cycling
iron Mountain sportiF
aiMs to GEt pEoplE aCtivE
two Welsh cycling stars are set to go 153 kilometre climb up the
head-to-head in one of the world’s dolomiti mountains between
greatest stage races this month. arabba and marmolada fedaia
on may 25.
on may 10, cardiff’s geraint thomas
and Swedish national champion the barloworld rider, who
magnus backstedt, from pontyclun, won World cup and World
will be leaving palermo on a 28.5 championships gold on the
kilometre time trial that is the track this year, is forgoing a
prologue for the giro d’italia. chance to ride for his team
in le tour (france), which
the giro - tour of italy - is one of he remarkably completed on
the three biggest and most classic his first attempt last summer,
stage races, along with the vuelta a in order to concentrate on
espana (tour of Spain) and the tour training for the beijing olympic “it is going to be really hard, i’ve no doubt about that, but i’m
de france, and lasts for three weeks. games this august. really looking forward to it.
it will be a debut on the giro for 21- but the giro is just as big a test “the giro is up there with the tour (de france) as one of
year-old thomas, who will celebrate for the rising star, and he said: the world’s classics and is pretty tough so it would be great
his 22nd birthday with a punishing to finish it too.
“i can’t do the tour because i’ll be getting ready for the
Sports & Leisure
Games, but I will definitely be trying to get back there next
year and have another go.”
Sports & Golf Clubs meanwhile, 33-year-old backstedt, who lives in pontyclun
with his Welsh wife megan and their children, will want to
make up for a bitter disappointment of last month’s one-day
classic, the paris to roubaix race over the cobblestones in
france.
backstedt was lead rider with his new Slipstream team but
technical problems with his bike’s wheels and brakes forced
him to quit midway through the run south.
But, after an horrific high-speed crash in the Tour of Qatar
Insurance expertise in the Sports and Leisure Industry
in february this year which needed a permanant steel plate
inserted into his broken shoulder, backstedt is full on for
Commercial Policies for Clubs, including Golf, Rugby,
both the giro and the tour, which he missed last summer
when his former team, liquigas, did not pick him.
Football, Bowls, Tennis, Squash, Fitness, Gyms, Health &
Fitness, Members and Social Clubs. the ex-tour de france stage winners said: “i’m 100 per cent
on the giro d’italia and 99 per cent certain to be riding the
For a no obligation quote from our friendly and efficient
tour de france again.
team please contact us;
“everything is back to normal again and the form is pretty
ews
good at the moment. there is not a lot of time left between
Telephone on 01708 777750
n
now and the giro so i’ve been putting a lot of training in
because it is a difficult stage race.”
Fax on 01708 777751
SW
and it would be quite something if either thomas or
e-mail
info@ccventures.co.uk
16
backstedt could win a stage of this major classic and put
cycling in Wales right up on the global map.
sportingwales
maytwothousand&eight
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