News for June 16, 1999

Pantani still popular

Marco Pantani, who gets Italians to trek over the mountains during the Giro d'Italia, is now on top of the TV ratings in Italy. Last Wednesday, his press conference was broadcast live by RAI and no less than 1,536,00 watched it live. A little later, RAI 2 broadcast an interview and the fever had grown with 2,534,000 Italians listening.

Meanwhile, he is set to continue his racing career after his two week suspension. His team manager Giuseppe Martinelli has named the rider in the team's provisional starting list for the Tour of Spain and has stated that he will also be aiming for the World Championship road race. Martinelli said: "The Tour of Spain is an ideal preparation for the Worlds in October."

Would he be at the Tour de France? Martinelli: "The chances are not good."

Telekom deny the Der Spiegel allegations

Telekom have accused Der Spiegel on cheque book journalism and have said their story is unfounded. Spokesperson Juergen Kindervater commented on the 9-page dossier on the team published in Germany on Monday in the relatively serious Der Spiegel and said: "It's all allegations and suppositions. I don't see a single proof in it. The whole report is a collection of allegations, insinuations and suppositions. I have evidence that the Spiegel has waved its chequebook and has been trying desperately to get former assistants of the team to talk. I call that attempted bribery."

Meanwhile, Jan Ullrich has announced that he will be taking legal action against the magazine. He as named in the report which was based allegedly on testimony and documents given to the magazine by former Telekom riders. Ullrich has said: "My only secret is that I train hard and lead a healthy life. Scientific training and medical control rule at Telekom. If any one of us privately used doping, he would have to pack his bags straight away."

But his preparations for the Tour de France are not going well. His super domestic Jens Heppner is out because of a recent crash. Ullrich, himself has a painful knee following a crash during the Tour of Germany 14 days ago. He said: "I hope, it will hold. I have a lot of pain in the mountains."

He said of the Der Spiegel article: "I've read the article. These are all lies and assumptions. This has nothing to do with the team and myself. I have never used EPO". Ullrich said he will take the magazine to court. On Monday, his manager Wolfgang Strohband has engaged a lawyer from Hamburg to seek damages for defamation.

Team manager Walter Godefroot said that Ullrich was demoralised: "This has hurt Jan very much. He is demoralised." added Ullrich. Sponsor Telekom is also taking legal action. Spokesperson Stefan Althoff said: The legal examination is not finished yet. The problem is, the article does not reveal any concrete names of the i

He also explained the claim that Ullrich stayed in another hotel to avoid detection: "It was just after Ullrich won the Tour in 1997. He had to ride in Bühl. Because he had things to do the night before in Aachen he stayed in a hotel between Aachen and Bühl, while the rest of the team stayed in Bühl."

French want the Tour to continue

Tour de France organiser Jean-Marie Leblanc has rejected the growing calls that the Tour be called off this year to address the doping problem in cycling. He told his previous employer, L'Equipe (he was a journalist after quitting racing) that the public of France wanted the Tour to continue as a statement against doping. He said: "Why should the Tour alone suffer? Why should it not go ahead while other events can?" The suggestion that it should not start this year suggests that cycling hasn't the ability or confidence to overcome the drugs problem. That will not exactly inspire confidence to sponsors or spectators either. Wherever I go people come up to me and say 'Hold tight Mr Leblanc the Tour must go on' and as a recent poll indicated 80 percent of the French people asked said that the race should go ahead. I hope the police don't interfere while the race is going on, apart from if there is a major scandal, as the cyclist's routine is a very special one with the racing, the massages and sleep and if they are taken away to hospital or police stations it perverts the course of the race."

Meanwhile, ten managers of the leading teams have sent an open letter to UCI president Hein Verbruggen, as a measure to further their fight against doping. The letter said: "We cannot accept the rules where riders who comply with them are being penalised wrongfully. We have to define common rules. Doping is not inevitable." It was signed by Big Mat, Cofidis, Credit Agricole, La Francaise des Jeux, Festina, Deutsche Telekom, Lotto-Mobistar, Mapei-Quick Step, Saeco-Cannondale and Vitalicio Seguros.

They said that the letter was given to all the Division I teams as well as to Big Mat which is a Division 2 team. "12 companies have not answered our draft letter invitation addressed to them on May 31. One company did say they did not wish to be associated with the letter."

The letter continued to outline the group's worry about "new doping products which are undetectable by usual testing." They said that drugs like PFCs and blood doping drugs are now comnom and create major health risks for the riders.

"These substances, in addition to EPO, significantly changes the physiology of the rider. A few years ago we might have said that doping didn't really alter the hierarchy in the sport. This idea is no longer valid. Riders can now mask pain, tiredness and distort the relativities in the results. The winner is no longer necessarily the best rider but the best prepared. While the measures to detect these drugs are expensive we are prepared to help the UCI to stop the doping."

19th Asian Cycling Championships, Tsumagoi, Japan:

The 19th Asian Cycling Championships were held in Tsumagoi, Japan over the weekend with the Time Trials being staged first on Friday. Miwako Sasaki, who reports for cyclingnews.com from Japan writes that the races were held on the Tsumagoi Village Circuit, Gunma-ken. In the men's event, the Kazak riders were very strong and Andrey Mizurov won the 34.2 kms Time Trial from teammate Sergey Yakovlev in 50.06.05. Yakovlev, who won the road race now rides for the French team Besson Chaussures-Nippon Hodo. The Kazakstan team also won the men's 4 kms individual pursuit when Asian Games champion Vadim Kravchenko scored his 6th consecutive win.

In the women's ITT, it was China's Zhao Haijuan who won in 20.06.07 over the 11.4 kms circuit.

In the men's road race, the parcours was shortened from 207.2 kms to 164.4 kms because of traffic troubles. There were only 30 entrants. Yakovlev won the race, which was the last event on the program. He came in at 5.07.58, 34 seconds faster than Japanese rider Hidenori Nodera

The victory ensured that Kazakhstan gained a second cycling berth for Sydney 2000. After the week of competition, Japan now has 4 Olympic places, Kazakstan 2, South Korea one as for Iran. The nations with the top 2 placegetters were given an Olympic place.

Japan had success though in the women's road race. A former speed skater, Miho Oki won the 68.5 kms race in 2.29.53. She beat Yang Limei (China) by a 10.01 and another Japanese rider Akemo Morimoto a close third.

Of the other events, Shinichi Ota (Japan) won the men's Keirin, Narihiro Inamura (Japan) won the men's 1km time trial and Hideki Yamada (Japan) won the men's sprint. Ji Sung-Hwan (South Korea) came second in the men's sprint and gained a Sydney 2000 place for South Korea. 

Men's  ITT, 34.2 kms:

  1. Andrey Mizurov (Kaz) 		50.06.05
  2. Sergey Yakovlev (Kaz) 		52.16.14
  3. Osamu Sumida (Jpn) 		52.23.41
  4. Ghader Mizbani Irangh (Iri) 	52.32.75
  5. Wong Kam-po (Hkg) 			52.36.40
  6. Yasuhiro Nakajima (Jpn) 		53.27.65
  7. Ahad Kazemi Sari (Iri) 		54.03.78
  8. Tang Xuezhong (Chn) 		54.06.80
  9. Pavel Nevdakh (Kaz) 		54.41.40
 10. Kim Tae-Ho (Kor) 			55.37.11
 11. Li Fuyu (Chn) 			55.55.32
 12. Jamsran Ulzii Orshikh (Mgl) 	58.15.65
 13. Fathi Al-Muslem (Ksa) 		58.51.50
 14. Darwish Ali (UAE) 		      1.00.02.58
 15. Ho Siu-lun (Hkg) 		      1.00.10.73
 16. Ting Cheng-chang (Tpe)           1.00.55.32
 17. Abdulaziz Boukafta (Ksa)         1.02.34.92
 18. Mohd Aziao Jamaludin (Mas)       1.03.57.98
 19. Wong Keng-ming (Mac)             1.06.48.31
 20. Lam Koc-kevng (Mac)              1.06.56.61

Women's ITT, 11.4 kms:

  1. Zhao Haijuan (Chn) 		20.06.07
  2. Shim Jung-Hwa (Kor) 		20.06.86
  3. Miyoko Karami (Jpn) 		20.27.85
  4. Alexandra Yeung Ka-wah (Hkg) 	20.39.12
  5. Tomoko Sekiya (Jpn) 		21.13.38
  6. Li Meifang (Chn) 			21.14.23
  7. Banna Compu (Tha) 			21.41.89
  8. Fang Fen-fan (Tpe) 		21.56.26
  9. Chen Chiung-yi (Tpe) 		22.58.51
 10. Eum Sun-Young (Kor) 		23.03.50
 11. Suriati Nosli (Mas)		25.17.87

Boys' ITT 22.8 kms:

  1. Lee Woo-Jung (Kor) 		36.08.39
  2. Abbas Saeidi Tanha (Iri) 		37.10.14
  3. Sohrabi Mehdi (Iri) 		37.37.28
  4. Tetsuya Ishida (Jpn) 		38.52.74
  5. Prajak Mahawong (Tha) 		39.17.35
  6. Yuji Yoshikawa (Jpn) 		39.39.41
  7. Obed Matar (UAE) 			40.37.23
  8. Wong Hoi-wah (Hkg) 		40.44.21
  9. Lkhagvasuren Batmunkh (Mgl) 	41.04.33
 10. Cheng Cheuk-chun (Hkg) 		41.24.34
 11. Boumiyan Mohamed (UAE) 		41.59.38
 12. Mohd Yusof Abd Nasir (Mas) 	43.44.48
 13. Choi Chin-ma (Mac) 		43.45.24
 14. Leong Lat-fung (Mac) 		45.31.66
 15. Mohd Fadhii Ismail (Mas) 		46.34.29

Girls' ITT, 11.4-kms:

  1. Mayumi Fukui (Jpn) 		22.07.12
  2. Liu Dan (Chn) 			22.15.76
  3. Park Won-Sun (Kor) 		22.29.71
  4. Ko Ming-fang (Tpe) 		23.00.02
  5. Wang Ying (Chn) 			23.04.94
  6. Leung Chung-ming (Hkg) 		23.13.38
  7. Seiko Masuda (Jpn) 		23.29.84
  8. Lee Joo-Young (Kor) 		23.32.06

Medals (Gold, Silver, Bronze, Total, Juniors in brackets):

 Japan 			12 (6)  6 (3) 	6 (0)  24 (9)
 South Korea 		 5 (3) 10 (4)  10 (5)  25 (13)
 China 			 5 (1) 	3 (4) 	2 (2)  10 (5)
 Iran 			 3 (2) 	3 (3) 	5 (4)  11 (9)
 Kazakhstan 		 2 (0)	3 (0) 	5 (0)  10 (0)
 Taiwan 		 1 (1) 	2 (1) 	4 (2) 	7 (4)
 Hong Kong 		 0 (0)	1 (0)	1 (0)	2 (0)

Dutch Mountain Bike Championships

Men:

 1. Bas van Dooren
 2. Bart Brentjens
 3. Patrick Tolhoek

Women:

 1. Corine Dorland
 2. Loes van Wersch   	> 5.00
 3. Yvonne Brunen 		> 8.00

US Team for World Cup Track Round 3, Valencia, Spain

Ten U.S. track cyclists are headed to the third stop of World Cup competition, June 18-20, in Valencia, Spain. The US captured the team title in the season-opener in Mexico City, and Christian Vande Velde (LeMont, Ill.) and Erin Veenstra (Colorado Springs, Colo.) each won the individual pursuit, and the U.S. finished just two points behind Australia for the team crown. Overall, the United States leads the team scoring after two rounds of the World Cup.

For their accomplishments during the first two World Cups, the U.S. Olympic Committee awarded the squad Team for the Month for May. The World Cup is a series of five races throughout the world, which features head-to-head competition for the world's elite track cyclists and permits countries to earn extra berths for the 1999 World Championship in Berlin, Germany.

1992 Olympian Jame Carney (Durango, Colo.) leads the U.S. men's contingent. He teamed with brother, Jonas, to win the 1998 EDS National Elite Track title in the Madison. Meanwhile, Jonas Carney (Asheville, N.C.) also won the national title in the points race a year ago.

Meanwhile, the women from the United States are headlined by '98 world championship participants Jennie Reed (Kirkland, Wash.). The defending national match sprint champion, Reed placed fourth in the match sprint.

USA Cycling has also hired Matt Cramer to join the USA Cycling coaching and athlete development staff, USA Cycling Director of Athlete Performance Sean Petty announced Tuesday. Cramer will serve as the mountain bike resident-athlete coach, living and working full-time at the U.S. Olympic Training Complex in Colorado Springs, Colo.

Cramer graduated from Penn State University in 1998 with a bachelor's of science in kinesiology. His emphasis was sport science and exercise kinesiology. During college, Cramer competed in road cycling and was a two-time national collegiate road and mountain bike qualifier.

"I want to help athletes with their short- and long-term performance goals in the sport of cycling. I also hope to be a key part of our athletes' development as they prepare for the upcoming Olympics Games in Sydney," Cramer said.

In 1998, Cramer worked at the ARCO Olympic Training Center in Chula Vista, Calif. as a sport science and technology intern. During that time, he provided testing services and training advice to athletes. He also assisted coaches in the creation of training programs.

Prior to joining USA Cycling, Cramer, a Boy Scouts of America Eagle Scout, was the resident rowing programs administrator for the U.S. women's national team. One of his main accomplishments with the team was the implementation of video tape analysis to improve the technical aspects of the rowing stroke.

The 1999 World Cup series now goes to Spain (June 18-20), Italy (August 27-29) and Columbia (September 4-6).

I am unable to provide any specific Australian team information because Cycling Australia and its paid officials refuse to send me any data or information. Sorry about that. 

Rebecca Quinn - Sprint
Jennie Reed - Sprint
Marcelo Arrue - Sprint
Johnny Barios - Sprint
Jame Carney - Endurance
Jonas Carney - Endurance
Jeff LaBauve - Sprint
Colby Pearce - Endurance
Tommy Mulkey - Endurance
Nathan Rogut - Sprint

Ireland, Duane Delaney Memorial Race

Anto Moran of the Finglas Raven, Dublin, Ireland. Duane Delaney died just over a year ago after being struck from behind by a truck whilst riding to last season's first road race here in Melbourne, Australia. He was a very popular member of the Carnegie Caulfield Cycling Club and is missed greatly by all his mates. The first running of his memorial race in Dublin, run by his home club was held last weekend.

June 10, saw the running of the inaugural SeJim Motors Duane Delaney Memorial Race. Seventy riders faced the starter including former Tour de France /Giro/World Championship winner Stephen Roche. Laurence Roche former Tour rider has been in sparkling form over the recent weeks and was looking to give his big brother some pain on the main rendezvous of the night - Mullagh Village. Joining the Roche brothers was Philip Cassidy (Navan) fresh from his Ras (Tour of Ireland) victory as well as top ten finishers Stephen O'Sullivan (Bray) and Bill Moore (Stamullen).

Cassidy led the charge up to Mullagh the first time and this was the decisive move. All the top men made the cut. The bunch was spread all over the hill but it all came together on the descent and a concerted effort was made to bridge the ever increasing gap. Ravens man Mick Wall was flying the flag for the promoting club in the front group.

Over the following 2 laps the gap came down to 30 secs from a high of 2.5 minutes. Wall was pipped on the line by O'Sullivan followed closely by Lavery (Garda), Kiernan( Unatt), Laurence Roche and Oliver McQuaid (Mcquaid Cycles). 

 1. Stephen O'Sullivan (Bray Wheelers)
 2. Mick Wall (Ravens CRT)
 3. Tosh Lavery (Garda)
 4. Mark Kiernan (Unatt)
 5. Laurence Roche (Roche Cycles)
 6. Oliver McQuaid (McQuaid cycles)

1st Unplaced Veteran: Karl Gallagher (Garda)
Most Aggressive Rider: Bill Moore (Stamullen)
Team: Ravens CRT (Wall, King, McGee, Moran)
Premies: O. McQuaid, S. O'Sullivan