News for April 11, 2002Edited by Jeff Jones Cipollini's team may ask for damages
Mario Cipollini's Acqua e Sapone team may instigate legal action against the organisers of Paris-Roubaix, after they withdrew their invitation to the team following Mario's decision not to race. General manager Vicenzino Salutini has sent the UCI a letter claiming that there were "certain irregularities" in the way in which they were excluded. He considered it an act of discrimination, and has left open the possibility that they may seek damages from the ASO (Amaury Sport Organization). The ASO maintain that Cipollini's team was only invited because he wished to defend his World Cup jersey. They had to ask for special dispensation from the UCI to invite a 26th team, which was granted. However when Cipollini announced that he would not be racing, the ASO withdrew their invitation. But after his win in Gent-Wevelgem today, Cipollini said that "I regret not going to Compiègne. With my physical condition, I think that I had a good chance to keep my first place in the World Cup standings. That said, I am also thinking of the Giro d'Italia, and I cannot take the risk to throw it all away in a fall." On Sunday, Cipollini will be in the Renault stand at the GP San Marino in Imola, to celebrate the birthday of his friend Flavio Briatore. His next race will be the Tour of Aragon, at the end of April. No Grossglockner in Tour of AustriaThis year's 54th Bank-Austria Tour from June 10-16 will not feature the famed Grossglockner Pass. The toughest stage on June 14 will be from Badgastein to the Kitzbühler Horn, will only contain two climbs, neither of which is the Grossglockner. The Bank-Austria Tour will start with a prologue time trial from Plansee to Reutte (11 km), with the following six stages featuring enough mountains to keep the climbers happy. The Kitzbühler Horn, Gerlospass, Felbertauern (twice), Dürrnberg, Pass Thurn, Tauernpass and Gaberl will all have to be overcome before the finish in Graz. The entire route will be presented next Monday, April 15. The race has been upgraded to 2.2 this year, and that means it will be more attractive for teams to attend. It runs at the same time as the Dauphine Libére and the Tour of Sweden, but should still be able to guarantee a strong field. Date change for Subida al NarancoThe Subida al Naranco, which takes place in Asturias at the end of the season, has undergone a date change. Yesterday the organizers confirmed in a local newspaper that this season it will be different. Subida la Naranco will be held on May 14, the day prior to Vuelta a Asturias (May 15-18). The change is because on that day, Spanish TV will transmit the race. Live TV is economically very important for the Subida and will ensure its future. Also it is very important to increase the level of the teams who will ride in the Subida. The teams for Vuelta Asturias will most likely be the same for the Subida al Naranco. That means all the Spanish teams, as well as Ag2r, BigMat, CCC-Mat, Phonak, Mercatone Uno, Mapei-Quick Step, and Aqua e Sapone. Next year, Subida al Naranco will be the day after the Vuelta a Asturias (again a Sunday). Courtesy of Miguel Fernandez Rico. Leuchs makes New Zealand team for Commonwealth GamesCycling New Zealand has released the names of their track and MTB cycling team to the Commonwealth Games to be held this July in Manchester (GBr). For the first time ever this includes three mountain bikers, one of which is the sole male kiwi rider, Kashi Leuchs (Volvo Cannondale). "I'm really proud to have been selected. Outside of the Olympic Games there is no other event that really captures the imagination of the whole country like the Commonwealth Games, and to be our nation's first male mountain biker after being the first male mountain biker into the Olympics is a real honour", said Kashi from his European base in France today. The Commonwealth Games have decided to introduce Mountain Bike Cross Country for the first time ever, for both men and women. Other major nations to attend will be Australia, Canada, England, Ireland and South Africa. "I don't know who else has been selected from other countries, but no doubt Canada will be strong with riders like current World Champion Roland Green, and Ryder Hesjedal. I also expect that England will provide stiff competition from the likes of Liam Killeen and Barrie Clarke, and they'll know the course well. Australia should also have some strong riders though I know Cadel Evans will be fully committed to the road for the Games. Given that I'm a world top ten rider, I'm really shooting for a medal at this event". The full track and MTB teams are as follows Track Anthony Peden (Wanganui) Team Sprint, Men's Sprint Mountain Bike Kashi Leuchs (Dunedin) Supplements - not worth the risk?Report by Russell Langley on behalf of UK Sport Athletes have once again been warned about the use of nutritional supplements after the International Olympic Committee (IOC) found that 15% of the 634 supplements it tested contained banned substances, including nandrolone. Listed on a country-by-country basis, the Netherlands saw the highest levels of positive products with just over one in four of the tested substances containing a banned substance. The UK has the third highest rate, with 18.9% providing a positive result. The IOC's findings do much to back up UK Sport's stance on nutritional supplements. As the UK's anti-doping body, UK Sport provides advice to athletes and their support staff on all drugs-related issues as part of an ongoing commitment to drug-free sport and ethical sporting practices. UK Sport's Director of Anti-Doping, Michele Verroken, commented: "We strongly advise our athletes not to take these supplements as their contents can not always be guaranteed. In these tests the IOC found substances that would lead to a failed drugs test, despite them not being listed on the product label. Under the 'strict liability' rule that exists, athletes are responsible for whatever substance is found in their bodies so poor labelling cannot be used as an excuse as it may not be accepted." The nandrolone review, set up by UK Sport in 1999 to examine the increased incidence of nandrolone findings, also warned of the risks to athletes of using nutritional supplements. Determining the source of a finding might provide an explanation, but presently does not provide an excuse for a failed test. A recent announcement by the Home Office regarding the tightening of controls on the 19 nor steroids (the metabolites that have been appearing in recent nandrolone cases) to bring them under the Misuse of Drugs Act will improve the situation. Currently, some supplements that have been promoted as containing what will become - under the extension of existing legislation - a controlled substance can no longer be marketed without a license. This extension should be finalised in May. The full results of the IOC research are as follows: (Key: Country/No. of products tested/No. of 'positive' results/Percentage 'positives') 1. Netherlands 31 / 8 / 25.8% 2. Austria 22 / 5 / 22.7% 3. UK 37 / 7 / 18.9% 4. USA 240 / 45 / 18.8% 5. Italy 35 / 5 / 14.3% 6. Spain 29 / 4 / 13.8% 7. Germany 129 / 15 / 11.6% 8. Belgium 30 / 2 / 6.7% 9. France 30 / 2 / 6.7% 10. Norway 30 / 1 / 3.3% 11. Switzerland 13 / 0 / 0% 12. Sweden 6 / 0 / 0% 13. Hungary 2 / 0 / 0% Total: 634 / 94 / 14.8% Source: www.uksport.gov.uk |
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