Latest Cycling News for May 28, 2004

Edited by Jeff Jones

Svorada and Pagliarini in hospital

After their crash in Stage 17 of the Giro d'Italia, Lampre teammates Jan Svorada and Luca Pagliarini are in hospital. The accident happened at kilometre 49 of the 153 kilometre stage, when Rubens Bertogliati (Saunier Duval) hit a truck tyre on the road and came down, also bringing Svorada, Pagliarini, Tonti and Valjavec down. The latter two were able to continue the stage, but Svorada and Pagliarini were forced to abandon.

The pair were taken to Bolzano hospital for x-rays, but no bones were broken. Svorada suffered contusions to the head and face, while Pagliarini had a deep contusion on his left collarbone and jaw as well as a cut in the neck.

Veneruso confesses to giving Pantani cocaine

Ciro Veneruso, one of the suspects being questioned in the Marco Pantani affair, has confessed to supplying the former Italian cycling star with cocaine that led to his death in Rimini on February 14. "Yes, it's true: I delivered the last 30 grams of cocaine to Pantani on December 9," was Veneruso's confession as reported by ANSA. "I gave it directly to Fabio Miradossa in Portici."

The interrogations will continue next week as Veneruso's lawyer has renounced his mandate, as he is also defending Fabio Miradossa.

An interview with Chris Boardman

World hour record holder and arguably Britain's greatest ever cyclist, Chris Boardman is finding a perfect role in retirement as a advisor and mentor to the British team. He spoke to Mal Sawford about the team's ambitions at the world's and longer-term goals in an Olympic year.

British cycling legend Chris Boardman
Photo ©: Shane Goss

Chris Boardman is well known to most cycling fans. The one time track pursuit specialist burst into prominence with a world record ride to win the gold medal at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics aboard the revolutionary Lotus 'Superbike'. His career progressed to a number of seasons with the French GAN road team, where he won Tour de France prologue stages and wore the coveted leader's yellow jersey.

His attempts on the world hour record saw him battle Graeme Obree, Miguel Indurain and Tony Rominger, culminating in a distance of 56.375km in 1996, and led to the UCI's introduction of the 'classic' hour record, forcing riders to use traditional track frames with spoked wheels, without any aerodynamic aids. Boardman became the new owner of the 'absolute' record in 2000, riding 49.441km.

Cyclingnews: What is your role with the team from Great Britain?

Chris Boardman: My title is 'expert adviser'. What that actually means is open to interpretation. I do about ten different roles for the organisation from equipment development projects to 'coaching coaches' I suppose you could call it, mentoring for riders as well. To be honest, I guess its still a matter of finding an appropriate role - I seem to have a finger in too many pies at the moment!

CN: You are widely acknowledged as the rider who pioneered the massive technological rush. Do you see that technology carrying on into the bikes and positions that the British team uses today?

CB: Well they [the UCI] pulled it back when they tried to make bikes more conventional but like Formula 1, technology has found a way to move forward. Physiologically the riders are ever so slightly better now, so we're almost coming up to the same time barriers.

Now they've taken away the 'Superman' position which was about as extreme as it gets - which I think was a very good move incidentally - I think that a time of 4:14 is equivalent to the best time I ever did [the current world record of 4:11.114, set in the 'Superman' position at the 1996 World Championships], so once we see that barrier met we're at the same point.

Click here for the full interview

More testing controversy for Jeanson

Canadian cyclist Geneviève Jeanson is once again under a cloud of controversy after missing a drug test after the women's Flèche Wallonne, round 5 of the women's World Cup held in Belgium on April 21. Jeanson, who had blood and urine samples taken before the race, was also required for post-race testing, but told a press conference in Montreal on Thursday that she simply forgot to turn up.

"It was forgotten about, and it was my fault," she told CBCSports. "It's a no-no to say but I just didn't go. With everything that had happened in the morning it was too much. I thought I was finished. I thought my life was over. I didn't understand. I passed a test a few days earlier."

Earlier in the day, Jeanson had received a nasty shock when, following her blood tests, she was told by the UCI that her hematocrit was at 49.5 percent, 2.5 percent over the UCI's limit of 47. But a B sample taken at the same time was reportedly only 44.9 percent - a 10 percent discrepancy between her two samples. She was thus allowed to ride the race (which she won in 2000) and finished 30th, but did not show for post-race testing.

The UCI regards failure to turn up to a post-race test as a positive result, which means Jeanson could be suspended for between one and six months. Her fate rests with the US Anti-Doping Association, as she now holds a US racing licence. She has until Friday, June 4 to explain to the USADA what happened. The USADA's ruling will determine whether Jeanson will be eligible to participate in the Olympics in August. At the very least, she will have to finish in the top eight in this Saturday's Montreal World Cup race in order to qualify for the Canadian team, as she is not yet automatically qualified.

Jeanson has been on the UCI's drug testing list ever since she returned a high hematocrit value before last year's World Championships in Hamilton, Canada. Although she was prevented from starting the women's road race for health reasons, urine tests taken showed no signs of performance enhancing substances such as EPO.

She was also implicated in a Canadian inquiry into a doctor who is alleged to have supplied athletes with banned performance enhancing substances. At the centre of the affair is Dr. Maurice Duquette, who at first admitted then denied supplying Jeanson with EPO. For her part, Jeanson said that, "I've never touched EPO in my life. I've never seen it, I've never been given any and I've never taken any. Never."

SC Nobili Rubinetterie-Guerciotti to America

SC Nobili Rubinetterie-Guerciotti team director Walter Ricci is traveling to North America with a strong team to compete in the Montreal World Cup (May 29), Tour du Grand Montréal (May 31-June 3) and the Wachovia Liberty Classic (June 6). The squad consists of Sigrid Corneo, Alison Wright, Anna Gusmini, Daniela Fusar Poli, Catherine Marsal and Kim Shirley

The rest of the team will remain in Italy for the Gran Premio Città di Castenaso on June 2, with the exception of sprinter Olga Slyusareva, who is in Melbourne for the World Track Championships.

Friday Night Winter Track Racing is back

Series 3 of the Friday Night Winter Track Racing (FNWTR) will take place at Sydney's Dunc Gray Velodrome starting from June 18 and finishing September 24. The racing format will be similar to last year, with Round 1 being a warm up scratch race; round 2 being handicaps; round 3 sprints; round 4 endurance; round 5 combines; and most importantly round 6, beer time.

Again there will be four divisions, subject to numbers:

Div 1 - Serious hard core top class athletes. This division hosts a number of Australian champions.
Div 2 - Not that much easier. This division hosts some former and current Masters World medalists.
Div 3 - Now we're talking. This grade has fast racing for riders who race hard but train soft.
Div 4 - Love your racing. This division is for those who are learning or those who just enjoy the fun.

There will also be junior development sessions, hosted by the incomparable Lionel and Brad Cox. The track opens at 5:30pm and coaching starts at 6:00pm. The cost is $5 and goes to the Junior development team.

More information: www.fnwtr.tk

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