|
|
|
Frank Vandenboucke's meeting yesterday with the Lampre-Daikin sponsors did not finish with him being dismissed from the team, despite the fact that he didn't show up. However, he certainly has not averted the danger.
Lampre was one of the few teams this year that was prepared to take on VDB, after his disastrous 2000 with Cofidis. The Italian team was prepared to help get him back to his former level, but somehow he has once again fallen off the train. His planned start in the Tour de France came to nothing after a series of abandonments and injuries kept him out of racing too long after the early season races. The Midi Libre, Bicicleta Vasca and most recently the Tour of Luxembourg were all missed (in whole or in part) due to various injuries and excuses.
"Frank Vandenbroucke was expected by Lampre boss Galbusera, manager Saronni and team leader Algeri," said PR man Cortinovis. "We did not see him. A gross error from Frank. That is all that I can communicate provisionally. In the next few days, we will send out an official communiqué."
On Friday the sponsors, manager Saronni and team manager Algeri will talk together. After that meeting they will announce their decision.
Swedish TT and road champion Lindberg crashed hard on the second stage of the women's Giro d'Italia and was taken to the hospital in Catania. She was unconscious for ten minutes, and suffered severe concussion as well as bruises and cuts on her face and neck. After the accident she had memory loss, and could not remember things that had happened during the last week.
If her condition allows it, she will be flown to Stockholm tomorrow, where she will undergo a medical check-up by the Olympic support emergency group.
It was early in the second stage when Lindberg had a tree branch go into her front wheel. She could not avoid the accident and hit the road. She does not remember anything from the accident, and how the branch could get on the race course is another mystery. Lots of obstacles on the course were reported during the day.
"I'm starting to regain my memory again," said Madeleine Lindberg from her hospital bed in Catania. It feels great, 'cause it's not so funny to forget how I won the Swedish Championships last Saturday. My whole body is stiff and sore, and I was really lucky to wear a helmet. I don't want to think about what could have happened if I hadn't had it on."
Lindberg started the Giro d'Italia Femminile with the intention of finishing high in the overall GC, and to help her teammate, Olympic Champion Leontien Zijlaard-Van Moorsel to win a stage. Van Moorsel and top sprinter Hanka Kupfernagel abandoned the race after they heard of Lindberg's accident, although Van Moorsel still finished second in the third stage.
Messages to Madeleine can be sent to serra@team.malarenergi.se
Courtesy of Patrick Serra/Gabriella Ekström
The national championships winner's page has been extensively updated today, with UCI results from Bulgaria, Chile, Cuba, Cyprus, Hong Kong, Israel, Kazakhstan, Mexico, Uzbekistan, and more from Finland, the Czech & Slovak Republics, and Portugal.
The doctor of the Alessio team, Prof. Augusto Brusomini has been implicated within the framework of the Giro d'Italia investigation in Florence. Professor Brusomini is being accused of infringing the Italian anti-doping law following the discovery of false medical analyses of cyclists during a search of his residence and medical practice. The doctor has also worked with the Padova football club, as well as collaborating with Professor Francesco Conconi, who is involved in another doping investigation in Italy.
According to the latest set of UCI figures, the average hematocrit of cyclists in the peloton is steadily falling. In 1998 it was 45.5%, dropping to 45.1% in 1999, 44.7% in 2000, and 44.3% in the most recent assessment.
The UCI anti-doping commission also stated that they regretted the "numerous speculations which anticipated the concrete conclusions of the investigation" arising from the Giro. It is "perfectly normal that the team doctor be in possession of certain prohibited products, considering that the anti-doping regulations of the UCI make a distinction between prohibited substances and substances prohibited under certain conditions, in accordance with the IOC code and the French law. The therapeutic use, with medical justification, of local anaesthetics, glucocorticosteroids and beta-2-agonists is indeed authorised with precise limitations."
The commission went on to say that all the riders' health booklets were checked "in depth" in order to monitor possible abuse. "All the analyses of the blood samples taken during the Giro carried out by the accredited laboratory in Lausanne, Switzerland, gave negative results with regard to indications of the possible presence of synthetic haemoglobin."
French minister for Youth and Sport, Marie-George Buffet, is continuing her hard anti-doping line with her most recent comments calling for the end of the "vulgarism of doping."
"Doping in sport is like nicotine addiction in society," she said in an interview with France Soir, instantly endearing herself to tobacco companies looking to sponsor sports. "It has become common and tolerated."
"So long as the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) does not have a dominating role, one will be confronted, in countries which do not fight against this plague, with distorted competitions. We need a globalisation of anti-doping laws in order not to finish in sports-justice imbroglios."
Mrs Buffet is attempting to push the European Commission into more money into the WADA, which is based in Europe. "The WADA must be subject to an inter-governmental treaty which would support its action."
She added that the whole process of involving athletes in court was "ridiculous". "If, as soon as a sporting sanction is made, the court of justice is used, the whole sporting edifice crumbles. On the other hand, it is necessary that sporting rules respect common rights. This is of primary importance."
While others are sunning themselves on the French coast, the Saeco Macchine per Caffe team will have a tough weekend of racing with two races on the Adriatic coast near Pescara. The Criterium d'Abruzzo on Saturday will be followed by the Trofeo Matteotti on Sunday.
Directeur sportif Antonio Salutini has selected a young team for the two races, with Salvatore Commesso the team leader after his good ride at the Italian national championships. The other riders are: Alessio Galletti, Dario Pieri, Nicola Gavazzi, Igor Pugaci, Oscar Cavagnis and Justin Spinelli.
Former RMO/Festina/Polti cyclist, Richard Virenque, will have his ban from competition lifted on August 1. Although he will miss the Tour de France, there is still enough racing left in the year for a team to justify hiring him. There are some reports that Ag2r-Prevoyance, Jean Delatour and Alexia Alluminio are interested in him, but they were all swept away later today when it was announced that he will sign with Belgian team Domo-Farm Frites. According to a report in L'Equipe, he has been training hard and is looking forward to racing with the team next month.
A full report will be published in the next edition of news.
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 |