Bicycle Racing News and Opinion,
Sunday, October 15, 2017
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2017 Tour de France | 2017 Giro d'Italia
The way my luck is running, if I was a politician I would be honest. - Rodney Dangerfield
Current racing:
- Oct 10 - 15: Tour of Turkey
Latest completed racing:
- October 8: Paris-Tours
- October 7: Il Lombardia
- October 5: Milano-Torino
- October 5: Paris-Bourges
- October 3: Tre Valli Varesine
- October 3: Binche-Chimay-Binche
- October 3: Sparkassen Munsterland Giro
Tour of Turkey stage five report from UAE Team Emirates
Simone Consonni on the podium again in the Tour of Turkey.
The sprinter for UAE Team Emirates repeated the result he obtained in the 3rd stage, scoring 3rd place in the 5th stage as well, 166 km from Selcuk to Izmir.
In the group sprint that wrapped up the stage, Consonni was bested by Bennet and Orken.
Ulissi is still looking good in the general classification. The UAE Team Emirate’s captain started today’s stage wearing the leader’s jersey and he reached the finish line in the main group; in tomorrow’s stage, 143.7 km starting and arriving in Istanbul, he will have to defend the 12” advantage he holds over Hansen.
“Scoring a podium placement is always an important achievement, but I would still like to do better,” explained Consonni. “Bennet is going very strong and in these days he’s been doing everything right. Our team is working hard, not only supporting Ulissi, but also trying to help me for the sprints, so we are all doing a great job.”
Sam Bennett wins again
Here is what Ulissi had to say: “The day went the way we wanted it to, with no problems. We drove the race and in the final we worked up towards the sprint for Consonni. It’s been a good day under every aspect.”
Race results stage 5
1 Sam Bennet (Bora-Hansgrohe) 4h06’51”
2 Ahmet Orken (Turkey) s.t.
3 Simone Consonni (UAE Team Emirates) s.t.
General classification after stage 5
1 Diego Ulissi (UAE Team Emirates) 23h07’41”
2 Jesper Hansen (Astana) 12″
3 Fausto Masnada (Androni-Sidermec-Bottecchia) 24″
Roosen scores Team LottoNL-Jumbo’s 25th victory of the season in Tacx Pro Classic
LottoNL-Jumbo sent me this race report:
Timo Roosen surprised by winning the first edition of the Tacx Pro Classic in Zeeland (Netherlands). While everyone expected a bunch sprint, Roosen was the fastest in a late escape of three riders. Sprinter Dylan Groenewegen completed the party by sprinting to third place.
For the 24-year-old Dutchman Roosen it was his second victory of the season, raising Team LottoNL-Jumbo’s victory tally to 25 this season. "It was no secret that we put everything on Dylan today. But we also knew that a breakaway could be established in the end", Roosen says. "We were alert and when two riders jumped, I joined them. Because we went for a sprint with Dylan, I did not participate. It was a logical decision, but not a fun one. Although it made it possible for me to do a good sprint in the final metres."
According to Roosen, the course was tense and nervous. "It was pushing and pulling over narrow roads. A heavy race, with a nice result."
As mentioned before, teammate Dylan Groenewegen sprinted to third place, behind two of the three escapees. "We have controlled the course from kilometre zero to enforce a sprint. The fact that I still sprinted to third place, made the result all the more satisfying”, Groenewegen said.
Utah retailer works to establish a new name, and eyes expansion after agreement with Canyon
Bicycle Retailer & Industry News sent me this piece:
DRAPER, Utah (BRAIN) — After 24 years in business, the four Canyon Bicycles stores in the Salt Lake City area are sporting a new name — Hangar 15 — following an agreement with the German consumer-direct brand Canyon.
The retailer began promoting the new name in the summer, first by renaming the store's pro road racing team, which has a UCI Continental registration. Owner Mike Pratt has been slowly rolling out new signage on his stores and in social media and other marketing over the summer and fall, and plans a big marketing push in the spring to let area riders know that it's the same stores, with the same owner, just a new name.
"I hear from our sales people that folks are asking, 'What happened? Why the name change? Did I sell the stores?' So I know we need to keep getting the word out," Pratt told BRAIN recently.
The agreement was reached three weeks before the start of the Tour of Utah, and the team name change was a relatively big project, requiring new race kit and other team items and rebadging team vehicles, as well as permission from racing officials. It paid off with the Hangar 15 name getting considerable airtime during TV coverage of the race. It seemed almost every time TV announcers mentioned the team, they made clear it was the new name for the retail chain.
And the team got a lot of mentions during the race.
"Our guys were very aggressive: They got in just about every break. So that helped get the word out to people that follow racing, at least," Pratt said. One Tour of Utah stage finished very close to a Hangar 15 store location, and Pratt made sure to re-sign that location in time for the stage.
Pratt said he was in talks with Canyon for 22 months and that terms of the agreement are confidential. In conversation Pratt indicated that the physical costs of making the name changes to the team and the stores, as well marketing those changes, will not be a financial burden.
Pratt said it was a difficult decision to agree to change a name he has used since 1993. The name means a lot to him — even his son's middle name is Canyon.
"Some people are surprised I gave it up, but I put months and months of thought into it and decided to make a business decision, not an emotional decision."
In an email to BRAIN, Canyon CEO and founder Roman Arnold said Canyon has "resolved its name issues with Mr. Pratt amicably and fully," adding that, "we wish him continued success in his business."
Pratt said he also was satisfied with the agreement, calling it "inevitable." Pratt's stores probably would have been able to continue with the Canyon name, and it's worth noting that there are at least two other bike stores in the U.S. with similar names: Canyon Bikes in Glenwood Springs, Colorado, and Canyon Bicycles in Canyon Country, California. Those stores are not changing their names.
But Pratt's stores are much larger businesses than the others, and he has promoted the name nationally through the race team. Pratt is considering expansion plans including franchising and/or new locations in Utah or other states. He said any unsettled business with Canyon might have been a barrier to those plans.
"I'm happy with the outcome. ... I needed to be able to move forward without feeling like I was restricted in what I'm doing."
You can read the entire story here.
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