News for December 14, 1999
Memory Card - Jack & Jones gets stronger Danish team, Jack & Jones have officially signed Memory Card Technology (a manufacturer of computer memory) as their main sponsor for 2000. According to team manager, Tobaen Kolbek, negotiations with the company were finalised shortly after the real estate chain, Home, had announced their withdrawal. The management of company were impressed with the way the team had handled the "Streel case". The official registration will take place at UCI headquarters, who will be reviewing the documents required from the teams and upon completion publish the official list of division I teams - a list that will now include the Danish team. MemoryCard-Jack&Jones' first challenge will be Tour Down Under in Australia in January. On 25 January, right after their return, the riders will be formally introduced. They also have a new sub sponsor - the Belgian division of Vosschemie, an international producer of chemicals. The company director Remi de Moor is the personal sponsor of riders Matthew Gilmore and Frank Corvers, both primarily active on the track, but now having their wishes of international opportunity on the road granted. "I have previously got these two riders a place on smaller Belgian teams, but they have both wished to try their luck on a division 1 team. That chance is now up to themselves to take advantage of," says de Moor who has followed the Danish team's progress through the last 2 years, where they have raced primarily in Belgium. "For us, it is perfect," says Alex Pedersen (J&J Director sportif) "with 16 riders we were very vulnerable when racing a double program, with eight riders in two places. We have always wanted 18 riders and now our wish is granted". "27 year-old Matthew Gilmore is perhaps best known from his big crash in the 6-day race in Herning last year. He will certainly continue on the track, but will also try to show his qualities on the road, especially now that he will have opportunities in the races more suited to him than the Belgian races he has previously used as preparation for the track." "30 year old Frank Corvers is less well known, but I think, that we may have a joker. He rode with success for Lotto in 1995-96, where he won G.P.Isbergues and got 2nd at Paris-Bruxelles, 8th in the Quatre Jours de Dunkerque, among other notable results, that earned him a contract in 1997 with Telekom. He never got settled at Telekom, and the 1998 season at Palmans was ruined after an illness in the spring. In 1999 he has ridden for the Spar Team and won two kermesse races," said de Moor. "I think that he will thrive on the spirit and attitude that we have on the team, when you get the chance if your legs are good, and we are happy that our agreement with Vosschemie gives him an opportunity for a fair chance." Corvers has ridden 16 World Cup races including Paris-Roubaix 3 times with a 18th place as his best result in 1994, where he also impressed with a 10th place the Tour of Flanders. The team for 2000: Sports directors: Alex Pedersen, Johnny Weltz Assistant sports director: Per Pedersen Manager: Torben Kølbæk Sponsors: Jack & Jones (clothing), Netto(supermarket), Hyundai (Cars), Memory Card (RAM-producer) Bikes: Peugeot Riders: Christian Andersen, 32 years (Den) Michael Blaudzun, 26 (Den) René Jørgensen, 23 (Den) Mikael Holst Kyneb, 27 (Den) Nicolay Bo Larsen, 28 (Den) Michael Steen Nielsen, 24 (Den) Arvis Piziks, 30 (Lat) Michael Sandstød, 31 (Den) Jesper Skibby, 35 (Den) New arrivals: Jakob Storm Piil, 26 (Den) Jacob Moe Rasmussen, 24 (Den) Allan Johansen, 28 (Den) Tristan Hoffmann, 29, Ned Bjarke Nielsen, 23 (Den) Martin Rittsel, 28 (Swe) Bo Hamburger, 29 (Den) Matthew Gilmore, 27 (Bel) Frank Corvers, 30 (Bel) European Championship cancelled The European Madison Elite Championship, which was slated for the 26th December in the Sportpaleis in Gent has been cancelled after only a few nations and riders have shown interest. During this break in the six days season, Kurt Betschart is going to be operated on, in order to be OK for the 6-days in January. Jimmi Madsen can't find a Danish Partner because the other indoor trackies already have started preparing for the road season, along with young French U 23 Champions Pommereau and Sassone (who are now the Oceania madison champions). Matthew Gilmore is leaving Europe for Christmas in Australia which leaves De Wilde without a partner. "If we had known in due time that the sixdays of Leipzig, planned for 10-15 November, would be cancelled, then we could easily have organised the Elite Championship together with the U-23 on November 11 in Gent. At that date nearly all the best riders would have been available," said organizer Patrick Sercu to the UIV web site. However, Sercu and Gent are willing to try once again next winter for both Elite and U-23s on November 1, 2000, just before the 6-days in Dortmund and Grenoble. That would be a very fine start of the 6-days season, according to Sercu.
New Lotto chief Jos Braeckevelt will move up in the Lotto ranks and take over as new sports director from Jean-Luc Vandenbroucke, who was discharged last week. The "curse" of the Vandenbrouckes?
Cyclists strong in USOC awards Courtesy of Rich Wanninger The U.S. Olympic Committee has named junior cycling athlete Sarah Uhl and tennis player Pete Sampras its Female and Male Athletes of the Month for November. The USA Cycling Jr. Team was honored with the USOC's November Team of the Month award. Uhl (Perksasie, Pa.) won four gold medals at the Junior Pan American Championships in Cordoba, Argentina. She also claimed gold in the individual time trial and road race (road event), plus the 500m time trial and match sprint (track events). She also earned silver medal in the points race. Uhl has won five junior national titles this year. The USA Cycling Junior Team won 14 medals (six gold, six silver, two bronze) to win the team medal count at the Junior Pan American Championships in Cordoba, Argentina. The members of the USA Cycling junior squad are Uhl, Lauren Franges (Barto, Pa.), Ashley Kimmet (Bethlehem, Pa.), Rahsaan Bahati (Los Angeles), Jon Frederick (Bowers, Pa.), Mike Friedman (McMurray, Pa.), Timothy Reinhart (Macungie, Pa.) and Todd Yezefski (Allentown, Pa.) Results (first place votes in parentheses): Women Team Men
Pantani's comeback Marco Pantani might make his come back at the Challenge Mallorca races in early February. Mercatone Uno has entered him along with Enrico Zaina, Fabiano Fontanelli, Michele Coppolillo, Ermanno Brignoli, Marco Artunghi, Marcello Siboni and Maurizio Caravaggio for the series of races that starts the European calendar.
Concorde aims high By Tomas Nilsson, cyclingnews.com correspondent German Hohenfelder Concorde's team manager Ole Ternes wanted to move up to second division in 2000 after a season of 34 victories. However, due to "financial and judicial" reasons, the team will have to stay in limbo between pro's and amateurs, also known as GS III, or third division. "We are trying to systematically build a second division team for 2001," said Ternes. One of the stations along that line will be a start in the Category 2.3 Tour of Germany, but there are quite a few German teams with the same ambitions. The team will have twelve riders for next year under sports director Markus Schleicher from Continental who brought the two Australians, Nick Gates and Peter Rogers along. More new riders: Dutch Christian van Dartel from Nürnberger and German Roman Jördens from Team Cologne. Negotiations are still going on with Ronny Lauke, six day specialist Andreas Beikirch and Swiss stayer Hanskurt Brand all from Die Continentale.
Lillywhite to assist Linda McCartney Linda McCartney's British based team will be run by Keith Lambert, who was the assistant to team manager Sean Yates this past season. Yates will concentrate on the continental squad, while experienced pro Chris Lillywhite will assist on both teams. "I'm so pleased that I've been given the opportunity to move into management at such a high level. They could easily have gone for a more experienced European manager, but it was important for them to retain as much British influence as possible. I'll be assisting Keith at home and Sean abroad, and I hope to be part of the team for many years to come," said Lillywhite to the LMC website. The team will cooperate with the Welsh Cycling Union in 2000. Keith Lambert worked with both Lillywhite and WCU boss Shane Sutton in the early 90's. "I have been very impressed with the professional style of the Welsh set up. Their testing facilities and the way they look after their riders is second to none, so I jumped at the chance to work with them," said Lambert. The domestic team will have six riders from the United Kingdom, focusing on those under 23. Lambert also wants to bring in some even younger riders to give them a taste of professional cycling. "My aims for the team are to win Premier Calendar events in the short term, but my real target is for these boys to follow Max Sciandri and Matt Stephens into the Linda McCartney European squad, to keep it a British team that the country can be proud of" said Lambert. "I'm looking forward to bringing some of these lads through to the main squad in a year or two's time," added Sean Yates.
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