Video Interview: Craig Lewis making encouraging progress after bad injury
American rider performs well in Langkawi time trial despite recent bone graftEight months after a high speed crash in the Giro d’Italia slammed him to the ground and fractured his femur and just weeks after a bone graft operation to help a sluggish healing process, American rider Craig Lewis returned to competition on Friday with an impressive showing on stage one of the Tour de Langkawi. The Champion System competitor placed fifteenth in the 20.3 kilometre time trial in Putrajaya, beating most of the field despite his lack of training and racing miles compared to most of his competitors. He was one minute 58 seconds behind the winner Dave Zabriskie but just 41 seconds behind Tom Danielson, the Garmin Barricuda leader. He finished ahead of many big name riders, including those who have been preparing well for this race. The result is an encouraging one in relation to his future, [...]
Video Interview: Zabriskie talks form, Langkawi goals and vampire hunting
Avid comic book and movie fan speaks about his interests away from the bikeShowing the perfect balance between athletic focus and comic-hero distractions, US time trial champion Dave Zabriskie has talked about his life on and off the bike, and said that he is in perfect shape heading into the season. The Garmin Barracuda rider is hours away from starting the first stage of the Tour de Langkawi, a 20.3 kilometre time trial that many are tipping him to ace. “The goal is to win the race,” a relaxed Zabriskie said in a pre-race video interview carried out Friday. “I think Tommy D [2003 race winner Tom Danielson – ed.] is getting pretty excited about the little hills they have here, the Genting Highlands. I am excited tomorrow about the time trial, and I think we have a couple of guys who can get up there in the sprints. We [...]
Video Interview: Gianni Savio discusses Androni team’s chance of winning in Langkawi
Time trial means that Danielson and Vinokourov are big dangers to his climbersManager of the race winner for the past three years, Androni Giocattoli’s Gianni Savio has made it clear that his riders are determined to push for the final yellow jersey once again in the Tour de Langkawi. However the Italian has said that riders such as Tom Danielson (Garmin Barracuda) and Alexander Vinokourov (Astana) can’t be ruled out as potenial winners, with both having the abilty to triumph if they are in top form. Because of that danger and due to its objectives, he has brought a stacked team to the race. “We have a very good team with climbers, because the choice was to have more climbers, no sprinters,” Savio told VeloNation in a video interviewed conducted prior to today’s team launch in downtown Kuala Lumpur. “We have five climbers because our objective is the overall classiment [...]
Video: Danielson, Vinokourov, Manan speak on eve of Tour de Langkawi
American rider gunning for high result, Astana leader returning after injuryBoth starting the Tour de Langkawi as headline acts but coming from a very different positions with respect to last season, Tom Danielson and Alexandre Vinokourov will both seek to squeeze every second out on tomorrow’s opening 20.3 kilometre time trial in the Tour de Langkawi. The first stage, which normally takes the form of a predictable bunch sprint to the line is radicaly changed this year, with the race against the clock immediatey opening gaps in the overall standings of the 2.HC race. Danielson came off the 2011 season on a confidence high following his ninth place – later upgraded to eighth after Alberto Contador’s disqualification – in the Tour de France. It was his first time to ride that race and it was a highly encouraging showing. As he told VeloNation in a recent lengthy interview, it’s had [...]
Sean Kelly Video Interview: Riding races like the Vuelta is a long term goal for team
Wants team to ride top races in future years, but only if sufficient budget to expandFormer world number one Sean Kelly has spoken at length about the An Post Sean Kelly team he is involved in running, saying that he wants the team to develop into a Pro Continental squad if the circumstances are right. The squad already gets invitations to some big races such as the Tour of Belgium, the Tour of Britain and the Belgian semi-Classics, thanks to the team’s aggressive riding and also because of Kelly’s association with it. Longer term, though, he wants to think bigger, with some of the top races in the sport being his target. However, ever the pragmatist, Kelly stresses that the move up to Pro Continental level is only of interest if the team is strong enough to compete. “It’s important to go Pro Continental at the right level,” he told [...]
Jonny Bellis Video Interview: Fresh start with the An Post Sean Kelly team
British rider making gradual progress with new squadWith his first races with the An Post Sean Kelly team fast approaching, Jonny Bellis has said that he is settling in well and feels that his condition is building. The Manxman is still trying to return to his previous level after a bad motorbike crash in September 2009. While both he and his new team acknowledge that there are months of work ahead, the consensus is that he is gradually moving in the right direction. “Things are pretty good…I’m happy with the team and everything going on around it,” he told VeloNation during last week’s team launch in Tielt, Belgium. “I have been really happy [with training] and I have got in a really good, consistent winter. That’s something I haven’t had since the accident, with various problems and operations. I’m a lot stronger, mentally and physically, which is really important.” A [...]