visited the Raleigh factory to collect their new bikes, and kit.

Endura Racing Team Presentation (0)

Endura Racing 2010 was today unveiled to the UK press, media and special guests at the Porsche Human Performance centre at Silverstone.

The launch followed months of hard work and dedication from the whole of the Endura Racing set-up, and culminated with many of the attendees leaving with a sense that this team are on the cusp of a great season in 2010.

Thinking about Jason (2)

It’s two years since we lost Jason MacIntyre.

We thought it might be appropriate to remember one of his greatest triumphs, here’s what he had to say to us after he won his first British ‘25′ title back in June, 2006.

Bradley Wiggins – Sky Leader at the Team Launch (3)

The alarm clocked stirred me from my slumber at the ungodly hour of 5am. Why would I be getting up on a freezing Monday morning at yon time?

Well, its not every day you get to witness cycling history in the making – I was off to London, not to see the Queen, but as some would have you believe, the King! Bradley Wiggins no less, and the Sky team launch at the Milltower Bank was my destination.

Adam Hansen – 20 Quick Questions (0)

For once, Adam Hansen isn’t burning up the tar at the Aussie champs, he’s off shore in the Med, getting ready to try and help HTC-Columbia top a remarkable 2009 season.

Worried that he may be getting bored, VeloResults flashed him 20 questions – here’s what the big man had to say…

James McCallum – Racing Is My Job Now! (0)

Ex-British Criterium Champion and Commonwealth Games track medalist James McCallum has recently returned from a few months racing and resting in the antipodes, and is looking forward to getting stuck into the new season with his re-vamped Endura Racing team.

We met James for a good old chinwag this week over lunch: he turned up at the restaurant looking hungry, and with a huge Endura team bag over his shoulder…

Jack Bauer – New Zealand’s new Elite Road Champion (0)

It was Vik (who else?) first spotted the man; ‘there’s a New Zealand rider winning a lot of races for Kingsnorth Wheelers in Flanders just now, you should get hold of him!’ he told me, last summer.

We duly tracked down Jack Bauer and have been keeping an eye on him and talking to him, ever since.

The season total was eight wins in Flanders; then we picked up on his good ride in the Southland Tour in New Zealand – but by the time we got hold of him, he’d even topped that.

John Lee Augustyn – Getting Good Guidance from the Right People (2)

John Lee Augustyn is probably best known outside of the African continent for his head-first lunge down the scree slopes of the Col de la Bonette-Restefond descent to Jausiers in the Tour de France a couple of years ago, and this after leading the race over it’s summit in glorious solitude – only Frederico Bahamontes and Robert Millar share that particular accolade.

Last season was difficult for John Lee, but now though, things look like they’re going to change for the 23 year old, and we recently chatted to him to find out more…

Copenhagen Six Day – Day One (0)

It’s 01:41 Day One and I’ve decided to rattle off a few lines before I succumb to the coma that surely awaits me.

It wasn’t vintage racing tonight; there wasn’t much of a crowd, the whole bunch looked like it was pedalling in mud and Franco said he’d never seen Bruno struggle the way he did in the first chase.

My feet hurt from all that standing and walking on concrete; and my ears are ringing, courtesy the PA… And that was all I could manage before I keeled over…

Copenhagen Six Day – Getting There (0)

Scotland was beautiful this morning, the views from the window of the British Midland jet were stunning.

The Pentlands covered in snow, the ‘terriers head’ of Fife framed by the Forth and Tay; the Isle of May seeming to hover in the air, guarding the mouth of the Forth.

It was cloudy over the North Sea, but we were cruising well above the soft white carpet; the sky the deepest of blues, the sunlight golden. It was a rude awakening as we descended through the fluffiness though…

Gent Six Day – Nights Five and Six (0)

The A2 Dover to London road, 23:23 on Sunday.

There was no partying at Iljo’s dad’s bar, De Karper – which is just along the road from the Gent track – for us tonight; we had a ferry to catch.

I didn’t have time to put together a Day Five piece, today. We were up at 09:00 for the 13:00 start; usually I spend the early afternoon writing, but today I couldn’t, although I did manage to get the Day Five pictures away as the under 23 lads prepared for action.

Gent Six Day – Night Four (1)

Viktor has been keeping in touch, he was going to come over but couldn’t get a flight. ‘Is that Bruno’s wee brother’s bike he’s on?’

He does have a point, with carbon frame manufacture, one of the biggest costs is to produce the moulds.

This leads a lot of manufactures to go down a ‘one size fits all’ route – meaning a lot of seat post on show and/or stacking/high rise stems at the front end. For me, the classic look of Keisse’s bike is best – extension hard down on the head race and just the right amount of seat pin.

The atmosphere was great, again, last night – the track centre is alive.

The Scottish Hill Climb Championships (1)

On the cold windswept shoulder of Fife’s East Lomond, Arthur Doyle (Dooleys RT) moved up one podium position from last season to claim the Scottish Hill Climb Championship on Sunday morning.

Fastest woman Mari Todd (Sandy Wallace Cycles) took the single gear choice, using 39 x 21, to easily secure first place and lead her team to a clean sweep of the podium, making the Women’s team Championships an easy calculation.

The Tour des Trossachs Time Trial (0)

Arthur Doyle (Dooleys) underlined his superiority as Scotland’s short distance TT king, around the Trossachs on a glorious Sunday afternoon with a 96 second margin over Phil Brown (Velo Ecosse) to add the Scottish Olympic TT title to the 10 and 25 crowns which he already wears, and completing a second successful Trossachs campaign to follow last year’s decisive win.

Meanwhile, Callum Wilkinson (Endura) hammered his road machine through it’s first time test of the year to the bronze medal.

Super 6 – Round 6, Wanlockhead (0)

Nationals apart, Gary Hand (Endura) has dominated the Scottish domestic scene in 2009; he continued that superiority with another win in the Super Six Series in the Tour of the Lowther today, on tough roads around Britain’s highest village – Wanlockhead.

VeloResults couldn’t attend – Martin was shopping for a new kitchen; I was on my way down from a drookit holiday to Ullapool and Gregor was schmoozing at Eurobike (more from there later.)

The Scottish Road Race Championships (1)

Ross Creber (Endura) added a top flight ‘en ligne’ result to his VTT and ‘cross palmares with a fine win in the Scottish road race championships over a technical, challenging and windy – but beautifully sunny – 81 miles at Hawick on Saturday afternoon.

Creber lead the men in red and white to a clean sweep of the medals with Callum Wilkinson taking silver – distanced by Creber in the sprint – and James McCallum having to be content with bronze after a late race puncture when it looked like it was his day.