News for August 13, 2002Edited by Jeff Jones Can Jan Ullrich return?Jan Ullrich has given his first interview in Germany since returning from the USA last Saturday. The popular and frustrated star spoke with Bild about his comeback prospects. "I don't know yet. I have not yet had any thoughts about the future. I still don't know whether I can motivate myself," he said when asked about when he would return to racing. However, Ullrich has found inspiration in his compatriots, Franziska van Almsick and Dieter Baumann, who have both come back to the top after some serious setbacks. "Franzi's comeback has given me hope, on all levels," said Ullrich. "It shows that athletes who were once great can take strength out of their mistakes. That is the same with me. I have made the mistakes, I am now completely humbled by them, and I would of course like to start a giant comeback for me and my fans." "It was important to me and the fans that there was no doping, and that I deceived no one. With this mistake, I have to fight the most. But in the Tour, everyone saw: Armstrong needs a strong opponent. And the people see in me a competitor, who will make it exciting again." When asked where he wants to be at this time next year, Ullrich replied, "I desire to be at the top again. That I will have my life in my grasp, that I will become more mature, and that I have a career with which I can be very satisfied. But whether I succeed, is still in the stars." No release yet for EditaEdita Rumsas will have to stay in Bonneville prison for a while longer, after the investigating judge decided against her provisional release, following a requests made last Wednesday. Mrs Rumsas has been held in prison since July 30, under suspicion of transporting and supplying doping substances. Her husband Raimondas, who finished third in the Tour de France, has opted to remain in Italy in the meantime, fearing that he will suffer the same fate as his wife if he goes to France. A decision will be made about her freedom on Tuesday (August 13) or possibly Wednesday by a qualified judge in Bonneville. UCI rankings after San SebastianErik Zabel's number one position at the top of the UCI rankings is now very much under threat from Mapei's Paolo Bettini, who with his seventh place in the Clasica San Sebastian on the weekend moved within just 10 points of Zabel. However, Bettini will have to do better than he did last year in this Sunday's Meisterschaft von Zürich World Cup in order to have a net gain of points. This will be hard, because he won the race last year, so Zabel might have some more time at the top. Looking further down the rankings, Erik Dekker has got himself back into fourth place, at the expense of Francesco Casagrande, who couldn't repeat his second place in the 2001 San Sebastian last Saturday. Casagrande lost a few points and dropped to sixth place on the UCI scale. Dario Frigo is movin' on up too. The Tacconi rider who finished 5th in San Sebastian and won the Subida Urkiola the next day is now up into 9th spot, with 1,289 points. Saeco's Danilo Di Luca (22nd - 15th) and Igor Astarloa (133rd - 75th) are also on the ascent, courtesy of some good performances on the weekend, as well as in HEW Cyclassics last weekend. Finally, Laurent Brochard picked up 14 places (50th - 36th) after winning the Regio Tour in Germany on Sunday. UCI rankings as of August 11, 2002Individuals 1 Erik Zabel (Ger) Team Telekom 2,248.00 pts 2 Paolo Bettini (Ita) Mapei-Quick Step 2,238.00 3 Lance Armstrong (USA) US Postal Service 1,953.00 4 Erik Dekker (Ned) Rabobank 1,567.60 5 Oscar Freire Gomez (Spa) Mapei-Quick Step 1,511.75 6 Francesco Casagrande (Ita) Fassa Bortolo 1,499.00 7 Robbie McEwen (Aus) Lotto-Adecco 1,476.75 8 Santiago Botero Echeverry (Col) Kelme-Costa Blanca 1,315.40 9 Dario Frigo (Ita) Tacconi Sport-Emmegi 1,289.00 10 Oscar Sevilla Ribera (Spa) Kelme-Costa Blanca 1,189.40 11 Levi Leipheimer (USA) Rabobank 1,141.60 12 Davide Rebellin (Ita) Gerolsteiner 1,135.00 13 Mario Cipollini (Ita) Acqua & Sapone-Cantina Tollo 1,134.00 14 Juan Miguel Mercado Martin (Spa) iBanesto.com 1,116.00 15 Danilo Di Luca (Ita) Saeco-Longoni Sport 1,061.00 16 Mario Aerts (Bel) Lotto-Adecco 1,033.25 17 Michael Boogerd (Ned) Rabobank 1,032.60 18 Alex Zülle (Swi) Team Coast 1,026.00 19 Fernando Escartin Coti (Spa) Team Coast 1,000.00 20 Peter Van Petegem (Bel) Lotto-Adecco 974.25 Top riders of 2002 1 Lance Armstrong (USA) US Postal Service 1,953.00 pts 2 Erik Zabel (Ger) Team Telekom 1,396.00 3 Dario Frigo (Ita) Tacconi Sport-Emmegi 1,289.00 4 Robbie McEwen (Aus) Lotto-Adecco 1,276.75 5 Paolo Bettini (Ita) Mapei-Quick Step 1,220.00 6 Mario Cipollini (Ita) Acqua & Sapone-Cantina Tollo 1,134.00 7 Alex Zülle (Swi) Team Coast 1,011.00 8 Paolo Savoldelli (Ita) Index Alexia 953.00 9 Francesco Casagrande (Ita) Fassa Bortolo 919.00 10 Laurent Jalabert (Fra) Team CSC Tiscali 875.00 Teams Division I 1 Mapei-Quick Step 7,234.75 pts 2 Fassa Bortolo 5,421.00 3 Lotto-Adecco 5,287.25 4 ONCE-Eroski 4,876.75 5 Cofidis 4,848.00 6 US Postal Service 4,817.50 7 Team Coast 4,592.00 8 iBanesto.com 4,485.75 9 Rabobank 4,477.20 10 Team Telekom 4,442.00 Division II 1 EDS-fakta 2,501.00 pts 2 Bankgiroloterij-Batavus 1,550.00 3 Landbouwkrediet-Colnago 1,348.00 4 Palmans-Collstrop 1,287.00 5 CCC-Polsat 1,242.00 Full rankings Peron signs until 2003 with CSC-TiscaliAndrea Peron, one of the more experienced domestiques in the peloton, has signed a contract with Bjarne Riis' CSC-Tiscali team through until the end of 2003. The almost-31 year old Italian has ridden with some of the sport's best riders, including Armstrong, Bugno, Fignon, Jalabert, Rebellin, Hamilton, Gianetti, Casagrande and Frigo. He has also ridden for a number of different nationality teams, including Motorola (USA), ONCE (Spa), Française des Jeux (Fra), CSC - Tiscali (Den), Polti (Ita), and Fassa Bortolo (Ita). Cunego for two more years with SaecoSaeco-Longoni Sport's team manager Claudio Corti and 20 year old Damiano Cunego have decided to extend Cunego's contract for another two years, until the end of 2004 Acqua&Sapone Cantina Tollo for upcoming racesThe Acqua & Sapone-Cantina Tollo team has been selected for the Tour de l'Ain (August 13-16) and the "Due Giorni Marchigiana" on August 13-14. The latter will have Gabriele Colombo, Simone Masciarelli, Michele Scarponi, Alexander Kolobnev, Cesare Di Cintio, Tomas Francisco Garcia Rodriguez, Roberto Conti e Cristian Gasperoni. DS: Franco Gini. The team for the Tour de l'Ain is: Lorenzo Cardellini, Massimiliano Gentili, Federico Giabbecucci, Massimo Giunti, Agustin Peña, Filippo Simeoni e Claudio Astolfi. DS: Giuseppe Petito. Index Alexia for Due Giorni MarchigianaGiro d'Italia winner Paolo Savoldelli will race as part of the Index-Alexia team in the Due Giorni Marchigiana, which will be held from August 13-14. The full team for Tuesday's race is: Marco Battiston, Fabiano Ferrari, Daniele Galli, Bo Hamburger, Andris Reiss, Paolo Savoldelli, Sebastiano Scotti and Mauro Zinetti. On Wednesday, for the GP Fred Mengoni Immobiliare, the team will be: Giuseppe Di Grande, Fabiano Ferrari, Damiano Giannini, Bo Hamburger, Marco Magnani, Andris Reiss, Daniele Righi and Gianluca Valoti. Mapei-Quick Step for the Tour of DenmarkMapei team manager Alvaro Crespi has selected the top team for the Tour of Denmark (Post Danmark Rundt), from August 13-17. The team is: Elio Aggiano, Paolo Bettini, Laszlo Bodrogi, Davide Bramati, Fabian Cancellara, Dario Cioni, Miguel Martinez, Andrea Tafi. DS: Fabrizio Fabbri.. US National Team announced for MTB World'sUSA Cycling has announced its team for the Mountain Bike World Championships, which will be held in Kaprun, Austria from August 28-September 1. The team will be headed by women's World XC Champion Alison Dunlap, and totals 28 athletes. Elite Women XC: Alison Dunlap (Luna Chix), Mary McConneloug (Seven Cycles), Sue Haywood (Trek-VW), Willow Koerber (Cane Creek) and Shonny Vanlandingham (SoBe-Headshok). Elite Men XC: Jeremy Horgan-Kobelski (RLX Polo Sport), Travis Brown (Trek-VW), Todd Wells (Mongoose). Horgan-Kobelski is currently the top-ranked American in the NORBA NCS standings, while Brown trails one spot behind. Wells is the top-ranked American on the World Cup circuit, in 19th place. Espoir Men XC: Walker Ferguson (Fisher-Subaru) and Adam Craig (Balance Bar/-Devo) Junior Men XC: John Devine Junior Women XC: Magen Long, Molly Hummel, Liza Winne Men's 4-Cross: Brian Lopes (Fox-GT), Eric Carter (Mongoose), Mike King (Haro-Lee Dungarees) and Kirt Voreis (Haro-Lee Dungarees) Women's 4-Cross: Tara Llanes (Yeti-Pearl Izumi), Melissa Buhl (KHS/ODI), Lisa Sher (Chumba Wumba), April Lawyer (Maxxis) Elite Men Downhill: Eric Carter (Mongoose) is the only automatic qualifier Elite Women Downhill: Missy Giove (Global), Kathy Pruitt (Zeal Optics), Lisa Sher (Chumba Wumba) Junior Men Downhill: Henry O'Donnell, Cody Alpine Junior Women Downhill: Magen Long, Leanna Gerard News from South AfricaVelo Mondial 2006 in Cape TownCape Town has pulled off a major coup with the announcement that the city has been chosen to host the Velo Mondial cycle conference in 2006. The event, which started in Montreal in 1992, is held every six years and Cape Town will be only the third host city, beating New Delhi, Beijing, Osaka and Bogata for the honour. The 2006 conference will be held on the eve of the Cape Argus/Pick 'n Pay Cycle Tour - the largest cycling event in the world, and will help Velo Mondial's crusade to see cycling overtake vehicles as a means of transport. SACF and WPPP to combineSouth African cycling is moving closer together, after Gotty Hansen, chairman of the South African Cycling Federation, and Frans Fouche from Western Province Pedal Power announced on Tuesday that they have reached an agreement to form one united cycling body called Cycling SA. It's expected that this body will come into effect on January 1, 2003. "This will take the sport forward in leaps and bounds and we'll be able to achieve so much more by speaking with one voice - to government as well as other role players in the industry," said Hansen. Hansen and Fouche will also try to get the Pedal Power organisations of Central Gauteng and Gauteng North to join Cycling SA. Fundraisers arrive in JohannesburgFour cyclists have arrived in Johannesburg after a 13,000 kilometre/eight month long trek from London, via the Middle East, Suez Canal and Africa. Their aim was to focus attention on the need for clean water in lesser developed countries. They were sponsored by several businesses and raised R60,000 (5,856 euros) for WaterAid, a water activist group. While averaging 90 km of riding per day, the four enjoyed the heat of the Sahara Desert, shocking roads in some parts of Africa, and of course the obligatory flat tires. Two even contracted malaria. They have planned a presentation about their experiences for the upcoming World Summit on Sustainable Development in Johannesburg in August. Courtesy of David Cowie/sa-cycling.com 46th SEAT Tour of SlovakiaThe 46th SEAT Okolo Slovenska (SEAT Tour of Slovakia) is a five day UCI class 2.5 stage race that takes place from August 28-September 1. The race starts in Kysucke Nove Mesto with a 166 km stage, and finishes with a 26 km individual time trial in Humenne. Several division II and III trade teams will take part, as well as a number of national teams. The stages
The TeamsDivision II Wustenrot ZVVZ Division III Mapei Quick Step National teams Czech republic Club teams Team Odense Courtesy of Ludovit Lucanic and Jozef Kovac Irish team for Gamuda Eagle TourBy Tommy Campbell, Irish Independent, Evening Herald, Sunday Independent
An Irish team will compete in the inaugural Gamuda Eagle Tour of Malaysia. The event starts on Wednesday, August 14, and finishes up on Sunday, August 18. It is being billed as the next big thing for Asian cycling, with race director Alan Rushton commenting that "The quality of the competitors that have assembled for the event is very good. I have to say that on paper the 3rd stage looks spectacular." Leading the team will be Tommy Evans who finished a creditable 12th in the Commonwealth Games in Manchester. The event was won by Stuart O'Grady from Australia, but his ancestors were from Clare, so maybe they'll request tickets for the Guinness All Ireland Hurling Final in September. Well the "Banner county" did the business last Sunday week against Waterford. Evans will have five team mates with a balance of established seniors and under-23's who'll get a baptism of the humid conditions in that part of the world. Obviously, Cycling Ireland are intent on mixing teams which is a welcome development. Originally scheduled to travel with the team was Declan Byrne who has been National Team Director for the last number of years. Last weekend Byrne who was scheduled to travel to the European U23's in Italy but declined because of pressure of work commitments. Subsequently he tendered his resignation which was accepted by the High Profile Commission of Cycling Ireland. Ciaran McKenna their chairman confirmed that Declan had gone, "It is important that we fulfil our commitments to major races. We will compliment the manager situation by a rota of tried and tested individuals who worked for us before. Ian Chivers will now go to Malaysia. Ian was there before and is aware of the requirements for the team," said Ciaran. Cycling Ireland on the foot of their high profile thanks to the grant aid from Irish Sports Council and their CEO Eamon Duffy who is doing trojan work on behalf of cycling will now have to fill that important role sooner than later. Maybe one of the most successful persons in the recent past, Ritchie Beatty, could be brought back, but then again after his renowned successes, he'll probably stay off side. He was a hard act to follow. Having a world champion on your CV is a bridge to far for would-be contenders. Follow that!
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