News for August 5, 2000HEW Cyclassics CupMario Cipollini has opted out of the HEW Cyclassics World Cup as has teammate Salvatore Commesso. Cipollini is still nowhere near top form, although he has at least started racing again - his next major appointment is the Trittico Lombardo (August 16-18), a series of three races in Italy. Commesso on the other hand will race in the Clasica San Sebastian next week, as well as the Championship of Zurich World Cups. For HEW, the Saeco team is Dario Pieri (who will be aiming to repeat his second place in the Ronde van Vlaanderen), Biagio Conte, Alessio Galletti, Joerg Ludewig, Massimiliano Mori, Torsten Nitsche, Pavel Padrnos and Christian Wegmann. Laurent Desbiens will start for Cofidis instead of Frank Vandenbroucke. The latter is training very lightly at the moment, according to his teammate, Nico Mattan. He talked about his future today with team manager Alain Bondue. Farm Frites have opted for a strong team: Andreas Klier, Geert van Bondt, Servais Knaven, Robbie McEwen, Jans Koerts, Peter van Petegem, Wim Vansevenant and Glenn Magnusson will be the eight riders in Hamburg.
Freire prefers World ChampionshipsSpaniard Oscar Freire (Mapei) believes that a World Championship gold medal is worth more than an Olympic one of the same colour. However, he also says that the silver and bronze medals in the Olympics count for more than those in the World's. Freire has had an interesting season in the rainbow jersey, winning several races before a back injury put him out of action for a while. He came back briefly in June but then damaged his knee in a crash. To help him recover from this, he had a 5 mm plate inserted into his shoe to correct a leg length difference. This Sunday, he will be one of the players in the HEW Cyclassics Cup in Hamburg although he admits he is not in top form. He intends on racing the next two World Cups - San Sebastian and the Championship of Zurich, before contesting the Vuelta. If all goes according to plan, the Olympics will be next on the agenda as well as the World Championships. Freire is very happy with his current team Mapei, saying that "they have taken care of me very well this year despite my injuries - I have never felt pressure, and that gives me a lot of confidence and calmness."
The Heras bargainKelme's Roberto Heras may become a key figure in the team's future next year, if the buy out offers by US Postal and another team come good. Despite having a contract for next year with Kelme, there is a clause in it that allows him to leave for a price of 200 million pesetas ($US 1.1 million). To put it bluntly, that's a lot of cash - a third of Kelme's annual budget. If Kelme had this money, they could buy (or keep) three more riders at least, according to director Vicente Belda. "If somebody wants to pay to take him, then we can't do anything," he said. Although he would like his star climber to remain, it certainly would not cripple the team if he went in this fashion. Team manager Joan Mas was surprised by the negotiations "because we are happy with him, and he with us. Someone is shaking the tree to see who falls, but if someone is trying to renegotiate Heras' contract, then they are mistaken, as he is paid as well as any of the top riders." Heras' manager, Enrique Rodriguez said that the offers from the two teams were just that, and had not reached the buy out stage. The offers were still quite good though, as Heras would receive double his present salary, which at the moment is 75 million pesetas ($US 400,000). Kelme will not move either way - they won't renegotiate his contract for a higher pay level, and they won't drop the buy out clause.
Bairos nominated for US track team1999 Pan American Games gold medalist Johnny Bairos has been nominated to the US Olympic Committee for the final spot of the US Track Cycling squad. Although the. remainder of the US Olympic Track Cycling roster was named on July 7, the final spot was held until a medical evaluation could be completed on Bairos, who was injured at the World Track Cup in Mexico City on June 18. In that event, Bairos was pushed up off the track and fell more than 20 feet, suffering two fractures in his jaw, shattered right sinus cavity and fractured left sinus cavity, in addition to a broken right patella (kneecap). This put his Olympic hopes in serious danger, but the federation decided to wait and see how he recovered before ruling him out. They are satisfied with his performance at the moment, "He is training at full speed and has 100% medical clearance," said Sean Petty, director of athlete performance.
Van Moorsel keeps her winning waysFarm Frites-Hartol star, Leontien Van Moorsel recently recorded her 30th victory of the year, at the Omloop van Oostvoorne in the Netherlands. This came the day after she won the Maastricht derny race behind father-in-law, Joop Zijlaard. Joop is an experienced derny rider and was chosen over Michael (Leontien's husband) to pace Leontien. The race in Maastricht was actually Michael Zijlaard's first race as well. He hasn't slept well in the past few days because he just got his derny license. "You never know what can go wrong. One wrong move and you are lying on the street. A derny can go faster than 80 kilometers per hour, but I don't dare. I'm glad it isn't raining, and glad that Leontien is not behind me." Leontien says that "I've ridden for many years behind Michael's father Joop. We think alike, while Michael doesn't have experience. One fault can be fatal, so - with a view to the Olympics - this is the best solution. And I don't dare to curse Joop, he's a little sensitive. But what would happen if I ride behind Michael and he makes a mistake... I would swear at him. That's the negative site of an open relationship, so it's better that we prevent that." As mentioned, (and as normal) Leontien won the race. Zijlaard junior? He came fourth with Sissy van Alebeek behind him.
More on the Sachsen TourHohenfelder Concorde's Corey Sweet was the winner of the penultimate stage of the Internationale Sachsen Rundfarht, a UCI 2.5 race won by Thomas "the tank" Liese (Nürnberger). Unfortunately for Sweet, the final stage had to be canceled due to impossible conditions on some cobblestones near the finish. Apparently nuts or seeds had fallen onto the cobbled roads during recent heavy rain making it impossible to ride. They were only 15 kilometres from the finish but riders were falling off all over the place. Even riding at 15 km/h was dangerous. Sweet was disappointed about it as he had gained the KOM lead during the final stage but "that's racing". He intends to return from Europe in about 6 weeks time to contest the Herald Sun Tour.
Chris Pic doing fineMercury-Manheim Auctions rider, Chris Pic (also husband of Autotrader.com's Tina Mayolo-Pic) is, contrary to rumours, in good shape again after breaking his wrist 5 weeks ago. He is training hard at the moment for a trip to Europe, including racing in Middle Zeeland in the Netherlands as well as several one day races in Belgium at the end of August. Mercury MTB TourA strong international field is scheduled for the fourth Mercury Tour, a mountain bike stage race in Steamboat Springs, Colorado, August 9-13. Sponsored by Outdoor Life Network, the race offers the largest mountain bike race cash purse in the world - $US 100,000. Prizes are paid for overall general classification (the total of riders' stage times), individual stages, mountain leader and Best Young Rider. The five-day stage race includes the the Howelsen Prologue time trial, the Continental Divide Cross-country, the Mt. Werner Hill Climb, the Thunderhead Circuit and the fast-paced Gondola Criterium. Riders set to compete in the tour include US Olympian Tinker Juarez, fourth overall last year. He will be joined by up and coming stars, Matt Kelly and Jess Swiggers, both from Colorado Springs. Kelly won the Mt. Werner Hill Climb stage last year, as well as the junior world cyclocross championships. Others to watch include Kirk Molday, and 1999 national short-track cross country champion Steve Larsen The international riders include Canadian MTB star, Roland Green, Russian Pavel Tcherkassov (who currently leads the NORBA National Championship Series) and Kiwi Kashi Leuchs who captured the Best Young Rider overall title last year. On the women's side, defending Mercury Tour champion Jimena Florit, a member of Argentina's 2000 Olympic Cycling Team, will return in hopes of making it two in a row. World Cup winner and Australian Olympic nominee, Mary Grigson will take her turn at her first Mercury Tour. The American female competitors include US Olympic Team alternate, Audrey Augustin and dual national cyclocross champion Shari Kain. In addition to the five-day professional stage race, amateurs will have their chance in a three day event - two circuit races and the Gondola Criterium. Two of the stages will be held on the same course as the professional's. The full schedule Wednesday, August 9 Thursday, August 10 Friday, August 11 Saturday, August 12 Sunday, August 13 The Mercury Tour will air on Outdoor Life Network Sept. 28 and Oct.5
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