News for August 30, 1999

Contracts and Transfers

Team Cologne have lost two riders (Ralf Grabsch to Telekom and Jans Koerts to TVM), but have replaced them with with the Danish rider Sören Petersen (Acceptcard) and the Dutch rider Bert Hiemstra (Rabobank)

McEwen and Moerenhout will ride the Vuelta

The Rabobank team has named 9 riders who will participate in the upcoming Vuelta. As well as Robbie McEwen and Koes Moerenhout (both who will be leaving the team at the end of the season), Rabobank will field Niki Aebersold, Markus Zberg, Aart Vierhouten, Jan Boven, Bram De Groot, Rolf Sörensen and German Grischa Niermann.

Fernando Escartin Interview

Fernando Escartín was a hero after the last Tour de France. He was one of the most aggressive riders and he won the prestigious Piau-Engaly stage. At the end he was in third spot on the podium. But Escartin is not content with that. He is now more ambitious than ever and is saying that the Vuelta a España is his big objective for the year. He is talks about that.

What motivation did the Tour give you to face la Vuelta?

A lot, because now I’m going to race La Vuelta with a lot of ambition.

At the beginning of the year you said that your main objective was La Vuelta and not the Tour.

Yes and I keep on saying that my first objective is la Vuelta. I’m happy with the Tour and other victories this year, but I still have goals to achieve. I have been second twice and I feel that this year I cannot waste this mountainous route which suits me down to the ground. I can’t let it escape me.

How is the team?

Good, very good. We have nothing to fear from the others.

What will be Roberto Heras’ job?

It is certain that I will be continually watched and Roberto will be able to take advantage of opportunities in the mountains, although they are just not going let him go, because he already is a marked rider.

Who are your main rivals?

The main one is Alex Zülle, because in August he has been doing the same thing as me and he will start rested and in form. I can’t forget Olano, even with the mountains.

And how have you planned August?

I have been resting with only light training and very little competition. To lose a little of the form from the Tour, because if I tried to take it all the way to la Vuelta I could blow up by the end. This way I won’t get there at 100%, but I will improve with every day.

Last year you were very ambitious at la Vuelta and Banesto took the honours!

That happened because the objective was La Vuelta and not the stages. In that sense we are not going to change and we will surely have to sacrifice some stage wins in exchange for targetting the overall. But we are strong this year and will be on the attack.

The way you have looked this year, it doesn’t seem like this Vuelta will be your last chance.

No, I don’t think so either. I haven’t reached bottom and I still have some gas left.

Have you seen the Angliru. Will it be decisive?

I think that it won’t be that decisive because of its extreme toughness. Since the slopes are so exaggerated it is probable that nobody will climb them well and in the end the differences won’t be so profound. We saw something like that last year at the climb of Catí. The danger is if it rains. Then it can’t be climbed.

So then what will be decisive at la Vuelta?

The three consecutive stages that will take us through the Pyrenees. Especially the second, which is very tough. That is where La Vuelta will be played.

Abraham Olano

The current Vuelta a España champion gave his opinion about La Gamonal stage: "I think that the organization put together a spectacular stage for Pantani and the Italian has answered by deserting the organisers. What’s going to happen now it that we will have to climb that stage and I think that some will stay along the way."

Olano said that if it rained: "people will see a beautiful cycling spectacle, all of us climbing by foot, holding hands." The ONCE rider predicted: "big attacks from the climbers, who at the end could pay for the price though."

But the difficulty will be bigger for him, because the climbers weigh 10 or 15 kilos less than him. Olano added that it La Vuelta is going to start to put on races in this way, he is going to have to question future participation. "We are going into this race with a lot of hopes knowing that we aren’t climbers. In a Vuelta made exclusively for climbers I will try to do my best where I’m strongest, like the time trials. Then we will see."

France, Circuit des Deux Provinces, French DN1 Championships, August 23, 179 kms

 1. Jérôme Gannat (Fra) CC Etupes,                4.07.47
 2. Franck Rénier (Fra) Vendée-U
 3. Alexandre Botcharov (Rus) US Montauban
 4. Christophe Guillôme (Fra) VC Roubaix
 5. Marek Lesniewski (Pol) CM Aubervilliers
 6. X. Martin (Fra) UCL Hennebont
 7. Stéphane Augé (Fra) VC Roubaix
 8. Michel Lallouët (Fra) VC Rouen
 9. Carlo Meneghetti (Fra) VC Roubaix
10. Jérôme Bonnace (Fra) 23-La Creuse                s.t.

Teams overall after 8 Races

 1. CC Etupes                                         386
 2. Jean-Floc'h                                       275
 3. Vendée-U                                          262
 4. CM Aubervilliers                                  184
 5. VC Roubaix                                        167
 6. VC Rouen                                          155
 7. 23-La Creuse                                      126
 8. CC Nogent                                         110
 9. US Montauban                                       85
10. UC Châteauroux                                     80

Thanks to Nicolas Tavares, France

Sweden, Gothenburg Grand Prix, NE, August 26

The Gothenburg Grand Prix is a national points event and was held for elite races over 68 kms. The riders had to race 20 by 3.4 kms laps.

AVS: 39 km/h

 1. Andreas Lömäng (Swe) Skoghalls CK Hammarö       1.44.35
 2. Klas Johansson (Swe) Team Crescent/Tranemo
 3. Per-Ola Lindén (Swe) Falkenbergs CK                0.32
 4. Martin Johansson (Swe) Team Crescent/Tranemo       3.02
 5. Anders Eklundh (Swe) Örebrocyklisterna             3.25
 6. Mikael Andersson (Swe) Team Crescent/Tranemo       3.25
 7. Jens Westergren (Swe) CK Fix                       3.25
 8. Örjan Gustavsson (Swe) Skoghalls CK Hammarö        4.09
 9. Henrik Oldin (Swe) Örebrocyklisterna               4.24
10. Mikke Holm (Den) Team Fakta                        4.24
11. Robert Österling (Swe) Team Crescent/Tranemo       4.24
12. Allan Bo Andersen (Den) Team Fakta Danmark         4.24
13. Tobias Lergård (Swe) Skoghalls CK Hammarö          4.24
14. Jan Mattsson (Swe) Upsala CK                       4.24
15. Anders Ljungblad (Swe) Frölunda CK                 4.24
16. Viktor Sjöström (Swe) Upsala CK                    4.24
17. Niklas Rönnerling (Swe) FK Trampen                 4.24
18. Jonas Rydberg (Swe) Team Crescent/Tranemo          4.24
19. Hans Carlsson (Swe) Mölndals CK                    4.24
20. Jonas Ljungblad (Swe) Team Crescent/Tranemo        4.24
21. Mattias Carlzon (Swe) Team Crescent/Tranemo        4.24
22. Håkan Nilsson (Swe) Burseryds IF                   4.24
23. Emil Skog (Swe) Frölunda CK                        4.24
24. Christian Foghmar (Den) Team Fakta                 4.24
25. Johan Levin (Swe) CK Wänershof                     4.53
26. Dan Kuylenstierna (Swe) Frölunda CK                5.01

Started: 77

Sprints:

Lap 5: Andreas Lömäng (Swe) Skoghalls CK-Hammarö
Lap 10: Klas Johansson (Swe) Team Crescent/Tranemo
Lap 15: Per-Ola Lindén (Swe) Falkenbergs CK
Lap 17: Klas Johansson (Swe) Team Crescent/Tranemo

Thanks to Tomas Nilsson, Sweden

Finland, Tour de Levi, Cat 2.12, August 27-28

Tomas Nilsson, who reports for cyclingnews.com from Scandinavia updates us from the Tour de Levi, which is the last event in the Finland Cup. It is a 2 day stage race held in Levi in northern Finland.

Stage 1a, 7 kms Mountain ITT:

Cantina Tollo's Marcus Ljungqvist, riding for Team Wirsbo in this race, won the first stage by seventeen seconds. He said: "It's nice to be going again after the back problems I got in the Tour de France."

 1. Marcus Ljungqvist (Swe) Team Wirsbo/Länken  15.50.72
 2. Kjell Carlström (Fin) Turun Urheiluliitto      17.68
 3. Esa Skyttä (Fin) Turun Urheiluliitto           24.37
 4. Esko Salminen (Fin) Valo Smycken               28.15
 5. Andres Lauk (Est) Turun Urheiluliitto          30.11

Stage Ib, 35 x 1.3 kms:

The nine men strong Turun Urheiluliitto dominated the afternoon's criterium stage. An early break had Turun Urheiluliitto's Andrus Aug threateneing and Team Wirsbo/Länken had to put in a lot of hard work to reel them all in. With the peloton assembled Kjell Carlström attacked with team mate Esa Skyttä and Borgå's Tero Hämenaho. The trio worked well together until five laps to go when Hämenaho had had enough. The gap was at most 28 seconds when Team Wirsbo/Länken and Valo Smycken chased well and at the finish the gap was 14 seconds. Six bonus seconds gave Carlström a two seconds GC lead.

 1. Kjell Carlström (Fin) Turun Urheiluliitto    1.03.52
 2. Esa Skyttä (Fin) Turun Urheiluliitto
 3. Andrus Aug (Est) Turun Urheiluliitto            0.14
..
11 Marcus Ljungqvist (Swe) Team Wirsbo/Länken       0.14

GC after stage 1b:

 1. Kjell Carlström (Fin) Turun Urheiluliitto    1.19.54
 2. Marcus Ljungqvist (Swe) Team Wirsbo/Länken      0.02
 3. Esa Skyttä (Fin) Turun Urheiluliitto            0.09

Stage 2, 136 kms:

The eight laps on a 17 kms circuit was very demanding and only eleven riders made it to the finish. The firsk major attack came on lap three when eight riders got away. In the group was among others third overall Esa Skyttä, Turun Urheiluliitto, and his Estonian team mate Andrus Aug. Marcus Ljungkvist and his team mate Antti Tuukkanen had to do most of the work in the peloton but a new Turun attack from Andres Lauk and Esa Skyttä, third in GC, on lap six became to much for the Wirsbo/Länken team. With Janne Mäki and Janne Varala the two Turun riders made the gap grow to around five minutes. On the last lap the peloton managed to get som sort of chase going but that was to late. Lauk won the sprint before Mäki and GC winner Skyttä.

 1. Andrus Lauk (Est) Turun Urheiluliitto        3.36.03
 2. Janne Mäki (Fin) Laihian Luja
 3. Esa Skyttä (Fin) Turun Urheiluliitto            s.t.

Final GC:

 1. Esa Skyttä (Fin) Turun Urheiluliitto         4.56.03
 2. Anders Lauk (Est) Turun Urheiluliitto           0.17
 3. Janne Mäki (Fin) Laihian Luja	                0.22