sabato 7 gennaio 2012

2012 Cycling Season: Radioshack Nissan Trek Presentation + 2012 Calendar:

Ladies and gentlemen, the 2012 cycling season is ready to start - or, better, it has already started for some riders, like the surprising 17 year-old Caleb Ewan, who has recently won the second stage of Jayco Bay Cycling Classic ahead of a tough guy like Allan Davis.
While someone has already resumed racing, for some other teams it is still 'presentation time' - and yes, I'm talking about Radioshack Nissan Trek. In this random post me offers you some useless thoughts about this team and a list of races we can look forward to in 2012. Enjoy!

1. RADIOSHACK NISSAN TREK (or what else it is called) ROSTER + NEW KITS:
Exactly one year ago, me was a thrilled Italian supporter who couldn't stop thinking about the launch of team Leopard Trek. Although the project never really hooked me, after the team presentation I decided to give Becca's boys a chance. All the secrecy surrounding the new team had annoyed me, just like the whole 'we're the best team of the world' propaganda. Still, as I already said, after the team presentation I felt much happier about that new team and I was really looking forward to the first races of the season. Unfortunately, Leopard Trek turned out to be a very good team, but with some fatal flaws: Cancellara for example didn't have anyone to help him in the North Classics, whereas the tactics of the team  seemed a bit, well, 'strange' on a few important occasions. 
During its first year of life in the world of Cycledom, Leopard Trek had just one important result: the Tour of Lombardy, in which the surprising Swiss Oliver Zaugg took the first victory of his career. As far as the other results, we have a second place in Sanremo, a second place in Flanders, a second place in Roubaix, a second and a third place in Liége, a second and a third place at the Tour, a third place in the TT Worlds in Copenhagen. Many other teams would love to have a season like that, but unfortunately mr. Becca (and the supporters) weren't satisfied. So what did the Luxembourgian businessman decide to do? Simple: he had his team melted with RadioShack, he had Bruyneel as new ds and he created a brand new team. Said team, just like Leopard Trek last year, is considered one of the strongest teams of 2012. Still, will the Schleck brothers manage to win any race this year? Will Cancellara take back his crown of TT World King? Will Kloden and the good old Lance's boys get good results too? These are just some of the questions to which the 2012 cycling season will bring some answers.
In the meanwhile, Becca's boys have presented their new jerseys, which are a fusion of LT and Radioshack's old kits. Judging from the kits, it seems that this year there will be about 26 Luxembourgian national champions in the peloton - seriously, do you think that a short-sighted supporter like me will really be able to tell Frank Schleck's jersey from the ones of his teammates? If you do, well, I must thank you for your esteem, but I really have to tell you that you're overestimating my sight-skills. However, apart from the little '30 Luxembourgian champions in just one peloton' problem, I think we can say that the designers at team LT did a decent job. The shorts are black (*sighs of relief coming from all over Cycledom*), the jerseys have maintained a stripe of LT's famous light blue (yes, girls, now it's official: we won't have to throw away our blue nail polishes and, most importat, we can keepon sporting them at races!!) and they've added just a very little stripe with Radioshack's colours on. After all, things could have been much worse.
On to more serious things, let's talk about team Radioshack's roster. As far as sprints are concerned, the Luxembourgish team can count on Daniele Bennati (will he manage to have a crash-free season? We hope so!), Hayden Roulston and the German champion Robert Wagner. The boys for the North Classics are Cancellara (of course), Hermans, Monfort, Rast and Posthuma. As far as the Ardenne's Classics are concerned, everyone's attention will be on the Schleck brothers, who will surely be helped by strong guys like Didier, Fuglsang, Gerdemann, Popovych and Voigt.
Talking about the Classics, I hope Oliver Zaugg will be able to go for himself on a few occasions this year. After his victory in Tour of Lombardy, the boy'd fully deserve it!
On to the other riders, we have climbers like Rohregger, Zubeldia and Machado, who last year came to the Giro with great hopes. As for the GC riders, as well as the Schleck brothers we have two tough guys like Horner and Kloden. Add the young Fuglsang and Machado, and you have a super strong team for the Grand Tours.
Talking about the rest of the roster, Irizar is a good rider who defeated cancer back in 2002 (more on: http://autobus.cyclingnews.com/news/?id=2003/feb03/feb28news2) . Sergent is a very young time trialist who's already ahd good results. Other young riders are the fast Nizzolo, the promising Oliveira, the American road race champion Matthew Busche, the 23 year-old Ben King, the 24 year old Toni Gallopin and the neo-pro George Bennett. Talking about Bennett, you can check out his blog on http://georgebennettcycling.blogspot.com/ . Last but not least, Radioshack has also signed one of the best breakawayers out there, the young Jan Bakelandts. Great choice guys!

Still talking about team Rant, on http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/andy-schleck-maintains-tour-de-france-focus there's a lovely article in which Andy Schleck explains his 2012 goals. The key sentences of the article are the following ones: "I've been three times second in the Tour so I think it would be a step back in my career if I say 'I'm not going to win the Tour, so I'll try and win the Giro' .I want to win the Tour. I don't want to go back and start with the Giro and see if maybe I can go back and reach the level to win the Tour. If I never win the Tour, then maybe I might choose the Vuelta or the Giro one year, but for now the goal stays like it was last year. I want to go for the Tour and that's priority. The Giro is a beautiful race and so is the Vuelta. But nothing else for me in the whole world of cycling is the Tour de France and it never will be." In other words, Andy doesn't want to focus on any GT apart from the Tour, because for him no other race is as important as the French competition. Actually, mr. Schleck said that racing the Giro would be 'a step back in his career'. Luckily guys like Contador and Menchov don't see things in this way, otherwise their cvs could be much worse!

2012 CYCLING CALENDAR:Talking about calendars, however, let's forget team Radioshack for a while and let's focus on the 2012 cycling season. Here in fact you have a list of the most important/beautiful races of 2012. Enjoy!
January: the 2012 cycling season will officially take off on the 15th of January with the beginning of Tour Down Under. Many riders are already in Australia, ready to start the race, and amongst them we have Davide Viganò, who's ready to give it all for his new captain Alessandro Petacchi. Apropos: the Italian still hopes to be able to ride the 2012 Olympic race in London and is determined to win some Giro stages in front of Cavendish. We'll see some nice sprints this year!
Immediately after the end of Tour Down Under, a new race is ready to begin: I'm talking about Tour de San Luis, which will have a very good start list also this year. Moreover, in these days the roads of New Zealand are choosing the new national cycling champions of the country.  Allez Leopards! (yes, I know, that's an old-fashioned battle scream, but it had just begun to grow on me :P)
February: to the cycling supporter in me, February is probably one of the worst months of the year. After the excitement of the first races, in fact, we have a few competitions which me can't usually watch because of irrelevant things like school and so on. However, said competitions are the Tour of Qatar, which begins on the 5th of February and usually has a wonderful start list full of amazing sprinters, and the Tour of Oman. This year this latter race will include the Schleck brothers in its start list. Considering that last year the only mountain stage of the race was won by Gesink, perhaps we can hope to see the brothers getting good results. Other February races are le Tour de Langwaki (where Guardini last year got some amazing victories), Giro di Sardegna (which I really love), Het Nieuwsblad, Trofeo Laigueglia and Gp Costa degli Etruschi.
March: Fasten your seatbelts, ladies and gentlemen: March is the cycling month, no doubts about that. The cycling season ends its warm up with Eroica, Paris-Nice and Tirreno-Adriatico, then it definitely takes off with Milan-Sanremo. Last year 'La Primavera' (one of my 2 favourite Classics) was simply wonderful, with Goss taking a great victory and Scarponi racing at his best. This year we're likely to see a different Classicissima, since Cavendish has already said he wants to win it. Still, he'll have to beat lots of tough guys in order to get the victory ;)
After 'la Primavera', the calendar continues with E3 Prijs Vlaanderen Harelbeke, which is the appetizer of the North Classics: right after that race in fact we'll have Gent-Wevelgem, one of the most fascinating races of the year.
April: April is a holy month for cycling supporters and this year it begins with fireworks: on the 1st of April in fact Nick Nuyens will be fighting to win his second Tour de Flanders and show that his 2011 victory wasn't just a matter of luck. Amongst his adversaries there will be the usual known faces: Cancellara, Hoste, Gilbert, Chavanel, Hushovd, Devolder... Will Boonen and Pozzato reach their top form too? Time will tell. A week after Flanders, Paris-Roubaix will offer a one-way ticket to history to a lucky rider: who will receive the cobblestone-prize one year after Van Summeren?
As the cobblestone riders will fight against each other in the north of Europe, the climbers will be battling in Vuelta al Paìs Vasco, which begins on the 2nd of April. Thirteen days later they'll race Amstel Gold Race and they'll try to beat the unstoppable Philippe Gilbert. And remember, this year AGR is like a general proof of the Worlds race: don't forget that the 2012 World champion will be decided by the Cauberg!
Right after AGR, the climbers will face Fleche Wallonne and Liége, the Queen of the Ardenne's Classics: will Valverde be back at his top level after 2 yearsof ban? Will the Schleck brothers manage to improve their 2011 result? And will Phil Gil win again near to his home? These are just some of the questions that will be answered in about 4 months time :)
May: As known, May is the Giro-month. This year the Italian race is less difficult than usual, but it includes some terrible stages anyway. Amazing, isn't it? However, as usual, don't expect too many good riders to arrive in Italy in May: after all, the money of Tour de Gila and Tour of California will be calling!
June: This year June is a very rich month. As well as the Tour appetizers (Tour de Suisse and Dauphine Libére), this year the Tour de France itself begins in June. Hopefully that will bring good luck to a certain Luxembourgian rider born in June 1985... :P
July: Look out, look out, dear readers! This year July offers us the Tour of Poland, the Tour de France and, surprise surprise, the Olympic road race! This time the scenery is London and the parcours is for sprinters: will Cav manage to win the olympic title less than one year after winning the Worlds? Will Petacchi be allowed to race? Will Freire end his career after winning the Olympics? Or will a breakaway surprise us all?
August: Given the amount of hours that we'll spend watching cycling races in July, August offers us a whole week of rest from super important races. Then, on the 6th of August we have Eneco Tour starting, whereas a week later we have la Clasica de San Sebastian. Sea, heat, riders who will be tired because of the Tour and the Olympics... After la Clasica, we'll remain in Spain for la Vuelta: in 2011 the Spanish GT was extremely exciting and I'm sure things will be the same also this year. The month ends with GP Plouay and the Hamburg Classic.
September: The last month of the season, unfortunately, is already here. It takes off with the Canadian races (Québec and Montreal), it continues with the Worlds in Valkenburg (will Phil Gil win?) and it will end with the Giro di Lombardia. And guess what? The Schlecks may even decide to race it!
October: The 10th month of the year will offer us Tour of Beiing as well as the wonderful Paris-Tours (which now inheritates the title of 'race of the falling leaves' from Lombardia) and some Italian races like Giro dell'Emilia. Then, it will be time to talk about 2013 ;)

So, this is a quick resume of what is waiting for us behind the corner. I'll obviously do my best to follow all the best races on television and I'll also try my best to go watching a few races live. So far I think I'll go just to one/two stages of the Giro, to Tour of Lombardy and perhaps to Milan-Sanremo and Giro dell'Emilia. Still, it's a long way to October and last year taught me not to plan anything too early. So, let's just daydream about the upcoming season - and hopefully we'll find ourself sitting on a climb in September, waiting for the riders to ride past us, before we can even realise it.

6 commenti:

  1. Yay, we are already in the new season! So strange to read that a 17-year-old boy have already won a cycling race in this level... I feel myself old ;) But these little details are what I love in your blog!
    talking about Andy and the Tour, someone on CN forum said that he is the type of man who wants something, and if he can't get it, then he doesn't want anything else. It sounds to me real, but still... I remember the time, when he was second at Giro and told that he loved the country, etc. (*searching*) I found the article here: http://autobus.cyclingnews.com/road/2007/giro07/?id=/features/2007/giro_andy_schleck07
    That time, Alain Gallopin said that he don't even need a DS, he just need to ride. Now, it seems that he lost his own head... or didn't lose, just wants to use someone other's. And he promised that he will return to win the Giro... So many things changed since then. Oh no, I began to nostalgie :)
    I should really turn to the new season and let the memories for another time :) I have so many big plans to go to races! last year, I almost went to the Giro, this year, I really have to go somewhere! Dreams... *sighs* but this should be the year, when dreams come true! :P
    Narce

    RispondiElimina
    Risposte
    1. Hello Narce, and welcome in the comment area of my blog! :D I apologise for replying you just now, but unfortunately I couldn't do it any sooner (my stupid computer didn't let me post my own comments, it was so annoying!)

      I'm so happy that the new cycling season has started! I've missed cycling more than ever this winter and I can't wait for Italian tv to start broadcasting the most important races. So far the news coming in from TDU have been good and the race has been very interesting. Hopefully also the other races will be as exciting as the Australian one!

      Caleb Ewan's victory was amazing, especially if you consider that in order to get it he had to outsprint Allan Davis, who was 3rd in the 2010 Worlds!

      Thank you very much for pointing out that article. It brings back such good memories!!! It's actually strange to think about all the things that have changed since that article was written. 5 years are a very long amount of time and everyone changes in such a long period. Unfortunately, 'Baby Schleck' (as supporters used to call him back then) didn't seem to change in a positive way: now not only does he seem to have forgotten all the promises he had made to his Italian supporters, but during last year TdF he also seemed unable to think with his own head, as you pointed out in your comment. Seriously, nowadays I sometimes have the feeling that Andy is like a little robot completely controlled by his ds/sponsors. In 2007, instead, he looked much more spontaneous, more 'genuine'... And the thing that saddens me most is that I'm not the only one who's noticed this fact, but that most of the supporters (at least here in Italy) now think of Andy as a rider who can't think with his own head and who focuses just on the Tour, on Liége and on the American races. That's so sad!
      Right now I just hope that Andy will seem more 'independent' this year and that he'll be able to get at least one important victory (although I don't think he can win the Tour). In that way, critics around him could shut up for a while, and disillusioned supporters like me could fall in love with him again.

      On to another topic... Come to the Giro, we have cookies! :D Jokes apart, I think that you should really go watching a Giro stage, if you get the chance. Watching a GT stage live is a lot of fun and it really allows you to understand the atmosphere that surrounds our wonderful sport. Really, watching a race live is a unique experience that I'd recommend to everyone! You won't be disappointed by it, that's for sure!! ;)

      Elimina
  2. I learned a lot from this post, Fede!

    I didn't realise how important April was on the cycling calendar. I remember watching the Amstel Gold (or Ryder Hesjedal's bathroom detour anniversary), Fleche Wallonne, and Liége, last year--but I think I remember it all as one race, as the same guy won all three!

    I think I'm in even more danger of writing a cyclist's name on my tests this year, as the Dukes of Milan and Urbino have names that sound like a bunch of cyclists in a breakaway group (Giangaleazzo, Montefeltro, Rovere) :P

    I don't think Andy is saying anything we haven't already guessed--his efforts, training, and focus are Tour-centric. I hesitate to say it's his sole ambition, but it is the driving one. The Tour is his Olympics, if that makes any sense? If you were to ask an Olympic contender what they're training for, you'd be hard-pressed to find one that didn't dream about standing atop the podium, with a gold medal. For them, it's as much for the achievement itself, as carving a place in history. I think that's part of the Tour's mystique, even if it is only a few years older than the Giro; that sense of joining the pantheon of greats.

    I suppose the argument could be made that a true great would put in his best effort in everything, and I agree with that, but I think for Andy to race the Giro would be almost a disingenuous thing to do. It wouldn't honour the race if he did it halfheartedly, and there are people who don't consider the Giro and the Vuelta to be "consolation" prizes.

    Anyway, what I take from that is: the heart is stubborn, and dreams are things that go beyond considerations of logic and one's palmarès.

    RispondiElimina
  3. Hello Figgy! :D

    I actually learned a lot too while writing this post (don't tell anyone, but I had completely forgotten that this was the year of the London Olympics) and I had a lot of fun creating it :)

    'Ryder Hesjedal's bathroom detour anniversary', LOL! Ahah, I can still laugh about it after all this time! After reading about that story, I think everyone started to love Ryder more than they ever did before :D

    The 2011 Ardennne's classics were Gilbert's personal show. He was simply amazing that week (the way he won Fleche was unbelievable), but I hope that this year he'll leave some space for his colleagues. For example, what about leaving Amstel to Andy Schleck, Fleche to Chris Anker Sorensen and Liége to Frank Schleck? ;)

    Oh, the Dukes of Milan and Urbino!!! I always hated studying the Italian 'ducati', they're so boring! By the way, if you really decide to write a cyclist's name in your test, make sure it is 'Visconti': who knows, perhaps Giovanni's ancestors really had something to do with the Dukes of Milan ;)

    Your analisys is very clever, my dear. I completely agree with everything you've said, including the fact that, if you really want to join the pantheon of cycling greats, you have to win the Tour de France. Perhaps we Italians (riders and supporters) don't really realise the importance of the French race, because we tend to give the same importance to the Giro and the Tour. Still, I think that for foreign riders the most important race of the world is the Tour, no doubts about that. And that's why Andy is so focused on the French race.
    Moreover, as someone pointed out in a comment some time ago (sorry but I can't remember who did it!), I think we must consider that, if Andy won this year Tour against all odds, his victory would be remembered for many years to come. And, perhaps, that's what makes him so willing of taking part in the 2011 French race rather than in the Italian one. In fact, if Andy won the TdF this year he would probably get him a one way ticket to history. On the other hand, if he won the Giro, everyone would consider it just a 'normal' victory, without giving it too much importance. Andy instead probably wants his first GT victory to be a great, exceptional one.

    RispondiElimina
    Risposte
    1. Hi Fede!

      I hope you're surviving your crazy timetable at uni. I've turned into such a clock-watcher this year. All I pick up on in my lectures are one or two invariably grisly details, and the all important dismissal time, "Gianmaria Visconti trained his dogs to eat citizens who were out past curfew... in 10 minutes we'll have a break".

      I don't perceive the Giro, or Vuelta, as lesser achievements, but for whatever reason, the Tour just seems to be Andy's idée fixe. I think the Italian and Spanish races deserve better than to be used as training grounds for the Tour, and should be won by riders who genuinley want to be there and win them. I'd hardly classify the Giro as a normal victory, but it does seem to be vastly overlooked, which is a shame.

      I don't know if misread the articles, but the RST strategy seems to be to put the full weight of its resources into seeing Andy win the Tour. I'm not sure that it's wise to focus all of your efforts into achieving one goal, but I guess we'll see if this gambit pays off. Anyway, if he doesn't win, it certainly won't be for lack of support!

      Is it true that Urbino is really out of the way, and difficult to reach by public transport? I ask because my Renaissance prof. keeps giving unsolicited (:P) travel advice about Italy. My favourite so far: "When you're in Venice, find a gondolier that sings Venetian songs. A gondolier singing Neapolitan songs is just wrong!" LOL

      Elimina
  4. Hello Figgy! :D Right now at my university it's 'exam time', so we luckily don't have any lesson to attend. As a consequence, I have much more free time than usual, although I actually spend a considerable part of said free time studying Linguistics or German or Italian Literature.
    This 'exam break' started after Christmas and ends on the 13th of February and, surprisingly (and shockingly), I'm really looking forward to the re-beginning of the lessons. I miss my university life right now, all the jokes with my classmates and our long walks up to the Upper City... And then, I miss my Russian/German lessons too.
    Actually, all this free time is boring me a bit :P Some of my friends have taken 5 exams this month, so that they didn't have free time at all, but people in my studying course were allowed to take just 3 exams. Moreover, we didn't need to study for two of those exams (IT and Italian), so that we're all a bit bored by this situation. Still, older students tell me to enjoy these moments of break, because in the next years I'll regret them. Nice, isn't it? ;)

    Ahah, the dismissal time is the only thing I actually pick up during my Italian Literature lessons ;)
    Actually, I think that studying the Italian Signorie is one of the most boring things to do, so I can understand why you're so bored during your lectures ;)

    We Italians tend to believe that the Giro is the biggest race of the world. The 'Corsa Rosa' is an important part of our culture and of our history, so we tend to consider it the best race in the world. Moreover, we have a big sport rivalry with the Frenchmen and that's why we never lose the chance of praising our own national Grand Tour and comparing it to the Grande Boucle, usually saying that 'we Italians have the best climbs, the most exciting stages and the best sceneries, they (the Frenchmen) just have a lot of sponsors and televisions'. However I can understand that, for someone like Andy (who grew up watching the Tour de France and hearing his father's tales about the French race), the most important race of the world is the Grande Boucle. Just, I don't think he has the right to call the Giro 'a step back in his career', because by doing so he offended the race itself and also many riders who've won it in the last years.

    I completely agree with you about RST strategy. If they don't win the Tour, they'll make themselves ridicolous. If I were them, I would start begging Cancellara to win an important Classic, because that would be the only way to save their season if los Schlecks failed to win the Tour.

    LOL, your Renaissance prof. seems such a funny man! That advice about Venice is simply great! :D

    Public transport isn't actually that organised here in Italy, so I think he's probably right in saying that Urbino is difficult to reach. Talking about Urbino: although I've never visited it, I've been told it is one of the most beautiful Italian cities. Actually, the whole region of 'Le Marche' is full of amazing little villages with breathtaking sceneries. I was there on holiday in September and I just fell for Sirolo and Numana! My father liked them so much to claim that, once he stops working, he'll buy a house there! :P

    RispondiElimina