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FEATURES: HTC-HIGHROAD TAKES SHAPE FOR 2011
Zap
January 2, 2011
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HTC-Highroad's team of 25 men and 12 women, along with the team's managers and staff from around the world, convened in California for ten solid days of training and preparation for the 2011 racing season. Together with the team's 2011 partners, the HTC-Highroad men and women underwent the meticulous processes of physio testing, bike and equipment fitting, goal setting, nutrition education, and training throughout the diverse terrain of northern and southern California.
Riders received the new 2011 HTC-Highroad kit, a simple, retro-inspired departure from the team's 2010 design treatment. The team's national champions were on hand, proudly displaying the national colors of the USA, Sweden, Germany, Italy, Slovakia, Czech Republic, and Ireland.
DOWN IN THE 'HOOD
Following the team’s first public presentation at Specialized headquarters in November, the team headed south to the Conejo Valley for a training camp where not only the riders, but the mechanics too, could start getting familiar with the new bikes. Besides losing Scott as a bike sponsor, sportswear company Columbia also is gone for 2011.
Team owner Bob Stapleton was the first person we ran into and seemed downright giddy about the team's prospects in 2011. Remember, Bob's team came out of 2010 with an abundance of wins...as in the winningest team of the year. When we looked over some of the bikes and mixed parts he pointed out that besides his exclusive status as a "technology partner" with Shimano, as a team they will pursue whatever new technology they can to further their performance goals. This was most obviously seen in the wide array of different wheels being used.
Next, we caught up with the perennially busy Chris D’Lusio from Specialized to get his take on the new team dealings.
Fresh in from a training ride with Erik Zabel, Mark Cavendish gets debriefed by Chris D'Dlusio (l) about his new Tarmac SL3.
RBA: When we talked to you last you said you were really looking forward to working with Cavendish. How has it been going so far?
Chris: To be honest, there have been some baffling moments. Right now I don’t have an answer for why he likes what he likes. He’s definitely different from any other rider I’ve worked with before. We had him go through a Body Geometry fit course because with a new saddle he’s now riding more over the top of the pedals. We ended up shortening his stem by 20mm (145 to 125mm) while maintaining the same top tube length he used to use which is a pretty extreme change. In terms of frame stiffness and how we currently measure it, in Mark’s I’m not sure more is better. How he puts his power into the bike is different than most other riders. Mark’s positioning is more a low motor whereas most other riders have a higher center of mass on the bike.
Chris used his fingers and the cracked parking lot to have a discussion on theories of rake and trail (and how they affect a bikes handling) with Bernhard Eisel.
There were Shiv TT bikes aplenty to get built-up for both the mens & womens HTC squads.
It was interesting to see how different riders responded to getting their new bikes. Following the training ride, some went straight to the room while others hung out in the parking lot asking questions and watching the race bikes get assembled.
Without a single wheel sponsor to call their own, look for the Highroad graphics to once again take a prominent place on the team hoops.
Although it's doubtful you'll see them is use during the season, for training camp the bikes were outfitted with small Lezyne frame pumps. The Elite cages will definitely be used in the races.
Love him or hate him, Mark Cavendish is serious about winning. Long after all the other riders had left for their rooms, Mark stayed on before he (and his stylish gold Nike shoes) finally left the bike area after all of his questions were answered.
Besides just riding bikes, there are also sponsor relations to work on. Fizik teamed up with famous cycling shooter John Sequesta to get some promo shots of Cavendish, Eisel, (the awesome) Mark Renshaw and 2010 National TT Champ Evie Stevens.
IN OTHER TEAM NEWS
Highroad Riders Take German Honors
Andre Greipel, Charlotte Becker and John Degenkolb have been awarded the title of German Road Cyclist of the year in their respective categories for 2010.
Greipel finished his season with 21 victories including stage wins at the Giro d'Italia, Tour of Britain, Tour of Austria and another convincing overall victory of Tour Down Under. His rise in stature to one of the fastest sprinters in the peloton is owed to his consistent victories of which tally 50 in the past three years alone.
Charlotte Becker will join High Road in 2011 coming off an impressive season on the road where she earned the National Road Title and won a world cup event in Spain. She will join compatriots Judith Arndt and Ina-Yoko Teutenberg who placed second and third to her in the German Road Cyclist of the Year Awards. Arndt won the German Time Trial Championships and Giro della Toscana and placed second overall in the Giro d'Italia and the World Time Trial Championships. Teutenberg finished another successful season with 25 race victories to her name.
Finally John Degenkolb earned the title of German U23 Rider of the Year. The neopro will ride his first season as a pro for HTC-Highroad in 2011. 2010 saw him take wins at stages at Tour de Bretagne, FBD Insurance Rás, Thüringen Rundfahrt, Tour d'Alsace and Tour de l'Avenir as well as winning the U23 National Championship Title and placing second at the U23 World Championship Road Race.
Arndt Re-Signs With HTC To Finish Out Her Career
Former World Champion and 2004 Olympic silver medalist Judith Arndt has renewed for the next two years with HTC-Highroad, with London 2012 one final objective of a long and successful career.
"Sometimes a team change is good just to freshen up, but there's nothing better out there than HTC-Highroad," Arndt, 34, said. "We've got a very professional environment and management, and I'm very happy to stay here with HTC-Highroad for another two years." Arndt also said the continuing presence of German star Ina-Yoko Teutenberg at HTC-Highroad was a big factor in remaining in the team, because "when you've got the best sprinter in the world in your line-up, that's always good."
Arndt's big goals for 2011 will be the Spring Classics, the Tour of Italy, which she finished second this year, and the World Time Trial Championships, in which she has finished on the podium five times since 1997. "Last season wasn't really bad. I got a lot of good podium places and proved I'm still a World Class rider, but it wasn't very satisfying, either because I didn't win a lot. So I've got a point to prove in 2011. And, London will be a big objective in 2012, my last year as a professional."
For more information about HTC-Highroad and High Road Sports visit www.highroadsports.com
About HTC
HTC Corporation (HTC) is one of the fastest growing companies in the mobile phone industry and continues to pioneer industry-leading mobile experiences through design, usability and innovation that is sparked by how the mobile phone can improve how people live and communicate. For more information about HTC, please visit www.htc.com. |
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