Latest Cycling News for September 17, 2004

Edited by Jeff Jones

Hamilton out

Tyler Hamilton (Phonak)
Photo ©: Lavuelta.com

After finishing in the last group yesterday, more than half an hour down, Tyler Hamilton (Phonak) has pulled out of the Vuelta a España. The American has reportedly been suffering from stomach problems for the last two days and did not sign on for the 13th stage between El Ejido and Málaga today. Hamilton won the Stage 8 time trial, showing that he had not lost any of the form that won him the gold medal in that discipline in Athens. But he lost 11 minutes the following day, bearing out his words that he had not done any specific preparation for a three week tour.

Vandenbroucke in Koolskamp

Frank Vandenbroucke will ride his first race for Mr.Bookmaker.com in the Kampioenschap van Vlaanderen in Koolskamp today (Friday). "The papers are in order and therefore Frank can start with us," said MrBookmaker's team director Hilaire Van Der Schueren, who added that VDB will also be in action this Sunday in the GP Isbergues.

Rebellin vs. Bettini in Prato

This Sunday's 59th Gran Premio Industria e Commercio in Prato will see World Cup leader Davide Rebellin (Gerolsteiner) in action as he begins his final preparation for the World Championships in Verona. Rebellin, who will ride for Argentina at the World's, will also ride the GP del Lazio on Saturday. It's been two weeks since he last raced, placing second in the Coppa Placci on September 4.

Rebellin will be facing the usual opposition from the likes of Paolo Bettini (Quick.Step) and other Italian World's team members. Jan Ullrich (T-Mobile) will also be there with his teammates Daniele Nardello and Paolo Savoldelli. Other riders include Michele Bartoli and Ivan Basso (CSC), Dario Frigo and Filippo Pozzato (Fassa Bortolo), Gilberto Simoni (Saeco), Gianluca Bortolami and Romans Vainsteins (Lampre), Emanuele Sella (Panaria) and Yaroslav Popovych (Landbouwkrediet).

The parcours is 177.4 km long and includes nine ascents of the Seano climb, finishing with two local laps.

Modra to ride in Paralympics

On the eve of the start of the Paralympic Games in Athens, the Australian Paralympic team has been granted an extra rider position by the International Paralympic Committee (IPC), allowing South Australian Keiran Modra to compete at the Games.

Modra was sidelined from the cycling squad after a recent Court of Arbitration in Sport finding that fellow Australian Lyn Lepore was deserving of her place in the team. While accepting the result of the CAS finding, the APC believed Modra had a genuine argument to also compete on his competitive merits.

Modra has rejoined the cycling team in the Paralympic Village and will now take his place in the men's track sprint, with pilot David Short.

Mutsaars and Posthuma extend

Ronald Mutsaars and Joost Posthuma have extended their contracts with the Rabobank team by another two years, the team has confirmed. Mutsaars joined the Rabobank Cycling Plan in 1997 as a junior. In 2002 he made the switch to the pro team. In the same year he won the sprint classification in the Ster Elektrotoer. One year later he was the best climber in Quatre Jours de Dunkerque. This season Mutsaars finished second in the Tour du Poitou Charentes.

Halfway through the 2004 season, Joost Posthuma made the switch from Rabobank's trade team III to the pro team. Posthuma debuted on May 31 in the Deutschland Tour. Later he finished second behind Thomas Dekker in the Dutch national time trial championships and seventh in the final classification of the Post Danmark Rundt. On September 11 he finished 10th in the 40 km time trial in the Vuelta a España.

With Ronald Mutsaars and Joost Posthuma, Rabobank now has 16 riders signed for 2005. The other 14 are: Michael Boogerd, Jan Boven, Erik Dekker, Oscar Freire Gomez, Bram de Groot, Mathew Hayman, Steven de Jongh, Karsten Kroon, Grischa Niermann, Michael Rasmussen, Roy Sentjens, Marc Wauters, Pieter Weening and Remmert Wielinga. From the trade team III, Thomas Dekker, Theo Eltink, Rory Sutherland and Jukka Vastaranta will make the switch. Pedro Horrillo Muñoz, Gerben Löwik and Denis Menchov are the new riders in 2005.

Pronk to Mr.Bookmaker

Matthé Pronk (BankGiroLoterij) has signed a preliminary agreement to ride with MrBookmaker.com next season. Pronk has had a poor season due to a back injury sustained when he fell off a ladder, and said that he is happy for the chance to ride for the Belgian squad, which hopes for a spot in the Pro Tour.

Sousa stays with Milaneza

Portuguese rider Rui Sousa has extended his contract with the Milaneza team for another two seasons. Milaneza has also signed Daniel Petrov from Carvalhelhos-Boavista, and has offered renewals to several of its other riders, including Angel Edo and David Bernabeu.

Milostic hopes to go one better

After winning four medals at last weekend's Australian National Club Road Series Championships on the Sunshine Coast, Sydney's Peter Milostic is set to overcome his runners-up tag in the Eastmon Camera House Grafton to Inverell Cycle Classic this Saturday. Milostic won gold medals in the individual time trial and teams time trial along with bronze in the road race and silver in the criterium. Milostic forms a powerful link in the Caravello team, which also features national pointscore leader Robert McLachlan.

Tomorrow's race will be hotly contested as it is the first of the three race Trek series. The next race is the Hornsby to Lake Macquarie next week. Trent Wilson is also set to give the race a shake as part of the Selle Italia Columbia/NSWIS team. Wilson is no stranger to the event having finished third and fourth in his last two appearances. This week he stated he is very keen to win the race.

Caravello, Fulcher's Cyclery and Uno Clothing/VIS are amongst the strongest teams, however this year's field boasts a depth of talent and emerging champions like no other years. Victorian riders William Walker and Jonathon Clarke represent the Uno Clothing/VIS team lead by coach David Sanders. Both riders dominated the U-23 men's road race at the National's last weekend, with Clarke winning the event and Walker finishing second.

Click here for more information.

Univest Grand Prix live audio

OLN's Richard Fries will host a live radio broadcast of the 160 km Univest Grand Prix in Souderton, PA, USA, this Saturday, September 18. The broadcast, originating on WNPV­AM 80, will be streamed on www.univestgrandprix.com. Reporting begins at 10:30 am local time and will continue until the finish at approximately 3:00 pm.

Irish Hill Climb Championships

By Tommy Campbell, Irish Independent, Evening Herald, Sunday Independent

The Irish National Hill Climb Championships will take place this Sunday, September 19 in Lady's Mountain in Tourmakeady, Co. Mayo. According to race organiser, Noel Gibbons, "The course has a very good surface, but the irony is that it rises up three miles from the village. It is fairly sheltered for the first mile or so, which will surely catch the competitors out, as they will not be liable to elements. After that it is wide-open country and with all kinds of winds that pertain to that area, the participants will indeed find the going very tough.

"Currently the record for the test is held by Nigel Forde of Thermo King at a time of 12 minutes and 41 seconds. The reigning champion is Gareth Rogers from the Banbridge CC and for the last number of years clubs in the northern part of the country have been very successful, but from the entry list this time around, I have a feeling that it will be the changing of the guard.

"David O’Loughlin comes in very much to the reckoning now. He is from Cong and with the news he received this week that he'll be on duty in Verona, Italy for the road and the time trial world championships early next month, he’ll certainly be up there as the favourite," concluded Noel.

The event has a scheduled start of 1 o'clock and changing facilities are in the local GAA Club.

Previous News     Next News

(All rights reserved/Copyright Knapp Communications Pty Limited 2004)