First Edition Cycling News for October 31, 2005Edited by Jeff Jones An interview with Murilo FischerCycling's Samba King
Brazil is not a country that enjoys the same cycling traditions as France, Italy or Belgium. Most people prefer football as a sport, Brazil having won the World Cup a record five times. However, Brazilian rider and Naturino Sapore di Mare team member Murilo Fischer is beginning to put his country on the road cycling's world map. Cyclingnews' Hernan Alvarez spoke with Fischer as he relaxed at home about the highs of 2005 and the direction Brazilian cycling is taking. He comes from a country without a tradition in cycling, so Fischer was doing something a bit different by taking up the sport seriously. "I started riding mountain bikes in July 1995. I did this until the end of 1996, then in '97 I began road cycling," said Fischer. When talking about his passion for the bike, he states "Love is born and nobody knows why. I liked bicycles since I was a kid. I liked bikes and I always went riding with friends to the cross circuits starting at five, six years old. During that time, I always rode bikes, and when I was a bit older, my father brought me a mountain bike as a gift so I started riding it." Coming from Brusque, in the southern state of Santa Catarina, where he lives when not competing, Fischer enjoys the lifestyle offered by his home country, but realises that Europe is where he needs to be in order to compete against the world's best. The 26-year-old ended the 2005 season by winning the Trofeo Citta Di Castelfidardo, Giro del Piemonte, Milano-Vignola (GP Beghelli) and GP Industria & Commercio Di Prato, plus two Uniqa Classic stages and stage 3 of the Tour of Qinghai Lake. He was second in the Giro del Lazio and the Uniqa Classic, third in the GP Industria & Artigianato and Coppa Bernocchi. This string of strong results, particularly during the latter half of the season helped him win the UCI Europe Tour with 748 points. Click here to read the full interview Basso to skip Giro, concentrate on the TourCSC's Ivan Basso has confirmed that he will skip the Giro d'Italia this year. "I want to totally concentrate on the Tour de France," he said. Basso is considered one of the favourites to win the Tour in 2006. He plans a new race program leading up to next year's race. "I have set new goals for the spring and plan to start in one or more of the Classics," he added, especially thinking about Liege-Bastogne-Liege. Courtesy of Susan Westemeyer Lance does comedy tooBy Mark Zalewski, North American Editor
Lance Armstrong, formerly best known for beating cancer and winning the Tour de France seven times, made his improv-comedy debut on NBC's Saturday Night Live on Saturday. With musical guest (and fiancee) Sheryl Crow joining him, Lance and the 'Not Yet Ready for Prime Time Players' wasted no time in taking shots at critics and nay-sayers. The introductory monologue consisted of Lance taking questions from the audience, including an irate French national and four disgruntled members of his Discovery Channel team upset at not being asked to also host the show. Sure he is no Mike Myers, but Lance made it through a variety of sketches with presence (although we could have done without Lance singing). For those wondering what Lance might be up to next in his career, the first sketch consisted of Lance racing in an Ironman triathlon... PhotographyFor a thumbnail gallery of these images, click here Images by NBC
Gonzalez expects to be clearedEuskaltel's Aitor Gonzalez expects to be cleared of any wrongdoing after testing positive for an anabolic substance during the last Vuelta a España. Although the analysis of the B sample has not been finalised, Gonzalez' manager Angel Buenache and lawyer Luis Sanz will defend their man by arguing the "tainted supplement" defense. "Now we can affirm that Aitor is innocent," said Buenache to Marca. "The investigations that we have authorised have finish and confirm his innocence. We worked with two laboratories from Barcelona and with noted specialists from Valencia and we can show that the metabolite that appeared in his urine was due to a product, allowed by the authorities, that was contaminated. It's even stranger that the metabolite doesn't serve to improve performance in cycling, but the opposite, since it blocks the muscle. Therefore it is obvious that it wasn't deliberate." Buenache wouldn't name the allegedly contaminated product, although Marca speculated that it was 'Animal Pak', 6,000 units of which were found to be contaminated after being seized in March this year. Lieswyn back for Tour of SouthlandBy Alan Messenger Last year's winner, US professional John Lieswyn leads a strong Southland Times team in the PowerNet Tour of Southland, which gets under way from Invercargill in New Zealand's South Island on Monday, November 7 and finishes back in the city on the following Saturday, November 12. But Lieswyn gave out a word of warning on his prospects this year. The likeable American has been changing the focus of his cycling career and will in the future be based in New Zealand. "I've had a lot of life changes with the shift to New Zealand and haven't been on the bike much for six weeks. I'm going into the race underdone but I received a lot of encouragement from finishing fourth in the K2 yesterday," he said. Lieswyn emphasized that he would very well play a support role this year. "I don't feel that I could win this year but I'm going to be there for Glen (Mitchell). We have been personal friends for a long time and he worked hard for me last year so I hope I can help him this year." The other team members, all very capable of winning the Tour are: US based Mitchell, former world track champion Greg Henderson and New Zealand track squad riders Peter Latham and Tim Gudsell. Mitchell, second in last year's tour, won the North Island K2 Classic last Saturday after finishing second in the national road championship the previous week. He won the Southland Tour in 2000 and a repeat this year would certainly not surprise. Henderson has made a big impression as a road rider in the USA this year and he recently won the Australian Grafton to Inverell Classic. Latham is a newcomer to the team, replacing 2003 winner Scott Guyton. He is rated New Zealand's hottest young cycling prospect after taking the bronze medal in the under 23 time trial at the world road championships at Madrid this year. Last year in the tour, riding for the Rabobank team, he won the individual time trial stage and took out the under 23 overall classification. Zookeepers looking goodThe Zookeepers Café team, always one of the strongest in the tour, has additional backing this year from Trek and they probably have three riders with a chance of taking the big prize. Gordon McCauley is a previous winner and two weeks ago he joined New Zealand cycling legends Nick Carter and Jack Swart as a four-times winner of the national road championship. He did a lot of his early career cycling around the roads of Southland and the local knowledge will again stand him in good stead. Heath Blackgrove looked like a Tour winner last year before striking a series of mechanical problems and Jaaron Poad is an Australian based Kiwi with a big reputation on both sides of the Tasman. The tour has attracted a record 105 entries in 21 teams with riders from Australia, Ireland, Switzerland, Austria, Canada, Holland and the USA. Among the Australians is the Oceania champion team MG Xpower headed by Rob McLachlan. The other team members are Tony Mann, Stuart Shaw, Kiwi Aaron Strong and another Australian to be named later. The stages Stage 1 - November 7: Queens Park Invercargill TTT, 8.3km Contract newsEuskaltel-Euskadi has gained two young riders, Iban Iriondo and Unai Uribarri, both from Seguros Bilbao, who have signed two year contracts with the Basque team. Iban Mayoz, Rubén Pérez, Beñat Albizuri and Xabier Carbayeda (as third sports director) have also signed contracts with the team. Paolo Bossoni has signed a contract with Tenax Nobili Rubinetterie. The 29 year-old who rode for Fassa Bortolo this season has a one year deal with the squad. Team Miche has also confirmed the signing of Dane Bo Hamburger, who rode for Acqua e Sapone this year. Ukrainian Denis Shkarpeta (Ceramica Pagnoncelli) and Pole Arkadiusz Wojtas (Skil-Moser) will also join Team Miche. Eddy & Axel Merckx fund raise for BC Cancer FoundationEddy Merckx and his son Axel Merckx appeared at the Wedgewood Hotel in Vancouver, Canada today to help raise money for cancer. The pair were the main drawcards at a fundraising banquet for cycling fans benefiting the BC Cancer Foundation in support of cancer research in British Columbia. Eddy's reasons for appearing at the fundraiser were personal. "Cancer has affected my son's mother-in-law, my friends and my fellow riders in the cycling community," he said. "I am happy that my first visit to Vancouver is to support cancer research through the BC Cancer Foundation. I hope it can make a difference." Wedgewood Hotel general manager Philip Meyer is an avid cycling competitor, the founder and captain of the Wedgewood Cycling Team and a huge fan of Eddy and Axel Merckx. Like American cycling champion Lance Armstrong, Meyer is also a testicular cancer survivor and has designated all the funds Team Wedgewood raises from its races and special events to go to the BC Cancer Foundation. "Eddy and Axel have been so generous in giving their time and energy to support our Evening of Champions for the BC Cancer Foundation," he said. "My own personal experience with cancer and my love of cycling made this event a natural. I'm extremely grateful to Eddy and Axel and to Axel's mother-in-law Colleen Cross, who was the one who really got this going." Axel Merckx's mother-in-law Colleen Cross is a breast cancer survivor who lives in Kelowna, B.C. "I received such wonderful care from the BC Cancer Agency," she said. "I strongly believe that working together we can make a difference, and I wanted to help other breast cancer patients in Kelowna and B.C. So I asked Axel to help out. How could he say no to his mother-in-law? He spoke to Eddy and now here we are." Team Wedgewood plans to hold an annual Evening of Champions for the BC Cancer Foundation. To contribute to this year's event or for information about next year's plans, contact the BC Cancer Foundation at: 604-707-5904. CCB Racing for 2006Elite Men Amos Brumble (age 31, Westerly, RI) Cat 1 Elite Women Andrea Cox (age 31, Haverhill, Ma) Cat 2 Elite Vet Tyler Munroe (age 45, No Andover, Ma) Other categories Sam Wheeler (age 25, Somerville, Ma) Cat 3 Sponsors: Volkswagen, Time Bicycles, Time pedals, Belmont Wheelworks, Marblehead Cycle, Michelin, Craft baselayers, Sigma Sport Computers, Stella Azzurra, Enervit energy products Website: www.ccbracing.com
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