News for July 12, 1999

Japanese rider banned for drugs

The Japanese Cycling Federation (FJC) has given Yuichiro Kamiyama a one-month's ban after he tested positive for a banned substance (ephenedryne) during the Asian Championships held last month. The Federation also fined Kamiyama 2,000 Swiss Francs ($US1,280).

Pedro Delgado and the Internet

Pedro Delgado, has been interviewed on Ciberpais, an on-line publication of the Spanish newspaper El Pais. The article was written by Francisco Forjas.

After winning the Vuelta a España in 1989, friends gave him a laptop. Since then, he has never been without it. He said: "I have always liked things like this and I have always been interested in electronic gadgets. When I was riding I liked to read but now I take the computer to listen to music, to play and essentially to work and to read the press on the Internet when I am outside of Spain."

His home page has been launched and it allows his followers to ask Pedro questions and receive his answers. There seems to be a lot of interest in the page if the number of questions are anything to go by. The page was proposed by the painter Cristóbal Gabarrón. The venture has given Delgado a chance to impart his knowledge of cycling as one of the more charismatic sportsperson that Spain has produced. Delgado said: "years ago I was on the verge of publishing a book on training, but laziness and other time problems got in the way. The page will allow me to provide a lot of this type of information. The first day that we started the page we received more than 200 questions."

39-year old Delgado, who is now a commentator on Spanish TV has been surprised by two things about the Internet. "The amount of information that there is to access and the difficulties involved in searching for subjects that interest you."

He said that he is too busy to waste time. "I do not surf the Internet. I go to some very specific sites. The sport's press and two English language cycling sites: www.cyclingnews.com and www.bikeride.com".

The 1988 Tour winner admits that he maintains a love-hate relationship with is computer. "You always have some problem. Suddenly the computer hangs up, or gets a virus, or the you lose two hours work. When you are new to it you even have trouble printing things."

He commented on the increasing use of electronic devices in cycling. "Before all of these devices cycling was a sport of sensations. Now the rider is using many devices like heart rate monitors, speedometers and all sorts of machines that plug them into computers. You can almost predict before the stage how you will go. The sensations are being overtaken by the technology."

But he also says that even though computers and the Internet are very positive, young people should "not hang about the Internet and computers without enjoying other things."

Netherlands, Amsterdam, Grand Prix Jan Derksen

Sprint:

 1. Florian Rousseau (Fra)
 2. Pavel Buran (Cze)
 6. Teun Mulder (Ned)

Keirin:

 1. Viesturs Berzins (Lat)
 2. Roberto Chiappa (Ita)
 3. Ainar Kiksis (Lit)

English Mile:

 1. Pavel Buran (Cze)
 2. Robert Darley (Eng)
 3. Ainar Kiksis (Lit)

Sweden, Hökensås Youth Six Days, Stage 2, 140 kms.

Stage 1, 141 kms:

Tomas Nilsson, who reports from Scandinavia writes that the first stage of Under-23 6-days of Hökensås was a double victory for Team Wirsbo with Stefan Adamsson as the winner ahead of teammate John Nilsson in a mass sprint. The bonifications, 10, 8, 6, 4 and 2 secs for the first five, was enough to give Adamsson the leader's jersey. Quite well deserved since he also was in the most serious break of the day when a group of five got 1.51. The gruop was caught with 20 kms to go. 

 1. Stefan Adamsson (Swe) Team Wirsbo     3.10.25
 2. John Nilsson (Swe) Team Wirsbo do
 3. Björn Sjöberg (Swe) Motala AIF do

GC after Stage 1:

1. Stefan Adamsson (Swe) Team Wirsbo      3.13.29
2. John Nilsson (Swe) Team Wirsbo            0.01
3. Björn Sjöberg (Swe) Motala AIF            0.03
4. Andreas Hägg (Swe) Borlänge CK            0.07
5. Jonas Ljungblad (Swe) Team Crescent       0.08

Stage 2, 140 kms:

Tomas Nilsson, who reports from Scandinavia writes that there are two major Swedish cycling teams, Team Wirsbo and Team Crescent Tranemo. So when Borlänge CK's Markus Juneholt attacked 20 kms before the finish of the second stage of Hökensås six days the riders of the two majors kept looking at each other. Result. Juneholt won with 35 seconds to the peloton and grabbed the leader's jersey. This was Borlänge's second victory in the race since Andreas Hägg won the prologue. 

 1. Markus Juneholt (Swe) Borlänge CK     3.27.38
 2. Kristoffer Ingeby (Swe) Team Wirsbo      0.35
 3. Nicko Lauke (Ger) Frankfurt
 4. Per Ola Linden (Swe) Falkenbergs CK
 5. Kristian Johansson (Swe) CK Antilopen
 6. Jaan Malir (Cze) Czech National Team

GC after Stage 2:

 1. Markus Juneholt (Swe) Borlänge CK     6.41.12
 2. Stefan Adamsson (Swe) Team Wirsbo        0.30
 3. John Nilsson (Swe) Team Wirsbo           0.31
 4. Björn Sjöberg (Swe) Motala AIF           0.33
 5. Per Ola Linden (Swe) Falkenbergs CK      0.35
 6. Andreas Hägg (Swe) Borlänge CK           0.37

Stage 3, 150 kms:

Jonas Ljungblad, Crescent Tranemo, won the third stage of Hökensås U-23 six days stage race. John Nilsson of Team Wirsbo was second on the stage but took the leader's jersey six seconds ahead of Ljungblad. The day became tough for over night leader Juneholt of Borlänge when the two major teams Wirsbo and Crescent Tranemo decided to do some serious racing. Half way through the stage six riders went off, among them Ljungblad and Nilsson. The latter attacked two kms to go and got ten seconds but was caught by Ljungblad on the finishing straight. The next stage is a 20 kms ITT. In the swedish championships Ljungblad beat Nilsson with 2.2 seconds on twice the distance! Time for a drama! 

 1. Jonas Ljungblad (Swe) Crescent Tranemo   3.49.14
 2. John Nilsson (Swe) Team Wirsbo
 3. Thomas Buchacek Tjeckien     		0.05
 4. Fredrik Johansson (Swe) Västerås CK		0.05
 5. Martin Axelsson (Swe) Sollerön         	0.09
 6. Jonas Olsson (Swe) Motala         		1.06
 7. Robert Österling (Swe) Crescent Tranemo     3.31
 8. Erik Jungåker (Swe) Skövde     		5.11
 9. Mattias Karlander (Swe) Skövde		5.11
10. Kristoffer Kaspersen (Den) Denmark		5.11

GC after Stage 3.

 1. John Nilsson (Swe) Team Wirsbo  	    10.31.17
 2. Jonas Ljungblad (Swe) Crescent Tranemo 	0.06
 3. Fredrik Johansson (Swe) Västerås CK 	0.22
 4. Martin Axelsson (Swe) Sollerön		0.24
 5. Thomas Buchacek (Cze) Czech National Team 	0.32

Swedish Update

Tomas Nilsson who writes for cyclingnews.com from Sweden reports that Swedish road champion Henrik Sparr, Team Wirsbo, will try his luck in the Swedish MTB championships in Falun next week end instead of showing the white blue and yellow champion's jersey for the Polish public in the Karkonosze Tour, Cat 2.5. Team manager Patrick Serra said: "The guy needs a rest after the Postgirot and the nationals."

The rider himself said: "I am riding it mostly for fun. Since I don't have any MTB points I'll have to start way back in the field so a top ten would be great."

Telekom sues Academic

Telekom had decided to sue Professor Werner Franke, the German academic who has stated that Telekom riders were systematically using drugs. Franke has also for the first time named a rider he claims is involved. Dirk Müller (25) who left Telekom at the start of the season to ride for Mapei was named. Professor Franke doesn't think the management of Telekom is involved in the use of banned substances.

Giro rider expelled after failing blood test

Tamara Poljakova (Ukr) wasn't allowed to start in the last stage of the women's Giro after a blood test revealed that her red blood count was in excess of 50 per cent. Poljakova, who rides for the Slovakian team, won the Tour de France 1992.

Italy, Giro del Medio Brenta, 156 kms, Cat 1.5, July 10

 1. Devis Miorin (Ita) Fir Parolin       	     3.37.00
 2. Fabio Malberti (Ita) Riso Scotti-Vinavil
 3. Fausto Dotti (Ita) Amica Chips-Costa Almeria
 4. Maurizio Vandelli (Ita) Stabel
 5. Fabio Bulgarelli (Ita) Sintofarm                0.05

Netherlands, Ster van Walcheren, Women

ITT 13 kms:

 1. Hanka Kupfernagel (Ger)

Koudekerke-Koudekerke 117 kms:

 1. Yvonne Brunen (Ned)
 2. Mirella van Melis (Ned)
 3. Hanka Kupfernagel (Ger)

Final GC:

 1. Hanka Kupfernagel (Ger)
 2. Debby Mansfeld (Ned)      1.23

England, Five Valleys Road Race, Premier Calendar

 1. Mark Lovett (Pro Vision-Planet X) 	     4.36.28
 2. Paul Esposti (Team Mens Health)
 3. Chris Lillywhite (Linda McCartney) 		0.47
 4. Huw Pritchard (Team Mens Health) 		0.47
 5. John Tanner (Pro Vision-Planet X)	 	0.47
 6. Gordon McCauley (Team Mens Health) 		0.47
 7. Danny Axford (Artic 2000)	  		0.47
 8. Gethin Butler (Team Mens Health)  		0.47
 9. Rob Reynolds Jones (Linda McCartney) 	0.47
10. Scot Gamble (Brooks-Nuffield) 		1.54
11. Matt Stephens (Linda McCartney)	 	1.54
12. Wayne Randle (Pro Vision-Planet X) 		1.54
13. Russell Downing (Linda McCartney) 		1.54 1st U-23
14. John Kris Mason (Specialised-Best) 		1.54 2nd U-23
15. Steve Joseph (Gore Bikewear)  		1.54 3rd U-23
16. Dan Staite (Pro Vision-Planet X) 		6.44
17. Rob Wood (No affiliation) 			6.44
18. Alistair Kay (Scotland) 			6.44
19. David McGowan (Pro Vision-Planet X) 	6.44
20. Justin Clarke (Evans Cycles)  		6.44

Mountain Prize:

 1. Chris Lillywhite (Linda McCartney)
 2. Mark Lovett (Pro Vision-Planet X)
 3. Russell Downing (Linda McCartney)
 3. Matt Bottrill (Middridge CRT)

Special Sprint:

Russell Downing (Linda McCartney)
Thanks to Philjhp

Australia, Central Districts Junior Under-17, 2 Day Tour

The Two-day Tour was held around the tough One Tree Hill circuit, north of Adelaide in South Australia. Perfect conditions saw Victoria's Warragul cyclist David Salton win in a clean sweep. David won every stage including the prologue Time Trial and the KOM series. David won the tour last year also. 

 1. David Salton, Warragul, Victoria
 2. Glen Matulich, Adelaide, South Australia
 3. Brad Simpson, Adelaide.