Cycling

Rigoberto Uran is now the leader of Team Sky, following the departure of Bradley Wiggins, and that means his bike gets the special treatment Wiggins' did earlier in the race. The most obvious difference is a set of special super-light wheels, described by Sky staff only as "custom." The rims look similar but not quite identical to AX-Lightness ST24s, which weigh only 215 grams, and were perhaps a special item from that company for the team. The rest of Uran's bike is regular Sky issue: Dura-Ace Di2 9070 drivetrain, PRO components, a Fizik saddle and of course the Pinarello Dogma 65.1 frame. Photo: Caley Fretz | VeloNews.com

Peter Sagan enjoying another trip to the finish line in Santa Rosa. Photo: Casey B. Gibson | www.cbgphoto.comSANTA ROSA, Calif. (VN) — One green jersey does not a season make for Peter Sagan, and even as he sat here in California, the winner of the points classification, his eyes are on defending his green jersey at the Tour de France. The Cannondale rider took two stages at the Amgen Tour of California this year, including Sunday’s finale here, en route to collecting the points win, and is living up to the expectations placed upon his broad shoulders in California. Two wins in eight days of racing is a percentage most riders would take gladly, but Sagan (has made a habit of winning here in the Golden State, taking five stages last year. All told, he’s won 10 stages at the Amgen Tour, and the points jersey in all four of his starts. He dedicated his latest win to 11-year-old Alex Shepherd, a little boy from Oregon with a brain tumor. “I’m very happy to have won today,” Sagan said, sitting in the press conference in his green jersey. He also won heading into Santa Rosa last year, battling back from late mechanicals and threading team cars. “I knew where I was going in the finish — it was a little bit easier to take the position when I know it. It was good,” he said. “I’m here for the fourth year, and fourth year I take the green jersey. I won two stages here. “Maybe now I’m more relaxed, because my condition is coming before the Tour de France. I did this race also last year, and I felt very good last year at the Tour de France. I think it’s good preparation — it’s a good race.” Of course, things will get harder for him abroad, with narrower roads and a deeper pool of sprinters. And while Sagan isn’t the outright fastest sprinter in the world — that honor goes to Omega Pharma-Quick Step’s Mark Cavendish —Sagan brings a wider selection of skills to the sprint game than Cavendish, meaning he can collect more points along the routes, including hilly days, as opposed to banking on the final sprint. “I don’t sprint like other sprinters, like Cavendish [or Lotto-Beliosol's Andre] Greipel. I can have much possibility for intermediate sprints, no?” he said when asked about the points classification at the Tour. “It’s a crazy race, because we have points in the finishing, but maybe too much stress in the group, and it’s too many crashes. When one rider is unlucky in the sprints, then maybe I can take the points in the sprints, or maybe I can take the intermediate sprint in the stage,” Sagan said.

SOLO, IN THE SNOW, ON THE GALIBIER: CLASSIC WIN FOR VISCONTI, NIBALI RESPONDS TO ALL ATTACKS AND DEFENDS MAGLIA ROSAGiovanni Visconti (Movistar) took a memorable victory today, crossing the finish line alone on the Col du Galibier, as snow fell on the Giro d’Italia's first visit to Galibier. Visconti had joined a small group of riders who broke away from the peloton 55 kilometers into the stage, Then, just before the Col du Télégraph GPM, 21 kms from the finish line, went clear on his own.Carlos Betancur (AG2R La Mondiale) finished second, 42 seconds after Visconti, with Przemyslaw Niemiec (Lampre – Merida) third in the same time.Vincenzo Nibali (Astana) finished the stage 54 seconds after Visconti, in the same time as his rivals Evans, Urán, Santambrogio and Scarponi.The Stage winner and the Maglia Rosa spoke to the press after the stage.Giovanni Visconti (Movistar), stage winner: A Sicilian in the cold: "With the years I’ve come to realize that I don’t ride well in the cold. I get most of my results in May and June, in the heat. But you don’t notice the cold and the rain when you’re leading the race. It’s worse when you’re in the peloton. Today, the sun was shining on me, it was a mythical stage, and I’m happy I made it all the way today."A win foretold? "To a degree, I planned today’s move. All during the Giro I had been hoping to get into the breakaway on one of the really mythical stages. I told my father and friends that I hoped to get into a fugaccia (a special break) in a tappaccia (a special stage). I’ve never before felt what Vincenzo [Nibali] feels, riding these stages at the front. Today I felt it."Pantani Stage: "In the final kms, you saw me crying, but for the last 3 kms I was crying inside. I knew I could win the stage. I thought of the coincidence of finishing near Marco’s memorial. We share the same birthday. I thought of him and asked him for the strength to finish. Someone said to me today, a circle is closed. A year ago I quit the race on Stage 15, today I won Stage 15. I hope that from now a new career starts for me."Vincenzo Nibali (Astana), Maglia Rosa: No racing on Mont Cenis: "A lot of riders didn’t have the legs to try to get away today. The group split at the bottom of the climb, with 80 riders sitting up. We’ve all been through a very hard week, not so much because of the climbs but because of the rain. People were afraid of the cold and the rain, so everyone was hesitant."Attacking in the Maglia Rosa: "Trying to attack and do something beautiful is part of my nature. I’m wearing the Maglia Rosa and I wanted to build a good advantage over my direct rivals. Today it was too difficult to gain any time. The Galibier is very long and the gradient increased towards the end. I tried, but it was too difficult, so I stayed in the group, marking my rivals."The Best Nibali ever? "I think I have the same form as I had last year at the Tour, but the Tour is different from the Giro. At the Tour there were fewer possibilities. The finishes were the bottom of hills, there were two time trials totalling 110km. Here the race suits my style."Cadel Evans( BMC Racing Team) kept his hold on second place. Evans made his own attack at 700 meters to go on the way to finishing eighth on the stage, crossing the line in the same time as Nibali and nearly all of the top contenders to remain 1:26 off the lead with six stages to go. "In the conditions, it wasn't exactly favorable for those kind of attacks," Evans said. "I didn't have a bad day but at least I am back at my level. No time lost but no time gained either." Evans said some challenges of the race have come from an uncontrollable factor: the weather. "As a rider, just to stay healthy is really difficult with the changing weather conditions," he said. "The weather changes quicker than we can change our clothes. The third week of the race comes after a first week that was even harder than expected and a second week that was harder than expected because of the

Giovanni Visconti goes it alone, toward victory on the Col du Galibier. Photo: Graham Watson | www.grahamwatson.comVALLOIRE, Italy (VN) — Giovanni Visconti (Movistar) conquered the Giro d’Italia’s stage to Galibier on Sunday and left behind a black period. “I’ve never thought about quitting cycling. The bike is my life and not work,” Visconti said in a press conference. “The passion that brought me to this point helped me make a life for myself and buy a home.” Visconti spoke with around 30 journalists in the Valloire cinema just 20 kilometers down from where he won on one of cycling’s legendary climbs. The Tour de France only finished once on the Col du Galibier, coming from the south side in 2011, when Andy Schleck won. The Giro d’Italia planned a visit from the north side, but snow in the last week forced organizer RCS Sport to cut out the last 4km. Instead of racing to the pass at 2642 meters, the 15th leg only raced to Le Granges, at 2301 meters. A perfectly timed afternoon snowstorm made the stage just as legendary as it would have been had it climbed to the pass above. This combination of factors — the Giro’s visit to a famous Tour de France climb, snow and a year and a half of struggles — offered Visconti salvation. A star struggles Visconti shot quickly to cycling stardom. The Sicilian won the Italian championships at 24 years old and in 2008, traded the tricolore jersey for an eight-day run in the Giro d’Italia’s maglia rosa. He lost track, however, just as fast. One year ago, he abandoned the Giro on the same day, stage 15, due to shortness of breath. Some called it a panic attack. It would not have helped that his name was linked to known doping doctor Michele Ferrari. Since 2011, he had been in the eyes of Italian prosecutor Benedetto Roberti. Last year, after Ferrari was banned again as part of the Lance Armstrong scandal, Italy issued Visconti a three-month ban. Despite a new contract with Spain’s Movistar team, he became depressed. “Sometimes there are problems which are in the head and harder to deal with than a broken arm or leg,” Visconti added. “Someone told me today, ‘A circle is closed.’ He’s right.” Leaving the tunnel The Galibier stage allowed Visconti to ride free of his problems. He escaped with a group just over 80km out on the Col du Mont Cenis. In France and on the Col du Télégraphe, he shot free on his own. When snow started to fall on the Galibier, he had all the right elements to win on a legendary climb in epic conditions. “I’d been telling my dad all Giro that I want to get into a strong escape and win one of the legendary stages. I did it,” Visconti said. “With this win, I’ve exited the tunnel. I hope it turns a page in my career.”

1. Peter SAGAN, Cannondale, in 3:04:07 2. Daniel SCHORN, NetApp-Endura, at :00 3. Tyler FARRAR, Garmin-Sharp, at :00 4. Gianni MEERSMAN, Omega Pharma-Quick Step, at :00 5. Ken HANSON, Optum-Kelly Benefit Strategies, at :00 6. Thor HUSHOVD, BMC Racing, at :00 7. Michael MATTHEWS, Orica-GreenEdge, at :00 8. Jacobe KEOUGH, UnitedHealthcare, at :00 9. Sylvain CHAVANEL, Omega Pharma-Quick Step, at :00 10. Matt BRAMMEIER, Champion System, at :00 11. Juan Antonio FLECHA GIANNONI, Vacansoleil-DCM, at :00 12. Jasper STUYVEN, Bontrager, at :00 13. Frank Kevin PIPP, Bissell, at :00 14. Jeremy VENNELL, Bissell, at :00 15. Javier Alexis ACEVEDO COLLE, Jamis-Hagens Berman, at :00 16. Tejay VAN GARDEREN, BMC Racing, at :00 17. Philip DEIGNAN, UnitedHealthcare, at :00 18. Mathias FRANK, BMC Racing, at :00 19. Luis ROMERO AMARAN, Jamis-Hagens Berman, at :00 20. Cameron MEYER, Orica-GreenEdge, at :00 21. Michael SCHÄR, BMC Racing, at :00 22. Michael ROGERS, Saxo-Tinkoff, at :00 23. Zakkari DEMPSTER, NetApp-Endura, at :00 24. Guillaume VAN KEIRSBULCK, Omega Pharma-Quick Step, at :00 25. Francisco MANCEBO PEREZ, 5HR, at :00 26. Chad HAGA, Optum-Kelly Benefit Strategies, at :00 27. Laurent DIDIER, RadioShack-Leopard, at :00 28. Lawson CRADDOCK, Bontrager, at :00 29. Brent BOOKWALTER, BMC Racing, at :00 30. Paul VOSS, NetApp-Endura, at :00 31. Robert SWEETING, 5HR, at :00 32. Marc DE MAAR, UnitedHealthcare, at :00 33. Mitchell DOCKER, Orica-GreenEdge, at :00 34. Oliver ZAUGG, Saxo-Tinkoff, at :00 35. Boy VAN POPPEL, Vacansoleil-DCM, at :00 36. Lieuwe WESTRA, Vacansoleil-DCM, at :00 37. Bartosz HUZARSKI, NetApp-Endura, at :00 38. Thomas SOLADAY, Optum-Kelly Benefit Strategies, at :00 39. Bob JUNGELS, RadioShack-Leopard, at :00 40. Carter JONES, Bissell, at :00 41. Chad BEYER, Champion System, at :00 42. Matthew BUSCHE, RadioShack-Leopard, at :00 43. Scott ZWIZANSKI, Optum-Kelly Benefit Strategies, at :00 44. Ben JACQUES-MAYNES, Jamis-Hagens Berman, at :00 45. Jens VOIGT, RadioShack-Leopard, at :00 46. Markel IRIZAR ARANBURU, RadioShack-Leopard, at :00 47. Haimar ZUBELDIA AGIRRE, RadioShack-Leopard, at :00 48. Leopold KONIG, NetApp-Endura, at :00 49. Lucas EUSER, UnitedHealthcare, at :00 50. Andy SCHLECK, RadioShack-Leopard, at :00 51. Gavin MANNION, Bontrager, at :00 52. Guillaume BOIVIN, Cannondale, at :00 53. David DE LA CRUZ MELGAREJO, NetApp-Endura, at :00 54. Amaël MOINARD, BMC Racing, at :00 55. Alexander CANDELARIO, Optum-Kelly Benefit Strategies, at :14 56. Wesley SULZBERGER, Orica-GreenEdge, at :16 57. Max JENKINS, 5HR, at :16 58. Wesley KREDER, Vacansoleil-DCM, at :16 59. James STEMPER, 5HR, at :19 60. Nathaniel ENGLISH, 5HR, at :19 61. Brian VANDBORG, Cannondale, at :19 62. Tyler WREN, Jamis-Hagens Berman, at :19 63. Gregor GAZVODA, Champion System, at :19 64. Alex HOWES, Garmin-Sharp, at :19 65. Aldo Ino ILESIC, UnitedHealthcare, at :25 66. Baden COOKE, Orica-GreenEdge, at :25 67. Marco PINOTTI, BMC Racing, at :27 68. Chris BUTLER, Champion System, at :27 69. Michael MORKOV, Saxo-Tinkoff, at :27 70. Edward KING, Cannondale, at :27 71. Tanner PUTT, Bontrager, at :27 72. Maciej BODNAR, Cannondale, at :27 73. James DRISCOLL, Jamis-Hagens Berman, at :27 74. Jesse ANTHONY, Optum-Kelly Benefit Strategies, at :27 75. Lucas Sebastian HAEDO, Cannondale, at :27 76. Jonas Aaen JÖRGENSEN, Saxo-Tinkoff, at :27 77. Michael TORCKLER, Bissell, at :27 78. David WILLIAMS, 5HR, at :27 79. Timothy DUGGAN, Saxo-Tinkoff, at :27 80. Kristijan KOREN, Cannondale, at :27 81. Matteo TOSATTO, Saxo-Tinkoff, at :27 82. Shawn MILNE, 5HR, at :27 83. Jay MCCARTHY, Saxo-Tinkoff, at :27 84. Ryan EASTMAN, Bontrager, at :27 85. James ORAM, Bontrager, at :27 86. Christopher BALDWIN, Bissell, at :27 87. Caleb FAIRLY, Garmin-Sharp, at :27 88. Jonathan Patrick MC CARTY, Bissell, at :27 89. Kevin DE WEERT, Omega Pharma-Quick Step, at :36 90. Kris BOECKMANS, Vacansoleil-DCM, at :39 91. Travis MEYER, Orica-GreenEdge, at :47 92. Bertjan LINDEMAN, Vacansoleil-DCM, at :47 93. Johan V

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