First Edition Cycling News for November 24, 2005

Edited by Hedwig Kröner

Heras B test will take longer

The testing of Roberto Heras B sample taken at the penultimate day of the Vuelta a España this year will take longer than expected, according to Spanish media sources. The result of the test carried out on Monday at the Consejo Superior de Deportes (CSD) laboratory in Madrid was said to be inconclusive at this point, with further examinations necessary to establish a clear result. Previous reports thought to have been issued by the rider's surroundings, that the CSD made a formal error in its analysis, have been refuted by the Spanish cycling federation, as well as the laboratory.

CSD director Francisco Rodríguez has told the press that "the processing is not finished; it is long and complicated and will take another 48 hours." The results of the B sample, which might put an end to Roberto Heras' career if the suspicion of EPO use is confirmed, are therefore expected on Friday.

At a press conference held in Madrid hotel Villarreal on Wednesday evening, the Liberty Seguros rider doubted the validity of the urinary rEPO test. "The method isn't valid because it's not precise," Heras said. "I was expecting a negative result, because I have been saying all along that I haven't doped, and that there must be an error." If the result of the counter-analysis remains inconclusive, legal observers say that the case will be suspended.

Millar with Saunier Duval?

Scottish time triallist David Millar, who is currently on a doping suspension, is reported to have signed a two year-deal with Saunier Duval according to Italian website Tuttobiciweb. Millar, who admitted to having used EPO to achieve his 2003 World Championship Gold in Hamilton, Canada, wants to return to racing at the Tour de France 2006. Further goals include the Vuelta a España and the World's in Salzburg, Austria, where he will attempt victory in his speciality again.

Ghent Sixday opens

All eyes at the 2005 Ghent Sixday will be on the pairing of Matt Gilmore and Iljo Keisse, riding their first Ghent Six together. Last year, Gilmore went into the final night in the lead partnered with Robert Bartko and had to withdraw from the race due to illness. Based in Ghent, and holding Belgian nationality, Gilmore has been the local favourite since Etienne de Wilde retired from the six day circuit. Keisse is also a local Ghent rider, and has huge support from the Belgian crowd, so pairing the two of them together is a guaranteed crowd-puller.

Keisse looks very young, but is actually an experienced six-day rider now. He notched up his first six-day win in this year's Grenoble Six, partnered by the experienced Gilmore.

Top six-day pairing Bruno Risi and Kurt Betschart will also be keen for another win in Ghent. And German Robert Bartko, who looked good partnering Gilmore last year, is keen for a win with experienced Aussie six-day man Scott McGrory. The flying Dutchmen, Rob Slippens and Danny Stam, will also want to win again after their victory in Ghent last year. And for an outsider bet, keep an eye on the amazingly fast Franco Marvulli, riding this year's sixday races with his new partner Marco Villa, who is himself a multiple sixday winner.

There is always a strong British contingent in the crowd at Ghent, and the British interest will focus on World Madison champions Rob Hayles and Mark Cavendish. This is their third sixday race together, and Cav looks to be getting used to the routine now. It is widely acknowledged by fans and riders alike that the first year of riding sixdays is a period of learning - and suffering!

For full results and photos of the Ghent Sixday, please click here.

Courtesy of Nick Rosenthal

Cooke not part of T-Mobile women team

The T-Mobile Team professional women’s squad has announced the expansion of its roster, preparing for the season ahead. Kimberly Baldwin, Lyne Bessette, and Rebecca Much are the latest additions to the elite pro racing team, but British rider Nicole Cooke, although originally announced as being signed, will finally not be part of the outfit.

"We have several talented athletes on board and as sometimes happens, we were not able to align Nicole’s personal goals with those of the team," regretted the team’s sports director Andrzej Bek. "We wish Nicole the very best in her future racing career."

Baldwin, Bessette and Much will link up with the other confirmed riders, including Judith Arndt and Ina Yoko Teutenberg, at the team’s first get-together in Munich, Germany, from December 3-4. Both Kimberly Baldwin, four time US National Champion, and Lyne Bessette, two time Olympian and four time Canadian National Champion, are former teammates of Arndt and Teutenberg. "Kimberly has been with our US team for three successful years, winning four races last season and clocking up 16 top three finishes," Bek said. "I am looking forward to continuing to work with her in the future. Both Lyne and Kimberly are top-class cyclists. We are confident that these athletes will all combine together very well in magenta."

Also staying with the team is young talent Rebecca Much. The 19 year-old is a Silver Medalist from the Junior World Championships in Verona in 2004, and is a current U-23 national Champion in the USA. "Rebecca is well equipped for the international challenge. She holds dual German/US citizenship and she is definitely an exciting prospect for the future," predicted Bek.

On the agenda at the gathering in Munich are team building exercises, group and individual meetings to plan race programs for the season ahead, and a review of training plans among other planning activities. With the women’s team still taking shape, the final roster will only be announced at a later date, and the public presentation will take place during the course of the official men's team presentation in Mallorca, Spain, on January 14, 2006.

Team gathering for Liquigas

The 2006 Liquigas-Bianchi team will hold a first pre-season meeting in Salsomaggiore Terme, a Spa centre close to Parma, Northern Italy, from November 28-December 2, 2005. General Manager Roberto Amadio has planned a schedule including team organisation meetings as well as spa treatments.

Ag2r meets in France

French Continental Pro Team Ag2r-Prévoyance will meet for the first time in their 2006 setup in Temple sur Lot, Southwestern France, from December 6-15, 2005. The squad, which will include Francisco Mancebo and Christophe Moreau next season, currently counts 25 riders and may enter the ProTour next year. In that case, two additional riders will be signed.

The team gathering will combine training rides (60-180 km), meetings between the directors, riders and staff, technical requirements as well as a day of relaxation in Bordeaux. Ag2r rider Simon Gerrans will not be able to attend as he is staying in Australia during the European off-season. All 24 remaining pros will be present: José Luis Arrieta, Mikel Astarloza, Sylvain Calzati, Iñigo Chaurreau, Philip Deignan, Cyril Dessel, Samuel Dumoulin, John Gadret, Stéphane Goubert, Yuriy Krivtsov, Julien Loubet, Francisco Mancebo, Laurent Mangel, Lloyd Mondory, Christophe Moreau, Carl Naibo, David Navas, Jean-Patrick Nazon, Erki Putsep, Christophe Riblon, Mark Scanlon, Ludovic Turpin, Aliaksandr Usau and Tomas Vaitkus.

Lelli compensated by Cofidis

The Cofidis Cycling team has been ruled to pay a compensation of 50.000 Euros to Italian rider Massimiliano Lelli, who was sacked by the squad after being suspected of doping in what has been called the "Cofidis case". The Tourcoing court sentence, establishing the illegal dissolution of his contract and damages, was pronounced on November 8, 2005. In August 2004, Lelli was accused of drug abuse by Philippe Gaumont and David Millar. Lelli had been with the team since 1998.

"Walla Walla" Kersten at Sydney Thousand

Ben Kersten with coach Gary Sutton, promoting the Sydney Thousand
Photo ©: Les Clarke

Track cycling champion Ben Kersten has earned the tag "Walla Walla" after his win from the scratch mark in the Sydney Cup On Wheels, at Dunc Gray Velodrome, last Saturday night. Kersten, 24, of Wollongong, is named after the 1930s pacer who won from seemingly impossible positions after conceding huge starts in handicap races. The expression "Starting further behind than Walla Walla" was written into the Australian vernacular decades ago and lives on today.

The similarity with the horse stems from the fact Kersten - in the space of 12 months - has won two Sydney Cups, the Melbourne Cup on Wheels and the Austral Wheelrace, all from the back mark while giving away starts of up to 230 metres. Next Sunday afternoon at Dunc Gray velodrome, Kersten will line up on the mark of absolute scratch in the rebirth of the historic Sydney Thousand, first run at the SCG in 1903 before a crowd of 54,000 - more than 12,000 greater than today's ground capacity.

Facing Kersten will be World and Olympic Champions from Germany, France, Japan, Korea, Zimbabwe and New Zealand, as well as the cream of Australia in the form of state champions. "I take every race as it comes - I know I have to pass every rider in order to win," said Kersten who will also contest two other races on Sunday, the aces international keirin and the aces scratch race. "No one told 'Walla Walla' he could not win giving such big starts away, nor will I hear of it in my case," he added.

Ironically, Walla Walla is the best known winner of a Sydney Thousand, not one of the many bike riders who have sweated and strained over the years. Records show the equine legend winning a Sydney Thousand harness race in 1930 at Harold Park Paceway.

WADA launches Latin American Regional Office

The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) is launching its Latin American regional office in Montevideo, Uruguay, on November 24, 2005.

"Establishing a stronger presence in Latin America is a significant step in the global fight against doping in sport," said David Howman, WADA director general. "It’s an important region that is willing to do even more to rid sport of doping. We will now be able to work more closely with our government and sport stakeholders there to develop and disseminate effective education about the dangers and consequences of doping in sport, and to facilitate implementation and compliance with the World Anti-Doping Code."

The official launch is being celebrated during the meeting of ministers of the MERCOSUR (Mercado Comun del Sur), involving the participation of ten South American countries. "This is a perfect opportunity to officially launch WADA’s presence in Latin America," continued Howman. "It reflects the commitment of both WADA and the region to work together to stem the scourge of doping in sport, address concerns of athlete health, and level the playing field for athletes worldwide."

The Latin American office, to be housed in the World Trade Center in Montevideo, will physically open in early 2006. It is WADA’s fourth regional office, joining those serving Europe (Lausanne, Switzerland), Asia/Oceania (Tokyo, Japan), and Africa (Cape Town, South Africa).

Nerac/OutdoorLights.com announces 2006 roster

U.S Continental Team Nerac/OutdoorLights.com has announced a three year sponsorship agreement and its 2006 line up. Returning for next season are Adam Hodges-Myerson, Aaron Brown, Dave Werling, Patrick Heidkamp, John Hanson and Robby Ketchell. Joining the team for 2006 are Thad Dulin (former Jittery Joe’s), Hoyt Halvorson (former Krystals), Justin Spinelli (former TargetTraining), Scott Edge (former OutdoorLights.com), Todd Yesefski (former TIAA-CREF), Jacob Fetty (former Honey Stinger), Jon Hamblen (former Fiordefrutta) with two additional riders to be named. The team, whose targets include the U.S. NRC Series as well as international events, will be managed by Thad Fischer.

The 2006 team sponsors include Nerac, Outdoor Lighting Perspectives, International Bicycle Centers, NCcycling, Campagnolo, Pegoretti, Michelin, Giordana, Giro, Crank Brothers, Tifosi Optics, Cinelli, WBT and Cycle-Smart.

Tour de Tryptophan/24 Hours of the Fullerton Loop

The second Annual Tour de Tryptophan/24 Hours of Fullerton will take place in Fullerton, California, from Friday, November 25 at noon until Saturday at noon. Proceeds from this Thanksgiving weekend event will go to Hans Rey's Wheels 4 Life charity that provides bikes to people in underprivileged societies.

The Fullerton Loop is a 12-mile mountain bike ride through city parks, neighbourhoods, horse trails and single tracks in Fullerton, California. There have been regular weekly mountain bike rides on the loop since about 1983. Overnight camping has been arranged at the bottom of the Brea Dam on Harbor Blvd., north of Chapman Ave at the end of the loop. Plenty of snacks, prizes, raffles, event T-shirts, coffee and a free tech area will be available.

For more information about Wheels 4 Life, click here.

A Penny Farthing ride in Sydney

A sight reminiscent of the 1890s will return to Sydney streets on Thursday, November 24, when a rider on a penny farthing bicycle will make a nostalgic run down George Street. The ancient vehicle, ridden by world penny farthing racing champion Phil Dixon, will start at the Haymarket and travel the length of George Street before swinging around Circular Quay to a finish at the Opera House.

The bicycles were named Penny Farthings because of the likeness of the large front wheel and the tiny rear wheel to a penny and a farthing in the pre-decimal currency - a penny being roughly a cent in value and a farthing one quarter of that. Two riders from the Police City Bicycle Squad on modern day mountain bikes will accompany the penny farthing through lunch time traffic in stark contrast between Sydney's past and present.

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