Second edition news for January 29, 2000

Van Moorsel likely to miss Games TT

As the current world champion, Leontien Van Moorsel is expected to be a strong medal-chance in the individual time trial. However, after checking the parcours Van Moorsel has decided to change her program. The reason? Too many turns in the course.

"First, I thought I should cancel the 3 km pursuit on the track. It isn't good to do three races by half measures. In the time trial I won the world title twice and I thought I'd have the most medal chances in this race. But after visiting Australia I know I have more posibilities on the road and the track. The time trial parcours starts very well for the first 5 kilometers, but after that part of the race there are turns every 200 meters. That's nothing for me. I'm scared of turns. And by the way: I'm a diesel and I start slow, but that isn't possible on this parcours. It's frustrating for me, because I expected a better parcours for me."

Leontien is more enthusiastic about the road and the track. "The road has only a very small climbs. Ideal for men such as Jeroen Blijlevens. It's a kind of a criterium and that's good for me. The track is beautiful too. That's why I will try on the track now."

Martinello notches up 21

With his recent victory in the Stuttgart Six with partner Andreas Kappes, the Italian Silvio Martinello has now won 21 six day races. He has won all of the German sixes this year - Berlin, Bremen, and Stuttgart, with the only remaining contest for him the Euskadi Six, which is six hours not six days.

He is approaching the Italian record of 25 wins gained by Nando Terruzzi in the '50's and '60's. "I am truly satisfied," he said to La Gazzetta dello Sport. "I have won last the three Six Days, but I have above all again found my form and flow of better times. After a disappointing World's in Berlin ’99 I wanted to resume my role in the Six Days but there were risks involved," he said.

"This will be my last road season and I want to finish well," he said, aiming to debut in the Luis Puig trophy in Spain and the Tour of Valencia. "My dream would be a stage in the Giro, especially in Padova, my city. Then, after the road races I will concentrate on the track, in the Olympics." He certainly hasn't ruled out Terruzzi's record when he hits the six day circuit next winter.

No money - no Olympics

Despite their recent good performances in training, the Russian riders are risking missing the Olympic Games in Sydney due to a conflict between UCI and the Russian cycling federation. The UCI executive committee has decided at its meeting in Sint-Michielsgestel that the Russians must pay a sum of $US 150,000 before the 1st of March in the Roslotto case.

Roslotto was a Russian-Italian team that went bankrupt in 1997 and the riders never got their salaries. The money should be paid by the Russian federation that hosted the team. The irony is that Dimitri Konyschev, the best Russian one day racer, was on the Roslotto team and now, if Russia is excluded from the Games, he will not be able to take part because someone owes him money.

In addition, the Russian team for the World Cyclocross championships has definitely not been able to make it, due to problems with obtaining visas.

MTB Tour Gatorade

The second edition of the Italian mountain bike circuit, the "Tour Gatorade" will be opened by Italian Olympic MTB'er Paola Pezzo, according to event organiser La Gazzetta dello Sport. The six-event tour, which starts on April 8-9 with a two day race starting in Garda, Verona. Then it will move to Bresseto di Telo, in Padova (May 6-7); Bardonecchia (Turin) for the Bardonecchia Mountain Classic (17-18 june); Villabassa (Bolzano) for the Dolomiti Superbike (8-9 July); then to Curtain d’Ampezzo (Belluno) for Cortina-Dobbiaco (29-30 July) and finally to Lineages Novo (Lecco) for the Marathon Bike of the Brianza (2-3 september).

There are three categories: under 35, over 35 and women. Total prizemoney will be 25 million lira ($US 12,000), paying down to first 10 in the men and top 5 in the women, with 10 team prizes as well.

Paola Pezzo's coach has confirmed that she will start her MTB season March 5 in Milan, to ride in the Gatorade Bike della montagnetta di San Siro, after a period of training in Tenerife.