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Edited by Jeff Jones
The Belgian cycling federation (BWB) has offered a BEF850,000 (21,071 euro) bonus for any Belgian who manages to win the World Cyclo-cross championship in Zolder next year. This is a significant increase from the BEF250,000 (6,184 euro) that was previously offered. However, the silver and bronze medals aren't worth nearly as much: BEF100,000 (2,479 euro) for silver and BEF50,000 (1,239 euro) for bronze.
The bonus comes as a result of complaints by some of Belgium's top cyclo-crossers, Erwin Vervecken, Mario De Clercq, Sven Nys and Sven Vanthourenhout, who said that they weren't getting enough support from the BWB for the World Cup and World Championships, where they have to race as part of their national teams instead of their trade teams. A series of other rider complaints will be discussed by the UCI and the BWB.
The first get together of the Saeco Macchine per Caffe'-Longoni Sport team finished on Thursday after three days at the hotel Bel Sit on the shores of Lake Varese. The atmosphere of the meeting was described as "relaxed but motivated", as riders undertook medical tests and learned what will be expected of them during the forthcoming season.
Danilo Di Luca and Mirko Celestino will be targetting the classics and World Cup races while Gilberto Simoni is the team leader for the major stage races.
Simoni will aim to start racing at the Trofeo Laigueglia in Italy and build up for the Giro d'Italia with a series of short stage races including Tirreno-Adriatico, Settimana Catalana, Giro del Trentino and Tour de Romandie. He will also ride Milan-San Remo, Fleche Wallonne and Liege-Bastogne-Liege.
Danilo Di Luca will ride the Tour of Mediterranean, Trofeo Laigueglia, Tour of Valencia, Trittico Siciliano, Tirreno-Adriatico and then his first major objective, Milan-San Remo. The rider from the central Italian region of Abruzzo will be aiming to do well in the UCI World Cup competition. After Milan-San Remo he will also ride the Belgian classics: The Tour of Flanders, Fleche-Wallone, Liege-Bastogne-Liege and Amstel Gold race.
Saeco-Longoni Sport will next meet at a training camp in Terracina, south of Rome, from January 7 - 16. Riders who will take part in the Tour Down Under (January 15-20) will miss the camp. Those going to Australia include Biagio Conte and Fabio Sacchi, who won a stage and finished third overall in 2001.
After the official team presentation in Milan on January 29, the team will get together for another training camp in Terracina from January 30-February 10.
Retained riders
Mirko Celestino (Ita)
Salvatore Commesso (Ita)
Biagio Conte (Ita)
Brad Davidson (Aus)
Alessio Galletti (Ita)
Nicola Gavazzi (Ita)
Joerg Ludewig (Ger)
Torsten Nitsche (Ger)
Igor Pugaci (Mda)
Fabio Sacchi (Ita)
Marius Sabaliauskas (Ltu)
Justin Spinelli (USA)
Christian Wegmann (Ger)
New for 2002
Igor Astarloa (Spa)
Leonardo Bertagnolli (Ita)
Damiano Cunego (Ita)
Danilo Di Luca (Ita)
Gerrit Glomser (Aut)
Oscar Mason (Ita)
Cristian Pepoli (Ita)
Gilberto Simoni (Ita)
Alessandro Spezialetti (Ita)
Andrea Tonti (Ita)
Team manager: Claudio Corti
Directeur sportifs: Guido Bontempi, Giuseppe Martinelli, Flavio Miozzo, Bruno
Vicino
Czech rider Tomas Konecny (Domo-Farm Frites) has been injured by a car whilst training. He sustained head injuries and will have to spend some time off the bike. His teammate Steven Kleynen will have to have an operation on his knee, and will also not be riding for a while.
The Dutch province of Groningen plans to spend around 450,000 euro in the organisation of cultural events around the 2002 Giro d'Italia, which starts there. The Giro is seen as a big opportunity to promote Groningen and its culture. Approximately half of the budget to be spent on the 'Festival di Gironingen', which includes a concert featuring the North Dutch Orchestra and the Galili Dance company. The other half of the budget will be used by the North Dutch Tourism Bureau to strengthen cultural tourism in Groningen.
Spanish rider Javier Pascual Llorente has prolonged his contract for another two years with Kelme-Costa Blanca. Llorente is considered an excellent domestique, but he also possesses a handy sprint.
Oscar Sevilla will remain as the team leader at Kelme, having also signed until 2003, with the option to extend his contract until 2005.
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Dual Danish national champion Lisbeth Simper (Team Lolland Falster) has signed a one year contract with Italian Team Michela Fanini, based in Lucca, Tuscany. The team will have 11 or 12 riders and their first big race will be the Primavera Rosa World Cup on March 23.
Lisbeth Simper will go on riding for Team Lolland Falster when she races in Denmark and does not have any other obligations for the Italian team. She will also keep on working with her personal trainer Henrik Thomsen.
The 2001 season saw 23 year old Simper perform consistently, gaining podium places and many top 10 finishes in international races. She also won 15 races in Denmark including gold at the Danish road race and time trial championships, gold at the Sealand road race and time trial championships, and was the overall winner of the DCU/Jensen Skilte Cup for the third year in a row, with four wins in five races.
Italian cycling great Adriano Baffi is the latest acquisition for the 2001-2002 Basslink Tasmanian Carnival Series. 39 year old Baffi has been a professional since 1985, and has won 75 races both on the track and the road. Career highlights include stages in the Giro d'Italia, Tour de Suisse, Tirreno-Adriatico, Paris-Nice, and a number of Six Day races.
"His credentials are second to none in Italy and he should quite easily adapt to Australia's unique style of handicap track racing," said Grant Atkins, Sports Carnivals Association of Tasmania Chairman.
SCAT Secretary Rod Morris said that Baffi's recruitment takes to nine the number of different cycling countries that would be represented in the Carnival Series. "We already have riders from America, Germany, England, Sweden, New Zealand, Switzerland, Japan and of course, Australia, entered," Morris said.
Although not official yet, Baffi is likely to be given the elite scratch mark, joining Jame Carney (USA), Erik Weisspfennig (Germany), Shane Kelly (Victoria), Ryan Bayley (West Australia), Jeff Hopkins (New South Wales) and Tasmanian trio Nathan Clarke, Darren Young and Gareth Atkins.
This German UCI class 2.3 race will be held from May 22-26, 2002. This year, Erik Zabel (Telekom) managed to win four stages in a row, while Jens Voigt (Credit Agricole) took the overall victory.
Avanti Bicycles have entered one of their strongest teams yet in the 2002 Trust House Tour of Wellington, January 2-6, 2002. The team is led by 2001 World Junior Champion, Jeremy Yates, who rode for the Mapei U23 team for 2001. He will be joined by big brother Matthew Yates who rides professionally on the US circuit.
Graeme Miller will also be racing in the Avanti team. A veteran of four Olympic and Commonwealth Games, with 34 national titles to his credit, he has won races all around the world including 200 in the USA. "He is an aggressive and very honest rider. Graeme has taken the blows as they come during his racing career to become the most successful bike rider in this country," said Race Director Jorge Sandoval.
Bryce Shapley, who finished second in the 2000 Tour of Wellington will also be an important part of the Avanti team, Shapley pushed eventual 2000 tour winner Brendon Vesty all the way and was impressive in the hills during the five day tour.
The fifth member is Robin Reid from Blenheim. Reid was a Tour of Wellington leader for two days in the 2000 edition and spent the 2001 season racing in Japan and Europe.
A couple of alterations have been made to the American Mountain Bike Calendar for 2002. The 14th Annual Sizzler Classic, April 6-7, has been cancelled, while the following new events have been added:
May 4-5
Big Shark Challenge
PROMOTER: Big Shark Racing
St. Louis, MO
July 13-14
Schweitzer Dirt and Rock Tour
PROMOTER: Round and Round Productions, Ltd.
Sandpoint, ID
For the full list of events, see November 28 news.
Thanks to Beau Gallard for this selection of images from a the weekend's racing at the Vodafone Arena, Melbourne
Click here for the Melbourne pics, and all our latest photography
However far up cycling's career ladder they've climbed, all riders started at the bottom, racing in local club events and being helped and coached by older, wiser riders. When Velo Club LaGrange meets for its annual ride and dinner, club alumnus and U.S. Postal rider Tony Cruz returns to his roots to thank the club that got him started.
Click here for the full feature
Finnish-born Englishman Charly Wegelius has completed two years as a pro with Mapei-Quick Step, previously riding for their U23 team. It's still early days for him in the professional scene, but he is hoping to repay some of Mapei's trust in him through the 2002 season. This interview with Gabriella Ekström took place in a virtual coffee shop, where Charly relates how he began his journey in cycling and where he intends to go.
Click here for the full feature
As the moon shone over the 12 Hours of Oleta endurance race held Saturday, December 1st in Miami, Fla., mountain bikers were cranking up the last lap of a competition so fierce that "Naked Man" Dave Williams didn't even have time to get bare in the woods...
Click here for the full feature
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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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
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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
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the Chain - Dope planning and testing - From Willy Voet's book
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