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Mont Ventoux
Photo ©: Sirotti

International News for May 25, 2002

Edited by Karen Forman

Giro news: Lunghi wins 12th stage; Simoni out

Colpack climber Denis Lunghi won Friday's 12th stage of the Giro d'Italia after attacking a six-rider breakaway with 30km to go.

The punchy rider crossed the line 37 seconds ahead of Phonak's Bert Grabsch and Colnago-Landbouwkrediet's Lorenzo Bernucci to win what was a very wet and undulating 200 kilometre leg from Campobasso to Chieti. German Jens Heppner, who finished 13th, retains the overall lead.

Heppner said he had not wanted to risk chasing Lunghi's breakaway in the slippery conditions. Lunghi described his win a "great win". "We (Colpack-Astro) just knew we were going to ride in the last 10 days before the Giro. (Gianluigi) Stanga (Colpack-Astro manager) kept yelling me that I was the strongest, that I should go and so I did!"

Click for larger image
Simoni
Photo: © AFP

Meanwhile, doping continues to dog the Giro as Saeco-Longoni Sport announced prior to the start of stage 12 they were withdrawing last year's Giro winner and yesterday's stage winner, Gilberto Simoni, from the Giro.

The team said it based its decision on the situation created after Simoni provided a urine sample which revealed traces of cocaine.

"With sadness and deep sorrow, the team came to this decision after considering the difficulty of the situation and atmosphere created, especially after the rider was interviewed by the investigators sent by the public prosecutor of Trento to shed light on the presumed case of doping in which Gilberto Simoni has found himself in," read the team's statement.

"The strong suspicion and the doubt that this serious situation represents for the team - which has always tried to be as honest and serious as possible, and for the prestigious sponsors which have linked their name to the team, has become unacceptable."

However, questions are being asked about the timing of the release of this test. Speaking to Italian sports daily La Gazzetta Dello Sport, Giuseppe Martinelli, directeur sportif of Saeco-Longoni, said: "I only want someone to explain to me why the news of Simoni's non-negative test is coming out in the middle of the Giro and not before. If we knew before, he wouldn't have started and none of this mess would never have happened."

The out of competition test was carried out by the World-Anti-Doping Agency on April 24, the day before the start of the Giro del Trentino, a race where Italian riders use to prepare for their national tour.

The 30 year old from Palu di Giovo in northern Italy, who turned professional in 1994, claimed the traces of cocaine in his sample was due to a pain-killing injection from his dentist, who he visited for a filling prior to a photo shoot for an Italian magazine.

In its statement, Saeco appears to place what it believes to be the best interests of the team, its sponsors and the sport, ahead of those of Simoni, who was in good form and a favourite to win the Giro this year.

"It is evident that the sporting aspect of the team risks becoming seriously penalised and damaged by the events, as has clearly been seen by the relative attention given to the victory of Simoni at Campitello Matese in respect to the developments of the doping case which he is involved at this time," the statement read.

"With this decision, the Saeco-Longoni Sport team wants to confirm its maximum respect towards the Giro d'Italia and its organisers and above all towards the cycling fans. They do not accept that the rider and the team can be the object of judgment and taking of positions by other teams or single athletes taking part in competitions.

"The team wants to confirm a feeling of esteem and faith towards the rider that will only diminish in the moment that he results responsible for events. For that aim, the team will act in every way to make clear what has happened, making any decision regarding the near future in absolute tranquility."

Stage 12 full results & report
Live report
Photos

Giro stage 12 - victory comments

Stage winner Denis Lunghi: "I waited a long time for this victory. I made many sacrifices but I am now rewarded. In our team, it is the first victory of the season. I am not the captain, each one has his chance according to the race. I know my faults, I am often too nervous, too impulsive. My director sportif (Antonio Bevilacqua) often said me to race better. In the break, I attacked especially to see how the others reacted. I realized that I was strongest, then I went."

"Of course, it is not the ideal moment to win. We are confronted with many problems. Me, I am already in my fourth season but I think of the néo-pros who must have their head full with everything that we hear."

Overall leader Jens Heppner: "A tiring stage. The break suited us well, obviously, but more than five hours in the rain and on such a parcours, it is never easy. The two next stages, with the finish at the top and the time trial, are tricky for me. I am afraid to lose the pink jersey, but I intend to defend it until the end."

"The Simoni business after the Garzelli business? It is a pity. I believe that the best riders of the world do not need that. In any case, the Giro continues and I will try very hard to honour this pink jersey."

Saeco cancels journalists' football game

Following on from its withdrawal of rider Gilberto Simoni from the Giro d'Italia amid cocaine-use allegations, Saeco has decided to cancel the Saeco Football Game set down for Monday in Padova.

A team spokesman said the team's state of mind was "not adapted for living this event in the happy climate that should characterise it".

Soccer games for journalists are often held as part of major sporting events, particularly in the motor sports paddock.

No sponsors, so no Cologne wheel race

Major international wheel race events planned for Cologne on July 12 and September 6 have been cancelled due to lack of sponsorship.

Spokesman Renate Franz said all efforts to find adequate financial backing for the events had failed.

"Although we strove intensively, we could not find sponsors (to ensure) the meetings were financially secure," he said. "Already in the last four years the meetings (at the) Cologne Albert cycle track were a minus business. But with much idealism, the organizers continued. This year, however, the missing amount exceeds the border of the maximum stress for the financing of approximately 100,000 euro."

Organisers are now looking at alternatives and may run the event as a single event, with events for children.

Dekker back on deck after injury

Dutch rider Erik Dekker will return to competition on Monday in Strombeek, Belgium, after recovering from a broken leg.

The Rabobank team member will appear at a village fair in Strombeek before starting the Tour of Luxembourg.

Winner of the 2001 World Cup, Dekker fell on March 23 in the 2002 World Cup opener - the Milan-Sanremo - and fractured the femur in his left leg. After initially being sidelined, Dekker started training again on April 20, hoping to be regain fitness in time for the Tour de France.

Perfetto denies doping

Italian rider Filippo Perfetto (Panaria) has denied involvement with drugs following the doping scandals of this year's Giro d'Italia, which is moving into his final week.

Pefetto was questioned on Friday by the prosecutor of the court of Brescia, Mario Conte, which opened an investigation. He spent one hour in the witness box and disputed the charge against him.

"I do not know why Varriale (Antonio), put me into this," he said. "In fact things do not penalize me much, I did not dope myself," he told the magistrate.

Mapei says "no link" between rider tests and Ratti

Drug checks on six Mapei riders on Thursday were not linked with reports that hormones had been found in Eddy Ratti's bag on Wednesday night, a team spokesman said.

The riders, participating in the Tour of Belgium, were called to undergo a drug check by the Belgium Ministry of Sports. However, Mapei has said the tests were not linked with the discovery by one rider of the growth hormone Genotonorm in Ratti's bag in Ostende, a few hours after the event prologue.

Apparently the Italian team doctor, Theo Lebon, was called and athletic director Eric Vanderaerden informed the police.

But they denied there was any link between the matter (Ratti) and the anti-drug check to which six racers were submitted. It was a matter there of a routine check", Vanderaerden said.

The discovery and the checks followed the exclusion of another Mapei rider, Italian Stefano Garzelli, from the Giro d'Italia, on Tuesday, for doping.

Take a ride with Team Rona

The Fédération Québécoise des Sports Cyclistes and the National Cycling Centre in Bromont, Quebec, have invited recreational and competitive cyclists to share a ride in the Bromont area with Genevieve Jeanson and Team Rona.

The 50km ride will be held on June 8 from 9am, starting at the National Cycling Centre, 400 Shefford St in Bromont. Any rider over 12 years of age is eligible to join in.

The eight members of one of North American's best and aggressive female road teams will ride with the field.

Team leader Genevieve Jeanson, at 20 already one of the world's top female cyclists, this year won the Valley of the Sun, the Tucson Classic, the Tour of the Gila (with four stage wins) and finished second at the Redlands Classic, where she won one stage.

The Rona cycling team is one of only two Canadian women's elite cycling teams acknowledged by the International Cycling Union.