Cycling Pro Road & Mtb

BMC Racing Team Awarded UCI Wild Card For 2010, ...

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Parent Category: Cycling Pro Road & Mtb

Category: News 2010

Published on Thursday, 14 January 2010 07:12

Written by Marcella Crisanti

BMC Racing Team Awarded UCI Wild Card For 2010

The BMC Racing Team learned Monday it has been granted Wild Card status for the 2010 season by the International Cycling Union (UCI).

The decision by the UCI's license committee earns the U.S.-registered professional continental team the right to be invited to races on both the UCI ProTour schedule and the Historic Monuments of Cycling calendar.

Once again

BMC Racing Team President Jim Ochowicz expressed appreciation to the UCI for once again granting the team Wild Card status that has previously allowed it to participate in a number of high-profile races, including Paris-Roubaix, the Tour de Romandie and the Dauphiné Libéré. "This was critical to fulfilling our central goals, not only for 2010 but also into the future," Ochowicz said. "It paves the way for an ambitious schedule of racing that will expose even more people to the BMC Racing Team and our outstanding line-up of sponsors."

Ready for the first event

In 2009, the UCI created the World Calendar, which brought together UCI ProTour events and the "Historic Monuments of Cycling" races. A total of 28 events comprise the 2010 calendar, 17 on the ProTour and 11 in the Historic division. The Santos Tour Down Under is the first event on the 2010 UCI ProTour road calendar. BMC's participation in the race (Jan. 19-24) in Australia was contingent upon it receiving the Wild Card. Director Sportif John Lelangue, who is on-site in Adelaide with the seven-member squad that will contest the race, said being able to showcase riders like current world road champion Cadel Evans and U.S. road champion George Hincapie in the world's most prestigious races is a plus for both the team and cycling fans alike.

Competitive in every race

"We expect to be competitive in every race we enter, whether it's a one-day classic, a one-week stage race or a Grand Tour," Lelangue said. "All the pieces are in place for this team to get the most out of its talent - be it in Europe, the United States or anywhere in the world." Teams undergoing review for Wild Card status had to meet strict quality criteria in a number of areas: sporting (results, squad members);legal (respect of regulations), financial (rigorous management, accountability) and ethical (management and anti-doping initiatives). As a Wild Card team, BMC will participate in the UCI's biological passports program by contributing to the funding of the project and providing whereabouts documentation for testing riders.

Triathlon World Champion Terenzo Bozzone signs with Felt

Felt Bicycles is pleased to announce the addition of 2008 Ironman 70.3 World Champion Terenzo Bozzone to its lineup of talented Olympic and World Champion triathletes. The 24-year-old New Zealander will ride Felt bikes, including the DA triathlon bike and AR aerodynamic road bike, in 2010 and beyond.

“After visiting the company and speaking with Jim Felt and the rest of the crew, I had no doubt Felt was the place I wanted to be,” Bozzone said. “Felt’s track record of producing aerodynamically superior bikes is second to none, and I’m confident I will be on the best possible bikes and well looked after.”

Bozzone already has dozens of major victories to his name, including the 2008 70.3 Half Ironman World Championship title. Born in South Africa and raised in New Zealand, Bozzone has seen success at every level of multisport competition. As a junior athlete, fresh out of high school, he won the Men’s Under-20 Duathlon World Championships in 2001 and 2002, and the Under-20 Men’s Triathlon world titles in 2002 and 2003.

In the following years Bozzone chalked up elite category wins at nearly every major half-Ironman. In 2008, he dominated the Ironman 70.3 series, winning in Kansas, Idaho and California, before taking the 70.3 world title in Florida.

“Terenzo is a fantastic talent and we couldn’t be more pleased he is choosing Felt Bicycles to help take him to the next level of his career,” said Felt company namesake Jim Felt. “He’s a proven winner, and the sky is the limit for this young athlete.”

Having conquered 70.3 competition, Bozzone is now turning his attention to full Ironmandistance competition. His transition to the longer format got off to a solid start last March when he finished second at his first full Ironman in New Zealand.

Bozzone competed at the Hawaii Ironman World Championships for the first time last October and despite suffering badly on the run he finished 11th, showing great promise. “I am really enjoying competing over the full distance races and I think I have gained a great deal of experience this past year,” Bozzone said.

For 2010, Bozzone plans to continue competing in key 70.3 events, while also focusing more on the Ironman events. “My main goals are to get an Ironman title under my belt and win a couple 70.3 races,” he said. “And a top-five in Kona would top off the year for me. Long term, I aim to be the best triathlete in the world, and the most recognized triathlon is Kona.”

Bozzone joins a talented roster of Felt-sponsored triathletes in 2010 including Australian Michellie Jones and American Tim DeBoom—both two-time Ironman World Champions—as well as current Olympic champions Emma Snowsill (Australia) and Jan Frodeno (Germany).

Top Belgian ‘Crossers target Rutland!!

The absence of a professional ‘cross race in Belgium this coming weekend due to the proximity of the World Cup at Roubaix has proved to be to the advantage of the National Trophy race at Rutland, with last weeks Belgian Championship fourth placed rider Rob Peeters and 13th placed Kenneth van Copernolle now offering the target for Britains’ top riders to face on the snow covered Rutland Water based course.

Race organiser Colin Clews explained: “ In Belgium the selections for the World Championships at the end of January were made after last week National Championships but well after the selection for the Cyclo-cross World cup race in Roubaix this coming weekend. As  a consequence several riders who are now going to the Worlds race have found themselves without a race this weekend in Belgium as no organiser there was willing to promote on the same day as the World Cup event just on their southern border. So, with the choice of travelling or being without a race several of the top Belgians have therefore asked and been accepted to come to Rutland. To say I am delighted is an understatement, and to put it into context when I received the call from Rob last night, I felt like a village football club secretary reciving a call from David Beckham asking if he could come and play on our meagre pitch!! Whilst we do not view the Rutland venue at the idyllic Rutland Water Park as anything other than ‘meagre’, it is great to have such riders as Rob and Kenneth, as well as Ben Berden riding our track.’

The programme for Sunday at the beautiful Rutland Water venue, provided by Anglian Water gets underway at 10.30 with the Juniors and Womens race with the Elite Men’s race with all the top visitors starting at 14.15 for one hour of furious racing.

Quick Step Cycling Team-Iljo Keisse gives his team their first success of the year

At the end of a spectacular last night of competition, Iljo Keisse  paired with Dutchman Danny Stam won the Rotterdam 6 Days, giving team QUICK STEP their first official victory for 2010. “Winning this race wasn’t easy - explains Keisse - The competition was fierce, there were no less than 6 teams remaining in the last night for final victory. The contest became even more complicated on Friday evening when Danny and I fell. As a result we had to fight race after race, staying intensely concentrated.  However, this  made our victory even sweeter.  I’m happy and proud that I’ve also won the first race of the season for team QUICK STEP. I hope this is a good omen for important victories to come for the entire team in 2010. Now I’m looking forward to the 6 Days at Bremen where I’ll be riding paired with Robert Bartko. We already won this race together in  2008.  A repeat would be wonderful.”

GENERAL CLASSIFICATION

1 Keisse Iljo-Stam Danny 295 pnts

2. Bruno Risi-Franco Marvulli 284 pnts

3 Morkov Michael-Rasmussen Alex 267 pnts(1 lap)

4 Lampater Leif/Van Bon Leon 251 pnts(1 lap)

5. Schep Peter - Bos Theo 226 pnts(1 lap)