News for March 1, 2001Recent results and new features Pantani to MTB: "Only joking!"Marco Pantani says his manager Felice Gimondi was kidding at the weekend when he talked about Pantani switching to mountain bike racing. The quip about the roads being too dangerous was black humour in the face of the Ochoa accident, according to the Pirate.In other Pantani news, it's not clear how long he will stay in the Tour of Valencia, but the organizers know he will not start in Saturday's time trial, the final stage. He will then travel 450 km to Almeria for a start on Sunday, but you never know with Pantani. Last year he was on the start list. He arrived, walked around in the neighbourhood of the start, signed some autographs but didn't ride. Meanwhile, Pantani's Directeur sportif at the Valencia says he's happy with the Pirate's fitness. "I'd like to see Marco ride like Armstrong and Ullrich, whom you never see at the beginning of season," he said. "Our objectives are more long-term." BankGiroLoterij-Batavus aims for Division 1He was the 'super knight' of Jeroen Blijlevens for many years. But with his transfer to BankGiroLoterij-Batavus Bart Voskamp (32) will go for his own chances in the last years of his career. His target is to bring the second Dutch cycling team to the highest level in competition: trade team division 1.Voskamp could have followed Blijlevens to Lotto. "Okay, maybe I go a step behind because we don't do the big tours and World Cup races. But after being a knight for years, it's a challenge to go for my own chances. I don't regret anything about my career, but now I realize there was probably more for me in all these years. It's a beautiful chance to lead a team and teach the team.' Voskamp is more nervous before the beginning of the season than in previous years. "I have a cold and immediately the stress came. In the past I could hide myself when I wasn't in a good shape. That time is over. I have to be the model for my team-mates. They expect a lot of me." BankGiroLoterij-Batavus' budget has been doubled this year. Assistant team managers Piet Hoekstra and Johan Capiot can work to a professional organization now. "We changed our team. Only Omloop, Reinerink, Kemna and Van Velzen could stay," team manager Arend Scheppink said. For be a Division 1 trade team Scheppink thinks he need a budget of nine million Dutch guilders (five millionEuro/US$3.8 million). "The sponsors said they want to invest in the team when the results come. Scheppink: "It should be nice to make the step to the highest division next year, but our target is to be there in 2003." The team still hopes to get a start permit for the Giro. Scheppink: "I hope to get clarificarion soon. It would be great for our team to be there." Other highlights in this coming season: Amstel Gold Race, Ronde van Nederland, the Dutch championships, Omloop het Volk and Kuurne-Brussel-Kuurne." Het Volk weather outlook: lousy
A race this early in the year is always vulnerable to the vagaries of the weather, and Het Volk has twice been cancelled because of bad conditions. In 1971 it snowed the night before the Belgian season-opener; the race was postponed until March 26 and Eddy Merckx won. In 1986 the decision to cancel was made at 5 am Saturday because of the snow. There was no race that year because the 1971 rescheduling was a hell of a job that the organisers chose not to repeat. Tchmil in, Marichal with plaster Lotto director, Jef Braeckevelt reported that "We tested Theirry Marichal between Waregem and Lokeren on the parcours of the Omloop Het Volk, and he didn't have too many problems with his wrist injury. And I had a call from the Garda lake in Italy. Tchmil trained in the morning, but on Wednesday afternoon it started snowing, so we have to change his training schedule. And Serge Baguet is ill, I hope he can start in Kuurne-Brussel-Kuurne." Vermeeersch out Jurgen Vermeersch (Landbouwkrediet-Colnago) can't ride for a month, as he has "an acute attack of glandular fever," according to PR manager Ivan Elegeert. "Now we miss three riders in the pre season. First Van Landeghem (he broke his leg) and Roesems (penalty) and now Vermeersch. Unfortunately, Jurgen was good in the Etoile des Besseges and Lloret de Mar. So now some riders will have to make a double: Omloop Het Volk and Kuurne-Brussel-Kuurne." Demeyere in Geoffrey Demeyere (Vlaanderen-T-Interim) is healthy enough in time for the Omloop Het Volk. "That is good news," said sporting director Jean-Pierre Heynderickx. "After missing Matthew Gilmore (knee-injury), only Jurgen Guns has to ride the double now. Bjorn Leukemans has a problem with his ear, but he can start in Omloop Het Volk." Redant checks it out Domo-Farm Frites sporting director, Hendrik Redant was on the parcours of Omloop Het Volk on Wednesday with a big group of riders. "But of this group, only Max van Heeswijk and Servais Knaven will start in Omloop Het Volk. There is no problem for these two and from Spain - where the rest of the team is - we only get positive calls. So everybody is fit for the opening weekend in our own country." Mercury-Viatel for Het Volk The Mercury-Viatel cycling team designated for both Het Volk (Sat. March 3rd) and Kuurne-Brussel-Kuurne (Sun. March 4th) will include: Jans Koerts (Ned) Peter van Petegem is motivated to repeat his wins in 1997 and 1998 in Het Volk and will have a strong team around him, despite Henk Vogels suffering from an Achilles tendon injury since his 2nd place in stage 7 of Le Tour de Langkawi.
VDB moves to ITAFrank Vandenbroucke is temporarily relocating to Italy to be closer to the support structure of Lampre-Daikin, the team has announced. The final arrangements are underway for a move from his home in Hoeilaart to an apartment in Curno near Bergamo.Lampre-Daikin Directeur sportif Pietro Algeri lives in the Bergamo area, as do three of the team's soigneurs. Despite the team's decision not to ride Paris-Nice, Algeri was upbeat about VDB's prospects: "I have always been convinced about VDB being able to prepare himself more easily in Italy and therefore I am very pleased with his moving here. "And by the way, I think that the sun has finally started to shine again for the racer in Vandenbroucke. He lives again as a professional. He is devoted and trains for three to four hours a day. He made great progress during last week’s training session with the team in Alassio. "To already put forward the date of his come back would be premature. All attention will be focused on him and he’d better be good at his come back." Matt White in "lying in road" incident
We're completely mystified by this pic of US Postal's Matt White. What on earth is he doing? Why is he doing it? Is he going to stop, or is his face stuck permanently in that rictus? Take a look at the bigger picture here, and then drop us a line with your caption. No sponsor for Olympia's TourThe 50th edition of the Dutch Olympia's Tour doesn't have a sponsor. "For the organisation we need our reserves now", chairman Wim van Drunen said. "We no longer expect anyone for this jubilee-edition. So we don't have too much budget for extra activities." He hopes to present a new sponsor for the coming three years in May. "We are talking very seriously with a party. I hope we can arrange it, otherwise this 50th tour can be the last one."Vuelta del Litoral racer diesA pall was cast over the Uruguay local tour Vuelta del Litoral February 28 with the death of Walter Mattiauda. Mattiauda, of the Federación Sanducera de Ciclismo team, was killed by an electric shock while trying to open the fridge in his accommodation.Hunter still in painRobert Hunter (Lampre-Daikin) is still recovering from injuries sustained during a fall in the Etoile de Bessèges and is unlikely to be back on the bike for this weekend's Omloop Het Volk and Kuurne-Brussel-Kuurne. Hunter is still suffering back pain and seeing a specialist in the hope of finding some relief. For Omloop Het Volk and Kuurne-Brussel-Kuurne, Lampre-Daikin plans to field Ludo Dierckxsens, Max Sciandri, Marco Serpellini, Zbigniew Spruch, Rubens Bertogliati, Johan Verstrepen, Matteo Frutti and Robert Hunter or Luciano André Pagliarini.British Women head for the sunAs the 2001 season approaches, the women of the UK's World Class Performance Programme Endurance flew out for their final warm weather training camp in Majorca yesterday. The group is managed and coached by Ken Matheson and consists of Rhiannon Allport, Sue Carter, Emma Davies, Ceris Gilfillan, Rachel Heal, Yvonne McGregor, Frances Newstead, Mel Sears and Sara Symington. They will be back in the country March 8 and their first big race of the season will be the third round of the World Cup, the Primavera Rosa, in Italy on March 24.NSW Track teamThe New South Wales Cycling Federation has announced its Junior Cycling team to contest the Australian National Track Cycling Championships in Brisbane from March 21-24, 2001. The team is spearheaded by sprint sensations Andrew Taylor (Dubbo) and Warren Scott (St George) who both recorded exceptional times at last weekend's NSW State Cycling Championships. The team will contest a number of events including the Sprint race, Individual and Team Pursuit events, Time Trial and Scratch races over distances of 500 metres to 10 kilometres. BMX convert Amanda Spratt from Penrith should test the more experienced Jaclyn Kejda from Illawarra in the 15 Women's Sprint event, whilst competition from the 15 years men's team of Mclachlan, Rathbone, Cridland and Beer will be fierce with little between the four at the recent State Championships. The Team Men - 17 Years Andrew Taylor (Dubbo ) Men - 15 Years Tyler McLachlan (Southern Cross) Women - 17 Years Kate Nichols (St George) Women - 15 Years Jaclyn Kejda (Illawarra) More Finnish skiers in doping scandalAnother four Finnish cross country skiers are caught in the doping scandal that started during the recent World Championships. According to AFP, Mika Myllylä, veteran Harri Kirvisniemi and the female skiers Virpi Kuitunen et Milla Jauho have shown traces of forbidden substances. Tests of the whole Finnish national team were conducted after Jari Isometsä was found to have been using a forbidden blood thinning substance, Hemohes, during the championships. Also Janne Immonen has been caught in the affair earlier.This means that three of the four skiers in the men's winning relay team and half the women's team that took the silver medals have been using forbidden substances. Mika Myllylä holds one Olympic and four World's titles, Kirvisniemi was World Champion 1989 while Kuitunen won the women's poursuite event this year. The blood thinning agent Hemohes was not banned last season and was then used by the Finnish team. It is used to reduce haemoglobin levels. Knapp's-Ready Pac Cycling TeamBy John Alsedek, cyclingnews.com correspondent
This New Jersey-based elite amateur squad, whose title sponsors are Knapp's Cyclery and Ready Pac Produce (currently the U.S.'s third-largest pre-packaged produce concern), will be fielding a seven man line up this season, including new faces Gregory Sieniewicz (a member of the Canadian National Team), New Jersey State Road Champion Ken Vida, and Mark Walchinsky. Though the team lost Michael Luther (to Noble House(?)), Jake Rosenbarger (to Rio Grande/Monsoon Racing), and Bill Skinner (to the Saturn U23 program), team director Ken Mills is highly optimistic about their chances: "While we were sorry to see those guys go, that's really the object of the team - to help support up and coming riders with the necessary financial and product support to allow them to compete at their maximum potential." Knapp's-Ready Pac is looking to improve on a successful 2000 season that saw them win the Festina Garden State Cycling Cup Series team award, as well as the Arthur Zimmerman Cup and a number of regional events. The team will compete in many of the top East Coast events, including the Fitchburg Classic, the Mt. Holly-Smithville Invitational G.P., and the Univest Grand Prix. Team Roster Team Director Kenneth A. Mills, Jr. Riders Jura DeAlmedia (USA) Sponsors Knapp's Cyclery (www.knappscyclery.com)
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