First Edition Cycling News for January 4, 2006

Edited by Hedwig Kröner

Shunted Sullivan searching for new team

By Les Clarke

Sean Sullivan (TIS/Cyclingnews.com)
Photo ©: Shane Goss

After a challenging 2005, former Barloworld pro Sean Sullivan was faced with another hurdle going into the new year - finding another team to ride for. After a change in Team Barloworld management, the Australian rider was told in December last year that his contract, signed just two months earlier in October, was void. Sullivan told Cyclingnews recently, that, "I signed a contract at the start of October, and I was happy with how everything was going; I then heard some murmurings from other riders and staff. I had to chase these up at the beginning of December and basically they said that my contract was void and I was out of the team."

It's a huge blow for the talented Tasmanian, and although he's been bothered by injuries over the last couple of seasons, many believe he still has the potential to perform in Europe. Barloworld's new management obviously didn't share this sentiment, something that disappoints the 27-year-old. "I'm just disappointed with how it worked out, and the fact that I had a signed contract and when the team changed management they cancelled the contracts. There are a few other guys in the same situtation, and to be left without a team in December it's a big blow."

In the immediate future, however, Sullivan is looking ahead to the Australian national road titles and the Tour Down Under, two of Australia's biggest road events. "I've just been training at the moment, getting ready for nationals and the Tour Down Under. I haven't seen the circuit for the nationals, and I guess we'll just see how it goes on the day." And his plans for the rest of 2006? "I'm not sure at the moment - I'm still teamless. I'm talking to Konica-Minolta, another South African team, and I'll try racing with them for a while and get back into a top-level team."

But with fellow Tasmanian Karl Menzies heading from the smaller Advantage Benefits-Endeavour squad to the NRC champions Health Net presented by Maxxis, it's possible that Sullivan can do the same and revive what could be a lean 2006. "I'd definitely consider heading to the States like Karl Menzies - chase up some teams and head over there. But like I said, it's hard to do that in December!" Good performances during January would do his chances of finding a team no harm at all, something he's well aware of, saying, "At the Tour Down Under I'd love to get in a break and do something there - get some results which should help get a contract again."

Ludewig and Gerdemann in altitude

T-Mobile's new Dream Team of former Domina Vacanze rider Jörg Ludewig and former Team CSC member Linus Gerdemann are training together again. After a 12-day training camp in Mallorca before Christmas, the pair spent New Year's Eve in a altitude training camp in Maso Corto, Italy, but Ludewig told the Neue Westfälische newspaper they had a low-key celebration.

"To be honest, I nearly slept through the New Year," he said. "I have such a strenuous program here, it's hard to stay up until midnight. And I have to be out again at 8 a.m." In the snow of the Italian Alps, the Germans cannot of course ride their bikes outside for training. "In the morning we ride for half an hour in the hotel on the roller, then we go cross-country skiing for two-and-a-half hours."

But that's only the morning program. "The best is yet to come," Ludewig continued. "In the afternoons we take the gondola from 3,200 meters down to 2,200 meters, and then we walk back up. With a pulse of 140... Right now it takes us two hours and 20 minutes. At -23° Celsius that's not particularly comfortable but it should bring us something. Afterwards we hit the rollers again in the fitness room. That makes six hours a day training."

Courtesy of Susan Westemeyer

Sergant and wife released

Former ADR soigneur Freddy Sergant and his wife Monique have been released from custody in Gradignan, France. The Belgian couple had been held since January 2005, when they were found in possession of the dangerous drug mixture called "pot belge" in Cahors, and arrested together with more than 20 other persons all thought to be involved in a Franco-Belgian drug trafficking ring, including three ex-professional riders.

Sergant and his wife, who have been reported by Belgian media to have earned €300,000 in the doping network thought in place since 2002, were the last of the arrested persons to be released, but they are still under judicial control. The couple's lawyer told Sporza that their role in the traffic was "only minor". The trial of the 'Cahors affair' is expected to be held in Bordeaux this year.

Fothen brothers together at Gerolsteiner

Team Gerolsteiner's newest brother pair, Marcus (24) and Thomas (22) Fothen, have flown to Mallorca for a private training camp. However, they do not expect to put in their "minimum 160 to 220 km per day" on their own, Marcus told the German newspaper Neuss-Grevenbroicher Zeitung: "There are always other cyclists there, even some others from our team. You always meet somebody you can ride with." The reason for the early departure for training is clear, the German said. "The weather here is simply too bad."

Marcus, who placed 12th in last year's Giro d'Italia and is rated as one of Germany's top talents, was training on Mallorca in December, then flew home to spend Christmas with girlfriend Jessica, who is expecting the couple's first child in May. The German winter prevented any training rides, but he put in time in the fitness studio and on the home trainer or rollers. Marcus expects to start the season the end of February, with races in Chiasso and Lugano, and later with Tireno-Adriatico and Criterium International paving the way for his Tour de France debut this year. Thomas, a newcomer to the team, will ride the Tour of Qatar and the Trofeo Mallorca. The brothers expect to ride together in the Circuit de la Sarthe in April and Rund um Köln on Easter Monday.

Courtesy of Susan Westemeyer

Team Biovail enters third year

Team Biovail, the Canadian women's cycling team sponsored by Biovail Corporation, will continue to ride in support of the Canadian Diabetes Association (CDA) in 2006 by attending events on their behalf and partnering with the CDA on various health and wellness initiatives. The following riders are on the 2006 roster managed by Scott Gerrie: Anne Samplonius, Joëlle Numainville, Natasha Elliott and Stéphanie Bourbeau are newcomers to the squad, while Anna Garnett, Amanda Shaw, Jennifer Magur and Jennifer Stephenson are returning riders.

Anne Samplonius, a veteran to the sport and former silver medalist in the ITT at the World Championships has joined the team after one year as manager of the Women’s Subway Team that produced some great results in 2005. Joëlle Numainville was the 2005 Junior Road and ITT Champion, adding younger talent to the roster. Stephanie Bourbeau joined the team halfway though the 2005 season and was first in GC at Green Mountain Stage Race, as well as being the Quebec ITT Champion. Natasha Elliott, who comes from a running background and attended Coastal Carolina University on a running scholarship, joined the team in the later half of 2005.

The team has announced that its riders will be riding Blue Competition Cycles for the upcoming season.

TDU Junior Cycling Classic at Mawson Lakes

Organised by the South Australian Cycling Federation and Mawson lakes, the Tour Down Under Junior Cycling Classic will be held immediately after the official start of the Tour Down Under at Mawson Lakes in South Australia on Wednesday, January 18, 2006.

The Junior Cycling Classic is expected to attract some of the best South Australian and interstate junior (under 17 year old) cyclists. A series of junior races will be held, including Under 17 male and female, Under 15 male and female and Under 13 male and female. Novice events will also be staged for 8 to 10 year-olds, 11 to 13 year-olds and 14 to 15 year-olds.

"This is a great opportunity for young cyclists to be part of excitement and energy of the Tour Down Under," Mawson Lakes Project Director Chris Branford said. "I urge all young cyclists to put their training to the test and enter the Junior Cycling Classic."

The Junior Cycling Classic is part of the Mawson Lakes activities taking place after the official Tour Down Under race start, including activities for the whole family starting from 8am and running through until 10pm.

More information is available at www.mawsonlakes.com.au. For entries for the Junior Cycling Classic, please contact Jennifer Bonham at sa.info@cycling.org.au

Harman still leading RotS after Burnie

By Rod Morris

Devonport teenager Jarrod Harman remains in the lead in Cycling Tasmania’s fifth annual Rider-of-the-Season award - but the cavalry is coming! Harman, who won the Devonport Wheel last Friday, added further points to his tally at the postponed Burnie Carnival when he won the B Grade Scratch.

He was joined on 28 points by Canberra veteran John Forrest, who throughout the Tasmanian Christmas Carnivals won four races and placed in four other events. The Devonport rider however took the lead via countback, courtesy of five race wins, compared to Forrest’s four.

With Forrest unlikely to compete at any of the four remaining Tasmanian Carnivals, Harman will instead be watching his Tasmanian based rivals, which now include Aaron Jones (25 points), Ryan Innes (24), Nathan Clarke (24) and Tom Robinson (23).

The CT award is based on all handicap finals and all graded scratch races, rewarding the first four placegetters with a sliding scale of points, 5-3-2-1. Previous winners of the award include Jame Carney (2001-02), Michael Johnson (2002-03) and Ben Price who won back-to-back titles in 2003-04 and 2004-05.

South Riana’s Karissa Ling extended her lead in the women’s championship after winning the Burnie Wheel and finishing second in the B Grade Scratch. Ling has now scored 33-points and leads by seven over Sarah Cure, with Laura McCaughey and Grace Sulzberger sharing third place on 20-points. Outside of Ling’s Burnie Wheel win, her other victories have included three B Grade scratch races.

In the junior championship, Ulverstone’s Luke Ockerby maintained his 10-point lead over Scottsdale’s Ben Grenda after both won two races at the Burnie Carnival. Ockerby has 65-points, Grenda, 55 and their nearest challengers are Izac Guest and Sam Brett, who are a further 14-points away in equal third. Ockerby and Grenda have been the dominant riders in the junior age groups with 11 and 10 wins respectively. Grenda is unbeaten in the eight Junior 1 scratch races, which have been held to date.

The award continues at the Hobart Carnival this Sunday, followed the next weekend with the Rosebery - Mersey-Valley double-header and will conclude at the St Helens Carnival on January 21.

Award update

Men
 
Jarrod Harman               28 points
John Forrest                28
Aaron Jones                 25
Ryan Innes                  24
Nathan Clarke               24
Tom Robinson                23
Ben Kersten                 21
Steve Martini               21
Matt Goss                   19
Travis Meyer                17
 
Women
 
Karissa Ling                33 points
Sarah Cure                  26
Laura McCaughey             20
Grace Sulzberger            20
Jessica Berry               18
Emma Smith                  17
Emma Heynes                 16
Tarrisha Jones              13
Belinda Goss                11
Bethany Coleman             11 
 
Juniors
 
Luke Ockerby                65 points
Ben Grenda                  55
Izac Guest                  41
Sam Brett                   41
David Stride                39
Andrew Smith                38
Alex Benson                 33
Matthew Kent                29
Peter Loft                  28
Amy Cure                    28

New formats for 2006 NRC Central Valley Classic

A new individual time trial and an Omnium Points series format has been added to the 2006 edition of the Central Valley Classic, the third event on the 2006 National Race Calendar. The time trial course is well known to central California riders and to participants of the annual Climb to Kaiser event.

The Tollhouse Time Trial is a 6.5 mile (10.4 km) climb with an elevation gain of over 2600 feet (807 m), starting in the small foothill town of Tollhouse northeast of Fresno. "We added a new course to give the climbers a challenging race and to help distinguish our event from other NRC events," said race director Mike Shuemake.

The time trial will be held on Friday, March 10, 2006, and it will include the Pro/ Elite 1 and the Elite 2 fields, and the Pro / Elite 1/2 women. It will be followed by the flat-and-fast Kearney Circuit Race on Saturday, March 11, and the technical five-corner Tower District Criterium on Sunday, March 12th.

Also making a debut at the 2006 Central Valley Classic is an Omnium Points series for all race fields. Points will be awarded to the top finishers at the conclusion of each race, and the riders that accumulate the most points may win additional cash and/or prizes, and the overall winner in each field will receive a trophy. The total purse for all fields in the 2006 Central Valley Classic is $28,000.

This marks the second year that the Central Valley Classic has appeared on the National Race Calendar. The event in 2005 was a success for sponsors and elicited positive responses from racers and team managers. "We are hoping that the new time trial and Omnium format will help to attract even more riders to our event this year," Shuemake added. "All of us on the committee are bike riders and love bike racing, and we take pride in putting on a quality event for spectators, the racers, and most of all our sponsors."

For more information about the race, please visit www.centralvalleyclassic.com.

Subjects needed for a study on cyclist's nutritional habits

A collegiate racer and master’s student at the University of CO at Colorado Springs is looking for subjects to participate in a study investigating the eating patterns and thoughts about food in cyclists. Any cyclist who is over the age of 18 and has been riding or training for over one year can participate in the study. If you are willing to participate in this study please contact the investigator at the following email address or phone number provided below. The study will be totally confidential and consists of three different questionnaires. Thank you for your time. Contact: Shaun K. Riebl at sriebl@uccs.edu or 719-640-5135.

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