News for July 23, 2000

Squinzi: the reaction

The statements and accusations made by Giorgio Squinzi of Mapei about doping use amongst the top riders have already had consequences. Ceruti, the chairman of the Italian union immediately went on the offensive saying "When somebody says such things, we expect he has to prove it. But where are these proofs?"

The Assogruppi (Cycling Union) in Italy are going even further. Squinzi has until Saturday night to make his apologies. If he doesn't the union has said that they will sue him.

Patrick Lefevere, who is still the manager of Mapei, although rumours say he will stop just after the Tour to start working with Domo, had the following comments: "I don't have much to say. I can't be responsible for what the sponsor says. And he doesn't care what I think about this. By the way: it isn't the first time he's said such things. He did it last year in the Giro and at the beginning of this season at the presentation of our team in Milan. I think you'd better be careful, don't hurt people."

"It doesn't make our life easier. Especially for our riders. Andrea Noé finished fourth in the Giro, Pavel Tonkov fifth. Does Squinzi mean the same about Mapei's riders? And we feel the reactions in the peloton. We don't improve our popularity in this business," finished Lefevere.

The UCI have attacked Squinzi as well about his remarks, calling them "unfounded and demagogical". Their official statement came swiftly after he made the comments on Italian radio recently. "The sport of cycling and the UCI are absolutely clear about the existing problems and are trying to master them with planning, commitment and consideration, things which seem to be unfortunately missing to Mr Squinzi."

Whither Vandenbroucke?

Cofidis' Frank Vandenbroucke has had an anonymous season so far in terms of results, but he is never far away from controversy. He left the Tour de France in the first week, and has not been spotted since. The president of Cofidis, François Migraine is, not for the first time, wondering where on earth his playing hard to get rider is.

"We've all tried to reach him for more than a week. Manager Alain Bondue, directeur sportif Deloeil and myself spoke several times to his answering machine. But no word from him. We don't even know where he is," said Migraine to De Standaard. "He had to be in Lyon for a medical test, but nobody saw him there. We are beginning (!) to be annoyed about this. We have not yet spoken about sanctions, but he has a weak negotiation position after the Tour. If he comes..."

Rumours that Fassa Bortolo is interested in VDB are not true however. Giancarlo Ferretti, manager of Fassa Bortolo said "No way, we aren't interested in him anymore. Last year I needed four months to make an appointment with him, but within a few minutes I knew he isn't a rider for our team. He has too big an ego, a lot of financial demands and too many flaws. I will be the last one to call him."

The Zinger: A few post race comments to chew on

By John Alsedek, cyclingnews.com correspondent

While the men's race at last weekend's Zinger Cycling Challenge more than lived up to its advance billing, the women's event didn't fare nearly as well. Unhappy with what they considered as 'sideshow' status (a 45-minute miss-and-out event, compared to the 138-mile men's road race), the Charles Schwab team opted not to attend; while local racer Vicky Sama staged an on-road protest that ended in a brush with the law. Both the Schwab team's letter and Sama's on-road account are included here, as is a statement from race director Len Pettyjohn, citing the logistical impossibilities of running two separate race caravans with any degree of safety. There are also opinions from other race directors, plus several riders who competed in the women's Zinger.

Anonymous (team manager, women's professional team)

"Teams like Charles Schwab only hurt themselves by boycotting the race because of the less than desired miss-and-out format. However, I don't think any women in the race were excited about doing just a criterium, much less a miss-and-out format. The organizers put together this amazingly epic race which got a ton of publicity. But, I think in general, the women felt short changed by the 45-minute miss-and-out crit, when they could have had the opportunity to have a similar race as the guys."

Ken Carl (race director, U.S. PRO & Elite National Criterium Championships)

"This has been an issue in almost every bicycle racing event, and sports in general. My first impression is that the disparity at the Zinger was so great that the sport of cycling would have been better off if there was no women's race at the Zinger. I say this because the differences between the women and the men were so obvious that it created a negative platform for discussion of the event. The situation brings into question how the sponsors view women in sports and the purpose of the women's event, and the event organization and event director's views of women as bicycle racers come into question.

The greatest potential damage of such a high-profile event presenting a women's event in such a minor role is to the future of sponsorship of women in both teams and events. A sponsor may question the value of their sponsorship. Our sport is still a small pool: drop a rock in one side, and the ripple effect is felt everywhere. For many years, the CoreStates (now First Union) U.S. PRO Championship event did not stage a women's event. I believe they realized the position they were in and waited until they could produce an event that would make the women's race a featured race and not an afterthought or sideshow.

I believe the disparity issue is not based in prize money, but in respect and presentation. As the race director of the Downers Grove Championships - featuring the USPS U.S. PRO Championships, and this year hosting the Charles Schwab USCF Elite Championship for women - I have done my best to promote and support the women in bicycle racing. The women's race is held on the same course as the men. The race is presented at midday, when fan support is available and it is presented as a major event within the weekend schedule.

As an event organizer, I realize the difficulties any event presents. We operate in an arena of negative attention. If we as organizers make an error, it is assured that the problems will receive equal or greater attention than the overall success of the event. Knowing this, we must weigh our plans and goals against public perception and sponsor requirements. If the right balance is found, our sport benefits and everyone enjoys a great day at the races."

Kori Kelly, rider/manager, Procter & Gamble/Women's Health

"I personally feel deprived of such an epic race and would have loved to do something like the men. There aren't a lot of races over 100 miles in the U.S., but I feel that it's because we have tried not to make it equivalent to the men's racing. 'Toona and HP are the few races in the U.S. that have worked on creating the same opportunities for women racers. It seems that European-style racing taps into the heart of racing for both men and women alike. I would like to have such experiences for women in the U.S., and if there was something equivalent to the Zinger for women, I feel this would help us achieve that goal.

The miss-and-out was fun, but that's all it was: entertainment. The spotlight was definitely on the epic road race. I'm not quite sure why there was no road race for women. I just assumed that it was because of finances."

Craig Kundig, race director, Redlands Bicycle Classic

"I know the cost of two police caravans and the expenses attached was probably the reason for the way it was done. I know the women probably feel slighted. At Redlands, our women's race started as a crit, then an omnium, then a shorter stage race, then to an equal one three years ago. It was all about sponsorship. We moved ahead as fast as we could; we have tried for years to get a presenting sponsor for the women's event to get them equal, but to no avail.

In Redlands, our purses are different: $30,000 vs $20,000, and I take some heat for it. However, the men's purse is completely covered by the entries (200 riders - UCI limit, always full), and the women's (110 riders, plus or minus) is $5,000 short. Other than that, we try our best to keep them equal, but they are usually a year behind. We give them the same courses to race, but no team caravan because of the costs involved last year. After a successful UCI men's debut, we have applied for the women in 2001 so we can improve the women's event, as budget allows, with a team caravan and UCI points. It is one step at a time for us.

Considering the shape of cycling sponsorship in the U.S., any race is better than no race. Hopefully, as the Zinger grows, it will be able to offer the women an event similar to the men's."

Robin Morton, race director, BMC Software & First Union Cycling Series

"I know there have been some disgruntled women athletes regarding some of the Saturn U.S. Pro Tour events - not just the Zinger - and the lack of road races, etc.

First, I want to commend Len and his staff for putting together a tremendous event; the first year is always the hardest. It is very difficult getting the road closures, state police, and all the municipalities to agree in the first place, and it takes quite a lot of money and effort to pull it off in a safe and effective manner.

As someone who advocates women's cycling and has made efforts (through Sports & Co., Octagon, and Threshold) to try and establish more of our own women's races, as well as more on the Saturn Tour, I admit I have been very dismayed at the turnout for most of the events. I understand that the women's side of the sport is not as well-funded or organized, but, no matter where the races are or what kind of event, the average field size is 30-40 riders. For the last two years in Houston, we did not even have enough women to warrant paying all the prize money, even though we do not charge entry fees and have pretty big prize lists. I know that our events are only Pro/1/2, but I think this is pretty lame. The level of racing is tremendous, but the lack of organization - with a few exceptions - on the women's side is pretty appalling to me."

Len Pettyjohn, race director, Zinger Cycling Classic

"It was not remotely possible to attempt a women's race on any portion of the Zinger course this year for the simple reason that the manpower to run such an operation does not exist. We were absolutely stretched to the max on available Colorado State Patrol, moto marshals, key marshal captains, and experienced drivers for race officials and caravan support. To attempt to run concurrent races would have been a disaster for the men, women, and cycling community."

Tiffany Pezzulo, rider. Proteus.com

"Personally, it was good for me (what I'm good at - crits!) to have the race we had. However, looking at the larger picture, namely the ever-present discrepancy between men's and women's racing, it was definitely a little skewed. I mean, the women's race was like something to watch while waiting for the men - it was the half-time show at the Super Bowl, the free-throw contest at half-time of a Knicks game. It was something that was neat for fans to watch, but was really just a sideshow for the main event, the men's race.

I can say this as well: if you look at the major races in the U.S., the really hard races, like HP, Gila, Willamette, Philly, Redlands, and consider the ratio of starters to finishers in both the men's and women's races, you'd find a major difference. More women kill themselves to finish hard races. A race of Zinger-like difficulty will definitely take its toll on the peloton, but I think if there had been a women's race, there would've been a higher percentage of finishers. The coverage I remember of the Ironman Triathlon was of the people who're hours back, dragging themselves across the finish line in a state of comatose euphoria....I think the top women's finishers would've put on an impressive showing in their own Zinger, but they would've given the fans more of an event by those women who were going on pure will and giving everything just to finish the race.

I don't mean to say that women are tougher than men, and that all the men who raced the Zinger weren't totally burly! I wouldn't agree with women racing the same course - just maybe having an event of similar caliber with equal attention and importance."

Vicky Sama, rider, University of Colorado

"It's a great feeling when you make a statement, even if it can get you in trouble. On Saturday, the Zinger Cycling Challenge was held here in Colorado; it was a 138-mile race from Boulder to Breckenridge, with 14,000 feet of climbing of seven mountain passes - a very, very hard race for sure. 120 men started the race; no women were allowed. I thought that was unfair. I had previously complained to the race organizer that the women should have at least the chance to do half the race. His response was that women can't compete in such a race. I let him know that he was dead wrong.

So on Saturday, I jumped ahead of the group about 20 miles into the race. For an hour, I rode and climbed in the mountains ahead of the peloton without getting caught. In fact, I even slowed up so the pack could catch me before the downhill. I had a sign on my back that read 'Women Can Climb Too!'. And I got a hell of a lot of support from the men riders, the people watching, and the drivers of the support vehicles. The Saturn team support driver pulled up and told me he would give me feeds if I needed 'em. The Mercury support vehicle told me he would help out if I got flats or needed clothes. What nice people! The race director's car eventually came up next to me and he barked at me for being in the race. We argued back and forth about allowing women in. He again insisted that women can't handle it.

The police were not kind either. I was pulled over near Black Hawk after completing one pass with the field. The police told me I had to stop and stand on the side of the road. So I pulled over, and then, when the cop took off, I started to ride again and stayed in the rear. Then, when we hit the downhill, the cop saw me again, pulled me over, and told me if I moved I was under arrest. He didn't leave me this time until all the racers and support vehicles had passed; all the while, a photographer from VeloNews was taking pictures. I think I made my point."

Julie Schwab, manager, Charles Schwab Cycling Team

(the following is a letter sent to the Zinger Cycling Challenge's Operations Director, Barb Shively, prior to the event)

Hello Barbara,

I regret to announce that Charles Schwab will not be sending its women's team to the Zinger.

One of the underlying reasons why Charles Schwab chose to support the Charles Schwab Professional Women's Team is to elevate the status of women's cycling. Unfortunately, we feel that the Zinger Cycling Challenge is not in line with our mission. The disparities in distance, prize money, and P.R. efforts between the men's and women's races show little respect for women's cycling.

I have proudly sent the team to many wonderful races across the country in which promoters support the women's and men's races with equal vigor and enthusiasm. As a team, we prefer to invest our time and energy supporting such races.

We will be open to reconsidering our decision in future years.

Julie Schwab

Victor Vitelli, race director, NYC Womens Challenge & Bear Mountain Road Race

"When organizing a women's event, the promoter's biggest concern is getting adequate financial underwriting. It is unrealistic to think that the rider turnout and entry fees alone can support a prizelist that attracts large fields. From the folks in marketing and advertising who I consult, the numbers simply don't support a large financial outlay for small, highly competitive events. Companies prefer to finance massive walk-a-thons that attract thousands of participants, as opposed to hundred-rider competitions for the pinnacle of athletic talent."

Anna Wilson, rider, Saturn Cycling Team

"I am afraid that I have pretty well got used to the fact that our races will always be shorter and receive less prize money than the men's events. I don't bother wasting energy on it any more - I need all the energy I can get for racing! So I wouldn't particularly single the Zinger out for this crime - it is pretty well across the board round the world with just a few notable exceptions. The Hewlett Packard race is of course one incredible event that is doing a great job of turning those tables around, and the BMC series of criteriums this year has been great in awarding equal bonuses to the male or female who can will all four events."