Blanco interested in Stetina, second sponsor with Belkin bike jersey

"Next year comes, well, next year and I am a 'step A before step B" kind of guy."

The UCI rules restrict riders from signing contracts with different teams for the coming season to a period between August 1 and December 31 each year. Riders and teams are prohibited from even revealing contract negotiations outside of this transfer window.

Stetina has been with Jonathan Vaughters' organisation since his junior years when he was a part of the TIAA-CREF development squad.

De Gendt struggled as soon as the road went uphill on Sunday's stage and he was distanced by the main peloton on the climb of Cycling Shorts Morgin. The Belgian, who finished third overall at last year's Giro d'Italia, came home in 138th place, almost a quarter of an hour down on stage winner David Veilleux (Europcar).

"There's something not right, my heart rate was too high," De Gendt told "I was trying to ride in the peloton when I got dropped by 160 or 170 riders and I realised that I couldn't do any more.

"My heart rate was way too high and I don&rsquo bike wear ;t know where that comes from," De Gendt said. "I was at 170 beats per minute very quickly and on that long climb I peaked at 180 beats per minute even though I didn't go very deep."

Before the Dauphin, De Gendt had spoken optimistically of aiming for a top five finish overall and declared himself pleased with the form he had shown at a recent Vacansoleil team time trial training camp. He believes his travails in the Dauphin opener might be explicable by illness.

"On Monday I'll know immediately if it's because of illness or not," De Gendt said. "It's not to do with my condition, because I had good sensations in the team time trial training, with a normal heart rate."

The team is soon to become Belkin, after the American technology company for the Tour de France, but team manager Richard Plugge is still searching for a second sponsor to help fill out the budget, and will be looking to hire some American riders, according to AD.nl. One name that came up in particular was that of

A resident of Santa Rosa, an hour north of Belkin headquarters in SanFrancisco, Stetina told Cyclingnews that he hasn't heard from the Blanco management, but was flattered by the reports.

"That's a question for my agents,"Stetina said when asked about the news, "that's why I work cycling jersey with them, so I can just focus on being a faster bike rider."

Having just finished the for the third straight year, Stetina said he is now only focused on doing his job for his current team, Garmin-Sharp, with an eye on performing well at the Tour of Utah and then either the USAPro Cycling Challenge or the Vuelta a Espana.http://www.team-cyclejersey.com/

What Happened to Spanish bike jersey

Things are not as good as they used to be in Spanish cycling, look back to 2006 and there were four ProTour, five ProContinental and five Continental Spanish teams registered with the UCI. In 2013 there are two ProTour, one ProConti and two Conti. Add to that the top Spanish rider, Alberto Contador, rides for a Danish team. So what went wrong in Spanish cycling?

I recently met a young Spanish ex-professional rider who was working at a training camp for Sports Tours International on the Costa Blanca; Claudio Casas was a successful amateur, turned professional for Comunidad Valenciana in 2006, moved to Andalucia-Cajasur for 2007 and 2008, then finished his career with Contentpolis-AMPO in 2009 at the age of 27. Claudio still trains like a professional with some of the local Pro's near his home in Murcia, plays guitar in a rock band and is studying at college. He has strong feelings on Spanish cycling and doesn't hold back.

PEZ: How did you become interested in cycling and progress to being a professional?
Claudio Casas: It was back in the early 90's, at that time Miguel Indurain caused a sensation winning Giro and Tour in the same season, nobody had ridden in my family before, but we all got together watching the amazing Indurain's performance. I had always been keen on endurance sports and I decided joining the local club.

PEZ: What brought your career to an end?
Claudio: It was actually a combination of circumstances. After some years riding for low-budget teams, you can lose any trace of motivation; when you are bending over backwards with training, diet, rest, etc. and no-sportive factors hinder your performance, there is no point in spending your time in cycling. I can clearly remember when I was going to one of the classic Spanish races, all ready to do my best and the team had not brought my bike. The same season I was intended to have a good performance in La Vuelta a Espaa in order to be able to get a better team, but I was excluded from the team since I claimed the wages that they owed. Besides, the team disappeared like some others here in Spain. Taking into account the declining situation, I opted to move forward and finish my degree and change my life.

PEZ: You came through the system from amateur to professional, why would that be difficult for a young rider in Spain now?
Claudio: It was difficult for me as well, but at least we had the chance; at that time, there were many races all around the country and lots of amateur teams. Nowadays, most of the teams have disappeared and trying to become a professional cyclist seems to be a bad-prospect task. Indeed, there are not many riders in the amateur field and just a few races.

PEZ: It wasn't that long ago that there were more Spanish cycling jersey professionals than from any other country, why was it like that then and not now?
Claudio: As I said before, there was a flourishing amateur field ten years ago, and many of us performed very well even in international competitions, but we managed to become professional in national teams. Probably, there is still great potential here but there aren't enough races and professional teams.

PEZ: From what you know, do you think things have changed with the young riders now?
Claudio: The big repercussion given by the media to the doping issues has worsened the situation definitely. Here, there were many publications with detailed lists of drugs in the newspapers. As a consequence, some of the young riders consider getting the same drugs in order to find a place in the professional bunch. On the other hand, most of them are more and more concerned about the importance of make a complete change of our sport.

PEZ: What about other sports, they don't get the same examination by the media?
Claudio: This is a really annoying situation; in a sense, cycling is a scapegoat. In any sport with money involved there is the doping issue, but the media is unfairly focused on cycling. But, unlike other sports, cycling lives through advertisement and hence, through media. If we aren't perceived as a good image for sponsorship, our main financial source is in danger.

PEZ: Can anything be done to turn things round in Spanish cycling, or do we just have to wait?
Claudio: Probably we have to do both, change Cycling Shorts many things and wait. We need to re-gain credibility and wait for more media support. If we get that, things will improve for sure, but the ugly truth is that we will have to wait for ages until we have a new generation of Spanish riders like the one we have nowadays.

PEZ: What is the future for Claudio Casas?
Claudio: At the moment, I'm working for an English company as a cycling guide, I'm studying an English literacy degree and I will take state exams this summer in order to become a teacher. As you can see there are many irons in the fire; I never stopped studying and it gave me some extra options when I finished cycling. Actually, my job as a guide combines my two passions cycling and English language which is not very easy to find.

PEZ: Can we blame the financial down-turn for their only being two Spanish WorldTour teams in 2013?
Claudio: Absolutely, many people would like to make a living from cycling; mechanics, masseurs, managers and riders. If there are no teams, it is because the lack of sponsors. The recession compels many companies to cut down in advertisement and cycling has been directly affected. On the other hand, cycling has been proved to be a really effective mean of advertisement but the Spanish media is ruthless with this sport.

PEZ: In this area, there used to be the Tour of Valencia and the one-day Luis Puig Classic, they have gone. The tour of Murcia has gone from a week long stage race to one day, all that must have had an effect on Pro cycling?
Claudio: If just in the very first month of the season there were nearly 20 competition days, the teams would need more riders. Moreover, some of the sponsors are not interested anymore in cycling since the races are not passing along their area anymore. There are no children having a day off to witness a cycling race, it is a kind of vicious circle that is turning the condition of cycling to the worst.

PEZ: What about the drug scandals, have they had an bike wear effect?
Cloudio: Oddly enough, it is the only time in which our sport appears on TV, but, obviously it seems not to be the best image for a sponsor. I find it lame denying this evident problem but after Festinas scandal cycling kept thriving, thus, I think that it is more related to the financial down-turn.

PEZ: Could the older professionals that are still riding do anything to help the situation?
Claudio: Maybe they could, but, as I realized in my years as a professional, veteran riders who have already achieved a successful career are more concerned with finishing their days as athletes without any trouble. The ones who have confessed cheating had some other reasons such as avoiding a suspension or starting a new career (as a cycling manager, politician, etc). Probably, the most interested in changing the situation in cycling are the ones who have a long future ahead.

PEZ: The top riders who have been caught and suspended are back racing and still have big pay cheques, should there be stronger financial penalties? And how do you feel about the wages they still receive?
Claudio: In my opinion, if they still get big wages it's because they still have a good asset as riders. The most annoying thing is that many riders have made really big money by using illicit means. Therefore, some of the riders who have been proved to have worked with Dr. Fuentes earned millions, while others just struggled to keep up with the pace they set. If you see the issue in the light of money, the result is completely annoying, but the same happens in any other field of life. From my point of view, it pays to have done my best, I feel at peace with my sport if I look back, although at one time I felt remorseful about the way I had managed my career.

Are Valverde & Contador watching the death of Spanish cycling?

PEZ: Do you think Spain is any worse than other countries for doping?
Claudio: Not really, if you have a look in Fuentes' case summary, you'll find that there were "clients" from all around Europe. Maybe, the main difference is that in some other countries they have been proclaiming their cleanliness. Probably, this issue has nothing to do with nationality.http://www.team-cyclejersey.com/

Trash hauler's record probed in Md. derailment Cycling Shorts

Records of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration show the company that has three trucks was involved in two crashes with injuries in 2012 and 2013. The agency's website also shows the company's vehicles were inspected 43 times in the last two years, with trucks being ordered out of service in about 40 percent of those cases. The national average is about half that.

Contador: If my legs feel good,bike jersey I'm not scared of Froome or Wiggins Cycling clothing

will test his form for the rapidly approaching at next week's Critrium Dauphin and is confident he can take on and Bradley Wiggins in July.

The Spaniard will return to the Critrium Dauphin and the Tour de France for the first time since completing his ban for doping in 2012. He beat Froome to win the Vuelta Espana last September, but was beaten by Froome at the Tour of Oman and at Tirreno-Adriatico this year.

Contador has not raced since Liege-Bastogne-Liege and did not seem at his best in the spring. However, after a month of training, much of it at his new base in Lugano in Switzerland, he is confident for the Tour de France, the big goal of his 2013 season.

"My forms improving and if my legs feel good, I'm not scared of cycling jersey Froome or Wiggins," Contador told the Cadena Sur radio station.

"Froome has been performing amazingly well in the last two years. He has a great chance to win a Grand Tour if the team works for him. It means he has a lot of responsibility, but he's having a good year and the results are going his way."

Contador is convinced that Wiggins will ride the, despite the British rider's troubles at the Giro d'Italia.

"I think that Wiggins is going to ride the Tour. As last year's winner, I'd guess he wants to be there," Contador said. "I'm sure that if he rides, he'll be 99% at his best, especially after climbing off so early in the Giro."

Ready for the Critrium Dauphin

"Yeah, I'm living near Lugano and I spend bike wear most of my time there. My teammates Rogers, Paulinho, Zaugg and Hernandez also live nearby and so I can train well, under the eyes of Bjarne Riis, who also lives in Lugano."

Cadena Sur pushed Contador on a possible return to the Vuelta this year. Last year his ban stopped meant the Vuelta was the only Grand Tour of his season. The Tour is likely to be his only three-week stage race this year if things go well.

The Critrium Dauphin will see Contador up against Froome, with Wiggins also a possible starter in the Team Sky line-up. Contador spent last week training in the French Alps and is on form for the especially mountainous edition of the Critrium Dauphin.

"I'm ready for a good Dauphine," he said. "It'll be a very different race to last year. There were a lot time trials, this time there's only 30km and it includes a climb, so it wont be as decisive. There are also four mountain finishes which suit me."

"I'd like to ride and defend my title but it's a decision I'll only take after the Tour. It wouldn't make sense to ride just to take part," he said.http://www.cyclingjerseyset.com/

Spectacular circuit racing at Emperors Palace Cycling clothing

Finishers of the Emperors Palace Classic in Johannesburg will once again be treated to shoulder-to-shoulder racing when the Circuit Spectacular kermesse takes place after the road race on Sunday, April 14.

;For us it;s a no-brainer. It is such an exciting event and the venue lends itself perfectly to this type of racing.;

He said the top finishers in the 104km feature race would be invited to take part in the circuit race that took place within the confines of the resort.

The kermesse typically lasts 45 minutes plus one lap and offered a handsome prize purse of R10 000, said De Villiers. In addition, riders could help themselves to cash prizes ranging between R500 and cycling jersey R1 000 at each of the three hotspots.

;It is a great value-add for our participants and spectators,; said de Villiers.

According to organiser Wynand de Villiers, from ASG, many national Classics presented post-race kermesses as part of the entertainment in the past, but the focus on mass participation has seen this invitation-only event dwindle.

The sixth edition of the Emperors Palace Classic has been moved from its traditional slot in February to autumn to present riders with an opportunity to participate in a Classic at a less congested part of the season.

;February has just become too crowded,; he said.

;He definitely has all eyes on him after his performance at the Cape Argus.;

The 50km option takes riders along the same route as the feature event, but will see them returning home upon reaching Carnival City.

The mountain bike races, which feature distances of 20km and 40km, have bike clothing something very special in store.

;About 90% of the route is on the grounds of the OR Tambo International Airport,; said De Villiers. ;Normally you;d need special security clearance to go there.

;The thrill is that riders will literally be able to feel the thrust of the aeroplanes as they;re taking off.;

The weekend cycling festival also features races for children from the ages of two to four and five to eight.

;Emperor;s Palace is a superb venue,; said De Villiers. ;Whether they are cycling or tapping into any of the other entertainment, we know guests will be well looked after.;

De Villiers said the new date was designed to attract riders who had trained for cycling jersey the Cape Argus Pick n Pay Cycle Tour and still had some residual fitness in their legs.

;It;s perfectly positioned for those who want to keep the legs moving.;

He described the route as ;fast and flat; and it offered sprinters something to sink their teeth into. A single climb made its appearance at the halfway mark, but he said the incline won;t do much to slow the pace.

Reinhardt Janse van Rensburg, who is currently racing for Argos-Shimano in Europe, took the win last year and De Villiers speculated that a rider like Herman Fouche would be hard to beat in 2013.

Enter online at www.cyclelab.com before April 2.

http://www.cyclingjerseyset.com/聽

Pros play cards close to their chests at joBerg bike wear

The pre-race favourites played their cards close to their chests on the 116km neutral opening stage of the nine-day Old Mutual joBerg2c mountain bike race from Heidelberg in Gauteng to Frankfort in the Free State on Friday.

Last year;s runner-up and former winner Neil MacDonald, riding with FedGroup-Itec team-mate Brandon Stewart, finished safely inside the top 30 (4:56:47) in a bunch that also featured Waylon Woolcock and Lourens Luus of RE:CM and the Cannondale-Blend pairing of Charles Keey and Darren Lill.

Two-time women;s category winner Ischen Stopforth and ad hoc partner Yolande de Villiers, who won the mixed category at the inaugural event four years ago, proved to be a powerhouse new ladies; combination.

Stopforth and De Villiers, riding cycling jersey in the sponsor;s colours, led the entire elite field into the Wilgerivier High School sports fields to take the 116km stage in 4:38:18.

Father and daughter pairing Abbey and Robyn de Groot (Born and Bred) took the mixed category in 3:47:24.

Day one of the 910km race also featured a unique dragon boat crossing of the Vaal Dam.

Olympic gold medallist Matthew Brittain was in his element alongside fellow rower and riding partner Rob Dormehl as they swopped pedals for paddles for the crossing.

;It was a lot of fun, we just got into the boat and paddled across, it wasn;t too serious.;

When asked whether there were any potential Cycling clothing Olympians aboard his boat, the Avis rider simply laughed. Not in the rowing event!;

They crossed the line three seconds ahead of the first men;s team British marathon racers Ben Thomas and Tim Dunford of Itec 4.

Thomas and Dunford were followed home by Contego;s Louis Bresler-Knipe and Kevin van Hoovels in 4:44:35, with Itec 2;s Paul van Zweel and Peter Lee Jeffries a further two seconds off.

;We;re obviously looking for the overall win but a stage race is a long thing. You have to stay healthy, you have to stay on your bike, so we;ll just keep it steady.;

;I wouldn;t say we were looking for a stage win but we got one,; said Stopforth.

;We started steady and just kept that pace. We didn;t stop too much and just enjoyed the route.;

Stopforth, who finished second alongside Hanlie Booyens in the cycling jersey women;s event at the Absa Cape Epic, said she and De Villiers were both feeling strong.

The racing starts in earnest on the 95km second stage from Frankfort to Reitz on Saturday.http://www.cyclingjerseyset.com/

Woolcock and Luus storm to joBerg2c lead bike wear

Former winner Waylon Woolcock and national marathon champion Lourens Luus stormed into the finish to take the stage win and overall lead on day three of the Old Mutual joBerg2c mountain bike race on Sunday.

The RE:CM riders claimed victory on the gruelling 130km queen stage between Reitz and Sterkfontein Dam near Harrismith in the Free State in 4:34:02.
Stewart and MacDonald slip into second with a combined time of 12:23:44, while Keey and Lill remain on the bottom step of the podium in 12:24:04.

With the most challenging mountain stages still ahead, Woolcock said their negligible margin meant he and Luus could not rest on their laurels as race leaders.

"Thirty seconds or so means nothing when you;ve still got six stages to go.;

With the long haul in mind, the day;s racing started at an easy pace on the district roads outside Reitz. A large lead bunch of around 30 riders rolled together all the way to the third waterpoint at the 96km mark.

They were followed home by overnight leaders Brandon Stewart and Neil MacDonald (FedGroup-Itec) in 4:34:25, with Charles Keey and Darren Lill (Cannondale-Blend) third in 4:34:40.

After going into the stage with a one-second deficit, Woolcock and Luus now move into the top spot overall with an aggregate time cycling jersey of 12:23:22.

"Then things hotted up when FedGroup-Itec decided not to stop,; said Woolcock, who was running out of water after losing a bottle earlier in the stage.

He and Luus pushed on as the five top teams including Contego;s Louis Bresler-Knipe with team-mate Kevin van Hoovels and Bridge;s Timo Cooper and Nico Pfitzenmaier broke away from the chasing bunch.

On the new Mount Paul single track section 100km into the stage, the Contego and Bridge riders were dropped, leaving just FedGroup-Itec, RE:CM and Cannondale-Blend to battle it out for position.

"Lourens and Brandon got away on the Red Bull Run in the final 15 kilometres, leaving myself, Neil and Cannondale-Blend,; said Woolcock.

"Neil and I knew we had to get across to our team-mates up ahead, so it was just full gas from there.;

Woolcock attacked his former team-mate on the final climb and, with MacDonald unable cycling jersey to follow, surged ahead to pass Stewart and join new team-mate Luus as they charged towards the finish.

The Stellenbosch-based pair said although they had intended on taking things easier, they had taken full advantage of the opportunities that had come their way.

The Kleinhans duo extended their overnight lead to sit on an aggregate time of 12:50:31. Williamson and Haley moved up bike clothing to second overall (12:52:54) with Nessli and Corminboeuf dropping to third (13:01:59).

In the women;s race, USN-bizhub;s Yolandi du Toit and Nicci Grobler took the stage in 5:04:46 and with it the overall lead (13:17:30). They were followed by Burry Stander Foundation;s Cherise Stander and Lise Olivier in 5:07:48 (13:22:46) and overnight leaders Ischen Stopforth and Yolande de Villiers in 5:15:34 (13:24:42).

The first of the climbing stages starts on Monday with a 125km ride from Sterkfontein Dam to Winterton in KwaZulu-Natal. The nine-day race finishes at Scottburgh on May 4.

"To get the win by spending a few pennies in the last five kilometres was really worth it,; said the 31-year-old Woolcock.

"Tomorrow is just another day and we;ll just take it as if we;re not leading and race it that way.;

According to Luus, 21, the 910km race was one of their major goals for the season.

"We;ve been training hard towards this. It;s still early in the tour the secret now is to recover well and stay as fresh as possible.;

RE:CM also dominated the mixed category with Erik and Ariane Kleinhans taking their second stage win in 4:47:55, a full two minutes ahead of Catherine Williamson and Jarryd Haley of bizhub-Rocky Mountain.

Swiss riders Jane Nessli and Yves Corminboeuf of Fischer-BMC had a tough day in the saddle, finishing a further 10 minutes back in 4:59:55.

Visit www.joberg2c.co.za or follow the race on Facebook or @joberg2c_journo.

Men: 1. Waylon Woolcock ; Lourens Luus (RE:CM) 4:34:02; 2. Brandon Stewart ; Neil MacDonald (FedGroup-Itec) 4:34:25; 3. Charles Keey ; Darren Lill (Cannondale-Blend) 4:34:40

Women: 1. Yolandi du Toit ; Nicci Grobler (USN-bizhub) 5:04:46; 2. Cherise Stander ; Lise Olivier (Burry Stander Foundation) 5:07:48; 3. Ischen Stopforth ; Yolande de Villiers (joBerg2c Ladies) 5:15:34

Mixed: 1. Ariane Kleinhans ; Erik Kleinhans (RE:CM) 4:47:55; 2. Catherine Williamson ; Jarryd Haley (bizhub-Rocky Mountain) 4:49:55; 3. Jane Nessli ; Yves Corminboeuf (Fischer-BMC) 4:59:16http://www.cyclingjerseyset.com/

Riders warm up for next weekend's National 10 time trial Cycling Shorts

Most of the top contenders for next weekend's National 10-Mile Championship recorded strong performances as they finalised their preparations for the title race in Norfolk on Saturday.

Reigning champion Michael Hutchinson (In Gear-Quickvit) clocked 19-32 to win the Peterborough CC 10 by more than three minutes on Saturday.

Hutchinson won last year's national title race by 19 seconds, and the man he beat into second spot, Matt Bottrill, also recorded a good performance this weekend.

The Drag2Zero.com rider won the Melton Olympic 10 with a time of 19-27, over a minute quicker than his nearest rival in a strong field for the event at Six Hill, Leicestershire.

Despite a low turnout there were some good performances in the Wessex 50-mile event at Lytchett Minster in Dorset.

More than a third bike clothing of the finishers came home inside the two-hour mark, and race winner Jon Wynn (Northovers VT) beat the old course record by more than two minutes with his time of 1-47-44, which gave him victory by five and a half minutes.

Over 25 miles, Charles Taylor (South Pennine RC) clocked exactly 51 minutes to win the Stone Wheelers event at Blythe Bridge, Derbyshire, 1-29 quicker than Mark Turnbull (Leigh Premier RC) in second spot.

In round four of the RTTC National Time Trial Series staged around Bassenthwaite Lake in Cumbria, victory in the men's 31-mile race went to Mark Holton (Drag2zero.com) with Bottrill choosing not to ride, Holton having clocked Cycling clothing 1-06-23.

Rebecca Rimmington (Trainsharp RT) was the fastest female, covering their 15-mile one-lap course in 37-12.

Over longer distances, Rob Scott (Plymouth Corinthian CC) clocked 36-26 to win the St Budeaux CC sporting 16 in Cornwall on Sunday - but second spot went to the impressive Wendy Houvenaghel (Bike Chain Ricci) who was just 38 seconds slower.

Other riders going under the cycling jersey 20-minute mark included Nick English (AW Cycles) with 19-54 in the Sri Chinmoy CT 10 on the Witney bypass in Oxfordshire.

He was just nine seconds faster than veteran Pete Tadros (In Gear-Quickvit), while Justyn Cannon (RAF CA) took third with 20-22.

Veteran Jon Simpkins (Drag2zero.com) took a good victory in the Beacon RCC 10 Janet Kelly event at Salford Priors, Warwickshire, on Saturday. His time of 20-15 was 22 seconds quicker than his nearest rival.

And in Cambridgeshire, CC Luton's Ashley Cox won the North Road CC 25 with 53-40, almost three minutes quicker than anyone else.http://www.cyclingjerseyset.com/

No Tour de France for Boonen in 2013, perhaps ever bike jersey

Lefevere wanted Belgian to be on the start in Corsica

It's been a frustrating 2013 for Boonen who crashed out of the Tour of Flanders after hitting a road sign. His off-season was punctuated by intestinal problems and then a severely infected elbow.

Cycling jersey (Omega Pharma - QuickStep) has ruled out riding the this July, despite the wishes of team boss Patrick Lefevere.

A report by news agency Belga says that Lefevere left the decision to race in Boonen's hands but the former points classification winner is doubtful over whether he will ever return to the Grand Boucle.

"The chances of that happening are very low," he said with six Tours de France under his belt and six stage wins. "Maybe I will never return."

He may have crashed out of the during Stage 16, but took some time during the second rest day to talk to Cyclingnews about the rigours of a three-week race in this exclusive video.

Riding his first Grand Tour, Haas been learning some important lessons.

"I do not want to force it," said Lefevere Cycling jersey . "A rider who fears the event that lasts three weeks, [I] do not force him to change his mind.

"I confess I would have preferred to see him at the start in Corsica. For advertising it would have been a serious bonus. It will be otherwise."

"Rule number one," says Stetina, who is riding the Giro for the third time. "Don't throw your race book out on day one just because it's too heavy," pointing at his Australian teammate. Guilty.

Instead of the Tour de France, Boonen will instead race the Tour de Wallonie (July 20-24) and the Tour of Poland (July 27 - August 3).

When Omega Pharma - Quick-Step unveiled their 2013 roster at the Gent velodrome in January,of a return to the Tour de France, having not raced since 2011, and playing a role in the lead-out for . Those thoughts now have been put by the wayside for now, perhaps in the wake of the Manx Missile's success at the with four stage wins to his name so far.

"Would I have been the perfect teammate Mark Cavendish? I think it would be crazy to put me in his lead-out," suggested Boonen. "His men must continue to work together."http://www.procyclingjersey.net/

Sky realistic but not resigned to Nibali's dominance bike clothing

British team will ride aggressively in remaining Alpine and Dolomite stages

While both leader and team principal Sir Dave Brailsford consider Nibali to be comfortably the strongest rider in the race, the British outfit are set to employ an aggressive strategy in the two remaining mountain stages on Thursday and Friday.

Sky's high-altitude onslaught was set to begin on the Colle del Moncenisio on Sunday, but the plan unhinged when the race was effectively neutralised due to adverse weather. The current mountains classification leader, Stefano Pirazzi, broke the ceasefire three kilometres from the summit, incurring the wrath of several riders including Filippo Pozzato. Cyclingnews understands, however, that Team Sky's management - if not their riders - would also have preferred a fast and furious opening. Whether a repeat of their mass surge on the Cason di Lanza climb on stage 10 would have brought the same result - victory for Urn - is a moot point. That, though, was their blueprint.

The enters its final week on Tuesday with leadership apparently impregnable - but privately determined to bike clothing ,give the Sicilian an uncomfortable ride to the race finale in Brescia next Sunday.

One rider, the Androni Giocattoli sprinter Mattia Gavazzi, said Monday that a Sky attack would have had seismic consequences at the back, if not the front of the race. "I saw a lot of guys on their knees at the finish yesterday. If Sky had done that, a whole load of guys would have been packing their bags last night," Gavazzi said.

Sky now has two huge mountain stages plus an uphill time trial to either consolidate or improve Urn's third position and deficit of 2:43 from Nibali. Speaking at the team hotel in Bardonecchia, Italy, Monday, Urn sounded realistic, rather than belligerent. "I think both Evans and I are trying to secure our podium places, while knowing that anything can happen. At the moment, it looks pretty difficult [to challenge Nibali]. The time gap to Nibali is pretty big. It's difficult but not impossible," the Colombian said.

The question of whether Urn might now receive some assistance from outside his own team has set tongues wagging since the Colombian's stage win at the Altopiano di Montasio. Urn's compatriot, the 1985 Tour de France white jersey winner Fabio Parra, has already called upon the 12 Colombians left in the race to join forces in a bid to dislodge Nibali in the mountains. Many others have speculated Cycling jersey in recent days that an alliance already exists between Sky's two Colombians, Urn and Sergio Henao, and AG2r's Carlos Betancur, after the latter claimed that he hadn't chased Urn at the Altopiano di Montasio out of patriotic goodwill.

Pretty big - but also only three seconds more than Urn conceded by waiting for his then team leader, when the en route to Pescara on stage 7. When this was put to Urn today, he shrugged dismissively: "It's normal that when you go into a race with a leader who is feeling good, everyone helps him."

If Betancur's was supposed to be a noble gesture, though, that is apparently not how it was received by Urn and Henao. To Urn, in particular, it sounded more like an insult, a belittlement of his victory. Hence all hope of cooperation between that trio, at least, has temporarily evaporated.

"We started doing the Giro in 2010, Brad had done it before that, and we've got [team press officer] Dario Cioni who's been round scouting the whole course and knows it inside out, so I don't think it was a surprise to anybody," Brailsford said on Saturday. "I don't think we were caught out. Elements of the climbing within it are not like the Tour, but we all know that Dolomite climbs are steep Cycling clothing we've all done them ourselves."

While Urn's future beyond 2013 remains uncertain - and Brailsford met with his agent Monday afternoon - the Team Sky principal hasn't ruled out the possibility of Wiggins returning for a second crack at the Giro before he retires. While it is believed that is being groomed to lead Team Sky here in 2014, Brailsford said there is no reason for Wiggins not to come back if his desire to win the 'Corsa Rosa' still burns. Brailsford said at the weekend that, contrary to what certain Italian pundits have suggested, Wiggins certainly wasn't surprised or "caught out" by differences between this race and the Tour - in particular the steep climbs and notoriously sinuous descents and finales.

On Wiggins's well-documented difficulties on wet descents in week one, Brailsford admitted that he, too, was surprised and still searching for an explanation.

"I think the descending was out of character. We couldn't have predicted that. When you think that attacked downhill on the second day, and Brad was one of the first guys on his wheel, and also that Brad attacked on a descent in the Volta a Catalunya, you know there's nothing wrong with his descending. There was obviously an issue here, but you don't know exactly what it was. You can't get inside someone's head and know exactly what they're thinking in those scenarios."http://www.procyclingjersey.net/

Corinthians Cycling Shorts beat Santos to win Campeonato Paulista

Cycling jersey,Corinthians won their 27th Campeonato Paulista title after a 1-1 draw in the second leg of the final against Santos.

The result at the Vila Belmiro stadium Sunday gave the reigning FIFA Club World Cup champions a 3-2 aggregate victory, reports Xinhua.

Cicero scored the opener for Santos just before the half-hour with a stunning left-foot volley before Danilo equalised two minutes later with a powerful shot after Paulinho's effort was kept out by goalkeeper Rafael.

Whether we were going to win or lose here, we knew that we had to come out playing with the same determination as before, Corinthians coach Tite said. We were still motivated and it showed.

Striker Alexandre Pato, who joined Corinthians from AC Milan in January, missed an Cycling Shorts opportunity to score in second-half injury time when, with only Rafael to beat, he fired his shot wide.

But the 23-year-old said he was enjoying his football again after his final two seasons at the San Siro were blighted by injury.

It's nice to celebrate a title for the first time since returning to Brazilian football, Pato said.

Also Sunday, two-time FIFA player of the year Ronaldinho converted a 78th-minute penalty to hand Altetico Mineiro a 4-2 aggregate victory in the Campeonato Mineiro final against Cruzeiro.http://www.procyclingjersey.net/

Nawaz, Cycling Shorts Kayani agree to 'overhaul' Pakistan's policy in closed door meeting 

According to the report, the aide quoted Kayani as telling Nawaz that the army fully respects the mandate given to his party and is ready to follow whatever policies he intended to pursue in the larger national interest.

During the meeting, which lasted three-and-half hours,Cycling Shorts, Sharif told Kayani that he planned to revisit the policies of the previous administration.

He said that those policies have not only damaged Pakistan's relations with other countries but have also hurt its national interest.

A close aide to Nawaz told The Express Tribune that the security establishment will hold a detailed briefing on major national security Cycling Jersey and foreign policy issues for the new government once it is formally sworn in.

The aide said Nawaz assured Kayani that he had no grudge against the army as an institution and that he was ready to work with it to steer the country out of crises, the report added.

Incoming Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and army chief General Ahfaq Parvez Kayani have agreed to 'overhaul' the country's national security and foreign policy in a closed door meeting.http://www.cyclingjerseyset.com/

Nothing worries Nibali as the Giro d'Italia mountains loombike jersey

The heads into the high mountains of the French Alps with finishes at Bardonecchia on Saturday and then at the Galibier on Sunday, yet even the climbs and the risk of snow do not seem to perturb race leader (Astana).

"The Giro isn't easy, ever," he point  ed out.

"It's difficult to make predictions about what will happen in the two mountain stages," he said.

Indeed, the retirements of (Team Sky) and Ryder Hesjedal (Garmin-Sharp cycling jersey ) have improved the Italian's chances of victory and simplified any race strategy he may need to ensure he holds the pink jersey all the way to Brescia. He rightly denied the Giro d'Italia has become easier to win.

"We'll see with the directeur sportif and then in the race. It depends if I feel good or bad, it depends on weather too. The forecast is not good. We're fortunate it didn't rain today. We were lucky."

"I hope it's not too cold during the mountain stages, that's very important for me and all the peloton; it's not nice riding in the snow. Evans is close overall and so I have to do something but I've also got to be careful they don't try something. I'm feeling good and I've got to bike wear try something in the next few mountains."

"Without Wiggins there's one rival less; Hesjedal has gone too. Now we've only got Uran, Evans and Scarponi to control."

Nibali leads Evans by 41 seconds, with Uran third at 2:04, Robert Gesink (Blanco) fourth at 2:12 and Scarponi fifth at 2:13. Those are narrow margins for such a mountainous Grand Tour and Nibali conceded that he needs to gain more time to be confident of overall victory.

Nibali has yet to win a stage in this year's Giro d'Italia. He would like a day of glory but not at the expense of risking his pink jersey.

"Winning a stage is not easy. If there's a chance, why not? I'll try but there's a huge difference between saying it and actually doing it. I'm going to stay focused on the pink jersey first of all and then see what happens. I'm feeling good and so I'm feeling confident."http://www.cyclingjerseyset.com/

Giro13 St.10: The bike clothing Mountains!

How It All Went Down
The race kicked off for real on the first ascent of the day, the 1,555m high Passo Cason di Lanza which starts proper with around 100 kilometres to go, topping out some 17 K later. Andronis tiny Colombian climber Jackson Rodriguez led over the top, best survivor of a 14 man group which went away inside the first 20 K: Daniele Bennati (Team Saxo-Tinkoff), Kenny Dehaes (Lotto Belisol), Elia Viviani (Cannondale Pro Cycling), Tiago Machado (RadioShack Leopard), Yaroslav Popovych (RadioShack Leopard), David Millar (Garmin-Sharp), Thomas Dekker (Garmin-Sharp), Maarten Tjallingii (Blanco Pro Cycling Team), Serge Pauwels (Omega Pharma-Quick Step), Oscar Gatto (Vini Fantini-Selle Italia), Pim Ligthart (Vacansoleil-DCM Pro Cycling Team) and Pavel Brutt (Katusha).

Some were there to bid for glory, some with an eye on bonus seconds or the time cut 鈥� and some because their DS told them to be. Behind him there were men all over the mountain, courtesy of the break splintering and Wiggins Sky boys riding tempo on the climb. Their pace making met with no resistance from Nibali, Scarponi (Lampre), Gesink (Blanco) and Evans 鈥� all happy to tackle the climb at a steady, if nippy pace. Not so happy was Ryder Hesjedal (Garmin) distanced again, courtesy of cycling jersey Sir Isaac Newtons great discovery with Tom Danielson again on damage limitation duty.

Manager Gianni Savio looked on but didnt get involved 鈥� oils spots on his sports jacket would never do.
Off the climb on the descent Astana tried to turn the screw on Wiggins, but he was solid on dry pavement. What must be remembered is that when it rains on a long descent, a man with Wiggins almost dangerously low body fat feels the cold more than most 鈥� psychologically as well as physically not the best situation. In the valley, after feeding and watering, Sky got back into formation and began to tap out that horrible rhythm, again 鈥� as up ahead Rodriguez changed bikes.

The Final Climb
The organisers say this of the climb to Altopiano del Montasio and the first mountain top finish of the race:
Sky continued to tap out the rhythm as the first ramps came, whilst ahead Rodriguez had been caught by QuickStepss Serge Pauwels but with less than two minutes advantage and Sky in full automaton mode there was no chance of either man winning. With the likes of Samuel Sanchez having used demon descending skills to get back on, it was a fair sized group riding into the hill 鈥� but the tempo Sky were setting left little doubt that the group wouldnt be so big come the finish line.

The final climb measures approximately 22 km, with the final four km at very high gradients. Last kms: The 11 km consists of steep, challenging climbing. After the bridge over the Torrente Raccolana (156.5), the gradient touches 14%. Between eight km and the Intermediate Sprint at Sella Nevea (km 162.6) lies a succession of hairpin bends. The right-hand hairpins are in tunnels, with good visibility. After Sella Nevea, the road narrows for bike clothing nearly two km, gradients exceed 12%, with a maximum of 20%. The final two km are uphill, although less steep. The finish line stands at the end of a 60m straight on asphalt, 4m wide.

At 10 K the group was still of descent proportions, but as the gradient kicked steeper and Rodriguez and Pauwels were caught, riders like Sanchez had nowhere left to slide to. Cataldo (Sky) set the pace from team mate Uran with Di Luca (Vini Fanini), Nibali, Wiggins, Evans, Gesink all there. With eight to go a comfortable looking Uran made his move; a cycling jersey pained Agnoli countered at the head of a much thinned group containing his Astana leader, Nibali.

Despite those chiselled cheek bones, Di Luca popped inside six to go; meanwhile Uran continued to look very relaxed as he grabbed a six second bonus sprint. Behind Evans, Scarponi, Nibali were all cool, calm, and collected but losing time to Uran. It was Intxuasti (Movistar) then Pozzovivo (AG2R) doing the countering 鈥� with Wiggins, Gesink and Scarponi not enjoying the steep hairpins and unable to hold the wheels. http://www.cyclingjerseyset.com/

Raising cash for Dems, Obama bemoans partisan jams bike clothing

The fundraising jaunt comes at a difficult time for Obama, Cycling jersey,whose administration is facing heated questions over the handling of a deadly assault on a diplomatic outpost in Benghazi, Libya, and an admission by the Internal Revenue Service that Tea Party groups were singled out for scrutiny. Meanwhile, Obama's months-long campaign to forge closer ties with lawmakers from both parties by courting them at dinners, on the phone and at the golf course has yielded dubious results. His second-term efforts to enact new gun control laws and avert automatic spending cuts were both thwarted by bitter disagreements in Congress.

Huddling with A-list celebrities and top re-election donors, President Barack Obama bemoaned the partisan forces that have stymied compromise in Washington as he raised campaign cash for Democrats in New York.

It's not quite broken yet, Obama said to laughter from some of the 60 donors who gathered in the home of film producer Harvey Weinstein, a major donor and bundler for Obama's re-election campaign. I am persistent, and I am staying at it.

Obama said he genuinely believes some congressional Republicans are open to compromise, but they fear the party's conservative base and what talk show host Rush Limbaugh might say about them. At the same time, he pushed back against Democrats who want Obama to react by adopting a more defiant Democratic tone.

My intentions over the next www.procyclingjersey.net years are to govern, because I don't have another race left, Obama said. If we've got folks on the other side who are prepared to cooperate, that is great and we are ready to go.

At a cozy suppertime fundraiser Monday, Obama said he had hoped his election in 2008 might break the fever of partisanship and gridlock that has stood in the way of his agenda. When those hopes proved unfounded, he looked to his re-election, believing a second consecutive victory might deliver the final blow.

But if Republicans show their top priority is winning elections, Obama said, he wants to make sure Democrats can exact consequences come Election Day.

At an evening event in the nearby neighborhood, Obama said he expected an immigration overhaul was possible this year. He reflected on his March trip to Israel, telling a group including prominent Jewish donors there's a deep desire for peace among Israelis and Palestinians, although the window for opportunity is growing smaller by the day.

The star-studded fundraiser was the first of three events Obama was headlining Monday in New York, making good on his commitment to go all out for Democrats ahead of the 2014 elections. Pop icons Justin Timberlake and Jessica Biel were among those who nibbled on deserts in a modest living room in Weinstein's West Village brownstone.

Monday's fundraisers are among at least 20 fundraisers that Democratic bike clothing officials say Obama has committed to headlining ahead of the 2014 elections 鈥� many of them outside Washington.

Tickets started at $16,200 for two events benefiting the Democratic National Committee, which is still retiring debt it incurred last year during Obama's re-election. bama was also appearing at a joint fundraiser for the Democratic campaign committees in the House and Senate. About 140 people including House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi were expected at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel, where donors can pay $7,500 to attend or $32,400 to chair the dinner.

Honduran police accused as Cycling clothing death squads

The 18th Street gang originated in Los Angeles and spread through Central America after many of its members were deported in the 1980s and early 1990s. In Honduras, the gang controls entire neighborhoods, with entrance impossible for outsiders, while gangsters extort what is called a war tax on small business owners and taxi drivers, even schools and corporations.

At least five times in the last few months, members of a Honduras street gang were killed or went missing just after run-ins with the U.S.-supported national police, The Associated Press has determined, feeding accusations that they were victims of federal death squads.

In the last two years, the United States has given an estimated $30 million in aid to Honduran law enforcement. The U.S. State Department says it faces a dilemma: The police are essential to fighting crime in a country that has become a haven for drug-runners. It estimates that 40 percent of the cocaine headed to the U.S. 鈥� and 87 percent of cocaine smuggling flights from South America Cycling clothing pass through Honduras.

In March, two mothers discovered the bodies of their sons after the men had called in a panic to say they were surrounded by armed, masked police. The young men, both members of the 18th Street gang, had been shot in the head, their hands bound so tightly the cords cut to the bone.

That was shortly after three members of 18th Street were detained by armed, masked men and taken to a police station. Two men with no criminal history were released, but their friend disappeared without any record of his detention.

A month after the AP reported that an 18th Street gang leader and his girlfriend vanished from police custody, they are still missing.

The option is that if we don't work with the police, we have to work with the armed forces, which almost everyone accepts to be worse than the police in terms of ... taking matters in their own hands, U.S. Assistant Secretary of State William Brownfield told the AP via live chat on March 28. Although the national police may have its defects at the moment, it is the lesser evil.

Alba Mejia, Deputy Director of the Committee for the Prevention of Torture, said her group has documented hundreds of death squad cases in the country since 2000. The squads burst into homes with no warrants and take away young men, she said.

We are convinced that there is a government policy of killing gang members and that there is a team dedicated to this activity, Mejia said. Federal prosecutors say they have received about 150 complaints about similar raids in the capital of Tegucigalpa over the last three years.

Drug cartels, which are much larger than the gangs, oversee the movement of cocaine from South America northward to the United States. It is widely believed that the cartels pay the gangs in drugs for protection and assistance in moving the narcotics, and as a result the gangs fight each other over the territory.

In a country with the highest homicide rate in the world and where only a fraction of crimes are prosecuted, the victims' families say the police are literally getting away with murder.

The 18th Street gang and another known as Mara Salvatrucha are the country's biggest gangs, formed by Central American immigrants in U.S. prisons who later overran this small Central American country as their members were deported back home. Both engage in dealing drugs and charging extortion fees under threat of death. Now the 18th Street gang says its members are being targeted by police death squads,Cycling Jersey,(www.cyclingjerseyset.com) described by witnesses as heavily armed masked men in civilian dress and bullet-proof vests who kill or disappear gang members instead of bringing them to justice.

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