First Edition Cycling News for April 4, 2004

Edited by Jeff Jones & Chris Henry

CSC counting on Bartoli

By Jeff Jones in Melle

Bjarne Riis (CSC team manager)
Photo ©: CN

After winning all the major French stage races so far this season, Danish team CSC is under a little bit of pressure - not least from themselves - to carry that success into the classics. Jörg Jaksche, Bobby Julich and Jens Voigt did the job in France, and for the classics it will be Michele Bartoli, Frank Høj's, Kurt-Asle Arvesen and Lars Michaelsen who will likely carry the flag.

"I would like to say that yes, we're here to start the second part of the season," team mastermind Bjarne Riis told a press conference on Saturday afternoon at the team's hotel in Melle, on the outskirts of Gent. "This team has not won yet, but it's certainly possible. It's a very strong team. I think everyone has big motivation for tomorrow."

Riis joked that, "We're the only team with nine riders for tomorrow," as CSC has Vladimir Gussev in reserve. "We kept Thomas [Bruun Eriksen] and Vladimir with us as we didn't know who exactly would be riding. But Vladimir has a few problems with tendonitis, which means Thomas will ride. We'll keep Vladimir for next week.

"Everyone knows that Bartoli is our main card. Of course the team will be focussing a lot on him to do well in the final. We won't say that anybody else doesn't have a chance, but he's out main guy tomorrow."

Michele Bartoli
Photo ©: CN

Bartoli won the Ronde van Vlaanderen in 1996, and has since then steadily built a palmares that also includes two Giri di Lombardia, two Liege-Bastogne-Lieges, Amstel Gold Race, GP Suisse, the World Cup (1997), Giro del Lazio, Grand Prix Ouest France, Flèche Wallonne and many more top level races. Although he hasn't had any wins yet this season, his form has been improving of late and this Sunday could be it for him.

"I think I've got strong legs and good condition," said Bartoli. "It's a race I like. It's important to ride strongly and stay in front as much as possible. I've had a bit of bronchitis during the week but I feel good at the moment."

Bartoli is in his first year with CSC, and said that he's enjoying the atmosphere. "Lots of things are different. Most of all, the team focuses on the small technical things that can make a difference."

A late addition to the Ronde van Vlaanderen team is Kurt-Asle Arvesen, the 2002 Norwegian champion who is looking for a couple of big wins this year. Kurt last rode the Ronde in 1999, and said that, "I'm looking forward to it. I'm in good shape and maybe I can do something for Michele in the final. We have many cards to play."

Team CSC for the Ronde: Michele Bartoli (Ita), Jimmi Madsen (Den), Frank Høj's (Den), Kurt-Asle Arvesen (Nor), Lars Michaelsen (Den), Thomas Bruun Eriksen (Den), Tristan Hoffman (Ned), Max Sciandri (GBr)

Photography

Images by Jeff Jones/Cyclingnews.com

• Bjarne Riis (CSC team manager) explains the game plan for Flanders
• Michele Bartoli is CSC's top man for Sunday
• Frank Høj in the spotlight
• Bjarne Riis (CSC team manager) discusses his views on doping at the CSC press conference
• Bjarne Riis being interviewed by James Startt and Sam Abt

Museeuw's dream

Asked after the Three Days of De Panne what his ideal scenario would be in Sunday's Tour of Flanders, three-time winner Johan Museeuw (Quick.Step-Davitamon) had an answer. Museeuw, arguably the best classics rider of his generation, not only wants a fourth win in de Ronde, but he wants to win in style.

"I imagine that at the top of the Bosberg, the peloton stops and says 'go ahead, Johan!' That way I could arrive solo in Meerbeke for the third time, taking my fourth victory." he revealed. "But I don't have any illusions... I know in this sport nobody will be giving me any gifts. By the same token, I wouldn't want them."

"Whether I win on Sunday or not, the world will keep on turning," Museeuw said, downplaying the significance of his final rendezvous with his favourite race. "I do know that a lot of people are sad that I'm retiring, so they will be many supports on the side of the road to encourage me. In the heat of the race, I won't see them, but I'll certainly hear their shouting and cheers, which will give me additional motivation."

Museeuw showed glimpses of his strength in the stage finishes at De Panne, a pleasant reversal from last year when he fell ill on the eve of Belgium's biggest classic.

"Last year I arrived in bad condition since I was sick just before," he said. "This time it's totally different. I feel perfectly ready to attack."

Van Petegem: No gifts for Museeuw

Johan Museeuw is looking for his fourth win at the Tour of Flanders. Fellow Belgian Peter Van Petegem, the defending champion, wants his third. While Museeuw's final assault on the spring classics is a major occasion, everybody knows there will be no going away presents for the Lion of Flanders.

"Johan looks like he's in great shape, but that's been the case for ten years," Van Petegem told La Dernière Heure. "I'm not worried about that, but neither am I going to offer him any gifts. You don't give away the Tour of Flanders. For him to win a fourth time would be fantastic and very significant, but for me too, winning a third time in Meerbeke would be fantastic and significant."

Van Petegem has had a quiet spring but most observers agree he enters the Tour of Flanders in excellent shape. Whether or not he can pull off a repeat victory remains to be seen, but Van Petegem is confident in both himself and his Lotto-Domo team.

"That's the big difference from last year," he said. "The team is stronger in quantity and quality. I hope Van Bon can go a long way in the finale, but Baguet and Hoste could be there as well. Ideally I'll have as many teammates as possible at the Muur.

"I'm feeling good and strong," Van Petegem assured. "Better than last year? That's hard to say. But definitely as strong, and I think that worked for me pretty well."

O'Grady rides through the pain

Australian Stuart O'Grady (Cofidis), fresh off a strong start to the season and a first ever podium finish at Milan-San Remo, is hoping to ride through the pain from his crash at the E3 Prijs Vlaanderen last Sunday. O'Grady dislocated a bone in his wrist and broke a rib in a tumble in the final sprint. On Sunday, O'Grady will line up at the Tour of Flanders in search of an even better result than his third place last year behind Peter Van Petegem and Frank Vandenbroucke.

"It hurts a hell of a lot so I don't really know what will happen, but I kind of figure that once I'm out on the bike and racing I'll be okay," O'Grady said. "Certainly the cobbles are going to add to the pain but I'm hoping I'll be angry enough to race through the pain and instead it will be my legs hurting more than the ribs.

"It's been a fantastic start to the season so far and I was rapt to claim a podium finish in Milan-San Remo which was the first event with the real pressure for me from my new team," he added.

This week O'Grady spent plenty of time capping off his preparation for Flanders, including a long road rides and a two hour motorpacing session.

Weather for Sunday: windy and wet

Unlike the previous few editions of the Ronde, tomorrow's 88th version will be held in poor weather conditions. Although Flanders has enjoyed two weeks of relatively dry weather, on Friday things took a turn for the worse with some rain and a strong wind for the southwest. That looks to continue tomorrow and through next week, with rain (particularly in the centre of Belgian) and winds from the southwest of up to 60 km/h predicted for Sunday. The maximum temperature will be approximately 13 degrees.

This will no doubt lead to a more dangerous and selective race, with the numerous cobbled climbs and flats taking on a whole new perspective. This was verified by the thousands of cyclotourists who took part in the "Ronde van Vlaanderen 2004 voor Wielertoeristen" on Saturday as a sort of a "wet run" for tomorrow's main event. It rained lightly from mid-morning to mid-afternoon, which certainly presented a few challenges for the casual cyclist. Not so for CSC professionals Lars Michaelsen and Frank Høj, who were seen flying up the Paterberg and Koppenberg, seemingly oblivious to the tangled mess of tourists in their way.

Of particular interest were the climbs of the Koppenberg and the Muur van Geraardsbergen, both of which have been resurfaced in the last couple of years. Although the Muur hasn't lost any of its steepness, the smoother cobbles have made it relatively easier to ride up. On the other hand (and cycling purists will rejoice at this), the surface of the Koppenberg has noticeably deteriorated since it was redone, and there are now gaps appearing between the cobbles, making it a tough proposition and the hardest climb in the race.

Live coverage

Don't miss Cyclingnews' live coverage of the 88th Ronde van Vlaanderen, which will cover the race in its entirety from the start in Brugge at 10:00am local time. Live coverage times are as follows: 10:00 CEST (Europe)/04:00 EDT/01:00 PDT (USA)/18:00 EST (Australia).

Preview
Map
Full start list

Belgian organisers reiterate concerns

As the peak of the Belgian classics season arrives, a number of race organisers continue to express their dissatisfaction with the UCI's plans for the new Pro Tour format, scheduled to be introduced in 2005. The Pro Tour would gather the top 20 international teams for a series of 30 races, to include the grand tours, World Cup classics, and other major international events. With only four Belgian races slated for inclusion in the series, organisers are unhappy with the change in status of their events.

"It's not nearly enough," said Het Volk organiser Wim Van Herreweghe of the limitation. "It's not fair that countries without a tradition in cycling will receive ten days or more [of racing], compared to only four in Belgium, the cradle of the sport of cycling."

The four Belgian events named for inclusion in the Pro Tour are the Tour of Flanders, Liege-Bastogne-Liege, Gent-Wevelgem, and the Flèche Wallonne. Events such as Het Volk, the traditional Belgian season opener, as well as other UCI 2.1 events such as E3 Prijs Vlaanderen and the Scheldeprijs did not make the cut. As a result, organisers fear a diminished interest on the part of sponsors and riders alike.

Wright on Australian Olympic list

Alison Wright, already named to Australia's shadow team for the Olympic Games road race in Athens, has also been nominated for the track shadow team. The country's final Olympic rosters will come from the pre-selections named in the shadow team.

Tyler Hamilton Foundation events

The Tyler Hamilton Foundation has announced its Pedal for Progress Cycle Series, including three fundraising rides to be held in Massachusetts, Colorado and California during the summer and fall months. The first event on June 13 is in Tyler's home state of Massachusetts while the remaining two will take place in October.

June 13 - New England: 60 or 100 mile routes beginning and ending at the Worcester Centrum.

October 17 - California: Preceded by an evening with Tyler Hamilton, who will comment on video footage from his 2004 season. The ride will be a 75 mile route north of San Francisco.

October 22 - Colorado: Also preceded by an evening with Hamilton commenting on video footage from his 2004 season. The ride will cover 75 miles through Denver and surrounding areas.

Registration for each of the Pedal for Progress rides, a full list of additional events, information on Tyler's Tough Tykes program, volunteer opportunities and general Foundation information can be found at www.tylerhamiltonfoundation.org.

The Tyler Hamilton Foundation is dedicated to individuals diagnosed with multiple sclerosis so that they may maintain a high quality of life while dealing with the daily complications of this disease and to MS research that is critical to finding a cure. The foundation is dedicated to paving the road for aspiring young cyclists who do not have the opportunities that were provided to Hamilton as he began his career.

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