News for October 23, 2000World Track ChampionshipsHeld once again in Manchester, Great Britain, the 2000 World Track Championships take place during the latter part of this week (October 25-29). As was the case with the World Road Championships in Plouay, the track titles will see a number of top riders absent due to the Olympic focus this year. However, a World Title still has plenty of prestige, and the competition will be intense amongst those riders in attendance. Riders are qualified via the track World Cup as well as the various continental championships. In addition, the outgoing 1999 World Champions are all guaranteed a berth, as are the new Olympic Champions this year. 43 countries are qualified, and it is expected that 35 of these will take part in the championships. Program of events Day 1 - October 25: M Team Pursuit (Q and Q/F), M 1km TT, M Madison In addition, there will be an attempt made on the Men's Hour Record by Chris Boardman (GBr) at 1545 hrs (CET) on October 27, 2000.
Baal still alarmedTomorrow in Lille, France, prosecutor Gerald Vinsonneau will attempt to crack the 'omerta' (oath of silence) once more of professional cycling. The re-opening of the Festina trial is expected to run for 15 (working) days, and there is a huge amount of media interest in it in France. The case files have grown to 11 volumes and 5,500 pages of writing, and approximately 30 witnesses in addition to the 10 people on trial will be questioned in the coming weeks. On the eve of the case, French Federation president Daniel Baal has said that he still believes the rider health/doping situation to be quite bad. "I am as anxious as I was four years ago," he told AFP. He believes that the upcoming lawsuit will help fight the base of the problem, with "perhaps one or two revelations that will be made public." However, it will not be as ground breaking as the 1998 case of course. Doping today is as scientific as it ever was. In July 1998 there were very few positive drug tests, but there was certainly doping going on. In 2000, the situation is similar, "I cannot believe for a moment that there is no more doping," said Baal, although he didn't feel that there was necessarily "systematic doping" within teams. However, the system of doping is very much alive and well according to Baal, and it reaches further than the 10 being questioned tomorrow in Lille. "They will undoubtedly say that they were only pawns in the system," he added. As for Richard Virenque, whose career seems to be once more on shaky ground, he is not being accused of doping in this trial. "It is up to the court to take a position on his role as team leader, that could have led him to incite other riders to dope," said Baal. "Even if I did not agree with him all the time, it would not be correct that this is Richard Virenque's lawsuit." Daniel Baal still feels that there is doping in cycling, possibly worse than in 1998 i.e. several more levels of sophistication, although perhaps not as widespread. The fear that the events of 1998 imposed on the peloton seems to have abated, and people are once again saying, "let us not talk of doping, it is bad for cycling's image."
Virenque's futureWith the expected demise of their current team Polti, Richard Virenque and his friend and domestique, Pascal Hervé, successfully negotiated preliminary contracts with Italian second division team, Alexia Aluminio earlier this season. However, things were not finalised with the team, as it required a new sponsor to support the addition of these higher profile riders. Recently, the talks with the sponsor fell through, and Virenque and Hervé have found themselves high and dry. This is particularly bad timing for Virenque, coming just prior to another grilling in front of the French courts. Potential teams are likely to hold off depending on the outcome, and how many details about Virenque are revealed in the case. Speaking at the Giro di Lombardia on Saturday, Virenque said, "I already knew this situation two years ago and I know that it is not easy to live with it. But I hope to succeed and find a solution to everything and a contract." He announced his retirement in 1998 due to lack of interest from other teams, but was saved by Polti at the last minute. No French teams are likely to pick him up, despite his continued enormous popularity in France. A member of the national team for the Olympics and the World's, and a stage winner in the Tour this year, Virenque is adored by the public. However, when it comes to being employed, he is in a similar situation as Laurent Jalabert without the results and UCI points. The season has ended all too quickly for Richard Virenque.
New Spanish teamDespite the loss of Vitalicio Seguros next year, Spain will still have seven professional teams in the peloton. Directeur sportif of the team will be Carlos Hernandez, a former Spanish champion in 1983 and 1989 and he expects to finalise things within 10 days. Hernandez has been advised in this project by his former teammate, Pedro Delgado who will remain in that capacity until the team gets off the ground. The team is yet to be named, but its budget will be between 400-600 million Spanish pesetas ($US 2-3 million), putting it in the league of Kelme and Euskaltel. It is a little late in the season to be announcing a team, but Hernandez preferred to do that instead of his original plan of a 2002 launch. The team will have a Spanish focus, but they will not hesitate in hiring foreigners. There are still a few top names on the market after all. Hernandez wishes to wait until the budget is finalised before promising contracts to riders and personnel.
Van Petegem has a dealPeter Post, advisor to Farm Frites, has confirmed to De Standaard that he spoke last Friday with Peter van Petegem's manager Vixseboxse, his ex-manager Cees Priem and Farm Frites' director De Bruyn. They have reportedly found a solution to his problems: Peter van Petegem and Geert van Bondt can leave Farm Frites. No more details were given. Is the way free now for Van Petegem (and Wim Vansevenant) to join Mapei? "It is not so easy. In my contract with Mapei, my sponsor Lips of the firm Libema is included too. I will do what he wishes," said Van Petegem. "He has to give his approval about the agreement we made with Farm Frites. I want things to be clear by the end of this week."
Amherst 'crossThe 10th Annual Amherst International Cyclocross Race (Cat. 3) is scheduled for Saturday, October 28 in Western Massachusetts, USA. A mixture of top level US and European 'cross racers will come together to compete on a parcours on the campus of the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. After a successful 10 year history, this is the first year that the event has been granted UCI status, and several overseas riders will be in attendance to try and score points. The racing begins at 10am, with the Elite Women scheduled for 1pm and the Elite Men at 2pm. Each race lasts approximately one hour.
World's Fastest Bicycle CompetitionHow fast can you go under your own power? That's the question faced by the designers and competitors in the World's Fastest Bicycle Competition held on Battle Mountain, Nevada between October 8-15. Riding in fully faired recumbent two wheeled machines, racers were given a week to better their times over a 200 metre course after they were given a flying start. The fastest time was 6.15 seconds (117.25 km/h or 72.74 mp/h), set by Sam Whittingham in the Varna Mephisto, a bike designed and built by George Georgiev. This was a new world record, cutting 0.35 seconds off the old mark. In second place was Matt Weaver on his Kyle Edge bike, clocking 6.44 seconds (112 km/h or 69.5 mp/h). Third place was taken by Sean Costin, in 7.12 seconds (101 km/h or 62.8 mp/h). Andrea Blaseckie (also on a Varna) rode 8.28 seconds (87.11 km/h or 54.04 mp/h) for the fastest women's time. In attendance was Bill Gaines of the IHPVA Records Committee to ensure that the records were legal. |