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Edited by Jeff Jones
Italy and France will boycott this Sunday's round of the UCI World Cup, held in Igorre, Spain. Italy has a conflict with the UCI and France with the best cyclo-cross rider in its own country.
The first round of the World Cup was held in Monopoli, Italy two weeks ago, won by Belgian Sven Nijs. The Italian coach Vito di Tano had picked a young team for the event, which surprisingly did not include 35 year old Daniele Pontoni. The UCI, in their capacity as race organisers, insisted that Pontoni started, as the former world champion has been the best Italian cyclo-crosser for 15 years. Pontoni finished third, while the next best Italian was Enrico Franzoi in 10th.
This did not satisfy the Italians, and they protested by not choosing to send a team to Igorre this weekend.
The French coach Yves Plaisance kept the well credentialled Geoffrey Clochez out of the French team for Monopoli, and also for Igorre. Plaisance doesn't like the fact that Clochez works together with the Belgian team manager Eric Matthijs. He wants the French riders to stay within the country in order to prepare for the World Championships.
There will also not be any German or Swiss teams for the Spanish World Cup, meaning that Belgium and the Netherlands are likely to fight it out for the honours.
The future team of Vuelta España winner Angel Casero may finally become known, after weeks of negotiation and speculation. At the moment, Casero has received four contract offers, from Lampre-Daikin, Team Coast, Gerolsteiner and Cage Maglieria-Olmo. According to a spokesman for Casero, he has kept three of these offers, including Lampre and Team Coast. He will decide early next week.
At the moment, only Lampre can guarantee him a start in the Tour de France, and this could tip the balance in their favour, depending on his goals for 2002. At Team Coast, he would be with several of his former Festina teammates, but it is uncertain whether they can compete with Lampre's offer on sporting grounds.
Italian team Liquigas, which is losing its main sponsor this year, will continue in part in 2002 as Cage Maglieria-Olmo. However, it is unlikely that the team will keep its division I status, as it will lose more than 50 percent of its riders, including big names such as Davide Rebellin and Serguei Gontchar.
The continuing team manager Fabio Bordonali lamented this fact, as it means they will not have automatic entry into the grand tours of Italy, Spain and France. Also they will not be able to compete in division I next year.
Five Liquigas riders have been retained: Ramon Bianchi, Paolo Bono, Fausto Dotti, Cristiano Frattini and Mirco Marini. Bordonali has also made an offer to Angel Casero, but there will be stiff competition from Lampre, Team Coast, and Gerolsteiner.
"For now we have only 12 riders but we don't known if we will succeed in signing Casero: the team will be complete then," he added. "With Casero, it would be easier to be invited to the great races. But to be invited we must perform well, especially at the beginning of the season."
Invitations to the Giro d'Italia and the Vuelta España are the main goals for Cage Maglieria-Olmo.
Gilberto Simoni will complement his very successful 2001 season, the highlight of which was his Giro d'Italia win, by marrying Arianna tomorrow. The ceremony will take place at 2:00pm in the San Valentino church in the Palu di Giovo.
After recently getting married, Salvatore Commesso took his bike on his honeymoon to the Caribbean. Simoni is also focused on the bike. He has put back his honeymoon until Christmas and instead will join his new Saeco teammates at the meeting in Varese from Monday, December 3 until Thursday, December 6.
A 23 year old Italian cyclist, Claudio Salvi, has tested positive for nandrolone, according to ANSA news agency. Both Salvi's A and B tests were positive for the banned steroid, after controls were carried out an a national U23 training camp in July.
The Mapei Quick Step riders, managers and staff members will have their first get together at the Hotel Concorde in Arona from Monday, December 3 to Thursday, December 6. The riders will undergo to medical, physiological and biomechanical assessment as well as their training programme, at the Sport Service Mapei centre in Castellanza. During the meeting they will also determine their programme for next season.
The absentees with justification include Australian Michael Rogers and Cadel Evans, Allan Davis (recently a father), and South African Robert Hunter.
Dutch team Bankgiroloterij will hold a training camp from January 10-15, 2002 in the Spanish locality of Calpe. Prior to this, team leader Johan Capiot will take Bart Voskamp, Bert Hiemstra, Remco Van Der Ven, Gerben Lowik and Bas Van Dooren to Lanzarote for 10 days, where they will discuss the program and equipment for next season. The team will start racing in February in either the Tour de Langkawi or the Mallorca Challenge.
The Saturn Cycling Women's Team has been announced for 2002, with a 11 rider line up. The U.S. based women's team accomplished its major goals in 2001, with Anna Millward winning the World Cup classification and finishing the year as the UCI's number one ranked cyclist. Her success helped the team finish number one in the UCI team's rankings, with considerable help from Petra Rossner, Lyne Bessette and Kimberly Bruckner.
The Saturn team for 2002 will feature nine of its riders from this year, with two new signings. Former World Champion Judith Arndt joins the team after an impressive 2001 showing, winning the Rotterdam Tour and finishing second in the HP LaserJet Women's Challenge and the Tour de L'Aude, as well as third in the Tour de France. She finished the season as number two on the UCI rankings and will be a formidable addition to the powerhouse team. Arndt will help to fill the hole left by Millward and Bessette when they focus on the Commonwealth Games in July.
The second new signing is American Jessica Phillips, 23, of Colorado. 2001 was Phillips' first year on the professional circuit, and she won a stage of the Wendy's Stage Race and performed well at the Tour de 'Toona, Tour of Willamette and Redlands Bicycle Classic. She will compete in both domestic and international races.
Returning to the Saturn squad is the aforementioned Anna Millward, who will once again be the team's designated one day rider. In addition to her overall World Cup win, she also scooped the US Pro title. 2002 will see her focus on the Commonwealth Games in Manchester, England.
Saturn's find of the season, Kim Bruckner, will also be back in the Stars and Stripes jersey she won as the national road and time trial champion. Bruckner won the prestigious Tour de Suisse and Tour de Snowy stage races, and she is surely a chance to win a women's Tour de France or Giro d'Italia in future.
Canadian Lyne Bessette will be in her fourth year with Saturn. Despite an early season set back due to a broken collarbone, Bessette returned to win the Tour de L'Aude, HP LaserJet Women's Challenge, Fitchburg - Longsjo Classic and both the Canadian National Time Trial and Road Championships. She is aiming to defend her title as the 1998 Commonwealth Games Road Race champion.
The team's gun sprinter, Petra Rossner, had an impressive 2001 season which saw her finish 9th in the UCI world rankings. She won the First Union Liberty Classic for an unprecedented fourth consecutive time, in addition to the Tour of Holland and three National Championships. She will try to maintain or improve this in 2002.
Ina Teutenberg also had an strong domestic season, winning 13 races and finishing second in the US Pro rankings. Her specialty is sprinting and she will continue in this role as well as supporting her teammates in 2002.
The remaining riders will focus on U.S. races, including American Suzanne Sonye, who won the bronze medal in the U.S. National Road Race Championships and various tour stages throughout the season. Canadian Kimberly Davidge, stage winner at Wendy's and the Tour de 'Toona will also return to the Saturn squad for the 2002 season. South African Anke Erlank returns, after placings at the Tour de 'Toona, Fitchburg, and the GP Feminine du Quebec. Rounding out the roster is Australian Kristy Scrymgeour who met with success in 2001 at the Chris Thater Memorial and the Bound Brook Criterium, among others.
The Saturn Team will start the season with training camp in Solvang, California on January 18. The team's first race will be on March 1 at the Canberra World Cup in Australia and the McLane Pacific Classic in California. The team will focus on the World Cup Series as well as tours including the Tour de L'Aude and the HP LaserJet Women's Challenge.
Judith Arndt (Ger)
Lyne Bessette (Can)
Kimberly Bruckner (USA)
Kimberly Langton-Davidge (Can)
Anke Erlank (RSA)
Anna Millward (Aus)
Jessica Phillips (USA)
Petra Rossner (Ger)
Kristy Scrymgeour (Aus)
Suzanne Sonye (USA)
Ina Teutenberg (Ger)
The 12th Annual Sea Otter Classic has decided to take itself off the UCI road calendar for 2002, meaning that it will lose its status as a UCI 2.4 (men)/2.9.2 (women) event. The organisers want to "allow for more opportunities for crossover between road and off-road events," according to an official release.
"Naturally we want to do everything to promote our event's prestige," said promoter Rick Sutton. "We also want to do everything to encourage participation. We're a unique event because we have both road and off-road events."
UCI rules forbid pro mountain bike teams from competing in a UCI road event, unless they also annually register as a UCI road team. "What makes the Sea Otter unique is watching Danny Pate and Bart Bowen race mountain bikes or Jimena Florit race a road bike," said Sutton.
"At this year's Sea Otter, the whole Giant team is planning to do the Iron Otter. I can't wait to see how Bart Brentjens goes on skinny tires."
To finish the Iron Otter competition, riders must finish all the road stages and mountain bike stages of the Sea Otter, leading to obvious problems with UCI rules. "We hope the European roadies keep us on the calendar the way the mountain bike teams have," concluded Sutton.
The 12th Annual Sea Otter Classic Powered by SRAM will be held March 21-24, 2002 at the Laguna Seca Recreation Area.
The Tasmanian State Government will inject $45,000 into the upcoming Basslink Tasmanian Carnival Series, held over the Christmas period. Sports Carnivals Association of Tasmania (SCAT) Chairman Mr Grant Atkins said the funding would prove to be a giant boost the continued success of the Carnivals, which now date back 115 years.
Labor Member for Braddon, Bryan Green, presented $45,000 to Mr Atkins, with 55% of that sum going towards promotion and marketing through the expertise of Cradle Coast Tourism and the remainder to SCAT for carnival operations and logistics.
Mr Atkins said the carnivals were shaping as one of the best on record with a plethora of high profile Australian and International riders, runners and axemen. [Ed: wood chopping is a big sport in Tasmania]
U.S. company Profile-Design LLC has issued a recall notice asking for consumers to stop using "Carbon X" TM and "Carbon Stryke" TM aero bar left and right forearm bracket pairs, also known as "ZB brackets". Approximately 8,400 of these products are believed to have been sold since May 6, 1999, but Profile is concerned that the bracket on one of the aero bars can loosen, with potentially disastrous results. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission has already had a report of one cyclist crashing because of this problem.
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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