News for January 4, 2000

Frank Vandenbroucke finally stays at Cofidis

By Tomas Nilsson, cyclingnews.com correspondent

Frank Vandenbroucke will stay with Cofidis next season, according to the Belgian daily "Gazet van Antwerpen" and confirmed by sources at Cofidis' Belgian office.

According to the newspaper sources, Vandenbroucke's friends and colleagues (and, as it seems teammates after all) Jo Planckaert and Nico Mattan, VDB will stay with Cofidis. This is despite his announcement on December 1st that he would leave the team due to the treatment he got while being held as a witness in a doping case. Vandenbroucke was suspended for six weeks mid-season.

Vandenbroucke sat in long negotiations with the Cofidis management Thursday and finally reached an agreement to take up their collaboration, according to "Gazet van Antwerpen". "Frank phoned me in the middle of the night (between Thursday and Friday) to break the news. The deal is at 99 per cent certain," said a happy Jo Planckaert who is supposed to be one of Vandenbroucke's lieutenants during the spring classics. "Nothing is yet official, and with Frank you cannot be certain until the last second, but I think that the final doubts are gone," said Nico Mattan.

Comment: When Frank Vandenbroucke announced quite sensationally on the 1st of December that he was leaving Cofidis the team not only lost its star rider. When he came to the team both he and the management, made it quite clear that he was going to be the star, putting American Bobby Julich, third in the Tour, and the Tour KOM Christophe Rinero, aside. After this season Julich left the team.

When Vandenbroucke was recruited in the fall of 1998, another three Belgians were also hired: His close friend and training partner Nico Mattan from Mapei and Steve De Wolf and Peter Farazijn from Lotto-Mobistar. This summer Jo Planckaert was signed.

So had Vandenbroucke left the team, there would have been no-one there to take over. This team had no natural number two. Cofidis would have been standing without a top rider, and with a handful of good and expensive riders hired to do something that was no longer possible.

VDB on the other hand staked his game high, and he might have lost. ONCE already had two stars, Jalabert and Olano, and was not willing to pay too much for a third. New Italian outfit Fassa Bartolo was a team where he would have fitted in well. They also had the money, they said. Until the young Belgian presented his price tag.

So now Frank Vandenbroucke will save Cofidis, and himself, by going on for the team. The deal is unbroken. VDB has a contract for two more seasons. Question is with whom he, and the team, will negotiate during this year. Since no one really likes the other.

Gisbers agrees with cyclists

The confessions of former Dutch professionals, Steven Rooks, Martin Ducrot, and Peter Winnen (see January 1 news) were no surprise to many, but were denied by their former team bosses, Jan Raas (Kwantum, Buckler) and Peter Post (Raleigh, Panasonic). However, former PDM director, Jan Gisbers sided with the cyclists on this issue.

Gisbers told Dutch newsagency, ANP, that "every teamleader in cycling knows that riders - in cooperation with doctors or soigneurs - use doping." Only to what extent is unknown by teamleaders.

Gisbers said that he doesn't understand the denial Raas and Post. "All teams go to the border, all riders are allowed that too. Even with Post, even with Raas. I expect that in my PDM-time the riders used drugs too. I'm not sure about it, because riders and doctors or soigneurs can arrange this together. And why should they announce this to the teamleader? I make a distinction, when you use testosterone for recovery, I don't call that doping. But if you use amphetamines, I say that's doping."

In the TV-program "Reporter" it seemed Gisbers wasn't talking too much. He says the editing of the program was the reason. "They didn't use a lot of essential things about what I was saying."

Timex 2000

Courtesy of Kevin Eccles

The US women's professional cycling team, Timex have announced a several changes to their expanded team roster for this season. Joining sole returning 1999 member, Odessa Gunn, will be Mari Holden (USA), and Tracey Gaudry (Australia). Sanna Lehtimaki of Finland and Americans Kim Smith, and Erin Veenstra will also don Timex Team colors in 2000. Supporting the team are long-time racing veterans Norman Alvis (Team Director) and Giana Roberge (Team Manager).

Canadian Odessa Gunn won two of the Superweek races and placed fifth in the Wine Country Classic last year, and she is a valued domestique. Newcomer Mari Holden is a four-time US National Champion and has her eyes set on the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney, Australia. Holden had a strong 1999 season, winning the Mountain Jersey at the Hewlett Packard Stage Race in Boise, Idaho and the Climber's Jersey at the First Union Liberty Classic in Philadelphia, PA.

Joining Holden in her own Olympic endeavors is Australian Tracey Gaudry. The experienced Gaudry has represented Australia in the 1996 Olympic Games, and at numerous World Championships. She is currently ranked as the third woman in the world, winning the 1999 Montreal World Cup, the Tour de Snowy as well as the Australian National Road Championship.

Sanna Lehtimaki, the 1999 double Finnish National Champion will support the team in leadouts and sprints during the season. Erin Veenstra is a double Pan-Am champion and strong track rider, being valuable also in the sprints. Finally Kim Smith will complete the lineup. She represented the United States at the World's and the Tour of Switzerland, and was the top US finisher in the latter race.

The Timex Team will be supported by a new staff including Team Director and Tour de France veteran, Norman Alvis. AAlvis began racing in 1979 and has been associated with the 7-11, Motorola, and Saturn cycling teams. He has won the Corestates Classic in Philadelphia, PA, in 1995, as well as the holding the current National One-Hour Record.

Supervising the team as Manager will be former professional cyclist and Timex Team member Giana Roberge, who will rely on her experience as both a professional cyclist and a bicycle shop owner to help the team.

The Timex team's primary goals will be the Olympic Games and the Saturn US Pro Tour this year.

The major sponsors of the team, other than Timex, will be Cannondale, Shimano, Mavic, Michelin and Time (bicycles); Giro, Carnac, Rudy Project, and Mt Borah (gear); and Clif, and Champion Nutrition (food).

2000 Timex Team Roster:

Tracey Gaudry (Aus)
Odessa Gunn  (Can)
Mari Holden (USA)
Sanna Lehtimaki (Fin)
Kim Smith (USA)
Erin Veenstra (USA)
Norman Alvis (Director)
Giana Roberge (Manager)
Matt Roy (Mechanic)
Scott Pinion (Trainer)

Indurain contemplates retiring

Prudencio Indurain, ex-Vitalicio Seguros, has still not found a team for this year. The cyclist, brother of Miguel is likely to retire if he cannot find employment soon.

He, along with several other Spanish cycling stars, was present at the funeral of Spanish cycling media presenter, Pedro González, who passed away on New Year's Eve, 1999. González, 48 had spent the last 25 years of his life involved in the broadcasting of cycling, working with Radio Nacional and TVE during his career.

Tour of Wellington

Courtesy of Jorge Sandoval

Two strong New Zealand teams have been named to compete in next week's Fuji Xerox Tour of Wellington - the Fuji Xerox New Zealand Track Team and the Avanti team.

Avanti has entered one of the strongest team in the race. The team is lead by Graeme Miller who has raced the tour several times in the past ten years, but has never secured the tour winner jerseys.

"Graeme has pretty much become a household name in New Zealand. At the recent Tour of Southland which he won, everything went his way and he dominated the tour without much opposition, in Wellington things will be different for Mr Miller, as there are a number of New Zealand and overseas riders who will take great pleasure in beating and showing him their back wheel" said race director Sandoval.

Other New Zealand favourites in the Avanti team are current New Zealand Champion Glen Mitchell, the 1999 winner of the King of the Mountains Matthew Yates, Ryan Russell and Carl Moore. The team Manager is Tania Duff-Miller.

The Fuji Xerox Track Team is made up of current or past New Zealand champions, including Greg Henderson from Otago, winner of four stages of the Tour and twice sprint king. Joining him will be Tim Carswell, Brendon Cameron and Dale Cheatley who replaces Gary Anderson.

It was also announced today that two other national teams have confirmed their participation for the tour. The Hong Kong National team is coming to Wellington with great expectations from their top hill climber, Kam-Po Wong. The other team is the Chinese Taipei National team.