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Cervélo TestTeam impressed yesterday in the Tour de l’Aude with an excellent performance in the team time trial to claim victory on the 34.5km race in Clermont l’Hérault, France.

In just over a week, British climber Emma Pooley of Cervélo TestTeam won three races in three starts. First, she conquered the Mur de Huy for her first Flèche Wallonne victory. Then, in rapid succession she won the Grand Prix Elsy Jacobs with an attack from 20 kilometers out, and the GP de Suisse, a 23.4 kilometer time trial. Pooley is best known for her long breakaways. “They’re my trademark,” she says, and in her typically self-deprecating style adds, “I really don’t have a sprint.” 

For competitive cyclists in the Pacific Northwest, the powerful winds that howl through the Columbia River Gorge are well-known and greatly respected. During a stage race, a smart team will search for any way possible to fight the wind, primarily by team tactics on the road but also by its choice of equipment and apparel. 

Lithuanian Ignatas Konovalovas took a surprise victory on the Giro d’Italia’s final stage last year, but hopes of picking up where he left off when this year’s race commences in Amsterdam might be asking too much of the 24-year-old.

The first Grand Tour of 2010 is just a week away. The 2010 Giro d’Italia starts in Amsterdam on Saturday, May 8, and then continues in the Netherlands for three days before the riders head to Italy for the remaining part of the Giro.