News for July 12, 2000

Chiotti for a year

The disciplinary commission of the French cycling federation have given MTB cyclist Jerome Chiotti a one year suspension with deferent for having doped during the World Championships of 1996. Chiotti had admitted to the doping via an interview in the French magazine, "Vélo Vert". Since then he has symbolically given his champions jersey and gold medal to the second rider in the race, Thomas Frischkecht of Switzerland.

The penalty, considered a lot lighter than a potential life ban, also involved a fine of 4000 Swiss Francs ($US 2200). It was welcomed by Chiotti's lawyer, Thibault de Montbrial who said to AFP that it was the "first time that a disciplinary body did not effectively end the career of a rider who had admitted to doping. This marks an era in which a sportsman not will have to choose between silence or a destroyed career," he said.

The disciplinary body of the FFC was led by Daniel Baal, who said that they "judged him from their hearts and conscience. They each decided independently."

Linda McCartney sign Neil Stephens

It was announced today that the new directeur sportif for the Linda McCartney team will be former Australian professional, Neil Stephens. The team have been looking to expand their staff and riders in preparation for next year, where they hope to gain enough firepower to gain a start in the Tour de France.

Stephens will work with current team manager, Sean Yates and general manager Julian Clark, although the specifics have yet to be determined. Since his retirement from the professional ranks in 1998, Neil Stephens has worked for Oakley sunglasses and as a co-ordinator for the Australian Olympic Cycling Team. His experience in these positions, as well as his considerable racing knowledge and ability to fit in with the team framework were all seen as valuable assets.

"I can't wait to get my teeth into the job. I am delighted to have been given the chance to work with this team - they're definitely going places, and I love the new attitude they're bringing to the sport," said Neil from the Tour de France.

Stephens, 36, had his professional debut in 1984 with the English ANC team and moved on from there to eventually ride for Spanish teams ONCE and Festina, where he finished his career. He was well known as a domestique in these teams, and did win a stage in the Tour in 1997. His retirement wasn't completely rosy however, coming at the end of the Festina affair, although he was one of the riders who maintained his innocence.

He will take a similar approach to management as he did to his racing - hard working and not flamboyant. "Cycling history is littered with teams who went out and bought big names with no view of how they would gel together. That's what I learnt at ONCE, and what I like about this team: it's about teamwork, and how you work as a unit," he said. "As riders, Sean and I both had reputations as loyal team workers who would take as much pleasure from a teammate winning as winning ourselves. That's the work ethic and teamwork mentality that is in place at Linda McCartney, and I will certainly be doing my best to reinforce that."

Two more added to US Olympic long team

Roadies Fred Rodriguez (Mapei) and Frankie Andreu (US Postal), both currently competing in the Tour de France, have been added to the US Olympic 'long' road team, it was announced last week. The final team will be named on August 1 and will be selected from the long team. Currently, only one rider (of five) is automatically selected, and that is Olympic trials winner, Antonio Cruz (Saturn).

Andreu competed at the 1988 and 1996 Olympic Games. In Atlanta, Andreu placed fourth in the road race, and eighth in the points race (track) at the 1988 Seoul Olympic Games. He is presently riding in his ninth Tour de France, the most by an American cyclist. He placed third at the U.S. Olympic Team Trials and eighth at Paris-Nice this spring.

Competing in his inaugural Tour de France, Rodriguez captured the USPRO title with his second-place finish at the First Union USPRO Championship in Philadelphia last month. Later in June, he collected a stage race win at the Tour of Switzerland. Among his other 2000 achievements are winning the First Union Invitational (Trenton, N.J.), finishing second at the International Niedersachen Rundfarht (Germany) and third-place at the First Union Invitational (Lancaster, Pa.), as well as winning stages in the Four Days of Dunkirk and the UNIQA classic.

Navigators adds, Tokyo Joe's subtracts

By John Alsedek, cyclingnews.com correspondent

The Navigators Cycling Team has added Paul Kelly to its roster for the remainder of the season, according to team manager Ray Cipollini. The 24-year old Kelly is a member of the Canadian National Team with plenty of international experience, and is expected to be a solid performer who can excel on any terrain.

Meanwhile, the Yahweh/Tokyo Joe's/Pepsi team has reportedly folded due to a lack of funding. The team, composed mostly of relatively unknown Colorado-based riders, evidently used their entire year's budget to compete in the BMC Software and First Union race series, and ran out of money early this month. The fate of the team's riders is currently unknown.

Russian champion killed

Sunday July 9 brought sad news for Russian cycling after two of the country's riders were killed in a car accident. Recently crowned Russian track sprint champion Alexander Khromykh, 27, and potential star Nikolai Maksakov, 17, were killed immediately after their car ran off the road near the Moscow velodrome and hit a street light.

The deaths were a great shock to Russian cycling, as Khromykh had only taken his title three days earlier, although he was not part of the Olympic team. They follow on from the serious crash of Olympic time trial champion, Zulfia Zabirova who injured herself in a local road race after crashing. Her condition is said to be serious, and her start in next month's Women's Tour de France is in doubt.