Nacer Bouhanni in Cofidis colours for the first time(Image credit: Cofidis)
Kevin Mullervy; Champion System – Stan’s No Tubes, rides past the crowd on Saturday night. Estimates put the crowd at approximately twenty-five thousand. Mullervy just missed the podium, taking fourth on the evening(Image credit: David Gill)
Bouhanni to debut with Cofidis at the Challenge Mallorca
Nacer Bouhanni has revealed that he will make his season with the Cofidis team debut at the Challenge Mallorca.
The French sprinter opted to leave FDJ to join Cofidis for 2015 and has become the team's star rider. On Wednesday ASO confirmed that Cofidis has been awarded a wild card invitation to the Tour de France, meaning the Frenchman will finally get to sprint against Marcel Kittel (Giant-Alpecin), Mark Cavendish )Etixx-QuickStep) and Andre Greipel (Lotto Soudal). Bouhanni rode the 2013 Tour de France with FDJ in 2013 but did not contest a sprint finish before quitting the race on stage six.
Bouhanni was in Paris on Tuesday to present his new nutrition sponsor Apurna before travelling to Spain for a Cofidis training camp. He told the Le Parisien newspaper that he will race in anger for Cofidis for the first time at the Challenge Mallorca.
Pozzato and Modolo kick off 2015 at the Tour de San Luis
The Lampre-Merida team has confirmed that Filippo Pozzato and sprinter Sacha Modolo will begin the 2015 season at the Tour de San Luis in Argentina.
The short stage race begins on Monday, with many of the European riders flying to South America today.
Get The Leadout Newsletter
The latest race content, interviews, features, reviews and expert buying guides, direct to your inbox!
Pozzato and Modolo will have the support of Mattia Cattaneo, Przemyslaw Niemiec, Luka Pibernik and Maximiliano Richeze. In 2014 Modolo won a stage in Terrazas de Portezuelo. He will face competition from Mark Cavendish (Etixx-QuickStep) and young Italian sprinter Jakub Mareczko, who will be part of an Italian national team.
A personal museum for Purito
Joaquim Rodriguez's success during his career has been recognised by his home town of Parets del Vallès, Spain, with the creation of a personal museum in the local council building containing many of his trophies and career souvenirs. A local sports complex has already been renamed in his honour.
The 36 year-old Catalan rider will again ride for the Katusha team in 2015 and target the Tour de France. However he has hinted this could be his final season as a professional.
Boels-Dolmans presented in the Netherlands
With a new red, orange and black kit and a stronger than ever roster, the Boels-Dolmans Cycling Team presented its squad to the media and sponsors in Efteling in the Netherlands today. Americans Evelyn Stevens and Megan Guarnier ths year joined former world champion Ellen van Dijk and World Cup winner Lizzie Armitstead on the team, which promises to be one of the top women's squads in the world.
The team also includes two-time junior world champion Amalie Dideriksen, Chantal Blaak, winner of the Vargarda World Cup race, Demi de Jong, Christine Majerys, Kasia Pawlowska and Romy Kasper.
"The additions to the roster have made the team stronger across the board," Danny Stam, Boels-Dolmans Cycling Team Manager said. "During the Spring season, we will be relying on the strengths of Lizzie Armitstead, Ellen van Dijk and Chantal Blaak, who are specialists in this area. For the mountain races, we have the climbing talents of Evelyn Stevens and Megan Guarnier."
Although the team will continue to focus on the UCI World Cup this season, it will also aim for a victory at the Team Time Trial World Championships in Richmond, and with more firepower behind Van Dijk, they will have a strong chance at overthrowing the undefeated Velocio-SRAM team.
"With the arrival of Stevens and Blaak, we are confident we can take a huge step towards achieving our goal," Stam said.
Champion System-Stan’s NoTubes 2015 Roster
Champion System-Stan’s NoTubes officially announced the team's 2015 roster this week. The team’s focus will transition from criteriums to include stage races and one-day road races on USA Cycling's National Racing Calendar. The team will contest select international opportunities while maintaining a significant focus on the National Criterium Calendar.
Headlining the team’s 13-man roster for 2015 will be James LaBerge, the reigning U23 Elite national criterium champion, as well as returning riders Isaac Howe, Kevin Mullervy and Conor Mullervy. Howe led the team in victories last year and finished fifth in the NCC, while Conor Mullervy won at the Old Pueblo Grand Prix, took fourth at the US Pro Criterium Championships and was fifth overall at the Tour of Poyang Lake. The team has also signed Fabio Calabria, formerly of Team Novo Nordisk, and Demis Aleman, formerly of Jamis-Hagens Berman.
The team's other partners include Argon 18, Lenox Advisors, Fifth Avenue Financial, Ambient Communities, DG Capital, Arundel, Bont, Clif Bar, Doc’s Skincare, ISM, IRC Tire, K-Edge, KASK, Speedplay and Tifosi.
Champion System-Stan’s NoTubes 2015 roster: Demis Aleman (ARG), Andrés Alzate Escobar (COL), Fabio Calabria (AUS), Zachary Carlson (USA), Drew Christopher (USA), Gavriel Epstein (CAN), Bryan Gomez (COL), Isaac Howe (USA), James LaBerge (USA), Conor Mullervy (USA), Kevin Mullervy (USA), Juan Pimentel (USA), Geron Williams (GUY)
