News for July 28, 1999

Thanks

Thanks to all the readers who have taken the time to write in to give their opionion on the Tour de France and the win by Lance Armstrong and related issues. There are just too many for me to reply to but please don't take that as a sign I didn't care. Appreciated.

Drugs tests at Lisieux

In an extraordinary move, Richard Virenque and 4 other riders were tested on Tuesday evening at the end of the Lisieux criterium on request from the French Cycling Federation. The riders were Richard Virenque, Laurent Brochard, Stéphane Heulot, François Simon and Thierry Gouvenou. Belgian Andrei Tchmil was also called but did not present to the medical control.

The test demanded by the FFC and supported by the Ministry for Youth and Sport was the first time since 1982 that a test in a post-Tour criterium in France was performed. It is also the first criterium after the Tour in France.

25,000 spectators watched the action. The riders were tested at 10.45 in their hotel according to the criterium organiser Bernard Aubril. Daniel Baal, president of the FFC said: "This operation confirms our will to stamp out drugs."

But what of Tchmil? His team explained in a written statement afterwards that the non-appearance by Tchmil was a problem of communication. They apparently announced the tests at the moment that a number of riders including Andre Tchmil were not present on the parcours. Team Manager at Lotto, Jean-Luc Vandenbroucke continued: "It was decided that the rider will without delay submit a urine sample to a medical institute. In that way, all the guarantess for the tests will be preserved."

The final decision on Tchmil will be handled by the UCI. Daniel Baal said: "We do not have the power to make rules about a rider with a foreign licence. The matter has been handed over to the UCI."

The previous time that tests were done in post-Tour criteriums was in 1982 in Callac (Bretagne) and the riders protested.

Lance Armstrong wins at Boxmeer

The annual post-Tour criterium in the eastern Dutch town of Boxmeer was staged on Monday evening. A huge crowd witnessed a win by Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong. These races are more showcases for the local riders and the big hitters from the Tour and are not taken terribly seriously. Lance told local press after the race: "I'm very tired. I was up late in Paris. A party of the sponsors, with friends of the sponsors. President Clinton called me, from the airplane. He and the first lady were very happy. Their daughter Chelsea followed the Tour de France. Clinton doesn't want to see just me on Thursday, he wants to meet the whole US Postal team!"

After the criterium in Boxmeer Lance drove to Brussels to stay with Eddy Merckx. On Tuesday, he rode in Lausanne and Wednesday in Chaam. Rest is for later, Lance said. Boxmeer. Ronde van Boxmeer, profs. (audience: 20.000) 1. Armstrong (VSt) 100 km in 2.13.19 2. McEwen (Aus) 0.10 3. Knaven (Ned) 4. Hincapie (VSt) 5. Van Schalen (Ned)

Stephen Roche on the Tour

Trevor Warwick writes that Stephen Roche was commenting on the high average speed of the Tour and the likelihood of doping. Commentating on Eurosport during the final tour stage, Roche pointed out that although there was a record average speed for the Tour, the first week had comprised 7 entirely flat stages, mostly with a favourable wind, and with only half a day of lousy weather. There were also 2 rest days, easier mountain stages, only two mountain finishes, and the total distance was less. So, he felt that the route was significantly easier than the last few years, and this is what had caused the record speed. The proportion of finishers was higher than usual, which could also back up this view .

Credit Lyonnais will continue to sponsor the Tour

On Tuesday, Nicolas Chaine, Communications Director of Credit Lyonnais, said: "The last Tour was a good step for the future. So we no longer have any reason to withdrew our sponsorship. But not all problems were solved."

CL puts in around 4 million US dollars per Tour. Coca Cola is the other major sponsor of the Tour. They are also satisfied about the way the recently completed Tour was staged.

Lance Armstrong will race in Heerlen

Contrary to yesterday's report, Gerry van Gerwen, the Dutch organiser of contracts for post-Tour criteriums now says: "Lance Armstrong will be in Heerlen next Friday to race in the Profronde. He has assured me that he will be back on Friday around noon and will come to Heerlen." It had previously been announced that he would not be available despite signing a previous contract because he was called to meet the US President.

There is also a chance next Monday that a sprint duel will be stage between Mario Cipollini and Tom Steels in the Draai van de Kaai in Roosendaal. While Mario is assured of being at the race, Steels said he is likely to come if his tail injury is healed.

France, Hyeres, French Track Championships, Day 1

The French Track Championships are currently being held at Hyeres. The first day was marked by a great ride from Arnaud Tournant who kept his national kilo title. He is also world champion and confirmed his domination of the sport over the past 3 years. He set a French record of 1.01.323 in May 22, 1999 at altitude in Mexico. But that was only the second fastest time failing to beat Australian Shane Kelly who rode 1.00.613 in Bogota in 1995.

Tournand qualified for the Worlds in Berlin in October and will be accompanied by the rider from the Alsace region Hervé Thuet and Mickaël Bourgoin (Côte d'Azur).

In the juniors it was Sylvain Alonso who triumphed with a time of 1.07.150.

In the women's 200 metre sprint Clara Sanchex set the fast time of 12.471. It was a new French record. The previous fastest time was set by Julie Van de Kerkove in 12.554. 

Men Kilo:

 1. Arnaud Tournant (Cofidis)   1.02.179
 2. Hervé Thuet                 1.03.633
 3. Mickaël Bourgain            1.04.022
 4. Damien Gérard               1.04.049
 5. John Giletto                1.04.371
 6. Arnaud Dublé                1.04.618
 7. Jérôme Hubschwerlin         1.04.939
 8. Thomas Montano              1.05.289

Junior Men Kilo:

 1. Sylvain Alonso              1.07.150
 2. Arnaud Leboulenger          1.07.637

Men 4000m Pursuit:

 1. Philippe Ermenault 		 			4.30.559
 2. Francis Moreau 					4.31.894
 3. Jérôme Neuville
 4. Cyril Bos rejoint
 5. Sylvain Anquetil
 6. Damien Pommereau rejoint
 7. Franck Perque
 8. Andy Flickinger rejoint

Men's Team Sprint:

 1. Romain Barelli/Frédéric Lancien/Thomas Montano 	47.511
 2. Dimitri Paul/Hervé Gane/Olivier Hass 		47.558
 3. Firmin Touchais/Mickaël Quemener/Vincent Le Quelec 	47.556
 4. Ronan Nivol/Arnaud Leboulenger/Jérôme Hubschwerlin 	48.142

Women 500 metre sprint:

 1. Félicia Ballanger (Pays de Loire) 	34.521
 2. Magali Faure-Humbert 		35.454
 3. Christelle Ribault 			37.372
 4. Sandrine Adamiak 			38.211
 5. Aurélie Lassouag 			38.550
 6. Delphine Tonini 			38.578
 7. Stéphanie Baujon 			38.922
 8. Nathalie Delpech 			40.158

Junior Men Pursuit:

 1. William Bonnet
 2. Grégory Bernard

Karen Kurreck from Italy

My first foray back into Italian racing was this Sunday. The race was called something like the 3rd Troffe (the 3rd year is has happened). It was right in our neighborhood - only a 25 min. drive from Perignano. The race was at 2:30 in the afternoon, but as usual, we had to leave at 10:30am to make sure we got there in plenty of time to eat pasta 3 hours before the race! Actually Cathy and I were kind of hoping the race was going to be in the morning so we could watch the final stage of the Tour on TV, but no such luck. BTW, it is really cool to turn on the TV every day for the last 3 weeks and see an American team dominating the biggest bike race in the World!!

The field in our race was a bit smaller than normal and the Dream Team wasn't there. I was kind of glad - I was hoping it would make the transition back into racing a little easier. After 3 weeks of no intensity, I knew it would be a bit of a shock to my system. Still, in Italy, there is no shortage of people to make a race hard and today was no exception.

The course featured 4 flat 12kim loops followed by 5 10km loops starting with a 700m climb which the finish was at the top of, followed by a short, steep descent and immediately another climb of aboiut 1.5km. The day before, the wind was absolutely howling all day, but it calmed down some for the race.

The flat laps were fairly uneventful. There were a number of attacks, but none that really stuck. THe first time up the climb, my teammate and housemate, Cathy Marsal set a hard pace. At the top, there were only 8 of us left: Cathy and I, 2 GAS riders: Valaria Cappelotto and Moria Terraran, 2 Fannini riders: Fany Lecourtios and her Ukrainian teammate, another Ukrainian, Tatiana Stiajkina from Selena Rama and one Olliverra rider (who I think is also Ukraininan). There was about 3-4km of false flat and rollers after the climb and everyone in the group worked hard to establish the gap. Then came the descent: it has a very sharp, off camber turn partway down. Somehow I managed to crash in it. I'm not really sure what happened - 4 or 5 riders in front of me made it going the same speed I was, but the moment I hit the middle of the turn, my wheels just slid out like I was riding on ice. The next lap, I realized that there was a small hump in the pavement right in the line I was trying to take. I think I must have hit it and unweighted my rear wheel exactly at the time I needed traction in the turn. Anyway, I got up and straightened out my wheel as the next chase group went by. I caught up to this group after a bit. It was about 8-10 riders, including my other teammate, Greta Zocca. Our 4th teammate, Sara Savino was in no-mans land trying to bridge between the 2 groups. We could still just barely see the front group, but this was a very disorganized chase group. The SC Masters team had 2 riders who were trying to chase, but most of the others had teammates up the road. I knew from my brief time in the break that Cathy was feeling really good, so I just settled in for another 40km or so of a training ride. By the 3rd time up the climb, the break had over 2 min. Our group was racing for 9th place, but people still kept attacking. Eventually, a Fannini rider attacked on the 3rd climb and finally got away. Greta went after her and they eventually caught Sara, but never the front group.

Meanwhile up front, Cathy tried to get away on the climb and the descent with 2 laps to go, but was reeled in. Then she decided she had better try to go on the flats. Of course others had this idea as well. SHe countered an attack by Moria about 1km before the last lap. On the climb, she said she only had about a 10m gap and Fany Lecourtoiis was chasing hard. Then she saw Fanny sit down and Cathy went for it with all she had. She managed to stay away the whole last lap and won by about 30sec. The rest of the break splintered and there was a group of 3 behind Cathy. Ukrainian Tatiana Stiajkina from Selena Rame (7th at the Giro d'Italia) was 2nd and Valeria Cappellotto (Italian nat'l road champ) was 3rd. Cathy has been through a lot lately, so it was nice for her to be able to get a win here. In true Italian tradition, the prizes were a side of procuitto, wine, coffee and shoes!