Vittoria Open Pavè EVO CG Clincher

• 250 grams
• 290 tpi casing
• CG file tread pattern
• 100 - 130 psi inflation range
• Corespun Kevlar cotton casing for performance and durability
• 700×24

For anybody that watches the Spring Classics, the Vittoria Open Pavè should look fairly familiar. The green treaded Pavè’s are very popular during the spring classics, and until recently were only offered as tubulars. Vittoria is changing that, and is now offering the Open Pavè in the form of a clincher. Not only that, but they are available in the traditional green tread, or an all new all black tread. The open tubular version of the Pavè is made of the same “hand made” casing and comes in 700×24. These tires add a little bit of girth and a little weight, but in return, they offer the rider a plush, fast, ride. This is key when a rider is riding over anything from rough back country roads to the cobbles of Europe.

We’ve been riding two sets of the Open Pavè since winter and both sets have held up very well. The tires are very supple with their 290tpi casing and are even grippy feeling to the touch. This extra grip helped out greatly during our wet weather riding. Even with spring upon us, I’m still riding the Open Pavès because they ride very well both in bad weather and wet roads or sunny dry roads. The tires feel great rolling over rough roads, and don’t seem to give up much for being a wider tire on smooth flat surfaces. On mountain descents the Open Pavè’s grip impressed us and gave a very confidence inspiring feeling of grip in corners and didn’t slow us down one bit. They have quickly become our choice of winter riding tire.

Read the rest of this entry »

Vogels Wins Tour of the Gila Criterium; Manion Wins Roswell Criterium

Bend, OR – The Toyota-United Pro Cycling Team showed their character and spirit this weekend by answering the bell the very next day after learning Friday afternoon that the team’s title sponsor would not be renewing their sponsorship agreement at the end of the season by winning 3 of the 4 races they entered this weekend.

Team Captain Henk Vogels set the tone for the weekend’s action by storming to victory in Saturday nights Gila Criterium sponsored by Scott Nichols Toyota in Silver City, NM. The 43 mile NRC (National Race Calendar) criterium was dominated by the Toyota-United Team, who sent Vogels’ teammate Heath Blackgrove up the rode in an early breakaway with six other riders for the majority of the race. The break never gained more than 30 seconds, and it was Team Bissell who steadily brought the breakaway back since they had no one form their team in the breakaway. This set Toyota-United up perfectly for the end of the race where Chris Wherry dropped a bomb on the back straight away passing the entire Colavita/Sutter Home lead out train, who was trying to set up their start sprinter Alejandro Borrajo for the win. Wherry was followed by Vogels and Jonny Clarke who was on Vogels wheel to ensure Borrajo could not draft Vogels wheel on the final straight away. Vogels came out of the final turn in the lead by two bike lengths over Borrajo as he drove it to the line in his 53 x 11 gear at over 40MPH. “All credit to the boys today, especially Blackgrove, Wherry and Clarke. My role is normally to lead out Dominguez or one of the other sprinters, but today I wanted to show the boys by example that we are the best team and despite the news we received yesterday, we need to keep winning and go get a new sponsor for 2009” said Vogels.

Read the rest of this entry »

Atlanta, GA — Team Type 1 founder Phil Southerland will undergo surgery Monday to correct an ailment that has been hampering his cycling for the better part of the past two seasons.

Southerland, a first-year professional, will have surgery performed on his left leg to repair a constriction in his iliac artery, a problem common in cyclists.

The diagnosis was made last week and solves a mystery that went undiagnosed in previous tests. Southerland has been sidelined since pulling out of Stage 1 of the Redlands Bicycle Classic on April 4.

“Every therapist I’ve seen has said something definitely was not right, but they didn’t know what was wrong,” Southerland said. “It’s been a bit of a mental strain because other than my left leg not working at intensity, I had know idea what the problem was, or when it would be fixed. Getting surgery is a relief in that I now have a time frame, and can set new goals accordingly.”

Performing the surgery will be Dr. Kenneth Cherry, Jr., a vascular surgeon at the University of Virginia Health System in Charlottesville, Va. Monday’s operation will place a patch inside the artery to act as a wedge and open it back up to its proper size.

Southerland must remain off the bike for at least six weeks and can essentially do nothing to exercise his cardiovascular system. For someone with Type 1 diabetes, it will be a shock to the system, he said.

“Exercise, next to my rapid acting insulin, Apidra, is my second-best form of blood sugar control,” Southerland said.

Read the rest of this entry »

There’s a new professional continental team in the pro cycling peloton this year. But this team is different, it has a message. Team Type 1 was created by Type 1 diabetes racers Phil Southerland and Joe Eldridge to inspire people living with diabetes to take a proactive approach to managing their health and overcoming the obstacles often associated with the condition. The 15-rider professional roster includes four riders with Type 1 diabetes.

Phil Southerland starts the Redlands TT; photo c. Lyne Lamoureux

The team is serious about the racing, and big guns were recruited, General Manager Tom Schuler and Directeur Sportif Ed Beamon, two of the most established names in domestic cycling, having previously directed the longtime Saturn and Navigators Insurance teams, respectively.

Team Type 1 finished third in the team classification at the Tour de Georgia presented by AT&T, second on team classification at the Tour of Langkawi in February and in March, Shawn Milne finished second overall at the Tour de Taiwan.

It all started with a bet. During the college days, Southerland noticed that his friend Eldridge was not taking care of his diabetes and started placing bets on whomever had higher blood sugar paid for dinner.

Read the rest of this entry »

Los Angeles, CA – Team Owner, Sean Tucker, held a conference call earlier today with his riders, staff
and management to announce to the team that Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., Inc. has decided not to renew
its title sponsorship of the Toyota-United Pro Cycling Team following the conclusion of the 2008 season.
The decision coincides with the expiration of the three-year sponsorship agreement signed December 1,
2005.

“The Toyota-United Pro Cycling Team has performed at a level that truly symbolizes the Toyota way. We
have the utmost respect for Sean Tucker, his management, the marketing and PR team, and the athlete
riders all of whom have represented us valiantly,” said Keith Dahl, National Manager of Engagement
Marketing. “We accomplished our goals in this three-year term and have since shifted strategies.”
“Certainly we have enjoyed our partnership with Toyota these past two and a half years which has been
incredibly successful for both organizations with 116 wins in just over two seasons. We will always be
grateful for the support Toyota, its dealer network and employees have shown our team and me
personally” said Tucker.

Read the rest of this entry »

Minneapolis, MN - Silver medalist and World Champion cyclist Kristin Armstrong will return to the Nature Valley Grand Prix in 2008, participating in the annual five-day, six-stage race for the third consecutive year. This time, in addition to racing in the Nature Valley Grand Prix to defend her title as two-time champion, Armstrong returns as a member of the Cervelo-Lifeforce Professional Cycling Team bound for the 2008 Summer Olympic Games.

Coming off a win at the Tour of New Zealand in March, Armstrong will use the grueling stages of the Nature Valley Grand Prix to assist in her preparation for the Olympics in Beijing where she will ride with the women’s U.S. Cycling Team.

“Kristin is at the top of her sport and it’s a thrill to have such a talented rider join the field once again as she prepares for the 2008 Summer Olympics,” said David LaPorte, Festival director. “She has dominated the Nature Valley Grand Prix women’s races for two consecutive years. This year the women participating in the race will strive to beat a World Champion rider and potential Olympic medalist, which will make for some exciting races.”

Armstrong will be riding with Emma Rickards, a team member of the Cervelo-Lifeforce Professional Cycling Team. Cervélo Lifeforce Pro Cycling Team is an elite professional women’s cycling team based in Switzerland and races on the UCI Women’s Road World Cup circuit.

The Nature Valley Grand Prix will be held June 11 - 15 and is ranked #1 for women and #3 for men in the United States.

Read the rest of this entry »

PHILADELPHIA, PA – With 18 domestic and international teams already selected to compete in the inaugural running of the American Eagle Outfitters Tour of Pennsylvania Presented By Highmark Healthy High 5®, race organizers today released the details of the demanding 450-mile, six-day race route. A complete field of 20 to 22 teams will compete June 24 through June 29 in this first-of-its kind U-25 cycling stage race that will showcase the sport’s next generation of superstars.

The cyclists will battle for the leader’s jersey along a historically rich route. Beginning on hallowed cycling ground in Philadelphia, the route passes through towns and countryside that roughly follow Forbes Road (U.S. 30), which was forged in 1758 by British General John Forbes and Colonel George Washington. The race culminates in Pittsburgh as part of the city’s 250th anniversary celebration.

Seven Pennsylvania towns and cities will host the official race starts and finishes, with communities along the way gaining a first-hand look at the world’s best young talent in the kind of competition that is normally found only in Europe. In addition to Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, the host cities include Downingtown, Carlisle, Camp Hill, Bedford, Latrobe and Ligonier.

“The Tour of Pennsylvania offers $150,000 in total prize money, the richest in the world for Espoir class riders, plus it is the only UCI sanctioned race in the U.S. specifically for riders under age 25,” said David Chauner, Pro Cycling Tour president and executive director of the race that is being organized as part of a statewide celebration of Pittsburgh’s 250th anniversary. “That combination has stimulated worldwide interest and applications from many more squads than could be accepted for the race. Our technical team has designed a route that will test the endurance, power and technical skill of these young athletes who are on the road to becoming cycling’s next Olympians and Tour de France competitors.”

Highlights of the 2008 American Eagle Outfitters Tour of Pennsylvania Presented By Highmark Healthy High 5® include:

Read the rest of this entry »

The MN Fixed Gear Classic will be the prelude to the five-day festival

Minneapolis - Organizers of the Great River Energy Bicycle Festival are excited to announce the return of velodrome track racing to this annual, multi-day bicycling celebration. The MN Fixed Gear Classic, held Saturday, June 7 and Sunday, June 8 at the National Sports Center in Blaine, Minn., is a prelude to the five-day festival.

The MN Fixed Gear Classic kicks-off on Saturday, June 7 with the Hoigaard’s Tour de Kid’s Bicycling Clinic from 4 to
6 p.m. Velodrome racing begins Saturday evening at 6:30 p.m. and will continue on Sunday, June 8 from 1:00 to 4 p.m.

Velodrome racing features world class cyclists racing at speeds of up to 40 mph. Bikes used in fixed-gear track races have only one gear and do not have brakes, making the races fast and exciting for both spectators and riders. The excitement, speed of the racers around gravity-defying turns, and the close proximity of riders often results in some spectacular crashes.

Velodrome racing is an Olympic sport that attracts elite riders from throughout the world. In fact, most of the cycling medals awarded in the Olympics are given in track racing. Many of the world’s premiere track cyclists, including several Beijing hopefuls, will be competing in the track races. Committed racers include the legendary Roberto Chiappa, 41-time Italian National Champion, former World champion and a member of the Italian Olympic Team.

Read the rest of this entry »

The Elite Fluid Primo is a US only trainer that utilizes a fluid resistance unit with the company’s Elastogel 45mm diameter roller in their CRONO frame. They tout it as the smoothest, quietest and easiest to use trainer ever built. So I put it to the test.

The preliminary impression of the unit is that it is light weight and well constructed. It is also easy to carry and the unit folds fairly flat for easy stowage under a bed or in a closet. This, combined with the advertised quietness of the Elastogel resistance roller and progressive fluid resistance, could make this trainer a good choice for someone that lives in an upper level apartment that doesn’t want to bother the lower level neighbors.

The setup was also fairly straight forward. You lift the arms in place and you place the bike between the arms and tighten the adjusting knob. But be sure to read the instructions, conveniently located on the arm adjacent to the adjusting knob, on how to properly secure the bike to the trainer. The adjusting knob is nice and large making it simple to hold the bike with one hand while tightening or loosening the bike on the trainer with the other hand.

My only issue, and a very minor one, is that the width between the two arms could be a bit wider for easier install and uninstall of the bike in the trainer. The rear derailleur cable would sometimes get caught on the adjacent adjusting arm making the positioning of the bike into the trainer tricky. But again, this was a very minor bother.

Once properly adjusted onto the trainer the weight of the rider automatically adjusts the resistance of the flywheel and the flexible support legs helped lend to the realistic road feel. As advertised, the Elastomer roller was very smooth and quiet. The smoothness translated into a higher cadence which provided an excellent Vo2 max workout. The subtle clamor of the trainer was also very prevalent, as advertised. Maybe not the quietest roller ever built but certainly in the top 2 or 3. But be sure that your tire is properly inflated. An under-inflated tire can wear on the Elastomer roller and your rear tire tread.

However, the smoothness lent itself to a faster spin of the flywheel than you would on the road due to the low resistance. So my cadence was much higher than normal compared to other trainers. I averaged about 2 mph faster over a one hour training period than I usually do.

Read the rest of this entry »

Française des Jeux’ Frédéric Guesdon Wins “Paris Roubaix of Brittany”

Finistère, Bretagne - Former Paris-Roubaix Champion Frédéric Guesdon piloted his Française des Jeux’ Hutchinson Fusion 2 Road Tubeless-equipped bike to victory at the 25th Tro- Bro-Leon, held in Brittany, France.

Conditions for last Sunday’s race were treacherous, with rain creating mud on the gravel and pave’ sections of the course, and slick roads on the twisting paved sections of the 193.1 kilometer event.

TRIPLE COMPOUND
The complete Française des Jeux team competed using Hutchiinson Road Tubeless tires featuring a triple compound design for varying road conditions.