Should mentions: Goss wins stage, takes Paris-Nice lead, Henderson's sprint win... more from Jens

Just so I can say I mentioned it... you may have missed it, who knows? Since I was on the website anyway I may as well post something and add to the noise...

Haussler, Goss, Henderson... all have their sprint legs on but have the ability (like Hushovd) to get over the hills, too. It'd be nice to see them all line up in France in July, but it's a long season... and it takes a lot of planning as well as skill, fitness and luck to keep it together throughout a year. Freire is also in fine form and fall-plagued Cavendish shouldn't be discounted. San Remo is certainly looking good.

Nice also to see NZ neo-pro Sergent take a big win. RadioShack seem to be doing quite well without Armstrong...

SBS: Cycling Central : Goss in charge following Paris-Nice third stage

Tasmanian Matthew Goss took the Paris-Nice race lead after edging out Heinrich Haussler and Denis Galimzyanov at the end of the 202.5km stage from Cosne-Cours-sur-Loire to Nuit-Saint-Georges in Burgundy.

SBS: Cycling Central : Henderson wins Paris-Nice second stage

New Zealand's Greg Henderson won a sprint finish to take the second stage of the Paris-Nice overnight.

SBS: Cycling Central : Team time trial to set tone at Tirreno-Adriatico

British sprinter Mark Cavendish and his HTC-Highroad team will hit the ground running at Tirreno-Adriatico starting tomorrow night.

The seven-day race will for the first time open with a team time trial that will set the tone for the 160-strong field competing in Tuscany.

The world’s best sprinters and one-day specialists traditionally use the Race of the Two Seas as preparation for the classics, especially Milan San-Remo (March 19).

SBS: Cycling Central : Sergent claims Three Days of West Flanders

New Zealand neo-professional Jesse Sergent added a big win to his palmares claiming the Three Days of West Flanders overnight in what was a clean sweep for his RadioShack team.

Not to mention yet another word or 1,000 from Jens Voigt....

Cycling Tips

This week Christopher Jones from Bicycles Network Australia contacted me about something exciting you’ll all be interested in. Christopher spends his time living between Sydney and Berlin and after months of trying to line up an interview with Jens he finally got his chance. Once he got Jens on the phone, the next day they were sitting in a cafe around the corner having a chat.

Racing, radios, HUD, SMS, nano-tech... if they aren't puppets on a string yet, maybe next season

In 30 years of racing I have never used a radio. OK, it was just club racing, I know, but it mattered to us. Nevertheless we always found a way to communicate during a race. Although most of my racing has been as an "individual" rather than in a team, club mates would still magically "coordinate" to be in the right place at the right time, to close down or block as needed. And we usually found out about hazards, too, although the pack of roos suddenly crossing our path during one Canberra 2-Day Tour was an interesting surprise. I doubt a DS on the radio yelling "watch the roos!" would've been of much extra use.

What we didn't always know were gaps, and sometimes - rarely - we missed that a guy had gone "up the road". Until we rolled in later and found out we were only riding for 2nd. Now if we'd had a DS with a radio maybe we'd have ridden harder, earlier, and closed the gap. That's my preamble to this radio debate, anyway. 

Now if I can edit this down to a few key lines, the argument against 2-way rider radios in pro bike races is simply that the riders lose some spontaneity and independence in their actions, leading to greater predictability and "sameness" about the racing tactics and strategy. Big, hairy audacious attacks are less common because one team DS will say "no, don't do it!" or the others will say "chase!".

OTOH as Scott Sunderland has pointed out in his interview in the link below some of that spontaneity has been lost anyway because fewer riders are racing all season and using racing as training. They are now racing less but when they ride they are all racing, almost all of the time. So bold moves are shut down quickly in the modern manner. He also notes that poor communication of hazards, incidents or tactics could jeopardise the chances of a key - and expensive - investment, namely the modern pro bike racer. And in the modern world of sponsored teams that matters.

But others will still say that the sport is suffering and that we will all switch off if it doesn't regain that "heroic" scale of bold move again. If the fans switch off then we'll still lose sponsors. We can't win either way so a compromise is in order, perhaps. And so they (the UCI and the teams) will finally sit down and talk.

But what if we went the other way, and we imposed even greater control? Just as an idea, as a concept, it is becoming plausible that the DS in the car could not only direct the riders tactically but also use wireless technology to control the bike. I'm not saying "let's do it" but it's interesting to ponder as a "what if".  With electronic gearing there's nothing to stop the team from overriding a rider's gear choice - apart from a missing radio link to the gear actuation mechanism, anyway. With that link in place the DS could look at the biological parameters of their star rider - heart rate, power and possibly in the near future core temperature as well - and choose a "better" gear for their rider than they would choose themselves. Or if a rider disobeyed the DS then they could be overridden by a remote gear selection that slowed them down. It's just a thought.

I'm sure it'll never happen, but like miniature electric motors hidden in hubs or bottom brackets, it could be done. (Riders could also swallow nano-scale biological sensors before their race and relay key real-time data to their support staff. Now that I think will definitely happen.) 
 
SBS: Cycling Central : Different battlefield, different weapons

“A lot of the tactics and analysing the race and how it will go – for example, the year that Stuart [O’Grady] won [Roubaix] – my decisions and tactics come into that. But through the events of the day, they knew where they needed to go and I was just giving them information – time gaps, whether they need to go a bit quicker or slower. They still need to make so many decisions: riding in the wind or out of the wind, what gears they’re pushing... No, they’re not puppets on a string.”

Leopard-Trek have actually won (and placed) a race? My world has collapsed.

At last.

SBS: Cycling Central : Klemme wins Le Samyn for Leopard-Trek

Germany’s Dominic Klemme celebrated a solo victory at the GP Samyn overnight to put Leopard Trek on the board for the 2011 season.

The 24-year-old attacked on the final climb of the 193.1km race into Dour passing Belgium’s Kevyn Ista (Cofidis) who finished eight seconds off the pace for second.

Klemme’s Leopard-Trek team-mate Robert Wagner finished third in what was a successful day for the new ProTeam outfit that silenced critics questioning its lack of victories this season.

Why did Boonen attack? Did he really think the winning move was at the 6km mark? Practising his TT?

It looked like he was committed, so he probably meant it. Was it just to show his face to the fans (and sponsors), knowing that his sprint is under-done? Extra intensity training? Anyway, nice lead out work by Sky lead to a good win by Chris Sutton. Dad Gary and Uncle Shane will both be pleased.

OffLine: Sutton wins Kuurne-Brussel-Kuurne classic - Final 6 km video

Sutton wins Kuurne-Brussel-Kuurne classic - Final 6 km video
Sutton clearly wins but the Belgian commentators are somewhat surprised and take a while to be certain. Boonen wastes himself in a bold attack but is brought back. And fun and games as riders miss the roundabout and find a photographer instead (4km to go mark).

McEwen's interesting training ride from Nashik to Mumbai - a good story

With all of the assumed and presumed doping and what have you going on you could easily lose sight of what makes the bike so enjoyable - the sheer pleasure of covering long distances under your own steam. It's what drew me into the sport in the first place, a mere 37 years ago! Bravo to the likes of Hunter, Elliott and McEwen for taking the scenic route!

Robbie McEwen and Co. head cross-country in India

McEwen was joined by RadioShack teammates Sam Bewley and Robbie Hunter, the South African Bonitas team, keen to put in some miles ahead of next week’s Tour of South Africa, and members of the UK-registered Motorpoint team, including racer/manager Malcolm Elliott.

They rode 140km, heading out of Nashik and taking in the opening 50km of Friday’s race route. Instead of turning around at the bottom of a wide gorge, as they did Friday, they kept on heading southwest toward Mumbai.

Nice win for Moncoutie - Feillu really needed a body swap with his brother to win this one

David Moncoutie always seems to have the goods when it matters, although this has to be one of his better, more tactical wins. As for overnight leader Romain Feillu, he really needed to swap his sprinter's legs for younger brother Brice's climbing ones. But that's probably not allowed under the rules, eh?

Tour Méditerranéen Cycliste Professionnel: Stage 5, Route Maps & Results | Cyclingnews.com

Yellow jersey Romain Feillu (Vacansoleil-DCM) was never likely to hold on to his advantage on the 9.9% slopes and he would ultimately lose 2 minutes and slip to 25th overall by the day’s end as the peloton fragmented on the climb.

Tour Méditerranéen Cycliste Professionnel: Stage 5, Route Maps & Results | Cyclingnews.com

Moncoutié’s Mont Faron experience was to prove telling in a dramatic finale, however, as he intelligently timed his effort. He pressed clear of a ten-man chasing group in the final two kilometres and went on to catch and pass Péraud 350 metres from the line. He came home 7 seconds clear of the AG2R man and 18 ahead of Wouter Poels (Vacansoleil-DCM) and Andrew Talansky (Garmin-Cervélo). Other pre-stage favourites Thomas Voeckler (Europcar) and Dan Martin (Garmin-Cervélo) could only manage 12th and 36th, respectively.

Romain Feillu - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Romain Feillu (born April 16, 1984 in Châteaudun, Eure-et-Loir) is a French road racing cyclist who rides for UCI ProTeam Vacansoleil-DCM. He is the older brother of Brice Feillu, who is also a road racing cyclist.

The 2 Robbies deliver on flat tyres... didn't Sean Kelly specialise in this sort of rim-riding?

It's always disappointing to feel that softening tyre under you, more so when you've ridden through all but the last few kays of a race. So Hunter can be doubly pleased to still get the win.

I can recall Irish hard-man sprinter Sean Kelly doing something similar back in the 80's but can't remember which race that was. I think he won on the rim itself - but maybe not? As McEwen said, it's hard to control the fishtailing when you have bottomed out.

The ‘two Robbies’ deliver big weekend in India for RadioShack

“We actually both punctured. He won the race on a half-flat tire. When I was coming off the bridge with about a kilometer and half to go, I felt it was half-gone, but as I got across the bridge, my rim was hitting the road. I couldn’t pedal without my bike just fish-tailing,” McEwen said. “Just as I was about to tell Rob – I saw him bouncing on his (wheel) – he turned around and said, ‘I’ve got a flat!’ I said you have more air than I have, so go for it. Mine was totally gone, but it was too late to change a wheel and get back, it was never going to happen. We were coming down the bridge at full speed, so I told Robbie, you’ve got to sprint on yours because mine is gone.”

Good velonation interview with Lachlan Morton, U23 Aussie rider in Langkawi race

Being based in Boulder may work against being noticed back in Oz, but he should be...

Lachlan Morton interview: Youngest rider in Langkawi field shining against pro competitors

It’s notable that the Tour de Langkawi race leadership was held this week by a 42 year old, but what is even more impressive is the stunning ride by the Australian Lachlan Morton. He turned 19 years of age earlier this month and in his first race as an under 23 competitor, is underlining why he is regarded as one of the most promising young riders in cycling.

Lachlan Morton interview: Youngest rider in Langkawi field shining against pro competitors

“It went a bit better than my expectations,” he told VeloNation the day afterwards. “I always wanted to do well there – it is the sort of race that I believed would suit me. The team put faith in me and rode for me pretty much all day. When you get to the bottom of a climb like that and you haven’t really touched the pedals yet, I figured I’d better try and finish it off.”

Lachlan Morton interview: Youngest rider in Langkawi field shining against pro competitors

Competing against his own age group, Morton won the 2010 Tour de l’Abitibi. The UCI World Cup race is regarded as arguably the top junior stage race in the world and he took a road stage, the time trial and the overall general classification. In doing so he echoed the earlier victories of Taylor Phinney, Tyler Farrar, Taylor Phinney, Laurent Jalabert and Alex Steida in the event.

Can't wait for the press conf. Only 1 year off for Bert? I guess Andy won Le Tour after all.

There's so much to think about here. Alberto can appeal, firstly. Or he can cop it sweet and have another rest year. Or he could just retire. It also opens up a spot for an unemployed rider or 2 in Bjarne's team. And it presumably moves Andy Schleck up a place into the winner's spot of the 2010 Tour. He'll really want to win this year to prove himself. And with no Contador it opens up the 2011 season once again. All very bizarre.

It's a tough enough sport anyway without this constant revisionism. Whilst a level playing field is ideal - as a rider myself the concept of "fairplay" makes a lot of sense - this is terrible price to pay for what I described earlier as a homeopathic dose of a drug that may in fact do very little. Sadly there also remains a chance that Contador took it unknowingly, as much as we may like to think we've just brought down another cheat. Either way, rules are rules.


SBS: Cycling Central : Contador one-year ban is offiicial

"Alberto Contador has received today a notification of one year ban proposal by the Competition Committee of the Spanish Federation," said the spokesperson.

"Therefore, together with Bjarne Riis (director of his team Saxo Bank), a Press Conference will be held next Friday, January 28, at 16:00 hours (2am AEDT, Saturday), at the Hotel Son Net in Palma de Mallorca, to express their opinion about this case."

Contador To Receive One-year Ban For Clenbuterol Positive | Cyclingnews.com

Contador tested positive for a low level of the banned substance Clenbuterol during the 2010 Tour de France's second rest day in Pau. He claimed the adverse finding was the result of contaminated meat. He was provisionally suspended by the UCI in September after the announcement of the test results was made.

Media get braver as Lance gets closer to 2nd retirement. Crucifixion next?

The "old lies" may well be old but they are getting aired to a wider and deeper audience than ever before. Armstrong has always denied these claims, and he has been deified instead for his achievements as a cancer-survivor, fund-raiser and athlete. But as he nears his 2nd retirement he has become something of a big, slower-moving target. Just as he draws praise for his positive impact on the Tour Down Under, so he comes under fire by the "old liars". It's feeling a bit like open season at the moment, especially with fellow Tour-winner, former teammate and adversary Alberto Contador facing his own inquisition.

The truth is out there, but will it ever be known?  Or trusted?

Lance Armstrong faces tough ride - ex mechanic | Stuff.co.nz

A Wellington bike shop owner whose testimony could help bring down Lance Armstrong believes the seven-times Tour de France champion is in danger of becoming a permanent "symbol for decades of corruption".

Matt White wins, gets sacked for 'referring' Trent Lowe to dodgy USPS team doctor?

Who knows. Was it really because of this 'referral' or was it at least partly because of his suggested 2012 'GreenEdge' connection? Vaughters has certainly played down any speculation about doping, or about a potential GreenEdge or Aussie national team conflict. It has to be said also that Matt White tested clean as a rider and whilst speculation has surrounded his past racing connections it has not amounted to anything more that. So his 'referral' of Trent Lowe (ex-Discovery as well as Garmin-Transitions) can be taken at face value - an arguably poor choice of doctor.

Whilst White's past employment with the US Postal team is well known, there's really nothing proven (in a negative way) about that outfit. The US Postal team has certainly copped flack (read speculation), especially since morphing into Discovery and latterly into Radio Shack - not for what it achieved as a pro cycling squad that successfully launched Lance Armstrong to successive Tour victories - but for what has happened to many of their riders since. The list is long, including Landis and most recently Contador. Sure, it's speculation, but like mud - it sticks. 

No suggestion of who will replace White but Henrik Redant (ex Pegasus) is probably available. I'm sure there are several aspirants polishing their CVs...

SBS: Cycling Central : Garmin-Cervelo sacks White

It has just come to the attention of Slipstream Sports Board of Directors that in April 2009, Matt White referred former rider, Trent Lowe, to the Sports Institute of Valencia to Dr. Luis Garcia del Moral.

Garmin-Cervelo Fires Team Director Matt White | This Just In

Del Moral is the former ONCE and US Postal team doctor who has recently been accused of participating in systematic team doping by Floyd Landis. Former Kelme rider Jesus Manzano also claimed that he collaborated with his Kelme doctor Walter Viru, so that his USPS riders knew when International Cycling Union (UCI) doctors would visit the team for random drug testing.

Del Moral denies the charges.

Garmin-Cervelo Fires Team Director Matt White | This Just In

Vaughters added that despite the Spanish doctors controversial reputation, he is convinced that White sent Lowe to see Del Moral for legitimate reasons. “Moral runs a government-funded lab in Valencia. Lowe lived in Valencia and clearly needed body composition and VO2 testing and this was the closest place for him to go. But it showed extremely poor judgment on White’s part and a slap on the wrist is not a solution in this day and age of cycling.”

Trent Lowe - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Trent Lowe (born 8 October 1984 in Melbourne) is a professional road bicycle racer from Australia. He rode for Garmin-Transitions on the UCI ProTour from 2008 to 2010. Lowe was one of only two Australians on the Slipstream Squad, the other being Chris 'CJ' Sutton who came from Cofidis in 2007. The former full-time professional mountain biker had a breakthrough year on the road in 2005 riding for the US domestic team, Jittery Joe's, where he caught eye of Discovery Channel sports manager Johan Bruyneel. He was signed for Discovery Channel for his superior climbing abilities. In 2002 he won the UCI MTB World Junior XC Championship, then he won the under-23 Australian National Mountain Bike Championship in 2003 and 2004.

Following 2 seasons of injury and chronic fatigue, the young climber signed with the new Australian team, Pegasus, [1] before the announcement that they has failed to obtain an 2011 UCI World Tour license.

Matt White (cyclist) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

After 2 years with the Australian GIANT-AIS Cycling Team, White then went through Italian teams Amore e Vita (1998) and Vini Caldirola (1999) before finding himself on the US Postal Service team from 2001 through to 2003. In this period White was not selected to ride the Tour de France with Lance Armstrong but did ride the 2003 Vuelta a España in support of Roberto Heras. [2] In 2004, Matthew moved to the French Cofidis team to join fellow Australian Stuart O'Grady.

A bit of fun as Evans and Gilbert attack and pass a motorbike

Well I enjoyed it anyway. Tour of Romandie? Was it 2009?

Excuses, excuses. Cancellara excuses his poor road race form because he was concerned about next year. Didn't stop him in the TT though.

It's hard to think under pressure, especially when fools like me will analyse every word. English may also not be kind to Cancellara's meaning. And he may have been misquoted. True, also, that he does have a lot at stake personally. But telling the world that he was distracted by next year's contract during the World Road Champs and that it "played into" his performance does boggle the mind somewhat. Didn't he win the TT? So by extension we can assume that he only thinks about next year when getting dropped in a road race? Is that what he meant?

Cancellara Set To Join Luxembourg Pro Cycling Project | Cyclingnews.com

"The most important thing is to be with the people I feel comfortable with. I need my mechanic and my soigneur. I need to be in a perfect environment. In joining an environment that I don't know yet, I could lose one year. I thought a lot about it at the Worlds and this played into my performance,” he said.

Compare and contrast Gilbert attacking crashed Nibali with Andy whining when Alberto didn't wait

Funny how Andy Schleck's supporters got so much currency out of Alberto Contador's apparent (and opportune) ignorance of Andy's unfortunate gear-shift stuff-up during Le Tour yet Phillipe Gilbert gets nothing but praise for his decisive attacking style, even when it's at the expense of a crashed rider. Yes, yes, Grand Tours aren't like one day races. Yes, yes, it's different when you are racing for the last monument of the year - there's no "next day" to make amends. But it's still in stark contrast to the "Contador should have waited" pleadings. Has anyone criticised Gilbert for taking 'undue or unsportsmanlike' advantage?

Oh, in case you don't know, I think that mechanicals and crashes, like illness and weather, are all part of racing and you should just get over it. Whilst I always appreciated a bunch waiting for me (or at least wondering what happened) after a mid-race mishap I never expected them to...  it's not a training ride, it's a race. Some thoughtfulness and diligence applies, sure, and there's always room to ride fair and clean - but it's still a race littered with obstacles and what-ifs. And those who get around the obstacles best win.   

Gilbert Relishes Cold And Wet Conditions At Lombardy | Cyclingnews.com

Gilbert admitted he heard Nibali crash and accelerated to make sure the Italian did not get back up to him.

"I didn’t see him crash but I heard it. I thought it was him because I didn’t see him and then Lastras told me. I went hard so that he couldn't get back up to us. But that's all part of racing."

I almost agree with Mark Cavendish. Am I going mad? A balanced view on India and the Commonwealth Games

Given the intensely critical and largely anti-Indian drivel written and broadcast prior (and during) the Commonwealth Games it's somewhat refreshing to read Mark Cavendish's honest and balanced opinion. Whilst I may not say it exactly the same way I tend to agree with the overall tone. The lead-up to the Beijing Olympics was similar with the old media focused on the delays, disease, displaced homeless and poor air quality rather than the opportunity. Yes, these are common problems in developing nations. And so it is with these games and the host, India. Of course it hasn't been plain sailing and there are problems, and it may all go pear-shaped from here. But for mine I think India is doing a great job - and for such an enormous time-critical project it appears to be going - if not perfectly - quite well.

I'm sure they'd do even better if they had the surfeit of public resources that the Western so-called "developed" nations have. Indeed what the Western nations - or at least their old guard media - haven't developed is a sense of decency and fair play in their reporting. That doesn't mean covering up, it means balance. Bravo to Mark C. for his remarks.     

Cavendish Frustrated By Lack Of New Contract Deal With HTC-Columbia | Cyclingnews.com

“We’re in India,” said Cavendish. “It’s not a Western country. “I think it's quite ignorant to assume we were going to going to be in a Western-style country. I've been to India before on holiday - I knew what it was going to be like."

“I think it's ignorant not to respect the way those countries are, it's how it is. The reason India's got the Commonwealth Games is because it's a developing country, so you can't expect it to be like going to Hong Kong or something."

Haussler kicks himself for missing out when most kneeded (pun intended). And for Hushovd, what a way to make your season.

Now that was like a real race. One moment the sprinters were in and then they were out. Gilbert made his expected bold bid but too far out; yet it wasn't his fault - where else could he attack? And when it looked like a faltering Gilbert would get caught by the defending champion, they were all swallowed up by the dropped yet regrouped riders instead. And when the name "Hushovd" was seen to be included in the re-combined front group - well the obvious was about to happen, and it did.

I bet Haussler was kicking himself for racing too soon on that crook knee.  

UCI Road World Championships: Elite Men Road Race, Route Maps & Results | Cyclingnews.com

It was a course for the tough sprinter; a man made of iron that could get over the climbs and launch a brutal uphill sprint: enter Thor Hushovd (Norway). The final sprint in Geelong, Australia was perfectly suited to the Norwegian rider and with a clear run down the left hand barrier, Hushovd secured a year in the rainbow colours of UCI Road World Champion.

More magpie attacks on world championship riders suggest avian plot against cyclists

At the very least these magpie attacks will make the 2010 World Road Championships in Geelong memorable. But is it an avian plot? Is there a hidden agenda to discourage cycling (at least between September and early November, anyway)?

Herald Sun World Cycling Classic Ballarat: Elite Women, Route Maps & Results | Cyclingnews.com

Swart suffered some interference from a magpie out on the course. “Trixi and I and the other riders in the break, kind of got attacked by the magpies,” explained Swart. “I don’t know if that’s normal, but apparently it happens to be so.

“You come to Australia to see kangaroos but all I have seen is magpies,” she added. “They kind of remind me of squirrels or possums in America, they are always on the road.”

addicted2wheels: Gilbert lucky to survive "large bird" attack. Locals resort to antennae. He' s either on Mars or Oz

Gilbert lucky to survive "large bird" attack. Locals resort to antennae. He' s either on Mars or Oz
I once raced with a Singaporean guy who claimed that "an eagle" (read 'magpie', a fairly aggressive meateater in the nesting season) had attacked him during a race on the old Yanderra course near Mittagong. Well those black-and-white Aussie "eagles" are after the Belgians now....

Gilbert lucky to survive "large bird" attack. Locals resort to antennae. He' s either on Mars or Oz

I once raced with a Singaporean guy who claimed that "an eagle" (read 'magpie', a fairly aggressive black-and-white feathered meateater in the nesting season) had attacked him during a race on the old Yanderra course near Mittagong. Well those black-and-white Aussie "eagles" are after the Belgians now....

Gilbert Likes Worlds Course In Melbourne | Cyclingnews.com

Gilbert was relaxed and fresh after a few days in Australia, even laughing off an attack from a bird while out training.

"I was riding along the coastline on my own when an unidentifiable object brushed past me. I actually looked around and saw a large bird flying away," he said.

"Now I understand why cyclists here ride around with antennae on their helmets. But I do not intend to do that."

Riis has a whinge about upstart Richie, but if you signed for peanuts and went top 10 in a GT what would you do?

No-one really expected Tasmanian Richie Porte to go Top-10 in his first Grand Tour, let alone collect best young rider along the way. No-one really expected him to wear the leader's jersey, either. Not in his first GT, let alone first Giro. But he did. And I'm betting he signed up with Team Saxo Bank for a relative pittance. Whilst I'm sure he got some bonuses out of his performances in 2010 and Riis is certainly right - there is a contract and it was Riis who took the initial risk, and that matters too - it's no surprise the guy wants a bit more now, is it?

This sort of public response by Riis is understandable but doesn't foster loyalty and team cohesion, does it? Ahhh, but there's right and wrong on both sides... and as the cliche goes, time will tell.

Bjarne Riis puts foot down: Richie Porte stays

"It's a huge problem in the sport, and this year it has gone berserk. The agents are running around and shop with all sorts or teams, and it's not just us who have these problems. It must stop now, it's unacceptable. The agents bring ideas into the minds of young riders by putting figures in their minds that are completely unrealistic."

Holy Toldeo Batman, Gilbert has some form on the bike. But will he prevail in Geelong?

I'm tempted to say yes - Philippe Gilbert has to be the red-hot favourite 2 weeks out from the World Road Champs in Geelong. Unfortunately that may just mean we are overlooking a few 'quiet achievers', like Roche or Pozatto. Whilst Farrar is clearly not far off - and Cavendish is further back - those 11 final laps will wipe the grin off all of the sprinters, barring perhaps a recovering Freire and a just-off-the-pace Davis. Which leaves the likes of Evans (little racing since the Tour so big question mark) and Gerrans (better than Evans but not by much) to make a race of it. If they can hang on to Gilbert's wheel, that is.

Vuelta A España: Stage 19, Route Maps & Results | Cyclingnews.com

Philippe Gilbert (Omega Pharma-Lotto) gave a resounding demonstration of his world championship credentials with a splendid Vuelta stage victory in Toledo. The Belgian delivered a scintillating sprint on the deceptively tough drag to the line that saw overall leader Vincezo Nibali (Liquigas-Doimo) snatch a potentially crucial 12 seconds from his closest rival Ezequeil Mosquera (Xacobeo Galicia).

addicted2wheels: Watch Gilbert at Geelong - he'll be marked for sure but he's ideal on the World Champs course

The Vuelta is already looking interesting. We've had Cavendish almost 'accidentally' take the GC lead and then we've seen Phillippe Gilbert earn the leader's jersey. Gilbert is one of the riders destined to fight it out over the last of those horrid, torrid 16km laps in Geelong. There will be riders shelled out the back on each of the small but steep climbs but Gilbert won't be one of them. Expect Evans and Gerrans to be there, too, and possibly - just maybe - some of the tougher, more dogged sprinters.