Bicycle Racing News and Opinion,
Tuesday, December 25, 2018
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2018 Tour de France | 2018 Giro d'Italia
If you have a garden and a library, you have everything you need. - Cicero
Upcoming Racing:
- December 26: Heusden-Zolder cyclocross
Latest completed racing:
- December 23: Namur Cyclocross
- December 15: Scheldecross
- December 1: GP Hasselt
- November 18: Flandriencross
- November 11: Telenet Super Prestige Gavere Cyclocross
- November 4: European Cyclocross Championships
- November 1: Cyclocross Koppenberg
- October 28: Cyclocross Ruddervorde
- October 23 - 31: Tour of Hainan
- October 21: Japan Cup
Changes to the CCC team roster
CCC (currently BMC) sent me a couple of emails. Here's the first:
23 December 2019, Polkowice (POL): CCC Team and Stefan Denifl have mutually agreed to terminate the contract that was to take effect on 01 January 2019. Due to personal reasons, Stefan requested to terminate the contract, which was accepted by CCC Team management. To respect Stefan’s privacy, neither the team nor Stefan will be commenting further. Stefan wishes CCC Team success with the 2019 season, a sentiment reciprocated by CCC Team management who thank Stefan for his openness, wish him well, and hope to see him back in the peloton in the future.
Stefan Denifl winning stage 17 of the 2017 Vuelta. Sirotti photo.
CCC Team will announce a replacement rider in due course.
Then this announcement came:
24 December 2018, Polkowice (POL): Former Austrian road race champion Riccardo Zoidl is set to return to the WorldTour in 2019 with CCC Team as a late addition to the team’s roster, General Manager Jim Ochowicz announced today.
Riccardo Zoidl in the 2015 Besseges race. Sirotti photo.
Zoidl, who previously raced for Trek-Segafredo from 2014 to 2016, joined the team in Denia, Spain for the pre-season training camp.
“We are excited to welcome Riccardo Zoidl to CCC Team in 2019. When a position opened up on our roster, Riccardo was our first choice thanks to his recent results and his previous WorldTour experience. As a former Austrian time trial champion and two-time road race champion, winner of the 2013 Tour of Austria, and more recently, winner of the 2018 Czech Cycling Tour, Riccardo has a solid list of results to his name, as well as four Grand Tour participations,” Ochowicz said.
“We are looking forward to seeing Riccardo return to the highest level in cycling and believe we can help him get back to his best form. Riccardo’s climbing ability will be an asset for the team, particularly at the one-week WorldTour stage races where he will add strength to our rosters. It was a good opportunity to have Riccardo join us at team camp to integrate with his new teammates and get the planning for the 2019 season underway.”
Zoidl, 30, is grateful for the opportunity to join CCC Team and return to the WorldTour level after two years at the Continental level. “This is one of the best Christmas presents I’ve ever had. I was really surprised to get the call and get this spot with CCC Team at the last moment. This is a chance I have to take and I’m really motivated and thankful to get the spot on the team. I will try to show that I deserve to be in the WorldTour again,” Zoidl said.
“In my last years in the WorldTour, I made some mistakes so I think if I move on from that, I can be successful again, whether that is in a team role or with some personal success. I’m just looking forward to racing at the WorldTour level again and will do everything I can for CCC Team.”
In keeping with CCC Team policy, no other details of the contract were released.
Eros Capecchi extends with Deceuninck-Quick Step
Here's the team's release:
32-year-old Eros Capecchi extended his contract with the team, which will count 25 riders next season.
Capecchi racing in the 2018 People's Choice Classic. Sirotti photo.
Capecchi said, "You might have seen some speculation online with regards to my future, which I can't deny has taken some time to settle. But I am really pleased that I can now announce that I will be staying with Deceuninck – Quick-Step for the next 12 months!
"My time with the team has been very special and the record-breaking number of wins that we achieved in 2018 is something that nobody will ever forget. In my two years with this amazing squad I have had the opportunity to ride three Grand Tours and many other big races, which were special experiences. I was able to use my ability on the climbs to help our leaders and gave it my all every single time. I will hopefully be able to use that experience next year in the same races.
"Deceuninck – Quick-Step is a unique team, a big and beautiful family, with a great atmosphere and winning mentality, not just amongst the riders but all of the support staff too. That is why I am so happy to have come to an agreement to stay here and help Deceuninck – Quick-Step win as much as possible in 2019."
Bankruptcy court cancels ASE's contracts with Ideal Bike Corporation; Ideal to appeal
Bicycle Retailer & Industry News sent me this:
DURHAM, N.C. (BRAIN) — A U.S. bankruptcy judge has approved Advanced Sports Enterprises' motion to cancel its licensing and manufacturing contracts with Ideal Bike Corporation, a Taiwan-based manufacturer that has been a backer and manufacturer for ASE and its ASI division. Ideal told the court it will appeal the decision
Rejecting the contracts means Ideal cannot use ASE's trademarks, including the Fuji bike brand and others. ASE said the move increases the value of the trademarks, which are among the ASE assets set to be sold next month.
The move to reject the contracts was supported by the committee of unsecured creditors and by Wells Fargo, one of ASE's largest secured creditors.
Judge Benjamin Kahn said there was no reason to doubt ASE's decision and its reasoning that freeing the trademarks of the license agreement would make them more valuable, meaning that ASE's creditors would eventually recover more of the money they are owed (ASE made a similar argument in asking the court to reject its licensing agreement with Specialized, which licenses the Roubaix bike model name from ASE. A hearing on that request is scheduled for Jan. 10.).
Kahn's order bars Ideal from using any of the licensed trademarks or selling any bikes, parts or accessories with the ASI brands.
Following a hearing Thursday, Ideal's lawyers told Kahn they would appeal and asked for a stay on his order pending the appeal. Kahn has scheduled a hearing for Jan. 3 to consider the stay request.
You can read the entire story here.
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