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This year's edition of the Tour du Faso saw a greatly increased profile of the race, after it was organised by the Sociètè du Tour de France. After the race finished on Sunday in Ouagadougou, Tour director Jean Marie Leblanc said in an interview with AFP that "We are very satisfied, we felt that it brought more to the entire organisation on the qualitative level."
"We have to apply what we know how to do in France, but at the same time we must preserve the heart of the Tour du Faso, which is exotic, friendly and spontaneous. Next year we will try to do better in terms of equipment in the cars, radios and in the service vehicles."
The STF want to preserve the balance between African and European teams, which has been changing in favour of the latter in recent years. It will also try and sell the destination of Burkina Faso as a "charming place of adventure and discovery" to Europeans.
STF press officer Denis Descamps' Tour du Faso diary gives Cyclingnews readers an insight into the country of Burkina Faso and what effect the race had this year.
The first round of the UCI cyclo-cross World Cup, the Gran Premio d'Italia, will take place on Saturday, November 17. All the major national teams have already signed up, including Holland, Belgium, France, Czech Republic,Slovakia, Switzerland, Poland and USA. Italy, the host country, will have two teams.
The Monopoli Gran Premio d'Italia will also serve as a preview to the World Cyclo-cross Championships in 2002/2003. That event, to be held in February 2003, will use the same parcours as the World Cup this Saturday.
It will also be the first time that the World Cyclo-cross Championships will be held so far south. Many people are interested in seeing how the Apulian organizers will manage the event that usually takes place in the muddy terrain of Central Northern Europe.
The Monopoli course is situated just on the coast and a part of it runs along the sea - an innovation for world cyclo-cross. It was designed by Monopoli's Vito Di Tano, a former manager/trainer of the Italian team and two time amateur champion (1979 Saccolongo, 1986 Lembeek).
November 16
9.30: Accreditation Press, Team, Vip
14.30: Exploring of the race ground
17.30: Juries and team meeting
November 17
9.00: M/W Cadet race
10.30: M/W Juniors race
13.00: World Cup (Live on RAI TV)
14.10: Ceremony
14.30: Press conference
20.30: Introduction of Monopoli 2003
The first and second place finishers in last year's Six Days of Gent will this year form a partnership that will surely be the team to beat in the 61st Zesdaagse Vlaanderen (November 20-25). Belgian Matthew Gilmore (2000 winner) will partner with Australian Olympic Madison Champion Scott McGrory (runner up in 2000), joining 11 other teams in Gent.
Popular and experienced Italians, Silvio Martinello/Marco Villa will provide some tough competition, as will Swiss pair Bruno Risi and Kurt Betschart. Sentimental favourite and nine time winner Etienne De Wilde will partner with Andreas Kappes, and a podium finish is quite possible.
Professionals 1 Robert Sassone/Jean-Michel Tessier (Fra) 2 Matthew Gilmore/Scott McGrory (Bel/Aus) 3 Silvio Martinello/Marco Villa (Ita) 4 Robert Slippens/Danny Stam (Ned) 5 Bruno Risi/Kurt Betschart (Swi) 6 Frank Corvers/Laurenzo Lapage (Bel) 7 Andreas Kappes/Etienne De Wilde (Bel) 8 Jimmi Madsen/Andreas Beikirch (Ger) 9 Adriano Baffi/Nicky Vermeersch (Ita/Bel) 10 Manu L'Hoir/Jimmy Hansen (Den) 11 Jean-Pierre Van Zyl/Steven De Neef (RSA/Bel) 12 Gerd Dorich/Luc De Duytsche (Bel) Amateurs 1 Steve Thijs/Christof Marien (Bel) 2 Patrick Genauzeau/Laurent D'Ollivier (Fra) 3 Olivier Riesenbeck/Karsten Lange (Ger) 4 Anthony Gibb/James Taylor (GBr) 5 Patrick Fäh/Patrick Kraus (Swi) 6 Iljo Keisse/Dimitri De Fauw (Bel) 7 Jurgen Van Loocke/John Van Den Abeele (Bel) 8 Basil Milsal/Dean Downing (USA/GBr) 9 Koen Barbe/Eric Bos (Bel/Ned) 10 Jan Meeusen/Bjorn Nachtergaele (Bel) 11 Tom Vanbecelaere/Chris Lefever (Bel) 12 Wim Beirnaert (Bel)/?
Andrea Tafi has renewed his contract with Mapei-Quick Step for another season, the team announced today. The 35 year old who has 31 wins as a pro did not have a great season in 2001. He was sidelined for much of the year, due to the operation on two tibia muscle hernias of the left leg that he underwent at the beginning of May. However he agreed with team manager Alvaro Crespi to continue for one more year, which will be his fourteenth season.
"The year 2001 has been disappointing due to health problems that haven't allowed me to race with the continuity that is required to be amongst the season's protagonists. I went through a pretty bad period this summer, mostly on a mental scale, but I am now back in form and am looking forward to racing. I have reacquired the stimulus that I had before I was taken ill and after a relatively short resting period, I will be dedicating myself to my bike hopefully enabling me to leave my mark in on of the first big races of next season. This will be for me, the team and all of my many fans."
By Jeff Jones
The statements of former Welsh Cycling Union publicity officer Vic Gregory in relation to an anti-doping case (see Monday News) have attracted a detailed response from British Cycling and the WCU. Gregory was concerned with the BCF's actions over doping cases involving Julian Winn and "two other World track riders", claiming that they "coerced" the WCU into softening Winn's penalty.
However the BCF and WCU strongly dispute Gregory's claims, in particular the other (unnamed) riders who also tested positive during the Tour of Guadeloupe and "Two World track riders. As we have absolutely no knowledge whatsoever of those, perhaps he [Gregory] will kindly provide the media and the Federation with the details so that action can be taken," reads the BCF statement issued on November 12.
The BCF reacted to Mr Gregory's stance on "soft" banned substances, saying that they are working with the UCI and IOC definitions of these. "The Federation and the Union are bound by the Anti-Doping Regulations which advise how such findings should be treated. We are fully committed in the war against those who cheat through the misuse of drugs in cycling, but not to the extent that we issue harsh punishment to those who unknowingly and genuinely make a mistake."
As stated yesterday, Winn tested positive for Ephedrine after the Bynea Road Race on September 9, 2001. He was subsequently disqualified from the even and given a 3 month suspension.
In an earlier BCF statement (November 7) it was revealed "the banned substance came from a dietary supplement (Slim Right Peak Performance) which failed to mention on the container label, or in any of the Company's U.K. advertising material, that the product contained "Ma Huang", which is also known as Chinese Ephedrine."
The substance has now been withdrawn from the market and the "Welsh Cycling Union accepted that in this case the banned substance had been taken unknowingly. In view of this and Winn's unblemished record...the WCU decided to defer the suspension for a period of two years subject to the competitor remaining free from any further doping offence. Winn has agreed to take part in ongoing anti-doping awareness education and training conducted by the Union."
"The BCF also disqualified Winn from the International Tour of Guadeloupe where tests revealed the same finding. As the offences were within a very short period of each other and involved the same levels of Ephedrine, the British Cycling Federation agreed that they should be treated as one as is provided for in UCI and BCF Anti-Doping Regulations."
Winn is reported by the BBC to be "absolutely devastated by the finding...It was probably the most depressing time I've ever had in my life." He aims to continue cycling in preparation for next year's Commonwealth Games.
There was a further case mentioned by the BCF involving 17 year old Tim Brammeier of Childwall, Liverpool who was found positive after the National Junior Track Series Finale at Manchester on September 22, 2001. He tested positive for phenylpropanolamine, an ingredient in a cold tablet that he had taken on the day of the event. He was disqualified from the competition and given a 3 month suspension, which was deferred for three years after the source of the drug was found.
The BCF November 7 statement concludes with a comment that "Whilst a lenient view has been taken, this will not be repeated since both Governing Bodies are determined to deal firmly with any competitor who cheats through the misuse of drugs in cycle racing. Doping offences in cycling are subject to "strict liability", in other words the presence of the banned substance is an offence regardless of how it came to be present in the competitor's sample. Future cases of the type involving Winn and Brammeier will receive full sentences now that competitors have been reminded of the real need to check all medicines and supplements before use. For enquiries, the British Federation may be reached at 01536 483695 or gensec@britishcycling.org.uk."
The BCF November 12 statement finally addresses Vic Gregory's claim that the BCF had coerced the WCU into easing Winn's penalty, believing that the "cases have been dealt with in a fair and proper manner, with advice being offered without any coercion. In fact the WCU invited the Federation to send an adviser to Winn's hearing and the BCF representative was not even present when the WCU Executive Board made its final decision."
The Anti-Doping Unit of UK Sport which conducted the tests said that "it is fantastic to see Governing Bodies adopting a common-sense approach and making the most of the educational opportunity associated with a finding, rather than just brushing it under the carpet."
Contrast this British doping affair with a recent example in Sweden, where one of the country's top cyclists, Niclas Axelsson, publicly admitted to taking EPO before the World Championships in Lisbon. This earned him an instant dismissal from his team (Alessio) and a probable two year ban from the Swedish Sports Federation. For the 29 year old, it may be the end of his career.
EPO is considered a more serious drug than Ephedrine, but Axelsson's two year penalty that will come from the Swedes is far greater than the UCI penalty of 6 months. In Sweden, doping of any sort is quite serious - to the extent that anyone breaking the rules deliberately or inadvertently finds it almost impossible to continue in the sport, even after a penalty is served.
In some cases, the doping rules can be viewed as too harsh. The obvious example being Jonathan Vaughters abandoning the 2001 Tour de France after he was stung by a wasp, but wasn't allowed to treat it with cortisone. Had he claimed cortisone for "medicinal purposes" before the race, then it would have been OK. Of course, he didn't know he was going to be stung...
There are numerous examples of cyclists and athletes in other sports testing positive for banned substances by accident, most commonly in cough medicines (where the ingredients are listed) and in dietary supplements (where they are not in some cases). In all cases, the athlete is still responsible for what they take and are solely liable under the rules. How those rules are implemented depends very much on the circumstances and the country's sporting laws.
Opinions on this matter can be emailed to Cyclingnews, and a selection will be published in the next edition of letters.
An article in Saturday's edition of La Gazzetta dello Sport stated that the biggest illegal endurance drug of last decade, Erythropoetin (EPO), has been superceded by NESP (Novel Erythropoiesis Stimulating Protein). A form of NESP called darbepoetin alfa has been developed by the American drug company Amgen, which also produces Epogen, one of the most popular forms of EPO. According to Milan specialist Giorgio Lambertenghi, darbepoetin alfa is 20 times more effective than EPO.
Several studies have showed its effectiveness in the treatment of cancer patients with chemotherapy induced anemia or anemia of chronic disease. It has not yet been approved for general use by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), but according to La Gazzetta, cyclists have already been experimenting with it during the 2001 Vuelta España.
Footnote: NESP is not produced by the human body, therefore it should be relatively easy to detect. It has about three times the half life of EPO, meaning that the 20 times claim may be a little exaggerated.
December sees the start of the Specialized Winter DH Series in the UK. Started last winter, this three round series takes in two South Shropshire venues and is run by Dave Pearce and his team at Pearce Cycles in Ludlow. Entries are available by calling 01584 876016 or check out www.pearcecycles.co.uk but remember entries are limited and last year the space were filled well before the race day.
December 2: Hopton Wood, Ludlow
January 20: Bringewood Chase, Ludlow
February 17: Hopton Wood, Ludlow
Major Races and Events
September 7-29, 2002: Vuelta
a España (GT) - Preview, stage list
May 11-June 2, 2002: Giro
d'Italia (GT) - Preview, stage list, photos
July 6-28, 2002: Tour
de France (GT) - Full preview & official route details
December 8: Superprestige
Rd 5 (Cat. 1) - Erwin Vervecken
November 29-December 4: Six
Days of Noumea (6D) - Sassone/Neuville victorious
November 26-December 1: Six
Days of Zurich (6D) - Day
6 - McGrory/Gilmore/Schnider win
December 1: Melbourne
Cup on Wheels (IM) - Scott Moller, Keirin,
Sprint, Support
races
December 2: Cyclo-cross
World Cup #2 (CDM) - Sven Nijs again
November 24-December 3: Juegos
Deportivos Centroamericanos (JR) - Final results
December 8-9: Frankfurter
Rad-Cross (Cat. 2) - Alex Mudroch, UK
National Trophy Series #4 (Cat. 3) - Roger Hammond, Grote
Prijs Industrie Bosduin - Kalmthout (Cat. 1) - Bart Wellens, Int.
Radquer Obergösgen (Cat. 2) - Björn Rondelez, Trofeo
Mamma e Papa Guerciotti (Cat. 3) - Enrico Franzoi, Premio
Egondo (Cat 3) - David Seco, Irish
cyclo-cross championships - Robin Seymour
Results: local racing
Australia - CycleWest
Promotions Omnium Series #2, Eastern
Suburbs Summer Criterium Series, Carnegie
Caulfield Tuesday criterium, Southern
Cross Junior Track Open & Madison Cup, Manly
Warringah CC, George
Town Track Carnival, Carnegie
Caulfield CC, Randwick
Botany CC, Gold
Coast CATS CC, Caesar's
Illawarra CC, Caesar's
Illawarra (track)
Denmark - Danish
cyclo-cross Post Cup #3
Italy - Gran
Premio Città di Bassano
Luxembourg - GP
De Kopstal
New Zealand - Cyco
Criterium series
Spain - Elorrio
cyclo-cross
USA - Georgia
Cross Series Championship, Chimborazo
Grand Prix cyclo-cross, Boulder
Cross Rd 6, New
Mexico State Cyclo-x Champs, Sorrento
Cyclo-x & California State Champ's, Boulder
Cross Rd 5, Verge
New England series, Northampton
CC Cyclo-cross Championships, Chris
Cross International CycloCross
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Tales from the Peloton
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Marco Polo
Diary - Tour du Faso - Part II - Nathan Dahlberg's report (December 3)
Tech
maintenance - Wheels - how to keep them true and tight
Tech letters
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Tech news - Navigators
power-tap, Headsets, Carbon cages (December 7)
Tech- Recycling
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Tech Reviews:
Egg Beater pedals; Park
Tool belt; Shimano shoes;
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