News for May 25, 2001Recent results and new features 84th Giro d'Italia newsToday's stage 5 from Avellino to Nettuno was at last for the sprinters to strut their stuff. And they didn't disappoint, with a perfect finish for Alexia's Ivan Quaranta to take his fifth ever Giro stage win.
Stage 5 commentsIvan Quaranta (Alexia, 1st stage)
"I did not start the Giro in good condition. I had health problems. I suffered at the back and I had bronchitis at the end of April in the Giro del Trentino. I knew that I would need several days to find my level. I am still not at my best but I'm not finished as a cyclist. But I have to say I was boosted by my finish. It is because of that I appreciated this victory, perhaps my most beautiful in the Giro." Fortunately, my team always believed in me. They helped me quite well in this stage and I intend to remain faithful to them next year. For several days, I have tested myself in the intermediate [Intergiro] sprints. I found confidence." "The cyclamen jersey [points]? It will be hard to finish in Milan. But the desire is there. Mario Cipollini (Saeco, 2nd stage) "The red train is sick. It did not function well, for technical reasons as well as physical. Nobody, including me, is well. I did not feel good at the beginning, but I improved after a few hours." "We had planned that I enter the finishing straight in 4th position, instead I was in seventh or eighth. And then Conte was alone, and he was not the strongest." "Quaranta anticipated the sprint. He was quicker than me, nothing more. I was successful in moving forward, then when I put in the effort he was in front. To look at the bright side, I am improving." "The other main reason for this second place is that Quaranta anticipated the sprint. He was quicker than me in the jump. I was successful in moving forward, then when I put in the effort he was in front. To look at the bright side, I am improving."
Dario Frigo (Fassa Bortolo, 1st GC) "I was astonished by the enthusiasm of the public in the south. In the last few years, I have heard Pantani, Cipollini or Gotti being acclaimed. Now, it was my turn." "Since the beginning of the Giro, I have been quite tired - both physically and mentally. But I don't think I am more tired than the others." "If it would only last to Milan, that would be a dream." Rik Verbrugghe (Lotto, deposed leader) "I passed the X-rays. I don't have a fracture but an injured shoulder due to my fall. On the bike, I am still having trouble breathing."
Pantani has doubtsIt was a comparatively small time gap, and occurred late in the stage, but Marco Pantani's 30 second loss into Montevergine was big news before the stage 5 start in Montesilvano this morning. Surrounded by a media scrum, Pantani explained that he was indeed preoccupied with the "defeat at Montevergine" as it is being termed. "In light of the facts, I am more preoccupied at the moment than I was on the eve of this stage from Montesilvano. The fact that preoccupies me the most is not that I lost 30 seconds to the leader, but that I wasn't able to hold the wheels of my rivals." "In front of me there were 20 riders, and this shouldn't have happened. It raises many questions, but at the moment I don't know how to give many answers." "It's clear that I don't have my rhythm, and it's clear that I saw the riders go up at an extraordinary speed, a task that can be dealt with..." "When my adversaries accelerated, I couldn't succeed in holding any of their wheels. I don't know what to say, every possible doubt has come to me. The problem is not that I have not raced a lot, and therefore I don't have many kilometres in the legs, I believe that the answer is much simpler." "Either one is at the forefront of a generational change, or I can no longer be with the best. Sure I must ask these questions, I repeat, why have I truly seen such strange things?"
Olano's chancesONCE-Eroski's Abraham Olano is in the boxed seat at the moment in the Giro. He is lying second overall at 12 seconds, has his teammates Azevedo and Hruska in 5th and 7th, doesn't have to defend the pink jersey yet, and can time trial quite well. The one and only time trial is on and if Olano can survive in the mountains before then, he could well take the lead. His main threats when the road goes up are Stefano Garzelli, Ivan Gotti and Gilberto Simoni. None of these riders will get close to him in the TT, but may be able to put several minutes into the Spaniard on Stage 13 to Passo Pordoi, probably the toughest stage in this year's Giro. There's more to come after that - Stage 18 for example. If things go according to plan, he would be defending his jersey there. "Dario Frigo is going well as a leader at the moment," he said. "Then we will see. If I can go well to the Pordoi, the time trial plays in my favour. Then we must see what happens in the final week, with the climb of S. Anna di Vinadio..." "The 30 seconds that Marco Pantani lost yesterday will count for nothing there. His main problem is his exclusion from the Tour. Marco was counting on coming to the Giro to gradually get into shape, in order to finish well here and then to France. The exclusion forced him to rethink his program and improvise. But I am sure that he will be strong in the last week." Two broken teeth for Perez CuapioJust one day after he broke his chain with 5 kilometres to go whilst leading, Mexican Julio Perez Cuapio (Panaria) has broken two teeth - unfortunately in his mouth. He was involved in a crash during today's fifth stage. Colombian Hernan Buenahora also came down, suffering elbow and left knee bruising and abrasions. Francisco Garcia Rodriguez (ONCE) almost came off quite badly while his team mechanic was doing some out of the window wheel repair in the convoy. Rodriguez hit a bump and lost control of his bike, suffering wounds to his buttocks and shoulders.
Comments on the TVM caseNo riders will have to testify in the TVM case that is scheduled between May 28-June 1 in Rheims, France. Cees Priem's lawyer, Joost van Mierlo, confirmed that only Priem, ex-soigneur Jan Moors and former team doctor Andrej Mikhailov will have to appear in France for 'importing, travelling with and possessing dangerous goods and inciting the use of forbidden substances'. Priem still says that "I have nothing to do with EPO. Mikhailov said in 1998 the products found were for a children's hospital in Russia. That's the truth for me." Although that statement sounds at first glance about as plausible as 'the dog ate my homework' Joost Van Mierlo cautioned that "If you know the dossier, it isn't strange to believe the story of Mikhailov." Priem says it's a show trial. "It's planned just before the start of the Tour de France. Even the judgment will be just one week before the start of the Tour."
Dunlap to ride HP Women's ChallengeTop mountain biker, Olympian (1996 and 2000) and US Cyclocross Champion (2000) Alison Dunlap has officially entered this year's HP Women's Challenge and will ride on the Boise Cascade Office Products Team. Released from her GT mountain biking team for the event, Dunlap's climbing and incredible athleticism will certainly help her on the grueling climb up Galena Pass, the "Head to Head" Time Trials and circuit races. In addition to Dunlap, other notable climbers participating this year include Amber Neben, Caroline Alexander and Kimberly Bruckner. The HP Women's Challenge covers 1000 kilometres of Idaho from June 13-24, and is considered one of the toughest women's stage races in the world.
International Thüringen-Rundfahrt der Frauen15 of the world's best women's cycling teams will be at the start of the 14th International Thüringen-Rundfahrt der Frauen, that runs from July 24-29 in Germany. The 2.9.1 class race commences with a prologue in Zeulenroda, with an additional six stages for a total of 658 kilometres. Currently, national teams from Australia, France, Great Britain, The Netherlands, Germany and Norway have confirmed they will be at the start, in addition to several professional teams (Saturn, Euregio Egrensis, Nurnberger, Acca Due O). German national coach Jochen Dornbusch will use it as preparation for his team in the European Championships in France in August. The route hasn't been finalised, but it will start (July 24) and finish in Zeulenroda (July 29). Other finishing towns include Greiz (July 25), Schleiz (July 26), Saalfeld (July 27), Gera and Schmölln (both on July 28).
Ochoa recovering complete consciousnessJavier Ochoa is still making good progress in his recovery from the accident that almost cost his life earlier this year, and killed his brother Ricardo. According to the latest hospital reports, he has had a "favourable evolution of his physical condition" and has "already left the phase of post traumatic confusion. That is to say, he has completely recovered his consciousness." He is working on a multidisciplinary recovery program, where he is slowly gaining back all his physical and neurophysical functions. "He is working on his speech recovery, the muscle tone that was lost because his muscles atrophied after the accident, the different physical functions that he had forgotten, and other aspects like memory, attention, concentration, perception and thought."
Mauri postpones hour attemptSpaniard Melchior Mauri (Maia-MSS) has put off his bid for the World Hour Record, that was to take place quite soon. "The sponsors who were contacted requested more time, and I could not hang on for any longer without the fear of losing my peak form," he said to El Mundo Deportivo today. "I have decided to do it after my second peak of the season, where I will be doing the Vueltas de Portugal, España and the World Championships. In other words, in the second half of October." He also fears that Olano will try and go for it in the month of July. If the ONCE rider managed to beat it, it would make it hard for Mauri to surpass.
Adecco sponsors Dutch championshipsThe world's largest staffing company Adecco is the new head sponsor of the Dutch national road championships. Adecco is also known in cycling as the co-sponsor of the Lotto team. The Dutch championships will be held over the weekend of June 30 and July 1, and for the first time in many years they will not be in the south of Limburg but in Nijmegen.
Ampler banned from driving for a monthGerman professional Uwe Ampler has to pay DM1500 (US$650) and isn't allowed to drive a car for a period of one month, because left the scene of an accident. On August 23 2000 he hit a car in a parking lot but drove away. Ampler won the Peace Race four times. He won a gold medal as part of the German Olympic team time trial. In 1999 he was involved in a doping case, and he finished his career last year.
Team Bolla-Bianchi
The Bianchi-W Mountain Bike Racing Team has announced the addition of Bolla Wines of Italy as the team's title sponsor. The team will now be known as Team Bolla-Bianchi. Now entering its third season, the team comprises riders from Canada, Germany, and the United States. Top-level riders to watch include former Canadian Junior National Champion Carter Hovey, Canadian National Team member Troy Woodburn and rising U.S. Semi-Pro star, Jason Jablonski. These riders will be representing Team Bolla-Bianchi at NORBA National races, North American UCI World Cup stops, the Canada Cup Series and everything in between. Team Bianchi-W will continue a grassroots/junior program with US National Team member Toby Swanson as its captain. Team Bolla-Bianchi Roster Carter Hovey (Can) Pro Team Bianchi-W Roster Toby Swanson (USA) Semi-Pro Management & Support Director: Eric Wallace Sponsors Bolla Wines of Italy: http://www.bolla.com Derek Bouchard-Hall correctionYesterday's report on cyclingnews about the USCF national championships gave the impression that USPRO Criteirum champion, Derek Bouchard-Hall, would be aiming for a road title. This is incorrect, as he is not permitted to enter the road race, only the time trial.
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