EU-DIGEST

Biking in the Netherlands, a practical and healthy tradition

EU-Digest

Holland to become the center of the world for cycling racing sport fans in 2010

All three of cycling’s super three-week “grand tours” will begin in the Netherlands next summer. The first bike-racing frenzy begins on May 8, with the 93rd Giro d'Italia departing from Amsterdam. Two months later on July 3, the Tour de France starts from Rotterdam, and on Saturday, Aug. 29, from Assen the Vuelta a España .

Holland is a country famous for windmills, tulips, and wooden shoes. But whoever has the opportunity to visit Holland, quickly discovers that this is also a country of bicycles. With nearly as many bikes as people (14 million bikes, 16 million Dutchmen), pancake-flat Holland was made for pedaling. Everyone, from grandparents to "too-cool" teens, takes to the roads by bike. Women master the art of discreetly pedaling in skirts and stilettos, and it’s not unusual to see a man in a €2,000 suit cycling home from the office. Even the Queen and Dutch PM bike. The Dutch use the bike for just about everything — to do the groceries, go to work, recreation, or just to go visit with friends in the city. Cycling is also pretty safe in Holland. American cyclists are three times more likely to be killed as would Dutch cyclists. Some people argue that part of the blame of accidents falls on bad drivers. Others say it is because the US has very few bike paths and cyclist take life in their hands when biking on public roads Maybe so, but it is also much harder to get a drivers license in the EU than in America. No drivers license is issued before you reach the age of 18.

The total value of bikes made in Europe last year reached €1.9 billion, with Holland providing 30 per cent of that total (€577,000). They top the list of bike producers in the EU with Germany and France coming in second and third.

If you want to go native and use your own green energy when visiting Holland, rent a bike. Bikes are available for rent - by the day, week or month - at most major train stations in Holland, from Maastricht in the south, to the northern city of Groningen. In the most visited tourist spots, such as Amsterdam, Gouda and Leiden, private companies offer rentals as well as bicycle sightseeing tours through cities and into the windmill-dotted, canal-crossed outlying areas. Expect to pay a minimum of 8 euros a day for a simple pedal-brake bike and up to 20 euros a day for the luxury of a hybrid bike with gears and manual brakes.

Labels: Biking, EU, Giro d'Italia, Green Power, The Netherlands, Tour de France, Vuelta a España

Alberto Contador wins Tour de France

For the complete report from VeloNews click on this link

Contador's win is the 12th Tour win for Spain - by Justin Davis

Alberto Contador took Spain's tally to 12 wins in 96 editions of the Tour de France when he wrapped up his second victory on the race here on Sunday. Reputed climber Federico Bahamontes, nicknamed the 'Eagle of Toledo', broke new ground for his countrymen by winning the race in 1959 after years of domination by the French, the Italians and Belgians.Contador cruised down the Champs-Elysees to win the Tour for a second time Sunday after 2,141 miles over three weeks of racing. He repelled many challenges in the mountains, excelled in the two time-trials -- winning a pivotal race against the clock in the 18th stage -- and won the first Alpine stage.

Wins by country after 96 editions:
36: France
18: Belgium
12: Spain
10: United States
9: Italy
4: Luxembourg
2: Netherlands, Switzerland
1: Germany, Denmark, Ireland

Labels: Alberto Contador, EU, France, Tour de France

Tour de France: Lance Armstrong hangs onto podium place

Alberto Contador all but sealed the Tour de France title Saturday, keeping the yellow jersey after a punishing mountain ride in the next to last stage. Lance Armstrong, the seven-time champion who came out of 3½ years of retirement, held third place overall after the dreaded climb up Mont Ventoux. He finished in a small group that included Contador, his Astana teammate, and second-place Andy Schleck of Luxembourg. Contador, the 2007 Tour champion, leads Andy Schleck overall by 4:11, with Armstrong 5:24 behind. Bradley Wiggins is fourth, 6:01 back, and Frank Schleck is fifth, 6:04 behind the Spaniard.

Labels: EU, Tour de France

Tour de France - Contador wins trial, awaits coronation - by Jamey Keaten

Alberto Contador all but assured his second Tour de France victory Thursday, winning the race's final time trial, while Lance Armstrong struggled with fatigue but moved up one spot to third place. Contador, Armstrong's Astana teammate and the 2007 Tour champion, increased his overall lead in the 18th stage, in which cyclists rode against the clock on the 25-mile course in and around Annecy. The three- week race ends Sunday on the Champs-Elysees in Paris. Contador finished in 48 minutes, 31 seconds, beating Fabian Cancellara of Switzerland by three seconds. Russia's Mikhail Ignatiev was third, 15 seconds back.

Labels: EU, Tour de France

Tour de France 2009: Alberto Contador defends tactics despite defying team orders - by Brendan Gallagher

Yellow jersey Alberto Contador has been forced to defend his tactics in Thursday's Queen stage in the Alps when a late attack blew his Astana colleague Andrea Kloden out the back of the small lead group - the Schleck brothers Andy and Frank were the other riders - and endangered the German's chances of making the podium in Paris. Armstrong was in diplomatic mode when questioned about the tactics: "I am going to bite my tongue on that one," said Armstrong of Contador's attack, but he did question the move in his Twitter update. The American said last week that there were tensions in the team, but after losing time in Sunday's stage to Verbier he pledged his support to help Contador win his second Tour.

While Contador insists his motives for the attack were tactically sound, and that he was told he should attack by Klöden, there was speculation amongst the Tour press corps that the Spaniard does not need to make niceties with his Astana teammates because Armstrong and Bruyneel are planning a new team for 2010, with an announcement on a sponsor coming later today.

Labels: EU, Tour de France

Mark Cavendish sprints to second straight stage win at Tour de France; Lance Armstrong still third

Mark Cavendish won the 11th stage of the Tour de France on Wednesday, Rinaldo Nocentini of Italy held onto the yellow jersey and Lance Armstrong remained third overall. Cavendish sealed his second straight stage win and fourth of the Tour. The British cyclist finished about half a bike length ahead of American Tyler Farrar in a sprint finish on a flat stage.Cavendish will defend the green jersey on another flat stage Thursday before the race heads into a medium mountain stage on Friday.

Labels: EU, Tour de France

Tour de France 2009: Lance Armstrong dual with Alberto Contador heating up in Spain - by John MacLeary

After another intriguing stage on the fifth day of the 96th edition of the Tour de France, Armstrong, the seven-time Tour winner, said that perhaps the young Spaniard, the 2007 winner, could still learn from him. "I told Alberto that today was going to be complicated," said Armstrong. "So maybe he sees that I know what is going on in the Tour de France." The Texan's words were, no doubt, a reference to stage three where Contador suffered after strong crosswinds tore the peloton apart leaving the struggling Spaniard in the chasing pack while his own experience showed as he dictated the pace to his remaining team-mate

Labels: EU, Lance Armstrong, Tour de France

Cycling: Tour de France - Armstrong confident ahead of Tour

Seven-time champion Lance Armstrong said he was in good shape ahead of his Tour de France comeback. The 37-year-old, who returned to racing this year after nearly four years in retirement, finished a creditable 12th overall in the Giro d'Italia on Sunday.Armstrong rewrote the record books in 2005 when he became the first rider to win seven Le Tour titles - all in succession. He retired after his final victory, only to return to racing at the beginning of 2009 to promote his Livestrong cancer charity.

Labels: Tour de France

Tour de France - Armstrong: ‘No guarantees’ to win Tour again - by Andrew Hood

The seven-time Tour champion is confident he will attain a high level come July, but admitted he cannot take for granted he will be the same rider who won barnstormed to seven consecutive titles from 1999-2005. “It’s hard to say. In the past, I was always riding to win. We’re not there yet. Frankly, I don’t know if I will get back there,” he said Friday in a press conference. “This experiment, if you want to call it that, has never been attempted before. Would I like to be? Yes, I’d like to be competitive.”

At 37, and after more than three years away from competitive cycling, Armstrong cannot count on winning as dominantly as he did during his previous reign.

Labels: Armstrong, Biking, EU, Tour de France

Spain's reign domain reaches three sports - Garth Woolsey

As Eliza Doolittle of My Fair Lady fame might say: The reign in Spain falls mainly on the ... tennis and cycling and soccer. Or, as they might say in Spain: Ole! Ole! Ole! These are high times for Spanish sports, what with Rafael Nadal continuing his assault upon Roger Federer's overall No.1 position in tennis with yesterday's victory in the final of the Rogers Cup. That came a few hours after Carlos Sastre was anointed victor of the Tour de France, the third consecutive Spaniard to hold that crown.

Labels: EU, Spain, Tour de France

Tour de France: Proof the good guys keep winning - by Austin Murphy

What it all boils down to is that the 95th Tour will be decided in Saturday's flat, twisting 53km time trial through the Cher region in the midsection of France. Can Carlos hang on? He now holds a 1:34 lead over Evans. He's 2:39 ahead of Menchov. Both those riders, along with Vandevelde (now 4:41 in arrears) are much more powerful time trailers than is Sastre, who has historically been a bit soft in the Race of Truth.Will Sastre find those wings? How delightful that when Phil Liggett declaimed that we are bearing down on one of the closest finishes in the history of the Tour de France, he wasn't exaggerating. It's a beautiful thing.

Labels: Cycling, EU, Tour de France

Tour de France enters the Alps

After a week of flat stages and sprint finishes, for many the real Tour de France starts today as the field enters the Alps. Yesterday's final sprint finish was won by Tom Boonen but the Belgian admits he had a major hindrance going into the final mile.

Labels: Europe, Tour de France