Bicycle Racing News and Opinion,
Tuesday, June 4, 2019
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2018 Tour de France | 2018 Giro d'Italia
The most important thing in communication is hearing what isn't said. - Peter Drucker
Upcoming racing:
- June 5 - 9: Tour de Luxembourg
- June 9: G.P. di Lugano
- June 9 - 16: Critérium du Dauphiné
Latest completed racing:
- May 11 - June 2: Giro d'Italia
- May 28 - June 2: Tour of Norway
- June 2: Rund um Köln
- May 24 - 26: Tour de l'Ain
- May 14 - 19: 4 Jours de Dunkerque
- May 12 - 18: Tour of California
- May 10 - 12: Vuelta de Madrid
- April 30 - May 5: Tour de Romandie
- May 2 - 5: Tour de Yorkshire
- May 3 - 5: Vuelta Asturias
- May 1: Rund um den Finanzplatz Eschborn-Frankfurt
UAE Team Emirates in Limburg for the Hammer Series and the Ronde van Limburg
The team sent me this update:
UAE Team Emirates’s first race after the Giro d’Italia will be the Hammer Series Limburg (7-9 June), second stage of the race series with an innovative formula that rewards the strength of the teams.
The Hammer is divided into three competition days: Hammer Sprint, Hammer Climb and Hammer Chase.
Aurelio Corral (Spain) and Paolo Tiralongo (Italy) will direct the five-man roster heading to Limburg:
– Roberto Ferrari (Ita)
– Yousif Mirza (UAE)
– Manuele Mori (Ita)
– Rui Oliveira (Por)
– Jasper Philipsen (Bel)
“It is nice to participate in an event like the Hammer Series, which gives value to the strength and unity of the team,” said Yousif Mirza.”The trial in Limburg is particularly demanding, we will try to take the right tactical interpretation of the sprint and climb events, to then try to defend ourselves in the pursuit team time trial“.
UAE Team Emirates will race in Limburg also on June 10, participating in the Ronde Van Limburg (178,7 km, category 1.1)
Jasper Philipsen (shown at the 2019 Tour Down Under) will be racing at Limburg. Sirotti photo
These seven riders will be directed by the duo Corral-Tiralongo:
– Simone Consonni (Ita)
– Roberto Ferrari (Ita)
– Yousif Mirza (UAE)
– Manuele Mori (Ita)
– Rui Oliveira (Por)
– Jasper Philipsen (Bel)
– Aleksandr Riabushenko (Blr)
Allied Cycle Works lays off about 15 workers, faces lawsuit from founder
Bicycle Retailer & Industry News sent me this:
BENTONVILLE, Ark. (BRAIN) — HIA Velo, LLC, the parent of Allied Cycle Works, laid off about 15 workers this month as managers adjusted staff levels to demand for its U.S.-made carbon bikes. The workers let go were from a variety of departments but mostly from production.
"It came down to matching production capacity to overhead and what the demand is. There's nothing really complicated about that part of it," said Sam Pickman, Allied's CEO.
"We had gone into the winter expecting a certain amount of growth; we did have growth but not at rate we initially hoped."
Pickman, who was promoted to CEO in January, said announcing the layoffs was "the worst day of my career."
HIA had about 45 employees before the layoffs. Its factory is in Little Rock; in January the company opened an office in Bentonville as well.
Pickman said Allied built and sold about 800 framesets last year and expects to sell about 1,000 this year. The company is pinning hopes on a new model being launched at the Dirty Kanza expo later this week, and a new accompanying IBD dealer program.
Separately, HIA is facing a lawsuit from its founder and former CEO, Tony Karklins, who was fired last October.
Karklins filed suit against HIA in November. In his most recent complaint, amended in March, Karklins charged that HIA breached his employment agreement by dismissing him for cause when no cause existed, did not pay him for unused paid time off, and had categorized his dismissal as "for cause" to avoid paying his full severance salary, among other complaints.
Under his employment agreement, Karklins would be paid 100% of his annual base salary of $150,000 for two years if he left the company without cause. If he was fired for cause, he would be paid 60% of the base, which he has been receiving.
Karklins charged that after HIA told him they intended to fire him, he attempted to negotiate terms in line with the employment agreement. "HIA refused, its motives now clear — the HIA board intended to push out its founder and renege on its obligations," the amended complaint reads.
In its response to the complaint, HIA denied the charges and said it had given Karklins written and oral notice "of his gross mismanagement and an opportunity to cure. Karklins failed to cure his gross mismanagement despite notice and opportunity," HIA's response reads.
You can read the entire story here.
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