News for March 5, 2001Recent results and new features Jalabert: possibly no racing until mid-MayAfter his fall from a ladder last month, Laurent Jalabert is set for a long, slow recovery. Jalabert's doctor, Gerard Nicolet says the treatment was successful, but the injury was severe. Jalabert's medical team says he will not return to racing until the middle of May."I do not know of another case in which a racing cyclist hurt his back in this way," said Dr Nicolet. It's particularly bad for a cyclist, as the back muscles are stressed by the riding position." At least six weeks break would be considered normal in such a case, he said, although Jalabert may heal faster: "Laurent is someone who can overcome injuries through sheer strength of will. He has formidable energy" Nevertheless, Jalabert is optimistic, perhaps because he previously feared this injury might mean the end of his career, and Jalabert's CSC-World Online team is looking forward to his return to racing in eight to ten weeks. Even so, a two month delay to the start of his season is a big problem for Jalabert and CSC-World Online. Jalabert was expected to be CSC-World Online's ticket to the Tour de France, and Bjarne Riis' team needs one of the four remaining wildcards to take part. The Tour organisers usually allocate these at the end of April, by which time Jalabert was expected to have made a strong showing in the Spring Classics, races that he will now be unable to ride. Jalabert injured his back falling from a ladder at his home near Geneva February 12. He suffered extensive bruising and fractured three lumbar vertebrae. Buffet welcomes Pitallier, thanks BaalFrench minister for youth and sport Marie-George Buffet on Sunday congratulated Jean Pitallier on his election to the presidency of the Fédération française de cyclisme (FFC), and thanked his predecessor Daniel Baal.In an official statement, the minister encouraged the new head of French cycling to continue the policies of Daniel Baal, which she praised as "the militant and courageous investment that characterised his eight year presidency." Mme Buffet assured Jean Pitallier that her ministry "was of course ready to continue and develop a trusting and effective cooperation with the FFC." Vayer offers his services to FFCFormer Festina trainer, Antoine Vayer, has offered his services to the French cycling federation as national technical director (DTN) in the wake of the FFC elections this weekend. Vayer, who is somewhat controversially known as an anti-doping campaigner, said in an interview with AFP that it is necessary to "change mentalities, especially with regard to the fight against doping." Shortly after the election of Jean Pitallier as president, Vayer wrote to him about the position of DTN. "I do not want to regret having done it," he said. However, Pitallier has already said that he will most likely continue with Patrick Cluzaud, the current DTN. "The position of national technical director is very much related to professional cycling. In cycling there are educational truths, and I will stand by these if I am named DTN," he added. "The fight against doping is the priority. For example, to make sure that everyone in the French team is clean, it is necessary that all athletes agree to give their medical results to a commission," he explained. In addition to being a former professional trainer, 38 year old Vayer is a professor of sports science and he currently trains Jerome Chiotti and Christophe Bassons.
French pro peloton in better healthMedical tests of French professional riders show that they are in better health than in 1999, according to the Fédération française de cyclisme (FFC). FFC doctor Armand Mégret told the FFC AGM: "French riders today present a biology that makes it possible to conclude that the large majority of then are in good health. Anomolies are rare."Only a small proportion showed haematocrit levels above 50 per cent, the level at which EPO use is suspected. 1.6 per cent of Elite 1 riders and 2.4 per cent of Elite 2s exceeded the threshold. (A medical study of non-athletes has found about one per cent exceeded the 50 per cent haematocrit threshold.) The number of riders with excessive iron levels has also dropped dramatically. "The hyperferritinemy noted in many riders at the beginning of 1999 fell spectacularly. 26.7 per cent at the end of 2000, against 52 per cent before," said Dr Mégret. Ten per cent of riders also presented an asthmatic condition, and a thorough study of this subject is planned by the FFC, and Dr Mégret also announced a specific study of female riders that will concentrate on monitoring bone density. In summing up the results of the health monitoring, which involved 701 riders, Dr. Mégret said, "medical supervision must stay on course. Federation medicine must fight against performance-enhancing medicine." FFC statsThe following figures for the French Cycling Federation reveal that the sport is still quite healthy in France, and that professionals make up some 0.14 percent of the total registered cycling population. Licences Road cycling: 73,277 Clubs: 2695 Competitions: 13,858 (down from 18,068 in 1992) Annual budget: 102.6 million francs ($US 14.5 million) Major results in 2000 8 medals at the Olympics (5 gold, 1 silver, 1 bronze) Vestøl on his way to DenmarkBy Tomas Nilsson, cyclingnews.com correspondent Norway's ex-Linda McCartney rider Bjørnar Vestøl has now got an offer from Danish up and coming second division Team Fakta. Team manager Peter Sejer Nielsen told Danish daily BT that a deal might be closed on Monday. Fakta is also negotiating with one Danish and one foreign cyclist, but there will not be room for more than one of them if Vestøl signs. The Norwegian will have to accept lower wages to fit in the team, but at least he can count on getting the money. Vestøl, a tall and heavy rider, was a part of the Linda McCartney Giro squad last year and also rode a good Tour de Langkawi for the international Malaysian Telekom team some weeks ago. New rider for WüstenrotGerman U23 rider, Jonas Hudalla from D-Marktheidenfeld, has signed a contract with Czech pro team Wüstenrot-ZVVZ. His biggest results so far include third place in the Espoirs World Cup race in Bühl, 1st place in the Bavarian Championships, and several good placings in European one-day races. He has so far ridden for Team Henninger Sossenheim in Germany. Courtesy of Hans Will/Bayern Radsport news
Chris Lucas TrustThe Chris Lucas Trust is a childrens and young adults cancer charity in the UK. It has been established by the parents of Chris Lucas, who died on July 15, 2000 aged 18 of Rhabdomyosarcoma, one of the several types of Sarcomas that claim many lives of children and young adults world-wide. The fund is designed to raise sufficient funds for a Scientific Medical Researcher to work within the National Health Service into researching Rhabdomyosarcoma To help, the group has organised a fun ride from Seahouses to Tynemouth (Northumberland, UK) on August 26, 2001. The 56 mile (90 km) ride starts at 8:00am, and the £5 entry fee (£2 for children) includes a T-shirt and medal. Any interested cyclists should send entries into the Chris Lucas Trust, 95, Lancaster Drive, Hadrian Park, Wallsend, North Tyneside, NE28 9TF. Website: www.chrislucastrust.com
Nature Valley Penn Cycle TeamNature Valley Penn Cycle Team of Minnesota is a small Category 1 team hoping to make a mark on the national scene this year. The young team is racing the Tour of Willamette in OR, Tour de Gila in NM, Superweek in WI, the Fitchburg Stage Race in MA, Tour de Toon in PA, and the Killington Stage Race in VT. The team is also focusing on the Nature Valley Cannon Falls Classic and the Touchstone Energy/Nature Valley Festival races, both in MN in June. Team Roster Peter Fairbanks Sponsors Nature Valley Granola Bars
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