News for October 4, 1999Trade teams go international By Tomas Nilsson, cyclingnews.com correspondent The trade teams of cycling will from next year be directly affiliated to the International Cycling Union (UCI), instead of the various national federations as is the case today, according to French news agency AFP. No further details were revealed, but it may mean that professional cyclists guilty of doping might get the same punishment regardless of nationality. Today sanctions vary from country to country. For example, six months suspension is standard on the continent while Scandinavians get two years. It's enough to make you want to change your nationality. Future World Championships in Belgium and Canada The road World Championships will be held in Zolder, Belgium and Hamilton, Canada in 2002 and 2003 respectively. Valladolid, Spain and Spa, Belgium were the other main contenders for 2002. Zolder will also be hosting the World Cyclocross Championships in 2002. The location of the track championships will be decided during ths cyclo cross Worlds in the Netherlands in January. The coming road championships for the next 4 years: 2000: Plouay, France
In a very magnanimous gesture, the UCI have also decided that the championships will be held outside Europe at regular intervals, possibly seven years(!) Look out Lesotho.
French contract news 31 year old French ex-World road champion, Laurent Brochard (Festina), has signed a three year contract with the new squad Jean Delatour, according to the teams sports director Michel Gros. Also, it's now definitely clear that Jean Cyril Robin, 30 years will ride for Jean-René Bernaudeau's new team, Bonjour next season. This weakens his old team, La Francaise des Jeux considerably and raises the question that the two new French teams might "dilute" the other French outfits, so that France will lose several teams to the second division next year.
Two Aussies to Italy Second division Italian team, Panaria-Gaerne (this years Navigare-Gaerne) has signed Australians Nathan O´Neill and Tom Leaper for next year. Silovs goes south Team home Jack & Jones' Latvian Juris Silovs vill continue his career at Cofidis. He is one of the Danish team's top scorers with 355 UCI-points but team manager Torben Kølbæk isn't too worried: "It might cost us around 50 points on the team ranking, but that doesn't matter too much. He has got a better offer. That's all. And it is no secret that we have wondered a lot about his performances these two seasons with excellent performances in spring and almost disappearing in the late season. That isn't good for the team morale", he said. It can only get better. |