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The organisers of the BMC Software San Francisco Grand Prix, scheduled for September 9, have confirmed that triple TdF winner Lance Armstrong will be riding, in his last race of the season. It will also be his first American race this season and his first domestic race since April 2000.
"I haven't raced in America in so long - I'm really excited to compete on home soil," said Armstrong from Spain. "San Francisco is one of my favourite cities in the world and is a perfect city to host an international cycling race. I know the course is going to be really tough - I'm looking forward to the climb on Fillmore Street."
The 200 km race consists of 12 laps, starting and finishing in the Embarcadero, and winding through North Beach and along Fisherman's Wharf and the Marina. Halfway through the circuit, the flatlands give way to the steep climb up Fillmore Street. Once the riders reach the top of the steep three block climb they will race through Russian Hill, back through North Beach and to the Embarcadero.
Armstrong will be joined by eight US Postal teammates, including Tour de France veterans George Hincapie, Tyler Hamilton, Viatcheslav Ekimov, and Steffen Kjaergaard. In total, over 120 cyclists will take part in the San Francisco Grand Prix, including the USPro Cycling Tour leader Trent Klasna (Team Saturn), U.S. Champion Fred Rodriguez (Domo) and a strong contingent from Mercury.
Armstrong - although he will certainly be a marked man - is confident. "The USPS team has fielded a solid team for the San Francisco Grand Prix," he said. "I think we will be very competitive at the event."
The San Francisco Grand Prix is jointly presented by Tailwind Sports and Threshold Sports.
After spending the best part of a year out of competition, French cyclist Richard Virenque will start again tomorrow in a criterium in Quillan. Virenque was given a suspension by the Swiss Cycling Federation after admitting that he had doped during his years at Festina, when that case ended in Lille in November 2000. He was not given a criminal sentence in relation to the affair, but was given a sporting sanction as a result to his confession.
Initially his suspension was due to finish on October 31, 2001, but the Court of Arbitration for Sport reduced it by over two months earlier this year. One day prior to the Tour de France, he surprised many by signing a contract until the end of the year with Patrick Lefevere's Domo-Farm Frites team. Lefevere asked for permission to have Virenque ride in the Tour of Denmark, which started today, but this was not allowed by the UCI and Lefevere withdrew his request.
With 10 months of no competition, it may take a few weeks before he is leading the charge. "I feel good for this come back," he said today. "But I only have the condition of a man who has trained for the past six months. I hope to be near the front, and not to be dropped after a few kilometres."
The organiser Denis Gonzales is confident: "The distance is short, 80 kilometres, and the circuit is stripped of difficulties. That should not pose problems."
It's the 58th edition of the criterium, and riders such as Didier Rous, Florent Brard, Pascal Chanteur, Thierry Gouvenou and Andrei Kivilev will take part.
Virenque's return to 'real' racing will be in the Vuelta a Burgos, August 20-24. Then he will ride in Zurich and a derny race in Belgium, before the Vuelta a España on September 9. "I will only have six days of competition in my legs before the Vuelta," said Virenque. "It is not much."
"I am in a hurry to ride for my new team. I signed for three months. Then, I will see what should be done: to stay or look at new offers."
French national selector Patrick Cluzaud is interested in Richard Virenque for the World Championships in Lisbon in October. "The circuit is difficult and selective," he said. "If he rides well in his current program, there is no reason why he should be isolated. According to my sources, I know that Richard has correctly trained himself."
"These World Championships are late at the end of the season, and many of the guys will be tired. Richard, he will be motivated."
Jens Voigt will stay with the French Credit Agricole team. The 29 year old Tour stage winner extended his contract for another 2 years, and he confirmed this on German television yesterday. Voigt said he received a number of lucrative offers, but decided to remain with Credit Agricole, as he is in a good situation there.
He said that Telekom was "too crowded" for him. "Telekom already has three riders in the position that I would hold. Livingston, Klöden and Vinokourov are riders who can win races like the Tour of Germany or the Route du Sud. I would like to do well in these types of races," said Voigt to German DSF TV.
Voigt said that he had an offer from US Postal, "that would have been a great challenge. But I've already had quite a hard road to get where I am now. So I decided on the simple option."
"It was a decision of the heart: for France, for comrades and friends, not against Telekom, Coast or any other," he added, saying he had refused six offers. "At Credit Agricole, I am accepted for what I am, with all characteristics, elsewhere I would have to change myself."
Telekom's PR spokesman Olaf Ludwig said that "Of course we would have liked to have had him, Jens is interesting for any team."
Coast manager Marcel Wüst commented that "It's a shame for us, but the correct decision for him. I spoke with Jens for a long time last year. Voigt had already made his choice then."
Swiss rider Laurent Dufaux (Saeco) may become a sports manager in future, perhaps as early as next season. The 32 year old has had a career spanning 10 years, riding for Helvetia, ONCE, Festina, and Saeco. He is a twice winner of the Dauphinè Libére and Route du Sud, as well as the Midi Libre, Tour de Romandie and Meisterschaft von Zürich. He also finished fourth in the Tour de France in 1996 and 1999, and third in the Vuelta a España in 1997.
He has declared that he has not decided about his future, but there are reports in the Italian press that he will work for the IMG sports management agency starting next year.
German Thorsten Wilhelms will switch teams from Nürnberger to Team Coast for next season. The 32 year old sprinter in his second pro season has won seven races this year, and should fit to the team to be managed by another German sprinter Marcel Wüst.
"Thorsten is the same type of rider as I was when I was active," said Wüst. "He fits into our team optimally."
Men
Kristoffer Ingeby (Team Mälarenergi/CC Etupes)
Johan Nyman (Team Visom-Åstorps CK)
Petter Renäng (Team Crescent)
Jonas Olsson (Team Crescent)
Tobias Lergård (Team Crescent)
Gustav Larsson (Team Crescent)
Erik Wendel (Team Crescent)
Women
Veronica Andreasson (Södertälje CK)
Sofie Andersson (Team Dole-FK Trampen)
August 18 is an important day for Italian U23 riders, coinciding with the 41st edition of the Trofeo Città di Felino. The race is the main Italian preparation race for the European Championships, which will be held in Apremont, France from August 24-26.
The race starts with 20 laps of a 5.5 kilometre circuit in Felino, followed by three 15 kilometre laps including the Barbiano climb (410m). It's likely that a small group will get away on one of these climbs to contest the finish.
The Italian U23 A and B teams will be there, consisting of Marco Corsini (Gardacalze), Lorenzo Bernucci, Salvatore Scamardella and Alberto Loddo (Vellutex), Patrizio Gambazza (Italfine-Podenzano), Alessandro Ballan (U.C. Trevigiani), Daniele Bennati (Grassi-Mapei) and Antonio Bucciero (Maffè Unidelta).
The will be up against a field of approximately 200 riders from 35 teams, including several national squads e.g. Ukraine, Russia, Greece, Slovenia, and of course a number of Italian teams.
Stabil Steiermark: Maurizio Vandelli (Ita)
Team Parolin (2 teams): Peter Klasa (Cze), Guido Balbis, Wladimir Starchyk (Ukr)
Vellutex Caneva (2 teams): Giampaolo Caruso, Claudio Lucchini, Yuri Metlushenko
(Ukr)
Mantovani Rovigo: Marco Nepoti
Vezza Brunero: Davide Griso, Alessandro Bracchi
Grassi Mapei: Daniele Balestri, Leonardo Branchi, Pasquale Muto
Bedogni Monsummanese (2 teams): Simone Fadini, Luigi Giambelli, Vladimiro Tarallo
Juvenes Italfine (2 teams): Salvatore Cirasola, Emil Arnel (Swe), Alessandro
Rastelli
Maltinti Empoli: Francesco Bagni
Sintofarm - Feralpi (2 teams): Sergey Krushevsky (Uzb), Andriss Reiss (Lat),
Davide Frattini
Sanpellegrino Bottoli Artoni: Denis Bertolini, Alexander Kolobnev (Rus), Cristian
Tosoni
Parmense Motorscan (2 teams): Marco Campus, Pawel Mela (Pol), Wladimir Lobzov
(Rus)
Edile Gaverina - Rosa Carni: Niki Giussani, Samuele Vecchi
Garda Calze - Resine Ragnoli: Paolo Longoborghini, Danilo Napolitano, Valentino
China
1996 Luca Barosio (Ita) 1997 Vladimir Douma (Ukr) 1998 Massimo Mancini (Ita) 1999 Massimo Sorice (Ita) 2000 Gabriel Moreau (Arg)
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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