First Edition Cycling News for December 21, 2004

Edited by Hedwig Kröner and John Stevenson

Brick by brick: An interview with Johan Bruyneel

By Tim Maloney, European Editor

Master and tactician: Johan Bruyneel
Photo ©: Jonathan Devich

With the presentation for the Discovery Channel Pro Cycling Team coming up in three weeks in Silver Spring, Maryland, team manager Johan Bruyneel can almost relax over the upcoming holiday season, secure in the knowledge that all his hard work over the past year to build prepare the group sportif for entry into the inaugural edition of the UCI ProTour is about to pay off.

Cyclingnews spent some time with Bruyneel to discuss his perception of the final training camp of the now legendary USPS "Blue Train" in Austin, Texas, earlier this month, some of the new faces and new races we'll see from the team, and Bruyneel's take on the current ProTour situation. Here's part one of our interview with the six-time Tour de France-winning sports manager.

Cyclingnews: We've heard that the recent final team training camp of USPS in Austin, Texas went pretty well. Can you share your perceptions with us?

Johan Bruyneel: I have to say I'm very positive about how things went... usually we only have four or five new riders at camp, but this time there were a lot of new guys; we had nine new riders at camp and perhaps will have another rider coming to round out the roster at 28 riders. So considering all the new people, it went extremely well. It's always unknown how people will fit in to our house style, but the new guys did very well. I heard that some of the newcomers had a very different image of how the team is from the outside.

Click here for the full interview.

Athens laboratory under investigation

Greek judiciary authorities yesterday launched an investigation into the IOC accredited Athens laboratory that handled the B blood sample of Olympic time trial champion Tyler Hamilton.

Hamilton returned an A sample positive for blood transfusion at Athens, but a laboratory error resulted in the B sample being frozen rather than refrigerated, rendering it useless for the new blood transfusion test. A subsequent investigation by the World Anti-Doping agency found that the lab had ignored or misunderstood the storage protocol for blood samples.

The Greek investigators are trying to determine whether that error was deliberate or negligent, though the grounds for this investigation have not been made public.

New DS for Saunier Duval

Sabino Angoitia will become Saunier Duval's second directeur sportif alongside Joxean Fernández Matxin, the team announced yesterday. Angoitia, who was with Division II team Cafés Baque until 2003, will replace Vittorio Algeri.

Angoitia's principal role will be to help look after the Saunier Duval amateur team, a task that has previously fallen solely to Juan Carlos Gómez, but he will also assist Matxin when the team tackles major ProTour races.

Casero wins case against Coast

Angel Casero, winner of the 2001 Vuelta a España, has won his case against former employer Coast in a Valencia court. The verdict will allow Casero to obtain the three months guarantee deposited at the UCI for his missing wages. Nevertheless, the rider will have to claim the rest of his unpaid salary in Germany. Team Coast failed to pay several of its riders after the management dissolved due to bankruptcy of its sponsor, a German clothing company, in Spring 2003. Jan Ullrich already won his case for unpaid wages and damages in late September this year, worth approximately €1.6 million.

Arndt and Klöden honoured in German Sports Awards

German second public TV channel ZDF hosted a gala evening on Sunday, December 19 to elect the German Sports personalities of the Year. Cyclists Andreas Klöden (T-Mobile) and Judith Arndt (Nürnberger Versicherung) were each given the third placings in their respective categories Male/Female behind Michael Schumacher (Formula One) and Birgit Fischer (Kayak). Klöden achieved a second place at the Tour de France this year, Arndt became World road champion in Verona as well as Olympic Silver medallist in Athens.

Bernucci injured

Fassa Bortolo rider Lorenzo Bernucci has been injured in crash while training. Bernucci was treated at the hospital in Lucca where he was found to have sustained fractures to his right hand, including the middle finger, needed 40 stitches in his right knee and has a suspected injury to the tendons of his left foot.

Kelly, Scanlon and Power for Rás An Turcaí

By Shane Stokes

Many of Ireland's top riders will compete in the post-Christmas Rás an Turcaí in Carraroe, Co. Galway, with race organiser Máirtín Óg MacDonnacha announcing the strongest-ever line-up today. Former world number one Sean Kelly, 1998 world junior champion Mark Scanlon, Philip Deignan (both Ag2R), Ciarán Power, David O'Loughlin (both Navigators Insurance), Denis Lynch, Paídi O'Brien and double FBD Milk Rás winner Philip Cassidy will be amongst those taking part in the 60 kilometre, six lap event on December 28, 2004.

The ten kilometre circuit will take the riders through the heart of Connemara, passing through Loch an Mhuillinn, Doire Fheárta, Loch Ghleann an Fhir Mhairbh and other areas. The first two laps are ridden at a controlled pace so that people of any age, size and physique can pedal along with top names in Irish cycling. In all there will be six categories racing for cash, turkey and hamper prizes; racing, non-racing, touring, veteran, ladies and junior.

Last year Power followed up on the victories of Kelly (2001) and Scanlon (2002) when he soloed home to win the race. He went clear with O'Loughlin, Mick Walsh (Saturn Seattle) and Galway Bay CC's Simon Kelly before striking for home with about 15 of the 60 kilometres remaining. O'Loughlin set off in pursuit of the Waterford professional but was unable to make any real inroads into his lead, taking second. Walsh and Kelly were third and fourth.

Entry forms, accommodation information and further details are available from MacDonnacha, who can be contacted at 00 35387 2572597. The entry fee is €20, with one-day licences available to non-Cycling Ireland members.

Brentjens to Ralph Denk

By Marcel Slagman, Wieler Revue

Mountainbiker Bart Brentjens has signed a two-year contract with the German Ralph Denk Racing Team. Brentjens, the 1996 Olympic MTB champion and 2004 bronze medalist, found himself in need of a new team for 2005 when T-Mobile ended sponsorship of its mountain bike squad. He will ride Giant bikes as part of the Ralph Denk team.

The team hopes this week to sign Dutchman Thijs Al and top Belgian mountain bike racer Roel Paulissen, winner of the World Cup final in Livigno. With Paulissen and Brentjens the team will have on board the top two riders in the UCI MTB rankings.

Nijland to Eurogifts

Dutch mountain bike and cyclo-cross specialist Maarten Nijland has signed a two year deal to ride for the Eurogifts.com team run by Arthur van Dongen and Jeroen Blijlevens. Nijland rode in 2004 for the Heijdens-Ten Tusscher mountain bike team but after fielding several offers chose Eurogifts.com, which, he told ANP, "has excellent support staff ... [and] I can ride a good international road program."

Tanti Auguri From Colnago

Ernesto Colnago (centre) and guests
Photo ©: Tim Maloney

Cyclingnews joined the party at Ernesto Colnago's Christmas mass & party last weekend and was among the over 200 guests who attended mass and then enjoyed a holiday buffet. Celebrities from cycling were among Colnago's holiday guests, such as Gianluigi Stanga of Team Domina Vacanze, Giro d'Italia winners Fiorenzo Magni and Gianni Motta, as well as outgoing Giro boss Carmine Castellano and some key staff members. Ernesto Colnago told Cyclingnews that he wanted to wish all of our readers "Tanti Auguri e Buon Anno" (Best Holiday Wishes and Happy New Year).

Photography

Images by Tim Maloney/Cyclingnews.com

• Colnago Kids racing bikes ready to go under the tree
• Ernesto Colnago (centre) and guests - Left to right: Giovanni Trappatoni, Italy's recently retired national soccer coach and a voluble Fiorenzo Magni.
• Colnago Christmas Cheer - Left to right: Ernesto Colnago, Fiorenzo Magni, Carmine Castellano and Gianni Motta.

Velodrome for Ontario

London, Ontario, Canada will get its own velodrome if plans by a non-profit group headed by Albert Coulier and Rob Good come to fruition. Coulier and Good's group has been given permission through a letter of intent from the property owners of the London Gardens to construct a new velodrome in the 40,000 square feet building. The Centre is located 500m from Hwy. #401 and Wellington St. exit in London Ontario.

The facility will be called the South-Western Ontario Olympic Sports Training Centre and will host weekly training sessions once the track is complete with local races on week nights and a provincial racing series on Saturday nights.

A fundraising information meeting is planned for early January to go over the plans and to answer questions.

USA team for Manchester World Cup

USA Cycling has announced today the eight-person squad that will compete in the third round of the 2004/05 UCI Track World Cup in Manchester, Great Britain, January 7-9, 2005.

Giddeon Massie, Christian Stahl, Colby Pearce and Marty Nothstein make up the men's contingent while the women's delegation consists of Jennie Reed, Erin Mirabella, Becky Quinn and Ashley Kimmet.

With a bronze medal in Athens and a win in the points race at the Los Angeles World Cup, Mirabella has the momentum of strong international results on her side. Currently second overall in the world cup standings in the points race behind Lyudmyla Vypyraylo (Ukraine), Mirabella will also compete in the scratch race.

After making the keirin finals in Los Angeles, Jennie Reed will look to improve upon the sixth place finish she earned there and will also contest the sprint.

Becky Quinn will ride the scratch race while Ashley Kimmet, the youngest member of the women's foursome at 23 and a silver medalist at the 2000 junior world championships, will ride the points race in her first world cup of the season.

Of the men, Colby Pearce is having the most successful season thus far with a silver medal performance in the points race in Los Angeles. Heading into the final sprint of last weekend's competition tied with Olympic champion Mikhail Ignatiev (Russia), Pearce was outsprinted by a mere six inches and settled for silver. In addition to the points race, Pearce will again team up with Nothstein in the Madison.

Christian Stahl will focus his efforts on the sprint only while Giddeon Massie will ride both the sprint and the keirin. In addition to the Madison with Pearce, Marty Nothstein will also contest the scratch race.

Currently, the United States is ranked eighth among 30 nations in the world cup standings. In Manchester, 225 riders from 34 countries are expected to compete.

New Zealand team for Manchester World Cup

BikeNZ has announced the team to represent New Zealand at the track World Cup January 7-9 2005 in Manchester, England.

The team will be: Jason Allen, Richard Bowker, Anthony Chapman, Dayle Cheatley, Joshua England, Matthew Haydock, Joanne Kiesanowski, Katri Laike, Catherine Sell, Andrew Williams.

Club One/Performance Max Racing Team

Club One/Performance Max Racing Team has announced its 2005 roster. The team is looking forward to a successful 2005 cycling season both in racing and in meeting a commitment to team sponsors and the community. Entering its second season, the team has bolstered its roster and looks forward to a full racing calendar.

Full team roster

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