When the start gun fired at the inaugural San Francisco Twilight Criterium on September 13th, the pro women’s race posted an incredible lineup that included Olympians and national champions.

Photo by Ken Conley

Two-time Olympian and 2004 National U.S. Time Trial Champion Christine Thorburn (Webcor) who placed 5th in this summer’s Olympic Time Trial, made the San Francisco Twilight one of her last races before she retires at the end of September to concentrate on her “other” full-time career as a rheumatologist. Also riding for Webcor was Gina Grain, a member of the Canadian Olympic Team, 2007 Canadian National Road Champion and 2008 U.S. Open Track Omnium Champion.

Included in the lineup with Webcor were Kat Carroll (Aaron’s), Shelley Olds (Proman), Laura Van Gilder (Cheerwine), and Kelly Benjamin (Cheerwine).

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Thousands of fans lined the streets of downtown St. Louis to watch Team Garmin-Chipotle’s Christian Vande Velde cross the finish line safely and win the 2008 Tour of Missouri. Vande Velde, winner of Stage Three’s Individual Time Trial, was awarded the Missouri Tourism Yellow Jersey for the race after successfully maintaining an 18-second lead over Michael Rogers of Team Columbia who finished second in the General Classification. Svein Tuft of Symmetrics rounded out the podium in third place.

“It’s been a really great race from day one,” said Vande Velde, who finished fifth in the 2008 Tour de France. “I didn’t expect to win the time trial, but from then on, it was game on with everyone throwing everything at us, trying to take away the 21-second gap I had from the time trial. In the end, I was happy that everyone gave us such a fight because the win means that much more to us.”

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Guadalajara, Mexico — Glen Chadwick’s remarkable season for Team Type 1 continues this week in Mexico.

The New Zealand Olympian is the race leader through the first three stages of the Vuelta Mexico, an eight-stage, 749-mile (1,206 km) international stage race.

It is the latest accomplishment for the 31-year-old who was near death in February after doctors discovered he had the Epstein-Barr virus in his spine. The virus causes mononucleosis and Chadwick apparently had been showing effects of the disease since last December without knowing it.

“This more than makes up for everything that Chady and his family have had to go through this year,” Team Type 1 Sport Director Ed Beamon said.

Chadwick scored a second place finish on the opening stage of the race on Saturday. After being part of a five-man breakaway for about 93 miles, Chadwick could not reel in Juan Manuel Sandoval (Team Mexico), who soloed off late in the 98-mile (159 km) race to take the victory.


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London — Rock Racing fans of all ages – and even Harrods Owner Mohammed Al-Fayed himself – turned out to meet the pro cycling team at a special engagement at the renowned store in the heart of London on Monday.

Hundreds of people turned out at Harrods to meet Rock Racing’s six riders who competed in the Tour of Britain. Rahsaan Bahati, Santiago Botero, Tyler Hamilton, Victor Hugo Peña, Fred Rodriguez and Oscar Sevilla signed autographs and posed for pictures.

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Stage 15 Results
1 David Garcia Dapena (Spa) Xacobeo Galicia - 5.02.27
2 Nick Nuyens (Bel) Cofidis - Le Crédit par Téléphone - 0.17
3 Juan Manuel Garate (Spa) Quick Step
4 Paolo Tiralongo (Ita) Lampre - 0.33
5 Mikel Astarloza Chaurreau (Spa) Euskaltel - Euskadi - 0.36
6 David Arroyo Duran (Spa) Caisse d’Epargne - 0.39
7 Matti Breschel (Den) Team CSC - Saxo Bank - 1.38
8 Xabier Zandio Echaide (Spa) Caisse d’Epargne
9 Philippe Gilbert (Bel) Française des Jeux - 1.39
10 Sébastien Minard (Fra) Cofidis - Le Crédit par Téléphone - 2.38

General classification after stage 15
1 Alberto Contador Velasco (Spa) Astana - 61.13.48
2 Levi Leipheimer (USA) Astana - 1.17
3 Carlos Sastre Candil (Spa) Team CSC - Saxo Bank - 3.41
4 Ezequiel Mosquera Miguez (Spa) Xacobeo Galicia - 4.35
5 Robert Gesink (Ned) Rabobank - 5.49
6 Alejandro Valverde Belmonte (Spa) Caisse d’Epargne - 6.00
7 Joaquin Rodriguez (Spa) Caisse d’Epargne - 6.11
8 Egoi Martinez De Esteban (Spa) Euskaltel - Euskadi - 8.56
9 David Moncoutié (Fra) Cofidis - Le Crédit par Téléphone - 9.32
10 Oliver Zaugg (Swi) Gerolsteiner - 10.01

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Stage 14 Results
1 Alberto Contador Velasco (Spa) Astana - 4.16.01
2 Levi Leipheimer (USA) Astana - 0.02
3 Ezequiel Mosquera Miguez (Spa) Xacobeo Galicia - 0.04
4 Robert Gesink (Ned) Rabobank - 0.20
5 David Moncoutié (Fra) Cofidis - Le Crédit par Téléphone
6 Carlos Sastre Candil (Spa) Team CSC - Saxo Bank
7 Marzio Bruseghin (Ita) Lampre - 1.00
8 Oliver Zaugg (Swi) Gerolsteiner
9 Joaquin Rodriguez (Spa) Caisse d’Epargne
10 John Gadret (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale

General classification after stage 14
1 Alberto Contador Velasco (Spa) Astana - 55.56.58
2 Levi Leipheimer (USA) Astana - 1.17
3 Carlos Sastre Candil (Spa) Team CSC - Saxo Bank - 3.41
4 Ezequiel Mosquera Miguez (Spa) Xacobeo Galicia - 4.35
5 Robert Gesink (Ned) Rabobank - 5.49
6 Alejandro Valverde Belmonte (Spa) Caisse d’Epargne - 6.00
7 Joaquin Rodriguez (Spa) Caisse d’Epargne - 6.11
8 Egoi Martinez De Esteban (Spa) Euskaltel - Euskadi - 8.56
9 David Moncoutié (Fra) Cofidis - Le Crédit par Téléphone - 9.32
10 Oliver Zaugg (Swi) Gerolsteiner - 10.01

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With less than 500 meters from the finish, Mark Cavendish of Team Columbia powered passed a hard charging group of riders to win Stage Six of the Tour of Missouri. Cavendish’s win was his third and Team Columbia’s fourth of the Tour. Cuban sprinter Ivan Dominguez of Toyota-United Pro Cycling, winner of two stages during last year’s Tour of Missouri, finished in second place and Jelly Belly’s Brad Huff of Springfield, Mo., finished third.

Mark Cavendish (Columbia) wins the sprint ahead of Ivan Dominguez (Toyota-United) and Brad Huff (Jelly Belly)

“I’m really fortunate to have such strong guys working so selflessly for me. They do it every time and I’m glad I can repay them with a win every time,” said Cavendish of his Columbia teammates. The young British sprinter won four stages in this year’s Tour de France.

With the mass finish, there were no significant changes to the General Classification standings with Christian Vande Velde of Team Garmin-Chipotle holding on to the Missouri Tourism Leader’s jersey going into Stage Seven. Vande Velde and his Garmin-Chipotle team will look to protect his 18-second lead over Michael Rogers of Team Columbia. Svein Tuft of Symmetrics remains in third place. Other notable Americans in the G.C. top ten include 2007 Tour of Missouri winner George Hincapie of Team Columbia in fourth place, Vande Velde’s teammate Tom Danielson in fifth place and Jeff Louder of BMC in eighth place.

Riders began Stage Six of the Tour in the Bavarian-Style town of Hermann at 12:30 p.m. The race for the Edward Jones Sprint Points Jersey took center stage as Eric Baumann of Sparkasse hit out from the start to scoop up points from the day’s three intermediate sprints. Fifteen miles into the stage, Baumann took the first sprint in New Haven and didn’t look back. Baumman captured all three sprints, briefly taking over the sprint points lead.

Break led by Carlos Oyarzun (Tecos) crests the first KOM followed a few minutes later by the field with Steven Cozza (Garmin-Chipotle) and the Symmetrics team in front.

Back in the peloton, teams Garmin-Chipotle and Symmetrics set the pace at the front of the peloton, both aiming to defend the first and third positions in the G.C. As the undulating landscape thinned into the flat grounds near St. Charles, the peloton steadily reeled in Baumann and the ten-man break. As the race entered St. Charles historic district, teams Rabobank, Toyota-United, Garmin-Chipotle and Columbia lined up their sprinters with Cavendish getting the best of the peloton again.

Stage 6 podium: Ivan Dominguez (Toyota-United), Mark Cavendish (Columbia), Brad Huff (Jelly Belly)

Another good day for Columbia with Most Aggressive Rider Bernhard Eisel and Mark Cavendish in the green sprint jersey

With no Michelob Ultra King of the Mountain lines during tomorrow’s circuit, Dominique Rollin of Toyota-United will wear the Michelob Ultra King of the Mountain jersey tomorrow. Roman Kreuziger of Liquigas will wear the THF Realty Best Young Rider jersey. With his stage six victory, Cavendish will defend the Edward Jones Sprint jersey tomorrow. Bernhard Eisel, the last surviving rider of today’s breakaway group, was awarded the Drury Hotels Most Aggressive Rider Jersey for Stage Six.

No changes in the jerseys, Roman Kreuzinger is still Best Young Rider and Dominique Rollin is the 2008 Tour of Missouri King of the Mountain and Christian Vande Velde (Garmin-Chipotle) still wears the yellow jersey

For the second consecutive year, the 2008 Tour of Missouri will culminate with a 70 mi/112.7 circuit race around St. Louis, starting at 2:00 p.m. The course features three final opportunities to earn Edward Jones sprint points, taking riders by several St. Louis landmarks, including Forest Park and Union Station.

All photos copyright Lyne Lamoureux

Stage 13 Results
1 Alberto Contador Velasco (Spa) Astana - 5.52.35
2 Alejandro Valverde Belmonte (Spa) Caisse d’Epargne - 0.42
3 Joaquin Rodriguez (Spa) Caisse d’Epargne - 0.58
4 Levi Leipheimer (USA) Astana - 1.05
5 Carlos Sastre Candil (Spa) Team CSC - Saxo Bank - 1.32
6 Robert Gesink (Ned) Rabobank - 1.56
7 Ezequiel Mosquera Miguez (Spa) Xacobeo Galicia - 2.18
8 Oliver Zaugg (Swi) Gerolsteiner - 2.28
9 Damiano Cunego (Ita) Lampre - 2.43
10 Daniel Moreno Fernandez (Spa) Caisse d’Epargne - 3.01

General classification after stage 13
1 Alberto Contador Velasco (Spa) Astana - 51.41.17
2 Levi Leipheimer (USA) Astana - 1.07
3 Carlos Sastre Candil (Spa) Team CSC - Saxo Bank - 3.01
4 Ezequiel Mosquera Miguez (Spa) Xacobeo Galicia - 4.19
5 Alejandro Valverde Belmonte (Spa) Caisse d’Epargne - 4.40
6 Joaquin Rodriguez (Spa) Caisse d’Epargne - 4.51
7 Robert Gesink (Ned) Rabobank - 5.09
8 Egoi Martinez De Esteban (Spa) Euskaltel - Euskadi - 6.56
9 Davide Rebellin (Ita) Gerolsteiner - 7.39
10 Oliver Zaugg (Swi) Gerolsteiner - 8.41

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I caught up with the BMC team at the start of the 2008 Tour of Missouri stage 5, in St James where the riders were getting ready for another aggressive stage in high humidity. Mike Sayers announced his retirement earlier this year, and is racing his last big race at the Tour of Missouri. Going into the day, Jeff Louder was sitting in tenth place in the overall classification and had been very aggressive in the previous day’s break. Darren Lill had a great time trial result finishing in seventh place but missed the move on stage 4, and is now back to hunting for stage wins and assisting his teammate in moving up the GC. Finally, Jonathan Garcia is hitting his form after suffering two hard crashes this year.

This is your last big race, this is it. How does it feel?
Mike: Yes, this is it. I get mixed feelings, the team, I think they finalized the roster this week, and they are doing a press release, I feel a little bit left out honestly but it’s part of it. Especially after a day like yesterday where I suffered a little bit and those are the days I’m not really going to miss. I think as we get closer to Sunday, it’s going to be a little more difficult. The only good thing is that Ive known it’s coming and I can prepare myself for it, just going to give the last couple of days everything I got. The team is riding really well which is awesome, that’s one thing I’m really proud of, how far the team has come, how far the team is going. It’s just kind of the natural evolution of things.

The BMC team seems to have brought it up a level in the last few months, what brought this on?
Mike: I just think it was the progression, I just think it took us some time to get guys organized and get some experience in the bank, again I think we’ve reached that point, obviously the leadership from Gavin[Chilcott] and John [Lelangue] has made a big difference, they were always pushing guys to be aggressive and I think it does help you get a little more cohesive. I think it’s just a combination of things, I just think it’s generally the natural maturity of how things are going. And you bring in some more experienced riders like Tony [Cruz] and Jeff [Louder], they make a big difference, it’s not just me telling guys what to do, those guys are talented enough to kind of lead by example, it’s been really nice and a really nice team to finish up with, that’s one of the great things, I get to leave on one of the best teams and just kind of be proud of that whole thing.

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Dutch rider Boy Van Poppel of Rabobank got the best of the charging peloton around him, powering ahead of them to cross the finish line first and win Stage Five of the 2008 Tour of Missouri his first in the U.S. The 20-year old Dutch cyclocross champion’s well-timed effort netted him the slight edge over teammate Michael Van Stayen for his first win in the United States. Keven Lacombe (Kelly Benefit Strategies-Medifast) rounded out the top three.

Rabobank teammates Boy Van Poppel and Michael Van Stayen get the 1-2 spots

“I was in fifth place and there was someone coming from behind. He attacked and took a few meters. I was thinking I had to go now. It may be too early but that’s better than too late,” said Van Poppel. “I was waiting for the guys behind to come to my left but no one came and I was going ‘yes, I’m going to win.”

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