News for May 20, 2001

84th Giro d'Italia news

Post-prologue comments

Rik Verbrugghe (Lotto-Adecco) became the first Belgian to wear the Maglia Rosa in 23 years, after he scorched along the Adriatic coastline in Pescara to win the Giro's prologue. Verbrugghe rode in a 55x11 gear at an average speed of 58.876 km/h, the fastest ride in any Grand Tour ever.

Rik Verbrugghe (Lotto, 1st)

Rik Verbrugghe
Photo: © AFP

"I came to win a stage," he said. "It is already done. I was ready mentally for this prologue - I knew I had a chance."

"I do not have ambitions to win the Giro but I will try and keep the maglia rosa for as long as possible," he said.

I believe I can become a tour rider, even though certain classics, La Flèche Wallonne or Liège-Bastogne-Liège, suit me well. With [Mario] Aerts, there are two of us being protected within the team."

Jan Ullrich (Telekom, 85th)

"I must look after myself for the next five days with antibiotics. In any case, I did not come to do well in the Giro. My objective is to improve myself through riding this race."

Felice Gimondi (Mercatone Uno president)

"The differences are not significant between those who seek to win the Giro [less than 20 seconds]. Marco Pantani did not put in a bad performance He started well and managed to keep a constant rhythm. It is well known that this kind of parcours is not favorable for him. It is rather encouraging."

Danilo Di Luca (Cantina Tollo, 56th)

"I would be lying if I said that I am not disappointed. I did not achieve my goal. I hoped for much better in front of my public."

Cipollini presses the flesh and gets fined

Saeco's Mario Cipollini has copped his regular 300 Swiss franc fine for appearing in "apparel not consistent with the team strip" and having "an invisible back number". In the opening stage of the Giro d'Italia, Cipollini appeared in an 'anatomical' skinsuit, designed to look like a skinless person. He finished 48th, 32 seconds behind winner Rik Verbrugghe, but has a slight chance to take the pink jersey before the first mountain top finish on stage 4.

The jury also fined his Saeco team 500 Swiss francs for allowing Cipollini to start in non-team issue kit.

All controls negative

180 riders were subjected to hematocrit testing before the beginning of the 84th Giro d'Italia in Pescara today. The tests were done between 7 and 9am, and analysed by Belgian UCI doctor Marc Vandevyvere. No rider was found to be above the 50% limit, hence all were declared fit and healthy enough to start the race.

Saeco DS criticises soccer doping treatment

Directeur sportif of Saeco-Macchine per Caffe, Antonio Salutini, has criticised the sport of soccer for its laxity with regard to doping. "If in soccer they had the same controls as in cycling, everyone would play chess," he said.

The eight positive nandrolone cases in cycling were enough to see the difference between it and soccer, and there is the distinct feeling in the group that they are being treated differently. There hasn't even been one parliamentary inquiry into any of the soccer-nandrolone cases. "The fact is that cycling is small, poor, and in the middle of the street, while soccer is the hand that commands Italy," added Salutini.

Tragedy in Asturias

Today's fifth stage of the Vuelta Asturias was marked by a tragedy in the O.N.C.E.-Eroski team, after one of their masseurs, Carlos Iglesias, suffered a heart attack just prior to the start in Pravia. The stage was delayed by half an hour, but the O.N.C.E. team decided not to take part.

The Vuelta Asturias finishes tomorrow with a split day, a 105 kilometre stage between Cangas del Narcea and Oviedo, followed by a 9.5 kilometre uphill time trial from Oviedo to Alto del Naranco.

Comebacks for Lampre in Midi Libre

While Simoni, Camenzind et al are slugging it out in the Giro for the next three weeks, Lampre-Daikin's other half will be riding the Midi Libre, which starts in France on Tuesday, May 22.

Frank Vandenbroucke is said to be "more motivated than ever" after being ill with flu and bronchitis which stopped him from cycling for a week. As a result he couldn't take part in the Four Days of Dunkerque and his illness also jeopardized his training schedule for the Tour.

During the last few days, Frank became nervous and started to train intensively again around his home in Ploegsteert, often together with his 'old mate' Nico Mattan and Chris Peers. Last Tuesday, he showed up at a Kermesse in Belsele where he finished 40th, and also raced on Thursday in a criterium in Calais.

His next appointment is the Midi Libre, which will also see the comebacks of Marco Serpellini and Robert Hunter. The latter was found to have a broken rib during the Three Days of De Panne (a result of early season crashes), while Serpellini had to deal with a meniscus injury during the Tour of Flanders. Their next objective is also the Tour de France.

Lampre-Daikin for the Midi Libre: Frank Vandenbroucke, Marco Serpellini, Robert Hunter, Zbigniew Spruch, Jan Svorada, Matteo Frutti, Marco Pinotti and Luciano Pagliarini.

Collstrop selection for Midi Libre

Kristof Trouvé and Thierry De Groote will fly out of Oviedo to Brussels today, while the rest of the Collstrop team, including Vincent Cali, Max Becker, Karl Pauwels, Oleg Pankov and the Scheirlinckx brothers will travel on Sunday evening to France for the Midi Libre. The race starts on Tuesday, May 22.

Daughter for Romans Vainsteins

World Champion Romans Vainsteins (Domo-Farm Frites) has become a father for the second time. His wife, Elisabetta Caldirola, gave birth to a baby girl just after midday. She will be called Anastasia. He has another daughter (Tina) to his first wife.

25th Route du Sud

The 25th Route du Sud will start in Carcassonne on June 23, finishing four days later on Ariège's Plateau de Beille, where the winner will be crowned. The race is situated well for riders preparing for the Tour de France, which starts on July 7. It is expected that CSC's Laurent Jalabert and Rolf Sörensen will be amongst the starters, with 15-16 teams in total.

The race was presented in Paris in l'Espace Tarn in the presence of the president of the Conseil Général du Tarn, Thierry Carcenac and Jean-Marc Pastor, president of Francis Auriac

Stage 1 (June 23) will be a 168 kilometre loop around Carcassonne, venturing into Ariège briefly. On Sunday June 24, the peloton will travel from Carcassonne to Castres via the col de Fontbruno (880 m). In the afternoon there will be a 17 kilometre time trial in Castres, starting and finishing on the Avenue René Cassin, and going via the bridge of Lameilhé, the côte de Palique, Hauterive, Lamothe, Labruguière, la côte de Barteredonde, the old Navès road, the bridge of Lameilhé again and the avenue Lacaze.

The third stage will start in Maison du Sidobre and finish in Saint-Gaudens, travelling 206 kilometres via St Félix de Lauragais, Roquefort-sur-Garonne, the Col de Larrieuet, and the Cote de Miramont. Stage 4 (June 26) starts in Saint-Gaudens and finishes atop the fierce climb of the Plateau de Beille, the third time that the race has finished here.