News for October 14, 2002

Edited by Jeff Jones

Men's UCI rankings after World's

Mario Cipollini moved himself up five places on the UCI rankings today courtesy of his win in the World Road Championships in Zolder, worth 400 UCI points. In terms of the quality of his wins, Cipollini's 2002 season has been his best yet, and the 35 year old looks set to do more next year. The question is, with which team?

Erik Zabel's third place today ensured that he stayed well on top of the rankings, while Paolo Bettini, who was second in the World's last year but was 26th today, lost two placings to slip to fourth. Lance Armstrong moves up to second, courtesy of a very solid stage race and classics season, while Robbie McEwen is now the third ranked cyclist in the world, after his silver medal at the World's.

In terms of points scored in 2002, the top 100 rankings are starting to look very similar to the overall UCI rankings as the season draws to a close. Zabel looks set to end it as world number one, as Bettini is now 500 points behind him, while the others (Armstrong, Cipollini, McEwen) would have to win the Giro di Lombardia to threaten Zabel. That looks impossible at this stage.

The World's had little effect on the teams rankings, however the nations rankings were shaken up by the Australians, who jumped over both the USA and the Netherlands to become the sixth ranked cycling nation in the world.

Rankings as of October 13, 2002

Individual UCI ranking

1 Erik Zabel (Ger) Team Telekom                           2,479.00 pts
2 Lance Armstrong (USA) US Postal Service                 2,110.00
3 Robbie McEwen (Aus) Lotto-Adecco                        1,947.00
4 Paolo Bettini (Ita) Mapei-Quick Step                    1,884.00
5 Mario Cipollini (Ita) Acqua & Sapone-Cantina Tollo      1,749.20
6 Dario Frigo (Ita) Tacconi Sport-Emmegi                  1,627.00
7 Aitor Gonzalez Jimenez (Spa) Kelme-Costa Blanca         1,551.00
8 Roberto Heras Hernandez (Spa) US Postal Service         1,455.75
9 Danilo Di Luca (Ita) Saeco-Longoni Sport                1,426.00
10 Francesco Casagrande (Ita) Fassa Bortolo               1,404.00
11 Davide Rebellin (Ita) Gerolsteiner                     1,244.00
12 Joseba Beloki Dorronsoro (Spa) ONCE-Eroski             1,233.00
13 Laurent Jalabert (Fra) Team CSC Tiscali                1,153.00
14 Erik Dekker (Ned) Rabobank                             1,151.60
15 Santiago Botero Echeverry (Col) Kelme-Costa Blanca     1,131.40
16 Michael Boogerd (Ned) Rabobank                         1,112.60
17 Alex Zuelle (Swi) Team Coast                           1,038.00
18 Alessandro Petacchi (Ita) Fassa Bortolo                1,016.75
19 Igor Gonzalez De Galdeano Aranzabal (Spa) ONCE-Eroski  1,007.00
20 Peter Van Petegem (Bel) Lotto-Adecco                   1,006.00

Top riders of 2002

1 Erik Zabel (Ger) Team Telekom                           2,269.00
2 Lance Armstrong (USA) US Postal Service                 2,110.00
3 Robbie McEwen (Aus) Lotto-Adecco                        1,927.00
4 Mario Cipollini (Ita) Acqua & Sapone-Cantina Tollo      1,749.20
5 Paolo Bettini (Ita) Mapei-Quick Step                    1,727.00
6 Dario Frigo (Ita) Tacconi Sport-Emmegi                  1,627.00
7 Aitor Gonzalez Jimenez (Spa) Kelme-Costa Blanca         1,551.00
8 Roberto Heras Hernandez (Spa) US Postal Service         1,455.75
9 Francesco Casagrande (Ita) Fassa Bortolo                1,307.00
10 Joseba Beloki Dorronsoro (Spa) ONCE-Eroski             1,233.00

Teams 

Division I

1 Mapei-Quick Step                                        9,146.75 pts
2 Fassa Bortolo                                           7,509.00
3 US Postal Service                                       6,774.50
4 Lotto-Adecco                                            6,627.00
5 Cofidis                                                 6,214.00
6 Team Coast                                              6,101.90
7 ONCE-Eroski                                             6,030.75
8 iBanesto.com                                            5,812.27
9 Team CSC Tiscali                                        5,746.00
10 Rabobank                                               5,655.20

Division II

1 EDS-fakta                                               3,307.00 pts
2 Bankgiroloterij                                         2,217.00
3 Palmans-Collstrop                                       1,771.00
4 Landbouwkrediet-Colnago                                 1,604.00
5 CCC-Polsat                                              1,452.00

Nations

1 Italy                                                  13,012.70 pts
2 Spain                                                  10,081.97
3 Germany                                                 6,996.50
4 France                                                  6,402.00
5 Belgium                                                 6,398.85
6 Australia                                               5,581.00
7 Netherlands                                             5,573.70
8 U.S.A.                                                  5,442.30
9 Switzerland                                             5,182.80
10 Denmark                                                4,016.00

Full rankings

Francisco Gutierrez courted by Boavista and Euskaltel

The silver medallist in the U23 World Road Championship, Francisco Gutierrez, is almost certain to sign for the Portuguese division II team Carvalhelhos/Boavista. Gutierrez currently rides for Cafés Baque, and won the 2002 Spanish Cup for Under 23 riders. He also has an offer from division I team Euskaltel-Euskadi, but it's more than likely that he'll enter the pro scene at a lower key.

Trenti to Fassa Bortolo

Guido Trenti, who was the best US rider in the World Road Championship today (16th), will ride for Giancarlo Ferretti's Fassa Bortolo team next season. Trenti already hinted at it in a recent interview with Cyclingnews and he will change from his job as one of Cipollini's lead out men to ride for the 'silver team'.

Herald Sun Tour teams

The Herald Sun Tour will start this Friday, October 18 with a criterium in Melbourne's CBD. The race will be contested by 16 five man teams, with several trade teams present, riding under local sponsor names.

The Jayco team (FDJeux.com) will include Australians Baden Cooke, Matt Wilson, Mark Renshaw, Rodney McGee and Brit Brad Wiggins, managed by Brad McGee who is taking a break after a tough year.

Malaysia Airlines (Amore e Vita) has Finnish riders Kjell Carlstrom and Juha Paajanen, Swedes Jonas Ljungblad and Tomas Gronqvist, and South African James Perry.

Ballarat*eureka is a mixed team, with experienced Canadian campaigner Eric Wohlberg, US criterium champion Kevin Monahan, young Australian Simon Gerrans, sprinter Hilton Clarke, and Luis Sepulveda (Chile).

Carlton Midstrength contains Lithuanian Minduagas Concaras, Bart Heirewegh (Belgian amateur champion), Danny In't Ven, and Australians Nathan Clarke and Sean Sullivan, both of whom rode for the Bloks Nijdam team this year in Holland.

LaTrobe City (Wustentot ZVVZ) is a Czech based team, with Michal Precechtel, Petr Bencik, Lubomir Kejval, Jindrich Vana, Jiri Zenisek and German Christian Lademann.

Active for Life (iTeamnova.com) features recent Melbourne - Warrnambool winner Jamie Drew along with David McKenzie, Allan Iacuone, Brett Lancaster and Trent Wilson.

City of Melbourne is a mixed team with German Heiko Szonn, Tasmanians Caleb Manion and Karl Menzies, Victorian James Taylor and 19 year old Joel Pearson.

Bicycle Superstore - Victorian State Home Loans contains the experienced Henk Vogels, along with Tom Leaper, Simon Walker, Andrew Graham, and Tim Decker.

Morey & Hurford includes the strong Italian rider Simone Mori, together with Luca Belluomini, Francesco Cipolletta, and Australians David Pell and Garry Parsons.

Pelaco is an all New Zealand team containing Scott Guyton, Lee Vertongen, Heath Blackgrove, Ryan Russell and Robin Reid.

The VicRoads squad is a young Australian team with 23 year old Ashley Hutchinson as the oldest member, along with Aaron Kemps, Jonothan Cantwell, Bernard Sulzberger, and Lee Godfrey.

FRF Couriers contains sprinters Jeremy Hunt and Jans Koerts, with New South Wales talent Phillip Thuaux, Jonathan Davis, and Scott Dixon.

The Fitzroy Cycles-Australian Abalone Exports team is another all Australian outfit, with David Betts, Ben Johnson, Christopher Carr, Andrew Torney, and Rhys Pollock making up the five.

Coates Shorco Sykes includes Australian national club champion Klayten Smith, Czech Tomas Buchacek, Nathan Russell, Glenn Stojanow, and David McPartland.

The Rio Coffee team has West Australian based New Zealander Jaarod Poad, along with Russell Van Hout, Steve Cunningham, James Hannam, and Peter Rogers.

The final Sun Tour team is Maffra Community Sports Club, an all South African line up with Tiaan Kannemeyer, Ryan Cox, Rodney Green, Rudolf Wentzel, and Ian McLeod.

The Sun Tour takes place from October 18-27.

Belgian World Cup boycott?

The Belgian cyclo-crossers are once again muttering about boycotting the World Cup, due to a UCI regulation about the all important starting order. The UCI want to rank the starting order for each race by country, rather than by individual UCI ranking. This would mean that the third best Belgian, who may be in the top 5 on the UCI rankings, could be pushed back to start in say 30th position.

According to Belga newsagency, Belgian team spokesman Erwin Vervecken said that if the UCI did not change this rule, the Belgians would not compete in the World Cup this season. Last year they dominated, filling the first three places on the classification.

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