News for May 22, 2001Recent results and new features 84th Giro d'Italia newsStage 2 commentsA slightly 'unconventional' finish marked the end of stage 2 of the Giro d'Italia, from Fossacesia to Lucera. The final hilly, twisting 10 kilometre circuit put paid to most of of the pure sprinters' hopes, but one German managed to keep his nose in front. Danilo Hondo (Telekom, 1st stage)
"This is my first Giro. I did not think that I would win so quickly. My team helped me a lot, especially Lombardi in the finale. He has a lot of experience in the Italian races." "I should also thank the terrain - I was a special finish. It was difficult to judge the sprinters. I do not claim to replace Zabel who has another palmares list on top of mine."
Rik Verbrugghe (Lotto, 1st GC) "To be in the Maglia Rosa makes the day longer. I went to sleep very late after the first stage because of all the obligations. I did not feel that good in this stage, it is a reaction which is normal for me in stage races on the third or fourth day. Fortunately, the parcours was easy." Danilo Di Luca (Cantina Tollo) "On the first time through the finish, I thought that the hill would offer the occasion to attack. I tried with two kilometres to go but there was no-one to work with." "I wanted to win this stage, especially because I am in good form." Mickaël Pichon (Bonjour) "I fell during the last hour. I went over the handlebars and tore my skin off on the right side. But I did not break anything. Two other riders from our team also fell. It was not a good day."
Casagrande re-aligns for the Tour
Francesco Casagrande's fall in the Giro may turn out with better consequences than he first thought, if he realigns his body and schedule for the Tour de France. The world number one may no longer hold that ranking by the time the Giro is finished, but he could throw a spanner in the works of what was looking to be a one-horse race in the Tour de France. Casagrande can't time trial with the best, which could be his downfall, but he is strong in the mountains and has an excellent team around him. Fassa Bortolo's director Giancarlo Ferretti commented that "At three days from the end [of the Giro], the situation could have perhaps been different. But at the beginning..." Possibilities of a Tour podium spot became stronger: "There are still 47 days," added Ferretti. Enough time for Casagrande to heal, as did his teammate Dimitri Konyshev after his similar crash in Milan-San Remo. If all goes well, Casagrande should be able to ride a stage race in the second half of June, the Tour de Suisse or the Route du Sud." "Casagrande is very motivated and is hyper-serious. He supervises himself constantly, and he doesn't put on weight, not even half a kilo when he cannot ride." "He had come to the Giro to win it. With the Tour, we will be more modest. But if Casagrande is rehabilitated, then it is right that we'll aim at the podium," added Ferretti. As to his Giro plans, they are now for Belli and Frigo. "All our plans are devastated. We have to change them completely, we can't hide that. Without Francesco, we are considerably lessened." "At the moment, we will put everything on Frigo (Paris-Nice and Tour de Romandie winner) and on Wladimir Belli," said Ferretti.
Gimondi: A fast, nervous stage
Although there wasn't quite the same degree of chaos as yesterday, today's 167 kilometre run from Fossacesia to Lucera was fast and tense near the finish, especially on the final 10 kilometre circuit. Mercatone Uno president Felice Gimondi commented on Marco Pantani's internet site today that "The hairpin with 700 metres from the finish essentially strung out the peloton and eliminated the pure sprinters. Therefore Hondo won, a brave rider, halfway between a sprinter and a rouleur. He just managed to come around Spaniard Mateos Perez, who was skillful in attacking at the right moment, but he had to be contented with second place." "The race by the Mercatone Uno-Stream TV team was perfect, Marco's teammates always protected him, avoiding useless efforts. Therefore, we have succeeded on another insidious day." "Tomorrow is another hilly stage, not easy, the finish in Potenze is always difficult and the last 50 kilometres are all uphill. He will have to race hard to avoid accidents. To lose 20 seconds would not compromise him in the classification, but it would not be good for the morale." "My favorites? Garzelli, Camenzind, but I believe in particular that ONCE and Fassa Bortolo will try something." Cyclingnews live coverage: Stage 4Those of you who wish to log on to cyclingnews for text updates of the Giro d'Italia can do so for the final 2.5 hours of stage 4, from Potenza to Montevergine Di Mercogliano (uphill finish). In addition, stages 13, 15, 18 and 20 will be covered live with the following approximate time schedule: 1430 European Summer Time/2230 Australian Eastern Time/0830 USA East Coast/0530 USA West Coast. TdF organiser cuts a deal with CSC
By Gerard Knapp The Sociètè du Tour de France is expected to announce a sponsorship deal this week which will see the IT integration firm CSC become the official "computer partner" for this year's race, as well as obtaining the branding rights for the Classifications. CSC is also a co-sponsor of the CSC-World Online cycling squad, based in Denmark and managed by former Tour winner, Bjarne Riis. His team was one of the three somewhat controversial recipients of one of the final wildcard entries in this year's Tour, along with two French division two squads.. Cyclingnews understands the CSC sponsorship deal is worth 3 million French francs, which makes it one of the key partners for the race, but not a top-level sponsor like Coca Cola or Fiat. Apparently the deal was not concluded until after the wildcards were announced on May 2, as CSC did not wish to be involved in the race if the team it sponsors was not selected. Also, it's understood that race director Jean-Marie LeBlanc was unaware of any discussions with the IT firm in regard to its possible sponsorship prior to announcing the final wildcards. However, the timing could not be worse for the Sociètè, which has come in for stiff criticism over its wildcard selections and somewhat inconsistent approach to dealing with teams when riders are suspended from racing for failing blood tests or the detection of doping agents. Earlier this month, Danish rider Bo Hamburger has the ignominious distinction of being the first athlete to return a positive A sample for the new urine test for EPO. He was immediately suspended from his team which awaits the results of the B sample before going any further. Despite this, CSC kept its place in the Tour, even though in 1999 it expelled the Italian team Vini Caldirola from the 1999 Tour de France when Sergey Gonchar failed a blood test in the Tour of Switzerland, just two weeks from the start of that year's Tour. It's unlikely that will occur again. It would seem from now on, the Sociètè's aim is to preserve the race. The new approach means that if a rider from a team is caught under the new urine tests for EPO, or fails another doping control, the rest of the team will not be expelled. No longer will it be guilt-by-association, although many would argue it is the teams which not only condone doping, but fund it. Related stories on Cyclingnews Tour
de France wild card selections
53rd Grand Prix du Midi-LibreNamed after the newspaper of the same name, the Grand Prix du Midi-Libre will see top French riders Didier Rous (Bonjour) and Laurent Jalabert (CSC) take part. Starting in Gruissan on Tuesday, May 22, with a 181.5 km stage to Saint-Cyprien, the six day stage race will cover just under 1000 kilometres. Stage 3's 19 kilometre time trial in Montpellier is followed by a tough climbing stage on Friday from Pont-du-Gard to Laissac (209 km). There is also the Col de la Croix-Neuve in Saturday's stage 5 to Mende. Both Rous and Jalabert are former winners of the event, and Rous is currently enjoying some excellent form after winning the Four Days of Dunkirk recently (Jalabert was second). Rous' directeur sportif, Jean-Rene Bernaudeau, won the Midi Libre four times in a row (1980-1984), and will provide some useful information as to the nature of the race. David Moncoutie (Cofidis), Erik Dekker (Rabobank - back after a rest), Laurent Brochard and Patrice Halgand (Jean Delatour) are also riders to watch in this hilly race, which is often run in quite warm weather. Some riders will be using it to find form for the Tour, including Festina's Christophe Moreau, Lampre's Frank Vandenbroucke and Telekom's Alexandre Vinokourov. Teams AG2R, BigMat-Auber, Bonjour, Cofidis, Crédit Agricole, Festina, Jean Delatour, Française des Jeux, iBanesto.com, Euskaltel, Collstrop, CSC-World Online, Fassa Bortolo, Lampre, Mercury, Rabobank and Telekom. Stages
Former McCartney rider to sue the UCIBy Gerard Knapp
A rider from the failed Linda McCartney Racing Team intends to initiate legal proceedings in Switzerland against the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI), claiming damages exceeding UK£150,000 relating to his alleged loss of income, prize money and expenses for 2001 and the flow on effect which may extend into 2002. Australian rider David McKenzie was one of the key members of the Linda McCartney Racing Team team (LMRT) that was officially dissolved on January 24 this year, mainly due to the key sponsor's refusal to support the team in 2001. The team's final major race was the Jacob's Creek Tour Down Under in Australia, however, at that time the team had still not paid a deposit with the UCI, nor had team management secured funding for the year. McKenzie and 34 other riders and staff of the LMRT suddenly found themselves unemployed. For a pro rider, it was the worst possible time of year as all the trade teams had finalised their rosters for the year. The barrister acting for McKenzie, Stephen Smith, plans to challenge the UCI on what he alleges is its inability to enforce its regulations and protect riders from teams which are unable to lodge a deposit as evidence of their funding. "In particular, Mr. McKenzie relied to his detriment upon the protection afforded to him by the UCI and the provisions specified in Chapter XVI of the UCI Cycling Rules," Smith said in a release issued on Monday. "It appears that the LMRT did not lodge a bank guarantee with the UCI's auditors by 15 November 2000, or at all. The UCI permitted the LMRT to compete in events during December 2000 and January 2001," Smith continued. "The UCI did not inform the riders of the serious failure of the LMRT to comply with the UCI Regulations regarding lodgment of a bank guarantee." In a Cyclingnews report from January 26, the UCI's press officer Alain Rumpf confirmed the team had not been registered, and it appears it had been racing under an extension on the deadline for the deposit to be made. The barrister said the UCI's rules required the team to lodge a bank guarantee with the UCI's auditors Ernst & Young by November 15, 2000, and for the auditors to report to the UCI whether the bank guarantee complied with the UCI Regulations. "The purpose of the bank guarantee is to pay debts incurred. It also evidences the financial viability of a Cycling Trade Team to the UCI for the protection of riders and other team employees. Consequently, David McKenzie was led to believe that he was contracted with a financially viable team for 2001 and his interests in that regard were protected by the UCI and its Regulations," claimed the barrister. What a difference a year makes. In last year's Giro d'Italia, McKenzie was the shining light for new British squad by winning the seventh stage in a daring solo break for 164km. It was arguably the team's finest moment in the grand tour. The year with LMRT was capped off by the birth of his first child. McKenzie then found himself without a job and a family to support. Related stories on Cyclingnews January
25 news - second edition Conconi trial in limboThe jury of the court in Ferrara, Italy, must deliberate in relation to the case involving eight doctors, including Francesco Conconi, who are charged with a number of offences involving doping. The decision is expected by next Monday, May 28. The reason is that the investigating judge in the case, Pierguido Soprani, has been given a new position in court. Therefore it has been transferred to another court with considerably less knowledge of the case. Conconi and seven other doctors are accused of providing and administering doping substances, including EPO, to athletes from various disciplines including cycling. The charge is "sporting fraud", the same which Marco Pantani was found guilty of earlier this year. According to the accusation, 63 elite athletes were given EPO by Conconi and the others, and this was directly funded by CONI, the Italian Olympic Committee.
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