VeloVeritas

Endura Racing Team Presentation (0)

Endura Racing 2010 was today unveiled to the UK press, media and special guests at the Porsche Human Performance centre at Silverstone.

The launch followed months of hard work and dedication from the whole of the Endura Racing set-up, and culminated with many of the attendees leaving with a sense that this team are on the cusp of a great season in 2010.

James McCallum – Racing Is My Job Now! (0)

Ex-British Criterium Champion and Commonwealth Games track medalist James McCallum has recently returned from a few months racing and resting in the antipodes, and is looking forward to getting stuck into the new season with his re-vamped Endura Racing team.

We met James for a good old chinwag this week over lunch: he turned up at the restaurant looking hungry, and with a huge Endura team bag over his shoulder”¦

Jack Bauer – New Zealand’s new Elite Road Champion (0)

It was Vik (who else?) first spotted the man; ‘there’s a New Zealand rider winning a lot of races for Kingsnorth Wheelers in Flanders just now, you should get hold of him!’ he told me, last summer.

We duly tracked down Jack Bauer and have been keeping an eye on him and talking to him, ever since.

The season total was eight wins in Flanders; then we picked up on his good ride in the Southland Tour in New Zealand – but by the time we got hold of him, he’d even topped that.

Skil Shimano Team Launch (0)

Rotterdam is readying itself for the Tour de France start this summer, and the Skil – Shimano team used it’s 2010 presentation last weekend in the city to recce the route which will be used for Stage 1.

The team is largely the same as last season, but has been bolstered by the addition of six riders; Dutchmen Job Vissers and Robin Chaigneau, Frenchmen Alexandre Geniez and Yann Huguet, Belgian Dominique Cornu, and Norwegian Frederik Wilmann.

John Lee Augustyn – Getting Good Guidance from the Right People (2)

John Lee Augustyn is probably best known outside of the African continent for his head-first lunge down the scree slopes of the Col de la Bonette-Restefond descent to Jausiers in the Tour de France a couple of years ago, and this after leading the race over it’s summit in glorious solitude – only Frederico Bahamontes and Robert Millar share that particular accolade.

Last season was difficult for John Lee, but now though, things look like they’re going to change for the 23 year old, and we recently chatted to him to find out more…

Team Sky’s ‘Marginal Gains’ – Worthwhile, or Simply Hype? (1)

It’s great to see cycling breaking main stream – a double page colour spread in the Times.

It’s almost as if the guy that bank rolls the team, owns the newspaper.

He does? Oh!

We’re treated to nine examples of marginal gains…

Alex Coutts – Back to Giant Asia for 2010 (3)

Viktor calls; “That home page on the site hasn’t changed for days. There’s a Scottish pro out training in Spain, trying to get ready for the season, why aren’t you talking to him?”

Just one of the things that bugs about Vik, is that he’s actually right a lot of the time!

Thinking about Jason (2)

It’s two years since we lost Jason MacIntyre.

We thought it might be appropriate to remember one of his greatest triumphs, here’s what he had to say to us after he won his first British ’25′ title back in June, 2006.

Are Cycling Kit Designers on Strike or What? (6)

It’s that time of year; the teams all have their riders signed and gathered at camp (or, “rosters filled” as our North American chums would say), and presentations to the press abound, giving us the chance to see the stars in their new kit for the first time.

We’ve brought together some of the more controversial, recently announced team kits, which are dividing opinion up and down the land, and asking the question – what are they thinking?

Dan Fleeman – About his Biological Passport (1)

Oh no! Not another drugs article!

Yes, but this one is positive – ah, no, not that kind of a ‘positive!’

Dan Fleeman texted me the other day to tell me that he’ll be getting a bit of an airing on the Bike Pure site, due to his decision to continue with UCI Biological Passport level blood testing with Raleigh – at his own expense.

‘Why do you want to do that?’ I asked. His answer was enlightening.

The new 2010 British Downhill Series (0)

We’re pleased to help announce the launch of the 2010 British Downhill Series (BDS), the only National race series in the World with UCI ranking points, :£10,000 in prize money and over :£15,000 in prizes. Formerly the NPS the “British Downhill Series” is the new name for the Nationals.

A new Decade and a brand new race series for you to get your tyres dug into.

Joe Papp – Still Atoning for His Doping (1)

A few weeks ago, Pez ran an interview with Joe Papp one of the very few riders to admit, face up to and openly discuss the fact he failed a drugs test.

Like most folks, we’re sick of the drugs scandals, but then the Tom Zirbel situation pops up and we to have accept that it’s still a problem and we need to understand it better.

Here’s what Joe had to say – and it’s scary!