04 March 2012

2012 Paris-Nice

Paris-Nice riders are racing south towards the Mediterranean
Paris-Nice, March 4-11, 2012. 8 stages, 1,155.5 kilometres. (race website). Racing season is in full-swing, Paris-Nice has begun.
Paris-Nice Route map:
Parcours of the 2012 Paris-Nice
2012 Paris-Nice Stages: (clicking the red arrow, for each stage, will open up a world of information to you)
Stage Type Date Start and Finish Distance Details
1 Individual time-trial Sunday 4 March Dampierre-en-Yvelines - Saint-Rémy-lès-Chevreuse 9.4 km
2 En ligne Monday 5 March Mantes-la-Jolie - Orléans 185.5 km
3 En ligne Tuesday 6 March Vierzon - Le Lac de Vassivière 194 km
4 En ligne Wednesday 7 March Brive-la-Gaillarde - Rodez 178 km
5 En ligne Thursday 8 March Onet-le-Château - Mende 178.5 km
6 En ligne Friday 9 March Suze-la-Rousse - Sisteron 178.5 km
7 En ligne Saturday 10 March Sisteron - Nice 219.5 km
8 Individual time-trial Sunday 11 March Nice - Col d'Èze 9.6 km

2012 Paris-Nice route maps and profiles (from Steephill.TV): 
Stage 1 map  profile 
Stage 2 map  profile
Stage 3 map  profile
Stage 4 map  profile
Stage 5 map  profile
Stage 6 map  profile
Stage 7 map  profile
Stage 8 map  profile

Competing teams:
Team                                                                    DS                                                       team website
AG2R La Mondiale ALM France Vincent LAVENU www.cyclisme.ag2rlamondiale.fr
Astana Pro Team AST Kazakhstan Giuseppe MARTINELLI www.astana.lu
BMC Racing Team BMC United States John LELANGUE www.bmc-racing.com
Cofidis, Le Crédit en Ligne COF France Didier ROUS www.equipe-cofidis.com
Euskaltel-Euskadi EUS Spain Gorka GERRIKAGOITIA ARRIEN fundacioneuskadi.com
FDJ-BigMat FDJ France Marc MADIOT www.equipecyclistefdj.fr
Garmin-Barracuda GRM United States Alan PEIPER www.slipstreamsports.com/
GreenEdge Cycling Team GEC Australia Matthew WHITE www.greenedgecycling.com
Katusha Team KAT Russia Valerio PIVA www.katushateam.com
Lampre - ISD LAM Italy Roberto DAMIANI www.teamlampreisd.com
Liquigas-Cannondale LIQ Italy Dario MARIUZZO www.teamliquigas.com
Lotto Belisol Team LTB Belgium Marc SERGEANT www.lottobelisol.be
Movistar Team MOV Spain José Luis LAGUIA MARTINEZ www.movistarteam.com
Omega Pharma-Quick Step OPQ Belgium Davide BRAMATI www.omegapharma-quickstep.com
Project 1t4i PRO Netherlands Rudi KEMNA www.1t4i.com
Rabobank Cycling Team RAB Netherlands Frans MAASSEN www.rabosport.nl
RadioShack-Nissan RNT United States Luca GUERCILENA/td> www.leopard.lu
Saur-Sojasun SAU France Stéphane HEULOT www.saur-sojasun.com
Sky Pro Cycling SKY Great Britain Sean YATES www.teamsky.com
Team Europcar EUC France Jean-René BERNAUDEAU www.teameuropcar.com
Team Saxo Bank SAX Denmark Bjarne RIIS www.slipstreamsports.com
Vacansoleil-DCM Pro Cycling Team VCD Netherlands Hilaire VAN DER SCHUEREN www.vacansoleildcm.com

Paris-Nice Standings after stage 1 - Individual Time Trial (results March 4th):
1. LARSSON Gustav 105 VACANSOLEIL-DCM 11' 19"
2. WIGGINS Bradley 21 SKY PROCYCLING 11' 20" + 00' 01"
3. LEIPHEIMER Levi 6 OMEGA PHARMA-QUICK STEP 11' 23" + 00' 04"
4. VAN GARDEREN Tejay 167 BMC RACING TEAM 11' 28" + 00' 09"
5. DE GENDT Thomas 103 VACANSOLEIL-DCM 11' 31" + 00' 12"
6. CHAVANEL Sylvain 3 OMEGA PHARMA-QUICK STEP 11' 31" + 00' 12"
7. TAARAMAE Rein 51 COFIDIS LE CREDIT EN LIGNE 11' 32" + 00' 13"
8. IRIZAR Markel 13 RADIOSHACK-NISSAN 11' 32" + 00' 13"
9. PAURIOL Rémi 146 FDJ-BIGMAT 11' 34" + 00' 15"
10. COPPEL Jérôme 201 SAUR-SOJASUN 11' 34" + 00' 15"
11. BOONEN Tom 2 OMEGA PHARMA-QUICK STEP 11' 34" + 00' 15"
12. VOIGT Jens 18 RADIOSHACK-NISSAN 11' 36" + 00' 17"
13. GRETSCH Patrick 217 PROJECT 1T4I 11' 36" + 00' 17"
14. HUSHOVD Thor 161 BMC RACING TEAM 11' 36" + 00' 17"
15. MONFORT Maxime 15 RADIOSHACK-NISSAN 11' 36" + 00' 17"
16. PORTE Richie 24 SKY PROCYCLING 11' 36" + 00' 17"
17. GUTIERREZ José Ivan 34 MOVISTAR TEAM 11' 37" + 00' 18"
18. PHINNEY Taylor 166 BMC RACING TEAM 11' 38" + 00' 19"
19. WESTRA Lieuwe 108 VACANSOLEIL-DCM 11' 39" + 00' 20"
20. BARREDO Carlos 92 RABOBANK CYCLING TEAM 11' 40" + 00' 21"

2011 Final Overall Podium:
1   Tony Martin (Ger) HTC-Highroad 34:03:37 (now with Omega Pharma-Quickstep)
2   Andreas Klöden (Ger) Team RadioShack 0:00:36 (now with RadioShack Nissan)
3   Bradley Wiggins (GBr) Sky Procycling 0:00:41 (still with Sky)

Watch it or read it live online:
Steephill.TV - Paris-Nice (with a list of team rosters in the right column)
Cycling News

01 March 2012

Jerseys of the 2012 Tour of California

New jersey designs for 2012
The Amgen Tour of California has new jersey designs for 2012 created by Hincapie. A gold Amgen sponsored Leaders jersey, avocado green Visit California sponsored Sprinters jersey, orange Rabobank sponsored Young Riders jersey, and a good-looking Nissan sponsored King of the Mountain (KOM) polka-dot jersey. The jerseys are available for purchase online now at the official Tour of California website: buy ATOC jersey
New 2012 Tour of California jerseys
Leader jersey - 2012 Amgen Tour of California
Sprint jersey - 2012 Amgen Tour of California
KOM jersey - 2012 Amgen Tour of California
Best Young Rider jersey - 2012 Amgen Tour of California
Most Aggressive Rider jersey - 2012 Amgen Tour of California

Breakaway from Cancer Most Courageous Jersey - 2012 Amgen Tour of California
Learn the teams jerseys and more about the teams:

Hincapie cycling apparel
Hincapie is the official manufacturer of the jerseys worn by the category leaders of the Amgen Tour of California. Does the name sound familiar? Of course it does, yes the company is owned and managed by the Hincapie family. While George Hincapies is out racing bikes for BMC, his older brother Rich Hincapie is home in Greenville, South Carolina, overseeing manufacturing operations. 
Hincapie sells retail items including clothing, accessories and bags, but also specializes in custom club and team clothing. They make the clothing for Team BMC - George's team. And I gotta say Thor Hushovd, Tejay Van Garderen, and Philippe Gilbert look much more serious this year in their new BMC team clothing. 

Did you know?
  • George's father, Ricardo Hincapie, moved to the United States from Columbia in 1960.
  • George's first race win was at the Skippy Peanut Butter Classic in 1983. 
  • Rich Hincapie started Hincapie Sports in 1998. 
  • The Hincapie factory in Medellin, Colombia, has been run by George and Rich’s aunt and uncle, Marie and Jorge Hincapie since 2003.
  • Hincapie also outfits the Columbian South American team Gobernación de Antioquia - Antioquia Indeportes.
  • George's wife, Mélanie (Simonneau) Hincapie, can be seen modeling some of the women's line of Hincapie clothing. Mélanie's career was modeling at the time she met George at the 2003 Tour de France as a podium girl (hôtesse Crédit Lyonnais).  
  • If George rides his 17th Tour of Flanders in 2012, he will set the record for most De Rondes raced, 2012 also marks his 17th Tour de France. George has competed in 5 Olympic games, and has been U.S. National Road Champion 3 times.
Hincapie at the Tour of California
The Hincapie crew takes to the road every year and sets up shop in the Expo area (festival) at the Amgen Tour of California. Traveling from stage to stage, their booth is always one of the most popular at the event.
Hincapie clothing at ATOC   Photo by PedalDancer.com
George Hincapie and his Hincapie BMC clothing at the 2011 ATOC   Photo by PedalDancer.com
After they retire from racing some ex-racers become Directeur sportifs, some sports announcers, others tour guides, some work for industry sponsors or regulatory agencies. George Hincapie is part of a family-owned clothing business started well before he ever retired from racing. Smart. He and his family will be part of this sport for generations to come.

Buy the 2012 Tour of California jerseys
Buy Hincapie cycling apparel (really great jackets!).

In fact if you look back at pictures of the 2010 Tour of Flanders you'll notice Lance Armstrong and some of his teammates wearing Hincapie rain jackets. The inside story is that on the morning of the race, in pouring rain, Armstrong went to see his friend to ask for the jackets. Hincapie sold Armstrong the jackets for retail.
Lance Armstrong 2010 Tour of Flanders in Hincapie Sports eVent
Photo by Frites en Mayo Velo Club



A very good quality Hincapie jacket at Interbike 2011  Photo by PedalDancer.com
George at Interbike 2011 promoting the Hincapie brand of apparel Photo by PedalDancer.com
George Hincapie