News for September 17, 1998
Contracts and Transfers
* Bjarne Riis has now extended his contract with Telekom team for one
more year. After some problems with ego after Walter Godefroot told him
that he was there to work for Zabel and Ullrich, Riis has obviously done
his sums and resigned. He will be the team captain (the ego saver) but
will work for the top riders Jan Ullrich and Erik Zabel.
Jan Ullrich is reported as wanting Riis to stay: "I can still learn a lot
from him". Riis wanted a two-year contract, but was obviously demanding too much
money. His yearly salary is estimated at 1 Million marks
French newspaper L'Equipe reported on Tuesday that Riis declared that he
was surprised by the news that his role in the team would be only to
help Ullrich and Zabel. He responded: "I would accept to ride for
Ullrich in the Tour if he shows that he is the best of the two of us and
as long as he doesn't put on 15 kilos this winter."
Drugs Update
The French cops, aka the gestapo are at it again. A soigneur attacked to
La Francaise des Jeux has been taken into custody in Lille and questioned
by the Judge investigating the Festina case, Patrick Kiel. The soigneur,
Jeff D'Hont, a Belgian who has been involved in cycling for more than 30
years and who is a close friend of Willy Voet, has allegedly been fingered
by the riders who were taken into custody in July during the Tour de France.
As you would expect, Jeff D'Hont admitted to nothing and said to the judge
(according the press releases) that he "only learnt about doping from
television."