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There are plenty of favourites for tomorrow's Round 8 of the World Cup, the Meisterschaft von Zürich in Switzerland. The 248.4 kilometre test has attracted the likes of World Cup leader Erik Dekker (Rabobank), Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong (USPS), German Champion Jan Ullrich (Telekom), Tour de France best climber Laurent Jalabert (CSC-Tiscali), World number two Davide Rebellin (Liquigas), Francesco Casagrande (Fassa Bortolo), last year's winner Laurent Dufaux (Saeco), Michele Bartoli (Mapei) and plenty more riders who have a chance of winning.
The field oozes talent and all of these riders are out to win, meaning that it should be a great contest. Laurent Jalabert is looking forward to it with a desire to repeat his Clasica San Sebastian win of two weeks ago. Last year, following a slightly disappointing Tour, Jalabert failed to finish. However he has placed as highly as second in 1991, behind Johan Museeuw (who will not be competing tomorrow).
"Zurich is a grand classic in August with San Sebastian. All the best will be there, and that gives greater value to the victory," said Jalabert on the eve of the race. "That also makes it possible to have a more limpid race, not focused on just one rider."
"There are no perfect tactics because it is difficult to get to the finish of the new circuit with its six laps. I am only afraid of not being on a good day."
The race is a good preparation for the World Championships in Lisbon in October, a race where Jalabert also hopes to do well.
As usual, the Meisterschaft von Zürich can be followed live on Cyclingnews.
By Jeff Jones
The world's strongest road sprinter, Erik Zabel, will have a specialist team built around him for the upcoming Vuelta España. Given that he won three stages in the Tour de France and the green jersey without a team specifically for him, Zabel's rivals in Spain should be quaking in their shoes. Although the Vuelta wasn't initially planned as part of his season (which started in February), the 31 year old feels as though he is up to it.
"So long as the motor is warm, one must use it," he says on Telekom's website. "I am in top form. Everything is in tune, the motivation is super, in addition I have a good team and I feel as though I can remain this way for some weeks."
Zabel is extremely good at winning when he says he will, and this serves as an excellent motivator for his teammates. During the Tour de Suisse in June, Zabel was feeling a little miffed that his dedicated lead-out man, Gian-Matteo Fagnini, had not been selected for the Tour de France team. In stage 9 (although it did have a 1445m climb in it), Zabel refused to ride hard, despite the fact that he could probably win the stage if the breakaways were caught.
Eventually the gap started to come down and Zabel changed his mind, put on his helmet and told his teammates "I'm going to win." They were a little put out because they had to ride like madmen to catch the break, but were also motivated again. It goes without saying that Zabel came through with the honours to win the stage in Lausanne.
He recently won the HEW Cyclassics in Hamburg, his first World Cup win on German soil - another example of great teamwork. Since then he has been participating in a few of the Top Trophy criterium series in the southern part of Germany, to the delight of the sponsors and public there.
In his eight year career, he has won around 140 races, including 11 stages in the Tour de France (and six green jerseys), 7 World Cups, including 4 wins in Milan-San Remo and the overall World Cup in 2000, and many other stages in high ranked stage races. Despite this, he has no Giro d'Italia or Vuelta España stage wins, the latter being something he wishes to rectify in two weeks' time.
The US Postal Service Team's Jose Luis Rubiera and Levi Leipheimer finished second and sixth respectively in the Vuelta a Burgos, that concluded yesterday in Burgos. As predicted, the second day proved to be decisive; both Rubiera and Leipheimer put themselves into contention there, and that was where the tour was won by Juan Miguel Mercado (iBanesto.com). In addition to finishing second, Rubiera also took home the mountains competition.
"I'm very very satisfied with the results from the Tour of Burgos," said Johan Bruyneel, the USPS team's director sportif. "We went into the race with no specific ambitions and it turned out really great for us. Chechu (Rubiera) is in great shape and Levi is performing very well after finishing second overall at Castilla Leon (earlier this month). This event was a confirmation of his good condition, and that is good to see just two weeks before the Tour of Spain."
Bruyneel added that the team rode very relaxed with all of the team's riders - including Lance Armstrong and George Hincapie - working for Rubiera.
"I'm happy with the month of August, with the stage win (by Julian Dean) and Levi's second overall at Castilla Leon, and now to be second again," added Bruyneel. "After the Tour de France and the stress of the month of July, these results in August, which is usually a quiet month for the team, are very good."
Armstrong showed his continuing form in the final stage, a 164 km race from Melgar de Fernamental to Burgos, riding in the lead breakaway group for nearly 140 km before being caught with just three km remaining.
"He had a hard time the first two or three days," Bruyneel said of the three-time Tour de France champion. "He was not in 100% shape, as he had a lot going on after the Tour de France. Today, he was in a breakaway for almost the whole day. It shows after five days of racing he has found his good legs. It is probably not enough for this Sunday in Zurich (the Championship of Zurich World Cup event) but he is back on track. After Zurich, he will continue with his training to prepare for the San Francisco Grand Prix (on September 9)."
Mercury's William Chann McRae will get a ride in the Vuelta España with the US Postal Service team. However, this does not mean he has a contract with them for next year according to assistant directeur sportif Dirk Demol.
"McRae will indeed go to the Vuelta España, that is correct. It is also definitely not certain that he will ride for us next season," said Demol in an interview with Gazet van Antwerpen. "Just one rider is definite so far, and that is Tom Boonen. Tyler Hamilton will leave us (to CSC-Tiscali) and Jamie Burrow will get to hear that he may look for another team."
"Our transfer politics are dependent on what choice Viatcheslav Ekimov makes. Will he go on for another year or will he stop? Ekimov is 35 at the moment. If his place is free then we can negotiate for another rider. But as far as I'm concerned I certainly hope he will not stop. On the contrary, it is hard to name anyone who could do the same work as him. Everything is good for him. If it rains, then that is OK. If the sun shines, then that is also good. Ekimov is a top professional and is a great example for many other riders."
"We have four riders in US Postal who have signed until 2004 and those are Lance Armstrong, Roberto Heras, George Hincapie and Christian Vandevelde. For the next season we want to strengthen the team with a few riders who are also good for the Classics. To ask for names at the moment is too much. Also regarding the selection for the Vuelta España. After a few days of the Ronde van Nederland I must discuss things and then we will make the definitive selection.
US Postal for Ronde van Nederland (no Lance Armstrong) includes: Stéphane Barthe, Dylan Casey, Antonio Cruz, Julian Dean, Viatcheslav Ekimov, Benoît Joachim, Cédric Vasseur, and Matthew White.
Next year's Ronde van Nederland will start in Utrecht on Tuesday, August 20. The first stage will start from the Jaarbeurshallen in Utrecht and go via Soest, Amersfoort and the Veluwe to Leeuwarden. In Amersfoort the organisers want to take the peloton over the Amsterdamseweg and Stadsring.
The last time that the Dutch national tour started in Utrecht was in 1961. The organisers will reveal the entire route later next week.
According to several sources, Swiss team Phonak has been on the lookout for new riders, in order to bolster its lineup next season when the team will be directed by ex-Kelme DS Alvaro Pino. Ag2r's Benoît Salmon, Lampre's Oscar Camenzind, iBanesto's Juan Carlos Dominguez, Cantina Tollo's Miguel Angel Martin Puerdiguero and Post Swiss rider Gerrit Glomser should all join the team.
Dutch division II team Bankgiroloterij-Batavus is interested in Rabobank rider Aart Vierhouten, a handy sprinter who could be of great service to them. In addition, manager Arend Scheppink wants to sign a neo-pro. At the moment the team has 14 riders, but this will be cut back to 12. Scheppink wants to keep Voskamp and Remco van der Ven, and he has already re-signed Rudi Kemna.
Australian rider Robert Tighello will miss the 50th edition of the Herald Sun Tour, after he was given a six month suspension by Cycle Sport Victoria on Thursday night. Tighello, winner of the KOM jersey in the Tour Down Under earlier this year, was involved in an altercation with another rider (Michael Gill, Carnegie) after the Tattersall's Cup Colac Otway Classic just a week and a half ago.
He was charged with "bringing the sport into disrepute" and found guilty by the Cycle Sport Victoria disciplinary commission. He is allowed to appeal the ruling to the Victorian Independent Appeals Tribunal and the Australian Cycling Appeals Board if he chooses.
Three months of his suspension may be waived for a year, subject to good behaviour.
The dates for the five rounds of the 2002 Track World Cup have been decided by the UCI during the final round in Ipoh, Malaysia. Starting on April 19 in a venue to be decided, the competition will proceed through the months of May and June, concluding on August 11.
The hosting cities will be chosen between the indoor tracks of Sydney, Moscow, and Copenhagen, and the outdoor tracks of Ipoh and Mexico City. The velodrome in Cali, Colombia, was covered until recently, when a section of its roof collapsed onto the track. It will need repairs before it can host a round of the World Cup
In 2003 the Track World Cup will start in January. In an attempt to increase the media interest in the World Cup, all of the hosting cities will have covered tracks, and will have to commit to five years: Sydney, Manchester, Antwerp and Moscow are already part of this plan.
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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