Other Danish news: Jens Veggerby on Thursday underwent surgery for his broken collarbone. It was very complicated, and he will now be out for about 3 months. That means he'll miss The Danish National Pairs race, the World Championship in Pairs race and the Tour of Denmark. It seems like it's not a good time for the track riders... (Martinello, Veggerby and also Boardman)
Phil Anderson
Karen: Thanks, for your time, Phil. Well, first up I should ask you your reaction to the news about Festina being disqualified?
Phil: I was pretty surprised. I've only heard word of mouth today, but hearing what you say there, it's shocking because it does over-shadow this fantastic news of what's been happening for Stuart O'Grady, which is a real boost for Australian cycling. And for this other matter to be getting all the news, it's very disappointing.
Karen: You would know Neil Stephens very well, a veteran of the cycling circuit, winning a stage of the Tour de France last year, what are your feelings for him at this moment?
Phil: It's got to be very disappointing for him. I believe this is going to be his last season and he wanted to go out with a great last Tour. Maybe not winning a stage but finishing and helping his team. Last year his team was one of the most successful in the Tour. They didn't win the Tour but they won several stages, one of them was Neil's. It's got to be so disappointing for them, I couldn't believe it . I don't know how they can do that to the team. But, for whatever reason the organisation or the commaissaire, the Union Cycliste Internationale have done that. It's shocking at this time in Neil's career.
Karen: As you mentioned, the Festina team is just the top ranked team with the likes of Alex Zuller who was in contention for overall honours this year and also Richard Verenque who should have taken out the King of the Mountain jersey overall.
Phil: They are definitely a very prominent Tour team. They have had a very successful team and I'm just shocked that the team is involved in some kind of scandal like this. It's not over yet. We're going to see exactly where the truth lies. I've just been following on television from this end. Neil was saying last night that all he wants to do is ride his bike. He's certainly not into drugs and never has been, and doesn't know anything about it. For him it almost sounds like somebody is plotting against the team.
Karen: Phil, there is a perceived problem, not only in cycling but in many other endurance sports, about the abuse of EPO, is this just a perception, or is this really happening?
Phil: I know there has been abuse of the substance over the years. It's been found in cycling for quite a number of years now and it's been trickling to other sports. But now they have methods of detection and it's certainly changed the sport because just as I was leaving, when I retired 3 or 4 years ago, you could find a noticeable lift in the pace of the races. And since the detection the pace has been dropping down a little bit which is good to hear because it might have got out of hand. Also, the use of products like that is very dangerous. It's really going into the unknown. Unfortunately some of the pharmacists and the use of some of these products has been one step in front of the law, lets say.
Karen: Yes, a sad day for the Tour de France. But, we can't forget the good news and that involves an Australian. Stuart O'Grady from South Australia who again holds the leader's yellow jersey for the third day in a row. Your reaction Phil, given that you had been the only Australian until Stuart to have done so. What was your feeling when Stuart claimed the yellow jersey three days ago?
Phil: My only disappointment was not being there to congratulate him. It's just magnificent. It's a huge boost for the sport here in Australia and hopefully it's aspiring for many young Australians out there who see all the glory and publicity that Stuie's getting and will contemplate getting into the sport themselves. I had a fair-tale career just going from strength to strength and it took me to such wonderful places and to such highs. And I know that Stuie's going to be sharing those experiences and hopefully there are a lot of budding, up-and-coming cyclists who'd like to follow in his footseps.
Karen: We had a chat with Stuart O'Grady on "Grandstand" earlier this morning, but what was the feeling like for you Phil, when you did it back in the early 80's? What does it feel like? Because as you say it is the dream of every cyclist to compete in the Tour de France and to actually get to wear the ultimate yellow jersey, just what is that like?
Phil: Well, I was reading that Stuie was saying that he's just a snotty, freckly, red-haired kid from Adelaide. I didn't come from a cycling background at all. I didn't really even know what the yellow jersey was, I didn't realise the significance of it until I actually got it. I crossed over the finish line and they came up and told me that I had the yellow jersey and I wasn't even really aware of it. They sort of pushed me up onto the podium and people were pushing this way and pulling that way. Interviews and over to a television studio in a helicopter, it was like all of a sudden I had become some kind of sporting sensation. I'd never experienced anything like that. I was never close to anybody that had experienced that. It was like a dream that had come true but it was way beyond any of my dreams. It took me from being a virtually unknown cyclist to suddenly at the top of the world. It was a huge shock. The Prime Minister called me and congratulated me and wished me luck. I went through quite a transition. I only held it for one day. I had a time trial the following day but for the next two weeks I was in second position and boy was I trying to struggle and get those seconds back so I could get into that yellow jersey again. It made me hungry and then the following year I got up again and got the yellow jersey and won a stage and kept the yellow jersey most of the way around France. I was very excited about my time in the yellow jersey.
Karen: You must be thrilled more than sixteen years on to see road cycling on the front page of a national newspaper this week with Stuart O'Grady, because the sport just does not get extensive coverage here.
Phil: No, it's great. I'm up in Quennsland right now and from regional to state to national papers they've all got the Tour de France on the front page and colour photographs all in yellow - it's similar to what you see in Europe which is magnificent. The sport certainly needs a boost from time to time and something like this certainly doesn't hurt. Everybody is talking about it. It's not just the cycling people. Hopefully they won't be talking about this scandalous doping situation. I think it's magnificent to see what's happening in the sport right now.
Karen: And Phil, I believe that you're heading over to catch up with the Tour de France tomorrow?
Phil: Yes, I'm taking a group of cycling enthusiasts around and hosting them on a trip and we are going to be following the Tour for the last ten days of the event. We're looking forward to catching up with the Aussies, it's going to be great and it couldn't have come at a better time.
Karen: Where do you base yourself these days, just before we say goodbye, is it in Australia or mainly Europe?
Phil: Yes, rural Victoria and we're always listening to the ABC.
Karen: That's good to hear.
Phil: I live near Mt Buller, actually at a little town called Jamieson about 3 hours out of Melbourne, and a really beautiful spot.
Karen: Going to get any skiing in this winter?
Phil: I haven't got any skiing in yet but maybe when I come back if there's been a another dump of snow I might get up into the high country for a ski.
Karen: Phil Anderson we really appreciate your time this afternoon on "Grandstand'. Safe travelling over to France and we'll be catching up with the Aussies each Saturday here on the program, but please pass on our best wishes to them as well.
Phil: Thank you I certainly will. I'll tell them that the whole of Australia is behind them. I think that they already know but I'll give them that extra push.
Karen: It's good news. Thanks again for your time.
Phil: Thank you.
Karen: Phil Anderson joining us on "Grandstand" The one Australian to have worn the leader's yellow jersey in the Tour de France before Stuart O'Grady from South Australia did so again this year.
Stuart O'Grady
Karen: I caught up with Stuart earlier this morning, prior to the announcement that the Festina team had been disqualified, and started by asking him about today's racing.
Stuart: Well, it's been a pretty good few days. The stage today was another really tough day. We weren't quite sure whether, or not, we would be able to defend the jersey today. We actually said in the meeting that we'd give it away today. The stage was pretty tough - a lot of hills - pretty windy - yeah, it was another tough day.
Karen: And you managed to keep on the bike all the stage today, because there have been quite a number of falls already in the early part of the Tour.
Stuart: Yeah. I've clocked up 3 crashes in this Tour de France so far. So I hope I've had my fair share. It's been pretty dangerous, especially yesterday when it rained because it had been dry most of the week. Then when the rain came it became very slippery and there were a lot of crashes. It's pretty dangerous. But so far nothing's broken, I've had a few stitches in my knee and stuff like that, but I can still keep them pedalling.
Karen: Stuart your picture has been in all the newspapers back in Australia. You've really given the Tour an added profile in this country. How does it make you feel, because road cycling isn't extensively covered in Australia?
Stuart: It's fantastic, for Australia to be finally waking up to the Tour de France, and if I've helped that along it's awesome. It's absolutely brilliant over here at the moment in France. It's been a fantastic few of days, we're just really taking it in and enjoying it.
Karen: How have you been coping with all the added attention and focus coming your way?
Stuart: It's been very different but it's been really enjoyable. Everything has gone good so far. So, I can't complain. Everything's great.
Karen: Phil Anderson is the only other Australian to have worn the leader's yellow jersey, have you heard from him at all Stuart, because I believe he is in Europe at the moment?
Stuart: I haven't actually. I've heard from his wife who follows the Tour. I've been in contact with her a couple of times and she's passed on a few messages and stuff. But it's been a pretty hard to keep in contact with everyone and the phone has been pretty busy. It's been turned off quite a bit of the time as well.
Karen: I'm sure. Stuart you're now 9 seconds overall ahead of American George Hincapie, to come tomorrow is a 58 kilometre time trial and I know that you've said in reports earlier this week that you are virtually conceeding the yellow jersey away. What is your feeling going into the time trial because you say it's not your specialist event?
Stuart: Tomorrow, I mean it's going to be a really long and hard day. It's a really hard circuit. There's a lot of hills and it's pretty technical. And some of the really big names - the number one in the world Lawrence Jalabert, the defending champion Jan Ullrich - these guys have just been sitting down the back of the bunch trying to keep out of trouble, really just saving up their energy. For them the Tour starts tomorrow. For me, I've been out there giving it 100% and I'm pretty tired. My team's done a lot of work. They're pretty tired and a 58 kilometre time trial, you can loose quite a few minutes there. If I have a good day hopefully I won't loose too much but I don't think I'll be in yellow tomorrow night.
Karen: Stuart, just before we let you go, the drug scandal which continues to follow the Festina team, how disruptive has that been to keeping your mind just purely on the race?
Stuart: That's had absolutely no affect on me whatsoever, and probably not on any of the other teams either. It's a business that the Festina team have to cope with themselves. It's a problem with there management, but their riders are obviously getting side-tracked a little bit. I've got my yellow jersey - I'm the happiest I've ever been, so for me, there is nothing better at the moment.
Karen: Stuart O'Grady congratulations once again, wearing the leader's yellow jersey three days in a row, it's great to speak to you and best of luck for tomorrows time trial. Thanks for your time.
Stuart: Thanks very much. See ya.
Karen: South Australian cyclist Stuart O'Grady who continues to wear the coverted yellow jersey for a third day in a row in the Tour de France.
Robbie McEwen
Karen: .... overnight he finished 12th. I caught up with him earlier today.
Robbie: It was a very difficult stage. I was naturally disappointed at the end, it didn't turn out like I wanted. But, that's how it goes in the sprint finishes somedays you get a good run, and you're up there, and other days you have some bad luck and you finish further back and that's what happened today. Todays stage was fast - the whole day - it was always up and down, there was really no rest to be had during the whole stage, so 200 km, nearly at full effort the whole way. But, now it's over, that's another one out of the way.
Karen: Robbie a second and a third placing for you earlier this week, has that been a cause for celebration or frustration, getting so close to a stage win?
Robbie: I'd say more frustration. I came here this year really to win a stage and that's what I've got my mind set on. So, anything less than a stage win is a little disappointing. With a second and a third I know I'm going well enough to win one. If you can be third and second then you can definitely win. So, I've just got to keep doing what I've been doing, just do the same thing, and I know I'll get there.
Karen: This has been your second Tour, your debut was last year, how are you finding it compared to last year?
Robbie: I think that I'm over the hype of the Tour now. Last year everything was new. You're at the Tour de France. It was very exciting. This year I've come with, in my mind, a job to do - to win a stage and I'm very concentrated on that. Not letting the hype get to me at all, just trying to take it as another race. But, I know it's THE biggest race, and I want to make a big name for myself.
Karen: Robbie the fact that an Australian is wearing the yellow jersey, not from your team but a good friend in Stuart O'Grady, how much of a motivational boost has that been for you, being an Aussie as well?
Robbie: Yeah, it's nice. We ride along in the bunch - Stuart, Neil, Patrick and myself - having a chat. It's great to see an Australian in the jersey in the Tour de France. It's fantastic.
Karen: You've been having a few chats on the television coverage we've been seeing back home.
Robbie: Yeah, I've been going along each day trying to talk to the camera. They asked me at the start of the Tour if I'd like to come and give them about 30 seconds a day about what's been happening and what I think will happen. Today I didn't get a chance. I was going so fast all day I didn't see the guys with the camera at all. It's nice, because I know then that my family at home can see me on TV and it's a little bit more personal then.
Karen: And Robbie have you had much of a chance to speak to Stuart after the stage today?
Robbie: I just went down to have a chat before but his telephone keeps ringing! Hardly surprising, when you're leading the Tour de France everyone wants to speak to you. And then he was off next door, to the masseur's room to get his bandages replace. He's got a cut on his knee, and his hip, and his elbow. So, he's covered in scars and scabs.
Karen: One of those phone calls would have been from me earlier today, and he was saying that he's been off the bike 3 times already and he hopes that's the end of it.
Robbie: Yeah, that's fairly standard in the Tour to have at least in the first week. Normally everyone is interfered with at some stage, through a crash, in the first week. I crashed the day I was second on the Stage de Cork. You hope you won't have one, but you just can't avoid it sometimes.
Karen: Robbie fellow Australian Patrick Jonker is in your team, Rabobank. How's he looking at the moment? I know he'd be waiting pretty anxiously for the mountains.
Robbie: Yeah, Pat's looking pretty good. He's pretty much cruised through this first week of the Tour. He's really had no problems. he hasn't lost any time, like he did last year, with crashes. His form has been very good in the hills and also in the time trials so we'll know exactly how well he's going tomorrow with the 58 km time trial.
Karen: And how are you feeling about taking on the time trial?
Robbie: A time trial is always the same for me. My philosophy is I go into the time trial and ride to finish inside the time-limit using as little energy as possible and save it for the times when I'm going to need it for the sprint finishes.
Karen: And Robbie just finally, the continuing drug scandal that's surrounding the Festina team. It's just not going away from this years Tour de France. Are you feeling you feeling any disruptions with that, at all, in your focus on this years race?
Robbie: No, nothing at all. I mean you hear about it and see the little bit on TV here and it's in the papers. But, most of it is in French so I haven't read it anyway. That's something for them to deal with, and it's going to affect their riders obviously, but for the rest of us, we're just going to get on and ride. What happens happens.
Karen: Robbie, congratulations on your placings so far this week in the Tour de France, we'll catch up with you again next Saturday morning, but good luck for the week ahead. We wish you the best.
Robbie: Okay. Thanks. Hopefully next Saturday I'll have a stage win for you.
Karen: Queensland's Robbie McEwen who finished 12th in todays sixth stage of the Tour de France.
Stage 2: 1. Jurgen van Roosbroeck (Bel) 2. Casper van der Meer (Ned) 3. Danny In 't Ven (Bel) 4. Renaud Boxus (Bel) 5. Davy Daniels (Bel) 6. John Van den Akker (Ned) 7. Sven Nijs (Bel) 8. Christophe Brandt (Bel) 9. Manu Lhoir (Bel) 10. Wim Heselmans (Bel) GC: 1. Jurgen Van Roosbroeck (Bel) 2. Danny In 't Ven (Bel) 3. John Van den Akker (Ned)From Kris Verrreth, Belgium
Due to a late start, the race was shortened to 50 minutes plus five laps. Bowen’s teammate, Levi Leipheimer, rode several laps out front with a 10-second gap, picking up primes along the way.. But Lance Armstrong (U.S. Postal Service) led 11 riders, including Bowen (defending winner of this stage), Chann McRae (Saturn), Ashley Powell (GoMart-West Virginia) and Thurlow Rogers (Mercury), ahead of the pack and caught Leipheimer with just a few laps to go. The 12-man lead group had more than 30 seconds on the rest of the riders, most of whom (including race leader Burke Swindlehurst) were given pro-rated times as the lead group was coming up quickly from behind.
In the final lap, McRae pulled teammate Bowen to the last corner and Bowen had the inside line, taking the lead to the finish.
"My team was working for me. We just clicked," said Bowen.
Overall, Rogers took the race leader jersey home, while Swindlehurst fell to third, 19 seconds back. Armstrong moved up to second, 14 seconds behind Rogers.
Saturday's stage 5 circuit race is a 12 kms hilly loop with winding roads. The racers will do 11 laps, a total of 133 kms.
Stage 4, Downtown Bend Twilight Criterium 1. Bart Bowen (Saturn), Albuquerque, N.M., 56 mins, 27 secs; 2. Chann McRae (Saturn), Plano, Texas, s.t.; 3. Ashley Powell (GoMart-West Virginia), Greensboro, N.C., s.t.; 4. Lance Armstrong (United States Postal Service), Austin, Texas, s.t.; 5. Tony Cruz (Nutra Fig), Sparks, Nev., s.t.; 6. Thurlow Rogers (Mercury), Van Nuys, Calif., s.t.; 7. Trent Klasna (Navigators), Pine Valley, Calif., s.t.; 8. John Lieswyn (GoMart-West Virginia), Asheville, N.C., s.t.; 9. Patrick Heaney (Lombardi’s), San Jose, Calif., s.t.; 10. Scott Moninger (Navigators), Boulder, Colo., s.t. Overall 1. Thurlow Rogers (Mercury), Van Nuys, Calif., nine hrs, 36 mins, 46 secs; 2. Armstrong, @:14; 3. Burke Swindlehurst (Nutra Fig), Hurricane, Utah, @:19; 4. Bowen, @:23; 5. Moninger, @:45; 6. Adham Sbeih (Nutra Fig), Sacramento, Calif., @1:25; 7. Dylan Casey (U.S. National), Mountain View, Calif., @2:01; 8. David Clinger (Mercury), Woodland Hills, Calif., s.t.; 9. John Peters (Mercury), @2:14; 10. Heaney, s.t.
Saturday's stage 5 circuit was full of excitement. On the second of 11 laps of the 12 kms loop Patrick Heaney (Lombardi’s), Levi Leipheimer (Saturn) and Anton Villatoro (U.S. Postal Service) made a break and worked together to open a gap up to 4:20 in less than 23 kms.
"Levi is a total workhorse," said Heaney, the amateur national road race champ, who is here without any teammates.
Mercury was at the front of the peloton, but they couldn't gain any time on the break. Sixty miles into the race, Lance Armstrong (USPS), Scott Moninger (Navigators), John Lieswyn (GoMart-West Virginia) and David Clinger (Mercury) bridged the gap and joined the lead group. This group put a 6:18 gap on the field. In the last lap, Armstrong, Clinger, Heaney and Moninger left the rest of the lead group and Moninger came in for his first CCC stage win.
"He (Moninger) deserves the stage win," said Armstrong, the new overall race leader who now has 31 seconds over Moninger.
Friday's race leader Thurlow Rogers (Mercury) dropped back to 12th overall, as he couldn't make a break from the field.
Stage 5, 133 kms: 1. Scott Moninger (Navigators), Boulder, Colo., two hours, 50 mins, 52 secs; 2. David Clinger (Mercury), Woodland Hills, Calif., s.t.; ; 3. John Lieswyn (GoMart-West Virginia), Asheville, N.C., s.t.; 4. Levi Leipheimer (Saturn), Santa Rosa, Calif., s.t.; 5. Patrick Heaney (Lombardi’s), San Jose, Calif., s.t.; 6. Lance Armstrong (United States Postal Service), Austin, Texas, s.t.; 7. Anton Villatoro (USPS), Boulder, Colo., @2:47; 8. Trent Klasna (Navigators), Pine Valley, Calif., @4:31; 9. Chann McRae (Saturn), Plano, Texas, @4:35; 10. Jonathan Vaughters (USPS), Englewood, Colo., s.t. Overall 1. Lance Armstrong (US Postal), Austin, Texas, 12 hrs, 27 mins, 52 secs; 2. Moninger, @:39; 3. Clinger, @1:47; 4. Heaney, @2:00; 5. Burke Swindlehurst (Nutra Fig), Hurricane, Utah, @4:40; 6. Adham Sbeih (Nutra Fig), Sacramento, Calif., @5:46; 7. Mike Engleman (Navigators), Hesperus, Colo, @6:55; 8. McRae, @7:17; 9. Lieswyn, @8:58; 10. Klasna, 9:53.
"The race was aggressive, a lot of attacks," Mayolo said. "I had great teamwork at the end."
Men’s competition opened with the 100 km Schlitz Park-King Drive Criterium in Milwaukee. Starting with an incredible climb this race has been noted as one of the toughest criteriums in the country. Frank McCormack (Saturn) and Yans Koerts (Rabobank) broke away in the 32nd lap and stayed off the front until the finish. Working off each other on the climbs until the end when McCormack blasted to the finish well ahead of Koerts.
Steve Sevener (Wisconsin Ginseng), four year overall winner of the Saturn Sprint Series at this race, took this first day of Saturn Sprints with nine points.
Women, 53 kms: 1. Tina Mayola (Powerbar), Athens, Ga.; 2. Dede Demet (Saturn), Boulder, Colo.; 3. Nichola Gugliotta (unattached), Boulder, Colo.; 4. Andrea Ratkovic- Bowman (Pedaler's Racing), Norman, Okla; 5. Jennifer Morris (North Jersey), Indianapolis, Ind.; 6. Bonnie Breeze (PowerBar), Hilliard, Ohio; 7. Barbara Gradley (Fat Dog Pro Racing), Newport, R.I.; 8. Brenda Brashears (PowerBar), Grants Pass, Ore.; 9. Marisa Vande Velde (BMC-WalMart), Lemont, Ill.; 10. Julia Kameron (NESCA), Keene, N.Y.; 11. Andrea Smessaert (Team Wisconsin), Eagle, Wis.; 12. Tiffany Pezzulo (Smart Fuel), Boulder, Colo.; 13. Erin Veenstra (BMC-WalMart), Racine, Wis.; 14. Lisa Mason (unattached), Columbus, Ohio; 15. Stacy Liddle (Whole Foods) Austin, Texas; 16. Kerry Hellmuth (Capital Velo), Madison, Wis.; 17. Beth Danall (Luc Cyclery), Boulder, Colo.; 18. Erin Alexander (Smart Fuel), Boulder, Colo. Men, 100 kms: 1. Frank McCormack (Saturn), Leicester, Mass.; 2. Jans Koerts (Rabobank), Belgium; 3. Dan Harduk (Touisteiner), Netherlands; 4. Rob Ventura (Navigators), Gurnee, Ill.; 5. Steve Cate (Canadian River Racing), Norman, Okla.; 6. Mark McCormack (Saturn), N. Easton, Mass.; 7. Roberto Gaggioli (OilMe), Vinci, Italy; 8. Juan Pineda (GS Mengoni), Bronx, N.Y.;. 9. Torrey Marks (Snow Valley), Williamsport, Pa. 10. Adam Laurent (U.S National), Shell Beach, Calif.; 11. Chad Gerlach (Oil Me), Sacramento, Calif.; 12. Matt Kelly (Great Dane Velo), Johnson Creek, Wis.; 13. Paul Read (Richardson Bike Mart), Austin, Texas; 14. Jeremy Sartain (SPBR-Burchi), St. Paul, Minn.; 15. Olin Bakke (Shaklee), Sierra Madre, Calif.; 16. Dan Bridgman (Outback), San Diego, Calif.; 17. Pelle Kil (SmartTalk), Netherlands; 18. Kelly Ruddick (Iowa City Spokes), Iowa City, Iowa; 19. Marc Kebbekus (unattached), Milwaukee, Wis.; 20. Lewis Elliot (unattached), Billings, Mont.