The Cycliste Moderne, August 1, 2005

Just because the Tour is over does not mean the cycling season is over. There are other races to look forward to and other things to consider.

HEW Cyclassics Cup Recap

Sunday marked the return to ProTour racing with all the top teams back in action in Germany. Historically, the HEW Cyclassics Cup was a world cup race that lent itself to sprinters. This year a few more climbs were added but the race certainly is not as difficult as many of the older spring classics. In fact, the race has a relatively short history, first being contested in 1996. With the rise of the ProTour, the race retains its status as one of the top races; the quality of the field was probably enhanced by the ProTour.

The race marked the return to racing of ProTour leader Danilo DiLuca. He has a large lead in the ProTour’s individual standings and is likely to win the season title. He had a rather unremarkable day, however, finishing 52nd on the day.

It was not surprising that a rider from Quick.Step-Innergetic won, as Paolo Bettini has finished on the podium at the Hamburg race each of the last two years. It was surprising that two Quick.Step riders, Filippo Pozzato and Luca Paolini, came to the line together and contested the sprint, with Pozzato winning the race.

Even with an exciting finish, the HEW Cyclassics Cup is not a race that is easy to get excited about.

LuK Challenge Recap

Saturday was the two-man time trial, the LuK Challenge in Buhl, Germany. Although the race is a UCI rated event, it is not a ProTour race. However, that did not stop it from attracting some of the best time trialists in the peleton.

For the second straight year, Team CSC’s Bobby Julich and Jens Voigt won the race. Julich and Voight finished more than a minute and a half over the second placed team from Gerolsteiner. Discovery, Gerolsteiner, T-Mobile, Credit Agricole, Quick.Step and Rabobank all sent riders to contest the race.

The LuK Challenge also has a two-woman time trial in conjunction with the men’s race. It was won by Judith Arndt (Ger) and Trixi Worrack (Ger) of Equipe Nürnberger Versicherung.

LuK is most famous for being the German automobile parts manufacturer that also sponsors Didi Senft, builder of unique and large bicycles and the “Devil” who chases riders during the Tour de France and other races.

More Zabriskie Bad Luck

David Zabriskie cannot get a break. After his stellar performance at the Giro d’Italia and his win at Stage 1 of the Tour de France, things looked on the up for Utah’s Zabriskie. After two injury plagued seasons, he was finally having the types of results that his career had long promised. However, another fluke accident has put him out of commission for a couple of weeks.

While in Denmark to compete in a post Tour criterium, Zabriskie cut his hand in several places when he put it out to stop a glass door from closing on him. The glass shattered and severed a nerve. Zabriskie had surgery Saturday to correct the damage and will be in a cast for up to a month. Poor guy.