News for April 14, 1998

Scott Sunderland Update

This is Scott's Report after Gent Wevelgem.

The action actually started after about 5ks when there was a big crash right in the middle of the peloton! 10 or so of the guys came down but, because we were on one of the small farm-like roads it meant we were hanging around for a a few minutes - probably only a minute but it felt longer - waiting for them to disentangle arms legs and bikes. Proves how nervous everyone is even at the start and on the little roads. Just one touch of wheels and whoosh...! The usual pee stop after half an hour for me... it always and without exception happens 30 minutes after we start! For the next hour or so it was sort of cruising pace with the skies blackening overhead - the storm clouds gathering on all fronts. Every so often you'd get a little group head off but no one was letting anything get too far away. Then, when we hit the 24k laps which are based on the Kemmelberg all of the teams started bringing the big guys to the front so you had this really serious jockying for position going on. It was pretty fierce with no quarter given and pretty similar in many ways to elements of Flanders when the series of bergs gets close. The run in to the Kemmelberg was really dicey and it was all about timing your final mad dash to the bottom to hit the climb in the best position.

I hung on as long as I could and then squeezed through on what seemed like about 10cms of bitumen before the cobbles started. Pretty nerve-wracking! The climb isn't much to shout about but with it being cobbled on both sides and the fact that everyone gave it maximum stick it was tough enough.

At about 20ks out, there was a full scale Mapei offensive, Mattan attacked and eventually Lars Michaelson rode across with Vandenbroucke in his wheel. Saeco wouldn't/didn't chase and the three of them got about 30 seconds. By this time we were down to about 35 in the leading group. I attacked, Tchmil on my wheel. Brought back and then O'Grady went, then... I think probably everyone who had anything left in their legs gave it a go but none of the attacks came to anything. It was more like a long piece of elastic stretching and flexing with everyone flat out.

Tchmil and Desbiens got away at the kilometre kite and then we were sprinting for the line. I was there for second in the gallop - for sure - until 5 meteres from the line when the others went whoosh over the top of me! 11th was pretty good I guess, top ten would have been better but.... just pleased to survive the wind and the constantly switching echelons. It was the first time I'd ridden it... it wasn't a particularly hard race - more a survival race and having to deal with the kamikaze riding to get into position for the Kemmelberg and the other little climbs. Carlo was 18th so, after we did OK in Flanders too, the Palmans big-wigs are pretty happy right now. Saw Peter Post at the finish and he had some nice things to say about Flanders. My morale and legs are good for Pino Cerami which is next for me and then my programme is Paris Camembert on Tuesday, a race in Holland (Willnenda) on Thursday before Liege on Sunday. I guess Carlo and I will be joint team-leaders for this. Then, the SScheldeprijs on the Wednesday following and then the Amstel the Saturday after. After which its the Four Days of Dunkerk and then I'm having a short break (but a little light training to go with the pasta!) in Tuscany with Sabine and Saen. It'd be nice to get a bit of sun, it's more like February weather right now!

Pino Cerami:

Scott got third. He was strong all day but couldn't overcome the Italian brotherhood (!). After three attacks in the finale, Serpellini finally got the better of Scott at the 4th attempt. Their break was the final one in a nervous race of constant attacks run off under leaden skies with only light rain during the first part. The constant attacking meant it was pretty much impossible for any one team to control matters at the front.

Palmans will ride LBL

Jean-Marie Leblanc was so satisfied about the performance of Walter Planckaert's team in the RVV that he has decided to give Palmans a start in Luik Bastenaken Luik. In addition to the first 22 teams on the UCI Rankings, he also invited Scrigno and Brescialat. Leblanc was in Belgium for his three classics in Wallonie. Next week there will be the Waalse Pijl and for the first time a WC women's race. On the Muur van Hoei there will be a lot to see on April 15 between 13.00 and 16.00. The professionals climb the Wall three times and the crowd will be able to see the start and finish of the Women's race. All the top teams (excluding GAN) will start in the 62nd Waalse Pijl plus Scrigno, Brescialat, Vlaanderen 2002 and Home Market-Ville de Charleroi. They don't expect a mass sprint. The finale has been changed again. With 5 km left to ride, the riders have to climb the Cote de Saint Nicolas (length 1.3 kms with 10 to 12% gradient) and afterwards a climb in the Rue Saint Laurent, just before the finish in Ans.

Johan Museeuw out for 10 weeks

Johan Museeuw fell in the forest of Arenberg during Paris-Roubaix. He went to hospital in Kortrijk and was told he had broken his patella. He is now out of the rest of the spring classics. It is likely that Franck Vandenbroucke will be the leader of the Mapei team in Luik-Bastenaken-Luik.

Karl Vannieuwkerke writes that Johan is out for about 1 10 weeks after his accident in Paris-Roubaix. He's in a hospital in Kortrijk (Belgium) with a broken knee. "It will take 4 to 6 weeks of rest", although team doctor Ivan Van Mol, "Within 10 weeks he should be ready to pick up competition again!"

Manolo Saiz fined

Manolo Saiz was fined 100 Swiss francs by the race commissaires during the Tour of the Basque Country for speaking to one of them in an inappropriate fashion.

Nike reply to criticism

I received this from the Nike Product Line Manager for Cycling Shoes, Steve Smith. In the interests of balanced reporting here is what he said (unedited).

I am writing in regard to a news item you posted on 29 March entitled "Nike and cycling don't mix". As you seem to value journalistic integrity in your site, I thought you would want to know that your source for this story was terribly misinformed. The first paragraph starts out with "Nike's stay has been very short in the cycling world" and the story continues with a fabricated quote stating "Our entry into cycling has been a strategic error". On the contrary, we have been making cycling shoes since 1982, and are proud to point to the final stage of the '87 Tour de France when Jeff Pierce won on the Champs Elysees in our shoes. And sharp eyes have noticed Lance Armstrong sporting our latest road racing shoe during his successful return to the peloton. More visible recent success has come in mountain biking with several world championships and numerous world cup victories, including both the men's (Rune Hoydahl) and women's (recently signed endorsee Alison Sydor) XC races at Napa just two weeks ago. We also continue with sponsorship of the Tour de France, Paris-Roubaix, Liege-Bastogne-Liege, Criterium International, Lance Armstrong, Frankie Andreu, Kevin Livingston, Team GT, Team Giant Europe, Nicolas Vouilloz, Alison Sydor, and numerous other individual athletes and events. Our current line of cycling shoes has gotten great reviews and is the most extensive ever for us.

So as you see, our stay has neither been short, nor is it showing any signs of abating. In fact, we are more deeply involved now than at any time in our history, and we are well positioned to strategically enhance our involvement in the future. The partnership with ONCE fell through at the last minute due to a number of bilateral factors, but should in no way be misconstured as us abandoning the sport.

18th Annual Ray Smith 2 Day Tour, South Australia

The 18th Annual Ray Smith 2 Day Tour was held on the Yorke Peninsula in South Australia over the weekend of April 4 and 5. 

A grade:

 1. Peter Taylor (Mittiga)
 2. G. Davis (Clipsal)
 3. Tony McLoughlin (Mittiga)
 4. D. Stephens (Mittiga)
 5. Peter Moore (Mittiga)

B Grade

 1. J Danvers
 2. M Piro
 3. C Farran
 4. C Brown

C Grade

 1. Alan Bishop
 2. Jim McCluskey
 3. J. Miller
 4. L. Underwood

Central Districts Cycling Club, Easter Tour, South Australia

The Central Districts Cycling Club Easter Tour was held on the weekend of April 11-12. It is a points based tour with 2 stages per day. There were 51 starters. 

Stage 1, Williamstown - Mannum, 97 kms:

A Grade

 1. R VanHout
 2. M McGee
 3. B Lindsay

B Grade

 1. D Key
 2. A VanArand
 3. C Henkins

C Grade

 1. L Yates
 2. R Jordan
 3. H Johnstone

Women

 1. R Linke
 2. A Burns
 3. K Kelly-Bates
 4. J Robinson
 5. T Lang

Day 1 Junior Under 17

A Grade

 1. I Lockley
 2. T Vincent
 3. B Simpson

B Grade

 1. T Silvester  ( Alice Springs)
 2. J. Weston

Stage 2, Mannum - Williamstown, 72 kms:

A Grade

 1. T Porter
 2. K Lewis
 3. R VanHout

B Grade

 1. D Key
 2. A Laidler
 3. L Bettany

C Grade

 1. L Yates
 2. R Jordan
 3. H Johnstone

Junior Under 17

A Grade

 1. C Polley
 2. T Vincent
 3. J Walker

B Grade

 1. J Weston
 2. T Silvester

Stage 3, Williamstown-Williamstown, 95 kms:

A Grade

 1. K Lewis
 2. T Porter
 3. L Edwards

B Grade

 1. A Laidler
 2. C Henkins
 3. D Key

C Grade

 1. L Yates
 2. H Johnstone
 3. R Jordan

Women

 1. J Robinson
 2. A Burns
 3. K Kelly-Bates
 4. T Lang
 5. C Rivett

Note: R Linke dnf with mechanical problems

Stage 4 was cancelled due to poor visibility with
low cloud, heavy rain and strong winds.

Overall

A Grade

 1. K Lewis 		23 points
 2. T Porter 		20 points
 3. M McGee 		10 points
 4. = L Edwards 	 8 points
 4. = G Bates 	  	 8 points

B Grade

 1. D Key 		26 points
 2. A Laidler 		18 (on countback)
 3. C Henkins 		18
 4. L Bettany 		11 points

C Grade

 1. L Yates 		30 points
 2. R Jordan 		22 points
 3. H Johnstone 	20 points

Women (stage 1 and 3 only)

 1. A Burns 		16
 2. J Robinson 		15
 3. K Kelly-Bates 	12
 4. R Linke 		10