First Edition Cycling News for September 12, 2004Edited by Jeff Jones and Hedwig Kröner Time trial yields few surprisesHamilton dedicates win to September 11 victims
The time trial specialists had Stage 8 of the Vuelta all to themselves, having a completely flat 40.1 km test against the clock around Almusafes. At the end of the day it was the Olympic champion in this discpline, Tyler Hamilton (Phonak) who averaged nearly 51 km/h in baking 35 degree temperatures to win the stage ahead of former (and future) teammates Victor Hugo Peņa and Floyd Landis (US Postal-Berry Floor). "My hand has been hurting me a bit since my crash on stage 4 but as Olympic champion I was confident in myself," Tyler said after the stage. "To not get the victory today would have been a disappointment. For me, it is also special because now I have won a stage in all three grand tours and not too many riders have done that." Hamilton continued, dedicating his victory to the victims of the September 11 bombing three years ago. "It was an important day for the world, it was three years ago today was 9/11 and I want to dedicate this victory to those who lost their lives in that tragedy, I think it is special that an American could win today. If I wasn't able to win I was rooting for Floyd Landis." At that point Floyd Landis, who has donned the race leader's golden jersey again, entered the room and asked Tyler, "Why didn't you let me win?" To which Tyler replied joking, "As you know Floyd is going to be my teammate next year and he was ahead at the first split time and we had a radio, so I told him to slow down." After shaking Tyler's damaged hand, race leader Landis told Cyclingnews that he "expected Tyler to win today - he won the Olympics. My objective was to win the leader's jersey...I would have like to have won, but I am happy that Tyler won, he will be my teammate next year and it was an outstanding performance." Vuelta Stage 8 - Full
results, report & photos, Live
report Lance's big day in San FranciscoBy Tim Maloney, European editor in San Francisco
Despite his decision to not race in Sunday's T-Mobile International, Lance Armstrong showed he is still very welcome in the City By The Bay. San Francisco's Mayor Gavin Newsom declared Friday, September 10 Lance Armstrong Day and the six time Tour de France champion was beaming as he received a proclamation from Hizzoner Newsom, the 42nd mayor of the City By The Bay. Newsom himself was clearly delighted to have Lance on hand to close out the weeks business on a positive note. Of his honouree, the dynamic, telegenic 36 year old Newsom gushed, "This guy is awesome... I am proud to declare today Lance Armstrong Day in San Francisco." And Mayor Newsom also provided major support to the T-Mobile International, Presented by BMC Software bicycle race, saying that, "last year we had 600,000 people at the race and someday we want to get to a million." Despite his obvious affection for his hometown of Austin, Texas and his special relationship with Paris, France, Armstrong was effusive in his comments about San Francisco. After a day out with his three kids at the Bay Area Discovery Museum, Armstrong returned to City Hall for his meeting with Newsom. "I love this city; it's my favorite city in America; such a cosmopolitan place," said Lance. "To continue the Mayor's comments, the (T-Mobile) race is huge and it will continue to grow. I'm hoping that this race is in the Pro Tour and you'll see the best riders in the world, the top 18 teams racing up Fillmore Street hill." Armstrong elaborated his reasons for withdrawing from the T-Mobile International Sunday, saying, "I feel okay but as you know, I have a slight injury... it's really the first time in my career that I've ever had tendonitis. I've been lucky [avoiding injury] my entire career, really my entire life. I haven't broken any bones or had a serious injury like that. It started back towards the end of the Tour but I didn't talk about it. It never got better; I tried to push it but this is not a race where you can fake it. This is one of the hardest races on the calendar. But our team will be strong here. "I did try last week to ride hard and [Thursday] as well, but knowing how hard the race is, how steep Fillmore Street is... it's not like riding down Embarcadero. Fillmore is tough and there's a lot of pressure on the body. It's just not wise. I'm a professional rider and expect to be one next year." Rather than race on Sunday, Lance won't hide out with the VIP's. Instead, Armstrong will go around the T-Mobile race course to salute the huge crowds gathered on the streets of San Francisco. "I'll be on Fillmore and go around the course... I'll be out there." As for what happens in 2005, Armstrong spoke very generally next year when his new Discovery Channel team enters the 18 team Pro Tour with a 28-rider squad. "I really haven't found the motivation to start thinking about [2005]... I don't know yet. I'll start my fall season training program [for next season] November 1 and I suspect that when I get back into training, that might get me going again. I've always said that with the Pro Tour, I might want to do some of the races I haven't done before, so I'll take my approach to next year step by step." Armstrong suing for €2 millionTwo and a half months after the the publication of the book L.A. Confidentiel by British journalist David Walsh and Pierre Ballester - which he had tried to prevent without success - Lance Armstrong has now set out to sue the publisher Martiničre, the authors, his ex-soigneur Emma O'Reilly as well as French magazine L'Express for printing excerpts. According to a statement issued by Michel Zaoui, the magazine's attorney, the defamation of character case involves €2 million and a preliminary court date has been set for December 1, 2004. A second charge of complicity is also being made against Emma O'Reilly and with a hearing scheduled for December 9. M. Zaoui declared he would be asking for the two cases to be treated at the same hearing, while not expecting a final ruling before 2006. Armstrong's lawyers told AFP, "The pre-publication of excerpts in L'Express, together with the book's publication on the next day, were merely a commercial event destined to make enormous profits to the detriment of Lance Armstrong." In France the book was indeed much talked about and a best-seller, although it did not offer any conclusive proof that Armstrong had ever used performance-enhancing drugs. Wood on target to win the 2004 World Cup
With less than 24 hours remaining until the final round of the World Cup in Nürnberg, it is the Australian Oenone Wood that is attracting everyone's attention. After only a few years in the sport, Wood is currently one of the leading female cyclists in the world and if she takes the overall World Cup win this Sunday, she'll become only the second ever Australian to win the series after Anna Millward's success in both 1999 and 2001. Kristy Scrymgeour caught up with Wood to chat about her year of success and what the next couple weeks will hold for her. Not only has Wood been successful in the World Cup, but she dominated early season racing in Australia, and was instrumental along with Olivia Gollan in the teamwork surrounding Sara Carrigan's gold medal performance in the Olympic Road Race last month. According to her teammate Olivia Gollan, who has raced with Wood for the last three years, she is a very dedicated team player with the potential to go a lot further in the sport. "At the Olympics she was literally shaking with excitement when Sara won the gold," said Gollan of Wood. "She is an awesome talent and so dedicated to the team. She's like a Judith Arndt character, who has the ability to with everything, but is so willing to help a teammate get the result." For now though, it is her team that will be giving 100% to help her through this last race, just as they have all season. Click here for the full interview Hermida unfit to start MTB World'sBy Rob Jones in Les Gets On Saturday morning the UCI did blood tests on 35 riders from Sweden, Italy, Poland, the Netherlands, Spain and Austria. One rider did not pass - Jose Antonio Hermida of Spain, the Olympic silver medalist two weeks ago in Athens. Hermida was declared unfit to race because his hematocrit level was above the allowable limit of 50. The procedure is that after the first sample is above the limit, the rider (and manager) are called in to witness the unsealing and testing of the second sample. If that is also above the limit, then the rider is not allowed to compete for a minimum of 15 days, and must present the results of another test to show that his/her hematocrit has dropped. A urine test for doping analysis is also taken, and the results will be available in approximately 4-5 days. For Hermida, it is a double blow, since it keeps him out of the World's while in obviously good form, and means that he will not be able to compete in next week's World Cup Final in Livigno, Italy (he was fourth in the standings). This is the second "unfit to race" for Spain in two days (Alejandro Diaz de la Pena was the other), and there is information that Spain was selected for testing for a second day in a row because of "anomalies" in Hermida's first test. Millar asks for reductionThe Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) has made public the plea of British rider David Millar to shorten his two-year supension. In a statement to the media, the CAS said, "The English rider David Millar has filed an appeal with the CAS against the two-year ban imposed on him by British Cycling on August 6, 2004. David Millar requests the reduction of his suspension and also challenges the starting date of such suspension (August 5, 2004)." Millar, after admitting to taking Eprex, the most common form of prohibited EPO, was banned by the British federation on August 6. He was then sacked by his team, Cofidis and stripped of the title of World Champion. South African World's teamThe South African team for the World Cycling Championships in Verona, Italy, later this month has been announced. Two elite men were selected, Ryan Cox and Ian McLeod, but McLeod has already declared himself unavailable due to sponsor's commitments. Cox has asked for a two-day period in which to decide whether he'll go. Junior Men Jacques Janse van Rensburg (including time trial) Women Dianne Emery U23 Men Daryl Impey (including time trial) Elite Men Ryan Cox (TBA) Win carbon goodies with Kuips & Cyclingnews
During the month of September, adding to our prize giveaways in the Fantasy Game, Cyclingnews has joined up with DPM Sports to give away a range of carbon products from Kuips. A well-known component maker in the Basque region in Spain, Kuips has only very recently become available in the US thanks to DPM Sports. Up for grabs by one lucky winner is a Kuips Carbon Collection, valued at US$1169.99. The collection comprises four essential high-tech weight-saving components that will enhance any bike: Kuips CAC Project Omega Carbon Crankset. The Kuips carbon crankset is a work of art in carbon crankset design, capturing every imaginable performance benefit of carbon cranks and combining them with a superior visual esthetic. Retail value (MSRP) is US $499.99 Kuips FISC Project Omega Full Carbon Fork. Kuips' flagship full carbon curve fork weighing in at 291 grams. The ultimate combination of lightness, rigidity. Retail value (MSRP) is US $389.99
Kuips Neon Project Omega Carbon Aero Seat Post. Kuips flagship anatomic carbon fiber seatpost offers aero design and all the technical benefits of carbon with a beautiful design. Retail value (MSRP) is US $139.99. Kuips Neon 26 Project Omega Carbon Handlebars. Kuips' flagship anatomic multidirectional carbon fiber handlebars offer all the technical benefits of carbon. During the Vuelta DPM Sports is also giving away a pair of Spiuk silver Nitro glasses to the winner of each stage in the Fantasy Game. The frames are constructed of grilamid with anti-slip rubber X7 Plus inserts. The design of the frames is based on the study of morphological variables in order to ensure optimum fit. The lenses are shatterproof with the transparent lenses include anti-fog treatment and the orange ones offer high contrast eliminating clouding. For your chance to win the Kuips Carbon Collection click here.
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