Category: Cycling Page 25 of 34

The 2008 Tour de Georgia will kick off its first stage with a run between Tybee Island and Savannah. The stage takes something of a lollipop-shaped out-and-sort-of-back approach over 70.4 very flat miles.

The peloton will start at Tybee Island* at 10:30a. They’ll head toward Savannah through the salt marshes on the only road connecting the island with the rest of the state. They’ll pass through downtown, make a loop through the western suburbs, and return for a downtown finish on Tatnall Street between 1 and 1:30p.

From start to finish, there will be three sprint points and four time bonus opportunities. The course does involve a number of railroad crossings (and at least one drawbridge), but I don’t expect them to play much of a role in the race. The weather seems to be cooperating, with expectations that it will be a sunny day yielding temps in the high 70s/24-26. More importantly, it’s not expected to be too windy. However, those coastal winds can change in a heartbeat, and if it picks up, it could be a real factor in the open area between Tybee Island and Savannah.

Given the relatively even footing that a flat stage puts the teams on, this may turn out to be a stage in which one of the lesser known domestic teams can make a statement. Local boys Jittery Joe’s can always be counted on to give it a go, and Canadian team Symmetrics Cycling sure could use a high profile win in its search for a new sponsor. Personally, I’d love to see the GE-Marco Polo team surprise us all.

*Part of Georgia’s Coastal Empire region, and one of my own favorite places on the planet.

-Crossposted to PodiumCafe.com 

If you’re interested in following the Tour de Georgia on a real-time basis this year, your best best is the Adobe TourTracker via the official site. It also appears that wcsn.com has secured domestic internet broadcast rights this year, leaving (Blacknell.net nemesis) cycling.tv to carry the burden for the rest of the world (and if you’re a US domestic Cycling.tv subscriber, well, you’re just SOL).

If you want to watch it on the teevee, you’ll have to wait until May 4th, when Versus (the “Bull riding and other stuff” network) will have a condensed presentation of the race. If you’re in the southeast of the US and get the SportSouth cable channel, you’ll be able to snag a “seven 30-minute highlight shows recapping each day’s events, including wall-to-wall highlights, race reactions and interviews with select cyclists.”

(for PodiumCafe.com)

Rock Racing’s owner Michael Ball today called the last-minute inclusion in the 2008 Tour de Georgia “a new beginning” for the team. While he emphasized his commitment to bringing more “entertainment” to pro cycling, he did note that fans won’t be seeing a repeat of the spectacle seen at the Tour of California. Medalist Sports, the TdG’s promoter, hasn’t set any special conditions on the team’s participation, but Ball did acknowledge that Medalist asked that Rock Racing “conduct [itself] in a way that doesn’t freak [Medalist] out.” and that he was planning to respect that.

Ball also talked a bit about team strategy, labeling Santiago Botero as the team’s captain and GC hope. If things don’t work out for Botero, Oscar Sevilla is expected to step in. Tyler Hamilton, who hasn’t raced since last year’s TdG, will be dedicated to supporting Botero and Sevilla. Freddy Rodriguez will be hunting for sprint stage wins, having bagged one last year.

Asked about Cesar Grajales’ absence from the roster, Ball told Podium Café that Grajales had injured his knee at training camp earlier this year, and is currently recovering at home in Columbia. The plan is that Grajales will be ready for the Mt. Hood Cycling Classic in May.

When asked if the team’s inclusion at the TdG created expectations of participation in the Tour of Missouri (also a Medalist Sports event), Ball indicated that he hoped to have the choice, but expressed some uncertainty about the team’s capacity to actually field a squad there. Rock Racing has already received invites to the Tour of Mexico and Tour of Britain, both of which would in conflict with the Tour of Missouri.

Finally, Ball also appeared to be delivering on his promise to bring more sponsors to the sport, announcing that Yamaha’s motorcycle division will be sponsoring the team (the results of which we can expect to see in Georgia).

Longtime readers know that I can’t help but start talking about cycling once the pro season gets under way.  It’s in full swing now, and as noted, Monday marks the start of the 2008 Tour de Georgia.  To that end, I’ll be focusing on that over the next week, including the posting of the coverage I’m doing for PodiumCafe.com.

Photo: Stage 7 finish in Atlanta, 2007 Tour de Georgia

The Tour de Georgia jumps off from Tybee Island this coming Monday.   It’s not entirely certain, but I hope to make it down to Georgia for at least part of it.  Had a blast doing it last year.

Today, the organizers released a provisional startlist. No big surprises (tho’ yes, Hamilton, Botero, and Sevilla will there), and the talent bench is pretty deep. Also some new (to the North American scene, anyway) talent is on tap with the Discovery Marco Polo squad. In any event, here’s who to expect at the line next week:

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VeloNews is reporting that the U.S. Open of Cycling (nee U.S. Open Cycling Championships) has been canceled for this year, with the promoter citing difficulties in lining up sponsors. That’s quite a fall, going from the first U.S. cycling event garnering live network coverage in years to being unable to scratch together enough sponsorship to follow up the very next year.

I’m a huge fan of pro cycling’s Slipstream team.  Great athletes, open approach, wonderful sense of humility.  Plus, I (and occasional Blacknell.net contributor MJ)  liked them when they were still exclusively a domestic threat.

Why I am making a point of stating that, here? Well, by the time we get through this year’s Tour de France, the US rightsholder for the race (i.e., Versus cable network) will have spent 80% of its airtime jocking them so hard that it will be near impossible not to hate them by the time it’s over.

So.

DZ, Magnus (umm, has management seen your site, lately?), Christian, Millar, Tyler, Julian, Vaughters – I really dig you guys and what you’re doing.  I apologize in advance for hating you come late July.

Epic.  Absolutely @#)!ing epic.  Rain, snow, cobbles, and hard hard men.

If you’re in the US, you can catch a compressed version on Versus later today (5pm EDT).