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Paolo Bettini (Mapei, 1st)
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"This victory is very good for me because I have not won anything all year since Malaysia. This does not save a season, but gives me additional motivation. Since the Tour, my condition was getting better all the time...I really wanted to win today and I have to dedicate the win to (Mapei boss) Dr. Squinzi who had a lot of patience with me. He always knows how to find the right words, even when the team does not win."
"I was afraid of Ullrich, because he is in the better part of his season. I tried to hold him on the climb, where he could get a gap, then I used him as a point of reference for the sprint."
"It was a short sprint, at 250 metres, my specialty. Four man sprints are always strange, sometimes the fastest doesn't win. But to be successful you must not make a mistake."
Jan Ullrich (Telekom, 2nd)
"Of course I'm annoyed about finishing second again. Today it was a very hard race. I tried to attack, but Bettini came with me on the last climb, and I knew how strong he was in the sprint. One day I will be lucky and win here."
Rudy Pevenage (Telekom DS)
"With this group of stars coming to the finishing straight, one could only hope."
Erik Dekker (Rabobank 5th & World Cup leader)
"Now I feel really confident. Now it's up to the other guys, they can't afford to make any mistakes. This was the hardest parcours of the three remaining races and I'm feeling very good."
Lance Armstrong (USPS, DNF)
"My form is way off from the Tour, I'm not nearly in the same shape as I was. I suffered during the Tour of Burgos. When you've been in super shape and you don't train it's hard to get restarted. It's hard to get things going again but I have always enjoyed racing in Zurich."
World Cup leader Erik Dekker may not be riding in his national tour, the Ronde van Nederland which starts this Tuesday. Last year's champion is focussing completely on the World Cup this year, and doesn't want anything to interfere. "If I want to win the World Cup, then the coming period must also have a pause for rest," he said late last week.
He will decide in the coming days how to fill in his time after Zurich, where he finished 5th and extended his lead in the World Cup. He is theoretically catchable, but he has a minimum 105 point lead on his rivals with two rounds remaining. A win is worth 100 points, so Romans Vainsteins, Paolo Bettini, Davide Rebellin and Gianluca Bortolami have the best chance if they perform in the final two races. Erik Zabel, on 200 points, has said he'll ride Paris-Tours on October 7 but will stop after that.
Credit Agricole have not renewed US cyclist Bobby Julich's contract for 2002, after they announced some new signings and re-signings last week. With the addition of Christophe Moreau and Florent Brard, along with the retention of top riders Stuart O'Grady and Jens Voigt, and Thor Hushovd, Anthony Morin and Jonathan Vaughters, the budget was stretched. 29 year old Julich finished 3rd in the 1998 Tour de France and has been a pro for 10 years.
31 year old Estonian rider Peep Mikli, who currently rides for amateur squad Bert Story-Piels, has signed a professional contract for one year with AXA-VVZ. This makes Mikli one of the oldest neo-professionals, although he is not the oldest. He will turn 32 next January.
"To be a professional was my dream since when I was a junior. But for the last few years I didn't believe it would happen. This was certainly my last chance."
Another rider to sign for AXA-VVZ is Jurgen de Jong (Wielerteam-Eycken). He made his professional debut in a criterium in Amelo last Friday, and will ride in the Ronde van Nederland this coming week.
MTB team Global Racing's parent company, 23 Degrees Sports Management today announced two very important athlete signings. Matti Lekihoinen of Finland, the 16 year old European Downhill Champion joins Global Racing as a full team member for the World Championships in Vail, in three weeks.
Global Racing Team Director Martin Whiteley stated today that "It is extremely important for us to have a representative in the Junior Men's World Championship Downhill, as it represents what Global Racing stands for, talented young riders making a name for themselves in the sport. We'd hoped to do that with Mick Hannah, but with his broken collar bone we knew we had to sign a new rider for this event. Matti has been testing our Orange bikes and is well used to working with our staff. His 16th in Kaprun two weeks back gives us enormous confidence in his ability to take out the title".
Matti's contract with Global for the Worlds gives him the option of joining the team full time in 2002.
Furthermore, 23 Degrees Sports Management has signed Volvo Cannondale Cross Country rider Kashi Leuchs of New Zealand and will represent him as his agent. "I have known Kashi since 1997 when I first discovered him during the World Cup in Wellington. He is having an amazing year this year and we are developing some new ideas for him for next year that will further enhance his racing career", said Whiteley.
European based Australian professionals Robbie McEwen (Domo-Farm Frites) and Jay Sweet (BigMat) will be the main drawcards in the 2001 Melbourne-Warrnambool on October 13. The race is the oldest road race in Australia, first held in 1895, and also one of the oldest in the world (Liege-Bastogne-Liege started in 1894).
The race is 270 kilometres long and is a mass start event, being given a UCI 1.5 classification. This year it carries prize money of AU$19,000. It will start in The Strand, Williamstown at 7:00am and will finish in Raglan Parade, Warrnambool at approximately 1:45pm.
Dutch cycling sponsor Jan van Erp has died in a hospital in Eindhoven, aged 65. Van Erp sponsored a team directed by Jan Gisbers for 18 years, which included top riders such as Jan Raas, Bert Oosterbosch, Adri van der Poel and Andre Gevers.
Start Finish Route
2,980 miles, much the same as the 2000 and 2001 routes
Television
Outdoor Life Network begins their 3rd year of coverage.
RAAM 2001 will be shown on OLN: Sponsorship
Insight will return as the major race sponsor and offer many organizational
benefits for riders, staff and spectators.
Prizes
Insight has a contract to contribute $50,000 cash toward the Solo and Team
Divisions. Additional merchandise prizes from various sponsors will also be
available.
Entry Fee
Thanks to Insight and their sponsorship the entry fees for all divisions have
been reduced by $100-$300 for RAAM 2002.
Solo $995 ($795 before Jan. 1) More Updates Race Across America P. O. Box 303
Major Races and Events Results: local racing Recently on Cyclingnews
Portland, Oregon
Sunday, June 16 solo riders
Gulf Breeze, Florida
June 24-28
Thursday September 27, 8:00 PM/11:00 PM EST
Sunday, September 30, 5:00 PM EST
Tuesday, October 2, 2:00 PM EST
2 Person Team $1,595 ($1,295 before Jan. 1)
4 Person Team $2,295 ($1,895 before Jan. 1)
The RAAM website will include additional updates throughout the year. www.raceacrossamerica.org
Sharon, WI 53585
262-736-2453
www.raam@pactour.com
Recent results and new features on Cyclingnews
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
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
Latest Photos - Olympic
Armstrong, Boulder & California 'cross, More Pan-Am, Canberra, Boston & REI
'cross (December 13)
Cyclingnews survey -
Reader Poll 2001 - Vote for your favourite riders
Letters
- VDB, Lance, Boring Tour, Coastal Post, Respect (December 13)
Cyclingnews Interview
- Ryan Bayley - the KFC-fuelled world champ (December 13)
Cyclingnews Interview
- David McKenzie - Macca's back (December 12)
Cyclingnews Interview
- Laurent Jalabert - Jalabert looks ahead (December 11)
Cyclingnews Interview
- Charly Wegelius - A coffee stop with Charly (December 8)
Cyclingnews
Interview - Sven Montgomery - Moving up in the world (December 6)
Cyclingnews Interview
- Rochelle Gilmore - Road scholar (December 6)
Tales from the Peloton
- 12 Hours of Oleta - MTB endurance race in Miami (December 6)
Tales from the Peloton
- Tony Cruz - back to his roots (December 7)
Marco Polo
Diary - Tour du Faso - Part II - Nathan Dahlberg's report (December 3)
Tech
maintenance - Wheels - how to keep them true and tight
Tech letters
- Headsets, Pegoretti, Carbon cage, gloves & tubes (December 10)
Tech news - Navigators
power-tap, Headsets, Carbon cages (December 7)
Tech- Recycling
- How to protect your chainstay for free
Tech Reviews:
Egg Beater pedals; Park
Tool belt; Shimano shoes;
Speedplay
Breaking
the Chain - Dope planning and testing - From Willy Voet's book
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