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Edited by Jeff Jones
Italian dual World Champion, Gianni Bugno, has been called up by a court in Kortrijk, Belgium, for questioning in relation to a doping affair in the 1999 Driedaagse Van De Panne. Four men are under suspicion in the affair, including Gianni Bugno, his father Giacomo, ex-Mapei soigneur Tiziano Morassut and ex-Belgian cyclist Eduard Vanhulst.
In April 1999, Belgian police were contacted by the DHL courier company, which had intercepted a "suspicious" parcel intended for the Mapei team. The package contained amphetamines and it was addressed to Gianni Bugno, who was part of Mapei's technical staff at that time. Police then raided the Mapei team hotel on the penultimate stage and took riders in for questioning.
All were cleared of suspicion, save for Morassut (who allegedly shipped the parcel) and Vanhulst (who allegedly procured the contents). The court ruled that there was no case of "systematic doping" within the team, and it was just the work of these two men. However, the two Bugnos are now under suspicion of complicity in the affair, and Gianni will be questioned on January 4, 2002.
The Rabobank team will not be competing in next year's Vuelta España, despite being granted an automatic start as one of the world's top 10 teams. This year, Rabobank took a young team to Spain to gain experience in the large stage races. Next year, they will focus their energies on the Giro d'Italia, which starts in the Netherlands, and the Tour de France.
"Three grand tours in one season is too much," said team leader Adri van Houwelingen to ANP.
Several top teams are setting their sights on Malaysia in early 2002 for the 10 day Tour de Langkawi (February 1-10). The Mapei-Quick Step team are bidding for their second successive victory in the tour, after Paolo Lanfranchi took the overall honours in 2001 from his teammate Paolo Bettini. Bettini also won the points competition, Lanfranchi was the best climber and together they led Mapei-Quick Step to the overall team title.
Mapei returns with a new lineup headed by 35 year old legend Andrea Tafi. Tafi is no stranger to Le Tour de Langkawi, having won two stages in the 1997 race and finishing in fifth place overall in 1998. Luca Scinto, the overall winner back in 1997, is also back for another taste of Malaysia. Scinto is a strong climber and won the Genting Highlands stage in 1997.
Mapei's new signing, Robert Hunter, is a powerful sprinter who won a stage in this year's Vuelta España, and will certainly be in the mix in Malaysia. 22 year old Englishman Charly Wegelius is getting his big chance after being promoted from Mapei's development squad. The Mapei team will be rounded out by experienced Italians Davide Bramati, Paolo Fornaciari and Eddy Ratti.
German star Jens Voigt will lead the Credit Agricole team's challenge in Le Tour de Langkawi. Voigt had his best ever season in 2001, winning six major races, including a stage in the Tour de France. He is no stranger to Le Tour de Langkawi having placed second overall in 1997.
Voigt will be backed by a team of young riders: French U23 time trial champion Yan Tournier, Johan Charpenteau, Cedric Herve, Christophe Le Mevel, Ludovic Martin and Benoît Poilvet.
Belgian squad Lotto-Adecco will make its Malaysian debut in LTDL next year. Lotto scored 39 wins in 2001, its most successful season yet, climbing to fifth in the division I UCI team rankings. Star riders include Rik Verbrugghe, who won a stage in the Tour de France and Giro d'Italia, as well as the Criterium Internationale and the Fleche Wallonne classic. Nico Eeckhout was also a top performer, winning 11 races in 2001.
It has not yet been confirmed whether these riders will race as part of Lotto for LTDL, with the team expected to be finalised soon.
The Saturn Cycling Team has signed 19 year-old Californian Rahsaan Bahati to its 2002 roster. Bahati's addition will push the Saturn Men's Roster to 13, and he will be the youngest rider in the team. He is still eligible to compete as an espoir (U23) and is considered a valuable addition to the strong team. His sprinting skills will fit in with new signing Jay Sweet and Ivan Dominguez.
Bahati won both the U.S. Junior and Senior Elite Criterium Championships in 2000. He went on to win the Junior National Road Championship later in the year, clearly signaling the arrival of his talent to the road racing scene. In 2001 Bahati competed as a professional, both domestically and internationally, including representing the U.S. at the World Championships in Portugal in October.
Bahati also studies at Indiana University, where he majoring in Computer Animation and Telecommunications. He will join the team in January for training camp, and will compete on the college circuit when not on the road with the Saturn Team.
Dutch women's team Powerplate-Bik is hoping to sign Spanish multiple Tour de France and Giro winner Joanne Somarriba for next season. 29 year old Somarriba is currently without a team, and recently spoke out about the lack of support for women's cycling in Spain. If the Spanish don't want her, then the Dutch certainly do. Powerplate-Bik team leader Ton Vrolijk is currently negotiating for her signature and hopes she will make a decision next week.
The city of Rotterdam and the Rotterdam Topsport organisation have pledged their support for the next three years for Olympic golden girl Leontien Zijlaard-Van Moorsel's cycling clinics. The two organisations will put a total of 72,500 euro into the project.
Leontien commented that "It is fantastic that the city of Rotterdam, the department of Sport and Recreation, and Rotterdam Topsport have made it possible for girls aged eight to sixteen years to gain knowledge of the sport of cycling for three years."
On Wednesday and Thursday of next week, riders from the Vlaanderen-T-Interim team will undertake the first of three "condition tests" to assess their health and physical fitness. According to assistant directeur sportif Jean-Pierre Heynderickx, the second test will take place after the next training camp, while the third will be conducted just before the team starts racing next season.
By Tommy Campbell, Irish Independent/Evening Herald/Sunday Independent
For the last ten years, Robin Seymour the quiet young man who lives at the top of the Rocky Valley in Kilmacanogue, Co. Wicklow is on course to land his 11th Irish title in cyclo-cross along with his numerous Irish titles in mountain biking. Today (Saturday) in Lurgan, or Lurgan Park, Co. Armagh to be precise, he'll be on the start line bidding for yet another win.
A qualified mechanical engineer, he goes about his preparation as if it was his first ever event. He also respects the opposition and does not take them for granted which makes him stick out from the crowd of participants.
"The course the organisers are using is one which I have won two championships on, but they have reversed it from last year, going into an anti-clockwise way. I feel it is more technical, which should suit me, but I'll still have to be on my guard," said Robin.
Unusually Robin suffered a rare defeat in a league event a couple of weeks ago which has made his resolve all the more to win. Don Travers inflicted that rare defeat and its odds on that the tussle for supremacy on the day will rest between them, but who knows there could be a joker in the pack, but that's very doubtful.
Robin will have the distinction of having won the title in his teens, twenties and now that he has reached his thirties, could add yet another medal (gold) to his already compact chest of medals. Still if he fails, at least he'll have nine more chances.
Racing in the championship will start at 1 pm and is over a 2km plus course which the competitors will be obliged to tackle nine times. To add a little colour to the proceedings, a mountain bike event starts at midday. Hopefully the weather holds up, if not the cyclo-cross competitors could face a course which may cut up.
For the first time in 10 years, the Tour of Belgium will reappear on the UCI calendar. Held between the dates of May 22-26, the race will start in the seaside town of Oostende with a prologue. Oostende will also host the start of the first road stage on the following day, with the finishing town yet to be determined.
South African track medallist Charl Jubber was suspended for a year and fined R2000 after testing positive for a banned substance. His period of suspension runs from Wednesday, December 5, 2001 until December 5, 2002.
This all-Danish division III team, sponsored by a meat can and cookie jar manufacturer, has announced its lineup for 2002:
Riders Dennis Rasmussen (Den)
Jannik Petersen (Den)
Stig Dam (Den)
Jan Jespersen (Den)
Hans Henrik Jørgensen (Den)
Morten Christiansen (Den)
Morten Pedersen (Den)
Brian Larsen (Den)
Gøran Jensen (Den)
Thue Houlberg (Den)
Team Manager: Søren Vig
Assistant managers: Erik Skelde, Hans Jørgen Jørgensen
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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