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| Leader of the pack: Fabian Cancellara will be the man to beat at the London 2012 Olympics men's time trial race |
Spyns started as a small company offering luxury cycling tours for the Tour de France. As time has passed and happy clients have returned, the company has expanded but still kept that small friendly family feel. Now that we offer Olympic tours we will have a few cycling clients coming with us to London and checking out the newly built velodrome, and the 250km Men and 140km Road Race. We will have VIP refreshment tents set up along the route for our clients only. If you would like to join us for a glass of champagne as the leader passes, check out our website and chat to Ryan about our 4, 5, 7, and 10-day luxury tour options. www.london-olympiad.com
Fabian Cancellara: Switzerland
Brilliant Swiss time-triallist who wins under all conditions and over all terrain.
Brilliant Swiss time-triallist who wins under all conditions and over all terrain.
The reigning Olympic champion, which he won from Sweden’s Gustav Larsson, Cancellara always seems to have an extra gear when required and has also claimed four world titles and four Tour de France prologues. His power and pace is reflected elsewhere with two victories at Paris-Roubaix and other monument victories at Milan-San Remo and the Tour of Flanders.
Signed for new UCI WorldTeam Leopard-Trek this season. Needs to be having an off day if anybody is to beat him, something which happens very rarely.
Tony Martin: Germany
Nicknamed ‘Der Panzerwagen’ by his team HTC-Highroad, Martin is an immensely strong young German rider who apart from his time-trialling ability he unselfishly spends endless hours at the front of the peloton pushing hard as HTC-Highroad chase down breaks to ensure a sprint finish for Mark Cavendish.
Nicknamed ‘Der Panzerwagen’ by his team HTC-Highroad, Martin is an immensely strong young German rider who apart from his time-trialling ability he unselfishly spends endless hours at the front of the peloton pushing hard as HTC-Highroad chase down breaks to ensure a sprint finish for Mark Cavendish.
He is a also a more than useful operator in the mountains and is a potential grand tour winner one day, especially if long time trials come back into vogue. Has taken the bronze medal at the past two world time trail championships, in Mendrisio and Melbourne.
Taylor Phinney: USA
A stunning bright new American talent who took the World U23 time-trial championship at Geelong last year to add to the two senior world individual pursuit titles he has already won on the track, at Pruszkov in 2009 and Bellerup last March.
A stunning bright new American talent who took the World U23 time-trial championship at Geelong last year to add to the two senior world individual pursuit titles he has already won on the track, at Pruszkov in 2009 and Bellerup last March.
With no individual time-trial on the track in London and with the USA having no real strength in depth in team pursuiting, Phinney seems likely to concentrate on the men’s time trial and the course unveiled today looks right up his street, very quick and technical. Born to be a cyclist, his father Davis Phinney is a former professional road cyclist and his mother Connie Carpenter-Phinney won the women’s road race at the 1984 Los Angles Olympics.
Alex Dowsett: Great Britain
Immensely promising young British rider who went toe-to-toe with Phinney on a number of occasions last year, a stellar season which also saw him take the European U23 title, ride strongly for a silver medal at the Commonwealth Games and storm to victory in the prestigious end of season Chrono des Nations U23 event.
Immensely promising young British rider who went toe-to-toe with Phinney on a number of occasions last year, a stellar season which also saw him take the European U23 title, ride strongly for a silver medal at the Commonwealth Games and storm to victory in the prestigious end of season Chrono des Nations U23 event.
Beat some big names recently in claiming fourth at the time trial at the Tour of Murcia. Has now signed for Team Sky and with thousands of hard racing miles under his belt this season and in the early part of next, Dowsett could be a dangerous outsider next year on a course that should suit his all-round skills set.
Richie Porte: Australia
The 'Tasmanian Devil' is still something of an untested talent having competed in a range of sports including triathlon right up to the age of 21 when he decided to try cycling.
The 'Tasmanian Devil' is still something of an untested talent having competed in a range of sports including triathlon right up to the age of 21 when he decided to try cycling.
Still “learning” but an impressive all-rounder who last year not only led the Giro d’Italia for three days and won the young rider category but just missed out on a bronze medal a the world championships time trial in Geelong, Australia. Racing for Saxo Bank-SunGard these days where he comes under the influence of former track and time trial specialist Brad McGee, a fellow Australian.
Women’s race
Emma Pooley: Great Britain
A former cross country and triathlon blue at Cambridge University where she studied for an engineering degree at Trinity Hall, Pooley quickly found success when she switched to road cycling.
A former cross country and triathlon blue at Cambridge University where she studied for an engineering degree at Trinity Hall, Pooley quickly found success when she switched to road cycling.
She played a fine hand riding in support of Nicole Cooke at the 2008 Olympic road race and then enjoyed her own moment of glory taking a silver medal in the time trial behind Kristin Armstrong of USA. Since then she had become a major figure on the women’s circuit winning Coupe du Monde de Montreal and the Grande Boucle Féminine in 2009 and the prestigious ten day Tour de L’Aude last year.
She completed last season with a superb gold medal in the women's world championship time trial in Geelong. Brilliant on the hills, very good everywhere else.
Judith Arndt: Germany
Powerful and ultra consistent German rider who is never far away from the top of the podium. In a varied career she has been world road race champion and taken the silver medal in world time trial championships on three occasions with another couple of bronzes for good measure.
Powerful and ultra consistent German rider who is never far away from the top of the podium. In a varied career she has been world road race champion and taken the silver medal in world time trial championships on three occasions with another couple of bronzes for good measure.
She won silver in the 2004 Athens Olympics in the road race and won the world title a couple of weeks later. On the track she won a bronze medal in the 3-kilometre pursuit as far back as 1996 in Atlanta. London might present her last chance of the global time trial title that has thus far eluded her.
Linda Villumsen: New Zealand
Another talented all-rounder who is approaching her peak. The Danish-born Villumsen finished fifth in the 2008 Olympic road race won by Nicole Cooke and since then has started to concentrate on the time trial at major championships.
Another talented all-rounder who is approaching her peak. The Danish-born Villumsen finished fifth in the 2008 Olympic road race won by Nicole Cooke and since then has started to concentrate on the time trial at major championships.
In 2009, while still competing for Denmark, she won an excellent bronze medal on the tough Mendrisio course in Switzerland and the following year, having emigrated to New Zealand and become a New Zealand citizen, she won another world championship bronze at Geelong. Last year she also took a silver medal at the Commonwealth Games event behind Canada’s Tara Whitten, another likely contender next year.
Spyns is an active travel company based in Whistler, BC (Canada). For more information about Spyns and our package tours to the 2012 London Summer Olympic Games, including London Olympics hotels, London 2012 tickets, and summer games VIP access, please visit our websites http://www.london-olympiad.com/ http://www.london2012-tours.com/ and http://www.london-tours-2012.com/ or call us toll-free at 1.888.825.4720. www.spyns.com.
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