News for March 15, 1999

The Gewiss Doping Dossier

The latest doping allegations have come out about the former Gewiss cycling team from Italy. The revelations suggest that doping was a normal occurrence in the Italian team with top riders being implicated in blood doping. The former Tour winner, Bjarne Riis, Giro winners Berzin and Gotti and other top Italian riders like Giorgio Furlan and Minali rode for the team. The revelations were published in the Italian newspaper La Repubblica and the French sport's paper L'Equipe.

Both newspapers base their stories on published writing from a journalist Eugenio Capodacqua who works for La Repubblica, an Italian daily newspaper. The blood values of the riders from Gewiss interested him and he published the results of his investigation. He was never involved with Gewiss in any way. Further evidence came from dossiers of the Italian Judicial inquiry. In Italy, there are major investigations going on particularly in relation to the role played by the University of Ferrare where the sport's doctor Ferrari, who has been adviser to a number of Italian cycling squads, practices.

In prior times, the Gewiss team dominated the cycling world. The height of their power was demonstrated in the 1994 Waalse Pijl (Fleche Wallone) when they destroyed the peloton and took the first three places on the podium (Argentin, Furlan, Berzin). A lot of words were said after that performance. They were too strong.

On Friday, L'Equipe published a table of hematocrit levels of the Gewiss riders. Since 1997, a value over 50 per cent is now considered illegal under UCI rules. Tests done from December 1994 to May 1995 showed that many Gewiss rider were over this limit and increased their readings over this time. The results showed that Riis went from 41.1 to 56.3, Gotti from 40.7 to 57 and Berzin from 41.7 to 53. The Russian Ugromov was the rider with the highest reading - 60 per cent. It was also the period that he was very strong in the mountains of the Tour de France.

Riis, for one, has denied the validity of the figures published.

Pascal Richard and the German Shepherd

During the current Tirreno-Adriatico, 1996 Olympic champion Pascal Richard was waiting for the start of a stage when he was bitten on the right calf by a German Shepherd dog. He was treated on the spot and was able to race. When he arrived at the finish in Luco dei Marsi, his manager, Stefano Giuliani took him to the Avezzano Hospital for an anti-tetanus vaccine.

Science and hGH

German and Danish scientists have apparently found a method of detecting the differance between artificial and hGH made by one's own body. The method however requires that tthe test is performed within 36 hours of the artificial hGH being taken.

Kiwi in brawl

NZ track champion Gary Anderson has admitted he had drunk a lot of alcohol before being involved in a brawl in the early hours of the Sunday. The brawl was between Anderson and motel guest in Wanganui, where the NZ track championships are being held. The 31-year old Anderson gave a press conference in Wellington to explain the incident. Cycling New Zealand has also begun an inquiry into the incident.

A police spokesperson said that they had been called to a fight in the car park of the motel between the cyclist and a member of the Ulysses motorcycle gang. Punches had been thrown and both were bearing visible injuries. Noise from a bike gang party seemed to spark the exchange.

Netherlands, Ronde van Groningen, Club Competition Region 1, Round 1, March 13

 1. Herman Fledderus (Ned) WSV Emmen
 2. Reinout van Dam (Ned) Omega
 3. Edwin Veen (Ned) Omega
 4. Richard Mulder (Ned) Omega
 5. Marcel Alma (Ned) Swolland
 6. Jos Wolfkamp (Ned) Cycle Club 75
 7. Anne van de Veen (Ned) Peddelaars
 8. Arjan Seuninga (Ned)
 9. Jeffrey Leest (Ned) Peddelaars
10. Jerry de Bruyn (Ned)  Adelaar
Next race: March 27, Omloop Veenkolonieen

Netherlands, Ronde van Zuid Holland, Round 1 Top Competition, Cat 1.6, March 13

 1. Patrick Claessens (Ned) P&O-Löwik-Giant
 2. Sander Olijve (Ned) Agu
 3. Daniel van Elven (Ned) Rabobank
 4. Joost Legtenberg (Ned) P&O-Löwik-Giant
 5. Harko Kievit (Ned) Piels
 6. Stefan van Dijk (Ned) Rabobank
 7. Tim Hiemstra (Ned) Batavus
 8. Wopke Veenstra (Ned) Rabobank
 9. Robert van der Stelt (Ned) Agu
10. Rick Pieterse (Ned) Agu
11. Bram Schmitz (Ned) Agu
12. Alain van Katwijk (Ned) Agu
13. Robin Veen (Ned) MGI
14. Pascal Hermes (Ned) van Vliet
15. Maurice van Rijn (Ned) Axa
16. Wally Buurstede (Ned) Agu
17. Bjorn Cornelissen (Ned) Tegeltoko
18. Sandro Bijnen (Ned) Piels
19. Tom Hoedemakers (Ned) Piels
20. Angelo van Melis (Ned) Axa

Netherlands, Dorpenomloop Rucphen, 143.2 kms, March 13

 1. Ronald van de Tang (Ned) van Vliet		3.13.12
 2. John den Braber (Ned) Axa
 3. Sander Olijve (Ned) Agu
 4. Stephan van Dijk (Ned) Rabobank
 5. Sandro Bijnen (Ned) Piels
 6. Michel Stobbelaar (Ned) van vliet
 7. Daniel van Elven (Ned) Rabo
 8. Rene Kroes (Ned)  Novon-Rtvz
 9. Arthur Farenhout (Ned) P&O-Löwik
10. Tom Cordes (Ned) Piels

Watch the cops in Australia

If you commit "Cycling Crimes" in Perth you had better be prepared. A NZ Tourist (which probably explains it!!) was arrested, handcuffed, dragged down to the police station, fingerprinted and photographed for committing cycling crimes.

The 26-year old tourist was out for a bit of a ride in the inner-Perth area. He was not wearing a helmet, ran a red light and went down the wrong way in a one-way street. And yes, he rode on a footpath. The court hearing was told that a motorcycle cop shouted at the tourist to stop but the cyclist defied him. Soon sirens were shouting and support was called to take him back to the prison.

He was fined more than $500.