Katie Compton title the best female cyclo-cross rider of the year

Katie Compton is  been so dominant during the 2010-2011 season so far that it's hard to argue that she doesn't deserve the title of best female cyclo-cross rider, and our readers agreed.She`s achieved many great things in the second half of 2010 - her seventh consecutive US national cyclo-cross title, wins in all but one cyclo-cross race she started including four World Cups - Aigle, Koksijde, Kalmthout and Zolder, and the lead in both the UCI rankings and World Cup standings.

"Wow! That is always a fun thing to win, especially since I am up against some stiff competition," Compton told Cyclingnews. "I'm honored to know I have so many cyclo-cross fans and supporters out there. Thanks to everyone who voted for me!"

Will the solid results so far translate into gaining that elusive world championship? Compton has been extremely selective about her race schedule this year in the hope of avoiding the devastating physical problems that ruined her start to 2010. Last January she pulled out of the Roubaix World Cup, did not start in Hoogerheide and failed to finish the Worlds in Tabor, all due to leg cramps – a problem she seems to have so far avoided this season.

Few have been able to match Compton's power, grace and tenacity on the 'cross circuit this season, but two of the sport's top names, Marianne Vos and Hanka Kupfernagel, are only now coming into form.

Vos, second in our reader poll, claimed 3083 votes to Compton's 5893 due to a relatively low profile on the 'cross circuit. The multi-talented 24-year-old reigning world champion delayed her start to the season in order to compete in the Melbourne Track World Cup, but quickly got back up to speed placing second in the Scheldecross and Kalmthout and Zolder World Cups before finally raising her arms in victory at the GVA Trofee Azencross.

The Dutch rider used a similar season plan before gaining her third rainbow jersey in early 2010, and remains a force to be reckoned with.

A surprising third in the poll, former US road champion Meredith Miller garnered 1203 votes despite having a bad luck season riddled with crashes and technical problems. However, her never-say-die attitude inspired our readers as did her three UCI victories. Miller is hoping to gain a spot on Team USA's world championships team.

German Hanka Kupfernagel topped Czech champion Katerina Nash for fourth, with Dutch champion Daphny van den Brand slotting in at sixth.

2010 Best cyclo-cross female
1 Katie Compton 5893 35.1%
2 Marianne Vos 3083 18.4%
3 Meredith Miller 1203 7.2%
4 Hanka Kupfernagel 1196 7.1%
5 Katerina Nash 1084 6.5%
6 Daphny van den Brand 948 5.6%
7 Laura Van Gilder 919 5.5%
8 Helen Wyman 745 4.4%
9 Eva Lechner 636 3.8%
10 Caroline Mani 498 3.0%
11 Sanne Cant 318 1.9%
12 Sanne van Paassen 264 1.6


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Hope Factory Racing's Oldham claimed victory in Bradford

Hargroves Cycles rider Crawforth, national 'cross champion in 2009, has amassed 201 points from the first five rounds of the six-leg series, while Hope Factory Racing's Oldham claimed victory in Bradford on December 12 to close the gap on his rival ahead of the finale.

The 2010 Rutland race saw Oldham finish as the top British rider in fifth behind a strong visiting Belgian contingent to secure the series win.

"Last year Rob Peeters (Fidea-Telenet), fresh from fourth place in the Belgian Championships, headed the bill and showed a clean pair of wheels to all those in the main event of the day, and the expectation is once again that several riders of a similar stature in the sport will make the final line-up at Whitwell," said race director Colin Clews.

"Like the International CiCLE Classic in April each year, the Rutland CiCLE Classic 'Cross is promoted as one of 'Britain's Belgian Classics', as both races are modelled on the top races in that European country.

"That riders from Belgium are happy to experience the organisation and quality of the race once and then return each year shows how well our claim is being achieved."

This year's showdown also represents a potential revenge match from the National Cyclo-Cross Championships held just seven days earlier in Derby - as well as the last opportunity to impress the British selectors ahead of the World Championships in Germany two weeks later.

To take a look at the full series standings, head this way.
www.cicleclassic.co.uk

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Patrick Lefevere could wait before signing Zdenek Stybar’s as a free agent

The Czech rider Zdenek Stybar contract runs out on February 28 but despite Telenet-Fidea having first refusal on any contract offer before that point,manager Patrick Lefevere could wait before signing his man as a free agent.

“The ball is still in the court of his manager and Telenet-Fidea. There was an offer but they have to decide if he’s going to stay with the team or leave,” Lefevere told Cyclingnews.

“I don’t want to talk too much about it because I’m only interested if he’s free to move. I don’t want to be involved in a fight for him. If they want to fight between themselves that’s up to them but I’m just going to concentrate on my team. I don’t want to pay him out of a contract, if he wants to do that then that’s fine.”

Stybar has made clear to sections of the press that he wishes to sign for Quick Step, while Lefevere is keen to bolster his team after a number of riders left the team at the end of 2010.

“He knows he’s welcome in the team. He’s a good rider, he makes a lot of publicity and I’m convinced he can be important at the Olympics and he can try things on the road too. He’s an interesting rider but I don’t want to be involved in a fight. If he’s free he’s more than welcome.”

Calpe Training Camp

Quick Step leave for Calpe, Spain in the next few days for there second pre-season training camp. According to Lefevere, team leader Tom Boonen is in fine form as he aims to build up for another Classics campaign.

“He’s in good form. Last time we spoke was at the training camp in Calpe. We have another one coming up in the next few days too.”

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Joaquim Rodriguez prefer to prioritise the Ardennes classics and the Tour de France

Joaquim Rodriguez  insists that he would again prefer to prioritise the Ardennes classics and the Tour de France in the first half of the season but has not ruled out the possibility of riding the Giro d’Italia in 2011.

“I have a lot of possibilities in front of me but I still don’t know what I’ll do,” Rodriguez told Marca. “The team wants to go for the Giro because they are convinced that I can win it. However, I would prefer to ride the Tour and the Vuelta because I really like the Ardennes classics, and if I ride them at my maximum, it would be difficult to be in shape for the Giro. I will prepare as best as possible and then see.”

Rodriguez finished 2010 at the top of the UCI rankings after a fine season that saw him prominent on all terrains but he admitted that one race inspires him more than any other.

“It’s the classics, and above all Liege-Bastogne-Liege, that I love,” Rodriguez explained. “Fleche Wallone is the one that is best suited to my characteristics – I was second this year behind [Cadel] Evans – but Liege is, in my opinion, the most important one-day race on the calendar, even more so than the Worlds. I have a special affection for it.”

If the highlight of Rodriguez’s 2010 campaign was his clever victory at Mende in the Tour de France, the undoubted low point was the Vuelta a España’s final time trial at Penariel, which saw him lose the overall lead. Rodriguez would eventually finish 4th in Madrid but he is keen to improve on his time trialling ahead of next season.

“The good thing is that I have the bar so low that improvement is easy,” he said. “It will be difficult to do a time trial as bad as that again, where I lost 4:18 to Nibali in 46km. We were separated in the final general classification by 4:22. I have much to improve on.”

Rodriguez has already begun working with the Italian biomechanics expert Alessandro Mariano and has adapted his position to one that is “less aerodynamic but more natural and practical because it allows me to use all of my power.”

The Spaniard has also begun his training on the road in earnest in recent weeks. He will begin his 2011 season at the Mallorca Challenge, before heading on to the Tour of Oman.

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NeilPryde Alize a move into the world of road bicycles

Unless you have an interest in windsurfing NeilPryde is probably a name that won’t be familiar to most of us, the sport in which the brand has been at the forefront for the past 20 years.

Now though the brand is making a move into the world of  Road Bike.Driven by a desire to offer its existing customers, whom it realised were partial to some road cycling when not windsurfing, a bike range with all the high performance traits familiar in its windsurfing products.

Brought in to offer expert design guidance, BMW Group DesignworksUSA, a company with experience in diverse industries from automotive and aircrafts to yachts or trains, was commissioned as design partner to push the bikes in the right direction and ensure they lived up to the company’s brief for the range.

The results of this collaboration are the Alize and Diablo. We’ve just received the Alize, a bike that has been designed on similar principles to that found on bikes like the Cervelo S3 and Felt AR in featuring an aerodynamic frame that trades a little weight for slipperiness through the air.

Designed and tested extensively in the wind tunnel, each tube profile has been shaped to manage the airflow. Airfoil cross sections are designed to extend the trailing edge of the air flow without increasing weight, the downtube featuring a Kamm tail profile section.

“Its clean design combines elegant, dynamic aesthetics with an aerodynamic performance reached by an optimized tube profiling and an extension of the Kamm tail. As evidenced through wind tunnel tests, the changing aerofoil profile along the length of the tubes manages the airflow specific to the aerodynamic characteristics of each element – frame, forks, wheels and components. The innovative airfoil cross sections are designed to extend the trailing edge of the air flow without increasing weight. The bike was created with controlled, fluid and refined surfacing using advanced 3D modeling techniques.”

The test bike in question is fitted with Shimano Dura-Ace components and Mavic
Kysrium wheels with FSA SLK finishing parts. Weight of the whole bicycle with this specification is 6.8 kg. Frame only weight is 1040g. We’ll get back with a first ride report soon.
The bike as pictured costs £3,499. There's an Ultegra build for £2,699 or you can buy just the frame for £1,699.

www.neilprydebikes.com

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Scott Speedster S35 comforting on longer rides in the hills

The Scott's Speedster S35 is a quick, enjoyable bike with no major vices and a thoroughly planted feel that’s deeply reassuring in bad weather and comforting on longer rides in the hills.

Along with the cheaper S55, this is one of two UK-speci?c models in Scott's Speedster range for 2011.

They're variants on the S30 and S50 respectively, with more space for mudguards and fatter tyres.Frame: 

Tidy and forgiving, the S35’s frame wouldn’t be embarrassed by substantial equipment upgrading, and lends itself well to year-round adventures (8/10)Handling: Predictable, accurate and surefooted, it doesn’t put a tyre wrong in poor conditions, yet remains light and inspiring for better days (9/10) Equipment: Great to see Tiagra shifters and a well thought out gear range in an overall good spec, but we’d like mudguards in the package, and the brakes are unimpressive (8/10) Wheels: Competent but not ?ashy, the Alex rims, Scott-branded hubs and Continental tyres are tempting targets for eventual upgrades (9/10)

The heart of the Speedster is a double-butted 6061 aluminium frame and carbon fork with aluminium steerer. This is mature technology, and the frame that Scott's designed around it is stable and precise. It drops evenly and accurately into corners and makes short work of high-speed descents. On one test ride we had no hesitation in letting it rip down the 40mph plummet back to the office, despite being buffeted by gale-force winds.

The carbon fork takes the edge off rough road surfaces while still being adequately stiff. With its aluminium steerer it’s no featherweight, but that helps keep the S35 ?rmly on line: it simply shrugs off minor de?ections such as road debris and potholes and ploughs on merrily.

At a little over 9kg (20lb) without pedals, the Speedster S35 is decently light for a size 56 bike in this class. That manifests in its cheerfully cooperative nature when the road points up. The compact chainset and 26-tooth largest sprocket help, though on the steepest of our local climbs we were wishing for the 28-tooth listed in the of?cial spec.

Nevertheless, the only thing holding the S35 back on climbs is your ability, not the bike’s. The Truvativ Touro compact chainset and SRAM 12-26 cassette are mated to a mix of Shimano components: Tiagra shifters and front derailleur, and a 105 rear derailleur. The rear plonks along with typical Shimano ef?ciency, but the front upshift is a shade slow. It gets there eventually, but if you’re going to slap it into the big ring for a speed-limit-sign sprint, you’ll want to pick your gear early.

The S35’s Continental Ultra Sport tyres are decent compromise rubber. In this 25mm incarnation they provide cushioning and fair grip in the wet, but aren't the fastest or toughest around. You might want to swap to something quicker for the summer, or more puncture-resistant for the winter.

The Alex 28 Aero rims are built onto basic hubs to make light, laterally stiff wheels that contribute to the bike’s overall feel of reassuring solidity. The white paint ?nish looks good on the shop ?oor but cracks when you take a tyre lever to it – we’d prefer good old silver.

The cockpit is all Scott own-brand gear, with a comfortable, ?at-pro?le, well-padded saddle and a short-reach shallow drop bar for a cruisy riding position. The bar won’t suit everyone, though. One of our longer-bodied testers was unable to get comfortable on the hoods despite ?tting a longer stem and dropping the front end right down.

The only really signi?cant negatives are the Scott-branded Tektro brakes, which lack authority, especially in the wet. While an upgrade to something like Shimano R650s won’t be cheap, it would pay off in terms of better control. Other welcome features include rack mounts on the chainstays so you can press the S35 into luggage-carrying service, and a chainhanger pip on the inside of the left seatstay so you can hook the chain out of the way when you drop the wheel out.

We’re disappointed not to get mudguards included in the price, though. Not only would this save £25 or so, it would spare you the faff of ?tting them. That said, we threw on a set of Crud Roadracers and they worked well.

Overall, the Speedster S35 is a really well-executed all-rounder for UK conditions. With room for fat tyres and mudguards it’ll get you through the winter, and when the weather turns good its ride manners are impeccable.

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Mark Renshaw anticipating the showdown next month's Santos Tour Down Under

Mark Renshaw is anticipating the showdown between Mark Cavendish and former teammate André Greipel during next month's Santos Tour Down Under.

The Australian sprinter says that HTC-Highroad will be taking a strong team to the opening round of the ProTour and the pressure will be on to perform early in the season.

"There's more and more pressure each year at the Tour Down Under - I'm not sure if we want it but that's how it's going. There'll be pressure on us to do well - it's the showdown between André and Cav," Renshaw told Cyclingnews.

"I think the team will come out swinging; the vibe I feel in the team at the moment is that we really want to do well at the Tour Down Under. We've got a really strong team for the race - if you look at the names on paper, there's plenty of horsepower... and Cav is going well - he's always going well."

In previous editions of the race the team was riding for two-time overall Tour Down Under champion Greipel; in 2011 the big German will be the star of Omega Pharma-Lotto's squad, having also taken several HTC-Columbia teammates with him to the Belgian outfit.

But Renshaw believes that HTC-Highroad won't miss Greipel, possessing more than one weapon to challenge for overall honours.

"In previous years Andre's had everyone riding for him [and he has won the overall twice] - we've had such a strong team of sprinters with plenty of depth to help him achieve that," said Renshaw.

"The objective is to try and get a win first up then work out the GC plan depending on what's happening," he explained. "Maybe Cav won't be good for GC but we've got other options for a top five performance, which is realistic for us.

"We've also got a backup plan in Hayden Roulston or Matt Goss - they can climb better than myself or Cav. It's a good team and we've got options for the overall and stages."

While Greipel will go into the event a favourite to become the first rider to take three titles in Australia's premier stage race, the field of sprinters heading Down Under is impressive, as Renshaw noted.

"There's a long list of guys [to contend with] including [Tyler] Farrar, [Gerald] Ciolek and [Francesco] Cicchi - he's always good for s atage win early on - althought I'm not sure how well Farrar is going," he said.

Personally, Renshaw's 2011 will be shaped towards a big goal for the 28-year-old - a spot on Australia's team at the UCI Road World Championships in Copenhagen, Denmark.

"For me a big goal this season is to ride the Worlds for Australia. To do that I need to get some runs on the board although that's hard when I'm riding for Cav," he explained. "The team is going to give me some opportunities to do that and I want to do a few races for myself. My program looks good and should enable me to do that.

"We raced on the course in Copenhagen earlier this year and the sprint is hard, not fast, which suits me. It needs more prolonged power rather than a fast burst at the finish."

The former track rider says he enjoyed the recent HTC-Highroad training camp and took away a lot from the pre-season get together. "I had a really good camp - the most productive one in quite a while. We had a couple of big changes, such as changing from Scott to Specialized bikes and some other technical changes," Renshaw explained.

In the immediate future Renshaw will concentrate on another crack at the Jayco Bay Cycling Classic overall title, which he took in 2008. He'll be up against a classy field that includes the likes of Robbie McEwen, Chris Sutton and Allan Davis but he's confident in the O2 team gathered around him will be up to the challenge.

"We've pulled together a good team for the Bay Crits - there's Dean Windsor, David Kemp and Tom Palmer," said Renshaw. "It's a classy team with GC ambitions and it'll be all about consistency over the four days. The field for the event just keeps getting better every year."

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