Second Edition News for February 5, 2003

Edited by John Stevenson

Bartoli back on the bike

Injured Fassa Bortolo rider Michele Bartoli is back on the bike, according to an announcement from the team. Bartoli has been off the bike since a training crash on January 6 in which he sustained a fractured pelvis, but was yesterday examined by doctor Spinelli at the San Rossore Clinic and given permission to start training again.

New Pro Crit Series for South Carolina

During the week of April 29-May 2, 2003 South Carolina's 'Heritage Corridor' will see the first edition of a new four-race criterium series claimed to be the richest in US cycling. The South Carolina Heritage Cycling Series will consist of four pro/1/2 criteriums, with venues tentatively programmed as the towns of Anderson, Greenwood, Aiken and Orangeburg. Each race will offer a $10,000 purse and points in the US National race Calendar.

Organised by Hincapie Sports, the new series comes hard on the heels of the famous Athens Twilight Criterium (April 26) and the Tour of Georgia (April 22-27), which major US teams including US Postal are expected to attend, according to the organizers.

"Between Athens Twilight (April 26), the Heritage Series and the Shelby and Roswell races the next weekend, there will be nearly $80,000 in professional prize money up for grabs," said race director Rich Hincapie, president of Hincapie Sports. "In terms of money, this is going to be the biggest criterium week in America."

Hincapie thinks the lucrative week of racing to follow will provide considerable incentive for the top teams in America to remain in South Carolina throughout the week after the tour, to either race or train in the South Carolina mountains.

"I think they'll all do it," said Hincapie, "They can pick or choose which races they want to do. There will be racing everyday, and it'll be a perfect lead in for the First Union Series. George (Hincapie) will be in town and he can either get some speed work in, or do some mountain training closer to home."

US Postal spokesman Dan Osipow told Cyclingnews that the team's schedule did not include the Heritage Cycling Series, but only because it was drawn up "before that series was announced. We may attend those events, but nothing is confirmed yet." (See below for US Postal's full 2003 schedule.)

Rich Hincapie also sees the series as a chance to showcase the US Southeast as a training and riding venue. "In South Carolina, you can't beat the terrain and the weather. It's one reason why George has chosen Greenville for his hometown," he said. "There's not much traffic, and you have everything from the mountains to the ocean, and it rarely snows. Last year, Viatcheslav Ekimov called it one of the best places to train in the world."

US Postal's 2003 program

With the European season about to get underway, Lance Armstrong's US Postal Service presented by Berry Floor team has published its full racing schedule for the year. Postal spotters can therefore look out for the boys in blue at the following races:

February
 
12-16    Tour Méditerranéen, France (2.3)
18       Trofeo Laigueglia, Italy (1.2)
19-23    Tour of Algarve, Portugal (2.3)
22       Tour du Haut Var, France (1.2)
23       Trofeo Luis Puig, Spain (1.2)
23       Classic Haribo, France (1.3)
 
March
 
1        Omloop Het Volk, Belgium (1.1)
2        Kuurne-Bruxelles-Kuurne, Belgium (1.2)
5-9      Tour of Murcia, Spain (2.3)
9-16     Paris-Nice, France (HC)
22       Milan-San Remo, Italy (CDM)
24-28    Setmana Catalana de Ciclisme, Spain (2.1)
26       Dwars door Vlaanderen Waregem, Belgium (1.2)
29       GP E3-Harelbeke, Belgium (1.1)
 
April
 
1-3      Three Days of the Panne, Belgium (2.2)
6        Tour of Flanders, Belgium (CDM)
8-11     Circuit de la Sarthe, France (2.3)
9        Gent-Wevelgem, Belgium (HC)
9-12     Sea Otter Classic, USA (2.3)
13       Paris-Roubaix, France (CDM)
20       Amstel Gold Race, Netherlands (CDM)
22-27    Tour of Georgia, USA (2.3)
23       La Flèche Wallonne, Belgium (HC)
27       Liège-Bastogne-Liège, Belgium (CDM)
 
May
 
7-11     Four Days of Dunkerque, France (2.1)
21-25    Tour of Belgium, Belgium (2.3)
 
June
 
3        First Union Invitational, USA (1.3)
5        First Union Classic, USA (1.3)
8-15     Critérium du Dauphiné Libéré, France (HC)
8        U.S. Pro Championship, USA (1.2)
16-22    Tour of Catalunya, Spain (HC)
27       National TT Championships
29       National RR Championships
 
July
 
5-27     Tour de France, France (GT)
 
August
 
3        HEW-Cyclassics Cup, Germany (CDM)
3        New York City Championship, USA 
9        Clasica San Sebastian, Spain (CDM)
11-15    Tour of Burgos, Spain (2.1)
17       Championship of Zurich, Switzerland (CDM)
17       U.S. Pro Criterium Championship, USA (1.3)
19-23    Tour of Holland, Netherlands (2.1)
24       GP Ouest France-Plouay, France (HC)
31       GP Eddy Merckx, Belgium (1.2)
 
September
 
6-28     Tour of Spain, Spain (GT)
14       San Francisco Grand Prix, USA (1.3)
21       GP des Nations, France (1.1)
 
October
 
5        Paris-Tours, France (CDM)
9        World TT Championship, CAN (CM)
12       World RR Championship, CAN (CM)

UK Trials ace Ashton recovering from broken back

Top British trials rider Martyn Ashton is recuperating from a riding accident last week in which he crushed a vertebra. According to his team, Ashton was riding in a local skate park with fellow trialsters Chris Akrigg, Martin Hawyes and Edd Tongue and "after a severely miscued landing Martyn was rushed to the local hospital and was told he had broken his back. The actual diagnosis is 'compressed fracture T8' " The good news is that "initial signs are good for a complete recovery, and a return for [UK bike show] Bike 2003 is not ruled out."

World Champion Showdown At Vodafone Arena

Shane Kelly, twice World Champion and Olympic Medallist and Jobie Dajka, current World Keirin Champion, will be squaring off in a World Champion showdown to be held at Melbourne's Vodafone Arena this Saturday night.

Kelly and Dajka will be competing head to head in an Omnium Series, with each rider contesting a sprint, 500m pursuit, and a Flying Lap. The fastest time for the Flying Lap will create a Track Record, as it will be the inaugural attempt at a flying lap on the 250m board track housed inside Vodafone Arena.

Both Kelly and Dajka are pumped up to do well, as each rider is preparing for the upcoming World Cup circuit, but more specifically, both are in full training for Athens 2004.

The World Championship Showdown will be ably supported by the Dimmeys - Forges Stores Wheelrace, a 2000m handicapped event in its 24th year. This event was the first ever Pro-Am cycling event staged in Australia, and in its lengthy history has been won by many of the greatest cyclists in the World.

A record number of entries have been received for the Dimmey-Forges Stores Wheelrace, with 150 cyclists contesting the 19 events to be staged on Saturday night. Amongst the 19 events will be the staging of the Victorian Under 19 Keirin Championship for Men highlighting the skills and speed of Shane Perkins (Carnegie), Michael Ford (Carnegie) and Sean Finning (Castlemaine).

Newly Crowned Australian Criterium Champion, Elizabeth Williams, will be out in force during the Fortress Flooring Women's Series to prove her National Championship was no fluke. Lizzie will form part of the 20 strong field contesting the Women's Series as part of the broader Dimmeys - Forges Stores Wheelrace event.

Vodafone Arena will be hosting the Dimmeys-Forges Stores Wheelrace on Saturday February 8 commencing at 7.00pm. Tickets are available now from Ticketek (132 849 or www.ticketek.com) priced from $15.

Cooma-Snowy Women's Cycle Classic wants riders

In a last-minute replacement for the cancelled women's Tour de Snowy, Cycle Cooma is organizing the Cooma-Snowy Women's Cycle Classic on February 15-16. The two-day event consists of a 105km road race from Cooma to Dalgety and back on February 15 and a 30km criterium in Cooma on February 16.

Organisers say some riders from the March 2 Australian round of the women's World Cup will be competing, including the US team. Entries are open to all women holding an A-grade license and the club will be taking entries right up to February 14. For more details and an entry form see www.cyclecooma.com.au.

Munster Cycling Federation coaching course this weekend

Munster Cycling Federation will hold a level one coaching course February 7-9 at the Patrician Academy, Mallow. Sign on is between 6.30 and 7.00 February 7, with lectures 7.00 to 9.30, followed by two days of coaching on February 8 and 9.

For more details contact J. 0'Sullivan 022 28713 or Michael Concannon 06444393

Charity rides roll out

It must be the season for cyclists to get on their bikes for charitable purposes, as two groups have contacted Cyclingnews recently about their fund-raising activities.

Richard Tyler writes to tell us about his group that is raising money for the Deb Bailey Foundation, a research foundation for Motor Neurone Disease, by riding from Sydney's Bondi beach to Mt Kosciusko and back. The 11 day ride started February 1 and takes in Goulburn, Yass, Tumut, Thredbo, Jindabyne, Cooma, Bega, Nowra and Wollongong.

For more information see csusap.csu.edu.au/~tmyers02/ or to make a donation contact Robyn Payne, Deb Bailey Foundation Coordinator, 0419 143394.

Rather further in the future is Ian Franklin's planned Thailand end-to-end ride in aid of the Pattaya Orphanage Trust and the Bangkok Post Foundation, scheduled for October/November 2004. Ian is looking for at least 10 other experienced riders to join him on a 10-day, 2,300km journey from the Golden Triangle to the Malaysian border, with support vehicles.

Ian can be contacted at ianfra@hotmail.com

Clarification: Josh Beck

In our news for January 30 we described new Sportsbook.com signing Josh Beck as "World and US National Duathlon Champion". It's been pointed out to us that Beck holds those titles in the 20-24 age group, and is also US Triathlon Federation Duathlete of the Year in that age group.

(All rights reserved/Copyright Knapp Communications Pty Limited 2003)