News and Analysis for September 23

Belgian squad for the worlds announced

The Belgian squad for the World's might be controversial - at least in Denmark since Home Jack and Jones' sacked rider Marc Streel got given a reserve place for the ITT by Belgian national coach Jose de Cauwer. Streel was fired immediately after having a hematocrit level of 52 percent at the GP des Nations.

The complete squad:

Road race, Elite:
Johan Museeuw, Wilfried Peeters (Mapei-Quick Step)
Andrei Tchmil, Mario Aerts, Kurt van der Wouwer (Lotto)
Frank Vandenbroucke, Pter Farazijn, Nico Mattan (Cofidis)
Peter van Petegem, Geert van Bondt (TVM-Farm Frites)
Marc Wauters (Rabobank)
Dave Bruylandts (Palmans)
Reserves:
Geert Verheyen (Lotto)
Steve Vermaut (Vlaanderen 2002)

Museeuw, Tchmil, Van Petegem and Vandenbroucke are captains.

Time Trial:
Bert Roesems (Tönissteiner)
Rik Verbrugghe (Lotto)
Reserves:
Leif Hoste (Mapei)
Marc Streel, unattached

Half a million dollars needed in Denmark

Four million Danish kroner - about half a million $US, is what Jack and Jones needs for next year after the real estate firm Home, left their sponsorship after Marc Streel was caught with a high hematocrit.

Manager Torben Kørbæk has introduced stricter rules for the riders regarding dealings with foreign doctors and new clauses in riders contracts. Foreign riders will not be allowed to have their own doctors and there will be automatic discharge for anyone with a hematocrit level above 50 percent.

The total budget will be 18 million kroner (just over $US 2 million) unless the team finds another top sponsor for next year. Without the money, the team will be able to afford to go on like this year, but not develop according to plan. The team had high hopes on qualifying for first division next year.

"We cannot afford airline transport for our riders, we would also have got an extra sports director and an extra truck to transport our equipment," said manager Kørbæk who anyway trusts the team's credibility for the future.

Rider Michael Blaudzun comments on the case to news agency Ritzaus: "Streel knew the conditions, our management has acted correctly."

Philippe Gaumont reinstated in the Cofidis team

French rider Phillipe Gaumont, implicated in the "Sainz-Lavelot" doping affair, and subsequently suspended from his Cofidis team has now been reinstated.

The investigation into the affair, which also involved Belgian star Frank Vandenbroucke, "has shown that Philippe Gaumont neither took, nor distributed doping products," said Cofidis in an official statement. "In this situation, it would illogical to maintain the suspension of the rider."

"Certainly, Philippe Gaumont has been imprudent in this business by using products without knowing their composition without informing the team doctor, and we have asked him to follow team medical directions in future", Cofidis specified. Gaumont has readily agreed to this, and is looking forward to racing again with the team. Previously implicated in a doping affair in 1996, Gaumont had been suspended on May 10, at the same time as his leader Frank Vandenbroucke. Reinstated a few weeks ago in the team, the Belgian won Tuesday's 16th stage in the Tour of Spain.

Weltz moving home

Deputy manager Johnny Weltz will leave US Postal, where he will be succeeded by Belgian Dirk Demol. Weltz is believed to be manager in Team Fakta, a team moving up from the second to the third division with the help of rider Peter Meinert, also from US Postal.

Who will lead out - who will sprint?

Swedish sprinter, Glenn Magnusson, triple Giro stage winner, has signed for two years with TVM-Farm Frites that has already signed Australian sprinter Robbie McEwen.

"We haven't discussed how we are going to take care of that, but the team will do around 200 races, so I think the problem will solve itself," said Magnusson, who is leaving US Postal after just one year without any major success.

Sponsor upgraded in Casino

Casino have found a new main sponsor. It is Ag2R, an insurance company currently holding a minor sponsors role. The team is also looking for one more rider. Most of the riders are staying but there is still a question mark over Alexander Vinokuorov.

Austrian World's squad selected

ITT:
 Rene Haselbacher (Gerolsteiner), Florian Wiesinger (ARBÖ-Bosch)
 Reserve: Gerrit Glomser (Navigare Gaerne)
 U23: Jochen Summer (ARBÖ Stabil)
 Juniors: Andrew Bradley and Bernhard Eisel (I-GS Rinsacita)
 
Road Race:
 U23 (Five will ride): Christian Hölzl (ÖAMTC Vorarlberg), Patrick Kofler
 (ÖAMTC Vorarlberg), Christian Pfannberger (ARBÖ Elk Haus), Ralf Scherzer 
 (Team Tirol), Kurt Schwarzmüller (I-GS De Nardi), Jochen Summer (ARBÖ 
 Stabil)

 Juniors: Andrew Bradley and Bernhard Eisel (I-GS Rinsacita), Martin Grazer
 (RC Hoval), Bernhard Kohl (BA Gestetner), Rene Planchet (ÖAMTC Rankweil),
 Johannes Sattelecker (UNION Radwelt), Harald Starzengruber (Straßwalchen)

 Elite (by invitation): Gerrit Glomser (Navigare-Gaerne), Peter 
 Luttenberger (ONCE), Thomas Mühlbacher (Team Gerolsteiner), Georg
 Totschnig (Telekom), Peter Wrolich (Team Gerolsteiner)

Dutch U23 squad for the World's

 Road Race: Jeroen Boelen, Marcel Duijn, Addy Engels, Bram Schmitz,
 Thorwald Veneberg.
 
 ITT: Marcel Duijn and Remmert Wielinga.