By Stepahnie Gutowski

Kim Kirchen (Team Columbia-HTC) had an incredible 2008. Not only did he win Fleche Wallone, but he wore the coveted yellow jersey at the Tour de France for three stages.

In 2009, he fell during the 4th stage of the Tour of California after the sleeve of his jacket got caught in the spokes of his wheel as he was trying to remove the garment. He fractured his shoulder and collarbone. Kirchen’s injury prevented him from racing in his favorite Ardennes Classics. He was the defending Fleche Wallone champion. After going through shoulder surgery and recuperating his injuries, Kirchen came back to win stage 7 of the Tour de Suisse last month.

We spoke prior earlier in the season about his successes in 2008 and about riding the Tour de France in 2009.

The successes of 2008….
I have always been focused on the Classics. I was really close two years ago in Fleche Wallone. For me it’s always a goal of mine to get better each year. I know what I need to do physically and the team is also maturing. We do work a lot on working as a team. I am 30 years old and have a lot of experience now. All of these factors together allowed me to be successful last year.

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Photo: Just a mockup, but the actual 566 Urban looks similar and has flat-bar handlebars

I managed to catch sight of a new product — on paper — that would represent a new direction for LOOK. The LOOK 566 road bike took the typically high-end LOOK and combined it with Taiwanese manufacturing to hit a lower price-point. It was still pricey at $2700 for a complete SRAM Rival bike, but it was definitely worth its price tag.

Now LOOK is thinking of taking that 566 road product and creating a new flat-bar LOOK 566 Urban. It makes sense for LOOK to choose this frame, as it’s the most comfortable carbon road frame they make. The 566 is designed with “X design” chainstays that give more suspension to the frame when you go over the potholes, and the flatter top tube also provides some vertical dampening.

What was most striking was the look of the LOOK: no logo, all black, with a light smattering of red pinstriping. I don’t have an image of the actual bike, but I’ve done my best to render it up here. There’s something ultra-cool about a bike that forgoes all badging. LOOK has done a lot with their latest frame designs to make them distinctively LOOK, so there’s no doubting when you see the bend in the top tube that you’re looking at a LOOK frame.

There’s one more detail I was able to find out: it will be outfitted with Tiagra components, which should shave off some of the sticker cost. There’s no word on the actual pricing, though it will undoubtedly be in the higher end of the urban market. Apparently LOOK is going to pitch these to dealers and see if there’s interest, but the chance of this coming out seems slim, at least with the market down like it is. There’s also the question of how much interest there is a carbon-fiber urban bike, but the same could be said for carbon-fiber mountain bikes, which is a market that LOOK has left its mark on.

- A RECORD-EIGHT TDF TEAMS WILL TAKE THE START LINE ON FI’ZI:K SADDLES-

Pozzoleone, Italy – For the first time in Tour de France history, fi’zi:k saddles is dominating the peloton as the premiere saddle supplier and sponsor to participating Pro Tour and Pro Continental teams. Of the twenty select 2009 Tour de France teams, 8 will be riding fi’zi:k saddles.

Amplified support of professional teams comes not only the heels of increased global original equipment specification, but more so from increased demand from road teams for the premiere brand. As an example, one of the non-official-fi’zi:k-sponsored TdF Pro Tour teams, has twenty team members using their brand.

Many of the 2009 Tour de France teams will using the new ultra light Antares road saddle as well as the recently introduced Ares time trail saddle. Among those cyclists using the new Antares and the new Ares is defending Tour de France champion Carlos Sastre who, after testing the final Ares version earlier this summer said, “It’s now perfect. I definitely noticed the difference between the first and final versions.” Dave Zabriskie, US National Time Trial Champion, joins Sastre in choosing both the Antares and Ares; and most of the entire Columbia-High Road will be riding the Ares time trial saddle when they line up in Montpelier on July 7th in attempt to maintain their title as the world’s number one time trial team following their 2009 Giro d’Italia TTT victory.

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CÔTE D’AZUR CAP-MARTIN, FRANCE and WATERLOO, WI - Trek Bicycle today announced an all-new 6 Series Madone, the stiffest, lightest, and fastest Madone yet. Unveiled to the world against the backdrop of the Col de la Madone — the storied climb where seven-time Tour de France Champion Lance Armstrong has tested his pre-Tour fitness since 1998, and the climb for which the Madone is named — the new 6 Series Madone establishes a new benchmark for total performance, pushing the boundaries of road bike design and integration with a host of new technologies, including the latest addition to Trek’s proprietary OCLV Carbon family, OCLV2.

“The 6 Series Madone represents another major technological milestone for Trek,” noted Trek’s Road and Triathlon Brand Manager, Nick Howe. “We’ve been working on this project since before the release of our last Madone [in 2007], and have been through 70 design iterations before we had a product worthy of the Madone designation. To be able to introduce the bike in the place where it received its name is very special for us, and we’re excited about sharing it with the world.”

“There are new ideas integrated into this bike,” noted seven-time Tour de France Champion and Trek athlete, Lance Armstrong. “This is next generation stuff. The Madone has evolved, and we’ve ended up with something that’s the lightest, stiffest, fastest, best bike that I’ve ever ridden. I think there’s no doubt that the equipment we’ll ride in this Tour de France will be far and away the best equipment in the peloton.”

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Cycling Fans Stay Up-to-Speed on JetBlue Airways with Access to Live 2009 Tour de France Coverage on VERSUS

• TV channel offered for sixth straight year through DIRECTV(R) programming -
• Bike fees waived for the month of July in celebration of the annual bike race -

NEW YORK — This July, cycling fans traveling on JetBlue Airways (NASDAQ:JBLU) will stay up-to-speed with the most talked about competition of the year as the airline gears up to offer a dedicated channel to VERSUS, the exclusive television home of the Tour de France in the U.S., for the sixth straight year. Beginning Saturday, July 4, at 9:30 a.m. ET, VERSUS’ coverage of the grueling, 23-day contest will be available on channel 37 of JetBlue’s personal seatback televisions, in addition to its signature lineup of 36 channels of live DIRECTV(R) programming. To celebrate the race, JetBlue is also waiving its $50 bike fee (a) for customers traveling from July 1 to July 31, 2009.

“We continue to find ways to make the trip on JetBlue as enjoyable as the destination for our customers, and that means giving them more than the other guys — whether it’s a free checked bike to celebrate the race, more legroom, more free snacks and drinks, better customer service or more access to the most-talked about sporting events of the season,” said Sam Kline, senior analyst of Product Development for JetBlue Airways. “A lot can happen in the world of cycling on a six-hour long haul flight, but thanks to our live satellite TV programming and our dedicated channel for VERSUS this July, our customers won’t miss a minute of the action.”

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Designs Envisioned by Riders Will Be Available to Public

FOOTHILL RANCH, Calif., - Oakley, Inc. today announced updates regarding the 2009 Tour de France and the concurrent worldwide release of JAWBONE(TM), a revolutionary breakthrough in performance eyewear. Details were provided on specific color combinations of JAWBONE crafted for Tour riders who will rely on the product’s new design technologies in competition. The company noted that the Oakley Custom Program (OCP) will allow fans to salute their heroes by selecting similar component color combinations.

“‘Science wrapped in art’ has been our aspiration from day one. The Tour de France presents a perfect platform for us to unleash our new custom JAWBONE eyewear,” said Colin Baden, president of Oakley. “Our Tour riders are absolute originals, each with a unique style and approach to life. The Oakley Custom Program lets them take this unbelievable optical instrument called JAWBONE and make it their own by choosing colors — not just for the main frame but for four component categories as well. Performance becomes art, and with JAWBONE eyewear included in our custom program, consumers will have the same freedom to build their own unique version of this innovation,” Baden concluded.

Oakley riders George Hincapie, Mark Cavendish and Oscar Pereiro chose Pearl White for the frame color and White for the stem sleeves of their custom JAWBONE designs. For the jaw component that locks the interchangeable lenses into place, Hincapie picked Team Yellow while Cavendish went with Polished White and Pereiro opted for Pearl White. A “bolt” component of Oakley’s new SwitchLock(TM) Technology turns science into an accent of style, and both Hincapie and Cavendish selected Pearl White for this part of the design while Pereiro went with Blue. Hincapie completed his custom frame with an Oakley icon in Gunmetal. Cavendish chose Yellow for the icon while Pereiro completed his red/white/blue theme with Team Red.

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Doug Dalton (Cannondale R&D) shows us the highlights of the new 2010 SuperSix.

Points of Interest:
-this tour winning frame goes from 960 grams to 860 grams (for 56cm) still with incredible Cannondale stiffness.
-New SuperSix uses a combination of Hi-Modulus and Standard Modulus carbon fiber.
-1 1/8 to 1 ¼ steerer tube within an hourglass head tube-Exreme bottom bracket stiffness
-chain stays and BB are made from one monocoque mold for ultimate stiffness
-asymetrical chainstays for differing loads and strengths

More photos:

website: http://www.cannondale.com/

Adrian Montgomery of Scott USA gives us a brief overview of the completely redesigned 2010 Scott CR1 SL.

Points of Interest:
-CR1SL has been completely redesigned for 2010.
-Compliant flex zones in the chain stays for approx. .6 mm of rear wheel bump absorbing travel
-Integrated Molding Process in the front triangle (the top tube, down tube, and head tube are all made in one single process)
-Compliant fork
-HMX blended carbon fiber SL frame weight is 860 grams, HMF version is 930 grams

More photos:

Ride Impression:
Besides taking pictures and video, I also had a chance to actually ride the Scott USA CR1 SL at the Bike Press Camp held recently in Sun Valley, Idaho. I rode about 22 miles, out and back from the Sun Valley Resort. The terrain was mostly rolling, with absolutely no extended climbs or downhills. So my ride impression here is strictly limited to what I noticed on such a tame route.

The most noticeable aspect of this bike is the comfort that is afforded from the rear suspension design. I purposefully rode over bumps and cracks just to see how much dampening effect the flex zones gave and the design is something that you can really feel. It’s not hype, it works! The pavement irregularities that I rode over were definitely muted by the rear as well as the front.

I would have liked to try an extended climb with this bike, but on the short climbs and whenever I stood up to pedal, I did not feel like I was losing any efficiency. However, this is something that can be easily measured if I were to ride this bike on my own local roads and climbs, that I time myself on (barring other differing factors like bike weight, time of day, what I ate for dinner the previous night, etc…)

In short, the bike felt very comfortable but did not feel mushy while climbing or sprinting.

At 860 grams, the Scott CR1 SL weighs exactly the same as the new Cannondale SuperSix (that I had also hoped to ride, but my size was not available.)

Check the Scott USA website to find a local dealer and schedule a test ride for yourself!

website: http://scottusa.com/

Lester Muranaka from Delta 7 Sports shows us the production Ascend road bike. He also explains how Delta 7 Sports has addressed the bond issues that they had with past bikes (like the hardtail mountain bikes at the Outdoor Demo at Interbike last year). Also, there is some big changes coming for the 2010 construction of the Iso Truss.

Points of Interest:
-Frame weight est. 1.8 lbs (56”)
-Lifetime Warranty
-Carbon fiber frame
-Exreme bottom bracket stiffness
-Limited Production
-Most durable frame available
-Now has bottle cage mounts

More photos:

Details from the Official Delta 7 Sports press release:

Price: $5995 USD
Build Kits: SRAM RED or Campagnolo Super Record
Warranty: Lifetime Warranty
Product Description:
Extremely stiff and light, the Ascend™ maximizes the IsoTruss® tube structure proving to be the best carbon fiber bike available. Truly stunning visually with ride qualities and features unmatched by any other tube structures. An extremely stiff bottom bracket and stronger than any other in its class. Unique carbon fiber and Kevlar frames are limited production and handcrafted in the USA.
“Experience IsoTruss® Technology”

website: http://delta7sports.com/

From the Sugoi Spring 2010 collection, Gordon Wright shows us some of the latest road specific clothes from Sugoi. Shown here are the RSE bib shorts and jersey and a couple of super light weight outer layers.

-The RSE bib shorts feature a brand new FX chamois, with added mesh inserts for ventilation.

-RSE jersey is made for hot weather and is extremely effective at transferring mosture away from your body. Made with Gobi and Vector Stretch fabric.

-Hydrolite Jacket with pit zips keeps you from looking like you have an apocalyptic rash

-Helium, durable water resistant fabric that is SUPER light weight. It weighs 1.12 ounces per square yard of fabric, this complete jacket weights only 3 ounces. I held this jacket in my hands and it felt amazing.

Helium Jacket:

More Sugoi photos:

Details from the Official Sugoi Product Launch Press Release:

SUGOI Presents Spring 2010 Line

SUGOI Performance Apparel, a division of Dorel Industries Inc., (TSX: DII.B, DII.A) is proud to present the Spring 2010 collection – a collection that features cutting-edge fabric technology, performance-based comfort and a significant advance in compression fabrication.

SUGOI’s product line is categorized by Equipment and Culture, demarking premium-quality race and training apparel from casual and lifestyle pieces; no Equipment is more advanced than the company’s expanded Race and Recovery (R+R) compression line.

“Compression fabrics have been embraced by a wide range of athletes, and we’ve spent five years putting compression innovation in our products,” notes SUGOI President Stan Mavis, “The performance benefits of compression have been proven, and with the Spring 2010 line we’re introducing proprietary fabrics and manufacturing processes that will redefine the category.”

NEW for 2010: SUGOI’s R+R line is centered on Piston™ fabric technology, which uses polyamide-based materials that boast the lowest weight per square inch available in warp-knit compression fabric. Combined with the company’s proprietary PowerKnit process, 3D ergo fit panel zone construction and using an ultrafine 36-gauge knitting process, Piston™ fabrics provide exceptional performance and recovery benefits.

The super-light Piston™ 140 is used for upper-body garments, while the denser Piston™ 200 makes up lower-body garments including calf guards. The R+R line provides performance benefits to athletes over a range of sports including running, triathlon, cycling and more.

Specializing in compression technology for over 10 years with DuPont Lycra® and Dow XLA®; Dr. Michael Hunt, PhD states: “SUGOI has a proven history of incorporating the highest level of technology and materials within their lines, and the new SUGOI R+R collection is no exception. All SUGOI R+R compression garments capitalize on focused compression with SUGOI Piston™ technology, and provide athletes with graduated support, which increases circulation and reduces the chance of injury.”

SUGOI’s new RSE collection is an advancement on the multi-award winning RS series; the ultimate in technical cycling apparel. Advanced chamois technology, breathable tight knit fabrics that cut through air and specially applied zone construction allows the RSE series to promise incredible performance.

website: www.sugoi.com