The team for 1999 has now been confirmed: Pavel Tonkov (Rus), Andrea Tafi, Stefano Zanini, David Bramati, Di Grande, Gianni Faresin, Figueras, Paolo Lanfranchi, Daniele Nardello, Johan Museeuw (Bel), Bart Leysen (Bel), Tom Steels (Bel) and Wilfried Peeters (Bel). The new riders signed are: Michele Bartoli (Ita), Luca Scinto (Ita), David Tani (Ita), Paolo Bettini (Ita), Andrea Noč (Ita), Axel Merckx (Bel), Adriano Baffi (Ita), Rodriguez (USA), Chan McCrae (USA), Max Van Heeswijk (Ned), Dirk Muller (Ger), Steinhauser (Ger), Leif Hoste (Bel) and Nocentini (Ita).
The matter startedin July when the customs police in northern France discoverd large quantities of banned drugs in the car of the Festina soigneur Willy Voet as he was crossing the French-Belgian border. The team was expelled from the Tour on July 17.
Of the three riders, only Brochard has admitted taking banned substances. Virenque and Hervé have always denied taking performance-enhancing drugs. Yesterday, we reported that the test results for Virenque were leaked to L'Equipe on Friday and showed that all were negative. Virenque reacted accordingly.
"This makes me feel good. There has been so much evil typed about me in the last two or three months. So much damage has been done to me that prospective teams will be wondering whether it is worth the trouble hiring me next season. But I have a memory. I will remember all the people who have done this to me. I only hope I get a chance to show what I can do on the bicycle again and a team will give me that chance."
Mauro Gianetti is claiming more than 4 million Swiss Francs (around $US4m) from two doctors who he alleges libelled him. Dr. Gremion works at the hospital, where Gianetti was brought after this famous incident during the Tour de Romandie 98. Dr. Gremion, accidently, had access into Gianneti's medical report. And that's the reason, why it become public, that PFC could be the cause of Gianetti's illness.
Then Dr. Gremion and Dr. Randin became the authors of an official accusation against X for bringing human life in danger by administering dangerous products. This accusation is still in the hand of the justice of the Canton Vaud and their is no progress because of the medical secret, on which the attendant doctors of Gianetti (Gremion is not among them) still persist.
Gianetti and his lawyer consider this accusation against "Unknown" as a public defamation. And that's the reason they are suing Dr. Gremion and Dr. Randin.
Cycling may miss Sydney because it is one of three sports (soccer and tennis the others) who have not reached agreement with the IOC over new measures to combat drugs in sport. The other international sports federations have agreed on a unified code which includes a 2-year ban for the first offence and then a life ban for a subsequent offence.
The resolution was adopted on Friday and includes a clause that says that federations who do not comply can be excluded from the Olympics.
Why would the UCI not agree to this? We will find out in the weeks to come.
Creatine - a reader (a high school coach in the USA) wrote to give a different viewpoint on creatine which was discussed in Friday's news. He questioned the point that American wrestlers had died from it. He said that: "These incidents (three as a matter of fact) happened over a year ago. The Center of Disease Control and all government agencies stated that creatine was in no way involved in their deaths. The CDC went even farther and admonished the USA Today newspaper for publishing the rumors."
I am not sure I would trust anything that a US Government agency said but the alternative viewpoint is important. Thanks Gary
UCI Team Ranking at end of 1997: 1. Mapei-GB (Ita) 7248 2. ONCE (Spa) 6514 3. Telekom (Ger) 5964 4. Festina (Fra) 5432 5. Saeco-Cannondale (San Marino) 4335 6. Rabobank (Ned) 4148 7. TVM (Ned) 3917 UCI Team Ranking at end of 1998 1. Mapei-Bricobí (Ita) 8537 2. Casino (Fra) 6876 3. Rabobank (Ned) 6443 4. Festina (Fra) 5842 5. Team Polti (Ita) 5578 6. Banesto (Spa) 5398 7. Asics-CGA (Ita) 4911