* Johan Bruyneel has ended his cycling career after 12 years as a professional. He won two stages in the Tour de France and came 3rd in the Vuelta 1993. He also won World Cup races in Frankfrut and the World Cup Final in Mallorca.
* Giuseppe Guerini will leave Team Polti and ride for Telekom from next uear. He will be used as a right-hand person to Jan Ullrich. The 28-year old Bergamascan, was third at the 1997 Giro d'Italia. He also won the Selva Val Gardena stage at the 1998 Giro when he attacked at la Marmolada with Marco Pantani. He has signed a three year contract with the German team.
* Koos Moerenhout will stay with Rabobank for another year. Two riders with the Amateur part of the team, Matthhé Pronk and Karsten Kroon, have also signed witht the professional team for one year with a option for another year.
* England have been allowed by the Commonwealth Games organizers to replace sprinter Gary Edwards after he failed a routine drugs test. They were previously unsure if they would be allowed to replace him. Steve Paulding, the BCF track team manager said: "After the closing date for declaring names there is an allowance if a team has a rider injured but this is a different matter." Edwards, 32, provided a sample that showed levels of testosterone. England are already a rider short. Pursuiter Bryan Steel broke his left collarbone in a spill training on the road in Bordeaux on Monday.
* World Champion, Laurent Brochard will not be able to defend his title in Valkenburg as a result of his involvement in the drugs scandal during the Tour de France. The French Cycling Federation has taken the decision (the one that the UCI seems unable to take!) to disallow any of the Festina riders membership of the national team at the Worlds in October.
The President of the Federation, Daniel Baal told the press that: "We have taken disciplinary action against all the Festina riders and no athlete which was involved in a doping case will be able to wear the National jersey. Virenque didn't confess? But he is directly involved due to the confessions by team manager Bruno Roussel.
The Swiss Federation has followed suit (against Alex Zülle, Laurent Dufaux and Armin Meier) and there is now pressure on the Australian Cycling Federation (CA) to stop Australian Neil Stephens, from competing. CA has already said it will not stop Stephens from riding because there is no evidence.
* Will Festina compete at the Vuelta? The UCI management met at Bordeaux this week during the World Track Championships. President Hein Verbruggen indicated he wanted the French and Swiss (and Australian) Federations to begin their investigations quickly to stop the Festina riders from competing in the Tour of Spain. However, it is reported that this will not be possible due to "administrative procedures". Seems like they need to give the matter over to the French police who appear able to get things going rather quickly! Daniel Baal, who is also the UCI Vice-President (that is deputy president not president for vice!), told the press that: "According to French regulations 15 days has to pass after an official communication and its answer. We don't think that we have the time to stop the cyclists involved in the Festina case from riding La Vuelta".
* Moreau gets 6 months - the French Cycling Federation have decided to suspend Christophe Moreau for six months after the Festina rider tested positive for steroids at the Criterium International. Moreau, who was also involed in the Festina case, will not be able to race again until February of 1999.
* Festina changes director - Juan Fernández, ex-director for Clas and Mapei will return to the international peloton to direct Festina in 1999. He will sign a 3 year contract but it is also possible that he will debut immediately at the upcoming Vuelta a España.
Miguel Rodríguez, Festina's owner, wants a radical change after Tour revelations. After the scandal, he sought new team management. Bruno Roussel, currently without a license, will probably never get another job in professional cycling again. Further, the arrival of Fernández could also mean the departure of Miguel Moreno, who curiously was his director during Fernanadez's career as a cyclist. The signing of Juan Fernández also clarifies the future of Team Festina. They will now remain in cycling as a top professional team. Amongst other achievements as director, Juan Fernández has won la Vuelta a España three times with Toni Rominger. He is also credited with propelling Fernando Escartín and Abraham Olano into top=level racing.
* Cycling teams boycott France on way to Vuelta - Five Italian and two Dutch teams have announced that they will travel to the Vuelta a España via sea to avoid having to traverse France. They have said that the attitude of the French police gives them no choice.
The Dutch teams will go via England by ferry. The TVM team have leading officials who are currently facing drug charges in France. The Italians will also travel by sea via Genoa to Barcelona. An Italian team spokesperson said: "It is not a question of playing cat and mouse with French justice, but more to avoid a new round of interminable stops and searches which would delay the teams arrival in Spain."
This follows the decision of the Tour of Spain organisers to modify Stage 13 of the race to avoide travelling into France.
Junior World Road team members, Sara Carrigan and Natalie Bates joined their Australian senior team members this week, for a short European build-up to these events.
Meanwhile, the 4 members of the Commonwealth Games Womens Road team had a moral boosting hit-out with 2 criteriums in Germany.
August 29, Attendorn, Criterium, 50 kms:
On Saturday night, the Australian team of 7 riders raced in Attendorn (near Cologne) against a field of 50 starters over 50 km. Anna Wilson attacked early with local rider Tanja Scmidt, with Elizabeth Tadich and Kristy Scrymgeour setting off soon after with talented German youngster Christina Becker.
Wilson and Schmidt stayed away together, and lapped the field with about 20 kms remaining. Tadich, Scrymgeour, Gaudry and Feldhahn were aggressive throughout the race with all riders in breaks and taking subsequent laps on the field.
In the finish it was the local Schmidt who read the sprint perfectly on her home circuit, narrowly beating Wilson. Tadich was next with Scrymgeour 3rd, Gaudry 4th and Feldhahn 6th. Carrigan and Bates rode extremely well for their first race in Europe, and both finished 9th and 10th respectively.
1. Tanja Schmidt (Ger) RC Victoria Neheim 2. Anna Wilson (Aus) Australia 3. Liz Tadich (Aus) Australia 4. Kristy Scrymgeour (Aus) Australia 5. Tracey Gaudry (Aus) Australia 6. Christina Becker (Ger) RSG Wiesbaden 7. Juanita Feldhahn (Aus) Australia 8. Susanne Lange (Ger) RSG Wiesbaden 9. Sarah Carrigan (Aus) Australia 10. Natalie Bates (Aus) Australia
August 30, Wupperthal, Criterium, 50 kms:
Sunday's race was in Wupperthal (near Dortmund) for another 50 km against 40 riders. It was Feldhahn who started the aggression early, and soon the Australians were dominating everything. The final break of 5 riders contained 4 Australians, Wilson, Tadich, Gaudry and Feldhahn, with the previous nights winner Schmidt from Germany also there.
Scrymgeour, Bates and Carrigan raced hard in the bunch, but were not up to bringing back such a strong break.
Wilson jumped clear with 2 laps to go, and rode strongly to take out the win, 400 metres in front of the group sprint. Tadich 2nd, Gaudry 3rd, Schmidt 4th and Feldhahn 5th.
Scrymgeour, Bates and Carrigan sprinted in the main group for 10th place.
In both races, New Zealand Commonwealth Games team member Rebecca Bailey started, finishing with an 8th place in Sunday's race.
The Australian Womens Road team now finalise their preparations in Germany for the Commonwealth Games Road Race on September 13 and Individual Road Time Trial on the 15th.
Today, in Cevoli, suited us better with a fair bit of wind about and a fairly tough course with narrow, winding roads. Matt White and Matt Wilson began the initial break right after the gun and were joined at 30km by 5 others including Allan Iacoune. Matt Wilson found the going a bit tough and was dropped at 60km. The others combined extremely well to hold off the rest of the 180 starters to sprint for the win 30 seconds clearof the main group. The whole team combined as never before with Alan Iacoune, Daniel Trinne, Kris Denham, Sean Sullivan, Matt Wilson and Peter Rogers supporting Matt for the win.
This is great for morale going into the Commonwealth Games and good for the young guys leading up to under 23 Worlds. 5 guys are racing again Sunday in Modena.
August 29, Cevoli, 119 kms:
1. Matt White (Aus) Australian Team 2.45.00 2. Baliani Fortunato (Ita) Bedogni 3. Eugeni Seniouchkine (Rus) Vellutex 4. Jamie Burrow (GB) Olimpia Cerioni 5. Fabio Quercioli (Ita) Valdarno 6. Allan Iacoune (Aus) Australian Team 0.05 7. Massimo Sorice (Ita) Grassi Mapei 0.30 8. Daniel Trinne (Aus) Australian Team 9. Kris Denham (Aus) Australian Team 10. Christian Marianelli (Ita) Maltini Lampardi s.t.
1. Elio Aggiano (Ita) Vitalicio Seguros 3.42.02 2. F. J. Cerezo (Spa) Estepona 0.08 3. Óscar Freire (Spa) Vitalicio Seguros 0.13 4. Eleuterio Anguita (Spa) Estepona 5. David Etxebarria (Spa) ONCE-Deutsche Bank 6. Laurent Jalabert (Fra) ONCE-Deutsche Bank 0.15 7. J. Pascual Rodríguez (Spa) Kelme-Costa Blanca 8. Alberto Benito (Spa) Banesto 0.25 9. S. Smetanine (Rus) Vitalicio Seguros Seguros 10. Herminio Díaz Zabala (Spa) ONCE-Deutsche Bank s.t.