News for December 15, 2002

Edited by Chris Henry

2004 Tour to visit Barcelona?

Joan Clos, mayor of Barcelona, Spain, has expressed a strong desire to host a stage finish of the 2004 Tour de France. The Tour stage would be timed to coincide with the International Culture Forum. With the 2004 Tour already scheduled to start in Belgium (Liège), Barcelona represents the second possibility of racing outside of France.

The City Council of Barcelona sent a letter of request to Tour director Jean Marie Leblanc in November, and according to Albert Batlle, a member of the local sports council, Leblanc was "enchanted" by the proposal and appears supportive of the plan. A delegation from Barcelona is expected to meet Leblanc in Paris in January to advance the negotiations, according to Spanish sports daily Marca.

Albizu to Scanavino La Verve

Joseba Albizu, 24, will turn pro with the Italian Scanavino La Verve team. Albizu, riding for then-amateur squad Café Baques, finished second overall in this year's Giro Ciclistico d'Italia Internazionale U26, aka the Baby Giro.

Source: velo-club.net

Cofidis bikes on the block

Cofidis bikes belonging to David Millar, David Moncoutié, Nico Mattan, and Andrei Kivilev will be auctioned off to benefit the Mécénat Cardiac Surgery association. The auction will take place Monday, December 16 in Paris at the Palais des Congrès. David Millar will be on hand for the event, along with motorcycle racer Régis Laconi and formula 1 driver Olivier Panis.

Source: velo101.com

Lehigh Valley Velodrome NRC Calendar

The Lehigh Valley (Pennsylvania) Velodrome and USA Cycling have announced the 2003 National Racing Calendar (NRC). Entering its seventh year, the NRC is comprised of the top road cycling events from across the US. Over 20 new events have been added to the 2003 calendar, including 4 track events at the Lehigh Valley Velodrome.

For 2003, the NRC will feature endurance track racing for the first time. Scratch races at the top domestic track events, including the USCF Elite Track National Championships, the All-American Cycling Showdown, and the Madison Cup at the Lehigh Valley Velodrome, will earn riders NRC points.

The 2003 events include:

June 6 - U.S. Women's Open
June 27 - All American Cycling Showdown
July 11 - Madison Cup
August 26-30 - USCF Elite Track National Cycling Championships

The entire Lehigh Valley Velodrome season schedule will be announced early next year.

Mystery Creek 12 Hour Mountain Bike Challenge

The Mystery Creek (New Zealand) 12 Hour Mountain Bike Challenge will take place on Saturday, February 15, 2003. The race is a relay event for teams of five riders, from noon to midnight. There's a limit of 300 teams, and registration closes on January 14. Team categories include open, junior, women’s, mixed, masters, solo, and corporate. Entry fees are $225 for teams, $75 solo.

The event is organized by the Waka-Roc Sports Club. Any inquiries please contact race director Stephen Cox at coxcycling@xtra.co.nz, or phone 027-4427-408 (mobile) or home phone/fax 07-8436-215.

2003 ABD Elite Men's program

The Athletes By Design coaching firm was founded in 1992 and began supporting the ABD Cycle Club in 1996. Membership in the club has grown to over 100 racers, including juniors, seniors, women and masters.

In 2003, ABD will be expanding its race promotion and supporting a new Elite Men's Team with the help of its sponsors, which include Central DuPage Health Center, Trek, Prairie Path Cycles, and Graber. With several of the Midwest’s top male racers, the Elite program will focus on larger races in the Midwest, top U.S. amateur events, and select National Racing Calendar events. The team will be riding Trek OCLV frames with Shimano components and Bontrager wheels. Riders will be outfitted with Voler clothing and Carnac shoes.

ABD 2003 roster:

Jesse Bartholomew
Frank Dierking
Michael Ebert
Rob Jungels
Dylan Lewis
Frank Pipp
Dan Possley
John Puffer
Kurt Rees

US Postal Fantasy Cycling Camps

Tailwind Sports, management company for the US Postal Service team, has announced the creation of its Fantasy Cycling Camps. The camps will feature riders and staff from the USPS team, offering cycling enthusiasts a chance to ride and interact with the boys in blue.

The first camp will be held from February 6-9, 2003, in Fountain Hills, Arizona. USPS team members Christian Vande Velde, Floyd Landis and Dave Zabriskie will be on hand for the event. For information, see www.tailwindsports.com/phoenixcyclingcamp.htm

EN-R-G Foods grassroots sponsorship program

EN-R-G Foods, Inc., has created of a grassroots sponsorship program designed to provide fuel to athletes with its Honey Stinger line of energy gels and bars. The company is now accepting applications from individuals, teams, and event promoters seeking support in 2003.

Athletes may obtain an application packet by sending email to buzz@honeystinger.com or by calling 866-GO-HONEY in the U.S. The application deadline for individuals is February 14, 2003 while teams, clubs and event promoters are welcome to apply any time.

(All rights reserved/Copyright Knapp Communications Pty Limited 2002)