Archiv für den Tag: 16. Oktober 2018

Radteam Herrmann Saisonabschluß und Wiedereröffnung Fahrradecke Erlangen

Am verkaufsoffenen Sonntag (14.10.18) fand die Wiedereröffnung der Fahrradecke in Erlangen statt, deren Verkaufsräume aufgrund eines Brandschadens mehrere Wochen geschlossen bleiben mussten.
Das Radteam Herrmann nutzte die Gelegenheit für eine kleine Saison Abschlußfahrt und Teamchef Stefan Herrmann bedankte sich beim Geschäftsführer der Fahrradecke, Eberhard Schirmer, für die bewährte und hervorragende Unterstützung während der sehr erfolgreichen Saison 2018. Er übergab ihm ein großes Foto der Sieger der Deutschen Mannschaftsmeister im Zeitfahren, sicherlich der größte Triumph im Jahre 2018 für das Radteam Herrmann. Aber die Herrmänner dürfen auch auf das sehr gute Abschneiden in der Radbundesliga und die vielen Siege und Platzierungen im In- und Ausland stolz sein.

Die Ausfahrt führte bei besten Bedingungen, Sonne und 23 Grad, über Herzogenaurach, Weisendorf und Baiersdorf zurück nach Erlangen, ca. 70km lang.


Viele Rennfahrer/Betreuer des Radteams Herrmann und Freunde des Teams waren am Start aber auch schon einige Neuzugänge für die neue Saison 2019. So waren z.B. Johannes Adamietz (Team Tirol), Nils Weispfennig, Alexander Tarlton und Lennart Jung (PVD Team) mit dabei.

Lennart Jung:

Das sonnige Wochenende bot also die Gelegenheit für einen erfreulichen Saisonrückblick und einen hoffnungsfrohen Ausblick Richtung Saison 2019.


Text und Fotos
Gerhard Plomitzer
www.plomi.smugmug.com

Ackermann verpasst Podium zum Auftakt der Tour of Guangxi.


Den erwarteten Massensprint brachte der Auftakt zur Tour of Guangxi heute in Beihai. Eine 6-Mann-Gruppe konnte sich zwar zu Beginn absetzten, kam allerdings nie mehr als zwei Minuten vom Feld weg. Die Sprinterteams hatten das Geschehen immer unter Kontrolle, bis Pete Kennaugh mit einer späten Attacke BORA – hansgrohe in eine vielversprechende Position brachte. Gemeinsam mit G. Moscon an der Spitze, brachte Peter die anderen Teams unter Zugzwang. Als das Führungsduo etwa drei Kilometer vor dem Ende eingeholt wurde, war das Lead-out der Sprinter bereits voll im Gange. BORA – hansgrohe positionierte sich spät mit dem deutschen Meister Pascal Ackermann. Am Ende holte D. Groenewegen den Sieg, während Pascal als Vierter das Podium knapp verpasste.
1. Etappe:
1. Dylan Groenewegen (LottoNL-Jumbo)
2. Max Walscheid (Sunweb) s.t.
3. Fabio Jakobsen (Quick-Step Floors)
4. Pascal Ackermann (Bora-hansgrohe)
5. Matteo Trentin (Mitchelton-Scott)
6. Reinardt Janse van Rensburg (Dimension Data)
7. Arnaud Démare (Groupama FDJ)
8. Jasper Stuyven (Trek-Segafredo)
9. Enzo Wouters (Lotto Soudal)
10. Clement Venturini (Ag2R)

Gesamtstand:
1. Dylan Groenewegen (LottoNL-Jumbo)
2. Silvan Dillier (Ag2R) +0:02
3. Max Walscheid (Sunweb) +0:04
4. Fabio Jakobsen (Quick-Step Floors) +0:06
5. Andrey Grivko (Astana) s.t.
Reaktionen im Ziel
„Bis auf die letzten 300m sah es eigentlich ganz gut aus. Aber als Lotto-Jumbo nach vorne kam, habe ich die Gelegenheit verpasst, bei Dylan ans Rad zu gehen. Ich war dann etwas eingeklemmt und konnte meinen Sprint erst spät lancieren. Da war auf den Sieg keine Chance mehr.“ – Pascal Ackermann

„Auch wenn das Resultat nicht ganz so ausgefallen ist, wie wir uns das gewünscht hätten, hat das Team heute einen tollen Job gemacht. Wir haben es am Ende mit Pete versucht, da vom letzten Anstieg, 13 km vor dem Ende, Rückenwind bis ins Ziel herrschte. Damit waren die anderen Teams in der Defensive, denn das Duo an der Spitze war wirklich sehr stark. Am Ende wollten wir Pascal spät in Position bringen, das hat nicht ganz geklappt, aber Dylan war am Ende auch sehr stark. Die nächsten Tage kommen aber weitere Chancen, für Pascal und Pete.“ – Christian Pömer, sportlicher Leiter
© BORA – hansgrohe

Joe Dombrowski re-signs with #PinkArgyle


Joe Dombrowski has re-signed with EF Pro Cycling for the upcoming season. The American finished fifth overall at the 2018 Colorado Classic and sixth overall at the 2018 Tour of Utah.
“It’s not a secret that the last couple of seasons have not been what I wanted results-wise,” said Dombrowski. “I’m focused on doing what I need to do to get back to the the level that I know I’m capable of in races.”
“It’s great to have Joe back,” said EF Pro Cycling CEO Jonathan Vaughers. “He knows our team and has been a great presence here over the years. Joe had a spectacular 2016 season where he was in multiple breaks at that year’s Giro and finished third in the hardest mountain stage. The last couple years have been a bit of a struggle for him, but in the end, talent doesn’t just go away. We want to give that talent an opportunity to rebuild.”
Dombrowski, 27, has raced four seasons in argyle following his move to the American-registered outfit from Team Sky, where he spent his neo-pro seasons.
“This team has a great environment, and having been here a while now, I knew that coming back I would be a part of that,” said Dombrowski. “I would consider my teammates as my friends, and I think that cohesion can go a long way in getting the the most of out of a team and an individual.”

The team’s newly announced alternative race program appeals to Dombrowski, who is has been an occasional participant in non-road cycling events throughout his career.
“Joe was sort of our first index, the first rider we dipped into alternative races, at the 2016 Leadville 100,” said Vaughters. “He competes in some cyclocross, too. We felt like he would be a great fit for some of the alternative racing we’d be doing next season and beyond. We’re all pretty excited about that.”
“My first focus is, of course, on the traditional road calendar, but the alternative race program is also quite interesting. I got my start racing mountain bike and cyclocross. I still jump in the odd cyclocross race in the off-season and in 2016 I raced Leadville with this team,” said Dombrowski. “Cycling’s fan base, particularly in America, is a participatory one. It’s not the same as the traditional American sports in that sense. Professional road cycling can be quite insular and convoluted. With a participatory fan base, watching races is not what creates a feeling of engagement in the sport.

“My motivation to race in other events in the past has always been as a fun outlet, but I have also found that they develop a strong connection to the cycling community,” Dombrowski added. “It’s something I like to see as a way of giving back and engaging with the community that has allowed me to have a career in this sport. I think this project can be just that on a much larger scale, and I look forward to seeing where it goes.”
Like his teammates, Dombrowski has enjoyed the introduction of EF Education First into the team and the sport.
“EF has changed things for us in the sense that they feel less like a ‚partner‘ or a ’sponsor‘ in a traditional sense. They feel more integrated. Almost as though we are truly co-workers,” said Dombrowski. “You get that feeling especially when they bring employees to races and we coordinate on events. It’s been an interesting change. I’ve never been in a team where there hasn’t been a separation between team and sponsor. It’s nice that as owners they’re invested in bringing in some of the positive aspects of a company their size and scope into our smaller team.”
CONNECT WITH EF EDUCATION FIRST – DRAPAC P/B CANNONDALE

Changing of the guard at the Crocodile Trophy


Urs Huber and Sarah White take over the elite leads with stage victories in today’s time trial. The multiple Swiss National Champion and four-time Crocodile Trophy winner Urs Huber claims today’s stage in 1:23:49 and takes over the overall lead by 1:11 minutes in the men’s. Sarah White, who won before in 2015, takes over the women’s lead after a strong 2-hour race. Lucy Coldwell is now in second with a gap of 1:53min overall.

For the 16th time in the 24-year history of the event this small mining town with a population of 85 residents is hosting a Crocodile Trophy stage. „We feel very welcome here and all the residents have been so supportive“, said Race Founder Gerhard Schönbacher today.

Of Urs Huber fellow riders said, that he had been a „man on a mission“ and „hungry for the win“ on the 38 km time trial course from Herberton to Irvinebank. With an elevation change of only 525 meters it was a fast and determined race by Huber and it all went to plan for the 33-year old. He added that a few long and flat stages were coming up and that those should suit his style of racing. An endurance specialist and with years of Outback racing experience he was confident for the next few days he concluded.

Today’s and overall second, the Swiss elite racer Konny Looser says he was happy about two stage wins this year but also very realistic. He had taken notice of the extremely strong form by Urs Huber and that he wasn’t surprised by Huber’s win in the time trial. „I saw yesterday that Urs is very strong and two minutes is not a big gap. There are still four days to go and a lot of long and flat stages coming up where a lot of things can happen like technical problems and then two minutes is nothing”, he said.

He added that Urs was very strong on the flat stages and that he expected him to “put the hammer down”. Today’s route had suited Huber well and Looser concluded that he was happy with second place and ready to “carry on” and that he would “try to keep the fire burning until the end”.

In fourth today was the Austrian Philipp Wetzelberger in 01:34:32 ahead of the Czech rider Milan Damek who finished five minutes behind him. The 26-year old said that he enjoyed “the beautiful and exotic land, landscapes and nature” in Australia. He had participated in many marathostage races overseas and experienced extreme weather and racing conditions and this event was the ultimate highlight of his racing season.

Sarah White overtakes Lucy Coldwell
A shake-up also in the women’s: Lucy Coldwell suffers a mechanical issue and looses a lot of time repairing a flat tyre. Sarah White has a strong day and pushes herself into the overall women’s lead by 1:53 minutes ahead of tomorrow’s fifth stage, a classic and relatively flat marathon to Skybury Coffee Plantation. The question will be if the the strong marathon endurance racer White will defend her lead against road specialist Coldwell across the 1200m of elevation.

At the half-way mark Croc rests in Irvinebank
With four days to go tomorrow’s stage will be a ‘old-school’ marathono to Skybury Coffee Plantation, said eight-time Crocodile Trophy finisher, Martin Wisata from the NSW Central Coast near Sydney. The 41-year old said that it had been a furious start to the race, “This year the first stage caught a lot of riders out, we didn’t expect it to be that humid and hot from the start, however, it seems to be that now that we’re half-way everyone has found a good rhythm.” He said that stage racing and the Crocodile Trophy in particular demanded not only everything of the racers out on track, but that the recovery time after each stage and the preparation for the following day were critical. “This is a very challenging race, you cannot come here unprepared. And, you really have to look after yourself and your equipment and after all these years of racing I know how to react when things don’t go to plan, you learn to adapt and be flexible and listen to body… and bike”, he explained.

He said that he had known about the Crocodile Trophy since watching footage every year on TV from when he was growing up in Austria since the mid-nineties and that the camp life was an aspect that he immensely enjoyed, “I noticed that a lot of riders are using the hotel packages offered, however, we still all get together for the communal breakfasts and dinners and that’s a lot of fun, chatting about the day’s racing and just coming together as a group of people who love riding. Being able to do this out here in so beautiful parts of Tropical North Queensland is unique and very special.”

Skybury Coffee Plantation will host the Crocodile Trophy for two nights from tomorrow after a 95km and 1200vm marathon via some old mining trails near Stannery Hill with race start at 8am.

For detailed race results, please visit www.croctrophy.com/results/

________________________________________

Top Results | Stage 4

Elite Men
1. #1 Urs Huber (SUI) / Team Bulls / 01:23:49,8 — 27.1 km/h Elite Men (1)
2. # 3 Konny Looser (SUI) / BiXS Pro Team / 01:25:01,2 +00:01:11 26.8 km/h Elite Men (2)
3. # 2 Sören Nissen (LUX) / Team Stevens-LAUF / 01:30:04,0 +00:06:14 25.3 km/h Elite Men (3)
4. # 5 Philipp Wetzelberger (AUT) / Friesi´s Bikerz RC Friedberg-Pinggau / 01:34:32,5 +00:10:42 24.1 km/h Elite Men (4)
5. # 4 Milan Damek (CZE) / Bike World / 01:39:43,2 +00:15:53 22.8 km/h Elite Men (5)

Elite Women
1. #101 Sarah White (AUS) / Astute Financial Racing Team / 02:02:25,9 +00:38:36 18.6 km/h Elite Women (1)
2. #102 Lucy Coldwell (AUS) / 02:31:24,3 +01:07:34 15.0 km/h Elite Women (2)
3. 103 Sjoukje Dufoer (BEL) / Honeymoon Tom & Sjoukje / 02:42:00,5 +01:18:10 14.0 km/h Elite Women (3)

Stage 4 Amateur Category Stage Winners:
Amateur Men 1 | 204 Martin Plank (AUT) 01:46:07,2 +00:22:17 21.4 km/h
Amateur Men 2 | 251 Luke Zweers (AUS) 01:59:24,6 +00:35:34 19.0 km/h
Amateur Men 3 | 314 Michal Láník (CZE) 01:44:40,5 +00:20:50 21.7 km/h
Amateur Men 4 | 408 Graeme Young (AUS) 01:56:38,3 +00:32:48 19.5 km/h
Amateur Men 5 | 504 Giovanni Colagiacomi Capponi (ITA) 01:59:44,3 +00:35:54 19.0 km/h
Amateur Women 1 | 120 Lotte De Vet (BEL) 02:34:01,5 +01:10:11 14.8 km/h
Amateur Women 2 | 125 Mona Van Nassauw (BEL) 02:44:24,2 +01:20:34 13.8 km/h

OVERALL Standings after Stage 4:
OVERALL Men Elite after 4 Stages
1. 1 Urs Huber 14:18:26,9 — Elite Men (1)
2. 3 Konny Looser 14:19:37,3 +00:01:10 Elite Men (2)
3. 2 Sören Nissen 15:05:34,5 +00:47:07 Elite Men (3)
4. 6 Matthias Grick 15:43:02,4 +01:24:35 Elite Men (4)
5. 5 Philipp Wetzelberger 15:47:18,8 +01:28:51 Elite Men (5)

OVERALL Women Elite after 4 Stages
1. 101 Sarah White 19:46:26,9 — Elite Women (1)
2. 102 Lucy Coldwell 19:48:20,3 +01:53.40 Elite Women (2)
3. 103 Sjoukje Dufoer 24:01:45,4 +04:15:18.50 Elite Women (3)