First Edition News for September 24, 2003Edited by John Stevenson UCI withdraws recognition of WADA observersCycling's international governing body, the UCI has withdrawn recognition for World Anti-Doping Agency observers at UCI events after a report on anti-doping procedures was allegedly leaked to the French press earlier this week. In a strongly-worded statement, the UCI has criticised WADA for the leak, which came just before WADA's executive committee was due to meet on Monday and Tuesday of this week. The full report was officially published yesterday on WADA's website after the agency said, "there appears to have been a breach of protocols in untimely publication of an earlier draft of the report." The UCI's statement says: "The leak to the French press happens exactly the day before WADA's Executive Meeting will pronounce itself on the list of banned substances, with a main discussion on which the UCI's point of view is, as well as many others notably scientists, fundamentally opposed to the adopted position, notably, by France. "The publication of a confidential project report harms badly the serenity of the discussion, some of which apparently want to avoid being based on rational and scientific arguments." Demanding that WADA open an investigation into the source of the leak, the UCI said, "its confidence in WADA's system has been affected and that consequently no observer of this organization will be recognized in its functions in future cycling events." O'Grady confirms departure from CA
Australian sprinter Stuart O'Grady, winner of the Centenaire classification at this year's Tour de France, has confirmed that he will not ride for Credit Agricole in 2004. O'Grady told Cyclingnews, "I am in the final stages of negotiations for a change of teams. I won't be riding for CA next year, that is a fact. I will be announcing the new team by the end of the week." At the end of this year's Tour de France, O'Grady said he planned to focus on the Spring Classics such as the Tour of Flanders (he finished third this year), as well as Paris-Roubaix in 2004. "They will be major objectives, and (in the Tour) I'll go for stage wins and not the points," he said. It therefore seems that O'Grady's destination is likely to be a team that specialises more in the Classics than in the Tour. Merckx' world's tip: "Bettini is the guy"Former world champion, five-time Tour de France winner and most people's candidate for greatest cyclist of all time, Eddy Merckx has joined the chorus of experts tipping Italy's Paolo Bettini to win the world road race championships in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada on October 12. According to world's sources, Merckx thinks, "the riders from Italy are very strong always in championships. And I think Bettini is the guy. He has won some world cup races, I think he will be the biggest favourite." Merckx and the officials of the Belgian cycling federation took a look at a video of the Hamilton course last week, and he believes it will suit Bettini. "I think it will be a very tough course because it is really hilly. I think it will be a hard race especially because it is only 12 km around. It will be a very interesting race." Merckx won the world championships in Canada in 1974, the only time the country has hosted the world's before this year. He has fond memories of the occasion. "It was my third world championship victory as a professional," said Merckx, "and it was the first time the world championships was held outside Europe. It was special for all the riders. It was very nice. The course was very hard the weather was nice and the people too. It was a great day for me." Top Italians roll up for 51st Coppa SabatiniThursday's Coppa Sabatini in Peccioli, Italy is one of the final chances for Italian riders to make selection for the team that will wear the traditional blue Italian colours at the world's in Hamilton next month. Nineteen teams eight-man are entered and virtually every Italian squad is represented, plus several major foreign teams that have strong Italian contingents. Italian national coach Franco Ballerini says this is the last chance for riders to make the national team. "The last available places will be allocated after the race in Peccioli," said Ballerini. Italian team captain and world number one Paolo Bettini won Sabatini last year and on current form is hot favourite to repeat in this year's 197.7km race. 51st Coppa Sabatini teams and significant ridersQuick Step Davitamon: Paolo Bettini, Luca Poalini, Davide Bramati Saeco targets SabatiniOne team that will be looking to make a strong showing in Coppa Sabatini is Saeco whose riders Danilo Di Luca and Mirko Celestino are chasing those remaining national team positions. "Celestino will be out to impress national coach Franco Ballerini and get a place in the team for the worlds, while Di Luca already in the provisional Italian team, will be looking fine-tune his form," said a team source. Di Luca and Celestino will be supported by Alessio Galletti, Fabio Sacchi, Alessandro Spezialetti, Stefano Zanini and stagaires Wilfried Marget and Diego Caccia, with Guido Bontempi as directeur sportif. Saeco's next appointments this weekend are the Giro dell'Emilia on Saturday, September 27 and the GP Beghelli on Sunday, September 28. The Emilia race will be another test for Celestino and Di Luca with the final climb to San Luca especially difficult. Directeur sportif Giuseppe Martinelli will have Leonardo Bertagnolli, Damiano Cunego, Alessio Galletti, Fabio Sacchi, Alessandro Spezialetti and Andrea Tonti to help the two leaders. For the GP Beghelli Martinelli will field Bertagnolli, Commesso, Cunego, Galletti, Sabaliauskas, Sacchi and Zanini. Tom Southam tries out with Amore & VitaBy Phillip Ingham, British Cycling Great Britain team rider Tom Southam is to join the Italian division three team Amore & Vita for the remainder of the season, with a view to signing full-time next year. Tom flew out Tuesday to Italy to join his new team-mates and will be riding Milano-Vignola (September 28, UCI cat 1.2) and the Giro della Provincia di Lucca (September 30 - October 3, UCI cat 2.3) as he builds up to the World Championships in Hamilton later in October. Tom is enthusiastic about this new opportunity. "These two events are traditional pre-worlds preparation races for the Italian team and all the pros and the top Italian Trade teams will be there," he said. "I'm really looking forward to riding with Amore & Vita, they represent a definite step up in my career." Asked how the deal with the team came about, Tom makes it sound very straightforward. "They were at the Brandenburg Rundfahrt, which I was riding with the GB team and we just got talking. Jamie Burrow was really helpful and the idea sort of came up to race with them." Looking ahead, Tom is hopeful that he will be able to join the team full-time in 2004. The benefits, for a promising young rider looking to turn pro, are obvious. "They basically ride the whole Italian calendar and get into virtually all the top quality races except the Giro." Tom has been a member of the lottery funded GB Cycling Team since 2000. Based in the UK in 2000, he won the national under-23 series and made a spectacular, if unsuccessful, lone break in that year's world championship under-23 race. In 2001 and 2002 he raced in France and Holland respectively, and this year has split his racing between the GB endurance team and French club Nantes 44. Perhaps his most memorable ride to date was his second place behind Julian Winn in the 2002 national road championships on the tough Rivington course. Colavita-Bolla plans forward into 2004At last some good news from the beleaguered US domestic pro community. John A. Profaci, one of the owners of Colavita USA, LLC says he is in the thick of planning next year's Colavita-Bolla cycling programs for both pro men's and women's squads. With continued sponsorship from the teams' Italian-based partners Colavita Pasta and Olive Oil, in addition to continued support from the co-title sponsor Bolla Wines, the funding is in place to plan ahead, he says. John believes his team needs to 'step up' the program and maintain the excitement and competitiveness which U.S. cycling has gained over the last few years because of Lance Armstrong's accomplishments. Positions at the top level remain open as the team seeks to identify and sign-on the team leaders. Colavita USA, which imports high-end Italian Colavita pasta, olive oil and balsamic vinegar, has also felt the financial pinch and woes of the slumping economy in 2003. However, John explains that he is encouraged by the market data that indicates more people have been taking home Colavita products than in previous years. "I believe that part of this brand success is directly attributable to new loyal customers from the sport of cycling. Hopefully as we grow and continue to invest in the US cycling programs, so will this positive Colavita sales trend which will allow us to continue in the years to come." Australian team for world'sCycling Australia today confirmed the Cyclones team for the World Road Championships in Hamilton, Canada. The team of 26 includes junior men and women, U/23 category men and elite men and women. The team will be: Senior Women: Sara Carrigan (Powerplate Bik, Australian Open Time
Trial Champion), Olivia Gollan (AIS, Australian Open Road Champion), Margaret
Hemsley (Team Nurnberger), Katie Mactier (Saturn), Oenone Wood (AIS),
Alison Wright (Road Runner Guerciotti) USA Cycling announces final women's world's teamUSA Cycling has confirmed the final nominations for the elite women's team to represent the U.S. at the UCI World Championships October 6-12 in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. Definite team members include Diet Rite's Tina Mayolo-Pic, who gains an automatic place as the top-ranked American rider in the National Racing Calendar standings. T-Mobile's Dede Barry won a nomination for her aggressive performance at the T-Mobile International showing she has good form coming into the world's. Olympic medalist and former world champion Mari Holden was selected after the strong form she recently displayed in the T-Mobile International and the Giro della Toscana, and brings key international experience to the U.S. team in the road race. Kim Anderson fills the final slot for Team U.S.A. in the road race and has also shown strong late season form amidst international competition. As 2003 national road champion and highest-ranked US rider on UCI points, Amber Neben is also nominated for both road race and time trial. However, Neben recently announced a voluntary suspension followed by provisional suspension from the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency and her eligibility to participate at the world championships is pending the outcome of a hearing with USADA prior to the World Championships. Pending the outcome of Neben's appeal, Kristin Armstrong (Boise, Idaho) and Christine Thorburn (Davenport, Iowa) have been selected to replace Neben in the time trial and road race respectively. Hungary for HamiltonThe Hungarian Cycling Federation has announced its team for the world championships in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada Men's time trial: Laszlo Bodrogi (Quick Step-Davitamon), Tamas Lengyel
(P Nivo-Betonexpressz-FTC)
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