George Hincapie interview

“I don’t know the answer to that question,”sayid George Hincapie (BMC) in a interview “I do think that, from what I know, cycling is doing probably more than any other sport to make it a clean sport and I’m proud of the way they’re handling it. I do think we’re on the cutting edge as far as testing goes and other sports will try to follow our lead.

“I know there are a lot of riders out there who work very hard and win races clean, so I don’t want fans to think you cannot do that.”

Hincapie was a member of each of Lance Armstrong’s seven Tour de France-winning teams and their former US Postal Service squad is understood to be at centre of a federal investigation into alleged doping practices in American cycling. Hincapie declined to comment on the ongoing inquiry, led by FDA agent Jeff Novitzky, but he said that he was not affected by speculation linking him to the matter.

“I think if you ask anybody that’s close to me, they’ll all say that I’m a good person and that I have a good character and at the end of the day, my family and close friends are what matter to me,” he said. “If they were to say I was a bad person or had a bad character, then that would affect me. But the other stuff [media and internet speculation], I’m not going to let that affect me.”

Hincapie’s erstwhile leader Armstrong has been at the eye of the storm in recent weeks, as a lengthy article in Sports Illustrated featured fresh allegations against the Texan in late January. Hincapie explained that he has not been in touch with Armstrong in the intervening period.

“I haven’t spoken to him recently,” Hincapie said. “He just had a baby, so obviously I say congratulations. He’s got a growing family and is obviously very busy with his foundation and with racing and I really hope that he’s doing well right now and it looks like he is.”

Indeed, in spite of the mounting and persistent accusations that have been levelled against the US Postal Service team, Hincapie believes that there is a new generation of young American talent that will continue to attract people to the sport.

“There are still sponsors coming in,” he explained. “We have four American ProTeams now, which is unheard of in our country, so I think the future looks bright. The young riders that we have, like Taylor Phinney and riders from other teams, have huge potential and I think they’ll continue to gather interest from the US media and fans.”

An Olympic farewell in 2012?
At 37 years of age, Hincapie is aware that he is in the twilight of his career, but winning Paris-Roubaix remains his overriding ambition, even if he recognises that the window of opportunity is narrowing.
“[Winning Paris-Roubaix] is becoming less likely as I get older but it’s definitely possible,” Hincapie told Cyclingnews. “I know that on my good days, if I’m fit and healthy and 100 per cent motivated, I can still ride with the best in the world, so if that happens, I definitely still have a chance.”

Hincapie also revealed that he envisages ending his career after the 2012 season. The American is on course to participate in a sixth consecutive Olympic Games in London, although he admitted that the possibility of bowing out with such a landmark had not entered into his thinking.

“Until you said it, I didn’t even consider it,” he smiled. “It would be nice, I’ve done five of them. To do a sixth Olympics would be pretty cool. It’s pretty crazy actually to think of that.”

On retirement, Hincapie hopes to stay in the sport and preferably in a role with the BMC team, albeit one with less travel than the life of rider. Regardless of when he finally does hang up his wheels, Hincapie said that his work ethic will remain intact until the end of his career.

“When I first started [in 1994], my goal was to do ten years as a professional cyclist and that’s come and gone a long time ago, so I’m definitely very appreciative of the position I’m in,” he said. “I don’t take it for granted at all, I continue to work hard. As long as I’m going to be racing a bike professionally, I’m going to be doing it at 100 per cent of my capabilities.”

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Raleigh/Banana Retro Cycling Jersey Short Sleeve

There was a burgeoning UK pro scene over 2 decades ago,the focal point was the legendary Kellogs City Centre series which (with due respect to the current "Tour Series") was the cutting edge of Crit racing.

Top Continental pro's would regularly guest in these races and would routinely be humiliated by the Brit based experts of this fast and furious racing. It was televised too and was one of the few opportunities to see live cycle racing on the box pre-Eurosport.

The famed marque Raleigh were always strong in this discipline and indeed the formidable "Raleigh/Banana" team even had a replica bike (in fact a choice of two, one budget and one pukka team replica).

There are without doubt, many of you reading this whose very first foray into the world of lightweight racing cycles who got started on a "Raleigh/Banana". Cue misty eyed recollections.

We are proud and very priveliged to return this iconic jersey back to the marketplace. Faithfully produced by the original manufacturer Santini in modern fabrics, this is our first foray into recreating a UK "blast from the past", we have even had the cap accurately reproduced.

The Raleigh team is now reborn as a "Continental Team" and led by our long term associate Dan Fleeman.
The team is a young one who have performed well in their inaugural season and we expect futher developement and progress from the team in the next few years. They have their sights set high and we wish them well. How amazing it would be to see a "Raleigh" team back at the top level as in years gone by.

This is an officially licensed product and we would like to thank Geoff Giddings and Mervyn Jones of Raleigh UK for their co-operation and invaluable assistance in making this project happen.

The New Shimano XTR M985 disc brake

These new 394g per end XC stoppers are 55g lighter than the previous XTR and are everything we’d hoped they would be.

Firstly, do they stop the bike faster than the old ones? Emphatically yes. Once fully bedded in, which is a quick and easy task, the bite from a grab of the lever is hard and decisive and excess speed can be hacked to zero with ease. As the old Pirelli tyre ad slogan went, ‘Power is nothing without control’ and Shimano understand that.

You can control the level of braking from the merest tickling off of a few mph to some massive eye-popping deceleration into a downhill switchback – even with small 160mm rotors. The one-?nger levers allow you to achieve either effect with ease. Yes, one ?nger – the abbreviated brake lever’s a visual sign from Shimano of just how powerful the XTR brake is. We never felt like we needed more ?ngers to do the job.

There are several new details that we like; one is the split clamp, which is ideal for bar changes. It’s also about time that Shimano caught up on this now old trend. Another Shimano catch-up is a new ability to integrate the brake and shifter mounts (as on SRAM’s XX), using a hook and grub screw combo. The look is clean and we’ve no complaints with the adjustable ergonomics.

New rotors (sold separately along with adaptors) are still a two-piece and centrelock design (spline ?t only) and come in 140mm (rear only), 160mm (tested) and 180mm options. The brake body is polished alloy and the levers are black anodised. Performance on the trail, as we've already hinted, is luxuriously smooth, with next to no lever friction.

The action is so light that they’re almost too easy to grab, but this makes them perfect for long rides, especially ones involving multi-minute downhill braking sessions. If that’s your bag, however, you might prefer the XTR Trail with vented callipers. Unlike the Trail model, there's no bite point adjustment on the XC version, though they both have a lever reach adjustment.

Bleeding is still simple, although the Shimano instructions don’t make it appear so. Since ?tting these brakes we have been riding faster than normal just to experience the joy of slowing down and stopping with them. If you have got some money for non-budget brakes this year, we suggest you seriously consider Shimano’s new stoppers.

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Should USA Cycling not allow ProTeam and ProContinental teams participate in the single-day classic?

In the letter, Kontogiannis threatened to contact New York State Attorney General and US Senators should USA Cycling not allow ProTeam and ProContinental teams participate in the single-day classic.

"I fully expect the USAC to adopt this position immediately and to start advocating (in earnest) for single-day road classics like the Tour of the Battenkill, instead of continuing its current unfair and arbitrary practices of selective favoritism for certain lower category events," Kontogiannis wrote in a letter to USA Cycling Chief Operating Officer, Sean Petty.

"If you choose to ignore this request, I will be contacting the NYS Attorney General, both New York-based U.S. Senators, and every newspaper from New York City to Buffalo. And I will be meeting with the other clubs in early February to discuss our relationship with the USAC going forward."

The dispute between Drake and USA Cycling came to a boiling point this month when the national governing body announced that the International Cycling Union (UCI) would allow ProTeam and Professional Continental teams to participate in NRC level criteriums which would be added to the UCI Criterium Calendar, according to code 2.7.005.

USAC said in a statement that the situation was all due to pre-existing rules, and hopes to resolve the issue through dialogue.

The announcement came on the heels of the UCI's decision to strictly enforce rule 2.1.009 that prohibits such teams from competing in national level events on the road such as stage races and single-day events like the Tour of Battenkill.

However, Drake felt that allowing ProTeams and Professional Continental teams to participate in NRC criteriums and not other road events was detrimental to his event, especially under the economic downturn that has made it increasingly difficult for promoters to find sponsorship.

The Tour of Battenkill was tentatively scheduled as a UCI 1.2 event on April 16 and its amateur counterpart was scheduled one week prior on April 10 in Cambridge, New York. Drake was forced to pull the men's event from the UCI calendar due to a lack of funding. He proposed to combine the two events onto April 10 and run the men's and women's races as NRC events.

"We have a calendaring process and there is an established time line for that," Smith said. "We work months in advance with these event organizers to establish these dates and our job is to manage that overall calendar and try to minimize the conflicts and keep the entire group's goals and perspective in mind when doing that."
It was reported that the Tour of Battenkill attorney Eugene Grenz has sent a letter to USA Cycling and the UCI threaten to take legal action should they not allow ProTeam and Professional Continental teams to participate in the event.

"All we can do when we receive a legal threat is to turn it over to our lawyers," Smith said. "But we hope that there is some dialogue before that point and we hope that it is something that can be resolved without all this."
Dieter Drake was not immediately available for comment.

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The latest wares from Cateye,Panaracer,Tifosi and Altura

Abus:German company Abus are best known for their locks but also have an extensive range of road, mountain and commuter helmets. The Hill Bill is a new all-mountain/trail lid along the lines of Giro's Xen or Fox's Flux (it even has a similar plastic 'spoiler' to the latter), with extra rear coverage.

Features include in-mould construction, Abus's ZoomPro II fit system and 19 air vents. Available in four colours (black, Engine – pictured here – Stream or white), the Hill Bill costs weighs a claimed 300/325g (M/L) and costs £89.99.

Abus's top-end road lid, the £79.99 Tec-Tical, is unchanged for 2011, while the Urban Icommuter helmet (£54.99) just has two new colour options – Reflective Red and Signal Yellow. One striking new arrival is the Metronaut, a lightweight in-mould lid hidden inside a removeable baseball cap style cover. RRP is £79.99.
The Abus Metronaut is aimed at commuters and urban warriors

On the lock side of things, Abus are releasing a UK-only Granit 53 – essentially a cheaper version of their highly rated Granit X-Plus 54, with a more basic key and a round 13mm shackle instead of a square one. It still has Sold Secure Gold status but costs £59.99 instead of £89.99, with the main downside being a bit of extra heft.

Mini U-locks have proved popular, so the company now offer both Sold Secure Gold (£69.99) and Silver (£49.99) rated U-Mini options, which are said to be significantly lighter than the competition. They're also releasing a lighter weight version of their Bordo folding lock, the Lite 6050 (£69.99), which weighs a claimed 650g.

Abus's tiny U-Mini has Sold Secure approval

Ashima
Ashima have tweaked their innovative PanCake Brake to address some of the issues we encountered during testing. A change to sintered brake pads is said to have made a big difference, along with changes to the calliper and improved pad clearance – look out for a review on BikeRadar soon. New for 2011 is an adaptor that lets you use six-bolt disc rotors with Center Lock hubs, and aims to remove the play common with other such adaptors.

There are also new alloy rotor bolts that are said to deliver a 50 percent weight saving over steel at a fraction of the price of titanium. To address durability concerns, Ashima have beefed up the head and shoulder.

Claimed weight is 4.8g for a pack of six. RRP is £9.99 and they're available in black, blue, red, gold and silver. Steel versions (12g) are available for £5.99.

Ashima were showing off this new D-Matrix rotor and Center Lock rotor adaptor
In the pipeline is a stunning-looking new D-Matrix rotor, which combines a steel braking surface with a lightweight alloy body, with carbon fibre reinforcement to enhance stiffness. Estimated price is around £70, with weight around 60g for a 140mm rotor. Ashima are also working on a prototype trials disc coated with automobile clutch liner that's designed to be used with rubber pads for ultimate stopping power.

Prologo
We've already shown you Prologo's Nago Evo TTR time trial saddle, which is now available in a Team Sky colourway, and the new Nago Evo X10 mountain bike perch. Also new for 2011 is the Zero, a flat saddle aimed at both road and off-road riders. It's available with oval carbon rails for £139.99 in Zero Nack guise (165g), or with nickel-titanium alloy rails for £60 less as the Zero 1.4 (200g, or 228g with gel padding). All models have a carbon fibre injection base.

Zero is Prologo's new flat saddle. Riders who prefer a more rounded shape should look to the Scratch or Nago models instead.

The company's women's seats look equally well thought out. The Dea ("goddess") design is available in Prologo's Scratch (round) and Nago (semi-round) shapes. It's based on the idea that women tend to have wider sit bones and sit further back on their saddles than men, so they need a seat that's shorter and wider, with a bigger 'pressure management zone' in the centre.

The Nago Evo Dea and Scratch Pro Dea both have 'Active Shape' padding – a variable stiffness base with triple density padding on top – and titanium rails, and cost £109.99. The Nago weighs 212g and the Scrach 227g. This year Prologo will be offering a 'Try & Buy' scheme so you can borrow a saddle from your local dealer and try it out for yourself.

Prologo's Dea women's saddles have been specifically designed with the female form in mind

Zefal
Zefal were showing off a new mudguard, the No Mud, which can be used on the front or rear of your mountain bike/hybrid. Designed to fit 26-28in wheels, it attaches to the fork legs or seatstays and has a flexible extension which can be clipped to the front/back. RRP is £14.99 (for one). Claimed weight is 190g.
The French company also had new carbon fibre and fibreglass bottle cages, brush sets, tyre sealant and an array of their latest pumps on display – see the image gallery for more on these products.

Panaracer
As well as producing tyres bearing their own logo, Panaracer also make rubber for other companies, including Soma Fabrications of San Francisco. Aimed at the fixie/hipster crowd, these colourful treads are a whopping 5mm thick. "It's all about having a tyre you can skid with and get through an urban environment without any flats or other issues," says Panaracer's Jeff Zell. The Soma Everwear is available in 700x23c and 26c sizes, for £39.99.

Another collaboration is the IRD CrossFire CX cyclo-cross tyre, which uses the same tread as Panaracer's Fire XC Pro mountain bike tyre, mated to a lighter weight casing. Available for 700x32c wheels only, there's a choice of 120tpi (£39.99) or 60tpi (£36.99) rubber, with the former coming in black/white and the latter in a choice of one or the other.

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Retro Cycling long sleeved Le Col Derboun Jerseys

The Retro Cycling  long sleeved Le Col Derboun Jerseys here is a good place to start to get to know the brand. It uses a medium weight Sportwool fabric that is just right for this time of year, providing great warmth when worn over a Merino base layer and an appropriate outer layer for the conditions.

Le Col clothing is intended to be slim-fitting and as such very definitely comes up small in the traditional Italian sizing sense. I’ve found it to be just a smidgen smaller than Assos (if we’re to use the Swiss brand as a benchmark) but the Medium has fitted me comfortably. Le Col point out that this top is intended for spring and autumn, but it makes an ideal mid layer through the winter, with a jacket worn over the top or a shell on warmer days.

The upshot of Le Col’s sizing approach is that you get a proper ‘race fit’ with a snug, body-hugging fit, which is my preference for cycle clothing. It should be said that this sizing approach doesn’t mean it’s aimed at the racers reading this, but those cyclists who want the sharp and (sometimes flattering) close fitting style. I found the fitted sleeves too tight to allow the wearing of a long sleeve Merino base layer underneath, which restricts its use during the winter to warmer conditions.

Features include three rear pockets. These are sized well for carrying all your essentials for a typical Sunday ride. There’s a small zipped pocket on the outside of the rear pockets, an ideal place to keep your house keys. I really liked the internal zipped chest pocket; it proved the perfect place to accommodate my mobile phone or music player with quick and easy access. A bonus of the tight fit of the top is that, even with loaded pockets, they stay ‘in place’ and don’t cause the back of the jersey to sag down over your bum. A definite thumbs-up in my book.

Style is a subjective matter but chatting to several people while testing this Le Col clothing, it’s clear that people either love or hate the combination of black with gold details. I can’t argue with the understated look, I like it, and it’s very different to most of the other high-end brands available. It’s tough standing out in an overcrowded market but Le Col has managed just that.

As I’ve been testing this jersey for quite a while now, I can report that the build quality is first class. The fabric has proved to be excellent in a range of conditions and temperature. The only issue I’ve found is that wearing a long sleeve base layer underneath leaves a tight fit around the sleeves.

The Retro Cycling  long sleeved Le Col Derboun Jerseys are a solid performer,and has proved itself to be well designed, well fitted and durable. Only the high price, which puts it right in Assos and Rapha’s path, might make some think twice.

Le Col Derboun Long Sleeved Jersey, Black only, sizes S - 3XL, £134.99
www.lecol.net

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Marianne Vos on the podium every time

Of the eight races Marianne Vos (Nederland Bloeit) entered since the middle of December, she has been on the podium every time, including four first places, one of which her first ever Dutch National Championship title.

Her most recent victory was in Pont Château, France last weekend. It was her first World Cup win of the season, and not so coincidentally, it was also the first World Cup this season where she had a first-row starting position thanks to her quick collection of UCI points over the short month of competing.

"In Pont-Château I was able to race my own race from start to finish. But in my first two World Cup events, I started off with chasing other riders," explained Vos to Cyclingnews from Gran Canaria where she is training for a week with the Dutch National Road Team.

Going into World Championships, held January 30 in Sankt Wendel, Germany, Vos is naturally feeling solid about her chances to earn a fourth World Cyclo-Cross Championship title. "Until now my season is going how I hoped and I have done the training I wanted to do, so I'm looking forward to the race.

"I've done Worlds in Sankt Wendel six years ago and I liked the course. It's hilly and hard because there's not much recuperation. Of course, depending on the weather, it can be slippery, muddy or fast. But I don't really mind what the conditions are," said Vos.

Her biggest challenge is expected to come from USA rider Katie Compton (Planet Bike) who has won all four World Cups she entered this season. When asked about the expected battle between her and Compton, Vos says, "Compton dominated the races she did and I'm the current World Champion, so it not strange people talk about this duel between us."

What will be different about this duel, though, is that it will be the first time they both line up side by side on the front row.

"For sure it will make a difference to start in the same row. But Katie was really strong in the races I've seen, so it's going to be tough to beat her. For sure it's going to be an interesting and exciting race," said Vos, "But there are more favorites for the title."

"I know [Hanka] Kupfernagel is aiming for a medal in front of her home crowd. And there are two other Dutchies in the [Dutch National] Team who want to make the podium orange [in the form of ZZPR.nl's Daphny van den Brand and BrainWash's Sanne van Paassen]."

If Vos realizes her dream to hold onto the rainbow jersey for a third consecutive year, do not expect to see it for the rest of the season. Directly after the World Championships, she goes back to the track to qualify for Manchester World Cup and World Championships. "This plan will not change by my result at Worlds. I must do the races and training I need to get myself on a higher level for the Olympics."

When asked if she'd feel any regrets for skipping out on the last of the 'cross events if she were able to retain the jersey, Vos thoughtfully responded, "I planned my race schedule myself because I think this is the best for me, so I've no regrets. Of course I would have liked to do more races, but I surely appreciate the few races I have been able to do." As for her plans for next winter, she will make her decision after track season.

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