Latest Cycling News for July 16, 2005

Edited by Jeff Jones and Shane Stokes

Davitamon-Lotto announces Tour of Britain entry

Team Davitamon-Lotto has been announced as joining Quick.Step, T-Mobile and last year's overall winners Chocolade-Jacques T-Interim in this year's Tour of Britain, which starts in Glasgow on August 30.

Davitamon-Lotto is currently riding high in the Tour de France thanks to its haul of three stage victories, more than any other team. The team's latest win came yesterday when Australian Robbie McEwen sprinted home ahead of the rest of the peloton, inching closer to a third green jersey. Belgian rivals Quick.Step are also faring well in France with two stage wins.

Tony Doyle, Race Director for the Tour of Britain, welcomed the addition of the two ProTour squads. "The Tour of Britain is proud to confirm that two top teams in Davitamon-Lotto and Quick.Step will ride this year's race," he said. "Both teams are in the elite division of cycling and have already shown this through their stage winning performances in this years Tour de France. The inclusion of two top teams is a just another sign that they see the Tour of Britain as a major event in the cycling calendar."

Further announcements regarding the participation of pro teams will be made closer to the start of the race. National teams from Great Britain, Ireland, Scotland and Wales will also line out for the six-day, 2.1 ranked event.

Big names for Brescia Tour

This year's fifth edition of the Brescia Tour will feature a strong lineup, with double Giro d'Italia champion Gilberto Simoni, race KOM winner José Rujano, Milan San Remo victor Alexander Petacchi, Italian champion Enrico Gasparotto, Davide Rebellin, Mirko Celestino, Ivan Parra, Francisco Casagrande, Giuliano Figueras and 2003 world champion Igor Astarloa amongst those taking part.

Five ProTour teams have been confirmed for the 2.1 ranked event, which runs from Friday 22nd of July until Sunday 24th. Domina Vacanze, Fassa Bortolo, Lampre - Caffita, Liquigas - Bianchi and Gerolsteiner will be joined by 8 Continental Professional squads: Colombia - Selle Italia, Team LPR, Naturino - Sapore di Mare, Acqua&Sapone - Adria Mobil, Ceramica Panaria - Navigare, Team Barloworld - Valsir, Tenax - Nobili Rubinetterie, Miche. The list is increased to seventeen with the inclusion of four Continental teams, Ceramica Flaminia, Team Androni Giocattoli - 3C Casalinghi, Amore & Vita - Beretta - Polka and Volksbank Leingruber Ideal.

The race will feature four stages. Day one sees the riders cover 170.6 kilometres from Saint Vigilio di Concesio to Toscolano Maderno. A split stage follows on Saturday 23rd, beginning with a 112.7 kilometre leg from Esine to Darfo Boario Terme. That afternoon the GC will be shaken up with a 12.8 kilometre hill time trial from Pisogne - Val Palot, averaging 9% in steepness. The race concludes the next day with a 180 km stage from Brescia to Manerbio.

Serup enjoys European champs experience

Buitenpoort-Flexpoint rider Linda Serup recently finished fourth in the time trial at the European under 23 championships in Moscow. Although she missed out on a podium placing, she says that she is still very content with how things went.

"About a week ago the Europeans U23 was held in Moscow. On the 7th July we had the TT and then on the 9th the road race. We raced on the track from the 1980 Olympic games, and I am very proud of it," she wrote in her diary at www.feltet.dk/lindaserup.

"The lap for the TT was 11km long and our race was 22km, 2 laps. I have never raced on any roads like this in Moscow and I really loved it. The whole track was made just for the Olympics and some of the curves were lifted; we got the track-effect in the fastest ones...

"During warm up for the TT I was feeling really good and ready, and maybe hoping a little to make the podium, I tried to really focus, having the music way up high, but occasionally I glanced at the names on the start list and felt the nerves...some say nerves is a good thing, sometimes it just doesn't feel so good.

"In the first lap I lost the communication to the national coach. I didn't have time to think of how and why, I just went on as fast as possible. Even though I had a couple of very bad turns, I finished in the third best time, but I knew the Italian rider (Tatiana Guderzo), who started after me, is very strong. Like I thought, she did beat me and I ended 4. I am not disappointed but it still would have been nice to take a medal home."

Linda turned her attention to the road race, which ran in the opposite direction and used most of the same route. Each lap worked out at 13.6 kilometres. For her, it was a perfect course. "Again, I really loved it and hope that one day I will ride there again. We did 9 laps and the small very steep hills made it a very hard race."

"I was the only Dane in the race, and knew I had to stay up front. A couple of times I came too far back, the peloton got stretched out and I had to use a lot of energy. I believe I had a pretty good race, but once more I had nothing in the sprint, and felt like the whole bunch passed me right before the line. I finished 24th."

"Altogether, I am very happy that I had the chance to go do these races. Perhaps I had too high expectations of myself, but then for sure I did learn a lot from it all."

Linda followed up the championships with a few days relaxation in Denmark. Then it was back to the grind, knuckling down for what she hopes will be a strong remainder to the season.

Wloszczowska and Galinski in Polish championships

The Polish MTB Championships will take place in Olsztyn near Czestochowa between Friday and Sunday, July 15-17. The event will be organized in the beautiful surrounds of a 14th century castle, built by Kazimierz III Wielki.

Last year's men's champion is Marek Galinski (PSB-Atlas - Orbea), who after a bad start to the season is coming back. "I'm arriving from Olszyn to fight," said Galinski. "Shape...sometimes you have it, sometimes not. I hope that my shape will be adequate for this race."

The battle for the title will also be contested by Marek Kowal (Laufer Modafur), who has been in good form this season and has defeated Marek Galinski a couple of times. Michal Bogdziewicz (Lechia Gdansk) and Piotr Formicki (Cyklosport Boleslawiec) are some of the other favourites, while Marcin Karczynski will not participate in the race in Olsztyn.

In the women's category, the current Polish champion is Maja Wloszczowska (Lotto), who will be defending this title won in Kielce. Wloszczowska is also the Polish champion in the U23 category. Besides her, there are also her friends from the team - Anna Szafraniec and Magdalena Sadlecka, who are candidates for medals in the women's category. These three contestants will most likely be fighting for medals, as they are a cut above the rest of the field.

In the junior category, the contenders include Lotto team riders Magda Pyrgies, who has had an excellent season, and Aleksandra Dawidowicz, who has just won the European time trial championships.

The championships kick off with the Team Relay on Friday, followed by the U23 and young juniors race on Saturday, and the junior and elite men, and junior and open women categories on Sunday.

UCI doping news

The UCI reports that the following riders have been sanctioned for doping offences:

Oleksandr Shuvayev (Ukr), tested positive for triamcinolone acetonide during the Volta a Lleida on 10th June 2004, sanctioned by the Real Federacion Española De Ciclismo, suspension of 2 years from 28th January 2005 to 27th January 2007, disqualification of the race, fine of CHF 3,000.

Leonid Tymchenko (Ukr), tested positive for triamcinolone acetonide during the Circuito Montanes on 22nd June 2004, sanctioned by the Real Federacion Española De Ciclismo, suspension of 2 years from 28th January 2005 to 27th January 2007, disqualification of the race, fine of CHF 3,000.

José Reinaldo Murillo Aguirre (ESA), tested positive for EPO during the Vuelta a Guatemala on 22nd October 2004, sanctioned by the Federacion Salvadorena De Ciclismo, suspension of 2 years from 30th December 2004 to 30th December 2006, disqualification of the race, fine of CHF 1,000.

Roberto Lozano Montero (Spa), tested positive for hCG during the Tour of Japan on 29th and 30th May 2004, sanctioned by the Real Federacion Española De Ciclismo, suspension of 2 years from 26th May 2005 to 25th May 2007, disqualification of the race, fine of CHF 2,000.

Mavic Charity Marathons at Pedrosfest

Besides being a celebration of all things biking, the 11th annual Pedro's Mountain Bike Festival will help raise money for two good causes this August. The Mavic Charity Marathons on Saturday August 6th will benefit the Lymphoma Research Foundation and the Tyler Hamilton Foundation.

Held in Western Massachusetts, the Mavic Lymphoma Research Foundation Marathon will be held offroad over two distances, 12 miles and 30 miles, and takes in the scenic Mount Greylock. It will raise funds to support the foundation, which is the nation's largest lymphoma-focused voluntary health organization devoted exclusively to funding research to cure lymphomas. They provide patients and healthcare professionals with critical information on the disease.

Like the MTB event, the on-road Tyler Hamilton Foundation Metric Century also travels to Mount Greylock and offers the same support from Mavic Service Course, the yellow-clad mechanics that service the riders in the Tour de France. The THF is dedicated to providing opportunity and access to individuals with multiple sclerosis, and aspiring youth cyclists.

"The Berkshires has a special place in my heart as well as the heart of everyone at THF," said Tyler Hamilton, who hopes to attend. "Haven and I were married in the Berkshires, Joe Tonon, THF president, grew up in the Berkshires and Deirdre Moynihan, Executive Director lived and worked in Williamstown. It is definitely like coming home. And the riding is great, long stretches of road that go forever and Massachusetts' highest peak, Mt. Greylock. It was good training ground for me when I was in the East."

"The Pedrosfest is such a great treasure - three days of nothing but riding and hanging with friends. It is a celebration of the bike and THF is very excited that it will help play a role in the PedrosFest this year and in years to come."

The 11th Annual Pedro's Mountain Bike Festival will be held from August 5-7th in Lanesborough, Western Massachusetts. It is the largest MTB festival in America, and features a large selection of demo bikes by leading manufacturers. There is also a huge selection of components, clothing, and accessories in the expo area, plus live bands, an outdoor "ride-in" movie theatre, and family oriented activities.

For more information visit www.pedrosfest.com.

New Zealand announce BMX World Champs team

Downhill world champion Vanessa Quin and Sara Walker, who narrow missed out on a world championship title in 2004, are amongst the riders selected to represent New Zealand at the 2005 BMX World Championships in Paris from July 29-31st.

Grant White, who was recently appointed by BikeNZ as full time BMX coach, will travel with the team. He has been training two more squad members, Marc Willers and Haden de Boer, in Australia in preparation for the World Championships.

The team is:

Elite Men: Marc Willers (Cambridge), Haden de Boer (Hamilton)

Junior Men: Joel Burke (Mt Maunganui)

Elite Women: Vanessa Quin (Tauranga), Serena Kastermans (Auckland), Lisa Horlor (Hamilton)

Junior Women: Sarah Walker (Kawerau)

Under 16 Male: Scott Hosking (Waiuku)

The Tour de France of give-aways and competitions

Don't miss out at Tour time!

Resident freebies expert, Rufus Staffordshire, sniffs out some competitions where up to $1 million in prizes are on offer as manufacturers clamber for your eyeballs. Woof!

Lucky 7 Sweepstakes'
Photo ©: Trek

The Tour de France is not only a reasonably popular bike race, ahem, it's also a great opportunity to win an incredible range of prizes and competitions on offer from manufacturers, publishers and distributors.

Many of our sponsors are offering Cyclingnews readers a schwag-fest of give-aways during the lap-around-France. The prizes on offer range from Volkswagens and vaccuum cleaners through to trips to Paris for the 2006 TdF, as well as actual kit being ridden by top pros in the Tour - including top bikes from Trek, Cervelo, and Avanti.

So that you don't have to go hunting around the Internet for all these goodies, we've assembled the Cyclingnews complete guide to Tour freebies and competitions.

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