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There were some changes to the latest UCI rankings after a month where most of the points came from the Tour de France. The top two riders are still Lance Armstrong (USPS), who gained the number one ranking just prior to the Tour and successfully 'defended' his points, and Davide Rebellin (Liquigas) who hasn't ridden the Tour for the last two years, and therefore isn't affected by points loss/gain from it.
Tour runner-up Jan Ullrich (Telekom) climbed back into third place, ahead of Giro d'Italia winner Gilberto Simoni (Lampre) and Erik Zabel (Telekom), who actually dropped a few places (5th - 3rd) despite winning three stages and the green jersey.
ONCE's Igor Gonzalez de Galdeano had a very consistent Tour to finish 5th overall, propelling him from 56th to 18th. Laurent Jalabert (CSC) had an excellent time as well, moving back up to 19th from 29th. Oscar Sevilla (Kelme, 7th on GC) went from 45th to 25th; Cofidis' Andrei Kivilev (4th on GC) climbed from 58th to 32nd; Roberto Laiseka (Euskaltel) 58th-35th; Jens Voigt (Credit Agricole) 46th-34th; Stuart O'Grady (Credit Agricole) 98th-42nd; and yellow jersey wearer for three days Francois Simon (Bonjour) went from 237th to 101st.
The teams rankings did not wobble as much, with Fassa Bortolo (only 1 stage win in the Tour) remaining on top with 5,814 pts, closely followed by Deutsche Telekom (5,760 pts) and ONCE-Eroski (5,554 pts). The winner of the team's classification, Kelme-Costa Blanca is still ranked 18th, while US Postal moved from 16th to 10th.
Rankings as of July 30, 2001
Individuals 1 Lance Armstrong (USA) US Postal Service 2,154.00 pts 2 Davide Rebellin (Ita) Liquigas-Pata 2,090.00 3 Jan Ullrich (Ger) Team Deutsche Telekom 1,869.00 4 Gilberto Simoni (Ita) Lampre-Daikin 1,816.00 5 Erik Zabel (Ger) Team Deutsche Telekom 1,793.00 6 Francesco Casagrande (Ita) Fassa Bortolo 1,733.00 7 Raimondas Rumsas (Ltu) Fassa Bortolo 1,716.00 8 Romans Vainsteins (Lat) Domo-Farm Frites 1,650.00 9 Michele Bartoli (Ita) Mapei-Quick Step 1,556.20 10 Erik Dekker (Ned) Rabobank 1,545.00 11 Michael Boogerd (Ned) Rabobank 1,483.00 12 Dario Frigo (Ita) 1,478.00 13 Roberto Heras Hernandez (Spa) US Postal Service 1,390.00 14 Andrei Tchmil (Bel) Lotto-Adecco 1,268.00 15 Alexandre Vinokourov (Kaz) Team Deutsche Telekom 1,166.00 16 Paolo Bettini (Ita) Mapei-Quick Step 1,142.20 17 Abraham Olano Manzano (Spa) O.N.C.E.-Eroski 1,063.00 18 Igor Gonzalez De Galdeano (Spa) O.N.C.E.-Eroski 993.00 19 Laurent Jalabert (Fra) CSC Tiscali 987.00 20 Pavel Tonkov (Rus) Mercury-Viatel 976.00 Division I 1 Fassa Bortolo 5,814.00 pts 2 Team Deutsche Telekom 5,760.00 3 O.N.C.E.-Eroski 5,554.00 4 Rabobank 5,066.00 5 Mapei-Quick Step 4,299.20 6 Lotto-Adecco 4,204.00 7 Lampre-Daikin 4,185.00 8 iBanesto.com 4,159.00 9 Cofidis, Le Credit Par Telephone 4,088.20 10 US Postal Service 4,043.00 11 Domo-Farm Frites 3,584.00 12 Euskaltel-Euskadi 3,455.00 13 CSC Tiscali 3,432.00 14 Liquigas-Pata 3,194.00 15 Saeco Macchine Per Caffe' 2,918.00 16 Mercury-Viatel 2,843.00 17 Festina 2,828.00 18 Kelme-Costa Blanca 2,639.00 19 Credit Agricole 2,554.00 20 Tacconi Sport-Vini Caldirola 2,416.00 21 Team Coast 1,574.00 22 Mercatone Uno-Stream TV 1,237.00 Division II 1 Alessio 2,963.00 pts 2 Ag2R Prévoyance 2,276.00 3 Bonjour 2,258.00 4 Jean Delatour 1,863.00 5 Cantina Tollo Acqua & Sapone 1,804.00 6 La Francaise Des Jeux 1,606.00 7 Gerolsteiner 1,272.00 8 Bankgiroloterij-Batavus 1,054.00 9 Selle Italia-Pacific 1,036.00 10 Team Fakta 1,014.00 Division III 1 Stabil Steiermark 473.00 pts 2 05 Orbitel 399.00 3 Agro-Adler Mark Brandenburg 208.00 4 Team Wiesenhof Leipzig 200.00 5 AXA-VVZ Professional Cycling Team 199.00
Recent runner-up in the 2001 Tour de France, Jan Ullrich (Telekom), has not yet decided how he will race the last part of the season. He affirmed that he wouldn't contest the Vuelta a España, but "I must still decide whether I will take part in the World Championships in Lisbon. If that is the case, then I will prepare by riding smaller races."
Ullrich will ride two criteriums in the Netherlands this week: Stiphout and Acht van Chaam, before contesting the Karlsuhe paired time trial with teammate Andreas Klöden on the weekend. Ullrich will ride the HEW-Cyclassics (August 19) and the Championship of Zurich (August 26), both of which are World Cup races.
By Gabriella Ekström, cyclingnews.com correspondent
The 2.4 categorized three day Tour of Brixia saw an unusual winner. Experienced riders like Gianni Faresin and Gianluca Bortolami had to see themselves defeated by a young mountain bike rider. Australian Cadel Evans (Saeco) won the Tour of Austria in the middle of June, and added Tour of Brixia to his palmares this weekend.
Tipped by Stephen Hodge and Neil Stephens to become "the next big thing", most fans are interested to know if and when Evans will take the final step from the mountain bike scene to the road.
CE: "I have raced about 40 days on the road this year, and Saeco asked me if I wanted to do this race. I had the weekend free so I decided to go", said Evans to Cyclingnews on his way home from Brescia on the night after the race.
"It was a very hilly race. The first stage was contested on very undulating roads, the second stage saw a mountain top finish, and the third stage was hilly as well. This race was meant as a build up for the MTB World Championships in September, but it turned out well enough for me to win the GC and the points classification."
CN: Will we see you race more and more on the road in the future?
CE: "The more I race, the better I feel about it. I have a contract with Volvo Cannondale for another year, but after that it might be time to think about a second career on the road."
CN: Which races are you keen to do?
"Whatever races where the road goes up. That is how we plan my season on the road. We sit down and have a look at the races, this is hilly, and this is hilly..."
CN: Maybe even the Tour de France one day?
CE: "I would certainly like to! If I go there I want to be well prepared, in order to do a good race."
CN: What does your schedule look like after this?
CE: "I won't be doing any road races for a while. Next weekend there's a MTB World Cup in Switzerland, and the weekend after that it's a World cup in Austria. After that I will focus on the MTB World Championships."
Bjarne Riis is attempting to strengthen his CSC-Tiscali team for next season, fresh off a successful Tour de France spearheaded by Laurent Jalabert. The Italian telecommunications sponsor Tiscali has already said that they will gladly extend the team sponsorship for next season, with the details to be nutted out between Riis and the management.
According to Ritzau newsagency, Nicolai Bo Larsen will not be retained next season. The former Danish champion's contract runs out at the end of 2001, along with Jacob Moe Rasmussen, Michael Steen Nielsen, René Jørgensen and Bjarke Nielsen. Nicolai Bo abandoned on the 10th stage of the Tour, and this did not help his cause. In addition, CSC-Tiscali director Alex Pedersen expressed his dissatisfaction with Spaniards Francisco Cerezo and Marcelino Garcia, neither of whom have justified their expense this year.
Star rider Laurent Jalabert already has a contract for next season, and new signing Tyler Hamilton will be an interesting addition. Another rider whose name has been bandied about is Australian rocket, Stuart O'Grady, who admitted that he had been talking to CSC recently, along with several other teams. O'Grady's contract with Credit Agricole runs out at the end of the year, but said that he hadn't made his mind up yet about leaving the team.
The teams of Mercury and Francaise des Jeux will merge in 2002/2003, according to Reuters newsagency. Both teams have been searching for partners in order to survive, and the news has come at a good time for Mercury, which has had to cope with the loss of co-sponsor Viatel for the past two months.
That financial loss meant that the salaries of some riders, as well as part of the team's operating costs, have essentially vanished. The Vuelta España has been put "on hold", and one of the team's big signings, Peter van Petegem was recently contacted by Alessio to break his contract and sign with them for next season.
Team management came up with a plan B to get the team through the remainder of the season. "An arrangement was found between the riders, the team direction and the UCI to finish the season," said manager John Wordin to AFP on the weekend. None of the parties would comment on the details, although sources say that it involves the bank guarantee that the UCI requires to be held in escrow.
Marc Madiot's Francaise des Jeux team has also been searching for a co-sponsor, and fellow division II team BigMat was mentioned as a possible merging partner in recent weeks. However, that did not come off, and an alternative has been found.
The two parties will sign at a Parisian hotel within 24 hours, but the name of the team is yet to be determined. It will have an estimated yearly budget of FF52 million (US$7 million) according to Reuters. The combined team will presumably be cut down from 44, with riders such as Peter Van Petegem, Leon van Bon, Brad McGee, and Sven Montgomery in high demand from other teams.
Marc Madiot said that "It is an agreement that gives me a lot of hope...I am sure we can sign some very good riders, about which we have spoken a lot for several months. It remains to define the tasks of each person, but I know that there will be no problem between John Wordin and me."
"He will deal with the races in the United States, and me with those being held in France and Europe. I also know that I will preserve my two assistants, my brother Yvon and Martial Gayant", he said.
With the demise of the Festina team at the end of this year, riders are now actively seeking contracts with other teams. Two high profile riders - Christophe Moreau and Angel Casero - are said to be interested in the emerging Phonak team, which will have former Kelme DS Alvaro Pino at the helm next season. Phonak wants to expand, and Pino is also interested in Oscar Camenzind and Juan Manuel Garate (Lampre) and Igor Astarloa (Mercatone).
It seems that Jaan Kirsipuu will keep his favourite lead out man, Ludovic Capelle, at Ag2r next season. The Belgian champion spoke about his contract renewal with DS Vincent Lavenu yesterday, and requested an "adjustment to my wages" due to the jersey.
Capelle will ride the Ronde van het Waalse Gewest/Tour de la Région Wallonne starting August 3, but will be a guest rider with Ville de Charleroi, his old team.
The (comparatively) recently retired Franco Ballerini has certainly not been idle in the last few months, continuing to work in the Mapei team, as well as having designs in the Italian Cycling Federation. After an FCI meeting on Sunday, Ballerini was elected to the position of "National Technical Director", meaning that he will take over Antonio Fusi's role in team selection and direction in events such as the World Championships. Ballerini has signed a contract until 2004 in this role.
This Sunday's paired time trial in Karlsruhe, Germany, is one of several such events in the second half of the season. Belgian riders Axel Merckx (Domo-Farm Frites) and Rik Verbrugghe (Lotto) attempted to start as one pair, however they have been forbidden by the UCI on the basis that they are from different teams. Merckx had asked Verbrugghe to ride with him after last Friday's individual time trial in the Tour, and while Verbrugghe agreed, the UCI did not.
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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