"I'm so proud of the girls," said Team Sport Director Ronny Lauke. "After the hiccups at the beginning of this race, the girls stayed positive and showed that they really want to race and they want to race hard. Every day they gave everything on the road."

Brennauer took the TT win from former World Champion Emma Pooley and secured 8th place in the general classification. "I'm really happy with this," she said. "I've really worked hard on the road this year transitioning from racing primarily on the track last year. Its really nice to get a good result this week. Also to try to ride for CG was great and we had a lot of fun racing together here."

Carleton won the final stage from a small breakaway group who escaped early in the day. "It feels great to win here," she said. "It's been a hard week but I'm happy to get through my first big race in Europe for the season. It was a fun race and it makes the hard work worth it to come away with some wins."

Aided by the always enthusiastic cheering of the Italian tifosi, Nibali flew up the road with purpose, paying little mind to the inclement weather. Vincenzo punched the air as he crossed the line with a final time of 44:29, pushing his overall race lead to 4:02 over second place, Cadel Evans.

With his first stage win of this Giro, Vincenzo put considerable time into the rest of his rivals, greatly improving his chances for overall victory in this year’s Giro d’Italia. With three more days of racing before the finish in Brescia on Sunday, Astana will be more dedicated than ever to assure the maglia rosa arrives securely on the shoulders of Nibali.

Baggett Starts Title Defense on the Podium

Reigning 250 Class Champion Blake Baggett has not lined up on a starting gate since the opening round of Monster Energy Supercross in January. The time away from competition not only allowed Baggett to recover from a wrist injury, but also ensure he was at his best for the challenging summer season.

Baggett picked up the 2013 season where he left off in 2012 by cementing himself at the front of the field and challenging for the overall win. While he ultimately missed out on duplicating his victorious effort at Hangtown from a year ago, Baggett was still in the mix during each moto, posting 3-2 finishes to land second overall.

“Obviously I wanted to win and start this season off right, but it’s hard to complain about a podium finish with so many good riders out there,” said Baggett. “ We’ll learn from this weekend and come out event stronger next weekend.”

Hill Captures Hard-Fought Top 10 in Debut

Justin Hill’s AMA Pro Motocross debut wasn’t as easy as the rookie might have liked, but despite some adversity thrown his way, Hill refused to give up and was rewarded with a top-10 finish.

After some misfortune on the opening lap of the first moto, Hill crossed the line in 31st and instantly began his climb through the field, passing 18 riders en route to a 13th-place finish. In Moto 2, Hill’s fortunes improved with a mid-pack start, but he still climbed from 16th to ninth to secure 10th overall.

“It was kind of a wild day for me, but my KX250F was just so strong that I didn’t realize how many riders I actually passed,” said Hill. “It was great to get two solid motos under my belt and know what it’s going to take to get the job done this season. I’m pumped with how things started.”

Davalos and Durham Plagued with Misfortune

Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki’s most experienced 250 Class riders – Martin Davalos and Darryn Durham – had hopes for a strong start to their first full seasons with Mitch Payton’s squad, but both veterans were stuck with misfortune that hurt their position on the overall results.

Davalos was hit with adversity in the opening moto, when he crashed on the third lap while battling for a spot inside the top 10. Davalos was unable to finish the moto, but returned to action in Moto 2, bouncing back to finish 12th and salvage 17th overall.

“It wasn’t the day we wanted, but considered what happened in the first moto I’m just happy to come out of here healthy,” said Davalos. “The bike was good and the speed is there, I just need to do some work heading into the next weekend.”

Durham set the tone for a good day with an impressive ride in Moto 1, battling at the front half of the field the entire race and beginning the afternoon with a sixth-place result. In Moto 2, Durham put himself up front again, but was hit with bad luck after contact with another rider resulted in a crash on Lap 3 that took Durham out of contention. Unable to finish the moto, he settled for 14th overall.

“Everything was going great and then it just ended so abruptly,” said Durham. “I’m definitely bummed and I’m a little banged up, but I’m pumped with how well we were able to race. I know I have the speed to run up front, so I just need to stay out of trouble and hopefully things will work out.”

Rattray Leads the Way for the Team in the 450 Class

After a stellar debut season in the 450 Class last season, Mitch Payton added a second bike to his stable for 2013 with Tyla Rattray and Dean Wilson.

Rattray led the way for the effort at Hangtown with a consistent day that resulted with a top-10 finish. The former world champion and veteran rider knew coming into the season that consistency would be the key in the highly talented 450 Class and he was just that at the opening round, posting a pair of ninth-place moto results to finish ninth overall.

“There’s a lot of guys who know how to get the job done out there, so I just wanted to find my place and set a good tone for the season,” said Rattray. “I definitely want to be up front with the big names, but it’s a long season and it was good to get a solid foundation. We’ll just look to make improvements from here.”

Wilson Shows Promise in 450 Class Debut

As a former 250 Class Champion, Dean Wilson knows what it takes to succeed in AMA Pro Motocross, but his move into the 450 Class presents a new level of challenges for the rising star. At Hangtown, Wilson learned what it takes to run up front after battling around the top five for most of the first moto. A late stall hurt his finish, but he proved the speed is there.

In Moto 2, Wilson needed to show his ability to come through the field and was able to overcome an incident on the opening lap to climb from 32nd to 14th, passing 18 riders in one of the most talented fields in history. Despite not racing since March, Wilson showed promising speed and resiliency en route to 14th overall.

“This isn’t the way I wanted things to start, but all we can do is learn from it,” said Wilson. “I was able to learn a lot in both motos and if I keep working on my fitness for these tough motos I expect to be a top five guy.”

Missing from Action

Adam Cianciarulo was eagerly awaiting his pro debut at Hangtown, but the decorated amateur rider was forced to watch the race from the sidelines after an illness prevented him from competing. Cianciarulo will continue his recovery in hopes of getting on the track next weekend in Colorado for the second round of the championship.

Looking Ahead >> Thunder Valley

The 2013 AMA Pro Motocross Championship heads to the Rocky Mountains next weekend with the annual Thunder Valley National in Lakewood, Colo. The second round of the championship will celebrate Memorial Day Weekend with one of the most unique and picturesque tracks on the planet.

Small, who had bad luck at the recent Pan American Championships when a barrier blew into her and off the bike in the TT event, was eager to come away with a more positive experience leading into US National Championships next week.

"I didn't know going into the race what the outcome would be," she said. " I was trying not to put pressure on myself and use it as more preparation for nationals but i really wanted to have a good ride and see what i could do. I was pretty surprised after I crossed the line and I was in first. I just tried to stay focused and go as hard as I could."

Carmen now heads to Chattanooga with her three US teammates to US Pro Champs next weekend.

In France, Loren was under instructions to get in an early break on the hilly stage. She did that and managed to stay with the group when the GC riders came across. With one kilometer to go there was a solo rider up the road. Teammate Lisa Brennauer, also in the front bunch, reeled in the break in time for Loren to contest the sprint.

"It's challenging racing here," said Ronny Lauke. "The terrain is amazing. Yesterdays stage one one of the hardest I've seen in women's cycling. I'm proud of the way the girls are racing. It was fantastic for Loren to stay with that front group and be able to win a hilly stage like this."

Languedoc Roussillon has two stages remaining with tomorrow being a 27.9km time trial and the final stage a 114km loop around Beziers.

Kate Courtney showed her class once again with an impressive 3rd place ride at round one of the World Cup in Albstadt, Germany.

Against the best junior women in the world, Courtney rode her heart out, leading the final lap in a bold bid for the win. It was a tight battle resulting in a major result for the young rider.

Meanwhile back in the US, Tyler O'Neal continued his successful Spring run with a well-deserved Sophomore State Title at the NICA CA State High School Championships at Stafford Lake.

O'Neal wasn't the only one to end up on the podium, as Whole Athlete/Specialized riders took four of the top five Varsity places with Jacob Albrecht, Sean Bennett, Marcus Segedin, and Ben Spurr 2nd through 5th. Steffen Andersen added to the podium tally with 5th place in Junior Varsity.

And the team wasn't done yet. Casey Williams battled back from an early week flu to take a hard-earned fourth place in the highly competitive Pro race at the US Cup at Lake Morena.

Next up for Whole Athlete/Specialized riders is round two of the World Cup in Nove Mesto, Czech Republic on May 25-26.

"It was a really good start to the World Cup after my health complications and considering the crazy conditions of the race," said Kulhavy after the race. He had been battling tooth issues in recent weeks. "Thanks to Specialized for the best bike and support."

The weather and the course made Sunday the kind of day when plenty of support was needed.

US short track national champion Todd Wells, also racing his Specialized Epic 29er bike said, "The course was hard-packed and dry until 30 minutes before our race, when the rain started to come down. The course went from super fast and grippy to just an ice skating rink out there. Then the rain stopped, and the mud got sticky."

Thick, slippery mud meant the uphills were still ride-able but the downhills were extremely sketchy. One after the other, even the best riders took turns crashing and having mechanicals, causing many lead changes throughout the race. As some riders bobbled, others had to get off and run, which was also a treacherous undertaking resulting in still more crashes.

"I have not seen a race with so many ups and downs in the positioning like today," said Specialized Racing's Team Manager Benno Willeit.

Specialized Racing's Kohei Yamamoto of Japan had the best start of the team onboard his Specialized S-Works Stumpjumper hardtail with Fast Trak tires, briefly occupying the third place spot. However, he had a big crash on a downhill and was nowhere to be seen as the leaders came through the second time. Yamamoto had hurt his shoulder, lower leg and arm, but medics confirmed after he pulled out of the race that fortunately, no bones were broken.

Half a lap later, it was Wells' turn for some misfortune. "I made it into the second lap when my chain fell off and got wrapped around my crank arm," he said. "I got off and put my chain back on, but by the time I got back going again, I realized that the one link had bent so it wasn't possible to pedal, and I was pretty far from the tech zone. I wasn't able to get there and fix it before the race was gone. I got covered in mud, but I only really got to do one lap."

Unfortunately for Wells, he didn't have much time to use his Specialized Command dropper seat post, which was being used for the first time in a cross country World Cup. Both Wells and Kulhavy had opted for Specialized S-Works Ground Control 2.1 tires with between 23 and 26 psi in them.

Wells' withdrawal left Kulhavy as the lone representative for Specialized Racing. He started well - in the top three - but then struggled and dropped to ninth as of the end of lap 2. For the remaining five laps of the seven-lap race, he got better and better, working his way up to sixth, fourth and eventually third.

After then race leader Julien Absalon broke his bike and abruptly lost a 1:30 lead on his way to having to DNF, Kulhavy helped reel in Fabien Giger and Sergio Mantecon Gutierrez, who had suddenly found themselves at the front of the race. On the final lap, Kulhavy helped power a four-man chase group back up to Mantecon Gutierrez, along with eventual race winner Daniel McConnell.

In the last lap, Kulhavy mixed it up with Mantecon Gutierrez and McConnell. After the two got a slight gap on him during the last half lap, he led the chasers to the finish. Kulhavy finished in a time of 1:42:49, just 13 seconds off the winning pace.

Conditions were so overwhelmingly muddy that Kulhavy's bike, which weighed 9.75kg before the start, tipped the scales at 12.8kg afterward.

Next weekend, the Kulhavy and the rest of the team head to the Czech rider's home World Cup course.

"I look forward to Nove Mesto next week," said Kulhavy.

Overall, in the team standings, the men finished seventh with 32 points.

Two top-20 spots for the women

In the women's race, Specialized Racing claimed two top-20 finishes. American Lea Davison was 17th, just 5:29 after winner Eva Lechner while Czech's Tereza Hurikova was 19th at 5:35.

The women raced in the morning, before the men. Although the forecast was for 100% chance of rain, it was cloudy with no precipitation falling for the 11:30 am start. Both ladies chose to race their new Specialized S-Works Fate hardtail 29ers.

The two riders had an average start and need some time to find their rhythm. After the first lap of the six-lap race, both riders began to move up and pick off riders in front of them one by one.

Davison, who was celebrating her birthday, worked her way up from 23rd to 17th. Hurikova went from 25th to 19th.

On the last lap, rain began to fall, turning the course suddenly into a skating rink. Fortunately, both riders had made conservative tire choices with the Specialized S-Works Ground Control 2.1 on the front and the S-Works Fast Trak 2.0 on the rear. It was the perfect set-up for a rainy last lap.

Overall, the two women's results gave Specialized Racing an eighth place in the team results.

Racing over the longer distance for the first time Gomez showed his incredible appetite for racing and his brilliance in the water, on his Specialized and on foot.

“I was really looking forward this race as it was going to be my first ever long distance race, so it is something different for me, and when you do something new it is always very motivating and exciting. Also, being able to do that in Spain makes it very special as I do not get to race at home very often”.

He hit the front early into the hilly 90km bike after coming out of the 1.9km swim with the leaders in a time of 23:25.

“I loved the bike course, it was tough, hilly and quite technical on the descents. I haven’t been able to spend much time on my Shiv but I have raced on it earlier in the year and I did do some good sessions pre race - I have been working on the aero position and I feel much more comfortable now, feeling a lot more aerodynamic.”

“My previous non drafting races were only 40km and although this was over double the distance I was confident that my Olympic distance training would get me through. I have always thought that the Olympic distance training program fits well for racing some long distance races. I did some longer bike and run workouts lately, but nothing has changed significantly. More of a concern was my nutrition during the race and I think I got that right as I felt strong throughout.”

“I had tough competition, especially from the Danish Athletes but I just needed to focus on myself and not push too hard in the beginning. I worked the bike enough to lead before the run but I was still mindful that I needed energy in reserve for the half marathon run”.

Chris McCormack finished in 6th place in a time of 4:16:07, again describing Gomez as “all class” and even suggested that at the moment Gomez may be the best athlete in the World over the long distance. He too was happy with his day.

“I love European Racing as it is always tough. You have to be able to climb, descend and time trial ! Man that hurt ! Loved it”, he said.

Challenge Barcelona was the ETU Long Distance Championships and thus Javier has now added that title to his long list of triumphs.

2013 Half Challenge Barcelona


Men


1.Javier Gomez (ESP) 4:05:07


2. Martin Jensen (DEN) 4:11:12


3. Jens Toft (DEN) 4:13:13


4. Jonathan Ciavattella (ITA) 4:14:23


5. Ritchie Nicholls (GBR) 4:15:20


6. Chris McCormack (AUS) 4:16:07

Race Round Up:

Whilst Javier Gomez was blazing a trail on the promenade of Barcelona his Specialized Xterra team mates Conrad Stoltz and Dan Hugo were racing through the trails of Alabama, USA, in the Xterra Southeast Championship. Hugo would finish second in his first race of the year on American soil whilst Stoltz who was leading at the time was forced to withdraw through injury.

XTERRA Southeast Championship, Pelham, Alabama

Results

1. Josiah Middaugh (USA) 2:17:00

2. Dan Hugo (RSA) 2:18:44

3. Craig Evans (USA) 2:22:49

Bevan Docherty made a quick return to racing after illness in St George 70.3, stepping down in distance to finish second in 5150 TriColombia, proving he still has speed in his legs! Angela Naeth finished 3rd in the Women’s race, a welcome return to the podium after puncturing in 70.3 St Croix.

Columbia Triathlon

Results

Men

1. Cameron Dye (USA) 1:51:02

2. Bevan Docherty (NZL) 1:52:23

3. Andrew Yoder (USA) 1:52:49

Women

1. Nicky Samuels (NZL) 2:01:39

2. Meredith Kessler (USA) 2:04:04

3. Angela Naeth (CAN) 2:07:43

"I was really looking forward to this race," said Evelyn. "Its an excellent course with some great technical sections, some wide open sections where the wind played a big part and quite a lot of climbing.

"It was the longest time trial I've ever done which was really good for me to experience, and the fact that it finished at the top of a really hard climb suited me perfectly.

The race was a battle between Stevens and NOW Novartis rider Alison Powers who started 30 seconds behind Stevens. Being a powerful rider and a former downhill skier, Powers made her move on the technical descent and was able to catch Evelyn mid way through the course. The terrain and a battle of wills saw a cat and mouse battle between the two all the way to the base of the climb.

"I had a feeling she was going to make some time on me early in the race and I knew i had to stay patient and stick to our plan. We had been over the course and the plan quite a few times in the days leading into the race and I knew I had to keep my pace up to the climb and then give everything on the climb.

"It was exciting to have that battle and great to race in front of a great crowd in California."

Since joining the AMA Pro Motocross Championship in 1991, Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki has established itself as the standard bearer in the smaller displacement, boasting the most consistent and prolific organization in the history of the division. After winning six of the last eight 250 Class Championships, Payton decided to embark on the team’s next endeavor last summer by joining the 450 Class for the first time. With a year of experience under its belt, the team is back for 2013 with a pair of top-level riders and a brand new race rig to chase 450 Class success.

Baggett Sets Sights on Repeating as 250 Class Champion

Blake Baggett enters the AMA Pro Motocross Championship as the reigning 250 Class Champion. In three years with the team, Baggett has captured 10 career wins at the Nationals and 17 career podiums. After sitting out the Monster Energy Supercross season with an injury, he’s prepared to return to competition and defend his crown.

“I feel like it’s been a long time since I’ve raced, but I couldn’t be more excited to defend my title this summer,” said Baggett. “I’m back at full health and I’ve been putting in a lot of time on the track to get ready for the battle that lies ahead this summer. Let’s drop the gate and start racing.”

450 Class: Wilson and Rattray Debut New Team Race Rig With Hopes of Success

Dean Wilson’s anticipated move into the 450 Class comes after he captured the 250 Class title in the 2011 season. His chance to defend his title last season in the AMA Pro Motocross Championship was unfortunately cut short due to an injury and he is coming off an extended time off after his Monster Energy Supercross season was also cut short. With many weeks to acclimate himself to the more powerful Kawasaki KX450F, Wilson is eager to get back on track and do all he can to bring success to the second-year Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki 450 Class program.

“Last year didn’t go how I wanted, nor did supercross, but I’m healthy and ready to make the move to the big bikes,” said Wilson. “This has been my lifelong goal since I was a kid and now it’s time to make the most of the opportunity that’s ahead of me. I know the 450 Class is going to be a huge challenge with such a loaded field of riders, but I’m going to go out there and have some fun. That’s when I perform my best.”

Tyla Rattray brings arguably the most experience to the team after winning the FIM World Motocross MX2 Championship during the 2008 season. He has been a member of Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki since coming to the U.S. to compete against the best in the world and has been a fixture in the title hunt in three years of 250 Class competition. With six career overall wins in the 250 Class and the chance to gain experience in the 450 Class last season, which was highlighted by a moto win at Southwick, Rattray will look to show his prowess in the premier division.

“It was good to get some experience in the 450 Class under my belt last season, but now it’s time to step it up and make things happen,” said Rattray. “I feel like I know what to expect and I’m feeling great physically. I think the Nationals are my forte and I excel in the rough conditions. The KX450F has been working great and I’m really looking forward to the season.”

Cianciarulo Makes Pro Debut, Joins Veterans Davalos and Durham and Rookie Hill to Round Out 250 Class Lineup

Just last week, Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki announced that Adam Cianciarulo would begin his professional career this summer in the AMA Pro Motocross Championship. With 11 career AMA Amateur National Motocross Championship titles tying him for the most all time before turning pro, Cianciarulo enters the Nationals with one of the most decorated amateur résumés in history, instantly making him a high profile contender and one of this season’s biggest storylines.

“I feel like this day has been looming for such a long time and I can’t believe it’s finally here,” said Cianciarulo. “I’ve put in a ton of time making sure I’m prepared for the long season and I know it’s going to be the biggest challenge of my career. I’m going to keep my expectations realistic this summer and just try to learn every time that gate drops.”

Martin Davalos has enjoyed success in his first season with Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki and following four podium finishes in Monster Energy Supercross, he’s ready to use his seven seasons of professional experience to his advantage.

“We have a lot of momentum coming off the supercross season and I hope it carries into the Nationals,” said Davalos. “Motocross is an entirely different style of racing than supercross and I’ve put in a lot of work to get myself ready physically and make sure the KX250F is as good as it can be.”

Darryn Durham is entering his second year with the team and after an injury forced him to miss the 2012 AMA Pro Motocross Championship and 2013 Monster Energy Supercross season, Durham will look to take advantage of his first full season aboard one of the most elite teams in the sport.

“I’ve had to deal with a lot of adversity over the last year or so, but Mitch and everyone at Pro Circuit has been such a huge support through it all,” said Durham. “I want to go out there and succeed for this team as much as I want to for myself and I’m looking forward to getting back out there at Hangtown.”

Justin Hill is one of two rookies that will join Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki in action this summer. The younger brother of veteran Josh Hill gained valuable experience in Monster Energy Supercross before suffering an injury that sidelined him halfway through that championship. He’s healthy and excited about what the future holds.

“It’s been a crazy year so far and despite my recent bad luck, it’s been a dream come true,” said Hill. “To be able to race my rookie season with Pro Circuit is something I never thought could be possible and I just want to go out there and show everyone what I’ve got. I’ve had fun all year long and that’s the plan this summer.”

Up Next >> Hangtown Motocross Classic

The opening round of the 2013 AMA Pro Motocross Championship will be the first challenge of a grueling summer season that will visit 11 different states in 12 rounds of competition. With two motos that last over 30 minutes apiece determining an overall winner each weekend, a total of 24 motos across both the 450 and 250 Classes will require consistency in order to contend for a title while also challenging a rider’s physical endurance in the often warm conditions of the Nationals. With a lineup of riders boasting some of the sport’s most prestigious honors, Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki expects to be a contender each and every week.

Omega Pharma - Quick-Step Cycling Team worked hard once again, guiding sprinter Mark Cavendish over the climbs of the 254km Stage 13 of Giro d'Italia — longest stage of the grand tour — on Friday, and chasing down breakaways in the final kilometers to give him a chance for a fourth victory.

As a solo rider was caught with 1.6km to go, Orica-GreenEDGE and Cannondale took over the front in hopes of a stage win. However, Cavendish bided his time in the red jersey, going into the final kilometer inside the top 15 positions and launching his sprint from 300m out in 7th position on the right side of the group. He bested Giacomo Nizzolo (Radioshack-Leopard) and Luka Mezgec (Argos-Shimano) for his 101st career victory.

Cavendish now has 16 Giro d'Italia victories in his career, and this is the 28th win for OPQS, in three disciplines, in 2013.

Omega Pharma - Quick-Step Cycling Team was left to do much of the work in the peloton, despite torrential rain in the 134km flat Giro d'Italia Stage 12 on Thursday. All of the team was on the front protecting and pulling for sprinter Mark Cavendish, in hopes of delivering him to the line for his 100th career victory, the third of the Giro d'Italia, and the 27th for OPQS cycling team — in three disciplines — in 2013.

The catch was not easy, however. OPQS went full gas and managed to pull back a five-rider breakaway inside the final few hundred meters, despite there being a minute gap for the escape group with 10km to go in the stage. Gert Steegmans was the final man for Cav and delivered him perfectly for the sprint.

Cavendish beat Nacer Bouhanni (FDJ) and Luka Mezgec (Argos-Shimano) for the win.

"It was incredible," Cavendish said. "We left it until right at the end. The break had a minute with 10km to go. That's hard to pull back on a circuit in the rain. Cannondale came to the front but it was more left to my men. Young Julien Vermote pulled and pulled until his legs couldn't come around anymore. Matteo Trentin normally would come to the front with about 1km to go, but with 2.5km to go he took over and just rode and rode. It wasn't easy as we were close to not catching the break. Gert Steegmans could have gone and left me in 'no man's land,' but he waited and waited. I was actually stressing a bit to be honest. But I'm so happy, my 100th win and what a way to do it with the guys. I'm so proud."

The sprint was a lot more complicated than it looked, due to catching the break late, but also the wind.

"I knew the wind was coming from the left, but knew we had to start the sprint from the left because we caught the break," Cavendish said. "So I just had to drift right to hopefully get the guys coming in the wind on the left. I was happy because I didn't sense anybody at all. I didn't want to celebrate though, because of the conditions. So, I just lifted one hand."

The entire team worked for the entire stage, playing different roles that helped ensure the bunch sprint and the chance for Cavendish to get the victory once again.

"I'm happy that I could do it here at the Giro d'Italia, but more than the fact I've won here, I'm proud of how we did it," Cavendish said. "We came here with the intentions of trying to win every sprint. We haven't just won every sprint, we've won it quite convincingly. We controlled the peloton from start to finish today, in quite horrid conditions actually. The real experienced guys like Gert or Vermote, they just rode out of their skins. The guys went longer than what I thought was possible. From Brambilla and Serge riding on the front, to Golas, Keisse, and also Pineau bringing back a breakaway. It looks difficult to bring back when other teams don't want to do it. Vermote rode at the end for about 5km, and then there was Matteo Trentin and Gert Steegmans really controlling the final. It could have been easy to get carried away and leave me alone too soon, but they didn't do that today. They really rode with their heads, and also with their hearts, the whole team. They really did something special today, each and every one of them. So, that's what has made me proud of this Giro more than the actual wins."

Cavendish devoted the special victory to the team. It was his 15th career win, in five participations, at the Giro d'Italia.

"It was really the best scenario I could have dreamed of," Cavendish said.

Another solid swim and bike effort set up the American as she dismounted her Specialized Amira with the leaders at the end of the 40km bike. Australian Emma Moffat and Britains Jodie Stimpson began the 10km at a wicked pace but Jorgensen did not panic,

“It was an exciting race, in tough conditions, and even though the girls went off very fast I concentrated on my own efforts in he run. I built into it and felt stronger as the Kilometers passed.”

The former track athlete would draw level just after the 5KM point before showing a clean pair of heels to the field.

“I am stunned and excited with my second WTS win. I just want to thank everyone for their messages, support and faith!”

It has been a great start to 2013 for Jorgensen with wins in WTS San Diego (which included a US Elite Title) and Yokohama – she was also awarded the prestigious US Olympic Committee Athlete of the month for April.

Moving to Europe, she will base herself in Spain before defending her Series Leaders Crown.

Yokohama WTS Elite Women

May 11, 2013

1.5k swim / 40k bike / 10k run

1. Gwen Jorgensen (USA) 1:57:05

2. Emma Moffatt (AUS) +0:14

3. Jodie Stimpson (GBR) +0:15

4. Ashleigh Gentle (AUS) +0:47

5. Maaike Caelers (NED) +1:24

2013 ITU World Triathlon Series - Elite Women

1. Gwen Jorgensen (USA) 1600

2. Anne Haug (GER) 1433

3. Emma Moffatt (AUS) 1425

In the men’s race in Yokohama both Javier Gomez (2nd) and Richard Murray (5th) did enough to climb the series rankings with their efforts.

Gomez was part of a 8 man breakaway which stayed ahead throughout the swim and bike sections, before a 29.46 10km run split saw him take the Silver medal.

“I felt much better today than in San Diego and I am not too disappointed with my performance, I feel it has been a pretty good start to the year.”

Murray too would clock a sub 30 min 10km, but a below par swim meant he was never with the leading pack. Javier Gomez noted post race that the pace on the bike was very high throughout the 40km possibly due to the fact that Murray was not with them – signifying the threat and respect that the South African now commands from the Worlds best.

Yokohama WTS Elite Men

May 11, 2013

1.5k swim / 40k bike / 10k run

1. Jonathan Brownlee (GBR) 1:44:59

2. Javier Gomez (ESP +0:24

3. Joao Silva (POR) +1:17

4. Ivan Vasiliev (RUS) +1:26

5. Richard Murray (RSA) +2:24

2013 ITU World Triathlon Series - Elite Men

1. Joao Silva (POR) 2055

2. Javier Gomez (ESP) 2004

3. Mario Mola (ESP) 1326

4. Richard Murray (RSA) 1326

5. Ivan Vasiliev (RUS) 1129

Following Lisa Norden’s victory in Challenge Fuerteventura and then Dylan McNiece’s (Specialized New Zealand) victory in Challenge Taiwan, Specialized will be very well represented in the forthcoming Challenge Barcelona when Javier Gomez and Specialized Legend Chris McCormack will go head to head !

"I cannot believe it," Sauser said, shaking his head after finishing. "I came here to win. I knew I had to go fast in the corners before the finish. I even opened up a gap."

The elite men raced two laps on the marathon course for a total of 94km. The European weather continued to be ornery this spring with a mix of sun, rain, wind and colder than usual temperatures.

Lap one went well for Sauser, who was riding on his Specialized S-Works Stumpjumper Hardtail 29er at the front with two other favorites Alban Lakata and Kristian Hynek.

On lap two, just prior to a long climb, Sauser's chain came off. His rivals saw his technical problem and attacked. The pair earned a good gap on the determined Sauser, who eventually clawed his back up to them. On a muddy course, catching up was no easy task - it was especially slippery everywhere the course emerged from off-road sections back onto pavement, but Sauser was pleased with how his Specialized Renegade 1.95 tires hooked up.

Halfway through lap two, Sauser managed to ride solo into the lead with a small gap on top chaser Lakata. The Swiss rider led the Austrian into the finish area, but just 50m before the finish line, Sauser's chain came off for a second time and Lakata rode past for the victory. Sauser crossed the line in 3:38:06, 18 seconds after Lakata. Third place followed another 35 seconds later.

Sauser, who was generally happy with his bike setup, noted that he will make one change in the future. For a few weeks, he had been testing the SRAM XX1 drivetrain with a Rotor 36-tooth front chain ring. In training, he had opted not to use a chain guide, and the decision seemed to be a good one, but proved not to work as well in the extreme conditions at the European marathon championships. Too be 100 percent on the safe side, Sauser said he'll run the setup with a chain guide in the future.

Sauser headed home to Switzerland immediately after the race to begin recovering and to get ready for his next competition. On Wednesday, he will fly to Nice for the upcoming Transvesubienne race in France. There, he is looking forward to racing the Specialized Camber Pro for the first time. The Specialized mountain bike was selected as Bike of the Year in France for 2013.

As the Giro D’Italia takes a pause on its first rest day, things could hardly be going better for Specialized Racing. Using the full complement of his Specialized equipment—Tarmac SL4, Shiv TT, Body Geometry shoes, Prevail helmet—Italian star Vincenzo Nibali (Team Astana) has exceeded expectations, riding exceptionally well both in the mountains and individual time trial to secure the maglia rosa of the race leader.

A proven climber, Nibali placed extra focus upon proper fit and training for the TT this off-season. Working with Specialized Body Geometry Fit specialists and advanced performance testing with Specialized Racing, measureable improvements were achieved, and the proof has come in the form of Nibali’s best season to date.

While “The Shark” Nibali chases the overall victory, another Specialized rider, Mark Cavendish, is chasing history. “The Manx Missile” took the start at the Giro tantalizingly close to achieving his 100th career win as a professional. Counting his two trademark sprint victories in the first week—both earned upon his S-Works Venge—Cavendish is now poised at #99. Notching triple digits in the win column would place him in rare company, alongside fellow teammate Tom Boonen and the legendary Mario Cipollini.

With nearly two weeks of racing to go, it’s a long way to the finish for Nibali, Cavendish, and the entire peloton. Action at the first grand tour of 2013 resumes on Tuesday.

Omega Pharma - Quick-Step Cycling Team rider Mark Cavendish was dropped off for the sprint with 170m to go at the end of the 169km flat Giro d'Italia Stage 6 on Thursday, winning the stage that he soon dedicated to the memory of Wouter Weylandt. The entire team worked for him all day long, not only controlling breaks and protecting him, but also moving him into perfect position in the final kilometer.

OPQS rider Gert Steegmans was Cav's final leadout man, bringing him perfectly up the middle of the scrambling peloton to launch his sprint. Elia Viviani (Cannondale ProCycling Team) was 2nd, and Matthew Goss (Orica-GreenEDGE) 3rd.

Cavendish rushed to embrace his teammates after the win.

"I'm so happy right now, it was incredible," Cavendish said immediately after the victory. "The leadout was absolutely perfect, nothing went wrong, it was beautiful. I'm absolutely buzzing. Imagine you have a kit car, something you've built from the start as we have this year with the leadout. You start it, 'vroom vroom' and you know, you have some fears about it, all those things having been put together, about being able to start the engine. I'm just the last part, the last one that makes the most noise. But when it works! That's how you can win. I also want to dedicate this win to Wouter Weylandt, who died tragically at the Giro two years ago."

This is the 26th win for OPQS, in three disciplines, in 2013. This is also the ninth UCI win for Cavendish, and the second of the Giro d'Italia. He now has 99 career wins.

"It was 100 percent beautiful today, and not just the leadout— from the beginning," Cavendish said. "Bobridge and Wurf were two strong guys to have in the breakaway today. We had Serge Pauwels and Gianluca Brambilla pulling from the beginning and we were going strong. Really, really well and they kept going until the last kilometers. Then Jerome Pineau, Michal Golas, Iljo Keisse, and Matteo Trentin took over, and even Julien Vermote came up after getting dropped. He's a young guy and he really rode today. These guys rode until their legs couldn't go anymore. It was really incredible to see that, and this is all before the leadout. I haven't seen riding like this in about a year. Today made me so, so proud."

"Then the leadout was very, very hectic," Cavendish continued. "With the crash it made everybody nervous. All the GC teams were there with even less than 3km to go, like BMC Racing Team and Sky, as well as the sprint teams. It was real, real chaos. I just tried to follow Gert Steegmans. He found my territory and then they timed it perfectly. There was always going to be a team that went too early with a headwind finish. My guys waited, waited, they were patient and they hit it at exactly the right time. They just went fast, fast, fast and they launched me perfectly and I was able to go to the line. I was really happy with it. Gert Steegmans showed today that when he's at his best, he's nearly the best leadout man there's ever been."

The muddy, slick race conditions were extreme and the competition world class, but Courtney was up to the challenge as she battled for a hard-earned podium finish among some of the best young riders in the world.

Next up for the young Whole Athlete/Specialized riders are the World Cups in Abstadt, Germany and Nove Mesto, Czech Republic, and the NICA California State High School Championships at Stafford Lake.

Bowers Caps Off Dream Season with a Breakthrough Win

When Mitch Payton called on the services of reigning three-time AMA Arenacross Champion Tyler Bowers to fill in for injured riders Dean Wilson and Justin Hill in the Eastern Regional Championship, he probably didn’t expect Bowers to become one of the breakout stars of the final few weeks of the season. In just two starts, Bowers had already established himself as a legitimate threat for the podium. As a result of his strong rides, he unexpectedly qualified for a chance to compete in Las Vegas, where he hoped to cash in.

Bowers put himself in a good position at the start of the Eastern Regional Main Event, moving into second place early and setting his sights on the front of the field. After following early leader Gavin Faith for a couple laps, Bowers made his move to the front of the field and proceeded to check out on the competition. After holding a multiple second advantage for the majority of the 15-lap main event, Bowers withstood some late pressure from Marvin Musquin to emerge with his first career supercross victory.

“I can’t believe I’m in this position right now, it’s unbelievable,” exclaimed Bowers. “This just goes to show that all the hard work I’ve put into arenacross the last few years paid off. I would have never had this chance if Mitch Payton hadn’t given me a call so I cannot thank him enough for taking a shot at letting me ride a Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki bike. I also wouldn’t be here without the dedication of Team Babbitt’s Monster Energy Kawasaki and everything they’ve done for me in arenacross. This is such an amazing night and a great way to end the season.”

Bowers finished the Eastern Regional Championship with 59 points in three starts, which moved him to 16th overall with an impressive average finish of 3.33.

As he headed into the East/West Shootout, Bowers was hoping to keep the momentum from his win going into the 10-lap sprint. Following a start outside the top five, Bowers looked to make some early passes but suffered from misfortune in the process. He dropped to the tail end of the field, but was able to remount and battle his way to a 14th-place finish.

Davalos Finishes Strong with Another Podium Effort

Martin Davalos’ first season with Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki was a solid one as the veteran rider led the way for the team in the Western Regional Championship on several occasions. With three podium finishes to his credit coming into Las Vegas, Davalos was hoping to wrap up the season with another spot on the box and potentially a first career victory.

Davalos put himself in position to win by grabbing the early lead in the Western Regional Main Event and checking out on the field. He opened a healthy gap over the competition and led the first 11 laps of the 15-lap race on the long, physically demanding track inside Sam Boyd Stadium. On Lap 12, Davalos was pressured by Eli Tomac and despite his best efforts, gave way to his rival. Just a couple laps later, Davalos made a slight mistake in a rhythm section that allowed Ken Roczen to pass for second, but in the end, Davalos still walked away with his fourth podium result of the season and arguably his most impressive ride of the championship.

“I really wanted that win, but I’m still happy to be back on the podium,” said Davalos. “I pushed as hard as I could early on to open a big lead but this track was so tough and it really took everything you had to run the same lines every lap. I unfortunately made a couple mistakes there at the end and lost a couple spots, but I’m happy with third and how I raced tonight. I’ve made a lot of progress as a rider this season thanks to being a part of an elite team like Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki.”

Davalos’ podium result solidified his fifth-place finish in the Western Regional Championship.

In the East/West Shootout, Davalos grabbed the best start of the Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki trio, moving into fourth place early on. He maintained that spot for the majority of the 10-lap race, but pressured Marvin Musquin for third place in the late stages. Davalos attempted a pass on Musquin for third, but couldn’t make it stick and ultimately finished just off the box in fourth.

Rattray Endures Intense Battles to Finish Inside the Top 10

Since the return of the Western Regional Championship a few weeks ago, Tyla Rattray had shown an added aggression and comfort aboard his Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki KX250F. The veteran rider moved from outside the top 10 in the championship standings into a tie for eighth heading into Las Vegas, where he was looking to take over the position for himself.

Rattray started the Western Regional Main Event deep inside the top 10, surrounded by many of the division’s most talented riders. He engaged in battle for a spot inside the top 10 throughout the 15-lap main event and outlasted many of his rivals en route to a ninth-place finish.

Thanks to his top-10 effort, Rattray took over sole possession of eighth in the final Western Regional Championship standings.

Rattray had his work cut out for him in the East/West Shootout after starting 10th and experienced some misfortune as he attempted to work his way forward. After dropping a couple positions to 12th, Rattray battled his way through the field to earn a hard-fought 10th-place finish.

Celebrating the Season that Was

On Sunday evening, the annual Monster Energy Supercross Year-End Awards Ceremony looked back at the 2013 season and celebrated the individuals and moments that made this one of the most captivating championships in history. While Mitch Payton’s Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki team was faced with adversity at times, the 2013 season was filled with bright spots, including the winning efforts from both Wilson and Bowers, along with the many podium appearances by Davalos. Additionally, rookie Justin Hill showed tremendous promise in his first season of professional competition. The team now looks ahead to the start of the 2013 Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship season where all of its riders will return healthy and ready to battle for the title in the 450 Class and 250 Class.

Pre race however Thomas was not thinking about the ‘three peat’ but was relaxed, confident and prepared for what he envisaged would be ‘a slugfest’ over the tough hilly course that Wildflower is famous for.

“It’s amazing that I got the three-peat, but that was not my motivation. I want to win every race I start. And that’s motivation enough.”

“I’ve had some breakthrough training the last few weeks. I did a few key workouts that resulted power and pace numbers that I'd never seen before so I was excited to see what my body could do. I learnt a lot from my race in Oceanside 70.3 where on reflection I might have made some tactical and nutritional errors, but who knows for sure. Regardless, that was a huge confidence booster and showed that the gains that I've made in my training over the last year are now being reflected in my racing.”

“I know now from experience that if you’re not on, it doesn’t matter who you are, a course like Wildflower can crumble you. I did a lot of hilly focused riding and running, finishing with a beer immediately afterwards so you cannot get more specific than that for Wildflower!” said Thomas with a smile.

As in 2011 and 2012 Australian Clyaton Fettell led for much of the race and at one point had built up a 2mins 30 sec lead. Thomas and Australian Leon Griffin who had swam in close contention began a concerted effort around 35 miles of the 56mile bike leg and began to eat into Fettell’s lead. On to the run Griffin and Thomas were locked in battle at the head of the field.

“You have a long downhill followed by about a mile-and-a-half uphill towards the end, and I thought that is where I was going to go. I thought if I got to the top with a lead then it was unlikely that anyone was going to pass me.”

With a race best 1:15:12 half marathon, he would finish with a 1:17 winning margin ahead of Griffin, able to enjoy the finishing chute to take his third consecutive Wildflower victory.

Wildflower Long Course Triathlon

Lake San Antonio, California. S 1.2 mi. / B 56 mi. / R 13.1 mi.

Men
1. Jesse Thomas 4:02:19
2. Leon Griffin 4:03:36
3. Joe Gambles 4:04:44
4. Jeff Symonds 4:07:59
5. Josiah Middaugh 4:14:04

Omega Pharma - Quick-Step Cycling Team rider Mark Cavendish is in the Maglia Rosa after an aggressive final of the 130km Stage 1 of Giro d'Italia on Saturday. The Manx Missile was able to close a gap to Cannondale, Orica-GreenEDGE and Radioshack, launch on the right side, and beat Elia Viviani (Cannondale) and Nacer Bouhanni (FDJ) to the line for the opening stage victory in Napoli.

OPQS did a tremendous job for the entire race protecting their leader, chasing down a lone rider — Cameron Wurf (Cannondale) — with a little more than 18km remaining in the stage that featured two circuits. As the peloton began to establish sprint position in the second, shorter 8km eight-lap circuit, five OPQS riders remained at the front for Cavendish. The tempo was set so high that the peloton split. The front group split even more in the final few kilometers, as a crash behind the front left only a few teams with leadouts left to contest the sprint finale.

Gert Steegmans was the final leadout man for Cavendish, but a mechanical caused a setback in his efforts. Cavendish still managed to work his way into close enough position for a win — and his speed, from a few riders back in the sprint, was simply unmatchable.

This is the 25th victory for OPQS, in three disciplines. Cavendish has also won eight races in 2013.

"It was a difficult stage for me, with all the corners and accelerations it was almost like a criterium race or something," Cavendish said. "The team did an incredible job to stay in the front. Things didn't go quite so perfect in the end, with Steegmans getting a mechanical problem in the final kilometer, but I made the best of it. I had to catch the GreenEDGE train and that took a lot of energy. Sprinters are ones who can really sprint in the red zone, and I was in the red for most of that. It was really hot out there, but I wanted it so bad. The team worked so hard for me all day, and after the Classics not quite going as planned we wanted to really start getting things right. I'm happy we could win this first stage."

Jerome Pineau and Steegmans crashed, but without physical consequence while working at the front for Cavendish with about 40kms to go.

"Just because it's not a big line in the last kilometer doesn't mean that the team hasn't done everything to get me there," Cavendish continued about the work of the team going into the sprint finale. "You would have seen a mastermind from Gert had he not had yet another mechanical this year. He did an incredible job to lead me up in the last kilometers, got on the right wheel and then unfortunately had a mechanical problem. Sure I had to close a gap in the last kilometer but had he not had a complication, you would have seen him lead me to the front and then in the final. So I'm really happy how it went, as the guys rode all day on the front. It's not easy to sit on the front when you've got guys surging and there's a sprint for every corner. It's like a series of efforts. It's not easy to sprint for every corner, brake, accelerate. It's not easy and the team did that all day before dropping me off at the end. I'm lucky I've got the speed to be able to come back like that in the final. I'm really happy today."

Cavendish also made a bit of a promise with Paul Smith, designer of the 2013 Giro d'Italia Maglia Rosa.

"He said 'I'm coming to Napoli, but you've got to promise you'll win the jersey for me,'" Cavendish said of his conversation with Smith before the Giro. "I told him I'll try my best and see what happens. I'm super happy, he's a great friend of mine. He's always a supporter whether things are going good or bad. You can see he just loves it. He loves cycling, and he did some laps in the team car today. I'm so happy he's here. He's a really great man. What he's done to design the jersey for the Giro is really incredible. I'm happy to wear it, for him and the team."

As for the next goals, Cavendish said that the set up of the Giro this year makes the goal of the Red Jersey a particularly difficult task for pure sprinters. He said his bigger goal is victories in the few remaining flat stages that favor the bunch sprints. Also, he noted that the Stage 2, 17.4km TTT will not be as easy as it may seem with a team that won the UCI TTT World Championship in 2012. Still, OPQS will do what it can with a strong bunch of riders.

"We had a more specialist TTT group in Tirreno-Adriatico," Cavendish said. "We had Tony Martin there, who did about 15km of the 18km on the front. So, it's a little difficult without a guy like him, but we will do our best. The TTT is a lot more about commitment from the riders and you saw today that we've got that. So, we're going to do everything to keep the Maglia Rosa and have respect for the jersey. We also have respect for each other. We want to try and succeed."

Steve Boniface got off to a quick start and kept the pace high. Steve really put down a fast first lap setting the fastest lap time of the day for the CAT 1 racers. Steve rode 2 more consistent laps leading him to his first US Cup victory of the year. Steve rode his S Works Epic with S Works Fast Traks that helped keep him on two wheels on the loose course.

“It was a super fun and demanding course, with lots of opportunity to throw your race away on either the technical singletrack or the slippery fast fireroad’s” said ROB MCGEE. “The climb out of Skull Valley was the defining moment of the race and you either had the legs or you didn’t. The venue/town was amazing and I’m looking forward to going back with the whole team next year.” ROB MCGEE raced his Specialized S-Works Epic 29er with the SRAM XX1 drive train.

About the Whiskey 50

The Whiskey 50 course is brutally difficult, and 1.5 miles were added this year to alleviate rider congestion. It begins with a twisty six-mile road climb followed by further climbing up fireroads and singletrack. As riders crest the mountain pass, they are treated to a 10-mile descent into the small town of Skull Valley. After refueling at the aid station there, they began a 12-mile climb back up the valley, ending on a steep dirt climb called “Cramp Hill”. After enjoying a brief view from “The Overlook”, riders make their way through up-and-down singletrack before hitting the final pavement stretch back into town.

Brandon Gritters and Steve Boniface both raced in the Cat 1 30 – 34. Right off the start there was a group of 4 that separated themselves from the group, which included Brandon Gritters, Steve Boniface, Gareth Feldstein and Ryan Fedorow. The gap that the group had established held and eventually increased throughout the first lap. With about 5 miles left on the second lap Brandon felt it was time to attack and did so right at the top of the single-track climb up from the second aid station. Brandon created some separation from the other 3 and really pushed on the finishing climb. Brandon Gritters came in with a finishing time of 2:55 and repeating for the second year at the Sea Otter Classic.

Steve Boniface held on for a 4th place finish. Rob Mcgee after having some issues half way through the first lap, recovered well and put in a good second lap good enough for a 5th place finish.

Up next some of the team will be heading to the Whiskey 50 in Prescott, AZ and others will be racing the US Cup Sycamore Canyon Classic.

Gwin spoke about his run after the race. "My run was good. It was a fun track, great weekend and good times with the homies. The track here is short, but it has a lot of what I need to work on. It's one of my favorites tracks just to do runs on, such good times. It was definitely good to be on a real downhill track and test things out, I have a few small changes I need to make. I think I learned more this weekend than I have in a long time."

Brosnan had a great time this weekend in the PNW and had this to say after his run. "My run started off a little bit wild. I went off track and into the bushes in the first corner. It smoothed out after that. I didn't hold enough speed int he flatter sections but I had heaps of fun. The little mistakes added up by the bottom. It was great fun having all the fans here. The testing I had this weekend will pay off for the World Cups coming up in June.

Cheering here on the peninsula has been elevated to an art form, with hundreds of slightly inebriated race fans organizing with loudspeakers and giving each racer a unique, memorable cheer as they make their way down the fast, technical pacific northwest track at Dry Hill.

All 3 riders rode their Demo Carbons this week as they returned to a "real" downhill track. Each rider was testing different setups that they plan to use for the first world cup in Fort William, Scotland in a few weeks time.

Fans can look for Aaron Gwin to possibly make another appearance in Washington in 2 weeks time at the next Northwest Cup.

In his debut U23 season, Casey Williams took his first professional win in the searing heat of the Sycamore Canyon US Cup, Shane Skelton won the Cat 1 Junior 17/18 race, and Cole Avery continued his perfect 2013 Spring with his fifth consecutive win and the Under-15 race victory.

Meanwhile in the NorCal High School Series Finals, Lucas Newcomb and Jacob Albrecht went 1-2 in the highly competitive Varsity race, with Sean Bennett rounding out the podium in 5th. Kate Courtney earned her seventh consecutive victory of 2013 with the Varsity Girls win, while Steffen Andersen and Tyler O'Neal both took respective victories and overall series titles in the Junior Varsity and Sophomore Divisions.

Thus far in 2013, Whole Athlete/Specialized riders have earned 31 wins.

Next up for the young Whole Athlete/Specialized riders are the World Cups in Abstadt, Germany and Nove Mesto, Czech Republic, and the NICA California State High School Championships - all happening next month. Stay tuned for more exciting news!

Omega Pharma - Quick-Step Cycling Team

Omega Pharma - Quick-Step Cycling Team rider and UCI World TT Champion Tony Martin powered to yet another time trial victory in 2013, winning the 18.7km Stage 5 of Tour de Romandie on Sunday with a time of 21'07", averaging 53.105km/h.

"Panzerwagen" was fastest at Le pont du Mont-Blanc, and the finish by 16" over Adriano Malori (Lampre-Merida). Christopher Froome (Team Sky ProCycling) was 3rd (+34").

Martin now has six victories this season, including four ITT wins. He also was a crucial rider in a TTT victory in Tirreno-Adriatico. OPQS now has 24 wins, in three disciplines, this season. OPQS also won three stages out of six (including a prologue) at Romandie.

"I came to Tour de Romandie to try to make a good result in the GC, but maybe it was a bit of a mistake to attack yesterday in the mountain stage," Martin said. "I lost my chance to be in the top 10, so I focused on today's TT. I knew the parcour was perfect for me today. The course was not complicated. It was totally flat, so I was able to give 100 percent right from the start because there was no mountain or any technical parts that can make a big difference. So you have to keep a steady, good speed from the beginning and I did that. I am happy with my win today."Omega Pharma - Quick-Step Cycling Team rider and UCI World TT Champion Tony Martin powered to yet another time trial victory in 2013, winning the 18.7km Stage 5 of Tour de Romandie on Sunday with a time of 21'07", averaging 53.105km/h.

"Its been a great race for us," says Team Director Ronny Lauke. "It's nice to head into May with some good results after the bad luck we've had with injuries in the Spring. The bad luck has really made the girls stronger together as a team. Ellen and Evie were on the podium again today but the other three - Lisa, Tayler and Loren worked so hard today. They can suffer like hell and they squeezed everything out today."

Tomorrow's finale is a six lap, 100km stage in the town of ORLOVÁ.

A blog about Stevens' come back to racing can be read on her Velonews blog.

Only a week after San Diego World Triathlon Series (ITU), he combined a 19:24 swim, 55:01 bike split and a 31:15 run to become victorious in the first 5150 event of the year.

Frodeno, who was very active and noticeably one of the strongest riders in both ITU World Series Events this year, was racing for the first time on his 2013 Shiv and in his first non-drafting event in America.

The 2008 Olympic Champion has made no secret of his desire to test himself in non-drafting Olympic distance races this year and indeed longer distances up to ultimately heading for the Kona Ironman World Championships in the future.

“I was excited pre race as I am keen this year to start to explore other avenues in my sport and with races such as St Anthony’s in mind I started incorporating a little bit of TT work on the Shiv in late February”

“I had a BG fit and there has been lot’s of emails with the engineering team to answer all my rookie questions! But I was really happy with my position and equipment choices today”

Strong winds and currents made swimming conditions tough in St Petersburg but once on the road Frodeno was amongst the pace setters.

“The Swim was the roughest in a long time, the chop was hectic and guys were getting bounced around. Admittedly I was a little nervous going into today but riding by power (watts) helped me pace the race once back on land”

USA’s Cameron Dye led off the bike but Frodeno was soon into his stride leading the main chasers out of transition.

“The run left me chasing a 70sec gap until I was the hunted. The battle between Ivan and Hunter behind me kept the pace on pretty much until the last kilometer so I could not relax until I hit the finishing chute. It was an awesome feeling being able to enjoy that experience”

“This was my first baby step on my transition to Long Distance racing and it was great fun. I can’t wait to do more! ”

St. Anthony’s Triathlon.

1.5K swim, 40K bike, 10K run

1. Jan Frodeno (GER) 1:47:05


2. Ivan Vasiliev (RUS) 1:47:15


3. Hunter Kemper (USA) 1:47:35


4. Sven Riederer (SUI) 1:48:06


5. Greg Bennett (AUS) 1:48:17

Meersman launched off the wheel of Michael Albasini (Orica-GreenEDGE) after being led to the final meters by his teammates. He bested Francesco Gavazzi (Astani) and Albasini.

This was the 23rd victory, in three disciplines, for OPQS in 2013. It was also Meersman's fourth victory of the season. Meersman is now tied with Richie Porte (Team Sky ProCycling) for the most UCI WorldTour wins, and OPQS has eight WorldTour victories.

"I was disappointed about my sprint yesterday and wanted to make it up today for everybody — my teammates especially ," Meersman said. "They did a great job today, did a perfect leadout and I'm really happy with my second victory at Tour de Romandie. It maybe looked easy in the final but it was not so easy. With 2 kilometers to go I knew the guys had something left in the tank to catch Malori ahead (Lampre-Merida). Tony Martin took me to the last 600 or 700 meters. It was perfect. As for tomorrow, I'm going to help the boys now. Before coming here I had three stages in mind. The first stage I won, then yesterday I was third, and today I won again. So, I am happy."

After six weeks out of racing after a bad crash in mid March, Evelyn Stevens is back to racing and placed 4th in today's prologue. A repeat of her performance at the same prologue last year where she went on to win the overall tour.

"I'm really happy with the girls," said Sport Director Ronny Lauke. "It has been a hard spring for them having three of our key riders out of action. "The whole team has stepped up and are racing really well together and supporting each other through the injuries.

"Having Evie back is great. She's looking good and she's very excited to be racing. Trixi has a broken collarbone and will be out for another six weeks and Ina is still nursing her post concussion syndrome but she is showing good progress."

"We are excited to race here again. We had a great time here last year and we hope to be able to repeat that again."

““I’m really happy with my performance today. I wasn’t sure what to expect from myself because it was my first big race of the season, so second place today is amazing. It is the same place I started last year in Sydney. So lets hope I have another podium coming up soon.”

Specialized USA Sthlete Tommy Zaferes would lead the men on to the bike section after a stellar swim. He was joined by Javier Gomez amongst others but the small breakaway group did not have the same urgency or motivation as a large chase group headed up by Jan Frodeno and Richard Murray. A large main pack of Men entered transition two together and it was from here that the podium athletes emerged.

Murray was in second position at the 2km point and was the only athlete to come within half a minute of Britain’s Alistair Brownlee, finishing only 22 seconds adrift after a 29.50 10km!

““I had a controlled first 2km on the run and Alistair was just flying in front. I decided to just keep my cool and in the end I was able to hold off the guys behind despite my legs starting to cease up in the last 3,3km.”

Gomez, who led the rankings going into the event, was unable to produce his usual winning form after a bout of illness and would end up in 8th.

With Gomez and Murray in the top 10 overall and Gwen Jorgenson and Barbara Riveros in similar positions in the Women’s race for the World Title, the season has started well for the Specialized Team.