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One of the major players in the Tour de France (before he abandoned due to sickness), Christophe Moreau, may sign a contract with the BigMat team for next season. Moreau currently rides for Festina, but that team will no longer exist in 2002. He won the yellow jersey in the prologue of the Tour, and wore it for another day before losing it to Marc Wauters. He was in contention for a top 5 finish, had he not abandoned in the Pyrenees on stage 13.
BigMat Auber 93 need a good French rider to help its selection next season, after their extremely poor performance in the Tour '01, having been granted a previously non-existent wild card in May by the Tour bosses.
Moreau would fit the bill well, but his price will be high and BigMat have promised to increase the team's budget for next season. Moreau is in negotiations with the team at the moment, and director sportif Stéphane Javalet said that "I am convinced that Christophe is attracted by our proposals."
Richard Virenque will make his return to racing on August 15 in a criterium in Quillan, according to the organisers of the race. The Domo-Farm Frites rider will be competing with Didier Rous (Bonjour), Florent Brard (Festina), Emmanuel Magnien (Française des Jeux) and David Moncoutié (Cofidis), amongst others.
He will also ride in the Critérium de Montpon two days later, as originally planned. His main target is the Vuelta España, which starts in September.
TdF runner up Jan Ullrich will be a starter in the 9th edition of the Luk-Cup in Bühl, a UCI 1.3 race on August 5. In addition to two time winner Ullrich, former winners such as Gianni Faresin, Oscar Camenzind and Alex Zuelle will contest the 194 km race. There will be a total of 25 teams at the start.
The HEW-Cyclassics World Cup race on August 19 will see Tour de France rivals Stuart O'Grady (Credit Agricole) and Erik Zabel (Telekom) at the start, as well as O'Grady's German teammate Jens Voigt, and a likely appearance from Jan Ullrich. The 250 kilometre race is the 7th round of the World Cup, and Zabel won it last year.
Current World Cup standings have Erik Dekker (Rabobank) in the lead with 199 points, in front of Gianluca Bortolami (Tacconi Sport) with 121 points and Johan Museeuw (Domo) on 116 points. Erik Zabel has one World Cup win, but no other placings this season, putting him in 7th on the table with 100 points.
There will be two combined Dutch teams starting in La Grande Boucle Féminin (women's Tour de France) on August 4. A selection of Farm Frites-Hartol riders (without Leontien van Moorsel and Hanka Kupfernagel) will ride with three US women; and a BIK-Toscany team with three guest riders, including former Dutch champion Chantal Beltman.
Farm Frites-Hartol: Sharon van Essen (Ned), Madeleine Lindberg (Swe), Yvonne Brunen (Ned), Esther van der Helm (Ned), Pamela Schuster (USA), Rhonda Quick (USA) and Joan Wilson USA)
BIK-Toscany: Chantal Beltman (Ned), Ghita Beltman (Ned), Baukje Doedee (Ned), Wendy Kramp (Ned), Kirsty Robb (NZl), Eneritz Iturriage (Spa), Rosa Bravo (Spa)
Young Australian rider Trent Wilson will have the opportunity to ride with a pro team at the end of this season, gaining a stagiaire ride with Danish team Fakta. Wilson has been competing in Italy this season with some good consistent results, and Fakta are looking to him as a support rider in the hilly classics and stage races on their program. He may be offered a pro contract for 2002 if he fits into the team.
Team Fakta will travelling to Australia to ride the Sun Tour it's likely that Trent won't be a part of that squad, but will ride for another team (he finished 8th overall in 2000).
The team have had some good success in July, winning the UCI 2.4 Sachsen Tour in Germany. Jorgen Bo Petersen (Tour of Luxembourg winner) won the overall classification as well as the time trial stage 4a, while Morten Sonne won stage 2.
Up and coming amateur cyclist, Jason Waddell, has scored a stagiaire's contract with US Division III Jelly Belly team, starting with the USPRO Criterium Championships on August 18-19 at Downers Grove, Illinois. Waddell has been racing the criterium circuit this season, with a considerable degree of success, and his reports can often be seen on Cyclingnews.
"I am grateful for this opportunity to ride with such a great team and will do my best to represent the team professionally both on and off the bike," said Waddell. "I will be doing selected events for the rest of the season with the team and hope to have a great fall season."
It will be a busy August for the Saeco Macchine per Caffe team with the riders taking part in several stage races in different parts of Europe. From Thursday a team will ride the Tour of Portugal (August 2-15), while another team will be in Germany for the Luk Cup Buhl and the Regio Tour.
Mirko Celestino, Oscar Cavagnis, Salvatore Commesso, Alessio Galletti, Nicola Gavazzi, Armin Meier, Dario Pieri, Francesco Secchiari and Justin Spinelli will make up the team for Portugal. They have no overall ambitions but will be looking for stage wins to increase the 23 wins so far for Saeco this season. Bruno Vicino will be the directeur sportif.
Guido Bontempi will lead the other team in Germany with Mirko Celestino, Biagio Conte, Brad Davidson, Joerg Ludewig, Torsten Nitsche, Marius Sabaliauskas, Fabio Sacchi e Christian Wegmann. wearing the red Saeco jerseys. The same team will then ride the Regio Tour with the only change being Mirko Celestino and Fabio Sacchi. Massimiliano Mori will take their place.
The Saeco team will also ride the following races in August: 8/8 G.P. Città di Camaiore (Ita), 11/8 Clasica San Sebastian (Spa), 12/8 Subida Urkiola (Spa), 19/8 Hew Cyclassics Cup Hamburg (Ger), 20/8 Vuelta Ciclista a Burgos (Spa), 21/8 Tre Valli Varesine (Ita), 22/8 Coppa Agostoni (Ita), 23/8 Coppa Bernocchi (Ita), 26/8 Meisterschaft Von Zurich (Swi), 28/8 Trofeo dello Scalatore (Ita).
The principal culprit in the so-called "Belgian pot affair", Patrick Charron, will appeal his three year prison sentence that he received on July 12 from a court in Poitiers. 39 year old Charron was one of 41 people accused in the affair, most of whom were considered victims by the court and were only given fines or suspended sentences. Charron was considered to be the lynch-pin in the trafficking of the infamous cocktail, hence the heavy penalty.
Major Races and Events
September 7-29, 2002: Vuelta
a España (GT) - Preview, stage list
May 11-June 2, 2002: Giro
d'Italia (GT) - Preview, stage list, photos
July 6-28, 2002: Tour
de France (GT) - Full preview & official route details
December 8: Superprestige
Rd 5 (Cat. 1) - Erwin Vervecken
November 29-December 4: Six
Days of Noumea (6D) - Sassone/Neuville victorious
November 26-December 1: Six
Days of Zurich (6D) - Day
6 - McGrory/Gilmore/Schnider win
December 1: Melbourne
Cup on Wheels (IM) - Scott Moller, Keirin,
Sprint, Support
races
December 2: Cyclo-cross
World Cup #2 (CDM) - Sven Nijs again
November 24-December 3: Juegos
Deportivos Centroamericanos (JR) - Final results
December 8-9: Frankfurter
Rad-Cross (Cat. 2) - Alex Mudroch, UK
National Trophy Series #4 (Cat. 3) - Roger Hammond, Grote
Prijs Industrie Bosduin - Kalmthout (Cat. 1) - Bart Wellens, Int.
Radquer Obergösgen (Cat. 2) - Björn Rondelez, Trofeo
Mamma e Papa Guerciotti (Cat. 3) - Enrico Franzoi, Premio
Egondo (Cat 3) - David Seco, Irish
cyclo-cross championships - Robin Seymour
Results: local racing
Australia - CycleWest
Promotions Omnium Series #2, Eastern
Suburbs Summer Criterium Series, Carnegie
Caulfield Tuesday criterium, Southern
Cross Junior Track Open & Madison Cup, Manly
Warringah CC, George
Town Track Carnival, Carnegie
Caulfield CC, Randwick
Botany CC, Gold
Coast CATS CC, Caesar's
Illawarra CC, Caesar's
Illawarra (track)
Denmark - Danish
cyclo-cross Post Cup #3
Italy - Gran
Premio Città di Bassano
Luxembourg - GP
De Kopstal
New Zealand - Cyco
Criterium series
Spain - Elorrio
cyclo-cross
USA - Georgia
Cross Series Championship, Chimborazo
Grand Prix cyclo-cross, Boulder
Cross Rd 6, New
Mexico State Cyclo-x Champs, Sorrento
Cyclo-x & California State Champ's, Boulder
Cross Rd 5, Verge
New England series, Northampton
CC Cyclo-cross Championships, Chris
Cross International CycloCross
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