* Team Polti have shown further interest in Dutch sprinter Jeroen Blijlevens. Team manager Vittorio Algeri talked to him after the third stage of the Vuelta. Blijlevens has not yet decided on where he wants to race next year. He has only said that he is interested in riding for a foreign team. Algeri said: "Our manager Stanga has already spoken to Blijlevens. He has talked some terms. He is a good sprinter and would be a good purchase for any top team."
* Newcomer Stefan Schreck will ride for Team Telecom-ARD for the next two years. The 21-year old professional will begin his time with the German team on January 1. "Schrecki" (his nickname) has won the "Thüringen-Rundfahrt" last season with the TEAG-Köstritzer team from Thüringen. He is the biggest German hope among several bright prospects. He was the best new rider at the "Friedensfahrt" and he won the Under-23 race held in conjunction with the "Rund um den Henninger Turm" this year.
* Belgium cycling team Lotto is still waiting to sign a cosponsor for next year. They have not committed themselves with Jean-Luc Vandenbroucke for next season as yet while they wait to secure another financial backer. What has happened to the 2-year cycling partnership between Nationale Loterij and Mobistar? The partnership with Mobistar is over. The team is already looking down the barrel for next year as it has lost UCI-points and will be fighting for a wildcard entry to the Tour.
Eight riders have a contract for next season: Tchmil, Aerts, Van De Wouwer, Verbrugghe, Verheyen, L'Hoir, Durand and Jean-Denis Vandenbroucke (son of Jean-Luc). Nationale Loterij take care for 70 million BEF, Mobistar 35 million and the third partner, Berry Floor, 15 million. Without Mobistar the budget isn't enough anymore for running an A-team.
Meanwhile, Benfica announced the next day that they will begin disciplinary proceedings against the Spaniard. They allege that Plaza made public statements to the press about his withdrawal from the Vuelta which "gravely harmed the image and objectives of the team". They have also said that Plaza's representative had presented them with "exaggerated financial requirements to renew his contract" which expired on December 2000. They said his actions showed "an intolerable lack of respect for the company that he represents and his teammates". Apparently Plaza and his representative had "more promising offers from other teams" and Benfica refused to negotiate "under the pressure from any athlete or his representative".
Day 1 Day 2 Day 3 Total
1 Paul Rowney (Aus) Elite 4.03.58 4.10.32 3.28.28 11.42.58
2 George Visser (Can) Elite 4.04.00 4.11.02 3.28.27 11.43.29
3 Bill Hurley (Can) Elite 4.07.10 4.11.54 3.28.42 11.47.46
4 Josh Fleming (Aus) Elite 4.05.48 4.10.33 3.31.43 11.48.04
5 Rob Woods (Aus) Elite 4.04.11 4.11.53 3.34.55 11.50.59
6 Matt Wallace (Aus) Elite 4.06.30 4.10.25 3.34.56 11.51.51
7 Matt Decore (Can) Elite 4.05.44 4.13.20 3.34.22 11.53.26
8 Éric Tourville (Can) Elite 4.25.46 3.58.52 3.34.53 11.59.31
9 Marc Cousineau (Can) Elite 4.06.10 4.20.51 3.40.17 12.07.18
10 Terry Tomlin (Can) Elite 4.22.04 4.16.52 3.47.50 12.26.46
Thanks to Jérôme Turcotte, Canada
O'Grady is still under observation in a French hospital but is reported to be in good spirits. His doctors won't allow him to go home yet because they want to ensure there are no further complications. He has been warned off competing in the Worlds next month. He has to rest for 30 days as he has two small skull fractures.
1. Artour Babaitsev (Olympia Dortmund) 20 2. Bernhard Wächter (RV Hennh. Sossenheim) 19 3. Jens Zemke (Team Nürnberger) 13 4. Arnold Eisel (ARBÖ ELK HAUS Wien) 12 5. Jürgen Kotulla (RSC Kempten) 10 6. Friedrich Berein (ARBÖ ELK HAUS Wien) 10 7. Ronny Lauke (Olympia Dortmund) 9 8. Fabian Matthes (RSG Lauf) 8 9. Matthias Buxhofer (ARBÖ ELK HAUS Wien) 7 10. Franz Stocher (ARBÖ ELK HAUS Wien) 7 11. Andreas Dietel (RSG Lauf) 5 12. Bert Dietz (Team Nürnberger) 5 13. Marco Seidel (TEAG Team Köstritzer) 4 14. Jean Bäßler (Team Hohenfelder-Concorde) 3 15. Klaus Diewald (Team Nürnberger) 3 16. Uanni Ausbuher (Slavoi Terezin) 3 17. Philipp Foltz (Team Hohenfelder-Concorde) 3 18. Christian Hirsch (Team Hohenfelder-Concorde) 1 19. Kai Hundertmarck (Team Telekom) 1Thanks to Hans "Biff" Will Bavarian Cycling Federation
Stage 1, 140 kms1. Judith Arndt (Ger) Red Bull 2. Petra Rossner (Ger) BDR 0.16 3. Mircham Melchers (Ned) Netherlands 0.16 4. Monica Valen (Nor) Norway 0.16 7. Leontien van Moorsel 0.16 8. Heidi van de Vijver (Bel) Vlanderraden 2002 0.16 .. 14. Rachel Gilmore (Aus) National Team 0.16 35. Kristy Scrymgeour (Aus) National Team 0.16 41. Elizabeth Tadich (Aus) National Team 0.16 72. Margaret Hemsley (Aus) National Team 0.16 82. Geraldine Denham (Aus) National Team 0.16 Started: 140 Finished: 140Italy, Bergamo, European Track Championships
Men Points Race: 1. Stocher (Aut) 25 2. Karsnicki (Pol) 15 3. Galkine (Rus) 14 4. Zuijderwijk (Ned) 13 5. Tesar (Cze) 16 Omnium Standings: 1. Masotto (Ita) 21 2. Tesar (Cze) 20 3. Vacvlev (Ubk) 17 5. Zuijderwijk (Ned) 13 Under-23 Pursuit: 1. Podgorni (Ubk) 4.36.180 2. Marvulli (Swi) 4.40.160 3. Pommerau (Fra) Women's Omnium: 1. Silioessarena (Rus) 42 2. Bellutti (Ita) 39 3. Mansveld (Ned) 27Belgium, Houffalize, World Cup MTB, Final Round
Women: 1. Fullana (Spa) 36 km in 2.06.03 2. Dahle (Nor) 1.17 3. Blatter (Swi) 1.40 4. Sydor (Can) 2.09 5. Pezzo (Ita) 3.48 Final Standings: 1. Sydor 1560 points 2. Dahle 1510 3. Stroparro (Ita) 863 4. Dunlap (USA) 863 5. Alexander (GB) 845 Men: 1. Dupouey (Fra) 46.7 km in 2.21.36 2. Rasmussen (Den) 3. Evans (Aus) 4. Martinez (Fra) 5. Agergaard (Den) s.t. Final Standings: 1. Cadel Evans 1421 points 2. Martinez 1218 3. Sauser (Swi) 1104 4. Van Dooren (Ned) 1027Rival MTB group in Australia up and running
In an effort to bypass the incompetence of Cycling Australia (Australian Cycling Federation), a group of MTB'ers have broken free of CA and are running their own MTB organisation. The new MTBA is now incorporated in the ACT. It has an official postal address where correspondence should be addressed to:
MTBA PO Box 4604 Kingston, ACT 2604The Inaugural Executive is:
Tony Scott (president) Bernie MacArdle (Vice President) Yolande Joubert (Treasurer) Peter Gaull (Secretary and Public Officer)
The Under-23 team is: Thijs Al, Erwin Bakker, Marcel Hesseling, Ruud van Mil, Bram Tankink and Maarten Tjallingii.
The women's team is: Daphny van de Brand, Corine Dorland, Tessa Sollaart, Elsbeth Vink and Loes van Wersch.
Downhill: Bas de Bever, Wilfred van de Haterd, Michel Kruiper, Gerwin Peters and Gert Tholen.
"I am extremely excited about the prospects for this year of the Super Cup Cyclo-cross series," said Lyle Fulkerson, organizer for the SuperCup Series. "The Americans excelled at the 1999 World Championships, and the sport of cyclo-cross is on the rise. We have added two new venues (New York and Portland) and many of the venues are using the SuperCup for grass roots racing. We are also excited that all seven races are UCI (international cycling federation) sanctioned."
"The SuperCup series has played a large role in the development of U.S. riders both domestically and internationally," said Evan Call, U.S. Cycling Federation Managing Director. "Our performances at this year's world championship are a testimony to the importance of this series. This series provides cyclists more opportunities to compete against the best in the country, and we have seen an increase in the number of competitors."
Now in its fourth season, the campaign kicks of October 17 in Boston, Mass., followed two weeks later with a stop in Long Island, N.Y. (October 23). The third event of the season occurs November 7 in Boulder, Colo., while Chicago will host the fourth stop of the series on November 13.
The fifth event is slated for Seattle, Wash. on Nov. 20, followed by Portland, Ore. on December 4. The SuperCup Finals will be run in conjunction with the USCF National Cyclo-Cross Championships (Dec. 10-11).
Defending national under-23 champion Tim Johnson (Middleton, Mass.) became the first U.S. cyclist to win a medal in the 50-year history of the World Cyclo-Cross Championships with his bronze medal performance earlier this year in Poprad, Slovakia. The following day, Matt Kelly (Johnson Creek, Wis.), who placed third in the SuperCup junior men's competition, collected the world championship.
In addition, the 2000 World Cyclo-Cross Championships (January 29-30, St. Michielsgestel, Netherlands) marks the debut for the women's competition.
Date Location October 17 Boston, Mass. October 23 Long Island, N.Y. November 7 Boulder, Colo. November 13 Chicago November 20 Seattle, Wash. December 4 Portland, Ore. December 12 San Francisco
Kenneth Curtis is the kind of creative, can-do American entrepreneur that made this country what it is today. He saw a need, created a product, built a business. But now Big Government is on his back. The politicians just don't like what he's selling. Which is urine. His own.
Curtis's urine is pure. It's natural. It's organic. It's composed of 100 percent recycled materials. And, most important to his customers, it's guaranteed drug-free.
"I live a clean life," he says, "and I supply all the urine."
For $69, plus postage, Curtis sells five ounces of his urine in a little plastic bag, along with 30 inches of plastic tubing and a tiny heat pack designed to keep his fluid at body temperature. Taped to the body, this "urine test substitution kit" enables customers to pass off his urine for their own during workplace drug tests.
"I've never had a customer fail a test," he says. "I'm very proud of that."
Curtis, 40, was a pipe fitter in Greenville, S.C., when he started his urine business four years ago. Every time he signed on with a new construction contractor, he had to be tested. He always passed - he doesn't use drugs - but the testing irked him. He considered it an unconstitutional violation of his privacy.
"I was being tested a dozen times a year," he says. "I found it very invasive."
So he decided to fight back. He developed his kit and founded a company, Privacy Protection Services, to sell it. He set up a Web site that advertises his, um, product, with a patriotic appeal, complete with waving American flags and an essay on the Fourth Amendment. He's not selling urine, his site proclaims; he's selling privacy, freedom, and the American Way of Life. He's sold thousands of the kits, he claims, although he won't say how many thousands.
Last spring, irate that Curtis's kit could foil drug tests, South Carolina state Senator David Thomas drafted a bill to ban the sale of urine. The bill carried a penalty of five years in prison for selling urine - or even giving it away - with the intention of defrauding a drug test. Texas, Nebraska, and Pennsylvania had already enacted similar bans.
The bill became law in June. To test it, Curtis walked into the Greenville police headquarters and ceremoniously presented one of his urine kits to a sheriff's deputy. The cops huddled with a lawyer and then decided not to arrest Curtis, claiming his publicity stunt didn't violate the law because the deputy who received the urine had no intention of defrauding a drug test.
"I'm still in business," Curtis says.