News for January 6, 2001ONCE gathersONCE team doctor, Nicolas Terrados, believes that he can make Abraham Olano more competitive in 2001. After several of the team went for pre-season medical tests in Avilés, Terrados said that Olano was in excellent shape for this time of the season, and he responded remarkably well to specific training. "We will carry out some very intense and individualised training, taking advantage of the results that we have obtained in the ergometry tests," said Terrados, who also commented on Mikel Pradera's remarkable physiological qualities. Mikel Zarrabeitia and Gaizka Lejarreta were the two other cyclists who were tested this week, while Igor and Alvaro González de Galdeano and Joseba Beloki will be tested this coming Monday. Joseba Beloki officially signed for ONCE today, after handing Festina a cheque for 75 million pesetas ($US 430,000) in the process. Beloki's three year deal with ONCE is reportedly worth 300 million pesetas ($US 1.7 million). Olano also outlined his main objectives for the year, which do not include the Tour de France. "I have come a long way in my training to beat the hour record of Boardman," said Olano adding that the Giro d'Italia is a major goal. "I was third in the 1996 Giro and this year I'm aiming for the win." Team goals and plans The ONCE team want to forget their somewhat ordinary 2000 season, and have substantially revamped their squad for this year. There will be 12 new cyclists adding to 10 of the existing riders, while seven will leave the team in 2001. The most significant draftees include the Galdeano brothers and Joseba Beloki, while the main losses are Laurent Jalabert, David Cañada and David Etxebarria. Manolo Saiz will target Beloki for the Tour and possibly Igor Gonzalez de Galdeano. Olano will aim for the Giro and the Vuelta. The team will hold a training camp in Cadiz commencing on January 15. Its first race will be the Vuelta Majorca, from February 4-8. Team roster
Team Manager: Manuel Saiz Riders René Andrle (Cze) (Wustenrot) Mapei to OzWorld number one team, Mapei-Quick Step will arrive in Australia tomorrow morning, January 7 to prepare for the Tour Down Under, the first major professional race of the year. The eight member squad includes star sprinter Tom Steels, as well as Dario Cioni, Crescenzo D'Amore, Bart Leysen, Daniele Nardello, Luca Paolini, Michael Rogers and Stefano Zanini. The team will be directed by Belgian ex-pro, Erik Vanderaerden. The remainder of the Mapei team will spend time training in Italy (Follonica) from January 8-14. The team's program and objectives for 2001 will be presented in Milan on Saturday, January 27.
Blijlevens given one monthJeroen Blijlevens' fisticuffs with Bobby Julich after the last stage of the Tour de France has led to a one month suspension. The decision was announced by the UCI on Friday and the suspension will commence on February 1, the first day of the European road season. He is able to start in the Tour Down Under later this month however. His first race in Europe for Lotto will be the semi-classic Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne in March. Blijlevens was disappointed at the lateness of the suspension, because it will affect his new sponsor, Lotto.
National coach zooms in on the actionBy Gerard Knapp
Taking a close look at the action at the Skilled Bay Cycling Classic criteriums currently being held in and around Melbourne, Australia, is the Australian national women's team coach James Victor, who's also been busy at the crits with his camera and sharing some of his images with cyclingnews. Victor also talked about the team's plans for the 2001 season, given that he some very good riders to work with, such as Anna Millward (nee Wilson), as well as the composition of Australian Institute of Sport (AIS) team that is based in Europe for most of the season. CN: Have you selected this year's road squad and if so, what are your plans? Are you basing the team in Italy again? JV: I'm in the process of finalising the 2001 AIS team to travel to Italy in April. The Bay series provides an opportune time to catch-up with the girls and finalise programming. The national women's road squad is planned to be named by April 1. CN: From the national coach's perspective, what would be the focus for this year, the World championships? JV: The World Championships will be the major goal for the national team this year. The preparation competitions will be focused around the two-week tours in France and Italy, the Tour de l'Aude (May) and Giro (July). The final phase includes the Swiss world cup race, Tour of Tuscany and Grand Prix des Nations for the time triallists, all in September.
CN: Of the riders doing well at the Bay series, some like Rochelle Gilmore are performing well but are not part of the national squad. Have you spoken with them about road racing, or do they have other plans? JV: Rochelle has shown enormous potential to become a world points score champion, and following discussions with New South Wales coach Gary Sutton we have devised a plan that will help Rochelle improve in deficiencies that still need improving. Although not finalised, Rochelle has certainly been considered for an AIS scholarship in Italy, with the focus towards providing her a solid road preparation to enhance her abilities in the track points score. All medallists from the women's Olympic points score and previous world points score champion Marion Clignet were all contracted to professional women's road teams.
Tour LeFleur postponedThe Tour LeFleur in Jackson, Mississippi has been in existence for seven years now, and enjoyed its best year yet in 2000, co-hosting the U.S. Olympic Trials and the Time Trial Championships. However, there will not be a Tour LeFleur in 2001 after the organisers have decided to postpone the event for one year. "After the phenomenal year we had...we feel like we set a standard that we want to maintain," said Bo Bourne, Tour LeFleur creator. "We added live television and the Jumbotron at the start/finish area. We also had other amenities and a level of competition that kept the crowds on the course despite some pretty bad weather. The committee agreed early on that if we couldn't keep the event at this very successful level, we should take a step back, re-evaluate the future of the event, and try to start fresh in 2002." Each year, the race exists as a fundraising event for the Blair E. Batson Hospital for Children at the University of Mississippi Medical Center. The Tour LeFleur, a Friends of Children's Hospital event, has contributed over $180,000 to the hospital in its seven years. "For seven years, our major goals have been to raise funds for the Children's Hospital, shine a very positive spotlight on Mississippi and the city of Jackson, and serve as hosts for the 2000 Olympic Trials," said John Noblin, race director. "We want to continue to strive for the first two goals, but we decided to take some time and decide what our new goals should be." From humble beginnings, the Tour LeFleur has grown into one of the top-five professional cycling events in the country, as well as a respected community service event. In 1994, the race began as a regional one-day event, offering a Saturday criterium on the streets of downtown Jackson. The following year, the USPRO category was added and an existing Sunday road race was moved to the Madison County area, outside of Jackson, to create a multiple-race format. In 1998, the Tour LeFleur became an elite US race with its inclusion on the Saturn US Pro Cycling Tour. In 1999, the road race moved to the neighborhood streets of Jackson and the event earned a spot on the Union Cycliste International (UCI) calendar. Based in Lausanne, Switzerland, the UCI is a worldwide sanctioning body for cycling. With the addition of the international flavor, the race became one of the top five cycling events in North America.
USA Cycling reorganises for 2001As part of an ongoing reorganization that began in 2000, USA Cycling have announced more plans for 2001, including discipline-specific member services and a focus on athlete development. USA Cycling CEO Lisa Voight said the 2001 plan was driven by the organization's desire to offer customized services to its members. Part of the 2001 reorganization was also due to USA Cycling financial challenges after a post-Olympic reduction in sponsorship dollars. "The good news is we have recognized and addressed the urgent need for sponsorship dollars by creating USA Cycling's first-ever marketing department," Voight said. "We believe the long-term outlook for the sponsorship of cycling is very bright." In December 2000, marketing guru Mary Monroe was selected as USA Cycling's chief marketing officer. Under the 2001 USA Cycling Membership Department Plan, discipline-specific representatives will service National Off-Road Bicycle Association (NORBA), US Cycling Federation (USCF) and US Professional Racing Organization (USPRO) members. There are no longer the membership and technical directors positions within USA Cycling, as these functions have been reassigned. The primary focus for the Athlete Performance Department in 2001 will be development programs, primarily supported by the USA Cycling Development Foundation. Elite programs will continue to receive support from the US Olympic Committee. Included in the development plan is the Resident-Athlete Program at the US Olympic Training Complex in Colorado Springs, the USA Cycling European Resident Program and camps. Part of the 2001 budget will also fund world championship teams in road, track (junior and elite), mountain bike and cyclo-cross. However, the Athlete Performance Department staff will be reduced for 2001. The resident-athlete coach, endurance track coach, women's road coach and three mechanics positions have been eliminated, while the mountain bike coach position, left void after Stephane Girard's departure in November, will be filled in early 2001.
WCPP clarificationYesterday it was reported that the British World Class Performance Program U23 road squad would be scrapped for the coming season, with riders having to find foreign clubs to race for. This is not strictly correct, according to the BCF's communications officer, Phillip Ingham: "After a review of the men's under 23 road squad, from 2001 the WCPP will operate a placement scheme for the best emerging riders from the England Potential Programme (and those equivalents running in the other home countries). Riders will be offered funded slots in European based teams and clubs. A rider selected for such a placement will receive full WCPP support including a personal grant, coaching and science/medical support. They will receive best of both worlds: WCPP back-up and exposure to the real world they are hoping to enter. Also, the 4 riders mentioned (Robin Sharman, Jamie Alberts, Tom Southam and Neil Swithenbank) will all be on placements with French club Nantes 44. They will be fully funded via the WCPP lottery grant in terms of what is called subsistence payments (effectively a salary) exactly as they were in 2000. They are still full members of the WCPP, will receive WCPP bikes, coaching, medical support etc. exactly as they did in 2000. The change is essentially from being based in the UK and travelling to race in Europe with WCPP staff, to being based in France and working within the structure of their new club. They are still under the management of the WCPP. National Road Team Manager John Herety is organising all placements and will regularly liaise with the riders and the club to monitor their progress. They will race in WCPP/GB colours in National, European and World Championships. There are up to six places available on the "placement" programme, qualifying through criteria published by the WCPP." |
