First Edition News for July 8, 2003

Edited by Jeff Jones

The Brad and Baden show

FDJeux.com's Australian double team

By Gabriella Ekström in Sedan

Victory!
Photo: © J.Devich/CN

Baden Cooke's amazing win in the second stage means that the yellow jersey could possibly make a change of shoulders tomorrow. After an off day in Meaux yesterday, Baden has closed to within four seconds of teammate and mentor Brad McGee's yellow jersey. McGee, who rode strongly in the stage, showed his full hearted support for young Baden both during the stage and afterwards.

"There's a clear possibility that he could take the jersey tomorrow, and if I have to give it to anyone I will be happy to give it to him," McGee told Cyclingnews after the stage. "Both because he is my friend, and most important when it comes to racing, because he is on my team. I'm so very happy about Baden getting this win, because this is something we have talked about all since his second placing on the Champs Elysées last year."

Click here for the full interview.

McEwen goes for green, wants more help

Green McEwen
Photo: © J.Devich/CN

Green points jersey wearer Robbie McEwen couldn't wear the helmet he would have liked to wear today. It was a gift to the team by Alessandro, a restaurant owner in Roeselare who is known for supplying nicely airbrushed helmets to some of the bigger riders.

The helmet with a kangaroo on wasn't accepted by the sponsor, who wanted to have his logo visible, something the fancy one didn't have. Although McEwen would have loved to show off a bit of eccentric headwear, like Cipollini and other flamboyant Italians, he took start wearing a plain green head cover, to go with the green frame of his sunglasses and jersey.

McEwen finished sixth in the stage today, that was won by his compatriot Baden Cooke. However he managed to hold onto the green jersey by just one point, having taken a couple of points in an intermediate bonus sprint. "With one kilometre to go I was on the right and things just stopped there," said McEwen post-stage to VRT. "I had to try and move to the right and take whatever was left. Lotto-Domo and Fassa Bortolo have done all the work today. In the finale some other teams came to the front and there was no room left for us. We could use some more help from other sprinters teams like Telekom."

McEwen continued, "I don't understand what the classement riders think they are doing mingling in the sprint anyway? They find themselves in a situation they know nothing about and then they crash. Maybe a new rule should be made: give everyone the same time in the last 5 kilometres or something."

Telekom manager Walter Godefroot's reaction, "Well, if Lotto-Domo expects help that's not really our call. We have built our team with a wide base, not around one sprinter; Hondo and co. aren't here to ride for Zabel. Erik does whatever he can in the finale, if he manages to win that's just fantastic, but we've got other objectives too with riders like Botero. Since Lotto-Domo built their team completely around their sprinter McEwen, they should expect to do the work in the flat stages!"

Casper down but not out

Jimmy Casper
Photo: © AFP

As Bradley McGee and Baden Cooke share success in the FDJeux.com team with a yellow jersey and stage 2 win, not to mention Christophe Mengin's polka dot jersey, French sprinter Jimmy Casper is now forced to soldier on after the stage 1 pile up in Meaux. Casper was on the wheel of Kelme's José Enrique Gutierrez at the time of the crash, and as a result was among the first to hit the ground at full speed, injuring his neck in the fall.

"Right away I felt a lot of pain in my neck," Casper told l'Equipe. "I told myself I shouldn't move at all. I have to wear a neck brace for two days. I know it's going to hurt, but it shouldn't last more than a few days."

Casper felt the pain in today's stage 2 from La Ferte-Sous-Jouarre to Sedan, finishing the tough 204km race in 189th, 10'19" behind teammate Cooke.

CSC brain cam

As part of the IMAX film involving the CSC Team, the riders brain masses will be monitored very closely throughout the three week Tour. A helicopter, equipped with an IMAX camera will be following the team's every move. In addition to a 40 minute IMAX feature film, the recorded images will be used in America to do a biomechanical study on the way the human brain reacts to victory and defeat.

Tour reneges on Basque deal

Following the outcry in Spain over the Tour's agreement with the Basque separatist movement Batasuna to provide information in the Basque language for the stage from Pau to Bayonne, the Tour organisation has decided to abandon its deal with Batasuna and Euskal Herrian Euskaraz, another separatist movement in France. Batasuna's links with the group ETA, formally considered a terrorist movement, caught the Tour de France by surprise, and race director Jean-Marie Leblanc insists that the Tour has no desire to show support of any sort for a terrorist group operating in Spain.

Medical communique

A crash with 14km in stage 2 claimed fewer victims than yesterday's finish line mess. Caldirola's Marco Milesi took the brunt of the fall, suffering a cut on his right knee and contusions on his left hand. Fabrizio Guidi (Bianchi) and Olaf Pollack (Gerolsteiner) each have minor bruises from today's fall.

Among those still feeling the pain of the stage 1 crash are Telekom's Andreas Klöden (pain in coccyx), Nicola Loda (two stitches on left hand finger), and José Enrique Gutierrez (pain in lower back, cut on right knee).

Why is it the 90th TdF when it's the centenary?

While we're always appreciative of readers' comments and try to attend to all questions - we should (once again) explain that it is the centenary edition of the Tour de France, because the race started in 1903. However, this does not mean it's the 100th edition of the race; rather, it's the 90th edition because the race was not held due to the somewhat catastrophic interruptions caused by WW1 and WW2. All things going to plan, by the year 2013, we will certainly call it the 100th Tour. Please see our Tour FAQ page for answers to other vexing questions.

Telekom hunting for riders

July is the unofficial period when riders are sought by (and seek) other teams, even though they are not allowed to sign full contracts until later in the year. Already US Postal has expressed interest in Belgians Stijn Devolder and Jurgen Vandenbroeck, while Team Telekom is reportedly in negotiations with Sergei Ivanov (Fassa) and Bram Schmitz (BankGiroLoterij).

Trofeo Melinda-Val di Non moves

The 12th edition of the Trofeo Melinda-Val di Non, scheduled for September 4, has been put forward a week to August 28, with approval from the UCI. The organisers were worried that it would clash with the start of the Vuelta España (September 6), which would compromise the quality of the field.

South Africans get ready for Tour of Qinghai Lake and MTB World's

South African Time Trial Champion Jeremy Maartens will form part of a team of elite riders that will travel to China to participate in the Tour of Qinghai Lake, between August 7-18, 2003. The rest of the team includes Jock Green, Neil McDonald, Morne Bester and young cyclists Eckard Bergh and Daryl Impey (who took the time trial and road titles at the 2003 SA Road Championships in Welkom). Bart Harmse is the team manager, while Dr L. Erasmus and Melly Claasens ensure the team's health and safety are always a major priority.

The SA national team has also been announced for this year's World Mountain Bike Championships, which will take place in Lugano, Monte Tamaro, Switzerland from August 31 - September 7. The downhill event sees top rider Greg Minnaar head up the men's elite team accompanied by Andrew Neethling, Gary Barnard and Duane Stander. The junior men's downhill riders are Burry Stander, Jonathan Neethling, Oliver Munnik, Travis Wade, Darryn Stow, Arno Verburg and Simon Munnik. The only elite women to represent SA in the downhill event, is Anke Martin.

Melt Swanepoel and Kevin Evans will represent South Africa in the men's elite cross country race, while the under 23 team consists of riders David Low, Johan Van Zyl and Koos Groenewald. Anke Erlank and Yolande Speedy will compete in the women's elite cross country event. The junior men cross country riders are Bunnie Loubser, John-Lee Augustyn and Christo Toua.

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