News for June 28, 2002Edited by Jeff Jones Mapei-Quick Step for the TourThe Mapei-Quick Step team for the Tour de France will be geared towards stage wins, built around its sprinters Tom Steels, Oscar Freire and Robert Hunter. Also riding are Andrea Tafi, Gerhard Trampusch, David Canada, Pedro Horrillo, Laszlo Bodrogi and Miguel Martinez, the latter who will be in his first grand tour. CSC-Tiscali for the TourBjarne Riis has named the nine riders to compete in the Tour de France for CSC-Tiscali, which has just landed a new sponsor. The team will be led by Laurent Jalabert, Tyler Hamilton and Carlos Sastre with Nicki Sørensen, Jakob Piil, Michael Sandstød, Paul Van Hyfte, Andrea Peron and Arvis Piziks making up the rest of the squad. "It's a good team and our ambitions are high," says Riis. "Some spots could have been filled by others but there are also some important tasks in the latter part of the season. Our aim is to have three captains; Laurent Jalabert, Tyler Hamilton and Carlos Sastre. The rest will be helpers but we expect them to get into breaks and try something on their own. It's a balanced squad, also selected with the team time trial in mind. We are going for the general classification but also the team classification. Jalabert is aiming for stage wins in the beginning while Hamilton and Sastre will be protected for the overall classification." It was also announced that Italian saddle manufacturer, Selle Italia will fill the vacant space on the team's shorts from the beginning of the Tour de France. So far, the sponsorship will last from July 1st until the end of the season. "We are proud to sponsor one of the most interesting teams in professional cycling," said Selle Italia vice president, Riccardo Bigolin. Official Lotto-Adecco team for the TourThe Lotto-Adecco team has been officially confirmed for the Tour de France, with no changes from two weeks ago. Robbie McEwen, Kurt Van De Wouwer and Rik Verbrugghe are the leaders, with Mario Aerts, Serge Baguet, Christophe Brandt, Hans De Clercq, Guennadi Mikhailov and Aart Vierhouten having options for stage wins as well as riding in support of the captains. VDB decision next weekThe disciplinary commission of the Flemish government has announced that it will pass judgment on the Frank Vandenbroucke case next Thursday, July 4. Vandenbroucke and his lawyer were questioned today in Brussels in relation to his being found in possession of banned substances earlier this year. His defence pleaded for the whole case to be dropped due to incorrect procedure. Moreau crashes before French TT championshipsOne of the favourites for the French time trial championships, Christophe Moreau, was involved in a serious crash on Wednesday during training. Moreau was pacing behind a car at 75 km/h when he fell, suffering serious abrasions but nothing broken. It is expected that he will recover in time for the Tour de France, however he could only finish 17th in today's French Time Trial championships won by Eddy Seigneur. BigMat to stop its sponsorship at the end of the seasonThe only French division I team not to be selected for the Tour de Franc, BigMat-Auber 93, will lose its main sponsor BigMat at the end of the season. The decision was made by the French building company on Wednesday, after a shareholders' vote. They cited their non-selection in the Tour as the principle reason, after also not being picked in 2000. The company has been involved in sponsorship for the past six years, with the Aubervilliers club as co-sponsor. The team contains Spanish riders Aitor Kintana and Felix Garcia Casas, as well as Frenchmen Christophe Capelle, Stéphane Heulot and the Auger brothers, and Patrick Jonker and Jeremy Hunt. Kelme back on track for TourThe Kelme-Costa Blanca team is looking a lot healthier in time for the Tour de France, having secured financial support from the Generalitat Valenciana. In the past week, the Generalitat came to an agreement with Kelme and the Delegation of Alicante to pay all the riders salaries that they are owed, as well as ensuring the future of the team until at least 2005, much to the relief of the riders and staff. Silovs freedLatvian cyclist Juris Silovs has been released on bail by a Lithuanian appeals court for attempting to smuggle 76,750 euros across the border. Silovs had earlier been sentenced to five and a half years in jail for the wrongdoing, and was reportedly held in a maximum security jail in Lithuania. Anyone travelling to Latvia has to declare amounts of over 2700 euros. Silovs will be free pending another hearing into the case. 100th anniversary Tour de France to begin in ParisNext year's 100th anniversary edition of the Tour de France will start in Paris, announced the organisers today. The Tour was first held in 1903, passing through Lyon, Marseilles, Toulouse, Bordeaux and Nantes before finishing in Paris. The 2428 km race had 60 starters, and was won by Frenchman Maurice Garin. The organisers plan to visit the same cities in the 2003 edition. Melbourne gets 2004 World Track ChampionshipsMelbourne, Australia is expected to host the World Track Championships in 2004, according to a source close to Cyclingnews. The announcement is scheduled for later today, but it will be the first time that Australia has hosted a senior World Track Championships since 1997. In August this year, Melbourne will play host to the Junior World Championships, which were launched this week. Ballerini already thinking of Cipollini for World'sItalian national technical director Franco Ballerini is already thinking of constructing his team around Mario Cipollini for the World Championships in Zolder. "We will go there with big ambitions and clear ideas," he said. "[Cipollini] will be our key main. The parcours is suitable to his characteristics. I would define it as 'easy' but it could become difficult. We must concentrate, it will be necessary to pay attention to the difficulties that arise." USA National Racing Calendar StandingsThe latest USCF National Racing Calendar rankings have been released following the HP Women's Challenge. Chris Horner (Prime Alliance) is still the clear leader in the men's rankings, while Judith Arndt (Saturn) has taken a strong lead in the women's. Prime Alliance and Mercury are having a close battle in the men's teams, but Saturn is unbeatable in the women's team rankings. Rankings as of June 26, 2002Men individual 1 Chris Horner (USA) Prime Alliance 944 pts 2 Gord Fraser (Can) Mercury 589 3 Danny Pate (USA) Prime Alliance 495 4 Mark Walters (Can) Navigators 492 5 Henk Vogels (Aus) Mercury 476 6 John Lieswyn (USA) 7UP/NutraFig 449 7 Chris Wherry (USA) Mercury 447 8 Chann McRae (USA) U.S. Postal Service 312 9 Charles Dionne (Can) 7UP/NutraFig 306 10 Oleg Grishkine (Rus) Navigators 305 11 Mark McCormack (USA) Saturn Cycling Team 272 12 Soren Peterson (Den) Saturn Cycling Team 269 13 Damon Kluck (USA) Saturn Cycling Team 246 14 David Clinger (USA) U.S. Postal Service 240 15 Eric Wohlberg (Can) Saturn Cycling Team 240 16 Scott Moninger (USA) Mercury 233 17 David Zabriskie (USA) U.S. Postal Service 222 18 Greg Henderson (NZl) 7UP/NutraFig 221 19 Vasilli Davidenko (Rus) Navigators 217 20 George Hincapie (USA) U.S. Postal Service 213 Women individual 1 Judith Arndt (Ger) Saturn Cycling Team 965 pts 2 Geneviève Jeanson (Can) Rona Cycling Team 799 3 Lyne Bessette (Can) Canadian National Team 752 4 Kimberly Bruckner (USA) Saturn Cycling Team 559 5 Petra Rossner (Ger) Saturn Cycling Team 495 6 Laura VanGilder (USA) Trek PLUS 473 7 Tina Mayolo-Pic (USA) Diet Rite 441 8 Anna Millward (Aus) Saturn Cycling Team 365 9 Susan Palmer-Komar (Can) Talgo America 359 10 Valen Polkhanova (Rus) Itera 316 11 Kimberly Anderson (USA) T - Mobile USA 299 12 Ina Teutenberg (Ger) Saturn Cycling Team 288 13 Suzy Pryde (NZl) Talgo America 230 14 Karen Bockel (Ger) Rona Cycling Team 215 15 Amber Neben (USA) T - Mobile USA 203 16 Dede Demet Barry (USA) Talgo America 200 17 Katrina Berger (USA) T - Mobile USA 177 18 Nicole Freedman (USA) Rona Cycling Team 173 19 Becky Conzelman (USA) Freddie Fu 150 20 Charmain Breon (USA) Freddie Fu 144 Men teams 1 Prime Alliance 1914 pts 2 Mercury 1891 3 Navigators 1258 4 U.S. Postal Service 1196 5 Saturn Cycling Team 1170 6 7UP/NutraFig 1119 7 Schroeder Iron 434 8 Jelly Belly 356 9 MROZ 246 10 Lotto-Adecco 187 Women teams 1 Saturn Cycling Team 2672 pts 2 Rona Cycling Team 1307 3 T - Mobile USA 922 4 Talgo America 895 5 Canadian National Team 870 6 Diet Rite 735 7 Trek PLUS 553 8 Itera 456 9 Freddie Fu 431 10 Bianchi USA 370 Irish Cycling Championships previewBy Tommy Campbell, Irish Independent, Evening Herald, Sunday Independent All eyes and ears will be focused on the village of Stamullen, Co. Meath on Sunday when the combined talents of the McNally Swords Cycling Club and Stamullen M Donnelly Road Club promote the National Road Race Championships for both ladies and men. It will be the first occasion in fifty years that in East Meath that championships at both disciplines will be staged in the scenic village of Stamullen, which has a tradition for the sport of cycling at all, levels. Unquestionably down the years there has been great competition here and no doubt this weekend will see a further chapter written, when McNally Swords CC and Stamullen M Donnelly RC join forces to promote these All-Ireland Championships, which are being sponsored by BBB Bike Parts and Ideal Bikes. The Men's Championship covers 8 laps of a 12-mile circuit, which is used annually for the Stamullen G.P. and has proved to be one of the toughest circuits in Ireland. The Ladies Championships covers 3 laps of this same circuit. The course takes in Clinstown where the riders swing left for the Naul, up the very severe climb of Harbourstown, sharp drop down into the Naul Village, turns left and travels along the Balbriggan road to Clonard Cross, here the race swings left and again the riders face another climb before dropping down through Gormanston Village, turning left over to start/finish point in Stamullen. There is an array of talent already signed up to compete and what's more they are coming from as far away as America in an attempt to win this prestigious championship. The current champion David McCann, who has won this title for the past two years, returns from Austria and former titleholder Tommy Evans, former world's Junior Champion Mark Scanlon, Denis Lynch from Cork all returning and representing their French Club V.C. La Pomme. Under 23 champion of 2001 Dave O'Loughlin and fellow professional in America, James Hodnett and one of the race favorites Ciaran Power, who won the Stamullen G.P over 6 laps of this course, went on to win the F.B.D. Milk Ras 8-day International Race a few weeks later, makes the long journey home from America. Two names that don't often crop in conversation of late are Aidan Duff and Michael O'Donnell who are also based in France. They will be certainly laying claim to the championship, as their form of late would indicate that they are a force to be reckoned with. The home-based competitors are all expected to hold their own in this very high-class field. People of the calibre of Paddy Moriarty from the Dublin Skip Team, Paul Griffin from Earl of Desmond CC in Tralee, Brian Kinneally, Cidona Carrick CC, Denis Easton dual winner in recent weeks of the Sean Nolan Meath GP and the Tour of the Sperrins from the totalcycling.com club in Belfast. One who can't be discounted is of course the Clonee 'ironman' as he is now being called, Philip Cassidy and his teammates Eugene Moriarty, Aidan Crowley, Raymond Clarke all of Cycleways Lee Strand CC. The promoting clubs Stamullen M Donnelly RC will be represented by Craig Sweetman, who was so narrowly defeated two weeks ago in Sean Nolan Meath GP, last year's Leinster Champion Tom Hughes, former All-Ireland Junior (U18) Champion Robert Moore, Also in the frame for Stamullen are stage winner in this year's Dunboyne 3-day race Peter Sharkey, plus Daniel Nulty, Robert Black and Matt Kelly. Simon Whelan, Gearoid Loughnane and John Lally will represent McNally Swords CC. Not only will there be a battle royal for the gold, silver and bronze medals and the title of Irish Champion, there will also be one hell of a struggle for the All-Ireland Team prize with the firm favorites to take this title being the V.C. La Pomme Team from France. This may seem strange to readers, but the rule clearly states that riders returning from other countries to compete in their national championships must represent the clubs that they race with all the year. However, V.C. La Pomme will not win the team title without a titanic struggle between some of the fancied clubs, notably, the Cycleways Lee Strand Team, Carrick Cidona CC, Earl of Desmond CC, Dublin Skip, and Totalcycling.com CC from Belfast. As regards an individual winner, Ciaran Power stands out and if he reproduces an inkling of the form that won him the FBD Milk Ras back in May, he should be home and dry, but the favorite's tag has never rested on his shoulders comfortably. There should be a ding-dong battle for the minor placing with O'Louglin, McCann and possibly Duff nipping in to spoil the party. In the Ladies Championship, Geraldine Gill returns from the Continent, where she races with the V.C. Quintin Club, in a bid to create an all-time record of 4 Ladies Championship titles in a row. Geraldine, who is currently based in France has been doing extremely well in very tough races there and is strongly fancied to write herself into the history book of cycling by taking the title once again. It is expected that there will be a great battle for 2nd and 3rd places between former National Hunt Jockey Kate Rudd from Tipperary C.C. and Louise Moriarty from the Dublin Skip Team, last year's silver medallist Susan O'Meara from Dublin and Sheila Rafferty from the Phoenix CC in Belfast. There is one surprise entry and ‘dark horse' on the start line on Sunday and that will be Colette Swift, from Fermoy in Co. Cork, and who has been living in England for a few years, and compete with a cycling club in Surrey. Little is known of her form to date, so it's possible that she could pose a threat. As well as the cycle race on Sunday, a great family day is promised, with the Kentstown Accordion Band arriving in the village of Stamullen at 12:15. They will be accompanied by St. Mary's Baton Twirlers from Stamullen/Balscadden area. At 12:50 both the Band and the Baton Twirlers will lead the parade of cyclists to the start line. When both races leave the village, the band and baton twirlers will entertain the spectators until the race returns to the village at the end of the first lap. At approximately 1:45 Drogheda Group "Snaz" will provide entertainment, music/song for all present throughout the races. The Senior Men's Championship is due to finish in the village about 4:40 with the Ladies finishing at an earlier time of 2:40 and will be followed by the medal presentations on the podium. On the previous evening Saturday 29th June, there will be racing in the village for Under 12, Under 14, Under 16's and The Glenside Hotel GP for Senior C riders, all starting at 6:30. The course for these races will be Stamullen/Balscadden/Gormanston/Stamullen. Everybody is asked to come to Stamullen on Sunday and enjoy the day's entertainment. Scottish Cycling Team for Commonwealth GamesScottish Cycling has announced its team to contest the 2002 Manchester Commonwealth Games:
Track sprint Chris Hoy Craig Maclean Ross Edgar Marco Librizzi Track endurance Ross Muir (points/scratch) James McCallum (points/scratch) Richard Chapman (points/scratch) Mike Pooley (ind. pursuit) Russell Anderson (ind.pursuit) Women Caroline Alexander (MTB/RR) Caroline Cook (TT, ind pursuit & RR) Joanne Cavill (RR and possibly points) Sally Ashbridge (TT & RR) Katrina Hair (TT & RR) Men's Road David Millar (RR) Duncan Urquhart (TT & RR) Ross Muir (RR) Jason Macintyre (RR and possibly TT)* Alistair Kay (RR)* Alexander Ross (RR)* Note: * These riders have been selected to ride in support of David Millar and will only ride the road race if Millar is able to make it to the race. International GP of EdinburghTaking place on Saturday 29 June at Meadowbank velodrome in Edinburgh is the International Grand Prix of Edinburgh, featuring a number of top competitors from the Commonwealth countries. In the International GP of Edinburgh Sprint, riders such as Anthony Peden and Matthew Sinton (NZl), take on the Champions of Trinidad, 'Ziggy' Kellor (Sprint and Kilometre Champion) and Clinton Grant (Keirin Champion). The home nation's top stars will be Adam Welch (British Sprint League Champion), Matthew Haynes (British Junior Champion) and top Scot Marco Librizzi (both from the City of Edinburgh Club), and many more. The qualifying time trial begins at 11am and the Sprint matches for the 12 qualifiers start at 12 pm. All but the final 6 will race the Classic Walls Keirin, in heats and a final led out by a special motorbike, with a 40 mph bunch sprint finish. Distance riders from the Scotland Commonwealth team, Russell Anderson, Richard Chapman and James McCallum, will ride against class competition in the endurance events from James Taylor (City of Edinburgh RC -British 20Km and Madison Champion), Trinidad 20K and Points Champion Elisha Greene and others in The Sandy Gilchrist Cycles 15km 30up finale. Highlight of the two day meeting will be a 'Nations Youth Challenge; for 4 x 5 rider teams of under 16 years, from Wales, England, Scotland, and a UK select. The new Edinburgh Racers Children's Club will have its first outing on their new mini track bikes funded by grants from the City Council and Sport Scotland. They will compete in 4 events each day, sponsored by Edinburgh Solicitor Paul Doyle, with the best team score taking the victory. More information: www.edinburghgp.com
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