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Team Sky soigneur dies in hospital
Team Sky officials have confirmed that soigneur Txema Gonzalez has died in Seville, five days after he was taken to hospital with a virus that developed into a sepsis blood infection. Team principal Dave Brailsford said: "We are devastated to report that Txema tragically passed away on Friday evening in hospital in Seville. His close family were with him." Brailsford paid tribute to the friendly 43 year-old Spaniard, adding: "Txema will be remembered as a warm-hearted colleague who ...Team Sky soigneur dies as consequence of virus
Team Sky officials have confirmed that masseur Txema Gonzalez has died in Seville, five days after he was taken to hospital with a virus that has swept through the team during the Vuelta a Espana. Spain's Juan Antonio Flecha was forced to abandon the Vuelta during Friday’s seventh stage, South Africa's John Lee Augustyn and Britain's Ben Swift pulled out on stage three and other riders and staff have been affected. The Vuelta director general, Javier Guillen told Spanish public television ...Cancellara laughs about being 3 million euro man
On the start line of stage 7 at the Vuelta a España on the Miguel Indurain avenue in Murcia, Fabian Cancellara had a big laugh at being dubbed "the 3 million euro man". It was reported in the media yesterday that team Saxo Bank owner Bjarne Riis was prepared to let another team buy out his contract for the somewhat ridiculous price of 3 million euros. Cancellara has one more year on his contract with the Danish outfit, but he has been courted by several other teams. He said ...Fignon laid to rest in Paris cemetery
Friends and family of Laurent Fignon said their final goodbyes on Friday as the French cycling great was laid to rest in a Paris crematorium. The two-time Tour de France winner succumbed to cancer earlier this week at the age of 50. His family announced that in lieu of flowers it would appreciate donations to the ICM Institute, a Paris research facility specializing in brain and spinal cord disorders. The funeral was attended by some of cycling's elites, including Bernard Hinualt, Sean Kelly, Alain ...Spain names long list for world championships
Alberto Contador will again miss the world championships but Spanish national coach Jose Luis de Santos has named a long-list of 21 other riders who are all under consideration for the team. Luis Leon Sanchez of Caisse d'Epargne, the current Spanish national time trial champion, has been named for the time trial, with the second rider to be selected after the Vuelta a Espana. Oscar Freire (Rabobank) and one other unnamed rider are set to lead the team for the Elite men's road race on October 3, ...Bennati chasing sprinter's role for world championships
Italian sprinter Daniele Bennati has suffered with illness and injury for the last two years but showed he is back on form with second place behind Thor Hushovd at the Vuelta a Espana on Thursday The 29 year-old Tuscan missed both the Giro d'Italia and the Tour de France but hopes to hit his best form during the Vuelta and secure a place in the Italian nine-rider squad for the world championships in Melbourne. Italian coach Paolo Bettini faces the dilemma of whether to include a strong sprinter ...Nys hopes for top ten in mountain bike worlds
Sven Nys is Belgium's only representative in the men's elite race at the mountain bike world championship cross-country race on Saturday, and he is aiming for a top ten finish. Nys is better known as a cyclo-cross rider, having won the Belgian national title seven times and the world title once. But he has also won the Belgian national mountain bike title twice, and finished ninth in the 2008 Olympics in Beijing. “I have already proved that I can place in the top ten in the World Cup,” ...Visconti continues to dominate UCI's Europe Tour rankings
Giovanni Visconti of the ISD-Neri team continues to dominate the UCI's Europe Tour rankings after increasing his lead with further strong performances in August. The 27-year-old won the ranking last year and has led this year's rankings since winning the overall title in the Presidential Tour of Turkey. His successes include the Italian national road championship title. He will ride the Giro della Romagna one-day race on Sunday and hopes to secure a leading role in the Italian national team at the ...Van Hummel to stay with Skil-Shimano in 2011
Kenny Van Hummel has decided to stay with Skil-Shimano for another year. The popular Dutch rider announced his decision Friday morning on Twitter. “After a period of orientation, conversating and good thinking I have made up my mind and agreed to stay at Skil-Shimano for another year!,” the 27-year-old tweeted, in his descriptive, if not perfect, English. Van Hummel has been with the Dutch Professional Continental team since 2006. He has two victories to his name this season, having ...BikeNZ announces men?s Worlds long list
BikeNZ has named its men’s long list for this month’s UCI Road World Championships in Geelong, Australia, with its big-named ProTour riders leading the charge for medals. Riders in contention for the elite men’s team include Julian Dean (Garmin Transitions), Hayden Roulston (HTC Columbia) and Greg Henderson (Team Sky), while former Dane Linda Villumsen and USA Cycling National Racing Calendar champion Cath Cheatley will lead the women’s squad. “This is probably the ...Killer course for Canadian ProTour events
Grand Prix Cycliste ProTour sporting manager Charly Mottet believes that the courses for Canada's two ProTour events will be one of the toughest in professional cycling's premier series. For 14 years Mottet was race director of the Critérium du Dauphiné Libéré stage race in France, a traditional warm-up event for the Tour de France, so he's very familiar with the construction of testing circuits that offer plenty for riders and fans alike. His role came after a successful ...Eurobike 2010: Cyclingnews' complete coverage
With Eurobike now firmly cementing its status as the world's most important bicycle trade show, this year's 19th running will bring a record-setting 1,090 exhibitors, 35,000 dealers, and 1,500 journalists into a massive 100,000m2 (1.08m ft2) exhibition space in Friedrichshafen, Germany. Kicking things off will be a one-day demo event in nearby Austria where we'll be able to ride firsthand some of the coming season's newest gear, followed by three days indoors and even a public day on Saturday. While ...Freire falters in Murcia
Rabobank's Oscar Freire couldn't contest yesterday's sprint finish in Murcia after breathing difficulties forced the veteran fast man into 120th place, over 10 minutes behind stage winner Thor Hushovd (Cervélo TestTeam). "It was a bad day for me," Freire told Europa Press after the finish. "I was not breathing well and I realised that it wasn't happening for me - unfortunately today was a stage for me. "It was clear that I noticed straight away that I didn't feel good; ...Pozzato fancies Italian leadership at Worlds
Filippo Pozzato is hoping he won't be wearing the regular Katusha uniform for longer than the duration of the Vuelta a España. Whilst he doesn't sport the Italian national champion's jersey anymore, there's another he'd like to don - the rainbow stripes of world champion. "My form is good," said the newly-mustachioed Italian prior to the start of stage six in Caravaca de la Cruz. "I'm getting better and better. In the first two hilly finishes I was up there helping Joaquin ...Cancellara on sale for ?3 million?
Saxo Bank team boss Bjarne Riis may be willing to let one of his top riders out of his contract, but if anyone wants time trial world champion Fabian Cancellara, it will come at the steep price of €3 million. The French newspaper L'Equipe reported today that Riis has not come out and stated that he would hold Cancellara to the remaining year of his contract with Saxo Bank, but said that any team wishing to buy him out would have to fork over the sum, equivalent to the budget of some ...Choices lie ahead for Ferrand Prevot
Pauline Ferrand Prevot is used to winning, both on and off road. The French woman earned her second consecutive junior cross country world mountain bike championship on Wednesday at Mont-Saint-Anne, Quebec, Canada. It was also her second world title of the year; earlier this season she won the junior women's road race world championships. Wednesday marked her first time competing in Canada and the petite racer, with a long blond braid, smiled and patiently answered reporters' questions while beaming ...Murcia win tips Hushovd's hand for Worlds
While Norwegian Thor Hushovd has not been able to beat the world's top sprinters this season, he still proved he has what it takes to win in the Vuelta a España's sixth stage to Murcia. By surviving the category 2 ascent of the Alto de la Cresta del Gallo with 17km to go, Hushovd also proved he could be a prime favourite at the world championships in Melbourne in one month's time. It was the third Vuelta stage of his career, with today's win adding to one in Cuenca (2005) and Leon in 2006. ...Thomas withdraws from Great Britain's world championship team
British national road race champion Geraint Thomas has withdrawn from the Great Britain team for the road world championships in Melbourne due to tiredness after an intense season of racing with Team Sky. He finished second behind Thor Hushovd on stage three of the Tour de France that covered the cobbles used in Paris-Roubaix, and wore the best young rider's white jersey for four days. The 24-year-old Welshman was named as one of two riders to support Mark Cavendish's bid for the world title but ...Team Sky working to strengthen squad for 2011
Team Sky principal Dave Brailsford has admitted that the British team is looking to strengthen its line-up for 2011 but has refused to reveal the names any of the riders he is currently negotiating with. "We're doing our business behind closed doors this year. Last year there was a lot of speculation about which riders we were going to sign and it became counter-productive," Brailsford told Cyclingnews . "People shouldn't think we're not in the market for good riders. We are. But ...On the start line in Caravaca de Cruz
While yesterday's stage was a day for the sprinters, with Tyler Farrar (Garmin-Transitions) timing his finishing kick to perfection to top Koldo Fernandez (Euskaltel-Euskadi) and Mark Cavendish (HTC-Columbia) in Lorca, today's 151km sixth stage from Caravaca de Cruz to Murcia contains a sting in the tail which should rule out the peloton's fast men. While the profile of the stage is predominantly flat, the category two Alto de la Cresta del Gallo ascent looms with 17.4km to the finish. The tricky, ...Riccò to make Vacansoleil debut at the Giro della Romagna
Riccardo Riccò will make his debut with his new Vacansoleil squad, at the Giro della Romagna one-day race in Italy on Sunday. The 27-year-old ended his contract with the Ceramica-Flaminia squad last month in order to ink a two-year deal with the Dutch team. He will be joined by fellow Italians Matteo Carrara, Alberto Ongarato and Marco Marcato for the 211.7km-long circuit around the towns of Lugo and Faenza Also on the roster will be Uzbek Sergey Lagutin, Slovenian Borut Bozic and Pole and ...Gilbert to get new contract if he wins the world title
Philippe Gilbert's contract with Omega Pharma-Lotto will be modified “instantly” if he should win the world championship, the team has said. The Belgian ProTour team does not want to risk losing a second world champion, after Cadel Evans left the team last year after taking the title in Mendrisio. Gilbert is currently leading the Vuelta a Espana, going into his third day in the leader's red jersey. The Belgian has traditionally performed best late in the season, and is one of the favourites ...Intestinal virus knocks Eisel out of Vuelta and possibly Worlds
The intestinal virus that forced Bernhard Eisel of HTC-Columbia out of the Vuelta a España may also take him out of this year's world championships. The Austrian rider said that it might now be too difficult to get into shape for the road race in Melbourne the beginning of October. “Going to the Worlds without racing, that doesn't make any sense,” Eisel told the APA news agency. Eisel, 29, abandoned early in the fourth stage of the Vuelta, suffering from diarrhoea, vomiting ...Sanchez changes tack to fill Valverde's shoes
While Carlos Sastre started the Vuelta a España having done only 51 days of racing this season (including the Giro d'Italia and Tour de France), his compatriot Luis Leon Sanchez already had 70 days under his belt when the race kicked off from Seville last Saturday. The Caisse d'Epargne rider started the year in Australia with a stage win at the Santos Tour Down Under in January. He compiled six wins as he added the individual time trial of the Volta ao Algarve in February, stage one and the ...Bos back at Rabobank
Following the announcement that the Cervélo TestTeam would disband at season's end, Theo Bos has returned to Rabobank, where he began his career on the road at the beginning of 2009. The 27-year-old has signed a two-year contract to ride for the Dutch ProTour team, having spent this season riding for Cervélo, to which he moved at the end of 2009. He quickly rose to prominence on the road at the Prémio de Abertura in February last year, which he won whilst riding for the Rabobank ...
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Italy preview quotes - McLaren, BMW Sauber, Mercedes GP & more
With average speeds of 250 km/h and top speeds of 340km/h, Monza is one of the quickest circuits on the Formula One calendar, as well as one of the oldest. Also home to the Tifosi, the track isn't short on atmosphere either. The drivers and team members explain why they love Monza and discuss their prospects for the Italian Grand Prix…Stereophonics to headline F1 Rocks™ in Italy
Next weekend's Italian Grand Prix will see the return of F1 Rocks™ to the Formula One scene with a headline performance from international rock sensations The Stereophonics. The Welsh band will be supported by emerging singing talent Ben Montague at the concert, which will be held on Saturday night. “F1 Rocks™ is undoubtedly the most exciting event platform and could only be possible with the global spectacular that is Formula One,” said Rob Montague, chairman of Enterprise Entertainment, the organiser of F1 Rocks. “The Stereophonics headlining our show is very exciting. Milan's Formula One heritage and status as a fashion and style capital makes it a perfect place for F1 Rocks™.”Peter Sauber Q&A: Team funding well set for 2011
BMW Sauber's 2010 campaign got off to a slow start, but with Kamui Kobayashi once again finishing in the points in Belgium, the team's renaissance shows no sign of flagging. To add to the optimism at Hinwil, team principal Peter Sauber is certain that after some tough financial times a healthy level of funding for 2011 is now secure. As to where that funding will come from, Sauber is tight-lipped…Colin Kolles Q&A: Yamamoto set to retain HRT seat
After only launching their car in the week before the season opener in Bahrain, it was never going to be an easy debut year for new team HRT. But with the Spanish squad continually improving, team principal Colin Kolles is satisfied with the progress they have made so far. Kolles also seems pleased with driver Sakon Yamamoto, who initially filled in for Bruno Senna at June's British Grand Prix. Yamamoto has since replaced Karun Chandhok at three races, and it appears Kolles sees no reason to make any more changes in the near future…Jenson Button Q&A: Battling on after Spa's missed opportunity
Last weekend's Belgian Grand Prix was a bittersweet affair for McLaren's Jenson Button. Sweet because the MP4-25 was back in fine form for most of the weekend, but crushingly bitter because Button's own hopes of a second-placed finish ended after Red Bull's Sebastian Vettel collided with him following a misjudged overtaking manoeuvre. Forced to watch team mate Lewis Hamilton clinch an outstanding victory and the standings lead as his own title hopes diminished didn't help the Briton's mood either. In an interview with his official website, Button reviews the Spa race and pledges to come back stronger at Monza…Pirelli ahead of schedule after French test
Pirelli's preparations to return to Formula One racing in 2011 as the sport's sole tyre supplier continued apace this week, thanks to a successful test at France's Paul Ricard circuit. The firm's official test driver Nick Heidfeld was again on track following his debut outing for the tyre manufacturer in Italy at Mugello last month. Heidfeld spent the two-day test behind the wheel of a Toyota TF109, which was fitted with Pirelli's latest Formula One tyres. The German continued the development programme, working on both constructions and compounds. With the performance, consistency and reliability of the new rubber fully matching expectations, Pirelli were well-satisfied.The Secret Life of Jarno Trulli
He's Italian but he's never driven for Ferrari; his first - and only - F1 victory came at Monaco, 2004; he has raised almost 670,000 Euros for Abruzzo since a devastating earthquake hit the region in April 2009; and he owns a vineyard. These are some of the things you probably know about Jarno Trulli. Now find out a few you don't, in the latest installment of our Secret Life series…Youngest-ever test driver in action for Lotus
Lotus made history on Wednesday, fielding the youngest-ever Formula One test driver. Sixteen year-old Malaysian Nabil Jeffri, who is a member of the AirAsia ASEAN driver development programme, undertook a day of aero testing and pit-stop practice on behalf of the team at Duxford's Imperial War Museum runway in the UK...Lewis Hamilton Q&A: I'm targeting victory in Monza too
Although he almost lost it all after momentarily going off track in the rain, McLaren's Lewis Hamilton eventually cruised to a well-deserved victory in Belgium on Sunday. Added to his 2008 Silverstone and Monte Carlo triumphs, Hamilton has almost a complete set of wins at the calendar's 'classic' venues. Next on the British driver's agenda is Monza. And with the MP4-25 expected to be equally strong at next weekend's Italian Grand Prix, he may not have long to wait, as he explained in an interview with his official website…Austin circuit layout revealed
Race organisers for the forthcoming United States Grand Prix in Austin, Texas, have released a draft layout of the new circuit that will stage the event from 2012, when Formula One racing returns to the country for the first time in five years. Working with renowned track architect Hermann Tilke, organisers Full Throttle Productions LP have drawn inspiration from the best circuits around the world, as well as taking advantage of the site's natural topography to include some dramatic elevation changes...Alonso: Ferrari's fortunes must improve at Monza
He arrived at Ferrari amid much fanfare, but Fernando Alonso has endured more downs than ups during a fraught 2010 season. However, as the dust settles on a particularly tough Belgian Grand Prix, Alonso is determined to stay positive ahead of the Italian team's home event at Monza next weekend - a race he says could prove critical to his dwindling title hopes. After qualifying down in 10th, the Spaniard's Spa-Francorchamps event was further hampered by first-lap contact with the Williams of Rubens Barrichello and then an early tyre choice mistake. When the rain eventually returned, he crashed out of the race on Lap 38.Petronas extends Malaysian race sponsorship
Petronas have signed an agreement with the Formula One Group to extend the national oil and gas corporation's title sponsorship of the Malaysian round of the FIA Formula One World Championship for another five years. Under the extended partnership, Petronas will continue to hold the title sponsorship rights as well as extensive advertising, branding and promotional benefits for the event until 2015. The partnership will provide Petronas the opportunity to continue leveraging on Formula One's massive global appeal to build and support its international business expansion efforts as well as position Malaysia as a major sporting and tourism destination.Kubica thrilled to be fighting at the front for Renault
Renault's Robert Kubica is in a buoyant mood after clinching his third podium of the year at Sunday's Belgian Grand Prix. Although he could have finished in second if he hadn't made a mistake during his final pit stop, Kubica left Spa-Francorchamps feeling pleased with his third-place finish and the performance of his R30, which was running with an F-duct system for the first time. “It was a really incredible race, but also a difficult race because of the changeable conditions and it was very easy to make mistakes,” he said in his blog on Renault's official website. “I didn't make any big mistakes on the track, but unfortunately I made one in the pit lane, which cost me second place.F1 in Schools gears up for 2010 World Finals
Students from around the world are putting the finishing touches to their model Formula One cars ahead of the 2010 F1 in Schools World Finals, which will be held in Singapore next month. The global educational challenge, which is privileged to have the support of the Formula One fraternity, draws together the best young engineers, business minds and designers, as they compete for the coveted Bernie Ecclestone World Champions trophy as well as Automotive and Motorsport Engineering scholarships to City University London.Work on Korean circuit nears completion
With the inaugural Korean Grand Prix just under two months away, race organisers have released a set of images of the brand-new Yeongam track. The Asian country will host its first Formula One event from October 22-24. The Korea International Circuit, which is 90 percent complete, will hold a special event this weekend to mark the 50-day countdown to the Korean Grand Prix. 'Circuit Run 2010' will include a demonstration run by Indian driver Karun Chandhok in Red Bull's show car.
Formula One feed courtesy of Formula1.com
