Team manager, Claudio Corti said: "If everything goes well, Mario will bring home 2 to 4 stages and we expect Savoldelli to finish in the top 5 of the general classification. Paolo will be escorted in the mountains by Secchiari and Frigo".
Look out also for some new colors in the Saeco team. The latest novelty from the team builds on Mario Cipollini's pink bike and his stars and stripes shorts. This time team manager Claudio Corti has decided to launch multicolor bikes: each rider will ride a different color. For the first stage at Agrigento it has already been decided that Super Mario will have a white bike, Paolo Savoldelli with a black one. Then silver, yellow, fuschia, green... for Petito and company.
Corti said: "We want to present the whole pallet of colors in productions by our sponsor and with this initiative we have involved all the riders of the team. For Mario instead we have prepared a surprise: it is a secret now, but I can tell you that at the starting village, Mario will be a spectacle. However it won't be only bikes. At the finish zone, with so many fans, the place to go will be the red bus with the colors of Saeco-Cannondale. Which, a couple of hours before the finish of the stage, will prepare a stand with the team bikes and will be offering coffee.
June 30, Stage 1 - Ravenna Mirabilandia - Misano Adriatico, 95 kms: July 1, Stage 2 - Misano Adriatico-Colbordolo, 113 kms: July 2, Stage 3 - Ancona-Monteconero, 103 kms: July 3, Stage 4 - Umbertide-Umbertide, 112 kms: July 4, Stage 5 - Cascina-Buti Monte Serra, 118 kms: July 5, Stage 6 - Chieri-Moncalieri, 96 kms: July 6, Stage 7 - Badia Polesine-Lendinara, 11 kms: - crono July 7, Stage 8 - Chioggia-Caorle, 113 kms: July 8, Stage 910 - Chiuppano-Chiuppano ITT, 18 kms: July 10, Stage 11 - Fontaniva-Fontaniva, 110 kms: July 11, Stage 12 - Vicenz-Piovene Rocchette, 104 kms:
February 26, Omloop Het Volk April 19, Waalse Pijl April 22, Amstel Gold Race July 1-23, Tour de France
1. Frank McCormack (Saturn) 2. Robbie Ventura (Saturn) 3. Gord Fraser (Mercury Cycling) 4. Jonas Carney (Shaklee) 5. Graeme Miller (Shaklee) 6. Kevin Monahan (Breakaway) 7. Todd Littlehales (Navigators) 8. Eddie Gragus (World Team) 9. Harm Jansen (Smarttalk) 10. Ray Sanchez 11. Tony Cruz (L'equipe Cheval-Eisentrant) 12. Chris Pic (Cox Atlanta Velo) 13. Steve Tilford 14. Roberto Gaggioli (Defeet/Lemond) 15. Chad Gerlach (Merlin-Hind) 16. David McCook 17. Steve Milujeak (Jamis/Columbus Group) 18. Ashley Powell (Go Mart-West Virginia) 19. Paul Martin (Navigators) 20. Billy Innes (Kissena-Casati) 21. Kirk Albers (Ikon/Lexus) 22. Chris Fisher (Merlin-Hind) 23. Steve Sevener (Porterfield Tire Inc.) 24. Corey Fisher (Cycle Center) 25. Floyd Landis (Mercury Cycling) 26. Albert Hull (Cane Creek) 27. John Lieswyn (Shaklee) 28. Mike Taylor (Lombardi Sports) 29. John Corbett (7-Up) 30. Eric Lemaire (Cox Atlanta Velo) 31. John Atkins (Cox Atlanta Velo) 32. Marc Kebekus (Stone MTM Velo) 33. Jonathan Wirsing (Team Snow Valley) 34. Ryan Barnett (Cox Atlanta Velo) 35. John Durso (Lombardi Sports) 36. Zach Browne (NCVC Metropolis) 37. Patrick McCallion (J2/Epic) 38. John Knotts (Dean Bicycles) 39. Louis Lamarche (J2/Epic) 40. Brian Walton (Saturn) 41. Jason Gould (Breakaway Courier System) 42. Don Autore (Montclair Cyclist) 43. Elliot Hubbard 44. Eric Wholberg (Shaklee) 45. Zach Baker (Go Mart-West Virginia) 46. Jim Copeland (Merlin-Hind) 47. Reeses Houghton (Colorado Cyclist) 48. Mark McCormack (Saturn) 49. Vance James (CRT Racing) 50. Shawn Willard (Breakaway Courier System) Standings after 3 Races: 1. Frank McCormack (Saturn) 75 27 100 202 2. Gord Fraser (Mercury) 11 75 75 161 3. Christian VandeVelde (USPS) 100 0 0 100 4. Graeme Miller (Shaklee) 0 50 45 95 5. Rob Ventura (Saturn) 0 30 60 90 6. Jomas Carney (Shaklee) 0 24 50 74 7. Harm Jansen (Smart Talk) 0 35 30 65 8. Scott Moninger (Mercury) 60 0 0 60 9. Eddy Gragus (World Team) 0 24 35 59 10. Brian Walton (Saturn) 40 12 5 57 11. Jonathan Vaughters (USPS) 50 0 0 50 12. Levi Leipheimer (Saturn) 45 0 0 45 12. Antonio Cruz (Cheval) 0 18 27 45 13. Bart Bowen (Saturn) 20 21 0 41 14. Todd Littlehales (Navigators) 0 0 40 40 15. Jon Hamblen (Navigators) 35 0 0 35 16. Kirk Willett (Mercury) 30 0 0 30 16. Steve Tilford (Jog Mate) 5 0 25 30 17. Eric Wohlberg (Shaklee) 16 11 0 27 17. Mike Barry (Saturn) 27 0 0 27 18. Trent Klasna (Navigators) 25 0 0 25 19. Ashley Powell (GoMart) 0 8 14 22 20. Vassily Davidenko (Navigators) 14 7 0 21 21. Roberto Gaggioli (DeFeet) 0 0 20 20 22. Anton Villatoro (7Up) 18 0 0 18 22. Chad Gerlach (Merlin-Hind) 0 0 18 18 22. John Lieswyn (Shaklee) 6 4 8 18 23. David McCook (Unattached) 0 0 16 16 24. Pelle Kil (Smart Talk) 0 15 0 15 24. Paul Martin (Navigators) 0 3 12 15 25. Dirk Friel (Merlin-Hind) 0 13 0 13 26. Chris Baldwin (Ikon Lexus) 12 0 0 12 27. Kirk Albers (Ikon Lexus) 0 0 11 11 28. Chris Fisher (Merlin-Hind) 0 0 10 10 28. David Clinger (Mercury) 10 0 0 10 29. Dom Perras (NutraFig) 0 10 0 10 30. Jason VanMarle (NutraFig) 0 9 0 9 31. Thurlow Rogers (Mercury) 0 8 0 8 31. Clark Sheehan (7-UP) 8 0 0 8 32. John Corbett (7-UP) 0 0 6 6 33. Mike Sayres (Mercury) 0 2 0 2 33. John Peters (Mercury) 0 2 0 2 34. Adam Livingston (NutraFig) 0 1 0 1
Men's Scratch Race (8 kms): 1. Colby Pearce, Shaklee, Boulder, Colo.; 2. Kent Bostick, Shaklee, Oak Ridge, Tenn.; 3. John Walrod, Shaklee, Macungie, Pa.; Men's Sprint: 1. Marty Nothstein, U.S. National Team, Trexlertown, Pa., 11.38; 2. Marcelo Arrue, Ikon-Lexus, Woodland Hills, Calif.; 3. Jeff Solt, Los Altos, Calif.; 4. Jeffrey LaBauve, superdrome.com, Plano; Men's Points Race (30 kms): 1. Colby Pearce, Shaklee, Boulder, Colo.; 2. Jame Carney, Shaklee, Durango, Colo.; 3. Mike Tillman, Tevo/Net Zevo, Santa Monica, Calif.; Women's Chariot Race: 1. Tanya Dubnicoff, Shaklee, Canada; 2. Becky Quinn, Shaklee, Quakertown, Pa.; 3. Jennie Reed, Kirkland, Wash. Women's Miss & Out: 1. Nicole Reinhart, Saturn, Macugnie, Pa.; 2. Becky Quinn, Shaklee, Quakertown, Pa.; 3. Karen Dunne, unattached, Colorado Springs, Colo.
Day Two:
1996 Olympic silver medalist Marty Nothstein (Trexlertown, Pa.) won his second event in as many days Saturday night at the EDS Track Cup at the EDS Superdrome.
Nothstein won the Keirin, a seven-lap motorpaced event. The Keirin is one of four events which has been added to the 2000 Olympic lineup for the sport of track cycling. The 1994 world champion in the Keirin, Nothstein outdueled fellow national team members Gil Hatton (Alburtis, Pa.) and Bill Clay (Gurnee, Ill.).
1992 Olympian Jame Carney (Durango, Colo.) captured the men's miss & out event, while defending national champion and current U.S. national team member Erin Veenstra (Colorado Springs, Colo.) outlasted her competition to win the women's points race.
In a major upset, Lori Ann Muenzer of Canada defeated 1998 world bronze medalist Tanya Dubnicoff of Canada and Jennie Reed (Kirkland, Wash.), who finished fourth at last year's world championships in Bordeaux, France.
Rain forced cancellation of the finals for the 40km Madison and Olympic Sprint.
Many of these cyclists figure to compete at the 1999 World Cup opener (May 21-23) in Mexico City, Mexico before returning to the EDS Superdrome for another World Cup event May 28-30.
Men - Miss & Out 1. Jame Carney, Shaklee, Durango, Colo.; 2. Adam Laurent, Teva, Shell Beach, Calif.; 3. Mike Tillman, Teva, Santa Monica, Calif.; 4. Garth Blackburn, Cox Atlanta Velo, Houston; 7. Chris Carlson, Wheels in Motion, Frisco; 10. Chris Hipp, Plano Cycling and Fitness, Plano; 17. Gregg Germer, Coastal, Houston. Men - Keirin 1. Marty Nothstein, U.S. National Team, Trexlertown, Pa., 11.89; 2. Gil Hatton, superdrome.com, Alburtis, Pa.; 3. Bill Clay, Mongoose, Gurnee, Ill.; 8. Jeffrey LaBauve, superdrome.com, Plano; 9. Garth Blackburn, Cox Atlanta Velo, Houston. Women - Match Sprint 1. Lori Ann Muenzer, Intersports, Toronto, Ont., Canada, 12.36; 2. Jennie Reed, U.S. National Team, Kirkland, Wash.; 3. Tanya Dubnicoff, Calgary, Alb., Canada. Women - Points Race 1. Erin Veenstra, Shaklee, Colorado Springs, Colo., 34 points; 2. Sarah Ulmer, Elita, New Zealand, 14 pts.; 3. Andrea Hannos, Hotter n Hell, Vancouver, B.C., Canada, 2 pts. Olympic Sprint 1. U.S. National Team (Marty Nothstein, Trexlertown, Pa.; Sam Baker, Ventura, Calif.; Nathan Rogut, Plano), 47.810; 2. Cox Mongoose Composite (Sky Christopher, Tucson, Ariz.; Bill Clay, Gurnee, Ill.; Jeffrey LaBauve, Plano), 48.840; 3. Team Trinidad (Roger Farrell; Stephen Alfred, Wil Zegers), 49.988.
Senior Men, 120 kms 1. Kristjan Snorrason 2. Hilton Clarke jnr 3. Chris Carr 4. Andrew Benson
Snorrason (of Icelandic heritage!) was dropped in the third lap and only regained the bunch at three km to go. As the group of about twenty riders approached the last corner with two km remaining Snorrason attacked and achieved a gap. Drawing on his triathlon experience Snorrason held off the sprinters who spent too much effort covering each other and not enough on the pursuit.
Women, 80 kms 1. Debbie Hobbs 2. Katie Mactier 3. Louise Gomes 4. Lia Sarto
Victory to the experience of former AIS rider Hobbs. The small field rode with the juniors, Mactier's eagerness to lead out seeing Hobbs home by a tyre width. Gomes's ride was notable in that she regained the breakaway of Hobbs and Mactier after a solo chase of 40km.
Veteran, 80 kms 1. Peter Homman 2. Michael Hollingworth 3. Martin Fluendy 4. Bruce Will
Paralympic Gold medallist and multiple world record holder Homman escaped just before the last bend. Tokyo Olympian Hollingworth held noted sprinter Fluendy in check with a strong attack before the sprint could develop.
Junior men U-19 Adam Bonney U-17 Travers Nuttall U-15 Aaron Moody Junior Women U-17 Sigrid Pitkin U-15 Zoe Welsh