Latest Cycling News for February 20, 2004Edited by Jeff Jones Lotto-Domo hoping for early resultsWith the March 1 date for the announcement of final Tour de France wild card team selections fast approaching, the Belgian Lotto-Domo camp - which has not been selected yet - is getting a little nervous. With a relatively small number of opportunities to prove themselves this season, the Lotto riders are hoping for some good results at this weekend's Tour du Haut-Var and Classic Haribo, as well as the following weekend in Het Volk and Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne. In addition, the team is hoping that its past successes in the Tour will add weight to its chances. "With Robbie McEwen we have an ex-winner of the green jersey," a relaxed Marc Sergeant was quoted on VRT Teletekst. "And with Van Bon, Verbrugghe and Baguet we have another three stage winners. Furthermore, the Tour starts in Liege. Could they leave us at home then?" Problems for PecharromanSpanish rider Jose Antonio Pecharroman (Quick.Step-Davitamon) abandoned the Ruta del Sol on Stage 4 after a crash, and it is feared that he has broken his wrist. Pecharroman will undergo further examination on Friday to determine the seriousness of the injury. Herning a candidate for Tour 2008The Danish city of Herning is a candidate to host the start of the Tour de France in 2008, according to VRT Teletekst. Herning is the home town of Bjarne Riis, who won the Tour in 1996 and now manages the CSC team. "There is an organisation committee with members of the Danish federation, the Olympic committee and Riis himself," said race director Jean-Marie Leblanc. The decision about the start of the 2008 Tour will not be made until the end of 2006. McGrory to VC Frankfurt Radteam-BrügelmannAustralian six day specialist Scott McGrory will ride for German division III team VC Frankfurt Radteam-Brügelmann this year, according to Radsport-news.com. McGrory, who is over a virus he had at the start of the year, is looking to do some more road racing. "Scott loves hard racing and because of his age needs a tough road program in order to be in top condition in the winter, he is very motivated and would like to bring in a few successes for the team on the road," team manager Peter Rohracker told Radsport-news. McGrory will likely make his debut with the team in the Rund um Köln in April, after spending the next few months in Australia qualifying for the Olympic team. AIS Women's team presentationEqual opportunity for allBy Mark Carter in Canberra
The AIS launched the 2004 Australian Women's Team on Thursday at the Australian Institute of Sport in Canberra. The team consists of 10 scholarship riders: Natalie Bates (AIS/NSWIS), Lorian Graham (AIS/QAS), Amy Safe (AIS/SASI), Oenone Wood (AIS/ACTAS), Olivia Gollan (AIS/NSWIS), Sara Carrigan (AIS/QAS), Kate Bates (AIS/NSWIS), Alison Wright (AIS/ACTAS), Rochelle Gilmore (AIS/NSWIS) and Katie Mactier (AIS/VIS). Kate Bates, Alison Wright, Rochelle Gilmore and Katie Mactier form the track endurance side of the team and newly appointed Australian Coach Warren McDonald pointed out that, "Some of the races during the season are National Team based and some of the other girls will slot into the team for certain races." Top ranked Australian rider Sara Carrigan's team is still up in the air, so Carrigan has slotted into the sixth AIS position in case her pro team folds. The other five riders who form the nucleus of the team, Oenone Wood, Olivia Gollan, Natalie Bates, Lorian Graham and Amy Safe, were all present at the launch. They are currently in Canberra for detailed biomechanical and physiological assessment before heading to Geelong for the Geelong Tour, followed by the UCI World Cup race, and then to Europe in early March. Amy Safe will head straight to Mexico after Geelong, for the Track Wold Cup and meet up with the team a week later in March. The AIS Women's Team will again concentrate on, "One day World Cup races, and the major tours including the Tour de l'Aude, Vuelta a Castilla y Leon, Giro d'Italia Femminile, Thüringen and Trentino, plus more," said McDonald. McDonald was keen to get overseas and direct the team "in his first real competitions" as coach, in an Olympic year. McDonald attributed Australia's No.2 world ranking in Women's cycling to "years of development, bringing up a number of girls on the overseas race scene." Asked whether he thought Australia was a shot at any medals this year in Greece, McDonald said he believed the team could win medals in both the Time Trial and the Road Race. On whether there was a hierarchy within the team, stipulating team leaders and domestiques, McDonald commented that the purpose of the team was to "provide an equal opportunity for all of the riders and also to qualify riders for the Olympics," so there would be no specific team leaders.
Australian Champion Oenone Wood has been in spectacular form in the opening two months of season and was asked whether she felt additional pressure, considering her achievements in such a brief period. "Yes there is added pressure due to it being an Olympic year, but I'm confident that if I continue to give it 100 percent that I'll achieve my goal of Olympic selection," replied Wood. "We have a great team here and we're also backed by the best coaches, strength and conditioners and biomechanics etcetera, so it's a great thing." Wood also looks forward to the continuity of coming from McDonald's ACT Academy of Sport training program and expects a smooth transition into McDonald's new Australian program when she arrives in Italy in a couple of weeks. The team will again be based in the village of Novellara, situated between Modena and Parma (the homes of Balsamic Vinegar, Parmesan Cheese, Prosciutto and Lambrusco), on the Po River in Northern Italy. PhotographyImages by Mark Carter
O'Loughlin on the fairway to raise moneyBy Tommy Campbell, Irish Independent, Evening Herald, Sunday Independent The Irish Corrib Cycling Team is embarking on a fundraising golf classic in Westport on Friday, February 27 to aid its cycling program for the coming season. Recently returned from the Telekom Malaysia Le Tour de Langkawi, David O'Loughlin, is in the throes of making sure that the event will be successful. The golf classic, entitled the "Am-Am Golf Competition" will take place at the Westport Golf Club. The competition format will be teams of four, and the entry fee is €200 per team. "As you realise today, sponsorship is becoming increasingly difficult and I just looked at ideas of how to raise funds," said O'Loughlin. "The response has been good, but with being involved in Malaysia, I am chasing my tail to see that everything is coming together. It will be interesting to see how many of the cyclists turn up on the day." For further information contact: David O'Loughlin (Corrib Cycling Team) on +353 (0)87 4177064 or Aidan Moran (Westport Golf Club) on +353 (0)86-8652172. 19th Karapoti Classic previewThe first Sunday in March (March 7) marks the 19th running of New Zealand's Giant Bicycles Karapoti Classic, the country's top mass participation mountain bike race. Each year, the race attracts 1000 riders to the Wellington region for 50km of 4WD trails, single track, sludge, river crossings, hills and a lot of wilderness. The full 50km Classic revolves around three hills, each climbing to almost 600m. But each climb is split by a series of defining elements, such as the "Rock Garden", a 2 km descent complete with huge boulders and drop offs; or the "Devils Staircase", a 2 km long climb up a series of hand cut steps split by knee deep bogs; or "Big Ring Boulevard", a super-fast 8km descent down a 4WD road. Up for grabs is $20,000 in prize money, making it the richest on the New Zealand MTB circuit, and the organisers say that the race will go ahead, rain, hail or shine. The winners in of the men's and women's races in 2003 were Nelson professional Tim Vincent and Commonwealth games silver medallist Susy Pryde, but the defending champions won't have things all their own way in 2004. Favourite for the men's race are Australian Olympic squad member Peter Hatton and New Zealand's Wayne Hiscock. In the women's race, 19 year old Australian Lisa Mathison starts as favourite, but the two-time world junior champion will be pushed by Susy Pryde, Wellington's in form Robyn Wong and Swiss stars Sandy Kunz and Miriam Saugy. Organisers are expecting the strong women's race to produce a new course record, which was set 10 years ago by Olympic mountain biker Kathy Lynch at 2:49:42. The men's record stands at 2:20:46 by Kashi Leuchs, and organisers are offering a $1000 bonus for anyone who can break either the men's or women's course records. For off road rookies, spectators, supporters, school kids and active families there is also the 20km "Karapoti Challenge," which is less technical than the Classic and has only one climb. More information: www.karapoti.co.nz
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