News for April 10, 1999
Museeuw to start in Paris-Roubaix
Johan Museeuw will start on Sunday in Paris-Roubaix.
The Belgian Mapei rider who won the race in 1996 said after the Ronde
van Vlaanderen last Sunday that he was doubtful about his participation
in Paris-Roubaix. He is still worried about the parcours after his very
serious fall last year which cost him the rest of the season and a lot of
anguish. He rode over some of the parcours on Friday with some of his
teammates - Paolo Fornaciari, Daniele Nardello, Andrea Tafi and Stefano
Zanini and decided afterwards that he would be racing.
Meanwhile there are rumours in the Cofidis team that Belgian Franck
Frank Vandenbroucke will also start in Paris-Roubaix next Sunday. On
Wednesday he announced that he preferred to ride in the Belgian classics
the following week - Waalse Pijl then LBL. Apparently he then went to the
Cofidis team management and requested a place in Paris-Roubaix. He will now
miss the Waalse Pijl and instead race in both World Cup races - Paris-Roubaix
and Luik-Bastenaken-Luik.
Francesco Moser - clean cycling is an Illusion
Francesco Moser, three times winner of Paris-Roubaix and a former hour record
holder has admitted to using blood doping. He said in an interview with the
French sport's paper L'Equipe that "clean cycling is an illusion".
Moser now 47 years old was one of the best riders in the peloton 20 years ago.
He retired at the age of 32 but returned briefly to attack the hour record
of Eddy Merckx. The ex-World Champion was often in the attacks in the races
and is now being dragged into the doping investigations in Italy over the
practices of the sport's doctors like Ferrari, Conconi, Tredici and Arcelli.
He said in the interview: "They had experience. Conconi has worked with
various sports like canoers, athletes and cyclists. I was not the only one
nor the first who used blood transfusions to improve my performance. I
was told that Jacques Anquetil had done it and that was well before my time.
He did not think he was breaching any rules. He said: "The method was
being used everywhere. Sportspeople are always open to scrutiny but we
should take a look at what normal people have in their medicine chest.
It is simply life.
He did not express any anguish that he used blood doping. He said: "It was
my own blood. And I was not the only rider doing it. With EPO that is a
whole new thing. It is dangerous and unnatural. A well-trained cyclist
can take it though and stay just under the allowed limits. But the team
managers and sponsors must not allow this and have to take care of the
riders well-being. It is clear that in top sports with all the pressure
that doctors and riders will explore and use drugs."
zich daarvan al bediende, dat was ver voor mijn tijd,''
The Belgian drugs scandal
The court in Kortijk decided yesterday to keep Mapei's soigneur Tiziano
Morassut in jail for another month in jail. Morassut was responsible for
the package that was intercepted by Belgian police at Zandem Airport in
Brussels during the Driedaagse de la Panne. The package contained
amphetamines. Morassut assumed responsibility for the shipment and absolved the
Mapei team and management from any blame. He said he had acted alone. He also
said in a written declaration that: "I had no intention of hurting Mapei or
cycling."
Meanwhile, the Belgian police has re-arrested the 44-year old Edouard
Verhulst from the Belgian town of Fleurus. The arrest was ordered by the
investigating judge in Kortrijk. Verhulst visited Tiziano Morassut at the
Mapei team hotel. He denied delivering the ampules but the police have
decided to arrest him anyway.
He is not a former professional rider but is well-known in the cycling world.
He was a former top amateur cyclist.
The French drugs scandal
Two soigneur from cycling teams have been called before an investigating
judge in Grenoble to answer charges of "illegal provision of medicine".
The inquiry follows the operation in November 1999 during the Grenoble 6
Days race and earlier during the Dauphiné Libéré.
Michel Decock and Guy Bentabou, who were paid in cash are being pursued
for illegal work by the prosecuters in Grenoble. The police found substances
in the rooms of the Palaise des Sports Grenoblais during the racing.
The drug tests on cyclists competing during the 6 Days race were all
negative.
Bjarne Riis and doping
Thomas Kaarsted from Denmark sends this news about Bjarne Riis. Riis did
an interview on Danish TV2 on Tuesday. It was kind of a showpiece, no critical
questions asked (the network covers the classics and Le Tour). On doping he
claimed that nobody should worry about anything, as long the riders were not
harmed. Furthermore that all professional athlehtes - who have the goal of
winning - should be free to whatever they want to do. It's in the nature of
the game.
And it has been noted that Riis' lawyers never sued the Danish TV1 for the report
on his 56.2 per cent value.
Marco Pantani
Marco Pantani has told the press that he had a positive feeling at the
la Vuelta al País Vasco but he doesn't know yet if he will race in the
upcoming Belgian classics - Waalse Pijl and , Fleche Wallone and
Luik-Bastenaken-Luik. He said: "I'm getting ready for the Giro de Italia
and that's why I'm not forcing the pace yet. I am still recuperating
from the fall that I suffered at Setmana Catalana. I'm feeling good racing
here and I'm doing only the necessary work. Strange enough I'm better
at the mountain finishes. I will decide nest week if I'll go to LBL
because I'm worried that I could be involved in a fall that may hurt
my plans for the Giro. I don't want to take risks and I will surely make
my decision a few hours before the race based on the weather".
"I will also decide after the Giro about my participation in the Vuelta a
España. I can't say anything new right now but I have already said
that I like the route of La Vuelta better than the Tour. But I also
have to think about the sponsors. At the Giro, my main rival will be
myself. If I feel good, I'm convinced that I will win again, if it
isn't like that, then everyone will be my rival."
Jan Ullrich
Jan Ullrich is continuing to prepare for the Tour de France and is seemingly
unconcerned with his poor form at the moment. He is getting dropped in races
and coming in a long way back in the peloton. The German champion is now
avoiding press conferences so that he won't have to answer questions about his
performance in races. Yet, his sport director, Belgian Rudi Pevenage,
assured everyone that "Ullrich's preparation is going well. He has
certainly suffered delays due to health problems that he's had to
overcome. But I'm not as worried about last year. Right now he's improved
a lot and I hope that he will be ready in the Vuelta a Aragón to help
Zabel setup for the sprints".
About Ullrich's possible participation at la Vuelta, Pevenage is clear:
"If Jan wins the Tour, I doubt very much that he'll ride la Vuelta.
Even as preparation for the Worlds Ullrich will race the Vuelta only
with the intention of winning".
Jiménez reappears
After suffering injuries from a heavy fall in training (25 stitches to his head),
José María Jiménez will reappear on Sunday at the Gran Premio Primavera de
Amorebieta (Vizcaya). His teammate Lastras, who fell with him, has already
recovered and is currently riding in France at the Circuit de La Sarthe.
Alex Zülle getting ready for the Tour
Next Monday Eusebio Unzué will travel with Alex Zülle, Piepoli, Beltrán and
possibly Peña, to examine the stage in the Pyrenees which will finish at
the unknown climb of Piau Engaly. The stage will have six mountain
climbs and will clearly be a decisive one in determining overall standings.
After that Zülle will go to la Vuelta a Aragón and although he still can't
compete due to his suspension, he will train over the race route. The Swiss
rider will debut at the beginning of May at the Tour of Romandie and then will
participate at Bicicleta Vasca, Clasique des Alpes, Dauphiné Liberé and Route du
Sud or Vuelta a Cataluña.
New Dutch professional
Sandro Bijnen has signed a professional contract until the end of next season with
the Dutch AXA Cycling team. Bijnen (23) will replace Niels van der Steen.
Further news is that Dimitiri Sidorenko has now been contracted by the
Batavus-Bankgiroloterij team which makes it 12 in number now.
Netherlands, Amsterdam Track, Overall Omnium, April 8
1. Matthijs van Bon 49 points
2. Lust 31
3. Slippens 25
4. Cornelisse 24
5. Zuijderwijk 14