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Edited by Jeff Jones
The new chairman of the UCI cyclo-cross committee, Sylvia Schenk, has heard the grievances of the Belgian cyclo-cross riders. Schenk, who took over the cyclo-cross position vacated by new UCI vice-president Laurent De Backer, was present at the World Cup on Sunday in Wortegem-Petegem.
"We can not fulfil all the desires of the Belgian cyclo-crossers," said Schenk on Sunday. "But an increase in prize money is attainable."
One thing that has not yet been resolved was the dispute about riders wearing national versus trade team jerseys in the World Cups. At the moment, riders have to wear their national colours, but the riders and their trade teams have protested that this is unfair on the sponsors. "That is possible, even though other countries will remain wearing their national jerseys," said Schenk, who will discuss it further.
In addition, the request by the cyclo-crossers to have some of their UCI points "converted" to road points was also considered, but not resolved. It may be possible that road teams with cyclo-cross riders could have more than the maximum limit of 25 riders per team, but this could also lead to problems of the definition of a cyclo-cross rider compared to a road rider. Creation of a small cyclo-cross trade team structure may be another option.
Decisions from the UCI are not expected until early next year.
Spanish cyclist Javier Otxoa has got back on his bike, albeit briefly. Otxoa managed to ride 20 metres, the first time he has ridden since the tragic accident in February 2001 that put him in a coma for 64 days and killed his brother Ricardo. Javier has undergone intensive treatment since the accident and his life has been hell.
"I know very well that my recovery will take a long time," said Otxoa. "I will suffer, but one day I will return to wear my number in a race."
Italian cycling federation president Gian Carlo Ceruti, two-time Olympic MTB champion Paola Pezzo, and the Italian technical director Franco Ballerini were all present at the opening of the Comprensivo di Carugate school of cycling in Milan today. The school will house 300 students who will learn all about the sport of cycling in a "clean and transparent" manner. Mapei will be the major sponsor of the school.
Following the national championships in Baltimore on December 15-16, USA Cycling has announced the first four members of its 2002 U.S. World Cyclo-cross Championship Team, as well as the squad's coach.
Todd Wells (Tucson, Ariz.), Marc Gullickson (Boulder, Colo.), Alison Dunlap (Colorado Springs, Colo.), Ann Grande (Des Moines, Wash.) and Jesse Anthony (Beverly, Mass.) all automatically qualified for the team. Wells, Dunlap and Anthony qualified after winning national titles this past weekend in their respective categories. Gullickson qualified for the team with his 21st place in the UCI rankings. Grande made the cut by virtue of her fourth-place finish at the 2001 World Cyclo-cross Championships.
The entire 2002 team will be announced in early January, with the World Championships taking place on February 2-3 in Zolder, Belgium.
Leading this year's USA Cycling World Cyclo-cross Championship team is Geoff Proctor (Helena, Mont.). A USA Cycling elite licensed coach (and a former Cyclingnews contributor), Proctor will advise the team during their preparation in Switzerland and Holland. Proctor will take time off from his job as a high school English teacher at Helena High to coach the team.
"I have great hope for U.S. cyclo-cross," said Proctor. "I think we can become one of the best programs in the world if we dial in all the passion our riders, spectators, sponsors and media have for the sport. But my modus operandi has always been 'under promise and over deliver', so we'll see."
The US cyclo-cross World's team received a financial boost from a fundraiser held at the national championships. Nearly $4,000 was raised when items, like Mavic wheels and athlete jerseys, went up on the auction block. Two of Alison Dunlap's world championship mountain bike jerseys went for $2,200.
USA Cycling announced today that Lisa Voight, chief executive officer, will change management roles within the organisation by May 1, 2002 to assume the position of Special Advisor for Olympic and International Relations to USA Cycling. USAC will start looking for a new CEO from January 1, 2002.
Voight's decision was influenced by her second new role - she will become a mother some time in May 2002. "I was very honored and pleased that the USA Cycling board voted to extend my contract as chief executive officer for the next two years at the recent board meeting in October," said Voight in a statement. "However, after much reflection, thought and discussion with my family, I have decided that my short-term priorities and focus need to be on my family. This change will allow me to devote time to my family and still provide a valuable resource to USA Cycling."
Voight has been CEO of U.S. cycling's national governing body since 1993. She led the company through the creation and formation of USA Cycling, which was incorporated in 1995. As head of the United States Cycling Federation (USCF), the former umbrella organization for the sport of cycling in the United States, Voight led the expansion of USA Cycling, which included the acquisitions and mergers of the National Off-Road Bicycle Association (NORBA), the U.S. Professional Racing Organization (USPRO) and the National Bicycle League (NBL). These actions brought all the disciplines of cycling under one organization.
She also served on the UCI Women and Under 23 Road Commission from 1997 to 2001 and on the UCI Centenary Commission from 1997-2000.
The United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) announced Tuesday that cyclist Annette Hanson of Kirkland, Wash., tested positive at the 2001 World Masters Track Cycling Championships in Manchester, Great Britain on October 11, 2001 for ephedrine, a prohibited substance under the UCI rules. Ephedrine is in a special category of prohibited substances in that it is commonly found in over the counter supplements.
Hanson (39) was suspended for one month from competition; beginning on December 11, 2001, the day the sanction was accepted, per UCI regulations. The national federation, USA Cycling, will carry out the sanction.
In addition, she will be disqualified from her first-place finish in the 2,000-meter individual pursuit at the 2001 World Masters Track Cycling Championships.
Team 7 UP has announced its roster of riders for the coming season, as well as landing Cannondale and Nutra Fig as major new sponsors for 2002. Cannondale will be the official bicycle and apparel supplier to the team, while long time cycling supporter Nutra Fig will join 7 UP in the title sponsor slot. Also on board for 2002 is real estate leader THF Realty.
7 UP-Nutra Fig has re-signed its core group of athletes from 2001, including team leaders John Lieswyn and Clark Sheehan as well as Kevin Monahan, Doug Ziewacz, brothers Oscar and Juan Carlos Pineda, and Canadian Charles Dionne. New additions for 2002 include New Zealanders Graeme Miller and Greg Henderson, along with Colorado Sprinter Dan Schmatz.
Team General Manager Scott McAfee said in a statement that "Next year's team is very heavy in the speed department. Dan, Graeme and Greg are all really fast finishers and when you combine them with Kevin and Charles, it makes for quite a formidable line-up."
Jeff Corbett (USA)
Chuck Coyle (USA)
Charles Dionne (Can)
Greg Henderson (USA)
John Lieswyn (USA)
Graeme Miller (NZl)
Kevin Monahan (USA)
Juan Carlos Pineda (Gua)
Oscar Pineda (Gua)
Dan Schmatz (USA)
Clark Sheehan (USA)
Doug Ziewacz (USA)
Staff
Management Company: Podium Sports Management - Jeff Corbett, President
Team Manager: Scott McAfee
Team Director: Jeff Corbett
Mechanic: Chad Grochowina
Soigneur: Stephanie Roussos
Web Master: Phil Jolley
Multiple Australian national MTB champion and two time NORBA series champion Mary Grigson has created her own website, hometown.aol.com/marygrigson/home.html. The site features a "Who is Mary?" section, history, career highlights and 2002 schedule. Check out the pic of Mary in one of her first MTB races.
More information: Cyclingnews pro rider sites
An all female professional mountain bike team sponsored by Clif Bar Inc. has been announced today. The team will be known as Luna Chix, named after the "Whole Nutrition Bar For Women (tm)" which is made by Clif Bar. The roster includes 2001 World Cross Country MTB champion Alison Dunlap, downhill specialist Marla Streb, emerging cross country specialist Kelli Emmett and veteran cross country and cyclocross racer Gina Hall. Paul McKenzie will serve as team director.
The Luna Chix racing team will compete in the World Cup international and NORBA national race circuits in 2002, as well as other selected events. Alison Dunlap commented that "It's a good thing for the sport. It will be a mountain bike team, but it will be a lot more than that."
In addition, two groups of female mountain bike racers, dubbed Luna Ambassadors, will carry out the Luna Chix mission of raising funding, awareness and support for women's issues, including breast cancer and The Breast Cancer Fund.
The Luna Ambassadors include The Tuesday Night Ladies Club, a regional group of women mountain bike athletes in Colorado, and a group of California women mountain bike riders comprised of employees at Clif Bar Inc. Both groups will host fund raisers, rides and clinics.
In addition to Luna, other team sponsors include Santa Cruz Bicycles, Inc. (bike frames), Ritchey Design Inc. (components), FOX Racing Shox (suspension), Shimano American Corp. (components), Giro Sport Design (helmets), Castelli USA (race clothing), Sidi (shoes), Kelty (outer and casual wear) and Selle Italia (saddles).
The Polycom Cycling Team (formerly RSP Racing) has recently brought a new title sponsor on board in Polycom (www.polycom.com) and has added seven new riders for 2002. Based in Austin, Texas, the squad will tackle regional events aboard Giant bicycles, with sights set on Texas State Championship events.
Returning riders
John Korioth
Chris Davidson
Craig Virr
Cody Baron
Clark Davidson
Jay Robinson
Karl Haussman
Joe Udell
Gregg Ueckert
New riders
Craig Malloy
Sam Childs
Brenton Sawyer
Scott Henry
Roy Patterson
Matt Gordon
Steven Wheeler
Sponsors
Polycom (www.polycom.com)
Giant Bicycles (www.giant-bicycle.com)
Cycle 360 (www.cycle360.com)
Giro (www.giro.com)
Oakley (www.oakley.com)
PowerBar (www.powerbar.com)
Speedplay (www.speedplay.com)
Profile Design (www.profile-design.com)
Vittoria (www.vittoria.com)
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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