News for January 7, 1999

Silvio Martinello out of Berlin Six

Silvio Martinello has a knee injury and is unable to ride the Berlin Six, which starts tonight. Marco Villa will thus ride with young German trackie Robert Bartko, who won the amateur six in Berlin last year. 23 year old Bartko picked up bronze in the pursuit at Bordeaux, and rode his first six-day race in Leipzig in December. His mentor and training partner Carsten Wolf reckons Bartko should benefit immensely from partnering Villa - and Germany needs some new up-and-coming six-day stars.

Teams available at the Berlin 6 Page

Virenque talks with Polti

The Italian newspaper La Gazetta dello Sport has reported that French cyclist Richard Virenque has met with the Italian team Polti to discuss his racing future. According to the newspaper Franco Polti, the boss of the cycling team, met with Virenque and they spoke for 3 hours. The topic was clearly whether they could do business in 1999. On Tuesday, it was reported that Virenque met with Lampre-Daikin. Some decision is imminent, perhaps within a week.

But what about Luc Leblanc?

Germany, Magstadt, International Cyclocross, Cat 2, 21 kms, January 6

Veteran Swiss rider Thomas Frischknecht, fresh from his great World Cup victory in Zeddam at the weekend, beat current World Champion Mario Mario De Clercq from Belgian in the 39th edition of the Magstadt Cyclocross competition. In front of 5,000 spectators, Frischknecht showed his strength from the beginning. With Mario De Clercq and Adri van der Poel in pursuit the Swiss rider powered his way to victory after 21 kms of racing. De Clercq came in second with Dutchman Adri Van der Poel a 1.14 further back in 3rd.

Frischknecht has now confirmed that he will be a starter in the World Championships to be staged in the Slovakian town of Poprad on January 31

 1. Thomas Frischknecht (Swi)			     1.00.36
 2. Mario de Clercq (Bel) Palmans			0.39
 3. Adri van der Poel (Ned) Rabobank			1.53
 4. Ondrej Lukes (Cze)					2.33
 5. Ben Berden (Bel) Palman				2.39
 6. Beat Blum (Swi)					2.44
 7. Jörg Arenz (Ger) Köln				2.57
 8. Steffen Weigold (Ger)				3.05

Thanks to Mario Stiehl, our Berlin reporter

Rumours yet to be confirmed

My spies down in Victoria for the Bay Criteriums have told me that Cycling Australia are seeking a two year ban on Lucy Tyler-Sharman for her outburst at the Commonwealth Games. This would mean she would miss the Olympics. With the recent whitewash report from the farciacal investigation into track cycling talking about harmony and the like it seems a pretty tough call, if true. More when it happens.

Another rumour is that the professional riders in Australia are calling for representation on the executive of Cycling Australia. An alternative strategy is that they will form a Riders' Association to redress the problems in Australian cycling administration.

Both are talk at present.

Ernie Lechuga Report

Ernie has now undergone 2 chemotherapy treatments and after these treatments, his cancer cell count has dropped from 2100 to 680. Because of this great news, Ernie will only have to undergo 2 more treatments, instead of the scheduled 6. His next treatment will begin on January 8.

Riders out of contract

Publish a list and expect trouble! On January 5, I published a list from Nico Leroy, which covered all the riders from 1998 (by their 1998 team) who had not yet secured contracts in 1999.

The team's master, Stefaan Degryse, from www.cyclingteams.com, who has the definitive team pages, has provided the following updates to the list. Pete Boicourt from the USA chipped in too.

France:

Cofidis - Goubert is in negotiation with Big Mat
Crédit Agricole - Bos
Festina - Virenque
La Française des Jeux - Morelle

Belgium:

Collstrop - De Neef, Lenears, and Vereecke have all signed with Belgium team Ipso, while Heyndrickx is still not accounted for.
Home Market - Laveur-Pedoux, Ramel
Ipso - Van Haesebroucke, Verbeken have signed with Collstrop, while Pankov is probably going to do so.
Lotto - Laukka may ride with Team Acceptcard but not finalised.
Palmans - Spanhoeven has returned to elite without contract and will ride as an individual.
Spar - Clayes cannot remain with Spar but is unsure of future.

Netherlands:

TVM - Asmaker has signed for TVM

Germany:

Agro Adler - Diers
EC Bayer - Böckmann will probably ride for the new Geese Team, Joerdens signed with Team PSV Köln, Ludewig signed with Team Gerolsteiner, while Hennes, Richter, Sievers, Tanner, Wackernagel, and Werner are yet to sign.
Nurnberger - Stoffel
Gerolsteiner - Akkermans is in negotiation with PSV Köln, Glasner has signed for Die Continentale, while Scherf and Schumann both will stay for the PSV Köln team. The PSV Köln team is a breakaway team from the Gerolsteiner team, which has been formed by former Gerolsteiner team manager Koslar. Klein, Oschwald, and Parinussa are unsigned as yet.

Spain:

Estepona - Verziagi has signed for Fuenlabrada which is the successor to the Estepona team. Cerioli, Jarque, Miranda, and Moratilla are still without contracts.
ONCE - Barrigon, Diaz de Otazu, Otxoa

Portugal:

Recer Boavista - Rodrigues Silva, Gonzales Arenas, Hernandez Calva, and Taboas Lorenas remain out of contract.

Switzerland:

Ericsson - Jolidon, Steiner
Post Swiss Team - Chassot is in negotiation with the Italian team Mobilvetta, while Paradis signed for the German team Die Continentale.

Italy:

Asics - Bonetti, Colonna, Roscioli
Amore e Vita - Castaldo, Giacomelli, Massa, Paolini, Profeti, Zucchi
Ballan - Canzonieri
Brescialat - Della Vedova is in negotiation with Lampre-Daikin, while Camin and Contrini are out of contract.
Cantina Tollo - Battistel, Colage, Dolci, Frizzo
Kross - McKenzie will ride for the Linda McCartney team, while Bernal, Citracca, Daddi, Gobbini, Mori, Pierobon, Mora, Pulnikov, Vergnani, and Zapata are out of contract.
Mapei - Pianegonda is in negotiation with Lampre-Daikin.
Mercatone Uno - Chechhin, Dall’Olio
Mobilvetta - Alberati, Caveglia, Chiurato, Dalla Valle, Della Bianca, De Nobile, Di Francesco, Pozzi, Tomi, Trombetta
Polti - Brasi, Leblanc.
Ros-Mary - Balzi, Bontempi, Calzolari, Cheli, Chiappucci, Di Silvestro, Finesso, Gelfi, Molinari, Saleri, Zatti
Saeco - Fornaciari has signed for Mapei-QuickStep, while Favero is out of contract.
Scrigno - Axelsson signed for Navigare the successor to the Scrigno team, while Rossato and Vatteroni are out of contract.
Vini Caldirola - Furlan has retired, while Calzavara, Dante, Dalla Costa, De Mauri, Maggioni, Murtas, Simonetti, Zanette, and Zanotti are out of contract.

Poland:

Mroz - Charapov

USA:

Navigators - Ventura signed for Saturn, Englemann has retired, while Eyk, Laurent, and Spangenburg are out of contract.

England:

Linda McCartney - Gmable, Hayton, Taylor, M. Tomkins, S. Tomkins