Latest News for July 3, 2003Edited by Jeff Jones Simoni ready for Tour challenge
Giro winner Gilberto Simoni (Saeco) believes he is ready and able to challenge for the Tour's prized yellow jersey when the race begins in Paris this Saturday. Simoni, who was prevented from racing the Tour last year after he tested positive twice to cocaine (later cleared), thinks that he has fully recovered from the Giro, and is ready to do battle in France with the likes of Lance Armstrong, Jan Ullrich, Joseba Beloki, Alexandre Vinokourov and others. "I'm determined to do well and honestly believe I can get a result," Simoni was quoted by Reuters. "I can already feel the adrenaline building up inside ready for the Tour and that means I'm motivated and eager to race. Simoni admitted that after his competition break following the Giro, he doesn't know how competitive he will be in the Tour. "However I've recovered both mentally and physically thanks to special relaxation techniques, lots of massage and some long training rides in the Dolomite mountains near my home. I feel good." He also said that he is thinking of his own performances first, rather than worrying about what Lance Armstrong can do. "My Tour will be a battle against myself and against my own limits as a rider. I'll see what happens in the Alps and then I'll start thinking about my rivals," said Simoni. "Armstrong is such a big favourite that the Tour could become very boring," he added. "We have to try and make something happen. If you want to win the Tour you have to attack Armstrong and perhaps isolate him from his team mates. I'm going to try to do that whenever I can." Steinhauser anxiousJan Ullrich's close friend and domestique Tobias Steinhauser says that he's looking forward to his second Tour de France with some trepidation. Steinhauser, 31, first rode the Tour in 1996 and was "in the last 20...Clearly I am anxious how it will go this time, but I am very relaxed and will simply take it as it comes," he told SID. Steinhauser says that he feels good despite the problems with Team Coast, which was reformed and refinanced into Team Bianchi. "The form has been getting better in the last few weeks. The Coast saga affected everyone's motivation, but that's now water under the bridge." Steinhauser's role will be to help Jan Ullrich as much as possible. "Therefore I hope that I can also be at Jan's side in the mountains. But it can happen that you can be dropped on the first climb. Then you have to look after yourself for the next few days, and that would not be good. As for Jan Ullrich's chances, Steinhauser thinks that the podium is likely, "if everything goes well...The problem would be if in the meantime he has a setback, then he can quickly lose a couple of minutes. But he's shown in the Tour de Suisse that he's back, and I think that he'll improve even more during the Tour." Women's Giro favourites assess their chancesWith 17 teams enrolled and a challenging parcours, this year's Giro d'Italia femminile (July 4-13) is shaping up to be one of the top women's races of the season. Starting on July 4 with a 2.2 km prologue time trial in Grumo Nevano, the race runs for 10 days, finishing on July 13 with a 24 km individual time trial between Mira and Venezia. In between, there will be plenty of climbs and flatter stages to suit all types of riders. The defending champion and one of the top favourites for this year's race is Russian Svetlana Boubnenkova, who last week claimed both the time trial and road race titles at the Russian Championships. She also won the Dmurtia Tour, the biggest women's stage race in Eastern Europe, and from all reports completely dominated the opposition in every stage. "I saw the profiles of the first few stages of the Giro, and I am in perfect shape for the race," said Boubnenkova. "I had a few problems with the team but I hope that it's all resolved before we hit the road." Last year's Grand Boucle féminine champion Zinaida Stahurskaia is a little more relaxed. "I'm feeling good and think I can do a good Giro, which this year has an attractive but strange route. It's open to various possibilities and it could turn around in the flat stages. It will be necessary to pay a lot of attention." Finally, 1998 Giro winner Edita Pucinskaite said that motivation is a problem for her in this race, "perhaps because lately the true climbs have been lacking, we've said goodbye to those of at least 10 kilometres long; unfortunately it seems to be so this year. However for my part I will give it my maximum, I want to be a protagonist." Simper sets a recordDanish road and time trial champion Lisbeth Simper, riding for Danish Team Lolland Falster and Italian Team Michela Fanini, has won her fifth national time trial title (1999-2003) and third national road race title in a row (2001-2003) last weekend. Simper has therefore set a Danish record by being a dual champion three years in a row. Hutchinson abandons Hour Record try after 40 minutesBy Nick Rosenthal
British time trial champion Michael Hutchinson yesterday failed in his attempt to break the most-prized record in cycling, the Hour, currently held by Chris Boardman who recorded an official distance of 49.441872km during the 2000 world track championships in Manchester. Riding an all-steel track bike in the colours of his sponsor Giant, Hutchinson made a valiant effort, but was consistently down on Boardman's times and climbed off after 40 minutes, by which point he was about two minutes down on Boardman. Click here for the full story and photos. Sei Giorni delle RoseAn impressive field of 22 teams has been announced for the "Sei Giorni delle Rose" - Italy's summer Six Day race that is held in the Fiorenzuola d'Arda velodrome between July 3-8. The large field will give the crowds plenty of action, with several young pairs mixing it in with the more experienced professionals. The number one dossard will be worn by Scott McGrory and Matthew Gilmore, and this pair will be one of the big favourites for the overall points score. Gilmore recently tested his legs in the Belgian road championship last Sunday, being involved in a long but ultimately unsuccessful breakaway with two other riders. Apart from Gilmore, there are several other pairings who have been honing their form by riding the kermesses in Belgium. These include Belgians Iljo Keisse/Wouter Van Mechelen, South Africans Robert Dale/Jean-Pierre Van Zyl, Chileans Richard Rodriguez/Luis Sepulveda. Another pair to watch is the Australian combination of Darren Young and Nicolas Sanderson, with Young in particular a top performer in his own country. That's not to neglect the pairing of Argentinean specialist Juan Curuchet with Giovanni Lombardi, winner of a stage in the Giro d'Italia this year and an excellent track rider. This couple should be competitive along with Italians Marco Villa and Devid Garbelli, with Villa one of the most experienced Six Day riders in the game. The Teams 1 Scott McGrory (Aus)/Matthew Gilmore (Bel) BMW 2.5 million for Verona World'sNext year's World Road Championships in Verona has been given a €2.5 million boost by a delegation of the Lega Nord, Giovanna Bianchi Clerici, Guido Dussin and Federico Bricolo. The money was approved by the cultural commission of the Camera all'interno del provvedimento sugli interventi per i beni culturali.
Ras Connachta previewBy Tommy Campbell, Irish Independent, Evening Herald, Sunday Independent The big event of the weekend for cyclists is of course the Centenary Tour de France on Saturday, but in Ireland, Ras Connachta in Cong, with a generous sponsorship from McGrath Concrete and Thistlewood Contracting, is the one that is attracting all the Irish interest. Also the B World Championships in Aigle, Switzerland on Sunday is of significant interest to the six Irish participants. A good show here will automatically guarantee at least a start in next year's Olympic Games. Defending champion for the Connacht event, David O'Loughlin who comes from Cong, will be in Switzerland. "Unfortunately I have had to miss out the defence of my title, but the event in Aigle is very important for Irish cycling," said David. Brian Keneally, who simply rode a stormer in the Nationals last Sunday in Sligo, David McCann, Denis Easton, Tommy Evans and Eugene Moriarty will join him in the line-up. In the last edition (1999) of the B Worlds in Uruguay, Moriarty played a pivotal role, this enabling Ireland's participation in Sydney. But he watched the Games on TV after being overlooked by the selectors, and to this day is still questioning the final selection for the Sydney Olympics. Racing over the three days will be based in Cong, Co. Mayo. Cong in Irish history is known as the site of a monastery founded by St. Feichin of Fore in the 6th century and rebuilt as an abbey in the 12th century. Also, movie buffs would know more about this village in preference to the racing cyclist. The location was the setting for the Quiet Man. A prize fund in excess of a couple of thousand Euro is up for grabs over the four stages, which begins Friday evening at six o'clock. Many who figured high in the finishing placings in the National's last Sunday in Sligo will be on view. There is also Paul Griffin, of the Earl of Desmond Bicycle Club in Tralee. Paul is figuring well of late and it was a surprise that he missed out for Switzerland. Another interesting competitor in Cong will be Rory Wyley who represents London Irish. Rory, originally from Waterford, was here for the Credit Union Ras Mumhan at Easter, and was also a participant in the FBD Milk Ras in May. Without team support, he may find it difficult, but a top six position is on the cards. Previous News Next News
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