Reynolds Composites Studio releases its RZR Technical Guide Series, detailing the technical advantages of the RZR technology compared to competitor products. These comparisons demonstrate the quantitative performance advantages that Reynolds' products offer today's cyclist.

> Download the complete RZR Technical Guide Series.

Eric Barlevav and Jackie Simes IV (both of Mountain Khakis Pro Cycling Team) will pair up again September 19th, for the Atlanta Madison held at the Dick Lane Velodrome in East Point, Georgia. “The Madison” presented by Thomsen Ltd, is the final night in the 2009 DLV Pro Race Series. This final weekend of pro racing also carries a purse of $4540, promising to entice some of the countries top Madison racers.

The DLV’s Operations Manager, and former professional track racer, Jeff Hopkins is excited to have the two Mountain Khakis riders down for the weekend. With their obvious focus being Saturday Nights Madison event, the two will also take part in Friday Nights “Need for Speed” sprint tournament. With Eric Barlevav recently finishing 4th at the UNIVEST Criterium (Sunday the 13th), the team of two may be well positioned to finish in the money on both nights.

Saturday evening’s Madison program will be reminiscent of a typical Six Day with the night broken into two separate chases, and individual races for either rider, namely a Miss and Out and a Scratch Race. There will also be the tightly contested flying lap. Both riders will use this weekend as their final preparation for the Elite Track Nationals to be held at the ADT center in Los Angeles, Sept 30th – October 4th.
 

By dave_atkinson

Reynolds have joined forces with renowned composites guru Paul Lew to bring the world the RZR wheelset, and at under 900g for the tubular-rimmed set (the clinchers will be finished by early 2010) they're certainly pushing the envelope in terms of weight. And it's not just another carbon wheel in the same mould (as it were) – there's some new thinking beneath the surface of the RZRs.

Paul Lew has an unparalleled CV where Carbon bike wheels are concerned. Back in 2004 he was teaching manufacturing processes to Shimano to help them develop their WH-7800 wheelsets, and Lew's own wheels were winning multiple Ironman titles, Olympic titles and Tour stages. Lew sold his proprietary techniques to Reynolds a while back, and now he's working with the Utah-based company to produce a wheelset lighter even than the ones that have previously borne his name. And with the larger volumes that Reynolds can produce, the price might even come down to a point where mortals can add them to the wishlist: Lew's hand built custom VT-1 sets didn't leave you with much change out of $15,000.

Technology-wise, the RZRs use a unidirectional Carbon rim and a composite hub, laced together with Carbon airfoil spokes. "The RZR concept", say Reynolds, "begins with the spokes", the big difference being that the spokes aren't tensioned. Because Carbon isn't particularly reliable in compression, Reynolds have attempted to eradicate the one-third of the wheel revolution the spokes are compressed. Their modelling shows that with no tension in the spokes the forces are much more evenly distributed meaning the spokes are less likely to fail.

The rim has been redesigned too, to work better with the zero tension spokes. It's still a unidirectional composite structure though, a feature brought through from Lew's own wheels, and Reynolds claim their 'Swirl Lip Generator' helps to improve areodynamics.

The most obvious change to the naked eye, though, is in the rear hub. Instead of the usual two flanges, the RZR has three: two where you'd expect to find them, and a third directly in line with the rim, which Reynolds claim helps to trasfer torque to the rim without pulling it out of line. Up front, where drive isn't an issue, it's a standard two flange arrangement with radial spokes.

And how do they ride? Well, Reynolds make grand claims for them, and since they're well under the kilo we'd expect them to be super fast. But we'll reserve judgement until we've seen them in the flesh... watch this space. For more on the RZRs, head to www.theworldslightestwheel.com
 

Canyon Bicycles-Sienna Development team member Chase Pinkham chalked up a 3rd place finish in the Climber’s Trophy, the unofficial Utah State Hillclimb Championships on Sept. 5. Chase was bested by “Stormin” Norman Bryner and Sam “Blitz” Krieg. This result put Chase into 2nd in the Utah Cycling Association overall standings despite spending a month of the season racing in France.

The Canyon Bicycles-Sienna Dev’t. 12K Dream Team exists to identify talented young riders in the state of Utah and to give those talents the opportunity to develop their abilities at the highest level. More info at 12kdreamteam.com, and because you just can’t enough dream team, you can also follow us on Facebook and Twitter.

The Canyon Bicycles-Sienna Development 12K Dream Team was unable to secure a starting spot in the 2009 Larry H. Miller Tour of Utah.  However, three of the dreamers- Chase Pinkham, Michael Booth, and Ben D’Hulst- were named to the Utah All-Stars team, also sponsored by Canyon Bicycles.  Sadly, D’Hulst was unable to compete suffering some tendonitis in the knee following the Cascade Classic.

Booth was having a solid ride until the epic Stage 4 where he fell victim to the dreaded time cut. Of course, Booth was saddened by this turn of events, as he was certainly looking forward to the final stage criterium to show his speed.  Put in perspective, it was Booth’s first ever pro stage race, and also the most difficult stage of the race known as “America’s Hardest Stage Race”.

At 18 years old, Chase Pinkham was the youngest finisher of the tour in 45th place.  This result drew the attention of several pro team managers.  With a brain to match his motor, Chase began college the very next day at the University of Utah.

Team manager Ryan Barrett took a break from promoting the world’s greatest wheels (Reynolds, obviously!) in the expo area to race in the amateur criterium on Sunday, taking 2nd out of a field sprint.  Barrett was aided by team members Tyler Riediesel and Dustin Eskelson, as well as several members of the Canyon Bicycles shop team.

When one of the pre-race favourites Evan Oliphant warms up by playing flower of Scotland on the bagpipes during the race briefing you know that something special is brewing.

And very special it was , two riders (Rab Wardell KUK Kinesis and Robin Wilkins Stirling Bike Club/Wheels of Callandar) shot out of the trap like greyhounds. Behind it was carnage as echelons formed like Japanese fans putting riders at maximum clinging on for dear life. Attack after attack came and went after the fleeing pair until eventually the string snapped and two groups moved away in pursuit. The two groups merged and chased after the two-up train that was not giving up the lead without a fight. With Wilkins having his eye on sealing the Super six overall series KOM by winning the two early KOM primes and Wardell “steaming” this was going to be some chase. By the end of lap 1 the two had barely 45 seconds but Wardell used his MTB bike handling skills to great effect and dropped down the “red carpet ride” like a stone. Touching 55MPH and with Wilkins visibly scared to death but hanging on like a dog to a postmans leg they opened the gap to 1 minute. The NEG outriders hesitated even to pass the flying pair such was the speed on the descent. Behind the chasing group was also flying with James McCallum driving the group to greater efforts and they In turn increased the gap to the peloton. The chasing group contained four Endura riders (Gary Hand, ,Evan Oliphant, David Lines and James McCallum) , Mathew Kipling KUK Kinesis, Alister Kay ,York Cycleworks, Ashley Finn Herbal Life Wheelbase, Paul Rennie Dooleys RT, Andrew Guy SIS.COM, Alex Coutts Heraklion , Ben Greenwood Rapha Condor, Colin Humphry Team Sports Cover and a surprise package in 3rd category comeback rider Chris Whittle from Deeside Thistle.

With Kipling having the only excuse to sit on it was expected that this group would soon eat into the lead of the flying duo. The opposite was true as Wardell and Wilkins came through with two to go still with 1 minute lead intact and the Enduras looking at each other in disbelief that the gap was not closing. Such was the speed of this chasing group that it was constantly splitting and re-forming.

Finally on the long headwind section the chasing group started to make headway but this was no easy closure. Wardell and Wilkins would not surrender and even at 30 seconds would not give in. With the chasing group buckling under the pressure it was phenomenal stuff to watch. At last the junction was made and would this then ease? No chance , attack after attack came from all the main protagonists with the combination of who was in the split being worked out and decisions made to chase or wait . For the individual riders this was like a game of chess trying to get in the right combination with the Endura escapees and for Endura it was a case of attack until it explodes and explode it did with Rennie, blowing a gasket. In amongst this fray the amazing Wardell punctured and returned to the break with incredible speed. In the end it was a Mexican standoff with a gallop up the long uphill finish. With Endura setting it up for Hand and Oliphant it was a massive effort by Hand that took him clear for a two handed salute to the crowd from Kipling and Oliphant. One of the best fields assembled for a race this year in Scotland had not disappointed. Hands win also confirmed him as overall series leader and the brave efforts of Wardell earned him the Jason Macintyre memorial award as most aggressive rider.

Report by Race organiser Callum Gough.

Reynolds Cycling introduces the RZR. The World's Lightest Wheel. Sub-900 grams per pair. Take a look.

THE STORY
Reynolds Cycling is quickly becoming a popular choice for carbon racing wheels. Their newest road-racing clincher wheelset, the DV 46C UL, fits smack in the middle of the present “ride as big a wheel as you can get away with” trend among pro racers. With a 46-millimeter profile, the DV 46C lets competitors know that top speed is your intention, and at 1410 grams for the pair, you won’t have to give up the sprints or climbs to bring an aerodynamic advantage to the finish line. The $2750 hoops are pricey, but very competitive in the speed-at-any-cost club.

TECH
Reynolds lays up the 19-millimeter-wide DV 46C UL rims using a process they say employs a continuous width of unidirectional carbon material that is impregnated with a stronger resin—one that was chosen to dissipate heat more efficiently. Reynolds places no weight limit on the wheelset, and the 458-gram clincher rim is certified for tire pressures up to 150psi. Unlike cheater aero clinchers that utilize a standard rim profile with an aero shell bonded to it, the DV 46C UL rim is the real deal. Reynolds’ spoke interface is at the apex of the deep-profile rim, allowing a shorter, lighter-weight spoke and providing a more obtuse spoke angle to better support the wheel.

Rims are laced using the neo-classic radial-front and radial-left-two-cross right-side rear pattern. The spokes are DT Swiss, with bladed 15-gauge for the front and non-drive side of the rear wheel, and butted, 14/15/15 round spokes on the drive-side of the rear hub. Reynolds’ oh-so-smooth-rolling hubs are also made by DT Swiss. You can buy the wheels configured for Campagnolo or with Shimano-compatible freehubs, and the set comes with Reynolds carbon-specific brake pads, valve extenders, plastic tire levers (steel levers are a Reynolds no-no) and a special spoke wrench that fits deep into the rim’s cross-section. The overall construction of the wheel is beautiful. There are no ragged carbon layers, and the braking tracks are pre-surfaced. The supplied quick-releases use titanium shafts, but with ordinary levers (eccentric levers that ride on cupped washers), which can make for slow wheel changes should the washers refuse to cooperate.

THE RIDE
We fitted the Reynolds clincher wheels with fast-rolling Vredestein Fortezza SE tires and a ten-speed Campagnolo Record cassette for ready-to-rock weights of 1032 grams front and 1454 grams rear. While the Vredestein tires are tagged at 160psi max, and the rims are good for 150psi, we found that the wheels rolled faster at more moderate pressures in the 110psi range. With moderated pressure, the Reynolds DV 46C UL wheels had an energetic near-tubular feel and could even out all but the roughest patches of pavement.

Braking was strong, but never aluminum-rim-smooth. Unless we were traveling at a high rate of speed, there was always a noticeable degree of pulsing as the carbon-specific brake pads searched for friction on the laminated carbon braking tracks. This phenomenon was once thought to be a byproduct of all carbon rims, but we have tested rims from at least one competitor that have disproved the pulsing carbon theory. With that said, we had no problems hauling down the bike to cornering speed on 40 mph descents. Where we did find issue was when we were descending in strong, buffeting crosswinds. In this situation, the Reynolds aero wheels wavered off-line and required some concentration from the rider and a degree of muscle to maintain position in the pace line. To put this in perspective, the 46-millimeter-profile DV 46C pulls about 25- to 30-percent harder than the 58-millimeter deep Zipp 404, which is its direct competitor.

RBA’S VERDICT
Reynolds bills the DV 46C UL as a climbing/racing wheelset, and if you choose to compete on clincher tires, we’d agree. At 1454 grams a set, you get real aerodynamic efficiency from a wheel that compares favorably with its non-aero competition (Mavic Ksyrium: 1480 grams, Campagnolo Shamal: 1493 grams) and slips in below Zipp’s 1615 grams, 404 clincher wheels. Wind tunnel data and real-time competition results have clearly shown that an aero-profile wheel is more beneficial than a lighter-weight, non-aero wheelset. Reynolds has been saying this all along. The buy-in to the big-as-you-can-ride wheel trend is that you must learn to ride aero-profile rims in cross-winds—something that ProTour riders mastered in less than one season. If you are ready, start with the Reynolds DV 46C UL wheelset.

PRICE: $2750
INFO: www.reynoldscycling.com
BONUS POINTS: Weight, and aerodynamics efficiency

This year's Richmond Grand Prix is wide open as the North Yorkshire market town hosts the final Premier Calendar of the season with many of the top contenders racing elsewhere this weekend.

The season-long series has already been wrapped up by 2008 winner Russell Downing who will not be riding in Yorkshire, and the clash with the Tour of Ireland means no Halfords and skeleton crews from both CandiTV and Rapha. The top six finishers in the previous Premier Calendar round, the Tour of Pendle, are all away. So the likes of veteran comeback man John Tanner (Sportscover) and Sport Beans big Pole Marcin Bialoblocki will be relishing getting stuck in to the 82-mile race on Sunday.

But looking forward to Pendle more than most is North East division champion Matt Kipling. The Kinesis rider from Bishop Auckland finished seventh at Pendle and is the local lad in this Sunday's race.

"It's about 20 miles from me. It's a really tough circuit," said Kipling. "Butter Tubs Pass on the first big loop is tough, but the finishing circuit is even worse. It has really bad side winds so there is no recovery at all. I would imagine there will be a natural split on Butter Tubs and then the race will be decided on the finishing circuit."

Kipling's young Kinesis team-mates have stepped up a gear in recent races. The likes of James Moss and Rab Wardell have given the squad extra impetus for the remainder of the season and there has been a bigger contribution from the whole team.

"We have done well the last few weeks," explained Kipling. "We have had guys getting in the breaks and taking the pressure off the guys in the peloton, so when the race has come back together, we have managed to get riders finishing in the top twenty or top ten. That is pretty much all we can ask for against the big teams at the moment."

The marked improvement from the squad came from sitting down and analysing where they were getting it wrong. "There could be ten attempts at a breakaway before one of them sticks, but unless one of our guys is ready to go with every attempt, we found we were missing the moves," said Kipling.

"You have only got so many efforts in you: it is a matter of when to use them. Early on this year, we were finding that if we missed the breaks, we were putting ourselves under pressure to drive the race. That is the biggest thing we have changed this year.

"Hopefully, that will continue this weekend."

Steve Lampier: One of the Kinesis squad getting in the moves

Mejor imposible para el Andalucía CajaSur en la quinta etapa de la Vuelta ciclista a Portugal. El equipo de Antonio Cabello no sólo ha ganado en la jornada de hoy, sino que además se ha quedado también con la segunda posición. Antonio Piedra y Jose Antonio López Gil tienen buena culpa de ellos. Ambos han sido primero y segundo respectivamente en la línea de meta de Fafe, tras una etapa en la que el Andalucía CajaSur ha vuelto a demostrar su afán de pelea y combatividad. Portugal sigue siendo tierra de triunfos para los andaluces.

Piedra se ha impuesto en el sprint a su propio compañero, López Gil. Ambos han aventajado en tres segundos al tercer clasificado, Mauro Santambrogio, del equipo Lampre. El resto del grupo ha llegado en el mismo tiempo tras una jornada de muchos intentos en la carrera.

El director del equipo, Juan Martínez Oliver, se mostró tremendamente satisfecho y aseguró que “Estamos muy contentos por los dos primeros puestos obtenidos. En un principio se había hablado de las muchas posibilidades de llegar a la escapada. Primero lo intentó Abeja, Toribio y Malaguetas. De nuevo se formó una escapada de 8 ciclistas donde se metieron Malaguetas y Piedra. En un primer momento se sacrificó Piedra por Malaguetas, pero el malagueño se vino abajo y le tocó ayudar a su compañero, Piedra, quien ha ganado la 5ª etapa, Malaguetas la 2ª posición. Ahora solo toca seguir trabajando como lo hemos hecho hasta ahora y conseguir todos los triunfos que podamos”, comentó Oliver.

En la clasificación general de la ronda lusa, el liderato sigue siendo para Nuno Ribeiro, del equipo Liberty Seguros, seguido de Joao Cabreira y David Bernabeu, a 2 y 46 segundos respectivamente.

Mañana se disputa la sexta etapa, con salida en la localidad de Barcelos y llegada en Santo Tirso tras un recorrido de 174.6 kilómetros.

Back on top after turning back on sport

Jessica Phillips (Lip Smackers) returned to bike racing after a four year absence with the kind of goals that some might call lofty. Her hard work and determination paid off however when she was crowned the 2009 United States of America Time Trial Champion on Friday.

“I’m so thrilled I can’t even tell you,” said Phillips. “You read about people who quit and come back strong and I really wanted to be one of those people who dedicated their year to pulling off something like this. I couldn’t be more happy.”

She is no stranger to the stars and stripes jersey, having won the Elite women’s road race in 2002. She went on to compete for high profile teams like American-based team Saturn in 2003 and then German-based team Nurenberger in 2004. However the rising star packed up and walked away from bike racing mid-season without notice.

“I wasn’t happy like a lot of people when they go to Europe because it’s a hard experience for whatever reason,” said Phillips. “I felt like I just gave up. I left Nurenberger straight from a race and didn’t come back, I just quit.

“I have always felt in the back of my mind that I was a quiter,” she added. “I was never happy with the decision I made to leave and I wasn’t going to be happy until I came back and gave it a real shot again.”

During her four years away from the cycling scene, Phillips dabbled in skiing coaching, she was the manager of a restaurant and even tried graduate school. However nothing seemed to keep her attention. “I had this shadow over me, a dark place where I knew I wanted to still bike race and I wasn’t 100-percent into any of those other things,” she said.

In her first year back Phillips came into the championships event in top form, having won the Cascade Cycling Classic stage four time trial a few days prior. The 35 kilometre course mimicked stage race course with the addition of a final loop before the finish line.

“I was really nervous all day,” she said. “I was hoping for a top five, but after I won Cascade last week I thought I could actually win.”

Her time of 50:35 minutes beat bike racing new comer Evelyn Stevens (CRCA) by a mere second. Defending champion Alison Powers (Team Type 1) placed third with a time of 50:58 minutes.

Jessica Phillips (Lip Smackers) at the front even after her time trial win yesterday.

The Canyon Bicycles-Sienna Dev’t. 12K Dream Team sent a four man hit squad to do battle at the Cascade Cycling Classic Category 2 stage race in Bend, OR.  Team stalwart Michael Booth managed to drop all but one of his breakaway companions and sprint to victory in the opening stage.  In the Stage 2 time trial, Booth slipped to 2nd where he would remain, agonizingly close to the win, for the remainder of the race.  The team showed some depth with Dustin Eskelson finishing 10th in Stage 2, and Tyler Riedesel finishing 8th on the 4th and final stage.

With his 2nd place on G.C., Booth (more than) solidified his Cat. 1 upgrade, enabling him to race in the upcoming Tour of Utah.  Booth is the 3rd rider from the team to upgrade to Category 1 this year.

Chase Pinkham and Dustin Eskelson will compete in the U23 National Championships this week in Bend, OR.  The remainder of the team will be split between the Allan Butler Memorial Criterium and the Tour de Park City.

The Canyon Bicycles-Sienna Dev’t. 12K Dream Team exists to identify talented young riders in the state of Utah and to give those talents the opportunity to develop their abilities at the highest level.  More info at 12kdreamteam.com.

38 Year-Old Moves Up 15 Places On GC Riding Reynolds Wheels!

Last Sunday, Agritubel's old man Christophe Moreau was sitting anonymously in 43rd place, but three consecutive top 10 stage finishes have moved the tall, tough Frenchman into the top 30 at Le Tour.

In Thursday's Stage 18 Time Trial, Moreau was 8th in 49:14", :45" behing stage winner Alberto Contador while riding a Reynolds SDV66T front wheel & Element Disc rear wheel.

Wednesday Moreau was 8th on Stage 17, while he finished 9th on Tuesday's Stage 16, both while riding Reynolds DV46T UL that weigh only 1155 grams per pair. Currently Christophe Moreau is sitting 28th on GC @ 37'06".

Agritubel's talented Tour rookie Maxime Bouet had a good ride in Thursday's Stage 18 Time Trial, finishing 58th on Reynolds SDV66T front wheel & Element Disc rear wheel. Bouet is currently sitting 10th in the Tour's Young Riders Classification and is a respectable 73rd on General Classification after Stage 18.

Agritubel's French climber Geoffroy Lequatre was 69th in Thursday's Stage 18 Time Trial on Reynolds SDV66T front wheel & Element Disc rear wheel.

Agritubel's Sylvain Calzati took it easy in Thursday's Stage 18 Time Trial, finishing 122nd on Reynolds SDV66T front wheel & Element Disc rear wheel.

 

What a weekend for the Canyon Bicycles-Sienna Dev’t 12K Dream Team! Friday, July 17, team super hero Chase Pinkham traveled south to the Capital Reef Stage Race and managed to pop off a V in the opening time trial. The same afternoon, he got in a two man break with Fly V-Successful Living professional Michael Grabinger, putting three minutes on the field and securing his 2nd victory. On Saturday, he let us all down by finishing 2nd in the final road race. Just kidding, Chase! He did make it 3 for the weekend, by winning the G.C., however.

Ben D’Hulst led the team with a 5th place finish in the Sundance Hillclimb on Saturday, won by David Francis of Las Vegas.

One thing we have failed to mention in all our team reporting this year is that our awesome title sponsor Canyon Bicycles of Draper, also sponsors one of the largest shop teams in our region. Only a few of the riders on the shop team are Cat. 1-2’s and they generally race masters, so we usually only race together at the local weeknight events. Not so at the Boise Twilight Criterium. Canyon team member, Andre Gonzalez led out Dream Team member Michael Booth for the win in the Category 2 event. Lucky win #13 in 2009 for the Canyon Bicycles-Sienna Dev’t team. Not content with playing lead out man, Gonzalez hung on for 2nd himself, making a nice photo op!

The Canyon Bicycles-Sienna Dev’t. 12K Dream Team exists to identify talented young riders in the state of Utah and to give those talents the opportunity to develop their abilities at the highest level. More info at 12kdreamteam.com- site has been updated!

Scrappy French squad Agritubel. sponsored by Reynolds Wheels, continued to ride well at the Tour De France this weekend, with solid performances by Sylvain Calzati and Tour rookie Brice Feillu, who has been one of the revelations of the 96th Tour De France.

On Thursday’s Stage 12 from Tonnerre to Vittel, it was Agritubel’s Sylvain Calzati in the escape of the day and the 30 year old from Lyon eventually finished 6th on the day.
Thursday July 16 / Stage 12: Tonnerre-Vittel / 211.5km
6. Sylvain Calzati (Fra) Agritubel @ :48"     

On Friday’s Stage 13, a cold and wet day through the Vosges Mountains, Agritubel’s Tour rookie Brice Feillu continued his strong Tour riding with an excellent third place on the stage.

Friday July 17 / Stage 13: Vittel-Colmar / 200km
3. Brice Feillu (Fra) Agritubel @ 6'13"       

Agritubel’s Tour rookie Brice Feillu surged strongly on Sunday’s stage that finished atop the Verbier ski resort. Feillu was a solid 25th on the stage, 3'14" behind winner & new Maillot Jaune Alberto Contador.
Feillu moved up to 22nd on overall General classification, 7'04" behind Contador and is 4th in mountains and 5th in Young Rider classification.

Sunday July 19 / Stage 15: Pontarlier-Verbier 207.5km
25. Brice Feillu (Fra) Agritubel @ 3'14"
       
Overall Mountains classification   
4. Brice Feillu (Fra) Agritubel: 64 Points     

Young riders
5. Brice Feillu (Fra) Agritubel @ 4'38"     

General classification after stage 15   
22. Brice Feillu (Fra) Agritubel @ 7'04"       


 

Just one week after arriving back from their first European Pro Six Day, Jackie Simes IV and Eric Barlevav of the Mountain Khakis Pro Cycling Team take the win in the Detroit UIV 3- Day International.
 
Just as their rocky start in Fiorenzuola where their bikes arrived one day late and they had to start on borrowed equipment, their fortunes in Detroit or at least on their way to Detroit, had potentially gone from bad to worse. Driving on their way to Michigan from Pennsylvania a piece of sheet metal kicked up by a truck in front of them smashed through the windshield of their car. Fortunately neither Simes or Barlevav were hurt, but the mishap certainly delayed their journey as they had to replace the wind shield, and ultimately had an effect on their preparation for the opening days racing.
 
However, after the first night of racing at the Bloomer Park Velodrome, the duo lead by 8 points over the Canadian Team of Daniele DeFranceschi (also recently back from the Fiorenzuola Six) and Steven Meyer. In third place more than 11 points back were the team of Iggie Silva and Lanell Rockmore riding under the Team USA banner.
 
As Day two unfolded, it was clear that the racing would be aggressive from the start as all but the team in last position remained on equal laps. While the Canadians instigated the attacks by winning the first two short scratch races of the night, it was the 120 lap Madison chase that saw Barlevav and Simes take two laps on the field with Silva and Rockmore trailing behind them by one.
 
Rockmore opened up the third day of racing by adding some points to Team USA's tally as he won the 200meter TT in 11.66 seconds narrowly missing the track record set by local rider Terry Palmer. But laps were needed over points, if any teams were to topple the lead of the Mountain Khakis duo of Simes and Barlevav. Race promoter Dale Hughes commented that, " Jackie Simes and Eric Barlavav dominated the sprints but more importantly powered their way to laps over the field. They were just having a great 3 Days of serious Madison racing success!"
 
Final standings.
1st Team Mountain Khaki's, Jackie Simes & Eric Barlevav +5 Laps 1 pts

2nd Team USA, Iggy Silva & Lanell Rockmore +3 Laps 31 pts

3rd Team Canada, Daniele DeFranceschi & Steven Meyer +1 Lap 32 pts

 
The Detroit UIV 3 Day International is the only American Track Event that complies with and is supported by the UIV(Union Internationale des Velodromes), the body that governs the International Six Day Circuit. The win here should bode Simes and Barlevav well as they look to the winter Six Day season beginning in October, to expand on their European experience gained in Fiorenzuola.
 
Photos by Dale Hughes

Agritubel's Brice Feillu On His Way To A Stage 7 Stage Win On Reynolds DV46 UL T wheels

2009 marks the second consecutive year that Reynolds Wheels are present at the Tour De France. So far, this has been the biggest year ever for Reynolds Cycling at the Tour De France, with a stage win by Agritubel's Brice Feillu and generally strong riding by the French squad. Here is a gallery of Reynolds Cycling images from Le Tour. 

     Christopne Moreau's Team Agritubel Kuota KOM with Reynolds DV46 wheels, SRAM Red Group             and SRAM Rival 180 cranks

22 year old Tour rookie Maxime Bouet & 38 year old Christopne Moreau of Team Agritubel hang our before a stage start at the 2009 Tour De France.

Former French champ Nicolas Vogondy's Team Agritubel Kuota Kueen-K time trial bike with Reynolds Element disc wheel

Team Agritubel mechanics match up race wheels before the stage start

Each wheelset is numbered, front & rear so they have the same wear during the race

Team Agritubel gets ready for battle at the Tour De France

Team Agritubel Kuota KOM team bikes

Team Agritubel Kuota KOM team bikes with MV 32 UL T wheels

First Ever Stage Win For Agritubel & Reynolds Wheels

Riding Reynolds DV46 UL C wheels, 23 year old Tour De France rookie Brice Feillu (Agritubel), younger brother of 2008 Maillot Jaune Romain Feillu, won Stage 7 from Barcelona to Andorra Arcalis. The longest stage in the 2009 Tour at 224km and the first mountaintop finish, Stage 7 was also the first ever stage win Tour De France for Reynolds sponsored Team Agritubel. Feillu was really struck by his fantastic ride, saying e was going to win a stage of the Tour de France. "There are just so many people in every curve, sometimes you almost can't pass, the motorbikes are honking their horns... It's just an incredible feeling. You really feel like you can fly. But you also resist that feeling, thinking about the next gap your DS will give you in the earpiece," Feillu said. "To participate in my first Tour de France is awesome, but it's also scary. The pressure is on, especially since I am a neo-pro. But I felt good after the French championships, and confirmed to my team I wanted to ride."
 

With his audacious solo attack with 8km on the final ascent, Feillu took over the stage from a nine-rider break that had been away from early on in the stage. With five kilometres to go, Feillu attacked his breakaway mates. "It was sort of dead for a moment, and I realized that it was the right moment to attack. I thought I had a chance, because it was a finale that was good for me."

Feillu quickly got a 10" lead over the rest of the break. "With four kilometres to go, the gap was still the same. Then, it increased about ten seconds every kilometre, but in the last kilometre, it went down again and I got really frightened, so I really dug deep then," said Feillu. With the stage win, Feillu earned enough mountain points to take over the Maillot Pois of Best Climber at the Tour De France

Stage Seven:
1. Brice Feillu Agritubel / 6h11'31"

Agritubel riders Maxime Bouet and Romain Feilleu shined bright at Tour De France on Reynolds Wheels. 22 year old Bouet was in a break on Monday's 196km Stage 3 from Marseilles to La Grand Motte and was Yellow Jersey on the road for 140km with his Reynolds DV46 UL T wheels. Bouet eventually finished with the front group and is now in 23rd place overall at the 2009 Tour.

On Sunday's Stage 2 from Monaco to Brignolles, Agritubel's fast man Romain Feillu had a superb sprint to finish third on the stage behind winner du jour Cavendish. Feillu used Reynolds DV46 UL T wheels. 

Christophe Moreau's Agritubel team bike, a Kuota KOM with Reynolds DV46 UL T wheels. Note Moreau has SRAM Rival aluminium cranks. Why? The powerful Frenchman uses 180mm cranks, not available in carbon fibre.

Nico Vogondy's's Agritubel team Kuota Kueen-K TT bike, with a Reynolds DV46 UL T wheel up front and Reynolds Element disc wheel in the rear. 

Moreau (L) & Lelay (R) on the attack at 2008 Tour De France

38-year-old Christophe Moreau will head the Agritubel squad for the 2009 Tour De France in his final Tour. Sponsored by Reynolds Cycling, Agritubel will ride an array of Reynolds Wheels at the 2009 Tour. The French squad will field a team with a mix of experienced and young riders who will look for stage wins. Agritubel Sport Director Denis Leproux said  “This is Christophe’s last Tour De France and he really wants to make a good impression. Moreau is not thinking about the GC, but wants to win a big stage or perhaps take the climber’s jersey. The rest of our team is full of attackers. We want to be in the breakaways and liven up the sprints.”

Joining Moreau will be winner of Stage 8 in the '08 Tour de France, Sylvain Calzati, who comes over from Ag2r. Talented young French climber Maxime Bouet will make his Tour De France debut on the Agritubel squad. Spanish climber Eduardo Gonzálo will be the only foreign rider on Agritubel. Romain Feillu, who wore the Maillot Jaune for one stage in '08 is back, and is joined by his younger brother Brice Feillu. In-form David Le Lay and '08 French champion Nicolas Vogondy will round out the Agritubel team for the 2009 Tour De France.

Moreau Time Trials On Reynolds Wheels at 2008 Tour De France

Agritubel will ride Reynolds DV46UL T and MV32UL T wheels on the road stages, with SDV66ULT & Element T Disc wheels for the time trial stages at the 2009 Tour De France.

Team Agritubel / 2009 Tour De France
Maxime Bouet (Fra)
Sylvain Calzati (Fra)
Brice Feillu (Fra)
Romain Feillu (Fra)
Eduardo Gonzálo (Spa)
Geoffroy Lequatre (Fra)
David La Lay (Fra)
Christophe Moreau (Fra)
Nicolas Vogondy (Fra)
Sport Director: Denis Leproux
Team Manager: David Fornes
 

24 year old Markus Eibegger of Reynolds Cycling sponsored Team Elk Haus won the Austrian National Championship road race Sunday in Oberwart on Reynolds DV46ULT wheels to take his first national title. Eibegger bested his Elk Haus teammate Martin Schšffmann and Columbia's Bernhard Eisel in the 174.4Km race. Post-race, Elk Haus team boss Bernhard Rassinger was happy for the win, saying " It was a hard race running for us, and above all Eisel was strong as an ox. But the best team has won."

After recently setting a UK 50 Mile TT competiiton record of 1h35'27" on Reynolds Wheels, multiple UK national TT champion Michael Hutchinson (In Gear-Quickvit RT) rode to record tenth consecutive victory in the UK National 50-Mile Championships last week. Hutchinson said post-race  “It went ok for me, But I understand others weren’t so lucky. There were quite a lot of people getting held up and having problems, because the surface left a lot to be desired in places. I was always reasonably happy with the time checks I was getting,” added Hutchinson. “But I had to keep it on because Matt [Bottrill] was going very well early on.” Hutchinson’s winning margin was his best since 2005 when he was a whopping 6:56 quicker than Gethin Butler.

UK 50 Mile TT Championship
1. Michael Hutchinson (In Gear-Quickvit RT) 1h43'18"
 

El Andalucía CajaSur además es tercero por equipos y Esteban Plaza primero de los jóvenes

Concluyó la segunda etapa del Gran Premio de Correios con la victoria para el corredor del Liberty, Rubén Plaza en un ataque a falta de 500 metros para la línea de llegada. La participación del Andalucía Cajasur ha vuelto a ser positiva puesto que Jose Antonio Carrasco ha sido sexto en la meta, a sólo tres segundos del ganador. Además, Manuel Ortega también ha entrado en el grupo de cabeza en décima posición a esos mismos tres segundos de Plaza.

La clasificación general registra algunos cambios, aunque lo más destacado es que el equipo de Antonio Cabello tiene a cuatro integrantes entre los 20 primeros: Esteban Plaza es séptimo a 12 segundos del líder; Jose Antonio Carrasco es décimo tercero a 14 segundos; Manuel Ortega, décimo sexto a 14 segundos; y Jose Luis Roldán, décimo noveno a la misma distancia. Primero en la general sigue siendo Manuel Cardoso, del Liberty Seguros.

En otras clasificaciones, Esteban Plaza lidera la general de los jóvenes, mientras que Francisco José Martínez es segundo en la general provisional de la Montaña. Por equipos, el Andalucía CajaSur es tercero, por detrás del Liberty y el Loulé-Louletano.

El director, Antonio Cabello, se mostró satisfecho con el rendimiento de los suyos. “Las cosas van bien y seguimos en la pelea por la victoria final. Tenemos a cuatro corredores entre los 20 primeros y aspiramos a todo. Aquí todos tienen libertad de jugar sus cartas y lo están haciendo muy bien”, comentó Cabello, quien se mostró exultante tras conocer oficialmente que su equipo ya tiene la invitación para correr la Vuelta a España 2009.

Mañana se disputa la tercera etapa entre Fafe yMondim de Basto, de 139 kilómetros de recorrido.

The Canyon Bicycles-Sienna Development 12k Dream Team continued their Crushing the Souls of the Weak World Tour as team member Michael “Sleevie” Booth took an emphatic win in the Utah State Road Race Championships Saturday June 13 outside Logan.  With a relatively short 80 mile distance, the race was aggressive from the start.  No breakaway group was ever able to gain much advantage, and the speed remained high throughout the event.  Team member Dustin Eskelson threw down a massive attack at the base of the final climb and over the top it was Dustin, Ben D’Hulst, and Sleevie (all Canyon Bicycles-Sienna Dev’t) and Nate Page (Barbacoa).  The group swelled to about 10 riders in the final 5 mile slightly downhill run in to the finish.  Dustin and Ben drove the group towards the finish, and Sleevie took a clear win in front of David Clinger (Cole Sport) and Mike Wilcox (Logan Race Club) who officially tied for 2nd as the photo finish was too close to call.  Please see attached finish photo.
 
The Canyon Bicycles-Sienna Dev’t. 12K Dream Team exists to identify talented young riders in the state of Utah and to give those talents the opportunity to develop their abilities at the highest level.  More info at 12kdreamteam.com
 
Canyon Bicycles-Sienna Development 2009 Results Board
 
1st- Utah State Road Race Championships.  Logan, UT
1st- Criterium La Civette ucp.  France.
1st- Stage Two.  Treasure Valley Stage Race.  Boise, ID.
1st- Bear Lake Classic Road Race.  Garden City, UT.
1st- Antelope Island Classic.  Ogden, UT.
1st- Emmett Roubaix Road Race.  Boise, ID.
1st- G.C. Valley of the Sun Stage Race Cat. 2.  Phoenix, AZ.
1st- Stage One Valley of the Sun Stage Race Cat. 2.  Phoenix, AZ.
 
2nd- Sugarhouse Criterium.  Salt Lake City, UT
2nd- Stage 3 Treasure Valley Stage Race.  Boise, ID
2nd- Bear Lake Classic Hill Climb.  Garden City, UT
2nd- Utah State Criterium Championships.  Salt Lake City, UT
2nd- Stage One.  Tour of the Depot.  Tooele, UT.
2nd- Stage One Calville Bay Classic Stage Race.  Las Vegas, NV
 
3rd- Bear Lake Classic Team Time Trial.  Garden City, UT
3rd- East Canyon Road Race.  Hennefer, UT.
3rd- G.C. Tour of the Depot.  Tooele, UT.
3rd- Hell of North Salt Lake Circuit Race.  Salt Lake City, UT
 
4th- Jordanelle Criterium.  Park City, UT
4th- G.C. Treasure Valley Stage Race.  Boise, ID
4th- Stage One.  Treasure Valley Stage Race.  Boise, ID
4th- Stage Two.  Treasure Valley Stage Race.  Boise, ID
4th- Bear Lake Classic hill climb.  Garden City, UT
4th- Antelope Island Classic.  Ogden, UT
4th- Stage One Tour of the Gila.  Cat. 2.  Silver City, NM
 
5th- Garden Creek Gap Road Race.  Pocatello, ID
5th- G.C. Treasure Valley Stage Race.  Boise, ID
5th- Antelope Island Classic.  Ogden, UT
5th- Tour of the Gila Stage 3, Cat. 2.  Silver City, NM
5th- Hell of North Salt Lake Circuit Race.  Salt Lake City, UT

6th- Utah State Time Trial Championships.  Salt Lake City, UT
6th- Stage One.  Treasure Valley Stage Race.  Boise, ID
6th- Bear Lake Classic Hillclimb TT.  Garden City, UT
6th- East Canyon Road Race.  Hennefer, UT
6th- Stage One.  Tour of the Depot.   Tooele, UT
6th- G.C. Valley of the Sun Stage Race Cat. 2.  Phoenix, AZ
6th- Stage One Valley of the Sun Stage Race Cat. 2.  Phoenix, AZ
 
7th- Sugarhouse Criterium.  Salt Lake City, UT
7th- Stage Two.  Tour of the Gila.  Cat. 2.  Silver City, NM
7th- East Canyon Road Race.  Hennefer, UT
7th- Hell of North Salt Lake Circuit Race.  Salt Lake City, UT
7th- Stage Two Calville Bay Classic Stage Race.  Las Vegas, NV
7th- G.C. Calville Bay Classic Stage Race.  Las Vegas, NV
 
8th- Utah State Criterium Championships.  Salt Lake City, UT
8th- G.C. Tour of the Gila, Cat. 2.  Silver City, NM
8th- G.C. Tour of the Depot.  Tooele, UT
 
9th- Sugarhouse Criterium.  Salt Lake City, UT
9th- Stage Two.  Tour of the Gila.  Cat. 2.  Silver City, NM
9th- Hell of North Salt Lake Circuit Race.  Salt Lake City, UT
 
10th- Tour of the Gila Stage 1.  Cat. 2.  Silver City, NM

The Canyon Bicycles-Sienna Dev’t. team has taken a quantum leap forward in their quest for world domination.  Team member Chase Pinkham scored a V at the Criterium La Civette ucp in France on Wednesday June 10, lapping the field solo before helping to lead out a teammate for 4th.   Although technically riding under the colors of VC Vernon in this event, we’ll go ahead and take credit for it.  Awesome job, Chase!!

Back on Planet America, the rest of the team has been active as well with Ben D’Hulst finishing 5th at Garden Creek Gap and 6th in the Utah State Time Trial.  Kurt Wolfgang and Tyler Riedesel finished up strong at the 5 day Mt. Hood Cycling Classic in Oregon, the first major stage race for both of these riders.  The team has the Utah State Road Race Championships outside Logan in their sites for this weekend.

The Canyon Bicycles-Sienna Dev’t. 12K Dream Team exists to identify talented young riders in the state of Utah and to give those talents the opportunity to develop their abilities at the highest level.  More info at 12kdreamteam.com

Reynolds Cycling sponsored French squad Agritubel has announced that 13 riders have been pre-selected for the 9 man Tour de France team. Agritubel will make its final Tour de France team selection after a pre-Tour training camp in Autrans (Isère) France from 8 to 16 June.

Agritubel's pre-selected Tour riders are Freddy Bichot, Maxime Bouet, Sylvain Calzati, Brice Feillu, Romain Feillu, Eduardo Gonzalo, Yann Huguet, Christophe Laurent, David Le Lay, Geoffroy Lequatre, Christophe Moreau, Anthony Ravard and French champion Nicolas Vogondy.

Reynolds Cycling has sponsored Agritubel, a second division Professional Continental team, for two seasons. Agritubel has raced in Tour de France since 2006 and Juan Miguel Mercado won a stage for the team in 2006, while Romain Feillu had three second place stage finishes and wore the Tour leader's Maillot Jaune in 2008.

22 year old Maxime Bouet, Agritubel's new climbing star has taken his second win in 2009 on Reynolds wheels. Bouet won the Boucles de l'Aulne beating his three breakaway companions Roux, Larpe and Levarlet.

Riding Reynolds DV46UL wheels, Bouet succeeds 2007-2008 winner, Agritubel's Romain Feillu in the prestigious race run in the far west of France, an event that was first run in 1931.

Boucles de l'Aulne
Chateaulin, France May 31, 2009
1. Maxime Bouet (Fra) Agritubel / 4h16'38"

Markus Eibegger of Reynolds Cycling sponsored ELK Haus took a solo win in Stage 2 of the Bayern Rundfahrt Thursday on Reynolds DV46UL C wheels, just 6" ahead of his  ELK Haus teammate Stefan Denifl in Ruhpolding. Austrian Eibegger maintained his race lead Friday on Stage 3, a 178.2km race from Bad Aibling to Schrobenhausen.

30th International Bayern Rundfahrt
Germany, May 27-31, 2009
Thursday, May 28:
Stage 2: Mühldorf a. Inn-Ruhpolding / 173.6km
1 Markus Eibegger (Aut) ELK Haus / 4h11'46"
(41.37 km/hr. avg.)
2. Stefan Denifl (Aut) ELK Haus @ :06"

General Classification / Stage 3
1. Markus Eibegger (Aut) ELK Haus / 12h57.40
6. Sylvain Calzati (Fra) Agritubel                                         
7. David Lelay (Fra) Agritubel             

Auf der 2. Etappe der Bayern Rundfahrt (HC 2) feierte das ELK-Team mit Markus Eibegger und Stefan Denifl einen sensationellen Doppelsieg. Eibegger konnte sich 20 km vor dem Ziel absetzen und erreichte mit einem geringen Vorsprung als Solosieger das Ziel. Den Sprint um Platz 2 gewann Stefan Denifl vor Linus Gerdemann (Milram).
 
Die Etappe führte von Mühldorf am Inn nach Ruhpolding über schwere 174 km. Eibegger trägt auch das gelbe Trikot des Gesamtführenden. Denifl ist Gesamtdritter und führt in der Nachwuchswertung. Eibegger ist auch noch dazu Leader in der Sprintwertung.
 
Mehr Info unter www.bayern-rundfahrt.de
 
Mit freundlichen Grüßen
 
Wolfgang WESELY
 
Mühldorf am Inn - Ruhpolding (173,6 km)

1     EIBEGGER, Markus       ELKHAUS AUT            04.11.46 
2     DENIFL, Stefan               ELKHAUS AUT              + 00.06    
3     GERDEMANN, Linus      Team MILRAM GER      + 00.06  

A double at the traditional one day race Wien-Laßnitzhöhe gave TEAM ELK Haus a lot of self-confidence for the upcoming races in Germany.

The last weekend could not have been much better for Team ELK Haus. With the win by Markus Eibegger and a second place by Matthias Brändle at the Austrian one day race 'Wien-Laßnitzhöhe' the team took the lead in the Tchibo Top.Rad.Liga-classification.

"We did a clever race“, says teammanager Bernhard Rassinger whose team will travel to Germany with a lot of self-confidence. First the team will take part in the 'Bayern-Rundfahrt' (26th-31st of May), where the ELK Haus-boys won the montains jersey with Thomas Rohregger in 2008. "I hope that we can at least do as well as last year“, comments Rassinger.

Directly after the 'Bayern-Rundfahrt' the team will participate in the 'Neuseen Classics' (1st of June) where ELK Haus-rider Steffen Radochla did celebrate a victory in 2008. "It would be great to win again“, says the teammanager. Radochla, who fully recovered from his injuries after a crash in Turkey, will be the teamleader.

ELK Haus riders for the races in Germany: Steffen Radochla, Markus Eibegger, Stefan Denifl, Harald Totschnig, Gerhard Trampusch, Clemens Fankhauser und Martin Schöffmann

El equipo sumó la cuarta victoria de la temporada a su palmarés, igualando el número del año pasado

El Andalucía CajaSur entró de la mejor forma que se puede entrar en una carrera, ganando la primera etapa en el Gran Premio Paredes Rota Dos Movéis. La segunda ocasión que el equipo andaluz acudía a una carrera en el país luso, hizo que Manuel Ortega se hiciera con el liderato de la general provisional y ocupara una 3ª posición en la general de la montaña en el Alto de Estibadas. La actuación de Ortega permitió que el equipo Andalucía CajaSur sumara la 4ª victoria de la temporada.

Ángel Vicioso hizo una meritoria 2ª posición en la 3ª etapa Valongo-Rebardoso, ya que tras caerse el día anterior, dio una lección de pundonor y peleó en todo momento para conseguir la victoria. La ronda portuguesa finalizó con la 9ª posición en la clasificación general para Vicioso, a 01:03 del líder local Cándido Barbosa.

La semana pasada y tras la Rota Dos Movéis, el equipo Andalucía CajaSur, se desplazó hasta tierras catalanas para luchar por la 89ª Volta a Cataluña, del 18 al 24 de mayo. Durante toda la volta, la escuadra andaluza ha dado muestras de sus señas de identidad, definidas por la contante pelea y continua entrega.

Ya en la etapa prólogo, el catalán Xavier Tondo, se clasificaba a tan solo 14”  del ganador de la etapa. Todos los corredores del equipo andaluz tuvieron oportunidad de destacar. Cata Martínez, fue el protagonista de la gran escapada en la etapa de Girona-Roses, que mantuvo una diferencia de 04:30 con respecto del pelotón, así como José Ruiz que tras caerse el primer día, también fue protagonista en la 3ª etapa, al separarse del pelotón con una ventaja de 4 minutos.

Javier Moreno que trabajaba para que Xavi Tondo disminuyera su diferencia de 13” con el líder Alejandro Valverde, en la Pobla de Lillet sufrió una caída atroz que le fracturó el húmero, y que le retira de las carreteras durante 8 semanas. A pesar de eso Tondo consiguió terminar en 5ª posición en la etapa y hacerse también con el liderato provisional en la montaña que lo mantuvo hasta la 6ª etapa.

La Volta a Catalunya para el equipo Andalucía CajaSur finalizó con la 8ª posición de Xavi Tondo en la clasificación general a 56” de Valverde,  así como la 2ª posición en la general de la montaña. Por equipos, la escuadra andaluza consiguió una meritoria 6ª plaza, mantenida durante toda la carrera.

La próxima carrera será de nuevo en el país vecino, en el GP Internacional CCT Correios de Portugal, del 11 al 14 de junio.

El catalán rozó la victoria, que sólo se le escapó a falta de 200 metros para la meta

Xavier Tondo no ha podido culminar con la victoria su gran trabajo en la cuarta etapa de la Volta a Cataluña, que ha concluido hoy en el alto de categoría especial de Vallnord, en Andorra.

Tras una carrera muy movida, se ha formado un grupo de varios corredores entre los que se encontraban los favoritos al triunfo final. Xavier Tondo y Manuel Calvente, del Andalucía CajaSur lograron entrar en ese grupo de cabeza de cara a la última ascensión de la jornada. En los últimos kilómetros de subida, los ataques de Tondo fueron respondidos por Valverde, Samuel Sánchez y Zubeldia, dejando todo el peso de la escapada en el ciclista catalán. El esfuerzo de Tondo por llevarse el triunfo de etapa le hundió en los últimos 200 metros, haciéndole entrar noveno en la línea de meta a 37 segundos del ganador, Julián Sánchez, del Contentpolis.

Alejandro Valverde sigue liderando la clasificación general de la carrera, en la que Tondo ocupa la octava posición a 56 segundos del murciano. Además, el corredor del Andalucía CajaSur mantiene una jornada más el liderato provisional de la general de la Montaña.

El director, Antonio Cabello, aseguró que “ha sido una pena que no hayamos podido ganar porque el trabajo del equipo y de Tondo al final ha sido extraordinario. A falta de cuatro kilómetros, como veíamos que los favoritos no se movían, hemos decidido pasar al ataque con Tondo, quien ha visto como Valverde y compañía le respondían. Aún así ha aguantado el peso de la carrera hasta que se ha venido abajo en los últimos 200 metros, siendo sobrepasado por varios corredores. Aún así, estoy muy feliz por el trabajo y por liderato de la montaña. A partir de ahora lucharemos por el triunfo en alguna etapa, ya que la general se ha puesto más complicada”, afirmó Cabello.

Mañana se disputa la quinta etapa de la Volta, con salida en La Seu D’Urgell y llegada en Torredembarra, tras 201 kilómetros de recorrido.

Javier Moreno se ha retirado tras caerse y fracturarse el húmero

Cara y cruz en la tercera jornada de la Volta para el Andalucía CajaSur. La cara ha llegado con la quinta posición en la meta de La Pobla de Lillet para Xavier Tondo, quien además se ha aupado al liderato provisional en la general de la montaña.

La cruz ha sido la desgraciada caída de Javier Moreno, quien se ha fracturado un brazo en el descenso del segundo puerto de la jornada. Ha tenido que ser evacuado directamente al hospital, confirmando su retirada de la carrera.

La etapa ha sido para el líder de la general, Alejandro Valverde, quien se ha impuesto en la meta de La Pobla a David de la Fuente, Daniel Martín, Samuel Sánchez y el propio Tondo, del Andalucía CajaSur.

El corredor catalán ha intentado el ataque en el último puerto del día, pero Valverde ha respondido con firmeza, provocando un final masivo para el grupo delantero.

Tondo es octavo en la general de la carrera a 23 segundos del líder.

El otro gran protagonista positivo de la jornada para el equipo andaluz ha sido Jose Ruiz, quien ha entrado en la fuga importante de día, llegando a gozar de más de 4 minutos sobre el pelotón, que les ha dado caza en el segundo puerto de primera categoría de la jornada.

El director del equipo, Antonio Cabello, se mostró hoy contrariado y con un sabor agridulce. “Lo de hoy ha sido la cara y la cruz de este deporte. Por un lado hemos disfrutado del grandísimo trabajo de todo el equipo, con Jose Ruiz por delante desde el comienzo y con Tondo a pocos segundos del liderato tras su quinta plaza en la meta. Además, se ha situado al frente de la montaña. Sin embargo, hemos tenido la mala suerte de la caída de Moreno, que estaba muy bien y que estaba con los mejores en esta vuelta. Ha tenido muy mala suerte y ahora sólo deseamos que se recupere pronto. En cuanto a lo que resta de carrera, vamos a seguir intentándolo hasta el final porque tenemos posibilidades”, comentó Cabello, quien se mostró feliz por la simpatía que despierta su equipo en tierras catalanas. “No debemos olvidar que aquí hay muchos andaluces y eso se nota en la carrera. La gente nos apoya mucho”, concluyó.

Mañana se disputa la cuarta etapa con salida en la Pobla y llegada al puerto de categoría especial de Vallnord, en Andorra. El recorrido tendrá 175 kilómetros y en la línea de meta se puede decidir gran parte de la Volta. La etapa, además del final en el puerto de categoría especial, tendrá tres puertos más, uno de segunda y dos de primera categoría.

Tondo y Calvente mantienen sus opciones intactas para el triunfo final

Francisco José Martínez ha sido el gran protagonista del día para el Andalucía CajaSur en la segunda etapa de la Volta a Cataluña disputada hoy entre Girona y Roses, en plena Costa Brava. El corredor andaluz, escapado desde el kilómetro 2 de carrera, ha sido uno de los protagonistas de la fuga del día, llegando a gozar de más de cuatro minutos y medio sobre el pelotón, que finalmente les ha dado caza en el último puerto de la jornada a menos de diez kilómetros de meta.

A partir de ahí se libró la gran batalla, con el  grupo fraccionado, para llegar al sprint a la meta de Roses, donde se ha impuesto Matti Breschel, del equipo Saxo Bank.

Segundo ha sido Jerome Pinau y tercero Xavi Florencio, mientras que el mejor de los andaluces ha sido Manuel Calvente, quien ha entrado con el grupo en la 41ª posición con el mismo tiempo del ganador.

El director del equipo, Antonio Cabello, se mostró satisfecho con el rendimiento del equipo en esta segunda etapa ya que “el Cata Martínez lo ha hecho sensacional. Ha estado escapado desde el segundo kilómetro de la carrera. Al final no ha podido llegar junto a sus compañeros de fuga, pero hemos conseguido meter en el grupo de cabeza a Calvente y Tondo, que son con los que jugaremos por la general. La pena es que se ha producido una caída en el último puerto, porque si no, podíamos haber metido arriba también a Ramírez Abeja y a Javi Moreno. Mañana, con tanta montaña y carreteras estrechas, haremos un planteamiento de carrera totalmente distinto. Queda mucho”, señaló Cabello.

En la general, el nuevo líder tras esta segunda etapa es el murciano Alejandro Valverde, quien tiene a Jerome Pinau segundo con el mismo tiempo y a Xavi Florencio a un solo segundo. Xavi Tondo, del Andalucía Cajasur es 35º a trece segundos de Valverde. Manuel Calvente es 51º a 26 segundos del líder provisional. Ambos mantienen intactas sus opciones al triunfo final en la ronda catalana.

Mañana se disputa la tercera etapa entre Roses y la Pobla de Lillet, de 182 kilómetros y tres puertos de Primera Categoría. Un hay tregua en esta edición de la Volta. El Andalucía CajaSur promete batalla.

Spanish rider Manuel Ortega (Andalucia-Cajasur) has clinched the opening stage of the GP Paredes Rota dos Móveis in Portugal. He did it in the best possible style too, crossing the line solo. After an early break had been absorbed, Ortega attacked with António Mindlin (Caixanova). Leaving his companion for dead on the day's final obstacle, the Alto de Estibadas, thirteen kilometres from the finish, Ortega kept on pushing. He crossed the line in Verin for a maiden professional victory, six seconds clear of the sprinting bunch, led in by veteran Portuguese star Candido Barbosa (Palmeiras-Resort) and Edgar Pinto (Liberty Seguros).

On the 163.9km route from Lugo to Verin, the day's key break slipped away inside, late on, inside the last two hours of racing. It consisted of six riders: Miguel Candil (Fercase), Jesus Rodendo (Andalucia-Cajasur), Gustavo Rodriguez (Artesania), ex-Euskaltel man Dionisio Galparsoro (Contenpolis) and Boyaca duo David Belda and Wilson Cepeda. While Candil crested the top of two Cat 3 climbs to take the Mountains jersey, the group were caught with 25 kilometres to go, allowing Mindlin and Ortega to counter-attack succesfully.

The first professional win has been a while in coming for Manuel Ortega. He has raced at Andalucia since signing paid terms in 2006, finishing two Vuelta a Espanas, but he has never come close to the podium. Ortega's best result prior to today's triumph was ninth overall in last July's Vuelta a la Comunidad de Madrid. Undoubtedly then, this solo win is one to savour.

Article from Daily Peloton

With steady riding throughout the 55th edition of the 4 Days of Dunkerque, David Lelay of Team Agritubel was a strong runner up in the French stage race on Reynolds Wheels.

Lelay started his surge on Friday's Stage 4, an 18km time trial at Gayant Expo, where he was a solid 4th place. Saturday's Stage 5, a fast 195km stage from Hazebrouck to Boeschepe saw a great ride by Lelay to finish third. Eventually the Team Agritubel rider ended up 2nd in the Final General Classification of the 4 Days of Dunkerque, just 9 seconds of winner Rui Da Costa.  

Australian cycling team Ride Sport Racing, based in Warana, Australia in Queensland on the Sunshine Coast will race on Reynolds Wheels in 2009. The twelve man squad is a mix of young talent and experienced riders from Australia, New Zealand and Ireland.

Ride Sport Racing opened their 2009 season in Jelajah Malaysia (UCI 2.2), Malaysia's number two race after the Tour Langkawi. Ride Sport Racing rode strongly in Malaysia and finished fourth in the team classification. Ride Sport Racing will contest all the major domestic races in Australia during 2009 including the NRS, Sun Tour and Scody Cup, as well as selected international events.

Ride Sport Racing 2009 Team Roster
Robert Cater / 23 (Australia)   
Luke Cridland / 22 (Australia)         
Timothy Guy / 20 (Australia)     
Peter John Herzig / 31 (Australia)         
Kris Koke  / 20 (Australia)
Deon Locke / 22 (Australia)      
Alastair Loutit / 19 (Australia)
Scott Lyttle / 25 (New Zealand)      
David Mc Cann / 36 (Ireland)         
Shaun Mc Carthy / 23 (Australia)         
Dale Scarfe / 20 (Australia)          
Trent Stevenson / 29 (Australia)       

Team Designa Kokken, sponsored by Reynolds Wheels has dominated the Danish version of Paris-Roubaix, GP Herning, run on testing conditions of gravel roads & pave' in and around  Herning.
 
GP Herning  / 198.7km
1 René Jørgensen (Den) Team Designa Køkken
5h02'45" (39.379 km/hr. avg.)
2. Michael Reihs (Den) Team Designa Kokken @ same time                            
3. Allan Johansen (Den) Team Designa Kokken @ :03"

I recently purchased a set of Reynolds Attack wheels for use as a training/windy race-day wheelset.

The Attacks are a 32mm aero-profile carbon clincher. You may be wondering why I would train on a carbon clincher. Well, the bike is an Orbea Ordu that I don't ride in the rain. I like the idea of having a nice wheel for those long training days. Also, my race wheels are carbon, so it's nice not having to swap brake pads when putting on the race wheels. The Attacks will also be my wheel of choice if race day is extremely windy.

On to my review. I went for a 90km ride on them yesterday. Review conditions were perfect. It was windy and not once were the wheels getting blown around. So far so good. Not far into the ride, someone in front of me neglected to point out the large rocks on the road. I hit one, instantly flatted and pulled over. The rim was perfectly fine without a mark. I don't recommend doing that on purpose, but I'm happy the rims were strong enough to make it through. Our route had us on some chip-seal roads. Again the wheels performed well. I didn't feel the little bumps any more than usual although the wheels do feel stiffer than a standard 32-spoke box rimmed wheel. That stiffness came in handy when responding to accelerations in the group. I found the wheels very responsive and easy to get up to speed. On the descents, the wheels were confidence inspiring. Braking (with the correct brake pads) was excellent. I grabbed a handful once or twice and the braking was strong and predictable.

Perhaps the best part of the review is that by the end of the ride, I wasn't thinking about the wheels anymore. I was just enjoying my ride.

Agritubel's veteran Christophe Moreau was on the attack Wednesday at the Belgian classic Fleche Wallone. Riding Reynolds DV46T UL Ultralight wheels, Moreau attacked after 7km of the hilly 195km race across central Belgium, which included three ascents of the super-steep Mur du Huy. Moreau was riding with Japanese rider Fumiyuki Beppu but soon left the Japanese rider. For much of the race, the peloton pursued solo breakaway Moreau, who had a maximum lead of 6' but with 50km to race had a lead of 4’20’’ and was caught with 23km to go after 163km out front at Fleche Wallone. Moreau’s move set-up a strong attack by his Agritubel teammate David LeLay on the final ascent of the Mur du Huy, who eventually finished 12th.

Agritubel & Designa Kokken In Charge At 18th Rhone Alpes Isère on Reynolds Wheels

Two Reynolds Cycling sponsored teams dominated the 18th edition of the prestigious Rhone Alpes Isère stage race last week in France, winning all four stages and the overall general classification. In fact, seven riders out of the top ten in the 18th Rhone Alpes Isère were using Reynolds Wheels.

Agritubel's French champion Nicolas Vogondy took the first stage and race lead on Friday, then his teammate Yann Huguet won Friday in Toussieu. Agritubel newcomer Christophe Laurent won Saturday in St Maurice L'Exil, as Huguet maintained the race lead. Sunday saw Danish speedster of the Reynolds Cycling sponsored Designa Kokken squad take the Stage 4 sprint win in Chavagneux, while Stage 2 winner Yann Huguet took the final general classification win in the 18th Rhone Alpes Isère. Incredible domination on incredible wheels, as both Agritubel & Designa Kokken rode Reynolds DV46TUL wheels throughout the race.

18th Rhone Alpes Isère Results / France, April 16-19, 2009
Thursday, April 16
Stage 1 : Satolas Et Bonce (C.A.P.I)-Nivolas-Vermelle (C.A.P.I) / 124km
1. Nicolas Vogondy (Fra) Agritubel  2h55'32"  (42.453km/hr avg. speed)
Friday, April 17
Stage 2: Charvieu-Chavagneux-Toussieu / 159km
1. Yann Huguet (Fra) Agritubel 3h54'48" (40.6km/hr avg. speed)
Saturday, April 18
Stage 3 : Toussieu-St Maurice L'Exil / 164km
1. Christophe Laurent (Fra) Agritubel 3.59.44  (41.096km/hr avg. speed)
2. Remi Cusin (Fra) Agritubel @ 36"
3. Nicolas Vogondy (Fra) Agritubel                                
4. Maxime Bouet (Fra) Agritubel                                   
5. Yann Huguet (Fra) Agritubel                                          
8. Sergey Firsanov (Rus) Team Designa Kokken                      
9. Mads Christensen (Den) Team Designa Kokken @ 50"
General classification / Stage 3 - 1. Yann Huguet (Fra) Agritubel  
Sunday, April 18
Stage 4: St Maurice L'Exil-Charvieu-Chavagneux / 178km
1. Allan Johansen (Den) Team Designa Kokken 4h27'25"  (39.825km/hr avg. speed)
18th Rhone Alpes Isère / France, April 16-19, 2009  / Final General Classification
1. Yann Huguet (Fra) Agritubel 15h18'54"
2. Nicolas Vogondy (Fra) Agritubel @38"
3. Maxime Bouet (Fra) Agritubel @45"
5. Sergey Firsanov (Rus) Team Designa Kokken @57"
6. Christophe Laurent (Fra) Agritubel @1'13"
8. Remi Cusin (Fra) Agritubel @2'09"
9. Mads Christensen (Den) Team Designa Kokken @2'13"

New Marketing Communication Initiative
 
Dear Friends in the Cycling Media:
 
Here at Reynolds Cycling, we have a lot of great things going on for 2009 and exciting new products coming soon for 2010.
 
We wanted to alert you that we are starting a new marketing initiative to reach out to the cycling media in 2009 with Reynolds Cycling New Product News & Reynolds Cycling Racing News on a regular basis via email blasts.
 
Please look out for our incoming information on a regular basis and we hope that it will be informative and useful for your media outlet.
 
Currently available for media testing from Reynolds Cycling are the following models: DV46T UL tubular & DV46T C UL clincher wheels with either Shimano or Campagnolo freehubs, SDV66 (Super Deep-V) tubular & clincher wheel with either Shimano or Campagnolo freehub & Strike clincher wheelset, with either Shimano or Campagnolo freehub. Please email us with your request at presscontact@reynoldscycling.com.
 
Feel free to contact us at Reynolds Cycling for further product & technical information, test requests and anything else your media outlet.
 
We look forward to a successful collaboration!
Best Regards
 
Jonathan Geran / VP Sales & Marketing / Reynolds Cycling
Ty Daugherty / International Sales Director / Reynolds Cycling

Effective immediately, Paul Lew will join Reynolds Cycling as Director of Technology and Innovation. "We are extremely pleased to welcome Paul Lew to the team at Reynolds", said Dean Gestal, CEO of Maclean Quality Composites owner of Reynolds Cycling. "Paul has an incredible track record as a true innovator in technology, from bicycle wheels to motor sports and defense applications like UAV's. We are certain that Paul can help Reynolds Cycling to the next level in wheel technology."

“I’m extremely excited to join a company that is leading the bicycle industry with carbon wheel product and manufacturing expertise second to none with regards to wheels”, said Paul Lew.

Reynolds Cycling VP of Sales & Marketing Jonathan Geran said "We are continually focused on our concept of providing cyclists 'the ride of your life'. With Paul Lew joining our team at Reynolds Cycling, we will work together to integrate his unique vision into our state-of-the art manufacturing to create the world's best road-racing and time-trial wheels."

Paul Lew has over 17 years experience in advanced product design, advanced composite materials and manufacturing processes. Lew is known for his innovative molding of super-light, ultra-durable unidirectional graphite rims which have won Multiple Ironman, World Championships, Olympic Medals, and Tour De France stages.

Mr. Lew studied mechanical engineering and naval architecture at the United States Naval Academy as a member of the Class of 1985, before earning a Bachelor’s of Science in Environmental Design (i.e., designing and engineering structures to withstand environmental stresses) and the professional degree of Bachelors of Architecture from Ball State University in 1989.

Among his many awards, Lew has been awarded the Owens-Corning/Composite Institute Award for Excellence in Composite Design, the Amoco Petroleum Society of Plastics Industry Award of Excellence for Composite Design, Mr. Lew holds several patents related to mechanical and aerodynamic design including bicycle wheel patents.

About Reynolds Cycling
Reynolds Cycling is a division of MacLean Quality Composites, internationally renowned manufacturer of carbon composite bicycle tubing and components. The two companies have successfully defied industry preconceptions about how materials can be implemented in high performance cycling applications.
Reynolds is a proud official sponsor of Professional teams: Agritubel (France), BMC Cycling Team (USA), ElkHaus Cycling Team (Austria), Team Andalucia- Cajasur (Spain), Team Kinesis (UK) Designa Kokken Team (Denmark) For more information, please visit www.reynoldscycling.com.

The 18th edition of Rhone Alpes Isère got underway with a win by Agritubel's French champion Nicolas Vogondy, who rode to victory at the end of the 124km Stage 1 from Satolas to Nivolas on Reynolds DV46T UL tubular wheels. Vogondy & his Agritubel squad will race the 18th Rhone Alpes Isère through Sunday, Aprl 19th.

18th Rhone Alpes Isère
Thursday, April 16
Stage 1: Satolas Et Bonce (C.A.P.I)-Nivolas-Vermelle (C.A.P.I) / 124km
1. Nicolas Vogondy (Fra) Agritubel / 2h55'32"  (42.453 km/hr. avg. speed)

Earlier in the week in the hilly French semi-classic Paris-Camembert, run on the roads west of Paris, Agritubel's 2008 Tour De France Maillot Jaune Romain Feillu was edged out by French sprinter Jimmy Casper.

70th Paris-Camembert Lepetit
Tuesday, April 14 2009
1. Jimmy Casper (Fra) Besson Chaussures-Sojasun / 202.7km
4h31'49"  (44.74 km/hr. average speed)
2. Romain Feillu (Fra) Agritubel

Reynolds Cycling sponsored Continental Professional team Agritubel took two prestigious wins in top European races in April. In the 57th edition of the Circuit Cycliste Sarthe, run in and around Le Mans,
France from April 7-10, Agritubel rider David Le Lay took a stage win and the final general classification in the French stage race on Reynolds wheels.

With a late escape on a wet day, David Le Lay won Stage 2 to Angers on Wednesday morning to take the race lead in the Circuit Cycliste Sarthe, then he and his Agritubel strongly defended his lead until the race finished Friday. From Saint-Brieuc in Brittany, the Circuit Cycliste Sarthe was the 5th career pro victory for the 29 year old Le Lay, who hopes to make the Agritubel squad for the Tour De France. The previous week, Le Lay and his Agritubel teammate Romain Feillu, who wore the Maillot Jaune in the 2008 Tour De France were second & third in the 23rd edition of the Route Adélie on April 3rd. Agritubel used Reynolds DV46T UL tubulars, made in Ultralight (UL) high modulus, unidirectional carbon construction with an aggressive, deep-V aerodynamic profile for incomparable lateral stiffness, strength and reduced weight.                   

22 year old French rider Maxime Bouet of Agritubel was the surprise winner of the 27th edition of the Volta ao Alentejo in Portugal earlier in April. The 22 year old climber took the first stage win and race lead after a 159km race from Vila Nova de Milfontes-Odemira on April 1, but Bouet & Agritubel were no joke. Although Bouet lost the Alentejo race lead two days later in the 19km Beja ITT, the crafty young French climber, supported by experienced Agritubel teammates Christophe Moreau and Sylvian Calzati took the Alentejo win in the end. Bouet (Agritubel) grabbed a 3rd place time bonus on the uphill finish on the the final stage to Évora to beat 2008 Alentejo Hector Guerra, winner of Friday’s time trial, by one second.

Reynolds Cycling VP of Sales & Marketing Jonathan Geran explained "At Reynolds Cycling, we make a big investment in sports marketing, not only for the exposure it brings but for the input from the riders and the teams that provide the information that enables us to make the Reynolds Cycling wheel range the best on the market."

Agritubel races on Reynolds DV46T UL tubular wheels, made in Ultralight (UL) high modulus, unidirectional carbon construction with an aggressive, deep-V aerodynamic profile for incomparable lateral stiffness, strength and reduced weight. In time trials, Agritubel uses Reynolds Element disc wheels, made in unidirectional carbon fiber for low rolling resistance, exceptional torsional stiffness and measurably low drag coefficient.

With only hours to go before the 6th running of the Absa Cape Epic a dark cloud hangs over Cape Town and the event’s opening salvo, the prologue. The fire that was raging on Table Mountain, the venue for the prologue, must have had organisers anxious about whether the change of start venue was a good idea. With so many changes to the format of the race this year, current happenings are an ominous precursor to start of the race this weekend.
 

 
Questions like: will the shorter route be tough enough for the riders, will the usual long distance road training suffice for this year’s more technical route, will the event be as well supported with unprecedented entry increases despite lower logistics costs for 2009 and 2010 and more disturbingly will the tracking ban become a standard in MTB events?
 

 
One of the biggest changes for the event this year is the route. Grandstand management the organisers of the CapeEpic have opted to swop the idyllic coastal haven of Knysna, which was converted into an Epic frenzy each year, for the iconic Table Mountain. Suitably a much larger stage for the event to launch from and easily accessible for spectators, which has been another big focus for the organisers this time around. With the route not being dictated by long distances due to the sheer distance between Knysna and Cape Town, the route has been shortened and overnight stops have been cut so that the Epic circus stays in town for two. This again benefits the support crews and spectators as they can follow the action with greater opportunity for vantage of the racing action.
 

 
Team Garmin Adidas will have three teams contending this year’s titles. Most notably legendary mountain biker and previous winner of the Epic, Mannie Heymans who will team up with fellow Namibian Marc Bassingthwaighte to contend the Elite/overall category. Young guns Phillip Buys and Francois Theron will also be riding this year to see what it’s all about and gain valuable stage racing experience.  Renowned road racer Jock Green has made a fantastic changeover from road to mountain bike and will team up with the experienced Shaun Mackenzie to contest the Sub Vets category.
 


 
Time will tell if the changes to the format are a hit or a miss, but with so many changes it is very much a different animal. Even though riders have raced this before the total experience will be so vastly different from previous years that new riders and experienced riders are on equal footing. The burning questions that surround this year’s event will surely be answered in time but until the circus rolls into Lourensford for the final stage next weekend we will have to wait and experience the glory of one of the toughest MTB stage races in the world as it unfolds.
 


 
Keep up to speed with the team at www.teamgarmin.co.za.