News for January 21, 2000

Pantani - the big three

Marco Pantani has announced his major goals for the year - the Tour, the Giro and the Vuelta (not necessarily in that order). He told Italian daily, La Gazzetta dello Sport, that he is as yet undecided between the Olympics and the World's. Can "Swampy" pull it off?

Pantani's morale is still shaky after his recent bout of gastro in the Canary's, as well as various tifosi constantly haranguing him but he is firm in his resolve this year. "The Tour de France is the most important race in the world. It is logical that I aim for this primarily. The Giro has its fascination, even though for 2000 the organiser, Carmine Castellano has made a distance that would be better suited to Moser, or perhaps Saronni, but not to appeal to me. However it is not important. I want to ride the Giro in order to win it".

Then there remains the Vuelta. "The Spanish race appeals to me a lot because it is warm from the outset. Also the distance, out of all the three grand tours, is most suited to me. Perhaps the Vuelta is the least important of these three races, but in the last few years it has made a big jump in quality. The organizers of the Giro should take note...," warns the Pirate.

Would the Vuelta be just a face-saving exercise, in case he doesn't perform in the Giro and the Tour? "Absolutely not. Indeed, the contrary. If I ride well in the Giro and the Tour, or at least one of the two, I would surely come to Spain to try for another win," he insists.

Will his team be up to it though? "We have the strength. If we get results then the motivation will be there." If and when he rides in the Olympics, he will do as he's told, as he will only be supported by four men (if he is the leader of course). But he is fascinated by the potential to be amongst the greats.

He intends to be ready when he returns to racing, hence his delay until the Tour of Valencia, on February 22. However, he tacitly supports the UCI's new medical controls: "I am not sure that they are 100% good, but they are a step ahead. At least we will avoid what happened in the past, when anyone could take our blood."

His Mercatone Uno team for 2000 has been strengthened by more staff as well as riders: Felice Gimondi will be president, Giuseppe Martinelli the sport director and Manuela Ronchi the general manager. "I wanted to have Ronchi because she is a person truly in tune with things, and we work well together. She is new in cycling, but has already learned to move well".

Marco continues putting in the miles with his companions - Ermanno Brignoli, Marco Velo and Fabiano Fontanelli as well as Gianpaolo Mondini, a new addition from David Cassani's cycling school.

Mapei-Quickstep goes virtual for 2000

By Tim Maloney, cyclingnews.com correspondent

Mapei-Quick Step, the worlds #1 UCI ranked cycling team will present the team to the media on Friday at Mapei World HQ in Milano. The 39 man team should continue to dominate the sport of cycling, with top riders for every type or road event, and a new young rider development team. But unlike previous years, Mapei Quick Step will have a virtual presentation over the internet, a first in cycling.

At 10am CET on Friday 21 January, Mapei-Quick Step fans worldwide can log on to the team web site address, www.Mapei.it/worldcycling or via the Mapei main web site at Mapei.it and click through to Worldcycling for the virtual presentation.

Gabriele Sola, Mapei-Quick Step's communications manager told cyclingnews that "we are really excited to offer this virtual presentation; it will be a first!"

"If our fans want to ask questions of the riders and team staff, they can send an email to mapei@mapei.it and these will be asked of the riders," he added.

Cyclingnews will be at the Mapei-Quick Step presentation as well, so look for a full report on this unique event.

Sparse racing for awarded Armstrong

Lance Armstrong, who was recently awarded the Jesse Owens Trophy is training with his US Postal team in California right now, and will make his season's debut in the Trofeo Luis Puig on February 20. Following this he will do the Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana (February 22 - 26) and Paris-Nice (March 5 - 12). Racing in the spring will then be sparse with Milan - San Remo on March 18 and the Amstel Gold Race five weeks later, (where he was second last year) as his only classics. He will resume racing at the Critérium du Dauphiné (June 4 - 11) and the Route du Sud (June 17 - 20), before tackling the Main Event.

Jackson retires from competitive racing

One of Canada's best cyclists, Linda Jackson has announced her retirement from racing. Although the Olympics were a tempting prospect, the 41 year-old wishes to spend more time in other areas, including starting a family in particular.

"I could try to go to the Olympics and have a family, but I'll be 42 in November. The doctors say if I want to have a family, I better get going. "I really wanted to ride in the Olympics, but I'd never forgive myself if I couldn't have a baby," Jackson told the Ottawa Citizen today.

Jackson was a late starter - she first rode in the Canadian national team when she was 34, and age when many elite cyclists retire. She started cycling in 1990 after a ski accident caused he to have knee surgery, and like many others, did not look back. She twice won "top female road racer" in North America, as well as the highly presitgious Hewlett Packard Women's Challenge in 1998.

Other results of note include winning the Tour de l'Aude in 1997, two silver medals in the Commonwealth Games (1994 - road, 1998 - time trial), second in the Giro d'Italia Feminile (1997, 1998), third in the Tour de France Feminin (1997), and third in the 1996 World Road Race Championships (1996). She also won six national titles in road racing and time trialling.

She will not be returning to her job as a former investment banker, but will instead start as the head financial officer for an internet startup company in San Francisco.

Beltran looks forward

Manuel Beltran, who went from Banesto to Mapei this year, is eagerly looking forward to this season: "We have excellent riders like Andrea Tafi, Johan Musseuw, Tom Steels, Daniele Nardello, Oscar Freire, Pavel Tonkov and Andrea Bramati," he points out.

Importantly to him is that the three Spaniards in the team are on the same wave length and the fact that the team also has a Spanish director, Jesus Suarez, is also a great plus. Mapei's season will start with the Trofeo Mallorca folowed by Trofeo Luis Puig in Valencia and the Clásica de Almería.

Beltran is well known for his excellent support work in the Tour and the Vuelta. And in the crowded Mapei team there's still room for a good stage racer.

Gwiazdowski aims for the year

The Champion of Zürich, Polish Grzegorz Gwiazdowski will be a revelation, according to Marc Madiot, sports director of Francais des Jeux. The team managed to sign the 25 year old Pole that rode in the colours of Cofidis last year and won the Swiss World Cup round.

Gwiazdowski has suffered from the flu as well as an injured shoulder but is recovering well. Hopes are high in the French team that are preparing in the Nice region, except for those racing Down Under.

"He has a good finish, climbs well and has an interesting race intelligence. He has potential and I have kept my eyes on him for a couple of years," said Madiot to French newsagency AFP. Madiot also points out that the Polish ex-footballer is well built for the heavy and long mountain climbs with his 180 centimeters and 66 kilos.

Gunn Rita gets specific

Last year Gunn Rita Dahle started with top placings in the World Cup on the road as well as in MTB. At the MTB World Championships in Åre, she paid the price and had to play the part of the also-ran. This year she will be cutting down the number of her races to about half, more or less dropping road racing.

"I will reach my peak at the World's, and then adjust the form for the Olympics," she said to Norwegian newspaper Aftenposten.

The Olympic program with the cross country race three days before the road race is perfect: "That will give me enough rest, but not too much so that it jeopardizes my form."

She will spend a lot of time in an altitude chamber at home in her apartment: "I'm used to high altitude training, it's no problem and I have the best support from Olympiatoppen (Norway's Olympic preparation program)."

However, for her team mate ex-World Champion Monica Valen, this season might be her last: "I won't go for fifth places anymore. If I'm not able to get a medal I might just as well quit."