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Today saw the start of the 41st edition of the Colombian Clásico RCN, the second most important stage race in that country after the Vuelta a Colombia. Starting out as a two day stage race in 1961, the event has grown to its current length (over 1031 kilometres) in 41 years. The first races was 280 kilometres long between Medellín and Jericó and back, mostly on unsealed roads. Now at least the riders have the luxury of tarred roads.
This year's race consists of eight stages, passing through seven departments. Eleven teams will take part, with favourites being 05-Orbitel, with defending champion Juan D. Ramirez and Marlon Pérez, and Baterías Mac-Selle Italia, the team of Vuelta a Colombia winner Hernan Buenahora.
Principal riders: Hernán Buenahora and Carlos Alberto Contreras (Selle Italia-Baterías Mac), Juan Diego Ramírez and Marlon Pérez (05-Orbitel), Héctor Iván Palacio and Héctor Manuel Castaño (E.P.M.), Ismael Sarmiento (Lotería de Boyacá) and Alexis Rojas (Aguardiente Néctar).
Danish National team leader Brian Holm said on Friday that he intends to build the national team for the World Championships around Bo Hamburger.
"Bo can be certain of a spot on the team. He is the biggest star here and has already has a second place in a World Championship (San Sebastian 1997)," Holm said to Danish daily BT the day after Hamburger was acquitted of doping charges by the Danish Sports federation doping committee. For Holm it is irrelevant that it was a technical fault that freed Hamburger.
"He is acquitted and it doesn't matter if it is on technical grounds. I will personally have no problems to take him on the national team."
Holm says that the only thing that can change is mind is a direct order from the Danish cycling federation to exclude Hamburger.
Federation chairman peder Pedersen says that the Federation also has a code of ethics and that one must consider the unusually high values in the test, even if they were below the limit. But he will say no more until the verdict has been closely studied.
Holm has only picked one rider, Hamburger, for the World's but said that he is also keeping his eye on another controversial Dane, Claus Michael Møller, who currently is riding strongly in the Tour of Portugal. Møller was caught in a doping affair while he rode for TVM a couple of years ago. After he served his sentence he started riding for the Portuguese team Maia-Milaneza-MSS.
"I am going to talk to him before the World's to check up on his form", Holm said to BT. In that case Pedersen is more openly reluctant although he says that the federation is ready to re-integrate people, but in this case it won't pass easily.
The federation's managing director Jesper Worre called Holm's decision "political" on Saturday. "Holm has spoken too early. We will take a decision when we have read the verdict properly," Worre said and pointed out that Holm will have to follow decisions taken farther up in the organization.
Hamburger might also face problems in a possible return to riding for CSC-Tiscali: "It's obvious that Bo is a burden for the team as matters now stand," said main sponsor CSC's managing director Asger Jensby. "The levels in the test are still to be explained. I can only say that medical science is unable to explain how a person can have these values without any artificial aid," Jensby told BT
Mapei's Manuel Beltran is looking forward to this year's Vuelta a España, which begins in one month's time. The third place getter in last week's Vuelta a Castilla-León has yet to win a race this year, something which frustrates him. He finished 11th in the final stage of that race, losing 1'42 to Marcos Serrano (ONCE), who clinched the tour on that stage. Beltran's final deficit was just 1'10 to Serrano.
"Certainly I am somewhat disappointed by the result of the last stage, with the finish on the Alto del Redondal, although my main objective here was to accumulate kilometres for the Vuelta a España," he said afterwards. "I was in a suitable position on the general classification, but Marcos Serrano, who still maintained his form from the Tour, was a worthy winner."
Beltran will finish his contract with Mapei-Quick Step at the end of 2001, and has not yet renewed. His main problem thus far was in the Giro d'Italia, a race where he arrived in good form, but was forced to abandon at the end of stage 13 after a crash earlier in the race.
An addition to Castilla Leon, his best results in 2001 are probably his second placings in stages 2 and 4 of the Tour de Romandie in May, as well as finishing third overall in the Semana Catalana.
Beltran hopes to at least finish the Vuelta this year, as last year he had to abandon on the second last stage due to illness, while he was lying 6th overall.
Talented Spaniard Juan Carlos Dominguez (iBanesto.com) will ride for the Alvaro Pino directed Swiss Phonak squad next season.
Colombian cyclist Mauricio Ardila has signed with the Belgian Lotto-Adecco team. He is the second Colombian cyclist after Giovanni Jiménez to ride with Lotto. The 23 year old rode for Spanish squad Salamanca Patrimonio Histórico this year.
One of the best U23 riders this season, David Ruckstuhl (Mephisto-Romers), has secured a stagiaire's contract with the Post Swiss Team starting on September 1.
Source: Velomedia
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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