World Championships news for October 15, 2000

Can Freire do it again?

Once again, it looks as though the 268 km men's World Championships Road Race will be held in inclement weather, with the forecast for intermittent rain and a cold 14 degrees. Despite the large number of top names absent or sick, the course and the distance are such that the winner will have certainly earned it.

A surprise winner is often good for the sport, and this was certainly demonstrated by Oscar Freire of Spain last year. This season, he has been one of the best one day riders in the peloton, despite his on-off struggle with injuries. He rates Andrei Tchmil, Axel Merckx, Nico Mattan, Paolo Bettini and Max Van Heeswijk as his main rivals today.

A full preview and start list for the race is available, and cyclingnews.com will be covering the entire race live, starting 1030 CET/0430 USA EDT/1930 Aust. ESST.

Tchmil confident

Andrei Tchmil has to be one of the biggest favourites on Sunday, especially in what looks to be some pretty ordinary weather. "The parcours is perfect for me. The distance is to my advantage: If it was only 200 km it would be difficult for me. But after 220, 25 percent of the bunch is out of the race. After 235 km again 25 percent. And after 250 km you have only a maximum of 20 candidates left. Then the race will start seriously. In the 19th and last lap you have pain all over your body," said one of the hardest men in cycling.

"There is a minor negative point for me: the finishline is not at the end of a climb."

Dutch pep talk

Gerrie Knetemann didn't need more than 29 minutes and 27 seconds on the 'night before' with the Dutch team. "The discussions about tactics and prizemoney become shorter and shorter," said the coach who is in his 10th year this year.

The KNWU has 30,000, 20,000 and 10,000 Dutch guilders (13,500, 9,000 and 4,500 Euro) available for gold, silver and bronze. What the 'new Dutch World Champion' gives to his teammates is unknown.

Three riders will be protected: Michael Boogerd, Max van Heeswijk and Maarten den Bakker. Leon van Bon may see how it's going during the race and ride for his own chances. If he isn't too good, he rides for the three. The rest of the team (Lotz, Kroon, De Jongh, Engels, Pronk, Vierhouten, Hoffman and Koerts) will be split in two blocks: for the first and middle sections of the race.

"They have to bring the three to the finale. In the last part, the three have to make a deal who will bring gold, silver and bronze...,' said Knetemann.

"First I had only one rider for the title: Max van Heeswijk. He is great at the moment, but he doesn't want to be the only leader. He doesn't want to have the pressure on his shoulders. He doesn't know half how good he is. The peloton has to be glad that my head isn't on his body. He can be much more than he realises," said Knetemann.

Van Heeswijk doesn't agree with the assessment, saying that "I still don't belong to the list with names like Bartoli and Tchmil. But I know I'm a name in the peloton after winning Paris-Bruxelles. I will try to save myself until the last two laps."

Michael Boogerd has a special goal as this week his uncle died. "I would have liked to be at his funeral on Saturday, but my family said you have to concentrate on the World Championships. But I can't forget it. There are more important things than bloody cycling. Therefore I will try to get a nice result for my uncle," said Boogerd.

Big Brother is watching

The KNWU (Koninklijke Nederlandse Wielrenunie) has installed real 'spies' on Sunday to see whether the Dutch riders ride for their foreign sponsor (old or new) instead of riding for their country.

"We'll keep an eye on them," KNWU-chairman Joop Atsma said. "Besides the union coach we have two union members in the race. But there are two officials beside the road and one is sitting at home in front of his TV set."

Riders who work too much for their foreign sponsor may be sanctioned. "A suspension or a penalty," said Atsma.

Crashes in U23 race

The end of Friday's U23 men's Road Race saw a crash take out a large section of the bunch in the run into the finish. The ensuing chaos meant that there was a two and a half hour delay in issuing the final complete results after the jury had to sort out the photographers and the riders in the film de la course.

French hope, Christophe Le Mevel was one of many injured but he got out of it lightly, as New Zealander Fraser McMaster broke his elbow and Irishman Stephen Gallagher suffered cranial trauma.