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team astana at the olympics
Every four years, cycling's elite shed their team kits to represent their country in the Olympic Games. To participate is not a privilege, but rather an honor. And to win a medal is not just a victory for the cyclist or the Team, but for the entire country.
Team Astana has five riders who are vying for an Olympic medal. Though they represent different countries, they are part of our Team Astana family and we wish them luck as they battle the best in Beijing.
The Latest:
8/17 - Get Bronzed with Levi
8/17 - Medal Mania with Team USA Soigneur Brenda Phelps
8/15 - Graham Watson: "Go On, Drink that Champagne Levi"
8/14 - TODAY Show: Levi Interview
8/14 - Press Democrat: Moment in Bronze
8/13 - Salt Lake Tribune: Summer of Training in Utah Pays Off for Levi
8/13 - Press Democrat: Santa Rosa's Levi Leipheimer Takes Bronze Medal
8/13 - Leipheimer Wins Bronze
8/12 - Inside Team USA with Team Astana Soigneur Brenda Phelps
8/12 - Andrey Mizurov on Wednesday's Time Trial
8/12 - Sergey Ivanov on His Olympic Road Race
8/11 - Graham Watson's Olympic Experience
8/11 - Time Trial Preview
8/9 - Alberto Contador Talks About Spains Gold Medal
8/9 - Contador Helps Win Gold for Spain
8/8 - Sergey Ivanov Talks About Saturday's Road Race
8/8 - NBC Olympics: Missing from Tour, Leipheimer Eyes Gold
8/8 - USA Today: Quality of Olympic Road Race Could Rival Tour de France
8/8 - Telegraph: Spanish Road Cyclists Can Continue Nation's Summer of Glory
8/8 - Cyclingnews: Discovering a Talented Spaniard
8/7 - Road Race Preview
8/7 - Catching up with Contador
8/7 - Trek Goes to the Olympics
Team Astana Riders
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Race Routes & Previews
Men’s Olympic Time Trial
Wednesday, Aug 3 - 47 km / 29 mi
by Chris Brewer
Riders from Team Astana:
Spain: Contador
@ 15:43:30
USA: Leipheimer @ 15:40:30
Kazakhstan: Mizurov @ 14:36:00
On Wednesday, August 13, the world’s elite men will race against the clock to go for gold in an Olympic winner-take-all event. It’s almost hard to believe that it’s been four years since the podium of Hamilton, Ekimov, and Julich occurred in Athens, and the ensuing drama for Hamilton that some believe heralded a dark period of cycling. But starting at 13:30 local Beijing time / 7:30 European time (CEST) / and 1:30 (USA ET) the men will go flat out for about one hour to see who will lay claim to the title for another Olympic season.
This edition’s TT will be no flat-and-fast drag race as it uses the same difficult final circuit from the road race this past weekend. Two laps of the hilly 23.8km loop will determine who stands above the rest, and of course the now infamous heat, humidity, and pollution could certainly come into play as much as the road itself. Recall the 11km long climb is not that difficult in terms of steepness (averaging only around 4%) but there are some short sections at around 10%, and temperatures were around 90F and 90% humidity for the road race.
Most pundits believe that Swiss rider and World TT champion Fabian Cancellara is the man to beat come Wednesday. The man they call “Spartacus” showed great form in the road race, bridging up solo to the winning escape group and nabbing a bronze medal in the process. But the course is also a solid one for a who’s who of recent cycling success, including Astana’s Contador (Spain) and Leipheimer (USA), as well as riders like Evans and Rogers (Australia), and Menchov (Russia).
Men’s Olympic Road Race
Saturday, Aug 9 - 245 km / 152 mi
by Chris Brewer
Riders from Team Astana:
Spain: Contador
Kazakhstan: Mizurov & Iglinskiy
USA: Leipheimer
Russia : Ivanov
126 riders will take to the roads of Beijing in the quest for one of the most coveted titles in the sport of cycling: Olympic Gold Medalist. It’s a unique peloton in that there are the usual stars and domestiques from the pro peloton, but also the top riders from various countries that are not exactly household names to fans of the sport. Add in that each rider is there in support of his country on teams of up to five, and not their usual trade teams, and it makes for strange bedfellows to say the least.
The course:
While the Great Wall will provide a dramatic background for the race, it’s all about the climbs to win, and I believe it will play out much like a tough Belgian Classic. The first 80km will almost certainly feature a break that is more about TV time than who will finally win. The first 4-5 times up the 11km long climbs will be about winnowing the herd, and then the fireworks will have to light up on 6 and 7. But because the climbs are not that difficult in terms of steepness (averaging only around 4%) the riders will have to go up with tremendous speed and find the few attack points (where it does get around 10% for short periods) in order to make the race hard.
What else could come into play? Heat, humidity, and pollution. Much has been written about China’s attempts to fix the latter, but the combination of all three is what will make many suffer in addition to whatever the roads have to offer.
Who to watch:
There should be no question that the Spanish team has brought a formidable armada with Alberto Contador, Oscar Freire, Sammy Sánchez, Carlos Sastre, and Alejandro Valverde. A case could be made for any of their five riders taking the day, but expect to see Contador and Valverde as the team leaders. The way I see it playing out is Contador and friends will work to decimate the pack, setting Valverde up for a dominant finish.
Looking to spoil the Spanish fiesta from a team perspectiveare the boys from Australia and the USA. The Aussies feature Tour de France champion Cadel Evans but the trick for them would be to get sprint ace Stuart O’Grady over the seven climbs to duke it out at the line. The Americans have what looks to be the most complete team in terms of structure as they line up with George Hincapie and Levi Leipheimer leading the way with a very respected trio of domestiques in Jason McCartney, Christian Vande Velde, and Dave Zabriskie. This make up looks to keep their team leaders at the front, and then hope Leipheimer can get away and stay away while holding Hincapie in reserve if there’s a field sprint.
But it’s not all about team horsepower as there’s plenty of individual talent ready to ride other teams’ wheels until the right moment. You can never discount Italy’s reigning gold medalist Paolo Bettini, and this course suits him well, nor his Classics specialist teammate Davide Rebellin. Germany brings escape artist Jens Voigt and the always solid Stefan Schumacher, and Luxembourg features a solid duo in Kim Kirchen and Frank Schleck. Other individuals who might be there at the end include JJ Haedo (Argentina) and Denis Menchov (Russia).
On paper, I feel its Valverde’s race to lose based on his recent showing not only at the beginning of the Tour and at San Sebastian. I don’t think the course favors the Australian team but it is very good for the Americans, and depending on when the critical break occurs you could flip a coin on either Leipheimer or Hincapie going for gold. And I think the man who will try and destroy things on the final ascent will indeed be “The Cricket” as Bettini looks to repeat one more time in his storied career.
Results & Race Recaps
leipheimer wins bronze
Men’s Olympic Time Trial, 47 km / 29.2 mi
By Cathy Mehl
Team Astana’s Levi Leipheimer (USA) fought hard in the men’s time trial Wednesday in China and came away with a bronze medal to add to his collection of career wins. Riding steadily on the course, Leipheimer held third through the first and second time checks, but looked to be slipping before the final climbing section to the line. Levi dug deep to make up ground and held on for third place behind Fabian Cancellara (Switzerland) and Gustav Larsson (Sweden) in gold and silver with a time of 1.03.21.
It was a battle royale for the gold medal at the XXIX Olympiad as 39 men competed for the coveted crown signifying the top of the sport. Riding on the same scenic course used in the road race through the Forbidden City, past temples and along the Great Wall of China, the riders put in tremendous efforts to claim the top prize. Despite only leading at one of the three time-checks, two-time world champion Cancellara stayed in control of his ride and snatched the win from Larsson (Sweden) by 33 seconds. His winning time was 1.02.11 on the 47km course with an average speed of 45.35km/h. As he crossed the line with a victorious fist pump, Cancellara was clearly exhausted from his efforts, immediately getting off his bike and slumping to the ground as the Suisse staff poured water over the new gold medalist.
The riders enjoyed dry roads as they competed under cloudy skies on the course familiar to them by now. Completing two loops of the closed circuit, the long climb took its toll on many riders, including Team Astana’s Alberto Contador. Contador clocked in the best time at the first time check but lost ground along the way and was unable to make the podium, ending up in 4th place at 1.03.29. Team Astana’s third competitor in the time trial was Andrey Mizurov who took 24th place with a time of 1.06.32.
Two of the four countries (Spain and the USA) represented by Team Astana riders came away with medals in the two disciplines. Alberto and Levi now will focus on preparing for the Vuelta a Espana.
Top Ten Results
1 Fabian Cancellara (Switzerland) 1.02.11 (45.350 km/h)
2 Gustav Erik Larsson (Sweden) 1.02.44
3 Levi Leipheimer (USA) 1.03.21
4 Alberto Contador (Spain) 1.03.29
5 Cadel Evans (Australia) 1.03.34
6 Samuel Sánchez (Spain) 1.04.37
7 Svein Tuft (Canada) 1.04.39
8 Michael Rogers (Australia) 1.04.46
9 Stef Clement (Netherlands)
10 Robert Gesink (Netherlands) 1.05.02
contador helps win gold for spain
Men’s Olympic Road Race, 245 km / 152 mi
By Cathy Mehl
Riding against the dramatic backdrop of China’s famous Great Wall as well as temples and other architectural wonders, the men’s road race of the XXIX Olympiad took place over a tough, grinding 245km course that included seven laps on a hard climb that broke down the peloton as the race wore on. With only a handful of riders still in contention in the final kilometers, Spain’s Samuel Sanchez was able to out-sprint some of racing’s finest when he managed to best Italy’s Davide Rebellin and world champion Fabian Canellara (Switzerland) to claim the gold medal.
Despite early warnings that the road race might have a delayed start or have to be postponed due to poor weather conditions, the men took to the course on time and began their six-plus hour ride in this historic Olympic Games.
The first part of the course took the peloton from Beijing to JvYongGuan before beginning the circuits of seven laps. The early going belonged to Horacio Gallardo (Bolivia) and Patricio Almonacid (Chile) who pulled away after 22km of racing. The duo worked well together and traded pulls while steadily building a gap to over 14 minutes, but after 100km Almonacid dropped his companion and soloed on. Meanwhile attacks from the main field caused a split in the peloton and a strong group of 26 riders formed up off the front of the main pack and included Team Astana’s Andrey Mizourov (Kazakhstan) as well as Carlos Sastre (Spain), Ryder Hesjedal (Canada) and Jens Voigt (Germany). Notably missing were riders from Russia and the USA, ensuring a dedicated effort to chase was on tap to ignite the race. Almonacid pedaled steadily but was brought back by the chase and quickly made his way to the back of the group, his time of Olympic glory over for this time. With 4 laps to go the gap hovered near four minutes while Jason McCartney and Dave Zabriskie (USA) teamed up with Russia’s Vladimir Karpets to ride hard and shut down the break of the day.
Meanwhile riders were shelled out the back of the escape group while other opportunists saw their chance to lead the Olympic road race. Ruslan Podgornyy (Ukraine) and Aleksandr Kuschynski (Belarus) created a gap but were soon hunted down by Johan Van Summeren (Belgium), Rigoberto Uran (Columbia) and Marcus Ljungqvist (Sweden) to form a new break of five with a slim gap of 28 seconds. Astana Cycling Team’s Alberto Contador and Spanish teammates Carlos Sastre, Samuel Sanchez and Alejandro Valverde rode together at the front of the chase, barely able to contain their eagerness to attack on the climb and blow the race apart on the second to last lap. Lining up behind the Spaniards were the teammates of defending gold medalist, Paolo Bettini, bringing the peloton all together with 20km to go.
At 19km remaining a formidable group of five took command at the front. Leading the charge was Andy Schleck (Luxembourg), followed by David Rebellin (Italy), Michael Rogers (Australia), Samuel Sanchez (Spain) and Alexandr Kolobnev (Russia). A group of 8 chased at 15 seconds behind and included Cadel Evans (Australia), as well as the USA’s Levi Leipheimer and Christian Vande Velde. Over six hours of racing were now under their tires and many had already dropped out, but somehow Schleck managed to put in repeated attacks to break down the group, finally leaving only Rebellin and Sanchez at his side, with Rogers and Kolobnev chasing. At 3km to go Cancellara powered his way out of the remaining larger group, picking up Rogers and Kolobnev along the way and with 1km to go there were six dreaming of Olympic victory. Passing the 150m-to-go sign every rider dug deep but it was “Samu” Sanchez who had the power to drive all the way to the line and claim his first gold medal, beating Rebellin by almost a bike length. It was a tough, tough day on the hilly course in humid, smoggy conditions that certainly looked less than ideal, but for Sanchez the day was perfect as he captured Olympic gold.
Note: After tireless work for Sanchez, Contador dropped out of the race, saying, "I just didn't have any more strength in the legs."
Podium:
Gold: Samuel Sanchez, Spain
Silver: Davide Rebellin, Italy
Bronze: Fabian Cancellara, Switzerland
Other Results:
4 Alexandr Kolobnev (Russian Federation)
5 Andy Schleck (Luxembourg)
6 Michael Rogers (Australia)
7 Santiago Botero (Colombia) 0.12
8 Mario Aerts (Belgium)
9 Michael Barry (Canada) 0.16
10 Robert Gesink (Netherlands) 0.18
11 Levi Leipheimer (United States Of America) 0.20
12 Chris Anker Sorensen (Denmark) 0.22
13 Alejandro Valverde (Spain)
14 Jérôme Pineau (France)
15 Cadel Evans (Australia)
44 Andrey Mizourov (Kazakhstan) 2.38
78 Sergey Ivanov (Russian Federation) 15.53
DNF Alberto Contador (Spain)
DNF Maxim Iglinsky (Kazakhstan)
Special Features & News
(SCROLL DOWN FOR ALL OLYMPIC FEATURES & NEWS)
get bronzed with levi
Cathy: Congratulations on your Bronze Medal! It’s so exciting. You had a lot of American and Team Astana fans getting up in the middle of the night to watch your win. I was writing the race report at three in the morning!
Levi: Thank you. Yeah, I did get a lot of text messages right away so it seems like plenty of people were up late watching.
Cathy: I know you’ve been an Olympian before but never an Olympic medalist. What was the experience like for you this time?
Levi: It’s hard to describe. It really is - all the old clichés you always hear. Standing there on the Olympic podium, seeing the flags go up and having an Olympic medal around your neck is certainly a life-time moment, a moment to never forget. It is something every athlete dreams about and I certainly was one of them. It’s hard to put into words, it really is.
You looked very happy and excited on the podium. You looked truly thrilled to be standing there. The backdrop of the Great Wall of China behind the podium was amazing.
Yeah! Pretty cool, huh? Something I'll never forget.
Can you tell us a little about the time trial? I know the course was used a few days earlier in the road race so it was familiar to you.
The course was very difficult. You climb up a smaller frontage road that was somewhat rolling but mainly climbing. Then you get to the top and go through some arches of the wall and get onto the highway. There is a short little climb onto the highway and then you descend all the way down the highway. It’s gradual and steady and wide and smooth. Very fast downhill. You go through a toll booth, off the highway and back on to the frontage road. The race started at the bottom and went up right away, then two laps of the course with the finish on the downhill.
What was the deal with not allowing spectators on the course?
Apparently that is true because there were no fans around at all. The road race was really desolate as well and I think they figured that out for the time trial and brought some people in. It wasn’t any people that came from far away to see the race. It was mainly Chinese people. There was a lot of control over everything at the Olympics and it felt like there was too much control, really. You could definitely notice it.
I know your family often travel to see you race. Did your brother or parents make the trip to Beijing?
No, no, not this time.
I understand that you had some trouble with your radio before the time trial. What happened?
Yeah, that was really stressful as you can imagine. It was right before the race and my radio wasn’t working. I was freaking out. But they fixed it and it worked perfectly in the race. Jim Ochowicz was in the car behind me and he did a great job giving me time checks and all the important information. Once you have the information you know if you can push yourself and give some more. I knew how close it was at the end and I was able to go pretty deep. I had conserved a little bit and was careful in my warm up not to do too much. In the end I had a lot of energy left and I felt great coming along the long downhill.
You were on the Today Show (USA) the following night and then did you do more things in Beijing?
No I was on the plane the next morning to get back to Spain. I needed to get back so I could get rested and get adjusted to the time zone in Spain.
In the Olympics time trial of course your teammate Alberto was right behind you and took 4th place. What do you think that says about the upcoming Vuelta and are you looking forward to racing in the Vuelta?
I think it says we’ve both trained well even though we’ve been away from racing for awhile, especially Alberto. He hasn’t raced since the Giro and that was awhile ago. I don’t think he was on his best form in the Olympics and he’s certainly going to get a lot better.
Anything else you’d like to share about Beijing? Were you just staying in the Olympic Village and focused on your races?
Yeah, the road race was the day after the Opening Ceremonies again, just like in Athens, so there was no way I could go to that, stand up for five hours and get back to the Village after 1AM. That was out of the question. Staying in the Village is a great experience. You get to see all the different nationalities, athletes from around the world. The Olympic spirit is pretty contagious. It’s a very cool environment.
In the Village itself what was the food service like?
It’s an amazingly huge cafeteria with all of these different stations to get food. From salads and fruit, bread, cereal, Asian food, Italian, even a McDonalds inside since they are a huge IOC sponsor. You certainly had plenty of choices. I think if you were there the entire three weeks you’d probably get sick of it but it was fine for 10 days. I ate pretty well and was able to keep a consistent diet.
Did you have a roommate?
We all stayed in a unit like a little apartment. There were three bedrooms off a common area and two bathrooms. There just wasn’t a kitchen.
Now it’s time to fine tune for the Vuelta. I can’t believe it starts in two weeks! Can you fill us in on what these next few weeks will be like for you?
First of all I have to recover from all the travel. I do feel a little beat down from all of that so I need to make sure I feel fresh going into the Vuelta. That’s probably the most important thing. And then I’ll do a little training. Nothing too big.
Are you excited about the Vuelta?
Yes, definitely. I think we will have a good team and I have good memories of Vueltas in the past. It’s going to be a good race.
medal mania with team usa soigneur brenda phelps
Hello again from the Olympic Games!
First the important stuff: no swim cap yet!! I am still on a quest to get a swim cap with my last name on it from a certain incredible swimmer. I won’t give up!
The TT went well. As you know Levi brought home the Bronze Medal. He was very happy with this accomplishment and so was Team USA! When he finished his ride he still had to wait for a handful of guys behind him, including Contador, who also had a great race. Levi just managed to pull a little harder right at the finish. He said the last 500 meters or so were where he felt he won the race. Levi's medal is extra special for me since we are from the same town (Santa Rosa) and I massage him when he is back home. I see how hard he trains and prepares for races and even in the off-season. Personally, and I'm a little biased, Levi deserves this medal and I'm so happy that he can go into the history books as an Olympic Medal winner! Now how many people can say that?!? I've spoke with my husband and friends from back home and I know Santa Rosa is extremely proud and will do something special for Levi when he returns from the Vuelta.
We had some problems with his radio at the start but thanks to Vince Gee (former USPS/Discovery Channel mechanic) he got it working just in time. Not having the radio could have cost him the race. Having Och in his ear was good! (Jim Ochowicz)
The podium was amazing. The back drop of the Great Wall of China was impressive and the weather was good and fairly clear. I was able to get up super close to take some pictures. I can try to share them when I have time to download them. (Editor's Note: if you saw the women’s or men’s TT coverage, the gal in the red shirt with brown hair helping Kristin Armstrong and Levi was our Brenda!)
The team went out to a fancy restaurant to celebrate, where they saw celebrity Cindy Crawford. I didn't go because I was so exhausted from the day and days prior. Now I guess I have to kick myself for not going.... I am hoping there will be more chances to celebrate with wins in other cycling events. I still have not seen any events besides cycling. I may check out what is available for tickets tomorrow. In the athlete’s lounge there are free tickets for staff and athletes every day. I would actually like to check out boxing.
Some of us went to the Silk Market. It’s a lot bigger than I thought it would be. For those of you not familiar with it, it’s a huge shopping area in Beijing, especially known for selling counterfeit designer apparel and just about anything else you can think of too. It’s a madhouse to say the least. We stopped at Starbucks on the way out just to get a taste of home, then grabbed a cab back to the Olympic Village. When we were initially dropped off our translator gave us directions back to the village in Chinese….I made sure to keep those!
I have not eaten anything outside of the village yet. I am ok with that too! I saw something written about scorpions-on-a-stick but have not seen any of that around. The village has good food from different countries and I will stick to that for now! We’re finished with the roadies now, so this means time for fast-paced track racing and next early week crazy BMX.
Good luck to Team Astana as the boys get ready for the Vuelta!!
Later,
Brenda
Graham Watson: "Go on, drink that champagne Levi
The Olympic road events ended yesterday with a convincing win by Switzerland’s Fabien Cancellara in the time trial. Cancellara used his powerhouse strength to overhaul Gustav Larsson in the last kilometres to take the Gold medal, but at first it looked as if Astana’s pocket-rocket, Alberto Contador, was the one heading for that Gold medal, so spectacularly was his opening salvo. Although the USA’s Levi Leipheimer took the bronze medal to get an Astana Team rider on the podium, it was Contador’s performance that provoked the most comment, for everyone anticipated the Leiphemers and Cancellara’s of this world to do the job they did. No-one really expected Contador to even have a chance, myself included…
Had Contador managed to maintain his blistering pace, he might have won the Gold medal by a full minute, but in reality the effort was far beyond his present capability, which is why the little Spaniard withered in the last 15-kilometres to lose a medal slot altogether. I wonder what would have happened if Johan Bruyneel or Sean Yates had been coaching Contador from the team car behind, for surely a more reasonable pace early-on would have secured the medal that eventually – and thankfully - went Leipheimer’s way? It is as if whenever a Spaniard puts on that red, yellow and white skinsuit, all semblance of modesty and logic goes out of the window! Still, the potential was there for all to see, and in the turquoise and white skinsuit of Team Astana, Contador won’t make such a mistake come the time trials in the Vuelta a España later this month. Heaven help his rivals, then…
A different kind of cycling awaits us in the second phase of the Olympics, with the track-racing that takes place in the Laoshan velodrome between Friday and Monday. Although some team staff will stay on for this discipline, a hundred or so road cyclists will have flown out of Beijing today, to destinations in all four corners of the world. Fabien Cancellara will head home to Switzerland to set his sights on the World Time trial championships in September, as will runner-up Larsson. Contador will head for Spain with his compatriots Sammy Sanchez and Alejandro Valverde - all three men going their separate ways once the plane doors open in Madrid, to then regroup as serious rivals when the Vuelta starts in just over two weeks time. There’ll be no beach time for Contador in this phase of the season, for he has a lot of road-work to do in the Sierras around Madrid before starting his Vuelta campaign in full flight.
Finally, a word about Levi Leipheimer, a man who deserved that bronze medal and more, after the topsy-turvy season he’s had in the service of Señor Contador. Levi will probably be on that same plane as the Spanish road team, taking himself home to Girona, and though he may wish to indulge in a glass or two of business-class champagne, his season has a while yet to run. Imagine, Levi gets himself in top shape to successfully defend his Tour of California title this past February, then takes a dip in preparation for the Dauphiné in June, only to get a call of duty to race the Giro in May! The Giro kills his chances for the Dauphiné, where he spends half his time locked in dispute with Cadel Evans, who unwittingly goaded Levi to overtake him in the Olympic TT yesterday. Up down, up down, goes Levi’s season, and now he has to ride the Vuelta instead of defending his U.S national road title – now, that man is a true professional, I’m really impressed. Go on, drink that champagne Levi, you’ve earned it…
INSIDE TEAM USA WITH TEAM ASTANA SOIGNEUR BRENDA PHELPS
Brenda Phelps is a massage therapist and lives in Santa Rosa, California. Any time Team Astana races in the USA we can count on Brenda to join us for a week of top-notch massage. When Levi is home in Santa Rosa, Brenda also stops by his house twice a week to give the two-time Tour of California winner a massage. Currently, she is working for USA Cycling at the Olympics right now and checked in with Team Astana to share her experiences. And notice that last name…..Brenda is hoping she can get her hands on a swim cap worn by a certain super-swimmer since they have the same last name! Good luck, Bren.
HELLO FROM BEIJING!! (Or should I say Ni hao?)
I arrived in Beijing as part of the USA Cycling delegation. Day 1 was tough because the air was not very clear but the smog itself is not as bad as everyone talks about and the riders haven’t complained about it at all. I think the humidity makes it look worse than it really is and also affects the distance you can see. Since that first day, it has rained and cleared the smog out a little bit. It was much better when we went back to the Great Wall for TT training.
As the only woman with USA Cycling, they had to put me in with the coaches of the women’s indoor volleyball team. They are super sweet but I don’t get to see them much. I know it’s been hard for them having lost one of the members of their “family” with the incident that happened last week but the organization has been wonderful to them.
We’re in the village with all the athletes. I’m a runner but being around all these athletes is making me feel quite unfit! So I’ve been doing my workouts every morning around 5AM in the state of the art gym. It’s amazing and has almost everything you could imagine. The swimming pool is really cool and afterwards you can go to the locker room for a FREE massage from the Chinese women there. I haven’t had the opportunity to have one myself but, believe me, I will make sure to before leaving Beijing.
The Road Race looked really hard but, afterwards, the guys were happy with how the race played out. They were ready but it just didn’t turn out to Team USA’s benefit. They know it’s the Olympics and a one-shot deal. Now, we are getting ready for the men’s and women’s TT on Wednesday. Levi is super motivated and focused. I hope he can bring a medal back to the US and our hometown. I am here working with both the men’s and women’s teams AND all disciplines: road, mountain, track and bmx. The track athletes are training and the bmx guys arrive on Thursday. Once the TT is over, the track event will overlap the bmx and mountain events. The good thing is that I’m working with a great group of people including 3 soigneurs, 3 mechanics, a couple of directors for each sport and an incredible team leader!!!
Brenda in the feed zone at the 2008 Tour de Georgia!
Right now this is a lot like a stage race and by that I mean very busy! I have only had the chance to see the venues where our events are taking place, then massage and get ready for the next day. After the roadies leave it will be easier to venture out and see other things. Vince Gee (formerly of Discovery Channel) and I did manage to run up the Great Wall. It’s quite steep and we worked up a pretty good sweat. Once up there I was able to have a good look around and I realized how beautiful it really is here.
We have just under 2 weeks left now and I’m getting anxious to see another event and to walk around the village and get some fantastic souvenirs for my family. The food is good and there is everything you could possibly imagine, though I’ve decided to stick with the coffee and salads.
One last thing…I got to walk with the opening ceremonies!! Security was tight but the Chinese volunteers were AMAZING and they pulled off an incredible display of fireworks and performances! The lighting of the torch was out of this world and I sincerely hope everyone got a chance to see it on t.v.
Back to the Massages -
Brenda
Editor's Note: In addition to Brenda, Team Astana is also represented by Faustino Munoz (Mechanic) and Valentin Dorronsoro (Soigneur). Two of the best in the business, Faustino and Valentin are looking to help Spain win another medal.
ANDREY MIZUROV ON wednesday's time trial
As told to Team Astana's Russian Website Editor: Dmitri Kuzmin
I managed to call Andrey Mizurov who is in Beijing now preparing for time trial. He will be the only rider to compete for Kazakhstan.
“I will be the only Kazakhstan rider in the upcoming time trial because our country doesn’t have a high enough world ranking yet, and so we’ve got only one place. My main goal is to finish in the Top 10 in TT. I know it will be very hard for me because the competition is very high in thetime trial. I think there are at least 8 riders who have a great chance to claim an Olympic medal.
I spoke with my teammate Levi Leipheimer and he told me that besides Cancellara his top favorites would be Michael Rodgers (Australia) and Santiago Botero (Colombia). I think Levi’s choices look a little strange, but he saw them both in road race and thinks they are in a great form. But I personally would bet on David Zabriskie. He withdrew from the road race too early and saved a lot of energy for the upcoming TT. It also means that nobody really knows what he is capable of since he had that injury and he could use the surprise effect.
Regarding Stephan Schumacher I cannot say anything certain for I don’t know whether he could restore what he did in the Tour. The Russian guys also look great. Both Denis Menchov and Vladimir Karpets are very strong riders but I liked Vladimir in the road race more than Denis.
I am also not sure about Alberto Contador. He is a genius but he is the biggest favorite in the upcoming Vuelta. No doubt that he will do all he can to win the Olympic medal but his focus on the Vuelta may disturb him.
Finally I would like to thank everyone who supports me and my team of course. Wish me good luck for tomorrow’s race!”
Of course we wish you good luck Andrey. Have a great race tomorrow!
SERGEY IVANOV ON HIS OLYMPIC ROAD RACE
As told to Team Astana's Russian Website Editors: Anastasia Likhaeva & Dmitri Kuzmin
“Our main task stated by head coach Dmitri Konyshev was to provide Alexander Kolobnev with maximum help, depending on the circumstances. I think we did a great job and we couldn’t do better. We had to be calm and confident and to keep our energy. We controlled the race until the breakaway of 27 riders with Sastre and Voigt happened. Unfortunately I made a mistake and didn’t join up with them. But my mistake had not been critical as I noticed that many teams were willing to bring the fugitives back into the peloton. So our team decided to stay in the peloton and ride with minimum energy losses.
As we approached the laps (seven 24km laps with 11km climbs) Efimkin cooperated with an American rider at the head of the peloton and we began getting closer to the leaders. Efimkin did the best he could. Then I started to push hard ahead of main group and the advantage of the attackers decreased surprisingly fast. It took us only two laps to catch up with the breakaway. Karpets and I had made the correct decision, we caught the breakaway keeping the peloton intact. Also we saved the energy for Denis Menchov and Alexander Kolobnev. Soon a puncture occurred to Karpets and I gave him my rear wheel. Of course he could have waited for the car but I was right there and I didn't want him to lose too much time. Why did I sacrifice my chances? It’s obvious. He was in a better shape than me and I knew that I would not be able to finish hard.
Later I managed to catch up with Karpets and rejoin the peloton. But by this time we were already exhausted and I could not maintain the peloton’s speed. That’s all for me. But we are very happy with Kolobnev’s result though he was one step from the podium.”
GRAHAM WATSON's OLYMPIC EXPERIENCE
With the exception of an Olympic year, the humble cycling photographer tends to count the passing years in terms of how many Tours de France he or she has covered – and I’m now up to 28. But this being the year of the Beijing Olympics, it’s hard not to be distracted in my mathematics by the realisation that 2008 marks my fifth summer Olympic Games as an accredited photographer. Barcelona, Atlanta, Sydney, Athens, and now Beijing – that a sizeable chunk of one’s life to reflect on! Of course, just as a few photographers have clocked up more than 30 years on the Tour – although there are probably just two or three – so have many photographers or journalists seen many far Olympic Games than me. Some even have double my five, because they also cover the winter Olympics. Still, with such a backdrop of colourful Olympic cities to draw my experiences from, I’m in reasonable shape to offer some early conclusions about Beijing, most specifically its suitability to be an Olympic host.
The first thing one notices is that it doesn’t really feel like we are in China, the most powerful and influential communist nation in the world. That’s partly because we are in the capital city, a vastly different China to the rest of the country, and one that has modernised itself beyond belief, according to the few westerners amongst us who visited Beijing when it was called Peking not so many years ago. I suppose it is a bit like being in Paris but not seeing or knowing real France, or in New York and not seeing or knowing real America. Except that China is considered the most mysterious of any ‘civilized’ nation known to man. As we take the media bus across the city to the start of the road races at YongDingmen, it feels like we could be in Madrid, Buenos Aries, Tokyo, Bogota, or Mexico City, for the four-lane highways that criss-cross the city are lined on both sides by ultra-modern skyscrapers that house some of the world’s greatest corporations, or some of the most prestigious hotels. At first sight, it does not look a likely place to host an Olympic games bike-race!
Only by talking to some of the most experienced cyclists in the Games – Australia’s Michael Rogers or America’s George Hincapie, for example – does one get to hear what the cyclists think of racing in such an unlikely environment. After all, with thick clouds of pure humidity (not smog – despite what people say) it hardly seems like ideal conditions for those guys. Yet I have not heard a bad word about Beijing, China, or the Chinese from anyone since I arrived here last week. Even though my close-up contact with the cyclists is at a bare minimum here, I know each and every one of them well enough to be able exchange a few short words and still get the full story. In many cases, their stern faces reveal more than words – for almost every ‘professional’ cyclist here in Beijing is highly respectful of the Olympics and its so-glorious history, and they have come here to do a job, do it well, and make their nations proud of what they have tried to achieve - regardless of the conditions which, after all, affect everyone the same.
This was never more the case than with the USA team, buoyed by the Tour success of Christian Vande Velde, and motivated by the presence of one very fresh and ambitious Team Astana rider, Levi Leipheimer. Unlike certain other teams here in Beijing – Luxembourg and Switzerland to name just two – the U.S team raced solely for itself, as it also does at the World Championships, an event notorious for smaller nations selling their services for money to an Italian or Dutch nation so determined to win a world title, no matter the cost or the ethics involved. In Beijing last Saturday, any commercial interests were left behind in Europe as the USA team set about getting a medal for one of their men. To be honest, the course was more suited to a younger Hincapie - a man who could out-climb and then out-sprint almost anyone in his earlier days – than it was to Levi, a man for whom this Wednesday’s TT carries even greater potential. Yet Levi became Team Astana and the USA’s best-placed finisher at the end of a day that had seen teamates Zabriskie and McCartney work so hard to bring back the day’s main escape. Maybe Levi was distracted by Valverde’s ambitions when the winning escape went clear, or maybe he just wasn’t strong enough to follow the right wheels at the right time. Either way, it is clear Astana’s American leader is set for a great time trial this week.
Of the other Astana men in Beijing, little can be said, for Andrey Mizourov and Sergey Ivanov were the only other finishers, in 44th and 78th positions respectively. Alberto Contador dropped out near the end, after working himself silly for Valverde – but he too must be looking at Wednesday’s TT for a medal-winning chance, just a few weeks before starting the Vuelta a España as the red-hot favourite. During the toughest moments of Saturday’s event, Contador had a look on his face that told how much it was hurting – his dark eyes go even darker, before eventually sinking deep into their sockets! Yet the seven-lap spin around The Great Wall will prove to be of great value to Contador when he arrives back in Spain later this week. It’s hard to imagine a man from near Madrid actually suffered from the heavy air in Beijing – it simply goes to show that Contador is exactly where he wants to be, and that there is so much more to come.
I for one believe it is great that the Olympics have come to Beijing, The near-perfect level of organisation, and intensity of the competitions so far, are proof that this Games will be declared a success, maybe even by this nation’s greatest detractors. The opening ceremony was quite simply astonishing, and portrayed modern-day China as a highly creative, innovative, and cultural champion to be envied by many other nations – not least London, hosts of the next Olympics in 2012, who must be dreading the challenge of finding an opening ceremony as spectacular as Beijing’s! If there is one negative observation to be made, it is in the area of feeding and replenishing the diets of us westerners here. Six days into my visit, I’m still dependent on fast-food, asian-based cuisine, either in the main press centre or in my media village. And the only wine available is Chinese, to which it has to be said, I’m becoming quite fond of. Mind you, I know I am doing far better than the beer-loving cyclists who raced in last weekend’s events – in the impressive athletes village, there is absolutely no alcohol available. Then again, they get to eat thick, juicy, steaks if they want them…
Alberto Contador TALKS ABOUT SPAIN'S GOLD MEDAL
“ We are so glad, we all worked so hard for it. Our original strategy was that Alejandro Valverde or Oscar Freire would be our leaders, but Samul Sanchez proved that he was riding well. I am really excited not only for the five of us, but all of Spain. It is incredible what he has accomplished for our country, especially after such a magnificient sports year. Spanish riders have won a lot of important races. We won this year already the Tour, the Giro and the points classification in the Tour. Now the Olympics as well. And the year is not even over.
Alberto Contador did not finish the race but helped the team until the last lap. “I had some stomach problems and I felt that I could not be useful any more for my team-mates. That’s why I decided not to suffer any further and to compromise the rest of the season. It must have been something I ate. I hope to recuperate well enough to do a good time trial on Wednesday and hopefully bring another Gold back for Spain.”
Sergey Ivanov Comments on Road Race Route and Form
Russia's Olympian cyclist and Team Astana rider Sergey Ivanov spent Friday training on the race route in preparation for Saturday's road race, He checked in with the website after his ride and before the Opening Ceremonies.
"It is hard, but not as hard as I imagined. Honestly, it looks ideal for me and I'm confident that I can be a threat in the race. I came with the hopes of bringing a medal back to Russia and feel that I am in good shape. I think my performances in the last few races are good indicators to where I'm at. I hope the weather will not be a big factor tomorrow. I've heard some concerns, but so far I have been able to adapt quite well to the environmental conditions.
Alberto Contador Has Arrived in Beijing
On Thursday, August 7th, Alberto Contador arrived in Beijing. There he will meet the rest of the Spanish team, and prepare to represent Spain in the road race and time trial.
Before leaving Madrid, Alberto Contador was confident that his form was improving everyday. “The only concern is that I arrive to the Games lacking some competition rhythm.” Before last weekend’s Clásica San Sebastián, Contador’s last race was the final time trial in the Giro d’Italia on June 1st.
On his return to the competition, last Saturday: "I did well in a large part of the race. With the high pace from the start, at 44 km/h, I lost contact with the first group, at 10 k from the finish. Anyway, it was a good test after two months without competition."
The first thing Alberto will do when he arrives in Beijing is to have a look at the circuit. “People have spoken to me about it. I want to check what they told me, and I want to find out how I acclimatize to the special climate conditions. In the road race, I will wait to see what sensations I have, because Valverde, Freire or Samuel Sánchez can have a better day and maybe I have to work for them. In that case, I will do it with pleasure, because our main goal is getting a medal for Spain."
For the time trial, Alberto Contador is more optimistic. "I have worked on my TT bike and we have modified some things, although the position was already very good. I don't have the rhythm of the riders coming from the Tour, like Cancellara, Schumacher or Evans, but I believe that I can be at a great level. I don’t exclude the possibility of winning a medal, but I prefer not to talk about it. Regardless, I will fight for it. It will be hard. Beside the Tour riders, there are top time-trialists such as Michael Rogers and Levi Leipheimer.”
After the Olympic Games, from which he returns on August 14th, Alberto Contador will concentrate on the Vuelta a España, his big objective of the 2008 season. "Certainly I will have done everything that is necessary to arrive there in the best shape."
Trek Olympic Bikes
Team Astana riders have an automatic advantage over all other Olympians - They get to ride their Trek Madone 6.9 and Equinox TTX. To date, Trek bikes have won 11 Grand Tour titles and they're looking to add a couple Beijing Olympic Gold Medals to their trophy case. Check out the custom paint jobs they did for Levi and Alberto's bikes!
Levi Leipheimer's Olympic TT Bike (USA)
Levi Leipheimer's Olympic Road Bike (USA)
Alberto Contador's Olympic TT Bike (Spain)
Alberto Contador's Olympic Road Bike (Spain)
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