From the Diary of Marcel WustMarcel sent me his "pre-season thoughts" (I have made slight corrections):..isn't it funny how you forget thru the winter how hard it is to hammer yourself, especially when you are a sprinter and you are on a team full with climbers.... even when they say we'll go easy today (EASY? yeah right!!), it never happens. I really want to start racing, there is no way a race can be harder then this shit here!! all tired, fucked up january training campers...keep smiling, there will be better times...
take care, and see you down the road
PS all of you who are retired, team directors, hobbyriders...I'm jealous...big time!! but luckily this will pass by. GP San Fulcenio, Spain, Open, January 21, 1998This is the first European race of the season and has been won by a Belgian.
1 Hans De Meester (Bel) Tonnisteiner 2 Pedro Gomez (Spa) Elite Mentheour confesses to drug use24-year old former French professional Erwan Menthéour was caught with a high hematocrit level at the prologue of the 1997 Paris-Nice. He was not allowed to start in the 1st stage. Two others, Colombo and Santaromita were also caught and both have retired from cycling. The indication was one of EPO use, although the blood tests are not conclusive in that regard.At the time Menthéour he told everyone he never took anything. Then he was brilliant in the Tour de l'Avenir where he wore the yellow jersey before he gave up (severe crash). Now unemployed after being sacked by Francaise des Jeux, he has confessed to his illegal practices: "Yes I have taken forbidden products... Not one in particular, but a series of products that allowed me to bear the great efforts. The same ones would be ahead if nobody take EPO, but 5km per hour slower!" He now retired from cycling and even said he'll not carry on as an amateur. Pontoni tests positive31-year old Italian World Champion Cyclo Cross rider Daniele Pontoni has tested positive to cocaine during a routine The test was performed on January 11 at the Italian Championship in Parabiago.If a second test is also positive, Pontoni will be suspended for a period of between 6 and 12 months. The 1992 Leeds and 1997 Munich World Champion would then not be able to defend his title on February 1 in Denmark. An announcement will be made on Saturday. Until now the Italian Cycling Union has not given any official reaction. Paris-Nice InformationThe 1998 Paris-Nice will be different from last year's edition. It is scheduled from March 8-15 with 18 teams of 8 riders starting at the Promenade des Anglais and traversing through the center and southeastern France. Race director Gilbert Duclos-Lassalle said: "It will be a very balanced Paris-Nice and all the riders will have great possibilities. Jalabert will have to battle every day to impose himself and to try to win his fourth in a row".The route will include a Prologue time trial of 10.2 kms and 7 stages (total distance 1,295km). Some of the difficulties on the route will include a mountain top finish on the Col du Republique (5th stage), the climb of the Col du Homme Mort (6th stage) and the stage on March 14th: 223km between Sisteron and Cannes, that will include the Col d'Alta Provence and the Col d'Ayen, Comps sur Artuby and Testanier. The last stage (164.5km) will conclude in Nice with a 9 km city circuit which the peloton will do 10 times. There will be seven French teams, three Spanish teams with ONCE lead by Jalabert, the Italian teams Mapei-Bricobì (Museeuw, Steels and Vanderbroucke), Polti (Leblanc, Merckx), Saeco (Cipollini) and Riso Scotti (Baldato). Also expected will be Dutch Rabobank, Belgian Lotto-Mobilstar, German Telekom (with Riis and Bolts) and American US Postal lead by Lance Armstrong. Indurain in the NetherlandsMiguel Indurain is still in big demand by the cycling world even after he has been retired for more than a year. Yesterday he was in the Netherlands were he posed with the young talents of the MGI Cycling Club. Today the winner of 5 Tours and 2 Giros will be in Barcelona for the presentation of Team Vitalicio Seguros, the team captained by Andrea Ferrigato and Oliverio Rincon and where Miguel's brother Prudencio will ride this season.The Spanish MTB riders releasedThe Spanish cyclists have now been released by the Ecuadorean authorities: there weren't ten cyclists as was originally reported but only 4, including the Andalusian MTB champion, Juan Pedro Trujillo.The others in the group were mountaineers and back-up personnel for a publicity spot the organiser wanted to make. The organiser is now being taken to court.The cyclists will leave today in an Iberia flight. The authorities were able to verify that the Spaniards were deceived by Spaniard Antonio Luna, the presumed drug trafficker. Santi Blanco UpdateJavier Mínguez, director of Vitalicio Seguros, the new Spanish professional cycling team which will be presented today in the locale of the company in Barcelona, was traveling yesterday to Barcelona by car when he reported that there were no problems between his team and Banesto about the services of Santi Blanco."There is nothing new. Mr. Landi, our boss, met with Banesto in Madrid. They were asking for 300 million pesetas ($US1,923,600) and Vitalicio is only willing to pay 75 million ($US480,900). The negotiations broke off given the difference in amounts. Blanco will be presented along with other members of the team and as long as nothing else is proven, Blanco rides for Vitalicio". The 22 riders that make up the team met for about 10 days in Javea. "These days have been helpful to build the foundation of our team. It is good that all the team can meet and be together because once the the season starts they will split into two and will probably not meet again". Vitalicio Seguros - the new Spanish TeamItalian Domenico Cavallo, who rode for at Team Zor, will join the technical support side of the team. When he retired he worked as sport director for Ariostea, ZG-Mobili and last year for Refin. The doctor for the team will be Guillermo Cuesta, ex doctor for Euskadi, while the trainer will be veteran José Luis Pascua Piqueras.During their retreat, the 22 riders were divided into three groups, depending on their objectives for this season. So the five Neo-Pros (Horrillo, Mercado, Manchón, Freire and Curro García), Francisco Benítez, Andrea Ferrigato, Elio Aggiano and Ginés Salmerón will have to start the season in good form. They have been doing specific and intense work, consisting of very hard 150 kilometer rides. The second group's objective is to go to the Giro d'Italia at the highest level, it is formed by Oliverio Rincón, Hernán Buenahora, Juan Carlos Domínguez, Daniel Clavero, Tobías Steinhauser, Zintchenko, González Heredia and Vicente Aparicio; their job has been one of endurance, with moderate training rides of 120 kms. The third group hopes to be at their best for the Tour de France and is made up of Angel Casero, Santiago Blanco, García Marquina, Smetanine and Prudencio Indurain; they are working on volume, with softer training sessions of 80 kms. Chronologically, the first big objective is in the Spring, in the Giro d'Italia. The interest in having a good Giro doesn't have anything to do with the fact that the sponsor is of Italian nationality, but the interest of gaining a spot for the Tour. There are many possibilities when looking at the team and looking for a leader with riders like Santi Blanco and Juan Carlos Domínguez. Javier Mínguez thinks that "a leader in a team of 22 has to be a rider like Olano, Jalabert or Escartín and we don't count on anybody like that yet. We will have as leader at every moment whomever we think is going well". He admits though that he has already thought about the possible leaders for the major stage races. "Oliverio Rincón will start as our strong man for the Giro. For the Tour we will count on Casero or Blanco, who should be the best riders of the team, but understanding that they won't competing for the podium. We want to get our strongest team for la Vuelta a España and for that we will have riders from Giro, the Tour and some that will only ride la Vuelta. My dream for La Vuelta would be to be able to count on Casero, Blanco, Domínguez and Rincón. They would be the four main ones for the team". Vitalicio Seguros has a commitment for three seasons with Mínguez. And although he doesn't want to say it openly, he trusts that the life of the team will go beyond the year 2000. The owner, Giacomo Landi, is very hopeful, so if the team can consolidate itself in the pro peloton and gains prestige there could be Vitalicio Seguros for awhile. "Giacomo Landi raced as an amateur in Italy. For many years he had in his head the idea of sponsoring a Pro team and that dream has become a reality". Minguez feels that Vitalicio Seguros may be his last sporting adventure. "I think that after this project this will come to an end. I am getting older and wear and tear is starting to take their toll". |