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Domo-Farm Frites director Patrick Lefevere has reacted to the news that Johan Museeuw is purportedly riding for Mapei next season. "This is the hundredth time I have heard this story," said Lefevere to Gazet van Antwerpen. "I have not yet gotten him to sign on the line, and I have not asked him if he is going to Mapei."
Despite this, Lefevere is positive that Museeuw will ride for Domo next season, as he already has another year's contract and a verbal agreement that he will stay with Lefevere.
Mapei director Eric Vanderaerden said that "I have heard nothing about it. I will travel to Italy this week to discuss the team for next season. But I don't know anything about the transfer of Museeuw."
Museeuw told De Standaard that "I have given no-one my word yet. Everyone knows that Mapei-Quick Step wants to have me for a year. With Squinzi I had an excellent relationship. It is normal that I will listen to his proposal. Indeed, he detailed it to me in a meeting on Saturday. But my decision is not made. If it is too hard, I will not leave. I will do things correctly."
On the other hand, the estranged Franck Vandenbroucke is a possibility for Domo-Farm Frites. Patrick Lefevere was quoted in La Dernière Heure as saying "My door is open to him. He knows my phone number."
To which Vandenbroucke responded: "To ride in the colours of Domo interests me...but I want to be sure that my ability will enable me to become a high level racer again. It is a question of honesty."
Finally, Mapei has signed top Belgian track rider Matthew Gilmore, who will partner Australian Scott McGrory in the six day races this season. Gilmore will leave Vlaanderen-T-Interim for his new team.
By Gerard Knapp
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The toy lion on top of the team car at Specialized's stand at the Interbike exhibition in Las Vegas says it all, even if the US company's execs wouldn't go on the record about their plans for a high-level presence in the European peloton after the demise of Festina. Next year, the Lion King, aka Mario Cipollini, and the rest of Acqua e Sapone will be riding Specialized's new S-works road bikes as part of a new sponsorship deal.
While Angel Casero's dramatic final stage win of the 2001 Vuelta España was the swansong for both Festina and Specialized, at least they conclude this chapter of their European experience on a high note. And despite Casero demanding a custom frame which didn't come out just right in time for the Vuelta, the Spanish rider was simply given a stock 58cm off-the-peg frame which he unknowingly rode to victory last Sunday.
Specialized's continued presence as a high-level team sponsor in Europe is indicative of overall positivism towards road cycling, while MTB sales remain a little flat compared to the dramatic growth of the previous decade. Also adding fuel to this desire to service the high-end road market is US Postal Service rider Levi Leipheimer's 3rd place on GC in this year's Vuelta, one of the key talking points among the road cognoscenti at Interbike. Comments such as "awesome", "fantastic" and "brilliant" reverberate when his name is mentioned, as US cycling celebrates yet another contender for the top spot on GC in the Grand Tours.
Even with such a stand-out performance, the mainstream US press ignored his achievement, as Levi's great ride was barely mentioned. Given this lack of local coverage, the bike companies are heading to Europe in search of the reflected glory of such performances.
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Another company which is maintaining its presence in the Euro peloton is wheelbuilder Spinergy, which confirmed it has re-signed to supply wheels to French Division 2 team Bonjour for next year, and is also negotiating with two other teams for similar deals, one being a very high profile squad which performs quite well in April.
Bonjour will be one of the first to use Spinergy's new super lightweight wheels set called the Xaero Carbon, which feature carbon rims, synthetic spokes and have a combined weight of 1350 grams. Maybe not for the cobbles of the Belgian classics, but certainly for the TTs and mountain stages, said Spinergy's Paul Cusick.
Another US manufacturer, Litespeed, also plans to make a major foray into Division 1 and is talking with Lotto about sponsoring the team in a multi-year deal, as reported by Cyclingnews' European editor Tim Maloney on September 21.
Litespeed is aiming to replace another US company, GT, which has been Lotto's sponsor but the company has been through a turbulent two months of financial difficulties and its new owner, Pacific Cycles, is aiming the new bike range at the lower end of the market. At Interbike, Litespeed's marketing director Herbert Krabel said negotiations were still continuing for the 2002 season, as the the team is still contracted with GT, while the following season looks definite. Over the next two days, Cyclingnews will report on other news from USA's major cycling exhibition.
Time Trial
Fabian Cancellara (Mapei)
Jean Nuttli (Phonak)
Reserve: Rubens Bertogliati (Lampre)
Road Race
Niki Aebersold (Team Coast)
Pierre Bourquenoud (Phonak)
Oscar Camenzind (Lampre)
Laurent Dufaux (Saeco)
Martin Elmiger (Post Swiss)
Mauro Gianetti (Team Coast)
Christian Heule (Post Swiss)
Fabian Jeker (Milaneza-MSS)
Alexandre Moos (Phonak)
Steve Zampieri (Post Swiss)
Beat Zberg (Rabobank)
Lukas Zumsteg (Phonak)
Reserve: Daniel Schnider (Francaise des Jeux)
Reserve: Felice Puttini (CCC-Mat)
By Shane Stokes and Gerard Cromwell, Irishcycling.com
The Irish Cycling Federation today announced their teams for the world championships to be held in Lisbon, Portugal, from the 9th to the 14th of October. Also unveiled were new Team Ireland sponsors, Grant Thornton Accountants at the reception which was held at the Shelbourne Hotel, Dublin.
A determined group of ten riders were presented, with Tour of Hokkaido winner David McCann (Elite time trial) and 1998 Junior world champion Mark Scanlon (Under 23 time trial and road race) the most experienced of these.
"This is the first time since 1998 that I am going to the world championships in really good condition," said Scanlon, his morale boosted by a recent win in France. "I am riding very strongly at the moment and with the tough course, it might well come down to a sprint from a small group. If I am there at the end, that would suit me very well."
Scanlon and Denis Lynch line out in the under 23 time trial next Tuesday and will be joined by Dermot Nally and Gary McQuaid in the under 23 road race three days later.
A strong junior team of Clondalkin man Tim Cassidy, Philip Deignan of Letterkenny, Paudie O'Brien from Kanturk and French based Nicolas Roche will contest the junior road race. The latter rider is the son of former Irish Tour De France winner Stephen Roche and displays the same cheeky style as his father when being interviewed. When asked if cycling took up all of his time, Roche junior replied "I also have a girlfriend," to shrieks of laughter from the audience, which included former world number one Sean Kelly.
Three times ladies national champion Susan O'Meara, now riding with Letchworth Velo in England, will contest the ladies race.
"It is a pleasure to be backing this strong squad', said Garoid Costello of Grant Thornton Ireland, "They are all very motivated and I believe that they will do very well in Portugal."
Irish Cycling Federation president PJ Nolan was quick to acknowledge the importance of the sponsor's backing, saying that it would enable the riders to have the best preparation in the run-up to the race and to ride well in their respective competitions. Nolan also vowed to continue the advancement of the ICF which, on today's evidence, is clearly a far more professional organisation than it was in the past.
Junior Men
Road Race
Paudie O'Brien (Kanturk)
Nicolas Roche (Cote D' Azur)
Philip Deignan (Four Masters)
Tim Cassidy (Usher Insulations IRC)
Under 23 Men
Road Race
Mark Scanlon (VC La Pomme)
Dermot Nally (Valencia)
Gary McQuaid (Emerald)
Denis Lynch (Kanturk)
Time Trial
Mark Scanlon (VC La Pomme)
Denis Lynch (Kanturk)
Elite Women
Road Race
Susan O Meara (Dublin Wheelers)
Elite Men
Time Trial
David McCann (CCC-Mat)
USA Cycling has been notified by the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) that the Russian Cycling Federation has suspended Vasilli Davidenko (Navigators Cycling Team) from competition effective Sept. 17, 2001. Davidenko, a Russian citizen, is suspended by the Russian Federation for a two month period.
The Russian Federation's decision stems from a positive finding for 19-norandrosterone and 19-noretiocholanolone, which was collected at a criterium held April 7, 2001, in Austin, Texas. In addition to the two month suspension, Davidenko was disqualified from the April 7 event.
In an official statement, the Navigators team expressed its "shock and surprise" at the result. "We have full confidence that this result was due to the ingestion of an over-the-counter herbal food supplement that did not have a full accounting of the ingredients on the label."
"Acting on his own, and without the knowledge of the team's management, nutritional experts or doctor, Vassili purchased this nutritional food supplement based strictly on the ingredients listed on the label. An analysis of the supplement by an independent laboratory confirmed the presence of a metabolite of a banned substance, as initially reported by USADA."
The Navigators also asked for athletes who had "unknowingly ingesting mislabeled food products" to be protected from being "falsely sanctioned" while reiterating "our complete opposition to the intentional use of banned substances and our concern for the safety and health of our athletes."
Australian 'climbing' sprinter Baden Cooke has signed a contract next season with Marc Madiot's Francaise des Jeux team, joining his compatriots Matthew Wilson and Brad McGee who recently signed. Cooke, who has been one of Mercury's most successful riders all season, told Cyclingnews that he had "talks with Rabobank and about five other teams, but decided to go with FDJ, and will sign on Wednesday."
"I am looking forward to working with Marc Madiot, and building a strong team for the future with McGee, Wilson, and the other good riders," he added. "My decision to go to FDJ was also based on the fact that I will have some freedom to learn and race at the world cup races, and the possibility of riding the Tour de France."
Baden will next be competing in the Melbourne to Warrnambool (October 13) and Herald Sun Tour (October 18-28).
Tom Vannoppen (Vlaanderen-T-Interim) will ride for Collstrop-Palmans from December 1 The 22 year old cyclocross specialist signed a contract for one year with team manager Hilaire Van der Schueren. He described it as a "difficult" decision but the financial offer from Collstrop was too good.
Belgian division II team Landbouwkrediet-Colnago is negotiating to become a partner with the Mapei-Quick Step team, which is also sponsored by Ernesto Colnago. Team manager Gerard Bulens will have a meeting next week in order to finalise an agreement, which will mean that some of Mapei's current riders will join Landbouwkrediet next season, after the team is reduced to 25. Conversely, Landbouwkrediet-Colnago will serve as a development team for U23 and neo-pro's who may join Mapei in future.
The team will still be called Landbouwkrediet-Colnago in Belgium and Colnago-Landbouwkrediet in Italy, according to Bulens, who hopes to attract more sponsors through the relationship with Mapei. Michel Vanhaecke, Bert Dewaele, Kurt Van Landeghem, Masahiko Mifune and Jeff Louder have all re-signed with the team for next season. Negotiations with other riders will occur in the coming days.
Mirella van Melis will ride next season for Vlaanderen-T-Interim. The European U23 champion has an agreement with team leader Christel Herremans and will join compatriot Debby Mansveld in the team.
Acca Due O's Arenda Grimberg and Mirjam Melchers will return to home turf next season, joining Michael Zijlaard's Farm Frites-Hartol squad. The pair will join Leontien Zijlaard-Van Moorsel, Sissy van Alebeek, Anouska van der Zee, Sonja Pfister-Van Kuik, Daphny van den Brand and Madeleine Lindberg in the team, with the final rider to be named next week.
By Gabriella Ekström, cyclingnews.com correspondent
Patrick Serra has together with his Spanish colleague Vicente Morant formed a new Spanish professional team. The head sponsor of the cycling team will be SIME. SIME is located in Benidorm and offers software solutions to the hotel line of business.
The team will start as a Trade Team 2 and the budget is now over a million Euro, and will increase as new sponsors sign on. SIME has signed a three year deal. SIME will start with 14 riders and will during the season be enlarged by riders from the amateur team.
The team will have a close connection with Sweden, as in addition to Patrick Serra some staff and riders will be from Sweden. The management does not wish to reveal any details about the riders since the negotiations are still going on, but several Swedish and Nordic riders are of interest for the team.
There are several reasons that Patrick Serra who has his own amateur team has chosen to work in Spain. Spanish cycling is very strong at the moment, and therefore it is favourable for companies to sponsor a cycling team. Another reason is the Spanish racing program.
"Since we are registered as a Spanish team, we are guaranteed access to the whole Spanish program, including the Vuelta España, without any demands for UCI points or ranking," says Serra.
"Thanks to this we can guarantee our sponsors at least 145 hours live broadcasting on national television, except all the hours of cycling that Eurosport broadcast every year. This fact makes our team very interesting for both sponsors and riders."
"Even with the same amount of money in a Swedish team, we couldn't attract riders good enough to guarantee us a place in a major Tour (Vuelta a España, Giro d'Italia or Tour de France)," Patrick Serra explains.
This will also strengthen cycling in Spain. Today, Spain only has six professional teams, and a lot of Spanish riders are racing for foreign teams. Compare that to, for example, 12 professional teams in Italy.
"So far my job has been to show the sponsors what you can do with a professional cycling team, and make them interested in this project. I am also trying to inform and raise interest in some Swedish companies. Most of the work around the sponsors is done now, and I will now concentrate more on the organisation and the contract negotiations."
"A lot of southern European teams are very good sporting wise, but less skilled when it comes to organising and press contacts. It will be my responsibility to make sure that we will function with the means we have."
Patrick Serra will be located in Benidorm from the start of next year.
"Vicente Morant has been the manager and d.s of one of the biggest amateur teams in Spain during the last 18 years. He lives in Alicante and we have been discussing a co-operation for several years."
"Vicente has lots of contacts in Spain and he has an excellent way of create a positive spirit in a team. He makes a big effort to make the riders comfortable and in that way he brings out the best in all of them," says Serra.
"Serra is great with the PR and the sponsor contacts, and you can clearly tell that the sponsors do listen to him. He is also good at organisation and he has a long experience when it comes to running an international cycling team," says Morant. "The demands of the sponsors goes beyond pure television time, and I think that Patrick has a great understanding of new ways to promote a cycling team. Since we will contract foreign riders and also race outside Spain it is very valuable that Patrick speaks five languages."
"I'm very pleased with the arrangement that I have with Morant and Serra," said the owner of SIME, Juan Miguel Molas Sevilla. "We have been sponsoring Morant's team for some years and we think this can be very favourable for us. We want to strengthen our trademark and create a young team with new and fresh ideas. We will be a small team, but we will make an effort to present our positive image."
"I think this is a great start and our aim is to further develop the team in the future. We have lots of sponsors who wants to join us, and some of them has a great potential to grow with us," Sevilla explains. "As a matter of fact we have more offers than space on the jersey right now."
SIME will present the complete team with riders, clothes and all the sponsors on the October 31.
Team Mälarenergi will be the amateur team from which the professional team will recruit. The amateurs will race in Spain during the spring and fall, just like they have previously done. During the summer they will race in Sweden and that means they will be able to enter 80% of the Swedish calendar.
Serra will remain the manager of Team Mälarenergi and will still be responsible for the contracting of new riders and the teams racing schedule. He will also remain a part of the team's sponsoring group, and will work with Team Mälarenergi's public relations.
Pasi Hokkanen and Peter Stensson have both been working together with Serra before and will be coaching the riders together with Öyvind Lillehagen, who retires as a rider.
"This is very exciting for all of us," says Sten Erik Zettervall, chairman of Team Mälarenergi. "This is right in line with our purposes. It feels like we have found a great solution that not only guarantees but also strengthens the position of Team Mälarenergi. I think it is very important for the sport of cycling in Sweden that we get this possibility to put our talented riders on a highway to the professional world. We have noticed a greater interest in Team Mälarenergi during the last years, from both riders and leaders who have seen their chance to become apparent through us."
SIME has a contract that guarantees a start in every race on the Spanish program. The team will also participate in races outside of Spain but that schedule isn't settled yet, but possible starts besides of the Swedish Championships are Postgirot Open, and stage races in Italy, France and Portugal. There is also a possibility that the team will participate in the Tour of Denmark and some of the World Cup races, depending on which races will suit the sponsors and riders contracted by the team.
February
Challange Mallorca (1.4)
Vuelta Andalucia (2.3)
Luis Puig (1.2)
Vuelta Valencia (2.3)
Clasica Almeria (1.4)
March
Vuelta Murcia (2.3)
Semana Catalana (2.1)
Trofeo Navarra (1.4)
April
Pais Vasco 2.HC (hors category)
GP Primavera (1.3)
Vuelta Aragon (2.2)
Vuelta Rioja (2.5)
Clasica Alcobendas (1.4)
May
Vuelta Asturias (2.3)
Bicicleta Vasca (2.1)
Volta Catalunya 2.HC (hors category)
June
Prueba Ortis (1.2)
July
Clasica Sabinanigo (1.4)
Circuito Gexto (1.4)
Castilla y Leon (2.4)
August
Clasica los Puertos (1.4)
Vuelta Burgos (2.1)
Clasica San Sebastian CDM (World Cup)
Subida Urikiola (1.4)
Volta Galega (2.2)
GP Llodio (1.4)
Trofeo Luis Ocana (1.4)
September
Vuelta España (GT)
Subida Naranco (1.4)
October
Memorial Galera 1.4 (Invitation race)
Escalada Montjuich 1.S (Invitation race)
The court in Ferrara has appointed two experts to analyse the seized files of professor Francesco Conconi, who is on trial for sporting fraud and distribution of doping products. Professor Giuseppe d'Onofrio, head of haematology at the University of Rome, and professor Giuseppe Banfi have been given 90 days by the judge to return their findings to the court.
The files, seized by Italian drugs police three years ago, are alleged to contain coded material that show how Conconi distributed EPO to 60 athletes while in charge of the sports centre at Ferrara.
The London Cyclo-Cross Association (LC-CA) has been given a grant of £2950 to attract more young riders to cyclo-cross. The LC-CA bid for the money from the National Lottery Awards for All programme.
The money will be used to:
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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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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