News for March 12, 1999

New Women's team

Italian women's professional cycling team, GS Edilsavino, successfully held their team presentation and presented their new team line-up which includes American Karen Kurreck. (Kurreck was absent from the presentation choosing to compete at the first two rounds of the UCI Women's World Cup (WWC) in Australia and New Zealand. Kurreck will join the team on March 16 prior to La Primavera Rosa, the third stop on the WWC tour.

The team is headed by Frenchwoman and past World Champion, Catherine Marsal and Italian Greta Zocca. Also flying the team's distinctive orange, black and white colors will be Nada Cristofoli, Luisiana Pegoraro, Monica Bandini, Ilaria Bianchi, Sara Savino, Katia Fantozzi and Imelda Chiappa. First Direttore Sportivo is Stefano Scarselli.

The UCI WWC is a focus of the team's calendar as are the Giro d'Italia Femminile and the Tour de France. The calendar also holds many Italian races due to the team's title sponsor, Edilsavino, a Tuscan-based construction company. Other team sponsors include CLD (a graphic and internet services provider), Parkpre Italy (road and TT bikes), Gensan (energy products) and La Galleria (a commercial center).

Netherlands, Omloop Houtse Linies, March 7

 1. Daniel van Elven (Ned) Rabobank
 2. John van den Akkker (Ned) MGI
 3. Joost Legtenberg (Ned) P&O-Löwik-Giant
 4. Jens Mouris (Ned) P&O-Löwik-Giant
 5. Dennis Hey (Ned) MGI
 6. Marco Engels (Ned) MGI
 7. Rik Elfrink (Ned) P&O-Löwik-Giant
 8. Peter van de Reep (Ned) van VLiet-Weba
 9. Thorwald Veneberg (Ned) Rabobank
10. Marco Bos (Ned) P&O-Löwik-Giant

ONCE-Deutsche Bank to ride Criterium International

Manolo Saiz has now confirmed that ONCE will enter the Criterium International but the team will be without Laurent Jalabert - thus not allowing the organisers to continue advertising the Frenchman's participation. The team leader for the race will be Spaniard Abraham Olano.

Ullrich still has problems

Jan Ullrich faces yet another interuption to his season and is now training with Erik Zabel in Mallorca. Even though he has had only two days of racing this year Telekom are not worried. A spokesperson said: "Now Jan is well and is skinnier than in 1998. If he's not racing its only as precautionary measure. He will be the best at the Tour".

The new season is now in full swing and Ullrich would normally have ridden in at least two short stage races and should have raced the Vuelta a Murcia to refine his preparation for Tirreno-Adriatico and Milano-San Remo. That was part of his previous plan. Instead he is won't race until March 17 at a minor stage race in Portugal.

Team manager Walter Godefroot said: "No alarm - Jan is well, he's training seriously but we preferred that he didn't race because his form is a little delayed and we don't want him to have a hard time. It's only a precaution".

Those who have seen him recently say that Ullrich still looks rather fat although clearly he didn't gain the 18 kgs that he did in the previous winter. Godefroot said: "No, weight is not a problem. Jan at the beginning of March weighed 8 kilos less than last year. The problem is that Ullrich hasn't raced and his training has been interupted by one sickness after another. He has had at least two attacks of influenza. Jan has had a stomach complaint. He had a fever from a dental problem and the other day he had to have his wisdom teeth removed. Jan is a great athlete, with only one objective - to win the Tour de France again".

Ullrich is following a training program set by Peter Becker, his old director from his East German days. Godefroot said: "Ullrich is in Mallorca where our under 23 team is training at present. He has been training with Erik Zabel, who joined him from Spain to refine his training for Tirreno-Adriatico and Milano-San Remo".

Ullrich's return to racing will be in the GP Telekom in Portugal from March 17-20. Godefroot said: "Then Jan should be at Catalana perhaps the Vasque Country. We could decide to send him to Fleche Wallone and Luik-Bastenaken-Luik, two classics which suit his characteristics. Jan will start his final phase at the Tour of Germany and the Tour de Suisse, to be at his best right before the Tour de France".

AXA are permitted to start in the Kermiskoersen in Belgium

The Belgian Cycling Federation (BWB) have finally agreed to allow Dutch team AXA to enter the kermiskoersen this season. This is despite a protest by the French Cycling Federation and the Dutch Federation for Professionals (VVBW). Earlier this year, the BWB said that no riders in Trade III teams could participate in these professional races. Top amateurs in Belgian were allowed providing they were under 30 years of age.

However, a meeting between Dutch cycling promoter Gerrie van Gerwen and the BWB President De Backer has finally resulted in the Trade III riders being welcome at the races. The AXA riders raced in the kermis at Wanzelen on Wednesday and will compete in the GP Rudy Dhaenens on Saturday.

1999 Ronde van Nederland

August 24, Stage 1, Gouda - Tilburg (172.7 km)
August 25, Stage 2, Utrecht - Coevorden (185 km)
August 26, Stage 3, Coevorden - Denekamp (85.5 km)
August 26, Stage 4, ITT Nordhorn - Denekamp (26.2 km)
August 27, Stage 5, Nijverdal - Venlo (187.1 km)
August 28, Stage 6, Blerick - Landgraaf (227 km)

The Ferrari Doping Case

Mario Cipollini, Claudio Chiappucci, Enrico Zaina, Giorgio Furlan, Eddi Mazzoleni, Gianni Faresin, Andrea Dolci and Cyclo cross ex-World Champion Daniele Pontoni were questioned yesterday by the Giovanni Spinosa, the judge in Bologna, who is investigating the prescription, commercialization and supply of substances that are harmful to health. What the eight have in common is that at one point or another, they were treated by Dr Ferrari.

Chiappucci said: "Ferrari only treated me for a short time. They are doing this general convocation of riders. They want a better sport and more care for the athlete."

Cipollini had this to say: "We talked about cycling, but also about other things. The conversation went on in a friendly manner. The police are doing their job with seriousness and tact".

2 from 203

The UCI medical teams have detected two positive cases in 203 blood tests which have been done in seven races in the period between January 17th and March 7th. The riders declared not fit for competition were Italian Filippo Meloni and Belgian Marc Janssens.

Peden still chasing a world's medal

Australian Anthony Peden who is now a New Zealander is still chasing an elusive medal at the Worlds and will leave New Zealand to further that quest. Unable to get a consistent position on Australian track teams for the major championships, Peden migrated across the Tasman and has been the top NZ sprinter in recent years. He easily beat all comers at the NZ sprint championships which finished last weekend in Wanganui. He will travel to Germany in August to work under the well-known track coach Gerard Muller.

According to Peden this will help him build more explosive power which he hopes to unleash at the Berlin Worlds and then next year in Sydney. Peden told the NZ press that: "I'm in the top six in the world on current form but I need to find more explosive power. To be pushing the best I have to reach 72 km/h in seven seconds, but at the moment I'm reaching 69 km/h."

Old stager injured

65 year old "Fast" Eddie Albas of Alice Springs is well known to riders of the Top End Tour since its inception 22 years ago. In recent years Eddie has driven a number of B and C Grade breakaways up the Stuart Highway in the Top End Tour. Eddie has ridden most tours except for those when he was nursing his late wife in her final years. Anybody who rode vets at the Barkly Challenge in 1998 or the Alice Springs Masters Games should remeber Eddie Well. At the Barkly he was the old bloke who stuck with guys 30 odd years younger than himself in the group chasing the Rob Hadley greoup. Last Saturday Eddie had a bad prang at the Alice Springs Track. He is in a serious condition undergoing surgery at the present time. He is reported to have suffered amongst other things a broken collar bone, broken shoulder and multiple broken ribs. Eddie is in the Alice Springs Hospital and anybody who wants to wish Eddie well can send emails to him at tyowen@ozemail.com.