Team News

- Uwe Ampler, winner of the Peace Tour 1998, is negotiating with the german GS-II-Team "Agro-Adler Brandenburg". At the moment, Ampler is riding for the polish team MROZ. It seems as if Ampler and Agro Adler will find together.

Tour News:

- Santi Blanco (Vitalicio Seguros): "We don't need to be content with only participating and having been invited, we need to aspire to everything that we can. The Tour is a very tough race, three weeks of suffering where there is not time to recuperate. ...It would be great to win a stage, but our main objective is to look good".

- Manuel Beltran (Banesto): "Abraham (Olano) has the potential to have a great Tour. He has prepared well and he did well at Vuelta a Cataluña. The Tour de France is the most important race in the world and we are motivated to be amongst the best. My objective is to help Abraham Olano in the mountain stages and if it is possible improve on last year's 14th place."

- Cycling is a very international sport. The GAN/Credit Agricole and the TVM-Farm frites teams are formed by not less than six nations (GAN: Sweden, England, France, Italy, Australia, Germany -- TVM: Netherlands, Russia, Denmark, France, Ukraine, Belgium)! US Postal has named riders from five nations. Four nations: Telekom, TVM, Casino, Polti, Lotto, Vitalicio, Cofidis. The only "one-nationality" team (9 Italians) is Saeco-Cannondale.

- Even the Tour de France is dominated by Italians: Among the riders who will start in Dublin, there are 51 Italians, but "only" 38 French riders. 28 Spaniards will ride, 12 Belgians, 10 Dutch, 9 Germans, 7 Russians, 6 US-Boys, 5 guys from Switzerland and Denmark, 4 Australians, 3 Colombians, 2 Brits, 2 from Kazakstan, but only one rider from Tchechia, Sweden, Portugal, Poland, Finland, Austria and Estland. Did I forget any country?

- Asics will be without Michele Bartoli, Davide Boifava and Serge Parsani, and team managers have chosen Andrea Noe' as this year's captain. He will be accompanied by the Kazac Alex Shefer and Italians Alessio Bongioni, Diego Ferrari, Oscar Pozzi, Fabio Roscioli, Samuele Schiavina, Filippo Simeoni and Alain Turicchia. The substitutes are: Carlo Marino Bianchi, Enrico Bonetti, Federico Colonna and Michele Coppolillo.

- First time tour team, Vitalicio Seguros will be led by Santiago Blanco who had to struggle to get to the team from Banesto. The other team members are, new Champion of Spain, Angel Casero, Colombians Hernan Buenahora and Oliverio Rincon, Italian Andrea Ferrigato, and the Spaniards Francisco Benitez, David Garcia, Francisco Garcia Rodriguez and Prudencio Indurain. The substitutes are Spaniards: Oscar Freire, Ernesto Manchon, Gines Salmeron and German rider Tobias Steinhauser.

- Kelme-Costa Blanca hopes to have Fernando Escartin on the podium after several previously failed attempts. After having finished the Tour de France six times (four times in the top 12) and in constant progression, Spaniard Fernando Escartin will be the leader of the Kelme team at this year's start in Dublin. The Colombian Carlos Contreras and the Spaniards Francisco Cabello, Jose De Los Angeles, Jose Javier Gomez, Santos Gonzalez, Jose Rodriguez, Marcos Serrano and Jose Angel Vidal were also chosen by the team directors Alvaro Pino and Vicente Belda. The substitutes are: Angel Edo, Arsenio Gonzalez, Eduardo Hernandez, Jose Luis Rubiera and Oscar Sevilla, all Spaniards.

Stage by Stage:

Sunday July 12 - The 180 kms second stages stays in Ireland and is a relatively easy ride through the Wicklow Hills. The riders then come back into Dublin for a city centre finish.

Monday July 13 - This is the Sean Kelly dedication stage. Sean won four green sprinting jerseys during his career and as the riders wind their way from Enniscorthy to Cork (200 kms) they pass through Sean's home town of Carrick-on-Suir and contest an intermediate sprint there.

Tuesday July 14 - The Tour then transits to France on the tip of Bretagne. Two notable things about Stage 4. It is in the region of 5-times GC winner Bernard Bernard Hinault, and it is Bastille Day. It is a 169 kms race southwards between ports - starting in Roscoff, a ferry port and finishing in Lorient, which is the largest seaport in France.

Wednesday July 15 - Plouay (home of the 2000 Worlds) to Cholet for 252 kms, the longest stage this year. A sprint finish is guaranteed given the flat terrain for the stage. will host the

Thursday July 16 - A 228 km flat ride from Cholet to Chateauroux. Recall Cedric Vasseur's solo ride in this region last year.

Friday July 17 - Stage 6 from La Chatre over 204 kms to Brive-la-Gaillarde.

Saturday July 18 - The first of the ITT over 58 kms. Rolling rural course from Meyrignac l'Eglise to Correze. The GC takes shape today.

Sunday July 19 - Brive to Montauban for 190 kms.

Monday July 20 - Stage 9 is a 210 kms ride to the base of the Pyrenees at Pau from Montauban. Many famous finishes have been seen in Pau.

Tuesday July 21 - A very famous route for the Tour de France - Pau to Luchon. The riders have major climbs over the Tourmalet and the Aubisque. These mountains are the most frequently used in the Tour. The GC will be further defined today.

Wednesday July 22 - From the spas of Luchon to Plateau de Beille, which is famous for its cross-country skiing. The 170 kms stage takes the riders through the caving areas of the Ariege.

Thursday July 23 - The riders are resting today.

Friday July 24 - From Tarascon-sur-Ariege, to the Mediterranean town of Le Cap d'Adge (222 km). Both towns are historical and the seaside finish takes us to the harbour that the Phoenicians designed way back when.

Saturday July 25 - The stage is 196 kms from Frontignan la Peyrade (Provence) to Carpentras via the Ventoux. This will be a test today.

Sunday July 26 - From the wine town of Valreas in the Cotes de Rhone the riders finish in Grenoble.

Monday July 27 - This is the first time the riders have encountered Les Deux Alpes. The stage is tough today - 189 kms from Grenoble across Galibier (2646m the highest point of the Tour). Two other mountains are to be crossed.

Tuesday July 28 - Vizille to the 1992 Winter Olympics site of Albertville. The Tour has never finished here before. Mountainous stage.

Wednesday July 29 - The Roman bath town of Aix-les-Bains, a popular starting or finishing town in the Tour (20 times since 1930) provides the finishing line for today after 149 kms from Albertville. Historical images of the famous 1958 ride from Charly Gaul (Lux) who won the stage in horrific conditions (fog, storms and rain).

Thursday July 30 - The Tour breaks into Switzerland for its 18th stage which takes the survivors of the Alps over one final mountain, Col de la Faucille, on their way from Aix-les-Bains to the watch-making centre of Neuchatel.

Friday July 31 - From the Swiss town of La Chaux-de-Fonds to the home of Birgundy, Autun over a distance of 242 kms.

Saturday August 1 - the last time trial over 52 kms between Montceau-Les-Mines and Le Creusot. The start is an area of reclaimed mines and now a famous archeological site and the finish is an industrial city. If the Tour hasn't been decided already this will be the day that will give us the final yellow jersey.

Sunday August 2 - Melun to Paris (Champs Elysees) over 149 kms. The mayor of Melun is Jacques Marinelli (3rd and yellow jersey holder for 5 days in 1947). The finale - a fast street race on the famous Parisian boulevarde.

New Jersey, Vandedrome Track Racing, July 3-4

The Men’s Pro-1 events included Sprints, 1/2 Mile Scratch heats & Final, 1 Mile heats and Final, an Elimination and a 3 Mile Preme Race. Events were scored 7, 5, 3, 2, 1 for an overall weekend Omnium. Due to the rain on Saturday, the Prize list was split in half and money was awarded from the first day’s competition. The field was 80% Australian, as the majority of Americans were in Frisco, TX vying for National Elite Track titles.

1/2 Mile Scratch Final

 1. Shaun Wallace (GB)
 2. Gavin Lee (NZ)
 3. David Dew (Aus)
 4. Jon Eade (NZ)
 5. Sheldon Serrao (Tri)

1 Mile Scratch

 1. Stephen Pate (Aus)
 2. Darryn Hill (Aus)
 3. Anthony Peden (NZ)
 4. Shane Hodkis (Aus)

Elimination

 1. Stephen Pate (Aus)
 2. Shane Hodkis (Aus)
 3. David Dew (Aus)
 4. Sheldon Serrao (Tri)
 5. Jack Diemar (USA)

3 mile Preme Race

 1. Shane Hodkis (Aus)
 2. Stephen Pate (Aus)
 3. Gavin Lee (NZ)
 4. Jack Diemar (USA)
 5. Neil Fronheiser (USA)

Overall Omnium:

 1. Pate			19 points
 2. Hodkis			13
 3. Wallace			9
 4. Gavin Lee			8
 5. David Dew			6
 6. Darryn Hill			5
 7. Anthony Peden		3
 8. Sheldon Serrao		3
 8. Jack Diemar			3
10. Jon Eade			2
11. Neil Fronheiser		1

only 11 riders scored points

Category B Omnium

 1. Matt Willis	(USA)
 2. Will Federico (USA)
 3. Phil Cable (USA)
 4. Mike Dovin (USA)
 5. Eric Gerolstein (USA)
 5. Rob Ryan (USA)
 7. Chris Mandraccia (USA)

Category C Omnium

 1. Doug Stewart (USA)
 2. Josh Wier (USA)
 3. Anthony Tommaro (USA)
 4. Ross Letwin (USA)
 4. Adam Baskin (USA)
 6. Paul Brushwood (USA)
 7. Andy D’Amico (USA)