bicycle.net -- cycling news, product reviews, original essays, podcasts & video :: tour de france 2008

Chateauroux, France, 9 July 2008 - Team Columbia’s Mark Cavendish blasted to a first stage win in the Tour de France on Wednesday’s stage from Cholet to Chateauroux. The 23-year-old Briton finished over a bike length ahead of three-times World Champion Oscar Freire of Spain, with German Erik Zabel in third.
It was Cavendish eighth [...]

CHATEAUROUX, France, July 9, 2008 (AFP) - Britain’s Mark Cavendish labelled himself the best sprinter in the world after claiming his first Tour de France victory on the race’s fifth stage over 232km here Wednesday.
Germany’s Stefan Schumacher of Gerolsteiner finished with the bunch to retain the yellow jersey with a 12-sec [...]

There’s little exciting about a time trial unless you’re the guy on the bike. For fans, it’s just “there goes one, there goes another.” 
But we all know the Tour actually started today.  Everything before has been about pageantry and trying not to fall off the bike or otherwise embarrass yourself with stinkin’ thinkin’ (ahem, Menchov). 
Not to [...]

Ok, you’re back.  Good.  You saw what we wrote yesterday, you made a TON of money with your bookie based on our recommendations, and now you want more.  Naturally.  We’ll, we won’t disappoint.  We never do.  So let’s get started.
Yesterday, we said Stage 3 would be a major BORE-FEST.  In fact, if we underestimated anything [...]

TEUTENBERG WINS ANOTHER STAGE AT THE GIRO
Rosolina Mare, Italy, 7 July 2008 - Ina-Yoko Teutenberg took her second consecutive stage of the Giro d’Italia Femminile today, defending the Maglia Rosa going into Stage Four.
“I’m psyched to win the the pink jersey and be able to ride with it another day,” said Teutenberg. “We couldn’t have [...]

Your Talking Points, Mon Ami…
Alright, you’re headed for the shop, or the office, or the neighborhood party, or whatever, and, as a fully-outed cycling nut, you know you’re going to get questions about how the Tour’s going.
Sure, you could snap off a quick “Valverde, a Spanish guy, is leading so far.” Of course [...]

Bonn, Germany, 30 June 2008 - As the European editions of the National Championships come to a close, High Road counts nine new national champions, adding to the existing National Champions of Australia and the USA with Oenone Wood, Adam Hansen and Mara Abbott.
The stream of success began with the Italian Time Trial victory for [...]

(June 25, 2008)
Report filed by Team High Road
Bonn, Germany, - High Road Sports has announced the riders that will start the 2008 Tour de France. The roster consists of nine riders from eight different countries, and five riders aged 25 and under.
The riders are: Kim Kirchen (29), Luxembourg, George Hincapie (34) USA , Thomas [...]

High Road’s Marco Pinotti won the Italian national time trial championships for a third time in his career on Sunday. The 32-year-old stopped the clock for the 33 kilometer course in Montichiari, northern Italy, in 39 minutes 30 seconds, 1 minute and 22 seconds clear of runner-up Luca Celli.
“To be honest, I can’t say [...]

Germert, Holland, 21 June 2008 - Mark Cavendish scored a strong bunch sprint win in the Ster Elektrotoer race when he romped home in first place on the final stage.
The Briton roared across the finish line a good two bike lengths clear at the end of the 150 kilometres stage in Germert, Holland.
“I went from [...]

Renesse, Holland, 21 June 2008 - High Road’s Ina-Yoko Teutenberg won her second stage of RaboSter “Zeeuwsche Eilanden” today, again beating Holland’s Kirsten Wild in bunch sprint.
Winning the first intermediate time bonus sprint was a definitive moment for Teutenberg and team High Road, putting them in a position to win the overall tour [...]

San Luis Obispo, 13 June 2008 - Second in the Tour of Switzerland last year, High Road’s Kim Kirchen will be aiming for the overall again in the nine day race which starts on Saturday.
“Kim was going well in the Bayern Rundfahrt even after a long break from racing in May.” commented team sports director [...]

VIENNE, France, June 10, 2008 (AFP) - American George Hincapie sprinted to victory in the second stage of the Dauphine Libere here on Tuesday but Thor Hushovd retained the overall lead.
In a lively last kilometer, Hincapie was the sharpest to react, out-pacing sluggish Frenchman Sebastien Chavanel (Francaise des [...]

Teutenberg wins the Triple Crown
Philadelphia, Pennsylvannia, 8 June 2008 - High Road’s Chantal Beltman won the 2008 Liberty Classic race in Philadelphia, with a jaw-dropping solo effort in the last lap. This win culminated a week of High Road victories, two by Ina Teutenberg in Allentown and Reading, Pennsylvania and four by Judith Arndt in [...]

GERDEMANN REFOCUSES ON TOUR OF GERMANY
San Luis Obispo, California, 7 June 2008 - 2007 Tour de France stage winner and yellow jersey holder Linus Gerdemann has been forced to refrain from racing for at least another month due to the injury sustained in a crash in the Time Trial of the Tirreno Adriatico Stage [...]

San Luis Obispo, California, 7 June 2008 - High Road will take to the Dauphine Libere this weekend determined to snap up as many stage wins as possible.
“We don’t have a rider for the general classification here.” commented Allan Peiper, co-directing High Road at the prestigious French race with Jan Schaffrath.
“Michael Rogers is still heading [...]

Reading, Pennsylvannia, 5 June 2008 - High Road’s Ina-Yoko Teutenberg successfully defended her title as winner of the Commerce Bank Reading Classic in 2007 winning the second round of the Triple Crown today.
Teutenberg has now won the first two rounds, with the third and most prestigious race coming up on Sunday in Philadelphia.
“Today was actually [...]

Allentown, Pennsylvannia, 3 June 2008 - High Road’s Ina-Yoko Teutenberg has won the first round of the Commerce Bank Triple Crown, which took place in Allentown, Pennsylvania today. Teutenberg went against the odds to win the race without the support of a team.
“I actually was not expecting to win today,” said a happy Teutenberg after [...]

Milan, Italy - 1 June 2008 - The High Road team ended the Giro d’Italia on a high on Sunday, taking a first and second double in the final time trial stage to Milan.
Italian national time trial champion Marco Pinotti won the stage and young Tony Martin of Germany was an excellent second. High Road [...]

(May 30, 2008)
Race report filed by Team High Road
Würzburg, Germany - High Road fastman Gerald Ciolek has used his fine turn of speed to see off the opposition for a second stage win in the Bayern Rundfahrt and reinforce his lead overall.
Already the fastest in stage one of the prestigious German race, Ciolek took his [...]

San Luis Obispo, CA 28 May 2008 - Gerald Ciolek blasted past the opposition in the opening stage of the Bayern Rundfahrt on Wednesday for victory in a tough uphill sprint.
“It was my first win of the season, and it’s come on home soil so that makes it all the more special.” Ciolek said.
“I jumped [...]

by Jean Montois
LOCARNO, Switzerland, May 28, 2008 (AFP) - Germany’s Tour Down Under winner Andre Greipel recorded his first ever stage win in a major Tour when he landed the 17th leg of the Tour of Italy here on Wednesday.
The 25-year-old High Road cyclist edged out [...]

Gruissan, France, 15 May 2008 - High Road starts this year’s Tour de L’Aude on Friday convinced they have successfully changed their focus from the spring Classics campaign to the stage racing of the early summer.
“We’re coming into L’Aude after a bit of a break in racing, and it’s never easy in any case to [...]

CATANZARO, Italy, May 13, 2008 (AFP) - British cyclist Mark Cavendish, riding for the High Road team, prevailed in a sprint for the fourth stage honors of the Tour of Italy here on Tuesday.
Liquigas’ Italian rider Franco Pellizotti retained the leader’s pink jersey after the 183 kilometre run to [...]

Berne, Swizterland: Judith Arndt soared into the World Cup lead on Sunday after clinching second place in the Tour de Berne round of the series.
“It’s a surprise, but a nice surprise.” Arndt said afterwards. “To be honest, I didn’t even know that I could get the leader’s jersey today. My goal is more to [...]

San Luis Obispo, CA, 2 May 2008 - “Racing well in the Giro d’Italia is a primary goal for Team High Road,” said Bob Stapleton. “We’re sending a very strong line up to a race with great tradition and a bright future. It’s also a personal favourite for our riders and management alike.”
The team’s roster [...]

High Road fast man Mark Cavendish soared to a convincing victory in the opening prologue of the Tour of Romandie on Tuesday evening.
The Manxman tore round the 1.9 kilometre prologue in Geneva, Switzerland to take his fourth road win of the season ahead of Italian Daniele Bennati and Swiss rider Michael Albasini. High Road team-mate [...]

This week’s Tour of Romandie sees High Road fine-tuning their form for the Giro D’Italia - now less than a fortnight away.
“Romandie is like a dress rehearsal for the Giro, but a dress rehearsal where we want to win.” team manager Rolf Aldag says.“The opening prologue is very short and that’s great for Bradley [...]

San Luis Obispo, CA, 25th April 2008 – Team High Road announced today its schedule for the remainder of the 2008 season.
Race highlights for the coming months will be the Giro d’Italia and the Tour de France, after which the team will have several team members attending the Olympic Games in Beijing. Over [...]

High Road will tackle Liege-Bastogne-Liege this Sunday with Fleche Wallonne winner Kim Kirchen as sole leader.
“The team is 100 percent based around Kim.” says Valerio Piva, team sports director for the Ardennes Classic.
“The other riders’ top objective is to get Kim to the foot of the Redoute climb, and after he’ll be looking after himself.”
“Kim [...]

High Road’s Greg Henderson succeeded in going one better today when he took the win in the third stage of Tour de Georgia and moved into the overall your lead. After taking fifth place in stage one and second place yesterday, Henderson was able to turn the tables and take the top position on the [...]

High Road’s Greg Henderson took second place in today’s second stage of Tour de Georgia. In a very close sprint finish, Henderson came in behind CSC’s JJ Haedo moving himself up to second place in the overall classification. Henderson goes into Stage Three tomorrow trailing the overall leader, Ivan Dominguez (Toyota United), by only three [...]

High Road Men’s Team and Women’s Team are both racing on Wednesday - in their respective versions of the Fleche Wallone in Belgium.
The men’s team have high hopes for their younger riders, whilst after Flanders and the Ronde Van Drenthe, the women’s squad aim to add a straight third win in the World Cup [...]

SCHOTEN, Belgium, April 16, 2008 (AFP) - Britain’s Mark Cavendish, of the High Road team, won the 207km Grand Prix de l’Escaut for the second successive year here on Wednesday just ahead of top sprinters Tom Boonen of Belgium and Australia’s Robbie McEwen.
Germany’s Eric Zabel took fourth place but [...]

Report filed by Team High Road
Paris, France - 10 April 2008 - High Road is ready to strike hard in Paris-Roubaix this Sunday.
“We’ve got riders like [Bernhard] Eisel, [Andreas] Klier, [Roger] Hammond and [George] Hincapie who are born to ride the cobblestones.” sports director Brian Holm said.
“People seem to have forgotten but Servais Knaven is [...]

VITORIA-GASTEIZ, Spain, April 10, 2008 (AFP) - Luxembourg’s Kim Kirchen won
Thursday’s fourth stage of the Tour of the Basque Country in a sprint finish,
while Spain’s Alberto Contador retained the overall lead. It was Kirchen’s second stage victory in this year’s event, and left him in
fifth place in the overall standings.
Contador [...]

Race report filed by Team High Road
Spain - High Road’s Kim Kirchen fended off World Champion Paolo Bettini for victory in stage two of the Tour of the Basque Country. Kirchen stormed ahead in a tough uphill bunch sprint to take his biggest win since the overall of the Tour of Poland in 2006. Overall, [...]