News for May 21, 2000Giro d'Italia newsFirst Australian stage win in 10 years
After his impressive solo victory in today's stage 7 of the Giro, Australian David McKenzie became on of only a few stage winners from the wide brown land. The last was Australian Phil Anderson, who won in 1989 and 1990, as did Alain Peiper in 1990. In 1982, Michael Wilson also won a stage. McKenzie, despite riding for Linda McCartney, is not the first Australian vegetarian stage winner, as Alain Peiper was a strict vegetarian during his career. He still is, although he makes a decent living selling hotdogs on the Belgian Kermesse circuit (look out for him during Gentsefeesten near St Baaf's Cathedral). It was certainly Linda McCartney's biggest win out of their one and a bit seasons in the pro ranks, turning this year's Giro campaign from a potential nightmare into an unprecendented success. Forza Macca! Max Sciandri joked about the team's dietary practices after yesterday's break that almost saw him in a winning position. He was asked, "surely, you being from Tuscany must eat meat? Don't you secretly eat it during the Giro?". Max played along, saying "Sure - I carry a gas camping stove around with me."
Konyshev's fourthThe 4-time winner of stages in the Tour de France, Dimitry Konyshev, added another Grande Tour stage win to his palmares by winning stage 6 into Vasto yesterday. This brought his Giro total to four as well, winning two stages in 1993 and one in 1997. He commented on his win (that he'd predicted the day before): "Pettachi led me to the finish. At the 500 metre point, we passed Cipollini, and it was strange to see him drop behind. I saw Blijlevens veer diagonally and that saved me," said Giancarlo Ferretti's star rider, now that Baldato has dropped out. Petacchi told him to go with 200 metres left, and he did just that beating Blijlevens in what must have been very frustrating for the Dutchman. For 34 year old Konyshev, it was another good victory in his 12 year career, and a result of aggressive tactics from directeur sportif, Giancarlo Ferretti. It doesn't quite make up for his loss in last year's World Championships (where Freire jumped the gun to win), but Konyshev is a little more happy with himself now.
Calcaterra and Gonzalez make upAfter he punched Colombian Freddy Gonzalez towards the end of stage 5, Giuseppe Calcaterra (Saeco) has since made a formal apology to the Columbian. Gonzalez's Aguardiente Nectar-Selle Italia team director, Gianni Savio threatened to take the matter to the race disputes committee, however Calcaterra publically apologised on TV and the matter has been laid to rest.
WithdrawalRuggero Borghi (Vini Caldirola) withdrew before yesterday's stage 6, due to stomach pains and injuries sustained from a fall.
Pantani likely for the TourMarco Pantani was somewhart of a surprise start for this year's Giro, however he has quickly made it clear that he has one major goal in mind for 2000 - The Tour de France. He confirmed this today to the Giro press, when he said that "I am not at 100% of my capacity, and I don't think that I'll be one of the contenders for this Giro. One of these days, I'll disappoint my fans, but in a few months, in the Tour de France, I will give them satisfaction," stated the Pirate this evening. "I am not the outright favourite, but the others will have to be strong to get away from me," he concluded in an atypical threat to the other Tour contenders. Normally, Pantani (as with others) likes to deflect attention and pressure away from himself until the time comes to escape the gravity of the earth and the bunch inthe high mountains. This revelation has just shown that he is a lot more confident, which may leave the other Tour contenders more nervous than they would like. Pantani won the Tour de France in 1998, beating Jan Ullrich in one of the most tumultuous Tours of recent history. The stage where Ullrich was left behind on the Galibier in the freezing cold as Pantani almost casually accelerated on the lower slopes was quite memorable (especially for yours truly who was standing at the top surrounded by a bunch of mad Italians who'd rigged up a TV out the back of about the only Cafe on the Col du Galibier!).
Fois to ColpackValentino Fois (26), who last year rode with Vini-Caldirola has spent this year without a contract so far. However, Italian second division team Colpack have announced that they will take him on due to his good results so far this year. Last year, Fois won the Swiss race, Giro del Mendrisiotto.
Strictly for amusementHow many of these do you qualify for? You might be a roadie if: You can identify bugs by their taste. You not only know the phone number for your local bike shop by heart, but can usually hum along with the music they play when they put you on hold. You meet a beautiful girl dressed in skin-tight spandex and one of the first ten words out of your mouth is either "Shimano" or "Campagnolo." Your entire knowledge of French consists of phrases like "maillot jaune," "lantern rouge," and "peleton." You find yourself noticing, (and being irritated by), one or more
of the following about other riders: You've ever used a bit of roadie slang around family or coworkers who have no idea what you're talking about. You know, "I would have finished-up that project last night, but I bonked hard at 11:00." You find yourself trying to disengage your clipless pedals when moving Your foot off the clutch in your car. If you point out obstacles in the road while driving your car. If you scare passengers in your car by yelling "braking!' at red lights. Your most expensive clothes say Pearl Izumi on them. You know your max heart rate but not your IQ. If the value of your bikes is greater than the value of your car. You've been asked not to return to an 'all you can eat' restaurant. You can build up three bikes from all the parts lying around your house. You have more wheels than suits. You flunked high school chemistry yet you can discuss EPO and its implications convincingly with a pulmonologist. You have bookmarked more cycling related websites than nudie websites.. You have ever used tubular cement for household repairs. You have ever been driving the car and reached down for your waterbottle. You wear Briko Stingers in public....while OFF of the bike.... You think that the 4 major food groups are Power Bar, Cytomax, Gatorade, and fig newtons. You think that riding a mountain bike can lead to the abuse of harder drugs.... You think that Phil Liggett should be nominated for the Edgar R. Murrow Award. You think that Christopher Columbus was named after the tubing company. You can remember Campagnolo part numbers, but not your anniversary date. You find yourself grasping the handle of a shopping cart as if it were the brake-hoods of your bike. You have Colorado Cyclist catalogs instead of Playboy in the bathroom. You are reading this.
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