News for February 1, 2001Recent results and new features No races for VDB in FebruaryFrank Vandenbroucke will not be riding in the early season races for Lampre. He will not start in the Tour of Mallorca on Sunday, and his debut with Lampre-Daikin has been postponed to March or even April. "Frank will start in the peloton when he is ready for it," said team manager Pietro Algeri in a recent interview in De Standaard. "We decided this after talking with the big Lampre boss Galbusera, manager Saronni and the team doctors." Despite the obvious worrying sense of deja vu, Algeri has his reasons. "It isn't good for Frank to do the Tour of Mallorca or the Tour Méditerranéen," he said. "He should have started in the Haut-Var and the Classic Haribo, but those races are postponed for him too. We can forget February. We'll see what March brings." "Omloop Het Volk? I think too early. Galbusera said 'before or after Milan-San Remo?' It doesn't matter. The most important thing is to make him a valuable rider again," added Algeri. Instead of starting in Mallorca, Vandenbroucke and his wife Sarah will spend time in a villa in Bergamo next week. "Closed to us. Lampre is a family and Frank needs that. We want back VDB as he was in the Mapei period. When we contracted him, we knew he wasn't ready for competition. But we will take care of him, we will bring him back. He needs to take pleasure in training again. Then it can progress very fast," Algeri said.
Two months for HervéFormer Festina rider's future in doubt The French Cycling Federation announced Thursday that the suspension for doping of former Festina rider Pascal Hervé is to be reduced from eight months to two. In assessing Hervé's appeal the federation took into account the voluntary suspension Hervé underwent in the winter of 1998-99 in solidarity with other riders who were suspended as part of Festina's internal disciplinary proceedings against those involved in the 1998 EPO scandal. Hervé's suspension will start February 1, which may allow him to salvage most of his 2001 season. However, it's still bad news for Hervé. He was persuaded to confess during the Festina trial on the reasoning that his six month 1998-9 break would be seen by the French federation as sufficient atonement. The original eight month suspension came as a shock and the reduction to two months won't necessarily salvage the 37-year-old's career as his contract with current team Alexia Aluminio is void if he is suspended for more than 15 days. Hervé heard the news as he arrived in Malaysia for the Tour of Langkawi, which starts February 6. He will be unable to take part. His next move is uncertain. His personal web site has claimed for the last three weeks that he will be riding with Richard Virenque in 2001, but this seems unlikely. Virenque's status is still uncertain and even if Virenque's suspension is lifted Michel Gros, directeur sportif of Jean Delatour, considered the most likely pace for Virenque to go, has already ruled out Hervé. US Postal samples requestedThe French authorities investigating allegations against US Postal have formally requested the UCI hand over stored urine samples taken from members of the team during the 2000 Tour de France. According to a press release from USPS general manager Mark Gorski, the team has specifically requested that the UCI immediately provide all samples of current USPS members to the French authorities. Gorski's release added, "We completely support an expedient and thorough analysis of any important information related to the ongoing investigation. We have no reason to hide any of the facts that might be uncovered through the analysis of these blood [sic] samples. Further, in the interest of fairness and objectivity, we have requested that an independent expert of our own choosing be appointed to assist in the analysis and to report on their findings to all parties." Cyclingnews has requested clarification of the reference to blood samples Rabobank pro's to ride in Olympia's TourThe Rabobank team will start in the Olympia's Tour with a professional team, it was announced at the team's presentation on Tuesday. The reason being is that the amateur team coached by Nico Verhoeven is too young to play a role in this stage race. However, Theo de Rooy plans to send a young professional team to Olympia's Tour, as there will be no Giro this year for Rabobank. "Last year we sent some young riders, but they came back very tired. That wasn't good for the season build up," said De Rooy. Adri van Houwelingen added that "We can't fight with the big rich teams like Telekom and Mapei. But we are ready to fight with teams like Domo and Mercury. We were very quiet on the transfer market, but that is our strategy. We will build a team with as many Dutch riders as possible, which can play a role at the top of the international level. And we reached our budget limit." "Riders with good results in the past - Boogerd, Dekker, Wauters - have gotten longer contracts and better salaries. Three years ago, Theo de Rooy and I warned about this development. By bringing across two, three or four amateurs to our professional section each year, we have the situation where we can have 12 to 15 riders with a maximum of four years as professionals." "This season will be the season for the youth. That's the reason we made a special program for our team this year. Starting in races where we can reach the podium. And that's nicer than being car 22 or 23 in the Giro," he finished.
Dunlap awarded USOC Athlete of the MonthThe US Olympic Committee has named Allisaon Dunlap as its Athlete of the Month for December, the third time the Colorado Springs mountain bike and cyclo-cross racer has received this award. Dunlap was awarded the title in recognition of winning her fourth consecutive US national cyclo-cross title on December 16 2000. She was previously USOC Athlete of the Month in June 1997 and December 1999. The award caps an impressive year for Dunlap, who was second overall in the World Cup MTB series and ranked third in the world after a spell at number one for part of the year. Bartoli to skip TourAnnouncing his objectives for 2001, Michele Bartoli, one of the kingpins of the Mapei team, has said he will focus on the Giro and skip the Tour de France. "It appeals to me to ride in front of my tifosi and therefore I will definitely ride the Giro. But beyond all the spring classics and especially the Paris-Roubaix I have decided not to participate in the Tour de France." Marcel Wüst still cheerfulIn an interview with Reuters, Marcel Wüst is remarkably upbeat despite the lack of significant improvement to the sight in his right eye, injured in a crash last year. "There's no depression. I'm really happy. I don't know why I'm taking it so well,'' he said. Wüst is training with Festina in the Costa Blanca, Spain and says he is "living the normal life of a pro-cyclist without knowing whether I'll ever again have a number pinned on my back." He is unconcerned about the train he has missed over the winter, though. The eye is the priority. "If I can't see out of my right eye, there's no way I'm going to get into a sprint where two eyes are sometimes not enough. I only want to come back on the same level as before and challenge the best in the world.'' Wüst is startlingly philosophical about the crash that probably ended his career. "Cycling is a risk sport. It could have happened anywhere." He is less sanguine about the way the German press has ignored his plight, preferring to concentrate on the doping confession of his former team-mate Richard Virenque and on the Tour prospects of Telekom's Jan Ullrich. "If Ullrich has digestion problems, that'll be a bigger thing in the newspaper than me losing an eye and losing my career," said Wüst. Wüst reiterated that if there has been no improvement in his eye by the German national championships in June he will announce his retirement at the Tour de France. Euskaltel-Euskadi 2001Spanish team Euskaltel-Euskadi announced its 2001 line-up on Tuesday with Directeur sportif Julian Gorospe admitting it would be "deluded" to presume the team with be included in the Tour de France, but if it is "we guarantee to do it well." Gorospe added that Euskaltel will "consider all races important" and try to play a significant role whenever the team takes part. Riders
Roberto Laiseka Alexia Aluminio's debutIvan Quarante and six other member of Alexia Alluminio have already arrived in Malaysia for the Tour of Langkawi (February 6-18) but they will be pipped to thepost by the squad's European arm which will turn out for Sunday's Gran Premio Costa degli Etruschi, the first race in the Italian national calendar. Alexia's tyeam for the Costa degli Etruschi will be Dario Andriotto, Giacomo Battistel, Marco Battiston, Daniele Galli, Alessandro Guerra, Marco Magnani, Daniele Righi, Antonio Salomone, Eddy Serri, Gianluca Valoti and Mauro Zinetti. Bettini bitten by a monkeyAs if the usual hazards of traffic and weather weren't enough, Mapei rider Paolo Bettini has been bitten by a monkey while training in Malaysia for the Tour of Langkawi. The Mapei training group stopped to admire a female macaque monkey, but she became agitated and bit Bettini, who happened to be closest, on the left leg. Monkey bites are not an uncommon injury in the area and are usually not serious, but Bettini is being treated with precautionary antibiotics, just in case. Merckx injuredAxel Merckx (Domo-FarmFrites), the national champion of Belgium, had to cut short a training session Wednesday because of a painful knee. He hurt his left knee last Sunday in Nice while training in the neighbourhood of his home, when he hit the outside mirror of a car. His season debut in the Tour of the Mediterranean (14 February) will not be affected. New sponsor for Trek womenThe TREK Women's Cycling Team has signed Marianne's Screen Printing of Martha's Vineyard as a new major sponsor for its 2001 road season. David Genest, Team Director, stated, "We're thrilled to have Marianne's join our team. They bring a fresh perspective to the sport and will help us look more professional and expand our race schedule." The team started six years ago as a junior development squad and won over 20 national junior road, track and cyclo-cross chamopionships. Trek came on board three years ago and in 2000 the team became a Cat 1/2 combined Junior and U-23 women's team and won the U-23 title at the US Pro Championships. Riders Elite Juniors
Sarah Uhl (Cat 1) Sponsors
Trek 2001 Bike Courier ChampionshipsThe Associated Cycle Messengers of Edmonton have announced that this year's North American Cycling Courier Championships (NACCC) with be held July 5-8 in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. The festival will include art shows and displays, show bikes and courier bands from all over the world to set the stage in what ACME's Biker Bill calls "a theater of competitions where these brave and very fast urban warriors will come together to battle it out amongst themselves to see who is the Finest, Fastest, and Smartest Messenger on the Continent." More details from the NACCC homepage Recent results and new features on cyclingnews |