Team CSC

Team Signs Bellis, Klemme

2008-09-29T15:52:01-05:00

CSC-Saxo Bank is signing more young guns to bolster the squad for 2009 and beyond. The team announced the arrival of two new riders who hold much promise for the future. The squad confirmed that Jonathan Bellis, a British all-rounder who took bronze in last year’s Under 23 world championships, will join as a neo-pro for next year. Also coming on as a neo-pro is German talent Dominic Klemme, who took two stages at the Tour de l’Avenir as well as in the Regio Tour

McGee Retiring, Becoming Sport Director

2008-09-25T21:08:00-05:00

Australia veteran Bradley McGee has decided to retire and will become a sport director at CSC-Saxo Bank in 2009. The 32-year-old joined CSC-Saxo Bank this year and was showing promising signs of regaining the fitness and motivation to recapture his place among the best in the peloton, but a crash in May’s Giro d’Italia derailed plans to race the Tour de France. He bounced back to compete in the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games, but fell short of a medal in the team and individual pursuits.

Bak Climbs to Second in Poland

2008-09-18T22:24:00-05:00

Team CSC-Saxo Bank’s Lars Bak snuck into the day’s winning breakaway Thursday at the Tour of Poland and climbed into second overall. Jurgen Roelandts won the stage and Jose Joaquin Rojas takes the lead, with Bak settling into second at just two seconds back. The trio was part of a 12-man breakaway that finished 12 seconds ahead of the chasing pack. Gustav Larsson, silver medalist in the time trial at the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games, pulled out with a fever. There are still 100 riders within one minute of each other going into Friday’s stage, so this race is far from over.

Riders Protest at Polish Tour

2008-09-17T17:52:00-05:00

Riders protested in the Tour of Poland on Wednesday and refused to race in what they called dangerous conditions. Heavy rain and cold drenched the peloton at the start of the 202-kilometer fourth stage. Riders raced most of the stage, but got off their bikes on the third of three finishing circuits and said it was too dangerous. Officials later cancelled the entire stage. Allan Davis remains in first with Team CSC-Saxo Bank’s Lars Bak in third at seven seconds in arrears.

Bak Third in Poland

2008-09-16T21:34:00-05:00

Lars Bak moved into third overall in Tuesday’s sprint stage in the Tour of Poland. Italian sprinter Angelo Furlan won the stage while Allan Davis, winner of yesterday’s stage, takes over the leader’s jersey. Bak held the leader’s jersey after Team CSC won the opening team time trial on Sunday.

Goss Earns Overall Points Jersey in Britain

2008-09-15T17:48:00-05:00

Matt Goss won the points jersey after finishing fourth in the final stage at the Tour of Britain on Sunday. Goss won a stage and claimed four other top-four placings in the sprints. The team’s new stagiaire, Jonathan Bellis, finished 12th overall in a promising result for the young British rider. Frenchman Geoffroy Lequarte took overall victory.

Goss Takes Points Jersey in Britain

2008-09-11T17:50:00-05:00

Team CSC-Saxo Bank’s Matt Goss sprinted to second in Thursday’s fifth stage at the Tour of Britain, finishing just behind winner Edvald Boasson Hagen. With his strong result, that goes with a victory in the second stage, Goss takes over the points jersey in the eight-day British tour.

Lund Escapes, Crashes in Tour of Britain

2008-09-09T17:53:00-05:00

Anders Lund was a part of the decisive breakaway in stage three of the Tour of Britain, but he crashed out of the escape. Jonathan Bellis was also a part of the breakaway, but he couldn’t prevent Agritubel’s Stéphane Bergès from taking both the stage victory and the leader’s jersey.

Larsson to Leave Team CSC-Saxo Bank

2008-09-08T16:31:00-05:00

It’s called the “Silly Season” for good reason. Riders take the late summer and early fall to change teams, extend contracts and otherwise look for rides to keep them in “the game.” This year has already seen plenty of big stars changing teams and looking for new opportunities, led by none other than longtime CSC-Saxo Bank captain Carlos Sastre, who announced last week his intention of joining a new team in 2009. CSC-Saxo Bank will lose another big name with Swedish time trial expert Gustav Larsson taking an offer from the Spanish team, Caisse d’Epargne.
Team CSC-Saxo Bank team manager Bjarne Riis said, “it’s part of the business. Riders leave teams and switch teams all the time. Everyone has to go with what’s right for them. Sure, it’s tough to lose Carlos, but we have other riders to build the team. We have the Schleck brothers and Cancellara and some younger riders who are coming up that we are developing. We’re not worried.” Riis also said he doesn’t expect to make any big signings ahead of the 2009 season, which, being the “silly season,” might not mean much right now! So keep your ears peeled.

Sprinters Day at German Classic

2008-09-07T18:48:00-05:00

Try as they might, with nearly half the team attacking at Sunday’s Vattenfall Cyclassics in Germany, it was a bunch sprint in the one-day classic.

Robbie McEwen led an all-Australian sweep of the podium after out-kicking compatriots to win his first classic of his career. Marcus Ljungqvist led for the team in 17th.

“It was fast from the start and I think the average speed for the race was 46kph,” said sport director Kim Andersen. “We were on the attack, but we didn’t come with a pure sprinter, so in the end, victory wasn’t possible. We had Lars (Bak), (Gustav) Larsson and Marcus Ljungqvist in the front group.”