News for August 16, 2000

No Olympics for Pascal Richard

The five man Swiss Olympic road team was selected today, with the most notable absence being defending Olympic champion, Pascal Richard (Linda McCartney). The Swiss Federation chose Alex Zülle, Oscar Camenzind, Laurent Dufaux, Markus Zberg and Mauro Gianetti, with approval pending from the Swiss Olympic Committee.

Swiss selectors, Thomas Burch und Wolfram Linder have nominated Zülle and Camenzind for the time trial, but left out Richard due to his lack of results. The 36 year old has come close on several occasions this year to wins, but has never quite managed to finish them off. He is also not ranked among the top five Swiss cyclists on the UCI scale, an important consideration for the Swiss Federation. He expressed disappointment at the non-selection, and may retire at the end of this year as he intended to do at the end of last year. It was largely the prospect of the Olympics that drove him on.

Mauro Gianetti is his likely replacement as the fifth ranked Swiss rider at the moment, placing 6th in the Swiss road championships as well as winning the Tour of Japan (overall plus a stage). He too is 36 and has had a long career, including wins in Liege-Bastogne-Liege, Amstel Gold race, and Japan Cup.

Swiss men's road team

Oscar Camenzind (Lampre-Daikin)
Laurent Dufaux (Saeco-Valli&Valli)
Mauro Gianetti (Vini Caldirola)
Markus Zberg (Rabobank)
Alex Zülle (Banesto)

Injured riders update

Johan Museeuw

The latest news on Belgian cyclist, Johan Museeuw is that he is still in hospital under intensive care, and will remain there for at least another few days. The edema (liquid) in his skull has not increased, although the doctors are still watching it carefully in case it needs to be operated on. Museeuw is reported to be fully conscious and he recognizes people, but he is still suffering from dizzy spells. His other injuries include a broken left collarbone, fractured left shinbone, some air between his lungs and ribs, some of which are broken. The operation on his left leg was a success though. His wife and son who were travelling on the motorbike when it was hit are also reported to be OK.

Museeuw had intended on leading the Belgian Olympic team to go to Sydney next month, but now his season is definitely finished. His place has been taken by Cofidis' Nico Mattan. As to his future in cycling, the public relations director of Domo, Mr Coplo said that he could eventually be a PR official for them in 2001 if he stopped racing.

Marcel Wüst

Festina's Marcel Wüst will be taken to a hospital in his home city of Cologne on Thursday for an operation to save his right eye. The sprinter damaged it in a 60 km/h fall in a French criterium last Friday and has been in the University Hospital of Clermont Ferrand ever since. Apart from his eye, Wüst also suffered an injury to his leg and his start in the Vuelta is therefore unlikely.

His team director, Yvon Sanquer issued a press release saying that the doctors were confident that no permanent damage was done to his eye, however a reassessment in Cologne will need to be made.

Wim Feys

After he crashed in a race in Buggenhout last Friday, Wim Feys (Palmans) was taken to the hospital in Aalst (Belgium) for some heart examinations. He suffered serious head injuries as well as a cardiac arrest after falling on the last corner. Palmans' team doctor, Dr Goossens, wasn't sure about what happened on Friday though, "If the damage isn't too great, then he can start light training within 14 days I hope."

Vuelta lineups - Festina and Kelme

The nine riders that comprise each team for the Vuelta a España are being finalised this week, before the start in Malaga on August 26. Kelme, directed by Vicente Belda, are likely to have the following riders: Robert Heras, Fernando Escartín, Santiago Botero, Jose Luis Rubiera, Óscar Seville, Francisco Cabello, Jose Angel Vidal and Jose Enrique Gutiérrez. The ninth is supposed to be Colombian Carlos Contreras, but he is injured at the moment and has not been racing.

José Javier Gomez, Ricardo Otxoa, Pascual Javier Rodriguez and Colombian Jose Joaquin Castelblanco are the tips to take the final spot.

Festina are slightly less certain, especially with the injury to Marcel Wüst. Joseba Beloki should be the leader along with Angel Luis Casero, but Beloki still has pains in his ribs from a fall during the Tour. The other riders are Rafael Casero, Felix Garcia Casas, Jaime Hernandez, David Clinger, Guisseppe di Grande and Fabian Jeker. The last position may go to either Cristophe Moreau or Rolf Huser.

Team signings, US Postal wins and loses

Colombians are being snapped up for next year by some big teams, after Iván Parra (Vitalicio) has been hired by ONCE for the 2001 season. Additionally, Victor Hugo Peña (Vitalicio) will sign for two seasons with the US Postal team, as more support for Armstrong in his next two bids for the Tour de France. Peña will strengthen the support already given by Hamilton in the mountains and in time trialing splits for Armstrong. They will also gain the services of Kelme's José Luis Rubiera. However, according to an announcement by team director Johan Bruyneel, Armstrong will lose his sidekick, Kevin Livingston to British team, Linda McCartney.

More Domo-Farm Frites

The deal hasn't been signed yet, but it appears likely now that Belgian team Domo will merge with the Dutch Farm Frites team next year. Farm Frites' advisor, Peter Post said on Monday that "There isn't a signed contract yet, but in principal we have discussed everything. It's the best solution for both parties, but the last word goes to Farm Frites."

Apparently, the first meeting between the two 'teams' was made during the Giro d'Italia, and following that, Farm Frites director Piet de Bruijne was introduced to Patrick Lefevere, the future director of Domo. The negotiations started, and De Bruijne has been the principal along with Post in the last few weeks.

Farm Frites has 19 riders (not 16 as mentioned before) under contract for 2001. Manager Rik van Dongen represents some of the riders, and he wants to meet Peter Post at the end of this week. "Of course the riders want to get some clarity. Post assures me that he can give that soon. Peter van Petegem should have already signed with Mapei."

Post replied by saying that "I can't confirm that all riders will be able to come to the merged team. But we will fulfill our responsibility to anyone with contracts for next year."

Servais Knaven commented that "If there is a fusion then I'm free to go to another team. I heard rumours that Mapei was interested in me, but they never asked me officially. I see a good future for me in the Domo team. It's a perfect team for the classics and I think I can do a good job there."

KNWU chairman Joop Atsma again lamented the fact that the Dutch team would no longer be Dutch, "It's a pity that a typically Dutch team will leave the cycling business. But on the other hand I'm glad Farm Frites is still in cycling after finding a strong partner. I hope the team will have a mix of Belgian and Dutch riders. I trust Lefevere completely: he has already shown that he can build a strong team with an Italian-Belgian combination."

Bölts to triathlon

Telekom's hard man domestique, Udo Bölts, is seriously considering competing in the Hawaii Ironman triathlon on October 14 this year. According to an article in German paper, Frankfurt Algemein, 34 year old Bölts has had a lifelong ambition to race triathlon's equivalent of the World Championships. Ironically, it will mean that he will miss the event in Plouay (should he be selected), but Bölts said that he will relish the new challenge.

He had indicated earlier this year that he would aim for this race if he wasn't selected for the Olympics. The five man team for Sydney doesn't include him at the moment so he is free to go to Hawaii. The Telekom rider has had encouragement from his friend and Ironman favourite, Lothar Lederer, and he suggested he take up the 3.8/180/42.5 km challenge and arranged for one of the 10 wildcard entries to be given to Bölts. His team director, Rudy Pevenage also has given him permission, provided he rides the Rheinland-Pfalz Rundfarht from September 13-17.

Bölts can run (he regularly runs in the mountains), he can swim ("I wasn't the worst at school") and he can move fast on a bike for while. He said that he "only wants to finish, and of course have no aims at a high placing." Maybe the quickest bike time? "But I have to save myself for the run," he said.

Sponsorship problems for the Ronde van Nederland

At the last moment, the UCI 2.1 stage race, Ronde van Nederland (Tour of Holland) has found a sponsor (HUBO) this year. Chairman Paul Nouwen said that "It wasn't easy to find a sponsor for the 40th edition. We had a lot of competition with events like Euro 2000 (Soccer European Championships) and Sail (a fleet of old sailing ships in Amsterdam with an audience of 2.5 million). I thought last year - after six years of sponsorship from Visa Card - it should be easy to find a new one. We will have to look for a sponsorship for a longer time period though after the coming Ronde."

The budget for this Tour is 2 million Dutch guilders (900,000 Euro). 14 teams will start, although more teams were asked and there will be 112 riders. As it is the 40th edition, the UCI gave permission to upgrade the Tour with a prologue. "A one-time present from Lausanne," said Nouwen.

In the women's Ronde van Nederland in September, Leontien van Moorsel will not be amongst the starters, as she prefers to prepare for the Olympics on the track.

The stages

21 August: Prologue in Den Bosch
22 August: Den Bosch - Utrecht
23 August: Utrecht - Hoorn
24 August: Bolsward - Leeuwarden and a time trial in Leeuwarden
25 August: Harderwijk - Venlo
26 August: Blerick - Landgraaf

Total 896 km

Kersten vs. Hill

New South Wales rider, Ben Kersten (18), has not a great deal of time left to appeal for selection in the Australian track team. After he was left off the four member squad announced on the weekend, he was involved in an altercation with team member Darryn Hill. He was allegedly punched and knocked off his bike by Hill at the team's training camp in Colorado Springs and has since come back to Australia.

Although Hill was fined $4,000 and put on a good behavior bond by Cycling Australia, Kersten also reported him to the US police. He intends to appeal against his non-selection by taking the matter to an independent tribunal or the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS). The latter may be a viable option as time is short, with competition kicking off in just four weeks.

There are two other appeals being made to the CAS by track endurance riders Kathy Watt and Brent Dawson, and these are expected to be heard towards the end of this week.

Three fewer Dutch women's teams in Rotterdam

For the second year in a row, three Dutch women's teams will not allowed to start in the World Cup race for women in Rotterdam on August 27. Organiser Henk Voogt said there wasn't enough quality in the three teams (Ondernemers van Nature, a team with former national squad riders such as as Edith Klep and Sandra Rombouts, as well as Westland Wil Vooruit and RW Ahoy).

When this happened last year, these three teams blocked a bridge on the parcours in protest. KNWU chairman Joop Atsma said that he will try to change the situation. "But that will be difficult, because the organiser decides. Next week I will propose to the UCI in Lausanne that they give more influence to the National Unions about selection of teams to World Cup races," he said.

Tomac to retire

One of the pioneers of mountain bike racing, John Tomac, has announced his retirement from the sport at the end of 2000. Tomac, who will be 33 in November and has spent a total of 25 years racing a bike. He started with BMX before moving to mountain biking in 1984, where he enjoyed a successful career whilst helping the sport to grow. He has ridden in six World Championships, three in cross country and three in the downhill, winning the cross country title in 1991 and finishing second in the downhill that same year.

He is also a triple US national champion (one cross-country and two downhill), as well as winning 17 national championship races 11 cross-country, five downhill and one dual slalom. He is also known for making the transition to the road with the 7-eleven squad, before returning to his roots.

A retirement party is planned to honour him at the end of the season (Sept. 10, at 7 p.m., in the Forest Room of the Mammoth Mountain Old Gondola Building in California). This will coincide with the the finals of the 2000 Chevy Trucks NORBA National Championship Series. Tickets for this event at $40 and if you're quick you might be able to reserve one by contacting Steve McCauley at 719/578.4856, or e-mail smccauley@usacdf.org.

The party (Tribute to Tomac) is being hosted by the National Off-Road Bicycle Association (NORBA) and the USA Cycling Development Foundation (USACDF) and it will double as a fundraiser for the USACDF Junior Development Cycling Fund. The JDCF is a scholarship program for junior athletes, helping them to travel to events around the country and the globe.