News for December 5, 1999

Vandenbroucke awarded again!

Well, he doesn't like being out of the headlines for long: - Walloon, Frank Vandenbroucke was awarded the "Vélo de Cristal" by the (Flemish!) Belgian newspaper "Het Laatste Nieuws" on Saturday, December 4. The award was presented at the casino in Middelkerke, Belgium as a mark of the best Belgian professional cyclist for the 1999 season.

The man VDB was not present at the ceremony, for reasons best known to himself and the award was received by his father. What, me worry?

2000 American MTB Challenge schedule

Courtesy of Patrice Quintero

The 2000 American Mountain Bike Challenge (AMBC) schedule was announced Friday, December 3 by the National Off-Road Bicycle Association (NORBA). The 2000 AMBC will include 24 events in, spanning 19 states and two countries, making it the world's largest grassroots cycling series.

The AMBC started in 1996 providing racing opportunities for all comers. All AMBC events offer cross-country racing, with some events also including downhill, dual slalom and observed trials competitions. They levels are designed to provide both challenges for the elite riders, and an easy introduction for the novices. The AMBC has been graced with top professional competitors such as '96 Olympian David 'Tinker' Juarez, mountain bike legend Ned Overend and Tour de France veteran Bob Roll.

For the third consecutive year, the AMBC kicks off March 4-5 in Phoenix with the Hedgehog Hustle, which had nearly 1,000 starters last year.

2000 AMBC Schedule

March 4-5 Hedgehog Hustle Phoenix
March 18-19 Spring Series #1/AMBC Ocala, Fla.
March 25 Fuller Volvo Eastern Shore MTB Championship Wye Mills, Md.
April 1-2 Mamacita's Kelly Creek Classic Kerrville, Texas
April 8-9 12th Sizzler Mountain Bike Classic San Jose, Calif.
April 15-16 NOC Knob Scorcher Bryson City, N.C.
April 29-30 Golden Pantry Twilight Athens, Ga.
April 29-30 Big Shark Challenge St. Louis
May 6-7 Fairmont Classic Philadelphia
May 20-21 Bump & Grind at Oak Mountain Birmingham, Ala.
May 27-28 Iron Horse Bicycle Classic Durango, Colo.
June 3-11 TBA
June 24-25 Snowshoe American Mountain Bike Challenge Snowshoe, W.Va.
June 24-25/July 7-16 Whistler International Classic MTB Festival Whistler, BC, Canada
July 22-23 Beauty & the Beast Killington, Vt.
Aug. 12-13 Widowmaker Challenge Sugarloaf, Maine
Aug. 19-20 Showdown at Sugar Banner Elk, N.C.
Sept. 1-3 Dino Series Paoli, Ind.
Sept. 2-3 Southeast Regional Championship Series Conyers, Ga.
Sept. 30-Oct.1 Ski Plattekill N.Y. Screamin' Extreme Roxbury, N.Y.
Oct. 7-8 Outdoor Tour de Wolf Memphis, Tenn.
Oct. 7-8 Road Apple Rally Farmington, N.M.
Oct. 21-22 Subaru Glacier Gorge Traverse City, Mich.
Oct. 28-29 Piney Hills Fall Classic/AMBC Overall Finals Ruston, La

Priem and Moors back home

Courtesy of Reinier Meijer

As of yesterday, TVM bosses Cees Priem and Jan Moors have spent one year at home following their release from France as a results of the TdF doping affair. The compulsory confinement in a hotel and the short stay in prison made a big impression on the team manager, but he has tried to wipe all the traces out of his memory. "I don't dream about it anymore," Priem said to a regional paper on the eve of the new season.

Cees Priem was reunited with the Farm Frites team for a training stage in Zeeland, a province in the South West of the Netherlands, on the sea. The biggest difference in height there is about 30 metres.

Next year Hendrik Redant will lead the team for the classics, and Egon van Kessel, the new team manager, will appear especially after that. Priem does not say much about Steven Rooks, who will depart the team after a year. "Steven Rooks wrecked 3 cars this year," he grimaces. That says a lot about his relationship with the departing team manager.

Farm Frites is more interested in Europe and outside than the previous sponsor, TVM. Therefore the Farm Frites-team will ride the preseason races in Malaysia, Australia and South Africa. Cees Priem is still negotiating with the Tour of Egypt, and a race in Argentina.

Glasner to Cologne

German Björn Glasner will be leaving Die Continentale to join Team Cologne on a one year contract as the 13th rider on the team. Glasner had a promising 1997 season with a fifth place in the German championships, but has been rather disappointing since. He is expected to raise his standards "by 200 per cent" says sports director Dieter Koslar.