News for May 24, 2001Recent results and new features 84th Giro d'Italia newsThe first real uphill finish was in today's stage four of the Giro d'Italia. To make things even more interesting, it poured down rain for the duration of the final 20 kilometre climb to Montevergine di Mercogliano. Several falls - notably to Dario Frigo, Rik Verbrugghe and Paolo Savoldelli - were the result, but Frigo and his team had the strength to come back to the leaders to claim the Maglia Rosa from a defeated Verbrugghe. Stage 4 commentsDario Frigo (Fassa Bortolo, 1st GC)
Dario Frigo overcame a crash on the wet roads at the base of the final climb (20 km to go) to overtake Rik Verbrugghe in the general classification. A remarkable effort, due largely to his team members Andrea Peron, Mateo Tossato and Fabio Baldato, who dropped back to tow him back to the front. "I got up very quickly, and I saw I wasn't wounded. I got on my bike again but after 300 metres, I realised I had to change it." When he saw Rik Verbrugghe in trouble, "I knew I had a chance. I'm not a fast sprinter and didn't think about winning the stage. Instead I concentrated on staying with Simoni and Olano so that they couldn't take the race lead from me." "This success is dedicated to everybody in the Fassa Bortolo team - including Casagrande. They worked hard for me during the stage and deserve a part of the pink jersey. When we lost Casagrande the teams tactics changed completely. Now we have two leaders, me and Wladimir Belli." "I hope to keep the race lead until stage 13 on June 1 which finishes at the summit of the Passo Pordoi climb, before passing it to Belli who is a better climber than me." "For the final victory, Gotti, Simoni and Garzelli seem to me the strongest."
Danilo di Luca (Cantina Tollo, 1st stage) "Last year, I began the Giro too hard. I won the 5th stage and had done a lot of work at the beginning. This year it's completely different. I'm riding the Giro with the aim of winning the pink jersey. Today I won because I was the fastest in the sprint but I hope to be at my best in the final week as well." "It is the last week when we finish in the high mountains that will decide it. Today, the stage was made dangerous because of the rain. Even on the climb, the road was slippery. "I dedicate this victory to Valentina for reasons that I don't want to reveal."
Rik Verbrugghe (Lotto, deposed race leader)
"My legs were still going, but I had difficulty up top, especially breathing. The osteopath of the ONCE team manipulated me well after the Potenza stage. But I missed my recovery time. I am not looking for excuses, my fall during the course of the stage did not change anything." Verbrugghe will get X-rays this evening to determine whether he has fractured anything in his various falls.
Pantani loses time
Marco Pantani is still finding his legs in this year's Giro, as he suffered in the final few kilometres of the stage today. The fierce pace set by the Lampre, Alessio and Cantina Tollo teams was enough to break the elastic at 2 kilometres to go for the Pirate, who finished in 28th place, 32 seconds behind Danilo Di Luca. Most of his gains that he made on the first stage were lost, and he commented afterwards that "I am still not in shape, and I knew it. I am counting on being in front on the Pordoi and Sant'Anna di Vinadio."
Problems after the stageThere were some tense moments after today's mountain top finish in Montevergine di Mercogliano, with there being some difficulties getting everyone and everything down from the mountain. The rain combined with the traffic and the tifosi meant that progress was slow for press, teams, and fans alike. Some spectators even attacked a press shuttle bus in frustration. Of course, the easiest way to get down from a mountain top finish is to ride your bike down the middle of the road, dodging Italians in their mobile homes going both ways.
GP de WallonieTomorrow's GP de Wallonie (1.2) is the last major Belgian one-day race until late August. It's expected that rival teams Domo-Farm Frites and Lotto-Adecco will fight it out on the slopes of the Citadel of Namur where the race finishes. Domo is being led by Johan Museeuw and Axel Merckx, while Lotto will be represented by Kurt Van de Wouwer and Andrei Tchmil. There will be plenty of competition of course, with 18 teams down to start, including all the French Tour de France teams, Mercury, Mapei and Fakta. Last year's winner was Alberto Elli (Telekom), but the Italian warhorse will not be back to defend his title. The race contains 7 climbs, with the traditional finish on the cobbled climb of the Citadel of Namur, which has to be ridden twice. Teams: Domo, Lotto, Collstrop, Vlaanderen-T Interim, Crédit Agricole-Colnago, Ville de Charleroi, Flanders-Prefetex, Mapei-Quick Step, Bankgiroloterij-Batavus, Team Fakta, Mercury, Team Post Swiss, Cofidis, Jean Delatour, AG2R, Big Mat, KRKA-Slovénie, La Française des Jeux
TdF: Resurfaced roads in Antwerp for ridersThe city of Antwerp has spent 1 million Euro on resurfacing four roads that will be used for the finish of the second stage of the Tour de France on July 9. The Beatrijslaan will get the best treatment, as that's where the riders will finish the stage. New sponsor for Ronde van NederlandThe Ronde van Nederland has at last found a new head sponsor. Energy company Eneco signed a three year contract for the naming rights to the Netherlands' most important stage race. The 41st edition will take place between August 28 and September 1, and race director Ed Nijpels is hoping that more teams will start. He was of course very happy with the contract with Eneco. "This alone doesn't secure the future of the race, but we can now also give the Ronde a more international character. We can take the route through Germany or Belgium."
TVM affair: May 28-June 11998 wasn't a good year for drug scandals (or was, depending on how you look at it). The Festina affair dominated cycling news from July onwards, and the ensuing court cases went on for over two years. Another affair that started in 1998 involved the TVM team - specifically its soigneur Jan Moors, and doctor Andréi Mikhailov, with director Cees Priem being questioned as well. Priem will appear in the court of Rheims between May 28 and June 1 charged with infringing the French antidoping law. Specifically he is charged with importing, possessing and transport of poisonous substances in order to facilitate doping, as well as infringing customs laws for possessing and distributing dangerous goods. Moors and Mikhailov were charged with the same offences, in addition to the administration of doping products and illegal practice of medicine. No cyclists have been charged The affair began on March 9, 1998 when 104 ampoules of EPO were seized from the Dutch team car by customs officials near Rheims. Several months later, police discovered doping and masking agents in the TVM truck during the Tour de France in a hotel in Ariège.
US Track Stars Head to Colombia for World CupEleven US track cyclists will travel to Colombia to represent the United States at the UCI Track World Cup #1, May 25-27 in Cali, Colombia. The athletes will race against track cyclists from all over the world in this prestigious international competition. The U.S. team was selected May 4-5 in Frisco, Texas, at the third American Velodrome Challenge (AVC) of the season. The team includes four women and seven men. 2000 Olympian Tanya Lindenmuth will represent her country for the fifth time at a World Cup. She will be joined by Erin Mirabella, Becky Quinn and Jennie Reed, the latter who is riding her 9th World Cup. Durango, Colo. resident Jame Carney will be participating in his seventh World Cup event. A two-time Olympian, Carney has raced in six World Track Cycling Championships and holds 11 national titles. He will be joined by Jeff LaBauve, Christian Stahl, Garth Blackburn, Giddeon Massie, Adam Duvendeck and Colby Pearce. The team returns to the United States May 28. US Elite Road NationalsThe USCF National Road Championships will be held over the next three days (May 24-26) in Redding, CA. Riders will compete for national titles in the time trial and road race. Starters include the 'well-rounded' Derek Bouchard-Hall (Mercury), who is the reigning 2000 Elite National Track Cycling Champion for the team pursuit, but also defending champion of the US Postal USPRO National Criterium Championships. Bouchard-Hall took 10th place in the team pursuit at the 2000 Sydney Olympics and is chomping at the bit to win his first Elite Road Championships this year. Saturn rider Trent Klasna has posted two big wins already this season, capturing the Sea Otter Classic and the Redlands Bicycle Classic. Klasna hopes to keep up his winning ways and his competitors can only hope his luck will soon run out. US U-23 National Team member Jon Retseck is only 19, but has more experience than several of his older counterparts. Retseck has been competing in international classics in Europe all spring, and could well surprise at the nationals. So too could Brice Jones, who has had a similar spring campaign, finishing 18th in France's Circuit des Ardennes. A five-time national champion, Jones is the U-23 road race defending champion and has no plan to relinquish his crown. In the women's events, World TT Champion and Olympic Silver Medalist Mari Holden is a five time national champion in the individual time trial, and could grab another title to add to her collection. Saturn's Kimberley Bruckner jump-started her 2001 season with a win at Australia's Tour de Snowy. After placing second at the Sea Otter Classic and Redlands Bicycle Classic, Bruckner is itching to get a domestic win. 2000 NRC Champion Tina Mayolo-Pic has also set her sights on the national title, posting seven top-10 finishes at NRC races this season. Four-time Iowa state junior champion Megan Elliott represents the future of American cycling. She is ready to show her older competitors that she's a force to be reckoned with. Nicole Freedman was the only US finisher in the road race at the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games, where she placed 47th. A past National Collegiate Road Cycling Champion, Olympic trials champion and 2000 National Road Cycling Champion (road race), Freedman has the experience and talent to win it again. Elite Nationals are open to Cat. 1 men and Cat. 1-2 women. The time trial is open to all riders, including UCI trade teams. The time trial is a 34 km out-and-back course east of Redding in Millville, while Saturday's road race is held on a 14-mile hilly circuit west of Redding with a six-mile start/finish tail in downtown Redding. Riders may also participate in a tandem time trial.
Touchstone Energy Bicycle Festival returnsThe Touchstone Energy Bicycle Festival is entering its third year in Minnesota. Highlights in 2001 include the Elite US National Track Championships and two National Racing Calendar road events. The Great River Energy USCF National Championships will include elite, espoirs and disabled US Track Nationals. These events will take place at the National Sports Center Velodrome in Blaine from June 12-16. Olympic champion and Festival spokesman Marty Nothstein, along with all the top track racers in the country, will compete for National Titles. The Nature Valley Grand Prix will include two road events on USA Cycling's National Racing Calendar. The Plainview Road Race, which is new this year, will take place on Saturday, June 16. Elite men will complete 102 miles, including six 1-mile climbs. Elite women will race for 68 miles with four climbs. The Grand Prix will conclude on Sunday with a criterium on the grounds of the Minnesota State Capitol in St. Paul. Saturn, NetZero, Navigators, Jelly Belly, 7UP/Colorado Cyclist, and Prime Alliance have confirmed that they will participate in the Festival. Riders are also expected from Mercury and the US Postal Service. The week's events are a benefit for Camp Heartland. Located in Willow River, MN, Camp Heartland is an outdoor camp for kids living with HIV/AIDS. Festival sponsors include Touchstone Energy, Nature Valley, Lawson Software, Anchor Bank, USA Cycling and the Minnesota Department of Transportation. Event websites Touchstone Energy Bicycle Festival: http://www.MinnBikeFestival.com
Recent results and new features on cyclingnews |
