Ekstrabladet, a Danish daily newspaper, has printed an interview with Brian Holm concerning "The Price of Silence", the title of the Danish TV probe into drugs and Bjarne Riis. The interview primarily centered around evidence provided in Tuesday's broadcast on Danish television that Telekom riders were using EPO and other banned substances in 1995. Holm does not categorically deny that there were Telekom riders who were using dope, but he says that he does not believe that the doping was systematic.
"I don't know anything about it, but I cannot put my hand on a Bible and say that there weren't any Telekom riders who weren't taking doping."
Holm, who is presently employed as sportsdirector for the Danish Team Acceptcard, rode several seasons for the German team. He expresses satisfaction with the fact that the journalists who produced the broadcast 'only' found one ampule with traces of EPO.
"If they had found enough for the whole team it would have looked pretty bad, but I never believed that it was like Festina, where the use of doping was systematic."
Brian Holm has never been in doubt as to whether there was a propblem with doping in cycling, and he says that he has seen riders taking amphetamines. "I must also admit that I have taken cortisone to heal injuries," Holm says .
Meanwhile, another team will be in Australia to race from January 19-24. Saeco-Cannondale has sent a development squad directed by Bruno Vicino to the Australian race rather than a front-line team. It includes the debut of Valentino China, World Junior Champion in 1995 with Saeco. Others accompanying him are Traversoni, Andriotto, Salvatore Commess, Eddy Mazzoleni and Massimiliano Mori, Russian Kokorine and the Austrian rider Morscher.
The rest of the team will be gathering at the Marina de Bibbona from January 14-22. There will be 8 riders present under the guide of Salutini and Bontempi. They will use the Tuscany coast as their preparation. The riders will be the two new Swiss signings Laurent Dufaux and Meier, Italians Petito, Frigo, Galletti, Secchiari, Pugaci and Guerra. The team will be staying at the Hotel Marinetta (via dei Cavalleggeri, 2 - Marina di Bibbona (Li) - tel. 0586/60.05.98, fax 0586/60.01.86)
The riders will be divided into two groups for the preparation reflecting the phases of the season that the team has planned. The first group of seven riders will be riding hard early in the season. They have already met for 10 days in December and comprise David García, Igor González de Galdeano, Salmerón, Horrillo, Mercado and Medina (Benitez was also there). They will have a stronger preparation with 150 to 200 kms daily.
The other 16 riders, which are supposed to be in form for the middle and latter part of the season will ride between 90 and 160 kms daily. Once the training camp finishes, the team will travel to Madrid for the team presentation which will be on January 22.
Francisco Benitez
Twenty eight year old Francisco Benítez (Vitalicio Seguros), professional cyclist for seven seasons, spent New Year's eve in hospital, due to a small stroke. This is his first interview.
- What a scare!
- You can say that again. It's a good thing that it was just a scare. I gave my family a good New Year's eve.
- All of this because you participated in a race.
- But I just did it to pass the time.
- Yes, but you won it.
- I won without wanting to. It wasn't a serious competition. There were children, a father and his baby, even my mom participated.
- So it wasn't because of the effort?
- The doctors have told me that it doesn't have anything to do with that. I have done a lot more efforts as a cyclist. It was a vein in my brain that burst, it could happen to anyone watching TV.
- That should calm you down in terms of your career as a cyclist.
- I have been told that I can return to competitions after a time of rest.
- How long?
- Some three months. It could be from two to four, it depends on a test that they still haven't done, which will tell me more precisely how long. I will probably be home by Friday.
- Did you think that it was the end of your cycling career?
- At first that was my main worry. But when I was told about the gravity of the condition I had, I realized that I had been lucky. I could have died, or could have been left deaf, blind or paralyzed.
- So once you get over this, the rest is not important anymore.
- Yes, I have been reborn. When you face something like that you realize no bike and no getting angry. When something like this happens, you see life in another way and you don't give as much importance to things that you thought were fundamental.
- Have they told you if this can happen again?
- The truth is that I haven't asked, or even thought about it. They have told me, not to worry.
The route announced by the race director Alan Rushton is:
May 23: Westminster circuit race
May 24: Medway-Portsmouth - ITT
May 25: Winchester-Bristol.
May 26: Bristol-Swansea
May 27: Swansea-Birmingham
May 28: Liverpool-Blackpool
May 29: Carlisle-Edinburgh (Edinburgh circuit race)
The team returns 8 riders from the 1998 squad including Gord Fraser who won a team high 13 races. New riders include US National Team Member Derek Bouchard- Hall; Scott Moninger; Mexican National Champion Christian Valenzuela and Neo pro Ernie Lechuga who is recovering from cancer.
The Mercury Cycling Team will expand its racing in Europe but its main objective will be the National Racing Calendar. They hope to improve on their 70 race wins in 1998.
The team will sport new colors in 1999. Gone are the red and yellow look, and in comes Silver and Seafoam Green.
The riders:
Mat Anand (October 1, 1971) - Member 1997 Canadian World's Team. Back full time racing after a year at Oxford. 1st Overall 1998 Enchanted Mountain Stage Race. California State Road Champion. Strong G.C. rider. 15th Overall in 1998 National Points Series. 6 wins in 1998.
Derek Bouchard-Hall (July 16, 1970) - Member 1998 US World's and National Team. 1998 USPRO Criterium Sprint Champion. Comes from the Shaklee team.
David Clinger (November 22, 1977) - Member 1998 US World's Team, Top US rider in the Tour Avenier. Won 2 Stages and wore Leaders Jersey at Tour De 'Toona. 10th Overall in National Point Series. Won 6 races in 1998. U.S.
Gord Fraser (November 19, 1968) - 1996 Canadian Olympian. Top Sprinter, won stage in Vuelta Asturias. Won 13 races in 1998 and finished 3rd in the National Point Series. Several top tens 1997 Tour De France. Stage Winner 1997 Midi-Libre. 4th place Stage, Paris- Nice; Top Ten in 2 stages of Dauphine Libere. 5 Top Ten European finishes in 1997.
Roy Knickman (June 23, 1965) - 1984 Olympian and Bronze Medalist. Former National Team Coach and will give team a solid team rider. Won several National Point Series races in 1998 and had 4 wins overall. Winner of many national championships.
Ernie Lechuga (April 29, 1976) - 1998 US National Team Member. Strong overall team rider. Recovering from cancer.
Scott Moninger (October 20, 1966) - One of the top Stage racers in the country. Winner of Nevada City Classic, and 2 Stages of the Killington Stage Race. Year in and year out one of the best climbers in the country. 5th overall 1998 National Point Series. Won 2 stages of the 1998 Sun Tour and was 4th in a late season Classic.
John Peters (July 12, 1969) - Great Speed, He won 8 races including Visalia Road Race and Stages of Cascade, Fitchburg, and Killington. Won 1997 Fitchburg/Longsjo Classic; 8th place National Points Series.
Thurlow Rogers (July 3, 1060) - Member 1984 Olympic Team; Many Times National Champion 1995 and 1996 Fresca National Point Champion; Captain of the Team. Won 2 races and finished 16th in National Point Series and was 4th Overall in 1998 Tour de Beauce.
Mike Sayers (December 1, 1970) - Valuable team worker won 3 races including a stage of Tour of Ohio. Was in the top 30 in the National Point Series. won 1997 1st Union Grand Prix Sprint Challenge;
Christian Valenzuela (October 20, 1978) - 1998 Mexican National Time Trial Champion, 1st Place 1998 Commerce Criterium. He is only 20 and will be another in a long line of great young riders under team director John Wordin.
Kirk Willet (March 17, 1970) - 1st Tour of Willamette and 5 wins overall including California Time Trial Champion. Suffered broken Collar bone that ended his season in July. Stage Finished 9th overall in National Point Series. Strong Overall Team Rider and Strong Finisher. Former member US National Team
John Wording (March 2, 1963) - Won Athen's twilight Masters race. Silver medal 1997 US Master's National Championships 3rd Place La Mirada Grand Prix; Several Time California State Champion Bronze Medal 1989 US Nationals.
Out of those veterans, the most familiar faces would have to be Canadian Brian Walton and Bart Bowen who return for their seventh and sixth seasons respectively. Joining Walton and Bowen once again will be team members and brothers Frank and Mark McCormack. Bowen captured ten top three finishes in 1998, and Walton boasted eight top three finishes including a victory at the Fyn Rundt, as well as a World Cup Points Race victory in Denmark. Both expect to have equally strong seasons in 1999 as they continue their leadership roles. The McCormacks combined for 22 victories and 47 top three finishes in 1998. These wins were highlighted by Frank’s U.S. National Cyclocross Championship, his top finishes at the Tour of Japan and the Motorola Cycling Classic, and Mark’s Saturn Supercup Cyclocross Series Championship. Anticipate these two having equally dominating seasons in 1999.
Also returning for Team Saturn will be third year rider, and strategic master Chris Wherry, who proved to be a valuable asset to the team in 1998 because of his strong ability as an all around cyclist and his knowledge of tactical racing. Rounding out the field of veterans for 1999 are second year rider Levi Leipheimer and Michael Barry, who joined the Saturn Team halfway through the 1998 season.
The Women’s side of this year’s team doesn’t have the equality of the men’s team in terms of long standing veterans, however in terms of talent and decoration, it does. Leading the way for the Women’s side this season is fourth year veteran and 1998 U.S. Criterium National Champion DeDe Demet, whose 26 top three finishes included eleven wins, including the inaugural Women’s World Cup event in Australia. Demet will be a leader once again amongst a team with many young riders. Joining Demet will be second year rider Emily Robbins, who signed with Saturn at mid-season last year. Like Robbins, Canadian, Lyne Bessette who also joined Saturn late last season anticipates a strong year in her first full season with Saturn.
Like any team, Saturn continues to change as it adds new riders to the team with the likes of Adham Sbeih, Burke Swindlehurst, Seth Pelusi, Dutch rider Jimmy Hansen, and sprinter Robbie Ventura to the Men’s side. Nicole Reinhardt, Susy Pryde, Tana Stone and Australian National Time Trial Champion, Anna Wilson complete the Saturn women’s team. The race season for the Saturn Team begins shortly with their first event, Le Tour de Langkawi on February 3-14 in Malaysia. The race immediately follows the training camp set for January 15-27 in Solvang, CA.
Riders
Men: Michael Barry (Cana) Bart Bowen (USA) Jimmy Hansen (Den) Levi Leipheimer (USA) Frank McCormack (USA) Mark McCormack (USA) Seth Pelusi (USA) Adham Sbeih (USA) Burke Swindlehurst (USA) Robbie Ventura (USA) Brian Walton (USA) Chris Wherry (USA) Women: Lyne Bessette (Can) DeDe Demet (USA) Susy Pryde (NZL) Nichole Reinhart (USA) Emily Robbins (USA) Tana Stone (USA) Anna Wilson (Aus)
He said: "I'm a reinvented Graeme Obree. I've got an image as a trouble-maker but this time I don't want any hassle with anybody and I'll be conforming to all the regulations. I'm going to be on the boring side as you're not going to hear any complaining from me. I just want to train and ride."
He had recently quit (after pulling out of the Scottish Commonwealth Games team in September 1998) but now says he is coming back to ride orthodox bikes in normal positions. He is not sponsored at present.
His notoriety stems from his very unorthodox setup and the machines that he made himself. The UCI was in conflict with him over his riding positions and bikes.
He comments: "I'm not seeking anything from anybody and I'll be funding myself initially. After all, talk is cheap and I wouldn't expect any help from anybody until I've got some results. It's really down to me but I feel as good as ever. I'm reasonably confident of going faster than before as, with maturity, I'm leaner and stronger."
Massi has had bad crashes in the past. During the 1988 Giro he hit a road obstacle and had compound fractures of his leg. The left leg is now shorter than the right which required a long period of trial and error before he finalised a satisfactory racing set-up on his bike.