News for December 10, 1999

Vandenbroucke Snr. leaves Lotto

The Belgian Lotto team and its sport director, Jean-Luc Vandenbroucke, have not reached an agreement over his contract for next year. VDB the elder (not a Flemish painter) has been with the team for 11 years, however relations have become strained between the two recently, and he will depart the team next year.

According to the official press release, both parties "have not reached an agreement on the conditions in which (Lotto) would accept (VDB) to assume as to the functions sport director of the Lotto team in the year 2000."

For his part, VDB was surprised, and could not offer an explanation as to why the team had isolated him in recent months. Lotto has not yet decided on a replacement.

Top Italian teams ready for 2000

By Tim Maloney, cyclingnews.com correspondent

In the past week, top Italian teams Mapei-Quick Step and Saeco-Gaggia have had their first meetings to prepare for the 2000 pro road season, and both teams look solid.

Mega Mapei makes major moves

Perhaps Mapei-Quick Step should be called Mega-Mapei. With a total of 39 (!) riders on its roster for 2000, the world's #1 pro cycling squad is also the largest team in pro cycling, especially with the addition of a neo-pro development section of 10 riders. Oscar Friere, the surprise world champion from Verona will be sporting his rainbow colors as part of the Mapei mega-team, with key riders like Michele Bartoli, Pavel Tonkov, Johan Museeuw, Tom Steels and Andrea Tafi all remaining with the team.

With 39 riders, a CEO (Dr. Aldo Sassi), a team manager (Patrick Lefevre), 5 direttori sportivi (Fabbri, Damiani, Parsani, Sergeant, Suarez Cueva), 5 team doctors, media manager, public relations manager, 10 soigneurs, 7 mechanics, a vehicle manger, a warehouse manger and 4 office staff, the Mapei-Quick Step team has 76 people working to win in 2000.

Team manager Lefevre told cyclingnews.com that "although we have a huge team, and this can become difficult to manage, our real strength is that we will maintain the Mapei approach - that is to say the synergy of our entire group...if we don't lose this fundamental approach, I don't see any problems with such a big group."

"We have great sponsors, a solid economic basis and excellent personnel, and that is what makes up the winning structure of our group."

For 2000, Mapei is hoping for the quick return of their team leader Michele Bartoli, whose recovery from his broken kneecap last June has been slower than expected. For the spring classics, Andrea Tafi and Johan Museeuw will be key players once again, with sprinter Tom Steels a good bet for the fast finishes. Up and comers like Giuliano Figueras and American Fred Rodriguez are also expected to emerge for the 2000 Classics season. The main uncertainties in the classics for Mapei will be Stefano Zanini, who was plagued by a knee injury for most of 1999 and World Champion Friere, who will be expected to show his rainbow colors early and often.

For stage races, Pavel Tonkov, Daniele Nardello and perhaps American Chann McRae look like the top riders for 2000, backed by old pro Gianni Faresin, Manuel Fernandez-Gines and new arrival from Banesto, climber Manuel Beltran. Axel Merckx is another unknown commodity for 2000 - the talented Belgian had an anonymous season in '99 and must improve for next year.

Mapei has added a "farm team" development section for 2000, directed by Roberto Damiani. Speedy Italian sprinters like Luca Paolini and Nicola Chesini will be joined by climber Laszlo Bodrogi of Hungary, all-rounder Charly Wegelius from the UK and other talented young riders like '97 Jr. World Champ Crescenzo D'Amore, Kevin Hulsmans of Belgium, and Eddy Ratti of Italy, to form the nucleus of the Mapei team of the future.

Mr Mario & Saeco-Gaggia - "Pronti" for 2000

Despite the departure of some key riders, Saeco have added a new sponsor (Gaggia coffee makers) and will hit the 2000 season ready to race. "Siamo pronti" (We are ready!), team manager Claudio Corti told cyclingnews.com recently. "We have the same number of riders (21) but we have changed 8 and in my opinion, our team has never looked better."

Yes, experienced riders like Petito have left, along with rising stars Frigo and Mazzoleni, as well as sprinters Fagnini and Taversoni, but Saeco-Gaggia has beefed up in other areas.

Mr. Mario Cipollini will be back for 2000, looking to continue his domination of road sprinting. At 32, Cipo shows no signs of losing his magnificent sprint and although his leadout man Fagnini has gone to Telekom to open the way for Erik Zabel, Corti has replaced Fagnini with experienced and rapid Biagio Conte. Another new rider in the Cipo train will be up and coming powerhouse Dario Pieri, a rider many think can be a new star in the future.

For stage races, Saeco-Gaggia has a solid one-two combo in Laurent Dufaux and Paolo Savoldelli. Dufaux will be looking to improve on his 4th place in last year's Tour De France, while audacious youngster Savoldelli has his eyes set on a more complete season than that of '99, where he finished 2nd in the Giro, and then disappeared!

Italian champ Sal "Toto" Commesso will do his mightiest to show the colors of the Maglia Tricolore in the early season, but this powerful cannonball of a rider from Naples usually only goes fast when the the weather heats up. Massimiliano Mori has improved steadily and is expected to back up Commesso in one-day races in 2000.

Another key reinforcement for Saeco-Gaggia is the return of Pavel Padrnos from Lampre. The powerful Czech rider will be a key motor in stage races and other team tactics, and Padrnos will be backed up by strong German rider Ludewig.

Mercury wins VeloNews award

For the fourth consecutive year, Mercury won the VeloNews North American Team of the Year. The team won 83 races in 1999, including the Christiana Care Cup, the Nevada City Classic, and the Tour of Willamette.

Mercury riders also won two individual awards. Gord Fraser, who won 27 races in 1999 (number one in the world) and finished first in the National Racing Series, was selected as the North American Road Rider of the Year. Floyd Landis, who became only the third American ever to wear the leader's jersey in the Tour de l'Avenir, won the Rookie of the Year Award.

Disabled cycling seeks support

This piece, though not strictly cycling, was sent to us originally from Dory Selinger - a one legged disabled cyclist who has ridden a 1.10(!) in the kilometer time trial:

The United States Olympic Committee (USOC) met in Denver early this week to discuss the future of disabled sports - how to integrate them more fully into its programs, how quickly to do it and how much it will spend, according to a report in USA Today.

Although disabled sport has been improving its profile in the USA in recent years, there are still several equality issues that need to be addressed. For example, providing prize money and support for disabled athletes to at least some degree.

The USOC admits some progress in this area, but they are still a long way off in both areas - disabled athletes receive some funding for travel, but no living allowance or compensation for missing work. This is not the case when it comes high profile, able athletes.

Besides money, there are other questions about things like health insurance, and also a process called "vertical integration."

Vertical integration categorizes elite disabled athletes by sport rather than by disability i.e. a deaf swimmer would be grouped with other swimmers rather than with a deaf track and field athlete.

Some federations, such as track and field, cycling, sailing have already have begun vertical integration. Others, like skiing, which had included disabled athletes but recently voted to eject them in 2001, are balking.

Many think that it is a money and martketing problem, but Andy Fleming, the president of the U.S. Disabled Athletes Fund, was the CEO of the organizing group for the 1996 Atlanta Paralympics, who raised $84 million and finished with a $4.5 million surplus. "We showed disabled sports can be marketed," he said.

Also, the USOC budget to support Paralympians, which was approved in August, has been raised from $1,770,000 in the 1993-96 quadrennium to $2,964,031 in 1997-2000. Money for medals is tricky however - there nearly double the medals available in the Paralympic Games compared with the conventional Olympics.

However, the athletes are certainly not seeking equal money for medals, but would be happy with just something.