Bicycle Racing News and Opinion
Saturday, February 7, 2015

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Cavendish Sews Up Dubai Tour

Mark Cavendish enjoys his stage 1 victory

Going in to the final stage of the Dubai Tour, sprinter Mark Cavendish was in second place, down four seconds to John Degenkolb. Cavendish lost time on the stage three uphill finish. But today Cavendish executed a stage-winning sprint, giving him ten seconds of bonus time, enough to give him the final overall victory.

Upcoming Races for Lampre-Merida

I got this press release from Lampre-Merida:

"Two frontlines for Team Lampre-Merida in the weekend. One group will race in Tour of Qatar, another one will start the European season taking part in Gp Costa degli Etruschi.

"For Tour of Qatar (8-13 February), the sport director Philippe Mauduit, who'll debut on the blue-fuchsia-green Mitsubishi team car, will direct Bono, Mario Costa, Ferrari, Modolo, Oliveira, Plaza, Pozzato and Richeze. In the team staff there will be the doctor De Grandi, the masseurs Del Gallo, Lima and Redaelli and the mechanics Bacchion and Pengo.

Lampre rider Filippo Pozzato drenches Elia Viviani at the 2014 Coppa Bernochi.

"The wind usually is the most important variable in this race: it's enemy of those teams that don't race as an unite group, while it's a good friends of those teams whose riders are skilfull in racing one close to the other - sport director Mauduit explained - I'd really like to see our team as an united group, especially in supporting Modolo for the sprints.

"Most of our cyclists have already raced during this season, as Modolo, Pozzato, Ferrari, Richeze and Bono did, so their condition should be good. Oliveira and Plaza are at their seasonal debut and the same is for Mario Costa.
The time trial of the third stage will be a very interesting test and I'd like all the riders will give their best for it".

"Gp Costa degli Etruschi (8 February) will open the European season for Lampre-Merida.

"Daniele Righi will direct Bonifazio, Cattaneo, Conti, Durasek, Mori and Niemiec.
The team will be supported by Dr Ronchi, by the driver Bozzolo, by the mechanics Bortoluzzo and Baron and by the masseurs Chiodini and Negri.

Righi pointed out that: "The main plot of the race will be the duel between the sprinters and those riders who joins skill in approaching the hills and fast actions in the final parts of the races. We can rely on a top sprinter as Bonifazio, who has already raced during the season having taken part in Tour Down Under.

If the final part of the race should be demanding, Conti could be our key rider, but we must consider that on Sunday he'll be making his seasonal debut".

Lodewyck Breaks Collarbone In Dubai

And this sad news came in from BMC:

Klaus Lodewyck

"Hatta Dam, United Arab Emirates - BMC Racing Team's Klaas Lodewyck broke his right collarbone Friday after he was involved in an usual crash midway through Stage 3 of the Dubai Tour. The peloton was crossing a grate covered by carpet on a downhill section when the carpet suddenly lifted off the ground. Lodewyck went down, along with several others.

"This carpet that was in the road came up by the wind of the peloton and it suddenly blocked my front wheel and before I knew it, I was on the ground," he said. "It was a hard crash. At first I thought everything was OK. But after a minute or two, it felt pretty painful in the right shoulder and I decided to stop."

Lodewyck was taken to a hospital in Dubai where X-rays confirmed an undisplaced fracture of the right clavicle, BMC Racing Team Dr. Roger PalFreeman said.
Friday's setback was the latest in a series of medical maladies for Lodewyck. Last September, he underwent surgery to correct an irregular heartbeat.

In June, he broke his right collarbone in a crash while racing with the Belgian national team. Dr. Palfreeman said Lodewyck will need to see a specialist to determine whether surgery will be required.

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