International News for May 11, 2002Edited by Anthony Tan and John Stevenson Ullrich makes up with bossJan Ullrich has been reconciled with long-time manager Walter Godefroot after Godefroot publicly announced his disappointment in the 1997 Tour de France champion. Two days ago in an interview with French sports newspaper L'Equipe, Godefroot delivered harsh some harsh words about Ullrich's recent conduct, saying that "the confidence between Jan Ullrich and myself is broken", and "it is up to him to see if he is capable of reacting." Ullrich says he holds the utmost respect for Godefroot, and is clearly hurt by his boss' candid remarks to the press; and after a man-to-man chat, he now realises the error of his ways: "It was important that we sat down together and talked," Ullrich said. "There can be no talk about a loss of confidence. Walter rightfully criticised me, but he's still behind me." Ullrich now needs to focus his attention on his career as a professional cyclist and put the incident involving the peculiar combination of a bicycle rack, a Porsche 911, two girls and one of his mates into the closet, and throw away the key. Unfortunately this still does not mean Jan will be fit to ride the Tour de France. This is probably the biggest blow to the organisers, riders and fans, who have been eagerly awaiting a Lance-Jan showdown after Ullrich's promising winter training program managed to tame his penchant for jam tarts and chocolate buns. There is one bit of good news for Ullrich, though. Team Telekom doctor Andreas Schmidt was also present at the meeting, and said Ullrich's long-term career was definitely not at risk despite his recurring knee problems: "Jan's knee injury will heal completely," he said. "There is no longer the question of time pressure that could prevent that." Organisers pray for clean Giro; 4-man showdown expectedBefore the race kicks off in Groningen today, the organisers were praying for a "clean" start (and hopefully finish) to the Giro. The doping scandals that plagued both the 1999 and 2001 editions of the Giro d'Italia have resulted in a perception of "tutto dopato" amongst many within the cycling fraternity. Conversely, the Tour de France is now viewed as a "cleaner" race after organiser Jean-Marie Leblanc did his utmost to avoid the recurrence of the Festina affair in 1998. The fact that CONI (the Italian Olympic Committee) announced less than one week ago their recommendation to suspend a number of cyclists, mostly Italian, for four years has not helped in the slightest. The final decision on the fate of these riders (including Marco Pantani) now rests with the Italian Cycling Federation, which is expected to make a decision soon. Should the Federation agree with CONI's recommendation, this will surely bring an end to Pantani's career - a career that appears to be stuck in a never-ending loop-the-loop of grand claims, aggrieved press statements and disappointing performances on the road. However the good news is that every one of the 198 riders was given the all clear yesterday. The stage is now set for a four-man showdown for the overall classification between Gilberto Simoni (Saeco-Longoni Sport), Francesco Casagrande (Fassa Bortolo), Stefano Garzelli (Mapei-Quick Step) and Dario Frigo (Tacconi Sport). Click here for a full preview of the favourites from our Chief Editor, Jeff Jones, and our European Editor, Tim Maloney. Simoni believes Giro will be unpredictableGC man for Saeco-Longoni Sport, Gilberto Simoni believes the lack of famous climbs will make the racing unpredictable, but at the same time "hard and stressful". Echoing the comments made by his manager Claudio Corti, Simoni is focusing on what's happening now and in the near future, rather than dwelling on last year's victory or his difficult build-up. "Last year's win is a distant memory even if it is something I'll never forget. We can't live on our past and so I'm ready to start all over again. On his crash in Setmana Catalana: "That's how things go in cycling. All you need is a stupid crash and it can change all your plans. We haven't been very lucky recently, both Danilo Di Luca and I. "I'd have liked to be more competitive earlier - especially for Liege-Bastogne-Liege and the Giro del Trentino. It wasn't possible but I'm not going to get upset about it. It's important to be good now." Given the depth of talent in this year's Giro, Simoni knows that he'll have to produce some exceptional riding over the next three weeks in order to win over his old-school rivals: "Casagrande, Garzelli and Frigo aren't new faces. They're in good shape and I have to be careful if I want to beat them. Having won races this year, they appear to be ahead of me - for now. They're all very strong, but I'd give Casagrande a bit more of a chance because of his constant ability. "I'm almost at my best, and that bit I'm missing I think I can find it during the first week of the Giro. I'm sorry I haven't given the team the success I wanted; we're very untied and determined to do well - and for this reason I'll have a great team at the Giro." When questioned about where the Giro will be won or lost, Simoni had some definite answers: "The lack of famous climbs will make it more unpredictable - but it will still be hard and stressful. "The Giro will be wide open until Campitello Matese, then the real racing will begin. The decisive stages will be Folgaria and the two time trials." Finally, on the subject on being able to handle two Grand Tours in one year, Simoni believes even that even all three are a possibility: "The news about getting a place in the Tour boosted my morale. It's a big responsibility but I happily accept it. "To tell you the truth I haven't given up on the idea (of riding all three Tours) and this could be the right year for it. It's something we'll decide on further ahead." Saeco team manager upbeat with Simoni on boardTeam Manager for Saeco-Longoni Sport, Claudio Corti, is confident about the team's chances for the overall. Corti said at the Giro press conference yesterday "if we have the best possible Simoni, it'll be difficult for anybody to beat him". "We've always been in the action at the Giro, and now with Gilberto Simoni we've got one of the best chances of winning. I think Gilberto's win last year showed his class, and that he has reached his peak as a rider, so it's logical to expect him to be at the same level this year". Despite Simoni's uneventful start to the season following his fall in the Setmana Catalana, Corti prefers to talk about the present rather than the past or the future, even though the Saeco squadra were overjoyed about their recent inclusion in the Tour de France: "Our team hasn't been very lucky in the first three months of the year. Just a bit more luck would have changed how things went but it still hasn't been a bad start to the season. Simoni has had problems and hasn't been able to ride all the races he would have liked, but now is the moment which really counts. "I'm sure Simoni and Di Luca will be the in the action at the Tour de France. But lets take things one step at a time and concentrate on the Giro d'Italia first." Furthermore, Corti realises that individual ambitions will have to be kept at bay for the next three weeks, and the rosso-clad squadra must work on the principle adopted by the Three Musketeers - "All for one and one for all": "We've got an important rider as team leader and we'll dedicate our energy to help him. Of course we could also be fortunate and win a stage. The thing I want to underline is the optimum quality of the riders who will start the Giro. Biagio Conte has always ridden well on the flat stages in major stage races, Astarloa and Sacchi have shown their talent, while Mason and Pugaci will be of great help to Simoni in the mountains. Galletti, Sabaliauskas and Spezialetti will work hard for the whole team." When asked who his picks were, Corti was less revealing: "The same names everybody is thinking about. There are at least five big favourites but it's difficult to say what percentage of winning they have. I can only say that if we have the best possible Simoni, it'll be difficult for anybody to beat him." iteamNova.com seeks new team memberAfter the recent departure of American rider Aaron Olson, iteamNova.com is looking for another American rider to fill out its roster. Olson parted company with the team last week by mutual agreement and returned to the USA. "Aaron Olson is a talented young rider who has a bright future but both he and the team agree that both our futures will be best served travelling along separate paths," said Team Manager, Susan Stewart. Olson joined the team in Europe in March and started in six events. Olson has flown home with the best wishes of the team. "We're now looking to invite another American to join our ranks and we need someone who is a team player and willing to embrace the concept of a web based team driven by membership," said Stewart. "The team riders are very interactive with members through the team site and they appreciate the support given to them through the site bulletin board." The team is also one in which riders are very involved in the management and direction of the team. "We're not like other teams with big corporate sponsors and a management hierarchy," said Ms Stewart. "The members, as a collective, are also the major sponsors of the team." We've started small with plans to grow but to achieve this goal we need the full and enthusiastic support of all our members and riders." iteamNova has a long term plan to race in the Tour de France. "We want fans to get in early and join the team as members as we grow towards that goal," said Ms Stewart. "To encourage additional membership we will shortly be announcing an exciting worldwide membership initiative which we're sure will appeal to cycling fans." iteamNova.com will head to America in June to race the US Pro Road Championship and will also take the opportunity to talk with interested riders. Meantime the team is continuing to perform well with David McKenzie finishing fourth in the second stage of the Tour of Slovenia. The riders now face a couple of tough mountain stages where the team's hopes are high that the climbing skills of Dominique Perras (Can) and Allan Iacuone (Aus) will see the team move into overall contention.
Stomach bug thins pelotonA stomach bug has taken several riders out of the Four Days of Dunkirk. All the affected riders previously rode the Circuit de Mines, where it's thought they picked up the virus. The victims include Scott Sunderland (EDS-fakta), Geert Van Bondt (CSC-Tiscali) and Andy De Smet (Palmans-Collstrop). The riders were complaining about total loss of power. Serge Baguet is still in sick-bay too. In Pino Cerami, he crashed but still managed to start Liege-Bastogne-Liege and Amstel Gold. During the final of Liege-Bastogne-Liege Serge had difficulties with cramps in the right leg. Afterwards the soigneur noticed a bruise and swelling at the back of the knee. After checking with the team doctor he was allowed to start Amstel but he didn't finish because of the pain. When checked with ultra-sound in the hospital, doctors diagnosed a 3 cm tear in the muscles. Serge is now following rehabilitation and might be ready in time for Tour of Belgium. Team Merida targets MTB Worlds
The 2002 Merida squad has the world mountain bike championships squarely in its sights. With a 13 rider roster headed by German champion Sabine Spitz (ranked number 2 in the world by the UCI), Kaprun World Cup runner up Irina Kalentieva (UCI ranking: 15) and Norwegian powerhouse Gunn-Rita Dahle (Norway), the German team looks set to take over the title of top women's MTB team outfit previously held by Specialized. Merida boss Thomas Klotzbücher puts it straight: "We will not leave the World championship unnoticed. We are aiming to make an impact at the World Cup and at the World championships."
Spitz has shown strong early-season form, beating Barbara Blatter at the Buchs round of the Swiss cup and winning the first German national series race ahead of team-mates Kalentieva and Dahle. But Spitz is playing down those victories. "That means absolutely nothing," she said, adding that she does not want to be seen as a World Cup favourite. "I will be happy if it keeps on going as it has done." Of the team's other two stars, Gunn-Rita Dahle says she is currently only about 80 percent fit and will hone her training by riding the next two World Cup road races. Dahle dropped out of last year's world championships in Vail because of a mechanical problem and only late last year decided to continue racing. The team is managed by Ralf Schäuble, who also happens to be Spitz' husband, and who is confident of the team's prospects. "I think we have a very strong team. Three out of maybe 12 candidates for the World title are on our team", said Schäuble. "The high level does not only stimulate the competition within the team, but also has the advantage of being able to divide the pressure on different shoulders." This year is the first time the team has included male riders, with 1999 European under 23 champion Håkon Austad (Norway) the strongest prospect, and German junior champion Markus Kauffmann a rider to watch for the future. RosterWomen Sabine Spitz (Ger), 30 Men Philip Tavell (Swe), 26 Juniors Markus Kauffmann (Ger), 17 Staff Team Director: Thomas Klotzbücher Sponsors Merida - Team Bikes Equipment suppliers Frames: MERIDA Magnesium |
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