Thursday, December 14, 2006

German Bike Master 2007 starts with a sunny race!

The German Bike Master adds an additional race to its shedule, in Cyprus!
With this sunny addition there are now six races:
25.02.2007 Zypern
27.05.2007 RadSport-Festival Garmisch-Partenkirchen
24.06.2007 Spessart Bike Marathon (Frammersbach)
08.07.2007 Bike Marathon Bald Wildbad
11.+12.08.2007 Sigma Sport BM Neustadt a.d.W.
07.10.2006 ALB-GOLD TrophyMünsingen, Schw.

FICC riders have in the past taken part in some of these races and are looking forward to do the same in 2007.

For more information check http://www.germanbikemasters.de/
where you can check rules and regulation, including the offer to enrol for ALL six events for only EUR 160

Tuesday, December 12, 2006

Bicycle Racing Terminology

For those looking for the right term in English...


Breakaway. One or more riders who sprint away from the peloton in an effort to build a lead. Competing riders in a breakaway will often form uneasy alliances, working together and drafting to increase or maintain their lead. Those alliances break down, though, as they approach the finish. A team leader in a breakaway with multiple teammates has a decided advantage over a rider who has no support.
Bridge. A rider or riders who sprint away from the main group of riders, or peloton, and catch the breakaway.
Broom Wagon. The vehicle that follows the race, picking up racers who have to abandon the race.
Circuit Race. A multiple-lap race around a course of 2 miles or more. Circuit races are great crowd pleasers. The final stage of the 2007 Tour of California is a circuit race. If you're in or near Long Beach, CA on the 25th, don't miss it!
Clincher. A traditional bicycle tire that is mounted on a rim with a wire or kevlar bead. Clinchers are easy to replace or repair, but they and their rims tend to weigh more than a tubular.
Disc Wheel. A bicycle wheel with covers or a solid disc, rather than open spokes. Disc wheels are very aerodynamic, but heavy, and can turn into a sail in a strong crosswind.
Domestique. A rider whose main job is to help the team leader win the day's stage, or the entire race. A domestique may pull the leader up to a breakaway, or pace them up a steep climb. If a team leader gets a flat, a domestique may even be called upon to give up their front or rear wheel and wait for the team mechanic, saving the leader precious seconds.
Drafting. One or more riders ride single file behind another rider, taking advantage of that rider's slipstream. By doing so the rider behind has less of a headwind and gets a breather. In a crosswind, riders may ride in a diagonal line, instead. Drafting is the lynchpin of most bicycle racing tactics. See also paceline.
Jump. The first acceleration in a sprint.
King of the Mountains. The KOM is the fastest climber in the overall standings. King of the Mountain is awarded to the racer who has the best total time to the many KOM sprints in the Tour. Look for the KOM jersey in the race.
Lead Out. A racer's teammate(s) form a paceline in front of the leader, pulling hard for the finish. The supporting cast pulls off one at a time, leaving the leader rested and fast for the last sprint. Leadouts typically happen right before the finish line or sprint.
Paceline. A formation of two or more riders who are drafting. Typically, racers take turns doing the hard work at the front of the line.
Peloton. The main group of racers. With its dozens of colorful jerseys, maneuvering for position and breakneck speeds, the peloton can be quite a site. Also called the pack.
Schwag. The free stuff competitors get when they race. May include water bottles, jerseys, food, or more expensive toys.
Sprint. A quick scramble for the finish line or a mid-race king of the mountain or other competition. A professional road race sprint is fast, furious and tactical. Watch for riders to jockey for the second or third spot, or organize leadouts by their teammates.
Squirrel. A small rodent, but also a rider who is erratic and 'squirrely' when riding in a group.
Stage Race. A race comprised of multiple one-day races, or stages. The Tour of California is a stage race.
Technical. A descent or other portion of a race that is twisty, steep or otherwise challenging from the point of view of bike handling.
Time Trial. Often called the Race of Truth, a time trial pits a rider or a team against the clock. Individual time trials are grueling affairs, with each rider expending maximum effort.
Tubular. A high-performance racing tire with the inner tube sewn inside the tire. The tire is then glued to a low-profile rim. Tubulars offer weight and strength advantages, but are hard to fix and maintain. Plus a bad gluing job can mean a tire failure in a sharp turn, and an ugly crash. Also called sew-ups.
Wheelsucker. A somewhat dated term for someone who, while riding in a paceline, doesn't take a turn at the front of the line. These days they get called lots of other names. None are printable here...

Tuesday, December 05, 2006

Hessen Cup termine 2007

RTF and Radmarathon lovers, please see below the dates of the 2007 Hessen Cup events.

28. Mai
RSV Oppershofen
17. Juni
RC Hattersheim
24. Juni
RVW Gambach
08. Juli
RSC Grünberg
22. Juli
RVG Hungen
18. Aug
RSV Bad Hersfeld
26. Aug
RC Langenselbold
02. Sept
wirdnoch bekannt gegeben – muss noch bestätigt werden

Hamburg opens on 23 January 2007

The registrations for Germany's biggest one-day race, the Vatenfall Cyclassics, opens on 23 January at 12:00 CET. When the event will actually take place is still uncertain. The link to the organisation can be found on the right-hand side.

Monday, December 04, 2006

Eppstain MTB loop


For the last 3 years the taunustrails has been one of the nicest event in the area. However, there are plenty more rides around Eppstain. A nice loop was designed last week end by FICC riders around the Kaisertemple. While the road stops at the temple, with the MTB you can still climb to the top of the hill and descend off road, with a couple of variants. This should suit experienced and less experienced riders. This loop measured approx 6km with approx 300hm, with the longer climb to the temple followed by a shorter but steeper one off-road later on, providing the perfect winter work out.

Thursday, November 30, 2006

Hamburg date still uncertain

Because the Deutschland Rundfahrt will assume two weekends instead of one next year (as demanded by ARD), the 19 August date for the Vatenfall Cyclassics in Hamburg is now again uncertain. The Tour of Germany will be held as of 11 August.

Meanwhile, the Tour d' Energie in Göttingen has been confirmed for Sunday, 29 April. As in the past two editions - which were outstandingly organised - there will be a 80km race, but new is also a 55km option.

The Frankfurt International Cycling Club will travel to Niedersachsen with a considerable team. Please let us know if you'd like to join us!

www.goesf.de

Tuesday, November 28, 2006

Register for Köln, Frankfurt and Leipzig

Three big city races have opened the registrations for their cyclo events in 2007. First on the calendar will be Rund um Köln on Easter Monday (9 April), which should also be the first leg of the 2007 edition of the T-Mobile Cyclo Tour. You can also register already for the Henninger Turm on 1 May and Rund um die Braunkohle in Leipzig on 28 May.

Links:
www.rundumkoeln.de

www.henninger-rennen.de

www.neuseenclassics.de

Tuesday, November 21, 2006

Weekend training round-up

Elin, Lorenzo and Kris took out the road bike on Saturday for a moderately-paced ride towards the Taunus via Höchst. A key objective was to find a nice 8-10km circuit somewhere for training purposes. And yes we did find something! A 9km tour around the Farbwerke with little to no traffic (1.6km is even forbidden for cars), good roads and/or wide cycling lanes and only 1 traffic light. It was Lorenzo's proposal and we happily accept. More details on the Höchst Loop, which can easily be reached via the Mainzer Landstrasse onto Farbwerke S-bahn station, or simply via the Main river, will be released here soon. Objective is to train in group there on weekday nights (e.g. Tuesday & Thursday) and Saturday mornings.

The trio went on to the Kaiserstempel in Eppstein before heading back to Frankfurt with some 100km in the legs. That wasn't even enough for Elin, as she did another four hours with Morten on Sunday!

Friday, November 17, 2006

La Marmotte on 7 July 2007


The provisional calendar of the French Grand Trophée des Cyclosportives has been released by the organisers (www.sportcommunication.com). No major surprises as the two key events, La Marmotte and Les 3 Ballons, keep their traditional weekends. The races in the Provence on the other hand have been moved significantly, with Epervier now on 29 April already en La Cezanne on 27 May. No date has been scheduled so far for L'Etape Beaujolaise. Registration opens in January.

Photo left: Emmanuele Negrini, winner of La Marmotte in 2005 and 2006.

29.04.07 - Trophée de l'Epervier, Cogolin
13.05.07 - La LOOK, Nevers
27.05.07 - La Cezanne St. Victoire, Aix-en-Provence
02.06.07 - La Ventoux, Beaumes-de-Venise
09.07.07 - Les 3 Ballons, La Planche-des-Belles-Filles
16.07.07 - La Morzine, Morzine
01.07.07 - La Vaujany, Vaujany
07.07.07 - La Marmotte, Alpe D'Huez
18.08.07 - L'Auvergnate, La Bourboule
08.09.07 - La Ronde Picarde, Abbeville

Monday, November 13, 2006

Become a member!

Gradually the Frankfurt International Cycling Club is coming into shape. If you'd like to be listed as a member (no obligations to go with it), please click on the freshly inserted link on the right-hand side. A membership list is just to measure your interest in the FICC project as a visitor to this site.

Even if the weather is currently not very appealing, check the calendar for upcoming training rides that people are committing themselves too.

If you are a keen cyclist in the Frankfurt area, and you'd like to become an editor to this website, by all means, please send an e-mail to frankfurt.cyclingclub@googlemail.com. Hopefully, this can over time become a central point of information on cycling activity in the FFM area!

Wednesday, November 08, 2006

Ronde van Vlaanderen 2007: No Koppenberg!

The course of the Ronde van Vlaanderen for 2007 was announced in Oudenaarde, Belgium, yesterday. The most striking novelty is the omission of the legendary Koppenberg. The organisers were unimpressed by the chaos in this year's pro race, which saw only 8 riders managing to reach the top without having to set foot on the ground. The state of the cobblestones on the Koppenberg has deteriorated again to such an extent that it is not considered safe enough. It is not excluded that the Koppenberg returns to the Flanders race in the next few years, possibly even closer to the finish line. It is a public secret in Flanders that the organisers would like to see the finish of the race in Oudenaarde, with the succession of Oude Kwaremont, Paterberg and Koppenberg as the decisive climbs in the finale.

In 2007, Foreest and Steenberg will be replaced by the Kluisberg, Cote de Trieu and Kortekeer - all three making a return to the Ronde - and an additional 18th climb will be conquered: the unknown Eikenmolen, between Tenbosse and the Muur.

As usual, the cylotour version takes place the day before, on Saturday. People can ride the full distance (256km, start in Bruges) or the 140km, which starts in Ninove (Aalst) and contain all the highlights.

The 2007 Tour of Flanders includes the following climbs with each length, average grade, and maximum grade indicated:

Molenberg 325m, 9.8%, 11.0%
Wolvenberg 800m, 6.3%, 19.0%
Kluisberg 1100m, 6.0%, 15.0%
Knokteberg/Cote de Trieu 1100m, 8.0%, 13.0%
Oude Kwaremont 2200m, 4.3%, 11.0%
Paterberg 350m, 12.5%, 20.0%
Kortekeer 6.0%
Steenbeekdries 700m, 5.3%, 6.7%
Taaienberg 475m, 9.5%, 18.0%
Eikenberg 1175m, 5.5%, 11.0%
Boigneberg 1050m, 5.2%, 12.4%
Leberg 850m, 4.6%, 16.0%
Berendries 900m, 4.7%, 14.0%
Valkenberg 875m, 6.1%, 12.8%
Tenbosse 450m, 6.9%, 8.7%
Eikenmolen 610m, 5.9%
Muur-Kapelmuur 825m, 9.3%, 20.0%
Bosberg 475m, 8.4%, 11.0%

Monday, November 06, 2006

Prestigio 2007 schedule announced!

The 2007 schedule of the famous Italian Prestigio circuit has been officially announced. The series will contain ten events next season, and will see the return of the GF Felice Gimondi and the introduction of the merciless GF Marco Pantani (incl. Mortirolo and Gavia). The GF Costa Smeralda in Sardegna has been dropped. To obtain the scudetto, you are required to complete seven gran fondos.

Full schedule

1 April - GF Selle Italia (Cervia)
1 May - Dieci Colli Bolognesi (Bologna)
13 May - GF Felice Gimondi (Bergamo)
20 May - Le Nove Colli (Cesenatico)
17 June - GF Campagnolo (Feltre)
24 June - GF Marco Pantani (Aprica)
1 July - Maratona Dles Dolomites (Corvara)
15 July - GF Pinarello (Treviso)
26 August - Ötztaler Radmarathon (Sölden)
9 September - GF Cinque Terre (Cinque Terre)

Friday, November 03, 2006

What a ride!

Kris, Guus and Lorenzo
had a healthy 73km ride just short of 1,400 hm. It was the 1st time for Kris on the Altkoenig and he tamed it pretty well, displaying improved downhill skills. The times of pushing are fading memories....

After that it was the turn of the Feldberg where a lekker cup of coffee was the right reward! It was a chilly day after all, though mainly sunny (we did manage some hails too).

Now that Elin, the Nordic star of the ECB Cyclosport team has announced the purchase of an MTB the going can get only tougher...

Tuesday, October 31, 2006

November 1st in the Taunus with Guus!


As already announced the boys are going out this Wednesday.
Meeting point is Kronberg train station at approx 09:20 where Guus will lead the group to discover his local woods. The aim, as always, is to have fun while putting in a decent workout.
Kris, having put aside the racer, is now ready for his 2nd decent outing in a week with the MTB.

Stage racers: attention!

Riders who fancy racing for a whole week should consider the following international stage races:

Italy
:

22-29 April 2007: Giro della Sardegna
http://www.girobike.com

Norway:
21-27 July 2007: Viking Tour
http://www.vikingtour.no/engviking.htm

South Africa:
Early October 2007: Selati AfriCycle Tour
http://www.africycle.co.za/index.asp

Let us know if you're keen, so we can build a team!




Monday, October 30, 2006

Sunny Sunday in the woods

Despite the rainy weather forecast Kris and Lorenzo went out with their MTB and they were rewarded by a beautiful sunny day. The two took the opportunity of putting in a healthy 71km ride, starting from Frankfurt. The off road tricky route to the Feldberg was still manageable despite the fallen leaves, but this just because it was not really wet. Given the public holiday on November1st, the plan is now to join Guus for an exploratory ride in his area of the Taunus!

Thursday, October 26, 2006

A few dates for 2007 ...

It's the silly season and everyone's waiting to get next year's event dates confirmed. Today, the ASO announced the date and course of the 15th edition of L'Etape du Tour. It will take place on Monday, 16 July and concerns the Pyrenees' stage between Foix and Loudenvieille. Cols include the Peyresourde, Portet d'Aspet and Menté.

Closer to home, important shifts of events are scheduled for August 2007! The Vatenfall Cyclassics in Hamburg will be ridden three weeks later than usual, on Sunday, 19 August. Its traditional place on the calendar has been assumed by the Sparkassen Giro in Bochum (5 August). The Deutschland Rundfahrt will be in-between those two races.

The Leipzig race "Neuseen Classics - Rund um die Braunkohle" has been scheduled for Sunday, 28 May (pfingsten). In fact, the registrations are already open for this T-Mobile Tour race.

In June, Triberg traditionally hosts the GP Schwarzwald. A novelty has been announced for the 2007 weekend (9/10 June): a "Jedermann race" on Saturday afternoon on the pro circuit! The standard RTF on Sunday (120, 180 and 260km) remains on the programme, so climbing goats can really have a good time that weekend! More info on http://www.sauser.de

Sunday, October 22, 2006

2006 T-Mobile Ranking: 4 ECB riders in top 100

Four ECB Cyclosports Team members finished the season in the top 100 of the first T-Mobile Cyclo Tour. Unable to race in Münster, Elin Amundsen just missed out on the top 15 in the women's final ranking, won by Team Agapedia's Annika Grüber. In her first racing season, Elin scored 1284 points in only four races on the Tour: two wins (Wiesbaden and the 80km event in Bad Tölz), one second-place (Frankfurt, 75km) and one fourth (Seefeld). An impressive debut!

Catherine Lane - unfortunately sidelined for the main part of the season - still kept her place in the top 100: 93th with 511 points, courtesy of her solid performances in Göttingen and Frankfurt.

Kris Van de Velde ended 27th in the men's with 1265 points out of five events, the best result being 14th in the Henninger Turm. Morten Hansen got himself up in the top 100 after the Wiesbaden race, where he closed his busy season in style (57th). Morten totalled 774 points in seven races.

The men's circuit has been won by fellow-Frankfurer Torsten Roell (RSC Mars-Rotweiss). His advantage over the second-placed rider is over 500 points. On the circuit, Roell secured podium finishes in Bochum and Dresden (3rd in both races) and narrowly missed it in Frankfurt (4th).

ECB Cyclosports Team pre-registers for Maratona 2007

The ECB Cyclosports Team has entered eight riders this week for the draw that determines the right to participate in next year's Maratona Dles Dolomites in Alta Badia. Among those, three hope to make their debut in the most popular European cyclo of the year: Cyril Monnet, Guus van Domburg and Roswitha Hutter.

They will be backed-up by experienced riders Lorenzo Borghini, Julia Bennett, Morten Hansen, Elin Amundsen and Kris Van de Velde.

The 2006 edition was a success for the ECB squad (picture left), with a.o. Elin scoring a 13th place in the women's mediofondo, while Kris managed to come home 131st in the men's granfondo. Top 10 and top 100 would be their logical goals next year.

Further information on the Maratona Dles Dolomites can be found on the excellent website:
http://www.maratona.it

Saturday, October 21, 2006

Launch of the FICC Weblog

The idea of setting up a Frankfurt International Cycling Club has just been promoted by the launch of a weblog. Check the log in the upcoming weeks for more information on our objective.