December 10/08 1:39 am - Cycling News from Around the World

Posted by Editoress on 12/10/08
 

Port Hope cyclist winn-ing the race
Time spent cycling along the trails of Port Hope and Northumberland has paid off for Zach Winn.

The long time mountain biker competes in the Ontario Cup Mountain Bike Series during the summer, and in the fall and spring he attends school at Union College in Kentucky. Now in his second year at the university, he competes for the school team in the Midwest Conference Division Two.
Read the rest of the news article at Northumberland News


Jacques Cartier Bridge - Closure of the sidewalk and cycling path
The Jacques Cartier and Champlain
Bridges Incorporated wishes to inform pedestrians and cyclists that, for
safety reasons, the sidewalk and cycling path on the Jacques Cartier Bridge
will close for the winter season on Thursday December 11 early morning.
Read the rest of the news article at NewsWire


London 2012 VeloPark starting to take shape
New images illustrating the developing work on the VeloPark site for the London 2012 Olympic Games show plans for a new world-class facility and cycling legacy are being realised in east London.
Read the rest of the news article at Telegraph


2009 Tour of Missouri dates announced
The 2009 Tour of Missouri bicycle race has been set for Sept. 9-13 and the event has been upgraded to "above category" status by the USA and world governing bodies for cycling.

The third annual race will start on Labor Day for the first time and conclude six days later on Sunday. Host cities will be announced late next month in Jefferson City.
Read the rest of the news article at Fort Mill Times


Qatar to figure on ladies cycling tour
Qatar will become the first country in the entire Middle-East to host a top level cycling event for women next year, a Qatar Cycling Federation (QCF) official said yesterday.

The Ladies Tour of Qatar, an International Cycling Union (UCI) elite event, will be held from February 8-10 and will be spread over three stages, QCF secretary general Majid al-Naimi told the Gulf Times.
Read the rest of the news article at Gulf Times


[Economic] Crisis unlikely to affect the sport - McQuaid
Cycling should largely escape the effects of the credit crunch, International Cycling Union (UCI) president Pat McQuaid said.

"I really don't think it's going to touch cycling hugely, I think race organisers will have more difficulties than teams because teams have a lot to offer, the sport of cycling has a lot to offer and the sponsors still have to show their brand," McQuaid told Reuters in an interview on Tuesday.

The globalisation of cycling would continue, with new events such as the Tour of Russia and the Tour of China going ahead almost as scheduled, said McQuaid at a meeting of the International Cycling Writers' Association.
Read the rest of the news article at Guardian


Schleck case closed, anti-doping agency says
No disciplinary action will be taken against rider Frank Schleck, after he admitted a financial link with the doctor at the heart of a blood-doping scandal, the Luxembourg Anti-Doping Agency (ALAD) said on Tuesday.

The CSC Saxo Bank rider admitted wiring almost 7,000 euros to an account belonging to Eufemiano Fuentes, the doctor at the heart of the Operation Puerto blood-doping scandal that erupted in Spain in May 2006.
Read the rest of the news article at Reuters


Cyclist Schleck glad to be cleared by doping probe
"I am happy that I have been able to prove my innocence," Schleck said. "Now I can focus on my work and the new season that starts shortly."
Read the rest of the news article at International Herlad Tribune


Armstrong's return will boost cycling, insists Zabel
German cyclist Erik Zabel said Tuesday the return of seven-times winner Lance Armstrong to the 2009 Tour de France could provide the tarnished sport with a much-needed boost.

Zabel, 38, who captured the Tour de France's green jersey for the points winner six times between 1996-2001, will retire after Berlin's Six-Days cycling in the German capital at the end of January.
Read the rest of the news article at EuroSport


Boonen faces charges over cocaine
Tom Boonen risks facing criminal charges over his positive test for cocaine, according to public prosecutors in the Belgian city of Turnhout.
Belgium star Boonen, a former world champion and winner of such prestigious races as Paris-Roubaix and the Tour of Flanders, tested positive for the recreational drug in an out of competition test in May this year.
Read the rest of the news article at EuroSport


Slipstream team plans own testing
The Boulder-based Garmin-Slipstream cycling team plans to conduct its own anti-doping tests next season.

The 29 riders of the Slipstream team plan to be tested more than 600 times as part of the team's crusade against doping in a sport that has struggled with the problem.
Read the rest of the news article at Rocky Mountain News


IOC to retest 500 doping samples from Beijing
The International Olympic Committee will re-test around 500 doping samples from the Beijing Games to check for traces of a new blood-booster drug.

In October it was revealed that nearly 5,000 samples would be analysed.

But the IOC says it will now "primarily target endurance events in cycling, rowing, swimming and athletics".

Around 400 of the blood tests searching specifically for Cera, an advanced version of endurance-enhancing hormone EPO, will occur in Paris and Lausanne.
Read the rest of the news article at BBC


Belgian track cyclist suspended for positive doping test
Belgian track cyclist Iljo Keisse has been suspended by his team following a positive doping test during his victory in last month's Six Days of Ghent.

It's not clear what product Keisse tested positive for, but Sercu said it was not endurance-enhancing drugs EPO or CERA.
Read the rest of the news article at Sports Illustrated


Health, Environment, Safety ˆ Policy that Works
Cycling England is an independent, expert body, trying to get more people cycling, more safely, more often. The National Health Service (NHS) is the system of publicly funded healthcare in the UK. Cycling England estimates that getting people to cycle three times or more a week could save the NHS £28.00 (US $50 approximately) per cyclist, every year. That's a lot of money to be saved, not to mention the pollution, carbon emissions and car crash risks that would all be reduced.

But how to get more people to cycle more?
The obvious answer is to build more safe and attractive cycle routes. But here's the problem ... it's the local authority that builds cycle paths, and the NHS that benefits from the cost savings. The two parts just don't add up. There's no advantage to the local authority to spending their money on something that they won't produce a return on their capital investment.
Read the rest of the news article at Red, Green and Blue


As bike commuters have grown more numerous over the last year (and with them, bike-car collisions), perhaps you've wondered why there haven't been any improvements to bike lanes or additional bike racks?

For that, we have one militant anti-bike activist to thank. Ron Anderson sued the city for failing to submit an Environmental Impact Report-required when a project is likely to harm the environment-for its bike improvement plans.
Read the rest of the news article at SFgate.com


Sanyo Enters Electric Bike Market
Sanyo has unveiled an electric hybrid bicycle called the Eneloop Bike, which is based on their impressive Eneloop battery technology. The bike has a cruising range of 100km (62 miles) in auto mode which is similar to Panasonic's regenerative electric bike and uses a unique two-wheel drive system for greater stability.

Read the rest of the news article at Mark's Technology News


New interstate road map takes shape for bicyclists
At first glance, everything seems out of place on the map of a new interstate road system taking shape across the nation.

Interstate 95 runs down the stunning sweep of the Pacific Coast, not the congested blandness of the Eastern Seaboard. Route 1 meanders along country roads, not strip malls. And you'll get your kicks on Route 76.

Mapmakers gone wild? Not quite.

State officials and bicycle enthusiasts are stitching together more than 50,000 miles of pedal-friendly pavement to form a vast network of bicycle routes connecting byways, cities and offroad trails in a system like the one created for cars and trucks over half a century ago.
Read the rest of the news article at MercuryNews.com


Gearing up through cycling
Fed up with sitting in traffic? Trade four wheels for two and join other cyclists who are pedaling their way to better health and a cleaner environment.

Besides being a low-cost means of transportation, cycling appears to have a leg up on another heart-healthy sport: running.

"Cycling's biggest advantage over running on concrete or a dirt track every day is that there's little to no impact on your joints," said Angela Stovall, master trainer and group cycling instructor at 24 Hour Fitness in Chino Hills. "Cycling is especially beneficial for people who are trying to boost endurance and condition the cardiovascular system as well as for those recovering from knee or foot injuries."
Read the rest of the news article at SgvTribune.com