News for February 21, 2001Recent results and new features Jalabert still in hospitalLaurent 'the handyman' Jalabert was still in hospital Tuesday following his fall from a ladder last week. His doctors had originally hoped to send him home at the weekend, but kept him in for tests to his muscles on Monday. On their recommendation, Jalabert decided to remaining hospital and continue his rehabilitation there.Jalabert's Directeur sportif Johnny Weltz said, "It is Laurent who will decide for himself when he feels ready." Jalabert is still suffering from pain caused by the extensive bruising to his lower back as well as the three fractured lumbar vertebrae. Ullrich tops surveyA survey by German magazine 'Horizont Sport Business' has found that Telekom's Jan Ullrich is Germany's most popular sports star, with a 76 per cent approval rating. That puts Ullrich ahead of German legends like Formula One's Michael Schumacher and well ahead of any of soccer-mad Germany's footballers, who have developed something of an image problem in recent years. No soccer player made the top ten, while Ullrich was joined by Erik Zabel at number five.Germany's most popular sportspeople 1 Jan Ullrich (Cycling, 76.0) Casper outJimmy Casper (Française des Jeux) will be out of action for eight to ten days after his fall Sunday in the Tour Méditerranéen.Fullana signs deal with BalearicsWorld MTB champion and Olympic bronze medallist Margarita Fullana has added the Balearic Islands to her sponsor roster. In a deal worth an annual 10-15 million pesetas (US$50-80,000), Fullana, a native of Mallorca, the largest of the Balearics, will wear the islands' logo on her race clothing.The president of the Balearic Government described Fullana as a "perfect ambassador" for the island and added, "I hope that this agreement will continue for several years and that many young people will be inspired to emulate Marl, a great Mallorcan cycling champion." With this deal topping up her previous five year, 60 million pesetas per annum signing with Telefónica Sport, Fullana can now probably claim the title of women's mountain biking's highest-ever salary. HP Women's Challenge detailsOrganisers of the 18th HP Women's Challenge (previously known as the HP Laserjet Women's Challenge) have announced that this year's edition of the race will attract the top names in women's cycling. American Olympic cycling silver medalist Mari Holden, defending champion Anna Millward (formerly Wilson) from Australia, two-time champion, French Olympic Champion and cycling legend Jeannie Longo, and Olympians Alison Dunlap and Nicole Freedman will be among the 125 top female cyclists in the world competing for $128,000 in prize money.Scheduled for June 13-24 the race covers 688 miles of rugged Idaho terrain and many of the courses are held in such scenic sites as Stanley, Sun Valley and the Snake River Valley. The event website is www.womenschallenge.com. Dekker surprisedReflecting on his overall lead in the Ruta Del Sol, Erik Dekker (Rabobank) said, "I'm surprised to be the overall leader. A few weeks ago I was the worst rider of our team during the training stage. And after that training camp I had a cold. Rabobank had plans to make Marc Wauters the new leader for the stage race. He is a better climber, but I was very strong on the last climb."Saturn launches CyberbikeThe Saturn corporation has launched a virtual reality cycling system to be exhibited at motor shows and events that its cycling team will take part. The so-called 'Cyberbike' consists of two big screens and two LeMond bicycles on stationary trainers, where one rider can race against the other in a virtual duel.At the recent Pittsburgh motor show, several hundred spectators saw Saturn's Mark McCormack and Kim Davidge up against each other in a 2 mile (3.2 km) duel. Both riders felt that it helped bring the enjoyment of cycling to the layperson, with McCormack calling it a "fantastic success." The Saturn Cyberbike will on display at the upcoming Milwaukee (March 3-4), Atlanta (March 10-11) and Columbus (March 17-18) Auto Shows, as well as the Sea Otter Classic (March 22-25).
MTB Hall of Fame seeks nominationsThe Mountain Bike Hall of Fame and Museum is seeking nominations for the 2001 induction ballot. Nominees can be individuals or organizations who have made significant contributions to the sport of mountain biking. Anyone can nominate someone to the Mountain Bike Hall of Fame as long as they follow the guidelines.Nomination categories are Advocacy, Industry, Journalism, Pioneers, Promotion, and Racing History. Nominations should be at least 250 words and should describe why the nominee belongs in the MTB Hall of Fame, listing specific examples of their contributions to mountain biking, the time frame they were active and their current involvement. Nominations must include the nominee's current address (email, snailmail or both) and phone number. The MTB Hall of Fame can be contacted at Kay Peterson-Cook & Don Cook, P.O. Box 845, Crested Butte, CO. 81224 Tel: 800-454-4505. Email: mbikehof@crestedbutte.net Recycled Cycles RacingRecycled Cycles Racing, based out of Seattle, Washington, is an elite amateur team in it's sixth year of existence. The roster has doubled in size for this season and the members are looking forward to making an indelible mark on the Northwest racing scene. In addition to the extensive local and regional circuit, the team plans to compete in the Tour of Willamette, the Columbia Plateau Stage Race, and the Cascade Classic. We will also send members to Sea Otter Classic, the Elite National and the Masters National Road Race, Time Trial, and Criterium.Women Category 3 Category 4 Men Category 1 Category 2 Category 3 Category 4 Category 5 Mechanics Manager Sponsors Team website Recent results and new features on cyclingnews |