READY TO ROCK

23rd December 2009 - filed under Product

Keeping The Faith in 2010

Giants all-new high performance freeride bike – Faith, takes a spin in Febuary’s Mountain Bike Action magazine.  Freeride sensation and Red Bull Rampage podium finisher Kurt Sorge’s weapon of choice was perfect for the extreme Colorado trails; “When attacking downhills, the Faith’s rear suspension is very active, and the rear wheel stays in contact with the ground over rocks, roots, and trail chatter. Thru-axles greatly improve stiffness, and when a bike has them on the front and rear like the Faith, it holds a line noticeably better.”

If your riding involves drop-offs, throwing the odd tailwhip or even hitting the dirt park it’s the perfect machine for you with that extra agility over a full downhill rig,  “The Giant Faith is a purpose-built machine designed to descend amazingly technical trails and be ergonomically dialed for throwing tricks….If a shorter, quicker steering, everyday trail-friendly bike is more your style, the Giant Faith 0 is as sweet as they come. Plus, it’s ready to rock off the showroom floor.”

Not only did US publication Mountain Bike Action enjoy testing the new Giant Faith 0, the biggest online Italian forum also got in on the action when their rider Mauro Franzi was filmed by Marco Tonioli last week in Valtellina, Italy. Follow the link to watch the video in High Definition.

Remember you can keep up to date with the latest Giant news by following us onTwitter, become a fan on Facebook for the latest global product news and view the brochure online at Issuu.

GWR TEAM ENJOY THE SUN

22nd December 2009 - filed under Teamsriders

GWR Team’s Under 23 riders have just returned from a week long training camp in Andalucia where they clocked up nearly 500 miles, including some monstrous climbs. The entire team will return in February for further warm-weather training in preparation for the 2010 season.

With two new rider signings and an ambitious plan for their racing programme, the 2010 season looks set to be one of continued growth for Swindon based GWR Team following a successful 2009. The GWR Team has increased its Under 23 roster to five as well as retaining three core senior riders to form an eight strong squad.

David Sinclair, Sam Reddings and Llewellyn Kinch are all set to return for 2010. New signing Doug Dewey joins the team having placed 3rd at the London Grand Prix, Totnes-Vire 2-day and Sigma Sport 3-day, plus a dominating solo victory at the Weston Super-Mare Criterium where he lapped the entire field, displaying his superb attacking qualities. The other new addition to the team is James Hawkins, a former triathlete who is turning his skills and focus to road racing for next year, having secured his 2nd category licence on a very limited race programme in 2009. He aims to represent GB at the World University Games in 2010.

Experienced Peter Kench, Nic Tilling and Dan Smith complete the line up for 2010 and will focus on the regional calendar while the Under 23 riders will focus on a national programme of events, with Premier Calendar and Elite Circuit Series high on their list of targets, along with some international races. The team are also hoping to gain selection for the televised Tour Series.

GWR Team will announce its full programme in the new year, followed by the team presentation in February. They will then embark on what promises to be the most exciting year yet for the already successful squad.

For more information on the GWR Team please visit www.gwrteam.com or follow them at twitter.com/GWRTeam

GWR Team 2010 Rider line up;

Doug Dewey – U23
James Hawkins – U23
Peter Kench
Llewellyn Kinch – U23
Nic Tilling
Sam Redding – U23
Dave Sinclair – U23
Dan Smith

Director Sportif – Darren Beers

GIANT RIDERS TAKE 220 FOR A SPIN

16th December 2009 - filed under Teamsriders

Giant Triathlete and former World Champion Helen Jenkins features in this months 220 Triathlon Magazine’s ‘Pro Rides’ along with husband and fellow Giant rider Marc Jenkins. The pair, along with 220’s Andy Blow and Marc’s regular training partner, took in Helen’s favourite training route on the West Wales coast around Bridgend, with Helen giving a run-down of the Giant bike that gives her the edge on the ITU circuit.

Giant’s Olympians who both ride the Giant TCR Advanced SL race bikes, are fit and training in preparation for the 2010 season following a year in which Helen took Bronze at the Gold Coast world championships to place 5th overall in the ITU world rankings.

The full route can be viewed on the 220 Triathlon website by clicking here.

OLYMPIAN OLI STARS AT UNIVERSITY

4th December 2009 - filed under Teamsriders

Giant Cross Country Rider makes a star appearance in Kent

Olympian, Commonwealth Silver Medalist and multiple National Series Title winner Oli Beckingsale made a recent appearance at the University of Kent, taking part in a question and answer session with students.

Joined by several other speakers including Great Britain’s Paralympic Cycling coach, Oli formed part of the University’s cycling themed special interest day which was attended by students, lecturers and local council members. The event provided valuable information for Sports degree students as well as encouraging students to cycle to lectures, reducing transport costs and improving health and fitness levels.

To learn more please click here.

ROBERT GESINK NAMED DUTCH CYCLIST OF THE YEAR

3rd December 2009 - filed under Teamsriders

Dennis van Winden chosen Best Young Rider

Robert Gesink of Rabobank and has been chosen “Cyclist of the Year” in the Netherlands. Dennis van Winden of the Rabobank Continental Team was named Best Young Rider.

Both squads ride Giant bicycles in competition. The Rabobank team rides the Giant TCR Advanced SL bicycle, and the Rabobank Continental Team rides the Giant TCR Advanced. Both teams ride the Giant Trinity Advanced SL in time trials.

The selections were made by the readers of Wielermagazine and the members of Club '48, an organization of former riders.

Gesink, 23, won the award for the second year in a row, and was the 13th Rabobank rider since 1997 to take the title. The other nominees were teammate Lars Boom and Johnny Hoogerland of the Vacansoleil team.

Considered to be the best Dutch climber in the peloton, Gesink suffered greatly from crashes over the season. He headed into the Tour de France with an eye to a high finishing position, but ended up dropping out within the first week. He crashed with about 80 kilometres to go on stage five from Le Cap d'Agde to Perpignan. Despite a broken left wrist, he made his way to the finish, riding one-handed and virtually unable to brake.

Events looked to tragically repeat themselves in the 17th stage of the Vuelta a España, when Gesink went down in a mass crash with some 57 kilometres left to go on the way from Ciudad Real to Talavera de la Reina. He once again finished the stage despite a serious cut in his left knee.

Gesink had been hanging on to second place overall, but the injury hampered his climbing ability too severely, and he fell back, ending the Vuelta as sixth overall. He ended the year with his only victory of the season, winning the Giro dell'Emilia.

Rabobank scored another trophy as Dennis van Winden took home the trophy for Best Young Rider. The 21-year-old has already signed a contract with the ProTour team for the coming two seasons. Despite missing several weeks of the season due to illness, van Winden had five wins on the season, and won the Under-23 national time-trial title.

To read the full article at CyclingNEws.com please click here.  You can keep up to date with the latest Giant news by following us on Twitter, learn about new products on Facebook, and view the full brochure online at Issuu.

HELEN JENKINS NAMED BRITISH TRIATHLON FEMALE ATHLETE OF THE YEAR

18th November 2009 - filed under Teamsriders

Giant Triathlete Helen Jenkins has been named British Triathlon Female Athlete of the Year for the second year in succession

Helen’s season highlights include four top-five finishes in the World Championship Series, including a bronze medal in the Grand Final, and a win at the London Triathlon on board her Giant TCR Advanced SL bike.

After collecting the British Olympic Association sponsored accolade, she said: "It's great. It's the second year I have won it, so I didn't really expect it again. It's nice to be recognised by the people who are in the British Triathlon Federation."

Meanwhile World Triathlon Champion Alistair Brownlee picked up the Male Athlete of The Year Award , having won five ITU World Championship Series races and the 2009 World Championship title.

You can keep up to date with the latest Giant news by following us on Twitter. To find out the latest Global product news become a fan of Giant on Facebook. To view the current line up in our online brochure visit us on Issuu.

OLI BECKINGSALE CHARITY AUCTION

17th November 2009 - filed under Teamsriders

Giant Rider's ‘Money Can’t Buy Auction’ for Children’s Charity

Looking for some unique cycling memorabilia? Giant rider Oli Beckingsale is auctioning off three ‘money can’t buy’ items to raise money for Springboard Opportunity Group, a North Somerset charity providing support, learning and play facilities for children aged 0-5 years with special needs and their families. 

Riding at the cutting edge of bicycle equipment testing as a professional racer means Oli is often lucky enough to receive items that are special edition and unique.

“Normally after racing it sits around in my garage or is given to friends and family,” said Oli 

“..but I have decided to get some of the best bits that money cannot buy and auction them off to raise money for a charity called Springboard Opportunity Group.”

Oli has been a professional racer for 12 years and career highlights include three Olympic appearances, a Commonwealth Silver Medal and 5 Senior National Championship titles. He currently rides the super-fast Giant Anthem X Advanced SL having played a role in it’s development during prototype testing, along with US rider Adam Craig.

The following items are available to the highest bidder with all proceeds going to Springboard Opportunity Group;

- Rock Shox SID Beijing fork
This fork is a Rock Shox SID Team fork with special graphics and was only given to sponsored riders for the 2008 Beijing Olympics. There were a dozen or so made and this is a one off as it also has the British flags on it.  Also included with the fork is a Team GB Olympic T-Shirt which were only given to members of Team GB at the Beijing Olympics.

- Giant National Champions Jersey 2008
This jersey was one of 5 that was printed for Oli for the 2008 season when he was crowned National Champion. Unworn and cool as ice!

- Giant Team Skinsuit 2009
This is a Giant Global Team Skinsuit, printed in team issue only design and not available for sale anywhere else. The suit is unworn and one of only 10 ever produced!

To bid for the exclusive items simply click on the links above before November 26th and help support Oli’s chosen charity undertake their fantastic work.  To learn more about Springboard Opportunity Group please click here.

You can keep up to date with the latest Giant news by following us on Twitter.  To find out the latest Global product news become a fan of Giant on Facebook.  To view the current line up in our online brochure visit u on Issuu.

THE GIANT STORE - BRISTOL OFFICIALLY LAUNCHED

12th November 2009 - filed under Giant

It’s official; The Giant Store - Bristol opened it's doors on Saturday 7th November with a day and night to remember!

Shoppers were treated to a day of stunt shows courtesy of British trials rider and multiple World Record holder Andrei Burton, who is currently ranked number 5 in the world.  Burton whipped the crowds in to frenzy as he performed gravity defying stunts whilst riding his Giant Trials Pro bike. Stunned shoppers gasped and cheered at the display with Giant staff on hand to talk about the new store and Giant’s exciting 2010 products.

Giant UK Marketing Manager, Collette Clensy, explained “Andrei’s performances were inspirational for the young crowd and got everyone excited for the evening launch. We wanted to give people a show to demonstrate just what can be achieved whilst riding a Giant bike.”

Following Andrei’s display, The Giant Store – Bristol team welcomed customers and cycling enthusiasts, local media and tourism representatives, family and friends to the evening launch party which took place inside the new Giant store in the Willow Brook Centre, Bradley Stoke. Giant riders were on hand to give the new store their seal of approval; Triathlete and Olympian Marc Jenkins and his partner, Olympian and 2008 World Triathlon Champion, Helen Jenkins, along with local hero and Cross Country Mountain Bike Olympian, and Common Wealth medallist, Oli Beckingsale.

The launch party came soon after Giant’s third UK brand store first opened its doors to customers. Already the shop has established itself as an integral part of Bradley Stoke’s town centre development and local community. With a great selection of bikes and cycling gear to suit the needs of every rider from budding novice to experienced enthusiast, knowledgeable staff on hand to offer advice as well as servicing and repairs and a friendly, welcoming atmosphere, the store offers something for all.

After cutting the ribbon, Director of The Giant Store - Bristol, Paul Newman stated, “With our good friends at Giant we have created the ultimate cycle shop experience right here in Bradley Stoke and with the launch party we wanted to show the people of Bristol exactly what an amazing store we have to offer them”.

The Giant Store - Bristol is open for business 7days a week and is located in the lower mall at The Willow Brook Centre in Bradley Stoke. To find out more visit the Giant Stores website at www.giant-stores.co.uk or drop in to the store and enjoy the experience yourself. Discover that life’s better by bike with The Giant Store - Bristol.

SAVED BY THE BELL

5th November 2009 - filed under Teamsriders

Never late for school – thanks to his Giant TCR Advanced SL!

Actor Mark-Paul Gosselaar, the 35 year old actor who starred as Zack in ‘Saved By The Bell’ and ‘NYPD Blue’ features online in The New York Times today as his new play ‘The Understudy’ opens in New York.

Mark-Paul took up cycling and is now ranked Cat 2, racing for the Amgen-Giant Elite Masters Team, a highly regarded squad that includeds a number of former US National Champions.

“He’s a really good rider,” said Chris DeMarchi, a teammate on Amgen-Giant who has won titles in road racing and time-trials. “It amazes me, with all the hours he puts in with TV time.”

Check out the full story at the NY Times website by clicking here.

SILVER IN NATIONAL HILL CLIMB CHAMPIONSHIP FOR CLINTON

31st October 2009 - filed under Teamsriders

Mike Vaughan Cycles rider Matt Clinton narrowly misses out on 2009 National Title

After an excellent series of Hill Climb Events for Matt Clinton the 2009 National Championship Jersey was not to be his, as Cervelo Test Team Professional Dan Fleeman showed that he had the legs on the day.

The event staged by the Thurcroft CC up the gruelling 1,200 metre Climb of Pea Royd Lane, out of Stocksbridge, Sheffield, fielded an entry of 150 competitors competing in categories including Veterans, Women, Under 14's and Open.  The early morning sun soon gave way to blustery conditions which kept the showers at bay until the very last of the competitors took to the course.

Eighteen year-old Mike Cuming (Raleigh Avanti) moved into the lead as the first rider inside four minutes with a time of 3:47.5, which was to remain the best team for over an hour until Fleeman made his entrance. Fleeman’s split time showed what all the rest were going to be up against with a scorching 1:29.2, followed by a final 3:17.8, 30 seconds up on Cuming.

Other riders struggled to make an impact on Fleeman’s time as the second place position switched between riders, with Jim Henderson clocking 3:39.4 to move into silver half a second ahead of Michael Smith of Team Milton Keynes, before Clinton entered to defend his title. 

As Clinton reached the halfway mark he trailed 6 seconds behind Fleeman’s time and he was unable to claw back any of the defecit over the final 600 yards, finishing in 3:31.6 to finally take second place riding his fixed gear Giant Omnium.

Following the race Clinton was philosophical and vowed to challenge for the National title again in 2010.

“I was over geared, 42x20, too big. I had made the wrong choice, the wind changed and the rain was causing my back wheel to slip,” Clinton said. “I did my best, I’ll go for it again next year.”

"ONE TO PUT ON YOUR WISH LIST"

23rd October 2009 - filed under Product

Giant's new 2010 XtC 2 features in this months IMB Magazine and testers were more than impressed by Giant's 'lithe, strong...race bred beauty';

“Giant have spent years refining their XtC range and this bike looks sorted and fast!”

“The angular white frameset, finished off woth bold blackdecals gives a simple, smooth, but purposeful look to what is a race bred beauty.”

“..the Giant AluxX SL aluminium Fluid Formed TM tubes are shaped and butted to give a lithe, strong frameset.”

“The XtC immediately feels lighter and more agile than the other bikes we have been riding…the desire to go faster was soon given in to..”

“..jumping on the pedals brings an impressive burst of speed that saw it scampering off up the trail ahead of the pack.”

“..the flat bar and stretched cockpit gave a sense of urgency which had us pushing hard and enjoying the sensation of head down, legs pumping, how fast can I go speed.”

“The XtC is a cracking bike that you will want to blast around the woods and the frame is good enough to provide years of fast paced service at a reasonable price. Striking good looks, lightweight and the potential to be upgraded make the Giant one to put on your wish list.”

Click here to view the full review, with images and video in IMBMagazine Issue 2.

You can keep up to date with the latest Giant news on the move by following us on Twitter, join our Facebook group for the latest images and sneaky peeks oif forthcoming products and view the brochure online at Issuu

CLINTON SHOWS HIS FORM A WEEK BEFORE THE NATIONALS

19th October 2009 - filed under Teamsriders

Reigning National Hill Climb Champion, Matt Clinton from Balsall Common showed his main contenders once again that he’s serious about defending his title next Sunday in Stocksbridge, South Yorkshire.

Recovering from the cold that set him back last week, Clinton, riding for Mike Vaughan Cycles set out to do some damage at the Pedalsport CC 2-stage Hill Climb at Halifax on Saturday. Two notoriously steep and hard climbs, both ascending out of Luddenden village climb right out of the valley to Mount Tabor. Both of these climbs it’s a struggle to get out of 2nd gear in the car, with the hairpins having to be taken in first gear! First up in the morning was Stocks Lane, which Clinton set a course record on in 2008. Different conditions this year meant that no records would be set with the top of the climb exposed to a headwind. Never the less, Clinton stormed up the climb to only finish 5 seconds down on his course record to win the event by over 24s from National Championship Medallist Dave Clarke and almost 34s from twice National Champion James Dobbin.

1st Matt Clinton MikeVaughan.co.uk 5.22.3
2nd Dave Clarke Pendragon 5.46.9
3rd James Dobbin Arctic Premier RT 5.56.2
4th Rob Watkinson Doncaster Wheelers 6.21.9
5th Andy Pearson Huddersfield Star Wheelers 6.34.4
6th Chris Edmondson Blackburn & District CTC 6.37.5
7th Paul Murphy Tyneside Vagabonds 6.58.8
8th Paul Smith Huddersfield Star Wheelers 7.02

With a two-hour break, it was back to the bottom of the valley for the 2nd climb of the day, Halifax Lane. The setting for the 2003 National Championship, with the record of 5-19 held by the day’s notable absentee, Jim Henderson. Another horrendous climb, Clinton opted to use hisGiant Omnium fixed-wheel bike as in the morning, with the bottom of the climb averaging 17%, easing off for the middle section to 11% before shallowing out to the finish. Without the headwind of last year, there was the anticipation of fast times, but it wasn’t to be, with Clinton only going 3s faster than 2008. Still this was to be a fantastic ride, only 7s off Henderson’s record and taking the win by 20s from James Dobbin, with Dave Clarke another second back. With two incredible rides by Clinton, dealing a huge blow to next weekend’s main contenders for the title.

1st Matt Clinton MikeVaughan.co.uk 5.26.7
2nd James Dobbin Arctic Premier RT 5.46.8
3rd Dave Clarke Pendragon 5.47.7
4th Rob Watkinson Doncaster Wheelers 6.10.6
5th Chris Edmondson Blackburn & District CTC 6.32.3
6th Andy Pearson Huddersfield Star Wheelers 6.35
7th Paul Smith Huddersfield Star Wheelers 6.44

Sunday morning it was a trip back over to Lancashire for the infamous Nick O’Pendle climb out of Sabden. Rising from the village to the top of Pendle hill, the climb is a real lung-buster, a great deal shorter than Saturday’s two climbs, but still tough. The lower section of the climb was again the steepest, before levelling out slight on to the moor and dragging heavily up to the finish line at the crest of the hill. Clinton’s first time on the event, his main challenger would be 5-time National Champion, Jim Henderson, fresh without having ridden on Saturday. As Clinton set off last-man as ever, he broke out on to the moor, to hit the cattle grid where there was an intermediate time-check. Finding out that he was only level with Henderson by this point, he accelerated as the gradient eased slightly to the power up the last kick to the finish. To his surprise, Clinton found he’d actually put 5 seconds into Henderson in the last few hundred metres to win with a time of 3-42.9, with Henderson at 3-47.9 and 3rd pace well over 4mins.

It was then back towards Halifax to ride the 4.8mile long Cragg Vale Hill-Climb. More of a time-trial than a hill climb, the gradient barely reaches about 7% for short sections; Clinton knew after the weekend’s previous three efforts that this would be a struggle. Dan Shand (West Pennine) was to be Clinton’s main competitor, the roadman suited to the longer climb deciding to use his time-trial bike for his local event. Clinton was back on hisGiant TCR Advanced SL Road bike, incredibly light-weight and stiff, but not quite as aero-dynamic as using a TT bike! Climbing up on to the exposed moors for the last two miles, Clinton was going well, but it was the fast top section that led to his downfall, with Shand able to cover the course in a record-beating time. It was to Clinton’s shock at the finish to find that Shand had not only taken 30 seconds off his course-record, but he’d been beaten by 1 minute 5s! Second place would have to do on a climb completely different to the weekend’s other events, finishing in a time of 17min 16s.

Now less than a week away from the Championship, Clinton is looking to build his form and is confident to keep his National Title

TIMO PHILOSOPHICAL ON STRONG KONA IRONMAN FINISH

14th October 2009 - filed under Teamsriders

Riding his Giant Trinity Advanced SL to one of the fastest bike splits of any competitor, Timo Bracht ended up placing 6th overall in the toughest competition on a professional triathletes’ calendar – The Ford Ironman World Championship in Kona, Big Island, Hawaii.

It was a strong top-10 performance in the world’s most gruelling triathlon. Still, the 34-year-old German can’t help being a bit disappointed. He was planning on being in the top 3.

Right at the start, in the swim portion of the race, Timo said he lost valuable time because there was “…a lot of fighting in the water. The swim was very difficult for me this time around and I struggled to get any sort of rhythm out there; there was a lot of turbulence and I guess nervous energy being expended."

Even so, once he got out of the water and began pedaling hisTrinity Advanced SL, Timo made up precious time. “Once on the bike I come into my own,” he said. “I concentrated well and kept focused and patient, making sure the bike worked for me, and I was very satisfied by the time I got back into transition".

Once out on the run stage, Timo really showed his toughness as he ran a very fast time to finally finish 6th. "I was very happy with my run,” he said. “As the kilometres passed by my confidence grew and I finished very strong.” Timo is philosophical about his best finish so far in Kona—and already planning for 2010. “6th was great, though deep down I now know I can certainly finish on the podium next time around.”

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BECKINGSALE ROUNDS OFF 2009 AT ROC D’AZUR

13th October 2009 - filed under Teamsriders

Giant Global MTB Team rider Oli Beckingsale returns to the UK following the Roc D’Azur near Nice

The World’s biggest MTB race, running since 1989 now sees 14,000 competitors tackle the unforgiving terrain over 5 days with 6,000 competing in Sunday’s main 53km Roc race. The race was the venue for MBR Magazine’s perfect 10/10 score for the 2009 Giant Anthem X 0 soon after it’s launch back in 2008, the sign of things to come as it went on to become What Mountain Bike’s 2009 Bike of The Year. Following it’s incredible success in Giant’s AluxX aluminium it is now available to consumers in Advanced Composite having undergone extensive field testing with the Giant Global MTB riders, including USA’s Adam Craig racing a prototype to the US Short Track Crown  back in July.

At the Roc 300 riders took the line for the elite race which is always frantic, making a good start essential.

Oli said, “My legs were good and so was my timing and I entered the singletrack in 3rd which meant I made the front group of 11 riders that stayed together for half the race. “

Two tough hours later Oli had conceded some places and clawed back others to hit the beach front finish in 10th place.

Oli continued, “All in all it was a decent way to round out 2009”

Following his Beijing Olympics XC race in 2008 Oli has had a strong season with highlights including numerous World Cup appearances as part of Giant’s Global MTB Team. On the domestic scene Oli was crowned British National Series Champion and British Marathon Champion. He was also involved in an epic battle with Liam Killeen in the XC National Championships, seeing him narrowly missing the win and accept the runner up spot – a battle which saw the two front runner’s finish over 10 minutes up on the 3rd placed rider.

Next stop for Oli is 2010!

CLINTON ADDS TO HIS TALLY OF WINS

12th October 2009 - filed under Teamsriders

Misses out on 20th consecutive win, yet takes two more!

A cold in the week meant it was going to be hit-or-miss as to whether regaining National Champion Matt Clinton from Balsall Common was to compete this weekend in hill climb events.

The Mike Vaughan Cycles rider just about managed to clear the cold by Saturday morning for the Holme Valley Wheelers event up the magnificent Holme Moss. The 1.5mile climb was held in beautiful, but slightly cool conditions, with a strong headwind blowing down the climb. Still being slightly blocked up and hardly touching the bike in the week due to the cold meant that it would be hard for Clinton to maintain his form and take his 20th consecutive win in two years.

With an average gradient of 10% Holme Moss is one of the longest, but most consistent climbs where you can get into a rhythm and push all the way to the top. Showing good form in previous weeks, Dan Shand (West Pennine) who is a full-time rider in Belgium set the fastest time of the day and the only rider under 7minutes. Clinton again was last man, but lacked that edge due to his cold to finish 1.5s down on Shand in a time of 7min 0.2s, as opposed to Shand’s 6min 58.7s. Shand is the first person to have beaten Clinton since his Bronze medal in the 2007 National Championships.

The tables would be turned on Saturday afternoon, with Clinton’s legs and lungs opened up by the effort up Holme Moss. This time hosted by Huddersfield Star Wheelers, the climb to Tinker’s Monument at Jackson Bridge, near Holmefirth is another classic event. A well supported event, with a new road surface, but more technical than Holme Moss, Clinton knew this was his chance to turn the tables back and win the event for the 2nd consecutive year. With a slight tailwind, he chose to use his fixed-wheel Giant Omnium on the same gear as Jeff Wright set the course record and took the National Title back in 1994.
Zipping through the hairpins at the start of the course, the gear felt easy with a flatter section to recover slightly before the main ascent of the hill. Pushing forwards the whole way up, at times Clinton struggled to stay on top of the gear, but in the end it paid off, winning by 5.3s over Shand and retaining the Granville Sydney Memorial Trophy.

Sunday Clinton headed back up North again for the infamous and tremendously popular climb of Ramsbottom Rake. The Lancashire Road Club event uses the 900-odd yard course straight out of Ramsbottom town centre up the Rake. One of the most prestigious and classic climbs, the course is only short with the record standing at 2min 14s. The beauty of the Rake is it starts off steady, but as you hit the final 300yds it kicks up to between 25 and 30% before finally flattening into the finish. A real challenge of a climb with huge crowds lining the steepest section of the course to spur all the riders on.

Clinton was confident of his form being better than the previous day, especially over a shorter climb where he’d been excelling in recent weeks. With the last 3 riders all being former or current National Champions, it was two minute intervals with Clinton last man. Taking it steady into the headwind on the lower section of the course, he knew it would be won or lost on the steepest part of the climb. Using his fixed wheel Giant Omnium again, it was a struggle to get the gear over the 30% section of the course but allowed him to carry his speed all the way across the line to finish over 4s up on Shand again with a time of 2min 26.9s. Way off the course record, but not ideal conditions, Clinton was pleased to take this prestigious win and taking home first prize of an £850 pair of wheels.

Clinton now looks to regaining some of his form lost due to his cold in preparation for the National Championships at Stocksbridge in less than 2 weeks time.

GESINK SPRINTS TO GIRO DELL’EMILIA VICTORY

10th October 2009 - filed under Teamsriders

Team Rabobank’s Robert Gesink, displaying the strong form he showed at the Vuelta a España, rode his Giant TCR Advanced SL to victory at the 100th edition of the Giro dell’Emilia in Italy.

The young rider beat Denmark's Jakob Fuglsang (Saxo Bank) and Swede Thomas Lovkvist (Columbia-HTC) in a sprint finish after 198.2km and five ascents of the San Luca climb. The winning move took place when Gesink chased Fuglsang to form a strong group with Kazakh Alexander Vinokourov (Astana) and Lövkvist after two of the five ascents of the San Luca climb. The four stayed together until the last ascent of the San Luca, when Vinokourov lost sight of the three, leaving it wide open for Gesink to take a convincing sprint victory.

The 100th edition of the Giro dell’Emilia is Gesink's first win since a crash forced him out of a podium spot at the Vuelta a España last month. This victory shows that Gesink has recovered well from his injuries, and is one of the most promising young riders in the pro peloton.

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TIMO READY FOR KONA IRONMAN

9th October 2009 - filed under Teamsriders

Timo Bracht relaxes and waits patiently for Saturday’s big appointment with the burning heat and fierce cross winds of the Big Island, Hawaii, otherwise known as “Ford Ironman World Championships.” But the thought that keeps him focused is a surprising one: revenge!

Timo is usually moderate in temperament. But in 2008, he was disqualified here for a minor technicality and robbed of 5th place; he’s waited 12 long months to right a wrong.

Since then he has changed bikes, won the Frankfurt Ironman in record time, and is now in Kona as one of the favorites and a triathlete feared for his cycling.

"Generally speaking I’m in very good shape for Saturday,” he tells Giant. “I am calm and relaxed. One of my strengths is that I don’t spend too much time worrying about the competition; if I’m fit then I know I will be right up there fighting for the victory. Last year’s DQ hurt a lot and it has made me really determined to prove that I am worthy of a top 5 place in this race of races!!”

Timo partnered with Giant Bicycle early this year, and has been training and racing on the World’s Fastest Bicycle – the Trinity Advanced SL. In July, riding the hyper-engineered Giant composite Tri/TT bicycle, Timo won the 2009 Ironman European Championships in Frankfurt, Germany, shaving six minutes off his bike time from the previous year and setting a new course record.

“Racing on the new Giant Trinity Advanced SL has made all the difference this year and given me a tremendous amount of confidence,” he says. “It’s particularly advantageous in cross winds and one thing we all know for Saturday is that there are cross winds, so I am particularly excited about this.”

Timo concludes, "On Saturday I am going to go all out and go to the limit. My strength is that I can focus completely on the moment. I know that I can fully concentrate when it's crunch time. This is what counts."

BRITISH MOUNTAIN BIKE SERIES 2010

5th October 2009 - filed under Giant

Bristish Mounatin Bike Series 'beefed up' to create the demo of all demo's for 2010

The British Mountain Bike Series is back for 2010, but this time the series has been beefed up, as 3 major bicycle brands hop on board - Giant, Specialized and Trek have joined forces to create the demo of all demo series as they sponsor The British Mountain Bike Demo Series.

In 2009 the series proved a huge hit with over 4000 riders taking part in a mix of top quality racing; from XC to enduros, to easy going leisure rides - proving that the event offers something for all. The latest addition to the series offers a whole new level of activity, where people can demo the latest and the best bikes on the market.

Ian Beasant Managing Director of Giant said
“The collaboration of all three brands offers a unique opportunity for riders to experience a fantastic demo unlike any other in the UK whilst benefiting from riding in some remarkable locations. At Giant we appreciate riders of all levels have different needs from a demo, we endeavour to offer something for all, combining great technical know how, mixed in with some good old fashioned fun.”

With five venues planned across the country in Yorkshire, South West London, South Wales, Plymouth and Nottinghamshire, Giant, Specialized and Trek spring board straight into the action demoing at all weekends, with an exciting further demo only round planned for Scotland.

Richard Hemington – MD at Specialized
'Specialized are delighted to be part of The British Mountain Bike Demo Series. With such a wide range of bikes we strongly believe in demoing and giving riders of all level the ability to trial our products. Over the years, demos have changed a great deal and Specialized have tried to bring added value to riders taking part. The association with The British Mountain Bike Series, Giant and Trek add to the ultimate demo experience we have been trying to achieve for the last few years and we are very confident that this new set up will answer many riders wishes.'

Each weekend will now offer top level racing, camping, demos, enduro riding, led rides, team relay action, free under 12s races and a host of other activities…

Series Organiser Martyn Salt said “Things have really developed in 2009 and we felt that the one thing missing was a high level demo package. We spoke to Giant, Specialized and Trek and they all agreed that it would be a great way for them to support the racers at the events and showcase their product range. To be able to test ride a bike and watch the best riders in action is a great way to bring more people to the events. With British Cyclings’ support we now have a great package that should appeal to anyone that rides a mountainbike. We are introducing a team relay format as well next year so it’s going to be another busy year'”

In addition to the racing, demos and riding the venues also offer a great environment for a weekend away with Go-ape centres, children’s adventure playgrounds, castles, deer parks and scenic forests forming part of the backdrop for 5 great holidays at home.

Andrew Griffin – Marketing Manager at Trek UK
‘This is it, the decisive demo experience that riders have been looking for over the last few years, and Trek is delighted to be a part. The involvement of Giant and Specialized, combined with the varied locations around the country, offers the riders more options than ever before, and running in conjunction with the British Mountain Bike Series, these events create a fantastic weekend for anyone interested in riding bikes’

Dates and Venues:
Demo only
Mar 6/7 Glentress

Race and demo weekends…
Mar 27/28 Sherwood Pines, British XC1 + Nightrider 6 + night demo
May 8/9 Porridge Pot Hill, British XC2 + Are You Tough Enough enduro
May 29/30 Margam Park, British XC3 + Big Welsh Weekend enduro
July 3/4 Dalby Forest, British XC4 + Great Yorkshire enduro
Sep 25/26 Newnham Park, British XC5 + Newnham 60 enduro


With further demo brands to be announced.

For further information about the British Mountain Bike Series and demos keep an eye on www.britishxc.com

CLINTON DISPLAYS CHAMPION PROWESS

5th October 2009 - filed under Teamsriders

Balsall Common’s Matt Clinton once again showed why he’s National Hill Climb Champion this weekend with a string of wins across the north of the country

Clinton, riding for Mike Vaughan Cycles started the weekend with Saturday’s Otley CC 2-Stage Hill Climb. Stage 1, Guise Cliff, just outside Pateley Bridge was a brand-new course, though unfortunately cut short due to incredible wind speeds across the top of the moor. As it was, the course, although short was made increasingly hard as you turned halfway up the course where the wind was being channelled down the valley by steep cliff faces. Being blown off the road in practice, Clinton opted for his geared Giant TCR Advanced SL, whereas former 5x National Champion rode fixed-wheel, suited for the course if not for the wind. Turning the hairpin, riders were almost coming to a standstill, with marshals alongside the road to stop competitors being blown off; Clinton used this section to his advantage to put the power down all the way to the finish, winning with a time of 2min4s, with Henderson 2nd at 2min 22s.

Stage 2 moved closer to Otley, with the infamous Norwood Edge. Winds were more favourable on this climb, Clinton once again last man opted for his 14lb electronic-geared Giant TCR Advanced SL bicycle. This probably wasn’t the best choice however as the tail-wind allowed too much of a respite on the flattest section of the course. Not feeling on top form up the climb, Clinton struggled to the finish to win in a time of 5min 5s, not his fastest time on the climb by a long way. Henderson once again finished 2nd with a time of 5min 18s. This is the 3rd time and the 2nd consecutive year that Clinton has won the classic Otley CC event.

Staying up North, Clinton travelled to Stocksbridge for the Thurcroft CC Hill Climb on Sunday morning. Held on a short version of the National Championships course later this month, the event was a good opportunity to check-out the course before the big day. Once again last man off, riding his fixed-wheel Giant Omnium, Clinton climbed the course with ease, riding well within himself until the steep bend before giving it all to the finish line. A huge cheer came as Clinton has being held up by the marshals at the top – he’d broken the previous course record of 2min 30s (held by professional Adam Blythe, riding for Predictor Lotto), by a huge 7s to record 2min 23s. Second place came from West Pennine’s Daniel Shand, with a time of 2min 39s.

After a quick prize presentation, it was across the Pennines to Chapel-en-le-Frith for Withington Wheeler’s classic Peaslow Hill Climb. Another short climb, but more of a steep drag than the previous climbs of the weekend, Clinton was by now feeling the effects of the three races before hand. Last man once again, he flew up the course to win with a time of 2min 23s once again! This time 2nd place, a local junior rider was slightly closer with a time of 2min 35s.

With 7 wins this year, and 19 consecutive wins in the last 2 seasons, Clinton is now taking each climb one-by-one before the defence of his National title at the end of October.

BECKINGSALE TAKES NATIONAL SERIES TITLE

29th September 2009 - filed under Teamsriders

1st place in Plymouth final makes it Senior National Series title no 6 for Oli!

Last week was the final of the UK National Series in Plymouth, the same venue as the epic 1990’s World Cup races. The UCI Cat1 status of the race tempted over some European racers along with some Australian contenders who stayed on in Europe from the previous World Cups.

Oli recovered well following the World Cup in Switzerland, in which his fellow Giant Mountain Bike Team rider Adam Craig took 6th place as the top finishing North American rider. He worked hard from the gun and after 2 laps of 6 it was just Oli and two Czech riders up at the front, with long term rival Liam Killeen failing to keep the pace.

With 2 laps to go Oli made his move and managed to get away from the chasers to take the win, finishing a couple of minutes up on the field. The win also gave Oli the National Series title, his 6th senior National Series title to date!

With the fast, dry, rooty singletrack Oli’s bike of choice was the all-new Anthem X Advanced SL with single ring MRP set up.

“Not only was the Anthem X Advanced SL rapid, it also made the downhills far more fun,” said Oli, “I didn’t envy some of my competitors who bounced around on their hard tails!”

Next up for Oli is the Roc D’Azur classic in the South of France on Oct 11th

RECORD BREAKING WEEKEND

29th September 2009 - filed under Teamsriders

Great start to the Hill Climb season for Matt Clinton

This weekend saw the start of the Hill-Climb Season for Balsall Common’s Matt Clinton, the reigning National Hill Climb Champion racing for Mike Vaughan Cycles (Kenilworth).

Saturday started with a long trip up to Leeds for the Yorkshire Road Club 2-Stage Hill Climb. As first seed, Clinton was off last man for both climbs, the first being the tortuously steep, but short Arthington Bank. Having to use a smaller gear than normal on his fixed wheel Giant TCR Omnium allowed Matt to power over the consistently steep climb. The first time this course has been used at this length, Matt broke the leading time set by Richard Meadows of 2min41s to finish in a staggering time of 2min 17s.

With a brief hour-and-a-half gap, it was time to hit the second climb on the day, Weardley Bank. Having ridden this climb back in 2005, Clinton knew what he was up against, however he didn’t bank on the strong headwind over the fastest section of the course. The undulating climb, suited to his geared Giant TCR Advanced SL bike rather than fixed Omnium kicked up steeply before the finish line, where a large crowd was waiting. Clinton once again smashed the leading time of the day, held by Meadows of 2min 58s to win with an almost record-beating 2min 38s. Had it not been for the headwind, Clinton may have made it two records in one day!

Sunday morning hosted Weaver Valley CC’s Cat and Fiddle Hill Climb, up the infamous 6.2mile climb from Macclesfield to the Cat and Fiddle Pub. Again last man off, saw improved conditions from a couple of hours earlier where driving the course had visibility of less than 50yards for much of the ascent! Climbing into a glorious blue sky, Matt was almost riding the course blind as the fog had hampered any real chance to see how the course played out. Helped by a tail-wind, but up against some local riders who have ridden the climb dozens of times before, it would be interesting how the results would end up on this length of climb. Starting 25minutes before Clinton, the biggest threat was Mike Cumming. Living in Macclesfield he set a staggering time of 18minutes 24s – six seconds faster than the previous course record, but with the start of Sunday’s race shortened by 100yards due to roadworks. As Clinton hit the top of the climb, the timekeepers looked in astonishment – he’d finished in a time of 18min 17s! Unfortunately this not counting as a new course record, with the shortening of the course, had conditions been better, could Clinton have made it three records in three events?

With training now well underway and a gauge of form now established, Clinton now looks forward to the next month of Hill Climbs, cumulating in the defence of his Championship Title at the end of October.

RABOBANK'S MOERENHOUT FINISHES IN 7th AT WORLD TT CHAMPIONSHIP

25th September 2009 - filed under Teamsriders

RABOBANK’S KOOS MOERENHOUT RIDES GIANT TO SUPER SEVENTH IN WORLD TT CHAMPIONSHIPS

He was never a favorite, but Rabobank’s Koos Moerenhout nonetheless stormed to a superb seventh place in the World Time Trial Championships on Wednesday.

Racing for Holland, Moerenhout held the best time in the undulating 49.8 kilometer race against the clock for over two hours. In the end, the Dutch veteran finished a respectable three minutes and 11 seconds down on the winner, Switzerland’s Fabian Cancellara.

The 35-year old pro had the advantage of riding the Giant Trinity Advanced SL time trial bicycle, the fastest UCI-legal bike on the planet. It’s a ground-breaking, wind-cheating design that’s been proven by world championship-winning results, wind tunnel testing and competition at the highest levels of the sport, with a host of proprietary technologies and features that make it the sleekest clock-beater ever.

“I’m very pleased,” Moerenhout said, “I started out aiming for a top ten place and I almost ended up in the top five. I’d felt good coming out of the Vuelta, and knew if I rode hard I had real possibilities of doing something in this race.”

Asked how he spent two hours sitting in the ‘hot seat’ as the top racer, Moerenhout said, “Sending texts and putting up stuff on Twitter!”

“It was definitely my best time trial of the year, “he concluded. “And it came in the World Championships, the biggest international scenario possible for that kind of success. Now we’ll see what happens on Sunday in the road-race.”

RABOBANK'S MOERENHOUT ON THE HUNT FOR WORLD TT CHAMPIONSHIP

24th September 2009 - filed under Teamsriders

RABOBANK’S KOOS MOERENHOUT ON HUNT FOR FRESH CHALLENGES AT WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS
“We’ve got new time trial bikes from Giant…we’ve got no excuses,” says pro.

At 35, Rabobank’s Koos Moerenhout is nearing the end of his career, but he’s still looking for new challenges - and Thursday’s will be the UCI Road World Championships Men’s Individual Time Trial in Mendrisio, Switzerland.

“I don’t want to leave the sport without having tried at least once absolutely everything I think I can do well in,” Moerenhout says, “and this year I’ve got the opportunity to try for the World’s time trial.”

Veteran Moerenhout will be racing for Holland in the 49.8 kilometre race against the clock, together with Rabobank team-mate Lars Boom. Moerenhout had some good results this season, with a time trial victory in the Tour of Austria, a silver medal in the Dutch national time trial championships, and a gold medal in the Dutch national road-race.

“We got new time trial bikes from Giant and they’re much stronger and more resilient,” Moerenhout comments, “now we’ve got them, we’ve got no excuses. The key to success in time trialing is to push your body as far beyond its limits as you can, to practice constantly and get exactly the right position. You’re usually a lot further forward than you would be on a road bike.”

He goes on, “I find the time trial bike itself acts as an inspiration, it’s like stepping into a Formula One car, with that kind of vehicle you automatically expect to go faster. As for time trialing, I’ve got a love-hate relationship with it. You don’t look forward to it five minutes before you start, because you know how much it’ll hurt for the next hour. You body keeps on telling you to stop. At the same time, it’s a fantastic discipline. In time trials, you’re pushing yourself to your absolute limit.”

So what can he achieve in the World’s time trial on Thursday? “I’m not really sure,” he says. “There are a lot of big favorites here, so a top ten result would be great. But if you know you’ve done everything you can then whatever happens, you can’t really complain.”

Gesink upbeat despite mixed fortunes in Vuelta

21st September 2009 - filed under Teamsriders

Fortune swung from one extreme to another for Robert Gesink in this year’s Vuelta a España, and when the dust finally settled, the Rabobank leader left Spain with a sixth place overall, one better than in 2008.

At the start of the final stage, Gesink was in relaxed mood, taking part in a long interview for a Dutch TV comedian before signing autographs for the huge numbers of children present in the warm Spanish sunshine.

The leg injury that had cost him a podium spot in the Tour of Spain is healing nicely; still, there is a huge scar just beneath one of his knees. And although he’s pleased with his result, as he said afterwards, it could have been worse. But without his bad crash on stage 17 it could have been better, too.

“I finished seventh in 2008 and sixth this year and that’s a step up,” he told Giant. “However, without the crash the step could have been bigger. I am in fairly good shape, and that’s something. I went deep in the time trial yesterday and that worked out O.K.”

“But I wanted to finish this race as much as a way to say thanks to my team-mates on Rabobank as to myself,” he continued. “I think the day I attacked [race winner Alejandro] Valverde on the Pandera [stage 14] was the day I was going the best. I went a little too early but I was pleased with my performance. Then on stage [12] to Velefique, where I finished third, I felt really good too.”

“What have I learned?” Gesink asked. Then, he answered. ”I’m satisfied with how I was riding overall, my climbing’s improved, and there are other things as well, minor stuff, which put all together should make a difference.”

“I think it’s shown what I can do on G.C., and it was nice to be able to do so well in a Grand Tour which started in Holland,” the 23-year old concluded. “We did really well at Rabobank, getting our stage win with Lars Boom as well as my overall performance. “

Next up is the World Championships, and Gesink flies straight to Italy from Spain without going home. “I’ll only be doing the road race, not the time trial, but I don’t want to go back to Holland between the two events because its better I stay in the warm weather. I’m not sure what my targets are there, because they say the World Championships are best prepared for by doing the Vuelta. But when you’ve gone all out throughout the race for the overall classification like I’ve done, that may not be the case. It’ll be interesting to see what happens next weekend.”

GESINK UPBEAT DESPITE MIXED FORTUNES IN VUELTA

20th September 2009 - filed under Teamsriders

Fortune swung from one extreme to another for Robert Gesink in this year’s Vuelta a España, and when the dust finally settled, the Rabobank leader left Spain with a sixth place overall, one better than in 2008.

At the start of the final stage, Gesink was in relaxed mood, taking part in a long interview for a Dutch TV comedian before signing autographs for the huge numbers of children present in the warm Spanish sunshine.

The leg injury that had cost him a podium spot in the Tour of Spain is healing nicely; still, there is a huge scar just beneath one of his knees. And although he’s pleased with his result, as he said afterwards, it could have been worse. But without his bad crash on stage 17 it could have been better, too.

“I finished seventh in 2008 and sixth this year and that’s a step up,” he told Giant. “However, without the crash the step could have been bigger. I am in fairly good shape, and that’s something. I went deep in the time trial yesterday and that worked out O.K.”

“But I wanted to finish this race as much as a way to say thanks to my team-mates on Rabobank as to myself,” he continued. “I think the day I attacked [race winner Alejandro] Valverde on the Pandera [stage 14] was the day I was going the best. I went a little too early but I was pleased with my performance. Then on stage [12] to Velefique, where I finished third, I felt really good too.”

“What have I learned?” Gesink asked. Then, he answered. ”I’m satisfied with how I was riding overall, my climbing’s improved, and there are other things as well, minor stuff, which put all together should make a difference.”

“I think it’s shown what I can do on G.C., and it was nice to be able to do so well in a Grand Tour which started in Holland,” the 23-year old concluded. “We did really well at Rabobank, getting our stage win with Lars Boom as well as my overall performance. “

Next up is the World Championships, and Gesink flies straight to Italy from Spain without going home. “I’ll only be doing the road race, not the time trial, but I don’t want to go back to Holland between the two events because its better I stay in the warm weather. I’m not sure what my targets are there, because they say the World Championships are best prepared for by doing the Vuelta. But when you’ve gone all out throughout the race for the overall classification like I’ve done, that may not be the case. It’ll be interesting to see what happens next weekend.”

RABOBANK'S GESINK OUT OF CONTENTION FOR VUELTA PODIUM

18th September 2009 - filed under Teamsriders

Through no fault of his own, Robert Gesink’s dream of finishing on the podium of the Vuelta a España ended on stage 19’s mountainous ride from Avila to La Granja. The Rabobank rider’s knee injury from a crash during stage 17 made merely continuing a major effort.

The young Dutchman hung on as far as the second of the three major climbs of the day, before starting to crack. And on the final ascent of the Navacerrada, he lost nearly five minutes.

By the end of the stage, Gesink was in 33rd place, 4 minutes and 44 seconds down on the main favorites. He is now sixth overall, essentially meaning “game over” for Gesink despite giving it 100 percent from the beginning.

“The combination of the injury and three weeks racing just proved too much for me,” Gesink said later. “I was able to continue with the bunch up until the second climb, but when the race speeded up I had to go on at my own pace.”

After abandoning the Tour de France in July because of a crash where he fractured his wrist, this is Gesink’s second big disappointment of 2009.

“It was really bad luck,” team sporting director Erik Breukink said, “to lose so much so close to the finish is much worse than what happened to him in the Tour de France. Really there’s only tomorrow’s time trial to get through and that’s it, but we don’t want to affect the rider’s health, either. We’ll make a decision about what we do closer to the time.”

“He’s ridden brilliantly throughout this race,” Breukink added, “so whatever happens Robert can leave Spain feeling very proud of himself, his team, and what he’s achieved.”

RABOBANK'S LARS BOOM WINS VUELTA STAGE 15!

15th September 2009 - filed under Teamsriders

Rabobank rider Lars Boom, the 2008 World Cyclocross champion, has added a Grand Tour win to the list of accomplishments in his young career. The 23-year old soloed across the finish line far ahead of everyone else in Stage 15 of the 2009 Vuelta a España. His victory gives the Rabobank team its first stage win of the Tour.

The 167-kilometer stage from Jaen to Cordoba was for the most part a recovery day for the GC leaders; the result of the difficult three days spent climbing the mountains of southeastern Spain.

But a breakaway of 13, containing Boom, stole away at 66 km into the race. None of the group was a threat to the GC—the closest rider was more than an hour behind leader Alejandro Valverde—so the break quickly gained time on the peloton. With 34km to the finish line, the break had nearly 20 minutes advantage.

With 24km to go, Boom and three other riders jumped. The Dutchman set a furious pace, powering the pedals on his super light and super stiff Giant TCR Advanced SL bicycle. “When I went for it, I accelerated as hard as possible to try and make the other guys suffer as much as possible,” Boom told Giant later. “The group had already shrunk to four just beforehand when another rider attacked, and then I made sure to continue for as long and as hard as possible.”

He quickly shed all the riders on the second of two trips up the Alto de San Jeronimo. Repeated attempts to catch him failed, and Boom eventually soloed across the line for the win, 1:36 ahead of second place finisher David Herrero of Xacobeo-Galicia. “My form’s been getting better and better over the last two weeks,” Boom said, “and my big objective was to get in a break and see if I could get a victory, and now I’ve managed to do that.”

The main peloton came in 25 minutes after Boom. His team-mate, Robert Gesink, held onto his 2nd place ranking in the GC, staying 31 seconds behind overall leader Alejandro Valverde. Asked if his team-mate could still win the Tour of Spain, Boom said, “I’m sure he’ll give it everything to see if he can. It’s hard. Valverde is very strong right now, but he’ll try every time there’s a chance.”

RABOBANK’S KAI REUS LEADS THE TOUR OF BRITAIN
Another Rabobank rider is leading the Tour of Britain, which has completed three of eight stages. Dutch racer Kai Reus claimed the lead after winning stage 2. His victory adds to an incredible comeback story; Reus, a former junior world road race champion, crashed during a training ride in July 2007 and was in a coma for 11 days. He leads the G.C. in the Tour of Britain with an 11 second advantage over Edvald Boasson Hagen of Columbia-HTC. Garmin-Slipstream’s Christopher Sutton is in third, 12 seconds behind Reus.

ADAM CRAIG TOP NORTH AMERICAN AT WORLD CUP

13th September 2009 - filed under Teamsriders

Adam Craig of the Giant Global MTB Team had his best finish in a World Cup event this season, finishing in 6th place in the Elite Men’s cross country race in Champery, Switzerland. The US National Short Track Champion also was the top placing North American in the event.

South Africa’s Burry Stander won the six-lap event, edging out Julien Absalon. The previous weekend, Stander won the U-23 cross country world championship title in Canberra, Australia.

Craig powered to the finish on his Giant Anthem X Advanced SL bicycle. Built from Giant’s Advanced SL composite, the bike features a massive downtube and bottom bracket area for maximum pedaling efficiency, and 4 inches of award-winning Maestro suspension.

"I had, for me, a pretty good start, not dropping back too far,” Craig told reporters at the end of the race. “Then I was able to start moving up, because I think I maybe had more in the tank than some of those guys that dug so deep last week [at the Worlds]. For me, this is a sweet, sweet course, with the good climb, some nice singletrack, that was still rideable even after the rain last night."

RABOBANK'S GESINK HOLDS ONTO SECOND PLACE AFTER VUELTA STAGE 14

12th September 2009 - filed under Teamsriders

Robert Gesink’s chances of becoming Holland’s first podium finisher in a major tour in nearly 20 years rose radically after a strong ride to the Vuelta a España’s fifth and final summit finish at La Pandera.

The Rabobank rider tried to shake off race leader Alejandro Valverde half-way up La Pandera’s 20 percent slopes in the final kilometers, and he briefly succeeded. But while Valverde clawed his way back up to Gesink and finally passed him close to the line, the Dutchman still remains in second overall.

Gesink finished sixth on the rain-dampened stage, 3 minutes and 26 seconds down on stage winner Damiano Cunego -- but more importantly he lost just four seconds on Valverde. Overall, Gesink is the only rider now at a minute or less behind Valverde, at 31 seconds. The ranking of riders following Gesink was substantially changed as other GC favorites could not keep up with the 2 podium leaders. Third is Spaniard Samuel Sanchez of Euskaltel-Euskadi, at 1 minute 10 seconds behind Valverde. Ivan Basso of Liquigas is in fourth, 1:28 back. In fifth is Ezequiel Mosquera of Xacobeo Galicia at 1:34. Australian Cadel Evans lies now in 6th place, 1:41 in arrears.

“I felt good today, my legs were in great shape and I wanted to try to take the overall lead,” Gesink told Giant. “In the end I was a little bit blocked, and while Valverde bent a bit, he didn’t break.”

“I attacked Alejandro at exactly the right moment,” he continued, “just when [rivals] Ivan Basso and Cadel Evans had done the same. Finally, though, perhaps Valverde had the best tactic of continuing at a steady rhythm, not going all out.”

Gesink said despite being disappointed he had not managed to take the lead, he could still continue racing in the Tour of Spain with a sense of real accomplishment. “I can be proud of what I’ve done,” the 23-year-old said. “It’s been a very difficult race, and if I end up on the podium in Madrid, that will be a major achievement.”

RABOBANK'S GESINK MOVES INTO SECOND IN VUELTA GC!!

12th September 2009 - filed under Teamsriders

Another day of strong riding by Rabobank’s Robert Gesink has shown why the young Dutchman will be a force to be reckoned with for many years in the pro peloton. At the end of Stage 13 in the Vuelta a Espana, the 23-year old has climbed into 2nd place in the Vuelta’s overall general classification.

Gesink was able to mark every move by the more experienced GC leader, Alejandro Valverde of Caisse-d’Epargne, in the day’s final two climbs. Only at the finish line was Valverde able to pull one second ahead of Gesink, to claim third behind stage winner David Moncoutie of Cofidis. That gave Valverde an 8 second bonus, so he currently leads the GC just 27 seconds ahead of Gesink.

Ivan Basso of the Liquigas team moved into third, but sits over a minute behind Valverde. Cadel Evans of Silence-Lotto, who was in second in the GC at the start of the day, suffered the bad luck of a puncture at the summit of the Alto de Monachil, the next-to-last climb of the day, and then suffered double bad luck in having to wait more than a minute for a mechanic to arrive in the team car with a replacement bicycle. In the GC, Evans drops to fourth place, 1:23 behind the leader.

Others on the Rabobank team placed well on the day and benefited from the supreme climbing advantage provided by the light and stiff Giant TCR Advanced SL bicycles the squad rides. Koos Morenhout secured the Solidario prize on the day, winning sprint points during the stage. He finished 18th. Another Rabo rider was also in the top 20 on the stage; Juan Manuel Garate finished 13th. He had been in a break for a time, holding onto a lead position that allowed him to support Gesink as the GC group approached the finish.

RABOBANK'S GESINK GAINS TIME ON GC LEADERS!

11th September 2009 - filed under Teamsriders

At the start of Stage 12 of the Vuelta a España, Rabobank’s Robert Gesink sat in third place in the G.C., 36 seconds behind overall leader Alejandro Valverde (Caisse d’Epargne), and 29 seconds behind Cadel Evans (Silence-Lotto), the rider in 2nd place.
At the end of the 174km stage, after a furious acceleration in the final kilometer on his Giant TCR Advanced SL bicycle, the 23-year old Dutch rider secured a third-place stage finish and has substantially reduced those G.C. time deficits. He’s now only 18 seconds behind Valverde, and 11 seconds behind Evans. And he gained valuable time on the rider who sits in fourth, Garmin-Slipstream’s Tom Danielson.
The scene in the final two kilometers was this: On the punishing slopes of the Alto de Velefique, Canadian Reyder Hesjedal (Garmin-Slipstream) and Spaniard David Garcia (Xacobeo Galicia) were 37 seconds ahead of a group of riders including Gesink, Valverde, and Evans.
Gesink attacked, using the superior climbing and sprinting power afforded to him by the light and stiff Giant TCR Advanced SL. “When I attacked, I didn’t think about what I was doing,” he later told Giant. “I felt really strong the whole day so I just went for it!” He pulled away from Valverde and Evans, who would not—or could not—respond to his jump.
Pedaling furiously up the steep climb, Gesink approached the two stage leaders, Hesjedal and Garcia, in a bold attempt to claim the stage and win valuable bonus seconds. “I really wanted to take the leader’s jersey,” he said. “I know tactically it wouldn’t have been the brightest of things to do, but I didn’t care.”
He nearly caught the pair ahead; but Hesjedal managed to win the stage just ahead of Garcia. Six seconds later Gesink powered in for his third place finish, 10 seconds ahead of the group with Valverde and Evans. Those 10 seconds, coupled with a crucial 8 second bonus for finishing third on the stage, puts Gesink safely in third place in the overall GC, and significantly threatens the placement of the two riders ahead of him: Valverde and Evans.
“My only regret,” he told Giant, “is that I couldn’t get the stage win. They don’t come cheap in races as big as the Tour of Spain. But there will be other opportunities. In any case, 18 seconds is a good haul from today’s stage. And I’m not going to stop here!”

RABOBANK’S GESINK READY FOR SPANISH MOUNTAINS

10th September 2009 - filed under Teamsriders

 It’s a warm cloudy afternoon in Almeria in southeast Spain, and Rabobank’s Robert Gesink is taking it easy in the lobby of his team hotel on the Vuelta’s second rest day. Gesink is smiling and joking with the team management and some journalists, but you can’t help thinking he’s got precious little free time left before the Tour of Spain hits the mountains on stage 12 on Friday.

After that it’s non-stop racing all the way to Madrid. Assuming all goes well (and that’s a big assumption) Gesink is on track for the first top three grand tour finish of his career. And he’s still only 23. That’s already pretty impressive, but historically there’s even more to it. Gesink could become the first Dutchman to finish on the podium of a major stage race since Erik Breukink (his team manager at Rabobank) ended up third in the Tour de France in 1990. He’d also be the first pro from the Netherlands to finish on the Vuelta podium since Joop Zootemelk won the race overall in 1979.

“I’m going to be taking this day-to-day; I’m not thinking about the final result because that would mean too much pressure,” Gesink tells Giant’s website when asked if he’s aware that he could soon be ending a two-decade Dutch drought on podium places in major tours. “To be honest, if I could sign now to get third overall in Madrid, I would! But at the same time, I’m not ruling anything out, and that includes winning.”

Of the three mountain-top finishes coming up, Gesink says that the stage to Sierra Nevada on Saturday is the one which suits him the best. “It just climbs steadily rather than being very steep, like at Velefique on stage 12. [Alejandro] Valverde [the overall Vuelta leader at this point] is better at those sorts of really tough ascents than me. I have problems following sudden, vicious accelerations. But apart from that, I know Sierra Nevada well from training at altitude there.”

“Today we went out to ride up the Velefique,” he continues. “Not because I feel I need to see it - we go over it twice in tomorrow’s stage - but because I hate sitting here in the hotel doing nothing all the way through the rest day! In any case, I’m very optimistic about this year’s Vuelta, I’ve come through some hard stages already and I’m feeling in good shape.”

The 23-year-old agrees that the next three days will almost certainly decide the overall outcome of the race, even though it finishes a week later. “These three days are the hardest mountain stages of the race,” he says. “Once you’ve got a good lead after this, all you have to do is defend it, rather than seek to increase it. My own personal objectives here are a stage win and a podium in Madrid. If I get both, I’ll leave Spain feeling satisfied.”

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RABOBANK’S OSCAR FREIRE TO RETIRE AT THE END OF 2010 SEASON

9th September 2009 - filed under Teamsriders

 3-Time World Champion to try for fourth title

Prior to the start of Stage 11 of the 2009 Vuelta a España, Rabobank’s Oscar Freire revealed he will retire following the 2010 season when his current contract with the Dutch-based team ends. He confirmed that between now and then he has set his sights on winning another world championship. His next chance comes September 27th when the Men’s Elite Road Race in the UCI Road Cycling World Championships takes place in Mendrisio, Switzerland.

Interviewed by Spanish newspaper El Mundo, the sprinter said before he retires he wants to win a fourth title and beat the record he shares with Eddy Merckx, Alfredo Binda, and Rik Van Steenbergen. “That would be the perfect way to round off my career,” said Freire.

Early In 2009, Freire suffered fractured ribs in a crash in the Tour of California, forcing him to sit out for two months while recovering. He returned to racing in April and powered his Giant TCR Advanced SL bicycle to two stage victories in the Tour of Romandie. Numerous other times he’s been in the mix this season, finishing in the top ten in bunch sprints in countless other races and stages. 2009 is Freire’s 11th year as a professional.

“I’ve won a few things—winning three world titles isn’t bad,” Freire told the newspaper. “Now I’ve reached the moment when I’m not dreaming about taking more stage wins. I’m satisfied with what I’ve achieved.”

Freire finished 9th in a full bunch sprint at the finish line in the Vuelta’s Stage 11, which was won by Tyler Farrar. Led out by team mates Bram Tankink and Lars Boom, Freire made a run for first, but was passed in the final 25 metres. Eric Breukink, the sporting director of Team Rabobank, told reporters that Freire is using the Tour of Spain to tune up for another try at the rainbow stripes. “We don’t know if Oscar will finish the Vuelta,” he said. “We’ll take it day by day. He’s here to prepare for the worlds.”

Rabobank’s Robert Gesink remained in third place in the general classification going into the Vuelta’s second rest day. He is just 36 seconds behind race leader Alejandro Valverde.

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RABOBANK’S GESINK IN THIRD PLACE OVERALL AFTER VUELTA STAGE 9

7th September 2009 - filed under Teamsriders

Takes 5th in Second Difficult Mountain Stage

Yet more great mountain riding by Rabobank’s Robert Gesink has seen the young Dutchman move up to third overall in the Vuelta a España.

After briefly losing contact with the other favorites during the arduous ascent of the Xorret de Cati on stage nine, Gesink powered back into contention in the final kilometres. The Dutchman then battled in a small group sprint at the finish, taking fifth, and simultaneously moving up to third place in the General Classification behind Alejandro Valverde and Cadel Evans.

The Rabobank team is more than delighted with Gesink’s strong racing for the second day running in the mountains of south-east Spain. “We were particularly impressed because yesterday was a really hard day,” said team sports director Adri Van Houwelingen. “Today, with more than 4,500 metres of climbing, and after losing touch with the other riders, Robert fought back. That effort was rewarded with third place in the overall G.C., and a tremendous boost to his motivation as well.”

The veteran Dutch sports director said that he doubted going even higher was possible for the 23-year-old Gesink, “…because Valverde and Cadel Evans are definitely on another level. Right now, if we could sign for third in Madrid on the final podium, we’d happily sign.”

“Having said that,” Van Houwelingen concluded, “Robert will give it 100 percent in the three crucial mountain stages of the races - starting Friday. He’s getting stronger day by day. So who knows what can happen?”

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RABOBANK’S GESINK TAKES THIRD IN VUELTA’S STAGE 8

6th September 2009 - filed under Teamsriders

Young Rider in 5th Overall in First Mountain-top Stage Finish


Heading into the 2009 Vuelta a España, Rabobank’s Robert Gesink and his team believed he was in first-rate form. Those beliefs were confirmed at the conclusion of Stage 8 atop the Alto de Aitana, as the 23-year-old Dutchman placed third on the Vuelta’s first mountain-top finish.

At the end of a stage involving more than 3,500 meters of climbing, Gesink tore across the line on top of the Aitana to finish :36 seconds behind stage winner Damiano Cunego. With his third place finish and bonuses, Gesink has soared to fifth place overall, just :29 seconds behind new GC leader Cadel Evans of the Silence-Lotto team.

He goes into the race’s second mountain stage - which finishes with the ferociously steep Xorret del Cati climb - in great shape and with his motivation sky-high. “We weren’t expecting such a good result, you can’t when a rider’s just 23, but in our hearts we were hoping for this,” team sports director Adri Van Houwelingen told Giant’s website. “We’d had a plan, which was to get somebody in the early break, and that’s what we did with Pieter Weening.”

Weening joined five other riders in a breakaway 37 kilometres into a stage that had eight categorised climbs over a total distance of 206km. “Then after that move had softened things up,” Van Houwelingen continued, “we had six Rabobanks in the front group with 30 kilometres to go, so Robert knew he could count on a lot of support.”

The team knew they could count on the technologically advanced Giant bicycles they were riding, too. The TCR Advanced SL bikes are built to give riders maximum advantage on sprints and climbs, with the huge box-shaped MegaDrive downtube and super-stiff PowerCore bottom bracket and chain stay region.

In the end, Van Houwelingen revealed, Gesink had proved more than capable of surviving by himself on the final 22-kilometre monster climb of Aitana. “He did brilliantly. We had a plan which was that he should keep calm and not try to break away as he likes to do, particularly as we knew there was a headwind in the last six kilometres. Then he accelerated at just the right moment to get that third place and the time bonus that goes with it.”

From here on, Van Houwelingen is hopeful that Gesink will continue to show strongly, but insists, “We’re not putting him under any pressure. Instead we’ll just take it day-by-day, and keep our fingers crossed. But so far, it’s going really well!”

For his part, Weening rode his TCR Advanced SL bicycle into second-place in the King of the Mountains competition, by reaching the summits first on five of the eight climbs of the day.
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