News for October 25, 1999

Hamburger back home

Danish rider Bo Hamburger has now signed with Jack & Jones for next year. Dutch rider Tristan Hoffman, coming in from TVM, is the highest UCI-ranked rider within the team at 63rd but he is followed by a strong squad.

Another eight riders are ranked 134 or higher with Michael Blauzun raising in the ranks after the team's Australian success in the VicHealth Herald Sun Tour, which finished yesterday. Hamburger is currently ranked at 251 on the UCI list.

Oscar takes final crit

World Road Race Champion Oscar Freire won his last race at Vitalicio Seguros, the 24th Trofeo Ciutat de L'Hospitalet, one of the last races in the Spanish crit calendar.

Freire, who was officially presented with the Mapei team yesterday, gained 24 points and defeated his main rivals Jose Maria Jiménez (22 points) and Roberto Heras (21). "I have not trained anything since the World's, but I am in good form and these races are short, they are a good spectacle and I enjoy riding them after the demanding season" said the Champ.

Melchor Mauri won the elimination race by defeating Martín Perdiguero in the end but did not score at all in the points race. Freire on the other hand was eliminated in the first rounds. He rode cautiosly since the Rambla Marina de L'Hospitalet del Llobregat was quite slippery after some rain.