The stakes are a little more favoritism to Tom Boonen, whose early season numbers have convinced the most skeptical that gave him almost dead. However, the Belgian, who won this race in 2005 and 2006, has silenced many mouths and adding seven wins in 2012, the most recent ones collected at E3 Prijs Vlaanderen-Harelbeke and Gent-Wevelgem.

This year the traditional Kapelmuur disappears and its place shall be the Kwaremont, before facing the final wall for the third time the last of all, the Pateberg

In addition, the ‘Tornado’ will again with the all-important aid Sylvain Chavanel that, depending on how the test expires, could take charge and fight for the victory as happened last year and where was second only behind an amazing Nick Nuyens, absent from this year.

But much Cancellara Cancellara. The Swiss rider, who won in Flanders in 2010 (and third last year), after giving a lesson and leave fully seated precisely Boonen, was last seen little so far this season, but no one trusts him . His victory in the last lap of the Tirreno-Adriatico and second place in the Milan-San Remo suggest that for this Sunday has reserved his best weapons. And they go through an attack from a distance to go and throw burning opponents to the finish as it did two years ago.

But not only these two tremendous runners live the Tour of Flanders. They are joined by another list of favorites among them first swords Philippe Gilbert (Eager to prove he can return to being the 2011), Peter Sagan, Thor Hushovd, Alessandro Ballan, Boasson Hagen and, of course, the Spanish Oscar Freire and Juan Antonio Flecha.

In the second row could be other men and Stijn Devolder (Winner in 2008 and 2009) Filippo Pozzato, Heinrich Haussler, Bjorn Leukemans, Johan Vansummeren or young Sep VanmarckeThat comes from winning the Omloop Het Nieuwsblad. Certainly a wide range of excellent riders on a tour which this year offers some remarkable changes.

In this edition, the Tour of Flanders has a total of 16 walls (Instead of the 18 that existed in 2011), of which 10 are paved. One of the great news is that the mythical wall disappears Kapelmuur and place shall be the Kwaremont (1.5 km of paved to 4% and a maximum gradient of 11.6%), which could break the race before reaching the Pateberg (360 meters at 12.9% and a maximum gradient of 20.3%) to be in his third step, the last of the obstacles to a career that has spread over 256 kilometers Bruges and Oudenaarde. A show in style that we offer this battle of the walls which will be discussed MARCA.com live in from 15:00 hours.

Sagan, Slovak Pearl 22, took the set acquired in the Tour of Qatar to release his record of the year at the earliest opportunity. A final steep, with slopes uncomfortable, it seemed ideal to impose their class. And ‘The Bug’ made him clearly ahead of Australian Baden Cooke (GreenEdge) and Dutch Tom Jelte Slagter (Rabobank), all in one group who scored the goal in a time of 3h.10.44, closing an average of 44 kms / hour.

‘The Bug’ took an explosive finale that featured a sprint with a slight slope

Four seconds Cancellara arrived and the first leader, Germany’s Andre Greipel, who was flying his red jersey by the waters of the dam around the mountains of Wadi Dayqah Dam and six ‘Itching’ Rodriguez, who in the search sharpening his legs failed him how to hold with the fastest.

“The end has been very explosive. I was going well, but in the last few miles it has been death and went to the limit, I busted legs,” said the only goal in the Spanish rider in the peloton of the Tour of Oman. However, ‘Itching’ appreciated the fact not lost significant time and still have room for recovery, and on the other hand, the fact of having arrived ahead of Italian Vincenzo Nibali, winner of the Tour 2009, and Luxembourg’s Andy Schleck, who lost, respectively, 9 and 39 seconds.

The stage passed by a flat area parallel to the Arabian Sea. Start four riders escaped: Kohler and Lodewick (BMC), Boucher (Francaise) and De Negri (Farnese), but were caught by the peloton 10 kilometers from the finish. It was when another platoon Slovak Peter Velits, marked a pace that broke the pack and selected a group that was to play the stage, between those who were not pure sprinters like Boonen, Cavendish, who lost more than 3 minutes or Greipel.

There were a couple of rolling hills and a demanding home straight on slight rise. For a man of strength and speed, as Sagan. The Slovak Velits and hit the banner to look at, attacked from a distance and did not give up raising arms for the first time in 2012. One step closer to his dream of winning the Milan-San Remo.
Sagan, who has under his belt three stages of the Tour of Spain, defend the lead in the third stage which takes place between Al Awabi and Muscat, of 144.5 kilometers, suitable for an end to sprint. Its advantage is 4 seconds on André Greipel. A duel will bring interest to the day.

“It’s not good for cycling that Contador will be punished, I hope everything will go as best as possible,” Navarro said in an interview published in the Italian sports daily La Gazzetta dello Sport.

Indurain believes that the history of counter is “difficult to explain, especially to the fans” because of its technical complexity.

For the runner Navarre, there is currently a leader in cycling, but there are big favorites for testing: “Contador is the best of the big tours, Gilbert is a specialist in classical and Cavendish is the best sprinter.”

The Villava has fond memories of his time as a professional, but his job at a sporting goods store and his role as a columnist for a newspaper specializing keep you busy.

Now he has turned his dream at the start in cycling his son Michael, who at 16 is released in the youth category with the team where his father started, Cycling Cross Villava Villaverde.

The 23 years that ran next to last season in the Spanish Alguersuari subsidiary of Red Bull, Toro Rosso, was happy with his new position in the team, but said he would like to “ride in the races.”

“It’s good to stay at Red Bull for another year and have this opportunity with the team winning the World Championship.’d Rather ride in races, of course, but working with Red Bull Racing in the development of your car and provide a ‘feedback ‘throughout the season is the next best option, “Buemi said in a statement provided by the team.

Meanwhile, the Red Bull team principal Christian Horner said he is “completely logical that Sébastien continue on your computer”, as a member of ‘Junior Team’ since 2004. “He knows the team well from the time he spent with us in 2008,” he added.

“He has acquired significant experience in the race for the last three years. All-important ‘tests’, will make us work simulation along this year and will be present at each Grand Prix,” concluded Horner.

Although these months the cyclocross spend their time, their goal points to August 12, the day, if everything is normal, will start as one of the favorites for Olympic gold.

PAST: “When I was young and gave me a pair of gloves, I could think to get where I am”

Six times World Champion, three of them individually, and four times European champion, the Olympic title is the icing is lacking in his extraordinary achievements. “I also lack an overall World Cup,” he recalls, “but I would be fine if I had to remove so that I have, because I touched the Olympic dream in Athens, when I was second.”

The cyclo-cross, as we say, is your occupation right now and although it has begun to run later than their rivals, and has three victories: Amezaga (Álava), Valencia and Catalonia Championship. “I’ve been preparing a little more advanced than other years because of obligation,” he explains, “and I want to start strong mountain bike season and in 2012, being an Olympic year, the timing is advanced.”

Nothing better than the specialty mountain bike winter in preparation for the “Other years between World cyclo-cross and the first round of the World Cup mountain bike had two months, then I could not require the maximum, but this year there is only one, so my intention is to get good at BMX World, which interests me more than ever, strong to begin the World Cup “, the first test will be March 18 in South Africa.

THIS: “My intention is to get good at BMX World, which interests me more than ever, strong to start the World Cup mountain bike”

“You can pick up points in May, then although Spain has already secured three seats, will have to get the job,” he says wryly, as in reason no one before him has secured the square. “The program plans to stop a little in May, for breath, and then all followed, The Jerk”, because the European is in July, the Olympic Games in August and the World Cup in September. “But if I can close the year in August, without waiting for the September exam, the better,” he adds with characteristic grace. Road 34, Jose Antonio is already an institution in the bunch of ‘bikers’. “Together with Sauser, which is somewhat greater than I are veterans,” said Hermida. “But we still endure. I think I can still be three or four years running at high level: three in the Olympic discipline, because I do not get to Rio, and then long distance, as the Cape Epic tests.”

Since it began competing at age 14, has two decades climbed to the bike. “When I was young and gave me a pair of gloves, I could think to get where I am. I have to be grateful,” he repeated again and again. “The next will be my fourth game and my name still ringing.” Of all his victories, José Antonio has two specially recorded in his brain: “The first victory we got in the World Cup, in 2001, in Napa (USA), because I won all those who Habaiah been my idols, and the World Last year’s elite, for closing the circle after being champion in the other categories, “he explains,” although the fourth at the Sydney Games was the beginning of everything. ”

Absalon, the alien who has mastered many years the mountain bike world has returned to earth. “But now there is another dictator,” says Jaroslav Kulhavy by Czech. “This year he has won almost everything. It is clear that new generations are being consolidated, but that encourages me and helps me to challenge.”

Evans, a ‘biker’
Hermida could have run on the road, but has declined: “It is that mountain biking is my life,” he explains. “I enjoy the mountain bike, is a way of life. It’s like if you asked Carlos Sainz and Loeb why they have not raced in Formula 1.”

FUTURE: “I would be fine if I had to remove so that I have, because I touched the Olympic dream in Athens, when I was second”

However, almost daily trains professionals route: Arrow, Danielson, Vandevelde and a long list of cyclists who are prepared by the Cerdanya. “This year we have also joined the group Boonen and Chavanel,” he says.
For Jose Antonio, the BTT is your life, but other ‘bikers’, as Rasmussen, Evans, Fuglsang, Kessiakoff Sagan and switched to the road, where shine, “Evans’s victory in the Tour is the victory of mountain bike” says Hermida. “The ‘bikers’ we are proud that one of us has won on enemy territory.” he adds.

“Until 2002 I fought with Evans,” Catalan explains further. “Although I never managed to be world champion, was very good. I had a great technique, strategically was very good and seemed obsessed with the preparation. I have not missed his victory in the Tour, because I had prepared to the millimeter and had everything studied while taking into account the potential rivals could also have won the other. “

It started as a gift unpretentious, tasty snack for Elena, which premiered at the World Cathedral, Assen, without success. He fell several times and failed to qualify for membership in the Moto2 grid. But it ended up becoming a lottery jackpot for her. Elena compete within the structure to replace the pilot Qatari local partner Al Naimi as Ricky Cardus, Cardus Tiriti nephew, which ran in the 2011 with the Middle Eastern team.

His first venture, controversial, some saw the opportunity to Aspar a pure marketing maneuver, was a small setback for Rosell, who could not hold back the tears after a failed attempt to be the first Spanish woman to compete in a World Cup. Then came a second chance, Alcaniz. In familiar territory, Elena managed to finish his first race and into the history of motorcycling. Valencia went even better, the event that put an end to the season and which ended in a creditable 25 th place ahead of some World Cup.

This triathlete at heart, also take part in the brief history of sports in Qatar, a country that always closed its borders, along with Brunei and Saudi Arabia, for their women to participate in the Olympics. At least until the London Games in 2012, and now the eastern country to let the rider deck Dalma Rushdi Malhas participate as a gesture of openness.

Pilot ‘nationalized’
Elena could be the first to defend the flag of Qatar into a major international event and a global sport with much acceptance. Especially in a city like Doha, which hosted the first event of motorcycles in the Middle East and also in unpublished form: in a fully lighted circuit to the races at night.

Thus, the pilot will be the first Spanish Manises to complete one-fourth World Women Championship in 50 years, following the departure of Poensgen Katja, a German who ran in 2001 and 2003 in the 250cc class. Previously, the Finnish Riina Taru succeeded, in 1989, adding 23 points in the 125cc class. Same as Tomoko iGate, Japan, in the same category in 1995.

Last May, the Swiss Agency requested the sanction for Ullrich, who won the Tour in 1997, before the Committee on Discipline of the Swiss Olympic Committee, an organization that refused the application to be considered incompetent. The Agency decided to appeal to the CAS.

Yes, the procedure assumes the ICU
Now the TAS is declared incompetent to meet the demands of the agency because the agency Helvetica did not exist in 2005 when Jan Ullrich won the Swiss license and was under the rules of the International Cycling Union (UCI), cycling Federation Olympic Committee francs.

However, the CAS announces its competition in the arbitration proceedings on the one hand holding the ICU and Jan Ullrich, and the Swiss Federation on the other, and whose decision is expected within 6 weeks.

In a brief statement, the Tour de France director Christian Prudhomme announced that the so-called “Island of Beauty” will kick off for the most iconic bike race.

“While many cycling events have taken place in Corsica, it is the only region in metropolitan France never received the visit of the Tour de France,” noted the organizers.

The details of that exit and the steps that make up will be revealed on December 6 press conference.

“Depends on the calendar that has each runner but usually after finishing the last race, which is usually Lombardy, it is generally about 10 days ‘untrained’” explains Pablo Lastras, one of the most experienced riders in the peloton. The Madrid mind that that process is going down the level of training. Be increasingly soft short walk to the bike never stop suddenly, which could be very counterproductive.

What next? “Usually everyone goes on vacation. To us, Movistar, give us three weeks that everyone takes for what suits you. I am very much packing and traveling the world. These days I have been in Sicily Prague and Huelva. I keep quiet! “says the talented gregarious. He stretches his vacation a week. “If you read this will learn the heads but without sounding cocky, I deserve it. The need to disconnect. Also I’m just a kilo over what he thought of Lombardy. Slimline nothing.” The key is to shake off and the pressure that accompanies them during the remaining months. Recharge the battery.

Both Movistar Euskaltel as the season will begin shortly. The Navarrese are meeting this weekend in Gorraiz (Pamplona), while the orange Derio begin on Monday to outline the next course. They made the relevant biomechanical testing, the official photos, taken, are the new partners and are deciding the objectives and timetable of each corridor by 2012. It is the first contact and then start training hard. Soon after, on 17 January, the squad will roll down the highways of the world. In that case the Australian asphalt.

“So far I have residence in Colombia, but I have offered to run global citizenship in Colombia and I’m going to think. However, Spain did not forget it is my land, Albacete, Castilla-La Mancha took them deep inside despite in Colombia that have welcomed me very well, this is my land and I am very proud to be Spanish and Albacete, “said the newspaper ‘La Verdad de Albacete”. Sevilla, 35, is on holiday in Spain after a season racing in America in which he has achieved twelve victories.

“However, Spain did not forget it is my land, Albacete, Castilla-La Mancha took them deep inside”

“I am very happy to have met a different bike, a different culture and countries because not only is Colombia, I am also running in North, Central and South America. It’s been a very positive experience in my career despite having taken other competitions such as the European Tour, “he said.

With regard to his punishment, said the case comes from 2010 but has gone now. “It was inadvertent doping. Vuelta a Colombia in the last year I had a fall two days to complete missing and had to go to the emergency room because I had many injuries, knee open and he was also unconscious. There abrasions healed me and I sutured wounds, but I got an IV and the next day I tested positive by the method, not substance, because the intravenous method is banned in cycling. ”

“From there began a film that has lasted a year and two months of uncertainty, not knowing what would happen, lawyers … and the outcome was a sentence of six months ending on February 21 . accept and comply with the sanction, but I do not agree or think it’s fair. ”

Sevilla defined as a “political fudge” Operation Puerto, with whom he was linked in his day. “It was a very large political fudge that wanted to demonstrate that fighting doping and all they did was flip the image of cycling and cyclists through the ground.”

“In Spain, the future of cycling is quite black, which in America and Asia is the opposite”

“Only served to load cycling at the grassroots level, at the level of advertising and the fans in Spain,” he added. “There are few races, the media has been following the races just keep doping and I think it is fair.” Colombia has been very good physically, “I won twelve races, I’ve been at the top, I’m happy with my performance and also enjoy what I do, which is cycling. I train with the same enthusiasm as usual” .

“After the 2006-year of Operation Puerto, has always been very difficult to race here (in Spain) and although there have been any offers, maybe it was too sad because she wanted to take advantage of the circumstances because riders like Mancebo or as I have a name that deserves respect. However in the U.S. and South America have accepted us as we are. ”

To Seville, “in Spain, the future of cycling is quite black, which in America and Asia is the opposite, there is the future of cycling, including the present. In countries like Russia, China, USA and South America cycling enjoys a better image, more companies are investing in it and the fans are more focused with cycling, which in Spain has gone down to the point that some people do not know who won the Vuelta, the Tour or the Giro. ”

For next season, is set in the U.S.: “I want to make a good campaign in tests such as California, Colorado and Utah, which are very important and then there is the Tour of Colombia and the RCN Classic, which is very interested in the team. I love win the Vuelta a Colombia, perhaps the world’s toughest test for the hardness of the course and the quality of Colombian cyclists increases. “