Friday, December 24, 2010

SBS BLOG PERSONNEL ATTACKING CYCLING


Tomalaris recently wrote a blog article which i thought offensive and denigrating to Sydney Cyclists.

Yesterday i found on Cycling Central yet another offensive and denigrating blog entry but this time by Gomez, below is my reply. I also commented on the Daily Telegraph site enclosing a google link referring to the attached comment:

" The article was an "April Fools Day joke"? Right? Thought Cycling Central was about supporting cycling in all it's aspects ! Gomes & Tomolaris recently



both seem to sit on their butt in a vehicle and denigrate cyclists, will the next articles they write be about the "wittisms" they call out to passing cyclists or even worse what they offer as they pull alongside a cyclist that they choose to offer advice. Worldwide the English speaking cycling blogs tend to highlight the frustration that everyone is experiencing as they try to ride to their destination in safety. Cadel today tweeted another cycling casualty, who knows what the circumstances are other than the father was on the scene. Politicians worldwide are taking up and talking up cycling as they realise the benefits to their electorate. We all know of the minority who cannot cook and are useless motoring correspondents who denigrate cyclists so as to grab the "headlines/sound bites" , guess we will see the "anti cycling Lobby" now quoting "Tomalaris/Gomez" to reinforce their point of view.


Marc of Gympie is correct in saying more consideration should be given to where bike lanes are. On the Tour de Suisse i had to ride up hills without bike lanes but going down the hill there was a bike lane, now what does that tell you ? Personally i thought the slow cyclist needed the protection , not those descending at or above the speed limit. Thecyclingsilk.blogspot recently wrote the "Home Sec. of the UK" to ask that there be more uniformity of Police/CPS attitudes towards cyclists, every where there is a variation in attitudes to cycling. On the harbour there are rules and generally you give way to the smaller vessel and the bigger vessel is held liable in an incident and generally the vehicle running up the rear of another is held liable. When Insurance Companies start cancelling the policy or increasing the premiums of Vehicles held responsible or involved in cycle accidents we will see a marked change in driver attitudes, no longer will some see how close they can get to spoiling a cyclist's day. Whereever i am in the world i see people in every form of locomotion breaking "rules" imposed to achieve a level playing field, "Throwing a "Uey", running a red light, Jay walking, we are all as bad as each other but it is the attitude we adopt to each other that needs modifying. Tolerance seems to have disappeared as we all leave everything till the last moment and then look for the excuse to present as justification for our late arrival. Take a look at Fatcyclist.com 's latest contest, in fact any of his blog entries and have a good laugh , lighten up and don't jump down the throat of the next person who breaks a law( Don't throw stones in glasshouses) ! Happy Festive season and safe cycling in the New Year. "

What more can i say , other than Cyclists should ALL decide to put on Cycling Clothes, put their bike on the roof of the car , post a large explanation note on each side of the car and each first monday of the month everywhere in the world and join the rush hour to and from work and let those naysayers realise not only how WE the cyclists have helped reduce congestion but ALSO how many of us CHOOSE not to drive during this period of time.

Could the Cycling Fraternity consider how this idea alone would drive home the message that people currently choose to ignore.

Sunday, December 5, 2010

GIRO D'ITALIA route details from Cyclingnews.com

Giro d'Italia 2011 route unveiled in Turin

Race to celebrate 150th anniversary of Italian unification

2011 Giro d'Italia race map


The 2011 Giro d'Italia will celebrate the 150th anniversary of the unification of Italy, with a mountainous route that looks set to exalt a possible duel between Vincenzo Nibali and Riccardo Ricco.

Race director Angelo Zomegnan revealed the route in Turin, where the three weeks of racing will begin on Saturday, May 7 with a 21.5km team time trial.

The corsa rosa concludes with a 32.8km individual time trial that finishes in the shadow of the spectacular Milan Duomo on Sunday, May 29.

In between, the 3496km route heads south to Sicily for a mountain finish on the slopes of the Etna volcano and then returns north along the Adriatic coast before a long series of testing stages in the Dolomites and a grand finale on the dirt road climb of the Colle delle Finestre near Sestriere.






Route details

The official route guide given out in Turin describes the 2011 Giro as "the toughest race in the most beautiful place". The 2011 Giro certainly looks the toughest race on the map, with 40 major mountain climbs and seven mountain finishes.

The route visits 17 of the 20 regions of Italy during the three weeks of racing. After the team time trial in Turin, stage two heads to Parma and then Reggio Emilia and then heads south down the Tyrrhenian coast, with a finish in the Tuscan port of Livorno and via the Umbrian town of Orvieto after a 13km section of dirt road in the final 50km of the stage.

The first mountain finish is at Montevergine di Mercogliano near Naples. It is where Damiano Cunego won in 2004 and first indicated he would go on to dominate that Giro.

The Giro touches the toe of the Italian peninsular after a week of racing with a finish in Tropea and then takes the ferry to Sicily for a mountain on the slopes of Etna. The Giro climbs the active volcano twice: first to the Citelli refuge at 1631 metres with a 18km at an average of 6.1%. The stage then dives back down the Mediterranean coast before climbing for 19.4km at an average of 6.3% to the Sapienza refuge at an altitude of 1904 metres. The stage will be the Giro's equivalent of a finish on Mont Ventoux in the Tour de France.

The riders enjoy the first rest after the Etna stage but first have to fly to Termoli on the eastern Adriatic coast. The second week of the race heads north up the Adriatic with finishes in Teramo after a ride along the coast, and then in Castelfidardo after an up and down 160km in the hills. Stage 12 finishes in Ravenna and is on of the few stages perfect for the sprinters.

Another road transfer takes the race to the foot of the Dolomites and marks the start of the mountain stages. Stage 13 on Friday May 20 heads into Austria for a finish on the slopes of the Grossglockner. The 13.6km climb starts gently but then ramps up all the way to the finish with a final two kilometres at 10.7 per cent.

Stage 14 and 15 pass through what was the front line during a long war with Austria. Stage 14 finishes with the climb to Monte Zoncolan, where Basso fought out a duel with Cadel Evans this year. Stage 15 includes five major climbs, including the Passo Giau, that is the highest climb of the Giro at 2236 metres and so will award the prestigious Cima Coppi prize. The stage ends with just a 6.2km climb but it has an average gradient of 10 per cent with two short sections at 16 per cent at the start and finish.

The 2010 Giro included a mountain time trial to Plan des Corones. In 2011, the only time trial mid-Giro is 12.7km cronoscalata between Belluno and Nevegal.

So many mountain stages are usually enough to complete a Giro. In 2011 there are even more. Three transfer stages across the Lombardy region takes the Giro east for the mountain finale on the Colle delle Finestre.

It was climbed for the first time in 2005, when Paolo Savoldelli managed to hang on to the maglia rosa. It is 18.5km long and climbs at 9.2 per cent, with the second half is on dirt roads. The tifosi packed the summit of the climb, instantly making it a legendary stage.

If all the climbing the dirt roads and the final climb to Sestriere does not decide the Giro, the final 32.8km individual time trial around Milan will, with the winner of the maglia rosa crowned in the shadows of the Milan Duomo.










Stage 1Saturday, May 7 2011
Location:
Venaria Reale - Turin
Distance:
21.5 km
Stage 2Sunday, May 8 2011
Location:
Alba - Parma
Distance:
242 km
Stage 3Monday, May 9 2011
Location:
Reggio Emilia - Rapallo
Distance:
178 km
Stage 4Tuesday, May 10 2011
Location:
Quarto dei Mille - Livorno
Distance:
208 km
Stage 5Wednesday, May 11 2011
Location:
Piombino - Orvieto
Distance:
201 km
Stage 6Thursday, May 12 2011
Location:
Orvieto - Fiuggi Terme
Distance:
195 km
Stage 7 Friday, May 13 2011
Location:
Maddaloni - Montevergine di Mercogliano
Distance:
100 km
Stage 8Saturday, May 14 2011
Location:
Sapri - Tropea
Distance:
214 km
Stage 9Sunday, May 15 2011
Location:
Messina - Etna
Distance:
159 km
Rest dayMonday, May 16 2011
Location:
-
Stage 10Tuesday, May 17 2011
Location:
Termoli - Teramo
Distance:
156 km
Stage 11Wednesday, May 18 2011
Location:
Teramo - Castelfidardo
Distance:
162 km
Stage 12Thursday, May 19 2011
Location:
Castelfidardo - Ravenna
Distance:
171 km
Stage 13Friday, May 20 2011
Location:
Spilimbergo - Grossglockner
Distance:
159 km
Stage 14Saturday, May 21 2011
Location:
Lienz - Monte Zoncolan
Distance:
210 km
Stage 15Sunday, May 22 2011
Location:
Conegliano - Gardeccia-Val di Fassa
Distance:
230 km
Rest day 2Monday, May 23 2011
Location:
-
Stage 16Tuesday, May 24 2011
Location:
Belluno - Nevegal
Distance:
12.7 km
Stage 17Wednesday, May 25 2011
Location:
Feltre - Sondrio
Distance:
246 km
Stage 18Thursday, May 26 2011
Location:
Morbegno - Sondrio
Distance:
147 km
Stage 19Friday, May 27 2011
Location:
Bergamo - Macugnaga
Distance:
211 km
Stage 20Saturday, May 28 2011
Location:
Verbania - Sestriere
Distance:
242 km
Stage 21Sunday, May 29 2011
Location:
Milan
Distance:
32.8 kmGiro d'Italia NewsRSS

Some additional material worth looking through from Cyclingnews.com

Van Garderen targets Giro d'Italia top ten
Date:
November 15, 18:26
Ambitious American looks to improve on strong debut season


Nibali says wind a threat during Giro's Etna stage
Date:
November 11, 13:33
Vuelta winner reconnoitres Sicilian stage


Pozzovivo looking forward to 2011 Giro d'Italia climbs
Date:
November 7, 21:00
Italian already familiar with Mount Etna


Chris Anker Sørensen aims to be top climber at 2011 Giro d'Italia
Date:
October 29, 11:34
Dane says aiming for Giro and Tour GC is too difficult


Nibali looking to win 2011 Giro d'Italia
Date:
October 27, 14:29
New Italian star confident about handling the many climbs

Petacchi unhappy with 2011 Giro route
Basso likes tough 2011 Giro d’Italia route
Yates says Tour contenders will skip 2011 Giro d'Italia
Giro d'Italia 2011: Reactions from Nibali, Cunego, Ballan, Scarponi and Petacchi
Giro d'Italia 2011 route unveiled in Turin
2011 Giro d'Italia to return to the Zoncolan
View all race news
Giro d'Italia FeaturesRSS

Winter training: Nibali, Basso and Riccò begin 2011 preparations
Date:
November 15, 18:17
View our gallery as the stars of Italian cycling get back in the saddle


Giro d'Italia 2011: "It's a hard Giro but the Giro has to be hard"
Date:
October 23, 18:18
An exclusive interview with race director Angelo Zomegnan

YAHOO/Eurosport & CYCLINGNEWS items on 2011 TDF



This is Yahoo/Eurosport report on the 2011 Tour de France Presentation. Looks like i will be in Europe in July so will ride for the 14th consecutive year.

Whilst i ride alone, i am prepared to have others join me IF they have properly prepared and have their support to fall back on in adverse conditions. I don't mind people drafting when they are able to contribute to an improvement in the overall performance but over the years i have found too many looking to be passengers. Better to join me at Giro, Dauphinee or TDS as a warm up event.








Tour de France - 2011 Tour route to suit climbersTue, 19 Oct 11:22:00 2010

The 2011 Tour de France route will perfectly suit climbers such as Alberto Contador although it remains unclear whether the three-times champion will be allowed to take part.

Related Links2011 Tour de France route Saxo Bank to stay even if Contador is bannedThe Spaniard has been provisionally suspended pending further investigations into his positive test for the anabolic agent clenbuterol.

Should, however, the 2007, 2009 and 2010 champion take part next year he will find the route ideal.

There are four mountaintop finishes - two in the Pyrenees, two in the Alps - for 2011 with a prestigious mountain finale on the Alpe d'Huez two days before the Champs Elysees parade.

"We wanted a balanced route. We tried to keep the suspense for the Alps but also to have a big battle as early as the Pyrenees," Tour director Christian Prudhomme told a few selected reporters before the official unveiling ceremony.


Tour de France 2011 : Prés

The Tour will start on July 2 in Brittany, the heartland of French cycling and Prudhomme is hoping the opening week will be filled with action.

"That is why we have this finish at Mur de Bretagne (known as the Alpe d'Huez of Brittany)," Prudhomme said.

"I'm confident I'll have a strong team to help me win this tour," said this year's runner-up Andy Schleck of Luxembourg, who left Saxo Bank with his brother Frank to launch a new outfit starting next year.









Schleck, however, did not mention Contador as one of his rivals.

"A lot of riders want to win this Tour, with (Vuelta champion Vincenzo) Nibali, (Ivan) Basso and (Cadel) Evans being strong contenders," he said.

The peloton will then head south through the Pyrenees, where the riders will tackle the testing Col du Tourmalet and also the Col d'Aubisque.

Organisers said they wanted to celebrate the centenary of the Alps in the Tour, with the punishing Col du Galibier section twice on the menu.



The loss of Contador though would be hugely disappointing for organisers.

The Spaniard has claimed that the banned anabolic agent found in his test came from contaminated meat and the International Cycling Union and the World Anti-Doping Agency are investigating the case further before making a final decision.

"It's a very important case and we need to be compeltely sure (of the facts) when the decision is taken," UCI president Pat McQuaid said.

"It's quite complicated. We are waiting for the results to come back and I don't know how long it's going to take.

"In fairness to Contador, to the Tour de France, we need to go into the details to make sure the decision taken is the right one."

Contador was not seen at Tuesday's ceremony at the Palais des Congres in Paris.

Spain's Secretary of State for Sport Jaime Lissavetzky told Telemadrid he was hoping for a quick resolution to the case because any delay was "damaging for Contador, for cycling and for Spanish sport".

"Suspicion does not mean guilt. We are waiting for the conclusions of the UCI and WADA's investigation," said Prudhomme. "We strongly hope that we won't have to wait too long."

Prudhomme said the Tour would not be harmed if Contador fails to take part.

"We still have 250 cities who applied to host a stage, 50 of them being foreign cities. Barcelona, Salzburg, Krakow were candidates," he said.

"Last week I was in Shanghai and I was amazed by the Chinese's knowledge of the Tour, by their passion for the race.

"The Tour is huge. It is broadcast in 137 countries. In France, it is viewed twice more than Roland Garros (French Open tennis), for example."

Prudhomme, who took over the running of the race in 2006, believes the fight against doping is showing results.

"Pierre Bordry, the former head of the French Anti-Doping Agency, said himself that he thought the vast majority of the peloton is clean," he said.

"Cycling is doing more than any other sport in the fight against doping. If (bloodboosters) EPO, CERA are being detected, it is because cycling is a pioneer in the fight against doping."

Tuesday's ceremony began with a video tribute to former Tour champion Laurent Fignon, who died of cancer earlier this year, with the 4,000 spectators applauding after being shown highlights of the Frenchman's career.highlights of the Frenchman's career.

Reuters

Stage 1Saturday, July 2 2011
Location:
Passage du Gois La Barre-de-Monts - Mont des Alouettes Les Herbiers
Distance:
191 km
Stage 2Sunday, July 3 2011
Location:
Les Essarts (TTT)
Distance:
23 km
Stage 3Monday, July 4 2011
Location:
Olonne-sur-Mer - Redon
Distance:
198 km
Stage 4Tuesday, July 5 2011
Location:
Lorient - Mûr-de-Bretagne
Distance:
172 km
Stage 5Wednesday, July 6 2011
Location:
Carhaix - Cap Fréhel
Distance:
158 km
Stage 6Thursday, July 7 2011
Location:
Dinan - Lisieux
Distance:
226 km
Stage 7Friday, July 8 2011
Location:
Le Mans - Châteauroux
Distance:
215 km
Stage 8Saturday, July 9 2011
Location:
Aigurande - Super-Besse Sancy
Distance:
190 km
Stage 9Sunday, July 10 2011
Location:
Issoire - Saint-Flour
Distance:
208 km
Rest Day 1Monday, July 11 2011
Stage 10Tuesday, July 12 2011
Location:
Aurillac - Carmaux
Distance:
161 km
Stage 11Wednesday, July 13 2011
Location:
Blaye-les-Mines - Lavaur
Distance:
168 km
Stage 12Thursday, July 14 2011
Location:
Cugnaux - Luz-Ardiden
Distance:
209 km
Stage 13Friday, July 15 2011
Location:
Pau - Lourdes
Distance:
156 km
Stage 14Saturday, July 16 2011
Location:
Saint-Gaudens - Plateau de Beille
Distance:
168 km
Stage 15Sunday, July 17 2011
Location:
Limoux - Montpellier
Distance:
187 km
Rest Day 2Monday, July 18 2011
Stage 16Tuesday, July 19 2011
Location:
Saint-Paul-Trois-Châteaux - Gap
Distance:
163 km
Stage 17Wednesday, July 20 2011
Location:
Gap - Pinerolo
Distance:
179 km
Stage 18Thursday, July 21 2011
Location:
Pinerolo - Galibier Serre-Chevalier
Distance:
189 km
Stage 19Friday, July 22 2011
Location:
Modane - Alpe-d’Huez
Distance:
109 km
Stage 20Saturday, July 23 2011
Location:
Grenoble (ITT)
Distance:
41 km
Stage 21Sunday, July 24 2011
Location:
Créteil - Paris Champs-Élysées
Distance:
160 km








CYCLING NEWS COMMENTARY




The 2011 Tour de France map

A centenary celebration of the Alps

After a 2010 edition dedicated to the centenary of the Pyrenees, the 2011 Tour de France will celebrate the centenary of the first time the race climbed the Alps.

At the launch of next year's event in Paris, race director Christian Prudhomme unveiled a parcours ideal f climbers, with only 64 time trial kilometres of which 23 are a team time trial. Again, there will be no time bonuses on the road from the Vendée region to Paris, while a testing third week in the Alps sees the Tour return to the Galibier and L’Alpe d’Huez: two of its most legendary climbs.

A diverse start

The 2011 Tour's Grand Départ is in the windy Vendée region in Western France, on the Atlantic coastline. The first stage will see the peloton cross the famous Passage du Gois before the first uphill finish on the Mont des Alouettes in Les Herbiers, famous for organising the Chrono des Nations time trial.

The team time trial is back after a one-year absence, around the town Les Essarts, the home of Jean-Rene Bernadeau's team. The collective test against the clock has a totally flat profile and will certainly re-shuffle the general classification, even if the distance of 23 kilometres might not open up significant time gaps.

Stage three (Olonne-sur-Mer to Redon) will see the riders gear up for a probable bunch sprint as the Tour heads northwest from Vendée towards Brittany. On the next day, an uphill finish on the steep Mûr-de-Bretagne in central Brittany will suit the Classics riders and strong finishers, with the yellow jersey probably again up for grabs.

The Tour will then move northwards on stage five from Carhaix to Cap Fréhel, finishing on a windy and especially treacherous section of coast line. On the next day, the bunch will move over into Normandy for stage six from Dinan to Lisieux, the Tour’s longest stage with 226 kilometres.

Moving south: the medium mountains

After the first week in north-western France, the Tour route heads south into France's central mountain range via Châteauroux. The stage starts in Le Mans and is another sure bet for a bunch sprint. The first "real" uphill finish is scheduled for Saturday, July 8 in Super-Besse Sancy, followed by a perfect day for audacious escapists on the hilly stage nine from Issoire to Saint-Flour on Sunday July 10. Three Category 3 climbs await the riders, with the Puy Mary located more than 1500 metres above sea level.

The riders will be able to enjoy the first rest day on July 11 in Le Lioran in the Cantal cheese region. Two transitional stages will then pave the way south to the Pyrenees on July 12, with stage 10 from Aurillac to Carmaux and then stage 11 from Blaye-les-Mines to Lavaur. Many expected a first individual time trial at this point in the race but the 2011 Tour is set to feature even less time trialling than in 2010, with Prudhomme sticking to one race against the clock only as opposed to two in the past.

The Pyrenees: more than an appetizer

Three days in the Pyrenees with two mountain top finishes will provide plenty of climbing action in the second week and will reveal who has a real chance of victory before the Grande Finale in the Alps in the third week.

Stages 12 and 14 will end on top of Luz-Ardiden and the Plateau de Beille respectively, with the hard day from Pau to Lourdes surely to tempt the climbers to chase mountain points for the polka-dot jersey.

Stage 12 to Luz-Ardiden also has the famous Tourmalet on its profile, and stage 14 includes a total of four passes before the final ramps of the Plateau de Beille: Portet d’Aspet, Col de la Core, Latrape and Agnes.

After another transitional stage 15 from Limous to Montpellier, a day that should be marked green on the sprinter’s calendars, the race will head east across the south of France for the second rest day in the Drôme region on July 18 before the 2011 Tour reaches its climax in the Alps in the third week of racing.

A centenary in the Alps: the big showdown

The Tour De France climbed the Alps for the first time in 1911, with a 366km-long stage from Chamonix to Grenoble taking the riders over four testing passes: the Aravis, Télégraphe, Lautaret and Galibier.

100 years later, stage 16 from Saint-Paul-Trois-Châteaux to Gap serves as a taste of the pain to come and three days in the high mountains begin on July 20 as the peloton departs on a 179km-journey from Gap to Pinerolo in Italy. Three categorized climbs are on the menu: Col de Montgenèvre, Sestrières and the Côte de Pramartino.

Italy will be the only foreign country visited by the 2011 Tour. Riders will return to France on the next day for back to back mountain-top finishes. Stage 18 – the queen stage, no doubt - will finish on the prestigious Galibier (2645m), after crossing some of the most challenging climbs of the Alps: the Col d’Agnel (2774m) and the Izoard (2360m).

The Galibier will be re-visited on the next day via its northern side as the 109km-long 19th stage finishes with the climb to L’Alpe d’Huez. Although a short stage, it seems this one could be just as decisive as the 41km-long individual time trial that will follow on the race’s penultimate day in Grenoble.

No time bonuses, but secondary classifications changed

Again, Prudhomme has prefered a “real-time” general classification without any time bonuses. But the Tour organisers have altered the points systems in the hope of intensifying the fight for the green and polka-dot jerseys.

Prudhomme announced there one single intermediate sprint per stage, awarding half the points on offer at the stage finish. This way, the sprinters will have to sprint twice a day if they want to be a contender for the green jersey. The changes will surely change the pattern of the racing on most days and affect the chances of breakaways making it to the finish.

The mountains classification will also be changed, with double points up for grabs at the four mountain-top finishes of the race. This may be an additional lure for the strong climbers to show off their talent in the high mountains.