Kelly Benefit Strategy Orbea Orcha’s

Posted by Kurt Glore on February 18, 2010
Kelly Benefit Strategies will have a fleet of the Mavic Comete (rear) and iO (front) wheels for the time trials this year.

Kelly Benefit Strategies is stepping things up in 2010 with new gear from Contour, Orbea, Mavic, SRAM, Lazer and others.

The biggest change is the switch to Orbea bikes. Last season the team rode Gary Fisher Cronus race bikes, which are sometimes viewed as “race utility” bikes for their taller head tubes and optional hidden fender mounts. Orbea, from the Basque country of Spain, is supplying the team with the Orca, a pure race bike, first and foremost.

At the Kelly team camp this month, team mechanic Eric Jellum said that they have no problem getting bike weight down to the UCI legal minimum. New this year, the Orca incorporates a BB30 bottom bracket and its attendant added stiffness. As is the current trend in frame design, the Orca also uses a tapered 1.5-inch lower, 1 1/8-inch upper head tube, which is said to improve front end stiffness.

Read full story at VeloNews

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Sammy Sanchez gets Gold Medal Orbea Orcha

Posted by Kurt Glore on February 18, 2010

Reigning Olympic champion, Samuel Sanchez, showed up at this week’s Volta ao Algarve with a special edition Orbea Orca, designed to commemorate his gold-medal ride in Beijing. VeloNews’ Andrew Hood got a close look at the bike Sanchez says just “feels faster.”

Check out this awesome new ride at VeloNews

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New Feature: Here’s to Your Health with Rhonda Hubbard

Posted by Kurt Glore on February 18, 2010

The Parkland Cyclists are pleased to have local fitness expert Rhonda Hubbard on board as a monthly contributor to our site. Rhonda will be providing health, wellness and inspirational material for everyone to learn from and enjoy.

Here’s to Your Health with Rhonda Hubbard

Local health and wellness expert Rhonda Hubbard

What if your road to better health and wellness started with a commitment to take steps to a healthier lifestyle-including eating better, drinking more water, finding variety in your exercise, and reducing stress?  My name is Rhonda Hubbard and that is what I get to help people do each day.  My purpose is to help others find balance in life, make positive changes and inspire others to live a healthier life.  My business is LIVE WELL. I am a certified licensed Wellness Coach, wellness consultant for a whole food company, public speaker/health education, certified group fitness trainer and have 25 years experience in the health and fitness industry.  My greatest role in life is being a wife to Roland and a mother to Brett and Cody. We live in Bonne Terre, Mo.

Read More »New Feature: Here’s to Your Health with Rhonda Hubbard

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Andre Greipel continues his winning ways

Posted by Kurt Glore on February 11, 2010

André Greipel (HTC-Columbia) surged to victory in Thursday’s Trofeo Magaluf-Palmanova to close out the five-day Mallorca Challenge.

The Tour Down Under champ pounced to his fifth win of the young season in the attack-riddled final day of racing on Spain’s Mallorca island. Greipel held off Koldo Fernández (Euskaltel-Euskadi) while Manuel Cardoso (Footon-Servetto-Fuji) came across the line third.

“I wasn’t expecting this win.  Before the stage I thought I’d just try to hang on for as long as I could in the hillier parts, but I got over the climbs in a lot better shape than I’d thought possible,” Greipel said afterwards.  “In the last 40 kilometers my HTC-Columbia teammates did a lot of chasing of the riders who’d broken away and that way we had everything under control in the last part of the stage.  There were three roundabouts in the last five kilometers where things got a bit more complicated again.”

Read full VeloNews story

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Boonen wins in Qatar…hit’s top speed of 45.2 mph

Posted by Kurt Glore on February 11, 2010
Click for larger imageBoonen scores his second.

Tom Boonen sprinted into a headwind to take stage 5 of the Tour of Qatar after a 14-man echelon was swept up in the closing kilometers. Katusha’s Danilo Napolitano took second ahead of Team Sky’s Edvald Boasson Hagen.

Race leader Wouter Mol, who had made the select 14-man echelon, crossed the line safely in the front group to all but secure his overall win ahead of the final day’s flat circuit finish.

Read full story at VeloNews

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Tour of California releases more stages for ‘10

Posted by Kurt Glore on February 11, 2010

As the Amgen Tour of California reaches its halfway point, first come the hills, then the mountains and the toughest stage in race history.

Tour officials are unveiling details of the 2010 stages this week, two stages each day. On Thursday they released maps and profiles of stages 5 and 6.

Stage 5 finishes with a hilly circuit, perfect for a sprinter like Cervelo’s Thor Hushovd,  defending ATOC champ Levi Leipheimer told VeloNews this week. “There is some elevation in the finish, a rise up to the line, so it could be a good sprint for someone like Thor,” Leipheimer said.

Read complete story at VeloNews

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Tour of Missouri stage winner Francesco Chicchi wins in Qatar

Posted by Kurt Glore on February 10, 2010

Francesco Chicchi won the fourth stage of the Tour of Qatar in a field sprint ahead of Heinrich Haussler (Cervélo) and JJ Haedo (Saxo Bank). Race leader Wouter Mol (Vacansoleil) finished in the front group to retain the gold jersey.

In the final sprint alongside the gulf water’s edge, Cervélo’s track star-turned roadie Theo Bos opened up the sprint, but it was Liquigas’ Chicchi who punched the accelerator when it counted.

Read full story at VeloNews

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Leipheimer on the Amgen Tour of California

Posted by Kurt Glore on February 10, 2010

Defending Amgen Tour of California champion Levi Leipheimer said the first two stages of this year’s race offer “opportunities for the sprinters,” although the second stage might just shed a few of the peloton’s non-climbers.

Leipheimer on his way to winning the 2009 ATOC.

Race organizers released details of the first two stages Tuesday, and will roll out details of the remaining stages throughout this week. Leipheimer will share his reactions with VeloNews.com readers as those stage details are released.

The first stage starts in the old mining town of Nevada City, in recognition of the 50th anniversary of the Nevada City Classic criterium, one of the oldest races in the U.S. Leipheimer won the race in 1998, and last year he helped Lance Armstrong win it.
“That a nice tribute to (the race),” said Leipheimer.

Read entire story at VeloNews

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Mt. Hood stage race is expanding this year

Posted by Kurt Glore on February 10, 2010

The 2010 Mt. Hood Cycling Classic has a new sponsor, two new stages for pro men, and is breaking with tradition by traveling from Oregon into the state of Washington on one stage.

However, organizers of the challenging 6-day event, held June 1-6, has canceled its pro women’s race, citing conflicts with two major women’s events.

The race’s new title sponsor is Indie Hops of Portland, a new supplier to the craft beer industry. New stages include a prologue at the Portland International Raceway and the jaunt into Washington on stage 2, which finishes at the base of the volcanic Mount Adams.

The event also includes its traditional Mt. Tabor circuit race in Portland (stage 1), the Scenic Gorge time trial (stage 4), the Wy’East Road Race (stage 5), which finishes at the Mount Hood ski area, and the concluding Hood River Criterium.

The race also has expanded the challenge for amateur men by offering a 6-day (prologue plus five stages) Category 2 race.

Read entire story at VeloNews

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Leonard Zinn technical review: Carbon Wheels

Posted by Kurt Glore on February 9, 2010

The below table shows each wheelset’s rim depth and width, the weight for each wheel and for the pair, the number of spokes on the front and rear and the spoke lacing pattern, and whether the spoke nipples are internal or external to the rim.

Wheel Deep Wide Wt.F Wt.R Pair F # R# Nipple
Cole T38 Lite 38mm 19mm 640g 840g 1480g 16 1X 20 R 2X L 1X Int.
Easton EC90SL 38mm 21mm 540g 710g 1250g 18 Rad 24 R 2X L rad Int.
Stella Azzurra Calibro 38mm 19mm 610g 730g 1340g 20 1X 20 R1X L 1X Ext.
Ritchey WCS Apex 50mm 21mm 590g 790g 1390g 20 1X 24 Rcrow L2X Ext.

Read Leonard’s review at VeloNews

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