News for April 14, 2001Recent results and new features
99th Paris-Roubaix newsFranco Ballerini's winsThis Sunday in Paris-Roubaix is the end of the cobbled road for Franco Ballerini (Mapei). Can he go out with a win in his favourite race, or will his palmares stay at 17 career victories? Log on to cyclingnews.com to find out, as we will bring you all the action, blow by blow. Ballerini's palmares 1987: Tre Vallee Varese Ballerini's Paris-Roubaix history 1989: 34th
Best Dutch riders in Paris-RoubaixFour Dutchmen have won Paris-Roubaix: Peter Post, Jan Janssen, Hennie Kuiper and Jan Raas. And 24 Dutch riders have finished in the top 10 of Paris-Roubaix on 56 occasions. Here they are: Hennie Kuiper: 4th in '76, 10th in '77, 6th in '78, 3rd in '79, 6th
in '81, 1st in '83, 9th in '84, 8th in '85 (8x) Ranking by Rene van Dammen Pieri's revenge?Saeco's classics man, Dario Pieri, will be aiming for a higher finish in this Sunday's Paris-Roubaix than in last weekend's RVV (48th). Pieri is a cobbled specialist, and Paris-Roubaix will suit him, provided he can avoid too many punctures and falls. Pieri and the rest of the Saeco team inspected the pavé on Thursday, before heading north to race in the GP Pino Cerami in Belgium. "Several sections are covered in mud," said directeur sportif Guido Bontempi said. "And while we were training we saw machines and lots of workers out trying to clean the pavé. Things will probably be better on Sunday but whatever... bad conditions and mud is what Roubaix is all about!" Pieri will ride with Jörg Ludewig, Torsten Nitsche, Oscar Cavagnis, Massimiliano Mori, Nicola Gavazzi and Marius Sabaliauskas in Paris-Roubaix. Armstrong in France: Part IIDefending Tour de France champion, Lance Armstrong, returned to France for the first time since last July, competing in the Circuit de la Sarthe where he finished 25th overall. In an interivew with Darren Tulett of Bloomberg News, he spoke about his plans for winning the Tour for a third consecutive time, as well as other matters. "To win the Tour de France it is the training, but it's also the diet and your weight and your recovery. You have to have the package. And those things I am absolutely in control of. I'm the one who's picking up the fork, getting up from the dinner table, going to bed at the proper hour and getting up at the proper hour, making sure I get a massage." Armstrong is clearly the team leader in US Postal, although others get their chances in races that are not the Tour de France. "I'm never short of opinions on how things should be done. But that's one of the reasons I get along so well with [the team's racing director] Johan Bruyneel. He's a control freak and wants to be involved in every decision made involving the team, as do I. It's never been a problem between us, there's always an open discussion." "With teammates too? It depends. If there's a race at the beginning of the season and someone wants to prepare for that in particular, lead the team, no problem. In July, everybody knows their job. For the Tour de France we don't have to say 'don't ride your own race, ride for Lance.' We hire people who know what to do." Armstrong is also close friends with five time Tour winner, Eddy Merckx. "We rode his bikes back in 1992, '93 and '94 with Motorola. He was the bike sponsor and the relationship developed from that. Then I won the world championship on his bike in '93, which for a bike manufacturer is a pretty big deal. Since '94 I haven't ridden his bike and it's just a friendship." "Him and his wife Claudine I consider to be the equivalent of my European parents. When I'm up north, I stay with them, live with them, hang out with them. Do we talk a lot about racing? Not really, not so much. We talk a lot about Axel (Eddy's son, also a professional rider). He might tell some old stories - he's got a lot of stories. But I don't remember sitting around and having major cycling conversations." But Merckx criticised Armstrong after he 'let' Marco Pantani win a stage in the Tour last year: "Eddy can say just about anything because I have the utmost respect for him and I love the guy. So if he feels like it was a mistake, then, you know what, it was probably a mistake."
Cipollini back for the Tour of AragonMario Cipollini has been visiting the Campo di Marte hospital in Lucca, where gastroenterologist Prof. Panconi diagnosed acute gastroduodenitis. Panconi and the Saeco team doctors agreed on a plan to treat the problem, and Cipollini is able to train again. He plans to return to racing at the tour of Aragon in Spain, April 18 to 22.
Giro d'Italia teamsThe 20 teams for the Giro 2001 (May 19-June 10) have been announced. Each team will send 9 riders to the first of the three Grand Tours for the year. The selection is: Alessio, Alexia Alluminio, Bonjour, Cantina Tollo, Ceramiche Panaria, Fassa Bortolo, iBanesto, Kelme, Lampre, Liquigas, Lotto-Adecco, Mapei, Mercatone Uno, Mobilvetta-Formaggi Trentini, ONCE, Saeco, Selle Italia, Tacconi, Colpack-Astro, Telekom.
No Belgian ground for Amstel Gold RaceBecause of the foot and mouth threat, the Amstel Gold Race (April 28) isn't allowed to cross into Belgium. Normally, the final section of this World Cup is on Belgian territory. On Tuesday, the new parcours will be announced.
Eadie prepared to defend sprint titleOlympic bronze medallist, Sean Eadie, is aiming to defend his Australian national sprint title at next week's Track Cycling Championships in Melbourne. 32 year old Eadie won both the flying 200m and sprint crowns last year, as well as being part of NSW's winning Olympic Sprint team. He will face tough opposition from West Australian junior sprint and Olympic sprint World Champion, Ryan Bayley, who has posted strong performances in the recent Qantas Cup National Track Series. Also vying for selection in the National Squad for the 2001 World Championships in Antwerp, Belgium in September is Jobie Dajka. The South Australia was a dual junior World Champion in 1999 and last year, his first in the senior ranks at the Australian titles, he claimed the bronze medal in the sprint, keirin and flying 200m. In the women's ranks Australia's Olympic trio, Michelle Ferris, Lyndelle Higginson and Alayna Burns, have moved aside to make room for a new crop of talent at this year's championships. Sydney's Rochelle Gilmore heads to Melbourne after a near clean sweep of her events in the Qantas Cup which saw her named "Rider of the Series". The 19 year old has had an excellent start to the year with podium finishes in the Tour de Snowy and the opening round of the UCI Elite Women's World Cup in Canberra. Her New South Wales teammate, Kate Bates, has also been in good form. Bates was the silver medallist in the individual pursuit at last year's Junior World Championships in Italy. Also, Queenslander Kerrie Meares is stepping up to senior competition for the first time. Meares has 11 Australian Titles to her name since she first competed in the under 15 ranks in 1995. She is also the reigning junior world champion for the 500m time trial.
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