News for October 15, 1999

VDB operation

Belgian rider, Frank Vandenbroucke who fractured his right scaphoid in his fall in the World Championship road race last Sunday, will decide in the next few days whether to have an operation on it or not.

The options are either for him to have it in plaster for two months, or for an operation to insert a screw into the bone which would mean less time before he could use it again. Cofidis team doctor, Dr. Menuet favours the latter approach, which would mean VDB would have it in a splint for only 2-3 weeks.

Track Worlds squads

Australian team

The Australian World Track squad contains a mixture of both experienced and up and coming riders, including some members of the Junior World Track squad that was so successful in Athens in August.

World Junior Kilometre Record Holder Ben Kersten (NSW) and fellow World Junior Sprint Champion Jobie Dajka (SA) will be able to test their legs against the seniors, thereby gaining some valuable experience for next year's Olympics.

Along with France, Australia is the only nation to qualify riders for every event of the Championships.

MEN:

Sprint riders:

Danny Day
Jobie Dajka
Darryn Hill
Shane Kelly
Ben Kersten
Josh Kersten

Endurance riders:

Luke Roberts
Brett Lancaster
Graeme Brown
Nigel Grigg
Scott McGrory
Brett Aitken

WOMEN:

Sprint riders:

Michelle Ferris
Lyndelle Higginson

Endurance riders:

Lucy Tyler-Sharman
Alyana Burns

British team

Endurance riders:

Jon Clay                Team Pursuit
Bradley Wiggins 	Team Pursuit & Madison
Matt Illingworth        Team Pursuit
Rob Hayles              Team Pursuit, Individual Pursuit & Madison
Bryan Steel             Team Pursuit 
Paul Manning            Team Pursuit
Yvonne McGregor 	Individual Pursuit

Sprint riders:

Craig MacLean           Olympic Sprint & Sprint
Chris Hoy               Olympic Sprint
Jason Queally           Olympic Sprint & Kilo
Craig Percival          Keirin
Neil Campbell           Kilo
Julie Forrester         500m Time Trial

One male endurance rider will ride the points race, and another the individual pursuit.

French team

Men:

Sprint: Florian Rousseau (Orléanais), Laurent Gané (Cofidis), Arnaud
Tournant (Cofidis), Mickaël Bourgain (Cofidis)
Olymic sprint: Florian Rousseau, Arnaud Tournant, Laurent Gané.
Reserve: Vincent Le Quellec (Cofidis)
Kilometre TT: Arnaud Tournant, Hervé Thuet (Alsace), John Giletto
(Lyonnais)
Keirin: Laurent Gané, Frédéric Magné (Orléanais)
Individual pursuit: Philippe Ermenault (Picardie), Francis Moreau
(Cofidis), Damien
Pommereau (Ile-de-France)
Team pursuit: Philippe Ermenault, Francis Moreau, Jérôme Neuville,
Cyril Bos (Normandie)
Rserves: Franck Perque (La Française des Jeux), Jérôme Neuville 
(Crédit Agricole)
Madison: Carlos Da Cruz (BigMat Auber 93), Jérôme Neuville
Points race: Francis Moreau

Women:

Sprint and 500 m TT: Félicia Ballanger (Pays-de-la-Loire), Magali
Faure (Lorraine)
Individual pursuit and points race: Marion Clignet (Midi-Pyrénées)

Milan six off

Following the cancellation of this year's Leipzig six day race, the organisers of the Milan six have announced the cancellation of their race. It was to be held in February next year, however it was felt that this would interfere with the road riders' preparation for the road. The organisers want to showcase both road and track stars, but the February date would be too near the beginning of the road season.

They intend to hold it the following year at a more favourable date, possibly after the Zurich six.

Contracts and transfers

St Quentin moves up

The French division three team, St Quentin will move up to second division next year. British sprinter, Jeremy Hunt is transferring from Banesto, and Norwegian Ole Sigurd Simensen joins from dissolving Agro Adler Brandenburg. The team has also signed neo pros Cederic Celarier, Freddy Ravaleu, Stéphane Ravaleu and Luxemburgian Christian Poos. Mika Hietanen, Gregory Barbier, Nicolas L'Hôte, Franck Trotel are all leaving. The only remaining Frenchman is Jean Michel Thilloy who hangs on with three easterners: Linas Balciunas and Saulius Ruskis of Lithuania and Oleg Kozlitine, Kazachstan.

Rittsel to Jack & Jones?

Swedish rider, Martin Rittsel, currently with Team Chicky World, and with a new contract for Ballan, might stay in Denmark after all. According to Denmark Radio, Ballan's sports director Flavio Miozzo has not been able to settle the deal with co-sponsor Alessio, so Rittsel has been allowed to look for something else in the mean time - Jack & Jones is high on the agenda.

Another "Chicky", young Bjarke Nielsen, is also on the way to Jack & Jones, although Team Fakta have also been interested in him.

Other transfers

Germans Steffen Blochwitz, and Stephan Gottschling are looking for new jobs after Agro Adler Brandenburg winds up due to financial problems. Matthias Jandt will probably retire.

More Festina signings: Olivier Asmaker from TVM and neo Stéphane Augé, and La Francaise des Jeux may be signing Fabrizio Guidi's brother, Leonardo as well as Fabrizio.

21 year-old Tom Flammang from UC Dippach, who was been Luxembourg Road Champion in 1998 has signed for 2 years with the french Cofidis team. He will be the second cycling-pro from Luxembourg next year along with Benoit Joachim.

The other promising Luxembourg rider, Kim Kirchen (4th place in the U-23 RR at the Worlds) has also been contacted by some pro teams.

Post Swiss Team was among the strongest second division teams last year but then it lost Aebersold and Markus Zberg to Rabobank, and now the team is losing seven riders. Rolf Järmann's retirement was expected, but also retiring are Yvan Haymoz, Guido Wirz, Marcel Renggli and Frédéric Vifian, while Daniel Schnider and Sven Montgomery are joining La Française des Jeux.

Mercury Cycling Team has European ambitions for next year: Steve Zampieri, a Swiss neo pro has signed for next year.

Belgians Paul van Hyfte, Thierry Marichal and Koen Beeckman have all resigned for Lotto.