Taylor Phinney

Velonation.com
by: VeloNation Press

USA Cycling has announced the eight-person U.S. roster for the upcoming UCI Track World Championships in Copenhagen, Denmark.

As the defending world champion in the individual pursuit, 19-year-old Taylor Phinney (Boulder, Colo./Trek-Livestrong) earned an automatic nomination to the men’s squad. The 2009 world championships in Poland saw Phinney become the first American male to win an elite world title on the track in 13 years. In addition to defending his pursuit title, he will also contest the Omnium event in Copenhagen.

Rounding out the men’s squad will be discretionary nominees…

Full article here.

It has been a long time coming, but it’s finally here.  The infamous Trek LIVESTRONG U23 Tricycle Race.  The rumors and speculation have been rampant since word first leaked about this event at December Team Camp in Tucson.  Now, the footage is finally here.  Fourteen competitors, 4 heats, 1 champion.  Enjoy…

Stage 6: 18.6 km Time Trial

Well I’m writing before I know the day’s results. Except that I’m pretty sure Cancellara and Boasson Hagen killed everyone based on the way they were thrashing on the pedals. The course had a few nasty kickers (steep hills) which were sure to sting no matter how hard you rolled them. However, the faster you go, the quicker the pain ends and you’re on the beach. Everyone “gave it a nudge,” but a few guys are feeling sick and BK Aussie got a flat tire… I know, I know, I’m making excuses even before the results show up. Regardless, it is satisfying to have been a presence in two of the highest level races that we’ve ever been a part of. During these two weeks of racing, we were sometimes bullied around like the freshmen that we are, but we also shared some incredibly unique experiences with these top pros. Around the hotel and during less stressful times in the race, we might as well be on the same team (I love racing, food, sleep, girls, and that-beach-over-there club). I’ve said it before, but our inclusion in these races means a lot to us, so thanks to the promoters, our staff, supporters, and the competition for making it happen.

P.S. TT results:

22nd Jesse Sergent

25th Timothy Roe

62nd Me

12th in team competition

Trek – LIVESTRONG cyclists Charlie Avis and Chase Pinkham will ride for LIVESTRONG at the ‘Mumbai Cyclothon – Tour De Mumbai’ to be held at Bandra Reclamation on Sunday, February 21, 2010.  Avis and Pinkham will be joined by a team of cycling all-stars as they represent the cancer organization dedicated to empowering the 28 million people living with cancer today.

The Mumbai Cyclothon – Tour De Mumbai will serve as not only India’s largest cycling event to date, but the region’s first UCI Tour professional race featuring 13 professional teams from across the world, including .

The LIVESTRONG Mumbai AllStars will be made up of Charlie Avis, U23 Trek LIVESTRONG (USA), Chase Pinkham, Trek-LIVESTRONG (USA), Olympic gold medalist Scott McGory (Australia), and professional track riders Leif Lampatner (Germany) and Nosh Mistry (Australia).

Being Human – the Salman Khan Foundation, founded by Bollywood superstar Salman Khan, will serve as the race’s principal partner, alongside co-beneficiary LIVESTRONG. LIVESTRONG, the American-based cancer non-profit organization, was founded and inspired by cancer survivor and seven-time Tour de France champion, Lance Armstrong.

“I’m honored to take part in the Tour de Mumbai, as it will be a monumental event that brings pro-cycling to India for the first time in history,” said rider Avis, who rides for Lance Armstrong’s cycling development team. “More so, to be able to represent LIVESTRONG in such a race gives us the invaluable opportunity to reach out to people and get them involved in the global fight against cancer.”

Pinkham continued, “This is a once in a lifetime opportunity to promote a global cancer awareness all while racing my bike in a region of the world I’ve never been to. I cannot describe how fortunate and proud I am to be a part of this inaugural event.”

The Tour de Mumbai brings together Being Human and LIVESTRONG both dedicated to promoting health awareness and prevention. Approximately one third of all cancers are related to smoking, while another third are related to obesity, poor diets or lack of exercise — all factors that also contribute to heart disease.

As heart disease and cancer remain the leading killers worldwide, the Mumbai Cyclothon – Tour De Mumbai will serve as a significant fundraiser for the two organizations dedicated to spreading awareness and inspiring action.

“Having Lance Armstrong and LIVESTRONG’s message present at the Tour de Mumbai will be an ideal catalyst for the growth of cycling and improved cancer care in India,” explains Dr. Akil Khan, Chairman & MD ID Sports Pvt. Ltd. “Lance Armstrong’s contribution to the world of cycling and the cancer community is exemplary.”

As promoting healthy lifestyle choices proves essential in cancer and heart disease prevention, Tour de Mumbai will dedicate proceeds from the Legend’s Dinner to both Being Human and LIVESTRONG.

For race updates, visit http://mumbaicyclothon.com/.   For cancer support services and information about joining the global fight against cancer, visit www.livestrong.org.

Photo: Graham Watson
Stage 5: 150 km

Race leadership has changed once again, and now it is team Liquigas that must take responsibility of the chase. Pretty much, they decide who to let go in the breakaway and how much time to give it. Sometimes team politics give the breakaway a chance for survival, as evidenced by stage 1 of Qatar when no team would take charge of the pace making, and the two man break took a 22 minute lead winning the race 2 minutes ahead of a chase group.

With this in mind a lot of guys are trying for the early break, and we are rocketing through roundabouts and construction zones for about 45 minutes. Ben (Aus), Jesse, Alex, and I jump in a few moves, but never gain much of a lead. Finally, a group of three is released, and Liquigas congregates up front letting the escapees build a comfortable lead before they begin riding tempo. The rest of the flat costal stage is standard operation. The break is caught just before the finish, and the sprinters jockey for the perfect position to burst for the line. Apart from the golfball sized rock that popped off someone’s wheel and hit me in the face and Jesse finishing on the way too small spare bike, today is just another day in the saddle for Trek-Livestrong.

Photo: Graham Watson
Stage 4: 190 km

We’re on the runway after a one hour bus ride to the airport. All of the riders are ushered onto the Omani Air Force plane which will fly us into the desert where the stage starts. After another two hour bus ride, we’re slathering up with sunscreen and stuffing our jerseys with Honey Stinger. What a production! From the lead car Eddy Merckx pops out of the sunroof and drops a flag signaling the end of the neutral zone. I jump on the first attack, and six of us are drilling it up the road. Columbia and Saxobank are unhappy with the break and chase for about fifteen minutes. It looks doubtful that we will gain any leeway, but finally our time gap lengthens. The first 70 km were gradual uphill with some steep pitches toward the top. Needless to say, it was uncomfortable. Hours later we’re still sweating buckets and pulling hard, but our lead is shrinking. We’re riding along a windy stretch of dry riverbed, when our follow cars drop back, signaling that a large group is within a minute. There are about 30 km to the finish.
Fabian Cancellara and Tom Boonen have their heads down, swapping pulls ahead of a 40 riders lead split. Somehow, they have separated themselves from the race leader, Edvald Boasson Hagen of Team Sky, and are turning themselves inside out to take time from him. Sky has their entire team chasing one minute behind. I slip to the back of the group, and get a pat on the back. Alex Dowsett, has made the selection. “Just a case of the right place at the right time,” he blurts. I smile/grimace knowing that it took more than a coincidence to get him there. With 5 km to go I’m last wheel, and the wind puts me in the gutter where I get no draft. It is the wrong place at the wrong time, and no amount of “guts” could have helped me pedal hard enough to stay on. I coasted to the finish giving high fives on the way. Just as I cross the line, the chase group whizzes past. Alex wears a cheery smirk having placed 12th on the stage. It’s my turn to pat him on the back. (He actually went for a hand shake, but I got a bro hug out of him)
Just one more transfer of two hours to the hotel, and this long day will become one of those lasting career memories.

Stage 3: 125 km
The Ben Kings are on the move.

Sky, a powerful team, has the lead. They will want to let a break go so that they can control the race, which rolls over a couple of steep climbs today. With this in mind, Aussie Ben King is the first to attack, and the group lets him go solo. He gains a 4 minute lead before three chasers join him up front. Team BMC punches it over the first set of climbs in an attempts to split the pack. My legs ache, and it is suddenly quite apparent that we’ve been racing for a week and a half. However, Tim Roe is looking spry. For the rest of the race, we think of protecting Tim for the climb that is 14 km from the finish. When we pass the 20 km to go sign, the big teams take over the front, leading their best riders into the base of the hill. We can see Ben King’s quartet winding up the lower slopes, when all of the sudden, Tim comes over the radio, “I have a flat! I have a flat!” Cody, Jesse, and I drop to the back for him, and Cody quickly gives up his own rear wheel. The break is caught, and dropped riders are opening gaps ahead of us. Game over.

Stage 2: 148 km

Our goal was to protect Tim Roe and keep him out of trouble. Three of the guys aren’t feeling well, so that left BK Aussie, Jesse, Alex, and I to try for the early break. As the underdogs, suffering ahead of the race in a breakaway, even if it gets caught before the finish, is a way for us to make our presence known, and every now and then it gets lucky and survives to the end. The neutral flag dropped and Trek-Livestrong was in every move and countermove. Jesse was even solo for about five minutes, but when he was reeled in it was Alex who initiated the one that got away. Once his four man group had gained about six minutes, the race leader’s team set tempo and began to pull them back. Stiff from a three hour morning transfer, the rest of us tried to practice some energy conservation/wind avoidance skills that we had picked up in the Tour of Qatar. Three hours later, Alex was back in the main pack. Everything was together again and moving very quickly toward the finish. I watched Boonen from mid-back of the field shoot tiny gaps and just weave to near the front for a field sprint. When time bonuses were figured and seconds tallied, Alex Dowsett had moved himself into 8th on GC for his efforts on the open road.

One day off including a quick plane transfer to Oman, and we’re getting amongst it once again in another six day race.

Stage 1: 16 X 4 km hotdog loop along the coast in downtown Muscat

I had a really strange dream last night. I was with the team lying on the beach one moment, and then in the next scene at some race with thousands and thousands of exuberant spectators, many wearing robes and turbans. Eerie Arabian music bounced off huge rock faces along the beach. It was night time, but lights lined the course and at the start there were party lights flashing and spinning around. We were staged under a massive jumbo-tron, when the announcer started mentioning celebrities, like Cancellara, Boonen, Wiggins, Ballan, Obama… dream memory is a little hazy. Anyways, someone must have dropped something heavy in the room because the fireworks felt real. Sleep deepened and I drifted in and out of wheels at blurry speeds.

Must have slept funny, because I woke this morning with a stiff neck.

Stage 6: 125 km

Le Champs d’Qatar finale went off as the final day of any Grand Tour. Our Aussie Ben King made the early break, and his quartet still led coming into the 6 km finishing laps along the coast in Doha. Behind, the race was controlled by the team of the leader. All they had to do was get their man to the finishing circuits where his two minute lead would be safe. When we hit the circuits, the sprinter teams threw some guys into the rotation to suck up the breakaway and string out the pack. With just over two km to go, the Ben King show was over, and the other Ben King (me) wasn’t doing anything reckless to be at the front.

The other riders here have generally been encouraging and friendly. Of course, when it gets down to business, they tend to subconsciously and or aggressively wind up in front of the “devo” team. In a race that’s all about positioning, it’s an added challenge. But I’d do the same in their shoes. We’re here to respectfully earn their respect and learn from them.

Overall, it was a solid start to the season for us. Despite holding down last place in team GC, we are certainly getting a jumpstart on our season and careers through this experience. It is only February, and our target races are months away. Taylor, on the other hand, has the World Track Championships to focus on next month. Qatar will be a major boost for his confidence and strength. The rest of us head to the Tour of Oman where we begin another 6 days of racing in one day. Subbing in for Taylor will be Aussie, Tim Roe, who has managed to train by himself in Qatar everyday without getting run over by an Arab drifter or going insane riding through the desert. That’s a wrap on Qatar, one very unique race.