Women's North American racing improves in 2008

Women road racers historically have had fewer opportunities for the high caliber racing a UCI event provides than their male counterparts, and recently this has been even more the case on the North American continent. But after several years of stagnation, the 2008 calendar finally shows an increase top notch races on this side of the pond. Joining races such as the Liberty Classic and Le Tour du Grand Montréal in early June is the Mt. Hood Cycling Classic, which upgraded only its pro women category to UCI status. Race director Chad Sperry, who has also successfully directed the other Oregon race, the Cascade Classic. That race ran into problems with the women's category last year when it fell on the same weekend as the U.S. national championships.
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Team High Road has changed its headquarters from Germany to the USA, it was announced yesterday evening. The UCI ProTour Council (UPTC) met in Geneva and said that "it approved the change of nationality of the High Road team. This team will now be domiciled in the United States rather than Germany."

The team confirmed the change in a press release, calling itself, however, an "international" team. It noted that it had moved its headquarters from Bonn, Germany, to San Luis Obispo, California, as approved by the International Cycling Union (UCI).

"We are an International team and proud of it," said team owner Bob Stapleton, from the USA. "We are open to committed athletes from wherever they come from. One of the simple pleasures of this team is the international diversity and personal character each athlete brings to the team." Read More...

Here are the results from yesterdays Boulevard Road Race down in San Diego. This is the first race of the season for many riders and the first time many of us will be able to see the new teams in action.

Many of the 2008 Tour of California teams were in attendance as most of them are finishing up their training camps here in California. BRR was a good place to see what teams are right on track for this months show down at the Tour of California. From the looks of it, Toyota was the domitating factor yesterday but as always, Dan the Man Bowman likes to get into the mix with a 4th place on the day. The rest of the top ten was mixed with KBS, Toyota and one Rock Racing rider.

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More Pictures from the KBS Medifast Camp in Oxnard.


Each rider gets 2 road bikes and 1 TT.

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Good morning every one today is Monday January 28th and this marks the official beginning to winter training camps here in Ventura. Now some US Pro teams have already had their camps and others will be in the coming weeks. But just to let the local cycling faithful some have been riding the streets of Ventura already.
Friday afternoon I was driving up Harbor Blvd toward town from the harbor and noticed this blob of black kitted cyclists headed my direction. As I passed them by I noticed the Skull icon on their jerseys and took it to mean the Rock Racing crew was blowing through town. Not soon after that I saw one of their black Cadillac Escalades with bunches of wheels on the roof.

Then today another team will be riding the roads in preparation for the 2008 Tour of California, Kelly Benefits Stratiges presented by Medifast. The boys in green and yellow will be holding their training camp this week to do some recon work on stages 5,6 & 7 and then many will be housed in Oxnard in the weeks following the TOC for some local stage racing as well.
Welcome back KBS it will be great to see the team again!
Cheers,
Brian

Kona-Yourkey.com rider Ryan Trebon, the 2006 national champion and three-time Crank Brothers USGP of Cyclocross series winner, has withdrawn from this weekend’s world cyclocross championship in Treviso, Italy.

Kona team director Mark Peterson told VeloNews Tuesday that Trebon, who complained of back and leg pain throughout the 2007 cyclocross season, has not fully recovered from the spectacular crash that occurred at December’s national championship. The defending champion and heavy race favorite violently collided with an out-of-control rider on a section of course that doubled back on itself, ending his race. Read More...

After a successful 2007 season, the Time Factory Development Team will evolve from a six-rider elite amateur squad into a twelve-rider UCI Continental team for 2008. With the new status comes a new name, Time Pro Cycling, while the main focus of the team remains the same: teaching the sport of cycling to young riders and bringing them to the next level.

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On Wednesday, officials from the Tour de Georgia Foundation, Inc. and AT&T Inc. announced a new branding for the American spring cycling event, which will become the Tour de Georgia presented by AT&T. As the Presenting Sponsor for 2008 tour, AT&T will own exclusive rights for "Communications Services" for the race scheduled from April 21-27.

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American continental professional team Slipstream-Chipotle has received an invitation to compete at this year's Giro d'Italia, Slipstream team manager Jonathan Vaughters confirmed with VeloNews Saturday.
Vaughters got the news last week from RCS director Angelo Zomegnan, who is expected to announce the full list of teams invited to the Giro in coming days. In addition to the May 10-June 10 Giro, Vaughters said Slipstream would compete in other RCS events such as Milan-San Remo, held March 7, and Tirreno-Adriatico, held March 12-18.
Though the team has not yet been invited to race at the 2008 Tour de France, Vaughters said he would start many of his team's Tour hopefuls at the Giro. Riders that have expressed interest in both grand tours include David Millar and Christian Vande Velde.

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