Second Edition News for December 14, 2001

Edited by Jeff Jones

Recent results and new features

Vuelta a España 2002 preview

The last of the three grand tours for 2002 has been presented today in Madrid. The 57th edition of the Vuelta a España (Tour of Spain) is longer (3144 km), but not necessarily harder than this year's sub-3000 kilometre tour. It contains roughly the same number of climbs, but with only four mountain top finishes as opposed to seven in 2001. A 30 km team time trial and two individual time trials (95 km total) will help to keep the Vuelta interesting up until the final stage once again.

Summary

21 Stages
10 Medium and high mountain stages
3 Special category, 11 first category, 7 second category climbs 4 Mountain top finishes
2 Individual time trials (95 km total)
1 Team time trial (30 km)
Total distance: 3144 km

Full preview and stage list

Luc Leblanc wants money from Italians

Retired former World Champion Luc Leblanc is seeking 472,590 euros from the Italian Cycling Federation in relation to his lawsuit against Team Polti, who he rode for from 1995 to the end of 1998. Polti sacked him in December 1998 when he still had a year to run on his contract, to make room on the team for another Frenchman, Richard Virenque. Leblanc could not find another team and retired in March 1999, deciding to sue Polti for illegal dismissal.

A French court in Salon-de-Provence declared on September 24, 1999 that Team Polti should pay Leblanc 732,000 euros (4.8 million francs) for annulling his contract (Leblanc had asked for 1.07 million euros). The Court of Appeal in Aix-en-Provence subsequently reduced this to 472,590 euros.

The Italian Cycling Federation was ordered to pay this, as the federation responsible for Leblanc's now defunct team. However, despite several requests by the UCI to pay up, the FCI has not been forthcoming. Indeed, Leblanc's lawyer Mr Bernard Revest was quoted by AFP as saying that he "doubts they still have the money."

The disciplinary commission of the UCI voted to fine Italy's cycling body, with the risk of suspension if they don't pay. Leblanc says that he needs the money urgently, as it has been owed to him for more than two years.

"It is serious what they did to me. I hope that it will not happen to other riders and that the federations will be informed," Leblanc told AFP.

Castelli quits

Top cycling clothing manufacturer Castelli will no longer have its logos on the Italian Cycling Federation jerseys. The brand has been involved with the squadra azzurra for four years, but decided not to renew its contract. Castelli will be involved as the sponosr of CSC-Tiscali, Acqua e Sapone and mountain biker Paola Pezzo next year.

Mercatone Uno 2002

Marco Pantani's Mercatone Uno team is having its first get together in Terracina, Italy. The major goal for 2002 will be to get Pantani back to the top again, and he will be ably assisted by 18 teammates. Pantani will take an active role in the team management, assisted by Riccardo Magrini, Marino Amadori and Massimo Podenzana. He will start his season with the Ruta del Sol from February 17-21.

Team roster

Existing riders
Marco Pantani (Ita)
Simone Borgheresi (Ita)
Ermanno Brignoli (Ita)
Massimo Cigana (Ita)
Daniel Clavero (Spa)
Luca De Angeli (Ita)
Riccardo Forconi (Ita)
Fabiano Fontanelli (Ita)
Marcello Siboni (Ita)
Robert Savoldi (Ita)
Gian Mario Ortenzi (Ita)

New riders
Francesco Secchiari (Ita)
Massimiliano Mori (Ita)
Roberto Sgambelluri (Ita)
Luca Mazzanti (Ita)
Marco Della Vedova (Ita)
Valentino Fois (Ita)
Marco Fincato (Ita)
Pablo Soler (Spa)

Team Colpack 2002

Italian second division team Colpack Astro will gather in Tor San Lorenzo Ardea from December 15-22 for its first training camp. The team, managed by former Polti boss Gianluigi Stanga (who avoided paying Luc Leblanc), will meet in the Hotel Pineta dei Liberti. Physical and mental preparation for season 2002 will commence at this meeting.

Team roster

Team Manager: Gianluigi Stanga
Directeur sportif: Antonio Bevilacqua

Riders

Giosué Bonomi (Ita)
Michele Colleoni (Ita)
Matteo Carrara (Ita)
Matteo Gigli (Ita)
Leonardo Giordani (Ita)
Denis Lunghi (Ita)
Renzo Mazzoleni (Ita)
Hidenori Nodera (Jpn)
Miguel Angel Meza Flores (Mex)
Rafael Nuritdinov (Uzb)
Rafael Mateos Perez (Spa)
Vladimir Smirnov (Ltu)

Polaris forced off the streets

The 2001 Sydney Urban Polaris was the last urban event to be held. At the prize giving of the event held last weekend, organiser Huw Kingston announced to the 147 competitors that the he would not organise another event on the streets and National Parks of Sydney.

Mountain bike Polaris events will continue to be organised by Mr Kingston, but all future events will have to go to the bush, as New South Wales Police Service and the National Parks and Wildlife Service make organising the events too difficult. "We'll continue to run our events in the bush, but that's it for Sydney," he said.

Announcing the death of the Urban Polaris in a statement Mr Kingston said, "The authorities such as the NSW Police Service and the National Parks and Wildlife Service just make it impossible to organise such a fun event, the whole purpose of the which is to encourage people to get out of their cars and onto bikes. Despite providing these bureaucracies with all the required paperwork months in advance, they manage to have you jumping through different hoops right up to the last minute. Most of this is due to different people saying different things with no regard to urgency or to the processes they claim to have in place. For an organiser of a major event this just creates a tremendous uncertainty. Our job is to give people an enjoyable experience, whilst their's seems to be just to cover their rears."

Since announcing the demise of the event Mr Kingston has begun to publicise the trouble he has had and will be appearing in Saturday's Sydney Morning Herald, a daily broadsheet newspaper. He added, "I'll certainly be following some issues up with these authorities." (See full results)


Recent results and new features on Cyclingnews

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

Recently on Cyclingnews
   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

Home     Search      Survey      Contact us

cyclingnews.com Copyright ©1995-2000 Knapp Communications
Systems: EO Adrian Butterworth