Bicycle Racing News and Opinion,
Tuesday, February 5, 2019
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2018 Tour de France | 2018 Giro d'Italia
- To be is to do - Socrates & Kant
- To do is to be - Sartre
- Do Be Do Be Do - Sinatra
Upcoming racing:
- February 6 - 10: Etoile le Bessèges
- February 6 - 10: Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana
Latest completed racing:
- January 27 - February 3: Vuelta a la Provincia de San Juan
- January 30 - February 3: Herald Sun Tour
- January 31 - February 3: Challenge Illes Balears/Mallorca
- February 3: GP La Marseillaise
- January 26-27: Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race
- January 15 - 20: Santos Tour Down Under
- January 13: Down Under Classic
- January 1: GP Sven Nys
UAE Team Emirates to race Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana
The team sent me this:
The UAE Team Emirates remains in Spain for its second appointment in Europe, participating in the Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana, February 6 to 10.
The sports directors Neil Stephens (Aus) and Bruno Vicino (Ita), supported by Paolo Tiralongo (Ita) will guide these seven riders:
Rui Costa (Por)
Alexander Kristoff (Nor)
Marco Marcato (Ita)
Daniel Martin (Irl)
Manuele Mori (Ita)
Edward Ravasi (Ita)
Aleksandr Riabushenko (Bel)
On his season debut, Rui Costa said, “I’m really happy to start another season as a cyclist. I worked hard over the winter, with renewed enthusiasm and high morale after I found some good form in the final of 2018.
Rui Costa winning stage 5 of the 2017 San Juan Vuelta.
In the Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana, I will have the chance to see how my legs respond to the race’s rhythm and find that spark needed for the following races“.
The Spanish race unfolds over five stages: the starting stage will be a 10.2km time trial, the following three days will be undulating and the final stage suits sprinters.
Winner Anacona wins Vuelta a San Juan
Here's the report from Anacona's Team Movistar:
It was the happiest end on Sunday to another fast ride –just like yesterday– on stage seven around the Avenida Circunvalación -141km and nine laps of the province capital’s biggest motorway- as Winner Anacona (Movistar Team) took overall honours in the 37th Vuelta a San Juan, following his most brilliant week since he became a pro cyclist.
Winner Anacona wins Vuelta a San Juan stage five.
The Tunja native from Boyacá, Colombia, again supported by a solid Blue squad –with Jorge Arcas, Carlos Barbero and Eduardo Sepúlveda again at the front of the bunch from the start, plus Richard Carapaz (6th overall) and Nairo Quintana (8th) as race-end guides-, completed the stage tucked into a complete peloton fighting for the sprint, with Sam Bennett (BOH) ultimately grabbing the stage victory. Anacona then stepped onto the final podium alongside Frenchman Julian Alaphilippe (DQT), second overall, and Óscar Sevilla (MDE), winner of the 2018 race and now 3rd behind two WorldTour contenders. Movistar also won the team prize.
Sunday’s final jersey marks Winner’s fourth UCI win, following an amateur success at the GiroBio (2011) and stage nine of the 2014 Vuelta a España (Valdelinares) before Friday’s Alto Colorado victory. Anacona’s triumph also brings the third overall victory to the Movistar Team in Argentina, following two GC wins by the Quintana brothers in the Tour de San Luis (2014 and 2016). No other team has achieved more overall victories in the country since its races turned UCI pro events ranked 2.1 or higher -San Juan became a pro race in 2017 and San Luis, now defunct, was open to WorldTour outfits between 2009 and 2016-.
Winner Anacona:
“We could not celebrate before the last finish line, and now that’s it’s over, I feel so happy as much as relieved I could finish it off. It’s my first stagerace victory, and I hope it won’t be the last. It’s a magnificent way to confirm all preparations we did for this season were right – and claiming a victory in 2019 was also a hidden goal for me this season. I could achieve it atop the Colorado on Friday and sealing this overall success brings me massive joy. My most important win? I think the Vuelta a España stage and this success are both important in different ways. The former was my first Grand Tour stage win, but this stagerace had very talented contenders, and everyone is ambitious at the start of the season. All in all, this is a boost of confidence for what’s to come during this season.
“Once we got to the top of the standings, we had to tackle the remainder of the race in a calm, focused way, one stage at a time. We were able to get through yesterday’s stage safely after a really hard day – it felt harder than the Colorado ascent for me. The weather was awful, winds were strong, and many teams tried to make things difficult for us, yet we were able to defend ourselves well. We thought it could be easier today, because those squads with sprinters, which were too late for the win yesterday, wouldn’t let another chance go this time. The pace was again really strong today, so I couldn’t enjoy this jersey muchbefore the finish. I’m super thankful for everything my team-mates did to protect me: Nairo, Richard, Jorge, Eduardo, Carlos. This excellent team made possible for me to win this race.
“Ever since I signed for the Movistar Team, Eusebio Unzué always made clear for me what my role was, but on the other hand, and being fully aware of what my place was here, I always kept some ambition inside for individual success. One always has dreams, and must fight for those. Even if my job is taking care of our leaders at the crucial races, I’ll always try to shine when a chance like this comes around. Achieving such a success makes me feel more valued and do my best when it’s time to work for others. This victory goes especially to my family and kids, who are always behind me – they’re the joy of my life, they make me go forward. I hope they enjoy this win as much as I do.”
Tiger Group wins bid to buy ASE (Fuji, Kestrel, Performance Bicycle, etc) assets
Bicycle Retailer & Industrial News sent me this important industry update:
GREENSBORO, N.C. (BRAIN) — A group of four companies called the Tiger Group submitted the winning bid to buy the assets of Advanced Sports Enterprises for just over $23 million on Friday. A bankruptcy judge approved the bid at the end of a roughly 8-hour hearing; a sales closing is expected Tuesday.
The group includes:
- Tiger Capital Group LLC, a well-known liquidator that is currently selling 798 Gymboree and Crazy 8 retail locations. Last year it helped liquidate 735 Toys R Us stores.
- Advanced Holdings Co. LTD, a private equity firm based in Hong Kong, which specializes in investing in Asian and international companies. Advanced Holdings has ties to the owner of Ideal Bike and is a secured creditor of ASE. Advanced Holdings loaned $7 million to ASE in 2017.
- Amain.com, Inc., the parent company of Amain Hobby and Amain Cycling, an e-commerce retailer with a brick & mortar location in Chico, California.
- K&B Investment Corporation, a real estate investment company connected to the Miami-based distributor J&B Imports.
Tiger Capital Group and Advanced Holdings Co. LTD jointly formed BikeCo, LCC, the firm that submitted the winning bid along with Amain and K&B.
BikeCo agreed to purchase the assets of ASE's wholesale business, ASI, including its bike trademarks (which include Fuji, Kestrel, Breezer and SE) and wholesale business, while Amain will buy the Performance and Nashbar e-commerce businesses including web domains, and trademarks for the two brands and their house P&A brands.
K&B agreed to purchase ASE's property and buildings in North Carolina and Philadelphia. In an asset purchase agreement submitted to the court last week, K&B proposed paying $3.625 million for the real estate as part of the group bid. BRAIN was not able to determine what the company has committed to paying as part of the actual winning bid.
You can read the entire story here.
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