Videos

Gives thumbs up to Norwegian, plus rest of team for their performancesAssessing the performance of Edvald Boasson Hagen, Sky Procycling directeur sportif Sean Yates has said that this year’s Tour de France is a step up in the career of the Norwegian, and an important part of his evolution as a big rider. “Obviously it was fantastic for Eddy to get two stages. We knew for a long time that he is a big talent, but he had not really had a chance to show it with us due to injuries and illness, etcetera. But he came of age in this year’s Tour, and came up with the goods as well,” he told VeloNation in a video interview prior to the start of yesterday’s final stage. “For sure in the future we will see a lot more of him.” The Norwegian has been successful in the sport for several years, [...]

Dane says their team contributed a lot to the racingGiven the huge workload that the Leopard Trek team did during the Tour de France, plus the fact that Andy Schleck looked poised for victory until the penultimate day time trial, it might have been expected that the Leopard Trek riders would be downcast the morning after Cadel Evans seized the Maillot Jaune. Not so, however; Andy Schleck was accepting of the outcome at yesterday’s start, and so too his team-mate Jakob Fuglsang.“Of course we would have been even happier if we had the yellow but at the end of the day, we got second and third with two brothers,” the friendly Dane told VeloNation minutes before the riders rolled out on the last stage. “Evans was the strongest this year. I think we can be really proud of the race we did and the way Leopard Trek rode it.”Fuglsang said [...]

Suggestions that Bob Stapleton is looking increasingly likely to secure team’s futureAmid suggestions that ongoing backing for the HTC Highroad team looks increasingly likely, directeur sportif Brian Holm has talked about the push to secure the team’s future and to ensure that the squads continue into 2012 and beyond. “I know my boss Bob Stapleton is quite busy. I think he has got one, two weeks more to make a deal…everybody is willing to wait for him," he told VeloNation during a video interview. "I think everybody is quite happy on the team here…we have got a very good atmosphere in the team, pretty relaxed and still winning.” According to various media reports today, things are looking positive. VeloNation spoke to Stapleton during Saturday’s time trial stage and while he preferred not to make a statement for now, he indicated that talks were ongoing and that the team had several [...]

Rabobank rider happy to reach ParisRobert Gesink had a Tour de France that he’d likely rather forget, starting as one of the big favourites but then being injured and losing chunks of time as a result of crashes in the opening stages. The 25 year old Dutchman dropped out of contention and although he rode better on some of the later mountain stages, ended the race 33rd overall in Paris. He was over an hour behind the winner Cadel Evans. “It was difficult,” he told VeloNation in a video interview prior to the final stage. “The Tour itself is difficult enough, I think it is already really difficult to do a good Tour under these circumstances, with the bad weather and tough stages. Then the crash on top of that made it really difficult for me to get a good level again.” Gesink finished sixth last year, and was also [...]

Luxembourg rider confirms he’ll compete in Colorado and world championships Although he’s undoubtedly disappointed not to win the Tour de France, Andy Schleck was philosophical yesterday about the race result, and accepted that he was beaten by a better rider. “We wrote history,” he told VeloNation, referring to the fact that he and Frank Schleck became the first brothers to finish on the podium of the race. “Of course I would have loved to win – no doubt about that. Cadel deserved to win…he was the strongest over three weeks, but I will go home with my head high and come back to get that jersey next year.” Schleck went into the race as one of the top favourites, having finished second behind Alberto Contador in 2009 and 2010. Contador wasn’t in the same form as before, most likely due to fatigue after his victory in the Giro d’Italia and [...]

Garmin-Cervélo rider uncorks strong debut in cycling’s top event Tom Danielson was in good form on the final day of the Tour de France, being smiling and talkative due to the fact that his debut in the race was a very successful one. Starting the event at 33 years of age, he rode strongly in the mountains, placed eleventh in Saturday’s time trial and ended the three week contest ninth overall. It was an important milestone for the Garmin-Cervélo rider, who has been passed over for selection by various teams several times before due to illness or injury. Some even doubted if he would be awarded selection this year, despite third overall in the Tour of California and ninth in the Tour de Suisse, but team manager Jonathan Vaughter’s faith in him has been rewarded. “It is a dream, although obviously you always have to have goals and stuff like [...]