The pack was complete 12 kilometers to go and the stage were to be decided in a mass sprint where André Greipel (Team Columbia) was the fastest in the bunch. Team Saxo Bank newcomer, Jonas Aaen Jørgensen proved his worth by finishing seventh.

”It has been a really good experience to see our riders at the front of the race. Several riders, inclusive Jonas and André have had an excellent beginning of the season and I am sure it gives them great confidence to the races in the future”, says sports director Kim Andersen from Mallorca.

And Danish Jonas Aaen Jørgensen is happy about his debut as well:

”The plan was to have riders in all breakaways and Jens and André showed the way for the team. It wasn’t the plan for me to do the mass sprint but I was well-situated and I felt strong enough to go along with the rest of the sprinters”, said Jonas Aaen Jørgensen after the race.

“The race was as hard as expected and in a situation where things get tough it’s all about having the right teammates and they are really fantastic. Overall, it has been a great experience to enter Team Saxo Bank where things are handled very professionally”, the Danish rider concludes.

Photo by: CorVos Pro

Dortmund, 9. February 2010. Gerald Ciolek crashed heavily during the mass sprint finish of the third stage of the Tour of Qatar (February 7-12 / UCI 2.1). The 23-year-old went down in the closing sprint after 136 kilometers from Dukhan to Mesaieed and broke his collarbone. The stage win after the crash-filled finale went to Tom Boonen (Quick Step). The Belgian beat Heinrich Haussler (Cervelo) and Baden Cooke (Saxo Bank). MILRAM veteran Peter Wrolich finished sixth to bring the German ProTour team another Top Ten placing. MILRAM newcomer Roger Kluge defended the white jersey of the best young rider, while Wouter Mol (Vacansoliel) remained overall leader.

„Gerald will be flown to Germany as quickly as possible,“ explained Ralf Grabsh, Team MILRAM’s Directeur Sportif, after the third stage. „The collarbone fracture was diagnosed here by two doctors. The doctors in Germany will determine how complicated the fracture is and whether surgery is necessary.“

The third stage of the Tour of Qatar was marked by the breakaway win of the previous day. The sprinter teams controlled the whole stage and didn’t let a single escape get away. As on the previous day, MILRAM newcomer Roger Kluge took advantage of the situation. At the only intermediate sprint of the day, with 25 km to go, the 24-year-old jumped out of the peloton to win the sprint, thus gaining important bonus seconds in the fight for the white jersey of the best young rider. He was subsequently caught again by the field and the mass sprint was set up.

Boonen edged out Heinrich Haussler of Germany and Australian Baden Cooke at the finish of the 136.5 kilometres stage from Dukhan in the west to Mesaieed south of Doha.

A three-time winner of the event, Boonen’s stage win was his 16th in the Tour of Qatar since 2004.

Meanwhile, German rider Gerald Ciolek broke his collarbone in a fall during the third stage, his Milram team said.

The 23-year-old – who is the second rider to suffer such an injury in the race after Norwegian champion Kurt-Asle Arvesen on Monday – will return to Germany for medical examinations to see if he requires surgery

Stage 3 Results
1. Tom Boonen (BEL/QST) 3hr 1min 39sec,
2. Heinrich Haussler (GER/CTT) same time,
3. Baden Cooke (AUS/SAX) s.t,
4. Kenny De Haes (BEL/OLO) s.t,
5. Daniele Bennati (ITA/LIQ) s.t,
6. Peter Wrolich (AUT/MRM) s.t,
7. Taylor Phinney (USA/TLS) s.t,
8. Bobbie Traksel (NED/VAC) s.t,
9. Tyler Farrar (USA/GRM) s.t,
10. Philippe Gilbert (BEL/OLO) s.t
Selected: 17. Jimmy Casper (FRA/SAU) s.t, 19. Wouter Mol (NED/VAC) s.t

Overall standings:
1. Wouter Mol (NED/VAC) 6hr 42mins 30sec,
2. Geert Steurs (BEL/TSV) at 09 sec,
3. Tom Boonen (BEL/QST) at 1min 55sec,
4. Roger Kluge (GER/MRM) 1:59,
5. Marcus Burghardt (GER/BMC) 2:05,
6. Danilo Napolitano (ITA/KAT) 2:15,
7. Philippe Gilbert (BEL/OLO) 2:17,
8. Stuart O’Grady (AUS/SAX) 2:40,
9. Tyler Farrar (USA/GRM) 2:41,
10. Heinrich Haussler (GER/CTT) 2:43

Photos by: CorVos Pro

MENDRISIO, Switzerland, Sept 28, 2009 (AFP) – Mention Cadel Evans’ name to cyclists, fans or media and the reaction you get is likely to contain a mixture of admiration, wonder and mystery.

Evans, a two-time Tour de France runner-up, has become almost as famous for his unpredictable nature on and off the bike as he has for coming agonizingly close to twice winning the race’s famous yellow jersey.

In spite of his remarkable talent, more than once Evans has had to face down accusations of being a ‘choker’ who doesn’t have the mental tools to win the big races.

But on Sunday, the 32-year old chose one of cycling’s biggest stages, the elite road race at the world championships, to answer back, handing Australia their first ever men’s gold in the elite event.

It wasn’t the yellow jersey. But for many aficionados the famous rainbow jersey, which Evans will wear for the next year, is the next best thing.

“The world’s been telling me for years I can’t win big races, can’t win one day races, because my job is to win stage races, and then today I come out and win the world championship, I don’t quite believe it,” said Evans.

“This is an answer to those criticisms that I’ve had, saying I never attack.”

What is arguably Australia’s biggest road victory on the world stage could, more importantly, relaunch a career that has also made Evans something of an internet comedy hit.

Known for occasional petulant outbursts, one famous Youtube clip shows Evans striking out at a journalist who got too close for comfort to his injured shoulder, while in another he is heard threatening another for getting too close to his dog.

On the bike Evans has always impressed, but come up short of securing career-changing wins.

He made his name as an exciting young mountain biking talent who dominated the sport without winning a world championship.

After making the gradual transition to the road, he came close to winning his first major Tour at the three-week Giro d’Italia in 2002 before a spectacular collapse meant he finished the race in 14th place.

That served to introduce the Aussie, then only 25, as a possible future winner of the Tour de France.

But after an impressive eighth place finish overall on his debut in 2005, and a fourth place finish in 2006, in 2007 Evans missed out on winning cycling’s holy grail by 23secs to Spaniard Alberto Contador.

A year later, with Contador absent, Evans finished second to another Spaniard, Carlos Sastre. And in both 2007 and 2008 Evans had also finished runner-up in the Dauphine Libere, a week-long warm-up for the Tour.

A catastrophic 2009 campaign saw Evans finished over 45 minutes behind Contador, a terrible start being compounded by physical and emotional problems that left many wondering how he could bounce back.

Evans made amends with a solid third place finish last Sunday at the Tour of Spain, which he could have won had it not been for more, rather typical, bad luck.

Nevertheless, facing arguably stronger Spanish and Italian rivals here for Sunday’s 262.2km epic race, barely anybody had Evans marked down to win.

Ironically, that may have helped his cause.

As key rivals Damiano Cunego of Italy and Spaniard Alejandro Valverde were among those being closely marked late on the final lap of a 13.8 km circuit, Evans surged ahead in the final 10km to leave them all in his wake.

A more incisive attack by Evans at the foot of the final climb then left Alexandr Kolobnev and Spaniard Joaquin Rodriguez fighting for the minor medals.

Not always known for his tactical astuteness, Evans admitted his trump card decision wasn’t all his own doing.

“It was (coach) Neil Stephen’s doing, he wanted to hold back and wait (for me to attack) till later,” said Evans when asked about his strategy.

The Italians finished without a medal for the first time in years, but their coach, Franco Ballerini, could only admit: “You have to applaud Evans. Not only did he resist, he went away on his own and won.

“(Fabian) Cancellara was maybe the strongest rider in the race but Evans was definitely a deserved winner.”

Evans’ Tour of Spain campaign undoubtedly gave him the form needed to shine, only three kilometres from his Italian home in Stabio where he lives with his wife Chiara, a classical pianist.

And in typical, unpredictable fashion Evans – later met with banners and his local fan club chanting in Italian ‘There’s only one Cadel Evans’ – said his ride had nothing to do with restoring battered pride.

“Coming second so many times can be demoralizing. You put in the same work, and it’s just as difficult for me, as the guy who wins the race,” he added.

“But I’ve been thinking about this race for the past two years, and I put in the hard work preparing for it at the Vuelta (Tour of Spain).

“To win a world title here, after having seven world championship medals at home, none of which are gold, is quite exceptional.”

Evans, 32, grabbed Australia’s first gold medal in the event beating Russian Alexandr Kolobnev and Joaquin Rodriguez of Spain over the demanding 262.2km course in Mendrisio, Switzerland, on Sunday.

It was Australia’s second triumph at the world championships following Jack Bobridge’s win in the men’s under-23 time trial.

Cycling Australia officials said the victories were significant for the sport in this country.

“It’s a real turning point for Australian cycling,” Cycling Australia National Performance Director Shayne Bannan said in a statement.

“We’ve won the medal tally, we won the medal tally at the Track World Championships in Poland in March and last month topped the table at the Mountain Bike Worlds.

“We’re elated with the team work that has gone into all of this and it’s really very special.

“We’ve won our first professional world road title. Australian cycling has arrived at a world level.”

Neil Stephens, Cycling Australia’s Professional Rider Coordinator, said to have a new world champion in Evans would lift the national profile of the sport.

“To have a world champion in Australia is unbelievable,” Stephens said.

“Over the years we’ve seen stage winners of Tour de France, yellow jersey wearers in the Tour de France, Pro Tour winners.

“Perhaps this is all we need to have the world champion as an Australian going into the (2010) World Championships in Australia on the shoulders of a very popular Cadel Evans.

“I think it’s really going to take cycling to the fore.”

Evans, a runner-up in the Tour de France in 2007 and 2008, hit back at his critics after a disastrous Tour de France campaign this year by finishing third on the Tour of Spain last week and winning the world road championship title.

Australia’s only other elite road world champion has been Michael Rogers, who won the time trial three times in 2003, 2004, and 2005.

Men Road race
1. Cadel Evans (AUS)
2. Alexandre Kolobnev (RUS)
3. Joaquin Rodriguez (ESP)

Men Time trial
1. Fabian Cancellara (SUI)
2. Gustav Larsson (SWE)
3. Tony Martin (GER)

Men under-23 Road race
1. Romain Sicard (FRA)
2. Carlos Alberto Betancur (COL)
3. Egor Silin (RUS)

U-23 Time trial
1. Jack Bobridge (AUS)
2. Nelson Oliveira (POR)
3. Patrick Gretsch (GER)

Women
Road race
1. Tatiana Guderzo (ITA)
2. Marianne Vos (NED)
3. Noemi Cantele (ITA)

Time trial
1. Kristin Armstrong (USA)
2. Noemi Cantele (ITA)
3. Linda Villumsen (DEN)

MENDRISIO, Switzerland, Sept 27, 2009 (AFP) – Cadel Evans ended Australia’s long wait for cycling’s coveted rainbow jersey when he won the men’s road race here at the world cycling championships on Sunday.

Evans escaped a small leading group at the foot of the Novazzano climb on the demanding 262.2km course and forged ahead on his own to end the hopes of a handful of arguably bigger favorites.

He grabbed Australia’s first gold in the event in 6hr 56min with Alexandr Kolobnev of Russia finishing second and Joaquin Rodriguez of Spain third at 27secs in arrears.

A former mountain biker who has come close on several occasions to winning the world title in that discipline, Evans – who lives nearby during the season – was only too happy to make amends.

“The finish line is three kilometers away from my home away from home, so to win a world title here, after having seven world championship medals at home, none of which are gold, is quite exceptional given the bad luck I’ve encountered this season,” he said.

“I’m very proud to win the first elite world championships for Australia.”

In a thrilling finale to the most anticipated one-day race of the year former podium finishers, including Alejandro Valverde of Spain and Damiano Cunego of Italy, failed to shine.

The pair finished nearly a minute behind, with Spain’s Olympic champion Samuel Sanchez coming in fourth and Swiss Fabian Cancellara on his wheel to claim fifth.

Evans did well to join on to the back of a nine-man group which formed as Cancellara drove the pace hard late on the way up the Acquafresca climb, the first of two and the most difficult on the 13.8km circuit which was raced 19 times.

And the Australian, who made up for a disastrous Tour de France campaign by finishing third on the Tour of Spain last week, took everyone by surprise with his well-timed burst.

Known widely in the sport as a ‘clean’ rider, Evans experienced his worst ever Tour de France in July, a race in which he finished runner-up in 2007 and 2008.

But he quickly played down the issue regarding his ethical approach to the sport.
“I was just happy I came out on top today. I’ve been thinking about this race for two years, and prepared for it by racing the Vuelta (Tour of Spain).”

On the last lap Kolobnev hit the Acquafresca climb on his own after chasing down Alexandre Vinokourov but Cancellara’s stunning pace on the climb’s steep 12 percent gradients that did most damage, forcing his rivals to follow.

However, it was a move by Evans with around 10km from the finish that shook things up for good.

He surged ahead, to be followed by Kolobnev and Rodriguez, and when the Australian jumped away at the foot of the Novazzano they failed to respond.

Kolobnev said: “I had the legs and the power to follow Evans but when he attacked on that climb he left us trailing. He was just too powerful.”

The fact that Valverde and Cunego were riding further back marking each other with Cancellara, ultimately gave Evans an extra boost.

After a mute celebration as he crossed the finish line, the Australian then let the emotions take over as he kissed his wedding ring, which he keeps around his neck, several times.

Altough next year’s world championships will be held in Geelong, Australia, where he lives for three months of the year, Evans admitted this local course provided his best chance to become world champion.

“This course suits me better than the one in Geelong and I think I proved that today,” said Evans.

“It’s also an answer to those criticisms that I’ve had, saying I never attack.”

Denmark’s Matti Breschel, who finished third last year, did well to finish seventh and despite admitting he was “happy” with the end result he said Evans showed brains, and braun on his way to gold.

“I think Fabian (Cancellara) really deserved to win here on home ground where he was clearly the strongest,” Breschel said of his Swiss teammate at Saxo Bank.

“It was not the strongest, but the smartest rider who won today.”

Photo’s by: CorVos Pro

MENDRISIO, Switzerland, Sept 26, 2009 (AFP) – Frenchman Romain Sicard lived up to pre-race predictions by winning gold in the men’s under-23 event held over 179.4km here at the world road race championships Saturday.

Colombia’s Carlos Alberto Betancur beat Russian Egor Silin to the silver medal with a late burst at the line, with Silin claiming the bronze after they came over the line 28secs in arrears.

Sicard, a Basque who recently turned professional with the Euskaltel team after all the French pro teams failed to sniff out his talents, handed France their first ever worlds victory in the category, which made its debut in the competition in 1996.

“It’s unbelievable to be sitting here with the rainbow jersey, it’s not often you get the chance to win it in your career,” said the 21-year-old.

His win came as no major surprise having recently won the prestigious under-23 stage race the Tour de l’Avenir – a ‘mini Tour de France’.

But the modest Frenchman unwittingly revealed the extent of his attachment to France when asked how many races he has participated in wearing the red white and blue.

“Only two – the Tour de l’Avenir and the world championships,” he added.

So far it’s two down and plenty to go for Sicard, who appears to have the goods to get the underachieving French back among the world’s cycling elite.

Colombia had taken the race by the scruff of the neck for the first two thirds in a bid to defend Fabio Andres Duarte’s rainbow jersey from last year.

“I would have loved to keep the gold medal with Colombia,” said Betancur.

“We came here well prepared and determined to play a key role in the race.”

France, however, proved the strongest team on the day.

Sicard announced his aims, rather unintentionally, on the penultimate of the race’s 13 laps of a difficult 13.8km circuit when he pulled away with Dutchman Michel Kreder.

“We kind of pulled away just to see what the others would do. I didn’t actually feel too great at that point,” added Sicard.

Kreder eventually lagged behind early on the final lap as he and Sicard hit the steep slope of the Acquafresca climb, and from there the Frenchman went on solo for 10km over the Novazzano climb and on towards the finish line.

After their initial attack another Frenchman, Nicolas Edet, decided he wanted some of the action and went off in chase of the lead duo.

Struggling to close the gap on the second climb at Novazzano, Edet was soon joined by Silin.

At the summit Britain’s Peter Kennaugh came over in pursuit of the leaders only 20sec in arrears with a small bunch but the Isle of Man rider, second in the mountains classification at l’Avenir recently, was kept close in check.

Sicard and Kreder held a 30sec lead on an increasingly large chasing group at the bell signaling the final lap, but it didn’t take long for the Dutchman to struggle.

In their wake Edet was marking potential threats to his team leader, however the Frenchman was caught out when Silin and Betancur pulled away, stunning Kennaugh in the process.

The Briton launched a brave attempt to join the two chasers for a chance at a podium place, but came over the finish in fourth.

Men Under-23 Road race (179.4km)
1. Romain Sicard (FRA) 4hr 41min 54sec, 2. Carlos Alberto Betancur (COL) at 27sec, 3. Egor Silin (RUS) s.t., 4. Peter Kennaugh (GBR) 49, 5. Jerome Baugnies (BEL) 54, 6. Marko Kump (SLO) s.t., 7. Yevgeniy Nepomnyachshiy (KAZ) s.t., 8. Jose Cayetano Sarmiento (COL) s.t., 9. Matthias Brandle (AUT) 1:00, 10. Damiano Caruso (ITA) 1:33, 11. Alexandre Geniez (FRA) 1:38, 12. Christer Rake (NOR) s.t., 13. Jonathan Castroviejo (ESP) 1:40, 14. Sander Maasing (EST) s.t., 15. Nicolas Schnyder (SUI) s.t., 16. Arnaud Courteille (FRA) s.t., 17.
Nicolas Edet (FRA) s.t., 18. Adrian Honkisz (POL) s.t., 19. Peter Stetina
(USA) s.t., 20. Dominik Nerz (GER) s.t.
Selected: 25. Mark O’Brien (AUS) s.t., 37. Alex Meenhorst (NZL) 5:21

MENDRISIO, Switzerland, Sept 26, 2009 (AFP) – World cycling chief Pat McQuaid said the International Cycling Union (UCI) could do nothing to stop Alejandro Valverde from racing the world championships road race on Sunday.

Valverde is currently serving a two-year ban in Italy handed down by the country’s Olympic Committee (CONI).

But despite admitting he believed Valverde was implicated in the Operation Puerto scandal that erupted in May 2006, McQuaid said he would not extend that ban worldwide until the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) rules on two appeals later this year.

“We make the rules and we have to follow the rules, and for the moment Alejandro Valverde can race tomorrow,” UCI chief McQuaid said Saturday.

“If he wins the race I will give him the rainbow jersey.”

Valverde’s participation at the competition is tinged with controversy, if CONI is to be believed.

CONI allege that a blood sample taken from Valverde during last year’s Tour after it raced through Italy matches DNA from a blood bag seized during the Operation Puerto doping affair.

McQuaid also believes that to be the case, but said the UCI would not move to ban the Spaniard, who last week won the Tour of Spain, until CAS’s decisions.

CAS is currently studying two appeals.

The first is from Valverde protesting against his CONI ban, which meant he could not race this year’s Tour de France because it passed through the country.

The other is a joint appeal from the UCI and the World Anti Doping Agency
(WADA) asking CAS to force the Spanish cycling federation, which is supposed to act on any misconduct by their affiliated riders, to open a case against Valverde.

Complicating matters are two things.

The UCI cannot act against Valverde until the Spanish federation open a case against their rider, and CONI has not provided the UCI with the documents which, it alleges, prove that Valverde was a drugs cheat from Operation Puerto.

McQuaid said: “We’ve been dealing with CONI for a very long time and it’s true they’re not the easiest body to deal with.

“(But) we don’t have all the documents (from CONI), and we don’t know precisely on what basis they have decided to ban Valverde, so we’re not in a position to make any decision regarding him.”

However the Irishman, who was elected for a new four-year term on Friday,
said: “We’ve always stated that blood bag number 18 (from Operation Puerto) belonged to Valverde.

“But I don’t want to give my personal opinion on the matter.”

CONI president Giovanni Petrucci hit back at McQuaid, claiming he has sent all relevant documents to the UCI.

Petrucci also said in a statement: “I agree we’re not easy to deal with because we take our job seriously, and and apply the rules of WADA, and Italian law, with extreme rigor.”

Valverde, ironically, will start Sunday’s race with bib number 18.

He has been protesting his innocence ever since being linked, belatedly, to Operation Puerto – which notably led to Italy’s top star at the time, Ivan Basso, serving a two-year ban from the sport.

But it has been rumored that the Italians are acting to remove Valverde from the peloton as revenge for Basso.

UCI insiders indicated to Bicycle.net, under condition of anonymity, that they do not believe the Spaniard, considered one of the most talented one-day and one-week stage racers of his generation, has not been doping since the affair.

News of a doping ban for Valverde, however, would likely do no favors to Madrid’s bid to host the 2016 Olympics.

MENDRISIO, Switzerland, Sept 26, 2009 (AFP) – Italy’s Tatiana Guderzo made up for near misses at world and Olympic level by winning the women’s road race crown here at the world cycling championships on Saturday.

Dutchwoman Marianna Vos finished second to take the silver while another Italian, Noemi Cantele, took the bronze after they came over the finish line of the 124.2km race 19secs in arrears.

Guderzo, 25, finished second behind Judith Arndt at the worlds back in 2004 and also won bronze in the road race at the Beijing Olympics last year.

As well as making amends for those results, her first world road race title at elite level will give the Italian men a huge boost ahead of their road race, the blue riband event which closes the championships on Sunday.

Guderzo and Cantele had the advantage of both being at the forefront on the crucial final laps of the 13.8km circuit which, being raced nine times, featured two climbs, the Acquafresca after 4km and the Novazzano 2.6km from the finish.

And that gave Vos and a few other contenders whose teammates had been dropped a tactical mountain to climb.

“In the last lap there were four of us near the front and two Italians,” said Vos, who has now finished runner-up in the three years since winning the title as a 19-year-old in 2006. “I knew it would be difficult, and that they would attack one after the other.”

At the bell signaling the ninth and final lap Denmark’s Linda Villumsen, a bronze medal winner in the time trial earlier in the week, led a group of around 13 riders over the line with a four-second advantage.

But early on the final ascent of the Acquafresca, the Italians struck.

Guderzo pulled ahead early on the climb, forcing Vos and American Kristin Armstrong to pursue but with Cantele keeping close on their wheels.

Once Vos and Armstrong had used precious energy on the climb and caught Guderzo, the Italian put in a more powerful acceleration that allowed her to pull away and leave her rivals in her wake.

She never looked back, and with Cantele sitting back keeping an eye on Vos and Armstrong for counter-attacks the pair were in a no-win situation.

With barely three kilometers remaining after the summit of Novazzano, Guderzo held a 21sec lead on the chase group. She came over the finish to give Italy their first gold in the event since Marta Bastianelli won in 2007.

“It’s a dream come true,” said Guderzo, who picks up her first victory since winning the national title in June 2008.

“Our plan was to get to the final lap together and whoever was the weakest would work for the stronger rider.

“But the entire team were great. They helped control the race from the first laps.”

Vos easily beat Cantele in the race for second, with time trial champion Armstrong finishing fourth in what was her final race as a professional.

Defending champion Nicole Cooke of Britain pulled out just after the halfway stage.

The men race the same circuit Sunday, 19 times, for a total distance of 262.2km.

“It’s a hard circuit,” admitted Cantele.

“There’s few opportunities between the two climbs to get your breath back or feed yourself.”

Results Women Road race (124.2km)
1. Tatiana Guderzo (ITA) 3hr 33min 25sec (average: 34,917 km/h), 2.
Marianne Vos (NED) at 19sec, 3. Noemi Cantele (ITA) 19, 4. Kristin Armstrong
(USA) 19, 5. Diana Ziliute (LTU) 1:07, 6. Judith Arndt (GER) 1:07, 7. Erinne Willock (CAN) 1:07, 8. Nicole Brandli (SUI) 1:07, 9. Grace Verbeke (BEL) 1:07, 10. Catherine Cheatley (NZL) 1:07, 11. Emma Johansson (SWE) 1:07, 12. Ruth Corset (AUS) 1:07, 13. Edita Pucinskaite (LTU) 1:07, 14. Emma Pooley (GBR) 1:07, 15. Evelyn Stevens (USA) 1:07, 16. Linda Villumsen (DEN) 3:02, 17.
Paulina Brzezna (POL) 3:41, 18. Mara Abbott (USA) 4:51, 19. Claudia Hausler
(GER) 5:51, 20. Ana Garcia (ESP) 5:54