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Parent Category: Cycling Pro Road & Mtb

Category: News 2010

Published on Wednesday, 09 June 2010 17:10

Written by Luca Salvatelli

The Dauphiné concludes, the men prepare for Tour de Suisse, the women for Emakumeen Bira

08-Jun-2010: The Criterium du Dauphiné wraps up this weekend as two more stage-races begin this week, the Emakumeen Bira for the women’s team on Thursday, June 10 and the Tour de Suisse for the men on Saturday, June 12.

Men’s Team

The 2010 Tour de Suisse kicks off with a Prologue on Saturday, June 12 in Lugano. Then the race begins its eight-stage journey to Liestal where it finishes on Sunday, June 20 with an individual time trial. This year’s 74th edition of Tour de Suisse will be raced over 1,353 kilometers, the highest point being the 2,315 kilometer Albula Pass.

“The Tour de Suisse is something special for us because we are based in the heart of Switzerland in Lucerne,” said Sport Director and Swiss native Marcello Albasini. “The main goal for the team will be preparation for the Tour de France, especially for Thor Hushovd (NOR) and Heinrich Haussler (GER) both recovering from recent injuries. It will be Thor’s first race since breaking his collarbone in early May during training ride in Italy. If we see a possibility, we will certainly try to win a stage but this is not our main focus right now. Unfortunately, our Swiss rider Marcel Wyss received stitches in his knee at the GP Gippingen. However he will start at the Tour de Suisse with kind of a free role and a focus on a strong overall GC ranking. Marcel has provided some amazing performances this season at the Tour de Romandie and in last month’s Giro d’Italia.”

Women’s Team

Following another win at the World Cup in Spain and the one-day race Durango - Durango, the women’s team continue their Spanish racing quest as they take part in the Emakumeen Bira, a five stage event, that begins on Thursday, June 10 in the Basque Country in northern Spain.

“The team will support Claudia Häusler (GER) and Carla Ryan (AUS) that have an eye on the overall ranking,” said Egon van Kessel, Sports Director of the Cervélo TestTeam. “Last year, Claudia was close with the second place in the overall maybe she can do more this year. But all in all the team will do their best to match the great results of the women’s team in the last few weeks and try to have the ideal preparation for the Giro Donne.”

Rider update: Carlos Sastre

After receiving the results of his MRI this morning, Carlos Sastre learned the real extent of his back injury, resulting from the two crashes in this year’s Giro d’Italia. Sastre is suffering from a posterior spinal disc herniation and a central extruded disc of the L5S1 vertebra. This injury will influence whether he participates in the coming Tour de France or not. “What I do know right now is that, in theory, I have time to recover and be ready to ride in the Tour,” explained Sastre, “but I don’t want to obsess about participating in it. The most important thing is my health and to be able to do my job in normal conditions.”

10-06-13-06 Iurreta-Emakumeen Bira (ESP) 2.1

Riders Elizabeth Armitstead (GBR)

Charlotte Becker (GER)

Lieselot Decroix (BEL)

Claudia Häusler (GER)

Carla Ryan (AUS)

Patricia Schwager (SUI)

Sports Director Egon van Kessel (NED)

Stages

10.06.10 Stage 1 Iurreta - Iureeta 84.6 km

11.06.10 Stage 2 Lekeitio - Lekeitio 93.0 km

12.06.10 Stage 3a Elorrio - Elgeta 5.9 km (ITT)

12.06.10 Stage 3b Iurreta - Zuia 78.7 km

13.06.10 Stage 4 Orduna - Orduna 126.0 km

12-06-20-06 Tour de Suisse (SUI) UPT

Riders Philip Deignan (IRL)

Xavier Florencio (ESP)

Heinrich Haussler (GER)

Jeremy Hunt (GBR)

Thor Hushovd (NOR)

Andreas Klier (GER)

Brett Lancaster (AUS)

Marcel Wyss (SUI)

Sports Director Marcello Albasini (SUI)

Jean-Paul Van Poppel (NED)

Stages

12.06.10 Stage 1 Lugano - Lugano 7.6 km (ITT)

13.06.10 Stage 2 Ascona - Sierr 167.5 km

14.06.10 Stage 3 Sierre - Schwarzenburg 196.6 km

15.06.10 Stage 4 Schwarzenburg - Wettingen 192.2 km

16.06.10 Stage 5 Wettingen - Frutigen 172.5 km

17.06.10 Stage 6 Meiringen - La Punt 213.3 km

18.06.10 Stage 7 Savognin - Wetzikon 204.1 km

19.06.10 Stage 8 Wetzikon - Liestal 172.4 km

20.06.10 Stage 9 Liestal - Liestal 26.9 km