News for September 8, 2002

Edited by Jeff Jones and Chris Henry

Vuelta España news: Stage 1 wrap up

ONCE-Eroski started the Vuelta in the best possible manner, winning the first stage team time trial in Valencia. The yellow clad squad directed by Manolo Saiz rode the 24.6 km course in 26'21, an average speed of 56.01 km/h. They finished 14 seconds ahead of US Postal, and 15 seconds ahead of Kelme, and Joseba Beloki was awarded the first leader's gold jersey.

Full report and results
Live report
Photos

Post stage quotes

Manolo Sáiz (ONCE-Eroski director)

ONCE-Eroski
Photo: © Yuzuru Sunada

"The victory was not easy...I am satisfied to have started in gold on the general classification, it's very nice to begin this way. Above all, I'm very happy with the 1'13 advantage that we have over Gilberto Simoni's Saeco team."

"We had a hard moment when we lost Mikel Pradera after a few kilometres - and then Jan Hruska - and that left us with only eight riders."

On the decision to have Beloki in yellow: "It was determined for a number of days because he is one of the favourites and I wanted that to gain the attention of the Vuelta and at the same time to create the necessary interest from the public."

Roberto Heras (US Postal)

"We started evenly and gradually gained our rhythm...I had very good sensations."

On Kelme: "They have improved, but it is a good sign to have finished in front of them. What is important that we have done a good time."

Vicente Belda (Kelme director)

Vicente Belda's Kelme team finished third today, after setting a very fast time at the first time check. "I am happy with the result," said Belda. "In the last five kilometres we lost our rhythm, but we have improved a great deal compared to other occasions. We knew that we could do well and had a chance to win, but in front of us we had a team such as ONCE, who have practically nine time trialists."

"Today's stage was in the terrain of ONCE, but as of tomorrow we will race on other ground. In part, I feel bad not winning at home, but the weight of the race will now be carried by ONCE."

Angel Casero (Team Coast)

"ONCE has shown itself to be the best team. We came with the intention of losing the least amount of time possible. The Vuelta is not won at the beginning, but at the end."

First Vuelta controls negative

This morning, prior to the team time trial, the first unannounced health controls of the 2002 Vuelta a España were carried out. The following teams were tested: Alessio, Jazztell-Costa de Almeria, Milaneza-MSS, Phonak Hearing Systems.

No riders tested were declared unfit to start the race.

Spanish directors optimistic

As this year's Vuelta gets underway, many are expecting the race to be a battle for top honors among the Spanish teams. Pre-race favorites Angel Casero, Roberto Heras, Oscar Sevilla, and Tour de France runner up Joseba Beloki will all be looking to stake their claim. Nonetheless, Spanish teams big and small will all be vying for glory throughout the three week event, and several Spanish directors have let their optimism be known.

Eusebio Unzúe (iBanesto.com):

"(Francisco) Mancebo has arrived in good form, and I believe that this season he has improved a lot over last year, where his results were not as big. I think that he can be one of the protagonists of this Vuelta."

Commenting on race favorites Beloki, Heras, Seville, Casero and Simoni, Unzúe added, "those five are often on the podium, and they are the great favorites. But don't forget that there are maybe eight other riders who are not far behind."

"The Vuelta is very balanced. The sprinters will have their four or five opportunities and the days in the smaller mountains provide others with their chances."

Miguel Moreno (Jazztel-Costa De Almeria):

"By the Sierra Nevada I believe that the general classification will be defined, which will give our riders the chance to look for breakaways."

"I hope to get two victories, because the Vuelta is a big objective."

"I believe that (Serguei) Smetanine can win in a sprint, or guys like (Jorge) Ferriorrio can get a stage... or the champion of Spain, Juan Carlos Guillamon."

Jose Maria Perez (Relax-Fuenlabrada):

"My riders have good morale and are very fresh, having prepared very well with about 40 to 45 days of competition."

Perez is counting on Antonio Colom and Benjamin Noval for the general classification, "because they are two men who handle themselves well in the mountains."

Automatic US selections for Zolder

USA Cycling announced Friday the automatic athlete nominations for the World Road Cycling Championships in Zolder. These athletes earned their nominations based on performances at the 2002 USCF National Road Cycling Championships and for consistent, outstanding results in international competition.

Junior women: Megan Long, Larssyn Staley
Junior men: Josh Kerkhof, Zak Grabowski, Tyler Farrar
Elite women: Deirdre Demet-Barry, Kimberly Bruckner, Amber Neben, Jessica Phillips
U23 and elite men: Will Frishkorn, Mike Creed, Fred Rodriguez, Chris Horner

Discretionary team nominations will be announced on Tuesday, September 10.

Cipollini begins Vuelta test, dreams of Zolder

"I'm preparing myself for the World Championships," explains Mario Cipollini, who Saturday began his 4th Vuelta a España. The Lion King is no doubt motivated, returning from his foray into retirement in order to prepare for the one big victory he now feels he misses the most: the rainbow jersey. "I have come back because the fans have been very supportive through this difficult period. So I have one objective: to win the World's," Cipo said at a pre-race press conference in Valencia.

"The Vuelta will be a good test for me, and I hope to catch up on my conditioning. The first week, based on previous editions, is always hard and this will serve to help me gauge my potential. When I concentrate on a particular objective, I do whatever I can to conquer it."

Indeed, with 177 victories to his credit, Mario has been true to his word. "I have won Milan-San Remo, I have won 6 stages in the Giro; those were objectives set at the beginning of the season," he added. Never one to shy away from self-promotion, Cipollini does seem to have his feet firmly on the ground concerning his date with destiny in Zolder. "I repeat... the World's is a very difficult race, very demanding."

Acqua & Sapone for Giro di Romagna

With Super Mario searching for post-retirement form at the Vuelta, a second team will contest this weekend's racing in Italy. The formation for Sunday's Giro di Romagna is as follows:

Lorenzo Cardellini, Roberto Conti, Cristian Gasperoni, Massimo Giunti, Alexander Kolobnev, Simone Masciarelli, Kyryl Pospeev, Michele Scarponi. Directeur sportif: Franco Gini.

Raimondas Rumsas to be heard in Italy

Following yet another rejected appeal on Friday for the release of Edita Rumsas, a meeting between Raimondas Rumas and the French authorities appears more likely. With procedures in place for an international excursion on the part of the French judiciary, the LeMonde newspaper reports that Raimondas Rumsas is due to speak in Tuscany, Italy, refusing still to travel to France.

Meanwhile, reports are surfacing that within the veritable pharmacy found in Edita Rumsas's car that fateful day in July was a bag bearing Raimondas's name, containing four ready-to-use syringes. The contents of the syringes were tested at a Parisian laboratory, ToxLab, however a reliable identification was not made. Investigators have since sent the syringes to a second lab in an effort to determine whether or not they contained masking agents, or as-yet unidentified doping products.

2002 Bear Mountain Fall Classic cancelled

Sparta Cycling has just announced that they are cancelling this year's Bear Mountain Fall Classic and the inaugural Nancy Morganstern Memorial Category IV Women's Classic events. Scheduled for September 15 in New York's Harriman State Park, the race is usually one of the highlights of the fall road season serves as a tune-up for the following weekend's Univest Grand Prix.

The remaining Sparta events of the fall, The Univest Grand Prix and GS Mengoni Grand Prix, are still on schedule. Sparta organizer John Eustice commented, "Sparta Cycling is being threatened with litigation by a rider with the Bear Mountain Spring Classic being cited as an example. We feel that it is too risky for us to expose ourselves through promoting this similar event given our current situation."

"Races like Bear Mountain, run in State Parks, with no sponsorship or media, are basically club races with a few added bits such as technical support. They rely on volunteers and goodwill to go forward. We will continue to promote the sport through our larger events such as the Univest Grand Prix. Our support for grassroots racing will have to end for the above stated reasons."

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