News for July 24, 2000Museeuw shafted?Johan Museeuw doesn't know now whether he will be allowed to start in the World Cup races in the latter half of the season. "A certain clan in the Mapei team is making trouble. I don't know whether they will select me for the final races this season, after knowing that I'll be leaving the team for Patrick Lefevere's Domo squad." Lefevere, who will soon be ex-Mapei, doesn't believe this: "Mapei has too much respect for Museeuw," he said. Van Petegem goes with PriemPeter Van Petegem (Farm Frites) will sign with the new team of Cees Priem. He announced this today in an interview with the Belgian newspaper Het Nieuwsblad. "I understand it will be a disappointment for Patrick Lefevere, but I have very good memories from my period at TVM with Priem. For the past few days I've known for sure that the new team will be there."
Michael Boogerd updateRabobank team doctor Leinders has advised Michael Boogerd to rest for one week after he left the hospital in Troyes on Sunday morning, and travelled to his home in Belgium. He has an injured knee after his fall on Saturday in the Tour. Next week Rabobank will reassess the situation and decide on his training and race schedule for the post season. The targets will be the Olympics Games in Sydney and the World Championships in Bretagne. On his Tour performance and potential, Boogerd said that "I know there is no podium place for me in Paris, but I still think I can ride to a top 10 place. The Tour de France is the most important race for a rider. So it is for me too. I'll never forget the stage to Les Deux Alpes two years ago. The mountain was full of Dutch fans, and they screamed to the heavens. That was a great feeling and I want to repeat that one time again. I don't want to change my targets: only classics and some small stage races. I can't ride slower in the pre-season because of the Tour. That isn't my character. I want to do a good pre-season and have a good performance in the post-season. They say that it is physically impossible. But 1998 was a super year for me and I did it. I will decide on my own - in cooperation with the doctor and the team management about my season plans." He added that he's "looking forward to my renewal. I'll use the post-season for that. I hope to get good results in the classics, but the most important race will be the World Championships. It's a perfect parcours for me."
Red Zinger: A right of replyThe Celestial Seasonings Red Zinger Cycling Challenge held on July 15 in Colorado was, in terms of its parcours and conditions, one of the toughest bike races held in North America. Starting in Boulder and finishing in Breckenridge, the riders had to tackle seven mountain passes, over 3,000 metres of climbing, all in 220 kilometres. Not all of it was on tarred roads, and it was certainly not dry by the finish. There was no doubt that it was an epic day of racing. Although the race was considered a big success by many of the participants, not all were happy. Cyclingnews.com's post-race wrapup of how the women felt about not being allowed to ride in the main event attracted several responses. While this News section is not intended to become a "Letters" page, we felt that race director, Len Pettyjohn deserved a public right of reply answering the criticisms. Next year, could there be a fully fledged women's Zinger? Here is the text of Mr Pettyjohn's letter: With the exception of Vicky Sama's letter in your Zinger post race comments, I find the critical tone of your wrap-up to be generally accurate and understandable. I applaud the women riders who choose to support the Zinger this year and apologize to those whose teams and riders opted to boycott the event because they perceived that we have "little respect for women's cycling". It was certainly not our intent, nor our sponsors' wishes to cast the women in a secondary role. As a longtime coach/manager for some very elite level women, I have fought that same battle for dollars and recognition that was alluded to in your wrap-up story. In spite of numerous recommendations that we not attempt any kind of women's race, it was my decision alone to offer a women's criterium in Breckenridge. As a part of the Saturn USPRO Tour I felt a need to promote a Zinger event that would offer the women Tour points. It is unfortunate that I put the women in a secondary role and I am sorry that I caused such a problem for the women riders. Big mistake on my part and one that will not be duplicated next year. We are unable to obtain permission from the Colorado State Patrol to run concurrent races on the Zinger course and I will not put our sponsors in a position that creates the perception of a women's bias. No sponsor wants to be perceived in a negative light. If the Zinger sponsorship is renewed next year there will not be a women's event. As for Ms Sama, she is confused. There was no race director's car in the race and I did not "bark" at her about being in the race. I was riding in the #2 commissaire's car and at no time did we have any conversation with a female rider about being in the race or on the course. I find Ms Sama's actions appalling for cycling when we have a sponsor willing to underwrite thousands of dollars of police costs to clear the road of autos and one of the biggest protests is from a cyclist who refuses to follow police direction. Len Pettyjohn Dutch Olympic Track TeamPeter Pieters has announced his nominations for the Dutch track team for Sydney, following the Dutch track championships held last week. Leontien van Moorsel will probably ride two races in Sydney: the pursuit and the points race. Pieters said that "She is so strong that I've nominated her for the points race too." Team pursuit: Wilco Zuijderwijk, John den Braber, Peter Schep and
Jens Mouris (or Robert Slippens) Another note on the championships: Teun Mulder, the new Dutch omnium champion won the sprint, the flying 200m, and the keirin. However in the last race that he won (the keirin) he was riding with a broken collarbone.
Austrian Olympic Road TeamThe five man Austrian selection (road) for the Sydney Olympics is as follows: Matthias Buxhofer (Phonak Hearing Systems), Gerit Glomser (Panaria-Gaerne), Georg Totschnig (Telekom), Peter Wrohlich (Gerolsteiner), Rene Haselbacher (Gerolsteiner).
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