First Edition News for June 18, 2003Edited by John Stevenson Report casts doubt on Edita Rumsas' claims
According to French newspaper Le Monde, a report prepared for the investigation of Edita Rumsas (wife of suspended Lampre rider Raimondas) contradicts her claims that the substances found in her car last year were for her own or her mother's use. The 585-page report by Dr Gilbert Pépin of the Toxlab laboratory was submitted to judge Franck Guesdon on November 4, 2002. The investigation stems from the finding of various substances in Edita Rumsas' car as she was leaving France for Italy shortly after last year's Tour de France, in which her husband finished third. Edita Rumsas was held for 68 days on suspicion of "illegal importation of drugs for human use" and offences connected with the organisation of the use of drugs in sport. During that time Edita Rumsas claimed that she suffered from "anaemia, gynaecological problems and problems of tension (...) We can affirm that none of the seized products is indicated in this type of pathology," Dr Pépin writes in the report. He also said that the substances found could not be used by Edita Rumsas' mother. "To our knowledge, none of the seized products is indicated in the type of pathology presented at that time by Olga Jakstiene." Dr Pépin wrote that many of the substances found were in fact banned performance-enhancers. In particular he confirms that the colourless liquid found in six syringes was EPO. The report does not implicate Rumsas's team. "The seized quantities seem to correspond to the treatment of one person," writes Dr Pépin. Raimondas Rumsas is currently under suspension from Lampre after testing non-negative for an undisclosed substance, believed to be EPO, at the Giro d'Italia. The Rumsas sagaRumsas' wife arrested
Cipo's team threatens legal actionMario Cipollini's Domina Vacanze team has appealed to the UCI over its exclusion from the Tour de France, and is threatening to take legal action against Tour organizer ASO if the appeal is unsuccessful. According to a statement from the team, Domina Vacanze believes that ASO has not followed UCI rules in choosing the teams for this year's Tour. Team spokesman Gilberto Petrucci was quoted by the reuters news agency as saying, "We have decided to appeal to the UCI because the organisers of the Tour de France did not follow rule 2.6.003 regarding the 'sporting logic' for the selection of the teams for the Tour de France because they invited several teams which were lower than the Domina Vacanze team in the UCI rankings." "They also did not respect the UCI principal of equality amongst UCI members by selecting a French team ahead of an Italian team. "We hope the UCI will accept that we are right and give us a place in the Tour de France, otherwise we will consider taking legal action against the race organisers in France." However, it's not the first time ASO has been threatened with legal action by an excluded team. Last year Saeco threatened to take ASO to court when ASO withdrew Saeco's Tour invitation in the wake of Gilberto Simoni's positive tests for cocaine (later explained as the results of eating contaminated Colombian candies). USA Cycling announces Pan-Am selectionsAfter the track selection events at Colorado Springs on the weekend, USA Cycling has announced the riders who will make up its team for the track and road events at the Pan-American Games in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, on August 1-17. The track team will be made up of Chris Witty, Tanya Lindenmuth, Jame Carney, Colby Pearce, Christian Stahl, Stephen Alfred, and Giddeon Massie. Navigators rider Chris Baldwin will be the sole male road rider while T-Mobile's Kimberly Bruckner and Amber Neben will make up the women's road contingent. Baldwin won selection on the basis of his victory at the U.S. Elite National Time Trial Championships in May, according to a statement from the federation, while Bruckner and Neben are, respectively, US time trial and road race champions. Three team members are yet to be announced: the two men and one woman who will represent the US in the mountain bike events. Final selection of these riders will be made after this weekend's third round of the NORBA national championships series. Paddy Flanagan CriteriumBy Shane Stokes One of the final indications as to those in form for the Irish national road race championships will be held in Kildare town this Sunday, June 22. Three time FBD Milk Rás winner Paddy Flanagan will be remembered in the fifty-minute criterium, which is being run in conjunction with the town's Derby Festival celebrations and is expected to take place in front of huge crowds. "We are hoping it will be a great race," says John Malone, of the promoting Newbridge Cutlery club. "We are going to run it immediately after the opening parade of the Derby Festival, which brings a huge number of people into the town. The plan is to capture the audience and get some real excitement for the race." The high-speed contest will take place over a flat circuit of eight-tenths of a mile. According to Malone, the bends on it are fast and sweeping, with the exception of one sharper turn. Last year's contest was won by Navigators professional Ciarán Power, who went clear in the final ten laps with a small group of riders and easily took the finishing sprint ahead of 2001 winner Tim Cassidy (Cycleways Lee Strand) and Stamullen M. Donnelly's Craig Sweetman. The race is being held in memory of Paddy Flanagan, the former top Irish international. He is best remembered for his three wins in the FBD Milk Rás, in 1960, 1964 and 1975. The Kildare man took a total of eleven stage wins and is regarded as one of Ireland's best amateur riders from the era. Places are limited for the 2003 Paddy Flanagan criterium, which has a prize fund of 800 euro. Race organiser John Malone is hoping to finalise entries by Wednesday evening, and can be contacted at 087 2453403. Hornsby to Swansea becomes Hornsby to Warners BayThis year's incarnation of the former Hornsby to Swansea race in NSW Australia, September 28 will have a new finish in Warners Bay after talks between Cycling NSW and Lake Macquarie City Council recently. The Council, which is primarily focused in the Warners Bay Area urged the organisers to bring the event further along Lake Macquarie's edge to the picturesque setting at Warners Bay Shopping Centre. The event course will see a single loop of the "Calga" 50km block plus an extra 15km at the end moving the finish from Swansea to Warners Bay, giving a total distance of approximately 154km. The section of road after Belmont will provide a chance for race tactics to play a significant part with some rises and a series of curves which will allow those with the legs to quickly disappear from view. Lehigh Velodrome hosts Chamber ChariotsPennsylvania's Lehigh Valley Velodrome plays host to the Chamber Chariots event this Friday, June 20 and the venue' first Madison racing of the season. One of the more unusual track racing formats, chariot races are short distance events with as many as eight riders going all-out from a standing start to a sprint finish. It's "like drag racing for bicycles," according to velodrome director Pat McDonough. Top US riders are expected to turn out for Friday's races, including recently selected Pan-Am Games team member Jame Carney and 2001 junior world champion Sarah Uhl. Tickets are $6.00 for adults. Hutchinson decides Hour Record dateBritish time trialist Michael Hutchinson has a set a date for his attempt on the Hour Record. Hutchinson will make his bid to break Chris Boardman's record of 49.441km on July 2 at the Manchester Velodrome, the scene of Boardman's record-setting ride on October 27, 2000. (All rights reserved/Copyright Knapp Communications Pty Limited 2003) |
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