News for May 4, 2000Museeuw injures his knee againJohan Museeuw became a victim of another knee injury today, as he was forced to abandon the Four Days of Dunkirk. The problems started yesterday when was involved in a 20 rider fall, opening up a large wound in his right knee (not the same one as he injured two years ago in Wallers). After the stage, he saw the team doctor who advised him to pull out due to risk of infection. He went back home to nearby Gistel and did not not start today. He will have to rest at least a week, but it is better than the alternatives. Museeuw had planned a rest after the Four Days of Dunkirk, but it has come a little sooner than expected. Team director, Marc Sergeant believes that he will not be back to racing until the Tour of Germany in late May. Another victim was Cofidis' Philippe Gaumont who broke a bone in his right hand. Frank Vandenbroucke's close friend will want to join him in the Tour de France, but he will only have a maximum of six weeks of training and racing prior to it.
Mario's 150th
With his win in today's stage one of the Tour de Romandie, Mario Cipollini (Saeco) notched up his 150th career win, including his wins in the Hannover and Zwolle criteriums last year. It was his 10th victory in the Toud of Romandie as well, another record. He made his debut in 1989 with Del Tongo and is the most successful of the currently active cyclists. His wins have been fairly consistent as well, 5 + 8 + 14 + 16 + 12 + 7 + 18 + 17 + 16 + 16 + 17 + 4 = a total of 150. Of course, his Italian fans are a little disappointed, as they wanted him to win his 150th in the Giro d'Italia, commencing in just over a week. Well, it depends on whether criteriums count although two more wins in Romandie would settle the matter once and for all.
Memorycard-Jack & Jones take stockThe Danish 'new' first division team had a good start to the season this year, with Bo Hamburger performing well in the Milan San Remo (9th) and winning a stage of Paris Nice, Tristan Hoffman's 5th in the Tour of Flanders, 4th in Paris-Roubaix and Gent-Wevelgem and 1st in the Dwars Door Vlaanderen, and Jesper Skibby's strong rides in San Remo and Flanders. However since then they have been under performing for a variety of reasons. Firstly there is the illness and injury factor: Mikael Kyneb and Christian Andersen are suffering from gastric disorders, Jakob Piil crashed before Milan-San Remo and the wound he sustained has become infected, Michael Blaudzun was experiencing back pain possibly due to a different bike setup and Jesper Skibby has had tendinitis caused by an overuse of one of his legs, but he is expected to recover quickly from this. Of course, to top this was Nicolaj Bo Larsen's 51 percent hematocrit value measured before the Tour of Flanders. This put him and the other riders in the team under considerable stress, as the sponsor has made it clear that they will not tolerate drug use within the team, i.e. no more jobs for anyone. Subsequent and independent analysis showed that his level was not caused by EPO, and Bo Larsen (and Memorycard and Jack & Jones) were persuaded to continue with the team. The team now is competing in the Four Days of Dunkirk, and will have the Tour de l'Oise and the Midi Libre as major goals in May. They are aiming for one of the three (probably two) remaining spots in the Tour de France, so results this month will be important for them.
Tour de L'Aude previewThe 10 day category 1 women's stage race, the Tour de L'Aude, commences on Friday with a 3 kilometre prologue in Gruissan in the south of France. A total of 90 riders from 15 teams will take part in the 16th edition of this race, won last year by Canada's Lyne Bessette. The stages will traverse the Aude region, taking in roads of the Tarn, Ariège, Haute-Garonne as well as the Eastern Pyreneean resort of Font-Romeu, which marks the finish of Stage 7. Stage 2a (May 7, 44 km) will be tough, with a mountain finish at the Pic de Nore - 1211 metres high, with another 66 kilometre stage to follow on the same day. The Tour has been running since 1985, when it was a four stage event. In 1988 it was increased to 10 days and has seen winners such as Canins, Longo, Marsal, Jackson and Luperini. The Stages: Prologue - May 5: Gruissan ITT, 3 km
Charles Schwab add BergerBy John Alsedek, cyclingnews.com correspondent The Charles Schwab Women's Cycling Team today announced the addition of Katrina Berger to their lineup for the remainder of the 2000 season. Berger, 28, is in her fifth year of competitive cycling; after racing collegiately in '96, she continued competing while working full-time for the San Dieguito River Valley Land Conservancy. Concentrating full-time on cycling this year, she started the season with the Harbour Lights club. However, her top-ten overall performances in the Redlands Classic, Mercury Sea Otter Classic, and the Tour of Willamette made her a valuable commodity, and one that Charles Schwab feels will be a good addition to an already strong lineup that includes Nicole Freedman and Pan-Am gold medalist Elizabeth Emery. Two Dutch and one Italian race out of SuperprestigeThe organizer of the Superprestige cyclo cross series has decided which three races will be cancelled next season, as the UCI wants to make the season shorter. Surhuisterveen, Heerlen, both in the Netherlands, and as expected, Silvelle in Italy. Several top riders have already signed the contracts for the next season: Wim de Vos, Gerben de Knegt, Mario de Clercq, Bart Wellens, Erwin Vervecken, Peter van Santvliet, Ben Berden, Tom van Noppen, Davy Commeyne, Marc Janssens, Björn Rondelez, Petr Dlask, Jiri Pospisil, Christophe Morel, David Derepas, Roland Schätti and Daniële Pontoni. There are still negotiations going on with Richard Groenendaal and Sven Nijs. Perth newsThe Ridesafe Tour of Perth (Australia) will be held this month from May 12-14 over five stages including a prologue. It is a national category one event and will attract some of the best riders that the west and east coast can offer. Locals include Brodie Cullen, Shaun O'Neill, Chris Brown, Eddie Hollands, Glen Harris, Hilton McMurdo, Jarrod Poad, Tyson Lawrence and Matthew Conn (Tasmania but living in Perth). Along with these will be Junior World pursuit champion, Peter Dawson, and Australian points champion Scott Suckling. The event will be launched 12:30 pm, May 10 with the $1,000 City of Perth Celebrity Roller Challenge in Forrest Place, Perth. The stages for the Tour of Perth are as follows: Prologue - May 12: Reabold Hill-Floreat ITT (4pm)
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