News for May 31, 2001

84th Giro d'Italia news

The 11th Giro d'Italia stage finished in a similar manner to the 10th, with a solo attack being successful from a 10 man breakaway, containing no real GC threats. Although tomorrow's stage will probably be a bunch finish, Friday's stage 13 to Pordoi looks to be an epic.

Stage winner comments

Pablo Lastras (iBanesto.com, 1st stage)

Pablo Lastras
Photo: © Sirotti

"This is the first time that I have won such a significant race. I am a team member and I am an average all rounder. For my first participation in the Giro, it is better than good."

"I went with the first break, which was caught again. I went again, and that was the correct one. I attacked at a good moment in the finale. I saw there were corners in this circuit. In the sprint, I had no chance."

"For me, cycling is a passion. I stopped my studies to become a professional bike rider at 21 years. Then, I did not have a chance. Each year, I was stopped by a fracture or an accident. Now I think the fortunes are starting to turn."

"I finished third in the Tour of Tuscany before the Giro. But when I started in Pescara I was sick, feverish. But I held on and I still want to do more."

Dario Frigo (Fassa Bortolo, 1st GC)

Dario Frigo
Photo: © Sirotti

"The weight of the Maglia Rosa is felt more by the team than by me. Still one more day, and perhaps I will be nothing more than one actor amongst the rest. In Pordoi, and especially Marmolada I will try to follow."

"Today, the team had to work. The start was fast and the heat did not help anything. We intended to let the break go and the lighten the work of the team from a job that did not serve anything. We have been racing for 11 days, we've had the Maglia Rosa for one week. The team has already done a lot and it's important to save our strength."

"It would have been better if the sprinter's teams had chased, but this did not happen."

"We hope that in the next stage, we can count on saving our breath. The distance is short and the teams of the sprinters will work in order to prevent escapes and arrive in a bunch finish. The stage tomorrow is significant for Fassa Bortolo, because its start is 10 kilometres from our factory."

Pablo Lastras

25 year old Pablo Lastras Garcia described today's win as his "most important victory" and he certainly wasn't lying. The Madrid born iBanesto rider has won three races in his career, all in Portuguese stage races: Stages in the G.P. Joaquim Agostinho (1999), Volta ao Portugal (1999) and the Volta ao Minho (2000).

He started his career with Banesto in 1998, and has not ridden for any other team. Today's last 3 km attack was perfectly timed, and he said he thought it had a "90 percent chance to succeed."

Saeco's $3000 publicity stunt

Yesterday it was reported that the Saeco team (sans Cipollini) had turned up to stage 10 of the Giro d'Italia in "Black Lightning" outfits, a PR stunt to reflect Cannondale's re-release of the similarly named bike. The team was subsequently fined a total of SFR5500 (US$3000) for not wearing the proper attire, an infringement that has been incurred in the past by the Saeco team.

The usually flamboyant Mario Cipollini did not wear the black outfit because he risked expulsion from the race, after he was fined in the prologue for his 'bodysuit'.

Stage 12: Gradisca - Montebelluna

After the past two Slovenian stages have been won by breakaways, tomorrow's stage 12 from Gradisca to Montebelluna (139 km) is more suited to the sprinters. The relative shortness of the stage, combined with a fairly flat profile (no GPM's) will mean that the main competition will be for the intergiro sprint at Pordenone (km 74), although it seems that Massimo Strazzer and his Mobilvetta squad have got this wrapped up.

On Friday, the race is once more into mountainous territory, with the first really hard stage finishing in Pordoi.

Tour de Romandie: Two more EPO cases

Following the 55th Tour de Romandie (May 8-13), there have been two more cases of positive EPO tests found, according to Belgian teletext. At the moment, the identity of the riders is unknown, but it is believed that a French and an Italian rider are involved.

These cases follow the positive A tests of Dane Bo Hamburger (CSC) and Swiss Roland Meier (Team Coast). The B test results of these riders have yet to be confirmed, but Hamburger has already been suspended by his team.

TVM trial may finish tomorrow

Without any new facts, Thursday will be the last day of the TVM trial in Rheims, according to TVM lawyer Joost van Mierlo. The public prosecutor, Laumosne, asked the defenders of Priem, Moors and Mikhailov, to send their defence before the start on Thursday morning at 9 am. That is not arranged by the French law, but the defenders sent their defence by fax on Wednesday at 6 pm.

Laumosne starts on Thursday, followed by the civil parties: UCI, the French Cycling Federation (FFC) and the French Customs. The final part is for the defenders.

Mikhailov's future in Collstrop-Palmans

There is no discussion yet about the future of Andrej Mikhailov in the Collstrop - Palmans team. He is their team doctor at the moment.

Sports director Hilaire Van Der Schueren said that he will wait for the results of the trial in Rheims before they will make any decisions.

Belgian pot lawsuit nearing a close

Today was a rest day for the TVM trial in Rheims, but the "Belgian pot" lawsuit was in full swing in Poitiers. The court is seeking long prison sentences for the providers of the drug cocktail, which is commonly used by riders for performance enhancing and recreational purposes. The presence of heroin makes it particularly dangerous, as it becomes quite addictive.

This particular trial is dealing with a large amateur doping ring, and 41 people have been questioned this week, with various sad tales of addiction being told. It is believed that the drugs came from Belgium and Poland, and one former Polish champion, Mieczyslaw Korycki (Micky) may be sentenced for 5 years for drug trafficking when the judgment is handed down tomorrow (Thursday) evening in Poitiers.

Micky, together with his wife Bozena Korycka (39) and friend Janina Kwiatkowska (41) were not present at the trial, but Bozena and Janina will be recommended for two year sentences for lesser trafficking offences.

Janina had brought in the drug to France concealed in fruit juice cartons, hiding in a small Paris hotel. Former president of the Vendôme cycling club, Claude Deschamps (66) who became known as "The Key", took delivery of the drugs there along with an accomplice, Jacques Guillendou (63). These two acted as the wholesalers for the drug.

Under questioning, the pair acknowledged that they had resold more than 300 8 mL flasks of Belgian pot. They will likely receive minimum sentences of 2 years in prison.

The prosecutor recommended fines and short prison sentences for the remainder of the accused, who were mainly cyclists and only users of the products. However, one of the most notorious traffickers, Patrick Charron (53) was not in attendance in Poitiers, and will be judged later.

Although dealing with amateur cyclists, the case is significant in that it has uncovered some of the sources of the drugs. The more sensational Festina and TVM trials have merely scratched the surface of drug taking in the professional peloton, with a lot of finger pointing but no hard sentencing. At the moment, it is the riders who are being penalised the most, although they are but one part of the whole guilty establishment.

Mercury-Viatel for the Dauphiné

France's second biggest stage race, the Criterium du Dauphiné Libéré, will be held between June 10-17. Mercury-Viatel will field the following team: Niklas Axelsson, Laurent Chotard, Floyd Landis, Chann McRae, Plamen Stoianov, Andrei Teteriuk, Pavel Tonkov and Phil Zajicek.

Freire's back

In yesterday's first stage of the Tour of Germany, former World Champion Oscar Freire made his long awaited return to the peloton. Suffering from a back injury that has dogged his career, the extremely talented Mapei rider took the first half of this season (and the last part of 2000) to try and fix it once and for all.

Yesterday he finished 63rd, in the main peloton just 6 seconds behind stage winner Tom Steels, who is also on a comeback. "I felt some pain at the beginning, but after a few kilometres I had better sensations, until the point at which I was placed in head of the group to help Steels," said Freire. "I believe that the test was positive."

Jonker's Tour start not in danger

Big Mat's Patrick Jonker's Tour de France start is not in danger, according to Dutch newsagency ANP. Jonker fell in the last stage of the Midi Libre on Sunday, and was taken to hospital in Sête. A scan revealed that some damage was done to his head, and he received more than 30 stitches for the wound.

"The team manager was pretty shocked, but I think it'll be ok. Next week I will undergo some tests, but I don't forsee any problems," said Jonker who has returned to his home in Belgium.

Wüst to end his career

It seems almost certain now that German sprinter Marcel Wüst will end his career, after a crash in a French criterium resulted in the loss of the sight in his right eye. "The decision has practically been made, even though I want to officially announce it next time," he told German ARD television today. "The doctors have given me little hope that I can recover the sight in the damaged eye."

Wüst, who will be 33 in August, has won stages in all the major tours (Giro, Vuelta, and the Tour), a rare thing for a modern sprinter. One of his most celebrated successes was to win the polka dotted King of the Mountains jersey after the first stage of last year's Tour de France - then going on to win a sprint stage while wearing the jersey. He also wore the green points jersey before it was taken over by his compatriot Erik Zabel.

His rather cutting insights into the pro peloton have been read by thousands of Cyclingnews readers, via his Tour de France and Vuelta a España diaries.

His Festina team have offered him a position in their team, perhaps as a PR manager. In addition, he will be commentating on the Tour with ARD, alongside Rudi Altig.

De Cauwer to name his activity level with the BWB

"Quarantined" Belgian national coach, José De Cauwer, will start with a part time job as union coach this coming weekend, although he is not allowed to do his job of coaching the espoir team. He will start with the coordination of the other coaches who work with preparing cyclists for the World Championships, and administrative tasks. His field work ban is not a problem at the moment, because the espoirs' Topcompetitie has finished for the time being.

The high profile coach temporarily stepped down from his position after an affair blew up recently involving former amateur riders and amphetamines.

However, his lawyer Filip De Jonge doesn't believe the case is clear cut, and is waiting for authorisation to examine the dossier of the other party. The BWB meanwhile has said that "We have not lost our trust in José, and we think he will come out of this affair clean."

2002 Women's Tour de France to start in the Netherlands

On August 4, 2002 the La Grand Boucle Feminin (women's Tour de France) will start in Den Bosch with a stage of 90 kilometres. Later on that day, a team time trial is scheduled.

The contracts were signed by the French Tour director Pierre Boue and mayor Rombouts of Den Bosch, with Leontien Zijlaard-van Moorsel at that meeting. The organiser called the start in Den Bosch a tribute to Leontien with her 3 Gold medals in Sydney, and as winner of the Tour in 1992 and 1993.

"In 2002 I will start again. The parcours goes through my birth place in Boekel, so I have to be there," said Van Moorsel.

This year Van Moorsel, will not start in Bilbao for the women's Tour de France, because she will be busy preparing for the World Hour Record in September.

The Tour in 2002 can be a nice target for her, in principle her last year as professional rider. "I don't start to win. I want to aim for a few stages and we can win the team time trial with our team."

Den Bosch was the starting place of the men's Tour de France in 1996.

Women's Cyclocross revert to longer races

The UCI have reversed their 40 to 30 minute time reduction of women's cyclocross races. This season, the UCI will go back to the original 40 minute duration, after consulting various national federations. The reduction last year was carried out because the UCI claimed that the time gaps were too big in the women's races.