Johan Bruyneel - I can still race

"All the misery is part of this business. Most racers know it and if it continues they quit raceing. For me no. I am tough." said Bruyneel.

From his balcony you can see the green of the Costa Blanca. The sea is blue and green and the warm sun is overhead. "I am living like a Spaniard: late eating, late to sleep, and living at night." said Bruyneel about his daily life. "This is the life. We have a great appreciation of Spanish life and if you come around for 9 hours in the evenings it is never too long. You might think that I am isolated. That is not how we see it. We want to remain living here forever. I don't know how long I can race for. I am approaching 34, I ride from year to year, but I wish to remain racing" laughed Bruyneel.

A great dog stands at his door. Girlfriend Christelle sits with me at the table with coffee, and nods to Johan to talk about last year's problems. "First there was a fall in the Tour of Murcia and a bad foot problem followed. That meant no Tour but a knee operation. I came back well and won in Biouhl so that I reckoned on having a good World Championships. But then in September I broke my pelvis in the Tour of Puglia." said Bruyneel, who is now feeling very good.

"I am really happy to be back racing and that I can ride once again for a great team, after some terrible times. I thought the broken pelvis might stop me. But when the chance came to ride with ONCE again I was so happy. I find this a victory for myself"

He knows he will have to see but he is working hard. Bruyneel has a good life. The sea is nearby, and Christelle brings some fish to the table. "Direct from the port" says Bruyneel. He has friend with a boat and they go out fishing on the sea. "With lures on our lines, we get lots of bites. Sometimes you spend a whole morning with nothing, but usually you get a 20 kilo fish on your hook" laughed Bruyneel.

"The pelvis break healed but the problem was my strength. When I came out of the clinic I had lost my muscle condition. Then I had to do some powertraining. Naturally for the first month back on the bike was tentative, but now I am good." said the double stage winner of the Tour and he has hopes.

Bruyneel will move back to ONCE this year after two years with Rabobank. He had previously ridden for 4 years with ONCE. "Saiz had me until the end of 1995. At Rabobank - financially I had a golden life, but I was missing something. But that was not my fault and Raas knows that. We are departing as friends but I am happy that I am back with ONCE. The Dutch mentality is very businesslike. But the enthusiasm is missing. Everyone does their job. Whereas Saiz goes and "sleeps with the bike". He brings this fanatacism to his riders, he is a real leader and we can always rely on him.

The ONCE riders at the time of this interview were in their training camp in Spain and Saiz says that the Belgian is going well. "Thanks to Manolo because he has given me a good basis. I will ride the Tour of Mallorca, then rest for three weeks before the Tour of Murcia. The rest will be seen later.

Austral Wheel Race Preview

The wheel race is a 2000m handicap event. Qualifying heats were held on Tuesday night and already it appears that the scratch riders Shane Kelly (2nd in 1997) and Stephen Pate will be up against it on Saturday when the business end of the race begins. Both won their heats in the qualifying but are marked well behind the other qualifiers (closest being Ashley Sheard off the 75 metre mark and Glen Hutchinson off the 170 metre mark). Many of the fancied backmarkers who failed to qualify on Tuesday now have to get through the second round on Saturday night. David Dew went out in Kelly's heat and 1996 winner Troy Clarke sacrificed himself to allow Pate to go through.

Both Clarke and Dew go into the second round qualifying.

Pate, who has won the race 3 times, and Kelly do not have to compete in the 8 second round heats. Winners in those races go through to the final. Kelly was reported as saying: "Unless we get some more backmarkers through on Saturday, it's going to be pretty well impossible for either Patey or me to win it."

Noël Demeulenaere to retire

Noël Demeulenaere has protested against the claims against his name. He has denied he is involved in black money. "Everyone knows that I have arranged contracts for half the peloton. My ASS Organisation Bureau is heavily involved in professional cycling in Belgium. There is really nothing in it for me anymore. I am quitting." whined Demeulenaere on Wednesday. He feels that he is being crucified because riders he helps pay him.

"I find it normal that some riders search for a team. And also have to pay the necessary money. In Formula One that is the rule rather than the exception. But there is never any talk of black money. I know nothing about riders having to repay money from their wages. We have for that matter sufficient money from the sponsors for all the contracts that we sign." exclaimed Noël Demeulenaere.

The Belgian Cycling Federation (BWN) has had a "gut full" (buik vol) of what they call the "cowboy from the peloton". The recent revelations of a few third-rate riders in the Canvas-Program "Kwesties" is making the BWB furious.

"There have been stories about combines, and buying or selling of races and paybacks for contracts" said BWB President Laurent De Backer. He will have a round-table meeting next week with Marc Stassijns, the Sport's Head of VRT (a Belgian TV station). He will be seeking a promise that such broadcasts in the future will remain behind the curtain. If they cannot promise that, they will be breaking the sponsor's agreement that the BWB has with the VRT. The VRT has a presence on the shorts and jerseys of the National Team.

Will Laurent De Backer agree to abolish the freedom of the press? "Naturally, the press will fish for stories. We have heard from frustrated riders who vented their gall. But we cannot say anything more on TV in the future, because they are indeed our partners. Perhaps other people will eventually go further."

The VRT is a media sponsor of the BWB and give them a lot of free space and they are concerned for the youth cycling. But the progam "Kwesties" is not under the direct responsibility of the sport's editor and Marc Stassigns is not responsible for what the program says.

Laurent De Backer said: "I find it scandalous that they are attacking Noël Demeulenaere, who has helped more than half of the Belgian peloton. The claims by Thierry Moeskops and Rikki Matthijssens do not tally, because they have not ever ridden for the ASS-bureau of Demeulenaere. He has done the highest good for professional racing. There are riders who will make deals for themselves. When everyone does the right thing there will be no problems.

Holm out of Tour Med