Volta Ciclista a Cataluña

Volta a Catalunya
Stage 4:  Oliana to Ascó, 209.7km/130mi
By Cathy Mehl
On the longest stage of the Volta a Catalunya, the peloton of 165 rode a tough course that saw an  affable Jens Voigt (Saxo Bank) take a second stage win for his Danish team.  Thirty-eight year old Voigt took the win in a two-man sprint ahead of Rein Taaramae of Cofidis.  The race lead stayed with Joaquim Rodríguez of Katusha.
Team Director Viatcheslav Ekimov reported that despite yesterday’s tough day, the morale and team spirit is still high on Team RadioShack and the riders remain dedicated to put up their best effort.  With this in mind, team rider Tomas Vaitkus put himself in the break of the day and showed a good return to form after an injury earlier in the season.

Volta a Catalunya
Stage 3:  La Vall d’En Bas to La Seu d’Urgell, 185.9km/1115mi
By Cathy Mehl
  Things don’t always go as planned in bike racing.  With Team RadioShack riders Levi Leipheimer and Andreas Klöden just one- and two-seconds off the lead, today’s stage 3 should have been a day to maintain placings or move up….but it certainly didn’t turn out that way.  Crashes marred the day and sent team rider Daryl Impey away in an ambulance.  Xavier Tondo (Cervelo) outsprinted Joaquim Rodriquez of Katusha for the win, with the latter taking over the race lead. 
Team Director Viatcheslav Ekimov explained the action on the road: “The tactics were perfect.  There was a breakaway of 13 riders with Impey in the group.  We only had to control the back, we didn’t have to pull.  It was up to other teams to work.  But suddenly everything changed with the crash of Impey.”

Volta a Catalunya
Stage 2:   Salt to Banyoles, 182.6km/113mi
By Cathy Mehl

There were no changes on the overall general classification in stage two of the Volta a Catalunya with Team RadioShack’s Levi Leipheimer and Andreas Klöden still sitting in second and third place behind leader Paul Voss (Milram).  The stage win went to sprint-wonder Mark Cavendish (HTC-Columbia) in a straight-up dash to the line, challenged by JJ Haedo (Team Saxo Bank) and Aitor Galdos (Euskaltel-Euskadi).  Team RadioShack continues to lead in the Teams classification after two stages.
Team riders Daryl Impey, Tomas Vaitkus and Klöden put themselves in the thick of the action, all landing in the top twenty places for the stage. 

Volta a Catalunya
Stage 1: Lloret de Mar, ITT, 3.6km/2.2mi
By Cathy Mehl
Team RadioShack was well-represented in the opener of the Volta a Catalunya on Monday.   Team riders Levi Leipheimer and Andreas Klöden captured second and third places behind surprise winner Paul Voss of Milram.  Levi just missed the win by one-second with Andreas another one second behind.   Voss is well-known is cyclocross circles, landing on the podium for the national championships twice in the past two years.  Voss will wear the yellow jersey on Tuesday for the first time in his Pro Tour career.

  The short, fast course started with a technical 700m uphill climb, followed by a brief descent before a final 1.5km flat run to the line.  Klöden held the best time mid-way through the stage until some dozen riders later Voss took the lead. “I decided to use my road bike instead of my TT bike because of the rain and the technical things on the course.  It looked to be the right option, but maybe with a TT bike I would have gained some time in the second part.  Nevertheless we may not complain.  Second and third at 1- and 2-seconds behind Voss is not bad, but maybe a bit frustrating when you miss that yellow jersey.  Now Milram will have to control the race, which can be an advantage.”

March 22-28, 2010By: Chris Brewer
   Team RadioShack roster: Jani Brajkovic, Daryl Impey, Andreas Klöden, Levi Leipheimer, Jason McCartney, Bjørn Selander, Tomas Vaitkus and Haimar Zubeldia.  Team Directors: Viatcheslav Ekimov & José Azevedo.
 
Bring on the stage racers as the next seven days will see some of the top riders in the pro peloton in NW Spain getting back on form as they look to the Giro and Tour already looming closer and closer.  Catalunya used to be held in June as a precursor to the Tour de France, but with the Tour of California moving to May the organizers jumped at the chance to become an early season tune-up.

March 18, 2010 - Seven-time Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong will not be able to participate in Milan-Sanremo, the second ProTour event of the 2010 season. The Team RadioShack leader, suffering from acute gastroenteritis, will be replaced by teammate Fumiyuki Beppu.  "It would have been good to have Lance lineup for the start but we prefer not to take any risk," commented Team Director Johan Bruyneel. "It would not be very intelligent to let him start in a race of almost 300 K, while not being healthy."