Latest Cycling News for April 27, 2004

Edited by Chris Henry

Hamilton realistic but optimistic

Tyler Hamilton
Photo ©: Gunnar Mjaugedal

Although he wasn't able to defend his title at Liège-Bastogne-Liège, Phonak leader Tyler Hamilton showed with his 9th place finish that he is growing stronger by the week and on track for what should be his most serious Tour de France bid yet come July. Hamilton begins his next major objective Tuesday at the Tour de Romandie, where he also lines up as defending champion having done the Liege/Romandie double in a fantastic 2003 spring campaign.

"I felt like in Pais Vasco I was getting stronger as the race went on," Hamilton told Cyclingnews before last week's Flèche Wallonne. "I was a hair off from last year, just a little bit below."

As for Romandie, defending his title this year is a serious goal, given his change from Team CSC to Phonak. While some riders will be honing their form for the Giro d'Italia or Tour de France, Hamilton knows that a good performance carries its own weight.

"This year is probably more important [than 2003], because being in a Swiss team it's a very important race for us."

After his fourth place overall in the 2003 Tour de France, with a stage win and a fractured collarbone, Hamilton expects this year's Tour to be an even better outing. Even more than last year, this year's season is geared almost exclusively towards the Tour, even if events like the Tour de Romandie are not to be taken lightly.

"I've been given a lot more freedom to make choices to build the team for the Tour de France. Riders, equipment... Basically everything's focused on the Tour," he told AFP this week.

"There are many guys in our team, like Alex Zülle and Oscar Camenzind, who are leaders at other times of the year. But they know that on the Tour it will all be for me. They know that now and they'll know it in July."

The role of unique leader and a season's preparation based around July will give Hamilton his best possible chance for the Tour, but however optimistic he may be he also knows the difficulties of dethroning the defending champion, his former leader Lance Armstrong.

"I'll try to win, but you also have to be realistic," Hamilton acknowledged. "Lance has won the past five Tours and Jan Ullrich has never been less than second, and even then you have many other riders who are strong. I train like I want to win, but I have to be in better condition than last year."

CSC Takes on old leader

Jörg Jaksche
Photo ©: Gunnar Mjaugedal

As Tyler Hamilton lines up to defend his Tour de Romandie title in Phonak colours this year, his former team CSC will be no less interested in its own repeat at the Swiss stage race. Rebounding quickly from a fractured arm the day before Amstel Gold Race, Paris-Nice and Tour Méditerranéen winner Jörg Jaksche will take on Hamilton and the rest of the Romandie field. For the talented German, Romandie has been a key objective since the beginning of the year, and with his arm injury not as serious as initially thought, his chances are still good for a third stage race win this year.

"Tyler will be hard to beat," CSC's directeur sportif Sean Yates commented on the team's website (team-csc.com). "But this is also his last chance to make a good result before the Tour, and Phonak hasn't done anything this spring. Just like us, they have a strong line-up for Tour de Romandie, so it could be a head-to-head battle between Tyler and Jaksche."

Jaksche rode strongly for his team at Sunday's Liège-Bastogne-Liège, attacking and featuring in the last key breakaway before the La Redoute climb and the finale of the World Cup classic. His arm injury may still handicap him at Romandie, but his team isn't too concerned.

"Before Jörg's accident we had high hopes of him winning the race," Yates said. "Obviously it's a setback, but it wasn't as bad as it seemed. Maybe the rest did him good, and if he gets through the first couple of stages, he could be strong in the mountains and in the decisive time-trial."

Leblanc to London

Tour de France director Jean-Marie Leblanc paid a visit to London to meet with mayor Ken Livingstone. The topic of discussion is Livingstone's bid to host the Grand Départ of the Tour de France, focusing on a possible London start in 2007. England last hosted the Tour in 1994, and neighbouring Ireland hosted the Tour start in 1998 in Dublin.

"This is a first contact," Leblanc said of the face to face meeting. "It's a prestigious candidature and we're certainly interested in the idea of organising a prologue in the centre of London."

The Société du Tour de France also revealed recently that the 2005 Tour start will be held in the Vendée region of France.

Mallorca bids for track world's

The Spanish cycling federation (RFEC) submitted to the UCI its candidacy for the island of Palma de Mallorca to host the 2007 Track World Championships. An informal meeting was held April 21 between various representatives of the island, the Balearic cycling federation, and the UCI to discuss the feasibility of a 2007 World's in Mallorca.

The UCI is expected to make a decision on the 2007 World's in July at its Directors Committee meeting in Salzburg, Austria. This year's World's will be held in Melbourne, Australia, followed in 2005 by Los Angeles (USA) and Bordeaux (France).

Voigt kicks back in Nevada

Germany's Jens Voigt (Team CSC) will take a break from competition following a successful spring which has included victory in the Critérium International and second place behind Lance Armstrong in last week's Tour de Georgia. Voigt will spend more time discovering the United States, joining teammate Bobby Julich at the American's house in Reno, Nevada for some rest, relaxation and a bit of training at altitude.

"Nobody can be on top from February to October," Voigt said, quoted in l'Equipe. "I'm going to stop for three weeks and then restart progressively so I can come to the Tour de France in the best possible condition."

While Julich will target the USPRO Championships in Philadelphia in June, Voigt will return to Europe to contest the Tour of Germany which begins May 31st.

Da Cruz trains gently

Still recovering from a hard fall in Milan-San Remo in March, France's Carlos Da Cruz (FDJeux.com) is slowly restarting his training. Da Cruz is limited to gentle riding on the indoor trainer for the moment but could be back on the road in a week. In the opening round of the World Cup he crashed alone, fracturing a vertebrae and his wrist.

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