New York, NY - This past October, two unique cycling events took place simultaneously on the quiet roads of Tuscany- while the men’s professional peloton was introduced to the Monte Paschi Eroica professional race-Italy’s answer to the cobbled Spring Classic Paris-Roubaix- Olivia Gollan was happy representing the women’s peloton in a more relaxed fashion- as a guest guide for Velo Classic Tours on their tour through the Tuscan countryside. For their 2008 Tour of Tuscany- l’Eroica: Il Giro della Toscana- Velo Classic Tours has again combined what they do best- world class cycling, professional race viewing, authentic culture and exemplary service to continue with their reinvigorating view on the ubiquitous Tuscan itinerary.

Things will be a bit different on the 2008 tour, but Olivia Gollan is happy to be returning as Velo Classic Tours’ special guest, and she will share the heroic qualities that have defined her European racing career. “I am grateful to the people who were a part of the tour this past year- they made me laugh, feel good about myself, feel great on the bike and remember what it is I want from this sport” Olivia wrote in her monthly column in Procycling magazine. “I was completely at ease with everyone and felt very relaxed on the bike. For the first time in ages I was riding for pleasure without pressure. These are the things I need at the start of my off-season. It helps me feel like my glass is half-full after all”!

For this year, Olivia is actively involved in developing the focal points of the tour. “We are promoting the professional feel riders have from being on tour, and with input and first-hand guidance from Olivia, we believe we’ve developed the premiere tour to Tuscany that can help guests understand the sport at every level- personal preparation for a ride, learning first hand from a pro what success involves at the elite level, how this can be a model to use at ones own level of participation within the sport, and the excitement of riding a professional race course and seeing a race live” says Velo Classic Tours owner Peter Easton, who introduced his guests to women’s professional cycling in 2006.

An additional focus of the trip is the L’Eroica. Eroica is Italian for heroic, and while the Tuscan countryside is a cyclist’s dream, the history of the region lays in the strada bianche- white roads- gravel farm tracks that form the backbone for the annual l’Eroica Cyclosportif ride, and now the Monte Paschi Eroica Road Race. Guests will be surrounded by the vintage feel of the participants- authentic cycling apparel, classic bikes with wooden rims and balloon tires, and feed stops including cured ham, aged cheeses and plenty of Chianti. “Experiencing a pro race is what we do very well. Riding the l’Eroica offers our guests the opportunity to enjoy the history and culture of cycling in Chianti, with the professional expertise from Olivia, both during the ride and at the race” says Easton.

“The Eroica ride will make for a great day, and seeing the men’s race will give me the opportunity to share my experiences in professional racing and everything that goes into it” says Ms. Gollan, having raced over cobbles and gravel herself in the Northern Classics of Belgium and The Netherlands. The men’s race starts in Gaiole in Chianti, and covers 180 kilometers and 7 sectors of strade bianche over 60.5 kilometers, before finishing in the historic Piazza del Campo in Siena.

The trip commences in the Etruscan village of Fiesole overlooking the city of Florence. The trip moves into the heart of the Chianti region and the village of Greve before heading over the Crete Senesi for two nights in Montalcino, surrounded by the vineyards that produce Brunello di Montalcino, the region’s most famous wine. “Having three hotels is perfect and guests will enjoy the riding more with less moving around” says Olivia, who found herself acting as mechanic, porter and translator- all which she did willingly. “I was very well looked after by Peter and Lisa, and I didn’t feel like I was at work at all” she laughs. “Tuscany is possibly the most picturesque and culturally rich part of Italy and to ride with some new and interesting people - these are the moments my sport is made of.”

Gollan’s personality is a perfect fit for Velo Classic Tours, and her entertaining personality is in her genes. “My family are horse people and have an interesting story. They travel to different agricultural shows and perform as the Flying Gollans- it is a good story, but I will save the rest for the tour!” Charming, funny and blessed with perfect social skills, Olivia excels in the role of leader and entertainer- ride along side her and you’re sure to get any one of a dozen stories, and if you’re fortunate, she’ll sing you a Johnny Cash song while you enjoy the scenery. She has a light-hearted take on life and a soft spot for gelato, a good glass of Chianti, and considers herself a relatively well-educated foodie- all good prerequisites to have on any Velo Classic trip.

But, Olivia knows when its time to be all business and recognizes how to motivate when necessary. An inherent leader and educator, Olivia is known for her leadership qualities and for her ability to get things done. This has earned her a reputation as one of the most respected riders in the peloton, and is an attribute she shares with those who will listen. “Turning pro was challenging and looking after myself on the other side of the world is not easy. But I enjoy working with riders from different backgrounds and the opportunity to share this with people who are passionate about the sport and interested in traveling to do what they love.”

Hailing from Newcastle, Australia, Olivia turned pro in 2005 with Equipe Nürnberger, after three years racing the professional circuit with the AIS. She’s won the Trophée D’Or Feminine stage race and the Tour de Berne and the Scandinavian Open- single day classics now on the Women’s World Cup schedule. She was the 2003 National Champion and has helped teammates win the World Cup, Giro d’Italia and the 2004 Olympics while participating in four world championships. She is currently racing with the Menikini Selle Italia Gysko squad.

Velo Classic Tours specializes in high-end, award winning bicycling vacations to the most desirable destinations in Europe. Their Tour of the Basque Country has recently been named one of Outside Magazine’s Best Trips of 2008. They offer itineraries to the Spring Classics in Belgium that feature former Australian professional and Team-CSC director sportif Scott Sunderland; their French Alps tour to see the Dauphiné-Libéré stage race with former professional Marcel Wust was one of Outside Magazine’s top trips for 2006, and their Giro d’Italia trip is hosted by former professional Andrea Tafi; For more information and a complete 2008 trip schedule, visit www.veloclassic.com.

Partnership with USADA, UCI, USA Cycling and AEG Created to Develop Unprecedented Approach to Anti-Doping Policies

LOS ANGELES, CA – The upcoming 2008 Amgen Tour of California cycling road race will adopt the most comprehensive anti-doping protocol in cycling history it was announced by Andrew Messick, president, AEG Sports, presenter of the race, at a press conference today.

Messick was joined by representatives of a partnership assembled to develop and enforce the anti-doping initiative, believed to be unparalleled in scope, including Steve Johnson, CEO of USA Cycling; Sean Petty, chief operating officer of USA Cycling; Bob Stapleton, owner of Team High Road, an elite UCI ProTour team participating in the 2008 Amgen Tour of California; Mari Holden, 2000 Olympic Silver Medalist, former World Champion, and Athlete Ambassador to the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency (USADA); riders and team officials as well as representatives of organizations and federations who helped to develop and will oversee and administer the groundbreaking program.

Scheduled for February 17-24, 2008, the 2008 Amgen Tour of California is a demanding 650-mile, eight day stage race from Palo Alto-Stanford University to Pasadena featuring 17 of the world’s top professional teams. The 2007 race drew more than 1.6 million spectators, surpassing the inaugural year’s turnout and setting records in attendance for a single sporting event in California as well as for any cycling event ever held in the United States.
“2008 is a critical year for cycling,” said Andrew Messick, president, AEG Sports. “We believe that an aggressive approach to having a clean and fair race is essential to restore the credibility of top-tier bicycle racing.

Read the rest of this entry »

Carson, Calif. (January 20, 2008)—The United States closed out the Los Angeles Track World Cup on Sunday with a pair of medals as Jennie Reed (Kirkland, Wash.) claimed a gold medal in the keirin and USA Cycling’s Women’s Team Pursuit program made its international debut with a bronze medal.

After capturing a silver medal in the sprint on Friday, Reed turned in a commanding performance in the keirin to earn her second medal of the weekend and her 18th-career World Cup medal. Reed won both her first- and second-round heats before taking the final ahead of Willy Kanis (NED), Gong Jinjie (CHN), Lisandra Guerra Rodriguez (CUB), Svetlana Grankovskaya (RUS) and Anna Meares (AUS).

With a solid performance in the sprint already under her belt, Reed entered Sunday’s keirin – arguably her strongest event – as one of favorites for the gold medal.

“I always knew that if my sprint was good then my keirin would be really good, so that really helped my confidence,” explained Reed following her victory. “Tonight I just felt great. I went to the line with a clear mind – to just have fun and see what would happen.”

Reed’s gold closed the U.S. medal count at five. Earlier in the day, the women’s team pursuit squad of Kristin Armstrong (Boise, Idaho), Lauren Franges (Asheville, N.C.) and Christen King (Huntington Beach, Calif.) rode to a bronze medal in the United States’ World Cup debut. After the event was added to the international program this season, the U.S. skipped the first two rounds in Sydney and Beijing but brought a squad to Los Angeles. In the morning’s qualifying session, the trio clocked a 3:35.956 over three kilometers to earn the fourth seed and set up a head-to-head match against Germany for the bronze medal. In the medal round, the U.S. squad shaved a remarkable four seconds off its qualifying time to place third overall with a 3:31.453.

USA Cycling conducted six women’s individual pursuit training camps over the course of the last year before participating in its first official U.S. National Team competition on Sunday.

“I think we all came in expecting a medal,” said Franges of her team’s expectations. “It would have been nice to ride for the gold, but being the first time, we had to start somewhere. It was good to get the first one out of the way and get a medal for the U.S.”

In the gold medal final, the Ukraine clocked a winning time of 3:27.438 to beat Russia.

With several of the U.S.’ top women’s endurance riders having now participated in a major team pursuit competition (Sarah Hammer, Dotsie Bausch and Reed teamed up for a national title at the USA Cycling Elite Track National Championships in October with a time of 3:34.783), it has showed it’s capable of contending for a medal when the event makes its world championship debut in Great Britain later this year.

“Right now our goal for the program is the world championships,” explained Jim Miller, USA Cycling’s director of endurance programs. “We have five or six really strong riders that we can plug in and be successful with. The numbers we put up today have been consistent with the winning times at the first two World Cups, but I think you’ll see a whole new beast at the world championships.”

In other competition for Americans on the final day of racing, Adam Duvendeck (Santa Barbara, Calif.) was the only U.S. rider to advance from the 200-meter qualifying round of the men’s sprint. Duvendeck earned the ninth seed with a mark of 10.499. His efforts set up a head-to-head ride against Mark French (AUS) in the 1/8 finals. After dispatching of French in the single elimination 1/8 finals, Duvendeck was ousted from medal contention by top-seeded Kevin Sireau (FRA), who set an ADT Event Center track record with a qualifying time of 10.126.

Relegated to the consolation round to determine fifth through eighth place, Duvendeck finished last to place eighth overall.

Americans Giddeon Massie (Zionhill, Pa.), Michael Blatchford (Cypress, Calif.) and Brent Stein (Colorado Springs, Colo.) all competed in the qualifier but did not record one of the fastest 16 times to advance. Massie clocked a 10.756 to place 29th, Blatchford finished 31st with a 10.763 and Stein went 11.431 to place 46th.

The three-day competition closed with the men’s madison in which the U.S. fielded two teams. Racing under the Slipstream Sports presented by Chipotle banner as one of 18 men’s trade teams in L.A., the duo of Colby Pearce (Boulder, Colo.) and Michael Friedman (Pittsburgh, Pa.) finished fifth overall. The pair accumulated seven points in the finals but finished a lap down from the winning squad from Belgium. Denmark finished second and Germany third with 18 and 12 points respectively on the same lap as Pearce and Friedman.

Bobby Lea (Mertztown, Pa.) and Brad Huff (Fair Grove, Mo.) gave the U.S. a second team in the finals after advancing from their qualifying heat, but dropped out of the finals.

In addition to Reed’s silver medal in the sprint, the U.S. had already collected three medals prior to Sunday’s podium appearances. On Friday, Taylor Phinney (Boulder, Colo.) won the men’s 4-kilometer individual pursuit and Sarah Hammer (Temecula, Calif.) claimed a bronze medal in the women’s 3-kilometer individual pursuit.

The final event on the four-race 2007-08 UCI Track World Cup series takes place Feb. 15-17 in Ballerup, Denmark before the international track season concludes with the World Championships in Manchester the final weekend of March.

2008 UCI Track World Cup Classics

ADT Event Center at the Home Depot Center

Los Angeles, Calif.

Jan. 18-20
Day Three Results:

Men’s Sprint

1. Roberto Chiappa (ITA)

2. Kevin Sireau (FRA)

3. Teun Mulder (NED)

8. Adam Duvendeck (Santa Barbara, Calif.)

29. Giddeon Massie (Zionhill, Pa.) 10.756

31. Michael Blatchford (Cypress, Calif.) 10.763

46. Brent Stein (Colorado Springs, Colo.) 11.431

Women’s Team Pursuit

1. Ukraine 3:27.438

2. Russia 3:30.018

3. USA – Kristin Armstrong (Boise, Idaho), Christen King (Huntington Beach, Calif.), Lauren Franges (Asheville, N.C.) 3:31.453

Men’s Madison

1. Belgium 8

2. Denmark 18, -1

3. Germany 12, -1

5. Slipstream/Chipotle (USA): Colby Pearce (Boulder, Colo.), Michael Friedman (Pittsburgh, Pa.) 7, -1

DNF. USA: Bobby Lea (Mertztown, Pa.), Brad Huff (Fair Grove, Mo.)

Women’s Keirin

1. Jennie Reed (Kirkland, Wash.)

2. Willy Kanis (NED)

3. Jinjie Gong (CHN)

Colorado Springs, CO - Carmichael Training Systems (CTS) and CycleOps Power have once again teamed up to enhance every cyclist’s training experience, both indoors and out on the road. Revisiting a relationship from the earlier part of this decade, the two companies will work together on a renewed partnership.

With this partnership, CycleOps Trainers are now the Official Trainer of CTS and will be used exclusively at all CTS Regional Centers (Colorado Springs, CO, Asheville, NC, and Tucson, AZ) for indoor PowerTraining classes, camps and clinics.

The CycleOps PowerTap SL 2.4 Wireless will also be supplied to all participants of the CTS PowerTraining classes as well as their Power Camps (Buellton, CA, Brevard, NC, and Tucson, AZ).

As part of this agreement to use the PowerTaps, CycleOps Power has gained the naming ights to hve all these power camps … presented by PowerTap. As an added benefit to athletes attending hese camps, representatives from CycleOps will be on hand to lend support for there products.

“It is great to be back with CycleOps,” stated Chris Carmichael. “We know they make outstanding roducts that our coaches love to use and recommend to their athletes. When looking for brands to align the CTS brand with, CycleOps is an easy fit.”

“CTS touches so many cyclists and triathletes. It’s great to know that its customers will have access to the best in class trainers and power measurement technology. We’re happy to be working with Chris and company again,” commented David Cathcart, CycleOps’ Director of Marketing.

Founded by Olympian, US Olympic Committee Coach of the Year, and bestselling author, Chris Carmichael in 1999, Carmichael Training Systems (CTS) inspires and empowers the athlete in EVERY BODY to perform at their best. CTS has paved the way for some of the world’s greatest athletes, including seven-time Tour de France Champion Lance Armstrong, World Champion Triathlete Craig Alexander, 2000 Olympic Time Trial Silver Medalist and World Champion Mari Holden, Montreal Canadians Captain Saku Koivu, 2001 Mountain Bike World Champion Alison Dunlap, and Olympic Gold Medalist Swimmer Ed Moses.

www.trainright.com

Homeless Program to Benefit from Toyota-United Pro Cycling Team’s Membership Efforts

Los Angeles, CA, - After two years of signing up “paid fan members” of the Toyota-United Pro Cycling Team, the team was able to donate a portion of the membership proceeds at the end of 2007 to the United Cycling Foundation.

On February 1st 2008, the United Cycling Foundation, with the support of the Toyota-United Pro Cycling Team, it’s fan members and Toyota Motor Sales U.S.A., Inc., will donate money to an organization in Southern California, Chrysalis, who helps the homeless become self sufficient through job opportunities. Not only will the Foundation be donating funds, but riders and staff from the Toyota-United Pro Cycling Team will be taking a tour of Skid Row and the Chrysalis facility to learn how the homeless are given job training.

”The team and its fans are able to “Change Lives” by donating funds to help the homeless learn skills to help them work and become integrated with society” said United Cycling Foundation’s Executive Director, Leslie Tucker.

Donations are still being accepted to help the homeless people are tax deductible for 2008 at: http://www.unitedcyclingfoundation.org/index.html

The United Cycling Foundation chose Chrysalis to help the homeless in areas where the team races. Since many of the team members live in Southern California and Toyota Motor Sales U.S.A., Inc has its corporate headquarters in Torrance, CA; “We thought it would be appropriate to help the homeless in these locations. This donation to Chyrsalis is a clear cut example of how athletes, their fans, and great corporate sponsors like Toyota Motor Sales U.S.A., Inc. can make a positive impact on the communities they live and work in”, said Leslie Tucker.

Some information about Chrysalis: Chrysalis was founded in 1984 as a food- and clothing-distribution center serving homeless men and women living on Skid Row. As the agency grew it became clear that longer-term solutions were needed in order to help overcome poverty and homelessness. To this end, Chrysalis developed an effective and nationally recognized program to help homeless people become job ready and ultimately find and retain employment. Today, Chrysalis’s philosophy remains the same — a steady job is the single most important step in a person’s transition to long-term self-sufficiency. Chrysalis is the only independent nonprofit organization in Los Angeles County exclusively dedicated to helping economically disadvantaged and homeless individuals become self-sufficient through employment opportunities. They currently help more than 2,200 individuals each year change their lives through jobs.

· 93% of individuals participating in Chrysalis’s Job Readiness program secure employment.
· 1,775 individuals find employment through Chrysalis’s services throughout the year.
· 82% of employed clients participating in our Retention Program retain their jobs for six months or more.
· The average cost of our program is $2,300 per client/year – a fraction of the cost of similar government-sponsored employment programs.
· 90% of funds raised go directly to client services.
About United Cycling Foundation.: Established in 2006 and is the designated charity of the Toyota - United Pro Cycling Team, the United Cycling Foundation was created with the mandate of “changing lives” in America by helping the homeless. To find out more about the United Cycling Foundation please visit www.unitedcyclingfoundation.org

About United Pro Cycling Team, L.L.C.
Based in Newport Beach, California, a wholly owned subsidiary of United Cycling, L.L.C, United Pro Cycling Team is owned and operated by Sean Tucker. Comprised of some of the top cycling talent in the country, it is positioned to be the premier cycling team in America. In addition to its racing team, United Cycling, L.L.C, wholly owns and operates United Bicycles, L.L.C. The team has also designated the United Cycling Foundation, Inc. as its designated charity, committed to raise awareness and funds for American causes including homelessness and the environment.

About Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., Inc.: Toyota established operations in the United States in 1957 and currently operates ten manufacturing plants including one under construction. There are more than 1,400 Toyota, Lexus and Scion dealerships in the U.S. which sell more than 2 million vehicles a year. Toyota directly employs over 32,000 in the U.S. and its investment here is currently valued at more than $13 billion, including sales and manufacturing operations, research and development, financial services and design.

Additional Toyota-United Sponsors: In 2008, The Toyota-United Pro Cycling Team is exclusively sponsored by, Bicycling Magazine, Bontrager, Giordana Clothing, Fuji Bicycles, Shimano, SockGuy, Specialized Bicycle Components, and United Bicycles, in addition to title sponsor Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., Inc.

by Stephanie Gutowski 

Former World Time Trial Champion, Kristin Armstrong is in Los Angeles participating in the LA Track Word Cup this weekend. She narrowly missed the chance to ride for a individual pursuit medal after qualifying fifth with a time of 3:41.016 - just one-hundredth of a second off the pace of two-time world pursuit champion, and fellow USA teammate, Sarah Hammer. RoadBikeReview caught up with her right after the women’s team pursuit qualifying heat on Sunday to get an update.

RoadBikeReview: Why the crossover to track.

Kristen Armstrong: The track crossover is to increase my power on the road. It helps me with my finishes. I wouldn’t say that I am doing this for my time trialing. It’s more to increase my overall power…to build strength and speed.

RoadBikeReview: I have noticed more road racers doing track this year like Marianne Vos.

KA: I think her crossover is more for the points and scratch races. I think she is using the track for training…there are cold winters for her and you want to get out of there. The speed in racing is not really my strength and so I am going to give it everything I can to become a better one-day racer and I know this will help me.

RoadBikeReview: You’ve chosen to race the pursuit races and not the points or scratch events.

KA: I want to stay safe. I am not interested in keeping up with the sprinters. The training that goes along with points and scratch races involve a lot of motor pacing…a lot of leg speed. I am looking for the strength. Just the starts from the starting blocks is going to help me with my end results on the road. My riding on the track does not mean any ambitions for track in Beijing. It’s purely for the road race and the time trial.

RoadBikeReview: Will you be racing in the US this season?

KA: I’ll be at Nature Valley but other than that I will be racing over in Europe.

RoadBikeReview: Any thoughts about Nicole Cooke leaving your team for the British team.

KA: It’s a big loss for Cervélo-Lifeforce (Armstrong rode for TEAm Lipton last year)…but am guessing that there was a lot of pressure from the British national team to fill that squad. She will now have to develop those girls….make them believe in her….even the younger girls will follow as long as she delivers. She is very capable of doing that.

RoadBikeReview: Are the goals this year the Olympics and Worlds?

KA: Yup…the Olympics. The goal is the time trial….to win a medal there…and then after the Olympics the World Championship and win that jersey back.

Team Cervélo-Lifeforce 2008:
Kristin Armstrong, USA, TT World Champion 2006
Karin Thürig, Switzerland, TT World Champion 2004 & 2005
Christiane Soeder, Austria, 3rd TT World Championships 2006
Priska Doppmann, Switzerland
Sarah Düster, Germany
Emma Rickards, Australia
Joanne Kiesanowski, New Zealand
Patricia Schwager, Switzerland
Pascale Schnider, Switzerland
Caroline Steffen, Switzerland.

Carson, Calif. (January 19, 2008)—After collecting three medals on Friday at the Los Angeles Track World Cup, Americans came away empty-handed in day two on Saturday. With 13 athletes in action, the top U.S. performance of the day came from Becky Quinn (Quakertown, Pa.) who placed seventh in the women’s 20-kilometer points race.

Quinn scored a total of seven points on three intermediate sprints in the 80-lap race. After lapping the main field, Jarmilla Machacova (CZE) and Lee Min Hye (KOR) finished first and second respectively with 27 and 23 points. Li Yan (CHN) finished third with 12 points.

Despite having seven Americans entered in the event, only Quinn, Lauren Franges (Asheville, N.C.) and Shelley Olds (Saratoga, Calif.) advanced to the finals. Franges finished 14th with one point while Olds did not finish. Kele Murdin (Kenmore, Wash.), Christen King (Huntington Beach, Calif.), Neva Day (Manhattan Beach, Calif.) and Theresa Cliff-Ryan (Cedar Springs, Mich.) also rode in the qualifying heats but did not advance to the finals.

In the evening’s final race, Colby Pearce (Boulder, Colo.), Bobby Lea (Mertztown, Pa.) and Kenny Williams (Kenmore, Wash.) attempted to add to the U.S. medal count but fell short in the men’s 15-kilometer scratch race. After a two-man, mid-race breakaway by Pearce and Lea was caught with 25 laps remaining, Pearce crossed the line in 14th as the top American. Lea finished 17th and Williams 18th. Reigning world champion Wong Kam-Po (HKG) took the win over Vasili Kiryienka (BLR) while Wim Stroetinga (NED) led the main field to the finish line to earn the bronze.

David McCook (Mountain View, Calif.) did not advance to the finals after placing 13th in his qualifying heat.

The men’s keirin featured two Americans – Michael Blatchford (Cypress, Calif.) and Giddeon Massie (Zionhill, Pa.) – but both failed to advance past the first round. Needing a win in the opening round to advance, Massie placed a close second to Josiah Ng (MAS). In the ensuing repechage, Massie had a second chance to advance but again finished second, this time behind Cam MacKinnon (CAN), to end his chances in the keirin. Like Massie, Blatchford missed advancing to the second round after placing sixth in his first-round heat and fourth in his repechage.

Saturday’s program also featured the women’s team sprint, the men’s team pursuit, the women’s 500-meter time trial and the men’s kilometer time trial – none of which featured U.S. athletes.

The final day of the Los Angeles World Cup will feature the final four events – the women’s team pursuit, the women’s keirin, the men’s sprint and the madison.

2008 UCI Track World Cup Classics

ADT Events Center at the Home Depot Center

Los Angeles, Calif.

Jan. 18-20

Day Two Results:

Women’s 20-kilometer Points Race

1. Jarmilla Machacova (CZE) 27

2. Lee Min Hye (KOR) 23

3. Li Yan (CHN) 12

7. Becky Quinn (Quakertown, Pa.) 7

14. Lauren Franges (Asheville, N.C.) 1

DNF. Shelley Olds (Saratoga, Calif.)

DNQ. Kele Murdin (Kenmore, Wash.)

DNQ. Christen King (Huntington Beach, Calif.)

DNQ. Neva Day (Manhattan Beach, Calif.)

DNQ. Theresa Cliff-Ryan (Cedar Springs, Mich.)

Men’s Keirin

1. Arnaud Tournant (FRA)

2. Christos Volikakis (GRE)

3. Ryan Bayley (AUS)

DNQ. Michael Blatchford (Cypress, Calif.)

DNQ. Giddeon Massie (Zionhill, Pa.)

Men’s 15-kilometer Scratch Race

1. Wong Kam-Po (HKG)

2. Vasili Kiryienka (BLR)

3. Wim Stroetinga (NED)

14. Colby Pearce (Boulder, Colo.)

17. Bobby Lea (Mertztown, Pa.)

18. Kenny Williams (Kenmore, Wash.)

DNQ. David McCook (Mountain View, Calif.)

Women’s 500-meter Time Trial

1. Lisanda Guerra Rodriguez (CUB) 33.955

2. Willy Kanis (NED) 34.486

3. Simona Krupeckaite (LTU) 34.764

Men’s Team Pursuit

1. Australia 4:06.171

2. Denmark 4:09.378

3. Ukraine 4:05.770

Men’s Kilometer Time Trial

1. Scott Sunderland (GBR) 1:02.702

2. Yevgen Bolibrukh (UKR) 1:03.110

3. Li Wen Hao (CHN) 1:04.013

Women’s Team Sprint

1. Netherlands 52.899

2. France 51.764

3. Australia 51.741

by Lyne Lamoureux

The second day of the third round of the 2007-08 UCI Track World Cup Classics in Los Angeles started early at noon with the fourth Session including the qualifying rounds for Men’s Team Pursuit, Men’s Scratch and Women’s Points Race. As a newcomer to the sport of track racing, I find it difficult to follow and understand certain events, so to help me out I asked a cyclist to explain certain events. The first thing to remember is that track events are divided into two disciplines, sprint disciplines and endurance disciplines.

Proman-Paradigm’s Shelley Olds was relaxing watching the races and took the time to explain the differences between the Points race and the Scratch, with both considered as endurance disciplines. Olds recently achieved 2 podium spots at U.S Track Nationals including bronze in the team pursuit and fifth place in the points race. She finished thirteenth in the Women’s Scratch held on Friday, January 18, 2008.

Lyne Lamoureux: What are you trying to accomplish today?

Shelley Olds: First off, I’m trying to make it to the finals, that’s the number one goal, nothing else matters until the final is made. And then, what I am trying to accomplish is…race my heart out trying to make it an aggressive race if I could, it is to my advantage to do that. I can’t hold back out here.

Shelley Olds animating the Women’s Points Race - c. Lyne Lamoureux

Lyne: You race both Scratch and Points race – what is the difference?

Shelley: Scratch is the winner at the end, the first rider across the line wins. In the points race, you accumulate points every 10 laps. Every ten laps there is a sprint and first, second, third and fourth score points, the first scores five points, then 3, 2, 1. And if you lap the field you get 20 points, so it’s cumulative. Whoever has the most points at the end wins.

Lyne: Do the riders race as a team in these events?

Shelley: All track racing is individual as far as mass start events go. There’s actually a rule that says you can’t work together as a team. The Chinese were relegated in the Beijing final for working together, (it was) just two girls. One girl led her teammate to the front and that’s called collusion, and that’s not allowed.

Lyne: Which one do you prefer, scratch or points race?

Shelley: I don’t know right now, I used to think the points race as more suited for me because it’s longer but scratch race is fun too, it’s shorter. But both races are really, really fun, incredible. I love them.

Roman Kononenko winner of the Men’s Scratch Qualifying Heat #2
Photo c. Lyne Lamoureux

Lyne: What’s the strategy in a Points race? How do you keep track of points?

Shelley: You’re supposed to keep track, the idea is to race at the front of the race as much as you can so you are aware of who is scoring points. It’s a very mathematical race, you should be keeping track of who has points and how many points you have…and laps, how many laps too.

Lyne: Can your coach help?

Shelley: Every team can have a coach up here yelling at you. The men’s race can be really difficult to watch and understand because riders can lap or go down a lap and you don’t know who can contest the sprint. Because if you’re being lapped you cannot context the sprint. It’s (can be) tough to watch but fun.

Women’s Points Race, Qualifying Heat - Photo c. Lyne Lamoureux

Shelley Olds finished eighth in the Women’s Points Race, third Qualifying Heat with five points, and made it to the finals, still to be disputed later tonight.

update: Shelley Olds was victim of a crash after a couple of sprint laps in the Women’s Points Race final which started on a fast pace. Shelley was down for a while but managed to get up and walk away and was taken to the hospital where she received x-rays, morphine and a CT scan. According to Nicola Cranmer, Proman’s owner and directeur, Shelley is very banged up but the results of the tests were good, with no breaks, and her spleen is okay.

Carson, Calif. (January 18, 2008)–Taylor Phinney (Boulder, Colo.) added to his remarkable streak of results with a gold medal in the men’s 4-kilometer individual pursuit Friday at the third round of the 2007-08 UCI Track World Cup Classics in Los Angeles. Phinney, a 17-year-old Boulder High School senior, is quickly becoming a solid contender to represent the United States in the 2008 Olympic Games after just three months of track racing experience.

After winning a national title in his first-ever track race last October, Phinney placed a respectable ninth at the World Cup opener in Sydney. A week later he finished fourth at the Olympic Test Event in Beijing to establish himself as a rising star. On Friday, Phinney claimed his first World Cup medal and is now considered a legitimate medal contender in Beijing.

In Friday morning’s qualifying session, Phinney earned a spot in the gold medal final after clocking a 4:25.684 - the second-fastest time of the day behind top-seeded Jenning Huizenga (NED). In the ensuing head-to-head final, Phinney beat Huizenga by over two seconds to earn his first career world cup medal.

“This win gives me a lot of confidence if I qualify for the Games,” said Phinney.

With consistent performances on the international stage, Phinney is now ranked second overall in the four-race UCI World Cup standings after three events with 21 points. The Ukraine’s Volodymyr Dyudya is the current leader with 22. If Phinney wins the overall World Cup title, he’ll earn himself a ticket to Beijing according the UCI’s Olympic qualification procedures which awards World Cup champions with a start at the 2008 Olympic Games. The final race on the 2007-08 World Cup circuit is scheduled for Feb. 15-17 in Ballerup, Denmark.

Even if Phinney doesn’t win the overall World Cup title, his time of 4:25.684 eclipsed the automatic time standard of 4:31.630 which is needed for an automatic nomination to the U.S. Olympic Team.

Phinney’s performance capped off a fast start for the U.S. contingent on the opening day of competition after Jennie Reed (Kirkland, Wash.) claimed a silver medal in the women’s sprint and Sarah Hammer (Temecula, Calif.) won her second consecutive World Cup bronze medal in the women’s 3-kilometer individual pursuit.

After qualifying fourth in the 200-meter seeding round with a time of 11.413 seconds, Reed advanced to the quarterfinals with a win over Kaarie McColloch (AUS). In the quarterfinals, Reed took two straight rides from Svetlana Grankovskaya (RUS) in the best-of-three format to advance to the semifinals. After falling behind 0-1 to Clara Sanchez (FRA), Reed rebounded with two straight victories to earn a spot in the finals against Natalia Tsylinskaya (BLR). In the finals, Reed lost two straight to place second, matching a career-best finish at a World Cup in the sprint.

In the women’s pursuit, Hammer, a two-time world champion, shaved three seconds off her qualifying time in the bronze medal final to place third. After qualifying fourth with a 3:41.006, Hammer faced Lada Kozlikova (CZE) in the consolation round where she rode a 3:38.001.

After earning the top seed with a 3:38.797, Lesya Kalitovska (UKR) won the gold medal over Maria Luisa Calle Williams (COL).

Kristin Armstrong (Boise, Idaho) narrowly missed the chance to ride for a medal after qualifying fifth with a time of 3:41.016 - just one-hundredth of a second off the pace of Hammer. Neva Day (Manhattan Beach, Calif.) finished 25th for the U.S. in 3:58.666.

Although seven Americans competed in the women’s 10-kilometer scratch race, the U.S. failed to come away with a medal despite significant representation. Entering the L.A. World Cup as the overall leader, Becky Quinn (Quakertown, Pa.) finished eighth as the top U.S. finisher after a group of four riders escaped and lapped the field. Quinn’s performance dropped her to fifth in the overall World Cup standings. Other American finishes in the scratch race included Theresa Cliff-Ryan (Cedar Springs, Mich.) in tenth place, Shelley Olds (Saratoga, Calif.) in 13th and Lauren Franges (Asheville, N.C.) in 21st. Christen King (Huntington Beach, Calif.), Kele Murdin (Kenmore, Wash.) and Day competed in the preliminary heats but did not qualify for the finals. Charlotte Becker (GER) outsprinted Evgeniya Romanyuta (RUS) and Elena Tchalykh (RUS) to take the victory.

In the men’s 30-kilometer points race, two of four Americans advanced to the finals - Brad Huff (Fair Grove, Mo.) and Mike Friedman (Pittsburgh, Pa.) - but neither found a place on the podium. Friedman was the top finisher with a 15th-place effort. He notched an early point in the 120-lap race’s first intermediate sprint, but quickly fell behind after losing a lap to the main field. Friedman finished with -19 points while Huff did not finish. David McCook (Mountain View, Calif.) and Kenny Williams (Kenmore, Wash.) competed in the qualifying heats but did not advance to the finals. Australia’s Cameron Meyer claimed the win with 23 points over Rafal Ratajczyk (POL) and Chris Newton (GBR) who scored 20 and 15 points respectively.

The Los Angeles World Cup continues on Saturday at the ADT Event Center velodrome at the Home Depot Center with several more events including finals of the women’s 500-meter time trial, the men’s team pursuit, the women’s points race, the men’s keirin, the men’s kilometer time trial, the women’s team sprint and the men’s scratch race.

2008 UCI Track World Cup Classics

Los Angeles, Calif.

Jan. 18-20

Day One Results:

Women’s Individual Pursuit

1. Lesya Kalitovska (UKR) 3:39.917

2. Maria Luisa Calle Williams (COL) 3:41.904

3. Sarah Hammer (Temecula, Calif.) 3:38.001

5. Kristin Armstrong (Boise, Idaho) 3:41.016

25. Neva Day (Manhattan Beach, Calif.) 3:57.659

Women’s Sprint

1. Natalia Tsylinskaya (BLR)

2. Jennie Reed (Kirkland, Wash.)

3. Willy Kanis (NED)

Men’s Individual Pursuit

1. Taylor Phinney (Boulder, Colo.) 4:26.093

2. Jenning Huizenga (NED) 4:28.241

3. Sergei Escobar (ESP) 4:34.495

Men’s Team Sprint

1. Cofidis 44.490

2. France 44.833

3. Australia 45.244

Men’s 30-Kilometer Points Race

1. Cameron Meyer (AUS) 23

2. Rafal Ratajczyk (POL) 20

3. Chris Newton (GBR) 15

15. Mike Friedman (Pittsburgh, Pa.) -19

DNF. Brad Huff (Fair Grove, Mo.)

Women’s 10-Kilometer Scratch Race

1. Charlotte Becker (GER)

2. Evgeniya Romanyuta (RUS)

3. Elena Tchalykh (RUS)

8. Becky Quinn (Quakertown, Pa.)

10. Theresa Cliff-Ryan (Cedar Springs, Mich.)

13. Shelley Olds (Saratoga, Calif.)

21. Lauren Franges (Asheville, N.C.)

DNQ. Christen King (Huntington Beach, Calif.)

DNQ. Neva Day (Manhattan Beach, Calif.)

DNQ. Kele Murdin (Kenmore, Wash.)

SALT LAKE CITY - Bikes for Kids Utah, a non-profit 501(C)3 organization, today announced its bike giveaway and fundraising bike rides will take place May 31.

Previously, the Bikes for Kids Utah dinner/silent auction, 5K, 50K and 100K fundraising bicycle rides, bike giveaway and the Dave Zabriskie Yield to Life Time Trial were held all in one weekend. The May 31 date was chosen to give the bike recipients time to ride their new bikes during the summer months following the giveaway, as well to guarantee as warmer weather for the fundraising bike rides.

“We have had two extremely successful events and each year we learn something new about making the next event better than the last.” said Debbie Reid, founder and director of Bikes for Kids Utah. “It didn’t seem right to give a child a brand new bike in the fall when he or she may only have a few weeks left to enjoy it. The new dates give these kids at least 3-4 warm months to really get a feel for and enjoy their bikes.”

This event marks the third year Bikes for Kids Utah will give 1,000 new bicycles to pre-qualified, underprivileged students from Salt Lake Valley elementary schools. Along with the 1,000 bicycles, the children of first grade age will also receive helmets, t-shirts and bike locks through proceeds accrued from sponsorships, donations and the 5K, 50K or 100K fundraising bicycle rides.

With the new date, unfortunately Dave Zabriskie, Salt Lake City native and the third American ever to wear the yellow jersey in the Tour de France, won’t be able to attend this year’s event due to his busy race schedule.

For members of the community who are interested in participating in the Bikes for Kids 5K, 50K or 100K fundraising rides, they will take place on the same day as the bike giveaway, May 31.

For those interested in donating time as a volunteer or for more information regarding the events, please visit www.bikesforkidsutah.org or call 801-523-3730.

About Bikes for Kids Utah
Formed in 2006, Bikes for Kids Utah, a non-profit organization, provides bicycles for underprivileged children of first grade school age throughout the Salt Lake Valley by means of its event registration proceeds, auctions, and through private and corporate donations. With the help of Dave Zabriskie, the American ever to wear the yellow jersey in the Tour de France and the current USA time trial champion, its annual bicycle fundraising events raise money to provide 1,000 underprivileged children with bicycles each year. For more information regarding the events, please visit www.bikesforkidsutah.org or call 801-523-3730.