Velochimp: Astrochimp on Cycling

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Tom Boonen was the name on everyone’s lips of potential winners as the Tour hit Belgium. Boonen managed to escape a crash and had most of his team still in tact driving a sprint train to the finish. The timing was all set except for the last leadout man Geert Steegmans who was [...]

Filippo Pozzato’s switch from the talent laden Quick-Step team to the Liquigas team for 2007 was a sign that the 25 year old Italian was ready to be his own man in the Classics. The winner of Milan San-Remo in 2006 was a new talent in a talent rich team twhose goals all seemed to [...]

Italian cycling took a blow when Ivan Basso was not allowed to start the Tour de France. Since then it has been numerous second places by Lampre riders such as Commesso, Bennati, Ballan and Cunego. The traditionally strong country could not get a win. Matteo Tossato today finally got the win for Italy ahead of [...]

The Spring Classics this year have been a tale of two teams so far with Quick Step and CSC each getting back-to-back victories. Quick-Step started proceedings with victories in Milan San Remo and the Tour of Flanders. By Flanders, Quick Step worked over the competition to submission as they controlled most of the race much [...]

Tom Boonen is going to rest up for the next month. He will make his return in time for the Tour of Belgium May 23rd with an eye to preparing for the Tour de France.
With the focus of the Classics moving to the hillier Ardennes region, Quick Step will now be under Italian leadership, [...]

It’s hard to bet against Tom Boonen doing a double-double (Win Paris Roubaix and Tour of Flanders back to back for two years) but it just seems so inevitable. It is a bit like Lance Armstrong winning the Tour de France between 2000 and 2005, you really could not bet against him to win, and [...]

Seven classics victories in twelve months, the Squadrone of Patrick Lefevre showed incredible domination in the Tour of Flanders. World Champion Tom Boonen had Belgian champ Serge Baguet, Olympic Champion Paolo Bettini and Milan San Remo winner Fillipo Pozzato guiding the elite riders in the final kilometers of the Tour of Flanders. The control that [...]

Quick Step played their cards perfectly in an exciting finish to Milano San Remo. I wanted to actually see the finish before commenting on it. So far, I have watched the OLN coverage which was not bad. Next I will be watching taped coverage of the from RAI Sport. The finish was as described [...]

What team has the current World Champion and the reigning Olymipic Road Race Champ, plus several top classics riders? Quick-Step looks strong this year and the team flexed its muscles in three separate races this week.

Remmert Wielinga won the GP Chiasso, Nick Nuyens won Kuurne Busselles Kuurne and Paolo Bettini took the GP Lugano.

Our [...]

Jose Rujano is pulling a Terrell Owens type move on his small Italian team Selle Italia. Rujano wants to renegotiate his contract to get more money and focus his efforts on the Tour de France. Jose Rujano was the bust out revelation of a legendary Giro D’Italia in 2005. The little Venezualan climber looks to [...]