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Recent Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong continued his triumphant tour of the USA by meeting the president and fellow Texan, George W. Bush in the White House. Armstrong's wife Kristin, and child Luke David, were in attendance, as were members of Bush's cabinet and (somewhat ironically) a representative from ESPN TV. [ESPN chose not to screen the Tour this year, much to the annoyance of a large number of Americans who don't have OLN on cable.]
During the occasion, Mr Bush received one of Armstrong's yellow jerseys as well as a bike from the TdF winner, worth over US$6000. The president gave his audience a run down of Armstrong's feats in the last three years, which include recovering from cancer, getting back into bike racing, and winning three editions of the hardest race in the world.
"Lance's story from cancer diagnosis to a third straight victory in the Tour de France is one of the great human stories," said Bush. "It is a story of character and it is a story of class. In the hardest part of the race, Lance showed an unbending will, uncommon determination and unquestionable courage."
Armstrong gave his thanks: "It's an honour to be here. President Bush has been a friend of ours and a friend of mine for many years, back in - since his days in Austin, right in the wonderful state of Texas. As an American, as an athlete, to be honoured here in the White House, to be welcomed here like this, to see a crowd like this, to see children like this that I've never met before, but I think I relate to very well."
A celebration is planned in Armstrong's home town of Austin today. He and his family will travel on Air Force One, which happens to be en route to Texas to take the president on holidays in Crawford. We'll be posting a full report of the "Austin celebration" on Cyclingnews.
Fabrizio Guidi's win in yesterday's first stage of the Tour de la Region Wallonne was the result of some excellent teamwork in the finale, as the Italian defeated the likes of Jo Planckaert, Robbie McEwen, Tom Steels and Jean-Patrick Nazon in the bunch sprint.
"A better field of sprinters than at the Tour de France!", team director Alain Gallopin commented wryly, adding that his riders "rode like real professionals. Behind a three man breakaway, including Gwiazdowski of Francaise des Jeux and D'Hollander of Lotto, everyone paced except us. Peter van Petegem led out the sprint for Guidi, who said 'with such a lead-out, cycling is beautiful!'"
After the win, Fabrizio Guidi managed put on a brave face about his current situation, telling Belgian newspaper Le Soir, that they had received a fax in June advising them that they wouldn't be paid. "I continue my trade as if I was being paid, but that is not easy every day, and obviously, our employers make fun of it. All the same, I hope that they will read the newspapers on Saturday."
"Today, with the support of my teammates, I am ready, in form, and hungry. Even for no money."
Earlier this week was the news of an offer from Marc Madiot's La Francaise des Jeux team to merge with Mercury next season, a move that would surely benefit both teams, although nothing has yet been signed. Ironically, former FdJ assistant director, Alain Gallopin, will not be part of this new team, should it come about.
Gallopin did not seem particularly enthused with this, saying to Le Soir "They want to put me aside, for reasons that escape me, from the future circle of this team. That summarises the environment in which we must work. Despite everything, we are professionals. Even if we are not paid, we respect our contracts."
Defending champion Francesco Mancebo (iBanesto) is returning to the Vuelta a Castilla-León to try and repeat his efforts in the five day UCI 2.4 class stage race. The first day (August 5) is split into two stages - a 45.6 km road race from Segovia to El Espinar, followed by a 9.3 km individual time trial around El Espinar. Mancebo's teammate, Juan Carlos Domínguez, will be a favourite to gain the jersey on the first day.
The toughest stage is on day 2, 182 kilometres starting and finishing in Avila, containing the climbs of Navalmoral (Cat. 2), Mijares (Cat. 1), Serranillos (Cat. 1) and Navalmoral again (Cat. 1). But the deciding stage may well be the final one, from Benavente to Alto del Redondal (142 km), that finishes on the Alto del Redondal (Cat. 1), with sections of 14% and higher.
Marco Pantani will make his return to racing here after nearly two months away from competition.
Two out of the top three finishers in the Tour de France will contest the Clásica de San Sebastián in Spain on August 11, the first World Cup race of the second half of the season. Armstrong won this race in his pre-cancer days in 1995, but will probably only be considered an outside chance in 2001 after recovering from the Tour.
This year, the parcours will be tougher than previously, with the inclusion of the Cat. 3 Alto de Gurutze, which comes after the Orio (Cat. 3), Gárate (Cat. 2), Azkarreta (Cat. 2), Udana (Cat. 2) and Jaizkíbel (Cat. 1). The Jaizkíbel has been the traditional major difficulty in this race, but many felt that it was too far from the finish to keep the field broken up. The 5% grade Alto de Gurutze is situated just 13.5 kilometres from the end, providing a perfect opportunity for anyone with the legs to get away and stay away. The entire race is 228 kilometres.
Most of the top riders in the World Cup will be at the start, including Erik Dekker (Rabobank), Gianluca Bortolami (Vini Caldirola), Johan Museeuw (Domo-Farm Frites), Lance Armstrong (USPS), Joseba Beloki (ONCE), Igor González de Galdeano (ONCE), and Roberto Laiseka (Euskaltel-Euskadi).
The all orange Basque outfit that caused a few murmurs in this year's Tour de France, Euskaltel-Euskadi, is looking to expand next season. Although already a division I squad, currently ranked 12th of 22 teams, Euskaltel wants some more sponsorship in order to beef up its squad for next season.
The team is sponsored by a Basque telecom company (Euskaltel) and co-sponsored by several Basque governmental groups. General manager Miguel Madariaga is attempting to capitalise on their recent success in the Tour: Roberto Laiseka's stage 14 win, and massive fan support in the Pyrenees. He is talking to Caja Vital (Alava) and Kutxa (Guipuzcoa) to try and get them on board the orange train.
The team needs to renew 15 riders' contracts by the end of the season, including Roberto Laiseka and Iñigo Chaurreau, both good climbers/GC riders. Madariaga currently has a budget of 620 million pesetas (US$3.3 million) to work with, but wants another 100 million (US$530,000) to secure some signatures.
He hasn't had a great deal of success so far, according to comments made on Euskadi Radio. He believes his strongest bargaining point is the thousands of fans who gathered on the mountains in the Pyrenees to cheer their heroes on, all very distinctive in orange garb. Maybe he should approach a Dutch sponsor?
The Havant Grand Prix is a UCI 1.5 race that also forms part of the Premier Calendar series in Great Britain. It starts at 10am on an 180 km course at Havant in Hampshire. Sponsored by Havant Borough Council the race will start and finish at their civic offices.
After a 10 km neutralised zone out of the town, the riders tackle the first circuit, passing through East Meon, West Meon, Warnford, Old Winchester Hill, Tegleaze Down, West End Down, Stokewood, Racecourse crossroads and Windmill Down.
After 3 laps, covering 90 km, the riders tackle the final finishing circuit via HMS Mercury, Tegleaze Down and Racecourse crossroads, before using the southern section of the first circuit to finish.
Courtesy of John Deering
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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