Latest Cycling News for October 15, 2004

Edited by Jeff Jones and Hedwig Kröner

Rabobank with Boogerd in Lombardy

Michael Boogerd will start in tomorrow's Giro di Lombardia with the Rabobank team, despite suffering from a cold this week. Boogerd will join last week's Paris-Tours winner Erik Dekker, World Champion Oscar Freire, Danish climber Michael Rasmussen and Pieter Weening, Thorwald Veneberg, Karsten Kroon and Bram de Groot in the squad.

Boogerd hasn't trained much this week - he rode on Thursday morning and decided together with the team doctor that he would start on Saturday. As for the new finish in Como, Boogerd told ANP that, "I think it's harder. The climb of the Ghisallo happens in the finale now. That's a lot more than an incline. Normally we would go on for another 70 kilometres and the climb is not decisive. Then there are another two climbs that I don't know. For a fit Boogerd this parcours would certainly be nice. Now it's a matter of wait and see."

Gerolsteiner for Lombardy

German team Gerolsteiner announced the following team lineup for the Giro di Lombardia on Saturday, October 16: Gianni Faresin, Uwe Hardter, Davide Rebellin, Marco Serpellini, Marcel Strauss, Fabian Wegmann, Markus Zberg and Thomas Ziegler.

Lotto-Domo down to five

The end of season blues have hit the Lotto-Domo squad, which will present just five riders on the start line of the Giro di Lombardia, the minimum allowed to start. The team is composed of Christophe Brandt, Leon van Bon, Thierry Marichal, Gorik Gardeyn and Koos Moerenhout. Kevin Van Impe was in Italy for the two other races this week (Milano-Torino and Giro del Piemonte), but he had to return home in order to be married tomorrow.

Cooke notches a couple of late season wins

By John Trevorrow

Baden Cooke (Team Subaru)
Photo ©: Shane Goss

Baden Cooke was complaining of jet lag on day one of the Herald Sun Tour and was wondering how long it would take him to recover. We didn't have to wait too long to find out.

"Yesterday I was really feeling tired. But as soon as I got home last night I had three hours sleep. Woke up had a bit of dinner and then slept for another nine hours so I felt like a million bucks this morning," Cooke said.

Cooke won the criterium stage in Werribee but he had to fight all the way to the line to hold of in form Englishman Dean Downing. "I sought of stuffed it up a bit," he explained. "Mark (Renshaw) gave me a good lead out but I was too hard on the wheel and as I was about to come off the wheel, looked back and they already had momentum and a couple actually got past. I had to fight pretty hard then. I should have been off the wheel a bit and then accelerated in the seat and then there would have been more of a gap."

After comfortably winning his second stage on the same day, Cooke is now starting to think of a second Herald Sun Tour overall victory. "I guess I've just got to keep tapping away at the lead of the Bicycle Superstore guys. I'm about 40 seconds ahead of the general population, but still a bit behind Menzies and Dave McKenzie. I know how hard Baw Baw is and I reckon I will need a couple of minutes on the climbing specialists when we hit that monster.

"I don't know that Macca (McKenzie) will climb it any better than me but I definitely don't want to give him a start."

The traditional podium spray
Photo ©: Shane Goss

You've had a pretty topsy-turvy year with injuries! "Yeah but everything seems to be right now and it's great to get back home and get a couple of wins on the board and start to get back to normal."

After the tour will you hang the bike up for a couple of weeks? "No - a month - minimum a month. You won't see me out at all, well not on the bike anyway."

Superprestige opens in Ruddervoorde

The 2004/2005 Superprestige cyclo-cross season opens this Sunday, October 17 in the Belgian town of Ruddervoorde. This season's Superprestige series numbers eight races, beginning in Ruddervoorde and travelling to Hamme-Zogge (October 24), Sint-Michielsgestel (October 31), Asper-Gavere (November 21), Gieten (November 28), Diegem (December 26), Hoogstraten (February 6) before finishing in Vorselaar (February 19).

The following riders will take part in all the Superprestige races:

Elite Men: Bart Wellens, Sven Nys, Ben Berden, Erwin Vervecken, Tom Vannoppen, Sven Vanthourenhout, Peter Van Santvliet, Wim Jacobs, Richard Groenendaal, Wilant van Gils, Maarten Nijland, Camiel van den Bergh, Petr Dlask, Martin Zlamalik, Vaclav Jezek, John Gadret, Christian Heule, Dariusz Gil, Tadeusz Korzeniewski, Jonathan Page.

Espoirs/U23 Men: Kevin Pauwels, Niels Albert, Geert Wellens, Dieter Vanthourenhout, Lars Boom, Eddy Van IJzendoorn, Thijs van Amerongen, Radomir Simunek, Zdenek Stybar, Lucas Flückinger, Mariusz Gil, Marek Pitouch, Jempy Drucker

There will also be a Superprestige junior series.

Points for each race will be awarded as follows: 15-14-13-12-11-10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1, with prize money for the overall standings according to the schedule:

Elite: €25,000, €12,500, €7,500, €5,000, €3,500, €2,500, €2,400, €2,300, €2,200, €2,100, €500, €500, €500, €500, €500.

Espoirs: 1,200, €1,000, €750, €550, €500, €400, €250, €150, €100, €100

Juniors: 3 Eddy Merckx cyclo-cross bikes plus other prizes.

EuroGifts.com signs Van der Pluijm

After contracting Jeroen Blijlevens as an assistant director for EuroGifts.com, team manager Arthur van Dongen has now signed Dutch rider Marvin van der Pluijm for next season. "For us it's a safe thing to have a real rider for the finale in our ranks," said Van Dongen. "Van der Pluijm clearly proved that he's able to match top sprinters. Now that he can focus on cycling only, he'll make that last step.

"This applies to Hoogerland and van Hummel, too," the manager continued, having also signed Kenny van Hummel, Johnny Hoogerland and Roy Curvers to his squad. "They really have it in them to become good pro riders. And Roy Curvers will not only be helping Marvin - with his aggressive riding style he's also shown a great ability to direct a race, and that's very valuable to our team."

Dutch rider award nominations

'Tis this season for cyclist of the year awards and the Dutch have kicked off with their nominations for the male Gerrit Schulte Trofee and female Keetie van Oosten-Hage Bokaal. The men's nominations include the most successful Dutch cyclist of the year in terms of victories, Max van Heeswijk (USPS). Also the winner of last weekend's Paris-Tours World Cup, Erik Dekker (Rabobank), as well as Gerben Löwik (Chocolade Jacques), Michael Boogerd and Karsten Kroon (Rabobank)

For the women's Keetie van Oosten-Hage Bokaal, it's between Olympic TT champion Leontien Zijlaard-van Moorsel (Farm Frites-Hartol), Junior World Road Champion Marianne Vos, perennial favourite Mirjam Melchers (Farm Frites-Hartol), Chantal Beltman (Vrienden vh Platteland) and Junior World IP Champion Marlijn Binnendijk.

The awards will take place in 's-Hertogenbosch on November 29.

Fusar Poli wins in Costa Rica

Daniela Fusar Poli (SC Nobili Rubinetterie Guerciotti) won the second stage of the Vuelta a Costa Rica, a women's stage race around the central American country. The Italian was victorious in the circuit stage of 42 km around the city of Cartago in 1.10'23, with her teammate Sigrid Corneo getting third.

Fusar Poli and Corneo now hold the third and fourth placing in the General Classification of the race, behind the leader Karen Matamoros Zuniga (Costa Rica), Today, the third stage will take the riders 101 km from Porto Vecchio di Sarapiquí to Guápiles. The race ends on Sunday, October 17. It is Fusar Poli's third stage victory this season, after winning in April at the Gran Premio di Lancy and the first stage of the Tour de l'Ardèche in September.

Aston Hill Junior Development Programme (DeVo)

British based MTB club Aston Hill's Junior Development Programme (DeVo for short) provides skills training for 10 - 18yr olds. The program is in its fifth year and works with riders of all abilities to develop their MTB skills using the trails in Aston Hill Mountain Bike Area in Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire.

There are two ability level groups:

DeVo1

DeVo1 is aimed at beginner to intermediate level riders aged 10 - 14yrs. The emphasis on these courses is having fun while at the same time picking up the skills essential to make the most riding off road. It serves as an introduction to the sport of mountain biking and a way to develop skills before moving up to DeVo2.

DeVo2

DeVo2 courses are aimed at intermediate to advanced riders aged 12 - 18yrs. These courses are for riders already racing or looking to get into racing. The sessions focus on the skills essential for when it comes to racing and the program also works with riders to develop their potential to be on the pace come race day.

Every year riders are selected from DeVo2 to ride for the Aston Hill Junior Devo Programme. For more information on the Aston Hill Junior Development Programme, the courses on offer and the DeVo Team, visit: www.astonhill.com.

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