Cycling continued

[Garden Kitty]

The U23 crowd really shone this weekend at Nats. Incredibly impressive ride by Ben King to hold off the peloton for a solo win. Trek-Livestrong riders claimed both titles - yay for Axel Merckx.

King also announced that he's riding for Radio Shack next year.

[Theatregirl1122]

Fabian Cancellara is released from his contract with SaxoBank. Bjarne Riis did not want to say how much money he wants for agreeing to this - it's between him and Fabian. To Danish TV2, he said he was disappointed in Cancellara's behavior and wish they could have parted in a more classy way befitting of their successful partnership over the years.

Any word on where he may be going?

[Garden Kitty]

Itsartemis probably has better sources, but I've read rumors of Team Schleck and Sky as the top contenders. BMC has been thrown around as well, but I can't imagine they have the budget or team support for the classics for him.

[itsartemis]

Any word on where he may be going?

This Danish Newspaper just wrote that according to the Luxembourgian newspaper Luxemburger Wort, Cancellara will ride for Team Lux next season.

So no big surprise there if their "exclusive information" is true.

Danish TV2 had made a really nice farewell montage to Fränk Schleck which they showed before yesterday's stage. He's been with Team CSC/Saxo for 8 years and yesterday was his last stage/race with the team. It was a "thank you for all the fun and good luck in the future" kind of thing.

[Garden Kitty]

ESPN article on the US Pro Championships

[lash]

A remix of the Tylar Farrar commercial for Transition lenses. You HAVE to watch this I was cracking up.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ln-v2nDCO0g

[itsartemis]

A remix of the Tylar Farrar commercial for Transition lenses. You HAVE to watch this I was cracking up.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ln-v2nDCO0g

Thank you for this - it's really well made.

I am so sick of this commercial. I know it by heart as it is shown every time Eurosport goes to commercial during every single cycling broadcast. I really wish he had made a second one as it got nauseating during the Tour already.

[Garden Kitty]

USA World's teams

[Garden Kitty]

Phinney tweeted that he can't announce his new team until tomorrow, but Bruyneel feels no similar constraint and writes on his blog that Taylor is going to BMC. I can't wait for Bruyneel's next blog when he spoils Yu Na Kim's SP music.

ETA: Looks like BMC decided to make it official after all

[Garden Kitty]

You should check these times, because I can't vouch for the person who did the "translation" but I found these start times for the Worlds races:

Time Trials
Wed 29th Sept ~ Under 23 Men ~ 31.8km ~ 10 AM AEST ~ 8 pm Tue EDT ~ 5 pm Tue PDT ~ 2 am Wed CEST
Wed 29th Sept ~ Elite Women ~ 22.9km ~ 3 PM AEST ~ 1 am Wed EDT ~ 10 pm Tue PDT ~ 7 am Wed CEST
Thurs 30th Sept ~ Elite Men ~ 45.8km ~ 1 PM AEST ~ 11 pm Wed EDT ~ 8 pm Wed PDT ~ 5 am Thu CEST

Road Races
Fri 1st Oct ~ Under 23 Men ~ 159km ~ 1 PM AEST ~ 11 pm Thu EDT ~ 8 pm Thu PDT ~ 5 am Fri CEST
Sat 2nd Oct ~ Elite Women ~ 127.2km ~ 1 PM AEST ~ 11 pm Fri EDT ~ 8 pm Fri PDT ~ 5 am Sat CEST
Sun 3rd Oct ~ Elite Men ~ 262.7km ~ 10 AM AEDT ~ 7 pm Sat EDT ~ 4 pm Sat PDT ~ 1 am Sun CEST

To further complicate the time changes, I gather Australia switches to daylight savings time this week. Universal Sports should be able to confirm the times, since they're supposedly showing the races live online (for a fee), as well as having coverage on tv.

ETA: Universal Sports interview with Taylor Phinney

And FYI, this is the girlfriend he mentions in the interview

Australian professional cyclist Birdie O'Donnell weighs in from Worlds with this tidbit of info:

I'm not gonna tell my Mum that the Swiss team are staying at the same hotel as the AUS team. She might fake a visit to stalk Cancellara

ETA again: Time of the women's race may be changed due to conflict with Australian football.

[Garden Kitty]

Universal's World Championships Page

Cavendish got to Australia, rode the course and says the course is too hard for him and it's not really a sprinter's course. He could be sandbagging, but that's pretty much what everyone who rides this course says - it's much harder than it appears at first.

ETA: Toto presents Cav the insult comic

[itsartemis]

Cavendish got to Australia, rode the course and says the course is too hard for him and it's not really a sprinter's course. He could be sandbagging, but that's pretty much what everyone who rides this course says - it's much harder than it appears at first.

Thor was interviewed today on Norwegian TV and they showed him riding the climb - which they are going to do 11 times. He said it was harder....much harder than he'd expected. And that he'd have to have a really great day to have any chance at all.

[Theatregirl1122]

Cavendish got to Australia, rode the course and says the course is too hard for him and it's not really a sprinter's course. He could be sandbagging, but that's pretty much what everyone who rides this course says - it's much harder than it appears at first.

So far it seems like all of the riders who have ridden the course have something about how it really isn't a sprinters course.

[Garden Kitty]

Don't want to spoil the U23 time trial championship for anyone who is waiting to watch it on Universal tv, so don't read unless you want to know the results

Spoiler

Yay, Taylor!

[Garden Kitty]

Great Britain's Emma Pooley takes the women's time trial and Gramin's Jonathan Vaughters is excited about this rider he inherited from Cervelo's women's team

A hearty congrats to Emma Pooley! This whole women's team is turning out pretty good - and all I've done is paperwork, so far

Meanwhile, Peter Velits has high hopes for the small Slovakian team:

"[There are just 3 of us for RR] but we have not yet decided in what order to take the podium."

ETA: Cute Jens Voigt story

Eddie Merckx wanted to get in on the fun too

[lash]

I was at Interbike and I saw both Jens and Ale Jet. They are much thinner and taller in person and when wearing normal clothing.

I stood next to Ale Jet at the Wilier booth. It was hard to not He is verrrrry stylish and very, very handsome in person.


I am the biggest idiot ever. I never uploaded the photos off my phone then proceeded to go out after the show, get totally drunk and leave my cell in a cab

[Theatregirl1122]

Don't want to spoil the U23 time trial championship for anyone who is waiting to watch it on Universal tv, so don't read unless you want to know the results

Spoiler

Yay, Taylor!

[Garden Kitty]

Contador tested positive for clenbuterol, a prohibited substance, at this year's Tour. He claims it's a result of food contamination. By reports, it's an easily detected stimulant that isn't the most effective drug, and not likely to be a drug of choice. It is sometimes used with cattle to raise less fatty meat, but apparently not used frequently in developed countries. This was the same drug that Radio Shack's Li tested positive for earlier in the year, and people thought it possible he might have ingested the drug though meat raised in China where its use is more common (but he's still facing a suspension with WADA's strict liability rules) More to come, I'm sure.

ETA: UCI statement. The statement confuses me a bit. They say that the B test cofirmed and that the rider is suspended, but they also say "further scientific investigation " is required. Certainly Bert will claim that the minute traces aren't reliable, but they also say it was an adverse result which means there must be enough of a level to make a determination.

[itsartemis]

Norwegian Newspaper VG is showing the press conference live now. I am sorry, I don't know if it is geo-blocked.

Danish TV2 shows without a stupid translator (who doesn't know Norwegian anyway).

[Garden Kitty]

Spanish radio is reporting that Zeke Mosquero tested positive at the Vuelta. (along with teammate Garcia)