First Edition Cycling News for October 1, 2005

Edited by Hedwig Kröner and Jeff Jones

Guidi's B test negative

The Phonak Cycling Team was informed by Swiss Cycling that Fabrizio Guidi's B test, taken on September 21, 2005, in connection with an out-of-competition check ahead of the Hamburg Cyclassics ProTour race has come back negative for EPO. Therefore, the team has announced that the proceedings against the 33 year-old Italian will be stopped. The team's temporary suspension against Guidi was lifted immediately after the announcement on Friday afternoon.

Aitor Gonzalez denies

Although Euskaltel's Aitor Gonzalez has received an official document informing him that he tested positive during the Vuelta a España for what the biggest Spanish newspaper, El Pais, claims to be an anabolic metabolite, the Spanish rider denies having taken "any prohibited substance whatsoever."

While the affair started a few days ago with only rumours to supply it, Gonzalez was since notified by the UCI - but not his team, who has not taken any action against its rider yet. "Aitor has received an official note, but he insists that he's taken nothing," said Euskaltel team manager Miguel Madariaga. "He's shaken up, and the letter caught him by surprise. The team still hasn't received anything official."

Gonzalez' representative, Ángel Buenache, believes that the leaking of the information to the press is related to the quarrels between the UCI and RFEC, the Spanish Cycling Federation. "It's alarming that this notice leaks after there has been a series of complaints against the UCI by the RFEC," Buenache told Spanish daily Marca. "This is directed against Spanish cycling."

Meanwhile, Gonzalez has issued a statement in which he expresses his will to take legal action against "the persons, institutions and public organisms" that have "violated" his fundamental rights, as well as those who have "damaged" his and his team's image.

Buenache, too, thinks that the damage is already done. "Nobody can undo that the whole European press published that Aitor tested positive. But he never did test positive, in no place. We don't deny or admit anything, but the presumption of innocence was violated, as well as the right of defense and the protection of data," he concluded.

Spezialetti and Zanini to Liquigas

Liquigas-Bianchi has hired two additional Italian riders for next season: Alessandro Spezialetti and Stefano Zanini. Spezialetti, who is currently riding for Lampre-Caffita, will re-join Liquigas captain Danilo Di Luca, with whom he used to be teammates already at Saeco. Zanini is currently racing the Circuit Franco-Belge.

More contract news

Christian Vandevelde has extended his contract with Danish team CSC. The 29 year-old American is therefore staying with the ProTour squad managed by Tour de France winner Bjarne Riis.

Team Barloworld will add Jens Erik Madsen to its roster for next season. The 24 year-old Dane is leaving Glud & Marstrand Horsens to join the South African team.

Last but not least, U23 world champion Dmytro Grabovskyy has made it to Quick.Step, according to GvA. The 19 year-old Ukranian, who is also European time trial champion, has signed a two-year deal with the Belgian team but will not turn pro before 2007.

Team rosters for Memorial Cimurri

On Saturday, October 1, the first Memorial Cimurri-Gran Premio Bioera, a UCI-rated 1.1 event in Italy, will be held. Four ProTour teams (Fassa Bortolo, Lampre-Caffita, Domina Vacanze and Saunier Duval-Prodir) will be participating in the 192 km-circuit race starting in Cavriago and ending in Reggio Emilia, lining up 18 squads in total. The stars of the one-day race look to be Alessandro Petacchi and Gilberto Simoni, who is preparing next week's races, the Coppa Sabatini, Giro dell'Emilia and Gran Premio Beghelli.

Lampre's sprinter Daniele Bennati will be missing the event due to illness. "It would have been a good race for him but Daniele is at home with a flu and will not be at the start tomorrow," said Lampre's directeur sportif Fabrizio Bontempi. "He will come back at Coppa Sabatini on Thursday to prepare for Paris-Tours, the last big target of his end of season."

Lampre's roster for Memorial Cimurri thus reads as follows: Gilberto Simoni, Giosuè Bonomi, Oleksandr Kvachuk, Marco Marzano, Samuele Marzoli, Evgueni Petrov, Daniele Righi and Andrea Tonti.

Swiss Continental team LPR is sending the following riders to the event: Daniele Contrini, Ivan De Gasperi, Daniele De Paoli, Alessandro Maserati, Giuseppe Muraglia, Danilo Napolitano, Mikhaylo Khalilov and Mauro Santambrogio.

Italian Team Miche has announced the following line-up for the race: Antonio D'Aniello, Giairo Ermeti, Pasquale Muto, Alberto Tacconi, Fabio Borghesi, Przemyslaw Niemec, Slawomir Kohut and Seweryn Kohut.

Godefroot to become Belgian coach?

With a new World Champion in its ranks, Tom Boonen, and successful selector José de Cauwer announcing he was quitting the position, Belgium is searching for its next national cycling coach. One possible successor to De Cauwer is Walter Godefroot, currently team manager with T-Mobile - but the Belgian has announced retirement a few months ago and would be theoretically be available.

"Never say never," Godefroot told Belgian media. "You know that I've been national coach before? In 1982, during three months, for Women and Juniors," the 62 year-old said, also saying that he will take things easy for a few months after his last race with T-Mobile (probably Paris-Tours). "And then? I'll probably need a new challenge," the Belgian added.

"But the person that will become national coach shouldn't think that it's a end-of-career job. Am I able to cope with the stress, critics and pressure? I've been working for a top team in Germany all these years, so I know what critics are like nobody else," Godefroot concluded.

Theunisse creates training centre for disabled

Former professional rider Gert-Jan Theunisse is creating a training centre for disabled persons on the Spanish island of Mallorca. The camp in Cala Millor, which will be fully equipped for wheelchairs, is to be built up during this winter. "As an ambassador for sportsmen with a handicap I thought it my duty to bring something about," said 42 year-old Theunisse, who is himself disabled by 13 per cent. The centre will be sponsored by Theunisse's personal supporters Powerplate and Eurotech.

Funeral arrangements for John Ibbotson

John Ibbotson
Photo ©: Daniel Schamps

The funeral of British rider John Ibbotson, who died suddenly of unknown causes this week, will take place on Friday, October 7 at 3:00pm in St Peters Church in Walton on the Hill, Surrey. Post-funeral arrangements are still being finalised. Everyone and anyone is invited, and those coming are asked to stick to the dress code, which is no suits, ties and shirts.

It has also been decided no flowers, but a 'John Ibbotson Memorial Trust' has been opened. Donations will be accepted in the form of cheques, but it won't be possible to make money transfers as there is no account number yet. The aim is to put this money towards sponsoring a young rider or club, or just something close to John's heart.

Cheques should be made payable to 'John Ibbotson Memorial Trust' and can be sent to:

Sam at Fit-For
15 High Street
Tadworth
KT20 5QU
Great Britain

2005 Bay Area Super Prestige Cyclo-Cross Series

With the image of the San Francisco 49'er football stadium looming in the background, the 2005 Bay Area Super Prestige Cyclo-Cross series will kick off its 2005 season this Sunday, October 2 with the opening round of the Northern California classic. Returning to the sandy former landfill of Candlestick Point, riders in 12 different categories will be chasing ground squirrels away from their favourite barricade sections and short run-ups for the first two rounds in 2005.

The final two races will return for the fourth season to the spiritual home of 'Cross on the San Francisco Peninsula-Coyote Point Recreation Area on the shores of SF Bay. Starting off the weekend, Saturdays "Bianchi 'Cross" will be the celeste-flavoured event on December 3 followed by the classic CCCP (Cyclo Cross @ Coyote Point) on Sunday that traces the edge of the water in the 75 yard-long season highlight on the beach.

New for 2005 is the "Ritchey Neutral Pit", a big part of Pilarcitos Cyclesports customer service goal for a "0" DNF race day. Ritchey is providing five wheelsets that will be available to any racer reaching the pit located at the most distant end of each course in the series.

"If you flat on your first lap and spares are back at the S/F line, that's a complete 'No Fun' race day", according to Tom Simpson, race co-director. "We want all our customers to have a fighting chance to finish every race they start." And especially cast medals featuring the BASP logo will be waiting on the podium for the top three finishers of each event.

The 2005 Bay Area Super Prestige Cyclo-Cross Series is scheduled as follows:

Round 1: October 2nd - Candlestick Point
Round 2: October 23rd - Candlestick Point
Round 3: December 3rd - Coyote Point-Bianchi 'Cross
Round 4: December 4th - Coyote Point (CCCP)

"Take a Kid Mountain Biking Day"

October 2 has been nominated as Australia's inaugural "Take a Kid Mountain Biking Day" to fit with the same initiative occurring in the US on October 1.

Tony Scott, Executive Officer of Mountain Bike Australia, said, "We see this day as part of what we hope will be a worldwide initiative in the next few years, where on the one day in October kids all around the world will get out on their mountain bike and explore the joys of mountain biking in the outdoors."

He added, "In Australia, for the first year we have 12 clubs and organisations involved, mainly located on the east coast."

For more information, please go to www.mtba.asn.au

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