News for March 19, 1999

Cipollini in doubt for Milan-San Remo

It is now doubtful whether Mario Cipollini will participate in Milan-San Remo tomorrow, the first world cup race of the season. The Italian was involved in a mass fall in the last 75 metres of Stage 7 of Tirreno-Adriatico and has a damaged right collar bone. He is undergoing examinations with his doctor Enric Castellacci.

Cipollini summarised his feelings: "I am very disappointed. Milan-San Remo was for me the first high point of my season and it is the race I have been aiming at."

The injury is to his right shoulder and there is a small tear of ligaments in the collarbone and scapula. Castellacci has put Cipollini under intensive therapy to reduce the lesion and has placed a type of bandage to protect the shoulder. The doctor said: "We have taped it. On Friday we will see if this gives him problems riding."

But Cipollini won't talk about not riding. On Thursday he rode the bike for one and a half hours. "Unfortunately I have a pain in my shoulder and inflammation. I'm trying all possible remedies. I want to be at the start of Milano-San Remo at all cost".

Dutch women's team goes for Janneke Vos

Dutch national women's coach Jean-Paul van Poppel has selected Janneke Vos for Saturday's third round of the World Cup for women in Italy. Vos came to the national team from The Greenery. The other riders selected are Mirjam Melchers, Chantal Beltman, Sonja van Kuik, Sandra Rombouts and Angela Hillenga, who all competed in the first two rounds in Australia and New Zealand. There are 9 races on the women's world cup program.

Bartoli is now the favourite for Milan-San Remo

Michele Bartoli's win at Tirreno-Adriatico is win number 400 for Italian Team Mapei-Quick Step. Bartoli is approaching Milano-San Remo with the knowledge that he's one of the favorites. But he deals with this in a matter of fact manner: "San Remo for me is not a dream. For me San Remo is an ambition. It's an important race that I would like to win".

Michele Bartoli considered his Tirreno-Adriatico win: "This is a very important race, I was interested in winning it. The route has been an exceptional preparation for San Remo. I don't know if the team and I spent too much energy in defending my GC position."

Bartoli beat Rebellin and Garzelli. Vainsteins made serious tactical errors in the race and this meant he was not as tough a rival as he could have been. But Bartoli was not happy about the way he became GC leader: "I was displeased with the incident. I think that Vainsteins will ride a beautiful San Remo. My favorites for Saturday are Jalabert and Rebellin, with the Latvian surprise".

Michele has talked only about riders that he raced against at Tirreno-Adriatico. "Those are the adversaries that I have seen closely. I have heard good things about Vandenbroucke, Boogerd and Tchmil and I wouldn't forget Sorensen, who can always invent something". Bartoli arrives at San Remo aware of his strength. "I want to win it, but I haven't changed my mind. I think about when I was a boy and I remember the images of Argentin winning at Liege, at Flanders, but my memory doesn't tie up with Sanremo. I don't think that this will change my popularity. I'm not like Pantani - he has a wordly spirit, he does TV, he even attracts people who aren't usually interested in cycling. Instead, I'm popular in Belgium".

Richard Virenque

Seven stages at Paris-Nice, the seventh with a finish at the top of the Valberg, where he showed character and has shown the will to once again become a leader of the peloton. We are talking about Richard Virenque, who's 14th place at Paris-Nice won by Michael Boogerd, was the best performance by a French rider. Virenque's smile has not returned yet, but at least he has been able to file away the torment that his career underwent. He won't talk about the past, the Tour, the Festina affair. The Team Polti rider prefers to speak about the conclusions drawn from his first race in 1999 contested with less than 5 weeks training.

Virenque says: "I buried myself alive. They said that I wouldn't be succesful and that I would be at the end of the peloton. Now I can say that after what happened from July to January, Paris-Nice has been a pleasant moment. My relationship with the other riders? I would say normal. During the race nobody attacked me verbally or physically. I have not regained the rhythm of eight months ago, but I feel good and I think that I will have a good season".

On Saturday Virenque will start at Milano-San Remo to help service the team effort aimed at getting Davide Rebellin into a winning position. Then he will travel to the Catalan races, Pais Vasco and Romandie before th Giro d'Italia.

"I have analyzed the route of the Giro. I consider it extremely difficult. This would be a course that could launch Gotti to the first steps of the podium. But if Ivan is not in conditions then I will play my cards. I usually reach my best level by the end of May or the beginning of June, so I don't exclude the possibility that the Giro 1999 could become one of my objectives. Other than the Giro, Virenque is thinking about the National Championship, the Tour de France and the Worlds.

"They are three dates that I will face with determination. Team Polti has placed its belief in me and I want to repay Franco Polti and Gianluigi Stanga for the trust they've put on me".

José María Jiménez likes the ITT parcours for the Giro

José María Jiménez liked the route of the first individual time trial of the Giro. He said: "Considering that it is a time trial, it won't be bad for me. It has quite of few rises where I'll be able to defend myself against the specialsts and it isn't too long. For me, the more climbs and the shorter it is, the better".

El Chaba inspected the route in the company of Leonardo Piepoli, who will be the other 'card' that Banesto will take to the Italian race. Eusebio Unzué, sport director for the team, accompanied them by car. The two riders went around the circuit twice (62 kms).

Jiménez said: "It's going to be a route that will force riders to change their rhythm and gears constantly, because it has many ups and downs and quite a few curves. If I'm in good form, I should be able to have a good ITT, because it is a route for strong riders. The curves on some of the descents could be dangerous if you don't know them, but I have memorised the whole route. And on the day of the race I will be able to do a lap before the stage."

In the afternoon, Jiménez, Piepoli and Unzué covered by car part of stage 13 (Sassuolo-Rapallo, 231 km). "It has a complicated route, not only because of the climbs, but because there are some leg breaking slopes. If there is a battle going on, it could be a tough stage."

Jaermann Robbed

Rolf Jaermann discovered that his notebook computer was stolen during Tirreno-Adriatico from the Team Post Swiss lead car. The Swiss rider who takes his computer everywhere with him and uses it to keep in touch via the Internet was very disappointed to discover the theft.

Memorial Mealli to Vainsteins

The Memorial Mealli, which is given in memory of boss Franco, the creator of Tirreno-Adriatico, was given to Latvian Romans Vainsteins, winner at the Sorrento and Alba Adriatica stages.

Pascal Richard ill after the dog attack

Pascal Richard was not able to finish the Tirreno-Adriatico to a fever, which seems to be the effect of an anti tetanus shot that he had to receive. Richard had to get the vaccine when he was bitten by a dog at Santa Maria Capua Vetere. Richard is also worried that the medicine might come up in an anti-doping test.