News for August 25, 1998

Contracts and Transfers

About this time each year the wheeling and dealing starts. I try to report as many of the changes that I can.

Laurent Brochard has announced that he will leave Festina. He has made an oral agreement with Casino.

Jörg Jaksche (Polti) will join Telekom next season. He was a revelation during the 1998 Tour de France - coming in 18th on GC. Telekom is also talking with Leonardo Piepoli about a contract. They want to sign him as the master protector of Jan Ullrich.

Swede Axelsson has extended his contract with Scrigno, but fellow Swedes Martin Rittsel and Ljungqvist have not yet decided where to ride for the next season. Glen Magnusson wants to join a Division 1 team in 1999.

In Denmark, Team Home Jack and Jones will try to get around $1.2 million extra for their budget in 1999. Jesper Skibby's situation at the team is not clear yet, even though he has a contract for next season. But he went home from the Tour of Denmark without any explanation. The team is (rumour has it) negotiating with two Danish riders on other pro-teams in Europe.

Acceptcard Pro Cycling are looking for a co-sponsor, and since their great results in the Tour of Denmark with two stage victories and 7th overall for Jakob Pill, the interest from Danish companies has been increasing. Also their fine performance earned them a place in the Tour of Netherlands (2.1) on Tuesday. Brian Holm, who is sports director from November 1st has until now negotiated with 3 riders from European Pro teams, but it's obviously difficult when the teams financial situation is not quite clear yet. But if they can go into the UCI top 25 next year they will probably be given a wild card for the Giro.

In the Netherlands, Danny Jonasson and Jans Koerts won't get their contracts extended for next season at Rabobank, and that Karsten Kroon will be new on Rabobank's "real" team.

TVM to continue

The truck insurance company TVM has confirmed that it will continue to sponsor the racing team in 1999. The sub-sponsor Farm Frites has also confirmed it will remain associated with the team. A spokesperson for TVM said that they were confident that the current cloud hanging over the team following the drugs scandal will be resolved satisfactorily.

GP Eddy Merckx

Stefaan Degryse, the Cycling Teams specialist writes that the teams for the upcoming G.P. Eddy Merckx (August 30th), which will be raced as a two-man time trial for the first time this year, are: 

Axel Merckx (Bel)-Jorg Jaksche (Ger) Team Polti
Frank Vandenbroucke (Bel)-Nico Mattan (Bel) Mapei-Bricobi
Chris Boardman (Gbr)-Stuart O'Grady (Aus) Credit Agricole
Bobby Julich (Usa)-Roland Meier (Sch) Cofidis
Marc Streel (Bel)-Jacky Durand (Fra) Casino
Rik Verbrugghe (Bel)-Paul Van Hyfte (Bel) Lotto-Mobistar
Carlo Bomans (Bel)-Frank Hoj (Den) Palmans-Ideal
Glenn D'Hollander (Bel)-Erwin Thijs (Bel) Vlaanderen 2002-Eddy Merckx
Michael Boogerd (Ned)-Koos Moerenhout (Ned) Rabobank
Tyler Hamilton (Usa)-Dariusz Baranowski (Pol) US Postal Service

Paul Van Hyfte has replaced Kurt Van de Wouwer in the Lotto team since Kurt was assigned to ride the G.P. Ouest France. Van de Wouwer has protested about this decision. So that remains unclear. Also it is not clear that Koos Moerenhout will be fit enough to ride with Boogerd because he recently broke his collarbone.

BCF National Criterium Championship, 1998

Steve Matthews, from the Merseyside division of the BCF has sent the results for the BCF National Criterium Championship. The race was run on a 1.9km circuit in Haverhill town centre in West Suffolk. Simon Cope (Linda McCartney PCT) was the defending champion.

It started in heavy rain that became almost torrential during its course which fortunately abated for the finish. The rain caused quite a few punctures and retirements but no serious incidents. Glen Holmes (Adidas Sci-Con) managed to sustain a loan break for a time picking up 4 of the 6 primes on offer. Other primes went to James Notley (Team Ambrosia) and Chris Lillywhite (Harrods-Giant) 

 1. Chris Walker (Team Brite)          72 kms in 1.52.41
 2. Chris Williams (Cwmcarn Paragon)                0.17
 3. Dan Smith (Adidas Sci-Con)
 4. Matt Stephens (Harrods-Giant)
 5. Hugh Pritchard (PDM Sports-WCU)                 0.35
 6. Darren Barclay (Arctic 2000 RT)
 7. Julian Winn (PDM Sports-WCU)                    0.49
 8. John Tanner (Tea-Brite)
 9. Mark McKay (Harrods-Giant)                      1.13
10. Simon Cope (Linda McCartney PCT)                1.15
11. Jon Clay (Team Brite)
12. Glen Holmes (Adidias Sci-Con)
13. Gary Adamson (Team Travelwise)
14. Joe Bayfield (Harrods-Giant)
15. Dave Williams (BCF Private Member)
16. James Notley (Team Ambrosia)
17. Robert Wood (Harrods-Giant)
18. Russell Downing (Team Brite)
19. Daniel Webb (JF Wilson)                         s.t.

Finishers: 19

ONCE still being searched

ONCE cancelled their entries for the GP Suisse on Sunday. It was said that the team had come down with food poisoning during the Tour of Burgos. But the rumour in Europe at present is that the ONCE team cars on their way to Switzerland from Spain were searched twice by French police. It is then alleged that Manolo Saiz then turned back and cancelled the trip. This is pretty reliable information.

Australian Men's Team report

Brian Stephens sent me the latest report on the Australian men's team racing in Italy at present. Here is the update.

We had another solid weekend of performances on the weekend. I took 4 riders to the Pinot Cup near Piacenza, in Lombardia - Matt White, Peter Rogers, Allan Iacoune and Matt Wilson. The race was 155 kms with 2 x 35km laps followed by 8 smallers laps with a solid climb each time and the finish at the top. 200 riders faced the starter. With 5 small laps to go the field blew to pieces after a furious accent of the hill. Allan and Matt were involved in the attack which shed 3 thirds of the field including Pete and Matt Wilson. Matt White however put too much into the effort and was also dropped leaving Al. A group of 25 fought out the finish with Al finishing 14th. 

 1. Gianluca Tonetti (Ita) Mapei                     3.55.00
 2. Milan Kadlek (Cze) For 3				0.21
 3. Mirco Angelelli (Ita) Elmatic			0.24
..
14 Allan Iacuone (Aus) Australian National  		1.30

Meanwhile, Shayne Bannan reported a strong performance from the 6 riders (Sean Sullivan, Baden Cooke, Corey Sweet, Daniel Trinne and Kris Denham) that he took to Montepone, on the east coast. With 150 odd starters the final group of 15 included three of our guys. Sean Sullivan finished 9th, Daniel Trinne 12th and Baden Cooke 13th.

Aywaille, Belgium, European MTB Championships

Cross Country:

Men:

 1. Dupouey (Fra) 	     2.32.26
 2. Van Dooren (Ned)   		0.05
 3. Frischknecht (Swi) 		2.22
 4. Kristensen (Den) 		2.48
 5. Martinez (Fra) 		3.11

Women:

 1. Leboucher (Fra) 	     1.44.22
 2. Dahle (Nor) 		2.57
 3. Fullana (Spa) 		4.04
 4. Stropparo (Ita) 		4.11
 5. Blatter (Swi) 		6.00

Espoirs (U-23)

 1. Sauser (Swi) 	     1.57.06
 2. Paulissen (Bel) 		0.41
 3. Hochstrasser (Swi) 		1.40

Cologne Criterium, 82.5 kms:

 1. Marcel Wüst (Ger) Festina  				1.54.07
 2. Lars Teutenberg (Ger) EC Bayer Worringen
 3. Jan Bratkowski (Ger) Team Gerolsteiner
 4. Etienne de Wilde (Bel)  Spar RDM
 5. Sven Teutenberg (Ger) US-Postal Service
 6. Markus Valen (Ger) Elite				at l lap
 7. Enrico Zinn (Ger) Elite
 8. Jochen Görgen (Ger) Elite
 9. Dirk Siebert (Ger) Elite
10. Carsten Zakbert (Ger) Elite

Netherlands, 16th Profronde van Almelo

 1. Robbie McEwen (Aus) Rabobank
 2. Mario Cipollini (Ita) Saeco
 3. Tristan Hoffman (Ned) TVM
 4. Erik Zabel (Ger) Team Telekom
 5. Raymond Meys (Ned) Gerolsteiner
 6. Martin van Steen (Ned) Nurnberger
 7. Rob Froeling (Ned) P&O-Löwik-Giant
 8. Rik Reinerink (Ned) Batavus-Bankgiroloterij
 9. Peter Pieters (Ned) Tegeltoko
10. Marcel Luppes (Ned) Axa
11. Frank Ackermans (Ned)
12. Gerben van den Broek (Ned)
13. Bart Weierink (Ned)
14. Davy Dubbeldam (Ned)
15. Rene Post (Ned)
16. Bart Bouma (Ned)
17. Sergei Utchakov (Ukr) TVM
18. Kees Hopmans (Ned)
19. Gretinus Gommers (Ned)
20. Sander Olijve (Ned)

Harry Snell Memorial

Tomas Nilsson who writes for us from Scandinavia reports on the Harry Snell Memorial. Fifty years ago, in Valkenburg, the late Harry Snell became amateur world champion. While the Dutch celebrates the jubilee in October, Snell's home town Borås held a criterium last Thursday on a rainy and mostly cobbled 1900 metre circuit.

Home coming pro Magnus Backstedt put on a show immediately with some early attacks, continental criterium style, but a crash stopped him on the eighth lap and mountain biker Per-Ola Lindén of Falkenberg won the race. Harry Snell was also an important sponsor of women's cycling in the early 70’s, but the women's race got only three starters although the quality was good. European Under 23 champion Susanne Ljungskog won. 

Elite Men 15 laps:

 1. Per-Ola Lindén, Falkenbergs CK	       44.31
 2. Jonas Emanuelsson, Skoghalls CK	       	0.11
 3. Michael Ringdahl, Motala AIF		0.26
 4. Kristoffer Johansen, Tranemo		1.05
 5. Richard Ölander, Motala AIF		 	1.10
 6. Örjan Gustavsson, Skoghalls CK
 7. Henrik Oldin, Bianchi
 8. Stefan Andersson, Motala AIF
 9. Jonas Ljungblad, Tranemo IF
10. Rikard Karlsson, Skoghalls CK
11. Klas Johansson, Hisingens CK
12. Jesper Emanuelsson, Tranemo

Women:

 1. Susanne Ljungskog, Hisingens CK	       29.11
 2. Camilla Andersson, Borås CA             	0.47
 3. Cecilia Bäckstedt, Borås CA