News for July 8, 2000Team newsPantani and Garzelli to part ways Mercatone Uno's number one man, Marco Pantani may have found his position in the team a little precarious this year, after Stefano Garzelli won the Giro d'Italia in sensational fashion. The Pirate is reportedly either going to go to another team in 2001, or stay with Mercatone Uno if Garzelli quits. His new team, should it take shape will contain Enrico Zaina and his current directeur sportif, Guisseppi Martinelli. In the case of Garzelli, he will transfer to Mapei should Pantani keep the leadership in Mercatone Uno. Either way, the two will not be riding for each other next year. Other Italians It is almost sure that Francesco Casagrande will leave Vini Caldirola this year to go to Fassa Bortolo, while Danilo 'di Caprio' di Luca will move to Banesto for two years. Lampre are in for a shake up as well, with riders such as Camenzind likely to leave, and Svorada to retire. Figueras and Quaranta may be new arrivals at Lampre though. Polti will lose sprinter Silvio Martinello and climber Ivan Gotti is tossing up whether to go as well. Market for Mercury Will Mercury beef up their UCI points by buying some of the high priced spread for 2001? Thats John Wordin's plan and lots of bikers are talking about this brash new American team that seems willing to pay double the market value for big name riders. One rider that has heaps of points and is looking for a new home is the talented yet timid Italian Davide Rebellin. Other possible recipients of FoMoCo's largesse are '98 World Champ Oscar Camenzind, who is said to be dissatisfied with Lampre and their emerging Italians like Gilberto Simoni. US Olympic track team named10 men and 3 women have been named as the USA's Olympic Track team for 2000. Included amongst them are past Olympians Marty Nothstein and Erin Hartwell, who are part of the strongest teams that USA cycling has fielded. Nothstein won silver in Atlanta 1996 in the sprint, and Hartwell won a silver in the Kilo in the same year. The latter has changed from the shorter event to contest the 4,000 m teams pursuit, along with Derek Bouchard-Hall, Dylan Casey, Tommy Mulkey, Mariano Friedick and Christian Vande Velde. The Carney brothers, Jame and Jonas will contest the points race and the Kilo/Olympic sprint respectively. The other rider in the men's team in Marcelo Arrue, who will form part of the sprint team. In the women's three member team, Tanya Lindenmuth will be the likely representative for the match sprint, after placing second in this event in two World Cups this year. In the 500 m time trial, former speed skater, Chris Witty will ride. She becomes the ninth U.S. Olympian to compete in both the Winter and Summer Games. She was an alternate on the 1996 Olympic team and finished fourth in the 500m time trial at the 1998 World Track Cycling Championships in Bordeaux, France. She won the national title in the 500m time trial in 1996 and 1998. In 2000, she finished second at the U.S. Olympic Team Trials for Track Cycling. Erin Veenstra-Mirabella recorded sixth-place finishes in the points race at the past two world championships, in addition to an eighth place in the individual pursuit in 1999. A double gold medallist at the '99 Pan Am Games, she won the individual pursuit at the EDS World Cup of Cycling in Frisco, Texas in May 1999. 2000 US Olympic track team Men (10) Marcelo Arrue, match sprint, Keirin, Olympic Sprint Women (3) Tanya Lindenmuth, match sprint Herald Sun-Tour undergoes a changeThis year's 2.4 category Herald Sun-Tour has been rescheduled to early October in order to make the most of the athletes attending the Sydney Olympic Games. Running from October 5-15, the Tour will be harder than ever, including a tough 174 km sixth stage to Mt Hotham on October 8. This stage is likely to sort out the general classification quite early on, containing nine climbs en route, including a finish up Mount Hotham. Australian riders likely to line up for the event include this year's US Pro road race winner, Henk Vogels, as well as the perennial Jamie Drew and Brett Aitken. It is also possible that Robbie McEwen will make an appearance, although he will decide closer to the event. Last year, the Tour was visited by the Danish Home-Jack&Jones team, who rode in typically aggressive fashion to put Michael Blaudzun in the leader's jersey for the overall classification. At the end of the UCI road season, Jack&Jones needed a few more UCI points to ensure that they won the second division. They did this, which allowed them to ride in the first division ranks this year, with a good degree of success so far. Carl Zach memorial fundThe recent death of Waukesha (Milwaukee, USA) resident, Carl Zach while competing in the Criterium of Independence on July 4 in the USA was deeply felt by his family, friends and teammates. Carl was killed in the final sprint of the race when he collided with an ambulance that had driven onto the course. He and two others were involved in the accident, although he was the only one to die. A full investigation is being launched into why the ambulance had stopped on the course in the first place. It is alleged that the vehicle had attempted to make a U-turn across the road as the race was finishing. However, instead of turning into its station, it stopped in the middle of the road, the sprinting riders being unaware of it. Zach and the others were travelling between 35-40 mph when he hit the rear door of the ambulance. The findings of the investigation are expected to take at least a week. Zach, 27 was a member of the Cook Law Cycling Team and a promising category 3 rider. His teammate Denny Yunk has helped establish a memorial fund has been established in Carl's name. The money will be put into a scholarship fund, and will be supplemented every year with proceeds from a memorial ride that will be organized by the team. To start with, the upcoming Home Depot Waukesha Cycling Classic, which will be held on July 22nd 2000, is being dedicated in memory of Zach. "May He Ride With The Angels" Memorials in his name can be sent to: The Carl Zach Memorial/Scholarship Fund |