News for February 19, 2000

Tour 2001 to start in Dunkerque

The full parcours of the 88th Tour de France 2001 will be revealed October 26 this year. However, it is now known that the race will start with an 8.2 kilometer prologue in Dunkerque on July 7. The first stage will start in Saint-Omer and finish after 198 kms in Boulogne-sur-Mer south of Calais. The second stage will take the peloton from Calais 200 kms right across Belgium to Antwerpen.

The region of Côte d'Opale, where Calais, Dunkerque and Saint Omer are situated will pay around 10 million francs (1.5 million USD) for the glory of hosting the race for three days. "We must make the Côte d'Opale known. This is the region of the Euro-Tunnel and we have one of the busiest port in Europe. This is an expanding region," says Michel Delebarre, the mayor of Dunkerque at a contract signing ceremony on Friday.

Dunkerque hosted its first stage in 1911, and the last time was in 1995 when Jeroen Blijlevens won a bunch sprint ahead of Jan Svorada and Erik Zabel. The town also hosts the Four days of Dunkerque, one of the major French stage races, Cat 1.1, in early June. This year the Tour will start in the theme park Futuruscope at Poitiers on July 1.

New team for VDB?

Frank Vandenbroucke might not have to go to Spain after all to find a new team to race in. According to reports in the Belgian press, potential sport director Jean-Pierre Van Rossem is looking at starting a team with some big names and big money. He is in negotiations with "three big sponsors for a worldwide team". The names he has bandied around include Frank Vandenbroucke, Tom Steels, Laurent Jalabert and Bobby Julich, making it a truly top-flight Belgian team.

He aims to have the team race in all three big Tours as well as the classics. However, one sticking point with VDB junior might be the appointment of his uncle, Jean-Luc Vandenbroucke as team leader. There is also the question of whether the other stars will get on with the temperamental Walloon.

Van Rossem wants to start his team in April, and believes it will be a epic of cake to attract the money and the riders, having also directed a Formula 1 team. The eccentric Belgian was a former politician, a collector of Ferraris, and spent a long time in jail for financial misdeeds. Experts in the cycling business are astounded that there is media space for the project.

Zabel OK after crash

Erik Zabel, who fell during the last stage of the Vuelta a Andalucia/Ruta del Sol is alright, according to his Team Telekom. He suffered some bruises on the elbow and will start in the Trofeo Luis Puig Sunday and then at the Vuelta a Valencia Tuesday with Aldag, Fagnini, Jaksche, Klöden, Lombardi, Totschnig and Vinokourov.

Other starters for the Luis Puig on Sunday include Laurent Jalabert, Abraham Olano and Mario Cipollini. The latter is aiming to double up from last year, making a total of three victories for the event. The former two, along with the rest of the ONCE squad will ride in the Tour of Valencian Community, starting on Tuesday.

Bölts wants more penalties

"Suspensions and heavy fines are the only effective means in the struggle against doping in cycling," said Telekom rider Udo Bölts in an interview for German newspaper Frankfurter Allgemeine today. "If the athlete's hard earned money is threatened, then he will think twice about doping, if he really wants to put half a million Swiss francs at risk," says Bölts who started with Telekom in 1992 and has taken part in Tour de France eight times.

He proposes that the money paid in fines could go to research for means to reveal use of doping. He also supports the idea of a health pass for the riders. "That is a rule I would follow without any objections. I also believe that there still are doping in the sport. There are, as in life in general, always people who betray and manipulate to get something more for themselves."

Bölts says that he hadn't heard of EPO other than through the media before the 1998 Tour - that was when he first actually heard other people talking about EPO.

Covolo turns 80

Former Italian professional cyclist, Antonio Covolo turned 80 yesterday. The cyclist was active in the 40's, but is better known for his exploits in the managing arena, rather than his palmares. He won the Coppa Città di Monza, the Milan-Varese, and the GP Gerli, amongst other races. Unlike team captain Coppi, who rode a Bianchi, 'Toni' always preferred a Benotto and was a valued domestique on Coppi's team.

At 41, Covolo directed the Italian national team in the Tour de France in 1961, believing that "it was not necessary to be a champion to direct a champion team". The Tour's patron, Jacques Goddet was reportedly very impressed with the condition of the Italian team, who won three stages through Carlesi (2) and Massignan (first in the KOM). When asked his "secret", he replied to Goddet "It is important to observe the riders in action, and to listen to them with attention."

In 1962, Covolo led the 'Squadra Azzuri' in the World's at Salò, won by Frenchman Stablinski, with Pambianco the first Italian in fifth place. The Italians had controlled the race on the day, but maybe had worked too hard. However, Covolo still spends a lot of time with Stablinski and goes for a spin for a few hours each day with him, as he says it helps him not to age.

Cycling sponsor in finance fraud

Ipm marketing GmbH, the main sponsor of German second division team Ipm-Profirad-Team Schwerin, is entangled in fraud, where two of the company's owners have been arrested. In addition, nine other members of the company are being investigated.

The team, led by ex-Telekom pro Christian Henn, Stephan Gottschling and Carsten Podlesch, is right now racing in Croatia and their future seems uncertain, although a spokesman for the company has promised Henn that things will be straightened out. It is a blow for Henn, who is trying to start a career as a director sportif after he was forced to quit professional cycling after a doping offence.

48th Tour de Berlin goes out of town

The 48th Tour de Berlin, formerly the Four days of Berlin, will leave Berlin during its third stage. The destination will be the town of Neuruppin, about 75 kms north west of the German capital before heading back again on the fourth and last day. Neuruppin has also sponsored the Berlin Six Days the last two seasons.

So far six German and nine international teams have announced their participation in this category 2.6 race that used to be an important amateur event for the Northern European cyclists.

The stages:

Stage 1 - June 9: Rüdow circuit
Stage 2 - June 10: Hellersdorf circuit
Stage 3a - June 11: Berlin - Neuruppin, 200 km
Stage 3b - June 11: Neuruppin ITT, 25 km
Stage 4 - June 12: Neuruppin - Berlin, 180 km

A piece of history

By Sandra Tighello

(This report was sent to us by Mark Chadwick & Kristjan Snorrason, who are regulars at the Carnegie Caulfield criteriums in Waverley Park, Melbourne. It originally appeared in the Monash Journal, a Victorian newspaper).

For the past seven years, during daylight savings, I have attended Waverley Park every Tuesday night to watch my brother who is a cyclist race. However it is only recently that I discovered that more than this is held at Waverley Park. I discovered a history. There is a man named Jack who works on the Jacksons Road entry. His job is to let cars in and out. Actually,it's more than his job, it is his passion. Jack has been involved in cycling for 60 years; he rode for 57 of them, and is currently 74 years old. Cycling is his life, and while I was talking to him, I found that not only was Waverley Park a great football ground, but also an important place in cycling's history. Cyclists have been racing at Waverley Park for 23 years. They started with 40 riders and have moved to 270, including 45 girls. It is the biggest intra-club race in Australia Races occupy the ground everyday

Waverley Park has provided a safe area for cyclists. To go out on the road today involves a lot of courage. Drivers will hit anything in their way, including people. Waverley Park has no cars, apart from the occasional learner driver. 2000 may be the year that ends it all. The AFL has destroyed two things. A family ground that allowed the average 'Joe Blow' to go and watch a game of footy, and soon enough,cycling careers. Olympians, Tour de France stars and World Champions have rode here. Names such as Neil Stephens, Kathy Watt, Stephen Pate, Phil Anderson, Gary Neiwand and Anna Wilson have become stars - and it all started at Waverley Park. Jack told me that if the inevitable does happen and Waverley Park is knocked down, cycling careers, tradition, memories and and all that he believes in, will be knocked down. The AFL doesn't realise this. I can't get through to them, but then agin, who can?