First Edition Cycling News for April 5, 2004Edited by Jeff Jones & Anthony Tan 88th Ronde van Vlaanderen
The strong southwest wind made today's 88th Ronde van Vlaanderen one of the most difficult in recent years, and also one of the hardest to judge. With 26 riders getting away early on, it was clear that this Ronde would not follow the usual script. After 240 km, the peloton was in several small groups, but surprisingly a large group came together on the Muur van Geraardsbergen with 17 km to go from which the winners eventually emerged. An attack by Steffen Wesemann (T-Mobile) and Dave Bruylandts (Jacques), together with one of the early breakaways Leif Hoste, opened up a lead at the top of the Muur and the three were not able to be caught. In the three man sprint in Ninove-Meerbeke, Wesemann was far too strong for Hoste and Bruylandts and won his first World Cup race. Full results &
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Steffen Wesemann (T-Mobile, 1st)
Steffen Wesemann (33) became the second German to win the Ronde after Rudi Altig in 1964, and he did it in style. Attacking on the Muur with Dave Bruylandts, Wesemann worked hard with the Belgian right until the finish, despite the fact that Leif Hoste (Lotto-Domo) was sitting on, not contributing to the break. "The team supported and protected me well," said Wesemann after the finish. "I had focused on the Muur. I wanted to be fresh there and close to the best riders. That turned out to be a good decision. "When we were riding to the finish with three, I asked my sport director Mario Kummer who Bruylandts and Hoste were. Mario assured me that I could beat them in the sprint. I stayed calm and finished it off."
Leif Hoste (Lotto-Domo, 2nd) "If you had told me before the start that I would be second in the Ronde van Vlaanderen, I would have laughed it off. I received instruction from the team to go in an early break. First of all I managed that. But apparently there was more to come. Finally we went with three at the front of the race." When asked why he chased down Bruylandts' attack in the final kilometre, Hoste replied, "I ride for myself. I don't ride for the national team, right? I didn't have to ride at the front. I had spent all day in front and I had Van Petegem and Van Bon behind me. They were the top men and me the helper. I'm happy with my second place and had a real super day."
Dave Bruylandts (Chocolade Jacques, 3rd) "I'm a bit disappointed, but I knew it would be difficult against Wesemann in the sprint, so I had to do something. To finish solo was the only way I could go home with the winner's flowers. I had told my girlfriend Femke [who had a bad crash on Friday] that I would bring flowers home. Third place also gets flowers even though I was of course close to winning. "I tried to ride away, and if Hoste hadn't reacted, then I would have won the Ronde van Vlaanderen. You always have to let the fastest sprinter react to an attack and that was Wesemann. I'm angry at the rider Hoste but not at him as a person. He rode a great race and when we were teammates we shared a room together. "Last year I was 10th, this year I wanted better. I made the podium, as I had aimed for."
Paolo Bettini (Quick.Step-Davitamon, 10th) "The early break completely changed the whole course of the race. I had based my race on Van Petegem. We spent a lot of energy in the chase. I paid cash for that in the last 20 kilometres." Johan Museeuw (Quick.Step-Davitamon, 15th) "It was strange, all the favourites were looking at each other. I was good, but no more than that. To win the Ronde van Vlaanderen you must be more than good. I can still do big things in Paris-Roubaix. I'm still very determined."
Peter Van Petegem (Lotto-Domo, 16th)
"It was a peculiar race. From the start there were some 30 riders who could well find each other. I had asked my team not to do anything crazy. On the Tenbosse I put in an extra effort, otherwise we would never have caught the break. I paid for it on the Muur but overall I'm happy that we rode so well as a team."
Tom Boonen (Quick.Step-Davitamon, 25th) "The team is disappointed. But we had confidence in Museeuw and went through with that. I gave everything and rode the whole time at the top. Otherwise I would have sat well in front."
Ludo Dierckxsens (Landbouwkrediet-Colnago, 27th) "It was a very tough race. I was again good today, but I had to go deep into my power arsenal. What a race. I felt that I could bridge the gap to the leaders. Why should I sit still? In the finale, the group suddenly split apart and the three went away. I find Wesemann-Hoste-Bruylandts to be a nice podium. The guys earned it. Next week there's still Paris-Roubaix, then I can also do something." Vandenbroucke puncturesThere's never a good time to puncture in a race, but Frank Vandenbroucke (Fassa Bortolo) flatted right at the foot of Tenbossestraat, at a critical phase. "Team leader Ferretti had urged me not to push too much before the Muur. So I didn't. But what happened? Just before we got to Tenbosse, I stopped with a flat tyre. So I came to the foot of the Muur in 40th position and I could forget it. Therefore I'm disappointed with the result, but not with the race that I rode. I felt good." Crashes claim severalThe wind and the nerves claimed a number of victims in today's Ronde van Vlaanderen, including Oscar Freire (Rabobank), Baden Cooke (FDJeux.com), Gerben Löwik (Jacques), Marcus Ljungqvist (Alessio-Bianchi), Stéphane Augé (Credit Agricole), Mirko Celestino, Giosue Bonomi (Saeco) and even race winner Steffen Wesemann (T-Mobile). Oscar Freire finished 23rd, but was taken to hospital to get x-rays of his nose, which he is afraid is broken. Baden Cooke had to get four stitches in his elbow, but hopes he can start Gent-Wevelgem on Wednesday. Briek Schotte dies
Belgian cyclist Albéric "Briek" Schotte died at 10:30am on Sunday in Kortrijk, aged 84. Suffering from a lung problem since last December, Schotte died in his sleep in hospital, less than an hour after the 88th Ronde van Vlaanderen started. Schotte was one of the true Flandriens, and a two time winner of the Ronde van Vlaanderen and the World Championships in his career that spanned 20 years. The following obituary was penned by cycling expert Benjo Maso, who gave permission for it to be published on Cyclingnews. How fitting that Briek Schotte died during the Ronde van Vlaanderen. Although he had won other important races (Paris-Tours, Paris-Brussels Gent-Wevelgem and the World Championship), he has always been identified with the Ronde. Not only because he participated 20 times in a row, winning twice (1942 and 1948), but also because he personified almost perfectly the "national spirit" of the Flemish people, propagated by Karel van Wijnendaele, the founder of the Ronde: not in the least elegant or stylish, but hard-working, tough and honest. Schotte was the son of a poverty stricken farmer. He had five brothers and sisters and because the family couldn't afford a bicycle for all six, every day young Briek had to take two of his brothers on his bike when he went to school, five miles from his home. It must have been a good training, because when he was fifteen, he discovered he could beat most other boys in local races. He also discovered that on a bike he could make much more money than as a farm hand.
However, he realized he had to have some training if he wanted to become a professional. Because he had to do his nine hour working day at the farm of his parents, he started at four or five in the morning to have some spare hours in the afternoon. No wonder, later in his career he was considered one of the toughest riders of the peloton. He proved it in the terrible stages in the Alpes of the TdF of 1948 when it was freezing and snowing. He wasn't a climber at all, but he was only beaten by Gino Bartali. Schotte's style as a rider was unique. He bent over his handlebars as a predator over his prey, the upper body part of his body shook constantly from left to right, and every movement seemed to cost an incredible effort. Moreover, he moaned constantly as loud as a female tennis player. One of his colleagues said once, "When I had a weak moment, I only had to look at Schotte to feel much better. His style seemed not very efficient, but that didn't impede him to become one of the best riders of his generation. What's more, he as one the very few who didn't use doping, he never bought or sold a race and - as one of his colleagues said - he was honest beyond belief. May he rest in peace. Briek Schotte's Ronde van Vlaanderen results 1959: Abandoned after he broke his frame Also won: Gent-Wevelgem (1950, 1955), Paris-Brussels (1946, 1952), Paris-Tours (1946, 1947), Scheldeprijs (1955), Challenge Desgrange-Colombo (1948). Rabobank stays in cycling until 2008The Rabobank cycling program will remain in existence until at least 2008, the team management confirmed on Sunday. The Dutch bank sponsors a variety of cycling teams, including the men's pro team, a division III team, the national team, junior and amateur teams, and is almost synonymous with Dutch cycling. "The vision of [Theo] De Rooij and his team leaders and the international developments have given us confidence that the Rabobank can still bring a lot to this sponsorship of cycling," said Rabobank director Piet van Schijndel. "The expectations, in combination with the key status of the project, convinced us." Rabobank will spend approximately €10 million per year on the sponsorship of the professional team, and this money is well spent according to the bank. "More than 90 percent of the local Rabobanks and our co-workers, who are closest to our nine million shareholders, think that we should go on with this. We'll continue with our own Rabobank fashion, with an eye for the foundation of the whole sport and the recreational riders. The fundamental point remains that we want to help all cycling in the Netherlands move forward. Thus for instance the KNWU (Dutch cycling federation) has had a record number of licence holders and they are seeing a growth in the youth ranks." Van Schijndel added that the company's marketing plans will continue to revolve around cycling. "In the past few years we've had good experiences with our marketing campaigns, like internet banking around the Tour de France and various campaigns with Dutch toppers like Boogerd and Dekker. We'll develop that further. and sponsoring will strengthen our position as an important financial services provider." Team manager Theo de Rooij was naturally very happy with the sponsorship extension, saying that, "The organisation of the team is as solid as a house. I'm particularly happy that Rabobank has confidence in the organisation. The UCI Pro Tour will offer the team big chances. Everyone with us in the team is ready to take that challenge with Rabobank. I'm convinced that we will not only maintain our international top status, we will build on it." De Rooij concluded, "Through the decision of Rabobank we can keep giving some 100 people jobs in cycling. And that is also a big stroke of luck."
SC Nobili Rubinetterie-Guerciotti presented
Italian women's trade team, SC Nobili Rubinetterie-Guerciotti, was presented to the public a few days ago by the CEO of Nobili Rubinetterie, Dr. Pierluigi Nobili, confirming their 16-rider team roster for 2004. A producer of upmarket water taps, Nobili Rubinetterie is also the co-sponsor of Division I men's team, Vini Caldirola-Nobili Rubinetterie, which boasts 2000 Giro d'Italia winner Stefano Garzelli and Russian cyclist Pavel Tonkov, also a winner of the Giro in 1996. SC Nobili Rubinetterie-Guerciotti, on the other hand, also has its share of performers, including Russians Valentina Polkhanova and current world points race champion Olga Slyusareva, as well as Frenchwoman Catherine Marsal. In addition to these three accomplished riders, there will be nine Italians and Swiss rider Sabrina Emmasi, as well as two Australian riders, Kym Shirley and Alison Wright, both graduates of the successful Australian Institute of Sport women's road program. The diverse range of talent is complemented by a wide range of goals for SC Nobili Rubinetterie-Guerciotti in 2004, including the women's World Cup (spearheaded by Alison Wright), the Giro d'Italia Femminile (led by Valentina Polkhanova), and the World Track Championships and Olympic aspirations of Slyusareva, Wright, and Marsal. Italian bike manufacturer Guerciotti will be supplying frames for the team, with Walter Zini as Directorre Sportivo. SC Nobili Rubinetterie-Guerciotti roster for 2004 PhotographyImages by SC Nobili Rubinetterie-Guerciotti
Liberty Seguros for Circuit cycliste de la SartheSpanish team Liberty Seguros will be fielding the same six-man squad used in the Ronde van Vlaanderen for the upcoming Circuit Cycliste Sarthe-Pays de la Loire (UCI 2.3), to be held in France from April 6-9. The team shall be comprised of René Andrle, Dariusz Baranowski, Carlos Barredo, Allan Davis, Rafael Díaz Justo, and Luis León Sánchez. La Ruta de Los Conquistadores announcedConsidered one of the toughest mountain bike races in the world, the 2004 edition of the La Ruta de Los Conquistadores will take place in Costa Rica from November 12-14, 2004. Covering over 300 miles and 30,000 vertical feet of climbing in three days, riders will retrace the historic steps of the Spanish conquistadors, and according to the press release, competitors will be faced with "endless hike-a-bike through mud that will peal the skin from the riders' heels, brutal climbs up smoldering volcanoes, long tricky descents through coffee plantations, and so many climate changes that riders may suffer heat stroke and hypothermia on the same day!" If this sounds like your cup of tea, go to: www.adventurerace.com or www.mountainbikecostarica.com. Vuelta a Colombia announcedThis year's edition of the Vuelta a Colombia will be held from June 6-20 and features 15 stages, beginning with a 5.7 kilometre prologue in Pasto. Over the next 14 days, riders will tackle 13 road stages ranging from 108 kilometres to 203.7 kilometres, with a 32 kilometre individual time trial in Bogotá on the penultimate day before finishing with a 100 kilometre circuit race around Bogotá on June 20. The Stages
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