News for May 1, 1998

Robbie Vandaele

The Belgium Cycling Federation (BWB) have suspended Robbie Vandaele for six months. The Ipso rider also has to pay a penalty of around $US1,500. After the GP Cerami (in which he finished as 5th) he missed a required drug test. In July 1997 he also missed a test but was let off. This time the rider was not so lucky.

Bart Brentjens crashes

Mountain biker Bart Brentjens and his manager/coach Gert-Jan Theunisse were hit by a car during a training session in Uden (Brabant, Netherlands). The Olympic champion had to go to hospital in Oss for an operation on his hand. because two tendons had torn off the bones. He will be out of competition for at least 4 weeks. Theunisse (who was badly hurt in an accident last year in France) had 'only' some bruises. Brentjens will still be able to go to Hungary for the 4th race in the World Cup. He will miss the World Cups in St Wendel (Switzerland) on May 10 and Plymouth (England) on May 17.

Raymond Meijs sues Rabobank

Dutch rider Raymond Meijs has taken the Rabobank team to court. The action arises from when he was a Foreldorado-Golff rider and he fell in the Klauterkoers in Sweikhuizen in June 1995. The cause of the accident was allegedly the Rabobank team manager Adrie van Houwelingen. Meijs: "My case is the same as the case of Scott Sunderland in the Amstel Gold Race. It's a matter of principal for me. The team managers are playing a game and claim that no-one is to blame for these accidents. The Rabobank said an accident is part of the professional risk."

After the accident Raymond Meijs was out of the peloton for several months.

Dietrich Thurau also in court ... the jail

Dietrich Thurau (43) former German professional rider who wore the leader's shirt for several days in the Tour de France has been sentenced to 6 month's jail and fined a total of $US11,000 for counterfeiting a building permission for his neighbour.

Johan Museeuw is not in danger

The Gazet van Antwerpen announced on Thursday that the article published in the Belgian newspaper Het Volk about Johan Museeuw being in danger and 'struggling for life' after his accident during Paris-Roubaix is untrue. It has been reported that he had a strange infection because the track through the Arenberg forest where he crashed is only usually used by horses. However, the University Hospital in Gent is angry about this 'sensational article'. Museeuw only requires a course of antibiotics for an infection in the bursae of his knee. He is sitting on a home trainer every day to keep some condition and he invited the press to the hospital on Monday afternoon.

Brian Holm leaves Jack and Jones

Brian Holm has been "released" from his contract with the new Danish team home Jack & Jones.

At a press conference in Herning, Denmark, PCD (Professional Cycling Denmark) who owns the team, said that Jesper Skibby will be the new captain of the team - starting in Frankfurt on Friday in Rund um den Henninger Turm.

Bjarne Riis who's the main shareholder in PCD (and a close friend of Brian...) also said that this was the right solution. There has been different opinions on how the team should be managed, but afterall we have to see things from the teams point of view, Riis told the press yesterday.

Meanwhile Team home Jack & Jones will start with the following 8 riders in Friday's Rund um den Henninger Turm:

Jesper Skibby, Danny Nelissen, Arvis Piziks, Juris Silovs, Michael Kyneb, Michael Rosborg, Christian Andersen, Rene Jorgensen.

GP De La Mutualite de la Haute Garonne, France, April 24-26

U.S. National Team riders Carmen Richardson, Colorado Springs, Colo., and Emily Robbins, Wauwatosa, Wis., both turned in top performances at the GP de la Mutualite de la Haute Garonne UCI 2.9.2 stage race in France, April 24-26.

Richardson, who is splitting her time between road racing and mountain biking this season, finished seventh overall in the four-stage race and won the sprint jersey. The jersey came down to the final sprint of the race and Richardson used a lead out by Robbins and Erin Veenstra, Colorado Springs, Colo., to top Russian Valentina Guerassimova (Vizir-Russian Roulette) to keep the jersey.

Robbins placed second in the stage four 10km individual time trial, trailing only overall winner Judith Arndt (German National). Robbins also placed third in the field sprint in stage three. She placed 21st overall. Veenstra finished second among riders 20 years old and younger.

The U.S. National Team continues its European trip with Sunday’s one-day Etoile Vosgienne race in France, followed by next week’s Tour de L’Aude stage race. 

Final GC

  1. Judith Arndt (Ger) German National                      6.56.54
  2. Lenka Ilavka (Slo) Slovakia 				0.30
  3. Anne Samplonius (Can) Quebec				0.37
  4. Rasa Polikeviciute (Lit) Ebly				0.41
  5. Valentina Guerassimova (Rus) Vizir-Russian Roulette	0.55
  ..
  7. Carmen Richardson (USA) US National			1.16
 16. Joan Wilson (USA) US National				5.00
 21. Emily Robbins (USA) US National				6.30
 25. Erin Veenstra (USA) US National				7.16
 40. Marisa Vande Velde (USA) US National	               13.34
 48. Cori Book (USA) US National			       16.41

Stage One, Saint Beat-Mazeres Sur Salat, 96 kms:

  1. Lenka Ilavka (Slo) Slovakia 		             2.25.35
  2. Judith Arndt (Ger) German National
  3. Rasa Polikeviciute (Lit) Ebly
  4. Valentina Guerassimova (Rus) Vizir-Russian Roulette
  5. Anne Samplonius (Can) Quebec
  ..
  7. Carmen Richardson (USA) US National 			0.18
 12. Joan Wilson (USA) US National				3.16
 13. Erin Veenstra (USA) US National 				6.04
 38. Emily Robbins (USA) US National
 57. Cori Book (USA) US National			       	8.12

Stage Two Gourdan Polignan-Saint Bertrand, 84.5 kms:

   1. Sue Palmer (Can) Canadian National 		     2.23.57
secs
   2. Alison Sydor (Can) Canadian National			0.07
   3. Elisabeth Chevanne-Brunel (Fra)
   4. Lenka Ilavka (Slo) Slovakia 				0.11
   5. Rasa Polikeviciute (Lit) Ebly				s.t.
  ..
  14. Emily Robbins (USA) US National				0.21
  15. Carmen Richardson (USA) US National
  17. Erin Veenstra (USA) US National
  25. Joan Wilson (USA) US National				0.28
  50. Marisa Vande Velde (USA) US National	               	4.20
  54. Cori Book (USA) US National			       	6.35

Stage Three Portet-Roquettes, 70.2 kms:

  1. Evi Gensheimer (Ger) 			             1.53.11
  2. Valentina Guerassimova (Rus) Vizir-Russian Roulette
  3. Emily Robbins (USA) US National
  4. Judith Arndt (Ger) German National
  5. Olga Zaberinskaja (Rus) Russian National

 15. Carmen Richardson (USA) US National
 32. Erin Veenstra (USA) US National
 33. Joan Wilson (USA) US National
 36. Marisa Vande Velde (USA) US National
 48. Cori Book (USA) US National

Stage Four Cazeres-Cazeres, ITT 10 kms:

  1. Judith Arndt (Ger) German National				13.56
  2. Emily Robbins (USA) US National				14.16
  3. Geraldine Loewenguth (Win.) France 			14.17
  4. Anne Samplonius (Can) Quebec				14.27
  5. Valentina Polkhanova (Vizir-Russian Roulette) Russia 	14.29

 15. Carmen Richardson (USA) US National 			14.48
 20. Erin Veenstra (USA) US National 				15.02
 24. Joan Wilson (USA) US National				15.09
 27. Vande Velde 						15.13
 49. Cori Book (USA) US National			       	16.05

Under-20 Classification:

 1. Olga Zaberinskaja (Rus) Russian National
 2. Erin Veenstra (USA) US National
 3. Natascha Klewitz (Ger) German National

Sprint Jersey: Carmen Richardson (USA) US National
Points Jersey: Judith Arndt (Ger) German National
Mountain Jersey: Rasa Polikeviciute (Lit) Ebly