Podium Cafe

MSR Week: Sizing Up the Sprinters

2010-03-16T22:02:29Z

I don't have a great deal to say about Tirreno-Adriatico, since it's a training event and since Gavia won Italy in the custody battle. Except this: is there another stage race in the world where the stages overshadow the overall? Le Due Mari features some really excellent stage battles... and I couldn't care less about Garzelli versus Scarponi. No time trial, smallish climbs (the race's hallmark, really), and again, it's a training race, except to the guys at the head of the field coming into the finishing town. Then it was truly game on.

Which is why today's sprint seemed so important. The sprinting crowd was very much in effect at T-A, and yet there had only been a couple true sprint finishes before today, where a bunch gallop was a virtual lock: long, flat run-in, sprinters getting tired of missing out on the action, seventh day of cold, wet racing which would tend to diminish the mental and physical state of someone looking to try a long solo effort. It was business time.

Now, my shtick (several years running) on Milano-Sanremo is that anyone can win, in a variety of ways. The climbers can attack on the Cipressa or more likely the Poggio. The all-rounders can sneak away on the descent into San Remo. Italy breeds a whole separate class of riders -- climbers who can sprint -- seemingly engineered for this terrain. Then there's the effect of 300km in the legs, which can scramble the conventional wisdom.

But for now, let's put aside the Garzellis and Pozzatos and focus for now on sizing up the sprinting peloton for the main course, La Primavera.

Edvald Boasson Hagen, Sky

Form Indicator: Well, he just dusted Alessandro Petacchi in Italy on a nice, flat run-in. Other than beating Mark Cavendish in the Madison or Shaun White in the halfpipe, I don't know what he has left to prove.

Team: The Silverbacks were in charge today, beating Lampre and Liquigas to the front of the bunch. Surely this made all the difference: Petacchi had to come around (and couldn't), Farrar got boxed in, and I'd have to rewind the tape to figure out where Bennati disappeared to. The lack of a Columbia presence at the front has thrown the pack into chaos, and Sky have as decent a chance to fill the vacuum and establish some order as the next team. Barry, Sutton, Henderson and Flecha (if he's not freelancing) are all cool-handed veterans.

Obstacle: Boasson Hagen hasn't done a 300km race as the leader of a pro team. I'm sure he can survive, as he did last year in service of Cavendish, but will he have the same blinding speed after that distance? Will he manage to fight to the front after the long ride and the Capes and Cipressa and Poggio?

Survey Says? Odds-on favorite right now. By Friday he will have been declared the winner in advance. Eddy is saying he's not as sure. Neither am I.

Carry on...

Alessandro Petacchi, Lampre

Form Indicator: Can't complain, really. He has four wins, though all B-list quality, and only a pair of seconds in T-A, losing to Bennati in stage 3. As a former winner, that may be close enough in the absence of a true, flawless favorite.

Team: Lampre had one guy with him today. There's a lot I don't like about this team, but surely they can get around Liguria just fine, thanks.

Obstacle: He won MSR in 2005, on the heels of three stage wins in T-A. In short, he was on fire. When he has been less than completely on fire, he hasnt' won here.

Survey Says? Top five. Probably no better.

Mark Cavendish, HTC-Columbia

Form Indicator: Dead last today after falling with 8km to go. More distressing, however, has been the fact that he couldn't get to the front of any race. By this time last year he had five wins in his pocket, including the T-A finale. Clearly he's not just super-sandbagging, he is not in shape yet. And all this because of bad teeth. Insert Simpsons joke. You have to wonder if they shouldn't call up Greipel and tell him to haul ass to Milan. Just in case.

Team: They're the industry standard for leadouts, though only if there's someone behind them to actually, you know, be led out.

Obstacle: I don't want to be unfair -- he's been off his bike. Even Lars Boom would look like crap now if he were unable to train. Cav will get there soon and make amends.

Survey Says? Look on the bright side, he needs training miles, right?

Tyler Farrar, Garmin-Transitions

Form Indicator: Like Petacchi, no complaints. He hasn't scored the big win, like last year, so I wouldn't assume either he or his squad are fully confident about their chances. But I am fairly sure that if you asked him how his form is, he would say (truthfully) that he feels fine. Just waiting for things to click.

Team: Not a great week for the Gar-Men. With Dean, Hunter, Maaskant and Van Summeren all on hand, you would think/hope that one of their primary objectives for the week was to fire up the leadout machine. Not that anyone should confuse this with Qatar, but where there were sprints, Farrar was mostly on his own, trying to grab the wheel of whoever had the hot hand. The window is open for Garmin to move up and form their train, but Cavendish will be in shape soon, Columbia will get reorganized, and the window may just slam shut.

Obstacle: Newness. He crashed out last year, in his first participation. Things can only get better, no?

Survey Says? I would be surprised, but not shocked.

Tom Boonen, Quick Step

Form Indicator: The guy is a beast. Boonen has picked his spots judiciously, like a veteran on good form and not looking to squander it. He's got four wins, including the only stage he really contested in Tirreno.

Team: No less professional than the others. He doesn't do big leadouts, but Tosatto and Velo are on hand for that, with Chavanel and Barredo looking vaguely threatening to any team that locks exclusively on Tommeke's wheel.

Obstacle: Not only has the win eluded him, even in his biggest years (2004-06), he hadn't even won a race in Italy before the stage win last Friday. CrAzY, I know. But '06 and '07 were the only years where Boonen contested the finale, and he has a 3rd and 4th to show for it.

Survey Says? My pick to win. Name a monument that is within reach and that he hasn't already won? He'll go all out this time.

Thor Hushovd, Cervelo Test Team

Form Indicator: Good question. Apparently he wasn't feeling well this week. Cervelo really can't buy a break so far this year. "A little sick" might not sound like much, but this race will be won by whoever has snappier legs after nearly 300km. Not by someone battling a virus.

Team: The usual array of hardened vets: Hammond, Klier, Hunt, etc. Least of their problems.

Obstacle: MSR has never been overly kind to Hushovd, with only a pair of thirds over the years, though you would think otherwise. He's a sprinter who can handle his bike and pour on the wattage for long periods of time. The odd climb isn't necessarily death to his chances. I would have to guess that there's never been anything holding him back (when properly fit); just other guys being a shade better.

Survey Says? Forget it. If he's not in perfect health, he's toast.

Daniele Bennati, Liquigas

Form Indicator: Good enough. His win over Petacchi this week should put the doubters to rest, or at least turn the volume down some.

Team: Liquigas were all over the front today at 2km but never got organized. Bennati himself drifted back 70 places. No matter; they have carried a lot of water this week on two fronts. You can't not like this team right now.

Obstacle: Does he believe he can win? Or something like that. There is an inside-baseball story someplace that I don't have on why Daniele Bennati is a great sprinter but doesn't win more.

Survey Says? Meh. Top ten, if it's a sprint.

Oscar Freire, Rabobank

Form Indicator: Unlike his rivals, Freire spent no time in Italy putting his nose into the wind. His DS Frans Maassen called him the "main man" for MSR, and with no indicator of trouble, I would hesitate to argue.

Team: The eternal question: will it all click for Rabo? Well, it has twice before, and this Rabo team, while greener, is long on wattage. Lopex's image of Boom thundering home in leadout for Freire is a compelling one. Whether we will ever see it is another matter.

Obstacle: Nothing. Certainly not the hills, or experience, or his team, or his health. Someone better?

Survey Says? Top three likely.

Matti Breschel, Saxo Bank

Form Indicator: I can't find any indication that there's anything wrong, so I will assume that, despite no intriguing results, Breschel is all ready for Saturday.

Team: Fabian Cancellara is either an ideal teammate or a huge obstacle, depending on whether the 2008 winner has designs of his own on victory. Otherwise, the usual, ultra-professional outfit.

Obstacle: Breschel's history at MSR in no way indicates that he's got a chance to win.

Survey Says? Meh.

Greg Van Avermaet, Omega Pharma

Form Indicator: 110 percent Meh. Not a single top ten this year. He hasn't won a competition of any kind since taking the points prize at the 2008 Vuelta. Meh!

Team: Omega Pharma. What could possibly go wrong?

Obstacle: Phillippe Gilbert, for starters. If it's a big bunch and Gilbert is there, you can be 100% sure that's who the team will work for. I don't think of Gilbert as a sprinter (to the extent you might think that way of Boonen), but after last season Gilbert is under pressure to keep winning.

Survey Says? Nah.

Allan Davis, Astana

Form Indicator: Nothing to speak of. Davis got a late start to the season after his transfer jumble. It shows.

Team: Astana do certain things well, but this isn't one of them.

Obstacle: Too many to count. Except for experience: Davis does have a second and fourth in his last two MSR starts.

Survey Says? If he were more prepared, I would make him a dark horse pick. But I just don't think he's fully on his game yet.

Mattia Gavazzi, Colnago

Form Indicator: Fifth today. That was actually the first time this week he showed his face in a finale. So, not great.

Team: Colnago. At least they will look good.

Obstacle: First MSR, small team...

Survey Says? Fuggedaboutit.

Francesco Ginanni, Androni Giocayaddayadda

Form Indicator: Now here's your Conti-level Italian dark horse. He won Trofeo Laigueglia, beating Gavazzi, and is generally a consistent, all round kind of rider. He was also in the mix with the hard men at Monte Paschi, taking 6th. Sorta pushes the definition of a "sprinter" for this column, but I didn't want to ignore all the conti guys.

Team: The guys whose kit looks like an office birthday card. Two Bertolinis, a Bertogliati and a Bertagnolli. Also, Alberto Loddo, who wins the odd sprint. And Scarponi, lurking around looking for his own chance. Not terrible by any means.

Obstacle: I don't know if a young guy who wins smaller races in sprints from smaller fields can possibly navigate a cream-of-the-crop bunch in full gallop.

Survey Says? Nice story, except it won't happen.

William Bonnet, BBox Bouygues Telecom

Form Indicator: Undoubtedly on solid footing, after his win in Paris-Nice... except he took a DNF in the last stage, and I can't figure out why. It's fairly unusual to do so, barring illness or injury, which would take him completely out of contention.

Team: Is this race in France? Mais non. Une grande probleme.

Obstacle: Beyond his health and his team? Can't think of anything.

Survey Says? Miracles do happen.

Today's finale: judge for yourself...

Settima Tappa Tirreno - Adriatico 2010 (via SpazioCiclismo)

Twitter del Giorno

2010-03-16T16:12:25Z

It must be Milano-Sanremo Week.

Lars Boom seems to think so, anyway.

It is nice weather on the poggio. - http://moby.to/vwa3f8
about 1 hours ago via Mobypicture

Basta with this rain and snow!

Valverde's appeal dismissed, UCI moves to make ban worldwide

2010-03-16T13:28:13Z

TAS/CAS:

The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) has dismissed the appeal filed by the Spanish cyclist Alejandro Valverde against the decision of the National Olympic Committee of Italy (CONI) suspending him for two years from all sports events organized on Italian soil. As a consequence, the suspension remains in force until 10 May 2011.

PDF-version of the press release. There will be a hearing later this week on WADA and UCI vs Valverde and the Spanish federation.

Update: CN - Valverde disputes CAS decision on his Italian ban

In a statement, the partiality of one of the CAS arbiters was questioned, as was the right to use evidence collected during the Operación Puerto blood doping investigation. It was also claimed that the decision had violated Valverde's basic human rights.

Update: UCI determined to extend ban worldwide

The UCI has noted the ruling issued by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) on the appeal of Spanish cyclist Alejandro Valverde against the decision of the Italian National Anti-doping Tribunal to suspend him from all sports events organised in Italy for a two-year period beginning in May 2009, for having breached the anti-doping rules in the context of “Operation Puerto”.

The UCI welcomes the decision of the CAS, which confirms the conclusions the UCI reached after conducting a thorough review of the documents relating to the Puerto case, and of Alejandro Valverde’s involvement in it.

Consequently, after careful study of the grounds of the CAS decision, the UCI expresses its determination to take the necessary measures to secure a suspension that is applicable internationally.

Tirreno-Adriatico Stage 7...LIVE Second thread

2010-03-16T14:39:50Z

Tirreno-Adriatico Stage 7 ..... LIVE

2010-03-16T11:00:41Z

Final day in T-A is one for the sprinters. With the GC sufficiently close there is a theoretical chance that Aqua & Sapone will try some intermediate sprint-shenanigans to allow Stefano Garzelli to squeeze past Scarponi and grab overall victory. Let's all agree it's highly unlikely and focus on the last showdown between the sprinters before they do battle in the big one on Saturday; La Primavera (or Il Preludio as Cuddles the Cobble likes to call it).

Live video from 15:00 CET (10:00 AM US eastern, 01:00 AEDT)

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Countdown to the Cobbles: Aches and Pains Edition

2010-03-15T06:41:02Z

One more week of prelude (if that's a polite description of Milano-Sanremo) and it's back to the cobbles! No great hurry, I have been checking the weather every day and haven't seen a high in Gent over 43 degrees fahrenheit. Maybe another week and the tulips will start coming up...

3. Patellar Barbie

2009 Milano-Sanremo runner up Heinrich Haussler is looking like a no-show at La Primavera this weekend, and his spring could be in jeopardy thanks to knee pain from his crash in stage 1 of Paris-Nice. Reports in Sporza say that Haussler had to bail on a training run after a mere 15 minutes and can't push a heavy gear. The article even uses the word "surgery" in a (so far) hypothetical sense.

Cervélo Test Team aren't sinking into panic just yet -- in the short term they still have Thor Hushovd on hand for MSR and wherever else he can get a result. But, I dunno, it just won't be the same for the Knights of é without Haussler's aggression and strong riding.

2. Take Me For a Ride in Your Car, Car

Jurgen Roelandts checked out of the Race to the Sun with a back issue. The culprit is supposedly a long transfer by car and the team is calling it "precautionary." They also don't seem too bothered by the small hernia afflicting Leif H\o/ste. Apparently it only bothers him when he's bent over. Like, you know, during a bike race. The whole race.

1. No Making Benefit for Glorious Nation

Not sure if the pain has set in over at Astana, given that Sunday was one of their better days in a while. But the same organization, ASO, that crowned Alberto Contador champion of the Race to the Sun was just putting the finishing touches on the Paris-Roubaix team invitations that didn't include, uh, Astana. The Kazakh outfit was the only Pro Tour team left out of the lineup. Backstory? I haven't heard one yet, so for now I will accept the simplest one, where in the eyes of the French hosts the Kazakhs can't be trusted to find their way around Hell. Frankly, I don't blame them. There isn't a single rider on the current Astana roster who has any history worth noting at the Queen of the Classics. The three Astana riders in the top 100 last year have all moved on. It's not personal, for once -- ASO just doesn't feel overly excited about a team led by Bolat Raimbekov.

Teams getting wildcards: BMC (Hincapie and Ballan), Saur-Sojasun (French guys), Acqua e Sapone (Paolini), Androni Giocatoli (no fricking clue), Cervélo Test Team (Thor), Skil Shimano (KVH?), and Vacansoleil (Feillus, Bozic, etc.).

Cuddles' Corner!

"On Friday I announced the Way of the Cross contest, where you were asked to mimic the Andrea Tafi quote in useful and informative ways. The three finalists are:

WillJ: Only the Spanish, Germans, Italians, Americans, Brits, Belgies, Dutch, Khazaks, Czech’s, etc can do well at the Tour de France. For the French, it’s the Way of the Cross

Tenchu: Only Fabian Cancellara can crack walnuts using his arsecheeks. For everyone else, it is the Way of the Cross.

Majope: Only even-tempered cyclists can treat their bikes with respect after a mechanical. For Dave Millar, it’s the Way of the Toss.

Who wins? Take the poll:

Poll

And the as-yet-unidentified shwag goes to...

Tirreno-Adriatico Stage 6 ..... LIVE

2010-03-15T11:00:37Z

Whattaya know. Another lumpy stage with a challenging short uphill finish. They do love those in Italy and God bless them for that. Can you feel that smell? I bet it's the smell of a Stefano Garzelli stagewin.

Live video from 15:00 CET (10:00 AM US eastern, 01:00 AEDT)

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Contador Takes Paris-Nice

2010-03-15T01:00:26Z

Alberto Contador, apparently remembering the importance of taking a bite, won the first significant stage race of the season. Rather aware of the eyes on him, he said:

It’s very difficult to win a race when you’re the favourite. When everybody is after you and you win, it’s a liberation. Today its was short but intense as I had to reply to every attack. It was a great emotion on the podium as it would have been a pity to lose a big race like Paris-Nice on sprint bonuses.

Asked about his team’s strength on this Paris-Nice and his hopes for the next Tour de France, Contador said:

The first thing to do is not to get carried away and to analyse things calmly without losing sight of your priorities. As the years go by, I’ve progressed in terms of experience and maturity. My legs are fine, my head is too, I hope the team will be even stronger in July to help me win the Tour.There are about seven or eight riders who can win the Tour because of their individual or their collective strength. I’m one of them.

Paris-Nice final standings

1. Alberto Contador (Spain, Astana)
2. Alejandro Valverde (Spain, Caisse d’Epargne) 11 seconds behind
3. Luis Leon Sanchez (Spain, Caisse d’Epargne) 25 secs.

Amgen Tour of California: Team Speculation

2010-03-15T00:20:16Z

It's that time again – when speculation begins as to which teams will be part of the most prestigious stage race in the United States.

For U.S. continental teams, a berth in this race brings unprecedented media attention and the opportunity to post results that can make or break an entire season. In the inaugural edition (2006), new-kid-on-the-block Toyota-United burst onto the scene with two stage wins. And until Rock Racing won the opening road stage last year, no other U.S.-registered team at the continental level had earned an ATOC stage win.

Rules stipulate that at least half of the field for a UCI 2.HC event must be comprised of U.S.-registered teams. Considering race organizer AEG has trimmed the race back by one day, it would not be a surprise if the field was cut from 17 to 16 teams this year.

Make the jump to see which teams were in the race last year and which ones are a lock to be there again in May.

Here's a look at who was in the field last year:

Ag2r-La Mondiale (FRA)
Astana (KAZ)
Bissell Pro Cycling Team (USA)
BMC Racing Team (USA)
Cervelo Test Team (SUI)
Colavita/Sutter Home Presented by Cooking Light (USA)
Fly V Australia presented by Successful Living Foundation Team (AUS)
Garmin-Chipotle (USA)
Jelly Belly Cycling Team (USA)
Liquigas (ITA)
Ouch Presented by Maxxis (USA)
Quick Step (BEL)
Rabobank (NED)
Rock Racing (USA)
Saxo Bank (DEN)
Team Columbia (USA)
Team Type 1 (USA)

The three American ProTour-level teams are a lock: Garmin-Slipstream, HTC-Columbia and Team RadioShack – as is pro continental-level BMC Racing Team, which has both national road champion George Hincapie and national criterium champion John Murphy. With those four teams in place, that leaves room for four domestic teams (assuming a 16-team field) or five (17-team field). Which teams do you want to see?

Tirreno-Adriatico Stage 5 ..... LIVE

2010-03-14T11:30:14Z

A lovely ride north along the coast of the Adriatic Sea finished off with a finale custom made for the sneaky attackers. Not a bad day to spend a Sunday.

Live video from 15:15 CET (10:15 AM US eastern, 01:15 AEDT)

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Paris-Nice Stage 7 .......... LIVE

2010-03-14T11:00:30Z

We've arrived at the sun and this traditional finishing stage isn't just nice, it's Nice-Nice. With plenty of climbing, the challenging Col de Porte early on and the double feature La Turbie/Col d'Eze before the downhill plunge to the finish, Caisse d'Epargne should at least be tempted to have a go at Contador's leaders-jersey.

Live video from 13:45 CET (08:45AM US eastern, 23:45 AEDT)

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UCI v ASO : Round 2 - Paris Roubaix

2010-03-13T18:21:08Z

On Thursday ASO sent out invitations to take part in Paris-Roubaix. Yesterday two of those were withdrawn, those of TopSport Vlaanderen and Landbouwkrediet, following the UCI insistence that priority should be given instead to the current top three in the Pro-Conti ranking. One of those is Cervelo who were invited anyway, but the other two are those notable cobbles powerhouses Acqua & Sapone and Androni-Giocattoli etc. Will this ever end?

via Cyclism Actu

Paris-Nice Stage 6 LIVE- 3rd Thread

2010-03-13T15:38:19Z

Paris-Nice Stage 6 LIVE Second thread

2010-03-13T14:22:36Z

Tirreno-Adriatico Stage 4 ..... LIVE

2010-03-13T11:30:12Z

Just as in France, Saturday is business time at the Tirreno-Adriatico. A long 243km rolling stage ends with a tricky uphill finish in Chieti. Winning the stage is going to take both good climbing legs and smarts. It should also sort out the GC contenders from the pretenders.

Live video from 15:00 CET (09:00AM US eastern, 01:00 AEST)

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Paris-Nice Stage 6 ............. LIVE

2010-03-13T11:00:30Z

Time for the big boys to show their cards as the race hits the notoriously hard (for March) Col de Vence. It's a good bet the GC will get a bit of a shakeup today and the question is if the Caisse d'Epargne double threat of LL Sanchez and Valverde can unsettle Alberto Contador? Does he still have a lot to learn?

Live video from 14:15 CET (08:15AM US eastern, 00:15 AEST)

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Cuddles' Corner: Friday Fun!

2010-03-13T00:20:23Z

Hey Cafe Kidz! Let's try a little something. You've seen Chris...'s Countdown to the Cobbles, with the famous Andrea Tafi quote: "Only those who are in top condition can say that the Ronde is not hard. For everyone else, it is the Way of the Cross." Well, we actually ran a Way of the Cross Contest a couple years ago, where you make a new statement based on the same structure and gravitas as Tafi's, but on another subject. An example, courtesy of Jens in 2008 when he wasn't such a snarky bastard:

Only those who are going to Flanders this weekend can say that watching the Ronde is not hard. For everyone else watching CyclingTV, it's the Way of the Cross.

So let's do another contest. 2008 was ages ago for you fleshy, temporary existence types. Oh, and you don't have to mention the Tour of Flanders -- the structure is "Only ___ can say ______. For ___, it is the Way of the Cross." Winner will be announced in Monday's Cuddles' Corner, and Chris... promises to dig up some shwag for the winner, assuming they're willing to accept it. Go!

Cafe Chat: Steven Cozza, Doing Whatever It Takes

2010-03-12T19:18:30Z

As fans we frequently commodify athletes -- attach labels to them to indicate their value. My favorite example, as a Red Sox fan, is the discussion of who is the team's "ace," or top starting pitcher. Recently, reporters who should've known better asked Josh Beckett, a notoriously prickly dude, about it, and he responded with palpable disdain. Didn't answer at all. And I can sympathize: not only the lack of sympathy for Boston sportswriters but the concept -- what does that label mean to him? Why would the identity of yesterday's pitcher matter when today it's his job to find 27 outs someplace?

We fans do this in cycling too -- and it's not "bad" or even always wrong. The results justify our "sprinter rankings" discussions or predictions of who will win Paris-Roubaix or climb up a grand tour podium. In the sport's rarified air, you can find guys commodifying themselves as "captains" and protected riders. Hell, last year we even enjoyed the distinct pleasure [cough] of watching Lance Armstrong and Alberto Contador wrestle each other for the label while their DS vainly insisted that it didn't matter.

But commodifying has its limits back in reality. Even if Lance and Bert couldn't hear Bruyneel's message, "just race your bikes" is something that resonates for a large percentage of the peloton. Take the case of Garmin-Transition's Steven Cozza. The 25-year-old Californian defies easy commodification: he's not a cobbles behemoth or a mini-mountain goat. He rates his own abilities as climbing and time trialing but was famously seen on the front of Paris-Roubaix last year for a few hours. We spoke via email last weekend and he shifts easily from discussing winning the world's biggest one-day race to riding in support whenever his team asks him to. In short, he's a bike racer, he just wants to race his bike. Check it out:

PdC: Generalizations are bad, but among the European peloton are the classics guys known for any particular traits of personality?

SC: Yes, Classics guys tend to be very very mean. We are not like those wimpy French stage race guys out there. Us Classics guys have mustaches and chop firewood for training. For example, I ate rattlesnake for dinner last night. I'm gluten-free, so rattlesnake is one of my favorites.

You can see where this is headed... Join us, on the Flip:

PdC: So you recently said that you dream every day of winning Paris-Roubaix but your website lists climbing and time trials as your strength. At this early age are you trying to figure out where you best fit in?

SC: You know I try never to count myself out. Why put limitations on ourselves? There are too many jerks already out there telling us negative things and my ears are closed to all of them. You just got to believe in yourself. Anything is possible.

PdC: It sounds like in your heart you're a classics guy. So how did you become a "classics guy"? How far back does this connection go?

SC: I like the Classics and see myself going far with these races, but I just love racing my bike and the harder the race is the better it is for me. This is why the Classics suit me so well.

PdC: Staying with Paris-Roubaix, last year was your first full-on running? Had you raced over those cobbles before turning pro?

SC: I've raced since I was 17 in Belgium. I have spent many years racing over those cobbles and absolutely love it.

PdC: So being in a long break [Cozza was part of a lead group at the 2009 Paris-Roubaix], was that like being a kid in a candy shop? What did you think about it?

SC: Yes, it was. I was very excited. It was a really hard break to make in a cross-wind section. It was like having a front row seat at the movie theaters, except I was in the movie. I love every minute of Paris-Roubaix because of the challenges it presents. There's never a dull moment, that's for sure.

PdC: In a race that long and difficult, did you have hopes of staying away? Or did you think, it's Paris-Roubaix, we will be chased down?

SC: Yes, of course. It's happened before and it could happen again. You just never know. I wasn't in the break just to be in the break. I was in the break that day to try and win that freakin' race. I want to be the first American to top the podium one day. Those are larges ambitions, but you've got to dream.

PdC: To finish after being in the break was a real accomplishment. How close do you feel to being strong enough to competing in P-R?

SC: I feel I can already compete in the best races in the world. Ive had quite a bit of injury and bad luck over the past year. When I put all this bad luck behind me I'm going to come out swinging.

PdC: Are you hopeful of a spot on the team's Tour de France roster? Is that a pretty big key to your development?

SC: Yes, I would love to race and be competitive in the Tour de France someday. It's something all pro cyclists want to aim for.

PdC: What do you do to train for the classics? Do you head up to Belgium far enough ahead of time to get in some training? Or is the plan to keep racing, generally raise your fitness and see where it gets you?

SC: It's a little of both. It's very important to get some long kilometer days on the bike. After some of the 200k race,s we will go out for another 50k just to be ready for Roubaix. Since I am nursing a broken clavical that I had operated on after my crash in Qatar, my approach is a bit different. Long training days and motorpacing until I can race again.

PdC: Are there places around Girona that help mimic the climbs of Flanders or the Pave of northern France?

SC: No. Nothing can mimic these climbs. You have to go there to train on them to really be great.

PdC: You've mentioned climbing as part of your arsenal. Did you get a sense of the Tour of Flanders and whether that might be a better race for you?

SC: Flanders has short steep climbs in it. You don't need to really be a pure climber which I am not. The Flanders climbs are perfect for me and I really enjoy this race as well. I think I can ride very well in Flanders in the future.

PdC: Between P-R and Flanders, how are the rhythms of the race different?

SC: They are actually very similar. The best guys use the cobbled sections to make the selections in both races. It's just that one race has short, steep cobbled climbs and the other does not.

PdC: Right now you're a young rider on a team that's put together a front-line Classics team. I gather your job (if you're healed) is to support them?

SC: I'm 25 years old. I wish I could still use the 'I'm young' comment, but I am half way to 30 now. Whether I'm riding in support of my team or taking over a lead roll, I don't really care. I just love to be able to do my job on the bike whatever that entitles. When I'm given a clear mission, I give it 100% no matter what it is in the race.

PdC: But you have ambitions to win P-R and presumably others. So how do you get the team to give you a chance? By getting results elsewhere? Driedaagse West Vlaanderen, de Panne, Eroica, stuff like that?

SC: Yes, that and to be there if something happens to our leader to take over the main role.

PdC: In what races do you expect to have more of a leadership role?

SC: When you are going the strongest you get the leadership role. That's just how it works.

PdC: Do you worry at all about people thinking of you as a domestique? Is there a danger that guys get "labeled" by doing good support work? Or are these labels and distinctions just something for people outside the sport?

SC: No not at all. There are 200 guys in a bike race. Not everyone from every team can fight for the win. Teamwork really is important in winning a bike race and if it wasn't for the domestiques, the leader would never win. It's just how it works and to be a great domestique is a great accomplishment. Not every guy can do the work of a great domestique.

PdC: The collarbone -- what's the prognosis now? What kind of training do you do to preserve your fitness?

SC: Three weeks on the trainer and now back on the road. My first race back is Volta Catalunya. For more up-close updates, check out my web page at www.stevencozza.com and join my Race For Kids Fan Club while you're at it.

Do check out his site. He writes well, with candor, and is passionate about his charitable work. He also talks about his hectic life lately, which (along with a non-functioning Skype connection) is why we did this by email rather than the preferred, more conversational phone interview. Guy's got a lot on his plate as he struggles to get race-fit as soon as humanly possible.

Couple things I found interesting. First, following up on my opening theme, he makes a good case for shedding labels. After our discourse I have started to see those "I just wanna race my bike" comments you see all the time from riders not as banal but as sincere attempts to explain that racing isn't about commodities. Everyone is a bike racer racing his bike, whether he's asked to take a leading role or a support one. I should know better -- the team concept of cycling isn't exactly new to me -- but chatting with Cozza is a nice reminder that the athletes don't typically categorize themselves. Performing at such a high level requires a ton of hope, including for many guys the hope of winning the big race someday but in the context of teamwork, where everybody's contribution is valued more or less equally. Cozza's goal is to be one of those guys, do everything he can, and see where the chips fall.

I was also a little surprised to hear him say that 25 isn't young. Obviously he would know more about this than me, but it's worth wondering whether American riders can be held to the same standard as Europeans (for whom 25 is at most just entering their prime). Even guys like Cozza who went to Europe straight from high school still don't tend to have the background in racing that the homegrown riders there do. Look at Tyler Farrar, who started really putting together his immense talent at age 26. Or Christian VandeVelde, who "exploded" onto the scene at age 32. Or even Armstrong, a wet-behind-the-ears World Champion but not a Tour de France winner until his late 20s. Cozza may believe it's getting close to now-or-never, but I'm not so sure.

Photo by Doug Pensinger, Getty Images Sport

Paris-Nice Stage 5 ....LIVE Second thread

2010-03-12T14:37:55Z

Keats in one thread and see-through bibs in the other. Guess which one reached 300 comments first?

Tirreno-Adriatico Stage 3 ..... LIVE

2010-03-12T11:30:15Z

Well guys, what can I say? Another day, another sprint. Today's 159 km between San Miniato and Monsummano Terme doesn't offer much hope for the non-sprinters but you never know.

Live video from 15:00 CET (09:00AM US eastern, 01:00 AEST)

Videolinks from Universal Sports (US) , Steephill or cyclingfans

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RESULT! A massespurt. No Boonen today, Liquigas wanted it more.

Daniele Bennati, Liquigas
Alessandro Petacchi, Lampre
Bernhard Eisel, HTC
Tyler Farrar, Gamin
Juan Antonio Flecha, Team Sky