The total prizemoney offered for the Amstel Gold Race ($US38,000) will be donated to the refugees spilling out of Kosovo following the NATO attacks on Yugoslavia. All the team managers have agreed to this move.
Slight changes to Parcours:
After the first descent of Sint Pietersweg the riders have to negotiate a right-angled corner to the left into Mergellweg. And on the Cauberg and the Halembaye the organiser has decided to erect fencing to prevent the spectators having any effect on the attacks that may occur.
The team boss from Rabobank Van Houwelingen said: "We are hoping for a lot of wind. We have to lose a lot of riders in the hills before the Cauberg and hopefully we can attack with a group including 4 or 5 Rabo riders. Then we have to try to do something individual. It isn't necessary that we attack on one of the obvious climbs. In the last few years the definitive attack has come on the flat part of the parcours and not on a climb."
Michael Boogerd said: "I don't know whether the Halembaye and the Pietersberg are hard enough to attack alone. With the training on Wednesday I had wind in the back on the Halembaye and that made the climb easier. But that menas you have wind from the front in the last straight. You have to allow for that if it comes down to a final sprint."
Max van Heeswijk
Max van Heeswijk will not be able to start in the Amstel Gold Race because he has influenza. Andrea Tafi will replace him in the Mapei-Quick Step line-up.
Spain will go with a real Armada of climbers. Jimenez and Heras are the main cards, but there are going to be a lot of other contenders in the mountains. Riders like Rubiera, Clavero, Blanco, Zarrabeitia, Edo, Cuesta, Colombians Buenahora and Chepe González, Italian Piepoli, Austrian Luttenberger, Frenchman Jalabert, and Russian Zintchenko give the Spanish teams a strong contingent.
Only Banesto has doubts, with six fixed and four candidates for the other three positions available. ONCE are keeing their ninth man a secret although it is believed that it will be none other than Laurent Jalabert. Kelme has already chosen their nine and Vitalicio has had a harder time due to the injuries of Aggiano and Parra.
Kelme have been the most successful of Spanish teams in the last years with stage wins in the last five editions (Edo 1998 and 1996), Chepe González (1997), Rubiera (1997), and Cubino (1995 and 1994). Vitalicio is hoping to go better this year after their rider Clavero finished fifth overall last year.
Both Banesto and ONCE are returning to the Giro after being absent since 1995. Banesto, after winning in 1992 and 1993 with Indurain and finishing third in 1994, couldn't go beyond 26th in 1995 with Jiménez. ONCE did better by winning a stage and finishing fifth overall with Rincón in 1995.
Lance injured his right collarbone in the Tour of Valencia at the end of February. And during his first training afterwards he was hit by a car. He said: "The only damage was to my bike but mentally it was difficult for me. Then I suffered in Paris-Nice and Milan-San Remo. And after only two days of racing in the Catalaanse Week I was forced to retire. I went home for some very intensive work and stayed there until I my legs were strong. Then I returned to competition. From there things went well. I won the time trial in the Circuit de la Sarthe and did the Tour of Aragon."
Armstrong said of the period since his long illness: "I'm no longer a patient who is a rider. But I haven't forgotten anything and I don't undervalue its importance. Until last year the illness was on my mind everyday. From the morning until the evening. But now I have days without thinking about my health. Every day is a gift. That's the most important thing that I keep in mind after the fight against cancer. I do everything to make new successes in cycling. And when that's impossible I will leave this sport and do something else with my life."
He has bought a house in Nice with his spouse. He said: "I have become a little European. It sounds strange but it is very different when you can come back to your house. Before that I used to fly back to the States in between races. I no longer have that pressure.
In a separate trial over a dozen non-elite cyclists are undergoing medically supervised EPO trials with the ADSA sanction. This is purportedly an attempt to discover the time frame and techniques to discover synthetic EPO. It is reported that substantial gains in performance have already been attained. Not surprising! Effects could last as long as 8 weeks but begin to fade after after 2 weeks discontinued use of EPO. The names of cyclists involved are being kept secret. This has obvious implications. Already it has been discovered that EPO can be detected in the urine soon after administration. After this time, blood samples are required. However once the metabolic process has achieved and it's goal in lifting the red blood cell count the EPO is undetectable. Only the UCI's 50% hematocrit test can then be use to stop riders racing for their own safety. Discussion around the bunches this week is along the lines of a common expectation that all riders will be around the 49% level.
L’Equipe reports the following hematocrit levels: "Richard Virenque 49.3%, Alex Zulle 52.3%, Laurent Brochard 53.3%, Pascal Hervé 52.6%, Neil Stephens 50.3%, Laurent Dufaux 47.4%, Didier Rous 51% and Armin Meier 49.3%". The report says that every single examination shows an "excessive concentration of eritropoietin, which implies that there was a feedback phenomenom due to the cut in the dosage of EPO. The high hematocrit values are a sign of the absorption of EPO. Conclusion: EPO was being used by the riders".
The report also reveals the results of the urine and hair tests: "For Didier Rous and Neil Stephens, there is evidence of cortizone, for Laurent Brochard amphetamines and nandrolone".
Gianluigi Stanga, team manager for Team Polti, spoke with Virenque on the phone and was not worried. "That is the same information that was circulating in October. Virenque's hematocrit was within acceptable levels. Richard continues to say that he's innocent. I don't think that there will be any consequences with Franco Polti. When he is shown to be guilty, we'll talk again."
Prologue, 7.1 kms: 1. David Blanco (Spa) Leyma 8.50 2. Isac Galves (Spa) Kelme-Costa Blanca 0.02 3. Joseph Gullien (Spa) Olimpic 0.04 Stage 1, Cala Millor-Cala Millor, 147.6 kms: 1. Miguel Alzamora (Spa) Baleares 3.39.32 2. Lutz Lehmann (Ger) Leipzig 3. Martin Garrido (Spa) Fuenlabrada s.t. Stage 2, Algaida-Algaida, 158.5 kms: 1. Robert Hayles (Gbr) England 3.39.32 2. Martin Garrido (Arg) Fuenlabrada 3. Mikhailov Guennadi (Rus) Burgos s.t. Stage 3, St Margarita-St Margarita, 156 kms: 1. Robert Hayles (Gbr) England 3.27.41 2. Mateu Stare (Slo) Sava 0.02 3. Romes Gainetdinov (Rus) Baleares 0.02 Stage 4, Son Ferriol-Alto de Cura, 146.2 kms: 1. Mikhailov Guennadi (Rus) Burgos 3.58.06 2. Juan Fuentes (Spa) Ideal Olimpic 3. Holger Sievers (Ger) Concorde 0.24 Stage 5, La Vileta-Castillo de Bellver, 86 kms: 1. Lutz Lehmann (Ger) Leipzig 2.12.46 2. Kristoffer Ingeby (Swe) Team Wirsbo 0.05 3. Holger Sievers (Ger) Concorde 0.05 Final GC: 1. Juan Fuentes (Spa) Olimpic 17.15.23 2. Joseph Gullien (Spa) Olimpic 0.11 3. Mikhailov Guennadi (Rus) Burgos 0.20 Sprints: 1. Stefan Adamsson (Swe) Team Wirsbo 9 points 2. Jose Herrera (Spa) Banaka 5 3. Sven Biermann (Ger) Concord 5Thanks to Tomas Nilsson, Sweden
In his first year as an under 23 rider, Irish rider Mark Scanlon has been making steady progress with the Rabobank squad, with whom he signed after winning the junior world championships last October. In the recent Tour de Loire et Cher race from April 13th-18th, Scanlon finished 20th out of a field of 100; according to his manager, Frank Quinn, the performance is encouraging as it shows Scanlon is adopting well to the increased distance of senior racing. Stages in the tour averaged 160 kilometres, representing a considerable jump from the 80-100 kilometre races Scanlon was riding in Ireland last year.
In March, the Irish rider was the victim of bad luck in the 1.7-ranked Omloop Van de Bommelerwaard. Clear with seven riders in the closing stages of the race, Scanlon reportedly felt 'very, very strong', (according to Quinn), and looked set to record his best performance since taking the rainbow jersey in Valkenburg. However, with just two kilometres remaining, the 18 year old from Sligo had the misfortune of puncturing, and lost his chance.
All was not doom and gloom, however. Although a potential victory was foiled by the puncture, Rabobank team director Nico Verhoven was reportedly very encouraged by Scanlon's debut with the team. 'The director told me that he can hardly believe the progress he is making for a first year under-23 rider', said Quinn at the time.
Scanlon is presently on a three week break in Ireland, and is listed as a 'probable' starter for the three day Tour of Ulster from May 1st to 3rd, although the final decision about participation will be made in conjunction with his coach. Scanlon will then return to the Netherlands to contest a further series of races with the Rabobank squad.