News for July 5, 1999

Contracts and Transfers

Jo Planckaert has signed for 2 years with Cofidis. He will be back with his former Belgian teammates from Lotto Chris Peers, Peter Farazijn and Steve de Wolf. He told the press: "Vandenbroucke has asked me at the beginning of this season what I was going to do next season once my contract with Lotto was up. I was non-committal at the time - neither yes or no. I was waiting for a better offer from Lotto but it did not come. I was then upset about Lotto's statement about my motivation and the decision to exclude me from the Tour de France team. The step to Cofidis was then an easy one to take. I have not signed anything yet because that is not permitted until September 1. But I gave them my word."

German Police looking into doping allegations

A German academic who specialises in drugs in sport has attended a police enquiry into the Telekom drug allegations. The academic from Heidelberg University, Werner Franke told a German radio station that the enquiry into doping in German sport including allegation made against Telekom: "involves a state prosecutor in the Rhineland, which is examining the area of nutrition. I gave the investigators documents which showed how material from Belgium was received by top German cyclists."

Team Polti harassed by French customs

The French customs on the road from Paris and Nantes searched a car from the Polti team as it was on it was to the Tour prologue. Nothing was seized.

Spain, La Molina, European MTB Championships

The European MTB championships were held over the last weekend in the ski station of La Molina, in the Spanish Pyrenees. The French won 4 of the championships contested and dominated the racing. 

Senior Men Downhill:

 1. Bruno Zanchi (Ita)            3.34.184
 2. René Wildhaber (Swi)             0.913
 3. Kristian Eriksson (Swe)          1.428

Senior Men Slalom:

 1. Michael Deldycke (Fra)
 2. Michael Marosi   (Cze)
 3. Jani Vesikko (Fin)

Junior Men Downhill:

 1. Franck Parolin (Fra)          3.35.701
 2. Cesar Rojo (Spa)              3.37.501

Masters (30 years and over):

 1. Samuel Peridy (Fra)           3.45.747
 2. Antonio Candela (Spa)            9.181
 3. Gianpaolo Mazzoni (Ita)          9.936

Senior Women Downhill:

 1. Florentina Moser (Aut)
 2. Malin Lindgren (Swe)
 3. Tracy Moseley

Senior Women Slalom:

 1. Tracy Moseley
 2. Helena Kurandova (Cze)
 3. Sofia Fagestr (Swe)

Junior Women:

 1. Sabrina Jonnier (Fra)
 2. Pascaline Reusser (Swi)
 3. Sandra Walker (Swi)

USA, Dayton Classic

With about 70 laps left in the race Knickman broke clear with another local rider. After 2 laps Roy was alone for about 8 laps. At that time, Mercury rider Mike Sayers and Shaklee's Kent Bostic bridged to Knickman and the three went away. Two laps later Bostic couldn't keep the pace and Roy and Mike went away. With about 35 laps to go, The two lapped the field. Mercury's Derek Wilkerson and John Peters were in a group of 9 that had broken away from the field and waited for Roy and Mike. At that point the 4 guys drove train for the final 35 laps. Gaggioli nipped Peters and Wilkerson in the sprint for 3rd. 

 1. Roy Knickman (Mercury)
 2. Mike Sayers (Mercury)
 3. Roberto Gaggioli
 4. John Peters
 5. Derek Wilkerson

Spain, Catalonia, 47th Volta a Lleida, Cat 2.6, June 14-19

Àlex Tarroja, who writes for cyclingnews.com from Catalonia reports that the 47th Volta a Lleida was well represented by international UCI and Elite/Under 23 teams. The teams included Rabobank (Ned), Royal Pesant Liege (Bel), Lada (Rus), Velo Sprint Narbonnais (Fra) Kelme-Costa Blanca (Spa), Banesto (Spa), Pinturas Banaka (Spa), Tegui (Spa), Burgos (Spa), Leyma (Spa), Saunier Duval (Spa), Avila Rojas (Spa), Vestisport-Hospitalet (Cat), Ideal Olimpic (Cat). 

Stage 1, Lleida - Corbins, 162 kms:

 1. Christophe Gauthier (Fra)  Besson-Aulnat

Stage 2, els Alamús - Pont de Suert, 132 kms:

 1. Diego-Luis Prior (Spa) Avila Rojas

Stage 3a, Pont de Suert - Ermita de Sant Salvador, ITT, 7.5 kms:

No result

Stage 3b, Pont de Suert - Les, 60 kms:

 1. Roger Lucia (Spa)

Stage 4, Les - Tremp, 138 kms:

 1. Coen Boerman (Ned) Rabobank

Stage 5, Organyà - port de la Bonaigua - Vielha, 139.5 kms:

 1. Benoit Luminet (Fra) Besson-Aulnat

Stage 6, Vielha - Lleida, 154 kms:

1. Ronald Mutsaars (Ned) Rabobank

Final GC

 1. Thorwald Veneberg (Ned) Rabobank
 2. Frederic Ivars (Spa) Banaka
 3. Ricardo Otxoa (Spa) Tegui
 4. Diego Prior (Spa) Avila Rojas
 5. Frederic Nolla (Fra) Velo Sprint Narbonnais
 6. Carlos Garcia (Spa) Avila Rojas
 7. Rafael Milà (Cat) Kelme-Costa Blanca
 8. Benoit Luminet (Fra) Besson-Aulnat
 9. Jordi Riera (Spa) Burgos
10. Joan Gomis (Spa) Tegui
11. Eneko Yarza (Spa) Saunier Duval
12. Ignacio Cumbreño (Spa) Tegui
13. Xavier Lindez (Cat) Saunier Duval
14. Javier Ramirez (Spa) Banaka
15. Joan Horrach (Spa) Illes Balears

Teams:

 1. Tegui

Mountains:

 1. Benoit Luminet (Fra) Besson-Aulnat

Stage points:

 1. Frederic Ivars (Spa) Banaka

Intermediate sprints:

 1. Stefan Van Dijk (Ned) Rabobank

Special sprints:

 1. Joan Horrach (Spa) Illes Balears

Intervolta:

 1. Diego Prior (Spa) Avila-Rojas

First Catalan:

 1. Rafael Milà (Cat) Kelme-Costa Blanca

Past Winners 

1995

 1. Eligio Requejo (Spa) Giner-SYS
 2. Jacob Viladoms (Cat) Espà-Banyoles
 3. Xabier Otxoa (Spa) Cafes Baque

1996

 1. Thierry Elissalde (Fra) Aquitanie
 2. Sergei Gritxenko (Rus) Lada-Samara
 3. Manuel Guevara (Ven)

1997

 1. Denis Mentxov (Rus) Lada-Samara
 2. Marc Prat (Cat) Vestisport-Hospitalet
 3. Steve Vermaut (Bel) Belgium National Team

1998

 1. Jose Urea (Spa) Avila Rojas
 2. Frederic Ivars (Spa) Sonia
 3. Manu L'Hoir (Bel) Pasant Liege
Thanks to Àlex Tarroja, Catalonia, Spain

Spain, Catalonia, 8th Criterium Terres de Lleida/11th GP Gas Natural, Cat. 1.6

Àlex Tarroja also reports on the 8th Criterium Terres de Lleida, a Cat 1.6 race starting and finishing in Lleida over 196 kms. It was held on June 6. 

AVS: 40.9 km/h

 1. Carles Torrent (Cat) Trujillo-Massi       4.47.29
 2. Antonio Martin (Spa) Kaiku
 3. Diego Prior (Spa) Avila Rojas                0.04
 4. Christophe Gauthier (Fra) Besson-Aulnat      0.04
 5. Unai Yus (Spa) Kaiku                         0.11
 6. Jaume Folguera (Cat) Trujillo-Massi          0.41
 7. John Pollack (Aus) Café Baque                3.07
 8. Joaquim Rodriguez (Cat) Iberdrola            3.07
 9. Juan-de-Dios Gonzalez (Cat) Trujillo-Massi   3.29
10. David Muñoz (Spa) Kelme-Costa Blanca         3.29
11. Javier Bielsa (Spa) Intersport               3.29
12. Eric Pascal (Fra) Kaiku                      3.29
13. Benoit Luminet (Fra) Besson-Aulnat           3.29
14. Iñigo Landaluce (Spa) Café Baque             3.29
15. Stephane Auroux (Fra) Besson-Aulnat          3.29
16. Erwin Vervecken (Bel) Royal Pasant Liege     3.29
17. Alberto Molina (Spa) CAI                     3.29
18. Sergio Perez (Spa) CAI                       3.29
19. Alvaro Bello (Spa) CAI                       3.29
20. Angel Arrieta (Spa) Kaiku                    3.29

Started: 133
Finished: 36

Teams: Kaiku (Spa)
Intermediate Sprints: Unai Yus (Spa) Kaiku
Special Sprints: Carles Torrent (Cat) Trujillo-Massi
Under-23: Jaume Folguera (Cat) Trujillo-Massi

Past Winners 

1995

 1. Ramon Medina (Cat) Sala-Ferrer
 2. Jordi Cervantes (Cat) Montcada-T2
 3. A. Castillo (Cat) Hospitalet-Medina

1996

 1. Jordi Cervantes (Cat) Ideal Olimpic
 2. Pau Doncel (Cat) Hospitalet-Medina
 3. Raul Alonso (Cat) Ideal Olimpic

1997

 1. Robert Lozano (Cat) Vestisport-Hospitalet
 2. Juan-A. Flecha (Cat) Kaiku
 3. Xavier Llamas (Cat) Cropusa Burgos

1998

 1. Manu L'Hoir (Bel) Pasant Liege
 2. Casper van der Meer (Ned) Kortrijkse Groeningespurters
 3. Roger Lucia (Spa) CAI
Thanks to Àlex Tarroja, Catalonia, Spain

US Cycling team for Pan American Games

USA Cycling nominated its 21-athlete team to compete at the 1999 Pan American Games, July 23 - Aug. 8, in Winnipeg, Man., Canada. The U.S. Olympic Committee's International Games Preparation and Services Committee must formally approve USA Cycling's athlete selections.

"This group of athletes has a tremendous amount of international racing experience and success," said USA Cycling Director of Athlete Performance Sean Petty. "We are confident that this team can bring back a large number of Pan American Games medals.

"The Pan Am Games are always important for us. They are even more significant with Olympic qualifying positions at stake. We can earn seven Olympic start positions by winning events in Winnipeg (MEN: sprint, kilometer time trial, Keirin, individual pursuit, points race; WOMEN: 500 meter time trial, points race)."

A half dozen Olympians, led by 1996 track medalists Marty Nothstein (Trexlertown, Pa.) and Erin Hartwell (Indianapolis, Ind.) headline the U.S. team. Nothstein captured the bronze in the match sprint and has seven world championship medals, including three world titles. Hartwell won the silver in the kilometer time trial, and has captured medals at each of the past three world championships. Alison Dunlap (Colorado Springs, Colo.) competed in the road competition at the Centennial Olympics in Atlanta, and will participate in the mountain bike and road events in Winnipeg. She ranks third in the UCI Cross-Country World Cup rankings, and finished fourth at last month's HP LaserJet Women's Challenge in Idaho.

The other three Olympians are 1996 track cyclists Mariano Friedick (Brentwood, Calif.) and Adam Laurent (Shell Beach, Calif.), who were members of the team pursuit squad, and Jame Carney (Durango, Colo.), who was part of the 1992 Olympic team.

Other members of the U.S. track cycling team are sprinters Marcello Arrue (Woodland Hills, Calif.), Johnny Bairos (Redlands, Calif.) and Jennie Reed (Kirkland, Wash). Arrue has appeared at two PAGs and won the silver medal in the match sprint in 1995 in Argentina. Bairos placed third in the Olympic Sprint at last year's EDS National Track Cycling Championships. Meanwhile, Reed placed fourth at the 1998 World Track Cycling Championship in Bordeaux, France and is defending national champion.

The endurance track cycling squad consists of Friedick, Laurent, Dylan Casey (Mountain View, Calif.), Tommy Mulkey (Winterville, Ga.), Derek Bouchard-Hall (Palo Alto, Calif.) and Brian Whitcomb (Chula Vista, Calif.) on the men's squad, while Erin Veenstra (Colorado Springs, Colo.) will represent the women's endurance riders. Casey, and Bouchard-Hall will compete in both the track and road cycling competitions. Casey won the 1998 national titles in the individual pursuit (track) and time trial (road), and competed at both World Championship events. Mulkey and Bouchard-Hall were competitors at the past two world championships. Whitcomb made his World Championship debut in 1998. Veenstra captured the individual pursuit at the EDS World Cup of Cycling in Frisco, Texas in May, and is the defending national points race champion.

The track cycling competition will be July 28-31.

On the mountain bike squad, Dunlap, who won the UCI Cross-Country World Cup series opener in March, is the lone female representative, while Steve Larsen (Bend, Ore.) and Carl Swenson (Boulder, Colo.) will represent the Stars and Stripes in the cross-country men's event, scheduled for Aug. 2. Larsen , who won the national cross-country title in 1997, has seven national race-wins to his credit and was a member of the 1998 U.S. World Mountain Bike Championship Team. Larsen holds the record for the most consecutive national race-wins -- three Swenson has established himself as one of the best pro mountain bikers in the United States. He won the opening round of the 1998 Chevy Trucks National Championship Series and finished 31st in the World Mountain Bike Championships. In 1999, Swenson competed at the 1999 Pan American Championships in Manizales, Columbia, and at 28th place is the top-ranked American in the World Cup standings.

The U.S. road squad consists of Casey, Levi Leipheimer (Windsor, Calif.) and David Clinger (Woodland Hills, Calif.) on the men's side, while Larsen will probably join the road squad. Dunlap, Karen Dunne (Colorado Springs, Colo.), Mari Holden (Colorado Springs, Colo.) and Elizabeth Emery (Albuquerque, N.M.) comprise the female competitors. Meanwhile, Leipheimer just captured the national time trial national championship and finished first at the GP Cycliste De Beauce in Canada. Clinger has been a member of the past three World Championship road squads, and is a past junior national road champion.

Dunne finished second at the First Union Liberty Classic to earn the PAG spot, and also collected the 1999 national criterium (road cycling) championship. Meanwhile, the top-placing U.S. female cyclist at the '98 World Road Cycling Championship in Valkenburg, The Netherlands (seventh), Holden is also a four-time national time trial champion (1995, 1997-99) and reigning national road race champion. Emery collected the 1998 Pan American Championships time trial crown in Brazil, and finished 10th at the 1998 Worlds.

There are two events in the road cycling competition - time trial (July 25) and road race (Aug. 4).

Three members of this U.S. squad are defending Pan American Games champi ons; Nothstein (match sprint), Friedick (team pursuit) and Laurent (team pursuit). Overall, eight of the 21 team members have previous Pan Am Games experience.

The following athletes are the alternates for the U.S. cycling squad; Jonas Carney (Asheville, N.C.), David 'Tinker' Juarez. (Downey, Calif.), Jeff LaBauve (Plano, Texas), Ruthie Matthes (Durango, Colo.), Becky Quinn (Quakertown, Pa.), Mike Tillman (Santa Monica, Calif.) and Tammy Thomas (Yazoo City, Miss.).

The Pan American Games are held every four years during the summer that precedes the Olympic Games. At least 80 percent of the Pan Am Games program consists of sports on the official Olympic program. The first Pan Am Games were held in 1951 in Buenos Aires, Argentina. The XIIIth Pan American Games will include 42 nations competing in 34 sports with an estimated 6,500 athletes. It ranks behind only the Olympic Games in number of athletes.

USA Cycling is the national governing body for the sport of cycling in the United States, and consists of more than 90,000 members. Among the member organizations are USCF (road, track and cyclo-cross), National Off-Road Bicycle Association (NORBA - mountain bike), National Bicycle League (BMX moto-cross) and USPRO (U.S. Professional Racing Organization-road). 

Men

Marcelo Arrue - Track	*+
John Bairos - Track
Derek Bouchard-Hall - Track and Road
Jame Carney - Track +
Dylan Casey - Track and Road
David Clinger - Road
Mariano Friedick - Track *
Erin Hartwell - Track	*+
Steve Larsen - MTB/Road
Adam Laurent - Track and Road *
Levi Leipheimer - Road
Tommy Mulkey - Track
Marty Nothstein - Track
Carl Swenson - MTB
Brian Whitcomb - Track

Women

Karen Dunne - Track and Road
Alison Dunlap - MTB/Road *
Elizabeth Emery	Road - Road
Mari Holden - Road
Jennie Reed - Track
Erin Veenstra - Track
* 1995 Pan American Games participant (Mar del Plata, Argentina)
+ 1991 Pan American Games participant (Havana, Cuba)

Pan American Cycling Events: