News for January 23, 2000Rincon kidnappingThe kidnapping affair involving Colombian cyclist, Oliverio Rincon deepens. According to his wife, Gilma Alfonso, those responsible are the Army of Liberación Nacional (ELN). She had received a telephone call from the armed group where they did not explain the reasons for the kidnapping. However, they indicated that Rincon "was being well treated". The ELN has 5,000 members, and is the second largest guerilla force in the country, after the CRAF. Two of Rincon's former team directors, ONCE's Manuel Saiz and Vatalicio Seguros' Javier Mínguez said that it was "a tremendous injustice towards a good person". Saiz, who was his employer for two years, said "I feel a tremendous pain for his family, who now will be greatly distressed. Sometimes it was said to me that this could happen, but you would never imagine it because Oliverio is a great lover of his country and he did not make a lot of money either. He wanted just to live calmly in Colombia." Javier Mínguez, present director of Vitalicio Seguros declared that he felt "very sad" by the kidnapping of the rider that had spent three years with his team, Amaya Seguros. "My single hope is that everything finishes well for Oliverio. The sad thing is that there are people who fight to gain their life with dignity, while there are others who are dedicated to commit acts of this nature. It is not good for our future," lamented Mínguez. The participants in the Vuelta a Táchira have also asked for the liberation of Rincon. The riders, trainers and commissaires of the race made a unanimous call to the kidnappers that they immediately set him free. Spokesman for the riders, Colombian Raul Montana, winner of three RCN classics and the Vuelta a Colombia, condemned the kidnapping and requested the freedom of Rincon: "The kidnapping of sportsmen was the unique thing that happens in my country. It is unfair that one has to suffer in cycling and then lose his wealth in this way ", said Montana. "Whatever happens, we hope that an exchange of fire does not take place where the life of that great rider will be destroyed," he said.
Verbruggen on the EPO vs altitudeBy Tomas Nilsson The president of the International Cycling Union, Hein Verbruggen says that he finds it hard to draw a line between doping and some permitted ways of increasing an athletes performance. The altitude vs EPO debate has been going for some time now - the Australian Institute of Sport are well known proponents of them, and more recently the Rabobank team. Verbruggen told Danish daily Berlingske Tidende: "My personal view on high altitude chambers or tents is that they are exactly one of the examples of how double and strange the situation is. On one hand there's a definition saying that any artificial act to enhance performance is prohibited. EPO is prohibited. High altitude chambers are not. I have still not been able to find anyone that can explain why one is prohibited and not the other," said the UCI president. Readers of cyclingnews can read the recent counterargument by Dr David Martin, physiologist at the Australian Institute of Sport at the end of last year. He argued, in response to similar comments by Dr Jacques Rogge of the IOC medical commission, that there is a difference between increasing the body's own production of EPO by higher altitude (actual or simulated) and injecting EPO. It can be summarised briefly as: not all athletes react to altitude training with an increased EPO level. All athletes react to injections, and give a significantly greater EPO production response. Also, there are certain other physiological changes that go on with altitude or simulated altitude chambers that go hand in hand with the increased production of red blood cells - not all of them may be beneficial to performance. The point is that substances brought into the body from the outside might destroy the body if they increase the person's natural limit for the substance. This is normally impossible for substances produced by the body itself. There is a certain difference there. Verbruggen emphasizes that he is not an advocate of EPO, and wishes to clarify the situation. Is the above definition of doping of doping " any artificial act to enhance performance"? This would put many established, safe, and legal training practices into question. This is key to establishing a base from which to work from. Verbruggen: "However, this only shows that the discussion of and the
definition of what doping actually is, is far from over. It has hardly
begun. I wish that the governements in the different countries could
help us. There is an ethical discussion coming in the near future. As
a member of WADA (the international anti doping agency) we are at last
at the same table as the politicians which will make them see how complicated
this damned problem is."
Ivan Gotti will be heard today by the anti-drug prosecutor, Giacomo
Aiello in Rome, accompanied by lawyer Franco Capello. This is not likely
to be the last time, however that Giro winner Gotti will have to front
the judge. Alexander Bertolini, Gianni Faresin, and Gianluca Bortolami
were also convened, but the latter was not able to show for personal
reasons.
The case is part of the one dealing with the well known Dr Michele
Ferrari who runs the "Guandalini Pharmacy" in Bologna. Prosecutor Giovanni
Spinosa in Bologna has the full cooperation of Aiello in Rome. The latter
interviewing many top cyclists, both former and current - Cipollini,
Savoldelli, Tonkov, Olano, Rominger, Chiappucci, De Las Cuevas and Merckx
(the younger), in regard to their dealings with "Dr EPO".
The entire case has been stalled due to logistical and political reasons
- many names were called (team doctors, representatives, experts, and
riders) - but few so far have shown. As it encroaches into the season,
it will be increasingly harder to obtain people for evidence.
In spite of his court committments, Ivan Gotti said that his main
aim is the Giro this year. After this, he will decide whether to ride
the Vuelta or not (presumably no Tour). "Once again the Giro is long
enough for the clmbers, but it cannot be expected to be tailor made
for me," he said outside the courtroom today.
Italian doping expert, Alexander Donati believes that there is still
a long way to go before the drugs problem in cycling is solved. In an
interview with the German weekly, "Der Spiegel", Donati gives his reasons:
"In cycling, the difference between non-doped and doped athletes is
too much large, for clean athletes to be on the same level," he says.
Do the powers that be in the judicial area have the answers? "They
have them all," pointing the finger at those countries do not use the
courts to exmaine drug taking in the peloton. This includes Germany,
where "positive urine and blood controls do not lead to inquiries".
In Italy and Franc they have opened inquiries, while "other countries
are limited to accumulating medals ".
German althete (non-cyclist), Dieter Baumann has become famous for
the "Nandrolone toothpaste" case. It was shown, after he had tested
positive for the steroid, that it was injected into his toothpaste without
his knowledge. He also claims that distance runners regularly cross
the 50% barrier with respect to their hematocrits, in an interview with
German newspaper Samstagausgabe.
According to Baumann, training elevates hematocrit and athletes regulaly
measure their own with personal testing kits. "I always though that
the 50 percent hematocrit value was plcuked out of the air," he said.
"In the first days of training/racing the values will increase, because
the body adapts and the blood becomes thicker. We athletes often transversed
this "patch" ourselves," Baumann concludes, ignoring the work of sports
scientists around the globe.
Gianni Bugno, winner of 2 world road championships (Stoccarda ’91
and Benidorm ’92), the Giro d’Italia, Milan Sanremo, the World Cup in
'90 and the Tour of Flanders in ’94, will tomorrow receive the prize
«Caccivio d’oro» in Malnate (Va).
In other news, Gaetano Cacciola, who was for years head of the sportswomen
section of the Gazette of South Cacciola, passed away aged 65. The was
passionate about cycling and followed several Giri d'Italia.
Courtesy of Erik van Bruegel
The Belgian division II team, 'Vlaanderen 2002 - Eddy Merckx' is starting
the seventh season in the pro peleton. The team recently had their presentation,
on January 20 and reaffirmed their priorities of training promising
youngsters to enable them to move on to "division I" teams. At the end
of the 1999 season, Steve Vermaut (US Postal), Glenn D'Hollander (Lotto)
and Kurt Van Lancker (Lotto) left the team.
Four neo pros joined the team: Bjorn Leukemans (6th at the 1999 World
Championships for U23), Jehudi Schoonacker, Geoffrey Demeyere and Wesley
Theunis. Tom Vanoppen, silver medallist at the 1999 World Championships
cyclo cross U23 at Poprad last year (and again going for silver at Sint-Michiels-Gestel
on January 29) will turn pro for Vlaanderen 2002 on March 1st.
Also new in the team are second year rider Ben Berden (cyclo cross,
from Palmans) and Erwin Thijs. Thijs returns to the team after riding
one year for Team Cologne. He already was with Vlaanderen 2002 from
1995 till 1998. Thijs is a respected and experienced rider and he will
be the road captain.
The average age of the riders is 23.5, and this is one of the youngest
teams in professional cycling. The main objectives for the new season
are the smaller one day and stage races in May, June, August and September,
the Belgian Championships and the Tour de l'Avenir.
Roger Swerts, who is the director sportif of Vlaanderen 2002 rode
on the same team as Eddy Merckx during his career. Since 1994, when
Vlaanderen 2002 started they are back together when Eddy Merckx became
the team's sponsor.
Team roster:
Returning: Kris Gerits, Tom Stremersch, Wilfried Cretskens, Kristof
Trouvé, Karel Vereecke, Jurgen Guns, Davy Daniels, Wesley Huvaere, Stijn
De Schoenmaecker, Jurgen Van Roosbroeck, Andy Vidts
Neo's: Bjorn Leukemans, Jehudi Schoonacker, Wesley Theunis, Geoffrey
Demeyere, Tom Vanoppen (on march 1st.)
New riders: Ben Berden (from Palmans), Erwin Thijs (from team Cologne)
Sport Director: Roger Swerts & Jean Pierre Heynderickx |