Peter Post to be adviser for the Tour of AdelaideTired of cold Dutch winters, Peter Post has accepted an offer from the South Australian State Government and the South Australian Major Events Organisation to become an official adviser for the inaugural Tour of Adelaide, scheduled for January 19-24, 1999.Post will contract 12 European professional teams who want to ride in the heat of our summer. There will also be 3 Australian teams. The Tour will begin with a prologue and then have 5 stages with a lot of hills. I used to live in Adelaide and some sections of the Adelaide Hills are pretty tough. Peter Post said: 'I am going to help them for free. After i stopped being actively involved in cycling I only do things to help people. I only do nice things, like this consulting work." Drielandenomloop in doubtThe regional newspaper the Dagblad De Limburger which is published in Maastricht in the south of the Netherlands has reported that the famouse Drielandenomloop (3 Lands Race as it goes through the Netherlands, Germany and Belgium) is in doubt for 1998.The Bocholtz Cycling Club which has traditionally organised the race has asked another local club the TWC Maaslandster to take over the organization of the international race which was scheduled for August 8. Chairman John Willemsen of Bocholtz: 'I started looking for volunteers in August last year but without result. We needed the help of TWC Maaslandster last year too. But now it is more serious and I need them to provide two major sponsors for financial help." Lou Maessen of TWC Maaslandster will wait for an answer from these sponsors before he agrees to take over the organization. Spanish MTB riders accused of drug traffickingTen young Spanish MTB riders have been detained in Quito, Ecuador accused of drug trafficking after Ecuatorian police found 60 kilos of cocaine in their sports luggage. This was confirmed today by diplomatic sources.Antonio Luna, the group's coordinator was also detained yesterday at the Barajas Airport in Madrid, after Ecuadorian police asked Spanish police to arrest him through Interpol for the same crime. According to the Spanish Cycling Federation, Luna organized the 1995 and 1996 Transpain race, a sort of Mountain Biking Vuelta a Espańa and he appears to have fallen into a lot of debt. The Cycling Federation haven't heard of him for around two years. The case is in its investigation phase, trying to determine if the cyclists detained were used by a drug trafficker without their knowledge or if they had taken part in the crime. According to the Spanish press, trainer Lara contacted ten MTB riders to film a publicity commercial about adventure sports in Ecuador. He assured them that they would go to Ecuador, with all expenses paid and that an Ecuatorian TV station would sponsor the report. The young athletes accepted the offer and flew from Madrid to Quito on the 11th. Then last Monday when they were going to take their return flight to Spain, they were arrested by police, after 60 kilos of cocaine were found in their luggage. The team's trainer told them that he wouldn't fly with them because he had to take care of some matters in Miami (USA). Yesterday when he reached Madrid from Miami, he was detained. Our Updated 6-Day Rankings for 1997-98Wim van Rossum has updated "our" rankings list (our meaning not the UCI rankings) after 12 of the 18 races have been staged.The most successful team so far is the Swiss pair of Kurt Betschart and Bruno Risi, who won in Stuttgart this week and took their fourth victory for the season. There are three victories for the Italians Silvio Martinello and Marco Villa and two victories for the Danish couple Jimmi Madsen and Jens Veggerby. One victory for Etienne De Wilde (Bel) and Matthew Gilmore (Australia); Tyeb Braikia and Jacob Pill Storm (Den) (with question-mark) and for Adriano Baffi (Ita) and Andreas Kappes (Ger). The List:
1. Silvio Martinello (Ita) 435
2. Kurt Betschart (Swi) 385
Bruno Risi (Swi) 385
4. Marco Villa (Ita) 372
5. Jimmi Madsen (Den) 295
6. Jens Veggerby (Den) 287
7. Adriano Baffi (Ita) 285
8. Etienne de Wilde (Bel) 239
9. Matthew Gilmore (Aus) 224
10. Andreas Kappes (Ger) 185
11. Scott McGrory (Aus) 129
12. Giovanni Lombardi (Ita) 125
13. Gert Dörich (Ger) 119
Carsten Wolf (Ger) 119
15. Tayeb Braikia (Den) 112
Jakob Pill Storm (Den) 112 ?
17. Juan Llaneras (Spa) 100
18. Bjarne Riis (Den) 80
19. Lars Teutenberg (Ger) 75
20. Andrea Collinelli (Ita) 70
21. Laurenzo Lapage (Bel) 50
22. Jens Lehmann (Ger) 45
23. Andreas Beikirch (Ger) 44
24. Rolf Aldag (Ger) 40
Miguel Alzamora (Spa) 40
Gabriel Curuchet (Arg) 40
Juan Curuchet (Arg) 40
followed by 20 other riders with less than 40 points.
Classification by Country of Rider
1. Italy 1287 5 riders 2. Danmark 923 6 riders 3. Switzerland 805 4 riders 4. Germany 733 13 riders 5. Australia 353 2 riders 6. Belgium 353 4 riders 7. France 154 8 riders 8. Spain 140 2 riders 9. Argentina 80 2 riders 10. The Netherlands 20 1 rider New Sponsor for Italian teamsTeam Vittorio Veneto of Antonella Bellutti and Team GC Mimosa of Fabiana Luperini have reached an agreement for 1998 with a new sponsor, Eurocompany.Simone Borgheresi injuredSimone Borgheresi had a bad fall during his Mercatone Uno-Bianchi's retreat in Terracina (Lt) which resulted in a compound fracture of the right elbow (radius). Borgheresi will be operated today in Lucca but is expected to be bike on his bike again in 15 days. Meanwhile Marco Pantani has received his new prototype time trial bike.Gotti in the Wind TunnelIvan Gotti will spend today and tomorrow in Grugliasco (Turin), riding in the wind tunnel belonging to Pininfarina. Gotti, the Bergamascan for Team Saeco, winner of the Giro1997, will do some aerodynamic testing to try to improve his saddle position. |