Bicycle Racing News and Opinion,
Sunday, February 7, 2016

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Fifty percent of people won't vote, and fifty percent don't read newspapers. I hope it's the same fifty percent. - Gore Vidal

Racing today:

• February 3 - 7: Etoile de Bessèges
• February 3 - 7: Herald Sun Tour
• February 3 - 7: Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana
• February 7: GP Costa degli Etruschi

Upcoming racing:

• February 8 - 12: Tour of Qatar

BMX icon David Mirra dies of self-inflicted gunshot wound

BMX rider Dave Mirra, who for years dominated his sport even as he helped others embrace it, has died at age 41. Police in Greenville, N.C., say they found Mirra "sitting in a truck with an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound."

Police found Mirra in a parked vehicle shortly after he had visited friends in Greenville, where he had lived for years as an active member of the community. Mirra is survived by his wife and two daughters.

Mirra was good, really, really good. He earned fourteen gold medals at the X Games. In fact, he won medals every year from 1995 to 2008, except for 2006 when he had to miss the games because of injury.

Mirra had video games named after him, was a guest on David Letterman and made many appearances on ESPN and MTV.

A friend speculated that Mirra might have been struggling with long-term brain damage from the countless falls he endured over his career.

Our thoughts go to his family and friends.

Selle Italia now has interest in Selle San Marco

The Bigolin family, owners of the iconic Selle Italia saddle company has bought an interest in Selle San Marco.

The news release said Giuseppe Bigolin will be "the main point of contact also for the future governance of the Selle San Marco brand and will bring together the two oldest and most famous brands in the history of Italian cycling in order to benefit from a high level of industrial synergy."

The intention is that the two companies will remain independent firms, but will work together on R & D and distribution.

These are rather old firms, especially by bicycle business standards. Selle Italia started in 1897 and San Marco dates back to 1935.

I worked with both firms as a distributor for decades and always found both companies to make outstanding, comfortable, long lasting saddles. In fact, my two road bikes still have my favorites mounted on them, San Marco's Squadra HDP.

Lampre-Merida reports on the Dubai Tour

This was in my inbox Saturday afternoon:

Under the never-ending building of Burj Khalifa, the highest skyscreaper in the world, Sacha Modolo obtained the 5th place in the final stage of the 3rd edition of the Dubai Tour.

The 4th stage, starting from the Dubai International Marine Club and finishing in the Business Bay after 137 km, gave the sprinters another chance for battling for a victory. However LAMPRE-MERIDA did not wait until the sprint for impress its mark on the race.

After 15 km in the stage, in fact, Rui Costa and Polanc promoted a 6-rider attack which had a maximum advantage of 2'50" on the peloton.

The breakaway mates (in addition to the LAMPRE-MERIDA duo, also Teklehaimanot, Lander, Christian and Curvers were in the break) cooperateed efficiently, so they rode at an average speed which was nearly 48 km/h and which forced the peloton to an intense chase which was completed at 15 km to the arrival.

In the sprint, the blue-fuchsia-green team relied on Ferrari in support of Modolo and the winner of two stage in the Giro d'Italia 2015, obtained the 5th place, while the victory was achieved by Kittel, who also marked with his name the first place of the final overall classification.

"The final balance for the team is quite good if we consider that Modolo obtained one second place and two other results in the top 5 - sport director Marzano said - Sacha would have also battled for the overall classification is the cramps would have not gave him troubles in the last kilometers of the Hatta Dam stage.

Good feedback came from all the other riders, especially from Rui Costa and from Petilli, who was at his first race with our team".

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