News for April 20, 2002

Edited by Jeff Jones

Battle of the Ardennes resumes in Liège

The oldest classic on the cycling calendar is Liège-Bastogne-Liège, now in its 111th year after having celebrated 87 editions. It was first held in 1892 and won by Belgian Léon Houa, who then went onto win the next two years before the race stopped until 1908. After that it was interrupted during both World Wars, resuming in 1945 since which time it has been run every year.

For the full preview, click here.
Start list
Map and profile

LBL data

Start time (neutral): 9:45 CEST
Actual start time: 10:00 CEST
Estimated finish time: 16:40 CEST
Race distance: 258 km
Important climbs (10 in total): Stockeu (km 170), La Redoute (km 223), Sart-Tilman (km 244) and Saint-Nicolas (km 252.5).

25 teams: Lotto-Adecco, Mapei-Quick Step, Cofidis, Fassa Bortolo, Rabobank, Telekom, Domo-Farm Frites, Team Coast, iBanesto.com, Saeco-Longoni Sport, US Postal, Kelme, Phonak Hearing Systems, ONCE-Eroski, Bonjour, Tacconi Sport-Emmegi, CSC-Tiscali, Gerolsteiner, Euskaltel-Euskadi, Lampre-Daikin, Crédit Agricole, Jean Delatour, Mercatone Uno, Vlaanderen T Interim, Marlux

Favourites: Mario Aerts (Lotto), Michele Bartoli, Francesco Casagrande (Fassa Bortolo), Paolo Bettini (Mapei), David Etxebarria (Euskaltel), Davide Rebellin (Gerolsteiner), Dario Frigo (Tacconi), Lance Armstrong (USPS), Michael Boogerd (Rabobank).

Other notable riders: Axel Merckx, Johan Museeuw (Domo), Stefano Garzelli (Mapei), Rik Verbrugge, Serge Baguet (Lotto),

Notable absentees: Erik Dekker (Ned), Jan Ullrich (Ger), Laurent Jalabert (Fra), Oscar Camenzind (Swi)

Victories by country: In 87 editions, 61 have been won by Belgians, followed by 9 Italian, 6 Swiss, 5 French etc. Only four Belgians have won in the last 25 years though.

Record of wins: 5 by Eddy Merckx (Bel) between 1969 and 1975. Also Moreno Argentin won 4 times between 1985 and 1991.

Live coverage

Don't miss Cyclingnews' Live coverage of the 88th Liege-Bastogne-Liege - starts at 9:45 local time on Sunday, April 21 (3:45am USA eastern time, 12:45am USA west, 5:45pm Australian east).

Time running out for Marco Pantani

1998 Tour de France winner Marco Pantani has (in theory) two weeks to make a case to the Societe du Tour de France to accept his Mercatone Uno team into the 2002 Tour. The team needs to be one of six given a wild card entry on May 2. If they are accepted, it will be more on past rather than current glory.

Pantani has not won a race for 21 months, and will need an absolute miracle to figure in the final of Liege-Bastogne-Liege on Sunday. It is a classic that should suit him, given the hilly nature of the parcours. But in Wednesday's Fleche Wallonne, Pantani could only manage 81st at 5'37 down on the winner. Hardly enough to impress the STF.

Pantani is still optimistic, as only he can be. Bloomberg reporters Darren Tullet and Alessandra Bacchetta spoke to him in a telephone interview on Thursday about his chances.

"My objective is not to take part in the Tour de France, but to win it," said Pantani. "The Tour de France needs Pantani among the starters because they need someone to beat the American. And frankly, I don't see any other candidates."

He added that "Liege-Bastogne-Liege is important for me as I have to show both fans and organizers that I am still around, that I am alive and kicking. I need to show that I am concentrated and calm again, by moving well during the race and having my team move well with me."

"Liege is a very good race, with lots of major riders participating. Weather conditions can be precarious, though, and as I am not exactly a huge muscular guy, I definitely suffer from rain and cold. Let's hope the weather is good, and most of all that I'm able to do something good in the race."

The weather conditions are expected to hold, and we should get another pleasant day of racing in the Ardennes on Sunday.

The full interview with Pantani will be published shortly on Cyclingnews.

No Simoni in LBL

Gilberto Simoni (Saeco) has announced that he will not be riding in this weekend's Liege-Bastogne-Liege, preferring instead to finish the Settimana Lombarda and then ride the Giro del Trentino from April 25-28.

Earlier in the week, Saeco team management said that "We decided with Simoni that he would be benefit from riding several stages of the Settimana Lombarda as preparation for Liege". We don't want to upset the organiser of the Settimana Lombarda but we need Simoni to help Di Luca in what is one of the most important objectives of our season."

However, with Di Luca a little out of form and Simoni looking at getting some consistency back in his results, it seems as though he will continue in Lombarda. Simoni's big objective is the Giro d'Italia which starts on May 11.

CAS reject's VDB's appeal

The Court of Arbitration for Sport in Lausanne has rejected Belgian cyclist Frank Vandenbroucke's appeal to have his six month suspension shortened. Vandenbroucke was suspended by his national federation after illegal drugs were found by police in his home in Lebbeke.

"After having examined the arguments of the athlete, the RLVB (Belgian Cycling Federation) and the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI), which has intervened in this investigation as allowed by its rules, the CAS has decided to reject the request to reduce the suspension," said the CAS.

Vandenbroucke was sacked by his Domo-Farm Frites team, fined 10,00 Swiss francs by the Belgian Federation and suspended until September 21. He also faces a court case for possession of illegal drugs. One point in his favour is that no traces of banned substances were found in a urinary analysis performed at the time of his arrest.

Navigators back to France

The Navigators Cycling Team has added several new events to their European racing schedule, due in part to their successes this season. Two wins to Kirk O'Bee as well as a number of top 10 places has earned the American team starts in several more races in Belgium and France, culminating in the Four Days of Dunkirk on May 8-12.

Updated European schedule

• April 24 - G.P. De L'Escaut, Belgium
• April 25 - G.P. de Denain, France
• April 28 - Tour de Vendee, France
• May 1 - Trophee de Grimpeurs, France
• May 8-12 - 4-Days of Dunkerque, France

The team will resume its domestic racing schedule on May 19th with the Housatonic Classic in Danbury, Connecticut.

Nürnberger drops the men

The German based division II team Nürnberger will no longer sponsor a men's team next season, after a team announcement today. The insurance group also sponsors a women's team, and will continue doing so, especially with Hanka Kupfernagel on the roster.

The men's team has been around for 13 years, and has helped cycling grow in Germany. There are now three division I German teams (Telekom, Coast and Gerolsteiner), while Nürnberger has remained in the second division.

The team said it would fulfill any existing contracts with riders.

MIC-Shimano Challenge

Gran Fondo "Paola Pezzo"

After the start of the MIC-Shimano Challenge on the road with the Gran Fondo Città della Spezia, next Sunday the Challenge for the mountain bikers will start with the Gran Fondo Paola Pezzo, the first race on the MIC-Shimano Challenge MTB calendar.

The MIC-Shimano Challenge is a competition that includes the major gran fondo on the road and for MTB's; in September the amateur cyclists who will have earned the most points during the season will be awarded.

The road competitions will start again on May 12 with the Gran Fondo Felice Gimondi. Maurizio Bachini and Monica Bandini will try to keep their leadership in the men's and women's series.

More information is available at www.shimano-mic.it.