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Recently retired Italian classics specialist, Franco Ballerini, has put himself up as a candidate for the national technical director's position, currently held by Antonio Fusi. It is one of the most high profile positions in the Italian cycling federation, and if successful, Ballerini would hold the job until 2004.
An official decision will be made on July 29 at the next FCI meeting.
Rik Verbrugghe, who played a big part in ensuring Lotto's place in the Tour this year, will be staying with the Belgian squad next season, despite having a good offer from Mapei-Quick Step. Verbrugghe told team leader Jef Braeckevelt yesterday that he would be staying, and would not try and break his existing contract.
Dutch team manager, Egbert Koersen, is making a return to the peloton with the Bert Story/Piels team. Koersen has a reputation as someone who can work with young talented riders in order to develop them. He will take over the leadership of the entire team.
"I will work with riders up to 26 years," he said. "We want to prepare them for a professional team. The BankGiroLoterij is an option, but it can also be a German team."
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By Khairunnisa Schebella
With exactly 25 weeks countdown to the 4th edition of the Jacobs Creek Tour Down Under and whilst TDU Ambassador Stuart O'Grady enjoys magnificent success on the other side of the world at the Tour de France, Tourism Minister Joan Hall and Race Director Mike Turtur announced today the route plan for 2002, along with presenting the new poster and website at the prestigious Memorial Drive fitness centre Next Generation.
Three new stages were unveiled, rewarding towns and regions who have gone one step beyond in supporting previous tours, as well as offering new chances for attacks in the later part of the stages. Some confusion has arisen amongst the public that the race has been extended to nine stages but Turtur maintains the race will not be expanded and that six stages are perfect for the early season race and questioned the wisdom of the length and severity of some other early season races such as the Tour de Langkawi.
After the extremely popular opening stage prologue at the seaside precinct in 2001, next year's race will begin with Stage one again following the free flowing street circuit around Glenelg on the evening of Tuesday January the 15th. 25 laps over a 1.88 km circuit, the 47 km race should see the crowds swell to even bigger proportions as the community and local government of Glenelg embrace the exciting culture of cycling.
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Stage two starts in Hahndorf, the home of the first European settlers in South Australia and a typical Germanesque village. Passing through in the past three TDU's for intermediate sprints, this year Hahndorf will be rewarded with a stage start on this 150 km parcours. Heading towards Woodside and up Checkers Hill for the first KOM sprint, the course swings back through Mount Torrens for the first intermediate sprint of the race and then the second back in Hahndorf. Then heading inland for 30 km and along the Adelaide plains towards Kanmantoo, it turns south for a lightning descent into picturesque Strathalbyn for a riverside finish.
Stage three starts and finishes in the town of Willunga (best dressed town in 2001) on the Fleurieu Peninsula, a first for the Jacobs Creek TDU. A 149 km stage comprising a three lap circuit around the vineyards and almond groves of McLaren Vale and along the beach holiday roads of Aldinga. On the third approach to Willunga the course heads up Old Willunga Hill for the only KOM sprint of the stage and around the back of the Mount Lofty Ranges allowing the opportunity for someone to launch a late attack.
Stage four presents the only city start for 2002 along the pave of King William Road in Unley and then winds through the Adelaide Hills towards the coastal town of Victor Harbour. As Turtur states, the King William Road atmosphere is the closest feel we get to a European race. "With its traders getting into the spirit of the race each year with shop windows being decorated in the cycling fever, there have been even little cakes produced in the shape of a bike!".
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The race snakes up the freeway and through the Heysen Tunnel and branches off south into the delightful hill villages of Sterling, Aldgate, Mylor and Echunga just to keep the local police on their toes! The first sprint will be at Echunga (where they also hold their biggest fundraiser of the year for the Country Fire Service). After Meadows its a nice long descent all the way to Ashbourne and then onto the next sprint in Goolwa. From Goolwa the race follows the windy coastal road west to Victor Harbour and then heads up to Newland Hill for the stages only KOM sprint. To finish the 141 km stage the race returns to Victor Harbour, a place where the Great Southern Right whales visit each year to give birth.
The Stage five 156.5 km parcours replicates 2001 and 2000. The only difference being that after the start in Gawler the race will complete a circuit of the town before heading through the Barossa Valley towns of Williamstown, Lyndoch and Tanunda. Passing through the century and a half old vines of Jacob's Creek for the first intermediate sprint it then heads up Mengler (the Mongrel) Hill for a two lap sojourn with two KOM sprints sorting the men from the boys, before finishing in Tanunda. This is the day when the race can be won or lost.
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The final Stage returns to the Adelaide 4.5 km city circuit around the River Torrens with a 20 lap attack of Montefiore Hill. Not necessarily a deadly ascent but for 20 laps it takes its toll and the hairpin turn just past the start finish gives the punters great value for no money!!! An after race food and wine festival and concert will add to the fever that spreads throughout South Australia over the week, another great addition to South Australia's single largest spectator event.
TV coverage will still be with Channel 7 although no mention of extended times was mentioned today. Official Radio coverage will be with Triple M and cyclingnews.com is proud to be hosting the official website for the event, www.tourdownunder.com.au.
New sponsors are SA Lotteries for the Sprint Jersey, SE Net as Information Technology Provider and Interflora will put together the brilliant bouquets that get tossed to the crowd! The teams will be launched in mid November so be sure to check out the website at to keep up to date, and be sure to save your bikkies and get down south next January! Only 175 more sleeps!
The following is from the Sydney Cycling Club newsletter, relating to the ongoing proposals to alter Sydney's Centennial Park (used for the Olympics in 2000) for cyclists, making it more dangerous to ride there.
"The draft plan proposes significant changes to the Park's traffic flows, access and parking. These changes are supposedly for the benefit of all user groups, however we believe that the proposal will not only fall far short of achieving it's stated objectives, but will pose significant hazards and reduce the safety of all park users.
The Centennial Park Trust has engaged consultants Sinclair Knight Mertz and the resultant draft plan is presently on public display. The recommendations of the plan will have a devastating effect on both training and recreational cyclists. We believe it is a recipe for disaster and that fatalities will occur if this proposal is adopted unchanged.
In the plan:
The carriageway width will be reduced by two metres to incorporate cars, which will now be parallel parked on the outer perimeter of the Grand Drive. (Fewer spots, harder to park)
The track on the inside is the cycle lane. A green surface treatment has been proposed to identify it. Cyclists, skaters etc will now travel contra-flow, or in other words, towards the on-coming motor vehicles. As nothing divides these lanes if a car moves right or if a cycle moves left and outside the green cycle lane, a head on collision may result. According to RTA statistics in 85% of such collisions, a fatality is the result.
Cyclists may chose to travel on the roadway proper, in the same direction as the motor vehicles, but will be forced to compete with car doors and reverse parking in a much narrower carriageway.
The entire plan can be studied at this site: www.cp.nsw.gov.au/research/consult.htm
The Randwick Botany Cycling Club has also posted relevant information on their web site:
www.randwickbotanycc.com/centennial_parklands_transport.htm
The consultants of the plan failed or "forgot" to obtain any input into the "comprehensive community consultation process" from the 4500 members of Cycling NSW and the thousands of Triathlon NSW members who use Centennial Parklands. To ensure no more such lapses, Cycle Centennial has undertaken to coordinate and deliver all submissions on the draft proposal personally to the consultant.
Cycle Centennial will register all received submissions, and forward copies to the Premier's Department. Bob Carr is the Patron of the Randwick Botany Cycle Club, and his office appoints the Board of the Centennial Park and Moore Park Trust.
Please post your submissions to:
The Director
Centennial Parklands Draft Transport Access & Parking Plan
c/- Cycle Centennial
PO Box 154
KENSINGTON, NSW, 1465
Or alternatively, you may prefer to email your submissions to: cyclecentennial@hotmail.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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