News for August 16, 2002Edited by Jeff Jones & Chris Henry Bettini pulls out of Post Danmark Rundt with tendon problemsPaolo Bettini (Mapei-Quick Step) didn't start in the third stage of the Post Danmark Rundt (Tour of Denmark) today, due to tendon problems. He missed the cut in the cross winds of the first stage and was more than 25 minutes behind in the general classification. If the problem is serious, it could mean the end of his World Cup ambitions, with this Sunday's crucial round - the Meisterschaft von Zürich a chance for Bettini to close the gap to leader Johan Museeuw. Other riders who pulled out today include Dario David Cioni (Mapei-Quick Step) and Yuri Metlushenko (Landbowkredit-Colnago), due to the hand injuries sustained in a crash on the second stage at Horsens. Danish Day: Major victories by Danes across EuropeBy Tim Maloney, European editor
Thursday August 15 2002 was a day that Danish cycling fans won't soon forget. With talented homeboy Jakob Storm Piil (CSC-Tiscali) increasing his lead in the 12th Post Danmark Rundt with a ballsy attack in the final of Stage 3 from Ĺrhus to Vejle, Piil increased his race lead further. Barring any further bad luck that has plagued the quiet, likeable rider from Odense this season, Piil looks likely to ride to a popular win in his home tour. Down in Lisbon, Danish exile Claus Møller of the Portuguese Milaneza-MSS outfit rode to victory in the Volta a Portugal, just 5" ahead of his disappointed Spanish teammate Horrach in the final uphill TT stage. "It was a very tough stage today", said Møller, "But I'm very happy to finally win the race." Just over the border in Spain at the Tour of Burgos, another CSC-Tiscali rider, 1999 World Mountain Bike Champion Michael "Chicken" Rasmussen rode to his first pro road win on the tough 165km Stage 4 from Huerta del Rey to the mountaintop finish at Lagunas de Neila. Rasmussen attacked solo with 5km to go from a front group containing Roberto Heras (USPS) and other top climbers and pounded up the 10% grade to a well-deserved solo win.
Savoldelli has yet to signWhile it appears clear Giro d'Italia winner Paolo Savoldelli plans to leave the Index Alexia team at the end of this season, he maintains that he has yet to sign with another team. Furthermore, Savoldelli insisted that he is leaving Index Alexia on good terms, saying "I haven't had any problems with the team, and I would like to thank the team management and staff for the support they showed in me since the beginning of the season." Concerning his move to another team - Telekom has been mentioned as a strong candidate - Savoldelli added, "at present I have no agreement with either an Italian or foreign team for 2003." Casagrande to iBanesto?According to the Belgian press, Italian Francesco Casagrande (Fassa Bortolo) is in the picture for Spanish team iBanesto.com. The Tuscan says that he has a proposal "where I can find a good financial and sporting level. Before the start of the Vuelta I will be sure." Sandstřd signs for two more years with CSCMichael Sandstřd has signed another two year agreement with CSC Tiscali. The reigning Danish Champion, on the road as well as ITT, was seriously injured in a crash in the Tour de France, with several broken ribs, a broken shoulder and a punctured lung. Nevertheless team manager Bjarne Riis has confidence in his Danish Champion: "He is good for the team, always deliver results, and is always motivated. He has been very convincing in the short season he has had.", Riis said to Danish Broadcasting. Sandstřd himself is delighted: "I'm glad for the confidence they show in me by prolonging my contract. We have had a good cooperation on the team. I am really keen on coming back and the results before the Tour shows that I still can be up front in major races." He is recovering in Denmark and has said no to the Track World's on the new velodrome at Ordrup, but expects to do some six day race this winter as preparation for the next road season. Jeurissen and Smink extend contractsAccording to team manager Hugo Brenders, two riders have extended their contracts with the Van Hemert Groep Cycling Team for next year: Kees Jeurissen and Julien Smink. A seventh Spanish pro team?Rumours are circulating concerning the creation of a seventh Spanish professional team for the 2003 season. The vague possibility of a new team has already been called a breath of fresh air for Spanish cycling, which longs to return to the level it enjoyed in the late 1980's and early 1990's, when more than ten professional teams were riding. However, at this stage few details are known about this new team. Phonak for upcoming racesThe Phonak teams have been decided for next week's Tour du Limousin (August 20-23) and the Tour of Holland (August 20-24). They are as follows: Tour du Limousin: Roger Beuchat, Matthias Buxhofer, Christian Charriere, Martin Elmiger, Marco Fertonani, Cédric Fragničre, Fabrice Gougot, Benoît Salmon. DS: Jacques Michaud Tour of Holland: Denis Bertolini, Bert Grabsch, Stefan Kupfernagel, Michael Reihs, Massimo Strazzer, Sven Teutenberg, Alexandre Usov, Lukas Zumsteg. DS: René Savary Dutch team for MTB World'sThe World Mountainbike Championships will be held in Kaprun, Austria this year from August 28 - September 1. The Dutch team was named today. Cross CountryMen Erwin Bakker Women Daphny van den Brand DownhillMen Bas de Bever Women Anneke Beerten Deborah Engen named communications director of USACUSA Cycling has named Deborah Engen, a veteran of Olympic public relations and sport event management, as Communications Director. Engen, who most recently worked on the Salt Lake Organizing Committee for the 2002 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games, will start her position immediately. Engen's responsibilities will encompass media and public awareness campaigns for USA Cycling's athletes, event properties, athlete development programs and membership services. She will also oversee the promotion of USA Cycling's National Championship events and NORBA racing series. Engen, 32, who grew up in McCall, Idaho and graduated from Brigham Young University, spent seven years working for the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association in Park City, Utah as Media Services Director and Public Relations Manager. In her most recent assignment as Alpine Manager with the Salt Lake Organizing Committee, Engen focused on elite athletic event management. She also served as a press officer during the 1994 and 1998 Olympic Winter Games in Norway and Japan. GP Punkt - live!By Gabriella Ekström, Cyclingnews correspondent Friday, August 16 will see the first edition of the GP Punkt, a new kind of race that almost ran into trouble before it begun. The race is located in a nine storey parking house, with 350 metres of climbing on every lap. The organisers had everything set, but no-one paid any attention to the speed limits. The speed limit inside the parking house is a mere 30 km/h, and the riders are expected to double that on their way down. The appeal for special speed rules was luckily accepted less than 24 hours before the start of the race. Swedish elite riders will race both professional and amateur riders from the other Nordic countries, and the multiple bonus sprints and the seven kilometres of climbing will make the race very selective. Look out for riders like Fredrik Johansson, who won the most aggressive rider award at Tour of Sweden, Jukka Vastaranta, Kimmo Kaananen, winner of Sverigetouren 2002, Tomas Lövkvist, European junior champion and Fredrik Modin, Swedish climber extraordinaire! The race will be live on Cyclingnews from 19.00 CEST, and lasts approximately 1 hour. 2002 Surrey League Revolutions five-day previewBy Gerry McManus, Cyclingnews correspondent
The counties of Surrey and Sussex are again hosts to the Surrey League Revolutions 5-Day stage race August 16th to 20th. 64 Elite and First category riders line up for the 459-mile event, which, in the absence of any key national tours of the UK, is officially Britain's longest stage race. Two GB teams are entered and include Commonwealth games medal winners Tony Gibb and Bryan Steel. Bronze points medallist Chris Newton is also set to renew the rivalry with Irish riders from this year's FBD Milk Rás, with two strong teams making the trip over. Paul Manning, Steve Cummings, Kieran Page, Tim Buckle and Kristian House are also on the start sheet to bolster the GB teams' performance. Last year's winner Paddy Moriarty returns to leads a team of guest riders for the London Irish CC (J Browne Con./The Vet. Centre). He is supported by Rory Wyley, John Horgan and Mark Kiernan. Tour of the Border winner Rory Wyley will also be able to make a strong contribution to the race and is anxious to do well having missed the Manx Week due to illness. Carrick Cidona rider and Team Ireland regular Martin O'Loughlin heads up a team from the Province of Munster. He is joined by last year's third placed Timmy Barry and French based Sean Lacey and John Dempsey fly in direct for the event. Emergency services champion Matt Stephens (Sigma Sport RT) takes a break from his new career in the Police force to race with team mate Gary Dodd who won the points jersey last year. Other entries of note include Duncan Urquhart (Army CU) fresh from his heroic 56-mile breakaway attempt in the Commonwealth games road race. Evans Cycles are the main sponsor for the race, which boasts previous winners of Chris Lilywhite (1999) and a young Gordon McCauley (RDM Flanders) in 1998. Roger Morgan (Liphook Cycles) returns to defend the mountains jersey that he easily won last year. The race includes a 2.4-mile time-trial around the Goodwood motor-racing circuit on Sunday morning and the race moves out to the roads that once hosted the World Race championships in the eighties in the afternoon. Tuesday's final stage is the most challenging around the Ashdown Forest with steep climbs and fast descents. It was here that Moriarty launched his race-winning attack last year as the slightly built Dubliner showed his true climbing capabilities. The stages
Track Cycling for all ages at the Lehigh Valley VelodromeThe Lehigh Valley Velodrome will host the Air Products Finals on Friday, August 16, at 7 p.m.. This event showcases the most popular and successful community cycling program in North America. Now celebrating its 26th year, the Air Products Developmental Cycling Program is a free, introductory track cycling program for anyone 5 years of age or older. Participants are instructed on the basics of track cycling and racing by experienced coaches and international level bicycle racers. The program has graduated over 13,000 children and adults. Nearly a thousand junior national, elite national and international competitions medals have been won by Air Products Program graduates, including Olympians Marty Nothstein and Tanya Lindenmuth and Junior World Champion Sarah Uhl. This year at Junior National Championships, held in Indianapolis, Air Products graduates accounted for 45 top five finishes and 12 Gold Medals. Friday's Air Products finals allows this year's graduates of the program the opportunity to race in front of the big Friday Night crowds at the Lehigh Valley Velodrome. The finals will include races in eight categories for boys and girls ages, 9-10, 11-12, 13-15, and 16-18. In addition, adult racing includes women aged 19-plus, men 19-39, 40-plus men and 60+ men. The top three in each category are awarded medals and the overall winner receives a championship jersey. During the intermissions there will be an exhibition of the Pee Wee Pedalers, the youngest age group of cyclists in the program, ages 5-8. In addition to the Air Products Developmental Cycling festivities there will be professional racing for international level men and women. As always, families are entertained by the antics of Velo Man, contests and giveaways. Gates open at 6 p.m. and dinner is available at the Breakaway Café.
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