Franck out of the Vlaamse Wielerweek

Vandenbroucke has withdrawn from the GP E3 at Harelbeke and the Brabantse Pijl/Fleche Brabanconne. Vandenbroucke's next big objective was to have been the Ronde van Vlaanderen on April 5 but there must be some doubt whether he will be fit to ride it. His knee problems spring from a childhood accident at the age of four and a half when he was knocked off his bike by a rally car in his home village of Ploegsteert. He then spent three months in hospital and underwent four operations before he could bend his left knee. "The operation was done badly," Vandenbroucke told Cycling Weekly recently, "so that, due to calcification of the bone, my left femur is 17mm longer than my right."

Kathy Watt and Jeannie Longo Press Conference

Q: Kathy you're going to be team-mates, how does it feel to have Jeannie along side you.

KW: It's fantastic. This year I'll be racing with the Ebly team over in Europe. All five of us have had top ten finishes in the Tour de France, so it seems we'll have a very strong team this year and I'm really looking forward to it. It's a great opportunity.

Q: Is this the first time that you've been team mates?

KW: Yes, it's the first team that we have been on together.

Q: Does it feel strange that she's on your side this time?

KW: Yes. Normally we are racing each other up the hills, and watching each others moves but this season we'll be working together as a team and hopefully getting some really good results for Ebly. Also, in Australia we'll be racing together in the Giant Bicycle team in the Snowy Mountains tour.

Q: What does it mean to have a World Cup race here in Australia?

KW: It's great. Normally we're doing the long flights over there and we're the ones that are tired when we arrive. (Longo nods in strong agreement, having arrived in the country just a few hours earlier this morning) The Europeans don't normally have to travel so far so I guess it's to our advantage this time.

JL: It's not usual for the women to travel for day race, perhaps a stage race, but not one day.

Q. In the tour of the Snowy what will your roles in the team be?

JL: I think it's hilly, yes?

KW: It is hilly. So, it pretty much sorts itself out, you can't push people up hills. A lot of the Americans, Canadians and the other Australians have been racing very early in the season, so they should have good race form. Whereas the Europeans are just coming out of their winter, won't have been racing so much and will try to find their best form for the World Championships.

Q: Jeannie is this your first race of the year?

JL: No, second. I went in a three day race in France.

Q: And how did you go?

JL: I won the time trial. But, I lost my jersey for ten seconds because I had no team. I road alone.

Q: And for you Kathy?

KW: This will be my first women's race. But, I've been doing some criterium races against the men back in Victoria. So, it'll be interesting to see what form I've got.

Q: Kathy will you be concentrating more on the road side now?

KW: I'm only doing road this year. I'll be joining the Ebly team over in Europe and concentrating on the main races there and then the Commonwealth Games and World Championships later in the year.

Q: Jeannie do you think because our mountains are lower that will be an advantage to you, because you're used to climbing mountains that are a lot higher, so there won't be such an altitude problem here.

JL: I don't think that. ....

KW: I think he means the climbs are not as long as in Europe, they are shorter.

JL: They're shorter? I don't know. I just look at the bible.

KW: (Holding up maps of race stages and profiles) This bible!

Q: You have won so many world titles, you've done everything there is to do in cycling, now that there is a Women's World Cup how important personally is that for you, to have the chance to do well and perhaps win the inaugural World Cup?

JL: It could be a motivation for me this year. I didn't train very much. Nothing in my head - except the World Cup..... I didn't train a lot this winter. I just practiced for fun. And because the weather was not too bad. I didn't know exactly what could be.

Q: It's a six race series, Sunday is the first race, Kathy was saying a lot of the Americans and Canadians have been racing with many of the European riders just coming back. When will, since the results here may not be an indication of who will do will in the series, will it be the second, third race before the eventual winner has to emerge?

JL: No. The winter training is very different so we can say more at the middle of the season.

KW: When we've had the Tour de France and other main races like that more people will come into form.

JL: No I don't do the Tour this year.

Q: Kathy you'll be riding against Anna Wilson and Lynne Nixon do you see them as being among your main rivals?

KW: Yes, I think the Australians will go fairly well because they have had a lot of early season racing and also, as I said, the Americans and Canadians because they have had good weather in America and they have had quite a few tours over there.

Q: But, you'll be keeping an eye on them obviously for the Commonwealth Games spots?

KW: For sure. You have to try and get the best results you can for the team.

Q: Kathy, how important is it early in the season to get to be a winner?

KW: Any win you can get at the start of the season is a real bonus. It's always good for your confidence to win and to do well in races, and it motivates you to go one step further.

Q: Anna Wilson and Liz Tadich with her silver medal at last year's Championships ...Do you think we've got one or two riders knocking on the door for 2,000, or do you feel we've got more depth in the sport now?

KW: The depth has been improving every year and now you've got the AIS and all the state institutes, developing a lot more girls all coming up through the system at a similar level, so that's been really good for women's cycling.

JL: With the level you can compare the times. In I think 1988 the pursuit record was about four minutes.

Q: Do you have more sponsor support in Europe to bring on more professional women's teams?

JL: In France no. In Italy, but not in France. We need more.

Q: Is anyone working on that now, with yourself, as world champion, and Marion Clignet as torchbearers you'd think...

JL: In France I think especially for men's professional teams they have...(lost with background noise)...

KW: I think as women's cycling becomes bigger, and starts to receive a lot more coverage, especially in Europe with the tour televised, and we had big crowds at all the finishes.

JL: We have crowds at cycling yes, but the journalists they are not enough...

KW: If it can grow like that, then more sponsors will come on board and it will become more like the mens. Even in the mens events they have sponsors that come and go. They'll stay with a team for a few years, then there is a change. Hopefully we can develop too.

Q: Has the Olympics coming to Sydney made a difference?

KW: In Australia, most definitely. Everyone you speak to wants to be involved in some way. Whether as a volunteer, or simply a spectator or by being more actively involved in it.

Q: What about at a junior level? Are more juniors coming through?

KW: Yeah, and a lot of young girls are saying that they'd really like to be in the Olympics. Not only in cycling but across the board in all the sports. I'm sure it will encourage a lot of young kids to get into it. Now, that they've got cycling programs in the schools a lot more girls and boys are actually getting on the bikes at a young age and being taught the skills. Through that you'll see the best ones coming into cycling and it will really help with the numbers.

Q: Do you still divide your time between the track and road?

KW: This season I'm concentrating on the road and I'm excited about that - joining Eblyand going to Europe for the major championships.

Q: What about in 2,000 at the Olympics?

KW: We'll just have to wait and see.

Q: Kathy it's a very expensive sport. A $5,000 bike. Then you really, for an Australian, you need to compete in Europe or America for that experience, do you think there is enough recognition at a government level that this is a sport that costs a lot of money to get to the elite level? Is enough attention paid to that?

KW: I think that..... does receive fairly good funding from the government. But, certainly it is different from swimming or running where you just need your running shoes or your bathers. And you can't just race in Australia. You have to go to Europe or America to gain experience at that level of competition. And also the equipment is very expensive so it does require a lot of funding.

Q: Jeannie do you see the Tour de Snowy being a major event on the world calendar, particularly with the build up to the Olympics in Sydney in 2,000?

JL: Yes. It could be. It's a good way to begin the season, and on the International calendar it's a good place.

Q: Do you think people will be attracted here because the Olympics are here, or, just the climate?

JL: Maybe both. .....March is a good time for it.

Q: If you continue through to 2,000 would you try to make it a priority to come to Sydney each year.

JL: (Laughing) What happens in 2,000?

The transcript kindly sent by Laurie Cousins

Jeannie Longo Interview

The start of the interview was missed but we begin with Jeannie Longo is commenting on her inspection of the road course proposed for the Olympics when she arrived in Sydney yesterday, after saying how much she liked Centennial Park, she went on to say how the road down to the beach was so steep and .....)

JL: .....that if the course for the Olympics would be there it would be very difficult, very tough.

KT: Now, tomorrow you will be teaming up with Australia's Kathy Watt in a combined World Team so we'll have the Barcelona gold medalist in kathy and the Atlanta gold medalist in you.

JL: Yes, I know this of course. This is fun. I like Kathy, yes. She's ummm how may I say that, she's a responsible, she's major, and I like her because she knows what to do for women's cycling and she knows how to...which behaviour to have...she's great!

KT: Kathy and also Liz Tadich have really helped put Australian women's cycling on the international map.

JL: Yes.

KT: How is Australia viewed as a place to compete by Europeans?

JL: I think it's a good idea. It's a good thing because women's cycling always had before stayed in Europe and America but no where else and I think it's a really good thing to go to Australia.

KT: Now, Jeannie France has performed so well in cycling, both on the road and on the track, of course you host the prestigious Tour de France for men and also the women's event, why does France love it's cycling so much?

JL: Ahhh, I don't know. There are a lot of practice, a lot of riders, umm they like cycling and what is good they like women and men cycling. And there is no difference in the public between women and men. I think only in the cycling media, they make difference. especially I mean in Europe, in France, they make difference between women and men. That's not good because the crowd doesn't make any difference.

JL: Okay, Jeannie just before we let you go I know after this World cup race in Sydney tomorrow there will be a five day tour event through the Snowy Mountains of New South Wales, are you looking forward to that?

JL: Yes, of course, because it's a good way to visit! Right. And, it's in the mountains. You know Sydney looks really nice but I am not so at ease in the downtown because there is too much traffic and pollution. I prefer to be in the mountains, among nature, so ... and this is funny because you know my husband was a former national skier, you know, he was an international skier. He did a work job in Thredbo about oh, many years ago.

KT: Really! What has he told you about the Snowy Mountains area?

JL: He told me you have to go there! If you go to Australia. It's really nice there. It's in Thredbo where I raced for the World Cup in alpine skiing, and he was really excited about that.

KT: Well, Jenny it's terrific to have spoken to you this morning, and it's great to have you in Australia. Best of luck tomorrow in the World cup, and of course in the Tour de Snowy.

JL: Thank you very much. See you later.

The transcript kindly sent by Laurie Cousins

Nike and cycling don't mix

Nike came into cycling in 1996 placing their distinctive mark on all the famous jerseys at the Tour - Yellow, Green and Polka Dot. Then it contracted with different teams, amongst them ONCE, to supply the so called "hotel clothing" - sandals, shirts, polos and other items. The four year contract with ONCE required that Nike would provide ONCE with competition clothes from the start of this season. But in December they decided to pass on that, although they would continue with the "hotel clothes".

They also cancelled their relationship with La Vuelta, which included two other races by Unipublic and which like the Tour included all the main jerseys. ONCE has used their jerseys for barely three months, the time that Castelli has taken to manufacture the new material that Jalabert and company used at Milán-San Remo.

The American company calculated that it wasn't feasible to enter a market as closed as the European cycling market. "The sales didn't compensate for the investment in technological development, especially in the shoes", said sources at Nike. The contract with ONCE of some 20 million pesetas ($US128,240) annually is a small figure compared to Nike's European sales, which in 1997 were around $US1,790 million.

With some of the soccer clubs, like Juventus, the contracts Nike have are over the 20 million pesetas. La Vuelta didn't even require monetary compensation. As compensation for Nike having their name on the jerseys, they only had to print at the end of each stage, the name of the leader's team. "Cycling is a very specialized business, in the hand of very traditional manufacturers and very difficult for brands that have no experience in this sector", said sources in cycling. "It would have been more feasible to enter the bicycle market directly".

Grand Prix Velo Spass, Cala d'Or-Cala d'Or, 135 kms:

 1. Frantisek Trkal (Cze)                    3.10.10
 2. Henrik Sparr (Swe) Team Wirsbo 		0.09
 3. Hannes Hempel (Ger)              		0.13
 4. Marek Tylski (Pol)            		0.13
 5. Emilio Montagas (Spa)              		0.13

Wine Country Classic, California

Another battle between the two top riders in the men’s standings, Trent Klasna (Navigators), Pine Valley, Calif., and Gord Fraser (Mercury), Ottawa, Ont., Canada, might be expected during the two-day event, which opens with the Graton Road Race, covering 77 miles for the men and 55 miles for the women. Sunday features the Kendall-Jackson Winery Criterium, won last year by Mercury’s Julian Dean, Hamilton, New Zealand.

Heading into the fourth event on the NRC calendar, Klasna -- winner of last week’s SRAM Sea Otter Classic -- leads Fraser by a mere point. Klasna and Fraser actually tied at Sea Otter, but Klasna won the tie-break for the victory.

A surprise may be in store in the women’s event as many of North America’s top riders have headed down under for the first leg of the UCI Women’s World Cup, March 29 in Sydney, Australia. With most of the Saturn, Saeco-Timex and U.S. National squads down under, someone like Shaklee’s Nicole Freedman, Palo Alto, Calif., might surprise. Freedman won the circuit race last week at the Sea Otter Classic. 1996 Olympian Jeanne Golay (Schwinn Paramount), Glenwood Springs, Colo., will continue her comeback at the Wine Country Classic.

Current NRC leader Clara Hughes (Saturn), Hamilton, Ont., Canada, will be racing in Australia.

The U.S. National Racing Calendar is a season-long series featuring the top road cycling events in the country.