Cycling News Extra for July 19, 2004

Edited by Jeff Jones

As strong as 10 men - post-stage 14 quotes

There were 10 men in the winning break during stage 14 from Carcassonne to Nimes, but only one of them could win: Aitor Gonzalez (Fassa Bortolo), who launched the decisive attack with 7 km to go to the finish. Although Christophe Mengin (FDJeux.com) tried to tow the rest up to Gonzalez, he couldn't finish off the job and the Spaniard was gone. Mengin and Nicolas Jalabert ended up escaping their companions to fight it out for second, with Jalabert winning the two up sprint. Pierrick Fedrigo (CA) finished fourth at 29 seconds, meaning that the three French riders in the break were all in the top four without coming away with the big prize.

Nicolas Jalabert (Phonak, 2nd)

Nicolas Jalabert (Phonak)
Photo ©: Sirotti

"It wasn't for lack of trying but I rode too hard in the break. It's a pity, because I would have liked to dedicate the victory to our leader Tyler Hamilton who had abandoned the day before. His departure had increased our motivation."

Pierrick Fédrigo (CA, 4th)

"In the final kilometres, I tried to attack, like the others in the break. Unfortunately Nicolas Jalabert came back with guys on his wheel. For once, the French did not work against each other: Instead we let the Spaniards work, because they were in the majority, but we shouldn't have because one of them got away. Unfortunately for us. Now, I hope to advantage of the rest day."

Jan Ullrich (T-Mobile, 21st)

"This day went perfectly, especially after the break went. I will appreciate the rest day. I am ready to confront the Alps and, if all is well, I'll show good things."

Lance Armstrong (USPS, 39th)

"The race was very active during the first two first hours. But, as soon as the break formed, it calmed down. We controlled it well behind without having the least problem."

Source: L'Equipe

Pevenage at odds with T-Mobile

Jan Ullrich's personal mentor Rudy Pevenage is not happy with the situation between Jan and the T-Mobile team. After Ullrich lost significant quantities of time to Armstrong in the Pyrenees over the last three days, Pevenage was annoyed. At the finish in Plateau de Beille, "There was no-one there for Jan," Pevenage told DPA. "It will be hard for a miracle to happen, Lourdes is already behind us."

Assocorridori vs. ASO

The Italian rider association (Assocorridori) together with Francesco Moser has criticised the Tour de France organisers ASO for being "arrogant and overbearing" after preventing Danilo Di Luca, Martin Hvastija and Stefano Casagranda from competing in the race. The Assocorridori said in a statement that, "With the recent position taken in the Zanini and Padrnos cases, the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) has certified the arrogance and overbearing nature of the direction of the Tour de France, which has used illegal means against certain riders to unjustly exclude them from the race. We would like to let Mr. Leblanc know that the athletes will no longer accept being treated like simple tools in the service of the business of the Tour: In future, the riders will know to take the opportunity to protest."

French Olympic men's road team named

The five man French Olympic men's road team has been finalised, with French champion and current Tour de France maillot jaune Thomas Voeckler part of the selection. The other riders are Richard Virenque, Laurent Brochard, Christophe Moreau and Sylvain Chavanel.

Zubeldia to ride the Vuelta

Euskaltel-Euskadi's Haimar Zubeldia, who abandoned during stage 13 of the Tour due to tendonitis in his knee, expects to be back for the Vuelta España. Team director Julián Gorospe had planned for Zubeldia to have his first peak at the Tour and possibly another one in the Vuelta, but having ridden only two thirds of the French race, Zubeldia will aim to get into top condition for his home Tour.

Eadie wins appeal

Reinstated into Australian Olympic team

By Gerard Knapp

Australian track sprinter Sean Eadie has won his appeal against the Australian Olympic Committee (AOC) and Cycling Australia (CA), which alleged that he had breached their respective anti-doping policies through the importation into Australia of anterior pituitary peptides in 1999. The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) heard the case on Monday, July 19 in Sydney, Australia, and CAS arbitrator, the Hon. Jerrold Cripps said in a brief statement that he was "not satisfied on the accepted standard of proof that Mr Eadie imported the alleged prohibited substances."

Following the hearing, Eadie spoke to reporters outside the Court of Arbitration for Sport in Sydney's Chifley Square. Flanked by his lawyer, Bernard Gross, Eadie said he'd received "a good hearing, a fair hearing" and that he "was very happy with that".

He said cases such as his shows "there's no winners", but admitted he would be able to get a better night's sleep that what he had over the past week, since he received the infraction notice.

Eadie declined to make further comment, except that he may "have more to say in a day or so", indicating he could continue with the legal action for loss of earnings.

Earlier in the week, Eadie's manager, Kerry Ruffels, told Cyclingnews that the AOC's decision to reject the rider before he'd been able to clear his name "sets a dangerous precedent - it's guilt before innocence".

However, a spokesman for the Australian Olympic Committee (AOC) said on Monday that Eadie would be reinstated in the team for Athens after the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) upheld his appeal at a four-hour hearing. "We will abide by the CAS decision," the spokesman said. "It's a mere formality that he will be nominated to us again and we will select him."

Also see: The Cyclingnews interview with Sean Eadie (November, 2002), including comments from the French track coach about Eadie winning the 2002 world sprint title.

Cyclingnews' coverage of the Australian doping allegations

• July 19, 2004: Eadie considers legal action
• July 16, 2004: Dajka cleared by Customs
• July 14, 2004: Eadie out, Kersten in, pending appeal
• July 13, 2004: Eadie lodges appeal
• July 12, 2004: Eadie hit with doping notice - from 1999; French saga rolls on
• July 10, 2004: AOC 'withholds' Dajka from Australian Olympic team
• July 9, 2004: Pound comments 'ill-informed', says ASC
• July 2, 2004: Anderson report clears named riders; full Australian Olympics cycling team nominations
• July 1, 2004: The high cost of controversy
• June 26, 2004: Accused rider hits back: 'I was never in Adelaide'
• June 25, 2004: One week for French inquiry
• June 24, 2004: Mark French makes statement
• June 23, 2004: Pound weighs in
• June 22, 2004: Cycling Australia welcomes inquiry; Riders deny involvement in doping
• June 22, 2004: French gets life, but still offers to assist new enquiry
• June 21, 2004: Lifetime Olympic ban for French
• June 19, 2004: French faces blowtorch from sports authorities
• June 18, 2004: Opposition calls for inquiry into AIS track cycling program
• June 9, 2004: French suspended two years

Australian Junior Cyclones depart for Los Angeles

The Australian "Cyclones" junior track team will head to Los Angeles on Tuesday to contest the 2004 UCI Junior Track Cycling World Championships which begins on July 28th. The 13 member team includes defending junior points race World Champion, Miles Olman (Qld) who will be trying to claim back to back crowns. Victorian Michael Ford heads to LA as the world record holder in the 3km individual pursuit, a record he set at the Australian Championships in April. In the qualifying round of the event, Ford broke Brad McGee's record that had stood for ten years. He went on to claim the Australian Title. Ford claimed the silver medal in the pursuit at last year's Junior World Championships but now has his eye on the gold medal.

Australian Coach Gary Sutton says the team has been training well and they are looking forward to racing on the newly constructed Carson Velodrome near Long Beach. "The team has been absolutely fantastic in training," said Sutton. "Although Ford and Olman are battling some minor injury and illness problems."

While the men's roster boasts several riders who have experienced World Championship competition the five women on the team are all first year junior riders and will be making their World Championship debut. Sutton admits Australia's record of success at junior level will put pressure on the riders.

"I'm not putting pressure on them but they certainly have their own high expectations and want to maintain our strong record," he said. "They're fit and they've done all the hard work so it's just a case of putting it all together in the race."

The other top contenders at the Junior Track World's are expected to be Russia and Poland. "Russia has a very strong development program and are equal with Australia at the international junior level," said Sutton. "Poland has been producing some great sprint talent."

Team roster: Simon Clarke, Mitchell Docker, Michael Ford, Matthew Goss, Corey Heath, Miles Olman, Shane Perkins, Daniel Thorsen, Skye-Lee Armstrong, Jennifer Loutit, Bianca Rogers, Amanda Spratt, Hayley Wright

Shamless plug dept.

Cyclingnews in Men's Journal's top 100

Cyclingnews.com is featured in the August 2004 issue of the USA magazine Men's Journal special survey section called The 100 Best Websites for Guys.

The magazine has assembled what it believes is "a list of everything guys want online, from top river-rafting outfitters, non-limit poker parties to half-naked girls fishing for large-mouth bass". And sites about cycling.

Other categories of Websites in the MJ list cover outdoors, cars, motorcycles, high-tech, tools, movies, online games and "just plain insane".

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