Along with his loss of a podium finish in the 2005 TdF (Francisco Mancebo, also linked to Operación Puerto, moves up to 3rd), Ullrich will also be stripped of his win at the 2006 Tour de Suisse. CAS ruled that Ullrich was “fully engaged” in the doping program of Dr. Fuentes that was exposed in the Operación Puerto probe.

I’m absolutely gobsmacked at this complete farce that cycling has gotten itself into this past week. There are too many obvious reasons to even put into words.

Whatever happened, Jan Ullrich continues to be my all-time favorite cyclist. Yes, it might be hypocritical, but these things are emotional connections, not logical decisions. Lance would be up in the top of my list too if he would just tell the truth (Jan never failed a doping test either, so he can stop with that false logic).

Now that my rant is over I want to share with you another botch-up which is far, far worse than anything professional cycling could ever accomplish. A few months ago Ullrich came out of the woodwork and rode a cyclosportif in Italy under the psydonym “Max Kraft” (literally translated to “Max Power”). I got a hold of Jan as I knew he’d be promoting his bike brand at Eurobike and asked if we could do an interview. Why not? To my surprise he said yes and I figured that it was too good of an opportunity to simply do a phone interview so I asked my mate Cam to interview Jan in person since he’d be at Eurobike anyway.

Here’s how it went:

What??? An interviewer’s worst nightmare. We line up the interview of a lifetime with Der Kaiser and this one goes wrong? Cam will be doing an unfavourable review on the Dictamus iphone app very soon. I had numerous experts look at the 44MB audio file but unfortunately it’s unrecoverable.

I’ve tried and tried to get in touch with Der Jan again with no avail. I’ve told him that I have a completely different set of questions lined up so that the conversation didn’t seem like deja vu, which would be rather awkward. I’m guessing that Jan figured we were more incompetent that the UCI so he didn’t want to waste a moment more on us. Fair enough.

Over a packet of Tim Tams, here are the basics of what Cam can remember discussing with Jan in this hard hitting interview. Much of the conversation was in German and stilted English, so I hesitate to interpret it too much and put words into his mouth. You can read Cam’s whimsical recollections of the interview on his CyclingIQ blog.

PROFESSIONAL LIFE

How old were you when you knew, in your heart, your future as a professional cyclist was certain?

There was no particular moment that I can recall when I was certain that cycling would be my profession.

How did it feel to sign your first professional contract in 1995? How did you know the time was right?

I had been racing since I was ten years old ([Jan was born in 1973 and is now 38] and won the amateur World Championships in 1993. It was a natural progression to turn professional. It felt good to sign my first contract.

You first raced in Australia in 1993 at the Commonwealth Bank Cycle Classic, which you won. Why did you travel such a long way to race your bike?

[cannot recall]

After the 1997 TdF win, you were asked what was your favourite country: you replied you loved Australia the most. Is this still true now? What is it you love about Australia?

The culture, the beaches and the people are all special. And of course, I have very fond memories of the Olympics. I hope to find a reason to go back there one day.

[At this point in the interview, a large pack of Tim Tams and small box of Weetbix are handed to Jan. He laughs and gives a heartfelt “thank you very much” in English]

Sydney 2000 - Jan Ullrich (Gold)), Andreas Kloden (Bronze), Vinokourov (not shown, silver) Photo: Cor Vos

You won a Gold and Silver medal at the Sydney Olympics, the Tour de France, National and World Championship titles and numerous other races. Is there a single race in which were you not victorious but remember feeling the same happiness?

I’ve only ever been happy when I’ve won.

Before you announced your retirement in Feb 2007, you had seven offers from pro teams. Did you ever get close to signing again? With what team?

No, the decision to retire had fully matured over several months. No offer could have changed my mind.

COMMENTARY ON CYCLING TODAY

What do you think of the way Cadel Evans won the TdF this year?

His win was very familiar to me. He was the strongest rider across all disciplines and really demonstrated panache. The Ullrich household was cheering for Evans throughout the Tour this year.

Has Europe lost it’s dominance in the sport of cycling?

Just because one American has won the Tour seven times, you can’t say that Europe has lost its dominance!

Jan on his way to winning his first and last Tour de France in 1997. Photo Cor Vos

When do you think we will see the first Asian winner of the TdF?

(Laughs) Probably not for a long time – I think at least several years will pass before we see riders from Asia doing well in the Grand Tours.

EUROBIKE

We’re at Eurobike, the bicycle industry’s largest trade show. What’s the main reason you’re here?

I’m representing my bicycle company Jan Ullrich Bikes, to meet with dealers and also potential distributors.

How active are you in the daily operation of Jan Ullrich bikes?

I am very involved in the operations of Jan Ullrich bikes, taking decisions and holding meetings regularly.

Would you describe yourself as a bicycle tech enthusiast?

At first, I only appreciated the bicycle as a tool to help me win races. In recent years though, I have looked forward to learning about the technological improvements in the industry. Yes, I would say I am an enthusiast of bicycle equipment. Tim Tam?

PERSONAL and RIDING

When did you last ride your bike? Where did you go?

On the weekend I rode the Ötztaler Radmarathon in Austria. It is a mass participation event of 240km and almost 5km of combined altitude gain.

Do you prefer training alone or with people?

I enjoy both. I still go riding with Klödi (Andreas Klöden) quite often but I can also enjoy riding with only the sound of the countryside

Have you kept any of your old bikes? Which is your favourite?

Yes, I have kept all of the bikes from my professional days that were not crashed. It might be obvious that the Pinarello from 1997 is my favourite. Tim Tam?

What equipment exists today that you wish you had access to when you were still racing professionally?

Actually, all of the equipment I used when racing was the best at the time. Even with today’s lightweight wheels – and carbon frames, the UCI still has limitations on overall weight. I was most concerned with reliability.

What advice could you pass on to our readers to improve their enjoyment of the sport?

Don’t forget to have fun in your cycling. A lot of people, especially the media, were critical of me for having a life off the bike. It’s about balance and enjoying all things in life.

Do you plan to visit Australia again? Would you accept an invitation to ride an Australian Gran Fondo event if offered?

Sure! I’ll be doing more of these races in the future, so I don’t see why not.

What else in your life gives you as much joy and satisfaction as riding a bike?

My family.

What a poignant way to end the interview. How about we all squeeze into a lift and do a quick photo-shoot?

Sehr gut!

UPDATE

Here is Jan Ullrich’s statement from his personal website about his suspension (via Google Translate):

Scherzingen (Switzerland) – The Court of Arbitration has now blocked me for two years. This award brings disciplinary proceedings to an end, which has lasted almost three years. This sport legal tug of war was unsatisfactory for all concerned for myself as for the public. It is incomprehensible to me why we all had to wait so long for this judgment.I take out the award and will not challenge him. Not because I agree with all points in the court’s opinion, but because I want to finish the issue definitively. Personal consequences, I’ve pulled back in 2007 with the retirement from professional cycling. I confirm that I had contact with Fuentes. I know that that was a big mistake that I regret very much. For this behavior, I would like to sincerely apologize to everyone – I’m very sorry. Looking back, I would act in certain situations during my career differently. I wanted to get out again for the 2006 tour everything. After my tour victory in 1997 and five second places in the public, sponsors and also my own pressure was immense. Everyone wanted a second tour victory, especially after the retirement of Lance Armstrong shortly before the 2006 tour, it then makes a big impact: Suspension, headlines, ostracism, house searches, criminal complaints. I felt abandoned, fallen like a sieve. The whole world wanted to put me against the wall and then I went instinctively to cover, have retired for now. As I said, I will not complain that not everything was good reason. I was even then, shortly after my suspension, the mistake I made, to admit publicly, but my hands were tied. On the advice of my lawyers, and as is usual in such cases, I have been silent on the allegations. Ultimately, this issue has me for years so polluted that I was sick and I eventually broke down. I am glad that finally a decision was made. For me it is the capital of my active career in cycling finalized and it is very personal for me and my family for years to come the end of a difficult time. Today’s award is for me and my future plans to change anything. I never thought in any capacity to return to active professional cycling. This statement is from my side all is said on this subject and I would not like to make any further statements, statements or interviews in public. I hope you understand. I hereby draw a line. I owe much to the sport of cycling and will continue to further express my joy and passion for the sport to others. In the future I will therefore also in various functions and departments in everyman cycling to be active. I look back on my cycling career and accomplishments with pride and look forward to my new career.

Jan Ullrich

So what have you been doing over the Christmas holidays?

I had 6 weeks off the bike because I was really tired by the end of the season and just came home and saw my friends and family in Canberra. I got to come home pretty early in the season because it was my 21st birthday and the team was like, “yeah, you’ve had a long year”. I basically started racing at the start of January so they said, “we’ll let you go home earlier this year just because you’re a new pro”, which was really good of the team to let me do.

So if you didn’t ride much over the holidays, what did you do?

I bought a little motorbike cuz I’d originally been racing motorbikes for 10 years so I bought a little motorbike just to play around with. Just a little 50cc. I put big suspension on it and made it go really fast so that was pretty fun. And my brother bought one as well so we made a little track in my backyard. Just something to do to keep ourselves entertained. I’ve also been hooked on Gran Turismo on Playstation lately.

Someone told me your brother’s into mountain biking. Does he race?

Yeah, he races every now and then (downhill and 4-cross) but he needs to be more committed because he’s got such good talent. Sort of like me on the road bike, but he’s not committed enough yet.

A couple years ago you got 2nd at the U23 Tour of Flanders. Is that the type of race you could see yourself developing towards? Or have you found your wings in the sprints?

Yeah, I’d like to be good at the classics but they’re something you need to really focus on over the years and just learn the roads and where all the important parts are to be in the race. Its not really something you can jump into as a young guy. I think I have that same pure power as the guys who win it have. Yeah its just a long waiting game for those races and you don’t see many young guys doing very well in them.

So how did you get second in the under 23s? Those guys are no slouches either.

That was a good ride. My team rode really well for me. Pretty much the last cobbled section they just jammed as hard as they could to split the bunch and then I just launched on the cobbles and had enough speed to break the bunch into a few pieces. And then it came to a little bunch sprint at the finish and two of us got away [Slovenian Marko Kump] in the last kilometer and no one chased and then I won the little bunch sprint.

What types of races do you see yourself winning in the next three years?

I think I’m sort of diverting myself a little bit more to the sprint races but I’d like to go well in the harder races where it’s a small bunch sprint at the finish. I’m not a big bunch sprint kind of guy because I don’t have that sort of confidence in the big bunches. Which sort of seems strange but I think over the years I’ll build up more confidence, getting more involved and trying more things in the bunch. At the moment its just crazy…at that speed and everyone’s just looking at each other…I don’t know…its something you really need to do over a couple of years and figure out how to do it properly.

So was winning the stage in Stirling at the TdU was unexpected? Did it give you a false sense of security going into last season?

My form was really good at Tour Down Under last year. Maybe a little bit too good and I found it really hard to hold my form through the rest of the year. Being a first year pro it’s expected that there will be lots of ups and downs so I think I’ll just use that as a learning experience for this year and maybe not go into Tour Down Under well and try to keep my form for more of the year.

Who’s your coach who helps you with that sort of thing?

My coach in Canberra, Glenn Doney. He started with me when I began cycling five years ago. He does a lot with me and as structures my programs along with my Rabobank coach in Europe. They work together and do my program for me.

A lot of people don’t realise that you’ve done really well in time trials as well. Many people see you as a sprinter. Do you have any interest in time trialling or does it just come naturally to you?

Yeah, I really like time trialling but usually when I do a time trial I’ve already done a really hard stage before or big bunch sprint so the team’s not really focused on me doing time trials. They’d rather focus on having a little rest day through the time trial and then focusing for the next day. But for me, I like doing time trials, but if that’s what the team wants me to do, thats what I do.

So how about this year? What does the team want you to do with the change of dynamics with Mark Renshaw on the team now?

We haven’t talked really too much about it but there’s a lot of races through the year and they’ll be races that Renshaw will give me a turn and I’ll give him a turn. Its just basically who’s going the best. I guess that it will push us both as well to have our form higher than each other so it pushes each other and we’ll win more races.

Since you’ve spent a season with Rabobank and you’ve already gone through integrating with the team, have you helped make it easier for Renshaw get acquainted with Robobank?

I was actually pretty lucky the way my season started because I won the first race of the season for Rabobank and it sort of pushed me into the team more because they had a bit of respect for me. It just made it easier, otherwise it would have been tough because of the language barrier. But I think with Renshaw, these guys have been racing with him for so long they all know each other anyway so its not too much of a change. Well, it is ( a change) but they all know each already but for me no one really knew who I was. They knew me from cyclingnews and stuff but not personally.

Do you feel a bit of weight on your own shoulders with the teams expectations on Renshaw? You’ll be an integral part of that.

I’m basically learning from him because he’s got so much experience and even just sitting down with him in the meetings before the race, just hearing how much experience he has in the lead-outs and through the race…he just has everything planned out. And like last night, Rabo’s not really known for their lead-outs, but we were at the front doing our best to keep Mark in a good position and it worked out. Well it didn’t quite work out perfectly to plan but it was a lot better than we usually do. Even just in the first race he’s made a good impression.

With your quick jump from U23′s to the World Tour, what were some of the shocks that you didn’t expect at that level of racing?

It was different. I went into it with a lot of confidence after winning a stage in Tour Down Under which I think helped me a lot through the start of the season. Then I won two more races after that which kept my confidence up. But the downfall of the season was crashing at the Tour of California and then after that I just had no power in my legs for the rest of the season, which was quite strange. I couldn’t move up in the bunch, I couldn’t do anything. So I think that’s why my season sort of went downhill but that’s what you learn from I guess I never really had a big crash.

I crashed in the second stage of Tour of California coming into the sprint and it really scared me. I think first big crash is always going to scar people but hopefully I can move on from that.

Were there any times in your first season when you thought to yourself, “what am I doing here? This is hard, I don’t want to be here“?

It was Three Days of de Panne and after three days of smashing down rain, crosswinds all day I definitely thought that. On the last stage (it was only 100km) I got dropped in the first 10km because it went straight into a crosswind and I just couldn’t do anything about it. It was just single file in the gutter and I was just not experienced enough to ride with those guys in the crosswinds. That was one of the days where I just wanted to say, “Nope, it’s not on…I’m going home“. I wanted to book my flight and come back to Australia. But then I got through it and you just have those up and down days.

Who are some of the people who have kept you positive and mentored you on Rabobank or even outside the team?

Graeme Browne was really good to me last year. Because he lived next door to me (in Belgium) as well and helped me a lot through last year which I probably couldn’t have made it through the season without him. He was really good to me as well and just tried to settle me down when I got a little bit angry and just little things like that. He’s just a really nice guy and real relaxed. You need those people around you when you’re down.

How did your life change after you won the under 23s?

It was an interesting change. I don’t know, I still can’t even believe I won the race. It was an amazing feeling, winning in Australia in front of your home crowd, all my family and friends…it was amazing. When I crossed that finish line and realised that I actually won, it was the best feeling that I’ve ever had. And then after that I just sort of felt like a star for some reason. It was only U23 worlds but I think my confidence has just grown so much from that. It’s what you need as a cyclist basically. If you don’t have confidence like that you’re not going to win races.

Michael Matthews winning the U23 World Championships in 2010 in Geelong. Photo Cor Vos

Did the Rabobank contract come up after that or was that being talked about before?

I was actually in the mini Tour De France (the Tour l’Avenir), about half way through they came to me with the contract and I signed then. It was about 3 weeks out from Worlds.

Do you have any desire in the future to sign with GreenEDGE?

Its every Australian’s dream to be on a Australia ProTeam but Rabobank has been really good to me at the moment and I get my opportunities. So until that changes I’m really happy on my team.

I know that over your off-season in Australia you’ve done a few corporate events, dinners, etc. Do you feel out of your depth at all or are you pretty comfortable in those situations?

As long as they know who I am it doesn’t feel weird but when people come up to me and shake my hand and say ‘who are you?’ you feel a little bit awkward. But as long as everyone know who you are, its fine. You just have fun with it and do what you have to do. You’re basically a brand for yourself so you have to promote your brand.

What kind of music do you listen to?

Pretty much everything really. Depends what mood I’m in but mostly hip hop and rap. I’m really into Bruno Mars at the moment. He sort of has relaxing songs but also has hardy songs as well so he’s got a bit of variety.

What’s the significance of your tattoo?

The birth date was sort of just to get something across my shoulders for a start and then I got the angel after I won the worlds.

Is there significance in the Angel?

Yeah, in the World Championships everything just felt so easy so I thought about it and I thought there must have something looking over me in that race because everything just felt easy. My whole plan before the race turned out exactly as I hoped. There must have been something that wanted me to win that day so I got an angel. Then at the end of this year I finished it off with the colors and the wings and the halo.

And the nickname ‘Bling’. Is that something you’ve been given or something that’s self proclaimed?

Actually when I first started cycling I had bracelets and chains and everything on me – every piece of jewellery you could imagine as well as the low baggy shorts and the really long shirts…so one of my good mates from Canberra, his dad gave the nickname “Bling” to me. And now everyone knows me as bling, I’m not even Michael Matthews anymore.

Consider for a moment Manchester United is estimated to have 75 million fans world-wide while other estimates put this figure closer to 333 million; Advertisers pay $3.5 million for a 30 second television commercial to advertise during the Super Bowl with average audience figures of 111.3 million viewers; and whilst losing value in 2009 due to scandal Tiger Woods remains the leading “athlete sports brand” with an income inclusive of sponsorship of $55 million in 2011 and an intangible value worth more!

The possibilities of sports marketing are tremendous. Whether it be a team or an individual sport transcends borders, it rallies fans and observers alike, associates performance and endorses sponsors to new audiences.

For sponsors, associating their brand with sport offers a range of commercial benefits. Of course this is offset with risks including results and behaviour, market size and Return On Investment from a commercial standpoint. For a sporting team or sportsperson, they must equally see themselves as a commercial entity, a ‘sports brand’, and brand themselves appropriately for developing fan bases, attracting sponsors or selling merchandise.

To build long term value a ‘brand’ must captivate and motivate; engage and entertain; build trust and develop relationships; utilise sponsorships; and capture the hearts, minds and imagination of its audience.

It’s no different developing a cycling team brand.

Australia’s first professional cycling team GreenEDGE has now been launched. After a successful debut on the local cycling scene at the Bay Crits, the Australian Nationals and the Tour Down Under, GreenEDGE is off to compete internationally starting with the Tour Of Qatar this week.

As Australia’s preeminent cycling team embarks on the world stage, let’s take a moment to review the GreenEDGE brand and hopefully offer some suggestions for the future.

The GreenEDGE logo on the interim team kit used during the Jayco Bay Crits.

Brand Name

The first thing that comes to mind when recalling a brand is the name. Australian without being overly colloquial, GreenEDGE is a strong and memorable name. GreenEDGE is a logical approach to naming the team. However, if a naming rights sponsor is found I wonder how the team will be named in the future (GreenEDGE – BRAND?). Likewise if two main sponsors were found would the GreenEDGE name be dropped as UCI rules only allow two names within a team name (BRAND – BRAND?). Who knows what the future holds, however I wonder how possible name changes will affect overall brand equity and recall with non-cycling fans.

Brand Identity

The GreenEDGE identity is very ‘safe’ in my opinion. The logotype is a standard typeface which has not been ‘tweaked’ and has been used across all branding. This is ok for uniformity, however from a design perspective it does not differentiate the GreenEDGE logotype amongst its branding while the sweeping movement of the ‘G’ insignia suits cycling and a name like GreenEDGE. Of course the GreenEDGE colours including the ‘green and gold’ suit an Australian national cycling brand and translate well across vehicle livery, apparel and signage without being overly nationalistic. Rabobank’s branding for instance is quite sophisticated in the use of the colours from both a corporate and nationalistic point of view. I wonder how the ‘Green & Gold’ theme will translate if a brand such as QANTAS for instance with red/white livery were to come on board? Whilst Gerry Ryan is prepared to contribute to funding the team, equally I wonder if the ‘Australian’ branding inhibits an international company considering naming rights sponsorship?

Team Kit

One element cycling fans are passionate about is the GreenEDGE kit. From the release of the promo jersey to the interim kit to the actual kit released at the Tour Down Under we have been passionate about its design. One of the biggest reservations some cycling fans have had is for the kit not to be overly ‘Australian’ or ‘cliche’. After first seeing the kit I was excited, it was bright, the black / white worked well and it stood out in the peloton, however it did reminded me of the 2010 Saxo Bank kit. Whilst structurally the design seems ok with the shoulders and black knicks, whether it be the green to yellow colour blend or something else, the design seems to lack something in its design.

Cameron Meyer (Stage 6, TDU) in the new GreenEDGE kit that was unveiled during the 2012 Santos Tour Down Under.

Equipment

We first saw the release of the GreenEDGE Scott Foil at EuroBike in September 2011. White in colour the colour and halftone decals looked impressive and matched the 2010-11 white frame trend. Whilst the graphics have changed slightly, we see a different design for the 2012 race bikes. White is no longer and we see a mixture of dominant colours juxtaposing each other. The GreenEDGE bike set ups with black bar tape / white saddles bucks the same colour trend of recent years, however Lampre bikes seem to have a light saddle, black bar tape combination so I won’t rule out a possible trend for 2012. Vehicle livery including team vehicles seem to suit the identity, however I can’t help but think there is also some opportunity to improve.

Communications

Since GreenEDGE was first announced, cycling fans have been kept up-to-date with developments through GreenEDGE communications. Media releases, emails and social media have been the tools in delivering information to the media and public with select news published across cycling, sport and mainstream print and online media. Communications from GreenEDGE have been presented in a timely manner however some have waxed and wained. Acquiring editorial space in non-cycling media is a difficult task unless there has been an event of significance or advertising dollars, therefore unfortunately some announcements were difficult to find in mainstream media. Lack of support, timing and advertising dollars are all issues for media exposure, however the GreenEDGE message is beginning to cut through. Cycling fans have embraced the team and the non-cycling audience is aware of Australia’s first professional cycling team.

Launch

The media launch of the GreenEDGE team at Melbourne Town Hall seemed to be a success[CT: I actually heard from various sources that the team launch as a dismal failure]. Without being a media source I’m unsure how the event was actually released to the media, however the release did carry through with some great support and exposure across all areas including mainstream print to cycling media with a ‘hype’ that carried for quite a while. A whirlwind media & promotional tour helped secure national radio and press coverage and whilst the team needs singing lessons, it was actually a good strategy to gain radio attention with a team song. Whether it be the venue, team attire or something else, as an observer the Town Hall launch seemed to be lacking a ‘wow’ factor.

Merchandise

Team merchandise has the possibility becoming a strong revenue stream. Merchandise gives a sense of ownership and belonging however if not crafted correctly it can equally be a failure. Scrolling through the current merchandise range it fits with what other professional cycling teams offerings. Line extensions such as GreenEDGE branded winter merchandise including hoodies, rain jackets and umbrellas and promoting sponsor merchandise/equipment through the online store such as 2XU under-garments and compression wear are other suggestions GreenEDGE could consider.

Membership

The GreenEDGE membership packages are an interesting approach to building revenue. Predominantly built around the sale of merchandise, the tiered membership packages offer a range of merchandise options for potential members. From here, the membership program also offers members an exclusive email newsletter. By separating communication content and offering ‘value add’ for members GreenEDGE will need to develop additional content for this audience, whilst this may possibly build memberships and revenue by categorising content the risk is ignoring a large segment of the market. The difficulty with the GreenEDGE membership packages is there is seemingly no tangible benefits aside from a possible saving on merchandise.

GreenEDGE members website front page.

Website

Since its inception, GreenEDGE has had two versions of its website. The first was a temporary site, its design was straightforward and easy to navigate. One difficulty was the content was quite basic and heavily text orientated, geared towards news and media releases with no points of interest or ‘hype’ for cycling fans. To track rider signings we visited CyclingTips for the latest news and updates rather than the source site itself. The second and latest version of the GreenEDGE website features a rejuvenated ‘look and feel’ and new content, however it fails on many fronts. The website is very difficult to navigate, the front page is overloaded with information, design styles conflict, branding is poor and content has little interest to capture the imagination of cycling fans.

The official GreenEDGE team website front page.

The online presence is also split with the online store and membership domains operating separately. Today, a website is one of the first touch points of any brand and I cannot help but think how much the website could be improved. Design, navigation and site structure are three elements the current website could be improved upon. Furthermore the addition of other content could also serve to build the GreenEDGE brand. One area which has been prevalent in building brands over the past few years is emotive branding through video. Cervelo Test Teams ‘Beyond the Peloton’ videos really did break through for cycling fans and now we see a host of sponsors and teams producing similar videos. Other content to add to the website could include race/power data, rider blogs and a twitter feed.

Performance

Performance is intrinsically linked with sports and one area where sports brands differ to commercial brands. The performance of GreenEDGE to date has been incredible. With wins for both men and women on the local scene including the Bay Crits, the national championships and the Tour Down Under the future is bright for GreenEDGE. As Simon Gerrans says ‘winners are grinners’ and hopefully with this success GreenEDGE is able to attract and retain sponsors.

Sponsorship

The management team have always declared ‘GreenEDGE‘ as the brand. In fact team management have accepted the fact there is possible the team may have no major sponsor. A sponsor can come from any number of sources or non-related cycling industries and whilst its nice to be winning races, sponsorship is about association and does not necessarily have to be tied with performance. The flow on effects of sponsorship has the potential to be enormous. The trouble for many potential sponsors is GreenEDGE has no long term proven track record and cycling is relatively a small market compared with national sports such a AFL or NRL. Sponsoring GreenEDGE requires a brand looking for recognition on the world stage, this could either be an Australian company looking to leverage or an international brand like Subaru whom as part of their national marketing strategy have included sponsoring GreenEDGE.

Ambassadors

Brand Ambassadors are an asset to any team. Some notable examples include Michael Barry’s blog, Ted Kings ‘IamTedKing’ merchandise, Armstrong’s Livestrong campaign and there are many more! Whilst there is some inherent risk with behaviour, a good brand ambassador inspires, activates, entertains and informs its audience – going a long way in marketing themselves and the team. GreenEDGE has many opportunities, who could forget Cameron Meyer’s blog and video last year. Whether it be an entertaining team blog or social media feed, being active in both cycling and non-cycling communities or at a corporate / charity level, there is opportunity to develop a clear and relevant strategy for the team to build its relationship with its fan base with added flow-on effects such as attracting and retaining sponsors.

Summary

Unlike other professional cycling teams, GreenEDGE is a brand in its own right. For most Australians, to have an Australian cycling team competing on the world stage is something we have aspired for a very long time. In 2012 the timing is right for an Australian team. Gerry Ryan and the GreenEDGE management team must be congratulated in developing a world class team. Whilst there is some room for improvement all-in-all GreenEDGE is a healthy brand with tremendous opportunity and I look forward to its successes and advancements in the future.

This shouldn’t distract completely from the races, which were plentiful and revealing this week, including Mark Cavendish’s first win in the rainbow jersey. First, though, let’s talk about doping.

Contador receives ban

Spain’s Alberto Contador won the 2010 Tour de France but failed doping tests along the way. The results became public on September 30 and were enough to see Contador banned on Monday, 18 months later.

Sport’s high court in Switzerland, the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), “found Alberto Contador guilty of a doping offence,” read a press release on Monday. “Contador is sanctioned with a two-year period of ineligibility.”

The ban starts retroactively on January 25, 2011, and continues through August 5 this year. (The CAS shortened it by five months and 19 days because Contador served a provisional suspension following the 2010 Tour.) The cycling federation, the Union Cycliste International (UCI) announced shortly afterwards that it would strip Contador of the 2010 Tour, 2011 Giro d’Italia and other wins.

“His suspension,” said the UCI, “backdated to 25 January 2011 entails the amendment of the classifications of all events.”

After Floyd Landis lost the 2006 Tour to Oscar Pereiro, this is only the second time the Tour strips a cyclist of his win. It should award Luxembourg’s Andy Schleck the win.

Contador promises continued fight

Overnight in Madrid, Contador joined Saxo Bank team boss, Bjarne Riis to announce his fight would continue.

“An appeal?” said Contador on Tuesday. “The lawyers are evaluating this. I’m not ruling out anything. I will say that I am going to fight until the end to show my innocence.”

Contador and his lawyers fought the case to sport’s highest court. Their only option now is to appeal to the Swiss Federal Tribunal. Landis appealed to the tribunal and lost.

Regardless, he vowed to return at the end of this year.

“I will continue. I will continue to train and to race in a clean way, how I’ve always done.”

Riis and the team support Contador.

“We’ve decided to support Alberto 100 per cent,” Riis explained. “We will continue to support him.”

Riis won the 1996 Tour, but over ten years later, admitted he doped along the way with Erythropoietin (EPO).

The conference was interrupted several times with applause. Spanish media mostly ridiculed the CAS ruling and support Contador as it has Alejandro Valverde, who served a doping ban and returned at the Tour Down Under.

The Contador/Clenbuterol timeline

Contador tested plosive for Clenbuterol on the Tour’s second rest day in Pau, July 21. The drug helps breathing and weight loss in athletes and is used by rogue cattle farmers, predominately in China and Mexico, to increase production. Contador claims he ingested the drug via a contaminated steak he ate on the rest day.

The probability of eating a contaminated steak in Europe is rare. In fact, only one in 83,203 samples was contaminated in samples taken between 2008 and 2009.

The CAS said that the presence “is more likely to have been caused by the ingestion of a contaminated food supplement than by a blood transfusion or contaminated meat.” It added, Contador failed to provide evidence that showed he was not at fault.

Alberto Contador winning the 2011 Giro d'Italia

Contador said at last year’s Giro he was racing for the fans: “The amount of fans out there – in the cold, the rain – that’s the most important thing.” Some of those same fans felt cheated during the trials and on hearing Monday’s ruling. Contador would have helped himself and the sport by telling the truth immediately.

“18 months is too much, but the charges were serious,” team Cofidis’ manager, Eric Boyer said. “Contador won doped. And he shaped the races for his rivals even when he wasn’t able to win.”

Here is a timeline of those 18 months:

July 21, 2010: Gives urine sample in UCI anti-doping test in Pau on the second rest day
July 25: Wins third Tour de France title over Andy Schleck by 39 seconds
August 3: Saxo Bank announces Alberto Contador joins for the 2011 and 2012 season
August 24: The UCI informs Contador of positive test for Clenbuterol. 50 picograms or 0.000 000 000 05 grams per ml were found in his urine.
September 30: Contador announces his positive test. The UCI announces his temporally suspension
October 5: The New York Times reports plasticizers found in Contador’s urine control, indicating a possible illegal blood transfusion. The analysis to test this link is yet approved.
November 8: The UCI requests Spanish federation to open a disciplinary hearing after it exams all of Contador’s anti-doping tests from the Tour de France with WADA
January 26, 2011: The Spanish Cycling Federation (RFEC) notifies Contador of a likely one-year ban and loss of his 2010 Tour de France title.
February 15: RFEC acquits Contador of the charges
March 24: The UCI appeals the case to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS)
March 29: The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) joins the UCI’s appeal
May 20: The CAS announces it will hear Contador June 6 to 8
May 29: Contador wins the Giro d’Italia
May 31: The CAS delays until August, which frees Contador to race the Tour
July 26: The WADA asks to delay the hearing until November
November 21-24: The CAS hears case in Lausanne, Switzerland
January 23, 2012: Contador starts season in Argentina at Tour of San Luis, wins two mountain stages
February 5: Contador races Trofeo Palma in Mallorca Challenge (his last race before ban)
February 6: The CAS bans Contador for two years with reduction for time already out of competition: January 25, 2011, to August 5, 2012. He loses 2010 Tour, 2011 Giro and other races.

Contador stripped of 12 race wins

Contador will take the shameful title of first cyclist stripped of the Giro d’Italia win. He is only the second, after Landis, to lose the Tour title. In total, he loses 12 races due to his doping and back-dated ban.

“It ends an interminable process,” said Tour director, Christian Prudhomme. It is “embarrassing for the organisers of all the races in which Contador had been able to take part.”

The Giro, unlike the Tour, welcomed Contador with open arms when the organiser knew there was a serious doping case hanging over his head. He won the race easily ahead of Italian Michele Scarponi. Scarponi takes the race title and gains the most from Contador doping verdict. Australian Richie Porte inherits Contador’s Castilla y Leon time trial win

Lost races and new winners:
2010 Tour de France – Andy Schleck
2011 Vuelta a Murcia (2 stages and overall) – Denis Menchov, Jérôme Coppel & Coppel
2011 Volta a Catalunya (1 stage and overall) – Scarponi & Scarponi
2011 Vuelta a Castilla y Leon stage 4 – Richie Porte
2011 Giro d’Italia (2 stages and overall) – José Rujano, Vincenzo Nibali & Scarponi
2012 Tour de San Luis (2 stages) – Levi Leipheimer & Daniel Diaz

Saxo Bank and Contador still in trouble

Team Saxo Bank risks losing its WorldTour licence due to Contador’s doping ban. The Danish team drops considerably down the UCI’s rankings without Contador for 2010 and 2011.

The UCI said in a press release it “will ask its licence commission to issue a ruling on whether the Saxo Bank-SunGard team should retain its place in the UCI WorldTour.” It added that Contador’s points account for 68 per cent of Saxo Bank’s points and if they are disregarded then “his team would no longer be considered to fulfil the sporting criterion” for a WorldTour licence.

Riis said in Tuesday’s conference in Madrid that he supports Contador, but is unable to respect the two-year contract that runs through through December. “Alberto can’t race,” explained Riis, “so the contract cant be fulfilled.” It is estimated at €4.5m annually.

Saxo Bank risks slipping into the second division and losing its secured places in WorldTour races, such as the Tour, the Giro and many of the one-day classics. It won the Tour of Flanders last year with Nick Nuyens.

“Alberto will not stop cycling,” brother Fran told Spanish media. However, he will have to pay €2,485,000 in fines if the UCI has its way.

The UCI to fine Contador 70 per cent of his income for 2010, the year he tested plosive. That amount combined with his legal costs (around €1m) will ensure Contador returns to work, cycling or other, soon.

Tour in turmoil

Since 1995, only two Tour de France winners’ victories were not tainted by doping allegations or tests: Carlos Sastre in 2008 and Cadel Evans last year.

“Cycling has done more than enough to show it’s doing the right things when it comes to the fight against drugs,” Evans said in London, according to SBS.

“Now it’s time for other sports to look to cycling and replicate what we do so the fight against drugs in sports can maybe be beaten one day across all sports.”

Contador and Evans at Challenge Ciclista Mallorca.

Evans points the positive aspect of the Contador case, which is that cycling is fighting doping. The sport does more than most sports to fight doping via its biological passport and out-of-competition controls.

Zero, zero, zero remix

Just to keep a smile on your face, Contador counts off the zeros in his positive test for Clenbuterol: 0.000 000 000 05 grams per millilitre.

Armstrong doping investigation continues

Armstrong’s doping-related case was closed in Los Angeles without charges on Friday, but process saw Floyd Landis and Tyler Hamilton confess. They both opened the door to the darker side of cycling in the Armstrong era.

US federal prosecutors scope was limited to non-doping charges, such as fraud. It looked into accusations that he used tax payers’ money via the team’s US Postal sponsorship contract to fund a doping programme. However, the legal documents will now make their way to the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) and the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) – agencies that are able to pursue doping charges.

Lance Armstrong being interviewed after Stage 5 of the 2011 Santos Tour Down Under.

“Of course the investigation was into allegations of fraud, but a large amount of the evidence gathered is likely to be highly pertinent to doping,” said WADA in a statement on Saturday. Travis T. Tygart, USADA chief executive said something similar, “Our investigation into doping is continuing. We look forward to obtaining the information.”

Armstrong won the Tour a record seven times from 1999 to 2005. He denies doping.

Qatar and Mallorca showcase stars

Racing in Qatar and Spain allowed fans to focus on the actual sport. Mark Cavendish won his first race as World Champion, the third stage of the Tour of Qatar yesterday.

“I said I wanted to make the jersey proud,” Cavendish said in a team Sky press release. “You never really get the season going until you get that first win under your belt.”

He had a fever and didn’t contest the first stage, but the third stage showed he’s eager to have a successful year.

“I want to repeat 2009 where I was successful throughout the whole season,” he said. “I’d like to win Milano-Sanremo again. I said when I won it last time in 2009 that I wanted to win it again in the world champion’s jersey.”

He said he fears Matt Goss the most. “When he’s on form, he’s incredible,” Cavendish said in a press conference. “He can climb very well and he’s clever.”

When Cavendish won gold in Copenhagen ahead of Goss, his British team-mate, Andy Fenn won the bronze medal in the Under 23 race.

On Sunday and Monday, he took his debut wins as a professional in the Challenge Mallorca. With team OmegaPharma-Quick Step help, he sprinted ahead of the field in the first two days of the race.

“It’s a great surprise to get a win in my first year,” Fenn said. “The team supported me, telling me at the start they were going to work for me.”

Cavendish Tweeted of his fellow Brit, “This lad is good, believe me.”

The Tour of Qatar continues with three more stages:
Stage 4: February 8: Al Thakhira – Madinat Al Shamal, 144km
Stage 5: February 9: Al Khor Corniche, 160km
Stage 6: February 10: Sealine Beach Resort – Doha Corniche, 120km

Many riders will stay in the Middle East for the Tour of Oman, a more mountainous version of the Tour of Qatar.

Stage 1: February 14: Al Alam Palace – Wadi Al Huwqayn, 159km
Stage 2: February 15: Wadi Dayquh Dam – Sur, 140km
Stage 3: February 16: Al Awabi – Bank Muscat, 144km
Stage 4: February 17: Bidbid – Al Wadi al Kabir, 142km
Stage 5: February 18: Royal Opera House – Jabal Al Akhdar, 158km
Stage 6: February 19: Al Khawd – Matrah Corniche, 130km

The UCI Press Release on the Contador verdict

So there you have it. Contador has been stripped of his 2010 TdF win which goes to Andy Schleck. Contador’s 2011 Giro win goes to Michele Scarponi (who was implicated in the Operación Puerto and suspended). His sanction is a two-year period of ineligibility starting retroactively on 25 January 2011, minus the period of provisional suspension served in 2010-2011 (5 months, 19 days). The suspension will therefore come to an end on August 5, 2012. Just in time to race the Vuelta.

The Court of Arbitration of Sport (CAS) has ruled that the probability of Contador’s contaminated meat defence is very low. So he was not convicted for doping, he was convicted of traces of an illegal substance being found in his body. Is there a difference?

CAS Ruling:

The Panel found that there were no established facts that would elevate the possibility of meat contamination to an event that could have occurred on a balance of probabilities. Unlike certain other countries, notably outside Europe, Spain is not known to have a contamination problem with clenbuterol in meat. Furthermore, no other cases of athletes having tested positive to clenbuterol allegedly in connection with the consumption of Spanish meat are known.

You can read the CAS ruling here.

This brings up the principle of “Strict Liability” in the WADA code. Just like when you get a speeding fine, it’s up to you to prove your innocence when adverse results are found.

From the WADA Code Q&A:

It means that each athlete is strictly liable for the substances found in his or her bodily specimen, and that an anti-doping rule violation occurs whenever a prohibited substance (or
its metabolites or markers) is found in bodily specimen, whether or not the athlete intentionally or unintentionally used a prohibited substance or was negligent or otherwise at fault.

Where does this principle come from?
Prior to the January 1, 2004, implementation of the World Anti-Doping Code (Code)—the core document that provides the framework for harmonized anti-doping policies, rules, and
regulations within sports organizations and among public authorities—, the principle of strict liability had been applied by the International Olympic Committee in its Anti-Doping Code as well as by the vast majority of pre-Code anti-doping sports rules. In accordance with WADA’s stakeholders’ wishes, the Code continues to apply the same principle.

This rule sounds severe. Is there any flexibility to take into consideration the circumstances or intention of the athlete?

Yes, there is flexibility when a sanction is being considered.The rule is the starting point so that, while an anti-doping rule violation occurs regardless of
the athlete’s intention, there is flexibility in the sanctioning process to consider the circumstances.

Reactions

Perhaps because Contador is one of the more affable blokes in the peloton he’s getting a fair amount of sympathy and understanding. The case was not cut and dry like so many others, so it was always going to be a contentious outcome.

Andy Schleck:

“There is no reason to be happy now”, commented Andy Schleck. “First of all I feel sad for Alberto. I always believed in his innocence. This is just a very sad day for cycling. The only positive news is that there is a verdict after 566 days of uncertainty. Now, we can move on.”

“I trust that the CAS judges took all things into consideration after reading the 4,000 page file. If now I am declared overall winner of the 2010 Tour de France it will not make me happy. I battled with Contador in that race and I lost. My goal is to win the Tour de France in a sportive way, being the best of all competitors, not in court. If I succeed this year, I will consider it as my first Tour de France victory.”

Eddy Merckx (via Velonation)

“It’s a sad day for Alberto Contador; it’s a sad day for cycling, I think people want to kill off cycling”

Oscar Pereiro (translated via Twitter)

“Two years of sanctions and the judgment provides that the doping is not tested. That sons of a …. “. “Now go and celebrate with the gold visa so calm, ” “Two years of punishing Alberto Contador and the judgment provides that the doping is not proven. Then? That children of the great ….” “We already have two Spanish without the UCI sanctioned or have it proven SAD. Shame I should give you are gaining on us . ”

“You know I think? That is innocent, you know. Would go to the end and sink to the gang that we pay and do their work like crap . If not for what I like and why work would fail to see the bike. always said and will say, hopefully one day treat us equally. ”

“And clearer yet. What really is rotten in cycling are your leaders, who become millionaires with our sweat and effort. HP “, “And for this wait two years and not have the balls to say at the time ? You will see the duster Mr. McQuaid and company.”

“I’m screwed as rarely . Maybe it’s because I know these characters. Now go celebrate with the gold visa and so quiet! I really do not know is that Albert will be two years standing. But the shame that given and the mediocrity of his work has been discovered. It is true that you can compete in August for the two-year ban has since August 2010. But why do you have left to run until yesterday?

Scarponi (via Velonation)

“For what concerns the human aspect, I’m very sorry for Alberto; for what concerns the professional aspect, this decision doesn’t change the value of the results I obtained and the targets for the future.”

UCI President Pat McQuaid

“This is a sad day for our sport. Some may think of it as a victory, but that is not at all the case. There are no winners when it comes to the issue of doping: Every case, irrespective of its characteristics, is always a case too many.”

Tour de France Director Christian Prudhomme

At last an answer after a process that never ended. It is here now, that’s a good thing, but it is obviously very late, too late. It is fundamental that there be less time between sports’ justice and sports and media events. Alberto Contador kept cycling for 18 months. He was cycling everywhere. … As for the winner of the Tour de France 2010, it needs to be confirmed by the UCI. But logically, it will be Andy Schleck as soon as the UCI tells us.”

Mark Cavendish (via Twitter)

“Regardless of the outcome for Contador, I just wish, for the sake of our sport and everyone in it, that a decision had been made sooner.”

Thor Hushovd

“If he didn’t follow the rules, it’s normal that there is a suspension. We work hard against doping because we don’t want cheaters and that’s probably why he got such a heavy suspension.”

Just as we spoke about yesterday, “Those who are connected to the right power centers in cycling are going to continue to get away with doping. The ones who are dispensable will fall.”.

What’s your reaction? Are you still a cycling fan after the past few days? Don’t worry – if you’re new to the sport you’ll see that these things will come up time and time again. Just love it for what it is…

Martin Hardie was never involved in case and is often just as polarising to people as Lance Armstrong is, but he has a wealth of knowledge about the law and anti-doping. I truly believe his head and heart are in the right place, so I value his opinions. The first thing that Martin teaches his students is that the law is not justice. I think we’ve all seen enough evidence of that throughout our lives.

I’m not going to try to convince you that Lance did or didn’t use PED’s to win seven TdF’s. You most likely already have your mind made up and I won’t change that. I too have my mind made up and I’m afraid that you’ll find this post tainted with bias.

What Happened?

First thing to understand is that federal prosecutors have closed their investigation of Lance Armstrong without filing charges. There was no ruling. Authorities are under no legal obligation to explain themselves and the news caught everyone involved in the case by surprise. Announcing the decision on the eve of the Super Bowl was convenient timing for the news to be pushed to the back pages of the papers.

People can only speculate as to why the Federal prosecutors chose to close the investigation. Mr. Hardie understands from people close to the case, “there was an enormous breadth and depth of crushing evidence. The doping evidence was clear cut.”

It’s important to understand that the prosecutors did not build a case around doping charges. Doping in sport is not federal crime in the US and the case was built around tax fraud and other charges related to the violation of the USPS sponsorship contract which prohibited doping.

Unlike Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens who testified before a federal grand jury and were accused of lying under oath, Armstrong was not called to testify. However, Yaroslav Popovych, Tyler Hamilton, George Hincapie, Levi Leipheimer were subpoenaed to testify under oath and according to Martin Hardy who has spoken to people close to the case, they all “spilled the beans”. They also had Dr. Ferrari’s computer records which were damning.

Too Big To Fail?

Like Goldman Sachs and Citibank, is Lance and Livestrong too big to fail? Are too many hearts and wallets at stake? There will be speculation that there was pressure put on the attorney general’s department from high up and outside to make this investigation go away. Lance is no stranger to the world of politics. Armstrong’s lawyer is Mark Fabiani who was Bill Clinton’s counsel for the Whitewater scandal. Lance golfs with Bill Clinton, goes mountain biking with George Bush, gets on well with Mike Rann, and has announced his political aspirations himself.

Lance has far more political power than Barry Bonds or Roger Clemens. If you put together all the difficulty they had with those cases, the potential of this drawing out forever and the amount of money that Lance would throw at it, plus the political connections and pressure Lance could put behind it, the Federal Prosecutor may have concluded that this is just too hard.

What’s Next?

The USADA has formally announced their intentions to continue their investigation into the doping allegations. Although USADA does not subpoena power, they have seen some of the evidence in the federal investigation and try to bring out more. Will previous testimonies go public? It depends how the USADA goes about it. If they have a public hearing it may all come about.

What can come out of this? If the USADA concludes that Lance used PED’s, then it’s up to the UCI to decide whether or not to take away his victories. You can already see that they’ve set the ground with statements about “let’s not live in the past.” Whatever conclusion the USADA comes to, it will largely be symbolic.

There could still be a civil whistleblower case brought under the False Claims Act that goes forward (possibly by Floyd Landis with the claim of past fraud committed against the federal government). This will again bring up the question of whether or not the $32 million in sponsorship contracts towards the USPS cycling team was spent on systematic doping.

What this signals is that there will be more of the same. Those who are connected to the right power centers in cycling are going to continue to get away with doping. The ones who are dispensable will fall.

My Thoughts

You might think that from what I’ve said in this post that I’m a Lance Armstrong hater. The truth is that he doesn’t polarize me in the same way he does to many.

I suppose for me it’s a bit like when I was a kid and the slow realisation that Santa Claus wasn’t true. My parents didn’t need to pull me aside and tell me. Over the years I put 2+2 together, figured it out something wasn’t right, kept my mouth shut to my younger sister, and know that the truth doesn’t hurt anyone. If you’ve been a cyclist and a fan for a long time you’ll be able to put 2+2 together as well. I have a lot to thank Lance Armstrong for. He inspired my obsession in road racing which has given me a tremendous amount of joy. He helped bring road racing to the level of popularity we enjoy to this day. He has done a lot for cancer, even though it’s debatable if the money is put to good use. I don’t lose any sleep over what I think the truth is. It is what it is, and we’re not going to turn back time if anything is revealed. No matter what the truth is, I cannot deny the excitement that Lance brought to the sport which had me fixated on the Tour for seven years and on the edge of my seat. Whatever happens, my memories of that will not diminish.

That said, I believe the USADA still needs to proceed with their investigation so the people who still work inside the sport from the U.S. Postal era are exposed. They are the future which harm the sport.

One of the significant moments in my blogging career was helping out the Rapha Condor team as a lackey in the 2009 Sun Tour. I was unemployed and happy to help out the team as I knew most of them already. It was actually a big turning point for this blog because the posts that I generated from this experience made me realise how hungry people were for behind the scenes content. Little did I know that this would be the start of a longstanding relationship with Rapha which eventually attracted me to working with them.

Andy Verrall giving the Condors a wash during the 2009 Sun Tour. Andy now works with Team SKY at their service course.

A very talented rider named Ben Greenwood had a nasty crash on stage 2 which put him out of the race. He was bruised and battered and his bike was a mess. The frame was cracked on the toptube, but not beyond repair. Team Manager, John Herety gave me the frame after the race as it was no use to them since their season was over.

Ben Greenwood looking like he got in a fight after stage 2 of the 2009 Sun Tour

The Frame
The frame sat in a pike of junk in my storage room for a couple years before I got off my backside and had it repaired. It’s nothing special, but it looked like it would fit me okay and it didn’t cost me anything. Plus, I loved the headbadge. I bumped into a gentleman named Raoul Luescher who repairs carbon frames and I convinced him to help me out with my little bike project. Raoul generously fixed my battered up frame for no cost and inspected the rest of it using ultrasound to ensure that it was structurally sound.

Raoul Luescher from Luescher Teknik

The Paintjob
I’ve long admired the work of Steve Munyard from Sun Graphics. Steve and I caught up for a coffee and I told him what I’d like to do. I was working on a new CT kit design and had a couple concepts to show him. He drew something up on photoshop which I liked and within a couple weeks he had the frame cleaned up, painted, and looking like new.

The Condor headbadge is one of the finer details of this frame

The Groupset
A good friend of mine was hit by a car up in the Dandenongs last year where his bike was written off. It was sitting in his garage collecting dust. He was able to claim a new bike on insurance and they told him to keep the damanged bike as it was no good to them. Lucky for me most of the Shimano Di2 was still intact and he simply gave it to me. The only thing I had to do was buy a new brake lever.

The Rest
I asked Echelon Sports if they’d help me out with the 3T handlebars, stem, seatpost. I had a mish mash these parts laying around, but if there’s one rule on a bike build, it’s that these three items must always match. I had used 3T components on my last bike and loved the handlebars. After that decision was made it was obvious that I needed the matching stem and seatpost. I had an old San Marco Replica saddle laying around which is the comfiest thing saddle on the market. I adds a lot of character to a bike like this as well. I also ordered a couple Elite bidon cages because of their elegance and simplicity.

The Build
This wasn’t as easy as you might think. The Di2 was my biggest concern. I’ve build lots of bikes before but I’ve never installed Di2 and I was certain that there would be issues that I couldn’t resolve with my spare parts laying around the house. I took the frame and box of components over to Hampton Cycles and asked them to build it up for me. And I was right – it wasn’t straightforward. They had to get an external Di2 kit to run the wires and many other parts weren’t an ideal fit. Many hours later the guys at Hampton Cycles managed to get everything working properly and riding like a dream. They did a fine job at getting the Di2 looking very clean despite the frame not being designed for it.

The Wheels
Okay, these weren’t cheap, but they were a “necessity”. Out of all the wheels I’ve ever ridden, one of my favorites are the ENVE 25′s with DT Swiss 240 hubs. I decided that a bike like this needed a low profile set of wheels and I got a line of a set of demos that were hardly used. I put on a nice set of Vittoria Corsa Evo CX tubulars (not shown here) and they ride like a dream.

What Would I Change?
Steve’s workmanship on the paintjob is absolutely stunning, however since the new kit design has changed (coming very soon, I promise) I would probably paint it differently. Also, aside from the exceptional front derailleur shifting, I don’t really rate the Di2. There’s no “feel” or “snap” to the rear shifting and I cannot say that I’ve ever had much of a problem with mechanical shifting. The only thing that would change my mind however is if there was just a simple “click” to let me know how hard I need to push on the lever. Maybe I’m just having trouble getting used to it.

Alright, let me have it. What would you change?

SLAM THAT STEM!

Thank you to Ben Greenwood, Raoul Luescher (for fixing the frame), Steve Munyard (Sun Graphics for the paintjob), Leigh De Luca (Echelon Sports for the 3T parts), Hampton Cycles (for the build), and Monza Imports (for the ENVE Wheels), and a good friend (you know who you are) for the Di2

Click here for the Tour of Qatar startlist.

The first day started out in Cradle Mountain, which in its own right is breathtaking. Anyone who has been there to hike would be well versed with the beauty and ruggedness of the terrain. Wildside is a bi-annual event and run by a team of people who work for the department of forestry and tourism. Thus allowing the race to go through areas which are off-limits and remote locations to reach the west coast. For the first three days of the event, there are two competition stages, plus transit stages to get you back to your support crew. The final day was completed with a single stage on the signatory Strahan beach.

The epitomy of mountain biking racing; wet, dirt, hard, and dark tunnels

The initial stage traversed the plateau from the cradle mountain accommodation area, to the Iris river and back again. The course was generally open four wheel drive tracks implying very bumpy sections of trails that made it difficult to maintain a decent rhythm. The waves of riders began with fastest elite first through to age group ranked riders. The pace was on from the start. The race intensified even further as the course went through sections of gravel roads, creek crossings and alpine trails.

After the finish and a quick re-fuel, everyone started on the transition stage to the lunch-stop. In the middle of the national park, lunch was provided for 450 riders and their support crew. A great example of the high level of planning and effort put in by the crew! This went on for all 4 days of the event, so needless to say we never went hungry. The lunch-stop was a perfect opportunity to discuss with fellow riders how you went, how you crashed or how you kept it upright. This was the natural catalyst to fuel the excitement and build camaraderie with everyone.

A dip in the pool, to seek refuge from the soaring temperature.

The second stage started in the Que River mining area, one of the highest mining areas in Tasmania. The mercury hovering near 30 degrees centigrade, the race went through a narrow single track in a lush rainforest. The majority of the course was staged through undulating mining roads that were perfectly suited for those coming from a road racing background. The pace was fast and luckily most went through unscathed. The transition stage to Tullah, allowed everyone to regroup and recuperate before we jumped in the dam.

The weather during the third stage was hotter than the previous with two incredible stages ahead of us. We departed from Tullah to the start of the third stage in Zeehan. The 4wd track was starting to get loose and with each pedal stroke we ascended through the lush green forest, with roots zigzagging across the tight single track that had you working hard all the way. The decent during this part of the race was the highlight of the whole event; it was a white knuckle ride with plenty of speed through tight shoots, and lose mud and rock. The only exception being the few mud bogs that flipped a few people including myself.

A mass start, indicating how big the Wildside Mountain Biking race has become.

Upon completing lunch and adorning a fresh kit with a clean bike to go, stage four was the memorable Montezuma falls stage. While it didn’t suit everyone the initial 6kms (bitumen climb) blew the group apart. From the top we descended down to some gravel roads and then rode up and along the old tramways track to the Montezuma Falls. The Montezuma Falls being the highest falls in Tasmania, the track crossing involved a suspended bridge 140 meters above the water. Unfortunately it allows only five riders at a time to cross so it was prevalent to get in front of the group to ensure a quick time on the course.

After the crossing the course continued on with tenacious climbing followed by a decent halfway through the stage to Melba flats. This was an unrelenting decent albeit not super fast but with enough deep holes and technical lines to slow down some riders. After reaching Melba flats the trail turned to rolling with fast sections, finishing off with deep thick mud bogs that prevented you from picking a good line. This resulted in many of us coming off and unstuck. The final two kilometers was a straight fire road. Everyone had spun out of gears!! At the end of the stage you could see some were hurting due to the punishing terrain.

Exhaustion kicking in after a long day in the saddle.

Time trails are a painful way to start the day and when the rain started, it added insult to an already tough discipline. You started in pairs with your next closest grand classification rider. It was an interesting technical start to the spray tunnel stage in the wind and rain. These two elements were a constant reminder of Tasmania’s ever-changing weather. Upon the completion of the stage most of the participants had turned to a dark color of red and black. We transferred from Trial harbour to Granville harbour.

Contemplating on the time trial stage in the rain and cold.

The next stage was described as a dangerous fast trail with sharp rocks , flowing decent and brutal climb out of the harbour. Everyone was warned to stay within their limits and I cordially happened to miss that warning. After bridging across multiple groups on the climb, I thought that changing my riding line across a large granite slab would be a clever maneuver. How wrong was I!!!

After a few fish tails with the rear end, I went over the bars, and an introduction was made to the granite with my shoulder. Luckily, the medical crew was staggered along the path and a paramedic quickly intervened to pull me off the trail. In a split second my first Wildside event was over. I was induced with Methoxyflurane, the infamous green whistle, to alleviate the discomfort as we drove out to the finish stage to meet my support crew and teammates. I later found out that the rest of the stage was an incredible journey along the cliff tops, a picturesque moment I didn’t get to see.

The only thing on my mind was the desire to start the final two stages but with my arm in a sling, I was relegated to watching the competitors start on Strahan beach. As the wind gathered momentum, the stage was put into a reverse start. Thus allowing all the riders to finish along the beach with a tail wind. This was a roadies stage and that was seen by the guys who finished at the top of their category. It was great to see everyone hang around and congratulate each other, pat on the backs and regale stories of the event.

With the wind on your back and cruising along the beach with your competitors in tow, could this be utopia ?

Although I did not finish this race, I am happy to say that the event was extremely well executed but the kitchen sink was thrown at you to ensure that you experienced the Tasmanian wilderness at its absolute best. I would like to thank Nik Deka and all the event crew for putting on a great event over the four days and 200 kilometers. This experience has spurred me on to come back and discover Tasmania as part of the Wildside event in 2014, but also to go and explore the area on foot and on a road bike over the coming years.

For full daily results of the Wildside Mountain Biking Race can be found here:
Day 1
Day 2
Day 3
Day 4

Nathan Haas

Nathan Haas debuted in the Tour of Down Under with Garmin-Barracuda, a partnership that formed back in October. Riding for third division team Genesys, the 22-year-old Australian sealed his switch to the road by winning the Herald Sun Tour and the Japan Cup. The month became even sweeter when he inked his first professional contract.

Nathan Haas leading the charge up Willunga Hill on stage 5 of the 2012 Tour Down Under

“To say I expect anything out of my first season, it’s probably a little self-indulgent. It’s more about the questions I ask and the lessons I learn this year,” Haas explained. “You only get one chance to have a neo-pro year, it’s quite important for me to get it right. The only thing I expect out of the year is to learn.”

Garmin features Heinrich Haussler, Tyler Farrar and numerous time trial specialists and will be an ideal team for Haas to discover himself. He will likely improve his time trialling and win a stage in a small stage race this year.

Salvatore Puccio

If you follow cycling, chances are you’re passionate about all things Italian. Why not put your weight behind the most Italian of all neo-pros, Sicilian Salvatore Puccio? He is likely to become his country’s next big classics star, joining fellow Sicilian and Vuelta a España winner, Vincenzo Nibali.

The 22-year-old makes his professional debut after an amateur season that included a win in the Under 23 Tour of Flanders. Is he the next Nick Nuyens? Puccio sees himself more in the mould of Oscar Freire. Either way, Italy needs him since it has not had a major classic win in three years.

“He’s quite a punchy and hard rider, not a sprinter but someone a bit like Edvald Boasson Hagen,” said Sky sport director, Sean Yates. “We’re not going to throw him in the deep end this year, he’s still young.”

Andrew Talansky

American Andrew Talansky already completed his first full season in the professional ranks with Garmin-Cervélo. It was a great start, giving home fans reason to believe he could be USA’s next Grand Tour winner.

“He can climb and he can time trial, but how far he can go in those disciplines remains to be seen,” explained team DS, Allan Peiper. “We want to take his development further, help him be a GC leader, to learn to guide a team and to concentrate over long periods. Last season, he was a first year pro, just learning to fit in and earning his team-mates’ loyalty.”

Last season, the 23-year-old placed top 10 in three WorldTour time trials stages: Paris-Nice, Basque Country and Romandy. In Romandy, he was the best young rider and ninth overall and with the Vuelta a España, he finished his first Grand Tour – not bad. The bar is high, but an overall win in a small stage race is the next logical step.

Tosh Van Der Sande

Tosh Van Der Sande of team Lotto-Belisol has a lot going for him: Under 23 Liège-Bastogne-Liège winner, track star and cool first name. Alexander Vinokourov attacked to win Liège, but Van Der Sande sprinted for his win. (The Under 23 version is slightly different from the pro version that finishes with the climb to Ans.)

The 21-year-old Belgian developed his sprint skills from the track, where he is 2008 junior World Champion in the points race. He would love to win one of the sprinters’ prized events, the Milano-Sanremo. Given his Liège win and ninth place in the Under 23 Worlds, it may be within reach.

Tosh Van der Sande second from right during the presentation of Lotto Belisol Racing Team in the Autoworld (Brussels).

Andrew Fenn

Andrew Fenn made his pro debut at the Tour Down Under with OmegaPharma-Quick Step, unusual as most of the British development cyclists ride for Sky.

“They can only take so many British guys,” he explained. “After talking with the Sky guys, there was an option with Quick Step, which is a great classics team.”

The 21-year-old perhaps made the right decision since he is the 2008 Junior Paris-Roubaix winner and will be able to ride alongside three-time winner, Tom Boonen. He will learn the ropes this year, maybe have a chance to win a smaller race and prove his worth to the team, where he has only a one-year contract.

After Fenn signed last year, he won the bronze medal in the Under 23 Worlds in Copenhagen.

Arnaud Démare

Arnaud Démare is France’s answer to Michael Matthews thanks to his sprint win in the Under 23 World Championships. The 20-year-old now has a contract with French team, FDJ-BigMat and hopes to have as successful of a start as Matthews.

Démare explained. “I’ll take my place in the back of the pack and try to learn, starting over again from scratch.” As with Matthews, he said he will take he chance for a win if the opportunity arrives.

Steven Kruijswijk

Steven Kruijswijk, 24, may not look it, but he is already in his third professional year. The ginger-haired, baby-face Dutchman of team Rabobank rode to ninth overall at the Giro d’Italia and won a stage of the Tour de Suisse last year.

He said, “I really improved my climbing skills when I moved to Spain, where I train a lot on the climbs, sometimes with Robert Gesink.”

Kruijswijk is ready to win a Grand Tour stage this year, possibly when he rides for a third time in the Giro d’Italia. Dress in orange and prepare to scream for three weeks.

Daniel Teklehaimanot

Daniel Teklehaimanot is the first black-African to race in the WorldTour and he represents GreenEDGE – how cool is that? Support him, and you are supporting a continent that may hold the next Eddy Merckx, or at least Cadel Evans.

The 23-year-old from Eritrea already rode as a trainee for Cervélo TestTeam and in 2009, finished sixth overall in one of the top amateur races, the Tour de l’Avenir. GreenEDGE’s general manager, Shayne Bannan explained, “If we can harness his energy, we have a guy who can potentially make a name for himself.”

Daniel Teklehaimanot neo pro in GreenEdge

Michael Hepburn

Michael Hepburn has the talent to become the next Fabian Cancellara. The Aussie from Queensland is only 20, but already helped Australia to a team pursuit gold medal at the track worlds and won a TT bronze medal in the Under 23 road worlds.

What’s next? GreenEDGE will allow him to focus on the London Olympics and then harness his power on the road. With several promising results as an amateur in time trials, Hepburn will likely bag a win in his debut season.

George Bennett

George Bennett probably will have to watch team-mates Andy and Fränk Schleck race the Tour de France, but he IS team-mates with them nonetheless. The 21-year-old Kiwi signed his first pro contract with RadioShack-Nissan after a year in its feeder team.

Bennett may well get his chance to shine in the Tour one day, as he is a gifted climber. Look for him to excel in smaller stage races this year.

The day after Boxing Day, when most people are still gorging themselves on leftover Christmas Pudding in front of the cricket, also marks a mass exodus of Victorian track cyclists from their Melbourne abodes. Over the next four days they will journey across the rural country side, stopping to race first in Horsham, then in Bendigo, then in Shepparton, and finally in Wangaratta.

In doing so they are following a tradition that stretches back decades, and that is mirrored in both Tasmania and New South Wales. While the Tasmanian Carnivals are more lucrative, and the New South Wales Carnivals more centrally located, this year the Victorian Carnivals underwent something of a resurgence, with increasing numbers across the grades and genders. Despite occasional reports to the contrary, track cycling is booming in Victoria, and the four days ‘out bush’ were no exception.

The first stop is Horsham. The landscape is flat and dry, with the hot wind usually blasting down from the deserts to the north. This year, however, the wind is coming from the south. The Horsham velodrome is flat, considerably different from the indoor velodromes city cyclists are accustomed to, so wind direction is important, playing a role in both gear selection and the timing of attacks. Each of the carnivals has its own program, and these inform each rider not only what races they will be riding in, but also how much – or how little – of a head start they will have in the richest race of the day, the wheelrace. These handicapped races include everyone across the grades, with heats in the earlier sessions and the final towards the end of the day. The handicap marks are always controversial, and this year is no exception. Riders are complaining to their mates, or mocking them about their poor chances, or sitting quietly content with the 100 metres head start they have on the rest of the field.

Perusing the program in Horsham. Image by Gavin Sittampalan

As the first stop on a long journey, Horsham is a day of much catching up and reminiscing. Everyone seems to still be feeling the post-Christmas buzz. The racing is fast and fierce, sure, but seems to come second to mates chatting with mates, parents and partners procuring and sharing food, and folks helping each other out. Not everyone signs for money at the end of the day, but everyone looks pretty relaxed and comfortable as they head into town to search for a hotel.

The next morning country drivers are surprised by the sudden influx of high-end road bikes along their backroads and laneways. It’s important to get in one or two hours of easy pedaling each morning, and this is probably the most pleasant part of the week. Rolling out through empty paddocks, state parks and grazing land, chatting amiably with your mates and breathing in the country air certainly does more than just work the lactic acid out of your legs.

Bendigo is the next stop, and in Bendigo, track cycling is big news. Unlike the other destinations, in Bendigo the track is spitting distance from the centre of town. There’s a significant crowd in attendance, a coffee cart and a genuine family fun times atmosphere. The numbers in Bendigo are stronger than anywhere else, with enough riders for three women’s grades and five men’s grades. The track is big, open and slightly D shaped – local knowledge counts for a lot. A rider has to lean right into that final corner, or they’ll drift up the track and out of the sprinter’s lane, leaving the door open for one of the Bendigo boys to come through and take the win.

Strong field in Bendigo. Image by Gavin Sittampalan.

Local hero Glenn O’Shea is not in attendance, but in his absence Beijing Olympian Daniel Ellis has shown up. The carnival is no doubt simply part of his training, but he certainly knows how to put on a show for the crowd. In the first race he sits in the pack until the last one hundred metres, then blasts through the pack with ease, taking the win and leaving the rest of the race in awe.

It seems most of the riders linger in Bendigo the next morning, as it is difficult to walk down Hargreaves St without bumping into a fellow cyclist. The previous night’s wheelrace winner, Tyler Spurrell, is seen reading about himself in the local paper. Slim blokes with smooth legs quiz each other on the whereabouts of the best coffee. No one seems particularly keen to hit the road towards Shepparton, known colloquially as “Shep.”

Tyler Spurrell took out the Bendigo Wheelrace. Image by Gavin Sittampalan.

Tyler Spurrell was interviewed at length about his victory. Image By Gavin Sittampalan.

The Shep track is a few kilometres out on the edge of town – looking away from the back the view is paddocks, orchards and cows. It’s dry and dusty in Shep, and the riders are starting to get tired. Shep offers more races for slightly less prize money, and the commissaires have been inventive with the formats, offering elimination races, progressive points, and win-and-outs, among the common handicaps and scratch races. Ellis is again in attendance, showing all and sundry how to win a keirin, but today he is joined by Seoul Olympian and Shep local Stephen Fairless. The local migrant community is catering, and the smell of exotic spices wafts over the track. The night ends with the Men’s Victorian Five Kilometre Track Championships, and here Blackburn’s Brent Nelson shows his dominance, defying significant opposition and sprinting to the gold medal.

Signing on for prize money at the end of the night. Image by Gavin Sittampalan.

By way of contrast, the Wangaratta track is down by a river, with grass and trees around the outside. The track itself is around the outside of a footy oval, and consequently is huge – around five hundred metres, or twice the size of DISC. It’s also flat, which wreaks havoc on the riders, who skip wheels at speed and generally float up the track coming into the final straight. To further complicate matters, as the sun goes down seasonally appropriate Christmas Beetles invade the track, making a frightening crunching noise as they are crushed underneath the spinning wheels.

By the time Wangaratta rolls around everyone is relaxed – spectators, riders, and even officials. Birthday boy Stu Vaughn is allowed to jump into the final race, which is written in the program as a points race, but which chief commissaire Ian Notting decided will instead be a motorpace. The ensuring race was perhaps the most intense of the carnival, with riders rolling turns behind a motorbike doing fifty, then sixty, then perhaps even seventy kilometres per hour. Legs are hitting one-fifty, one-sixty, then perhaps even one-seventy revs per minute. By the time the motorbike pulls off only Spurrell and Nelson are left. The two teammates roll up the track and have a quick chat, before Nelson hits the gas and takes the win.

Driving back to the city that night the cars smell of tiredness, sweat, unwashed lycra, staminade powder and dust. The vans and station wagons immediately in front and immediately behind are also fit to burst with hastily packed frames, race wheels, spare wheels, rollers, dirty clothes and weary bodies. As the city comes back into view thoughts turn to the future, both cycling: the Bay Crits, Bendigo Madison weekend, the Austral; and personal: a shower, loved ones, and the comfort of their own beds. When they pull into the driveway, finally home at last, most of them will leave unpacking the car until the next morning.

Full Race Results:
Horsham
Bendigo
Shepparton
Wangaratta

For more information on track cycling in Victoria this summer, check out the Cycling Victorian summer calendar.