Mark Cavendish is set to add the Zurich Six Days to his off-season track calendar. Cavendish is already riding the Ghent Six, which takes place from 18-23 November, but he and Omega Pharma-QuickStep teammate Iljo Keisse will ride the Swiss race just three days after wrapping up in Ghent.
Cavendish began his cycling career on the track and attempted a return to the boards last winter, in the hope he could earn Olympic selection for the team pursuit but he was stopped by team manager Patrick Lefevere.
Also taking part will be Jasper de Buyst, who finished second at the Amsterdam Six, with new partner Kenny de Ketele and 2011 second place finisher Glenn O'Shea, who rides with Luke Roberts.
2015 Vuelta al País Vasco taking shape
The organisers of the Vuelta al País Vasco have announced the start and finish towns for the 55th edition of the race. The 2015 race will begin in Bilbao on April 6 and finish with an 18.3 time trial in the mountain town of Aia. Stage four will feature the annual summit finish in Eibar, which was won by Wout Poels this year after a late attack on the final climb. Alberto Contador took overall victory ahead of Michal Kwiatkowski in this year's race, taking control of the leader's jersey on the opening stage.
Stage 1, April 6: Bilbao - Bilbao Stage 2, April 7: Bilbao - Vitoria-Gasteiz Stage 3, April 8: Vitoria-Gasteiz - Zumarraga Stage 4, April 9: Zumarraga - Arrate (Eibar) Stage 5, April 10: Eibar - Aia Stage 6, April 11: Aia - Aia
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Van Winden from Belkin to Synergy Baku
Dennis van Winden will ride for the Synergy Baku Cycling Project in 2015. The Dutch rider is leaving the Belkin team after five years in the WorldTour. His main task will be to set up the sprint train for the Continental-ranked Azerbaijan team.
"I am happy to be with Synergy Baku next season, with the perfect motivation to qualify one or more of my new Azeri teammates for the Rio Olympics," van Winden said.
The 26-year-old was with the Rabobank Continental Team from 2007 to 2009, joining the Rabobank WorldTour team in 2010, and staying with the Belkin squad in 2013 and 2014. In 2012 he underwent surgery on the iliac artery in his right leg.
The team also announced that Marcus Eibegger, 30, has re-signed for the coming season. The Austrian brought in two victories for the team this year, winning a stage at the Tour de Bretagne, and a stage as well as the climber’s jersey at the An Post Ras.
Bronzini extends
Giorgia Bronzini will ride for Wiggle-Honda for at least another season after she extended her contract with the team into 2015. Bronzini has been with the British registered team since 2013 and has been the bringer of most of their success on the road. In 2014, Bronzini took 12 victories including Prudential RideLondon and a stage of the Giro Rosa.
"I'm really happy and excited to ride another season with Wiggle Honda," she exclaimed. "Next year will have a very strong team with some very powerful riders joining, and a lot of strong girls staying from this year. I know that my victories come only after hard work from my teammates, and so I would like to give to everyone a chance to win."
Bronzini will be joined at the team next season by double Giro Rosa champion Mara Abbott and fellow Italian Elisa Longo Borghini.
"Giorgia Bronzini, she's simply amazing, loved by all," said Wiggle Honda team manager Rochelle Gilmore. "[She's] an amazing athlete and an amazing person. Giorgia is a hard, smart worker with a perfect life balance and perspective. Giorgia will achieve more than ever before in 2015, I hear it in her voice, she is as motivated as ever.”
