Rick Scott's Weekly Rap: Taking No Prisoners
By Rick ScottThe season’s first Grand Tour is in the books and it was a tight contest. Eyes are already shifting towards France for Le Tour although the Grand Depart isn’t for another month…unless you’re a prisoner. Read on…
The Beat
While some pundits had predicted that the Giro d’Italia would be won by an Italian, an American or a Spaniard, a silent assassin from Russia utilized the extremely arduous and technical 60-km time trial (Stage 12) to pave the way to overall victory. Having won a mountain stage early in the three-week Grand Tour, Denis Menchov (Rabobank) provided himself with just enough cushion in the time trial to hold off repeated attacks from two-time stage winner Danilo DiLuca (LPR Brakes), who each day would gobble up little time bonuses to nibble at Menchov’s lead. The final margin of victory ended up being a scant 41 seconds after 21 stages over 3,456.5 kms. Franco Pellizotti (Liquigas) made it onto the final podium after finishing less than two minutes in arrears while picking up a mountain stage win for good measure.
The Giro was an exciting race from the start in Venice to the final time trial on rain-slicked roads in Rome that allowed the sport’s best to shine. In the sprints, two-time Amgen Tour of California stage winner Mark Cavendish notched three stage wins and his Team Columbia-Highroad demonstrated amazing depth by scoring three consecutive stage wins from young riders becoming stars before our very eyes: Edvald Boassan Hagen, Kanstantsin Siutsou and Cav. In their inaugural season, Cervelo TestTeam more than passed the test by amassing four stage wins from three riders – Simon Gerrans, Ignatas Konovalovas and Tour de France champion Carlos Sastre – the latter of whom won two massive mountains stages en route to a 4th place overall finish. The Italian captains of the LPR Brakes squad – DiLuca and sprinter Alessandro Petacchi – each won a pair of stages. Despite starting the Giro a short six weeks after collarbone surgery, Lance Armstrong finished 12th overall riding in support of Astana teammate Levi Leipheimer, who claimed the 6th position on the GC. But it was Menchov, a two-time winner of the Vuelta a Espana, who earned the biggest win of his career by proving to be the strongest in a stellar field of strongmen who came out to mark the centennial anniversary of the Giro.
For those saying “No, grazie” to the Giro, action was found in abundance in Spain at the Volta a Catalunya, which was won by Alejandro Valverde (Caisse d’Epargne) ahead of rising star Daniel Martin of Garmin-Slipstream. Amgen Tour of California stage winner Thor Hushovd (Cervelo TestTeam) returned from vacation to snatch a pair of stage wins, including a repeat victory in the opening individual time trial that he won last year.
In New Jersey, the speedsters celebrated Memorial Day at the Tour of Somerville where Sebastian Haedo scored the win for the second straight year, which made the Argentinean’s locally-based title sponsors – Colavita-Sutter Home - very happy. Haedo is the younger brother of Juan Jose Haedo (Saxo Bank), who has won a fistful of Amgen Tour of California stages.
The domestic crit boys then headed to Tulsa, Oklahoma for the Tulsa Tough omnium comprised of three criteriums. Jelly Belly’s Brad Huff proved to be the toughest and the swiftest by winning the first two races. The final day was won with an audacious move by Daniel Ramsey (Mountain Khakis).
At the two-day U.S. Air Force Cycling Classic, the opening day gave Colavita-Sutter Home another reason to celebrate as Alejandro Borrajo took home the Clarendon Cup with a winning sprint. A late break of five men went to the line the following day to battle for the Crystal City Cup. Team Type 1’s Shawn Milne came from behind to be the first to cross the line.
Cyclo-cross star Lars Boom won the Tour of Belgium for Rabobank, which also celebrated Bram Tankink’s 2nd place overall finish. Yes, the five-day stage race took place entirely on roads.
The Flow
Seriously, I’m not making this up. Ready? Um-kay. The first-ever Tour de France for prisoners is being held this month when 196 penal code violators pedal 2,300 kms around the country finishing in Paris. Riders will not be permitted to “escape” in breaks, but they can sprint for daily stage wins although there won’t be a General Classification victor. The prisoners will even be staying in hotels along the race route just like the professionals. The purpose of this prisoner “race” is to help the men reintegrate into society by stressing “values like effort, teamwork and self-esteem”…
Four cities remain in contention to host the 2016 Olympic Games and if it swings Chicago’s way, the proposed cycling road race course will already have been well-tested. The route in neighboring Wisconsin will be raced this June 18 as part of the Tour of America’s Dairyland, which consists of seven criteriums and three road races. The proposed Olympic course is purported to be “extremely challenging and incredibly beautiful”…
With his Giro d’Italia victory, Menchov rockets to the top of the latest UCI World Calendar rankings ahead of Allan Davis (Quick Step) and Heinrich Haussler (Cervelo TestTeam). Haussler’s first-year outfit leads the team rankings ahead of Caisse d’Epargne and Quick Step. Italy is the leading nation ahead of Spain and Australia…
In the National Racing Calendar standings, the reigning king, Rory Sutherland (OUCH-Maxxis), has reassumed his throne, but sprinter Sebastian Haedo (Colavita-Sutter Home) is nipping at his heels. Bissell Pro Cycling is atop the team standings with Colavita-Sutter Home plotting a coup…
Three-time Amgen Tour of California champion Leipheimer will host a fundraising ride in Sonoma County, California on October 3 to benefit an animal charity and the local host committee for the Tour of California. The appropriately titled “Levi Leipheimer’s King Ridge GranFondo” promises to showcase the season’s turning leaves, verdant vineyards, placid valleys and magnificent Sonoma coastline. Pedal the full 103 miles or opt for shorter rides of 65 or 40 miles. Info is available at www.levisgranfondo.com...
Big ups to Team Type 1’s Simon Bennett, who recently saved the life of a passenger aboard a flight from Minneapolis to Chicago with the use of an automatic external defibrillator and a portable oxygen tank. Bennett used his first aid training to revive the man, whose heart had stopped. This wasn’t the first time Bennett saved a life. Three years ago, the 25-year-old Australian, who has Type 1 diabetes, used CPR to revive a child who had fallen through a swimming pool cover. Handy guy to have around…
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Rick Scott is president of Great Scott P.R.oductions, an entertainment and sports public relations, marketing and management boutique. He can be contacted through www.greatscottpr.com. Follow him at www.twitter.com/greatscottpr.
